News / National

by Stephen Jakes

An MDC official Discent Collins Bajila has said Bulawayo people do not want to participate in demonstrations which its aim has not been communicated to them.This comes in the wake of a human rights activist Linda Masarira having accused Ndebeles of being cowards by not participating in anti government protests."The Linda incident brings us to a point where we must evaluate the effects of demonstrations and strikes as a mobilising strategy. While I wouldn't say that Bulawayo people are reluctant to participate in strike and demonstration activity, I would rather say Bulawayo people don't easily participate in causes whose end goal they don't have full knowledge of. It is thus incumbent upon the organizers of to fully explain issues when spreading the word," Bajila said."The likes of Milford Gwetu, Abraham Mdlongwa, Esaph Mdlongwa, Ntombizodwa Sibanda (nee Mbambo) , Mathula Lusinga among others used to organise powerful demonstrations back in the days. Presently, we have a powerful relationship between the ZCTU Regional Leadership and Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association that occasionally brings the city to a standstill if needs be. Processions associated with commemoration of the death of King Mzilikazi also get a favourable attendance in the city. Not to mention the defiant activities often organized by Mbuso Fuzwayo, Patricia Tshabalala, Jenny Williams, Magodonga Mahlangu and the organisations they lead."He said the organizations (including political parties and workers unions) that have refused to take a cue from these illustrious mobilisers of our City have all failed."However, what has been consistent about the people of Bulawayo is that even if their participation in demonstrations and strikes is conditional, their electoral choices are always accurately and unconditionally against Zanu PF. Even as recent as 2013 General Elections, Bulawayo is the only province where Zanu PF won zero wards and zero constituencies yet in other provinces including those that are popular with mega rallies, resounding demonstrations and marches that attract the attention of world class media houses like BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera etc Zanu PF got its highest support in this century," he said."I hope that this will help those who have Lindaeic misconceptions about Bulawayo and her people."
On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the United States will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.

The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.

The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.

Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.

Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.

-- 'Lame duck' --

Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.

The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.

Washington's top diplomat leaves office in January at the end of President Barack Obama's presidency.

But he said the US will "remain engaged" in the search for peace in Yemen.

"We think we've found a path that can move forward," Kerry said.

"And we invite the parties, President Hadi, the Huthis and their supporters, both sides, to take advantage of this moment".

He added that Iran has also indicated that it wants an end to the Yemen war, "and they believe that the key is for Huthis to be able to have some role within government".

Yemen's Tourism Minister Mohamed Qubaty told reporters that Kerry is a "lame duck" attempting "a shot from across 50 yards to score a goal at the last minute."

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians during its air strikes in Yemen, and last week the United States blocked the transfer of precision-guided bomb kits to Saudi Arabia.

A senior US administration official said the move reflected "strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition's targeting practices" and its overall conduct of the Yemen air war.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
As crews continue their work drilling a well in the Calvada Eye this week, officials with the Nye County Water District were working on their continuing efforts to preserve Nevadas most precious natural resource on Monday.

As crews continue their work drilling a well in the Calvada Eye this week, officials with the Nye County Water District were working on their continuing efforts to preserve Nevadas most precious natural resource on Monday.

The board discussed several issues including a decision to allow the districts general manager and legal counsel the ability to protest water rights applications in Nye County.

According to state law, the Nevada State Engineer must consider several elements when an individual or entity submits a water rights application for approval.

Chief among them is determining whether there is a beneficial use for the water.

The engineer must also determine if the use of water under the proposed application may prove detrimental to public interests.

Newly appointed board member John Bosta noted that its crucial the water board expedite its decision on the issue to ensure the process is budgeted properly.

Costs for protesting water rights applications are $30.

At present, Nye County Nuclear Waste Repository Department Director Darrell Lacy serves as general manager of the body.

This would give general manager Darrell Lacy the ability to protest water rights that are timely and need to be made within the next 30 days. This would also give him the authority to do what he needs to do to the best of his judgment. It would also give him the time to bring back a plan that we can take a look at and approve in the future, he said.

Bosta also said the county is moving past what seemed to be an archaic action in terms of protesting water rights applications.

The old county policy was to protest all water rights applications so Mr. Lacy wanted some kind of direction on what to do and thats where the discussion came up. I guess thats going to be a decision that is going to be made as they come back with some kind of a plan on how they are going to handle this. I dont have the number of protests that are filed regularly but there are several protests that have been filed and the state engineer has to take a look at the protests and then its a matter of if he denies the application because they are in direct violation of his orders, he said.

Secretary Treasurer Susan Paprocki told the board that there are sufficient funds budgeted to support the action.

Its $250,000 a year and that was never used. We can reallocate a minimum amount which is $200 to start the ball rolling on this. Setting next years budget moving forward, we can set that as part of our program budget as well, Paprocki said.

Following further discussion, board members voted unanimously to allow staff to proceed with any protests while drawing up complete plans for protesting water rights applications.

Board members also approved funding to staff the newly formed Ground Water Management Plan (GWMP) advisory committee budgeted for $60,000.

Last month, county commissioners appointed seven members to the body along with three alternates.

In related news, well owners this week were urged to take part in a voluntary metering program by Nye County water board member Michael Lach to avoid possible worse outcomes.

To date only eight people agreed to voluntarily meter their wells. Lach emphasized they want to get a lot of well owners to come up with a broad spectrum of water usage in the entire Pahrump Valley, individual well results will be kept confidential.

Were not looking to meter it and charge you for your water. Were not looking to meter it for any reason other than to understand what the average person uses, not for what you individually use, he said.

The water district held a morning session Monday, while the new Basin 162 Groundwater Management Plan Advisory Committee met in the afternoon, to hear State Engineer Jason King make a presentation on Nevada water law, consider a work plan, formulate bylaws and create a mission statement.

David Welch had worries over the state forcing well owners to pay for meters on domestic wells and assessing them for the amount of water used.

Right now there is not a plan to put meters on domestic wells right now and I would say in the near future. A lot of it depends on what is the fallout from this management plan. Our office would really like to know how much domestic well owners are using in Pahrump Valley, what is that comfort level. I would like to see more meter usage in Pahrump. Im not going to say it would happen right now, King said.

Water board consultant Oz Wichman corrected Lach; he said if volunteers sign up for a metering program, their name and address becomes part of the public record, even if that data is not used in publishing the results of the study.

Well owners are allowed to use up to two acre feet of water per year. King said he will work with the groundwater management committee on that allocation. But he said, if we have 1,000 meters out there and it says the average use is only 250 gallons per day thats not going to be as big an issue.

In a breakthrough for the start of developing a plan to bring Pahrumps groundwater basin into balance with usage and the amount of recharge, King said his office is accepting 20,000 acre feet as recharge for the Pahrump basin, instead of 12,000 acre feet.

Dwight Lilly said he invested about $40,000 in landscaping his property because a real estate agent told him there was enough water in Pahrump Valley for 250,000 people. He urged the state engineer to use caution in approving new development.

Take a look at any type of moratorium on long term plans for the developers that might be looking at coming into the valley now that the economy is improving before we get a handle on what resources we have and what the recharge is of water, Lilly said.

Pahrump Valley Times reporter Selwyn Harris contributed to this story.
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News / National

by Staff Reporter

The Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Minae Takahashi recently paid a visit to Gwanda Town Council and held a meeting with the mayor and his councillors.The Ambassador had a delegation of four officials.The Mayor, Knowledge Ndlovu said in an interview with The Mirror after the meeting that, the engagement with the Ambassador was basically a courtesy call where he wanted to know Gwanda and the challenges that it faced.He however, said the Ambassador was in a position to consider areas where he could assist council if proposals are made."Ambassador Takahashi said his country was assisting various other towns in Zimbabwe and he was therefore in a position to do the same for Gwanda," said Mayor Ndlovu.Mayor Ndlovu said the assistance that his council considered to propose to the Ambassador are the rehabilitation of the hospital and other infrastructure, bringing about ICT and provision of street lights like tower lights."We see a great potential in Gwanda. We are currently working with 20 towns that include Mutare, Masvingo, Harare, Bulawayo and I believe Gwanda will be a good area to operate in and we are looking forward to working with you," he said.Apart from assistance, the Mayor said there were also investment opportunities in Gwanda and in particular Gwanda was sitting on a gold belt and other minerals.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Department of Corrections is making headway toward the goal of a 25 percent reduction in the states prison population by 2025, but continued partisan gridlock over the state budget could undermine that progress.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner set that goal shortly after taking office nearly two years ago and established a commission to make recommendations for criminal justice reforms to keep people out of prisons. The states inmate population has dropped from 48,214 on Jan. 12, 2015, the day Rauner was inaugurated, to 43,807 last week, a 9.1 percent decline.

Rauner made his case for criminal justice reform Thursday in Chicago, where he joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to sign a bill that will ensure people being released from state prisons or juvenile detention facilities have a valid state identification card.

Criminal justice is not just about punishment, Rauner said. If we think that its only about punishment, we will never keep the people of Illinois safe.

The criminal justice system is about punishment and keeping dangerous criminals away from the public, Rauner said, but its also about providing rehabilitation so that people dont continue committing crimes once theyre out of prison.

That idea has been a rare area of bipartisan consensus amidst Illinois bitter budget battles.

Prison reform advocates applauded the reduction in the states prison population, but they cautioned that theres still a long way to go to achieve the governors goal. And the inability of Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to come to an agreement on the state budget will only make things more difficult, they said.

Its great that were down 9 percent, said Jennifer Vollen-Katz, executive director of the John Howard Association, a Chicago-based prison watchdog group. Were seeing numbers we haven't seen in well over a decade.

However, Vollen-Katz added, the system still is overcrowded, and we shouldnt rest on our laurels.

Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center in Chicago, which has used a series of lawsuits over several decades to push for reforms within the Illinois prison system, agreed with that assessment.

This system would still be overcrowded if we had 35,000 people in it, Mills said.

The advocates said no single change is entirely responsible for the population decline that has been achieved thus far.

Its a combination things such as policy changes within the Department of Corrections, judges and prosecutors using their discretion in bringing cases and handing out sentences and fewer people being sent back to prison for technical parole violations, among other factors, they said.

Although theres a national push to re-examine incarceration, Mills said Rauner deserves credit for helping change attitudes in Illinois, especially among lawmakers who might otherwise fear being labeled as soft on crime.

The bully pulpit is a really important role that he can play, Mills said. The very fact that he says, This is my goal, allows a lot of people who are otherwise either neutral or actually would like to do something the motivation to get it done and the feeling that theyve got some political cover if they do it.

The General Assembly has passed several laws, including the one Rauner signed last week, that should help continue the downward trend in the prison population.

But Vollen-Katz and Mills said achieving an additional 16 percent reduction will be more difficult because it will require addressing more controversial issues such as mandatory minimum sentences and so-called truth in sentencing laws, which make it harder for people to be released early for good behavior.

Making matters even more complicated is the ongoing budget impasse, which has damaged the ability to provide services both to inmates and to people outside of prison who might end up there.

One such service is Redeploy Illinois, a program designed to keep young people out of the juvenile justice system  and potentially the adult correctional system down the line  by connecting them with mental health treatment and other services.

Tyler Edmonds, the states attorney in Union County in southern Illinois, said funding for the program after Dec. 31 is uncertain because the states stopgap budget runs out and no agreement appears forthcoming.

This comes after the program went all of the states last fiscal year, which ended June 30, without any funding. The $4.76 million included for the program statewide in the stopgap is supposed to cover all of last year and the first six months of this fiscal year, whereas the program received $4.89 million for the prior 12 months.

As a prosecutor in a small jurisdiction, I can tell you that if were not investing in programs like Redeploy, investing in our youth, then we are going to have an incredibly difficult time reducing our adult prison population, Edmonds said.

The same can be said for community-based mental health and addiction treatment programs and other social services that have been crippled by the impasse, the prison reform advocates said.
Finding better ways to address those suffering from mental illness in the criminal justice system is one of the biggest issues facing law enforcement today, Scott County Sheriff Dennis Conard says.

We have many individuals with serious mental health issues that we as a community are not addressing, the countys top law enforcement officer said. And unfortunately, as a place of last resort for our local law enforcement agencies and sometimes the hospitals, these individuals end up in jail.

Conard has spent his 43-law enforcement career  15 as sheriff  in Scott County.

On Jan. 3, he will hand over the reins to Lt. Tim Lane, who defeated Deputy Pete Bawden in the Nov. 8 general election.

On Wednesday, Conard sat down with the Quad-City Times to talk about his career, what hes accomplished while in office and the future of the department.

Making a career decision

Going into law enforcement wasnt something Conard initially thought he would do.

My first inkling was some type of conservation work, he said.

Conard, 65, of Bettendorf, was attending St. Ambrose University when the college received a federal grant that paid tuition for anyone that went into law enforcement.

Basically, I went to college for free, and they paid me to drive to and from classes, bought my books, then the arrangement was that I had to stay in law enforcement for every year of support I got.

Well, 43 years later  he said with a chuckle.

Conard graduated from St. Ambrose in 1974. He worked as a reserve sheriffs deputy before transitioning into a full-time patrol deputy.

He stayed in patrol for 15 years before going into investigations.

One case that sticks out in his mind is the investigation of Baby April LeClaire, a baby girl found in a shallow grave in the backyard of a LeClaire home on April 21, 1997.

The babys mother, Carole Bowe, eventually was charged in connection with her death and in the death of Baby Leap Year who was found in 1992.

She was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to a charge of murder of a viable fetus born alive.

That was an interesting one because we worked closely with the city of LeClaire in investigations, he said. Weve always tried to maintain a good relationship with all the agencies in Scott County. This investigation was almost seamless.

It also was an investigation that weighed heavily on those involved, he said.

Those are just some of the worst, the murders, he said. Youve just got to shut it off, but its hard. Its very hard because you think about, What did we miss today? What do we need to do tomorrow? Who do we need to talk to?

Becoming sheriff

Conard was elected sheriff in 2001 during a special election to replace then-Sheriff Mike Bladel, who resigned to become the chief of police in Davenport.

Conard said he had two big goals when he took office: to replace the aging jail and build a new patrol headquarters that offered easier access to rural Scott County.

In 1998, voters shot down a referendum to build a new jail that would have included 500 beds. Several years, voters approved a referendum to build a $29.8 million addition.

The expanded jail opened in November 2007.

Conard said around 2002, the department began to look at a direct supervision facility, which consists of a cluster of cells surrounding a living area or pod that contains tables, chairs and televisions.

Correctional officers are stationed within the pods to see all of the inmates and keep tabs on behavior and needs.

We went from the 19th century to the 21st century, basically, he said. In the 19th century, the philosophy was the bad guys were on one side of the bars and the officers were on the other side of the bars.

The direct supervision approach, as well as educational, faith-based and life-skills programs, were launched in an effort to keep people from coming back to jail again and again, Conard said.

One of the most effective programs, Conard said, is the jail-based CADS, or Center for Alcohol and Drug Services, which helps inmates who struggle with drug and alcohol addictions.

The program that started even before the new jail was completed has had a huge impact on recidivism, he said.

The department broke ground on a new patrol headquarters in Eldridge in May. Moving the new headquarters from Tremont Avenue in Davenport to Eldridge will allow the Sheriffs Office to better put patrol functions in the rural areas where they do most of their work, Conard said.

The new facility will have more space to allow for better evidence processing and vehicle parking and will add more modern locker rooms for deputies, he said.

Construction on the $4.55 million 21,000-square-foot facility originally was scheduled to be completed in April, but Conard said it could be completed much sooner.

Looking to the future

Things have changed in the department over the past 43 years. One change is the professionalism and training of deputies, Conard said.

When he first started as a full-time deputy, Conard said, he was given a key to a squad card and told dont get lost and dont wreck the car, and off I was to go.

Today, deputies undergo regular training for CPR and first aid, as well as how to interact with people with mental health issues.

Conard estimated that about 60 percent of the jail population suffers from substance abuse, mental illness or both.

Conard said to better address those with mental illness, there need to be treatment options outside when they are released from the jail, as well as follow-up for those in need of treatment.

Many times, theyll be in jail, and well get them leveled out, and they are released, and they dont continue taking their medications because they dont like taking their medications, he said. Supervision on the outside would be huge, but treatment and supervision, its got to go hand in hand.

Conard said another issue facing law enforcement is maintaining a good working relationship with the communities they serve.

The relationship with the public has taken a hit the past several years with several high-profile officer-involved shootings across the country.

We think our relationships in the rural areas are very good, he said. We try and maintain that. We havent had a lot of complaints about inappropriate activities with the sheriffs department.

The department over the past few years has rolled out body cameras for jail supervisors, bailiffs and patrol deputies.

When asked about the future of the department, Conard said he is leaving it in good shape and in good hands.

The sheriffs office is not the sheriff. The sheriffs office is the 165 employees that work in the jail, patrol, manage all the records downstairs. All I do is oversee it to make sure that all of that gets done and take responsibility when it doesnt. Its the employees  I just had the pleasure of being the sheriff for the last 15 years.

Since the election, Conard has worked with Lane to transfer knowledge and information to bring him up to speed with the functions and responsibilities of the sheriff.

Asked what he plans to do in retirement, Conard said with a chuckle, Whatever my wife (Vicki) tells me.
PORT ORANGE, Fla.  Dolores J. Dee Weedon, 79, a resident of Port Orange, Florida, and formerly of Pleasant Valley, peacefully passed away on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2016, at the Port Orange Hospice Care Center in Port Orange.

She was born in Kewanee, Illinois, the daughter of Sylvester and Helen Clary. On Dec. 1, 1960, she married the love of her life, Ronnie Weedon. He preceded her in death on April 11, 2005.

Dee worked for many years at the Chefs Hat Restaurant as a server and spent virtually every weekend at the racetrack watching her husband, both sons and grandson race. She especially enjoyed the countless hours she spent with her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dee never missed any of their special events and taught all of her girls how to be ladies.

Before moving to Florida, she was active in the First Presbyterian Church of Coal Valley, Illinois.

Those left to honor her memory include her children, Debbie Lane of Davenport, Ronnie and Phyllis Weedon of Davenport, Rob and Sandy Connors of Port Orange, Jerry Connors of Pleasant Valley and Ginny and Rick Schumann of Davenport; her grandchildren, Kim and Pat Keller, Karrie Jane Moore, Dale, Jimmy and Rita Schumann, Ronnie Lane, and Bobby Jo and Brian Waldbusser; and her great-grandchildren, Brandon, Andrew, Katie, Matthew, Tori, Leigh Ann, Sadie, Loryn, Molly Mae, Kyle, Gracie, Brady and Jordyn.

While the family was sitting by the pool trying to find the words to write this obituary, they remember how peacefully she passed away and how she looked up and said with a smile, There are those smiling faces. They laughed wondering if she saw her mom and Ronnie, and at that moment, they heard the roar of a race car engine. Instantly, they felt at peace and knew she was where she wanted to be for so long, with her beloved Ronnie.

A celebration of her life will be held at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf at a later date. Memorials may be made to Speedway Fire and Rescue, P.O. Box 3235, Davenport, IA 52808.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.
Two Columbus Junction, Iowa, residents were seriously injured in a train-car crash Friday night, Columbus Junction Police Chief Donnie Orr said in a news release.

Orr said that at 6:44 p.m., the Louisa County Dispatch Center received a call of a train-car crash on 2nd Street in Columbus Junction.

The driver of the vehicle struck by the train was Tang Naw, 51.

Naw had been southbound, and her 2014 Chevrolet Camaro was stopped at the railroad crossing when her vehicle was struck from the rear by a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu driven by Lai Kingbual, 35.

The impact pushed Naws vehicle onto the tracks, and she got out of her car. Naw attempted to get back into her vehicle when an eastbound Canadian Pacific train was coming. The train struck the Camaro, throwing Naw into a ditch. Her car ended up in the ditch on the east side of the road.

Both Naw and Kingbual were taken to University Hospitals, Iowa City. Their conditions were not known late Saturday.

The Columbus Junction Police Department was assisted at the scene by the Louisa County Sheriffs Department, Canadian Pacific Railway Police, Louisa County Ambulance and Columbus Junction Fire and Rescue.

Orr said charges are pending upon completion of an investigation.
1. The music stopped

Friday was a sad day in the Quad-Cities with the announcement that Ellis Kell, a music icon and force behind the River Music Experience, had died of cancer. He was just diagnosed in October, and a GoFundMe.com page to help pay for medical expenses was created only on Tuesday. Rene Gellerman of the Quad-Cities Chamber of Commerce announced the death on the GoFundMe page on behalf of the family. "For many of us, the music has stopped," she wrote.

2. State complaint

Davenport schools Superintendent Art Tate this year followed through on his threat to use the district's fund balance to boost per-pupil spending in the district, even though doing so would violate state law. A state board denied the district's request to allow the spending at a meeting on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, the director of the state Department of Education filed an ethics complaint against Tate. The process will take a while, but Tate could lose his administrator's license at the end of it. The School Board then would have to fire him.

3. Job gains

On a brighter note, Exelon announced last week that it would be hiring more workers at its nuclear plant near Cordova and another in Clinton, Illinois. It's a dramatic turnaround from the start of the month when the company was in the process of shutting down the plants. In the first days of the month, the Illinois Legislature approved an energy bill that includes subsidies to keep the plants open for at least 10 more years. In the second week, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the bill. And in the third week, Exelon said 400 workers would be hired for the plants.

4. No pictures, please

The city of Davenport renewed its contract with Redflex Traffic Systems to operate traffic enforcement cameras around the city, but the cameras still might come down sooner than expected. With Republicans gaining control of the Iowa Senate, an Urbandale state senator predicts his long effort to have traffic cameras banned in the state will be successful in the session that begins Jan. 9.

5. AIDS anniversary

A somber anniversary passed in the Quad-Cities recently as activists and advocates marked the 35th year since HIV/AIDS burst upon the national scene. Those involved in helping people who have HIV and trying to prevent further infections are worried that most people are cavalier about the threat, even those people who are engaging in high-risk behavior. "There is clear evidence of a relapse of high-risk behavior," Dr. Louis Katz, who was on the front lines of the battle in the Quad-Cities, told reporter Brian Wellner for a story on Friday.

6. Ready for a swim?

The Blue Devils' boys swimming team is eager to dive into the new pool at Davenport Central High School, and the swimmers may get their chance at a home meet Jan. 19. The Central swim teams have had to hold practices and meets at Davenport North and West while a $21.8 million project is bringing a new pool and auditorium to the Central campus on Harrison Street. But the pool now is filled, and workers are putting the finishing touches on that part of the project. The auditorium portion also is progressing.

7. 'Can Man' passes

There were other sad stories in the Quad-Cities last week, touching the hearts of many readers in print and at qctimes.com. First, Robert Moldenhauer, widely known as "The Can Man," was struck by a van Monday morning as he was walking his bicycle in the 2600 block of 6th Avenue. He died soon after from his injuries. Moldenhauer collected cans to earn money. He was known to many, but few knew much about him.

8. Blizzard inventor

The Quad-Cities also noted the passing of Ronald Medd, who died in his Bettendorf home Monday at age 85. Medd and his family were among the original Dairy Queen franchisees and owned stores in Ohio, eastern New York and Scott and Rock Island counties. He also was instrumental in the creation of the "Blizzard" machine for Dairy Queen stores throughout the country. A machine at the Bettendorf store on 18th Street commemorates the invention.

9. Cold cats

Two cats, trapped in their pet crate, are lucky to be alive after the were found near a dumpster outside a church on North Division Street, Davenport. A day care worker at the church spotted the cats as she was throwing out trash. She took the cats inside, and workers then took the chilled felines to the King's Harvest Pet Rescue at 2504 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport.

10. On the road

Our resident foodie, Amanda Hancock, is taking to the road to bring you news about places to eat in out-of-the-way places. On last Wednesday's Food page, Amanda told us about Kalmes Restaurant in tiny St. Donatus, Iowa. She will be visiting more small towns to bring us tales of tasty tidbits throughout the Quad-City region. It's another great reason to pick up our Wednesday print edition.
Democrats spent the first two decades of the post-Cold War era rather relaxed about Russian provocations and revanchism. President Obama famously mocked Mitt Romney in 2012 for suggesting that Russia was our principal geopolitical adversary. Yet today the Dems are in high dudgeon over the closeness of secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, to Vladimir Putin.

Hypocrisy aside, it is true that, as head of Exxon Mobil, Tillerson made major deals with Russia, received Russia's Order of Friendship and opposed U.S. sanctions. That's troubling but not necessarily disqualifying. At the time, after all, Tillerson was acting as an agent of Exxon Mobil, whose interest it is to extract oil and make money.

These interests do not necessarily overlap with those of the United States. The relevant question is whether and how Tillerson distinguishes between the two and whether as agent of the United States he would adopt a tougher Russia policy than he did as agent of Exxon Mobil.

We don't know. We shall soon find out. That's what confirmation hearings are for.

The left has been in equally high dudgeon that other Cabinet picks appear not to share the mission of the agency which they have been nominated to head. The horror! As if these agency missions are somehow divinely ordained. Why, they aren't even constitutionally ordained. The Department of Education, for example, was created by President Carter in 1979 as a payoff to the teachers' unions for their political support.

Now, teachers are wonderful. But teachers' unions are there to protect benefits and privileges, not necessarily to improve schooling. Which is why they zealously defend tenure, protect their public-school monopoly and reflexively oppose school choice.

Conservatives have the odd view that the purpose of schooling -- and therefore of the Department of Education -- is to provide students with the best possible education. Hence Trump's nominee, Betsy DeVos, a longtime and passionate proponent of school choice, under whom the department will no longer be an arm of the teachers' unions.

She is also less likely to allow the department's Office for Civil Rights to continue appropriating to itself the role of arbiter of social justice, micromanaging everything from campus sexual mores to the proper bathroom assignment for transgender students. If the mission of this department has been to dictate policy best left to the states and localities, it's about time the mission was changed.

The most incendiary nomination by far, however, is Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency. As attorney general of Oklahoma, he has joined or led a series of lawsuits to curtail EPA power. And has been upheld more than once by the courts.

Pruitt has been deemed unfit to serve because he fails liberalism's modern-day religious test: belief in anthropogenic climate change. They would love to turn his confirmation hearing into a Scopes monkey trial. Republicans should decline the invitation. It doesn't matter whether the man believes the moon is made of green cheese. The challenges to EPA actions are based not on meteorology or theology, but on the Constitution. The issue is that the EPA has egregiously exceeded its authority and acted as a rogue agency unilaterally creating rules unmoored from legislation.

Pruitt's is the most important nomination because it is a direct attack on the insidious growth of the administrative state. We have reached the point where EPA bureaucrats interpret the Waters of the United States rule -- meant to protect American waterways -- to mean that when a hard rain leaves behind a pond on your property, the feds may take over and tell you what you can and cannot do with it. (The final rule excluded puddles -- magnanimity from the Leviathan.)

On a larger scale, Obama's Clean Power Plan essentially federalizes power generation and regulation, not coincidentally killing coal along the way. This is the administration's end run around Congress' rejection of Obama's proposed 2009-2010 cap-and-trade legislation. And that was a Democratic Congress, mind you.

Pruitt's nomination is a dramatic test of the proposition that agencies administer the law, they don't create it. That the legislative power resides exclusively with Congress and not with a metastasizing administrative bureaucracy.

For some, this reassertion of basic constitutionalism seems extreme. If so, the Obama administration has only itself to blame. Such are the wages of eight years of liberal overreach. Some legislation, like Obamacare, will be repealed. Some executive orders will be canceled. But most important will be the bonfire of the agencies. We may soon be secure not just in our puddles but our ponds.
The close of the year invites us to reflect upon 2016. I am grateful for many acts of kindness shown to me. However, I also am deeply troubled about the future of our state.

Our state has not had a real spending plan for two years. Politicians pursue personal agendas rather than address the problems that every-day people can plainly see.

I did not always think this way. There is a bit of theatrics at all levels of government. Most of us understand and accept this because, at seemingly the last moment, calmer heads prevail. Agreements are reached.

That has not happened in our state government. The governor has cancelled meetings to discuss the budget. There is no end in sight.

I still believe Illinois is a great state. However, this unnecessary impasse is tearing the very fabric that makes us great. We can sew patches to cover the holes. Doing so only hides the flaws. The stitching never makes the garment as strong as it used to be.

We must stand and tell our leaders that we will not allow them to gamble with our future. Our voices must be firm yet respectful as we demand an end to this game.

Still, I believe there are reasons for hope.

I remain optimistic because I see my daughter and her friends and I hear their laughter. It is these images that inspire me to make decisions that will benefit the next generation.

These conversations are not easy. Walking away, however, afraid to challenge the status quo, is not the way to bring our children a better future. This year, we have faced complicated problems, identified solutions, and helped many people.

 When we heard that life insurance companies were not paying death benefits, we were curious. When we determined some companies were doing so intentionally to fatten profit margins, we were stunned. The insurance lobby told us that there was nothing that could be done because this was the way some life insurers have done business for decades and it was legal. Instead of accepting such absurdity, we told them that just because something is legal does not make it right. Then, we told the same story to lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, and we found real people whose mothers and fathers, whose sons, daughters, and friends, should have received life insurance proceeds but did not. Working together, we brought commonsense changes to the law. That is how we respect the wishes of our loved ones.

 When we approached our college savings investment team and told them they needed to do more with less, they simply said no. They said it was impossible. We could have walked away. We could have told people that nothing could be done about higher investment costs. However, thats not what we did. Instead, we came back to the group and asked to talk again. Working together, we were able to reach a solution that helped everyone, respected everyone, and reduced fees by 57 percent. That is how we provide a brighter future for our children.

 When we looked at the money managers for the state, we saw a disturbing lack of diversity and opportunity for new ideas. We could have accepted this rather than risk the uncertainty of change. Instead, we decided we needed new ideas. We went out and encouraged minorities, Veterans, women, and individuals with a disability to seek business with the state of Illinois. Our efforts have paid off. That is how we help those who have been shut out of opportunities with the state.

 When families with loved ones that have blindness or a disability told us that they needed a better way to save for future expenses, the investment experts told us the fees would be prohibitively high. Not enough families, they said, needed their service so there was not the critical mass needed to pool resources to keep investment costs affordable. Starting a program in Illinois, they said, would not succeed because the costs would be too high. They made a fair point and we thanked them for their honesty. Then, we went about the business of finding a solution. We began to speak with other states. We believe if we can create that critical mass, if we can work with other states to drive down costs, then we will have found a solution to help these great families. I am encouraged that we will be able to share a success story very soon.

None of these would be possible without the dedicated team at the Treasurers Office. Through your ideas and their hard work, we created the change and opportunity to improve our state. We did so while respecting taxpayer money as our investments and programs returned $28 to the states coffers for every $1 spent in operations.

Change is never easy. First, we must stop hurting ourselves so the healing can begin. Then, we must take the bold steps necessary to help everyone in our state, not just the select few. That is my new years resolution, to fight even harder on behalf of our neighbors, on behalf of our seniors, and on behalf of our children. Working together, we can achieve great things.
There are two sets of laws in Iowa: Those for the Legislature and those for everyone else.

The state's elitist scheme might martyr Davenport Community School Superintendent Art Tate as the full-force of Iowa's Education Department crashes down upon him.

For six years, lawmakers have shirked their duty on education funding. Set the funding level two-years in advance so districts can plan, the law says. Instead, education is an annual squabble capped by a last-minute accord.

Meanwhile, Tate, with the backing of his school board, has railed for years about the funding model's inequality. Schools that historically spent more local taxes and state aid were locked in at higher levels. Those that pinched pennies, including Davenport Community, were saddled with lower per-pupil spending limits, annually resulting in millions of lost revenue spent on education. The result is neighboring districts, including Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley, spending significantly more on their students.

The result is a middle-class flight out of Davenport to more robust districts. The result is spiking property values in the desirable, moneyed districts, which only exacerbates the gross inequity. The result is poor districts, filled with thousands of poor children, are treated like second-class citizens.

There's nothing fair about Iowa's school funding model. There's nothing appropriate about lawmakers -- many of whom love to chirp about "local control" -- slavishly defending a centralized system, especially one so heinously classist. There's nothing morally defensible about segregating children by class and race through equations that are nothing short of social engineering.

Tate has screamed from the rooftops about this. He's taken his complaints to the Legislature. He's rallied support locally. His board has stuck by him this year as the district broke the law, spent down its rainy day funds (known as fund balance), and, for a short time, assured Davenport's public school students enjoy equal protection.

But, last week, the inevitable happened. The state School Budget Review Committee ducked its opportunity to make a bold statement about funding equality. It joined the Legislature, which has spent years ducking its responsibility. It quashed Davenport's plea to legitimize its stop-gap budgetary maneuver.

A day later, officials at the Education Department filed an ethics complaint against Tate, the first step toward seizing his license and ending his career. Tate was never inappropriate with a student. Funds didn't secretly disappear from the district's account. Hell, just this month, Iowa Board of Regents reaffirmed its support for the president of Iowa State University, even after he's been apparently joyriding in university aircraft on the taxpayer dime.

No, Tate did none of these things. But Art Tate isn't some well-connected executive appointment, is he?

Tate stood up for basic fairness. He demanded equity for his students. He begged lawmakers to figure it out. For years, they ignored him or offered half-baked legislative do-nothings. Sound familiar, Rep. Ross Paustian? And, this year, Tate tapped that $20 million sitting in an account collecting dust. For a year, and maybe this year alone, there will be fairness in Davenport.

But it might come at a cost. It might end the career of Art Tate, a man who is unwilling to simply watch as his district is sent to the back of the bus, year after year.

And yet, lawmakers keep winning re-election. They keep directing this sham. They keep their cushy little jobs in their cushy little seats of power. And Iowa's various boards and agencies refuse to offer a life-line.

Art Tate isn't the unethical one, here.
Opinion / Letters

To the Executive committee of DVCRE: Tajamuka/Sesijikisile's disengagement from the DVCFollowing the regrettable comments made by Linda Masarire against the people of Matebeleland, Tajamuka/Sesijikisile SA released a statement distancing itself from these unfortunate remarks in a statement submitted to DVC WatsApp group on 17 December 2016.Regrettably, Tajamuka/Sesijikisile was immediately labeled a tribal group by some members of DVC. These desperate and attention seeking members even went as further as to say, "99.9 percent of the Tajamuka/Sesijikisile membership is tribalists like Lind and all Ndebeles in Tajamuka/Sesijikisile are sellouts!" Despite our pleas to correct these ill-conceived perceptions, more DVC members seemed to support the notion until Tajamuka/Sesijikisile recognized representatives were removed from DVC group.Following the above, Tajamuka/Sesijikisile RSA has deliberated the matter and has made a unanimous resolution to leave the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Coalition based on the following reasons:1. The unfairness of the DVC in alienating and castigating the Tajamuka/Sesijikisile movement yet some desperate and attention seeking members were openly posting tribal hatred and remarks without any rebuking.2. Tajamuka/Sesijikisile temporary suspension without an explanation before the suspension or shortly thereafter.However Tajamuka/Sesijikisile firmly believes the diaspora vote lobbying must continue and therefore wish the remaining parties every success to this end. Tajamuka/Sesijikisile also wishes to reiterate that:We embrace all tribes and races and will continue to do so in the future.We will continue to push for economic freedom and injustices against the citizens through itsnew 2017 blueprint.We remain a non-tribal non-partisan citizen movement which will not promote disunity amongstZimbabweans.We will immediately disengage ourselves from DVC but will support the brave cadres fighting forthe diaspora vote.Tajamuka/Sesijikisile will continue to put pressure on the government until all corrupt activities are brought to a halt, until police brutality stops and until Mubage and Zanupf are out of power.Tajamuka/Sesijikisile RSA
Former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley told Democrats in Davenport on Sunday that all things in politics are temporary, and he urged them to turn their grief over the Nov. 8 election into positive action, beginning with this months special election for the state Senate.

OMalley was in Davenport to campaign for state Rep. Jim Lykam, D-Davenport, who is seeking to win the District 45 seat in the Dec. 27 special election.

OMalley, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out after finishing a distant third in this years Iowa caucuses, spoke to about two dozen people at Scott County Democratic Party headquarters. Then he was heading over to a fundraiser for Lykam.

Democrats suffered big losses Nov. 8 in Iowa, and party leaders are hoping the state Senate race will be the first step toward rebounding fortunes.

OMalley echoed that, telling activists, It is not how low you go, it is how high you bounce.

Lykam is facing Republican Mike Gonzales and Libertarian Severin Gilbert in the Senate race, which is in a district that leans Democratic.

In the aftermath of the election, O'Malley told reporters the left needs to focus its attention on economic issues. And he criticized President-elect Donald Trumps choice to be secretary of labor, saying he opposes the minimum wage, collective bargaining and even has a mindset against higher wages.

"Our challenge as a party now without a leader is to become more disciplined as a network in bringing everything back to wages and jobs and a stronger and growing American middle class, O'Malley said. Trumps choices, he said, are not consistent with that goal.

OMalley, who had briefly considered a bid for Democratic National Committee chair, spoke highly of South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg to be the new chair. Politico reported last week the 34-year-old was considering a run for the job, but Buttigieg wrote in an opinion piece over the weekend that he isnt interested.

As for his own future plans, OMalley said it was too early to be looking at the 2020 presidential race. But he said he intends to continue helping Democrats across the country.

OMalley flew into Chicago on Sunday then traveled by car through freezing weather to the Quad-Cites. He noted that he has worked to help the party in Iowa through a number of election cycles.

True friends dont show up just when times are good," he told reporters. "They show up when times are hard."
NATION

Corpus Christi lifts water ban

A nearly four-day ban on drinking the water in Corpus Christi, Texas, was lifted on Sunday after test results showed no contamination due to a chemical leak, the city's mayor announced.

Mayor Dan McQueen said residents could resume using the city's water supply for drinking, bathing and cooking.

"It is all full use but we are going to continue to monitor as we go on," McQueen said.

None of the 28 drinking water samples the Environmental Protection Agency reviewed tested positive for Indulin AA-86, an asphalt-emulsifying agent that's corrosive, the federal agency said Sunday in a statement. Indulin can burn the eyes, skin and respiratory tract if a person comes into contact with concentrated amounts.

The water ban had been issued late Wednesday out of concern that a chemical leak at an asphalt plant leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions by oil refiner Valero could have contaminated the city's water supply.

Senator: E-cigs are ticking time bombs

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is increasing the heat on the federal government to consider recalling e-cigarette batteries and devices that explode and catch fire, injuring users.

Schumer, a New York Democrat, has called e-cigarettes "ticking time bombs" and said they continue to cause injuries including severe burns.

At a press conference Sunday, Schumer cited a recent Associated Press story saying the FDA identified about 66 explosions in 2015 and early 2016 after recording 92 explosions from 2009 to September 2015.

He said he wants the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to figure out why so many devices, many from China, are exploding. He said the recent injuries are proof federal action is needed.

WORLD

10 die in ambush in Jordan

Gunmen ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks on Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said.

At least 27 people were wounded in one of the bloodiest attacks in Jordan in recent memory.

The standoff between Jordanian special forces and armed men holed up inside the castle continued after nightfall Sunday, several hours after the first shooting. Government officials declined comment on local news reports that the attackers had taken hostages who were later freed.

Shots could still be heard at the scene on Sunday evening, and security forces fired tear gas to flush out the gunmen.

52 soldiers die in suicide attack

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said. The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb gave told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest. The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.

Sunday's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on Dec. 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.
From humble beginnings roasting organic beans in a garage, Nick Reid and Mark Royalty are branching out with their Pure Bean Coffee.

Reid and Royalty originally sold their locally air-roasted coffees on the wholesale level under the name Pure Bean Roasters.

Last April, they achieved a goal of opening a full-fledged coffee shop under the Pure Bean name in the Fairmont Creamery Mall in downtown Rapid City.

Now they have a second coffee shop at Ellsworth Air Force Base, taking over a kiosk formerly called Cuppa Joe located just inside the Base Exchange.

Cuppa Joe was already serving Pure Beans coffee, but a woman running the shop was left on her own when her military husband was deployed overseas, Reid said.

She was left there trying to do it by herself. She did a good job with having to juggle the job and kids. She finally came to the point of saying Im in over my head on this, Reid said.

Additionally, Reid said Rumours Coffee and Wine Bar, near the intersection of Sheridan Lake Road and Catron Boulevard in southwest Rapid City, will become yet another location for Pure Bean Coffee after the first of the year.

As with Cuppa Joe, Rumours was already serving Pure Bean coffee. The west side shop will again emulate the coffee-heavy, minimal food menu of the other locations, but Rumours evening beer and wine bar with live music will continue.

Its a super cool shop. It fits in with our vibe and what we like to do, Reid said.

Reid also said plans are in place to open a Pure Bean Coffee Shop in Sioux Falls next year.

Coffee and more in Sturgis

And there's more good news for coffee lovers.

Deborah and Robert Quinonez will reopen their Broken Bean Coffee House in a historic home at 1125 Junction Ave. in Sturgis.

After a five-year hiatus and some extensive remodeling, theyll open Monday at 7 a.m. with a revamped menu, a new gift shop, porch seating and a paved drive-thru lane. Rental space for meetings and events is also available.

The new menu includes made-to-order espresso, coffees, teas and other drinks, gourmet breakfast quiches, sandwiches, burritos and assorted pastries and desserts.

Deborah Quinonez said the home at the corner of Junction Avenue and Howard Street was built in 1910 by local blacksmith Howard Marshall and his wife, Alice, who enjoyed hosting festive parties.

(More than) 100 years later, Robert and I want to re-create a fun relaxing atmosphere in which to continue the tradition of enjoying old friends and making new ones, Quinonez said in a news release from the Sturgis Economic Development Corporation.

Hours for the Broken Beans drive-thru, dining area and gift shop will be Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. The shop is closed on Sunday.

Safety business moves

Adam and Leah Braun recently announced the move of their first-aid supply and consulting business, Twilight First Aid and Safety, from Sturgis to Rapid City.

Their new office and warehouse are at 3409 W. Main St., formerly home to a variety of retail enterprises, including BES Lighting and Real Deals.

Were not a retail operation, so this building is situated perfectly for our purposes, Leah Braun said in a news release.

Most of the 4,400 square feet on the main floor has been gutted for conversion to offices for their business partners, set to move in starting in January, Braun said.

Our business serves the entire western half of South Dakota, parts of North Dakota and Iowa, and the eastern half of Wyoming, so we wanted the warehouse to be located where we live, said Adam Braun.

Twilight First Aid and Safety is a local company in operation for 23 years, providing on-site first aid and safety supplies and equipment.

Current customers include mining operations, restaurants, schools and various industrial businesses and governmental agencies. They also recently started teaching first aid, resuscitation and AED classes and offer safety consulting services.

For more information contact Leah Braun at 800-598-5630, email leah@twilightfirstaid.com or visit twilightfirstaid.com.

Regional Health honored

Regional Healths four Black Hills area critical access hospitals have been recognized as 2016 top performers by iVantage Health Analytics and the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health.

Im extremely proud of our dedicated physicians, caregivers, and our entire Regional Health team, said Brent Phillips, president and CEO of Regional Health, in a news release.

Lead-Deadwood Regional Hospital performed in the top quartile nationally in all four categories: quality, outcomes, patient satisfaction and financial stability.

Spearfish Regional Hospital delivered top performance recognition for financial stability. Custer Regional Hospital was honored for patient satisfaction. Sturgis Regional Hospital was recognized in two categories  excellence in health-care quality and outcomes.

Regional Health continues its growth in the rural communities it serves. In October, Custer Regional Hospital and Sturgis Regional Hospital broke ground on major construction projects.
If life is like a river, just get in and hold on.

That was one of the life lessons New York Times bestselling author Amity Shlaes delivered Saturday morning to the graduating seniors during the South Dakota School of Mines & Technologys 174th Commencement Ceremony.

Life is like a river. You cant conquer the river. The main thing is to just get in the water. Hold to the mainstream once in the water. Ride along. Once youve reached a goal, go for the next goal, Shlaes said.

Shlaes was referencing wisdom passed on to President Calvin Coolidge, the topic of one of her books. She recounted how Coolidge was excited to join a fraternity at his college, where 8 in 10 men were involved in a frat -- but none offered him a spot.

He only was able to join a frat in his senior year when a new one came to campus. He graduated with modest honors and no job offer.

However, Coolidge had a seminary teacher who told him something about greatness: Make your life be about service to projects and to other people. Dont think of your reputation so much. Think of what you can do in your trade.

Shlaes emphasized that Coolidge had a slow rise to greatness but his hard work and persistence paid off eventually.

Shlaes, who was awarded an honorary doctorate at the ceremony and currently serves as Presidential Scholar at the Kings College and writes for Forbes and National Review, encouraged the students to build their own mini Mount Rushmores and to make a symbol of yourself that is visible to all.

In all, 144 graduates walked the stage at Saturday mornings graduation, and more than 1,000 friends and family packed the seats of the Civic Center Theatre.

Among the students was distinguished graduate, Vaughn Vargas.

A member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Vargas was named a 2015 Native American 40 under 40, the first national Udall and Truman Scholar ever from the School of Mines, a TEDx speaker, and the cultural advisory coordinator for the Rapid City Police Department.

He will fulfill his Truman Fellowship at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development through 2018. Afterward, he plans to return to school to pursue a dual master's in urban and regional planning and a law degree.

Another, Gina Rossi, said one of her favorite things about Mines was being able to tell people that she was an intern for a Fortune 500 company as a 19-year-old.

Rossi is a civil engineering major with minors in environmental engineering and sustainable engineering. Rossi was a student senator, president of the Circle K Club, and Panhellenic Delegate & Philanthropy Chair of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. In the spring of 2015, Rossi studied abroad at the Novia University of Applied Sciences in Vaasa, Finland. While abroad, she completed a renewable energy project regarding biogas production in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland.

As senior class representative, Rossi spoke during the ceremony, and joked that years of a rigorous engineering and science education has ruined the graduates.

We are a band of brothers and sisters who can no longer allow our friends and family to mistake the difference between cement and concrete; who cant drive by construction projects without thinking about the the types of girders used, or secretly wishing we were playing on the bulldozers, cranes, and loaders used to build projects, Rossi said. Who cant get on a plane without thinking about the logistics of the airport and the intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust of the engine; who cant walk past a binary clock without stopping to try to decode it; and who cant go to parties without talking about the heat transfer between the drinks and our hands. The School of Mines has ruined us.
The Gwen Miller homicide case is one of five featured on the Rapid City governments website that happened between 1968 and 2012. Below is the case information from city police files.

Anyone with information on these or other unsolved cases is asked to call the departments Criminal Investigations Division at 394-4134 or text "RCPD" and the information to 847411.

Jolene Haas

Nov. 10, 1975

Haas, 22, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at the former Delroy Motel on Sturgis Road. At the time, she had been working with local law enforcement as a witness. Haas had been involved in the drug culture and outlaw motorcycle gangs as a prostitute in Sioux City, Iowa. She later became an informant for the Sioux Falls Police Department, which led to the imprisonment of several offenders.

One suspect bragged about killing Haas for money, but denied it to police and passed a polygraph test. Another suspect was found murdered and buried in a South Dakota corn field in 1977. Investigators say they have exhausted all leads.

Raymond Rosales

May 1, 1977

Rosales, 16, was found lying face down in the driveway of a residence in the 100 block of Anamosa Street. He died from a .22-caliber gunshot to the right side of his body. A spent .22-caliber shell casing was found in the street next to the residence.

There has been speculation that Rosales was being chased and was trying to hide from someone when he was killed.

Carl Bordeaux

Jan. 30, 2009

Bordeaux, 40, was found dead in his apartment on North Maple Avenue, his throat cut and a phone cord wrapped around his neck.

The Community Reward Fund is offering $6,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in Bordeauxs murder.

Robert Ghostbear

March 21, 2012

Ghostbear, 45, was found dead on the railroad tracks on East North Street. He died intoxicated from blunt force trauma to the head. His last known residence was in Kyle, but he had come to Rapid City to visit his mother in the hospital about a week before his murder.

The Community Reward Fund is offering $6,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the killing of Ghostbear.
Residents are worried about an influx of tourists in their neighborhoods after Pennington County commissioners expanded the areas where vacation home rentals may be located.

Pennington County commissioners approved some changes to the county's vacation home rental ordinance Tuesday to include allowing rentals in neighborhoods zoned suburban residential district, which were excluded in the original ordinance passed in 2012.

This inclusion and a few other changes worried many residents and prompted a flurry of letters and emails opposing the changes for fear of a proliferation of rentals in their neighborhoods and all the problems that might accompany them to include strangers near their homes, noise, traffic and garbage.

Jeannie Bush, a vocal opponent to the changes, said the commissioners did not base their decision on research and facts.

"What the new ordinance does is make a bad situation worse," she said. "The commissioners did not address any of the concerns of us non-vacation home rental owners."

County officials received dozens of letters and more than quadruple that number of signatures in opposition to the changes from residents in areas of the Black Hills such as Silver City, Hill City and Mystic.

Some who argued against the changes said the previous ordinance was working just fine, and they complained that most of the citizens who volunteered to revise the ordinance operate rentals or have a vested interest in seeing the industry grow, so the decisions were biased.

Patrick Breen, who was on the committee, said only that every vote on the major issues was consistently 4-2.

The major point of contention centers on the expansion into suburban residential zones and the fact that if an owner obtains a conditional use permit to operate in that zone, it is now easier to transfer that permit as part of a sale.

Previously, property owners in every other zoning district except industrial and light industrial were allowed to apply for a conditional use permit to allow them to rent their property to guests for more than the 14 days per year currently allowed under South Dakota law.

Breen said his work on the committee was focused on protecting the families who live in neighborhoods where vacation home rentals are operating. He said the word home in that phrase is a bit of a misnomer because the rentals are operating as businesses, not homes.

They are bought by people who dont live in that property, Breen said. "They are engaging in that property as a nightly rental. Its not weekly or monthly residents. Its a hotel.

He also said the rentals raise property values, so the other residents see their property taxes go up. He said the conditional use permit process does not protect the family because nothing is done until many complaints about the rental come forward. The county does not revoke or review the permits until several incidents have taken place.

I believe in my heart that Im fighting for the family, Breen said. I really feel that my voice and my active involvement was for the family in a Suburban Residential District to allow them to not be impeded or threatened.

"I dont believe the CUP (conditional use permit) process protects them, because it only works after the horse is out of the barn, after issues have arisen. The families should not be put in that position; small children should not be put in that position.

Those opposing the changes also took issue with the fact that the number of day guests allowed was doubled, the ban on outside activities after 10 p.m. was lifted and changed to require guests observe quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 in the morning among other things.

Bush wrote a letter to the county Planning Department in April when the changes were first being considered. In that letter, she described some first-hand horror stories of renters shooting fireworks at 4 a.m., pre-dawn ATV runs and loud, drunken shenanigans after midnight.

Other changes to the updated ordinance include a ban on rentals within floodways and language explicitly stating that county officials no longer have to interpret and uphold neighborhood covenants.

The ordinance also now has requirements to post local contact information and educate occupants on safety procedures including the use of open fires and fire pits, among other things.

Rapid City considered a similar type ordinance earlier this year, but the city council scrapped it. City staff are reportedly working on improving it.

The city ordinance sought to regulate rentals within city limits of entire homes as vacation homes as well as rooms in homes that are occupied by the owner. The latter was defined as a bed-and-breakfast establishment.

Ultimately the commissioners deemed the changes to be fairer and passed them 4-1 with Ron Buskerud as the lone "no" vote.

Most commissioners dismissed the arguments against the changes as demonstrating a lack of understanding of the actual requirements.

Commissioners Nancy Trautman and Deb Hadcock noted that there were several changes in the ordinance that made progress towards compromise between the opposing viewpoints.

The main compromise the commissioners noted was the new lot size requirement. Vacation home rentals must now have a one-acre lot to receive a conditional use permit to operate as a rental.

Trautman said this addresses the density issue, which was the original intent of excluding homes in a suburban residential district.

However, Bush, a resident of Deer Meadow Drive in Deadwood, offered a different viewpoint.

"To add a one-acre-lot size to the ordinance does not solve any of the problems with a vacation home rental in a Suburban Residential District," Bush said. "Where is the house placed in reference to the neighbors?"

Buskerud said there were tons more people opposed to it than in favor of it.

However, Trautman said she believed the opposition was just more organized and more vocal. She added that she does not believe the changes will result in a dramatic increase in the number of vacation home rentals.

A couple of letters in support of the changes were received and included in the record. Those supporting the changes argued that the ordinance would help crack down on those operating illegally and make the process fairer.

They pointed out that obtaining a conditional use permit requires the applicant to notify neighbors within a certain radius of their intent to operate as a vacation rental.

This allows neighbors to express their opposition and the officials granting the permit to decide the merits of the arguments on a case-by-case basis.

Supporters of the changes also argued that homeowner associations wishing to ban rentals can simply include such a ban in their covenants.

The changes have a 35-day waiting period during which anyone may appeal. As of now, the changes are due to take effect in mid-January.
Sometimes music evokes pleasant memories that linger in the mind for a few moments. No big deal for some, but for some residents at Westhills Village retirement community, this is a life-changing event.

My mother was diagnosed with dementia, said Sylvia McGuire, of Colorado. Then two years ago, I watched one of the most moving films Id ever seen. It showed how music turns peoples brains alive again.

This documentary, "Alive Inside," follows the stories of elderly people in a generally antisocial state and the transformation that occurs in their lives with therapy through personalized music. The program is called Music and Memory.

In the film, the results of the program are summarized by one doctor: Music can bring them back  into their own  autobiography.

Music always meant a lot to my mother, McGuire said. We always had music playing in our home, and she always loved concerts and singing in choirs.

McGuire brought a DVD of the film to the Westhills Village staff, and they got really excited, she recalled.

Music is something we do regularly, but we always look for new methods, said Daryl Reinicke, Westhills' CEO. We have a certain percentage of residents suffering from pain, anxiety, cognitive issues like dementia or Alzheimers, which affect their quality of life, and also their families.

This music program, Music and Memory, helps these residents by stimulating their minds and memories through the music. And theres more detail to the program than most people initially think. Its not just turning on the radio and listening as a group."

Developed with the basic concept of personal music, a thorough assessment of a resident is done by specifically trained staff to learn about that persons history, and likes and dislikes.

We individualize every step of the way, Reinicke said.

This involves many different divisions of our staff, said Audra Sayler, director of health care at Westhills. When we look at a resident who this program might enhance, our whole team (activities, social services, nursing and therapy) evaluates factors like pain management, mobility concerns and responsiveness. Then we talk to the family for confirmation.

The team interviews family members and residents about which music they enjoyed throughout their life.

Not necessarily just 1940s hits, Sayler said. The choices are all different  definitely a different music category for each person.

Music preferences at Westhills include Big Band, but range from religious and classical to Broadway tunes and country.

Through donations, iPods with headphones are purchased, labeled for each resident, and music is downloaded to each device.

Special arrangements are made so that staff members or volunteers can listen along with residents to assist the experience.

Many times the resident cant participate on his or her own, Reinicke said. We watch the residents reactions, and how positive the benefit might be. Then we can make a change or continue.

Results at Westhills have been tremendous. We have amazing stories of how someone who was completely unresponsive sings, smiles or talks, Reinicke said. Its a great opportunity for family and friends to see the person they love (coming back), and means a happier day for everyone.

McGuires mother, Esther Cragg, 90, has been helped greatly by Music and Memory. She was in an escape mode, always trying to get out, just very agitated, she remembered. With her personal music, she calms down and seems more satisfied. Its a really wonderful program.

McGuires experience motivated her and her husband to donate the funds that started up the Music and Memory program at Westhills, which now serves around 10 residents.

She describes the Westhills staff as fantastic, and hopes that more people will be helped through their efforts. I encourage people to watch the film 'Alive Inside' because just about everyone knows someone or has a loved one with dementia," she said. "And I believe so strongly that it really takes the staff to work the program, because most families need that kind of assistance."

Westhills activity director Debbie Westfall says Westhills is looking for volunteers from the community to continue Music and Memory. We would love to have people come and upload music, interview family members, listen with residents, whatever they feel comfortable doing, she said.

Reinicke, the CEO, is enthusiastic about Music and Memory's future benefits, and not just at Westhills. There are 10 times more members of the community out there who could benefit from this than we are already helping, he said. There hasnt been a downside to the program at all. Its been one of those things where everybody wins.

To volunteer with the Music and Memory program at Westhills Village, call Westfall at 342-0255.

For more information on "Alive Inside," visit aliveinside.us.
PINE RIDGE | A partially paralyzed dog has new mobility just in time for Christmas, thanks to a nonprofit's efforts.

Walkin Pets by HandicappedPets.com donated a Walkin Wheels dog wheelchair to the Lakota Animal Care Project, which helps dogs on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

The wheelchair went to a Husky mix rescue dog named Can Do  aptly named for his can do attitude  whose rear legs are completely paralyzed.

The Lakota Animal Care Project is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping dogs on the reservation. The organization offers spay/neuter services with the help of volunteer veterinarians and vet techs, facilitates rescues and adoptions, and runs an educational program for school children on the reservation.

Walkin Pets learned about the organization when its founder, Virginia Ravndal, reached out to inquire about dog wheelchair options for Can Do.

A Walkin Wheels wheelchair was donated to the growing pup, who the organization said adapted quickly. Can Do was placed under the care of a foster family through the Lakota Animal Care Project and will be moved to a permanent home in time for Christmas.

Brunch benefit planned for local man

kol will devote its brunch this morning to helping a friend and mentor.

All proceeds from today's brunch, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at kol, 504 Mount Rushmore Road, will go to Pete Franklin, the former owner of Delmonico's. Franklin is suffering from brain cancer.

"Pete was super-instrumental into getting Murphy's off the ground," said Tony DeMaro, co-owner of kol, Murphy's Pub & Grill and Press Start. "He's a mentor and a dear friend."

For any questions, call 791-1600.

Beltone hosts clothing drive

Beltone, which specializes in hearing aids and hearing health, recently announced its Beltone Outerwear and Underwear Clothing Drive to help clothe those in need during the holidays.

The drive will take place in local communities throughout the U.S., including the Beltone location at 1301 W. Omaha St., Suite 112, in Rapid City.

Until Dec. 31, the public can take donations of new or gently used hats, scarves, gloves and coats, along with brand new socks and underwear to the Beltone Hearing Center.

Participants who wear hearing aids will receive a free pack of batteries (limit one package per person) for their donation. Those not wearing hearing aids will receive a free hearing screening.

Beltone will match all donations of items collected with a monetary cash donation to the Salvation Army.

Students join in holiday giving efforts

Rapid Valley Elementary students helped in a community effort to collect blankets and give them to the needy this holiday season.

Radio stations X Rock, The Eagle and KOTA Radio sponsored the project, and their listeners donated blankets. Rapid Valley students aimed to donate 50 blankets, but ended up contributing 137 blankets. Students made the donation on Dec. 14.

At Rapid City Stevens High School, students and staff collected more than 215 gifts for the Angel Tree Program.

Businesses make donations to community

When Emma Rivers, from the Rapid City Arts Council, voiced concerns that some of the arts council's computer systems are aging and becoming hard to maintain, Zach Routt with Dacotah Bank was listening.

Dacotah Bank donated a desktop computer to the arts council, aka the Dahl. Routt said the bank periodically upgrades its systems and would be willing to donate one of the replaced units.

Another local business, Black Hills Energy, has awarded The HOPE Center $2,500. A check presentation was held last week.

The HOPE Center is a drop-in day center for individuals living in poverty and for those without homes. The center provides advocacy for individuals looking to make positive changes in their lives and to move out of poverty.

For more information, contact Anna Quinn or Susie DeHart at 716-4673 or by email at info@hopecenterrapidcity.org.

In Box Elder, Sentinel Federal Credit Union recently presented a check for $1,000 to the Black Hills Foster Parent Associations Guardian Tree 2016.

For 25 years, the Black Hills Foster Parent Associations Guardian Tree has helped fill the Christmas wish of children in foster care by providing gifts to each child that fills out a wish list.
Editors note: The accounts of how Gwen Miller was found dead and the investigation that followed are based on information from Journal archives unless otherwise cited.

Two years ago, the Rapid City Police Department hired its first "cold-case" investigator to bring fresh eyes to old, unsolved homicides.

The investigator, a detective who came out of retirement to work on decades-old crimes, has largely focused on one case in the past half-year: the 1968 killing of 60-year-old Gwen Miller.

In some ways, the investigation seems to have little modern consequence. The detectives main suspect is already dead, and theres no indication that solving the case might lead to other victims.

And yet, Detective Wayne Keefe, 53, is committed to closing the case and others like it because he says the victims families need closure.

He has gotten in touch with the Miller cases original investigators and the victims relatives, as well as read volumes of old reports. Now he is waiting for the results of a DNA test that will show if his suspect was indeed Millers killer.

The police department chose to focus on the Miller case because it offered promising leads, mainly old forensic evidence that can be tested using new technology.

Keefe started out by trying to understand what happened between the night of Feb. 28, 1968, and the early morning of Feb. 29, when authorities believe Miller was killed.

Foul play not immediately apparent

Miller, a hospital pharmacist, was found dead in bed as if she had died in her sleep. She was single, had no children and lived alone. A colleague of hers at the Bennett-Clarkson Memorial Hospital, now Rapid City Regional, discovered Millers body at her 3901 Hall St. residence.

Miller was lying on her back, her hair neatly arranged. There was no blood on the bed or signs of a struggle. But a window in her back door had been smashed, prompting the Pennington County coroner to order an autopsy. It revealed the woman had been raped and strangled to death.

Authorities initially believed robbery was the motive for the murder, since Millers billfold and checkbook could not be located. They later said robbery could have been just an afterthought since other valuables in the home were not taken.

Investigators came up with a theory involving a man with a history of sexual perversion: that he had watched from the bushes as Miller took a bath, changed into nightclothes and got into bed. Millers autopsy showed also that she suffered several broken ribs, attributed to the man kneeling on her chest while assaulting her.

He left fingerprints on Millers headboard and body hair on the bed. Before fleeing, the attacker was believed to have straightened up her room, tidied the bed covers and rearranged her hair.

However, no one heard Miller scream or her backdoor window break.

What neighbors saw that night, according to a recent television report, was a taxi dropping off a man at Millers home. Fingerprints found in her house matched prints later found in the taxi, the report said, but their owner could not be identified. The police department declined to verify this information, and other investigation details, citing Keefes ongoing work.

After Millers killing, investigators from the Pennington County Sheriffs Office and city police questioned dozens of people. Some underwent lie detector tests. Investigators canvassed Millers neighborhood and sought help from colleagues nationwide.

Information on the Rapid City governments page on unsolved homicides also says authorities followed a tip that Miller may have been killed by a former pharmacist in Lincoln, Neb., who was addicted to drugs, and that they checked out a watch engraved with Millers name that turned up in Mitchell.

Investigators had several suspects, but no one has ever been arrested in Millers death. She was buried in the eastern South Dakota town of Cresbard, where her sister lived.

Investigation restarts half-a-century later

Keefe began working on the Miller case this spring. First, he read the original investigation reports, some of which he said were written on onionskin paper. He pored over old newspaper stories on the internet and in the Rapid City librarys microfilm section.

He also talked to Millers surviving relatives and the cases four original primary investigators.

Keefe started his job in November 2014, a couple of months after retiring as a local detective handling juvenile crimes. He had no plans for retirement, he said, so jumped at the chance to marry his investigative skills with his interest in genealogy.

Over the past few years, Ive gotten more interested in working on ancestry and my family tree and looking at old stuff, Keefe said in an interview at his office. The thought of going back in an investigative capacity, looking at some of these old cases, was very intriguing.

Keefes job, a part-time position that involves 20 hours of work a week, pays $22.27 an hour. Before Keefe was hired, there was practically no one handling cold-case investigations, said Keefes supervisor, Capt. James Johns, who heads the police departments criminal investigations.

Keefes first task in his new position, he said, was to review the police departments homicide cases to come up with an accurate list of unsolved ones.

Rapid Citys devastating flood of June 1972, in which 238 people died, also decimated police files. The departments record section was then located in the basement of what is now the Cornerstone Rescue Mission on Main Street, and silt from the flood destroyed much of the paperwork. Only two pages of police reports on the Miller case survived, Keefe said.

Fortunately, the sheriffs office, then located in the old county courthouse, had their Miller reports intact. While reviewing the police departments old files, Keefe said he also scanned the documents to make digital copies.

Is DNA testing the key?

Keefe is currently investigating 11 cold cases that the police department believes offer the most promising leads. The advent of forensic DNA testing has opened up avenues that did not previously exist.

Forensic DNA testing, discovered by a British geneticist in 1984, started becoming more common in the U.S. after the establishment of the FBI Laboratory in December 1988, said John Butler, a fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology who has written books on forensic DNA profiling. The legal framework for the national DNA database maintained by the FBI Laboratory didn't come until a federal law was enacted in 1994.

Keefe sent DNA samples in the Miller case to the state laboratory in Pierre, the only lab in South Dakota accredited to conduct forensic DNA testing.

He said he also reached out to relatives of a man who had been among the five or so initial suspects in Millers killing. Keefe said evidence he reviewed told him there was a strong chance the man was Millers attacker, although the department declined to disclose the suspects name.

The man is dead, but Keefe said that solving a case does not just mean putting the culprit behind bars; it is as much about providing answers to the victims surviving relatives.

The case needs to be closed for the family of the victim, he said. One of the things that is important for the entire public to know is that we dont give up working on these. They dont go away.

The suspects family, Keefe said, had no idea their relative was ever a murder suspect. The detective found them online, called them and explained his work. He asked the mans relatives for a DNA sample, and they obliged.

Now Keefe is just waiting to hear back from the state lab. Because the lab prioritizes active cases, it's difficult to know when the DNA test result will come back.

If the DNA test shows a match, Keefe will have solved a crime that happened when he was just a few years old. If it comes back negative, he will continue looking at other possibilities. He has to: Keefe said only when he finally solves a case will the significance of having a cold-case detective become apparent.
I'll spare you my vent about how the television news networks try to achieve balance when they cover issues by seeking out representatives from the various sides to shout at each other. I think instead they should put journalists on the air to dissect and analyze the various issues.

Now the mainstream media have a bit of a problem, as described in The Washington Post by reporter Paul Fahri. As Paul describes it, news organizations are having difficulty recruiting commentators and columnists to present Donald Trump's side of the story. Most of those who do this kind of thing believe that Trump is a dangerous buffoon. But he's also our president-elect. Millions of people voted for the guy. He deserves to have his point of view fairly represented. So I thought I'd take a crack at it. Here goes:

He speaks for those who have been left in the garbage heap of dwindling hope by the rich and powerful. Rather, he communicates with them in simple words that they can understand. What the disenfranchised older whites really despise is that they believe their dreams and hopes of prosperity have been taken away from them, and they believe that Donald Trump can restore them. They are totally confused by the blur of progress, so they gravitate to someone who offers a return to the past, dark as it is.

He promises to blow things up, or to "drain the swamp" in Washington. Good idea. D.C. and the tentacles that reach out to a calcified worldwide order do need to be disrupted. Whether we're talking about the law, the financial networks or the political operations, they are intertwined and largely run by those who pretend to be performing a public service but are really serving themselves. Again, Trump articulates simple solutions. Unfortunately, these structures are, in truth, mind-numbingly complex. Simply ignoring the rules will create chaos. What it will take is the kind of tedious undoing for which he has no patience.

He promises to make America a proud superpower, not one that he portrays as needlessly inhibited by complication and nuance. The problem is that the other countries on the planet  in particular, America's adversaries and sworn enemies  have other ideas. Russian's Vladimir Putin has courted Donald Trump and, if U.S. intelligence services are to be believed, even helped elect him. Trump needs to be careful; Putin will walk all over him. President Trump brushes off intelligence briefings; apparently, he prefers to operate on the instinct that made him such a success in business. Oh wait, he went bankrupt several times. And geopolitics is way more tangled than commercial real estate. The parties are even more treacherous.

So it's not hard to understand how it might be difficult to find opinion leaders who can offer consistent support for the policies of a man who develops them on the fly. You can bet that many will emerge to make themselves available, the same ones who bitterly opposed him until he was elected. They are now going through intellectual gyrations in their effort to benefit from the favors of the new administration.
WASHINGTON | The incoming Trump administration will face passionate and hostile resistance if it tries to deny the reality of human-induced climate change. We can already hear the drums of war.

The Department of Energy flatly denied a demand from the Trump transition team to supply the names of employees or contractors who have participated in international climate change negotiations in the last five years. Also rejected was a request for names of staff who helped calculate the "social cost" of carbon emissions. The obvious concern is that these workers would be labeled as unreliable and perhaps shoved aside by political appointees determined to pretend that climate change does not exist.

Scientists have begun a frantic effort to archive decades' worth of climate data, copying it onto servers that are beyond the U.S. government's reach. The voluminous data sets, compiled by agencies including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, help form the basis for the consensus view that the atmosphere and the oceans are rapidly warming due to heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions. There has been no threat from the Trump camp to do anything untoward regarding the data, but researchers are taking no chances.

California Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that if President-elect Donald Trump tries to impede his state's vigorous efforts against climate change, "We've got the scientists, we've got the lawyers and we're ready to fight. We're ready to defend." Speaking in San Francisco at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Brown warned that rumored budget cuts might end a NASA program that uses satellites to take measurements of the earth, including temperature. "If Trump turns off the satellites," Brown declared, "California will launch its own dam satellite."

Trump, who has repeatedly described climate change as a "hoax," will try to reverse the Obama administration's progress in limiting carbon emissions. Assuming he follows through, he'll have a real fight on his hands.

At one of his victory rallies last Tuesday night, Trump said that "we will cancel the restrictions on the production of American energy, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean beautiful coal."

Apparently, Trump never met a fossil fuel he didn't like. And he has announced his intention to appoint the most prominent oil man he could find  Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobil, the largest non-government oil company in the world  as secretary of state.

Trump may renounce the historic Paris agreement, in which the world's biggest carbon emitters  China, the United States and India  all pledged curbs. He can also eliminate regulations limiting carbon emissions by power plants; encourage more drilling for oil and natural gas; and try his best to revive the moribund coal mining industry, though its decline is due more to market forces than to anything the government has done.

These threatened actions come near the end of what will almost surely be the warmest year on record. Continuing what scientists see as an indisputable trend, 2016 was an absolute scorcher. And yes, I realize that right now it's cold outside in much of the country; some scientists believe that rapid warming at the North Pole has destabilized air flow patterns and perhaps made these "polar vortex" cold snaps more common. In any event, the key measurement is the global temperature average, not the local wind chill.

Trump is being advised by a number of vocal climate-change deniers. The data that scientists are rushing to preserve clearly refutes those who say there is no warming. Some deniers acknowledge the fact of warming but say it is due to some unfathomable natural cycle. But Occam's razor argues persuasively for the simpler explanation: Since the Industrial Revolution, we have increased the atmosphere's concentration of carbon dioxide  known to trap heat  by an incredible 40 percent.

Much of the world understands the need to move toward clean energy. The technology isn't quite there yet, so some breakthroughs will be required. Smart government policy would be to invest in research to make it more likely that these advances are made in Berkeley rather than Bangalore or Beijing.

Dumb policy would be to fire up the smokestacks, stop collecting all that annoying climate data and marginalize federal employees who best understand global warming.
Heather Wilson brought some impressive credentials with her when in 2013 she took the job as the president of South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City.

A U.S. congresswoman for 10 years, a member of President George H. Bushs National Security Council staff, senior adviser to Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, Rhodes Scholar and an Air Force Academy graduate who served in Europe make up just part of an impressive resume.

Now, the 56-year-old New Hampshire native and former New Mexico congresswoman has been summoned to the new mountain top of American politics  Trump Tower  to interview for a job that would be difficult for anyone to turn down if offered.

President-elect Donald Trumps transition team contacted Wilson last week and invited her to New York City to be interviewed for the position of Director of National Intelligence, a key position in the administration.

The position was created in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. The person who holds that job is considered the presidents top intelligence advisor, a challenging position moving forward as America and the world wrestles with the seemingly intractable forces of terrorism.

In an email sent last week to her staff and others at the School of Mines, Wilson said she did not pursue a job with the Trump Administration and is happy as the college's president. She went on to say, however, that "the security of our country is important to all of us, and when a President or President-elect asks you to consider whether your gifts could be used in the service of this nation, you have to be willing to consider it."

If Wilson is offered and accepts the job as the Director of National Intelligence, it will be a significant loss for the school and community. In her short time here, she has overseen a building boom of sorts on the campus. Earlier this year, the Journal reported the school was working on as many as 60 different construction projects, including a $6.4 million expansion of the chemistry building and the new $8-million Placer Hall, a six-story building that houses 200 students.

More recently, Wilson unveiled a plan to build a $20-million research center in east downtown Rapid City. She also is a tireless promoter of the school and belongs to a number of important organizations in the community.

Wilson has been an asset to the School of Mines and the community at large, but nonetheless we wish her the best moving ahead regardless of her decision. She has the credentials, character and experience to be an asset to the incoming Trump Administration.
RAPID CITY | On Thanksgiving morning, Nov. 24, 2016, our Lord took Judy home. Judy had fought cancer courageously since 1993. Our prayer had always been to ask our Heavenly Father to heal her from cancer even if His will is to take her home. Judy is now cancer and pain-free.

Judy Scully was born Aug. 8, 1948, to Gordon and Sally Rudolph in Scottsbluff, NE. Judy spent her first six years in Mitchell, NE. Then her family moved to Fremont, OH. She lived there until graduating from high school as Valedictorian. Judy then spent a year in Bad Ischl, Austria, living with an orthopedic surgeons family and attending the local Bundesgymnasim High School as an exchange student with American Field Service. She returned to the University of Salzburg in Austria during her junior year in college. Judy received a BA, B Ed., and an MA in music and German from Bowling Green (OH) University, graduating as Valedictorian. She taught High School and University German and later ran a successful violin and piano studio teaching approximately 40 students per week. Later, Judy began working as a financial advisor for Primerica earning a certified financial planner designation and was later promoted to regional vice president, supervising 40 representatives. In 1992, Judy began working for GAB Rolens as an insurance adjuster handling general liability, property damage, and Workers Compensation claims and was ranked first in her national training classes. After GAB, Judy worked for St. Paul Travelers insurance company adjusting claims in the western half of the United States for insurance and real estate agents in the areas of errors and omissions.

Judys joy was always her husband Gus, whom she married in 1970; her sons, Dave (Jessica) and granddaughter Maya, of Pennsylvania, Mark (KT) of Oregon, and Danny (fiance Caitlin and daughters Layton and Kennedy) of Rapid City.

Judys anchor in life was Jesus Christ. She gave her life to Him in December 1966, and her daily desire was to follow and trust Him. She is now with Him in Heaven. Her prayer was that you would follow and know Jesus and meet her there.

Judy is also survived by her brother, Grant of CA; sister, Nancy of MN; as well as various cousins and countless friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gordon and Sally Rudolph and grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins.

A Celebration for Judy will be scheduled in the spring.

You may sign her online guestbook at Kirk Funeral Homes website.
MISSOULA  An anti-Semitic website called The Daily Stormer has posted a call to TAKE ACTION against Jewish people in Whitefish, providing personal contact information and urging a troll storm against them.

The story claims the vicious, evil race has harmed the Whitefish business of Richard Spencers mother. It quotes a story from the British newspaper Daily Mail that said Sherry Spencer said she is being forced to sell a building she owns in the small town because residents are rebelling against her son.

The site posted phone numbers, email addresses, and Twitter handles for the Whitefish residents it alleges are harassing Sherry Spencer, along with a disclaimer that it opposes violence.

Richard Spencer is president and director of the National Policy Institute, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has identified as a hate group. The institute is dedicated to the heritage, identity, and future of people of European descent in the United States, and around the world.

Spencer said Friday hes thinking about running for the U.S. House seat that would be vacated if U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana is confirmed as President-elect Donald Trumps choice to head the Department of Interior.

The Daily Stormer website has a tab called Jewish Problem. It asks for donations from readers with a plea: These bastards are always at our throats.

The piece by Andrew Anglin  described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a a prolific Internet troll  about Whitefish uses a vulgar term to describe Jews, and also uses slurs against other minorities on its site. Its call for action in Whitefish says, So then, lets hit em up. Are yall ready for an old fashioned Troll Storm?

Some of those targeted by Thursdays post are involved in Love Lives Here, a group that fights discrimination  racial, ethnic, religious and gender  in the Flathead. It was founded in 2009 in response to screenings of pro-Hitler films by a white separatist group called Kalispell Pioneer Little Europe. Daily Stormer calls Love Lives Here a Jew terrorist group.

Earlier this month, Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld signed a proclamation that declared, among other things, The City of Whitefish repudiates the ideas and ideology of the white nationalist and so called alt-right as a direct affront to our communitys core values and principles.

Love Lives Here has never promoted the idea of a protest of a boycott of a building, Will Randall, the organizations chairman, said Friday. One of the people targeted by the Daily Stormer post is a beloved member of our community who entered into this conversation trying to help.

The Stormer posted pictures of several Whitefish residents, including a child, with a yellow Star of David with the word Jude  German for Jew  added to each photo. During World War II, Jews in Germany and Nazi-occupied territories were forced to wear such stars on their clothing.

Randall said that his research into neo-Nazi groups has accustomed him to such images.

But when your own personal friends are affected, its gut-wrenching, he said. These are some of the best people around, and to see them attacked because theyre Jewish or have a Jewish-sounding name is disgusting.
A quest for religious freedom recently resulted in U.S. citizenship for a Ukrainian family now living in Hamilton.

Victor, Nataliya and Daniel Parakhin, participated in a naturalization ceremony recently in Great Falls. Younger brother, Alex, was naturalized automatically because he is a minor.

When the Soviet Union was still strong, Victor Parakhin lived in East Ukraine where there was no freedom of religion.

There was on paper but in reality there was a little bit of the so called official Russian Orthodox Church but Bibles and bible classes, all of that was forbidden, Victor said. In the 1990s, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the first missionaries came.

They came from the American Bible Belt. One missionary, Glen Gray from Georgia, met Victor.

He was the one that introduced me to the Bible, he said. He just sat and opened the Bible and we talked. In the Russian Orthodox Church it is very impersonal and ritualistic and not much about the actual substance of the Bible.

Victor said the missionary taught them about the Bible and that Christmas is worth celebrating, not the New Year, as was the Soviet custom.

He taught in plain English, Victor said. When I say plain English, I mean with an American accent with a strong southern accent. I could read English but when it comes to the spoken it was difficult, especially because this wasnt the British version of English I was taught.

Victor said many people were converted; the missionaries left but returned in the spring and started the first church.

Victor came to America for three months in 1995 and experienced the Christmas traditions.

In 2000, Nataliya and Victor traveled to Tennessee to study at the Memphis School of Preaching for two years.

Daniel was born in 1997, Nataliya said. He was 3 when we first came to Memphis and he didnt speak any English. When we left Memphis he was 5 and he didnt speak any Russian or Ukrainian.

The Parakhin family returned to Ukraine for 10 years, staying in touch with Glen Gray, the man who baptized Victor.

Hamilton Church of Christ needed a preacher. Gray put in a good word for Victor, who auditioned by recording a sermon and got the job.

The Parakhin family moved to Montana where the weather is very similar to Ukraine.

We fit right in, the climate and the people are very welcoming, Victor said. Six years ago when Alex first came he wore a sign that read Alex speaks no English. Now he speaks it all the time and corrects us.

The family especially likes that they have the freedom and space to walk. They walk to their jobs and have a Sunday tradition of walking to a restaurant, no matter the weather.

Everything happened like it was preplanned, Nataliya said.

Nataliya said she does miss her family in the Ukraine but talks via the internet and video messages with them regularly. She most recently returned to Ukraine in 2013 and was hoping to go this year for her parents 50th anniversary and her mothers 75th birthday but was warned away.

The reason is Russia attacked part of Ukraine and where we lived is now occupied. It would be a lot of risk involved, Nataliya said.

Nataliya explained that when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s people were so used to relying on the government that it didnt go well. Then people embraced their freedom, religious freedom and built churches but then everything changed.

We didnt expect Russians to attack Ukrainians. They called us brothers, Nataliya said. Its called a hybrid war because it isnt officially announced.

The first thing they did was men with guns went to the church and said you have two hours to clear the building, Victor said. They called it naturalization but what it means is get out of here while you are still alive. They used the church building as a scout post. Now it is back to the Russian Orthodox and anything else is forbidden under the penalty of death. We never thought in our wildest nightmares that we would ever see this happen in the Ukraine. It was shocking.

Nataliya said most of her friends have left her home city but older people have stayed, in spite of the danger from guns and missiles.

Now leaders, pastors and preachers have disappeared and never heard from, thats why we consider ourselves so blessed to be here, Victor said.

We are very thankful for our children to be in a safe place, Nataliya said.

The process of naturalization took over three years. The first application got lost. Finally, the Hamilton Church of Christ hired an immigration lawyer and then it took three weeks. The first step was fingerprints and background checks, then came an interview, interrogation, loyalty and language tests Third was taking the oath of loyalty on Nov. 17 in Great Falls. There were 17 new American citizens coming from 10 countries.

Daniel said he is happy to be in America.

There used to be times of homesickness but every year Im growing more attached to this country and this people, I dont think of Ukraine as my homeland anymore, he said. Not because Im disloyal but the Ukrainian government just let the war happen. When we took the oath of allegiance that sealed the deal and theres no going back. I dont regret taking it.

It was quite an interesting experience. Nataliya said. At first we were strangers and at the end we were all friends. Basically they just take away your green card and give you a certificate with your picture and signature and it says from this day youve taken the oath and are a citizen of the United States.

Victor said he remembers the judges comments.

I remember the judge said half the population of the world would like to sit in your seats because it is still much sought after despite tensions and political turmoil, Victor said. From now on you can accomplish as much as you want or as little as you wish.

I also remember the judge saying if you dont like a law, change it, it makes sense, he meant it is possible we could do it in this country, Daniel said. We wont be able to become presidents but he pointed out if you wish to do great deeds youve come to the right country.

Christmas has a deeper meaning now.

Its not just about the Christmas lights; first and foremost it is about the birth of Christ, the savior of the world, this is the meaning of Christmas, Victor said. We enjoy how people decorate their house inside and out. Decorating the outside of the house is not popular in Ukraine because if you left something outside unattended it would be gone.

In Ukraine it wasnt about Christmas but about New Year because the communists were in power, Nataliya said. They just made sure God isnt mentioned and the birth of the savior is not mentioned. People just celebrated the New Year, with a New Year tree and New Year lights.

Victor added that the trees had a hammer and sickle on top.

During Stalins time you could be imprisoned and shot for mentioning God and Jesus, Victor said. After Stalins death you could be arrested for that, after Christoffs era they could fire you from your work if they found out you went to church. We were on the time when it was not as harsh so they had other things to worry about.

The Parakhin family values the freedom to celebrate holidays. In Ukraine participation was mandatory.

There all the demonstrations and masses people everyone was told to show up, Victor said. Here Christmas is the joy that cannot be manufactured. Most people, whatever they believe in it is families getting together for a time of rejoicing. It is happiness and the special meaning of Jesus birth and what it means to us, the savior of the world.
Two scientists from Rocky Mountain Laboratories, with expertise in different areas, collaborated on a theory they proved valid: people with impaired immune response systems that experience salmonella could experience meningitis.

The experts studied mice and created a model to help study the theory.

Salmonella is an infection caused by contaminated food or water and usually experienced as a gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea. In Africa, strains of salmonella are not causing gastrointestinitis but causing serious systemic disease.

Olivia Steele-Mortimer and Karin Peterson, salmonella and neuroimmunology experts at NIAIDs Rocky Mountain Laboratories, along with biologists at the University of Colorado have established a way to study potentially life-threatening meningitis caused by Salmonella.

Olivia Steele-Mortimer, deputy chief of NIAIDs Laboratory of Bacteriology and a Salmonella investigator, has been working on Salmonella studies for over 20 years. She has been studying whether salmonella could be used as a vaccine or an anti-cancer platform.

Steele-Mortimer said in the last 10 to 15 years there has been a huge explosion of Salmonella infections due to the increase of people with advanced HIV or other immune deficiencies because of malnutrition or malaria. She said in African there is limited testing that looks at the blood to determine if its malaria or Salmonella.

So, its been slow to realize how many people are suffering from this, Steele-Mortimer said. The end results of having this systemic infection in the blood are that it seems like a number of people are getting meningitis so it is getting into the central nervous system. That has never been something the Salmonella scientists have been concerned about.

Steele-Mortimer said she looked at old research papers that indicated a type of Salmonella that causes a serious systemic infection in humans and possibly some Salmonella in the brain.

There were many things that made me research whether Salmonella can get into the brain, she said. I thought we have real experts on the brain and the central nervous system and maybe we have the perfect of skills and background that could work on a project like this.

Steele-Mortimer collaborated with a brain expert.

Karin Peterson, a neuroimmunology investigator in NIAIDs Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, explained that the blood brain barrier protects the brain.

It prevents a lot of things from gaining access to the central nervous system, Peterson said. In order for a virus or bacteria to get to the brain it has to have a mechanism to break down the blood brain barrier or it can get in sometimes with an immune cell that has access to the brain.

Peterson said other ways are through damage or other infection causing damage to the blood-brain barrier.

Steele-Mortimer explained the team looked at a particular, common, strain of salmonella that causes gastrointestinal infections in the United States.

They studied mice to see how salmonella transfers from the blood to the brain.

There were a couple of cases when there were neurological disease in the mouse and an overwhelming infection in the brain, Peterson said. One of the questions is what was the critical factor in causing a serious infection in the brain?

Meningitis is an infection that can be caused by virus, bacteria, malaria or by physical trauma.

Even though there are many variables such as the numerous strains of mice and salmonella the team of scientists was able to create a model of study.

This is a nice starting point, there hasnt been a good model for this before, Peterson said. We can now look at additional questions like What is the role in the immune response in controlling salmonella in getting to the brain or once it gets to the brain?

Steele-Mortimer said normal, healthy people do not have to worry about salmonella getting into their brain.

The two RML scientists agree they work in very focused areas but by collaborating they were able to do the research. The federal research program is set up to allow for scientific collaboration if scientists find an overlap while maintaining their own projects.

This is exciting because it brought in experts we have here and taking advantage of the strengths we have here at RML, a small community compared to our main campus in Bethesda, she said. Sometimes you forget to look in your own backyard for the strengths that are available.

Peterson agreed that the collaboration strengthened both labs.

Olivias lab is really strong on looking at cell biology and people from my lab learned a lot from her group, Peterson said.

Steele-Mortimer said this is just the beginning.

There is a lot of potential to learn about meningitis and how the brain is protected against infection and possible treatments, but there are years of research ahead, she said.
Calling the current system unfair, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is proposing legislation reforming retirement and workers compensation payments for federal wildland firefighters and law enforcement injured on the job.

The current retirement system allows firefighters working in hazardous conditions retirement after 20 years. However, if they are injured on the job and reassigned to a nonhazardous role, they are subject to a 30-year retirement track.

Overtime and bonuses are not factored into workers compensation payments, meaning an injured firefighter receives only a percentage of base pay. The base is typically only a fraction of firefighters annual earnings as overtime pay quickly accrues during long days in the field.

Its a system that is unfair and a fundamental issue of justice and fairness for these firefighters, Daines said in Helena on Thursday.

The Wildland Firefighter Retirement and Disability Compensation Benefits Act of 2016 offers two main reforms.

First, the legislation allows injured firefighters and law enforcement reassigned to non-hazardous jobs to continue on their original retirement track.

Second, workers compensation payments would be based off of total earnings rather than base pay.

You get hurt when youre that close to retirement and when they get repurposed to a different assignment outside of the hazardous side of a firefighter, now theyre put into a different retirement track of 30 years, Daines said. Its not right.

Inspiration for the bill came from the wildland firefighters themselves, he added.

Shane Ralston and Brendan Mullen approached Daines office as they recovered from firefighting injuries and found themselves and others fighting for the benefits they earned. While they applaud the legislation, both see it as a first step in bringing attention and reform to a system they feel is broken.

Denial of medical travel payments, misinformation and reimbursement roadblocks became as normal as attending doctor appointments.

As a Smokejumper, Ralston was injured on a jump three years ago. He expected the difficulties of physical rehabilitation, but he never anticipated any issues with paying for his care.

I work for the Department of Agriculture and I pay my insurance bi-monthly to the Department of Labor, so it would be the same team I would think, he said. Its not. Its government employees looking to make it as difficult for other injured government employees until they go away.

Mullen, the lone survivor of a helicopter crash during a prescribed burn, faced similar frustration as he ran into continual roadblocks in paying for his recovery.

I accepted a level of risk in this job for sure and things happen, I had some things lined up, but to have dealt with and to be still going down this road I never couldve comprehended or appreciated, I never wouldve said this could happen, he said.

Ralston and Mullen praised the Forest Service and their supervisors following their injuries. Both were offered jobs within the fire section and were able to maintain their retirement track. But others have not been as lucky.

An entry-level seasonal firefighter injured and awaiting a disability designation, which can take years, may receive about $1,000 per month from workers compensation as he or she may be recovering fulltime and unable to work.

As Ralston and Mullen spoke to fellow injured firefighters, they found many walked away in frustration from benefits or did not know the benefits available to them. Their experiences and the stories of others brought them to their senator.

The response from Daines and his office has been a major help, they say.

But how many people are out there that need help? Ralston asked. Now that its on the table, lets find solutions.

Ralston and Mullen hope that the legislation may one day lead to systematic reforms.

This is really the tip of the spear and something we can fix now for the greater good, Mullen said. Then down the road we need to fix the processes to make it better for everybody.

Introducing the bill ahead of the next Congress brings visibility to the issue, Daines said, but he is also looking at the viability of an administrative fix.

As he reintroduces it next year, finding cosponsors and pushing for hearings are part of Daines agenda. Hearings would provide firefighters struggling with the system the chance to testify to lawmakers.

So often these bills that show up, its the stories behind the people that will bring them attention, Daines said.

Tester proposes federal retirement reforms

U.S. Sen Jon Tester announced legislation Thursday that would reform retirement for federal firefighters, law enforcement and other employees injured in physically demanding jobs.

Federal employees with physical jobs, known as 6c occupations, have a mandatory retirement age and pay an additional portion of each paycheck towards their retirement. If they suffer on-the-job injuries and cannot return to work before reaching mandatory years of service, they lose all of the benefits paid into early retirement.

Called the Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned Act of 2016, Testers legislation allows injured 6c federal employees working in non-hazard jobs to continue paying into early retirement. They may also take the payment as a lump sum at retirement and maintain their original retirement track.

The bill, cosponsored by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, lists firefighters, law enforcement, CIA, U.S. Border Patrol agents, air traffic controllers and others as affected by the bill.

Firefighters and law enforcement officers sacrifice every day to keep folks safe, and they shouldnt be financially punished if they are hurt on the job, Tester said in a statement. This bill is about fairness, and it ensure that the folks who help keep our communities safe are able to access the full amount of their pensions that they have been paying into for years.
With Montanas lone congressmen, Ryan Zinke, on track to be secretary of Interior in President-elect Donald Trumps cabinet, Republicans and Democrats are making plans for a special election.

Sources close to Zinke confirmed Tuesday night that the Republican representative and former Navy SEAL had been offered the opportunity to lead the Department of the Interior. Trumps transition team hasnt confirmed the offer, but did acknowledge Zinkes Monday meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York.

Zinkes departure from the U.S. House would spark a scramble for a replacement. State law dictates that upon the resignation of a U.S. senator or representative, an interim representative would be appointed by the governor and that a special election be called to replace him or her within 85 to 100 days.

However, the Montana law, rewritten by the 2015 Legislature, is unconstitutional and wont be followed. That was the conclusion Republicans and Democrats independently came to as they prepare to replace a U.S. representative for the first time in 47 years.

The U.S. Constitution permits a senator to be appointed, said Jeff Essmann, Montana GOP chairman. The Constitution requires a House representative to be elected. Thats why its always been called the peoples House.

Late Wednesday, Montanas secretary of state, Democrat Linda McCullough, was reporting the same. Montana would ignore the portion of state law requiring an interim appointment.

Both Republicans and Democrats said they like their chances of winning a special election.

Montana Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Keenan said her party would ask voters to use the special election to rebalance the political power scale that after Novembers general election tips hard to the right. Only Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock survived a Republican housecleaning of state government offices on Nov. 8. Nationally, Republicans will control the presidency, House and Senate next year.

Its not clear how soon a special election might come, Keenan said. It all depends on if and when Zinke is confirmed. The Republican will likely not resign before then.

The timing of this could be very quick. It could happen by February, when Trump forwards a lot of his nominations, or we could be in a Supreme Court battle as Donald Trump tries to take the big ones on, Keenan said.

There has been a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court for most of the year because Senate Republicans have refused to consider a nominee from President Barack Obama. If Trump fills the court vacancy, Zinke might take a while.

But its possible Zinke could be part of a half-dozen appointees already vetted by the Senate ready for approval when Trump takes office Jan. 20, Keenan said. Several of President Obamas appointees were handled that way and approved quickly, she said.

Keenan said she couldnt say who would run for the job. Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau, who challenged Ryan Zinke but lost by 16 percentage points Nov. 8, did not respond to a message from The Gazette inquiring about whether she would run again.

Republican Greg Gianforte, who lost his election challenge to Bullock by 4 percentage points, said becoming a candidate wasnt on his mind currently.

This is a great moment for Montana to have our own Ryan Zinke nominated to serve in President-elect Trumps cabinet as Interior secretary, Gianforte said in an email. Its an honor for our state. Im hoping that Ryan sees a swift confirmation process. Susan and I have appreciated the many calls of support and encouragement we have received from folks urging me to run if indeed there is a vacancy in our U.S. House seat. But right now, like many other Montanans, Im hoping for more snow, filling the freezer with my hunting efforts, and getting ready to celebrate Christmas with my family.

Essmann said he couldnt discuss potential candidates, but he has been hearing names tossed around. He was confident Republicans would keep the seat theyve held for 20 years.

The Republican Party in Montana is at its strongest point since 1928 in terms of holding elected offices, Essmann said. As long as our convention unites around a candidate who has the capacity to win, I expect to maintain the seat.

The other election on the horizon that would be influenced by Zinke joining Trumps cabinet is Montanas 2018 U.S. Senate race. Zinke said he was considering a challenge to incumbent Democrat Jon Tester.

Keenan said Tester would campaign hard regardless of whether Zinke challenged him.

I think Jon runs hard and strong every time and he takes nothing for granted, Keenan said. Whether it would be Zinke as his opponent, it was not going to be a cakewalk and Jon knows it.

Tester issued a statement Wednesday afternoon congratulating Zinke.

I want to congratulate Congressman Zinke on this high honor, Tester said. Im pleased the president-elect nominated someone from the West for a post thats critically important to Montanas outdoor economy and way of life. I look forward to sitting down with Congressman Zinke to discuss how we can increase public access to public land, protect our Constitutional right to clean air and water, and uphold our trust responsibilities to Indian Country.
J. Robert Smith

Ah, the Christmas season. Democrats and their propaganda organs (formerly known as the mainstream media) are full of Russia love. The sly, elfish Vlad Putin being the principal recipient.

It's an outpouring of love based on speculation and "sources" at the CIA -- and Kwanzaa-knows where else -- that the Russians hacked the Clinton campaign. Russki chicanery, we're assured by the Washington Post and New York Times, helped Donald J. Trump secure the White House. Putin, you see, has been outed as a triple-secret ally of Trump. Journalism isn't dead, after all.

This is humbug, of course. But useful humbug for Democrats. They just can't explain how so charismatic a nominee as Hillary Rodham Clinton could have lost to the reality star buffoon and Augusto Pinochet wannabe, Donald J. Trump. So Democrats test-marketed blame angles until settling on one that seems to work best.

Continuing to heavy-up on fingering Deplorables for Hillary's crash and burn risks too much backlash. Millions of Deplorables, that is, who forced the Democrats' Blue Wall to come crumbling down. Rebuilding the Wall requires easing up on the white working class in Michigan and Pennsylvania, for instance. Fake news is more subtext. Racism has legs, but it indicts not just Trumpians and Republicans but those darn formidable Deplorables.

On the other hand, Russia is far away. A land of onion domes, vast steppes, and Buffalo-like piles of snow. Putin lacks a broom, but has a sorta Wicked Witch of East persona. You know, poisoning adversaries, invading the Ukraine, and generally thugging-it-up with his comrade oligarchs.

Whether or not Putin's antics really bother Democrats is another story.

Putin's pedigree is communist in origin. KGB and all. Murder -- targeted and mass -- conquest, and thuggery were hallmarks of the defunct Soviet Union. Lots of Democrats, dating back to the 20s and 30s, weren't much fussed about reports of Lenin's and Stalin's oppression and mass butchery. Some even served as Russian agents in FDR's administration. That's covertly, if the clarification is required.

Come the 70s and 80s, why, Democrats and their leftist intellectual fellow travelers were bruiting the notion that there was "moral equivalence" between the USSR and U.S. Let's not get so uppity about Russian communist brutality and aggression, went the argument, when we -- well, Democrats, actually -- had a sad history of slavery and lynching blacks. Our attempt to subjugate Vietnam (led by "bad" Democrat LBJ) made Russian dominance of the Eastern bloc, the Berlin Wall, the quelling of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and the 1968 Prague Spring appear small potatoes.

Mother Russia, though, stripped of its communist gloss, doesn't hold the allure to Democrats and the American left as in days of yore. The USSR, closed and tightly controlled, was the stuff of Western leftist fantasies (or, if you prefer, useful lies).

Remember the old leftist spin about the USSR being a "workers' paradise?" Equality, fraternity, and vodka for all! The USSR was the land of a bright industrial and technological future. The "New Man" cometh -- or some such gender-bias drivel. Amongst many progressives, the Soviet Union was the beacon of modernity in the gloomy world of Depression Era America. The Hitler-Stalin Pact was just a bump in the road to a glorious future.

Putin's Russia is more transparent. Russia is squalid -- not that it wasn't under its communist masters, but commie rhetoric and gullibility masked reality. Putin, whatever his nostalgia for Russia's communist era, knows that red is deader than Trotsky amongst the proletariat. He's hitched his wagon to hoary Russian nationalism, to a bare-knuckled advancement of Russian national interests. To hell with the workers of the world uniting.

Putin's at odds with globalism, the ism that's now fab (though faltering). It incorporates many of the elements of socialism and communism. Hence, the progressives' embrace of globalism and their recoil at Putin's antediluvian "Russia First" approach. Putin has become an exquisite villain to tag with Hillary's defeat. And, critically, to try to wrap Putin's alleged villainy around Trump's neck. Without Putin serving as a confederate for Trump, the Putin angle loses much of its punch and value to Democrats.

The Democrats' aim, as with George W. Bush in the aftermath of 9/11, is to delegitimize the coming Trump presidency. Their deviousness and venality is KGB-worthy.

Let's dispense with this factoid. The Russians try to hack the U.S. 24/7. But Uncle Sam works at hacking the Russians -- unless Sam is a boob. Let's hope not. The Chinese are in the hacking game, too. The list grows from there. Every nation, every pernicious political movement (think ISIS), and every crime outfit around the globe hacks away.

But let's reiterate that there's no evidence that Russia hacked the Clinton campaign. If there is, it hasn't surfaced. Above all, there's zero evidence that any attempts at hacking by the Russians impacted the outcome of the presidential contest.

This from Hillary Clinton in a December 16 CNN report titled, "Russia challenges US to prove campaign hacking claims or shut up":

Clinton said Thursday night that Putin's alleged involvement in the hacking of Democratic organizations during the 2016 election stemmed from a longtime grudgethe Russian President has held against her. [Italics added]

Perhaps Vlad is chaffed that when the Clinton Foundation -- for a price -- helped grease the skids with then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to approve the sale of a big portion of U.S. uranium mining interests to the Russians, he didn't get a big enough kickback? Money disputes cause grudges, right?

The Wall Street Journal reports on December 16 that it appears the Russians attempted to hack the Republican National Committee, too. They failed to breach RNC computer networks. Republicans had superior security. Just how incompetent are Democrats if Russians did hack their networks?

It's useful to recall that Hillary provided the Russians -- and the rest of humanity -- with a hacking-rich environment. Hillary's private servers contained an untold number of highly classified national security-related emails. Perhaps law-breaker Hillary doing so whetted the appetites of Russian hackers. Another way of putting it, Hillary's breaches of national security via her private servers were like putting out honey: the flies came. The flies -- Russians and everyone else -- then went buzzing around for more sweet stuff through porous Democratic computer networks.

If Democrats and MSM propagandists can speculate, why can't we?

So, in Putin the Democrats have their Grinch. They're trying mightily to link Putin to Trump in a conspiracy to swipe the presidency from the deserving, if trembling, hands of Hillary Clinton, the very first ever woman president and globalist-village champion who will not be.

Fate has its vagaries, bad and very good.
Guwahati : Nearly 70 militants of NSCN(IM) had attacked the two post of Manipur Rifles and 7th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) of Manipur police in Manipur's newly created district Noney on Saturday.

The incident took place at Nungkao near Jiribam at around 11 AM and the militant group had also snatched at least 20 loaded weapons of the security personnel.

It is the fourth attack by the NSCN(IM) militants on security personnel in the north eastern Indian state in past 48 hours.

The attack could be in retaliation to the creation of seven new districts by Okram Ibobi Singh led Manipur government.

Following the militant attack, top police and army officials had rushed to the area and launched operation against the attackers.*

At least four policemen were killed and eight others injured in three separate attacks laid by NSCN(IM) militants in Chandel, Tengnoupal and Noney district on December 15.

On December 15 morning, four policemen were killed and four others injured in two attacks laid by suspected NSCN(IM) militants in Chandel and Tengnoupal district.

On same day, four policemen were injured in third militants attack in Noney district.

Meanwhile, the NSCN(IM) denied involvement in any attack on security personnel in Manipur.

The MIP Kilonser of NSCN(IM) said to the media that, NSCN(IM) is not involved in any attack in Manipur.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, December 18 : Income Tax department has unearthed such bank accounts where huge amount of banned denominations deposited post demonetisation in Assam.

A top official of IT department said that, the IT department has issued notices to more than 50 bank account holders where huge amount of cash in old notes deposited following Centre's decision of scraping the denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

"After collecting transaction information from the concerned banks it revealed that, huge amount of old currency denominations were deposited in such accounts. In such account above Rs 25 lakh in old notes had deposited post demonetisation," the top IT official said.

The IT official further said that, more than 5000 accounts of private sector banks are in IT radar.

"We have noticed and found that huge amount of banned notes had deposited in some fake accounts, which were opened in the name of unidentified persons," the IT official said.

Recently, the IT department had raided at Bongaigaon Axis bank branch in lower Assam and unearthed 28 fake accounts where more than Rs 13 lakh in scraping notes deposited since November 10.

The official said that, the IT department had issued notices to more than 50 bank account holders in Assam.

On the other hand the IT department had handed over some suspicious terror fund transaction cases to CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Meanwhile, a top official of Assam police said that following Centre's decision of demonetisation, terror fund trap turned dry and all the militant group of North East India including ULFA(I), NSCN (K), GNLA, NDFB, KLO, PLA had tried to convert their banned notes into new currency denominations by using some tribal people bank accounts, Jan Dhan accounts and with the help of some traders, contractors.

"We have asked all the banks to inform local police if found any suspicious transaction," the top police official said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Why not right? Everyone else is doing it. I actually look forward to compiling best of the year lists each and every year. Although I havent been as anal about them as I was a few years ago I still enjoy going back through the catalogue and organizing the albums that had a profound impact on me throughout the year. The problem is that each and every year I seem to be listening to more and more albums and the competition for making these lists is grueling. For those that have done this you know what Im talking about. For this features sake I have ranked my Best of Bonanza according to albums specifically residing in my bandcamp collection and that were not available on vinyl or I did not yet have the time to purchase on vinyl. These albums had both repeated listens and all around excitement that put them just over the edge of some other well done albums. Ill be putting together another separate list of my Favorite Records (vinyl) of the year so be patient. Without further ado, I present my picks for the best albums of bandcamp released in 2016.





Best Al Yeti album yet! Dirty, smokey harmony layered with smooth catchy groove like baby butt cheeks covered with a grizzled beard!"





Peace Killers murder the tranquility with a raspy Thin Lizzy meets marijuana cigarette sparked by proto-metal flame! Combining twin guitar finesse, throttling rhythm and groove a mile wide. The debut album provides rollicking blues based solos, infectious vocals, and at times aggressive chorus's that will have your blood boiling with delight.





I didnt actually purchase this one yet, as it was a late discovery and I am conserving funds for the holiday season, but had I found out sooner, this album might even be ranked higher. Think of a mellower version of the occult driven retro blues style of Graveyard. Very bluesy, very stoney, and ultra groovy. Check them out.





Slightly reverberated and charismatic vocals set to an astonishing stoned out groove. Take a look to what the others had to say. Its stirring up some dust in the stoner scene and makes for some high expectations of what more is to come. I wrote this on their first EP. The Black Hole Space Wizard EP takes it to the next level.





Heavy psychedelic blues blistering with dynamite vocals. This is the real deal.





Agile psychedelic stoner pop akin to the masters of classic 70's Rock jammed with arcane riffs mimicking a modern Woodstock in the spirit of Nashvillian Blues. A Walk in the Dark lights a fire so hot you'll be peddling laps into a tie-dyed western sunrise. Favorite track: A Walk in the Dark.





Low tuned bass meets high output fuzz in a well-orchestrated take on occult driven blues. Order of the Goat comes in hot on riffs and heavy in doomy groove





Stoner drenched riffs flashing with slag fueled metallic fury. Retro groove hot enough to melt the shadow of the witch beneath the dying sun.





These Aussies are utterly spectacular. Prepare for a holocaust of punk fueled rock and roll riffs, with vocals verging on Danzig meets Motorhead. The band calls is Psychedelic hard rockin, panty droppin sonic suicide. Cant argue that!





Roast burns us with 4 tracks of unadulterated heavy blues, caramelized with brain melting solos sauteed in proto-doom. The Zeppelin esque' squelch seers with Pentagram harmony on the debut EP steeping in Sabbath worship and smoldering with heavy psychedelic aroma. The young dudes from CA manage to concoct a flaming set of irresistible tunes. Mesmerizing artwork to boot! Wow! Big future ahead!





This is a truly massive album chalked full of filthy riffs, evocative groove, and noxious vocal tones.Long songs don't lose their welcome. Absolutely no droney boredom to be found whatsoever as can be typical in the doom arena. Heavy rock n' stoner blues with off the charts distorted fuzz.

Why I havent ordered the vinyl of this is beyond me. Probably me being cheap as usual





They call it dancing doom in their description. I would have to agree that's apt. The dreamy psychedelic licks bake like rays of Sun scold a naked drunk and the cosmic riffs break like stone under dynamite. On my 4th straight listen and I don't have to stop. This is intense!Favorite track: Daggers Doom and Doubt.





From the strong, serenading Spanish vocal accents to the hypnotically driving riffs, Horizon eclipse the boundary of quintessential stoner rock. I so need this on wax. Hell, I still need the last one too. Somebody send me some money please!! Favorite track: El Padre.





Oozing with heavy blues and glistening with jaw dropping psych, Fuddge soothe the musical craving with a mind bending fuzz fest powdered with sensational atmospherics. Eat this shit up, it's all organic and loaded with lysergic groove. Favorite track: Lilith.

This may be my EP of the year!





What we have here folks is a fine demonstration of Greece taking the lead in the battle of heavy, gritty, and groovy stoner rawk. Sweden held the #1 spot for some time, but Stone Cream just made a statement. The riffs echo like steel cones crushing stone into cream, dried over rusted walls of whiskey soaked vocals. Stone Cream dela creme. Favorite track: Haunted train.





This is your homework Larry. The fucking Heathens Are Loose with a wildly melodic fuzz, pile driven with savage distortion and sensational groove.Favorite track: Whistleblowers.





Seriously amazing proto-metal meets heavy blues. Great overall musicianship and classic metal vocal tones with a bluesy swagger off the charts. The album cover is exceptional and matches the overall vibe of the album.





Smooth, heavy distorted grooves. Thick slabs of sabbath worship, coupled with fat hooks and bluesy solos. Yes, I dig this a lot! FDJ nailed the Freedom Hawk reference.





Slow burning stoner riffs with a hauntingly doom drive amplify like rock and roll spirits in a moonlit desert. The vocals veer in and out of sinister wales to melodic echoes as the creamy riffs blister with a groove-laden psych and the twisted melody rings over the heavy blues crusted atmosphere. Favorite track: Titos.





This album seemed to have a lot of traction early on and then sort of dropped off the map. For me it got better late in the year and another one I should have grabbed on vinyl. Very good retro stoner blues meets classic doom. Well executed all around.





10 THE HAZYTONES - THE HAZYTONES





FDJ mentioned Graveyard which is an apt comparison. The Hazytones bring a hazy as fuck Graveyard-esque tone to the table. The vocals have that eerie occult squelch, slightly reverberated, and the riffs just seer with tripped out groove. This is wicked shit. HIGHLY recommended.Favorite track: Day Of The Dead.





9 CHILD - BLUESIDE





Wow, what an intense blues album. Distorted fuzz meets classic blues. This will be mine (on vinyl). Oh, yes, she will be mine!





8 ELBRUS  ELBRUS





Thick, hypnotic, fuzz laced blues howl with a soulful vocal croon and ample distortion. Taking the heavy Aussie blues to the next level. On par with 'Child's latest monster just released on the same label.





7 FIRE DOWN BELOW - VIPER VIXEN GODDESS SAINT





I listened twice just like FDJ said and I was double drenched with super groovy, hard-hitting riffs backed by grunge-laced vocals and atmospheric psychedelics. Fire Down Below is hot in all the right places! I'll definitely be going in for third degree riff burns. Favorite track: The Mammoth.





6 WHITE NAILS - FIRST TRIP





White Nails take you on a groove induced ride chock full of hard rawk riffs, stoner glazed vocals, and bass heavy licks. Don't let First Trip be your last. This will have you tapping your toes daydreaming of nail polish. Favorite track: Silver linings.





5 THREE LEG DOG -RED SUN





I never pay this much for digital, but Three Leg Dog completely blew my mind with its stoner infused fuzzy blues soaking with psychedelic bliss. The price is high, but the bone chilling grooves are paramount. Its as if Black Cowgirl merged with Youngblood Supercult for world domination. Favorite track: Red Sun.





4 TURNIP - WINDOW KILLER





The Evil Engineer nailed it with this find. It's got a little bit of everything from heavy psychedelic swampy blues, to foot stomping southern country rock n roll. Has its vocals firmly 'Plant'ed in the Zeppelin school of swoonage. Killer compositions with an evocative Americana meets Texas stoner-rawk atmosphere.Favorite track: Never to Bleed.





3 FALL OF AN EMPIRE - CROWEATER: AN ECHO IN THE BONE





Bone breaking riffs echo with soothing solos and clean, powerful vocals. This is some seriously good heavy rock n roll! Bluesy, psychedelic, metallic, and loaded with rhythmic groove.





2 STONED COBRA - ARMED AND HAMMERED





The cobra is not only stoned with heavy grooves galore, but it is armed with metallic riffs and hammered with bluesy solos trembling like a hallucinogenic fantasy. This is rock and roll for the modern metal militia loaded with enough ammo to supplement the hard rock revolution upon us now.





1 MOUNTAIN DUST - NINE YEARS





Mountain Dust clouds the air with craggy blues swirling with evocative groove while it's surly vocal chops darken the ozone with plumes of wicked riffage. Demented solos, beefy distortion and spooky harmonic undercurrents give Nine Years a superb debut album rating! Favorite track: Dead Queen.





There you have it. Let us know what your favorite camp story was this year. Until next time well keep the bandcamp fire stoked with more killer finds right here at Buckys Bonanza.





-The Huntsman
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 Is there any way to predict how Trump judges will develop sentencing jurisprudence? | Main | So many states with so many interesting marijuana reform stories ... only partially covered at Marijuana Law, Policy and Reform 

The title of this post is the title of this timely and interesting new article authored by Robert Sanger now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:

Every trial lawyer who is handling a capital case in California or who has handled a capital case for which the decision of the California Supreme Court is not final on a pending habeas corpus petition, needs to be aware of certain specific duties and strategies required by The Death Penalty Reform and Savings Act of 2016, Proposition 66, enacted by the voters on November 8, 2016. The Act imposes new duties on capital trial counsel following a judgment of death, will require more prompt discharge of other duties and may even present an opportunity. While the article focuses on trial counsel, post-conviction counsel will need to be familiar with much of this same information to both effectively work with trial counsel, to seamlessly raise issues and, eventually, to evaluate trial counsels conduct.

Trial counsels new duties include the duty to proactively assert herself as counsel of record after judgment by objecting and engaging in strategies in the trial court in response to the Act. Trial counsel will have to advise her client during a difficult period and, when habeas counsel is appointed, work closely with that counsel to investigate and file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The duty to object, the duty to engage in strategies to protect the client and the duty to counsel the client must be commenced in the trial court by trial counsel as soon as there is a judgment of death. These duties will also extend to cases which may be transferred to the Superior Court by the California Supreme Court. In addition, immediately upon appointment of habeas counsel and throughout the entire course of the habeas proceedings, counsel will have a more urgent duty than she did pre-Act to be available and responsive to assist habeas counsel.

Objections must be made to the Act on statutory grounds as well as both California and United States Constitutional grounds. Some of the objections will be systemic and others will be case specific. There are reasons for the trial court, or, eventually, the higher courts, to find the Act inoperable, unconstitutional or otherwise to stay or delay the process. The Act is inoperable because it is not self-executing and because it is unfunded. The Act is unconstitutional because it violates the right to habeas corpus, interferes with the jurisdiction of the courts generally and specifically regarding capital cases, violates the separation of powers and the single subject rule and, if applied retroactively, violates the ex post facto clause. The Act also contributes to the overall unconstitutionality of the flawed capital punishment system in California.

Under the Act, trial counsel must also take specific action regarding the offer of counsel by the trial judge and the orders made pursuant to the offer. Strategically, delay in implementation of the offer and the orders pursuant thereto may be required to assure appointment of qualified counsel, to avoid the premature commencement of the habeas filing limitation and to allow trial counsel to prepare the files, materials and record necessary for habeas counsel to commence work. Trial counsel will have a duty to advise the client regarding the clients rights following the offer which will be critical in light of the trial judges apparent power to make a finding that the client has waived habeas counsel, potentially forever.

Finally, trial counsel will have to make critical decisions and will have an important role regarding any potential claims of actual innocence or ineligibility of the client for execution. For instance, trial counsel must decide with the client and habeas counsel what information will or will not be disclosed and what litigation strategy will be employed to resist waiver of privileges that purport to be compelled under the Act. Finally, if there are grounds for factual innocence or ineligibility for the sentence of death, trial counsel must work with habeas counsel in presenting them early enough to obtain additional time to file the initial petition, if appropriate.


At least in the case of California's electors, it won't be so simple to upend custom and cast votes for anyone but Hillary Clinton, who won the statewide majority in November's election. A federal judge Friday rejected a challenge filed by elector Vinz Koller who is one of a group of electors nationwide hoping for a last-ditch escape from a Trump presidency.

As the Associated Press reports, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Davila "did not find that Koller faced irreparable harm" by having to cast his vote for Clinton. Koller had hoped to vote for a compromise Republican candidate such as John Kasich or Mitt Romney.

An attorney for Koller, Melody Kramer, said she planned to file an appeal.

Meanwhile, the final, certified vote count for California has Hillary Clinton winning the state by 4.2 million votes.



Previously: California Senator Barbara Boxer Takes Ceremonial Stab At Abolishing The Electoral College
The acid in Santa Cruz is really bad right now, man. Either that or it's really, really good and it's making people so out of their minds that they're committing crimes and getting arrested, and in one case getting killed. Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials have put out a public warning about a spike in LSD use among local teens, as CBS 5 reports, but is it actually a spike in use or just that dosages are all wrong?

The latest incident involved a teenager who had to be hospitalized Wednesday after someone dosed her popsicle, or after she put liquid LSD on the popsicle herself.

Two days earlier, on Monday, a 29-year-old Watsonville man believed to be tripping on acid led CHP officers on a chase on Highway 17 after he drove into a construction zone. CHP officers told Bay City News that after they tried to pull over the man, who was identified as Marko Manojlovic, he "drove into a metal fence, got out of the car, jumped over the fence and fled on foot." Manojlovic then allegedly assaulted the two officers who caught up to him on foot, kicking on several times, and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading arrest, resisting arrest and battery of a police officer.

And these incidents happened several weeks after 15-year-old Luke Smith stabbed his father and uncle after taking LSD with a friend, just before 3 a.m. on November 19. In an ensuing standoff with Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputies in which Smith was allegedly threatening officers, a sheriff's deputy fatally shot Smith. As KSBW reports, Smith took a larger dose than his friend, and the friend had left to go home after Smith became angry on his trip. In confronting the officers, Smith was allegedly swinging a knife and refusing to put it down, even after being bitten by a K-9, and being hit with a dozen non-lethal 40mm foam rounds.

In attempting to talk Smith down, sheriff's deputy Chris Vigil could be heard on camera footage saying to Smith, "LSD is a tough thing, because it's hard to differentiate between what's real and what's not. Put the knife down, buddy." Vigil would be the one to shoot the single lethal shot from his AR15 rifle.

Four people were arrested one day later at a Santa Cruz home because they were believed to be the source of the acid that Smith took  one of whom was found unconscious in the home due to a suspected drug overdose.

Bradley Allen Hodge II, 24, Taylor Filson, 28, Thomas Negron, 20, and Nathaniel Trecaso, 28 are all facing charges that include felony manufacture of a controlled substance, and as the Mercury News reported, sheriff's investigators found methamphetamine, ecstacy, and an unknown substance, all packaged for sale, along with LSD in the home.

Negron could not be arraigned with the others because he was in custody in Georgia at the time on an unrelated charge of trafficking 10 pounds of marijuana. Trecaso remained hospitalized in a "semi-conscious" state days after the raid.

Per KSBW, Smith's sister Savannah posted a warning to friends on Facebook that said, "There is a bad batch of LSD circulating throughout the area. This batch of LSD made my brother extremely violent and ended with the police shooting him. Nothing could stop him from what he was doing, because he wasn't himself; this drug brought out some form of evil in him."

Friends and family all said that the violent incident was extremely out of character for Smith, who was an avid surfer and skater.

A toxicology report for Smith is still pending.

Previously: Santa Cruz Fraternity And Sorority Members Busted In MDMA Drug Ring
We learned last month that despite a high-profile funeral that drew many local dignitaries and media coverage, the late Rose Pak's remains still had not been interred despite her body being "paraded through the streets of the city en route to Cypress Lawn in Colma," as San Francisco Magazine discovered. The issue preventing her cremation and interment was a dispute over her estate being fought by Pak's two sisters, Theresa Pak Wang and Joanna Pak Kish, with Wang apparently trying to claim the entire $656,000 estate for herself, and serve as its administrator, and Kish also attempting be appointed administrator. The two have now agreed, as the Chronicle reports, to finally cremate Pak's remains and have Fremont Bank serve as administrator.

It appears also that Kish has dropped her pursuit of a possible malpractice suit against San Franciscos California Pacific Medical Center, where Pak was treated for kidney failure prior to her death. Kish had held up the cremation pending a possible private autopsy for this purpose.

The dispute was surprising to many who assumed that Pak did not have much money to leave behind, but court documents show that she owned property estimated to be worth $400,000, and personal assets of $256,000.

Since September 18, when she passed away, Pak's body has been in storage at Green Street Mortuary in North Beach, despite what Wang told SF Mag was a "phony" funeral procession to the cemetery in Colma.

Previously: Oh Dear God: Rose Pak's Body Was Never Buried And Is Still At A Mortuary As Family Feuds
You eat with your coworkers, spend early mornings and late nights together, celebrate, gossip even argue sometimes. If youre not family, youre basically roommates, right? And just like you wouldnt want to share space with someone who cranks death metal until 2 a.m. when youre a light sleeper, you dont want to work with people who arent on your wavelength eithernot if you can help it.

No one can give you a crystal ball to predict your future happiness at a particular company, and most employees you meet during the interview process will be on their best behavior, but there are some ways to get a sense of what the people, the work-life-balance and the day-to-day will be like at your new home away from home.

We spoke with career experts and hiring managers to find out some of the best questions you should ask during the interview process in order to get a sense of the work culture youll be walking into. Its the kind of research that could make the difference between lovingand loathingwhat you do from 9 to 5.

1. Does the company or job description sound like me?

This first question isnt one that you ask during the interview, but one you should ask yourself during your interview prep. As you do your research and find out as much about the company as possibleincluding reading employee reviewsread what the company has to say for itself, either on the companys website, or their company page on Kununu.

Check out the job description too. Some are written in a way that makes you say Yes, thats me!, but other times, you could read a job description and just not feel it. If youre a bonafide introvert and the description says Are you a dynamic go-getter who loves meeting hundreds of new people every day? you might want to skip that one. Dont just rely on your own instincts, though, says Doug Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics, a provider of employee feedback and performance improvement solutions based in Exton, Pennsylvania. Ask a friend or trusted partner, Does this describe me?

2. What do you like to do outside of work?

Youre going to be spending a lot of time with the people you end up working with, even outside of normal work hours, at conferences, celebrations, networking, etc. Getting a sense of what they do in their down-time could give you a sense of what theyre like while on the clock.

And remember: youre interviewing them as much as theyre interviewing you, so its OK to ask a few things about their likes and dislikes, and some of their habits. By seeing how people like to spend their free time, youll get a sense of whether youll be working with like-minded people or not.

For instance, if youre single and live in the city, but everyone you interview with is married with kids in the suburbs, you may quickly realize that you wont have a lot in common with your colleaguesand therefore might not find it easy to make work friends. On the other hand, if youre an avid cyclist and learn that your co-workers not only like to cycle, but theres a company team, that could add another plus to your list of pros and cons when deciding whether or not to take the job. And youd never know if you hadnt asked.

3. What are your favorite things about working here?

This question plays into peoples pride of their company, which can be strategic when interviewing. If someone can answer quickly with things they love, it shows theyve got genuine love for their job (or at least strong like).

Similarly, its actually a good idea to ask the opposite of this question, too: If you could change two things about the company, what topics would you tackle? recommends Leigh Steere, co-founder, Managing People Better in Boulder, Colorado.

But only ask this question if youve asked about that persons favorite aspects of working at the companythat way its a natural counterpart and not taken out of context.

4. Whats the busiest time of year like at the company?

You might have the urge to ask about when people typically leave work, or if people are always stressed out at the company, but if you ask those questions youre going to seem like you arent a hard worker. Instead, ask about the busiest time of year.

Use a phrase like, Tell me about your busiest times and how the team gets things done, says Marikaye DeTemple Kane, client relationship director at Come Recommended, a content marketing and digital PR consultancy for job search and human resources technologies, based in Alexandria, Virginia. This way, your interviewer can paint you a picture of how the company reacts when the workload gets heavier.

5. Do people usually dress like this?

Asking what people are allowed to wear to work can feel awkward, but you probably want to know the answer. A good strategy is to ask during the in-person interview, during the time (usually at the end) when the interviewer asks if you have any questions, if what the people are wearing that day in the office is typical.

Make it about them, not you, advises Adam Hatch, career advisor and hiring manager at Resume Genius, an online resource for resume writers.
125 YEARS AGO

Making news: Some professional shoplifters are taking advantage of the opportunity offered to get in their work at the stores, which now are crowded with holiday purchasers.  Miceal Johnson, in a cornfield near Lake Park, husked and cribbed 175 bushels of corn in one day.

Collecting clothes: A number of the ladies of Sioux City will be at the Fifth street skating rink Thursday to receive donations of childrens clothing and toys. At Christmastime, the gifts should provide merriment for those whose lives have fallen in rough places.

Wrong wife: An Estherville, Iowa, man got so drunk that he mistook a neighbors wife for his. As it luckily happened, her husband was away from home at the time. So says the Estherville Republican.

100 YEARS AGO

Baskets to border: Sioux City guardsmen on the Mexican border were presented with a Christmas box and a check for $100 by Davidson Bros. The big box contained 1,000 10-cent cigars, 450 packages of smoking tobacco, 150 plugs of chewing tobacco, 200 pounds of mixed nuts, 5,000 cigarettes, 250 one-pound boxes candy, 3 cartons of chewing gum and 3 individual boxes of cigars for the three officers.

Meal hike: Proprietors of a number of the smaller restaurants around the city, who have been serving meals for 15 cents, decided to boost the price by 5 cents a meal. The higher cost of food was given as the reason.

Hunting wolves: E. C. Holder and J. F. Holder, farmers living five miles southwest of Sergeant Bluff, started a campaign to rid the territory of wolves, who have been raising havoc with chickens and young pigs. They trapped a large wolf, claiming the $20 bounty at the courthouse. The hide measured over six feet from tip to tip and weighed between 50 to 75 pounds.

50 YEARS AGO

Teens nabbed: Sioux City Police Lt. Roy Montross of the youth bureau undertook a six-month investigation that involved 15 boys and 30 larcenies. The thefts involved more than $500 in cash taken by the boys, ranging in age from 14 to 17. The offenses included shoplifting and thefts from autos and filling stations, plus bicycles. The youths have been referred to the probation office and most probably will have Juvenile Court hearings.

In the news: Dennis Patrick McKenna, signalman seaman on the troop carrier the USS Mountrail, is home on leave visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Noel McKenna, 3070 Myrtle St. Suzanne Ericson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Ericson, 3210 Summit St., was elected queen of the Santa Lucia Festival at Augustana Lutheran Church.

Goodwill mittens: More than 800 children attended the annual Christmas Shoe Party at the Wall Street Mission/Goodwill Industries Saturday. All the children were fitted with shoes and stockings earlier this month, which were purchased through funds donated to the mission. The mittens were knitted by women throughout the country.

25 YEARS AGO

Making news: SPENCER, Iowa  A program Emu Farming  Beyond Exotic, will be presented Thursday at the Northgate Mall Shopping Center. Dr. Ronald Unser, pastor at St. James United Methodist Church, was awarded the East High School Spirit Award during an all-school assembly.

Dog auctioned: Jerry and Kathy Weiner of McCook Lake, paid $6,700 for Miss Kringels, a Chinese Shar-Pei, during the annual Little Yellow Dog auction to benefit the Mr. Goodfellow Fund. The money will buy toys for 6,000 needy Siouxland children.

Christmas dancing: Dancing honoring Mexican tradition, which included breaking a pinata filled with treats, were just a few of the activities at a Christmas party. A visit from Santa was a highlight. Sponsors included LaCasa Latina.

These items were published in The Journal Dec. 18-24, 1891, 1916, 1966 and 1991.
SIOUX CITY -- The Pastry Parlor, a popular vendor at the Sioux City Farmers Market, will now offer an assortment of fresh pastries, pies and other baked goods at The Grind Cafe & Lounge, 511 Fourth St.

Iris Hammer, owner of Pastry Parlor, had been looking for a downtown business to partner with and The Grind Cafe also was in search of a quality baked good vendor to supplement its beverage offerings.

The Grind Cafe will offer individual Pastry Parlor items for purchase and serve as a location where Pastry Parlor customers can easily pick up special orders. Orders may be phoned into the Pastry Parlor, 712-490-0184, or taken at The Grind Cafe.
SIOUX CITY | Dr. Bob Rice was commended for his dedication and loyalty to Northwest Area Education Agency (AEA) at the group's board meeting held in October.

Rice will be replaced by Ron Jorgensen, vice president for business and finance at Morningside College. Jorgensen served as a state legislator for the Iowa House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016. He also served as a board member and board president for the Sioux City Community School District from 2002 to 2008.
The blaster-wielding Princess Leia was just 19 years old when she began shooting Star Wars. Fans often forget that when actress Carrie Fisher was fighting her way out of imperial prisons and ordering the dashing 33-year-old Harrison Ford to jump, into the garbage chute, fly boy! she was still in her teens.

Something about Fishers no-nonsense leader of an intergalactic rebellion made the woman behind Leias iconic bun appear older than she was.

Fisher has a blunt, telling-it-like-it-is public persona; she has always been fierce in speaking her truth, even calling out the feminist critics of slave Leia as asinine.

Shes a prisoner of a giant testicle, who has a lot of saliva going on, Fisher once told The Times in an interview. She does not want to wear that thing and its ultimately that chain, which youre now indicating is some sort of accessory to S&M, that is used to kill the giant saliva testicle.

This is a woman who, as the daughter of one of Hollywoods mid-century tabloid couples  Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, who broke up his marriage for Elizabeth Taylor  has been a bit of an open book, writing about her prickly relationship with her mother in the book-to-movie Postcards From the Edge, being open about her mental-health issues and the solution shes found  radical-sounding electroshock therapy.

So imagine the publics surprise when Fisher cracked open the literal long-lost diaries from her time filming on the 1976 set of Star Wars to reveal a secret affair between the young starlet and her married costar, Ford. How did a movie phenomenon this large and a writer this candid manage to keep a secret like this for so many years?

The Princess Diarist, Fishers eighth book, is an unflinching, sometimes painful, sometimes hilarious look inside the mind of a 19-year-old actress in the throes of a Hollywood locationship.

Fisher offers up her unfiltered thoughts, poems and past missives, discovered while expanding her bedroom stored romantically beneath the floorboards, for the publics consumption. Sandwiched between hilarious recollections from the early days making Star Wars magic with the reserved George Lucas are the retyped passages straight from the actress personal diaries. No one gets a pass, most of all Fisher, who spends countless pages torturing herself for falling in love with a space pirate.

We could come to a full stop now if you think that would help, reads one short paragraph from Fishers diary. A short paragraph straight from Fishers journal says. Because like any other B-movie heroine, I cant go on like this. Can you understand? I dont want to hurt you any more than I want you to hurt me. Its now a question of surviving each others company instead of enjoying it.

Most of the book hinges around the fact that Fisher cant decipher whats going on inside the notoriously stoic Ford. She writes endearingly about one night at an English pub where the pair have come looking for a dark corner to practice scenes. Instead, Fisher spends the evening simply trying to make Ford laugh.

These passages read like a repressed high schooler with an astounding amount of self-awareness because, quite frankly, that is exactly what they are. Its invasive, juicy, sad, nostalgic and gripping all at once. Its as if youve knocked the lock off of your cooler older sisters journal and discovered shes been sleeping with the hottest boy in school this whole time.

The extreme earnestness of these private and very raw thoughts can be difficult to scan, but Fishers ability to self-analyze at such an early age balances the burning passion that exists only in the early days of ones romantic life.

Thankfully, The Princess Diarist doesnt get dirty. There are plenty of heated moments and flowery phrases that glaze over their nights together, but this isnt that kind of book. Its a tumbling look inside the mind of a young woman who is struggling to play it cool while dating a married man she prophetically knew would end up being the next big thing.

Having grown up around show business, I knew that there were stars and there were stars, Fisher wrote. Harrison was one of that epic superstar variety, and I wasnt. Was I bitter about this? Well  not so youd notice.

No doubt this book is a kind of wish fulfillment for copious Star Wars fanatics. Especially when its dotted with Fishers stories from sitting in the makeup chair, discovering Leias bun-look. But if youre searching for a story about the secrets of Elstree Studios in 1976 then, ahem, this isnt the book youre looking for. What Fisher has penned is a bold and deeply personal story from the lens of one of the few women on the Star Wars set.

Fisher explains why she waited so long time to reveal the three-month affair. Ive spent so many years not telling the story of Harrison and me having an affair on the first Star Wars movie that its difficult to know exactly how to tell it now. I suppose Im writing this because its 40 years later and whoever we were then  superficially at least  we no longer are now.

Fisher will always be Leia. Thats her very, very light cross to bear. But her personal stories are entirely her own, and they are much more raw and real than anything Lucas could have dreamed up.
CHICAGO | One day soon, a person sitting in Sioux City or Onawa or Okoboji will be able to grab a smartphone or a computer and program a light show on a two-block stretch of downtown Chicago.

The lights will be positioned under the elevated train tracks over Wabash Avenue, hence the name of the project: The Wabash Lights.

It's the brainchild of Jack Newell and Sioux City native Seth Unger, a 35-year-old who graduated from West High School 17 years ago. By day, Unger works for Herman Miller, a furniture manufacturer. In his off-time, he's manufacturing light and interest in a public art project to positively affect an area along Wabash Avenue that few see as a destination.

In effect, this effort will make the bottom of the elevated train tracks a canvass for users from around the world upon which to splash color, motion and energy, lighting up a busy Chicago thoroughfare in the process.

"Four years ago, Jack and I talked about the history of public art in Chicago," said Unger. "The genesis of The Wabash Lights talks was based on a desire to do art that's large-scale, impactful and inclusive. We wanted to include as many people as we could."

The duo has completed one Kickstarter project to share the effort with the public. A second Kickstarter project to gauge interest is about to come to a close.

"We see it happening in 2017," said Unger, who traveled home to see family members this week. "We hope to align with and have Wabash Lights going as 2017 is the 'Year of Public Art' in Chicago. We have grand plans to get it open by September."

According to Unger, once tens of thousands of LED lights are hung on the under-carriage of the tracks, an app to program a light show will go live. That app will be offered to members of the public throughout the world. The thinking is that someone halfway around the globe will be able to reserve a block of time and then program a light display for that period.

Or, one can simply enjoy the shows of others while walking or driving beneath the tracks on Wabash Avenue, a tract Unger described as "loud and a little gritty."

"Wabash is a people's corridor as hundreds of thousands come through the loop here," he said. "It was once the glorious, innovative hub of downtown, but has kind of fallen by the wayside as Michigan Avenue and State Street have become more well known and well traversed. We'd like to give Wabash back to the people and bring attention to it."

Lights and individual pixels have been sold, naming rights attached. The Wabash Lights crew continues to reach out to the public and to businesses for corporate participation in an endeavor whose price tag runs into seven figures.

Currently, The Wabash Lights organization has a 12-foot test site on Wabash Avenue between Monroe and Adams streets, one block west of Millennium Park and the Art Institute.

Unger said they hope the project results in more exposure and appreciation for Chicago's elevated train system, and for Chicago's dynamic downtown area. He also believes that a public art effort like this may make the Wabash Avenue area safer at night.

"We hope The Wabash Lights not only become a destination for visitors, but also a bridge to connect visitors to downtown Chicago," he said, noting the effort represents the largest piece of public art in Chicago's history.

Once the project is realized, Unger indicated it may take six months before remote users program a light show. That time period will allow Unger and Newell and their associates to work out any bugs the system may contain, initially.

"After six months, our plan is to allow anyone to get under the hood and submit their program to us," he said. "And then you'd schedule that design to go live at some time."

To view the bottom of an elevated train as a surface for art is another outcome for this public project. It celebrates both the history and ingenuity of "The Windy City."

"Some things you take for granted until they are pointed out," said Unger, the son of Michael and Susan Unger. "This is beautiful. It's iconic to the City of Chicago. It's also something residents and tourists take for granted."
SIOUX CITY | Scattered among the gold curly tinsel and shiny red beads on Merlyne Smith's Christmas tree are laser-cut brass ornaments depicting past U.S. presidents and all the pomp and circumstance associated with living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

In 1981, Smith's late-mother, Jacqueline Smith, ordered her first Christmas ornament, a brass angel in flight, from the White House Historical Association's catalog.

Each year for more than 20 years, the Sioux City woman eagerly awaited the arrival of an original Christmas ornament packaged in a small colored box. Tucked inside the box with the ornament was a card detailing its subject's historical significance.

"They were always on the tree," Smith said admiring the ornaments as an orchestra rendition of "Ring Christmas Bells" played on a stereo. "She would read each story and really enjoy the story as much as the ornament."

Jacqueline Smith had a number of collections, including around 40 glass Christmas trees in various colors and sizes. Smith said her mother's assembly of White House Historical Association ornaments is the only one of the collections that she's kept perfectly intact since her mother passed away in 2013.

"I was able to help and be a part of it, but it wasn't my interest. It was hers," she said.

Back in the 1980s, Smith said her parents were active in a committee that sought to address public accessibility problems, such as a lack of curb cuts, for people with disabilities. Her father, who was disabled, got around with the aid of crutches and later a wheelchair.

"They were part of a state organization and then received some national honors. She was able to go to the White House and take the tour at that time, and that's when her interest began," Smith said of her mother.

A dove of peace, which hangs near the angel, was issued in 1982 in honor of President George Washington. The ornament, now a bit tarnished with age, is a replica of the dove of peace weather vane that Washington commissioned for his Mount Vernon home. As the years went on, the ornaments, which are always placed on a Christmas tree at the White House, became more detailed and included a touch of color.

The 1987 ornament depicts the sandstone portal and double mahogany doors of the White House decorated for Christmas with evergreen wreaths and red poinsettias. The ornament commemorates the presidency of John Quincy Adams. The doorway's stone carvings show one of his favorite motifs -- oak leaves and acorns.

A number of the ornaments feature different areas of the White House.

 The snowy south facade of the White House at sunset is surrounded by a ring of gold and shiny snowflakes in the 2009 ornament.

 The glow of the White House's first Christmas tree to be lit by electric lights during Grover Cleveland's presidency can be seen through the windows of the second floor Oval Room. The back of the ornament depicts one of the Cleveland family's tree-trimming parties.

 President Abraham Lincoln is seated in an upholstered red chair with his chin resting in his hand in the 1999 ornament, which opens like a book.

 Cleveland makes another appearance in the 2007 ornament, which features a painting of his wedding to Francis Folsom.

Smith said her mother didn't have a favorite ornament, but she fancies the 2001 ornament, a 3D replica of the horse-drawn carriage used by President Andrew Johnson.

"They're so unique and so different," she said. "It shows how far they've come."

The 2016 White House Christmas ornament is an old-fashioned red fire engine inspired by the fire trucks that responded to the 1929 Christmas Eve fire at the White House and the toy engines given to children by President Herbert Hoover's family.
Earlier this month I had the privilege of traveling to Australia and New Zealand with my friend, Emmy Hewitt, and her daughter, Kathryn. After spending 17 hours in the air, somewhere along the way we lost Tuesday and went directly to Wednesday.

The first city we visited was Perth, Australia, a gorgeous, modern city built along the Swan River. Perth is a clean, wealthy city as they mine a variety of minerals such as aluminum, copper, gold, iron, mineral sands, zinc and coal, spinning off many businesses, including mining services, equipment and technology.

As we took a boat tour of the Swan River, I saw my first black swan in the wild, swimming along. (I did not take a picture because I was certain I would see more. Wrong.) The tour included going to Free Mantel, a port city where the Swan River flows into the Pacific Ocean. It was interesting to learn that Australia exports cattle to the Suez; a ship built for cattle was in the process of loading as we stopped at the port to allow passengers on and off.

While in Perth we visited a zoo, a winery and a chocolate factory. Driving from the zoo to the winery was the only time we saw a mob of kangaroos. Maybe that is because we flew from one city to the other due to the vast amount of bush between areas of population.

Going to Ayres Rock is similar to visiting the Grand Canyon. Both are spectacular and tourists come from all over by the busloads to visit and see Mother Natures finest work. While people are visiting Ayres Rock, Aborigines come with their artwork (which was not to my taste or understanding) for sale. Some of the land around the rock is sacred, the tour guides are respectful of what is sacred and important to the Aborigines.

From there we flew to Cairns, from where we took a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. One of the first days we were in Australia we learned two American tourists had died while snorkeling at the reef; a few days later a third American died while snorkeling. We asked an Australian what the causes of death were and he said he did not believe they were wearing wet suits and were stung by jelly fish.

We decided not to snorkel, but to take a glass-bottom boat tour instead. (In reality, what we saw did not meet my expectations of the beauty and species of fish we would view.)

Next stop was Sydney. Again, we took a boat tour of the port city, including some of its naval base. Along the shore we saw multi-million-dollar homes and beaches. Some of the beaches were nude beaches. (No, we did not get close enough to see anybody.)

Wanting to experience the Sydney Opera House, we attended a symphony concert that included a cast of American vocalists performing "Porgy and Bess." Besides the multiple concerts inside the venue, there were free concerts outside the opera house. Seeing so many people enjoying a variety of music was exciting, making me a little jealous we do not do more of that kind of activity in downtown Sioux City.

Melbourne was our last Australian city, where a friend and many relatives on both sides of my family live. Fortunately, we had the opportunity to see some of my dads first cousins who I had not seen for about 18 years. Also, we spent some time with former Sioux Cityan Bobby Galinsky, a brother to Andy Galinsky of Sioux City Foundry.

New Zealand is absolutely beautiful. We started our visit at Christ Church (we did not see damage from the Nov. 14, 7.8-magnitude earthquake 70 miles to the east). From Christ Church we drove to Omarama, I did the driving (Kathryn was not happy with my driving, she claimed I scared her because I was too close to the shoulder of the highway). The scenery was breathtaking, it was worth the drive. Our drive included traveling through and around mountains; the streams and bodies of water we saw were crystal clear as they flowed down the mountains. We saw pastures full of sheep, cattle and red deer.

Next we drove to Queenstown, a city with, again, breathtaking views. From my hotel room I could lay in bed and look at the mountains and their reflection in the lake below.

While we were in Queenstown we took a tour to Milford Sound where we went through the Southern Alps Fjord out to the Tasman Sea. What beautiful sights. The mountains with snow on top and the waterfalls were absolutely gorgeous. Along the way we saw seal pups laying on the rocks sunning themselves.

Visiting the two countries was something I have wanted to do for many years. Both places are beautiful in their own unique ways. The capital cities of Australia had old European charm as well as today's modern skyscrapers. New Zealand is picturesque, like opening a storybook. The beauty is breathtaking.

Next week: Al Sturgeon

Charese Yanney of Sioux City is owner and managing partner of Guarantee Roofing, Siding and Insulation Co. She serves on the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission, the Iowa Economic Development Authority Vision Iowa board, the Missouri River Historical Development board and the Siouxland Initiative Executive Committee.
Daniel Alvarado named December Rotary Student of the Month

SIOUX CITY | Bishop Heelan Catholic High School senior Daniel Valentine Alvarado was named the December 2016 Rotary Club Student of the Month.

Alvarado was honored during a rotary club meeting at the Sioux City Convention Center on Dec. 12.

Alvarado has been a gold honor roll recipient for six semesters. He's a member of the National Honor Society, National Hispanic Scholar Nominee, Student Council and the Bishop Heelan cross country team.

When he isn't participating in the debate team or acting as the vice president of the coding club, Alvarado volunteers at the Sioux City soup kitchen, art museum and STARS Adaptive Rider School.

He is the son of Sarah Alvarado of Sioux City.

Scouts earn gold medal of achievement

SIOUX CITY | Andrew Rosener, Elijah Stocking and Rod Uhl received their gold medal of achievement of the Royal Rangers Ministry program at a ceremony at Morningside Assembly of God Church on Nov. 6.

An engraved buck knife was given by the church. A reception in their honor followed the ceremony.

Andrew is the son of Mark and Carrie Rosener, Elijah is the son of Bryan and Carol Stocking and Rod is the son of Steve and Donna Uhl.

This award is the highest award earned by a Royal Ranger in middle and high school.

Morningside students to compete for theater scholarship

SIOUX CITY | Two Morningside College students have been selected to participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival's annual Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship competition.

Brock Bourek of Columbus, Nebraska, and Jaden Lux of Cherokee, Iowa, were nominated after a theater festival representatives saw their performances at Morningside's recent production of "True West."

The will compete in January at the regional festival in Des Moines against other selected college students from around the Midwest. They will compete separately for a $500 scholarship and the change to to the the national scholarship competition in Washington, D.C., where the top award is $5,000.
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WASHINGTON -- In making what is likely to be the most consequential decision of this transition period, Donald Trump couldn't resist petty vindictiveness.

Mitt Romney was briefly touted as the front-runner to become secretary of state. After meeting with Trump over a meal, he pronounced himself "very impressed" by the man he had described as "a phony, a fraud" during the campaign.

Trump did not accept this graciously. Citing a Trump friend, The Washington Post reported that the president-elect "enjoyed watching his dinner partner appear to grovel for the post."

Memo to Trump's Republican critics: Your initial instincts about Trump were right. Remember that catering to this man will bring only pain and humiliation.

Memo to those claiming that everyone should give Trump a chance now that the people have spoken: Actually, "the people" didn't make Trump president. They preferred Hillary Clinton by at least 2.8 million votes. If Trump takes office, it's the Electoral College system that will do it. And the post-election Trump has been as abusive and self-involved as he was during the campaign. The opposition's job is to stand up and prevent or mitigate the damage he could do to our country.

Memo to the Electoral College that votes Monday: Our tradition -- for good reason -- tells you that your job is to ratify the state-by-state outcome of the election. The question is whether Trump, Vladimir Putin and, perhaps, Clinton's popular-vote advantage give you sufficient reason to blow up the system.

I don't raise this lightly. The costs of breaking with 188 years of tradition would be very high. Alexander Hamilton's Federalist 68 explaining the Electoral College is widely cited by those who want electors to stage an anti-Trump revolt. But we shouldn't pretend that the Electoral College as described by Hamilton bears any resemblance to the system we have used since the 1828 election, when statewide election of its members became almost universal.

Yet defenders of the Electoral College cannot claim that following the state results is an explicit "constitutional" obligation. The Constitution makes no mention of popular election of electors, leaving the manner of their selection to the states. It's worth asking why the national popular vote should be seen as meaningless while the state-by-state popular vote should be regarded as sacred.

The best response is that, as the National Conference of State Legislatures reports, 29 states and the District of Columbia have statutes that try to bind electors to their voters' preference. But these cover only 15 of the 30 states Trump carried (plus an elector from Maine), and the popular vote shows that turning on Trump would not be a rejection of the public will.

Moreover, one passage from Federalist 68 seems eerily relevant to the present circumstance. Hamilton wrote that the electors could be a barrier against "the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils." Hamilton asked: "How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union?"

The CIA's finding that Russia actively intervened in our election to make Trump president is an excellent reason for the electors to consider whether they should exercise their independent power. At the very least, they should be briefed on what the CIA knows, and in particular on whether there is any evidence that Trump or his lieutenants were engaged with Russia during the campaign.

It's not irrelevant that Trump himself said last July of Clinton's emails: "Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing." By publicly inviting a foreign power to intervene in our election, Trump put himself ahead of the nation's interest in holding an election that would be untainted by foreign meddling. It is one of many reasons why conscientious electors might decide that Trump is unfit to be president and may even be a danger to the country.

It will be entirely understandable if 270 or more of the electors pledged to Trump decide they are agents of their state's voters, not independent actors. They can argue, fairly, that rejecting Trump would threaten the stability of our institutions. But the threat Trump himself presents to those institutions is why electors need to think hard before they make this decision.

And if Trump prevails, as expected, this is also why vigilance rather than acquiescence is the primary duty of those unwilling to forget everything we believed about him before Nov. 8. He's done nothing to change our minds. Just ask Mitt Romney.
WASHINGTON -- Political mildness is scarce nowadays, so it has been pleasantly surprising that post-election denunciations of the Electoral College have been tepid. This, even though the winner of the presidential election lost the popular vote by perhaps 2.8 million votes, more than five times the 537,179 votes by which Al Gore outpolled George W. Bush in 2000.

In California, where Democrats effortlessly harvest 55 electoral votes (more than one-fifth of 270), this year's presidential winner was never in doubt. There was no gubernatorial election to excite voters. And thanks to a "reform," whereby the top two finishers in a multi-party primary face off in the general election, the contest for the U.S. Senate seat was between two Democrats representing faintly variant flavors of liberalism. These factors depressed turnout in the state with one-eighth of the nation's population. If there had been more excitement, increased turnout in this heavily Democratic state might have pushed Hillary Clinton's nationwide popular vote margin over 3 million. And this still would not really matter.

Political hypochondriacs say, with more indignation than precision, that the nation's 58th presidential election was the fifth in which the winner lost the popular vote. In 1824, however, before the emergence of the party system, none of the four candidates received a majority of the electoral votes, and the House of Representatives chose John Quincy Adams even though Andrew Jackson won more popular votes -- 38,149 more, although only about 350,000 of the approximately 4 million white males eligible to vote did so. All four candidates had been together on the ballots in only six of the 24 states, and another six states, including the most populous, New York, had no elections -- their legislatures picked the presidential electors.

In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes won the electoral vote even though Samuel J. Tilden won 254,694 more of the 8,411,618 popular votes cast. (With 51 percent, Tilden is the only presidential loser to win a majority of the popular vote.) In 1888, Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote 233-168 even though President Grover Cleveland won the popular vote by 89,293 out of 11,395,083 votes cast. In both years, however, exuberant fraud on both sides probably involved more votes than the victory margins.

So, two of the five 21st-century elections (2000 and 2016) are the only clear and pertinent instances, since the emergence of the party system in 1828, of the winner of the popular vote losing the presidency. Two is 40 percent of five elections, which scandalizes only those who make a fetish of simpleminded majoritarianism.

Those who demand direct popular election of the president should be advised that this is what we have -- in 51 jurisdictions (the states and the District of Columbia). And the electoral vote system quarantines electoral disputes. Imagine the 1960 election under direct popular election: John Kennedy's popular vote margin over Richard Nixon was just 118,574. If all 68,838,219 popular votes had been poured into a single national bucket, there would have been powerful incentives to challenge the results in many of the nation's 170,000 precincts.

Far from being an unchanged anachronism, frozen like a fly in 18th-century amber, the Electoral College has evolved, shaping and shaped by the party system. American majorities are not spontaneous growths, like dandelions. They are built by a two-party system that assembles them in accordance with the Electoral College's distribution incentive for geographical breadth in a coalition of states. So, the Electoral College shapes the character of majorities by helping to generate those that are neither geographically nor ideologically narrow, and that depict, more than the popular vote does, national decisiveness. In 1912, Woodrow Wilson won just 41.8 percent of the popular vote but conducted a strong presidency based on 81.9 percent of the electoral votes. Eighty years later, Bill Clinton won 43 percent of the popular vote but 68.8 percent of the electoral votes. In 2008, Barack Obama won 52.9 percent of the popular vote but 67.8 percent of the electoral vote.

The 48 elections since 1824 have produced 18 presidents that received less than 50 percent of the popular vote. The greatest of them, Abraham Lincoln, received 39.9 percent in 1860. So, on Monday, when the electors cast their votes in their respective states, actually making Donald Trump the president-elect, remember: Do not blame the excellent electoral vote system for the 2016 choice that was the result of other, and seriously defective, aspects of America's political process.
Appalling an act as the vast majority of Americans, including us, find it, desecration of the U.S. flag is free expression protected by the Constitution. Two decisions - Texas vs. Johnson in 1989 and U.S. vs. Eichmann in 1990 - established as much.

Burning the flag is in the news again because President-elect Donald Trump recently said (in a tweet, of course) those who burn the flag should face jail or loss of citizenship.

"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag ...," said Trump.

First, let us be clear. We take a back seat to no one in our respect for and honor of the flag. However, we embrace similar respect for and honor of the Constitution and the freedoms it affords all of us, including the freedom to engage in speech most Americans find repugnant (flag burning or the vile actions of Westboro Baptist Church military funeral protesters, for examples). Our flag is, in fact, a symbol of our freedoms.

Late, brilliant Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia framed this issue well in a 2012 interview.

"If I were king, I would not allow people to go around burning the American flag. However, we have a First Amendment, which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged -- and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government," he said. "That was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress."

In the 5-4 1989 decision in Texas vs. Johnson in which prohibitions on desecration of the flag were invalidated, Justice Anthony Kennedy (who was joined in the majority opinion by Scalia and Justices William Brennan, Harry Blackmun and Thurgood Marshall) wrote: Though symbols often are what we ourselves make of them, the flag is constant in expressing beliefs Americans share, beliefs in law and peace and that freedom which sustains the human spirit. The case here today forces recognition of the costs to which those beliefs commit us. It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt."

To criminalize burning of the flag would require a constitutional amendment. As to the idea of such an amendment, we say this: All Americans should approach any proposal to diminish free speech slowly, carefully and with the deepest of reservations.

"No act of speech is so obnoxious that it merits tampering with our First Amendment," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wrote in a 2006 op-ed for the Central Kentucky News. "Our Constitution, and our country, is stronger than that. Ultimately, people like that pose little harm to our country. But tinkering with our First Amendment might."

Well said, senator.
DES MOINES | The shape of Iowas next gubernatorial election was redrawn with the news that Gov. Terry Branstad will resign at some point next year to become the next U.S. ambassador to China.

The mid-term exit of the nations longest-serving governor means his lieutenant governor of the past six years, Kim Reynolds, gets a two-year tryout as governor ahead of the 2018 election.

Branstads exit also gives the next gubernatorial election more clarity for Democrats, who will be trying to win back the governors office for the first time since they held it for three terms from 1999 through 2010.

There will be much at stake for Iowa Democrats when the states voters choose their next governor in 2018.

Iowa Democrats are coming off consecutive elections  in 2014 and 2016  in which they suffered significant defeats. The 2018 election will be their first opportunity to right the ship, and the governors race will stand alone atop the ticket because there are no U.S. Senate or presidential races.

It also will be Iowa Democrats first opportunity to break up the Republicans trifecta of state power: For the next two years, the GOP controls the states lawmaking agenda with a Republican as governor and GOP majorities in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House.

For all those reasons, Iowa Democrats are in need of a victory in the 2018 governors race.

Obviously, with the shellacking that has occurred with Iowa Democrats the last couple cycles, the party needs to do quite a bit of soul-searching. And on paper, were still a purple (politically divided) state in some ways, said Grant Woodard, a former Democratic political operative who worked on Jack Hatchs unsuccessful 2014 gubernatorial campaign. I think (2018) is going to be an immensely important year and really a time for leaders to step up in the party, whoever they may be.

At least a half-dozen Democrats are commonly mentioned by political observers and party insiders as potential candidates for governor. They include current and former state legislators such as Liz Mathis, Rob Hogg, Jeff Danielson, Mike Gronstal and Steve Sodders and outgoing state party chairwoman Andy McGuire.

The list of names of potential candidates surely will grow in the coming months.

Whomever wins the June 2018 Democratic primary will carry with him or her the partys hopes in a crucial election.

I think theres no question that this is going to be a critically important election for Democrats, said Brad Anderson, who was the partys candidate for Iowa Secretary of State in 2014 and led President Barack Obamas 2012 re-election campaign in Iowa.

Anderson said he is optimistic about Democrats chances because the first non-presidential election in a new presidents first term historically favors the party out of power  Democrats, in this case.

We need to make sure we take advantage of that opportunity, Anderson said. So I think the question is if (2018) does set itself up to be a change election, if a majority of voters nationally and in Iowa think that the Republican rule is heading in the wrong direction policy-wise, the thing that we need to do most is figure out and articulate exactly what kind of change we have to offer. This is something we struggled with in this last election and in many of the Obama years, is articulating in a compelling way what we want to do when we get control.

Multiple party activists and insiders spoke of a need for a candidate who can articulate to voters the Democratic Partys vision.

Bret Nilles, chairman of the Linn County Democratic Party, said he thinks a candidate should have strong name recognition and be someone who is able to really articulate what the Democratic Party stands for, not so much on the extreme ends, but more of the core values of Democrats and what that means to urban counties, what that means to rural counties, what it means to lower-income people and what it means to middle-income people.

I think that message has gotten lost in the last few elections."

Multiple Democrats also said the partys candidate must be able to raise a significant amount of money. Unlike 2010 and 2014, there will be no U.S. Senate or presidential races to assist the gubernatorial candidate in 2018. The candidates for governor will set the tone, and although national political groups may get involved, the candidates largely will be on their own to raise money.

I think thats the first thing people need to have, because running for governor is an incredibly expensive ordeal, Woodard said. Running for governor is not glamorous. Its just you and that phone, trying to drum up resources to run that race.

Anderson said the Democratic candidate must be fully motivated to run  not just because he or she was asked to  and must be able to motivate voters. He said the recent elections have shown Democratic voters need to be inspired to turn out.

Its been interesting watching these elections, especially the midterms, over the last decade or so, and one thing has been clear ... Democrats need to be inspired more than Republicans to vote, Anderson said. We tend to get really passionate about elections and turn out if we are inspired, whereas Republicans will vote regardless. They just vote. Our party needs a little dose of inspiration to nudge us to the voting booth, and its really important for our candidate to figure that out. ...

If there isnt that intangible, inspiring effect, we just see low turnout, and we cant afford to have that in 2018.

Based on public comments and interviews with Iowa Democratic activists and insiders, here are some potential candidates for governor in 2018 for the party:

Liz Mathis

The state senator from Cedar Rapids just won re-election to a third four-year term, which means she would not have to resign her seat to run for governor. Mathis just survived a heavy campaign by Republicans to defeat her; she was one of the few Senate Democrats to survive such an effort. A television reporter prior to serving in the Iowa Senate, Mathis is well-known in eastern Iowa. More recently, she has been one of the Statehouse Democrats leading voices expressing concern with the Branstad administrations move to shift management of the states $5 billion Medicaid program to three private health-care companies.

Rob Hogg

Another state senator from Cedar Rapids, Hogg is halfway through his third term. While seen as a rising star in the state party, Hogg would have to run for governor and not for re-election to the Iowa Senate. And he was just elected minority leader of the Iowa Senate Democrats, so he may choose to remain in and focus on that new role. But Democrats noted Hogg was very well received by party activists during his unsuccessful run in the U.S. Senate Democratic primary race this year.

Jeff Danielson

The state senator from Cedar Falls just won re-election to a fourth term, also surviving a challenge during what was a dismal year for Senate Democrats. Danielson is known for being a moderate Democrat and has considered running for governor in the past.

Todd Prichard

Prichard is a relative newcomer; he was just re-elected to his third two-year term in the Iowa House. But multiple Democrats spoke of Prichard as a potential candidate and said one strength would be his background as a state legislator from rural Iowa. Prichard is from Charles City in northern Iowa.

Andy McGuire

It has been widely believed that McGuire would, after serving her term as state party chairwoman, run for governor in 2018. McGuire has extensive experience in health care, having served as a doctor, medical researcher and executive. She was the running mate to gubernatorial candidate Mike Blouin in the 2006 Democratic primary.

Richard Leopold

Leopold is director of the Polk County Conservation Board and was director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from 2007 to 2010 under Gov. Chet Culver. He also has served in a variety of posts with various environmental and conservation groups. Multiple Democrats said Leopold is exploring a run.

Mike Gronstal

For years, Gronstal  as majority leader of the Iowa Senate  was the firewall that stopped legislation favored only by Republicans from becoming law. Might Gronstal, who lost his re-election bid in the November wave that gave Republicans control of the Iowa Senate, seek to become that firewall again, only as governor? He has considered it in the past. Gronstal also is running to succeed McGuire as state party chair.

Tom Vilsack

The popular former two-term Iowa governor is completing eight years as U.S. ag secretary and insists he will return to Iowa with more to give politically. But he also insists he will not run for elected office, and almost every Democrat asked says they believe him. If Vilsack would change his mind and decide to run, it would be a dream come true for most Iowa Democrats.
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Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, and markets biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, neuroscience, and covid-19 diseases. The company's products include Revlimid, an oral immunomodulatory drug for the treatment of multiple myeloma; Eliquis, an oral inhibitor for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in NVAF, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for anti-cancer indications; Pomalyst/Imnovid indicated for patients with multiple myeloma; and Orencia for adult patients with active RA and psoriatic arthritis. It also provides Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia; Yervoy for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma; Abraxane, a protein-bound chemotherapy product; Reblozyl for the treatment of anemia in adult patients with beta thalassemia; and Empliciti for the treatment of multiple myeloma. In addition, the company offers Zeposia to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis; Breyanzi, a CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma; Inrebic, an oral kinase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult patients with myelofibrosis; and Onureg for the treatment of adult patients with AML. It sells products to wholesalers, distributors, pharmacies, retailers, hospitals, clinics, and government agencies. The company was formerly known as Bristol-Myers Company. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. The company offers general purpose servers for multi-workload computing and workload-optimized servers; HPE ProLiant rack and tower servers; HPE BladeSystem and HPE Synergy; and solutions for secondary workloads and traditional tape, storage networking, and disk products, such as HPE Modular Storage Arrays and HPE XP. It also offers HPE Apollo and Cray products; and HPE Superdome Flex, HPE Nonstop, HPE Integrity, and HPE Edgeline products. In addition, the company provides HPE Aruba product portfolio that includes wired and wireless local area network hardware products, such as Wi-Fi access points, switches, routers, and sensors; HPE Aruba software and services comprising cloud-based management, network management, network access control, analytics and assurance, and location; and professional and support services, as well as as-a-service and consumption models for the intelligent edge portfolio of products. Further, it offers various leasing, financing, IT consumption, and utility programs and asset management services for customers to facilitate technology deployment models and the acquisition of complete IT solutions, including hardware, software, and services from Hewlett Packard Enterprise and others. Additionally, the company invests in communications and media solutions. It has a partnership with Striim, Inc. to offer high performance and mission-critical solutions with real-time analytics. It serves commercial and large enterprise groups, such as business and public sector enterprises; and through various partners comprising resellers, distribution partners, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors, systems integrators, and advisory firms. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
PIKESVILLE, Md. (Dec. 18, 2016)Updated information regarding Maryland State Police response to traffic crashes resulting from yesterday's weather indicates troopers responded to more than 370 crashes across the state, most of which were minor, or did not involve personal injury.



From midnight Friday, December 16th until midnight yesterday, Maryland state troopers responded to 377 traffic crashes. Of those, 56 involved personal injury, 131 involved disabling damage to one or more vehicles and 190 were crashes in which the vehicles involved sustained only minor damage and could be driven from the scene. During the period, troopers provided assistance to 95 disabled vehicles and stranded motorists.



The largest crash Maryland State Police responded to occurred about 5:30 a.m. yesterday, when 15 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction crash on the inner loop of I-695 at Rt. 702. The crash occurred when drivers lost control of their vehicles because of black ice in the area. Nine people were transported to Franklin Square Hospital and Bayview Hospital, although no injuries were reported to be serious. The crash required portions of I-695 to remain closed for six hours.



Troopers from the College Park and Forestville barracks in Prince George's County responded to a combined 60 crashes yesterday. Frederick Barrack troopers handled 33 crashes, while troopers from the Golden Ring Barrack in Baltimore County dealt with 34 crashes. Troopers at the Hagerstown Barrack responded to 23 crashes and troopers from the Salisbury and Berlin barracks handled 27 and 24 crashes respectively.
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.




Senator John Glenn's Memorial Service. NASA

NASA Television covered The Ohio State Universitys public celebration of John Glenns life on Dec. 17, at the universitys Mershon Auditorium. The former NASA astronaut and U.S. Senator passed away Dec. 8 at the age of 95. Glenn, a decorated U.S. marine, was the first American to orbit Earth and, much later in life, became the oldest person to travel to space.

Glenn was a longtime supporter of Ohio State and its students. He was a University Honors Distinguished Fellow, chaired the colleges board of directors, and was an adjunct professor in both the Department of Political Science and the School of Public Policy and Management.

Memorial Service Highlights



Full Memorial Service


Oran (Algeria), Dec 17, 2016 (SPS)  Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ramtane Lamamra urged, Saturday in Oran, the African Union to get "fully involved" in the effort for the resolution of the Western Sahara conflict.

In his opening address of the 4th High-Level Seminar on Peace and Security in Africa, Lamamra said that "the AU, whose position and unrelenting action for the respect of the legitimate rights of Sahrawi people is an honour for its Member States, should get fully involved in this effort and in all the resolution process of the conflict."

Lamamra considered it "incomprehensible" that the UN, which coordinates with the AU on all peace and security issues in Africa, was not strict about the decolonization of Western Sahara.

"The conflict resolution process is once again at a standstill for nearly ten years, while the Sahrawi people are waiting, for decades under the occupation and in tents in exile, to exercise their right to self-determination," he added.

The Foreign minister also deplored the fact that "the efforts for the resolution of conflicts are often undermined by some parties that want to impose their point of view and their own interests to the detriment of a balanced approach, based on the respect for international law and the interests of all the stakeholders." (SPS)

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Debriefing The President: The Interrogation Of Saddam Hussein, by John Nixon, is published on December 29

In the course of interrogations, Saddam 'turned our assumptions upside down'



I had been up for 27 hours and was flat-out exhausted, but the news sent jolts of adrenaline through me like Id never experienced before. A Special Forces team hunting the man we called High Value Target No 1 had pulled someone from a hole in the ground. He answered the description.



And my bosses at the CIA were grilling me, the expert.

Could this burly, unkempt man truly be Saddam Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq? The most wanted man in the world?

Scroll down for video



+5 Could this burly, unkempt man truly be Saddam Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq? The most wanted man in the world?

It was December 13, 2003, and Id been in Iraq for eight weeks  a CIA analyst looking for leads that might take us to Saddam and his notorious henchmen. That was when I was called to see Buzzy Krongard, the CIAs executive director.

The war to topple the regime had been going for nearly nine months, yet when it came to Saddam, all wed turned up were Elvis sightings, as we called them. Until, that is, troops searching a farm near Saddams home village of Tikrit found a large bearded man concealed in a tiny underground bunker.

Now a group of senior officers were quizzing me in Krongards office; how, they asked, would I make a definitive identification? I told them about the tribal tattoos on Saddams right hand and wrist, the bullet scar on his left leg and that his lower lip tended to droop to one side, something I picked up from studying videotapes.

Krongard interrupted me: We need to make sure this is Saddam and not one of those body doubles.

The myth  and it was a myth  that Saddam maintained multiple lookalikes was a source of wry amusement to those of us who worked in intelligence, but I decided silence was the better part of valour and started compiling a list of questions only the dictator could answer.

The military was flying the putative Saddam to Baghdad airport that night and it was decided wed make the identification there.



+5 In late 2007, I was summoned to give a detailed presentation to George W. Bush at the Oval Office. What kind of a man had Saddam been, he asked me?

At midnight, after a long wait, the convoy was ready. Men in night-vision goggles drove us at 100mph down the Airport Road, a no-go zone at night. At the airport, a side road led to a series of low-slung blockhouses that once housed Saddams Special Republican Guard. Inside, I found pandemonium and another wait until finally a GI said, OK, guys. Youre up.

Suddenly the door opened and I immediately found myself sucking in air. There he was, sitting on a metal folding chair, wearing a white dishdasha robe and blue quilted windbreaker.

There was no denying that the man had charisma. He was big  6ft 1in  and thickly built. Even as a prisoner who was certain to be executed, he exuded an air of importance.



+5 Author John Nixon

I spoke first through a translator. I have some questions Id like to ask you, and you are to answer them truthfully. Do you understand?

Saddam nodded. When was the last time you saw your sons alive?

I expected Saddam to be defiant, but I was taken aback by the aggression of his reply: Who are you guys? Are you military intelligence? Mukhabarat [civilian intelligence]? Answer me. Identify yourselves!

I noted his tribal tattoos and that his mouth drooped. Now I needed to see his bullet wound.

There was so much we wanted to know. How had he escaped from Baghdad? Who had helped him? He would not say, answering only the questions he wanted to.

Why dont you ask me about politics? You could learn a lot from me, he barked. He was especially vocal on the rough treatment hed received from the troops who brought him in, launching a long diatribe.

I was incredulous. Here was a man who didnt think twice about killing his own people complaining about a few scratches. He lifted his dishdasha to show the damage to his left leg. I saw an old scar. Was it the bullet wound, I asked him. He assented with a grunt  the final piece of proof. Wed got him.

Capturing Saddam was all very well, but now we had to get to the truth about his regime, and in particular the weapons of mass destruction that had been the pretext for the invasion. His response was simply to mock us.



+5 Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein moments after his capture by US forces

You found a traitor who led you to Saddam Hussein. Isnt there one traitor who can tell you where the WMDs are? He warmed to the subject, saying Americans were a bunch of ignorant hooligans who did not understand Iraq and were intent on its destruction.

Iraq is not a terrorist nation, he said. We did not have a relationship with (Osama) bin Laden, and did not have weapons of mass destruction... and were not a threat to our neighbours. But the American President [George W Bush] said Iraq wanted to attack his daddy and said we had weapons of mass destruction.

Ignoring his goading, we asked Saddam if hed ever considered using WMDs pre-emptively against US troops in Saudi Arabia. We never thought about using weapons of mass destruction. It was not discussed. Use chemical weapons against the world? Is there anyone with full faculties who would do this? Who would use these weapons when they had not been used against us?

This was not what we had expected to hear. How, then, had America got it so wrong?

Saddam had an answer: The spirit of listening and understanding was not there  I dont exclude myself from this blame. It was a rare acknowledgment that he could have done more to create a clearer picture of Iraqs intentions.

Was he playing with us, twisting the truth to spare his pride?



+5 Debriefing The President: The Interrogation Of Saddam Hussein, by John Nixon, is published on December 29 by Bantam Press at 16.99

I asked about his notorious use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish city of Halabja during the Iran-Iraq war. He became furious. I am not afraid of you or your president. I will do what I have to do to defend my country!

Then he turned to me and sneered: But I did not make that decision.

We decided to close the briefing. As Saddam left the room, he glared at me. I have annoyed quite a few people in my life, but no one has ever looked at me with such murderous loathing.

My superiors were delighted at the progress we were making, yet something nagged at me about the exchange. My gut told me that there was some truth in what Saddam had said. He was incensed about Halabja. Not because his officers had used chemical weapons  he showed no remorse  but because it had given Iran a propaganda field day.

It was not the only thing that would surprise me. For example, in my years studying Saddam, I never doubted the received wisdom that his stepfather in Tikrit beat him. Many eminent psychiatrists who had analysed him from afar said this was why Saddam was so cruel and why he wanted nuclear weapons.

Yet, in the course of my further interrogations, Saddam turned our assumptions upside down, saying his stepfather was the kindest man he had ever known: Ibrahim Hasan  God bless him. If he had a secret, he would entrust me with it. I was more dear to him than his son, Idham.

I asked about the CIAs belief that Saddam suffered great pain from a bad back and had given up red meat and cigars. He said he didnt know where I was getting my intelligence, but it was wrong. He told me he smoked four cigars every day and loved red meat. He was also surprisingly fit.

The CIA profile of Saddam suggested he was a chronic liar, yet he could be quite candid. Our perception that he ruled with an iron grip was also mistaken. It became clear from our interrogations that in his final years, Saddam seemed clueless about what had been happening inside Iraq. He was inattentive to what his government was doing, had no real plan for the defence of Iraq and could not comprehend the immensity of the approaching storm.

Saddam was quick, too, to deny involvement in 9/11. Look at who was involved, he said. What countries did they come from? Saudi Arabia. And this [ringleader] Muhammad Atta, was he an Iraqi? No. He was Egyptian. Why do you think I was involved in the attacks?

Saddam had actually believed 9/11 would bring Iraq and America closer because Washington would need his secular government to help fight fundamentalism. How woefully wrong he had been.

During our talks, we often heard muffled explosions. Saddam inferred things were not going well for the US forces and took pleasure in the fact. You are going to fail, he said. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq. History has proved him right. But back then, I was curious why he felt that way.

Because you do not know the language, the history, and the Arab mind, he said. Its hard to know the Iraqi people without knowing its weather and its history. The difference is between night and day and winter and summer. Thats why they say the Iraqis are hard-headed  because of the summer heat.

THE ONE SUBJECT THAT MADE HIM CRY Doting dad: Saddam and Rana The only time Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein showed any emotion during my interviews was when we discussed his daughters, Rana and Raghid. His eyes became watery and his voice quivered. I miss them terribly, he said. I enjoyed a wonderful relationship with them. They loved me very much, and I loved them very much. Saddam also said he was proud of his murderous sons Uday and Qusay, but realistic about their shortcomings. He sometimes found it necessary to punish them. Uday was a particular problem for him. He said he was incensed when he learned that Uday kept a fleet of Bentleys, Jaguars and Mercedes in a garage protected by Republican Guard soldiers, saying: What kind of message are we sending to the Iraqi people, who must suffer under sanctions and do without? Saddam had the cars torched after a drunk Uday shot and wounded Saddams half-brother Watban at a family party. The altercation prompted the 1995 defection of Hussein and Saddam Kamel, the husbands of Saddams two daughters, to Jordan.

He chuckled and added: Next summer, when it is hot, they might revolt against you. The summer of 1958 got a little hot. In the 1960s, when it was hot, we had a revolution. You might tell that to President Bush!

It was several years and several more postings to Iraq before I could explain the realities of Iraq to the President, face to face. By now, Saddam had been tried and executed, finally dispatched in late 2006.

But in late 2007, I was summoned to give a detailed presentation to George W. Bush at the Oval Office. What kind of a man had Saddam been, he asked me?

I told him that he was disarming at first and used self-deprecating wit to put you at ease.

The President looked as if he was going to lose his cool. I quickly explained that the real Saddam was sarcastic, arrogant and sadistic, which seemed to calm Bush down.

He looked at Vice-President Dick Cheney and their eyes locked in a knowing way. As I was leaving, he joked: You sure Saddam didnt say where he put those vials of anthrax? Everyone laughed, but I thought his crack inappropriate. America had lost more than 4,000 troops.

Several months later, I was asked to go back to the White House. This time, the President looked annoyed and distracted and asked for a briefing on the Shia cleric called Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army, then engaged in dangerous insurgency against the coalition. This was not on the agenda.

Trying to gain a few seconds, I said: Well, that is the $64,000 question Bush looked at me and said: Why dont you make it the $74,000 question, or whatever your salary is, and answer? What an a***hole!

In his 2010 memoir, Bush wrote: I decided I would not criticise the hardworking patriots of the CIA for the faulty intelligence on Iraq. But that is exactly what he did. He blamed the agency for everything that went wrong and called its analysis guesswork while hearing only what he wanted to hear.

I do not wish to imply that Saddam was innocent. He was a ruthless dictator who plunged his region into chaos and bloodshed. But in hindsight, the thought of having an ageing and disengaged Saddam in power seems almost comforting in comparison with the wasted effort of our brave men and women in uniform and the rise of Islamic State, not to mention the 2.5 trillion spent to build a new Iraq.

 John Nixon, 2016
WikiLeaks figure says disgusted Democrat leaked Clinton campaign emails

Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians, said Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not ... more >

A WikiLeaks figure is claiming that he received leaked Clinton campaign emails from a disgusted Democratic whistleblower, while the White House continued to blame Russian hackers Wednesday for meddling in the presidential election and asserted that Donald Trump was obviously aware of Moscows efforts on his behalf. Craig Murray, a former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said in the report by the Daily Mail that he flew to Washington for a clandestine handoff with one of the email sources in September. He said he received a package in a wooded area near American University.

Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians, Mr. Murray told the British newspaper. The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks. SEE ALSO: British diplomat blames Dems for election leaks; White House says Trump obviously knew of hacking WikiLeaks published thousands of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, providing a steady stream of negative news coverage of the Democratic presidential nominee during the final weeks of the campaign. Mr. Murray said the leakers were motivated by disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders. The Daily Mail report noted that Mr. Murray was removed from his diplomatic post amid allegations of misconduct. The White House said Wednesday that Mr. Trump was obviously aware of Russian hacking to benefit his presidential campaign and suggested that the administration didnt retaliate against Moscow because the U.S. has more to lose than Russia does in an all-out cyberwar.

Referring to Mr. Trumps offhand snark last summer that Moscow might be able to locate missing emails from Hillary Clintons private server, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the Republican might have viewed Russias cyberattacks as helpful to his presidential campaign.

There was ample evidence that was known long before the election, and in most cases long before October, about the Trump campaign in Russia, everything from the Republican nominee himself calling on Russia to hack his opponent, Mr. Earnest said. It might be an indication that he was obviously aware and concluded, based on whatever facts or sources he had available to him, that Russia was involved and their involvement was having a negative impact on his opponents campaign.

Mr. Trump has openly rejected the idea that Russia was behind the attacks or that the cyberintrusions were intended to help him win the election.

He also accused the administration and liberal news outlets of trying to delegitimize his election. There is no evidence that the election process was hacked, by the Russians or anyone else.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence had to cancel a closed-door classified briefing on the issue of suspected Russian interference after U.S. intelligence agencies refused to cooperate.

Rep. Devin Nunes, California Republican and committee chairman, requested that the FBI, CIA, Office of the Director of National Intelligence and National Security Agency provide witnesses, in part in response to reports last week in The Washington Post and The New York Times that intelligence agencies think the Kremlin deliberately tried to push the election to Mr. Trump, something not supported by postelection testimony to the panel.

But according to Fox News, agencies refused to provide representatives for the session.

It is unacceptable that the Intelligence Community directors would not fulfill the House Intelligence Committees request to be briefed tomorrow on the cyber-attacks that occurred during the presidential campaign, Mr. Nunes said in a statement. The Committee is deeply concerned that intransigence in sharing intelligence with Congress can enable the manipulation of intelligence for political purposes.

Kellyanne Conway, Mr. Trumps campaign manager, accused people within intelligence agencies of trying to undermine the U.S. election results to curry favor with liberal media and are now ducking accountability.

We should all be very concerned about that, she said in an appearance on Fox News Channel.

The Democratic National Committee, essentially an arm of the Obama White House, compounded the friction Wednesday by accusing Mr. Trump of giving Russia an early holiday gift that smells like a payoff with the nomination of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson to be secretary of state. The DNC warned that Mr. Tillerson would be too cozy in his dealings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Its rather easy to connect the dots, the DNC said. Russia meddled in the U.S. election in order to benefit Trump, and now hes repaying Vladimir Putin by nominating Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

It was the latest broadside by the White House and its allies against the president-elect in an increasingly tense transition debate over the impact of the cyberintrusions, which mainly targeted Democrats such as Mr. Podesta.

Departing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, compared the alleged Russian hacking to terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people on U.S. soil. I think this is as big a deal as Watergate, as 9/11, he said.

Democrats in hindsight have accused the administration of failing to warn the public about Russias alleged hacking as early as May, when private assessments pinned the blame on Moscow. In October, the administration released a statement from Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper that identified Russia as the culprit.

The White House said Mr. Obama waited until October, just weeks before the election, to raise concerns about Russias involvement because he didnt want to appear to be playing politics with the issue.

It would have been inappropriate for White House figures, including the president of the United States, to be rushing the intelligence community to expedite their analysis of this situation, because we were concerned about the negative impact it was having on the presidents preferred candidate in the presidential election, Mr. Earnest said.

The presidents spokesman also said the administration tried to get bipartisan cooperation from Congress this fall to warn state election officials about Russian interference, but top Republicans balked.

Leader [Mitch] McConnell and Speaker [Paul D.] Ryan did not readily agree to it, Mr. Earnest said. We didnt get the kind of prompt cooperation we would have liked.

The administration eventually did issue warnings to state election officials and said there was no evidence of Russian interference via the internet on Election Day.

The White House still wont say whether the U.S. has retaliated against what it describes as Russian efforts to influence the election of Donald Trump. It merits a proportional response. I am not in a position to confirm whether we have initiated it or not, Mr. Earnest said.

He said the United States is particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks because of its heavy reliance on the internet.

Given the interconnected nature of our society and our economy, the United States is in a unique position, vis-a-vis the rest of the world, because we rely on 21st-century communications technology for just about everything, in a way that lots of other societies and economies and countries dont, he said.
I started 2016 with a surprise discovery: That Bill Gates reads a book a week! I love reading books, yes, the old fashioned paper books, and spend most of my time and money on books. And, yet, I struggle to read as much as I would like to, as life intervenes. The work, the chores, the celebrations and the worries, moments social and the solitary, all present their different challenges inbetween me and an undivided and unwavering commitment to my books. And, yet, here is the man, who earns about $150 every second - if that's one benchmark how valuable his time must be - and who, as Michael Sandel explained, may find stopping and picking up a $50 bill if he spots one lying on the pavement a waste of his time, claiming that he accords highest priority to reading, and even sets aside time when life gets too busy!





I know the usual explanation: We are not Bill Gates. Yes, when you earn $150 a second, you do not drive your own car. You can choose who you socialise with. And, indeed, if you play Chess with Warren Buffet, that is a different life altogether compared with drinking with friends. But, never did such explanations - excuses, shall we say - deterred me from trying. One way of looking at it is that Bill Gates can read more because he has achieved everything one could dream for in life, and the other way is to think that I should read more because I have not yet. The latter argument is the one for me, as that is the one which argues in favour of doing something, rather than making the case for changing nothing.





So, I did go into 2016 with a modest commitment of reading 52 books from cover to cover. And, as the year draws to a close, I failed - by a margin! I completed only 27, cover to cover, and will perhaps do a couple more in the Holiday season. So, about half of what I wanted to do, an insignificant number compared to the total 302 books I bought during the year, in addition of borrowing a total of 223 books from the five libraries that I regularly visit. In fact, the borrowing figure itself shows my lack of progress in the reading enterprise - I am entitled to borrow 67 books at one time and the lowly aggregate actually suggests that I rolled over a lot of them as I could not finish them! Indeed, there are 148 books which I abandoned after working through it almost towards the end, and another 102 which I abandoned less than half-way through, in addition to 6 that I could claim to be currently reading. And, I must also add to this figure about 37 that I used only for specific purposes, reading a chapter or so, because they were needed for my studies in the History of Ideas (it is fair to count them as I counted the Library borrowings on the other side of the equation). So, I had a total of 525 new books, bought or borrowed, this year, and I managed to use 212 as intended (and there may be 6 more) and abandoning 102 altogether. This is indeed not the full picture as all the books I read are not the ones I bought during 2016, but I can live with this data at the time.





Looking back at this data now, my big problem in book reading is definitely fragmentation. This shows up even in the small number that I managed to finish reading. There are several threads I followed during the year. I followed up on my general interest in the American War of Independence and its Founding Fathers (I read the biographies of Franklin and Adams last year, as well as a number of books on the years between 1776 and 1789) and completed an interesting biography of Jefferson and a fascinating book on American Constitution, Unruly Americans , which basically argued that the American Constitution itself was conceived as an instrument to preserve the credit status of the young republic, rather than any of the lofty purposes that we ascribe to it. Despite reading these, there are several I could not pursue yet: I started reading a biography of Washington and abandoned half way, and a couple of books by Gordon Wood and Joseph Ellis also remained untouched. Towards the middle of the year, I was interested in Hamilton, no doubt by the success of the musical, but I drifted so far away in my interests by then that I did not buy Ron Chernow's book, which remains on my Wish List.













If a reason is to be given for my abandonment of the creative cities project, though I am sure I would eventually come back to this in 2017, it is that I developed a new interest - in the phenomenon of Enlightenment itself. So I did read Anthony Pagden's The Enlightenment and Why It Still Matters cover to cover, perhaps twice if I count the number of times I had to stop and re-read, and Frank Turner's European Intellectual History From Rousseau to Nietzsche . This, to be combined with a number of shorter studies, on Heidegger, for example, dominated the summer months for me: I was forever talking about technological attitude and attitude of care and was trying to understand everything through that lens. This also led to my enrolment, finally and courageously, at Birkbeck College to study History of Ideas, though, as I must admit, it turned out to be a different thing that 'Intellectual History' that I was looking to study.





Much of my later readings this year was strategic, as someone coming to studying history formally late in life must do, or to catch up on the basics: This accounts for my reading the history of French Annales school , or the gripping narrative presented by Henry Ashby Turner, in very House of Cards style, of Hitler's ascension to power in January 1933 . Then, there is this whole enterprise on studying on Nationalism, Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities and its criticism, and the history of Italian Risorgimento, which dominated my book-buying, library borrowing and reading in the last three months, without a corresponding impact on my finished books list, at least yet.





So, to '17: It is funny that I must come back to where I started, Gates' commitment to read a book a week! This is perhaps my character - I take the motto "Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better" too seriously - and I am going to try again. Indeed, as I intend to continue my studies through 2017, this should become easier, more so as I move to doing research projects defined by me rather than trying to complete a curricula of some kind, as I had to do in the Autumn term this year. I know what's coming up early in 2017, a few weeks of intensive work on Nationalism and Nation States and then a few more weeks of studying Darwin, but I intend to return to my Creative Cities project as an aside when I get to breathe again. I do expect to return to travelling by summer months - I have not been travelling for last 12 months and while that may have helped me recover my sleep and health, that reduced my reading time - and hopefully this will allow me to pursue my own reading agenda again.




















Let me encourage you to begin to use a Life Journal in your daily Bible study. This simple tool utilizes a Bible reading plan (I use Online Devotions found at http://enewhope.org/bible/) together with a journal and a straightforward and very simple way of recording what you sense the Lord is teaching through daily readings. Each day I take a Scripture from that days reading, then I write an Observation about it, then I decide on an Application, and then I write a simple Prayer to pray what I have learned back to God. S.O.A.P.

I learned to use this method from hearing Pastor Wayne Cordeiro talk about how important this wonderful habit is in his life. This life journal blog has helped me tremendously in my spiritual journey. If you start a life journal and you are writing it on a blog please let me know. I would love to take a minute to read your blog too. And I would love to add you to my list of Life Journalers!
My crystal ball CB said that the war in Ukraine will end by March 2023. Why? - Ukraine does not want to continue fighting, as most of thei...
Editors note: What Happened to ...? is our daily, 10 part series updating stories of significance. It runs through Dec. 21.

Like her namesake, America the eagle finally flew freely.

The bald eagle, who was found with injured in a Winlock field in February, was released by her caretakers in September at the same site where she was found.

She soared away as if the injury had never happened, said Dave Supensky, who, along with his wife, Claudia Supensky, runs For Heavens Sake Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation in Rochester, Wash., where America was cared for. The Supenskys guessed by her size that America was a mature female (female bald eagles are bigger than males).

When she was found, America had a badly broken right wing that had been healing for some time.

X-rays showed many calcium deposits around the bone. Her wing was wrapped until it healed this summer.

Before America could be released, the Supenskys had to test her ability to fly. Their own 58-foot enclosure in Rochester wasnt big enough for a proper test run, so she was taken to an animal rehabilitation center on Bainbridge Island to fly in a bigger space.

She performed beautifully.

She did exceptionally well. It was a very smooth, quick release. Sometimes youll take a bird like that and itll walk on the ground to fly. Not this one. She flew like nothing was ever wrong, said Dave Supensky.

The Supenskys released her in Winlock to a bit of fanfare. A small crowd gathered, took photos and cheered when America soared right out of her cage.

Dave Supensky said many birds walk along the ground before taking flight upon release. Not America.

Shortly after taking flight in Winlock, Dave Supensky said they saw two eagles flying together just a few hundred feet above the field.

It may have been Americas mate. Dave Supensky said bald eagles choose one mate for life, so they suspected she had one before she was injured.

Seeing America successfully return to the wild was especially significant for Dave Supensky, a 78-year-old retired Army major who did two tours in Vietnam.

It makes it more significant for me personally, being a retired military (member). The eagle has always been prevalent in American history. It makes it special for that reason, he said. And to be able to fly after a wing was broken, that doesnt happen very often.

Bald and golden eagles are federally protected. Federal law prohibits the take, possession, sale, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, of any bald or golden eagle, alive or dead, including any part, nest, or egg.

In 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bald eagle from the Endangered Species Act. It was listed as threatened in Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin and endangered in the rest of the lower 48 states) due to habitat loss and degradation, poaching and the pesticide DDT, which was outlawed as part of the governments plan to bring the bald eagle back.

The bald eagle was adopted as the nations symbol in 1782.
Northwest Innovations has announced it will back a multi-million dollar program to train hard-to-employ workers and recent high school graduates with the skills needed to its proposed $1 billion methanol plant in Kalama.

The educational program, which does not yet has a name, is being developed in partnership with Lower Columbia College and Workforce Southwest Washington, the partners announced Friday. It will ensure that 20 percent of Northwests initial workforce of about 200 people will be made up of adults and young people who may have difficulty finding a job traditionally.

This is the first time that a business has ever come to us and said, We want to fund a program like this. Usually what businesses do is they say, How can you get me this employee that I need that has these skills?  said Jeanne Bennett, CEO of Workforce Southwest Washington.

What I think that Northwest Innovation Works is doing which is innovative and different and unique and wonderful  is they're going to invest in their own workforce  upfront, Bennett said Friday.

Eligible applicants will receive two years of free college courses to work towards a corporate certificate through Lower Columbia College. (They wont earn an associates degree but they will earn credits that can be used toward a degree in the future.) Students will be paid a full-time, minimum wage salary while they attend school. Upon completion, they will be guaranteed a job at Northwest Innovation Works, the company said.

The program will train a cohort of 40 Cowlitz County residents  20 will be recent graduates from local high schools and 20 will be people with barriers to employment as defined by federal guidelines. Those include 14 categories such as single mothers, people of color, people with disabilities and mental health problems, veterans and Native Americans.

The people that are working 25 hours a week and are trying to pay for day care and are really struggling  we could change their world completely, said Richard DeBolt, Northwest Innovation Works spokesman.

The 20 high school graduates will be spread out over four years, with five new graduates every year. The timing of the program's start date depends on when Northwest Innovation Works wraps up financing for the plant and receives all of its permitting.

The program will run concurrently with construction of the plant itself so that the first batch of workers will be ready to start when the plant is complete.

Companies usually dont set up a training program two years in advance, which is great foresight because usually were scrambling on the back end to get things ready, Bennett said.

Northwest Innovation will fully fund the program, which is expected to cost seven figures, the company said.

The program will be similar to other corporate certificate programs Lower Columbia College already runs that are customized to specific companies.

The employees, when they finish our training programs, they really are prepared and ready to just hit the ground running with that specific organization, said Hahli Clark, executive director of corporate partnerships and training at LCC.

Yet Vee Godley, Northwest Innovation CEO, said the skills developed in the program can be applied elsewhere, too.

Once this is complete, these people will have a true vocational skillset that can transition well beyond our project as they move on in their lives. Thats the real key to this, Godley said.
Domestic violence  Longview police Friday arrested Ira Joseph Donley, 20, of Longview on suspicion of fourth-degree domestic violence assault, felony harassment and interfering with the reporting of a domestic violence incident.

Mischief  Longview police Friday arrested Justin Brian Kelley, 27, of Kalama on suspicion of attempting to take a motor vehicle without permission, third-degree malicious mischief over $50 and possession of burglary tools.

Vehicle prowls

100 block of Burma Road, Castle Rock. Friday. Battery removed from truck.

300 block of Lolo Trail Avenue, Woodland. Friday. Checkbook, boots, gloves and sunglasses.

Burglary

1600 block of Arkansas Street, Longview. Friday. Clothing, laptop, wallet.

Stolen vehicle

1200 block of 14th Avenue, Longview. Friday. Silver 1994 Ford Ranger, Washington C59252H, with a dent behind drivers side door on the bed of the truck. Had two ladders on the rack.

Superior Court sentencings

Elizabeth Marie Odell, 35, of Stevenson, Wash., 30 days in jail and $600 for third-degree assault on July 23. Guilty plea Aug. 18.

Kristine Marie Alexander, 27, 30 days in jail converted to 152 hours of community service and $600 for first-degree theft on July 4. Guilty plea Aug. 18

Nicoline Marie Netherda, 28, 30 days in jail converted to 360 hours of community service, a year on probation and $800 for first-degree theft and second-degree identity theft between Sept. 1, 2013 and July 7, 2014. Guilty plea Feb. 18

Aimee Christine Pierce, 32, of Kelso, 60 days in jail, a year on probation and $800 for attempted heroin possession on June 21. Guilty plea Aug. 22.

Richard Allen Soule, 37, four months in jail and $800 for second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm on Nov. 27, 2014. Guilty plea on Oct. 10.

Daniel Michael Jennings, 25, 60 days in jail and $600 of second-degree theft, two counts of third-degree theft and two counts of first-degree criminal impersonation. Guilty plea Oct. 11.

Jolene Jessica Sinclair, 22, of Longview, two months in jail, a year on probation and $600 for oxycodone possession on Dec. 26, 2014. Bench trial verdict Oct. 11.

Tyson Omar Moran, 37, of Federal Way, 60 days in jail, a year on probation and $600 for attempted possession of lorazepam and first-degree unlawful recreational fishing on May 22. Guilty plea Aug. 25.

Kathryn Marie Engstrom, 22, 45 days in jail, six months on probation and $600 for first-degree theft on Aug. 15. Guilty plea Oct. 17.

Andrew Thomas Rueckert, 32, of Kelso, 30 days in jail, a year on probation and $1,200 for meth possession on Sept. 8 and for failure to register as a sex offender on March 1. Guilty plea Oct. 11.
The most recent flagship of the Chinese Conglomerate OnePlus, the OnePlus 3T has begun getting updates for OxygenOS 3.5.4 firmware. The new update notification will put up OxygenOS to version 3.5.4 on OnePlus 3T and will introduce superior system stability, bug fixes, with the pairing of some extra benefits.

OnePlus, while introducing the new firmware, said on its official forum that: the OxygenOS 3.5.4 update version is an incremental roll-out that will make the device more advanced and efficient. It will bring some notable changes alongside a streamlined Bluetooth availability for power saving mode for the Mazda Cars. The upgrade, however, wont bring Android Nougat features. Rather it will facilitate the OnePlus 3T with some other and more advanced features like powerful and refined Battery Saving Mode.

The new optimised Power Saving Mode will reduce intervals if the battery is running under 5%. The company in its forum also said that the new firmware would renovate the features like GPS and Orientation preferences when the Battery Saving Mode is turned off. The update, alongside these improvements, will also fix some of the most highlights issues like the glitch in flashlight usability in WhatsApp.

However, the company has confirmed that the OxygenOS v3.5.4 firmware update, for now, will be rolled out for the limited number of users and only a small percentage of users will be able to avail the upgrade option. As developing the complete version of the new OS is taking some more time, the broader rollout will take some more weeks to arrive.

OnePlus, in its official blog, requested the receivers of this updated version to send their feedback to the company, so that they can work more on improving the efficiency of the OS.

To summon up, OnePlus 3T was launched in India earlier this month. Equipping some top-of-the-line features like 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen (1080 x 1920 pixels), Android OS, v6.0 Marshmallow, Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 821 processor, 6GB RAM and 64/128 GB internal memory, 16MP front and rear camera, front-mounted fingerprint scanner, and 3400mAH battery with Fast battery charging technology, OnePlus 3T was tagged with the introductory price range of Rs. 29, 999.
The top Chinese smartphone making brand Xiaomi, spreading its grounds in the Indian smartphone Market the company is gearing up to launch its Redmi Note 4 smartphone around the country in January.

The technology news reporter, MakTechBlog revealed in its report that the smartphone will be soon available in India, however, it also stated that the release date is not confirmed but it will launch sometime in January. It will be priced around Rs. 11,999, the blog noted.

It was earlier touted that the China variant of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is powered by Helio X20 SoC, while, the smartphone will be equipped with Snapdragon 625 SoC when it will launch in India. The reports cleared the same and stated that in India, the handset will be powered by a 2GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 Processor bundled with an Adreno 506 GPU. The smartphone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow (out-of-the-box).

The handset is available in 2GB, 3GB or 4GB RAM options Gold, Grey, and Silver colours in its home country but it is still unclear which of the variants will be unveiled in India. Moreover, it is also available in 16Gb and 32GB storage variant which are capable of supporting a microSD card up to 128GB.

Besides, the Redmi Note 4 is fronted with a 5.5 inch Full HD (19201080 pixels) IPS 2.5D curved Display with a pixel density of 403ppi; and a 5-megapixel of user-facing secondary camera. While it is backed with a 13-megapixel rear and primary camera with Dual-tone LED flash and Phase Detection AutoFocus. It is fueled with a gigantic 4,100 mAh battery.

The phone also boasts a fingerprint scanner on its back, and comes with an infrared sensor, apart from the other standard connectivity options like GPRS/ EDGE, 3G, 4G with VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS, Micro-USB, and Glonass.

See Also: Basic guide to install CyanogenMod CM 14.1 Android 7.1 Nougat on Xiaomi Mi Max and Redmi Note 3

In addition to it, sources suggested that the recently launched Xiaomi Redmi 3S, Redmi 3S Prime will be available alongside other smartphones during Flipkart Big Shopping Days sale from today.
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Driverless trains could soon be a reality for Kolkata Metro commuters in 2018.

"There is a target that all the new metro rakes in the city from March 2018 would be grade of automation 3 (GoA 3) driverless rakes," said Yatish Kumar, Director, Research Design and Standards Organisations, Indian Railways.

The grade of automation (GoA 3) refers to driverless train operation where starting and stopping are automated but a train attendant operates only the gates of the trains.

Kumar said the new rakes could be imported from China and will be for existing metro routes, including the new East West and Dum Dum-Garia metro sections.

Chennai, Bangalore and Lucknow already have GoA 3 rakes.

GoA 4 rakes on the other hand are trains where even door operations are automated. One rake is running on a trial basis, Kumar said on the sidelines of the CII-organised Manufacturing Excellence conference here on Saturday.

IANS
tech2 News Staff

It is the end of the year, and Flipkart wants to ring in Christmas early for shoppers with its Big Shopping Days sales festival. The Big Shopping Days sales will start from today and go on till 21 December. As is the case with Flipkart's sales, there are a lot of electronics deals on offer. Here are some the most interesting deals that you should look out for.

OnePlus 3 at Rs 18,999

The highlight being OnePlus 3 selling at Rs 18,999. Selling an Amazon Exclusive OnePlus 3 on Flipkart, is something that is under debate and even OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei tweeted to Sachin Bansal, asking him what this was all about?

OnePlus and Amazon subsequently issued a press release and took out full page ads in newspapers reiterating OnePlus Amazon Exclusive status. In the statement, Amazon India and OnePlus advise customers to purchase the device only via the official channel, i.e. Amazon India, as they cannot guarantee the authenticity of products sold elsewhere.

But it looks like Flipkart will go ahead with the sale at 4PM today, as the product page shows the OnePlus 3 at the Rs 9000 discounted price of Rs 18,999.

Flipkart, however, remains unconcerned, stating that its own model gives sellers the freedom to sell products at prices that they say fit, reports BGR. The company adds that the prices and discounts offered are decided by participating brands and sellers.

You can read out full detailed review of the OnePlus 3 here.

Exchange offers on Apple iPhone 7 and Google Pixel

Premium phones such as the Apple iPhone and Google Pixel are also being sold with exchange offers.

The Google Pixel / Pixel XL devices are being offered for discounts of up to Rs 25,000 on exchange with working devices. For instance, exchanging the Google Nexus 6P will get you Rs 13,190 off, exchanging Google Nexus 5X will get you Rs 10,280 off. Discount for exchanging a Xiaomi Mi 5 is Rs 12,200. Exchanging OnePlus 3 will get you Rs 14,000 off. Apple iPhone 6s Plus exchange seems to be the only device, which will get you a full Rs 25,000 off on the Pixel devices.

Apart from exchange offers, Flipkart is also offering No cost EMIs for 3 to 18 months across various banks. In case you want to continue EMIs beyon 18 months, then there is an EMI with interest offer which allows you to pay EMIs for 24 months with added interests.

Apple iPhone 7 is being offered at a 7 percent discount with prices such as: Apple iPhone 7 Jet Black: 128 GB for Rs 65,000 (down from Rs 70,000), 256GB for Rs 75,000 (down from Rs 80,000). Just like Google Pixel, there is an exchange offer as well for the iPhone 7, but the maximum exchange value is Rs 20,000.

Smartwatch and Fitness bands deals

Smartwatches are also being offered at discounted prices. The Apple Watch prices start from Rs 18,990 at a 26 percent discount. Motorola Moto 360 2nd gen and Moto 360 Sport are being offered at Rs 15,999. Asus ZenWatch 2 is priced at Rs 8,900, which is Rs 2,000 off of its regular price. The rubber strap variants of the ZenWatch 2 will be selling for Rs 8,900 whereas the metal strap variants will be selling for Rs 10,900 and Rs 14,900.

Huawei is offering its smartwatches at a discount too. The Huawei Smartwatch with the stainless steel strap is selling for Rs 20,999 (Rs 2,000 off) and the one with the leather strap is going for Rs 17,999 (also at Rs 2,000 off). Fossil smartwatches are also selling for discounts across its range.

Samsung Gear Fit 2 fitness bands are being offered at Rs 9,900 at a Rs 4,000 discount. We had recently tested the Gear Fit 2 and were quite impressed with it. "The Gear Fit 2 however is for the pure fitness junkie. Its an excellent tracker. It has a vivid looking display and a satisfying battery life. Even the UI on the band feels cleaner and more intuitive. The accompanying app can seem overwhelming at first, but once you start using it, it is actually useful and informative," concluded our review. You can read the full review.

Fitbit is offering its fitness wearables for a minimum of 25 percent discount. For instance, the Fitbit Charge 2 is selling for Rs 11,242 (down from Rs 14,900), Fitbit Charge HR is selling for Rs 10,043 (down from Rs 14,990), Fitbit Alta is going for Rs 9,742 (down from Rs 12,900), finally the Fitbit Flex is being offered at Rs 6,367 (down from Rs 8,490) and finally, the Fitbit Blaze smartwatch is selling for Rs 13,990 (down from Rs 19,990).

Bank offers

As is the case with most sale days, banks also pitch in with their offers. In the Big Shopping Days sale, Flipkart has partnered with SBI Bank to offer discounts to the SBI Bank credit and debit card holders. Customers buying smartphones, laptops and TV sets will get a flat 10 percent discount. But to get this offer the minimum transcation value has to be Rs 5,999 and maximum cashback of Rs 1,500 can be availed. Apart from SBI, there are others such Axis Bank Buzz credit card holders will get an extra 5 percent off (maximum of Rs 200). Also customers of Axis Bank, Citibank, HDFC, ICICI, IndusInd, HSBC, Standard Chartered and SBI credit card holders can also opt for an EMI option on products.

Apart from these offers, there are a lot more discounts as well on Cameras, Tablets, mid-range and budget smartphones and TVs as well.
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Soon after Facebook and Twitter clarified that they will not help US President-elect Donald Trump's idea of developing a Muslim registry, tech giants like Google, Apple and global cab-hailing app company Uber also said they will also oppose such an effort.

"In relation to the hypothetical of whether we would ever help build a 'Muslim registry' -- we have not been asked, of course we would not do this and we are glad -- from all that we have read -- that the proposal does not seem to be on the table," Buzzfeed quoted a Google spokesperson as saying on Saturday.

But if it's ever asked to participate, "of course (Google) would not do (it)," the spokesperson added.

An Apple spokesperson also noted that the company "thinks people should be treated the same no matter how they worship, what they look like, who they love".

"We have not been asked and we would oppose such an effort," the Apple spokesperson added.

Uber also clarified with a "No," stressing that it would not help Trump build a Muslim registry.

On 4 December, US-based news website Intercept reported that of the nine major tech giants, including Facebook, Apple and Google, only Twitter declined to help if US President-elect Donald Trump seeks to create a national Muslim registry.

According to the report, the firms were asked if they would sell their services to help create a national Muslim registry -- an idea recently refloated by President-elect Donald Trump's transition team -- and only Twitter said no.

Nearly 10 days later, Facebook broke the silence and said that it would not help US President-elect Donald Trump's administration to create a list of Muslims present in the US.

In a statement to the Intercept, Facebook said: "No one has asked us to build a Muslim registry, and of course we would not do so."

Facebook broke its silence after 22 different advocacy groups petitioned those companies to respond.

Microsoft returned with an answer saying, "We're not going to talk about hypotheticals at this point."

"We oppose discrimination and we would not do any work to build a registry of Muslim Americans," Microsoft PR head Frank X Shaw was quoted as saying.

Oracle CEO Safra Katz, who is slated to join Trump's transition team, declined to respond to Buzzfeed News' question.

Meanwhile, IBM, IT giant SRA International, Canada-based Information technology consulting company CGI and Management consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton were yet to respond.

IANS
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Microsoft has released a set of 100,000 questions and answers that artificial intelligence (AI) researchers can use to create systems that can read and answer questions as precisely as a human.

"The dataset is called MS MARCO, which stands for Microsoft MAchine Reading COmprehension, and can be used to teach artificial intelligence systems to recognise questions and formulate answers and, eventually, to create systems that can come up with their own answers based on unique questions they have not seen before," said Microsoft in a blog post.

By providing realistic questions and answers, the researchers said they can train systems to better deal with the nuances and complexities of questions regular people actually ask, including those queries that have no clear answer or multiple possible answers.

"Our dataset is designed not only using real-world data but also removing such constraints so that the new-generation deep learning models can understand the data first before they answer questions," added Li Deng, Partner Research Manager of Microsoft's Deep Learning Technology Centre.

The MS MARCO dataset is available for free to any researcher who wants to download it and use it for non-commercial applications, Microsoft said.

IANS
tech2 News Staff

Xiaomi has announced its latest power bank - the Mi Power Bank 2 - which will come with the same battery capacity as the one introduced in India earlier - 20,000mAh. But the Mi Power Bank 2 will also support Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0 and two way fast charging technologies.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 2 has been priced at CNY 149 (approx Rs 1500) which is quite close to the price of the 20,000mAh Mi Power Bank which is currently selling for Rs 1,450 in India. The Mi Power Bank 2 will go on sale in China on 19 December. The company has not yet announced an India launch date.

The Mi Power Bank 2 looks quite similar to the first variant except that it's slightly narrower and thicker at 135.5 x 67.6 x 23.9 mm. It retains the surface bumps that was there in the first gen variant to ensure a good grip.

It makes use of high-density Li-polymer batteries. The single port power output on the Mi Power Bank 2 is 5V/2.4A - 9V/2A and 12V/1.5A. The dual port rating is unchanged at 5V/3.6A.

According to Xiaomi, the Mi Power Bank 2 can charge a Xiaomi Mi Max (which has a whopping 4850mAh battery) within 2.5 hours. It supports 18W charging and low-current discharging as well.

The Mi Power Bank 2 is available only in white colour.
tech2 News Staff

Looks like Xiaomi wants to start the new year with a bang. After announcing that it is going to be part of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017, there are now speculations around a new device launch as well.

According to report in the MakTech blog, the Chinese smartphone maker is all set to launch the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 in January 2017. The dates have not yet been announced though a mid-January launch is being speculated. The Redmi Note 4 which was launched in China earlier this year in August.

But unlike the Chinese variant, which was launched with MediaTek Helio X20 chipset, the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 4 will be launched with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC. Xiaomi still cannot sell MediaTek powered smartphones in India, due to a court injunction.

In terms of features, the Redmi Note 4 comes with a 5.5-inch FullHD display with a 2.5D curved display, thereby giving a pixel density of 401ppi. The phone is expected to come in different RAM (2GB/3GB/4GB) and storage (16GB/32GB). The storage is expandable to 128GB using a microSD card. There will be fingerprint scanner on the rear side of the phone as well. In terms of design language, the Redmi Note 4 does not look very different from the phone it will most likely replace - the Redmi Note 3.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the OS out of the box with MIUI skin atop it. Other features include a dual SIM card support with hybrid SIM card slot, 4G with VoLTE, Bluetooth, GPS, Micro-USB, infra-red port. The smartphone comes in three colour options including Silver, Gold, and Dark Grey.

In terms of camera, you get a 13MP rear camera with dual tone LED flash unit, PDAF and a 5MP front-facing camera. Just like its predecessor, the Redmi Note 4 will come with a large capacity 4100mAh battery.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is expected to be launched at a launch price of Rs 11,999. This is still under speculation, so the final price may be different. Also there is no clarity as to which RAM and storage variants are headed to India, so we will have to wait and watch.

As for the China pricing the Redmi Note 4 is available for CNY 899 (Rs 8,900 approx) for the 16GB model and CNY 1199 (Rs 11,800 approx) for the 64GB one.
Media reports about the Arab struggle to retrieve the lands of Amona has been presented by politicians and the media as part of an Arab tradition of loyalty to their land.



Indeed, one of the Arab claimants against the Amona community has been quoted as saying, "If your child dies, you can make another one in his place, but land that you sold cannot be replaced."



And yet, a report in Friday's Makor Rishon suggests reality on the ground in Judea and Samaria reflects a somewhat different set of values. Local Arabs may not be willing to sell their land, but many of them don't live on said land either, preferring instead to emigrate to the US.



According to reporter Assaf Gibor, Route 60, which runs from Afula, on Israel's side of the "green line" through Jenin, near Shechem, through Ofra and outside Ramallah to Jerusalem and then through Gush Etzion, past Hebron all the way to Be'er Sheva, features ghost villages on either side of the highway. The Jewish settlers of Ofra and Amona have been wondering what has happened to neighboring Arab villages such as Silwad, three miles from the main road and about 8 miles north-east of Ramallah. A visitor happening inside the village can see numerous, luxurious villas, that are deserted.



Gibor, who describes those empty homes as "white elephants," met in Silwad a man in his 79s named Salah, who sat with him over a cup of coffee and revealed that he's been living in Puerto Rico for 52 years. Having left in 1964, before the Israeli liberation of 1967, Salah got his BA in Puerto Rico and MA in Tennessee, and now he is retired and living off his rental property on the island. His children were born in the US, one is a lawyer, the other a pharmacist, both Harvard graduates. Sadly, they've only visited the old country once  but both speak Arabic.



Hamza Awada, 21, who lives with his parents in Arizona, met Gibor in Dir Dibwan, not far from Silwad. He is visiting to conclude a two-year wife search. It's an arranged marriage, and after the wedding the happy couple will move to America. Hamza has lived in New York City and in Arizona, as well as in Jordan. "Life here in the village is quaint, but it's not for me."

At a time when Amona is facing a terrible situation of eviction , it's interesting to note that there's a different scene taking place in Arabic villages around the same area Wow. Even some very fancy houses are left behind as many Arabs/Muslims clearly don't find life there appealing. And if that be the case, what's the point of trying to "help" them reconquer Jewish land when they don't even care about it?

Labels: anti-semitism, dhimmitude, immigration, islam, Israel, Israeli Arabs, United States
BNP`s dialogue with President ends

An 11-member BNP delegation, led by its Chairperson Khaleda Zia, held talks with President Abdul Hamid over the formation of the new Election Commission (EC) at Bangabhaban on Sunday afternoon.



The meeting that started at 4:37 pm at the Darbar Hall of the presidential palace ended at 5:35 pm.



The BNP chairperson entered Bangabhaban around 4:30 pm.



The BNP delegation members include Mirza Fakrul Islam Alamgir, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.



The BNP chief set out from her Gulshan residence around 3pm for her partys Nayapaltan central office where her other delegation members were present.



Later, they all, led by Khaleda, went to Bangabhaban for the dialogue with the President, Khaledas media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.



President Hamid initiated formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new EC with his first meeting with BNP first.



The President has taken the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next.



Party leaders, wishing anonymity, said the BNP delegation held the talks with President on the basis of their chairperson's proposal for constituting a stronger and neutral Commission.

-- UNB, Dhaka.
Development of primary edn imperative for attaining SDGs

City Desk :

Improvement of both quality and quantity of primary education could be the vital means of attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) besides enriching the list of skilled human resources.All officials concerned, teachers, parents and other stakes should discharge their duties with utmost sincerity, honesty and patriotic zeal as the present government is pledged bound to quality development of the primary education.

The observations came in the inaugural session of a daylong workshop titled "Orientation and Action Plan Development for Implementation of Communication Strategy" held at conference hall of Caritas in Rajshahi yesterday.

Divisional office of Department of Primary Education (DPE) organized the workshop in association with UNICEF.Additional Director General of Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Dr Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal attended and addressed the session as chief guest with Divisional Deputy Director of DPE Abul Khayer in the chair.

DPE's Director (Administration) Saber Hossain and Director (Policy and Operation) Abdur Rouf and Deputy Director Delwar Hossain also spoke. Dr Mostafa Kamal stressed the need for close relation between community people especially parents and schools for the sake of boosting enrolment and checking dropout.

He listed the government's manifold development activities including nationalization of huge non-government primary schools, development of school infrastructure, ensuring supply of safe drinking water, introduction of uniform education and stipends for disadvantaged children.He added that the distribution of textbooks to primary school students on the first day of the year and introduction of e-book were among the development activities.

He also stressed the need for building a skilled and knowledgeable workforce for implementing the 'Vision-2021' as declared by the government aimed at turning Bangladesh into a tech-savvy country.

Dr Kamal said there was no alternative to building an educated and skilled workforce to expedite balanced development of the country, besides building an IT-dependent modern nation. In doing so, he said, the government has given special emphasis on education for all Divisional, district and upazila level DPE officials, teachers, school managing committee members and students attended the workshop and actively took part in its group discussion.
BNP hopeful after talks

BNP\'s delegation led by its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia poses for photo session with President Abdul Hamid after talks on Election Commission reconstitution at Bangabhaban on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is hopeful of a positive outcome to the talks with the President Abdul Hamid and the party is now optimistic about what it termed overcoming the country's 'political crisis'.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came up with these remarks in a press briefing at party central office at Nayapaltan in the city on Sunday evening after meeting over the formation of the new Election Commission (EC) with the President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

Earlier, an 11-member BNP delegation, led by its Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, held talks with President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban on Sunday afternoon. The

meeting that started at 4:37 pm at the Darbar Hall of the Presidential Palace ended at 5:35 pm.

During the talks BNP proposed names of four candidates for the search committee that will hunt for the next Election Commissioners.

"BNP is "hopeful" of a positive outcome to the discussion. As a guardian, the President's initiative will be able to overcome the current political crisis," Mirza Fakhrul said.

"We're happy and optimistic after Sunday's meeting with the President. We do believe that President has the complete wisdom and ability to solve the current political crisis. We have attached importance on reconstituting the EC in consultation with representatives of all registered political parties," he further said.

He termed the President as a completely apolitical personality saying he (President) has long been involved in politics. "The President is also respected by all. We hope the initiative he has taken will play an effecting role in overcoming the country's political crisis," he said.

Mirza Fakhrul said BNP hoped that the President will again call upon the political parties after formulating a guideline on reformation of EC following a round of discussion. "There is no alternative to talks and dialogues in a democratic system," Fakhrul said.

"We stressed on three issues: an acceptable search committee, an acceptable Election Commission and necessary amendments to the Representation of the People's Order," Fakhrul said.

During the meeting, Fakhrul said their BNP Chairperson gave the President specific opinions about the formation of a search committee. The BNP delegation members also include Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Khandoker Mosharraf Hossain, Moudud Ahmed, Jamiruddin Sircar, Mahbubur Rahman, Rafiqul Islam Miah, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Dr Abdul Moin Khan, Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.

President Hamid initiated formal talks with political parties over the formation of the new EC with his first meeting with BNP first.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Hamid welcomed BNP's proposal for formation of search committee and the Election Commission saying discussions with political parties will play an important role in forming a strong EC.

"Election is very important in a democratic process. And the EC plays the main role in conducting elections. Sunday's discussion is very important for democracy. I think Sunday's discussion and your (BNP) well-thought out opinions will play an important role in forming a strong Election Commission," Quoting the President, his Press Secretary Joynal Abedin told journalists after the meeting.

Abdul Hamid took the dialogue initiative as the tenure of the current Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad-led EC expires in February next. President Hamid said discussions and views-exchange open up multiple paths for solution to any problems.

"I believe your (BNP) proposals will play positive role in forming the next Election Commission," the President was quoted as saying. During the hour-long meeting, Abdul Hamid sought cooperation from all political parties, including BNP, to form a strong EC.

At the meeting, BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia presented BNP's proposal for the formation of a search committee and the EC. She also highlighted party's proposal to strengthen the EC and amendment to Representation of People Order (RPO).

The former Prime Minister thanked the President to invite BNP in the discussion and wished success of the President's initiative to form the EC.

Khaleda Zia said her party would extend all-out cooperation to the President in forming the new EC.

Earlier on November 18, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia placed a 13-point proposal for forming the new EC and called for reconstituting the EC in consultation with representatives of all registered political parties or with representatives of all political parties who over different periods had representation in the National Parliament.

Later Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at a press conference on December 3 said, "She [Khaleda] has made her proposal; now she can tell the President about it, and he would make the decision ... we've nothing to say ... according to the rules, the President will consider their proposal."


BCL leader shot at in 'DU hall'

Staff Reporter :

A leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was allegedly shot at by own pistol in a room at Haji Mohammad Mohsin Hall of Dhaka University (DU) in the small hours of Sunday.

The injured leader has been identified as Abdullah Al Zubayer Bhuiyan,Vice-President of the BCL DU unit, hall sources said.

He was shifted to a private hospital from Dhaka Medical College and Hospital early Sunday, they said.

Zubayer has been shot in the leg, said DMCH Police Outpost In-Charge Bachchu Mia.

Besides, Jahirul Islam, President of the BCL Mohsin Hall unit claimed that

Zubayer was on a motorcycle with two other leaders when he was shot in front of Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) office on the Sonargaon Road, adjacent to the DU staff quarters around 1:40am on Sunday.

"They were returning to their residential hall, when a car blocked them. The driver turned around sensing danger but immediately came under fire from the car," he said. He, however, could not say who might have attacked them.

Abdul Aziz, an on-duty night guard of BANBEIS, said that they did not see any shooting incident there on Saturday night.

Samrat Mamun, a tea stall owner in the area also claimed that no shooting incident took place near BANBEIS area.

Contacted, Motahar Hossain alias Prince, General Secretary of BCL DU unit, told The New Nation, "Zubayer was shot at by miscreants from a car in the area."

Abu Bakr Siddique, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, said, "Zubayer, along with his two friends, were returning to Mohsin Hall from Palashi intersection riding a bike at night."

Police are investigating the incident though nobody claimed the incident to the police, the OC said.
Extra-judicial killing continues

It's unconstitutional, say experts 143, out of 173, killed in crossfire in 11 months, reports ASK

Gulam Rabbani :

Extra-Judicial killing in the hands of law enforcement agencies in the name of 'crossfire' continues. 173 people have been killed in 11 month of 2016 by law enforcers. Of them, 143 killed so called 'cross-fired'.

Legal experts said, any kind of extra-judicial killing is unconstitutional. Our Constitution has given rights of life to everyone, they said.

Article 32 of our Constitution said, "No person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty save in accordance with law."

Article 31 is about right to protection law. The Article said, 'To enjoy the protection of the law, and to be treated in accordance with law,and only in accordance with law, is the inalienable right of every citizen, wherever he may be, and of every other person for the time being within Bangladesh, and in particular no action detrimental to the life, liberty, body, reputation or property of any person shall be taken except in accordance with law.'

Human Rights Organization Ain o Salish Kendra in a recently published report said, 173 people have been killed by law enforcement agencies from January to November of 2016. The agencies killed 143 people in crossfire.

According to the report, 111 people had gone under crossfire before arrest and 32 while in custody. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had cross-fired 48 people, Police 81, DB Police 13, BGB/Police one.

The report also said, police killed 5 persons torturing them physically before arrest by this time. BD Police, Ansar Police and Rail Police killed 3 people torturing them physically in custody.

Two people committed suicide in police custody, the report said. RAB, Police, DB Police, BGB, RAB, BGB Police and Army killed 12 in shootouts before arrest. Police killed 3 people in shootout after arrest. Four people died of sick in custody and one person's death was mysterious, the report said.

Senior Advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court and former President of Supreme Court Bar Association Khandker Mahbub Hossain told The New Nation that, "Any kind of extra-judicial killing is unconstitutional. Our Constitution has given rights of life to everyone."

The veteran lawyer also said that government knew the law enforcers who were involved with these killing. So they should take action against them. Otherwise, they would must take responsibility.

Human Rights Activists Advocate Monjil Morshed said many are going to die in the hands of law enforcement agencies. Some of them have been killed in extra-judicial process. This was totally unconstitutional. He also said that he hoped government would take action against responsible cops.
Rushanara Ali in city

Main focus on trade, investment

Special Correspondent :

The UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Bangladesh, Rushanara Ali MP, arrived in Dhaka

on Sunday to reaffirm the importance that her country attaches to its trade and investment with Bangladesh.

This is her first visit to Bangladesh as a trade envoy, according to information provided by the British High Commission's official website.

The view of her visit will be reaffirming the importance the UK attaches to its trade and investment with Bangladesh while the Britain is the second largest foreign investor in Bangladesh, diplomatic sources said.

During her visit, the Bangladesh-born British envoy will meet members of the UK business community in Bangladesh, industry and business leaders, political leaders and senior members of the Government.

Marking Rushanara Ali's visit, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Ms Alison Blake, said: "Ms Ali's visit is a sign of our commitment to build our trade and investment relationship with Bangladesh. Her visit is a timely opportunity to discuss our commitments to build prosperity for both the countries, supporting Bangladesh's economic development, and to identify ways to further strengthen our commercial and trade ties."

It is to be noted that, the UK has strong business interests in Bangladesh. Over 240 British companies are operating in different sectors, including retail, banking, energy, infrastructure, consultancy and education, with main centres of operation in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet.

The UK is also the third single largest destination for exports from Bangladesh.

Rushanara Ali said: "This is my first visit to Bangladesh as a Trade Envoy. Besides our historic ties, Bangladesh has exciting opportunities for British companies as its economy is growing impressively. As a great trading nation we in the UK are keen to deepen our trade relationship with Bangladesh.

"During this visit I will discuss mutual prosperity goals with political and business partners. International trade and investment can be a force for good, creating prosperity and opportunity as well as supporting innovation and creativity. I am also keen to ensure Britain continues to have a strong partnership with Bangladesh in promoting further development and tackling the threat of Climate Change," she said.

Rushanara Ali is the Labour Party MP for the Constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow. In her Parliamentary career, she has been Shadow Minister for Education and International Development and a member of the Parliamentary Treasury Select Committee. She currently serves as a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee for Energy and Climate Change.

Recently, Rushanara Ali, who is also co-chair of all party parliamentary group for Burma, has expressed grave concern over the killings and violence in the Muslim dominated Rakhine State of Myanmar.

Against this backdrop, she along with 70 members has urged the UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to intensify his government's pressure on the Myanmar government and allow full humanitarian access to the Rohingya Muslims in the North Rakhine State of Myanmar.

In the letter she said: "There currently exists an urgent need to prevent further violation on the Rohingya's human rights. With the UN estimating that 30, 000 people are already displaced, many of the Rohingyas are crossing the border into Bangladesh to join the thousands of refugees already seeking asylum."
IAB`s Long March towards Myanmar border foiled

A long march move by Islami Andolan Bangladesh to Myanmar border protesting ongoing persecution on Rohingya Muslims being dispersed by police from city\\\'s Paltan area on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

Police have foiled the pre-announced 'Long March' move of Islami Andolan Bangladesh (IAB) to Myanmar border protesting the ongoing state-endorsed persecution on the Rohingya Muslims.

Several hundred activists of the IAB thronged Jatrabari area on Sunday morning to start the journey, but police dispersed them from the spot, said IAB Publicity Secretary Md Abdul Kaiyum.

He also said that they were consequently compelled to hold a rally in front of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in Paltan area.

"We gathered at Jatrabari instead of the National Press Club to

launch the programme as per the earlier instruction of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Asaduzzaman Miah. But police foiled peaceful programme without any reason. They also picked up our few activists and snatched the keys of cars," said Abdul Kaiyum.

Farid Uddin, Deputy Commissioner of Wari Division, told The New Nation on Sunday, "Police dispersed the activists of IAB as we have not received any official order to allow their Long March programme."

Police released the detained activists of the party after taking bond in the afternoon, the OC said.


An attempted sabotage!

Glitch in PM`s flight:9 suspended so far : Probe bodies for legal action

Staff Reporter :



The Authorities will file a criminal case against accused persons in preliminary investigation to further investigate into any attempted sabotage with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flight that made an emergency landing on her way to Hungary last month.



"A case will be filed against those who have been accused in the three probe reports so that investigators can determine whether it was an attempted sabotage." said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon.



He made the statement in a press conference held at the ministry in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.



Earlier in the morning, the committee formed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) had submitted probe reports over the Prime Minister's flight's emergency landing to the Minister.



"The probe has found human "fault" that led to the incident but it is not clear whether the act was intentional," Menon said adding, "The incident was result of negligence but we have to find out if it was intentional".



The minister however said that in the case, if any prove of sabotage is found, steps would be taken to ensure the highest punishment as per the law against the persons involved.



Biman Bangladesh Airlines have already suspended nine of its officials for their negligence to duty that led to emergency landing of the Premier's Hungary flight on November 27.



Minister Menon said he will summarise the findings and recommendations of the findings and meet with the Prime Minister within a couple of days to determine the next course of action.



He said the probe reports will also be handed over to the Prime Minister.





Replying to a query, he said apart from the officials suspended, names of some more people might come up. He, however, did not disclose any names. "We are examining whether criminal case will be filed against those already suspended," he added.



On November 23, a VVIP flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to make an emergency landing at Ashgabat International Airport in the capital of Turkmenistan on her way to a UN Water Summit in Budapest, Hungary.



The plane was carrying 99 passengers including the Premier, four cockpit crew, 20 cabin crew and four aircraft engineers.



The fuel pressure of the aircraft was abnormally falling due to a technical glitch, according to a Biman official.



Sources said there were some technical glitches when the aircraft was flying over the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan border. After noticing the rapid decline in fuel pressure, the captain of the aircraft decided to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport at Ashgabat International Airport of Turkmenistan.



The aircraft safely landed at Ashgabat airport for inspection and repairs. Four onboard flight engineers examined the engine and discovered a loose nut in the lubricant oil system. The engineers tightened the nut and replaced the lubricant oil. After completing the repairs, the captain operated a test flight for a final check-up. The entire procedure took a little over four hours.




Canadian among seven dead in Karak shooting

BBC Online :

A Canadian tourist and four police officers have been killed in gun attacks in and near the Jordanian city of Karak, officials say.

Unidentified gunmen went on a shooting spree before fleeing to an ancient castle in the city and taking several tourists hostage.

Jordanian officials said events began with a shoot-out between police and armed men at a house near Karak. The gunmen then fled by car into the city.

Nine other people have been wounded.

No group has admitted carrying out the attacks.

"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen," a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate said.

One report said some tourists had been released, but this was not confirmed. It is not clear how many are trapped inside Karak's Crusader-era castle.

The statement said gunmen had also shot at a security patrol before they reached the castle. Once inside they opened fire on a police station, a statement said.

It is not clear if all the fatalities took place at the castle.

Jordan is a close ally of the US and a member of the US-led coalition fighting the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq.

US forces have trained a small group of Syrian rebels in Jordan as well as Iraqi and Palestinian security forces.
Bin Laden`s son denied entry to Egypt

The Etemaad :

Osama Bin Laden's son Omar was refused entry to Egypt, airport sources claimed on Saturday (17 December).

The 34-year-old had been travelling with his British wife, Zaina al Sabah.According to Reuters, no reason was given as to why Bin Laden was listed as banned from entering the country.

The couple had previously been denied entry in 2008, despite having lived in Egypt for some time during both 2007 and 2008.Egypt is not the first country Omar Bin Laden has had problems with accessing, having previously been denied entry to the UK, where he planned to take up residence with his wife, near Northwich in Cheshire.Reports at the time suggested the application for residency was turned down because of the anticipated public outrage it may cause.Omar Bin Laden had been free to travel in other EU states.Speaking at the time the story broke, Omar Bin Laden's lawyer said: "[It] seems that an individual's rights have been overridden by newspaper articles

and his biological relation relationship to his father."The refusal was thought to have been based on an interview in which Omar Bin Laden said he could not be 100% certain that his father, Osama, had been responsible for the 9/11 and 7 July terrorist attacks in New York and London.Omar Bin Laden is said to have severed relations with his father in 2000, a year before the 9/11 terror attacks destroyed New York's Twin Towers.Speaking to the Associated Press in 2008, Omar Bin Laden told of his desire to be an "ambassador for peace". However, he said it was not always easy, faced with the stigma of being the son of the infamous Al-Qaeda boss.He said: "It's about changing the ideas of the Western mind lot of people think Arabs, especially the Bin Ladens, especially the sons of Osama, are all terrorists.

This is not the truth."Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Special Forces after a 10-year international man hunt in 2011, at a compound in Pakistan.
The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
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The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

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Americas elite financial magazine hosted this invitation-only, three-day conference gathering the top recognized female financial advisers in the country. To receive an invitation to this event, one must be designated as an adviser in the top 1 percent of your firm.
WEST FRANKFORT  The yeas have it. In a 10-6 vote, the eighth hour United Nations decided during their Thursday meeting at Frankfort High School to send peacekeeping troops into Syria. In a narrower vote, the council agreed 9-6 to pass a resolution to cease the use of coal by the year 2050.

Stephanie Whittington, the delegate representing Mexico, had concerns about loss of jobs in her country but said global climate change is too great a concern to not address swiftly.

We can choose between losing jobs or losing lives, she said.

In a meeting that spanned two days, the convening nations covered five topics  the global economy, terrorism, cyber security, climate change and immigration reform. Their sessions lasted 47 minutes and were punctuated by the sound of a bell.

UN Commissioner General, and Franklin Community High School civics teacher Mike Karoski, said he loved watching his classes debate.

Im really pleased with their research and their presentation, Karoski said.

For the last week and half, his senior civics classes have studied foreign policy and used the model UN as a way to show what they learned. Students picked at random from a list of countries and researched their assigned nation. Karoski told kids they would be the expert in the room regarding their given country and its government. He liked what he saw.

I think they took the challenge well, he said after the end of the first day of debate.

The last year has had plenty of teachable moments for Karoski and his class. He said the election has provided a lot of topics, and during their foreign policy unit, he said the talked often about what a Donald Trump presidency could mean in terms of foreign relations.

We spent last week looking primarily at the Trump administration and what our foreign policy may be and how it may change, Karoski said.

He added that his students were concerned about his level of experience. Given the rhetoric of Trumps campaign, Karoski also said his classes talked about the idea of isolationism versus internationalism.

Karoski said the primary objective of this UN project was to broaden his students horizons, to make them aware of what is happening in the world around them.

His idea seems to have worked. He said several students told him before researching for the project, they did not realize the conditions of life outside the US.

They are so used to growing up in a box here that sometimes they dont realize what its like on the other side of the fence, so-to-speak, he said.

Michalah Troutt, a senior who hopes to study acting, took her part very seriously.

Assigned as a delegate from the United Kingdom, she worked on her accent all week (Karoski gave extra credit for trying to come in character). She said in the week leading up to the event, she dove into UK foreign policy, even making an effort to sit next to real-world allies during her first session. She said participating in this project really broadened her worldview.

This really opened my eyes to how big the world actually is, Troutt said. Karoski considers this mission accomplished.
No permits for horizontal hydraulic fracturing have been issued since the Illinois Department of Natural Resources started taking applications in the fall of 2014. Even so, there were some in Grayville who believed that a well had been fracked in October under the new law.

Campbell Energy LLC recently drilled the well in question in an open field behind a Super 8 hotel. Concerns floated around town about whether that had affected the drinking water, because it had turned a funky color and a boil order was issued late that month.

Our water is disgusting here, I think. I dont drink it. I buy it ... Youve got stuff growing on it thats never grown before, Mike Moutray said, as he stood near the door of Gillards Hardware Store in downtown Grayville shooting the breeze with the checkout clerk, Darrell Neal.

Both say they have concerns about fracking in the Grayville area. They had a big old write up in Oklahoma about it causing earthquakes, Neal said.

Joe Bisch, the mayor, also assumed the activity behind the Super 8 utilized the high-volume hydraulic fracturing process allowed under the new Illinois law. Bisch said he made that assumption based on the fact that the company had purchased, for about $20,000, in the neighborhood of a million gallons of water from the city around that time.

Jakob Campbell, a co-owner of Carmi-based Campbell Energy, has another explanation. The water was not brought in for the purpose of fracking, he said. Campbell said the company did pay for about a million gallons, but the majority of it wasnt used on site. The crew intentionally overestimated need because if they ran out of water, the process would have to start anew and water is the cheapest part of the process, Cambell said.

He said Cambell Energy has some problems with the drilling that required the use of more water than a typical job. We lost circulation. That well actually was a nightmare, he said. After hitting a porous streak, the walls of the well broke down, Campbell said, and it required an abundance of fluid to mix with circulation materials to overcome the break and seal it off.

It didnt go quite as planned, Campbell said, but it was not a high-volume horizontal frack, which would fall under the states regulations. A typical vertical well that is fracked, as this one was, uses about 8,000 gallons to 20,000 gallons, and in this particular case, about 300,000 gallons were used to overcome the breakdown of the well, he said.

Bisch said that there may have been a mild discoloration of the water related to the large amount pumped into a tank at the drilling site. But the bulk of the problem was unrelated, he said. The mayor said the city had its water tanks cleaned in late October, and the next weekend, there was an electrical glitch, the generator didnt kick over and the tanks went dry.

Some of the citys water pipes are more than 100 years old and constructed of cast iron. Deposits have built up inside the line. When the tanks were refilled, the rush of water disturbed the settlement inside the pipes. That caused the discoloration in some peoples drinking water. It was really bad in some places, he said, and a boil order was in place from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. The city is working in coordination with several nearby communities to build a joint water filtration system, which should clear up the drinking water supply, he said.

That said, conventional drilling is utilizing more water in the Illinois Basin than it used to, Campbell explained.

The Illinois Basin is a mature basin. Its been producing since 1906. So all of the easy oil has already been produced, Campbell said. What we are having to look at currently today to make these wells economical and make them work, we have to frack multiple pay zones.

So instead of only fracking one interval with 10,000 gallons of water, companies now are having to frack three intervals with 10,000 gallons each, and sometimes as many as seven or eight intervals, which could consume upwards of 80,000 gallons of water. But its nowhere near the amount used in the horizontal fracturing process.

For the large amount of water it can use and the perceived threat of drinking water contamination, that process remains controversial in Illinois and can easily elicit strong emotions. And it did when Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus hosted an expert in petroleum and environmental geochemistry from the University of Oklahoma earlier this month. Paul Philp, a professor emeritus, delivered a rather staid presentation titled The Fracking Revolution in the Oil and Gas Business.

He began by saying he wasnt for or against fracking, but rather was asked to present on the science of the process and recent developments in the industry.

Philps efforts to keep the talk non-political didnt prevent the event from turning a bit contentious. During the question-and-answer portion at the end, a man in the audience accuses Philp of glossing over facts  cherry picking information and claiming no one had been injured by fracking. Theres a lot of people whove been injured by fracking, the audience member said forcefully.

I dont remember saying it didnt injure anybody, Philp responded as the back-and-forth continued.

Philp said he doesnt disagree with some of the apprehension over fracking. He cites concerns that tremors and earthquakes are induced by the disposal water deep into the ground. He also notes the ramifications of moving heavy equipment into some environmentally sensitive areas and problems with old abandoned wells leaking methane. He acknowledges concerns that exist about contamination of the groundwater, although he said that the number of fresh water aquifers that have been polluted by the process are minimal.

Philp said that overall, there are many aspects of hydraulic fracturing that are misunderstood  by the general public, environmentalist, industry people and scientific experts.

You just seem to be going on and on about how this is so wonderful, the audience member said to Philp at the end of the exchange. But, he said, that everywhere fracking has happened, it seems to have left behind environmental disasters.

Philp disagrees. I dont think it is an environmental disaster, He said. Im not saying its perfectly clean either. There are issues. There are issues with any type of energy consumption.

This story is the product of a collaboration between The Southern Illinoisan and Illinois Issues, which is produced by NPR Illinois in Springfield. Illinois Issues is in-depth reporting and analysis that takes you beyond the headlines to provide a deeper understanding of our state.
When Cobden Junior-Senior High School Principal Crystal Housman and several teachers attended a PLC (professional learning community) conference five years ago, they decided they wanted their school to become a professional learning community.

They have surpassed that original goal. In November, the school was recognized by Solution Tree for as one of only 200 Model Professional Learning Communities in the United States and Canada.

A professional learning community is a school or district that understands the key to learning for students is ongoing, job-embedded learning for the adults who serve those students. PLCs call upon educators to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture and create a results orientation.

Housman said that meant the school had to change its culture, thinking and focus.

We decided we were not going to allow students to fail. So we started making changes in the way we were thinking and operating, Housman said. We baby-stepped the process, adding new things each year.

One of the first things they did was to no longer allow students to not do their homework. The school provided a guided study during the lunch period to get homework done.

A lot of adults think you are teaching them to be irresponsible if they are not doing homework on time. Our focus is on learning. If they are not doing their homework, they are not learning, Housman explained.

The school saw an 80 percent decrease in the number of failures in the first year.

In Housmans experience, students who are allowed to not be successful begin to expect failure. I cant do it becomes part of their thinking.

The best part of this is watching those students flourish, Housman said.

Staff documented each change and the results of the change, and some things did not work.

We dont try things in fear of failing. If it doesnt work, we change it, Housman said.

Teachers meet twice each week after school to discuss their progress and struggles, as well as individual student achievement. They try to end each meeting with something positive

Our teachers work really hard without complaint because they see the success we are having, Housman said.

One extra benefit resulted from their implementation. When student growth became part of teacher evaluation process, Cobden teachers did not panic. They were already doing that.

Housman said the PLC model is designed for larger schools, so it takes a little creative scheduling. Cobden is unique because it houses junior and senior high school students.

They have added PLCs without additional funding. Also, they have seen a reduction in staff the past five years.

We had to think creatively to make it work, Housman said. We still have great room for improvement, but we all recognize that.

Staff began working on the application process and were denied the first time they submitted it. Housman said it makes them feel good to know that not everyone who applies is recognized.

This is how it should be done everywhere. You should want your students to be successful, and if not, what is your plan? Housman said.
Old-fashioned bicycles dressed for the holidays with holly-trimmed baskets line North Street, the thoroughfare that cuts through Grayvilles downtown. The quaint streets offerings include trinket shops, a hardware store, a Moose Lodge and a community theater.

A bevy of women dressed in purple suits and red hats chat as they exit their vehicles and file into the Grayville Senior Citizens Center for their Red Hat Society gathering.

Across the street, The Wabash Theaters marquee announces, President Lincoln speaks Thursday at 6 p.m. It was advertising a re-enactment that took place at the nearly 70-year-old renovated community theater in the spring. But left unchanged months after the one-man show, the proclamation on the marquee fit the flavor of this sleepy little town seemingly frozen in time.

Around the corner at City Hall, Mayor Joe Bisch has been preparing for an economic revival, or at least an upturn. Hes looking to the oil and gas industry to provide a boost in opportunities for the city, population 1,666, which sits west of the Wabash River on the border between Illinois and Indiana.

The town has slated a new industrial park on Illinois 1 near Interstate 64. Its located on the site of an abandoned state prison. Construction began there under the administration of then-Gov. George Ryan, but the state walked away from the project not long after then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office in 2003.

Bisch has jobs in his sights. He and other city leaders are hoping to do with the private sector what the state could not: provide new economic opportunities for Grayville and surrounding communities.

After Illinois adopted a law regulating horizontal hydraulic fracturing, Bisch and others in Southern Illinois had hoped the oil and gas industry would play a big role in creating those new opportunities. But so far, the economic promise of fracking has yet to materialize.

No permits for hydraulic fracturing have been issued since the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced it would begin taking applications in November 2014. That was at the same time the oil prices started to crash, said Mike Mankowski, director of IDNRs Oil and Gas program. As everybody knows, oil prices have been down ever since.

Confusion and tensions linger about fracking in Southern Illinois No permits for horizontal hydraulic fracturing have been issued since the Illinois Departmen

Betting on oils return

A new Road Ranger gas station has moved into the industrial park area, as has a company called Rain for Rent, which provides potable water storage solutions primarily for the oil industry. The Subway and M&S Tire store have relocated to that section of town. The hardware store is expected to open in the coming weeks. Bisch said another fast food restaurant also is eyeing the location.

But the real grand slam would be a firm commitment from Pioneer Oil Co. to locate in the industrial park. Bisch said the company has indicated plans to put two associated businesses there that supply equipment used for extracting oil and gas by hydraulic fracturing. We hoped theyd be starting on it this year, but Im hearing through the grapevine theyre going to wait until next year, Bisch said. Pioneer Oil did not return a call seeking comment as of press time about any future plans it may have for Grayville.

City leaders are bringing a new water well online, capable of pumping upwards of 2,000 gallons per minute, more than double the strength of existing city wells, to serve new industrial growth  including potential hydraulic fracturing operations that can suck water by the millions of gallons.

Bisch said he understands that oil and gas extraction is not without controversy in Illinois, particularly high-volume hydraulic horizontal fracturing. But he said the debate boils down to ones perspective, and his is one of great admiration for an industry that has been an economic engine in the region.

You go by and smell a hog farm, and you dont like that smell. But to a hog farmer, thats money to him. Its the same thing with oil, said Bisch, who was wearing a T-shirt on this particular day that featured an American flag and read God Bless Small Town USA.

Hydraulic fracturing, often referred to as fracking, is the process by which a mixture of water, chemicals and sand are pumped into the ground to fracture a source rock  typically gray or black shale but limestone and other rock formations, as well  allowing trapped oil and gas to escape.

The process has been used in the Illinois Basin since the 1950s, though almost exclusively vertically and in a process that uses substantially less water than is consumed in the horizontal fracturing process. With horizontal fracturing, high volumes of water are used to break rock structures that can stretch horizontally for miles.

Debate leads to deep divisions

Its been three and a half years since then-Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law Illinois first and only piece of comprehensive legislation specifically regulating horizontal high-volume hydraulic fracturing in Illinois. Though its passage was preceded by months of protests, lawmakers at the time heralded it as the strictest fracking law in the country.

It was another year and a half after the laws passage before the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved the regulatory permit process, and the IDNR announced it was ready to accept applications.

Many people throughout Southern Illinois took sides in the debate. Some stood in strong support of an industry they were certain would bring new jobs and economic growth to a depressed swath of the state that has bled manufacturing and coal mining jobs. And others protested in vehement opposition to a drilling method they were convinced would contaminate the water supply, induce earthquakes and wreak havoc on the magnificent natural landscape that stretches across Southern Illinois and includes the Shawnee National Forest.

The legislative process was contentious, and IDNR was flooded with thousands of comments during the rulemaking process. Groups opposing and supporting the law sued state policymakers. The former argued that the rulemaking process violated procedural requirements and should therefore be voided, and the latter claimed the long process and onerous rules stymied activity at a time ripe for exploration, resulting in an illegal taking of private property rights without just compensation.

The bitter discourse resulted in deep divisions throughout the region. And then nothing happened.

Oil prices fall dramatically

As Illinois considered a new fracking law, oil extraction by horizontal fracking boomed in other parts of the country. That contributed to oil prices falling as more crude oil was produced than needed. In September 2014, oil prices began to fall from the roughly $100 a barrel prices that had held for about a decade. By January 2016, U.S. crude oil prices plummeted below $27 for the first time since 2003. Illinois Basin oil producers prices generally lag about $7 behind national ones, meaning producers throughout southeastern Illinois were fetching less than $20 a barrel.

In late November, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced it had reached a deal to reduce its oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day in an effort to raise global prices.

Global prices increased for a few days after the November 30 announcement, with U.S. prices reaching just under $52 a barrel, and then fell slightly again in the face of skepticism that the OPEC cartel could effectively pull off enforcement of the deal. The OPEC cartel is responsible for a third of global oil production and comprises 13 major oil-exporting countries. New production through unconventional methods, primarily hydraulic fracturing, in the United States has weakened OPECs grip on market prices and drastically changed the global oil game.

Mankowski from IDNR said that two companies  Kimmeridge Tri-State Exploration, LLC and Woolsey Operating Co., LLC  registered to apply for hydraulic fracturing permits, a step required before the actual application is filed. No company has taken that next step in asking for a permit. Mankowski said he assumes that there may be renewed interested in the permitting process if oil prices rebound. If an application is made by a company, the law provides 60 days for it to be processed, he said.

Jakob Campbell, a co-owner of Campbell Energy LLC, based in Carmi, said he doesnt expect to see oil prices reach $100 a barrel again in the foreseeable future. He expects prices will hover in the $40-to-$60 range, barring any unpredictable market changes.

While consumers have welcomed the lower crude oil prices at the pump, the oil glut has dogged much of the domestic industry. The price drop beginning in 2014 brought new activity and development to a near screeching halt throughout much of the United States, including in southeastern Illinois.

Campbell Energys activity has been reduced by 70 percent since 2014, he said. But that hasnt prevented the company from positioning itself for the return of the market. The company recently drilled a new well in Grayville. The pump jack, sitting on the far end of a farm field behind a hotel, comes into view on the drive into Grayville, but its not producing oil at this time.

With the prices being down, the prices of service costs have gone down dramatically, he said. What were looking to do is drill the wells while all the input costs are cheap and then wait to produce the wells until we see some rising oil prices.

When will it make sense to begin extracting oil again? Campbell said any estimate is speculation at this point. Hopefully it will pretty soon, but they said that in the 1980s, and it took about 20 years to come back. So it might be a long process, he said.

Even then, Campbell said he doesnt think horizontal hydraulic fracturing will ever really take off in Illinois.

Odds stacked against fracking

Campbell gave several reasons for his prediction, including the strict regulations on horizontal fracking in Illinois and the troubled financial state of some of the companies that had considered Illinois as a potential new market. Many of the leases secured by the oil companies from regional landowners, primarily between 2012 and 2014, have expired or soon will. I dont think its going to be a viable play based off their initial results as far as their vertical test wells and whats been done over in Indiana, Campbell said. This is just personal opinion, but I dont think its something that really ever was going to take off in the Illinois Basin.

He said he thinks those companies initially interested in fracking in the region have missed the window. For them to come back in here and to make something happen with that, theyd have to come back in and start from scratch now and start releasing this ground, paying all that capital out again for leases.

A fourth generation oil producer, Campbell got his start in the industry in 2005. He was supportive of the potential for horizontal fracking in Illinois and also favored the addition of new regulations. Campbell said his family has roots in farming dating back to the 1840s, so he wouldnt favor anything he thought would harm the environment or the quality of farmland.

Campbell Energy is believed to be the only company to have ever horizontally fracked a well in Illinois with substantial water volume, though it was not considered a large frack by todays standards. Its not something the company plans to do in the future, Campbell said.

In 2012, the company submitted a well-completion report showing it used 640,000 gallons of water during horizontal fracking of a well in White County, as was reported then by The Associated Press. The new law is triggered by usage of 300,000 gallons or more of water in a horizontal fracture. Campbell said that so-called science well was for exploration purposes. It targeted a shallow reservoir, about 1,000 feet above the New Albany Shale, and it was not successful, he said. At the time, hydraulic fracking was permitted under the existing Illinois Oil and Gas Act.

The technical aspects to do those wells is beyond our capabilities as a company, he said. Its beyond most companies in the basin. You have to be a large company to absorb the cost of these wells, and its just not something we, or really any local companies, have the resources to do.

Opponents stand ready

Annette McMichael, a leader for Illinois Peoples Action, a grassroots social justice organization, has a similar prediction about fracking in Illinois. She said it doesnt appear to be a place that oil companies are likely to consider given the new recent discoveries in other states and the strength of the grassroots advocacy groups in Illinois opposing fracking.

During the height of the debate, McMichael also was a spokeswoman for SAFE, which stands for Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing our Environment. McMichael said that her concerns about fracturing in Illinois have taken a back seat to what she sees as more pressing matters. At the forefront of her agenda at this time is supporting the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in its opposition to construction of the 1,172-mile Dakota Access Pipeline they say passes through sacred burial ground and threatens groundwater.

That pipeline is planned to end in the Illinois oil hub community of Patoka, located about 75 miles north of Carbondale and 85 miles east of St. Louis.

In November 2014, McMichael was among a group of people who sued Quinn, IDNR officials and others in an attempt to stop the states new hydraulic fracturing rules from taking effect. The lawsuit filed in Madison County Circuit Court claimed the agency violated procedures during the rulemaking process, and that the rules therefore should not be enacted.

If any oil company were to consider applying for a fracking permit, McMichael said the opposition stands ready to respond with legal action and peaceful protests. They would have a problem on their hands, she said.

Claims of an illegal taking

The state was hit with other lawsuits during the rulemaking process by the pro-fracking crowd. Amy and James Pollard of Fairfield are among several plaintiff landowners who sued the state as the permitting process dragged on. Amy Pollard said the couple had sold leasing rights for oil production on several hundred acres they own in Wayne County. They were paid for the lease, and hoped to reap future rewards if oil was produced from their land. Their lawsuit blames the state for that lost opportunity.

Pollard called the opposition to fracking ridiculous. They put new laws in place when fracking had been done since the 1940s, she said. Then all of the sudden, fracking becomes a bad thing. I would go to different meetings, and theyd leave pamphlets and things on your car that were just ridiculous.  It just wasnt real. They were making things up.

Pollard said the leases they sold expire next summer. She doesnt know what the future holds for the potential of fracking on her property. I think with the new election, there is hope there might be some activity again, but well have to wait and see what the prices do. Pollard said she believes president-elect Donald Trump will soften over burdensome regulations on U.S. energy producers, providing new opportunities throughout Southern Illinois. She said thats among the reasons she voted for Trump.

Rod Taylor of the Christopher & Taylor law firm in Indianapolis is part of the legal team representing Pollard and other landowners. He is representing Next Energy in a similar case. The suits allege overly onerous regulations and the moratorium on issuing permits prior to the finalization of those regulations amounted to an illegal taking of private property rights without due compensation, as dictated by the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The legal term for the allegation is inverse condemnation.

Last month, a Wayne County Circuit judge denied the states motion to dismiss Next Energys complaint, keeping the case alive. Class action status has been requested in the landowners suit.

If a judge rules there has been a taking, Taylor said the defense has requested that the issue of compensation be decided by a jury.

Certainly, its clear the decline of oil prices has impacted drilling activity, but there was a time before that they could have, he said.

Us vs. them

A lifelong resident of the Grayville area, Mayor Bisch said the opposition to hydraulic fracturing never made a whole lot of sense to him. He grew up around the oil industry and then went to work in it. He brushed off the differences between vertical fracking and the hydraulic horizontal fracturing as little more than nuanced details. He said he felt like most people in White County were for fracking, and said most of the opposition seemed to be centered around Carbondale.

Bisch said the distrust of the oil industry isnt the same in the Illinois Basin as it is in other parts of Southern Illinois. Grayvilles economy has been tied to oil and coal for decades. Oil drilling caused a boom in the 1940s that made it difficult to find housing, and Bisch said people were even renting out their garages at that time.

He said it allowed him to provide a nice life for his family. For years, Bisch ran Midwest Bit Co, which sells bits for drilling oil, gas and water wells. The license plate on his silver Ford F-150 reads 7 Bits.

When he retired several years back, his son, Greg Bisch, took over the business. Next door to the company, Lori Bisch recently opened a jewelry and home goods shop called Bits N Pieces of Home, the name a play on the oil rig drill bits business.

But as oil prices fell, Greg had to take up another job to supplement his income, selling vehicles at Expressway Dodge in Mount Vernon, Indiana. Many people whose livelihoods are tied to the oil and gas industry in Illinois have had to seek jobs across the state line, the mayor said.

Greg still does some business in Grayville, and hopes to return to the bits business full time. But, the mayor said, his daughter-in-laws shop is the only one of the two that has seen increased sales in recent months.

The mayor would like to see the fossil fuel industry bounce back. But he said the town is also trying to attract other sectors, including tech companies and renewable energy. Were talking to anybody that will talk to us about it, Mayor Bisch said. Hopefully theyll like our little town. Were a very close-knit town. Were not far from big city life  bigger city life. And its just a nice community. Hes hoping the future will bring good-paying jobs so young people in Grayville continue to call that community home.

--

This story is the product of a collaboration between The Southern Illinoisan and Illinois Issues, which is produced by NPR Illinois in Springfield. Illinois Issues is in-depth reporting and analysis that takes you beyond the headlines to provide a deeper understanding of our state.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources terminated the lease agreement with the Rend Lake Resort, Inc., according to a news release from the IDNR.

In addition to terminating the lease, the department intends to seek a new operator for the Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center on the Rend Lake at Wayne Fitzgerrell State Recreation Area.

The department cited concerns about the condition of the buildings at Rend Lake Resort and Conference Center, including mold, peeling paint and other possible health and safety related issues. The resort operator notified IDNR of the plans to close the facility.

"The health and safety of Illinoisans is paramount," IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal said in the news release. "The department must take these steps to protect families and valuable state assets."

Last month, IDNR notified the resort of rent delinquency of more than $205,000. The department is also of the belief that the operator owns $14,000 in real estate taxes, $21,000 in utility payments and $47,000 in hotel operator's taxes.

 The Southern
To the Editor:

I just read the latest rant from Culley. I must say I have read his rants before and thought, My, what a misguided individual and just laughed it off.

This latest rant is something quite different. This man is an unrepentant small minded racist bigot. He managed to smear everyone who is not straight or white and all under the guise that God would condone his views. I am not a very religious person, but I was raised to believe God is not discriminatory and has love for all people regardless of your race, sexual orientation or political views.

This person, Culley, professes to be a Christian, but I can assure you he is not. He is a purveyor of hate. Culley uses his religion as a shield to push his bigoted racist views. I have a hard time understanding why The Southern Illinoisan would give him a forum to spew his hate. I am very disappointed. I believe strongly in the first amendment, but what is next, a weekly column written by David Duke?

In my opinion this is completely unacceptable and the paper should no longer publish the hate and mindless dribble that Culley expounds. His view of the United States of freedom is the United States of hatred. And, by the way, I am a white straight baby boomer who did not vote for The Trump Of God.

Wayne F. Klopcic

Carterville
To the Editor:

Today I got the call:

Me: Hello?

Him: Hi, Grandma, it's me.

Me: Oh?

Him: Yeah, sorry, I've got a cold. Don't you recognize me?

Me (in quavery old-lady voice): No.

Him: C'mon. It's your grandson. Don't you know me?

Me (still in old-lady quaver) No. Not really. Is that really you?

Him: Yeah. It's me. . Your oldest grandson.

Me: My oldest?

Him: How many grandsons do you have, anyway?

Me: You ought to know.

Him: It's Michael, Grandma.

Me: Michael, I think you have the wrong number.

Click.

Now, I do have a grandson. Unfortunately for my scam-caller, he's less than six months old, and communicates mainly by gurgles, admittedly precocious ones. But I have friends who may be inadvertentaly taken in by this scam and want to send a warning.

Do not give personal information away, for example, by answering, "Oh, is that you Jimmy? (or whatever your grandson's name is). The next part of the conversation, according to friends who've also had these calls, is that the purported grandson is in trouble in Mexico, Haiti, or some other location, and please don't tell his parents, but he needs $500 wired right away to this address.

Good grief. Do they think we're senile?

Answer: yes, enough to make a profit on yet another scam.

Robin M. Haller

Carbondale
Orangeburgs Family Health Centers is finding new ways to take services into its communities. Thats helping its bottom line, too, its chief executive officer says.

We developed a sound financial system. We have many revenue streams today. When I came on, we only had two sources, FHC CEO Leon Brunson Sr. said in a recent interview. Those sources were grants under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act and patient fees.

Thats not enough to sustain a federally qualified health center. You have to have more revenue streams. Pharmacy is a big revenue stream. You have to look at other funding sources to really make a difference, he said.

Brunson will celebrate his sixth anniversary as the health centers top officer on Dec. 31. He said he is proud of the centers progress.

Orangeburgs Family Health Centers Inc. has grown its operating budget by more than 100 percent from $10 million to $21 million and is steadily expanding access to care to its most vulnerable service population.

The FHC has its main Orangeburg site on Magnolia Street in Orangeburg, along with six satellites sites in Denmark, Vance, Holly Hill, Norway, St. Matthews and St. George.

Three new, full-time pharmacies have been opened at the sites in Norway, Denmark and St. Matthews with the help of an expanded service grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The agency also received a clean audit for the last fiscal year.

We received no recommendations in our audit. This is the first time Family Health Centers has ever received a clean audit. By virtue of that, it opened the doors for many funding opportunities for us, Brunson said. He also touted the leadership of FHC Chief Financial Officer Shasonda Amos.

FHC Board Chairman Dr. Sam Alston said he is very pleased with FHCs fiscal soundness. He hopes to enhance health care delivery with a particular focus on children, women, veterans and migrant workers.

Theyre all welcome to any of our clinics. Were getting the board to focus more on those areas. With a clean financial audit, we have no financial problems with our bookkeeping procedures, and I want to shout out loud that anyone who visits any of our clinics receives affordable, professional health care, Alston said.

FHC was accredited by the Joint Commission in 2002, verifying it is in compliance with nationally recognized standards. It will undergo its third reaffirmation process in the spring.

The FHC was the first primary care medical home in the state to be accredited by the Joint Commission.

Brunson said FHC has successfully grown in its ability to deliver comprehensive and high-quality preventive and primary health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.

FHC served 21,549 patients last year. The center employs 246, including 184 direct employees.

This year alone, we generated $9.6 million in federal dollars, the highest thats ever been generated at Family Health Centers, Brunson said.

Earlier this year, the agency received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build a new, free-standing facility in Denmark.

Construction will start in early January on the facility, which will include three full-time providers, a pharmacy and behavioral health, care coordination and nutrition services, Brunson said.

FHC also received a $1 million grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help get more eligible children enrolled in Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has also included the FHC in a cardiovascular disease risk reduction study model designed to reduce stroke and heart attack risk in Medicare patients 65 and older.

Another outstanding thing we have going on is telehealth, which connects patients at FHC sites with specialists at the Medical University of South Carolina via telecommunications technology, Brunson said.

The agency also participates in the South Carolina Health Information Exchange program, which gives health care providers real-time access to a patients medical history  with their consent.

The FHC has also created a new logo and will be replacing the roofs at each of its locations with green metal roofing to coordinate with its new brand. New LED signs including message boards are also being placed in front of all FHC locations.

They will advertise what is going on inside like, for example, flu shots. It identifies it as a Family Health Center facility, which is part of our branding package, Brunson said.

The center also has two new dental and optometry mobile units which will be traveling across The T&D Region to provide free vision and dental exams, along with teeth cleaning, for uninsured individuals beginning Dec. 12.

We realize that patients do not have transportation to come to us, so we want to take the service to patients. We also want to reach out into the communities where there are uninsured individuals. Hopefully we can sign them up for Medicaid or affordable care by the time they get their eyes checked and have a cleaning, Brunson said.

We funded the optometry unit from our operating funds, and we received a $525,000 grant from (U.S. Department of) Health and Human Services for our dental unit. Were going to continue this forever. Its part of our scope, and were going to keep it, he said.

The FHC is also among the non-U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs providers who are authorized to provide care to eligible veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility, or would have to wait more than 30 days from the date of an appointment.

Veterans can receive the same care that they would receive at the Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia for any service FHC provides, Brunson said.

The VA would have to give prior approval to them coming to us. The veterans would not be charged, but the VA would reimburse us for providing that service. We would bill the VA at our Medicare rate, he said.

Brenda Williams, vice president of strategy and compliance at the Regional Medical Center, said the RMC and its physician practices have also provided health care to veterans under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act since 2014.

In 2015, we offered a colonoscopy program specifically for our veteran population in conjunction with the VA hospital, Williams said.

Brunson said he is concerned about the future of health care, particularly since there has been discussion of repealing the Affordable Care Act. There has been also discussion about giving states more control over Medicaid, with that control coming in the form of block grants.

We dont know how severe its going to be, but I dont think theyll be able to repeal the Affordable Care Act because there are too many good parts to it. ... But they are going to do something, and we are afraid of what is going to happen, Brunson said.

Hospitals and community health care centers across the country are equally concerned about block grant proposals.

They put all the Medicaid and Medicare money into that block grant. That doesnt mean well get a share, or that the money is going to be distributed in the state of South Carolina correctly, Brunson said.

In the meantime, the FHC is planning on constructing a training facility beginning next year for its employees to stay ahead of ever-changing technology developments in health care.

It will keep our employees updated in the latest technology in their areas, too, so we will not grow obsolete when it comes to patient care. The medical field changes so fast, so youve got to have something to train the employees. You cant send them all across the country and hope to retain them, he said.

We feel that if we train our people, they will stay with us.
Regional Medical Center trustees are asking to change the hospitals contract with its management company.

The change would allow RMC to hire its own chief executive officer, instead of the position being filled by a QHR employee.

Trustees voted eight to six on Thursday to enter into an advisory arrangement for the remaining two years of RMCs contract with Tennessee-based QHR.

The board's decision will take effect if QHR agrees to the change, hospital attorney Bob Horger said. A decision could be made before the hospital's Dec. 22 board meeting.

Trustees and Horger declined to provide a reason why RMC is seeking the change.

Under an advisory contract, QHR would serve in an advisory and consultative role, meaning trustees would seek to hire a new CEO outside of QHR.

The hospital has been in a management contract with QHR for over two decades.

Currently, the hospital's only QHR employee is 67-year-old Tom Dandridge, who has served as the hospital's CEO since 1993. He has served as only the hospital's second CEO in the past 50 years.

Dandridge declined comment on the matter, referring all questions to Horger.

"Under the current contract, the hospital cannot employ the CEO that is placed in the hospital by Quorum at the end of the contract," Horger said. "The question becomes whether or not Quorum will waive it."

"If they waive it, the board will be free to hire Tom," Horger said. "If they don't waive it, they wouldn't be."

Horger stressed to trustees he does not know what QHR would decide.

"I cant speak specifically to the discussions from the meeting, but ... I can pass along that the Regional Medical Center has been a Quorum client for 23 years, and we are happy to discuss an agreement that will continue to meet their needs," QHR representative Rosemary Plorin said by email.

The hospital would have about 90 days to retain a new CEO if QHR agrees to enter the advisory agreement.

The board met in closed session for about an hour before returning to open session and taking the vote.

Prior to the vote, trustee William Wilson questioned if the advisory contract means the hospital would still be responsible for paying QHR and consultants to help hire a new CEO.

"Would we spend more money?" Wilson said.

Horger said if the board chooses not to retain Dandridge and decides to hire a new CEO, it might consider a consulting arrangement.

Among those opposing the change was Dr. Arden Weathers, chairman of the hospital's Medical Executive Committee.

"The Medical Executive Committee will not support the motion you made," Weathers said.

Seven years ago, several doctors came to the support of Dandridge after rumors began to circulate that Dandridge was going to be let go.

At the time, the Medical Executive Committee held a special meeting to express support for Dandridge.

Trustee Kenneth Rickenbaker also expressed his concerns about Thursday's vote.

"I don't think people know what they are voting for," he said.

Wilson said, "If the motion passed under the advisory contract, I am not clear whether that is saying that Tom will still be the CEO for two years or does Quorum decide that.

"I don't know the answer to that," Horger said. "The question has to be put to Quorum: Will they waive that provision in the contract if you wish to do so?"

Trustee Dr. Franklin Coulter, who was listening via teleconference, said his hand was up in opposition to the advisory arrangement.

But Trustee Betty Henderson reminded Coulter that he could not vote by phone.

Chairman Melvin Seabrooks, who has been delegated as the spokesperson for the board, declined comment on the issue until Horger talks with QHR about the board's decision.

"Let Bob do what he needs to do and what the board has charged him to do first," Seabrooks said.

Seabrooks said as far as hospital operations and quality of service, are concerned it is business as usual.

As chairman, Seabrooks does not vote on matters unless there is a tie vote.

Prior to the vote, trustee Milton Dufford made a motion to extend the QHR management contract for a year to allow the hospital to have more time to make an appropriate assessment of where it stands and its options. The motion was voted down eight to six.

The board's decision comes as the hospital's finances turned around last fiscal year, with the hospital receiving about $2 million more than it spent during the past year.

The hospital system, including Edisto Regional Health Services, lost $3.5 million the year before.

RMCs administration implemented a financial turnaround plan over the past year in an effort to improve the system's finances, which were consistently showing losses.

As part of the plan, RMC reduced overtime and some full-time work schedules, focused on flexing of staff and filled only emergent vacant positions.
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The northern UAE emirate of Umm Al Quwain is all set to launch the second phase of its free trade zone facility, which will include a smart city.



In keeping stride with the UAEs vision for sustainable economic development and decreased reliance on oil and gas industries, the Umm Al Quwain Free Trade Zone (UAQ FTZ) has picked up steam over the past year.



Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, the free zone has undergone a complete infrastructure makeover  both physically and digitally, said senior officials at the UAQ FTZ.



With the infrastructure masterplan already complete for Phase Two of the industrial area, which will house offices, labour accommodations, warehouses and residential complexes, UAQ FTZ looks to build a smart city where people will able to walk to work.



"Renewable energy, education, health, technology, water and space will be the primary target industries for us," remarked Johnson George, the general manager of UAQ FTZ.



Once Phase Two comes to fruition, the free zone will function as an independent industrial city with amenities for its employees and residents like a hospital, shopping centres, a school, a hotel and even an exhibition and convention centre, thereby promoting the walk to work concept.



The current ERP/CRM system of the free trade zone will become centralised to help its clients record sales, leads, account statements and other business activities, stated George.



Plans are also in place for a revamp of the website to facilitate online submission of company formation documents and automated issuing of licenses. The security mainframe and its peripherals have been set up to meet UAEs high standards of safety, he added.



UAQ FTZ has enjoyed a success-brimmed 2016, having already issued over 1,500 business licences and taking the overall count 2500-plus.



"This has been possible because of the foreign direct investment from countries like India, UK, France and from the other Asian subcontinent," remarked George.



As a marketing pathway, UAQ FTZ has welcomed manufacturing industries, IT companies and specialised consultancies, FMCGs (fast moving consumer goods, foodstuff-related companies, gem, precious metals, jewelry and automotive spare parts sellers as major players in the free zone.



It has also participated in marketing exhibitions in the BRICS countries, which is sure to attract more foreign investment in UAQs rumbling economy.



"The proximity to ports and UAQs super-reasonable costs of living and of doing business are sure to bring in more numbers in the coming years," observed George.



"Going forward, the free zone is looking to usher in white collar businesses like IT companies, back offices, call centres, R&D centers. Freelancers and micro-businesses have also found firm footing in UAQ, thanks to the free zones offering of these licences," stated the official.



"With a growing number of investors using UAQ FTZ as a catalyst to expand their business, there is no doubt that the free zone is on an upward trend and will contribute more to UAEs healthy economy," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
AkzoNobel, a leading global paints and coatings company, has finalised the acquisition of BASFs global industrial coatings business, which supplies a range of products for industries including construction, domestic appliances, wind energy and commercial transport, strengthening its position as the global number one supplier in coil coatings.



Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the company boasts of well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. It has 45,000 employees in around 80 countries.



Completing this transaction also positions AkzoNobel as a full-service coatings provider for the protection and maintenance of wind turbines, providing essential protection to wind power stations around the globe, said a statement from Dutch company.



The transaction is based on a deal value of 475 million ($527 million), with BASFs industrial coatings business generating revenue close to 300 million ($333 million) in 2015.



AkzoNobel, which is also a major producer of specialty chemicals, said the transaction includes relevant technologies, patents and trademarks, as well as two manufacturing plants in the UK and South Africa.



Approximately 400 employees from BASFs industrial coatings business join AkzoNobel, bringing expertise to innovate and serve an expanded customer base worldwide, it stated.



During the next two years, a portion of the BASF production volume will be transferred to existing nearby AkzoNobel manufacturing facilities, said a top official.



"This will bring synergies and additional production efficiencies. The full profitability of the acquisition will be realised by the end of 2018, in line with the stated financial guidance from AkzoNobel for its existing performance coatings business," remarked Conrad Keijzer, the companys executive committee member responsible for performance coatings.



Welcoming the new BASF employees, Keijzer said: "This business is an excellent strategic fit and will strengthen our leading market positions, particularly in the coil, protective and wood coatings sectors in Europe."



"We will be able to offer new products and maintenance solutions - such as protective coatings for wind turbine blades - and service a broader customer base to drive growth," he stated.



Consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability, the Dutch firm is dedicated to energising cities and communities while creating a protected, colourful world where life is improved by what we do, said Keijzer.



"This transaction is fully aligned with the AkzoNobel strategy of pursuing value creating bolt-on acquisitions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Infrastructure, retail, tourism and amusement industry sectors will propel the growth of the printing and signage industry in the GCC, said the organisers of the upcoming at SGI Dubai 2017, the largest show for print and signage industries.



Every industry today needs to communicate with their target audience and printing and signage industry plays a significant role in this whole process, said Abdul Rahman Falaknaz, chairman of International Expo Consults (IEC), organiser SGI Dubai.



The growth witnessed in other sectors will definitely support the printing and signage industry as well in 2017. Due to this factor, we have seen a growing level of interest from international exhibitors this time. In addition, leading names from across the region have signed up for the exhibition and will showcase the industrys best kept secrets during the show.



Major brands including Signtrade, Agfa Graphics, Canon Middle East, Flex-Europa among several local, regional and global brands have signed up for SGI Dubai 2017. Exhibitors at SGI Dubai in the previous editions have also witnessed a rapid growth surge in Sign and Graphic industry sector in the region and have continued their patronage with the show.



Ayman Aly, Professional Solutions marketing manager, Canon Middle East & Canon Central and North Africa, said: Canon as always endeavours to exhibit different kind of wide format technology from inkjet, memjet, crystal point, UV amongst others.



Canon is very concerned more about the signage and printing applications, new ideas, and complete workflow and these applications include elevated printing, wall paper, interior design, different signage applications, posters, fine art, and photo printing. Like all others we are awaiting to experience a whole new level of product display at the SGI Dubai show.



SGI Dubai is an ideal converging point where visitors and exhibitors can reach out to architects, sign makers, print and production manufacturers, media agencies, real-estate developers, brand and image consultants among others. The event is a well-established business forum, which is recognised globally and constitutes workshops and seminars held by industry experts.



The 20th edition of SGI Dubai is expected to receive thousands of visitors from different countries and they are set to witness the industrys latest products and trends. The SGI Dubai 2017 show runs from January 15 to 17 at Dubai World Trade Centre.



Industry experts in signage would share insights through seminars and presentations to encourage those taking a plunge into the print and signage hub. To meet the needs of the visitors and exhibitors this show is a one-stop shop, which will provide an efficient and dynamic environment. One gets to meet the most important and eminent decision makers apart from networking with the key local and international industry professionals, added Sharif Rahman, CEO, International Expo Consults.  TradeArabia News Service
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
Grownup Stuff

Creches at senior center

Central Wyoming Senior Services, 1831 E. 4th St., is once again featuring creches collected by Ruth Ann and Marv Mitich. These wonderful nativities were gathered in trips with the Civic Chorale and various personal trips in the United States and Europe. We hope you will enjoy their unique collection from December through January.

Casper Chronicles II arrives

Just in time for a stocking stuffer, the newly published Casper Chronicles II is available at the Historic Bishop Home, Wind City Books, Fort Caspar, from DAR members, and by internet at www.cadomafoundation.org.

Following in the spirit of the 1964 Casper Chronicles, the new volume is a series of biographical articles that document families who have been in Casper and Natrona County for the past 100 years, and still have descendants living here that are contributing to our community life. The new book is a joint venture between the Cadoma Foundation, owner of the Historic Bishop Home, and the Fort Caspar Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The core of the book is possible because of the generosity of the Casper Journal in allowing these organization to republish the stories that were a part of a 2014 series of biographical articles on several of pioneer families that continue to be part of our community.

With the assistance of Rebecca Hunt, author of "Natrona County, People Place and Time," the original group of articles was expanded to include additional families.

Casper Chronicles II will be available at Wind City Books, Fort Caspar, the Historic Bishop Home located at 818 East 2nd Street, or by internet at www.cadomafoundation.org. The cost is $15 plus tax, shipping, and handling if appropriate. For additional information, call 235-5277 or write info@cadomafoundation.org.

Masquerade Ball New Year's Eve

Stage III Community Theatre presents a Masquerade Ball on New Year's Eve at the Black Gold Grille, 1650 English Ave. Enjoy dinner and dancing for $30 per person, $45 per couple, or $15 per person for the dance only. The ticket includes dinner, dancing, raffles, midnight munchies, and two special numbers performed by the Keyhole Peepshow Cuties. Dinner is served from 7 to 9 p.m., dancing from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are available at the Black Gold Grille.

New Year's Eve senior dance

SwingSounds Band has scheduled a New Years Eve Senior Dance style dance at the Eagles Hall, 306 N. Durbin St., on Saturday, Dec. 31. Admission is $10 per person. Dance starts at 7:30 p.m., and lasts until 12:30 a.m. Usual potluck is changed somewhat to bring salads and desserts. Sandwiches and finger food will be provided. Party favors will be available. Join in on the festivities and welcome in the new year. Entry at north parking lot door, additional parking across the street and the entire parking lot located at A and Durbin streets. Reservations are not needed but calling 235-5130 and registering can give an estimated head count to prepare for the party.

Robbie Daniels -- 235-5130
He joined the Wyoming Highway Patrol June 1, 1955, resigning to accept a position as Deputy Sheriff in Natrona County. On August 1, 1966 he was appointed Sheriff of Natrona County. He was subsequently elected Sheriff of Natrona County in 1970 and served for twelve years. Following his three-terms as Natrona County Sheriff Bill and his wife, Marion, owned and operated Blue Streak Express until retirement. Bill and Marion moved to Denver in 2011.
Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming will lead Congress in the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, in what may be the first successful attempt since Obamacares creation six years ago.

Enzi, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, will introduce the repeal measure in the U.S. Senate by a procedure called a budget reconciliation, said his spokesman, Max DOnofrio.

This essentially allows Congress to use a budget bill to repeal Obamacare, DOnofrio said in an email. The benefit of using this budget procedure is that the legislation only needs 51 votes to pass the Senate, compared to needing the usual 60 votes to essentially pass most bills in the Senate.

Seven years ago, when Congress worked on the ACA, Democrats had 60 votes and were able to avoid a GOP filibuster as they passed major portions of the reform. Then Sen. Ted Kennedy died in August 2009. His seat was ultimately filled by a Republican, and Democrats moved the final portion of the ACA through Congress with budget reconciliation. All the Republicans voted against it.

Congress already passed a repeal of Obamacare in early 2016 using the same process, but President Obama vetoed the legislation, DOnofrio said. With a new president incoming who favors Obamacare repeal, Congress has made it a priority to repeal and replace Obamacare. This will provide relief to Americans whose premiums have risen wildly and who no longer have the healthcare options they had in the past.

DOnofrio did not provide details about what the Republicans replacement plan will look like.

He referred the Star-Tribune to an article on the conservative website Daily Signal, which said: To ease the transition for consumers, that reconciliation bill would likely have a delayed enactment date to give congressional Republicans time to craft and pass a replacement plan.

But health care observers say the repeal and delay tactic creates uncertainty. If Obamacare is going to be repealed without an immediate replacement, health care could be dismantled across the country. Insurance companies could stop offering plans if they dont have a road map for the future.

They need some certainty and understanding on the rules of the road, said Caitlin Morris of Families USA, which is part of a coalition pushing Congress to delay the repeal until the replacement plan is ready.

About 30 million Americans receive coverage through Obamacare.

In Wyoming, more than 22,000 people have gained health insurance through an online health care exchange that was created with the law. Theres been a 23 percent decrease in the number of uninsured since the ACA was enacted in 2010.

Its pretty reckless to put coverage of 30 million on the line, Morris said.

However, Republicans are confident Obamacare has been a failure and their replacement plan will more meaningfully help Americans.

The majority in Congress is excited about the outcome of the recent election and the prospect it means for repealing and replacing Obamacare, DOnofrio said.

Compromise

The ACA passed because it strikes a balance among diverse  and often competing  interests including doctors, hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies and consumer watchdogs, said Cynthia Cox of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan group that provides research, analysis and information to the public on health care policy.

There were many compromises. For instance, theres additional regulation on the insurance industry, which the firms accepted because the individual mandate provided them more business, she said.

Its a balance of interests, Cox said. Its why previous health care reform hasnt worked.

And any Republican replacement plan would have to strike another balance, which could be tricky.

Morris, of Families USA, said the various groups in the health care industry with a stake in the ACA are lobbying hard in Washington. They are talking to members of Congress, hoping they will understand the need for a replacement plan.

It seems like the Republicans in Congress are the only ones in this entire conversation who seem to be OK with repealing without a replacement, she said.

What can be repealed?

Its unknown which pieces of Obamacare will be immediately repealed. Since the repeal will go through the budget process, only the portions that have to do with federal spending can be nixed, Cox said.

Its changing, day to day, in terms of the most likely strategy, she said.

Some states have their own exchanges, but most states, including Wyoming, rely on a federal exchange. Congress could quit paying for it. They could also stop offering tax credits.

Since insurance in Wyoming is among the most expensive in the country, most people on the exchange, about 20,000, receive subsidies for purchasing plans, according to federal data. In 2016, the average tax credit reduced their Wyomingites premiums by $459 a month.

Congress could lift the individual mandate, which is disliked among most Republicans.

But if they leave another part of the ACA intact  preventing insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions  the healthiest people would most likely cancel their policies, leaving only sick people with insurance. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates premiums would hike up 20 percent as a result, Cox said.

I think there is a recognition that this is risky, she said.

Insurers could leave the online marketplace. In Wyoming, there is only one insurer on the exchange that 22,000 people depend on for coverage. If that provider left, it could cause a collapse in health care in the state, she said.

The public has generally been supportive of the provision in the ACA that prevents insurers from rejecting people with preexisting conditions. If Congress wants to end that, it couldnt happen until a later date, since it has nothing to do with the budget, Cox said.

In some ways, theyre stuck between a rock and a hard place, she said. But the ACA has a number of provisions that work alongside each other.

Replacement?

The replacement legislation may be unveiled after the 2018 midterm elections, when Republicans hope to pick up more seats in the Senate. They need 60 seats to avoid a Democratic filibuster for the non-budgetary aspects of repeal.

If Republicans want to pass the replacement sooner, or if they are unable to pick up seats in the midterm elections, they will have to win over Democrats, Cox said.

Democrats support the ACA because it provides more people insurance. Many Americans have had crippling medical debt because they didnt have insurance before the ACA, or they had policies that didnt cover their illnesses, Cox said.

So any replacement plan would have to keep insurance numbers high for Democrats to sign on, she said.

Morris, of Families USA, is skeptical that the process will be smooth.

Republicans have had six years to devise a replacement. They have ideas. For instance, U.S. Rep. Tom Price, who was nominated to be President-elect Donald Trumps secretary of health and human services, has the most extensive plan. But they lack agreement about which ideas should go forward, Morris said.

That could drag out the time frame for a replacement plan.

I think there is a good chance, unfortunately, there wont be consensus, she said.
When you find yourself planning for catastrophic failures in state facilities, thats a sign that its time to take action  and thats exactly the situation in which Wyoming finds itself with the crumbling state penitentiary as it stares down a $157 million shortfall in the current budget year.

The prison facility, in Rawlins, is in unexpected disrepair. The states only maximum-security prison was built in 2001 to last 50 years, but unfortunately, it was built on a lake bed. The movement of soil beneath the foundation of the building has resulted in shifting and sagging in walls and doors, which officials have been monitoring for three years for functionality.

Its so bad that Gov. Matt Mead recently recommended the state earmark $19.2 million from its rainy day fund to take care of inmates in the case of a prison failure. That money would pay to relocate the prisons residents for a year if needed.

Many lawmakers agreed with his recommendation  and that was before the public learned that those structural problems had resulted in a 42-hour lockdown at the prison. The doors at the facility needed immediate repairs, and the work kept more than 500 inmates more or less confined to their cells for almost two days in early December.

In a prison, you really want the doors to close, Rep. Kermit Brown, R-Laramie and a member of the Task Force on State Penal Facilities, observed. Its hard to argue with that.

To truly fix the problem, legislators will have to decide whether to pay for massive repairs or for an entirely new facility. Neither is a small budget item: Fixing the problems would take $3.8 million right now and about $80 million more in the long term, legislators say. Building a new structure to house the inmates would cost more than $160 million.

The repair option sounds cheaper, but it also comes with risks. Theres no guarantee that fixing the problems would fix the issue in the long term, and the state might find itself on the hook for more even after funding repairs. Gov. Matt Mead acknowledged as much when he recommended that the Legislature authorize $83.5 million in bonds to fix problems at the penitentiary. After he announced his budget plan, though, the governor told reporters hes not convinced repairs are the best option and that he is still thinking about building a new facility.

Thats likely the best option. The state should start fresh and research potential sites to ensure they will not fall victim to the problems that come with these shifting soils. Over time, that makes the most sense.

Some legislators, however, arent ready to tackle swallow that pill. Sen. Eli Bebout, R-Riverton, has said its possible that the soil under the existing prison could stabilize and that the state shouldnt rush to spend the money. That may be a shortsighted approach. Bebouts fellow lawmakers should realize that. This  when it appears inmates and prison workers are in danger  is not the time to wait and see if things improve.

Failing to address this problem now could come at an even greater cost. As Mead pointed out, the structural issues raise questions about the safety of workers and inmates. He also rightly worries about civil liberties lawsuits over the treatment of prisoners. The state might be reluctant to pay for building a new facility now, but other costs including lawsuits could dwarf those numbers.

The state also has financial options. Its strong credit rating means bonding is a possibility. This is the kind of project for which bonding makes sense  the prison is a necessary structure that is almost certain to deteriorate over time, with no promise that stages of expensive repairs will solve the problem.

Wyoming legislators must to take this problem seriously in the session that starts Jan. 10, and plan for the long term. A reliable maximum-security facility, one that is safe and secure, is not optional; its a must-have facility that has to serve the inmates, prison workers and society at large for decades to come. The new prison is crumbling after 15 years. Lets not throw good money after bad. Its time to build a new prison.
France struck a compromise Sunday with Russia on a U.N. resolution that it said would prevent mass atrocities in besieged areas of Aleppo, where thousands of trapped civilians and rebel fighters await evacuation in freezing temperatures.

On the ground, prospects for swift evacuations from Aleppo and other besieged areas were thrown into doubt again Sunday after militants burned buses assigned to the rescue operation.

The Aleppo evacuations were to have been part of a wider deal that would simultaneously allow more than 2,000 sick and wounded people to leave two pro-government villages that have been besieged by Syrian rebels. Most villagers are Shiite Muslims, while most rebels are Sunni Muslims.

Six buses that were among those poised to enter the villages of Foua and Kfarya on Sunday were set on fire by unidentified militants, presumably to scuttle any deal.

A video posted online showed armed men near the burning buses as celebratory gunshots rang out. The buses that came to evacuate the apostates have been burned, the narrator of the video said. He warned that no Shiite pigs would be allowed to leave the towns.

The video could not be verified independently, but was in line with AP reporting from the area.

Earlier Sunday, pro-Syrian government TV stations showed dozens of buses on stand-by at a crossing near eastern Aleppo, reportedly poised to resume evacuations from the oppositions last foothold in the city.

The evacuations had been suspended two days earlier amid mutual recriminations after several thousand people had been ferried out of the war zone. Thousands more desperate civilians are believed trapped in the city.

About 2,700 children were evacuated in the first rescue mission earlier this week, but hundreds more are now waiting in freezing temperatures, close to the front lines, said Shushan Mebrahtu of the U.N. agency for children, UNICEF. We are deeply worried.

Wissam Zarqa, an English teacher and Aleppo resident, said he went to an evacuation point on Sunday afternoon and found buses with evacuees on board, but that the vehicles did not move. The oppositions Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said the buses hadnt left the city.

A bus convoy with Aleppo evacuees was stuck for hours in a buffer zone between the front lines in the city, without food or water, according to aid officials familiar with the negotiations between the two sides.

Eastern Aleppo resident Rami Zien, who said he was on one of the buses stuck in a no-mans land between government and rebel control, told The Associated Press via messenger service that evacuees were stressed and frightened. Government forces are just ahead of me and if anything goes wrong Ill be the first to die, he wrote.

Zien said evacuees were crammed 70 people to a bus, with many having no room to sit. He said the Red Crescent, which is facilitating the evacuation, had been unable to provide water. He said there were 50 to 60 buses in the convoy.

On Friday, a bus convoy carrying evacuees was stuck in government territory in Aleppo and was turned back after being searched.
Arizona Diamondbacks: As part of the D-backs Give Back program, three Tucson organizations were awarded grants of $5,000 each. D-backs employees raised a total of $50,000 and selected 10 organizations across Arizona to receive the funds. The winning organizations are: Assistance League of Tucson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson and La Paloma Family Services. Assistance League of Tucson will use the funds for its Operation School Bell program, which provides low-income children with school clothes, shoes and other personal items.
This is the latest in a monthly series about whats going on at the Pima County Public Library.

Playing my part in encouraging future generations of book and library lovers

By Catherine Strong, Nanini Library

Given that researchers contend a childs brain attains 90 percent of its full development before reaching kindergarten, library story times are a gift of literacy and early learning.

Story times arent just about reading books, though. Theyre about listening to stories and songs and participating in activities in a positive and fun environment that is engaging for kids and adults alike.

As a childrens librarian, my passion lies in encouraging adult involvement in their childs development of literacy skills through bonding over sharing stories at story time.

It is an absolute privilege to watch adults and children bond, observe a child grow from a babe in arms to an active bundle of energy performing motions on their own, see a little one blossom from a shy observer into an enthusiastic participant, and listen as a child not only learns to talk but excitedly shares what they just learned at an activity.

Its pure joy to listen to a group of children and adults belting out The Wheels on the Bus or making animal sounds and using their whole bodies to perform movements pictured in a story about zoo animals.

When children delight in hearing me read and reward me with applause at the end, I smile. Its their way of telling me that story time has inspired them  the next generation who will love language, books, reading, learning, and the library as much as I do.

Sharing powerful themes

of self-awareness at rainbow story times

By Toby Wehner, Joel D. Valdez Main Library

In The Crocodile Who Didnt Like Water, a determined but misunderstood reptile embarks on a journey of self-discovery and realizes how amazingly unique he is. In The Cow Who Climbed a Tree, a curious bovine with skeptical sisters follows her own inquisitive and adventurous nature and uncovers incredible wonders.

Characters like these have won their place in our hearts at Pima County Public Library. Theyve charmed us with their whimsical and moving tales and weve been proud to feature them at Rainbow Story Times, coordinated by the Librarys Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Services Committee.

At Rainbow Story Time, we welcome families of every kind to enjoy stories and activities centered on themes of self-awareness, embracing ones individuality and uniqueness, with family and community acceptance.

We give families who may not feel that they fit in a traditional storytime a safe space to nurture childhood literacy and inspire a lifelong love of reading.

Rainbow Story Time is about literacy, and unifying and strengthening our Southern Arizona LGBT community. The library is more than a repository of books!

As one of the few public libraries in the country to have an established LGBT Services Committee, we are committed to providing the best service we can to all library users, regardless of age, race, or sexual orientation.

Yes, its about the books at Rainbow Story Time, but its also about coming together, marching to the beat of your own drummer, and letting your individuality shine.

Me encanta! I love it!

By Krystal Valenzuela, Valencia Library

I might be partial, I am a childrens librarian after all, but I think story times are the best programs the library has to offer.

What can beat reading, singing, dancing, playing, learning and crafting all in one? Ask me and Ill tell you absolutely nothing can beat it!

I love to watch the kids faces as they wonder what the weeks theme is, or when they curiously examine the books on display.

I love to hear the clapping and chattering of little babies and the infectious laughter of toddlers. They are bursting with excitement and I get to be there with them!

I love that we learn new English and Spanish vocabulary together during Bilingual Story Time. Using music is such a fun way to learn new words when you come from a different country.

Being a child of immigrant parents myself, I know firsthand what its like when your parent doesnt attend events because of the language barrier. In Bilingual Story Time, I make sure everyone is included and participating. When parents tell me that their children play pretend storytime at home or that their squirmy babies are now sitting through stories, I feel proud to have helped pave that path to a lifetime of learning.
If the recent presidential election showed us anything, it revealed the power of words. The language used by the candidates and their surrogates often overwhelmed the candidates themselves.

Hillary Clintons opponents pounded her when she said Donald Trumps supporters could be put in a basket of deplorables. And Trumps opponents hammered him for his characterization of Mexican immigrants as criminals and rapists.

But what if the hyper language surrounding contentious issues could be altered, peeling back the jarring words and replaced with language more contemplative, insightful which could prompt better thinking, rather than knee-jerk reactions. And what if the words came in the form of poetry that could create more space for discussion in our daily circles and diversity of voices.

For nearly two dozen national literary organizations, including the University of Arizona Poetry Center, the notion of using poetry to address a national topic was worth considering.

Next March the national Poetry Coalition will present Because We Come From Everything: Poetry & Migration, in venues across the country. Tucsons portion will take stage at next years Tucson Festival of Books, March 11 and 12 at the University of Arizona. The title is taken from a poem, Border Bus by U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera, who is scheduled to appear at the spring event as part of the coalitions project.

While migration is not a new issue in the American discourse, the topic has critical urgency, said Tyler Meier, executive director of the UA Poetry Center.

The theme is timely and relevant, said Jennifer Benka, executive director of the American Academy of Poets in New York City and one of the participating nonprofit groups.

Some of the other poetry participants include the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/National Student Poets Program, Asian American Writers Workshop, CantoMundo and Letras Latinas, Cave Canem, Letras Latinas at Notre Dames Institute for Latino Studies, Mass Poetry, the Poetry Foundation and the Poetry Center at San Francisco State University.

This collaborative effort has been in the making for about a year, Meier said. Last month representatives of 20 groups met in Santa Fe, New Mexico, to review the plan and set its launch, with support from the Lannan Foundation, a cultural and literary organization based in Santa Fe.

Some people may dismiss poetry as a lost art, but it isnt.

We hear it and use it in our daily lives. We listen to music. We read it on some of our friends social media pages. At weddings, funerals and other celebrations, poetry is used to celebrate or soothe our lives. Poetry is not meant to be left in books on a shelf.

Benka said next years poetry events will make the art form more visible for playing an inspirational and important role in our lives. The collaboration is intended to counter the perspective that poetry isnt alive and well, she added.

We want to promote the value of poets and poetry in our communities, Benka said.

One of the beauties of poetry is that it conveys and reflects a myriad of emotions, said Meier. For listeners and readers, everyone comes away with a different interpretation of a poem.

Another advantage of poetry is that it travels well, Meier said. Unlike an orchestra or a staged play, not much space is needed to recite and listen to poetry.

Poetry is a feasible art form, he said.

The Santa Fe meeting marks a milestone for the poetry organizations to unite and focus on a single mission, said Meier and Benka. The groups knew one another informally but had not banded together previously, they said.

If next years presentations are successful, the groups intend to continue with future joint projects.

Meier said, We want to make poetry more accessible and connected to our daily lives.
In the 59 years since the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, world governments and space entrepreneurs have created an artificial asteroid belt around Earth.

NASA estimates that 23,000 intact satellites and pieces of them larger than a softball orbit Earth, in addition to 500,000 pieces in the nuts-and-bolts size and millions of even smaller particles.

A new center at the University of Arizona proposes to bring some order to the chaos with a systematic attempt to find as many objects as possible and classify them to determine which are debris and which are operable. They also want to know which are friend and which are foe  where they might be headed and what they might be doing.

The University of Arizonas Space Objects Behavioral Science, SOBS, initiative seeks to marry the expertise and capability of various disciplines at the university to answer those questions and become the go-to center for all things orbital.

Low-Earth orbit, between 100 and 1,200 miles above Earths surface, is the most crowded place, as evidenced by damage done over the years  cracked windshields on Space Shuttles and pitted panels on the Hubble Space Telescope. Even the smallest particles can do damage at an orbital velocity of 17,500 mph.

The UA initiative is led by Moriba Jah, the first of a five-professor cluster hire underwritten by the office of Kimberly Espy, the UA senior vice president for research.

Jah, a former NASA navigator who helped guide four missions to Mars, has spent the past 10 years studying space debris, at the Air Force Advanced Sciences and Technology Research Institute for Astronautics, and as director of the space situational awareness program at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque.

Jah jokingly refers to himself as a space garbage man. His mission is not to collect the garbage in space but to quantify it, characterize it and catalog it.

He talks about creating a taxonomy of space objects  put a first name and a last name to every possible object, then start saying: How can we classify these things? What patterns can we start discovering? What are the risks and what are the hazards?

Jah wants to involve the UA in creating a cyber-infrastructure that manages data from an array of sensors.

Hes connected, says Espy, to the agencies and industries that could become clients for the UAs new research.

Hes an amazing guy with incredible talents and hes very well connected to both the astronomical community and the defense community, Espy said.

The defense department would be an important client for the UAs fledgling program. It accounted for 90 percent of federal spending on space situational awareness, according to a 2016 report by the General Accounting Office.

That broadening of sources for astronomical and planetary research would aid in the universitys and his own Panda problem, said astronomer Vishnu Reddy.

Pandas live and forage only in the shrinking habitat of bamboo forests, Reddy said. Most planetary scientists, likewise, are dependent on a single source  NASA  for their sustenance. Just like pandas we eat bamboo and we live in one valley. We are not diverse enough to survive a fluctuating funding environment.

Reddy, who went to work for the SOBS initiative in August, has built his career studying natural satellites  near-Earth objects such as asteroids and comets that have potential to collide catastrophically with the Earths surface, working with NASA grants through the Tucson-based Planetary Science Institute.

His new role at the UA, where he is an assistant professor of lunar and planetary sciences, will be to characterize man-made space objects, an expertise he now uses to determine the composition and parentage of natural space rocks. He said he originally thought: These are moving things and they are closer to the Earth. How difficult can it be?

Hes coming to realize that analyzing natural satellites such as asteroids and comets is easy compared to figuring out the behavior and composition of artificial ones.

Asteroids and comets follow long orbits into deep space before circling back toward Earth. Once you find and observe them for a bit, you can predict where they will be next year or 100 years from now. Operational satellites can change course and orientation. Debris can collide and make more debris. Orbits can degrade and things can fall out of the sky.

There is also a fear that some nations have deployed satellites whose purpose is to eavesdrop, disrupt or disable other nations satellites.

Eric Pearce, a professor of astronomy at Steward Observatory, has spent most of his career on space surveillance work. He worked 25 years at MITs Lincoln Laboratory, which, for a time, was the worlds most prolific discoverer of near-Earth objects. Then he helped develop and run a 3.5-meter Space Surveillance Telescope for DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Proliferation of space junk is a problem, Pearce said, especially in near-Earth orbit, where critical programs such as the space station and the Hubble Telescope operate in a growing sea of spent rocket bodies, defunct satellites, lens covers, nuts, bolts and paint flecks.

The other hazard, more compelling, is the proliferation of noncooperative actors in space. There is a real threat that people are messing with each others assets in space. We need awareness to defend that and to encourage others not to do that. Pearce said.

One of Pearces first tasks is to build a three-color, high-speed photometer that will record light from an object at speeds of thousandths of a second, in order to determine the exact composition of objects in space.

Its like when youre driving around at sunset, and catch a glint off a windshield or a building. In that moment, you can isolate that surface so you can study it. In that instant in time, you can learn how flat it is, what color it is and begin to decipher whats what as you dig deeper.

Astronomer and optical scientist Michael Hart has his own experimental approach to fast-framing of objects in space by observing their acoustical resonances. Its a new type of instrument that will exploit a technique called hyper-temporal imaging, Hart said. Like Pearces instrument, it would be capable of determining the exact dimensions and composition of objects in orbit.

Both Hart and Pearce plan to test their new instruments on the 61-inch telescope run by Steward Observatory below Mount Bigelow in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.

In addition to Bigelow, Steward operates telescopes on four other Arizona mountaintops  Mount Lemmon, Kitt Peak, Mount Hopkins and Mount Graham. It also operates telescopes in Chile and Hawaii, some of which are already being used for NASA space debris programs.

Espy said the availability of telescopes and the expertise to operate and adapt them to new uses is a big selling point in the UAs bid to become a worldwide center for space surveillance.

This is so much in our sweet spot, you almost wonder why we werent doing it before, she said.

Espy said the Lunar and Planetary Lab has been honing techniques for satellite detection and characterization for decades with its SpaceWatch and Catalina Sky Survey programs, which focused on natural satellites of Earth.

There is no guarantee that it will accomplish its grand vision for the initiative, she said. Research is always about making big bets. You never know, there are probably four or five teams working on the same problem and they may beat us to the punch, but this is a great opportunity for continuing to expand the folks we serve, particularly with the intersection of astronomy and the defense community.

Tim Swindle, director of UA Lunar and Planetary Lab, said his department gets a large fraction of its funding from NASAs Science Mission Directorate, which directs the agencys space missions and earth science. We dont do much of anything outside that pond and were trying to expand, to be relevant.

He expects his labs expertise in tracking asteroids will contribute value to the project and that the projects partners in other fields can teach them as well. The project is housed in the UAs Defense and Security Research Institute and includes participants from the College of Optical Sciences, two UA engineering schools and CyVerse, the super-computing portal housed at the Bio5 Research Institute.

Swindle said the collaborations could make LPL better at doing what it already does. It could help us find asteroids. Its a logical extension of what we do and a way to help us do what we do.

Buell Jannuzi, director of Steward Observatory and the Department of Astronomy, said that cross-pollination creates opportunity for new approaches. Eric Pearce and Vishnu Reddy both do astronomy, but also use astronomical techniques in solving other interesting problems. This is how you get innovation when people get inspired to solve a new problem with something from another field, Jannuzi said.

Over at the College of Optical Sciences, Michael Hart is not officially part of the SOBS initiative, but he is building his new instrument with money supplied by Espys office from the Arizona Board of Regents Technology and Research Initiative Fund. He is one of three UA professors who proposed the cluster hire that became SOBS.

I have been pushing this general idea that the university should get involved in looking at artificial things in space for the better part of a decade, he said.

Its both a fascinating field of research and a way of applying research for the national good, he said.

Our modern technological life depends to a large extent on maintaining capabilities in space  Google maps, weather forecasting, banking, air-traffic control, communications, GPS. I would have been lost in the wilderness several times if it wasnt for those satellites. We have paid far too little attention to the side effects of our use of space and to the safety of the capabilities that we rely on, Hart said.

Reddy recounts the scene from the movie Gravity to describe the potential danger. In it, a crew servicing the Hubble Space Telescope is hit by a wave of space debris that has been growing exponentially as it takes out satellite after satellite, creating more debris as it expands.

Its known as the Kessler effect, proposed in a 1978 research paper by NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler. If the density of the debris in Earth orbit becomes so high, every debris-creating event will cascade into creating more debris. Eventually, you cant leave the Earth without hitting something, Reddy said.

For now, the big pieces of space garbage, while not few, are far between. There is a lot of space out there. Still, debris crashes occur a few times a year and the International Space Station has had to take avoidance maneuvers 20 times in its 18 years of orbits, according to NASA. Propulsion tanks explode. Things fall apart.

Things are a bit quieter up in geosynchronous orbit, more than 22,000 miles above Earths surface where a smaller number of the most expensive satellites orbit at the same speed and in the same direction as the Earths rotation. They are always overhead and ready to relay your important text messages. But the geosynchronous orbit, above the Earths protective magnetic fields, is a hostile radiation environment. Things fall apart there as well.

Over the years, countries that operate in space have gotten better about not creating space junk, said Eric Pearce, making sure that pop-off parts like lens caps are tethered to the satellite and planning for end-of-life deployment to a graveyard orbit.

Good behavior and waiting for low-Earth orbit to clean itself as orbits decay and Earths gravity pulls the satellites home, may be the best we can do for now.

Thats been a debate for a long time. Do you avoid it, clean it up, or dont make it in the first place and wait for the environment to clean itself up.

Scientists across the world are working on ways to clean up space, but that task will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, said Pearce.

Its very hard to just cruise up next to something, said Pearce. A space garbage truck would need an enormous propulsion capacity to do that kind of stop-and-go driving.

Some scientists propose slowing the orbits of space debris with lasers, but Hart, who has built laser guide-star devices for large telescopes, says that is probably impossible. You would have to track and hit the object repeatedly to have even a small effect.

Meanwhile, space continues to get more crowded. Reddy compares it to a freeway with on-ramps and no exits, where people simply abandon their cars when they run out of gas or run into something.
A Tucson doctor has surrendered his medical license over issues with prescribing and his supervision of liposuction procedures.

Laurance Silverman signed documents to voluntarily give up his license Nov. 10, following a medical board investigation that began in 2015, board documents show.

The investigation was triggered by Silvermans disclosure on his medical license renewal in 2015 that in May 2014 he had surrendered his U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) certificate to prescribe controlled substances.

Silverman had surrendered his DEA certificate for providing controlled substance prescriptions to patients without performing an exam, Arizona Medical Board records say.

The investigation also found that Silverman admitted to allowing a nonmedically licensed individual to perform tumescent liposuction procedures on patients at the med spa where Silverman was medical director.

An agreement with the medical board that is part of the surrender says Silvermans conduct, uncovered in the investigation, constitutes unprofessional conduct.

The Arizona Medical Board can accept the surrender of the license of a physician under investigation if the licensee is either unable to safely engage in the practice of medicine or has committed an act of unprofessional conduct, board officials say.

Silverman had been licensed to practice medicine in Arizona since 1992 and the state medical board lists his areas of interest as physical medicine and rehabilitation.

The Arizona Medical Board documents do not provide a timeline for the unprofessional conduct, do not name the med spa, and the complete investigative file on the case is not public record.

Reached by telephone, Silverman said he feels he was a victim of circumstance as the unprofessional conduct was related to a time when he was supervising a medical assistant named Gustavo Nunez.

Nunez, who is in his 50s, is in jail and awaiting trial on charges that he performed liposuction procedures without a medical license. He was arrested in 2013 after a DEA investigation into his clinic, called NuTec, in an industrial warehouse at 1656 N. 15th Ave.

Silverman had previously been Nunezs medical director when they worked together at LaserOne, a salon day spa in Tucson. Silverman worked there for four years and left in 2012, he told the Star. While working there he had assumed Nunez was qualified to perform the procedures he was doing, he said  although LaserOnes co-owner says Silverman would have had to vet Nunezs background before agreeing to hire him.

In a court filing thats part of the states criminal case against Nunez, prosecutors say that Silverman and Nunez performed about 12 liposuctions together at LaserOne.

Silverman told the Star he will testify for the state against Nunez in the criminal case.

According to my contract, everyone who worked there under me was supposed to be licensed and qualified to do procedures, Silverman said. I am upset with LaserOne. He declined to answer any follow-up questions.

Callie Cox, co-owner of LaserOne, said she has no knowledge of the medical board investigation. Silverman was the medical director when Nunez was hired, so he would have had to both approve his hiring and know his background, she said.

She said that Nunezs arrest was related to events that occurred after he left the day spa.

I would not even have brought Gustavo on board if Dr. Silverman did not approve of him, Cox said. Everything we did when Dr. Silverman was here was on the table as far as I know. There was no funny business here.

Nunez left LaserOne at the end of 2012 to focus on providing services at his own clinic, the court filings say. In a 2014 interview with the DEA, Silverman said that when he left he did independent examinations for insurance companies.

Silverman had an issue with Arizona Medical Board once before for a problem while he was supervising Nunez.

In 2011, the board reprimanded Silverman after a patient, a 55-year-old women, complained that the lip injections she received in 2010 caused severe swelling and necrosis. The board documents dont specify where Silverman was working at the time, only that he was supervising Nunez.

Nunez performed the lip augmentation with a dermal filler, the boards investigation found. The woman said she called Silverman after business hours because of the swelling but was unable to reach anyone, the records say.

An outside medical consultant hired by the board found that Nunez had no record of being certified as a medical assistant, though he did meet the minimum standards for acting as a medical assistant under Arizona law.

However, the outside medical consultant found that in plastic surgery and dermatology it is not accepted practice to allow even certified medical assistants to perform sensitive cosmetic filler injections.

Thats because their training for injections does not include those for cosmetic purposes, and weekend courses and company-sponsored training do not qualify as recognized formal training or certification, the consultant said.

The board in 2011 also found that Silverman violated the standard of care by failing to have after-hours phone support available to patients. The standard of care is to provide such support in the event of complications after cosmetic procedures.

He also violated the standard of care because the patient did not sign a consent for treatment form, the board found. Without that form, the board said theres no assurance that the patient was aware of the risks involved with the procedure.
At dinner in Baltimores Little Italy, where Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi grew up, someone expressed shock and disgust at the attack on Pelosis husband at the couples home in San Francisco. I shared the disgust, but not so much the shock.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada  A long-term plan for protecting Lake Mead and preventing severe shortages in deliveries of Colorado River water to Arizona and two other states wont be approved before the Obama administration ends, throwing more uncertainty into the outlook.

While the three states keep discussing a drought contingency plan, Arizona water officials say theyve reached general agreement with water users here for a shorter-term fix for Lake Meads chronic declines.

The Arizona plan calls for cities, farms and Indian tribes to keep enough water in Mead through 2019 to lower the risks of the first round of shortages of Central Arizona Project water deliveries. Such shortages would hurt agriculture significantly, although not enough to threaten viability of the CAP, which delivers drinking water to Tucson and Phoenix and irrigation water to central Arizona farmers.

Federal and state water officials announced at a water conference here last week that too many issues remain unresolved to wrap up the major regional drought plan, in the works for three and a half years. Theyre optimistic agreement can be reached next year and perhaps in the first few months. They said they hope that if theyre close to agreement, the new Trump administration wont want to change it radically.

The Arizona plan can act as a bridge, helping the over-allocated Colorado River water system until a long-term plan is in place, said Arizona Water Resources Department and CAP officials at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference.

Standing in the way of the short-term fix, however, is money. It will cost up to $60 million to compensate Arizona users who give up their CAP water to make the short-term plan work, said Terry Fulp, Lower Colorado regional director for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which runs the river reservoir system.

Asked how confident he is of finding that money in the next few months, Fulp replied, Thats a really good question. I dont know if we have a really good answer. All I can tell you is that were working hard to do that.

Meanwhile, standing in the way of the long-term fix are two longstanding water disputes in California. One is the fate of the Salton Sea in the southern California desert, which in January 2018 is slated to lose 200,000 acre feet of water thats to be transferred to San Diego under a 2003 agreement.

At that point, many authorities are worried that the exposed playas salt and heavy-metal tainted soils will blow around, triggering massive air pollution.

The seas water is runoff from the neighboring Imperial Valley Irrigation District, which controls huge amounts of Colorado River water and is reluctant to give up more under the proposed drought plan unless something can be done to shore up the sea. It wants to see a detailed road map outlining what California will do to fix the looming problems there.

The other is a $15 billion proposal to build twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to improve the reliability of water deliveries from northern to southern California.

The Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles wants to see progress toward building the tunnels  which are heavily opposed by other groups  to ensure that it will have enough other water if it gives up Colorado River water under the drought agreement.

BITTERSWEET FAILURE

Outgoing Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Estevan Lopez told conferees Friday that the failure to reach agreement is bittersweet.

Theres been an incredible amount of work by the states and water users, and by the U.S. with Mexico, to do what we have to do to prepare ourselves for the possibility that this drought continues, he said. We made and thought of some amazing innovations that, once enacted, will provide us some tools that people will figure out how to use to really help to sustain this river system. But we are not there yet.

Federal officials said they wont carry out a threat made at this conference a year ago by Deputy Interior Secretary Mike Connor to impose their own Colorado River plan on Arizona, California and Nevada if the states didnt adopt a plan by now.

In the first six months of 2016, we have to see progress, coming together among leaders of the three states, Connor told the Arizona Daily Star a year ago.

Last week, however, Connor told reporters that because the states have installed a very good framework for the long-term drought plan and made progress toward approving it, the feds wont step in.

But we will leave that strategy in place for the incoming Trump administration if the three states cant reach agreement next year, he said.

Environmentalist John Weisheit, head of the Utah-based group Living Rivers, said he was disappointed the feds arent following up on the threat.

The states didnt follow through and neither did the federal government. This is a joke. Somebody should be fired, said Weisheit, predicting an agreement will never be reached. Theyve known about this problem (of an over-allocated Colorado River) for decades. Even if they do a drought contingency plan, its not going to be sufficient in the long term. Why arent they doing a 60-year plan?

Arizona Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke said as far as hes concerned, failure is not an option. But while the state has pretty broad support for the plan, the details are still in flux. Details matter. We have to make all pieces of the puzzle fit together. We have forward momentum.

For now, we find ourselves in a very precarious situation on the Colorado, Lopez, the Bureau of Reclamation commissioner, told the conference Friday.

In 2007, we were in an eight-year drought ... (lakes) Mead and Powell combined were at 47 percent of normal. Now, were in our 17th year of drought. Its the driest 17-year period in recorded history. ... Our combined storage today is 43 percent.

He pointed to photos showing Meads bathtub ring, standing about as high as a 15-story building, and displaying salts left behind by disappearing water. If we had another five years like 2000 to 2005, we would be in very dire straits right now. Thats why were working so hard on this, he said.

2 river-saving plans detailed

The main drought contingency plan calls for Arizona to give up 512,000 acre feet of water  enough for more than a million homes  once Mead drops below 1,075 feet at the end of any year. The reclamation agency predicts about a 50 percent chance of that by the end of 2017. Under the plan, farmers would take the largest share of cuts, by far, although Indian tribes would also stand to lose water.

For the long term, Arizona, Nevada, California and the bureau would give up 1.2 million acre feet total if the lake hit 1,025 feet. The goal is to keep the lake from dropping below 1,020 feet  a point where major urban water deliveries would be jeopardized and Hoover Dam couldnt deliver electric power.

Under Arizonas temporary plan, the state would leave in Mead 400,000 acre feet a year through 2019. Arizona is already leaving nearly 200,000 acre feet a year.

The rivers current guidelines for dealing with shortages and the initial drought plan are viewed by some as penalizing or harming certain classes of water users disproportionately, CAP General Manager Ted Cooke said last week.

The temporary Arizona plan would kind of balance those things out a little bit. Higher priority users would voluntarily forbear their use of water so lower priority users could keep their water longer. Some users who dont give up water may be expected to join the feds and state in compensating those who do.

The biggest cuts under the Arizona plan would most likely hit the Gila River Indian Community in Sacaton in northern Pinal County. The tribe controls by far the biggest share of CAP water  311,000 acre-feet, more than twice that of Tucson, the next biggest CAP holder.

Farmers say it would be hard for them to swallow more cuts when theyre already going to be hurt by a 100,000 acre-foot cut scheduled next year that has nothing to do with CAP shortages.

Tucson Water Director Tim Thomure noted the city has already agreed to give up 26,000 acre feet next year. Phoenix would be hard pressed to give up any CAP now because it lacks an adequate well system for a backup, said Phoenix Water Director Kathryn Sorenson; such a system is about five years away.

Some of the water not taken would be left in the lake forever, and couldnt be withdrawn by even the owners, a concept known as system conservation. The rest could be withdrawn by its owners in the future under certain conditions. Owners of the water left in the lake forever would be compensated for it.

We would contribute a large portion, Gila tribal attorney Jason Hauter said Friday. He thinks the Tohono OOdham tribe, which also controls a significant although much smaller CAP share, would also contribute some water, and that other tribes and other non-Indian water entitlement holders would follow suit, he said.

Given the Gila tribes large share of CAP water, we see this as an opportunity to provide a solution to this ongoing issue, said Gila Tribal Governor Stephen Lewis at the conference last week. Were looking for long-term stability for our own community. We see this as a regional solution as well. We have longstanding relations with surrounding agricultural communities. We are wanting to ... positively influence drought mitigation and planning for the future.

The Gila Indian community doesnt necessarily see this as giving up water  we see this as an investment in the future. ... Keeping Lake Mead healthier longer benefits all parties and definitely benefits the community as well, Lewis said.
Canyon Diablo, an anglicized version of the Spanish word for Devils Canyon, is a well-known and formidable deep gorge surrounded by flat land in Kaibab limestone that halted the construction of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad for six months in 1881.

Located 35 miles east of the San Francisco Peaks just north of Flagstaff, the canyon was surveyed and named in 1853 by Army Lt. Amiel W. Whipple, who was exploring the topography of the 35th parallel for the feasibility of building a railroad across northern Arizona.

The need for rail transport became apparent with the opening of mining camps in Mojave County in the late 1870s. Those included Cerbat, Hackberry, Mineral Park, Signal and White Hills mining operations.

The A&Ps route connected Springfield, Missouri to California through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Kingman served as the railhead along the A&P for many of these nearby mines.

The A&P was the closest major railway for mining operations around Prescott, notably in the Bradshaw Mountains. The railroad served as the primary method of ore transport especially for mines with contracts at smelters operated by the Pueblo Smelting and Refining Co. of Colorado or the Rio Grande Smelting Co. of Socorro, New Mexico.

Three notable bridges were built for the railroad at Canyon Diablo. The first in 1881 consisted of a one track width(iron). Provisions, including water, were hauled by wagon from Navajo Springs 100 miles to the east.

During the summer of 1881, stone cutters were requisitioned from as far as Chicago and St. Louis, crafting local rock into the bridge-tower footing or pylons still evident today.

The small ephemeral settlement of Canyon Diablo was built to serve the railroad.

Consisting of a nearby telegraph office it was notorious for a number of gun fights and robberies. It also served as a shipping point for wool from local sheep herders.

Iron used in the construction of this edifice was manufactured by the Central Bridge Works in Buffalo, New York. It required 20 railcars to transport the structure in October 1881. The bridge came up several feet short causing the need to import more material necessary for completion.

The first trains to pass over the canyon occurred on July 1, 1882. The bridge measured 550 feet, crossing over a 225-foot-deep basin.

Finishing touches in the weeks that followed included the addition of a wood floor laid across the bridge, the installation of substantial iron railing and the removal of the scaffolding.

The overall product consisted of 11 spans, with 2 measuring 100 feet in length. Two more measured 30 feet in length while the other seven spans measured 40 feet in length. The total cost was $250,000.

No doubt intimidating was the first bridges light timbered appearance. The maximum speed of the passenger cars across its rails was four miles per hour, 20 mph less than the standard maximum.

The site was also the scene of the infamous train robbery that occurred at Canyon Diablo station in 1889. An eastbound passenger train had stopped to lubricate the driving mechanism of the locomotive when a group of four men with six-shooters held up their travels. The bandits made off with $800, leaving a safe containing $125,000 behind.

The bandits were eventually captured southeast of Beaver, Utah by a small posse led by the sheriff of Yavapai County.

The A&P was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Co. in 1897.

By 1900, the bridge was replaced with a structure of more sturdy manufacture to handle the greater weight of locomotives and rail cars.

Herman Wolf was a proprietor of one of the trading posts at Canyon Diablo. The spelling was changed from Canon Diablo to Canyon Diablo by the Santa Fe Railway in 1902.

Constructed under the oversight of System Bridge Engineer Clifford Sandberg, the double-track, steel-arch bridge seen today was completed in 1947. Its length is 544 feet while its arch measures 300 feet.

The bridge is heavily used today by trains averaging 50 mph.

Both the bridge and nearby Canyon Diablo settlement remnants are accessible by a three mile rough dirt road north of Two Guns, off Interstate 40.
The Pastry Party Bus rolled up to the Syrian Sweets Exchange to cheers.

Volunteers and a few hungry customers already in line clapped and waved at the school bus carrying about a dozen Syrian refugees and their platters of baked goodies.

A few of the bus riders laughed at the warm welcome. This was all for them.

For the second weekend in a row, Syrian women and their families gathered at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St., to sell treats from their kitchens.

Many had been baking for days, using recipes passed on to them by mothers and grandmothers, to share with the Tucson community.

Organized by members of Arizona Welcomes Refugees, a group started by state Sen. Steve Farley, the first Syrian Sweets Exchange on Sunday, Dec. 11 drew such a crowd that it sold out within the first hour, said Nour Jandali, a member of Tucson's Syrian community. Jandali moved to the U.S. from Syria about 23 years ago.

Melanie Cooley, an organizer, guessed that anywhere between 300 and 400 customers came to the first bake sale.

Cooley estimated as many as 500 people showed up the second time around.

On Saturday, Dec. 17, they handed out about 375 pastry boxes. That's not including all of the customers who shopped without a box.

One guy even brought his own Tupperware container.

Many came shopping for Christmas gifts or desserts for a holiday party.

The women took last week's success seriously. This weekend, they stuffed their tables with treats instead of bringing just a few platters.

A few extra women also joined the mix this week, bringing the total head count of bakers to about 20, give or take, Cooley said.

The attitude: "You want food? We will bring you food," Cooley added.

And bring it they did.

Some of the women began gathering around 8 a.m. Saturday at an apartment complex to board the Syrian Sweets Express  a school bus borrowed from the Islamic Center of Tucson's Al-Huda Islamic School. The bus made several pick-ups on the way to the church.

For some women, getting around can be a challenge if the family lacks a car or only the husband has a driver's license and is working.

Hence the bus.

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As the event started and customers streamed between tables, some kids wandered the area while others stayed close to their mothers, helping sell tables full of sweets, cups of Syrian coffee and more savory samplings. Money changed hands and so did languages, with the women saying, "Thank you" and the customers learning the Arabic: "Shukran."

Each family keeps 100 percent of the money earned, putting it toward bills that pile up or gifts for children.

The bake sale opened at 9:30 a.m. and finished two hours later. A line of people waited outside of the tent until nearly 11 a.m.

Sarah Gzemski, a publicity and publications coordinator for the University of Arizona's Poetry Center, hit up the bake sale last weekend with friends, but by the time they arrived, many of the sweets were gone.

This weekend Gzemski got up early and was one of the first in line.

"It was amazing and full," she said the first bake sale. "So many people came out. It was joyful and everyone was just enjoying their sweets."

For many of the women baking, the sales meant a chance to get out of the house and interact with the greater community and each other.

"I'm very happy to be here and working with the ladies from Syria to serve the community," said Ahed Al Asmi, a 26-year-old mom of three from Daraa, Syria whose family has been in the U.S. for about three months.

Rania Kanawati, a Tucsonan who moved to the U.S from Syria more than 20 years ago, translated.

Marwa Al Fandi, 27, is also from Daraa. Her family has been here for four months.

Baking for Tucson has kept her busy  a welcome distraction from the week's events in Aleppo, Syria, where many of these families still have connections.

"People want to help Aleppo," Sen. Farley said Saturday at the bake sale. "This is a very tangible way to help."

And for these women and their families, the community support at the bake sales overcame any sort of language barrier.

"They were so happy because first of all, they see on TV that the U.S. does not want Syrians..." Jandali said. "But then they see all of these Tucson people ... They were telling people, "We are glad we came to Tucson because they are welcoming here.'"

In the Middle East, Syria has a reputation for its sweets, Cooley said she has learned. Not only has the bake sale given these women something to do, but now they have something to offer.

"I was visiting with another one of my friends this week and she was talking about how meaningful it is for her to get to share Syrian culture and to get to share who they are," Cooley said. "Food is really integral to their culture and hospitality and the preparing of food and they are quite passionate about it, so getting to share that with a new neighbor and connect with people through food and being able to actually offer something is really meaningful to them."

This is not the last time Tucson will have a chance to sample Syrian sweets, organizers said. This is only the start.

"They don't need language for this," Farley said. "When you cook the most delicious sweets ever, that speaks louder than any language."
Help India!

By Ram Puniyani,

It is a common sight to see the statues, photos and symbols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in different Government owned public places like police station and other buildings. Similarly state run buses also have the photos of Hindu Gods and Godesses. We have stopped thinking whether it is right. It is a common observation that most of the time Hindu rituals are performed while the construction of state projects, buildings etc are undertaken. The practice has become a sort of routine to which not many people give a thought. We remember that after independence serious scholars criticized the government for not being secular enough. Around that time when Pundit Nehru was the Prime Minister, the Central Cabinet not only turned down the proposal of building Somanth temple with state money but Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President was also advised not to inaugurate the temple in his capacity as the President of India. The visits of public functionaries to the holy places were a strictly private matter, away form the glare of media.

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Times seem to have been changing. The politicians are competing with each other to seek the divine blessing through different well advertised visits, the inaugural ceremonies of state sponsored buildings have the Brahmin priest supervising laying of the foundation stone and undertaking a bhoomi puja (Worship of Earth) and doing his best to get the approval of the supernatural powers though the chanting of Mantras. In this scenario, the move by Rajesh Solanki, a dalit activist from Gujarat to file a Public Interest Litigation against the bhoomi pujan and chanting of mantras performed at the time of foundation stone laying ceremony for the new building for the High court, came as a move to set the things on secular grounds. The function was performed in the presence of the Governor of the State of Gujarat and the Chief Justice of the State amongst others.





The Former Union Minister for Civil Aviation Sharad Yadav at Bhoomi Pujan Ceremony for the Construction of New Terminal Building at Civil Enclave, Pathankot on June 29, 2001. The Former Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shanta Kumar, the Former Minister of State for Civil Aviation Chaman Lal Gupta and the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal are also seen. [Photo: PIB]



Solankis plea was that a secular state should not perform the religious rituals. Such an act of worship violates the basic principles of the Indian Constitution, which is secular and lays the boundaries between the state and the religion. Solanki argued that the puja and chanting of mantras by Brahmin priests would make the judiciary loose its secular credentials.

Rather than upholding his rational and secular plea, the court went on to dismiss the petition and also fined the petitioner Rs 20000, doubting his bona fides. The judges went onto say that the Bhoomi puja is meant to seek the pardon of the Earth to graciously bear the burden of the damage to make the construction, to make the construction successful. And since this is for the welfare of all it fits into the Hindu values of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (All beings on the planet are one family) and Sarvajan Sukhino Bhavantu (For the good of all).

There is a lot of mix up in different arguments being put forward. To begin with to regard that for making a construction the Earth has to be worshipped is a purely Hindu concept. The people from other religions will do different things to start their construction work, like sprinkling Holy water by Christian priest for example. The atheists will be more concerned about the preservation of ecological balance and to see that the geological and

architectural aspects have been fully taken care of.

The legal defense of the practices of one religion for state function is nothing short of violating the basic principles of Indian Constitution, which ensures that state keep its distance from all religions and then treats them all on the equal ground, reaffirmed in S. R. Bommai case. Secularism, as understood in S.R. Bommai is that (1) the state has no religion (2) the state stands aloof from religion and (3) the state does not promote or identify with any religion.

It is true that moral values of many religions can be accepted by the society at large, like Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (Hinduism), or all men are brother (Islam) or Love thy neighbor (Christianity) but as far as rituals are concerned it is a different cup of tea. The core of religions is not rituals but moral values. In popular perception and practices it is the rituals which are identified with the religion. This is a matter of social understudying and different streams will go by different opinion on this.

The core point is that the saints of the genre of Kabir, Nizamuddin Auliya, and Gandhi harped on the moral aspects of the religions. As far as practice of religion is concerned people have no restriction in following their social and personal practices, which are so diverse between different religions and even within the same religion as different sects follow different religious practices.

Such a judgment goes totally against the Article 51 (A) of the Constitution also, which directs us to promote the rational thought in the society. The promotion of rituals of one particular faith by the State is against the spirit of our Constitution. Again in many instances there is just a thin borderline between faith and blind faith. Blind faith will push the society in the retrograde direction. Today we know that unless the location for a

construction is selected properly, geological and construction aspects are taken care of scientifically, accidents do happen. Thats why state has developed many a norms of construction which are necessary to be cleared and we have witnessed that violation of such norms have led to accidents.

Our courts have to promote these aspects of Constitution rather than to prove in a convoluted way that practices of one religion should be accepted as the state practices. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had gone on to state that In India, for whose fashioning I have worked all my life, every man enjoys equality of status, whatever his religion is. The state is bound to be wholly Secular (Harijan August 31, 1947) and, religion is not the test of nationality but is a personal matter between man and God, (ibid pg 90), and, religion is a personal affair of each Individual, it must not be mixed up with politics or national Affairs(ibid pg 90).

Last few decades identification of Hindu religious practices has been accepted as the state norms and this needs to be given a rethinking. (Issues in Secular Politics III March 2011 www.pluralindia.com)


This Tuesday saw a meeting take place between rapper Kanye West and President-elect Donald trump. The meeting took about 15 minutes and its' specific contents were not divulged by either party. West tweeted that he wanted to "discuss multicultural issues" with Trump, while the President-elect declared that they have been " friends for a long time".

But is this meeting of two seemingly different worlds such a unique event?

In the UK , in the early 60's the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson was quick to seize on a publicity coup and a meeting and photo opportunity with The Beatles was organised.

Wilson later championed the Fab Four to be awarded the MBE.

In1970 President Nixon met with Elvis Presley at The White House ostensibly so that Presley could discuss the problem of drug abuse amongst the younger generation. Presley asked Nixon if he could be awarded an FBI badge and be made an 'Agent at Large' in order to fulfill his new 'role'.

Politicians boost ratings

politicians since then have never been short of taking the chance for boosting their PR ratings by posing with pop stars and in the UK who can forget Tony Blair rubbing shoulders with the Gallagher brothers of Oasis and Blur for the 90's "Cool Britannia".

So what can either party expect from such a seemingly strange alliance? In the case of Trump and Kanye West the similarities are there for all to see; both have monumental egos, both are extremely wealthy, both have model wives and both have dallied with bankruptcy in the past.

What's in it for the pop stars?

In some cases it is an effort to be taken seriously as a performer; U2s Bono for example has become a worthy campaigner for third world debt relief; Sting, previously of The Police has campaigned tirelessley about the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest and the plight of the indigenous tribes.

And who can forget Bob Geldof's efforts in promoting Live Aid in the early 80's.

From a politician's point of view the benefits may not seem so clear-cut. There was a need, perhaps in the earlier years to be seen to be rubbing shoulders with celebrities who had a glamorous lifestyle far removed from the political one, and also a level of public adulation that most politicians can only dream of.

A sign of things to come ?

But with Kanye West and Donald Trump, the similarities are there for all to see and one wonders if this is a sign of things to come, where politicians and pop stars have a mutually dependent relationship. Each needs the other to further their own 'brand' and improve their own standing in their world.
Doctor Who fans look set to enjoy their annual slice of indulgence this Christmas, as Peter Capaldi returns to our TV screens for a special show tantalisingly entitled The Return of Doctor Mysterio. With the bubbly Matt Lucas filling the sidekick role of Nardole, the famous Time Lords adventures will provide a welcome break from the turkey and mince pies.

First airing on Christmas Day

The much-anticipated episode is due to be aired on Christmas Day and will be the twelfth yuletide special since the timely return of Doctor Who to our screens in 2005.

Directed by Ed Bazalgette - the former lead guitarist with 80s band The Vapors (Turning Japanese)  it promises plenty of sci-fi mayhem.

Return of Nardole

Lucas reprises his portrayal of Nardole from The Husbands of River Song episode as the action transfers to New York City. Hooking up with reporter Lucy Fletcher (played by Charity Wakefield) and Justin Chatwins superhero character The Ghost, The Doctor and Nardole battle brain-swapping aliens.

Lucas pilots the Tardis

The popular Little Britain star has divulged that he even gets to fulfil many a young boys dreams by piloting the Tardis as the action unravels, much to the apparent dismay of his 58-year-old co-star Capaldi. With the Glasgow-born actor said to have adopted a paternal instinct towards the time-travelling machine, he was unhappy to see another actor at the controls of his prized asset.

Capaldi gets annoyed

When interviewed by Doctor Who Magazine Lucas let slip that by tampering with the buttons on the set, when the cameras stopped rolling Capaldi was prone to become a bit annoyed and that he pushes you out the way. Its true. Ever the jester, he added that it was a great way to wind him up.

Moffat would love to fly

Lucas wasnt the only person involved on the show to share his thoughts in the run up to the festive period.

The programmes boss and writer Steven Moffat hinted that his preferred superpower would be to fly, suggesting that it would be awesome.

Moffat responded candidly to the notion of the episode called Listen being Capaldis favourite one so far, as he amusingly said that it was cheap and easy to make. The intimation was that by featuring an invisible monster that couldnt be seen, although that undoubtedly added to the suspense it also saved the BBC money.

Doctor Mysterios origins

For viewers wondering where the idea for the title came from, listen out for a line during the Christmas special where Grant Gordon (aka The Ghost) tells The Doctor that in a comic book youd be called Doctor Mysterio! Global fans of the much-loved programme may also be aware that it is the title used for the show in Mexico.
Warning - the second half of this review contains spoilers

The latest Film off the "Star Wars" conveyor belt brings to life a thrilling story of insurgency, sacrifice, and hope. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story "takes place in a time before "A New Hope", as we follow Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), a young rebel whose father (Mads Mikkelsen), is responsible for building the Empires' city-destroying and aptly named Death Star.

Separated from her father as a child and unsure of his culpability, Jyn is sent by the Alliance to track him down and find out more about this mysterious weapon.

She is joined by Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), who has been fighting the Alliance cause from the age of six, and his robotic partner K-2SO, who provides the C3PO-esque comic relief.

Cassian and Jyn's relationship is one of mistrust, but they are bound together by their mutual desire to bring an end to the tyrannical rule of an Empire that has torn apart their lives since childhood.

In an eccentric galaxy of characters, Jones gives a transformative performance that stands out as one of the best in "Star Wars" history. She doesn't need to dominate screen time, as every movement is thoughtful and revealing. Jones is aided by director Gareth Edwards, who produces countless iconic images.

"Rogue One" does a fantastic job of populating its story with fresh and engaging characters, including Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) who shines throughout the film.

Stop reading here if you don't want spoilers

One of the film's most effective weapons is its sparing use of Darth Vader. In a year that has seen Suicide Squad miserably attempt to shoehorn the Joker into its narrative, "Rogue One" holds Vader back for one of the most spine-tingling scenes in Star Wars history.

Vader's final appearance arrives like a wrecking ball, with a sense of excitement that soon makes way for sheer terror.

He is handled with a style and intensity that conjures the essence of The Empire Strikes Back - it is simply brilliant.

There is a return for Vader's right-hand man Moff Tarkin, who is eerily played by a CGI recreation of the late Peter Cushing. The technology that brings Cushing back to our big screens is remarkable but by no means perfect, and his presence may come as a distraction to some.

For those who can get past it, Tarkin's return adds to the hierarchical menace that helps make the Empire such an imposing force. The tiers of terror are well drawn out in "Rogue One" from Orson Krennic's smarmy politicking to Tarkin's stern ruthlessness; to Vader's inexorable violence.

Even though the history around this film is set, "Rogue One" crafts a narrative that doesn't feel tied down by what comes before or after. This helps the film create meaningful stakes that are given a moving pay-off. One of the closing scenes involving Jyn and Cassian evokes Zak Hilditch's Australian apocalypse film "These Final Hours" (2013); touching on an emotional beat that many Hollywood films of this kind don't dare to.

Take "Captain America: Civil War" for example, whose deceptively soft punch made it more of a playground fight than a war movie.

"Rogue One" is undoubtedly a war film - and an adult one at that. It is hard not to think of "Apocalypse Now" in the third act, as the Vietnam-looking beaches act as a setting for the films skilfully captured final battle sequence.

Edwards does a magnificent job of conveying the chaotic nature of conflict, with the camera seamlessly panning between aerial destruction and bedlam on the ground. The final act of the film is expertly executed by Edwards, whose experience in "Godzilla" (2014) put him in good stead to create this brilliantly scaled battle in the "Star Wars" universe.

Ultimately, "Rogue One" is a captivating introduction to the extended "Star Wars" cinematic galaxy. Its rousing closing scene ends on a note of hope. And after this latest installment, there isn't just hope but a calming reassurance that future Star Wars films are in more than capable hands.

Rating: 4/5
[The money is parked in countries that India has tax avoidance agreements with and cannot do anything much to get money stashed there.]

We have been hearing that India has become the worlds favourite destination for foreign investment and that a number of firms have been investing in India over the last two years. The 'Make in India' scheme was announced with much fanfare by the Prime Minister and was declared successful by some who pointed out that a large amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) had come in soon after. If this was true, it should have reflected in some increase in jobs and in production.

India received 44 billion dollars in 2015 through the FDI route. The US was on top, with 380 billion dollars invested in its economy by various foreign investors. Hong Kong came second with 175 and China third with 136 billion dollars. Ireland, Netherlands, Switzerland and Singapore come next in that order. All these are very small countries but each of them receives more than twice the investment that comes to India. In the 8th position is Brazil that received 65 billion dollars at a time when its economy is slated to be doing really badly. And immediately above India on the 9th position is Canada that got 49 billion dollars last year.

In India, the three top sectors that received foreign direct investment in 2015 were the services sectors (that include finance, banking and insurance), computer hardware and software and the trading segment. These sectors obtained a third of the total FDI last year, a little more than $16 billion. Additionally, three of the large manufacturing sectors where most jobs are traditionally generated - construction, automobiles and pharmaceuticals, have actually seen a decline in FDI inflows during the last year.

However, the employment scenario continues to be dismal. This is largely because most of the significant share of the record FDI equity that came in was for the services sector. In 2015-16, a total of $41 billion dollars came to the Indian economy and that resulted in job growth in the IT, computer hardware, finance and banking sectors. However most of the sectors in manufacturing, that was at the heart of the 'Make in India' campaign diminished continuously.

Construction has been the second largest FDI earner after services, but fell sharply by 85 per cent in FDI inflows over the previous year. It continues to do badly and does not look like recovering soon. As a result, employment growth is likely to be sluggish next year too. Tourism is another sector that could have benefitted with foreign investment but has been hit badly. With tourist numbers falling, it is unlikely that there would be much by way of foreign investment in this sector too, leading to further shrinking of employment growth.

It is also interesting to look at where FDI to India comes from. The top two countries investing in India are Mauritius and Singapore. More than 34 per cent of Indias FDI comes from Mauritius while a little more than 15 per cent comes from Singapore. The other half comes from all other sources like the US, Japan, UK and other major economies. What this basically means is that nearly half the FDI is essentially Indian money parked abroad. This is the infamous black money that rich Indians send to Mauritius, Singapore and Dubai and get it back legitimately as FDI

The reason Mauritius has been a favourite destination is because India has a tax avoidance treaty with it. Mauritius is a tax haven that means it has an almost zero tax regime. Just like Monaco, Bahamas, Luxemburg, Dubai, Cayman Islands etc. So anyone who keeps money there and uses it to then invest abroad pays hardly any tax. In addition, the double tax avoidance agreements mean that an investor based in Mauritius only has to pay tax there and not in India. Large investments to India, in the airline sector and in the construction sector have come through this route

After the new government announced its intentions to trace and bring back black money kept abroad, quite a few people started moving away from Mauritius to safer places like Singapore and Dubai. The money is parked in countries that India has tax avoidance agreements with and cannot do anything much to get money stashed there. As a result, the government has been unable to make good its promise of bringing back black money stashed abroad. Demonetisation, for all its promises, clearly does nothing to this cash stashed abroad. Neither is it able to prevent this money coming back almost at will.

The fact of the matter therefore is that despite such major measures taken as opening up the most critical and most sensitive sectors the government hasnt been able to attract investment. The BJP government opened up the Insurance sector completely, the Pensions sector and even the Defense sector. However, most investment has come only in services where it was bound to come in any case given the market size. Manufacturing that is key to employment growth continues to remain poorly funded, inefficiently run with its high costs of land acquisition, electricity charges and wage labour.

[Dr. Amir Ullah Khan is a development economist and Research Director at Aequitas. He is also Visiting professor at the ISB in Hyderabad.]






What is the familial childhood mortality in first-degree (FDR) and second-degree relatives (SDR) of patients undergoing semen analysis (SA)?

The relationship between infertility and congenital malformations (CM) in offspring is complex, with an increased risk of death due to CM in FDR, but not SDR, of men with lower semen parameters.

Semen quality is an established predictor of men's somatic health. We can gain a better understanding of possible genetic or environmental determinants of the infertility phenotype by exploring familial aggregation of childhood mortality in relatives of men with poor semen quality.

Retrospective cohort study from the Subfertility, Health and Assisted Reproduction study (cohort compiled 1996-2011) linked with patient/familial information from the Utah Population Database (UPDB). Index cases included a clinic-referred sample of 12 889 men who underwent SA and had adequate familial and follow-up data in the UPDB. Parameters of semen quality included: semen concentration, sperm count, motility, total motile count, sperm head morphology, sperm tail morphology and vitality.

SA data were collected from two tertiary medical center andrology laboratories that have captured ~90% of all SA performed in Utah since 2004. Age- and sex-matched fertile controls were selected to create the comparison group for determining risk of childhood death (to age 20 years) in family members. A total of 79 750 siblings and 160 016 aunts/uncles were used to investigate the familial aggregation of childhood mortality. The main outcome was childhood mortality in FDR and SDR of men with SA and their matched controls. All-cause and cause-specific Cox proportional hazard models were used to test the association between semen quality and childhood mortality in family members. Cause-specific models were considered for cancer and CM.

In the cohort of men with SA, there were 406 (1.0%) deaths in FDR and 772 (1.1%) deaths in SDR due to any cause. There was no significant difference in the risk of all-cause childhood mortality between the relatives of men with SA and the fertile control group [hazard ratio (HR)Female = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.88, 1.32; HRMale = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.75, 1.04]. We found no association between semen quality and risk for childhood cancer mortality in FDR or SDR (HRFDR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.62, 1.54; HRSDR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.83, 1.50). The FDR of men with SA and fertile controls were followed on average for 19.71 and 19.73 years, respectively. During this period of follow-up, FDR of men with SA had an unadjusted 40% relative risk of increased CM-related death. After stratifying by semen parameters and adjusting for birth year, we found FDR of men with worse semen quality, and notably azoospermic men (HR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.24,5.84), were at higher risk of CM-related death.

A large proportion of men with SA in the study had normal semen parameters. It is important to note that these men themselves may not be subfertile, but they were subfertile at the couple level (i.e. the female partner may be infertile). In addition, care is needed when interpreting our results, as we do not have semen measures on our sample of fertile men. Second, we were unable to include potential confounders such as medical comorbidities, smoking status, or environmental exposures. Third, men with SA were seen at the University of Utah or Intermountain Health Care clinics for a fertility evaluation thereby suggesting a more select population. Fourth, we chose to categorize morphology into equally distributed quartiles as a response to the fact that the World Health Organization threshold for normal motility changed multiple times during our study period. Lastly, we do not know the proportion of female partners with diagnosed infertility. We chose not to subcategorize each infertile male by infertile diagnosis because our goal was to understand how semen parameters influenced familial childhood mortality.

We are not the first study to show a relationship between fertility and CMs. Children conceived through ART may be at higher risk of birth defects, however it is not known if the relationship is causal or if there is some underlying factor linking infertility and birth outcomes. This study provides further evidence that the increased risk of congenital birth defects may not be due to the ART, but rather genetic or environmental factors that link the two outcomes. We encourage further research in order to confirm a relationship between semen quality and increased risk for CM.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health - National Institute of Aging [Grant numbers 1R21AG036938-01, 2R01 AG022095 and 1K12HD085852-01]. Authors have no competing interests to disclose.

Not applicable.

Human reproduction (Oxford, England). 2016 Dec 06 [Epub ahead of print]

Heidi A Hanson, Erik N Mayer, Ross E Anderson, Kenneth I Aston, Douglas T Carrell, Justin Berger, William T Lowrance, Ken R Smith, James M Hotaling

Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT , USA ., Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA., Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, 675 Arapeen Drive, 204, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 , USA.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27927843
The European Association of Urology Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) guidelines panel updated their recommendation on adjuvant therapy in unfavourable, clinically nonmetastatic RCC following the recently reported results of a second randomised controlled phase 3 trial comparing 1-yr sunitinib to placebo for high-risk RCC after nephrectomy (S-TRAC). On the basis of conflicting results from the two available studies, the panel rated the quality of the evidence, the harm-to-benefit ratio, patient preferences, and costs. Finally, the panel, including representatives from a patient advocate group (International Kidney Cancer Coalition) voted and reached a consensus to not recommend adjuvant therapy with sunitinib for patients with high-risk RCC after nephrectomy.

In two studies, sunitinib was given for 1 yr and compared to no active treatment (placebo) in patients who had their kidney tumour removed and who had a high risk of cancer coming back after surgery. Although one study demonstrated that 1 yr of sunitinib therapy resulted in a 1.2-yr longer time before the disease recurred, the other study did not show a benefit and it has not been shown that patients live longer. Despite having been diagnosed with high-risk disease, many patients remain without recurrence, and the side effects of sunitinib are high. Therefore, the panel members, including patient representatives, do not recommend sunitinib after tumour removal in these patients.

European urology. 2016 Dec 13 [Epub ahead of print]

Axel Bex, Laurence Albiges, Borje Ljungberg, Karim Bensalah, Saeed Dabestani, Rachel H Giles, Fabian Hofmann, Milan Hora, Markus A Kuczyk, Thomas B Lam, Lorenzo Marconi, Axel S Merseburger, Michael Staehler, Alessandro Volpe, Thomas Powles

Department of Urology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: ., Department of Cancer Medicine, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France., Department of Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Urology and Andrology, Umea University, Umea, Sweden., Department of Urology, University of Rennes, Rennes, France., Department of Urology, Skane University Hospital, Malmo, Sweden., Patient Advocacy, International Kidney Cancer Coalition, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands; University Medical Centre Utrecht, Nephrology Department, Utrecht, The Netherlands., Department of Urology, Sunderby Hospital, Sunderby, Sweden., Department of Urology, Faculty Hospital and Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic., Department of Urology and Urologic Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany., Department of Urology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, UK; Academic Urology Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK., Department of Urology, Coimbra University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal., Department of Urology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Lubeck, Germany., Department of Urology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany., Division of Urology, Maggiore della Carita Hospital, University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara, Italy., The Royal Free NHS Trust and Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27986369
If youve been to the Disneyland Resort & parks in Anaheim, and havent heard of the Cove Bar, youre really missing out. The Cove Bar is a full bar located on Paradise Pier in California Adventure park, known for their exquisite view overlooking the parks Paradise Bay, and their savory lobster nachos (among five other mouthwatering appetizers on their food menu), and of course, their secret menu drinks.

Whats on the Cove Bar secret menu?

While a simple Google search will tell you exactly whats on the Cove Bars secret menu, very few sources can accurately tell you whats actually in each of these fun, Disney-inspired cocktails.

Lucky for you, Ive put together a list of each of these secret menu drinks, along with their ingredients. Enjoy!

Fun Wheel - a fun drink indeed, the Fun Wheel is a three-layer drink with the colors yellow, pink and blue, made up of a Long Island base, sweet & sour, passionfruit-mango vodka liqueur, blue curacao and a splash of Sprite, topped with a non-dairy sweet lemon-lime foam.

- a fun drink indeed, the Fun Wheel is a with the colors yellow, pink and blue, made up of a Long Island base, sweet & sour, passionfruit-mango vodka liqueur, blue curacao and a splash of Sprite, topped with a non-dairy sweet lemon-lime foam. Neverland Tea - sticking true to its name, the Neverland Tea is an earthy-green cocktail made up of a Long Island base, pineapple juice, Midori melon liqueur, blue curacao, and a splash of Sprite.

- sticking true to its name, the Neverland Tea is an earthy-green cocktail made up of a Long Island base, pineapple juice, Midori melon liqueur, blue curacao, and a splash of Sprite. Black Pearl - let the curse of the Black Pearl take you over with this deep purple cocktail thats made up of a Long Island base, sweet & sour, black raspberry liqueur, and a splash of Sprite.

- let the curse of the Black Pearl take you over with this deep purple cocktail thats made up of a Long Island base, sweet & sour, black raspberry liqueur, and a splash of Sprite. Melrose Place - a delightful Long Island-based cocktail, with sweet & sour, and topped with red sparkling wine.

- a delightful Long Island-based cocktail, with sweet & sour, and topped with red sparkling wine. Zombie - the Cove Bars take on the historic tiki cocktail, consisting of five different rums, including coconut rum and 151, pineapple juice, blue curacao, and cherry syrup.

- the Cove Bars take on the historic tiki cocktail, consisting of five different rums, including coconut rum and 151, pineapple juice, blue curacao, and cherry syrup. Sea Witch - inspired by none other than Ursula herself, the Sea Witch is a dark purple cocktail made up of raspberry vodka, peach schnapps, blue curacao, and a splash of cranberry juice and Sprite.

And there you have it! The next time you make your way into the Disneyland Resorts California Adventure park, make sure you stop at the Cove Bar to have yourself one of these colorfully delicious cocktails. Cheers!
3 Shot On Lakeview Party Bus, 4 Killed In Fernwood, Among Weekend's Shooting Victims

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Dec 18, 2016 4:39PM



Irving Park Road and Lake Shore Drive, image by Google Street View

Three men were wounded in a Lakeview shooting near the Irving Park Road entrance to Lake Shore Drive early Sunday morning after an argument on a party bus broke out and a man pulled out a gun.

The man shot two other people on the bus, billed as a "luxury event on wheels" according to a Tribune reporter who was there, around 1:55 a.m.

In all, a 22-year-old man was shot in the head, and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, a 33-year-old man was shot in the chest, and brought to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition, and a 31-year-old man, thought to be the suspect in the shooting, was shot in his left hand and taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition.

Chicago Breaking News Tweeted a photo from the scene of the shooting, showing people huddling by an apartment building and one man covered in blood:





3 wounded on party bus near Lake Shore Drive https://t.co/ujnDcq4gxh pic.twitter.com/CVkjWg9OqP  ChicagoBreaking (@ChicagoBreaking) December 18, 2016



According to the Crime in Wrigleyville blog, there were about 30 people on the party bus at the time of the shooting.

At least 19 other people were shot between Saturday and Sunday this weekend, at least four fatally, despite word that this would be one of the chilliest weekends of the year. Four people were fatally shot in a single shooting incident in Fernwood on the city's far South Side, and another was wounded, according to police. The shooting took place Saturday afternoon 12:40 p.m. in the 100 block of West 105th Street.

At a press conference about the shooting Saturday, First Deputy Police Superintendent Kevin Navarro told reporters that police "have more questions than answers" about the case so far. Police initially responded to the scene of the shooting after receiving an anonymous 911 call about five people shot at the home, and when police arrived they found two women shot on the front porch and two men and a woman fatally shot inside the house.
In the wake of heightened tension and violence, parts of Manipur capital Imphal were on Sunday brought under indefinite curfew and mobile internet services were snapped at various places to prevent spread of rumours over an alleged attack on a church.

The curfew was imposed and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district, said an order issued by the district magistrate. It will continue till further directions.

Earlier in the day, the state Cabinet decided to shut down mobile internet services in Imphal West district with immediate effect, taking serious note on the prevailing situation following three blasts on Friday.

The Imphal West District Magistrate issued an order directing telecom operators to shut down mobile data service in the district immediately until further orders.

The action came in the wake of tensions following Friday's blasts and an alleged attack on a church.

Major areas of the state capital fall in Imphal West district where the three blasts had taken place within an hour on Friday evening.

The Cabinet decision came after analysis of the prevailing law and order situation and to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites, officials said.

The move was preceded by a 24-hour bandh called to protest hill based militants' attacks on Manipur Police in the last few days in different parts of the state that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured. The militants also snatched several weapons from the Indian Reserve Battalion personnel.

All measures were being taken to contain violence by deploying a large number of police personnel at sensitive areas of the state, a police officer said.

The capital today saw violence by protesters who were agitating against the ongoing economic blockade in the state and a series of terrorist attacks. A number of vehicles were set on fire or vandalised.

The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since November 1 after United Naga Council imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifeline for the state.

The blockade was imposed following the state government's announcement of formation of seven new districts, four of which have been formally inaugurated.

Tension in the state heightened after suspected militants continued their violent attacks on Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday.

The attack was followed by triple bomb blasts at Nagaram area in Imphal West district allegedly by Manipur Naga People's Front on Friday.

In another incident, suspected militants overpowered a small outpost of IRB at Nungkao area on Saturday in Tamenglong district and fled with nine service weapons.

IMAGE: Angry people set on fire vehicles in Imphal East district on Sunday in protest against the United Naga Council's indefinite economic blockade. Photograph: PTI Photo
In yet another swipe at China, President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said that the United States should let the Communist giant keep the navy's unmanned underwater drone after Beijing agreed to return in an "appropriate manner" the device it had seized in the disputed South China Sea.

"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back - let them keep it!" Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.

The Pentagon had alleged that the drone was unlawfully seized by China on December 15 in the SCS while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.

The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back. The incident is among the most serious military confrontations between the two powers for decades.

China on Saturday slammed the US for "making a fuss" over the seizure of its underwater drone and said it will return the device in an "appropriate manner".

Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting that China seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships.

Trump's latest tweet was the second time the President-elect blasted China for the seizure.

Earlier, he accused China of stealing American drone.

"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act," Trump tweeted, misspelling unprecedented.

He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

Trump has repeatedly infuriated China in recent weeks, questioning decades-old US policy on Taiwan, making phone call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and calling Beijing a currency manipulator.

The drone incident, the latest encounter in international waters in the South China Sea region, occurred earlier this week about 161 km off the Philippine port at Subic Bay.

The USNS Bowditch had stopped in the water to pick up two underwater drones. At that point, a Chinese naval ship that had been shadowing the Bowditch put a small boat into the water. That small boat came up alongside and the Chinese crew took one of the drones.

The US got no answer from the Chinese on the radio when it said the drone was American property, a US defense official was quoted as saying by the CNN.

As they turned away, the Chinese did come up on the radio and indicated they were returning to their own operations.

US oceanographic research vessels are often followed in the water under the assumption they are spying.

Although it is unclear what the motivation was for the Chinese action, the seizing of the drone comes on the heels of other provocative incidents that have happened since Trump received a congratulatory call from Taiwan's President, a violation of the US's agreement with China's "One China policy." China publicly voiced its disapproval of that incident and protested to the White House at the time.

Experts say the seizure of the drone was the most significant military incident between China and the US since a 2001 mid-air collision between a US Navy surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet that led to the death of a Chinese pilot.

The latest incident could add to US concerns about the growing military build-up by China in the South China Sea.

China has claimed territorial rights over parts of the region but its claims are disputed. It is not clear if China claims the territory in which the US drone was seized.

China has become more assertive over the South China Sea after an international tribunal this year struck down its claim over all most all of the area.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims over the South China Sea.

Also, amid increasing tensions, China's first aircraft carrier conducted its maiden live fire drills on a massive scale along with a host of naval ships, aircraft and submarines, four years after it was commissioned.

A US think tank reported this week that aerial imagery shows that China has installed weaponry along seven artificial islands they have built at sea, despite US protests.
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Italy's 'No' vote [By Zhai Haijun/China.org.cn]

The expected outcome of the Italian referendum, in which the "no" vote gathered approximately 60 percent, has led to the resignation of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Italy has already found its new premier under former Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, but this will possibly lead to a snap election. The importance of these developments goes beyond the boundaries of the country. As the third largest economy in the eurozone, it theoretically has the gravitas to cause shocks.

Several mainstream media and analysts already anticipate an exit of Italy from the common currency. The National Interest, for instance, published an article titled "Why Italy could leave the Eurozone." The CNN website is also speculating whether the result is "the first step toward leaving the EU." Even before the referendum the Financial Times had predicted that it would hold "the key to the future of the euro."

But the ongoing European debt crisis has seriously traumatized the reliability of many journalists and commentators. Many times they failed to correctly assess the situation. More importantly, they have often sparked uncertainty with their reports, stories and articles fueling scenarios for bankruptcies of problematic countries or a breakup of the Eurozone. The coverage of the Greek crisis by the media since 2010, for example, has been full of inaccuracies and incorrect estimations.

t is not the first time since 2010 that Italy has encountered an internal crisis. In November 2011 Silvio Berlusconi resigned paving the way for a technocratic government under former EU Commissioner Mario Monti. And in February 2014, Enrico Letta also submitted his resignation after his Democratic Party - largely guided by Renzi - questioned his ability to govern. This is how the latter came to power without winning a single election with the exception of the rather indifferent European Parliament one of May 2014. And now, in December 2016, he is replaced by Gentiloni.

Renzi was regarded by elite EU politicians as an ideal reformist who is the only solution for the salvation of his country. However, previous experience - as noted above - suggests that Italy was able to find leaders amid domestic crises. It is remarkable that in 2014 the BBC had portrayed the then mayor of Florence - before succeeding Letta - as "a politician in a hurry" who personified "the frustration felt by many Italians at the apparent inability of his country's leaders to deal with Italy's rapid economic decline." Exaggerations do not help the European cause.

From another perspective, some fear that a snap election could signal the beginning of a new political era in Italy, with Beppe Grillo of the Five Star Movement and Matteo Salvini of the Northern League party becoming winners. It is currently unclear which electoral law will be applied in the next parliamentary elections. On January 24, 2017 the Italian constitutional court will hold a hearing on the legitimacy of Renzi's new electoral law, known as italicum. No one knows though when the final ruling will be made.

If the Five Star Movement and the Northern League party manage to finally win the new election benefitted by Renzi's idea, it will be questionable whether they can practically exert an anti-EU policy. Grillo has promised to organize a referendum on whether Italy should stay in the euro area, and Salvini's policy is based on the slogan "it is enough with the euro." It is always particularly easy to promise almost everything while being in the opposition. But when coming into government constraints become evident almost immediately. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has grounded his political and personal success on the illusion that another way could be possible. After he won the national election of January 2015, however, it took him five months to realize reality and sign a painful accord in order to keep Greece in the eurosystem.

Citizens in member-states of the Eurozone have the right to approve or reject incumbent governments and their proposed policies. This is also the case with Italy. The way ahead will be difficult for the country during Gentiloni's administration and also after the early election. Structural weaknesses, anemic growth and the problematic banking sector would have been the principal challenges even if a "yes" vote had prevailed on December 4. The discussion on an exit from the Eurozone and the hiding of the truth from public opinion for temporary political benefits only deteriorates the situation. All in all, Gentiloni should on the one hand pay attention to the stabilization of the national banking sector and on the other, respond to ordinary people's needs respecting current economic restraints.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

The suspended evacuation of rebels from their remaining strongholds in Syria's northern city of Aleppo will resume soon, a military source told Xinhua on Saturday.

The resumption of the rebel evacuation from their last few strongholds in the eastern part of the city is expected to resume on Saturday evening, as the rebels agreed to abide by previous pledges, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The evacuation was suspended on Friday due to rebels' failure to fulfill the deal struck between Russia and Turkey.

A major part of the deal was that the rebels in the northwestern province of Idlib allow civilians to leave the besieged Shiite towns of Kafraya and Foa.

Two batches of the rebels and their families, estimated at over 8,000 people, left Aleppo on Thursday according to the deal, but the rebels in Idlib haven't allowed the civilians to leave as planned.

When the rebels fell short of abiding to their pledges in the two Shiite towns, residents from the town who are now residing in Aleppo, cut off the road before the convoy that was carrying the rebels on Friday.

The deal was supposed to see the evacuation of 15,000 people, including 4,000 rebels.

This comes as the Syrian army has become in control of 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, as part of a major offensive launched recently to drive out the rebels from the city.
THAI BINH  Pollution from pesticides has reached alarming levels in some provinces of the Red River Delta, known as the granary of Viet Nams north.

Leaks from old pesticide warehouses dating back to the 1970s and 80s plague the region; these persistent organic pollutant (POP) remnants threaten the environment and agricultural production.

According to an incomplete 2013 survey by local authorities in northern Thai Binh Province, there were some 291 old pesticide warehouses covering a total area of 52,400 sq.m. of which, 5,700 sq.m was heavily polluted and 8,700 sq.m considerably polluted.

The polluted areas are now mostly empty lots or abandoned storage grounds. Most warehouses previously stored large stockpiles of the highly toxic pesticide DDT or 666  the entirety of which had been distributed before the warehouses were shut down.

The amount of POP  specifically, DDT and HCH levels  was higher than permitted for pesticide residues in soil, according to Viet Nams national standards. However, the pollution level hasnt reached the point where remediation is required.

Pesticide warehouses didnt exercise proper storage practices, causing a considerable amount of pesticides to seep into the ground. However, since we dont have much money at our disposal, the treatment cant be done thoroughly," Le Xuan Hoa, deputy head of the provincial Department of Crops and Plant Protection, told the Nong Nghiep Viet Nam newspaper (Viet Nam Agriculture).

Such warehouses have been replaced by paddy fields, orchards, or houses. But if we dig a little further, the pollution remains; after rains, the remnant pesticides give off a foul smell, he added.

About 10-15 years ago, cement landfills were built to store used pesticides, but they broke down, so now pesticides are dumped carelessly in farmlands and pathways.

Another northern Nam inh Province shares the same problem, with pesticide packages not being separated from ordinary household waste, while people continue to wash pesticide sprayers directly in rivers and canals, contaminating both surface water and groundwater, said Tran Ngoc Chinh, Head of the provincial Department of Crops and Plant Protection.

Also according to the department, monitoring of pesticide production and trade in many localities remains lacking.

Many pesticide sellers mix a number of pesticide products together to sell to farmers, or deliberately sell low-quality products to fields without pests, against agencies guidelines.

Due to a lack of labour, the spraying of pesticide is outsourced to pesticide sellers. Coupled with a limited number of inspectors, control efforts were further complicated.

Authorities now rely on awareness campaigns and training classes, encouraging farmers to replace toxic pesticides with more environmentally friendly products, which have achieved some successes.

In 2016, in Nam inh Province, 27 out of 462 inspected pesticide sellers were fined a total of VN 40 billion; 386 out of 1,653 households were using pesticides in violation of guidelines.  VNS
HA NOI  Octogenarian war veterans, young people, State leaders and thousands of delegates took part yesterday in a solemn event in Ha Noi commemorating the 70th anniversary of National Resistance Day (December 19) and the fierce campaign against the French in the winter of 46.

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran ai Quang, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, former Party and State leaders and nearly 3,500 delegates attended the event.

National Resistance Day marks President Ho Chi Minhs 1946 call, urging the entire people of Viet Nam to resist the French colonial rule.

Following the success of the August Revolution in 1945 and the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam, the French sped up their attempts to re-occupy Ha Noi and other areas.

On the evening of December 19, 1946, Vietnamese troops in Lang fortress zeroed in on targets in the inner city, initiating the resistance war. The next morning, the Voice of Vietnam broadcast President Ho Chi Minhs appeal, urging the people to resist the French restoration of colonial rule in the country.

In response to the appeal, the Ha Nois army and people fought for 60 days and nights, managing to contain the French and foil their plans to capture major Vietnamese institutions.

The achievements over nine years of war culminated in the ien Bien Phu campaign victory over the French, laying the foundation for national liberation and reunification under the leadership of the Communist Party.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of the Ha Noi Party Committee, Hoang Trung Hai, recalled the spirit and significance of the 60-day resistance and expressed his belief in the national construction and development at present.

Colonel Nguyen Huy Du, 86, who joined the war, recalled the resistance and said he could not forget the winter of 1946 when the entire people and army of Viet Nam had to fight to protect the country amid severe weather conditions and many other challenges.

He said he hoped the young generation would continue upholing that traditional spirit to protect and develop the country.

Representing the young generation, 32-year-old Tran Xuan Bach, a lecturer from the Ha Noi Medical University, said he was very pround of the revolutionary tradition and sacrifice of the previous generations in gaining and protecting natinal independence.

The young generation acknowledges its responsibility and mission and would strive to build and protect the country, he said.

Earlier, delegations from the Party Central Committee, the Government, the National Assembly, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee, and the Ha Noi authorities paid floral tributes to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and to heroic martyrs at a monument dedicated to them.  VNS
HCM CITY  Viet Nams fertility rate has declined from 6.4 to 2.1 children per woman over the last 55 years, but the rate varies widely among provinces, according to the General Department of Population and Family Planning.

The rate in HCM City is 1.45, while the southeastern province of Binh Duong has a rate of 1.7.

The Central Highlands province of Kon Tum has a fertility rate of 3.45 and the northern province of Ha Giang 3.08, according to Le Canh Nhac, the departments deputy head.

Nhac spoke at a meeting in HCM City last Friday (Dec16) to celebrate 55 years of the national population and family planning programme.

Nhac called the low fertility rate of HCM City alarming, saying that families in the city should be encouraged to have two children.

This low rate will not ensure human resources in the future, and will reduce the so-called golden population and add to the aging population. This will influence the citys socio-economic development, he added.

On the other hand, provinces with a fertility rate higher than the countrys average of 2.1 should reduce the number of children born to each family, he said.

Nhac said the country still faced sex imbalances at birth.

In the first 11 months of the year, the ratio nationwide was 109 boys per 100 girls, while the ratio in the same period last year was 112 boys per 100 girls.

Of the provinces and cities in the country, HCM City performed the best, with a ratio of 103-106 boys per 100 girls.

More services for pre-natal and newborn screening will be expanded throughout the country to improve the health of the population, Nhac said.

Nguyen Huu Hung, deputy head of HCM Citys Department of Health, said the planning, which was designed by HCM City authorities, was prompted by the large number of migrants who move to the city. VNS
HCM CITY  A technique for freezing to preserve red blood cells with glycerol at -80 degree Celsius for 10 years and a milk with high protein which is the first product made by a Vietnamese nutritionist are the two outstanding scientific research works awarded the KOVA Prize in the category of Creative Ideas for Applied Science last Saturday (December 17).

The KOVA Prize, which was set up by former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh and Associate Prof. Dr Nguyen Thi Hoe, chairwoman of KOVA Paint Group in 2002, is annually held to honour individuals and groups that have made excellent contributions in the fields of science, education, charity and other categories.

The technique for freeze-preservation of red blood cells with glycerol at -80 degree Celsius for 10 years was researched by a group of doctors from the HCM City Blood Transfusion and Hematology Hospital.

Dr Phu Chinh Dung, the hospitals head, said: Traditional techniques could store blood cells for 42 days only.

The freezing technique for longer blood storing is useful for patients who have rare blood types and need blood in an emergency, Dung said.

The hospital has a number of people with these blood types, but still fail to meet the emergency demand, he added.

In Viet Nam, seven of 10,000 people have rare blood types, he said.

The milk with high protein was made by Professor Ta Thi Tuyet Mai, head of Gia inh People Hospitals Nutrition Ward in the city.

Soya milk mixed with full cream powdered milk as well as probiotics is served for patients with serious health problems, lactose intolerance and those using feeding tubes, Mai said.

The price of this milk is one fourth that of others in the market, she said, adding that it helps improve nutrition for hundreds of patients.

The 14th KOVA Prizes awards at the category of Beautiful Living were presented to six individuals and groups for their wonderful actions which have inspired other people to follow, including Peaceful Village under Tu Du Obstetric Hospital in the city, which raises hundreds of orphans with disabilities and victims of Agent Orange.

Moreover, 16 students with excellent achievements in scientific research were awarded.

At the awarding ceremony, 110 scholarships were presented to university students who are poor and have outstanding academic achievements.

Vo Thi Dung, deputy secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, said that the prize creates an inspiration for scientists and students in scientific research.

It encourages everyone to live making useful contributions to life and society, Dung said. VNS
Nguyen Viet Loan Foster returned to native Ha Noi after a long stay abroad and used her multicultural and entrepreneurial background to good effect. Now she has become the poster woman for luxury tourism that promotes deeper cultural experiences and understanding.

She was born in Ha Noi and lives in the capital city now, but Nguyen Viet Loan did not grow up here.

She lived, studied and ran businesses in several European and Asian countries and territories including France, Italy, Germany, mainland China, Taipei and Hong Kong before returning to her native city.

In 1990, she set up the first business consultancy in Ha Noi, facilitating foreign investment and representing foreign investors in the early days, when the embargo still prevented US businesses from investing in Viet Nam.

Today, her name is almost immediately associated with luxury tourism in the country.

Her company, Journeys to the East DMC Ltd, came out of a 1995 assignment with famous hotelier Robert Burns, in which her job was to find locations for five-star hotels and resorts.

Going by what many eminent personalities have said about Loans venture, her success seems to lie in the fact that she has taken it beyond the traditional five-star concept to include a serious appreciation of the countrys art and culture.

This has earned her the moniker of a cultural ambassador.

Loans work in promoting local culture is exemplified by her own house, Villa la Residence, an amazing restoration of a 1910 French colonial villa. Adjacent to this house is a homestay she has opened called Villa la Rose, a blend of French and Vietnamese architecture with sophisticated interiors.

One feature of the Villa la Residence is the incorporation of reassembled and restored pieces of a Mandarin Ancestral Hall House that Loan is credited with rescuing from destruction.

The villa made the cover of international magazine Architectural Digest, which features the work of top architects and designers, in January 1998.

The homestay, meanwhile, is decorated with the best of Vietnamese art and craft products. It also displays cultural relics like 2000-year-old ong Son drums, ceramic items, wine vessels as well as porcelain from the period of the Tran dynasty.

Flying high: Loan and her clients about to board a seaplane to visit the Ha Long Bay. Photo courtesy of Loan

Different luxury

Loan said her company, Journeys to the East, launched in December 2014, is an effort to steer away from the mass market and design unique travel experiences.

Todays discerning travellers are looking for high-end experimental travel that enables an in-depth exploration of the social and cultural fabric of a destination, she explained.

For instance, in the mountainous province of Ha Giang, if local accommodation is a bit rough, the company will help local hosts make it more comfortable via personal touches without losing its original character.

Through joining the daily activities of locals in the fields and markets, joining them in enjoying maize wine and traditional meals, the aim is to provide visitors with a deeper understanding of the culture and lives of the hosts, she said.

We are also committed to engaging the local population and helping them preserve their culture and traditions. We interact with them to raise awareness of environmental protection and sustainable tourism, Loan said.

She said that for her, luxury tourism has moved away from the hedonistic and the extravagant, to a slower-paced, more socially-aware experience.

You do not run from one destination to another, but relax and enjoy authentic local culture and cuisine, learning and experiencing a different way of life.

Tours are designed with a focus on social responsibility, simplicity and a back-to-nature concept, recognising that technology should be more about helping than complicating ones life.

The idea is also to stress that service is the key to success and sustainability, Loan said.

Her castle: Nguyen Viet Loan Foster at Villa La Residence in Ha Noi. Photo courtesy of Loan

Accolades galore

Loans efforts have won her widespread recognition.

The Wall Street Journal has called her one of Ha Nois most fashionable hostesses, and the Vietnam Entrepreneur Magazine has referred to her as the Ambassadress of Cultural Tourism.

She has accompanied dignitaries including former first lady Hillary Clinton and former French president Jacques Chirac, and hosted celebrities like Sir Michael, Shakira Caine, movie star Brendan Fraser and entrepreneur Sir David Tang.

Pete Peterson, former US ambassador to Viet Nam, said he would highly recommend one of the special tours organised by Loans company for anyone wishing to experience the WOW factor in their travels.

It is a truly unique cultural and culinary adventure led by a professional operator with an exceptional flair and sense of style, he said.

Jill Lever, wife of the UK ambassador to Viet Nam, spoke of a cooking class she joined in Loans house last year.

I had a superb morning and a delicious lunch. The conversation was very stimulating and I learned a lot from the market visit and the cooking class. Chef Hungs Kung Fu demonstration was an unexpected delight and very special indeed.

Last month, US ambassador Ted Osius presented Journeys to the East with the AMCHAM 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Recognition Award for good governance and sustainable business practices.

Loan has just returned from a conference on luxury travel organised by the New York Times in Singapore. She was invited to host a lunch roundtable with the attendance of the food and travel editors of the New York Times on new trends in luxury tourism.
Pham Ba Huan, also known as Ba Huan, has invested her life in eggs and has become Viet Nams most famous businesswoman producing and distributing eggs. She talks with Ha Nguyen about her life and business.

Inner Sanctum: Can you tell us how you first became involved with eggs?

I was born in a very poor and crowded family. My parents had 8 children, and I was the second. My mother was a small egg trader. At the age of 12 I had to wake up very early in the morning to accompany her to purchase chicken and duck eggs from farmhouses in Tien Giang, Hau Giang and other Mekong Delta provinces, and transport them to Sai Gon (now HCM City) to sell at Cho Lon Market.

My mother worked very hard to earn a living to feed us. Her trade and hard work had the most influence on me.

I had to drop out of school at the age of 13 to help my mother. She taught me how to foster good relations with farmers, choose fresh eggs and the value of good customer service.

Despite having left school, I felt happy because I was able to help my mother and learn about the egg trade.

When I was 16 my mother was taken very ill, and she had to hand over her trade to me. At such a young age, I faced many difficulties, for example I had no money in hand even though I tried to borrow from my relatives.

I decided to purchase eggs on credit by meeting with each farm owner, and attempting to convince and implore them that I will pay them back right after the first batch of eggs was sold. They didnt believe me at first, but after a little persuasion they gave me a chance. By purchasing directly from producers and selling to customers, I had my first capital investment two years later. I had money to pay producers on time, and was able to win their trust.

My business quickly expanded to almost all Mekong Delta provinces, purchasing eggs and supplying them to customers promptly. In 2000, I set up a company with more than 100 workers.

Inner Sanctum: What are main factors behind your companys success?

The first was using modern technology. In early 2000 the epidemic of H5N1 (commonly known as bird, or avian, flu) seemed to kill off the traditional chiken and duck breeding in the Mekong Delta.

We decided to import a processing line from the Netherlands at a cost of 650,000 euros, with a capacity of 65,000 eggs per hour.

We also invested VN35 billion to build Viet Nams most modern plant in HCM City supplying organic eggs.

As a result, Vietnamese customers have benefited from eggs of an international standard on quality and food hygiene for the first time. Meanwhile, farmers have been able to restore some trust to continue their traditional poultry breeding.

Two years later we continued to invest more than VN100 billion to import a second processing line with a capacity of 120,000 eggs/hour.

Inner Sanctum: How has your company helped farmers deal with difficulties, such as the bird flu epidemic?

In 2003, the bird flu epidemic hit farmers, chicken farms and egg business as a whole.

I witnessed thousands of chickens and ducks dying. Many farming households had to adapt and take on other produce.

My imported modern technology from the Netherlands helped breeders regain production.

Inner Sanctum: Can you tell us about your companys process of checking egg quality?

We first clean the eggs, dry them and kill off any bacteria. The second part is inspecting the eggs to find rotten and low quality ones, and then covering them with a special oil to prevent further bacteria.

After finishing these processes, our eggs will be stamped and packaged.

All of our processes aim to ensure the highest quality and food hygiene standards for our customers.

Up until now we havent received any complaints.

Inner Sanctum: How does your company act to benefit farmers?

Farmers living standards have been improved because weve signed contracts to purchase all of their eggs.

In addition, we have co-ordinated with the National Centre for Agriculture Promotion to implement a programme to assist young farmers and guide them along the process of breeding.

Currently, thousands of farmers have joined safe poultry breeding lines in co-operation between themselves, scientists, businesses and the government.

This joint-venture model has assisted poor farmers with capital investment, baby birds, immunization, and output of their produce with stable pricing.

Inner Sanctum: How do you rate the potential and opportunity for Viet Nams organic eggs in the future?

The potential of using organic eggs is great but competition between companies is also great.

There are companies investing heavily in organic eggs, which means we have to try our utmost to compete with them.

Currently, we have 400 agents distributing and selling our products. This makes up 40 per cent of the market share.

Our products now have a presence in retail markets, supermarkets, restaurants and food processing factories nationwide. VNS
 Flash

The summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe wrapped up in Tokyo on Friday with some agreements on economic cooperation, but no breakthrough on the territorial issue that Japan had craved for.

At a joint press conference with Abe, Putin stressed that the issue of the disputed territories (called the Southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan) is the outcome of World War II, and implied that the U.S.-Japan alliance is an impediment to a solution.

The islets and surrounding waters are important for the Russian navy's access to the Pacific, while Russia has to consider Japan's special ties with the United States, said Putin.

Putin's remarks meant something as Japanese officials had said before Putin's visit that Japan did not rule out the possibility of the deployment of two U.S. military bases on two of the four disputed islands in the future.

Actually, the United States began to impede reconciliation between Japan and the Soviet Union shortly after the end of World War II. It threatened to take Japan's Okinawa permanently if Japan reconciled with the Soviet Union.

In some sense, the non-reciprocal alliance between the United States and Japan is turning into Japan's burden. The more the Abe government does in strengthening the alliance, the smaller room for Japan's diplomacy.

On Tuesday, a U.S. Osprey aircraft crash-landed off Okinawa. When local authorities lodged a protest, angry Gen. Lawrence Nicholson, the top U.S. military commander in Okinawa, said locals should appreciate U.S. pilots' move to keep the crash-landing away from residential areas.

Although local residents frequently staged protests and called for banning the operation of Osprey aircraft, the U.S. military soon announced the resumption of the flights of Osprey, totally ignoring local resentment.

During the recent U.S. presidential election, Japanese diplomacy's excessive reliance on the U.S.-Japan alliance was completely exposed.

At the very beginning, the Abe government betted on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and he flew to New York to meet her in September. Yet, after the election, Abe again immediately rushed to New York to flatter President-elect Donald Trump.

All of Japan's policies against its neighbors, including Russia, China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and South Korea, are heavily subject to U.S. global strategies.

The reason why Abe performs teeter-totter in diplomacy is that he could not climb out of the "tender trap" of the U.S.-Japan alliance.
Start to Farm

workshops set

CALMAR  Start to Farm: New Farmer Learning Networks are for beginning and early-career farmers looking for an edge in managing and growing their farm business.

The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach dairy team will continue its beginning farmer series to improve business practices and production techniques, tour successful farm operations and to form a community to share new ideas and profitable farming methods.

Registration is requested, but there is no participation fee. Start to Farm will be facilitated across the state. Dates in January include:

Jan. 12: The People Side of Dairy; ISUEO Farm Management Specialist Melissa ORourke will provide communication strategies in working with family and nonfamily employees.

Jan. 26: Raising Calves & Heifers; ISUEO Dairy Field Specialist Jennifer Bentley will provide guidelines and recommendations for raising both calves and heifers to maximize production in the milking herd.

Start to Farm will be offered at four locations with the same topics presented at each site. Programs will start at noon and conclude by 2 p.m. The nearest is at the Iowa Dairy Center-Robotic meeting room, 1527 Highway 150, Calmar; RSVP: jbentley@iastate.edu, (563) 382-2949.

Microsoft Office

class slated WATERLOO  This past year, RSM of Cedar Rapids has helped clients transition to Microsoft Office 365. If your company is contemplating a similar change or has already made the transition, you are invited to attend a networking session Jan. 19 at the Ramada Hotel & Convention Center in Waterloo.

This is an opportunity to get questions answered in a low-pressure environment and to hear from others who have made the change and are willing to share their experiences.

Following a short presentation, including a question-and-answer session will be shared. Participants will be able to mingle with O365 users and others who are considering ways to better manage their business challenges.

The event begins at 3:30 p.m.

UnityPoint gets recognition

WEST DES MOINES  UnityPoint Health has achieved recognition as an adopter of the Healthcare Financial Management Associations Patient Financial Communications Best Practices.

As a Best Practices Adopter, UnityPoint Health has demonstrated it follows 100 best practices covering all aspects of financial interactions that take place in hospital inpatient and outpatient care settings. UnityPoint Health joins a select group of fewer than 200 hospitals, health systems, and physician practices nationwide that have received this first-of-its-kind recognition.
CLEAR LAKE  Any rock n roll fan worth their vintage 45s collection knows the connection between the Surf Ballroom and the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Big Bopper Richardson in the plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959, after performing at the ballroom.

It was the day the music died, as Don McLean sang, but many famous and not-so-famous performers before and since that tragedy have found their way to the Surf stage. That has given the ballroom legendary status as a cultural icon. In recent years, the ballroom was designated a historic rock n roll landmark by Clevelands Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

But performers need an audience to sway in front of the stage, and a ballroom needs dancers on its floor. Thats what  and who  Jaclyn Garlock celebrates in her series of big, bold paintings, Words I Know the Songs To.

The exhibition is being displayed now through Feb. 26 in the Law-Reddington Galleries at the Waterloo Center for the Arts.

It just hit me one day  paint what you know, and the Surf Ballroom is the big thing in Clear Lake, says Garlock. Thats basically how I got started. The first painting I did featured a couple dancing. They came to my studio, posed as dancers, and I placed them at the Surf.

Born in Storm Lake, Garlock grew up in Montana and graduated from Adams State University in Colorado with a degree in art and secondary education. She moved to Clear Lake in 1968, and in 1975 opened a screen-printing business creating photorealistic serigraphs that were hand drawn and hand pulled.

Although shed been to the Surf innumerable times over the years, the artist became intrigued by its history when asked to stencil pineapples on the walls during a renovation phase. The owners wanted to replicate the original walls.

Her preferred medium is acrylics. I spent the first half of my career doing silk screen prints, and I knew my time was limited because of the chemicals involved. I actually liked the smell of those chemicals, but I was getting headaches during the printing process, so I had to make a change.

Garlock, who has curated exhibitions at the communitys art center, also began showing her fine art in galleries and at art shows and festivals throughout the region. Eight years ago, she made it her full-time vocation. It took about three years to create the paintings in Words I Know The Songs To.

An active member of a theater group, Garlock invited her fellow actors to pose in scenes at the Surf. We spent an evening eating and changing costumes, and I took pictures.

The photographs became a reference point for painting such scenes as a formally dressed couple ballroom dancing, another couple swing dancing, a group of people clustered around a booth, a sailor surrounded by other patrons seated at a bar.

The paintings come off as quite theatrical, as if Ive captured people in the middle of an action, which is what I wanted to achieve.
JERUSALEM (AP)  For Reform Jews like us, Hanukkah means lighting candles, eating latkes and opening presents. But this year the holiday holds deeper meaning: Its a way of remembering our trip to Israel, where we connected with the real story of Hanukkah and brought a piece of it home.

We took the trip to celebrate our son Adens bar mitzvah. In addition to me, my husband and our sons ages 10, 13 and 16, six other relatives came along. Id imagined this once-in-a-lifetime bucket list adventure for years, but wed never traveled with three generations before. And while I usually do our trip-planning, this time we hired a guide and driver so we could safely cover a lot of ground in a short time.

A big part of the success of our trip was our guide, Dani Margolis, who was worth his weight in shekels. Official Israeli guides are required to know ancient history, food, culture and geography. Dani knows that and more: Hes tended camels with Bedouins, apprenticed with archaeologists, been in the army and now lives on a kibbutz. An avid outdoorsman and foodie, he also pushed us outside our comfort zones, from rappelling in the Valley of Death outside Jerusalem to eating schwarma near the Golan Heights.

His itinerary seemed optimistic, if not insane for a family ranging in age from 10 to 78. But his enthusiasm, knowledge and storytelling kept us going. When Dani said climb into a tiny underground cave, or stand on a volcano overlooking the Syrian border with mortars firing in the distance, we did it and were better for it.

When Dani said we were headed to an archaeological dig, I feared boredom. But our visit to the National Park of Beit Guvrin turned out to be a highlight for all, from kids to grandparents. Armed with dirty shovels, spades and buckets, we got a lesson in the proper way to dig before entering the underground unexcavated caves. The program, called Dig for a Day, is run by the Archaeological Seminars Institute.

The cool, dark cave we explored was small with low, uneven ceilings, partitioned by a few rocky walls and lit by generators. We each got two buckets: one for significant finds and one for junk. We couldnt believe how much fun it was to sit in a pile of dirt, sifting the ground, looking for signs of life from 2,000 years ago. It was thrilling to find even the tiniest remnants of ancient pottery, animal bones and tile. We oohed and ahed in envy when a girl unearthed a small intact metal oil lamp.

You cant keep what you find. But you can take bits home from piles of broken artifacts that have been examined and deemed superfluous. We eagerly filled our pockets with pottery shards of all different colors and textures.

According to Israels Biblical Archaeological Society, one onsite dig unearthed part of a stone tablet with an inscription connected to the Maccabees, the rebel army whose story is central to Hanukkah. When the Maccabees rededicated a temple, the story goes that there was only enough oil to light a lamp for one day, but the light burned for eight days. Thats why Hanukkah candles are lit for eight nights.

OTHER ADVENTURES

Renting bikes in Tel Aviv: Ride the Mediterranean shoreline to the old city of Jaffa, stop at a seaside cafe and swim at a crowded beach.

Tubing on the Sea of Galilee: In northern Israel, see Tiberias from a motorboat. Lively Israeli music blares as you bounce through the water on a giant inner tube.

Secret bullet factory in Tel Aviv: This former kibbutz looks like an ordinary farm until you enter the laundry building and peer down into the secret passageway to an underground space. Here volunteers produced bullets in the late 1940s as part of the fight to create the State of Israel.

Jerusalem light and sound show: This 45-minute outdoor show tells the history of Jerusalem with animation and lights projected onto ancient castle buildings of the Tower of David.

Abrahams tent: Don Biblical garb, hop on feisty camels and ride along cliffs overlooking the desert at a themed site called Genesis Land. Sitting on wool blankets around a low table, youll eat a delicious traditional meal and hear Biblical tales.

Jerusalem scavenger hunt: Find clues on a timed hunt through back alleys, synagogues and neighborhood bakeries.

Other must-dos: Floating in the Dead Sea, hearing echoes when you yell from the top of Masada, shopping in Jerusalems open markets, visiting the artists village of Tsfat and wandering the ancient ruins of King Herods Caesaria.
WATERLOO  Singing children and traditional food are part of this years annual Hanukkah party at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sons of Jacob Synagogue, 411 Mitchell Ave.

The traditional event is expected to be joyous but low-key in nature due to the recent death of Rabbi Emeritus Stanley Martin Rosenbaum, said Michelle Wolfe, synagogue secretary.

There will be a memorial service honoring Rosenbaum at 2 p.m. today at the synagogue. The service, open to the public, was postponed from last weekend for weather-related issues. The rabbi died Nov. 26.

The board decided to continue with the Hanukkah party. We thought it was important to do what we would normally do, just on a different scale to show our respect. There will be children singing and a mock candle lighting ceremony. We cant do the actual lighting of candles until Hanukkah, Wolfe said.

The eight-day festival of lights begins at sundown Saturday and runs through Jan. 1. The holiday is celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, prayers and fried foods. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means dedication, and celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple, according to www.chabad.org.

In the second century BCE, a group of Jewish warriors defeated the occupying Greek armies in the Holy Land who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs. Led by Judah the Maccabee, the small band of fighters drove the Greeks from the land and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

When preparing to rededicate the temple, they could find only one jar of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks, the website explains. Miraculously, they were able to light the Menorah (seven-branched candelabrum) and the one-day supply of oil lasted eight days until new oil could be prepared according to ritual.

At Wednesdays gathering, guests can also enjoy latkes or potato pancakes, among other traditional food. There also will be a gift exchange.

Otherwise its an informal, community-led event, Wolfe said.

Those interested in attending should RSVP at 233-9448.
WATERLOO  A federal magistrate has found in favor of a murder defendant who said he was assaulted in 2015 at the Black Hawk County Jail by another man awaiting trial for another murder.

Magistrate Jon Stuart Scoles recommended James Robert Ernst II receive a $500 judgment on allegations his Eighth Amendment rights prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment were violated when he was placed in a jail pod with an associate of the person he killed.

Scoless recommendation, which was filed Dec. 9 following an October hearing, now goes to a district court judge for review.

Black Hawk County Tony Thompson said jail staff had worked to keep Ernst safe from conflicts with other inmates.

We worked with this guy for months, Thompson said. He declined to comment further because the matter is still pending in court, but he did say the jail plans to challenge the magistrates recommendation.

Attorney John McCoy, who represents the jail in the matter, couldnt be reached for comment Friday. Ernst represented himself in the action against the jail.

At the time of the attack, Ernst was awaiting trial in the December 2014 shooting death of Orintheo Campbell Jr., 23. Ernst was later convicted of first-degree murder.

In court records, Ernsts attacker is identified as Perquondis Holmes, who was in jail awaiting trial in the November 2013 shooting death of 18-year-old DaeQuan Campbell. Holmes was ultimately acquitted of the slaying, and he was never charged with assaulting Ernst.

Holmes had been on a list of inmates who were supposed to be kept separate from Ernst because of their connections to Ernsts victim, court records state.

When Ernst was arrested for murder in January 2015, he told jail staff he had been receiving death threats and believed some of the people behind the threats also were inmates. Jail staff noted Ernst should be kept away from relatives of Campbell and away from members of Black Flag Mafia, a local gang with ties to Campbell, court records state. Holmes was one of the people on the list, records state.

Jail officials also placed Ernst in protective custody for safety reasons, which meant he was confined to his cell for all but one hour a day and had no contact with other inmates.

In February 2015, Ernst asked the court to move him to the Dubuque County Jail because of safety concerns, but a judge declined the request. After Ernst and his attorney began to complain his civil rights were being violated, jail officials took him off protective custody in March 2015, and he was placed in general population in D Pod, court records state.

Five days later, Ernsts attorney contacted the jail and requested he be moved from D Pod because a cousin of Campbell was in the same pod. Staff decided to move him to F Pod, although Ernst said he wanted to remain in D because he knew who to look out for.

But Ernst was moved from D to F at 3 p.m. on March 20, 2015. About 15 minutes later, Ernst was on a phone in the day room when he was attacked by Holmes and Taevon Washington, court records state. A deputy broke up the attack five seconds after it started. Jail records indicate Ernst, who went back to his phone call, had three scratches on his left arm, a scrape on his right knee and a small bruise under his right eye.

According to Scoles ruling, Holmess name had been on Ernsts keep separate list since January 2015. But when the decision came to move Ernst, the task fell to housing officer Deputy Levi Frost, and Frosts computer screen only showed the name of the gang and the name of one person as keep separates in Ernsts booking notes. When he scrolled the screen, there was the name of a second person.

The software wouldnt allow the deputy to go deeper into the entry  where Holmes was listed  without having to go through several extra steps, according to the ruling.

Scoles said there was a half hearted effort to determine if anyone of Ernsts list were in F Pod. He recommended a $500 judgment be entered against Frost and found no fault on the part of the Black Hawk County Jail or other deputies.
CEDAR FALLS  A group of Cedar Falls High School students will get some of their education in the workplace instead of the classroom when they start second semester next month.

The juniors and seniors will take on the title associate, exchanging homework and tests for assigned projects in which theyll solve problems and meet deadlines.

After two years, Cedar Falls Community Schools is preparing to launch a new career program: the Center for Advanced Professional Studies.

The CAPS program is a partnership with local businesses to put students in a skilled career environment. They will study at a host business for about 2 1/2 hours with high school teachers and business mentors, earning high school and Hawkeye Community College credit.

It really is an opportunity to provide career readiness skills by focusing on real-world experiences outside of the classroom, Dan Conrad, the districts director of secondary education, told the Board of Education last week. Students will complete projects for the companies.

Its embedded opportunities for students working with professionals in professional careers, added Superintendent Andy Pattee.

District officials have been looking at engineering, computer science and information technology strands for the courses  emphasizing career fields for which students would earn at least two- or four-year college degrees.

We really worked with our (Greater Cedar Valley Alliance &) Chamber about what strands would be most beneficial, explained Pattee, as well as identifying potential host businesses. They also met with Hawkeye Community College and University of Northern Iowa officials in determining college credit requirements.

The host business for the engineering strand will be Viking Pump. Administrators are still working on the other two strands.

We have not yet secured a host site for the computer science strand, said Conrad. We are working with a couple of local businesses to see if that can be determined for us to start in the second semester.

He hopes to finalize plans within the next week. The new semester starts Jan. 17.

Less progress has been made in the third area. Weve had a couple road bumps with the information technology strand, so that probably wont get started until next fall, he added.

Starting small

Ideally, 10 to 15 students will be in each strand, but the classes will have a lower enrollment next semester.

Were going to start small, said Conrad. Right now, for spring semester, weve got 18 students signed up.

There will be no prerequisites for students. If you have a passion and a real interest in this area, youre welcome to enroll, said Conrad. Its so much different than a traditional classroom that sometimes those who surprise you the most are those who dont do well in a traditional classroom.

Ethan Wiechmann will be the districts instructor for both the engineering and computer science strands during second semester. He is a math teacher at the high school.

My job as an instructor is to work with them on what does it mean to be a professional, he said, such as developing a resume and a portfolio. The idea is to make it as real world as we can.

Direct instruction will be as limited as possible, he noted. Instead, students will be guided with mentors to complete a project.

Theyll be working on various projects, said Wiechmann. We want to be able to provide a variety of experiences for them, and a variety of options.

Nate Clayberg, who operates a business solutions firm, is helping to find projects these students can get involved in, he said. The district has contracted with him as business liaison for CAPS. He will find business support.

Sometimes its hard to connect education and business, and thats where my role comes in, said Clayberg.

Principal Jason Wedgbury noted an important aspect will be learning a set of skills in any professional setting problem solving, interacting with clients, doing quality work, meeting deadlines and communicating effectively. Students will also be learning specific career skills.

I think its very much an exposure and an exploration, he said. It looks very different than our current school experience.

Joining network

The CAPS concept was created by the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kan., in 2008 and now enrolls hundreds of students. Related programs have spread to more than 20 other locations in nine states.

Cedar Falls High School started looking at CAPS two years ago. District officials made visits to Blue Valley and career programs in Waukee and Cedar Rapids. In February last year, they introduced the idea to local businesses to gauge interest before implementation.

Curriculum has been developed in collaboration with Hawkeye and the business partners. In addition, the CAPS Network helped guide program setup.

A startup grant of $15,300 was received from the Cedar Falls Schools Foundation through the Arvid and Elsa Waschek Family Fund at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. Conrad said the family then gave an additional $10,000.

Although we will continue to explore other funding opportunities (grants, etc.) to support the program, the district is committed to sustaining CAPS, said Conrad. Therefore, we do intend to fund it with general fund dollars as we grow and expand.

A full-time substitute will replace Wiechmann at the high school for second semester. Anticipated costs of operating CAPS are still being determined.

Right now, it would be difficult to put an exact dollar amount on the program, since we still are not sure if we will be offering one or two strands this year, said Conrad. We estimate the program will cost in the neighborhood of $30,000 for the second semester. This includes the teacher salary and benefits, business liaison contract and any additional costs for technology or equipment, travel, training.

Enrollment growth and additional strands in subsequent years could lead to a full-time teacher in each strand at an average cost of $60,000 plus other expenses. Strands that may be considered in the future include teacher education and medical careers.

District officials are also looking to neighboring Waterloo Community Schools new high school career center, located in a remodeled area of Central Middle School. Two career and technical education pathways were launched this fall, with plans to add three more next year.

We have had conversations with Waterloo about opportunities for partnership down the road, said Conrad. This would allow for expanded career offerings in the two districts without duplicating programs.

Clayberg said involvement with CAPS appeals to some business because it may help get some students consider careers they wouldnt have contemplated. Theyre in need of filling that workforce pipeline, and this is a good way, he suggested.

Officials said students could help businesses with a project they lack staff for. I want that business to feel the value of what our students are offering them, said Wedgbury.

But he emphasized students will benefit most from CAPS. He first saw it as a niche for some students, but his appreciation for CAPS has grown.

The more I get involved, I think almost all of our students could benefit from this program, he said.

Editor's note: A correction was made to this story May 31, 2017.
CEDAR FALLS  Danny Galyen, director of bands at the University of Northern Iowa, has one wish for the 167 marching band members he is taking to Italy to perform in Romes New Years Day parade.

I want you to love it so much ... all you can think about is the next time you can go back over and experience this again and again and again, and kind of broaden your horizons that way, Galyen told the band last week at its final practice before the Dec. 28 trip.

Laura Steffen, a UNI senior who plays cymbals, knows what Galyen means.

Steffen, a Dunkerton native, went on the bands first international trip to London two years ago to perform in that citys New Years Day parade.

It was her first time flying and her first trip overseas. She has some worldly advice for fellow band mates making their first trip.

Youre going to want to embrace the experience, and even if youre tired, go out there, have a good time, explore, dont be afraid to try new things, Steffen said. She took a daring ride on the London Eye  a giant ferris wheel  even though shes afraid of heights.

Dont be on your phone the whole time. Dont be doing what you would normally be doing if you were at home, like actually embrace the culture and learn about it.

Galyen said the band  315 people total  likely got the opportunity for the Rome experience because of its London trip. The 167 students going to Italy raised about $3,100 each for the trip, which will include a stationary performance in Frascati and trips to Pisa and Florence.

Galyen said the UNI Marching Band has made an international name for itself in part because of its size, as large as bands at larger universities.

It brings a lot of recognition for us, so its paid off for us to have done such a nice job with recruiting, Galyen said. I think the word is out that here we feel they are good enough (musicians) and they can come and theyre welcome to come, and that they have a place to fit in here.

That helps students feel like a family  and consider spending nine days together on a thrilling but exhausting trip just after Christmas. The excitement was clear at the last practice this month.

Shelby Betz, a sophomore who plays the trumpet, is in the same situation as Steffen was two years ago. The Spencer native has never flown or been overseas.

I dont even know what to expect. My friends keep telling me, Oh, its going to be like this; youre going to watch movies, youre going to  but still, I guess, Im just going to have to experience it. Its going to be so eye-opening, Betz said.

Both she and fellow sophomore Michael Stow, who plays trombone, admitted they may be a bit distracted during their official duties playing in the parade.

Thats probably going to happen. Im going to be going along, be focusing, be trying to keep my lines straight and everything, and saying, Oh, thats awesome. Oh, this whole place is just awesome, said Stow, of Cedar Falls. Theres probably going to be a certain amount of that.

The route is mercifully short, just over a half mile.

They will march on the Via della Conciliazione, or Road of the Conciliation, from a square next to Castel SantAngelo to St. Peters Square in the Vatican.

It was the chance to see Rome that so attracted so many people to go on the trip.

Galyen organized a meeting about a year ago to talk to students about another international trip. It wasnt necessarily a surprise. They all knew about the London trip two years ago.

But it wasnt until the end of the presentation Galyen revealed the location. There on the screen was one word, Rome.

The students erupted.

I was just, like, sold. Im going. I dont care, Betz recalled. I called my parents and they were like, Are you sure?

Its really far, and everything, and I was like, Yes, Im going. This is going to be so amazing and such a great opportunity.
WATERLOO  A fire in an attic crawl space damaged a Waterloo home Friday afternoon.

Crews with Waterloo Fire Rescue were called to a house at 2845 Lafayette St. around 3 p.m. after smoke was seen coming from the roof and ceiling.

No injuries were reported, but firefighters found a smoldering fire in insulation in the ceiling. Because the access hatch to the attic was too small, crews had to cut into the ceiling to reach the fire.

Waterloo police investigate gunfire

WATERLOO  Police are investigating a report of gunfire Thursday night.

No injuries or damage were reported, but police recovered spent shell casings, said Capt. David Mohlis with the Waterloo Police Department.

Neighbors called police at 5:43 p.m. Thursday after hearing gunshot in the 500 block of Elm Street.

Hampton man faces prison in drug case

HAMPTON  A Hampton man was among eight people in a large drug ring sentenced to federal prison last week.

Miguel Mendoza, 26, received a prison term of six years and six months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Mendoza and his co-defendants, who were from Marshalltown, Evansdale, Waterloo and California, were responsible for distributing hundreds of pounds of meth, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Iowa.

Beginning in the spring of 2013, a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing ice methamphetamine was formed, officials say.

Car-semi crash sends 1 to hospital

IOWA FALLS  A Carroll man was taken to the hospital following an accident with a Waterloo trucker on U.S. Highway 20 in Hardin County Friday afternoon.

The Iowa State Patrol said Trevor Samuel Caltrider, 18, of Carroll was taken to Iowa Falls Hospital by AMR ambulance after his car collided with a semi-tractor trailer driven by Muhamed Dizdarevic, 42, of Waterloo.

Troopers said Caltriders westbound car went out of control, crossed the median and hit the rear of Dizdarevics eastbound semi,

The accident occurred shortly before 2:30 p.m. near mile marker 162 on U.S. 20 north of Buckeye and southwest of Iowa Falls.

Winneshiek County drug sting nets 14

DECORAH  The Winneshiek County Sheriffs Office executed search warrants in Fort Atkinson and Calmar resulting in 10 arrests and four juvenile referrals, officials said Thursday. The 10 adults were all transported to the Winneshiek County Jail.

The charges are a result of a lengthy investigation, which continues.

Steven Anderson, 39, of Fort Atkinson, was charged with keeping a premises or vehicle for controlled substance, felony possession of marijuana, third or subsequent offense; and felony possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense.

Also, Astyn Rouse, 26, of Fort Atkinson, was charged with a keeping premises or vehicle for controlled substance, possession of marijuana, second offense and felony possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense.

The following people, all of Fort Atkinson, also were charged with keeping a premises of vehicle for controlled substance: Michael Koch, 33; Peggy Schneider, 58; Stephanie Six, 35; Steven Ashford, 62; William Anderson, 38, and David Alve-Frana, 33.

Also, Zackary Hoste, 23, of Ellsworth, Wis., was charged with no valid drivers license.

Following the execution of a search warrant at a rural residence near Calmar, Robert Coonradt, 46, of Calmar, was charged and jailed for possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense.
Waterloo plans tree disposal

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Sanitation Department will again provide free curbside collection of real Christmas trees on normal garbage route days Jan. 10-20.

Residents must place trees clear of garbage cans to eliminate interference with garbage can pick-up.

Trees more than 6 feet long must be cut in half. Trees should not be wrapped in plastic bags, contain any metal, wire, plastic, decorations or bases.

Flocked trees, artificial trees, trees with decorations/lights/garland will not be collected. Wreaths and other manufactured products containing wire should be disposed of through regular garbage service.

Call 291-4455 for information.

Foundation awards

first

grants

WATERLOO  The Waterloo Community Foundation has awarded grants to five local nonprofits in its first-ever grant cycle.

Each grant will benefit residents in Waterloo during 2017 within one of four areas: health and human services; arts and culture; education or economic development.

Recipients include:

Northeast Iowa Food Bank: Support of a pilot program focused on purchasing food products from local producers.

Koats4Kids: Winter wear for low-income elementary-age students.

Northstar: Provide adults with disabilities an opportunity to showcase their talents in a performance of Pinocchio at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on June 7.

Black Hawk Childrens Theatre: Expose elementary-age school students to live performances by attending a daytime youth performance for $1 per child.

Quota International of Waterloo: Promote literacy through the purchase of books distributed to elementary students by Waterloo Police officers.

Intersection

set to reopen

WATERLOO  Construction work at Shaulis and Hawkeye roads is expected to wrap up this week.

This Iowa Department of Transportation has announced Shaulis is expected to reopen Wednesday, weather permitting, following completion of the traffic safety improvement project.

The Iowa DOT added signal lights and left-turns at the intersection, which is a mile south of the Iowa Highway 21-U.S. Highway 20 interchange.

The traffic signals will be activated when Shaulis reopens. The digital message signs currently in place to provide advanced notice to approaching motorists will remain until Hawkeye Community College is back in session Jan. 9.

Philanthropy grants awarded

CEDAR FALLS  The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowas Women in Philanthropy group has announced grant recipients.

Two grants were awarded from the Womens Fund held with CFNEIA. The House of Hope was awarded $6,000 for its Build Hope capital campaign, and the Job Foundation was awarded $6,000 for their financial mentoring program.

House of Hope assists single mothers and their children by investing in them through a two-year transitional housing arrangement. The $6,000 grant will contribute to their effort to relocate and expand their housing.

The Job Foundation Financial Mentoring Program pairs low-income moms and children with middle-class mentoring families. The mentoring families teach fundamental financial disciplines but most importantly, act as confidants to the moms. This grant will be put toward student earnings.

UNI welcomes 20 from S. Korea

CEDAR FALLS  In January, the University of Northern Iowa Culture and Intensive English Program will host 20 students from South Korea who will be participating in the Multiculturalism Immersion Program.

It is the result of collaboration between UNI, Kyungpook National University and Korea National University of Education. The students will arrive Jan. 3 for a three-week program.

Hosting international students on our campus is so important because of the opportunities these students bring, said Cristy Steffen, promotions and admissions specialist for the CIEP. Not only do they increase the diversity of our campus, but they also provide an opportunity for international students to interact and share their culture with U.S. students.

Three faculty members will be working with the students, Victoria DeFranciso, professor of communication studies, Tammy Gregersen, professor of languages and literatures, and Sohyun Meacham, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction.
 Flash

As the year's end approaches, the latest data on Europe's refugee crisis showed the overall inflow of people fleeing war and poverty has sensibly dropped, compared to 2015.

Yet, Italy has remained on the frontline of the emergency, with numbers soaring in latest months despite the winter and worsening conditions in the sea that separates Europe from Africa's coasts.

Some 357,800 arrivals have been so far registered through the Mediterranean routes (including Greece, Italy, and Spain), compared to over 1 million in the whole last year, according to the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

In Italy, however, some 179,081 people have arrived between Jan. 1 and Dec. 11, against a total of 153,842 in 2015.

"While (Italy's) arrival trends in 2016 remained consistent with those of 2015 up until the end of Sept., arrivals since then have generally been higher," the UNHCR said in a report earlier this week.

The UN agency added it was "monitoring potential factors contributing to the increase," including a possible drop in the prices imposed by smugglers for Mediterranean crossing.

The Italian capital provided a good example of the overall situation in the country. Being Italy's largest city, it is a major destination or transit point for migrants and refugees.

"This remains a phase of high reception," Lino Posteraro, head of social and migration-related activities with Rome Red Cross, confirmed to Xinhua.

"It sounds strange, but we are witnessing much higher figures (of arrivals) in these weeks compared to the past, despite being winter."

While the peak of arrivals in Rome was registered between July and August in previous years, this year it was in November.

Currently, the Rome Red Cross was assisting some 750 people, all of them applying for various forms of humanitarian protection, according to the official.

"We have 400 people in the first reception hub, which consists of two tent camps and one house," Posteraro said.

"We also manage three emergency reception centers with 150, 70, and 25 people respectively; one humanitarian shelter with 85 people -- all waiting to be relocated in Europe -- and a structure for non-accompanied migrant minors with 28 kids."

The Red Cross is only one of the many humanitarian groups involved in the management of the migration issue in the capital.

Despite the network of reception centers set up by Rome authorities, however, the available places seem not enough to house everyone, and several migrants have remained stranded in latest months.

"Being not the only ones involved in the emergency, we cannot precisely say what percentage of migrants remains cut off from the hospitality network," Posteraro explained.

"Yet, it is very clear that Rome has a problem of reception right now: every night, we have a number of people -- from a few dozens to a few hundreds -- who finds no place in the circuit."

The daily reports of the Italian coast guard, which coordinates all rescue missions in central Mediterranean, would provide further proof. Looking at the latest days only, it registered 791 people rescued on Dec. 4; 473 on Dec. 6; 127 on Dec. 7; 1,164 on Dec. 11; and 1,134 on Dec. 12.

Yet, these numbers alone would not explain why the Italian authorities struggle to cope with the situation. For a country with 60 million inhabitants, some 175,000 people -- most of whom were willing to proceed elsewhere in Europe -- would not represent an unbearable burden.

Two factors need to be added: firstly, the distribution of refugees and migrants across the country has been uneven so far.

Only 2,600 out of 8,000 Italian municipalities have accepted to host them, according to Director General of the Interior Ministry's immigration department Mario Morcone.

This has resulted in "a very patchy situation," Morcone declared in a hearing in late October.

The Interior Ministry has recently launched a new plan in cooperation with the association of Italian municipalities (ANCI), which aims at making the so far "migrant free" cities accept their share.

The plan, still to be implemented, would impose a distribution of three migrants (or refugees) for each 1,000 inhabitants. The average would decrease to 1,5 migrants each 1,000 in large cities like Rome and Milan, which are already burdened with heavy numbers.

A second major reason for the emergency is that any expectation put on the European Union (EU) relocation scheme has been so far disappointed.

The plan allows asylum-seekers to be transferred legally, and under humanitarian protection, from the country where they have first arrived to another EU country.

The EU Commission approved it in Sept. 2015, with the specific goal of easing the pressure from Italy, Greece, and Hungary by relocating 160,000 people in the following two years.

The Italian Interior Ministry did not provide immediate data on the latest situation.

Yet, the UNHCR reported on Dec. 14 that only 2,032 people were relocated from Italy up to last week.

In a report on Dec. 8, the EU Commission had put the figure at 1,950.
If you want to know who is causing U.S. jobs to be lost to producers in other countries, look at your TV brand, look in your closet, look in your garage and then look in your mirror. Thats right. The American consumer is behind it. Its a simple explanation. Other countries can produce goods cheaper than we can and thats what we want: low-cost stuff.

In a market system we say the consumer is king, and since we are all consumers we are all kings. It is the way a market system works. The market is driven by our choices. We work hard for our money and of course want it to go as far as possible. To satisfy us firms are constantly striving to reduce costs and produce more efficiently. Many times, that means making goods outside the U.S.

It isnt just cheap foreign labor. More goes into manufacturing than wages. Technology, equipment, infrastructure, distribution systems and other factors play a major role. Thats why even with higher wages many U.S.-made products are competitive all over the world.

This loss of jobs is not new. A generation ago, almost every TV set purchased was made in the U.S. Now it is impossible to get one made with 100 percent U.S. parts. Most are assembled overseas and shipped to the U.S. And you know the story of the U.S. automobile industry now dominated by foreign brand cars.

This too is how the market works. Throughout history established industries have declined as others, both domestic and foreign, find cheaper ways to produce and meet the desire of consumers for lower priced goods. Markets are ruthless. They care nothing for people and are driven only by dollars.

But individuals are different. Our hearts go out to those who lose jobs to foreign producers, and we want to help them. But how? One thing is clear, few of us are willing to pay more for a car to help a nameless person in Detroit. Nor will we pay more for TV sets to help a stranger in Arizona. Remember, in the market its all about price.

Nor should we bully firms into keeping jobs here. Eventually that policy drives up prices and puts companies out of business. And a tariff on imports is just a way to raise prices. They frequently are referred to as aiding a few at the expense of many.

If we want the benefits of a market system we need to let it work as much as possible, but a harsh reality is some people will be hurt. An important function of government is to make life a little better for them. We need to strengthen our job retraining programs, educational opportunities and even relocation financing for those who are displaced by foreign competition. This is certainly not an ideal solution, but neither can we return to a time when we had little sympathy and even less help for those hurt by market forces. The best solution is to stop politicizing markets and focus on helping people.
In the spirit of empathy, Americans should thank both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton for throwing their names in the proverbial election hat knowing the depth of enmity they were facing. It would be shameful if we miss celebrating the fact more than 120 million Americans went out and voted. This sets an example for an enviable working democratic process.

It also lays to rest the flawed argument some had come to believe: that elections in the U.S. are rigged. It reinforces the idea the collective wisdom of American voters must be respected. With the votes being nearly 50-50 split, anyone thinking their side is has a mandate would need a lesson in empathy. Those free of partisan emotionalism can empathize with both partys gripes.

Last June I was traveling for business in Mexico just a few days after Trump announced his candidacy and gave his famous assessment of illegal immigrants from Mexico. I spent two days with a group of Mexican workers under contract with an American well drilling contracting company. The American supervisor from South Dakota was expressing his views about Trumps speech on Mexican illegal immigrants. He worked in Mexico, supervised dozens of Mexican workers, most of whom appeared to be close friends with him. Yet, his enthusiasm for Trumps bluntness was startling. It appeared then the future president-elect had tapped into feelings that were hard to acknowledge for his opponents.

Trumps handling of the election process reminds one of Mike Tysons famous quote about his opponents: Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. From the start of his campaign Trump has kept his opponents and everyone else, including the media, off balance. One outlandish claim or unabated statement after another kept friend and foe so stunned they could not keep up. To the delight of his followers he also showed an energy level that made all other candidates look lethargic, and his rapid-fire smooth-talking speech surpasses that of Rush Limbaugh. He has also been nonpartisan in confronting his opponents. This creates hope for the Independents that perhaps he can stand up to the extremists in his party.

A friend compared Hillary Clintons plight during national elections to a scene in the classic comedy movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In that skit, villagers with pitchforks scream We have found a witch (A witch! A witch!) Burn her Burn her. The poor woman claims she is not a witch. But the wise Sir Bedevere notes she is dressed like one. She answers, They dressed me up like this. The villagers had fitted her with a long fake nose and a witchs hat.

This analogy has credence to the analogy considering Rep. Kevin McCarthys famous gaffe on Benghazi implying the Republican-led investigations were designed to hurt Clintons climbing polls. It is certain Republicans will argue against this for a long time; and the Democrats will continue to feel their candidate was shortchanged by baseless accusations.

Clinton believed every word she said was going to be turned around by a vast right-wing conspiracy dating back to when her husband was in the office. The more she weighted her words and spoke lawyerly, the more the other side presented her as untrustworthy. Also, she delivered a rather tamed and comfortable view of the future.

Trump presented an unusually unconventional approach to the elections. He worked remarkably hard, showed vigor that created energy in his followers, and a rare ennui to ideologues, creating anticipation that perhaps he will be pragmatic to the benefit of the country.
RecycleForce thanks

GREGG KEESLING

INDIANAPOLIS -- Thank you to The Courier for covering the recent visit of Keys to Work and RecycleForce to Waterloo. My wife, Jannett, and I were encouraged by the enthusiasm in your community to seek solutions for those who have made mistakes and need second chances. We met Mayor Quentin Hart at the U.S. Conference of Mayors held in Indianapolis earlier this year.

Whether Indianapolis or Waterloo, cities all across the U.S. are dealing with the growing numbers of persons who have made a mistake. The reception and energy from the mayor, your City Council and a wide range of community leaders helped us see Waterloo is out front in developing efforts to address the important issue of re-entry. It is the right thing to do. Whether one comes at this from a public safety or a budgetary perspective or those who lead with their convictions to help the disadvantaged -- this is one of the important issues of our time, one that can bring us together around a common cause.

Keep up the good work Waterloo. A big thank you to everyone in Waterloo who made our stay so pleasant.

Weather graphics

ROBERT NEFF

VINTON -- Congratulations KWWL, I've had enough. Local advertisers, your message will no longer reach me. I've gone to other stations. I tuned in tonight to watch the NBC evening news, per usual. Snow was coming down outside, which we've all known was going to happen for several days. The last thing I needed was your weather graphics not only taking up the bottom of my TV screen but also the right 1/5th of my screen.

TV has gone from what we tune in to watch to KWWL thinking the more technology they display on the screen, the more important they are. You seem to forget that we watch TV for what we want to see, not your graphics. I get it when there's a tornado on the ground and you're trying to warn people of immediate danger to life. But you don't need a counties map for snow we knew was coming.

Run a crawler on the bottom. Plaster your screen-ruining graphics on one of your other channels if you must. But stop ruining network viewing.

Volunteers needed

DEE EUCHNER

WATERLOO -- Would you like to make a difference in the life of a young child and become a reading buddy, or math or art helper? The Waterloo Elementary Schools have a great need for volunteers from all ethnic backgrounds in the community. Could you squeeze an hour or two weekly into your schedule to volunteer with some great kids who are struggling to meet grade level proficiency?

If you are up to the challenge and are 55 years or older, contact Dee Euchner, RSVP Prime Time volunteer coordinator at 272-2553.

Letter response

EUGENE JUNG

WATERLOO -- Frank Zoz (letter Dec. 11) has as much sympathy for native Americans as those putting in the pipeline. It is not just oil and water. It's the sacred land that is involved.

But that's typical of most caucasian people. It is too bad in this age.

Push back

DAVE SMITH

WATERLOO -- On a recent radio program, Rush Limbaugh stated there is more "communism" going on in the U.S. today than ever before. He mentioned the evidence of "communism" is obvious on America's universities and colleges. He also could have mentioned "the Red Army" of the "Democratic base."

It is interesting the mainstream media insists members of the KKK embraced Donald Trump, but never mention that the Communist Party USA supported Hillary Clinton.

The differences between communism, socialism, progressivism, secular humanism, etc., are minimal. All are left-wing idols replacing God with government, big government.

Now we will see if President-elect Donald Trump can begin to push back these forces of evil in certain areas. He has some key people surrounding him and he did not buckle when these forces entrenched in the media, government, Hollywood and academia tried everything to destroy him during the election period.

Not my president

JAMES HINES

WATERLOO -- Can you name the leader of a country who rose to power by rallying workers to oppose minorities and a religion? Vowed to defeat those who were holding the workers down and making a religion the enemy of state?

Donald Trump has promised to do the same, and come January he will have the power to proceed with promises. And of course he also promised to jail the leader of his opposition party! At least he has not brought up executions yet. But protesters should be wary. After all he has a neo-Republican House and Senate that know they were elected on his coat tails.

The one bright spot is if the president does not pay taxes, why should the common citizen pay? Dont pay and see how long before they come after you. Oh, my mistake, not paying taxes is only provided for the super rich and powerful. Of course he turned down his salary. If he accepted it he would need to pay taxes.

Family time

Seventh graders at Blessed Maria Assunta Pallotta Catholic Middle School

WATERLOO -- This holiday season, we want to encourage more families to stop and see the importance of quality time with each other.

Spending time with family is important, because it allows you to share your appreciation for them. Keeping up-to-date on the happenings of our lives is a large part of family time. We learn new skills or hobbies from our parents, and they share their knowledge about many topics to educate us.

How can you make time to spend with family during the busy holiday season? Make a plan to devote a certain day to family time and reschedule or cancel other activities. Eliminate or decrease the time spent on electronics. One of the best ways to unite is by creating a family night to share dinner and games or watch movies together. Play cards, talk or engage in winter-themed activities, like caroling, sledding, ice-skating or having a snowball fight.

We hope this coming holiday season brings you and your family much joy and happiness. Be thankful for what you have.
Q: Who originally said Dont believe anything you read and only half of what you see?

A: Its not clear  its been attributed to Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin.

Q: Why didnt they cut a hole in the side of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor?

A: The question seems to presume a large number of crew members survived the sinking and were trapped in the ship, as was the case with other vessels. However, according to a history of the USS Arizona on the official website pearlharbor.org, The resultant explosion of ammunition and fuel demolished the forward section of the vessel, which collapsed inside the hull, and killed most of the ships complement outright. The Navy recovered 105 bodies but 900 remained inside as the priority at the time, with the war on, was repairing salvageable ships. The Arizona was not considered salvageable and never was raised. Even as late as 1947, requests were made in regard to removal of the dead, but rejected, the website states. They are considered buried at sea by the U.S. Navy.

Q: With the advancement in self-driving cars, could I go to a party and have a couple of drinks and then have the car drive me home without getting an OWI?

A: Plenty of people have been asking that, and so far theres no clear answer  if you have to push a button or start a navigation system, you might still be considered as operating. Its a question legislatures and police departments will undoubtedly have decide.

Q: At the beginning of the Tonight Show the band yells out a number. I believe its the number of the show, and if it corresponds with an area code they yell out a city. Have they yelled out a city for 319 or 563 area codes?

A: Were not sure  we couldnt find a complete list.

Q: Has Tony Geary from General Hospital quit the show or retired?

A: When he left the show last year, he said he was retiring, he sold his house in California and moved to Amsterdam. But at the same time, he said there was a possibility of returning if there was a really good story line written for him.

Q: Will Gov. Branstad have to live in China now that hes been appointed ambassador to China?

A: Yes, ambassadors live in the countries where they serve.

Q: When I visited the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, I noticed there was no clock to let patrons know the time. I would donate the funds for a clock. Who can I contact to make such a contribution?

A: You can try calling Steve Carignan, the executive director, at 273-3660 or emailing steve.carignan@uni.edu.

Q: Please print the phone and address for Sen. Charles Grassley.

A: Write to the senator at 135 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, call (202) 224-3744, or send email through the website at www.grassley.senate.gov.
Astros throw group no-hitter at Phillies to tie Series at two games each
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 Flash

About 32 pro-government soldiers were killed and several others injured when a suicide attacker struck their gathering in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Sunday morning, a military official told Xinhua.

"The suicide bomber detonated his explosives among scores of soldiers who gathered outside the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's district of KhorMaksar," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

"The suicide attack occurred while the soldiers were waiting in a long queue to receive their monthly salaries near the Anbouri's house," the local military official said.

All the dead soldiers were members of the newly-trained special security forces operating in Aden province, according to the official.

The suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
"The best way to get noticed at Cannes Lions is to charter a yacht for the duration of the event to host parties in Cannes Port and organise cruises to St Tropez and Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc!"

LONDON, ENGLAND, December 18, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Senior Charter Broker and CEO at Bespoke Yacht Charter, Alexander Coles, has confirmed unprecedented interest for yacht charters for Cannes Lions, to be held from 17-24 June 2017.



Cannes Lions is the premier event for creative excellence, attracting attendees from over 90 countries to the annual 'International Festival of Creativity' and yacht charter demand is outstripping supply. Alexander commented that "Cannes Lions is a tremendously successful event in all aspects and our charter clients expect the best service. We have repeat clients for most of the events in Cannes, and this unrivalled loyalty has resulted in 5 yachts already booked with us for Cannes Lions 2017, with 3 more in discussion.



We highly recommend companies attending Cannes Lions to book their yacht charters now to avoid disappointment - early January is the latest deadline. There has been a significant rush of early bookings with around 40 yachts already reserved; Vieux Port can facilitate 76 yachts so there is a fantastic opportunity for last-minute bookings to still secure a berth for this pinnacle event. We have access to the latest portfolio of yachts available on the charter market, ideal for corporate parties or business meetings. Our clientele desire the best for their guests and trust our expert knowledge of every yacht's crew, facilities, and availability to ensure an enjoyable experience onboard.



Here are some of the things Bespoke Yacht Charter can provide for your company if you are attending Cannes Lions 2017:



- Crewed private luxury yacht charters and boat rentals - Yachts from 20-80m available to charter by the day or for the duration of the event.



- Prime berths in the Old Port of Cannes, adjacent to the Palais des Festivals where Cannes Lions is held.



- A private floating venue in the heart of Cannes where your company can host meetings, presentations and of course parties! Yachts can accommodate groups from 15-300 people, depending on the size of the yacht and the amount of deck space.



- Your yacht can be fully branded with company logos, flags, balloons and banners. This type of branding allows your company huge visibility and to present a high profile during the event. There is also the opportunity to cruise to nearby towns on the French Riviera and of course to the beach clubs of Saint-Tropez, including the legendary Club 55, Bagatelle and Nikki Beach!



- All of the yachts we offer for charter at Cannes Lions are professionally crewed and include a dedicated Chef onboard. A professional crew will guarantee stunning service and exceptional food during the charter. We ensure that your events stand out!



The expert brokers at Bespoke Yacht Charter have in excess of 13 years experience arranging yacht charters for companies during Cannes events and we are able to assist with every detail in ensuring you and your company the ultimate Cannes Lions experience! We take care of every single aspect of the charter, from sourcing the perfect yacht, obtaining the berth, organising catering services, corporate branding, staff, DJs, photographers etc.



Featured Yacht Charter for Cannes Lions:



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Dec 18, 2016 | By Tess

As 3D printing gains a foothold in manufacturing industries, it is sometimes easy to overlook its creative potentials. Fortunately, there are a number of innovative artists who are working with 3D design and printing as a medium who help to remind us of the amazing potentials of the technology within the artistic field. Check out some recent 3D printed art projects that have inspired us:

1. 3D printed wine tilt holder

Wine connoisseurs will know how important it is to not only drink good wine, but drink wines when they are at their best, served in optimal conditions. To help improve not only the quality of wine, but also its style, 3D printed homeware brand OTHR has unveiled the 3D printed Canon wine tilt.

The drinking accessory, which does resemble a canon, was designed to hold bottles of wine at a 45 degree angle, which is apparently the best angle to let wine aerate at. 3D printed from porcelain, the Canon wine tilt was conceived of by by American designer Brad Ascalon.

In addition to holding wine bottles at a specific angle, the 3D printed piece also features a cylindrical handle that can hold a corkscrew, and can even hide the bottles foil, once the bottle has been opened. OTHR describes their newest product saying: Reductive in its form, Canon was created for design-savvy oenophiles, or simply for hosts who want to impress their guests.

OTHR, which has been in operation since May 2016, teams up with various designers from around the world to create innovative homeware products. You can see more of their 3D printed products here.

2. 3D printed topographical maps

For geography lovers, 3D printing has offered a new and innovative way to accurately recreate models based off of topographical mapping data. The trend of 3D printing maps has not only been for educational or research purposes, however, as it has also been used within the design sphere.

New York-based design agency Hush, for instance, has introduced TopoTopo, a free online platform that allows people to generate small 3D printable topographical maps of anywhere on the planet. Using mapping data from Google and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, TopoTopo allows users to simply type in a location and choose the dimensions of the map. The customizable 3D printable maps, which can be downloaded and printed by the user or sent to a 3D printing service, could be a personal and touching gift for a loved one over the holidays.

As David Shwarz, Hush founding partner and Creative Leader, explains: Places have meaning. Geography and topography are often the backgrounds to our experiences. They are the setting in our own life stories. The physicality of a place represents the scene and all of our experience play out against that scenography.

3. 3D printed glitch sneaker

It looks like some of Kanye Wests nightmares about 3D printing are coming true, though perhaps not in the way hed expect. Artist Shane Griffin has created a glitchy 3D printed sculpture that is based on Wests famous Yeezy Boost sneakers for Adidas. The 3D printed sneaker, which is life-sized, look like its been taken directly out a Sims glitch, as the upright shoe is broken into 3 parts, each one distorted and twisted in digital way.

The sculpture is actually based off of a 3D scan of a Yeezy Boost 350, which Griffin captured using photogrammetry. With the digital model, he proceeded to distort and alter the shoe, all while keeping in mind weight and balance proportions so the sculpture could eventually be stood upright. The 3D model as then printed out of a resin based material. Even from up-close, the 1:1 3D printed glitch sneaker can play tricks on the mind, as it truly does look like a digital manipulation.

4. Ukraines 3D printed Walking Flower sculpture

Ukraine recently unveiled its largest 3D printed sculpture to date. Created by local media artist Stepan Ryabchenko, the 3D printed sculpture is fittingly called Walking Flower (as it does resemble a large flower taking a step).

The large yellow sculpture, which is currently on display at the Ukraine Art Gallery, is part of Ryabchenkos larger virtual art series, called Dooms Day. The latter is divided into many collections, and the 3D printed flower falls into the artists Virtual Mythology collection, which expresses utopian ideals and explores the intersections and divisions between the virtual and material worlds. The bright yellow and reflective piece certainly does convey a sense of optimism and hope.

In terms of its production, Ryabchenko teamed up with a team of engineers from Diacom Group, who over the course of two months were able to 3D print the large flower.

5. 3D scanned clone army animation

Jon Robson, a filmmaker who specializes in motion animation, has created what could be my new favorite short film project. Only 40-seconds long, his project Crowd Sim 2 shows hundreds of 3D scanned clones all running at each other and crashing into each other to form a morbid pile of glitchy bodies.

The piece was made using crowd simulations (which have been used in other larger scale film projects such as The Lord of the Rings, for instance), but uses the technology to a more playful effect. Funnily, Robsons clone character is actually based off of a detailed 3D scan of his friend. As he says: My friend let me photoscan him. In return I made him immortal.

Appropriately paired with Bryan Adams song Run to You, the short film experiment is certainly worth checking out. Again and again.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Niels Stelder wrote at 12/19/2016 10:19:44 AM:The animated clone video looks very similar to a video clip that has been made by De Staat about a year ago. Dear Staat - Witch doctor https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D0ttGgIQpAUc&ved=0ahUKEwigttP19P_QAhWLhRoKHcZuDuUQt9IBCLUBMBU&usg=AFQjCNFobUi8SMkGEssar9-cLZyo5EgGvg&sig2=LpVCMhF3MtSBv2XjNzGr7A




Central, Herreid-Selby, Warner just 1 win away from state title games

Aberdeen Central, Warner, Herreid-Selby and Hitchcock-Tulare are all just one win away from high school football championship games.
When stationed at Creech Air Force Base, service members with small children have a full plate. In addition to supporting a 24/7/365 mission, parents worry about the availability, quality and cost of care their child is receiving.The bases remote location and limited access to the nearest Child Development Center, which is approximately one hour away at Nellis AFB, add to the communitys unique requirements.To combat these one-of-a-kind challenges, personnel from the Air Force Services Activity headquarters in Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, recently met with military members and conducted interviews here where they discussed new and evolving childcare options.We go anywhere childcare is needed, said Patty, the AFSVA child and youth programs at JBSA chief. We know that if we dont have quality, affordable and available childcare for our military, then the mission cant get done because youre more worried about where your children and youth are in care.Patty said the AFSVA child and youth programs are working hard to implement two new childcare programs designed specifically for bases like Creech AFB that support the remotely piloted aircraft enterprise. The programs are known as RPA Care and RPA 2 Care, and will help enhance mission readiness by ensuring proper care for children of military families.The care, which is unique to bases flying RPA missions, goes beyond the normal scope of options available at most installations. RPA care gives families extended 24-hour care for their children while they are away performing their duties.Once we get RPA Care up and running, this type of care will be very beneficial to those service members working swings or other off shifts for weeks at a time, Patty said. You [the service member] purchase full-time care, and we then pick up the care outside of those normal hours to take care of the children.In addition to RPA Care, AFSVA will also offer RPA 2 Care. This type of care provides a professional to look after children for a short time while the service member travels to medical, dental, or other mandatory appointments.If your spouse has an appointment and they need childcare, there is no requirement to purchase full time care, and we will pay the childcare provider to provide care for your child during these appointments, Patty said. There is no upfront cost to the parents.Patty added that the AFSVA organization goes above and beyond to meet the needs of Airmen, regardless of the unique challenges each situation may bring.On the 28th of September, a family needed care for a special needs child, and they needed care by the 3rd of October, Patty said. They walked in to one of our Child Development Centers and said, We need to start childcare now.She went on to say that the child had special medical needs that the staff couldnt accommodate in their center.Three of us worked nonstop, and we got a family childcare home opened, trained and ready to go by October 3rd, Patty said.Besides offering extended childcare, AFSVA also offers short-term childcare for families of combat wounded warriors and fallen military members. The organization also provides care for members undergoing a permanent change of station, and awards 20 hours of care at both bases during the PCS.We say, if we dont have a program that meets your needs today, we will find one that fits your individual needs, Patty said. I think everybody would be shocked if they knew weve even flown to Australia to find childcare for our families there. We cant necessarily do it overnight, but when we say it fits, its because we tailor our programs to fit the individual.For more information about Air Force child and youth programs, visit
Social activists have written to State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra urging it to issue a show-cause notice to BJP, after its leader Raosaheb Danve courted a controversy with his remark asking voters to accept Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, during the polls.

According to social activists Vishwambhar Choudhari and Anjali Damania, Danves remarks imply that political parties offer cash to people to vote for them and voters should accept them without any hesitation.

This direct statement is not only anti democratic and corrupt statement but is also a blatant violation of the Election Commissions model code of conduct, they added.

If such a coarse public speech is allowed to be resorted to by the BJP state president or his candidates contesting election, it will certainly undermine the purity of the election process mandated by the poll code, the activists said.

An inquiry needs to be initiated in this matter urgently and a stringent action needs to be taken against Danve and BJP as a political party for violation of the model code of conduct, they added.

The activists claimed that this is not the first instance when Danve made an irresponsible statement publicly.

On November 25 while speaking at Municipal Council election campaign in Amalner, he had threatened the voters that power at central and state governments at present lies with BJP and if the voters do not vote for BJP, the local development works will not get funds from state and central government, they further claimed.

This is an act of directly blackmailing the voters. While the election commission, through constitutional directions to it, aims at unbiased election process, politicians like Danve are challenging all core values and principles of unbiasedness, they alleged.

According to them, all these statements are required to be examined in the context of Prevention of Corruption Act.

You are requested to kindly issue a show cause notice to the BJP and its Maharashtra state (unit) president Danve and take appropriate action in the matter, the activists said in a letter to SEC.

On the eve of elections, Laxmi comes to your house and you should accept it, Danve had said during a civic poll campaign meeting at Paithan in Aurangabad district on Saturday.
Two plush properties belonging to troubled businessman Vijay Mallya, Kingfisher House in the city and Kingfisher Villa in north Goa, will be re-auctioned this week by the 17-lender consortium at lower reserve prices compared to the failed previous three auctions.

The reserve price for over 17,000 sqft Kingfisher House near the airport will be auctioned on Monday at Rs. 115 crore, which is 15 per cent lower than the failed second auction held in August, when the minimum price to sell the asset was fixed at Rs. 135 crore.

At the first auction of the erstwhile headquarters of Kingfisher Airlines in March, the lenders had kept the reserve price at Rs. 150 crore.

The prime property, which has a built-up area of over 17,000 sqft and is located in the plush Vile Parle area near the domestic terminal.

The Kingfisher Villa at Condolim in north Goa will be put under the hammer on December 22 at a reserve price of Rs. 81 crore, which is 5 per cent lower than the auction held in October, when the lenders had tried to sell the sea facing property at Rs. 85.29 crore.

The villa was once used by Mallya to host lavish parties. Previous auctions of both these properties failed as none of the bidders came forward, citing higher reserve prices.

Similarly, the lenders also could not find takers for the various Kingfisher brands which were given as collaterals for the loans worth over Rs. 7,000 crore.

These brands had been valued at Rs. 4,000 crore but later valuers appointed by the lenders found them to be worth under Rs. 100 crore only.

Also, the Service Tax Department too failed twice to get any bidders for the luxury jet in its possession.

While Mallya owes over Rs. 850 crore to the department, the luxury jet was originally valued at over Rs. 150 crore.

Besides these two immovable assets, the lenders are once again auctioning the movable properties worth Rs. 15.72 lakh, kept at the Kingfisher House on January 5.

These assets includes 10 cars ranging from Toyato Camry & Innova, and Honda City & Civic among others, and will be auctioned on an individual basis.

All the properties are being auctioned by SBICap Trustee on behalf of the lenders.

Mallya owes over Rs. 9,000 crore to lenders like SBI, PNB, IDBI Bank, BoB, Allahabad Bank, Federal Bank and Axis Bank, among others.
A suicide bomber killed at least 40 Yemeni soldiers in Aden on Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly bomb attacks against recruits in the war-torn countrys second city.

Military officials and medics said many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

The number of those killed has exceeded 40 with some 50 others wounded, Aden health chief, Abdel Nasser al-Wali, told AFP, adding that the death toll is likely to mount due to critical cases.

Medics had initially given a toll of 30 dead.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who immersed himself among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them.

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have for months pressed a campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemens Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemens second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoids the shedding of any Muslim blood while focusing on fighting the Americans and their allies.

No group claimed immediate responsibility for Sundays blast. Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaedas Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Arab coalition intervened after Huthi rebels allied with troops loyal to Yemens former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

But the coalition later turned its firepower also at Sunni jihadists, supporting forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in their bid to flush extremists out of south Yemen.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.
BJP is going on a renaming spree of well known public places to gain an upper hand over its alliance partner Shiv Sena in the BMC election..

After the renaming Oshiwara as Ram Mandir, Elphinstone Road as Prabhadevi the BJP led state government is planning to rename six more stations Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Dadar, Sandhurst Road and Reay Road to lure local voters. With an eye on the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election BJP is leaving no stone unturned to appease Shiv Senas traditional vote bank. Instead of improving the amenities of these stations, the saffron party is going on a renaming spree to gain an upper hand over its alliance partner Sena in the civic body election. Sena has always been known for championing the cause of Marathi manoos and earlier the party had recommended for renaming the city from Bombay to Mumbai during its reign in 1995.

The BJP has already sounded poll bugle by adding Maharaj to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station and it also planning a bhoomi pujan of the multi-crore memorial to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Arabian Sea. However, Mumbaikars are not happy with the state governments proposal to change names of important landmarks in the city as it will mean altering the history of the station. According to them, even if name of an important station like Dadar is changed still people will continue to address it with its original name.

Satish Rohankar, a financial planner said, The state government must first think about providing more facilities to passengers instead of renaming stations. Changing the name of station is a waste of tax-payers money.

Sudhir Deshmukh, a BPO employee said, BJP is indulging in cheap gimmick of name change to attract voters. However, people have become smart today and they only vote for those party which works for their welfare.

Jayant Mehta, who daily uses Elphinstone Rd station said, Huge crowd is witnessed at the station during the morning and evening peak hours as commuters find it difficult to enter it due to poor accessibility. The foot overbridge is overcrowded and it takes more than 20 to 25 minutes to get out of the station. Why cant the state government build more foot overbridges or widen the existing one to ease the woes of commuters.

Jagruti Shah a Borivali resident said, What is the need to rename these stations. Why cant railways and state government take steps to enhance the safety of women commuters using suburban railway network. I often feel unsafe while travelling at night through local trains.

Grant Road stations name is likely to be changed to Gamdevi, Sandhurst Road to Dongri, Charni Road to Girgaum, Reay Road to Ghodapdeo, Marine Lines to Sonapur and whereas Dadar is to be renamed as Chaityabhoomi.

We have no role to play when it comes to changing names of stations. It is the state government and Home ministry that decide this; we simply implement it, said a senior railway official.

Changing the name of station is a tedious process as railways has to make amendments in ticketing systems, train indicators and passenger announcement system which is a huge waste of money.
Opposition parties on Sunday questioned the central governments decision to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat by superseding two senior officers.

The development came a day after the government appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new army chief superseding his two senior officers.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari demanded to know why two senior officers  Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen PM Hariz  were superseded.

With all due respect to Gen Rawats professionalism and no personal animus towards anybody, there is a legitimate question that why has that supersession taken place, he said, calling the central governments defence that the grand old party had made similar decisions in the 80s and that latest decision was not unprecedented complete nonsense.

Every situation has its own context and, therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify a supersession. So, therefore the government needs to answer this legitimate question as to why these senior army commanders were superseded, he said.

Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason and I guess the army being a public institution the country deserves those answers, Tewari said.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the governments move.

Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVCs, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial, he said.

Calling the development very unfortunate, Raja said it was not in the interest of democracy and the country.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said although such appointments were the central governments prerogative, the ruling dispensation cannot brush aside considerations such seniority, competence and integrity.

NCP leader Majeed Memon said: The Army Chiefs appointment is a prerogative of the government, but you cannot just brush aside all considerations like seniority, competence, integrity and the degree, services and performances that are expected from a man who is incumbent.

The Army chief, RAW chief, CBI chief, these are all vitally important positions where we expect the service to the nation and Indian society must be up to the mark, otherwise we suffer either externally or internally.

Politics

The BJP has criticised the Congress for questioning its decision and politicising the issue.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said it was extremely unfortunate that the Congress looks to politicise everything.

Therefore, the Congress spokesperson (Manish Tewari) should resist about it because the chief of the Army has been appointed and this is not the first time that the supersession have been done, Singh said.

There are other cases in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navyalso the same thing has happened. So, lets not politicise each and everything and particularly when it comes to the Indian armed forces. Its very sad that the Congress is trying to politicise this appointment, he added.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources have stated that Lt. General. Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff, was found best suited among current batch of candidates of Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.
Superstar Salman Khan has accepted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations offer to become the brand ambassador for its Open Defecation Free (ODF) drive. As a brand ambassador of the civic bodys drive, the 50-year-old actor will extend support to BMC in keeping the megapolis clean, in tune with the Centres Swachh Bharat campaign.

Salman met municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta and accepted BMCs proposal in this regard. He has also decided to donate five state-of-the art mobile toilets for the campaign. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mehta thanked the actor for discharging his duties towards the society. Our administration is making every step to keep the city clean and the actors active contributions in our efforts would definitely give a fillip in our efforts, Mehta said.

Having a large fan following and being a popular actor, Salmans support in terms of offering five mobile toilets across city would help us reducing the cases of open defecation. he said.

Salman said he was happy to be a part of the civic bodys campaign through his Being Human foundation and would try to sensitise and educate people of Mumbai about the menace of open defecation. In a mega-city like Mumbai, this looks really awkward to find people defecating in open. I will try my best to tell them to do away with this practise. he said.

A senior BMC official said in the coming days the civic body will be shooting some audio-video presentations which would be aired through different media to educate people about the menace of open defecation.

According to an estimate of the civic body, there were over 117 major open defecation spots in city, mainly located across the plots owned by government departments and agencies, which have been reduced to 21 in the last two years following its extensive drive against the menace. Currently, major open deification spots are in Colaba, Bhandup, Chembur, Malad, Kurla and Andheri, the officer said, adding BMC has a plan in place to eradicate this social evil by building toilets.
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n a move that aroused criticism for scrapping the long-enshrined seniority principle in appointing service chiefs, the government appointed Lt General Bipin Rawat as the next Army chief superseding two Lieutenant Generals. He will replace General Dalbir Singh Suhag on December 31. Lt. General Bipin Rawat (infantry), who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lt. Gen PM Hariz (mechanised infantry). Even though, its well within the right of a government to appoint whoever it wants as the next chief, successive dispensations have almost always followed the seniority principle. All eyes are now on Lt. Gen Bakshi and Hariz to see whether they will quit in protest  as Lt. Gen SK Sinha had done in 1983 after being superseded by Gen AS Vaidya  since serving under a junior is unacceptable in the extremely hierarchy-conscious force. Lt Gen Bakshi and Lt Gen Hariz were commissioned in December 1977 and June 1978 respectively. Lt. Gen Rawat was commissioned into the fifth battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978.

Anyway, I personally feel that the appointment of new Army Chief is a good decision. Capability should be the criteria and not seniority. Recently, CBI, Indian Army, Air Force, Intelligence Bureau and RAWs appointments were made bypassing traditions. None of the contenders or anyone serving, for that matter, has any real war experience, but still they are able personnel to secure the countrys borders. The government has rights to decide on the Army Chief. We have given them the power to do, so criticism is unnecessary at this moment. As I told earlier, Indira Gandhi too superseded Lt. Gen SK Sinha to appoint Gen AS Vaidya as the Army Chief in 1983. Similarly, Air Chief Marshal SK Mehra became IAF chief, superseding Air Marshal MM Singh in 1988. Lt. Gen Sinha, of course, quietly resigned but went on to become Governor of Assam and Jammu & Kashmir, and also served as Indias Ambassador to Nepal. Then why cant the Modi government appoint Lt. General Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief superseding two Lieutenant Generals?

Lt. Gen Bipin Rawat was commissioned into the 5th Battalion of 11 Gorkha Rifles on 16 December 1978 and has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations. He has commanded an infantry battalion in the Eastern sector along the Line of Actual Control, 5 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, 19 Infantry Division in the Kashmir valley, III Corps based in Dimapur and GOC-C Southern Command Pune. He has also held staff assignments which include an instructional tenure at IMA, Dehradun; General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate; logistics staff officer of a RAPID in central India; Colonel Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretarys Branch and Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing. He has also commanded a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo where he was twice awarded the Force Commanders Commendation. During his career span of 37 years, he has been awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with the AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commanders Commendation. He presumed the post of General Office Commanding in Chief, Southern Command on 1st January, 2016 and assumed the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff on 1st September, 2016.

While commanding a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC), he has had a truly outstanding tour. Within two weeks of deployment in the DRC, the Brigade faced a major offensive in the East which threatened not only the regional capital of North Kivu, Goma, but stability across the country as a whole. The situation demanded a rapid response and North Kivu Brigade was reinforced, where it was responsible for over 7,000 men and women representing nearly half of the total MONUC Force. Whilst simultaneously engaged in offensive kinetic operations against the CNDP and other armed groups, Brigadier Rawat (Now Lt. Gen) carried out tactical support to the Congolese Army (FARDC), sensitization programmes with the local population and detailed coordination to ensure that all were informed about the situation and worked together in prosecuting operations whilst trying to protect the vulnerable population. This hectic period of operational tempo lasted a full four months and during this time Brigadier (Now Lt. Gen) Rawat, his Headquarters and his international Brigade, were tested to the full, across the operational spectrum. His personal leadership, courage and experience were pivotal to the success that the Brigade achieved. Goma never fell, the East stabilized and the main armed group was motivated to the negotiating table and has since been integrated into the FARDC. He was also tasked to present the Revised Charter of Peace Enforcement to the Special Representatives of the Secretary General and Force Commanders of all the UN missions in a special conference at Wilton Park, London on 16th May, 2009.

Appointing the new Army Chief, merit and suitability have been taken into account .Lt. Gen Rawat had more than 10 years of experience in counter-insurgency operations and on the Line of Control, besides serving on the China border. He has the requisite experience considering the current situation. Lt Gen Hariz, by contrast, had no experience in an operational area. And Lt. Gen Bakshi had mostly been posted in Rajasthan. The two postings he has done in J&K are both in staff  once as a Colonel in Doda and then as a Lt. General as the Chief of Staff in Northern Command.

The government also announced that Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be the 22nd Chief of the Air Force, replacing Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha who retires at the end of the year. Commissioned in the IAF in June 1978 as a fighter pilot, he is a Qualified Flying Instructor and has flown various types of fighter aircraft in his distinguished career. During the Kargil operations, he commanded a fighter squadron and he flew numerous night strike missions over mountainous terrain.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that, Everyday bundles of notes are being seized. Big people, big bankers are being arrested. Technology is such that the movement of money is tracked and even if it takes time, every corrupt would be caught . Agreed everyday bundles of notes (mostly containing new notes) are being seized from several unscrupulous people. We are indeed shocked to see that these run into crores and crores of rupees. How come these elements have managed to get new notes, in such a short period? Of course its crystal clear that they have been conniving with the bank officials who are in charge of cash movement. Moreover, bank people also indulge in this crime to earn hefty commission.

Only a few days back, bank officials were in for total praise and appreciation for working without rest and providing service to customers. Now certain vested interests are damaging the image of banks. Evidently, some bank officials are hand in glove with corrupt people. As the adage goes, there will be hardly anybody who will not lick his fingers if he puts his hand in a pot of honey. What is required is a change in the peoples mindset. For some, dishonesty seems to be the best policy. Such people must be dealt with strictly by giving them exemplary punishment so that it will be a lesson to others as well and they will rethink before indulging in illegal dealings.

I say expose all these bank officials, name them and publish their photos and put them behind bars because, today for want of cash in banks and ATMs, people are left to face miseries. And the main reason is diversion of cash in crores to hawala operators, blackmoney hoarders and so on. Just in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and now Delhi alone, thousands of crores stashed were found. Its astounding that Delhi lawyers have been making huge money and indulging in such nefarious activities to convert black money into white by buying new denomination notes. In the latest raids and seizures, leaders of national political leaders have been exposed and as involved in this criminal exercise of black money conversion .

Will the amount seized be now sent to bank lockers and ATMs? High time Hon ble Prime Minister, Finance Minister and RBI took strong measures to pave the way for easy availability of cash in all bank branches and ATMs. Sorry, patience seems to be running out and there is anguish as we see crores of new notes being found in IT raids and people being deprived of their own cash for daily needs.

One positive aspect has been clearly revealed that the process of demonetization has exposed the deep-rooted corruption that rules every strata of society. There is indeed a strong and nefarious connections between the bank officials, black money hoarders and political leaders too.

S. Krishna Kumar

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
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Assyrian Family Flees Islamic State for a Festive Reunion

Ramzi Naeem, back, third from left, and his extended clan. ( Kym Smith) Peace and joy at Christmas: those greeting-card words will have true meaning this year for four generations of the Naeem family, Iraqi Assyrian Christians who will celebrate together in Canberra after fleeing first Islamic State in Baghdad and then exile in Beirut. The nine members of the family, including Ramzi Naeem's aged parents, his children, son-in-law and baby Alan have benefited three times over from a series of extraordinary connections with Australia and New Zealand stretching back almost a century to World War I. Grandfather Jameel, 77, well remembers when the family could mark Christmas at their home in Iraq. Four-year-old Alan's only memories are of the past 2
A Panalpina-chartered freighter has landed in Chad with more than 80 tons of life-saving goods for water treatment, sanitation and nutrition programmes.

It is the fourth consecutive year that the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and logistics giant Panalpina have joined forces to fly relief goods into Africa. Previous flights went to Burundi Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic.

The Chad relief goods  which included blankets and tarpaulins used for shelter, therapeutic food for malnourished children, medical equipment and drugs  arrived in the countrys capital NDjamena on a flight chartered and donated by Panalpina.

The Switzerland-based companys Charter Network division organised the relief flight which left Liege Airport in Belgium. Liege Airport waived 50% of the landing fee.

The goods will address acute needs in the areas of health, hygiene and nutrition but also childrens recreation, particularly in refugee camps.

Our goal is to reach the most vulnerable children that are in dire need of help. In landlocked Chad, there are many of them, said Elsbeth Mueller, executive director of the Swiss committee for UNICEF. We are very grateful for Panalpinas continued support with yet another relief flight to Africa.

The emergency delivery has also brought more than 15 tons of therapeutic milk sachets to Chad. They are used to treat severe acute malnutrition in children under five. Nearly 200,000 children under five are affected by severe acute malnutrition in Chad and 3.4m people suffer from food insecurity.

Blankets and tarpaulin used for shelters accounted for 22 tons of the cargo. Since playing is very important and comforting for children uprooted by conflict, thousands of balls, skipping ropes and frisbees have also made their way to Chad.

Panalpinas chief executive, Stefan Karlen, said: As in previous years, we decided that a charitable donation in the form of an aircraft charter for UNICEF would be of more value than Christmas gifts for customers and employees. The goal of our donated charter remains the same too: to bring some respite to those who are less fortunate than us, especially children.

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This Hanukkah give the gift of Jewish pride, courage and brotherhood.

Hanukkah recounts the heroic story of the Maccabees, the Jewish rebel group that lived in the Land of Israel in the second century BCE, and reminds us that our freedom isnt guaranteed. As we look out at a world filled with serious challenges facing the Jewish people, the lessons of history call us to action.

During the time of the Maccabees, the land of Israel was dominated by Greek armies. Many Jews, especially the cosmopolitan elite, sought to assimilate into the Greek culture as a road to political and economic power. The Maccabees  a small group of Jews determined to protect their Jewish identity and homeland  used their wits, courage and determination to defeat the Greeks and establish a free Jewish nation in our homeland, notwithstanding their tiny numbers and inferior weapons.

Today, in the face of challenges, how can we find inspiration in the Maccabees example? How do we redouble our commitment to strengthen and secure the future of the Jewish people and the State of Israel? During this season of giving, what are the most important gifts that we can give to each other  so that future generations will live in freedom, security, and prosperity?

With these questions lingering in my mind this holiday season, I have put together a list of the eight greatest gifts  one for each night of Hanukah  that we must give in every Jewish family so that our people will continue to thrive.

Gift one: pride

There is nothing more powerful than understanding who you are and taking pride in where you come from. If we cant instill Jewish pride in our next generation, there will no one left to carry on our tradition and face our future challenges.

Every day, I feel incredibly fortunate to be a Jewto come from a tradition that is the original source of the Western values, and to be a part of a people who, while tiny in numbers, have accomplished extraordinary things in so many fields. I am proud to be connected to Israel, our Jewish Homeland, a country that became independent against all odds, and serves as a beacon of light and innovation, and makes the rest of the world a better place. Through education, community involvement, and family heritage, we must foster a sense of pride in being Jewish and a pride in the State of Israel, in our children and grandchildren.

Gift two: courage

The State of Israel, the Jewish people and the Jewish faith have only survived because Jews were willing to stand up and fight for what they believed in when our Jewish homeland, our people, our traditions, and our values were threatened. Its not always easy or convenient to be a Jew, or to be a supporter of Israel. Yet, when enemies like Iran and Hamas threaten the existence of Israel, or anti-Semites seek to spread vile hatred against the Jewish people through the BDS Movement, we need the courage and conviction to stand up and speak out.

Gift three: Persistency

Alongside courage, the Jewish people also need to be consistent and persistent. Its not enough stand up once; we need to cultivate a next generation that has the strength and will to stand up, again and again, and fight against our detractors. Whether you are building a business, working toward a degree, raising a family, or advocating for your community, the ability to work hard and keep going strong in the face of adversity may be the single most valuable skill.

Gift four: Knowledge

Over the course of centuries wandering as a small and stateless people, we learned to invest in the greatest resource on the face of the earth: the knowledge inside of the human brain. The Jewish people have prioritized education above all else. Although we have been the underdog for much of our history, our infatuation with learning has enabled the Jewish people to succeed. Today we must continue this investment, imparting the knowledge that not only gives our children the ability to thrive in 21 st Century careers, but also that grounds them in Jewish wisdom, provides a moral center and makes them committed to family and community.

Gift five: Innovation

The Jewish propensity to innovate has driven inventions ranging from ethical monotheism to the Theory of Relativity to Waze. This has been the secret sauce of the Jewish peoples survival, allowing us to adapt and succeed in a wide range of cultures, countries, and eras. Empowering our children to think outside the box will be critical for their success in our modern information era, and for the survival of our communal institutions, which must adapt to remain relevant for the next generation.

Gift six: Belief in the Impossible

Although we are less than 0.2 percent of mankind, the Jewish people have been able to accomplish extraordinary things because of our belief that the impossible could be achieved. From Joshua taking over the land Israel, to the Maccabees overcoming the Greeks, to the newly formed state of Israel defeating six Arab armies in the 1948 War of Independence, we have held the belief that the impossible could be achieved against all odds. We must empower our children with this perspective, as they go out to fight for their dreams and contribute solutions to the challenges facing Jews worldwide.

Gift seven: Brotherhood

The Talmud says every Jew is responsible for one another. At times of persecution, the Jews always knew how to unite and support one another. In response to the many threats facing the State of Israel, the Israeli people join together as one big united family that cares and protects each other, in times of war and peace. We are infinitely stronger when we are united people  religious and secular, in Israel and in the diaspora, old and young. Instilling this sense of brotherhood in our children gives them confidence that their extended family  the Jewish family  is behind them and compels them to action when other Jews need their help.

Gift eight: passion

Discovering and channeling your passion in life to make a difference in the world is the key to personal fulfillment. If you dont make each day matter and dont have passion for how you spend your time and resources, you dont have much at all. Each and every day  not just on Hanukkah  I strive to give my children and grandchildren the encouragement to discover their passion and purpose, and the support to channel that passion into careers, families, leadership, community and the country in which we all live.

This Hanukkah, let us give and inspire all eight of these gifts  and many more  to enrich the lives of our young generations, strengthen our families, and secure our common future. By uncovering and unleashing the light in all of us, we can continue the miracle of Hanukkah, year after year, writing a new chapter in the ancient story of the Jewish people.

This piece originally appeared in the Jerusalem Post
December 15, 2016

CAIRO  Nothing remains of Cairos Jewish Quarter, save some dilapidated Jewish monuments and Stars of David rising above the doors of some old houses whose Muslim residents have yet to remove. The Jewish Quarter was once known for being a hub of Jewish traders, artisans and handicraft workers who were famous for their gold, silver, jewelry and shoes. Today, it has become one large market for childrens toys, accessories and cosmetics.

The Jewish Quarter was a large neighborhood with streets, lanes and side streets all connected together, totaling 360 alleyways. Not only did Jews live in this neighborhood, but also Muslims and Christians.

The Jewish Quarter is characterized by a unique geographical location in Egypt, as it falls in the heart of Cairo, jammed between Islamic Cairo and Khedivate Cairo, making it an exceptional tourist attraction.

The quarter is home to 13 Jewish synagogues, built by Jews during their presence in Egypt around the end of the 19th century. Only three remain today, namely the Maimonides Synagogue, Temple bar Aouhaa and Haim Capoussi Synagogue.

Although the three synagogues are registered as Egyptian heritage monuments with the Ministry of Antiquities, they are in very poor condition. Their walls are either crumbling or eroded by underground water, and they are surrounded by garbage. Vendors use them sometimes to store their goods. Instead of being a witness to history, these synagogues are being erased by it.

The Maimonides Synagogue is one of the oldest, as it was built by the end of the 19th century. It is the most famous synagogue in all of Egypt.

Located on 15 Mahmoud Street in the Jewish Quarter, it was named for Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, who was a brilliant scholar in Judaism, medicine, mathematics and philosophy. The temple was registered as a heritage relic with the Ministry of Antiquities in 1986 given its religious, historical and architectural significance.

The synagogue includes three sections: the first for prayers and the performance of Jewish religious rites; the second includes the cemetery where Maimon is buried and a small room where Jews sit praying to be healed of illness; and the third is a room reserved for clerics and supervisors of the premises. This is in addition to a balcony for women overlooking the prayer room, as men and women pray separately.

The synagogue had been abandoned for many years after its walls crumbled because of groundwater. The Ministry of Antiquities announced June 11 its restoration and placed it on the list of tourist attractions. It will be the first synagogue open for tourists.

A few meters away from Maimonides Synagogue is Temple bar Aouhaa, which is in very poor condition. After once serving as a school for teaching the Torah, it is now dilapidated and surrounded with garbage and street vendors. For many years, the state has neglected this important temple despite its visibly deteriorating condition.

The third Jewish temple in the Jewish Quarter is the Haim Capoussi Synagogue, named after Rabbi Haim Capoussi, who was held in great esteem by many Jews.

The Haim Capoussi Synagogue is distinguished from other temples because it was built in the beginning of the 20th century, along the Italian temple model. Marble columns adorned with a wooden cabinet for keeping the Torah rise in the temples halls. The temple is divided into two levels: the first includes the altar and the second serves as a praying room for women.

The temple needs to be completely renovated and restored and has been closed for many years. The Egyptian government permanently closed the temple following the January 25 Revolution in 2011 after several attempts to seize it and place it on the list of temples that need renovation. However, the renovation has yet to begin.

Capoussi died in A.D. 1635 in Egypt and was buried in the Jewish cemetery area near el-Basateen district, which is seen as the second-oldest Jewish graveyard in the world after the Mount of Olives Jewish cemetery in Jerusalem, dating back to the 15th century, with an area of 120 acres. It includes the remains of Jews before their exodus from Egypt. The cemetery, however, is also in poor condition with crumbling walls and garbage strewn around its vicinity. It is not under the protection of the Ministry of Antiquities or the police.

Commenting on the status of the Jewish temples, Saeed Hilmi, the director of the Ministry of Antiquities Islamic, Christian and Jewish Heritage Department, told Al-Monitor, The Jewish Quarter lies in the heart of Cairo and has a special significance as it is a witness to the coexistence and love between Egyptians regardless of their religion. The Jewish Quarter is still in our minds and will remain etched in the memory of Egyptians through the ages.

Hilmi said, The Ministry of Antiquities is responsible for the registered Jewish temples, which number three. We have nothing to do with other temples, especially since they did not exist 10 years ago and we do not know anything about them. As for the remaining three temples, we are done with the restoration works of the Maimonides Synagogue, and it is now placed for the first time on the list of tourist attractions in Egypt. This is an unprecedented achievement at the Ministry of Antiquities."

Hilmi rejected the claims that the ministry is neglecting the Jewish monuments, saying, These monuments belong to Egypt and we refuse to compromise them. However, the country is facing now many challenges at the economy level and tourism is declining, which prevents us from taking care of all Egyptian monuments. However, once the tourism sector picks up its momentum and returns to normal, we will go through with our plan to restore all synagogues after registering the Jewish holdings and collectibles they contain, as we did in the synagogues of Ben Ezra in Old Cairo and Ashkenazi in al-Ataba area.

The commission of collectibles registry for Jewish synagogues, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Antiquities, announced Aug. 11 that it had sorted and registered the holdings of the synagogues of Ben Ezra and Ashkenazi. It is an unprecedented step for the ministry to make an inventory of Jewish collectibles in synagogues. However, will it be able to deliver its promise to start renovating in the Jewish Quarter?
December 15, 2016

Alarm bells were going off in European Union capitals when on Dec. 7 the Israeli Knesset passed, at a first hearing, the settlement regularization bill, which legalizes illegal Israeli settlements built on private Palestinian lands.

Last week, EU foreign ministers, mainly from Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as EU senior officials held internal consultations over the significance of this Israeli right-wing coalition move. According to an associate of Federica Mogherini, the EUs high representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, European leadership does not consider this development to be a simple tactical maneuver by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect the stability of his coalition. Rather, they see it as an intentional policy move instigated by Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett  a dangerous expression of a possible de jure annexation of West Bank lands by the Israeli government. The bill may or may not pass the test of the Israeli judiciary, but Netanyahus decision to bring it up to a vote (imposing on all his coalition members to back it) is a clear declaration of intent targeting the half a million Israeli settlers in the territories. Netanyahu signals that as far as he is concerned, most of the West Bank will remain in Israeli hands.

The prevailing belief in EU headquarters is that the Israeli High Court decision forcing Netanyahu to evacuate the Amona outpost by Dec. 25 actually served the prime minister as an excuse to launch a more formal annexation strategy. The source explained that in effect such a policy of annexation has been taking place ever since Netanyahus current right-wing coalition rose to power. It is expressed in the form of Israeli economic expansion in the Israeli-controlled West Bank Area C (60% of the West Bank).

According to the official, the EU is now informally exploring among its main members what policy measures to take in case the regularization bill does come into effect.

Brussels is considering four measures, ranging from declarative condemnation to punitive moves. The first possibility on the table is an immediate stern warning (even before the High Court test of the law), delivered by the EU ambassador to Israel to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, about the gravity of such a legal move. A second possible measure would be using international law against the Israeli legislation. EU legal experts have been asked to examine the significance in international laws of such a move and how it would be viewed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Also, the EU will consider punitive measures against Israel if this law comes into force. These may include a more rigid policy of labeling goods made in Israeli settlements and halting all EU-Israeli economic agreements for Israeli institutions active east of the Green Line. A fourth possible move would be for EU members, and especially France, to advance a UN Security Council resolution denouncing this Israeli legislation, calling for its abolishment and encouraging the ICJ to take the necessary measures against it.

Applying sanctions against Israel is the one measure the EU is excluding. This was made particularly clear in recent EU internal deliberations by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who opposes in principle any such sanctions. At the same time, the Germans categorically object to the regularization bill and have issued an unusually sharp denunciation of the Israeli legislation. Germanys Foreign Ministry stated Dec. 8 that it is extremely concerned about this development and have noted with consternation statements made by Israeli government officials during this debate. According to the statement, such a bill violates international law and undermines the Israeli commitment to finding a two-state solution.

The EU is holding extensive deliberations with the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, expressing its support for the Palestinian position on the issue and its commitment to make every possible effort to bring about the abolishment of this bill. A senior PLO official involved in these deliberations told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that the Palestinian leadership is launching a worldwide campaign to bring about a repeal of this legislation and for punitive international measures against Israel: This legislation strengthens our resolve to fight the annexation policies of the Israeli government within the context of our End 50 Years of Occupation campaign. Many within the young Fatah leadership are now openly calling for a new intifada against Israeli settlements. We, together with our friends in the international community, will fight any effort to annex parts of our homeland.

On the Israeli side, according to a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, the government is making the case in Brussels that Israel has the right to decide that its settlement activities are within Israeli law.

And so, it seems that with the regularization law, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be entering a new phase of more open and de jure Israeli annexation policies. A phase that obviously provokes sharp Palestinian and international reactions.
A 15-year-old boy suffered non-life threatening injuries after reportedly being shot in Gate City on Saturday night.

Birmingham police Sgt. Bryan Shelton said the boy walked to Fire Station 12 at 6449 1st Ave N. and told authorities there that he had been shot in Gate City.

The boy suffered a single gunshot wound to the arm. He was transported to Children's of Alabama for treatment of his injuries.

No suspects have been identified at this time, police said.
A Warrior man died Saturday afternoon after the recreational vehicle he was operating collided head-on with a pickup truck on Red Hill School Road in Blount County.

Blake Elliott Steeley, 34, was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred at around 2:50 p.m., about 12 miles west of Warrior, according to Alabama state troopers. He died a short time later at UAB Hospital.

Steeley was operating a 2008 Artic Cat UTV that collided head-on with a 2008 Dodge Ram pickup truck. Steeley wasn't wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the Dodge wasn't injured

Troopers continue to investigate.
Google Fiber graphic.jpg

The company installing fiber optic cable for Google Fiber's Gigabit speed Internet in Huntsville says a "technical issue" led Alabama to shut its work down this week. It hopes to have the issue resolved by the state oversight board's scheduled Jan. 18 meeting.

The Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors issued a "cease and desist order" Friday against the contractor installing fiber optic cable for Huntsville Utilities. The utility, which will lease excess capacity on that network to Google Fiber and other users, identified the prime contractor as Bear Communications of Lawrence, Kan.

"There's a technical issue with our contractor's license in Alabama," Bear President Lance Addison said in a statement Saturday. "We are working rectify the matter, and hopefully have it resolved by the next State Licensing Board meeting."
It looks like Gov. Robert Bentley's efforts to hop on board the Trump Train continue.

Alabama's governor was among the 18,000 or so attending President-elect Donald Trump's "thank you" rally Saturday in Mobile, posing for a photo with the business-mogul-turned-politician. Earlier in the day, Bentley tweeted out a welcome to Trump, saying it was an "honor" to have him in Alabama. He followed that up with another tweet saying he had a "great visit" with the President-elect. Separate tweets showed Bentley speaking with Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway and Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL, the president-elect's nominee for U. S Attorney General.

Welcome to Our #GreatState! You saved the best for last. It's honor to have you in Alabama, Mr. President. https://t.co/IHqcn5fGwB  Governor Robert Bentley (@GovRBentley) December 17, 2016

Great visit w/ President @realDonaldTrump. Talking Alabama's remarkable role in the new Trump Adm. & how we will all #MakeAmericaGreatAgain pic.twitter.com/64XyCl8Pyz  Governor Robert Bentley (@GovRBentley) December 17, 2016

Great to catch up with @SenatorSessions awaiting the arrival of @realDonaldTrump. A true honor to welcome our next President back to Alabama pic.twitter.com/xwKsvbfpEo  Governor Robert Bentley (@GovRBentley) December 17, 2016

Had a chance to re-connect w/ @KellyannePolls in Mobile today. She was at my first Inauguration in 2011. Proud of her work w/ Trump Campaign pic.twitter.com/fRpWLFvrKB  Governor Robert Bentley (@GovRBentley) December 18, 2016

Bentley's warm welcome is a far cry from statements he just two months ago after the release of a 2005 video tape in which Trump was seen making sexually aggressive comments against women.

At the time, Bentley, who endorsed Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the primary, said he wouldn't vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton but "cannot and will not vote for Donald Trump."

The governor later told a group in Huntsville he would cast his presidential vote for "every Republican on the ticket, except Donald Trump."

After Trump's upset victory over Clinton, the governor issued a statement congratulating the President-elect.

"Mr. Trump will soon be the leader of all of our country, and every citizen, and I look forward to supporting his leadership," Bentley said.

While Bentley attended Saturday's rally, he was not among the speakers, which included Sessions, Conway, Christian evangelist Franklin Graham, former State Rep. Perry Hooper, who headed up the Trump campaign in Alabama and Alabama Attorney Gen. Luther Strange.

The governor was on hand to greet Trump as he exited his plane in Mobile.
Just ahead of the November presidential election, a number of Americans - most noticeably celebrities - said they'd move to Canada if Republican Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Trump did win the election but as of yet, there hasn't been a mass migration.

Twenty-eight Americans sought refugee status in Canada in November, according to government officials there. While a very small number, the figure does reflect a substantial increase from the same month the previous year, when five people applied for refugee status.

So far this year, 170 Americans have sought refugee status in Canada. That number does reflect a twofold increase from 2015 but Americans represent just 3 percent of the 5,939 people who seek refugee status upon arriving in Canada.

The Canadian government is remaining mum on the reason the recent immigrants gave for their decision to leave the U.S.

"Refugee claims are protected under the Privacy Act," said Nicholas Dorion, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency. "Therefore the CBSA will not discuss specifics of asylum cases."

Among those pledging to leave the U.S if Trump won were a slate of celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Cher, Rev. Al Sharpton, Lena Dunham and Samuel L. Jackson. None of the celebrities have moved from the U.S. since Trump's win, with many saying their original comments were in jest or they had been persuaded to stay.

For those who do opt to head North, the path won't be easy. People hoping for Canadian citizenship need sponsorship from a family member or possess skills that are in short supply. Waiting time for permanent residency is about two years, even longer if you don't have a marketable skill.
Officers with the Selma Police Department are investigating an early morning homicide.

At 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning, an officer was at the Vaughn Hospital Emergency Room and was soon alerted to a gunshot victim that was found inside of a private vehicle.

According to police, the victim is a black male from Selma, Al. The victim was treated for his sustained gunshot wounds, but succumbed to his injuries as he was pronounced dead at approximately 4:50 a.m. Sunday morning.

At this time, details are limited, but investigators believe the altercation happened near Martin Luther King Jr. St. & First Ave., and an autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.

Police are asking anyone who has any information pertaining to the crime to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-442-7463 or to contact detectives directly through email -- Lt. T. Neely at tneely@selma-al.gov or Sgt. E. Ghant at eghant@selma-al.gov.
A second and third generation of Uighurs far removed from their Chinese homeland find home in Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir  On a wintry November morning in Srinagar, the largest city in Indian-administered Kashmir, Mohammad Abdullah sits on the carpeted floor in his living room, with a black and white portrait of his father, Haji Abdullah Karem, hanging on the wall.

My father was among the last Silk Route traders, says Abdullah. Karem, an ethnic Uighur Muslim from the Chinese province of Xinjiang, would undertake the perilous mountainous route that stretches from Kashgar to Ladakh through the Karakoram mountain pass that divides China and India.





Abdullah says his forefathers had trekked the same route, travelling in caravans on top of horses and double humped camels, stopping at the sarais  resting stations for travellers  on the way, bartering silk, spices and pashmina fine cashmere wool.

One such journey to Ladakh located in Indian-administered Kashmir in the 1940s would turn fateful when Karem could not return home after the Peoples Republic of China took over Xinjiang in 1949. The Communist government blocked the mountain pass, eventually choking off trade.

Karem had left behind a wife and a young son whom he would never see again, said Abdullah, adding that his father lived out the rest of his life in India, married a local Ladakhi woman and fathered four sons and four daughters.

Abdullah, 60, who works for the regional government, lives with his family members in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar, which has remained untouched by the months of deadly anti-India protests that gripped the Muslim-majority Himalayan region.

Uighur heritage

A cluster of identical houses built in the traditional Kashmiri style with low-hanging roofs and a wooden exterior is occupied by his brothers and extended family.

One of the few relics of the past left with the family is Karems portrait  an imposing looking man wearing a doppa  a Uighur skullcap, squinting his eyes as if shielding himself from the sun.

In 2014, a devastating flood ravaged Srinagar. Their house, along with others, was not spared. The deluge swept away precious memories, but they managed to save Karems original passport issued by the Republic of China, along with a woollen Khotan traditional rug and a copper vessel used by the caravan on the Silk Road to cook mantou steamed dumplings, both of which have been in the familys possessions for nearly two centuries.

Of all his brothers and sisters, Abdullah is the one the most in touch with his Uighur heritage. For most of the family, it was a matter of surprise that their Uighur heritage could evoke curiosity.

In our hearts we are as Indian as can be. Although, we would really like to visit Xinjiang once to see our ancestral land, says Abdullahs son, 32-year-old Wasim. He spends part of the year in Leh, where he is building a resort, and part of it in Srinagar.

But with renewed hostility between India and China and the crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, there is little possibility of procuring a visa, though both sides of the family have been trying for a few years.

Seven years ago, Abdullah made his first visit to Hotan in Xinjiang to meet his half-brother.

Abdullahs dialect is a mix of Urdu, Ladakhi and Kashmiri, with a sprinkling of Uighur words that trace their origin to the Turkish language. Before visiting his brother, he worked on learning the language he inherited from his father and he thinks that he is now one of the only two Uighur language speakers in India.

All the people that I met in Xinjiang wanted the freedom we have in India. The sort of protests we see in Kashmir would not be possible there at all. The state would repress it immediately, he says.

INTERACTIVE FEATURE: Chinas Uighur unrest

Arrival in India

Most of the Uighur community is disengaged from both the Kashmiri separatist movement and the Uighur cause.

As second and third generation Uighurs who have grown up in India, the Uighur cause is too far removed, and as refugees who found a home here, they are non-critical of the state.

Abdullah though, has taken up the cause of three Uighur men who have been held in jail in Ladakh after crossing over illegally into India three years ago.

They landed without a visa, with the hope of reaching Mumbai to meet [Bollywood star] Shah Rukh Khan and become rich like Indian movie stars, says Abdullah shaking his head, his expression a blend of amusement and concern.

The Uighur community in India is not large and mostly second and third generation citizens whose parents or grandparents came here as refugees. Those who spoke with Al Jazeera estimate that there are less than 30 families located mainly in Leh, Kargil and Srinagar.

For most people, even in Kashmir, it is a revelation that people of Uighur origin live in India at all, as they are often mistaken for people from Ladakh or Tibet with similar facial features.

Kashmir has a long history of trans-Himalayan migration, because of its connection to the Silk Route, said Abid Ahmed, editor at the cultural institution, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, in Srinagar. The best documented of these migrations is that of the Tibetan Muslims of Srinagar, who settled in Kashmir after the 1959 Tibetan uprising.

The Uighurs came in two waves. In the first, they came through trade and cultural exchanges between India and Xinjiang province .

Most Uighurs, who came during the 1930s and 1940s, were traders and stayed behind in India after China clamped down on independence movements from the province.

Mohammad Rahim, 58, works as a construction contractor in Srinagar and Leh, the capital of Ladakh. His father Haji Abdul Rahim was from the Uighur town of Karghilik and settled in India in the 1940s.

Rahims mother is from Ladakh and he himself has married a Ladakhi. I try to keep the Uighur culture alive for my children, but it is not easy, he says, with a tiny shrug.

He acknowledges a sense of loss. The only thing we have preserved is the Uighur food which we eat on special occasions, laghman [pulled noodles] and polo [rice pilaf].

READ MORE: China to neighbours: Send us your Uighurs

The second wave

The second wave of nearly 1,000 Uighur refugees arrived in India to escape the communist regime in 1949.

The Indian government initially hosted them, but after increasing pressure from Beijing, refused to provide them with asylum.

The group under the leadership of the most prominent Uighur politician of the time, Isa Yusuf Alptekin, was forced to leave India in 1954.

They appealed to Saudi Arabia and Egypt first, each of which turned them away, until they found refuge in Turkey.

Erkin Alptekin, a Uighur nationalist and the son of Isa Yusuf Alptekin, who was 10 years old at the time, recalls the flight to India.

It was a hard trip. There were no streets. The highest mountain passages in the world are here. Sometimes you had to sit for hours in the snow and wait for the fog to dissolve, he told Al Jazeera in an email.

We were warned not to fall asleep, because the body loses heat and then one dies.

The journey took them nearly a month and a half, during which his sister succumbed to frostbite.

When we met human civilisation in Ladakh, in Kashmir, we thought as children that we were in paradise on earth, said Alptekin, who currently lives in Germany, where he runs World Uyghur Congress, an organisation of exiled Uighurs and is one of the most well-known activists for Uighur independence.

WATCH: Terrified of returning to Xinjiang

Alptekins family found a temporary home at Yarkand Sarai, in Srinagar  once a rest house and an international trading hub for traders from Central Asia  Yarkand, Samarkand, Kazakhstan, Bukhara  and Gilgit which is located in Pakistan.

So popular was the trading route that Central Asian people are still widely referred to as Yarkandi in Kashmir.

The sarai, which local historians date to the late 19th century, had been lying desolate following the end of the Silk Route trade until it became the home of the political exiles of 1949.

When we arrived in Srinagar, there were a couple of older Uighur families already living in that area, said Alptekin, who visited Yarkand Sarai again last year.

The ramshackle exterior of Yarkand Sarai, a closed set of buildings with small houses that overlook the River Jhelum in downtown Srinagar, gives no evidence of its storied past as a flourishing centre of trade and shelter for Uighur exiles.

Across the street on a small patch of land sheltered under a shrine, sits a graveyard where the Uighur people of Srinagar are buried.

Abdul Hakims family is one of the two Uighur families still living near the cemetery. His father, who was from Karghilik, traded in carpets and settled in Kashmir in the 1940s.

He, too, had a family from which he was separated across the border. He talked to Al Jazeera over the phone from Ladakh where he was visiting his relatives. I heard from my mother that he had two children there and a wife and brothers and sisters and he could never meet any of them again, says Hakim, who works with the state police department.

In 1976, the family was granted asylum in Turkey.

Our passports were stamped and bags were packed. And we thought we would live with our people there. But, we couldnt bring ourselves to leave. Our roots are here, Hakim says.
It is an established truth that Pakistan is not good to its citizens who do not practise mainstream faith.

Six Ahmadi men were murdered because of their faith in Pakistan during this year up to November  the seventh Ahmadi died on December 12 of a heart attack, while stranded at his village mosque during a violent mob attack.

Khalid Javed was 65 years old and he could not be provided medical assistance because the mob had begun vandalising and firing at the mosque. The attack on the mosque of the Ahmadi community took place on Eid Milad un Nabi, the anniversary of the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

This attack has led to the displacement of Ahmadi families from the village. Similarly, in 2015 and 2014, two violent mob assaults on Ahmadis in Jehlum and Gujranwala resulted in hundreds of displaced families.

The recent violent mob at the Ahmadi mosque in Chakwal was initially a group of about 1,000. As its initiators called for reinforcements during the attack, the number went up to at least 3,000.

The calls by the anti-Ahmadi extremists started days before. Ahmadi community leaders had written to the authorities for security, because the extremists were campaigning to occupy Ahmadi mosque both offline and through social media.

After the attack, one of the extremist Barelvi religiopolitical organisations was rallying on the streets and shrewdly using online platforms to incite users against Ahmadis, citing the death of one of the perpetrators as a deliberate act of violence by the Ahmadis.

The social media users and protesters in the ongoing anti-Ahmadi rallies subscribe to the Barelvi sect, which advocates discriminatory blasphemy laws and lionises Mumtaz Qadri  the assassin of Salmaan Taseer, former governor of Punjab  who was executed in February.

Right after Qadris execution, an Ahmadi man who had been the victim of hate crimes for years was stabbed to death. The anti-Ahmadi extremist groups are now making calls for commemorating the anniversary of Mumtaz Qadris death on a national scale in 2017.

Social stigma

For about a century now, followers of Ahmadiyya community have been ostracised for an interpretation of Islam that differs from traditional orthodox positions. Ahmadis say their faith has been misinterpreted by mainstream Muslims and clerics intent on persecuting them.

Declared non-Muslims by the parliament in Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos Pakistan in 1974, and apostates by the clergy, systematic bigotry (PDF) against Ahmadis increased in 1984, when General Zia ul-Haq introduced an anti-Ahmadi ordinance in Pakistan Penal Code, criminalising practising Ahmadis.

Members of the community cannot call themselves Muslims or imitate Muslims in any way. For instance, Ahmadi mosques can only be called worship places.

Contrary to the restrictions on this persecuted group and other minorities, mainstream extremist religious groups can express themselves freely in Pakistan with impunity. by

Ahmadis are even barred by law from using the traditional Muslim greeting Assalam Alaikum, a term used widely by followers of all faiths in Pakistan without any restrictions.

Rights activists and lawyers have also called this treatment of Ahmadis a legal apartheid. Where the impact of discrimination of Ahmadis is violent and bloodied, the everyday life of any Ahmadi is not spared either.

Students are scared of telling their class fellows about their religion and, in professional spaces, colleagues avoid discussing faith. In short, if you are an Ahmadi in Pakistan, you hide your religious identity.

Inequality and injustice

Pakistani government recently made an attempt at undoing an iota of decades-long damage done to Ahmadis by naming a fellowship and physics department of a public university after noble laureate Physicist Dr Abdus Salam, who was Ahmadi.

While progressive Pakistanis were celebrating this recognition on social media, the same day, the counterterrorism department of Punjab police carried out an unprecedented act of harassment.

READ MORE: Pakistans Ahmadiyya: An absence of justice

Masked and armed CTD officers raided a publication office of Ahmadi publication in Rabwah, the central Punjab town which is the communitys secretariat and possibly the safest place for them in Pakistan.

Four Ahmadi men were arrested from Rabwah on terrorism and blasphemy charges. These steps were taken under the pretext of National Action Plan, which has negatively impacted Ahmadi civil rights in the cover of controlling hate speech.

The Director of Public Affairs of Ahmadi community in Pakistan, Saleem ud Din, says over 80 publications of the community remain banned since December 16, 2014.

Contrary to the restrictions on this persecuted group and other minorities, mainstream extremist religious groups can express themselves freely in Pakistan with impunity. They have access to public space for their gatherings and marketing their agendas, putting their views out there through provocative speech and even threaten the state with violence and disruption.

OPINION: The neverending plight of Christians in Pakistan

The religiopolitical groups propaganda is not just expressed through congregations, but also advertisements on rickshaws, walls, billboards outdoors, etc  the clergy can conveniently hijack public spaces here.

Their impunity and freedom look stark in comparison to the attempts by the state to curb freedoms of minorities, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society at large.

It is an established truth that Pakistan is not good to its citizens who do not practise mainstream Sunni Islam and the status of Ahmadis is a harrowing example of this mistreatment.

Rabia Mehmood is an independent journalist and researcher based out of Pakistan, with interest in religious persecution, gender and human rights.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The reasons for the marginalisation of the working class have been economic and political, not a cultural loss.

Drawing on what we have seen and heard during the review, we suggest integration is the extent to which people from all backgrounds can get on. So suggests the Casey report, the latest British government study of the problems of immigration and integration (PDF).

Last year civil servant Louise Casey was asked by the then British Prime Minister David Cameron to consider what could be done to boost opportunity and integration in our most isolated and deprived communities. Her report was published last week.

Even by the standards of government reports, Caseys definition of integration  the extent to which people from all backgrounds can get on together  is particularly vapid. It well sums up both the tone of the report and of much official thinking on integration.

The central arguments of the report are familiar. Too much immigration and diversity, Casey suggests, has helped create segregated communities, with too many migrants who cannot speak English or are unwilling to accept British values. Muslims, in particular, are dangerously isolated, with a chasm between their values and those of society at large.

The findings

Casey certainly shows that there is considerable anxiety about the impact of immigration, though you would hardly have needed a year-long investigation to recognise that. What she does not show is that immigration is responsible for eroding social cohesion. In fact, much of the data in the report suggests the opposite.

Polls show that minorities, and Muslims in particular, have a greater attachment to Britain than does the population at large.

They also show that nine out of 10 Britons think that their community is cohesive, and their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together. Casey shows that this figured has increased (from 80 to 89 percent) since 2003.

In other words, Britons have become more positive about social cohesion in the very period in which uncontrolled immigration has supposedly eroded peoples sense of community and belonging.

Casey worries that there are 42 electoral wards in the UK in which a minority faith or ethnic community had become a local majority of more than 50 percent, that this reveals a high level of segregation. But thats 42 out of a total of 9,196 electoral wards in the UK; put in context the figure seems far less alarming.

In any case, why should a high concentration of minorities signify a lack of integration? As Casey herself acknowledges, high concentrations of minorities alone do not appear to be problematic for social cohesion between groups. What matters are not the numbers, but the degree of integration.

READ MORE: UK government report slams migration failures

One of the signifiers of greater integration, Casey suggests, is greater inter-ethnic friendship. But she also points out that whereas half of first generation migrants have friends from other ethnic groups, three-quarters of the second generation do so. Inter-ethnic friendships, in other words, increase over time.

And which group is least likely to have inter-ethnic friendships? Not an immigrant group, but white British, just four percent of whom have such friendships. Proportionately, twice as many Bangladeshis and Pakistanis and three times as many Indians do so.

This might be expected given that white British constitute the largest group and hence are less likely to meet people of other ethnicities. Nevertheless, it should again make us think more carefully about the relationship between immigration and integration, certainly more carefully than Casey does.

The need for conflicting views

The problems of the Casey report reflect broader issues with the discussion about immigration and integration. There are two fundamental problems at the heart of most such discussions today.

The first problem is the view of conflict as bad in itself. Integration is seen as a way of minimising social conflict and of getting people to hold broadly similar views and values. But conflict is not necessarily bad. Nor is disagreement over even the most fundamental of values a sign of lack of integration.

From a liberal viewpoint, the attitude of many Muslims towards homosexuality or womens rights are troubling and needs challenging (PDF). But holding illiberal views is not the same as failing to integrate. That is why many Muslims are socially illiberal and yet feel British and integrated.

The question of immigration and integration and that of wider social disaffection are usually only ever linked to suggest that too much immigration helps create disaffection. It is an argument that fails to understand the problems facing both minority and majority communities. by

Certain forms of conflicts  physical confrontation on the streets, for example  are problematic. But conflicts over values, beliefs, ideals, are essential to a flourishing society. Only the existence of a diversity of conflicting views allows us to have our own views challenged and creates the possibility of progress and change. Such conflicts are the raw material of political and cultural engagement.

The real problem is not conflict itself, but the form that it takes. Ideas about us and them have transformed in recent years. Social solidarity has become defined increasingly not in political terms, as collective action in pursuit of certain political ideals, but in terms of ethnicity, culture or faith. Many within minority communities want to find themselves and their place in society through a sense of their difference from other communities and groups.

OPINION: Dont ditch diversity because progressives failed

In this process, social problems that were once seen as political issues have come to be reposed as cultural differences. Political struggles divide society across ideological lines, but they unite across ethnic or cultural divisions; cultural struggles inevitably fragment. Conflicts have become more intractable and channelled into forms that are neither useful nor resolvable.

Social policies have only exacerbated this process. Multicultural policies have tended to manage and institutionalise diversity by putting people into ethnic and cultural boxes; defining needs by virtue of the boxes into which people have been put, and using those boxes to shape public policy. The result has been to exaggerate conflicts over identity and to foster a greater sense of division. It is this, rather than immigration or diversity, that needs to be tackled.

Disaffection at the centre

The second key problem is that the debate about integration ignores wider questions of social fragmentation.

The issue that has dominated the news recently has been the growing disaffection of large sections of society with mainstream institutions, and the creation of more fractured societies in which many  particularly traditional working class communities  feel politically abandoned and voiceless, ruling elites seem out of touch, and people inhabit myriad echo chambers  deaf to the views and values of others.

All this has led many to reject the kinds of liberal values that defined post-war Western societies, fuelling the rise of populist and far-right groups.

Just as many within minority communities understand themselves primarily in terms of identity and difference, so increasingly do many in majority communities.

OPINION: How Europes far-right feasts on Trumps victory

The reasons for the marginalisation of the working class have been economic and political, but some have come to see it primarily as a cultural loss. Some look upon minority communities primarily through the lens of their difference, and have come to see immigration as eroding national culture, history and heritage, and hence as a threat to be resisted.

The question of immigration and integration and that of wider social disaffection are usually only ever linked to suggest that too much immigration helps create disaffection. It is an argument that fails to understand the problems facing both minority and majority communities.

There are certainly issues specific to immigrants and minority communities. But unless these are understood in the context of the wider problems of social fracturing and disengagement, we will continue to be blind to the real issues facing both minority or majority communities, and be left with merely the banalities and prejudices of such as the Casey report.

Kenan Malik is a London-based writer, lecturer and broadcaster. His latest book is The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics. He writes at Pandaemonium: www.kenanmalik.wordpress.com.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Trumps ascendency should not be seen as marking neoliberalisms demise, but rather as ushering in its newest stage.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump (in)famously declared that he would build a wall between Mexico and the United States (and make Mexico pay for it) to keep the criminals and rapists out.

Promising to protect the American worker, he also insisted that he was going to void the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a 12-country free trade agreement that aims to make it easier for big corporations to ship jobs overseas.

His campaign clearly played on the fears of many American citizens, as many pundits have already pointed out, marshalling hyper-nationalist, xenophobic, racist, and misogynist sentiments to pander to a certain segment of potential voters.

Neoliberalism doesnt go anywhere

Analysing Trumps shocking victory, professor Cornel West maintains that it represents the desperate and xenophobic cry of human hearts for a way out from under the devastation of a disintegrating neoliberal order. It was the lethal fusion of economic insecurity and cultural scapegoating, West explains, that has brought neoliberalism to its knees.

But is neoliberalism really on its knees?

The owner of a vast business empire, President-elect Trump is, more than anything else, a businessman. Not having one iota of political experience, he ran on an anti-politics ticket in which his business acumen was touted as a serious qualification for the presidency. Indeed, he promised to run the government like a business enterprise.

Trumps cabinet picks suggest that, perhaps for once, he was not misleading the public. Talking neoliberal-speak, their rhetoric is uncannily familiar: privatisation, deregulation, capital enhancement, and entrepreneurialism.

What Trump neglected to state is that neoliberalism flourishes in societies where the playing field is already stacked against various segments of society, and that it needs only a relatively small select group of capital enhancing subjects, while everyone else is ultimately dispensable. by

The soon-to-be-Secretary of Education, Republican billionaire Betsy DeVos, for example, has been instrumental in deregulating Michigans charter schools. Not unlike the privatisation of prisons, in Michigan, around 80 percent of these schools are currently run by private companies.

Similarly, Tom Price, Trumps pick for secretary of health and human services, wants to privatise healthcare reform, allowing flexibility while instituting dramatic changes to the tax code.

West is consequently wrong on this particular front. What we are likely to witness is not the end of, but rather a trumped-up version of, neoliberalism.

If, in the Barack Obama years, we saw neoliberalism intersect with a variety of progressive projects, such as marriage equality, in the coming years Americans will likely be subjected to a convergence between ethnonationalism and neoliberalism.

Nothing new

Actually, this convergence is nothing new. One has only to look at Israel, where since the mid-1980s neoliberalism has been thriving in conjunction with ethnonationalism and a colonial settler project.

Wests claim that hyper-nationalism, or even neo-fascism, will ultimately usher out our neoliberalism era, therefore, doesnt ring true to people coming from my neck of the woods.

Over the years, we have witnessed how the Israeli government has effectively mobilised hyper-nationalism to further entrench neoliberalism, by harnessing hate towards Palestinians with the hope of deflecting and covering up the devastating repercussions that neoliberal economic policies have had on large segments of its Jewish citizenry.

OPINION: Whos conning whom in Donald Trumps America

Israel is also living proof that a country can create walls for certain undesirables while allowing capital to flow unhindered.

It would be a mistake, however, to understand neoliberalism as merely a set of economic policies. Rather, it is a regime of truth and value that construes all aspects of our world as business enterprises; even human beings are increasingly transformed into a kind of human capital.

In other words, under neoliberalism, we increasingly relate to ourselves as a resource in which we must invest in order to increase our value over time. In such a regime, only capital-enhancing subjects are worthy and only human capital that enhances the credit of the nation, now construed as a business enterprise, will thrive. This is precisely Trumps dream for America.

Winners and losers

In a recent opinion article, Mike LeVine writes that many working and middle-class whites [realise that the neoliberal era] is never going to produce the kinds of jobs and lives for which they have long felt entitled.

Consequently, when Trump gave them a choice between an ersatz multiracial democracy in which they are increasingly disadvantaged or a vote for white privilege and supremacy, they voted for the latter. Well, they probably did not vote for neoliberalism, but neoliberalism is precisely what they are going to get.

Under neoliberalism as a regime of truth, inequality is legitimate because there are, simply and shamelessly, winners and losers.

Trump promised his voters that they would be the winners, mobilising white supremacy  alongside other hateful rhetoric, so that they would vote for him.

OPINION: The prospect of the US as a banana republic

What he neglected to state is that neoliberalism flourishes in societies where the playing field is already stacked against various segments of society, and that it needs only a relatively small select group of capital-enhancing subjects, while everyone else is ultimately dispensable.

Trumps ascendancy should not be seen as marking neoliberalisms demise, but rather as ushering in its newest stage.

Indeed, what we are witnessing is the transmutation of a Clinton-Obama neoliberal order with its liberal rights-promoting veneer into a neoliberalism shorn of any trace of shame or guilt. This is truly neoliberalism on steroids.

Catherine Rottenberg is a Marie Sklodowska Curie Fellow in the Sociology Department, Goldsmiths College and the author of Performing Americanness: Race, Class, and Gender in Modern African-American and Jewish-American Literature.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Buses begin leaving with civilians and rebels as part of deal, after some buses from two besieged villages were burned.

The evacuation of Syrian civilians and fighters from eastern Aleppo under a complicated agreement has resumed, after the Security Council in New York agreed on a draft resolution aimed at ensuring that UN officials can monitor the process.

The Security Council was expected to vote on the text on Monday, according to diplomats and UN officials.

Earlier, a number of buses meant to evacuate the fighters and their families were sent to eastern Aleppo as part of the deal to evacuate people from the rebel-held sector, in return for the evacuation of people from Al-Fua and Kefraya, two Shia-majority villages in Idlib province.

The Council had been scheduled to vote on Sunday on a French draft, but Russia, an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads government in the civil war, circulated a rival text.

Russia raised concerns about sending in UN officials unprepared to monitor the protection of civilians who remain in eastern Aleppo, which has been under government siege for years.

A good text

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the UN, said the Security Council expected to vote unanimously for this text at 9am local time (14:00 GMT) on Monday.

Vitaly Churkin, Russias UN ambassador, said: I think we have a good text.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said some of the buses that had arrived to Al-Fua and Kefraya came under attack and were burned.

State television broadcast pictures of flames rising from the green buses.

We understand the buses were empty at the time, said Al Jazeeras Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish-Syrian border.

Inside Story: Abandoning Aleppo  Evacuation of rebel-held areas (24:59)

Really, what were seeing is some sort of tit-for-tat situation which effectively puts any evacuations on hold.

Our correspondent was referring to the four people who reportedly were recently killed by Syrian government forces as they attempted to leave eastern Aleppo.

Reports said ambulances and buses were able to enter Foua and Kefraya late on Sunday after being prevented from entering for hours .

The SOHR said the evacuation operation would evacuate about 4,000 people, including patients, orphans and families.

The process ground to a halt on Friday after a disagreement between the rebels and a coalition of forces fighting for Assads government, who wanted people to be allowed to leave Foua and Kefraya.

Over 15,000 people had gathered in a square in east Aleppo on Sunday for buses to take them to rebel-held areas outside the city.

Many had spent the night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures.

Conditions in eastern Aleppo remain extremely dire, said Al Jazeeras Tyab.

In the evenings, it can go to -5C. They have access to very little food, fuel, water and medical supplies. The situation on the ground remains grim as people wait.

Just staying alive

Speaking to Al Jazeera via Skype, Ismail al-Abdullah, a civilian trapped in east Aleppo, said: Two injured people waiting for the Red Crescent died while they were waiting to be evacuated, while they were waiting to be treated  we told them many times, You will be evacuated, wait for the ambulances, but that didnt happen and they died.

With others, Abdullah tried to visit the evacuation point on Sunday. When we saw the number of people, we thought they would be unable to evacuate this number of people, so we turned around, he said.

We are under siege  we are just surviving now. We are just staying alive.

Aleppo-based opposition fighters and their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing Foua and Kefraya, according to Syrias Al-Ikhbariya news channel.

Evacuation operation

Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under the ceasefire deal between the government and the rebels, which would end years of fighting for Aleppo and mark a major victory for Assad.

Those who were evacuated on Thursday were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo.

Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north.

Lot of people are waiting in the streets since Friday at the closed unsafe passage, no place to go in the city of death #Aleppo pic.twitter.com/M5AkyxR18q  Lina shamy (@Linashamy) December 18, 2016

Russia, which has provided military backing to Assad, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011.

China joined Russia in vetoing five resolutions.

Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a major advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes.

The offensive forced the opposition fighters out of most of their strongholds within a matter of weeks.
Palestinian officials say Ahmed Hazem Atta was killed by Israeli security forces in Beit Rima, near Ramallah.

Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian teenager during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.





Security officials said troops entered the village of Beit Rima, near Ramallah, after midnight on Sunday and were confronted by stone-throwing youths.

The Palestinian health ministry said Ahmed Hazem Atta, 19, was killed in the ensuing army fire.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that there was a violent riot at Beit Rima, but could not confirm the death.

Dozens of rioters hurled rocks at security forces injuring a border police soldier, she said.

In order to prevent an escalation of violence forces responded with riot dispersal means, and fired toward main instigators, she added.

The spokeswoman told the AFP news agency there were reports of a rioter killed and another injured and theyre being looked into.

READ MORE: Palestinian killed after stabbing attack  Israel army

Since October 2015, 244 Palestinians  including attackers, unarmed protesters, and bystanders  have been killed in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Thirty-six Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have also been killed.

Most of the Palestinians killed were accused by Israel of carrying out a knife, gun or car-ramming attack.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, stalled peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause.
At least 10 people killed after fighters attack police and tourists in southern city, Jordanian officials say.

At least 10 people have been killed and several others were taken hostage by fighters who have holed themselves up in a medieval castle in the Jordanian city of Karak, according to officials.

A standoff between Jordanian special forces and fighters inside the castle continued after nightfall on Sunday, several hours after the first shooting.

Government officials declined to comment on local news reports saying the attackers were holding hostages.

Police in the mountainous city, around 120km south of the capital Amman, freed 10 people, including foreign tourists, but some were reportedly still being held in the Crusader-era castle.

Hani al-Mulki, Jordans prime minister, told parliament a number of security personnel had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Mohamed al-Momani, a government spokesperson, told Jordanian media that seven policemen, a Canadian tourist and two civilians were killed in the shootings. At least 27 others were reported wounded.

The Canadian government confirmed the death of one of its nationals.

Reports of house fire

Police said the violence began when fighters starting shooting at officers patrolling the town, then entered the castle, perched on top of a hill.

A police patrol had received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in Karak district, a statement by Jordans Public Security Directorate said.

Officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said, adding that two policemen were wounded, while the assailants fled in a car.

     # pic.twitter.com/vcVuGG7Qnw  AlMaqar   (@Maqarcom) December 18, 2016

In another attack, the Public Security Directorate said, fighters fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries.

At the same time, armed men holed up in the Crusader castle opened fire on Karak police station, wounding several policemen and passers-by who were rushed to hospital, according to the statement.

Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen.

The Public Security Directorate said the hunt for the five or six gunmen thought to be involved in the shootings was under way.

Witnesses posted purported amateur videos and images of the incidents on social media.

Several incidents over the past year have jolted the Arab kingdom.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting ISIL fighters and hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Moaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by ISIL, also known as ISIS, when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014 and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbehs hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by ISIL killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to ISIL, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined armed groups in Iraq and Syria, where an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.
New 30-minister cabinet brings together the entire political spectrum except Phalangist party that rejected state post.

Lebanon acquired a new 30-minister government led by Saad al-Hariri, bringing together the entire political spectrum except for the Christian Phalangist party that rejected the portfolio it was offered.

The new cabinet, which was announced on state television on Sunday evening, will keep Gebran Bassil as foreign minister, Ali Hassan Khalil as finance minister and Nouhad Machnouk as interior minister.

The cabinet will also include Yacoub al-Sarraf as the new defence minister and Cesar Abou Khalil as the new energy and water minister, two of the other most important jobs.

This is a government of entente, Hariri said of the new line-up, formed six weeks after the election of President Michel Aoun .

New portfolios include an anti-corruption post and, for the first time, a minister of state for womens affairs.

Hariri said the Phalangist Party had been offered a minister of state post but had turned it down.

Preserve security

The new government will have at the top of its list of priorities to preserve security against the fires ravaging our region, Hariri told reporters.

He stressed that the government would act to preserve our country from the negative consequences of the Syrian crisis.

On November 3, former prime minister Hariri was nominated to form Lebanons next government, but the process was seen as likely to be hampered by deep differences with Hezbollah, an influential Shia movement.

Hariri, 46, is anti-Syria and a fierce opponent of Hezbollah, members of which have been accused by an international court of involvement in his fathers 2005 assassination.

READ MORE: Hariri backs Michel Aoun as Lebanons next president

But he was forced to throw his support behind Aoun, their candidate for the presidency, in order to secure his return to power as prime minister.

Hariris government will have two ministers from Hezbollah.

His nomination and Aouns election after a two-year vacuum have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin to tackle challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees .

Hariri also announced the establishment of a state secretariat for refugees, and called on the international community to take responsibility for helping our country bear the burden.

Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2017, the first legislative vote in eight years.

The current parliament  elected in 2009  has extended its own mandate twice amid fierce disagreements over revamping Lebanons electoral law.

The government will also work on the preparation of a new electoral law, Hariri said on Sunday.

The thorny issue divides religious parties and communities in a country where politics is based on parity between Christians and Muslims.
Cinema owners to allow screenings of Indian films again, months after ban was imposed during Kashmir tensions.

Cinema owners in Pakistan will again allow screening of Bollywood films nearly four months after imposing a ban on movies from across the border over military tensions linked to the disputed Kashmir region.

It is step for peace and harmony, Nadeem Mandviwala, head of Karachi-based Atrium Cinemas, told Al Jazeera.

The suspension of Bollywood screenings was part of a series of tit-for-tat measures after an attack on an army post in Indian-administered Kashmir in September left 19 Indian soldiers dead.

The measure came after Bollywood producers banned Pakistani artists in Indian films.

If you ask people in both countries, they will say yes to trade despite hostilities. We need to defeat the agenda of extremists in both the countries, Mandviwala said.

We need to defeat the agenda of extremists in both the countries by Nadeem Mandviwala, head of Atrium cinemas

He admitted that financial considerations also motivated the lifting of the ban as cinema owners made losses.

The Bollywood films were anyway being watched illegitimately through DVDs and internet, he said.

Prior to the ban, Indian films were screened in a majority of cinemas in Pakistan. Bollywood films and actors are hugely popular and household names in Pakistan, while Pakistani singing and acting talent are widely appreciated in India.

Following the attack, Indian filmmakers banned Pakistani artists from starring in Bollywood films.

New Delhi and Islamabad have fought three wars since they gained independence from Britain seven decades ago, two of them over Kashmir. Following the 1965 war, Indian films were banned in Pakistan for 43 years until the ban was lifted in 2008.

Nationalistic fervour

New Delhi carried out retaliatory strikes after the September attack on the Pakistani side of the Line of Control  the de-facto border  that runs through Kashmir. The raids against alleged terrorist units prompted anger in Pakistan and an upsurge in cross-border shootings.

Pakistani series, which are very popular in India, also became the casualty of the nationalistic fervour gripping the subcontinent as they were taken off air across the border.

Bollywood filmmakers have faced protests from Hindu nationalists, who have vowed not to allow films with Pakistani artists to be screened amid military tensions.

A leading filmmaker, Karan Johar, was forced to pledge that he would not work with Pakistani artists in the future before his film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, was allowed to run.
Up to 10 people, including seven security officers, killed in shootings in Karak, 120km south of Amman, officials say.

Armed men have killed 10 people, including security officers and a Canadian tourist, in southern Jordan where security forces have reportedly shot four unidentified attackers.

A government spokesperson told Jordanian news media on Sunday evening that the security operation in al-Karak, a city 120km south of capital Amman, had come to an end.

Jordans general security department said seven security officers, a female Canadian tourist and two local civilians were killed in the series of shootings.

It said that besides the dead, 27 others, including security officers and civilians, were wounded in the assault.

The Canadian government confirmed the death of one of its nationals.

A separate police statement said that a number of outlaws who committed ugly crimes this afternoon had been killed and that security forces were combing the citys Crusader-era castle for more assailants.

Reports of house fire

The first attack occurred when a security patrol went to check on a fire that had broken out in a house in Karak, the general security department said.

As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car, it said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties.

At the same time, assailants in the citadel, a well-known tourist destination, opened fire on the Karak police station, wounding several policemen and passers-by who were taken to hospital.

Police and security forces  surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen, the statement said.

A senior security source said some people were trapped in a lower floor of the citadel when the assailants took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.

There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower floor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces, said the source who did not wish to be identified.

He said that the fighters were on a higher level inside the fortress.

The Jordan Tourism Board described the Karak citadel, which dates back to the 12th century and has withstood many sieges, as a maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways.

No responsibility claim

The general security department statement said five or six gunmen were thought to have been involved in the shootings.

However, Hani al-Mulki, Jordans prime minister, who was addressing parliament at the time of the shootings, said that special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings.

Witnesses posted purported amateur videos and images of the incidents on social media.

Several incidents over the past year have shaken Jordan, a leading member of the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

Jordan has carried out air strikes targeting ISIL fighters and hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by ISIL, also known as ISIS, when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014 and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kasasbehs hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by ISIL killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to ISIL, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined armed groups in Iraq and Syria, where an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.
Andrzej Duda holds talks with opposition leaders after thousands protest and MPs hold sit-in over media restrictions.

Polish President Andrzej Duda is attempting to end a political crisis which has seen mass anti-government protests and a parliamentary blockade over planned restrictions on media access to parliament.

Marek Magierowski, Dudas spokesperson, said the president began meetings on Sunday with opposition party chiefs, although a date for similar talks with Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the governing right-wing Law and Justice Party (PiS), had yet to be set.

Thousands took to the streets in Warsaw for a third straight day on Saturday in protest against the PiS and the proposed measures, which include restrictions on media coverage of parliament.

READ MORE: Journalist arrests in 2016 at 30-year high

Emerging from a long silence, Duda called for calm, expressing his worry over the turmoil and offering to mediate.

I think a deal of some kind deal is necessary because it is impossible to function in a system where the parliament cannot debate, Magierowski told news channel TVN24 on Saturday.

Opponents have called the proposed changes an attack on the nations democracy, an accusation rejected by the government.

Curbs on images

Opposition anger boiled over on Friday, with dozens of MPs seizing parliaments main chamber over the media restrictions. Their sit-in continued on Sunday.

The PiS intends to grant access to the parliaments press gallery to only two journalists for every media outlet, and ban them from shooting still pictures or video.

The moves prevent the media from recording images of MPs when they break the rules, for example by voting for an absent colleague.

The PiS has defended the measure, saying it was seeking to ensure a comfortable working environment for both politicians and journalists.

The government, which came to power about a year ago, has faced criticism for a series of controversial measures including tightening the abortion law and changes to Polands constitutional courts decision-making rules.
Israel opposition criticises dangerous message with release of Moshe Katsav after fifth year of seven-year sentence.

A previous version of this article stated that Moshe Katsav had already been released.

A parole board has agreed to grant early release to a former Israeli president who was convicted of two counts of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice.

The board ruled on Sunday that Moshe Katsav can walk free after serving five years of his seven-year jail term.

His release is set for next week to allow for Israels state prosecution, which opposes his early release, to consider an appeal.

The ruling angered opposition politicians, including the leader of the Meretz Party, Zehava Galon.

This is a dangerous message, that you can attack women and get away with it with the least punishment provided you are well-connected, the opposition group said in a statement on Sunday.

Katsav began his sentence in December 2011 and had already been rejected twice by the parole board since he became eligible for the customary one-third reduction for good behaviour behind bars.

The rape conviction for the former head of state had been lauded as a victory for womens rights and equality under the law.

Katsav resigned in June 2007 after being charged with rape and sexual harassment. He began his sentence in 2011 and has repeatedly professed his innocence.

Previous parole bids by Katsav, who is not allowed to travel overseas on parole and must not leave his home after 10pm, were rejected as he showed no remorse for his crimes.

He has been ordered to attend weekly therapy sessions, and will not be able to serve in any position in which he oversees women.
While the number of people who arrived in Europe in 2016 dropped, the number of drownings reached a record.

About 350,000 migrants and refugees have arrived in the European Union so far this year, a sharp decline from 2015 when more than 1 million people arrived, according to the EU border control agency.

Fabrice Leggeri, executive director of the Frontex border agency, was quoted on Saturday as saying about 180,000 people arrived via Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean, while 170,000 reached the continent across the central Mediterranean route from Libya and Egypt.



Missing refugees remain uncounted

Leggeri told German daily Ruhr-Nachrichten a deal between the EU and Turkey reduced the number of refugees and migrants coming from the east, but migration from northern Africa rose 30 percent.

Earlier, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) said that 4,812 people have died on the Mediterranean so far this year  a record number.

That is about 1,200 more than last year between January to the end of November.

According to the IOM, 7,189 migrants and asylum seekers have died so far this year around the world, notably in Central America.

That is an average of 20 deaths each day, with the IOM predicting that another 200 to 300 will die en route to safer lands before the year is over.

IOM spokesman Leonard Doyle told Al Jazeera that the casualty numbers are undoubtedly an underestimate.

This is the numbers we have of people who are reported to have died, but there are many more who have died lonely deaths, by themselves, in the deserts and in the oceans, said Doyle.

He added that the nature of the crisis makes it difficult for any organisation or government to keep an accurate count of the dead and missing.

They [migrants and refugees] are leaving in a clandestine way, theyre leaving without papers, and theyre leaving in small and dangerous boats. Quite often these boats sink without a trace and nobody actually knows about them, said Doyle.
Analysts say the Syrian government is planning an operation to either remove or disarm rebel fighters.

While all eyes are on Aleppo, the Syrian government and its allies are believed to be preparing another deal in what may become among the most significant rebel territories to date to accept a truce.

Eastern Ghouta was once a powerful rebel bastion on the doorstep of Damascus. The area has been partially besieged since 2013, but conditions have deteriorated further in recent weeks under the weight of near-daily Syrian and Russian bombardments, as well as creeping ground offensives.

People are facing bombing by every kind of weapon of war  spreading fear in the hearts of civilians in the marketplaces, streets and even mosques, said Abu Khaled, police chief with the local council in Douma, the largest town in Eastern Ghouta.

He said that bombardments have recently targeted schools, alleging the use of internationally sanctioned weapons  and particularly cluster bombs,  claims that have also been made by local civil defence units and human rights groups. Over the past week, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented several deadly bombardments by pro-government forces. Some residents fear a looming ground offensive, as in Aleppo.

READ MORE: No vaccinations for children in Syrias Eastern Ghouta

Analysts say that Damascus is planning to either remove or disarm rebel fighters in Eastern Ghouta, similar to a series of evacuation and truce deals in Daraya, Moadamiyat al-Sham, al-Waer and Khan Eshieh. The government is reportedly fielding talks in Douma and other neighbourhoods, but due to the sheer size of the area and its composition, the outcome remains uncertain.

According to the US-based monitoring group Siege Watchs last quarterly report, approximately 435,000 civilians live inside an ever-shrinking 100 square-kilometres of sprawling urban neighbourhoods, suburbs and farmland, while there are also an estimated 10,000 fighters inside Eastern Ghouta.

People forget this, but both territorially and in terms of population, its bigger than east Aleppo. [The rebels] military arsenal is much bigger and more powerful than in eastern Aleppo as well, said analyst Aron Lund, a nonresident fellow at the Carnegie Endowments Middle East programme. He noted that rebel groups have repeatedly hit the heart of Damascus with shells and mortars and downed Syrian aircraft with anti-aircraft weapons in the past.

The area is besieged, and every now and then, you hear the thunderous voices of warplanes or bombs. You are a close neighbour of death every day - every day. I saw it with my own eyes. by Yassin Haj al-Saleh, writer

Although Damascus will likely try to deal with Eastern Ghoutas neighbourhoods one-by-one, Abu Khaled said that local officials and rebel groups would place conditions on any deal.

We had our revolution together, and we were besieged together, so Douma will not go alone. Any peaceful solution should be for the whole of Eastern Ghouta, he said, calling for international mediation in the ongoing truce talks. The regime cant be lawyer, judge and executioner all at the same time.

Should Eastern Ghouta fall, the Syrian rebellion will lose one of its most important symbols. In many respects, the story of Eastern Ghouta is the story of the uprising  from liberation and perceived betrayal to the slow death of the siege.

Eastern Ghouta showed the liberatory potential of the revolution, said leftist writer and thinker Yassin Haj al-Saleh, who moved to Douma in 2013. People came from Damascus to help, and there were many local activists also building networks and being active.

Saleh, who served 16 years as a political prisoner in government jails, arrived via an underground smuggling tunnel in April 2013. He was later joined by his wife, activist Samira al-Khalil, as well as renowned human rights defender and cofounder of the Violations Documentation Centre, Razan Zaitouneh.

In December of that year, Khalil, Zaitouneh and two other activists were abducted by armed men and have not been heard from since.

Saleh recounts memories of conversations in morgues, clinics and formative council meetings.





The area is besieged, and every now and then, you hear the thunderous voices of warplanes or bombs. You are a close neighbour of death every day  every day. I saw it with my own eyes, Saleh said, recounting the moment that two farm workers in al-Mleha were shelled and buried within 30 minutes so that their families need not see their mutilated remains.

It was a kind of routine, and it began to change Eastern Ghouta.

People felt that they were not understood and that they were not respected, that their sufferings were not taken into consideration by the world at large, Saleh said. And they were right about this feeling of being deserted, neglected, disrespected, dismissed.

On August 21, 2013, government forces bombarded Eastern Ghouta with sarin gas, killing more than 1,500 men, women and children. Despite talk of a red line, the international community settled with a chemical weapons disarmament deal brokered between the United States and Russia. The world looked on, and anti-Assad Syrians felt betrayed.

[This feeling] pushed people even towards more religion and more nihilism. And this process  benefited a lot of those Salafist groups in Douma, Saleh said, noting this became the ideological basis for armed struggle against the regime.

By late 2013, much of Eastern Ghouta was under the control of Jaish al-Islam, a homegrown Salafist faction that, at its height, was engaged in everything from arms production to lucrative tunnel smuggling.

IN PICTURES: Syria Civil War  Inside the bomb shelter

But power led to excesses, Saleh noted, and Jaish al-Islam has been significantly weakened since the death of its leader Zahran Alloush last December and subsequent factional infighting. Damascus seized its opportunity and has been slowly closing in on Eastern Ghouta ever since.

The story of the Ghouta is that you had a situation unlike all the rest of Syria, really, Lund said. You had this strong faction that was so big and so strong that everyone had to recognise that they were the alpha faction.

The situation led to the emergence of united forms of local government, along with law and order. But that may soon be gone.

[Damascus will continue pushing] until it gets the deal it wants  and it will want the rebels out or disarmed, Lund added. Looking at the situation now, it doesnt look like theres any other way out.
There are more migrants in the world than ever before, with many left with no choice but to leave their own country.

It is International Migrants Day. Migrants and refugees cross borders in search of better economic and social conditions. Many others are forced to flee conflict or persecution. The current record level of mass movement of displaced people has given rise to xenophobia and calls for tighter border controls.

Ban Ki-moon, the outgoing UN secretary-general, is calling for compassion for migrants and refugees. But is anybody listening?

Presenter: Jane Dutton

Guests:

Florian Hartleb, specialist in populist European Politics and a lecturer at Eichstatt University.

Paal Nesse, senior adviser with the Norwegian Refugee Council.

Leonard Doyle, spokesman for the International Organization for Migration.
Yula grows up on Moscows outskirts in the largest garbage dump in Europe. She has one dream  to lead a normal life.

Editors note: This film is no longer available online.

Yula is just like any ordinary Russian teenager: she experiments with makeup, dyes her blonde hair red and then blonde again, and falls in love for the first time.

Her living conditions, however, are far from average.

She lives on Europes biggest landfill, situated less than 20km from the centre of Moscow.

In this unearthly place, trucks and forklifts drive to and from shifting an endless supply of rubbish.

Together with her mother, a handful of other children, and outcasts, Yula spends her days foraging in the filth for food, for shelter material, and for something to do. But she holds her head up high, lives her life and dares to dream of a little apartment of her own.

ALSO READ: Filmmaker Hanna Polaks story about Yula
"These things come and go," declared University of Toledo Islamic Studies professor Ovamir Anjum of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a phenomenon he demonstrated is not an aberration in Islamic history. His December 1 presentation, "ISIS & the Future of Islam," at Georgetown University's Saudi-funded Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) indicated that ISIS has far more Islamic legitimacy than many will admit.

Speaking in ACMCU's small conference room to about thirty-five listeners, including Georgetown Islamic Studies professor Emad Shahin, Anjum stated that "Islam is a discursive tradition; there are many different interpretations on any issue." In Islam, "to say that something is wrong and I disagree with it  that is easy. To say that something is beyond the pale of any possible legitimate interpretation is very, very, very, very difficult." Regarding ISIS, "misinterpretations like this in a free-floating enterprise like Islamic law happen all the time."

As Anjum noted, ISIS consistently seeks justification in "Islamic texts, which they seem to know more or less," although members "use the hadith and the Quran in a way that is not resonant with the scholarly tradition and with the scholarly consensus." Nonetheless, the condemnation of ISIS from many Muslim organizations, including the terrorist group al-Qaeda, "does not demonstrate that ISIS does not represent one plausible interpretation of Wahhabi or Salafi doctrine."

Explaining that ISIS is not unique in Islam's past, Anjum described the historical example of a "charismatic figure on the margins of the Islamic world agonized by the depraved condition of the community." He "unites tribes under his leadership to wage war against existing regimes and peoples for their loose practices, [and] sternly and violently imposes moral norms." "Most crucially, [he] calls his Muslim opponents disbelievers and uses that to declare jihad against them." "Ultimately, his successors succeed in establishing a powerful dynasty over a large and prosperous stretch of territory."

Anjum suggested that this description could bring to mind eighteenth-century Saudi Arabian theological founding father Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Yet Anjum actually wanted to examine the twelfth-century North African Almohad leader Ibn Tumart. He also thought his statements had applicability to the Shiite Safavids in Iran.

Anjum's main criticism of ISIS was that it "excludes other Muslims from being part of Islam" similar to the "super-pietists, fanatics, zealots" of the Khawarij sect (modern-day Ibadis) from Islam's founding era in the seventh century. "You have checked out of the discursive community; you have excommunicated other Muslims; you are killing other Muslims," he stated about ISIS members who violate Islamic norms demanding communal review of behavior. "It is kind of like the academic process of academic review and other people holding you to account, and you act in accordance with the respect for the academic community." Yet ISIS "is a group that draws on a very legitimate set of grievances and the rejection of these people as Khawarij comes from the mouths of people that serve up...the tyrants who create the conditions," giving ISIS "their major rebuttal."

Even these qualified theological criticisms of ISIS, which Anjum denounced as an "abomination by any standard," have flaws. He condemned ISIS's slaughtering of civilians, claiming that in Islam's "legal, juristic tradition, you do not kill noncombatants" and that "in Islamic law, taking a life is the biggest crime" and must be "meticulously justified." Yet these assessments are otherworldly in light of the brutal history of Islamic subjugation of non-Muslims under the dhimmi pact, which ISIS has newly implemented. Additionally, a bearded Muslim audience member noted that historically, numerous Muslim scholars have issued religious opinions or fatwas contradicting an Islamic legal consensus or ijma: "giving fatwa against ijma is not something rare."

Anjum did not strengthen his argument with jabs at non-Muslims. He opposed "ignoring the direct immediate role of Western imperialism, the two Gulf Wars, and the intervening sanctions on Iraq, and so on, on giving rise to ISIS." He relativized ISIS in relation to other atrocities, such as Pol Pot's murder of millions in Cambodia, stating that the "secular Middle East regimes, many U.S.-backed, have for decades killed and imprisoned a far greater number of people." The former argument disregards that ISIS arose in Syria, not just in Iraq, while the latter argument disregards that secular dictators have kept groups like ISIS in check, as Saddam Hussein's overthrow indicated.

Anjum's presentation belied his previously articulated thesis that ISIS is no more Islamic than the Ku Klux Klan is Christian. Glossing over the non-Muslims outside Islam's "discursive community" who are subject to ISIS's genocidal rage, he could only conclude that ISIS jihadists are errant Islamic black sheep, no more misguided than others in Islamic history. Given his concession to the historical controversy over such judgments, Anjum's paraphrase of Princeton University Near Eastern Studies professor Bernard Haykel is far more realistic: "ISIS is as Islamic as anything else."

Andrew E. Harrod is a freelance researcher and writer who holds a Ph.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a J.D. from George Washington University Law School. He is a fellow with the Lawfare Project. Follow him on Twitter at @AEHarrod. This essay was sponsored by Campus Watch, a project of the Middle East Forum.
Decades ago while in high school I read John Dos Passoss USA. It was published in the 1930s before television or cable news. But it presaged well the strange mixture of important and ridiculous news we receive today. News today is largely fashioned into narratives by mostly young, unworldly reporters and biased news editors, repeated on TV by well-coiffed, fashionably garbed and cosmetically buffed up news readers, jazzed up by often highly biased photo editors and presented on a plate to passive consumers.

When I read USA, my hometown had -- like most larger cities -- two major newspapers, one liberal, the other conservative, and like most homes we got both and read both so we had a fairer picture of what was happening in the world. The reporters were often grizzled veterans of the world who drank hard, smoked a lot, and believed no one or nothing without evidence.

With the advent of television and the monopolization of print markets it seems to me we lost the ability to forensically analyze the news; we have become passive consumers and got what we deserved -- propaganda, largely megaphoning the increasingly leftward tilt of the Democratic Party and various nonprofit organizations who promote scare stories about food, health, and the weather and challenge wars only when a Republican is in office. To be sure, there are some fine people (operating largely online) who take the time to read the accounts with a critical eye. Among the best are James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal, bloggers Don Surber, Glenn Reynolds, Sheryl Attkisson, and Tom Maguire. If you read them daily you may reacquire this lost, but important art.

This week the clash between fake and real news became even more obvious.

Sharyl Attkisson who has sued the Department of Justice and the U.S. Postal Service for matters relating to intrusions on her computer and who is known for her outstanding reportage, took aim this week at the Obama-Clinton suggestion that Clinton lost because of fake news reports. Obama called fake news a dust cloud of nonsense and Clinton dubbed it an epidemic.

My online friend Matt Holtzmann has some questions about this:

So the president lectured the media and the masses on fake news during his press conference today. Does that include the Journo-List? Does it include enlisting the National Endowment for the Arts to engage in a propaganda campaign for Obamacare? Does it include the video that Hillary Clinton broadcast on Pakistani network television blaming an obscure video? Does it include "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor'? Does it include his visits to the fake news shows? [ed: Like the Daily Show and Colbert]

Attkisson herself also weighed in on the issue:

Wednesday on Newsmax TVs The Steve Malzberg Show, while discussing the 2016 presidential elections fake new controversy, Full Measure host Sharyl Attkisson said fake news is a propaganda campaign to censor truth started by politicians like President Barack Obama and Clinton ally the founder of Media Matters Democratic operative David Brock. Attkisson said, Before about September 13, if you searched the news you wont find many or any mentions of fake news. But as soon as there was, in my view, a propaganda campaign to put this on the plate of the American public, the news media and politicians including President Obama went hog wild with the term and it started making headlines every day. It wasnt a new invention. And yes, fake news exists but the idea that there is this huge campaign behind it to controversialize certain reports and censor, in my view, certain views is a propaganda campaign, she continued. And I think when David Brock, Hillary Clintons ally from Media Matters, announced that he would be the arbitrator, or help be the arbitrator, of so called fake news, that sort of sealed the deal that the whole thing is a propaganda effort and a political effort, not really an honest effort to seek out facts, but more to determine for other people what truth they should hear.

Right on cue, Facebook announced it was empaneling a group of outsiders, including Politifact, Snopes, ABC, AP, the Washington Post and Poynters IPCN to announce to readers which sites are fake and to jiggle with the news feed to spare the readers from seeing them often.

Obviously, this is intended to shield Facebook from liability for news posted on the site, but it appears ill considered. The far left manipulator George Soros, for example, funds Poynter. AP regularly shades its stories, as my editor friend in upstate New York, Steven Waters, keeps noting, and the Washington Post just admitted this week it had posted a fake list of fake news sites.

As for the news organization fact checkers, James Taranto has regularly exposed them as  well -- fakes, the way he nailed Politifact years ago:

PolitiFacts 2013 Lie of the Year was the central ObamaCare fraud: If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. As this column noted at the time, the site had previously certified the promise as true (2008), then equivocated and labeled it half true in both 2009 and 2012. Everyones entitled to his own opinion, but fact checkers think theyre entitled to call their own opinions facts. As the president perpetrated a fraud on American consumers, journalists have often helped him along. They would never dream of doing the same for an unscrupulous CEO of, say, a beer company.

This week, he covered more of the fact checkers and reminded us of Politifacts song and dance on ObamaCare:

To be sure, in 2008 and 2009 the claim was not yet a lie, merely a promise; and in 2012 it was not a demonstrable lie, or at least not as clearly demonstrable as it was when policyholders had in fact started losing their plans. But it is difficult to understand how a categorical promise could be half true at any stage. (Maybe ObamaCare should be renamed Schrodingers Care.) And a promise is not a factual claim at all, so its truth or falsity is purely a matter of opinion. Others have noted that PolitiFact has often given different ratings to what were substantively the same statements from different sources, usually with Democrats getting the benefit of the doubt when compared with Republicans.

On FNC, Tucker Carlson has been exposing real fake news and newsmakers.

Take the concession he got from Matt Cooper, Newsweeks editor, that the commemorative issue of Hillarys electoral victory, accidentally shipped out before the returns came in, was ridiculous and had never been seen by Newsweeks editors, and Carlsons mind-boggling interview with the wacky Newsweek reporter who claimed out of thin air that Trump had once been institutionalized for mental illness.

Iowahawk could not contain himself at the news AP was going to be on the prowl for fake news and tweeted:

In related news, Anthony Weiner announces he will be working with Ashley Madison to stop online adultery.

The award for fake news purveyors of the year has to go to the Washington Post and New York Times for peddling the sore loser Democratic fable that the Russians hacked the Clinton and DNC emails, passed them off to Julian Assange who published them in Wikileaks to help Trump. Why the Russians would want to hurt Reset Clinton -- who was certain to follow Obamas ineffectual --policies toward Russia and who, among other things, as Secretary of State in a clear pay-to-play move let them buy up 20% of the U.S. uranium supplies -- is an obvious, unspoken flaw in that argument. But there is much more to discount this story.

In the first place, her email server was insecure; in March of 2015 Don Surber showed how anyone could hack into her system.

The RNC was not so clueless and stopped attempted hacks. So the suggestion that Russia hacked both sides but only slipped to Assange the Democrats is poppycock.

In the second place, the Washington Post and NYT accounts claim that all the intelligence agencies and the head of the FBI concur that the Russians did it. These largely unverified and mostly anonymously sourced pieces conflict with earlier stories that the agencies are in disagreement.

Comey and Clapper have not responded to these latest accusations, whose only named source is the CIAs Director John Brennan, but prior to these accounts Comey had a conversation with president-elect Trump in which he discounted the theory that Russia had provided the information to Wikileaks:

In telephone conversations with Donald Trump, FBI Director James Comey assured the president-elect there was no credible evidence that Russia influenced the outcome of the recent U.S. presidential election by hacking the Democratic National Committee and the e-mails of John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. Whats more, Comey told Trump that James Clapper, the director of National Intelligence, agreed with this FBI assessment. The only member of the U.S. intelligence community who was ready to assert that the Russians sanctioned the hacking was John Brennan, the director of the CIA, according to sources who were briefed on Comeys conversations with Trump. And Brennan takes his marching orders from President Obama, the sources quoted Comey as saying. In Comeys view, the leaks to the New York Times and the Washington Post alleging that the Russians tried -- and perhaps even succeeded -- in tilting the election to Trump were a Democratic Party effort to delegitimize Trumps victory. During their phone conversations, Comey informed Trump that the FBI had been alert for the past year to the danger that the Russians would try to cause mischief during the U.S. presidential election. However, whether the Russians did so remains an open question, Comey said, adding that it was just as likely that the hacking was done by people who had no direct connection to the Russian government.

This account is in accord with those from members of Congress who had interviewed Comey and reported that he disagreed with Brennan, and with the New York Times' own account in October:

Law enforcement officials say that none of the investigations so far have found any conclusive or direct link between Mr. Trump and the Russian government. And even the hacking into Democratic emails, F.B.I. and intelligence officials now believe, was aimed at disrupting the presidential election rather than electing Mr. Trump. Hillary Clintons supporters, angry over what they regard as a lack of scrutiny of Mr. Trump by law enforcement officials, pushed for these investigations.

The most damaging of the leaks involved the DNCs work to knock Bernie Sanders out of the running. Isnt it more likely that someone inside the organization was angry and provided the damaging emails?

And then theres Assange, who repeatedly, forcefully denied that his source was Russia.

Today, news organization, as the Nation notes, do overtly what the CIA has paid it to do covertly: regurgitate the claims of the spy agency and attack the credibility of those who question it.

When the Democrats lose a presidential election, they work harder at delegitimizing the winner than they do respecting the democratic process. When Gore lost, it was selected not elected and Bush lied us into war -- all fake. This time -- as a result of the fecklessness of Clinton-Obama and Kerry  president-elect Trump faces a far more dangerous world than they found. The Chinese just stole an underwater drone of ours in off of the Philippines, Russia is continuing to threaten Europe, the EU is crumbling, and the Democrats childish nonsense, fed by the big-time fake newsmakers, is an even greater threat to us all.
Ah, the Christmas season. Democrats and their propaganda organs (formerly known as the mainstream media) are full of Russia love. The sly, elfish Vlad Putin being the principal recipient.

Its an outpouring of love based on speculation and sources at the CIA -- and Kwanzaa-knows where else -- that the Russians hacked the Clinton campaign. Russki chicanery, were assured by the Washington Post and New York Times, helped Donald J. Trump secure the White House. Putin, you see, has been outed as a triple-secret ally of Trump. Journalism isnt dead, after all.

This is humbug, of course. But useful humbug for Democrats. They just cant explain how so charismatic a nominee as Hillary Rodham Clinton could have lost to the reality star buffoon and Augusto Pinochet wannabe, Donald J. Trump. So Democrats test-marketed blame angles until settling on one that seems to work best.

Continuing to heavy-up on fingering Deplorables for Hillarys crash and burn risks too much backlash. Millions of Deplorables, that is, who forced the Democrats Blue Wall to come crumbling down. Rebuilding the Wall requires easing up on the white working class in Michigan and Pennsylvania, for instance. Fake news is more subtext. Racism has legs, but it indicts not just Trumpians and Republicans but those darn formidable Deplorables.

On the other hand, Russia is far away. A land of onion domes, vast steppes, and Buffalo-like piles of snow. Putin lacks a broom, but has a sorta Wicked Witch of East persona. You know, poisoning adversaries, invading the Ukraine, and generally thugging-it-up with his comrade oligarchs.

Whether or not Putins antics really bother Democrats is another story.

Putins pedigree is communist in origin. KGB and all. Murder -- targeted and mass -- conquest, and thuggery were hallmarks of the defunct Soviet Union. Lots of Democrats, dating back to the 20s and 30s, werent much fussed about reports of Lenins and Stalins oppression and mass butchery. Some even served as Russian agents in FDRs administration. Thats covertly, if the clarification is required.

Come the 70s and 80s, why, Democrats and their leftist intellectual fellow travelers were bruiting the notion that there was moral equivalence between the USSR and U.S. Lets not get so uppity about Russian communist brutality and aggression, went the argument, when we -- well, Democrats, actually -- had a sad history of slavery and lynching blacks. Our attempt to subjugate Vietnam (led by bad Democrat LBJ) made Russian dominance of the Eastern bloc, the Berlin Wall, the quelling of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and the 1968 Prague Spring appear small potatoes.

Mother Russia, though, stripped of its communist gloss, doesnt hold the allure to Democrats and the American left as in days of yore. The USSR, closed and tightly controlled, was the stuff of Western leftist fantasies (or, if you prefer, useful lies).

Remember the old leftist spin about the USSR being a workers paradise? Equality, fraternity, and vodka for all! The USSR was the land of a bright industrial and technological future. The New Man cometh -- or some such gender-bias drivel. Amongst many progressives, the Soviet Union was the beacon of modernity in the gloomy world of Depression Era America. The Hitler-Stalin Pact was just a bump in the road to a glorious future.

Putins Russia is more transparent. Russia is squalid -- not that it wasnt under its communist masters, but commie rhetoric and gullibility masked reality. Putin, whatever his nostalgia for Russias communist era, knows that red is deader than Trotsky amongst the proletariat. Hes hitched his wagon to hoary Russian nationalism, to a bare-knuckled advancement of Russian national interests. To hell with the workers of the world uniting.

Putins at odds with globalism, the ism thats now fab (though faltering). It incorporates many of the elements of socialism and communism. Hence, the progressives embrace of globalism and their recoil at Putins antediluvian Russia First approach. Putin has become an exquisite villain to tag with Hillarys defeat. And, critically, to try to wrap Putins alleged villainy around Trumps neck. Without Putin serving as a confederate for Trump, the Putin angle loses much of its punch and value to Democrats.

The Democrats aim, as with George W. Bush in the aftermath of 9/11, is to delegitimize the coming Trump presidency. Their deviousness and venality is KGB-worthy.

Lets dispense with this factoid. The Russians try to hack the U.S. 24/7. But Uncle Sam works at hacking the Russians -- unless Sam is a boob. Lets hope not. The Chinese are in the hacking game, too. The list grows from there. Every nation, every pernicious political movement (think ISIS), and every crime outfit around the globe hacks away.

But lets reiterate that theres no evidence that Russia hacked the Clinton campaign. If there is, it hasnt surfaced. Above all, theres zero evidence that any attempts at hacking by the Russians impacted the outcome of the presidential contest.

This from Hillary Clinton in a December 16 CNN report titled, Russia challenges US to prove campaign hacking claims or shut up:

Clinton said Thursday night that Putin's alleged involvement in the hacking of Democratic organizations during the 2016 election stemmed from a longtime grudge the Russian President has held against her. [Italics added]

Perhaps Vlad is chaffed that when the Clinton Foundation -- for a price -- helped grease the skids with then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to approve the sale of a big portion of U.S. uranium mining interests to the Russians, he didnt get a big enough kickback? Money disputes cause grudges, right?

The Wall Street Journal reports on December 16 that it appears the Russians attempted to hack the Republican National Committee, too. They failed to breach RNC computer networks. Republicans had superior security. Just how incompetent are Democrats if Russians did hack their networks?

Its useful to recall that Hillary provided the Russians -- and the rest of humanity -- with a hacking-rich environment. Hillarys private servers contained an untold number of highly classified national security-related emails. Perhaps law-breaker Hillary doing so whetted the appetites of Russian hackers. Another way of putting it, Hillarys breaches of national security via her private servers were like putting out honey: the flies came. The flies -- Russians and everyone else -- then went buzzing around for more sweet stuff through porous Democratic computer networks.

If Democrats and MSM propagandists can speculate, why cant we?

So, in Putin the Democrats have their Grinch. Theyre trying mightily to link Putin to Trump in a conspiracy to swipe the presidency from the deserving, if trembling, hands of Hillary Clinton, the very first ever woman president and globalist-village champion who will not be.

Fate has its vagaries, bad and very good.
The first hint of Donald Trumps vision of a New World Order came when he said in a speech during the primaries that NATO was obsolete. The UK Independent wrote about that speech,

As currently constituted, he says, NATO is ill-suited to combating international terrorism, which is for him the worlds single biggest threat. He especially objects to the US footing so much of the bill, saying that other allies should pay up or get out, and refuses to see the US as the worlds policeman. As he told a town hall meeting in Wisconsin: Maybe NATO will dissolve and thats OK, not the worst thing in the world.

As a result of that speech, NATO is currently being drastically overhauled.

President-elect Donald J. Trump spoke by telephone with Taiwans president a couple of weeks ago, thereby breaking with nearly four decades of diplomatic practice. Beijing was not pleased. Trump, during the campaign, continually complained about what China does to undermine the US. He has characterized climate change as a Chinese hoax, designed to undermine the American economy. He has criticized China for its manipulation of its currency to Americas disadvantage. And he has threatened to impose a heavy tariff on Chinese goods, a proposal that critics said would set off a trade war.

So it would appear that the phone call is part of a negotiating strategy.

On the other hand, Trump has had mostly good things to say about Vladimir Putin. Dick Morris in a recent podcast, said that Trump is trying to do what Nixon did with his China Policy, namely undermine the USSR, only in reverse. Trump is getting ready to put the squeeze on China for a better deal and he wants Putin on his side. Rex Tillerson, Trumps pick for SoS, is there to grease the wheels among other things.

So, what else is Trump planning?

Caroline Glick in a recent column wrote:

Since 1948 the US has refused to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital  or even as part of Israel. This policy of nonrecognition  embodied by the US refusal to transfer the US Embassy to Jerusalem  has been maintained by a bipartisan consensus despite the fact that for the past 20 years, US law has required the State Department to recognize Jerusalem as Israels capital and move the embassy to Jerusalem. (snip) [H]is senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said Trump is serious about moving the embassy to Jerusalem.

Poof, another sacred cow in the crosshairs.

Trump is also on record as being open to alternatives to the Two-State Solution and even to Israel building in Judea and Samaria. He is obviously prepared to demolish sacred cows.

Last week, I heard Alan Dershowitz in Jerusalem expounding on the US elections and on the President, elect. He said that we can predict with 100% certainty that it (the Trump Administration) is unpredictable. I beg to differ. We know a great deal about the future Trump policies by looking at the background of each appointee. They were for the most part made to order to fulfill his intended policies.

One of the first appointments he made was Gen. Michael Flynn as the National Security Adviser. Flynn believes fervently that radical Islamists and their ideology must be defeated. In fact, he has written a book, Field of Fight, on the subject. Flynn, who doesnt need the Senates consent, got to work immediately.

DEBKA :

According to our sources, a special team is already working on revisions of the accord which the US and five other global powers concluded with Iran in 2015 in the hope of retarding Irans nuclear weapons program by a decade. As new president, Trump will issue Tehran with a unilateral demand to accept those revisions as pre-condition for the continuation of relations between the US and Iran. He does not intend consulting Americas co-signers, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, or asking them for their endorsement of the revamped accord. The teams preparing the Trump administrations Iran policy were put in place last week by Tillerson and designated national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn.

My main takeaway from this is that Trump plays hardball. He is demanding the Iran accept the revised deal or he will sever relations.

He didnt have to be so aggressive with Canada or Mexico, both of whom have agreed to renegotiate NAFTA for fear of Trump cancelling NAFTA.

The Palestinian Authority doesnt know it yet but it may soon get an ultimatum. Stop the incitement, stop appeals to international bodies and come to the negotiating table ready for painful concessions, or, the PA will be replaced. I dont have inside information on this. It is purely conjecture. But I believe such an ultimatum would be in line with what Trump wants to achieve and with his negotiating style. If the PA refuses, The US and Israel will decide between themselves.

Dershowitz also showed preference to the Gulf States suggesting that we dont want to alienate them by the deal we push. Why so? Obama didnt think twice about throwing them under the bus when he made the Iran Deal. And they still come running. In fact, the Gulf States need the US more. Similarly, in pushing for a solution to the PA/Israel conflict Trump should not take them into account. They will still need the US and Israel to deal with Iran.

Trump, in pursuance of energy independence, wants to enable the exploitation of all Americas energy resources including coal and shale. Thus, he has to dismantle or weaken considerably many of the regulations of the EPA and. With this in mind he has appointed Scott Pruitt to head the EPA. What recommended Pruitt for the job is the fact that as AG of Oklahoma he has been fighting the EPA for years. What better man to dismantle it?

Gaining energy independence is a major part of Trumps foreign policy and thats where Tillerson comes in handy. Trump wants to replace Saudi Arabia as the worlds chief supplier of energy. He also sees that Iran wants to become a rival in this role now that it has the money to develop its own resources, courtesy of Obama, and it also has control of Iraqs resources, also courtesy of Obama. Trump will not permit this to happen.

Russia is entirely dependent on the price of oil. She is under great economic pressure now due to western sanctions for her Ukraine adventures, the low price of oil and the cost of the Syrian war. Thus, Russia will be more amenable to Trumps demands. Perhaps Trump will get Russia to throw Iran under the bus. He could offer them Alawite Syria and Crimea, for instance.

Trumps New World Order is only beginning to take shape, but we can be relative safe in assuming it will be built on to mottos of President Ronald Reagan. Peace through strength and We win; they lose.
On December 15, 2016, Hillary Clinton, meeting with her donors in New York City, blamed her loss on the Russians and James Comeys letter eleven (11) days before the election to re-open the email investigation.

She parroted the Obama/Democratic Party/MSM talking points that the Russians interfered with our election to help Trump by saying:

"This is not just an attack on me and my campaign, although that may have added fuel to it. This is an attack against our country. We are well beyond normal political concerns here. This is about the integrity of our democracy and the security of our nation."

Hillary, Obama, and the Democrats view the release of the Podesta and DNC emails as an attack on our country. The truth is that if she and Obama had not lied, and if she had not sold access to the State Department, then there would have been nothing to hack and release. The release of the emails is an attack on Hillary for her lying and corruption. It is not an attack on our country. It benefitted our country that we had the documentation of Hillarys lying and corruption.

Hillary is following the lead of Harry Reid who said the hacking and release of the emails is the same as the September 11, 2001 attack.

This is now the Democratic Party line: the hacking and release of the emails is an attack on the United State. Hillary, Obama, and the Dems/MSM do not dispute the veracity and accuracy of the contents of the emails. They contend that it is an attack on the United States to reveal that Hillary lied, Obama lied when he said he did not know about Hillarys use of a private email server until he heard about it on the TV news, that Hillary sold access to the State Department, and that her staff mocked Catholics. Revealing the truth is now considered by Obama and Hillary to be an attack on our country

This coordinated attack by Hillary/Obama on the elections is occurring immediately before the December 19, 2016 date when the Electoral College electors meet to vote for the Presidency. Trump has won the states with 306 EC votes. Various groups are trying to persuade at least 37 EC electors from the states that Trump won to not vote for Trump so he does not get a majority of the votes cast.

These groups, aided by the inflammatory rhetoric of Obama and Hillary, are trying to nullify the election results. They want to convince enough electors to vote for Hillary or someone else to lower Trumps EC vote to less than a majority of the EC votes cast or a tie with Hillary that would throw the election to the House. Or, to give Hillary majority of the votes cast to win the Presidency. If it goes to the House Trump will win, but this will delay implementation of the Trump agenda and weaken his presidency, which is the goal of the Democrats.

This will not happen, yet Obama and Hillary are fueling this move with their irresponsible attacks to question the validity of the election and undermine the Trump presidency.

Hillary lost but she refuses to go silently into the night. She blames Comey and the Russians for her loss. Trump was gracious in victory by saying he did not want to hurt Hillary, implying he does not want to prosecute her. Hillary did not accept this peace offering. Instead she is the old Hillary, a lying power hungry political hack. She feels confident and emboldened because Trump implied he will not prosecute her.

She deserves to be prosecuted for her breach of national security and selling access to the State Department. It is beyond hypocrisy for her to complain that the Russians, or the Martians, hacked Podestas and the DNC emails that caused her to lose the election. She endangered the security of our country by using a private email server that even Comey said could be hacked by hostile actors.

The Trump Justice Department should appoint a Special Prosecutor to do justice once and for all to Hillary.

Obama is finished but continues to divide the country, as he has done for the past eight years, before he left for his last taxpayer-funded vacation in Hawaii.
Writing in The Manhattan Contrarian, Francis Merton predicts how the global warming thesis, still unable to account for a twenty year pause in its predicted temperature rise, will crumble, thanks to Donald Trump becoming president. Here are some of the most important points, but read the whole thing:

Among members of the environmental movement, when their heads stop exploding, there are plenty of predictions that this will be terrible for the United States: international ostracism, loss (to China!) of "leadership" in international climate matters, and, domestically, endless litigation battles stalling attempts to rescind or roll back regulations. I see it differently. I predict a high likelihood of substantial collapse of the global warming movement, both domestically and internationally, over the course of the next couple of years. Start with the EPA. To the extent that the global warming movement has anything to do with "science," EPA is supposedly where that science is vetted and approved on behalf of the public before being turned into policy. In fact, under Obama, EPA's principal role on the "science" has been to prevent and stifle any debate or challenge to global warming orthodoxy. For example, when a major new Research Report came out back in September claiming to completely invalidate all of the bases on which EPA claims that CO2 is a danger to human health and welfare, and thus to undermine EPA's authority to regulate the gas under the Clean Air Act, EPA simply failed to respond. In the same vein, essentially all prominent global warming alarmists refuse to debate anyone who challenges any aspect of their orthodoxy. Well, that has worked as long as they and their allies have controlled all of the agencies and all of the money. Now, it will suddenly be put up or shut up.

There could be a lot of interesting spectacles headed their (and our) way:

Now the backers of the global warming alarm will not only be called upon to debate, but will face the likelihood of being called before a highly skeptical if not hostile EPA to answer all of the hard questions that they have avoided answering for the last eight years. Questions like: Why are recorded temperatures, particularly from satellites and weather balloons, so much lower than the alarmist models had predicted? How do you explain an almost-20-year "pause" in increasing temperatures even as CO2 emissions have accelerated? What are the details of the adjustments to the surface temperature record that have somehow reduced recorded temperatures from the 1930s and 40s, and thereby enabled continued claims of "warmest year ever" when raw temperature data show warmer years 70 and 80 years ago? Suddenly, the usual hand-waving ("the science is settled") is not going to be good enough any more. What now?

And then there is the matter of the precious international community.

people like Isabel Hilton predict a combination of ostracism and "loss of leadership" of the issue, most likely to China. Here's my prediction: As soon as the United States stops parroting the global warming line, the other countries will quickly start backing away from it as well. This is "The Emperor's New Clothes," with the U.S. in the role of the little kid who is the only one willing to say the obvious truth in the face of mass hysteria. Countries like Britain and Australia have already more or less quietly started the retreat from insanity. In Germany the obsession with wind and solar (solar -- in the cloudiest country in the world!) has already gotten average consumer electric rates up to close to triple the cost in U.S. states that embrace fossil fuels. How long will they be willing to continue that self-destruction after the U.S. says it is not going along? And I love the business about ceding "leadership" to China. China's so-called "commitment" in the recent Paris accord is not to reduce carbon emissions at all, but rather only to build as many coal plants as they want for the next fourteen years and then cease increasing emissions after 2030! At which point, of course, they reserve their right to change their mind. Who exactly is going to embrace that "leadership" and increase their consumers' cost of electricity by triple or so starting right now? I mean, the Europeans are stupid, but are they that stupid?

This sounds awfully plausible. Instapundits Glenn Reynolds calls a sudden collapse of a public opinion a preference cascade. In my view, global warming is overdue for a preference cascade that will shock people in its rapidity.
Over this weekend, as the Electoral College heads toward its decision on Monday, there are numerous articles on the Web saying that Trump is going to find Washington difficult. That it is not like the campaign. That he will have to deal with a hostile Congress  both houses, and both parties. That he does not have a strong base with the Republicans in Congress. There may even be a strategy afoot to impeach him not long into his term, as there are enough votes on both sides of the aisle to do it

Hmmm

President-elect Trumps policies, to the extent he needs Congressional support or approval  and he will on most of them  are not going to be decided in Committee or in intense backdoor negotiations, or to accommodate some recalcitrant power-broker.

Trumps policies are going to be decided in public. Trump is like the American Army entering Iraq. The defenders have no idea what is happening.

In Europe -- the European Theater of Operations -- in World War II individual soldiers were frequently interviewed spontaneously for all the reasons you can imagine. The reporter was looking for color. When the soldier was asked what unit was in, he usually gave his regiment, sometimes his division. But if he was in the Third Army, his response would be Im with Patton.

When someone looks to be standing in his way, we are going to get some variant of Trump announcing -- and then holding one of his rallies in the miscreants hometown, featuring a primary opponent, if any. The theme of Trumps speech will be a review of what he wants for America; how he and the people at the rally are going to Make America Great Again. But there is just one problem. The fellow in question  congressman or senator  is standing in the road, is trying to stop the rebirth of Americas greatness and, for America to be back, the person in question has to be gone  whether that means a recall, or refers to the next election.

Trump only has to do this a few times, probably only once, maybe even only threaten to do it once, to bring everybody to heel. And you know the worst thing for the oppo? This is not a trial for Trump. He loves doing it! By this time next year, one year into Trumps term and the starting gun for the 2018 election, there will be reporters stopping Congresspeople for spontaneous interviews.

Where are you on this issue, Congressman (of either party)?

Im with Trump.
The consequences of President Barack Obamas abandonment of a hard-won victory in Iraq and wimping out on his infamous red line in Syria will bedevil the United States when President-elect Trump takes office. Al Arabiya reports:

The leaders of Irans Revolutionary Guards launched provocative statements against the Gulf states threatening to intervene in Bahrain and Yemen.

The comments were reported by Iranian media after what they described as a victory in Aleppo, upon the massacres, starvation and displacement against civilians. Aleppo was considered as one of the strongholds of the opposition; however, the Syrian regime took a hold of it with the help and support of Iranian and Russian military troops.

In this context, the deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami told the official Iranian news agency Islamic Republic News Agency that The victory in Aleppo will pave the way for liberating Bahrain, pointing out that Iran has an expansion project that will extend to Bahrain, Yemen and Mosul after the fall of the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Salami said that the people of Bahrain will achieve their wishes, the Yemeni people will be delighted, and the residents of Mosul will taste victory, these are all divine promises, as he put it.

He also pointed out that Iran is still providing unlimited support for the Houthi group, highlighting that Iranian missile could destroy the enemy targets in any area.

Salami described the control of the Syrian regime forces on the Syrian city of Aleppo, which have claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians as a conquest.

The comments of the spokesman for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Ramadan Sharif reveal the intentions of Tehran to expand geographically through bloody wars and military interventions in the Arab World.
In a story worthy of a Star Trek episode, five Pakistani girls were murdered for the crime of dancing with a boy, and then, when authorities came to investigate, they found the Pakistanis replaced with duplicates. It didn't take a tricorder to figure out that while these were not robots or shapeshifters, neither were these the same girls, but rather close relatives of the murdered girls.

It was just a few seconds, a video clip of several young women laughing and clapping to music, dressed for a party or a wedding in orange headscarves and robes with floral patterns. Then a few more seconds of a young man dancing alone, apparently in the same room.

The cellphone video was made six years ago, in a village deep in Kohistan, a rugged area of northwest Pakistan. It was the last time the young women, known only as Bazeegha, Sareen Jan, Begum Jan, Amina and Shaheen, have ever been definitively seen alive.

According to court filings and interviews with people who investigated it, the families confined the girls for weeks, threw boiling water and hot coals on them, then killed them and buried them somewhere in the Kohistan hills.

Later, when investigators appeared, relatives and community leaders insisted that the girls were still alive and produced a second set of similar-looking girls to prove it.

The head of the local jirga, a Muslim cleric, allegedly issued a religious decree ordering the five girls to be killed for dishonoring their tribe, along with the boy seen dancing and every member of his family. There was no resistance from the community. After the girls were disposed of, several brothers of the boy were also caught and killed.

But two of the girls they produced were much younger than the victims, according to their official birth dates. A third could not be identified because both thumbs had been burned; her parents insisted that it was from a cooking accident. He concluded that at least two girls did not match the ones in the video and that the others were probably also imposters.
Democrats are creating a big brouhaha over the possibility that Russia tried to influence the American presidential election by leaking information to WikiLeaks. The argument is that it wasn't a fair election if a foreign power influenced it.

That is true only if the foreign power deceived American voters. If the information was true, then that foreign power did us a favor in informing our voters. The better informed our voters, the fairer the election.

Catholics and Evangelicals who were considering voting for Hillary could make a decision that was more in their own interest once they knew that her campaign advisers and liberal allies mocked them. Likewise, Southerners, Latinos, and other victims of Clinton campaign vitriol were better off knowing the true attitude of members of the Clinton campaign toward them. The email revelations exposing corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the unethical tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders are revelations that helped voters make informed choices.

The Democrats would have us believe that the blame lies with the Russians, but the Russians are not to blame for the corruption of the Democrats. The Democrats are.

Democrat outrage that an outside country may have influenced the recent American election is hypocritical when one considers the steps Obama's and Hillary's State Department took to influence the Israeli election against Netanyahu, including supporting an Organizing for America-type campaign with digital ads, billboards, and phone calls.

Democrat hypocrisy becomes even more apparent when one remembers Mr. Obama's admission to Russian president Dmitri Medvedev that he'd be more flexible in meeting Russian demands after the 2012 American election. Obama was willing to withhold information about his plans to make concessions to Russia from the American people in order to get elected. An American president hiding the truth from the American people in order to sway an election is much worse than a foreign leader revealing the truth to the American people.

The hypocrisy of the Democrats becomes even more blatant when one considers how they blocked voter ID so that foreigners present illegally in the United States could influence the elections. Even more outrageous is the death threats by Democrats that have been leveled at members of the electoral college in order to intimidate them into voting against Trump.

Far more serious than the possibility that the Russians influenced the American elections is the probability that the CIA is trying to undermine the American elections by convincing the electoral college to vote against Trump. When federal lawmakers demanded that the CIA provide proof of the Russian hacking allegations, the CIA refused to show up to provide congressional testimony. This has led to suspicion that the CIA may be trying to manipulate the electoral vote. Representative Devin Nunes said, "It is unacceptable that the intelligence community directors would not fulfill the House Intelligence Committee's request to be briefed tomorrow on the cyber-attacks that occurred during the presidential campaign."

"The Committee is deeply concerned that intransigence in sharing intelligence with Congress can enable the manipulation of intelligence for political purposes."

Representative Peter King arrived at the same conclusion and said the behavior of the intelligence agencies was "absolutely disgraceful." Furthermore:

There is no consensus opinion, and yet we find it in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and yet the House Committee on Intelligence was told nothing about this. This violates all protocols, and it's almost as if people in the intelligence community are carrying out a disinformation campaign against the president-elect of the United States.

The probability that the CIA is trying to sway the electoral college is increased by the fact that the CIA director, John Brennan, has a history of lying as well as the motivation to prevent Donald Trump from becoming president. Mr. Brennan has lied in the past about collateral damage of U.S. drones and was involved in creating the false talking points used by Susan Rice about the Benghazi debacle.

Brennan's motivation becomes clear when one considers that he opposes Donald Trump on key issues. Trump has made clear that he wants to end the disastrous deal Obama made with Iran. Brennan has said that ending the Iran deal would be "disastrous" and the "height of folly." Trump is not against waterboarding and more extreme measures for dealing with terrorists, while Brennan is. Trump is against jihadis coming to America; Brennan says "jihad" means "to purify oneself or to wage a holy struggle for a moral goal."

It is quite possible that in the future, Brennan will release more "intelligence" to prevent Trump from becoming president and carrying out policies he believes are disastrous. It is important that the electoral college treat Brennan's intelligence with a grain of salt.
One needs an appreciation of the collection and analysis process that precedes a public announcement of a critical intelligence assessment, such as the recent charge by the CIA director that Russia interfered with our election and did so solely to get Donald Trump elected. The fact that Russia also hacked the Republican National Committee is quickly brushed away as an inconvenient fact that doesn't fit the Democratic narrative. To follow their tangled thinking, which grasps at any theory that might halt the ratification of the election by electors, Russia's theft and leaking of documents showing the machinations by Clinton, Podesta, and others in their party to undercut Bernie Sanders  Clinton's more likable party rival  and their schemes to vilify Trump voters prove that Putin was on Trump's side and stole the election for him. It's a theory supported by no evidence and no facts.

To accept the veracity of CIA's announcement, especially with the outgoing Democratic president issuing an all-for-show public warning to Moscow that it could face retaliation (another of his meaningless red lines), one has to realize we are still in a moment of grand national theater when the outcome of the election  in the minds of Democrats  is still in play. To them, the votes of the College of Electors could be swayed to halt the process, delay it for weeks or months, or render the election won by Clinton if enough electors change their votes. To get them to do so, advertisements have appeared in major newspapers and on websites appealing to "conscience," urging electors to ignore their sworn missions. These are the electors sworn to cast votes that concur with the majority of voters they represent in their states. This last-minute Democratic connivance is being bolstered by the quickly crafted NIE  National Intelligence Estimate  with all players working from the same script, seeking to cast doubt on the election outcome and to override the votes of half of the American electorate.

Regrettably, the public might not recall earlier intelligence estimates that not only were wrong, but had terribly damaging consequences. And this one would, since it would trigger a constitutional crisis. Some of those, like today's, advanced by CIA's always liberal analytic branch and embraced by a chastened, brought to heel FBI, is naked politics at its most shameless, driven by liberal smugness and absence of objectivity, all claims to the contrary. They are counting on Americans  particularly the uneducated "deplorables" who voted for Trump  to be incapable of understanding arcane, technical hacking jargon, which can be used to make them have enough doubt to halt election ratification.

One NIE during the Cuban Missile Crisis assessed that the Soviets would not dare place offensive nuclear missiles in Cuba. Once that was shown to be wrong, and missiles were discovered, a second NIE was trotted out insisting that the Soviets would not dare launch them  also untrue, as later Russian and Cuban conferences have revealed. Another mistaken intelligence estimate occurred when the director of the CIA, claiming that Iraq had WMDs, agreed that Americans would be welcomed as saviors and that the approval of the war by the U.N. was a "slam dunk." The Mideast war this started is still underway today after more than a decade. Those estimates were driven by liberal incomprehension over the capabilities of our adversaries.

The collection and analysis process leading to the latest intelligence assessment is not very different from the classical scientific method, which starts with a logical question, such as "Might the Russian cyber-hacks revealed by WikiLeaks be an attempt to influence our election?" To answer the question, the intelligence analysts determine how cyber-attacks occur, their timing, who was behind the attacks, and why, and if the hackers achieved their objectives because of this. The process is then reiterated with more specific questions based on the initial findings. When the assessment is finally determined accurate and valid, the president may choose to make a public announcement, even a public warning to the perpetrator.

The president and/or the CIA should have provided the president-elect with the necessary technical details and facts the intelligence analysts supposedly used in reaching their conclusions, to avoid any challenges to the assessment. The public also needs to have proof of the cyber-attacks where sources are incontrovertible. The president has the authority to declassify enough information to satisfy any public concerns about the truthfulness of the CIA's and his claims, yet we are getting the usual "national security" smokescreen they used with the claims of aluminum tubes or yellowcake in earlier assessments, which turned out to instantly fall apart in the light of public scrutiny.

Nothing could be more important to the reputations of the CIA and FBI than to reveal solid, credible information to satisfy the public  and to remove the strong whiff of politics that currently emanates from these recent assessments hiding in the classified shadows.

Gene Poteat is president emeritus of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO).
Reject section 40 and support British values

Communities secretary Sajid Javid says  irony of ironies  we should all pledge an oath to uphold British values. As one tweeter puts it, Since when was an oath of allegiance a #British value?

Javid says the oath could include phrases such as tolerating the views of others even if you disagree with them, as well as believing in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from abuse  a belief in equality, democracy, and the democratic process and respect for the law, even if you think the law is an ass.

The Government doesnt much like those British freedoms. They want to limit free speech and throttle the Press. If you believe in free speech, tell them. And tell these enemies of British values where to stick it.

The British government has opened up a public consultation on the next stage of the Leveson Inquiry. It is asking us two questions. Should the government implement Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013? And should the government go ahead with Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry?

Section 40 incentivises newspapers to sign up to State-approved bodies. Failure to sign up to the official censors means those publications will have to pay the costs of anyone who brings a civil suit, libel or privacy actions against them  even if they win their case.

Is that an incentive to sign up top the Royal Charter-backed press regulator? No. Its blackmail. Join Impress, the Max Mosley-funded press regulator backed by the censorious Hacked Off, or else theyll cut your legs off. Write anything unpleasant against the rich and powerful, and watch your organ whipped like a prostitute and most likely killed off.

You can sign here and tell the Government that guffing on about freedoms of speech means nothing if you dont believe in it.

To Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, My answers to your consultation questions are as follows: Question 1: Which of the following statements do you agree with? Answer: Option (c) Government should ask Parliament to repeal all of section 40 now Section 40 would stifle freedom of the press in the United Kingdom. It would put an undue burden on publications which wish to remain entirely independent. They would be forced to shoulder legal costs of complainants whether or not they are found to be at fault. This would have dire consequences for publications both large and small; making independent publications reticent about reporting important stories for fear of crippling legal costs and bankruptcy. If the press is to be free, the state has no role in regulating what is published. While signing up to a regulatory body is allegedly voluntary the sanctions contained in Section 40 would constitute state coercion of the press. Question 2: Do you have evidence in support of your view, particularly in terms of the impacts on the press industry and claimants? Answer: * Repealing all of section 40 now is a vital and necessary step to protect the freedom of our press and the democracy it safeguards. * With nothing to lose, complainants are more likely to launch legal cases against publications (both large and small) based on the smallest of disagreements. These are issues that can be easily resolved by letters to the editor and/or editor corrections; timely and expensive legal procedure is not necessary. * Increased levels of legal action that will be enabled by section 40 is far more likely to stifle debate in the United Kingdom. It will have drastic effects on the financial situations of small publications, forcing them  and the wider discourse they offer  to close. * Newspapers are public institutions. They hold historic reputations and an ongoing source of political and social engagement. The more we have, the better. * John Whittingdale, the former culture secretary, said imposing the cost penalties outlined in section 40 would result in further losses of jobs and titles in the newspaper industry. Question 3: To what extent will full commencement incentivise publishers to join a recognised self-regulator? Please supply evidence. Answer: Commencement of section 40 would amount to strong arming independent publishers into signing up for outside regulation by threatening them with financial ruin from complainants even if complaints are found to be spurious. Question 4: Do you believe that the terms of reference of Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry have already been covered by Part 1 and the criminal investigations? Answer: Yes, the scope of Leveson Part 1 has already had a chilling effect on the British press, a further inquiry would compound this. Putting the entire British press on trial for the wrongdoing of a small number of journalists is unjust. Where the law has been broken by journalists, criminal investigation into the individuals involved should suffice. Question 5: Provide evidence Answer: * The Press Gazette counts 67 journalists as having been arrested from 2011-2015, more than any country in the Western world in that period. The investigations costing the taxpayer 43.7 million resulted in just 8 convictions for phone hacking (Operation Weeting) and 2 convictions for paying public officials (Operation Elveden). Operation Tuleta into computer hacking returned no convictions. As such the terms of reference of Part 2 have been covered by the criminal investigations which did not find any extensive wrongdoing, despite the vast public resources devoted to them. http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/the-67-uk-journalists-arrested-andor-charged-in-the-course-of-their-jobs-since-2011/ * According to a City partner involved in Leveson Part 1, Part 2 would be ludicrous as re-treading the same ground as the criminal cases would undermine the verdicts. * In the wake of Leveson Part 1 the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) wrote a report expressing concern at the state of UK media freedom. They criticised the conflation of the hacking scandal investigated by Leveson Part 1 with debate over regulation, stressing that British law provides appropriate remedy for illegal activity in proven cases of wrongdoing. Launching Part 2 of the Leveson Enquiry is an unnecessary infringement on the independent role of the law in convicting those  in this particular case, journalists  of any wrongdoing they are accused of committing. Question 6: Which of the two options set out below best represents your views? Answer:  Terminate the Inquiry The Leveson Inquiry has already damaged the freedom of the press in Britain. In the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index, the United Kingdom has fallen 19 places since 2010  we are now ranked below Tonga, Belize and Lithuania. Postscript: The Government should not need a consultation if it is serious about upholding the freedom of the press. For centuries Britain has had a free press, unregulated and unstifled by legislation or Royal Charter. Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 presents a serious threat to that proud record. The impact section 40 could have on smaller publications could be particularly dire. The financial pressure that could be placed on local newspapers would lead to them being strong armed into joining the government selected regulator, or impose a chilling effect on their journalism. That would not be healthy for democracy, and a huge back step for Britain. Going through with Leveson Part 2 would be a waste of taxpayers money, and present barriers to investigative journalism. If the Government is interested in what is best for its citizens, not just itself, it will ignore calls for obstructions to public service journalism. The Government should not commence with section 40 or consider starting Leveson Part 2 if it is on the side of freedom. The only sensible response to this consultation, would be to bin Leveson and scrap section 40.

If you believe in free speech, you dont need to take a poxy oath. You can just sign here.

Paul Sorene

Posted: 18th, December 2016 | In: Key Posts, Politicians, Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
Efforts are underway to preserve a part of Chippewa Falls lumber history that was pulled from the Chippewa River eight years ago.

On Sept. 29, 2008, a boom log washed up against the Chippewa Falls Hydro Plant dam where debris is collected and was discovered by an Xcel Energy employee.

The log is presumed to have been submerged in the river for more than a century at the site of the old Chippewa Lumber and Boom Company Sawmill along the river near Court Street. Also known as the Big Mill, it was at one time the largest mill in the state, operating from 1857-1911.

The boom log was estimated to be at least 170 years old by Arley Engel, vice president of the Chippewa County Historical Society at the time who helped pull the log from the river.

This log would have been used during lumbering days between the 1860s and the early 1900s to either guide logs to the mill or to hold them up until people were ready for them at the mill.

Typically, the logs were long with notches in both ends so they could be chained together with other logs. This one was measured at around 42 feet long.

At one time hundreds of these logs could have been seen coming down the river, said Jim Schuh, current vice president of the Chippewa County Historical Society. He said that Ed Forrester, the representative from Forest History Association of Wisconsin who examined the boom log in June, mentioned it was the only one he has ever seen.

Forrester was able to date the log by the way it was cut. Schuh said the ends of the boom log show it was cut down by an axe, which meant it was cut down before the invention of the raker tooth, a standard tooth on saws today. Before there was raker teeth on the two-man saws lumberers would use, Schuh said the saws would bind up and they would not be able to cut a tree down.

Once they invented this raker blade, then almost everybody started using that right away, Schuh said.

For the last eight years, the boom log had its home in Allen Park in downtown Chippewa Falls, where it was on display. However, Schuh said the area it was in was somewhat shaded and would flood once in awhile, which was contributing to the deterioration of the log.

With the wet weather weve had, the log was starting to get damp and moss was growing on it and we didnt want to deteriorate it because it was so rare, he said. We wanted to find a place where we could put it out of the elements to let it dry out.

Schuh set to work with members of the hydro plants maintenance department to move the log to a drier location. That was done last month. Pat Ahneman, a former tour guide for the historical society, provided a barn eight miles from downtown to store the log.

The historical society is looking into methods to preserve the log and has been discussing the best course of action with representatives of the Forest History Association and the Wisconsin Historical Society.

The long-term goal, Schuh said, is to eventually display the boom log in the Chippewa Area History Center Museum as part of a possible lumbering display. Fundraising is underway for the proposed history museum near the main entrance to Irvine Park.
When he was young, Jordan Pearlman went to a camp in Eagle River and loved it. Years later, he saw an ad for a 224-acre parcel that was for sale in the town of Sampson in Chippewa County.

We jumped on it, my brother and I, Pearlman said.

Eventually, Pearlman took sole ownership of 442 acres and built a 3,000-square-foot log home on the property. We also have a log dog house, he said.

Now, Pearlman wants to sell most of his land to Chippewa County. It would be an attractive piece of property. Besides timber that could be sold, the land thats available to the county has its own lake, 25-acre Foster Lake that is 20 feet deep.

Perhaps most importantly, the land is adjacent to the boundary of the Chippewa County Forest so it would become part of the forest. So if the county bought it, it would open recreation opportunities to hikers, bikers, bird watchers, fishermen and hunters.

The opportunity to acquire this 398 acres from Mr. Pearlman is one of the true natural resource conservation opportunities I have seen in my time as county forest administrator, said county forest leader Mike Dahlby.

Ron Bakken, president of the Chippewa Rod and Gun Club, added: Its a large tract of land, (nearly) 400 acres. The county doesnt get an opportunity to secure that large of a parcel very often.

But its not going to happen, at least for now.

Tax rolls

The matter was taken up by the Chippewa County Land Conservation and Forest Management Committee on Nov. 16. A resolution to hold a special committee meeting on the sale offer failed, not getting a second.

They didnt even bring it up to a vote. For whatever reasons, I have no idea, Pearlman said.

The matter is not on the committees agenda for its Wednesday, Dec. 21 session at 4:30 p.m. in room 302 of the county Courthouse.

I do anticipate that we will agenda this issue down the road, said Supervisor Dean Gullickson, chairman of the committee.

Theres some issues that we need to figure out on land purchases, Gullickson said.

Gullickson said Pearlman is allowing the county more time to consider the sale.

I would much rather sell it to the county rather than to subdivide it or sell pieces out, Pearlman said.

But if the county doesnt buy it: Ill put it back on the market.

The issue isnt the price. The land has been appraised at $835,000, and the property purchase price is $768,000. Dahlby said if the county were to buy the property, it would spend $250,000 and the rest would come from the state stewardship fund.

But if the county was to buy the land, it would be removed from the tax roll. And thats the rub, Gullickson said.

Little compensation

Most of the Pearlman property is in the New Auburn School District, with a smaller portion in the Lake Holcombe School District.

Gullickson said there is a mechanism called Payments in Lieu of Taxes. It kicks in when the state or federal government buys land and takes it off the tax roll. The local governments get money back to help compensate for the loss of the tax money.

Gullickson said one 40 acre lakefront parcel is generating a $20 payment to the town of Cleveland.

Plus, there is no similar program involved when a county buys land and takes it off the tax roll.

Gullickson said towns of Sampson, Cleveland, Birch Creek and Holcombe are the most affected by having land taken off of tax rolls when a government body buys the land.

He said Pearlman has been great to work with, but its an issue that needs to be worked out. The goal is to shore up funding to the towns losing the tax revenue.

Work it out

Bakken doesnt want the county to miss out on the Pearlman property. He spoke during the public comment time allotted by the Chippewa County Board at its Dec. 13 session, urging action.

Bakken noted the committee took no action in part because of the tax roll concerns.

If this is going to be used as a criteria in the future, there will not be any more land added to the county forest, he said.

If the county passes on the land, it could be purchased by a non-profit group. If that happens, it would be taken off the tax roll. Plus, he said, The county loses all revenue from the property, timber revenue.

Plus, if the county bought the Pearlman property it would be adjacent to 180 acres the county would have if the state Department of Natural Resources approves a separate land swap with property owner Leland Christenson  a swap approved by the county in January.

Bakken is urging the county to act. This is such a large parcel of land that would be available to hunt on it, it can be nothing but a positive to county hunters.

Selling land

Dahlby in the past, many members of the Chippewa County Board favored selling excess land, provided the county used the money from the sale to reinvest in other public land.

For example, in 2014, the county 120 acres in the town of Cleveland and used the proceeds to secure a matching grant to buy 120 acres from the Girl Scout camp, Camp Nawakwa.

Dahlby said its been the countys policy that having land with access to lakes is a high priority.

As for Pearlman, hes hoping a deal can be worked out.

To help the process, he is eliminating a fenced-in area for deer. He said tests have been performed on the deer that were in the fenced area and all tests have come back negative for Chronic Wasting Disease.

The lake on the land hes willing to sell to the county a couple of months ago yielded a 37-inch muskie.

And Pearlman said hes offered the county the timber rights for some of the 42 acres he plans on keeping.

But he continues to try to figure out why the committee didnt act to buy the property in November.

They didnt even bring it up to a vote. For whatever reason, I have no idea.


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WASHINGTON  President Barack Obama weighed in on the race to head the Democratic National Committee on Friday, praising Labor Secretary Tom Perez as tireless, wicked smart and extraordinary.

Though he withheld a formal endorsement, Obama made his views fairly clear on which candidate he prefers to take over the helm of the Democratic Partys last bastion of power in Washington. Perez jumped into the contest this week, after weeks of urging by White House aides, who wanted a challenger to early front-runner Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison.

Tom Perez has been, I believe, one of the best secretaries of labor in our history, Obama said, lavishing praise on his Cabinet official at his annual year-end news conference. Obama added, Others who declared are also my friends and are fine people as well.

The race to run the DNC has become a battle for the future of the party, as Democrats agonize over a devastating electoral failure that few strategists and elected officials saw coming.

Though Perez has never served in elected office beyond a Maryland county council, the Dominican-American lawyer was a strong backer of Hillary Clinton and has worked closely with Obama. Ellison has attracted support from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom he backed in the Democratic primary contest, as well as incoming Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York and a list of labor unions.

But hes also attracted controversy. Past remarks about Israel and his defense of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan have drawn rebukes from some Jewish groups and donors.

So far, the contest has remained relatively polite.

Keith agrees that Tom Perez is a great public servant and that the next DNC chair must be able to organize through the grassroots, Ellison spokesman Brent Morrow said in response to the presidents remarks.

South Carolinas party chairman, Jaime Harrison, and the party head in New Hampshire, Ray Buckley, have announced bids, though they havent gotten much traction.

All the candidates are expected to formally woo nearly 450 voting Democratic National Committee members at four regional forums before the official election at the end of February.
Lissa Curtis instructor assaulted her on a plane and in Romania  but the FBI can only prosecute the plane portion. Now, she advocates on behalf of survivors through her ballet, even as that very art triggers her severe PTSD and pushes her to her mental and emotional limits. I feel as though I live with a ticking time bomb inside my chest, Curtis says.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
The drop in retail sales was worse while the footfall at showrooms has dropped dramatically.

The industry had to start getting ready for leapfrogging to BS VI emission norms from 2020 from the current BS IV. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: The Indian auto industry is yet again looking forward to a new year with renewed optimism amid challenges of new regulations after a bumpy ride in 2016.

Despite beginning the year with a bang -- with 108 product launches and unveilings at the biennial Auto Expo in February -- the industry found that its wish for a third consecutive year of growth was not going to be a cruise.

Far from a smooth drive, 2016 turned out to be a journey with major speed breakers and blind corners as the industry became the favourite whipping boy in the fight against pollution.

It bore the brunt of the ban on diesel cars and SUVs with big engines of 2,000 cc and above in Delhi-NCR for eight months, and according to SIAM, this resulted in a loss of Rs 4,000 crore for the industry.

Besides, the industry had to start getting ready for leapfrogging to BS VI emission norms from 2020 from the current BS IV, three years earlier than they had been envisaged.

Not just that, come October 2017, all the new car models will have to pass a mandatory crash test as the government has decided to introduce stringent safety norms. For upgrades of the existing models, the deadline will be from October 2018.

"A lot is expected to happen in 2017 on the regulatory front and with introduction of GST... With so many policy-level developments all through the year, the auto industry is surely expected to face a challenging, yet interesting year," Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers President Vinod K Dasari told PTI.

While he refrained from commenting on the outlook for 2017 stating that "the current situation is a bit difficult" for a forecast, Dasari said: "...with demonetisation, the economy currently is facing a temporary disruption in domestic demand. The situation is likely to continue till March 2017, post which the economy should bounce back to normal."

In 2016, the auto industry saw sales counter ticking for the better part of the year till the sudden announcement of demonetisation that brought sales to a screeching halt.

The blow in November immediately followed a bountiful festive season and made showrooms wear a deserted look in the wake of the recall of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"The industry witnessed a degrowth of 5.5 per cent in wholesale sales in November 2016. The drop in retail sales was worse while the footfall at showrooms has dropped dramatically," Dasari said, adding that November 2016 was a difficult month for the whole economy and the auto industry due to demonetisation.

Putting things into perspective, he said total automobile domestic sales in January November 2016 grew by 11.4 per cent compared with the year-ago period. In January October 2016, the industry had grown by 13.1 per cent against the corresponding period a year earlier.

Dasari, however, said: "This situation should be looked against the background of good monsoon and expectations of revival of the rural market after three years. The optimistic outlook continued despite the infrastructure cess introduced on passenger vehicles in the Union Budget by the Finance Minister."

He termed the year 2016 as "quite eventful". The year saw the government mooting a vehicle scrappage policy even as the Delhi government ordered removal of diesel vehicles in Delhi/NCR that are older than 15 years.
New Delhi: Coal imports, which dropped by 16per cent to 14 million tonnes (MT) in November, are likely to decline this month as well due to factors like demonetisation and higher prices in global markets. Import of coal (all types) in November 2016 stood at 14.11 MT (provisional) against 16.87 MT in November 2015, said mjunction services, an online procurement and sales platform floated jointly by SAIL and Tata Steel.

"We expect that the continued firmness in international coal prices in November, which might have impacted overseas deals, coupled with higher availability of domestic coal and severe liquidity crunch due to demonetisation might lead to lower imports in December as well," mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma told PTI.

Varma said a sharp increase in coal prices coupled with restricted availability appears to have impacted November 2016 coal imports as buyers opted to act cautiously, waiting for prices to soften. Of the 14.11 MT coal imported last month, 9.3 MT was non coking coal, followed by coking coal (2.87 MT), pet coke (0.96 MT), anthracite coal (0.16 MT), PCI coal (0.40 MT) and met coke (0.38 MT), mjunction said.

Expressing concern over import of coal despite surplus domestic availability, the government had said in October that Coal India, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production, has set a target to replace about 15 MT of imported coal with indigenous fuel in the next six months.

Helped by a record production by the world's largest coal miner -- Coal India -- the country reduced its import bill of the dry fuel by more than Rs 28,000 crore in the last fiscal.
The actor will next be seen in Greb McLean's 'Jungle'.

Daniel takes great pleasure in pranking his unsuspecting fans as well as strangers. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: Actor Daniel Radcliffe says he likes to shock people by asking them for cigarette lighters because most of them don't expect him to smoke.

The 27-year-old star, who shot to fame as Harry Potter in the 'Harry Potter' franchise, says he has a habit of losing lighters and that is why he always ends up asking for it from strangers, reported Femalefirst.

"I do smoke and I like roll-ups. I get a kick out of asking people for a light - I'm always losing lighters.

"They fumble in their pockets, look up and realise they've committed the crime of giving Harry Potter cancer," he said.
The Bulkley market, located in Surendranagar district, was built in 1905 by Hindustan Salts Ltd, a company engaged in salt manufacturing.

Kutch: Nestled in the dusty alleys of Kharaghoda village in Gujarat, a 111-year-old covered market called the "country's oldest mall" by locals has been catering to the needs of the villagers besides acting as their meeting point.

The Bulkley market, located in Surendranagar district, was built in 1905 by Hindustan Salts Limited, a company engaged in salt manufacturing.

The company was run by the Britishers before Independence and like the market, it had developed the entire village in a planned manner. It had also built a hospital in the area which remains functional to this day.

The small market complex houses 8-10 shops under one roof. The shops are lined neatly along a passageway and the shopkeepers sit on elevated platforms, where they also display their wares.

The market caters to the villagers of Kharghoda, most of whom work in a salt factory nearby. This nucleus of shops stocks items ranging from daily necessities like groceries, vegetables, clothes to bicycle tyres.

The shopping area also serves as a meeting point of the village where the locals gather daily to talk and exchange news. The locals express a sense of pride in the market and most consider it a heritage.

Most shopkeepers have owned the shops in the complex for over 25-30 years and the rest say the shops have been in their families as long as they can remember.

Poonamchand Jain owns a 75-year-old shop in the market.

Jain, who traces his roots to Rajasthan, says, "This shop has been in my family for over 75 years now. We sell almost everything here. It's difficult to run a business in such a poor village but we would never want this market place to shut down as this is our heritage."

Habib Khatri, who owns a tailoring shop, in the market, says, "My forefathers started stitching garments in this small shop and I continue to do what they began. I make clothes for men and boys only as women in the village mostly stitch their own outfits."

Another shopkeeper Mohandas says the shop had always been in his family and most villagers depend on this market to buy items to daily necessities.

The villagers claim that the market has never been renovated. They say the thatching on the rooftop has been replaced over time but its basic structure remains the same as when it was built a century ago.

According to an inscription on the facade of the complex, the market was "named after Mr Bulkley who was for many years assistant collector of salt revenue in-charge of Kharaghoda and interested himself greatly in the welfare of the village".
In the NITs across the country, 3,183 are vacant out of 5,428 positions.

New Delhi: Alarmed by over half the faculty positions lying vacant in the IITs, IIMs and NITs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is understood to have asked the human resource development ministry to fill these up at the earliest.

Sources stated after the Prime Ministers displeasure, the HRD ministry is soon expected to get into an overdrive for filling up these faculty positions on a priority basis.

In another effort to improve faculty position the government has recently reduced the minimum income cut-off for granting work permits to foreigners, clearing the way for central higher education institutions to hire faculty from abroad.

The decision to lower the threshold by over 40 per cent  from more than Rs 16 lakh to Rs 9.1 lakh a year  came at a Cabinet meeting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired on November 30.

Sources stated that Prime Minister is keen that these premier institutes should improve their faculty position immediately so that students are not deprived in any way.

It is understood that over 2,000 faculty positions in the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are lying vacant while over 3,000 positions are to be filled up in the National Institutes of Technology (NITs).

Similarly vacancies at Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) stand at 212. Out of the sanctioned 5,073 faculty positions in IITs, 2,671 are vacant.

In the NITs across the country, 3,183 are vacant out of 5,428 positions. The sanctioned strength in IIMs is 703. It is learnt that due to shortage of faculty, students have to make do with research scholars, contract, adjunct and visiting faculty as their teachers.

It is also learnt that these institutes are expected to make a special efforts to fill all the reserved posts by conducting special recruitment drive through adverstisements. In the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe category (non-faculty) posts in IITs, over 350 are vacant, as against the total capacity of around 1,500.
ED also seized Rs 18 lakh were in new currency notes and 2.5 kg gold from the premises of a tailor in Mohali and Chandigarh.

Surat ( Gujarat ): The Income Tax Department on Saturday raided the premises of city-based tea seller-turned-financier Kishore Bhaijyawala and seized cash worth approximately Rs 400 crores, including cash, bullion, jewellery and property papers from his possession.

The IT search was on on Bhajiyawala's premises by the time of filing this report.
Omar Abdullah urged the Centre to start a comprehensive political dialogue with the both in order to achieve sustainable peace.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that New Delhi ought to change its stance vis-a-vis Kashmir, asserting that the need for dialogue with the stakeholders within the state and Pakistan was unquestionable and crucial. He urged the Centre to start a comprehensive political dialogue with the both in order to achieve sustainable peace.

Speaking at National Conference convention in Kupwara, Mr Abdullah asked New Delhi to change what he said is its rigid stance and adopt a nuanced, humane policy of engagement rather than treating a political issue through law and order mechanisms. He said the PDP-BJP experiment in J&K had turned out to be monumental political failure that had wreaked havoc with peace and stability in the state and had also brought about a complete collapse of the administrative machinery rendering developmental works defunct.

There is absolutely no alternative to political engagement. New Delhi needs to realise that it has to talk to various stakeholders in J&K and also resume the dialogue process with Pakistan if it wants to see normalcy and peace in Kashmir, he said.

When we met the Prime Minister and the home minister during the course of the current unrest, we asked the Centre to initiate a process of political engagement with various stakeholders in the state and also resume dialogue process with Pakistan without any further delay. We asked the Central government to realise that neighbours cannot afford perpetual hostility and peace was the only sustainable option.

Mr Abdullah, working president of the NC, said that he after reminding the government of the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayees efforts and policy viz-a-viz Kashmir asked it to adopt a similar policy of reconciliation and resolution rather than pushing the people of the State into a corner of suffocation and hopelessness.

He said, While National Conference remains committed to its struggle for the restoration of Autonomy, we have always maintained that we will welcome any other solution that is acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as New Delhi and Islamabad. We have our own political ideology and agenda and there is absolutely no change in that. The fact that we passed the autonomy resolution in the Legislative Assembly in 2000 with a two-thirds majority is a testament to our continued struggle for the restoration of autonomy, he said adding. This struggle will continue without any change. Our own proposed solution and agenda aside, we will continue demanding that New Delhi initiates an unconditional political engagement with all other stakeholders, including the Hurriyat leadership in a sincere effort to end the turmoil and bloodshed in Kashmir and find a lasting solution to the political issue.



He asserted that hostility, armed conflict and animosity between India and Pakistan would lead us farther away from a possible resolution and would compound the misery and suffering in Kashmir. He then asked, What have all the wars that have been fought between India and Pakistan achieved? What has the armed turmoil achieved apart from graveyards, misery and pain? He further said, We have lost an entire generation to a political conflict that remains unresolved. This political issue will not be resolved militarily or administratively. The Kashmir Issue needs constructive, imaginative and sincere political handling. Distorting and misrepresenting the ground situation in Kashmir at various fora wont change the ground reality  the problem in Kashmir isnt a derivative of terrorism or black-money but that of an unresolved political dispute.,



He alleged that the PDP-BJP alliance has brought the State to the verge of mayhem and turmoil. The leaders of the two parties tried very hard to sell the PDP-BJP experiment of opportunism as this alleged out-of-box idea to bring the two regions of the State closer together and to help the State in achieving milestones in development, prosperity and growth. All of that has been debunked within the first couple of years of an alliance that has not only widened the gap between regions but also brought development to a complete, unprecedented standstill, the NC leader said.



He added, Thousands of young men are languishing in various jails while thousands have been booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) by Mehbooba Muftis government. We have lost nearly a hundred precious lives in the current unrest and hundreds have been partially or completely robbed of their eyesight. While Mehbooba Mufti spent five months accusing the civilians for the unrest and ridiculed the killed for daring to get killed, she now suddenly admits there was excessive use of force. Why was she silent for five months and why did she suddenly realize there was excessive use of force? Was this Mufti Sahibs vision  to rob our future generation of their eyesight? This Government hasnt left a single stone unturned to torment and humiliate that youth of the State.
Former Indian Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi was on Saturday sent to judicial custody till December 30.

The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have named James Christian Michel in the case involving alleged payment of illegal kickbacks in the deal.

New Delhi: James Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,546-crore VVIP chopper scandal claimed on Saturday that Indian agencies have been putting subtle pressure on him to extract information against the Opposition party, according to a report in the Indian Express.

The CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have named Michel in the case involving alleged payment of illegal kickbacks in the deal. Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him earlier this year. The ED has attached properties owned by Michel in India, but has not been able to question him yet.

Michel could not be fully investigated as he lives in Dubai, and is a British national. His firm, Global Services FZE, was allegedly involved in the transfer of bribe money to accused in India.

In April, the Milan Court of Appeals ruled that Michel was paid Rs 330 crore by AgustaWestland for services including managing the media. On Friday, Italys top court allowed an appeal to the order, which has to be decided within 90 days.

Michel for his part claimed that the Milan court judgment was based on a closed door trial in which evidence was misused.

I am ready to face CBI but I have a few preconditions. I can come to India provided I am not incarcerated and the RCN is withdrawn against me like it has been against Ralph Guido Haschke, Michel was quoted as saying.

Former Indian Air Chief Marshal S P Tyagi was on Saturday sent to judicial custody till December 30 after CBI said he was not required for further custodial interrogation in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar also sent Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan, co-accused in the case related to procurement of 12 VVIP choppers from UK-based firm during the UPA-2 regime, to jail after the probe agency did not seek their further custody.
Lieutenant General Rawat headed 19 Division in J&K.

New Delhi: The new army chief designate Lt General Bipin Rawats wide experience in counter terrorism and insurgency were among the top parameters that qualified him for the top army post, a top defence ministry source told this newspaper on condition of anonymity.

In the current security situation, counter terrorism & counter insurgency are key issues. Therefore the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next COAS, the source said.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his outstanding track record, his familiarity with the functioning of the Army HQ & MoD in his capacity as Vice Chief.

From the Gorkha Regiment, Gen Rawat has also served the III Corps based in Dimapur and as GOC-C Southern Command, Pune.

The government takes the final decision choosing the most suitable officer from a panel of five officers in the rank of army commanders.

All officers in the panel are very competent officers and the most suitable among them is selected. However it must be emphasized that the prerogative of selecting the most eligible is the governments prerogative, the defence ministry source said.

The naming of Lt Gen Rawat as the new army chief on Saturday evening by superceding two of his seniors-Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army commander Lt Gen PM Hariz-has drawn a lot of flak while also developing into a political issue with the Congress and the Left virulently questioning the move.

Another theory gaining ground is the possibility that Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi, who was Gen. Rawats senior, may be in the reckoning to become the Chief of Defence Staff as and when such a post is set up.

Whether they (Gen Bakshi and Gen Hariz) continue or resign is a totally individual and personal decision. Despite being strictly hierarchical, there are any number of cases of seniors serving under juniors. So there shouldnt be any problem in this case too, an Army official said.
The Narendra Modi government has been particularly concerned over demonetisations negative impacts on small businesses and industries.

New Delhi: The government has received Parliaments approval to increase funding to MGNREGA  Indias flagship rural job scheme  by Rs 4,000 crore, a major relief for a large number of demonetisation-hit casual labourers and small-time workers.

Labourers and workers have been forced to move from cities to native villages after the governments move last month to scrap high-value currency sparked a crippling cash crunch and job losses. The government had moved the proposal anticipating a spike in demand for rural jobs.

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA, villagers can enroll for work building roads, digging wells or creating other rural infrastructure and receive the minimum wage for 100 days a year.

After Parliamentary nod last week for the remaining quarter of the current fiscal, the total spend on MGNREGA will go up to Rs 47,000 crore for 2016-17, the highest-ever allocation for the scheme in any financial year since its inception in 2005.

While the move will help generate more jobs, it is also likely to help the BJP-led government at the Centre deal with political rivals ahead of next years Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

The governments November 8 currency replacement move has hit Indias rural economy, prompting an unrelenting Opposition attack and disrupting an almost entire Parliament session.

The Narendra Modi government has been particularly concerned over demonetisations negative impacts on small businesses and industries like gems and jewellery, carpets, bangles, brassware, tobacco and many other sectors as many people involved in them have lost jobs.

The scramble for cash has caused a string of deaths, and long queues have stayed outside low-on-cash banks and ATMs, about five weeks after the Centres demonetisation announcement to fight black money and fake currency.

With the Uttar Pradesh elections round the corner, the ruling NDA may highlight the increased funding for MGNREGA to send a message to the voters that the scheme remains its top priority.

The NDA government will try to aggressively project additional funding for the scheme as a major issue during the election campaign in Uttar Pradesh as the state not only has a large migrant population spread across the country, it is also home to the carpet, bangle and brassware manufacturing hubs of Mirzapur, Firozabad and Moradabad, respectively.

Since MGNREGA envisages jobs to be given on demand to create assets in villages, millions of jobless workforce, which is returning to their native places, will seek work under the scheme, thus leading to a surge in job demands, sources aware of the development, told this newspaper.

The additional fund will help the Union rural development ministry to cope with the expected increase in demand for jobs in rural areas.
Kamal C Chavara, alias Kamalsy Prana, was taken into custody on charges of insulting the national anthem in a Facebook Post.

The case under 124 A (sedition) has been registered against the writer, police said. As per the complaint filed by the Yuva Morcha activists, Kamal had posted some excerpts from his novel "Smasanangulude Nottupusthakam" on Facebook, which they alleged was an insult to the national anthem. (Photo: PTI)

Kozhikode: A Malayalam writer and theatreartist was on Sunday charged with sedition for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem, police said.

Kamal C Chavara, alias Kamalsy Prana, was taken into custody on charges of insulting the national anthem in a Facebook Post. A case was registered against him by police at Karungapally in Kollam a few days ago following a complaint from Yuva Morcha activists.

The case under 124 A (sedition) has been registered against the writer, police said. As per the complaint filed by the Yuva Morcha activists, Kamal had posted some excerpts from his novel "Smasanangulude Nottupusthakam" on Facebook, which they alleged was an insult to the national anthem.

Police said Kamal would be handed over to their counterparts at Karunagapalli. The incident comes close on the heels of the arrest of 12 persons earlier this month for not standing up when the national anthem was being played before the screening of a film at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Supreme Court had recently directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.

The ruling, however, has received mixed reactions from legal experts with a few terming it as "judiciary's over-enthusiasm" and others saying playing it and respecting it won't cause any harm.
Amit Shah says Opposition wanted to sidestep discussion, caused disruptions.

Shahjahanpur: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at the Opposition for opposing demonetisation and accused them of stalling all business in the Winter Session of Parliament just to sidestep discussion on funding of political parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi favoured discussion and change in fund raising process of political parties during the all-party meeting at the beginning of Winter Session and said all elections from Panchayat to Parliament should be held on the same day, Mr Shah said.

But the Opposition did not allow a discussion in the entire Winter Session. They do not have any intention of wiping out black money from politics. Modiji has put forward a view, and I want to appeal to leaders of all Opposition parties that and we should accept discussion on it to bring probity in politics, he said at partys Parivartan rally.

Continuing his attack on parties opposing demonetisation, Mr Shah said only those whose billions have been reduced to trash are feeling the pain after the measure.

Have you seen the faces of Mamata (Banerjee) and Mayawati...Their faces have lost glow, they have started looking 10 years older in a day, he said.

In one stroke by PM Modi, drug dealers, fake currency racketeers, Naxalites and terrorists have been set right, Mr Shah said

Stressing that development of Uttar Pradesh is possible only when BJP is voted to power with a two-thirds majority, Mr Shah termed SP and BSP as family and caste-based parties which cannot work for development of the entire society.

It has been either chacha-bhatija or bua-bhatija who have been harming the states development in the past 15 years, he said, referring to UP SP chief Shivpal Yadav, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati.

Akhilesh was not allowing the benefits of the central schemes to reach the people as it would increase the popularity of central government, Shah claimed.

The benefits of Fasal Bima Yojana could not reach the beneficiaries as there was a tiff for commission between the chahcha and bhatija, he claimed.

Shah said the UP Chief Minister has been talking of an alliance with Congress as it seems he has now realised that defeat is staring him in the face.

Since the past one month Akhilesh Yadav has been talking about alliance. Is he seeing defeat for his party? Even if all the parties come together the people of UP have decided to vote BJP to power in the state, he said. Shah was also particularly critical of Mayawati for her alleged corruption.

Though there is no record set for corruption in the world but if such a record is made Behenjis number will come out top in it, he said.

Referring to the issue of triple talaq, Shah said after the central government clearly stated its views in the Supreme Court against it, the SP, BSP and Congress have all gone silent. Na haan kehte kain na naa.

He also appealed to women voters to question those parties on what they are doing for womens rights and whether they agree on triple talaq or not when they come seeking votes.

Should Mulsim women get their rights or not? Modi has worked towards securing the rights of women in the country, he asserted.
The slugfest comes at a time when the Opposition is bitterly opposed to the governments demonetisation move.

The NDA government on Saturday appointed Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the next chief of the Indian Army. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawats appointment as Indias new Army Chief ahead of two more senior officers sparked a fierce political row between a section of the Opposition and the government on Sunday. The Congress and the Left asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the compelling reasons, while the government said it followed standard norms and did not require the permission of 10, Janpath (Congress chiefs residence) for the same.

The BJP also hit back, saying issues related to the defence forces should not be politicised. The slugfest comes at a time when the Opposition is bitterly opposed to the governments demonetisation move, disrupting an almost entire Parliament session.

In a rare decision for the Army which follows seniority in appointments, the new chief was handpicked for the top job over two senior officers  Eastern Army commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz. In 1983, General A.S. Vaidya was made the 13th Army Chief overlooking the seniority of Lt. Gen. S.K. Sinha.

Congress leader Manish Tewari said while Lt. Gen. Rawat may perhaps have all the requisite credentials but the fact remains that in a hierarchy-conscious organisation where the principle of seniority is almost sacrosanct, the supersession of senior officers raises extremely serious and critical questions of institutional integrity.

Why does the Army have to go through unnecessary bloodletting at the top  is it whimsical cherry-picking? The Prime Minister himself should spell out the compelling reasons behind this supersession, he said.

CPIs D. Raja said appointments in the Army have become controversial.  all top-level appointments are becoming very controversial. This is very unfortunate, not in the interest of democracy and the country, he said.

Currently, the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Rawat is a counterinsurgency specialist and has LoC and China border experiences. He will take over from General Dalbir Singh Suhag as the head of the 1.3 million strong force on December. 31. The government also announced on Saturday its new Air Force chief, besides heads of its external and internal intelligence agencies.

Congress leader Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted that Mr Modi did not want Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz, who he claimed would have been the first Muslim to head the Army after Lt. Gen. Bakshi. Some reports said that the government might create a post of the Chief of Defence Staff and Gen. Bakshi may be named Indias first CDS.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi lambasted the Congress, saying the government followed standards norms and does not require the permission of 10, Janpath (Congress chiefs residence) for the same. I think till now the Congress is not able to understand that they have lost power at the Centre, he said.

The BJP said that by politicising the appointment, parties are showing their frustration following successive electoral defeats. The government appoints people based on what it considers to be the most appropriate choice, BJP spokesman G.V.L. Narasimha Rao said.

The BJP said the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Lt. Gen. Rawats appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

BJPs Shrikant Sharma said the Congress was showing its frustration after it has been pushed to the margins of national politics.

On Saturday, the government also named Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of the IAF, besides appointing IPS officer Rajiv Jain as the new chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Anil Dhasmana as the new head of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), Indias external intelligence agency.
Asking UP government to cooperate in efforts to transport currency notes across the state from its capital Lucknow.

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday warned the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) of election-bound state of Uttar Pradesh of serious consequences if it uses official machinery to incite violence as people wait in queues outside banks and ATMs.

Accusing the ruling SP of conspiring to incite violence, the BJP alleged that it wants the Central governments ambitious demonetisation exercise to fail ahead of the Assembly elections. Asking UP government to cooperate in efforts to transport currency notes across the state from its capital Lucknow, the BJP warned of serious consequences if it uses official machinery, including the police, to spark violence.

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said people across the country, including UP, have supported demonetisation despite facing hardships, as it has dealt a blow to black money, corruption and fake currency.

The party claimed that things are slowing improving, queues are getting shorter as more currency notes are being pumped into the financial system.

Difficulty remains in some places but people are supporting the central government. The SP government is looking to incite violence using police ....Demonetisation is not against a political party and we expect the Akhilesh Yadav government to not incite people into violence by using police. If it does anything of this sort, then it will have to pay serious consequences, said Mr Sharma.

The BJP, which has been out of power in this politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh for more than 14 years, has been getting negative feedback from the ground on the demonetisation issue as the hardship due to cash crunch continues.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a 50-day period for the difficulties faced by the people to be over and things will pan out accordingly.
The actual levels of nicotine vary anywhere from 75 per cent less to three times higher than the amount stated on packaging

New York: Hookah tobacco products have labels that are misleading and perpetuate a false impression of safety, a new study has found. Hookahs are water pipes that are used to smoke specially-made tobacco, which comes in many different flavours.

Researchers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute and University at Buffalo (UB) in the US examined the nicotine content and pH levels of 140 different packages of 12 brands

of foreign-made and US made water pipe tobacco. While many users think it is less harmful, hookah smoking has many of the same health risks as cigarette smoking. Hookah use is hazardous and addictive, use of these products has increased among adolescents.

For the new study, researchers examined the nicotine content and pH levels of 140 different packages of 12 brands of foreign-made and US made water pipe tobacco.

The products examined were analysed in three groups corresponding to three types of hookah tobacco: unwashed, washed or herbal. They found that the nicotine levels in washed products were 236 per cent higher, overall, than the product labels claimed. Levels in unwashed products were 71 per cent lower than what the labels indicated, while herbal products were found to have nicotine levels consistent with product labelling.

Evaluation of pH levels, which were found to vary significantly among unwashed, washed and herbal products, is important, because higher pH levels allow nicotine to be absorbed more easily and quickly into the bloodstream, researchers said. "The nicotine content of water pipe tobacco is highly variable, much more so than we see with other tobacco

products," said Mark Travers from Roswell Park Cancer Institute. "In this study, we found that many of the labels were erroneous, with actual levels of nicotine varying anywhere

from 75 per cent less to three times higher than the amount stated on packaging," said Travers.

"This study provides a valuable assessment of the nicotine content and pH levels across a variety of waterpipe tobacco products," said Gary Giovino, professor at UB. "There is a need for standardised testing of waterpipe tobacco products, accurate constituent labelling and health warnings," Giovino said. "Misleading packaging and labelling provides hookah users with erroneous information and perpetuates a false impression of safety," said Jessica Kulak from UB. The study appears in the journal Tobacco Regulatory Science.
Pai is a perfect example of a typical Thai village which is now seeing increasing tourist footfall.

Bangkok and Pattaya are destinations that Indians visit a lot but if you spend enough time in the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, you cant miss people raving about Pai. Situated amid the hills of northern Thailand, Pai is a perfect example of a typical Thai village which is now seeing increasing tourist footfall.

While hopping onto a mini bus from Chiang Mai bus station is an option for many tourists, I would suggest riding to Pai by renting a motorbike. Motorbike rentals are scattered all around the town and you can get one for about 250 THB  or Rs 500 a day. Its what you probably pay to rent a two-wheeler in Goa.

As soon as you weave your way off the traffic of Chiang Mai, youll understand why so many recommended you to visit Pai. Youll also understand why the joy of riding trumps a stiff bus ride. Highway 1095 that connects Chiang Mai to Pai is a drive through a breathtaking view of rolling mountain ranges, coffee plantations, tropical forests, and paddy fields. The density of rice fields increases as you get closer to Pai.

Beware, however, as the road to Pai is treacherous. Extreme caution is advised. The 130-kilometre stretch is laced with steep climbs and slopes, back-breaking roads and 762 hairpin bends. No wonder riders wear bruises and bandages as a mark of pride and claim the Pai ride as a bragging ride. Besides, Pais markets sell tea coasters, fridge magnets, laptop stickers and t-shirts which help you further to boast about your trip.

During the 4-6 hour ride, you can stop by one of the many quaint coffee shops to drain away weariness and refill your batteries.

Here are some tips if you decide to ride Route 1095:

Do a thorough check-up of the bikes you rent.

Make sure everything is working fine including brakes, engine, lights and horns.

Make sure to fill up.

The tank tends to empty faster once youve covered half of it. You dont want to get stranded!

A GPS can be incredibly helpful.

If youre going far off the beaten path, its essential.

If youre an inexperienced rider, start somewhere rural.

Overall, if you have a chance to explore Pai by motorbike, do it.

The experience is nothing short of magical.

In September 2011, Venkat went on a solo trip to Ladakh after which he quit his job to devote nearly all his time for travelling and exploring.
Over two dozen shanties close to railway tracks in Patipukur destroyed after LPG cylinder blast.

Kolkata: A teenage girl, who was preparing for the Madhyamik examinations, and her uncle were burnt to death and hundreds were left homeless in a devastating fire that gutted over two dozen shanties close to the railway tracks at Subhas Colony area in Patipukur, early on Saturday.

The victims were identified as Priya Adhikary (15) and her uncle, Nimai Adhikary (25). At around 2.30 am, the fire broke out at a hut in Mathpara bustee on Belgachhia Road near Patipukur fish market. Local residents claimed they heard a deafening sound following an explosion of an LPG cylinder in the slum.

With his hut on fire, Priyas father Dilip Adhikary rushed out of his room and screamed for help to rescue his daughter and brother who were trapped inside. Dilip said, My wife and younger daughter came out with me. But the smoke was so dense that my elder daughter and younger brother failed to come out.

The situation aggravated as the flames spread and engulfed other huts, prompting the other slum-dwellers to flee.

Later, 17 fire engines were pressed into service to bring the fire under control. With the flames posing a threat, train services were suspended.

Priya and Nimai were brought out from two adjoining rooms by the fire brigade personnel. They suffered severe burn injuries. They were declared dead on arrival at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital. The bodies were sent for post-mortem.

Reportedly, three other slum-dwellers were also injured in the fire. They are undergoing treatment at the hospital. The situation was brought under control by 4.45 am.

Additional commissioner of police (headquarters) Supratim Sarkar said that both bound circular train services stayed suspended from 3.25 am to 5.40 am.

A Class X student of Shilpakala Shiksha Mandir school in Paikpara, Priya was good at studies. She stood second in the tests held before the Madhyamik exams, according to her family who has been living in the slum for the past 30 years. Even on Friday night, Priya went to sleep late after finishing studies.

In the morning, local Trinamul Congress councillor Santanu Basu visited the fire-ravaged bustee. He said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee were monitoring the situation.

Mr Basu said, The Mayor has assured that rehabilitation and other facilities would be provided to the affected who have been lodged in two schools in the locality.

Within a few hours of the first, another fire broke out at a hosiery factory in Burtolla. At around 6.15 am, dark smoke started billowing out of the factory at Fakir Chandra Chakraborty Lane. Many local residents fled for cover. Six fire tenders were pressed into service. The blaze was doused at around 8.40 am. No one was injured.

Earlier, a minor fire broke out at an IT firm office in Sector V of Salt Lake. But it was doused within an hour by the fire brigade. No one was injured in the incident.
Minister says unemployed youth can set up shops in residential buildings.

Kolkata: The state Assembly on Saturday passed a bill extending the rules and laws of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to other municipal corporations across the state. Interestingly, the West Bengal Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill allows a list of permissible category of business activities of non-residential nature in residential buildings.

While tabling the bill in the Assembly, state municipal affairs and urban development minister Firhad Hakim said unemployed youth could now set up shop in the premises of their residential buildings.

The business activity needs to be need-based, he said. The particular corporation under which the residential building comes would provide license for running the shop.

Mr Hakim said, At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to lure people to the shopping malls following demonetisation, our government is encouraging people to set up shops in localities to eke out a living.

The bill empowers the municipal bodies to set up fast-track tribunals to tackle assessment disputes quickly, constitute building committees on its own with approval from the government, apply online for approval of building plans and exemption from property tax on waterbodies, provided these are preserved by the owner to maintain ecological balance, and allow trade or business along major roads.

Discussing the bill in the Assembly, Sabyasachi Dutta, Trinamul Congress MLA and mayor of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation, said meat and fish shops should not be allowed in residential buildings in Salt Lake area as it was a smart city.

Ashok Bhattacharya, CPI-M MLA and mayor of Siliguri municipal corporation, alleged the members of the Opposition-led corporations were being discriminated in fund allotment.
FDA officials said that the campaign will educate people and vendors about the dangers of wrapping edibles in paper.

The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India had issued an advisory not to use newspapers for wrapping edibles.

Mumbai: Following the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) advisory not to use newspapers for wrapping edibles, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials will soon launch a campaign to spread awareness about the same. FDA officials said that the campaign will educate people and vendors about the dangers of wrapping edibles in paper.

In Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, FDA officials have already started campaigning to educate people not to use newspaper for wrapping food items however Maharashtra is yet to join the fray. FDA commissioner Harshdeep Kamble told The Asian Age, I have informed all my officers to take cognisance of this and informed all vendors and shops who are selling food items and using newspaper for wrapping.

Dr Dhairyasheel Sawant, cancer expert, Asian Cancer Institute, said, Till now, I have not encountered such cases but then too, it is harmful since the ink can be dangerous if consumed and most food items wrapped in newspapers are oily.

The FSSAI advisory read, Newspapers are widely used as absorbent paper in small hotels, by vendors, and in homes. But the printing ink contains multiple bioactive materials (including harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives) which can cause negative health effects. Newspapers should not be used to wrap food or absorb excess oil from fried food. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness amongst businesses, especially in the unorganised sector, the advisory further read.
Alleged corruption in BMC might become an issue between Shiv Sena and BJP while forging an alliance for the coming polls.

Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday clearly hinted at the upper hand of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while joining hands with Shiv Sena for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls scheduled next year.

Lamenting about corruption in the BMC in last few years, the CM said that BJPs emphasis is on transparent work. He even said Sena should consider BJPs increased strength while talking about the alliance.

Alleged corruption in BMC might become an issue between Sena and BJP while forging an alliance for the coming polls. Talking to journalists, Mr Fadnavis expressed concern about the corruption in the local body and wastage of funds. Referring to BJPs increased strength in numbers in Mumbai post the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in 2014, he said, One thing should be understood, that BJPs strength has been increased. Our emphasis is on clean and transparent functioning. In the last few months, corruption charges are made against BMC, which needs to be clarified.

The Shiv Sena, which is ruling BMC, has faced corruption allegations in nullah cleaning and road construction.

Giving an example of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the body run by the CM, Mr Fadnavis said the authority was doing lot of work for the city with meagre funds.

The MMRDA has a budget of only Rs 5,000 crore but it is working on projects worth RS 70,000 crore. The BMC has a much bigger budget than the MMRDA to improve the citys infrastructure. But the BMC is not seen working in that direction, he said.

Local BJP leaders said that the party wanted 100 seats for the BMC polls  almost half the seats in the body  from Sena, which the latter is reluctant to give.
The incident took place an hour before they were to appear for the prelim exams that were underway for SSC students.

The alleged incident took place at Ghodbunder Road at 9 am on December 15 in the private car of Darshan Bokhare, the owner of the school bus. (Representational Image)

Mumbai: The 30-year-old owner of a school bus was arrested and two minor boys studying SSC were detained after they allegedly molested a 14-year-old girl. The incident took place an hour before they were to appear for the prelim exams that were underway for SSC students, sources said.

The alleged incident took place at Ghodbunder Road at 9 am on December 15 in the private car of Darshan Bokhare, the owner of the school bus.

According to senior police inspector D.D. Tele of the Kasarwadi police station, the three students had reached school early for the exams on Thursday when the boys suggested that they sit in Bokhares car and do some last minute study. However, after getting into the car they decided to take it for a spin. According to the complaint despite her refusal Bokhare drove the car along Ghodbunder Road and after driving some distance stopped the car on the service road and along with the two boys started molesting her. When the girl started crying Bokhare decided to stop and drove the trio back to school as they were to appear for the exam, said Mr Tele.

He added that after receiving the complaint the police swung into action and arrested Bokhare and took the two boys into custody. Initial investigations have revealed that the two boys were friendly with Bokhare as they travelled by his bus and hence he allowed them to sit in his car. The police has registered a case against Bokhare under section 354 and 363 of the Indian penal code and section 4 of the POCSO Act against the boys and said would go through CCTV footage too.
The August 1944 police raid in which Frank was arrested may have been staged to investigate illegal activity.

A photo of Anne Frank at the opening of the exhibition: Anne Frank, a History for Today, at the Westerbork Remembrance Centre in Hooghalen, northeast Netherlands. (Photo: AP)

The Hague: Anne Frank may have been discovered by chance and not because she was denounced to Hollands Nazi overlords by unknown betrayers as long thought, the museum in her honour says.

New research suggests that the August 1944 police raid in which Frank was arrested may have actually been staged to investigate illegal activity taking place elsewhere in the building.

The question asked has always been Who betrayed Anne Frank and the people in hiding? the Anne Frank House said in a statement published on Friday.

But at 263 Prinsengracht in Amsterdam, where Frank and seven others went into hiding in a secret upstairs annexe, illegal work and fraud with ration coupons was also taking place.

The current research study provides a different perspective: it is possible that the SD (Sicherheitsdienst, or German Security Service) searched the building because of this illegal work and fraud with ration coupons, and that the SD investigators discovered Anne Frank and the seven others in hiding simply by chance, said the museum, which is housed in the same building and dedicated to preserving Franks memory.

The Anne Frank Houses new investigation does not refute the possibility that the people in hiding were betrayed, but illustrates that other scenarios should also be considered, said Ronald Leopold, its executive director.

The Diary of a Young Girl, which Frank penned while in hiding from June 1942 to August 1944, is one of the most famous testimonies of life in the World War II and has sold more than 30 million copies in 67 languages.

The Jewish girl, who was born in Germany before her family emigrated to the Netherlands, died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany in early 1945, aged 15, less than a year after her capture and just before the end of World War II.

Her father, Otto Frank, was the sole survivor of the war among the eight inhabitants of the secret annexe.

It was commonly assumed that Frank, her parents and sister, as well as four others, were betrayed by an acquaintance to Nazi authorities with fictionalised accounts sometimes referring to an anonymous phone call. But researcher Gertjan Broek honed in on details from Franks diary about two men who worked in the building illegally trading in ration cards, who were arrested in March 1944 for it. Broek said that activity obviously ran the risk of attracting the attention of authorities.

Broek found other discrepancies that call into question whether the police were specifically hunting for hidden Jews, calling his inquiry a first step in thinking more broadly about the raid on the Secret Annexe.

Hopefully it will inspire others to pursue new leads. Clearly, the last word about the fateful summer day in 1944 has not yet been said, he wrote.
COLUMBUS  Many of the parents who picked out items for their kids during Saturday's toy drive organized by North Park Church used the same word to describe the event.

Theres only one word for it  its a blessing, said Jessica Marroquin. Times like these, when theres one parent working, its hard.

Marroquin is currently off the job after having her third child.

With only one of us working and paying all the bills ..., she said.

Kristina Winchester also came to the toy drive at Columbus Public Library, where items donated by the community were available on a first-come, first-served basis.

She is still recovering from a surgery and raising her children on her own.

This means a lot to me, Winchester said. Its just me and my kids.

North Park Pastor Lyn Hansen said the annual holiday program is an extension of the work the church does to assist those in need.

The local church also operates a community store with donated household items to help people get back on their feet. Christmas can be an especially difficult time because many of the people served don't have the resources to buy presents for their family. So three years ago the church started a Christmas toy drive, which has taken off as a standalone event.

In previous years, demand has been so great they ran out of toys, according to organizer Jane Moore. To ensure enough items were available for Saturday's giveaway, the church started collecting toys last summer with a "Christmas in July" event. Donations come from community members, businesses and other groups.

Weve had people donate who are not members of North Park, Moore said.

The community support is tremendous, said Hansen. We are so blessed.

And those who benefit from the church's efforts are thankful.

Rene McDonald held up a stuffed pink unicorn about the size of a 4-year-old child.

You think I could buy one of these for my kids? No, theyre expensive, she said. Im so thankful for the people who donated this.

Many parents said the event is more about the opportunity to give their children a normal Christmas than the toys themselves.

I dont have to worry about my kids not waking up to a merry Christmas, said Ashley Reyes.

Her husband, Brian Reyes, said the toy drive also gives them hope.

It brings back the feeling that theres people that want to give out a helping hand, he said.

For Jennifer Rose, it means she won't have that hard conversation about her financial situation with her children and nieces.

I dont have a lot of money to do Christmas shopping, so I rely on these drives to get Christmas gifts for the people in my life, she said. It means that I get to give them something instead of telling them Im not getting them anything because I dont have the cash. Thats really hard.

Less than an hour into the event, Hansen said he already had a tough conversation with a family who is struggling that almost brought him to tears. For Hansen, the drive is a way for him and the church to connect with those in need.

If theres a couple people that come in today that we can continue to help, thats great, he said. Its about building relationships more than handing out toys.
The Pope received messages of congratulations from around the world for his 80th birthday, including at email addresses in eight languages.

Vatican City: Pope Francis celebrated an active if low-key 80th birthday on Saturday, sharing breakfast with eight homeless people before celebrating Mass with cardinals as greetings poured in from around the world.

The pontiff received more than 70,000 email messages wishing him a happy birthday, as well as telephone calls and telegrams from world leaders and religious figures.

His predecessor, 89-year-old Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, sent a "very affectionate" written greeting that the Vatican said was "particularly appreciated," followed by a personal call in the afternoon and three small gifts that the bore "very personal and significant meaning for both." The Vatican did not otherwise divulge the nature of the gifts.

At breakfast, Francis chatted individually with each of the homeless guests- four Italians, two Romanians, a Moldovan and a Peruvian - at the Vatican hotel where he resides, and shared Argentinian cakes with them before heading to Mass.

The guests offered the pope a bouquet of sunflowers. They were invited from among those staying around St. Peter's Square and at nearby showers for the homeless established by the pope's almsgiver. The pope also sent enough birthday cakes for 1,500 people to kitchens serving the poor and homeless in Rome.

Speaking to the cardinals, Francis contemplated the aging process.

"For some days now, I have had in mind a word that seems ugly: Old age, a thought that frightens," he said.

But then he recalled his own words during his first papal greeting in 2013, when he said: "Old age is the thirst for knowledge."

He added: "I hope it will be the same for me."

Saturday is a working day at the Vatican and Francis kept up his usual pace. He met with Malta's president and held an audience with members of the Nomadelfia community, a secular group whose lifestyle emulates early Christians, who sang "Happy Birthday" to the pontiff.

The pope experienced the day "with great joy. He was particularly happy by the presence of many children and youths at the audience with the Nomadelfia community," the Vatican said.

Greetings arrived from all corners of the globe, both personal messages and succinct tweets with the hashtag #Pontifex80.

US President Barack Obama said Francis "has inspired people around the world with his message of compassion, hope and peace," while Italian President Sergio Mattarella recalled that the pope has called on Europeans to show solidarity with the less fortunate, in particular "migrants and all those who live at society's margins."

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Francis a telegram and followed it up with a phone call in which he "remarked on the big contribution he has personally made to strengthen ties between Russia and the Vatican, which moved to a significantly new level in the recent years," the Kremlin said.

The Kremlin said Putin and the pope "exchanged opinions" on the plight of Christians caught in armed conflicts around the world and the importance of an interfaith dialogue.

Earlier in 2016, Francis met with Russian Patriarch Kirill in the first meeting of the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of the world's largest Orthodox Christian flock.

The patriarch's office said Saturday that Kirill had sent a congratulatory message to Francis and lauded him for improving ties between the Russian Church and the Vatican.
NASA has predicted that a similar dinosaur wipeout event is overdue for Earth

NASA scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery  Earth is effectively defenceless in the event of a dinosaur-killer strike. Additional information states that the Earth is overdue for an extinction-level event involving a giant space object  like an asteroid or a comet  in view of the increase in the number of close encounters over the last 20 years, Dr Joseph Nuth stated.

Dr Nuth, speaking at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre in San Francisco, stated that if a potentially dangerous object was on a crash-course with our planet there is not a hell of a lot we can do about it at the moment, according to The Guardian.

Humans are woefully unprepared for a surprise asteroid or comet, a NASA scientist warned, at a presentation with nuclear scientists into how humans might deflect cosmic dangers hurtling towards Earth.

Speaking at the annual meeting of American Geophysical Union, Nuth mad a note of how large and potentially fatal asteroids are extremely rare, as compared to the small objects that occasionally explode in Earths sky or strike its surface. But on the other hand they are extinction level events, things like dinosaur-killers, they are 50-60 million years apart, essentially. You could say, of course, were due, but its a random course at that point.

Comets follow distant paths from Earth but sometimes get knocked into the neighbourhood. Nuth said that the Earth had a close encounter in 1996, when an aberrant comet flew into Jupiter, and then again in 2014, when a comet passed within cosmic spitting distance of Mars. That second comet was only discovered 22 months before its brush with a planet: not nearly enough time to launch a deflection mission, had it been on a course for Earth.

NASA has been working towards creating an established planetary defense system  an interceptor rocket to keep in storage, with periodic testing, alongside an observer spacecraft. Nuth has stated NASA could cut that five-year schedule in half, but that even reducing that schedule by a quarter would be basically a hail-mary pass.
US President-elect tweets on latest clash with Beijing.

Washington: In yet another swipe at China, President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said the US should let the Communist giant keep the Navys unmanned underwater drone after Beijing agreed to return in an appropriate manner the device it had seized in the disputed South China Sea.

We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back  let them keep it! Mr Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.

The Pentagon had alleged that the drone was unlawfully seized by China on December 15 in the SCS while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.

The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back. The incident is among the most serious military confrontations between the two powers for decades.

China on Saturday slammed the US for making a fuss over the seizure of its underwater drone and said it would return the device in an appropriate manner.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting that China seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships.

Mr Trumps latest tweet was the second time the President-elect blasted China for the seizure. Earlier, he accused China of stealing American drone.

China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act, Mr Trump tweeted.

Mr Trump has repeatedly infuriated China in recent weeks, questioning the US policy on Taiwan, making phone call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and calling Beijing a currency manipulator.

The drone incident, the latest encounter in international waters in the South China Sea region, occurred earlier this week about 161 km off the Philippine port at Subic Bay.

The USNS Bowditch had stopped in the water to pick up two underwater drones. At that point, a Chinese naval ship that had been shadowing the Bowditch put a small boat into the water. That small boat came up alongside and the Chinese crew took one of the drones.

The US got no answer from the Chinese on the radio when it said the drone was American property, a US defense official was quoted as saying by the CNN.

As they turned away, the Chinese did come up on the radio and indicated they were returning to their own operations.

US oceanographic research vessels are often followed in the water under the assumption they are spying.

Although it is unclear what the motivation was for the Chinese action, the seizing of the drone comes on the heels of other provocative incidents that have happened since Mr Trump received a congratulatory call from Taiwans President, a violation of the USs agreement with Chinas One China policy.
The PPP has advised the Sindh chief minister to inspect the performance of ministers in the Sindh Assembly and present a report.

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is planning a grand alliance against the government, party leaders said.

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto will publicly announce a protest against the government in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on Benazir Bhuttos death anniversary on December 27, if the government does not address the PPPs demands by December 26.

The party has also decided to contact all opposition parties to achieve a national consensus.

The PPP has advised the Sindh chief minister to inspect the performance of ministers in the Sindh Assembly and present a report.

The Sindh chief minister has also been advised to discuss the minorities bill, passed by the Sindh Assembly, with all parties.

The advisers and special assistants of the Sindh chief minister have been asked inspect the Sindh High Courts verdict through legal benchmarks.

These decisions were taken after a three-day consultation meeting of PPPs leadership in Dubai.

According to PPP sources, party chief Bilawal Bhutto, PPPs co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah were part of this meeting.

The purpose of the grand alliance will be to fight against illegal policies and activities of the government, like involvement in the Panama leaks.
The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south.

Manila: The United States on Sunday said it would work with the Philippines President to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows US troops to visit the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a US government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Mr Dutertes war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Mr Duterte on Saturday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the US to prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement.

He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises.

The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.

You know, tit for tat ... If you can do this, so (can) we. It aint a one-way traffic, Duterte said, adding, Bye-bye America.

The US embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington would work closely with the Philippines administration to address any concerns it might have.

While calling Americans sons of bitches and hypocrites, Mr Duterte on Saturday praised China as having the kindest soul of all for offering what he said was significant financial assistance. So, what do I need America for? he asked.

He also said Russia can be a very important ally. They do not insult people, they do not interfere, he said.

The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Mr Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

The US government, along with EU and UN officials, has raised concerns about Mr Dutertes war on drugs, which has left over 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gun-battles with police. Over 3,000 other deaths are being probed to see if they were linked to illegal drugs.
President Assad pursued a policy of siege, truces and forced surrenders, deporting thousands of rebels and opposition to Idlib.

The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only active front across Syria. One of the next targets for the forces of Bashar Assad will probably be the heartland of rebel territory, the neighboring Idlib province. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only active front across war-torn Syria. One of the next targets for the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will probably be the heartland of rebel territory, the neighbouring province of Idlib.

The province west of Aleppo is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate and is now also packed with tens of thousands of rebels, many of them evacuated from other parts of the country, making it likely to be an even more bloody theatre than Aleppo.

Idlib has direct links to the Turkish border, and is located only a few kilometers north of Hama, a central province and key point for defending Assad's coastal strongholds and nearby Russian military bases.

Asked where he will turn to next, Assad has suggested his first priority, after fortifying the area around Aleppo city, would be Idlib.

"Identifying which city comes next depends on which city contains the largest number of terrorists and which city provides other countries with the opportunity to support them logistically," he told Russian media outlets in an interview in Damascus this week.

"Currently, there are direct links between Aleppo and Idlib because of the presence of Jabhat al-Nusra inside and on the outskirts of Aleppo and in Idlib," he said, a reference to the Al-Qaeda affiliate, formerly known as the Nusra Front, now the Fatah al-Sham Front. He added that the decision about what comes next will be made through discussions with his Russian and Iranian allies.

The government's loss of Jisr al-Shughour, in the westernmost corner of the province, and with it the whole of Idlib province, in the summer of 2015, was what prompted Russia to intervene to shore up Assad's forces, eventually turning the war's momentum back in his favor.

Syrias Kandahar?

For the past two years, as Assad pursued a policy of siege and local truces to force surrenders, thousands of rebels and opposition supporters have been deported to Idlib - a forced exile that many see as a calculated attempt to gather the fighters in one location where they can later be eliminated.

The province has welcomed thousands of Islamic militants - with varying degrees of extremist ideology - who have converged along with their families from the central city of Homs and the suburbs of Damascus, after capitulating to government forces.

It has become a common sight: Men receiving a hero's welcome as they step off the green buses in Idlib with guns slung over their shoulders, having been forced to leave besieged and bombarded towns and cities.

"The government wants to prepare people, psychologically, for the idea that Idlib is the Kandahar of Syria," said Ibrahim Hamidi, a journalist who covers Syrian affairs for the Saudi-owned newspaper Al Hayat.

He was referring to Kandahar province in Afghanistan, the base of the militant Taliban's 1996-2001 government. He said the presence of so many Islamic militants would make it easier for the government and its allies to later justify a massive assault.

The province has the most powerful concentration of rebels. According to the Institute for the Study of War, it boasts more than 50,000 fighters regrouped under the umbrella organization Jaish al-Fatah, or Army of Conquest, which is led by the Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Using Idlib as a launching pad, the group briefly broke the government's siege of eastern Aleppo in August.

Open lines to Turkey

Idlib is one of the few regions in Syria where the Islamic State group and the government have no presence, save for two small government-controlled Shiite-majority villages. The province borders Turkey, a key sponsor of Syrian rebels, and the coastal province of Latakia, a government stronghold.

Access to the Turkish border means virtually everything is available in Idlib - including weapons and other supplies.

Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, said a major point in the Idlib battle will be the role that Turkey will play, since the opposition survives on continuous replenishment of supplies from Turkey.

He added that if Turkey decides for various reasons - perhaps as part of an understanding with Russia - to reduce that assistance, then the Turkish border with Idlib would become like the Jordanian border with Daraa, where the armed opposition has very little ability to take independent action or to survive in the long run.

Al-Qaeda Stronghold

Members of the opposition fear that government and Russian warplanes will eventually carpet bomb Idlib under the pretext that it is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda-linked extremists. The Fatah al-Sham Front's leadership is based there, perhaps making western powers more inclined to turn a blind eye to a massive military campaign targeting the province.

Since July 2015, US aircraft have killed some of Al-Qaeda's most senior figures in strikes on Idlib, including Kuwait-born Mohsen al-Fadli, Sanafi al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia and Ahmed Salama Mabrouk of Egypt, who was killed in early October. They belonged to what US officials call the Khorasan group, which Washington describes as an internal branch of Al-Qaeda that plans attacks against Western interests.

"The regime wants Idlib to become another Raqqa," said Hassan al-Dughaim, a Turkey-based Syrian preacher and researcher from Idlib, who lived there for most of his life until 2015. The Syrian city of Raqqa is the de-facto capital of the IS group's self-styled caliphate. Idlib city serves a similar function for Al-Qaeda.

Al-Dughaim said the Syrian government hopes that the presence of so many militants from different groups will lead to infighting. But despite the steady flow of fighters such confrontations have been rare.

Faysal Itani, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, agrees. "By lumping the displaced hostile populations in with the extremists, you've basically confined the problem to one place," he said. "Once that is done, the regime will go after it hard and no one will be able to make much of a fuss internationally."
Continuing our annual December where are they now series, here are four more updates from people who had their questions answered here this year.

1. I dread meetings with a snotty coworker who calls me by the wrong name

Firstly, thank you for answering my letter and thanks to those who took the time to comment. Your response and also responses from some of the people commenting made me realise that I was letting this woman (Tracey) get to me more than I should, and that I was perhaps taking things personally and to heart that werent intended to be (although I am sensitive by nature). In hindsight I can see Tracey is a brusque person and it was never anything personal. Many people also made the excellent point that I will come across people I dislike throughout my career and that I shouldnt bail on the opportunity and experience because of Tracey.

I still attend the meetings for now, however a new junior member of staff will hopefully be transitioning into the role within the next 6 months as my role has now changed following a promotion. Im really glad about this! Whilst the experience has been very useful and has given me great insight into the minds of those managers, Im ready to focus on my new role now.

Almost ironically, Tracey didnt refer to me by (the wrong) name for a long time after Id written to you so I never got the chance to correct her, however at the most recent meeting she used my correct name! I should clarify that it was never a totally different name, just an addition to my name that shouldnt be there (as an example, someone called Diane being called Diana). I dont think it was ever an intentional and malicious thing, I think she just got into her head that my name was Diana and it stuck. I know this wouldnt bother some people but it does bother me as I get Diana all the time (which I correct!) however I think the issue I had was with the power dynamic as a few comments mentioned.

People were also right in saying that I shouldnt be offended by Tracey asking me not to record a comment on the minutes. I realised that she was just covering her own back by making sure I didnt write anything down which shouldnt be discussed outside of those 4 walls. Recently when a topic goes off piste Ive been placing my pen down on the table and holding my hands in my lap so people can see Im not physically writing. It doesnt stop people asking me not to minute things but I hope it gives them some faith that I am able to distinguish between what is to be noted and what isnt.

AAM has been such a huge help to me in both my professional and interpersonal development and compared to some of the other letters, I can see Im one of the lucky ones! Thanks again.

2. Reassuring employers that a past medical issue wont interfere with my work (#5 at the link)

My reference from my previous job was good, and I got hired as temp to perm which swiftly became perm. Im doing an interesting role in an area I care about, and it has prospects for the future. I also just got a new boss who is really interested in the personal development of the department, and is willing to give me further training.

The subject of depression has come up organically at work, because I am not the only person who has had this issue in the past (now *theres* a surprise) but everyone is very supportive.

3. My company lies to clients about our use of freelancers (#3 at the link)

Our freelancer crisis is temporarily over  it happened because a particular client was fussy and micro-managed us a lot, making a lot of last minute demands.

We are looking for a new FT person with those skills, although my manager has yet to find someone who fits the bill and isnt too expensive to hire. Hes keen on talented fresh grads, and does rap me (also a fresh grad) for contacts, which I find understandable but annoying (I come from another state and dont know many peers willing to move for work.) Well, at least its a step in the right direction so that we dont have to overly rely on freelancers.

Ive also noticed that this lying about freelancers pattern is a part of a bigger picture: my small company is trying very hard to look bigger than they are. Theres always a team on a project when its just one person, and our website says we have X years of experience (whats not mentioned: this is the combined years of experience of all individual employees in the company. The company itself is only 2 years old!)

Now I read that this blowing up your company thing is common among entrepreneurs and startups, but I still dont think that this is beneficial because its misrepresentation. Clients will expect more from us than we can deliver.

Then again, my manager seems to be of the thought that as long as we deliver, theres nothing wrong about it. Asked several friends about this and they thought it was such a small problem, that Im making mountains out of molehills. Im genuinely curious to what AAM readers think about this, though.

Some commenters suggested that I look elsewhere for work. Ill stay on for now (need to build up solid work history first) and wait and see if things improve.

4. My intern is a rude jackass

I spoke to my managers about the intern in question and things have not gone so well since then. While they listened to my complaint, their reaction has been, well  While the internship ended, I was informed that the intern was right and that my job should be outsourced to India.

Since then Ive been trying to find another place to work. I dont understand why they hired me if all theyre going to do is turn this place into a sweatshop.

I was trying my best to get into development work as Ive developed a real rapport with some of the dev crew, and have even managed to impress both the head UX and Sr. Java developers, but with the way theyve been treating me the past few months I feel like thats just a carrot theyre dangling in front of me to get another year of work out of me.

Im hopeful that Ill be able to find employment  I really want to live in New Hampshire so Ive been looking around there as hard as I can for now.
One of the worlds largest law firm brands has ditched the & from its name and unveiled a new logo as part of a global rebrand. Baker McKenzie , as it is now known, has removed the ampersand to create a leaner, more modern identity in line with current marketing trends. The increased use of mobile devices to view websites makes longer names, often associated with law firms, less viable from a branding perspective.The new logo features a new font, bold colours and a relatively rare feature, a full-stop, described by one partner at the firm as the mic drop chief marketing officer Laurie Robertson revealed to David Burgess on LinkedIn. Herbert Smith Freehills has expanded its support network for employees with disabilities and those caring for someone with a disability.The Australia Ability Network is part of the international firms global diversity and inclusion strategy and builds on the success of its London Ability Network.We celebrate our similarities as well as our differences, and the Australian Ability Network will ensure that people with a disability feel safe and supported whilst also providing the practical resources needed to allow all people at the firm to thrive, commented Sue Gilchrist , regional managing partner, Asia and Australia.More stories continue to emanate from the European arm of King & Wood Mallesons with news that its former senior partner, Stephen Kon, is leaving the firm.Kon announced that he would be stepping down from his leadership role earlier this year and was planning to return to fee-earning but he is now exiting the firm.There is also speculation about the potential for part of the European partnership to continue in Germany. Regional publication Legal Business says that a new entity has been registered with Companies House in the UK with the name KWM Deutschland.DLA Piper has announced a cooperation agreement with one of Chiles largest law firms Bahamondez, Alvarez & Zegers.The two firms will operate as BAZ/DLA Piper and expands DLA Pipers Latin America capabilities through the deal with the full-service BAZ which has offices in Santiago.DLA Piper has also recently opened an office in San Juan, Puerto Rico; a cooperation agreement with Martinez Beltran in Colombia; and the establishment of DLA Piper Gallastegui y Lozano in Mexico. This is in addition to the firm's cooperation agreement with Campos Mello in Brazil.
I seem to be able to make myself worry about a new aspect of my application every day but can't find much information on this. I'm in my early 30's and have applied for the 485 post study work stream . Most people I've met who are on this visa are in their mid 20's. I realise you can apply as long as you're under 50 but was just wondering do many people get this visa who are over 30?
Rosee said: Has anyone received a decision on their online visa application or a status update during a weekend day?

wondering if some DIBP offices work on weekends, and especially on online applications. Click to expand...

We notified Immigration with final info on a Friday, and had previously been told we may expect decision the next day, but we got it on the Monday. I assumed they only do Monday to Friday.
He replaces Joe King who returned to Germany; Ansari has experience in network development, sales and more.

Audi has announced the appointment of Rahil Ansari as the head of Audi India effective February 1, 2017. He replaces Joe King, who returned to Germany a few months ago.

Rahil Ansari has a broad range of experience in finance, sales, network development, retail operations and aftersales business. He moves to Audi India from Audi AG, where he heads Global Pricing for Audi Genuine Parts for Audi AG Aftersales.

We are pleased to announce the new head for Audi in India, Rahil Ansari. He has previously served as director of Network Development for Audi India and thus brings appreciation for this market. I am confident that his diverse global experience combined with the understanding of the Indian market will help to consolidate the brand presence, said Thierry Lespiaucq, managing director, Volkswagen Group Sales India.
This thing here, though a Lagonda in name, is not exactly a Lagonda. Offered for sale by Aston Martin Works for an undisclosed amount of pounds sterling, the 1974 Motorshow V8 Lagonda is a very rare beast. Only seven were ever built and, as you can see from the adjacent pictures, this is a V8 Vantage with two extra doors, a Lagonda-sourced chassis, and the X-Pack engine add-ons.Refurbished by Spray Tec Restorations in 2002, overhauled from a mechanical standpoint in 2004, and with 175,000 spent on it since Aston Martin Works got its hands on the car, the Motorshow V8 Lagonda is a bit of a unicorn. Chassis number 12003 presents itself in tip-top condition, wearing Cumberland Grey paint over Rolls-Royce Wildberry upholstery, and boasting goodies that include walnut veneers, heated front seats, and central locking.Goodies also include a Becker satellite navigation system, 6-disc CD player with auto-changer function, Motorola GSM telephone, plus electric windows, and air conditioning. For a car that was born in 1974, thats plentiful enough from my point of view. Beyond the exquisite styling and nice specification, the V8 Vantage -inspired Motorshow sedan is a pretty fast sedan as well.Under the long, sexy hood, youll find Tadek Mareks 5.3-liter V8 connected to a Chrysler TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission. With approximately 500 ponies on tap, the maximum speed this show car is capable of is 160 mph (257 km/h). The Ford Focus RS , which is merely a hatchback with a powerful engine, may be faster, but dont forget that this British interloper with four doors is more than four decades the Focus RS senior.In related news, mad creations such as the Motorshow V8 will never see the light of day again because, as Im sure you know, Aston Martin is more focused on bringing an SUV to market. On the upside, the AM-RB 001 hyperca r will make some jaws drop with its go-faster credentials.
SUV

The first and arguably the most important of the lot is the successor of the extremely successful Mokka X . Also known as the Buick Encore in the United States, the miniis an Opel sweetheart due to soaring demand for jacked-up utility vehicles.According to the German automaker, which is known as Vauxhall in the United Kingdom even though these two are one and the same thing, the Opel plant in Eisenach will start manufacturing a replacement model, all-new from the ground up, as of 2019. Mind you, its not known if the Mokka X name will be carried on.As one of the three most popular Opel-branded cars next to the Corsa and Adam, the Mokka X will be joined in 2019 by the all-new Corsa and Adam . It was about time, if I may say, considering that the present-day Corsa E is merely a Corsa D with a prettier face. The Adam, meanwhile, is yesterdays news in a segment thats mastered by the recently facelifted Fiat 500.And so, Opel took to itself to start production of the Corsa F and Adam B as of 2019, at the automakers plant in Zaragoza, Spain. The decision to rejuvenate all three core models in a single year will play to Opels advantage. As per the automaker, almost 670,000 customers have chosen an Opel Mokka (pre-facelift) or Mokka X (facelift) to date. Furthermore, 630,000 units of the Corsa supermini and 225,000 Adam city cars were sold throughout Europe.This decision [of revised production allocations ] secures the jobs of the colleagues in both plants while simultaneously creating perspectives, said Dr. Wolfgang Schafer-Klug, chairman of the general works council. Based on our IG Metall collective agreement, we have succeeded in achieving the long-term utilization of the plants in Eisenach and Zaragoza with outstanding products.
SUV

While Citroen and Peugeot might not enter the American market along with the DS brand, the latter will have to bring all of the best bits from the entire portfolio, but without the drawbacks or slow-selling items. Since the U.S. has different crash-testing regulations, and homologating a new model is pricey, it is not expected of the French group to bring all of its portfolio's components.Because of that, affordable models from Peugeot and Citroen are not projected to reach the USA, but the groups most expensive products will be there.Evidently, since it will be a few years until American customers will be able to buy a brand new French car from their local dealership, those products that we are referring have yet to be launched.We know that the DS brand is preparing to launch anin Europe, and that the company is already experimenting with plug-in hybrid drivetrains. After the entire Dieselgate scandal, the French corporation will probably not try to sell diesel engines in the USA, but focus on hybrid solutions instead.While the hatchbacks from DS are attractive from a European point of view, they might not match the expectations of American customers, who are known to like different things in an automobile. Therefore, the DS brand is expected to have at least two SUVs in its offer, and those sold in the USA will come with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.However, the plug-in hybrid system of these SUVs will not be the only option for those models. Instead, they are expected to consider an all-electric car for this market. With the precedent of Tesla Motors, the French at DS should not have concerns about selling an all-new brand in the U.S. with an electric drivetrain.The first DS model sold in the USA should reach the market by 2021, and our money is on the fact that it will be a plug-in hybrid car with a turbocharged gasoline engine.
The Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, and BMW M140i battling it out was a match worth watching as the three cars were pitted against each other for a test that would determine which could perform best. The battle was set on a wet tarmac in order to see which of these modern cars could withstand bad road conditions. The Civic Type R has the lowest horsepower at 306 hp with the Focus RS having 345 hp. The BMW M140i ended up between the two with 335 hp.

The Ford Focus RS vs Honda Civic Type R vs BMW M140i was a battle among hot hatch cars, a segment that has steadily grown in the past year. All cars in this segment run on 300 or more horsepower, and taking a look at each car, the Ford Focus R had the highest horsepower, according to Car Scoops.

In terms of acceleration, all three cars can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in under 6 seconds, which means that in this area, they had almost the same performance. In terms of speed, all three reach the speed of 60 miles per hour in less than 6 seconds with a top speed of 170mph except for the BMW M140i, which capped only at 155 mph. Traversing on the wet tarmac can be a challenge in this area, according to Ooyuz.

The biggest test is how Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type R, and BMW M140i would handle themselves on the wet tarmac. It is clear that the Ford Focus R had the best traction, looking like its wheels were hugging the pavement tightly, according to Auto Evolution. In this showdown, the Ford Focus R won hands down.

With the Ford Focus R emerging victorious, there is no doubt that it will be pitted against other hot hatch cars in the future to test its supremacy.


LINCOLN  Jane Kleeb assumed the chairmanship of Nebraska's Democratic Party on Saturday and launched new programs to train candidates, register voters and "create service and advocacy projects where people can be in the streets together."

Kleeb, founder and leader of Bold Nebraska, is an experienced grassroots organizer skilled in social media outreach and citizen activism. She is best known for leading successful citizen opposition to construction of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline across Nebraska.

In March, Kleeb supported Sen. Bernie Sanders in Nebraska's Democratic presidential caucus, which the Vermont senator won. She subsequently was elected Democratic chair in June, defeating 2014 gubernatorial nominee Chuck Hassebrook.

Kleeb formally took the reins of the party on Saturday. She succeeds Vince Powers, who did not seek re-election.

"While the national (election) map was a huge step back for our families," Kleeb said, "in Nebraska we are making change happen."

She pointed to the election in November of three Democrats who will be new members of the nonpartisan Legislature in January after defeating three Republicans, including two incumbent senators.

The election of Carol Blood of Bellevue, Dan Quick of Grand Island and Lynne Walz of Fremont demonstrates that "Democrats can win in urban and rural communities," she said. Kleeb lives in Hastings.

"National Democrats would have written those communities and families off because they did not fit a 'vote model' written by political consultants," she said.

"We win elections with old-fashioned visiting with people at their homes, where they work and where they hang out," Kleeb said.

She said 850 people already have signed up for a new party program called the Blue Bench Project, which will train people of any age who want to run for public office or be part of the county party leadership.

Sen. Adam Morfeld and Sen.-elect Anna Wishart, both of Lincoln, will co-chair that project.

A new "Dems in the Streets" program will blend traditional voter outreach with nontraditional tactics, Kleeb said, engaging people in advocacy projects.

Such projects could include the ongoing battle over the flow of liquor sales to Native Americans in Whiteclay, just across the border from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Kleeb said, as well as public education, poverty and clean energy.

She said the party also will focus on voters who are registered as nonpartisan.

Meanwhile, she said, the party will set a goal of registering 10 percent more voters in each county while acquiring additional monthly donors.
Photo:CRJEnglish

A Chinese conglomerate has bought majority control of Diamond Aircrafts London, Ontario, factory, the company confirmed today. Wanfeng Aviation, a subsidiary of a larger holding company, completed a deal on Dec. 13 that conveys 60 percent of Diamond Aircraft Canada to Wanfeng. Diamonds Austria company remains unaffected by the agreement, except some production will be moved from Austria to Canada.

Peter Maurer, Diamond Canada CEO, told AVweb Tuesday that the new DA62 twin and DA40 singleboth the diesel and gasoline versionwill be moved to Canada in their entirety. Heretofore, the aircraft components have been manufactured in Austria and shipped to London for final assembly. Maurer said the factory in London will expand its production capability and workforce to manufacture those aircraft. The DA20 single will continue to be built in Canada.

Meanwhile, Diamond Austria will continue to build the DA42 twin and other aircraft in its developmental works. The companys service networks will remain in place, Maurer said. Significantly, Diamond Canada will retain rights to the suspended single-engine D-Jet, which has been under development since 2005. Maurer said substantial work has been done on the project and that it will be reviewed for possible resumption.

Wanfeng is based in Zhejiang and includes aircraft manufacturing, robotics and financial services in its business portfolio. Diamond currently manufactures aircraft in China, but the Wanfeng deal has no bearing on that operation.
The Navy has grounded its fleet of F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets and G model Growlers after some kind of accident involving a Growler canopy injured a pilot and his or her backseater on Friday. The canopy on the aircraft is jettisoned in an ejection by explosive bolts and small rockets but the Navy hasnt said the ejection system was a factor in the accident.

The mishap occurred about 11 a.m. at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and involved a Growler. The incident was referred to as an on-deck emergency. The pilot and electronic warfare officer were hospitalized.Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Jeannie Groeneveld said the Navy and Boeing, which makes the planes, are investigating the problem. Although a significant portion of the Navy fighter and electronic warfare fleet is grounded, senior commanders can order the planes back into the air if theyre needed.
The Harvard School of Public Health says 12.6 percent of pilots surveyed may have clinical depression and 4.1 percent reported having suicidal thoughts within the two weeks prior to completing the questionnaire. The study, the first to probe pilot mental health directly rather than through information gleaned from accident investigations, was conducted anonymously and the mental health questions were mixed with other general health inquiries to encourage honesty and reduce the chance for bias. It raised the eyebrows of Alex Wu, the grad student who was the first author on the resulting paper. Our study hints at the prevalence of depression among pilotsa group of professionals that is responsible for thousands of lives every dayand underscores the importance of accurately assessing pilots mental health and increasing support for preventative treatment, Wu said. The study was released a year after a depressed first officer intentionally crashed a Germanwings A320 in the French Alps, killing all 150 on board.

A total of almost 3,500 airline pilots took the survey and 1,848 did the mental health questions. Of the 1,430 who had worked in the week previous to taking the study, 13.5 percent (193) met the criteria for depression. Pilots who took sleep aids or who reported sexual or verbal harassment were the most likely to be depressed. Among the symptoms reported were loss of interest, feeling like a failure, having trouble concentrating and believing they would be better off dead. More men than women reported having one or more of those feelings nearly every day. Joseph Allen, assistant professor of exposure assessment science and one of the papers senior authors said a complicating factor in the depression levels is the veil of secrecy around mental health issues in the cockpit. We found that many pilots currently flying are managing depressive symptoms, and it may be that they are not seeking treatment due to the fear of negative career impacts, he said.
18 December 2016 11:00 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan plans to have direct flights with 100 major European cities until 2025 as the country endorsed Strategic road maps for the national economy and main economic sectors.

One of the key priorities set by the strategic road map is increasing the number of direct flights between Baku and major European cities from 49 to 100, Azertac reported.

Under the road map, it is planned to raise the number of low-cost charter flights in winter and summer seasons with the aim of boosting tourist flow.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
18 December 2016 13:49 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend



Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev discussed in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday the possibility of a meeting between the Syrian conflicting parties in the countrys capital city of Astana, the presidents press service said in a statement, Sputnik reported.

"The presidents of Russia and Turkey discussed with the head of the state the most important issues on the regional and international agenda. The Russian and Turkish leaders expressed interest in holding peace talks in Astana between the conflicting sides in Syria. Nursultan Nazarbayev supported this initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in Kazakhstans capital," the statement read.

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A 16-year-old boy is accused of shooting his friend in St. Petersburg, according to the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office.

16-year-old shot 17-year-old in the ankle

Teen was showing gun when it discharged

He was arrested and faces several charges

The incident occurred at 11:40 a.m. at a residence on 50th Avenue North in unincorporated St. Petersburg.

A 17-year-old called authorities and reported he had been shot in the ankle. When deputies arrived, the victim told them he was walking down the street when an unidentified male drove by and shot him.

Paramedics responded to the scene. The 17-year-old was taken to Bayfront Medical Center.

Investigators re-interviewed the victim at the hospital and determined he had been shot by his 16-year-old friend. The 16-year-old told deputies that he was showing the handgun when it accidentally discharged.

Investigators recovered the .45 caliber handgun from the 16-year-olds residence.

The teen was arrested and charged with one count of delinquent in possession of a firearm, one count of delinquent in possession of ammunition, one count of culpable negligence and one county felony-violence of probation.

We are not identifying the 16-year-old in accordance with our Crime Guidelines.
Source: Google Maps

Via Japan Today: Culling of chickens begins at Hokkaido farm after bird flu outbreak. This is presumably H5N6, which is causing serious trouble in South Korea. (Also likely North Korea, but who knows?)

The government of Hokkaido started culling some 210,000 chickens at a poultry farm Saturday, a day after a highly virulent strain of bird flu was detected for the first time in the prefecture.

The Hokkaido government requested the deployment of Self-Defense Forces personnel to complete the culling at the farm in the town of Shimizu on Japans northernmost main island and contain the spread of the highly pathogenic H5 virus.

The local government has taken a series of quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the strain, the first in Hokkaido. Seven other poultry farms housing a total of 192,000 chickens are located within a 10-kilometer radius of the farm where the avian flu outbreak was confirmed, according to the Hokkaido government.

Cases of H5 virus at poultry farms have been found in Aomori and Niigata prefectures since November.
Central High School graduate Kristen Wells-Lewis said it wasn't until she left Beaumont in 2011 to attend Prairie View A&M University that she found her calling.

Her family wanted her to become a doctor or a lawyer.

While away at college, Wells-Lewis got involved in community engagement organizations that inspired her to go into the non-profit field.

Last year, she launched "Unapologetic," a movement that's aimed at empowering young people, mainly African-American women, through civic engagement and education.

The title, "Unapologetic," is meant to encourage young people to pursue their own path, even if it's not the norm - like the way she chose community leadership over medicine or law, said Wells-Lewis.

"We get into a habit of conforming," she said. "We lose our unique talent to give back to the world."

In November, Wells-Lewis, 23, hosted her first "Unapologetic" event, a day-long summit called "Reach Beyond the City Limits: College Prep" at Beaumont's Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.

She said it is important to her to inspire students attending Beaumont ISD schools.

"I'm really proud of where I came from and the opportunities that the city has given me," said Wells-Lewis, who graduated last year from Prairie View A&M, where she received the 2015 Student Humanitarian Award.

The Beaumont summit included a panel of high school counselors and former Beaumont ISD alumni who spoke to high school students and their parents about making plans for after graduation. Those plans could include applying to college or trade school or finding a job.

Wells-Lewis said she is trying to arrange a series of speakers to visit Beaumont high schools in the spring to talk about life after senior year. She said she'd like to get young people in a variety of different fields who can discuss their careers and how they manage adult responsibilities.

Wells-Lewis said she thinks the students will better relate to someone close to their own age and who comes from the same community.

"They need someone to say, 'I know exactly what that feels like.' Beaumont provides a place of comfort and security, but I think we need to push them a little further," said Wells-Lewis.

Wells-Lewis is starting a master's program in community development at Prairie View his spring. She said she hopes to expand "Unapologetic" events to reach other students outside Beaumont, but said she plans on maintaining strong ties to her hometown.

"I try to do as much as I can in Beaumont. I use it as a model," she said. "I know the school system. Beaumont is always my place of preference."

NKrebs@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/natalie_krebs
The deal grants BP a 10 per cent stake in Abu Dhabi's ADCO onshore oil concession for 40 years

Oil giant BP PLC has agreed to an onshore oil deal with Abu Dhabi worth $2.22 billion following years of negotiations.

The deal - signed on Saturday - involves BP creating new stock worth 2 per cent of its market value to be held by the Abu Dhabi government as part of the deal.

It also grants BP a 10 per cent stake in Abu Dhabi's ADCO onshore oil concession for 40 years.

Other foreign companies with stakes in the concession are France's Total SA, Japan's INPEX Corpotation and GS Energy of South Korea.

Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

BP has been in Abu Dhabi since 1939. In 2014, its stake in the onshore concession expired, leading to years of negotiations.

AP
George Osborne has said there should be no red lines in Brexit talks as he warned the vote to leave the EU had made Britain poorer.

The former chancellor also fired a warning shot to Theresa May by saying MPs must get to see and debate the plan for Brexit.

And he criticised the target she set as Home Secretary to get net migration down to the tens of thousands, which he said should not include students.

In his first major broadcast interview since leaving the front benches, Mr Osborne warned that Britain could face turbulent economic times because of the Brexit vote.

He told BBC1's The Andrew Marr show: "I sweated blood to turn the British economy around and I'm incredibly proud we got all these people into work, we made Britain the fastest growing economy in the West.

"But let's wait and see what happens. The pound fell sharply, we are not going to pretend any more that that doesn't mean the pound in your pocket isn't worth any less. Britain is poorer as a result.

"And all of the forecasts, including the Government's own independent forecast, show the economy is going to slow next year."

He said it is in Britain's "national interest" to have the "closest possible relations" with its key European neighbours including the French and the Germans.

And the former chancellor urged the Government not to discard existing free trade deals in Europe in the search for new ones elsewhere.

He said: "You can't say we are a beacon of free trade in the world and the main thing you achieve is a huge act of protectionism, the biggest in British industry."

Britain needs a "hard-headed assessment" about issues such as whether to leave the customs unions, he said.

And he urged the Prime Minister not to have "red lines" on issues like immigration.

He said: "I would not go into this negotiation necessarily drawing red lines.

"I would say we are leaving the EU - that's the only red line I would draw - let's go in there and try and get the best deal for Britain."

Concerns over immigration can be assuaged through better assimilation, he said, as he warned ministers not to "throw out the baby with the bathwater" and lose sight of the contribution immigrants make to the UK's prosperity.

He warned jobs in the financial sector could move to New York if Britain gets its Brexit negotiations wrong.

The Government has agreed to publish a Brexit plan and let Parliament scrutinise it before Article 50 is triggered next March after it was threatened with a backbench rebellion over the issue.

Mr Osborne said Parliament is going to scrutinise the process "whether the Government likes it or not".

He told the show: "We live in a parliamentary democracy, Theresa May is the Prime Minister because Conservative MPs - myself included in her case - chose her to be the Prime Minister.

"And of course Parliament is going to have to be central to these discussions because our Government comes out of Parliament."

He also admitted setting a target of getting net migration down to the tens of thousands "damaged" the Government in the referendum because "we didn't really have an answer" when challenged over why they missed it.

He also said he would not include students in the target, telling the show: "When I was the chancellor I thought it was not sensible to include them in the figures. But that's got to be a collective decision."
Two south Belfast residents were subjected to a terrifying ordeal after burglars armed with a knife, hammer and batons broke into their property.

Two south Belfast residents were subjected to a terrifying ordeal after burglars armed with a knife, hammer and batons broke into their property.

Just before midnight on Saturday, it was reported that three armed men forced their way into a property on Melrose Street off the Lisburn Road in south Belfast.

They assaulted two men - who are aged 26 years and 24 years - before making off with a quantity of cash and other personal items.

The three men were armed with a knife, a hammer and batons and they also smashed a number of windows in the property.

The victims required medical treatment at the time of the incident.

Detectives are appealing for information about the incident.

Detective Constable Campbell said: I would ask anyone with any information about this incident to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 6 of 18/12/16.
( The car at the centre of the alert ) Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert in the Carrick Hill area of North Belfast where they dealt with a suspicious vehicle resulting in a number of homes being evacuated on 17th December 2016 ( Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph )

Residents in the North Queen Street area of Belfast were evacuated from their homes overnight after a suspicious car parked a security alert.

The Westlink was also closed between 9.40pm and 10.15pm on Saturday during the security information.

A PSNI spokesman said officers investigating dissident republican activity attended a suspicious vehicle in the Plunkett Court area of North Belfast on Saturday evening.

Residents have been allowed home and the car has been removed for further examination.

"A number of houses were evacuated from approximately 9pm and the North Queen Street Community Centre was made available for any residents that needed shelter," he said.

"A number of local roads were closed to traffic and part of the Westlink was closed between approximately 9.40pm and 10.15pm.

"ATO also attended the suspicious vehicle and carried out searches to ensure it was safe. Just after 2am the car was taken away for further examination and the scene was closed, allowing residents to return to their homes and roads to reopen to traffic."

Chief Superintendent Chris Noble said: I would like to thank motorists and the local community for their support while we dealt with this situation. I understand the disruption that this caused to a lot of people and we appreciate the patience and understanding shown by residents as we focussed on ensuring their safety."
Senior Sinn Fein assemblyman Gerry Kelly has suffered injuries to his face after he was assaulted in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of common assault. He remains in custody assisting police with their inquiries.

It followed a report of an assault that occurred in the Gordon Street area of North Belfast at approximately 11.20pm on Saturday, a PSNI spokesman said.

He added: "A man, aged in his 60s received facial injuries."

Mr Kelly is a North Belfast Assembly member.
The DUP has released a statement saying it is working to establish an independent investigation into the RHI scandal.

MLAs are tonight preparing to debate an SDLP motion on excluding DUP leader Arlene Foster as First Minister for six months at the Assembly on Monday morning.

It has received support from the UUP, Alliance, TUV, the Green Party and People Before Profit.

Sinn Fein has not indicated whether it will back the motion, abstain or vote against it.

Although Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness urged Mrs Foster on Friday to stand aside while an investigated into the RHI scheme is carried out.

Read More

On Sunday evening the DUP released a statement revealing it has been "working to reach agreement with officials and others on the precise details of such an investigation over the last number of days".

"The DUP supports the need for an independent investigation, free from partisan political interference, to establish the facts around the RHI scheme," a DUP spokesman said.

"We are of the view that the conclusions of any investigation must be made public and that any investigation must be conducted speedily to assist in the process of building public confidence."

A row erupted over the controversial green energy scheme - set up by Mrs Foster - which paid out subsidies well in excess of the costs of buying renewable fuel earlier this year.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around 1 million in the next 20 years for heating an empty shed.

The "cash for ash" scandal reached fever pitch when Mr Bell broke ranks to level a series of explosive claims against his leader Mrs Foster and party advisers.

In an extraordinary TV interview, a tearful Mr Bell said God told him to come clean as he claimed a "highly agitated and angry" Mrs Foster demanded he keep the RHI open for an extra fortnight despite its huge losses.

Mr Bell has been suspended by the DUP without prejudice pending a party investigation over whether he broke the rules of the DUP by speaking to the media without informing their press office.
Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness saying his party plans to bring a proposal to the Assembly for the First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to facilitate an independent investigation into the RHI scandal.

Sinn Fein has announced that it will bring a proposal to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday calling for Arlene Foster to stand aside as First Minister.

The party had earlier on Sunday refused to say whether it would back a similar motion planned by the SDLP.

Read More

But on Sunday evening a statement was released on behalf of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness saying his party plans to bring a proposal to the Assembly on Monday calling for the First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to facilitate an independent investigation into the RHI scandal.

Read More

"The current crisis is not about party politics," Mr McGuinness said.

It is not an orange or green issue. It is about restoring the credibility of the power-sharing institutions and dealing with incompetence and allegations of corruption and abuse.

"That is my sole focus and the sole focus of Sinn Fein.

"It is my firm belief the only way to establish the truth of what has occurred and to begin to restore public faith in the institutions is for an independent, time-framed and robust investigation to take place.

"The First Minister should stand aside to allow this. There is also an urgent need to minimise the cost of the scheme to the public purse.

"Given the First Ministers failure thus far to accept this Sinn Fein will bring forward a proposal to the Assembly which calls on the First Minister to stand aside until this independent investigation brings forward a preliminary report.

We are calling on all parties and MLAs to support this."

Mr McGuinness went on to claim that a statement which Mrs Foster plans to make to the Assembly on Monday does not have his "approval".

The statement which Arlene Foster plans to make to the Assembly tomorrow does not have my authority or approval as deputy First Minister," he said.

"We have told the DUP this.

If she speaks this will be in a personal capacity and not in her role as First Minister.

There is no credibility in an inquiry established solely by the DUP or in the selective release of some documents by DUP departments.

If the DUP does take a unilateral approach, disregarding the authority and joint nature of the Executive Office on an issue which is cross-cutting, with massive budgetary implications and which is undermining public confidence in the political institutions this will have grave consequences."
Jonathan Bell has been suspended from the DUP

Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster is being urged to stand aside

Jonathan Bell pictured today (Sunday) near his Bangor Home. The Strangford MLA has been suspended from the DUP for speaking to the press without permission. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Sinn Fein is to bring a proposal to Northern Ireland's Assembly calling on Arlene Foster to stand aside as First Minister.

The Democratic Unionist leader has been under mounting pressure over her handling of a botched green energy scheme which critics predict will overspend by 400 million.

Sinn Fein are the DUP's partners in Government but the larger unionist party can use a parliamentary procedure to thwart any attempt to unseat her.

The DUP has said it supports an independent investigation. Sinn Fein believed an independent judicial figure from outside Northern Ireland should undertake the inquiry and raised the prospect of prosecutions if wrongdoing was uncovered.

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said: " Sinn Fein will bring forward a proposal to the Assembly which calls on the First Minister to stand aside until this independent investigation brings forward a preliminary report."

He added: "The statement which Arlene Foster plans to make to the Assembly tomorrow does not have my authority or approval as deputy First Minister."

Sinn Fein's deepening estrangement from the DUP could have grave consequences for the power-sharing institutions, which are predicated upon cross-community cooperation between the two largest parties of unionism and nationalism.

A generous scheme designed to encourage businesses to switch from burning fossil fuels is now predicted to cost the taxpayer millions after inadequate cost controls over payments.

Mrs Foster's role in establishing the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and during the period before it was shut down is under intense scrutiny but she has denied any wrongdoing.

A DUP statement said the party supported the need for a public and speedy independent investigation, free from partisan political interference, to establish the facts around the RHI scheme.

The row threatening the peace-building institutions has erupted over the controversial scheme which paid out subsidies well in excess of the costs of buying renewable fuel.

Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around 1 million in the next 20 years for heating an empty shed.

The "cash for ash" scandal reached fever pitch when former economy minister Jonathan Bell broke ranks to level a series of explosive claims against his leader and party advisers.

In an extraordinary TV interview, a tearful Mr Bell said God told him to come clean as he claimed a "highly agitated and angry" Mrs Foster demanded he keep the RHI open for an extra fortnight despite its huge losses.

Mr Bell was suspended by the party over the weekend.

The Sinn Fein intervention due to be debated at Stormont said there were serious allegations of "incompetence, corruption and abuse".

It said an independent, time-framed, robust and transparent investigation should be undertaken by an independent judicial figure from outside Northern Ireland and be appointed by the Attorney General John Larkin QC.
Flowers left at the scene after A man in his 50s died in a fire at a house in the East Link area of Holywood, County Down on Saturday. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

A man in his 50s has died following a fire at a house in Holywood.

The man, named locally as Carson Quinn, was aged in his 50s and believed to have been a wheelchair user.

One neighbour told the Sunday Life she believed he had spina bifida.

It fire happened in the East Link area on Saturday morning.

The incident was reported to police just after 9.20am.

Two neighbours raised the alarm after noticing that Mr Quinn's windows had gone black at around 9.10am.

Caroline Watts, a neighbour of the victim, said: My neighbour across the road noticed the windows blackening and the neighbour at the back noticed the windows blackening.

Expand Close Police forensics experts at the scene at a bungalow in the Abbey Link area of Holywood investigating the cause of the fire. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 17-12-2016 Photopress Belfast / Facebook

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Whatsapp Police forensics experts at the scene at a bungalow in the Abbey Link area of Holywood investigating the cause of the fire. Alan Lewis- PhotopressBelfast.co.uk 17-12-2016

Then they realised it was smoke, so they contacted the fire brigade who came out to the house and unfortunately had to put the door in and discovered Carson had died inside from, we presume, smoke inhalation and his little dog died with him.

Were very, very devastated.

It is not yet known what started the fire, but on Saturday a forensic team was carrying out investigations.

Green Party councillor John Barry attended the scene yesterday morning.

He said: The general feeling in the area is overwhelming shock and sadness. A death at any time of the year is tragic, but a week before Christmas is just heartbreaking.

The Clandeboye and Holywood representative added: My thoughts are with the whole community too because it is a tight, working class area and this has sent shockwaves around it.

While my first thoughts are with those close to Mr Quinn, Im looking forward to finding out the cause of the incident which will hopefully help his family understand what happened in this absolute tragedy.

North Down DUP MLA Gordon Dunne expressed his shock at the death.

He said "I am very shocked and saddened that a man has sadly lost his life in a fire at his home in Holywood. This is a real tragedy and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this terrible time.

"This tragedy has left a real sense of grief and sadness within the local community particularly as we approach the Christmas period. This is a close knit community and a tragedy such as this is felt right across the community."
Nigel Farage with a tray of Ferrero Rocher following Donald Trump's suggestion he would be suited to an ambassadorial role

Nigel Farage has claimed cabinet ministers have been banned from talking to him by Downing Street.

The former Ukip leader also said he wants to be a "bridge" between Donald Trump's US and the UK, the BBC reported.

His comments came after he became the first senior UK politician to meet the president-elect following his surprise victory.

Downing Street did not comment on Mr Farage's latest remarks but previously brushed off the chances of him becoming a go-between, insisting there was "no vacancy".

Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4: "If you wanted to get business from the biggest company in the world and there was someone there that had the contacts and connections, the first thing you do is to employ that person.

"I find the fact that Downing Street don't want to acknowledge me, have banned cabinet ministers from even talking to me, it shows you the sort of very small-minded, petty, tribal level that British politics is at - it's a shame."

Quizzed on his relationship with the president-elect and what he would compare it to, he said: "I can't make big decisions, but I tell you what I can do, what I genuinely can do.

"Is I can help to be a bridge between the government in this country and the new trade department in this country and not just Donald Trump, but his team and his administration.

"And I would like to do that."

On whether he could secure a trade deal for the UK that Prime Minister Theresa May could not, he said he thinks that "trade deal is potentially there on offer".

"He (Donald Trump) is going to be inaugurated in a few weeks time and mark my words this is a very big Anglophile president that is taking over, and that is good for us," he added.

Responding to a question about a spike in hate crime after the EU referendum, Mr Farage said he has received 10 death threats in the last two weeks, but denied he fears for his life.

He added: "Have there been yobs and louts that have behaved badly since Brexit? Yes. But, you know what, they were behaving badly before Brexit.

"There are always going to be people in our community like that.

"And actually the recent figures show that in the last three months that spike as people saw it hate crime post referendum has now fallen markedly."

Last month, Mr Farage was pictured grinning in a gold-plated lift alongside the president-elect at his New York skyscraper.

Mr Trump then shocked Westminster by sending a late-night tweet saying Mr Farage would do a "great job" as Britain's ambassador to the US.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox dismissed Mr Farage's claim ministers were told not to talk to him.

He told BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I have not had any such instruction.

"We have longstanding understandings of how we deal with incoming administrations in this country. We have got a full diplomatic team that was close to both the Hillary Clinton and the Donald Trump teams preparing for the relationship that we would have to have.

"We don't need anything as an adjunct to what the Government already does, and has successfully done in the past.

"I think we have got a perfectly good ambassador in Washington at the present time. Last time I looked there was no other vacancy."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "Nigel Farage has absolutely no right to speak for Britain on the world stage.

"The vast majority of British people do not share his hateful vision and want to keep our country open, tolerant and united.

"Someone who has spent their career trying to divide our country is not fit to represent it abroad."
Gerard Coyne, pictured, is challenging Len McCluskey for the leadership of the Unite union

The general secretary of the RMT has dismissed claims the union is "part of some conspiracy to bring the Government down".

Mick Cash has insisted train workers are staging a series of strikes this Christmas because they are worried about the safety of passengers.

He was forced to defend the RMT after its president, Sean Hoyle, reportedly said unions are coordinating strike action to bring down the Tory Government.

Appearing on BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, Mr Cash said the strikes on Southern rail network are not a political stunt but over concerns about passengers being caught in doors, dragged along platforms and getting injured.

He said: "I see the media reports today, and as far as I'm concerned I'm not interested in what's said at fringe political meetings.

"We are a serious industrial trade union, we are not part of some conspiracy to bring the Government down. We are focusing on the concerns that our members have had around safety on the railways."

Unions are striking to keep guards in operation of the doors on trains, a role they say is crucial to the safe operation of the routes.

Mr Cash added: "That's what this dispute is about - it's all about safety and it's about us trying to ensure there is a guarantee of a second safety critical person on every train."

He accused Chris Grayling of "failing" as Transport Secretary because he is not helping to resolve the dispute, and urged him to "sort this out"

Mr Cash said the union does not relish taking strike action, but the alternative is to let the railways degenerate "into unsafe practices".

"Politicians come and go and I've seen a huge amount of secretaries of state in the last few years - there's been around 30 since privatisation" he said.

"They come and go, we are the people who actually pick up what they leave behind and we don't want to be in a position where we run an unsafe railway. And that's where they are going."
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 48 soldiers, a Health Ministry official said.

The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Nasr al-Wali, a Health Ministry official based in Aden, said 84 people were injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest.

The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said.

The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on December 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In addition to IS, Yemen is the long-time home to an active branch of al Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen.

The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the rebels and their allies.

AP
Forty two migrants have been taken to hospital after several dozen, including children, were found packed in a van travelling through the country.

Emergency doctors said most were suffering from carbon-monoxide poisoning and some were unconscious.

Doctor Maja Grba Buljevic told the Hina news agency their condition has improved.

Croatia's state TV said a total of 62 people, including children, were in the van when it was stopped late Saturday by traffic police on a road near the town of Novska, by the Bosnian border.

All the migrants were male, from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and smuggled illegally into the country, reports said.

A police statement is expected later on Sunday.

Thousands of migrants are stranded in neighbouring Serbia looking for ways to reach western Europe.

AP
Bob Ritter has only been the administrator at Claremont Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Carlisle since July, but he already has a goal in mind  getting the county-owned nursing home back to a 5-star rating.

The facility had a 5-star status in 2013 that was lowered in November 2014. However, this past November, the facility increased its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services star rating to 4 stars, with the help of a 5-star achievement for quality measures.

Next Ritter plans to work on the other metrics  staffing and health inspections.

Were going to continue to work on quality measures. Ive added an additional RN position to the budget, he said. Were trying to increase staffing as much as we can. I think everyone is in the same type of situation. I think were all starving for more health care professionals. The challenge is finding good staff, educated staff and licensed staff all across the country.

As Ritter works to make sure Claremonts floors are well-manned and womaned, the facility will also handle that other metric: health inspections.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health reinstated anonymous reporting in July 2015, which, the department in October reported, resulted in an overall increase of 155 percent in nursing home complaints.

Ritter said that though anonymous complaints make it a little more difficult to properly address the issues, he noted that Claremont hasnt seen an increase or decrease in the number of complaints investigated by the department.

Its not earth-shattering in context, he said.

Investigations

Ritters acceptance of the new regulations is along the lines of what the department believes most nursing homes feel.

I think ... they want whats best for the residents, said April Hutcheson, press secretary for the state Department of Health. There are many, many very good nursing homes in Pennsylvania. They want to produce the best care that they can.

For those that dont, however, the department has set up an easier system to make complaints  one that does not require a complainants name.

Its really hard for a resident of a nursing home to make a complaint against someone who takes care of them every day, Hutcheson said.

Nursing home residents or family members of residents can make complaints through three options: with an online form at www.health.pa.gov, via phone at 1-800-254-5164 or by mail to Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Nursing Care Facilities, 625 Forster St., Room 526, Health and Welfare Building, Harrisburg PA 17120-0701.

Hutcheson said this information is featured in posters that are placed prominently in nursing homes, as per state regulations.

She explained that once the department receives a complaint, a trained surveyor reviews the complaint to determine if it violates state or federal law and if the department should move ahead with an investigation.

Complaints that indicate there may be a health or safety threat to a patient will be acted on immediately, but other investigations will be completed with 21 days. If a person leaves a contact name and number  something that does not have to be shared in the complaint  then the department will communicate if the complaint has been received.

Surveyors from a regional Department of Health location will make an unannounced inspection of the facility to investigate the complaint. The report from that investigation will then go on the departments website after a period of 41 days to allow for an appeal period for the facility.

The complaint system is not the only change at the department, which in 2015 asked the auditor general to evaluate the department for deficiencies in its nursing home oversight. The department has also established new procedures to ensure surveys are consistent and objective, improved communication with complainants, increased enforcement of regulatory sanctions and revised its calculations for how facilities are fined.

Department of Health Secretary Karen Murphy in October said the department in coming months will work with legislators, revise its regulations, recommend laws and retrain staff to make a fundamental shift in nursing home oversight.

The auditor general has also since released a guide to help Pennsylvania residents understand what is available to them when choosing a nursing facility. The Citizens Guide for Informed Decision-making is available online at www.PaAuditor.gov.
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For a nonprofit organization like Carlisles Safe Harbour, sometimes actual, tangible donations are just as important, if not more so, than monetary donations.

With its 2016-17 annual campaign in full swing, the homeless shelter is also running its fourth annual Linens and Things campaign, which is a companion to the shelter.

The annual campaign raises dollars and donations to sustain the nonprofit organizations mission of providing housing and supportive services for homeless and nearly homeless individuals and families in Cumberland County in order to help them achieve independent living by increasing their basic life skills.

Linens and Things is a focus on material items: pillows, pillow cases, sheets, blankets, towels and washcloths, and mattress covers and pads. At each of the seven F&M Trusts Cumberland County community offices  the bank is Safe Harbours corporate partner  a laundry basket is set so that people can donate the desired items.

When those baskets are filled to the brim, Safe Harbours Vice President for Community Relations and Development Scott Shewell picks them up.

Throughout the year these donations are very important to us because theyre essential things that people need to be able to have shelter, he said. We have a constant need for those things  without them, without the donations we receive; we could not be able to provide that to our folks.

Its certainly as important as donating funds, he added.

Last year Safe Harbour raked in between $3,000 and $5,000 worth of material donations during the Linens and Things campaign, and Shewell is expecting similar results this year.

Donations should be new or gently used. Personal hygiene items are also needed.

F&M Trusts community office locations can be found on the banks website at www.fmtrustonline.com.
Global media can be a pillar of democracy when it strives to uncover the truth. On Thursday, Uganda will have its first multi-party election in over 20 years. Given the country's turbulent post-colonial history and the fragile political situation in the Great Lakes region in East Africa this election is of the utmost importance. The election must be given the broad coverage it deserves by all major media outlets.



Uganda's last multi-party elections a marred by widespread violence and fraud a set the stage for a dark period in the country's history. Twenty six years later, the lack of media coverage being given to what could potentially be a very combustible situation could once again have catastrophic repercussions.



In the past year alone global media played a critical role in turning the tide in elections in nations as diverse as Uzbekistan and Lebanon. By bringing the struggle of pro-democracy movements into our homes, audiences the world over have overwhelmingly denounced any attempts to undermine the will of the people. With over half a million people being killed in the 1970s and 1980s Uganda was notorious for its human rights abuses. President Yoweri Museveni, who came to power after a military coup in 1986, initiated a period of steady socio economic recovery. Sworn into office in front of hundreds of thousands of jubilant Ugandans he promised his regime would not be a mere achanging of the guarda? but rather a fundamental change.



However, after 20 years in office his track record has begun to falter. In failing to reach a peaceful resolution to a 20 year conflict in Northern Uganda, 1.6 million people have been internally displaced and now live in squalid settlements around the country. His government has also come under fire from international human rights groups for its involvement in the civil war in neighboring Congo, which having claimed the lives of up to 4 million people and which was referred to by the BBC as the world's most deadly war since 1945. In condemnation of Uganda's actions, the International Court of Justice ruled that its actions violated Congo's sovereignty leading to gross human rights abuses and the illicit plundering of billions of dollars of Congo's natural resources. The Congo government has asked for $10 billion in compensation.



Last year, with assurances from President Mbeki, Dr. Kizza Besigye, the Ugandan President's chief rival, returned from exile in South Africa to contest in the upcoming elections. Within three weeks of his arrival Dr. Besigye was arrested and thrown in the country's notorious Luzira Prison, where he was charged with treason and rape.



It is telling that in the face of perhaps the stiffest challenge to his leadership since he came to office, President Museveni, who was once lauded as one of the new breed of African leaders, clamped down on the media, used heavy handed tactics to quell demonstrations calling for Dr. Besigye's release, and deployed armed forces in Uganda's major urban centers to restore law and order. After pressure from abroad, Dr. Besigye was released on bail, and with less than a fortnight to go is making hasty preparations for the election.



In a truly democratic state, the voting process must be free and fair, but the absence of checks on the executive means that Uganda's president can maintain the charade of presiding over a well functioning democracy, whilst doing as he pleases. Only last Wednesday three FDC supporters were fatally shot, in broad daylight, as they eagerly awaited Dr. Besigye in a suburb of Kampala, the capital city. On Sunday, seven military armored cars jammed their way through a crowd at an FDC rally in the town of Mukono critically injuring two people. And with only a few days remaining until the voting, police have fired tear gas on opposition supporters in order to disperse aillegal assemblies.a?



Given the numerous instances of election violence, the revelation that there are undisclosed polling stations in existence, allegations of buying voters and a general shortage of impartial election monitors, concerns have been raised about the ability to monitor the election. And yet the opposition is confident, declaring that whilst the state may have the army and all its weapons, the heart and minds of the electorate belong to them.



Although no one can guarantee who will win the election, it is undeniable that the watchful gaze of the media will serve notice to all those involved that the world is monitoring events on the ground. This reassures voters to remain steadfast in their resolve not to be intimidated by brazen displays of strength, intended to suggest that their only choice is between a ballot for the incumbent or a bullet, as a result of the chaos that will ensue if he is not reelected.



Global media must not turn a deaf ear to the cries of Ugandans yearning to freely express their will. Ensure that any electoral abuses are reported to the entire international community.

****

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A Muslim student at NYU says some Trump supporters pulled off her hijab and yelled epithets at her on a bus, then admits it was all a big fat lie. Its disgusting and unacceptable.

But Muslim women in Aleppo are being raped.

Feminists are freaking out because Texas passed a law requiring clinics and hospitals to respectfully bury the remains of babies who have been aborted. Its disgusting and unsurprising from abortion-rights militants.

But babies are being massacred in Aleppo.

Donald Trump attacks the CIA for suggesting that Russians hacked into the DNC emails, thereby influencing our domestic political processes even though he himself invited them to hack into Hillarys 30,000 emails during the campaign. Its disgusting and typical of a man who said Vladimir Putin was doing a great job.

But the Russians are helping the Syrian government murder innocent civilians.

The world is ending in Aleppo. The flames are engulfing its streets, the bullets are tearing through the bodies of its remaining inhabitants, the earth is groaning under the weight of its new corpses, the air is filled with the screams of its dying.

And we look away, until we are forced to face the reality, a reality show that doesnt have tidy, self-contained episodes and beautiful, botoxed faces and faux-tragedies like broken engagements. We look, for the few moments or days that we care to devote to the tragedy unfolding on our watch, and then move on to the next sound bite.

Is Alec Baldwin on SNL this week? Will Kanye be fitted for a straitjacket? Did Angelina get full custody of the rest of the kids she forgot to adopt from Ethiopia?

Im disgusted. Aleppo, the place that Gary Johnson was too stoned to locate on a map, is dying. And history is repeating itself.

When the Armenians were exterminated by Turkey at the turn of the last century, the world pretended it wasnt happening. The cowardly Turks still deny it to this day. Syria will do the same with Aleppo.

Then, when the Jews were being eliminated, nationality by nationality, from Western Europe, Felix Frankfurter urged Franklin Roosevelt to act. The American government didnt want to jump into the conflict, and until Pearl Harbor, essentially closed its eyes to the genocidal wave across the Atlantic. Neville Chamberlain extolled peace in our time. And the smell of burning flesh and ash rose from Auschwitz, Dachau, Bergen Belsen and Treblinka.

Never again, we said.

But again the horror came, in Cambodia, in Srebrenica, in Rwanda. Now Aleppo is disintegrating before our eyes.

The beautiful ancient minarets, the bustling market squares, the neighborhoods where people raised their children, lived their lives, are gone. The streets are filled with blood and smoke, and screams and people running to unknown destinations, but certain danger.

There was a brief ceasefire between the Syrian government and the rebels, and it collapsed as quickly as it was brokered. Innocent civilians were killed in their homes and during evacuations. Another was brokered in the middle of last week, and that also will collapse if the past is prologue.

I deal with immigrants from that part of the world in my legal practice, but I meet the lucky ones who escaped before the massacres began. The others are still there in Aleppo, which is dying.

Please, America, stop worrying about becoming great again. Stop trying to recount an election that is completed, sealed, served up and over. Stop pointing fingers across the aisle, stop caring about idiots who lie about hate crimes, stop listening to the pundits on cable news screeching about who met with Trump and what they had for lunch.

The average American cannot make a difference, cannot become a medic and treat the injured, cannot provide housing for the homeless, cannot bring sanity and stability to a city on the edge of the abyss, cannot force our government to finally, do the right thing.

But we can have the grace to pay attention to the dismantling of civilization this time around, and let our Syrian brothers and sisters know that they are seen, felt, heard.

We owe this, in the name of one million Armenians, six million Jews, two million Cambodians, 7,000 Bosnian Muslims, and 800,000 Rwandans.

Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, and can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
Asia Pacific nations adopt New Delhi Declaration for Urban Plus approach

Published: December 17, 2016

The sixth edition of Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) held in New Delhi has adopted New Delhi declaration to adopt Urban Plus approach.

This was the first such meeting held to discuss ways of realising the New Urban Agenda that was finalised during the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (also known as Habitat III conference) held in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016. Its theme of conference was Emerging Urban Forms-Policy Reforms and Governance Structures in the Context of New Urban Agenda. It was attained by representatives of Asia Pacific countries that account for over 55% of global urban population. It adopted Implementation Plan and New Delhi Declaration. The next biennial APMCHUD Conference will be hosted by Iran in 2018.

New Delhi Declaration

Strongly advocated planning for urban and adjoining rural areas in an integrated manner instead of looking at them as independent entities.

Called for thorough review of existing policies and formulation of new policies to promote New Urban Agenda adopted at UN Habitat III Conference in Quito, Eucador in October 2016.

It stressed on the need for effective governance structures in urban areas noting that governance as the key to sustainable development.

Implementation Plan Recommends

Formulation of National Human Settlement Policies to promote inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city and human settlements.

Land regulation policy mechanisms such as land pooling to ensure inclusive and participatory planning, integration of land use and transportation planning across defined boundaries of cities.

Enforcement and incentivasation of timely execution of infrastructure projects, formulation of comprehensive urban parking policies and community participation in urban planning.

Adopt urban resilience as criteria for investment to withstand and absorb disasters and shocks and maintain normal services and quickly return to normalcy.

For background: 2016 APMCHUD

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016

Topics: APMCHUD  Events  National  New Delhi Declaration  UN Habitat III Conference  Urban Plus approach  Urbanisation

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NASA successfully launches 8 mini-satellites for hurricane forecasting

Published: December 18, 2016

The NASA has successfully launched constellation of eight mini-satellites as part Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) into space to improve hurricane forecasting.

These satellites were air launched by aerospace company Orbital ATK onboard of Pegasus rocket fired from plane at height of 12km. NASA had opted for air launch rather than traditional rocket liftoff from the ground, to cut costs.

Key Facts

Each of the micro-satellite of CYGNSS weighs just 64 pounds (32kg) and has 5-foot wingspan. They will be placed into the orbit 500km above earths surface.

They have GPS navigation receivers to frequently measure the surface roughness of oceans. It will allow scientists to calculate wind speed and storm intensity.

Unlike weather satellites already in orbit, these satellites can peer through rain swirling in a hurricane, all the way into the core or eye.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016

Topics: CYGNSS  Hurricane Forecasting  International  NASA  Science and Technology  Weather forecasting

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Rajiv Jain appointed as new chief of Intelligence Bureau

Published: December 18, 2016

The Union government has appointed senior IPS officer Rajiv Jain as the new chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB). He succeeds Dineshwar Sharma and shall have two years term.

He is IPS officer of the 1980-batch of Jharkhand-cadre. He had joined the IB in 1989 as assistant director. Since then he has worked in different capacities including the sensitive Kashmir desk. He had handled various assignments as chief of Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau (SIB), name given to IB units in state capitals.

He had headed the Ahmedabad SIB (from 2005 to 2008) and later in Delhi SIB (from 2008 to 2012) which is considered politically sensitive. He was advisor to previous NDA governments interlocutor on Kashmir K C Pant when talks were held with separatist leaders. He is recipient of Presidents Police Medal.

About Intelligence Bureau (IB)

IB is Indias internal intelligence agency.

It was recasted as the Central Intelligence Bureau in 1947 under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Established: 1887 by British India Government.

1887 by British India Government. Headquarters: New Delhi.

New Delhi. Motto:   (English : Always Alert).

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2016

Topics: appointments  Intelligence Bureau  National  Persons in News  Rajiv Jain

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Building society Nationwide UK Ireland has apologised to customers after they were incorrectly asked to provide personal information.

The financial firm said no data breach had occurred and this had been confirmed by the Data Protection Commissioner.

Nationwide UK Ireland's head office in Britain wrote to customers in Ireland requesting information about their tax residency.

They were asked whether they were tax resident in the UK or elsewhere and were asked to send certified copies of supporting documentation such as a passport, certificate of residency or national ID card.

A company statement said: "Some Nationwide UK (Ireland) customers recently received a letter in error from our head office in the United Kingdom regarding new international tax compliance regulations.

"We are contacting impacted customers to apologise for any inconvenience caused."

It said there was information on its website, and customers should make contact for any further information.

Nationwide UK Ireland is a subsidiary of Nationwide Building Society and the terms and conditions state that information may be shared within the society. Therefore, no data protection breach has occurred as a result.

Any information provided by Nationwide UK Ireland customers as a result of the mailing will be destroyed.
Dublin Chamber of Commerce has said retailers are feeling "cautiously optimistic" about their sales figures ahead of Christmas.

With seven shopping days remaining until Christmas, retailers are expecting a busy week ahead and think some consumers' spending decisions have been delayed this year.
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Gunmen have ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada.

At least 27 people were also injured in one of the bloodiest attacks in the country in recent memory.

A stand-off between Jordanian special forces and armed men holed up inside the castle continued after nightfall on Sunday, several hours after the first shooting. Government officials declined to comment on local news reports that the attackers had taken hostages who were later freed.

Shots could still be heard at the scene on Sunday evening, and security forces fired tear gas to flush out the gunmen.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group seized large parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 87 miles south of the capital Amman.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, Jordan's Public Security Directorate said in a statement.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were injured and the assailants fled in a car.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries.

Jordan faces home-grown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key US ally, and a member of a US-led military coalition fighting IS.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathisers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three US military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base.

AP
Four members of the security forces and a Canadian tourist have been killed in a series of shootings in central Jordan.

The attacks, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, are the latest in a series of incidents that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.
Just under one percent weight in national CPI, with a contribution of over one-fourth in inflation, such is the ...
TEHRAN: Iran on Saturday accused the United States of seeking to gain concessions in nuclear talks aimed at...
Canberra's clubs made a combined $168 million from poker machines in the past year, with the vast bulk of that concentrated in the hands of the eight biggest club groups.

For these clubs, poker machines are big business. The most profitable are in the hands of the Labor Party's four Labor clubs, whose machines make $50,000 each a year. This compares to the average for all poker machines in Canberra, of $36,600 before tax.

Poker machines in Canberra: No limits on eftpos withdrawals in a number of clubs. Credit:Mark Graham

The Labor club group made a total of $24.4 million before tax in the past financial year, about $700,000 less than 2014-15.
Canberrans spend three times longer in homelessness accommodation than all Australians and more than two people are turned away each day.

Meanwhile, there's been a rise in people with a mental illness accessing homelessness support in the ACT and seeking it due to domestic violence.

St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn council president Warwick Fulton at the shelter Samaritan House, which he says struggles to cope with the demand of homeless people in the ACT. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The new figures were published in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's 2016 Specialist Homelessness Services Collection report.

The report showed the median number of days spent in homelessness accommodation in Canberra was up 15 from the previous year to 121 in 2015-16, compared with 35 nationally.
It's a peculiar type of passion that can be put on hold. Yet there was the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, assuring the republican movement he helped to found that he remains a believer, a passionate one. He still wants Australia to grow up, and stop genuflecting to its coloniser. Advance Australia; up the republic!

Just not yet. No move to scrap this branch of the Queen's family business until she is Queen no more. "The vast majority of Australians have known no other head of the state than the Queen," Turnbull told the Australian Republican Movement on Saturday night. "I do not believe Australians would welcome, let alone support, another republic referendum during her reign."

Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy at the University of Sydney on Saturday where the Prime Minister reaffirmed his support for an Australian republic. Credit:Deborah Snow

No word on how long after her funeral Australians should wait for independence; would it be impolite to move after Elizabeth's death but before Charles' coronation?

Turnbull's hesitation is well-founded. Moving prematurely to another defeat would doom Australia to a future that remains subservient to Britain for decades to come, if not longer. Elizabeth is one of the monarchy's most successful leaders, and republicans have much work to do to convert more Australians to the logical next step in their homeland's history.
Western Australian Senator Rod Culleton has resigned from Pauline Hanson's One Nation party, a move welcomed by the party leader who said he was a "pain in the backside" and she was "glad to see the back of him".

Senator Culleton will continue his term as a senator for Western Australia independently of One Nation, according to a media release tweeted from the senator's official Twitter account on Sunday night.

The maverick senator cited a fraught relationship with Senator Hanson, a lack of respect from party colleagues and a slew of policy differences with the One Nation team.

"Policy decisions have been run in morning media, with no consultation, discussion or agreement from the party room and personal attacks and undermining, un-Australian behaviour towards myself and my team, has been ongoing and terms dictated to the team," Senator Culleton said in a statement.
A wedding reception in south-west Sydney has ended in violence, after a mass brawl broke out between guests early on Sunday morning.

The fight erupted outside Conca D'oro, a wedding event and function venue on Belmore Road, Riverwood.

Police said that, about midnight, 25 to 30 people became involved in a brawl on the street, and a passing motorist had his car window smashed in the commotion.

When police arrived, they found a 22-year-old man semi-conscious with injuries to his mouth and nose. The man was treated at the scene before being taken to Bankstown Hospital.

Seven News reported that guests were attending the wedding reception of a couple named as Teisa Fifita and Junior Tupola. No further information about the couple is available.
Meet Benson.

This eight-year-old boy comes from Kampala in Uganda where a witch doctor cut off his penis.

Benson with his mother and Kyampisi Childcare director Peter Michael (left) and Rodney Callanan (right)

As horrifying as that sounds in Australia, witch doctors mutilating children is sadly not an unusual story in Uganda.

Benson is lucky. He will travel with his mum to Brisbane in early 2017, where Mater Private Hospital's urological surgeon David Winkle will operate free of charge to repair his genitals and change Benson's life.
Gable Tostee's lawyer says it's far from certain that the Queensland coroner will hold an inquest into the death of his Tinder date.

Mr Tostee was acquitted earlier this year of killing 26-year-old New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright, who fell from the 14th floor balcony of his Gold Coast apartment in 2014.

Gable Tostee leaves court a free man on October 20. Credit:Robert Shakespeare

State Coroner Terry Ryan has reopened his investigation into Ms Wright's death, something he could not do until the criminal proceedings had been resolved.

Mr Tostee's lawyer Nick Dore says the coroner's move doesn't necessarily mean there will be an inquest, which are uncommon in Queensland.
A four-year-old boy was one of five people rescued from sinking boats in separate incidents in Victoria's Western Port Bay over the weekend.

A family of three, including a man, 38, woman, 34, and the small boy, were lucky to survive when their boat started taking on water on Sunday.

Five people were rescued from sinking boats in separate incidents over the weekend. Credit:Patrick Herve

A passing vessel raised the alarm, but by the time Water Police arrived the trio had made it safely to shore.

On Saturday, two men also got into trouble when they ran out of fuel and ran aground in the bay.
More than a dozen cars have been scratched and had their windscreens smashed by vandals overnight, 3AW is reporting.

It has been told 16 cars were damaged on an Doncaster East street, between Tunstall and Blackburn roads.

Elizabeth told 3AW she was walking back from the supermarket when she noticed the damage. She counted nine smashed windows

"The neighbours had come out on my street and they were just gobsmacked," says Elizabeth.

One car has the word 'APEX' scratched into the bonnet.

The incident is alleged to have happened around 5am today.
An Australian university professor has reportedly been held for five months in a Turkish jail without charge as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues a purge of alleged opponents.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop is aware of the case of the dual Australian - Turkish academic but attempts to provide consular assistance have been frustrated by Turkish authorities, The Australian newspaper reported on Monday.

Turkish soldiers secure Istanbul's Taksim square as supporters of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in July after a failed coup. Credit:AP

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to seek to offer consular assistance to an Australian-Turkish dual-national academic ... detained in Turkey,'' a spokeswoman for Ms Bishop said.

Following a failed coup attempt in July, Turkish authorities have targeted people with links to exiled cleric and Hismet movement leader Fethullah Gulen, who has denied involvement.
Washington: The liberal group MoveOn.org is out with a stunning new poll of its members: 94 per cent want the organisation to launch an effort to get the electoral college to reject Donald Trump as president.

This may surprise you, but this is not a representative sample. Not of the American public, and not even of Democrats or liberals.

Yes, the electoral college still technically has the means to block Trump's path to the Oval Office - at least temporarily - when it meets on Monday. But not even Democrats are that strongly on board with the idea.

A new CBS News poll suggests only 37 per cent of Americans approve of the idea that electoral college voters should be able to vote for someone other than the rightful winner of their state and votes; 57 per cent disapprove of this idea. As you might expect, Democrats are more willing to cast aside protocol and have electors vote their consciences. (After all, doing so could theoretically still mean their candidate, Hillary Clinton, has a shot at becoming president.) But even they are only meh. While 51 per cent say they approve of the idea of "faithless electors," 44 per cent do not.
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Stephanie Loria would like to set the record straight: If you get stung by a scorpion and you are a healthy adult, you wont die. She paused, then added, You may wish you were dead. But they get such a bad rap.

Yes, pity the poor scorpions  so misunderstood. Fortunately, the species has Loria on its side. A native of Glendale, Queens, and graduate of New Yorks Catholic school system, she is perhaps the citys only scorpion apologist. She loves the creatures, researches them, and this fall she got her Ph.D. in scorpion studies from the American Museum of Natural Historys Richard Gilder Graduate School. Other grads included a frog researcher, a bat specialist getting an honorary degree, and a guy who has identified 70 new species of wasps.

Not sure Id want to be at their Christmas party. But having never seen an actual scorpion  or scorpion researcher  I did want to meet Loria. So the other day I went to the museum and was escorted past dozens of dinosaur-demanding school groups, up to the restricted fifth floor, past hundreds of lockers housing insect specimens, and then through a hall lined with clear plastic boxes containing  omg!

Tarantulas. Live tarantulas, the size of chipmunks, waving their furry legs.

How did Night at the Museum miss these guys?

One floor up I found Loria in her lab, scorpions at her side  dead.

We have some live stuff downstairs, but those are more like pets, she said. These I actually collected during my trips to Southeast Asia.

And how does one collect a scorpion? Well, said Loria, cheerful as a flight attendant, you just have to go into the jungle at night. Scorpions are black, so you cant see them except by using an ultra-violet flashlight, but then they phosphoresce like Jimi Hendrix posters. They also shed their exoskeletons. So you look for glowing bits of dead scorpion on the trail leading you to a live one and then, using foot-long tweezers, you try to grab it as fast as you can before it scurries into its borrow.

At that point, says Loria, you often have moths swarming around your face and youre swallowing them, and sometimes youre also near ants, and youre covered with them, and some of them are pretty nasty. Long story short, if you dont manage to grab the scorpion with the tweezers, sometimes you just dig them out.

Thats right: You stick your hands into a scorpion den hoping youll find some.

One time, Loria recalls, she and her advisor were on a nighttime hunt in the Malaysian jungle when suddenly, a scorpion stung him.

Two of his fingers were paralyzed and he had a burning sensation moving up his arm and into his chest, says Loria. It was just me and him in the middle of nowhere.

Then what happened?

He took an antihistamine, says Loria. By the morning, he was fine.

After an agonizing night.

Loria wont let this prejudice you against scorpions. There are 2,200 species of them, she says, and only 45 have poisonous venom. Whats more, they can live up to 25 years, and are members of the arachnid family, like spiders, but less popular. At arachnid conventions (I know, I know), 85 to 95 percent of the talks are about spiders, says Loria, bummed. Scorpions get no respect. And yet, they have been around since before the dinosaurs.

In her own pre-history, Loria grew up digging millipedes and centipedes out of her backyard and bringing them inside, to her parents non-delight. She had an ant farm, a moth farm, and a grammar school teacher who showed her rubber replicas of bugs and encouraged her curiosity. One time, Loria wore a dead cicadas shell on her nose to freak out her schoolmates.

It worked.

But Loria wasnt really trying to disgust anyone. She was just fascinated by the behind the scenes work that insects and arachnids do.

If you watch any nature shows on TV, its always about big cats, or other mammals we relate to. But the real heroes, she says, are the smaller creatures we rely on. Bees pollinate. Millipedes play a role in decomposing. Spiders and scorpions keep the insect population down.

By high school, she was taking after-school classes at the Museum and did an internship studying flamingo behavior.

Now that she has her Ph.D., she is heading to San Fran to start studying the evolution of scorpion venom. Her future looks so bright, she has to pinch herself.

Before anything else does.

Read Lenore Skenazys column every Sunday morning on Brook lynPa per.com
Photos: Phillies fans converge on CBP for Game 4

Phillies fans were hyped up for Game 4 of the World Series at Citizens Bank Park and the stadium complex Wednesday.


Rule #1: You can never ask too many questions.










Bank employee admits role in scheme that targeted South Jersey cash

Feds say call-center workers took customers' ID and account information, then used that to take their cash.
The Centres decision not to allow foreign direct investment (FDI) in the trade, purportedly taken with a view to stifling the growth of the sin economy, could end up protecting the sector from competition from international brands, thus stabilising growth, say experts.
There is an acute shortage of senior airline pilots and commanders in India. With new airlines and more aircraft coming in, the shortage is likely to keep getting more and more acute. Poaching among airlines has become a serious issue and many airlines have been asking the notice period for pilots to be raised to one year.



Industry veteran SHAKTI LUMBA, 66, is not known for mincing his words. The former Indian Airlines pilot who also headed Alliance Air (he spent 28 years with Indian airlines) for some time is a known fire-brand in the sector  a man who always carried his resignation letter in his pocket. After a long and controversial career with Indian Airlines and Alliance Air, Lumba worked with IndiGo for five years and was part of the start-up team for the airline.



In Lumbas view, the growth of aviation in India going forward will be restricted by a severe shortage of senior pilots. He argues that the DGCA will be largely to blame for this as the organisation is caught in a time warp and is more a controlling agency than one that ensures safety and facilitates the sector. He also wants the directorate for flight inspection disbanded. Excerpts from a no-holds barred chat with Anjuli Bhargava. Edited excerpts:
Byju Raveendran, the founder of Byju's the learning app for school students has seen more small town users for its tool that helps students learn concepts better.
There was no formal note of dissent from the board of directors of Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals for the Corus and Brunner Mond acquisitions, now an issue of debate.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Mandovi river in Goa, the first edition of the seeks to create a dialogue between different art forms  from music and theatre to dance and photography to craft and culinary art. Avantika Bhuyan speaks with SUNIL KANT MUNJAL, chairman, Hero Corporate Service, about the decision to start an interdisciplinary festival and how conversation around arts can be kept alive beyond the duration of the festival. Edited excerpts:
Days after Vardah, described as a very severe cyclonic storm, hit Chennai, the city is still grappling with power cuts. The cyclone, which has left a trail of destruction behind it, disrupted mobile and telecommunication services in the city and its neighbouring districts. People struggled to buy essentials since ATMs and point of sale machines didnt work. And, banks were closed for four days in a row.
In this ancient city that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, development and stink literally go hand-in-hand, the latter in spite of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, having been launched in more than two years ago.

As you walk down the markets and bathing stairways of this temple-dotted city along the Ganges, a river revered by Hindus, the garbage strewn all around raises an almighty stink. A cluster of cows and bulls squatting in the middle of roads poses a threat to passersby and commuters.

"Benaras (as was earlier known) has a rich, grand cultural heritage but it's literally stinking. You can see garbage even in the city's upscale areas," Smith Williams, a tourist from the US, said.

He said vehicular and industrial pollution is alarmingly high. "It's amazing to see the people here are literally gasping for breath."

His wife Emily said stray animals, especially cows and dogs, were a nuisance in the city's lanes and pointed to a herd of cows standing around aimlessly.

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, rightly described by historian Mark Twain as being older than history, older than tradition and older than even legend, attracts a significant number of foreign tourists, apart from those within the country.

They are mainly from China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam who travel to cover the Sarnath-Gaya- Buddhist circuit. The Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, about 15 km from here.

Another area of concern is toxic particulate pollution that has resulted in an eight-fold increase in respiratory diseases among children in the past decade, according to a new report, Varanasi Chokes. Corroborating observations from private doctors, it blames abnormally high air pollution levels -- that spiked five times higher than the average this winter for several days -- for the rise in asthma cases.

On the flip side, local taxi operator Suresh Dubey echoed many citizens in saying that Modi has contributed a lot in developing the city's basic infrastructure like the ongoing construction of a four-lane highway, linking this city with the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

"The Lucknow-Varanasi highway, with an almost four-km-long flyover at the entrance of this city will definitely help ease the traffic chaos," added Dubey, who has been driving a taxi in Varanasi for over two decades.

Locals see a major jump in central funding for developing and improving the city's infrastructure with Modi being elected as a Lok Sabha member from Varanasi.

"With the initiatives of Prime Minister Modiji, the basic amenities will start shaping up in the years to come," auto rickshaw driver Chand Seth said. He said it is also the duty of the local civic body and the state government to develop basic amenities in Varanasi.

A team led by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation Mayor visited Kyoto in April 2016 to make Varanasi a smart city on the pattern of the Japanese city, but deterioration persists. "There is a need for strong political will to improve things," said paediatrician Pradeep Jindal, who is based in the Sigra area.

Octogenarian Tripti Devi, who was born and brought up in this city, said Modi normally walked straight to Dashashwamedh ghat during his visits.

"Dashashwamedh ghat and its adjoining Sheetla and Rajendra Prasad ghats are one of the cleanest places. Modi should visit other ghats too so that the deteriorating conditions would improve there too," she said.

Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe witnessed the Ganga "aarti" at Dashashwamedh ghat on December 12, 2015.

As part of the Project Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits Scheme, Rs 18.23 crore has been sanctioned by the central government for basic amenities for the tourists at the ghats.
A 33-year-old cashier with the State Bank of India allegedly committed suicide today by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence at Tharad in Banaskantha district, police said.

Though the police refused to assign any motive to the extreme step taken by Prem Shankar Prajapati, his wife said he had talked about "heavy work pressure" at Tharad branch of the bank.

He originally belonged to Barmer in Rajasthan.

"Prajapati was a native of Barmer and has been working as a cashier at SBI's Tharad branch for last one-and-half-years. Due to some unknown reasons, Prajapati committed suicide by hanging himself from ceiling fan today morning. We have not found any suicide note from the spot," said Tharad police inspector J G Chavda.

However, Prajapati's wife Manjula claimed her husband had once complained about the work pressure.

"My husband used to remain tensed after coming home from the bank. He once said that there is so much work pressure. He did not talk much due to tension," Manjula told reporters outside police station.
A village in central Kashmir's Budgam district has become the first village in the state to go 'cashless'.

Lanura village, about 30 kms from the summer capital here, has become the first village in Jammu and Kashmir to go cashless, an official spokesman said here today.

He said at least one member of each household in the village has been trained to use Electronic Payment System (EPS).

So far, 150 persons have been provided training to use EPS at Lanura which falls in Panchayat Bugroo-B in block Khansahab of the district.

The spokesman said the feat has become possible through rigorous efforts by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited and Informatics Centre (NIC) under the objective of Digital Financial Inclusion.

The government has been pushing for digital transactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing people to move to a cashless economy.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in the capital and relay the details of the damages caused by the Cyclone Vardah in the state.

"The chief minister will also hand over a letter to bestow late chief minister J. with the Bharat Ratna and to unveil a bronze statue in Parliament campus," an official statement said.

Tamil Nadu Cabinet earlier on December 10 decided to recommend late AIADMK chief for India's highest civilian honour, the 'Bharat Ratna'.

In its first meeting chaired by Chief Minister Panneerselvam after Jayalalithaa's demise, the Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Centre installation of her life-size bronze statue in Parliament complex.

Cyclone Vardah hit several parts of Tamil Nadu earlier on December 12.

The storm uprooted trees, overturned cars and did extensive damage to buildings as it tore across Chennai.

According to the Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 10 people have died.

Prior to the storm's landing, Chennai already was pounded with heavy rain and winds.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday for support to meet the losses caused by the cyclonic storm, Vardah, which hit northern Tamil Nadu on December 12.
The governments of both India and Cyprus have said the island nation has been taken out of the formers black list with retrospective effect from November 2013 but experts say the notifications drafting is such that it seems the move has prospective effect.
Even as the cash crunch following hit advance tax collections for the quarter ending December, economists say the fiscal deficit target of 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) for this financial year (FY17) is not a difficult one.
The winter session of Parliament that ended this Friday, hit as it was by constant disruptions because of the Narendra Modi governments note ban decision, transacted a little business.
The growing concerns over the increasing in the east coast of India is leading the general players to look at increasing premium rates for properties, commercial establishments, factories and others which are located in the vulnerable areas, according to industry sources. In the last two or three years, these insurers had to field claims worth around Rs 9,000 crore due to in this region.

The calamities include cyclone at Vishakapatnam (general claims of around Rs 2,500 crore) two years back, cyclone at Orissa (claims of around Rs 500 crore), flood in Chennai during December 2015 (claims of around Rs 5,000 crore) and cyclone in December 2016 (initial claims of around Rs 1,000 crore) in Chennai.
CNS Visit to Japan

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC is on an official visit to Japan commencing 19 December 2016. The visit aims to consolidate existing Maritime Cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues.

The friendship between India and Japan has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilisational ties. Indias earliest documented direct contact with Japan was with the Todaiji Temple in Nara, where the consecration or eye-opening of the towering statue of Lord Buddha was performed by an Indian monk, Bodhisena, in 752 AD. In contemporary times, among prominent Indians associated with Japan were Swami Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, JRD Tata, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Judge Radha Binod Pal. The Japan-India Association was set up in 1903, and is today the oldest international friendship body in Japan. Defence cooperation between India and Japan is robust and is primarily focused towards Maritime Cooperation. Our defence cooperation was institutionalised with commencement of the India-Japan Comprehensive Security Dialogue which was initiated in 2001. Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has participated in the MALABAR exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior being included as a regular member in the exercise since 2015. JMSDF participated in MALABAR 15 and 16 held in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific respectively. In 2014, Japan has also been included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a Maritime Cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008. Both navies also engage in Navy to Navy Staff Talks which commenced in 2008. The 7th Navy to Navy Staff Talks are scheduled to be held in 2017. JDS Matsuyuki participated in the International Fleet Review 2016 held at Visakhapatnam. The Chief of Staff of the JMSDF, Admiral Tomihisa Takei also attended the Review. Indian Navy too participated in the International Fleet Review conducted by the JMSDF in Oct 15 at Sagami Bay, Yokosuka, Japan. JMSDF for the first time participated in the Admirals Cup Sailing Regatta conducted by the Indian Navy in 2016 at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala from 05 to 11 Dec 16. Warships of both countries regularly visit each others ports. India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive EEZ, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, wherein both navies have opportunities to learn from each others experiences. In addition common ground exists for cooperation on a number of issues common to both navies. During the visit, Admiral Sunil Lanba is scheduled to hold discussions with Chief of Staff, JMSDF, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff besides other Senior Dignitaries and Naval Officers. DKS/AC

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Urging young forest officers to be sincere and committed towards the cause of the forestry sector, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Anil Madav Dave emphasized that in order to make the systems corruption free, the financial transactions should also be cashless, or less cash should be used to the extent possible. Delivering the inaugural address at the Induction Training Programme for 2016-2018 Batch officers of Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) in Dehradun, Uttarakhand yesterday, the Minister also indicated that efforts should be made towards making all the activities digitized. .

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Later, during his visit to Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), the Minister said that focus should be on research, through which livelihood and economic status of the people living around the forest area is enhanced and people get motivated to grow more trees outside forests to increase the C-mitigation potential of the area. .

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A presentation highlighting the achievements and future roadmap of the council was made by Director General (Research), ICFRE, Dr. G. S. Goraya, Deputy and Director General, ICFRE, Dr Shashi Kumar in the Board Room of FRI. The Minister also visited museums that displayed forest products, non-wood forest products and entomology museums of FRI and its Xylarium, which is an international, scientific collection of woods. Director, FRI Dr. Savita, along with heads of division of forest products, NWFP and entomology explained the various exhibits kept in these Museums. .

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The Minister expressed happiness and satisfaction on the status of upkeep of museums. He was impressed with the collection of specimens and specially the massive collection of wood blocks of timber species native to various countries. However, he stressed the need to make theses museums more interactive to make the visitors learn more about this precious collection and its significance in the promotion of forestry science. .

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The Minister is on his first official visit to the hill state. Shri Dave reached Dehradun on a four-day visit on December 16. Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri A.N Jha, Director-General, Forest and Special Secretary, MoEFCC, Dr S.S Negi and other senior officials from MoEFCC, Forest Research Institute, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) were also present on the occasion. .

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Prime Minister to lay foundation of first ever Indian Institute of Skills in India at Kanpur Tomorrow

In line with his vision of making India the Skill Capital of the World by empowering its youth to be more employable and self-sustainable, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the first ever Indian Institute of Skills" in the country at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The Institute has been conceptualized by Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Singapores Institute of Technical Education. Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore has decided to open an institute first ever of its kind in the country, the institute is inspired by the Singapore model of training and would adopt various best practices from the country. The Ministry has decided to have six such institutes

Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill Exhibition) for the youth of Uttar Pradesh. The Exhibition would showcase state-of-the-art vocational training practices across different sectors, and would be open for public view at the Railway Grounds, Kanpur between 19th to 22nd December. Shri Modi would also launch an array of skill development initiatives for the youth of the country, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and Drivers Training Institutes. The event would also witness strategic partnership with various industries that will train and employ approximate 4 Lakh youth over the next 3 years. The event will also see the announcement of National Apprentice Promotion Scheme" in the State where the State Government has a major role in its successful implementation. There are only 23000 private companies today that are engaging in apprenticeship across the country. It is MSDEs endeavour to encourage State Government support and ensure engagement with more corporates on apprenticeship trainings. This is one direct way of bridging the gap between the potential employee and the employer and has models under Apprenticeship training has benefited economies of many countries. The financial year target for 2016-17 is to ensure enrolment of 5 lakh apprentices at least across the country. The Honble Prime Minister would also felicitate Public Sector Units showcasing significant advancement in apprentice engagement. The event is being organized in the presence of Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shri Ram Naik, Union Minister of State(I/C) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh Shri Ram Govind Chaudhary and MPs Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Shri Bhole Singh. Talking about the launch plans, Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, It is a matter of great pride for us to have these array of initiatives being launched by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, for the youth of Kanpur and other cities. We are certain that people of Uttar Pradesh are keen towards a brighter and advanced future with changing times and will benefit from these skill development programs." We have so far around 400 active skill development centres in Uttar Pradesh covering its 65 districts, run by partners in the ecosystem. Close to 3 lakh youth have already been trained and more than 50% of them have been placed in jobs of their interest. Whether it is agriculture, apparel sector, auto and auto components, banking and financial services, hospitality or leather sector, we have seen youth show interest across sectors and learn the skill of their choice," he further added. Shri Rudy said that the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has plans to open one Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) each, in each district of the country creating opportunities of growth for the youth locally and the launch of some 31 PMKKs will be announced by the Shri Modi at the event on Monday. Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras are iconic state-of-the-art skill development centres with modern infrastructure to facilitate skill trainings in the country. MSDE also has plans to felicitate skilled candidates who have been trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RPL) in Kanpur where the Honble Prime Minister himself will distribute skill certificates to Street Food Vendors, Leather industry Workers under the recognition of prior learning program of the government. This program helps in assessment of the existing work experience of a person and certifies him on his current skill-set basis the National Skill Qualification Framework approved by both the industry and the government of India. AD/

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Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the Banquet Hosted in Honour he Mr. Emomali Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan .

Your Excellency, Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, .

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1. It is a great pleasure to receive you at the Rashtrapati Bhavan once again. I warmly recall your previous visit in September, 2012. You were the first Head of State to make a State Visit to India after I assumed office as President of India. Your visit today, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, bears testimony to the abiding friendship between our nations. .

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Excellency, .

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2. You have long been a close friend of India. You come as the leader of a gracious people with whom our fraternal ties date back to antiquity. Tajiks, being the oldest inhabitants of the great Syr Dariya and Amu Dariya country, have the deepest civilization links with the people of the sub continent. Tajikistan was also a part of the Kushana Empire that covered large parts of todays India. .

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3. Throughout history, we have enjoyed rich exchanges of knowledge, ideas, secular and religious traditions which have linked our cultures and languages in a remarkable way. Poets and philosophers like the great Rumi, Sheikh Saadi, Amir Khusro Dehlavi and Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedil are cherished equally in both our countries as are modern scholars like Sadruddin Ayini, Rudaki and others. .

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Excellency, .

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4. India was amongst the first to recognise Tajikistan when it emerged as an independent State in 1991. Since then, our co-operation has grown in substance and strength. We value your personal commitment to our relationship which has greatly contributed to its consolidation into a multi-faceted strategic partnership. .

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5. There is tremendous potential in our economic cooperation. We both seek to expand our co-operation in several sectors - including infrastructure and industry, trade and transport, energy and capacity building. India is committed to work with her friends and neighbours to develop greater connectivity with Tajikistan and other Central Asian Countries by sea transport, road and rail. .

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Mr. President, .

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6. India appreciates the close co-operation that we have in the United Nations and other international organizations. We have a convergence of our views on most global and regional issues. India is grateful for Tajikistans support for her rightful claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and her membership of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation. .

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7. As neighbours with a shared vision of peace and stability in our region, we both desire to strengthen our defence and security co-operation in order to effectively address our concerns. The world and particularly our region, is, today, faced by the growing threat of terrorism. Both India and Tajikistan are opposed to this menace in all its forms and manifestations. Our peoples, as secular and pluralistic societies, desire to live in peace. For us, development and progress of our nations is of utmost importance. .

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8. We are also committed to assist our mutual friend and neighbour, Afghanistan, to realise the goals and aspirations of its people - through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process. I am very hopeful that our ongoing consultations and close co-ordination will succeed in accomplishing these objectives. .

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Excellency, .

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9. Your interactions with Government and the agreements that have been concluded will, no doubt, set the agenda for our collaboration in the days to come. As we reflect with satisfaction, on the outcome of our joint efforts in the past, we are confident of even greater success in the future. .

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10. With these words, Excellency, I once again welcome you. I wish you and your distinguished delegation a fruitful visit to India. .

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Ladies and Gentlemen, I request you to join me in raising a toast:- - to the well-being and happiness of H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan; .

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- to the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Tajikistan; and .

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- to enduring friendship and co-operation between our two countries. .

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On the directions of Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment had organised a Regional Meeting on 16th December 2016 at Guwahati, Assam, the third of a series of meetings primarily focussing on promotion and awareness generation on cashless transactions for all Citizens especially for Senior Citizens living in rural areas. The earlier two regional meetings were held in Delhi and Bangaluru on 8th December and 12th December respectively. The meeting was attended by Secretaries of the Departments of the North -Eastern States and West Bengal working for the welfare of Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, prevention of drug abuse and senior citizens. Representatives of Regional Resource and Training Centres (RRTCs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) of these regions including the State of Orissa were also present. .

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The meeting was chaired by Smt. G. Latha Krishna Rao, Secretary Department of SJ&E, and was attended by Sri Arun Kumar, Special secretary and senior officers of the Ministry. .

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The officers of the State Governments, RRTCs and NGOs working in the field of Drug Abuse Prevention and Senior Citizens were asked to coordinate the efforts for sensitization of all target groups especially senior citizens living in rural and remote areas of North-East. They have been asked to prepare and forward an Action Plan within a weeks time and to complete the first phase of awareness generation activities by January 15, 2017. Video films on the various types of cashless transactions developed by Niti Aayog were screened and circulated for wider dissemination. They were also requested to translate the films in regional languages in order to create better understanding. .

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Speaking on the occasion, Smt. Rao highlighted that the States/NGOs should actively involve themselves for promoting the use of cashless transactions. She observed that Senior Citizens are often not aware of the latest developments in digital payment mechanisms but their participation is essential for the overall growth of the economy. She requested NGOs and other stakeholders to carry forward the message amongst all for promoting cashless transactions. .

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World and Region Faces Growing Threat of Terrorism, President Mukherjee tells Tajik President

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee yesterday (December 17, 2016) received His Excellency Mr. Emomali Rahmon, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He also hosted a banquet in his honour.

Welcoming the President of Tajikistan to India, the President said his visit to India is on the eve of the 25th anniversary of India-Tajikistan diplomatic relations. It bears testimony to the abiding friendship between the two nations and the value that we attach to our bilateral relations. India was among first countries to recognise emergence of Tajikistan on dissolution of the former Soviet Union. Over the last 24 years, we have had a fruitful co-operation. The President said India recognizes President Rahmons role in ensuring peace and stability in Tajikistan which has a similar salutary effect in the region. Subsequently, in his banquet speech, President Pranab Mukherjee said India appreciates the close co-operation that we have in the United Nations and other international organizations. India is grateful for Tajikistans support for her rightful claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and its membership of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation. The President said as neighbours with a shared vision of peace and stability in our region, we both desire to strengthen our defence and security co-operation in order to effectively address our concerns. The world and particularly our region, is, today, faced by the growing threat of terrorism. Both India and Tajikistan are opposed to this menace in all its forms and manifestations. Our peoples, as secular and pluralistic societies, desire to live in peace. For us, development and progress of our nations is of utmost importance. We are also committed to assist our mutual friend and neighbour, Afghanistan, to realise the goals and aspirations of its people - through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

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The Pentagon said China will return a US Navy underwater drone after its military scooped up the submersible in the South China Sea late this week and sparked a row that drew in President-elect Donald Trump, who said on Twitter the Chinese stole it, so they can keep it. Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement on Saturday, referring to the unmanned underwater vehicle the US said had been operating in international ...
With recent reports that the Home Office is considering cutting international student visas by nearly half, its clear that the government is keen to stick to its promise to crack down on numbers of students.
Adjudging any player the Man of the Match is something which is normal. But what if we say that this time, it was a goalpost that bagged the award?

But this did happen when West Ham fans, relieved by their team's 1-0 win over Hull City, named a goalpost as man of the match after the woodwork saved the Hammers three times.

The Slaven Bilic's side won the three points in the Premier League after a controversial Mark Noble penalty gave his side the much required victory over luckless Hull City at London Stadium on Saturday.

Such was the ill luck of Mike Phelan's side that they hit the woodwork on no less than three occasions from Andrew Robertson (twice) and Dieumerci Mbokani, reports Sport24.

"With 57 percent of the vote congratulations to The Post on securing today's Man of the Match award!" tweeted the official Twitter handle of West Ham after the results of their supporters' poll.

The goalpost defeated West Ham midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate (17 percent), striker Andy Carroll (14) and defender (12) in the vote.

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The Army on Sunday paid befitting tributes to three of its comrades, who were killed in a dastardly terrorist action on a convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pampore yesterday.

Many senior officials from the civil administration including Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan and other security agencies joined Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the bravehearts in a solemn ceremony at BB Cantt, Srinagar.

One of the slain soldiers, 35-year old General Ratheesh C, had joined the army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala. He is survived by his wife and a son.

Hailing from Maharashtra, 33-year old gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar from Pune donned the uniform in 2004. He is survived by his wife and twin daughters.

24-year-old gunner Shashikant Pandey had four years of service and was on his way to join his unit in the Valley.

Survived by his parents, Pandey hailed from Zharian, Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.

The mortal remains of the slain soldiers will be flown for last rites to their native places where they will be laid to rest with full military honours.

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The Army veterans on Sunday came to the rescue of the government, which has been drawing flak post the decision to appoint Lieutenant General as the next Army Chief, and said that seniority was not the only aspect taken into consideration prior to making an appointment for such a coveted post.

Defence Expert Colonel (Retd.) D.S. Grewal said the selection up to the Army Commander-level is strictly as per professional capability, while appointment as an Army Chief has to be on wider scale.

"Hence to say that seniority only matters will not be correct. No more controversies are required especially in the appointment of Army Chief," he told ANI.

Another defence expert Colonel (Retd.) Sunil Deshpande recalled the earlier instances of 1972 and 1983 when the Army Chiefs where appointed after superseding their senior officials and expressed his displeasure over the issue surrounding Lieutenant Rawat's appointment being blown out of proportion.

"It is not compulsory. The people are unnecessarily discussing this issue and raising questions on the decision of government," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, the government announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).

Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East.

He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday hit back at the Congress for politicising Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat's appointment as the Army Chief and drew the opposition's attention to the decision taken during the regime of late prime minister Indira Gandhi when the then government superseded Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha to appoint General A.S. Vaidya as the Army Chief in 1983.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said it is extremely unfortunate that the Congress looks to politicise each and everything.

"Therefore, the Congress spokesperson (Manish Tewari) should resist about it because the chief of the Army has been appointed and this is not the first time that the supersession have been done," Singh told ANI.

"There are other cases in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navy.also the same thing has happened. So, let's not politicise each and everything and particularly when it comes to the Indian armed forces. It's very sad that the Congress is trying to politicise this appointment," he added.

With the Centre announcing the name of the new Chief of Army Staff superseding two seniors for the coveted post, the Congress demanded an answer from the government while asserting that the Army is a public institution and the nation deserves an answer.

Tewari, however, stated that this was not a personal attack on the new Army Chief but a legitimate question which owes an explanation.

"With all due respect to Lieutenant General Rawat's professionalism and brilliance as a soldier and no personal animosity to anybody, there is a legitimate question as to why has this supersession taken place. After all Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi who commands the Eastern Command, the Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen Mohammed Ali and the Central Army Commander are all senior to the gentleman who is being designated," Tewari said.

"Every situation has its own context and therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify supersession. Why were these three senior army commanders superseded? Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason that the fourth incumbent was picked and I guess the Army being a public institution the country deserves those answers," Tewari stated.

The government earlier on Saturday announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).

Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East.

He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society.

According to sources, Lieutenant General Rawat was found the best suited to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north; continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west and the situation in the North-East.

Air Marshal Dhanoa, who will replace Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Air Force in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons, and also in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters.

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Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday launched a counter-attack on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for his unwarranted outburst against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the grand old party and corruption are two sides of the same coin.

"The Congress and Corruption are two sides of the same coin. One after the other the Congress leaders are getting caught red-handed in some or the other charges of corruption, Rahul Gandhi should first look into this matter," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Gandhi alleged that demonetisation is a "Modi-made disaster".

"As there is a man-made disaster, similarly demonetisation is a Modi-made disaster," he said at a rally in Belgaum, Karnataka.

He further said that Prime Minister Modi had attacked the economy by announcing demonetisation.

"More than 100 people have died because of demonetisation drive and PM Modi is responsible for it," Gandhi said, adding that the government has been attacking the poor people with its callous approach.

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As the Supreme Court recently said has "no vestige of sovereignty outside the Constitution of India", state Education Minister Peoples Democratic Party chief spokesperson Naeem Akhtar on Sunday said the Constitution of India is supreme and the state has its own Constitution which is what the apex court has also said.

"Who says no; there are two constitutions operating in . The Constitution of India is supreme and we have our own Constitution at the state level and that is what the Supreme Court has also said.

Reaffirming that the state is an integral part of India and does not enjoy sovereign status either under its Constitution or that of India, the apex court on Friday said the state's constitution was subordinate to the Indian Constitution and its permanent residents were Indian citizens.

Responding to Pakistan's statement that it won't accept any change in the Indus Water Treaty, Akhtar said, "Who is saying that; we are only trying to harness the optimum level of water that belongs to us. We are not violating the Indus Water Treaty that is nobody's intention. We want to utilise whatever water we can under the treaty."

Pakistan has stated that it will not accept any alterations or changes to the Indus Waters Treaty ( IWT) after India had said that it is ready to engage in further consultations with Islamabad on the matter of resolving current differences over the Kishenganga and Ralte projects under the Indus Water Treaty.

"Pakistan will not accept any modifications or changes to the provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. Our position is based on the principles enshrined in the treaty. And the treaty must be honoured in...letter and spirit," the Dawn quoted Special Assistant to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Tariq Fatemi, as saying.

Islamabad has argued that India was buying time to complete its two disputed water projects and then insisting that since the project was already complete, it could not be modified.

Pakistan is raising its objection to building of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants by India saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty.

Tensions increased over the water dispute when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month threatened to block the flow of water into Pakistan.

The World Bank had earlier asked both the countries to consider alternative ways to resolve their disagreements over the Indus Water Treaty Dispute 1960.

The World Bank had said that it was temporarily halting the appointment of a neutral expert as requested by India, and the Chairman of the Court of Arbitration, as requested by Pakistan, to resolve issues regarding two hydroelectric power plants under construction by India along the Indus Rivers system.

The treaty which was signed in 1960 by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin, the Beas, the Ravi and the Sutlej while Pakistan has the three western rivers, the Indus, the Chenab and the Jhelum.

As per the provisions in the treaty, India can use only 20 percent of the total water carried by the Indus River.

The Indus Waters Treaty 1960 is seen as one of the most successful international treaties and has withstood frequent tensions between India and Pakistan, including conflict.

The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and information exchange between the two countries regarding their use of the rivers, known as the Permanent Indus Commission which includes a commissioner from each of the two countries. It also sets out a process for resolving so-called "questions", "differences" and "disputes" that may arise between the parties.
To encourage displaced Kashmiri kids to reconnect with their cultural roots, the Jammu Kashmir Vichar Manch (JKVM) has organised the finals of the annual Gaashtarukh V at the Mavlankar Hall here on Sunday.

The event to be held between 3.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., will see the participation of about 43 displaced Kashmiri kids currently living in various parts of the Delhi NCR. Competitions have been organised for Kashmiri songs, dance and instrumentals.

The aim of this annual Gaashtarukh competition is to keep the young displaced Kashmiri community connected with their cultural roots.

Area wise auditions have been held in the Delhi-NCR for the last two months in which more than 200 children participated. Out of these 200 children, about 80 children qualified for semi-finals which was held at G L T Saraswati Bal Mandir Auditorium, Lajpat Nagar on November 2016. Out of them, 43 participants have qualified for the finals. The winners of Gaashtarukh junior and senior categories in each domain will be selected from these 43 participants based on their performances. The winners will get cash awards as well as trophies.

Gaashtarukh has become a most looked forward to event of the community which has given birth to some bright Kashmiri stars in singing, dance and music. The stars have become most sought at community gatherings and events.

The JKVM is proud that the hard work of its activists and the support of community members and organisations has borne rich fruit due to which, it has been able to pass on the cultural baton to the next generation.

The JKVM has been relentlessly working for displaced community in the cultural and social areas and its work has been appreciated by the community.

It has been trying to preserve the Kashmiri language and literature by interacting with community members, especially the younger generation. Programmes like career counselling for community children, Koshur Kavi Sammelans, cultural programmes, lectures by the eminent personalities etc are being organised for this purpose.

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The Civil Aviation Ministry committee investigating the cause behind the technical glitch in the Biman special flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Hungary on November 27 submitted its report on Sunday.

A primary probe by Biman already found that the VVIP flight carrying the Prime Minister made the emergency landing at Ashgabat International Airport in Turkmenistan after a loose-nut had caused leakage of engine oil lowering the pressure of engine No 1 of the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, reports the Daily Star.

On November 27, Hasina left for Budapest at the invitation of Hungarian President Janos Ader to attend the Budapest Water Summit 2016.

Following the incident, three separate enquiry committees were formed by the Civil Aviation Ministry, Biman and Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

So far, nine employees of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been suspended for their negligence in duty.

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The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday said the appointment of Army Chief is the prerogative of the government, but added that the ruling dispensation cannot brush aside considerations like seniority, competence and integrity.

NCP leader Majeed Memon, who was reacting to the government's move to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief overlooking a tradition of elevating senior-most officers as service chiefs, said it seems the Centre has taken a chance with the view that perhaps he bears all these requisitive qualities.

"The Army Chief's appointment is a prerogative of the government, but you cannot just brush aside all considerations like seniority, competence, integrity and the degree, services and performances that are expected from a man who is incumbent," Memon told ANI.

"The Army Chief , RAW chief, CBI chief, these are all vitally important positions where we expect the service to the nation and Indian society must be up to the mark, otherwise we suffer either externally or internally," he added.

The government had earlier on Saturday announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).

Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East.

He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society.

According to sources, Lieutenant General Rawat was found the best suited to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north; continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west and the situation in the North-East.

Air Marshal Dhanoa, who will replace Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Air Force in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons, and also in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters.

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Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Sharshenovich Atambayev will arrive on a four-day official visit to India today.

He will be accompanied by his spouse Raisa Atambaeva.

President Atambayev will be leading a high-level delegation comprising of Ministers, senior officials and business leaders during his visit.

The visit will be President Atambayev's first visit to India in his capacity as President. He will have official engagements on December 20.

President Pranab Mukherjee will receive President Atambayev and host a dinner banquet in his honour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also hold bilateral discussions with the visiting President and host a lunch for him.

During the visit, President Atambayev is expected to attend a Joint Business Forum.

The two countries share excellent relations marked by strong ties in all areas including Political and Defence, Economy and Commerce, Education and Human Resource Development, Culture and Tourism.

The visit comes right after a very successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgyzstan in July 2015, which will further cement the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two sides.

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The Government of India on Sunday said the appointment of the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) is based purely on merit from a panel of officers in the rank of Army Commanders, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged.

Ministry of Defence sources said the government further said all officers in the panel are very competent officers and the most suitable among them is selected, but emphasised that the prerogative of selecting the most eligible from the panel is that of the government.

The Centre has been drawing flaks from opposition parties, especially from the Congress, for superseding two senior officers - Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior most army commander, who heads the Eastern Command, and PM Hariz, the chief of Southern Command, - for appointing Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the Chief of the Army Staff.

The government of the day takes the final decision choosing the most suitable officer based on various aspects of the security situation in the country and the future scenario, said sources, adding that in the current security situation, counterterrorism and counter insurgency are key issues, therefore, the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next COAS.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfils criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in Jammu and Kashmir and his outstanding track record, said sources, adding that his familiarity with the functioning of the Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence in his capacity as Vice Chief and his general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour.

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As Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently said India needed to roll out the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill by September 16, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday said it would wait and see whether that was going to happen because there were many issues that required to be settled.

"The Finance Minister has been claiming that the GST will be rolled out by April 2017, but now he is saying anytime between April and September. We will wait and see whether it's going to happen, because there are many issues that need to be settled," CPI secretary D. Raja told ANI.

"Several state governments are raising objections to some of the issues, because they think it will encroach upon the financial autonomy of the state governments, and it will lead to imbalance in the Centre-State relations as far as finances and taxes are concerned. So, the (GST Council) committee is scrutinising some of the issues and this has to come before parliament, and during parliament debates what is going to happen, nobody is sure of the outcome," said the Rajya Sabha member.

"Although Mr. Jaitley sounds confident that he will be able to rollout the GST anytime between April and September, there are issues which are not that easy to resolve in the given point of time," he added.

Earlier, Jaitley had said the government was aiming to implement the new sales tax next April.

Under a law passed by parliament for the tax's implementation, some of the existing levies would expire after September 16.

Throwing light on one of the most important legislations of the year, Jaitley yesterday said there is only one small issue with regard to the GST Bill. "There is only one issue, which in the larger frame of things is really a very small issue - You have a pre-existing machinery at the Centre, you have a pre-existing machinery in the state. How is the burden of this assessment going to be shared between the Centre and the states? How we cross-empower the agencies of both, the Centre and the states? Though ideally, with a common taxation, it has to lead to a federal bureaucracy, but till such time, because it's still a far cry, how does this sharing take place? There are certain kinds of turf issues involved in it. We are trying to solve it," said Jaitley while speaking at FICCI's 89th general annual meeting on Saturday.

"Having passed the Constitution Amendment, there are several decisions which the GST Council now has to take and these are of very vital interest to India's industry. There are about ten important decisions which have already been taken up unanimously, by consensus. The legislations which are to be passed now by the parliament under the Constitution Amendment and the state legislatures are currently in the process of being drafted. I don't see any major difficulty in those legislations being finally approved," he said.

Jaitley also informed that as per a notification issued on September 16, 2016, the old taxation regime would continue for a period of one year i.e. till September 16, 2017, after which the curtains would be brought down on it.

Being a transactional tax, GST can come into place at any time during a year. However, Jaitley opined that the sooner they would switch to a new system, the better it would be for the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi, 18 Dec (ANI): In view of illegal arrests of the United Naga Council leaders in Manipur and creation of seven new districts in Manipur by Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh led government, the Joint Naga Civil Societies, Delhi (CJNCSD) recently staged a mass protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

Nagas in India as well as across the globe have strongly condemned the formation of seven new districts in Manipur and alleged that the state government is communalising the entire issue by polarizing the Nagas and Non-Nagas, the Meiteis and the Kukis.

"The problem that Nagas are facing is not an overnight issue but there has been a deep agenda by the government of Manipur to grab the land of the Nagas. And, this has been testified and witnessed by the Nagas over the years and resisted profusely by the Nagas for several years," said Gideon Shadang.

He further said that 'after the declaration of the seven districts of the Manipur, the Nagas have been protesting in Manipur as well as everywhere and here the students are gathered to show our resentment.

The problem is that, in all these seven newly created districts, the sizeable lands in each districts belongs to the Nagas where the Nagas are now reduce to a minorities. And that is the problem which we have come to say that we are against the creation of the seven districts."

It may be recalled that, over the years, four Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) has been signed between the Government of Manipur and various Naga civil societies (UNC, NSF and ANSAM) that "not even an inch of the Naga inhabited areas and its original land should be touched while creating any new district." which was appended by a written assurance from the Government of India.

However, the "bold" move of creating the new districts by the Manipur Government despite the fact that the state has been reeling under total shutdown along the highways called by UNC since the 1st of November, 2016 in protest against the proposed creation of Jiribam and Sadar Hills district.

The CJNCSD alleged that rather than resolving the issue at hand, the knee jerk reaction of the Manipur Government was to discredit the legitimate concern of the Nagas by arresting Naga leaders Gaidon Kamei and Stephen Lamkang. The formation of seven new districts amounts to redrawing of Naga boundary by the Manipur government without any jurisdiction.

The Joint Naga Civil Societies also alleged that in creating the seven new districts, Singh has blatantly undermined the precedence of societal trust in polity and policy. It is also clear that the political intent of this hasty decision to create seven new districts is simply to dissect the Nagas into pieces with the intent to disrupt the anticipated framework agreement.

"All this divisions of our land has been engineered and done to bring disunity among the tribals, especially among the Naga people. That is why, they are dividing us; they are dividing our people into different districts so that we will never come together and raise our voices together for our rights," said Mani Charenamai, former Manipur MP.

The CJNCSD alleged that the Government of Manipur did not consult the hill people and other stakeholders, and even the constitutionally instituted Hill Areas Committee was bypassed.

"They (Manipur govt.) are trying to nullify the power and the functions of the Hill Areas Committee. So many Naga areas have been affected. Kangpokpi was a hill district, but now they have added the valley area into the Kangpokpi district. The distinctiveness of the hill areas is gone," Charenamai added.

"The UNC is observing a peaceful shut down along the highways and we will continue until all Naga leaders are released and this formation of seven new districts is withdrawn," said Sira Kharay, Public and Information Secretary of the CJNCSD.

The CJNCSD has raised an issue that the adverse impact the creation of Jiribam, Kakching, Kamjong, Kangpokpi, Noney, Pherzawl and Tengnoupal, is going to have on the Nagas and our ancestral land. The nature of the ethno-demographic distribution is also a deliberate design to reduce the Nagas to a mere minority group in all these districts.

The CJNCSD opines that these newly created districts will be completely militarised to exert full state authority with force and might. Thereafter, the huge influx of population of various other ethnic groups into these new districts is inevitable to evict the Nagas and dominate their ancestral territory.

These areas will become a buffer zone which will restrict the free movement of Nagas.

On the contrary, the Meiteis, Kukis and others will have free access to the segregated areas.

The CJNCSD has submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and appealed to the Centre to take cognizance of the prevailing political imbroglio in Manipur.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre) and the United Democratic Madhesi Front agreed during a meeting to go ahead with the process of ratifying the Constitution Amendment Bill.

The Himalayan Times quoted Chair of National Madhes Socialist Party Sharat Singh Bhandari, as saying that UDMF leaders have been assured by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal that the process of amending the bill would move forward and the government would neither withdraw the amendment bill nor it will postpone its process.

Sadbhawana Party Chair Rajendra Mahato said that the meeting decided to make joint efforts to end the deadlock in the house, adding that it was also decided to hold discussions with the political forces.

Mahato further stated that the leaders of the ruling parties agreed on holding local polls under the old structure.

However, UDMF leaders said that they would decide on the local polls only after the bill is passed.

Asserting that parliamentary norms should be followed by UML, CPN-MC spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said that they should stop obstructing the proceedings of the house.

He said that views could be presented by the UML on the bill and defeat the bill if it could.

Bhusal said efforts would be made to revise the bill in the parliament as UDMF wants revision of the bill.

Consultations would be held by the ruling parties with all other parties.

Mahato said that Nepali Congress is in favour of the bill as informed it was informed by the NC presiden Sher Bahadur Deuba in the meeting.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least five alleged terrorists of two banned organisations were killed after an exchange of heavy fire by Pakistan's Counter-terrorism Department in an operation in the wee hours of Sunday in DG Khan.

However, four accomplices of the alleged terrorists managed to escape due to bad lights, reports Geo News.

The targeted operation was carried out at ChotiBala's Rak chawni.

CTD said the operation was conducted after getting information on the presence of at least nine alleged terrorists in the area.

Two of those killed have been identified as Malik Tehseen and Kamran by the law enforcement agency.

Arms and ammunitions were recovered from the alleged terrorists in the operation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan has been the third most prolific executioner in the for two consecutive years with 419 prisoners on death row already executed thus far.

It has been two years since the Pakistan Government lifted the suspension on the death penalty following the militant attack on Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, reports the Dawn.

The government, while announcing the lifting of six-year-old moratorium on capital punishment as part of its National Action Plan, had said only those convicted of terrorism would be executed. But within three months, in March 2015, the moratorium was lifted across the board.

Though the move was celebrated initially as an "effective means" to curb terrorism, the government, later, did not publicly present a justification for lifting the moratorium across the board, said Rimmel Mohydin, the media and communications officer at the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP).

According to data collected by the JPP, only 16 percent of the executions carried out since December 2014 were related to terrorism while a significant number of those executed included juveniles and mentally and physically disabled inmates.

A press release issued by the JPP on Saturday said that in as many as 88 per cent of 'terrorism' cases, there was no link to a terrorist organisation or anything that could be reasonably defined as terrorism.

The press release said the NAP had correctly observed that there was a need to "revamp and reform Pakistan's criminal justice system". However no significant efforts had been made to do this so far.

This was compounded by the lack of a meaningful appellate process for capital cases, a blatant violation of Pakistan's international human rights obligations.

Until March this year, the president had 444 pending mercy petitions while the known number of presidential pardons granted was zero.

"The justice system is rigged against those who need it the most," said Mohydin.

The press release further said it was a dishonour to the memory of the APS attack victims for the state to take lives in their name, when they had no bearing on curbing the menace that caused their deaths.

Under Pakistani law, 27 crimes carry the death sentence, some of which include sabotaging the railway network and drug trafficking.

The press release added that an average of 258 death sentences were imposed each year between 2007 and 2015, explaining why the country had the highest populated death row in the .

Pakistan's faulty legal infrastructure remains inaccessible, corrupt, mired in red tape, beholden to power and usurped by influence and wealth, creating a permissive environment for the routine miscarriage of justice.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on Friday ruled the death sentences of 3 state inmates are constitutional and don't conflict with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down Florida's similar death penalty sentencing scheme.





The U.S. Supreme Court had vacated the sentences of Alabama death row inmates Ronnie Kirksey, Corey Wimbley, and Ryan Gerald Russell, this year and sent them back to the state appeals court to review in light of its Florida ruling.





Alabama's death sentencing law has been compared to Florida's because both allowed judges to override jury recommendations for life and instead impose death.





On Friday the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals said it wasn't the same and affirmed the convictions of Kirksey, Wimbley and Russell. The court said Alabama's law is constitutional and does not "run afoul" of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Hurst v. Florida in January.





Prosecutors and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange have repeatedly argued that Alabama's law was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995 and is not the same as the portion of the Florida law struck down in Hurst.





Florida's law had required the judge -- not the jury -- to find the existence of an aggravating circumstance in order for the defendant to be subject to the death penalty.





Alabama's law already requires the jury to find an aggravating factor, such as murder during the commission of a robbery, kidnapping or rape, prosecutors argue. Therefore, at the time of conviction, the jury has already agreed upon at least one aggravating factor before the sentencing phase began.





In Alabama, after the jury unanimously convicts a defendant with at least one aggravating factor at the trial jurors in a separate hearing then weigh any other aggravating factors and mitigating circumstances and recommend life without parole or death. Jurors must vote 10-2, 11-1 or 12-0 to recommend death. The judge then imposes the final sentence and at that time can override the jury's life or death recommendation. Most of the overrides in Alabama have resulted in the death penalty.





In its order in Wimbley's case, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals found that the jury - not a judge - had determined Wimbley was eligible for the death penalty because it had unanimously convicted him of murder during the course of a robbery and arson. Robbery and arson are both aggravating factors.





"Consequently, the jury's guilt-phase verdict satisfied Wimbley's Sixth Amendment right to a jury finding as to the existence of an aggravating circumstance," the appeals court stated. "That, as the Alabama Supreme Court explained, is all that "Ring (a previous SCOTUS ruling) and Hurst require ... nothing more and nothing less."





Florida's legislature enacted a new law that gives the jury, not the judge, the power to impose a death sentence. In Delaware, the only other state that allowed judicial overrides, that state's Supreme Court struck down its override law in August. That leaves Alabama as the only state that allows judicial override.





Alabama is now the only state to allow judges to override jury recommendations for life without parole and for those recommendations to be non-unanimous.

Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tracie Todd in March ruled in four of her capital murder cases that Alabama's capital punishment sentencing scheme is unconstitutional based on the Hurst case.





In its order the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals told Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Todd to vacate her March 3 order





In June the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ordered Todd to vacate her rulings and declared the state's law is constitutional.





Then on Sept. 30, the Alabama Supreme Court weighed in. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled in the case of death row inmate Jerry Bohannon that Alabama's death penalty law is constitutional in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Hurst v. Florida.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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Source: al.com, December 17, 2016
Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets demanding the constitutional court's nod for the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye, which Parliament had already passed last week.

Organisers, composed of about 1,500 civic groups, estimated that around 770,000 ordinary people participated in the eighth Saturday demonstration held in Seoul and other major cities across the country, reports Xinhua.

In Seoul, some 650,000 protesters gathered in Gwanghwamun Square, just over a kilometer away from the presidential Blue House where Park's office and residence are located. In other major cities, about 120,000 turned out in candlelit vigils.

Demonstrators called on the constitutional court to justify the impeachment as rapidly as possible given that uncertainties remain about when and whether to permanently remove Park from office.

The court has up to 180 days to deliberate.

The protesters also shouted for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-han, who assumes temporary power until the court's final ruling is reached. Hwang, a close aide to President Park, served as justice minister before being appointed as the second-highest administrative post in 2015.

Some of local media outlets criticized Hwang for his alleged abuse of presidential power though the unelected official serves as acting president. Hwang reportedly demanded excessive treatment, provided only for the chief executive, and exercise the right to let officials remain in office or appointed to a new position, a unique authority given to the president.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Looks like Alec Baldwin is not done with Donald Trump just yet.

Through the official Twitter account for the Alec Baldwin Foundation, the 58-year-old actor tweeted a series of posts hinting at his return.

One particular post showed a photo of himself backstage at 'SNL' dressed like the president-elect with the caption ". @snl tonight" implying that he will appear on tonight's show.

"I won't apple-agize," Baldwin wrote, referencing his own caricature of Trump. "Tonight at 11:30. Live."

Baldwin took to another social media post to taunt Trump by writing, "Trump is like that biker the girl brings home. DAD: You're not marrying him. GIRL: Yes I am! I LOVE WAYNE!!!!"

Presumably, this is in response to Trump's displeasure, considering the president-elect's repeated bashing of the NBC show as "totally one-sided," "biased," "unwatchable" and a "hit job."

He has also said that Baldwin's performance "stinks" and "just can't get any worse."

On the other hand, the '30 Rock' actor has actively engaged Trump's criticism.

On December 4 he offered to stop the impression if the 70-year-old businessman and politician releases his tax returns. On November 20, Baldwin responded, "Election is over. There is no more equal time" to Trump's complaint that said the show does not mock both sides of politics.

Casey Affleck will host the December 17 show of 'SNL' to promote his film 'Manchester by the Sea,' joined by musical guest Chance the Rapper.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shiv Sena on Sunday sought an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his assertion that demonetisation was one of the steps aimed at getting rid of the menace of terrorism and asked the government to give a befitting reply to Pakistan in the wake of yesterday's terror attack on an army convoy in Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that attacks have increased in the valley post the government's demonetisation drive.

"It was said terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will be finished after demonetisation, but the opposite has happened as there has been an increase in the number of attacks," Raut told ANI.

"In these two years, more and more jawans have been killed. Never in the Indian history has such attacks taken place. The Prime Minister and the Defence Minister should answer as to why is this happening," he added

The Army today paid befitting tributes to the three soldiers, who were killed after an army convoy was attacked by terrorists in Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway.

Many senior officials from the civil administration including Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan and other security agencies joined Chinar Corps Commander Lieutenant General J.S. Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the bravehearts in a solemn ceremony at BB Cantt, Srinagar.

The mortal remains of the slain soldiers will be flown for last rites to their native places where they will be laid to rest with full military honours.
Describing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah as highly communal and terrible in his demeanour and manner of speech, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday strongly objected to his saying that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee looked aged post demonetisation.

"What else can we expect from him? He is highly communal, absolutely terrible and he is making these comments because they (BJP) have looted this country and they are the most corrupt, and now, they are pretending as if they are the angels. They is no way they can fight Mamata Banerjee politically, so they have to indulge in this personal commentary. It shows the kind of low level the BJP stoops to ," TMC leader Derek O'Brien told ANI.

In a rally conducted yesterday in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district, Shah said, "Those who have black money are presently most worried by demonetisation. Have you looked at Mamata Banerjee and Mayawati? They seem aged and seem to have lost their charm. In a single day, their age increased by ten years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Defence Expert Lieutenant General (Retd.) V.K. Chaturvedi on Sunday said the frustration of the terrorists and anti- elements is growing as the armed forces are in total command of the situation at the border, adding the army as a profession is a business of killing and getting killed.

"The killings in Jammu and Kashmir have definitely been high this year, but it is a cycle and will continue. We have our upper hand. The frustration of the terrorists and anti- elements is definitely growing, but our armed forces are in total command of the situation at the border and will not let the nation down ever," he told the media here.

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Chaturvedi said that most of the attacks take place because of the extra cautious approach of the armed forces as they will be accountable for killing a wrong person.

"Unlike in conventional war where you know the enemy and you know where to hit, in this case we are working against a lot of handicapped. The armed forces can also get surprised because the enemy cannot be easily identified in anti-terrorist operations. He can be one of the common men roaming on streets, keeping a gun inside or he may be having something which he can just blast," he said.

Lieutenant General (Retd.) Chaturvedi's statement comes in the wake of a report by the Defence Ministry suggesting that around 60 soldiers lost their lives in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

According to Defence Ministry sources, 60 soldiers were killed in Jammu and Kashmir till December 15 this year, which is almost twice in comparison to the last two years. The number of soldiers killed in 2014 and 2015 was 32 and 33 respectively.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Sunday came down heavily on the Centre for delaying the notification of the next Chief Justice of India, despite the current incumbent T S Thakur, who will retire on January 3rd 2017, recommending his successor Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar.

Speaking to ANI here, Congress leader Manish Tewari asserted that it's been over two weeks now that the current has recommend the name of his successor.

"Why is the government delaying the notification of the next when the current incumbent will retire on the 3rd of January? After all, it's a collegium recommendation and the government going by the Supreme Court judgement, is duty bound to respect the recommendation of the collegium," he added.

However, a body of Supreme Court lawyers have branded Justice J S Khehar, the most likely successor as the CJI, to be unfit for the post.

In a civil writ petition filed in the Supreme Court on Saturday, the lawyers' organisation, Campaign for Judicial Transparency and Reforms (NCJTR), have stated that Justice J Chelameshwar, who is senior to Justice Khehar, be appointed as the 44th .

The NCJTR's petition before the apex court lays down their disagreement with Justice Khehar's appointment and suggests Justice Chelameshwar as an alternative.

The petition also argues that Khehar is harsh on the smallest of mistakes by lawyers and openly favours high-profile lawyers.
Thirty-two pro-government soldiers were killed and several injured when a suicide attacker struck their gathering in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Sunday, the military said.

"The suicide bomber detonated his explosives among scores of soldiers gathered outside the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri" in KhorMaksar area, Xinhua news agency quoted a military official as saying.

The attack occurred while the soldiers were in a long queue to receive their monthly salaries.

All the dead soldiers were members of the newly-trained special security forces operating in Aden province, according to the official.

The suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers dead and more than 40 injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.

Aden has witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out of the strategic city in 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armoured vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighbouring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

--IANS

mr/py

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 49 persons were killed and 39 injured in a suicide bombing that targeted government forces in Yemen's Aden city on Sunday, an official said.

According to an intelligence source, a suicide attacker detonated his explosive belt near the soldiers gathered to receive their salaries in KhorMaksar area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the dead and wounded to hospitals.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group frequently targets military bases in the country.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.The assault comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the IS struck an army base near Aden's airport, leaving 50 soldiers dead and 40 injured.

Aden witnessed several assassinations and attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in 2015.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al Qaeda militancy in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of attacks against the country's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern .
The year 2016 began on a politically ominous note for Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away after a brief illness in New Delhi on January 7.

for the state, especially for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Sayeed had so painstakingly created to provide people with a regional alternative to the National Conference (NC), has never been the same after his death.

Sayeed's daughter and the present Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, took three months to decide whether she should don her father's mantle and pick up the baton of governance in India's most troubled state.

Mehbooba was initially so reluctant to assume power that some confidantes of her father were reported to have started working on a Plan B. This plan was projected by erstwhile Sayeed loyalists as their last-ditch effort to save the party from slipping into political oblivion.

The party cannot afford to remain out of power when it has the people's mandate to rule for five years, the supporters of an alternative power centre within the PDP used to say in private conversations during the three months Mehbooba Mufti remained indecisive.

She finally began her governance innings on April 4. Political rivals called her "a reluctant Chief Minister" because she "wasted three months" to even decide whether to govern or not.

For a deeply devoted daughter, the year had begun on a tragic note. This was followed by disturbing events almost as measles chase new borns.

She faced an agitation over the alleged molestation of a girl student in Handwara town. And, tension erupted between local and non-local students in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in the summer capital Srinagar.

As the administration successfully battled the crises to ensure that they did not spoil the summer prospects of tourism and trade in the Kashmir Valley, a row began over alleged colonies being constructed for ex-servicemen and the migrant Pandits in the valley.

But, just when everybody believed Mehbooba Mufti's teething troubles were over, Burhan Wani, the Hizbul commander who had become the poster boy of militancy, was killed in a gunfight on July 8.

Nobody alleged that Burhan's death had been a custodial killing or that he had not been a militant commander, and yet Kashmir burst like a volcano that very day.

The government had to literally go into hiding. The only symbol of governance became the ubiquitous presence of the security forces who were battling a kind of public unrest the Kashmir Valley had not seen even though it had been reeling under insurgent violence for over 27 years.

Kashmir came to a grinding halt. Ninety-six protesters were killed and over 12,000 were injured, including security personnel.

But the worst that happened was that over 150 people hit by pellets fired from pump-action guns faced the prospect of permanent blindness. This tragedy will haunt not only the victims but will also remain as a scar on the state's political landscape for god knows how long.

The separatists have since been issuing weekly protest calendars. The Kashmir Valley has mostly remained shut during this period even though the intensity of the separatist campaign has broken as a function of time and because of the people's patience giving way with the logjam.

One of its senior leaders and Lok Sabha member, Tariq Hameed Karra, resigned from both Parliament and the party because of differences over the handling of the situation by the government.

The political rivals of the PDP-BJP government believed and hoped that the state government would be dismissed because of the law and order crisis. They were proved wrong as the Centre stood by Mehbooba Mufti, assuring her of full support in bringing the situation under control and assuring a healing of the wounds left by the bloody agitation.

Gradually the state government has been re-establishing its writ. Offices, banks, post offices and other semi-government organisations have now started working almost normally across the Kashmir Valley.

Class 10 and 12 examinations were successfully conducted by the state government with overwhelming participation of the students.

After remaining in oblivion for over four months, the ministers and the MLAs of the ruling coalition have started visiting their constituencies and holding developmental and administrative meetings.

The Chief Minister has been trying hard to make up for lost time. She is now visiting places and taking stock of people's problems on the ground.

The ruling coalition has four years of power before the next assembly election in 2020.

Whether or not Mehbooba Mufti and her party emerge stronger from the political crisis faced in 2016 would be proved in the early months of the next year.

It is not always the fortitude and tolerance of rulers and politicians that matter, they also need to be immensely lucky.

Would 2017 bring some good luck and opportunity for the first woman Chief Minister of India's only Muslim-majority state? We will not have to wait long to know the answer.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)

--IANS

sq/vm/ky/sac

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran: Medieval and barbaric punishments

Six prisoners were executed for drug charges in Karaj (west of Tehran) Thursday morning Dcember 15.





According to Iran Human Rights (IHR) sources, 5 of the prisoners were hanged in the Central Prison of Karaj. The prisoners are identified as Behzad Lazemi, Mostafa Gholami, Fardin Sabzi, Mehdi Kaeni and Saeed Faramarzi from the sections 4, 5, 2, 3 and 3 respectively.





On Wednesday IHR reported about the transfer of 4 of these prisoners for execution.





The website of the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported about the execution of one prisoner on Wednesday December 14. The prisoner who was identified as Mohammad Hossein Beheshti was charged with possession of drugs.





A source close to Mohammad Hossein said that besides being sentenced to death for drug offences, he had also been held in Rajaishahr prison for 23 years charged with murder. But the execution was for his drug charges.





Drug related executions continue in Iran despite the fact that the Iranian Parliament recently passed a law with the aim of limiting the use of the death penalty for drug charges. The law has to be approved by the Guardian Council and it is not clear whether t will actually lead to a reduction in the number of drug related executions.





A prisoner sentenced to death on drug related charges was reportedly executed at Bandar Abbas Central Prison (Hormozgan province, southern Iran) on Thursday December 15, according to close sources.





Close sources identify the prisoner as 39-year-old Behzad Salimkord. About 4 years ago, Mr. Salimkord was sentenced to death by branch 2 of the Revolutionary Court in Bandar Abbas for the charge of possessing and trafficking 2 kilograms of crystal meth and 250 grams of opium.





Mr. Salimkord was reportedly transferred to solitary confinement 2 days ago in preparation for his execution, and was permitted a visit with his wife and 2 young children.





"Behzad worked in a brick factory for 11 years to pay off the house we lived in. He eventually lost his job and we weren't able to pay for the house for 3 months, so he went to Bandar Abbas to find work. Behzad said that the drugs he was charged for weren't his. Behzad didn't even smoke cigarettes. He hated drugs. Nonetheless, they executed him on drug charges," says a relative of Mr. Salimkord.





Iranian official sources, including the media and Judiciary, have been silent on Behzad Salimkord's execution.





Iran Human Rights (IHR) has received reports from local sources about the execution of two other prisoners at Bandar Abbas Central Prison this week. However, IHR has not been able to confirm these reports at this time.





Secret executions for drug related charges continue in Iran even though the Iranian Parliament recently passed a law to want to limit the use of the death penalty for drug charges. The law has to be approved by Iran's Guardian Council, and it is not clear whether it will actually lead to a reduction in the number of drug related executions. Additionally, members of parliament recently wrote a letter to the head of the Judiciary calling for the execution of about 5,000 prisoners sentenced to death on drug related charges to be quashed pending investigation into their charges.

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Source: Iran Human Rights, December 17, 2016
A group of international academics has condemned the UN convention banning child labour as "harmful", saying the policy ignores benefits and reflects Western prejudice.

In a letter to The Observer newspaper, they argued that allowing young children to work could have positive effects which were not being taken into account, the Guardian reported on Sunday.

The researchers, who work in the fields of child development or human rights, said the UN committee has ignored available evidence in favour of "outdated and ill-informed Western prejudices".

They said the UN policies could have a negative impact on the ground.

One of the signatories, Dorte Thorsen of the school of global studies at the University of Sussex, said: "Banning children from work doesn't bring them back into school.

"In fact, it might do the opposite if they were working to pay their school fees," the Guardian quoted him as saying.

He pointed at India and Africa nations and said: "We are seeing collectivization movements of child workers, a unionization where they are trying to participate in politics, be heard, as opposed to this being a story of victimization and oppression."

Richard Carothers, a Toronto-based child development expert at the International Child Protection Network, called the UN policy "hard-headed attitude of the big bureaucratic international agencies".

"Children need to be protected from nasty situations, and there is a debate about whether the percentage of working children in nasty situations is a small percentage or a very small percentage," Carothers said.

Thorsen also criticized Britain's Department for International Development Minister Priti Patel for pressuring British companies to scrutinize their supply chains for evidence of child labour.

The experts also pointed at children, who were forced into hazardous, dangerous or illegal work because more regulated employment became closed to them.

Around 193 countries have committed to ending child labour by 2025 under the UN's sustainable development goals.

The academics want the existing minimum age (15 in some countries, 18 in others), to be abandoned, arguing that "age-appropriate" work could be beneficial for children in both the developing and the developed worlds.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Atletico de Kolkata (ATK)'s Canadian striker Iain Hume, who was part of the Kerala Blasters team two years ago when they faced the same fate by finishing runners up in the Indian Super League (ISL) final, said he hoped there were no losers keeping in mind the atmosphere at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

ATK clinched the title for the second time in three years, winning 4-3 on penalties after the match ended 1-1 in normal time.

"It's bad that there is a loser especially with the atmosphere these guys had today," an emotional Hume, who missed ATK's first penalty, said after the match.

"After the heartbreak two years ago, I know it's hard for them (Kerala) to go through it again. It was two teams fighting and it was like this in the league this year where everybody fought," said Hume who finished as ATK's highest scorer with seven goals.

On the win, he said, "To come out on top is a great feeling. I know they (Kerala fans) don't feel too great but please be here next year and your team will fight for you again."

Marquee player Helder Postiga accredited the win to the camaraderie in the team and said without the team bonding it would not have been possible.

The friendship between us made this happen," a smiling Postiga said.

"It is important to have friendship among players and that is what makes a great team. The quality of players we have is also amazing," the former Portugal international added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With less than a fortnight to go for the 350th birth anniversary celeberations of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took stock of the preparations here on Sunday.

He directed the officials to complete all work within a week for the 'Prakash utsava' as the celebrations are popularly called, officials said.

"Nitish Kumar visited venues, including Takht Sri Harmindir Saheb, the main shrine linked to the 'Utsav', to personally inspect the preparations," Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said.

The Chief Minister has assigned top officials to monitor preparations for the mega event, and wants the work completed by December 25, Agrawal said.

Niitish Kumar also offered prayers at Takht Shri Harminder Saheb and met members of its management committee. He assured them that everything would be in place by the end of December.

According to district police officials, Nitish Kumar visited Kangan Ghat, Leela Gurudwara, Patna Saheb station, Patna Ghat railway station and inspected the ongoing work there.

Three tent cities are being constructed over 62 acres at the sprawling Gandhi Maidan, 12 acres at Kangaan Ghat, and over 65 acres at Malaichak Bypass here by the state.

The district officials estimated that more than 50,000 devotees would be provided accommodation in these tent cities.

The Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary celebrations would start from the last week of December and would end on January 7, 2017.

The main function would be held on January 5, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would participate along with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and several other Sikh dignitaries from India and abroad.

Earlier, Bihar had announced a three-day holiday during the 'Prakash-Parv' at Takht Harmandir Sahib, the birthplace of the 10th Sikh Guru.

The gurudwara management committee was also undertaking huge constructions on its campus.

An old guest house complex was demolished and a new structure was coming up in its place, which would include parking provisions to accommodate the expected massive rush in January.

Takht Sri Harmandirji Sahib, widely known as Patna Sahib, was about 10 km from Patna and was built in the 1950s over the remains of a structure erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666 to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru and Mata Gujri. He was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at the age of nine, becoming the last of the living Sikh Gurus.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the circumstances behind the appointment of Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief superseding seniors.

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supersession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, was not respected," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told a press conference here.

"Is it that these officers who have been superseded were unqualified in any manner or is it whimsical cherry-picking which has been done by the BJP-led government?

"Not only is this supersession unprecedented, probably this has happened for the first time that three senior Generals (Commanding different armies) have been superseded," Tewari added.

The government on Saturday appointed Lt. Gen. Rawat as the new Army Chief and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new chief of the Indian Air Force.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat has ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service.

"It is not the first time this government has done this. The appointment or the non-appointment of a full-time Enforcement Director, the ad-hoc appointment in the CBI, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court, is an extremely serious matter which shows this government has scant regard for institutional integrity.

"Why is there a delay in the notification for the next Chief Justice of India?"

Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is retiring on January 3. The government is yet to announce the next Chief Justice.

--IANS

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(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.)
In a bid to highlight the plight of the migrant labourers, who are now returning back to their homes following demonetisation, the Congress on Sunday said that it will hold a march on December 24.

"Congress will hold a 'Palayan Rokho March' from Jantar Mantar to Parliament House on December 24 to highlight the plight of the migrant labour force due to faulty implementation of demonetisation," the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

"The 48.63 lakh unorganised or informal workforce in Delhi consists of first-generation migrant labour and after the faulty implementation of demonetisation, reverse migration has begun in Delhi, and lakhs of labour have already returned to their homes.

"About 10,000 to 15,000 labourers are returning to their homes from Delhi every day, which is stalling development works in Delhi," he said.

The Congress leader emphasised that labour in the unorganised or informal sector is the real lifeline of Delhi, and who sustains and keeps the city going.

"They are the providers of affordable services and labour," he added.

Maken said he had written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 9, demanding he to take steps to stop the reverse migration of the informal work force and that unemployment allowance be given to such labourers, but to no avail.

Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, he said: "I have not received any reply from the Chief Minister, nor has the Delhi government taken any steps to implement my suggestion that Rs 5,000 be given to these workforce as monthly unemployment allowance (nearly 50 per cent of the minimum wages)."

Also hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maken said that whenever it comes to power, migrants have to suffer many difficulties.

He recalled Union Ministers Jagmohan and Ananth Kumar, part of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, had in 2002 "given orders for the demolition of unauthorised colonies, and factories were removed from Delhi".

"A large number of migrant workforce which used to work in these sectors, were the worst affected due to the BJP ministers' actions."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged people in Uttar Pradesh not to vote for the BJP.

Towards the end of his half hour speech here, Kejriwal told a huge gathering to "teach him (Modi) a lesson" for making them stand in queues for hours to withdraw their own money from banks and ATMs.

"You made Modiji the Prime Minister. Had Uttar Pradesh not given him 73 out of 80 seats, he would never have become the Prime Minister of India," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said.

"Now it is your duty to teach him a lesson as well. The whole nation is looking up to you," he said.

The BJP won a whopping 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. An ally bagged two seats, leaving only seven seats to a battered opposition.

Uttar Pradesh will see assembly elections early next year.

Kejriwal said that even the staunchest supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had turned against the party due to the note ban.

"I met a person who had been voting for BJP for the last 30 years. He told me that he had told his family to vote for anyone but the BJP in the coming election," Kejriwal said and urged people to do the same.

The AAP leader also attacked Modi on the government's move to exempt political parties from income tax regulations while depositing demonetised currency notes in their bank accounts.

He demanded an independent commission to probe the bank accounts of all the political parties over the last five years.

"Seventy per cent of the donations received by the BJP are in cash. I want to ask Modiji to first tell his party workers to take donations through cheques. Then we will also go cashless."

He also accused Modi of receiving bribes from corporates while he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.

The AAP leader has been campaigning against the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes that has led to an unprecedented cash crunch all over the country.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after Facebook said it was stepping up efforts against fake news and hoaxes, Germany announced a new law that will empower it to fine the social media giant 500,000 euros ($522,575) for every problematic post that does not vanish within 24 hours.

"After years of asking, cajoling and threatening the US social network to work faster to tackle fake news and hate speech, Berlin made clear it is no longer interested in self-regulation," a report in Irish Times said on Sunday.

"Facebook did not use the chance to regulate complaint management properly," Thomas Oppermann, the Bundestag floor leader of Germany's ruling Social Democrats (SPD), was quoted as saying.

He said that after a "long and intensive effort to build bridges" with the company, the SPD and its coalition partner, chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), have agreed to present new legislation in the new year.

The law will oblige all dominant internet platforms operating in Germany to have a legal contact, operating round-the-clock, for victims of hate speech and fake news, the report said.

Currently, Facebook users in Germany complain to the platform's headquarters in Dublin -- with an unclear response and action time.

According to the law, the person affected by the fake news can demand a "correction with the same reach" as the original post.

Facebook was accused of allowing fake news to be posted during the US presidential election in November.

Facebook on Thursday it was stepping up efforts against fake news and hoaxes by testing several ways to make it easier to report a hoax if users see one on the social media network.

Facebook asked its users to flag fake news stories which will be verified by third party fact-checkers.

According to media reports, Facebook was going to work with five fact-checking agencies - ABC News, AP, FactCheck.org, Politifact and Snopes.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iran has called for a joint meeting with the six world powers to discuss the recent US extension of Iran Sanctions Act.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday called for the meeting with the US, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany to discuss the sanctions, which Tehran said were a violation of the nuclear agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran and the six world powers reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue on July 14 last year which puts Tehran on the path of sanctions relief but more strict limits on its nuclear programme.

Iran has remained committed to all of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Zarif said in an official letter to the European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

"Maintaining the JCPOA integrity and coherence as well as its sustainability requires that all parties pay attention to (their commitments to) implement its provisions," Zarif said.

However, the foreign minister said the US kept reneging on its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

Zarif asked Mogherini to make necessary preparations for the JCPOA joint commission meeting to consider the extension of ISA.

The earlier vote by the US House of Representatives to extend the ISA was endorsed by the Senate last week.

The White House said the bill renewing the ISA was becoming law without President Barack Obama's signature.

An extension of the bill "is entirely consistent with" the US commitments in the Iran nuclear deal, it said.

The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to sanction Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Designer Anita Dongre, who featured in Googles official list of top searches of the year 2016, says though her brand always had global presence, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's decision to wear her creation generated a lot of buzz around the world.

Kate Middleton wore an Anita Dongre ensemble for one of her outings in India back in April.

"We've always had a global presence via e-commerce. But of course, Kate Middleton wearing an Anita Dongre dress got us a lot of global headlines. She is an iconic personality whose style is talked about and admired by women all over the world," Dongre told IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.

The designer, who is not only a celebrated name in the Indian fashion industry but also a successful entrepreneur courtesy her brand AND Design India Pvt Ltd, sums up 2016 on the work front as wonderful.

"It's been a wonderful year. All of us at the House Of Anita Dongre work hard and put in our best. It's lovely when the year ends with such great news," she added.

For the year to come, Dongre says she will continue to walk down the same path.

"I'm working like I do. With five brands from the House of Anita Dongre, there is always a lot to do. News... well, it just happens. And we're glad that, for us, it has always been good news. We're already geared up to start the new year with some great news that I can't wait to share," she said.

Dongre, who is known as much for her pret lines as for her couture creations -- which are a blend of traditional and contemporary, is currently busy with the campaign shoot of the Summer'17 collection. She says the line is shaping up "beautifully".

So what are the trends that will rule in 2017?

"I think organic and sustainable clothing is the need of the hour and as a designer who strongly believes in this, reviving our handcrafted tradition is now getting larger and more focused and a movement," she said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ending militarisation, maintaining transparency of intention and following the rule of law can de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea, currently a hot dispute between Beijing and the littoral countries of the region, a top US commander has said.

"We have been very transparent, we would appreciate all countries being transparent with their intentions in the South China sea; that would help a lot," Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, the commander of the US 7th Fleet who was on a visit to India, told a select group of journalists here.

Could the tensions provoke an armed conflict? "We certainly don't want that," he replied.

"Exercising our rights under international laws to travel to the South China Sea, I do not see that as provoking something into a war. For over 70 years we have been sailing in those waters through the Indian Ocean, to ensure this major sea lane of communication remains open," Aucoin said in response to a question by IANS.

The Seventh Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, has been patrolling Asia's waters since World War II. Its coverage area extends from Japan to India.

China has blamed the US for militarising the area with its increasing presence, while the US has blamed China for this.

Aucoin stressed that the need of the hour is "to stop militarising, and state what their intentions are and then peacefully settle their territorial claims in a court of a law. That would tremendously de-escalate the angst that is now in the South China sea."

Tension has been escalating in the South China Sea with China claiming more than 80 percent of the area. The other major claimants to the area include Vietnam and the Philippines.

In recent years, China has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres in the waters that see trade worth $5 trillion annually.

Satellite images have shown that China has deployed surface-to-air missile launchers on an island in the South China Sea. Of late, it has also increased reliance on non-naval ships to assert its claims in the sea as per reports.

China also rejected a recent decision by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Attribution (PCA) over strategic reefs and atolls that Beijing claims would give it control over the South China Sea. The judgment was in favour of the Philippines.

Aucoin, in the past, has called for patrolling of the South China Sea by multiple nations.

Asked what role he expected India to play in the South China Sea, he said that was for the country's leadership to decide.

He, however, added that India has set an example by abiding by the international order when it accepted a decision of a UN tribunal on its maritime boundary with Bangladesh.

"I look at India as an example, the country that does it the right way. There was a claim between India and Bangladesh. India agreed to take that to court. That would be a terrific path forward in South China Sea that they take it to court and then following the ruling the countries would heed to the ruling," Aucoin said.

At the same time, he said that communication with the Chinese PLA Navy had improved, and a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) is now in place.

"We interact with the Chinese Navy quite a bit. We talk about the South China Sea, we talk about a number of things and there is good progress in some areas like CUES," Aucoin said.

"China has adopted that and has really eliminated a lot of uncertainty."

The Vice Admiral added that India and the US, being two major democracies in the world, need to act together to encourage other countries to follow the rule of law.

"I think as big democracies, we need to act together to encourage following the rule of law because this demand on resources is only going to be more exacerbated in coming years. I very much look forward to working closely with the Indian Navy and the example they set for the world stage," he said.

(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Philippine President Duterte: "Looking for a confrontation so I could kill."

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte affirmed on Friday that he shot dead three people as mayor, dismissing any uncertainty and displaying no remorse.





I dont really know how many bullets from my gun went inside their bodies, he said. It happened. I cannot lie about it.





His confirmation, reported by the Philippine Star, followed boasts to business leaders on Monday that he killed criminal suspects as the Davao City mayor to set a precedent for his police officers.





I used to do it personally, just to show to the guys that if I can do it, why cant you? he said, according to a video posted by the Star.





Id go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets looking for trouble, he said. I was really looking for a confrontation, so I could kill.





The president elaborated on the shootings Friday, calling them incidents with hostage-takers that saved peoples lives.





But his comments already had prompted a warning from U.S. officials and handed critics ammunition to demand his ouster.





The United States on Thursday announced it had deferred a decision to send the Philippines a major economic aid package . White House spokesman Josh Earnest called his remarks deeply troubling and certainly at odds with the Philippine governments stated commitment to due process and rule of law.





Sen. Leila de Lima, the presidents most high-profile opponent, told CNN that his admissions amount to mass murder and grounds for impeachment





Duterte, instigator of a bloody drug war during his presidency that has led to the death of more than 3,000 people, is known for his outlandish statements. He has compared himself to Hitler, declared he was not a killer and then threatened to kill officers who disobeyed him, and hinted at his own overuse of a powerful painkiller.





He has mentioned killing criminal suspects before, but his repeated remarks this week are the strongest declarations since he took office in June.





Dutertes popularity has only increased since then, and its unclear what effect his comments will have throughout the island nation. Philippine officials who support the president have tried to play them down.





The president always resorts to hyperbole, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said on Wednesday, according to the Star. He always exaggerates just to put his message across.





Dutertes confirmation that he had killed challenged such claims.





I would not have any second thoughts about cutting your head off, he told the paper on Friday, speaking about drug dealers. Should I allow it to continue? And be like the Latin American states?

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Source: Los Angeles Times , Jessica Meyers, December 16, 2016
Hollywood star Brad Pitt will only be allowed a four-hour long visit to his children on the Christmas Day.

His estranged wife Angelina Jolie has agreed he can deliver gifts in the morning and early afternoon, reports dailystar.co.uk.

"She doesn't have the heart to refuse to let him see the children over the holidays and they would probably never forgive her if she did. But Brad is going to have to use every ounce of his acting skill when he arrives with their presents and put on a brave face to mask the torment he's going through over spending so little time with them," said a source close to the warring pair.

Jolie, 41, is living in a rented beachfront mansion in Malibu with Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. She is locked in a legal tussle over the custody of their children with Pitt, 52.

Jolie had filed for divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" and is demanding sole physical custody of the kids with visitation rights only for Pitt, whose lawyers have filed a counter-claim.

As part of the Family Services probe, he was ordered to undergo anger management counselling and submit to random drug tests prior to agreed visits with the children.

The source told Daily Star: "He bit his tongue and suffered through all of that in the hope Angelina would allow him more time with their kids. But he was really choked when he didn't get to spend a single moment with them at Thanksgiving last month."

"And although he can't wait to see them at Christmas, he's dreading how hard it will be for him to leave them again after four hours."

Last year, the family had spent Christmas Day together in a 10-bedroom rented villa in Phuket, Thailand.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 22 cars, buses and other vehicles were torched in some places in Manipur's Imphal East district on Sunday by residents protesting against the Naga economic blockade even as curfew was imposed there after a militant attack.

However the arsonists did not target the vehicle drivers and passengers. As fire tenders could not reach the spot, the vehicles could not be salvaged.

In wake of the attack, heavily-armed police and paramilitary personnel were patrolling the trouble-prone areas after dispersing the unruly mob by firing tear gas canisters.

Expressing the people's resentment against the blockade, activist A. Rajen said: "Since the central government is pampering the United Naga Council (UNC) and the militant outfit underpinning it, the situation is getting worse day by day. The centre is a silent spectator to the indefinite economic blockade imposed against Manipur since November 1."

Women who called the 24-hour general strike had threatened with more agitations after they ended it on Saturday night.

In Sagolband area of Imphal West district, women stopped and set alight several items including consumer goods which were being transported to the tribal areas.

Nirmala, a housewife, said: "No consumer item is available in the market. Baby foods, life saving medicines, chicken, fish, eggs had vanished. We are resorting to counter blockade against some tribal areas since they should also suffer like us."

Another woman activist called the UNC a frontal organisation of a militant outfit and said it should be outlawed.

Meanwhile, curfew was imposed in a stretch of Imphal East earlier on Sunday after tribal militants opened fire in Bongyang village along the Imphal-Ukhrul road. Since most of the villagers were inside the church for Sunday prayers, there was no casualty.

In response, Collector Ningthoujam Geofrey clamped curfew in the area from Lamlong market to Yaingangpokpi, with the restrictions extending to 300 metres on either side of the state highway.

"The authority has reason to believe that it will be difficult to protect lives and properties of the people," he said.

Bongyang is a Kuki-dominated village, where last week, three policemen were killed and 14 others injured in an ambush.

Meanwhile, villagers and staff of Vijaya Bank took out a procession on Sunday at Saikul, also a Kuki area, condemning the robbery of Rs 6 lakh on December 15 by two masked men.

Autonomous District Council member T. Guite said: "The money belongs to the poor people and not the rich and influential businessmen. The common people are hit hard by the closure of the bank branch."

While condemning the heist, elected representatives and village elders urged the bank to reopen the branch there.

Police circles and civil organisations fear a communal flare up as the central government has not stepped in to restrain the Naga groups. Police sources fear that this may be the beginning of a repeat of ethnic cleansing witnessed in the 1990s which left over 1,500 dead and dozens of villages destroyed.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday strongly defended Malayalam film director Kamal, who had BJP workers singing the national anthem near his home earlier this week after it turned out that a man had who filed a petition against the anthem's playing before films was from his village.

Attending a function here, Vijayan said the Sangh Parivar is now trying to communalise the national anthem row.

"The Sangh Parivar need not take the task of giving a certificate to Kamal. They are behind the protest against him. This is not going to be tolerated in Kerala and the government will act," he said.

Kamal, or Kamaludeen, is the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy that organised the International Film Festival of Kerala which concluded in the capital city last week. He came under attack from the BJP after it surfaced that the petitioner, representing a local film society, filed a petition against the playing of the anthem, hailed from his village only.

The Supreme Court had ruled that the national anthem has to be played before the screening at all theatres in the country.

Since then there has been barbed attacks against Kamal and this led to the protest by the Thrissur unit of the BJP which sang the national anthem in front of his home there.

Kamal and State Culture and Cinema Minister A.K. Balan had all along maintained that they would abide by the apex court ruling and the national anthem was played at all the theatres.

Eleven people were arrested, but later let off on bail, after they refused to stand up when the national anthem was played at two theatres during the IFFK screening.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Santos have begun talks aimed at renewing the contract of Brazil international midfielder Lucas Lima, according to the club's president.

Lima's current deal with Santos expires at the end of 2017 and his agent claimed during the week that the 26-year-old was close to joining an unnamed Chinese club, reports Xinhua news agency.

But Santos President Modesta Roma said he was confident of keeping Lima after meeting with businessman Edson Khodor, who owns 10 percent of the player's economic rights.

"We talked about a renewal and not about selling," Modesto was quoted as saying by Uol Esporte.

Lima's agent Wagner Ribeiro said on Wednesday that Lima and Santos received an offer that was "impossible to refuse" from China.

Modesto also said that Santos are negotiating a new contract for 36-year-old former Brazil striker Ricardo Oliveira.

--IANs

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A lost, scared, lone rhinoceros from Nepal, wandering around near this district town the past eight months, attacked villagers on Saturday night after being cornered and forest officials are now preparing to tranquilise it.

The forest officials, who have tracked the animal since last week and hoped that it finds its way back home to Bardiya National Park in Nepal, have now decided on action, following uproar from local people, since there is the worry that it might kill someone.

There is also the fear that further exposure also risks its poaching.

"We had approved the tranquilisation... We, however, still prefer the safe way that it finds its way back to Nepal," Conservator of Forests of Lucknow Division Eva Sharma told IANS.

Now spooked, the rhino on Saturday attacked a few villagers near the district centre and charged at two forest rangers in Laharpur Forest Range in nearby Sitapur district. Due to its mobility, officials haven't been able to gather much information on the age and sex of the animal.

A rhino had killed a man in Lakhimpur-Kheri district in 2006 in an ugly turn to the man-animal conflict. It was finally caught from Meerut district and shifted to Kanpur Zoo.

The forest officials have now kept the tranquillization experts and veterinarian from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on stand-by.

First spotted in May this year, the rhino has been living in its natural habitat of the Terai region in Lakhimpur Kheri, ranging from the grasslands near Dudhwa National Park to the agriculture fields a few kilometres from the city. A naturally shy animal, the rhino had been living off the people's notice until it was spotted at agricultural fields near here, alarming the farmers.

Some experts, however, believe this is the rhino that was spotted in December 2015 wandering near Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary under Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

The rhinos of Nepal, unlike rhinos in Dudhwa, are free-ranging, which means that they are not confined to any area. They often cross the border through two active green corridors -- Kataraniaghat along the Sharda and Ghaghra rivers in Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri districts, and the second from Lagga Bagha in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.

The rhinos either manage to move back or are caught and sent to the Rhino Rehabilitation Centre in Saklukhhapur in Dudhwa.

"We had been tracking the rhino for the last two weeks. It is changing its location very swiftly and at present is wandering between Kheri and Sitapur. An official from WTI was here for inspection... we will call the experts for tranquilising once the animal is localised," Divisional Forest Officer, South-Kheri, Akhilesh Pandey told IANS.

Once localised to a particular area, the WTI experts would give two to three days' slot to tranquilise the rhino.

Pandey, who had been tracking the animal, said they are trying to route the rhino towards Sharda river so that it can find its way back to Nepal through tha corridor along Dudhwa via grasslands of Ghaghra river. The present location of the animal is about 25 km from the corridor.

"If it doesn't go back, we will have no other option but to make attempts to tranquilise it," he added.

Mayuk Chatterjee, a rhino expert from the Wildlife Trust of India, said that the Forest Department has been advised to keep track of the animal.

"Unlike a tiger or leopard, it's not an easy task to locate and tranquilise a rhino. Its skin is hard, so you only have specific spots where you can tranquilise it. Besides, there are always risks of mortality," Chatterjee told IANS.

He added that while rhinos are not a threat to humans, the panicked people is what scares them.

"Animals know their way around... it is the people who might do something that would make the rhino attack them. Department should talk to people and avoid crowd formation," Chatterjee said.

(Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)

--IANS

kd/vd/vt

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday pledged to help an Indian woman to get back the body of her husband who died in Japan.

"We will bear all the expenses and do this without delay," the minister tweeted.

Sushma Swaraj's reaction followed a story in a newspaper which quoted Gopal Ram's family as saying they had no money to fly his body to India.

A cook, Gopal Ram left for Tokyo in September 2015. He passed away from a cardiac arrest on December 10.

The man's wife, who has three children, said her only source of income was about Rs 3,000 a month she got from a room she had rented out.

"How will we be able to afford the lakhs of rupees needed to transport him home?" the daily quoted her as saying.

--IANS

mr/py

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The UN Security Council on Sunday will vote on a French draft resolution to monitor the evacuation process of civilians and rebel fighters from the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Diplomatic sources said that the vote was scheduled for 10 a.m. in New York, Efe news reported.

The initiative required UN staff to coordinate and observe the departure of inhabitants of eastern Aleppo.

Thousands were evacuated from the former opposition stronghold, recaptured almost in its entirety by pro-government forces.

The process, however, was stopped on Friday and people were now waiting for the resumption of the agreement between the parties.

Western countries have denounced the alleged abuses against some of the evacuees and considered it fundamental to have international observers present during the process.

Russia has expressed skepticism about the possibility of the UN monitoring the evacuations and said that deploying observers would take weeks.

French authorities, however, believe that the mission could be carried out with UN personnel already in the area.

Both France and the US warned Moscow that if it blocks the adoption of the resolution, they would convene a special session of the UN General Assembly to put pressure on Damascus and its allies.

So far in the conflict in Syria, the Russian delegation has used its veto power six times to paralyze initiatives on war in the Security Council.

--IANS

in/

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Catapoolt, a crowdfunding platform launched in 2013, works out of a co-working space in Mumbai. It has so far raised about Rs 1.5 crore for 70-odd projects. But, it still does not have a dedicated office. The advantages of using a co-working space are cost saving, networking and flexibility of having physical office space, as per the size of my team, says Satish Kataria, founder, Catapoolt.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav speaks to Radhika Ramaseshan on the impending Assembly elections, and its aftermath in the state and the feuds that nearly tore the Yadav family asunder.
In an interview with Sanjay Jog, Union Minister of Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar, who is also the member of crucial cabinet committee on political affairs, speaks on the of demonetisation and the road ahead.
Blog Hinangai

While there is much discussion in Guam about the economic benefits of increasing the islands military presence, the damages/dangers that they represent are rarely mentioned. This blog, a supplement to the Peace and Justice for Guam Petition, is meant to counter that by providing information about the US military in Guam, with the hopes of steering policy away from a dangerous unilateralist course to more sustainable notions of regional development and a strengthening international solidarity.
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will address a public rally in Mehsana, Gujarat, on Wednesday where the party enjoys a majority in both district and taluka panchayats. This will be his first visit to the state after demonetisation.
The Indian auto is yet again looking forward to a new year with renewed optimism amid challenges of new regulations after a bumpy ride in 2016.

Despite beginning the year with a bangwith 108 product launches and unveilings at the biennial Auto Expo in Februarythe found that its wish for a third consecutive year of growth was not going to be a cruise.

Far from a smooth drive, 2016 turned out to be a journey with major speed breakers and blind corners as the became the favourite whipping boy in the fight against pollution.

It bore the brunt of the ban on diesel cars and SUVs with big engines of 2,000 cc and above in Delhi-NCR for eight months, and according to SIAM, this resulted in a loss of Rs 4,000 crore for the industry.

Besides, the industry had to start getting ready for leapfrogging to BS VI emission norms from 2020 from the current BS IV, three years earlier than they had been envisaged.

Not just that, come October 2017, all the new car models will have to pass a mandatory crash test as the government has decided to introduce stringent safety norms. For upgrades of the existing models, the deadline will be from October 2018.

"A lot is expected to happen in 2017 on the regulatory front and with an introduction of GST... With so many policy-level developments all through the year, the auto industry is surely expected to face a challenging, yet an interesting year," Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers President Vinod K Dasari said.

While he refrained from commenting on the outlook for 2017 stating that "the current situation is a bit difficult" for a forecast, Dasari said: "...With demonetisation, the economy currently is facing a temporary disruption in domestic demand. The situation is likely to continue till March 2017, post which the economy should bounce back to normal."

In 2016, the auto industry saw sales counter ticking for the better part of the year till the sudden announcement of demonetisation that brought sales to a screeching halt.

The blow in November immediately followed a bountiful festive season and made showrooms wear a deserted look in the wake of the recall of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

"The industry witnessed a degrowth of 5.5 per cent in wholesale sales in November 2016. The drop in retail sales was worse while the footfall at showrooms has dropped dramatically," Dasari said, adding that November 2016 was a difficult month for the whole economy and the auto industry due to demonetisation.

Putting things into perspective, he said total automobile domestic sales in January-November 2016 grew by 11.4 per cent compared with the year-ago period. In January-October 2016, the industry had grown by 13.1 per cent against the corresponding period a year earlier.

Dasari, however, said: "This situation should be looked against the background of good monsoon and expectations of the revival of the rural market after three years. The optimistic outlook continued despite the infrastructure cess introduced on passenger vehicles in the Union Budget by the Finance Minister."

He termed the year 2016 as "quite eventful". The year saw the government mooting a vehicle scrappage policy even as the Delhi government ordered the removal of diesel vehicles in Delhi/NCR that are older than 15 years.

The proposed 'Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Plan

(V-VMP)' provides incentives worth 8-12 per cent of the cost of a new vehicle in lieu of surrendering the old ones and looks to get nearly 28 million over-11-year-old polluting vehicles off the road.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was also at the forefront of the fight against pollution, ordering around 1.9 lakh diesel vehicles that are more than 15 years old to be taken off. It had earlier ordered plying of diesel vehicles that are older than 10 years.

A development that disappointed the auto industry was the reduced incentive from the government on research and development.

"A huge sum of R&D expenses has been earmarked for development of technology for BS VI. However, in the Union Budget 2016-17, the benefit available on weighted deduction on R&D expenses was reduced from 200 per cent to 150 per cent from the current financial year and the entire benefit will be eliminated from 2020. This was a disappointing announcement for the industry," Dasari noted.

With an aim to make eco-friendly vehicles, he said SIAM members have been working on developing hybrid and electric vehicles in all segments - two wheelers, cars and even buses.

"Once the market starts accepting these vehicles in large numbers and economies of scale reached, this effort should become self-sustaining and should have huge potential in not only domestic market but also exports," Dasari added.

Optimistic of the growth story of Indian automobile industry in the long term, he said: "The strong economic foundation and the current steps to combat black money would make the economy stronger and it will bounce back and so would be demand for vehicles."

Expressing similar views, Price Waterhouse Partner and auto expert Abdul Majeed said while in short to medium term the growth is not going to be consistent, the long-term perspective for the automotive industry is quite bright.

"Going forward, the government will push its agenda in bringing stricter emission, safety norms etc. The auto industry will have to cope with these changes. Hopefully, more incentives will be offered by the government on environment-friendly vehicles," he said.

One of the repercussions will be that vehicles will become costlier due to extra inputs required to make them compliant with the rules.

"Industry is in no position to absorb extra cost," Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chairman R C Bhargava said.

Even before the new norms kick in, many automobile manufacturers, including Hyundai, Toyota, Renault, Nissan, Tata Motors and Mercedes-Benz, have already announced that they would hike prices from January to offset rising input costs and impact of adverse foreign exchange fluctuations.

The temporary blips notwithstanding, Bhargava said that for the country's largest carmaker MSI, the expectation is for a double-digit growth in 2017.

"We expect to achieve the double-digit growth that we set for the year. Next year, if there are no production constraints, we would like to achieve a double-digit growth," he said.

According to Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) Senior Vice-President Jnaneshwar Sen, demonetisation has changed a bit the situation for the auto industry which was showing some "decent growth during the beginning of the year".

"We will have to see how good the recovery would be in December and coming few months. There has been a postponement of purchases. Bookings are not happening, but enquiries are going on. So, one thing is interest is there. We expect people to come back to market as general sentiment improves," Sen said.

Like the previous ones, the year also saw major carmakers Maruti Suzuki India, Hyundai, Honda and others recall some of their models for fixing faults. Over two million vehicles have been recalled by various automakers in India ever since the auto industry body SIAM started voluntary vehicle recalls on safety-related issues in July 2012.
Conviction rate of people accused of crime against women in the country stood at a dismal 21.7 per cent last year and 35 per cent in Delhi, often dubbed as the rape capital.

According to the National Crime Record Bureau data, no one was convicted in Arunachal Pradesh while most number of accused were convicted in Mizoram in 2015 in cases of crime against women.

In Delhi, the conviction rate in cases of crime against women was merely 35 per cent, despite one fast track court in all 11 districts of the national capital. These courts were set up following the gangrape of a 23-year-old para-medical student in a moving bus in December 2012 that shook the nation.

Last year, in Arunachal Pradesh, 384 cases of crime against women were reported and 408 people arrested, of which 303 were named in charge sheet in 259 cases. However, none was convicted.

Single-digit conviction rate was reported from Gujarat (2.7 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (4.7), Karnataka (4.9), West Bengal (5), Odisha (8.3), Andhra Pradesh (8.4), Telangana (8.6) and Assam (9.4 per cent).

Mizoram had the best conviction rate of 77.4 per cent for the cases of crime against women and also in the cases of crime against children (88.7 per cent) in 2015.

It was followed by Nagaland, where accused in 76.7 per cent cases were convicted in cases of crime against women while 63.6 per cent in cases of crime against children.

Delhi had registered just 38 per cent conviction rate in cases of crime against children in 2015, the data said.

A total of 9,489 cases of crime against children were registered in the national capital.

A total of 3,016 people were listed in charge sheets in 2,524 cases of which 404 people were convicted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three persons have been arrested with 600 gram of heroin and Rs 12 lakh in new high-value currency in Punjab's Amritsar district, police said today.

The three were arrested outside a Suvidha centre in Pataka market on Chamrang road before they could deliver the heroin.

The counter-intelligence unit arrested Karaj Singh, Malkeet Singh and Jaswinder Singh - all residents of Ghulami wala village in Ferozepur district - following a tip-off, said Inspector General of Police M F Farooqui.

Police said a total of Rs 15.49 lakh was seized from them, and out of that Rs 12 lakh were in the new high-value notes.

On Thursday, Punjab police arrested Gurnam Singh and recovered 5 kg of heroin from his possession. The police said the contraband was smuggled into India from Pakistan.

Gurnam has sold a part of the heroin to the three persons arrested today, police said, adding that the three had come here to deliver the heroin to someone in Amritsar.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Tickling the tastebuds of Spaniards, 30 restaurants dedicated to Indian cuisine are attracting food lovers in Madrid, the culinary capital of southern Europe.

The city with a population of over 33 lakh has welcomed Indian food wholeheartedly as the number of Indian restaurants are a proof of the popularity of the cuisine.

When London-based Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to earn a Michelin star, opened his outpost of Benares restaurant in Madrid in September last year, it indicated the rising demand for Indian cuisine in this south European country.

Chef Ranjit at the restaurant told PTI that they are serving a four-course Indian meal to Spaniards which has been well received.

He said the menu is same as that of the Benares restaurant, London, with additional use of local ingredients while maintaining the authenticity of Indian cuisine.

The Indian restaurants have a good business scope in Madrid as tourists from all over the world have a liking for the cuisine, Ranjit SAID.

Located near the Popular party headquarters in the upmarket street of Zurbano, the restaurant's specialities are Dal Makhani, Coorgi Meen kari, Tandoori Murg and Atul's Signature Curry -- Lamb Rogan Josh.

When Spaniards crave for some spicy they opt for the 'Tandoori Station', considered to be the top Indian restaurant in the city.

Located in Barrio Salamanca here, the restaurant is themed on Indian railways and serves authentic Indian cuisine.

Popularity of its food among the Spaniards is such that it is considered among the top 50 restaurants of the city.

Chef Nadeem Siraj, who hails from Pakistan and did his engineering from Australia, had opened 'Tandoori Station' after working in countries like Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa.

Siraj feels there is lot of scope for South Asian cuisine in southern Europe and with increasing tourists from India it will further boost the business.

Madrid-based food blogger Janis said Indian food is



popular among the locals who frequent calle Lavapies, a street which is lined with Indian restaurants.

As many Indian restaurants operate from the street, its also called as "curry row".

The street has its own dedicated line of customers which include locals and people visiting the city from other parts of Spain.

Tandoori delicacies, naan, rogan josh, butter chicken, samosas and mango lassi are among the most sought after dishes served by Indian restaurants, she said.

Many Spaniards who have been to India and Nepal for trekking also turn up at the restaurants to revive memories of their stay in the two south Asian countries, she added.

Ishwar Shari, who ran an electronics business in Spain for over a decade, said his friends and neigbours love Indian food and frequented the restaurants or Indian households for it.

However, the Spaniards would love if the restaurants make the food less spicy, he added.

Besides the Spaniards, the Indians settled in Spain are also loving the availability of 'desi' food.

As per the Embassy of India in Spain, there are around 35,000 Indian residents in the country.
A suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers in Aden today, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the country's second city.

Military officials and medics said dozens more were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

"The number of those killed has risen to 48, while 84 others were wounded," Aden health chief Abdel Nasser al-Wali told AFP.

Wali had initially given a toll of 40 dead, warning that the number was likely to increase due to "critical cases."



The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber "took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them".

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a "martyrdom seeker" had gotten through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoid "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."



Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 7-year-old boy died after alleged medical negligence and wrong injection at Bikrampur village in Odisha's Ganjam district today.

Aditya Barada was taken to a village nurse's home for treatment of his injured leg and in the absence of her, her son Saswata Das (27) allegedly administered an injection for relief from the pain, police said quoting the complaint made Sibaram Barada, uncle of the deceased.

Instead of relief, the child started vomitting and collapsed and he was rushed to the community health centre (CHC) at Khallikote where doctorsr declared him brought dead, they said.

Sibaram alleged that the child died as he was given wrong injection by the son of the nurse (ANM). In the FIR before the police, he demanded action against the person. The father of the child was working outside the state.

A case has been regisetered against Das under section 304 (culpable homicide not ammounting to murder). The body was sent for post-mortem at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, said inspector in charge of Khallikote police station Bivekanand Sawin.

The accused person has not yet been arrested. "Further action will be taken after getting the post-mortem report," the IIC said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Social activists have written to State Election Commission (SEC) of Maharashtra urging it to "issue a show-cause notice to BJP", after its leader Raosaheb Danve courted a controversy with his remark asking voters to accept "Laxmi", the goddess of wealth, during the polls.

According to social activists Vishwambhar Choudhari and Anjali Damania, Danve's remarks imply that political parties offer cash to people to vote for them and voters should accept them without any hesitation.

"This direct statement is not only anti democratic and corrupt statement but is also a blatant violation of the Election Commission's model code of conduct," they added.

"If such a coarse public speech is allowed to be resorted to by the BJP state president or his candidates contesting election, it will certainly undermine the purity of the election process mandated by the poll code," the activists said.

"An inquiry needs to be initiated in this matter urgently and a stringent action needs to be taken against Danve and BJP as a political party for violation of the model code of conduct," they added.

The activists claimed that this is not the first instance when Danve made an "irresponsible" statement publicly.

"On November 25 while speaking at Municipal Council election campaign in Amalner, he had threatened the voters that power at central and state governments at present lies with BJP and if the voters do not vote for BJP, the local development works will not get funds from state and central government", they further claimed.

"This is an act of directly blackmailing the voters. While the election commission, through constitutional directions to it, aims at unbiased election process, politicians like Danve are challenging all core values and principles of unbiasedness," they alleged.

According to them, all these statements are required to be examined in the context of Prevention of Corruption Act.

"You are requested to kindly issue a show cause notice to the BJP and it's Maharashtra state (unit) president Danve and take appropriate action in the matter," the activists said in a letter to SEC.

"On the eve of elections, Laxmi comes to your house and you should accept it," Danve had said during a civic poll campaign meeting at Paithan in Aurangabad district yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled address in the city tomorrow, a rally hoarding was set ablaze by unidentified miscreants in Sarvodaynagar area here.

An FIR has been registered following the incident that took place last night, after BJP leaders here took up the matter with senior district and police officials.

BJP district president Surendra Maithani said party men had rushed to the spot were the hoarding was set ablaze and informed Kanpur SSP Akash Kulhari who directed Kakadev police station to file the FIR.

Maithani said they have apprised the Chief Minister's Office and the Prime Minister's Office of the incident.

Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing at Nirala Nagar Railway ground where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address the Parivartan Rally at noon tomorrow. The Special Protection Group and district administration are overseeing security arrangements.

A skill development exhibition will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister ahead of his rally, preparations for which are being overseen by Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today.

Congress meanwhile staged a demonstration here against the Prime Minister opposing the demonetisation measure. Congress district president Harprakash Agnihotri said the party would strongly oppose the rally.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Evacuations of fighters and civilians from the devastated Syrian city of were postponed until further notice after gunmen attacked buses for a similar operation from two rebel-besieged villages.

The development came as Syria ally Russia warned it would veto a French-drafted resolution at the Security Council on sending UN observers to and submitted a counter draft resolution.

Diplomats said the Security Council vote would take place on Monday.

Dozens of buses had entered the last rebel-held parts of to resume the evacuation of thousands of increasingly desperate trapped Syrian civilians and rebels.

The evacuation was suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of people had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

The main obstacle to a resumption had been a dispute over how many people would be evacuated in parallel from two Shiite villages, Fuaa and Kafraya, under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

But just as a deal to go ahead with the evacuations was found and announced by both sides, gunmen attacked buses sent to take people out of Fuaa and Kafraya and torched them, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one bus driver was killed in the attack and that the overall evacuation operation was put on hold.

The Britain-based monitor said security guarantees were needed before they could resume.

Yasser al-Youssef of the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group confirmed that "the evacuations have been momentarily suspended".

The Observatory said buses would not leave the rebel areas of Aleppo until residents of Fuaa and Kafraya were also able to leave.

Buses began entering several east Aleppo districts earlier today under Red Crescent and Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supervision "to bring the remaining terrorists and their families out," state news agency SANA said, referring to the rebels.

State television said 100 buses would take people out.

By early evening in Aleppo, more than 30 buses were packed with people awaiting evacuation, while thousands more stood in the cold for their turn to board other buses, an AFP reporter said.

A rebel representative had also said that hundreds of people would also be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, two regime-besieged rebel towns in Damascus province, as part of the deal.

The UN Security Council met to discuss a French draft resolution saying that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation.

The measure would task Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with deploying UN staff to Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians who remain there.

But Russia said it would use its veto to block the French proposal, and instead presented a rival draft asking the UN to make "arrangements" to monitor the situation.
But what if the United States had to fight two wars today, and not against states like North Korea and Iran? What if China and Russia sufficiently coordinated with one another to engage in simultaneous hostilities in the Pacific and in Europe?

The United States discarded its oft-misunderstood two war doctrine, intended as a template for providing the means to fight two regional wars simultaneously, late last decade. Designed to deter North Korea from launching a war while the United States was involved in fighting against Iran or Iraq (or vice versa,) the idea helped give form to the Department of Defenses procurement, logistical and basing strategies in the postCold War, when the United States no longer needed to face down the Soviet threat. The United States backed away from the doctrine because of changes in the international system, including the rising power of China and the proliferation of highly effective terrorist networks.

Political Coordination

----This Story Was Published in The National Interest ----

In any case, the war would start on the initiative of either Moscow or Beijing. The United States enjoys the benefits of the status quo in both areas, and generally (at least where great powers are concerned) prefers to use diplomatic and economic means to pursue its political ends. While the U.S. might create the conditions for war, Russia or China would pull the trigger.

Flexibility

On the upside, only some of the requirements for fighting in Europe and the Pacific overlap. As was the case in World War II, the U.S. Army would bear the brunt of defending Europe, while the Navy would concentrate on the Pacific. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) would play a supporting role in both theaters.

Russia lacks the ability to fight NATO in the North Atlantic, and probably has no political interest in trying. This means that while the United States and its NATO allies can allocate some resources to threatening Russias maritime space (and providing insurance against a Russian naval sortie,) the U.S. Navy (USN) can concentrate its forces in the Pacific . Depending on the length of the conflict and the degree of warning provided, the United States could transport considerable U.S. Army assets to Europe to assist with any serious fighting.

The bulk of American carriers, submarines and surface vessels would concentrate in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, fighting directly against Chinas A2/AD system and sitting astride Chinas maritime transit lanes . Long range aviation, including stealth bombers and similar assets, would operate in both theaters as needed.

The U.S. military would be under strong pressure to deliver decisive victory in at least one theater as quickly as possible. This might push the United States to lean heavily in one direction with air, space and cyber assets, hoping to achieve a strategic and political victory that would allow the remainder of its weight to shift to the other theater. Given the strength of U.S. allies in Europe, the United States might initially focus on the conflict in the Pacific.

Alliance Structure

U.S. alliance structure in the Pacific differs dramatically from that of Europe. Notwithstanding concern over the commitment of specific U.S. allies in Europe, the United States has no reason to fight Russia apart from maintaining the integrity of the NATO alliance. If the United States fights, then Germany, France, Poland and the United Kingdom will follow. In most conventional scenarios, even the European allies alone would give NATO a tremendous medium term advantage over the Russians; Russia might take parts of the Baltics, but it would suffer heavily under NATO airpower, and likely couldnt hold stolen territory for long. In this context, the USN and USAF would largely play support and coordinative roles, giving the NATO allies the advantage they needed to soundly defeat the Russians. The U.S. nuclear force would provide insurance against a Russian decision to employ tactical or strategic nuclear weapons.

The United States faces more difficult problems in the Pacific. Japan or India might have an interest in the South China Sea, but this hardly guarantees their participation in a war (or even the degree of benevolence of their neutrality.) The alliance structure of any given conflict would depend on the particulars of that conflict; any of the Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan or Taiwan could become Chinas primary target. The rest, U.S. pressure aside, might well prefer to sit on the sidelines. This would put extra pressure on the United States to establish dominance in the Western Pacific with its own assets.

Parting Shots

The United States can still fight and win two major wars at the same time, or at least come near enough to winning that neither Russia nor China would see much hope in the gamble. The United States can do this because it continues to maintain the worlds most formidable military, and because it stands at the head of an extremely powerful military alliance. Moreover, Russia and China conveniently pose very different military problems, allowing the United States to allocate some of its assets to one, and the rest to the other.

However, it bears emphasis that this situation will not last forever . The United States cannot maintain this level of dominance indefinitely, and in the long-term will have to choose its commitments carefully. At the same time, the United States has created an international order that benefits many of the most powerful and prosperous countries in the world; it can count on their support, for a while.

----This Story Was Published in The National Interest ----




Army today paid floral tributes to the three soldiers killed in a militant attack on an army convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

"In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment here, many senior officials from security agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, BSF and SSB, joined General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation," an army official said.

Many officials from the civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmed Khan were also present on the occasion.

Three soldiers were yesterday killed, while two others jawans were injured in the attack at a place crowded with civilians in Pampore of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Martyr Naik (Gnr) Ratheesh C (35) had joined army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and is survived by his wife and a son," the official said.

He said 33-year-old Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar of Bhekrai Nagar village in Pune of Maharasthra had donned the uniform in 2004 and is survived by his wife and twin daughters.

Gunner Shashikant Pandey (24) had four years of service and was on his way to join his unit in the Valley.

Hailing from Zharian area of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, he is survived by his parents, the official said.

The mortal remains of the martyrs would be flown for last rites to their native places where they would be laid to rest with full military honours, he said.

In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their needs and wellbeing, the official said.

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BJP on Sunday accused the ruling in Uttar Pradesh of conspiring to incite violence as people wait in queues outside banks and ATMs, alleging that it wants the central government's ambitious demonetisation exercise to fail ahead of the assembly elections.

It has also asked the UP government to cooperate in efforts to transport currency notes across the state from its capital Lucknow and warned of "serious consequences" if it uses official machinery, including police, to spark violence.

BJP's attack on the SP comes amid reports of incidents of disorder and fight among people as they wait in long queues to get currency notes, resulting in the police using force in parts of the state.

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said people across the country, including UP, have supported demonetisation despite facing hardships, as it has dealt a blow to black money, corruption and fake currency.

"Things are slowing improving, queues are getting shorter as more currency notes are being pumped into the financial system. Difficulty remains in some places but people are supporting the central government. The SP government is looking to incite violence using police.

"Demonetisation is not against a political party and we expect the Akhilesh Yadav government to not incite people into violence by using police. If it does anything of this sort, then it will have to pay serious consequences," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought a 50-day period for the difficulties faced by the people to be over and things will pan out accordingly, Sharma said.

A high-voltage political campaign around note ban and involving all key parties is unfolding in the poll-bound state with the SP, BSP and Congress trying to corner BJP over hardships faced by the people.

The saffron party on the other hand has cited it as an evidence of the Modi government towards ending black money as it seeks to garner people's support to return to power in the state after a gap of 15 years.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday condemned Congress for its attack on the government over the army chief's appointment, saying there should be no politics on defence forces and asserted that Lt Gen has been elevated keeping in mind the current security scenario.

The party said that the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Rawat's appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

Lashing out at the opposition party, BJP said the Congress politicising the appointment of the army chief shows its "frustration" after it has been pushed to the "margins" of national politics following successive electoral defeats.

"They are all competent officers but under the prevailing security scenario, the government found Lt Gen Rawat as the most suitable candidate. We will urge all political parties to not do politics over it," BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said, after the government came under flak for ignoring the seniority norm in picking Rawat.

Responding to the Congress' critical comments regarding the impending appointment of a new Chief Justice, Sharma said the opposition party should not reach a premature conclusion and wait for an appropriate time.

"If any party has flouted the democratic norms most, it is the Congress party. BJP has always adhered to democratic norms," he said.

Congress and the Left have questioned the appointment of the new army chief by superseding two officers, asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons", and wondered if it was "whimsical cherry picking".
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said.

The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast.

Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest.

The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag.

It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.

Today's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on December 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.

In addition to IS, is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the extremist group.

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups.

They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern . Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally-recognized government.

The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the Houthis and their allies.

Today's bombing came as US Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi King Salman and to discuss the war in Yemen.
The lawyer for Egyptian novelist Ahmed Naji, who is imprisoned for violating public modesty, says a court has ordered his client's two-year sentence suspended pending review of his appeal.

Lawyer Mahmoud Othman told The Associated Press today that Naji is expected to be released following the ruling of a Cairo Court of Cassation.

Naji was initially acquitted of the charge that he published a sexually explicit excerpt of a novel he authored which prosecutors said violated public modesty.

His acquittal was appealed by prosecutors and a higher court in February sentenced him to two years in prison.

That ruling was decried as part of a government crackdown on freedom of speech and expression.

Othman says the court will review Naji's appeal on January 1.

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A Cambridge University professor has warned that the use of phrases like "hard-working" and "enthusiastic" in relation to women are unwittingly sexist and reflect gender bias.

Dame Athene Donald, professor of experimental physics at the university and master of Churchill College, said references were often unintentionally written in a "gendered way", with academics more likely to describe female applicants for research posts or fellowships as "hard-working" or "team players", 'The Sunday Times' reported.

She argued that such descriptions failed to communicate how good candidates actually were, unlike superlatives such as "excellent", "driven" or "outstanding", which were often reserved for males.

She said: "If letter writers just sit down and write the first adjectives that come into their heads to describe men and women, the words may be poles apart even if the subjects of the letters are indistinguishable in ability. Clearly this can lead to significant detriment to the woman's progression, even if without a sexist intent".

She feels the language fails to communicate whether a female PhD student is hard-working and conscientious, or that she was outstanding, goes the extra mile and always exceeds your expectations.

"There is an enormous difference in the impact of the two descriptions," she said.

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Gunmen killed 10 people including a Canadian tourist and police officers today in southern Jordan where security forces were hunting down the unidentified attackers.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres south of the capital Amman.

Jordan's general security department said seven policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings.

It said that 27 others, including policemen and civilians, were wounded.

A separate police statement said that "a number of outlaws who committed ugly crimes this afternoon" had been killed and that security forces were combing the Crusader castle for more gunmen.

The first attack took place when a police patrol went to check on a fire that had broken out in a house in Karak, the general security department said.

"As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car," it said in a statement carried by the official Petra agency.

"Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties," it added.

At the same time, gunmen in the Crusader castle opened fire on the Karak police station, "wounding several policemen and passers-by" who were rushed to hospital.

"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen," the statement said, adding that the search was still under way.

A senior security source said some people were trapped in a lower floor of the citadel when the gunmen took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.

"There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower floor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces," said the source who did not wish to be identified.

He said that the gunmen were on a higher level inside the fortress.

The Jordan Tourism Board described the Karak citadel, which dates back to the 12th century and has withstood many sieges, as a "maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways".

The general security department statement said "five or six gunmen" were thought to be involved in the shootings.

However, Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the shootings, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel".

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings, but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

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Gunmen killed seven people including a Canadian tourist and police officers today in a city in southern Jordan where security forces were hunting down the unidentified attackers.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres south of the capital Amman.

Jordan's general security department said four policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings. Several others were reported wounded.

The first attack took place when a police patrol went to check on a fire that broke out in a house in Karak, the department said.

"As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car," it said in a statement carried by the official Petra agency.

"Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties," it added.

At the same time, gunmen holed up in the Crusader castle opened fire on the Karak police station, "wounding several policemen and passersby" who were rushed to hospital, the statement added.

"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen," the statement said, adding that the search was still under way.

The ministry said "five or six gunmen" were thought to be involved in the shootings.

However, Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the attacks, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel".

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting IS jihadists and hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014 and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbeh's hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to Islamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, where an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.

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Dozens of health facilities supported by the World Health Organisation in strife-torn areas of Sudan risk closure due to a lack of funds, exposing one million people to likely epidemics.

Eleven clinics have already been shut in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan where years of fighting between government troops and black African rebels has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

As an acute cash crunch worsens and with the world's eyes focused on other conflicts such as Syria, another 49 facilities in these regions are also at risk, the WHO head in Sudan, Naeema al-Gasseer, told AFP.

"We don't have enough funds to continue supporting clinics in remote areas that provide people with health services," Gasseer said.

"About 11 clinics have already been closed and another 49 are facing closure.

"We are talking about a million people who can be affected."



The closures could impact immunisation services, while some 323,000 women of child-bearing age and children under five will lack access to health care, she said.

"A heightened risk of epidemics is likely... With people having to travel long distances to access available health care services," Gasseer said.

WHO, a United Nations agency, needs about $7 million to operate these clinics over the next year, but is having trouble sourcing the funds.

More than half of these facilities are in Darfur, a vast region the size of France where heavy fighting erupted in 2003.

Violence broke out when ethnic minority rebels rose up against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Similar fighting has also plagued Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with tens of thousands of people killed or displaced in these three areas in more than a decade.

Funding for Sudan's health care sector has fallen in the past two or three years.

The cash crunch faced by WHO and other NGOs is so severe that many clinics have no money even to buy medicines or to pay staff wages.

"Sudan is like a forgotten emergency," said Adil al-Mahi from Save the Children Sweden, which operates health facilities for children in the conflict zones.

"We don't have funds... To maintain the equipment or for food for malnourished children."



Save the Children Sweden is phasing out health and nutrition services in 20 centres in South Kordofan, affecting about 200,000 people who it has supported.

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Amid criticism from certain quarters on demonetisation, the central government's move today found supporters in a chaat-shop owner and eunuchs here who campaigned to raise awareness about the benefits of a cashless society.

After taking part in Christmas celebration event with inmates of Cheshire home at Sundernagar here, 49-year-old Pappu Sardar accompanied by a group of eunuchs distributed pamphlets in the busy Sakchi market highlighting the advantages of the decision.

Supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision and push for cashless society, Sardar, who is famous in the region as a die-hard fan of Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, claimed the move would secure the future of upcoming generations.

He said one should not expect PM Modi alone to eradicate corruption. "But it is the responsibility of every individual to discharge their responsibility to achieve the goal (of rooting out corruption)," he told reporters.

"The intention of the government is good and the people from across the society are supporting it whole-heartedly," he said when asked about the impact on small traders and farmers.

Sardar and the eunuchs also campaigned in support of demonetisation near Tatanagar station here.

Earlier at Chesire Home, Sardar distributed sweets among the inmates during the Christmas gathering that was organised by Tata Motors.

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The Albany American Legion Post 10 was overrun Saturday as members rallied to issue Christmas cheer to nearly 200 area kids during their annual toy drive.

"This is the most kids I've seen in the place in a long time," remarked Legion committee member Marlin Rice, an Air Force veteran who served as a load master on a Lockheed C-141 Starlifter during the Vietnam War.

Children gathered in every room, enjoying hot dogs, chips and juice, preparing to meet Santa and browse a room full of toys, all donated for the cause.

Santa, in this instance, served with the U.S. Navy in 1971. He sat at his throne with an elf while lady elves and veterans in leather coats with truckers' wallets made last minute preparations for the influx of kids. At one point, the fabric-covered partition wall, which would soon be opened to reveal Santa and his toys, began to move under the weight of the throngs on the other side.

"The fire marshal would have a field day in here," remarked one veteran.

"If the fire marshal comes, we'll give him a toy," said Santa. "We'll give him a fire truck."

When the elves finally pulled back the wall, one little girl ran into Santa's lap and was met with a hearty laugh. Others lined up to have their pictures taken, while still others waded into the sea of games, books, cars, trucks, dolls, Mr. Potato Heads, trains, tricycles, fishing poles, plush toys, Nerf guns, soldiers, balls, airplanes and instruments.

And like every battle plan, this one dissolved when the first item was picked. Kids ran in every direction, some clutching toys, others carrying their baby brothers. Still others sat crying in Santa's lap, each one rattling with excitement, the veterans beset by their joy, working to shepherd them through the room and out the door.

Post Vice Commander David Solomon, who like Santa also served with the U.S. Navy in 1971, has been helping with such drives for more than 20 years. He said many of his friends back in New York sent money and toys for the drive this year.

"No child should ever be left out in the cold during Christmas," he said. "And all my family, my grandkids and all, are back in New York, so this way I get to see hundreds of kids with smiles on their faces."
: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today called on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao at the Raj Bhavan here.

A State government press release here said the meeting was a "courtesy visit".

Panneerselvam took over as Chief Minister on the early hours of Dec 6, after former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was declared dead on the night of Dec 5.

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Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos today received the Lampara peace prize, the "Catholic Nobel", for his efforts to reach a deal with his country's Marxist FARC rebels.

The award, handed over in the Italian city of Assisi, comes a week after Santos received the actual Nobel Peace Prize at a ceremony in Oslo, in recognition of his work to end the half-century conflict that has claimed more than 260,000 lives.

"I wanted to be an instrument of peace for my country, and there have been many instruments of peace among those who have joined me in this work," he said after receiving the lamp of Saint Francis, a symbol of peace for Roman Catholics.

"Today I want to ask Saint Francis to continue to inspire us so that this peace we have agreed can be felt in every Colombian town, village and family."



His visit to Assisi came a day after Pope Francis brought him together with his predecessor as Colombian president, Alvaro Uribe, at the Vatican.

Uribe led opposition to the agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), ratified last month after an earlier version was voted down in a referendum in October.

The former president and his allies argue the deal grants impunity to rebels guilty of war crimes, giving them seats in parliament instead of sending them to prison.

After voters rejected the initial deal by a narrow margin, the government and FARC renegotiated it, deciding to have it ratified in Congress rather than risk a second referendum.

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Accusing Congress and BJP of getting most of their donations from undisclosed sources, the AAP today demanded that the parties come clean on their funds and reveal the names of donors.

In a letter to both the parties, AAP national treasurer Raghav Chadha demanded to know the money deposited by them in old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in their respective bank accounts, after the Centre's demonetisation announcement.

The Modi government had recently said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts will be exempt from income tax, provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.

However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had yesterday said that the parties cannot accept donations in old notes since these bills were junked last month, and clarified that there was no new exemption granted.

The conditional tax exemptions historically given to income of registered political parties continue and no new concession or exemption has been granted either post November 8 demonetisation announcement or in the last two-and-a-half years, he said.

Chadha alleged that political parties have become a tool to convert black money into legal currency.

"They (parties) do not give report of donors who pay less than Rs 20,000. Interestingly, your parties are one of those who receive their maximum donation in this form. We demand that names of these donors be made public," he said, adding that the two parties (Congress, BJP) have also been avoiding to come under the RTI.

The AAP leader said at a time when the common man has been under the scrutiny over the funds deposited in his bank account, the political parties are going scot-free.

Chadha also demanded that the two parties get their accounts of over five years scrutinised.

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had yesterday demanded formation of a commission to probe the donations received by political parties.

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Authorities in Croatia say 42 migrants have been hospitalised after several dozen, including children, were found packed in a van travelling through the country.

Emergency doctors said today most were suffering from carbon-monoxide poisoning and some were unconscious. Doctor Maja Grba Buljevic told the Hina agency their condition has improved.

Croatia's state TV says a total of 62 people, including children, were in the van when it was stopped late Saturday by traffic police on a road near the town of Novska, by the Bosnian border.

The report says all the migrants were male, from Afghanistan and Pakistan, and smuggled illegally into the country. It says a police statement is expected later today.

Thousands of migrants are stranded in neighbouring Serbia looking for ways to reach western Europe.

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Days after he urged the Centre to grant Rs 1000 Crore for cyclone relief operations in the state, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow to press the demand.

He will also urge the Centre to posthumously confer "Bharat Ratna" on former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and also put up her life size bronze statue in Parliament complex, an official release said here today.

The first Cabinet meeting chaired by Panneerselvam on December 10 had adopted a resolution in which the twin matters of the highest civilian award and a statue for Jayalalithaa figured.

On December 13, a day after the cyclone wrecked havoc in the state, Panneerselvam had urged Modi in a letter to sanction Rs 1,000 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to the state for relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Panneerselvam will also give a memorandum on several other demands of Tamil Nadu to the Prime Minister, the release said adding he will return to Chennai the same day.

After he took over as Chief Minister on December 6, it will be the first visit of Panneerselvam to the PM in Delhi and he is expected to follow up on the previous memorandums submitted to Modi by his predecessor Jayalalithaa.

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In the backdrop of demonetisation, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave asks young forest officers to emphasise on cashless transaction and push towards making all activities digital to root out corruption.

He said this at the Induction Training Programme for 2016-2018 batch officers of Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) in Dehradun yesterday.

"The minister emphasised that in order to make the system corruption free, financial transactions should be cashless, or less cash should be used to the extent possible," an official statement said.

Dave is on his first official visit to Uttarakhand and had reached Dehradun on a four-day visit on Friday.

Later, during his visit to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), he said focus should be on research, through which livelihood and economic status of people living around forest areas are enhanced and they get motivated to plant more trees.

A presentation highlighting the achievements and future road map of the council was made.

Dave also visited museums that displayed forest products, non-wood forest products and entomology museums of FRI and its Xylarium, which is an international, scientific collection of woods.

The minister expressed satisfaction on the status of upkeep of museums. He was impressed with the collection of specimens and specially the massive collection of blocks of timber of plant species native to various countries, the statement said.

Dave stressed on the need to make these museums more interactive so that visitors can learn more about this collection and its significance in the promotion of forestry science.

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In a move to ensure that every child with learning disability can read and is not left behind, Delhi government has launched its 'Project Smile' initiative to provide appropriate learning support to such school children.

The government said that when its 'Every Child Can Read' campaign had concluded on November 14 this year, it had found around 35,000 children, across classes 6 to 8, who could not go beyond identifying alphabets despite the schools' efforts.

Under the new project, these children "will be tested for learning disabilities and thereafter, would be provided appropriate learning support", a press release, announcing the initiative, has said.

The project is aimed at preventing the possibility of neglect of such children in government schools.

Based on the results of the screening tests, the special educators and counselors would be allotted groups of children, for specialised support based on their specific learning disability, the government release said.

It also said that a control unit would be set up in the Directorate of Education to monitor the ongoing implementation of the project.

"When we launched 'Every Child Can Read' campaign, the Government was serious about reaching every child in our schools. Project Smile will ensure that no child will be left behind as a result of their learning disability," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has said in the release.

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Karnataka has incurred an estimated loss of Rs 25,000 crore this year due to severe drought, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said here today.

"According to rules, we can seek relief of Rs 4,702 crore," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying in Mysuru by an official release.

"Also due to floods in certain parts, the loss is to the tune of Rs 386 crore. We have sought relief from the central government. Other than that, the state government has also released money for drought relief," he said.

Karnataka is reeling under successive years of drought, and the state government has already declared 139 talukas in 29 districts as drought-hit.

Stating that several measures have been taken by the government to tackle the situation, Siddaramaiah said District Deputy Commissioners have been directed to take measures in providing drinking water, fodder for cattle and jobs for the needy.

He said that to monitor the measures being undertaken, four cabinet sub-committees had been constituted, which have been directed to visit every district.

The government had on December 6 formed four cabinet sub-committees to study and conduct review of relief works being undertaken in the drought-affected areas of the state.

The committees, one each for revenue divisions of Bengaluru, Kalburgi, Belagavi and Mysuru, has four to five ministers as its members and Secretaries or Principal Secretaries of Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Water Resources and Revenue Department as coordination officers.

Through a memorandum, the state had requested the Centre to provide Rs 4,702.54 crore for drought relief measures, following which a team of officials had visited the affected areas.

The state government had earlier said that it released Rs 60 lakh each to drought-affected Assembly constituencies for immediate relief measures.

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Seeking to stem the flow of blackmoney in polls, the has urged the government to amend laws to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2000 and above made to political parties.

There is no constitutional or statutory prohibition on receipt of anonymous donations by political parties. But there is an "indirect partial ban" on anonymous donations through the requirement of declaration of donations under section 29C of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

But, such declarations are mandated only for contributions above Rs 20,000.

As per the proposed amendment, sent by the Commission to the government, and made part of its compendium on proposed electoral reforms, "anonymous contributions above or equal to the amount of Rs two thousand should be prohibited."



Only yesterday, the government had said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts will be exempt from income tax provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the government is not tinkering with the tax exemption available to political parties and they are free to deposit old 500 and 1000 rupee notes in their bank accounts. But these deposits will, however, be subject to the condition that individual donations taken in cash do not exceed Rs 20,000 and are properly documented with full identity of the donor.

The Commission has also proposed that exemption of Income Tax should only be extended to political parties that contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or assembly polls.

Section 13A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 confers tax exemption to political parties for income from house property, income by way of voluntary contributions, income from capital gains and income from other sources.

Only income under the head 'salaries and income from business or profession' are chargeable to tax in the hands of political parties in India. The Commission said, "There could be cases where



political parties could be formed merely for availing of provisions of income tax exemption if the facility, that are at the expense of the public exchequer, is provided to all political parties."



In yet another recommendation to check blackmoney, the EC has asked the Law Ministry to ensure that political parties are made to register details of donors for coupons of all amounts on the basis of a Supreme Court order of 1996.

Coupons are one of the ways devised by the political parties for collecting donations and hence are printed by the party itself. There is no cap or limit as to how many coupons can be printed or its total quantum.

Currently, the details of donors is not required for coupons with small amounts such as for Rs 10 or 20. "These smaller sums aggregate into a bigger amount and hence, they need to be accounted for, to ensure transparency," the Commission said.
Eight Chinese nationals have been charged with smuggling drugs using a large commercial vessel, Australian police said today, after their boat was seized off the country's coast.

Ten crew members, all Chinese men, were arrested after navy personnel boarded the 50-metre boat on December 12 and brought it to a port in Hobart in the southern island state of Tasmania four days later.

Eight of them were "charged with 'attempt to import a commercial quantity of border controlled drug'" and appeared in Hobart Magistrates Court Sunday, a Tasmania Police spokeswoman told AFP. The other two were yet to be charged, she added.

The Australian Border Force said Friday the vessel was boarded after it was spotted behaving suspiciously by an aerial patrol and tracked as it moved down nation's west coast, across the Great Australian Bight and towards the coastline of Tasmania.

The alleged type and amount of drugs on board were yet to be being determined as the boat was still being searched.

The eight men did not enter a plea, did not apply for bail and were due back in court next month, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

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A 62-year-old man and a minor girl were killed when a truck hit the bike they were travelling on at Raespur village in Saidpur area here, police said today.

Ramkaran Gupta was travelling with Manji Devi and her grand daughter Palak (4) when the incident happened.

Both Gupta and Palak died on the spot while Manji was rushed to the hospital, where her condition was stated to be stable, police said.

Police said they are trying to arrest the truck driver.

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Rex Tillerson, who sealed big oil deals and developed close ties with foreign leaders around the globe as head of ExxonMobil, will have to firmly change course to serve as America's top diplomat.

Tillerson, 64, has been chief executive of the world's biggest publicly-traded oil company since 2006, and spent a career going where the hydrocarbons are. That has often meant negotiating with autocrats, and navigating in politically unstable countries or those with poor human rights records.

Tillerson's level of comfort with foreign leaders is a major source of his appeal to President-elect Donald Trump, but it is certain to draw scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing.

"I have a very close relationship with President Vladimir Putin," Tillerson said in February at the University of Texas at Austin.

"I don't agree with everything he is doing, but he understands that I'm a businessman. My company invested a lot of money in Russia very successfully."



But Tillerson has criticized western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Crimea, with support from the Obama administration.

Asked in a year-end press conference Friday about having a secretary of state with close ties to Russia, President Barack Obama said there will be opportunities to raise questions on Trump's appointments in the confirmation process.

"There will be plenty of time for members of the Senate to go through the record of all of his appointees and determine whether or not they're appropriate for the job," Obama told reporters.

An engineer by training, Tillerson has represented ExxonMobil in a myriad of other politically-challenging countries like Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

When abroad, Tillerson often employed the mantra "I am a businessman" to describe his mission.

"One of the things that I learned early on when I began to work overseas in foreign assignments... Is to make sure that the host governments, whether it is Russia, Yemen or the Middle East, making sure that they understand I am not the US government," Tillerson said.

"I am not here to represent the US government interests. I am not here to defend it, nor am I here to criticize it. I am a businessman.
Fire broke out at a slum in suburban Kurla in the wee hours today, an official said.

No injury or casualty has been reported in the mishap.

The blaze erupted at around 4.15 AM today at the slum in Premnagar area of Kurla on the LBS road here, a fire brigade official said.

Around eight fire tenders were rushed to the spot the flames were brought under control, he said.

The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, the official added.

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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today paid floral tributes to the statue of former Chief Minister and veteran freedom fighter V Venkatasubba Reddiar on his 107th birth anniversary.

Speaker of Puducherry Assembly V Vaithilingam (son of the late Reddiar), Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu, Ministers, MLAs were among those who paid homage.

Reddiar was the second Chief Minister of Puducherry after it became free from French regime, in 1962.

He founded the cooperative movement during his tenure as the Chief Minister and was instrumental in the formation of cooperative societies and banks in the Union Territory.

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Four armed "bandits" were killed and two wounded in a shootout following an attack on police in the capital of Russia's Chechnya region, strongman leader Ramzan Kadyrov said.

Regional boss Kadyrov said a "group of armed people" attacked a police officer and stole his car in the capital Grozny late yesterday.

A shootout erupted as law enforcement agencies apprehended the assailants after putting into action a security plan to lock down the city, Kadyrov told Russian agencies.

"The bandits were neutralised by return fire. Two were taken to hospital and four were destroyed," he said late yesterday, adding that no police officers were killed.

No more details were given on the motives of the alleged attackers.

Russia fought two brutal separatist wars over the past two decades in Chechnya but the region has been largely pacified under Kadyrov's iron-fisted rule.

A dwindling group of Islamist insurgents are still fighting the authorities in Chechnya and across the volatile North Caucasus and sporadically launch eye-catching attacks.

Fourteen security officers were killed when armed militants stormed several buildings in Grozny on the day of President Vladimir Putin's state of the nation address in December 2014.

Kadyrov is accused by rights activists and the opposition of running Chechnya as his personal fiefdom, with kidnapping and torture widespread and little oversight from Moscow.

The Russian North Caucasus is one of the major sources of foreign jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq.

The FSB security service earlier this month said it had killed a regional "emir" of the Islamic State group in a raid.

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Police in the US state of New York broke into a vehicle to 'rescue' an apparently frozen woman, only to find it was a life-size mannequin, media reports said.

A caller described as "upset" called police on Friday to report a woman "frozen to death" in a parked car in the city of Hudson.

Officers rushed to the scene, found a seat-belted figure, wearing an oxygen mask, sitting motionless in the passenger seat.

Police said that the car was covered in snow, suggesting it had been left overnight in temperatures of about -13C.

Police said the was extremely realistic, with real clothing, glasses, shoes, teeth and skin blemishes. It was even wearing a seat belt.

They later tracked down the owner, who complained about the police action.

The mannequin's owner said he used it as a medical training aid.

"It is my understanding that the owner was incredulous that we took action in this matter," police chief L Edward Moore said in a statement.

"He was apparently quite vocal and vulgar to my sergeant."

Chief Moore had this message for owners, "Just to clear the record, all citizens of Hudson should be put on notice that if you park your locked vehicle on the street on a sub-zero night with a life-size realistic seated in it... We will break your window."
The Chairman of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA) Vijay Bhatkar has suggested that the Gujarat government should launch Unnat Gujarat Abhiyan to facilitate reaching of socio-welfare schemes of the government to people.

"The governments of Maharashtra and Haryana have already launched it and Gujarat should also do the same as it is a progressive state. Various welfare schemes of the Central and state government can be taken to people through this initiative," Bhatkar told PTI on the sidelines of the 65th convocation of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU) here last evening.

"Unnat Bharat Abhiyan(UBA) is inspired by the vision of transformational change in rural development processes by leveraging knowledge institutions to help build the architecture of an inclusive India," said Bhatkar, who was chief guest for the convocation ceremony.

"It is necessary to analyse various social and development issues in the state through research and find out a solution to them. So the Maharashtra government recently launched Unnat Maharashtra Abhiyan," said Bhatkar.

He said, "In order to enhance research among various government agencies and educational institutes on social and economic problems, Unnat Maharashtra Abhiyan, stresses on boosting participation of students from engineering and other faculties in various project-wise schemes."



Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is being coordinated and steered by IIT Delhi, said Bhatkar, who is also the Chairman of IIT Delhi. The programme involves engaging neighbouring communities and using technologies for their upliftment.

Bhatkar said, "The Abhiyan has been launched in 91 districts out of a total 600 districts in the country so far eversince its launch in October 2014 and efforts are being made to bring remaining districts under the scheme."



Bhatkar, who is a former student of the faculty of technology and engineering of the MSU of Baroda in 1966 supported Prime Minister Modi's demonetisation initiative saying it would lead to cashless economy in the country.

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"Haan main bacha hoon" (Yes, I am a kid) was Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's retort to those taking jibes at his age as he cautioned the ruling PML-N against taking him lightly.

"Haan main bacha hoon. Main Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto ka bacha hoon. Daro... (Yes, I am a kid. The kid of martyred Benazir Bhutto. Be scared of me)," Bilawal, 28, tweeted today.

The University of Oxford educated young leader attacked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led PML-(N) in a series of tweets on the occasion of his parents' 29th marriage anniversary.

His retort came after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar called Bilawal a "non-serious child" who only knew how to ridicule others.

Bilawal has often been the victim of jibes at his young age and political opponents regularly shun him aside for being "a child", Express Tribune reported.

However, the young PPP chairman, Bilawal, is becoming increasingly vocal and articulate.

He is reorganising his party, leading public rallies, touring cities outside his party's powerhouse, and firing broadsides at political rivals every now and then.

Earlier today, Bilawal also tweeted a picture of his parent's wedding with the caption, "My parents should be celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. Terrorists and their facilitators robbed us of this but we won't back down."



Benazir Bhutto, the twice-serving prime minister, was assassinated on December 27, 2007 as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi.

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HDFC Securities today said it has suspended its employee after he was arrested by the Chandigarh police for alleged involvement in unauthorised exchange of banned currency notes.

The company in a statement said that one of its employees posted at Mohali was arrested in Chandigarh for his alleged involvement in unauthorised money exchange.

"The employee has been put under suspension under immediate effect pending investigation. HDFC Securities is extending its full cooperation and support to the authorities as they conduct their investigation," said a spokesman in a release issued here.

The employee was accused of exchanging the demonetised currency of city-based cloth merchant by charging hefty commission.

The Enforcement Directorate had raided the house of cloth merchant here on December 13 and had seized Rs 2.19 crore of cash, including 17.74 lakh in Rs 2,000 denomination and Rs 12,500 in Rs 500 denomination.

After the arrest of cloth merchant, the police apprehended the employee for allegedly exchanging the money.

"We emphasise that the company has a zero-tolerance policy for any staff misconduct or deviation from its clearly defined processes," said the release.

HDFC Securities is a brokerage firm and a subsidiary of HDFC Bank.

On December 3, private sector lender HDFC Bank had sacked its four employees, including a branch manager, posted here, for allegedly indulging in "unauthorised" exchange of demonetized notes with new currency.

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In the second major haul in as many days of high denomination Indian currency notes, cash totalling Rs 58,000 and Nepal currency worth Rs six lakh were seized from two customs officials in Pallia town on India-Nepal border, police said today.

The Indian currency was in the denomination of Rs 2000, Kheri Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Jha told PTI here.

The recovery, made last night on a tip off, comes a day after border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) men at Khakhraula outpost in Tikonia police limits seized Indian currency worth over Rs 98,000 in old high-value notes and Nepal currency worth over Rs two lakh from a youth dealing in note exchange.

Jha said no satisfactory explanation was received on how the Nepal currency as well as new Indian currency in such a large quantity reached the customs officials. The seizure was made from a hotel in Pallia town on India-Nepal border.

"A letter is being sent to higher officials of customs department regarding the recovery of the currency and involvement of a customs superintendent and a customs inspector, who were posted at Gaurifanta on the border," he said.

"Income Tax department and Enforcement Directorate officials have also been intimated for further probe and registration of FIR if required," he added.

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Growing up in Montana, I long ago decided that the very worst part of winter was this: Sitting in a cold car, waiting for it to warm up. A close second was emerging from that cold car to scrape ice and snow off windshields. Don't forget the headlights!

These memories came rushing back last week as the mid-valley grappled with its annual blast of winter, as I sat in the cold Prius waiting for it to warm up and emerged from the car, ice scraper ready to do battle.

I am, of course, grateful that I don't have to tackle that particular chore more than once or twice annually as a resident of the mid-valley.

I was also grateful last week that both residents and government workers seem to have learned lessons from recent mid-valley snow and ice capades  in particular, the brutal storm of December 2013. In fact, on my way home from the office this past Wednesday night, I was astonished to spy not one but two snowplows, hard at work, pushing ice and slush out of my way. Maybe I wasn't in the right places to see them during the 2013 storm  I'm sure they must have been about  but during a winter storm in Montana, you learn that a good place to be on the highway is behind a snowplow.

Not too close.

Mark Shepard, the city manager in Corvallis, was in the middle of both of those weather events, although he was serving as assistant city manager in Albany with oversight of that city's Public Works Department in 2013. I gave him a call to compare notes about the two memorable storms and how governments reacted to both.

First, as befits a longtime government administrator, he sounded a note of caution about comparing the two events: The storm of 2013 was primarily a snow event, with up to 8 inches of what TV weather broadcasters like to call "the white stuff" falling on area roads. Mid-valley communities simply aren't equipped to handle that amount of snow.

By contrast, last week's weather emphasized what broadcasters call a "wintry mix"  sounds like a mixtape collection of holiday songs  and combined ice, sleet and snow. It's a combination that has the ability to coat roads with that nasty black ice, and there's nothing quite like the hum of car tires on that ice to make you want to pull (slowly, slowly) to the side of the road and weep until spring arrives.

Both events featured an unusually long stretch of temperatures at or below freezing, which meant that ice and snow didn't just melt away after a day or two. (We're still in that melt-and-freeze cycle, so be careful out there.)

In Corvallis, Shepard said, Public Works crews were ready for the weather last week, working 12-hour shifts to try to stay ahead of conditions.

And he noted that governments learned at least one lesson from the 2013 storm: Crews from mid-valley cities, counties and the state meet each fall to compare notes and discuss how they'll respond cooperatively in the case of a major event.

"There is more advance planning," Shepard said. "I think that's been a positive."

Indeed. Now, if I could only convince one of those snowplow drivers to stop just long enough to scrape the ice off my windshield.

Last call

Speaking of holiday mixtapes, here's the last call for readers to submit their nominations for this year's inductees into the Think Too Much Christmas Music Hall of Fame. We seek performances of holiday songs that are so definitive, it should be illegal for other artists to record them, tracks like Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" or Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas."

Many readers already have submitted excellent suggestions, and next week's column will reveal which new tracks will join the Hall of Fame. Email me at mike.mcinally@lee.net or call 541-758-9502. And remember: This is the hap-happiest season of all.
The winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly is set to be stormy, with the opposition BJP announcing to aggressively raise government corruption and the ruling Congress expected to repulse the attack on the issue.

The five-day session is scheduled to commence tomorrow.

BJP has announced plans to raise corruption and non-performance of Virbhadra Singh government. The party has said it would also submit a "chargesheet" to Governor Acharya Devvrat against the state government.

Congress, on the other hand, is formulating strategies to repulse any attack from Opposition by pushing the development- related work undertaken by the state government in past four years and corner the BJP on the trouble faced by the public due to demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes.

Its legislature party leaders were holding meetings to finalise their strategies in Dharamshala.

BJP too is holding a similar meeting in Dharamshala.

Assembly Speaker BBL Butail today appealed to all parties in the state to cooperate in smooth running of the House.

Asked whether he has contemplated any action against unruly members disrupting House proceedings, Butail evaded any direct answer.

He said 232 starred and 114 unstarred questions and three resolutions have been received. The speaker said other issues to be raised by the members under Rule 62 and 130 pertain to demonetisation, law and order, maintenance of roads, and setting up of an All India Institute Of Medical Science in the state.

Butail said walkout from the House was a way of protest but frequent walkouts were not reasonable.

Reiterating his commitment to make the state assembly "totally paperless", Butail said all information will be provided to members on Internet.

Around Rs 5 crore was being spent annually on the maintenance and running of Vidhan Sabha at Tapovan, where only 5-6 sitiings are held annually, he said.

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Iran discussed its plans for nuclear-powered ships with UN nuclear chief Yukiyo Amano today, saying it would present details within three months, local media reported.

Amano did not comment on the plans to produce nuclear-powered engines, but said Iran had so far met all of its commitments under last year's nuclear deal with world powers.

"We discussed the nuclear-powered engines in detail," said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, adding that he and Amano talked about the most controversial point -- the level of uranium-enrichment required for the ships.

"This is not a simple matter that can be decided quickly. We have three months to review it," he told reporters.

"Normally, the enrichment for such engines is between five per cent and 90 per cent. It depends on the type of engine and the time and goal we want to reach," said Salehi.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani last week announced the plans for nuclear-powered ships in response to that the United States was renewing sanctions legislation, which he said was a "clear violation" of the nuclear deal.

Under the deal, Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67 per cent, but that limit falls away after 15 years.

Tehran says Washington has breached the nuclear accord by renewing the Iran Sanctions Act, even though almost all of its measures remain suspended under the deal.

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Residents of a wildcat settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank voted today to evacuate their hilltop outpost peacefully, a week before a court-imposed deadline for their eviction.

They approved a revised government proposal to relocate by a vote of 45 for and 29 against, a spokesperson wrote on the outpost's Twitter account.

The 40 families living at Amona in the northern West Bank faced a Supreme Court order to leave the site by December 25 because it was found to have been built on private Palestinian land.

The dispute over whether to demolish the outpost northeast of Ramallah has taken on international importance because of concern over settlement expansion in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, are seen as illegal under international law, but Israel differentiates between those it has approved and those it has not.

Despite the prospect of forceable eviction by the army, the Amona residents had turned down a compromise deal on Thursday aimed at meeting their objections while also obeying the court ruling.

Vowing "passive resistance", residents had been fortifying the outpost since then, building barricades, drilling into floors and welding obstacles, an AFP reporter said.

Hundreds of non-residents joined them in solidarity, they said.

Today, they were offered a new deal after an all-night meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Until dawn this morning we made very great efforts to reach an agreed solution on Amona," Netanyahu told ministers and media at Israel's weekly cabinet meeting.

He has been seeking a way out of an impasse which has put him between the court and the legal opinion of his own attorney general on one hand, and the anger of settlers who are a key part of his political constituency on the other.

Netanyahu will now need to go back to the court and ask for a stay of execution, probably 30 days, for the new plan to be implemented.

Baruch Marzel, a hardline nationalist and follower of the late racist rabbi Meir Kahane, said the Amona settlers should not have accepted Netanyahu's offer.

"Given the way pressure was inflicted on them, I can only feel sorrow that they accepted Netanyahu's word when it has no value," he said in Hebrew during a visit to the outpost.

Residents also had mixed feelings, with some protest leaders speaking out against the deal to applause from the youngsters.

Others simply drifted quietly away from the site.

Tweets from a settlement spokesman gave no details of the offer, but the head of the Amona "struggle committee" said it was an improvement on the previous proposal.

"I think that this draft is better, very much better, than the previous one presented to us," he told Israeli army radio, without elaborating.

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Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian teenager today during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

Security officials said that troops entered the village of Beit Rima, near Ramallah, after midnight and were confronted by stone-throwing youths.

The Palestinian health ministry said that Ahmed Hazem Atta, 19, was killed in the ensuing army fire.

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Ivory Coast voted today in elections that President Alassane Ouattara hopes will strengthen his hold in parliament in order to help keep the world's top cocoa producer in the economic fast lane.

The authorities ordered some 30,000 security personnel into the streets for the vote in the wake of scattered incidents in recent months, including attacks on police posts.

But Ouattara said after casting his vote in Abidjan: "The election is taking place in a peaceful manner across the country."



The ruling coalition is seeking an absolute majority in the face of numerous dissidents and opposition candidates in the country, which was rocked by deadly unrest after the 2010 presidential election that saw Ouattara oust then leader Laurent Gbagbo.

The opposition, which boycotted the 2011 legislative election, is hoping to make a return to parliament today.

Provisional results could start being released tonight but the definitive outcome is not expected to be known until Wednesday, according to an official from the independent election commission.

Former prime minister Pascal Affi Nguessan, who leads Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), called for the people to "reestablish the political balance".

Ivory Coast was long the star economic performer in the region until hitting years of political strife but is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund has said the west African state will be the continent's fastest-growing economy this year.

"Give me a strong majority to enable me to speed up the work that I have set as an objective in the four years to come," Ouattara said in a TV broadcast, playing up his economic achievements to win support among the 6.2 million eligible voters.

The presidential coalition -- named the Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) in tribute to the country's founding president -- is aiming for an absolute majority in the 255-seat National Assembly.

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Jharkhand police chief D K Pandey today praised Kali Puja Samiti for taking up issues relating to the interest of the society.

Elaborating on women's empowerment, rooting out extremism, curbing corruption at the felicitation ceremony, the DGP appealed to adopt cashless transaction to prevent economic offence, a release by Samiti said quoting the top police official.

He also appealed to the women to use "shakti app" for security purpose and sought everyone's cooperation to make a fearless and corruption-free society, the release said.

The Committee's chief Convenor, Deepak Prakash, said that the Puja committee did not only mean oorganising puja but also it discharges social responsibilities like education, cleanliness drive and other social works.

In the last eight years 71 marriages had been solemnized, he said.

Senior journalists Vijay Pathak, Satish Kumar, Sandeep Verma, Dharamvir Sinha and personalities like Dr Ajit Sahay and Tilakraj Ajmani were present in the felicitation ceremony, the release said.

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Lack of awareness on donating bodies and tendency to stick with post-death rituals are hampering practical studies of students in at least two medical colleges in Kota division.

The situation in the medical colleges in Kota and Jhalawar is such that they are hardly able to get 50 per cent of the bodies required, the colleges' authorities say.

They say getting bodies have become particularly tough over one-and-a-half-decade.

A college with 150 graduate seats requires annually at least 15 bodies for study, said Dr Pratima Jaiswal, head of the department of Anatomy, Medical College, Kota, adding a post-graduate student individually requires a body for his/her studies.

However, over the last six years, Kota Medical College has received only 17 donated bodies, Jaiswal said, adding "the 17th donation was that of the body of Mohan Lal Jhabak (79), of Kota city, as per his will".

The college received maximum donation of six bodies last year. It has got three this year so far.

The medical college in Jhalawar has received no such donation and is meeting its requirementfrom Jaipur and Udaipur medical colleges, the college's principal said.

Earlier, medical colleges would get adequate number of unclaimed bodies but for over the last 15 years the civil society has grown active and tends to cremate or bury those, said Dr RK Aseri, Principal of Jhalawar medical Collge, Jhalawar.

Aseri said the government also supports cremation and burial of unclaimed bodies making it very difficult to get them for students.

"We are getting less than 50 per cent of requirement of bodies for students and we have to bring them from Jaipur and Udaipur medical colleges," Aseri said.

The two college administrations in Jhalawar and Kota have now been organising awareness campaigns to encourage people for donating bodies.

Five to six people in Jhalawar have come forward and pledges donations following the recent awareness campaigns, Aseri said.

"People should come forward for body and organ donation as burying and cremating bodies have no utility," Jaiswal said.

Any human body, before it decomposes, can be accepted by medical colleges, said Dr Aseri, adding, with advancement in technology, virtual human body may replace the dead ones for practical studies.

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Fintech start-up Group expects an exponential rise in working capital loan demand from small businesses and estimates to disburse Rs 1,600 crore by 2017-end through its NBFC arm Finance, a company official said.

The company, which caters to small businesses generating revenues of Rs 1-15 lakh per month, disburses loan through digital channel, Group Co-Founder and CEO Harshvardhan Lunia said.

"As a platform that leverages the power of mobile and web technologies, we have no geographical constraints. We have disbursed loans of Rs 400 crore since inception in 2014. In next one year, we are looking at a growth of four times at Rs 1,600 crore," Lunia said.

Simple processes and flexible offerings make it a lender of choice, hence a multi-fold growth over the years is an achievable target, he said.

So far, the company has expanded its services in 462 locations across the country, disbursed 6,500 loans and expects to almost double both categories in next six months, he added.

"With over 100 channel partners supporting Lendingkart Finance (the NBFC) effort, the endeavour is to reach out to 10,000 businesses in the SME space in next 6 months as well as to double the number of locations to about 800-900 cities," Lunia said.

As the company is data analytics-based, it has no branches and operates from three locations  Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Offering customers lending rates of 16-24 per cent, the company is of the view that post demonetisation, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will move towards formal channels of lending as so far they were heavily dependent on financing from trade credit lines and friends and family.

"Post demonetisation, these alternate sources of finance have also dried up owing to lack of liquidity in the system," Lunia said.

He said the MSME financing segment is largely a supply constrained market and its unaddressed credit demand is estimated to be at $150 billion.
Mali's president said today he could let Burkina Faso forces pursue jihadist fighters when they flee across the border into his country, days after militants massacred 12 Burkinabe soldiers.

Around 40 fighters attacked a base some 30 kilometres from the Burkina-Mali border on Friday in what local authorities called the biggest ever jihadist attack on the army.

It was the second direct strike against the Burkina army since jihadist militants surfaced in the country in early 2015, mostly staging attacks in the north near the borders of Mali and Niger.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita stopped off in Ouagadougou on his way home from a summit in Nigeria to show his support for Burkina Faso after Friday's attack.

"There can be no question of people coming to kill with impunity in Burkina and then finding safe refuge in Mali -- certainly not," Keita told reporters as he stood alongside Burkina President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

"So this will be one of the things we will look at in the coming days."



Mali's vast arid north is home to Al-Qaeda-linked groups who seized control of several towns before being dispersed by an international intervention in 2013.

The Islamists were never defeated, only displaced, and they continue to mount regular attacks, with large areas of northern Mali outside of government control.

"Their ability to move across borders is clear and we will do whatever we can to even things up," Keita said of the jihadists.

In January this year, 30 people were killed when fighters from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacked a hotel and cafe popular with Westerners in the heart of Ouagadougou.

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Around 60 MDMK workers today staged a demonstration here condemning the alleged attack by DMK activists on party General Secretary Vaiko, when he had gone to visit the DMK Chief M Karunanidhi, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai.

Led by the Urban District secretary, R R Mohankumar, the activists raised slogans against the DMK workers, who allegedly pelted Vaiko's car with stones and footwear, police said.

The workers condemned the act of a section of DMK workers, they said.

Yesterday, the MDMK founder Vaiko was allegedly attacked by DMK supporters when he went to visit M Karunanidhi at Kauvery hospital in Chennai, prompting him to return without meeting the veteran Dravidian leader.

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Taking serious note on the prevailing situation here following three blasts on Friday, the state Cabinet has decided to shut down Internet service in Imphal West district with immediate effect.

The Imphal West District Magistrate issued an order directing telecom operators to shut down mobile data service in the district immediately until further orders.

Major areas of the state capital fall in Imphal West district where the three blasts had taken place within an hour on Friday evening.

The Cabinet decision came after analysis of the prevailing law and order situation and to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites, officials said.

The move was preceded by a 24-hour bandh called to protest hill based militants' attacks on Police in the last few days in different parts of the state that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured. The militants also snatched several weapons from the IRB personnel.

All measures were being taken to contain violence by deploying a large number of police personnel at sensitive areas of the state, a police officer said.
In continued post-demonetisation crackdown on black money, stashes of new notes have been seized in several states, including Rs 1.05 crore from a tea seller-turned-financier in Gujarat and nearly Rs 90 lakh in Andhra Pradesh.

Rs 12 lakh were seized by police from three alleged drug smugglers in Punjab while Rs 18 lakh in new currency notes were recovered from Sector 57 in Noida on the outskirts of national capital and three men arrested last evening by a team of Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad and Income Tax Department.

The Income Tax department seized alleged unaccounted assets worth Rs 10.50 crore from a former tea seller after raids were conducted against him in Surat.

These included new currency of Rs 1.05 crore, bullion worth Rs 1.49 crore, gold jewellery valued at Rs 4.92 crore, other ornaments worth Rs 1.39 crore and silver ingots priced at Rs 1.28 crore.

"The total value of the assets seized from the financier, who earlier worked as a 'chaiwala', is Rs 10.50 crore," I-T sources said.

They said of his bank lockers have been opened till now, and there are four more.

The department seized Rs 66 lakh cash, all in new Rs 2000 notes, in Hyderbad. The first incident was reported at the Telugu Academy in Himayatnagar on December 16 when an I-T team intercepted few people who ran into a nearby apartment on seeing the team.

"Search of the apartment led to recovery of Rs 36 lakh cash, all in Rs 2000 denomination. Sources of the cash are being probed into," I-T sources said.

In the second incident in the same city on December 17, department investigators along with police intercepted a speedingHonda Activa in the Tank Bund area.

"Cash of Rs 30 lakh in Rs 2000 denomination was found with two persons.The case is being probed," they said.

More seizured were made in Andhra Pradesh today as nine persons were detained in Duppada village in Vizianagaram while trying to exchange notes.

"Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, most of it in new Rs 2,000 denomination and rest in Rs 100 notes, was recovered from them after police raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction," said I Town Circle Inspector P. Sobhan Babu.

A senior official of Excise and Prohibition Department was allegedly found in possession of assets worth about Rs five crore and Rs seven lakh in Rs 2,000 notes were also seized from him, Anti-Corruption Bureau sources said today.

Cash totalling Rs 58,000 in new curreny was also seized from two customs officials in Pallia town on India-Nepal border last night, UP police said today.

In Amritsar, three persons have been arrested with 600 gram of heroin and Rs 12 lakh in new high-value currency in Punjab's Amritsar district.

The three were arrested outside a Suvidha centre in Pataka market on Chamrang road before they could deliver the heroin. Police said a total of Rs 15.49 lakh was seized from them, and out of that Rs 12 lakh was in the new high-value notes.

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Some unidentified vandals have spray painted a mosque in Scotland with anti-Muslim slogans, prompting police to probe the incident as a "hate crime".

The disturbing graffiti was scrawled on the Cumbernauld mosque situated at Craighalbert Way in Glasgow, Scotland.

The photos of the mosque with racist graffiti on its walls were shared in a series of tweets by Amjid Bashir, who identifies himself as a social media and marketing expert, Community campaigner and Entrepreneur in the UK.

"Cumbernauld Mosque has been vandalised with #Islamophobia #graffiti on the walls," he said in a tweet.

His tweet was retweeted by anti-Islamophobia organisation Tell Mama.

On one wall of the mosque, vandals spray painted "SARACEN GO HOME", while next to it "DEUS VULT", Metro.Co.Uk reported.

"Deus vult" is classical Latin for "God wills it", and was a term people used after Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade - primarily as a rallying cry to defend the Byzantine empire from the Seljuk Turks. Saracen was another term used in the Crusades, referring to Muslims, the report it said.

Meanwhile, Tell Mama said, "Given the language and the imagery being conjured up, we believe that the individual who did this is ideologically driven and may well be radicalised by extremist far-right rhetoric, which regularly plays on imagery and text from the Crusades, as though there is a clash of civilisations taking place".

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said that the vandalism is being treated as a hate crime, the report said.

"I can confirm that an investigation is underway following an act of vandalism. Inquiries are continuing. This incident is being treated as a hate crime and hate crime remains a priority for Police Scotland.

"We work closely with our criminal justice partners to do everything in our power to protect all communities and eradicate all forms of hatred," the spokesman said.

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Over 50 per cent of the research by private and government colleges in India is published in poor quality "predatory" journals, according to a new study that highlights the need for regulating the quality of science and education in the country.

Nature Index analysis 2014 rates India at the 13th place for its high-quality scientific publications.

Despite this achievement, several studies have shown that India is among the major contributors of articles published in poor-quality predatory open access journals, researchers said.

The new study by researchers including J U Santhosh Kumar from Kuvempu University and A S Hareetha from University of Agricultural Sciences in Karnataka suggests that research conducted at many educational institutes is not critically monitored either by the university or by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Predatory publishers are those which collect article processing charges from the researchers and provide rapid publishing without a proper peer-review process.

While autonomous colleges as well as those affiliated to universities were found to contribute to about 51 per cent of predatory publications, well-ranked private universities, state and central universities contribute eight per cent, 15 per cent and three per cent respectively.

National institutes were also found to contribute up to 11 per cent in such journals.

Some of the authors of these national institutes have acknowledged research grants from government bodies, researchers said.

The highest contribution to predatory journals came from the disciplines of Life Sciences (37 per cent) and medicines (25 per cent).

"We documented 112 research grants in the predatory publications and this raises questions on the credibility of how funding agencies are monitoring the quality of the research projects they are funding," said researchers including G S Seethapathy from University of Oslo in Norway.

One of the reasons for Indian academicians and researchers to publish in predatory journals is the publication pressure faced by young researchers who are in search of a permanent academic position, they said.

In most academic appointments or promotions, there is emphasis on the number of publications, rather than their quality.

As a consequence, publication has become the mantra and motto for academics, resulting in the rise of predatory publishing.

The research was published in the journal Current Science.

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A murder accused from Patan district escaped from the government mental hospital here where he was being treated for psychiatric disorder, police said today.

Prahlad Thakor (35), accused of murdering his mother, was being treated at Madhupura Mental Hospital since October 20, 2016 on the directions of the sessions court in Patan, a Madhupura police station official said.

The police official added that Thakor escaped between 8 PM and 9 PM last night by dodging a police constable who was guarding him.

Thakor was arrested by Kakoshi police in Patan district for murdering his mother Sanjanaben on November 7, 2015, and was under judicial custody at Patan sub-jail before being shifted to the mental hospital, the police official said.

A case was lodged at Madhupura police station by a staff of the mental hospital, he said.

According to his case details, Thakor had allegedly killed his mother at his farm at Umaru village in Patan district on November 7, 2015, by repeatedly hitting a stick on her head and was arrested soon after, police said.

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Actor Samuel L Jackson says Muslim Americans are the new black kids in his country as people perceive them as a threat before even saying hello.

The actor, best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's movies such as "Hateful Eight", "Django Unchained" and "Pulp Fiction", attended the Dubai International Film Festival here to receive a lifetime achievement award.

Talking about diversity, Jackson said HBO's show "The Night Of" was amazing but average Americans would call it a black show, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"Muslims are getting arrested like black kids get arrested; Muslim Americas are the new black kids in America. Suspect as we are for the dominant culture, people don't understand them. People perceive them as a threat before even saying hello.

"But the Muslim community is present in our country. They are a vital part of our country and interestingly enough they have less crime, more education and their businesses thrive more so than any other group in the country. You tell people in the Rust Belt that, and they're like, 'Get out of here'."



Talking about the Hollywood award season, Jackson said this time it seems a bit different from the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of last year.

When later asked by an audience member about his thoughts on Donald Trump, Jackson said, "My agent won't let me answer that question.

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Some of the planets discovered around stars in our own galaxy may be very similar to the 'Star Wars' exoplanets like arid Tatooine, watery Scarif and even frozen Hoth, according to NASA scientists.

Sifting through data on the more than 3,400 confirmed alien worlds, scientists applied sophisticated computer modelling techniques to tease out the colours, light, sunrise and sunsets we might encounter if we could pay them a visit.

Some of these distant worlds are even stranger than those that populate the latest Star Wars film, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."



"Others are eerily like the fictional planets from a galaxy far, far away," researchers said.

A real planet in our galaxy reminded scientists so much of Luke Skywalker's home planet, they named it "Tatooine."



Officially called Kepler-16b, the Saturn-sized planet is about 200 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. The reality of its two suns was so startling, George Lucas himself agreed to the astronomers' nickname for the planet.

"This was the first honest-to-goodness real planetary system where you would see the double sunset as two suns," said Laurance Doyle, an astrophysicist with the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, who discovered the planet using NASA's Kepler space telescope.

A person on Kepler-16b would have two shadows. In a storm, two rainbows would appear. Each sunset would be unique, because the stars are always changing their configuration. Building a sundial would require calculus.

Astronomers have discovered that about half of the stars in our Milky Way galaxy are pairs, rather than single stars like our sun.

While Kepler-16b aka Tatooine is probably too cold and gaseous to be home to life it's a good bet that there might be a habitable Tatooine "twin" out there somewhere.

There is a world named Hoth in our galaxy - an icy super-Earth discovered in 2006. It reminded scientists so much of the frozen Rebel base they unofficially nicknamed it after the planet that appears in "The Empire Strikes Back."



The planet's scientific designation is OGLE 2005-BLG-390L, after the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) that found it.

Our galaxy's Hoth is too cold to support life as we know it, researchers said.

However, life may evolve under the ice of a different world, or a moon in our solar system. On Earth, it's been found inside volcanoes, deep ocean trenches, even the frozen soil of Antarctica.

"We need Earth climate science to help us understand planetary habitability and the potential diversity of life on exoplanets," said Nancy Kiang, a research scientist at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Both the forest moon of Endor, from "Return of the Jedi," and Takodana, the home of Han Solo's favourite cantina in "The Force Awakens," are green like our home planet.

However, astrobiologists think that plant life on other worlds could be red, black or even rainbow-coloured.

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NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg today defended the alliance's decision to refrain from stepping into the war in Syria, saying doing so would only make matters worse.

All 28 NATO members belong to the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group but they are not directly involved in the Syrian conflict.

"We are experiencing in Syria a horrible human catastrophe. Sometimes it is right to deploy militarily -- such as in Afghanistan," Stoltenberg told Bild am Sonntag.

"But sometimes the costs of a military operation is higher than its benefit. Looking at Syria, NATO partners came to the conclusion that a military deployment would only make a terrible situation worse," he said.

"We would risk turning it into a bigger regional conflict. Or more innocent people could die. A military deployment is not always the solution," he warned.

The West has come under fire from some quarters over its failure to halt the carnage in Syria.

Trapped civilians and rebels in besieged Aleppo were today waiting desperately for evacuations to resume, as the UN Security Council was due to vote on sending observers to the flashpoint city.

France is pushing for the monitors, arguing that an international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today urged residents of a wildcat settlement to accept an improved relocation deal which would reportedly leave most of them on their hilltop site.

The 40 families living at Amona, in the northern part of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, face a court order to leave the site by December 25 because it was found to have been built on private Palestinian land.

Netanyahu is seeking a way out of an impasse which has put him between Israel's Supreme Court and the legal opinion of his own attorney general on one hand, and the anger of settlers who are a key part of his political constituency on the other.

There is also the spectre of violent resistance if police and soldiers try to remove the Amona settlers by force.

"Until dawn this morning we made very great efforts to reach an agreed solution on Amona," Netanyahu told ministers and media at the weekly cabinet meeting, referring to a last-ditch overnight meeting with settlers and ministerial colleagues.

"We did the maximum. Now I can only hope that the Amona residents, who are at this moment discussing the proposal among themselves, will accept it."



Media said the latest draft proposed moving 24 of the 40 families to plots adjacent to the current site which are not covered by the Supreme Court ruling.

However Israeli rights group Yesh Din said Sunday that a Palestinian claimant to one of those alternate plots has come forward, rasing the prospect of a fresh legal battle.

Supporters of the Amona families, many of them youngsters, have been arriving at the outpost for days in a show of solidarity that some fear may turn violent if they are forcibly evicted.

An AFP journalist at the site said they were building barricades, drilling into floors and welding obstacles.

"I came to make a statement. We are not giving up," said a 19-year-old man who refused to give his name.

Asked if he thought events could turn violent, he said: "I want to say no but I think there will be."



The residents have been debating the offer since Sunday morning and some media reports predicted it might be hours more before they announce a decision.

Tweets from a settlement spokesman gave no details of the offer or the mood at the meeting but the head of the Amona "struggle committee" said it was an improvement on a proposal the residents turned down on Thursday.

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A bound copy of Sir Isaac Newton's seminal work describing his famed three laws of motion has sold for a whopping USD 3.7 million, making it the most expensive printed scientific book ever sold at an auction.

The 'Principia Mathematica' book written in 1687 was described by theoretical physicist Albert Einstein as "perhaps the greatest intellectual stride that has ever been granted to any man to make."



Auction house Christie's that handled the sale expected the goat-skin-covered book to fetch between USD one million and USD 1.5 million.

An unnamed bidder bought it for nearly four times that value at USD 3,719,500.

The Principia famously elucidates Newton's three laws of motion, explaining how objects move under the influences of external forces. Physics students today still use the laws, 'Live Science' reported.

The crimson book measures about 9x7 inches and contains 252 leaves - some with woodcut diagrams - and a folding plate, according to Christie's.

Only one other original leather-bound copy of Newton's Principia has been sold at auction in the past 47 years.

That copy was presented to King James II (1633-1701) and bought at Christie's New York for about USD 2.5 million in December 2013.

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Police today detained nine persons in Duppada village for allegedly trying to exchange valid bills with scrapped banknotes for a premium and seized Rs 18.7 lakh from them.

"Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, most of it in new Rs 2,000 denomination and rest in Rs 100 notes, was recovered from them after police raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction," said I Town Circle Inspector P. Sobhan Babu.

Police suspect they belonged to a gang and had arranged the money for exchanging it with another gang for a commission.

Among them six are residents of Vizianagaram while others hailed from Visakhapatnam.

They were handed over to Income Tax department along with cash for further action.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today inspected the arrangements being put in place for the 350th Prakash Utsav of Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, being held in the state capital next month.

Accompanied by senior officials, including the Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, Director General of Police (DGP) P K Thakur and others, Kumar visited Takht Shri Harmandir Sahebji Gurudwara in Patna city and inspected the arrangements being made there for the devotees who will congregate here to attend the 350th Prakash Utsav of Guru Govind Singh.

He also paid obesiance in the Sikh shrine.

Kumar issued necessary direction to the officials and Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee members on arrangements like comfortable stay and transporation.

The Chief Minister inspected Harmandir gali and Bade ki gali near the Takht Shri Harmandir Sahebji Gurudwara and directed the officials to properly fix cluttered electric wires.

He also urged the locals to help the authorities in maintaining cleanliness in the area for the festive occasion for the comfort of the visitors.

Kumar went to Shri Guru Govind Singh Girls' High School, Jain Swetambar temple and Kangan ghat where he inspected 'langar' for the devotees.

During inspection at Kangan ghat, the Chief Minister asked the officials to level the land there so that the devotees could sit properly while taking their meals during the 350th Prakash Utsav.

He inspected the tent city put up at Kangan ghat and directed the officials to make elaborate arrangements for the occasion.

Kumar inspected toilets and bathroom set up at the tent city for the devotees.

The Principal Secretary (Tourism) Harjot Kaur briefed the Chief Minister about various arrangements made at the tent city and elsewhere for the 350th Prakash Utsav.

He was also given presentation by the officials of the tourism department for arrangements made at the Gandhi Maidan for the festival.

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State-run iron ore miner has invested Rs 1,222.65 crore till September 2016 to set up a 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) integrated steel plant in Nagarnar in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

The plant is expected to start trial production by mid-2017.

The company has completed capital expenditure of Rs 1,434.55 crore till September 2016, of which Rs 1,222.65 crore has been invested in Nagarnar steel plant, Rs 17.39 crore on pallet plant at Donimalai, Rs 75 crore in doubling of KK lines, Rs 7.21 crore on Kumarswamy Mine and Rs 4.76 crore in Bailadilla Deposits, the company said in a corporate presentation here.

has carried out pioneering exploration activity for developing iron ore mines in Karnataka in various regions like Kudremukh, Donimalai, Bababudan, Kumaraswamy and Ramandurg, it added.

developed the Donimalai mine in this area to export ore to Japan and South Korea.

The company has also committed contribution of Rs 35 crore to JVs and associates and Rs 72.50 crore in other schemes towards addition, modification and replacement of existing assets, it said.

The Bailadila Deposit-4, which has mineable iron ore of around 108 MT, will entail an investment of around Rs 1,900 crore.

The Chhattisgarh government and NMDC have inked an MoU for a slurry pipeline from Bailadila to Nagarnar, along with ore processing plants at Bailadila and a 2-MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.

NMDC said that its turnover increased marginally to Rs 3,460 crore in H1 FY17 as compared to Rs 3,409 crore in the same period last year.

The net profit, however, decreased by 19 per cent to Rs 1,482 crore in H1 FY17 from Rs 1,892 crore in the same period last year.

The company said it has successfully completed its share buyback offer of 80,08,25,526 equity shares at Rs 94 for an aggregate consideration of Rs 7,527 crore.

Following the buyback offer, the equity share capital stands reduced to Rs 316.39 crore, it added.
A 19-year-old B.Tech student from the North East, who was trying to hide from the warden after allegedly drinking with friends and entering into an argument with some others, died after trying to climb down from the third floor balcony of his hostel at a private university in Rajasthan's Tonk district.

The student Haatma was injured on the intervening night of December 14-15 and was admitted to a private hospital in Jaipur and died last evening, SHO, Niwai, Ramavtar Singh Takhar said today.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has taken "very serious" note of the incident and asked the "authorities and Rajasthan Police to conduct proper and speedy inquiry and submit a report".

SP Tonk Priti Jain said that no suspicious activity was found in CCTV footage of that night.

"The student consumed liquor with four other students of northeast in the hostel room of one of the students on the night of December 14. After some time, the boys had heated argument with some other boys and started shouting. When the hostel warden came, all of them ran away from there to hide," Jain said.

The boy, who died, entered the room of some other student in a hurry, which is visible in the CCTV footage.

He hid in the balcony and was trying to get down from there through a pillar but slipped and fell down from the third-storey.

Inthe pandemonium on the campus of K N Modi University, no one heard his cries.

When the situation got normal after some time, all the other students went to their respective rooms to sleep and Haatma was found lying in an unconscious state in the morning.

"We have collected all the evidence and the statements of other students who were drinking with him have been recorded. His family members gave us a complaint which is being examined," she said.

The family members along with leaders of some students union of North East arrived in Tonk yesterday and have been shown the CCTV footage and other evidence.

"We have seen the CCTV footage and also showed it to his family members to clear their doubts on the sequence of events leading to his death. The matter is being probed further," the SHP said.

Arrangements are being made to send the student's body to his native place.

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As many as 48.63 lakh workers in the unorganised sector in the national capital may become unemployed due to "faulty implementation of demonetisation" and they have already started going back to their home states, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken claimed.

A march will be held on December 24 from Jantar Mantar to Parliament House by Delhi Poorvanchal Congress, in association with Delhi Parvatiya Congress and Delhi South Indian Congress, to highlight the plight of migrant labourers due faulty implementation of demonetisation, he said.

"48.63 lakh unorganized/informal workforce in Delhi consist of first-generation migrant labour. After faulty implementation of demonetisation, reverse migration has begun in Delhi," Maken alleged.

"Lakhs of labourers have already returned to their homes, and around 15,000 labourers are returning to their homes from Delhi every day, which is stalling development works in the national capital," he claimed.

The Delhi Congress chief said he had written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 9 to draw his attention towards this issue and had asked him to take steps to stop reverse migration of this informal workforce.

Claiming that he has not received any reply from the Chief Minister, Maken said the Delhi Government has not taken any steps to implement his suggestion that Rs 5,000 be given to these labourers as monthly unemployment allowance, which is nearly 50 per cent of minimum wages.

"Major projects in Delhi have come to a standstill as labourers are not getting their daily wages due to the cash crunch. The daily earning of rickshaw pullers have also come down sharply.

"If steps are not taken immediately to stop reverse migration of the informal workforce, it will take a long time for Delhi to come back to its normal routine," he claimed.

Quoting a survey on employment by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Maken said as per the 68th Round, between 2011 and 2012, the working population of Delhi was 57.06 lakh.

"The data of Directorate of Employment, Delhi Government reveals that the total number of workers in the organised sector was 8.43 lakh in 2009. This figure has remained almost consistent in the last one decade," he said.

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NSE has applied for regulator Sebi's approval to set up an international exchange at Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) city and will begin roadshows to inform stakeholders on the new initiative from next week.

NSE IFSC Ltd, the global exchange promoted by the National Stock Exchange, has applied for an in-principle approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India a few days back, to set up operations at international financial services centre (IFSC), an NSE official told PTI.

Meanwhile, NSE in partnership with Association of National Exchanges Members of India (ANMI) will begin roadshows from December 20 to showcase the products, membership schemes and technology solutions, among others, to be offered on its international exchange.

The roadshow would start from Kolkata on December 20 followed by a similar engagement in Delhi and Ahmedabad on December 21 and 22 respectively.

Mumbai will host the roadshow on December 23.

Besides, the official said that NSE IFSC is planning to organise road shows in several global financial hubs, later.

Several products from the currency, commodity and equity segments are expected to get listed on the new exchange which may also introduce other innovative products in line with regulations.

Being a global exchange, NSE IFSC will remain operational for a longer period than the NSE during a trading day and all trades will be cleared and settled through NSE IFSC Clearing Corporations Ltd, the official said.

The regulator has recently issued norms allowing international exchanges to operate up to 23 hours in GIFT and settle trades at least twice a day.
Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang today said observing 'Good Governance Day' on December 25 would deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Christians as it coincides with Christmas.

Reacting to local reports regarding the controversy about Centre's decision to observe December 25 as 'Good Governance Day' throughout the country, Zeliang said he, along with other Chief Ministers of the northeastern region, had earlier this year vowed to oppose the decision.

The CMs of northeastern states had opposed the decision in a meeting with the Prime Minister on the ground that December 25 is celebrated throughout the world as the birthday of Jesus Christ and to observe a 'Governance Day' on that date, no matter how noble the intention, would deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Christians, he said.

"Though good governance is a constitutional right of the people, and though the date has been fixed to coincide with the birthday of the revered leader of the nation and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, the day being Christmas Day (it) is inappropriate to hold any official function or occasion," the CM said.

The Chief Minister had on December 12 written to the Prime Minister bringing to his notice the objections raised by various organisations in Nagaland against the declaration of December 25 as 'Good Governance Day'.

Zeliang pointed out that the central government has been continuously observing Christmas as a national holiday ever since India's Independence and even before that.

He said the 'Good Governance Day' could be observed on some other more convenient date, so as not to hurt the sentiments of the minority Christian community in India.

"In the event that changing of date is not possible, Nagaland state may be exempted from the obligation to organise any such official function on 25th December," the Chief Minister requested to the PM.

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A leader of a New Delhi based gang, which duped people by posing as agents of insurance companies, was arrested by the Rajasthan police from the national capital today.

"Avnish Kumar, a resident Uttar Pradesh's Jalon district, was arrested following a complaint by Nainaram, a resident of Jalore district's Bhinmal town," SP Jalore Kalyanmal Meena said.

The victim alleged that the accused had sold him bogus policies-worth Rs 44.55 lakh promising high returns, he said.

"Avnish was arrested when he was about to withdraw the amount deposited by Nainaram from a bank in New Delhi," the SP said, adding the accused revealed the gang's mode of operations during interrogation.

The accused has been booked relevant sections of the IPC and the Information Technology Act. The matter is being probed and the police is trying to trace other members of the gang, he said.

Meanwhile, the police seized premium liquor-worth Rs 40 lakh from a truck which was taking the consignment to Sanchor in Jalore district.

The driver Ashish Sen, a resident of Alwar district, managed to escape. The consignment comprised 960 cartons of liquor, the SP informed.

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More on who I am is here.

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Assam government today said over 13,000 teachers will be appointed at schools and colleges to fill the vacancies across the state during early next year.

At a function to hand-over appointment letters to 73 teachers for higher secondary school, Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that more than 13,000 posts of teachers will be filled up in the next few months.

"In January, we will appoint 11,000 teachers in primary schools. For appointment in the next phase, we are talking with the Centre for relaxation of norms for 27,000 teachers," Sarma said.

He said that 1,287 subject teachers will be given appointment letters within next two months.

"There are many posts lying vacant in colleges also. We will fill 229 posts of lecturers within next one month," he said.

Talking about the higher secondary schools, he said 700 such institutions do not have any principals at this moment.

"All these higher secondary schools are being run by in-charge principals. We will appoint full-time principals in all these schools next month," the Minister said.

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From enacting a street smart college guy to a Peshwa warrior, actor Ranveer Singh has played diverse characters in his career but he considers the role in forthcoming film "Padmavati" as his toughest so far.

The period drama, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, will feature Ranveer as Alauddin Khilji, the medieval-era Delhi ruler, who fell in love with queen Padmavati. The film also features Shahid Kapoor as Raja Ratan Singh, the Rajput ruler and husband of Padmavati (enacted by Deepika Padukone).

Ranveer, whose latest film "Befikre" just released, says it is extremely difficult to fit into the shoes of his role in "Padmavati".

"It's very difficult. It's physically, emotionally, mentally very draining. It's my biggest challenge yet as an actor. I prepared very hard for it, almost a month. We have started shooting and Bhansali is pretty happy with the way things have shaped up," Ranveer told PTI in an interview.

The 31-year-old actor hopes to do justice to the role, which he considers as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"I am excited to get back into it after the Christmas break. It's something I am still grappling with, still exploring, still discovering the character," he said.

"I am at a very nascent stage of discovering this layered character. It's a part of a lifetime and I hope I can do justice to it," Ranveer said.

For his last year's hit "Bajirao Mastani", the actor went though a gruelling preparation which involved locking himself up in a hotel room.

"This time (for 'Padmavati') I didn't have a hotel room but had the whole apartment to myself. I actually had more time for this character than I had for Bajirao. For Bajirao, I had around 18 days, this time I had around 21," Ranveer said.

The film is set to release on November 17 next year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police in Pakistan's Sindh province have warned 13 lawmakers and a bureaucrat, who were part of the recently-passed Minorities Bill which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country, that religious parties and defunct organisations could "harm" them.

The Sindh Assembly's secretariat has asked the provincial police chief and the home department after a threat alert to provide security to 13 lawmakers, including three ministers, and a bureaucrat who were part of the team which drafted the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill, 2015.

Sindh Police's special branch issued a threat alert, saying after the passage of the bill, the situation was quite tense and there was a threat to the life of Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA)s, particularly the members of the 'Standing Committee' on minorities' affairs who considered the private bill, Dawn reported.

They warned that "religious parties and defunct organisations" could "harm" the members of the standing committee concerned, the report said.

The Sindh Assembly last month adopted the bill against forced religious conversions and recommended a five-year jail term for perpetrators and facilitators of forced religious conversions will be handed a three-year sentence.

Under the bill, forcibly converting a minor is also a punishable offence. Adults will be given 21 days to consider their decision to convert.

The special branch also warned that the Chief Minister House or the Sindh Assembly building might be besieged by certain organisations "if this bill may not be abolished by the Sindh government".

Yesterday, Sindh province said it will amend the bill, weeks after two hard-line Islamic parties opposed the law by claiming it was part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed opposed the bill on December 5 and threatened to launch a movement against the law.

"We will take other political and religious organisations on board in our movement against this anti-Islam law. We will not remain silent on this controversial law and launch a countrywide movement to force the Sindh government to withdraw this anti-Islam law," Saeed had said.

Civil society, including the minorities' rights organisations, had celebrated the passage of the bill.

Cases of forced conversions have regularly been reported from different parts of Sindh including Jacobabad, Tharparkar, Mithi, Umerkot, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Ghotki, Sukkur and Larkana.

According to the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK), at least 1,000 girls mostly Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Assuring Bangladesh's support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says needs to be isolated for "harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts".

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

" has always harboured and supported terrorists. We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country," Kamal told PTI in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, "Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistan's involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop."



Amid heightened tension with over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased "cross-border" attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty,Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries don't depend on this single treaty.

"Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later," he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesn't depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

"The bilateral relationship won't depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries," he says.

(Reopens DEL3)



Reminiscing the role played by India during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the senior Awami league MP and a Mukti Joddha (liberation war fighter) himself, feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit last year and signing of the LBA have strengthened bilateral relationship.

Lauding intelligence sharing mechanism between India and Bangladesh in combating terrorism, he says, "We are continuously sharing intelligence and information with India and vice-versa. Whatever information we have received from the Indian intelligence agencies we have taken stern action on it and have worked on it. NIA and Bangladesh agencies are working closely. We have zero tolerance on the issue of terrorism and will not allow the our territory for terror activities." Bangladeshi police and intel agencies have already sealed and tapped the transit point in Bangladesh that Pakistan used to use for channelising fake notes into India, he says.

On the issue of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar who have crossed the border into Bangladesh to flee violence that has escalated over the past two months, Kamal remained 'non-committal' on completely opening up the border for them.

"Is this is a solution that whenever they will be attacked and killed we will open our border? This thing (genocide) has been going on systematically in an continuous process. An opinion should be emerge against it. But those who are coming we are giving them shelter, food. Actually, Myanmar itself has created a inner circle within their borders to stop them from entering into Bangladesh," he says.
A pall of gloom has descended on Phursungi, the native village of 32-year-old gunner Saurabh Farate, who was among the three soldiers killed in yesterday's militant attack on an army convoy in Pampore.

Saurabh, who was in the Indian Army for last 13 years, is survived by parents, wife, twin daughters and brother, who too serves in the army.

Saurabh's father's Nandkishor Farate said that in October, he had come on two months leave to celebrate the first birthday of his daughters and had left on December 24.

"Before leaving for duty on Saturday morning, he had a telephonic conversation with the family. Yesterday, I received a call from his unit, however, the person on the other side gave incomplete information and only informed us that Saurabh was shot," said the bereaved father.

"I then called up my younger son, Rohit, who too works in Army in Jammu and informed him about the call. It was he who informed us about his (Saurabh's) martyrdom after due enquiry," he said.

He hoped government would take concrete steps to tackle the menace of terrorism.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar visited Saurabh's house and consoled his parents and relatives.

The mortal remains of the soldier would be flown for the last rites to his native place in Hadapsar area here and will be consigned to the flames with full military honours tomorrow morning.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Work at government offices in Uttar Pradesh is likely to be hit from tomorrow with Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officials threatening to go on a strike over the alleged assault of an Additional City Magistrate (ACM) and three officers by a group of lawyers on Friday.

"The PCS Officers Association has resolved that over 1,100 officers will be on strike from Monday if the accused lawyers are not arrested immediately," association general secretary Pawan Gangwar said here.

We will also seek action against the Lucknow SSP, Manjil Saini, for "police inaction" in this matter, he said.

On being asked on the strike, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said he would "talk to the Chief Secretary in this regard".

Police said the officers have registered a case against two advocates, including an office-bearer of the Lucknow Bar Association.

An FIR was too lodged against two Additional District Magistrates and an ACM on the complaint of the lawyers, but was later expunged, they said.

The PCS officers had stalled all revenue and land related works while lawyers announced they would not attend local courts after the incident at the Collectorate here.

The UP State Karmchari Sanyukt Parishad announced that it would support the strike, with its President Harikishore Tiwari saying "lakhs of government employees are with PCS officers".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Uttar Pradesh PCS Officers Association tonight withdrew their strike, which was supposed to start tomorrow against the alleged assault of an Additional City Magistrate (ACM) and three officers by a group of lawyers, after assurance of action from the state government.

"The strike was withdrawn after the government assured arrest of the accused," a member of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Services (PCS) Officers Association said.

The association had resolved that over 1,100 officers will be on strike from Monday if the accused lawyers were not arrested immediately.

On being asked on the strike, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had said he would "talk to the Chief Secretary in this regard".

Police said the officers have registered a case against two advocates, including an office-bearer of the Lucknow Bar Association, in the incident that took place on Friday.

An FIR was also lodged against two Additional District Magistrates and an ACM on the complaint of the lawyers, but was later expunged, they said.

The PCS officers had stalled all revenue and land related works while lawyers announced they would not attend local courts after the incident at the Collectorate here.

The UP State Karmchari Sanyukt Parishad had announced that it would support the strike, with its President Harikishore Tiwari saying "lakhs of government employees are with PCS officers".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister will unveil tomorrow a clutch of skill development initiatives aimed at skilling unemployed youth and also lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur.

"Apart from launching 31 Kaushal Kendras which will serve as skilling centres and target mainly unemployed youth for training purposes, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate an exhibition named Kaushal Mahotsav," a senior official in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said.

"The PM will also lay the foundation stone for the Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur which will focus on providing industrial training," the official added.

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship is also set to enter into a strategic partnership with the leather and textiles industry in Kanpur to place one lakh youth under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

Moreover, the Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme will also be launched formally, the official said.

The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras are state-of-the-art Model Training Centres (MTCs) which the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship intends to establish in every district of the country.

The model training centres envisage to create benchmark institutions that demonstrate aspirational value for competency based skill development training.

They would focus on elements of quality, sustainability and connect with stakeholders in skills delivery process. The centres will transform from a mandate-driven footloose model to a sustainable institutional model.
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police today claimed to have busted a fake call centre, which was allegedly running an insurance scam to cheat people, with the arrest of an Uttar Pradesh native.

Police arrested 23-year-old Atul Sharma, a native of Aligarh in UP, on December 13, from Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad.

Atul is accused of enticing innocent persons on the pretext of providing huge bonus on existing insurance policies and then cheating them in the name of depositing different taxes and charges for clearing the bonus amounts, police has said in a release.

Police said it had swung into action after a senior citizen, residing in Shimla, lodged an FIR saying he was duped of Rs 8.5 lakh on the pretext of depositing service charges for receiving a bonus amount of Rs 42 lakh on his existing Birla Life insurance policies.

The gang had extracted the money from him over a period of three months by asking him to deposit it in various bank accounts, it said.

After the FIR was lodged at Shimla, police here received information that such a racket was active in Delhi and NCR and formed a team to nab the culprits.

The team got a tip regarding presence of the gang in the area of Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad and thereafter, a trap was laid and Atul was nabbed.

Police said that two mobile phones and a SIM card used in committing the offence were recovered from him.

On Sharma's interrogation, it came to the fore that Atul had an accomplice, Tarun Sharma, whom he had met while working at a call centre dealing in SIM cards and insurance. Tarun is still at large, police said.

The duo had procured the data regarding insurance policies of victims including their contact numbers while working at the call centre, police said, adding that the details of victims were being verified through bank statements of Atul.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 22-year-old man wanted in several cases of theft, snatching and extortion was arrested from Dwarka area, Delhi Police said today.

22-year-old Vinay, a resident of Harijan Colony of Bindapur area here, was arrested last evening from Dwarka by the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police which recovered stolen expensive mobiles and a Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle from him.

Apart from snatching expensive mobile phones and stealing motorcycles, he was also wanted in cases of unnatural sex and extortion, police said in a release and added that he was absconding for the last six months.

According to the police, he fell in bad company, started taking drugs and committing petty offences and with the passage of time he graduated in crime and started committing heinous offences.

He wanted to make quick money and to be a renowned criminal as he was greatly inspired with the character of John Abraham in Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom, police said in its release.

On his sustained interrogation the accused disclosed his involvement in about one dozen incidents of snatching and motor vehicle theft, police claimed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Times' Defense Editor Deborah Haynes, states flatly that "Russia is waging a 'campaign' of propaganda and Is Britain worried that after January 20th the Trumpy States of America might side with Putin in his war against democracy? A report this weekend from London' Defense Editor Deborah Haynes, states flatly that "Russia is waging a 'campaign' of propaganda and unconventional warfare against Britain , government officials have acknowledged for the first time. Moscow is behind a concerted drive to undermine the UK through espionage, misinformation, cyberattacks and fake news, senior Whitehall figures believe. Theresa May will chair a National Security Council session within weeks to examine Russian actions towards Britain and its allies and discuss possible responses."





The alarms being raised by the British government sound a lot like early stages of overt McCarthyism, jarringly so:

Concerns have been raised that British institutions and companies have been penetrated by Russian agents, including UK citizens, and last night it emerged that several academics at Cambridge University have stepped down from an intelligence forum over fears of Kremlin influence.



The head of the armed forces has taken the unusual step of calling for increased efforts to catch moles. We . . . need to pay more attention to counterespionage and counterintelligence to protect our hard-won research, pro- tect our industry and protect our competitive advantage, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said this week.



Although he did not specify the nationality of the agents, the number of Russian spies and agents of influence-- such as useful MPs wooed by the Russians-- in Britain is thought to be higher than during the Cold War.



Military intelligence officials are working more closely with MI5 on Russian issues, including the need to flush out spies. Examples of the new Russian hybrid warfare include:

 State-run news outlets, including RT and Sputnik, spreading propaganda to influence British audiences, particularly over key issues such as Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum. The activities of Russian propaganda outfits in Britain were exposed by a Times investigation in July;



 Fears that attempts will be made to discredit hundreds of British troops who will deploy to Estonia next year by orchestrating bogus traffic accidents and pub brawls to smear them;



 Suspected cyberattacks against British companies and infrastructure, though Britain has a policy not to confirm which state or entity conducted the attack;



 The deployment of Mr Putins only aircraft carrier and a fleet of escort ships directly through the English Channel last month en route to join the bombing campaign in Syria. The various Russian hostile activities have been designated as a campaign in Whitehall to bring together departments efforts to combat the tactics.



They have just woken up to Russia, a Russia expert and former adviser to the government said. They are embarrassed to admit it. They dont really know what to do because the logic is we should increase our defence spending and we should create a cross-governmental strategy for defending ourselves against this.



The Russian threat will be discussed by Mrs May and senior intelligence, military and other officials at one of the first meetings of the National Security Council next year. The prime minister is facing calls from security experts to set up a war cabinet to respond to Russian hybrid warfare-- or at least develop a cross-government strategy that draws together the weaponry that is being used against the West.

Politico, wrote that Putin is looking for revenge after seeing his country humiliated in the 1990s-- and that Michael Crowley, writing this weekend for, wrote that Putin is looking for revenge after seeing his country humiliated in the 1990s-- and that he may be winning a kind of new Cold War . Long ago, ex-KGB agent Putin had called the collapse of the Soviet Union-- which many Russians see as a U.S. coup-- "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century." As Crowley explains it, in the '90s "Russia was a defeated nation. It had lost the Cold War, and along with it millions of square miles of territory, as imperial possessions dating to the czarist era declared their independence. The countrys economy collapsed, impoverishing most everyone except the insiders who looted public assets. Alcoholism and prostitution boomed. Life expectancy shrank." A few years later, Putin, who had clawed his way to the top of his country's ruling elite, told Russian troops on the first day of the new millennium that their mission included "restoring Russias honor and dignity."

Today, as the U.S. grapples with a Russia with resurgent global ambitions, with a Kremlin that hacks our emails, manipulates our news-- and, according to the CIA, actively worked to elect Donald Trump-- its important to realize that for Putin, its not just a constant move for advantage. Yes, Putin is pressing Russias current interests. But in scheming to defeat Hillary Clinton, and by subjecting American democracy itself to Russian influence, he is also closing a loop opened in part by the Clintons 20 years ago. Putin cant undo Russias Cold War defeat by America. But he can avenge it. And in Donald Trump-- the man who defeated Hillary Clinton and seems ready to deal with Putin on terms that few other American politicians would countenance-- he hopes he has found a willing partner.



Says Strobe Talbott, a Russia specialist who served as deputy secretary of state under Bill Clinton: He basically wants to make Russia great again.







...The Bush-Putin relationship deteriorated for many reasons. But one of them, ironically, was a charge of election interference. Putin was furious when Washington backed a popular, pro-Western movement challenging the outcome of Ukraines 2004 presidential election. He lashed out at what he called U.S. interference in a former Soviet republic that had long been a possession of the Russian empire. The U.S. was pursuing a dictatorship of international affairs, Putin said, disguised with beautiful pseudo-democratic phraseology.



Putin saw another kind of political agenda in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, with which he did battle over a territorial dispute in August 2008. In a television interview he implied that the Bush administration had goaded Georgias Western-friendly government into a fight.



The suspicion would arise that someone in the United States created this conflict on purpose to stir up the situation and to create an advantage for one of the candidates in the competitive race for the presidency in the United States, Putin told CNN at the time. They needed a small victorious war.



Some Russia experts and U.S. officials call Putins increasingly public grievances about America a contrivance-- a narrative to support what the Russian-born journalist Arkady Ostrovsky, in his recent book The Invention of Russia, calls Putins restoration ideology. By this line of thinking, Putin has sold nationalism and militarism to his public to cover for a weak economy highly vulnerable to fluctuations in the price of its oil exports. It was this atmosphere of hostility that a newly elected Barack Obama sought to cool with his Russia reset, a mission led by his secretary of state: Hillary Clinton. Whatever Clinton thought she might accomplish, she couldnt have imagined what it would eventually mean for her own political future.



...One was Putins belief that America blithely staged military interventions around the world with little regard for international-- or at least Russian-- opinion. Hillary Clinton had been a supporter of the 2003 Iraq War and Obamas 2011 intervention in Libya. Putin opposed both those campaigns-- and, as a paranoid autocrat, particularly resented Washingtons record of regime-change policies. It didnt help that the Clinton name already reminded Russian officials of the 1990s U.S.-led NATO interventions in the Balkans, which many hardliners considered to be outrageous Western aggression against their Slavic brothers.



Related was Hillary Clintons enthusiasm for NATOs further expansion into Eastern Europe. That process was based on the well-founded idea that Eastern Europe needed-- indeed, was asking for-- protection from Russia aggression. But Russias military establishment treated it as a slow-rolling invasion of their sphere of influence.



This reaction, too, had its roots under Bill Clinton. An expanded NATO would help ensure democracy, prosperity and stability across Europe, he believed. Moscow took a sharply different view. After one 1994 summit at which Yeltsin gave Bill Clinton his blessing to the addition of new NATO members-- including Poland and Hungary, both former Soviet satellites-- a communist newspaper fumed about the capitulation of Russian policy before NATO and the U.S. One of Yeltsins main political opponents said he had allowed his friend Bill [to] kick him in the rear. He compared the agreement to the treatment of Germany at Versailles after World War I-- a recurring theme among Russian officials since the Cold Wars end.



Some of Bill Clintons top advisers correctly predicted that NATO expansion would produce a backlash in Moscow, and would create a handy narrative for would-be nationalists to posture against the West. Clintons secretary of defense, William Perry, told Politico this summer that he considered resigning over the issue out of concern for its effect on U.S.-Russia relations. But Clinton pressed ahead, kicking off a process that added a dozen new members over the next 20 years, from the Baltic countries of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia through Eastern Europe (the Czech Republic and Romania) and into the former Yugoslavia-- all places where Russia had once enjoyed uncontested influence.



As Obama kept the NATO train rolling, his secretary of state was fully on board. There can be no question that NATO will continue to keep its doors open to new members, Clinton said in February 2010.



Whatever the real-world effect on Russias interests, it felt like a provocation to the Kremlin. NATO enlargement didn't actually harm Russia. It didn't pose a security risk, says James P. Rubin, a former spokesman in Bill Clintons State Department. It only made Russian elites feel bad, and made them feel that their great power status was somehow weakened.



Among those elites was Putin, for whom NATOs expansion fit with the 1990s-humiliation narrative. In a recent interview with the filmmaker Oliver Stone, Putin acknowledged that Russia reacts to the alliances expansion emotionally, adding that Russia is forced to take countermeasures against it. That is, to aim our missile systems at those facilities which we think pose a threat to us, Putin explained.
Police Mitras, civilians who volunteer to act cops, will be deployed to put a check on drunken revellers during Christmas and New Year festivities at hotels, restaurants and pubs in upscale areas with traffic police personnel and local police.

Around 600-700 Police Mitras may be deployed alongside traffic cops at strategic points to check drunken driving and assisting people, said a senior police officer.

"We will be looking at seeking help from Police Mitras but their participation will be voluntary. There will not be any binding for them. We understand they have families and might want to enjoy festivities with them.

"Also, the work hours are quite odd since the drive will pick up around midnight and continue till late in the morning," the officer said.

Besides deploying Police Mitras, the Delhi Traffic Police will also be cautioning party-goers with messages aired across FM radio stations.

These messages, that will also be published in newspapers, will be advising party-goers to opt for cabs instead of driving themselves after they are drunk and not to endanger their lives, said special commissioner of police (Traffic) Ajay Kashyap.

There will be adequate deployment of staff along with equipment outside popular restaurants, pubs and bars in the city and these arrangements will start from Christmas eve, he added.

Sources also said DCPs of different traffic ranges and senior officers are also holding coordination meetings with security agencies of pubs and bars, mall managers and pub owners asking them to keep a check on their customers and ensure that they don't drink and drive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The appointment of the new army chief was today mired in a political controversy with Congress and certain other opposition parties questioning the Prime Minister for superseding two senior officers and asking him spell out the "compelling reasons" for it.

Amid the opposition attack, the government justified the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the army chief, insisting that his operational experience and "general dynamism" tipped the scales in the officer's favour.

BJP hit back at Congress and other parties, saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces.

Congress leader Manish Tewari slammed the government for "playing with institutions" and doing politics in the army even as he wondered if it was "whimsical cherry picking".

His comments came a day after the government appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rawat as the new army chief superseding his two senior officers -- Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen P M Hariz.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the government's move and said appointments whether in the army, judiciary or those of CVC, acting CBI director and to Central Information Commission have become controversial.

Commenting on the matter, JD(U) MP Pavan Varma said, "Every question that is being raised is not about politicising an issue but about seeking a clarification for an answer."



BJP condemned Congress for its attack on the government over the army chief's appointment, saying there should be no politics on defence forces and asserted that Lt Gen Rawat has been elevated keeping in mind the current security scenario.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Lt Gen Rawat's appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

Lashing out at the opposition party, Sharma said Congress by "politicising" the appointment of the army chief was showing its "frustration" after it has been pushed to the "margins" of national politics following successive electoral defeats.

Defence Ministry sources also asserted that selection of the army chief is the sole prerogative of the government and it is based purely on merit, irrespective of the corps to which the officer originally belonged.

The "outstanding" track record of Lt Gen Rawat, an infantry officer, as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in Jammu and Kashmir and his familiarity with the functioning of the Army Headquarters and MoD were cited by the Ministry as the reasons for his selection for the top position.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A political slugfest today broke out over the new army chief's appointment by superseding two officers with Congress and the Left asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons" for it even as BJP hit back saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces.

Congress leader Manish Tewari slammed the government for "playing with institutions" and doing politics in the army even as he wondered if it was "whimsical cherry picking".

His comments came a day after the government appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new army chief superseding his two senior officers -- Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen P M Hariz.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the government's move and said appointments whether in the army, judiciary or those of CVC, acting CBI director and to Central Information Commission have become controversial.

BJP condemned Congress for its attack on the government over the army chief's appointment, saying there should be no politics on defence forces and asserted that Lt Gen Rawat has been elevated keeping in mind the current security scenario.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Lt Gen Rawat's appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

Lashing out at the opposition party, Sharma said Congress by "politicising" the appointment of the army chief was showing its "frustration" after it has been pushed to the "margins" of national politics following successive electoral defeats.

Tewari said, "While Lt Gen Rawat, who is being appointed the COAS, may perhaps have all the requisite credentials but the fact remains that in a hierarchy conscious organisation where the principle of seniority is almost sacrosanct, the supersession of three senior officers, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Lt P M Hariz, and perhaps even Lt Gen B S Negi, raises extremely serious and critical questions of institutional integrity."



However, senior army officials said that Lt Gen Rawat has only superseded Lt Gen Bakshi, the seniormost army commander and Lt Gen Hariz.

The Prime Minister himself should spell out the "compelling reasons" behind this supersession, Tewari told reporters at the party office here.

"Why the principle of seniority which has held the field for two decades now not respected by the government. Is it that these officers who were superseded unqualified in any manner? Or is it whimsical cherry picking which has been done by the BJP-led NDA government," he said.

"Why does the army have to go through unnecessary bloodletting at the top? If it has been done, then reasons need to be put out in the public domain," he said.

Raja said, "Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVC, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial.

Terming this as "very unfortunate", Raja said it is not in



the interest of democracy and the country.

Holding that the government has made controversial appointments earlier also, Tewari questioned why the government has still not issued an official notification for the appointment of next Chief Justice of India even when the letter recommending the name was sent two weeks ago.

Responding to the Congress' critical comments regarding the impending appointment of a new Chief Justice, BJP said the opposition party should not reach a premature conclusion and wait for an appropriate time.

"If any party has flouted the democratic norms most, it is the Congress party. BJP has always adhered to democratic norms," it said.

Asked whether Congress was trying to play politics, Tewari shot back saying, "The government is doing politics with the army. If the way supersession has taken place is not politics then what?



"The government believes that if they are asked any question, then he/she is anti-national, if any legitimate question is also asked about armed forces, then that is sedition?" Tewari said, noting that it is the responsibility of the government to tell the country as to what were the circumstances which led to this supersession.

"These are public appointments. The chief of the Indian army leads a million strong army. And, therefore it is legitimate to ask questions when such an unprecedented action take splace," he said.

He said the Prime Minister, whether it is demonetisation or any other issues, "believes he is not accountable to Parliament nor is he accountable to people of this country and every decision can be a 'Tughlaki farman' (dictat) taken at his whims and fancy".

Asked about Congress leader Shehzad Poonawalla's tweet that Modi did not want Lt Gen Hariz, who he claims would have been the army chief after Lt Gen Bakshi and hence first Muslim army chief, Tewari said it was "totally inappropriate".

"Shehzad Poonawalla used to be my intern. He used to work with me. And I think it is absolutely inappropriate, with all due respect to him, to try and bring religion in these appointments. The fact is that there is principle of seniority and an hierarchy and that needs to be respected".

Asked about media reports that a key middleman in the VVIP chopper scam has claimed he is being pressured to name opposition leaders even though he does not know them, Tewari said there has been a "witch hunt".

"According to the reports which have emerged in the public space, the Italian supreme cour, has for the lack of a better word quashed the decision of the Court of Appeals and ordered a retrial," he said.

The Congress spokesperson said this means that the particular decision now does not stand.

"Under those circumstances there has been an attempt at witch-hunt over the past two-and-half years," he said, adding that it was under UPA tenure that all work, in terms of trying to get to the bottom of this entire episode, was done.
An official of a private bank was today shot at and injured allegedly by an unidentified person at his residence here, police said.

The accused went to the flat of Manmadh Dalai, the private bank official, at Shanti Nagar this afternoon and had a word with him before firing, a police official said.

The banker sustained injury in the leg and he was rushed to a hospital. The victim is out of danger, said the official.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said the accused would be soon nabbed.

"... He (accused) spoke in Telugu, English and broken Hindi. He ran away after he (victim) sustained injury in the leg. The way he spoke to the watchman, with the wife of the (victim) on intercom and the owner, we cannot come to a decision... It could be robbery," Reddy told reporters.

"We will definitely detect the case soon by taking into consideration whether he (accused) came in connection with bank transactions or whether he was completely an unknown person or he came through employees of the bank," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, today met the chief of the influential Radha Soami sect and is understood to have sought his "blessings" for the upcoming Assembly polls in the state.

The Congress Vice President also attended the 'satsang' (religious discourse) by sect leader Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon at the sect headquarter at Beas, nearly 45 kilometres away from here.

Rahul had arrived on a chartered flight from Bangalore and landed at the private airstrip at the sect headquarters last evening.

Both Rahul and Amarinder went to the residence of Dhillon where they discussed various political issues related to the coming Assembly election, party sources said, adding the meeting lasted about an hour.

Rahul sought Dhillon's "blessings" for Congress party to form government in Punjab for the "larger interest of the state", party sources said.

Punjab Assembly elections, slated for early next year, are crucial for Congress, which has been out of power in the state for the last ten years.

Earlier, Rahul and Amarinder sat at the 'satsang' for one and half hours in the VVIP corridor of front row. A few SPG men also remained present but they were not allowed to carry weapons, since security cover was provided by the Dera management, the sources said.

The two Congress leaders were driver around the sect's facility by Dhillon himself. The sect chief also showed the 'langar' area (community kitchen) where food for one lakh or more devotees is cooked on special days.

Rahul praised Dhillon for developing the Dera and also appreciated the traffic management by the sect volunteers during the congregation, party sources said.

It was the second visit of Rahul at Beas, as earlier he had come here in March this year. His mother Sonia Gandhi has also visited the Dera.

Dera Beas has never involved itself directly in politics, though it is believed to be having influence over a section of voters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's charges against Prime Minister was not a "loose statement", senior party leader said here today.

"Definitely there are issues. It is not a loose statement. That much I can say," he told reporters here when asked what was stopping Gandhi from revealing the "detailed information" on the "personal corruption" of Modi.

"Certain things must be placed on the table of the House under the rules. That is real. Outside, it can be debated, disputed or diluted. But once it is placed in Parliament, the Prime Minister or the Minister cannot escape accountability. That is the difference," Sharma said when asked whether the people will have to wait till next session of Parliament to know about the "corruption" charges against Modi.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said it was for the Prime Minister to tell the country why he "directed the Ministers to disrupt" both the Houses and "not allow and the Opposition leaders to speak."



"If there is nothing Prime Minister is worried about, why he (Rahul) was not allowed to speak?," Sharma asked.

After claiming that there will be an "earthquake" if he speaks, on December 14 had alleged he has detailed information about "personal corruption" by the Prime Minister which he wants to present in Lok Sabha.

"But he was not allowed to do so by Prime Minister," Sharma alleged.

Sharma also attacked Modi for his statement that Indira Gandhi paid no heed to the Wanchoo Committee's recommendation to demonetise high-value currency notes in 1971.

"Prime Minister must be condemned for tarnishing the image of a martyr Prime Minister, that too he chose December 16 when Vijay Diwas - The victory of India over Pakistani - is celebrated," he said.

The Prime Minister had cited a book to say that when the then Finance Minister Y B Chavan went to Indira Gandhi and supported the exercise, she asked "only one question. Are no elections to be fought by the Congress party?"



He also urged Modi to "stop insulting" former Prime Ministers.

Sharma said the Wanchoo committee report was not only on demonetisation.

"It was on the establishment of the tax settlement commission, which was accepted in 1976 and based on the recommendations Income Tax Commission's settlement was set up. And the demonetisation got implemented in 1978 was a disaster," he added.
Surpanakha, the brazen sister of demon King Ravana, is said to have catalysed the battle between her brother and Rama. But was she really the villainous character she was made to be?



Mythological writer Kavita Kane, in her latest work of fiction titled, "Lanka's Princess", offers a flip-side to Valmiki's dark portrayal of the woman whose nose was cut-off by Rama's brother Lakshman.

Kane delves deeper into Surpanakha's psyche and attempts to humanise her in the book.

"I wanted to go beyond the stereotype. There is no denial in the fact that her nose was cut off, which I think was one of the most violent episodes in 'Ramayana'.

"But whatever happened to her, was it because of her own actions? Was she a vamp or a victim? Ask these questions, and the whole perspective changes," the Pune-based writer told PTI.

It was Surpanakha's name that captured Kane's attention, and made her pursue the history and the making of the character.

She says that Ravana's sister, who has conventionally been showcased as an unattractive and hideous woman, was originally named Meenakshi, owning to her long-drawn eyes like those of a fish.

How did she then come to be called as Surpanakha, meaning 'sharp, long nails', something that is associated with evil?



"I always wondered who would name their child Surpanakha? During my research, I realised that she was not born with the name, but it was sort of given to her.

Kane, in her book, shifts the spotlight away from the original protagonists (Rama, Sita or for that matter Ravana) to tell a tale about the hitherto sidelined character of Surpanakha, as she has done in her earlier books titled, "Maneka's Choice", "Karna's Wife" and "Sita's Sister".

"I revisit the iconic stories and present them through the perspective of those characters which may have been missed out or overlooked. Once the spotlight is brought on these minor characters, the entire narrative changes.

"Just think, what would happen if the minor characters become the protagonist? Because of creative restrictions, they were not given enough space and I have taken the creative license of giving them that space. And I think they (readers) love it," she says.

However, in her attempt to offer an alternate narrative, Kane does not digress from the prevailing lore to an extent that renders the character "unbelievable" or "corrupt".

"In the end, the characters need to be rational and believable. They are not my own characters, they are originally Vyas' and Valmiki's.

"I cannot corrupt them so much that they become unbelievable, but yes I can play around them, sort of expand them, but I cannot take the liberty to just turn them upside down," she says.

In "Lanka's Princess", Kane offers Surpanakha the benefit of doubt, but steers clear of trying to paint the conventionally dark character of Surpanakha "white".

"I'm not trying to make the good look bad or otherwise," she says.

The 292-page book has been published by Rupa Publications.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the state government would work on ensuring free pilgrimage of Sikhs to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib in Pakistan, if the ruling SAD-BJP alliance is re-elected.

Speaking at an event here to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, Badal asked the people to follow the philosophy of the tenth guru for overall well-being of the mankind.

The unprecedented sacrifice made by the 10th Sikh Guru would go a long way in the annals of world history for galvanising the hapless people to fight against tyranny, oppression and injustice unleashed by the mighty Mughals, he said.

"...SAD-BJP alliance would make all out efforts to ensure free pilgrimage to devotees to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib, the sikh shrines in Pakistan, if the alliance is voted to power again in Punjab," Badal said.

Inviting people to attend the 350th birth anniversary celebrations in Patna in January next year, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said people should reach the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh to make it a memorable event.

On the occasion, the chief minister and his deputy unveiled a huge statue of the legendary Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur installed at the Punjab government's estate Nabha House.

Targeting the AAP dispensation in Delhi, Sukhbir said he was constrained to note that the Delhi government denied permission for installation of this statue in the city and thus the Punjab government decided to get it installed at its estate in the national capital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Expelled All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Sasikala Pushpa has moved the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe or a judicial investigation by an apex court judge into the death of J .

In her petition, Pushpa has alleged that Jayalalithaa's death was "suspicious" as her actual medical condition was not disclosed, no one was allowed to visit her, her funeral photographs showed embalming marks and everything from her hospitalisation to her death "was kept under wraps".

The Rajya Sabha MP has sought directions to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government and Apollo Hospital, where was hospitalised, to disclose details of her health report and treatment in a sealed cover to the apex court.

A similar plea was filed this week in the apex court by Tamil Nadu Telugu Yuva Sakthi claiming that doubts have been raised over the circumstances of the AIADMK leader's death and her medical reports needed to be examined by experts.
It is "unfortunate that a crime is going unpunished".

This was the observation and finding of the Delhi High Court as it acquitted a former Army officer in a 34-year old murder of a Delhi businessman, saying it "cannot hang any person" if evidence on record does not conclusively establish his guilt.

The order has now been upheld as "plausible, logical and persuasive" by the Supreme Court that also rapped CBI for failing to bring home the guilt of the accused.

The case relates to the murder of a famous Delhi businessman, 40-year-old Kishan Sikand who was killed in a blast when he opened a parcel containing explosives in 1982.

Lt Col S J Chaudhary, now 78, who was convicted and sentenced to life term by a lower court after facing trial for 26 years, was acquitted by the high court in 2009 after being absolved of charges of murder and under the Explosive Substances Act.

The order was upheld by the apex court, which observed that "CBI has failed to bring home the guilt of the accused".

An apex court bench of Justices Pinaki Chandra Ghose and Amitava Roy dismissed the appeals of CBI and family members of the victim, who was the son of Sikand Motors showroom owner H D Sikand, challenging Chaudhary's acquittal, saying the high court's findings are "plausible, logical and persuasive" and it commands for affirmation.

"Accordingly, in our opinion, the high court has correctly come to the conclusion after analysing the facts and the evidence. In our opinion, the arguments which have been put forward in the matter by the counsel appearing on behalf of Chaudhary, are much more acceptable in the facts and circumstances of this case.

"The findings recorded by the High Court are plausible, logical and persuasive, reached by the materials on record and command for affirmation. Thus, we do not have any hesitation to hold that the high court has correctly come to the conclusions with the reasons given therefor. Accordingly, we do not find any merit in these appeals which are hereby dismissed," the bench said.

The top court said it appeared that the case was totally dependent on circumstantial evidence and held that the CBI has failed to bring home the guilt of the accused.

In April 2008, a trial court here had convicted Chaudhary



of killing Kishan Sikand at his residence in Delhi's upmarket Sunder Nagar on October 2, 1982. The victim died after a parcel sent to him exploded.

According to the CBI, Chaudhary had used a hand-grenade of Pakistan make, seized by the Indian Army during the 1971 war, to eliminate Sikand. It had alleged that Chaudhary had been threatening Sikand over his romantic involvement with his wife Rani Chaudhary and he was held for the crime.

In May 2009, Chaudhary was acquitted by the high court which had said it was "unfortunate that a crime is going unpunished". It had noted that though Chaudhary had a motive to kill as he was opposed to Sikand's plans to marry Rani, CBI had not produced proof that could nail the former Army officer.

"We cannot hang any person for the crime unless our judicial conscience is satisfied that evidence on record conclusively establishes guilt of the person," the high court had said.




combined-- West Virginia (489,371), Wyoming (174,419), Oklahoma (949,136) and North Dakota (216,794)-- were fewer than Hillary's nearly 3 million ote margin. Trump is on a victory tour, telling cheering ugly racists to thank African Americans who didn't bother going to the polls for a poll many Democrats saw as unacceptable, even if she was the lesser of two evils. In Hershey, Pennsylvania Thursday night Trump called for the mostly white crowd to cheer for African-Americans who were "smart" to heed his message and therefore "didn't come out to vote." He keeps telling the dim fans who show up for these Hitlerian victory rallies that he won a landslide. He's lying of course, as he does virtually every time he opens his mouth. Hillary won the most votes-- not by a landslide but by a very healthy margin-- 65,788,567 (48.2%) to Trump's 62,955,343 (46.1%). She had 2,833,224 more votes than he did across the country. All the votes he got in the 4 most rot-gut Trumpified states-- West Virginia (489,371), Wyoming (174,419), Oklahoma (949,136) and North Dakota (216,794)-- were fewer than Hillary's nearly 3 million ote margin.





But, whether you want to blame Putin or not, Trump won narrow margins in 3 normally blue states that put him over the hump and allowed him to claim a modest electoral college win:

 Michigan- 2,279,543 (47.5%) to 2,268,839 (47.3%)- a 10,704 vote margin

 Wisconsin- 1,405,284 (47.2%) to 1,382,536 (46.5%)- a 22,748 vote margin

 Pennsylvania- 2,970,733 (48.5%) to 2,926,441 (47.9%)- a 44,307 vote margin.

. That was 77,759 votes in those 3 states that together saw 657,460 votes cast for 3rd party candidates. And each one of those states there was a pivotal county-- whether hacked or not-- that gave Trump his unlikely victory in that state:

 Macomb, Michigan- 224,589 (53.6%) to 176,238 (42.1%)

 Waukesha, Wisconsin- 145,519 (61.6%) to 79,199 (33.5%)

 York, Pennsylvania- 126,933 (62.5%) to 67,428 (33.2%)

Clinton actually did better in Waukesha than Obama did-- almost 2,000 more votes and a point and a half better in the county. York was hurt her badly in Pennsylvania. Obama had scored 72,126 votes compared to Hillary's 67,427, about a 6 point dip from his performance. And Macomb was especially bad. Obama won it against Romney-- 207,992 (52%) to 191,896 (48%). Trump improved Romney's performance significantly-- 32,693 votes, while Clinton under-performed Obama by 31,754 votes-- in the state where Trump won by a mere 10,704 votes!





The Atlantic. It's about the pudgy neo-Nazi self-promoter Richard Spencer (who now is The short documentary, up top, on white nationalism, one of the pillars of Trumpism, was put together by. It's about the pudgy neo-Nazi self-promoter Richard Spencer (who now is making noises about running for the soon-to-be-open Montana congressional Ryan Zinke is giving up to help Trump destroy the environment. It's hard to imagine-- in light of David Duke's 7th place, 3.0% showing in the Louisiana Senate race-- but if he managed to run and win the Republican primary, nearly unimaginable, it would mean the first Democrat in the House from Montana since Pat Williams retired two decades ago.





Spencer, a Texan living in Virginia DC suburbs with some tenuous connection to Whitefish, Montana, is the "head" of some crazy Nazi outfit he and his friends started and named the National Policy Institute. He grandly told the Huffington Post that "If I did this, it would not be some eccentric campaign that no one talks about and is a footnote to history. It would become a major conversation around the country... just because of my profile in the alt-right. Again, I would only do it to win it."





One of Spencer's racist pals, Taylor Rose, ran against Columbia Falls Democrat Zac Perry in a very swingy Montana district and was defeated by Perry 2,464 (53.0%) to 2,186 (47.0%). Spencer, Rose and other neo-Nazis and racists see Trumps victory-- he won 50 of Montana's 56 counties (274,120 to 174,521, one of Clinton's worst performances anywhere)-- as a first step towards a whites-only state. "Trump definitely energized the alt-right... I don't see myself," said the delusional, half-insane Spencer, "as a marginal figure who's going to be hated by society. I see myself as a mainstream figure... Our lived experience is being a young, white person in 21st century America, [and] seeing your identity be demeaned. Ive lived in this multicultural mess for years and Im trying to get out of it."





Please watch the video above-- especially if you hate Jews and agree with these freaks that women shouldn't have the vote. These are Trump's shock troops and they see themselves of changing America in their image. You owe it to yourself to be prepared for what's coming. Spencer wants to revive the Roman Empire for Italians, Scots, Russians, white Americans, Finns... "a safe space for all Europeans from around the world."
Amid frosty relations with BJP, the Shiv Sena has said it has initiated talks with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party following the dropping of two of MGP's members from the Laxmikant Parsekar Cabinet.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the party is in talks with BJP's estranged alliance partner to have an electoral agreement, but they are in "initial stages".

The party already has a pre-poll alliance with rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar's Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) for the upcoming polls.

On December 13, Parsekar dropped two MGP ministers from his Cabinet to "prevent the BJP cadres from getting demoralised" by their outbursts in the poll-bound state, even as the ally chose to continue support to the government, citing "coalition dharma".

"Goa needs a change from the BJP-led government. We already have a pre-poll alliance with Velingkar. We are also in talks with the MGP and looking for a grand alliance in the state. Velingkar is also in talks with the MGP," Raut said.

Sources said the party is in the process of finalising the manifesto, along with GSM.

Interestingly, the Shiv Sena, despite having its bastion in Konkan, could never leave its footprints in neighbouring Goa in terms of winning seats. This was primarily because of the language issue. While the Shiv Sena bats for Marathi, Goa is primarily a Konkani state.

In 2012, the party contested on three seats and could poll only 210 votes together. In 2007, it contested on seven seats and polled 1,049 votes. Its performance was slightly better in 2002 where it contested 15 seats and bagged 4,946 votes.

In his rally on October 22, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackarey took a jibe at BJP saying, the party made a mistake by letting and helping the saffron party grow in Goa, else it would have had its leader as chief minister long back.

Ever since BJP and the Shiv Sena severed their relations ahead of 2014 assembly polls, breaking their 25-year-old alliance, equations between the two parties have not been the same.

The Sena, now a junior partner in the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, is seen as an "opposition" rather than alliance member. It is also not happy with the portfolio alloted to it, despite being the second largest party in the NDA after BJP.

The party has already announced that it would be contest around 200 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step which is aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.

Besides the Tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.

A decision to approve an amendment to the Act was taken at the Union Cabinet's meeting held earlier in the week. The amendment is likely to be introduced in Parliament in its next session.

"There will be only one permanent Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolved," Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said.

Earlier, Shekhar said, water tribunals "took ages" to deliver final awards into disputes, whereas the proposed Tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict during a span of three years.

Along with the Tribunal, the amendment proposes to set up Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The DRC, comprising experts and policy-makers, is proposed to handle disputes prior to the Tribunal.

"...Whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRC's level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the Tribunal," he added.

In order to give more teeth to the Tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives an order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required notifying the awards, causing a delay in its implementation.

As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union Government with such request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.

At present, there are eight Tribunals, including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.

The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (Cauvery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.
BSP chief Mayawati today dubbed ruling Samajwadi Party's observance of a 'Minority Rights Day' as symbolism and asked UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to come out of BJP's "clutches" to honestly work for the welfare of minorities.

"SP government in UP has snatched the rights of religious minorities, particularly Muslims, and merely symbolic observance of Minority Rights Day will do no good to these communities," she said, noting that the state has witnessed more than 400 incidents of communal violence, including the riots in Muzaffarnagar, during the past five years.

"The CM should come out of the clutches of BJP and work for their welfare, which he has not done during his tenure," she said in a statement here.

Her strong comments came after Samajwadi Party held an event where the chief minister launched schemes for the minority community.

Mayawati said the Akhilesh Yadav government would be remembered in the same way as BJP is remembered for the 1992 Ayodhya demolition and Congress for communal riots in Moradabad, Hashimpura and Bhagalpur.

The BSP supremo said it was surprising that whenever SP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, BJP gained strength. "SP government owes an answer to the people on this count," she said, accusing both parties of complementing and supplementing each other.

She also asked why adequate compensation was not given to Muzaffarnagar riot victims and why jobs were not provided to those whose family members were killed in 2013.

Mayawati asserted that only during BSP rule, there was no major communal flare-up in the state.

She said the law and order situation in the state has hit its nadir and ridiculed the chief minister's "tall claims" on crime control.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bollywood celebrities, including superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Hrithik Roshan, Karan Johar and among others have welcomed filmmaker Ashotosh Gowariker on Twitter, by sharing some sweet memories with him.

The 52-year-old director, who joined the micro-blogging site yesterday, dedicated his first tweet to Shah Rukh, saying he couldn't have picked a better day to join the platform than December 17 as it clocked 12 years of their film "Swades".

As SRK tweeted, "Can't be a better day to welcome my friend who has given me one of my best films ever. Give him love @ashgowariker," Gowariker wrote, "Thanks @iamsrk! You're right! Could not have picked a better day #12YearsOfSwades to join Twitter! Thanks for eternalising Mohan Bhargava."



Hrithik, who has worked with the director in "Jodhaa Akbar" and "Mohenjo Daro", thanked Gowariker for giving him his two most memorable roles.

"Please welcome the director who gave me two of my most memorable roles! Akbar n Sarman stay indebted to you."



Priyanka, who is currently in the US for her American show "Quantico", sent her warm wishes to Gowariker, with whom she has done the 2009 film "What's Your Raashee?".

Gowariker has also acted in Priyanka's production Purple Pebble Pictures debut film "Ventilator".

"From my director to my actor but always my friend... Welcome to twitter @AshGowariker! Show him some love twitterverse," she wrote.

While, director-producer Johar said, "Welcome the man who has directed spectacular films and placed us proudly on the international map of cinema... @AshGowariker."



Abhishek Bachchan also took his time out to welcome the director by posting, "Ladies and gents, please give a warm welcome to a dear friend and all round nice guy @AshGowariker welcome to the chaos Ashu."



Abhishek and Gowariker had worked in the 2010 film"Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey," which also starred Deepika Padukone and Sikander Kher.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 19-year-old B.Tech student from the North East died allegedly after falling from the balcony of his hostel at a private university in Rajasthan's Tonk district, with primary investigations finding that he had consumed liquor and was involved in a scuffle just before his death.

The student Haatma allegedly fell down from the balcony of a three-storey hostel building on the intervening night of December 14-15. He was admitted to a private hospital in Jaipur and died last evening, SHO, Niwai, Ramavtar Singh Takhar said today.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has taken "very serious" note of the incident and asked the "authorities and Rajasthan Police to conduct proper and speedy inquiry and submit a report".

Takhar said primary investigation reveal that the second year B.Tech student consumed liquor with four other students and also had a scuffle with some others. After the scuffle, he rushed to the hostel building and fell from there.

The student's family members have arrived and the process to hand over the body is underway.

"We have seen the CCTV footage and also showed to his family members to clear their doubts on the sequence of events leading to his death. The matter is being probed further," he said.

Arrangements are being made to send the student's body to his native place.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security forces patrolled the tense streets of Kinshasa today after the suspension of last-ditch talks to find a peaceful way out of the nation's political crisis sparked by the end of President Joseph Kabila's mandate.

Negotiations to agree a way forward for the Democratic Republic of Congo after December 20, when Kabila's second term finishes, were halted yesterday with no significant progress made.

Fears of fresh political violence in mineral-rich but unstable Congo were running high, with no elections planned and Kabila showing no inclination to step down.

Talks are due to resume on Wednesday when Catholic bishops acting as mediators return from a long-planned trip to Rome -- a day after Kabila's mandate ends.

Roadblocks put up overnight were opened today morning but security forces were posted in large numbers in opposition strongholds and other flashpoints around Kinshasa, according to AFP reporters.

"We're waiting to see what happens. The politicians are okay, it's us, the little people, who suffer," a supervisor at a cleaning company said.

Kabila, barred from seeking a third term by the constitution, has indicated he wants to stay in power until a successor is chosen, but some opposition figures want him to hand over to a transitional leadership while awaiting the vote.

The 45-year-old has been in power since his father Laurent Kabila was assassinated in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and again in 2011 in polls decried as rigged by the opposition.

The talks sponsored by the Congolese bishops' conference (CENCO) brought together the ruling party and fringe opposition groups, allied against a mainstream opposition coalition led by the 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi.

When they broke up yesterday evening, no progress had been made on any of the main issues that divide the two sides.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three persons have been arrested for allegedly demanding extortion money of Rs 10 lakh from a timber trader here, police said today.

Mosam, Shehzad and Bablu, were arrested for demanding extortion money from timber trader Balbahadur, investigation officer SI Navin Yadav said.

The accused were traced with the help of their mobile phone locations, he said, adding a case has been registered against them.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fishing nets of 10 mechanised boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly snapped by Sri Lankan naval personnel who also chased away nearly 3,000 fishers off Katchatheevu islet.

The Lankan naval personnel cut the nets and chased away the fishermen on charges of entering their territorial waters yesterday, Rameswaram Fishermen's Association president P Sesuraja said.

The fishermen who had ventured into the sea from this island town in more than 600 boats were intercepted by the naval men, who also threatened to shoot them, he added.

The fishermen returned to the shore this morning, he said.

Sesuraja urged the Centre to act on Sri Lankan navy's "atrocities" against Tamil Nadu fishermen.

On December 15, more than 2,500 fishermen from here were forced to return without their catch after lankan navy personnel allegedly snapped the fishing nets of 50 mechanised boats off Katchatheevu.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Turkish authorities today detained nine people suspected of involvement in a night of violence against offices of the main pro-Kurdish party in apparent reprisal for a deadly attack blamed on Kurdish militants.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said 20 of its offices across the country had been attacked after yesterday's suicide car bombing in the central city of Kayseri that left 14 soldiers dead.

It said several offices, including in Istanbul, were destroyed after being set on fire and ransacked by nationalist protesters while others were fired upon.

The raids sparked fears of further tensions in Turkey and even street fighting as the country is repeatedly hit by attacks blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliates.

"An attempt is being made to create the conditions for conflict and a coup attempt in Turkey," party spokesman Ayhan Bilgen said in a statement.

He accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to the attacks but said the HDP had urged supporters to resist provocations.

All those detained are suspected of staging attacks on the party's buildings in Istanbul, the Dogan agency said.

The government has said the outlawed PKK, which is fighting a bitter insurgency against Turkish security forces in the southeast, was likely behind the attack in Kayseri.

The HDP denies any links to the PKK but the government accuses the party of being the political front of the militants. Several HDP MPs including its co-leaders are currently under arrest over alleged links to the PKK.

The HDP condemned the Kayseri attack "in the strongest possible terms".

In Kayseri, protesters had yesterday broken into the building where the HDP office is located, scattering papers and furniture on the street and removing the HDP sign from the entrance.

A group then ascended to the top of the building, setting off a fire and displaying a giant red flag with three crescent moons, the insignia of the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Turkish media said yesterday's protesters in Kayseri were supporters of the Grey Wolves, a militant wing of the MHP which was hugely prominent in the street fighting of the 1980s and early 1990s.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sashashtra Seema Bal (SSB) and district police have arrested two hardcore naxalites belonging to proscribed CPI (Maoist) during a raid in Bhaluka jungles of Bihar's Jamui district, police said today.

The naxalites, arrested yesterday, are Pankaj Yadav, self-styled area commander of the outfit, and another hardcore naxalite Bhola Yadav, Superintendent of Police Jayant Kant and SSB Commandant M S Yadav told reporters during a joint press conference here today.

Pankaj Yadav is the resident of Abhaypur village under Piri bazar police station area of Munger district while Bhola Yadav is the resident of Amarakh village under Jamui police station area of Jamui district, Jayant Kant said, adding that these naxalites were arrested during a joint operation carried out by SSB and district police.

The police seized two rifles, one automatic pistol, 305 shells of cartridge, two hand grenades, two mobile phones, one motorcycle and seven live bombs from their possession, the SP said.

The two naxalites were sent to Jamui jail today after being interrogated, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the next few years, companies that sell cars and light trucks in the United States will have to comply with increasingly stringent federal regulations on fuel economy. The governments regulations call for a required average of 54.5 miles per gallon on new cars and trucks by 2025. The requirement will vary with the size of the car or truck, so each company will face a different required fuel economy average that varies with the size-mix of its sales. This is after the Obama administration had already raised the overall required average to 34.1 mpg for 2016.

How did such a large increase in required fuel economy happen? Margo Oge, former director of the Office of Transportation and Air Quality in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, tells the story in her book, Driving the Future. Oge had a large role in designing these regulations and negotiating for them within the Obama administration and with the auto makers, both foreign and domestic. Her book helps readers understand how this extreme regulatory requirement came about.

These are two of the opening three paragraphs of David R. Henderson, Centrally Planning Fuel Economy, Regulation, Winter 2016-2017.

Another excerpt:

Its not as if she had no discussions with economists; she did, in both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. She tells of one interaction with Michael Greenstone, chief economist on the Obama White Houses Council of Economic Advisers. In her telling, she had reported a finding that the higher price of the more fuel-efficient car would be more than offset by the saving in fuel expenditures. Greenstone challenged her. She quotes him as saying, The consumer wont fully value these fuel economy benefits, so we should discount them by 50 to 80 percent.

Oge doesnt say why he believed this. So I called him at the University of Chicago, where he is an economics professor, and asked him. He explained to me that if car buyers were not already demanding cars that had the fuel efficiency she was trying to achieve, it must be because there were other negatives besides the higher upfront price of the car. Those negatives might be the cars performance, esthetics, safety, or other features.

Oge writes, Academics like Greenstone would still worry that we are messing with the magic of the market. He explained to me that consumers know what they want better than central planners do. Summarizing her interaction with Greenstone, Oge writes, The idea that the market functions perfectly is a powerful political and theoretical obstacle to fuel economy regulations. The idea that economists think that the market functions perfectly is a caricature that many non-economists share. You dont have to think that markets function perfectlywhatever that meansto think that they function well and, at least, better than government.

If one sentence crystallizes the problems caused by Oges lack of understanding of economics, it is this one, written about the then-freshly formed Obama administration: There will be others, even within the new administration, who are ideologically opposed to the regulationsas is almost inevitable in any room filled with Washington lawyers and academic economists. She, in short, sees economistseven ones in the Obama administrationas being ideologically opposed to regulation rather than being opposed because of their understanding of both markets and regulation.
Implementation of urban missions, including Swachh Bharat, will continue to be the focus area of the new year, says Urban Development and HUPA Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who has set a target of achieving enhanced outcomes within stipulated time frames.

2016 remained a hectic year for his ministries which succeeded in getting the Real Estate Bill passed in Parliament and giving momentum to Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, getting close to the half-way mark of mission targets in constructing toilets.

"On the whole, 2016, the first year of execution of new missions has been encouraging. We would like this momentum even to be further enhanced so that intended outcomes are realised within stipulated time frames," he said.

He said new urban missions, except Swachh Bharat Mission, were launched in 2015 after year-long "extensive consultations" with states, Urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders.

"City governments were required to adopt new approaches in place of the earlier business as usual attitude. They rose to the occasion to a large extent and that is evident in the pace of implementation," he said.

Naidu said there was a "new-found spirit of competition" among states and cities is giving "positive results", adding the ease of doing business in urban areas is "improving rapidly".

The year saw the selection of 60 cities in three rounds for financial assistance from the Centre to develop them as smart cities.

Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas got close to halfway mark of mission targets in building toilets during this year.

As against the target of building over 66 lakh individual household toilets, about 27.82 lakh have already been built and construction of another 21.43 lakh toilets is nearing completion as the mission gained momentum in 2016.

While 5.08 lakh community and public toilet seats are required to be built by 2019, already 1.07 lakh toilet seats have been built so far and construction of another 1.28 lakh toilet seats in nearing completion.

As many as 482 cities have reported to have become open defecation free during 2016 with Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim declaring all its cities and towns achieving such a feat. Kerala is set to do so by March next year.

While there were widespread activities under Swachh Bharat Mission, the year also saw the enactment of Real Estate Act and simplification of approvals for building plans and construction permits.

Over 60 km of metro projects were approved during 2016 with an investment of Rs 22,118 crore. These include Lucknow Metro (22 km with a cost of Rs 6,928 crore), Chennai Metro Extension (9 km, Rs 3,720 crore) and Pune Metro (31 km, Rs 11,420 crore).

Under Heritage Infrastructure Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), implementation of projects worth about Rs 200 crore has begun during 2016 in the cities of Ajmer, Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Amritsar, Kancheepuram and Vellankini (both in Tamil Nadu), Varanasi and Warangal (Telangana).

The year also saw approval of 9.02 lakh affordable houses for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) scheme.

Significantly, a total investment of Rs 2.72 lakh crore was approved for augmenting urban infrastructure during January-December with Rs 1.32 lakh crore under smart city plans of 60 cities, Rs 30,657 crore under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Rs 48,773 crore under PMAY (Urban) and Rs 22,118 crore for new Metro projects.

About Rs 5,500 crore investment was approved under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and Rs 32,835 crore for re-development of seven central government residential colonies in New Delhi.

For Delhi, the central government also approved re-development of seven General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies at a total investment of Rs 32,835 crore on self-financing basis during the year.

Investment of Rs 30,657 crore was approved under Atal Mission during 2016 for improving infrastructure relating water supply, sewerage networks, storm water drains, urban transport with the focus on non-motorised transport and open and green spaces.

During the year, a qualitative transformation has been set in motion with cities embarking on credit rating which is necessary for mobilisation of the much-required resources through municipal bonds.
The British government says it doesn't need maverick anti-European politician Nigel Farage to be its go-between with the incoming Trump administration.

Senior figures in Prime Minister Theresa May's government rejected the idea today after Farage, former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, argued he would be ideal given his bond formed on the US presidential campaign trail with Trump.

Farage told BBC radio: "I can help to be a bridge between the government ... And not just Donald Trump, but his team and his administration. I would like to do that."



International Trade Secretary Liam Fox retorted Sunday that Britain has "a perfectly good ambassador in Washington."



The US president-elect met Farage last month at Trump Tower and tweeted that Farage would make an excellent ambassador to the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly elections next year, the state government has decided to implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1, official sources said.

The decision, which will benefit around 2.5 lakh government employees and pensioners, was taken in the state cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Harish Rawat yesterday. The government employees will get the benefit of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1 next year, they said.

The arrears for this year will be paid after the finalisation of the procedure for the same.

As a result of the cabinet's decision, the treasury will have to bear a burden of Rs 3000 crore, they said.

The decision to implement the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for government employees of corporation and public venture will be taken by their board and Finance Secretary Amit Negi has been assigned responsibility in this regard.

Dehradun-Haridwar-Rishikesh have been declared metropoliton cities and a consent to make a detailed project report for metro has been given to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The state government also posed a penalty of Rs 2 crore and Rs 2.5 crore for PG doctors for violating bond of 5 years with the state for essential service.

(Reopens DES 33)



Uttarakhand Congress president Kishore Upadhyay welcomed the state government's decision of implementing recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission and thanked the Chief Minsiter for it.
The US unmanned underwater drone seized by the Chinese navy is similar to commercial units that have been deployed by oil companies for underwater exploration and by emergency services for search and rescue, reports say.

The US Navy had used a Bluefin-21 to search for wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, descending to 5,000 feet to scour the Indian Ocean floor.

The underwater drone is commercially available and they retail for about USD 150,000, NBC reported.

These types of gliders are generally used for environmental collection to help the Navy better understand the oceans and how sonar works. They are also used to help the Navy better conduct anti-submarine warfare, it said.

The seized glider belongs to the US Military Sealift Command and was not conducting surveillance, the report said.

The Pentagon has said that USNS Bowditch and the UUV -- an unclassified "ocean glider" system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature, and sound speed - were conducting "routine operations" in the South China Sea on December 15 when the Chinese navy seized the drone.

The Pentagon said the Chinese navy seized the unmanned underwater drone while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship. The ship and the drone were conducting routine operations in accordance with international law when a Chinese Navy PRC DALANG III-Class ship launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV, it said.

The Chinese Defence Ministry has said it had taken the drone for verification and accused the US of "making a fuss" over the incident after US President-elect Donald Trump accused China of "stealing" the US Navy research drone.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting China had been "professional and responsible" to take the drone.

"We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel," he said in a statement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
High octane sound and fury in the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) with crucial Assembly polls round the corner dominated the political spectrum in Uttar Pradesh in 2016 which also witnessed one of the country's worst train tragedies in recent times that left 150 dead in Kanpur.

Mulayam Singh Yadav virtually grappled with an unprecedented family feud that threatened to split SP ahead of the key elections, prompting major Opposition parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to rework their caste arithmetic in the poll-bound state.

Cracks in the Yadav clan came to the fore around mid-year when senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav announced the merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED) of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, much to the chagrin of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Within three days of the announcement, SP parliamentary board called it off under pressure from the chief minister, setting off a chain of unsavoury events that shook the ruling party and the government for days till a fragile peace was brokered by Mulayam.

With Assembly elections weighing heavily on his mind, the chief minister in an effort to project himself as "Mr Clean", axed two ministers, including tainted Mines Minister Gayatri Prajapati, triggering tremors in the party that saw an angry Mulayam strip his son Akhilesh of the post of state SP chief and install his uncle Shivpal in his place.

In a tit-for-tat action, Akhilesh took away key portfolios of his uncle, leaving him fuming so much so that he sacked a number of pro-chief minister youth leaders, who headed various front organisations.

Mulayam's cousin Ramgopal Yadav also bore the brunt of the raging storm in the party as he was not only sacked from key posts, but expelled from SP for six years for backing Akhilesh and opposing Rajya Sabha colleague Amar Singh, the "outsider" starred as a villain of the piece in the entire episode.

As the noise within SP proved to be music to Opposition ears, Mulayam feared the ugly developments might hamper SP's poll prospects. He revoked all expulsions and made the fighting leaders bury their hatchet to send the message that all-is-well in the party.



As SP fought bouts of internal feud, BSP chief Mayawati sought to fish in troubled waters, seeking to drive a wedge in the ruling party camp to wean away the crucial Muslim vote bank.

Muslims, who account for nearly 20 per cent of Uttar Pradesh's population, are considered traditional vote bank of SP and their votes could end up with BSP if the internecine war in Mulayam's party did not end, experts feel.

While divided Muslim votes translate to gains for BJP, a consolidation will change the poll arithmetic as minorities play a crucial role in at least 125 of the 403 constituencies up for grabs.

BSP too faced rebellion with senior leaders like Swami Prasad Maurya, an OBC, and RK Chaudhary, a Dalit, besides some other legislators quitting the party, accusing Mayawati of "selling" party tickets and slamming her style of functioning. Brajesh Pathak, former MP and prominent Brahmin face of BSP, too parted ways with Mayawati.

BJP, on the other hand, went all out to woo voters holding 'Parivartan Yatras' across the state addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and a host of senior leaders, including Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, attacking SP, BSP and Congress in the same breath.

To counter Opposition onslaught, Akhilesh all along harped on development tune, propagating among the masses various welfare schemes, with the recent inauguration of rupees multi-crore Lucknow-Agra Expressway and trial run of Lucknow Metro coming in handy to drive home his message.

Congress on its part tried to regain its lost moorings in the state with its Vice President Rahul Gandhi setting out on a Deoria-to-Delhi 'Kisan Yatra' to highlight issues faced by farmers. The party fielded former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit as its chief ministerial candidate in UP expecting to garner Brahmin votes.

As the year almost drew to a close, note ban decision struck all and sundry as a bolt from the blue with non-BJP parties highlighting problems faced by commoners to slam Modi, who turned tables on them saying only those with huge black money were crying hoarse and often poking fun at Mayawati for her "discomfort" in the wake of demonetisation.
Terming demonetisation as a "conspiracy" of BJP and the Prime Minister, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said people of Uttar Pradesh, "who made Narendra Modi the PM", will now teach BJP a lesson for the "anti-people" step.

"The step is aimed at depositing money of ordinary people in banks to improve their financial condition and to waive loans of people like Vijay Mallya. It has been done to help big industrialists, who have taken loans of over Rs 8 lakh crore from banks...," the AAP leader alleged at a rally here.

Calling the note ban as "anti-people", Kejriwal said, "People of UP, from where BJP got 73 (out of 80) Lok Sabha seats (including two of ally Apna Dal) will now teach BJP a lesson for the conspiracy."



After demonetisation, he alleged, "record corruption" was done in the country and added that "not only the step and intentions but execution was also bad".

Questioning claims of Modi that demonetisation was a step to curb black money, Kejriwal asked why not a single person was jailed when the government had a list of people who had stashed away money in foreign banks.

"If he sends two or four such persons to jail, corruption will end in the country," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The United States today said it will work with the Philippine president to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows US troops to visit the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a US government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte yesterday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the US to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement."



He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises.

The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.

"You know, tit for tat ... If you can do this, so (can) we. It ain't a one-way traffic," Duterte said, adding tauntingly, "Bye-bye America."



The US Embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have. It did not elaborate.

While calling Americans "sons of bitches" and "hypocrites," Duterte yesterday praised China as having "the kindest soul of all" for offering what he said was significant financial assistance. "So, what do I need America for?" he asked.

He also said Russia can be a very important ally. "They do not insult people, they do not interfere," he said.

The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

The US government, along with EU and UN officials, has raised concerns about Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gunbattles with police.

More than 3,000 other deaths are being investigated to determine if they were linked to illegal drugs.

In a conference, Duterte was pointedly asked how many crime suspects he has killed in the past when he was still a crime-busting city mayor amid his vague and contradicting accounts of his exploits.

"Maybe one, two three ... I'm saying, maybe my bullets hit them, maybe not, but after the burumbumbumbum, they're all dead," Duterte said.

He asked God for forgiveness in advance, saying he may not have time to pray if he's assassinated. "God, forgive me for killing these idiots," Duterte said, then blamed God for the presence of criminals. "You create a human monster so if you are God, why do you have to create these idiots? That's why they die.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Secretary of State John Kerry today met with Saudi King Salman in what likely will be his last visit as America's top diplomat.

Kerry met with the king and other royalty at a palace in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the two discussed regional issues. Ahead of the trip, the State Department said Kerry would discuss the war in Yemen and stalled peace efforts to end the conflict.

Yemen's war began when Shiite rebels and their allies seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf Arab nations launched a campaign in March 2015 against the rebels. Their offensive has included punishing airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties, leading to the Obama administration halting some arm sales.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Continuing to take jabs at China, President-elect Donald Trump today said the US should let China keep the Navy's underwater drone after Beijing agreed to give back the unmanned glider that it seized in the disputed South China Sea.

"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back - let them keep it!" Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.

The Pentagon had alleged that the drone was unlawfully seized by China on December 15 in the SCS while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.

The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back.

China yesterday slammed the US for "making a fuss" over the seizure of its underwater drone and said it will return the device in an "appropriate manner".

Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting that China seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships.

Trump's latest tweet was the second time the President-elect blasted China for the seizure.

Earlier, he accused China of stealing American drone.

"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act," Trump tweeted, misspelling unprecedented.

He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

Trump has repeatedly infuriated China in recent weeks, questioning decades-old US policy on Taiwan, making phone call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and calling Beijing a currency manipulator.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The American oceanographic survey ship which controls the underwater drone seized by China had been spying against the Communist nation posing a threat to Chinese naval ships in the South China Sea, a state-run daily has said while claiming that such activities by the US Navy were "very rampant" in the strategic region.

"We welcome that the Chinese navy is conducting regular 'verification and examination' of devices dispatched by the US to collect intelligence in China's surrounding waters in future. This should go along with US sabotage activities in China's periphery," an editorial posted on the web edition of the state-run Global Times daily said today.

"The US claimed that the glider was collecting unclassified data such as salinity and water temperature, which are routine operations in accordance with international law. However, this argument is absurd," the daily said.

The Chinese military said last night that the drone seized by its naval boat would be returned "in an appropriate manner" after the US took up the issue with China, but did not give any time line.

"The USNS Bowditch (which controlled the drone) has appeared in the waters around China now and then. It caused a dispute between China and the US in the Yellow Sea in 2002. The surveillance ship has been engaged in maritime intelligence gathering, posing a long-term threat to the safety of Chinese navy vessels, especially submarines," the editorial said.

Reports said a Chinese naval boat seized the drone before the Bowditch could retrieve it from the water.

Defending the seizure of the drone Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun yesterday dismissed the US allegations, insisting China had been "professional and responsible" to take the drone.

"We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel," he said.

US president-elect Donald Trump has accused China of stealing the drone.

In its editorial, Global Times said "it's well-known that the South China Sea is an important area where Chinese strategic submarines conduct activities. Intelligence gathering activities by the US Navy in the region are very rampant," it said.

China and the US have confronted each other over US intelligence gathering in China's periphery for a long time.

In 2001, a US Navy intelligence aircraft collided with a Chinese jet while in 2009, several Chinese fishing vessels besieged US surveillance ship USNS Impeccable, it said.

"Many people worry that the US Navy has collected too much information about China's naval base in Hainan Island, and it may even have deployed underwater devices that can continuously send signals," it said.

The US has always claimed its practices are consistent



with international law and regards maritime reconnaissance operations targeting China as a key aspect of "freedom of navigation in the South China Sea".

"This is a typical hegemonic approach. It's common sense that freedom of navigation should not harm China's national security. With the increase in China's defensive capabilities, we believe such a common-sense approach will win more respect," the editorial said.

"If one day Chinese navy ships conduct intelligence gathering around US coastlines and its surrounding waters, what will the US think? It's worth noting that it won't take a long time for the Chinese ships to develop such capabilities," it said.

"Does the US want the two countries to engage in offshore intelligence gathering oneupmanship? China knows the strength of the US Navy. But no matter how powerful the US Navy is, it cannot act on the bottom line of China's security. Otherwise, misunderstandings and frictions are bound to occur," it said.

The Global Times also quoted Chinese military analysts as saying the US should put a halt to its spying activities in the South China Sea.

"This is not the first time that we seized a US underwater drone in the South China Sea, but the one we seized on Thursday is new and more advanced than before and might carry valuable information just gathered in the South China Sea," Li Jie, a Beijing-based naval expert told the daily.

This is why the US was so nervous and tried to use the media to hype it up this time while it had remained silent before, Li said.

A Chinese military source confirmed with the Global Times that yesterday they received a "claim request" from the US for the underwater drone.

Song Zhongping, a military commentator at Phoenix TV, told the Global Times that in the military field, the drone, or UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle), can gather hydrological intelligence about salinity, temperature and ocean currents.

"More importantly, it can also gather military intelligence like the movements of submarines," Song said, adding that the South China Sea is a significant area for Chinese navy and nuclear submarines.
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


The US has more than doubled the reward for information leading to the capture of dreaded Islamic State chief to $25 million.

The Department of State released a statement announcing the $25 million reward for the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The new bounty, $25 million, is the same amount offered for Osama bin Laden in 2011, but no one ever cashed in after the al-Qaeda leader was killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs in May of that year.

"Protecting the homeland and the American people is our top counter-terrorism priority, and just as we have intensified our efforts against ISIL (another name for ISIS), we are increasing the means available to us to gain information on their leadership and bring them to justice," the State Department said in a statement.

"The threat that al-Baghdadi poses has increased significantly since the Department of State's initial $10 million reward offer for information leading to his location, arrest, or conviction was announced in 2011," the department's Rewards for Justice Programme said on its website.

"Under Baghdadi, ISIL has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States," it said.

"Al-Baghdadi has taken credit for numerous terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, killing thousands of his fellow Iraqi citizens," it added.

Baghdadi is designated by the Department of State as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee.

US officials have long described Baghdadi as enemy No 1 in the fight against the militant group and speculation has swirled over his whereabouts.

Though Baghdadi has been elusive, he has spoken out occasionally in videos and audio messages.

In October 2015, Iraq's military claimed its air force had struck a convoy in western Anbar province that included a vehicle carrying Baghdadi. For weeks, reports circulated that he was seriously injured in the airstrike.

Those reports have since been disputed by US officials.
She is already an established name in the television industry, but when superstar Aamir Khan called Sakshi Tanwar to be a part of his upcoming movie 'Dangal', the actress couldn't believe it was happening.

Initially, casting director Mukesh Chhabra's agency got in touch with Sakshi, best known for her portrayal of Parvati Agarwal in the soap opera 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii'.

The role she was approached for - and which she eventually bagged - was to play Aamir's wife in the biographical-drama.

It was, however, when Sakshi got a call from the 51-year-old actor that she experienced a whirlpool of emotions.

"When I got a call from Aamir sir, I went blank. I was like 'Oh, okay, well.' I didn't know what to do after that. Moments later after the call, I was excited, happy and probably also overwhelmed. There was a mix of emotions in me," Sakshi told PTI.

'Dangal' is based on the life of ace wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and the journey of his daughters Geeta and Babita Phogat.

Once on board, the 43-year-old 'Bade Achche Lagte Hain' star quickly cancelled her trip to Bhutan to accommodate dates for the film and began prepping for the role.

Though the "PK" star had managed to make Sakshi star-struck in the phone conversation, when the duo started shooting the film, there was no intimidation.

"The first scene that I shot with him was when his character realises that a gold medal is a gold medal, whether a girl brings it or a boy. But it wasn't intimidating at all. I was very comfortable with him," she said.

"We all had met earlier for reading sessions. So we knew how things will go. With actors generally you know how things will pan out on the set and with Aamir it was an extremely comfortable experience," the actress added.

It wasn't that the feeling of shooting a film with Aamir had sunk in from day one for Sakshi. The actress says there were two defining moments when it hit her that she has acted alongside the 51-year-old actor.

"One was when the trailer got released and I saw myself in it. The other was, when we had screening of the rough cut and I saw my name in the credits. These were the moments where I felt 'yes I am in this'. Before that everybody used to tell me 'Oh my God you're in Dangal' and while I knew that very well, it wasn't sinking in," said Sakshi.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Dangal' is slated to release on December 23.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With pleasant weather coinciding with school holidays, winter tourism is picking up in the country as travel plans for Christmas this year have seen a 34 per cent growth during Christmas and New Year as compared to last year, according to a report.

"Over 34 per cent more customers are travelling this time during Christmas and New Year compared to last year," revealed a 'New Year and Christmas Travel Trends' report by comprehensive travel website MakeMyTrip.

Winter tourism, as a concept, has picked up in India with 34 per cent more customers travelling this time during Christmas and New Year with four times higher growth for domestic travel than international one, compared to last year, MakeMyTrip Chief Business Officer-Holidays Ranjeet Oak said.

The report has also found that the travel during Christmas time is higher than around the New Year.

"Christmas weekend pips the New Year holiday with 59 per cent of bookings witnessed for Christmas compared to 41 per cent for New Year. We have witnessed strong last-minute bookings with more customers having booked within one month of the travel compared to last year," Oak said.

For holidays within India, Goa remains the most preferred destination, followed by Rajasthan and Manali as the other top places witnessing heightened interests.

For International trips, more customers are preferring to travel to short-haul beach locations, with Thailand, Dubai and Singapore being top international destinations followed by Bali in Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, particularly due to increased air capacity and cheaper fares, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Facing a tough electoral battle in Punjab next year, Congress has decided not to let sitting MLAs in general seats change their assembly segments and strictly apply the "one family, one ticket" formula by not allowing two people from a family to contest.

"These two rules are non-negotiable. We have decided that all sitting MLAs in general seats must defend their own segments. They will not get to replace their seats.

"Replacements will be allowed only in case of 34 reserved seats. Also, the decision to allot one ticket per family is final. It will not be bent," Punjab Congress President told PTI in an interview.

He said the remaining party tickets for Punjab are likely to be finalised by early next week when the party's Central Election Committee headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi would meet.

The former Punjab Chief Minister said allowing sitting MLAs to shift to other constituencies would send "wrong signals" to the party workers.

"Everyone must go into this battle thinking they are winning," Amarinder said at a time when many sitting MLAs of Congress, including some senior leaders, want to shift to other constituencies.

Among those are six-time MLA from Sanaur Lal Singh, who wants to shift to Samana, but is unlikely to be obliged.

Another MLA demanding a change is Indian Youth Congress President Raja Warring, who is hoping to shift to Muktsar though he represents Gidderbaha in the Punjab assembly.

"No changes will be allowed for any general candidates," Amarinder categorically said.

Singh also said the first list of 61 candidates announced a few days back reflected the sentiment that the MLAs will have to defend their turfs when it comes to general seats.

Former Punjab CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who was seeking to contest from Sunam has been fielded from Lehra, which she currently represents in the assembly.

Similarly, the "one family, one ticket" rule will apply, said Amarinder.

"The CEC is likely to meet on Tuesday," he said, as 56 seats are pending declaration. Punjab assembly has 117 seats.

On "one family, one ticket" rule, Amarinder referred to his own family in which his wife and Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur had stepped down in his favour.

Similarly, sitting MLA from Qadian Charanjit Kaur Bajwa has stepped down in favour of her brother-in-law Fateh Jung Bajwa. Guriqbal Kaur Babli, the Nawanshahr MLA has vacated her seat for her son Angad Saini whose name has been announced in the first list.

Also, former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Amar Singh, who was principal secretary to AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh when he was the state's chief minister, has been fielded this time from Raikot reserved seat instead of his brother and sitting MLA GS Boparai.

Congress is seeking to wrest power from the ruling Akali- BJP combine after two successive defeats. The state appears set for a tough three-cornered fight with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party seeking to queer the pitch for both Congress and Akali-BJP alliance.
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan, who is known for his portrayal of a wide range of characters on screen, today said that he would love to play the role of Hindu god "Krishna".

If a film is being made on the epic Mahabharat, I would like to play the role of Krishna, he told reporters.

The actor was replying to a query on ace Telugu director S S Rajamouli of "Baahubali" fame reportedly planning to make a film on Mahabharat.

The 51-year-old actor, who is selective about his work and usually dedicates a considerable amount of time for a particular role, said that his next movie would be released in about eight months.

"They say that your film comes after two years or three years. I thought I must address that complaint. So, within eight months you will see my next film," he said.

Aamir, meanwhile, is out with his latest film "Dangal", which is set to hit the theatres on December 23. He essays the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat in the film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.

"Dangal" has been declared tax-free in Uttar Pradesh.

Aamir said the distribution team of Disney has applied for tax exemption in all the states so that maximum people watch the movie.

The message in the film (Dangal) is that there is no difference between a girl and a boy, he said.

Aamir said his look for his next movie "Thugs of Hindustan" has not been finalised yet, but he was growing his beard and hair in the meantime.

On allegations that he used substances for losing and gaining weight for "Dangal", he said, "I have not used any substances. I think that the good rate to lose weight is roughly one pound a week. If you want to lose weight little faster, then you have more of a calorie deficit."



"So, if you have calorie deficit of 500 calories a day, you lose one pound a week. If you have the calorie deficit of 1,000 calories a day, you lose two pounds a week. That is considered to be on the higher side.

"When I started the weight loss process, I was doing double of that. Four pounds a week, I was losing for the first three weeks. Then I brought it down to two pounds a week. So, I had 20 weeks to do that. If you do the math, you will understand that is how I got there. Immediately after 'PK', I was in the weight training mode for two years," he clarified.

Aamir said he would like to work with south Indian stars like Rajinikanth, Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, adding that he was open to do a south Indian film, if the right script came his way.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An inevitable controversy has erupted after the governments announcement of Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the general who will succeed General Dalbir Singh Suhag on December 31 to the post of chief of army staff (COAS), or .
"Embarrassed and upset" over the conduct of a handful of employees bringing the organisation into disrepute, Axis Bank MD and CEO Shikha Sharma on Sunday said the bank has hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit for enhanced due diligence and building more safeguards.

Assuring that the fundamentals of the bank is on a "solid footing', Sharma said in a letter to Axis Bank customers that the bank is tracking sudden surge in account activity and have 'proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts".

"The recent media reports around the conduct of a few of our employees have left me embarrassed and upset. We have fallen short of your expectations because a handful of people did not follow our fully compliant and robust processes. We have taken the toughest action against such employees and we will do so in every case of divergence from our Code of Conduct.

"I regret that the misdeeds of a few people have eroded the hard work of 55,000+ employees, who have been at the front end beyond working hours, displaying extraordinary patience and commitment to their responsibilities," she said in the letter.

The Income Tax Department had last week conducted a raid at an Axis Bank branch in Noida and unearthed Rs 60 crore from the accounts of 20 shell companies.

Sharma said the bank has proactively identified suspicious accounts and has given inputs to regulatory authorities for further investigation.

"I would like to reassure you that the bank has always been committed to the highest standards of operational control and continues to fully cooperate with the authorities. We have been tracking sudden surges in account activity and have proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts.

"This proactive identification has been one of the inputs in investigation by the regulatory authorities, who are visiting some of our branches to seek out information.

Further, we have hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit for enhanced due diligence and building more safeguards," she said.

Thanking customers for the support and understanding since the demonetisation initiative, Sharma said it has been a challenging time and the bank has tried its "level best" to make it easier for customers.

"We have made every effort to ease the transition by making special arrangements for senior citizens and differently abled people at our branches, using micro-ATMs to deliver cash to BSF personnel, ensuring salary disbursement to government and corporate employees across the length and breadth of our country," Sharma wrote.

"I assure you that the fundamentals of the bank, built painstakingly over the last 22 years, focused on serving its retail and corporate customers are on a solid footing... We will always safeguard your interests because your trust matters the most. I look forward to your continued confidence in making us a safe, strong bank that is always focused on you," she said in the letter.
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Construction on The Bronx Council on the Arts long awaited new home at a former bank building in Westchester Square is underway.

After a long delay, the former Washington Mutual branch at 2700 East Tremont Avenue that was donated by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank some five years ago is now being renovated to house BCA headquarters.

The $5.6 million renovation project, funded by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs with money allocated by local elected officials, will convert the 7,300 former bank into a first-class artistic hub by the fall of 2017.

A kick-off celebration for the BCA@2700 with elected officials, business and civic leaders, artists and community members was held on Friday, December 9.

Congressman Joseph Crowley, who helped broker the donation from J.P. Morgan Chase, called the bank a good cooperate citizen and lauded the roughly $900,000 gifting of the building in 2011.

The construction for the Bronx Council on the Arts new headquarters is not just an exciting development for the Westchester Square community, but for the entire borough of the Bronx as a cradle for the arts, Crowley.

Councilman James Vacca was praised at the kick off by Crowley and by John Bonizio, Westchester Square Business Improvement District president, for his advocacy of Westchester Square.

The councilman said that the city bureaucracy does not always move at the pace that many would like, but expressed his happiness to see the project underway.

This is a prime example of a public-private partnership, said Vacca, who providing funding for the renovations along with Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr, added that the borough is coming back more every day.

This is important because the borough of the Bronx is the borough of culture, said Diaz in his remarks, adding We certainly need to push forward in the conversation of having cultural institutions where our creative class can continue to growthat is what is going to happen in this building.

The project will include an extensive reworking of the buildings interior to accommodate professional development workshops, grant writing, administrative offices, artistic programs, and artist development workshops.

The new BCA@2700 headquarters will house all of BCAs staff and operations including: cultural grant-making, the Bronx Writers Center, multidisciplinary arts, exhibits, community programs, and advocacy activities, said Deirdre Scott, BCA project coordinator and former executive director.

Feniosky Pena-Mora, NYC Department of Design and Construction commissioner, said the building would include flexible space that will allow BCA to use the area in multiple arrangements.

DDC is managing the project on behalf of the DCA.

The features of the newly remodeled building will include LEED Silver standards for environmental responsibility, ample natural lighting and modern lighting and climate control systems.

Tom Finkelpearl, DCA commissioner, said that artists in the borough had a strong advocate and supporter in BCA.

We are proud to support this renovation project, helping to establish a new cultural hub and provide BCA the space it needs to serve the boroughs vibrant cultural community, he said.

Reach Reporter Patrick Rocchio at (718) 2604597. E-mail him at procc hio@c ngloc al.com . Follow him on Twitter @patrickfrocchio.
The National Bison Range, located near Moiese, Montana, is one of Cindys and my favorite places. I cannot guess how many times we have visited this Wildlife Refuge operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. While driving the refuges 19-mile loop road, we have watched not only herds of bison, but elk, mule and whitetail deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, and black bear. The drive also offers spectacular views of the Mission Mountains across the Mission Valley. The refuge gets 200,000-plus visitors each year.

Our latest visit was this past July and my first was as a boy in the 1950s, when I remember seeing White Medicine, a white bison now stuffed and on display in the Montana Capital building.

The 18,800-acre National Bison Range was created in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. This land was the first time Congress appropriated money to purchase an entire wildlife conservation area. Its purpose was to help bison recover from the slaughter of the past 60 years. The NBR was carved out of the Flathead Indian Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

William Hornaday, president of the American Bison Society, lobbied congress to purchase land for a bison herd to be purchased by the Society. People from 29 states donated over $10,000 for the purchase of bison. Many donations were $1 to $5 in size, collected by womens groups. Forty bison were bought or donated to the NBR.

Since then, only 12 more bison have been added to this herd that today fluctuates between 350 and 500 animals. Excess bison have gone to build up herds in other areas. This bison herd carries almost pure bison genes and good genetic diversity.

I hate to see such a great wildlife location so embroiled in controversy. In February of this year, FWS leadership proposed their support for future legislation to remove the NBR from the refuge system and have it be managed by the CSKT. The legislation would need to clear Congress but has yet to be introduced. The land would be held in a trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the benefit and use of the CSKT. A lawsuit has been filed by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, seeking to derail the proposed legislation.

In the past 10 years, the FWS and the CSKT has tried and failed to co-manage the NBR. The first attempt ended ugly, with recriminations and lockouts. The second try ended when a lawsuit maintained the FWS failed to conduct necessary environmental reviews. In an earlier column titled Bison returning to Native Americans, I incorrectly said the refuge is currently co-managed, but the FWS is now managing the NBR.

William Reffalt is the vice president of the Blue Goose Alliance, a non-profit group dedicated to maintaining the integrity of the FWS National Wildlife Refuge System. Most of its members are retired National Wildlife Refuge employees. His group worries this transfer would set a precedent to transfer other refuges out of the system. He also is concerned about the future management of these bison.

In recent emails, he told me The National Bison Range contains bison with unique genetic traits vital to efforts to assure native bison will one day occupy their keystone role in appropriate American prairie ecosystems He also said I question this experimental plan to divorce one of Americas foremost refuges from its proven stewardship within the Refuge System

Rob McDonald is the CSKT tribal spokesman. He feels managing the NBR is simply an extension of what the tribes already do. The CSKT has created the nations first tribal wilderness area, a grizzly management plan, worked on endangered bull trout habitat, reintroduced trumpeter swans, and created wildlife corridors on the Flathead Reservation.

He told me in a phone call We manage areas much larger than the NBR, we manage wildlife such as grizzly bears and wolves and we are recognized nationally for our work. He sent me copies of support letters from the National Wildlife Federation, and Mission Mountain Audubon Chapter, along with a supportive editorial from the Missoulian newspaper.

Rob also feels the land should be part of the reservation. He was quoted in Indian Country Today Media Network We think this proposal makes historical and managerial sense, but there will be no change to [public] access This land, the Bison Range, has a unique cultural connection to us.

During this past year, Montana newspapers have carried numerous editorials and letters both for and against this transfer. Montanans hold strong opinions for both sides of the controversy. The outcome will be determined by congress.
Minister Youssouf Hadidja Alim defended the draft budget of her ministry on November 28, 2015.

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The ongoing recruitment of 2,970 more primary cycle teachers by government will be completed in 2016. This will end the second phase of the operation to recruit 9,000 teachers for basic education which entails the conversion of parents teachers into contract workers. The first phase was completed this year, 2015, with the recruitment of 3,060 teachers.



This was one of the priorities of the Ministry of Basic Educations draft budget for the 2016 financial year which stands at FCFA 206 billion. Defending the draft budget on November 28, 2015 before the Finance and Budget Committee of National Assembly, Minister Youssouf Hadjidja Alim explained that the FCFA 17 billion budget increase is in relation to the increase in payroll expenditures for teachers to be recruited.



Minister Alim was assisted by the representative of the Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with Parliament, Jules Doret Ndongo. On the whole, the ministrys priorities for 2016 will dwell on the pursuit of four programmes notably the democratisation of the primary cycle, literacy, preschool development as well as governance and institutional support. Besides the planned construction of over 1,300 classrooms in 2016, other ambitions of the ministry will be to increase the literacy rate of 65.72 per cent recorded in 2015 to 66.04 per cent in 2016.

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BURNEY, Calif. (AP)  Tony Magarrell isnt very relaxed for someone who just spent a week in the lush backcountry canyons of Lassen National Forest, 165 miles northwest of Reno.

Magarrell, a special agent for the U.S. Forest Service, wasnt there to enjoy roaring waterfalls or abundant wildlife. He was cleaning up yet another illicit marijuana operation, a job that gives him a front-row seat to environmental wreckage most people will never see, reported the Reno Gazette-Journal.

This site has pretty much taken over the whole drainage out here, said Magarrell of the 60-acre site that yielded about 6,000 pounds of trash, much of it in the form of hazardous chemicals. Its been a long week.

The bags of trash hauled out by helicopter provided evidence of the damage illicit grows can do to the environment. But the damage goes far beyond the trash left behind.

Environmental damage from the grow sites includes widespread sickness and death among wildlife, including threatened and endangered species.

On U.S. Forest Service land in California alone, authorities have identified more than 400 sites in the past two years with an estimated 1.7 million plants. Although hundreds of sites are identified, only a fraction of them are actually remediated. The number of cleanups fluctuates with availability of personnel and funding, Magarrell said.

Law enforcement officials report frequent instances of wildlife poaching by people working at the sites. Even more damaging than poaching is the mass amounts of poison associated with grow sites. That poison is killing wildlife at the site and being carried away by animals that consume it and die elsewhere.

Magarrell suspects the Burney site was the work of large drug trafficking operators from Mexico, who law enforcement believe are behind most major grows, and the environmental damage they cause.

Similar grow sites have been found in Nevada, although they are smaller and much fewer in number. In recent years, officials have found grows with trash, fertilizer and rat poison in the Spring Mountain National Forest Recreation Area near Las Vegas, the Austin Tonopah Ranger District in central Nevada and the Ely Ranger District in White Pine County.

Both California and Nevada voters have recently approved ballot measures to decriminalize marijuana possession and issue licenses for marijuana businesses. But its too soon to tell if that will affect illicit grows in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere. Thats because the vast majority of whats grown illicitly is sold through black market channels, which still exist because most states and the federal government still consider marijuana to be illegal.

In 2014, Chris Boehm, assistant director of law enforcement and investigations for the Forest Service, estimated drug trafficking organizations are operating in 72 national forests in 22 states.

It is a national issue, it is not a California issue, Magarrell said.

Research quantifies environmental damage

The site near Burney, which Magarrell said was typical for illicit grows, contained tons of evidence of environmental damage.

Law enforcement officials identified three camps each with its own dump sites, 18 miles of pipe diverting water from a creek, 11,360 pounds of trash, 1,250 pounds of fertilizer and a host of toxic chemicals.

The list included: insecticides such as Lorsban 480 EM, Sevin carbaryl and Malathion, the rat poison Bromethalin, Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor which can be used as a pesticide and plant hormone concentrate Hormoviton Calor.

The growers use the chemicals for several purposes. Insecticides and herbicides can be used to prevent weeds and insects from damaging the plants, and the fertilizers promote growth.

Rat poison is often spread around the sites in copious amounts to kill everything from rodents to deer that might damage the plants.

The poison is particularly destructive because it often has a pleasant taste to attract animals, which encourages them to eat it.

When other animals, such as owls, mountain lions or bears, scavenge the contaminated carcasses, they can become sick as well.

A deer is not going to eat a mouse, but if you have 90 pounds of peanut-butter-flavored rodenticide out there, (the deer) just walks in and starts eating the pellets, said Mourad Gabriel, executive director and senior ecologist at Integral Ecology Research Center and one of the few researchers dedicated to studying ecological impact of illicit grow sites. It is mimicking the potential legacy effects that other chemicals like DDT have done with wildlife.

Gabriel, along with co-researcher Greta Wengert, is considered a leading researcher in the field thanks to his efforts to survey grow sites and document the spread of environmental damage.

His research shows the damage is widespread and affects species and habitat throughout the Sierra Nevada, where there are thought to be hundreds, or even thousands, of illicit grow sites.

Gabriels most prominent research found rat poison contamination in 85 percent of fisher carcasses tested for all of California. Fishers are forest-dwelling animals related to wolverines, minks and otters.

Gabriels research suggests, contamination is widespread within the fishers range in California, which encompasses mostly public forest and park lands.

The effects go beyond fishers. Gabriel has detected contamination in 67 percent of spotted owls tested.

And hes documented contamination in black-tailed deer, bears, fox and upland game birds.

One trail camera photo from a grow site in a prime hunting zone captured a trophy buck browsing in a pile of refuse and poison at a grow site.

This is a deer people would wait a lifetime to hunt, Gabriel said. Yet we have these folks who are in there illegally poaching them and illegally poisoning them.

Important, but dangerous, work

The research is important because it quantifies environmental damage from illicit grows, an overlooked problem.

Recent statewide votes in California and Nevada in favor of relaxing anti-marijuana statutes show much of the public is ambivalent about prohibition.

Environmental damage, however, is a separate issue. Much of the public cares deeply about protecting wildlife and public land and the people who work on cleaning up grow sites want people to know about the damage.

I believe the research that Mourad and Greta are doing should have already rattled the cages of every environmentalist, every hunter, anybody who gives a damn, said Kary Schlick, a Forest Service wildlife biologist who has worked on spotted owl research.

The notion of prosecuting growers, when theyre caught, for environment-related offenses in addition to drug offenses is gaining steam among some prosecutors.

Karen Escobar, assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California in Fresno, cited cases in which prosecutors highlighted environmental damage as a key component in making cases against growers.

In one case a grower was sentenced for producing plants in the Canebrake Ecological Reserve in Kern County.

In the statement announcing the guilty plea prosecutors highlighted the environmental and cultural sensitivity of the area above the number of plants.

It was first inhabited in about 1000 B.C. by the Tubatulabel culture and is currently home to numerous rare and protected plants and animals, including the federally protected golden and bald eagles and peregrine falcon, the federally threatened California red-legged frog and Valley elderberry longhorn beetle, and the endangered Southwestern willow flycatcher, they wrote in the statement.

In another statement announcing a 10-year sentence against a grower they highlighted the growers, involvement in a toxic marijuana cultivation operation in the Greenhorn Creek area of the Sequoia National Forest.

Escobar credited the work of Gabriel and other researchers for providing much needed data in the effort to enhance sentences for environmental offenses related to illicit grows.

When Boehm described the problem to the sentencing commission he said armed guards are a threat to the safety of employees and visitors and cultivation techniques damage the environment.

It is unknown how many tons of fertilizers, gallons of toxic liquids, or pounds of solid poisons are applied and used during the cultivation process on our public lands, he testified. However, we do know that the impacts are significant and far reaching.

Despite the importance of data to efforts to eradicate damage from grows research into the problem is still limited.

Thats due in part to the fact it can be dangerous to researchers.

Gabriel has been subjected to threats, including the poisoning of his dog with rat poison in 2014. Authorities in Humboldt County, Calif., offered a $20,000 reward but did not identify any suspects.

And Schlick said shes had to pull spotted owl researchers from the field in Northern California because they were encountering signs of dangerous cartel activity.

What does it mean to the environment? We are diminishing our survey efforts and possibly not surveying anymore because the risk is too great, Schlick said. The quality of the data is at risk.
Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 4:52AM

Lenovo sees more potential to its sleek and unique 2-in-1 Yoga Book. The tech company plans to release a Chrome OS version to the line, joining the Android and Windows versions of the device. What makes this hybrid device unique is that it ditches a traditional keyboard and goes with a touch surface on one side that can be used both for typing and writing or scribbling on. The Chrome OS version will support the Real Pen stylus that allows you to write on the pressure-sensitive keyboard surface.

According to Lenovo Vice President Jeff Meredith, there have been a lot of interest in a Chrome OS version for this device. And that it could even serve as a great option for schools for its unique offering. There is no official release date yet for this new version but Meredith says Lenovo plans to maintain the three distinctive products throughout this year at least.

Source: Engadget
"Generally we have a flying public very respectful of each other and where there are isolated incidents the AFP take care of those," he said.
We might not all deserve personally what we have, but this standard of living exists because of the nature of Canberra as the nation's capital city, and decisions by Australia's founding fathers about creating a new city in the bush, which was to represent a model of ideal and sustainable housing, facilities and social infrastructure. A well-educated public service may have been at the base of the community, but it inevitably found itself collocated with a military establishment, a diplomatic establishment, a cultural establishment, an educational establishment and, naturally enough, a honeypot of lobbies, think tanks, advocates and people promoting various interests, ideas and ideals. Meanwhile, the resident population, including all these establishments, generated its own need for builders, butchers, bakers, lawyers, teachers, nurses and so on. We do well to remember that there are in the community many people who don't enjoy the middle-class comforts and security that marks the average, but even there this is a community  indeed, a city state  with the will and the capacity to do much more about it than most. And, as Barr suggested, Canberrans, as much as their government, are generous, with private as well as public aid, to worthy causes, and not only with their money but their time and energy.
Keeping prisoners engaged with their families and community helps reduce recidivism. So, too, do conjugal visits and the ability to be educated in a practical way and to engage with the world outside the prison gates. Yet currently in Australia, people who have been sentenced for more than three years do not have the right to vote in federal elections while they are serving their sentence.
Millennial Moms Review: 2022 Acura MDX is pretty close to the perfect family car

I dont know if perfect is attainable, especially considering weve got the world of options when it comes to modern vehicles. Were spoiled and, as such, we have very specific needs and wants. Driving-wise, the 2022 Acura MDX is one of my favourite ...
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.
General Motors is currently the second largest foreign carmaker in China, with a record 3.06 million deliveries through October, trailing only Volkswagen (3.2 million).



According to Bloomberg, however, it is also under investigation by the countrys National Development and Reform Commission over monopolistic behavior.

The commissions director, Zhang Handong, told China Daily newspaper that a foreign automaker, which he declined to name, had instructed its local distributors to fix prices starting 2014. When contacted, the commission declined to comment on the issue.

The American automaker, on its part, stated that GM fully respects local laws and regulations wherever we operate. We do not comment on media speculation.

If the report turns out to be true, then this would be the seventh fine handed out to foreign automakers over anti-trust law since 2011, with Mercedes-Benz, Audi and one of Nissans joint ventures having been penalized in the past.

Some view this as an answer to President-elect Donald Trumps anti-Chinese rhetoric, while others believe this is part of a long-term plan to crack down on illegal practices and protect their own automakers.

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You probably think that the rich are indulging in the finer things in life, and that could be true, but when it comes to cars, they dont really go for the flashy and outrageous, as one might have expected.



Certainly, for a number of them nothing but the latest Ferrari, Lamborghini or any other exotic will do, but for the majority, their choices are not that different to those of the average American.

Analysts from Edmunds examined 2016 year-to-date new vehicles registrations with household incomes above $250,000, and the data shows that, instead of flashy exotics, the 10 most favored were eight SUVs, one passenger car and one pickup truck.

They didnt even go for luxury brands, either; as a matter of fact, BMW and Lexus are the only premium manufacturers in that list. Talk about turning stereotypes on their heads, huh?

So, what did they actually buy this year? Scroll down and youll find out that most were sensible, down-to-earth choices.

#1. Ford F-Series



It seems that Americas best seller has a lot of fans among the wealthy, too, as it tops this list. Yes, its a pickup truck, but it comes in a multitude of versions so it can fit any lifestyle.

#2. Jeep Grand Cherokee



A luxury SUV that has no trouble getting its alloys dirty thanks to its good off-road capabilities, while cosseting its passengers with all kinds of niceties.

#3. Jeep Wrangler



Well, apparently many can do without the Grand Cherokees luxury, thats why they opted for most capable model in Jeeps entire range. Plus, its an icon, which surely counts for something.

#4. Lexus RX



The RX doesnt care much for off-roading, but itll do luxury, style and the school run perfectly well. If its comfort youre after, you cant go wrong with this one.

#5. BMW X5



The only model, other than the Lexus, with a posh badge. Its on-road manners are impeccable and its got a wide range to choose from. Given the SUV trend, we bet BMW USA wish they had more they could shift

#6. Ford Explorer



As highlighted by an earlier study, the Gen-X is in love with the Explorer, as they see in it all the attributes of a large luxury SUV, but with a significantly lower price tag. Guess the same applies to the rich, too.

#7. Toyota Highlander



A very practical crossover, with lots of space, three rows of seats and all the latest amenities, the Highlander is as sensible a buy as it gets.

#8. Honda Pilot



Yet another seven-seater: even though they are rivals, one could copy the Highlanders blurb abd it would apply perfectly to the Pilot, too.

#9. Honda CR-V



The CR-V is the segment leader, in terms of sales, in the U.S., so its presence here is not that surprising. Has just been replaced by an all-new generation that will, logically, follow in its steps.

#10. Honda Accord



The sole saloon here. Lots of space, equipment and good driving dynamics make for an appealing package for any household, apparently even those who can afford something pricier.
I am utterly disgusted, Miyazaki said in the clip. If you really want to make creepy stuff, you can go ahead and do it. I would never wish to incorporate this technology into my work at all. I strongly feel that this is an insult to life itself.

Miyazaki, of course, is a strong proponent of traditional animation techniques, so the Studio Ghibli co-founders reaction is probably not so much of a surprise. But the surfacing of the clip has raised questions about the state of AI  and perhaps by extension, cg  in animation, and what drawbacks, from an aesthetic point of view, it could also have on the art.

While its unlikely that Miyazaki will be trying out AI technology any time soon, the 75-year-old Japanese legend is not immune to technology: his next project, the 12-minute short Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar), is being made using cg animation techniques.

UPDATE: The person who presented this piece to Miyazaki (and who is shown in the top pic along with Miyazaki) is Japanese tech entrepreneur Nobuo Kawakami, founder of Dwango, which among other things operates the video sharing site Nico Nico Douga. As a personal hobby, Kawakami has worked as a producer-in-training at Ghibli for the last few years. The piece that he was showing was developed by a unit of his own company called Dwango Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, whose mission can be read here.
Photo: Contributed

Penticton's Shatford Centre is inviting people to focus on world peace during the winter solstice on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

This is the first time it has combined peace talks with its annual celebration of the shortest day and longest night of the year.

"I feel really enthusiastic about this. It feels like the thing to do because we want people to discuss these important things," said centre executive director Jane Shaak.

Tradition sees people meet at Pen Henge atop Munson Mountain and head to the Shatford Centre afterwards for warm beverages and conversation about solstice celebrations.

On Wednesday, Dr Chris Purton, PhD Astronomy, will hold a talk around 4 p.m. to kick off the event.

There will be some references to how different cultures celebrate solstice around the world, which includes Christmas.

Norberto Rodriguez will talk about the exhibit and his passion for being a political/social artist. His main themes are human suffering, violence and destruction of Mother Earth.

The peace talks start at 5 p.m., with speakers including Randy Janzen, director of the Mir Peace Centre at Selkirk College in Castlegar, and JJ Verigin, executive director of the Union of Spiritual Communities of Christ.

Janzen has previously been involved with Christian peacemaker teams in Israel and Palestine.

Verigin has been actively involved in various initiatives related to peace and justice, the environment and humanitarian work.

Paul Crawford, the curator of the Penticton Art Gallery, will also be speaking.

This event is by donation, which is suggested to be $10 and $20 for families.
Photo: Contributed

As Parliament pauses for the holiday season, I want to share with you two important announcements made this past week that will have an impact on our community and country in 2017.

Marijuana task force reports to Parliament and Canadians

Our government has committed to legalizing, strictly regulating and restricting access to cannabis, to help keep it out of the hands of youth and keep profits out of the hands of criminals.

In June, our government established a task force to consult on issues fundamental to the design of a new legislative and regulatory system for restricted access to marijuana.

At the same time, a discussion paper, which included background information and key questions, was provided as a starting point for consultations.

The task force, which was led by Anne McLellan, chancellor of Dalhousie University and former Liberal cabinet minister, travelled across Canada, and to the U.S states where cannabis was legalized.

They met with provincial, territorial and municipal governments and experts in relevant fields, including public health, substance abuse, criminal justice, law enforcement, economics, industry and those with expertise in production, distribution, and sales.

The task force also engaged representatives from Indigenous governments and organizations, as well as Canadian youth.

As of Dec. 13, the task forces final report has been completed and submitted to our government, and been made available to the public and all parliamentarians at the same time.

The final report is available online in both official languages at http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/task-force-marijuana-groupe-etude/framework-cadre/index-eng.php.

The government will carefully consider the task forces advice as it develops legislation to be introduced in Parliament in the spring of 2017.

The new legislation would come into force after being passed by Parliament and once the requisite regulations have been developed.

As we move forward with legislation, we will continue to work closely and collaboratively with the provinces and territories as well as with Indigenous communities, our partners and stakeholders.

I encourage constituents who have an interest in this issue to review the report and share your thoughts with me.

Safe consumption sites

Health Minister Jane Philpott announced the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy, which will replace the national anti-drug strategy with a more balanced approach.

A record number of Canadians have died from drug overdoses this year, including those involving fentanyl.



Building on actions taken earlier this year, our government is updating its drug strategy to provide for a comprehensive approach that will reduce the harm being experienced by individuals and communities.

The bill would repeal the previous, burdensome legislative regime for establishing supervised consumption sites by streamlining the application process.

It restores harm reduction as a core pillar of Canadas drug policy, alongside prevention, treatment, and enforcement and supports all pillars with a strong evidence base.

The legislation also proposes to prohibit the unregistered import of pill presses, and remove the exception currently placed on border officers to only inspect mail weighing more than 30 grams.

The new legislation would allow officers to open international mail of any weight if they suspect the item might contain prohibited, controlled or regulated goods.

The opioid crisis has taken a toll on many communities across Canada. Our renewed, evidence-based approach to Canada's drug strategy will allow the government to better protect Canadians, save lives, and address the root causes of this crisis.

For those looking for more information please go to: http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca.

I want to wish everyone a safe and peaceful Merry Christmas and holiday season. May you all find time to be with those you love and take time to rest from your busy lives.

I look forward to serving you in the New Year.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: Facebook - Eric Tate

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m.

Highway 1 has re-opened in both directions at the scene of the incident, according to Drive BC.

A head-on collision has killed two people on Highway 1, west of Kamloops, Saturday morning.

The crash occurred at 11:30 a.m., just west of the New Gold Mine turnoff, 17 kilometres west of Kamloops.

Two people in a car were killed when they collided with a pickup truck. The two occupants of the truck were taken to Royal Inland Hospital with injuries.

The highway is closed in both directions, as the RCMP investigates the crash.

Snow was falling in the area at the time of the fatal collision, and a fresh layer of light snow covered the highway.

DriveBC has no estimate as to when the highway may reopen.
Photo: Contributed

A Summerland fish hatchery is exploring the potential impact of a development on a water source.

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC has retained MDM Groundwater Consulting Ltd to evaluate the impacts of the Banks Crescent development, a 380-unit seniors' care facility, currently going through the development application process.

We are pleased to see so many people care about the health of the fish hatchery and value it as an important part of the community. We have commissioned this study to make sure we have all the facts,  said Tim Yesaki, vice president of operations, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. At this time we dont know the full extent of the development's impacts and are awaiting response to our concerns.

We are having an ongoing dialogue with our consultant and the District of Summerland as we work through the process.

The review identified areas of possible concern and recommended courses of action for mitigating anticipated impacts.

The Summerland Trout Hatchery is considered a significant stakeholder in this process as its water is sourced entirely from a groundwater spring near the proposed development site.

They are in discussion with the District of Summerland regarding the concerns identified by MDM Groundwater Consulting Ltd and how they may be addressed in order to ensure the hatcherys health and sustainability.

The Summerland Trout Hatchery is one of six hatcheries owned and managed by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.

Every year, the hatcheries raise and release over eight million trout, char and kokanee salmon into 800 lakes around the province.

The hatchery raises one million of the fish and stocks 300 lakes.

The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC was created in 2003 and is mainly funded through freshwater fishing licence revenues.

It also manages special hatchery programs for endangered species including white sturgeon, conducts fisheries research, education and conservation programs and works to make angling more accessible for all.
The lucky winner of a brand new 2017 Honda Civic was revealed Saturday.

Maddy Welsh, 23, was speechless when she found out she won  but her ear-to-ear grin said it all.

The contest was Castanet's biggest yet, partnering with Harmony Honda and Sun FM.

To enter, readers clicked on the car driving across the front page to find out its location, then posted a photo to social media of themselves with the car.

Congratulations to the winner!
Photo: Small Business BC

The semi-finalists for the Small Business BC Awards have been announced  and Okanagan businesses have made a strong showing.

A dozen businesses from the Okanagan, including nine from Kelowna, two from Penticton and one from Vernon, made the shortlist for the largest small business awards in the province.

There was no shortage of competition.

"This year, we saw an incredible level of participation in the Small Business BC Awards with 699 nominations from 72 communities across the province," said George Hunter, CEO of Small Business BC.

"Their efforts to build a vibrant economy in B.C. deserve the respect of all British Columbians and the Small Business BC Awards are the best way to celebrate and acknowledge their success and contribution."

British Columbians were asked to nominate their favourite small businesses between Oct. 1 and Nov. 30.

The top five finalists will be announced on Jan. 23, 2017, and the winners will be announced at the Small Business BC Awards Ceremony on Feb. 23, 2017 at the Pan Pacific Vancouver.

Winners receive $1,500 cash, a one-year all-access pass to Small Business BC education, resources and experts, and one-on-one business mentorship with notable advisors from the award sponsors.

And, of course, bragging rights.

The Okanagan finalists are:

BEST COMPANY

Vernon Teach and Learn Ltd - Vernon

Yeti Farm Creative - Kelowna

BEST CONCEPT

Infuse I.T. | VinStream - Kelowna

Mint Magazine - Kelowna

Vertical Edge Window Cleaning - Kelowna

Wine Crush Market - Penticton

BEST EMPLOYER

Central Kitchen - Bar - Kelowna

BEST INNOVATION

Mazu - Kelowna

Two Hat Security - Kelowna

BEST MARKETER

Lifeblood Marketing - Kelowna

The Henna Hut - Penticton

BEST APPRENTICE TRAINING
Photo: The Canadian Press

The U.S. says it will work with the Philippine president to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a U.S. government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte on Saturday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the U.S. to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement."

The U.S. Embassy in Manila says in a statement Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have.
Photo: The Canadian Press

President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday on Twitter the United States should let China keep the U.S. Navy's unmanned underwater glider that it seized in the South China Sea.

"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" Trump tweeted a few hours after the U.S. military announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the underwater glider.

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. The U.S. demanded the drone back, calling it an "unlawful seizure" in international waters.

China said its military seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships but would give it back.

It was not immediately known what effect, if any, the president-elect's tweet would have on the agreement with the Chinese.

The evening tweet was the second time the president-elect injected himself into the controversy through Twitter on Saturday.

Misspelling "unprecedented," he tweeted Saturday morning: "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act." He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

Relations already were tense between the U.S. and China following Trump's decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2. He later said he did not feel "bound by a one-China policy" regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China.

China considers the self-governing island its own territory to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.
Photo: Contributed

Yemeni officials say an explosion outside a military camp near the southern city of Yemen has killed at least 23 people.

The officials tell The Associated Press that the explosion Sunday morning is suspected of being the result of a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The camp where the explosion took place is the same military base that was struck by another suicide bomber on Dec 10, killing at least 45 soldiers and wounding at least 50.

No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. However, the Islamic State group's Yemeni affiliate claimed responsibility for the Dec. 10 bombing.
Photo: CTV

UPDATED 11:44 A.M.

Officials say the casualty toll in a series of shooting attacks in Jordan has risen to nine dead, including a Canadian tourist, and 27 wounded.

One of Sunday's attacks took place at a Crusader castle popular with tourists.

Government officials declined comment on local news reports saying the attackers were holding hostages.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group seized large parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometres south of the capital, Amman.

Gunmen carried out a series of attacks in central Jordan on Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing four members of the Jordanian security forces and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, said a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

In a third incident, armed men opened fire on a police station in Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of the security forces. The statement said five or six gunmen were believed to be inside the castle. Their fate was not immediately known, and it was not clear if the standoff was still going on at nightfall Sunday.

In all, four members of the security forces and a female tourist from Canada were killed in the shootings, though it was not clear if all five were killed at the castle.
Photo: Contributed

UPDATED 12:28 P.M.

Christmas came early for a lottery player who purchased a winning ticket worth $4.9 million in Cranbrook for the Dec. 17 Lotto 6/49 draw!

There are two winning tickets from Saturdays nearly $10 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot  one from Cranbook and another from Quebec.

Winners have one year from the draw date printed on the ticket to claim their prize and will join a growing list of British Columbians who have struck it rich with Lotto 6/49.

Christmas could come early for other lottery players in B.C. too! The jackpot for the next Lotto 6/49 draw on Dec. 21 is approximately $5 million and the jackpot for the following Lotto Max draw on Dec. 23is an estimated $60 million.

The nearly $10 million jackpot in Saturday night's Lotto 649 draw will be shared by two ticket holders - one in Quebec and the other in British Columbia.

Each each will get a little more than $4.9 million.

The draw's $1 million guaranteed prize was claimed by a ticket purchased in Ontario.

The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw on Dec .21 will be approximately $5 million.
Photo: Getty Images

Kindale is encouraging people to be kind, and not just at Christmas.

In honour of Canadas 150th anniversary of Confederation, Kindale Developmental Association is launching 150 Random Acts of Canadian Kindness.

The campaign invites people to demonstrate and celebrate the inherent Canadian value of kindness to others. Stories of Random Acts of Kindness will be shared through social media. Small prizes will be awarded through a random draw from among the stories that are submitted.

It gives us great pleasure to celebrate kindness, inclusion and community which are at the fundamental core of Kindale where it is our goal to help make the hopes, wishes and dreams come true for people with diverse abilities. Kindale was founded in 1959 based on compassion, vision and knowing that all people have incredible strengths and abilities. Benita Elliott, Kindale Executive Director

Excitement is building with this incredible opportunity to commemorate and recognize the anniversary of Confederation by paying it forward with 150 Random Acts of Canadian Kindness throughout our communities of the North Okanagan and Columbia-Shuswap. All random acts whether big or small will be celebrated using traditional and social media and we are encouraging everyone to get involved in the year long party.  Cindy Masters, Kindale Development Officer

Many marginalized people in small communities like Armstrong depend on the kindness of their neighbours because often services they require just arent available. Kindales project will highlight the needs in our community and engage everyone in doing their part to make life just a little bit easier for others. This Random Acts of Kindness project reminds us that we pride ourselves, as Canadians, in being a kind and caring people  so lets show it. Dave Wallace, Askews Foods

150 Random Acts of Canadian Kindness is funded in part by the Government of Canada.
Photo: Contributed

The mother of a handicapped Kelowna woman is relieved police have two suspects in mind in a brazen pepper spray attack on her daughter and a care worker.

The incident occurred back on September 1 when Chris Smith's daughter and her care worker had stopped at Chichester Park in Rutland after a day of hiking.

Two young teenagers came up on BMX bikes and proceeded to pepper spray them in their faces and their eyes.

The boys jeered and laughed as they rode off.

Smith says she is keeping her fingers crossed that the boys will 'have the book thrown at them' if they are found guilty and are forced to do community service as part of their punishment.

"If they have to work with the handicapped and learn what generous and kind people they are, maybe they would learn from that," says Smith.

RCMP say two boys, age 14 and 16 were already in custody on other, unrelated charges, when they became aware of their possible involvement in the pepper spray attack.

RCMP are determining whether to file charges of Assault Causing Bodily Harm and Assault With a Weapon with the Crown.

According to police the suspects came to the attention of the RCMP after they apparently bragged about their exploits. Rumours circulated and the information got into hands of people who contacted police.

Smith meantime says the incident still traumatizes her daughter.

"With the Psychiatrist's help we are getting there. We had to have an intervention. It was really difficult on my daughter," says Smith.

"She thought she'd been real naughty and done something wrong. It's been a real struggle for her."

Smith says the memory of the incident could remain with her daughter the rest of her life.

The attack dramatically affected her daughter's caregiver as well.

"She keeps thinking there might have been something she could have done, but there isn't a thing she could have done better, she's been wonderful."

They have been supported by a lot of people and groups in the Okanagan, from Theo to The Society for Community Living.
Priceless Pets volunteers Michele Peebles (left) and Shelly Nichols walk with two Great Danes they hope will be adopted together. Henree is a 5-year-old male and Lize is a 3-year-old female. They are at The Orphanage from noon to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
So far this month, the man who will become the next president of the United States has turned to Twitter to announce his pick for secretary of state, declare Saturday Night Live "unwatchable" and to defend a phone call with Taiwan's president.

His tweets have sent Lockheed Martin's stock price plunging, dredged up conflicts with China and led to the harassment of labor leaders, reporters and others. Twitter, he has said, is "a modern-day form of communication"  and he has 34,100 Tweets of his own to prove it.

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"There is no doubt that Donald Trump has become Twitter's most powerful ambassador," said Youssef Squali, an analyst for Cantor Fitzgerald. "Who needs a press secretary when you've got Twitter?"

And yet, even with loads of publicity from one of the world's most powerful leaders, Twitter's stock is stuck in a months-long slump. In the 18 months since Trump announced his run for president, the company's share price has tumbled 45 percent. The company last quarter posted a $103 million loss.

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"Even though Trump is all over Twitter, it's not really attracting new users," said Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities. "It's certainty attracting interest among existing users  his follower count has gone from 7 million to 17 million in the last year  but I doubt very many of those people are new users. Twitter hasn't done a very good job of exploiting that."

Instead, financial analysts say Twitter continues to deal with myriad internal issues that have alienated advertisers and made it all but impossible for the 10-year-old company to turn a profit. Growth has stalled in recent quarters, both in terms of new users and revenue, and almost all of the company's senior management has left in the past two years. In October, the San Francisco-based company announced it would be laying off 9 percent of its staff, or about 350 people, many of them in its sales department.

"Twitter is a mess," said Richard Kramer, an analyst at Arete, a London-based equity research firm. "It's not growing users. It's not growing sales. The fact that they put themselves up for sale but weren't bought says its value is expected to only decline."

Twitter did not respond to requests for comment. Last quarter, the company said it had 317 million monthly active users, a 3 percent increase from the year before. (Facebook, by comparison, reported 1.79 billion users, a 16 percent increase, during the same period.)

One of the biggest problems, Kramer said, is that Twitter has long had difficulty attracting advertisers because it knows so little about its users. Unlike Facebook and Google, which collect a plethora of data about users, Twitter doesn't require people to sign up using their real names and doesn't ask for information such as birth date, location or gender. On top of that, he says, Tweets are often laden with personal attacks and incendiary rhetoric  not exactly something advertisers want to be associated with.

"What company wants to put up an ad saying 'Colgate gets your teeth whiter' next to a tweet that's full of inflammatory or abusive language?," Kramer said. "It's not brand-safe."

And yet, some say, Twitter's willingness to allow unfiltered, unedited content on its site is a large part of its appeal  as Trump has demonstrated time and again.

'That lack of fact-checking is Twitter's greatest liability, but also its greatest asset," Squali said. "The fact that Trump is circumventing everybody  the media, his staff  and going straight to 20 million, 30 million users, that's very powerful."

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"But," he added, "how do you get from there to financial success? That's the billion-dollar question."
Kate McKinnon as Kellyanne Conway and Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump during the Dec. 3 cold open. (Will Heath / NBC)

It's an unusual time for late-night humor. Rarely has the news cycle been so ripe for comedic commentary and the landscape so saturated with options for viewers.

"Saturday Night Live" has done well in that arena, airing a midseason finale on Saturday that concluded months of high ratings and critical praise.

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"SNL's" ability to skewer Donald Trump, book hotly anticipated hosts and attract weeks of hate-tweets from the president-elect himself have all boosted the show's relevance. The sketch show successfully took advantage of a bizarre political climate that has brought its own record-shattering television ratings and, at times, has felt more like a reality show than the conclusion of a campaign season.

MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR

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Preliminary ratings show that "SNL" is on track to surpass last year's numbers. That makes sense given that political humor has long served as the show's staple material, and its most defining moments -- Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, Will Ferrell as George W. Bush -- have often come during election years.

But this season also contrasts with last year, when "Saturday Night Live" ended up in a maelstrom of controversy for having then-candidate Trump on as host. That 2015 episode brought in record ratings and plenty of blowback, including concerns over whether "SNL" would break FCC rules on giving political candidates equal time on air. Protesters said the show's producers and writers helped "normalize" Trump's behavior during the primaries.

"I feel like the media has already normalized his behavior," "SNL" co-head writer Bryan Tucker said in an interview with Vulture a year after the episode aired. "Our job is not to promote one candidate or the other. Our job is to take what's already happening and make fun of it."

In the end, many tuned in to see just what would happen. Trump appeared on camera for a total of 12 minutes in an episode that earned terrible reviews.

This season started off differently, with Alec Baldwin debuting his biting Trump impersonation. About 8.3 million viewers tuned in, and the Oct. 1 episode became "SNL's" highest-rated premiere since 2008.

The real-life presidential debate mocked during the premiere earned unprecedented ratings in its own right, drawing more than 84 million viewers. "SNL" apparently understood a parody's potential for high ratings: The show rarely announces upcoming cameos, but it did just that when it released a trailer promoting Baldwin's Trump impersonation to complement Kate McKinnon's take on Hillary Clinton. (McKinnon won an outstanding supporting actress Emmy this year for her work on the show.)

"SNL" also secured big names as hosts this season, most notably Dave Chappelle. The stand-up comic marked his return to television with "SNL's" first post-election episode, which featured a more than 11-minute-long monologue, a cameo by Chris Rock and musical guest A Tribe Called Quest.

The Chappelle episode brought the highest ratings among the crucial 18- to 49-year-old demographic since Jimmy Fallon hosted the 2013 Christmas episode.

Very early ratings from this Saturday's episode, which featured Casey Affleck as host and Chance the Rapper as musical guest, have it on track to be the strongest showing since Chappelle hosted, and higher than the average episode rating "SNL" had in December 2015. A full ratings report will be published by Nielsen on Tuesday.

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Aside from Trump parodies, these past few months of the late-night show have featured a series of notable sketches -- some insightful political commentary, some downright silly -- that inspired plenty of hot takes. Those include "Black Jeopardy," Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins and a commercial for "Wells for Boys."

"SNL" has also managed to stay in the news cycle days after an episode airs -- thanks, in large part, to how real-life Trump has responded to the show. He's repeatedly tweeted his grievances, calling the show "unwatchable," "biased" and not "funny at all."

Baldwin has tweeted back in kind, saying he will stop if Trump releases his tax returns.

"Did you see that my friend Mr. Baldwin is in a Twitter feud with our president-elect?" "SNL" alum Tina Fey - who suggested to showrunner Lorne Michaels that Baldwin play Trump - said in an interview with David Letterman for the Hollywood Reporter.

Aside from making her sad that a Twitter feud is "so beneath a president," she said of Trump, "You think you're good at being a jerk on Twitter? You will now face the grandmaster of being a jerk on Twitter."

Earlier this month, Matt Lauer asked Trump three times why he wouldn't just stop watching the show. Trump skirted the question, repeated his gripes and finally said, "Frankly, the way the show is going now, and you look at the kind of work they're doing, who knows how long that show is going to be on? It's a terrible show."

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"SNL" returns Jan. 14 with Felicity Jones as host.

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Dave Chappelle, 'SNL' give thoughtful coda to election







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 126 Woody introduces the gang to a homemade spork toy with self-esteem issues in "Toy Story 4." Read the review. (Pixar / AP)
A dozen viewings of "The Phantom of the Opera" has led me to a fascination with the speed of the falling chandelier.

This obsession is not entirely out of sync with the show, which is back in Chicago for the holidays at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. The free-falling light fixture is, now and forever, the calling card of this particular entry in the book of Andrew Lloyd Webber  it sits right at the top of the page marked "Accounts Receivable"  just as the chopper was the face of "Miss Saigon" and the colossal floating mansion of "Sunset Boulevard."

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Ah, the 1990s.

This was an era when audiences thrilled to three-dimensional spectacle trucked across the country  a realm now dominated by 2-D digital effects. That partly explains why the current touring production of "Phantom" is not the same (and unassailably proven) Hal Prince production that you still can see on Broadway, but a whole different incarnation, directed by Laurence Connor and newly designed by Paul Brown, albeit with the original costume designs of the late, great Maria Bjornson. This is the second visit to Chicago.

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Connor is the very busy British director behind the new production of "Les Miserables" recently on Broadway  and the new production of "Miss Saigon" headed there in 2017. Like the work of producer Cameron Mackintosh  who still controls all these productions  I like Connor's work a great deal. I've seen all three of his reinventions of these iconic titles ("Les Mis" already has played Chicago, and "Miss Saigon" is coming from London). As far as you can reasonably expect, he has updated these great beasts for our present era. He's a skilled storyteller. And he took at least 20 minutes out of "Phantom," which I don't miss for a second.

Relatively streamlined as these Connor productions tend to be, he and his producing boss did not get to be, and stay, so successful without understanding that audiences expect spectacle. So while it no longer moves in the great fleet of trucks I years ago watched pull into Green Bay (along with half that Wisconsin town), this still is a big show. Very big. The company is full-sized, the orchestra generous in musicians (by today's standards) and the scenic elements still expansive and rich. The American theater has moved on from this kind of gothic thing, which seems retro in all kinds of ways now. But if you're taking a young person for their first visit, you can expect their eyes to widen. As well you should.

But back to the chandelier. This one does not fall at the speed of my favorite toppling centerpiece, which I once watched drop in Las Vegas so fast that half the center section of the orchestra either ducked or ran for the slots. But it's a fun tumble at the Caddy Palace nonetheless. Actually, my small and personal revelation Friday was how crucial a role the actor portraying the Phantom plays in how well that effect does or does not work (watch him just before, and you will see what I mean). Taken as a whole, the Phantom is just not a part that can stand to be underplayed  not when your scene partner has all the feeling of hard crystal. So the expansive theatricality that the current Phantom Derrick Davis brings to the role is not only a prerequisite but a pleasure to watch. Davis is a wonderfully reactive actor; his Phantom is every inch a live creation, a font of physical reactions to all transpiring around him. And while "Phantom" never has been a show to bring tears to my eyes, the final rejection scene in this production is moving indeed.

Derrick Davis sings The Music of the Night from The Phantom of the Opera. (Roger Tino Morales / Chicago Tribune) (Roger Tino Morales / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

The main Christine on this tour is a fine and very honest young soprano named Katie Travis, a principal whom it's easy is to believe just moved up from the ballet, as does Christine, of course. Like a lot of actors in this show, Travis clearly is having fun playing so famous a part. Jordan Craig sings beautifully as Raoul, as does Trista Moldovan as Carlotta. Both know when to leave space for the stars, warbling for your pleasure in throat-killing temperatures.

Is this the last time in Chicago for the official "Phantom," which has provided a huge audience for this title of decades now? Local productions to follow? Hard to know. I'll wager a separate farewell tour is pending. But you can say goodbye any time you want. If you feel the need.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Twitter@ChrisJonesTrib

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"THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" - 3 STARS

When: Through Jan. 8

Where: Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Tickets: $50-$140 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com







Watch the latest movie trailers.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 122 Sophie Turner as Jean Grey, anger management student, in "Dark Phoenix." The film, the latest in the "X-Men" franchise, costars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. Read the review. (Twentieth Century Fox)
Where to go in 2017?

The folks at Lonely Planet have come up with a few places to prime the wanderlust pump.

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The travel guidebook publisher has whittled the wide world down to the top 10 countries to visit in 2017. Leading the pack is our neighbor to the north: Canada. The sprawling nation is celebrating its sesquicentennial in 2017, and its relatively weak currency compared with the U.S. dollar means visitors can get a lot of bang for their buck.

No. 2 is Colombia (don't miss the walled Old Town of Cartagena), followed by Finland, Dominica and Nepal, which could use an influx of tourist cash in the wake of the devastating earthquakes of 2015.

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Bermuda, host of the next America's Cup sailing race, comes in at No. 6, trailed by Mongolia, Oman, Myanmar and Ethiopia, where Lonely Planet peeps suggest a multiday hike through the African country's Simien Mountains National Park, home to troops of grass-eating gelada monkeys.

For more on the top countries, as well as the best cities and regions, go to www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel.

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A small teddy bear memorial sits in front of a house on Dec. 19, 2016, where four people were killed in what Chicago police believe to be a home invasion. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

The deaths of four people during an attack in the Fernwood neighborhood Saturday that also left a woman critically injured may have been part of a home invasion and armed robbery, police said Sunday.

The two women, ages 19 and 41, and men, ages 36 and 45, were shot to death at a home in the 100 block of West 105th Street sometime around 12:40 p.m., along with an 18-year-old woman who suffered gunshot wounds and remained in critical condition Sunday, according to police. Three of the victims killed were shot in the head and the fourth suffered multiple gunshot wounds, the Cook County medical examiner's office determined Sunday following autopsies.

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Police had previously said the shootings may have been related to a domestic situation, but investigators now believe the shooting may have been part of a home invasion and robbery attempt, said Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi late Sunday afternoon.

It appears there may have been drug-selling going on at the home, and someone who was sold to earlier in the day may have returned and committed a home-invasion and robbery, Guglielmi said. Someone in the home and someone involved in the robbery knew each other, and the home was targeted, he said.

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Investigators believe they have good leads in the case, he said.

Earlier information indicated a 2-year-old child believed to have been in the home at the time of the killings was wounded, but that information was incorrect. Officials later said the child was taken to Roseland Community Hospital for observation. Some news outlets were reporting the 18-year-old woman had died, but both police and a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office said she remained in critical condition Sunday.

Authorities went to the home after getting an anonymous 911 call saying five people were shot there, police have said. Once they arrived they found two women on the front porch  one dead, the other critically injured. Inside, police found two men and a woman, all of them dead.

Family said at least four people lived in the house and were tight-lipped about who the shooter might be.

In a news conference Saturday. Police First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro on Saturday said a weapon was not found.

After Navarro held a news conference Saturday, relatives of those believed dead struggled with the tragedy, saying they still didn't know which of their family members were killed, as authorities hadn't yet released the identifies of those killed.

They believed that one of their cousins was among the dead because he had not answered the phone all day.

"(Why would) somebody do something like this? Just another senseless act of violence," said Melvin Jackson. "This is a massacre, man. Who would do something like this?"

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Relatives said neighbors told them that they didn't hear gunshots but did see a truck speed backward up the one-way street just before the child fled the home.

On Sunday morning, sunshine glistened off the freshly fallen snow.

Strings of crime tape used to cordon off the scene a day earlier clung to a barren tree like garland. Two Chicago police SUVs posted outside the home where the bloodshed occurred.

Larry Lawrence, 21, who lives two blocks away, trudged past the home in his pajamas and a hooded sweatshirt. He said he heard gunshots ring out around the time of the shooting but only later learned four people had been killed.

"My reaction was what could someone do to push you over the edge to do something like that?" Lawrence said. "Families over here are hurt. And right now we don't know the motive  that's the scary part."

Lawrence moved to the Fernwood neighborhood five years ago in hopes of escaping the violence from Chicago's West Side. But shootings, he said, have been a common occurrence even if the death toll from the latest violence is abnormally high.

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"No matter where you go," Lawrence said, "it finds you."

Streaks of smeared blood stained the white door of the two-story house and police tape blocked off its backyard.

Meanwhile, neighbors shoveled their driveways and sidewalks, seemingly numb to the gun violence that's plagued their community.

"People die over here all the time," said one man as he drove his metal shovel across the walkway near the scene. "I never worry. I keep to myself. The only thing to worry about is retaliation."

The man, who declined to give his name, said the young people who lived at the home appeared to be withdrawn from the other neighbors as well.

"It's crazy. You can't live over here without getting stopped by police or shot."

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The Chicago Tribune's Liam Ford contributed.
Four people were found dead and another person was taken to the hospital in critical condition following what Chicago police say was a home invasion Dec. 17, 2016. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Continuing Chicago's unrelenting violence, four people were killed and a fifth person was critically injured Saturday afternoon after one or more gunmen opened fire at a home in the Fernwood neighborhood.

Police said the motive for the shootings, which took place in the 100 block of West 105th Street, was unclear, and no arrests have been made.

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"At this point the case is still unfolding," Chicago police Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro told reporters at the scene. "We have more questions than answers."

The victims, two men and two women, were shot multiple times. They were women ages 19 and 41 and men ages 36 and 45.

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A woman in her 20s was found wounded on the home's front porch and taken in critical condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, said Jeff Lyle, a Police Department spokesman. Police Sunday morning said an 18-year-old woman remained in critical condition at Christ Medical Center.

A 2-year-old toddler survived the shooting unscathed, and was transported to Roseland Community Hospital as a precautionary measure, Lyle said.

As word of the deaths spread, family members began to arrive at the scene, some in thin jackets, waiting behind the crime scene tape for news of their loved ones. Police blocked off the immediate area.

Relatives of the victims said they did not know which family members had been killed because authorities had not yet released the names of the dead. Neighbors told them that they did not hear gunshots but did see a red truck speed backward up the one-way street just before the toddler apparently fled the home.

"Just another senseless act of violence," said a relative of the victims. "This is a massacre, man. Who would do something like this?"

On Sunday morning, sunshine glistened off the freshly fallen snow.

Strings of crime tape used to cordon off the scene a day earlier clung to a barren tree like garland. Two Chicago police SUVs were posted outside the home where the bloodshed occurred.

Larry Lawrence, 21, who lives two blocks away, trudged past the home in his pajamas and a hooded sweatshirt. He said he heard gunshots ring out around the time of the shooting, followed by news that four people, two men and two women, had been killed.

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"My reaction was what could someone do to push you over the edge to do something like that?" Lawrence said. "Families over here are hurt. And right now we don't know the motive  that's the scary part."

Lawrence moved to the Ferndale neighborhood five years ago in hopes of escaping the violence from Chicago's West Side. But shootings, he said, have been a common occurrence.

"No matter where you go," Lawrence said, "it finds you."

Streaks of smeared blood stained the white door of the two-story house, and police tape blocked off its backyard.

Meanwhile, neighbors shoveled their driveways and sidewalks, seemingly numb to the gun violence that has plagued their community.

"People die over here all the time," said one man as he drove his metal shovel across the walkway near the scene. "I never worry. I keep to myself. The only thing to worry about is retaliation."

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The man, who declined to give his name, said the young people who lived at the home appeared to be withdrawn from the other neighbors as well.

"It's crazy. You can't live over here without getting stopped by police or shot."

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

Navarro said police were tipped off to the shootings by an anonymous 911 call. The shootings took place around 12:40 p.m., and ambulances quickly converged on the scene.

Navarro said a weapon was not recovered. Police also are investigating whether there were any prior incidents of trouble at the house.

The Fernwood shooting was among several others Saturday, including a 21-year-old man shot outside a Lawndale neighborhood funeral home.

Saturday's bloodshed only added to the year's mounting death toll in Chicago. On Friday alone, five people were killed  including an innocent bystander  and at least 13 others were wounded in city shootings.

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Overall, the number of shooting victims in Chicago has risen this year to 4,210 from 2,989 in 2015. Homicides also have skyrocketed from 492 last year to more than 750 so far in 2016  including at least 30 in December, according to data compiled by the Tribune.

Tribune's Gary Marx and Tony Briscoe contributed.

wlee@chicagotribune.com
Around 2:30 a.m. last Thursday, a father in Tempe, Arizona, awoke to the sounds of his 2-year-old daughter crying, so he left his bedroom to check on her.



In his living room was a disheveled stranger -- and on the stranger's lap was the father's young child.



"I'm your friend," the man told the father as he tossed the crying toddler onto the couch.



What ensued after the startling encounter, as outlined in police reports, was a 10-minute struggle between the father and the intruder, identified as 34-year-old Oren Aharon Cohen.



As the child's mother called 911, the father attempted to stop Cohen from fleeing the apartment, police said.



Cohen was able to escape the apartment and made it down a flight of stairs to the complex parking lot before the father caught him. When Tempe police officers arrived, they used a stun gun to detain Cohen because he reportedly resisted officers' commands.



Police arrested Cohen on charges of second-degree burglary, aggravated assault and kidnapping. Court documents identified him as an Israeli citizen who is in the United States legally with a valid passport.



Police did not name the child or her parents in their arrest report.



After investigating the apartment, police said they discovered Cohen's shoes in the 2-year-old's bedroom. His coat was wedged between her mattress and the wall, and his passport was on the floor near the foot of the toddler's bed, police said.



Police also found that Cohen had used a bathroom in the apartment and drank some orange juice from the family's refrigerator.



The child's father said that after the confrontation, they found that the 2-year-old was still wearing the same pajamas and diaper she had been wearing when they put her to bed, according to the police report.



Cohen told police he had been drinking with a friend who lived in the same apartment complex and remembered very little because he was extremely intoxicated, according to the police report.



"Oren advised with 100 percent certainty that he did not perform or engage in any sexual acts with the victim of this incident," the report said. "Once it was relayed to Oren that the victim in his incident was a 2-year-old female, he became very upset and broke down crying. Oren said he would never hurt a child and does not remember the details of this incident because he was 'black out drunk.'"



What Cohen could remember was seeing and playing with a "midget" in a dark room; his descriptions of this "midget" matched those of the 2-year-old girl, police said.



Cohen is being held at a Maricopa County jail on a $250,000 cash bond. He has told police that he wanted to return to Israel as a result of the incident, according to court documents.



Recorded video of Cohen's initial court appearance Friday showed him nodding as a judge explained the charges against him -- then pleading to explain what had happened, despite a warning that anything he said could be used against him later.



"Yes, but I didn't do anything so that's why I want to say something," Cohen said. "I went to visit a friend. Her name is Carolina. She lives in this complex. We were drinking a lot over there in her house. We went outside -- I went outside (to) smoke a cigarette. I guess I got blacked out. I went to the wrong door and that's why you guys charge me (with) burglary? For going to the wrong apartment."



Cohen continued, saying he didn't realize what was happening or where he was because it was dark.



"And I guess, that's when I saw this midget," Cohen said. "It looks like a midget and I thought it's (a) midget."



Alluding to questions of whether he may have touched the girl inappropriately, Cohen insisted: "I would never do anything like that. My dad is a sex offender. I would never do anything even close to that."



He asked the judge to allow his friends and family who were "here and not here" to vouch for him.



Cohen will have a court-appointed lawyer, according to the judge. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 27.
SANAA, Yemen  A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said. The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb gave told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest. The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

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The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.

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Sunday's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on Dec. 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.

In addition to IS, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen. Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally-recognized government.

The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the Houthis and their allies.

Sunday's bombing came as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi King Salman and others to discuss the war in Yemen.

Associated Press
Listings are subject to change. Please call the venue in advance. To submit items to the calendar, go to newssunonline.com/community.

Monday

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Yoga for Baby & Me: Yoga instructor Marti Anne LaHood will guide infants ages birth through 18 months with a caregiver, through a stress-free hour of massage techniques, stretches, songs and games. Registration is required; call or visit the library's website at www.eapl.org. 10 a.m. Monday, Ela Area Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich, free, 847-438-3433

Knights of Columbus Bingo: Knights of Columbus is having weekly Bingoas a fundraiser to help support Santa Maria church and the community. Knights of Columbus is a nonprofit family fraternal service organization. 6:45 p.m. Monday, Santa Maria Del Popolo Catholic Church, 116 N. Lake St., Mundelein, free, 847-566-8213

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Tuesday

Chair Yoga: Experience safe yoga movements and poses that build awareness of your body and breath. This three session series leaves participants relaxed and refreshed. All fitness levels are welcome. 2 p.m. Tuesday, Antioch Public Library, 757 Main St , Antioch, free, 847-395-0874

Sing and Sign with Me, Baby: Accompanied children ages birth to 36 months can learn sign language as an early communication tool. The sing-along is just great fun. Registration is required by calling or visiting the library's website at www.eapl.org. 10 a.m. Tuesday, Ela Area Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich, free, 847-438-3433

BARE Voices: Lake Zurich High School BARE Voices return to share a annual holiday concert. Registration is required and refreshments are served. Call or visit the library's website at www.eapl.org to register or for more information. 1 p.m. Tuesday, Ela Area Public Library, 275 Mohawk Trail, Lake Zurich, free, 847-438-3433

Advocate Condell Medical Center Bereavement Group: This is asupport group for widows, widowers, significant othersor anyone grieving the death of someone close. The groupmeets every Tuesday, except forthe fifth Tuesday of the month. For additional information, email matthew-j.holmes@advocatehealth.com. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Advocate Condell's Intergenerational Daycare Center, 700 Garfield Ave., Libertyville, free, 847-816-4585
Twenty Charles Dickens lifelike characters will adorn the downtown area of Antioch through Jan. 2. (Antioch Chamber of Commerce / HANDOUT)

For many, there is plenty to get done this time of year. And when it comes to finding Lake County fun, there is also plenty to do.

Here is a list of activities and events this week to help break the monotony of the pre-Christmas routine.

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This Week

Santa at Gurnee Mills: Gurnee Mills, 6170 W. Grand Ave., Gurnee. Have photo taken with Santa. Weekdays 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit is free. Fee for photos. 847-263-7500.

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North Pole Express Train: Antioch Metra Station, 305 Depot St., Antioch. The 3.5 hour round-trip excursion to the "North Pole." Caroling, Santa, hot dog lunch, crafts, hot cocoa and cookies. Pajamas are encouraged. Tickets must be purchased in person  $22 for residents within zip code 60002, $25 for non-residents. Tuesday through Friday. Departing 11 a.m., returning 2:35 p.m. 847-395-2160.

Conductor Cindy Zinaveah, of Antioch, stamps tickets for two young travelers headed to the North Pole. (Sheryl Devore / Lake County News-Sun)

Santa's Wonderland: Bass Pro Shop, 6112 W. Grand Ave., Gurnee. Photos with Santa, crafts, big dig excavation area, Lincoln Log building area, remote control trucks, foam toy arcade, laser arcade, crafts and activities. Free games and activities are from open to close, crafts and photos with Santa times vary; Free. 847-856-1229.

Dickens Holiday Village: Downtown Antioch, Lake and Main streets, Antioch. Olde England comes to life through handcrafted Dickens characters made by volunteer artist. They will be on display through Christmas Day. Free. 847-395-2233.

Tuesday

Ugly Sweater Party: Timothy O'Toole's Pub, 5572 Grand Ave., Gurnee. Photos with Santa, drink specials, and prizes for ugliest sweater. 8 p.m. 847-249-0800.

Wednesday

Primo Customer Appreciation Party: Primo Italian American Cuisine, 720 Milwaukee Ave., Gurnee; Second Annual Customer Appreciation Party featuring live performance by The Voice star Keith Semple. Complimentary appetizers, private designer trunk show, giveaways, wine tasting, and more. Bring a gift valued at $10-15 to participate in secret Santa gift exchange. No Cover. 7 to 11 p.m. 847-336-3166.

Thursday

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Santa in Grayslake: Grayslake Park District Recreation Center, 240 Commerce Dr., Grayslake; Bring the kids, their letters to Santa, and a camera. Free. 6 to 7:30 p.m. 847-223-7529.

Sneezy band: Mickey Finn's Brewery, 345 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; The band, Sneezy, will perform. No Cover. 9 p.m. 847-362-6688.

Bad Santa Party: O'Toole's Libertyville, 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; Santa will DJ, give out gifts. Prizes for best holiday costume. No Cover. 10 p.m. 847-984-2599.

Friday

Ugly Sweater Party: O'Toole's Libertyville, 412 N. Milwaukee Ave., Libertyville; Prizes for ugliest sweater. DJ Mike Z. No Cover. 10 p.m. 847-984-2599.

Jingle Ball at Austin's: Austin's Fuel Room, 481 Peterson Road., Libertyville. Dance party featuring Stevie B and Julian Jumpin' Perez, Tim Spinnin' Schommer and Mickey Mixin' Oliver. 9 p.m. $25 - $100. 847-549-1972.

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Christmas Bash: Port of Blarney, 27843 W. Grass Lake Road., Antioch; Dance party with music and food. No cover. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. 847-395-4122.

Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
Father Carl Morello (from left), pastor of St. Giles Church in Oak Park, honors alumni Peggy Toohey Crowe and her husband Jack Crowe on Dec. 13 after the couple donated $1 million to St. Giles School. (St. Giles School / Handout)

Oak Park's St. Giles School announced the creation of a new scholarship made possible by a $1 million donation from two of its alumni.

Jack Crowe, a 1942 graduate of St. Giles School, and his wife Peggy Toohey Crowe, a 1948 graduate, announced the donation on Dec. 7. The school intends to use the donation to offer up to $50,000 for need-based tuition assistance each year, officials said.

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The director of development for St. Giles School, Beth Linnen, said the donation is the largest in the school's history.

"We are thrilled and grateful to the Crowes for their generosity," Linnen said. "Through the Catholic Education Endowment Fund, the Crowes are giving back to help other families receive a Catholic education like they did. The future of Catholic education depends on this kind of support from alumni of our schools."

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The school, which was founded in 1928, currently serves 470 students in preschool through eighth grade.

"Our mission is to partner with families and provide a high-quality Catholic education to all who desire one," St. Giles Principal Nancy Zver said. "In the past, our resources have limited the number of families we were able to support in their wish to secure a place in the supportive and rigorous educational environment St. Giles School provides. This visionary gift made by Mr. and Mrs. Crowe will help the school mission be realized for many more dedicated families long into our future."

St. Giles students and teachers commemorated the Crowes' gift with a special celebration Mass on Dec. 13.

sschering@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @steveschering
Elderly residents of unincorporated Maine Township and Park Ridge had jewelry stolen from their homes earlier this month when they were visited by men claiming to do electrical work, police said.

Cook County Sheriff's Police said a man approached a 92-year-old woman's home on Reding Circle in Maine Township on the afternoon of Dec. 8, entered the house when the woman answered the door, and told her there was an "emergency electrical problem" inside the house.

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The man reportedly had the woman follow him into the kitchen while he spoke to another person on a two-way communication device in a language other than English. About five minutes later, the man left the house, driving away in a "cream-colored" SUV, police said.

The resident later discovered jewelry missing from her house, according to police.

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Jewelry was also reported stolen from an 87-year-old Park Ridge man's Murphy Lake home in a similar scam that occurred on Dec. 4, Park Ridge police said.

In that incident, a visitor claiming to be an employee of an electric company told the man he was there to "check the voltage" inside his house, police said. The resident reported that the man entered the home and was speaking in another language to someone on a cellphone before he left. Jewelry was later discovered missing, police said.

The sheriff's department advises residents not to let unknown, unexpected visitors inside their homes. If the visitor says he or she is with a utility company, municipality or other agency, residents should call the agency to verify that an employee has been sent to their home, the department said.

Residents should also report any suspicious visitors to the police by calling 911, police said.

jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter: @Jen_Tribune
The movie "7 Letters," released in 2015 to mark the 50th anniversary of Singapore's independence, consists of seven short films. [Photo/ Shanghai Daily courtesy of "7 Letters"]

Film festivals in Asia are proving to be a boom for local filmmakers who not only find a platform to screen their works but, on most occasions, the much-needed funding for their projects.

There is also the growing trend of collaborations that ensure a wider global audience. "White Sun," a Nepalese feature film funded by the US, Qatar and the Netherlands, is a good example. It won the Best Asian Feature Film award at the recent Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF).

The festival attracted 161 films from 52 countries and regions, among which more than one-fifth were international collaborative works.

Film festivals in Asia allow "talents to meet each other on a more social basis," says Yuni Hadi, executive director of SGIFF. "Some great ideas emerge from these festivals."

With more focus on Asian films, film festivals tend to hold diverse programs, workshops and forums to promote local films, facilitate cooperation, encourage mutual communication and contribute to the funding of independent films.

For many filmmakers in Asia, it's the platform that film festivals provide, such as project market and film forum, where they can learn about the latest industrial trends and technologies like VR and AR used in films, meet up with like-minded people (producers, actors, musicians), and reach out to investors to get funding for their upcoming projects.

Singapore Media Festival has hosted the Southeast Asian Film Financing Project Market since last year to nurture the young generation of filmmakers. This year, there were 15 spots available for feature film projects to pitch for funding, either fiction or non-fiction, up from 10 in 2015.

In fact, with more film festivals setting up specific sections for short films, Asian short films have started to attract public attention for its unique stories. Daren Afonofsky, director of 2010 thriller "Black Swan," encouraged Asian filmmakers "to be passionate of telling your own stories."

India has many dedicated short film festivals such as Filmsaaz and Beta Movement: International Students Short Film Festival. This year, India initiated two new festivals, namely, Golden Frames International Short Film Festival and Sign In Media Short Film Festival.

Support from the local community is more accessible to independent filmmakers in Asia. A range of local, cultural and art venues serve as a dedicated partner for independent filmmakers. In Singapore, two main venues, Objectifs and the Projector, have screenings dedicated to promote independent, short and artistic films. More studios and venues have started to follow the path, not only in Singapore but also in other Asian countries.

Technologies matter

From 3D, 4K to frame rate, we have witnessed changes taking place in the film industry in an effort to wow a wider global audience. Many critics have argued that technologies deployed in films should not be a selling point. Nevertheless, the technological development actually "helps to bring the story alive," according to Hadi. "Technology is important as it supports the story  but it (film) is about stories, which is always the priority."

To some extent, technology makes it possible for filmmakers to present an imaginary world in front of the audience. Sometimes, technologies benefit many independent filmmakers as well for its affordability.

The wide introduction of handy cams in the early 2000s allowed many Southeast Asian filmmakers to make their own films with very limited budget. Today, the young generation, or actually anybody on earth, shoot and make their own videos or micro-films and share online. As long as you have a story to tell or an idea to share, you can make your film.

Professional video production facilities and visual effects software have become more accessible to people in the region as well.

For example, PIXEL, a newly launched government-back organization in Singapore, provides comprehensive yet free services to literally anyone in the country to use its facilities as long as the story or idea is favored by the management panel. The facilities range from filming, editing, production equipment to game developing.

In China, special industrial parks have been built to encourage more creative projects, such as Shanghai Cangcheng Film and Television Cultural Industrial Park which features two major filming sets.

Diversified film distribution

As technology develops, filmmakers have more options regarding film distribution. "Previously, the only film distributor was cinema. But when television arrived, it has so many hours to fill," says Angeline Poh, assistant CEO of Content & Innovation Group with Infocomm Media Development Authority.

Now it's a normal practice for independent and short films to be premiered online. However, "it's a decision of the filmmaker if it is an art film and has been fully commissioned. If it's a commercial film, it is down to the business model," says Poh.

In the future, the audience may be able to see some more films that will be premiered online. Such portals allow people to access different types of films, which give Asian films an opportunity to reach and nurture a global audience. But "it is limited by the quality," Hadi says. For instance, streaming video providers like Netflix feature top titles as recommended on homepage. To Asian filmmakers, it really matters how to make high-quality films that tell their own stories.

There are other barriers for Asian filmmakers. "The challenge to these online platforms is subtitling. The Asian market has so many different languages as translation seems very costly in the sector, generally. The business side needs to catch up," according to Hadi.

Fostering the next generation

Across Asia, not only film schools but also production studios and film festivals have organized a series of programs and workshops to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. mm2 Asia, Singapore-based film production studio, offers short-film competitions, screenwriting labs and even apprentice programs to local students.

SGIFF holds youth jury and critics program that provides a series of workshops to a batch of college students. Its Southeast Asian Film Lab is similar to a mentorship program on story development for first-time feature filmmakers.

With focus on providing inspiring mentorship programs and workshops, the young generation is expected to present better quality Asian films and reach a wider global audience, who are more aware of Asian films and filmmakers.
The planned China-Thailand railway linking the Thai-Lao border with Bangkok will benefit Thailand. [Photo/Xinhua]

The planned China-Thailand railway linking the Thai-Lao border with Bangkok will benefit Thailand as the high-speed railway is expected to improve local people's livelihood, the Thai transport minister said.

"We don't have a high-speed railway here in Thailand yet, but we foresee that high-speed railways can bring change to the life of Thais, as (what has been) proved in China," Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith said in an interview with Xinhua.

He believed that once the traveling time from Bangkok to cities along the railway is cut to one or two hours, these cities with railway stations may have a great chance to attract more people and investment becasue of the high living costs in Bangkok.

"The economic benefit is much higher than financial return," he said, adding that he learned from China that high-speed railways did help cities to attraction more population and investment.

Arkhom also mentioned that the 873-km railway can help bring more Chinese tourists to the kingdom and thus benefit its tourism.

"The traveling time from the northeastern Nong Khai province on the Thai-Lao border to Thai capital Bangkok will be shorter and it may attract Chinese tourists who like to travel by train," he said.

Around 8 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2015 and the number for Chinese tourists this year is expected to exceed 9 million. China is now the largest source of visitors to Thailand, accounting for about 30 percent of all international tourists.

Lao people may also find the railway a convenient means of transport for them, as one-seventh of the landlocked country's 7 million population visited Thailand yearly.

Once the China-Thailand railway gets connected with the China-Laos railway, it would take around 4 hours to travel from the Lao capital of Vientiane to Bangkok, Arkhom said, adding that train tickets between the two capitals would become more competitive compared with airfares.

The minister said the railway is also to benefit China as it can thus be connected with Southeast Asia, where Chinese goods and commodities can be transported to Thai ports through Thai railways.

In the meantime, he pointed out that the China-Thailand railway with a maximum speed of 250 km per hour will be only for passenger transportation while cargos will be handled on the existing meter-gauge railways.

The Thai government decided to divide the project into two phases and build a 256-km railway from Bangkok to Nakhon Ratchasima first. The remaining part will link Nakhon Ratchasima with Nong Khai.

According to Arkhom, the construction of an initial 3.5 km section will start soon after a bidding in early 2017, which will be followed by other sections of the first phase. The design work of the second phase, Nakhon Ratchasima to Nong Khai will also begin early next year.

He said the first phase may finish in 3 years and the whole project may take 5 years and the railway will also be extended to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur and finally Singapore.

Regional connectivity, which the Belt and Road Initiative emphasizes, will finally benefit the whole region, Arkhom said.

During the interview, Arkhom denied that China ever asked for development rights to land alongside the China-Thailand railway, as there were reports by local media alleging China wanted to be involved in the commercial development of these land.

"I think it is clear since we started the cooperation, commercial development and business will be part of Thailand," said Arkhom.

He said that either the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) will consider commercial development inside and outside of the stations and on both sides of the railway or the state-owned rail operator can give the rights to development to private sectors through a public-private partnership.

In that case, he explained, a Chinese company can join hands with a Thai firm to be a part of the land development.

Arkhom praised Chinese companies for their advanced technology, saying they can team up with local companies to participate in infrastructure projects.

According to the minister, Thailand has rolled out infrastructure programs with 65 billion U.S. dollars in the next 8 years. Some 10 metro lines will be built in Bangkok and its adjacent provinces.

He said Chinese companies can bid for these planned metro lines but they have to team up with a local company to join the biding, according to Thai laws and regulations.

"Some Chinese companies are already doing this way as we can find a Chinese company in the construction of Bangkok's blue line extension," Arkhom said. A Chinese firm is also joining hands with Thai companies in the planned high-speed railway between Bangkok to Rayong.
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A direct tourist charter flight will be launched on January 12 to travel between Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, and Da Nang in Vietnam, the local tourist bureau said.

The flight, operated by VietJet Air on an Airbus 320, is scheduled to make the trip once a week.

Da Nang in central Vietnam attracts a large number of Chinese tourists to its beaches and cultural sites every year.

Zhengzhou, a major transport hub in China, has boosted its connections with tourist destinations worldwide via direct charter flights in recent years.
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The sky was gray across much of north China on Saturday as at least 24 cities, including Beijing and Tianjin, have activated red alerts to address the pollution.

Photo taken on Dec. 17, 2016 shows buildings enveloped in smog in Beijing, capital of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

The measures include car restrictions on roads, suspension of construction and classes for kindergartens and primary schools as well as reduced emissions for factories.

Beijing, Tianjin and the provinces of Hebei, Henan, Shanxi and Shandong are forecast to experience the most severe smog since autumn.

Beijing activated its first red alert for smog this winter as the air began to turn hazy on Friday, ending several days of blue sky.

Kindergartens and primary schools have been ordered to suspend classes from Monday to Wednesday in Beijing due to the persistent heavy smog. All road construction and maintenance sites have been ordered to stop work.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, the PM2.5 density exceeded 200 in the downtown areas of the capital, indicating heavily polluted air, according to the Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center.

Beijing's environmental and housing authorities have strengthened inspection of vehicles, construction sites and factories, punishing those that fail to meet the requirements under the red alert.

The air quality index (AQI) readings at some sites in Tianjin, a northern port city neighboring Beijing, exceeded 300 on Saturday morning, indicating serious air pollution.

The PM2.5 readings were at high levels in many other cities in north China on Saturday. The current bout of smog is forecast to last until Thursday.
Chinese police have caught more than 4,200 people this year for stealing and trading the private information of Chinese citizens, the Ministry of Public Security said on Saturday.

The suspects include 390 insiders from about 40 sectors such as banking, education, telecommunication and securities, as well as nearly 100 professional hackers, the ministry said. They are alleged to have been involved in more than 1,800 criminal cases.

With the increase in cyber crime involving private information, the public security authority has reinforced its crackdown against such activity.

The ministry will continue its pressure against crimes that involve stealing and selling private information, and urged enterprises that possess large amounts of information about citizens to enhance security management, it said.

It also warned the public to raise awareness and report cases related to such crimes via www.cyberpolice.cn.

According to the ministry, criminals illegally obtained and sold private information of citizens, including their identities, phone numbers, home addresses, bank and social network account information and passwords, leading to telecom scams, cyber fraud and blackmail.
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Hundreds of thousands of South Koreans took to the streets on Saturday night to demand the constitutional court give a green light to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye that was passed last week in the parliament.

Organizers, composed of about 1,500 civic groups, estimated that around 770,000 ordinary people participated in the eighth Saturday demonstration held in capital Seoul and major cities across the country. Rallies lasted since the scandal involving the impeached president erupted in October.

In Seoul, some 650,000 protesters gathered in Gwanghwamun Square, just over a kilometer away from the presidential Blue House where Park's office and residence are located. In other major cities, about 120,000 turned out in candlelit vigils.

Demonstrators in the capital city called on the constitutional court to justify the impeachment as rapidly as possible given that uncertainties remain about when and whether to permanently remove Park from office.

The court has up to 180 days to deliberate, but concerns emerge over longer-than-scheduled deliberation as a group of attorneys defending the president reportedly claimed innocence for her alleged violation of multiple constitutional provisions and criminal laws.

Protesters on the streets shouted for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-han, who assumes temporary power until the court's final ruling is reached. Hwang, a close aide to President Park, served as justice minister before being appointed as the second-highest administrative post in 2015.

Some of local media outlets criticized Hwang for his alleged abuse of presidential power though the unelected official serves as acting president. Hwang reportedly demanded excessive treatment, provided only for the chief executive, and exercise the right to let officials remain in office or appointed to a new position, a unique authority given to the president.

Parliamentary hearings are also estimated to have enraged South Koreans as witnesses appearing in the Wednesday and Thursday hearings broadcast live on TV insisted on their innocence and had no previous knowledge of wrongdoings linked to the scandal.

Considering the expected continuation of weekend rallies during the cold winter days, the organizers ended this Saturday's candlelight vigils earlier than previous protests.

An official event kicked off at about 5 p.m. after a preliminary function near the square in central Seoul.

A lights-out ceremony was repeated to allow people incapable of joining the street rally to indirectly take part by turning off light at home and offices for a minute. The lights-out is aimed to send a message that the darkness cannot beat the light.

The official event was followed by marches up to 100-200 meters from the constitutional court and the prime minister office as well as the presidential Blue House.

Slogans to imprison the chiefs of family-run conglomerates were presented once again on allegations that the country's largest businesses offered illegal funds to President Park's decades-long friend in return for receiving business favors.

Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong is suspected of making the biggest donations to Park's confidante-controlled foundations and offering millions of U.S. dollars to the confidante's daughter in order to get an approval from the national pension fund for the merger of two subsidiaries of Samsung Group.

The merger between Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries was extremely crucial to Vice Chairman Lee to inherit management control of the country's biggest conglomerate from his father Chairman Lee Kun-hee who has been hospitalized for over two and a half years for heart attack.
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The Ukrainian government this week officially opened the bidding for building a solar farm in the devastated area around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, making a major step towards resurrecting the exclusion zone.

According to the government's plans, the solar farm with a capacity of between 1 GW and 1.2 GW is expected to generate up to 1,500 GWh of electricity per year, becoming one of Europe's largest renewable energy producers.

Although the project has initially triggered speculations that it might be unsafe to build the industrial facility at the site of one of the worst nuclear disasters in human history, the latest radiation tests showed that Chernobyl is now not as dangerous as widely perceived.

ECOLOGICAL SITUATION IMPROVES

The tests carried out this year in the 30-km zone surrounding the nuclear reactor, which melted down in 1986, showed that the radiation level in certain areas stands at only 0.12 microsieverts per hour, more than twice lower than the boundary radiation level of 0.25 microsieverts per hour.

As the ecological situation improved, the Chernobyl zone, which has been a closed area for decades, has become a tourist destination, with an estimated 15,000 people visiting it in 2015.

In August this year, the Ukrainian government has officially allowed to use the land in the area for commercial purposes, indicating that it is safe for industrial needs.

Last month, Ukraine erected a new protective cover over the destroyed No. 4 reactor, which would prevent the leakage of the radiation from the unit during the next century.

"It is a very significant stage of a comprehensive program to make Chernobyl an environmentally safe system," said Ukrainian Ecology and Natural Resources Minister Ostap Semerak.

Local ecologists also pointed out that the radiation level in the Chernobyl zone is gradually returning to normal.

"Over the past 30 years, the environmental situation has substantially improved and radiation levels have decreased. Although the exclusion zone is still unsuitable for human habitation, it is suitable for industrial needs," Denis Vishnevsky, head of Ecocenter, an ecological group for radiation monitoring in Chernobyl area, told Xinhua.

PROMISING GREEN ENERGY PROJECT

Some territories in the exclusion zone are still hazardous, but safety standards prohibit people from working in those places, Vishnevsky said.

He added that currently about 6,000 people are working in Chernobyl area and their health is out of the threat as they follow the relevant safety instructions.

"There are special regulations, which prescribe the work loading levels, the working time and the working areas to eliminate health risks," he said.

The expert noted that in terms of ecology, building a solar farm is one of the best options to turn the Chernobyl zone into an industrial facility as it will not affect the environment.

"Construction of the solar power plant is absolutely safe because it will not lead to the recovery of contaminated dust and will not increase the background radiation. The energy produced at the solar plant also will be safe for consumers," Vishnevsky said.

From the economic point of view, the project also looks promising: the power transmission infrastructure that was previously used at the Chernobyl power plant is still functioning; the land in the area is comparably cheap; and there is enough sunshine to produce electricity.

It is also noteworthy that the Chernobyl zone is located only 110 km from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev with a population of about 3 million people, who can become potential consumers for the electricity.

CHINESE COMPANIES' PARTICIPATION

Given its competitive advantages, the Chernobyl Solar Farm project has already attracted the interest of about 40 companies from around the world.

In particular, Ukraine is in talks with a tandem of two Chinese companies, China National Complete Engineering Corporation (CCEC) and Golden Concord Holdings Limited (GCL), over their participation in the project.

The construction of the farm, which is due to start next year, could see the CCEC as a master builder and GCL as a provider and installer of solar components.

According to local analysts, cooperation with Chinese companies would be a great opportunity for the Ukrainian government to develop the Chernobyl zone given China's vast achievements in energy efficiency.

"Today China is a world leader in renewable energy. While five years ago this country was focused on generating energy from coal, now it is a major producer of solar and wind energy. And China is interested in entering the Ukrainian market," said Vyacheslav Potapenko, director of the Kiev-based Institute of Green Economy.

For Chinese companies, the project could also become a good investment opportunity. With a total required investment of 1 billion U.S. dollars, the Chernobyl solar farm is expected to bring returns of at least 125 million dollars annually.

However, the project is moving beyond just profit interests. Chinese investors perceive it as a tool to boost European energy efficiency, to put Ukraine on track for the development of renewable energy, and to help people living near the exclusion zone recover from the Chernobyl catastrophe.

"We will try to restore this area, which once has suffered from the disaster, using green renewable energy. This will bring significant social and economic benefits," said Shu Hua, chairman of the GCL.
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Iran's Petroleum Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said Saturday that two Russian companies are in talks with Iran to swap the latter's oil, official IRNA news agency reported.

The swap plan is followed by the Russian Lukoil and Gazprom companies and they are considering some measures to swap the oil jointly with Iran, Zanganeh was quoted as saying.

The remarks by Iranian petroleum minister did not provide further details, however, IRNA said that based on the initial talks, 150,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil will be swapped which eventually will rise to 500,000 barrels per day.

Zanganeh said Saturday that the Russian Rosneft Company is also seeking partnership and development of four Iranian oil fields, including South Azadegan field.

On Tuesday, Gazprom and Iran's Petroleum Ministry signed a major deal in the capital Tehran to cooperate in the development of two oil fields in western Iran.

Based on the agreement, studies will be carried out for the development of Cheshme Khosh and Changouleh oil fields.

Changouleh is among 45 projects Iran's Petroleum Ministry presented for investment during a conference in London in September 2015. Development of this field is estimated at around 2.2 billion U.S. dollars.

Cheshme Khosh oilfield is also located in Dehloran, Ilam province, near the border with Iraq.
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Islamic Hamas Movement said Saturday that the assassination of flight engineer Mohammad Al-Zawari in Tunisian city of Sfax "is an attack against Palestinian resistance."

Hamas military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said in a press statement that the crime last Thursday will not go unpunished.

The statement said the assassination is considered "an alarm bell threatening the Arab and Islamic world."

"Al-Zawari has joined the Palestinian resistance and the movement, like many others of the Arab and Islamic world whose compasses pointed towards Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque... and fight with the brigades in defense of Palestine," said the Hamas military wing.

Al-Zawari, a flight engineer and the head of the flight association south of Tunis, was assassinated by unknown gunmen from a close range in his head.

Arab media outlets said the Israeli Mossad was behind the assassination.

Israeli media sources said that Al-Zawari was assassinated due to his involvement with armed Palestinian factions, particularly Hamas.

The media also mentioned that three undercover foreigners with European passports were behind the assassination.

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronot said that a group rented four cars and used muffled guns to shoot at him, who had previously entered into the Gaza Strip through tunnels, and trained Hamas militants and made unmanned aerial vehicles.

Al-Qassam Brigades used unmanned aerial vehicles, named Ababeel planes, for the first time last summer.

Hamas mentioned that its engineers were able to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles and produced three types of them.
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Yemen's dominant Houthi group said Saturday that its fighters have repelled a major offensive launched by their foes of Saudi government troops in Alab border crossing, between Saudi Asir region and Yemeni northern Houthi stronghold of Saada, Houthi-controlled Saba news agency reported.

Houthi said their fighters have killed dozens of Saudi troops during the battles over the past 24 hours, though no reports from Saudi side were immediately available.

It was the latest of fighting in the joint crossing border, of which its northern part was under Saudi military control, while the southern part was still under Houthi control.

Saba reported that the Yemeni militant forces also lobbed a barrage of Katyusha missiles into Saudi military gatherings west of Dhahran area, as well as Shabaka and Arabah military camps in the same Saudi border region of Asir.

Separately, Houthi fighters backed by loyal Yemeni army's soldiers fired artillery and Katyusha missiles at Saudi military camps of Rakabat al-Ash, Mustahdath and al-Khadhra camp in neighboring Saudi region of Najran and Saudi military gathering west of Tiwal border crossing in adjacent Saudi region of Jizan, said Saba.

There were no reports of casualties were immediately available.

Meanwhile, clashes were reported Saturday between Houthi fighters and Saudi-backed Yemeni exiled government forces in several Yemeni provinces, including Taiz, al-Jawf, Marib , Lahj and in Nehm northeast of Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, according to local media.

Houthis have been targeting Saudi-border cities since the beginning of the war in Yemen in early 2015 that led to the deaths of thousands of civilians from both countries.

Houthis, backed by forced loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, seized control of power in 2014, throwing Yemeni internationally recognized president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government over alleged accusations of corruption.

The accusations were denied by Hadi's government, which called for the Saudi-led coalition military help in March 2015 to restore power.
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The doors to Britain's most famous clock tower, London's Big Ben, were closed to the public Saturday in preparation for a facelift costing more than 40 million U.S dollars.

The close of the 157-year-old Elizabeth Tower which houses the clock and Westminster chiming bells, will means the iconic hourly gong of the bells falling silent for the first time since 2007.

The project will see major work on the clock mechanism, including repairs to the clock's hands, mechanism and its pendulum. The hour hand is 2.7 meters long and the minute hand is 4.3 meters long. The whole restoration project will take three years to complete.

As part of restoration work, the famous bells will stay silent for a number of months, but no date for this part of the project has yet been announced.

Officials at the Palace of Westminster, home to the British parliament, have described the condition of the clock mechanism as being in a "chronic state". Concerns have also been expressed about the fabric of the tower which is close to reaching an "acute" condition.

When the work on the tower is finished, it will be easier for disabled people, thanks to a new elevator being installed as an alternative to using the 334 steps to ascend to the top.

While work is carried out on the clock faces they will be covered with sheeting, though at least one will remain visible at any time.

Although the Big Ben clock is one of the most photographed in the world, it is not the biggest. By about a meter's difference in diameter, the clock faces on the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool is the country's largest clock face.
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Sudan government on Saturday criticized a statement by the U.S. State Department in which it urged Khartoum to exercise self-restraint regarding calls for civil disobedience.

Sudan's foreign ministry spokesman Ghariballah Al-Khadir denounced the U.S. statement as "lacking accuracy and objectivity," and is "completely far from the positive atmospheres being witnessed by the Sudanese arena."

"The Sudanese people are giving a unique model in the comprehensive dialogue and peaceful reformation as well as construction of a political and community system," he added.

He noted that Sudan's constitution guarantees freedom of association, publication and expression according to the laws in effect.

He reiterated the Sudanese government's keenness to security, safety and properties of the citizens, noting that the government would not tolerate any threats against the country's national security according to the law and requirements of justice.

The U.S. Department of State urged Friday the Sudanese government to exercise self-restraint towards the Sudanese people's calls for civil disobedience on Dec. 19, encouraging the Sudanese authorities to take all necessary steps to allow citizens to exercise their right to freedom of expression.

"The United States is concerned about the Sudanese government's threatening rhetoric and the crackdown on Sudanese media in response to calls by Sudanese civil society for civil disobedience," said a statement attributed to spokesman of U.S. State Department Mark Toner Friday.

A group of activists on social media sites have united to call for a civil disobedience in Sudan on Dec. 19, an act that is supported by Sudanese opposition parties and armed groups.

On Nov. 27, the Sudanese capital Khartoum witnessed a partial response to a civil disobedience campaign launched by social media activists.

The organizers attributed the move to prices hiking of major commodities, namely fuel and medicines.
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Germany's northern port city Hamburg is planning to test its first driverless buses by 2021, local media reported on Saturday.

"We want to have first pilot lines by 2021, where the operation of autonomous buses can be tested," Henrik Falk, CEO of Hamburger Hochbahn, which operates the underground system and large parts of the bus system in the city, was quoted by newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt as saying.

"The autonomous vehicles may naturally integrate into the city's landscape in future," Falk said.

The new subway line U5 in Hamburg, whose construction will begin in 2021, is also considering introducing driverless trains. The autonomous system will make the transport "much more efficient and flexible", according to Falk.
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Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday called for a joint meeting of Iran and the six world powers to discuss the recent U.S. extension of Iran Sanctions Act (ISA), which Iran says is a violation of the nuclear agreement , Press TV reported.

Iran and six world major countries, namely the United States, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany, reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue in July 2015 which puts Iran on the path of sanctions relief but more strict limits on its nuclear program.

The Islamic republic has remained committed to all of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Zarif said in an official letter to the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, on Saturday.

"Maintaining the JCPOA integrity and coherence as well as its sustainability requires that all parties to the JCPOA pay attention to (their commitments to) implement its provisions," Zarif said, adding that however, the United States kept reneging on its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

Zarif asked the EU foreign policy chief to make necessary preparations for the JCPOA joint commission meeting to consider the extension of ISA which, Iran calls, a violation of nuclear agreement.

The earlier vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the ISA was endorsed by the Senate last week.

The White House said in a statement on Thursday that the bill renewing the ISA was becoming law without U.S. President Barack Obama's signature.

The White House said that an extension of the bill "is entirely consistent with" the U.S. commitments in the Iran nuclear deal reached in July 2015.

The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to sanction Iran over its controversial nuclear program.
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Twelve people were killed, including nine civilians and three Al-Shabaab militants, in their clashes in south Somalia on Saturday, officials said.

Ahmed Mohamud Ahmed, spokesman for Jubaland State security agency, said their forces backed locals near Kismayo town who were fighting Al-Shabaab.

"Al-Shabaab militants killed nine livestock owners. They also stole 2,000 camels from the locals. Later the locals backed by the military fought back the militants where the forces killed three Al-Shabaab fighters and injured several others," Ahmed said.

The spokesman said Jubaland State forces captured three key locations from Al-Shabaab militants in Saturday's operation.

"Our forces made progress in the fight against terrorists. We captured three key areas including Janay-Abdale and Ber-hano, about some 60 kilometers west of Kismayo town. We are in full control of those locations and we remain there and continue the liberation," he added.

Al-Shabaab militants has not commented on the latest clashes in Lower Juba region in southern Somalia.

Similar confrontation happened in central Somalia on November after locals rejected to pay taxes (Zakawat) imposed by Al-Shabaab.
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Approximately 577,000 documented migrants originating across the world are currently living in Greece, according to a survey released on Saturday from the Greek Forum of Migrants.

On the occasion of the International Migrants Day observed on Dec. 18, the non-governmental organization collected data from the Greek authorities and groups representing immigrant communities to sketch the profile of the foreigners living legally in Greece.

At least 131,000 migrants are minors, while 33,000 are aged more than 60 years old.

The Greek Forum of Migrants called for the implementation of more policies to ensure their equal inclusion in Greek society.

According to the International Organization for Migration, one out of seven people on Earth today is a migrant.

Since early 2015, Greece, with a population of approximately 11 million, is at the forefront of the refugee-migrant crisis.

More than one million people have illegally landed on the Greek islands, seeking refuge in Europe from wars and poverty.

The overwhelming majority until last winter continued their perilous journey to other European countries, but after the closure of the Balkan route to central Europe, at least 62,000 refugees and migrants have remained stranded in debt-ridden Greece.
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Border trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh at Maungtaw border trade point is likely to reopen as situation in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar starts to return to normal, official media reported Sunday.

However, the security needs to be tightened in the first phase of its reopening, Maungtaw Border Merchants Association was quoted as saying.

"Security would be tightened in the first phase for the unnecessary incidents. But we will relax the security rules step by step," the association chairman U Aung Myint Thein said.

The surprise coordinated attacks by violent armed men on three border posts on Oct. 9 in Maungtaw have prompted the closure of all border gates with Bangladesh for more than two months, resulting in financial hardship for local shrimp and prawn farmers and traders.

Local products such as dried fish and shrimp were traded via the state's capital Sittway, but export products of bamboo to Bangladesh came to a total halt.

Meanwhile, anxiety of local people in violent-hit areas of the Rakhine state has eased with signs of resumed stability, said Myanmar's Rakhine Violence Investigation Commission in its first release on Wednesday following its three-day inspection tour to the attacked areas in the state where the commission met with affected communities.

However, investigations are still underway to expose the armed attackers.

Schools in some villages in violence-torn areas have been reopened.

The Myanmar government formed a 13-member investigation commission on Dec. 1 to probe the Oct. 9 violent attacks by armed men on the three border posts in Maungtaw, in which five soldiers and eight policemen were killed.

The three border posts are Kyikanpyi in Maungtaw, Kotankauk in Buthedaung and Ngakhuya Office.

The commission is tasked to report to the president by Jan. 31, 2017.

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been in place in Maungtaw since Oct. 10.
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Myanmar's government forces have occupied Gidon Outpost, a stronghold of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), in a clearance attack on Saturday, the official paper Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

The government troops managed to take over the outpost at 2:05 a.m. local time (1935 GMT Friday) and the headquarters on Point 1103 Hill at 2:15 a.m. (1945 GMT) amid fierce resistance from the KIA, the report said.

During the crossfire, both sides suffered heavy casualties, it said, adding that the government troops were still carrying out area clearance operation nearby.

Meanwhile, two explosions hit Kyaukme District Police Headquarters in northern Shan State on Saturday afternoon, blowing out windows but causing no injuries.

Military conflicts erupted in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan State on Nov. 20 after an alliance of three armed groups launched attacks on government's military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai towns as well as a border trade zone.

Sporadic clashes between government troops and the three armed groups -- Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), have continued up to date.
Photo taken on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 shows the screen at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center showing the two Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (L) and Chen Dong waving hands in the space lab Tiangong II. [Photo/Xinhua]

British scientific journal 'Nature' has noted China's achievements in aerospace, genetic engineering, and climate change in a report released on Friday regarding science events that shaped the year 2016, reports Xinhua News Agency.

The journal lists a series of achievements China made in the aerospace sector while the US, Europe, and Japan suffered errors and failures in several space missions.

China launched the world's first quantum satellite in August and powerful new heavy-lift rocket Long March 5 in November. Its Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest radio telescope, was put into use in September.

It also highlights the two Chinese astronauts who spent one month aboard the Tiangong II space laboratory, in China's longest manned mission in October and November.

In genetic engineering, a patient with lung cancer at a hospital in China became the first person in the world to be treated with cells edited using CRISPR-Cas9, reports the journal, saying more application of the genome-editing tool is expected in the US and China next year.

In addition, research teams in China, as well as the UK and Sweden, have announced their intentions to use the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to optimize the use of embryos and to study human development, says the report.

The journal also recognizes the positive role of China in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. China signed the international climate agreement on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2016, and its top legislature ratified the agreement in September. The agreement, forged in Paris in December 2015 by representatives from 195 countries, came into force last month.

Other science events that shaped the year, as listed by Nature, include the announcement in February that researchers had detected gravitational waves, the outbreak of Zika virus and the following research, the artificial intelligence AlphaGo beating world-class human player Lee Sedol at the ancient game of Go, the development of assisted-reproduction techniques that mix DNA from three people, as well as the influence of politics and economic events on science.


Shared bikes lying in the grass.[Photo from web]

Bike-on-demand services like Beijing-based Mobike and Ofo have been making inroads in recent weeks, but problems of disorderly parking, theft, and sabotage have emerged as bike-sharing gains in popularity. Beijing News has reported at least 7 cases of destroyed bikes this month in Beijing.

Photos provided by netizens show that the shared bikes are being abandoned in ditches or in withered grass near rivers. At a repair station near the Wangjing Subway Station in Beijing, about 70 shared bikes are waiting for repair.

Recently, a man surnamed Han, who stole a shared bike, was sentenced to 3-month detention with 3-month probation, and fined the sum of 1,000 yuan(USD 144) by Shanghai Minhang People's Court.

However, people wonder whether criminal punishment is the only way to prevent the shared bikes from been stolen or destroyed.

As per the report, Chengguan, or urban management officers, have no duty to deal with disorderly parking at present.

Mostly, shared bikes are sabotaged by drivers of black motorcycles, private vehicles illegally carrying passengers for money, and staffs of bicycle parking lots, said Ofo's chief Public Relations Officer (CPO).

The number of shared bikes being sabotaged is under control and will not affect the operation as a whole, added the CPO.

Bike-on-demand services like Beijing-based Mobike and Ofo have been making inroads in recent weeks, but problems of disorderly parking, theft, and sabotage have emerged as bike-sharing gains in popularity. Beijing News has reported at least 7 cases of destroyed bikes this month in Beijing.

Photos provided by netizens show that the shared bikes are being abandoned in ditches or in withered grass near rivers. At a repair station near the Wangjing Subway Station in Beijing, about 70 shared bikes are waiting for repair.

Recently, a man surnamed Han, who stole a shared bike, was sentenced to 3-month detention with 3-month probation, and fined the sum of 1,000 yuan(USD 144) by Shanghai Minhang People's Court.

However, people wonder whether criminal punishment is the only way to prevent the shared bikes from been stolen or destroyed.

As per the report, Chengguan, or urban management officers, have no duty to deal with disorderly parking at present.

Mostly, shared bikes are sabotaged by drivers of black motorcycles, private vehicles illegally carrying passengers for money, and staffs of bicycle parking lots, said Ofo's chief Public Relations Officer (CPO).

The number of shared bikes being sabotaged is under control and will not affect the operation as a whole, added the CPO.

A user brings the Mobike to his office.[Photo: Sina Weibo]

Mobike, Ofo's major rival, said that they have staff patrols and checks their shared bikes to make sure there are no problems, and to inform police if there are.

Mobike has set a 100 credit score for each user. And penalty points will be taken in the case of bad behaviors. Once a score drops below 80, bike rental will be increased to 5 yuan(USD 0.7) per hour.

"I think Mobike's punishment is not severe. If I were the founder of Mobike, I would drag those bad users onto blacklists, and they would have no chance to ride our shared bikes ever again," said Fu Weigang, Executive Dean of Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law(SIFL).

Sharing means that self-discipline matters. Sharing bikes will work well if people raise their moral literacy and law awareness, but punishment also helps force users to follow the rules, Fu added.

As of Friday, Shenzhen Traffic Police Bureau in south China and Mobike have jointly announced that they will draft a Regulation of Traffic Order for sharing bikes.

Since August, Mobike has received investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. Its counterpart, Ofo, which put its 2,000 shared bikes into use at Peking University campus more than a year ago, is now valued at USD 500 million. Newcomers like Hello-bike and Ubike are catching up.
The changing geopolitical landscape is a setback rather than a hurdle to globalization, and extra caution will be needed to rebalance the international order, according to foreign affairs experts.

President of the China Institute of International Studies, Su Ge, said the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union and Donald Trump's victory in the United States had complicated the situation, so had the political inconsistency in the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific and, even Europe.

The evolving world order would have a profound effect on major power relationships, he said. Su's comments, made at a Sunday seminar hosted by the Beijing-based Pangoal Institution, resonated with other attending academics who share his concerns about the political watershed.

Cui Liru, former president of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the current disorder is a result of structural changes in the US-led global governance.

"The disorder has actually lasted for a while and was recently put in the limelight as it began to make inroads into developed countries, the heartland of global order," he said. "The emergence of anti-globalization forces also contributed to the collapse of the old system, as shown in this year's US presidential election."

Cui added that Trump's "America First" slogan reflected the fact that Washington is struggling to sustain its global hegemony and is facing competition from developing economies. These factors have contributed to the rise of populism at home.

But that does not mean the US will relinquish its role as a global hegemon and the sole superpower, Su said.

"Rather, adjustments will be made by the Trump administration to maintain, even strengthen, the US presence in the Asia-Pacific as well as Europe and the Middle East."

"On the one hand, all countries are expected to prioritize economic recovery through efficient global governance mechanisms, because their economic inter-dependence and inter-connections are irreversible," Cui said. "On the other, the demand for risk management is striking, especially when a new world order is yet to take shape."

The tide of globalization has turned, however, in a "negative" manner, Huang Renwei, vice-president of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said.

"That said, as Washington readjusts its global strategy and outreach, major power relationships like the one between China and the US would witness not just cooperation but also more competitions and even clashes."
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ADEN, Yemen - The death toll from a suicide bombing that targeted on Sunday a gathering of pro-government troops in Yemen's southern port city of Aden reached 49 dead and more than 39 others injured, a medical official told Xinhua.

The medical source working at Aden's public hospital said in an exclusive phone call that "about 49 dead bodies arrived at our center and more than 39 are still receiving treatment from their injuries in the suicide attack."

An intelligence source said that a suicide attacker detonated his explosive belt at a crowd of pro-government forces who gathered to receive their salaries near the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar.

Earlier, a military source anonymously told Xinhua that an attacker dressed as a soldier sneaked into a gathering of pro-government troops and then blew him up causing a huge blast that left 32 soldiers killed.

Yemeni security forces sealed off the area and blocked the roads leading to the scene, while ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the killed and wounded people to the city hospitals, the Yemeni sources said.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the IS terrorist group has frequently targeted military bases where crowds of pro-government soldiers gather.

Sunday's suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
ADEN, Yemen - The Islamic State (IS) group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that struck a gathering of pro-government forces in Yemen's temporary capital of Aden, leaving about 49 soldiers killed.

An online statement by the IS revealed in twitter said that "more than 70 apostates were killed in the jihadist attack launched by our martyr against soldiers in Aden."

The suicide bomber who carried out the terrorist operation was identified as Abu Hashim Radfani, according to the statement.

One of the group's suicide bombers detonated his explosive belt at a crowd of pro-government forces who gathered to receive their salaries near the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar.

Earlier, a military source anonymously told Xinhua that an attacker dressed as a soldier sneaked into a gathering of pro-government troops and then blew him up causing a huge blast that left 49 and injured 39 others.

Yemeni security forces sealed off the area and blocked the roads leading to the scene, while ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the killed and wounded people to the city hospitals, the Yemeni sources said.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the IS terrorist group has frequently targeted military bases where crowds of pro-government soldiers gather.

Sunday's suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
TEHRAN - Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said here Sunday that his talks with the visiting director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were focused on Tehran's programs to develop nuclear propulsion systems of boats announced recently.

IAEA Chief, Yukiya Amano, arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Sunday to discuss the implementation of Iranian nuclear deal, known as JCPOA, and the related issues with the senior Iranian officials.

Salehi said that his talks with Amano on Sunday revolved around Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's recent order for reaction to the US "violation of the JCPOA," after the US legislators passed a bill extending Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 more years.

The earlier vote by the US House of Representatives to extend the ISA was endorsed by the Senate last week.

The White House said in a statement on Thursday that the bill renewing the ISA was becoming law without US President Barack Obama's signature.

The White House said that an extension of the bill "is entirely consistent with" the US commitments in the Iran nuclear deal reached in July 2015.

The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to sanction Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

In a letter to Salehi on Tuesday, Rouhani said that "The United States has not fully delivered its commitments in the JCPOA," asking Iranian nuclear scientists to start developing systems for nuclear-powered boats in marine transportation.

In the letter, he also demanded the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to plan for designing and manufacturing nuclear propeller to be used in marine transportation with the help of scientific and research centers.

Also, they need to conduct study and design production of fuel to be used by the nuclear propeller with the help of scientific and research centers, the letter read.

Enrichment of uranium to run the nuclear propellers may vary from a purity of 5 percent to 90 percent, depending on its type, the purpose and the time available, Salehi said, stressing that all such activities will be carried out in conformity with the Safeguard Agreements.

The Iranian nuclear chief also denied that Amano has passed on a message from the United States to the Iranians.

He also pointed out that the IAEA should remain an impartial and independent body without coming under the influence of any party.

Amano will also discuss Iran and IAEA cooperation in technical and safeguard aspects as well as the state of the implementation of the JCPOA.

This is the second visit by the head of IAEA to Tehran following the clinch of the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers in July 2015 and its implementation in January.

The deal between Iran and six world major countries, namely the United States, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany, on the former's nuclear issue put Iran on the path of sanctions relief but more strict limits on its nuclear program.

The deal sets limits on Iran's nuclear activities and allows regular inspections of the facilities inside the Islamic republic.

In return, the US and the European Union will suspend nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.
Companies importing goods into the United States can find themselves having to respond to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Request for Information (CBP Form 28) or what may be worse, a CBP Notice of Action (CBP Form 29). CBP Form 28  Request for Information is a tool routinely used by CBP to verify if the goods are properly classified, valued or otherwise meet U.S. import requirements. CBP Form 29  Notice of Action can be used to inform an importer of a proposed action, including assessment of additional duties on the goods, or to notify the importer of an action already been taken by CBP. Both communications may be considered red flags for CBP to investigate prior transactions of an importer to initiate a penalty investigation.

Though you as an importer may have an easy response to a CBP inquiry or a valid basis as to why CBPs proposed action should not be taken, your response often will require you provide information from your overseas product supplier. In these situations, it can be critical for your supplier to work with you to ensure you have all necessary information for the goods you imported. It is also critical that your communications with CBP not provide the agency with information it can use against you. Pulling together a sufficient response for CBP within a short time frame is no small task, but you can almost always ease that task and improve your odds by anticipating and preparing for your customs problems within the framework of import procedures and controls.

It is a common misconception among importing companies that they do not have to be exact on their commercial invoice or other import documentation. But to properly import goods for entry in the United States, a complete product description, accurate country of origin, and correct value in accordance with CBP rules are all key pieces of information that must be accurately provided. These requirements fall under the importers legal responsibility to exercise reasonable care. If you as an importer fail to attend to these basic legal requirements, you will be greatly increasing (1) your risk of delays in the release of your goods, (2) further scrutiny by CBP through an audit, and (3) penalties.

The import compliance burden shifted to U.S. importers in 1994, when Congress passed the Customs Modernization Act or Mod Act as a part of the same legislation package as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It is under the Mod Act that CBP expects importers to exercise reasonable care when addressing the following, per CBPs Reasonable Care Checklist:

Customs documentation for entry;

Complete merchandise description for tariff classification and proper duty rates;

Valuation of merchandise consistent with specific CBP valuation rules;

Country of origin verification, marking, labeling; and

Free trade agreements

Despite its name, CBPs Reasonable Care Checklist is not a formulaic standard, but rather a list of questions to prompt U.S. importers to create their own internal framework or methodology to meet United States import compliance standards. CBP allows U.S. importers flexibility in how to manage their reasonable care responsibilities based on the importers own transactions.

If you import products from overseas, your first step in managing your reasonable care responsibilities so as to minimize your importing compliance risks is to start with the basics and become familiar with CBPs Reasonable Care Checklist. Answering the questions posed by CBP will help you formulate your necessary internal import procedures and controls.
BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese police have caught more than 4,200 people this year for stealing and trading the private information of Chinese citizens, the Ministry of Public Security said on Saturday.

The suspects include 390 insiders from about 40 sectors such as banking, education, telecommunication and securities, as well as nearly 100 professional hackers, the ministry said. They are alleged to have been involved in more than 1,800 criminal cases.

With the increase in cyber crime involving private information, the public security authority has reinforced its crackdown against such activity.

The ministry will continue its pressure against crimes that involve stealing and selling private information, and urged enterprises that possess large amounts of information about citizens to enhance security management, it said.

It also warned the public to raise awareness and report cases related to such crimes via www.cyberpolice.cn.

According to the ministry, criminals illegally obtained and sold private information of citizens, including their identities, phone numbers, home addresses, bank and social network account information and passwords, leading to telecom scams, cyber fraud and blackmail.
Photo from Internet)

Bike-on-demand services like Beijing-based Mobike and Ofo have been making inroads in recent weeks, but problems of disorderly parking, theft, and sabotage have emerged as bike-sharing gains in popularity. Beijing News has reported at least 7 cases of destroyed bikes this month in Beijing.

Photos provided by netizens show that the shared bikes are being abandoned in ditches or in withered grass near rivers. At a repair station near the Wangjing Subway Station in Beijing, about 70 shared bikes are waiting for repair.

Recently, a man surnamed Han, who stole a shared bike, was sentenced to 3-month detention with 3-month probation, and fined the sum of 1,000 yuan(USD 144) by Shanghai Minhang People's Court.

However, people wonder whether criminal punishment is the only way to prevent the shared bikes from been stolen or destroyed.

As per the report, Chengguan, or urban management officers, have no duty to deal with disorderly parking at present.

Mostly, shared bikes are sabotaged by drivers of black motorcycles, private vehicles illegally carrying passengers for money, and staffs of bicycle parking lots, said Ofo's chief Public Relations Officer (CPO).

The number of shared bikes being sabotaged is under control and will not affect the operation as a whole, added the CPO.

A user brings the Mobike to his office.[Photo: Sina Weibo]

Mobike, Ofo's major rival, said that they have staff patrols and checks their shared bikes to make sure there are no problems, and to inform police if there are.

Mobike has set a 100 credit score for each user. And penalty points will be taken in the case of bad behaviors. Once a score drops below 80, bike rental will be increased to 5 yuan(USD 0.7) per hour.

"I think Mobike's punishment is not severe. If I were the founder of Mobike, I would drag those bad users onto blacklists, and they would have no chance to ride our shared bikes ever again," said Fu Weigang, Executive Dean of Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law(SIFL).

Sharing means that self-discipline matters. Sharing bikes will work well if people raise their moral literacy and law awareness, but punishment also helps force users to follow the rules, Fu added.

As of Friday, Shenzhen Traffic Police Bureau in south China and Mobike have jointly announced that they will draft a Regulation of Traffic Order for sharing bikes.

Since August, Mobike has received investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. Its counterpart, Ofo, which put its 2,000 shared bikes into use at Peking University campus more than a year ago, is now valued at USD 500 million. Newcomers like Hello-bike and Ubike are catching up.
(Photo : US Navy) U.S. Navy EP-3 Orion signals intelligence aircraft.

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China alleges the interception by two Mitsubishi F-15J fighters from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) of a long-range patrol of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) over the Miyako Strait last Dec. 10 was an elaborate ploy by Japan and the U.S. to spy on radar frequencies used by Chinese combat aircraft.



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One of the websites of the People's Liberation Army, Chinamil.com, made this claim, saying Japan "covets PLA jets' radar frequency."



A story about the incident said claims "Japanese military aircraft may be attempting to elicit the radar frequency of PLA jets by harassing the latter over the Miyako Strait in the western Pacific," citing Chinese military experts.



These experts believe JASDF wanted to provoke the PLAAF jets, probably Shenyang J-11 air superiority fighters, into activating their combat radars in a bid to extract the PLAAF's combat capabilities.



PLAAF claims F-15s harassed the Chinese aircraft and fired "jamming shells," which is a vague phrase referring to no particular weapon. The JASDF, however, said its F-15s fired flares to warn the PLAAF aircraft the Japanese were watching them.



To back-up its claim the JASDF intercept wasn't just another routine aerial interception, the PLAAF revealed that a further eight F-15s plus two U.S. reconnaissance aircraft -- a Lockheed EP-3 Orion signals intelligence aircraft and a Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft -- "were also flying nearby, provoking suggestion that it was a coordinated operation conducted by Japan and the United States."



Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) said that Japan's F-15s might have been intentionally provoking the Chinese jets to entice the latter into turning on their fire-control radars and lock onto the Japanese jets with their missiles.



In doing so, the Japanese and U.S. aircraft would have ascertained the PLAAF jets' radar frequencies and detect Chinese missile performance.



That the Dec. 10 intercept was a joint operation by Japan and the United States to probe into the PLAAF's air combat capabilities in order to facilitate their future responses to PLA flights was also the opinion of Teng Jianqun, a military expert, according to Chinamil.



Teng said actions such as these were "highly provocative" while also unprofessional and dangerous.



China's Defense Ministry lodged a "solemn representation" on Dec. 10 to Japan over the JASDF's interference of the PLAAF's "routine training in the Western Pacific."



It denounced that F-15's conduct as "dangerous and unprofessional and destroyed the freedom of navigation and over-flight endowed by international laws."



China's Defense Ministry Spokesman Senior Colonel Yang Yujun said the F-15 fighter jets interfered with Chinese military aircraft from close range and even launched "jamming shells," (flares), which "endangered the safety of Chinese aircraft and crew."



Col. Yang said Chinese pilots promptly adopted necessary countermeasures and continued their training exercise.



He said the Miyako Strait is an internationally recognized lane and the PLAAF's high-seas training is within its annual training plan and isn't directed at any particular country or target, which are in line with the related international laws and practices.



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Tagschina, Mitsubishi F-15J fighters, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, JASDF, People's Liberation Army Air Force, Miyako Strait, Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo
(Photo : Getty Images) President Duterte has said that Manila will not protest over China's activities in the South China Sea.

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said that Manila would not protest against China's militarization of the disputed South China Sea despite the latter's reported installation of weapons systems on the artificial islands it has built in the disputed strategic waterway.



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Duterte said he would not impose anything on China amid reports last week that Beijing had installed anti-aircraft and anti-million systems on its man-made islands in direct violation of a Hague-based court ruling.



Recent satellite images released by a US think tank last Wednesday showed China had installed military outposts, anti-missile systems, and equipment on seven of its newly-created islands in the region including the Fiery Reef Cross, the Subi Island, and the Mischief Reef.



Not ready for war



"In the play of politics, now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling," Duterte told reporters in Manila during a news conference after arriving from state visits in Cambodia and Singapore on Saturday.



Duterte was referring to a July Hague-based court ruling favoring the Philippines' claims to the disputed sea and rejecting China's nine-dash line. The court said Beijing had violated international law and the Philippines' rights to explore its resources within its exclusive economic zone.



The Philippine leader reiterated that Manila is not ready for a war with China and pointed to the US as the one raring to get into a fight with Beijing.



The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which released the satellite images, said China had built its recent military installations in the disputed waters starting June this year.



Island armaments



The CSIS said China had built its military installations on the disputed islands which include airstrips, barracks, radar stations, lighthouses, and other facilities in recent years.



"China's new island armaments show that Beijing is serious about defense of its artificial islands in case of an armed contingency in the South China Sea," the CSIS said in a report.



China's foreign ministry has defended Beijing's military installations in the region saying it is the country's "right" to defend itself from potential enemies and that it is "lawful and legitimate" for it to establish the defensive military infrastructure on islands where it has 'indisputable sovereignty."



"If someone makes a show of force at your front door, would you not ready your slingshot?" Beijing said in a statement last Friday.



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TagsSouth China Sea, President Rodrigo Duterte, Fiery Cross Reef, Subi island, Mischief Reef, nine dash line, china
(Photo : Getty Images) Pentagon has claimed that it has reached truce over the return of an underwater drone that was seized earlier this week in the disputed South China Sea.

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Pentagon has claimed that it has "secured an understanding" with Chinese government for the return of an underwater drone that was seized earlier this week in the disputed South China Sea. However, the rapprochement has coincided with fiery tweets from US President-elect Donald Trump that is further likely to inflame the already tense US-Sino relationship.



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The drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), was seized by Chinese navy official on Thursday. The seizure is an unprecedented act in the bilateral relationship, given that such an act has never occurred in recent memory.



"Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said during a news briefing.



Chinese authorities have also confirmed that an agreement to return the UUV has been reached but claimed that 'US side's unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate" for resolution of the maritime dispute.



The drone, according to Pentagon, was lawfully carrying out oceanographic duties in Subic Bay, which falls in the part of South China Sea that is very close to Philippines.



Trump, who is all set to assume office on Jan. 20, immediately took to his Twitter account after the incident was reported in the US media. The outspoken US president elect openly accused China of indulging in the act of "stealing."



"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act," he said.



However, Trump later retracted from his stance by tweeting that the US does not need the drone back and China can very well keep it with them.



Trump's latest Twitter salvos came barely hours after outgoing President Barack Obama cautioned the incoming president about his foreign policy visa via Taiwan. He warned that a shift in US foreign policy could have an adverse effect on bilateral relationship with China.



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Church Asked To Mediate Between Indigenous People And Chinese Mining Company In Ecuador

Ecuador sent soldiers and police on Thursday to an isolated jungle area after a policeman was killed and several security officials injured in a violent protest against a Chinese copper exploration project amid conflicts between mining companies and indigenous communities.

Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, declared a 30-day state of emergency in Morona Santiago province, home to the Panantza-San Carlos exploration project operated by the ExplorCobres company. His government said "illegally armed groups" protested against the project on Wednesday.

"Violent people want to take over the mining camp," Correa said on Twitter. "We have one dead police officer and several others injured. Criminals!"

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was paying close attention to the incident and was in touch with Ecuador about it, although, as far as he knew, no Chinese had been injured.

China appreciates Ecuador's steps to bring the situation under control, Geng said, noting Correa's condemnation.

"China is willing to work with Ecuador to take effective steps to create a good environment for bilateral practical cooperation," he told a daily news briefing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Ecuador last month.

Local media reported that the indigenous Shuar group, which accuses authorities of generating violence by kicking them out of their ancestral home to make way for mining developments, staged the protest.

The head of Ecuador's larger indigenous association, CONAIE, called on the church to mediate the conflict.

"These are no invaders, these are communities who have lived here for hundreds of years," said Jorge Herrera.

The incident highlights tensions facing Ecuador and much of mineral-rich Latin America - how to develop vast mineral wealth while addressing deep inequalities, environmental concerns and indigenous rights.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach ExplorCobres.

China has been the largest financier of Ecuador, an OPEC nation, since 2009 and is heavily present in its oil industry.
Is Donald Trump the Messiah or His Forerunner? Some Jewish Leaders Believe So

Is the Messiah here already?

Some Jewish religious leaders believe this to be true. More astoundingly, these rabbis believe U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could be the Messiah, if not his forerunner, someone like John the Baptist, The Christian Post reported.

Pastor and end times author Tom Horn is one those who believe on the prophetic implications of Trump's electoral victory.

Appearing on televangelist Jim Bakker's show on Monday, Horn said about 300 years ago, a rabbi known as Horowitz set the date for the Messiah's arrival on the Jewish calendar in the year 5777, which corresponds to a period between 20162017 in the Gregorian calendar.

The author referred to the Jewish religious book called the Zohar, a part of which set the date for the arrival of the Messiah in the Jewish year 5773, which corresponds to 2012 to 2013.

"Oddly enough, Trump goes to Israel in 2012, decides not to run for U.S. president, meets with heads of states, comes out of that. You can watch YouTube, and he starts talking to the Jewish people telling them to vote for Benjamin Netanyahu, which they did," Horn said.

"What the Zohar said was he will be identified. From that day on forward, there have been at least a dozen Jewish rabbis that have said the Messiah is on Earth now. He's been identified, he is soon going to make himself known," he said.

Horn explained that Jews and Christians have different views on the Messiah. Christians think of the Messiah "after the model of Jesus," but that's not how the Jews look at the Messiah, he said.

"They're looking for a king. They are looking for a political leader ... Messiah to them means the anointed one, and it goes back to the ancient days when they would anoint a king and recognise him as this is the man that God sent," Horn said.

For the Jews, the Messiah will be a strong political figure, he said.

"First of all, they are looking for somebody in a political figure who can lead decisive battles in defence of Israel," Horn said. He then recalled the statements made by Trump who once said, "If I'm elected president, I'm going to be the biggest friend Israel's ever had" and "We're gonna undo the Iran deal."

The Jews believe the Messiah would come from the Davidic bloodline. A group of people is now seeking to trace Trump's roots to the biblical King David.

However, while some rabbis think Trump could be the Messiah, others believe he is a forerunner to the Messiah, like John the Baptist.

"I'm not saying that they actually think he is the messiah. What I actually think is that most of the rabbis there think he's John the Baptist and the messiah is about to appear. He is the forerunner," Horn said.
Pope, Bishops Called On To Break Stalemate in Democratic Republic Of Congo

Talks in Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday between the ruling coalition and the opposition failed to reach a compromise on the political future of President Joseph Kabila, who is set to stay in power when his mandate ends on Monday.

Delegates said the talks will resume on Wednesday once the Catholic bishops mediating the negotiations have returned from a trip to Rome to meet the pope.

The opposition wants elections next year and for Kabila to pledge he will step down after nearly 16 years in power and not stand for a third term, which would breach Congo's constitution. The government says it cannot organise a presidential vote until 2018, however, and the constitutional court ruled in May he can stay on until the election.

The capital Kinshasa is on edge ahead of planned protests against what opponents say is a bid by Kabila to cling to power. The presidents of neighbouring Rwanda and Congo Republic both changed their constitutions last year to allow themselves to stand for third terms.

It was not immediately clear what impact Saturday's announcement would have, particularly given the limited popular appeal of opposition politicians, many of whom have cycled in and out of power over the decades.

Felix Tshisekedi, an opposition leader, wrote on Twitter: "The discussions have failed. Congolese people, the ball is in your court! We have reached the end of our efforts."

But another opposition leader, Joseph Olengankhoy, was more circumspect, telling Reuters the talks had made "significant progress" but that more work remained to be done.

The opposition delegation at the talks pushed for the presidential election to take place next year but offered mixed signals about who would govern the country in the interim.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende told Reuters on Saturday he was confident the two sides would reach a compromise after the bishops met in recent days with Kabila and the main opposition leader, Etienne Tshisekedi.

The bishops said in a statement they "are happy to see that we are capable of producing a large consensus on the questions that divide us even if such a process might take time".

Mende said authorities had taken measures to prevent violence on Monday. Police in Kinshasa have set up checkpoints to search cars and the government has asked telecoms companies to cut most social media services from Monday.

Congo has not seen a peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960 and world powers fear protests could spark violence in the chronically unstable central African giant.
Why Do Matthew And Luke Have Different Records Of Jesus' Ancestors?

Who were Jesus' ancestors?

Read Matthew's Gospel and you get one answer. Read Luke's (3:23-37) and you get another. Mark isn't interested in the question, and John starts a lot further back  "In the beginning was the Word."

Matthew and Luke are very different, though. How are they to be reconciled?

Back in the earliest days of the Church, people noticed the contradiction. One answer sometimes offered is that one gives Jesus' descent through Mary and one his descent through Joseph. Unfortunately this isn't what the Bible says, and both are concerned to stress his descent from Joseph.

Another idea draws on the custom of 'levirate marriage', in which two branches of the same family were brought together through the marriage of a widow with her deceased brother's husband. Julius Africanus (AD c160-c240) said he had been told by descendants of James of a connection which meant that the legal father of Joseph was Eli (as in Luke) while his biological father was Matthan (as in Matthew). The family tree is very complicated at this point.

Another idea is even more interesting. Matthew gives the legal line of descent from David, saying who was the heir to the throne in each case, but Luke gives the actual biological descent from David. If the Jacob in Matthew's list was childless, Joseph, son of Eli in Luke's list, might have been his heir.

These are all fascinating speculations. What does seem unlikely is that the lists were simply invented. Geneaologies, lines of descent, were very important in the ancient world.They said something about a person and who he was. Whether they have been garbled in being passed down  orally perhaps  or for whatever other reason, these lists are meant to matter.

However, as Howard Marshall in his great commentary on Luke says: "It is only right, therefore, to admit that the problem caused by the existence of the two genealogies is insoluble with the evidence presently at our disposal."

What then do they mean?

Most Jews would tell the story of their ancestry beginning with Abraham. Not many would be able to go through King David and the kings through the Exile, as Matthew's list does. Jesus, by virtue of his royal descent, was a direct threat to Herod. But Matthew also adds women into the list  and most unlikely ones. There's a prostitute, a foreigner, an adulteress, a woman deeply wronged. Jesus came from these women.

Luke, on the other hand, carries the line all the way back to Adam, as a way of stressing the universal significance of Jesus for the whole human race, not just for Jews. Luke wrote for Gentiles: it was vital for him that they knew Jesus was for them too.

The geneaologies in Matthew and Luke can be daunting, but they are more than just lists of names: they tell us more about who Jesus is.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
A cartoon depicts doctor-patient tensions. [Photo:Xinhua/Cheng Shuo]

Jinzhou, a city in Liaoning Province, has established a special police unit targeting doctor-patient relationships and hospital violence, reports the Beijing Youth Daily.

The move came after a number of violent incidents in hospitals, caused by disputes between doctors and patients, across the country.

In a recent case, a female doctor was stabbed and severely wounded by a patient's father in November in Shanxi province.

The initiative, jointly launched by the city's Public Security Bureau and local Health and Family Planning Commission, aims to safeguard the interests of both patients and medical staff, building a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.

The newly founded police office, the first of its kind in the country, will be in charge of dealing with patient-doctor disputes to maintain normal operation in hospitals, and ensure equal access to medical care for local residents.

The office opened to the public on December 14th. It now has ten police officers on duty. They're working a 24-hour shift schedule.

Violence against medical staff has repeatedly hit the headlines in China in recent years, with patients or relatives threatening, humiliating or harming doctors as a result of frustration, misunderstanding or dissatisfaction.

Figures in May last year from the Supreme People's Court showed there were 155 attacks on doctors and nurses in 2014, resulting in severe injuries and even death. Statistics gathered by the media suggest there were 51 cases involving violence against medical staff in 2015, with 21 in June alone.
Witch-Turned-Christian Says There Is a Connection Between Yoga and Satan

Yoga enthusiasts might dismiss allegations that yoga involves satanic acts. However, a former witch turned Christian named Beth Eckert warned that yoga is actually a form of spiritual alignment with the Hindu goddess Shakti.

"I know that there is such a huge controversy around yoga," Eckert shared on her video blog. "If you look at yoga, it just seems like this great way to get healthy and align your body and your spirit and stretch, and people just absolutely love it."

On her blog, Eckert wrote that channeling energy is an age-old practice that demons use to move from one place to another. So whenever people channel their energies in yoga, Eckert said the demon is making its move.

"It is a form of witchcraft, and it is not a practice that brings a person into alignment with the Spirit of God. Even meditation is a form of moving energy as you are trying to move your energy into a certain direction, thought pattern or process in order to gain something. That is witchcraft," she said.

People might assume that yoga will provide the body with several health benefits, but Eckert warned that doing these Eastern spiritual practices will only do otherwise. By aligning the body with the kingdom of darkness, Eckert said people are inviting the devil to cause great harm to one's physical and spiritual wellbeing.

"Once you bring these practices into your life, you are also inviting these demonic entities into your home and your family. Yoga in particular is very dangerous because of the momentum it has gained in our world today, even within the Christian church," she said.

For those who have participated in yoga of any sort, Eckert urged them to take time off from the practice and devote themselves instead in prayer to God. She clarified though that God does not hate anyone who has done yoga, or is doing yoga, but still people must wake up to the truth that practicing the dark arts is not healthy and good.

"We must bring everything before the Lord Jesus Christ to see things from the perspective that is far higher than our own. He is beyond time and space and knows all things, and it is that wisdom that we need to seek in order to have clarity and discernment in a world full of darkness and lies," she said.
Cleveland ISD teachers picked the following students to be the Star Students for the week ending Dec. 16, 2016:

 Sergio Ibarra (7th grade): "Sergio is always on task in my Accelerated Reader class. He is very patient and helpful with his classmates. He is always kind and respectful. These are just a few reasons that make him a Star Student." ~M. Amini, CMS

 Adarely Castillo (6th grade): "Adarely is a great student that works very hard in class. Keep up the good work, Adarely!" ~T. Kostynick, Eastside Elementary

 Jacob Estrada (2nd grade):" Jacob has been working extremely hard, becoming a good example for his classmates to follow. He helps others when he can and we appreciate how well he uses his manners." ~D. Thorp, Southside Primary

 Aaron Bush (2nd grade): "Aaron is always very focused on his education. He takes pride in the work that he completes. We appreciate how respectful he is and the example that he sets for others." ~K. Eakin, Southside Primary

 Valeria Islas (2nd grade): "Valeria is always ready to help anyone. She comes to class prepared and ready to work. Valeria is a sweet girl and I am so happy to have her in my classroom this school year." ~B. Bennett, Southside Primary

 Tanjem Lobna (6th grade): "Tanjem is one of the hardest workers I have had this year. She is always looking for ways to improve herself in the classroom. She is a wonderful student in class." ~T. Kostynick, Eastside Elementary

 Micdal Facundo Badillo (7th grade): "Micdal is one of the hardest workers I have in class, she is self-motivated and is extremely kind and respectful. Micdal never seems discouraged and is always very pleasant. She sees each challenge as a learning opportunity." ~M. Amini, CMS

 Kristen Driver, Valerie Brown and Fabian Torres (6th grade): "These students are dedicated to their flag duty. Thank you guys!" ~Ms. Sandi Stephens, Eastside Elementary

 Alondra Soto (Kinder): "Alondra is a compassionate and thoughtful student.

Whenever a classmate is hurt, sad, or just needs help, she takes charge to help and give them a warm hug." ~S. Charlot, Southside Primary

 Perla Roldan (5th grade): "Perla has excellent work ethics and she is always willing to learn. She goes above and beyond to ensure success!" ~S. Franco, Eastside Elementary

 Lakyia Green (6th grade): "Lakyia, thank you for not giving up even when it gets difficult, you are a super student!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Christian Venegas (6th grade): "Christian, thanks for being a great peer tutor! I appreciate you giving your time." ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Yahir Orozco (2nd grade): "Yahir is a very dedicated student. He finishes all of his assignments on time." ~J. Martinez, Southside Primary

 Erick Sweeten (6th grade): "Erick, great job on your classroom grades, you continue to keep up the good work and good grades!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Brooke Grimet (6th grade): "Brooke, great job on your classroom grades, you continue to keep up the good work and good grades!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Isaiah Rodrigues (6th grade): "Isaiah, great job on your first day at a new school!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Emily Rubio (6th grade): "Emily, great job on your first day at a new school! You are on fire for learning." ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Alejandra Burgoz (5th grade): "Alejandra is very dedicated to learning and making sure she does her best. She is a hard worker and also very respectful, she follows directions and is willing to help others." ~S. Franco, Eastside Elementary

 Kendrae Lewis (6th grade): "Kendrae, thanks for always willing to help others in the class with their editing. Keep up the great work!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Xilonen Castro (7th grade): "Xilonen is a very polite young lady. She is a hard worker and an excellent writer." ~A. Beeman, CMS

 Daisy Richardson (5th grade): "Daisy is a joy to teach! She loves science and she always has a smile for her teachers." ~P. Opp, Eastside Elementary

 Hannah Clark (6th grade): "Hannah, thanks for always having a smile and a kind word to share with your classmates!" ~I. Brown, Eastside Elementary

 Kody Lara (3rd grade): "Kody usually knows the correct answers before I ask, all students could learn from Kody's eagerness!" ~D. O'Dell, Northside Elementary

 Ava Waltman (4th grade): "Ava works very well with her peers! Way to go, Ava!" ~B. Hamilton, Northside Elementary

 Alex Carino (4th grade): "Alex has worked hard to improve her math skills. She is a pleasure to have in class." ~D. Snyder, Northside Elementary

 Zuri Reyes (4th grade): "Zuri is a hard worker and she is always polite. She is a delight to have in my class." ~J. Oldham, Northside Elementary

 Jessica Morales (4th grade): "Jessica is always prepared for class, she helps her classmates and she has a very kind heart." ~K. Black, Northside Elementary

 Bryanna Arrendell (11th grade): "Bryanna goes above and beyond in helping other students as well as helping with FFA activities." ~B. Taylor, CHS

 Ernesto Zamora (10th grade): "Ernesto is a very quiet, polite, respectful young man who works extremely hard. Every day he pushes himself to continue improving and achieving success. I am so proud of his effort." ~A. Deshotels, CHS

 Karlee McGee (Kinder): "Karlee is a beautiful young lady who is kind, caring, respectful and responsible. She is always on task and diligent about her responsibilities." ~R. Nelson, Southside Primary

 Mark Hernandez (8th grade): "Mark is an outstanding student! He works very hard and helps other students when needed. I appreciate Mark for stepping up and helping out my Sub when I had to be out of class for meetings; he knew exactly what to do and how I would want it done!" ~C. Landry, CMS

 Taylor Martin (9th grade): "Taylor is one of our most reliable students, she is always ready to help in any way she can. Thank you Taylor!" ~S. Williamson, DLA

 Angel Hernandez (5th grade): "Angel achieved his goal on his last assessment! He has improved so much, I am so proud of him! Great job!" ~J. Sanchez, Eastside Elementary

 Jose Sanchez (5th grade): "Jose is a hard worker and dedicated student, he has achieved success on two of his assessments! Jose is a Star Student! Great job!" ~J. Sanchez, Eastside Elementary
Submitted

Texas State Representative-elect Ernest Bailes spoke to Deep East Texas Council of Governments (DETCOG) board members, elected officials and friends in attendance at the DETCOG Christmas Luncheon. He was recently elected to serve the people of Texas House District 18. He will be sworn into office on Jan. 10, 2017.

Bailes graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Animal Science. His company, Repro Select, focuses on whitetail deer genetics and serves clients all across Texas and the south-central United States. Ernest, his wife Courtney and sons "Cinco" and Rigby live in San Jacinto County.
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Refugees have been a focal point of political discussion. While campaigning, President-elect Donald Trump has promised to bar Syrian refugees from coming to the United States.

One woman is using a Facebook Christmas post about Jesus Christ to draw even more attention to the issue, and her message has gone viral.

WHAT NOW?: Election throws U.S. plans for Syrian refugees into question

"This Christmas season we would like to remind everyone that Jesus was a Middle Eastern refugee," psychotherapist Whitney Roberts Logan wrote on her Facebook page.

The post has attracted 370 shares and 266 reactions since Logan posted it online Sunday.

She told Your Daily Dish that she wanted to remind Christians that refugees are part of the Christmas story.

IN DANGER: Bloodied and demoralized Syrians evacuate Aleppo

The post got nearly 180,000 responses when it was posted to a "secret" Hillary Clinton Facebook group, according to the Kansas City Star.

The post comes at a time when Aleppo in Syria is being bombarded with war, causing people to leave for safer areas of the world.

Debate has followed on who and how many refugees should be allowed in America.

HELP ON THE WAY? Emergency meeting called on Syria

In September, President Obama's administration announced a new goal of resettling 110,000 refugees into the United States during 2017.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott acknowledged Texas has taken in numerous refugees but had concerns that the federal government was not vetting Syrians enough. He's threatened to withdraw Texas from the federal refugee program due to terrorist concerns.
A man was shot repeatedly during a drive-by outside an east Houston party Saturday night, authorities said.

Around 8 p.m., a man and his girlfriend parking their SUV on the side of the road by a party near 70th and Avenue H when another car pulled up beside them.

A gun-toting man jumped out and started shooting at the male SUV driver, who was hit three times in the leg, stomach and chest.

The shooter hopped back in his car and fled with two other male suspects.

The victim - who police did not immediately identify - was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital in serious but stable condition. He is expected to survive.

Houston police believe the outburst of violence may be gang-related.
British scientific journal 'Nature' has noted China's achievements in aerospace, genetic engineering, and climate change in a report released on Friday regarding science events that shaped the year 2016, reports Xinhua News Agency.

The journal lists a series of achievements China made in the aerospace sector while the US, Europe, and Japan suffered errors and failures in several space missions.

China launched the world's first quantum satellite in August and powerful new heavy-lift rocket Long March 5 in November. Its Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest radio telescope, was put into use in September.

It also highlights the two Chinese astronauts who spent one month aboard the Tiangong II space laboratory, in China's longest manned mission in October and November.

In genetic engineering, a patient with lung cancer at a hospital in China became the first person in the world to be treated with cells edited using CRISPR-Cas9, reports the journal, saying more application of the genome-editing tool is expected in the US and China next year.

In addition, research teams in China, as well as the UK and Sweden, have announced their intentions to use the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to optimize the use of embryos and to study human development, says the report.

The journal also recognizes the positive role of China in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. China signed the international climate agreement on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2016, and its top legislature ratified the agreement in September. The agreement, forged in Paris in December 2015 by representatives from 195 countries, came into force last month.

Other science events that shaped the year, as listed by Nature, include the announcement in February that researchers had detected gravitational waves, the outbreak of Zika virus and the following research, the artificial intelligence AlphaGo beating world-class human player Lee Sedol at the ancient game of Go, the development of assisted-reproduction techniques that mix DNA from three people, as well as the influence of politics and economic events on science.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 18

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

As of November 30, 2016, some 152.9 billion cubic meters of gas have been supplied from Turkmenistan to China since the beginning of operation of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline in 2009, the Turkmen Oil and Gas Complex said.

The gas is supplied via the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline, according to the data with reference to the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

"Some 100.5 billion cubic meters of the total volume of supplied gas accounted for Turkmengas state concern while 52.4 billion cubic meters - the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory, where China's CNPC is producing gas on PSA terms," the Turkmen Oil and Gas Complex said.

At present, the pipeline has three branches with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters per year. The fourth branch of the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan-China new pipeline is planned to be built.

The annual supplies of Turkmen gas to China will be increased to 65 billion cubic meters in the future upon the agreement between CNPC and Turkmengas state concern.
A New Orleans area man is being sought after police say he kidnapped his infant son, then fled and may be headed for Houston.

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said 24-year-old Cameron Davis pointed a semi-automatic gun at the baby's mother on Friday night, took 3-week-old Kingston Davis and said he would return only if the woman dropped domestic violence charges against him.
Residents from three near northside Houston neighborhoods shivered in biting cold temperatures Sunday in hopes of making sure their homes no longer shake in the new year.

Residents hosted a community garage and bake sale to help raise the $7,500 bond to enforce their recent restraining order against White Oak Music Hall.

Harris County State District Judge Michael Gomez on Friday temporarily stopped outdoor concerts at the White Oak Music Hall after nine neighbors sued the venue, preventing the live music complex from hosting any events outside that feature electronically amplified sound.

Gomez, the Harris County judge, made his decision despite objections from the music hall, which argued it could lose its reputation and revenue.

The temporary restraining order expires Dec. 30, but residents are looking to extend it until their Jan. 12 injunction hearing.

They are trying to raise money for legal fees "for the big courtroom battles ahead."

"This is ongoing, thunderous music that shakes homes," said Houston attorney Cris Feldman. "It's a constant rock festival in everyone's backyard."

"We never know, the noise could come on a Monday, a Wednesday night, a Friday," said Kiki Przewlocki, a resident who said her home is in the music's "direct line of fire." "The windows rattle  I mean, I can feel the bass in my bones."

Przewlocki, a musician, said it's not just the music, but the collective frustrations that different events at White Oak bring to the neighborhood, even on school nights.

That's why another neighbor, Linda Longoria-Vargas, joined their effort. The night before the first day of school this year, Longoria-Vargas had to console her young daughter who was crying and couldn't sleep.

"Mommy, don't they even care about us?" her daughter said.

If the sporadic loud noises weren't enough, there's also the neighborhood traffic and safety concerns that accompany the venue's functions. Neighbors also complained that some concert-goers urinate in front yards and on neighbors' cars.

"It doesn't actually end with the concert," Longoria-Vargas said. "You still hear cops, or screaming, or dogs."

On Sunday, residents sold everything from cookies and doughnuts to school supplies and mini-terracotta soldiers.

"It is sad that these good folks have to now raise money to stop this sound invasion from their greedy corporate neighbors, just so their kids can sleep at night," Feldman said.
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After four days of little or no water use in the city, Corpus Christi residents are free to run the taps again.

Mayor Dan McQueen gave the all clear Sunday morning, ending a chemical contamination emergency.

City officials placed the city under a water use ban late Wednesday night after they learned a chemical tank containing an asphalt emulsifying agent leaked into water lines in the industrial district.

WARNED: Texas city had 3 reports of dirty water before emergency

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has launched an investigation into the water contamination.

Any big events like this, we will do an investigation, Terry Clawson, director of the TCEQ communications, told the paper.
Police in Hudson, New York were faced with a unique situation after they were called to rescue a "frozen, elderly woman" left in a vehicle.

Officers broke into the vehicle after a call from a distraught citizen alerted them to an elderly woman who had apparently frozen to death, only to realize they were "rescuing" a mannequin meant to be used for CPR training.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 18

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

The regional expert conference titled "25 years of Independence: Energy Security issues in Central Asia and Beyond" was held in Ashgabat, the Turkmen foreign ministry said.

The conference was organized by the Turkmen foreign ministry with the support of the Office of the NATO Liaison Officer in Central Asia, the embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Ashgabat, and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, RUSI (UK), the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the experts from international and national think tank institutions from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended the conference.

During the plenary sessions of the conference the participants discussed issues related to energy security, the creation of a platform for the timely exchange of views and experience on issues of common security and stability challenges in Central Asia, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, the ministry said.
Top, Charlie Brown, the chairman of the Thunder Bay heritage transportation committee took questions from the public during a town hall meeting to bring the Alexander Henry back home. Below left, Tom Cook is convinced that the Alexander Henry is indeed an "amazing" vessel that cannot be lost. Right, Tom Chauvin, who worked on the Alexander Henry, described the great craftsmanship of the vessel.
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.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer is willing to launch crude oil swap with Iran, the Iranian oil minister, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, said.

The two sides are negotiating the issue, Zanganeh said, the oil ministrys SHANA news agency reported.

The companys vice president, Vladimir Nekrasov said in February 2016 that Lukoil will begin oil deliveries to Iran this year.

The amount of petroleum delivered may reach 2 million tons, depending on Irans needs, Nekrasov said, adding that in return the company expects to collect oil in the ports of the Persian Gulf to supply its refineries in Bulgaria, Romania and Sicily.

Elsewhere in his remarks Irans oil minister said that Russias Gazprom is also seeking to make arrangements for gas swap deal with Iran.

On Dec. 13 Gazprom signed memorandum of understanding with Iran over developing Cheshmeh Khosk and Changouleh fields.

Iran also has reached an agreement to sell 100,000 barrels of oil per day to Russia and a deal is expected to be signed in the coming days.

A half of oil value would be paid by importing Russian oil engineering, equipment, technology and service, according to Zanganeh.

Iran has already signed MoUs with Russian companies to develop Cheshmeh Khosh, Changouleh, West Paydar, Aban, Dehloran, Mansouri and Ab Teymour fields, which contains about 43 billion barrels of oil in-situ reserves.

All of the mentioned fields are among the 49 fields which Iran offered to foreigners based on the newly designed model contracts, called the Iran Petroleum Contract or IPC.

Iran needs $130 billion investment to develop 49 fields, of which 80 percent is expected to be attracted from foreign companies.
The election of Donald Trump has shaken identity politics to its foundations. Appealing to minorities, women, and the LGBTQ populationthe so-called coalition of the ascendantwas supposed to guarantee Democratic rule into something like perpetuity. Yet more than one in four Hispanics apparently voted for a man who has promised to build a wall to prevent other Hispanics from coming illegally to the United States. An angry, isolated Rust Belt working class flipped the race card, placing a successful bet on its own sense of group grievance. And 53 percent of white women preferred a Mad Men-era womanizer to the would-be first woman president.

That last fact especially should be prompting a serious reckoning among Democratic political consultants and in liberal-media conference rooms. How many times did we hear that womenmore than half the voting population, rememberwould thrill to the prospect of breaking the highest, hardest glass ceiling? How many articles chronicled the disgust women felt for the sexist comments and stories of groping by the Republican candidate? The mismeasure of the womens vote couldnt be because men were driving the conversation. Over the past few decades, women have filled campaign staff rooms, press pools, and media opinion pages.

No, ironically, the problem is that women in media have spun their own cocoon.

Remember: it wasnt very long ago that journalists were scuffed-shoed beat reportersalmost all of them men. Their siblings and cousins were nurses, cops, and firemen. They were both the sons, and the interpreters, of Americas vast blue-collar middle class.

But in recent decades, journalism has become an enclave of the college-educated, inhabited by the sons and daughters of lawyers and professors who can afford to help them during their many years on campus, in graduate school, and working at internships and low-paying entry jobs in New York, Washington, and other luxury cities. By the outset of the 2000s, a majority of fledgling educated journalists were womenor, more specifically, relatively well-off, Title IX-empowered women thoroughly indoctrinated in the history of white-male wrongdoing.

Of course, journalism had attracted prominent, educated Second Wave feminists (those who waged the battles of the 1960s and 1970s). Both Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem started their careers in the media. But this new cohort was lucky enough to graduate just as the Internet began taking over the public conversation. The web was the perfect petri dish for developing the voices and politics of the young women who would become feminisms Third Wave. Where once the young and naive writer had to apprentice herself to seasoned media veterans at establishment publications, now she might well find her first job in the new-media adventure park. Instead of submitting to the traditional discipline of old-style objective journalism, she could help remake the blah, blah, blah into something more personal, irreverentand activist.

In fact, the medium became part of the message. Journalism, gender studies, media, and sociology majorsthe young women, like Jessica Valenti, Anna Holmes, Irin Camron, and Jill Filipovic, names now well-known to cable news producers and booking agentsdidnt exactly cover the news: in the early years of the Third Wave and the blogging revolution, they were the news. On sites like Jezebel and Feministing and at lefty zines like Salon and Talking Points Memo, they had the freedom to explore their feelings about sex, men, politics, popular culture, and feminism. Speaking to their own (single, educated millennial) peer group, they didnt worry much about persuasion or analytical rigor.

Soon enough, an ailing mainstream media, trying to diversify staff and desperate to grab the attention of younger readers and viewers, came calling. The bloggers moved into cubicles at the New York Times, Slate, MSNBC, the Guardian, and The New Republic. There they learned to search Google for articles from the expanding oeuvre of gender research to support the positions that they were already convinced were true. They made a formidable sorority: stylish, full of sexy bravado, and, unlike their baby boomer mothers, wholly at ease with technology. Under the auspices of the media and cultural establishment, they quoted one anothers bon mots about the patriarchy and sat on the same gender panels at the 92nd Street Y or at Yale sex weeks, where they mocked the Michele Bachmanns of the world. In the past few years, their influence has only grown, as mass-market fashion magazines like Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire have given them column space, effectively crowning them the new elite experts on womens issues.

They werent. They had heads full of academic theory and millennial angst but little life experience withand virtually no interest inmilitary wives from South Carolina or Walmart managers from Staten Island, who also happen to fall into the category women. Nor did the new luminaries or their bosses seem to notice that the latter group far outnumbered their own rarefied crowd. Luckily for them, when the 2016 election came along, it seemed designed by a goddess determined to make reality conform to their vision of it. Social media had already let loose a seething crowd of loutish young men who enjoy nothing more than taunting the popular girls; their tweets and posts, ranging from the obnoxious to the genuinely threatening, seemed to prove the worst about white male iniquity.

The election itself, pitting a credentialed feminist godmother against a rude Alpha male, was the best gift of all. The Hollywood Access tape, in which Trump could be heard boasting of grabbing womens private parts; the steady march of women who came forward to accuse Trump of abuse; the disgust of some high-level Republican women, from Ted Cruz staffer Amanda Carpenter to New Hampshire senator Kelly Ayotte: the articles could practically write themselves. And so they did: a slew of titles like Republican Women Are Done with Trump, (Politicos Katy Glueck) and Republican Women Feel Betrayed by Their Party (Slates Michelle Goldberg) popped up like so many weeds after a thunderstorm.

Still, even as Trump looked headed for defeat, the experts gender-identity politics was leading them astray. Plenty of women were not done with Trump. Thats not to say that they didnt mind the candidates locker room talk. But, not filtering all reality through the framework of patriarchy or male privilege, they didnt see it as disqualifying. Excellent women reporters like Salena Zito and Molly Ball did go to the hinterlands and listen carefully to what women there were saying, without imposing their own priors on them; they werent shocked to learn later that 92 percent of Republican women wound up voting for Trump.

But the medias anointed experts on women couldnt see it. Gender-identity politics requires its practitioners to use the oppression of women as the organizing principle for interpreting the world. All issues can be understood as a version of this Manichean strugglein the case of the 2016 election, between feminism and misogyny. Relying on a theory from Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, Goldberg argued that women were voting for Trump because they depended on their husbands and did what they were told. Both Lake and Goldberg failed to notice that glass ceiling, harassment, and even equal pay didnt rank with the main sources of working-class discontent such as jobs, the cost of health-care premiums, and terrorism.

Working-class and other Trump-leaning women, much like their male counterparts, are well aware that media elites sneer at them (when they bother thinking about them). So great is their suspicion of their self-appointed betters that instead of being appalled by Trump stories, some assumed that the stories were planted. I think this is the Clinton campaign, Karen Diehl the co-owner of a southern Ohio insurance company and sometime Republican activist told me when I asked about the lurid Trump headlines. The media wants her to win.

In the end, the gender-identity politicos assumption that they were speaking for women only served to accentuate the class, education, and geographic divide that they already personified. The elections aftermath does not suggest that theyre interested in reflecting on that divide. Instead of trying to find out why so many women failed to conform to their model of the world, they have burrowed back down into gender theory. Emily Crockett, Voxs staff writer on gender, explained Why Misogyny Won. Buzzfeeds Ann Helen Peterson lamented, This is How Much America Hates Women. As for Trump-voting women, they were obviously mindless and self-deluded. The election results reveal internalized misogyny, wrote New Yorks Rebecca Traister, a phrase repeated on MSNBC by Jess McIntosh, director of communications for Emilys List.

For pure self-delusion, no one could beat Clinton surrogate and Manhattan-raised, Oberlin-educated media darling Lena Dunham, the most famous of the gender experts. Dunham rued the white women, so unable to see the unity of female identity, so unable to look past their violent privilege, and so inoculated with hate for themselves. She continued: It wasnt supposed to go this way. It was supposed to be her [Clintons] job. She worked her whole life for the job. Its her job.

Like her comrades in gender-identity politics, the Girls creator and star doesnt know much about women, but she has a Ph.D. in privilege.

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
18DARCY-TRUMP1.jpg

President Obama said Russia is responsible for hacking DNC emails, which were then released by WikiLeaks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Should the Trump 'Thank You' tour go global with stops in Moscow, Russia and the Ecuador embassy in London, where Wikileaks' founder Julian Assange is holed up? Or should the tour just add stops at the DNC and Hillary Clinton's old campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York?

In his final press conference, President Obama reiterated what U.S. intelligence agencies had announced in September -- that Russia hacked the DNC. Yet Obama also stated that the hacking did not compromise election day voting. And he refused to say the hacking contributed to Hillary Clinton's defeat, as she has claimed.

"Based on uniform intelligence assessments, the Russians were responsible for hacking the DNC, and that as a consequence, it is important for us to review all elements of that and make sure we are preventing that kind of interference through cyber attacks in the future. That should be a bipartisan issue, that shouldn't be a partisan issue," said Obama.

Obama went through the timeline of how the story unfolded, saying the administration learned in the summer that the DNC may have been hacked. "When we had the consensus around what had happened, we announced it, not through the White House, not through me, but rather through the intelligence communities that had carried out these investigations."

"And then we allowed you,(the media) and the American public to make an assessment as to how to weigh that going into the election."

Given the climate of the race, Obama didn't want how he responded to be viewed as partisan. He also said he was concerned in particular "by potential hacking that could hamper vote counting, affect the actual election process itself."

Obama said he talked to Putin in September when he saw him in China. "We did not see further tampering of the election process. But the leaks through WikiLeaks had already occurred."

Obama defends Comey, wont say hacks led to Clinton defeat.

When asked, Obama refused to say Clinton lost because of the hacking. "I'm gonna let all the political pundits in this town have a long discussion about what happened in the election."

Obama then offered some "counsel advice to the Democratic Party", which seemed to hint at the main reason he thought Clinton lost. "Where Democrats are characterized as coastal, liberal, latte -sipping, you know politically correct, out-of-touch folks, we have to be in those communities. And I've seen that, when we are in those communities, it makes a difference. That's how I became president."

Obama was asked about Clinton once again blaming Comey for her loss, and disparaging remarks John Podesta made about the agency. "I've had a chance to know a lot of FBI agents. I know Director Comey. They take their job seriously. They work really hard. They help keep us safe and save a lot of lives."

Russia's hack of the DNC and Podesta's accounts, and WikiLeaks releasing the information, had more to do with their hatred of Hillary Clinton than their love for Donald Trump.

Putin had a grudge against Hillary Clinton because he felt she interfered with Russian elections. WikiLeak's leader Julian Assange has long despised Clinton. He views her as a secretive, interventionist hawk who is a threat to his organization and its mission.

Had there been no Russian hacks, leaks, or Comey letters, Hillary Clinton likely still would have lost. For months, before the Comey letters were sent, Clinton was either tied with Trump, or losing to him in bellwether Ohio. Long before the hack and leaks, Clinton already had high negatives for truthfulness. Her unpopularity was already well established. Clinton's biggest enemy wasn't Putin, Assange or Trump. It was herself and her campaign staff.

When the intelligence agencies first announced the Russian hacking, it was overshadowed by the Trump groping tape news that broke at the same time. And as damning as some of the DNC and Podesta emails were, I would argue they were actually underreported by media fearful of Trump winning.

It could be argued the third party candidates were more detrimental to the Clinton campaign than Putin and Assange. The vote totals for Jill Stein and Gary Johnson matched or surpassed the number of votes Clinton lost by in key states. Maybe they should be the opening act on the Trump 'Thank You' tour.
LORAIN, Ohio -- An Elyria man died after crashing into a tree Saturday afternoon in Lorain, police say.

Edward Smedley, 37, was extricated from a silver 2008 Mazda 3 by the Lorain Fire Department after the crash that happened just after 12:15 p.m. at the intersection of Cooper Foster Park Road and Orchard Hill Boulevard, according to a news release.

Smedley was driving westbound on Cooper Foster Road when the vehicle traveled off the right side of the road and hit the a tree, the release said.

The road was closed for about four hours while the scene was investigated, the release said.

The Lorain Police Traffic Bureau was assisted by the Lorain County Coroner's Office, Lorain Fire Department, Lorain Police Auxiliary and Ernie's Towing Service, the release said.

Speed appears to be a factor in the crash, the release said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The doctors told Mario Petitti his stomach problems were caused by ulcers. Or perhaps a pulled muscle. Then he started losing weight. His skin took on a yellow tinge. His urine turned dark brown.

Finally, blood tests and a PET scan revealed that Petitti, a Vietnam vet living in Seven Hills, had a rare form of bile duct cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, possibly caused by a parasite in fish he'd eaten when deployed to Vietnam.

He started chemotherapy, but the treatment was too late. At one point he told his wife, "I don't want to go on."

"But I love you," Anne Petitti protested.

"But you're not suffering," he replied.

The former soldier died on March 13, 2010, five months after his symptoms started, a month after the correct diagnosis was made.

Yet his wife, now living in Reminderville Village in Summit County, was determined to make sure her husband's death was not in vain.

She started researching the disease and created a Facebook page to provide information about cholangiocarcinoma, and warn other Vietnam vets they may be at risk. More than 200 families from across the country who have been impacted by the disease have contacted her so far.

Petitti discovered that cholangiocarcinoma is a relatively rare disease in the U.S., with only about 6,000 people (most age 65 or older) developing bile duct cancer annually, according to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation.

However, the disease affects about 35 million people globally, mostly in Asia and the Middle East where a parasitic flat worm called a liver fluke, is prevalent in fish.

Eating raw or partially cooked fish from these regions introduces the flukes to the body where they can affect the bile duct, a thin tube connecting the liver to the small intestine that carries fluids to help digest fats.

The liver fluke parasite can go undetected for decades without making its host sick. The gradual internal inflammation and scarring that it causes can lead to cancer.

Symptoms include jaundice, itchy skin, rapid weight loss, nausea, fever, chills and dark urine, but by that point the disease is usually well advanced.

Petitti said her husband once mentioned eating fish in Vietnam, even though his job repairing helicopter guns did not put him out in the field.

She noted, "You didn't have to be in the jungle to be exposed to this stuff. You didn't even have to eat the fish," if an infected fish was prepared along with other food in unsanitary conditions.

A recent Associated Press story reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has handled 700 cholangiocarcinoma patients nationally in the past 15 years.

But Petittii believes there may be far more involving patients, like her husband, who were not treated by the VA.

Dr. Charles J. Nock, a clinical oncologist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, said the facility recently handled a case of bile duct cancer, possibly caused by a liver fluke, in a patient who served in Vietnam.

"He potentially had exposure to liver flukes where he served (in Vietnam), and that should be reviewed in this case. It's a possibility. This is the first time we've come across it," Nock said. The patient is currently undergoing treatment for the cancer.

However Nock emphasized that "this is a really rare form of cancer, and a small percentage of this rare cancer is going to be attributed to liver fluke exposure. Overall, this is a very uncommon event."

He also noted that several other conditions can produce similar symptoms including pancreatic cancer, liver disease, hepatitis, bile duct stones and any sort of bile duct blockage.

The center can test for the disease using ultrasound and blood tests, according to Nock. If confirmed, chemotherapy is one recommended treatment but the prognosis is not good, with a survival rate of nine to 12 months, Nock said.

Thailand may be the epicenter of the disease, where it is the leading cancer among males over 40, and the second highest cancer among females, according to Dr. Jeffrey Bethony, a clinical researcher at George Washington University. Bethony has worked in Thailand, which regards the cancer as a public health problem.

Early intervention is the key to treating the disease, but "this cancer is very silent, and you can have it and be asymptomatic until it has reached the point where it has metastasized," Bethony said. "Patients usually report to the hospital when the cancer is quite advanced and there is little you can do."

He noted that the liver fluke parasite can withstand fermentation, but cannot survive cooking.

Berthany said that if a bile duct problem is suspected, "the easiest way to check would be to take an ultrasound test, which is non-invasive, sensitive and specific for this disease." If a possible indication of this disease is found, further tests with MRI or CAT scans can be made, he added.

Coping with the disease is only part of the battle according to Petitti.

The AP reported that 75 percent of benefit claims -- which must be shown to be service-related -- submitted by cholangiocarcinoma patients were rejected.

Petitti said that based on input she has received from other families of veterans with the disease, most claims that are initially denied are rejected for varying reasons.

These include, "he didn't show symptoms in Vietnam, one (examiner) said there were no parasites in his stool," she said. "There's so many reasons they come up with. They (vets) have to prove they ate the fish."

One of her goals is to have cholangiocarcinoma added to the VA's list of "presumptive service connected conditions," enabling disability compensation to be awarded based on the presumption that "specific disabilities diagnosed in certain veterans were caused by their military service" -- as is now the case with maladies caused by exposure to Agent Orange, and Gulf War illness.

Another objective is to encourage the VA to test for the disease, and educate Vietnam vets and their families about it.

"We want to spread the word that there are tests that can be done," she said. "It's a terminal disease, no doubt about that, but they might add a couple more years to their life, and the quality of their life."

Despite her own loss, the effort has been personally rewarding, according to Petitti.

"It felt good knowing that I could figure this out, and it felt even better knowing that by working on this and validating my husband, that some good could come out of his death and I could make sense of his death," she said.

From this point, "we're not giving up," Petitti said. "We'll be going to the VA, going to Congress. We're not going to stop until it (the disease) is recognized, no matter what we have to do."
21st ANNUAL HOMELESS STAND DOWN

Guest columnist Rose Frech urges Ohio to look inward to reform welfare.

(Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer/file photo)

Rose Frech

Guest columnist Rose Frech is a licensed social worker and Assistant College Lecturer in the School of Social Work at Cleveland State University. She serves as Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the NASW Ohio Chapter.

In late 2015, Ohio requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeking more flexibility and fewer restrictions in using its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant to connect low-income recipients with employment. The federal government created TANF 20 years ago to provide cash assistance, work supports, and other services to low-income families, and states administer their own programs.

The status of the waiver is yet to be determined, however the state should be commended for seeking innovative strategies to reform its program. The need for reform is not in question. By most accounts, Ohio's TANF program has been a failure. Data suggest that a small number of recipients leave the program due to finding employment, and despite a steep decline in beneficiaries in recent years, poverty across the state remains high. Poor families regularly lose their cash benefit after not meeting punitive program requirements, leaving too many with no source of income. Children are punished for their parent's actions and suffer the consequences of a life in poverty.

The waiver is a step in the right direction; some of the existing guidelines needlessly interfere with the programs ability to help recipients find and keep work. However, if meaningful reform is the state's goal, Ohio would be wise to look at tools already available to them. The state has the ability to improve welfare now, without permission from the federal government.

Across the country, other states administer TANF programs with features that better support poor families. This includes states that offer higher monthly cash benefits--Ohio's payments are woefully inadequate-- to better help families meet their basic needs. Furthermore, unlike Ohio, some states don't penalize the whole family if an adult recipient fails to meet program requirements, allowing a portion of the cash benefit to remain in the home to support the eligible children. Ohio may also consider using TANF funds to create a subsidized employment program. Subsidized jobs can bring well earned and much needed income into homes, and offer a significant return on investment, by helping to provide individuals with valuable experience and skills. Ohio could finance this program through the use of its millions of dollars in unspent TANF reserves.

Additionally, Ohio should consider a more compassionate approach to time limits. The program's 36-month limit on the receipt of cash benefits is far more restrictive than the federal guideline of 60 months. Time limits are, in large part, the result of political compromises struck years ago, and mean little to the realities of life for low-income families. Exceptions exist within the law to allow families to receive benefits beyond the established time limit if they continue to face hardship, however, Ohio rarely uses this as an option. Taking into account the unique needs of families before stripping a household of its benefits could help to keep fewer children from living in deep poverty.

The waiver Ohio has requested could result in important updates to the state's approach to helping job seekers. However, Ohio doesn't need to look to Washington to make meaningful changes to its welfare program. The state could further improve TANF by looking towards reforms that are already possible under the law. Ohio's leaders have the ability to reform the program to better serve poor families as they work toward self-sufficiency. They just need the will.

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Readers are invited to submit Opinion page essays on topics of regional or general interest. Send your 500-word essay for consideration to Linda Kinsey at lkinsey@cleveland.com. Essays must also include a brief bio and headshot of the writer. Essays rebutting today's topics are also welcome.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

The French aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, is expected to deliver eight planes to Iran over the next year, a senior Iranian aviation official said.

The head of state airline IranAir, Farhad Parvaresh, has said that an Airbus delegation is in Iran for talks over the deal, Tasnim news agency reported.

However, Parvaresh denied that the American counterpart, Boeing, will supply its planes to Iran in 2017.

According to the official, the first Boeing planes will arrive in Iran in April 2018.

Iranian transportation minister, Abbas Akhoundi, earlier in the day told the reporters that the Airbus deal would be reached over the current week.

Iran Air finalized a historic deal with Boeing on Dec. 11 to acquire 80 passenger planes.
"It has nothing to do with wealth or pay. It is nothing against poverty. The reason is more liberty for everyone in the 21st century," Christian Muller, the man behind the referendum that could see the Swiss government paying out 2,500 Swiss francs ($2,761) a month to everyone in Switzerland, told CNBC.

Despite having the highest wealth per adult in the world and a fairly even wealth distribution, according to the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report, Switzerland is still seeing a growing wave of discontent over income inequality and executive pay.

Muller is one of the members of a grassroots committee who collected 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for a 2,500 Swiss franc monthly basic income, paid for by the state, regardless of an individual's employment status.

A national referendum can now take place on the issue due to the Swiss legal system stating that a petition with 100,000 signatures can be taken to a vote.

(Read more: FTSE 100 executives hit by pay overhaul: Deloitte)

"It will give you liberty to decide what you want to do with your life. If you know when you're a child that you have security for your whole life, it gives you the opportunity to decide where you will choose your work," Muller told CNBC.

Muller said a basic income would allow Switzerland to adapt to the "new reality" of technological advances and jobs being moved to places like India and China by offering a safety net.

The idea of basic income is not a new one and partial versions of the scheme are running in Alaska, Brazil and India, though the money the public receive is not enough to live on for the whole year. The European Union is also in the process of collecting signatures so they can start exploring the potential for a basic income across the 28-nation bloc.

Switzerland has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world at around about 3 percent., according to figures from the state secretariat of economic affairs in Switzerland.

(Read more: Executive pay: Bonuses down, pay freezes up)



But analysts said that the discontent is coming from the squeezed middle classes whose wages have seen little upwards movement.

"The interesting thing is that in Switzerland, the lowest salaries have increased compared to other salaries, but the middle incomes have not increased. So some of the political energy is from that section of society," Pepe Egger, European analyst at IHS, told CNBC. "It is not the economic crisis that is driving this."

Executive pay has also received backlash from the Swiss public who are set to vote in another referendum on a wage cap for top bosses. Earlier this year, Novartis' outgoing chief executive, Daniel Vasella, faced massive protests over a "golden goodbye" from his employer, whereby he would be paid 72 million Swiss francs to ensure that he doesn't go work for any Novartis rivals. Following the criticism, Vasella announced that he would forgo the pay-out.

The so-called 1:12 initiative being voted on November 24 would restrict the highest salary in a Swiss company to no more than 12 times the lowest one.

Switzerland is not "immune to economic upheaval" of the kind seen by the rest of Europe and does not like a rising tide of income inequality, Guy Standing, the co-president of Basic Income Earth Network, told CNBC.

(Read more: Europe moves towards Swiss-style executive pay curbs)

"We are seeing a gradual legitimation of moves towards a universal unconditional basic income internationally because the chronic insecurity, uncertainty and indebtedness are creating growing anger," he said.

"Unless something like a move towards basic economic security for all takes place, that rage is going to intensify."

No date has been set for the referendum on basic income and details of how it could be funded are hazy.

Not everyone is convinced that this policy is going to materialise. It is unworkable and merely symbolic, Ive Marx, professor of social policy at the University of Antwerp, told CNBC.

"Much of the debate around basic income is a symbolic debate. They are in favour of having the discussion but disregard the efforts needed to make it work, such as paying for it," he said.
A prostitute faces the so-called 'sex boxes' at the opening day of Switzerland's first sex drive-in in Zurich.

Switzerland's first drive-in "sex boxes", which opened in Zurich to tackle illegal prostitution, are being hailed as a success by officials.

"After two months I can say that this guarded prostitution site is working," AFP cited Michael Herzig, director of social services for sex workers in the city, as saying.

Despite being perceived as a clean and conservative-minded city, Zurich has a burgeoning red light district. The city has struggled to fight gangs, particularly from Eastern Europe who traffic women.

The "sex boxes" equipped with an alarm button, security guards and safe sex posters, are the latest attempt to control Zurich's prostitution industry.

Customers can drive up to the sex workers, negotiate a rate, and then park in one of the garage-like boxes to have sex.

(Read more: Zurich turns to drive-in 'sex boxes' for prostitutes)



"We did not have any major problems, such as with pimps, violence or the neighborhood," Herzig said, adding that he was surprised things had gone so smoothly.

An average of 14 sex workers have used the site each day since it opened, he said. While the number was less than half of the amount of women working in Zurich's notorious red-light district, the figures show that prostitutes are welcoming the new system, Herzig said.

Sex workers have to pay $43 a year to use the facilities as well as $5.40 a night in tax to use the facility. Prostitution is legal in Switzerland, providing women have health insurance and are registered with the authorities.

Around 100 prostitutes are believed to work on the streets of Zurich, out of a total of 1,200 officially registered with the city. Others work in massage parlors and bars.

(Read more: Dirty money: The business of high-end prostitution)



Voters approved the $2.6 million project in a referendum last year.

But there are doubts over whether the scheme is as successful as the city makes out.

"Some women can't or don't want to work in this place. This situation in our opinion is not as good as the government says it is," Regula Rother who runs a drop-in center for prostitutes, told CNBC.

"They are also going to close many of the little saloons (parlors) where many other prostitutes work. Many are going to lose their jobs and we don't know where they going. I think some of them will be pushed into working illegally."
Greg Newington | Digital Vision | Getty Images

Croatia's tourist board bills it as "a small country for great holidays" and countless sun-seeking northern Europeansincluding Russian oligarch Roman Abramovichwill attest to the joys of vacationing on its stretch of the Mediterranean coast. However, the European Union (EU) newcomer suffers the same economic malaise that hampers the longer-established holiday spots of Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal. Its inefficient public sector has continued ballooning since the global financial crisis of 2008-09, while its economy languishes in recession and unemployment remains sky-high. "Being Mediterranean, we are used to having more inefficiency than in colder placesit is the effect of living in southern places," quipped Andrej Grubisic, the founder of Grubisic and Partners, a financial advisory based in the Croat capital of Zagreb. "There is a lot of warm blood and temperament and a lack of fiscal discipline." Read MoreWhat killed Croatia's EU party?

Before the crisis, the Croatian economy grew at a healthy 4-5 percent annually, incomes doubled and economic and social opportunities dramatically improved. But the European financial downturn hit the country hard and Croatia is now in its sixth year of recession, having lost over 12 percent of output, according to the World Bank. Unemployment remains stubbornly high, standing at 16.3 percent in Maythe third-highest rate in the EU and well above the average of 10.3 percent, according to official statistics. And, Croatia's youth unemployment numbers read a painfully high 48.7 percent, trumping all peers bar Spain and Greece, where over-half of under-25s are unemployed. Velimir Sonje, founder of Zagreb business advisory Arhivanalitika, blamed Croatia's economic stagnation on a long-standing lack of structural reforms, and said its problems were hidden by domestic demand expansion pre-2008. "Croatia is traditionally a relatively expensive location for production, because wages and tax burdens are relatively high. So, price competitiveness was never Croatia's forte," he told CNBC via email. In terms of international competitiveness, the former Yugoslav state was ranked 75 out of 144 countries by the World Economic Forum in both 2012 and 2013. "From the beginning of the crisis, domestic demand did not recover and structural reforms lagged behind. The business environment is very rigid and labor regulation is as well, so Croatia was not able to compensate for a lack of price competitiveness by non-price competitiveness factors (like the overall business and investment climate)," said Sonje.

Richard I'Anson | Lonely Planet Images| Getty Images |
In an attempt to distance itself from its Soviet roots, the Czech Republic is now home to some of eastern Europe's fastest-growing tech startups, but entrepreneurs warn that a lack of government support is creating a huge drag on the sector's future.



Some 80 percent of Czech exports end up in the European Union according to the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, and a growing part of these are now tech-related.

In 2012, the Czech Republic became a net exporter of technology and digital related products for this first time, and its very close trade ties with Germany have been an integral in establishing its reputation as a technology hub, the joint CEO of CEE Stock Exchange Group, Petr Koblic told CNBC.

Read More Eastern Europe fights off sanctions 'chill'



"We are not exporting bread, it is much more sophisticated than that," he said.

"Czech Republic and Germany work very closely. We are not exporting goods that end up in German supermarkets  but much more in industry and technology. There is a flow of goods between both countries and many companies have plants on both sides of the border, we are very interconnected," Koblic added.

Logic Point, a business and technology consulting firm that helps companies integrate new technology and social media, was recently named the fastest growing technology company in Czech Republic by Deloitte, based on the group's revenue growth.

"There is a huge price war here in the Czech Republic, because there are quite a few suppliers of software," group CEO Stefan Fillibeck told CNBC, adding that the Czech Republic had carved a niche for itself an as "agile" technology developer, with talented programming and software developer graduates.

Read More Czech central banker: We need ECB easing



The Czech Republic benefits from universities with strong maths, engineering and information technology faculties dating back to its communist era, when the Soviet Union was mindful of the skills needed to the fight the Cold War. One such institution is Prague based Charles University, one of the oldest universities in the Europe which now has an internationally recognised reputation in information technology.

"Here we have a quite an education level, there are several tech universities here and very creative people, not bound in that old fashioned way, so we are doing software development in a very different way to how it is being done in Germany," he added.

"In Germany it is very hard to convince companies to work in that agile kind of project framework," he added.

But the vice president of Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, Radek Spicar said Czech startups are still struggling with a huge lack of support from the government.

Spicar said information and communication technology (ICT) government policies in particular are a real problem, as is the severe lack of government investment.

"Policy is definitely compromising growth. I spoke to a CEO of Czech startup and a recent panel and his words were 'if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,'" he added.




Civil strife and terrorism in Yemen could pose a greater threat to the Gulf countries of the Middle East than tumbling oil prices, a major bank said on Tuesday.

"We can't help but think that the turmoil in Yemen is the emerging and underappreciated risk for investors in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) stocks," said Citi analysts Josh Levin and Rahul Bajaj in a research note distributed from London on Tuesday.



Houthi rebels take security measures with tanks around the parliament in Sanaa, Yemen, in February 2015. Mohammed Hamoud | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Despite worries about Islamic insurgency and destabilization in the Middle East and North Africa, investors in the oil-exporting GCC countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have focused on the potential hit from the slump in energy prices, with crude oil down around 50 percent since a peak in June 2014.

Read MoreOil collapse will hit the Gulf, but don't panic

However, Levin and Bajaj said that increasing strife in Yemenwhich borders Saudi Arabia to the south and Oman to the west could be an "underappreciated risk" to the GCC. "One of the key takeaways from our GCC trip in early February came from an executive in Qatar who observed that while most people are focused on the price of oil, the recent instability in Yemen posed a greater and underappreciated risk to the GCC. Recent events appear to bear out this executive's observation," they said on Tuesday.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras leave after a statement at the chancellery in Berlin on Dec. 16, 2016.

Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has locked horns with Germany's Angela Merkel amid an argument about a Christmas bonus payment for poor Greek pensioners in December. On Friday he visited Berlin to discuss the matter, but no progress was made.

The plan triggered euro zone lenders to suspend a new debt-relief deal. On Wednesday they halted 45 billion euro ($47.7 billion) in short-term debt relief to help the indebted country, which is suffering from a deep recession and high unemployment. In response, the Athens stock market fell sharply.

Freezing the flow of funds to Greece now threatens to trigger a renewed flare-up of the Greek debt crisis and would create a further test for the cohesion of Europe. The debt relief was intended to shore up liquidity.

Just as worrisome is that it precludes Greece from participating in the EU's quantitative easing program.

The harsh move by the EU came after Tsipras announced last week that 617 million euro ($654) will be distributed to 1.6 million low-income pensioners as emergency support. Currently, 1.2 million Greek pensioners live below the poverty level.

Tsipras told reporters before the meeting with Merkel that he would emphasize the "spectacular overachievement" Greece made on revenue targets. As he explained, "We want to heal the wounds of the crisis and help those who have made great sacrifices." He noted that the projections for the Greek economy are 2.7 percent growth in 2017 and 3.1 percent in 2018.

Greece infuriated Germany after announcing and legislating a one-off pre-Christmas payout for low-income pensioners without being consulted. It has asked the institutions involved in Greece's aid program  the IMF, European Central Bank and the ESM  to assess whether Tsipras' actions are compatible with its EU bailout obligations.

At a joint press conference, Merkel reiterated that decisions on the Greek bailout program lay in the hands of these institutions and the Eurogroup.
Twitter was the first big tech company to say it would refuse to hand over data to help the United States government build a registry president-elect Donald Trump has described that would be used specifically to track Muslim-Americans, The Intercept reported two weeks ago.

(L to R) Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Larry Page, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, President-elect Donald Trump, during a meeting of technology executives at Trump Tower, Dec. 14, 2016 in New York.

As of Friday, companies including Facebook , Apple , Google , IBM , Uber and Microsoft have all chimed in to likewise refuse to hand over data to help build a database that would profile Muslim-Americans, according to reports from BuzzFeed.

Trump's potential plan to create a registry of Muslim-Americans was a topic that surfaced repeatedly on the campaign trail. And, unlike many of Trump's campaign promises, this one may actually be on the table. Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a member of Trump's transition team, said that after the election, Trump's policy advisors began discussing a proposal to build the registry.

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Who said what inside the Trump tech meeting: Immigration, paid maternity leave and becoming the 'software president'

Net neutrality faces extinction under Trump



Oracle and Amazon, two companies that specialize in database services, haven't clarified whether they will participate. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty offered her company's services to the incoming administration a week after Trump won, in a letter congratulating him on the election results.

On Wednesday, executives from some of the most well-known technology companies in America met at Trump's Manhattan skyscraper for a private meeting with the president-elect.

Oracle CEO Safra Catz joined Trump's transition team this week, as did Uber CEO Travis Kalanick and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Trump has promised to be heavy on surveillance, which has long required the cooperation of technology companies that collect user data to provide services and sell ads. Companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google get so many requests for user data from the government and law enforcement that they voluntarily publish regular transparency reports to detail, in broad figures, how these requests are made and fulfilled.

On Tuesday, Google shared eight National Security Letters that reveal government demands for user data. Google wasn't allowed to share, or even mention, that it receives such letters until earlier this year, when the company announced that a gag order on a letter it previously received had been lifted  gag orders otherwise keep National Security Letters classified interminably. Yahoo also published three National Security Letters in June.

Twitter, the one major tech company noticeably absent from Trump's tech summit, has long had an anti-surveillance rule. Earlier this year, Twitter shut off access to at least two different companies that were providing surveillance services to U.S. law enforcement efforts.

Facebook clarified its stance on building a Muslim registry on Tuesday, the day before Trump's executive tech summit, and two days before Joel Kaplan, Facebook's vice president for U.S. public policy, was spotted heading to a meeting at Trump Tower, Gizmodo reported.

Before Trump's tech meetup, engineers, executives and tech employees, many from major Silicon Valley firms, signed on to a letter pledging to refuse to build a database of people based on religious beliefs. More than 2,000 people have now signed the pledge.

By April Glaser, Re/code.net.



CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.


Elon Musk took to Twitter early this morning to sketch out a new plan to disrupt traffic on American roadways by digging tunnels underground to circumvent congestion.

Specifically, Musk wants to open The Boring Company, which he says will actually happen. In a series of four tweets, Musk didn't reveal exactly how he would do this without causing even more traffic, since that's what happens with construction projects.

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Pokemon Go for the Apple Watch is not canceled

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The UN has decided to tackle the issue of killer robots in 2017

There's a chance Musk was just venting his frustration out loud on Twitter this morning. He's one of the only people where it's equally possible he's just making a corny joke or actually scheming an earth-moving infrastructure plan. But now that Musk joined Trump's advisory team, it's worth taking what he says seriously.

And the serial entrepreneur did update his Twitter bio to read, "Tesla, SpaceX, Tunnels (yes, tunnels) & OpenAI."
Trump's roster of agency heads and advisers conspicuously lacks intellectuals, lawyers, and academics of the sort sought by some past presidents. In their place are titans of business and finance from the likes of Exxon Mobil and Goldman Sachs and no fewer than three retired generals in key positions.

Trump, who says Washington is "broken" and controlled by special interests, has largely eschewed technocrats with long government experience. Instead, he has built a team of bosses.

With more than 20 nominees now selected, Donald Trump's cabinet appears much like the president-elect himself: mostly older, white males, many of them wealthy, who see themselves as risk-takers and deal-makers and prize action over deliberation.

Many of them are people used to getting their way but will now have a boss to answer to  Trump  while navigating the sometimes frustrating and sprawling bureaucracy of the U.S. government. The incoming Trump administration is poised to undo as much of President Barack Obama's accomplishments as possible, while also attempting to advance a conservative policy agenda in areas such as taxes and healthcare.

A former senior U.S. official who knows Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon Mobil CEO who is Trump's nominee for secretary of State, and Marine General James Mattis, Trump's pick for Defense secretary, predicted a massive clash of egos in the cabinet.



Tillerson and Mattis are "accustomed to dominating whatever space they find themselves in, and that probably will now include the Situation Room and even the Oval Office."



Trump's transition team has said the cabinet is intended to be a mix of experienced Washington hands and newcomers. But former presidents who brought in outside blood have at times seen political neophytes make costly errors, experts said.



Of the 21 cabinet members and White House advisers chosen to date by Trump, 16 are white men. There are four women, none of whom hold what might be considered a top-tier agency post. There is one African-American, one Asian-American and one Indian-American. There are no Hispanics.



Like the real-estate magnate who chose them, several have no government experience. Others have been hostile toward the agencies they will lead if the U.S. Senate confirms them early next year.



Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University, said Trump is building a cabinet in his own image: blunt-talkers with real-world experience.



"Surrounding yourself with military guys and money guys sends a certain message," Zelizer said. "A certain kind of cutthroat aggressive dealmaker is how [Trump] imagines himself to be."

Obama, who leaves office in January, relied on experienced hands to form his cabinet in 2008. He named his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton, as his secretary of state. Robert Gates, who served the previous administration, remained at the Pentagon, and Obama made longtime Justice Department official Eric Holder attorney general.



Some of Trump's picks do have similar experience, and he has packed his on-the-ground transition teams at various agencies with government veterans and ex-lobbyists, a Reuters review found earlier this month.



New challenges

The newcomers to Washington will rise to the administrative challenge, said those who know them.

Republican Representative Tom Price, Trump's choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, is "decisive by nature," said fellow Republican lawmaker Tom Cole. He credited Price's career as a surgeon, which is also the former profession of Ben Carson, Trump's choice for secretary of Housing and Urban Development.



Carson, said Henry Brem, a neurosurgeon who worked with Carson at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, has a "cool head" and is unafraid to give strong opinions. "He's a gentleman, he speaks his mind, he has great ideas  and nobody in the world intimidates him," he said.



Rick Perry, Trump's choice for Energy secretary, served three terms as governor of Texas and had to "balance a very conservative and increasingly ideological grassroots (support base) with a very influential business community," said James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.



Whether he can do that do that in a bureaucratic setting, in an environment as competitive as a cabinet with a lot of obviously large egos, I think is another question," Henson said.



Several of Trump's picks have never held any sort of government post and have little, if any, background in policy-making, including Tillerson, Treasury nominee Steven Mnuchin, a Goldman Sachs alumnus, Commerce pick Wilbur Ross, a billionaire investor, and Gary Cohn, the Goldman Sachs executive who would chair Trump's economic council.

In 2008, Mnuchin purchased IndyMac, a lender that failed during the financial crisis and helped transform it into OneWest, now a thriving retail bank in southern California.

Kevin Kelly, a managing partner at Recon Capital Partners, an investment firm in Stamford, Connecticut, said that kind of real-world savvy could make government more effective.

Those with high-level corporate experience are used to having to please shareholders, board members, employees, and the community, Kelly said. "It takes a very precise and dedicated person to deliver across those constituencies."

Too much disruption?

The outsider approach hasn't always worked. In 2001, President George W. Bush's Treasury secretary, Paul O'Neill, the former chief executive of aluminum producer Alcoa , rattled markets with a series of careless remarks that seemed to herald economic policy shifts that differed with the White House's stance. He ultimately was fired.

"Management of large, public agencies is really difficult and requires bringing in experienced and knowledgeable people and working in ways that doesn't alienate people," said Thomas Mann, an expert on governance at the Brookings Institution.

Anthony Scaramucci, an adviser to the Trump transition, has acknowledged that too much inexperience could be harmful to Trump's young administration.

"Washington is a very healthy immunological system," he said. "You'll see a full-blown organ rejection if you put too many status-quo disruptors in Washington."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called on the members of the P5+1 group of countries to fulfill their commitments regarding the last years milestone nuclear deal.

President Rouhani criticized a US decision on renewing the existing sanctions against Iran, saying the congressional decision was against the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/ nuclear deal), the presidents official news website reported.

Speaking at a meeting with Yukiya Amano, the head of UN nuclear watchdog body, in Tehran, Rouhani warned that Iran will continue to honor the nuclear deal as long as other signatories of the accord keep committed to the deal.

The US Senate passed a 10-year extension of the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) on December 1.

The Iranian president further called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to contribute to the Islamic Republics plans to make nuclear propulsion device.

Earlier on Dec 13, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to plan work on nuclear propulsion devices to be used in sea transport in response to the US violation of the last years nuclear deal.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Yukiya Amano has arrived in Tehran to hold meetings over the implementation of last years nuclear agreement between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of world countries.
Dec. 17, 2016

 The life of John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, was celebrated at a public memorial service Saturday (Dec. 17), at Ohio State University in Columbus.



Glenn, who died on Dec. 8 at age 95, was remembered by his family, his friends and by colleagues from his careers as a Marine Corps pilot, original NASA astronaut, four term U.S. Senator and adjunct professor at the college bearing his name. The ceremony followed a Marine-led procession from the statehouse, where he was only the ninth person to lay in repose in Ohio's history.





"There are those here today who have known Sen. Glenn for 60, 70 or even 90 years, but most of us knew him long before actually met him," said Michael Drake, president of Ohio State University, home to the John Glenn College of Public Affairs since 2006. "We knew [Glenn] though news reports and flickering images of events that were among the most spectacular that we have ever witnessed."



A record-setting test pilot and veteran of two wars, Glenn was selected to be among NASA's first seven astronauts in April 1959 and launched into orbit on board the Mercury spacecraft Friendship 7 on Feb. 20, 1962. He returned to space 36 years later aboard the shuttle Discovery, setting the record for the oldest person to fly in space.



"Our nation was proud of the achievement, and proud of our brave and dashing hero," stated Drake. "But more than that, we cared about him personally. We prayed for him personally, for his family, his happiness and for his safety. The mission captured our minds, but John Glenn won our hearts."



"'He came out of the heart of the country, and he stole America's heart,'" said Vice President Joe Biden, repeating the words that Secretary of State John Kerry told to him to describe Glenn. "He gave what I think is probably the best description of John Glenn I've ever heard, and I knew John for 40 years."







Vice President Joe Biden smiles and looks at Annie Glenn, widow of former astronaut and Senator John Glenn, as Glenn's son David recounts humorous stories about his father. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

"I think John defined what it meant to be America, what it meant to be an American [and] what we were about, just by how he acted," said Biden. "[He had] always a belief in tomorrow."



"When the Marines play 'Taps' on the bugle at Arlington [National Cemetery] for our friend, we can look deep into the heavens and know with certitude that John believed it was right, that future generations of Americans will look deep within the heavens and understand how to explore, how to serve, how to love."



"They will come to understand that if we are looking for a message to send about our time here on Earth or what it means to be an American, it is the life of John Glenn, and that is not hyperbole," Biden said. "God bless you, John."



Amid psalms and prayers, choir performances and video clips featuring Glenn describing his own life's experiences, those who knew him well recalled his legacy.







Director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey speaks during the memorial service celebrating the life of former astronaut John Glenn. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

"He invited us up to his level, where we discovered what an American could do," said retired Marine Corps General Jack Dailey, director of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. "He once said that he had been a Marine 23 years and it just wasn't enough. We had John for 95 great years and it still wasn't enough."



"Colonel John Glenn has made his last takeoff and he'll be missed, but never forgotten," Dailey said.



"It's fitting that this day we also mark the 113th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight," stated NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, a former space shuttle-era astronaut. "Just as John advanced the frontiers of aviation, so too we will follow his legacy to us  to travel farther in space."



"John made us look up, not only to the sky thinking that we might actually be able to see him up there, but toward the higher purpose that we, as a country, are always striving to achieve," said Bolden.







Son of the late John Glenn, David Glenn, speaks about his father, as his sister Lyn looks on at the service. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The two-hour ceremony concluded with remembrances by Glenn's son and daughter, David and Carolyn ("Lyn"), as their mother and Glenn's wife of 73 years, Annie, looked on from the auditorium's front row.



"We really were not ready to say goodbye to him yet," said David Glenn. "His mind was sharp as a tack but his body was failing him and this had to be."



"Folks from around the world [and] from all walks of life remember and honor you, dad," said Lyn Glenn. "You lived many lives in one life  with honesty, grace, belief in our country and the honor of public service."



"I am proud and so grateful to say you're just my dad," she concluded. "Thank you dad, I love you. Godspeed, dad."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian atomic chief has said that the Islamic Republic will not violate the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA/nuclear) unless the westerners breach it.

We will not break our promises [nuclear deal], unless the opposite party does it, Tasnim news agency quoted Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) as saying at a joint press conference with Yukiya Amano, the head of UN nuclear watchdog body, in Tehran.

He also added that his country is capable of producing a proper reaction.

Briefing the journalists at his meeting with Amano this morning, the Iranian chief said that the sides have reviewed the existing ties and discussed the Islamic Republics activities on heavy water, enriching uranium, as well as research and development (R&D).

He further denied rumors suggesting that Amano is in Tehran to convey a US message, adding that the sides have exchanged views on Irans decision to make nuclear propulsion devices during the meeting this morning.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that Yukiya Amano has arrived in Tehran to hold meetings over the implementation of last years nuclear agreement between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group of world countries.

Earlier on Dec 13, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to plan work on nuclear propulsion devices to be used in sea transport in response to the US violation of the last years nuclear deal.
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 18

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to launch a regional tour to three post-soviet states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia on Dec 21.

Parviz Esmaeili, deputy for communications and information at the presidents office, has said that Hassan Rouhani is due in in Armenia's capital, Yerevan, on December 21, on the first leg of the regional tour, ISNA news agency reported.

According to the report, several documents on cooperation between the two countries are expected to be inked during the one-day visit. In the meantime, traders from both countries will attend a conference discussing trade ties.

Kazakhstan's capital of Astana will be the Iranian presidents second destination where he is scheduled to meet the Kazakh counterpart and hold a joint press confreres with him.

During the one-day visit the presidents are slated to ink documents on expansion of bilateral cooperation.

On the final leg, Rouhani is expected to arrive in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, in the evening on Dec. 22.
16:10 (GMT+4) Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Sunday that killed up to 49 Yemeni soldiers in the southern port city of Aden, the group said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Islamic State said more than 70 "apostates" were killed in the attack carried out by a suicide bomber it identified as Abu Hashem al-Radfani.

13:01 (GMT+4) Sunday's suicide bombing in the Yemeni port city of Aden has left 42 people dead, a local security source told Sputnik on Sunday.

Dozens more were wounded, according to the source.

Some reports said at least 30 people, mostly soldiers, had been killed when a suicide bomber immersed himself in a gathering of service personnel at the Solban military base.

No additional details of the attack were provided.

10:10 (GMT+4) A suicide bomber killed at least 30 Yemeni soldiers on Sunday when he detonated his explosives at a gathering in the southern city of Aden, military officials and medics said, France Press reported.

Many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of soldiers gathered to collect their salaries at a base in northeastern Aden, the sources said.

The attacker immersed himself among the soldiers at Al-Solban base, in Al-Arish district, a military official said.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing in Aden claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have for months pressed a campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the war-torn country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoids "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Arab coalition intervened after Huthi rebels allied with troops loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.
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On December 9, 2016 we first learned of a command injection vulnerability in some Netgear routers. In the worst case, simply viewing a malicious web page could result in your router being hacked. What follows is a recap and expansion of the issue, along with the latest developments. Then, some Defensive Computing suggestions for protecting a router.

Netgear is communicating via their Security Advisory for VU 582384. It has been updated many times since it was initially published and should have the latest information.

To date, the company has confirmed that 11 router models are vulnerable. You might think that enough time has passed for this list to be final, but the advisory still says "NETGEAR is continuing to review our entire portfolio for other routers that might be affected by this vulnerability."

Initially, Netgear issued beta firmware for all the vulnerable models, and it currently has fully-debugged, production firmware for three models. The beta software was, apparently, flawed, the advisory says "If you do not upgrade your firmware to the production version, the potential for this command injection vulnerability remains."

Netgear has pledged to fix every vulnerable router. This is not always true with routers, many vendors have, at times, not patched known vulnerabilities when a router was deemed too old (End of Life is the official term for "too old").

Netgear has been publicly dinged for ignoring the initial report of this vulnerability. However, the person who found the problem, who goes by AceW0rm, only emailed Netgear once. That's it, one single email message on August 25, 2016. A couple days ago, he tweeted that Netgear told him they simply missed his email.

We can't know if this is true, but anyone who has ever dealt with a large bureaucracy realizes how likely it is. Sending one single email to a large company and expecting a response, strikes me as unrealistic. It's not clear if CERT ever tried to contact Netgear before they published their warning to turn off Netgear routers.

In the first few days, a number of commands were suggested that let Netgear owners test if their router was vulnerable. The best, came from Heise in Germany. Not only is their suggestion the least impactful on the router, Heise was the only one to offer a screen shot of what a bad response looks like. Their suggestion, in English, was

http://www.routerlogin.net/cgi-bin/;echo$IFS'Vulnerable'

If this results in a web page with the word "Vulnerable", the router is vulnerable.

Note that all the suggested tests have to be run from a LAN-side device. You can not use them to test your parents' router without visiting Mom and Dad, or, remotely controlling one of their computers.

Netgear routers support alternate firmware, DD-WRT. The current flaw should not affect DD-WRT. Any more, that is. This flaw was reported in DD-WRT back in July 2009.

A temporary work-around, shown below, kills the vulnerable web interface of the router. It was suggested by Bas van Schaik and Netgear, for whatever reason, never commented on it at all.

http://www.routerlogin.net/cgi-bin/;killall$IFS'httpd'

Note that the quotes around "http" must be straight rather than slanted.

To verify that the web interface is truly offline, simply navigate to www.routerlogin.net and hope that it fails. This is a temporary fix, re-booting the router restores things back to normal.

Malicious JavaScript attacking a router, as we saw in this case, is a well worn attack vector. So much so, that I devoted a page on my RouterSecurity.org site to using a non-standard subnet on the Local Area Network.

But that is insufficient as bad guys can learn the LAN side IP address of the computer that loaded the malicious web page. Since most routers have an IP address that ends in 1 (i.e. 192.168.1.1 for example) it gives the bad guys a target to aim at. That is, if the computers IP address is 192.168.0.22, then it is likely that the router on that network is 192.168.0.1.

So, don't do that. Many, if not most, routers can be re-configured to use a different LAN side IP address.

And, there are other defenses too against JavaScript based router attacks.

For example, there is no need to use standard TCP/IP ports when logging on to the web interface of a router. That is, rather than logging in with

http://www.routerlogin.net

many routers let you login with

http://www.routerlogin.net:9999

where 9999 is an alternate port chosen specifically to make this type of attack harder. Sadly, Netgear routers do not allow you to specify alternate ports.

Then too, every computing device on a network does not have to be allowed access to the router. There are a number of ways to prevent this: VLANs, guest networks (maybe), limiting access by IP address, by MAC address or to Ethernet connected devices.

Different routers offer different options, however not one of these came up in regard to this Netgear problem, so my guess is that Netgear doesn't offer any of these protections (I don't have access to a vulnerable Netgear router so I can't confirm this).

Finally, Netgear has a Security Advisory Newsletter, that they claim sends announcements once a month. This is wrong, announcements need to be sent on an as needed basis. I signed up for the newsletter and there was no email about the release of beta firmware or about the production firmware for the first three models. I don't know if Netgear contacted people who registered their routers.

THE BIG LESSON

Taking a step back, it is important to see the big picture here.

Netgear, and most other consumer oriented routers, are simply not appropriate for most people. While they may be a step up from an ISP-issued router (usually the worst option), they suffer from a flaw worse than any single security issue - updating the firmware.

It's a safe bet that the vast majority of router owners are not keeping tabs on firmware releases. Nor should they have to.

Manually updating router firmware is a tradition that needs to be retired. Non techies need routers that self-update. Don't ask, don't tell, just update. Like Chromebooks.

Some routers that can update themselves are the Google OnHubs, Google Wifi, Eero, Luma, Netgear's own Orbi, the Synology RT1900ac, the Starry Station, the Turris Omnia and some Linksys and FRITZ!Box models.

I can't see a case for giving any router that requires manual firmware updates to a non-techie. That should be the lesson from this Netgear security vulnerability.

FEEDBACK

Now that Computerworld, and all of parent company IDG's websites, have eliminated user comments, you can get in touch with me privately by email at my full name at Gmail. Public comments can be directed to me on twitter at @defensivecomput
Even in the darkest moments of his ill-fated leadership, its difficult to imagine Iain Duncan Smith being treated nearly so brutally by the Tory left as was Jeremy Corbyn by his MPs on Tuesday night.

According to the Mail on Sunday the Labour leader attended a karaoke party which he hoped would restore harmony with backbench critics. Instead several took the opportunity to humiliate him (and dont seem to have managed to harmonise in that, if the video is any indication).

Mike Gapes sang Back to the USSR whilst Mary Glindon opted for Like a Virgin  a dig at Corbyns backfired publicity stunt about failing to find a train seat.

Perhaps most tellingly dozens of MPs joined Ruth Smeeth  who received anti-Semitic abuse at the launch of Corbyns anti-Semitism report  for a rousing rendition of Things Can Only Get Better, Tony Blairs 1997 election anthem. Long before the end of the evening the leader, John McDonnell, and other allies had walked out  or exited amidst jeers, as the Mail on Sunday has it  but apparently Tom Watson stayed on.

Its not exactly a secret that Labour MPs are sick to the back teeth of Corbyn by now, but theres still something extraordinary about this sort of conduct.

It shatters any veneer of party unity, such as might be sought by those who want to avoid Corbyn scapegoating the moderates when he fails, but isnt any sort of organised, effective rebellion. It makes the party look simply unprofessional, and suggests not so much desperation as resignation.

Labour is in dire straits. Between Brexit and Scottish independence politics is reorienting around constitutional issues on which the party has no distinctive position, and all available evidence suggests it is marching towards a truly frightening electoral reckoning. A lot of these problems predate Corbyn. We wrote in May 2015 that:

It is hard to imagine how a single Labour candidate or strategy could at once maintain their position in London, advance against the Conservatives in the South, shore up the North and Wales, and start to fight back in Scotland.

Nonetheless, it can certainly be argued that by failing to properly mobilise Labour behind Remain, and thus possibly handing Leave the Brexit referendum, the hapless Labour leader is to blame for transforming his partys chronic, long-term challenges into an acute crisis which hes incapable of meeting.

It was that failure in the referendum which finally pushed furious Labour MPs to try to unseat him this summer, an ill-planned, furious spasm of an insurrection which culminated in Owen Smiths hopeless challenge and a renewed mandate for Corbyn.

Hence, perhaps, the willingness to humiliate their leader exhibited by so many Labour MPs on Tuesday night. They know what a horrible position their party is in, but they cant do anything about it whilst Corbyn is in post  and they cant do anything about Corbyn, save to assail him with old songs.
Sajid Javid is too fly to fall for the myth that there is an inextricable link between not speaking English and practising Islamist terror. But he grasps a truth that the recent Casey Report spells out  namely, that there is a connection between it and cultural isolation. A means of beginning to lessen that isolation, as recommended in that report, is that an oath be sworn by new arrivals.

There are plenty of criticisms to be made of the proposal. One is that such public oath-swearing is unBritish, since Britishness itself is a web of shared assumptions and understandings, and such a subtle mesh cannot suddenly be spun out of a oath. Another is that most of those who need to swear it arent coming from abroad at all. They already live here. Another still is there would presumably be no punishment for breaking it.

A sharper one is that much depends not on form, but content. What would be the words of such an oath? What would it be to? An oath to Queen and country would be one thing. One to British values would be quite another. This is because they do not exist  or, rather, because there is no value which is distinctly British (as Javid seems to acknowledge in his piece). Americans, say, also value freedom. Germans also value democracy  perhaps all the more so for having been deprived of it within living memory.

Slovenians also value the rights of women. And so on and so forth. There is danger that such an oath decays into a litany of political correctness. That would be a problem not only for, say, Muslims but also for Christians  and indeed for anyone with common sense. An oath is made of words, says Thomas More in A Man For All Seasons. We want to know what the words of such an oath would be.

Javid is also sharp enough to know that one must lead by example. So he proposes today in the Sunday Times that the oath first be made by public office-holders  another Casey recommendation. With his background as the son of a Pakistani-origin bus driver, the Communities Secretary has a special interest in these matters. We hope it travels far enough for him be able to answer our question.
Saudi Arabia and the United States on Sunday played down media reports that Washington had decided to limit military support, including planned arms sales to the kingdom, over its war in Yemen, Reuters reported.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that Riyadh had not been officially informed of such decisions, which he described as contradicting the reality, while visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested the issue related more to a long procurement process than restrictions on military support.

U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties.

Yemen's 20-month-old war has killed more than 10,000 people and triggered humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula.

Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate.

"The kingdom has received nothing official from the American government in this regard," he said in answer to a question on reported delays of U.S. weapons supplies.

Kerry appeared to play down the reports of delays to weapons supplies, suggesting procurement was often a slow process, and adding he had worked hard to move sales "forward".
LONG SAULT, Ontario  The Long Sault community hosted a night of Christmas wagon rides on Dec. 17th to gear up for the holiday season.

This event is hosted annually by a group of Long Sault residence called the Sault Crew, a group of people from the community that put-on events such as the wagon ride and many others through out the year. For no cost, families could go on to the wagon and be driven around the community to see all the lights and decorations for Christmas.

Also, Long Sault is having a vote on best decorated house, which is chosen by the people that attended the event. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize and the runner-up will receive a $50 cash prize.

The Sault Crew not only does these events to get the community in to the holiday spirit, they also do events to support people in the area. Adam Beehler, one of the organizers said, We do things in the community to help people in need, like donate to Hospice or Baldwin House. Right now it is Save South Stormont Schools. Anyone who participated could donate to an effort to keep the schools of South Stormont open, against the plan of the school board.

In coming years, The Sault Crew plans on purchasing another wagon in order to keep up with the growing attendance of the event.
Russian special forces shot dead seven militants in Chechnya in southern Russia after an attack on police officers the previous night, Reuters reported.

Agencies cited Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov as saying seven militants had been killed during a special operation on the edge of Grozny, the capital. A further four militants had been detained, three of whom had been wounded, he said.

Russian news agencies reported earlier that the militants had attacked a policeman on Saturday night, seized his car, and run over another policeman who tried to stop the vehicle. The Interfax agency said the militants had opened fired on police when confronted on Sunday.

One policeman had been killed in the shoot-out, the TASS agency and state Rossiya-24 TV channel reported.
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One day, while he was training three Iraqi programmers and a systems analyst, somebody formally introduced the shit to the fan. Peter recalled:

"Someone called the systems analyst out, which was odd. Maybe he got called away, I don't know ... I was training the programmers I think in Crystal Reports ... and all of a sudden I heard someone shout 'get down'."

And then, suddenly, Peter's life went from this ...

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... to a scene from Homeland. And to make it worse: The people shouting and waving guns around were actual police officers.

"And everyone stood up ... so I stood up also. Unfortunately when I stood up it put me next to the door ... when the door opened, there was a police officer from the Ministry Of Interior there. I recognized his uniform straightaway ... What I remember most, was actually a machine gun pointed STRAIGHT at my groin. I put my hands up. He says come on. I step outside ... and the place is awash with Iraqi police officers, probably about a hundred. He led me to the entrance ... and I saw the leader of my British security team being beaten up by five Iraqi police officers."

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Peter is adamant that these were not terrorists dressed as Iraqi police: they were Iraqi police, moonlighting as terrorists. And they were beating the shit out of the badass combat veteran protecting Peter.
The evacuation of the rebel-held enclave of east Aleppo resumed late on Sunday night after three days of delays, a U.N. official in Syria told Reuters.

"Evacuations are on. Buses and ambulances are leaving east Aleppo now," the U.N. official said in an email message, adding that the first people left east Aleppo at around 11 p.m. (4 p.m. ET).

The official had no immediate information about a planned simultaneous operation to evacuate people from two Shi'ite villages near Idlib that are besieged by mostly Sunni rebel forces.
Cookies are all about sharing.

Thats what master baker Dorie Greenspan believes and thats what she did for the thousands of customers of her late and much-lamented shop, Beurre & Sel, in downtown Manhattans Essex Market.

People still stop me on the street to say that they got our cookies as a gift  they remember it fondly, Greenspan says of the snug store that opened in 2012 and closed 15 months later, much to the consternation of New York City foodies.

I told everyone, One day Ill write a book and all the recipes will be in it so you can make them yourself, the James Beard Award-winning writer adds of the recently published Dories Cookies, a mammoth Houghton Mifflin Harcourt tome that has been three years in the making.

No one bakes for themselves alone, so when we choose to bake, we do it to share, Greenspan says of the special relationship between cookies and Christmas.

The author divides her time between New York City, Paris and a Connecticut home in Westbrook.

The holiday season is marked by cookie swaps for many bakers. In some families, old-time treats like pfefferneusse summon up nostalgia for relatives who once supplied whole clans with all of the Christmas cookies they could eat. My great-aunt Viola has been gone for 15 years, but I still miss the tin of baked treasures (including pfefferneusse) that she would give to every member of my extended family.

More Information Pfefferneusse cookies Makes about 40 cookies For the cookies 2 cups (272 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  teaspoon fine sea salt  teaspoon freshly ground pepper (black or white)  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg  teaspoon ground cloves  teaspoon ground cardamom  teaspoon dry mustard, such as Colman's  teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 23 cup (134 grams) sugar Finely grated zest of 2 tangerines or clementines, 1 orange or 1 lemon  stick (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces; 85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature 2 large eggs, at room temperature  cup (60 grams) finely chopped pecans (toasted if desired) Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, if you're not glazing the cookies For the glaze (optional) 3 ounces (85 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped  teaspoon ground espresso beans or  teaspoon instant espresso 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature Peppercorns in a grinder, for dusting (optional) Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. To make the cookies: Whisk the flour, all the spices, the baking powder and the baking soda together. Put the sugar and zest in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl in which you can use a hand mixer. Reach in and use your fingertips to rub and mix the ingredients together until the sugar is moist and aromatic. If using a stand mixer, fit it with the paddle attachment. Add the butter to the bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each one goes in. The mixture might look curdled - if so, ignore it. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula, turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients all at once and pulse a few times to start the blending. Then mix on low speed until most of the flour is incorporated. Add the chopped nuts and mix only until the dry ingredients have disappeared into the dough. Give the dough a few good turns with the spatula to make certain that everything is blended. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out level portions of dough or use a teaspoon to get rounded spoonfuls. Shape each mound of dough into a ball between your palms and place onto the baking sheets about 1 inches apart (these puff but don't spread much). Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to a gentle squeeze, puffed, cracked, light beige on top and golden brown on the bottom. Transfer the sheets to racks. If you're going to dust the cookies with sugar, allow them to rest for 10 minutes, dust them and transfer them to the racks to cool completely. If you're going to glaze the cookies, let them cool completely on the sheets. To make the glaze and finish the cookies (optional): Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (the water shouldn't touch the bottom of the bowl), toss in the chocolate and espresso and heat, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Or do this in a microwave oven. Remove the bowl from the pan, add the butter and stir to blend. One by one, dip the tops of the cookies into the chocolate and then, if you'd like, give each a grind of pepper while the chocolate is still wet. Return the cookies to the racks and let the glaze set. Unless your room is very warm, the glaze will set in about 20 minutes. If you're impatient, you can hasten the setting by refrigerating the cookies. Storing The dough can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Dry and firm by nature, the cookies will keep in a covered container for weeks and become even drier and firmer. If they become too dry for you to find them enjoyable, add a wedge of apple to the container, and the cookies will soften overnight. With or without glaze, the cookies can be packed airtight and frozen for up to 2 months; if you want to dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar, wait until they've defrosted to give them the dusting. From "Dorie's Cookies," by Dorie Greenspan See More Collapse

Ive been on book tour and Ive been hearing those Christmas cookie stories everywhere, and I love them. I grew up with parents who neither cooked nor baked, but my grandmother baked. She would come every week with boxes of cookies. They were always the same; they were always delicious, the author adds of her nostalgia for the poppy-seed cookies she used to get.

Greenspans book stretches our idea of cookies with many savory items that sound more like crackers. There are also whimsies, such as a recipe for making your own fortune cookies.

It wouldnt have been fun for me to do it just as a greatest hits book, full of chocolate chip cookie recipes, the writer notes of the experimental items that are included in Dories Cookies.

Its fun to stretch and learn, and I wanted to stretch what a cookie could be. My editor would say, OK, I think its a cracker, but I would say, No, its a cookie, Greenspan says of spicy creations, such as Triscuity Bites, that would go perfectly with a holiday cocktail.

The author created a system for considering and ditching cookie recipes. Nothing below her highest rating of three purple stars made it into the book.

The bar ... was high, Greenspan writes in her introduction. To earn (three stars), a recipe had to be exciting enough to make me want to bake it again and again, and to make me think that it would be intriguing enough for you to want to do the same.

When I ask the author for a few holiday cookie-swap ideas, she says, Thats a hard question. Some people just want a cookie that will wow everyone. The Jammer (made with French Vanilla Sable dough and thick jam) is a wow cookie.

In an effort to make things easier for cookie swappers, Greenspan suggests making the chocolate and vanilla doughs in the book because four different recipes can be made from each dough.

I couldnt resist asking this cookie maven if she ever succumbs to the lure of store-bought versions. My husband bought Oreos the other day, and I havent had one in decades. We played that game of how do you eat it? Whole or take it apart? But we only took two out of the bag. They were too sweet.

When I admit to nostalgia that pushes me to buy the occasional classic New York black-and-white cookie, even though I know most of them arent very good, she replies, It doesnt make a difference if theyre good or not. ... You have to have one ballpark frank when you go to a game  its your whole childhood.

For Greenspan, cookie nostalgia includes shortbread because it reminds her of her grandmother and another childhood favorite, Little Rascals (made with walnuts, cinnamon, lemon zest and jam).

One of the things she loves about pfefferneusse is their sheer practicality. Theyre great for Christmas because you could make them this afternoon and they will be just fine a month from now.

As far as her beloved New York cookie store goes, Greenspan says it was wonderful while it lasted, but there is no going back.

Its one of those things where I am so happy we did it and so happy Im not doing it now, the writer says, laughing.

Greenspan and her son, Joshua, did pop-up stores for five years before they moved into the Essex Market.

It was a beautiful teensy tiny store, but it got to be too much for us. Neither one of us are solid business people, she says. I am so happy to be back writing.

jmeyers@heartsmediact.com;

Twitter: @joesview
A total of fifteen suspects have been detained by Turkish police being looked for following the car bomb blast which hit Turkey's central city of Kayseri, Anadolu agency reported citing country's Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu.

"When our work is done, the public will be informed. All our security forces have taken an oath [to capture the attackers]. We will give the necessary punishment in the shortest time possible," Soylu added as quoted by the Turkish Minute online outlet.

On Saturday, an explosive-laden car blasted near a military bus, which was carrying soldiers. At least 14 soldiers were reportedly killed, while 56 were injured. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the terror attack was perpetrated by a suicide bomber. Country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in the day that the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), outlawed in Turkey, was responsible for the attack.
By Peter Holley

Washington PostDecember 17, 2016It doesnt matter how many articles of clothing Phelan Moonsong puts on before walking out the door each day: If hes not wearing his favorite pair of goat horns, the Pagan priest might as well be naked.Unless the 56-year-old Millinocket, Maine, man is sleeping or bathing, his beloved horns are rarely far from his scalp.Its been that way since he first laid eyes on the horns at a Pagan mens group gathering in 2009. A friend whose goat had recently died offered the horns to group members. Nobody else wanted the dead goats hardware; Moonsong couldnt believe his luckSo he took the horns home, drilled small holes in each one and attached them to his forehead using stretchy, 50-pound fishing line that he wrapped around his head like an invisible skull cap.His life was never the same.As a practicing Pagan minister and a priest of Pan, Ive come to feel very attached to the horns, and theyve become a part of me and part of my spirituality, Moonsong said, noting that he periodically soaks the horns in patchouli and cedar oil to keep them fresh and leathery. The horns are part of my religious attire.Moonsong feels so attached to his horns that he refuses to take them off for anyone  including the state of Maine. In August, Moonsong said, officials at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Bangor told him that he would need to remove the horns to receive a state-issued ID.When he tried to explain to bureau employees that he is a Priest of Pan  one who considers the horns his spiritual antenna  they were not moved. They told that the horns would have to be approved by Maines secretary of state.She told me that I had to send in some documentation or religious text to show why it was required for me to have my horns on, Moonsong said. I said, Okay, Ill go ahead and do that, but it seemed like an onerous requirement.Moonsong said he sent the state a personal essay explaining the importance of his horns, along with four scholarly works, including one titled Pagan Religions: A Handbook for Diversity Training.Though he didnt realize it at the time, Moonsong had joined a religious freedom battle that is being fought in DMV offices around the country.At least 30 states offer residents high levels of constitutional protection for religious expression, some of them even higher than the protection offered by the Constitutions First Amendment, according to Charles Haynes, the founding director of the Religious Freedom Center of the Newseum Institute.Generally speaking, even in states without a high level of protection, officials have to have a pretty good reason for saying no to a religious accommodation for a drivers license photo, Haynes said. How strong that reason needs to be depends on where you live.But it also depends on the quality of the citizens case, Haynes said. When people argue for the right to cover their faces in a drivers license photo  such as a Muslim woman who believes its immodest to uncover her face  states often have the upper hand because its in the interest of the state to assist police in being able to identify people.However, Haynes added, if the persons religious garb doesnt cover the face or obstruct law enforcement, those folks are likely to win.The American Civil Liberties Union of Alabama has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of a Christian woman who accuses DMV officials of discriminating against her by refusing to make a religious accommodation. Yvonne Allen says she was forced to remove her headscarf  which she wears for religious reasons  to have a photo taken for her drivers license, according to the complaint When Ms. Allen explained her religious beliefs, the complaint states, the county officials responded with a remarkable claim: They admitted that there was a religious accommodation available for head coverings, but contended that it applied only to Muslims.They also ridiculed Ms. Allens sincerely held religious beliefs, with the Chief Clerk informing her that she was herself a Christian and did not cover her head, the complaint adds. Left with no choice if she wished to renew her license, Ms. Allen  with tears in her eyes and feeling sick to her stomach over the violation of her religious beliefs  removed her head covering.Heather L. Weaver, senior staff attorney for the ACLUs Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said DMV offices sometimes rule in favor of one faith and against another not because of bigotry so much as ignorance.Sometimes it comes down to them not understanding certain faiths, Weaver said. Thats when we come in to educate DMV officials about particular religious headgear and explain that something is a legitimate religious belief that should be accommodated in the same way you might accommodate a Jewish yarmulke.Allens case is ongoing, but Moonsong said he managed to avoid hiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit.After several months of waiting to hear from the states motor vehicle office following his initial visit, he says he informed the bureau that he was in touch with the ACLU. His ID arrived in the mail days later, he says.A spokeswoman for the Maine secretary of state told the Bangor Daily News that Moonsong had not mentioned that the horns were religious in nature during his initial BMV visit.He did not cite religious reasons, said the spokeswoman, Kristen Muszynski. There are exceptions for religious headdress.The newspaper reported that the state of Maine follows American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators guidelines, which state that license photos may only show the cardholder with headgear, if the cardholder is a member of a religion requiring the wearing thereof and provided that the headgear does not present as an obstruction or present a shadow and render the portrait inadequate for the identification of the cardholder.Moonsong, who changed his name earlier this year, said he was elated with the result of his BMV battle  not only for himself but for others who quietly share some of his beliefs.A lot of Pagans are in the closet and  as with the LGBT crowd  theres a lot of misconceptions and discrimination that they face, he said.Many practicing Pagans are afraid of being public, Moonsong added, but when they see my horns it reminds them its okay to be yourself.There are personal benefits to having an ID as well, he noted. Though he doesnt drive, Moonsong will finally be able to use his ID to board a plane to California, where some of the best Pagan festivals are found.
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 ...
217 Daesh targets were hit on Sunday in northern Syria as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, Anadolu reported.

The Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement 160 targets were "neutralized" by fire support vehicles during an operation.

In addition, 57 targets, including arsenals, were destroyed by Turkish warplanes in al-Bab, Bzagah, Zammar, Suflaniyyah and Kabr al Mukri regions.

Tuesday marks the 117th day of the operation, which began in late August to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the terror threat along Turkeys border using Free Syrian Army fighters backed by Turkish armor, artillery, and jets.
Civil War Gala to be held Saturday in Somerset

The 14th annual Col. Robert Cummins Civil War Gala will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Somerset Church of the Brethren, 606 Berlin Plank Road in Somerset.
Actor Kim Jong-kook attends the 3rd Annual DramaFever Awards at The Hudson Theatre on February 5, 2015 in New York City. (Photo : Getty Images/Neilson Barnard)

"Running Man" fans have been devastated with the news that the hugely popular SBS variety show is coming to an end. The show has been plagued by controversy ever since it was announced that regular cast members Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook will be leaving the show.



Song and Kim's departure and the controversy that followed called for an emergency meeting between staff members and the cast. The show's producers had apparently decided to drop both cast members without informing them and even though the production team issued an apology to Song and Kim, the damage had already been done.



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Outraged and disappointed, fans expressed their anger over the production's treatment of both stars. The controversy even caused Kang Ho Dong to back out of his decision to join the second season of "Running Man."



The show's producing-director Jung Chul Min shed light on the situation and how it came to be. He explained that the controversy took place as a result of miscommunication when certain decisions regarding the direction of the show were being taken.



"It became awkward among us, when we had been like family," Naver quoted Jung as saying. "During the meeting, many asked, 'How did it become like this?' The cast and staff have been getting along like a family, so it doesn't make sense that the [production side] would do that. Misunderstandings were caused by problems with communication."



Jung also expressed regret over the misunderstandings that took place, which eventually hurt some people and therefore, came to the decision to end the show in February. He also said that the show's filming for next week has been cancelled until further discussions about the direction of the show.



Kim's side also had something to say about the show's cancellation in a statement obtained by All KPop. It was revealed that Kim had a meeting with the staff and cast members in the absence of his manager and decided to stay until the show's end in February out of loyalty for the show, which he was a part of for seven years.



Kim's side revealed that the actor is not upset with the staff over the current situation and does not hold the production team responsible for what happened. However, he did have one issue and that was the clumsy manner in which things were done. For more details on the story, watch the video below:






'Running Man' is one of the long-running variety programs in South Korea. (Photo : YouTube/SBS Running Man)

Following Song Ji-Hyo and Kim Jong-Kook's controversial departure, SBS has now decided to pull the plug on the hit variety show "Running Man." The show is set to end in February 2017 and will reportedly keep its cast of six until the end of the run.







The fate of "Running Man" was decided after the cast and staff members held an emergency meeting on Dec. 16, Friday. Since both sides do not want to end the show on such a sad note, the officials decided not to break up the current six cast members.



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Both Kim and Song then confirmed the good news through a joint statement released to different local media groups. It is said that the two chose to stay until the end, out of their loyalty to the SBS variety show.



"To show the strength of friendship that was built over 7 years and thinking of the fans who supported 'Running Man' for such a long time, I think we have to show them the best finale possible," Kim and Song said in a joint statement obtained by Korea Boo. For the sake of all the viewers, all six cast members pledged to do their very best until the finale.



This comes after producing-director (PD) Jung Chul-Min shed some light on Song and Kim's controversial departure. In an interview with local newsoutlet My Daily, as cited by Soompi, PD Jung said the misunderstandings largely arose from problems with communication.



"It is regrettable that there were misunderstandings among us and people were hurt when we had been getting along so well," PD Jung added. "We asked ourselves, 'It shouldn't be like this, right?' and decided that we would end the show in February together and cleared up the misunderstandings."



Check out the video below for more details about the matter:






The Christian population of the Middle East has shrunk from about seven per cent two decades ago to just 1.5 per cent today

It is hard to accept  but we must  that the Middle East, the region that gave birth to our faith, could soon see the virtual extinction of Christianity.

It is all the more difficult at this time of year, when we are preparing to commemorate the story of Christs coming and his simple origins in what is now the Arab town of Bethlehem.

Yet the facts are these: the Christian population of the Middle East has shrunk from about seven per cent two decades ago to just 1.5 per cent today. And those that remain live in fear.

Every church in Egypt is forced to have security guards, for example. Last weeks bombing at St Marks cathedral in Cairo left 25 dead and many wounded.

As we look to the desperate plight of people in Aleppo, it is worth remembering that for the persecuted Christian minority in Western Aleppo, the defeat of the rebels might actually be good news  because the Islamists who have targeted them so persistently have finally lost their grip on the city.

Here in Britain, this is a time to sing O Little Town Of Bethlehem with hope and nostalgia. For those who actually live in the cradle of Christianity, however, the approach of Christmas brings fear and anxiety, as this is a time when jihadis are most likely to target them.

Yet, while Middle Eastern Christians suffer outright persecution, I am sorry to say that they also face indifference from Western countries. We are apparently careless of their plight, despite the most terrible circumstances  and wholly indifferent to the fate of Christians and Christianity within our own shores.

This hostility from British officialdom is completely at odds with the Christian core of our national life.

It was refreshing to hear Theresa May, the daughter of a vicar, praising a traditional, collective Christian identity, along with pride in this countrys Christian heritage. We have a very strong tradition in this country of religious tolerance and freedom of speech, she said during Prime Ministers Questions in the Commons. And it is true. A country sure of its own religious identity is able to welcome others.

Yet after decades of social change, greater mobility and mass migration, we are now a society of many Balkanised communities, fragmented and divided. The glue which tied us together used to be the institutions of our civil society, including the Church of England, and its hospitable establishment which allowed all voices of minorities a place at the table.

Contrastingly, in countries which insist on secularism, it is often impossible for religious believers to get a hearing. We are succumbing to a creeping culture of religious illiteracy.

For the persecuted Christian minority in Western Aleppo, the defeat of the rebels might actually be good news

Dame Louise Caseys review which was tasked to look at the way communities are integrating  or not  is a case in point. Quite rightly, she pointed out that the public authorities have been ignoring harmful social practices in some of our Muslim communities, such as the exclusion of women, domestic violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

She was correct, also, to point out that people were afraid of openly condemning such practices for fear of being branded Islamophobic.

Yet there is also a worrying side to Caseys review, one which I fear could lead to the restriction of religious freedom for all. For her report on community cohesion equated conservative religious views with intolerance, even extremism. By condemning all those with conservative religious views  and not just an Islamist minority  she is imposing a new form of intolerance.

In civil life as a whole, we are choosing to forget the Christian heritage which has contributed so greatly to our laws, rituals, language, our traditions and even our landscape.

It has built our civil society and sustained charity and social movements and has been the fabric of our daily existence for a millennium and more.

Yet the most educated and responsible among us are allowing this precious understanding to be replaced by a watery liberalism which has no guiding principle beyond a wish not to cause offence.

In fact, a strong religious identity breeds confidence and sensitivity towards others. I have never found a British Muslim, Sikh, Hindu or Jew who is the least bit offended by Christian rituals, let alone the public celebration of Christmas. They positively welcome being made to feel part of Christian festivals, just as many Christians enjoy sharing in celebrations of Eid, Diwali and Passover.

Theresa May (pictured), the daughter of a vicar, praised a traditional, collective Christian identity

We dont have to sacrifice our own individual beliefs when we enjoy a party with our friends.

The past year, then, has been a bad time both for religious freedom and religious literacy. We simply must do better, and I have three concrete suggestions:

Firstly, that the teaching of religious education in schools must be improved.

The Government has downgraded RE by refusing to include it alongside geography and history in the so-called EBacc, or English Baccalaureate, of essential GCSE subjects. This should be reversed. RE is not just an excellent academic subject, it is a vital way of understanding those neighbours for whom religious belief is a daily matter of fact.

I believe we should include Christianity in citizenship tests for all those who want to come to this country. There are many questions asked of migrants about the Royal Family and Parliament, but little about the Church of England or Britains Christian history.

And it is vital that the Government itself does its homework better. Politicians and advisers would do well to remember the contribution of Christianity to our life, and not just our holy-days and celebrations.

In co-ordination with religious leaders, some thought should be given to special training in religious literacy for at least some judges, Ministers and senior civil servants who deal directly with religious communities  their freedom and equalities.

It is a preposterous yet dangerous state of affairs when Christmas cards are considered offensive, or the Cross is banned because it is thought divisive. Yet this is the world we live in.

We should rejoice in our Christian identity as a nation and celebrate it. Ordinary British people are not drifting away from the Christian faith  look at the packed church carol services up and down the country.
Pro Soft Brexit Tory MP Alistair Burt was treading on thin ice after being caught up in the toxic text war between Theresa Mays aide Fiona Hill and ex-Cabinet Minister Nicky Morgan over trousergate, which saw Morgan banned from meeting May with Burt last week.

Pro Soft Brexit Tory MP Alistair Burt was treading on thin ice after being caught up in the toxic text war of Trousergate

We missed Nicky, but its above my pay grade to discuss trousers, burbled Burt after his secret summit with the PM.

Boulevardier Tory Sir Simon Burnss penchant for a glass or three of fizz got him into trouble when he attended a soft-Brexit champagne bash in Sir Nicholas Soamess Commons office attended by Nicky Morgan. Simon heard there were free bubbles on offer and couldnt resist, said a source. He was horrified when he heard the anti-Brexit rants and scarpered fast.

Dog hears there may be another reason why EU leaders gave the PM the cold shoulder at the Brussels summit after she was overheard complaining she had a mild bout of the lurgy that has hit millions of fellow Britons. A French official joked: It gives a new meaning to the term the British disease.

Political journalist Serena Cowdy, who ran off with Stewart Hosie

Take splat, Serena tells her critics

Hell hath no fury like a mistress vindicated.

Writer Serena Cowdy, 36, who ran off with married SNP MP Stewart Hosie, 53, earlier this year, has a festive message for detractors: To all those who said Stewart and I would never last, I wish you a very merry Christmas, said Cowdy.

And I hope an enormous festive partridge s***s on your car.

Labour MP Melanie Onn will not be popular with the sisterhood after admitting that she turns on the girly waterworks to get off traffic offences. After being pulled over for cutting across the path of a bus, Onn burst into tears and begged for forgiveness. She recalls: The policeman felt so sorry for me he let me off.

Comic Tom floors 'em

Jeremy Corbyns deputy, Tom Watson, used his Christmas party for lobby hacks to mock his boss over the traingate fiasco, when the Labour leader sat on the floor of a Virgin service to highlight overcrowding  despite seats being available.

Virgin trains organised this event, Watson told the throng, and if you look carefully you will find there is plenty of space at the back.

Tom Watson made a joke at the expense of his party leader Jeremy Corbyn, a nod to the traingate escapade

Former Cabinet Minister Ken Clarke says like-minded pro-European Tories must toughen up if they are to avoid being crushed by Conservative Brexit headbangers.

Says Ken: They have made politics nastier than ever but they are frighteningly well organised. If we are going to stop them we have to do the same and not be intimidated by their wall of hate.

Trolls turned on Labour MP Dawn Butler after she used the following analogy to explain Brexit to kids: Your mum and dad decided to sell your house. Youre now on the pavement  all your belongings, toys, clothes, suitcase, bed  and theres no plan as to whats happening next.
If you cant beat em, join em. Or in Jeremy Corbyns case, if you cant beat em, Trump em. On Friday it emerged that the Labour leader has hit upon a bold new strategy to turn around his political fortunes. He is going to embrace his inner Donald.

Western politics is being swept by a new populism. So rather than stand Canute-like against the rising alt-right tide, the bearded one plans to surf it.

According to reports, from the start of next year Corbyns unpolished authenticity will be leveraged as he launches his own populist revolution. There will, we are told, be a host of new media appearances.

A fresh raft of policies will showcase his willingness to take a stand against Britains vested interests. The Watch the Jez tape and grab them where theyre cushy strategy.

If you cant beat em, join em. Or in Jeremy Corbyns case, if you cant beat em, Trump em

On the surface, the idea of Corbyn making a dramatic new pitch to become the Nigel Farage of the Left may sound ludicrous.

And thats because it is ludicrous. Totally, utterly, irredeemably, laughably, ludicrous.

In the same week that Corbyn announced his bid to rebrand himself The Peoples Jeremy, he also announced he was bringing a former senior Sinn Fein aide, Jayne Fisher, into his inner circle. A video clip quickly surfaced of her performing a moving rendition of The Fields Of Athenry, accompanied by former IRA gunman Brendan McFarlane on guitar.

A few days earlier, it was revealed that Corbyn was considering a policy of banning sales of new petrol cars. Several days before that he had privately informed his MPs he had no intention of adopting a new hard-line stance on reducing immigration. This is the sort of Left-wing populism that would have even made the late, unlamented Fidel Castro blush.

Corbyn is not, has never been, and never will be, a populist. Quite the opposite. He is a Left-wing unpopulist. His political success is based not on mass appeal but on minimalist appeal. Cliques, cults, factions. They are where he feels at home, not engaging in the political equivalent of sitting coquettishly in front of the Taj Mahal, wondering when his prince will come.

But there is still something revealing about this latest attempt to re-launch project Corbyn. Namely, its sheer desperation.

There are a group of Corbynite fanatics who are forever lost to reason. There is nothing their hero can say or do that will make the hammers and sickles fall from their eyes. But among a section of his hitherto hard-core support, a change is taking place.

Its no longer the Labour moderates who can be seen huddled together in quiet corners of the Westminster estate, but Corbyns allies  or former allies.

Clive Lewis is going to be doing a workshop for Labour MPs titled building the brand, a backbencher informed me last week. I wonder whose brand hes taking about.

The Labour leader has hit upon a bold new strategy to turn around his political fortunes

Briefings have begun to appear citing Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry  lauded for her stand-in performance at last weeks PMQs  as the favourite among her colleagues to replace her leader should an unfortunate accident befall him while he is tending his allotment cabbages.

Diane Abbott has begun helpfully talking about how her leader will have to turn Labours catastrophic poll ratings around within 12 months. Unite union boss Len McCluskey  set to embark on a tricky leadership election campaign of his own  has started to distance himself from Corbyns stance on free movement.

This subtle back-pedalling towards the far end of the throne room has partly been brought about by a change in tactics from the Labour leaders more traditional opponents. Were not attacking him any more, said one former Shadow Cabinet member, and its working. Now that he cant define himself against the evil Blairite plotters he doesnt know what to do.

That good old-fashioned staple  ambition  is also having an impact. For those on the far Left like Lewis and Thornberry, there is a realisation that securing the leadership this side of a General Election is more realistic than standing amid the apocalypse of post-2020 annihilation. As one Labour MP put it: The sensible Left knows that when Corbynism makes contact with the electorate its over for them.

But there is another factor. There is now clear evidence that Corbyn is nearing burn-through. Every leader benefits from a series of political firewalls. Diehards, loyalists, supporters, agnostics, sceptics, critics. They are what stand, to varying degrees, between that leaders success and failure. And gradually time or events or base human frailty sees them burnt away.

Corbyns firewalls have been consumed at an alarming rate. Yes, there were always those who would not reconcile themselves to his leadership. But there were those who hoped he could learn on the job. Or would seek to build fresh alliances. Or surround himself with wise consul. Or divest himself of some of his ideological certainty. Or simply take David Camerons mothers advice and do up his tie. They have all been lost to him now.

Which leaves the last firewall. The diehards.

There arent many of them left now. And while they may be die-hards, they do not necessarily have a death-wish. They can see the old rebels steadfastly refusing to rebel. They can read the opinion polls, and count the lost by-election deposits.

They know that Corbyn  and by extension they  no longer have anywhere to hide. And they can see the flames advancing steadily towards them.

Corbyn hoped Septembers leadership election would lay the challenge from the centrists in his party to rest. And it has done. So now the murmurings of discontent are coming from the Left. It is the Left that is now demanding change. It is the Left that is calling for new, increasing fantastical strategies to halt Labours slide into oblivion.

And that should be troubling Corbyn this weekend. Because when the pitiful attempt to channel his inner Donald fails  as it most assuredly will  his last remaining firewall will quickly follow.



Reports that Tony Blair is returning to Britain in the new year to set up an organisation to fight for the centre ground of British politics has generated much media excitement.

But I understand his new venture is facing unexpected opposition  from the Blairites themselves.

To be honest, its not really that helpful, an ally of the former PM told me last week.

The agenda has moved on. Its time Tony realises that hes not part of the solution any more, hes actually a part of the problem. He needs to step back and let a new generation take the fight forward.

Oh, how quickly they forget.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell appear to be on a collision course over Watsons decision to set up a formal investigation into the fake news phenomenon.

At a conference last Saturday, McDonnell condemned what he called the assault on independent media outlets. But Watson appears unmoved.

At his Christmas party for Westminster lobby hacks on Tuesday he praised the vital work of the mainstream media, and again took a swipe at the fake news peddlers.

McDonnell is worried because he knows the fake-news sites are the only ones that will take him seriously, says a Watson ally. So much for straight-talking, honest politics.

What's fuelling Lucas's train views?

As the Southern rail strike continues to blight the lives of hundreds of thousands of commuters, MPs of all persuasions have been lining up to demand the unions call a halt their disruption.

But Caroline Lucas, doughty co-leader of the Greens and member for Brighton Pavilion, has taken a different approach.

As the Southern rail strike continues to blight the lives of hundreds of thousands of commuters, Caroline Lucas has taken a different approach

Ms Lucas has been persistent in her calls for Ministers to accept union demands as a way of bringing peace.

Could this be the same Caroline Lucas who, in the run-up to last years General Election, accepted a donation of 7,000 from the RMT union?

The same Caroline Lucas who, before that donation was offered, had welcomed Tory Government attempts to limit the amount unions can donate to election campaigns?
I am the opposite of a war junkie. I loathe the sound of fireworks because they remind me of a bloody night in Lithuania in January 1991, where I lay down in dirty snow to save my skin from Soviet bullets.

I was also frozen with fright in lawless, gang-ruled Mogadishu in December 1992, waiting for US marines to arrive.

In Bucharest at Christmas 1989, I crawled under the bed as tracer fire whizzed past my hotel-room window, and  because my long-delayed call home came through just then  I dictated my account of events to my wife. No heroics for me, thanks.

In the past few days we have been bombarded with colourful reports of events in Aleppo, written or transmitted by people in Beirut or even London, writes Peter Hitchens

I was in all these dreadful places by accident. I never meant to be there. I take great care not to get caught in such things again.

But I learned a bit from it, mostly that the old cliche the first casualty of war is truth is absolutely right, and should be displayed in letters of fire over every TV and newspaper report of conflict, for ever.

Almost nothing can be checked. You become totally reliant on the people you are with, and you identify with them.

If you can find a working phone, you will feel justified in shouting whatever you have got into the mouthpiece  as simple and unqualified as possible. And your office will feel justified in putting it on the front page (if you are lucky).

And that is when you are actually there, which is a sort of excuse for bending the rules.

In the past few days we have been bombarded with colourful reports of events in eastern Aleppo, written or transmitted by people in Beirut (180 miles away and in another country), or even London (2,105 miles away and in another world). There have, we are told, been massacres of women and children, people have been burned alive.

The sources for these reports are so-called activists. Who are they? As far as I know, there was not one single staff reporter for any Western news organisation in eastern Aleppo last week. Not one.

This is for the very good reason that they would have been kidnapped and probably murdered. The zone was ruled without mercy by heavily armed Osama Bin Laden sympathisers, who were bombarding the west of the city with powerful artillery (they frequently killed innocent civilians and struck hospitals, since you ask). That is why you never see pictures of armed males in eastern Aleppo, just beautifully composed photographs of handsome young unarmed men lifting wounded children from the rubble, with the light just right.

The women are all but invisible, segregated and shrouded in black, just as in the IS areas, as we saw when they let them out.

For reasons that I find it increasingly hard to understand or excuse, much of the British media refer to these Al Qaeda types coyly as rebels (David Cameron used to call them moderates). But if they were in any other place in the world, including Birmingham or Belmarsh, they would call them extremists, jihadis, terrorists and fanatics. One of them, Abu Sakkar, famously cut out and sank his teeth into the heart of a fallen enemy, while his comrades cheered. This is a checked and verified fact, by the way.

THE ONE, SORRY SECRET OF BEING 'JUST LIKE US' I watched Muslims Like Us on BBC2 with grim fascination. Indeed, they were mostly like us, vaguely but pleasantly charitable, sweary, victims of all kinds of fashions in thought, clothes, language and sex. And then they were not like us. One had an arranged marriage to a woman hed never met, as far as I could see. All suddenly slipped into Arabic from time to time. One had attracted the attention of the authorities because of the passion of his views. I watched Muslims Like Us on BBC2 with grim fascination, writes Peter Hitchens I could see his point when he upbraided his temporary housemates for not being very Islamic. They werent. He was. And I think most of us probably quietly hope that most British Muslims arent very devout. But what really bothered me was the joke British person, in a bow tie, who was brought in to introduce them to Britishness, whatever that now is. There they were in York, looking at York Minster, one of the most moving and powerful buildings on the planet. I almost stop breathing whenever I visit it (I had the same experience amid the Islamic glories of Isfahan and Samarkand, by the way). But if Mr Bow Tie once mentioned Christianity, or suggested they go inside the great church, I missed it. And the Muslim party seemed wholly unmoved, as if they were being shown a furniture factory. The sad fact is Muslims are only going to be like us if they sink, along with us, into the same state of ignorance and indifference about the past, and cease to take serious things seriously. Some of them may. But an important number of them (to their credit) never will. Advertisement

Sakkar later confirmed it to the BBC, when Western journalists still had contact with these people, and there is film of it if you care to watch. There is also film of a Syrian rebel group,

Nour al-din al Zenki, beheading a 12-year-old boy called Abdullah Issa. They smirk a lot. It is on the behalf of these moderates that MPs staged a wholly one-sided debate last week, and on their behalf that so many people have been emoting equally one-sidedly over alleged massacres and supposed war crimes by Syrian and Russian troops  for which I have yet to see a single piece of independent, checkable evidence.

When I used to travel a lot in the communist world, I especially hated the fact that almost every official announcement was a conscious lie, taunting the poor subjugated people with their powerlessness to challenge it.

I would spend ages twiddling dials and shifting aerials to pick up the BBC World Service on my short-wave set  the truth, read by gentlemen  because it refreshed the soul just to hear it. These days the state-sponsored lies have spread to my own country, and to the BBC, and I tell the truth as loudly as I can, simply because I cannot hear anyone else speaking it. If these lies go unchallenged, they will be the basis of some grave wrong yet to come.

Railways are the skeleton of civilisation. I have always loved them, and can never see why we have made such a mess of them by preferring to pour money into a rival system of nationalised roads which will never work.

So can I just say how pleased I was last week when my home town, Oxford, got a beautiful new rail link to London? It can be done.

Chiltern Railways will operate two trains per hour between Oxford and London Marylebone

Last week I chided the authorities for ignoring the danger of power cuts imposed by mad Green dogma. I was wrong. They have a plan after all  you can pay extra to avoid having to sit in the cold and dark.

Andrew Wright, a senior partner at the regulator Ofgem, says: We are currently all paying broadly the same price but we could be moving away from that, and there will be some new features in the market which may see some choose to pay for a higher level of reliability.

One household may be sitting with their lights on, charging their Tesla electric car, while someone else will be sitting in the dark.

I am not making this up.

Things we really dont need include an all-graduate police force, as is now being madly proposed.

Graduates spend the first ten years in any job discovering that they dont, in fact, know everything, while the non-graduates roll their eyes in despair.

What police officers need is not a certificate, but the common sense that comes from years of friendly contact with the people they serve. A decent pair of walking shoes, or a bicycle, will provide that.

And they must learn to go out on their own again, instead of walking in unapproachable, unobservant pairs, chatting about overtime, while crime and disorder rage within feet of them.
While this year's contestants have wowed audiences with their Tangos, Waltzes and Cha-Cha-Chas, the glamorous Strictly Come Dancing hosts have been locked in style showdown of their own.

Series 14 saw Tess Daly, 47, and Claudia Winkleman, 44, team up for their third year as co-hosts, treating fans to an array of showstopping numbers that could almost compete with the dancers' lycra, tassel and sequin-adorned costumes.

Turning Elstree Studios into their very own runway, the stylish pair have showcased ensembles from a roll call of designers including Victoria Beckham, Amanda Wakeley and Roland Mouret as well as high street bargains from Topshop.

Strictly hosts Claudia Winkleman, 44, and Tess Daly, 47, have treated viewers to stunning gowns that could almost compete with the dancers' outfits - but who won the style stakes?

But while Ore Oduba may have taken home the coveted ballroom trophy, who has emerged victorious in the style stakes?

Stylist Sinead McKeefry was tasked with bringing a much-needed pop of colour to monochrome-loving Claudia's wardrobe while Tess was dressed by James Yardley who works with the likes of Fearne Cotton and Rochelle Humes.

After Saturday night's final style showdown, FEMAIL spoke to some of the best stylists in the business to find out which presenter will be taking home the title of Strictly Style Queen this year.

'A presenter's outfit will always be up for critique,' says stylist Helen Canning Ford, who blogs at CocoMamaStyle.com. 'But when it comes to a programme like Strictly with such a huge audience the pressure is really on to get it just right.

The pair showcase their sartorial efforts in the Week 12 results show. Stylist Helen Canning Ford says Tess is a master at showing off her curves while Claudia tends to wear less fitted cuts

'Ensuring it's flattering to her figure on camera and making sure there's no potential for wardrobe malfunctions on live TV are crucial. Like it or not, women's outfits will always be discussed and in today's world of social media this is amplified to the max.

'Tess and Claudia's looks achieve this balance most weeks, with simple yet interesting cuts and shapes in a block colour, often monochrome to contrast one another yet not compete with the dancers' outfits.

'Tess rocks the body-con dress effortlessly to show off her curves, while Claudia tends to wear less fitted cuts but often shows off her fantastic shoulders with strapless styles and wears the jumpsuit incredibly well.'

1. LAUNCH NIGHT

For the launch night in August, co-hosts Tess and Claudia ensured all eyes were on them as they both opted for floor-length gowns from Halston Heritage in contrasting colours

Tess: Halston Heritage one-shoulder cutout stretch-crepe gown, 510

Claudia: Halston Heritage strapless stretch-crepe gown, 310

Strictly got off with a bang at the end of August as judges introduced their 15 new contestants and their professional partners. While the dancers made their entrance in a whirlwind of sparkly overcoats and flapper dresses, Tess and Claudia ensured all eyes were on them as they both opted for floor-length gowns from Halston Heritage in contrasting colours.

Tess stunned in a navy thigh-slit number cinched in at the waist with a belt, while Claudia wore a zingy pink number, both in towering heels.

'Claudia in colour, hurrah!' says Helen. 'This striking pink column dress makes a statement but with clean lines and minimal detail, it doesn't take over.'

And as for Tess? 'Thigh split? Check. Asymmetry? Check. Waist belt? Check. A classic Tess dress that's a tried and trusted formula. They say if it ain't broke don't fix it, and in Tess's case this works.'

However, fashion expert Simon Glazin disagrees: 'You'd think on launch night their stylists would pull out all the stops, but that wasn't the case,' he says. 'I feel like Tess has worn a version of this dress 100 times, and although I love the colour of Claudia's, the length and shoes don't look quite right.'

WINNER: It's a tie!

2. FIRST RESULTS

For the first results show, Claudia wore a 300 Self Portrait Prairie floral embroidered midi dress while Tess stunned in a black ruffle dress from Victoria Beckham costing 1,495

Tess: Victoria Beckham appliqued silk and wool blend crepe dress, 1,495

Claudia: Self Portrait Prairie floral embroidered midi dress, 300

As the first set of results came in and judges waved goodbye to Melvin and Janette, Tess and Claudia looked suitably sombre for the occasion in dark gowns featuring with lace detail.

Tess pulled out all the stops with a 1,495 Victoria Beckham frock with a dramatic ruffled strap while her co-host went for a navy blue embroidered number from Self Portrait.

'An off-the-shoulder number works well on Tess - she's statuesque enough to pull it off - but Claudia looks great in this lace frock,' says Simon. 'The capped sleeves are tres chic! She wins here, hands down.'

WINNER: Claudia

3. HALLOWEEN

Tess and Claudia looked suitably vampy for the special Halloween show in week 6, with Tess sporting some gothic face paint along with her thigh-split gown with a mesh sleeve

While Tess wore price-on-request Philip Armstrong, Claudia stunned in a 660 maxi from L'Agence with a plunging neckline and striking zig-zag patterned skirt in week 6

Tess: Philip Armstrong Kimiko gown (price on request)

Claudia: L'Agence Tatiana burnout ribbed jersey maxi dress, 660

The presenting duo vamped it up for Halloween in Week 6 with dramatic, floor-length black gowns, with Tess sporting some gothic face paint along with her black Philip Armstrong gown featuring a mesh decolletage.

Claudia, meanwhile, opted for a 660 maxi from L'Agence with a plunging neckline and striking zig-zag patterned skirt.

'Keeping the LBD interesting with sheer panels and geometric lines means the presenters don't blend into the background but complement one another,' says Helen.

But Simon disagrees. 'Is it just me, or does it look like Tess has been in a fight, and one sleeve was unceremoniously ripped from her dress?' he ponders. 'If both were intact, she might have won this one, but alas, Claudia does instead. The chevron pattern on her gown, plus the sheer bottom, swings it.'

WINNER: Claudia

4. BLACKPOOL WEEK

Tess wore a dress from Amanda Wakeley's AW15 collection, featured gold fringing and an asymmetric hemline, while Claudia wore a 100 Topshop frock with silver embellishment

Tess: Amanda Wakeley AW15 fringed dress (price on request)

Claudia: Topshop Hanky Hem Lace Midi Dress, 100

Tess almost blended in with the dancers as the troupe headed to Blackpool for week 9 in a flapper-style dress that had one of the judges asking if she'd be breaking into her own rendition of the Charlston.

The dress, from Amanda Wakeley's AW15 collection, featured gold fringing and an asymmetric hemline - while Claudia shimmered in a 100 Topshop midi as the pair waved goodbye to an emotional Greg Rutherford and Natalie Lowe.

'Both asymmetric, both two tone but Claudia's wins this week,' says Helen. 'This dress could look grumpy with the wrong shoes but the pointed court gives it sex appeal. Tess's fringed number feels a little too cha cha this time.'

'I love Tess for trying, but it looks like the Strictly wardrobe department has dressed her,' agrees Simon. 'This dress would suit someone a bit shorter. Claudia wins again with her oversized silver floral print. What's more, it's from Topshop, which means a much more achievable option for her fans.'

WINNER: Claudia

5. COMPETITION HEATS UP AHEAD OF THE QUARTER FINALS

For week 10, Claudia wore a 950 jumpsuit from Galvan while Tess's white frock, featuring a dramatic thigh split, was designed by Suzanne Neville

Tess: Bespoke Suzanne Neville dress (price on request)

Claudia: Galvan V-front off-the-shoulder jumpsuit, 950

Tess stunned in a bespoke cream dress designed by Suzanne James and her stylist James Yardley featuring cut-out shoulders, while Claudia showed off her enviable frame in a figgure-hugging jumpsuit by London label Galvan.

'This shows off Claudia's figure to perfection,' says Simon. 'But I do love Tess's dress - the slit is slightly predictable for her, but the neckline and the 'cold shoulder' detail are amazing.'

Helen adds: 'A classic Claudia and Tess combo. Contrasting black and white with Claudia's chic tailoring and Tess's curve enhancing maxi.'

WINNER: Tess

6. WAVING GOODBYE TO ED

For the week 10 results show Tess wore a Solace London jumpsuit with a plunging neckline while Claudia turned once again to Self Portrait in a tiered lace mini dress

Tess: Solace London Kot plunge neck jumpsuit, 480

Claudia: Self-Portrait high-neck star lace panelled dress, 255

The pair capped off an action-packed week 10 in spectacular style, as they finally waved goodbye to former Labour MP Ed Balls and his partner Katya Jones with Claudia turning once again to one of her favourite labels, Self Portrait. Offsetting her impressive tan with the white tiered dress, it was a marked departure from her usual style.

Meanwhile, Tess went for a statement silhouette in a sleeveless jumpsuit from Solace London with a flared leg and plunging neckline, paired with towering stilettos.

'Tess looks great in a jumpsuit too, but Claudia... WOW,' says Simon. 'Hands down one of her best dresses. The colour is unexpected - she usually sticks to muted tones - but this is a standout. The long sleeves and ruffles are sublime! And those legs!'

WINNER: Claudia

7. MUSICALS WEEK

Claudia upped the glamour in a 280 Self-Portrait frock, while fans were unsure about Tess's asymmetric gown with some joking that she'd 'put her head through the armhole' on Twitter

Tess: Halston Heritage black asymmetric crepe gown (sold out)

Claudia: Self Portrait 'Paisley' lace midi dress, 280

Fans were left scratching their heads after Tess took to the stage in an asymmetric black gown from Halston Heritage, joking on Twitter that she'd 'put her head through the armhole'.

For Musicals Week, Claudia wore Self Portrait for a third time, this time going for a flirty black and brown number with a bodice-style top.

'Both presenters wore different styles to usual and with dark tones and dainty straps they complemented one another without twinning,' says Helen.

'Well they both win here,' Simon agrees. 'Claudia looks just so pretty - the spaghetti straps and full skirt are perfect - and Tess looks gorgeous.

'Another interesting neckline for her, which caused controversy... some people commented on Twitter that it looked like she had a fight with the dress to get into it. I think it's edgy and elegant.'

WINNER: It's a tie!

8. THE FINALS

Tess: Hasan Hejazi bespoke dress

Claudia: Ted Baker strapless embroidered dress in Gold 499

While the focus may have been on Ore Oduba surprise win last night the hosting duo were attracting some serious debate over their outfits.

In their final fashion face off Tess Daly opted for a bespoke black dress from London based designer Hasan Hejazi complete with her often favoured thigh high split.

Both presenters stuck to their signature style for the final with Tess opting for a full length bespoke gown from Hasan Hejazi while Claudia wore a metallic strapless dress from Ted Baker

Claudia, however, ditched high end designers in favour of high street brand Ted Baker with her strapless gown featuring metallic embroidery.

Viewers seemed to favour Claudia's bedazzled dress over Tess' 'dominatrix' style.

Dawn Pike tweeted: 'Claudia Winkleman's dress is bringing out the inner magpie in me I just want to peck at it, so glittery'.

And Elf Bluemink commented: 'Don't like Tess Daly's dress, she looks like a dominatrix! Claudia looks lovely though! #bbcstrictly'.

Helen says that their final looks reflect their signature style.

She comments: 'For the Strictly final the presenters donned trademark Tess and Claudia looks; a floor-sweeping thigh split dress with belted waist in sleek black for Tess contrasting with Claudia's strapless metallic midi.

'Both figure-flattering for the presenters and just the right amount of glamour for the grand final.'

Meanwhile Simon says that he was equally underwhelmed by the women's final looks

He says: 'Tess looked lovely, but then Tess always looks lovely. This dress, with its sheer sleeves and high split, and shiny belt, is nothing new for her. It is, I hate to say it, predictable. That's not to say I don't like it, because I do, and this look works on her. She's obviously under strict instruction to not out do the dancing.

'And again, Claudia's dress was nice but nothing groundbreaking. I feel like she's worn dresses throughout the series that are more suited to the final. I like that she didn't do black, the silver works so well on her, but I would have loved to have seen her in something a bit... bigger!'

WINNER: It's a tie!
When Sally Taylor was pregnant with her first child, she suffered from severe muscle spasms and cramps.

The pain was so intense she would be bedridden for a day before it subsided, and she sought the advice of her obstetrician.

Ms Taylor was diagnosed with Diastasis Recti, a condition that sees the abs separate during pregnancy, and told Daily Mail Australia at one point her abs were four to five finger widths apart.

Sharing her story: Gold Coast mother-of-one Sally Taylor was diagnosed with Diastasis Recti, or ab separation, during pregnancy (left) and wore compression bandages post-partum (right)

Journey to recovery: She welcomed her son Kai in November (pictured), and started physio one and a half weeks after giving birth to help rectify her condition

I was pretty devastated and disheartened when I was first told that my separation distance was approximately 4-5 fingers in width, the Gold Coast 26-year-old said.

I had heard horror stories about women needing surgeries to close this gap and had read stories about women not being able to reduce the separation distance as they had left their rehab too late.

I had no idea if it was too late to start treatment and I was very anxious as to how I would recover after giving birth.

Before she was diagnosed Ms Taylor, who had visible abs before her pregnancy, had never even heard of the condition.

Seeing progress: After giving birth she wore compression bandages and did targeted core and pelvic floor exercises. She is pictured at one, two and three weeks post-partum

Ms Taylor and her partner Josh welcomed their baby boy, Kai, on November 11.

As little Kai was breech, he was born via caesarean.

With the guidance of a physiotherapist who specialised in pregnancy, Ms Taylor started rehab one and a half weeks postpartum to help correct her separated abs.

My physio told me to request the services of the hospital physio the day after birth, she said.

I started very subtle and controlled core exercises to solely focus on reducing my abdominal separation 1.5 week after birth and also wore compression bandages.

Recovery: My physio told me to request the services of the hospital physio the day after birth, she said

Targeted exercises: She started doing targeted core and pelvic floor exercises one and a half weeks after giving birth

Ms Taylor, who has more than 14,000 Instagram followers, shared a photo of herself two-weeks postpartum with bandages wrapped tightly around her core to help raise awareness about the condition.

The photo received close to 2,500 likes, and prompted other mothers who suffered from Diastasis Recti to share their story and seek advice.

I started very subtle and controlled core exercises to solely focus on reducing my abdominal separation 1.5 week after birth. Sally Taylor, 26

Brisbane based obstetrician, gynaecologist and spokesman for the Australian Medical Association Dr Gino Pecoraro, told Daily Mail Australia up to a third of women suffered ab separation during pregnancy.

He said the condition varied in severity, and while most cases are treated with physiotherapy, some women had to undergo surgery to bring their abs back together.

Most times it heals itself, its very rare we have to do anything about it, Dr Pecoraro said.

One of the most common treatments is bandages that support everything as it shrinks down and gets back to normal.

He said women more likely to suffer from the condition might be those pregnant with twins or triplets, women carrying larger babies or smaller women.

Ms Taylor said she hopes by sharing her photo and story to encourage women to seek the advice of a physio early on.

Speaking out: Ms Taylor hopes by sharing her story to educate other women about Diastasis Recti

Many girls are uneducated about the symptoms and treatment methods and therefore leave it too long to seek treatment, she said.

After her six-week post-partum check-up next week, Ms Taylor hopes to be able to start weight training again.

I have been advised to refrain from any sort of HIIT training or running, she said.

As my separation distance is now minimal and will continue to decrease I am not limited in any regard when it comes to what core/ab exercises I can do.
The scented lotions, potions and candles of Jo Malone (pictured) have become quite a fixture in the middle-class Christmas

The scented lotions, potions and candles of Jo Malone have become quite a fixture in the middle-class Christmas  and a very profitable one, too.

This year, devotees of her signature lime, basil and mandarin fragrance may well be hoping for a copy of Jos gritty new autobiography My Story, a frank account of her remarkable rise from a council house childhood to the heights of international business.

Released in October in time for the Christmas market, the 12.50 hardback features Jo herself, dressed in white, on the cover  the same clean look you find in the discreetly perfumed shops that bear her name. (The book is branded, with typical care, to match the colours of her new Jo Loves range.)

It is little wonder that My Story sits at number three in the bestseller lists  her tale of success based on hard work and determination has made for a popular and inspiring read.

Today, aged 53, Jo Malone MBE has left her humble beginnings in suburban Bexleyheath, South-East London, far behind. She lives with Gary, her husband and business partner, and their son in one of the most exclusive addresses in Chelsea.

She will never again be short of money, having sold her business  and name  to American cosmetic giant Estee Lauder for undisclosed millions in 1999, before setting up Jo Loves. On the way, she has fought cancer.

Yet an investigation by The Mail on Sunday suggests that readers leafing through the pages of My Story on Christmas morning might not be getting quite the comprehensive picture it seems to promise.

Indeed, to those who have known the Malone family for many years, one or two chapters are missing altogether.

For example, they say that rather too little credit is given to Jos late mother Eileen, a society beautician with a magical touch, who sold a handmade range of scented creams and lotions to an extraordinary list of customers and clients, including Princess Diana, Princess Alexandra, the Duchess of York, designer Cath Kidston and Cara Delevingnes mother, Pandora.

Another missing element from the bestselling memoir is the traumatic falling-out with her younger sister, Tracey, who drank herself to death and who became estranged from Jo over her ambitions to leave the family business and set up her own company.

Perhaps the most remarkable omission involves the turbulent life of her father Andy Malone, who was convicted of bigamy after abandoning his first wife and two children in Scotland and marrying Jos mother illegally.

Here, then, we present the missing chapters of, what by any standards, is a quite remarkable story

Chapter One

The Bigamist Father... And A Secret Sister

Jos autobiography barely documents the death of her father, Andy, in 2007. She admits that he had a previous name, Frank, but little more than that.

In fact, the official records show that Malones mother Eileen married a man called Frank Malone not once, but twice  in 1962 and 1969. What could explain the mystery? The Mail on Sunday has established that Jos father Andy Malone was actually called Frank Monks. He was born in Edinburgh in 1926.

Devotees of Jo's signature lime, basil and mandarin fragrance may well be hoping for a copy of her gritty new autobiography My Story

Monks had already been married to a woman called Jean Watson Stirrat in Edinburgh in March 1952, two months after the birth of their first child, Rosalind. In July 1953, they had their second child Paul, after which he abandoned his family and headed south.However, the records show that Monks did not divorce Jean until 1967  five years after a bigamous marriage to Eileen. They married again, legally, in 1969. Jo was born in 1963 and her sister Tracey in 1968. Franks two separate families have never met  though not for want of trying.

We tracked down Franks daughter by his first marriage, Rosalind Winters, to her home in Sydney, from where she said: I know all about Jo and our connection because I hired a private eye five or six years ago to try to find my father, who I had not seen since I was seven.

My father left home, went to London and ended up meeting Jos mum, who knew he had a family. He married Jos mother before he was divorced from my mother.

Sadly, I was too late to meet him, and had never heard of Jo Malone when the investigator told me he had spoken to her. I did ask her to send me some photographs because I wanted to know what he looked like. I spent nearly a year emailing her and then she eventually did it through her lawyer.

Jo, it seems, was not enthusiastic.

I had to send my birth certificate, so they could see my fathers name and she made me sign a lawyers letter before she gave me the photos. She was really quite off. She doesnt want anybody to know about it. Its a shame because my brother Paul would gladly go and see her. They look alike  you can see they are related.

Chapter Two

The Row Over The Business

AT THE heart of Jo Malones autobiography is a wonderful rags-to-riches story, which has her starting out in business by mixing skin creams and bath oils at home.

By Jos own admission her parents had a combustible relationship and her unemployed fathers gambling left the family finances in a precarious position, leaving Eileen as the breadwinner.

Eventually, she found work with a charismatic and successful British beauty therapist who went under the exotic name of Madame Lubatti. Since the late 1920s, she had made her own range of skin creams featuring plant and fruit extracts in her London flat, and boasted clients such as Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh as well as London society figures drawn to her exclusive potions and facial massages.

But in the mid-1970s, Madame Lubattis health began to deteriorate and, according to Jo in her book, her mother inherited the business  and the recipes for the creams. Eileen rapidly built up a formidable reputation for her magical touch with clients.

As the elder of the two daughters, Jo stepped in to help in the 1980s when her mother became ill. Younger sister Tracey joined the business as soon as she left school. By Jos account, her mothers illness caused her to become ill-tempered. I wasnt prepared for the more hostile change in character the more skilled I became and the more clients I bought in, the more fault she found with my work, she writes in her book.

Her mother crossed the line when she threw a tantrum and, with it, a jug: I splintered from my family then, and Dad and Tracey drifted away with Mum my parents and sister effectively disappeared from my life. Mum couldnt forgive me for going it alone and, when resentment sets in, it can erode relationships.

However, many of Eileen Malones well-connected friends believe this was not the only factor  and that the main fallout was because Jo wanted to market the family beauty potions to a wider audience, while her mother wanted to concentrate on her existing list of exclusive clients.

Laura Jane Ogilvy  a client and close confidante of Eileen and Tracey Malone  said that mother and daughter had felt let down by Jos marketing of the beauty recipes, themselves preferring to deal with a small and rather private clientele.

Eileen felt betrayed, said Laura Jane. Ultimately, Jo took the knowledge and skills she had learned from her mother and made a conscious decision to make that into money. Isnt that betrayal? Tracey confided in me all the time: she was not happy with her relationship with her sister.

Not, Jo might respond, that there is anything wrong with making money. Laura Jane suggests that, following Eileens death in 2011, many of her friends were furious that the funeral seemed to be a private family affair. Tracey called up in floods of tears. My own view is that Jo did not want us, her mothers friends, at her mothers funeral, she said.

There is no doubting there was ill-feeling at the time; in her book Jo recalls being spat at by one of her mothers clients  but insists that claims she had mistreated Eileen were a myth.

Another aristocratic grande dame, who asked not to be named, said: My mother introduced me to Madame Lubatti when I was 17. She made up wonderful creams  the best skins in London were done by her. Eileen started as one of her girls, but eventually took over the business.

She continued: I fell out quite badly with Jo when she went off and set up her business. At the time, I was furious. All the people who loved Eileen were. I admire the fact that Jo made such a success of her business. But she did take clients with her. Tracey and Jo were such different characters: Jo was very intelligent, very driven, business-minded and tough, while Tracey was a trusting, simple soul who saw the best in everyone. It is a sad tale because the three of them could have conquered the world.

Chapter Three

The Rift With Her Sister

Of all the sad chapters in Jos life, perhaps the most upsetting is the rift with her sister.

The man probably best placed to observe the split is Traceys widower Luis Mariano, who has a fractious relationship with his sister-in-law and is something of a broken man since his wifes death  he has been plagued with health problems. He says he complained to Jo about what he thought were inaccuracies in her autobiography, which, he claims, led to a visit by the police.

Luis, who reluctantly accepted a caution, said: All I did was to write to Jo Malone to tell her that I was disgusted by the book  particularly by the fact that she has completely failed to give her mother the credit she deserves.

Of all the sad chapters in Jos life, perhaps the most upsetting is the rift with her sister. Pictured: The wedding of Luis Mariano and Tracey Malone, late sister of Jo Malone in June 1989. In the picture groom Luis, Tracey, mother Eileen , father Andy Malone, Jo Malone (bridesmaid) and Gary Willcox (grey suit )

The next thing I know, I have the police knocking on my door because, I was told, Jo has claimed I was harassing her  which I was not. I think she is trying to shut me up, but I will not be intimidated by her, her reputation, her lawyers or her money.

She has had her say, but I have not had mine. More importantly, Eileen and Tracey cannot give their side of the story because they are dead. It is my job to speak up for them. I am one of the few people alive who knows the full truth.

Luis is not, of course, an impartial witness. But he is clear in his recollection of the bitterness between Jo and her mother at the time, saying: The atmosphere was hostile, in the sense that Eileen was the master and Jo was the student  then the student started disagreeing with the master.

Jo wanted the business to branch out and Eileen was focused on, what we do best, facials and face creams. She said bath oils and body lotions were all very well, but you must focus on the fundamentals.

Jo makes out she was pushed out, but she pushed them away. There could have been compromises instead of that terrible family break. Jo was effectively saying, Im all right, Jack. See you later. She took a lot of the clients with her and that hit Eileen and Traceys business.

In her book, Jo admits that she never healed the rift with her family, though says she supported her mother, who suffered from dementia at the end of her life, writing: I would face the saddest task of saying goodbye to my mum, dad and sister, who would all pass away within the space of 18 months.

The book adds: I remember sitting by Traceys hospital bed while she was in intensive care at the end of a long period of sickness and, as I held her hand, all I thought about was how much I wished things could have been different.

What Jo neglects to mention is that her younger sister was in hospital because of her alcoholism, which Luis says was exacerbated by her unhappiness, and which by 2011 was beginning to spiral out of control.

Luis recalls: In 2010, Tracey had collapsed and fell into a coma. I contacted Jo and she turned up. Tracey was initially angry with me, but they did develop some kind of relationship and I think they met a few times.

Why she doesnt mention that in the book is pretty strange.

JO MALONE IS NOT COMMENTING ON HER BIGAMOUS FATHER For her part, Jo Malone has decided not to comment on her bigamous father or on the terrible row with her mother and sister provoked by that life-changing decision to go it alone. But surely it makes her achievements all the more remarkable that they bloomed from roots in such rough and stony soil. Advertisement

Eventually I think they broke it off. Jo was very busy and Tracey was focusing on trying to get investors for her own business. They want back to being Tracey and Jo.

Tracey died in 2012 and many of her former clients attended the funeral. Laura Jane Ogilvy says: None of us was allowed to go to her mother Eileens funeral and that is why so many went to Traceys, to give our final respects to these two women.

Luis is quick to credit Jo for offering him support in the wake of Traceys death, as well as funding the funerals of Tracey and Eileen, but when he suffered a breakdown, the initial goodwill ran out.

Now living in a hostel, Luis is struggling to put his life back together after the loss of his wife. He said: Tracey and I had our plans for the future, but now they will never be realised.

Tracey and Eileen always believed in being discreet and protecting their clients and the Malone family name. That is why they always refused to speak out when Jo gave interviews in the press. Eileen felt, rightly or wrongly, that Jo had turned her back on the family. But she always loved her.
It's the bizarre Christmas hair trend that defies gravity.

In the lead up to the festive season people are taking to social media to share photos of their 'Christmas Tree Hair' - and it almost has to be seen to be believed.

The look sees people style their hair in to an upside-down cone shape mimicking a Christmas tree, before decorating their strands with ornaments.

Gravity-defying: A new hair trend has people styling their locks to look like a Christmas tree

Festive: The hair is sprayed green and decorated with ornaments, with some people even putting a star on top

But just how do they do it?

A video by What's Trending said the style was achieved by placing an empty water bottle or cone on top of your head as a guide.

The hair was then smoothed up over the top of the bottle or cone and held in place with a hair elastic and hair spray.

Fancy: One woman decorated her Christmas tree hair with red baubles, a gold star placed on top

Creating shape: The shape is created by placing a water bottle or cone on top of the head

Holding power: The hair is kept in place with hairspray and elastics

Fans of the festive season have taken to Instagram to share photos of the unique style, with some even going as far as to spray their hair green.

Baubles and tinsel are then placed on top of the cone-shaped do as decoration.

Some people even placed a star on top.

Realistic: One woman's hair was piled on top of her head and sprayed green

Lit up: One particularly gravity-defying style had lights placed in the hair

One woman styled her hair in a tree shape before wrapping around tinsel and baubles.

She tied her hair at the top, before placing a star on the point.

Others dyed their hair green with wash-out colour, or covered their hair with twinkling lights.

So, does anyone have any hair spray?
Pictured: Esther and Gideon Roseman who tragically lost their baby daughter Grace

At first glance, the scene in Esther and Gideon Rosemans living room resembles that of any other young family getting ready for Christmas.

Toys are strewn across the floor as four-year-old Pearl jumps around the room handing out Quality Street and telling anyone wholl listen what she wants from Father Christmas.

The noise wakens baby Elijah, nearly ten months old, who is mesmerised by the twinkling lights on the tree and the piles of colourfully wrapped presents underneath.

But as Esther, 39, bounces him on her knee, her eyes keep flicking to a photo montage on the wall beside the Christmas tree.

The pictures show a rosy-cheeked baby at different stages of her early life: a black-and-white scan from when Esther was 20 weeks pregnant; the curve of her tummy at almost full term; and a wriggling pink newborn, fingers outstretched towards her mother.

In one photograph, a tiny bundle in a pink Babygro and doll-sized hat fits neatly into the palm of her fathers hand. In another, she is snuggled up beside Pearl, her doting big sister, their cheeks squashed together on the pillow.

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The baby in the pictures is Grace  Gracie, as her parents call her  who died tragically at home aged just seven weeks in April 2015.

Her devastated mother found Graces lifeless body in her cot, her face purple and her head hanging over the side. She was rushed to hospital but it was too late. Grace had died within seconds after her oxygen supply was cut off when her neck became stuck on the raised edge of the crib.

No parent could bear to imagine the agony of losing a child so young, but the Rosemans ordeal didnt end there.

They were forced to endure a harrowing, 18-month wait for an inquest to conclude that Graces death wasnt their fault.

Not only did the cot manufacturer, Bednest  a company whose product then had the support of leading parenting charity the National Childbirth Trust (NCT)  claim Esther and Gideon had been negligent in using the cot, but they made the cruel and shocking claims that Pearl, then two-and-a-half, had caused her sisters death.

Grace Roseman tragically died in a 199 Bednest cot in April, 2015, (pictured, the same model of cot)

Grace was unable to free herself from the edge of her cot and died as a result of asphyxia

They said Grace was too young to lift her neck over the side of the crib, so Pearl must have moved the baby into the fatal position without her parents noticing.

Last week, West Sussex coroner Penelope Schofield blasted Bednest for its lack of compassion and said suggestions that Pearl was involved were unpalatable. She recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying Grace had died as a result of lifting her head and becoming trapped on a bar.

She raised grave concerns about the design of the cot, and said infants who continue to use the model  which is still on sale second-hand and in an amended version directly from the manufacturer  are at risk.

Their solicitor, Jill Greenfield of Fieldfisher, said of the case: 'The family has faced the onslaught of a commercial entity determined, it seems, to lay blame anywhere but on their cot.

'This was a very tough case and there was a lot at stake.

Esther and Gideon, who live in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, are still reeling.

We lost Grace and now we have been through this unbelievably awful ordeal, says Gideon, 39, a barrister. We had to suspend our grief to try to protect our family from these horrific allegations.

People have said terrible things about Esther  that she was to blame; that she should have been watching Grace; that she didnt read the instructions for the cot. Then they went after Pearl. It was truly disgusting.

For Esther, speaking for the first time since the inquest ended, the heartache is etched raw on her face.

Gracie was born on February 18, she says. Id really wanted another girl, so things felt like they were perfect

Grace died within seconds after her oxygen supply was cut off when her neck became stuck on the raised edge of the crib

Grace was always happy and smiling. She was just a lovely cuddly baby.

She stops as fresh tears spring to her eyes. I dont know what else to say. She wasnt around long enough.

Like many young parents, Esther and Gideon relied on hand-me-downs from family and friends to cut costs. Gideons cousin had a six-month-old cot she no longer needed from Bednest, a company based in Stratford-upon-Avon, and the couple gladly accepted the offer.

We had absolutely no concerns about it. Shed bought it from John Lewis, it was endorsed by the NCT, it all seemed perfectly safe, says Gideon.

Indeed, the cot, which cost 299 brand new, also had ringing endorsements from celebrity mums, including Jools Oliver, the wife of chef Jamie, and actress Tamzin Outhwaite.

Esther went onto the NCT website and bought the recommended mattress to go with the cot, Gideon continues. There were no instructions, as she didnt have the box or the packaging any more, and there was nothing on the cot itself.

The Bednest bedside crib, used by more than 25,000 British parents, is ostensibly designed to make life easier for breastfeeding mothers, through a drawbridge-style retractable side panel which lowers completely to attach the crib to the parental bed.

The original model, used by the Rosemans, had an option to partially lower the side as well as completely lowering it, and it was on this partly lowered metal edge that baby Graces neck became stuck. The coroner ruled that she died from positional asphyxia.

Though Bednest now expressly states on its website that the side panel should never be lowered when the baby is unsupervised, earlier instructions did not include this disclaimer.

Indeed, promotional photographs and a video obtained by the Rosemans (now withdrawn from the public domain) appear to show a mother fast asleep beside her baby in the cot, with the side part of the way down.

On the morning of April 9, 2015, Grace was sleeping soundly, with the side of the cot in this position, when Esther left her in her bedroom to have a bath.

Pictured: Gideon Roseman with his daughter Grace, just after she was born

Gideon, who was off work ill, was asleep in another bedroom, while Pearl followed her mother into the bathroom. Grace was on her own, with the door slightly ajar, for 90 minutes.

Why did I leave her so long? Why didnt I check on her? says her anguished mother. There was a breathing pad  an electronic pressure pad that sounds an alarm when a baby stops breathing  that lulled me into a false sense of security. I thought it would go off if anything happened.

After her bath, Esther walked the metre or so to the bedroom to check on Grace. What she found will haunt her every day for the rest of her life.

She was purple and there was a mark on her neck, she says. It was obvious she had been gone for some time.

I started screaming Grace is dead. Gideon came into the room and shouted at me to put on a dressing gown and get in the car. I was going for my phone and calling 999.

The couple rushed to the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, where a team of around 15 doctors battled to save their newborn daughter.

But Esther knew from the moment she found her that Grace was gone. When I made the phone call I never once said Shes passed out. I said: My baby, is dead.

No words can describe the sheer hell of the days that followed. As her mother, I felt nothing but guilt, self-blame and shame, sighs Esther. I felt tortured that I didnt have the choice of ending my own life, because I couldnt be that selfish to my family.

An inquest opened immediately and the coroner expressed concern over the cot, saying urgent action should be taken to prevent future deaths. But Bednest, and the NCT, continued to claim there was nothing wrong with it.

Shockingly, the Rosemans found out during the inquest that another baby, whose mother gave evidence but never pursued her own legal claim, had almost died in similar circumstances while using the cot in 2014.

Two months after Graces death, the cot company raised the suggestion that Pearl might have been to blame. Esther, who until this moment has been admirably calm, breaks down.

The handle is too high for her to reach, she says, her voice shaking. She couldnt have pulled the door closed and left it in the same position.

When Grace was sleeping downstairs, Pearl would sometimes wake her up. Shed say Gracie, why are you sleeping? But that was because she wanted my attention. That morning, she had all my attention. I was with her the whole time.

The reason I didnt go and check Gracie was I was trying to keep an eye on Pearl. Any mother who has two children knows you keep them apart when one of them is asleep.

I have been in pieces because I lost Grace and I was terrified that Pearls world might also be destroyed. When we thought we had lost everything, they tried to take away even more.

Amid the tortuous legal battles of the past 18 months, Esther and Gideon have struggled to keep their family going. In March this year, there was the arrival of baby Elijah  but even that joyous moment was tinged with sadness.

I was so anxious, Esther admits. I still am. We had to get a night nanny because Id lost my confidence. With Pearl, I needed to know where she was every minute of every day. Everything was a potential danger. It broke my confidence as a mother.

Grace's mother Esther Roseman (pictured, with husband Gideon) said she felt 'guilt' and 'shame' after her daughter died

Though she and Gideon have never described in detail to Pearl what happened to her sister, she knows Grace is no longer with them. Were ok talking about Gracie, arent we Pearl? Esther asks.

Yes, she says, burying her little head in her mothers neck.

I wonder how much she knows, Esther says, stroking her daughters blonde curls. She said to me recently Do I have a sister? and I said No, you have a brother. And she corrected me, saying: I did have a sister and shes not here any more. I am so proud of her.

Reporting restrictions to protect Pearls identity were in place until last week, meaning it is only now the Rosemans can reveal the full horror of what they have endured.

But Gideon says their fight is far from over. I cant tell you what a relief it is. But the point remains that these cots are still on sale and no ones been held accountable for what happened to our daughter.

Despite independent experts at the inquest describing the cot as unsafe and dangerous, Bednest continues to sell the product (it now costs 199 or 89 to rent). As well as the disclaimer, the latest version has been modified to stop the sides being folded down, and customers with older models have been offered a free modification kit  screws and a screwdriver  to fix the sides in place.

To date, however, the company has managed to reach only 45 per cent of its cot-owners.

Meanwhile, several thousands of the cots are still on sale second-hand. Last summer, Esthers sister spotted one in the window of a local charity shop.

In a statement, the company apologised for the distress caused to the Rosemans, adding that it was devastated by the news of the death of baby Grace and that since the Bednest crib was first launched, the safety of children has been at the heart of our ethos.

The NCT, which immediately suspended sales of the cot but continued to reassure parents that there was no evidence of any fault until last November, also apologised to the family. Our involvement with this tragedy is a matter of profound and lasting regret, said chief executive Nick Wilkie, adding that the charity would do all it could to alert parents to the clear risk posed by the cot if the side was halfway down.

For Esther and Gideon, however, this is far from enough.

At the very least, I want a warning issued under general product safety regulations that this cot isnt safe, says Gideon. In an ideal world, I would like the directors of Bednest to be tried for manslaughter. Anyone who sends a product out there without knowing that its safe, and a baby dies as a result, has committed an offence in my eyes.

While her husband doesnt want to give up their fight for justice, Esther seems less sure what the future holds. Its a relief that the inquest is over, dont get me wrong, she says. But now we have to pick up the pieces.

We have two other, beautiful children for whom we need to be strong and move forward.

This Christmas, the Rosemans can finally grieve in peace. And baby Grace will be looking down on them all from her spot above the tree, smiling  the way they will always remember her.
What is SBS airing instead of The Legend of the Blue Sea Episode 14 on Dec. 29, 2016? (Photo : YouTube/afreennisa mohammad)

The growing popularity of "The Legend of the Blue Sea" catapulted Lee Min-Ho and Jun Ji-Hyun to the top spot of a brand reputation chart. The two lead stars ranked first and second for brand power among Korean actors.







"The Legend of the Blue Sea" stars were both recognized by the Korean Business Research Institute as celebrities with the highest brand reputations for the month of December. It is based on 33,196,577 pieces of data from Nov. 15 to Dec. 16, according to local newsoutlet Naver.



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Jun came in first place with a total brand reputation score of 9,570,099, which is a 61.48 percent increase from her November rankings. Tailing her in second was Lee, whose total brand value was 5,467,926. It also included Lee Soo-Kyung, Yoo Yeon Seok and Han Suk Kyu in its top five list.



Jun and Lee have enjoyed a resurgence in their popularity ever since "The Legend of the Blue Sea" hit the airwaves on Nov. 16. The SBS drama has managed to secure the top spot in the Wednesday-Thursday ratings battle.



"We'd like to thank the countless viewers both within and beyond Korea for their love," a representative from the SBS drama told Soompi. "Thanks to your love and support, we are able to film warmly even in this cold winter. We hope you will continue to show us support in the future."



However, "The Legend of the Blue Sea" has been slammed by several critics over plagiarism claims. The 20-episode drama was recently accused of copying parts of its storyline from a Korean scriptwriter named Park.



It came to light when Park took to the drama's official website on Dec. 14, Wednesday and introduced herself as the writer behind "The Legend of Hae Wol Sea: Pearly Shells." She claimed many of the incidents portrayed in the SBS drama are fundamentally the same as that of her work.



Though she demanded an apology from show's writer Park Ji-Eun, Park said she does not want to call it plagiarism. She clarified that such claims are just an analysis of the similar parts, but never she said it was copied entirety.



Watch Jun and Lee as Shim Chung and Heo Joon-Jae in SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" here:






Want 2017 to be the year that your life genuinely changes for the better? Move into your dream home? Change job? Retire? Lose weight? Fall in love?

You need to make some big decisions  and yet most of us are hopeless at them. Rather than strive for happier, healthier versions of ourselves, were held back by our fear of new beginnings.

We are scared of making a break with the past, no matter how much better it will make us feel.

Save brainpower by filling your wardrobe with no-decision-required outfits  half-a-dozen white shirts and a couple of navy jackets, for example

But life is change. Living is all about venturing into the unknown. Most things that give life meaning involve taking risks and making that leap.

We can all get better at making big decisions  and changing our life for the better. Read on to find out how.

FREE UP BRAIN POWER

Experts think we make 35,000 individual decisions each day  most of them frankly trivial, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat.

But our decision-making ability is like a muscle and gets tired from all this work.

Scientists at Florida State University have discovered that the willpower required to make a choice isnt a finite resource.

It can be exhausted, which in turn depletes the quality of our decision-making. If youve resisted a plate of biscuits all morning, its harder to make a decision about the direction of your life in the afternoon.

When we exhaust our willpower, we need to let it rest again, like a muscle, says Dr Benjamin Gardner, an expert in behaviour change at Kings College, London.

So dont overtax it. Take away little decisions, leaving mental power for big ones. Dont stress over what to buy for supper each night  set up a master shopping list and have it delivered each week. Stick to a meal plan, freeing up vital head space.

Experts think we make 35,000 individual decisions each day  most of them frankly trivial, from the clothes we wear to the food we eat

Take the same approach to what to wear. Save brainpower by filling your wardrobe with no-decision-required outfits  half-a-dozen white shirts and a couple of navy jackets, for example. Youll be in good company: this has long been a technique used by top politicians and CEOs.

DONT BE SCARED

Most humans are afraid of change and making decisions.

Were scared of committing to one future, says Ellen Bard, a psychologist and motivation expert with 15 years experience in helping people to get better at making decisions.

We think that when we commit, we rule out all the alternatives. But there are few decisions you can never go back on.

Shes right, and its a brilliant mantra. Bar parenthood, everything else is reversible. Where you live, what job you do, even your partner  all can be changed.

HAVE A DUVET DAY (AND WATCH A WEEPIE)

If you want to change your life for the better  even if its taking up a new exercise regime and losing weight  its often best to start off on the sofa.

If you want to change your life for the better  even if its taking up a new exercise regime and losing weight  its often best to start off on the sofa

Theres something called emotional arousal that helps us get fired up for change, says Jim Prochaska, a U.S. professor of psychology who developed an influential six-stage programme called the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change.

One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to watch a movie that makes you feel emotionally charged. A good three-hankies film is the best.

Emotional arousal is an excellent way to get beyond a purely intellectual assessment of a problem (such as being overweight) and commit to change.

Jim also suggests going public with your new regime to ensure you stick to it.

Or why not enlist at least one buddy to support you or perhaps share the cost of a personal trainer.

If youre no good with money, spend just one minute a day becoming more financially literate

It means theres someone you feel accountable to, he says.

MAKE SMALL CHANGES

Fool yourself into making a big change by taking lots of small steps to get there. The Japanese word kaizen means improvement and the practice is all about tiny, seemingly insignificant changes that add up to something much, much bigger.

And I do mean small changes.

If youre no good with money, for example, spend just one minute a day becoming more financially literate.

You might take a minute to find an article about planning for retirement online. Dont read it  youve done your minute for the day  put it aside until tomorrow and then focus on it.

The next day make a conscious effort to listen to a money programme for two minutes.

Try meditating on a morning coffee. By paying attention and appreciating the tastes and sensations that arise while consuming something, we can become more mindful and declutter our thoughts

Small actions trick the brain into thinking: Hey, this change is so tiny that its no big deal,  says Dr Robert Mauer, director of behavioural Sciences at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Centre.

By outfoxing our fear response, kaizen allows the brain to build up new permanent habits.

MINDFUL OVER COFFEE

A cluttered mind wont help you make the right decisions. It might be physically incapable of deciding much at all.

Were often indecisive when were feeling down because were too sensitive to losses or disappointment, says Alex Korb, assistant professor of neuroscience at UCLA. We cant cope with making the wrong choice, so we protect ourselves.

Meditation and mindfulness are great ways to calm the mind and relieve stress, but some people  like me  find it hard to empty their whirling minds.

So try meditating on a morning coffee instead. By paying attention and appreciating the tastes and sensations that arise while consuming something, we can become more mindful and declutter our thoughts.

Adapted by Alison Roberts from Leap Year: How To Make Big Decisions, Be More Resilient And Change Your Life For Good by Helen Russell (Two Roads, 16.99.  Helen Russell 2016. To order for 12.74 (until January 2, 2017), visit mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640. P&P free on orders over 15.
Exposure to chemicals in e-cigarettes could trigger severe gum disease  and even increase the risk of mouth cancer, scientists have warned (file photo)

Exposure to chemicals in e-cigarettes could trigger severe gum disease  and even increase the risk of mouth cancer, scientists have warned.

New studies have highlighted concerns over potential damage to cells in the gums from vapour released by the devices.

Tests showed substances used to flavour e-cigarettes cause inflammation and damage tissue that helps hold teeth in place.

Experts at the University of California Los Angeles found e-cigarettes contained toxic substances and nanoparticles that could kill the top layer of cells in the mouth and gums.

They warned the changes noticed in tests could increase the risk of mouth cancer if the same thing happened in e-cigarette users.

Since then, a team at Universite Laval in Canada has found gum tissue cells appear to mutate when they come into contact with e-cigarette vapour.

They warn: The adverse effects of e-cigarette vapour could lead to oral disease.

Another study, at the University of Rochester in New York, found flavourings in e-cigarettes triggered inflammation and DNA damage and that vaping  the name giving to using e-cigarettes  damaged tissue joining the teeth to the jawbone.

Researcher Dr Irfan Rahman said: When the vapours from an e-cigarette are burned, it causes cells to release inflammatory proteins. This aggravates stress within cells, resulting in damage that could lead to oral diseases.

Nearly three million people in Britain use e-cigarettes. Public Health England insists they are 95 per cent safer than tobacco.
Sally wears COAT, Paul & Joe. DRESS, Pinko. EARRINGS, Susan Caplan. GLOVES and HAT, Topshop. ALICE (right) AND GRACIE WEAR ROMPERS, Gap. HATS, Tesco

It may be an unlikely romance  theatre producer in her 30s falls for rock legend three decades her senior  but five years and two babies later, SALLY WOOD and her husband Ronnie are proving their critics wrong. She tells Louise Gannon about finding her place in the Rolling Stones happy blended family

As the studio fairy lights twinkle overhead  to the delight of her twin baby girls  Sally Wood doesnt even try to hide her excitement at the prospect of her first family Christmas with Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.

Ronnie was playing Phil Spectors Christmas album in October and we still havent taken down the lights from last year, she says. But this year it will be our first Christmas with the girls.

How does that feel? Honestly, being a mum is great, we have two little girls and were happy. I dont take any of it for granted.

Ronnie says the babies keep his hours. So hes happy to be up in the night with them

Sally, 38, is not your average rock n roll wife. There is no nanny for the twins, Gracie and Alice (Sallys younger brother Geraint looks after them during the YOU shoot); she doesnt drink and has never touched drugs.

She is a respected actress and theatre producer, known for her sleeves-rolled-up attitude, and when she first met Ronnie, 69, the former head girl of King Edward VI Handsworth School in Birmingham admits she would have been hard pushed to name more than a couple of Rolling Stones albums.

Sally and Ronnie with Sallys niece Heather (left), Ronnies daughter Leah, daughter-in-law Fearne Cotton and granddaughter Maggie

Her preparations for motherhood involved borrowing a cot from her cousin, and on a recent five-week tour of the US with the Stones, she took just one suitcase of clothes (the average rock wife has a Louis Vuitton six set).

I wanted to keep it simple: one case for me, one for the girls. There wasnt time to think about outfits  except for the girls, of course. I probably think more about what they wear than what I do.

Theirs was a relationship that surprised everyone  not least because of the age gap  but this Wednesday Sally and Ronnie celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary. Just after Ronnie proposed he gave Sally a necklace hed had made for her: a heart-shaped ruby over the word yes.

Every year he gives her a piece of jewellery featuring a ruby, he writes her love letters, and when she was pregnant with Alice and Gracie (now six months old) he drew beautiful ink sketches of her in each trimester, which are now framed in the girls nursery.

DRESS, The Pretty Dress Company. GIFT BAG, Yazbukey, from Fenwick of Bond Street. NECKLACE and EARRINGS, Mawi. GIANT BAUBLES, grahamsweet.com

On an average day, Ronnie changes nappies, does the night feeds (He says the babies keep his hours, Sally laughs, so hes really happy to be up in the night with them), goes for country walks and cooks Sally eggs for breakfast and proper meals at night.

When hes not touring, an average afternoon at their home on the borders of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire involves watching a ridiculous amount of TV. Ronnie loves shows such as Flog It!, Tipping Point and Eggheads. I think the Stones should go up against the Eggheads  Id like to see that.

Ronnies children and six grandchildren are regular visitors. He has a 40-year-old son, Jesse, from his first marriage to Krissy Findlay; a daughter, Leah, 38, and son, Tyrone, 33, by his second wife Jo Wood; and a stepson Jamie, 43, from Jos first marriage, whom he adopted. There are always family and friends in and out, says Sally. We all spend a lot of time together.

Things could have been very different for the man even the excessive Keith Richards described as the only cat I struggle to keep up with. For Ronnie, in the wild days of the 1970s and 80s, televisions were for throwing out of hotel windows, not watching. Once as notorious for his consumption of drink, drugs and women as he was acclaimed for his guitar playing, Ronnie now neither drinks, takes drugs nor even smokes.

The couple with Keith Richards and Patti Hansen, left, and with Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell

It would be easy to describe Sally as the woman who tamed the wildest rock star of them all, but that is not an accurate picture. I never tell Ronnie not to do something, she says. I think if you want to make a change it has to be your decision. It was Ronnies decision to stop smoking. Ultimately its for me and the girls, but its something he wanted to do for us and for himself. Id never make demands about what someone else should do.

Sally has faced a barrage of criticism about her relationship with Ronnie, from the age difference to accusations that shes just another rock n roll gold-digger. But, again, this isnt accurate. I spoke to Ronnie just a few days after his daughters were born and he said: Im the lucky one in all of this. Ive been sober for six years now and I stopped smoking a month before the girls were born. I feel I can have a life like Ive never had before. I cant help thinking I wish my mum could see this [his mother Elizabeth died in 1998]; she would be so happy, she would love these beautiful girls. And she would really love Sally. I feel like Ive got a second chance at life.

But if you want to see the steel behind Sallys classic English-rose looks, all it takes is a mention of the 30-year age difference. You know what, she says. I find it rude when people talk unkindly about it.

Sally and Ronnie on their wedding day in 2012; Ronnie on stage with Rod Stewart

'We went to the Q Awards recently and the host [Absolute radio DJ Christian OConnell] made a really horrible joke about everyone in the audience being old and Ronnie being the next rock star to go. Yes, he is older and I am younger, but I dont think about age when I think of Ronnie. Hes always had this unbelievably positive, youthful energy about him, which I absolutely love.

'I also think there is a lot to be said for marrying an older man. He knows who he is, he knows what he wants. He makes me happy, we laugh and hes a great dad. Hes so relaxed and incredibly creative.

It is perhaps telling that one of Sallys strongest supporters is Ronnies ex-wife Jo, who reportedly wishes Ronnie had got together with Sally years before he did. Fearne Cotton, the TV and radio presenter who is married to Ronnies eldest son Jesse, agrees: Sally is a good woman. A properly good woman. And she wants everyone to be happy.

In a short space of time, Sally has been accepted into the tight Rolling Stones family as blood (Keiths name for the Stoness inner circle). Mick Jagger was one of the first to visit her in hospital after she had the twins, having his photo taken with a baby in each arm. Ronnies friends, from Rod Stewart (who was best man at their wedding, along with Sir Paul McCartney) to the Stones, have been bowled over by her. Rod  Ronnies oldest friend from their days in the Faces  describes her as a diamond.

Sally scrolls through pictures on her phone, showing me images of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Keith Richards all cuddling her babies during the US tour. As I gasp open-mouthed, she shrugs. Yes, they are all incredible heroes and unbelievably respected musicians, but at the end of the day they are just people and they all love kids. Everyone wanted to see and hold the girls.

DRESS, Alexis, from Oxygen Boutique. SHOES, Giuseppe Zanotti. EARRINGS, Mawi. ALICE (right) AND GRACIE WEAR ROMPERS, JoJo Maman Bebe

'Babies are a great leveller. The twins are seasoned travellers, they were with everyone on planes, in hotels and at rehearsals. At the concerts, the music is too loud so they were backstage, but there were always people to hold them so I could watch the band. We had a great time.

Ronnie and Sally were never really meant to be an item. They first met in 2003, when he was putting on an art exhibition at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where she was working as an assistant producer. She was in a relationship and he was living the rock n roll lifestyle  in and out of recovery  and married to Jo. Her first impression was that he was very funny and an incredibly good artist.

He asked her and Geraint, a music journalist, to write a piece about the exhibition for a book. They kept in touch (several years later she produced Micks son James in a play) and occasionally met for coffee. I knew a reasonable amount about people in recovery from working in the theatre. Ronnie knew I didnt drink and I was a safe contact for him. We would talk about books  Id suggest things for him to read. Hes always made me laugh and I think there was a part of me that liked him, but I didnt allow myself to think that because it just wasnt part of the picture.

Sally and Ronnie with Sallys parents Colin and Alison

Ronnie left Jo in 2008, relapsing into drink and drugs, and began dating a young waitress, Ekaterina Ivanova, in what could be described as a lost year of his life. Sally watched from the sidelines, offering support. Then in 2011 he asked her out on a date  which turned out to be Paul McCartneys wedding to Nancy Shevell. There was this lovely family atmosphere and Ronnie and I had a real laugh. We danced and it was the first time I remember thinking of him in a completely different way.

A few weeks later he wrote her a letter saying how he felt about her, how he wanted to have a proper relationship and to take it seriously. She spoke to a friend who told her that she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didnt take a chance on him.

Theres a lot to be said for marrying an older man

Five years on, their relationship is proving the doubters wrong. Sally, the middle child of two classical musicians turned music teachers, Colin and Alison Humphreys, has managed effortlessly to fit in with the rock elite without losing her foothold in the real world. Ask her what school she is planning to send her daughters to and she says, Theres a school at the bottom of our road, which is great. Its not a private school and its local so theyd have friends close by. We want the girls to have as normal an upbringing as possible. And I do think it is possible.

Sallys life with Ronnie sounds idyllic, but she can also be very entertaining about the reality of the domestic habits of an international rock star. There are definitely big differences between us, she says. I have one wardrobe and Ronnie has a whole room dedicated to clothes. When we go out, he takes twice as long as me to get dressed. And when I buy something, I put it away and bring it out a few weeks later. Ronnie will try it on with six different outfits, then wear it straight away. It makes me laugh because he has such an enthusiasm for everything.

Sally has worked since the age of 15 (in hairdressers, radio stations, as an actress) and has no intention of stopping now she is married to a multimillionaire rock star. She is currently working on a new musical for 2018 and will be chairing the committee for next years Roundhouse Gala. (Sally says Roger Daltrey has been confirmed as the headline act. The last event, which she also chaired, raised 1 million for the charity, which supports young people in the arts.)

DRESS, Vivienne Westwood, from Fenwick of Bond Street. SHOES, Saint Laurent. HAIR CLIPS (on shoes), Claires Accessories. EARRINGS, Mawi GRACIE (right) WEARS ROMPER, Gap. HAT, Tesco. ALICE, as before

Her confectionery company Sweet Theatre has expanded and its Shakespeare-themed chocolates are stocked at Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, the Royal Shakespeare Companys shop and Shakespeares Globe. Ive always been very creative, always a doer, she says. When I was pregnant all of that creativity went. I was worried it wouldnt come back, but in the past few months Ive been coming up with more and more ideas. I also really want to get back into acting and radio work.

SALLY SAYS Perfect Sunday morning Lying in bed, cuddling the girls and just chilling out. Strictly or Bake Off? Bake Off. On a night out wed find you With Ronnie and the girls. Most treasured possession A heart-shaped ruby necklace that Ronnie gave me. Dream dinner party guest Dolly Parton. Guilty pleasure Dark chocolate. If you could give your teenage self one piece of advice? Go to law school not drama school. I was accepted to both but chose drama. What keeps you awake at night? The girls! If you could do anything, what would it be? Swim the English Channel. Tell us something surprising about yourself Ive run three marathons. Favourite Stones song? You Cant Always Get What You Want. Describe yourself in three words? Grateful, optimistic, Capricorn. Advertisement

She looks incredible, but there is no personal trainer to thank. I walk for an hour every day, she says. For me its not just exercise  its mindfulness, meditation, head-clearing to be out in the fresh air. I walk in the wind and rain with our dog [a beagle called Dolly]. If you want to stay fit, just walk; its the best thing you can do.

At Christmas, the Woods go overboard with festivities. We go crazy, laughs Sally. There will be a Christmas tree in every room, fairy lights everywhere and Ronnie ramps up the heating so its really warm and cosy. Hes very traditional. This year he wants to go to midnight mass together as a family. He also insists on having a proper stocking full of presents. Hes so good at buying presents, its pretty difficult finding the perfect gift for him. He sets the bar very high.

The Woods will host a big dinner for both their families. Everyone will pop in and out and well go over to see all the kids and grandchildren, she says. Its the one meal I cook a year. All the family will pitch in and Ronnie will laughingly say, She makes a great Christmas dinner. And hell be playing with the babies.

As for what the future holds, Sally is not ruling out more children. Mick holds the Stones record with eight (his son by the ballerina Melanie Hamrick was born earlier this month), but Ronnie is not far behind.

Im definitely not saying no, she says. Before the twins were born, I didnt think any further than them. But they are such lovely, happy babies I think it would be incredible to do it again with the knowledge I now have. Our life is complete just as we are, but you never know what will happen.

Sallys Christmas charity is the Tom Cocklin Memorial Trust, which provides funding to help less-advantaged young people develop in the arts. For more information, visit facebook.com/tomcocklinmemorialtrust




Theresa May, 60 Our second female PM was the only credible candidate for the top job following David Camerons post-Brexit resignation and vicious in-fighting among other contenders.

Dubbed a bloody difficult woman by Ken Clarke, she has proved a tough negotiator on the global stage. Already known for her extensive shoe collection, her outfits of choice in recent months  Amanda Wakeley in particular  have given her a boost in the fashion polls, too.

Brexit awkward squad

Anna Soubry, 60 The former Tory cabinet minister was pictured crying following the EU referendum result in June. She joined a new group of Tory Remainers including George Osborne and Nicky Morgan. Gina Miller, 51 The investment fund manager was hailed woman of the century by Remainers after she won her court case, which argues that the Government cannot invoke Article 50 without first seeking approval from Parliament. The Government appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, and a decision is expected next month. Nicola Sturgeon, 46 Following Brexit, the Scottish First Minister has argued for Scotland staying in the EU (62 per cent voted for remain) and threatened a second vote on independence. Baroness Brenda Hale, 71, is one of the 11 Supreme Court judges who heard the Governments appeal against the legal challenge to Brexit. Lady Hale stated that she believed that the referendum was not legally binding on Parliament. The court will rule on the appeal next month.

Familiar faces  and new

Germany: Angela Merkel, 62 Germanys Chancellor has been a major player in world politics for more than a decade, and in June was named the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. Last month she said a heartfelt goodbye to close confidant Barack Obamaand sent a tepid letter of congratulations to incoming president Donald Trump. USA: Hillary Clintons lucky rainbow pantsuits failed to fly her back to the White House. Media: Laura Kuenssberg, 40 The BBC political editor has guided audiences through a rollercoaster year of current affairs, and survived a campaign to sack her over coverage of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to become Journalist of the Year at the British Journalism Awards. Yorkshire: Jo Cox, 41 The Labour MP for Batley and Spen was murdered on 16 June by Thomas Mair, a right-wing terrorist. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn described Jo, mother of two young children, as a dedicated campaigner for social justice and peace. Richmond upon Thames: Sarah Olney, 39 The mum of two won the Richmond Park by-election for the Lib Dems after Tory MP Zac Goldsmith resigned the seat in protest over the approval of a third runway at Heathrow. He then stood as an independent. Sarah, who joined the Lib Dems just last year, said, I knew I had to get involved.

Business
The Duchess of Cambridge wearing (from left) Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Alexander McQueen and Temperley London

The Duchess of Cambridge, 34

It was Kates most polished year to date. Stepping into the limelight after taking time off with baby Charlotte, she dazzled in an ever more gorgeous designer wardrobe. On her tour of Canada, standout pieces included the Alexander McQueen Canadian flag-inspired dress she wore to meet the Trudeaus and a striking Preen dress to an evening reception in Victoria.

Well hello, Harry!

US actress Meghan Markle won the heart of the worlds most eligible bachelor

Many happy returns, Ma'am!

The Queen celebrated her 90th birthday with a ceremony at St Pauls (including a reading by Sir David Attenborough), a gala at Windsor with 900 horses and A-list performances, plus a street party on The Mall

The cutest of them all

Princess Charlotte, left, and, right, Mia Tindall

It was cuddles all round when Princess Charlotte met Moose the dog in Canada, while Mia Tindall continued her reign as little royal rascal.
Royal Ballet principal Akane is our Christmas Sleeping Beauty

Akane played Princess Aurora opposite Vadim Muntagirov (right) in The Sleeping Beauty in 2014

Who? This week, 26-year-old Akane from Tokyo takes to the stage in the 70th-anniversary production of the Royal Ballets The Sleeping Beauty  first performed by the company when the Royal Opera House reopened after the Second World War.

Since joining the company in 2009, Akane has gained plaudits for her precision and grace in classics such as Swan Lake and Onegin.

Big break Akane started dancing when she was three and first performed on stage at five. But her future career was almost cut short aged 12 when she tore a ligament in her knee.

I thought I might never dance again, she says. Luckily, she recovered and, four years later, won a place at Russias prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy.

In 2008, she danced with the Royal Ballet on a scholarship and, in 2014, stepped in after Natalia Osipova fell during a performance of Don Quixote.

Akane earned rave reviews and became a principal dancer this summer.

The big idea? Expect this production of The Sleeping Beauty  classic Petipa choreography with Tchaikovskys score  to be enchanting and lavish.

Akane, one of the dancers playing Princess Aurora, is particularly excited about her gold and white tutu.

What next? Akane will play the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker from 31 December.
China has objected to the Dalai Lama meeting with Indian President Pranab Mukherjee earlier this month, saying the talks had negatively impacted ties between the Asian neighbours.

The Tibetan spiritual leader met with Mukherjee at the Indian presidential palace in New Delhi during a child welfare summit attended by Nobel laureates and world leaders on December 10-11.

'The Chinese side is firmly opposed to any form of contacts between officials of other countries with him (the Dalai Lama),' Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular media briefing Friday.

The Dalai Lama visits the Capitol in Washington, DC

Beijing vigorously lobbies against foreign leaders meeting the Dalai Lama 'in any form' and accuses him of seeking Tibetan independence through 'spiritual terrorism'

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee

'We urge the Indian side to... fully respect China's core interest and major concerns, (and) take effective means to remove the negative impact caused by the incident, so as to avoid disturbance to the China-India relationship.'

India's external affairs ministry brushed off Beijing's objections, saying the Dalai Lama and Mukherjee had met at a 'non-political' event, local media reported.

The Dalai Lama fled to India after a failed uprising in 1959, but is still deeply revered by many Tibetans in China.

Beijing vigorously lobbies against foreign leaders meeting the Nobel Peace Prize laureate 'in any form' and accuses him of seeking Tibetan independence through 'spiritual terrorism'.
With Bhojpuri actor turned- politician Manoj Tiwari at the helm of affairs in Delhi BJP, the party is set to make Bhojpuri cinema a tool to change political dynamics in the national Capital.

The city will host the first mega Bhojpuri film festival in February next year which essentially is aimed at wooing the dominant Poorvanchali voters in Delhi.

The festival, ideated by Tiwari, has got the nod of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and will be held for seven days in February.

Bhojpuri Film Festival will be held in Delhi in February, which will attract the Poorvanchali voters

Tiwari, the most successful Bhojpuri star and BJP's Poorvanchali face, had even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking nod for the film festival.

'The film festival will connect with a large chunk of migrants from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh. At the same time, it will help the Bhojpuri film industry to break new grounds outside Bihar and UP,' Tiwari said.

A senior BJP leader said the film festival will showcase 60 to 70 popular Bhojpuri movies.

The venues of the festival will be fixed in different parts of Delhi that have a significant population of Poorvanchalis.

'Through these movies efforts will be made to highlight the positive side of the Bhojpuri genre. Bhojpuri movies are not all about vulgarity,' the leader said.

Tiwari, the most successful Bhojpuri star and BJP's Poorvanchali face, had even met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking nod for the film festival.

The move assumes significance in wake of the increasing migrant population in Delhi that holds the key to any electoral success in the Capital.

Poorvanchalis, comprising people from Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, constitute nearly 50 lakh or 30 per cent of the vote share in the Capital.

It is in order to win back the dominant Poorvanchali voters in the Capital the BJP has, for the first time, chosen a Poorvanchali leader as the head of its Delhi unit.

This is also a departure from BJP's decade old dependence on the Punjabi-Baniya lobby in the Delhi BJP.

Traditionally the Delhi BJP has been led by Punjabi leaders like Kedar Nath Sawhney, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, Madan Lal Khurana as Punjabi and Sikh constitute nearly 30 per cent of Delhi's vote bank.

Former Delhi CM and Sahib Singh Verma too was seen a leader of the Jat community and the migrants struggled to find their representation in the state politics.

This was followed by the rise of Baniya lobby in the Delhi BJP which saw leaders like Vijay Goel, Dr Harsh Vardhan and Vijender Gupta.

All these leaders went on to become the Delhi BJP president while the BJP also projected Harsh Vardhan as its chief ministerial candidate in the 2013 assembly polls.

Goel and Vardhan are currently ministers in the Narendra Modi government. According to BJP, almost 50 per cent of the migrants in Delhi speak Bhojpuri.

The language is also spoken widely in Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has also given his consent for the film festival.

Playing the regional card, the BJP also expects to win back the Poorvanchali voters that it had lost to Arvind Kejriwal in 2015 assembly elections.

This had resulted in AAP's emphatic victory with 67 out of the 70 assembly seats falling into its kitty.

The AAP, however, said such initiatives like film festivals would not change the mood of the voters.

'People of Delhi are disenchanted with the Modi government particularly after the currency ban. The BJP led MCDs are also facing serious corruption charges and have failed to deliver. Poorvanchali voters are united to support AAP in coming elections,' an AAP MLA said.

In Delhi, there are at least 20 assembly constituencies or 80 municipal wards that are dominated by the poorvanchalis where they constitute 17 to 47 per cent of the vote share.

In the 2013 assembly polls, Tiwari's impact in these seats had been influential.

In the elections, Tiwari campaigned on 19 of these seats of which 14 landed in BJP's kitty.

The Poorvanchali dominated seats in Delhi include Burari, Seemapuri, Gokalpuri, Karawal Nagar, Kirari, Badli, Nangloi, Rithala, Matiala, Vikaspuri, Dwarka, Uttam Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Deoli, Badarpur, Tughlakabad, Patparganj, Laxmi Nagar, Wazirpur and Rajinder Nagar.

Tiwari, who hails from Bihar and is currently the North East Delhi MP, is tasked with consolidating migrant voters as well as mitigating the anti-incumbency which the BJP has been facing in municipal corporations for two consecutive terms.

Besides countering the allegations of corruption and addressing the salary issues of MCD employees, the party will also have to keep poll equations intact to take on the AAP, which made its debut in the municipal corporations winning five out of the 13 wards in the municipal by elections held in May this year.

The BJP even lost four of its strongholds to AAP and the Congress

An accidental journey

Priyanka Chopra recently produced a Bhojpuri movie titled Bam Bam Bol Raha Hai Kashi

The current boom in Bhojpuri cinema began in 2004 with Sasura Bada Paisewala.

The Manoj Tiwari-starrer was made with a meager budget of Rs 30 lakh and went on to collect a whopping RS 9 crore.

In the next 12 years, more than 700 films were produced, transforming the 'fledgling cottage industry of the 1960s' into a 'bustling regional film industry', writes author Avijit Ghosh in his book, Cinema Bhojpuri.

Bhojpuri cinema now attracts even Bollywood A-listers like Priyanka Chopra today.

Priyanka's first film as a producer was released this year - began its journey quite accidentally.

As the story goes, sometime in the late 1950s, actor Nazir Hussain met the then President Rajendra Prasad at a film awards function in Mumbai.

'Are you a Punjabi?' the President asked. When the actor replied that he was from Ghazipur district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the President asked him to make a film in Bhojpuri.

But Hussain said he was just a character actor and added that the venture would need a lot of money, but the President insisted.
Actress Kangana Ranaut has once again spoken about her spat with Hrithik Roshan, saying she felt naked when her personal letters were made public and she would often cry herself to sleep.

Hrithik, 42, and Kangana had slapped each other with legal notices earlier this year.

The actor claimed he never had an affair with 29-year-old Kangana and she should apologise while the actress maintained otherwise.

Kangana Ranaut felt 'extremely naked in front of the world' when her personal letters were revealed to the world

Speaking about her experience in third person at Reebok's FitToFight awards, Kangana said she is proud of her ability to stay in love even though 'my world or environment does not allow or respond in the same way'.

'I know the things I'm going to say, will get me into trouble, but I wouldn't be doing justice to the evening if I hold back,' said Kangana.

Hrithik Roshan claimed he never had an affair with 29-year-old Kangana

She added: 'I felt extremely naked in front of the world. I cried for nights in my room and the worst was most of it was not even genuine or authentic', she claimed.

'The actress said she chose not to answer to that brutality in the same spirit but she was scared when the letters were made public.'

She asked her sister Rangoli about the nature of those letters and was told that most of them express a desire for a man.

'I said I would not go and defend myself for that. What is wrong in that? This is the very mindset that I did not want to encourage... It was a very traumatic time for me.'

Kangana said she is an ambitious career woman who does not see anything wrong in having everything and the scandal attacked this aspect of her personality.
Hospitals which provide 'medical asylum' to people to evade court process or jail will not go scot-free any longer.

Hospital owners and even doctors could be punished for contempt and should be imprisoned if found to have colluded with the accused.

In a first-of-its-kind order, the Supreme Court has held guilty of contempt the owner of a prestigious private hospital in Gurugram and its Medical Director for providing medical shelter for a whopping 527 days to a former Indian National Lok Dal MLA from Meham, facing trial for murder.

Top court holds Gurugram hospital's owner and medical director guilty of contempt

The 'influential' accused, Balbir Singh aka Bali Pahalwan, had got himself admitted to 'Privat' hospital soon after the apex court asked him to surrender after cancelling his bail on October 24, 2013, following apprehension that he was threatening witnesses.

Balbir is an accused in an indiscriminate firing incident at Kalanaur grain market that left one person dead and eight injured on May 5, 2013.

The hospital's 76-year-old managing director KS Sachdev and 68-year-old medical director Munish Prabhakar have been asked to be present in the Supreme Court on January 2, 2017 'to present their view on the point of punishment'.

'We hold the respondent (Balbir) guilty of having violated the order dated 24.10.2013 passed by this court and for having obstructed administration of justice.'

'We also hold Dr. Munish Prabhakar and Dr. KS Sachdev guilty for having helped the respondent in his attempts and thereby obstructing administration of justice,' a bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit said.

Hospital owners and even doctors could be punished for offering unnecessary medical asylum to criminals

'They extended medical asylum to the respondent without there being any reason or medical condition justifying prolonged admission of the respondent as an indoor patient.'

'This defeated the orders passed by this court and the trial court, as stated above and thereby aided and assisted the respondent in violating the order of this court.'

'By such conduct these medical professionals have obstructed administration of justice,' said the judges.

The court was pronouncing its order on a petition filed by one Sita Ram, the brother-in-law of the deceased Vishnu through his advocate Rishi Malhotra.

'The refusal of the accused to surrender despite the order of the highest court of the land was a willful and blatant violation and amounted to contempt. It was a clear attempt to hoodwink the Supreme Court,' Malhotra argued.

The shocking fact of the nearly a year-and-a-half long medical asylum was revealed after the CBI conducted a probe.

'Singh, who claimed to be a heart patient, did not give his consent for Angiography as suggested by the doctors during his admission in the said hospital, and had requested for conservative treatment through medicines which was agreed to by the doctors.

Accused Balbir Singh was not required to remain admitted in the said hospital for such a long period for the conservative treatment which he was given in said hospital as confirmed by Dr. Munish Prabhakar, the consultant physician of the said hospital,' said the CBI report.

Defending themselves, Sachdev and Prabhakar contended that Balbir 'trapped the hospital and by non-payment of the bills kept prolonging his stay'.

But Supreme Court said the argument did not inspire confidence at all.

'If the hospital was really a victim of the machinations of the respondent, at the first opportunity i.e. when requisition was made by the police on 13.02.2015, the hospital would have responded immediately.

'The requisition dated 13.02.2015 had informed the hospital that respondent was a proclaimed offender and that his custody was required.'

'This requisition was close on the heels of the medical certificate dated 07.02.2015 and if that certificate was a correct one, the time was ripe for discharge of the respondent,' said the court.

'However, as stated by Shashank Anand in his affidavit dated 02.07.2015, the hospital refused to discharge the respondent.
K-Pop boy band BTS member V, whose real name is Kim Tae-Hyung, plays Hong Han-Sung in KBS 2TV's 'Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth.' (Photo : YouTube/mintae)

K-Pop boy band BTS member V, whose real name is Kim Tae-Hyung, is set to make his acting debut through KBS 2TV's "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth." The 21-year-old idol recently admitted that he could not control his nerves and excitement during the initial days of the filming the historical drama.



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On Dec. 16, Friday, "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" held a press conference at the Imperial Palace Hotel, Seoul, South Korea. There, the BTS member delightedly shared his thoughts about his first acting role and how he was able to balance the show with the group's activities.



"I was really nervous before filming," Soompi quoted V as saying before a predominantly Korean crowd. "Since everyone took great care of me during the script read-through and filming, so my worries decreased."



V goes ahead to say that the filming overlapped with a BTS tour, so he did not have a lot of time to practice. He then said that his groupmates' unending support seemingly gave him a lot of strength, revealing all members even instructed him to do well in acting.



In the new Monday-Tuesday drama, V plays a bright and innocent man, Hong Han-Sung, who is the youngest among all Hwarang warriors. He has been chosen for the role due to his undeniable pure and bright image, producing-director (PD) Yoon Seong Sik revealed.



"I fell for [Kim Taehyung] at first glance during our first meeting," PD Yoon said. "He looks so cute and he's playfully adorable. I was worried because he doesn't have acting experience; furthermore, it's a historical drama. However, I thought that he could easily be trained after the script read-through."



Starring Park Seo-Joon, Go Ara and Park Hyung-Sik, "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" will simultaneously broadcast in China despite the rising political strain between the two countries over the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile, according to TV Report. It will take over KBS' Monday-Tuesday 10:00 PM (KST) timeslot starting Dec. 19.



Check out the official "Hwarang: The Beginning" trailer here:






The government appointed vice chief of army staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army chief, superseding his two senior officers, while vice chief of air staff Air Marshal B S Dhanoa has been made the new chief of the Indian Air Force.

The shake-up in the army was done by the Narendra Modi government as the country's top security apparatus wanted that Army should be headed by a person who has prior experience of commanding troops in Kashmir and Rawat is considered a veteran in Valley affairs.

He will replace Gen Dalbir Suhag, who is retiring on December 31 as Army Chief.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat : The next Army chief is known to be an expert on counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir Valley and has served there extensively

However, there were no surprises in the Air Force as Air Marshal Brainder Singh Dhanoa, a Kargil war veteran, has been appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff to replace incumbent Arup Raha. He will take over command on December 31.

'Government has decided to appoint Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, vice chief of army staff, as the next chief of army staff with effect from afternoon of December 31,' the Defence Ministry said in a tweet.

Air Marshal BS Dhanoa: The next IAF chief commanded his squadron in the Kargil war and flew many sorties against Pakistan army

It also tweeted that Air Marshal BS Dhanoa will take over as IAF chief.

The government also cleared the names of two senior IPS officers - internal security expert Rajiv Jain and Pakistan-expert Anil Dhasmana - to head India's internal (Intelligence Bureau) and external (Research & Analysis Wing) intelligence agencies respectively.

Anil Kumar Dhasmana: Appointed the next chief of RAW, Dhasmana is known to be an expert in Pakistan-related affairs and specialises in Baloch activities.

Both the officers will have two years fixed tenure from the date they will take charge of their respective offices.

In appointing Rawat as the next chief, the Government has shown that it has been considering the situation in Kashmir for a long time.

Army chiefs are generally announced at least 60 days before they have to take command, but this time the announcement was delayed.

The government had also named Rawat as Vice Chief of Army six months ago on the same basis when the valley was on the boil.

Rawat has commanded the 19 Division in Kashmir and also has experience of the Northeast where he commanded a formation.

He was commissioned in the 5th battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles regiment and also served in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations in Congo.

Air Marshal Dhanoa is a qualified Flying Instructor and has flown various types of fighter aircraft in his distinguished career.

Rajiv Jain: The new head of Intelligence Bureau handled the IB desk for the Valley and specializes in Kashmir operations

During the Kargil Operations, he commanded a fighter squadron and he flew numerous night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

He has a vast experience of the Air Headquarters also where he has been serving as the Vice Chief for the last year and a half. Jain, a Jharkhand cadre officer of 1980 batch, will take over the IB office on January 1.
When it comes to renting vehicles, Delhi Police apparently doesn't drive a hard bargain.

The department's data show it has spent Rs 300 crore to hire 400 cars in the past six years, when it could have purchased about 2,800 vehicles with the same amount.

The revelation comes amid reports of the city police fighting staff and fund crunch.

Mail Today has a copy of the RTI documents that show Delhi Police paid Rs 295.66 crore to rent 350 Gypsies and 50 SUVs between January 2010 and March 2016

A study by voluntary organisation Praja Foundation said last month that the number of cops working in different districts in the Capital is less than the sanctioned strength, with the shortage ranging anywhere between 45 and 545.

Mail Today has a copy of the RTI documents that show Delhi Police paid Rs 295.66 crore to Jay Pee and Co (WZ-424, Raj Nagar, Palam Colony) to rent 350 Gypsies and 50 SUVs between January 2010 and March 2016.

Criticising the move, automobile experts wishing anonymity said: 'With this amount the government and police officials could have bought 2,800 SUVs, or purchased 400 SUVs for Rs 50 crore and spent the rest on other programmes.'

Apart from this, the department paid Rs 37.22 crore in the form of rent to other companies for using buses, mini buses and CNG LCV/ Tata 407 in the same period.

According to the data available, Rs 2.06 crore was paid to M/S Sneh Tourist Corporation for 40 Buses.

When Mail Today contacted senior Delhi Police officials and apprised them of the situation, they said they 'are not the authority concerned to speak on it'. (picture for representation)

M/s Narbada Travels was paid Rs 42. 93 lakh as the rent for 10 minibuses.

M/s G.T Roadways, M/s Rajendar Singh, and M/s Makhan Singh received Rs 91.08 lakh for 23 CNG LCV/Tata 407 that were hired.

When Mail Today contacted senior Delhi Police officials and apprised them of the situation, they said they 'are not the authority concerned to speak on it'.

The department has also deployed 82 private cranes with capacity ranging between 1.4 tonnes and 2.3 tonnes as well as 52 small cranes with lifting capacity up to 2 tonnes in various traffic circles for towing and lifting vehicles parked illegally.

Delhi Police is paying Rs 3,600 per day for each large crane and Rs 2,100 a day for each small one.

'The huge amount spent by Delhi Police to rent vehicles raises question on why the force did not buy its own vehicles with that amount,' said Zeeshan Haider an RTI activist from east Delhi's Trilokpuri.

'The police and government could have bought 400 SUVs for Rs 50 cr. Also, they could have purchased more than 2,000 AC/Non- AC SUVs in the same amount they hired private vehicles because AC vehicles are allowed as per the protocol for A-grade officers and other officers are allowed to use non-ac vehicles.'

Fund woes

A news report last year said Delhi Police's community policing scheme, 'Yuva Prahari', was in doldrums with the department facing acute shortage of funds in paying stipends to volunteers enrolled under the scheme.

Yuva Prahari was launched by then police chief B S Bassi who had called it a 'unique active community policing scheme' involving youth trained to accompany police control room (PCR) teams during patrolling in their areas.

Sneh Tourist Corporation told Mail Today: 'Through tenders, we are allowed to arrange vehicles for the Delhi Police. We provide them on contract basis and keep renewing those tenders.'

In February this year, the High Court pulled up Delhi Police for its failure to install CCTV cameras in all police stations of the Capital.

Later, despite the deadline in June 2015 by the Supreme Court to set up security cameras in all the police stations, not a single one has been installed.
It appears that the euphoria over the rise in the world tiger population early this year may have been misplaced.

The official data placed before the Indian Parliament shows that 98 tigers died in the country till November 16, 2016, a steep 25 per cent rise over last year when 78 deaths were reported.

The figures collected by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) also take the government's efforts to encourage tiger foundations by alerting the public to help in the fight against poachers, and to help save the big cats.

New data shows that 98 tigers died in India in 2016, a steep 25 per cent rise over last year when 78 deaths were reported contradicting reports that Tigers numbers are increasing

The environment and forest ministry issued a Rs 1.82-crore grant in 2016 for tiger conservation against Rs 30 lakh the previous year.

'Poaching and poisoning continue to be tigers' worst enemies in the wild,' environment minister Anil Madhav Dave told Mail Today, explaining the challenges before the government.

'The villagers and some criminal social groups living in or at the fringes of tiger reserves get lured by the money offered by poaching syndicates of south-east Asia, where there is a huge demand for tiger body parts we are battling that to save our big cats.'

Curiously, a high percentage of tiger deaths in the NTCA data remain unexplained, as the official records show 'details awaited' or 'cases under scrutiny' as the stated reason for the death.

Environmentalists point out that in such cases, the deaths are considered as unnatural, with poaching as the most common motive.

The NTCA has also issued an advisory stating that all tiger deaths will be treated as poaching unless and until proven otherwise.

Hence the number of poaching cases under such a condition is over 65% of the total tiger deaths reported in 2016. Madhya Pradesh alone accounts for nearly 31 of the 98 deaths this year.

The state reported four tiger deaths within a fortnight in November, with one death due to the overdose of a tranquiliser.

Political nexus

The central Indian state, whose tourism arrivals is soaring every year banks heavily on tiger population in its three famous reserves.

However, the tiger population in Madhya Pradesh has come down from 700 in 2000 to less than half, at 301 in 2016.

The state now trails behind Karnataka and Uttarakhand in tiger population.

There are many anti-poaching measures initiated by NTCA which coordinate with state forest departments, but to little avail.

In fact, poaching cases increased by more than 100 per cent this year. The figures attribute nearly 30 tiger deaths to poaching this year, which is more than double of last year's figure of 14.

Speaking to Mail Today, top forest officials expressed helplessness in their fight against poachers and at times cited 'political pressures' leading to more frequent man-tiger conflict.

Some point fingers at archaic resources at hand, immobility against hi-tech and heavily-armed poachers around Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Some poachers belong to criminal social groups like Pardis, Bahelias, Bawarias and Bongias and are very strongly networked in Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Indian officials from the department of Forest and Wildlife Preservation inspect Tiger skin during a press conference in Amritsar

Red corridors

The support from local political leadership to these criminal groups and lack of coordination with local police and enforcement agencies in some critical tiger areas are also not ruled.

The case of Sariska Tiger Reserve is apt, where there is no tiger now, officially, said officials on the condition of anonymity.

According to World Wildlife Fund, the world's total tiger population is estimated to be 3,890, of which India is home to 2,226 tigers big cats on official count.

The actual number could be higher as the surveys did not take place in many Naxal-dominated areas in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana.
After a year-long probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to file a charge-sheet in the Pathankot terror attack in the NIA court in Mohali on Monday, naming Pakistan-based Jaish-e- Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, along with his brother Rauf Azhar, as the main accused.

The Union Home Ministry had given sanction to the NIA to file the chargesheet earlier this month.

However, the NIA has decided to tell the court that it could establish the presence of only four terrorists at the airbase as opposed to the six terrorists claimed by the NSG (National Security Guard), further deepening the mystery that has shrouded the case from the very beginning.

After a year-long probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is expected to file a charge-sheet in the Pathankot terror attack in the NIA court in Mohali

According to officials, Masood Azhar will be named as the mastermind behind the attack, which was planned and plotted from Pakistan.

The chargesheet will also name two key terrorist handlers - Qashif Jan and Shaid Latif.

The probe into whether two more fidayeen were involved would be kept open in the chargesheet, sources told India Today.

The NIA chargesheet will narrate the sequence of events leading up to the attack, and try to clarify its position on the exact number of attackers.

It is expected to state that 'four heavily armed terrorists infiltrated into Indian territory on December 30, 2015, from Pakistan... through the forest area near the Simbal border outpost of the BSF, close to Bamilyal village at the Indo-Pak border in Punjab'.

Chief of a religious party Jaish-e-Mohammad Maulana Masood Azhar. Pakistan-based Jaish-e- Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, along with his brother Rauf Azhar, are the main accused in the Pathankot terror attack

Sources said that the chargesheet will state: 'JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar had hatched the conspiracy to attack strategic IAF base in Pathankot in the first week of January 2016 with an intention to kill IAF personnel and destroy the assets.'

NIA has also given a clean chit to Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, who along with two others was abducted by the attackers on December 31, 2015.

He will remain only a witness in the case. Phone conversations of the four terrorists who stormed the base, their addresses, details of family members, financial details of Al-Rehmat Trust (financial arm of JeM), thousands of chats/messages of JeM handlers and their voice samples will be submitted by the NIA.

The chargesheet will also help strengthen the legal evidence against Azhar, who India hopes to brand as a global terrorist at the UN in January next year.

The four terrorists entered the airbase on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, and remained hidden till dusk the following day.

Security forces neutralised the four on the night of January 2.
There were three reports of dirty water before the 300,000 residents of Corpus Christi were told not to drink the city's water due to a chemical leak at an asphalt plant, city officials said Saturday, adding that the city has not found evidence of water contamination.

Mayor Dan McQueen said he won't know until Sunday whether a ban on drinking, cooking or bathing with tap water will be lifted for the 113,000 citizens still under the restriction.

McQueen, who took office Tuesday after defeating an incumbent who came under fire for her handling of previous water crises, said there is no indication yet that the chemical leak at an asphalt plant contaminated the Gulf Coast city's water supply.

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Unidentified men check pipes where Corpus Christi's city-owned water main connects with an asphalt plant where a suspected chemical leak led to a city-wide ban on tap water use on Saturday

The EPA said Saturday that there were four 'unconfirmed reports' of symptoms possibly related to prohibited water use. Mayor Dan McQueen (pictured) called the reports 'rumors'

H-E-B employees remove bottles of water from a crate to hand out to customers Thursday

Officials are hoping the answer will come Sunday with the release of the first results of 30 samples taken by the Environmental Protection Agency and being tested in Houston.

McQueen said the city would seek to recoup its losses from the polluter.

The EPA also said in a statement Saturday that there were four 'unconfirmed reports' of symptoms possibly related to prohibited water use. McQueen called the reports 'rumors'.

Assistant City Manager Mark Van Vleck said earlier that the first 'dirty-water report' came December 1 from the administration building at the asphalt plant that oil refiner Valero leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions.

City workers flushed the pipe. A second report came from the same building December 7, he said, and the main was flushed again.

'We get dirty water reports all the time,' Van Vleck said of the first two, saying old cast-iron pipes are usually the reason.

But Monday, Valero workers told the public works department 'something white and sudsy' was in water at the administration building. City workers determined there was a leak in a chemical tank at the asphalt plant and on Tuesday determined there was a backflow problem.

Customers stand in line to pay for cases of water at an H-E-B store in this Thursday photo

This Thursday photo shows empty shelves left after residents rushed to H-E-B to buy water after a recent back-flow incident in the industrial district

The city told the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality about it Wednesday, Van Vleck said, and hours later, the state banned use of public drinking water.

TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson said Saturday that the full city ban was justified. 'We did not have enough info to lift any bans or modify any bans until we did so,' he said.

Neither the city nor the state had information on the chemical composition of the spilled substance until Thursday afternoon.

Van Vleck cautioned that the investigation is ongoing, 'so we don't know what happened'.

The ordeal was unnerving for Corpus Christi residents, especially those who live near the asphalt plant.

'Have we been exposed?' said Carol Gonzalez, 37, 'We just don't know.'

Her family lives less than a mile away and her husband, Anthony, had made spaghetti for their 9- and 10-year-old daughters the night the water use ban was announced.

Interviewed picking up a free case of bottled water at a city-run senior center, the couple had already spent $150 on water, not to mention eating out.

And they've been driving out of the city to fill buckets of water they use to bathe their children, including a 6-month-old girl.

'It's gotten very expensive, and there's not going to be any reimbursement,' Carol Gonzalez said.

Customers stand in line to pay for cases of water at an H-E-B store

A woman reaches for bottles of water after a recent back-flow incident in the industrial district

A costumer loads her vehicle with bottles of water in Corpus Christi on Thursday

A TCEQ report obtained Friday indicates that a combination of Indulin AA-86 and hydrochloric acid leaked into the water supply.

Indulin is an asphalt-emulsifying agent that's corrosive and can burn the eyes, skin and respiratory tract if a person comes into contact with concentrated amounts.

The amber liquid is considered a hazardous material by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Ergon has said it has been in contact with the TCEQ and was 'working cooperatively to provide all information to ensure state officials can remedy the situation as quickly as possible'.

On Saturday, company spokesman Bill Miller said Ergon is pushing the TCEQ for answers on whether there was actually contamination.

'Inaction is bad for people in our position. The longer we sit here, the worse it looks,' he said.

Superintendent Dr. Arturo Almendarez from Calallen Independent School District, speaks about how his district has bottles of water for students

Leeroy Luna, from Calallen Independent School District, moves cases of water to Magee Elementary School on Thursday morning

More than a half-dozen lawsuits have been filed against Valero and the privately held Flowood, Mississippi-based Ergon subsidiary, which makes paving and pavement preservation products.

The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported that several businesses and a class-action lawsuit representing all of the city's residents allege the companies recklessly exposed business owners and residents to toxic chemicals.

City public works employees could not find backflow valves either on the chemical tank of the water intake pipes connected to the city water main, Van Vleck said.

'They thought it was there but they could not show it to us,' he said.

The city estimated that up to 24 gallons of Indulin leaked because Ergon officials told them that was the amount of the chemical used to mix a single batch of the asphalt emulsifier; 10 gallons of hydrochloric acid is used per batch.

It's the latest in a string of water scares for the Gulf Coast city. In May, the city issued its third boil-water advisory in a year as a precaution after nitrogen-rich runoff from rain flowed into the water system, resulting in low chlorine disinfectant levels in the water supply.

Mayor Dan McQueen said he won't know until Sunday whether a ban on drinking, cooking or bathing with tap water will be lifted for the 113,000 citizens still under the restriction

According to a TCEQ report that the agency shared with AP on Saturday, the asphalt plant reported a spill of about 350 gallons of asphalt emulsion into the soil on March 25.

The company cleaned up the spill, which it classified as nonhazardous waste, and disposed of it at a nearby landfill. The state agency did not issue a violation.

Nationwide, the Environmental Protection Agency reports no current 'significant violations' at Ergon facilities but shows seven receiving fines since 2010, the highest $17,200 at a Vicksburg, Mississippi, refinery.
Oxford University has told colleges and academic departments to remove gender-specific titles such as Mr and Mrs from their websites and leaflets.

The guidance, contained in a document from the Equality and Diversity Unit, suggests only academic terms like Dr and Prof should be retained.

It advised that while the process of removing gender-specific titles is underway, people should be given the option of appearing without any prefix.

Oxford University has told colleges and academic departments to remove gender-specific titles such as Mr and Mrs from their websites and leaflets

It comes after reports that a leaflet from Oxfords students union told people to use gender neutral pronouns like ze instead of he or she to avoid causing offence.

The Union has since denied ever issuing this advice, saying it would be 'totally counterproductive'.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell supported the University's stance on gender specific titles.

He told MailOnline: A person's name is usually sufficient to identify their gender if an identification is required for some good, practical reason.

The guidance suggests only academic terms like Dr and Prof should be retained. File photo of Keble College

It is a positive thing to not always emphasise gender. We are all human. Why does our gender matter so much and why should it be constantly highlighted by titles?

In an age when more people are defining themselves as transgender or gender-fluid, using gender-based titles ignores the new reality and could cause needless offence.

The University of Oxford Transgender Guidance report was published in June 2013 and remains online.

It reads: The Equality and Diversity Unit suggests that departments and colleges remove all gender-specific titles from websites and print information, retaining only academic titles such as Dr, Prof.

In the meantime individuals should be given the option of appearing without a title.

The Equality and Diversity Units website states that the guidance is currently being revised.

An Oxford University spokesman told MailOnline he had nothing to add to the advice already published.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell supported the Oxford University's stance on gender specific titles

Earlier this year, Jordan Peterson, a professor in Canada, uploaded a video on YouTube discussing his refusal to use gender neutral pronouns.

He said he was heckled and his office door was glued shut.
A woman with 'trophy wife' and 'f*** b****es get money' tattoos and once posted on social media that 'all I need is a Porsche' has been charged with stealing one.

Courtney Helmers, 23, a mother-of-one, appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday after she allegedly fled from police in a stolen Porsche in Fortitude Valley on November 20.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Trevor Perry told the court Helmers - who has a following of 17,000 on Instagram - and a man had been seen on CCTV that linked them to the luxury car's theft, The Courier-Mail reported.

Courtney Helmers, 23, a mother-of-one, appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday after she allegedly fled from police in a stolen Porsche

Helmers' 'trophy wife' tattoo which has been inked above her stomach

She was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a vehicle, stealing, failing to stop, burglary and receiving tainted property.

Images taken outside court showed her gesturing rudely towards the photographer.

In 2015, Helmers made a post to her Instagram account which stated: 'I've got #chanel covered, all I need now is a #porsche'.

'Desperate' to spend Christmas with her 16-month-old daughter, she applied for bail which was granted with strict conditions.

An Instagram post Helmers made in 2015, accompanied by the caption: 'I've got #chanel covered, all I need now is a #porsche'

Helmers has a social media following of more than 17,000 on Instagram

Another image shows Helmers' stomach tattoo, as well as others on her arm

Helmers, 23, makes a gesture to the camera as she poses for a selfie

Helmers was given bail on strict condition after appearing in court
A mystery pipe-like object has washed up on a beach in New Zealand.

The 100-metre long black, plastic pipe was discovered on Te Waewae Bay, on New Zealand's south island, by a local police officer earlier in the week and notified local environmental council Environment Southland, the NZ Herald reported.

Deputy Harbourmaster Ian Coard said the object washed onto shore with an incoming tide.

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A 100 metre long and heavy plastic pipe has washed up on the Te Waewae Bay, on New Zealand's south island

A local environmental group has shared pictures on Facebook and have asked their followers to share their thoughts to help figure out what it is or who owns it

'We've been to check it out today and attempted to move it with a couple of people, but it didn't want to budge,' Mr Coard.

Environment Southland described the object as very heavy, made of some kind of plastic and with metal loops on each end.

Authorities are trying to figure out what it is and posted pictures of pipe on their Facebook asking followers to share their thoughts on what it is or who owns it.

One man said: '[It]looks like a length of welded polyethylene pipe with towing eyes on each end for directional drilling.'

Environment Southland described the object was very heavy, made of some kind of plastic and with metal loops on each end

Theories of what it is includes a flotation pen used in their fish and oyster farms, a boom to contain oil during spills at sea

One man commented on the post saying it could be a flotation pen used in their fish and oyster farms, while other users have suggested it could have been used salmon farmers in Tasmanian.

However, plenty of people agreed that it was boom that contained oil during spills at sea.

This comes almost a week after another bizarre item washed up on a New Zealand beach.

A passerby noticed strange, large object on Muriwai Beach near Auckland and shared pictures of it on social media.

She got plenty of theories about what it could possibly be, including a Maori canoe, a shipwreck, artwork, Caribbean walrus or an alien time capsule.

But experts said it was just a large piece of driftwood covered in gooseberry barnacles.

The other week another large and strange object washed up on Muriwai Beach near Auckland

People on social media said it could possibly be a Maori canoe, a shipwreck, artwork, Caribbean walrus or an alien time capsule
Johnny Cash entertained prisoners at Folsom Prison now inmates at Long Bay Jail have their very own star - disgraced former police detective Roger Rogerson.

A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the prison has splashed out $250 on a keyboard which is used as a 'therapeutic aide' for inmates.

Now Rogerson, nicknamed 'The Dodger', is playing the house down and is said to have formed his very own band with two fellow inmates playing hits including the Frank Sinatra classic 'My Way', according to The Daily Telegraph.

Disgraced former police detective Roger Rogerson is entertaining fellow inmates at Sydney's Long Bail Jail by forming a band after a keyboard was bought into his wing

The keyboard has been bought to replace a piano that was beyond repair in the Kevin Waller Unit which houses the aged and frail.

Officials denied the keyboard was bought specifically for Rogerson, even though he is the only one that can play the instrument among the 25 prisoners housed in the wing.

In September Rogerson and his co-accused, Glen McNamara, were sentenced to life for the murder of Sydney university student Jamie Gao.

They shot him dead at a storage unit in Padstow to steal the drug ice he had brought with him before dumping his body at sea using McNamara's boat the next day.

The keyboard (stock image) has been bought to replace a piano that was beyond repair in the Kevin Waller Unit which houses the elderly and infirm

Rogerson is serving life for the murder of 20-year-old Sydney university student Jamie Gao

McNamara said it was Rogerson who shot the 20-year-old twice after arranging to exchange cash for drugs with him.

Rogerson, 75, said he arrived at the unit to find McNamara had killed Mr Gao in self-defence.

Their testimonies were undermined by CCTV footage taken on the day of the murder which showed them arriving at the storage unit after Mr Gao.

McNamara entered first before Rogerson arrived at the scene.

Within minutes McNamara emerged to retrieve a surfboard bag from a white station wagon parked outside.

They placed the victim's body in the bag and drove away with it in the boot, later visiting McNamara's Cronulla apartment where they stashed the corpse in his boat.

Long Bay Jail (pictured) officials have confirmed the prison has splashed out $250 on a keyboard which is used as a 'therapeutic aide' for inmates

Rogerson (left) and Glen McNamara (right) shot Gao dead to steal the ice he had brought with him before dumping his body at sea using McNamara's boat the next day

The following day they used the boat to dispose of his body at sea after venturing on to the water under the pretense of a fishing trip.

Three days after the murder police seized the car used by McNamara at the storage unit lot from his garage and discovered three kilograms of drugs in it.

He was arrested three days before the student's body was found floating in the water near Cronulla wrapped in tarpaulin.
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Vice President Joe Biden and US Marine Corps General John Dailey were among the thousands of dignitaries, family members and other mourners remembering the late space hero John Glenn during a memorial tribute on Saturday.

Roughly 2,500 people gathered at Mershon Auditorium on the Ohio State University campus for 'a celebration of life' for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic US senator from small-town Ohio.

He was remembered not only for bravery, but for his thoughtful consideration for others, his integrity and his optimism.

'I think John defined what it meant to be an American,' Biden said.

'The thing I liked most about John was that he knew from his upbringing that ordinary Americans could do extraordinary things.'

Vice President Joe Biden and US Marine Corps General John Dailey were among the thousands of dignitaries, family members and other mourners remembering the late space hero John Glenn during a memorial tribute on Saturday. An emotional Biden paused during his speech in Ohio

Annie Glenn sits with her daughter at her husband's funeral at The Ohio State University where roughly 2,500 people gathered at the Mershon Auditorium for 'a celebration of life' for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic US senator

Glenn's daughter, Carolyn Ann Glenn (right) and son David (left) both spoke during their father's funeral on Saturday. Their father was remembered not only for bravery, but for his thoughtful consideration for others, his integrity and his optimism

Biden smiles and looks at Annie Glenn as their son David recounts some humorous stories about his father during the service

'I think John defined what it meant to be an American,' Biden said during the memorial service on Saturday. 'The thing I liked most about John was that he knew from his upbringing that ordinary Americans could do extraordinary things.' Glenn is pictured during an interview in 2012

Retired Gen Dailey said Glenn will be missed, and never forgotten.

'We had John for 95 great years and it still wasn't enough,' Dailey said.

Glenn died December 8 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and then in 1998 became the oldest person in space at 77.

His wife, Annie Glenn, sat in the audience as she listened to the heartfelt words of Biden and her children as they talked about the life and achievements of her husband.

Ethel Kennedy, widow of close Glenn ally Robert F. Kennedy, and their son Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were among the mourners present, along with Ohio political leaders including Gov. John Kasich and former Govs. Ted Strickland and Richard Celeste.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr said the US space program is 'standing on John Glenn's shoulders' with its current mission to Mars.

'It was courage, grace and humility John displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars,' Bolden said. He said Glenn 'always represented the best of our American ideals.'

Glenn died December 8 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and then in 1998 became the oldest person in space at 77. Marines from Marine Barracks Washington carry his casket during the ceremony on Saturday

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr said the US space program is 'standing on John Glenn's shoulders' with its current mission to Mars. The casket of Glenn rests below an image of Glenn and his wife, Annie, and the STS-95 space shuttle launch during his funeral ceremony

Marines arrive to escort the casket of John Glenn out of the Ohio Statehouse during his funeral procession

Bagpipes played as Glenn's flag-draped coffin was carried out of the Ohio Statehouse during his funeral procession

The service was preceded by a musical medley that included hymns, arias and popular songs. Some  including Nat King Cole's 'Smile' and Susan Boyle's version of 'Impossible Dream'  nodded to Glenn's optimism

Bagpipes played as Glenn's flag-draped coffin was brought into the auditorium after a procession from the Ohio Statehouse.

The service was preceded by a musical medley that included hymns, arias and popular songs. Some  including Nat King Cole's 'Smile' and Susan Boyle's version of 'Impossible Dream'  nodded to Glenn's optimism.

Others, including You Are My Sunshine, Moon River' and Shirley Jones singing 'Goodnight, My Someone'  recalled Glenn's long love affair with wife, Annie.

Thousands of visitors, including Democratic US Secretary of State John Kerry, visited the Ohio Statehouse on Friday to pay their respects as Glenn lay in honor.

He will be buried in a private ceremony this spring at Arlington Cemetery near Washington, DC.

On Friday, Annie Glenn touched the casket of her husband as he lay in honor in Columbus, Ohio. Glenn's home state and the nation said goodbye to the famed astronaut who died last week at the age of 95

Glenn's daughter, Carolyn (left) and son David (right) accompanied their mother as they started to say their final goodbyes on Friday

Marines stand guard at the casket of Glenn on Friday
Legend of the Blue Sea (Photo : J Crown/You Tube)

Chinas ban on Hallyu appears to be implemented on and off. While Lee Kwang-soos Sound of Your Heart got more than 1 million views on Sohu TV since it aired on Nov. 7 on the video streaming platform, negotiations to show two recent Korean TV series were stopped because of the prohibition.



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Were it not for the halt, Legend of the Blue Sea and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God could have been sold for at least 10 billion won each, under normal circumstances, Yonhap News reported. However, to go around the ban, Chinese netizens are viewing pirated versions of the two Korean dramas through social networking portals such as Weibo. The fantasy mermaid series by SBS.



Nevertheless, Legend of the Blue Sea was acquired by Chinese video platform iQiyi  where Descendants of the Sun aired from late February to mid-April  and has so far reached 112 million views from Episode 1 to 8. The mermaid fantasy drama produced by SBS also set record for most view in Taiwan with an average of 140,000 views per episode, according to Soompi.



In South Korea, Legend of the Blue Sea registered a 21.3 percent rating by Nielsen Korea in the Seoul Metropolitan Area. Outside Asia, the drama also has high rating in the Americas, Europe and Oceania.



However, the drama has been hit by an accusation, Inquisitr reported. A Korean screenwriter with the surname Park claimed that the plot of Legend of the Blue Sea is very similar to a movie screenplay she wrote 10 years ago, titled The Legend of Hae Wol Sea: Pearly Shells. She insisted some of the elements of her screenplay such as mermaids and situations in her drama ended up in the ongoing series which stars Lee Mon Ho and Jun Ji-Hyun.



Park stressed she is not accusing writers of Legend of the Blue Sea of plagiarism, although her disclaimer is over fear of being sued by major networks such as SBS.






Tigerair has cancelled flights in the lead up to Christmas leaving thousands of customers rescheduling their plans.

About 4,000 domestic bookings on the budget airlines had to be rescheduled, including their most popular route - Sydney to Melbourne.

The flight cancellations were made after Tigerair's application to add a fourth Boeing 737 to their fleet was not approved by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in time.

Around 4,000 Tigerair customers have had their cancelled domestic flights in the lead up to Christmas (stock image)

The budget airline's application to add a fourth Boeing 737 to their fleet was not approved by the regulator in time, causing flights until December 31 to be affected (stock image)

These changes have impacted bookings until December 31.

Daily Mail Australia understands that it was not about the regulator not approving the aircraft but rather due to a delay in the process which is not uncommon in the industry.

'The key is that we have regular flights, everyone has been moved onto same day services the majority within two hours of the original scheduled departure time to minimize any inconvenience for our customers,' she said.

A CASA spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that is is working through the safety checks for the introduction of the 737s to the Tiger fleet.

'This is a process is a lengthy and detailed process with many safety checks. until all the safety checks are completed the aircraft can't enter service.'

'CASA is working with tiger to complete the process as soon as possible, but all safety checks must be completed,' he added.

Tigerair have offered customers alternative travel options for the same day (stock image)

The budget airline said: 'our customers always come first and we have been able to ensure that customers affected by the changes will arrive at their destination with minimal impact' (stock image)

The budget airline contacted customers about the changes and provided them alternative same day flights free of charge in early December.

They hope the fourth plane will be operational by next year, the Herald Sun reported.
Mr Tostee was acquitted of her death in October after a two-week trial

The case was put on hold after Gable Tostee was charged with her murder

Terry Ryan will determine if an inquest is necessary

A coroner's investigation into the death of Warriena Wright has been

A coroner's investigation into the death of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright has been reopened after the man charged with her murder, Gable Tostee, was acquitted two months ago.

Queensland State Coroner Terry Ryan confirmed this week he is reviewing the case and will determine if an inquest is necessary, according to The Courier Mail.

Ms Wright fell to her death from Mr Tostee's 14th floor Gold Coast apartment in August 2014 after the pair chatted on Tinder and met up for a date.

Queensland State Coroner Terry Ryan confirmed this week he has reopened an investigation into the death of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright (pictured) and will determine if an inquest is necessary

The coroner's inquest was suspended after Mr Wright's Tinder date, Gold Coast playboy Gable Tostee (pictured), was charged with her murder

He was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter by a jury in October after a two-week long trial (pictured together)

The coroner's investigation into Ms Wright's death was suspended when Mr Tostee was charged with the 26-year-old's murder.

He was found not guilty of murder or manslaughter by a jury in October after a two-week long trial.

The Crown argued Mr Tostee intimidated Ms Wright so much during an argument at the end of the night - during which he locked her on his balcony - she tried to climb over the railing to get away and lost her footing.

Mr Tostee's lawyers argued Ms Wright had made the decision to climb over the balcony on her own and put herself in danger.

Ms Wright fell to her death from Mr Tostee's 14th floor Gold Coast apartment in August 2014 after the pair met for a date

Although he stayed tight-lipped for two months after the trial, Mr Tostee (pictured) has taken to social media in the last few weeks to hit back at critics in social media forums

Mr Ryan can call for an inquest if he believes a hearing could stop a similar incident from occurring again or if he doubts the cause of death.

'A coroner cannot hold an inquest until the finalisation of criminal proceedings. If, from information obtained while investigating a death, a coroner reasonably suspects a person has committed an offence, the coroner must give the information to the Director of Public Prosecutions,' a State Coroner's Office spokesman said.

'Any charges are (then) a matter for the DPP.'

Mr Tostee, a self-proclaimed ladies' man who once bragged about bedding hundreds of women, has remained in the spotlight since he was acquitted.
A former Woolworths deli employee, a Taiwanese-Australian woman who once compared the Chinese government to Satan and an American nurse who supports Donald Trump will represent the One Nation party in next year's election.

Controversial One Nation leader Pauline Hanson announced 36 candidates for the Queensland Parliament in Brisbane on Sunday morning.

The news indicates the launch of Ms Hanson's crusade to resurrect the party's presence within Australian politics by vetting candidates who might appeal to the state's middle-class and rural voters.

Controversial One Nation leader Pauline Hanson (pictured) announced 36 candidates for the Queensland Parliament in Brisbane on Sunday morning as part of her crusade to resurrect the party

The candidates include Bundaberg's Jan Truscott (right), an American nurse who supports US president-elect Donald Trump, and Shan Ju Lin (left), a Taiwanese immigrant who compared the Chinese government to Satan on social media and is up for election in Bundamba

Jan Truscott is running for the seat of Bundaberg after moving from American to Australia about 13 years ago.

The nurse, who has a PhD in rural health and is a year away from earning her law degree, lives in Gooburrum.

Ms Truscott told The Sunday Mail she applied for her Australian citizenship not long after she immigrated.

'I love this country and the Australian way of life,' she said.

Ms Truscott, who is chair of the Rural Locum Assistance Program, said she admires president-elect Donald Trump despite some of his actions being 'considered socially inappropriate.'

'He has nonetheless provided a political force which gives the American people a voice,' she said.

Former One Nation president Jim Savage (right) and candidate for Lockyer said the 36 candidates had been chosen specifically with the intention of avoiding in-party conflict. Neil Symes (left) will run as a candidate for Mansfield in March

The announcement indicates the launch of Ms Hanson's (pictured with several candidates on Sunday) crusade to resurrect the party's presence within Australian politics

Ms Hanson is pictured talking to candidate Bradley Trussell

ONE NATION'S CANDIDATES Andrew Liddel: Mudgeeraba Andy Semple: Currumbin Ashley Lynch: Burnett Bradley Trussell: Ipswich West Brenden Ball: Broadwater Chelle Dobson: Gympie Damian Huxham: Hervey Bay Damien Emery: Pumicestone Darrell Lane: Albert Diane Happ: Mermaid Beach Elise Cottam: Callide Ian Hodge: Cairns James Hansen: Maryborough Jane Truscott: Bundaberg Jim Savage: Lockyer Tracey Bell Henselin: Glasshouse Tracey Brown: Bulimba Troy Aggett: Ipswich John Cox: Redcliffe Karen Haddock: Kallangur Lynette Keehn: Condamine Mark Higgens: Gregory Matt Loth: Keppel Neil Symes: Mansfield Peter Rogers: Mulgrave Peter Warren: Pine Rivers Red Jones: Caloundra Rod Smith: Beaudesert Rodney Hansen: Morayfield Ronald Pigdon: Coomera Scott Dare: Murrumba Shan Ju Lin: Bundamba Sharon Lohse: Warrego Stephen Andrew: Mirani Steven Ford: Nicklin Suzanne Black: Lytton Advertisement

'Many say the silent majority, the disaffected voters, can now be heard. Populist and nationalist politics, such as that of Donald Trump, brings a level of patriotism and pride which is clearly being manifested in Queensland.'

Former One Nation president Jim Savage and candidate for Lockyer told ABC the 36 candidates had been chosen specifically with the intention of avoiding in-party conflict like that which occurred in the 1998 election.

'In 1998 we could have chosen our candidates better,' he said of the election that saw the party win 11 seats across the state.

'Some of the candidates were tremendous, but we did have some disappointing results from some of our candidates, there's no point in denying it.'

Mr Savage made headlines in 2015 when he revealed he and his wife, Jackie, had been trying to bring three Filipino family members to Australia for close to a decade.

He said his wife's three nieces, aged around 17 to 11, had been abandoned by their parents in 2006 and the One Nation politician had been financially supporting them.

Ms Hanson, who is renowned for her anti-immigration beliefs, shocked people when she placed her support behind Mr Savage's efforts.

Former Liberal National Party member Neil Symes will run as a candidate for Mansfield in March.

The 28-year-old man was just 23 years old and working as a deli employee at Woolworths when he was elected in the 2012 Queensland State election.

He came under fire soon after when he was asked to apologise for Facebook posts from years prior.

'Got to love Labor's inability to protect our borders from terrorists and queue-jumpers,' he wrote on social media, according to ABC.

Ms Truscott (pictured) spoke at the party's candidate launch at North Lakes Golf Club in Brisbane on Sunday. The nurse, who has a PhD in rural health and is a year away from earning her law degree, lives in Gooburrum

Ms Truscott said she admires president-elect Donald Trump despite some of his actions being 'considered socially inappropriate' (A "Make Australia Great Again" baseball cap is seen during the One Nation candidate launch)

Shan Ju Lin, who was previously associated with the Katter's Australian Party, is running with One Nation for the Bundamba region.

Ms Lin, who moved to Australia from Taiwan in 1991, was subject to scrutiny in June after she shared a number of controversial opinions about the Chinese government on social media.

'[Chinese Communist Party] and ISIS are Satan on earth. They need to be disappeared before world peace could be fulfilled,' she wrote in one post. 'They want to poison us so they can have our land,' Ms Lin said in another post about how green tea might be dangerous.

Former One Nation president Jim Savage and candidate for Lockyer said the 36 candidates had been chosen specifically with the intention of avoiding in-party conflict like that which occurred in the 1998 election (pictured is Ms Hanson)

Bradley Trussell (pictured), a 27-year-old welder who lost the seat in Oxley in 2016, will run for Ipswich West

Brenden Ball (pictured) for Broadwater said he is concerned about the 'creeping Islamisation of Australia'

'They call Australia as Great Southen Provine of China. Vote minor parties to form new government is essential, or we will be ruled by the dictator soon [sic],' another read.

She also commented on the issues of abortion and marriage equality. 'Man couldn't be pregnant, therefore, never be able to get equal with traditional marriage,' she wrote after a Brisbane council voted in support of marriage equality,' she said.

'I have nothing against gay people, however to put gay education in our school [is] to encourage our kids to become gay - the evidence shows gays are encouraged to become like that.'

Other candidates include Tracey Bell Henselin for Glasshouse, former AFP officer Troy Aggett for Ipswich, dairy farmer James Hansen for Maryborough, and 27-year-old welder Bradley Trussell for Ipswich West.

A second round of candidates for the March 11 election is expected to follow in the next couple of weeks.
American Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Anglican bishop

Church of England leaders are set to spark a fresh row over homosexuality by suggesting that gay vicars should no longer have to promise to abstain from sex.

The controversial proposal is expected to be included in a document being drawn up by the bishops to be discussed in the New Year by the Churchs Parliament, the General Synod.

Under current Church rules, gay clergy wanting to enter into civil partnerships are required to assure their bishops they will remain celibate  in line with traditional Church teaching that sex is only permitted within heterosexual marriage.

Such clergy also have to make similar official assurances to their archbishop before they can be promoted to the rank of bishop.

But sources said the bishops could now call for the rule to be scrapped so that clerics living with same-sex partners would no longer have to make a solemn vow.

They would still be expected to remain celibate.

Sources said many bishops now felt it was unfair for one group of clerics to face intrusive questioning about their sex lives while heterosexuals did not, and that all clergy should be trusted equally to conform to the Churchs moral guidelines.

The proposed reform would represent a softening of the bishops official stance on gay clergy, although critics claim that a number of homosexual clerics already breach the celibacy rules and bishops turn a blind eye.

One senior conservative said: This is a slippery slope. It will mean that gay clergy will have even less incentive to remain celibate than they do now.

'I fear the next step will be gay marriage.

But the rule change is unlikely to appease liberals as the consultative document is not expected to make any other concessions to the gay Christian lobby.

While it is expected to emphasise that gay Christians must be fully welcomed into the life of the Church, it is not likely to support an end to the Churchs ban on formal blessings of civil partnerships or same-sex marriage.

The consultation document is being drawn up following a series of meetings of the bishops in recent months.

The current rules were introduced in 2005 when the Church decided that gay clergy could enter civil partnerships as the legal arrangements were seen as distinct from marriage and did not imply a sexual relationship,

The row was triggered by the 2003 consecration in America of Gene Robinson (pictured) as the first openly gay Anglican bishop

In a statement at the time, the bishops said clerics wanting to enter such partnerships must be willing to give assurances to his or her bishop that the relationship is consistent with Church teaching.

But calls for reform were first made in a 2013 report on sexuality, commissioned by the bishops, chaired by the former senior civil servant Sir Joseph Pilling.

The new document from the House of Bishops, which will be released next month, follows more than a decade of bitter divisions within the Church of England and worldwide Anglicanism over homosexuality.

The row was triggered by the 2003 consecration in America of Gene Robinson as the first openly gay Anglican bishop, and the liberal American Church has now also approved gay marriage.
A man who died of a meth overdose and was found face down in mangroves with his legs bound previously had links to the underworld, police say.

Mystery surrounding the death of Michael 'Micky Blue Eyes' Gavanas, 50, remains after a fisherman found him in Sydney's Parramatta River in July last year.

A coroner found he died of acute methamphetamine toxicity and his only physical injury was drag marks on his knees, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

But how the father-of-three came to be tied-up remains unanswered after many of his friends kept their mouths shut throughout the 18-month investigation.

Michael 'Micky Blue Eyes' Gavanas (pictured) was found dead in July last year

He was found face down in mangroves (pictured) in the Parramatta River with his legs bound

His sister, Maria Gavanas, said the hardest part was not knowing.

'When the coroner says methamphetamine overdose, that's all well and good saying that. But who tied his legs together?' she told Sydney Morning Herald.

'Mick didn't through himself in the river.'

He was the son of a business owner and greyhound trainer, while his brother Stephen has done time for drug trafficking.

At the time of Mr Gavanas' death, Stephen was in a Victorian prison after he was charged alongside Mohammad Khodr and Horty Mokbel, the brother of drug boss Tony Mokbel.

Mr Gavanas is pictured with his wife Jodie. He had left their Westmead unit on July 1, 2015, and told Mrs Gavanas he would be back in a few days

Family say Mr Gavanas was an occasional drug user but was a good person and father.

A family friend who met the brothers on the betting scene alleged the pair were 'involved in underbelly stuff in Melbourne' and knew Tony Mokbel, the friend told police according to a statement tendered in the NSW Coroner's Court.

Stephen was visited by detectives about his brother's death after he was released from prison and returned to Sydney.

He did not give a statement but said he believes Mr Gavanas drank a glass of liquid methamphetamine thinking it was water.

Two of his closest friends, according to statements tendered in court, were Ray Younan and Andrew Tonini, who also refused to provide statements.

Michael 'Micky Blue Eyes' Gavanas (pictured) was found dead in mangroves with his legs bound in July last year

Mr and Mrs Gavanas are pictured on their wedding day

The two men allegedly gave widow Jodie Gavanas $10,000 cash for Micky's funeral costs, found by police stashed in her son's bedroom.

When Mr Tonini refused to provide a statement, he said he wasn't trying to be a 'c***'.

'But I am no dog,' he told police. 'I want to deal with it my way.'

On June 30 last year, Mr Gavanas and Mr Tonini hired a rental car with cash.

A day later, Mr Gavanas left his Westmead unit and told his wife he was going away for a few days.

The car smelt like vinegar and had mud and grass throughout the car, with an extra 680 kilometres on the odometer when it was returned to the rental company on July 7.
An ageing horse that suffers from the sudden sleep condition narcolepsy had to be rescued by firefighters after sleepwalking into a deep, muddy ditch.

Molly, 27, became trapped in 4ft of mud after wandering around her field in her sleep.

Her owner dialled 999 on Wednesday night and two fire crews and an animal rescue team from Bollington, Cheshire, were called out.

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was one of their more unusual rescue calls.

Molly the narcoleptic horse, pictured, became trapped in 4ft of mud after sleepwalking around her field
Months later Ms Malyn's job is being re-advertised with a $40,000 pay cut

Industry Department uses the firm's subsidiary to vet executive appointments

A senior bureaucrat is battling to keep her job after blowing the whistle on a high-ranking colleague's potential conflict of interest with her lesbian lover.

Sian Malyn's position at the Industry Department will be re-advertised with a $40,000 pay cut a year after the concerns she raised last December.

Ms Malyn queried the relationship between Meg Graham and girlfriend Jacqueline Gillespie, a senior partner at executive search giant Korn Ferry.

She queried the relationship between Meg Graham (R) and her girlfriend Jacqueline Gillespie (L), a senior partner at executive search giant Korn Ferry

The firm owns FutureStep, which the department uses to help vet executive appointments.

Ms Malyn said she was approached by staff with concerns about the relationship but who were 'too afraid to raise the matter officially', The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Part of her role as chief audit executive is to flag potential conflicts of interest with department bosses for investigation.

Ms Malyn raised the potential conflict under public interest disclosure legislation, but her identity was compromised during the department's investigation.

Ms Malyn said she was approached by staff with concerns about the relationship but who were 'too afraid to raise the matter officially'

'I apologise for any anxiety this breach of your confidentiality may cause,' department secretary Simon Smith wrote to her after the breach was discovered.

Senior bureaucrat Sian Malyn is battling to keep her job after blowing the whistle on a high-ranking colleague's potential conflict of interest with her lesbian lover

The investigation, which ended in March, found although Ms Graham's relationship was not managed entirely correctly according to policy, there was no conflict of interest because her managers were informed.

Ms Graham is executive director of p eople, learning and culture working under deputy secretary for finance, strategy and operations Jeannine Biviano.

Ms Malyn was told last month her position would be re-advertised in a department restructure with an altered job description.

Ms Graham and Ms Gillespie have been an item for at least four years according to their social media activity.

Mr Smith told the newspaper he would order another review due to the reprisal allegations to ensure transparency and there would be no changes to Ms Malyns status pending the outcome.

Industry Department secretary Simon Smith (R) apologised after Ms Malyn's identity was revealed in the investigation into Ms Graham's (L) relationship




Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend braved the cold Saturday to enjoy a sushi lunch in New York City's West Village - and seemed in high spirits even as they made their way through the snow.

Ross Mechanic, 22, and Tiffany, 23, greeted their secret service detail with a handshake and a hug before heading to Japonica, a Zagat-rated restaurant on University Place.

The pair, who met at the University Of Pennsylvania, were all smiles as they walked in the snow-capped streets. Ross held Tiffany's hands while both tried to walk over a small mound of snow to cross the road.

The two love birds also spent time with Ross' parents, real estate attorney Jonathan Mechanic and his wife, Wendy Levine. All three are registered, active Democrats - but that hasn't kept Ross from staying by Tiffany's side as she supported her father through the presidential campaign.

Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend Ross Mechanic (pictured) braved the cold Saturday for a sushi lunch in New York. Ross held Tiffany's hand as they tried to cross the street despite the snow

Tiffany, 23, and Ross, 22, met at the University Of Pennsylvania, where he studies software engineering. Tiffany (pictured with him Saturday) graduated in May

Ross (pictured with Tiffany Saturday) is a registered Democrat, just like his father, real estate attorney Jonathan Mechanic, and his mother Wendy Levine

But Ross (pictured Saturday with Tiffany) has remained at this girlfriend's side throughout Donald Trump's campaign and was there when she spoke at the Republican convention

Ross, who studies software engineering, and Tiffany, who double majored in sociology and urban studies and graduated in May, met in college.

Japonica, their lunch spot for Saturday, serves entrees ranging from $15 to $30. Sushi rolls range from $6.50 to $24.

The couple seemed at ease with their security detail, whom Ross greeted with a handshake while Tiffany opted for a hug.

Tiffany shared a photo of herself with Ross at the Winter Wonderland Ball in New York back in December last year, and the pair appeared to have been dating for a few weeks at the time.

Tiffany and Ross had their own security detail on Saturday, whom Ross greeted with a handshake while Tiffany opted for a hug

The pair were all smiles as they said hello to their security detail before heading out on a lunch date in the snow-capped streets of New York City

Tiffany and Ross were all bundled up, both wearing hats and winter coats, as they greeted their social service detail. They seemed in high spirits during their outing

The young couple also spent time with Ross' parents Jonathan and Wendy, who also encountered snow on that cold Saturday

Ross has been seen with Tiffany at a variety of events in the past months, including a wedding in Georgia this summer where she was a bridesmaid.

He was there when Tiffany spoke at the Republican National Convention in July and listened to her speech from the bleachers.

The young couple are both heirs to ultra-wealthy, New York real estate scions. Their powerful fathers have known each other for at least a decade in the business world.

Donald Trump once signed a copy of his book, 'The Art Of The Deal', for Ross' father, writing: 'To the greatest real estate lawyer in the world, best wishes, Donald.'

Ross also interned over the summer at Cadre, a real estate startup backed by Ivanka Trump's husband Jared Kushner.

Bracing themselves for the cold: Tiffany adjusted her hat while Ross made sure to zip his jacket before braving the 30-degree weather

Tiffany and Ross held on to each other as they crossed the street, which can get tricky as the snow accumulates and makes the sidewalks wet and slippery
The 48-year-old had his face slashed by another prisoner at Frankland Prison

Murderer Levi Bellfield almost lost an eye after being attacked in prison.

The 48-year-old, who killed schoolgirl Milly Dowler and two other young women, had his face slashed by another prisoner at Durham's Frankland Prison.

He managed to fight off a second inmate who ran at him with a bladed weapon.

Bellfield, who is serving a life term in the Category A prison, was set upon whilst in an education room on December 8.

An insider told The Sun on Sunday: 'This guy apparently ran up to him and slashed him across the face with a home-made shank.

'The blade narrowly missed his left eye and left a nasty cut which will leave some scarring. But he was lucky it wasn't much worse.'

He added that Bellfield refused to make a statement to police as he would 'sort it out on his own'.

Bellfield, who has converted to Islam whilst inside, has previous for suing the Ministry of Justice for failing to keep him safe.

He was awarded 4,500 in compensation two years ago after he was assaulted at Wakefield prison in West Yorkshire in 2009.

Milly was murdered after Bellfield abducted her as she walked home from school

Bellfield's prison, which has around 80 inmates, also houses the Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe and Soham killer Ian Huntley.

Milly was murdered after Bellfield abducted her as she walked home from school in Walton-on-Thames in 2002.

The father-of-11 was convicted in 2011 but only admitted his crimes earlier this year.

He was also found guilty of killing students Amelie Delagrange, 22 and Marsha McDonnell, 19 in the South West London hammer murders.

Detectives also suspect Bellfield of attacking 100 girls and women over five years.
Expensive tastes: Save the Children's international CEO Helle Thorning-Schmidt, with her husband, Labour MP Stephen Kinnock

Bosses of charities handed millions in British foreign aid to fight poverty in poor nations are creaming off huge six-figure salaries and hefty bonuses, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

An investigation by this newspaper has discovered that charity chiefs are taking home astonishing pay packages worth up to 618,000 a year and ramping up spending on senior staff.

Beneficiaries include former Labour Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who takes home 530,922 as president of the US-based International Rescue Committee, which has been given 3.6 million British aid. He has been complaining that a shortage of cash hinders his group from helping people in need.

Another charity  given 7.3 million from British taxpayers to expand economic opportunity in Asia  shared 2.25 million last year among its ten most senior staff.

These massive sums spent on staff by charities begging for money from the Government and its generous citizens are the latest example of fat cats profiting from Britains 12 billion aid giveaway.

Already Mail on Sunday exposes over profiteering and dirty tricks among private firms paid hundreds of millions to deliver aid have led to separate inquiries by the Department for International Development (DFID) and MPs on the International Development Committee.

This weekend, it has emerged that Priti Patel, the Development Secretary, has frozen discussion of new deals while she urgently reviews ethics, relationships and tax dodging within the industry.

Today this paper can reveal:

An organisation handed almost 10 million by DFID to tackle starvation gave one executive more than 600,000 for a years work and 17 others more than 160,000;

Marie Stopes International paid its chief executive approaching 1 million over two years, including an annual bonus bigger than his basic salary;

Another family planning group that received 25.8 million from DFID spends more than 1 million on four senior staff, with one director getting 345,470 a year.

The payments were condemned last night by Tory MP Pauline Latham, a member of the International Development Committee. She said she would be demanding an urgent inquiry by the committee into excessive salary packages.

Im not surprised David Miliband does not want to come back to Parliament when you hear of these sorts of salaries, she said. The public will be very concerned. These are not normal salaries  even some big businesses do not pay these kinds of amounts.

Mr Milibands pay package is among the biggest in aid circles, but at least 13 others at his charity earn significantly more than the Prime Ministers 143,462 salary. The IRC has been given 3.6 million by DFID to test innovative solutions to problems in aid delivery.

Despite his high earnings, Mr Miliband, who left Britain after missing out on the Labour leadership to his brother Ed, has been pleading for more aid money. He claims major shortfalls threaten the IRCs ability to deliver lifesaving assistance in Syria and sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Miliband, who has been seen hanging out with celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney and Sir Patrick Stewart, is reported to be paying almost 9,000 a month for a stylish apartment in New Yorks Upper West Side.

THE BIG SEVEN HIGH ROLLERS YOU HELP TO FUND The international rescuer: David Miliband International Rescue Committee is one of the worlds most prominent aid charities, backed by scores of famous names. David Miliband resigned as MP to become its president, earning a huge 530,922 a year, despite lamenting IRCs lack of cash. Clearly he enjoys the hobnobbing with celebrities and pontificating on the global stage that goes with the high-profile post. Britain gives 3.6million Boss gets 530,922 The Hunger Fighter: Marc van Ameringen Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition was launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle human suffering caused by malnutrition. At least 18 top officials, including former executive director Marc Van Ameringen earned more than the PM. Britain gives 9.4million Boss gets 618,917 The contraception giant: Simon Cooke Marie Stopes International provides abortion and contraception services. Chief executive Simon Cooke received a 251,831 bonus last year, dwarfing his 168,924 basic salary. Britain gives 46.3million Boss gets 420,755 The economic power house: David Arnold Asia Foundation promotes economic development and womens empowerment. Last year it shared 2.25 million among its ten most senior staff, including a 387,156 package for president David Arnold. Britain gives 7.3million Boss gets 387,156 The family planner: Carmen Barroso International Planned Parenthood Federation works on family planning and health in 173 nations. Carmen Barroso, a US-based director, saw her pay soar by 54,009 in five years. Its top officials can take business-class flights, unlike many other non-profit organisations. Britain gives 25.8million Boss gets 344,396 The children's champion: Helle Thorning-Schmidt Save The Children is one of the charities closest to DFID. Its new head is Helle Thorning-Schmidt, 50, the former Danish prime minister, who has been nicknamed Gucci Helle because of her expensive tastes. Married to Labour MP Stephen Kinnock, she receives a pay and pension package worth 246,750 a year. Britain gives 10.4million Boss gets 246,750 The emergency service: Mike Adamson The Red Cross is among the worlds best-known charities. Its UK chief executive is Mike Adamson, a former management consultant. Eight staff get basic salaries in six figures. Britain gives 4.9million Boss gets 173,000 Advertisement

The IRC refused to comment on whether its executives also enjoyed first-class flights. A spokesman said they were the second biggest non-profit organisation in New York, giving below-average salaries to their directors.

Other big payers are in a golden circle given special DFID deals ending this month called Programme Partnership Arrangements. These channelled 690 million to favoured charities in unrestricted funding over five years, on top of any cash for running projects.

Beneficiaries included Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition, or GAIN, launched 14 years ago at the United Nations to fight malnutrition and given 9,449,391 from British taxpayers. According to the most recent Form 990 US tax data, executive director Marc Van Ameringen received 618,917 for one years service  a rise of 232,422 over the sum he was handed five years earlier.

Chief operating officer John Fairhurst took home 356,841 and at least 16 others had packages bigger than Theresa Mays salary. Both senior officials have since left the group. The organisation did not respond to requests for comment.

Many more charity fat cats are also profiting from the poverty industry. They include Simon Cooke, British boss of Marie Stopes International, which has been given 46.3 million by DFID towards family planning around the planet.

Mr Cooke was paid 420,755 in 2015, with a bonus of 251,831 dwarfing his 168,924 basic salary. The previous year he earned almost 500,000, according to US tax data.

The outfit has 22 staff with basic salaries in six figures  more than double the number five years ago.

A spokesman said that they were a global organisation employing more than 13,000 people and provided contraception and safe abortion services across 37 countries. Pay levels were set to ensure they had the best leadership to deliver against ambitious targets.

International Planned Parenthood Federation, another family planning outfit part based in London, was given 25.8 million in 2013 under PPA. It handed director Carmen Barroso 344,396 last year, according to US tax data  a rise of 54,009 in just five years.

The groups annual accounts list at least 14 more staff paid basic salaries in excess of 100,000. It also lets its most senior officials take business-class flights and even more junior staff can use premium-plus on longer trips. A spokesman said the salaries revealed by Form 990s related to the US division, which did not receive unrestricted cash from Britain. He added that all salaries were within market medians for similarly-sized organisations.

Three years ago, US-based Asia Foundation was given 7.3 million by DFID to aid economic development in 18 countries across the continent. It also received donations from the Foreign Office and through British embassies.

David Arnold, the groups president, collects an annual pay package worth 387,156, according to the organisations most recent tax data. Nine more executives were paid more than our Prime Minister, including vice-president Nancy Yuan, who saw her salary package soar from 151,533 to 196,044 in just five years. Pay and benefits were based upon market rates and survey data, said a spokeswoman.

Many charities drove up pay fuelled by the aid boom. Typical is the Malaria Consortium, given more than 8 million by DFID to fight the disease, which had no staff earning six-figure salaries three years ago.

Its latest accounts revealed four breaking through this threshold, including one official now taking home more than 170,000.

We always seek to ensure best value and greatest effectiveness in our work, said a spokesman.

The public will be very concerned over figures

Another beneficiary is Save The Children, given British aid contracts worth 104 million. It hands former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt  who is married to Labour MP Stephen Kinnock and was appointed head of its international branch, based in London, earlier this year  a pay and pension package worth 246,750.

The charitys accounts show 114 staff receiving more than $120,000 (96,150), an almost fivefold increase since 2011. But a spokesman said this was due to currency fluctuations and housing allowances, with only 46 staff on salaries above 76,364.

He said they were a 2 billion organisation, with 25,000 staff and that many senior staff took pay cuts to join them, adding: Were convinced theres a direct relationship between having the best staff and having the most impact in the large, complex operations we manage.
A damning letter to contractors from International Development Secretary Priti Patel warns firms that a top-level investigation has been launched

The Government has dramatically halted new contracts with British foreign aid contractors after The Mail on Sunday exposed dirty tricks in the industry.

Taxpayer-funded deals worth millions of pounds have been frozen after Ministers ordered a wide-ranging probe into the poverty barons profiting from the aid business.

A damning letter to contractors from International Development Secretary Priti Patel warns firms that a top-level investigation has been launched into: How taxpayers money is spent overseas; Payments and expenses taken by fat cats; Huge profits earned from Government contracts.

The blistering letter, leaked to The Mail on Sunday, also warns of a clampdown on dodgy deals between contractors and Whitehall officials, along with investigations into firms tax affairs.

The astonishing move comes after we revealed one firm, Adam Smith International (ASI)  which handles almost half a billion pounds of British aid  obtained secret Department for International Development (DFID) papers while bidding for lucrative contracts.

The MoS also exposed the firms attempts to mislead MPs about the success of its projects.

The revelations were part of our campaign against waste fuelled by Westminsters decision to spend 0.7 per cent of national income on aid.

Last night sources confirmed discussions over multi-million-pound deals had been cancelled after our exposes. Formal negotiations are expected to restart under tougher scrutiny in the new year.

We had to examine significant allegations against a major supplier but your allegations also raised wider issues of concern, said one government source.

We could not sign anything off while this was going on.

'We need to provide [taxpayers] with assurance that public money is being spent effectively,' said Ms Patel

The source said Ministers were determined to make clear it will not be business as usual after the pause in awarding and negotiating projects.

Even urgent extensions to existing projects such as those in war zones are being intricately examined.

Ms Patels letter, sent last week to dozens of British foreign aid contractors, states: We need to provide [taxpayers] with assurance that public money is being spent effectively and that our aid delivery partners apply the highest standards in transparency and ethical behaviour.

This has been brought into sharp relief by recent allegations in the media.

The blistering letter, leaked to The Mail on Sunday, also warns of a clampdown on dodgy deals between contractors and Whitehall officials

She has given contractors 30 days to reveal the precise proportion of revenue coming from British taxpayers and provide written evidence of how they comply with security and conflict of interest rules.

Ms Patel has also warned of more intense scrutiny of finances and relationships with Whitehall staff.

She wants to challenge the biggest firms and bring in more competition from smaller rivals to deliver British aid, which is due to double over the course of this decade to an astonishing 16 billion a year.

Several paragraphs in her letter warn suppliers of their obligation to tackle fraudulent behaviour, unethical behaviour or breach of confidentiality.

Ms Patel insists DFID will be increasing our scrutiny of supplier spending with special focus on ensuring only fair, reasonable rewards and profits for organisations. In a clear sign of her anger over their behaviour, she adds that there will also be open book breakdown of salaries, expenses, profit margins and other finances.

Firms bidding for British contracts will also be forced to detail their tax status and payments after we exposed companies ramping up profits but not paying corporation tax.

The suspension of bid discussions and the subsequent letter followed the revelations two weeks ago of extraordinary dirty tricks by ASI, Britains biggest specialist aid contractor.

One manager circulated secret government papers he obtained, including one marked Official Sensitive, around senior staff with a note saying they could help on bids. Leaked emails also exposed how the aid giant faked evidence to a parliamentary inquiry to promote the success of projects, provoking a separate investigation by MPs.

Yet the scale of DIFDs challenge to control spending is highlighted by our latest disclosures today of charity chiefs cashing in on the aid boom, doling out huge salaries of up to 618,000 to senior executives.

David Miliband, the former Labour Foreign Secretary, pockets 530,922 a year for running a big US charity given millions of pounds in British aid.

David Miliband, former Labour Foreign Secretary, pockets 530,922 a year for running a charity

DFID said last night that it aimed to increase scrutiny of spending by contractors, saying: We expect the sector to adhere to the highest standards to achieve the best results for the worlds poorest and value for money for the British taxpayer.

lIn a separate move, DFID is to crack down on its 25 million a year aid to the Palestinian Authority after this newspaper revealed how Britain was assisting convicted terrorists and paying civil servants who have not worked for nine years.
A Texas truck driver discovered three undocumented immigrants who were hiding on the roof of his truck while he was on his way to Michigan.

Bob Hollin, who hauls vegetables from Edinberg, Texas, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, found the father and his two daughters on Friday, NBC 5 reported.

When he stopped at a truck stop in Edinberg he thought he saw someone on his roof under the air dam of the truck.

Bob Hollin (pictured), who hauls vegetables from Edinberg, Texas, to Grand Rapids, Michigan, found a father and his two daughters, who are undocumented immigrants, hiding in the roof of his truck

Hollin called police and when an officer responded, they saw a man (pictured) climb down from the air dam. And then he helped his two young daughters down

He told NBC that he 'stuck the mirror' up there and 'noticed something wasn't right and there was a body'.

Hollin then called police and when an officer responded, they saw a man climb down from the air dam.

And then the man helped his two young daughters down.

'I was really shocked and surprised,' Hollin said.

The family-of-three were undocumented immigrants who told police they were trying to get to Houston.

Hollin told NBC that he would ' like to know where they came from' and 'what their story is'.

The family-of-three were undocumented immigrants who told police they were trying to get to Houston. Edinberg police (pictured in front of Hollin's truck) turned the family over to the Border Patrol

Edinberg police turned the family over to Border Patrol.

A spokesman for the police department told NBC that there are so many people crossing the border that it has become an 'everyday thing'.

People are frequently caught while trying to catch a free ride on a semi, heading north, however they can.

The US Border Patrol announced Thursday that more than 15,000 illegal immigrants traveling as families were stopped in November along the nations southwest border.

About 7,400 unaccompanied alien children were stopped around the same time.
A Lord of the Rings actor has slammed the country where 'Middle Earth' was filmed as dirty and polluted - despite its '100% Pure' tourism campaign.

New Zealand actor Bruce Hopkins played Gamling, one of the men of Rohan, in the trilogy and now also works as a tour guide but he says calling the tourism brand for the country is 'deceptive'.

Although it's seen as clean and green - an image promoted by the stunning scenery and locations in Lord of the Rings, Mr Hopkins says in fact people wouldn't even consider 'dipping your big toe' in some of its waterways.

New Zealand, the real Middle Earth, became a tourism hotspot after the academy award winning trilogy

After acting in the movies he became a guide and after seeing the state of the environment, he also became disillusioned.

He couldn't understand why New Zealand wasn't more proactive to ensure it really was 100% Pure.

'I think there's more to be gained by being honest and having integrity than being deceitful and deceptive, and currently we are leaning towards being deceptive around how we sell ourselves as a tourist destination,' he told Stuff.co.nz.

Mr Hopkins' revelations come as no surprise to the Ministry of Environment and research by Sandi Ringham from Waikato University who recently reported poor water quality in areas in agricultural practices.

New Zealand's water quality has been found to be degraded by the dairy farming

The Shire, in JRR Tolkien's Middle Earth, was captivated by the film's director Peter Jackson using New Zealand's flowing green landscape

The Lord of the Rings trilogy pictured New Zealand's landscape in a stunning light

The Shire, pictured in Lord of the Rings, was captured in New Zealand

The Fellowship of the Ring, in The Lord of the Rings, entering Rohan

'The message we send to the wider world suggests New Zealand is a nation with little pollution, successful conservation, peace, and an absence of environmental problems,' Ringham wrote in the report.

'But in reality, rivers are dammed, energy resources are sold off and allocated to powerful corporations, and social inequalities are increasing in both urban and rural regions.'

Mr Hopkins ventured into tourism when he realised the demand for LOTR fans to visit the real Middle Earth.

After becoming a tour guide, the former Rider of Rohan became disgruntled at the lack of conservation around the damage dairy farming was doing to the nation's waterways.

Gandalf played by Sir Ian Mckellan pictured in New Zealand's incredible landscape

He couldn't understand why New Zealand wasn't more proactive to ensure it really was pure

Although it's seen as clean and green - an image promoted by the stunning scenery and locations in Lord of the Rings, Mr Hopkins says in fact people wouldn't even consider 'dipping your big toe' in some of its waterways

While the New Zealand tourism industry relies heavily on its pristine image, a 2001 report by the Ministry of Environment claimed if the nation was to lose their 'green' image the economy would suffer.

The report backed up Mr Hopkins' observations that agricultural land use had degraded the freshwater quality.

Green Party co-leader James Shaw was critical of the perception of New Zealand claiming two-thirds of the nation's waterways were too dirty to swim in and more than 142 native species were edging closer to extinction.

However, despite the nation's problem with dairy farming impacting water quality, the former actor still counts himself lucky to live in 'paradise'.

While the New Zealand tourism industry relies heavily on its pristine image, a 2001 report by the Ministry of Environment claimed if the nation was to lose their 'green' image the economy would suffer

However, despite the nation's problem with dairy farming impacting water quality, the former actor still counts himself lucky to live in 'paradise'

Green Party co-leader James Shaw was critical of the perception of New Zealand claiming two-thirds of the nation's waterways were too dirty to swim in and more than 142 native species were edging closer to extinction
He endured an awful ordeal after being dragged in to the child sex abuse scandal  but at last Sir Cliff Richard has something to celebrate.

The veteran pop star, 76, has beaten young rivals including Little Mix and Justin Bieber for the best-selling calendar of 2017.

Last year, amid the damaging allegations, Sir Cliff was toppled by boy band One Direction. But this year he is back to number one  outselling Canadian superstar Bieber, 22, by two to one in the Amazon chart.

The veteran pop star (right), 76, has beaten young rivals including Little Mix and Justin Bieber (left) for the best-selling calendar of 2017

Sir Cliffs 2017 calendar is his 38th and features classic photos taken over a career which spans more than 50 years.

In June, the Crown Prosecution Service announced it was taking no further action against Sir Cliff in its investigation of historical sexual assault.
A British aristocrat who faced 30 years in an African jail after being accused of smuggling cocaine worth millions of pounds is set to have the case against him sensationally dropped this week.

According to a bombshell document obtained by The Mail on Sunday, Kenyas anti-narcotics unit has urged the countrys directorate of public prosecution (DPP) to drop the case against Jack Marrian at a hearing in Nairobi on Wednesday.

Mr Marrian, grandson of the 6th Earl Cawdor and nephew of the current Earl, was charged by Kenyan police after cocaine worth 4.5 million was found in a shipment of sugar belonging to his company in July.

Jack Marrian was charged by Kenyan police after cocaine worth 4.5 million was found in a shipment of sugar belonging to his company in July

The end to his long ordeal comes after The Mail on Sunday exposed the weakness of the case against him in a globe-spanning series of investigations. We revealed how US drug enforcement agency staff and police in Spain had followed the shipment from Brazil to Valencia, and were certain that Mr Marrian knew nothing of the cocaine.

Last night Mr Marrian welcomed the news, saying he felt joy at the prospect of spending Christmas with his family, free from the fear of jail.

Mr Marrian said he felt confident of acquittal for the first time since his arrest in a dawn raid on his home in an affluent suburb of the Kenyan capital.

The 31-year-old businessman, a contemporary of the Duchess of Cambridge at Marlborough College, added: This is the first positive news Ive heard during my whole ordeal.

It fills me with joy to think of sharing this with my family in the lead-up to Christmas. If this injustice had continued, I stood to lose my freedom for the rest of my life, and my family would have been destroyed.

Mr Marrians lawyer said the DPPs office had confirmed that they had received the letter requesting the withdrawal of charges against his client.

The letter implies that the reason for the investigation being dropped is that they are awaiting further information from abroad. However, a DEA source in Nairobi said the reference to further intelligence from Brazil and Valencia was meaningless and that the drugs operation had already been fully investigated, and Mr Marrian vindicated.

The Mail on Sunday discovered that almost 100 kilos of cocaine were loaded on to a ship in the Brazilian port of Santos by a South American crime syndicate. The drugs were intended to be unloaded in Valencia, Spain, by gang members.

But they failed to remove the cocaine from the ship, and it sailed on to Kenya in a container ordered by Mr Marrians company, Mshale Commodities. The drugs were then seized by police in Mombasa.

One agent said: We knew before it landed that this cargo was never intended for Jack Marrian or any company in Kenya. It had been overlooked and missed by the criminal gang in Spain, then sailed on to Mombasa via Oman.

US drug enforcement agency staff and police in Spain had followed the shipment from Brazil to Valencia, and were certain that Mr Marrian knew nothing of the cocaine

Reports compiled by the DEA and handed to Kenyan police included evidence from Brazilian and Spanish police which stated that the recipient of the shipping container would have no knowledge of its contents.

Despite that, Mr Marrian and Mshale clearing agent Roy Mwanthi were charged with smuggling narcotics.

Until now, prosecution lawyers have refused to hand over DEA reports that could clear them.
Nicole Carmon, pictured, has been arrested after her two-year-old son was found alone in a snow-covered car

A 26-year-old woman has been arrested after her two-year-old son was found alone in a snow-covered car on Saturday, according to authorities in Colorado.

The Thornton Police Department tweeted Saturday: 'Nicole Carmon, from Westminster, arrested for Felony Child Abuse for leaving 2 year old boy inside a vehicle for an undetermined time frame.'

Police told the Denver Post that Carmon told Westminster police she was involved in a Friday night car accident and left the toddler inside the vehicle.

Carmon said she was unable to remember accident details, the way she returned home, or where the car was, the newspaper reported.

Authorities started looking for her son at 10.40am Saturday, and he was located inside the car in a East 120th Avenue parking lot around noon, according to the Denver Post.

The two-year-old was suffering from frostbite and hypothermia, and was transported to a hospital.

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Carmon has been arrested for felony child abuse, according to authorities

Authorities started looking for her son at 10.40am Saturday. He was located inside the car in a East 120th Avenue parking lot (pictured) around noon

Thornton police spokesman Matt Barnes told the Denver Post: 'The car was blanketed with snow. There was no way of seeing what was inside.'

He also said the car didn't display any signs of being in an accident.

Temperatures plummeted to around 23 degrees in Thornton overnight on Friday,
A elderly woman is fighting for life after she hit her head falling off a child's scooter in north-west Sydney.

The 68-year-old was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a serious condition after treatment by paramedics at the scene in Kellyville at 10pm on Saturday.

Police said she was not wearing a helmet while she was riding the scooter.

A hospital spokeswoman said on Sunday the woman's condition had worsened to critical.

A elderly woman is fighting for life after she hit her head falling off a child's scooter in north-west Sydney
A heavily tattooed alleged bikie gang member has finally been arrested after eight weeks on the run.

Raymond Jones, 30, was arrested at a Smithfield Plains property, north west of Adelaide, at 10pm on Saturday.

Police were able to take him into custody with any incident and he is set to appear at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

Allegeded bikie gang member Raymond Jones, 30, has been arrested after two months on the run on

During his time on the run he posted pictures of him in front of police stations, taunting police

He cut off his electronic bracelet the day before he was to attend the final day of his trial for serious assault

For the past two months Jones was on the run from police after he cut off his electronic bracelet and did not attend the final of trail for serious assault on October 19, the Advertiser reported.

In his absence the jury unanimously found him guilty for stabbing a man at a house in Blakeview in 2015.

During his time of the run, he posted pictures of himself outside of a number of police stations, even taunting police with a caption on one of the photos: 'hey guys stopping in to sign in hahaha'.

The jury unanimously found him guilty in his absence for stabbing a man at a house in Blakeview in 2015

While on the run he posted pictures of himself outside of police stations on Facebook with the caption: 'hey guys stopping in to sign in hahaha'

The last time he was seen was on December 6 when officers tried to pull him over, but he instead collided the vehicle he was driving into a patrol car and fled on foot.

Court documents revealed in 2015, Jones stabbed a man who was visiting the occupant of the Blakeview home.

The was accompanied by his seven-year-old daughter when Jones arrived shouting at the occupant of the home made his way to the roof of the property.
A 22-year-old man undergoing treatment for Cystic Fibrosis has recorded the moment he was awoken at 4am by a 'drunk' doctor who proceeded to cry and call him a 'f****t'.

Robert Pere Williams, from Gisborne in New Zealand, was stunned when a junior physician at Waikato Hospital, south of Auckland, barged into his room in the early morning hours of Saturday and began slurring his words.

Mr Williams told Stuff.co.nz the doctor said he was stressed because the hospital is understaffed and threatened to kill himself while going on an expletive-ridden tangent.

New Zealand man Robert Williams, 22, (pictured) recorded the moment a 'drunk' doctor barged into his hospital room early in the morning

Mr Williams was undergoing treatment for Cystic Fibrosis when the interaction took place

The doctor, whose identity has not been revealed, also seemed upset about the amount of paperwork Mr Williams' Cystic Fibrosis had accumulated since he is a regular patient in the hospital's respiratory ward.

When the doctor enters Mr Williams' room, the 22-year-old can be heard asking him if he had 'been out on it.'

'Yeah man, f*** you know you've got to do it. You what I mean, you've got to f***ing do it,' the doctor said.

Mr Williams asked the physician how the other hospital staff didn't realise he was drunk, to which the doctor responds that he is 'f***ing stealth bro.'

'F*** bro, you're like p****d as and all,' Mr Williams said.

'I'm not f***ing p****d f****t,' the doctor said as his voice starts to raise.

'You think I'm f***ing p****d? You wanna see me p****d?...F***ing whip out my bottle of whiskey, you f****t,' the doctor continues.

The men continue to spar back and forth for several minutes as the doctor complains about how much paperwork he has to type up when Mr Williams is admitted to the hospital.

Waikato District Health Board chief executive Nigel Murray said they would be 'urgently contacting' the physician to 'take action and offer the appropriate support.'
the two men and was happy to see his old friend Putin

In closing out a week where Donald Trump named a Secretary of State nominee who is a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saturday Night Live wasted no time in poking fun of the situation and all three men.

Alec Baldwin returned to the show with his portrayal of Trump, as he was joined by comedic actor John Goodman who played the role of the president-elect's prospective Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

The show's cold open started with Baldwin's Trump standing inside his transition office at Trump Tower with Kate McKinnon who continued playing the role of his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, as he asked about what business they still need to discuss since the Christmas holiday is near.

Alec Baldwin returned to the show with his portrayal of Trump as he was joined by SNL's Kate McKinnon who played Kellyanne Conway inside his transition office at Trump Tower

He asked her about what business they still need to discuss since the Christmas holiday is near

She mentioned how former Texas governor Rick Perry has agreed to join his Cabinet as Secretary of Energy. Baldwin's Trump said: 'Was that a great choice? I saw him on Dancing With the Stars. This guy has so much energy. It's just 'unpresidented''

McKinnon's Conway mentioned how busy Trump has been on his 'Thank You Tour', where he has traveled around the country holding rallies to thank his supporters for voting him into the White House.

'I just felt the obligation to thank all of my supporters by standing in front of them while they cheered for me,' Baldwin's Trump said.

She then mentioned how former Texas governor Rick Perry has agreed to join his Cabinet as Secretary of Energy.

Baldwin's Trump then said, 'Was that a great choice? I saw him on Dancing With the Stars.

'This guy has so much energy. It's just 'unpresidented'. So now all I have to do is pick who will be president.'

Earlier in the day to tease his appearance on the SNL, Baldwin posted three tweets which got a dig in at The Donald, who misspelled the word unprecedented on his personal Twitter account and wrote 'unpresidented'.

McKinnon's Conway noted how she was the 'master illusionist' before she shared a list of musical artists who would be willing to perform at his inauguration. 'I love both of them,' he replied

Melania, portrayed by SNL cast member Cecily Strong, emerges to pull her husband away from Conway

As she tried to get her husband away, a shirtless Putin, portrayed by actor Beck Bennett, emerges from the chimney bearing gifts inside a red bag

McKinnon's Conway noted how she was the 'master illusionist' before she shared a list of musical artists who would be willing to perform at his inauguration.

'I love both of them,' he replied.

Melania, portrayed by SNL cast member Cecily Strong, emerges to pull her husband away from Conway, as a shirtless Putin, portrayed by actor Beck Bennett, emerges from the chimney bearing gifts inside a red bag.

Baldwin's Trump told the Russian president that it's great to 'talk in person', as Bennett's Putin said that the reason he's there is because 'your CIA is saying that we Russians tried to make you win the election.'

'All lies made up by some very bitter people who need to move on,' Baldwin's Trump quickly quipped.

Bennett's Putin said that the reason he's there is because 'your CIA is saying that we Russians tried to make you win the election'

'All lies made up by some very bitter people who need to move on,' Baldwin's Trump quickly quipped

The Russian president told Trump: 'We in Russia are so happy that you are US president. We think you are the best candidate, the smartest candidate, the Manchurian candidate'

Bennett's Putin coyly replied, 'So you trust me more than American CIA?'

To which, Baldwin's Trump said, 'All I know is I won.'

The Russian president congratulates him on the huge win before saying, 'We in Russia are so happy that you are US president. We think you are the best candidate, the smartest candidate, the Manchurian candidate.'

Baldwin's Trump then said that he doesn't know what that means, but 'it sounds tremendous!'

In taking on a twist about the ongoing Russia election interference story, SNL then had Bennett's Putin give Trump an Elf on a Shelf that doubled as a video camera to spy on him.

The Donald's wife emerges saying that she doesn't trust Putin and begs her husband to have Putin leave.

In taking on a twist about the ongoing Russia election interference story, SNL then had Bennett's Putin give Trump an Elf on a Shelf that doubled as a video camera to spy on him

The Donald's wife emerges saying that she doesn't trust Putin and begs her husband to have Putin leave. But McKinnon's Conway interrupts to announce he has a visitor

Trump's Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, who is portrayed by actor John Goodman, walks through the door and happily greets Putin since the men are friends

As Baldwin's Trump is about to tell him to leave, McKinnon's Conway interrupts to announce that his Secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson, who is the CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation, is at Trump Tower for a visit.

Goodman's Tillerson enters through the door and is overjoyed to see Putin, who is also happy to see his old friend.

The pair of men begin to discuss oil drilling problems in Russia, to which Goodman's Tillerson says 'it's not a problem' and that the 'US will increase intake by 30 per cent.'

A seemingly clueless Trump interrupts the men to ask what they're talking about and they shut him down to continue talking.

Baldwin's Trump interrupts again to ask if 'we'll destroy Vanity Fair right? They're a terrible publication, really just terrible.'

Both were overjoyed to see each other and quickly got down to discussing Russia's oil drilling problems

A seemingly clueless Trump interrupts the men to ask what they're talking about and they shut him down. He interrupts again to ask if 'we'll destroy Vanity Fair right? They're a terrible publication, really just terrible'

In an effort to get him out of their conversation, Goodman's Tillerson says, 'Sure buddy sure'

In an effort to get him out of their conversation, Goodman's Tillerson says, 'Sure buddy sure.'

Then Goodman's Tillerson and Bennett's Putin go back to looking at the map, saying how there is 'great black crude' oil located in one of the cities.

But Baldwin's Trump interrupts saying 'speaking of black and crude, I know Kanye.

'He came here, he's using my colorist now, he just says whatever he feels, he's like me, but he's black.'

Both men just looked strangely at Baldwin's Trump before all three joined in to formally open the show.

The popular show also had a skit where McKinnon portrayed Hillary Clinton inspired by the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually. But in this skit, Clinton tries to woo an elector at the last minute

She arrived at the front doorstep of an elector, who was portrayed by fellow cast member Cecily Strong and held up a series of cue cards that talked about why she was the best candidate for president

The popular show also had a skit where McKinnon portrayed Hillary Clinton inspired by the 2003 romantic comedy Love Actually.

But in this skit, Clinton she tries to woo an elector at the last minute, instead of how the movie actually as actor Andrew Lincoln hold cue cards that express his love for co-star Keira Knightley.

McKinnon's Clinton arrived at the front doorstep of an elector, who was portrayed by fellow cast member Cecily Strong.

While standing outside, she holds up a number of cue cards that read, 'I know you're an elector,' 'And on December 19th...,' 'You're supposed to vote for Donald Trump,' 'But Bish...,' 'He cray,' '1. He's refusing security briefings,' '2. He's already provoked the Chinese,' followed by several other cue cards to drive home her point.

Saturday's SNL was hosted by actor Casey Affleck, who was later joined by Baldwin and Goodman during his monologue

Saturday's SNL was hosted by Casey Affleck and the musical guest for the show was Chance the Rapper.

Affleck opened his monologue by stating how excited he was to host the Christmas show, but that he was surprised he was selected for the job.

Shortly later, he was joined by Baldwin and Goodman. Affleck's appearance on the show Saturday was his first, as his older brother Ben has hosted the sketch comedy show in 2000, twice in 2004, and then again in 2008 and 2013.

Affleck's appearance comes about a month after the release of his new movie, Manchester By The Sea'.
Enormous hail stones have been lashing Brisbane as 'very dangerous thunderstorms' rumble across the south-east of Queensland.

A massive thunderstorm has hit Ipswich, with power outages and damage already being reported as it moves over Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.

Social media has been flooded with images and videos of enormous hail stones, some the size of fists, fallen trees, and ominous clouds.

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Enormous hail stones have been lashing Brisbane as 'very dangerous thunderstorms' rumble across the south-east of Queensland

Social media has been flooded with images and videos of enormous hail stones, some the size of fists, fallen trees, and ominous clouds

Trees fell in the heavy thunderstorms in Queensland's south east on the weekend

Large hail fell across the city as thunderstorms rolled across south east Queensland

While not as destructive, Sydney should also expect showers all week with temperatures in the mid 20s.

The weather bureau has also warned of destructive winds, heavy rain and flash flooding for Brisbane.

Authorities have warned people to stay inside and beware of fallen trees and powerlines.

Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale says the State Emergency Service has already received 30 calls for help, with reported damage in severeal suburbs.

Hail lashed the suburb of Ipswich on Sunday as thunderstorms loomed

Social media was alight with pictures of the storms across Brisbane

Dark gloomy skies hover above Brisbane on Sunday afternoon

The storm, described by authorities as very dangerous, has forced play in the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba to be stopped.

Brisbane Airport has advised passengers to check flight details as there are likely to be delays.

Water is pouring into a supermarket in the western Brisbane suburb of Bellbowrie, after the roof was badly damaged.

Police say there have been no injuries in that incident, but the Moggil Road shopping centre has been evacuated as a precaution.

The Darling Downs, Wide Bay and Burnett, and Granite Belt regions could be hit with severe storms.

On the other side of town, Wynnum Esplanade is closed after a damaged shop front fell onto an unoccupied car.

Trees are also being reported on many roads, including Gympie Rd at Chermside, while powerlines are also down in Bardon.

Sydney is expected to be soaked by possible showers over the coming week.

Monday is expected to be cloudy with a maximum of 24 degrees, followed by a warmer 31 degrees on Tuesday and late showers.

Storms and heavy wind approaching Brisbane on Sunday afternoon

The remainder of the working week is expected to hover over the mid-20s with possible showers, before the skies clear for a mostly sunny Saturday and a top of 27 degrees.

Melbourne on Monday will finally feel like summer with a top of 30 degrees and increasing cloud.

Tuesday in the Victorian capital is expected to be a top of 22 degrees with clearing showers.

Wednesday and Thursday will be mostly sunny in the early-20s, before temperatures rise to the late-20s over Friday and Saturday.

Adelaide will hit 33 degrees on Monday with a late shower predicted.

Hail in the backyard of a suburban home in Brisbane on Sunday

Skies will clear for the remainder of the week, sitting at 24 and 25 for Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

Thursday will see a top of 28 degrees, followed by 32 on Friday and a hot 35 degrees on Saturday.

Following the Sunday storm in Brisbane, possible showers will mar the remainder of the week. Temperatures are expected to hit the high-20s and early-30s.

There is a gale warning for northern NSW at Byron Bay, and a strong wind warning for Coffs Harbour, Macquarie Coast, Illawarra Coast, Batemans Coast and Eden Coast for Sunday.

In the Northern Territory, the weather bureau was warning locals in the Tiwi district of severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding at Wurrumiyanga, Milikapiti and Pirlangimpi on Sunday.
New Zealand has been named as the most prosperous country in the world, beating Australia who came in sixth place.

Norway came in second, while third went to Finland, followed by Switzerland and then Canada, reported Perth Now.

The annual Legatum Prosperity Index, conducted by a UK-based charity, measures countries based on a variety of factors including wealth, economic growth, education, health, personal well-being, and quality of life.

New Zealand has been named as the most prosperous country in the world, beating Australia who came in sixth place. Pictured is Wellington (stock image)

Australia was the only country in the global top 20 to decline in prosperity in the past decade. pictured is Sydney Harbour (stock image)

Of 149 countries in the index the lowest rated country was Yemen, with Afghanistan coming in at number 148 and the Central African Republic ranking 147.

In the report, New Zealand is praised for high levels of personal freedom, and for being 'a nation with the strongest social capital in the world, where 99 per cent of New Zealanders say they have family or friends to rely on in times of need.'

As for Australia, the report said: 'Australia is the only country in the global top 20 to have seen prosperity decline over the past decade, the result of weakening economic openness and the increasing terror threat affecting the countrys Safety & Security performance.'

While some countries rated highly in some areas, they also failed dismally in others.

The Legatum prosperity index measures countries based on wealth, economic growth, education, health, personal well-being, and quality of life (stock image)

Qatar rated highly in the national income coming in at $85,000 per capita - more than double New Zealand.

But they ranked 46th in the world for prosperity, performing poorly on education and personal freedoms.

Australia's prosperity decline was reportedly the result of weakening economic openness and the increasing terror threat affecting the countrys Safety & Security performance
But Pentagon said the $150,000 glider is 'clearly marked' as belonging to the US

China claims it did not know the drone belonged to the US when it removed it

Donald Trump has said America should let China keep the stolen US Navy drone just hours after he called the country's actions 'unpresidented' in a misspelled tweet.

On Saturday evening the president-elect tweeted that America should let China keep the drone that was seized two days ago in the South China Sea.

'We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!' he tweeted.

His tweet came after the US military announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the underwater glider after Beijing complained that Washington had been 'hyping up' the incident.

On Saturday morning, Trump took to Twitter to blast China for, as he described it, ripping the research drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), out of the water.

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

Donald Trump has said America should let China keep the stolen US Navy drone just hours after he took to Twitter to blast China for, as he described it, ripping the research drone out of the water

Trump fired off his criticism nearly two days after the Chinese Navy seized an unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea on December 15

'China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act,' Trump wrote in a misspelled tweet on Saturday morning.

Trump deleted his original tweet, posted at 4.30am, after he was ridiculed online and later issued the same message with the correct spelling.

The billionaire, who has vowed to take an aggressive approach in dealing with China over its economic and military policies, jumped on the unusual drone seizure with a pair of provocative tweets, accusing Beijing of stealing the equipment.

The Pentagon went public with its complaint after the action and said on Saturday it had secured a deal to get the drone back.

'Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States,' Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

Trump accused China of stealing the drone after a Chinese official said the country was in talks with the US military for a 'smooth resolution'. Trump deleted his tweet (pictured) after he was ridiculed online and later issued the same message with the correct spelling

Trump's comments come just weeks after he potentially thrust US relations with China into chaos after receiving a call from Taiwan's president

His inflammatory message came after a Chinese official said the country was in talks with the American military for a 'smooth resolution' over the drone, earlier on Saturday.

A short time later, China's Defense Ministry hit back with a biting response as it revealed the drone would be returned.

'China decided to return it to the US side in an appropriate manner, and China and the US have all along been in communication about it,' the statement read.

'During this process, the US side's unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate and is not beneficial to the smooth resolution of this issue,' it added.

'We express regret at this.'

The capture - the first of its kind in recent memory - occurred just as the USNS Bowditch, an American oceanographic survey ship, was about to retrieve the unmanned underwater glider.

When the Bowditch stopped to collect the underwater equipment, a Chinese warship that had been following it dropped a boat into the water, pulled up alongside the US vessel and snatched the drone, according to CNN.

The USS Bowditch had been sampling and data collection of surface, midwater and ocean floor measurements, and US officials received no reply from the Chinese when they radioed to state the drone was American.

The US crew had hoped to start communications with the Chinese vessel to get the drone back, but the ship eventually responded to say it was returning to normal operations and left the area, according to NBC News.

The Department of Defense released a statement, saying it was: 'not the sort of conduct we expect from professional navies'.

US officials issued a formal diplomatic complaint over the seizure and demanded the return of the $150,000 drone, which was collecting unclassified scientific data.

'It is ours. It's clearly marked as ours,' Navy Capt Jeff Davis said on Friday.

'We would like it back, and we would like this not to happen again.'

Meanwhile, China's Defense Ministry claimed that a Chinese navy lifeboat had discovered what first appeared to be a peace of 'unidentified equipment'.

A Chinese Navy warship seized the underwater drone deployed by an American oceanographic vessel in international waters in the South China Sea. Pictured is a Chinese ship in the Bohai Sea

The incident took place on December 15 northwest of Subic Bay just as the USNS Bowditch (pictured), an oceanographic survey ship, was about to retrieve the unmanned vehicle

China's Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the vessel removed the item 'in order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the navigation of passing ships and personnel'.

'The Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device,' he added.

It was only then, Yajun claimed, that the Chinese navy realized it was a US drone.

The statement also accused the US of deploying ships to conduct 'renaissance and military surveying' in China's presence.

'China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the US stop such activities,' Yajun said.

The US has maintained that the drone was operating lawfully while conducting a 'military survey' in the South China Sea.

'It's a sovereign immune vessel,' a US official said of the drone, adding that it was 'clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water - that it was US property'.

Arizona Sen John McCain, who is the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the seizure a 'flagrant violation of the freedom of the seas'.

'China had no right to seize this vehicle. And the United States must not stand for such outrageous conduct,' he wrote in a statement released on Saturday.

'This brazen provocation fits a pattern of increasingly destabilizing Chinese behavior, including bullying its neighbors and militarizing the South China Sea.'

'Freedom of the seas and the principles of the rules-based order are not self-enforcing. American leadership is required in their defense. But that leadership has been sorely lacking,' he added, hitting out at Obama.

Before the defense ministry issued its statement, China said on Saturday that it was in contact with its American counterparts on 'appropriately handling' the seizure, one of the most serious incidents between the two militaries in years.

'According to (our) understanding, the US and Chinese sides are working on appropriately handling this matter through channels between the two militaries,' the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The drone conflict now seems to be resolved, but critics are still poking fun at Trump's most recent spelling mistake.

Even Merriam-Webster, a publishing company known for its dictionaries, joined in by linking a definition to the word 'Huh'.

'Good morning! The #WordOfTheDay is...not 'unpresidented'. We don't enter that word. That's a new one,' the tweet read.

Trump deleted the original tweet and rewrote it with the correct spelling of 'unprecedented', but the ridicule continued.

Trump deleted the original tweet and rewrote it with the correct spelling of 'unprecedented'

Critics took an easy shot at the president-elect's spelling mistake, and the Merriam-Webster Twitter account joined in with the mockery

SPELLING ERRORS IN TRUMP'S TWEETS December 15, 2016: 'If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House waite so long to act?' December 10, 2016: 'Reports by @CNN that I will be working on The Apprentice during my Presidency, even part time, are rediculous & untrue  FAKE NEWS!' July 29, 2016: 'Hillary Clinton should not be given national security briefings in that she is a lose cannon with extraordinarily bad judgement & insticts.' July 24, 2016: 'Looks to me like the Bernie people will fight. If not, there blood, sweat, and tears was a total waist of time. Kaine stands for opposite!' March 18, 2016: 'Heading to Phoneix. Will be arriving soon. Tomorrow a big day. Tremendous crowds expected!' March 6, 2016: 'All of the phony T.V. commercials against me are bought and payed for by SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, the bandits that tell your pols what to do' February 26, 2016: 'Lying Ted Cruz and leightweight chocker Marco Rubio teamed up last night in a last ditch effort to stop our great movement. They failed!' February 26, 2016: 'Leightweight chocker Marco Rubio looks like a little boy on stage. Not presidential material.' February 26, 2016: 'Wow, every poll said I won the debate last night. Great honer!' January 31, 2016: 'Ted Cruz is totally unelectable, if he even gets to run (born in Canada). Will loose big to Hillary. Polls show I beat Hillary easily! WIN!' January 19, 2016: 'Wow, the highly respected Governor of Iowa just stated that 'Ted Cruz must be defeated.' Big shoker! People do not like Ted.' June 25, 2015: 'I hear that dopey political pundit Lawrence O'Donnel, one of the dummer people on television, is about to lose his show- no ratings? Too bad' Advertisement

The president-elect's inflammatory tweet comes just weeks after he potentially thrust US relations with China in chaos after receiving a call from Taiwan's president and criticizing China's government.

Chinese admiral Yang Yi said he was unsure of the reasoning behind seizing the drone, but said Trump's recent comments had hurt the relationship between the two nations.

'It's natural for us to take possession of and research for a bit these types of things that America sends to our doorstep,' Yang told the Global Times.

'The louder they shout, the more their protests ring hollow.'

China's media outlets have speculated whether Trump's protocol-shattering call with Tsai Ing-wen and his subsequent Twitter tirade against Beijing's policies could upend the delicate balance between the world's two largest economies.

'Provoking friction and messing up China-US relations won't help 'make America great again',' a front-page opinion piece in China's People's Daily said.

The nationalist Global Times newspaper's Chinese edition also ran a page-one story on Trump's 'inability to keep his mouth shut', damning his 'provocation and falsehoods'.

Trump fired off two tweets on Sunday blasting China for devaluing its currency, taxing American imports, and building military installations in the South China Sea.
Conservative radio broadcaster Steve Price has hit out at 'lefties' who think he does not deserve an opinion because he is not from a minority group.

Price, who alongside his 2GB radio commitments appears on Channel Ten's The Project twice a week, said 'old white men deserve an opinion'.

'Old white men have as much right to have a view as anyone else,' Price said, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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Controversial Australian radio broadcaster Steve price has hit out at 'lefties' who think because he is not from a minority group he doesn't deserve an opinion.

'The left seem to think that unless you're from some lobby group or some feminist action group or an LGBTQI community spokesgroup then that's the only people who are allowed to have a view about things. Well, that's not true.'

Price has made a career out of his controversial interviews and last month he was at it again when he shared a tense exchange with former Labor staffer Jamila Rizvi.

The pair clashed after Price claimed Rizvi interrupted him as the panel discussed Hillary Clinton's loss.

'This is the reason why Donald Trump won, because people like you lecture and heckle people,' Price said at the time.

Price said 'The left seem to think that unless you're from some lobby group or an LGBTQI (above) community then that's the only people who are allowed to have a view about things

Price who alongside his 2GB radio commitments appears on Channel Ten's The Project twice a week said that 'Old white men deserve an opinion'

'I apologise, I thought I was on to be interviewed, so...,' Rizvi said.

Never one to back down from his views, it was the former shock jock Price who had the last word against Kevin Rudd's former media assistant.

'Well I thought I could speak without being interrupted, but anyway, carrying on,' Price said.

Broadcaster Steve Price (left) shared a tense exchange with former Labor staffer Jamila Rizvi (right) following the shock US election result

Price (right) also regularly clashes with The Project Host, Waleed Aly (second from left) who he said has 'completely opposite views' to his own

Price also regularly clashes with The Project Host, Waleed Aly who he said has 'completely opposite views' to his own.

'Waleed has very strong views about issues like offshore detention, climate change and obviously the Islamic communitys role in Australia, my views happen to be completely opposite to that,' he said.
A man was found burning to death on a Hollywood sidewalk Friday night, in what authorities have deemed an apparent suicide.

Officers responding to a call about gunshots around 11pm found his body engulfed in flames in the upscale Los Angeles neighborhood.

The man, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had a single gunshot wound to the head and was lying on top of the firearm, NBC reported.

He was likely between 30 and 40 years old. The extent of his burns have made it difficult to identify him.

A man was found burning to death on a Hollywood sidewalk (pictured as officers responded to the scene) Friday night, in what authorities have deemed an apparent suicide

It wasn't immediately clear whether the gunshot wound was self-inflicted. Authorities didn't know whether the man lived in the area or if he was a visitor.

'After he went down and after he was engulfed in fire, he had extra ammunition on his person, and that fire lit off those rounds,' Lieutenant John Radke told NBC Los Angeles.

Investigators have said the evidence points to an apparent suicide but have not officially determined a motive.

It remains unclear if the fire was self-inflicted or if it was the result of a crime.

If you need to speak to a counselor, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1 (800) 273-8255.
A bar customer in Georgia has been charged with murder after what authorities have described as an unprovoked sucker punch attack against another man.

Police say David Digiacomo, 40, punched 34-year-old Clint Ali early Friday morning at Jack's Bar And Grill in Braselton, killing him.

Surveillance footage obtained by Fox 5 shows a man identified as Digiacomo walking up to Ali and punching him on the side of his head. Ali was at a jukebox when he got punched, according to Braselton police.

'It's murder, I mean the guy just go up to him, a defenseless guy doesn't even know what's about to hit him,' Assistant Police Chief Lou Solis said.

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David Digiacomo (left), 40, has been charged with murder after what authorities have described as an unprovoked attack against Clint Ali (right), 34, Friday at a bar in Braselton, Georgia

Digiacomo, according to Solis, told other people inside the bar that Ali had previously made threats against one of his friends.

But, Solis said, no report was ever filed about such threats - and it wouldn't make any difference in the case.

Ali didn't have any enemies, the bar manager said.

Investigators at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab found that the punch and the fall that ensued had killed Ali.

A nurse who was inside the bar at the time and paramedics who responded to the scene gave Ali CPR. He died at the hospital.
A three-year-old boy was shot dead on Saturday when a driver opened fire on his grandmother's car because she 'wasn't moving fast enough at a stop light,' police said.

Grandmother Kim King-Macon, 47, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was with the boy, who has not been identified, and a one-year-old when another driver stepped out of his car and started shooting, hitting the boy at least once.

King-Macon then drove to a nearby shopping center, where she called for police. Cops responded at around 6.22pm and the boy was rushed to hospital, where he died.

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Shot: A three-year-old boy was shot in Little Rock on Saturday because another driver became infuriated when grandma Kim King-Macon (pictured) didn't leave a stop light fast enough

Dead: King-Macon drove to this mall, where she realized her grandson had been hit and called police. He died in hospital. King-Macon and a one-year-old child also in the car were uninjured

The grandmother told police that a black Chevrolet Impala had pulled up behind her while she was parked at a stop light.

The other driver honked his horn, and King-Macon honked back, the police report said.

'A black male then exited [the Impala] and fired one shot', the report said. King-Macon then drove to the shopping center. It was only there that she discovered her grandson had been hit.

Both King-Macon and the one-year-old who was also in the vehicle were uninjured in the attack.

Police Lt Steve McClanahan said investigators believe the boy and his grandmother 'were completely innocent' and have no relationship with the shooter, who is currently at large.

Police were seen Saturday night inspecting King-Macon's Dodge Charger, which was parked outside a JC Penney in the Shackleford Crossing shopping center.

No other description of the suspect has been released. Police have appealed to the public for help finding him.

Innocent: Police Chief Kenton Buckner told press the pair were innocent victims. The boy died in hospital, and his attacker, who had a black Chevy Impala, is still at large

Investigators have been searching this car, right outside the store. pic.twitter.com/o4AlnPKQrK  David Lippman THV11 (@david_lippman) December 18, 2016

Little Rock - home of former President Bill Clinton - has seen two infants die in road-rage gunfire in the past two months.

In November a two-year-old girl was killed while being driven by her mom, Shunta Johnson, 37, when the driver of a passing vehicle fired into it.

The shooter in that case hasn't been captured, and the girl has not been identified.

Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the road rage killings were frustrating for the police department and the community, especially because the young victims were 'very innocent' and 'can do very little to protect themselves.'

'We cannot have a community to where the least protected among us, being infants, who are dying these senseless crimes in our city,' Buckner said.

He said he didn't know if the children's shootings were related.

So far, 40 people have died in the city this year. In 2013, it had a population of 197,357.
Home Depot fired four employees at a Florida location after they attempted to stop Brandon Mullins Lowe (pictured) from stealing nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise

Home Depot fired four employees at a Florida location after they attempted to stop a man from stealing nearly $1,000 worth of merchandise.

Jeffrey Miller, 59, George Ippolito, 56, Joe Spector, 29, and Jazmin Kelly, 27, attempted to stop 22-year-old Brandon Mullins Lowe who appeared to be shoplifting at the Palm Coast store on November 19, the New York Daily News reported.

But their plan to thwart a thief backfired as it was against the company's national corporate policy.

Miller told the News Journal that he was 'really shocked' by the company's actions after he and his co-workers helped land a wanted thief in jail.

'I never confronted this individual. Even if I saw him in a lineup I wouldn't be able to show you what he looked like. All I was doing is getting a license plate [number].'

Steven Holmes, the spokesman for Home Depot, released a statement explaining that the pursuit of ' shoplifters in the store or in the parking lot is extremely dangerous'.

He said that it also 'risks the safety of everyone, which is why we only allow trained security personnel to do so'.

'We've had instances of serious injury and even fatality in our stores. No amount of merchandise is worth risking the safety of others.'

Ippolito told the News Journal that it wasn't just about pursuing a shoplifter.

'I saw a guy crashing a cart into one of the cashiers and I was responding to her aid.

Lowe reportedly confessed to stealing almost $1,000 worth of tools from the home improvement store (pictured). He is currently being held in the Flagler County jail on grand theft charges

'Then he looked like he was going to attack Joe ... He started dropping all the merchandise, and then he ran away,' he said.

Lowe reportedly confessed to stealing almost $1,000 worth of tools from the home improvement store.

He is currently being held in the Flagler County jail on grand theft charges.
A Tunisian court has approved the marriage of a 13-year-old girl to a 20-year-old relative who made her pregnant.

The marriage between the girl and her brother-in-law took place in the region of Kef, in Tunisia's northwest, in presence of their parents who had tried to stop the wedding.

A judge approved of their marriage last Tuesday relying on article 227 in the Tunisian Criminal Code which stipulates that while sex with a girl under 15 without the use of force is punishable by six years in prison, the culprit can halt proceedings by marrying the victim.

Dozens of people stage a protest outside of Tunisian parliament denouncing a law that allows men who rape underage girls to avoid punishment by marrying their victims

'In that particular case, the judge was simply abiding the law, which is definitely an antiquated law,' a fellow court judge, who did not want to be named because they are not authorized to speak with media, told CNN.

'Tunisia was one of the first countries in the region to ratify international treaties that guarantee the rights of children. However this law was never amended. It's up to the judge to decide whether to apply it or not,' the judge said.

The decision has sparked debate in Tunisia over the law.

Dozens of people staged a protest outside parliament on Wednesday, denouncing Article 227 as a 'backward' piece of legislation that should be revoked.

And the African country's prime minister said on Friday that he wants to amend the controversial law.

Discussion of a draft law to be submitted to parliament to amend the article should be a 'priority' pending a review of 'all articles concerning the fight against violence targeting women,' Youssef Chahed told Mosaique FM radio.

A bill to counter violence against women was drafted in 2014 but is still waiting to be discussed in parliament.

'Our country can no longer refer to laws that are old fashioned and which do not reflect the spirit of rights and liberties,' said the 41-year-old prime minister.

Chahed, whose country is viewed as being ahead of most Arab countries on women's rights, said Friday that 2017 'will be the year of the child' in Tunisia.

He said he will strive to draw up a strategy to improve the lives of children in Tunisia, particularly in the field of education.

A planned wedding party for the girl involved in the recent case has been scrapped after the government's child protection office called for the marriage to be annulled.

'When it's a 13-year-old child, we can't talk of a sexual relation with consent. It's rape,' the agency's representative Houda Abboudi said earlier this week.
A 40-year-old jockey has tragically died after her horse collided with another rider on a racetrack in front of two of her horrified children.

Rebecca Black was flung to the ground after her horse Point Proven stumbled at the Tapanui Racing Club meeting in New Zealand on Sunday afternoon.

The mother of three was thrown from the horse as it fell during race eight after clipping another trailing horse, ridden by Terry Moseley, who escaped with minor injuries.

Rebecca Black (pictured) has tragically died after her horse collided with another one

His horse Misscattlecreek was reportedly put down after it appeared to have landed on Black.

Her distraught former partner Kelvin Tyler said two of their three children saw the horrific incident unfold at the Gore racing circuit.

'They're obviously pretty shocked and devastated,' he told NZ Herald.

He believed the two horses may have been riding too close on the racetrack just moments before the collision.

'It sounded like it got a bit tight for room and they went down,' he said.

In 2003, Black suffered neck and head injuries during a fall in track work. She had ridden 108 winners from 1,264 starts.

The mother of three was thrown from the horse as it fell during race eight after clipping another

Her distraught former partner Kelvin Tyler said two of their three children saw the horrific incident

The 40-year-old was flung to the ground after her horse Point Proven stumbled while racing

In 2003, Black suffered neck and head injuries during a fall in track work

Black died at the scene and police are preparing a report for the coroner

Black is the second jockey to die in a horrific race fall in the past 10 years

Black died at the scene and police are preparing a report for the coroner.

WorkSafe have been advised and the Racing Integrity Unit has opened an inquiry.

Following the tragedy, officials cancelled the race for the evening.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has paid an emotional tribute to Black.

'All our thoughts are with Rebecca's family and friends at this dreadful time,' New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Chief Executive Greg Purcell said in a statement.

Black is the second jockey to die in a horrific race fall in the past 10 years. Ashlee Mundy died following a fall at Kurow in December 2012.

Following the tragedy, officials cancelled the race meeting for the evening
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Thousands of jovial revellers took to the streets last night to celebrate an evening which has been dubbed 'Mad Saturday' - just 24 hours after the chaos of Black Eye Friday.

Men and women were seen laying on the ground in Manchester city centre as people continued to party into the early hours of Sunday morning.

One man was photographed sleeping outside a fish and chip shop as two men walked past.

Meanwhile, a woman had to be helped up by security staff after falling outside a venue in what was a busy day for bars, clubs and the authorities in the UK.

This man was photographed sleeping outside a fish and chip shop in Manchester city centre on Saturday evening

A woman had to be helped by security staff outside a venue in Manchester, on one of the busiest nights for bars and clubs this year

A man and a woman stumbled backwards on benches at Deansgate Locks in Manchester while they were out partying on Saturday

A group of revellers were spotted talking to each other as they enjoyed their night out in Manchester on Saturday

Couples were embracing each other outside Ark nightclub at Deansgate Locks in Manchester city centre on Saturday night

A fight broke out in Manchester city centre last night during one of the busiest weekends of the year for emergency services in the UK

But the cheerful scenes of people partying and laughing descended into chaos as a fight broke out in the city centre.

And in a separate incident, a man had to hold his friend up who had just suffered a head injury and was covered in blood.

Another man was seen stumbling on the street next to his friend and a woman had to sit down on the pavement following the antics of Saturday night.

The photographs from last night come 24 hours after streets in Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Newcastle and London were filled with people out for 'Black Eye Friday'.

Similarly to last night, Friday evening became chaotic when a group of men began to fight in the street in Liverpool.

Partygoers donned their Christmas outfits and enjoyed the night, in what is one of the busiest and most notorious evenings of the year.

One woman had to sit down on the pavement and a man put his arm around her as they celebrated the festive season

A man was wearing fancy dress as he went out and celebrated his Saturday evening with friends in Manchester city centre

One man fell to the ground after stumbling up a road next to his friend in Manchester city centre last night

A man was talking to a police officer when he supported his friend who had suffered a head injury on a busy night for bars and the authorities

Takeaway rubbish spilled out across the pavement in Manchester city centre during one of the busiest nights of the year
SAS anti-terror troops will mingle with Christmas shoppers and New Year's Eve revellers to counter the threat from returning ISIS fighters.

Elite troopers will operate undercover in major British cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

They will work closely with MI5 intelligence officers to identify terror suspects, while Army bomb disposal experts will also be on hand to deal with suspicious devices.

SAS anti-terror troops will mingle with Christmas shoppers and New Year's Eve revellers to counter the threat from returning ISIS fighters. File picture

Expert snipers trained to kill suicide bombers moving through crowds will also be on hand to boost security.

A source told the Star: 'MI5 believes hundreds of Britons who fought with Islamic State in Syria and Iraq will be returning to the UK in the next few months.

'These people are very determined, battle-hardened terrorists, who are more than ready to die for their cause.'

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has agreed to let French officials put plain-clothed armed officers on ferries travelling to the UK, the Sunday Express reported.

She has also left open the option of British firearms officers patrolling ferries bound for France in the future if this becomes necessary.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd has agreed to let French officials put plain-clothed armed officers on ferries travelling to the UK

The UK Government has previously voiced its concern that terrorists could move to targeting British ships and ports.

The current threat levels for international terrorism, according to MI5, is severe.

It was raised from 'substantial' to 'severe' in August 2014 in response to conflicts in Iraq and Syria.

Earlier this year, hundreds of elite police were trained to help combat attacks from roving gunmen following the suicide bombings and shootings in Paris in 2015.

Security officials repeatedly warned of the threat posed by returning ISIS fighters as the terror group makes losses in Syria and Iraq.

Western authorities estimate some 25,000 to 30,000 fighters drawn by the call to jihad have thronged to the IS group's self-proclaimed 'caliphate' in recent years.

Katherine Zimmerman, of the American Enterprise Institute, argued it was vital for security services to monitor older jihadists who seem to have settled down.

She said: 'Look at Cherif Kouachi, one of the Charlie Hebdo shooters. He was in prison in the mid-2000s. It took him years to activate.'
A 33-year-old man has been left fighting for his life after he was knocked unconscious in an alleged one-punch attack.

The man, known only as Ryan, was walking with a friend on Chapel Street in Prahran in Melbourne after a work Christmas party in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The pair were allegedly confronted by a group of men who had been evicted from a nearby bar moments before a brawl broke out on the street.

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Police have released CCTV footage of a man (far left) who they wish to speak to in relation to the horrific assault after the victim was knocked unconscious in an alleged one-punch attack

Police said the men exchanged words after crossing paths around 3.10am before some pushing and shoving took place.

The St Kilda victim who was struck in the head from behind had lost consciousness before he fell to the ground in an alleged unprovoked attack.

The man suspected of throwing the punch then hailed a taxi and left the scene.

The victim was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries.

Ryan's friend Edwin Fox, who watched as the incident unfolded, has called on the alleged attacker to come forward.

The pair were surrounded by a group of men. Police are appealing for the man (left: front right wearing a blue top and right: red circle) who they'd like to speak to in relation to the incident

'I seriously couldn't believe it - it just happened,' he told reporters on Sunday.

'We were minding our own business, having a really lovely night and then he was unconscious on the floor.

'Own up, and realise that the effects of a one mere punch can be quite detrimental.'

Police have released CCTV footage of a man who they wish to speak to in relation to the horrific assault.

The suspect, believed to be aged in his early 20s, was wearing a short-sleeved, blue collar button-up top with black trousers and glasses.
Nigel Farage today claimed Theresa May has banned Cabinet ministers from talking to him.

The former Ukip leader has repeatedly humiliated the Prime Minister since Donald Trump's shock election victory by exploiting the Government's lack of relations with the President-elect's team.

He flew over to New York for a second meeting with Team Trump last week and Mr Trump has suggested Mr Farage would make a good UK ambassador to the US.

In an interview today he hit out at Downing Street's 'small-minded' and 'petty' move to deny him even an informal role to help smooth relations with Mr Trump.

Nigel Farage, pictured in Trump Tower on Thursday, today claimed Theresa May has banned Cabinet ministers from talking to him

Mr Farage, who is so far the only British politician to meet the Republican since his victory, said he wants to be a 'bridge' between Mr Trump's US and the UK.

Downing Street did not comment on Mr Farage's latest remarks but previously brushed off the chances of him becoming a go-between, insisting there was 'no vacancy'.

Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4: 'If you wanted to get business from the biggest company in the world and there was someone there that had the contacts and connections, the first thing you do is to employ that person.

'I find the fact that Downing Street don't want to acknowledge me, have banned cabinet ministers from even talking to me, it shows you the sort of very small-minded, petty, tribal level that British politics is at - it's a shame.'

Mr Farage, who is so far the only British politician to meet the Republican since his victory, said he wants to be a 'bridge' between Mr Trump's US and the UK. Pictured, Donald Trump holds a Thank You rally in Alabama yesterday

Theresa May, pictured leaving a EU summit in Brussels last Thursday, has repeatedly been embarrassed by Nigel Farage, who has exploited her lack of relations with Team Trump

But International Trade Secretary Liam Fox denied he had been banned from takling to Mr Farage. Ive not had any such instruction,' he told the Andrew Marr show.

Responding to a question about a spike in hate crime after the EU referendum, Mr Farage said he has received 10 death threats in the last two weeks.

He added: 'Have there been yobs and louts that have behaved badly since Brexit? Yes. But, you know what, they were behaving badly before Brexit.'

Last month, Mr Farage was pictured grinning in a gold-plated lift alongside the president-elect at his New York skyscraper.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met Saudi King Salman to discuss the war in Yemen in what will likely be his last visit as America's top diplomat.

Kerry's trip to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Sunday comes ahead of the inauguration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump next month.

It comes as diplomatic ties between the two longtime allies have been strained by the Iran nuclear deal championed by Democratic President Barack Obama and other issues.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) met Saudi King Salman (right) on Sunday to discuss the war in Yemen in what will likely be his last visit to the Kingdom as America's top diplomat

Kerry held meetings with the King, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir.

During the meetings, the Saudi Foreign Minister played down media reports that Washington had opted to limit military support, including planned arms sales to the kingdom, over its war in Yemen.

He said Riyadh had not been officially informed of such decisions, while Kerry suggested the issue related more to a long procurement process than restrictions on military support.

U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties.

The war in Yemen has also allowed extremist groups to flourish there, as the local affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed a suicide bombing Sunday in the southern port city of Aden that killed over 50 soldiers lined up to receive their pay.

'In turbulent times, it's good to have solid friends,' Kerry told journalists. 'That's why the United States' partnership with Saudi Arabia is rightly so valuable.'

John Kerry (right) held talks with Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir (left) about the war in Yemen during a visit to Riyadh, the Saudi capital on Sunday

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry chats with UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed (second from left), Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah (second from right) and Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir (right)

Kerry earlier joined diplomats from Britain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates to speak with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen.

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, while Oman has served as an interlocutor for them.

On Twitter, British Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood said the meeting discussed a political process to end Yemen's war, something he described as 'the only way to bring peace.'

Kerry said he hoped to have parties involved 'within two weeks' to agree to terms earlier set out by the U.N.

But he and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir offered few specifics on how that would be accomplished, especially as the U.N. has proposed sidelining Saudi-backed President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi and giving the rebels a share of power - concessions the kingdom strongly opposes.

British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Minister for the Middle East and Africa Tobias Ellwood, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, US Secretary of State John Kerry, Omani Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah and UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed pose for a photo (left to right)

John Kerry's visit to Saudi Arabia could likely be his last as America's top diplomat ahead of the inauguration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump

'You can see from the humanitarian situation, which is dire and deteriorating rapidly, that it is urgent that we try to bring this war to a close,' he said. 'But we also need to bring it to a close in a way that protects the security of Saudi Arabia.'

Yemen's war began when the Houthis and their allies seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, expelling Hadi's government. A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf Arab nations launched a campaign in March 2015 against the Iran-backed rebels.

The U.N. and rights groups estimate at least 9,000 people overall have died in the war, with the U.N. estimating at least 4,125 civilians have been killed since the airstrike campaign began.
Met Police say a male passenger in the car fled the scene after the smash

The driver of the

A man was killed and a woman left fighting for her life after a speeding Mercedes ploughed into them as they walked home after a night out.

Police say the man, in his thirties, was pronounced dead a the scene of the horror smash in foggy north west London late on Saturday night.

The woman, who is in her twenties, remains in a 'critical' condition in hospital.

The 33-year-old driver of the Mercedes was taken to hospital for minor injuries before being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink drinking. He remains in custody.

A man was killed and a woman left fighting for her life after a speeding Mercedes (pictured) ploughed into them as they walked home after a night out

Police say the man, in his thirties, was pronounced dead a the scene of the horror smash in foggy north west London late on Saturday night

Eyewitnesses described how the man who was killed by the suspected drink driver was sent 'flying through the air' at a pedestrian crossing.

They told how blaring horns and screeching brakes were heard seconds before the horror smash that left a man in his thirties dead and a young woman fighting for her life.

One witness, who didn't wish to be named, said: 'I heard brakes screeching and horns beeping just before it happened.

'Then I saw a car hit a man and it sent him flying through the air until he landed on the pavement.

'I couldn't distinguish whether he was on the road or the crossing when he was hit.

'The car crashed into the island and ended up upside down, lying there smoking. Two people were dragged out of the car by people who came to help.

'They were both white and I think the woman was a brunette. I called an ambulance. I don't know what happened to the people in the car, but neither looked well enough to run away.

The driver was arrested for dangerous and drink driving after being discharged from hospital for minor injuries

A street view of Willesden Lane, at the junction of Walm Lane, the morning after the horror collision

'There is no way they could have run off after being dragged from that car.'

Police say next of kin of the dead have yet to be informed.

A passenger in the car fled the scene and has not been traced.

Officers are appealing for witnesses to the horror smash in Willesden Green.

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called to reports of a collision between a car and two pedestrians on Willesden Lane, at the junction of Walm Lane, at around 11.30pm on Saturday.

'Officers attended along with paramedics and London Fire Brigade.

'One pedestrian, a man aged in his 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Next of kin have not been informed.

The woman, who is in her twenties, remains in a 'critical' condition in hospital

'The other pedestrian, a woman in her late 20s, was taken to a central London hospital where she is described as being in a critical condition.

'A male passenger in the car - a Mercedes C Class - fled the scene.

'The driver, a 33-year-old man, was taken to hospital suffering minor injuries.

'He has been discharged and arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink drinking.

'He is currently in custody at a north London police station.
Two prisoners who were pictured grinning in a selfie while wearing stolen helmets during the HMP Birmingham riots have been named.

Carl Brookes, 32, who was seen wearing a red vest, is a drug dealer who used his three-year-old daughter to hide cocaine, it has emerged.

He and fellow prisoner Ross Queen, 30, posed in guard's riot helmets and shields while giving the finger to the camera.

Yesterday it emerged Brookes was jailed after he was caught carrying cocaine in a draw-string picnic bag while on a day out with his daughter.

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Two prisoners who were pictured grinning in a selfie while wearing stolen helmets during the HMP Birmingham riots - where 600 inmates had taken over on Friday - have been named. They are Carl Brookes (left), 32, and Ross Queen (right), 30

Brookes (left) was jailed after he was caught carrying cocaine worth 185,000 in a draw-string picnic bag while on a day out with his three-year-old daughter. Queen (right, in an undated image) was seen grinning and giving the finger to the camera in the prison selfie

A court heard Brookes used his daughter 'as a smokescreen' in a bid to avoid attracting suspicion while transporting the cocaine (pictured)

The two convicts in Winson Green could not hide their excitement at getting hold of riot helmets and shields. Brookes was arrested on April 14 this year as he came out of Five Ways railway station in Birmingham carrying the bag of cocaine

Brookes, who used his drug money to buy a 600,000 mansion in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, was jailed for eight years and seven months in August.

He was arrested on April 14 this year as he came out of Five Ways railway station in Birmingham carrying a bag with 185,000 worth of cocaine.

A court heard he used his three-year-old daughter 'as a smokescreen' in a bid to avoid attracting suspicion.

After he was jailed, Detective Constable Phil Caldwell, of West Midlands Police, said: 'Brookes clearly used his daughter as a smokescreen to deflect attention from his criminal activity.

'It's abhorrent that he should use a young child in such a way and I am pleased that he will be spending time behind bars to reflect on his actions.'

The Birmingham Prison riot was started by an underworld gang who tried to stab another inmate in a row over stolen drugs, it was claimed yesterday.

Lags claim the victim was stabbed twice in the neck by fellow inmates who were paid 1,000 to carry out the 'hit' in his cell.

One prisoner, who contacted a local newspaper, said: 'He's on remand for robbery and he robbed the wrong person.'

Another said: 'It was an outside job. They travelled all the way from P wing to M wing. I heard it was about nicking cocaine.

'He's a mad-man on the outside, he'll rob anybody. There were reprisals. Someone got a lot of money for it.'

The injured man is recovering in hospital.

Specially trained riot officers from the Tornado Squad helped move 240 prisoners out of the wrecked jail on Saturday.

Meanwhile private security firm G4S, which runs the 1,450-inmate Category B prison, claimed order had been restored.

But prisoners still inside the jail claim they have not been adequately fed since the rioting started last Friday morning.

One inmate said: 'They say it's all back to normal, it isn't. All we've had in the last 48 hours is a sausage and beans. I'm still waiting for my tea.

'It was terrifying. I've been in and out of this prison for 25 years and I've seen a massive change in it.

'There's not enough training for staff. I've been through high security prisons, but none as bad as this.

'Listen, if you treat people like dogs they'll behave like dogs.'

A former guard who quit his job in March also claimed drugs and violence were taking over the prison.

Ready to go: Transportation vans were photographed outside the prison to transfer inmates. Trouble flared as prisoners rushed a guard and stole his keys, giving them eventual access to all four wings of the Victorian-era prison in England's second-largest city

He said: 'Go on any wing in the early hours and you can smell what they're smoking.

'I'm on my own, I'm not going to confront huge men in a cell and tell them to hand over their drugs. There's no back-up.

'I saw it (Friday's riot) coming.

'It was a big disaster waiting to happen. It was destined to happen. I spoke to the governor and said it's not working.

'There was no sense of security, no back-up. They were just not listening. I simply didn't feel safe at work - they just didn't have the staff.

'It was the police that were brought in, it was the riot police that were brought in.

'How many thousands has that cost the taxpayer? It's a disaster.'

G4S declined to comment but the Ministry of Justice denied any knowledge of the alleged stabbing.

West Midlands Ambulance Service confirmed a prisoner had received treatment for cuts and bruises, but had no record of a knife attack.

Security officers restored order on Saturday at the prison after an estimated 600 inmates seized control and launched a destructive rampage.

Covered in paint: Members of the 'Tornado Team' at HMP Birmingham were covered in paint after the prison disturbance

Authorities called Friday's 13-hour takeover of HMP Birmingham the worst prison uprising since the 1990 riot in Strangeways in Manchester, which lasted 25 days and left one prisoner dead.

No staff members were injured but one prisoner remained hospitalised on Saturday with a suspected broken jaw and eye socket.

Trouble flared as prisoners rushed a guard and stole his keys, giving them eventual access to all four wings of the Victorian-era prison in England's second-largest city.

Inmates lit fires, set off fireworks, broke into guards' offices to steal clubs and helmets, and smashed windows and toilet blocks.

Twelve hours after the riot broke out, prison officers took back control of the prison

Violence: Prisoners took over wings, the pharmacy and exercise areas by smashing through doors with batons (pictured) or opening them with keys

A stream of security vans came and went Saturday from the prison. The Justice Ministry said at least 240 Birmingham inmates were being transferred to other prisons nationwide while more than 1,000 remaining would face greater restrictions on movement.

Justice Minister Liz Truss said the security failure will be fully investigated, while those convicted of rioting will face longer sentences.

But prison officer leaders and other authorities warned that the scale of the latest unrest underscored a system-wide crisis of understaffing and overcrowding.

They pointed to a string of trouble in the past two months, starting with the stabbing death of an inmate on October 18 inside Pentonville in north London, a riot on October 29 in Lewes south of the capital, and another riot on November 6 in Bedford to the north.

Mike Rolfe, chairman of the Prison Officers Association, said overcrowding and staff cuts meant Britain inevitably would face disorder.

'Birmingham's lost over 30 staff in the last few weeks through resignations, people just not wanting to work there,' Rolfe said. 'It's such a difficult and dangerous job, and the whole service is in crisis.'

Steve Dagworthy, a former convict who advises prison-bound clients, said spending cuts since 2010 had cost 7,000 guard positions and curtailed programs.

'We have too few officers looking after too many prisoners (who) have too little to do,' he said.

'If you cage these prisoners like animals in these Victorian prisons, with two men to a cell which was designed for one, and you unlock them and say immediately, `Sorry guys, you've got to go back to your cell,' inevitably they'll turn around and say: `We've had enough, we're rebelling.''

Inside: The Victorian category B prison run by G4S, which was built in 1849 and is close to the city's centre in Winson Green, can hold 1,450 adult remand and sentenced male prisoners
David Miliband reopened the family feud with brother Ed today by blasting his decision to block military intervention in Syria.

As Labour leader in August 2013 Ed Miliband ordered his MPs to oppose the Government's plans to send troops to Syria after President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against his citizens.

He hailed the result and said MPs had 'spoken for the people of Britain' who did not want to 'rush to war'.

But today his older brother David, who lost out to Ed in a bitter battle for the Labour leadership in 2010, tore into the decision not to intervene in 2013.

David Miliband reopened the family feud with brother Ed today by blasting his decision to block military intervention in Syria. Pictured, the two brothers embrace after the bitter Labour leadership battle in 2010

David, who is chair of the New York-based charity the International Rescue Committee, said the vote 'sewed a degree of confusion that undoubtedly contributed to the sense of vacuum'.

The inaction had allowed parts of Syria to develop into a 'centre of terrorist planning' that would have 'significant long-term consequences'.

David said: 'It's certainly not just a moral failure but a practical and political collective failure of monumental proportions.

'Remember, the litany is not just 500,000 dead, 1.9 million people injured, it's the neighbouring states, with four million refugees, creaking under the strain and it's a million refugees in Europe.'

As Labour leader in August 2013 Ed Miliband ordered his MPs to oppose the Government's plans to send troops to Syria after President Bashar al-Assad, pictured, used chemical weapons against his citizens

An aerial shot showing a line of green buses and ambulances driving in convoy as they evacuate residents out of Aleppo

He added: 'If you know anything about the Middle East, it's that what starts in the Middle East does not stop there.'

He spoke as thousands of residents remained trapped in the besieged city of Aleppo as they waited to be evacuated following the Syrian government's victory over rebel forces in the city.

Today the UN Security Council will vote whether to send observers into the city amid fears that a ceasefire deal will be broken.

A huge convoy of green buses evacuated the first residents out of Aleppo yesterday which is part of a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against rebel forces.

This morning, at least 20 empty buses (pictured) and five ambulances were ready to pick up evacuees. Syrian state television reported that some 4,000 rebels and their families were to be evacuated

The leader of the eastern part of Aleppo, Brita Hagi Hassan has warned that 50,000 civilians in eastern Aleppo 'are about to be victims of a general massacre'

A convoy of ambulances and buses with nearly 1,000 people aboard - many of them injured - has driven out of the devastated rebel-held area towards the town of Idlib.

It comes as the UK announced it will provide a further 20million of aid for Syria as Prime Minister Theresa May condemned Assad and his Russian and Iranian supporters.

But Syria's envoy to the UN, Staffan de Mistura has warned that without a political accord for the ceasefire, the violence could move to Idlib, and once again affect those that have fled Aleppo.

He said: 'I don't know what will happen in Idlib, but if there is no ceasefire or political accord then it will become the next Aleppo.'

He also added that there were 'not enough' UN observers on the ground at present to observe the evacuation.

Mr de Mistura added: 'There are about 50,000 people, including 40,000 civilians that will go to West Aleppo.

The buses and ambulances in the convoy make their way to Idlib but have to stop at a crossing point in the Amiriyah District of Aleppo
After a three-month-long investigation into drug supply in the Kings Cross area Candys Apartment nightclub has been closed by police.

Police shut down Candys Apartment nightclub on Saturday in Potts Point Sydney for 72 hours after an investigation into drug supply in the Kings Cross district.

After the premises was cleared out a 21-year-old man was arrested allegedly in possession of 60 MDMA capsules.

Police shut down Candys apartment nightclub in Potts Point Sydney for 72 hours after an investigation into drug supply in the Kings Cross district

Everyone was cleared from the premises safely according to police

Police then proceeded to search a house in Sydney's west and charged the man with 22 drug offences including possessing prohibited drug, supply prohibited drug and supply prohibited drugs on an ongoing basis.

In a statement police also allege they discovered licensing breaches at a premises on Bayswater Road.

Everyone was cleared from the premises safely according to police, but one partygoer took to social media to express her disappointment in the way police handled the situation.

'We just witnessed the most blatant example of government sanctioned standover tactics at the Sydney show tonight first hand,' she wrote on Facebook.

The disgruntled patron alleged police were, 'shoving' and 'intentionally shoulder-checking' people as more than 30-50 cops in full gear stormed the venue.

After a three-month-long investigation into drug supply in the Kings Cross area Candys apartment nightclub has been closed by police

Everyone was cleared from the premises safely according to police, but one partygoer took to social media to express her disappointment in the way police handled the situation

'It was a disgustingly transparent excuse to shut down one of the remaining successful venues in the area that they are trying to push it to replace withj retail stores and hotels,' she wrote.

'They barely even bothered to disguise the fact that their only interest was violently disputing businesses and the lives of the people who work in them.'

The man who was arrested will appear in court on Monday.
A middle-aged woman trolled her millionaire husband online after their marriage broke down and he began seeing a 'young model', the High Court heard.

She was said to have posted messages about the businessman and his 'girlfriend' using false names in the wake of media reports about the love triangle.

The woman, who used to work in the fashion industry and is in her 40s, later admitted being the author of the posts.

Her behaviour was analysed at a private trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London earlier this year.

The woman's actions were analysed at a private trial in the Family Division of the High Court in London earlier this year

In it, the judge was asked to make decisions about how much money she should get following the end of the marriage.

Detail of the case have emerged in a written ruling by the judge published on a legal website.

Mr Justice Bodey said the pair - who have four children - could not be named, and revealed they had run up 2.8 million in lawyers' bills.

He said he had made decisions on the divvying up of their 36.9 million 'kitty', concluding that the woman should walk away with just under 14 million.

He said the woman had wanted around 20 million, with her estranged husband had said she should get 8.6 million.

The judge said the businessman had worked for an investment bank before forming a company which 'has become part of his life'.

He said 'captains of industry' had described the man as a 'business genius and world-class entrepreneur' and as a 'truly inspirational individual'.

Mr Justice Bodey told how media reports about the state of the businessman's marriage had appeared early this year.

'Various press reports started to appear in the online media in respect of the parties' marriage and in respect of the husband's relationship with his now partner, a young woman who was a model,' said the judge in his ruling.

'This led to some hurtful "trolling" of the husband by the wife using false names, which after initial denial she has now admitted.'

He added: 'This was [as she now accepts] extraordinarily inappropriate, hurtful and unnecessary.

'The things which she said publicly about the husband and his current girlfriend simply did not need to be said.

'She drew in the children, saying that they should know the truth about how she had been badly treated by the husband.

'I will not repeat the wording, but it was hurtful and sly in that it drummed up public sympathy and it also served to sensationalise the parties' personal affairs.'

Mr Justice Bodey said there was 'mitigation' for what the wife did.

'I have seen the press article which, she says, gave rise to her feelings of hurt and anger,' he added.

'It speaks of the husband having 'dumped' her for a young model with whom he was and is now living and of whom there is a provocative photograph.

'It clearly gave the impression that the wife is 'second-hand goods' and that she had been supplanted as a mother.'

Mr Justice Bodey told how the woman had received hospital treatment for alcohol addiction.

She told him that she had been 'wholly abstinent' since the start of 2013.

The judge said the four children had been the subject of family court litigation.

He said they now lived with the businessman and the 'young woman who has become his partner'.
Christmas has come early for one woman but the present she found wrapped around her tree was not what she had wished for.

The woman, known only as Cheryl, discovered a tiger snake had decorated her Christmas tree like tinsel at her Frankston home in Victoria.

The reptile with distinctive yellow and brown patterns had slithered its way through an open door of the home on Sunday morning.

Despite the terrifying ordeal, the woman remained calm when she called for help.

Snake catcher Barry Goldman, who was called to the home, removed the snake from the property before he released it back into the wild.

A woman discovered a tiger snake had decorated her Christmas tree like tinsel on Sunday

Snake catcher Barry Goldman (pictured) removed the snake from the Victorian property

'Cheryl from Frankston got an early Christmas surprise this morning when she found a new decoration had been added to her tree,' Mr Goldman, who runs Snake Catcher Victoria, wrote on Facebook.

'She didn't panic, she just took a photo and sent it to the snake catcher, me, and 20 minutes later I had the little bugger in a bag.'

The social media post has attracted more than 550 shares and has met with mixed responses from the public.

Mr Goldman, who runs Snake Catcher Victoria, shared the woman's experience on Facebook

'Not even Xmas is safe in Australia,' one woman wrote.

'And that's why my tree isn't up,' one person posted.

Another said: 'A tiger snake in a Christmas tree...I say no! Burn the house to the ground!!'

Another wrote posted: 'Yuck yuck yuck. I would pass out if I saw one in my tree. Curious what part of Frankston and how on earth it got inside!'
Shoes, handbags, wallets, hats and an all important brown slipper.

They're just some of the 20 items believed to have come from missing flight MH370 laid out on the kitchen table of Sheryl Keen's home in Perth, Western Australia.

Mrs Keen, 52, has been working with MH370 amateur investigator Blaine Gibson to find any clues that may lead to the discovery of the Malaysia Airlines flight that disappeared in March 2014.

Chief among them is a single slipper similar to that worn by a woman captured on CCTV boarding MH370 at Kuala Lumpur airport.

It's this item belonging to 'Cinderella' that has Mrs Keen most confident the debris has all come from the doomed plane's wreckage.

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Sheryl Keen (pictured) from Perth, Western Australia, is in possession of 20 items she believes to be debris from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which disappeared in March, 2014

The most exciting evidence Mrs Keen has come across is a brown slipper (pictured) which she believes is similar to that worn by a woman (right) on MH370 who she's dubbed 'Cinderella'

'What else could it be from?' Mrs Keen told Daily Mail Australia.

'We're looking at a substantial amount of personal effects which all alike, are all in similar condition, similar deterioration and all found along the same stretch of Riake beach in Madagascar.

'And it's in an area that an oceanographer said people should go look for things.'

The chairwoman of Air Crash Support Group Australia, Mrs Keen knows firsthand how devastating aviation disasters can be.

Having lost her husband - an agricultural pilot - in a plane crash in 2009, she went on to found ASGA in an effort to support families who lose loved ones in disasters.

The ragged brown slipper was found on Riake beach, Madagascar, in an area near where the plane is thought to have possibly crashed

In total Mrs Keen has 20 items (pictured) from MH370 amateur investigator Blaine Gibson which she hopes may lead to the discovery of the missing Malaysian Airlines flight

Included in the items found by Mr Gibson is a red and white hat (left) and a small Angry Birds bag (right)

But it wasn't until the mysterious Malaysia Airways disaster of 2014 that she and her group joined forces with dedicated MH370 investigator Mr Gibson.

'When MH370 first went missing a lot of online groups were created,' Mrs Keen said.

'I stumbled into a group that Blaine was a part of and we got talking about what we were both doing.

'Blaine came to Australia and then he went out and looked for things and some were handed to Madagascar authorities with the belief the Malaysians would come and collect them - but we waited and waited and no body turned up.'

Of all the discoveries made so far, the one that has Mrs Keen most excited is the slipper belonging to 'Cinderella'.

'The lady in the picture appears to us to be wearing the slippers with white socks,' she said.

'They're a Japan airline toweling slipper that you wear indoors and they aren't very big, no bigger than a size eight ladies.'

Having recently taken possession of the items from Madagascan authorities, the ASGA group plans to hand them over to the Australian Federal Police.

Among the items are a number of damaged pieces of clothing, bags and computer cases

Mrs Keen said a blown out shoe (left) is a common occurrence in high-speed impact events and that much of the evidence has been found in similar condition on the same area of beach

But Mrs Keen admits that as Australia has only been involved in small parts of the search, she's worried that what may be vital pieces of the puzzle could go to waste.

'We're in the process of negotiating with the AFP to hand the items over to them, but the difficulty is that personal affects are clearly the responsibility of Malaysia,' she said.
Members of the Electoral College, especially those GOP electors poised to cast a vote tomorrow for Donald Trump, are being pressured and threatened to pick someone else.

Electors talking to various news outlets report receiving death threats, thousands of emails, individualized messages from a Hollywood actor and creepy Christmas cards.

'I never can imagine harassing people like this. It's just f***ed up,' Jim Rhoades, a Republican elector from Michigan told Politico. 'I've lost a bunch of business,' Rhoades, who owns a home inspection service, continued.

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Electoral College voter Jim Skaggs is interviewed by The Associated Press. As the Electoral College prepares to choose Donald Trump, some Republican electors say they are defending rural and small-town America

Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, a GOP elector, said Democrats' strength on the coasts is enough to justify the Electoral College

One Texas Republican elector said he's been bombarded with more than 200,000 emails, Politico reported as well.

Carole Joyce of Arizona, a 72-year-old GOP state committee member, told the Washington Post she's received emails signed ' Benjamin Franklin' and 'John Jay,' names of the Founding Fathers.

She also received a Christmas card that read: 'Please, in the name of God, don't vote for Trump.'

The New York Post talked to 22-year-old college student Michael Banerian, a GOP elector attending Oakland University in Michigan.

'Somebody threatened to put a bullet in the back of my mouth,' Banerian told the newspaper.

And in a much more lighthearted display, Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon, depicting Hillary Clinton acting out a scene from the 2003 Christmas hit Love Actually, asks a GOP elector to switch her vote.

Saturday Night Live's version of Hillary Clinton, played by comedian Kate McKinnon, acted out a scene from Love Actually, asking a GOP elector not to vote for Donald Trump

Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton begged the elector to vote for anyone including John Kasich, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rock and 'a rock'

'You don't even have to vote for me,' McKinnon-as-Clinton says, using handwritten cue cards. 'I'm coo,' the actress says, sticking out her tongue.

'Just vote for literally anyone else,' she continues. 'Like, John Kasich, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rock, A Rock.'

And, as a last ditch effort, the Saturday Night Live version of Clinton tells the elector, played by Cecily Strong, to enjoy her holidays.

'But keep in mind. If Donald Trump becomes president. He will kill us all,' McKinnon says.

Actor Martin Sheen, who famously played President Josiah Bartlet on the television show The West Wing, filmed a video where he begged Republican electors not to vote for Trump.

Actor Martin Sheen, who played President Josiah Bartlet on the television show The West Wing, filmed a PSA asking electors to not vote for Donald Trump

He even recorded versions using individual electors' names.

The group, Unite for America, also recruited Richard Schiff, Debra Messing, James Cromwell, BD Wong, Moby and Bob Odenkirk to the effort.

Some GOP electors are defending their Trump votes by positing them as a broader shielding of rural and small-town America against big-state liberals and its support for the national popular vote leader, Clinton.

But the picture is more complicated.

'Our Founding Fathers established the Electoral College cause those larger states, those larger areas, don't necessarily need to be the ones that rule,' said Mary Sue McClurkin, a Republican elector from Alabama.

In Trump's hometown of New York City, which Clinton won easily, Democratic elector Stuart Appelbaum countered that 'we're electing the president of the entire country,' so 'the will of the entire country should be reflected in the results.'

It's an expected argument given the unusual circumstances of the 2016 election.

Clinton won some 2.6 million more votes than Trump in the nationwide tally.

But Trump is line to get 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.

Trump won rural areas, small towns and many small cities, including in states Clinton carried.

Clinton won in the largest urban areas, including in Trump states.

Former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell, a GOP elector, said Democrats' strength on the coasts is enough to justify the Electoral College.

'A presidential election decided each time by either California or New York,' he said, would leave voters in Alaska and many other places 'with no voice' in presidential politics.

It's worth noting that Trump didn't just win small states and Clinton didn't just take large ones.

Trump and Clinton split the six most populous states, each winning three, but Trump won seven of the top 10.

Of the 10 smallest states plus the District of Columbia, Trump edged Clinton 6-5. Trump actually ran up his national advantage in midsize states.

But the dynamics highlight the delicate balance in a political structure that defines itself simultaneously as a democracy and a republic.

When the U.S. was founded, some wanted direct election of the president. Others wanted state legislatures or Congress to choose the executive.

Instead the country got a compromise.

The Electoral College was the end result: Each state got a slate of electors numbering the same as its delegation in Congress.

Electors vote, with rare exception, for whichever candidate won the most votes in their state  effectively meaning the presidential election is 51 separate popular votes.

'It's such an interesting compromise that gave us the Electoral College, unique to our American system,' said elections law expert Will Sellers from Alabama, who will serve as a Republican elector for the fourth time.

The system gives smaller states an advantage: The number of electors is based on each state's number of U.S. representatives plus two, for each member of the U.S. Senate  itself a compromise favoring small states.

So California's 55 electoral votes reflect 53 House members and two senators. For seven states, including Wyoming, Delaware and the Dakotas, those extra two electoral votes bring their total to the minimum of three.

Put another way, Alaska's three electors will cast 0.56 percent of the 538 electoral votes despite casting just 0.23 percent of the national popular vote.

But the advantage doesn't just favor Republicans.

Democratic Nevada makes up 1.12 percent of the Electoral College but cast less than 1 of a 100 national ballots.

The Electoral College-popular vote split, along with Trump's larger-than-life personality and lack of elective experience, has fueled a vocal, but almost certainly futile, movement to deny him the presidency by pressuring electors to vote against him when they convene Monday in the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

In its own investigation, the Associated Press tried to reach all 538 electors and was able to interview more than 330 of them.

Like other news reports, many reported getting tens of thousands of emails, calls and letters asking them to vote against Trump.

But the canvass found overwhelming support for the system, and the nominee, among Republican electors.

The AP found only one pledged to Trump who will refuse to vote for him.

That elector is likely Chris Suprun of Texas, who came out against Trump in a New York Times op-ed.

Suprun was the only Republican elector in a coalition of 10 asking for an intelligence briefing on the Russian hacking efforts before tomorrow's vote.

'I feel like the Electoral College gives a very fair perspective, so that those who are in the rural areas are able to have an equal voice with those who are in the urban areas,' said Oklahoma elector Lauree Elizabeth Marshall.

If anything, when Republican electors talk about large states, they actually mean New York and California.

Clinton's lead in California, the most populous state, is more than her national lead. She won New York by about 1.7 million votes.

McClurkin, the Alabama elector, says many of the letters and emails she's received have come from those two states. 'I've not gotten any from a Southern state,' she said.

But Democratic elector Eric Herde from Washington state argued that the country should scrap electoral votes in favor of the national ballot count.

All Electoral College defenses, whether citing population or the genius of the founders, amount to 'states mattering more than people,' Herde said.
Police are investigating the incident that happened in

A toddler has drowned in a backyard swimming pool after family and paramedics were unable to resuscitate the girl.

The 14-month-old girl was found by a relative in the backyard swimming pool of a home in Medowie, Port Stephens, on Sunday at just after 4pm on the New South Wales mid north coast.

After she was pulled from the water unconscious, both family and police attempted CPR.

Paramedics rushed the toddler to John Hunter Hospital but unfortunately could not revive her

Paramedics rushed the toddler to John Hunter Hospital but unfortunately could not revive her.

Police are investigating the drowning that happened on Sunday afternoon.
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Donald Trump ended his 'Thank You' tour in Mobile, Alabama on Saturday afternoon, where a crowd of thousands gathered in the Bible-belt state to listen, cheer - and pray.

Ahead of his appearance, crowds - including scores of ladies waving 'Women for Trump' signs - broke from cacophonous cheers to clasp their hands in silent hope for the President-elect.

Trump, characteristically, was anything other than silent for much of the rally, as he returned to the stage at the Ladd-Peebles Stadium - which he'd last attended in August 2015 - and and said: 'This is where it all began. Remember that incredible rally we had?

'I'm here today for one reason... To thank the people of Alabama. We are really the people who really love this country.'

Trump took Alabama with 62.1 per cent of the vote in the election; Clinton had 34.4 per cent.

Crowds at Trump's Thank You tour in Alabama on Saturday afternoon took a break from their cheers to pray, with thousands bowing their heads

Members of the audience prayed as they waited to listen to Trump during the thank you rally in Mobile on Saturday

Onvce outside of prayer, however, the crowds were excited - especially the 'women for Trump', who waved, cheered and chanted their enthusiasm

The colorful crowd cheered their approval of the President-elect as he spoke to them of a renewed America

The tycoon at one point conducted what he called a 'free poll', asking the crowd if they'd prefer products made in the United States to say: 'Made in America' or 'Made in the USA'. The crowd cheered louder for the second option

Earlier in the afternoon, as he stepped off his plane in Alabama, Trump had been greeted by the Azalea Trail Maids

Four of the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids later braved the rain in their ample dresses to walk the field at Trump's thank you rally

That said, he did enjoy a somewhat lavish arrival in his own plane earlier in the afternoon, as two water cannon trucks fired into the air, announcing his arrival at the mobile airport.

As he stepped off the plane, a gaggle of young women in an array of elaborate, colorful dresses - the Mobile Azalea Trail Maids - welcomed him to the town.

Trump's jaw dropped as the women, dressed in Old South hoop skirts, eagerly gathered around him.

Trump, who drew 30,000 supporters at the Mobile rally in 2015, took to the stage on Saturday in the rain.

He singled out his supporters, calling out the Southern states, as well as evangelical Christians, veterans, law enforcement and servicemen for their support while emphasizing his anti-establishment rhetoric.

He said: 'They defied the pundits, defied the pollsters, and the special interests, and delivered a historic win for the American worker and the American people.'

The President-elect also took pot shots at the TV pundits who said he would lose the election. 'They got paid a lot of money,' Trump said. 'They don't know what the hell they're talking about, folks.'

But he pulled his punches when it came to first lady Michelle Obama, who in excerpts from an interview with Oprah Winfrey set to air on CBS on Monday, said: 'We feel the difference now. See, now, we're feeling what not having hope feels like.'

'I honestly believe she meant that statement in a different way than it came out,' he told the crowd.

As supporters cheered and chanted, 'Build that wall!', Trump promised to uphold respect for the American flag, crack down on illegal immigration and bolster the military.

But Trump, who has called for an end to caps on the military budget, made sure to add: 'We will be smart with how we spend our money.'

He also said: 'We're not going to spend $4.2 billion on Air Force One. Boeing is going to do a much less expensive plane than that.'

During several points of his speech, Trump accused the media for being 'dishonest' and emphasized his win despite all odds.

He gave the crowd a play-by-play of how he found out he had won state after state, replaying the Election Night and the story of his shocking victory. That saw him taking 306 votes in the Electoral College, plenty more than the 270 required to win - despite losing the popular vote by a record-breaking 2.5 million ballots.

Trump called the electoral vote 'genius' several times.

'I never appreciated it until now, how genius it was,' he said.

High school girls apply to become one of the trail maids every fall to become ambassadors of the city of Mobile. They are known for their lavish antebellum outfits

Trump appeared shocked by the surprise as he stepped off his plane to give a speech on the last stop of his 'Thank You' tour

The Azalea Trail Maids smiled as they waited for Trump to step off his plane in Mobile. They had been tasked to greet him

Trump looked surprised when he got off his plane to see the Azalea Trail Maids and went to meet them in person

The president-elect gave the crowd a play-by-play of how he found out he had won state after state on Election Night

Trump also reminded the crowd that Time Magazine had named him 'person of the year' - but bashed the publication for not calling him 'man of the year', which he believes would have made more sense

The president-elect briefly called to the stage his pick for Attorney General, former Alabama senator Jeff Sessions, as well as his former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, whom he congratulated for becoming the first woman in US history to lead a successful presidential campaign.

His former press secretary Hope Hicks made a brief appearance on stage too and Trump praised her for being really talented. He also pointed out Franklin Graham, the son of Reverend Billy Graham, in the crowd and thanked him for his support.

Trump during his rally promised to rebuild the country's infrastructure, telling the crowd Americans would go back to the 'old days' when products were marked: 'Made in America'.

He then conducted what he called a free poll, asking the crowd whether the tag should say 'Made in America' or 'Made in the USA'. He said one, then the other, judging what the public preferred based on the loudness of their cheers.

The crowd seemed to favor 'made in the USA', screaming loudly and chanting: 'USA! USA!' while Trump smiled.

'OK. Can we do one more poll?' Trump asked. 'What the hell its raining but were all soaking wet so it doesnt matter.'

He then reminded the crowd that Time Magazine had named him 'person of the year' - but bashed the publication for not calling him 'man of the year'.

The president-elect settled the matter by asking the crowd to cheer for the option they preferred, giving them a choice between 'person of the year' and 'man of the year'. The public seemed to favor 'man of the year', which was Trump's choice too.

'I thought so. And its pretty simple: if its a woman you say woman of the year,' he said.

The president-elect briefly called to the stage his former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, whom he congratulated for becoming the first woman in US history to lead a successful presidential campaign

Conway addressed the crowd briefly, thanking them for supporting Trump and vice-president-elect Mike Pence. She wished the crowd a merry Christmas, adding: 'If you celebrate a different holiday, God bless you too'

Trump also pledged to defeat ISIS and 'keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country'. He didn't give much detail about how he would beat the terror group but said he would rely on 'extreme vetting' and stop immigration from zones where he considered it was impossible to properly screen people before they arrive.

Trade and manufacturing jobs were also part of Trump's speech, as he pledged once again to negotiate what he believes are better trade deals and taxing companies that move jobs outside of the United States.

The president-elect bragged several times about how little money he spent on his campaign. 'When you spend less money and win thats much better than the other way,' he said.

'Another person spent $22 million - I cant say who because theyre all friends of mine now.'

Trump also ribbed the Clinton camp for canceling a planned Election Night fireworks display. 'Fireworks just dont work when you lose,' he said.

The president-elect gave the crowd an idea of what he would have said in his concession speech if he had lost. He said he would have kept it short, telling the public: 'Ladies and gentlemen, thank you. My supporters, I love you very much. It was a movement but a movement that didnt work.'

Then, Trump said he would have thanked his family and his wife before telling the crowd goodbye.

Trump took to the stage on Saturday in the rain and singled out his supporters, thanking the Southern states, as well as evangelical Christians, veterans, law enforcement and servicemen

The president-elect also called to the stage Jeff Sessions, his nominee for Attorney General. Sessions, a former Alabama senator, reminisced about Trump's 2015 rally in Mobile, which attracted 30,000 people

Former Trump press secretary Hope Hicks made a brief appearance on stage too. Trump praised her for being really talented

Trump also said he and his campaign broke the proverbial 'blue wall' - a block of states that were projected to always remain in the Democratic camp.

'They had the blue wall that was unbreakable. Boy did we shatter that wall, that wall was shattered. That wall will never be the same,' Trump told the crowd.

The president-elect lashed out at Nobel prize winner and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who tweeted on Friday: 'Thought: There was (rightly) a cloud of illegitimacy over Bush, dispelled (wrongly) by 9/11. Creates some interesting incentives for Trump.'

Trump accused Krugman of suggesting he wished for another 9/11-style attack to strengthen his support base. He called Krugman a 'clown', adding: 'This guy is a demented person and thats why the New York Times is failing. I had a great meeting with them but theyll never change.'

Conway addressed the crowd briefly, thanking them for supporting Trump and Vice-President-elect Mike Pence.

'This is the year the voters said "I'm taking my country and my party back,"' she said. Conway then wished the crowd a merry Christmas, adding: 'If you celebrate a different holiday, God bless you too.'

Sessions meanwhile was introduced by Trump as a 'very, very special guest'. He thanked the president-elect and reminisced about Trump's 2015 rally in Mobile. That day, according to Sessions, marked the beginning of Trump's 'movement'.

Supporters took a moment to say a prayer as they waited for the president-elect to take the stage at his thank you rally

Trump also pledged to defeat ISIS and 'keep radical Islamic terrorists the hell out of our country'. He didn't give much detail about how he would beat the terror group but said he would rely on 'extreme vetting' for immigration

The president-elect gave an idea of what he would have said in his concession speech if he had lost. He said he would have kept it short, telling the public: 'My supporters, I love you very much. It was a movement but a movement that didnt work'

'Suck it up, Buttercup': A supporter came to the thank you rally bearing a sign with a tough message for Trump opponents

Who does Father Christmas vote for? A man showed up dressed as Santa Claus to Trump's final thank you rally in Mobile

Don't rain on my parade: Trump supporters tried to stay dry in the dire weather during the president-elect's final rally

Trump, who took to the stage about half an hour late, tweeted earlier Saturday: 'Mobile, Alabama today at 3:00pm Last rally of the year - "THANK YOU ALABAMA AND THE SOUTH" Biggest of all crowds expected, see you there!'

Authorities in the city sparked a controversy after they took to a public park and cut down a 50-foot cedar tree that was decorated with ornaments and placed in the stadium in preparation for Trump's arrival.

Colby Cooper, the chief of staff under Mayor William Stimpson, tweeted: 'Great day in @City_of_Mobile! Team did the impossible getting ready to welcome President-Elect @realDonaldTrump with 50ft Christmas tree!'
The daughter of a British soldier alleged shot dead by IRA commander Joe McCann claims he 'got what he deserved' when he was gunned down.

Anna-Marie Bankier was 23-months-old when Cpl Bob Bankier, 25, was shot dead in Belfast in 1971, becoming one of the first British soldiers to be killed in The Troubles.

The terrorists responsible were said to have been led by McCann, who himself was shot dead by British troops in Belfast in April 1972.

Miss Bankier, now 48, said she was shocked to hear that two ex-paratroopers who were part of the patrol which killed McCann were to be prosecuted for his murder.

Cpl Bankier is pictured left, after joining the army, and right, following his wedding day, in which he married Catherine

Miss Bankier (pictured) was a few days short of her second birthday when her father was killed, leaving her mother widowed with two young children

She said: 'From what I have been told, there was an investigation many years ago and these men were cleared of any wrongdoing. So why after all these years are they being re-investigated?

'It seems to me like they are being hounded just for doing their jobs. It is diabolical and disgusting after all this time. They are old guys now. What purpose is it serving?'

Miss Bankier, of Ipswich, Suffolk, was a few days short of her second birthday when her father was killed, leaving her mother widowed with two young children.

Bob Bankier is pictured left with wife Cathie and son Robert. McCann (right) was suspected of being involved in his death and was later shot dead in disputed circumstances in Belfast

Her mother Catherine was told in the 1970s that McCann and two other men were responsible for her husband's death.

Miss Bankier added: 'We knew that McCann was killed a year after my father died and the two others were killed later.

'As far as I know, all the people responsible for my dad's death are now dead.

'I believe in karma and that what goes around comes around. If he killed my dad, then he got what he deserved.

'I feel sorry for the families of these two soldiers who have been charged. It is not good for them or their families to have this raked up again. I hope they get off.

'It seems to be a bit of a witch hunt against soldiers at the moment.

Cpl Bob Bankier (pictured left with a pipe) was aged 25 when he was shot dead by the IRA

'We have seen what has happened to guys serving in Afghanistan and now they are going even further back to look at things in Northern Ireland in the 1970s.'

The decision to prosecute the two former paratroopers known only as Soldier A, who aged 67, and Soldier C, aged 65, was taken by the Public Prosecution Service of Northern Ireland.

It followed a followed a review of McCann's death in 2010 by the Historical Enquiries Team which found that three soldiers fired at McCann while he was unarmed as he tried to flee.

The HET report said McCann was regarded by security forces as a 'dangerous terrorist and someone who would be armed and who would not hesitate to use his weapon to resist arrest.'

Miss Bankier said: 'I have no memories at all of my father, so when I was growing up I had to rely on what my mother told me about him. She always said that he was a good person and was brilliant with kids who always flocked around him.

The terrorists responsible of killing Cpl Bankier (pictured front) said to have been led by McCann, who himself was shot dead by British troops in Belfast in April 1972

'He was born in Birmingham and joined the Army when he was aged 15. He met my mother who came from Ipswich when she was working in the NAAFI on his base in West Germany. They got married after a few months.

'He was posted for a while in Borneo and we as a family moved around with him to various bases, living in married quarters. We were with him in Northern Ireland until a week before he was killed when he sent us back to England.

'My mother used to say it was because she thought he had a feeling that something was going to happen. I presume it was because he didn't like the way things were going as it was getting worse over there.'

Miss Bankier said that all she had been told about her father's death was that he was patrolling in a square in a jeep because there had been reports of youngsters messing around when he was shot in the leg.

She said the he tumbled out of his jeep, dragging away wires from his patrol's radio which meant they could not immediately call for medical help and he bled to death.

But she said an Army report stated that the shot had severed an artery and that nothing could have been done to save him even if he had received medical treatment quicker.

The men are likely to appear in court next year over the death of Mr McCann (pictured in 1971)

Miss Bankier said: 'I think his death affected mum quite badly. She brought up my brother and I on her own and never re-married. She had plenty of offers, but none of them matched my dad.'

She and her brother and mother in Ipswich for just over a year after his death before her mother decided to move because she felt her family were doing too much for her and she did not want to be a burden to them

'She literally stuck a pin in a map to decide where to move to and we landed up in Hull.,' said Miss Bankier.

'The first pin was in the sea so my brother and I were excited about living in a boat, so she had to stick the in again and this time it went to Hull.

'We visited Ipswich every summer and then we moved back permanently when I was 11. Mum had her war widow's pension and she also did voluntary work with disabled children when we were at school.

'When I was little, she didn't talk about dad much, but as I got older I used to ask more questions as I was noticing that other girls had dads and I didn't.'
Britain is in the midst of a Christmas jumper backlash as pub and bar owners refuse to admit drinkers wearing them to discourage rowdy behaviour.

Landlord Alan Murphy banned the garish outfits from his three pubs in Hull earlier this month, and now it seems premises in Bradford and York have got in on the act.

Mr Murphy said he wanted to provide a haven of tranquility at the Lion And Key, Wm Hawkes and the Walters, but critics accused him of being a scrooge.

Britain is in the midst of a Christmas jumper backlash as pub and bar owners refuse to admit drinkers wearing them to discourage rowdy behaviour

A similar ban now exists at The Record Cafe in Bradford, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Owner Keith Wildman said this was intended to exclude 'lads who want to get smashed in as many bars as possible'.

The newspaper also reported that agency door staff at the Biltmore Bar and Grill in York had refused entry on similar grounds - but the bar said this was not the policy.

Mr Murphy explained his decision: We are a small pub and we cannot accommodate large groups.

Landlord Alan Murphy banned the garish outfits from The Lion and Key earlier this month

'We dont want to attract stag dos and large office parties in a place which only has room for 70 people.

We dont want 15 lads all dressed in Christmas jumpers making a beeline for the bar and making life difficult for others.

'We have spent a fortune making this place nice and we feel we need this dress code, much in the same way some upmarket restaurants wont allow sportswear.'

However, Mark Everett, from Cheesy Christmas Jumper said it was wrong to have an outright ban and that he had been barred from a pub for wearing one.

'It is very annoying when it happens,' he told The Sunday Telegraph.

Earlier this month, a Welsh hotel was banned by the council from displaying a large red bow on the side of the building after local residents mistook it for an English flag.

Michael Currey had painted the 18ft red bow on the white-washed walls of the Castle View hotel in Chepstow to make it look like a wrapped present.

However, he was forced by council officials to paint over his decorations after a flurry of complaints.
The civil war in Britain's biggest trade union deepened today after the man challenging 'Red' Len McCluskey for the leadership accused him of being Jeremy Corbyn's 'puppet master'.

Gerard Coyne, the moderate candidate in Unite's leadership election, urged members to end Mr McCluskey's six-year reign in charge.

He attacked the veteran left-winger for prioritising Westminster politics over the interests of Unite's members.

In a split from his key ally Jeremy Corbyn, right, 'Red' Len McCluskey, left, the general secretary of Unite, said Labour and the unions must 'listen to the concerns of working people'

He accused Mr McCluskey, one of Mr Corbyn's closest allies, of meddling too much in politics and said it was time to stop the union being a proxy war for control of the Labour party.

Mr Coyne, Unite's general secretary in the West Midlands, told the Observer: 'I just don't think that ever again the general secretary should be the puppet master of the leader of the Labour party.

'There is an opportunity for change, for a fresh start, for members to get their union back.'

He said Mr McCluskey has used nearly all his media appearances over the last four years to talk about Labour party politics rather than standing up for the interests of Unite's 1.4million members.

A change of leadership at Unite could change its relationship with Mr Corbyn's leadership and moderate Labour MPs hope that the loss in funding and support would help them in their bid to oust Mr Corbyn before the 2020 General Election.

Mr McCluskey triggered an early leadership election by resigning last week in a plot to cling on to power of the influential union.

Today Mr McCluskey attempted to reach out to union members to reject his rival for in the leadership campaign, Gerard Coyne, pictured, who is backed by Labour moderates hoping to oust Mr Corbyn

He was elected in 2013 to serve a five-year term but was expected to come under pressure to retire in 2018 - a crucial time for Mr Corbyn's leadership ahead of the 2020 General Election - but if he is re-elected early next year he will be able to stay in charge of Unite until 2020.

However the move could backfire if his opponents succeed in defeating him in the leadership contest, which will culminate in April.

Unite is now Labour's biggest donor and provides essential support for Mr Corbyn's left-wing leadership of the party, lending staff members to the leader's office and key seats on the governing national executive committee.

A change of leadership at Unite could change its relationship with Mr Corbyn's leadership and moderate Labour MPs hope that the loss in funding and support would help them in their bid to oust Mr Corbyn before the 2020 General Election. Pictured, Jeremy Corbyn speaks at a Save Our Steel protest in May along with Len McCluskey, pictured behind

Mr McCluskey has repeatedly been accused of trying to manipulate internal Labour party politics.

He turned up his rhetoric after the failed coup attempt by Labour MPs in the summer.

The Unite general secretary called for mandatory reselection of Labour MPs who opposed Mr Corbyn's leadership and accused the plotters of 'being seduced by sinister forces'.

Moderate MPs have since reported that Unite activists have been mobilising support in their constituencies in a campaign to drum up enough support to deselect MPs in future ballots.

Despite being one of Mr Corbyn's closest confidants, Mr McCluskey marked a major split with the Labour leader on Friday when he called for Britain to regain control over immigration.

He said Labour and the unions must 'listen to the concerns of working people'.

The Labour leader has defended freedom of movement despite June's Brexit vote and opposes calls for restrictions on Britain's open borders policy.

Butin an article last on Friday, Mr McCluskey wrote: 'Unions understand that workers have always done best when the labour supply is controlled and communities are stable.

'While we must reject any form of racism, and help refugees fleeing war, we must also listen to the concerns of working people.

'They understand that the free movement of labour means downward pressure on wages, in some sectors at least.'

He added: 'That's why I have called for new safeguards that would ensure any employer recruiting from abroad must be covered by a proper union or collective bargaining agreement, stopping companies cutting costs by slashing workers' wages and transforming a race-to-the-bottom culture into a rate-for-the-job society.'
Senator Rod Culleton has resigned from Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.

The outspoken politician said in a statement, released on Sunday night, that he will continue his term as a Senator for Western Australia.

He claimed his fraught relationship with One Nation Leader and Senator Hanson and a slew of policy splits between he and the party in announcing his resignation.

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Senator Rod Culleton has resigned from Pauline Hanson's One Nation party on Sunday night

He claimed that a fraught relationship with the One Nation Leader and Senator Hanson (right) and a slew of policy led to his resignation

'Since my election to the Senate, I have consistently remained committed to all of the policies and pre-election promises, however my PHON Senate colleague's public record, shows they have not,' he said in the statement.

Senator Culleton said the party's 'policy decisions' had run in the media, with 'no consultation, discussion or agreement from the party room'.

He added that 'personal attacks and undermining, un-Australian behaviour towards myself and my team, has been ongoing and terms dictated to the team.'

The Western Australian senator accused Ms Hanson of the 'public rants' made against him and the 'irrational dictates' that caused 'disunity and distrust'.

Senator Culleton said the party's 'policy decisions' had run in the media, with 'no consultation, discussion or agreement from the party room'

The outspoken politician announced his resignation via his Twitter account on Sunday night

'My commitment remains, to represent every constituent to the best of my ability. I intend to listen to all parties to legislation before the Senate and to deliver what I believe is the best outcome for Australians, he said.

'I would have thought it reasonable to expect some measure of support or at the very least, some discretion and respect from the party leader and my party colleagues - there has been none.'

Earlier this month, Ms Hanson said Senator Culleton was not a 'team player' and his time in politics had 'gone to his head'.

But despite her scathing remarks, Senator Culleton told reporters last week that he wasn't going to quit the party.
Benson, 8, will fly from Uganda to Australia and undergo radical surgery to have his mutilated penis fixed

An eight-year-old boy will undergo radical surgery in an Australian hospital after a witch doctor cut off his penis in Uganda.

Benson, 8, needs a catheter and drainage bag to go to the toilet after his penis was amputated during a ritual mutilation performed by a local witch doctor.

He is one of three Ugandan victims that Australian charity 'Droplets in a Stream' is raising money for - with the goal of flying them all overseas to receive treatment.

According to the Brisbane Times, Dr David Winkle from the Mater Childrens' Hospital in Brisbane has already agreed to operate on Benson.

Robert, aged seven, is also on the list to travel from Uganda to Australia to receive a life-changing treatment thanks to the charity.

Benson will be joined by Robert (pictured) , 7, who was the victim of an attempted child sacrifice and can no longer walk

He was the victim of a brutal attempted child sacrifice during which he was slashed in the neck, leaving him with spinal damage and feet permanently facing down.

Mary, 23, suffered devastating injuries to her throat after accidentally swallowing acid

Without major surgery to fix the nerves in his spine that cause his leg muscles to contract, he will never be able to stand or walk without aid.

Dr Sandeep Tewari of John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle has agreed to operate on Robert, with the goal of lengthening his Achilles tendons to help him flatten his feet.

Mary, 23, accidentally swallowed a corrosive acid at the age of 15 - scarring her esophagus and making it impossible to eat food normally.

She has been kept alive with a feeding tube placed directly in her stomach.

Dr Jennifer Wills of Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital has agreed to perform surgery which will aim to remove her scarred esophagus and reconstruct it using a part of the gut.

Brisbane man Rodney Callanan founded Droplets in a Stream - a charity and non-profit organisation - in 2007 after hearing horrific stories coming out of Uganda.

'It began when we started helping a community outside of Kampala,' Mr Callanan told the Brisbane Times.

'And this community was rescuing children who were the victims of witchdoctors.'

'Unfortunately we believe that people are going to witch doctors in the belief that a sacrifice will enable them to be more profitable in their business, or to overcome some illness in their families,' he said.

The charity has so far raised $1,800 - but hopes to put together $30,000 to fund flights and accommodation for the three Ugandan victims to comfortably recover from surgery and travel to their respective hospitals.

You can donate to the cause here.
Renewed efforts to block Brexit were revealed today after a senior Labour MEP was accused of secretly trying to reverse the result and an ex-Tory Cabinet minister returned to frontline politics to join the fight to keep Britain in the EU.

Richard Corbett, Labour's deputy leader in Brussels, was found changing key lines in European Parliament documents.

The MEP tried to water down the significance of June's referendum result by seeking to amend a European Parliament motion.

Meanwhile Stephen Dorrell, the former health secretary who was appointed the chairman of the European Movement campaign group, announced he will create the first official campaign that calls for the June referendum result to be rejected.

Richard Corbett, pictured on the BBC today, Labour's deputy leader in Brussels, was found changing key lines in European Parliament documents

He urged Theresa May to rethink her pledge to trigger Article 50, the formal mechanism for leaving the EU, because it would damage Britain's interests.

He said: 'Brexit is a mistake and we shall seek to build support for that point of view .

'The government has a mandate but I don't think the mandate it has reflects this country's interests, so I will seek to defeat it.'

In a simultaneous plot in Brussels to block Brexit going through, Mr Corbett deleted a line saying that the European Parliament 'stresses that this wish [to leave the EU] must be respected' to saying it 'notes' the referendum'.

Another line opened the way for Brexit to be reversed if there was any move to do so in Britain.

The proposed changes, revealed by the Sunday Telegraph, stated that the European Parliament must not 'stand in the way of any reconsideration by the UK of its intended departure'.

The amendments were proposed in October but rejected by the Brussels Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, pictured, has now come under pressure reassert the party's position on Brexit

Today he distanced the Labour leadership from his decision to table the amendments, describing himself as a 'humble lame duck MEP' who does not speak for the Labour Party.

He told the BBC: 'All I'm doing is stating things that are commons sense - that if, as we move forward, this turns out to be a disaster then we need to look very carefully at where we're going.'

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has come under pressure reassert the party's position on Brexit.

He has repeatedly insisted Labour will not attempt to keep Britain in the EU but has been undermined by senior figures suggesting the party could frustrate the process by demanding certain conditions on Britain's exit.

Former health secretary Stephen Dorrell, pictured, announced he will create the first official campaign that calls for the June referendum result to be rejected

Two dozen Labour MPs even voted against triggering Article 50, the formal process for leaving the EU, earlier this month as they joined Lib Dem and SNP MPs in trying to block Brexit going ahead.

Former Tory Cabinet minister and Brexit champion Iain Duncan Smith said the secret plot by Labour MEPs in Brussels to reverse the referendum result was further evidence of Labour 'ignoring' voters.

Dominic Raab, the former justice minister, accused the party of 'sneaky wrecking tactics'.

Appearing on the BBC1 Daily Politics Show today, Mr Corbett said that if leaving the EU turns out to be bad for the economy and costs jobs Britons might want to vote again on it.

He said: 'Well there are many people, I get lots of letters from people who say, 'well hang on a minute, this was an advisory referendum won by a narrow majority on the basis of a pack of lies and a questionable mandate'.

'But if there is a mandate from this referendum it is surely to get a Brexit that works for Britain without sinking the economy.

'And if it transpires, as we move forward, that this is going to be a very costly exercise, then there will be people who voted leave who will say 'hang on a minute, this is not what we were told. We were told it would save money, we could put it in the NHS, but if it is going to cost us an arm and a leg then I would like the right to reconsider'.'

He said if Brexit is going to be a 'disaster' that's costs jobs then 'it's something we might want to pause and rethink'.

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has refused to say if Labour will place controls on immigration.

Senior party figures including shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has called for the numbers to be cut in the wake of the EU referendum vote.

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has refused to say if Labour will place controls on immigration

But while Ms Abbott conceded Britons are 'very concerned' about the impact of immigration, she dismissed calls for a control on the numbers coming into the UK as 'scapegoating' immigrants.

Speaking to Sky News's Murnaghan, she said: 'What we believe is if we bear down on exploitation we will bear down on levels of migration, but setting numerical targets has not worked.

'The Tories have done it for six years now and immigration is at record levels, we want to deal with the underlying issues in communities.'

Labour's policy to create a migration impact fund will help ease the strain on public services, while better enforcement of the minimum wage will help prevent the undercutting of British workers, she said.

Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani, who sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the comments show Labour is 'completely out of step with the concerns of working people'.

She said: 'They don't want more control over immigration and keep talking about blocking the decision to leave the EU.
A San Francisco man has been arrested in the fatal beating of his 23-year-old girlfriend.

Police in Daly City say Ariana Hatami, 23, was killed in an alleged domestic dispute with boyfriend Fredrick Tran, 24, early Sunday morning.

Cops were called to a home on Fairview Avenue minutes before midnight to a report of a domestic dispute.

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Police in Daly City, California say Ariana Hatami (left), 23, was killed in an alleged domestic dispute with boyfriend Fredrick Tran (right), 24

Hatami (left) was suffering from 'severe injuries' when police arrived. Tran (right) was arrested at the scene on suspicion of homicide

Hatami was suffering from 'severe injuries' when police arrived.

She was rushed to San Francisco General Hospital, where she died.

'Early indications appear that blunt force trauma may have been the cause of her death and we're looking into that with the help of forensic crews.' Sgt. Ron Harrison, of Daly City police, told KRON.

Tran was arrested at the scene on suspicion of homicide, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Police said 'blunt force trauma may have been the cause' of Hatami's (left) death. Tran (right) has not been charged with a crime

Tran, who is yet to be charged with a crime, is being held without bail at Maguire Correctional Facility.

'It's absolutely devastating,' Sgt. Harrison told NBC Bay Area.'We're here two weeks before Christmas.'

This is Daly City's first homicide of the year.
A serial high-end shoplifter who swiped more than $10,000 of luxury goods has been released after serving just three months behind bars.

Fiona Helena Carstairs, 56, was caught after she targeted designer labels at six clothing stores in Sydney's exclusive suburbs between June 2014 and August this year, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Court documents revealed the disability support pensioner was caught on camera stuffing brands such as a Valentino handbag and a Chanel dress inside her coat.

Fiona Helena Carstairs, 56, (pictured) was caught after she targeted designer labels at six clothing stores in Sydney's exclusive suburbs between June 2014 and August this year

Carstairs also removed a $3,500 Christian Dior necklace off a mannequin in retail giant David Jones.

Other items she stole included a Saint Laurent Dress worth $1395 from a Paddington shop and a French Napoleon jewellery box from a Double Bay shop valued at $800.

Another luxury item she swiped was a grey Prada bag with a silver chain priced at $1940 from Prada on Sydney's Pitt Street.

Police described Carstairs in court documents as a 'recidivist larceny offender, targeting high-value brands'.

Carstairs was given a three months non-parole after she was sentenced to nine months prison - meaning she was freed after already serving time since being arrested on September 15.

She was sentenced in Burwood Court last week for larceny offences.

Carstairs has been placed under supervision for the next six months as part of her parole conditions.
Kristen Moukhallaletti, the wife of Sydney drug lord Sam, claimed she should be granted bail because otherwise she would lose her government job

The wife of a drug lord who allegedly laundered proceeds of his crimes, claimed she should be granted bail because otherwise she would lose her government job.

Kristen Moukhallaletti, from Theresa Park in Sydney's south, faced charges over threatening the co-accused of her husband following a failed drug running effort in 2014.

The 36-year-old's husband Sam was arrested as he tried to board a cruise ship to Vanuatu with so much ice and ecstacy he could've been jailed for life, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

After her husband was bailed, Mrs Moukhallaletti allegedly visited Silverwater jail to threaten his co-accused in an effort to coerce him into allegedly making a false statement in court.

Before being refused bail last Friday, Mrs Moukhallaletti claimed if she didn't walk free she'd lose her position with the Department of Family and Community Services.

At a recent bail hearing for Mrs Moukhallaletti it was revealed police will allege she issued an 'implied threat' when allegedly bringing up her co-accused's family during a conversation at the jail.

She allegedly continued to visit the co-accused even after he was moved away from the notorious maximum security prison.

Mrs Moukhallaletti was an employee at the Department of Family and Community Services (pictured)

'You have to look at it from our point of view. It looks like you've rolled,' she allegedly told him the day after he failed to appear via video link in court.

It is alleged that Mrs Moukhallaletti's husband has access to cash and real estate assets.

This came 'as a result of his highly profitable dealing in prohibited drugs', her recent bail hearing heard.

Following the $1.5 million sale of one of her husband's properties, Mrs Moukhallaletti allegedly conspired with another person to swindle $170,000.

She allegedly stressed to her associate the importance of ensuring they had their stories straight so that it could be passed off as a 'business deal'.

On November 14 Mrs Moukhallaletti was refused bail and last week her appeal was upheld because of the seriousness of her offence.
Ten people were killed after 'terrorists' in Jordan opened fire in what appear to be targeted attacks against tourists and police in Karak on Sunday.

A Canadian woman, seven police officers and two Jordanian civilians were killed in Karak, a tourist destination famous for its castle about 70 miles south of the capital of Amman, according to Jordan's general security department.

More than two dozen people were taken to the hospital, it has been reported.

Shots broke out in different areas of Karak before the gunmen fled to the city's medieval castle, where several tourists inside were taken hostage.

Police surrounded the castle and stormed the fortress, rescuing hostages who were trapped inside. The standoff is ongoing.

Government minister and spokesman Mohammad al-Momani called it a 'cowardly terrorist attack' on state television, adding that Jordan is 'packed with terrorist organizations.'

Shots broke out in different parts of Karak, before a group of gunmen fled to the city's medieval castle, where several tourists were held hostage inside

A Canadian woman was killed in a shootout between police and armed men who holed themselves up in a medieval castle in southern Jordan

Al-Momani also said a manhunt to 'eliminate' the gunmen had entered its final phase. He did not elaborate.

'The security forces and gendarme are in the final stage and we don't want to pre-empt news... we will be dealing with this group of terrorists and eliminate them,' he said.

The former deputy prime minister and current Senator Ayman al-Safadi told CNN there were unconfirmed reports that three of the five gunmen had been killed.

'There could be people still hiding in the building, probably not venturing out for fear of being shot,' he said, adding he did not know of any hostages at the scene.

The violence began earlier on Sunday when gunmen in different areas of the Karak governorate opened fire in short succession.

A police patrol responded to reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh, about 25 miles outside of the city of Karak, according to Jordan's Public Safety Directorate.

Gunmen posted inside the home ambushed the police and wounded two officers before fleeing by car, Al Jazeera reported.

Another security patrol was attacked, but no one was injured.

Shots were also fired at a police station in Karak Castle, wounding 'several policemen and passerby', according to Petra.

They entered the castle, perched on top of a hill, and used one of the towers to fire at a nearby police station.

Authorities then surrounded the castle and 'launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen,' according to a statement issued by the Public Security Directorate.

A police patrol responded to reports of a house fire earlier on Sunday, only to be attacked by gunmen inside the home. Pictured, Jordanian police preparing to enter Karak Castle

Another security patrol was attacked. Shots were also fired at a police station in Karak Castle. Pictured, security forces outside the castle

Gunmen then entered the castle perched on top of a hill and used one of the towers to fire at a nearby police station (pictured, residents outside the castle)

Tourists insid the castle were taken hostage and more than two dozen people were injured (pictured), it was reported

It remains unclear just how many people were involved in the shootings. Authorities said 'five or six gunmen' were involved, but Prime Minister Prime Minister Hani Mulki said there were 10 assailants inside the castle.

Mulki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the attacks, said 'a number of security personnel' had been killed.

Video footage on social media showed security forces taking groups of young Asian tourists up the castle's steep steps to its main entrance as gunshots were heard overhead.

It remains unclear where exactly each victim was killed.

The Canadian government confirmed one of its nationals died, while another was injured.

'Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of all the victims, including the Canadian killed and the Canadian who was injured in the heinous attack in Jordan,' Global Affairs spokesperson John Babcock said in an email to Global News.

The Canadian embassy in Jordan also issued a travel warning that read: 'Dear #Canadians, we advise against all travel to #Karak city until further notice due to security incident, be safe!'

The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear and no group has taken responsibility.

Jordanian police inspect the scene in Qatraneh where attackers first opened fire. The identity of the assailants remains unclear and no group has taken responsibility

Gunmen opened fire in different parts of the governorate of Karak. Officers were first targeted in Qatraneh, before shots rang out at a medieval castle in the city of Karak, about 70 miles south of the capital, Amman

Jordan is one of the few Arab states that have taken part in a U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State militants holding territory in Syria.

But many Jordanians oppose their country's involvement, saying it has led to the killing of fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan.

Officials worry about radical Islam's growing profile in Jordan and support in impoverished areas for militant groups.

Three American service members were killed as they approached the gate at the Prince Faisal airbase in Al Jafr in November,CNN reported.
An eccentric millionaire is donating his $4 million New York house to Native Americans.

Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, 76, is currently transferring the deed of his West Village home in Manhattan to the Lenape tribe, the New York Post reports.

Bourgeois, who is an architectural historian, author and social justice activist, has owned the property at 6 Weehawken St since his family's limited liability company bought it for $2.2 million a decade ago.

Millionaire Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois, 76, is currently transferring the deed of his $4 million home in West Village in New York to the Native American Lenape tribe

The three-floor home dates back to 1834 and is now part of the Weehawken Street Historic District - an enclave of 14 buildings.

'I have a romance with the history of the city and I have been generally appalled that the land that the city is on has been taken by whites, Bourgeois told The Post.

'This building is the trophy from major theft. It disgusts me.

'I have profited from this major theft. The right thing to do is to return it.'

Bourgeois, who is an architectural historian and social justice activist, has owned the property at 6 Weehawken St since his family bought it for $2.2 million a decade ago

The three-floor home dates back to 1834 and is now part of the Weehawken Street Historic District - an enclave of 14 buildings

Bourgeois has been working with Anthony Jay Van Dunk, who is part of the Lenape Nation, to transfer the house to a non profit controlled by the tribe.

The Lenape people were the original inhabitants of Mannahatta.

Bourgeois is the son of artist Louise Bourgeois and art historian Robert Goldwater.

The 76-year-old has just returned to New York after being involved in helping the Standing Rock Sioux tribe of North Dakota in its battle to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Bourgeois (pictured) has been working with Anthony Jay Van Dunk, who is part of the Lenape Nation, to transfer the house to a non profit controlled by the tribe
A Louisiana man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting four young relatives in his 'man cave.'

Gary Jackson, 37 of Baton Rouge, is accused of raping two young girls in his family multiple times since 2015, WAFB reported.

He's also accused of inappropriately touching two teenage boys, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sherriff's Office said.

Jackson allegedly tried to have sex with the four children at the same time, police said.

Gary Jackson (pictured), 37, was arrested in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on charges of raping four young relatives, two girls and two boys

The children told police he would lure them into a part of his house dubbed his 'man cave,' where he would assault them, according to WAFB.

Police had been investigating Jackson for a year before his Friday arrest.

Family members had given conflicting statements about Jackson's alleged rapes.

One of the girls eventually gave her mother details, and the mother told police

Jackson was arrested on Friday on multiple drug violations, after cops conducting a traffic stop noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from his car.

Cops say they also found drug-selling paraphernalia in his possession: baggies of marijuana, Ecstasy pills and a scale, WAFB reported.

Jackson was arrested on charges of sexual battery, aggravated rape, molestation of a juvenile, as well as a number of charges for possession and distribution of drugs, according to WAFB.
Brian Cox may have thought that the days of filling arenas were over when he abandoned his pop career with D:Ream for a life of science.

But his meteoric rise to fame as an author and broadcaster has seen his touring stock become even more inflated than that of Adele and Coldplay.

Tickets to his latest talk on artificial intelligence at Royal Festival Hall went on sale for 15 but are now being sold online for as much as 1,200, including fees.

Tickets to Brian Cox's (pictured) latest debate have gone on sale online for as much as 1,200 per pair, when fees are included

His talks are now commanding larger fees than his gigs did when Mr Cox (left) played keyboard for pop act D:Ream

At 438 each, excluding fees, they were on sale for thirty times their face value, which is a bigger increase than even Coldplay fans are forced to endure

At 438 each, excluding fees, they were on sale for thirty times their face value, which is a bigger increase that fans for even the world's biggest music acts.

Resell tickets for Adele at Wembley in July were selling on Viagogo for 1,319.99 - but that is only six times what they initially sold for at around 225.

Coldplay's only UK gig in 2017 will be in Cardiff and tickets were initially on sale for around 80, but equivalent seats are now available on Getmein! at 550. That means they are only around seven time the initial value.

Cox's other dates are also oversubscribed, with tickets to his own Wembley gig, at the SSE Arena, on sale for 438.90 on Getmein! - 11 times the face value.

Resell tickets for Adele at Wembley in July were selling on Viagogo for 1,319.99 - but that is only six times what they initially sold for at around 225

But the physicist, who is an Advanced Fellow of particle physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, is far from happy about the huge mark-ups.

He took to social media to tell fans that they can still get affordable tickets to his Royal Society debate at Royal Festival Hall, entitled Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Lots of people are telling me they're getting ripped off by ticket reseller sites for my tour. There should be none above fifty quid and many lower.'

Viagogo have defended their business model, arguing that it helps others sell their tickets and that anyone who buys something has the right to sell it.
What makes some of America's richest captains of industry tick?

It turns out that fiction novels have served as the greatest sources of inspiration for the wealthiest entrepreneurs, including Bill Gates, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos, Inc.com reported on Friday.

Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, has read and re-read F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby.

The Windows pioneer said Gatsby is 'the novel that I re-read the most.'

'[His wife] Melinda and I love one line so much that we had it painted on a wall in our house: 'His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it'.'

Microsoft founder Bill Gates (left) says that he and his wife often re-read The Great Gatsby, the classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Gates also says that his favorite book is J.D. Salinger's classic Catcher in the Rye, according to the site Farnam Street.

'I read this when I was 13,' the Microsoft founder said.

'It's my favorite book. It acknowledges that young people are a little confused, but can be smart, and see things that adults don't.'

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said that his favorite book is The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro's story of an English butler who comes to terms with his dark past.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos (left) said that his favorite book is The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro's story of an English butler who comes to terms with his dark past

'If you read The Remains of the Day, which is my favorite book of all time, you can't help but come away and think, I just spent 10 hours living an alternate life and I learned something about life and about regret,' Bezos said.

Elon Musk, the co-founder of Tesla and the CEO of SpaceX, cites The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov as a major influence on his thinking.

Musk is currently spearheading the drive to one day colonize Mars.

'The lessons of history would suggest that civilizations move in cycles,' he said.

'You can track that back quite far  the Babylonians, the Sumerians, followed by the Egyptians, the Romans, China.'

Elon Musk (left), the co-founder of Tesla and the CEO of SpaceX, cites The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov as a major influence on his thinking

'We're obviously in a very upward cycle right now and hopefully that remains the case. But it may not.'

'There could be some series of events that cause that technology level to decline.'

'Given that this is the first time in 4.5billion years where it's been possible for humanity to extend life beyond Earth, it seems like we'd be wise to act while the window was open and not count on the fact it will be open a long time.'
Two 25-year-old men were stabbed in a busy Times Square street early Sunday in New York City.

Police say the men were attacked outside the Madame Tussauds wax museum on 42nd Street near 8th Avenue, in a highly-trafficked portion of Midtown Manhattan.

The attacker, an unnamed man in his 20s, stabbed the two victims about 2:30am.

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Police say the men were attacked outside the Madame Tussauds wax museum (pictured) on 42nd Street near 8th Avenue

One of the victims was knifed in the chest and the other in the shoulder, police said.

The 25-year-olds were taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

They were treated and are expected to survive.

The attack happend outside Madame Tussauds (pictured) wax museum on 42nd Street near 8th Avenue, in a highly-trafficked portion of Midtown Manhattan.

The attacker, an unnamed man in his 20s, stabbed the two victims outside the wax musem (pictured) about 2:30am

POlice said one of the victims was knifed in the chest and the other in the shoulder. Both are expected to survive

The suspect was wearing a dark colored t-shirt and jeans.

He was last seen fleeing with a woman, also believed to be in her 20s, wearing a beige jacket.
An inquest into the deaths of the elderly couple is set to be opened on Thursday

were in the cottage in the fire

It took a week for police to

Blenheim Palace has offered its condolences to the family of an elderly couple who were found dead after a fire engulfed their grade II listed cottage in the grounds of the historic estate.

Donald and Dilys Thompson, aged 92 and 81 years of age, were killed when just the walls of their cottage was left standing as the fire gutted the property and caused the roof to collapse.

The cottage, was in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, which is the home of the Duke of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill.

The fire all but ruined the grade II listed cottage and claimed the lives of Donald and Dilys Thompson

The couple were at home in The Fisheries Cottage on the night of November 8, when it was ravaged by fire, but the smouldering remains of the building were not discovered until the following day.

It was not until Tuesday, November 15, a week after the fire had first broke out, that police said they were satisfied the couple were in the cottage at the time of the blaze.

The palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and was opened to the public in 1950.

It is believed the cottage, which was built with coursed limestone rubble and had a gabled Welsh slate roof, was one of the last 'grace and favour' cottages given to people who had worked and pre-dates the palace itself, having been built in the 1600s.

Blenheim Palace home was built in the 18th Century as a gift to the first duke, John Churchill, and was the birthplace of Winston Churchill

An inquest into the deaths of the elderly couple is set to be opened at Oxford Coroner's Court on Thursday.

Now, a spokesman for Blenheim Palace has paid tribute to the couple and offered condolences to the family.

The palace spokesman said: 'The couple were valued members of the Blenheim Palace community and our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the family.

'We would urge everyone to respect their privacy at this extremely difficult and sad time.'

Police did not treat the fire as suspicious. At the time of the blaze investigating officer, detective sergeant Robert Platt from Thames Valley Police Force CID, said: 'Sadly at this stage we strongly believe that two occupants living at the property are still inside.

'We are working with the next of kin of the occupants and giving them regular updates, as our multi agency team continues to search the property.
Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she regretted taking a tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, calling the political fallout from it 'painful,' as it cast doubt on the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.

She worried that it made it look like her Department of Justice wasn't playing fair.

The outgoing attorney general, who will be replaced by Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions once team Trump comes into the office, told CNN's Jake Tapper she didn't expect the chat to blow up the way that it did.

'I wish I had seen around that corner and not had that discussion with the former president, as innocuous as it was, because it did give people concern,' Lynch said.

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Attorney General Loretta Lynch called her meeting with Bill Clinton 'innocuous,' but said the political fallout from it was 'painful' for her

Attorney General Loretta Lynch (left) sat down with CNN's Jake Tapper (right) and was asked about a highly-publicized meeting with Bill Clinton, that cast doubt on the FBI's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails

Lynch, a President Barack Obama appointee, and the former Democratic president spoke on June 27 when both their planes were at the Phoenix, Arizona airport.

Lynch explained that she and her team were about to get into their cars and make their way to an evening event when 'it was communicated to me that he wanted to say hello.'

'And that was all the information that we gained,' she said.

Tapper pointed out that Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said the meeting 'bothered some voters' because it looked like the Clintons got to play by a different set of rules than everybody else.

Hillary Clinton, at the time, was being investigated because, as secretary of state, she used a private email server for correspondence and there was concern about her handling of classified information.

The FBI would recommend charges to the Department of Justice if investigators saw them to be appropriate.

On July 5, FBI Director James Comey announced that while Clinton's handling of classified information via this homebrew email system was 'extremely careless' he recommended no criminal charges for the former secretary of state.

Suddenly, the Lynch meeting with ex-President Clinton looked like it had some sway.

'So as I've said at the time, I think like days after the meeting I regretted not seeing that issue and not seeing around the corner,' Lynch said, saying she viewed it simply as someone coming by to say hello.

Lynch added that she also wasn't expecting to talk to Bill Clinton for so long.

'He's a talker?' Tapper asked.

'He is a talker, yes. Yes, he is a talker,' Lynch responded.

Lynch didn't give any hints about the content of the conversation, just that she found it regrettable.

'It did make people wonder is it going to affect the investigation that's going on, and that's not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask,' she continued.

Lynch said that she realized being in public life means owning up to mistakes made in her private life as well.

'You let people know what you're going to do to deal with the impact of that mistake, and my concern was what impact was that going to have people's views of the Department of Justice and the work that we are doing,' Lynch added.

The CNN newsman then asked Lynch if she should have told Clinton to go away instead of talking to him on the tarmac.

'Well, I do regret sitting down and having a conversation with him, because it did give people concern,' Lynch said.

'And, as I said, my greatest concern has always been making sure that people understand that the Department of Justice works in a way that is independent and looks at everybody equally,' she continued.

Lynch said that she didn't like that her actions may have caused people to think otherwise.

'It was painful for me, and so I felt it was important to clarify it as quickly and as clearly and as cleanly as possible,' she said.

Tapper asked Lynch if she thought her meeting with Bill Clinton played a role in Comey's decision to hold a press conference and talk about Hillary Clinton's case, what many in government viewed as an unprecedented move.

'You know, I didn't speak to the director about why he had his press conference before he had it, and we learned of it right before that,' Lynch answered. 'My view is he was trying to be as transparent as possible in a matter that was of great attention and that was generating a lot of attention.'

Comey's press conference was criticized by Democrats who believed that his condemnation of Clinton's behavior, even though she wasn't going to be prosecuted, gave fodder to Republicans during a presidential election year.

The FBI director made big headlines two other times in the course of the campaign.

On October 28 Comey alerted members of Congress that the FBI found emails 'pertinent' to the Clinton investigation and would be giving those a look.

The emails were found on a computer belonging to disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin, a top Hillary Clinton aide.

Then, on November 6, Comey cleared Clinton for a second time, though, to this day, Clinton and many on her team believe the letter damaged her standing with swing voters and ultimately lost her the election to Trump.

Tracing everything back to Lynch's tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, Tapper asked the attorney general if she thought she might have 'been able to control Comey more' if the meet-and-greet hasn't occurred.

'It might have changed the letter that he gave at the end there,' the CNN newsman suggested.

Lynch pushed back on that.
A nearly four-day ban on drinking the water in Corpus Christi, Texas, was lifted on Sunday after test results showed no contamination due to a chemical leak, the city's mayor announced.

Mayor Dan McQueen, who took office Tuesday after defeating an incumbent who came under fire for her handling of previous water crises, said the city's 300,000 residents could resume using the city's water supply for drinking, bathing and cooking.

The city's water shelves had been cleared as people rushed to buy bottled water from stores.

'It is all full use but we are going to continue to monitor as we go on,' McQueen said.

Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen announces on Sunday that all water restrictions have been lifted on drinking the city's water after test results showed no contamination due to a chemical leak

Unidentified men check pipes where Corpus Christi's city-owned water main connects with an asphalt plant where a suspected chemical leak led to a city-wide ban on tap water use

None of the 28 drinking water samples the Environmental Protection Agency reviewed tested positive for Indulin AA-86, an asphalt-emulsifying agent that's corrosive, the EPA said Sunday in a statement.

Indulin can burn the eyes, skin and respiratory tract if a person comes into contact with concentrated amounts.

The water ban had been issued late Wednesday out of concern that a chemical leak at an asphalt plant leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions by oil refiner Valero could have contaminated the city's water supply.

Customers stand in line to pay for cases of water at an H-E-B store

Empty shelves left after residents rushed to H-E-B to buy water after a recent back-flow incident in the industrial district

The EPA said there have been seven 'unconfirmed' reports of symptoms possibly related to prohibited water use. The EPA, along with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, will continue collecting and testing water samples over the next few days.

McQueen said officials will continue investigating the leak at the asphalt plant and seek possible damages from those responsible.

EPA spokesman David Gray said Saturday that the agency would begin an in-depth investigation of the leak 'and take appropriate action' as soon as it finished with the water testing.

Volunteer Earnest Hysaw from the American Red Cross carries a case of water to a resident in a duplex in Corpus Christi

Ronnie Vela, left, and Akira Velalozano prop up a sign in as they prepare to pass out free bottles of water to people at City Hall in Corpus Christi on December 16

On Saturday, city officials had said that there had been three reports of dirty water before the ban had been issued.

There has been some confusion over when city officials were notified of the serious water problems at the plant site that ultimately led to the water ban.

There had been two reports earlier this month of dirty water at the plant site that resulted in city workers flushing out pipes. City officials have said such dirty-water reports are common.

Cases of water are prepared for distribution to stations set up around the city, at the Emergency Training Building at Del Mar College-West Campus in Corpus Christi

Volunteers prepare to hand out free water outside the Greenwood Senior Center in Corpus Christi

Valero said in a statement Saturday that it then notified the city of 'milky, sudsy water' at the plant on December 7, a week before the water use ban was announced.

Ergon said that it uses a soap solution comprised of about 98 per cent water and two percent Indulin and hydrochloric acid in its asphalt operations.

Assistant City Manager Mark Van Vleck said on Saturday that city technicians responding to dirty water complaints at the plant were not alerted to white, sudsy water until December 12.

But on Sunday, Van Vleck said he believes Valero's version of events is probably accurate.

'When I read it I said, "That's a little different from what I've been told,"' said Van Vleck, who added that he was going on what people in the public works department had told him.

Workers check pipes where Corpus Christi's city-owned water main connects with an asphalt plant where there was a suspected chemical leak

Ergon has acknowledged the 'soap solution' had backflowed into a pipe through which it receives water at the plant. It said that pipe isn't directly connected to the city water main but rather is interconnected.

On Sunday, Ergon said it was pleased the water ban had been lifted and would continue to cooperate with officials.

Officials in Corpus Christi began on Sunday to dismantle distribution centers that had been set up to give water to residents, said City Manager Margie Rose.

The mayor cautioned residents to be conservative in their water use to avoid overtaxing the system after water tanks were flushed in parts of the city, which has about 300,000 residents and is located along the Texas Gulf Coast.

'This certainly isn't something the city wanted to do,' he said. 'My heart goes out to everybody in our city right now. And I apologize. I apologize personally.'
A taxi driver has been left with devastating injuries after being crushed by an out of control car as he tried to get in his cab.

The man had just finished his breakfast at a roadside restaurant in Nonthaburi, Thailand, on Friday morning and was about to open the door of his vehicle and start work.

Video footage captures the horrific moment a speeding orange car suddenly careers across four lanes of the adjacent motorway towards the car park - clipping a lamp post and spinning rapidly, before colliding with him.

The taxi driver can be seen going to his vehicle after eating breakfast at a roadside restaurant

From nowhere, an orange vehicle races towards him before crushing him against a parked 4x4

The cab driver spots the danger and tries to jump out of the way but he disappears in a cloud of dust as the car smashes into a parked white 4x4.

As the dust settles, the taxi driver emerges alive, clutching his legs and writhing in agony in front of horrified onlookers.

Restaurant owner Attapol Saensun, whose CCTV recorded the smash, said: 'We didn't know the man. He was in his 40s or early 50s and he wasn't a regular.

'He had just eaten breakfast and went to his car then we heard a loud noise. He suffered very bad injuries to his lower body. His legs were crushed.'

The injured man was rushed to hospital and is currently in intensive care after having emergency surgery.

The speeding orange car suddenly careers across four lanes of the adjacent motorway towards the car park - clipping a lamp post and spinning rapidly, before colliding with him

Horrified bystanders rush to the man's aid before he is taken to hospital for surgery

The cab driver spots the danger and tries to jump out of the way but he disappears in a cloud of dust as the car smashes into a parked white 4x4.

Doctors said he will need more operations in the coming weeks to deal with the devastating injuries.

Police said the driver of the orange car claimed a burst tire had caused him to lose control. He told police the brakes had failed, resulting in the shocking crash.
Two half-naked men battle it out on a street in broad daylight during a bizarre video.

The men, who appear to be drunk, were filmed jumping out of a tenement first floor window before running around without any underwear or trousers on.

They jump into the road and dance in front of cars before play-fighting with each other while trying to pull at their remaining clothes.

Two half naked men battle it out on a street in broad daylight during a bizarre video

Footage of the strange incident has been re-tweeted over 600 times on Twitter after it was posted yesterday evening.

Tweeter Emma Patterson wrote: 'My brother sent me this from his flat in Paisley #PeopleMakePaisley.'
A 28-year-old Florida man was arrested after he tried to break into a home wearing nothing but his pants on his arms.

Police say Dennis Carballo-Rios faces charges of exposure of sexual organs, criminal mischief and burglary of an occupied residence.

Carballo-Rios is accused in the Tuesday morning attempted entry of a home in Dunnellon, in central Florida.

Dennis Carballo-Rios (pictured), 28, faces charges of exposure of sexual organs, criminal mischief and burglary of an occupied residence

Sheriff's deputies said the suspect broke a screen door, entered a front porch and tried to get into the home.

He was wearing nothing but his pants draped over his arm, cops said.

Carballo-Rios apparently tried to open the front door and struck a number of items in the house before walking.

The noise startled the homeowner, who called police.

Deputies arrested Carballos-Rios as he was running down the street naked.

Authorities said Carballo-Rios may also have destroyed a nearby fence, which was found in pieces.
Johnny Mercer, a former Army captain who served three tours in Afghanistan, pictured with his wife Felicity, said officials had told him his inquiry was 'not helpful' to ministers

The Tory MP in charge of the parliamentary inquiry into the hounding of Iraq veterans has received texts from the Ministry of Defence telling him to be less critical of the Government.

Johnny Mercer, a former Army captain who served three tours in Afghanistan, said officials had told him his inquiry was 'not helpful' to ministers.

Some of the texts were sent in the middle of the night, the father of two said.

He is set to publish a key report next month into the harassment of more than a thousand soldiers who have faced lengthy legal inquiries as part of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT).

The six year-long investigations unit, which was set up under the last Labour government, is looking into claims of murder, abuse and torture carried out by British troops in Iraq but has been heavily criticised after spurious claims led to more than a thousand claims being dismissed.

Mr Mercer told the Sunday Telegraph: 'The texts have been critical of my approach.

'They have been from civilians in the Ministry of Defence saying what I am doing is not helpful to the Government.'

Johnny Mercer, pictured centre during one of his three tours in Afghanistan, is due to publish his report into the Government's Iraq Historic Allegations Team next month, which is expected to be highly critical of ministers

Revelations about the texts will raise concerns in Westminster that the Government is trying to exert pressure on the outcome of inquiry, which ministers fear will deliver embarrassing conclusions.

IHAT: SIX YEARS OF HOUNDING IRAQ VETS The Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) was set up in the last days of the Labour government in 2010. It was set up to look into claims of murder, abuse and torture carried out by British troops in Iraq but has been heavily criticised after spurious claims led to more than a thousand claims being dismissed. Since 2010 it has cost taxpayers more than 30million - but has not successfully prosecuted a single individual for serious criminality. David Cameron tried to close the investigation but was over-ruled by government lawyers. Today Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the remaining cases must be allowed to run their course to prevent Britain being dragged to the International Criminal Court. Ihat figures show that it has received 3,392 complaints since it was set up. Of those, 2,361 have been closed or sifted out. One case has been passed to the RAF Police to investigate and another, of alleged ill treatment, resulted in a 3,000 fine. Three referrals have been made to the Service Prosecution Authority involving five personnel. There are currently just over 1,000 allegations remaining. Advertisement

It is expected to call for Ihat to be scrapped.

But last week Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the remaining Ihat cases must be allowed to run their course to prevent Britain being dragged to the International Criminal Court.

Mr Mercer said in today's interview that the hounding of Iraq veterans is 'fundamentally wrong'.

He said he had launched the inquiry into Ihat because he 'felt the servicemen and women needed somebody to be there for them with a clear-eyed view'.

He told the newspaper: 'We are pulling people out of their beds at six in the morning; soldiers are finding out they are under investigation from social media and from exgirlfriends; careers are being ruined and families are being torn apart. It just wasn't right.'

Since 2010 it has cost taxpayers more than 50million - but has not successfully prosecuted a single individual for serious criminality.

David Cameron tried to close the investigation but was over-ruled by government lawyers.

Ihat figures show that it has received 3,392 complaints since it was set up.

Of those, 2,361 have been closed or sifted out. One case has been passed to the RAF Police to investigate and another, of alleged ill treatment, resulted in a 3,000 fine.
Britain could replicate Turkey's relationship with the EU and remain a partial member of Europe's customs union after Brexit, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox signalled today.

He insisted Britain's departure from the EU was not like a 'boiled egg' and there were more options than going for either a 'hard' or 'soft' Brexit.

Remaining a full member of the customs union would mean the UK could keep the same international tariffs on goods and services as the rest of the EU.

But it would hamper Britain's ability to agree new trade deals with non-EU countries.

Britain could replicate Turkey's relationship with the EU and remain a partial member of Europe's customs union after Brexit, International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox signalled today as he appeared on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, pictured

Dr Fox was understood to be one of the Cabinet ministers pushing for a 'hard' Brexit but today's comments suggests he is willing to compromise with his pro-EU colleagues.

He also warned that Britain's exit from the EU will not be 'quick' in another signal from government ministers that Brexit could take longer than two years to deliver.

Dr Fox told BBC's Andrew Marr Show: 'We want to look at all the different things, it's not binary.

'I hear people talking about hard Brexit and soft Brexit as though it's a boiled egg we are talking about, it's a little more complex. So, Turkey, for example, is in part of the Customs Union, but not other parts.'

The Cabinet minister refused to be drawn when asked if he could support staying in the customs union, saying: 'I'll argue my case inside Cabinet.'

Dr Fox added: 'The Government will come to a collective view on this once we have looked at all the issues.

Dr Fox, pictured on today's Andrew Marr Show, was understood to be one of the Cabinet ministers pushing for a 'hard' Brexit but today's comments suggests he is willing to compromise with his pro-EU colleagues

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, pictured left alongside former Chancellor George Osborne on the Andrew Marr show today, warned that Britain's exit from the EU will not be 'quick' in another signal from government ministers that Brexit could take longer than two years to deliver

'We can't go for a quick result, we have to get the right result. And whatever result we do come to, we have to be able to put in front of the British people the reasoning for coming to that result.'

Asked if it would be possible to revoke the Article 50 mechanism, which starts the formal, two-year timetable to leave the EU, Dr Fox said: 'I think once we get there it is not a matter of legality, it's a matter of democracy.

SOUTH KOREA AGREES TO STRIKE A POST-BREXIT DEAL South Korea became the seventh country to agree to strike new trade links with Britain after Brexit. Officials from the two countries have created a new working group that will meet four times a year to discuss tearing down trade barriers between the two economies. It will help Britain become the 'hub of global commerce,' the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox pledged today. Trade between Britain and South Korea, the world's eleventh largest economy, is currently worth 11billion. But the Government cannot strike new trade deals while it remains a member of the EU. With Theresa May set to trigger the two-year process for cutting ties with Brussels by the end of March, Britain is set to be free to agree new trade deals from spring 2019. But it depends on the nature of the deal Britain retains with the EU and if we remain a member of Europe's single market or customs union, our trade deals will still be controlled by Brussels. South Korea, the eleventh biggest economy in the world, follows Australia, China, India, New Zealand, Norway and the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to agree Britain once it leaves the EU. Advertisement

'The public voted to leave the European Union. Constitutionally it's the job of the Government then to carry out the public's instruction and provide that plan. It's, of course, Parliament's job to scrutinise what that is.

'The public have voted for us to leave the European Union and as we get into 2017, I hope that people will actually accept that the public have given us an instruction.'

Meanwhile Dr Fox has helped set up a a new working group to bolster trade with South Korea.

The task group will meet four times a year to discuss tearing down trade barriers between the two economies.

Dr Fox said it will help Britain become the 'hub of global commerce'. Trade between Britain and South Korea, the world's eleventh largest economy, is currently worth 11billion.

South Korea becomes the seventh country to agree to a trade deal with Britain after Brexit, following Australia, China, India, New Zealand, Norway and the six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Last night it emerged that Mr Fox has conceded that Britain's trading relations with Europe will be damaged by leaving the EU  but that the loss will be outweighed by a big boost in trade with the rest of the world, it emerged last night.

Well-placed sources say the International Trade Secretary has described Brexit as 'Europe-minus' and 'world-plus'.

The term is meant to indicate that while the UK may lose out from less access to EU markets, it will gain from better access to global trade.

Dr Fox's main aim is to stop the Brexit talks resulting in a 'stupid Brexit' as a result of EU nations taking a vindictive approach to negotiations. He has been tasked by Theresa May to lead a global crusade to win new markets for the UK.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox, pictured on the Andrew Marr Show today, insisted Britain's departure from the EU was not like a 'boiled egg' and there were more options than going for either a 'hard' or 'soft' Brexit

However, his colourful comments about 'Europe-minus' and 'world-plus' could put him at odds with Brexit Secretary David Davis. Mr Davis is said to have told officials he wants 'Continuity Brexit', whereby British businesses can carry on trading in exactly the same way as they do now with the EU when the UK cuts its ties with Brussels in 2019.

He has also criticised the name of Theresa May's much-vaunted Great Repeal Bill in which vast quantities of EU legislation are to be automatically incorporated into UK law when we leave.

Mr Davis believes the official title of the Bill wrongly gave the impression it would cause massive disruption, when it should have conveyed the opposite.

'We should have called it the Great Continuity Bill,' he told a private meeting.

He challenged claims that leaving the EU would stop immigration. 'We will still need high-skilled immigrants and low-skilled immigrants,' he said, adding: 'But we will have control.'

Mr Fox's colourful comments about 'Europe-minus' and 'world-plus' could put him at odds with Brexit Secretary David Davis (pictured)

The contrasting views of Dr Fox and Mr Davis were disclosed amid continuing confusion over whether Mrs May wants a 'hard Brexit' deal, favoured by Right-wing Eurosceptics like Dr Fox, or 'soft Brexit' preferred by Chancellor Philip Hammond.

Unease among senior Conservatives was heightened by the way Mrs May was given the cold shoulder at last week's EU talks, sloping away on her own with an awkward: 'I think I'd better leave now.'

With only 103 days to go before she is due to trigger Article 50 of the EU Treaty starting Britain's exit, there is no sign yet of a Government plan. One MP who has known her for 30 years said: 'She hides it well but she is under huge strain.'

Dr Fox's comments were echoed last night by the Australian High Commissioner to the UK, who declared that 'life outside' the EU could be 'pretty good' for Britain. Alexander Downer said that Australia was 'willing to help [Britain] in any way we can' over Brexit.
It comes as Tillerson's critics raise questions about his close ties to Russia

He is the chief

Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, businessman Rex Tillerson, is the director of a US-Russian oil company in the tax haven Bahamas, according to leaked documents.

Tillerson, who is the chairman and CEO of Exxon-Mobil Corp, has also been a director of the company's Russian subsidiary Exxon Neftegas for 18 years.

Documents leaked to Germanys Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper show Tillerson's name on a 2001 document from the corporate registry in the Bahamas.

His name appears as 'RW Tillerson' next to other directors based in Houston, Texas and Moscow, Russia.

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Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, businessman Rex Tillerson, is the director of a US-Russian oil company in the tax haven Bahamas

It comes as Tillerson's critics raise questions about his close ties to Russia and say his appointment as secretary of state could be a conflict of interest.

His company is the world's largest oil company and Tillerson currently has Exxon stock worth more than $200 million.

Tillerson's directorship of the Russian subsidiary was briefly mentioned in an official statement announcing him as secretary of state.

'In January 1998, he was promoted to vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc. and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited,' the statement read.

'In those roles, he was responsible for Exxons holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea as well as the Sakhalin I consortium operations offshore Sakhalin Island, Russia.'

An Exxon spokesman said Sunday that according to company records, it is inaccurate to say Tillerson 'served on any such entity during his tenure as CEO.'

ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands at a signing ceremony of an agreement between state-controlled Russian oil company Rosneft and ExxonMobil in 2012

Tillerson's name appears as 'RW Tillerson' next to other directors and officers based in Houston, Texas and Moscow, Russia

It was a brief reference to the part of Tillerson's corporate bio that could pose the greatest danger to his successful confirmation.

He has had multiple contacts with Putin as he negotiated energy deals in Russia, got awarded a medal of friendship by the Russian strongman and is captured on video toasting champagne glasses with Putin after inking a deal.

Tillerson was awarded Russia's Order of Friendship after making a deal with state-owned oil firm Rosneft.

In announcing the decision, Trump described Tillerson's career as 'the embodiment of the American dream'.

'His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for Secretary of State,' he said in a statement.

'He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States.

'He will be a forceful and clear-eyed advocate for America's vital national interests, and help reverse years of misguided foreign policies and actions that have weakened America's security and standing in the world.'

Tillerson, who is the chairman and CEO of Exxon-Mobil Corp, has also been a director of the company's Russian subsidiary Exxon Neftegas for 18 years

However, some key senators on Capitol Hill aren't so clearly convinced.

Sen. John McCain, promising that Tillerson would get a fair confirmation hearing from the senators, said he found the CEO's close ties with Russia to be concerning.

McCain was especially critical of Tillerson receiving a 'friendship award from a butcher,' as the longtime Arizona senator put it.

Sen. Marco Rubio, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, expressed his reservations using Twitter.

'Being a "friend of Vladimir" is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState,' the Florida senator wrote.
California-based burger brand In-N-Out has the strongest word-of-mouth of any fast-food chain in America, a new YouGov/BrandIndex report has revealed.

The poll asked users which restaurants and fast-food companies they would recommend to friends, and In-N-Out came top of the list, with Chick-Fil-A coming in second place.

But the result has left nay-sayers arguing that the chain's success is more about insider showboating and cultish obsession than quality, Business Insider reported.

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The In-N-Out crowd: The California-based burger chain has built up a strong fanbase, and is the most recommended fast food brand according to a new YouGov/BrandIndex poll

In-N-Out opened in 1948, and has grown into a coastal obsession for those in and around California.

In fact, anyone who's asked where to get a burger in the state will almost certainly have been told to try In-N-Out, which promises top-quality ingredients, including fresh patties without additives or preservatives.

To hear Californians tell it, it's like each bun contains mana from Mount Olympus itself.

But you don't have to look far to find reviews of the chain that manage - at best - an unenthusiastic shrug of the shoulders.

In-N-Out's much-vaunted fresh beef patty is 'your basic, salty, flat-grilled burger that you can get absolutely anywhere,' according to Thrillist, which adds: 'The only constant is the constant disappointment.'

'The patties don't taste appreciably better, and for fast food, take a long time to arrive without being worth the extra wait,' moaned USA Today, which also complained about 'synthetic-tasting' shakes and 'too dry' fries.

Cracked said the burgers were 'fine for the most part', although fans act 'like it cures cancer and performs other assorted miracle'.

Hipsters: But critics say that the chain's limited number of outlets - just 313, mostly based around the West Coast - have created a cult-like obsession that the food doesn't deserve

And Esquire described its burgers as a 'totally unexceptional fast-food product - about as moist as an emery board and half as thick' that has inspired 'an all-time feat of mass self-delusion'.

Of course, beauty is in the mouth of the beholder and all of this is subjective - but if In-N-Out isn't impressing the professionals, why are people so obsessed?

YouGov BrandIndex CEO Ted Marzilli told Business Insider it's all about the scarcity of the product.

'In-N-Out is a bit of a scarce resource,' he said. 'Burgers and fries don't travel very well.'

The chain, which isn't franchised, has just 313 locations across the whole of the US, compared with 36,615 McDonald's.

TOP RECOMMENDED FAST-FOOD CHAINS According to a YouGov/BrandIndex survey, these are the fast food chains most likely to be recommended by their fans. They were rated on an enthusiasm level, where 100 is most likely to recommend, -100 is least likely and 0 suggests no feeling either way. In-N-Out Burger (52.4) Chick-fil-A (49.4) Subway (40.7) Whataburger (37.9) Rubio's Coastal Grill (35.7) Advertisement

And those are mostly in California and surrounding states - with none further out than Texas. The company says it doesn't want to stray too far from its California and Dallas distribution centers to keep its food fresh.

That gives visitors to the area something to boast about, and West Coasters their own 'secret' home-grown restaurant to recommend to visitors.

The chain also has a 'not-so-secret' menu on its website that reveals some of the many combinations available to customers (including the much-vaunted, and trademarked, 'Animal Style' which doesn't have a bun).

That adds an air of cliquey pseudo-cultishness for fans who want to boast about their insider knowledge.

In a separate article, Business Insider identified the trends as 'the scarcity effect' and 'the bandwagon effect' and lambasted its West Coast fans.

'Californians should be embarrassed that they fell for this psychological trick hook, line, and sinker and have even gone as far as to integrate it into the regional identity,' it said.

Still, as the YouGov/BrandIndex poll shows, that will likely make little difference to those who profess to love the long-established brand.

The poll also named Chick-fil-A, Subway, Whataburger and Rubio's Coastal Grill as the other highly recommended fast food brands, in descending order.

It noted that Whataburger is largely located in the South and Rubio's is mostly in the southwest and Florida - giving them a similar 'location-specific' appeal to In-N-Out.
The Attorney General of Switzerland Michael Lauber said on Saturday that investigations into the assets of ousted president Hosni Mubarak, his sons and associates are approaching a final phase and that tens of million of Swiss francs have recently been released, state news agency MENA reported.

Lauber, who was in a one-day visit to Cairo, said at a press briefing that 180 million Swiss francs has been unfrozen and released from Swiss banks so far, while another 430 million remains frozen.

On his visit, Lauber aimed at assessing the latest developments in the ongoing criminal proceedings and considering the next steps to be taken, while respecting the principles of sovereignty and independence, his office said in a statement on Thursday.

Lauber and his delegation also met on Saturday with representatives of the Egyptian committee for the restitution of assets located abroad.

This is Lauber's second visit to Egypt since the 2015 verdict against Mubarak in the case of presidential palaces. His last visit to Egypt was in January 2016.

The Swiss prosecutor said that the frozen assets of Mubarak and figures associated with him will be returned to their legal owners when the probe is finished. He said the money currently frozen relates to six people still under investigation, down from 14 since 2011.

The Egyptian government had conducted financial reconciliation deals with Mubarak-era business tycoon Hussein Salem and ex-minister Mohamed Mansour to restore billions of stolen funds, a decision that was respected by the Swiss judiciary, Lauber said.

The Office of Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) said in a statement that such reconciliation agreements meant that the OAG had dropped criminal proceedings against several persons in Switzerland and ordered the unblocking of frozen assets amounting to 180 million Swiss francs.

"As a consequence, the Swiss criminal investigation into suspicions of supporting and/or participating in a criminal organisation and money laundering is now being conducted against six persons; currently assets amounting to around 430 million swiss francs remain frozen," the statement added

Lauber said that the investigations are being carried out in accordance with Egyptian law and based on three principles: speed, establishing the identities of the figures whose assets have been frozen, and complete independence.

He added that the Swiss Federal General Prosecution is trying its best to conclude the investigations. But he asserted that the speed of the process is not only Switzerland's responsibility.

"All sides should do more efforts to move forward with that case," he said.

"Since opening these proceedings, the OAG has on several occasions requested the Arab Republic of Egypt for information on developments in proceedings and the legal situation in Egypt in relation to the suspects in the Swiss investigation, and also with regard to the court judgments issued against these suspects in Egypt," the statement said.

According to the OAG, the Swiss prosecutors have made "a detailed analysis of the Egyptian judgments and decisions with regard to their potential impact on frozen assets in Switzerland."

The OAG said it has been "conducting its own inquiries into the origin of these frozen assets."

It said it would take account of the decisions of the Egyptian committee for the restitution of assets located abroad.

"The main challenges for the Swiss criminal proceedings," according to the statement, "remain the large amount of frozen assets and respecting the requirement to act promptly so that parties' rights are not infringed. The latter is important primarily because the Arab Republic of Egypt has the status of a private claimant in the Swiss proceedings."

During his visit, Lauber extended his condolences to Egypt after a recent terrorist attack on a Cairo Church that killed 25 people. He stressed his country's support for Egypt in its fight against terrorism.

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With just one month left until President Obama's steps down, renovations to his new home are underway with plans to upgrade the security system and transform part of the garage into a home office.

Barack and Michelle Obama are moving into a $5.3million home in Kalorama, one of Washington DC's most elegant neighborhoods, so 15-year-old Sasha Obama can finish out high school at the Sidwell Friends School.

Construction permits obtained by TMZ show the home will also be outfitted with an upgraded electrical system as well as a cat walk over one staircase.

With just one month left until President Obama's steps down, renovations to his new home are underway with plans to upgrade the security system and transform the garage into an office

Construction workers could be seen at work, with a dumpster, excavator, and tent pitched outside the stately, nine-bedroom home with eight-and-a-half bathrooms

Barack and Michelle Obama are moving into an 8,200 square-foot home in Kalorama, one of Washington DC's most elegant neighborhoods

They have decided to stay in DC so 15-year-old Sasha Obama can finish out high school at the Sidwell Friends School. Malia Obama is taking a gap year before heading to Harvard

The stately home has plenty of windows to let in the DC sunshine, hardwood floors, and large rooms - though not as large as White House rooms

There's an upstairs office, in addition to the one being built in the garage, suggesting there's plenty more to come from both Barack and Michelle Obama

Contractors could be seen at work, with a dumpster, excavator, and tent pitched outside the home.

While the stately home is situated just off the street, Secret Service will be guarding the property and an enhanced security system will be installed.

The rented pad is getting an upgrade fit for the former First Couple, including tighter security

Permits showed that the work will include installing of fencing, and a cat walk over an existing staircase

Workers appeared to be digging up the sidewalk in front of the large townhome

The brick townhome has beveled windows and a shingled roof and is in one of DC's most peaceful and expensive neighborhoods, not far from Dupont Circle and Georgetown

Workers were digging up an area in front of the home's gate, permits said extra security was being added

The contractors will also 'convert one garage stall into an office with [a] new bathroom,' according to permits obtained by TMZ.

There's already an upstairs office, in addition to the one being built in the garage, suggesting there's plenty more to come from both Barack and Michelle Obama.

They could sign book contracts for a combined $20million to $45million, according to the New York Times.

And while Michelle has said she just wants to enjoy the freedom to shop at Target, she also hinted at continuing her work to promote women's education.

Michelle Obama, who launched the Let Girls Learn initiative, told the crowd at the United State of Women summit: 'I am so excited to continue working on this issue not just for the next seven months as First Lady, but for the rest of my life.

'And its going to be good work, because there are a lot of good partners in this room. And I am so looking forward to really diving in,' she added.

Locals will no doubt be interested to know that the former First Couple will be moving into the tree-lined neighborhood

Following Donald Trump's election win, Barack Obama also hinted at his future in a conference call with Organizing for Action, a group that works to further his agenda.

He said: 'Im going to be constrained with what I do with all of you until I am again a private citizen. But thats not so far off.

'Youre going to see me early next year and were going to be in a position where we can start cooking up all kinds of great stuff to do.'

Barack and Michelle Obama could sign book contracts for as much as $45million, according to the New York Times, as rumors swirl over their plans after the White House

The first family is currently on vacation in Hawaii until the new year.

The Obamas are leasing the house from Bill Clinton's former press secretary Joe Lockhart and his wife Giovanna Gray, who works for Glamour magazine.
A personal assistant has claimed she was paid $150,000 to keep quiet about a two-year affair she had with the married CEO of Seven West Media.

Amber Harrison, 37, said she and Tim Worner, 55, began flirting back and forth over email and text message after both being in the same meeting, before starting a 'consensual' relationship in December 2012.

She said she would meet Mr Worner at her home to have sex and attended a number of events as a couple, including the Australian Open, according to the Herald Sun.

'I knew he was married. It was never about love. It was about sex and power,' Ms Harrison said.

'He likes having a bit on the side. I found our relationship, if youd call it that, thrilling to begin with.'

Amber Harrison (pictured) said she would meet Mr Worner at her home to have sex and attended a number of events as a couple, including the Australian Open

Amber Harrison, 37, said she and Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner (pictured with his wife Katrina) began flirting back and forth over email and explicit text messages before starting a relationship in December, 2012

On Sunday, Seven West Media confirmed Ms Harrison's claim of the inappropriate affair and said it was a private matter between Mr Worner and his family.

A Seven source said Mr Worner had apologised for the 'inappropriate relationship' in the past.

Ms Harrison said the affair ended in late 2014 after she became 'depressed' and started to suffer regular panic attacks.

She alleges Seven West then accused her of spending $262,000 on the company credit card and was sacked.

She said she was paid $100,000 in a settlement and claims the company agreed to pay her a further $350,000 after being made redundant, but never did.

Seven denied the investigation was a result of Ms Harrison's complaint to human resources, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Ms Harrison said the affair ended in late 2014 and claims Mr Worner, 55, began to ignore her in the office

Mr Worner lives on Sydney's northern beaches and has four children. In March, he and his wife Katrina (both pictured) forked out $9.5 million on an oceanfront home

Ms Harrison said she ended up informing human resources of the illicit relationship and alleged she was shifted to a new role in the company and paid almost $150,000.

She said she was asked to also sign paperwork to keep quiet about the relationship and was asked to delete the text message exchange between herself and Mr Worner.

But after two years of negotiations, she lodged a claim with the Australian Human Rights Commission in May of this year.

In March, he and his wife Katrina forked out $9.5 million on an oceanfront home on Sydney's Northern Beaches. The couple have four children.

He was appointed as the chief executive of Seven West Media in 2013 on a $2.6 million salary.

Mr Worner lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches and has four children

In March, Mr Worner and his wife Katrina forked out $9.5 million on an oceanfront home in Sydney's Northern Beaches (pictured)
Donald Trump will accept that Russia had a hand in the mid-election hacks on Democratic officials - but only if the FBI and the CIA can agree on the results - according to his Chief of Staff pick, Reince Priebus.

Priebus, who will join the new White House administration when Trump becomes President, made the remark in an interview on Fox News Sunday.

'I think he would accept the conclusion if they would get together, put out a report and show the American people they are on the same page,' he said, according to Fox News.

Acceptance: Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus said on Fox News Sunday that Donald Trump was willing to accept the CIA's conclusion about Russian hackers - at a cost

Agreement: Trump would only accept that Russia tried to sway the election if CIA director John Brennan (left) and FBI director James Comey (right) wrote a joint report, he said

Last week it emerged that a secret CIA assessment of the hacks on the DNC and Clinton campaign chair John Podesta were orchestrated by Russia to help Trump win.

And on Saturday it was announced that the FBI, having previously demurred when asked it if agreed, was now onboard with that.

But, Priebus says, he needs CIA Director John Brennan and FBI Director James Comey to produce the joint report.

But Priebus said that while he thinks the agencies 'almost' have an agreement, he has doubts about whether they were currently in accord.

''Not when you have multiple people saying different things through third parties and media reports,' Priebus said. 'It would be nice to hear from everybody.'

However, Trump's team are continuing to claim that the hacks - which saw the FBI's investigation into Clinton's emails being reopened in the final weeks of campaigning, and raise questions about the Clinton Foundation - had no bearing on the results.

'This whole thing is a spin job,' Priebus said. 'And I think what the Democrats ought to do is look in the mirror and face the reality that they lost the election.'

Another of Trump's advisers, Kellyanne Conway, dismissed all of the hacking claims as she spoke on CBS's 'Face the Nation' Sunday.

'Where's the evidence?' she asked.

Democrats say it's unlikely the public will ever hear detailed evidence because doing so would disclose classified sources and methods.

And when asked about President Barack Obama's vow to retaliate against the Russians, Conway said: 'It seems like the President is under pressure from Team Hillary, who can't accept the election results.'

Incoming: Priebus (right) was one of the first of the incoming administration to be named. He said without an official joint report it's hard to put faith in claims that FBI agrees with the CIA

Priebus's remarks, if correct, are a change in tone from Trump's previous announcements.

Several times he has denounced the conclusions as 'ridiculous' and said it is impossible to know who the hackers were, and implied that the Russia claims were a 'conspiracy theory.'

On December 12, three days after the initial report about the CIA conclusion, he tweeted: 'Unless you catch "hackers" in the act, it is very hard to determine who was doing the hacking. Why wasn't this brought up before election?'

'Can you imagine if the election results were the opposite and WE tried to play the Russia/CIA card,' he added. 'It would be called conspiracy theory!'

And on Thursday he said: 'If Russia, or some other entity, was hacking, why did the White House wait so long to act? Why did they only complain after Hillary lost?'

Doubt: Trump had previously expressed doubt about Russia being behind the hacks, calling the claims 'ridiculous' and arguing that it can't be figured out after the fact

Conspiracy theory: Trump implied that the Democrats' claims were conspiracy theories. His staff still say they don't think it affected the election

Also Sunday it emerged that Trump's pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is the director of a US-Russian oil company situated in the Bahamas, a tax haven.

Tillerson's ties to Russia have raised further questions about Trump's friendly attitude towards Vladimir Putin, and the involvement of Russia in the hacking scandal.

Elsewhere in international politics, growing tensions between the US and China took another twist when Trump tweeted that the country should just 'keep' the drone it had taken from the South China Sea.

A Chinese warship picked up the drone from the ocean Thursday, but later claimed it did not know it was American, and said it would be returned. The Pentagon says it is clearly labeled as US property.
Congressman Peter King is calling for an investigation into whether CIA Director John Brennan withheld information from Congress while leaking findings to the media.

King, a Republican of New York, questioned recent leaks from the intelligence community about whether the Russians used hacking to influence the American elections in Donald Trump's favor.

'We have supposedly [CIA Director] John Brennan leaking information to The Washington Post, to a biased newspaper like The New York Times  findings and conclusions that he's not telling the [House] Intelligence Committee,' said King, a former chairman and current member of the House Intelligence Committee, to ABC News' Martha Raddatz on 'This Week.'

Republican Rep. Peter King (left) has called for an investigation into whether CIA Director John Brennan withheld information from Congress while leaking findings to the media

King is wants to know more about recent leaks from the intelligence community about whether the Russians used hacking to influence the American elections in Donald Trump's favor. Brennan (pictured) has not been named as a source in any of the leaks

In the past week, sources in the intelligence community confirmed that a secret CIA assessment of the hacks on the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign chair John Podesta found they were orchestrated by Russia to help Trump win.

And on Saturday the FBI, which previously demurred when asked it if agreed, was now on-board with the assessment.

Yet the leaks, which did not name Brennan or FBI Director James Comey as sources, did not convince King, a senior Republican leader in Congress.

'There should be an investigation of what the Russians did, but also John Brennan and the hit job he seems to be orchestrating against the president-elect,' King told Raddatz.

'I'm not saying it didn't happen,' King added of the supposed hacking.

'I'm just saying we've been given no evidence on it, when we have these stories mysteriously appearing in the newspaper.'

King, a Republican of New York, questioned recent leaks from the intelligence community about whether Vladimir Putin's (left) Russia used hacking to influence the American elections in Donald Trump's (right) favor

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, said King's criticism against Brennan is unjustified.

'He has done a remarkable job at the agency,' Schiff told Raddatz on 'This Week.' 'I don't think he's trying to politicize this in any way.'

'I do think there's a consensus among the top leadership in the intelligence community, not only of who was responsible, but why,' Schiff added.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, said King's criticism against Brennan is unjustified

'And I think when the review is released by the administration within the next two or three weeks, I think the American people will see that.'

Schiff also said it was 'deeply damaging' for the president-elect to cast doubt on the intelligence capabilities of the country he was elected to lead.

'For the president-elect to continue to give the Russians deniability is deeply damaging to the country,' Schiff told Raddatz.

'He is doing damage to himself and to his ability to lead the country when he becomes president  we are going to have a national security crisis at some point,' he added.
'They came [to our home] and said

The son of a woman who was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Sydney's west on Sunday night has described how he tried desperately to call his mother following the crash, only for a police officer to answer her mobile phone.

A passerby found Javaher Rahimi, 66, lying unconscious in the middle of a road in Guildford, in Sydney's west, just before 9pm on Sunday and although she was rushed to hospital, the grandmother died from her horrific injuries.

'I tried to ring her phone, nobody answered,' her distraught son Mohammad Rahimi said on Monday morning.

'A third time when we ring, the police answered from Merrylands police station, and they came here and they said: "Unfortunately your mum has passed away."

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A passerby found Javaher Rahimi (pictured), 66, lying unconscious in the middle of a road in Guildford, in Sydney's west

The grandmother of 11 died in a hit and run on Sunday night. Pictured is her son Mohammed Rahimi

The 66-year-old had gone for her evening walk when she was struck about 9pm

Mr Rahimi said he checked her bedroom about 11pm after her usual evening walk and found that she was not there, alerting him to the fact something was wrong.

'Every night she go for a walk and sleep around 10 o'clock,' Mr Rahimi told Today. 'She normally went home it was around 11 and she wasn't in her room.'

The vehicle involved left the scene after the crash, and was last seen heading west on Hawksview Street.

Police are searching for the driver of a yellow Falcon sedan and any witnesses are urged to contact authorities.

'I tried to ring her phone and nobody answered and on the third time we called a police officer answered,' the woman's distraught son revealed

The vehicle involved (not pictured) left the scene after the crash




Children are trying drugs and alcohol at a younger age, with many having their first experience at just 12.

In 2003, children were waiting until they were 16 to start experimenting with drugs.

Sydney drug rehabilitation group Odyssey House says children are trying illegal substances at a younger age as Australia's ice epidemic worsens.

Children are getting high on drugs for the first time at age 12 compared with 17 in 2003, drug rehabilitation group Odyssey House says. (Stock image of ecstasy pills).

'Record numbers as ice addiction accounts for half of treatment seekers,' it said.

Children are getting drunk or drug affected when they are just 12 to 13 years old, compared with 16 to 17 in 2003, Odyssey House said in its annual report which analysed the age of people seeking treatment.

'Its a huge drop and it is scary,' chief executive Julie Babineau she told The Daily Telegraph.

The Sydney-based group is treating is treating eight children a month.

Australia's ice epidemic is getting worse, with addicts of this hard drug accounting for half all people needing help at Odyssey House in Sydney. (Stock image)

Drug addicts are getting hooked at a younger age as, with amphetamine use tripling in just a decade.

Harder drugs like ice appear to be replacing marijuana as the principal substance for addicts, with 49 per cent of Odyssey House residents being treated for ice use, compared with a record low of 11 per cent of marijuana.

'Ice is a very concerning health and societal problem,' Ms Babineau said.

Alcohol abuse accounted for one in five problems needing treatment at Odyssey House, compared with 11 per cent for heroin.
Police are hunting for a man who fatally shot a three-year-old boy while he was out shopping with his grandmother on Saturday.

Acen King was shot dead when a driver opened fire on his grandmother's car because she 'wasn't moving fast enough at a stop light,' police said.

His grandmother Kim King-Macon, 47, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was with the boy and a one-year-old when another driver stepped out of his car and started shooting, hitting the boy at least once.

Family and friends shared photos of the little boy on social media.

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Police are hunting for a man who fatally shot three-year-old Acen King (pictured) while he was out shopping with his grandmother on Saturday. Family and friends shared pictures of the toddler on social media

Acen (right) was shot dead when the driver opened fire on his grandmother's car because she 'wasn't moving fast enough at a stop light,' police said. His grandmother Kim King-Macon (left), 47, was with the boy and a one-year-old when the incident occurred

King-Macon said another driver stepped out of his car and started shooting, hitting the boy at least once. She then drove to this mall, where she realized her grandson had been hit and called police, but he later died at a hospital

King-Macon then drove to a nearby shopping center, where she called for police.

Cops responded at around 6.22pm and the boy was rushed to hospital, where he died.

The grandmother told police that a black Chevrolet Impala had pulled up behind her while she was parked at a stop light.

The other driver honked his horn, and King-Macon honked back, the police report said.

'A black male then exited [the Impala] and fired one shot', the report said. King-Macon then drove to the shopping center. It was only there that she discovered her grandson had been hit.

The grandmother (pictured) told police that a black Chevrolet Impala had pulled up behind her while she was parked at a stop light

Police Lt Steve McClanahan said investigators believe Acen (pictured) and his grandmother 'were completely innocent' and have no relationship with the shooter

Both King-Macon and the one-year-old who was also in the vehicle were uninjured in the attack.

Police Lt Steve McClanahan said investigators believe the boy and his grandmother 'were completely innocent' and have no relationship with the shooter, who is currently at large.

Police were seen Saturday night inspecting King-Macon's Dodge Charger, which was parked outside a JC Penney in the Shackleford Crossing shopping center.

No other description of the suspect has been released. Police have appealed to the public for help finding him.

Buckner (pictured) told press that no arrests have been made and the suspect is still at large

Investigators have been searching this car, right outside the store. pic.twitter.com/o4AlnPKQrK  David Lippman THV11 (@david_lippman) December 18, 2016

Little Rock - home of former President Bill Clinton - has seen two infants die in road-rage gunfire in the past two months.

In November, a two-year-old girl was killed while being driven by her mom, Shunta Johnson, 37, when the driver of a passing vehicle fired into it.

The shooter in that case hasn't been captured, and the girl has not been identified.

Police Chief Kenton Buckner said the road rage killings were frustrating for the police department and the community, especially because the young victims were 'very innocent' and 'can do very little to protect themselves.'

'We cannot have a community to where the least protected among us, being infants, who are dying these senseless crimes in our city,' Buckner said.

He said he didn't know if the children's shootings were related.
Ten weeks after she was born at Londons exclusive Portland Hospital, I am happy to report that Sir Tim Rices baby daughter Charlotte at last has a birth certificate.

But unfortunately, the document is missing a vital component  the fathers name.

Sir Tim, 72, has never denied that he fathered the child  his fourth  during a brief relationship with the academic and playwright Laura-Jane Foley earlier this year.

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Sir Tim, 72, has never denied that he fathered the child  his fourth  during a brief relationship with the academic and playwright Laura-Jane Foley earlier this year

However, the fathers name, occupation and signature have been left blank on the certificate, which is a public record.

According to friends of both parents, Laura-Jane had intended to give her baby the surname Rice-Foley, but has now settled on Foley instead.

I can also reveal that lyricist Sir Tim has agreed to contribute financially towards the cost of bringing up Charlotte.

Laura-Jane, 34, registered the birth at Westminster Register Office a week after the six-week time frame required by law.

Friends say she blames the delay on distress caused by a row over Charlottes surname.

Sir Tim also disagreed with Laura-Janes original plan to give her daughter the first name Florence.

According to friends of both parents, Laura-Jane had intended to give her baby the surname Rice-Foley, but has now settled on Foley instead

The fathers name, occupation and signature have been left blank on the certificate, which is a public record

The baby was called Rice-Foley originally, but Laura was so upset by Tim [preventing that] that she fled the register office in tears and went back the following week to register her baby as Foley, a source close to Laura-Jane told me.

The register office staff were very understanding and allowed her to register the baby after the six-week cut-off.

According to my sources, Laura-Jane believed that she and Sir Tim were going to move in together and she was hoping for a long-term relationship with the lyricist.

One source added: I understand that solicitors have been instructed on both sides to sort out an amicable future plan for Charlotte.

Laura-Jane and Sir Tim declined to comment last night.
James Packer's ex-wife Jodhi Meares recently revealed that she wasn't expecting to find love again at her age.

And now the 45-year-old designer has gushed about her photographer husband, Nicholas Tsindos, 29.

The Upside founder told Kate Waterhouse, in her column Date With Kate, that she and her man 'get along so well' despite living and working together.

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'We get along so well': Jodhi Meares, 45, has gushed about her husband Nicholas Tsindos, 29 (Pictured in September in Sydney)

'We're really great mates, so it's really nice if you go home and talk to somebody credibly, because I really love my work,' she noted, as she talked about her husband being the photographer on a lot of her label's shoots.

The former model added he gets driven 'mad' sometimes because she's so chatty, but said they work well together because they do communicate easily.

As she opened up about what attracted her to her new man, Jodhi noted that his kindness was key.

Smitten: As she opened up about what attracted her to her new man, Jodhi noted that his kindness was key

'He has got so many wonderful qualities, but he is incredibly kind and for me kindness is probably at the top of my list.'

Earlier this year, Jodhi told Sunday Style she wasn't expecting to find love again at 45 years of age.

'It was the last thing either of us was expecting at that time, but it was just one of those very magical things, and now we're married,' she said.

Declining to go into much further detail, she admitted that she became attracted to him because of his 'very creative and a very gentle soul.'

Candid: Earlier this year, the 45-year-old admitted she wasn't expecting to find love again

The pair married last December in Hawaii, where Jodhi has a home.

She was previously married to James Packer in 1999, but they separated in June 2002.

The former glamour model was last in a relationship with rocker Jon Stevens, with the then engaged pair having a highly publicised split.
Magdy Makeen died at a police station last month after he was arrested during a brawl with a policeman

Egyptian prosecutors ordered on Saturday a police officer and three low-ranking policemen detained for four days, pending investigation over the death of fish vendor Magdy Makeen in police custody last month.

The prosecutors released six other policemen detained for questioning over Makeens death on bail of EGP 3,000 each.

Last month, Magdy Makeen, a 53-year-old fish vendor, died at a police station in a working-class Cairo neighbourhood shortly after he was arrested during a brawl with a policeman.

An autopsy report by the state's forensic medicine authority said the post-mortem examination revealed Makeen had been subjected to torture, prosecutors said.

The four men face charges of "beating that led to death," causing injuries mentioned in the autopsy report, as well as "willfully harming their place of work (interior ministry)."

The policemen have denied physically assaulting Makeen or the two other people who were arrested with him.

Earlier this year, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi pledged to hold accountable policemen guilty of "violations" after a series of deaths in police custody, allegedly caused by torture, sparked public outcry.

The interior ministry has stated that such violations represent isolated incidents.

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After 18 years of marriage, their divorce was particularly rocky.

And now James Caan is facing a series of sizable payments to his now ex-wife Linda Stokes, according to TMZ.

The 76-year-old Godfather actor reportedly must pay $400,000 in retroactive spousal support and child support, a sum which will also cover their joint assets.

Cha ching: Now James Caan, 76, is facing a series of sizable divorce settlement payments to his now ex-wife Linda Stokes (couple pictured together in April 2014)

In addition, the Hollywood legend will pay $3,124 per month in child support until son Jacob, 18, finishes high school next year.

But the biggest impact will no doubt come from the continuing spousal support payments.

James will be responsible for paying Linda $5,000 a month until she remarries or one of them passes away.

During the initial divorce proceedings, James believed that the spending of his estranged wife Linda Stokes was forcing him to take bad roles in order to maintain their way of living and pay child support.

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James will be responsible for paying Linda $5000 a month until she remarries or one of them passes away (pictured in July 2016)

The legendary actor is known for his roles in iconic films such as The Godfather and apparently would like to retire amidst his recent medical issues.

Gossip site TMZ claimed that he was paying $13,000 a month in child support for their two boys together, 20-year-old James Arthur and 17-year-old Jacob but it appears that she is asking for more money.

Perhaps the most striking claim in the documents is that Caan feels the money issues are forcing him to take sub-par roles in order to keep up financially.

Legend: The 75-year-old actor is best known for his work as Sonny Corleone in 1972's The Godfather

Big role: He is also known for his work in 1991 flick For The Boys

According to TMZ the docs read: 'I am no longer willing to take parts in films and/or television shows which detract from the 50 years I have spent building my reputation.'

He goes on to say that he had to do a drama named Sicilian Vampire, released in the summer of 2015, which was 'humiliating' as the New York City premiere only had 50 people show up.

The claims came just months after Caan was rushed to the hospital in Toronto after complaining of chest pain, according to a September report from TMZ.

Luckily for the Hollywood vet he was not having a heart attack; rather he was suffering from a chest infection.

Interesting: The gossip site claims that he is currently paying $13,000 a month in child support for their two boys together, 20-year-old James Arthur and 17-year-old Jacob - pictured together in LA back in April 2007 - but it appears that she is asking for more money

Chip off the old block: One of Jame's more famous sons is 39-year-old actor Scott Caan

He was released soon after the visit as he was in the Canadian metropolitan city to film action comedy Operation Insanity

James - who has starred in 1975's Rollerball, 1990's Dick Tracy, 1992's Honeymoon In Vegas, 2003's Elf and 2014's The Outsider, among dozens of others - has been married four times.

In 1961, he married Dee Jay Mathis and had daughter Tara; they divorced in 1966.

Caan's second marriage to Sheila Marie Ryan (a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley) in 1976 was short-lived; they divorced the following year.

Lowpoint: TMZ claims the legendary actor was 'embarrassed' to star in drama Sicilian Vampire released last year as he feels like his reputation has been suffering due to the fact that he is forced to take roles

Their son, Scott Caan, who also is an actor, was born in 1976.

Caan was married to Ingrid Hajek from September 1990 to March 1994; they had a son, Alexander, born 1991.

He married Linda Stokes in 1995, they have two sons, James (born 1995) and Jacob (born 1998).

Caan filed for divorce on November 20, 2009, citing irreconcilable differences. They got back together and split again in January of last year.
Australian acting legend Cate Blanchett has made her Broadway debut in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of The Present.

Cate was joined by Richard Roxburgh on stage at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Saturday, with 11 other members of the all-Australian theatre company.

Speaking to Vogue, prior to taking the stage Cate Blanchett revealed when making her decision to focus on the STC, she wasn't thinking about her film career at all.

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Debut: Cate Blanchett has made her Broadway debut in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of The Present at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Saturday

'Someone said to me when Andrew and I were offered the job of running the theater "That is the most insane decision you could make. What's going to happen to your film career?" I didn't think about it. It'll either be there or it won't.'

The Blue Jasmine actress added: 'It's the interesting work and conversation that drive me, whatever the medium may be.'

When speaking of her role in The Present, Cate explained Anna is like the weather.

All Australian cast: Cate (L) was joined by Richard Roxburgh (R) on stage at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Saturday, with 11 other members of the all-Australian theatre company

'Emotional states come upon her one after the other, and you have to simply be inside the shifting states, which is either excruciating or thrilling.'

The Present is playwright and Cate's husband Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's Platonov and will officially begin January 8 and last for 13 weeks.

The preview performances however, started on Saturday.

Coming soon: The Present is playwright and Cate's husband Andrew Upton's adaptation of Chekhov's Platonov and will officially begin January 8 and last for 13 weeks

Andrew, Cate, and Richard, have dabbled in New York theatre before, including 2012's run of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya at the Lincoln Center - but never on Broadway.

Broadway critics have high hopes, with the New York Times' Ben Brantley telling readers 'I am licking my chops' in anticipation of the production.

The Present unfolds over the course of a birthday celebration in the post-Perestroika Russian countryside when old flames reignite.
She had ex Mark Wright's name removed from her bikini line during her TOWIE days, before getting former flame Jake McLean's moniker removed from her left wrist this year.

But Lauren Goodger has reportedly still had current boyfriend Joey Morrson's name inked on her right wrist in a tribute to him while he serves out his prison sentence.

The reality star, 30, is said to have made the move in an effort to show her commitment.

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Tatted: Lauren Goodger has reportedly had current boyfriend Joey Morrson's name inked on her right wrist in a tribute to him while he serves out his prison sentence

A source told The Mirror: 'Lauren is head over heels for Joey, she knows it's hard for him being in jail while she's on the outside so having his name tattooed on her wrist was the only way she could think to show him how serious she is about him.

'It's in a classic italic script, she wanted something "timeless".

'She also knows people disapprove of her choice of boyfriend - she knows he doesn't look like the ideal man on paper - but she believes he's good for her and having the tattoo was another way of showing everyone she doesn't care what people think..

Loved up: The reality star, 30, is said to have made the move in an effort to show her commitment to Joey (pictured)

MailOnline has contacted Lauren's representative for comment.

In May she told Ok! magazine she would be removing Jake's name from her wrist, adding: 'I've already started treatment to get rid of it. It probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had!'

This marks the second time Lauren has got an inking devoted to an ex removed; she famously got her 'Mark' tattoo honouring former fiance Mark Wright removed from her bikini line during an episode of TOWIE.

Lauren - who dated Jake on and off since 2012 before their break-up this Spring - also explained her decision to part ways with the ex-con in the new interview.

The reality star revealed: 'I fell out of love with him. I know some people say you wake up one day and things click, but that didn't happen to me; it was a gradual thing.

Tattoo removal: In May she removed ex Jake Mclean's name from her other wrist

Meanwhile Lauren reveals she's planning a baby with the convicted criminal next year.

Speaking to Closer, the starlet said that while she describes Joey as a 'close friend', she can't wait to become a mother.

She said: 'I'll have one [a baby] next year. I want one right now, really. Hopefully I'll have a little girl, but if I have a boy first, then it's fine because she'll have an older brother.'

'I'll have a baby next year': Lauren Goodger she is planning a family with convicted criminal Joey Morrison who is serving an 18-year sentence

Lauren's 'love interest' is currently serving an 18-year-sentence but is due to be released in a matter of months after serving half his time.

And the former TOWIE star couldn't be happier.

She told the publication: 'He's not a bad person because he's in prison. Yes, he's not been an angel but people deserve a second chance and his crimes never involved innocent people.'

Lauren calls Joey 'a beautiful person inside and out' and said she's said she wishes she could spend Christmas with him.

She said: 'I'm going to visit him over the Christmas period and I really wanted to see him on Christmas Day, but sadly the prison is closed.'

According to the Sunday People, Morrison is currently serving part of his lengthy sentence in HMP Standford Hill, Kent, where Lauren's visits have prompted rumours of a romance.

New romance? Lauren's 'love interest' is currently serving an 18-year-sentence but is due to be released in a matter of months after serving half his time

The prison is rated as category D open prison, meaning prisoners work within the community outside of the jail and there is a more relaxed attitude for visits.

Morrison, alongside accomplice Marvin Russell Jacobs, was convicted of possession with intent to supply, possession of a firearm, kidnap, blackmail, actual bodily harm and aggravated burglary following an eight-week trial at Wood Green in North London.

In one incident, the pair were accused of forcing their way into a home in Enfield and using a stun gun on a 27-year-old man while demanding 2million. When the victim told them the police were outside, the suspects fled.

The judge at the time said the victims were concerned in the supply of drugs.

Lauren's love life has often been thrust into the limelight, and her last serious relationship was with Jake McLean, who also spent time behind bars.

The couple first started dating in 2012 before splitting in 2013, only to rekindle their love for a few months between 2015 and 2016.

Former flame: Lauren's love life has often been thrust into the limelight, and her last serious relationship was with Jake, who also spent time behind bars

McLean was jailed for three-and-a-half years at St Albans Court in 2008 after being found guilty of conning his way into a mother's house two days before Christmas, overpowering her before a masked gang ran in and raided the family home.

Prior to her relationship with Jake, Lauren was engaged to co-star Mark Wright, following a rocky ten year relationship.

However, the couple split in 2012 and he has since gone on to marry actress Michelle Keegan.
Catherine McNeil has been enjoying the balmy Sydney summer since returning home, posting pictures from the beach and enjoying quality time with friends.

And on Wednesday, the chocolate haired beauty, 27, stepped out in Sydney's eastern suburbs to enjoy dinner at the trendy beach side restaurant Bondi Icebergs.

The Australian model, who recently returned from Paris, rocked her summer best in a bikini top and tiny shorts, flaunting her toned figure as she made her way to dinner.

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Back home! Catherine McNeil has been enjoying the balmy Sydney summer since returning home from New York, posting pictures from the beach and enjoying quality time with friends

The brunette beauty had her hair out and naturally waved as she walked down the Sydney street towards the restaurant after enjoying a day by the Bondi rock pools.

In addition to the black bikini top and tiny shorts, Catherine wore a heavy black jacket which she had unzipped for the outing.

She paired the outfit with heeled combat boots and beamed as she posed with her black leather bag slung over her shoulder as she walked to dinner.

Catherine, who is nornmally based in New York, wore an assortment of tiny rings on her hands but was otherwise rocking minimal accessories.

Brunette beauty: Catherine had her hair out and naturally waved as she walked down the Sydney street towards the restaurant after enjoying a day by the Bondi rock pools

Flaunt it: In addition to the black bikini top and tiny shorts, Catherine wore a heavy black jacket which she had unzipped for the outing

Accessorize! Catherine wore an assortment of tiny rings on her hands but was otherwise rocking minimal accessories

Her trim pins were on display as she walked to the front door of the fine dining eatery.

Taking to Instagram earlier that day, Catherine posted pictures of herself crouching beside the ocean showcasing her heavily tattooed back as she played with her dog.

The tall Australian model was joined by Willow Connell in the picture captioned with emoticons of dog paws.

The summery snap came after the slender fashion icon posted a snap readying herself to indulge in a banquet of junk food.

Looking good! She paired the outfit with heeled combat boots and beamed as she posed with her black leather bag slung over her shoulder as she walked to dinner

Legs for days! Her trim pins were on display as she walked to the front door of the fine dining eatery

Casual: Catherine cut a casual figure as she stepped out in the eastern suburb eatery

Burger rings, Doritos, Allen's Lollies and Corn Thins were among the sweet and savoury goodies that Catherine had with her for her day in the sun.

She captioned the image which also featured a friend of hers: 'Best thing about being home.'

A bottle of champagne and energy drinks were also seen in the snap, but it is not obvious whether these were taken along for the outing.

Catherine was seen cutting a similar figure in the same outfit later seen outside Bondi's Iceburg restaurant.

Beach day: Taking to Instagram earlier that day, Catherine posted pictures of herself crouching beside the ocean showcasing her heavily tattooed back as she played with her dog

'Best thing about being home': The summery snap came after the slender fashion icon posted a snap readying herself to indulge in a banquet of junk food

The 27-year-old found fame after winning the Girlfriend Magazine model search at fourteen and was part of the top 30 models of 2000 in Vogue Paris.

Catherine has recently been in Paris for work and is often seen posting pictures of herself in the French city - counting the days before coming home to Sydney.

Although Catherine is regularly seen cutting elegant figures in chic couture outfits her personal style is edgier than the fashion she dons in magazines.

The smouldering beauty often posts pictures of herself in barely there outfits which put her ample assets on display.
They might a world-famous Hollywood family.

But it seems the Hemsworth clan are just like the rest of us.

Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky, 40, took her twin sons Tristan and Sasha, two, to lunch in Malibu with her mother, Chris' parents, and brother Luke Hemsworth and his children on Saturday.

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Family time! Chris Hemsworth's wife Elsa Pataky (R) took her twin sons Tristan and Sasha, two, to lunch in Malibu with her mother Cristina (L), Chris' parents and brother Luke Hemsworth and his children on Saturday

The blonde actress looked casual for the day, wearing quilted black tracksuit pants and a grey army print jumper.

She teamed the look with a black scarf and white and red runners.

The Fast and Furious star had her short blonde locks tied back, off her face and into a high bun and appeared to be completely makeup free.

She appeared in high spirits and wore jewellery including a beaded necklace and studded earrings.

Low-key: The blonde actress looked casual for the day, wearing quilted black tracksuit pants and a grey army print jumper

A little chilly? She teamed the look with a black scarf and white and red runners

No fuss: The Fast and Furious star had her short blonde locks tied back, off her face and into a high bun and appeared to be completely makeup free (seen R with Chris' mother Leonie)

Familiar face: Seen is Chris' older brother, Luke Hemsworth and one of his daughters

Missing from the day was husband Chris, 33, who is believed to currently be filming.

Their older daughter India-Rose, four, was also not visible among the children in the photos.

Chris and Elsa are currently in Los Angeles, filming the real-life war drama Horse Soldiers, centering around CIA agents going into Afghanistan after 9/11.

Riding solo...almost! Missing from the day was husband Chris

Her boys! While the twins were there, Elsa and Chris's older daughter India-Rose, four, was not visible among the children in the photos

Working hard: Chris and Elsa are currently in Los Angeles, filming the real-life war drama Horse Soldiers

Interesting: It centers around CIA agents going into Afghanistan after 9/11

It would appear Elsa, who married Chris in 2010 after dating for several months, is playing Chris' love interest in the upcoming film.

She recently shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the couple in a bed together, writing on Instagram: 'Shooting with my on and off screen love'.

The pair are based in Byron Bay, where they have a beach side mansion.

Mixing business with pleasure: It would appear Elsa, who married Chris in 2010 after dating for several months, is playing Chris' love interest in the upcoming film

Casual: Luke was dressed in dark jeans with a black hooded jacket and grey T-shirt

Australian life: The pair are based in Byron Bay, where they have a beach side mansion

Doing well: Luke is known for his role in the American TV series Westworld and has appeared in films including Kill Me Three Times and The Reckoning

In September, Elsa told WHO Magazine that her husband Chris prefers her with no makeup on, when she opened up about their relationship.

'Like most men, he likes me with no makeup,' the beauty said.

The star added that it's 'nice' that Chris accepts her in her less than glamorous moments.

Down-to-Earth: In September, Elsa told WHO Magazine that her husband Chris prefers her with no makeup on

Sweet: The star added that it's 'nice' that Chris accepts her in her less than glamorous moments

Hollywood star: Elsa is known for starring in some of the Fast and Furious films and Snakes on a Plane

Hands on! Chris' mother pushed a shopping trolley and couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she spent some quality time with her family

Feeding the troops! The kids all tucked into pizza at the eatery

Fancy! It's believed Elsa drove off in a luxurious Audi 4WD
She's been busy planning her wedding to fiance DJ Ruckus - often seen keeping in shape for her big day.

And on Saturday, Shanina Shaik, 25, was back at it in the gym, before being picked up by her loving husband-to-be for a casual lunch in Los Angeles.

Shanina posted a picture to Instagram inside their car, captioned: 'Boo picked me up from my workout' and was later seen cutting a casual figure as she walked down an LA street.

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Cute: Shanina Shaik was treated to a casual lunch by DJ Ruckus after her doting husband-to-be picked her up from a training session in Los Angeles on Saturday

The brunette beauty wore an oversized jersey and black tights as she held her beau's arm while the loved up couple walked to lunch.

Her hair was tied back in a ponytail while the genetically blessed beauty appeared makeup free for the occasion.

Ruckus cut a similarly casual figure as he walked beside Shanina wearing a large windcheater, navy shorts and training tights.

Shanina and Ruckus paired their outfits with sneakers as they walked down the street.

Same but different: Shanina and Ruckus paired their outfits with sneakers as they walked down the street

The former Victoria Secret's runway model marked the occasion with a selfie in Ruckus' car after her training set.

The green-eyed beauty stunned beside her equally handsome beau as they made their way out together.

Last month Shanina hinted that her much awaited nuptials were imminent.

Casual: The brunette beauty wore an oversized jersey and black tights while Ruckus walked beside her in a large windcheater, navy shorts and training tights

Taking to Instagram the Australian model wrote: 'Soon Mrs. Andrews hehe.'

The post came as the pair enjoyed a romantic getaway together in the Bahamas, where they got engaged last December.

DJ Ruckus - whose real name is Greg Andrews - commented underneath to Shanina and one of their friends: 'Bout (sic) to change that last name! Lol!'

'Boo picked me up': The former Victoria Secret's runway model marked the occasion with a selfie in Ruckus' car after her training set

The pair announced their engagement in December after the DJ got down on one knee while they holidayed over the Christmas and New Years break.

The beauty - who is of Lithuanian, Pakistani and Saudi Arabian heritage - has previously told Daily Mail Australia that the pair will be having a 'location wedding.'

'We agreed it's going to be a location wedding. We're definitely going to have a long engagement and enjoy our time and then I'm very easy going,' she explained.

'Soon Mrs. Andrews hehe': Last month Shanina hinted that her much awaited nuptials were imminent

She added: 'We are just very 'go with the flow' but it's definitely going to be a beach. I love the beach'.

Shanina also told KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O in May that she won't get married in Australia.

At the time, the runway regular also admitted she hadn't yet decided when the wedding would take place, but said she and Ruckus were 'close' to finalising a date.
She's recently been linked to radio presenter David 'Luttsy' Lutteral and millionaire playboy Geoffrey Edelsten.

And on Thursday, The Daily Telegraph revealed Suzi Taylor was dating real estate entrepeneur Drew Davison.

But on Sunday, the star once again threw her relationship status into question, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'I'm very single'.

'Just have ur photo with me and apparently it'll be you': Suzi slammed the latest reports she was dating Drew Davison (left)

The declaration comes as Suzi took to Instagram to slam reports of any romantic relationships.

She posted a collage, which featured photos of herself with each of the three men she's been linked to recently.

'Last month I was apparently dating Luttsy....This week I was apparently dating Geoffrey....And now I'm apparently dating Drew....Who's Next??? Just have ur (sic) photo with me and apparently it'll be you,' the mother-of-three captioned the post.

Mixed messages: Geoff planted a kiss on Suzi's cheek when they were pictured last week and claimed the pair were dating

Suzi's avowal of her single status is a contrast to earlier claims by Geoffrey that he was romancing the Brisbane-based brunette.

Geoffrey told News Corp he felt 'euphoric' around Suzi, who he described as a 'beautiful looking lady'.

The two were snapped meeting at a party last Wednesday.

'Just friends': Suzi emphatically denied dating Geoff, despite his claims that he was romancing the brunette beauty

However, Suzi quickly quashed claims there was anything there, telling Daily Mail Australia, 'I met him at a soiree... I'm actually very friendly, we really hit it off!

'But we're just friends,' the buxom brunette insisted.

The following day, The Daily Telegraph published a report that Suzi had actually been dating Drew for about six months.

Show of support: Suzi is seen wearing a B4 cap - a business Drew is the founder and CEO of

The report quotes Suzi as saying: 'Yes, I am dating someone special and he rang me quite shocked about the suggestions [that she was dating Geoffrey Edelsten]'.

This comes after the Brisbane-based brunette also told KIIS FM's Summer Fling she was dating someone.

At the time, she refused to provide details about her relationship, saying: 'I think dating is a personal thing'.

'I'm very single': The star shut down the swirling romance rumours, telling Daily Mail Australia she was single

In several Instagram posts, Suzi has been seen sporting a B4 cap - the company of which Drew is the founder and CEO, adding fuel to the fire that she and Drew are an item.

However, the mum-of-three was clear with her claim, emphatically telling Daily Mail Australia, 'I'm very single. I'm single'.
Blac Chyna's Instagram account was hacked on Saturday - and the end result appears to be a world of hurt.

Chyna, 28, moved quickly to let her social media followers know that she had set up a new account.

'Just to let you all know thats not me on my IG page,' she explained in a video she shared after a series of messages claiming she had been cheating on Rob were posted on her original account.

'Thats somebody that hacked me And somebodys really, really, really, really, really mad,' she explained.

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Hitting back: Chyna posted videos Saturday explaining 'that's not me' after a series of messages claiming she had been cheating on Rob were posted on her original Instagram account

She then goaded the hacker: 'LOL post it all!!! Do it now!!! Don't keep the people waiting :)'

Then followed a series of screen grabs allegedly showing text messages between Rob Kardashian's fiance and her BFF Treasure.

There are also what purportedly show texts exchanged with Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, 18, and rapper Young Thug.

Still on social media: Chyna, who gave birth to Rob's daughter Dream last month, quickly alerted fans she'd set up a new official Instagram account

'Post it all!" The former exotic dancer appeared to egg the person who on had taken over her Instagram

In one lengthy conversation, the authenticity of which cannot be verified, the former exotic dancer appears to tell Treasure that she plans to give Rob a year to shape up otherwise she's leaving him.

'He's lazy, fat, insecure,' writes the 28-year-old, who became engaged to Kris Jenner's only son in April.

'Imma give rob 1 year to get it together or I'm gone,' she adds.

Her pal advises her to 'just stack ur money' and that 'Kris will make sure y'all stable always.'

Were engaged: Just a couple of days ago, Rob shared some cute snaps of himself and Chyna looking happy together as they cuddled and kissed

The two then chat about what Chyna is going to do to get Rob 'in line.'

'I don't wanna treat him like Tyga but I will,' the former exotic dancer texts. 'Imma slap the s*** outta him.'

Chyna was previously engaged to the Rack City rapper with whom she shares son King Cairo, four.

Tyga is currently in a relationship with Rob's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner, 19.

Pamper session: As a hacker posted a series of text messages allegedly between her and several others including Jaden Smith, Young Thug and BFF Treasure, the former exotic dancer was busy having her wig trimmed, as she shared on Snapchat

The first of the messages posted by the hacker was written as if Chyna herself was posting.

It claimed she had 'left Rob' and 'taken the baby'.

After Chyna hit back with her new account, the tone of the messages changed, and they admitted to being a hacker - but said they would expose Chyna for cheating on her Kardashian fiance.

Hacked: A suspicious message was posted online by Chyna's account, claiming she had left Rob and 'taken the baby'

Whoever was posting then began posting a string of screen grabs alleged to be text messages exchanged between Rob's fiance and other guys including Will Smith's son Jaden Smith.

Jayden appeared keen to meet up with Chyna to talk about his friend Kylie Jenner's romance with the former exotic dancer's ex Tyga.

'This Kylie-Tyga s*** is sus,' the teen wrote, suggesting he was scandalized by Kylie's relationship with the much older recording artist.

'I think we need to sit down with a glass of wine and talk about our feelings,' he allegedly told Tyga's former fiancee and mother of his son.

This series of texts appeared to show Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, 18, suggesting her and Chyna meet to discuss the 'scandalous' relationship between her ex Tyga and Rob's younger half-sister Kylie Jenner, 18

Rapper Young Thug and Chyna exchanged messages, again that can't be authenticated, about meeting up and making money, probably by making sure they got photographed together by the paparazzi to create some drama for the Rob and Chyna storyline.

Rob's fiance tells Young Thug: 'Ok so uma pop up at your next show.... then we goin to get caught in the mall spending a lil check Udigg?' (sic).

The 'check' no doubt refers to the money the two of them would make by tipping off the paps and getting a share of the proceeds from the sale of the pictures.

Friends; Chyna allegedly reached out to rapper Young Thug with one word 'Need!' and plenty of kissing emojis

Money maker: However, the later posts suggested the two were exchanging messages about how to meet up and have paparazzi take photos of them together and then split the proceeds

Carefree: The mother of two said she didn't care what anyone else would think because she just wants to make money

Whoever was posting on Chyna's account also wrote: 'I have all the messages with Chyna and her lawyer on how her plan was to marry Rob and trademark the name Kardashian and texts saying that was the only way to do it and that she is then going to win.'

The message, which cannot be verified, refers to her attempts to trademark the name Angela Kardashian, ahead of her marriage to fiance Rob Kardashian.

Her attempt was blocked by lawyers for the Kardashian family - a move which was said to have caused some strife.

An exchange between Chyna and someone the hacker claimed was her attorney revealed the ex-stripper's determination to trademark the Kardashian name and make money off it once married to Rob

The 28-year-old, whose real name is Angela Renee White, says she's not going to tell Kris (Jenner) about her plan and that she doesn't want people to think she's 'shady' 'Until me win'.

After all the riveting messages were posted, Chyna managed to raise even more questions on Saturday night.

Apparently the mother of two was able to regain control of her original Instagram account @blacchyna, only to delete all of the explosive messages and instead post a reminder that Rob and Chyna's Baby Special is set to air on Sunday at 8pm on E!.
Paris Jackson gave her godfather Macaulay Culkin a pedicure while in Manhattan on Saturday.

The 18-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson - who boasts 2M followers - joked: 'Model? nah i paint hipsters toenails for a living.'

The 36-year-old Golden Globe nominee is also said to be the godfather of the late King of Pop's sons Prince, 19; and Bigi (formerly Blanket), 14.

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'Model? nah i paint hipsters toenails for a living!' Paris Jackson gave her godfather Macaulay Culkin a pedicure while in Manhattan on Saturday

'The best godfather ever!' The 36-year-old Golden Globe nominee is also said to be the godfather of the late King of Pop's sons Prince, 19; and Bigi, 14 (pictured in March)

The former child star was only 11 when he befriended Jackson - who died in 2009 - on the 1991 set of his John Landis-directed Black and White music video.

And when Michael was on trial in 2005, Macaulay testified that the molestation allegations were 'absolutely ridiculous' and he was found not guilty on all 14 charges.

Culkin amassed a $15M fortune by age 12, and later worried fans with his 2004 arrest for drug possession as well as his emaciated look in 2012.

This year, the Junior author ended his acting retirement with gigs in Compare the Meerkat adverts, Adam Green's Aladdin, and TV Land's The Jim Gaffigan Show.

History: The former child star was only 11 when he befriended Michael Jackson - who died in 2009 - on the 1991 set of his John Landis-directed Black and White music video

Loyal: And when Michael was on trial in 2005, Macaulay testified that the molestation allegations were 'absolutely ridiculous' and he was found not guilty on all 14 charges

Paris can certainly relate to Macaulay's struggles having joined AA after allegedly slashing her wrists and overdosing on pills back in 2013.

And according to Page Six - the privileged heiress receives $8M annually of her estimated $100M inheritance as well as additional bonuses at ages 18, 33, and 40.

Meanwhile, Jackson's ex-wife #2 Debbie Rowe - who's the birth mother of Paris and Prince - underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy to battle her breast cancer.

Downward spiral: Culkin amassed a $15M fortune by age 12, and later worried fans with his 2004 arrest for drug possession as well as his emaciated look in 2012

Looking healthy! This year, the Junior author ended his acting retirement with gigs in Compare the Meerkat adverts, Adam Green's Aladdin, and TV Land's The Jim Gaffigan Show

'She's my rock, she's amazing,' the 58-year-old dermatology nurse - who was diagnosed in July - told ET in October.

'She's been with me the whole time. She was there. First phone call, [it] took her 30 seconds [to reach out] when she found out.'

The heavily-tattooed teen gushed on Instagram at the time: 'I'm a fighter because she's a fighter. love you mom!'

Times Square hot dog: 18-year-old Paris can certainly relate to Macaulay's struggles having joined AA after allegedly slashing her wrists and overdosing on pills back in 2013

MJ's only daughter: The privileged heiress receives $8M annually of her estimated $100M inheritance as well as additional bonuses at ages 18, 33, and 40

'Love you mom!' Meanwhile, Jackson's ex-wife #2 Debbie Rowe - who's the birth mother of Paris and Prince - underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy to battle her breast cancer

On Thursday, Paris revealed she was working on 'a shoot' following her modeling spread in Flaunt magazine three months ago.

The homeschooled blonde's long-delayed acting debut as the titular role in Lundon's Bridge: and the Three Keys is supposedly scheduled to be released December 2017.

As always, the 5ft9in millennial was joined in the Big Apple by her 26-year-old live-in boyfriend, drummer Michael Snoddy.

On Thursday, the heavily-tattooed teen revealed she was working on 'a shoot' following her modeling spread in Flaunt magazine three months ago

Coming out? The homeschooled blonde's long-delayed acting debut as the titular role in Lundon's Bridge: and the Three Keys is supposedly scheduled to be released December 2017
They fell in love in an unconventional way, when they met on the fourth season of The Bachelor Australia starring Richie Strahan.

But Megan Marx and Tiffany Scanlon have struck a chord with same-sex couple's across the country posting loved-up snaps together across Instagram.

On Sunday, the couple who hail from Western Australia, posted a bikini-clad snap which saw them cuddling up to one another - while flaunting their toned physiques.

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Bikini babes: Megan Marx has posted a bikini-clad snap with girlfriend Tiffany Scanlon which sees the couple cuddling up to one another

Megan, who was seen staring adoringly into Tiffany's eyes, captioned the loved-up picture: 'Drunk on Miff and sun.'

The blonde duo sat on the dunes of a beach in their hometown of Perth, while Tiffany placed her hand on Megan's knee.

Megan rocked a pair of dark shades, a revealing green bikini and had her long locks out for the occasion.

'She colours my world': The loved-up couple are often seen posting pictures together, as seen in another post, this time on Tiffany's Instagram, which saw the pair out to lunch together

Tiffany also donned a pair of dark shades, but chose to wear a red bikini and also wore her hair out.

The green and red bikini's are synonymous with the festive season and perfectly captured the Australian Christmas spirit.

Fans gushed about their romance, with one follower commenting: 'You both inspire the LGBT community and the world.'

Healthy: The pair are often seem staying fit together and embarking on adventures across Australia together

The loved-up couple are often seen posting pictures together, as seen in another post, this time on Tiffany's Instagram, which saw the pair out to lunch together.

'She colours my world,' wrote the smitten blonde, who sat beside her girlfriend Megan while sipping on a green drink.

Megan and Tiffany have been practically inseparable since filming stopped on the Bachelor earlier this year.

What's going on here? The loved-up couple also set tongues wagging earlier this year with naked snaps which hinted at their previously rumoured relationship

They confirmed their relationship to Daily Mail Australia in November at Maxim's Hot 100 party.

Tiffany said that the pair confessed their love in June during a trip together to Bali, Indonesia.

'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'',' said Tiffany.

In love: Megan and Tiffany confirmed they were in love to Daily Mail Australia in November after rumours of their relationship emerged after they posed naked eating spaghetti

The pair are often seem staying fit together and embarking on adventures across Australia together.

The loved-up couple also set tongues wagging earlier this year with naked snaps which hinted at their previously rumoured relationship.

Meanwhile, Megan recently revealed she had hoped her relationship with Tiffany would 'normalise' same-sex relationships in an impassioned post to Instagram.

Support: Other celebrities have also thrown their support behind marriage equality including Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue

'I've been wanting my story with Tiffany to 'pleasantly' and without force try to help normalise same-sex relationships and desires,' she wrote.

Since then, Tiffany has also posted her thoughts on same-sex marriage and followed Megan by writing her thoughts on social media.

She wrote: 'I'm actually wondering how many more letters will be added to the LGBTIQ label before it's accepted that love has NO LABEL.

'We are all part of the same community': Tiffany posted her thoughts on marriage equality after Megan took to social media in the hope of 'normalising' same-sex couples

'We are all part of the same community regardless of gender, sexuality, religion or race,' she added next to a picture of herself with Megan.

Both have been advocating for change across the country, as policy on same-sex marriage remains dormant.

Other celebrities have also thrown their support behind marriage equality including Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue.
A Cairo Court of Misdemeanour Cassation ruled Sunday in favor of an appeal by jailed journalist and novelist Ahmed Naji to suspend the implementation of his two-year prison sentence, pending a final verdict in a 1 January 2017 session.

Khaled Ali, a member of Naji's defence team, told Ahram Online that the court has instructed jail authorities to release Naji, while imposing a travel ban on the writer.

Naji, who is currently serving the two-year term in Tora prison in south Cairo, was sentenced in February 2016 by a misdemeanor court for publishing a sexually flagrant article in the state-owned cultural newspaper Akhbar Al-Adab in 2015. The article was an excerpt from Naji's novel The Guide for Using Life.

Naji was originally acquitted in January but the prosecution successfully appealed the ruling, with Naji being convicted the following month.

Since February, Naji has failed three times to halt the execution of the sentence pending appeal, only succeeding in his fourth attempt.

The initial decision to refer Naji to prosecution came after one of Akhbar Al-Adabs readers, known as Hani Saleh Tawfik, filed a legal complaint claiming that the text in question caused him to experience heart palpitations and an extreme feeling of sickness along with a sharp drop in blood pressure due to the alleged indecency of the text.

The Egyptian parliaments constitutional and legislative affairs committee rejected in December proposals by two MPs to abolish jail terms for those convicted of publishing materials that violate public decency, state news agency MENA reported.

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Alli Simpson spread festive cheer as she attended the Dance For Kids Holiday Party on Saturday.

The blonde looked stunning in an-all black ensemble as she danced with kids from Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to help raise funds for 170 hospitals in America and Canada.

Alli, who is a teen ambassador for the organisation, was joined at Avalon nightclub in Hollywood by hosts Alison Holker and Stephen Boss, and Pitch Perfect star Adam DeVine.

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Ambassador: Alli Simpson, who is a teen ambassador for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, spread festive cheer as she attended the Dance For Kids Holiday Party on Saturday

The sister of pop star Cody, the 18-year-old cut a stylish figure as she was pictured at the event.

Alli wore a short black dress, which showed off some leg, with a turtle neck collar and a black suit-style jacket.

The Gold Coast native completed her outfit with a pair of knee-high suede boots and an eye-catching red handbag.

Beauty: The blonde looked stunning in an-all black ensemble as she danced with kids from Children's Miracle Network Hospitals to help raise funds for 170 hospitals in America and Canada

Dressed to impress: The sister of pop star Cody, the 18-year-old cut a stylish figure as she was pictured at the event

The radiant teen wore her flowing blonde locks down as she applied bright red lipstick to her plump lips.

Alli later took to Twitter to share a snap of her with film star Adam, who cut a casual figure in a shirt and jeans.

She tweeted that she'd had a 'great day' at the Los Angeles event with her fellow ambassador as they put smiles on faces at the event.

Social stars: Alli later took to Twitter to share a snap of her with film star Adam, who cut a casual figure in a shirt and jeans

Luscious locks: The radiant teen wore her flowing blonde locks down as she applied bright red lipstick to her plump lips

Dance partner: Alli also shared a video of her dancing with a young girl at the fundraiser before she lovingly picked the youngster up

Her tweet accompanying the video read: 'The kids of @CMNHospitals light up my world - proud to be teen ambassador.'

Alli also shared a video of her dancing with a young girl at the fundraiser before she lovingly picked the youngster up.

Her tweet accompanying the video read: 'The kids of @CMNHospitals light up my world - proud to be teen ambassador.'

The charity organisation later shared a clip of Alli doing some more dance moves with a smartly dressed young boy at the inaugural running of the event.
Casey Affleck plays one of three naughty elves in a hilarious sketch from the latest episode of Saturday Night Live.

The actor, who was the evening's host, along with SNL stars Kenan Thompson and Vanessa Bayer, were three elves who purposefully misbehaved in the hopes they would be punished by Mrs. Claus in a skit that aired on Saturday.

'Yeah punish our smooth little bodies!' Casey, 41, asks Mrs. Claus.

They're definitely on the naughty list! Casey Affleck, who was the evening's host, along with SNL stars Kenan Thompson and Vanessa Bayer, were three elves who purposefully misbehaved in the hopes they would be punished by Mrs. Claus on Saturday

Not getting it: Confused by their requests, Mrs. Claus instructs the three elves to whip a dish up for Santa Claus

Confused by their requests, Mrs. Claus instructs the three elves to whip a dish up for Santa Claus.

But the trio purposefully botch the order and can hardly contain their delight when Mrs. Claus returns and expresses disappointment.

Misbehaving: The trio purposefully botch the order and can hardly contain their delight when Mrs. Claus returns

'He won't make any noise!' Vanessa says with a smile as she puts the end of Casey's hat inside his mouth

'Why don't you funnel that anger right into our butts!' Casey says.

'Don't worry,' Vanessa says with a smile as she puts the end of Casey's hat inside his mouth. 'He won't make any noise!'

'Send us to dinner without any dinner or pants!', Kenan also offers.

Look who's here! Santa Claus also paid a visit

Someone needs their coffee: Casey, who is the younger brother of Ben Affleck, also starred in a hilarious sketch as an angry and annoying Dunkin Donuts customer who appears in a commercial for the company

Casey, who is the younger brother of Ben Affleck, also starred in a hilarious sketch as an angry and annoying Dunkin Donuts customer who appears in a commercial for the company.

'I'm like, the mayor of Dunkin's!' he shouts while standing by the exit, one hand out of the door with a lit cigarette.

Casey then gets into an argument with an employee, who confronts him about smoking inside the restaurant.

No smoking allowed: Casey then gets into an argument with an employee, who confronts him about smoking inside the restaurant

Taking the stage: The evening saw Chance The Rapper perform twice

It's a hit: He also performed his song, Same Drugs

The evening saw Chance The Rapper perform twice, including his song Same Drugs.

Kate McKinnon returned as Hillary Clinton, who goes to an elector's front door and encourages her to vote for anybody but Donald Trump.

Alec Baldwin also returned to the show with his portrayal of Trump, as he was joined by comedic actor John Goodman who played the role of the president-elect's prospective Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Getting personal: Kate McKinnon returned as Hillary Clinton, who goes to an elector's front door and encourages her to vote for anybody other than Donald Trump
She's just finished wrapping up for the year on Home And Away.

And Pia Miller looked to be enjoying some family time when she posted an adorable snap to Instagram on Sunday alongside her niece.

The 33-year-old is pictured in a makeup free selfie wearing her hair in Princess Leia style buns.

Hair And Away! Pia Miller looked to be enjoying some family time when she posted an adorable snap to Instagram on Sunday alongside her neice

Her gorgeous niece has her blonde locks styled in the same way and is seen beaming from ear-to-ear next to her famous auntie.

Recently, Pia has been making the most of her summer break, flaunting her slim figure at Coogee Beach on Saturday before flying to Melbourne with her son.

The actress sizzled in a stylish black swimsuit while showing off her flawless complexion and messy hair.

Beach babe! Pia Miller is making the most of her holidays, spending Saturday at Coogee Beach, Sydney before travelling to Melbourne with her 13-year-old son Isaiah

Pia appeared to have taken a dip in the ocean as she appeared make-up free and perfectly windswept.

She playfully smiled for the camera, as her beachy brunette hair fell across her face.

The swimsuit, which retails at $160 from Heyy Dream Swim in Geelong, accentuated Pia's slender waist.

Holiday mode! Pia plays police officer Katarina 'Kat' Chapman on TV soap Home And Away, which finished filming for the year on Friday

Later that day, the mother-of-two travelled to Melbourne with her son Isaiah.

The Chilean-born beauty posed for an Instagram photo with the 13-year-old as they sat in a car together.

'Melbourne hangs with my little man,' she wrote in the caption, alongside the hash tag: 'Son love'.

Doting mother: Pia and her eldest son, 13-year-old Isaiah, shared an Instagram as they spent time together in Melbourne on Saturday

Son dates! It comes just days after she took her youngest son Lennox on a family 'date'

Pia kept up her summery look with a daisy print outfit and a light application of natural-look makeup.

It comes just days after she took her youngest son Lennox on a family 'date', and shared photos of the trip on Instagram.

Isaiah and Lennox have two different fathers, but share a close relationship with each other.
She was the angelic looking blonde who won over The Bachelor's Blake Garvey's heart in Australia's season two.

And it appears Louise Pillidge is slowly transitioning back to her lighter locks after numerous hair colours since the pair's public split earlier this year.

The 28-year-old has been busy taking to Instagram with selfies that showcase the transformation of her luscious tresses.

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Back to blonde? Ex-Bachelor star Louise Pillidge flaunts lighter locks in time for summer... after transitioning to brunette after splitting with Blake Garvey earlier this year

Louise posted a picture on Saturday from the Gold Coast with the sun shining through her open window and onto her lighter ends.

While flaunting her new hair she displayed her enviable frame in the mirror shot in a coastal-style ensemble.

She wore white denim shorts that showcased her trim pins and a frilled off-the-shoulder top with polka-dots.

The lighter 'do may be an indication that she's going back to her original hairstyle, as seen when she was on the reality matchmaking show.

Getting there: Louise's hair is currently the closest it has been to its shade when she was on the reality show since dying it shortly after her breakup in April

Split: Since breaking up with the indecisive Blake Garvey (pictured) in April Louise has redefined her look in many ways

Since breaking up with the indecisive Blake Garvey, who infamously chose Sam Frost at the finale before breaking it off to be with her, in April Louise has redefined her look in many ways.

During their public breakup, the pair both insisted it ended on good terms.

'We love each other so much. Weve got so much respect for each other; weve been through the worst of the worst when it comes to it,' Blake then told Today Tonight.

'Were good friends; weve always had an amazing friendship [but] when youre trying to move forward, its hard to keep on being reminded about what happened,' Louise added in the interview.

And it was only a matter of weeks before she debuted her warmer blonde look, as well as a refreshed makeup and brow application.

Breakup hair? It was only a matter of weeks before she debuted her warmer blonde look on social media, as well as a refreshed makeup and brow application

Since her initial dye, she only went for a warmer, golden blonde hairdo for a short period of trime before taking the plunge and going entirely brunette

Since her initial dye, she went for a warmer, golden blonde, before taking the plunge and going entirely brunette.

With the spotlight now long behind her, the ex-blogger enjoyed a very low-key Saturday night by working out alone in the gym in recent weeks.

While working a more chocolate brown 'do, she took to Instagram with a gym selfie

'My wild Saturday night,' joked the solitary brunette as she shared a photo of herself standing in the empty health club.

Work it! With the spotlight now long behind her, the ex-blogger enjoyed a very low-key Saturday night by working out alone in the gym in recent weeks

New look: While she often credits her changing look on her social media accounts to eye brow artists, makeup artists and hairstylists, at the time her initial transformation begged the question of whether she had undergone cosmetic procedures

While she often credits her changing look on her social media accounts to eye brow artists, makeup artists and hairstylists, at the time her initial transformation begged the question of whether she had undergone cosmetic procedures.

After sporting a darker set of locks for four months, it appears the former Bachelor contestant is making the journey back to blonde.

Just in time for summer, the Australian stunner has been embracing a more sun-kissed look of late in Queensland's Gold Coast.

It's unsure whether the star has begun dating since the public split from Blake.

Looking fresh! Just in time for summer, the Australian stunner has been embracing a more sun-kissed look of late in Queensland's Gold Coast
Viewers have been watching his heartbreaking battle with dementia since the start of the year.

But Ashley Thomas' storyline is only set to get more upsetting as 2016 draws to a close - as the character appears to forget Christmas in the upcoming festive special.

The former vicar, played by John Middleton, is seen becoming confused and scared at a church carol service as his memory continues its decline in the episode, which airs on Christmas Day.

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Heartbreaking: Ashley Thomas' dementia storyline is only set to get more upsetting next week, as he appears to forget Christmas in the upcoming festive special of Emmerdale

In new stills from the Christmas special, Ashley is seen heading to a carol service with his wife Laurel and daughter Gabby, on the day of her birthday.

His wife, played by Charlotte Bellamy, informs their friends in the village that he was 'not having a good day', and may not be strong enough to attend the service.

However after still making an appearance, Ashley, who is suffering from vascular dementia, appears to become confused half way through - causing himself and his family to panic.

Decline: The episode sees him attend a church service with wife Laurel and daughter Gabby - before he becomes confused and scared in front of all the other guests

The scene is set to be incredibly heartbreaking, with the father-of-three attending with his children and elderly father Sandy, as well as him being a former vicar, making the location of a church service more poignant.

The dramatic scenes come after doctors warned Ashley that his condition had worsened, before he collapsed during a family day out on Friday's episode.

However there are set to be more positive moments airing in the special, which will no doubt be equally as emotional.

Devastating: The scene is set to be heartbreaking as Ashley attends with his children and father Sandy, as well as him being a former vicar, making the church location more poignant

One moment reportedly sees Gabby discovering that Ashley, despite his crippling confusion, had remembered to wrap a number of Christmas presents for the family.

John has been portraying a slowly declining Ashley since October last year, when it was first revealed he was showing early signs of the disease.

The Thomas family have faced heartbreak ever since - with the loving father lashing out at his wife Laurel, and forgetting his baby daughter Dotty at her christening in just a few of his confused moments.

Emmerdale then announced in October that they would be airing a special episode from the character's point of view - in order to 'give people an insight into how ordinary, day-to-day experiences can become disorientating and distressing when refracted through the lens of dementia.'

The actor recently opened up to The Sun about his desires to make Ashley's condition as authentic and relatable as possible.

He explained to the paper: 'It's watching someone diminish.

'We had to do this accurately and the way you do that is from the research, because we've always maintained that this story will come from real stories.'

He added: 'We want to portray something people can identify with and think to themselves, Were not alone.''
The KIIS FM host is known for her brilliant singing voice and outspoken nature.

And Sophie Monk's social media followers were not shocked to discover she had documented her trip to the hairdresser with very risque captions.

As she was having her hair dried on Saturday, she couldn't resist sharing a short video on Instagram with the caption '@jakeoba is blowing me sooo good'.

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Naughty naughty! Sophie Monk documented her trip to the hairdressers on Saturday with very risque captions

In the clip, she appears to close her eyes in happiness before refocusing the camera on her hunky hairdresser, Jake Williams.

Afterwards, she shares before and after pictures of her new hair extensions, which lengthen and thicken her blonde locks.

Later that day, the radio star showed off her new look in public, dining with a stylist friend.

Sophie shared a video of the brunette trying her first mussel, which was fed to her over the table.

Before and after! The radio host had hair extensions put in and happily showed off her new look afterwards

It appeared the fishy food was not quite to the woman's taste though, as she cringed her way through the experience.

Sophie recently announced her latest project, a reality show focused around her own family.

Her parents Sandi and Andrew are set to appear in the series, alongside her younger sister Lucy.

'The characters in my family are hilarious,' Sophie told Mamamia earlier in the week.

'My dad's hilarious, he's oblivious and doesn't even know I'm on TV. And he loves the camera, he'll do anything,' she added.
She's the glamorous model who recently graced the Victoria's Secret runway.

And on Saturday, exotic Australian-Indian model Kelly Gale showed exactly why she is one of the world's most sought after models.

Taking to Instagram, the 21-year-old beauty shared a selfie displaying her seriously long legs.

Legs have it! On Saturday, exotic Australian-Indian model Kelly Gale showed exactly why she is one of the world's most sought after models.

Wearing a pair of tiny denim hot pants and thigh high lace up boots, the brunette sent fans into a frenzy as she flaunted her trim pins.

One fan wrote: 'how long are your legs omg' while another posted, 'Omg your legs go on 4eva!'

While several user just decided to write 'legs'.

New Yorker: The former playboy model also posted a pic of herself walking through New York smiling at the camera and tossing back her thick locks

The former playboy model also posted a pic of herself walking through New York smiling at the camera and tossing back her thick locks.

She captioned the post: 'Can't get the smile off my face, Xmas holidays here I come!'

A few weeks back, Kelly took a snap while backstage at the Victoria's Secret fashion show last month.

If you've got it, flaunt it! Sizzling hot Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale has shares an incredible selfie showcasing her stunning figure and ample bust

'After show before the party,' she captioned the photo she shared with her 523,000 followers.

Kelly rose to international stardom after walking for the renowned designer in 2013 and then again in 2014, with her runway appearance in November marking her third.

What a stunner! The 21-year-old brunette beauty is making waves in the modelling world

Kelly, who has walked for the likes of Chanel and Ralph Lauren, shared her excitement with The Daily Telegraph calling the experience a 'dream come true.'

'When I walk (at the VS show) there's just a million emotions and thoughts that run through my mind,' explained Kelly.

'I started dreaming about this show when I was 13, and saw Adriana Lima on the runway, so it really is a dream come true,' she added.

'I started dreaming about this show when I was 13': Kelly had her dream of becoming a Victoria Secret's Angel come true in the label's Paris show

'When I walk (at the VS show) there's just a million emotions and thoughts that run through my mind,' she told The Daily Telegraph

Joined by her long time boyfriend Johannes Jarl, Kelly debuted her wings in France at the 2016 Victoria Secret's Paris Fashion show.

Johannes and Kelly are often seen plastered across each other's Instagram walls, and were pictured embracing in the street's of Paris in a snap uploaded by the VS model.

Taking to Instagram, Johannes expressed how proud he is of his girlfriend writing next to a picture of her from the show and wrote: 'Kelly completely owned the show.'

Dare to bare: In September, Kelly posed for sizzling hot topless pictures in Playboy

Kelly shared her own excitement ahead of taking the Paris runway by posting pictures of special Angel airline tickets which she received to jet off to Paris.

The brunette bombshell broke into the modelling industry after being discovered outside a coffee shop in Gothenburg, Sweden when she was just 13-years-old.

She received her big break in 2012 after being asked to walk in Chanel's pre-fall fashion show and has since gone from strength-to-strength.

Selfie time: Kelly's social media accounts are flooded with sexy selfies

In September, Kelly posed for sizzling topless pictures in Playboy revealing a little bit about herself.

She said: 'Women in Sweden are treated with a revolutionary level of respect that is unsurpassed in history.

'Still the biggest obstacle is appreciating - and incorporating - each gender's uniqueness into society.'

City of love: Kelly is often seen posed with boyfriend Johannes Jarl who joined her in France for the show. The two were seen embracing in the street's of Paris in a snap posted to Instagram
She touched back down in the UK on Monday after a glorious break in Barbados.

But it seems Lottie Moss is already missing the sunshine after less than a week in the chilly London temperatures, as she posted a throwback bikini snap to her Instagram on Saturday.

The 18-year-old flaunted her enviably slim figure and peachy derriere by posing with her back to the camera in the cheeky photo.

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Take me back! Lottie Moss was clearly missing the sunshine of Barbados on Saturday as she posted a throwback bikini snap to her Instagram

Despite the stunning backdrop of the crystal blue sea, Lottie's incredible model physique took centre stage in the snap.

Sporting just a skimpy grey bikini, her rounded behind and toned and tanned pins were clear for all to see as she posed with her head turned towards the camera.

Cutting low at the side, the barely-there two-piece also gave a sexy glimpse of side boob as she soaked up the sun in the sizzling shot.

Joining the fray: Not the only one wishing to get back into the holiday spirit, BFF Jess Woodley then posted another beach side shot - showing off her toned stomach in denim shorts

Looking completely relaxed on the beach with naturally tousled hair and dressing her face with oversized sunglasses, she captioned the shot wistfully:'Can I just be back here please'

Not the only one wishing to get back into the holiday spirit, best friend Jess Woodley, who joined Lottie and Alex on the island, then joined in with the reminiscing on social media.

Posting another beach side snap to her Instagram, the Made in Chelsea star showed off her impressively toned stomach and killer golden tan in a set of unzipped shorts as she captured a photo of the stunning view.

Lottie has been lamenting the end of her Caribbean break with Jess and boyfriend Alex Mytton all week - posting another sun-soaked bikini snap on Wednesday.

'Here come the Barbados pics!': It seems that Lottie Moss is already lamenting the end of her break in the Caribbean with her boyfriend Alex Mytton

Having just arrived back in the UK on Monday, the Calvin Klein stunner looked to be missing every aspect of island life.

Promptly taking to her Instagram page, the Vogue cover girl posted a series of snaps which saw her flaunting her incredible figure in an array of skimp swimwear.

Having only posted a smattering of pictures during her actual time on the island, it seems that Lottie was keen to share more snippets of her holiday with her 86,400 follower.

The first photo in her digital deluge showed the model stood in front of the crystal clear sea, though thanks to her tiny bikini her derriere drew most of the focus.

Peachy pictures: Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, the 18-year-old model couldn't resist flooding social media with sun-soaked bikini pictures taken during her holiday on the island

Bikini babe: Promptly taking to her Instagram page, the Vogue cover girl posted a series of snaps which saw her flaunting her incredible figure in an array of skimp swimwear

As she uploaded the first of her images she was clearly aware that some may get fed up of her stream of sun-soaked snaps, so she made sure her first photo was captioned: 'Here come the Barbados pics...'

She then went on to upload another very similar photo, though this time the model is showing off her best blue steel look as she turns around to stare into the camera.

Again Lottie couldn't help but draw attention to her peachy bum, thanks to her pose, captioning the shot: 'Let me know when u have seen enough pics of my bum [sic].'

All loved-up: Having only posted a smattering of pictures during her actual time on the island, it seems that Lottie was keen to share more snippets of her holiday with her 86,400 follower

Other snaps included a cheeky loved-up snap of her and Made In Chelsea beau Alex, 25, which pictured him pinching her bum.

The two love-birds haven't been afraid of packing on the PDA while they were away, with the two frequently seen frolicking in the sea or rolling around on the beach.

And despite her own admission that she was a third wheel on the couple's holiday, it seems Jess Woofley, Alex's ex and MIC co-star, was another thing that Lottie was going to miss.

Just before the trio departed Barbados on Monday, Lottie posted a sweet snap of herself and the E4 star cuddling up together as they stared out across the sea.
She's best known as radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands' girlfriend and for her risque outfits.

And over the weekend, Imogen Anthony did not fail to disappoint her fans as she stepped into a black flesh baring dress she designed herself.

The 25-year-old exhibitionist exposed her slender thighs, taut stomach and lithe arms in the revealing ensemble.

Racy! Imogen Anthony did not fail to disappoint her fans as she stepped into a black flesh baring dress she designed herself

Pairing the dress with a multi-coloured wig and matching sunglasses, the blonde beauty went makeup free for the occasion.

She captioned the post: 'Are you deranged like me?

'Are you strange like me? Lighting matches just to swallow up the flame like me. Dress is my own design.'

Natural habitat: Imogen took off the wig and headed down to what appeared to the pub where she stood next to a set of gaming machines dressed in a python emblazoned T-shirt and tight leggings

The next day, Imogen took off the wig and headed down to what appeared to the pub where she stood next to a set of gaming machines dressed in a python emblazoned T-shirt and tight leggings.

She captioned the post: 'In her natural habitat.'

Last week, the Maxim model was pictured at Palmbu Celebrity Charity Party in Sydney wearing a skimpy black playsuit and denim jacket.

Imogen, who recently revealed she will avoid the sun and embrace her 'inner, paler self,' let her platinum blonde locks fall effortlessly over her slender shoulders.

That look: The 25-year-old glamour exposed her slender thighs and lithe arms in her revealing ensemble

Meanwhile, Imogen has been with radio star Kyle for over five years.

The busty blonde met her beau at his 40th birthday shortly after his break-up with former wife Tamara Jaber.
She stunned at Victoria's Secret runway in Paris.

And now Bridget Malcolm has completed the final of her model duties for this year, she is busy working out for the next season.

Showing off her chiselled abs and lithe limbs in her latest Instagram post, the 25-year-old is pictured working out on a Pilates machine.

Werking it! Now Bridget Malcolm has completed the final of her model duties for this year, she is busy working out for the next season. Showing off her chiselled abs and lithe limbs in her latest Instagram post, the 25-year-old is pictured working out on a Pilates machine

She captioned the post: 'My new favourite workout in Perth! Killed me and I will be back for much more!

Last week the model posted a selfie wearing underwear.

With one arm raised to sweep her blonde locks off her face, the catwalk star smiled as she snapped the photo while standing in front of the hair and makeup mirror.

'Yolo': Bridget Malcolm isn't shy about flaunting her chiselled abs and lithe limbs as she completes her final modelling job for this year

But in response, one fan expressed their concerns over her weight posting: 'You have the most beautiful face and i know you are doing A lot of sport and you seem to be healthy but you are so thin (sic).'

The post came after the Perth-born beauty spoke out against internet trolls who accused her of having an eating disorder.

The slender Victoria's Secret model firmly told The Daily Telegraph this week that she doesn't suffer from the 'horrific' disorder.

Hot off the runway: The 25-year-old walked the runway at this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris last month

Breaking her silence: The slender model also recently slammed online trolls who accused her of having an eating disorder

The blonde beauty also used the opportunity to take a jab at the haters and online trolls who made the accusations in the first place.

'There's a whole world out there beyond your screen. Go fill your short time on this earth seeing it,' said the fed-up star.

The Perth-born beauty explained that a model's job is like that of an athlete's - in that being health-conscious and taking good care of their bodies is part of her job.

'I don't have an eating disorder': The Victoria Secret's model denied that she has an eating disorder after trolls questioned her on social media

'It's so irrelevant to who they are as a person': The Perth-born model also spoke candidly about body shamers in an interview with Stellar magazine recently

Speaking to Stellar magazine recently the vegan spoke candidly about her experience with 'body shamers'.

'Whether it's fat or skinny-shaming, it's such a superfluous thing to do to someone,' said the Seafolly model.

It's a topic Bridget has become all too familiar with, having made headlines last year after responding to social media trolls who claimed she had an eating disorder.

'Can we STOP with the skinny shaming please?' she wrote at the time.

'I am extremely fit and healthy and am not in the slightest way anorexic': Bridget previously insisted her slim frame comes naturally and with hard work at the gym

'I am extremely fit and healthy and am not in the slightest way anorexic.'

She explained: 'I have worked hard to look like this and am proud of my body.

'I may not be the curviest but I am a woman who has every right to look the way I do.

'Maybe today take a look inside yourself and wonder why you feel the need to shame strangers over the Internet about their bodies.'

Bridget previously spoke to Daily Mail Australia about trolls, saying: ' I know that those people are hurting inside and I hope that they find some happiness really.'
Egypt's Foreign Ministry has denounced "in the strongest terms" a suicide attack in Yemen's Aden on Sunday, which killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers.

The attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State group (IS), is the latest in a string of deadly bomb attacks against recruits in the war-torn country's second city.

Military officials and medics said many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding the house of Colonel Nasser Sarea, the head of special security forces in Aden.

The incident took palce in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban military base.

Yemeni authorities have been fighting a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.

IS group and its militant rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.

Egypt is part of a Saudi-led military coalition against Iran's backed Hothi rebels in Yemen since March 2015.

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The Dan and Maz Show is no more.

Dan Debuf and Maz Compton signed off for the last time during their weekend 2Day FM breakfast show on Sunday after four years working together for Southern Cross Austereo.

The pair resigned to pursue careers outside of radio and the show's Facebook page was quick to thank listeners for an 'awesome' stint on the airwaves.

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Cut-off: Dan Debuf and Maz Compton signed off for the last time during their weekend 2Day FM breakfast show on Sunday after four years working together

The post read: 'Like many of you, we're off on Christmas holidays, but next year, we won't be coming back.

'It's been awesome doing this show for the last four years, and thanks so much for all your love!'

The presenters themselves, who first joined forces on an evening show on Hit Network in 2013, also took to social media to pen farewell messages.

New start: The pair resigned to pursue careers outside of radio and the show's Facebook page was quick to thank listeners for an 'awesome' stint on the airwaves

Duo: The presenters themselves, who first joined forces on an evening show on Hit Network in 2013, also took to social media to pen farewell messages

Maz used her Facebook page to express her gratitude to fans before she focuses her attention on her budding fitness business.

She said: 'Bye bye radio land (for now). It's my last weekend on air at Southern Cross Austereo. What a roller coaster four years.

'Thanks to all the legends that have tuned into the show in the many different time slots and to the super rad teams we've worked with.'

Social star: Maz used her Facebook page to express her gratitude to fans before she focuses her attention on her budding fitness business

Radio head: Co-host Dan was saying goodbye to radio after nearly a decade behind the microphone after he started his career at Nova 919 in Adelaide back in 2007

Co-host Dan was saying goodbye to radio after nearly a decade behind the microphone after he started his career at Nova 919 in Adelaide back in 2007.

The comedian, who has taken to the stage at two Melbourne International Comedy Festivals, didn't reveal what his future may hold in an Instagram post bidding goodbye to their show.

He captioned a photo of his desk: 'hanging up the headphones. after almost a decade of doing radio, i guess it's time to try something else thanks for some pretty awesome memories/photos with celebs/free promo gifts, radio (sic).'

The duo were sacked and moved to their weekend slot in October last year after Southern Cross Austereo announced that Rove McManus and Sam Frost would be taking over their flagship weekday breakfast show.
He's the Australian fashion model who has sparked rumours of love interests with numerous women in the past.

And Jordan Barrett has sparked further romance gossip when he was seen receiving a welcome home kiss from model Tahnee Atkinson.

The 20-year-old was greeted at the airport by the former ANTM winner on Sunday, and embraced her with a cuddle and kiss.

New couple alert? Jordan Barrett arrives back in Sydney to a welcome home kiss from model friend and former ANTM winner Tahnee Atkinson on Sunday

The pair looked pleased to see each other as they chose to hug as soon as the model had walked through the gate.

Jordan cut a casual cool figure in black pants, a hoodie and jacket as he pushed a trolley stacked with two suitcases and a shopping bag.

He was greeted by his equally dressed-down friend Tahnee, who appeared to be picking him up in track pant bottoms, slides and an off-the-shoulder, mid-drift baring top.

Welcome home kisses: The pair looked pleased to see each other as they chose to hug as soon as the model had walked through the gate, with other passengers still exiting the welcome screen behind him

Pick up duties: Carrying her keys and phone in her hands, it appears Tahnee had volunteered to pick Jordan up from the airport as they walked towards the parking lot

They're believed to have shared a kiss in front of other airport travellers in the arrival terminal, before walking towards their vehicle.

Tahnee, who has in recent weeks been spotted with Jordan out-and-about in Sydney, carried her keys and phone in hand as they walked towards the parking lot.

Jordan accessorised his look for the long hail flight with grey sneakers and black glasses.

Cosy chic! Jordan cut a casual cool figure in black pants, a hoodie and jacket as he pushed a trolley stacked with two suitcases and a shopping bag

Go way back: Tahnee has been seen in recent weeks with Jordan out-and-about at Sydney events and hanging out on their days off

He has arrived back in Sydney, following his quick trip to Paris and New York where he was seen hanging out with Hailey Baldwin.

During a night out, photos of the pair in a photo booth seductively posing sent fans into overdrive questioning whether they were an item.

In the past Jordan had developed a reputation as a cougar hunter after being linked to older blonde women such as Kate Moss, Paris Hilton and Lara Stone.

What does Tahnee think? He has arrived back in Sydney, following his quick trip to Paris and New York where he was seen hanging out with Hailey Baldwin. During a night out, photos of the pair in a photo booth seductively posing sent fans into overdrive questioning whether they were an item




Bruce Springsteen has given a candid insight into how mental illness struck his family and all of their internal relationships.

Admitting that he has suffered with depression in his past, the 67-year-old described his battle to be like 'Churchill's black dog' when it jumps up and bites.

The legendary musician was appearing on Radio 4s Desert Island Discs when he divulged the powerful grip of mental illness on his life.

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Top performer: Bruce Springsteen (here last week) has admitted that he has suffered by a grip of depression in the past

'There was just a lot of illness that ran through my family,' he said. 'On the Irish side in particular, but even somewhat on the Italian side also.

'Depression, mental illness, just swept through my family and kind of gets passed down.'

'It's usually OK,' he added. 'Then once in a while Churchill's black dog jumps up and bites you.

'I've developed some skills that help me deal with it but still it's a powerful, powerful thing.'

Hard to shake: The musician (here with Gina Gershon, right) described the mental illness like 'Churchill's black dog'

Bruce went on to explain that the condition was worst in his father, not to mention the knock-on effect for other members of the family.

The musician spoke of his dad's 'gruff' exterior and how it affected their relationship, which was eventually repaired in later life.

His father Douglas was a bus driver of Dutch-Irish descent who resented his sons ability to express the very feelings he was bottling up, the musician explains.

He added: My dad had a sort of gruff exterior but inside he could be quite soft and sensitive.

'The qualities he had inside were the things I wore on the outside. They were just difficult for him to deal with.

Opening up: Springsteen (pictured in 1975) told Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs that he was embarrassed about his curly hair when he was a teenager

He went on to say: What I was interested in doing was creating some order and a safe environment for myself because my childhood felt very unsafe.'

And Bruce did not gloss over his early life during his honest on-air talk with presenter Kirsty Young.

The musician talked about his years as an awkward teenager who was embarrassed about his curly hair and would spend ages practising dance moves alone in the hope of attracting a girl.

The star, whose hits include Dancing In The Dark and Born In The USA, says: Before I played the guitar I realised that girls loved to dance.

'So I spent quite a bit of time in my own mirror practising the different dance moves of the day [until] I was good enough to get the girl.

He even told Kirsty that he was less happy with the way he looked, saying he thought he was pretty hideous'.

He adds: I would use my mothers hairclips to pin my hair down and then I would sleep on it exactly right on the pillow because I had Italian curly hair.
She wrapped season three of The Real Housewives of Melbourne months ago.

But Pettifleur Berenger, 51, still appears to be up to her cheeky antics.

The Melbourne reality star took to Instagram on Saturday sporting a sexy French maid outfit while pretending to be a living Barbie doll.

'Would you like a Real Housewives Barbie for Christmas?' Pettifleur Berenger pretends to be living doll in revealing, sexy French maid costume, as she shares a picture to Instagram from within a larger-than-life Barbie doll box on Saturday

The star appeared to hold a white cloth in her dainty hand, while kicking her high heel up towards her while posing in the larger-than-life Barbie doll box.

The revealing outfit skimmed high up her thighs, as she posed with one hand on her hip in the black and white doily-frilled costume.

She captioned the post, in part: 'Would you like a Real Housewives Barbie for Christmas? Hopefully coming soon from @barbiestyle.'

Would you like a Real Housewives Barbie for Christmas?': The reality star posed in her revealing maid outfit that skimmed high up her thighs as she addressed her 30,000 Instagram followers

The image-conscious women of The Real Housewives franchise are known for their preened appearances, perfect bodies, and attention-grabbing antics.

So it was no surprise when Pettifleur took to Instagram in recent months to flaunt her impeccable physique in nothing but lacy lingerie.

The self-proclaimed fitness fanatic, who hails from Sri Lanka, was the latest in a string of Housewives stars to showcase their age-defying bodies on social media.

Flaunt it! Pettifleur took to Instagram in recent months to flaunt her impeccable physique in nothing but lacy lingerie

Stunner! The Arena TV star recently wore a designer Zian Couture gown with gold detailing to an all-star poker night

The Arena TV star recently wore a designer Zian Couture gown with gold detailing to an all-star poker night.

The Melbourne-based property developer cut an elegant figure while posing for snaps in the corset-style bodice frock.

Pettifleur and her seven fellow Housewives of Melbourne cast members are due to return to screens in 2017.
It is traditionally a show about new life, old fashioned values and solidarity amongst hard working nurses shortly after the birth of the National Health Service.

But a rather more contemporary issue has affected relations on the set of hugely popular BBC drama Call the Midwife as it prepares to return with an annual Christmas special on December 25.

Speaking to the Sunday Express, actress Judy Parfitt  best known as softly spoken Sister Monica Joan on the hit show  admits she frequently admonishes her younger cast-members for using their mobile phones between takes.

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Not happy: Call The Midwife star Judy Parfitt  best known as softly spoken Sister Monica Joan on the hit show  admits she frequently admonishes her younger cast-members for using their mobile phones between takes

I tell them off! Theyve all got their iPhones and it just drives me mad! she said.

Judy, 86, added that co-star Jenny Agutter is one of the biggest culprits and all too often gets a scolding from the veteran star.

Jenny Ive told off so many times! I say For Gods sake, put that f***ing thing away! she revealed.

Serial offender: Judy added that co-star Jenny Agutter is one of the biggest culprits and all too often gets a scolding from the veteran star

The actress will return to Call the Midwife for a one-off special on Christmas Day as the cast leave their native east London and travel to South Africa, where they offer much needed assistance at a poverty stricken hospital.

The period drama about a group of convent based midwives working in impoverished surroundings in the late fifties and early sixties - little more than a decade after the birth of the NHS - has been a huge hit with viewers following its launch in 2012.

The fifth series, set in 1961, ended in March and saw the dramatic conclusion of a Thalidomide storyline in which Doctor Turner discovered that drugs he prescribed are responsible for a spate of birth defects.

Success: The period drama about a group of convent based midwives has been a huge hit with viewers following its launch in 2012

Jenny, 63, who plays compassionate Sister Julienne, recently explained the quality of the writing is what lures viewers in.

She told the Daily Mail: 'It's wrong to assume the only way now to entice a TV audience is by sexualising a show.

'I think the viewers will come if the quality of the writing and the acting is good enough in the first place.

'People look for good programmes and I think sometimes being commercial means ticking boxes, but not always the right boxes.'

The show, which also stars Miranda Hart, Jessica Raine and Helen George, is expected to return with a sixth series in 2017.
She was last seen jetting to LA with a quirky pink 'do.

But it was back to blonde for Petra Stunt, 28, on Saturday, as the socialite stepped out with her daughter Lavinia, three, and mum Slavica Ecclestone, 58, in Beverly Hills.

The mother-of-three looked glam for the family outing, wearing a full face of makeup and her golden locks in a small quiff, while the remainder fell over her shoulders in loose curls.

All the girls: Petra Stunt, 28, stepped out with her daughter Lavinia, three, and mum Slavica Ecclestone, 58, in Beverly Hills on Saturday

She sported an eye-catching zip-up jacket, which was an explosion of colour, over a plain brown top.

The blonde teamed them with ankle-length blue jeans and a quirky pair of blue velvet loafers with furry heels.

Petra held Lavinia's hand as they went to board a large black limo to take them to lunch at E Baldi.

Eruption of colour: She sported an eye-catching zip-up jacket, which was an explosion of colour, over a plain brown top

Dinner time: Petra held Lavinia's hand as they went to board a large black limo to take them to lunch at E Baldi

Slavica showed where Petra gets her good genes from, looking years younger then her age.

The Croat covered up with a super-snug fur gilet which she wore with an eye-catching patterned scarf.

She matched the items with skinny jeans and grey UGG boots, while she wore sunglasses atop her head.

Hand in hand: The mother-of-three looked glam for the family outing, wearing a full face of makeup and her golden locks in a small quiff while the remainder fell over her shoulders in loose curls

It has been a difficult 2016 for Petra, whose 70 million London pad was firebombed back in May.

She took to social media in August to defend herself against trolls who criticised her appearance after she shared a picture of her lips looking fuller.

Then in September, police raided her husband James Stunt's gold bullion firm as part of an investigation into a multi-million pound fraud.

Speaking at the time, a spokesman for Stunt said he had been left reeling by the scale of the suspected theft from his business.

Age-defying: Slavica showed where Petra gets her good genes from, looking years younger then her age

Mr Stunt is in his Los Angeles home and was shocked to learn of the raid on Fowler Oldfield and the accompanying arrests, he said.

He was also shocked by the simultaneous exercise of a search warrant at the companys London offices...The company was already conducting an internal investigation into the disappearance of very significant sums of money... which appear to have been misappropriated.

Although no assistance has been sought from Mr Stunt, he intends to cooperate fully with the authorities if requested. He is due to return to London in the next few days.

The same month, Stunt's brother was also found dead in his 3.5 million Berkshire home.
From her fabulous floating diamond $1.25m engagement ring, to the $4.5m upgrade, Kim Kardashian sure loves her diamonds.

But it was a bling-free zone as a bare-faced Kim made a rare excursion with her children North and Saint on Friday night, with just her simple gold wedding band on her finger.

Still recovering from the terrifying Paris heist - in which she was bound and gagged as jewellery worth $8.5million was snatched - she presented a pensive face to the world.

Restrained: Bare-faced Kim Kardashian looks pensive as she leaves the jewels at home for outing with North and Saint on Friday night

Bling-free zone: She was wearing a simple wedding band in the shots by X17, however her diamonds were noticeably absent

The 36-year-old sat behind the wheel of her top of the line Range Rover, with her children safely buckled into their car seats, and her childhood best friend Brittny Gastineau beside her.

Kim held a hand to her face, appearing to bite her nails, as she drove past photographers.

Noticeably absent was the large diamond which has festooned her finger since Kanye West popped the question back in 2013.

Not the Kim we know: Still recovering from the terrifying Paris heist - in which she was bound and gagged as jewellery worth $8.5million was snatched - she presented a pensive face to the world

The pricey replacement with which Kanye marked his multi-million dollar Adidas deal earlier this year was snatched from her finger in the October robbery - leaving Kim understandably reluctant to flaunt her jewels.

While this is not the first time she has been seen since the traumatic heist, it is a rare outing for the once irrepressible Kim.

She is said to have ramped up her personal security to new levels, having replaced the team working for her at the time of the incident three months ago.

Lots on her mind: It's certainly not been an easy few months for the mother-of-two, who has also had to support husband Kanye West after he suffered a mental breakdown

Divorce rumours: Sources say that she is standing by her husband, and the two are working through any issues together

It's certainly not been an easy few months for the mother-of-two, who has also had to support husband Kanye West after he suffered a mental breakdown.

The 39-year-old rapper was rushed to hospital in Los Angeles with suspected 'temporary psychosis', brought on by exhaustion, in November.

The hospital stay came after weeks of rumours about the state of the couple's marriage.

However sources now say that she is standing by her husband, and the two are working through any issues together.

The Queen of bling: Kim is seen in early October wearing her upgraded $4.5m ring, which was snatched in a terrifying heist a few days later

A source told People magazine: 'The divorce claims come from before he had the breakdown. She didn't know what was up with him and they weren't spending time together. She didn't know it was a mental breakdown.'

On Saturday night Kim's family suffered a further setback, after her brother Rob was dumped by fiance Blac Chyna.

The reality pair split, with Chyna taking daughter Dream with her as she moved out of the home they shared amid a series of mounting accusations on both sides.
His association with James Bond is understood to be in doubt following a year-long silence regarding his future involvement with the long running franchise.

But the pending decision to appear in what will be his fifth Bond film were put on hold as Daniel Craig stepped out for lunch in a bitterly cold New York City on Saturday afternoon.

The British actor, 48, was dressed appropriately in a thick sheepskin coat and blue woollen beanie hat as he idled on a snow laden sidewalk.

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Licence to chill: The pending decision to appear in what will be his fifth Bond film were put on hold as Daniel Craig stepped out for lunch in a bitterly cold New York City on Saturday afternoon

Daniel rounded off his look with a pair of slim fitting jeans, while chunky winter boots proved to sensible additions to a very seasonal ensemble.

The actor is understood to have left MGM bosses 'panicking' after going 'off grid' for a year, while film bosses are desperate to sign him up as the famous secret agent.

Executives have now started planning for the next installment of the successful movie franchise, which is set for release in 2018, without knowing if the British actor will take part.

The speculation rises: 007 star Daniel Craig, 48, has left MGM bosses 'panicking' after keeping mum for a year on his decision to star in Bond 25

Speaking about the sticky situation, a source told the Daily Mirror: 'Daniel and MGM are currently at a stalemate with him having not spoken to them about Bond.

'They have offered a bigger wage deal, and asked about his filming availability to his reps in 2017, but as yet they have not spoken to Daniel'.

Continuing on about the flick's timeline, the source revealed: 'They want Bond 25 out in October 2018, but currently they have no Bond, film dates or knowledge of when that will change.'

But despite 'so much hanging in the air', Daniel hinted strongly back in October that he may not want to turn his back on 007.

MailOnline has contacted representative for Daniel for comment.

Keeping mum: The British actor has been 'off grid' for a year from film bosses who are desperate to sign him up as the famous secret agent

Speaking at the New Yorker Festival, he told the audience: 'I got the best job in the world doing Bond. The things I get to do on a Bond movie and the type of work it is, there's no other job like it.

'If I were to stop doing it  just say  I'd miss it terribly. It's one of the most thrilling things as an actor you can do.

'I love this job. I get a massive kick out of it. And, if I can keep getting a kick out of it, I will.'

Reports initially surfaced that Daniel would be quitting the franchise after he stated that he'd 'rather slash his wrists' than do another Bond film.

'They have not spoken to Daniel': The star has been offered a 'bigger wage deal' and asked about his availability for 2017 but have yet to hear from him

However, the comments were made at the end of a gruelling press tour.

Speaking further to journalist Nicholas Schmidle, the performer also stated that the franchise's principals, including producer Barbara Broccoli, were also focused on different projects.

Broccoli will be producing the off-Broadway production of Othello, which Daniel will star in himself from November through to January.

He's also soon set to star in the drama TV series Purity, giving front-runners Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and Aidan Turner the chance to nab the role of the womanising MI6 agent.

However, Callum McDougall, who has been a producer on a host of the Bond films, said neither he nor fellow producers Michael Wilson and Barbara hope to see a changing of the guard.

'I got the best job in the world': Daniel hinted strongly back in October at the New Yorker Festival that he may not want to turn his back on 007

'We love Daniel': Callum McDougall, who has been a producer on a host of the Bond films, said neither he nor fellow producers Michael Wilson and Barbara hope to see a changing of the guard

Asked who would be next to fill 007's tuxedo, he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'I wish I knew. We love Daniel, we would love Daniel to return as Bond.

'Without any question, he is absolutely Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson's first choice and I know they are hoping for him to come back.'

Asked if the job was his if he wanted to sign up for another film, he said: 'Absolutely.'

Another blow for Bond came with the announcement that director Sam Mendes - who helmed the last two movies Spectre and Skyfall - was to step away from the franchise.
Emma Stone's success in La La Land is taking her on a European tour.

For her travels the red-haired starlet chose trains over planes, arriving at Paris's Gare du Nord station from London Saturday evening.

Afterwards, the 28-year-old refueled with some Parisian cuisine at a local restaurant.

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Euro trip! Emma Stone hid beneath a simple hat arriving in Paris Saturday wearing her Acne Studios white boots

The Spiderman starlet's face was barely visible beneath a dark cap which also camouflaged her signature auburn locks.

Emma's burgundy herringbone Fay coat and white Acne Studios ankle boots gave some stylish sizzle to her otherwise nondescript travel outfit.

Stone maintained her cover in the busy crowd by wearing a simple black shirt tucked into slim cigarette pants.

Exiting the station, the Easy A star then went to find a bite to eat.

Found me! The La La Land lead wore a smart burgundy Fay coat as she left the Paris station to find a bite of food at a local restaurant

La La Land has been getting rave receptions on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

On Friday, Emma looked overwhelmed with ecstatic fans as she left a London screening of the film.

Earlier this week, the actress was nominated for a Golden Globe and a SAG award for her performance.

Overwhelmed! The singing and dancing star was overwhelmed with well-wishing fans when leaving a London screening of La La Land Friday

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone both star in the dreamy Los Angeles affair, where the singing and dancing pair fights for love and stardom in the City of Angels.

The enchanting musical-drama-comedy has been making its mark this awards season.

The film earned a nomination in the Best Picture category for Musical or Comedy while both leads received acting nominations.

La La Land made its US public debut December 16 and opens fully on December 25. It premieres January 13 2017 in the UK.

Meanwhile, Emma is set to star as villain Cruella De Vil, in a live action origins story of the 101 Dalmations' character for Disney.

And it was reported in on Sunday that the project is set to be directed by Alex Timber.

Villain role: It looks like Alex Timber (pictured October) will direct Emma when she plays a young Cruella De Vil next year




Blac Chyna's mother Tokyo Toni took to Instagram on Sunday to weigh in on her daughter's split with Rob Kardashian - just a month after the birth of baby girl Dream.

And she had advice for the 29-year-old: 'Rob just have to get Mr. Insecure off of his back! '

The 44-year-old, aka Shalana Jones-Hunter, added: 'He confesses to me that he know he has the issue (insecurity) but don't know how to handle it. He's a very emotional guy with many many personal issues, How do I know this? He told me. '

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She's got her back: Blac Chyna's mother, Tokyo Toni, took to social media on Sunday to defend her daughter after her contentious split with fiance Rob Kardashian the night before

She said that Rob had 'confessed' to her that he goes into Chyna's phone 'all the time and never finds anything.'

Toni said that she had urged Rob to get therapy. 'He said that he would but yet he have not seeked (sic) it yet!

'Mental illness is real, ' she added: 'I love Rob and I am going to try to help them manage their relationship through love and wise words.'

Heartfelt defence: The 44-year-old posted this lengthy tirade on Instagram

'He's a very emotional guy:' The 44-year-old, aka Shalana Jones-Hunter, added that Rob has 'many many personal issues. How do I know this? He told me.' And she urged him to get help

And Toni hit out at social media critics who called her 28-year-old daughter a gold digger.

'Chyna had hers long before Rob K,' she ranted, implying that the reality star was already independently wealthy before they got together.

'He is just emotionally disturbed...Chyna don't need to dig for gold with gold is given to her after every argument.'

Hitting back: Tokyo personally addressed a few comments from her followers over the situation

Not holding back: Later she even took to Instagram Live to address the situation

She ended the lengthy post on a positive note, saying: 'At the end of the day they will still be together I promise you.'

The mother of Chyna later personally addressed a few comments on her feed and even started an Instagram Live video talking about the split.

Since the controversial posts and live session Tokyo Toni has set her Instagram to private.

The contentious split burst into public on Saturday when Chyna's alleged candid conversations about her relationship with Rob were posted on social media by a hacker.

'Mr Insecure': Rob posted his own missive on social media on Saturday night after reading his fiancee's hacked messages about him on ine

Sad father: The 29-year-old also shared these snaps of his daughter, captioned, 'Pretty Dream. miss u pretty mama'

The explosive text messages - the authenticity of which cannot be verified - claim the former exotic dancer branded Dream's father 'fat,' 'lazy' and 'insecure' and talked about how she hoped to make money from the Kardashian name.

Shortly afterwards, Rob responded with an Instagram post in which he declared he was 'heartbroken' to learn he had just been 'a part of her plan.'

That prompted an immediate response from Chyna on her new Instagram, telling him: 'I'm done!'

He has denied that the split is a stunt to drive up viewership for the Rob & Chyna Baby Special airing Sunday on E!, saying: 'This isn't for some ratings, this is for real life.'

On display: Blak Chyna showed her curves in this netting number three days before the split
The Egyptian cabinet says it was implementing a plan to revise and exclude outdated and inaccurate maps used at Egypt's archaeological sites

Egypt's Cabinet has denied media reports that it had destroyed documents and maps demonstrating Egypt's ownership of the Red sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir.

In a statement on Sunday, the cabinet said that it implemented a plan, devised in cooperation with the Ministry of Antiquities, to revise and exclude outdated and inaccurate maps that are used at Egypt's archaeological sites.

"The project did not include destroying any maps that prove Egypt's sovereignty over the two islands," the statement read.

The cabinet called on media outlets to be "cautious and accurate when reporting news that could negatively affect the state and cause public disorder".



In April, the Egyptian government agreed to transfer both islands under Saudi Arabian control, arguing that they had always belonged to the oil-rich Arab country and Egypt had merely been administering them on behalf of the Saudis since the 1950s.

The agreement was part of a wider maritime border demarcation agreement signed during Saudi King Salman's historic visit to Egypt in April.

The decision to transfer the two strategic islands, which are located at the southern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba, to Saudi Arabia sparked widespread public outcry in Egypt, with many public figures arguing the islands were rightfully Egyptian territory.

Dozens of people were arrested and put on trial for protesting the deal, with many later released after paying hefty fines.

In May, the Saudi Cabinet approved the agreement during a session headed King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.

However, in June, Egypt's Administrative Court annulled the demarcation agreement and ruled that the two islands remain Egyptian. The ruling was appealed by the Egyptian government, which is awaiting a verdict from the High Administrative Court on 19 December.

On 5 December, the Commissioner's Authority of the High Administrative Court recommended that the court reject the government appeal.

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They have denied being romantically linked numerous times.

Now, according to New Idea Terri Irwin and Russell Crowe are moving their 'relationship' from pleasure to business.

The magazine has reported the pair are 'finalising' plans to expand Queensland's renowned Australia Zoo into California.

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From pleasure to business? Terri Irwin and Russell Crowe are reportedly 'finalising' plans to expand Australia Zoo into California, U.S.A

According to a source, the pair's project will cost a whopping $250 million, with construction kicking off in late 2017.

The friend of the Hollywood actor revealed the plan to go international has Russell's 'full attention'.

'Russell convinced Terri that this would not only be a great way to earn money to support her Wildlife Warriors appeals, it would also give her a global platform to take Australia Zoo's conservation program to the next level,' the unnamed source told.

Expanding: According to New Idea, the pair's project will cost a whopping $250 million, with construction kicking off in late 2017

Supporting her: A source has told: 'He knows how much conservation and wildlife education means to her and wanted to help her take the Australia Zoo dream global'

'He knows how much conservation and wildlife education means to her and wanted to help her take the Australia Zoo dream global.'

Despite the couple denying to Daily Mail Australia that they were in a relationship and getting married, the source has once again told New Idea that a wedding is still on the cards.

'They're committed to getting married and seeing their relationship go to the next level - having a business together is a natural progression of that,' they said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted a representative for Terri and Russell for comment.

Side by side: Terri currently operates the Australia Zoo with her two children, Bindi, 18 and Robert, 13 after her husband Steve (pictured) passed away

The claims come a month after New Idea claimed Russell and Terri were headed for the wedding aisle after keeping their relationship secret for months.

But a representative for Terri told Daily Mail Australia that she and Russell are just friends.

'There is no romantic link at all between Terri and Russell. Once again, these reports are completely false,' they said.

Russell also slammed the reports, taking to Twitter last Wednesday writing: 'Last week @NewIdeamagazine said I was getting married, now @WomansDay saying the weddings off.

'I have such a dramatic life in bs magazines,' he signed off.

On-off: Claims Russell and Terri are opening an extension of the Zoo comes a month after New Idea reported they were headed for the wedding aisle - they have both denied the reports
She celebrated her first month of marriage to Lance 'Buddy' Franklin with a magazine cover deal.

And in newly released frames from her stunning Harper's Bazaar shoot, Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) wasn't afraid to show off some skin.

For one snap, the 25-year-old went topless while standing in the middle of a field.

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Daring to bare: Jesinta Campbell has posed topless in her latest photo shoot for Harper's Bazaar magazine

Wrapping her arm strategically around her chest, the model flaunted her toned torso in an unbuttoned floor-length blouse that fell down her left shoulder.

The designer item was paired with striped flared pants, which sat below her belly-button to show off her rock hard abs.

In the captured moment, the David Jones ambassador displayed very little facial expression as strands of her hair blew in front of her face.

Covered up: For the photo shoot, the 25-year-old model also showed off her long, toned legs as she dressed in a multi-panelled, high-split skirt

In another black and white image taken for the photo shoot, the recently married WAG showed off her long, toned legs in a multi-panelled, high-split skirt.

Jesinta matched the piece with a sheer long-sleeves blouse and lace-up heeled boots.

While carrying a cane basket, she angled her face slightly over her shoulder while her hair was pulled back with a chequered bandanna.

Sizzling: The runway beauty also slipped into a navy two-piece bikini for the spread

The runway beauty also slipped into a navy two-piece bikini for the spread.

She showcased her sun-kissed tanned skin in the piece, which featured high waisted bottoms and an off-the-shoulder bikini top with V-neck front.

With her legs angled in-front of her, she leant back on a wooden fence to give the camera clear view of her super toned figure.

Life as a married woman: During her interview with Harper's Bazaar, the published author opened up about her big day and life as a married woman

During an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the published author opened up about her big day and life as a married woman.

'Getting married was such a sacred, reverent thing, we wanted to keep it just for ourselves,' she told.

Jesinta added: Changing my name meant a lot to Buddy, and we are a team now: Team Franklin.'

Reasoning: The model also opened up about the reason she changed her last name, saying: '[It] meant a lot to Buddy, and we are a team now: Team Franklin'

She said some people have questioned how the decision will affect her career and 'branding' - but insists Buddy is her priority.

'I'm like, "What about the love of my life and the rest of my life?" she explained.

Jesinta and Buddy married in a top secret Blue Mountains ceremony last month, after becoming engaged in December 2014 when the AFL player gave her a diamond ring worth an approximately $100,000.
Influx of Chinese investors angers Madagascans

The mine had not yet opened, but Madagascans were already seething with rage and the Chinese management finally quit Soamahamanina, leaving behind empty tents and cigarette butts.

For months, this small city in central Madagascar was engulfed by protests targeted at a Chinese gold mining company, Jiuxing.

Every Thursday, city residents would take to the streets in downtown Soamahamanina to demonstrate against Jiuxing, which had secured a 40-year gold mining licence on a 7,500-hectare (18,500-acre) piece of land.

Soamahamanina residents protest the presence of the Jiuxing Chinese mining company, near the mining site in central Madagascar, on October 6, 2016 Rijasolo (AFP/File)

For the protesters, the mining operation risked ruining their farms -- one element of a nationwide aversion to the new wave of Chinese investors on the large Indian Ocean island.

Not just in Soamahamanina, but across the country Madagascans have openly expressed their hostility towards the growing presence of China, the country's largest trading partner.

Anti-Chinese sentiment is on the rise in Africa as Beijing increases its business presence on the continent for natural resources while flooding the markets with Made in China goods.

"Madagascar belongs to the Madagascans, not the Chinese or any other foreigners," Fenohasina, a local student, told AFP.

"Forty years of operation -- that is called selling the country," said Marise-Edine, a street vendor.

Many farmers who were eager to take advantage of the windfall and had agreed to sell their land to the Chinese miner, are now regretting it.

"Our compatriots are angry with us and accuse us of selling away the country," said farmer Perline Razafiarisoa.

But a local worker at Jiuxing blames the hostilities on politics.

"It's people from outside who are encouraging people here to dislike the Chinese," said Chrysostome Rakotondrazafy, a Jiuxing Mines foreman.

"There is political manipulation behind all this."

Buckling under the weight of the relentless protests, the Chinese mining workers had little choice but to pack up their bags and leave in October.

"As a company we think we have the right to stay, but for the sake of social appeasement, we chose to withdraw," Stella Andriamamonjy, the mine's spokeswoman, said.

"We hope to return under new terms, (and) repair past mistakes."

How soon that will be, she could not say.

- Xenophobic tensions -

For the locals in Soamahamanina, the return of the Chinese would not be welcome.

"I would like to tell our leaders that the big powers in this world are only turning us against each other to destroy our country," warned resident Marie Rasoloson.

With more that 800 companies now on the island, China has rapidly established itself as Madagascar's largest trading partner.

In a country where 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, such investment has given an unexpected boost to infrastructure development.

But, as elsewhere on the African continent, the mass arrival of Chinese investors has created tensions.

In 2011, police stepped in to prevent riots in the Chinatown section of the capital Antananarivo after an Asian trader beat up his two Madagascan employees.

Three years later, clashes over wage demands left six people dead at a "Chinese" sugar factory in western Morondava town.

The Chinese embassy has warned the authorities in Madagascar against tarnishing its image as an investment destination.

The government is concerned at the growing hostilities towards its powerful partner.

"It is essential to prevent this from degenerating into xenophobia," said the ruling HVM party leader Rivo Rakotovao.

Officially launching a Chinese-built road recently, President Hery Rajaonarimampianina praised Beijing's "helping hand".

Chinese ambassador Yang Xiaorong promised to strengthen the "win-win cooperation" between the two countries.

"Chinese companies are well integrated into the local community," said the embassy, adding that 90 percent of the 17,000 jobs created so far are occupied by locals.

Hit by the bitter competition from Chinese outfits, many Madagascans remain sceptical.

"We only pick up the crumbs," Daniel Rafanomezantsoa, a craftsman, told AFP.
Australia should be republic after Queen Elizabeth: PM

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has renewed his call for a republic, but only after Queen Elizabeth II's reign, as he outlined a road map for breaking away from the British monarchy.

Turnbull -- a staunch republican who led the cause before a failed referendum in 1999 -- said his support for an Australian head of state stemmed from patriotism.

"The cause of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) is a cause for Australia," Turnbull said during a keynote address to the ARM on Saturday night.

Malcolm Turnbull, then chairman of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM), holds a last-ditch press conference in Sydney, on November 5, 1999, on the eve of the nation's referendum on becoming a republic Torsten Blackwood (AFP/File)

"We do not diminish or disrespect the patriotism of those who take a different view, but we have no other motive, no other reason than love of country."

The British crown's power in Australia is seen as largely symbolic, and while the Queen is hugely popular Down Under, the monarchy is viewed by some as an anachronistic colonial relic.

Critics within Turnbull's own conservative Liberal Party earlier in the week said his support for a republic would be damaging to the government.

But Turnbull said there was no appetite among Australians for another referendum during Queen Elizabeth's reign.

"The less party political the republican movement is, the broader its base, the deeper its grassroots, the better positioned it will be when the issue becomes truly salient again," the Australian leader added.

Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten appeared to criticise Turnbull's lack of action on Twitter following the speech.

"Climate change, marriage equality, housing affordability, now Republic too hard for Turnbull. Time for the PM to lead his party, not follow," Shorten tweeted.

He also offered to "work together to deliver an Australian head of state".

Support for a republic has wavered over the years, with a Fairfax-Nielsen poll in 2014 finding that 51 percent of the 1,400 people surveyed favoured the status quo compared to 42 percent supporting a republic.

Turnbull said question marks about how an Australian head of state would be elected -- directly by the people or via a parliamentary appointment -- had weakened support for a republic during the 1999 referendum.

He called for a two-stage voting process, with a plebiscite to determine the election model first before a referendum to decide on whether Australia should be a republic.

"We need to ensure that the Australian people feel they have chosen the model to be presented," Turnbull said.

"Of course every member of the parliament is elected, but we cannot be blind to the levels of cynicism about politics, parliaments and governments. If anything they are greater today than they were back in 1999."
New Zealand PM announces cabinet reshuffle

New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English unveiled a new-look cabinet on Sunday, marking his first major move since taking over the country's top job six days ago.

There were few surprises in the fine-tuning with only one minister who intends to stand in next year's general election dropped completely, while others had their roles adjusted.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who has announced he would not be seeking re-election, will retain his role until a replacement is appointed in May.

New Zealand's Prime Minister Bill English speaks during a press conference at Parliament in Wellington, on December 12, 2016 Marty Melville (AFP/File)

English, 54, was unanimously elected by the ruling centre-right National Party as the new leader after the popular Key resigned for family reasons after eight years as prime minister.

"This refreshed ministerial team builds on that success and provides a mix of new people, alongside experienced ministers either continuing their roles or taking up new challenges," English said.

"This new ministry is focused on providing prosperity, opportunity and security for all Kiwis, including the most vulnerable in our communities."

Judith Collins, who briefly challenged English for the leadership, lost the police portfolio and was dropped two places on the cabinet list.

Jonathan Coleman, who also stood for the leadership until it became clear English had the numbers to win, remained as health minister and stayed on the frontbench.

New Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett took over as police minister while Simon Bridges -- seen as a high-flyer in the National Party ranks -- moved into the top five in cabinet.

He replaced Steven Joyce as economic development minister, with Joyce taking over the finance portfolio.
How Trump has upended Washington politics as usual

During his unorthodox White House campaign, Donald Trump thoroughly shredded the rules of American politics, from his often coarse language to his intermittent disdain for basic concepts like freedom of the press.

Since defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton on November 8 to become the US president-elect, his title until he succeeds Barack Obama on January 20, he has made a mockery of those who said he would eventually fall in line.

While he admittedly followed protocol during his post-election visit to the White House, treating Obama with deference in the Oval Office, the Republican billionaire has otherwise blazed a new path in presidential transitions.

Donald Trump thrived on the campaign trail at large arena rallies and now as president-elect he has tried to recreate that atmosphere with his "thank you" tour JIM WATSON (AFP)

His style seems to indicate that the Manhattan property mogul will be a president like no other.

- Victory tour -

Candidate Trump thrived on the campaign trail at his large arena rallies. President-elect Trump has tried to recreate that atmosphere with his "thank you" tour through the swing states that propelled him to victory, wrapping up Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Hats with slogans, anti-Clinton chants and plenty of colorful signs? They're back.

"They are saying, as president he shouldn't be doing rallies but I think we should, right?" Trump told the cheering crowd in Mobile.

"We've done everything else the opposite. This is the way you get an honest word out because you can't give it to them because they are so dishonest," he added, slipping in one of his customary jabs at the media.

For Peter Kastor, a history professor at Washington University in St Louis, "the 'thank you' tour is unusual for presidents, but it is completely consistent with his campaign style."

"Every president has in some way constructed the trip to the national capital as a symbolic move, and Donald Trump is doing so in a way that is unlike all of his predecessors," he said.

- Press conferences? No, thanks -

Eight years ago, at this stage of the transition, Obama had held nearly a dozen press conferences, in the midst of an economic crisis.

Trump has held... none.

The 70-year-old president-elect has given a handful of interviews, including three lengthy ones to CBS, The New York Times and Fox News.

When Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama wanted to make key cabinet nominations, they introduced their chosen ones to the press.

Trump sends statements, many of them either at 6:00 am or late at night, or simply posts news on Twitter.

And his incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus created a stir in the White House press corps by suggesting major changes could lie in store for the traditional daily media briefings.

- Reality show cabinet hunt -

The recruitment of his cabinet so far has more or less unfolded in the public eye, with most candidates forced to run the media gauntlet through the lobby of Trump Tower or at his resort properties in New Jersey or Florida.

Former Trump critic-turned-admirer Mitt Romney made the pilgrimage twice, only to be dumped as secretary of state-designate in favor of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson... who Trump only met for the first time on December 6.

- Politics take back seat -

Usually, state governors and US senators are the most likely choices for cabinet posts. Not this time.

Trump has chosen an inner circle in his own image -- mainly white, mainly male industry titans and investors, many of them millionaires and a handful of them billionaires.

Obama's team included a Nobel physics laureate. Trump has chosen three former generals.

- Gender equality? -

Keeping the male-female divide even in politics has always been a challenge in the United States.

There were only six women given cabinet or cabinet-rank positions in Obama's first administration, but one of them was secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Trump has so far chosen four women, all for second-tier posts. The first 11 people in the order of presidential succession will be men.

And so far, he has named only one African-American -- Ben Carson -- and no Latinos.

- Melania in New York -

Incoming first lady Melania Trump and the couple's 10-year-old son Barron will not move into the White House on January 20 as is customary, instead remaining in New York at least until the school year ends.

For Kastor, this is a first.

"These are big cultural moments about the presidency -- the transition is often the story about how this family is going to move," he told AFP.

"There are all these stories about how they are packing up, and about what does it mean to move from a simple, private residence into this big, public one," Kastor added.

"So this is completely unusual."

People protest US President-elect Donald Trump and his cabinet picks who are mainly white, mainly male, many millionaires, some billionaires DAVID MCNEW (AFP)

US President-elect Donald Trump (C) introduces Senator Jeff Sessions as his nominee for attorney general during a 'Thank You Tour 2016' rally in Mobile, Alabama JIM WATSON (AFP)
Israeli troops kill Palestinian in clash: Palestinian officials

Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian teenager early Sunday during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

Security officials said that troops entered the village of Beit Rima, near Ramallah, after midnight and were confronted by stone-throwing youths.

The Palestinian health ministry said that Ahmed Hazem Atta, 19, was killed in the ensuing army fire.

Israeli authorities say most Palestinians killed in resent unrest were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks ABBAS MOMANI (AFP/File)

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that there was a "violent riot" at Beit Rima but could not confirm the death.

"Dozens of rioters hurled rocks at security forces injuring a border police soldier," she said.

"In order to prevent an escalation of violence forces responded with riot dispersal means, and fired toward main instigators," she added.

"We have reports of a rioter killed and another injured and they're being looked into," but were so far unverified, the spokeswoman told AFP.

Since October 2015, 244 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.
US role in Iraq five years since military withdrawal

Five years since the American military completed its withdrawal from Iraq, US forces are once again playing a major role in the country as part of the war against the Islamic State jihadist group.

Here a three key questions on the fifth anniversary of US troops leaving Iraq.

Why did US forces leave in 2011?

US soldiers are seen next to their armoured vehicles near an Iraqi army base on the outskirts of Mosul, on November 23, 2016 Thomas Coex (AFP/File)

After a nearly nine-year presence, negotiations on the United States leaving a residual training force in Iraq after the end of 2011 broke down over the issue of American forces having legal immunity from Iraqi prosecution, which Washington demanded and Baghdad was reluctant to provide.

The US then announced that American forces would depart, an operation that was completed on December 18, 2011 when the last convoy of armoured vehicles crossed into neighbouring Kuwait.

The withdrawal brought political benefits to both Washington and Baghdad: US President Barack Obama wanted to end the Iraq war, which he had opposed, and the withdrawal also allowed then-premier Nuri al-Maliki's government to claim credit for ending the unpopular American presence in the country.

Some American military personnel and contractors did however remain in Iraq under US embassy authority as part of the Office of Security Cooperation - Iraq, which worked on training the country's forces and helping it field American military equipment.

What went wrong?

Prior to the withdrawal, American officials repeatedly stated that Iraqi forces were ready to handle internal security, but unrest worsened considerably in the years after their departure, culminating in the disastrous IS offensive in 2014.

One of the main reasons for the rising violence was widespread anger among Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, members of which complained of being marginalised and targeted by the Shiite-led government.

This anger -- which was stoked by military raids and detentions in Sunni areas, efforts to arrest several prominent Sunni politicians, and a sometimes heavy-handed response to anti-government protests -- increased sympathy for militant groups and made it easier for them to operate.

According to the US, Iraqi forces did not carry out the necessary training to maintain their readiness after American forces left -- a view corroborated in an Iraqi parliamentary report on causes of the fall of second city Mosul to IS.

The civil war in neighbouring Syria, which broke out in 2011, also provided a key safe haven for jihadists to regroup, expand their ranks, train, and gain combat experience.

What are US forces doing in Iraq now?

American military forces are carrying out air and artillery strikes against IS in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition against the jihadists, and have provided training, advice and other assistance to Baghdad's forces.

American special forces personnel have also fought IS on the ground, and three members of the US military have been killed in the country.

There are about 5,000 American military personnel in Iraq, according to the coalition.

Iraqis wave at at army vehicle from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division as the last US convoy heads to the Kuwaiti border to leave Iraq on December 18, 2011 Lucas Jackson (POOL/AFP/File)
Bangladesh stops pro-Rohingya protest march to border

Police in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Sunday stopped thousands of Islamists from marching to the border with Myanmar to protest at a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in that country.

The military campaign in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine has sent 27,000 Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh, with survivors recounting horrific stories of mass murder, gang rape and torture at the hands of troops.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long discriminated against the stateless Rohingya and the recent crisis has galvanised protests in Muslim countries around the region.

Bangladeshi activists of Islamist political party Islami Andolan Bangladesh rally in Dhaka on December 18, 2016, to protest the halting of a long march towards the border with Myanmar Munir Uz Zaman (AFP)

Thousands of Muslims belonging to the Islami Andolan Bangladesh party gathered in front of Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram national mosque, chanting slogans and carrying placards denouncing Myanmar's Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Local police chief Rafiqul Islam told AFP that at least 6,000 people had arrived for the march towards the southeastern border.

"But it came to a halt as we mutually discussed the march would hamper public life," he said.

Party officials however accused the police of "forcefully" stopping and arresting them.

"They (police) stopped our activists and randomly arrested many of us. We strongly condemn such actions of the administration," party spokesman Atiqur Rahman said.

In the past two months Bangladesh has stepped up patrols and border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya refugees from entering the country.

The Bangladesh government has come under pressure from Muslim groups and the opposition to open its border to the fleeing Rohingya.

More than 230,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally, although around 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.
More than 100,000 Iraqis displaced in Mosul op: IOM

More than 100,000 people have been displaced as a result of the massive operation to recapture Iraq's second city Mosul, the International Organisation for Migration said on Sunday.

Iraq launched the operation to retake Mosul -- the last Iraqi city held by the Islamic State jihadist group -- on October 17.

Since the battle began, 103,872 people have been displaced, the vast majority from Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, the IOM said on its displacement tracking webpage.

Since the battle for Mosul began in mid-October, 103,872 people have been displaced, the vast majority from Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital Bulent Kilic (AFP/File)

Iraqi Displacement and Migration Minister Jassem Mohammed al-Jaff told AFP that 118,000 people had been displaced since the operation started, a figure that includes those who fled the IS-held Hawijah area in another province.

Aid organisations had warned that a million or more people could be displaced by the Mosul operation, but those figures have yet to materialise.

Forces from Iraq's elite Counter-Terrorism Service have advanced deep into eastern Mosul, and nearly half of that side of the city has been recaptured.

But forces on the southern front have stalled south of Mosul, and those north of the city have also not entered it so far.

West of Mosul, Iraqi paramilitaries aim to retake Tal Afar, located between the city and Syria, but have yet to launch an assault on the town itself.
A high-level official Saudi delegation visited the Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) during a short visit to Ethiopia on Friday, according to Ethiopia's foreign ministry.

The ministry said the delegation was headed by Ahmed Al-Khateeb, senior advisor to the Saudi royal court and board chairman of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), and he met with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn in Addis Ababa on Thursday.

Al-Khateeb also met Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workenh Gebeyehu and five other ministers on the same day.

"The Saudi officials expressed their government's interest in developing and importing energy from Ethiopia," the Ethiopian foreign ministry said.



The delegation visited GERD construction site and met with the chief engineer, discussing the current state of the project.

The 6,000-megawatt Grand Renaissance Dam, which is not yet 70 percent complete, is situated close to Ethiopia's border with Sudan. Ethiopia hopes it will be able to export energy generated by the dam.

However, Egypt has long expressed concerns that the dam might reduce the amount of Nile Water it receives, thus affecting its main source of irrigation water.

Ethiopia maintains that the dam will not have any negative impact on Egypt or Sudan, which are both downstream.

In March 2015, the leaders of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia signed a cooperation agreement in Khartoum to pave the way for a joint approach to sharing Nile water.

The Saudi delegation also included officials from the energy, finance and industry sectors in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is the second biggest investor in Ethiopia, with investments totalling US$3 billion in December 2015.

The SFD also signed previous agreements to support projects in Ethiopia in 2013.

Tensions between Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been high since October due to the Egyptian position on the conflict in Syria, specifically its support for the Syrian state and army in the war against rebels.

Founded in 1975, the SFD is a Saudi government agency that provides bilateral aid to developing countries, mostly through grants and loans. The SFD's loans are directed to supporting infrastructure construction in developing countries, including dam construction.

In October 2015, there were reports in Egyptian media of "Saudi mediation" between Ethiopia and Egypt over the dam.

Ethiopia has maintained that the project will have no negative impact on Sudan or Egypt and should benefit all sides.

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UN Libya envoy calls for reconciliation after Sirte victory

UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler on Sunday called for national reconciliation and a unified security service after pro-government forces retook the former Islamic State group bastion of Sirte.

"I call on Libyans to seize this opportunity to promote national reconciliation," he said, a day after the UN-backed unity government announced the end of the battle for the coastal city.

Kobler called for "the integration and rehabilitation of fighters" and the collection of weapons "to give way to a professional security apparatus with a unified command".

Forces loyal to Libya's Government of National Accord run past an infantry fighting vehicle as they hold a position in Sirte's Al-Giza Al-Bahriya district on November 21, 2016 Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File)

He stressed the need for mine clearing to ensure the safe return of displaced people after pro-government fighters expelled IS from the city.

Speaking from the Tunisian capital, the UN envoy called the recapture of Sirte "a major step forward in liberating Libya from terrorism", but warned "Libyans should remain vigilant".

The fall of Sirte -- 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced a series of military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

IS seized Sirte in June 2015 in the chaos that followed the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem an upsurge of jihadism in Libya, but it has failed to assert its authority across the country.

A rival authority based in the country's far east has refused to cede power, while its own armed forces led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar have been battling jihadists in second city Benghazi.
Israel ex-president Katsav paroled from prison rape term

An Israeli parole board on Sunday ordered the release of former president Moshe Katsav after serving five years of a seven-year term for rape and other sexual offences, his lawyer said.

"It was a very long journey," Tzion Amir said in remarks broadcast on Israeli army radio. "Today that journey reached its end with a reasoned decision by the parole committee."

Justice officials could not be reached by AFP for further details, but media said Katsav's release would be frozen for seven days for prosecutors to decide whether to appeal the decision.

Former Israeli president Moshe Katsav (C) began his sentence in December 2011 and has already been rejected twice by the parole board Gali Tibbon (AFP/File)

Commentators said the chances of an appeal against the decision were minimal, however.

Amir said the 70-year-old Katsav burst into tears on hearing the ruling.

Katsav began his sentence in December 2011 and had already been rejected twice by the parole board since he became eligible for the customary one-third reduction for good behaviour behind bars.

His previous applications were turned down in part because he had expressed no remorse over his crimes and undergone no rehabilitative process.

Women's rights groups had especially criticised his refusal to acknowledge the facts that led to his conviction and to express regrets.

Israeli media reported, however, that the parole board found Katsav had more recently "undergone a change".

"The prisoner was asked many questions by the committee members regarding the circumstances of the offence, the victims' positions, his attitude to the victims and his understanding of his acts and their consequences, and the committee members were impressed by the honesty of his intentions," Haaretz newspaper reported the parole board as saying.

- 'Dangerous message' -

Once released, Katsav will face restrictions on his movements including a ban on overseas travel and a requirement to be at home between 10 pm and 6 am.

Judiciary sources said he would also not be allowed to grant an interview for two years, the time he would have had to serve as the remainder of his sentence.

The decision to free him was criticised by a group of opposition lawmakers including the leader of the Meretz party, Zehava Galon.

"This is a dangerous message that you can attack women and get away with it with the least punishment provided you are well-connected," they said in a statement.

Katsav had maintained his innocence despite being convicted in December 2010 on two counts of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice.

The Iran-born bureaucrat, who rose from impoverished origins as a child immigrant to the nation's top ceremonial job, resigned in June 2007 and became an outcast of the political establishment.

A member of the right-wing Likud party, in 2000 he became Israel's first conservative president and the first born in an Islamic country.

For months he defied enormous public pressure to quit over the allegations before ultimately resigning as part of a plea bargain in 2007.

Katsav entered Ma'asiyahu prison near Tel Aviv on December 7, 2011, Israel's first president to be jailed since the state was created in 1948.

He was replaced as head of state by Nobel peace laureate and elder statesman Shimon Peres, his rival for the post in a 2000 vote, who died on September 28 this year.

One of eight children, Katsav was born in December 1945 and arrived in Israel three years after the 1948 war of independence.
Deal struck to avoid forced evacuation of Israeli settlers

Residents of a wildcat settlement in the occupied West Bank agreed to a plan Sunday to relocate their hilltop outpost peacefully that could allow Israel's government to avoid a potentially violent stand-off.

The 40 families living at Amona northeast of Ramallah face a High Court order to leave the site by December 25 because it was found to have been built on private Palestinian land.

The approaching deadline led to a scramble to peacefully resolve the situation, with the settlers refusing to leave and several hundred hardline youths streaming into the outpost in recent days in support.

Israeli settlers gather around a fire in the settlement outpost of Amona on December 18, 2016 Jack Guez (AFP)

But after hours of debate, outpost residents approved a revised government proposal to relocate by a vote of 45 for and 29 against, a spokesman wrote on the outpost's Twitter account.

"After 20 years of pioneering settlements against all odds, and after two long years, we have decided to suspend the struggle," Amona residents said in a statement.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier pressured outpost residents to accept the deal, saying "we have done the maximum".

"Until dawn this morning we made very great efforts to reach an agreed solution on Amona," Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

The agreement, which would see residents moved to two nearby plots, still faces legal obstacles and possible derailment, however.

Young protesters who set up camp in the outpost's synagogue and built fortifications inside, including with chains and metal rods, filed out after the agreement was announced over the public address system, trudging down the hill and hitching rides.

Religious nationalist hardliners, who favour annexing the West Bank and oppose a Palestinian state, said they sympathised with the residents but regretted they had agreed to the plan.

"Given the way pressure was inflicted on them, I can only feel sorrow that they accepted Netanyahu's word when it has no value," Baruch Marzel, a follower of the late racist rabbi Meir Kahane, told reporters in the outpost after the deal was announced.

- Obstacles remain -

In 2006, the demolition of nine permanent houses in the outpost led to clashes between settlers and Israeli security forces.

The dispute over whether to demolish the outpost has taken on international importance because of concern over settlement expansion in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967.

All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, are seen as illegal under international law, but Israel differentiates between those it has approved and those it has not.

Settlements such as Amona are called outposts -- those that Israel has not approved.

Israeli settlements are seen as major stumbling blocks to peace efforts as they are built on land the Palestinians see as part of their future state.

Despite the prospect of forceable eviction by the army, the Amona residents had turned down a compromise deal on Thursday aimed at meeting their objections while also obeying the court ruling.

On Sunday, they were offered a new deal after an all-night meeting with Netanyahu.

The prime minister has been seeking a way out of an impasse which has put him between the court and the legal opinion of his own attorney general on one hand, and the anger of settlers who are a key part of his political constituency on the other.

Netanyahu will now need to go back to the court and ask for a stay of execution, probably 30 days, for the new plan to be implemented.

The agreement envisions moving 24 of the 40 families to a nearby parcel considered to be abandoned land. Another parcel would be reserved for the remaining families.

Amona residents said in their statement that the plan would see a total of 52 homes and public structures erected in the new areas.

But legal issues linked to the two plots could still pose problems.

Rights group Yesh Din said the Palestinian landowner of one of the plots in question was filing an appeal against the plan.

The Amona settlement

Israeli Housing Minister Yoav Galant (C-L) visits the settlement outpost of Amona, which was established in 1997 and built on private Palestinian land, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on December 18, 2016 JACK GUEZ (AFP)
Canadian tourist among 10 dead in Jordan attacks

Gunmen killed 10 people including a Canadian tourist and police officers on Sunday in southern Jordan, before security forces killed four attackers in a siege lasting several hours.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres (70 miles) south of the capital Amman.

Jordan's general security department said seven policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings.

Jordanian police were among those killed in a gun attack on December 18, 2016 Khalil Mazraawi (AFP/File)

It said that 27 others, including policemen and civilians, were wounded.

Four attackers who had taken refuge in the castle were killed later Sunday by security forces who had besieged them amid exchanges fire lasting several hours, a security source said.

The Canadian foreign ministry confirmed that one of its nationals had been killed in the attack and another injured in "the heinous attack."

Canadian officials in Amman are "actively working with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to Canadians at this difficult time," a foreign ministry official said.

"The government of Canada stands ready to assist Jordan in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," a statement added.

- 'Five or six gunmen' -

Earlier, the prime minister said 10 gunmen were holed up in the fortress, while the general security department spoke of "five or six gunmen" who were thought to be involved in the shootings.

The first attack took place early in the afternoon when a police patrol went to check on a house fire in Karak, the department said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

"As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car," the statement said.

Gunmen later fired on another patrol while more shots rang out from inside the Crusader castle, aimed at the Karak police station and "wounding several policemen and passersby," it said.

"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen."

- People trapped -

A senior security source said some people had been trapped in part of the citadel when the gunmen took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.

"There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower floor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said that the gunmen were on a higher level inside the fortress.

The Jordan Tourism Board describes the Karak citadel, which dates back to the 12th century and has withstood many sieges, as a "maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways."

Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the shootings, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel."

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings, but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting IS, and also hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbeh's hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to Islamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, and an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.
Tensions mount in DR Congo as end of Kabila's term nears

Security forces patrolled the streets of Kinshasa on Sunday after the suspension of last-ditch talks seeking a peaceful end to a crisis sparked by the end of Congolese President Joseph Kabila's mandate.

Negotiations to agree on a way forward after December 20, when Kabila's second term finishes, were halted on Saturday with no significant progress made.

Fears of fresh political violence in mineral-rich but unstable Democratic Republic of Congo were running high, with no elections planned and Kabila showing no inclination to step down.

Opponents of Congolese President Joseph Kabila (C) accuse him of delaying the presidential vote in the hope of tweaking the constitution to extend the Kabila family's hold over the nation Junior D.Kannah (AFP/File)

Talks are due to resume on Wednesday when Catholic bishops acting as mediators return from a long-planned trip to Rome -- a day after Kabila's term ends.

AFP reporters saw security forces posted in large numbers in opposition strongholds and other flashpoints around Kinshasa, the teeming capital of 10 million.

"We're waiting to see what happens. The politicians are okay, it's us, the little people, who suffer," a supervisor at a cleaning company told AFP.

"Things are not normal. We are very worried," said 25-year-old Atine Butela, a hair salon owner.

At the dilapidated Tata-Raphael stadium, which hosted the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman, the usual crowd of runners, football players and boxers, was noticeably small.

"Normally, there are 700 or 800 people. Today there must be fewer than 250," visitor Michel Kabamba said outside.

"Soldiers are criss-crossing the city, which creates a sense of fear... Some people have already made plans, foreigners have left ..."

In the run-up to Christmas, however, churches were as busy as ever in a country where Christians make up 80 percent of the population.

- 'Uncontrollable situation' -

Kabila, constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, has indicated he wants to stay in power until a successor is chosen, but some opposition figures want him to hand over to a transitional leadership while awaiting the vote.

The 45-year-old has been in power since his father Laurent Kabila was assassinated in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and again in 2011, in polls decried as rigged by the opposition.

Last week's talks sponsored by the Congolese bishops' conference (CENCO) brought together the ruling party and fringe opposition groups, allied against a mainstream opposition coalition led by the 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi.

But despite three days of mediation they broke up on Saturday, with no progress made on the main issues that divide the two sides.

Kabila's opponents accuse him of delaying the vote in the hope of tweaking the constitution to extend his family's hold over a nation that is almost the size of western Europe.

Tshisekedi's opposition grouping had threatened to bring people into the streets from Monday if the talks failed.

Leaflets urging people to retake Kinshasa "street by street, district by district until we retake the whole of the DRC", have begun to circulate in the capital.

But so far the opposition has not given an order to mobilise, while the international community is urging calm on all sides.

Tensions were also running high elsewhere in the country, with security heightened notably in the towns of Lubumbashi, Goma and Kisangani.

- Stark prospect -

Church mediators have warned that failing to find a political settlement will lead to "an uncontrollable situation", a stark prospect in a country that barely two decades ago plunged into the deadliest conflict in modern African history.

Congo's two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead.

The European Union urged the two sides to reach a deal for "transparent, credible" elections to be held as soon as possible.

The UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, also appealed for calm, saying the political players had a "historic responsibility to reach a negotiated settlement on holding elections."

In Rome, Pope Francis urged worshippers to "pray that the dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo proceeds calmly, to avoid any violence and for the good of the whole country."

A democratic handover would break ground for Congo's 70 million people who since independence from Belgium in 1960 have never witnessed political change at the ballot box.

DR Congo faces a political crisis
Central bank move hampers Yemen wheat imports: UN

Wheat imports into rebel areas of Yemen have become difficult after the central bank moved from the insurgent-controlled capital, a UN official said Sunday, in a war-torn country heavily dependent on food imports.

"Four major importers of wheat into this country have informed the authorities (in Sanaa) that as of January they will no longer be able to fulfil their obligations," said the UN humanitarian coordinator in Yemen.

"We know it is very difficult for these importers to get lines of credit on the open market," Jamie McGoldrick said, "because the central bank is no longer here in Sanaa".

A member of Yemeni security forces stands guard at the site where a suicide car bomb exploded next to the central bank in Yemen's second city Aden on October 29, 2016 Saleh al-Obeidi (AFP/File)

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in September decided to move the central bank from the rebel-held capital to Aden, the temporary base of his government, after accusing the insurgents of running down Yemen's foreign reserves.

Even before a Saudi-led coalition launched air strikes against the Huthi rebels in Yemen in March 2015, Yemen imported 90 percent of its food, and as much as 95 percent of its wheat, according to the United Nations.

McGoldrick also said the imports of goods and medicine had been hampered by slow offloading due to damage at the rebel-held port of Hodeida on the Red Sea.

UN aid chief Stephen O'Brien said in October that "smashed cranes" at the port were hindering the entry of aid supplies to ease a deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

The Huthis and troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh overran Sanaa in September 2014 and went on to seize other areas of the country.

A UN report released in August found that the rebels and their allies were diverting about $100 million a month from the central bank, and that its foreign reserves had dwindled to $1.3 billion from about $4 billion in November 2014.

The relocation of the bank has been a major blow to the rebels, forcing them to halt salary payments to state employees in the areas of the country they control.
UN to vote Monday on sending observers to Aleppo

The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a French-drafted resolution to quickly deploy UN observers to Aleppo, with Russia, Syria's ally, giving cautious backing to the measure.

Russia had threatened to veto a first draft presented by France calling for observers to monitor evacuations from Aleppo and report on the protection of civilians in the besieged Syrian city.

But after nearly four hours of closed-door council consultations on Sunday, a new draft was agreed.

A vehicle from the United Nations drives through the Syrian government-controlled crossing of Ramoussa, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo, on December 18, 2016 George Ourfalian (AFP)

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: "We put in some good hours of work and I think we have a good text."

French Ambassador Francois Delattre declared that the council had reached "common ground," while US Ambassador Samantha Power anticipated the member states would vote "unanimously" at 9:00 am (1400 GMT).

"The resolution we have drafted came after intensive negotiations because our goal was to have a result -- not to obtain agreement necessarily on 100 percent of our text, but to reach goals we consider essential," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told AFP in Haiti.

The vote, initially tabled for Sunday, was delayed until Monday to allow the Russian delegation to consult with Moscow on the final draft resolution that provides for UN and other international observers to be dispatched to eastern Aleppo.

The new draft calls on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make arrangements, in consultation with Syrian authorities and the rebels, to allow UN monitoring of "the wellbeing of civilians."

Moscow had presented its own draft resolution that requested that the United Nations make "arrangements" to monitor the situation, but made no specific mention of sending observers to east Aleppo.

France and the United States said the new text, which took into account Russian proposals, resulted in minor changes.

"The text left standing includes all the core provisions to allow for UN monitoring, to get the 100-plus UN people ready to go to team up with the ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent," said Power.

Evacuations of fighters and civilians from Aleppo were suspended on Sunday after gunmen attacked buses for a similar operation from two rebel-besieged villages.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

- Avoiding a new Srebrenica -

Russia, which has deployed forces in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad's military, has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in March 2011.

Delattre said the international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces.

"If adopted, I believe it will be the first time the Security Council has been able to agree on a text in a long time," said Delattre.

"It will give us collectively the tools to try to avoid a new Srebrenica."

The draft resolution "demands that all parties allow complete, immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered access" for humanitarian aid to Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

It stressed that evacuations of civilians must be "voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuations and those who opt to remain in their homes."

It calls for the protection of doctors, medical workers and hospitals following reports that Syrian forces bombed all of the medical facilities in east Aleppo.

Ban is due to report to the council within five days of the adoption of the resolution on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN aid.

France hopes the draft resolution, if adopted, will give new momentum to efforts to reach a broader ceasefire and re-start political talks on ending the war.

Hundreds of civilians, including scores of children, have died in east Aleppo during the latest fighting. Nationwide, more than 310,000 people have been killed in the nearly six-year war.

Syria conflict Sophie RAMIS, Thomas SAINT-CRICQ (AFP)
DR Congo: a timeline of deadly political crisis

Tensions have intensified in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the constitutional end of President Joseph Kabila's second and final term on Tuesday.

No elections have been organised and the opposition accuses him of seeking to retain power.

Here is a timeline of the crisis in the vast country of 70 million people:

DR Congo faces a political crisis Sabrina BLANCHARD, Aude GENET (AFP)

- Draft law inflames tensions -

On January 17, 2015, parliament adopts a bill that would enable Kabila, who has been in power for 14 years, to extend his term beyond 2016.

Kabila's opponents believe he wants to prolong his mandate by making the presidential and parliamentary elections contingent on a new electoral roll, after a census that was set to begin in 2015 but has yet to take place.

From January 19-22 clashes between police and anti-Kabila demonstrators erupt in Kinshasa and several other towns. They degenerate into riots and looting, with police using live fire and tear gas. Dozens of people are killed.

Speaking from Belgium, opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi calls on the Congolese people to force a "dying regime" from power.

On January 25, parliament votes in favour of a new election law which still leaves doubts over the timetable for fresh polls.

In December, the United Nations expresses concern over a government crackdown on opponents, pointing to "arbitrary arrests and detentions, in particular of political opponents, civil society activists or demonstrators".

- Katumbi declares candidacy -

On May 4, 2016, opposition leader Moise Katumbi declares he will stand in the presidential election and is seen as the leading challenger to Kabila.

A former Kabila ally, the wealthy businessman joined the opposition in September 2015 after stepping down as governor of mineral-rich Katanga province.

Later in May, he leaves for South Africa, ostensibly for medical treatment, after appearing in court twice over alleged use of foreign mercenaries.

He is sentenced in June to three years in jail over a separate real estate dispute, effectively making him ineligible to stand.

- Kabila allowed to stay -

On May 11, 2016, the Constitutional Court says Kabila can remain in office when his mandate expires, even without being re-elected.

On June 10, at a Brussels meeting organised by Tshisekedi, the mainstream opposition decides to set up a new coalition.

Tshisekedi returns to Kinshasa in July after two years in Belgium. Speaking before tens of thousands of supporters, he demands the election be held by year's end and the departure of Kabila.

- Deadly unrest -

In September, the opposition coalition calls for demonstrations to signal notice to Kabila, three months before his term expires.

Violence erupts in Kinshasa on September 19-20 between security forces and youths, leaving several dozen people killed.

On December 12 the United States and the European Union impose sanctions on top Congolese officials over the bloodshed.

- Election put off -

On October 17 the parliamentary majority and an opposition fringe minority sign an accord pushing the election back to April 2018 and keeping Kabila in place until his predecessor takes over. The mainstream opposition continues to demand the departure of Kabila at the end of his mandate.

- Last-ditch mediation -

On December 8 Congo's episcopal conference CENCO launches talks aimed at a deal on setting up a transition authority until a presidential election can be held. It sets a December 16 deadline.

But that deadline came and went -- and on December 17 Catholic church negotiators announced the talks would resume only a day after Kabila's term ends.

"There is no deal," said Jean-Marc Kabund, secretary general of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).

"The ruling majority is sitting on its positions and refuses to offer any concessions on matters that require a political response."

Congolese President Joseph Kabila (C) has been in power for 14 years Junior D.Kannah (AFP/File)
Kerry hopes for new Yemen ceasefire in 2 weeks

US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the hope in Saudi Arabia on Sunday that a new ceasefire in the Yemen conflict could be agreed within two weeks.

On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the United States will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.

The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

US Secretary of State John Kerry listens as he attends a meeting of the Quartet on the situation in Yemen, on December 18, 2016 in Riyadh FAYEZ NURELDINE (AFP)

"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.

The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.

Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.

Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.

-- 'Lame duck' --

Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.

The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.

Washington's top diplomat leaves office in January at the end of President Barack Obama's presidency.

But he said the US will "remain engaged" in the search for peace in Yemen.

"We think we've found a path that can move forward," Kerry said.

"And we invite the parties, President Hadi, the Huthis and their supporters, both sides, to take advantage of this moment".

He added that Iran has also indicated that it wants an end to the Yemen war, "and they believe that the key is for Huthis to be able to have some role within government".

Yemen's Tourism Minister Mohamed Qubaty told reporters that Kerry is a "lame duck" attempting "a shot from across 50 yards to score a goal at the last minute."

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians during its air strikes in Yemen, and last week the United States blocked the transfer of precision-guided bomb kits to Saudi Arabia.

A senior US administration official said the move reflected "strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition's targeting practices" and its overall conduct of the Yemen air war.

At Sunday's news conference Jubeir dismissed such reports as "media propaganda" and said the Saudi-led coalition had not been contacted about a halt in shipments.

Yemenis gather at al-Sawlaba base in Aden's al-Arish district on December 18, 2016, after a suicide bomber targeted a crowd of soldiers SALEH AL-OBEIDI (AFP)
At least 20 dead in DR Congo gold mine collapse: minister

At least 20 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local minister said on Sunday.

The deaths occurred overnight at a mine in South Kivu region in the east of the country, the province's mines minister Apollinaire Bulindi said.

The toll is likely to rise "because many people were working in a disorderly way in this quarry," Bulindi said, referring to "illegal miners".

DR Congo mine accident Thomas SAINT-CRICQ, Jonathan STOREY (AFP)

The Makungu mine where the accident took place is located in the Fizi district of Sud Kivu near the border with the Tanganyika province.

"We (the provincial authorities) do not control this quarry, these are soldiers who are working there...," he said.

Mining accidents are common in mineral rich DR Congo.

Last year, 15 people have suffocated while digging in an illegal mine in southeast, where the problem of illicit mining is widespread.

Much of the gold mined in Sud Kivu is smuggled out of the country to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, and from there allegedly to Dubai, according to the OECD.

Rebel militia frequently use illicit gold trading as a source of financing.

President Joepeh Kabila in 2010 imposed a nine-month ban on illegal mining in three provinces including Sud Kivu.
Report on food safety follows controversy over 'rotten' food allegedly used by Heiz in some foods

The food products of Heinz Egypt meet the health-and-safety specifications of the country, a regulatory body affiliated to the Ministry of Trade and Industry said on Sunday.

According to a ministry statement, Minister Tarek Qabil has received a detailed report issued by the Industry Control Authority (ICA) regarding the compliance of Heinz Egypt products with the country's health-and-safety specifications.

The ICA report states that the company's products "meet all the necessary standards for food produced in Egypt".

The report follows a recent controversy about the company's alleged use of rotten food in the preparation of some foodstuffs.

The report includes comments from the ICA regarding the company's food storage practices, saying that the issues have now been fixed, according to the ministry's statement. In the last visit by ICA inspectors, there was a noticeable improvement in storage, the report said.

The maker of the famous ketchup found itself in hot water after a video went viral that allegedly showed the processing of sub-standard tomatoes at a factory in Egypt. Heinz Egypt maintains that the video was misleading and inaccurate.

Ahmed Mahran, the head of the Cairo Centre for Political and Economic Studies, filed a complaint against Heiz Egypt based on claims of rotten food being used.



Mahran submitted to Cairo prosecutors a CD of videos and pictures allegedly showing "rotten" food that is "unsuitable for human consumption" being used in the company's tomato-based products.

Heinz Egypt's factory manager was arrested in December and detained on charges of using expired food in its products.

The decision to make the arrest was taken after security forces impounded 62 tonnes of "rotten and expired" products at one of the company's factories in 6 October City.

The company, which was established in Egypt in 1991, is a condiment market leader, producing a variety of sauces and products, including tomato paste, mayonnaise and vinegar.

According to 2013 data, the company made annual sales of EGP 390 million and represents 75 percent of the ketchup market.

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Syria evacuations postponed until further notice: monitor

The evacuations expected Sunday of fighters and civilians from east Aleppo and two Shiite villages under rebel siege in northwestern Syria have been postponed until further notice, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the move was decided after gunmen attacked buses sent to evacuate people from the villages of Fuaa and Kafraya and in the "absence of security guarantees for the evacuees".

One of the bus drivers was killed in the incident, the Observatory said.

Buses drive through the Syrian government-controlled crossing of Ramoussa, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo, during an evacuation operation of rebel fighters and civilians from rebel-held areas George OURFALIAN (AFP)

Yasser al-Youssef of the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group confirmed that "the evacuations have been momentarily suspended".
Gambia's Jammeh to be 'rebel leader' if clings to power: opposition

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh will effectively become a "rebel leader" if he fails to leave office at the end of his mandate in January, the nation's government-in-waiting said Sunday.

Halifa Sallah, a spokesman for the opposition coalition that spurred president-elect Adama Barrow to victory over Jammeh in a December 1 poll, said the longtime leader had no constitutional mandate to remain in office beyond January.

"Any president who loses constitutional legitimacy becomes a rebel," Sallah said.

Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, pictured in 2014, will lose constitutional legitimacy if he fails to leave office at the end of his mandate ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File)

"Anybody who is a military officer or civil servant who refuses to be under another constitutional authority obviously would also become a rebel," he added.

The Gambia's top brass have flip-flopped over whether they will remain loyal to Jammeh, drawing warnings from the international community.

West African presidents, meanwhile, called on Gambian security forces to act in the national interest and "protect lives and property" in a statement issued after talks among the regional ECOWAS bloc on Saturday.

Sallah read an address to the nation on Barrow's behalf that made clear the president-elect intended to take power in January once Jammeh's five-year mandate expired.

"The constitution orders that I assume office on the day the term of office of outgoing President Jammeh expires. He assumed office on 19th January 2012. His term expires in January 2017," Barrow said in the statement.

"On the day his term expires my term as the lawful President of The Gambia begins," he added.

The west African leaders attending Saturday's summit will attend Barrow's inauguration, they said, and would "take all necessary actions to enforce the results".

"Head of States will attend the inauguration of the President-elect Adama Barrow who must be sworn in on 19th January 2017 in conformity with the Gambian constitution," an ECOWAS statement said.

The group called on Jammeh to accept the result of the result and "refrain from any action likely to compromise the transition and peaceful transfer of power".

This followed talks held by four west African heads of state dispatched to Banjul on Tuesday that failed to yield a deal with Jammeh to cede power.

Meanwhile a planned transition with Jammeh's involvement looks near impossible.

Jammeh initially conceded defeat after 22 years in power on state television, in a segment broadcast on December 2.

One week later, following a recount of the results that still gave Barrow a narrow win, Jammeh said he was voiding the election.

Since then his Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party has lodged a controversial complaint with the Supreme Court seeking to overturn the result.

An avalanche of international condemnation has followed, along with reports that Barrow is fearing for his safety with no state protection.
Lebanon gets new government led by Saad Hariri: statement

Lebanon acquired a new 30-minister government Sunday led by Saad Hariri, bringing together the entire political spectrum except for the Christian Phalangist party that rejected the portfolio it was offered.

"This is a government of entente," Hariri said of the new line-up formed six weeks after the election of President Michel Aoun.

New portfolios include an anti-corruption post and, for the first time, a minister of state for women's affairs.

Lebanon's new Prime Minister Saad Hariri speaks to journalists following his nomination at the presidential palace in Baabda, near Beirut, on November 3, 2016 ANWAR AMRO (AFP/File)

Hariri said the Phalangist party had been offered a minister of state post but had turned it down.

The new government will have "at the top of its list of priorities to preserve security against the fires ravaging our region," Hariri told reporters.

He stressed that the government would act to "preserve our country from the negative consequences of the Syrian crisis".

On November 3, former premier Hariri was nominated to form Lebanon's next government, but the process was seen as likely to be hampered by deep differences with the powerful Hezbollah movement.

Hariri, 46, is anti-Syria and a fierce opponent of Lebanon's influential Shiite Hezbollah, members of which have been accused by an international court of involvement in his father's 2005 assassination.

But he was forced to throw his support behind Aoun, their candidate for the presidency, in order to secure his return to power as premier.

Hariri's government will have two ministers from Hezbollah.

His nomination and Aoun's election after a two-year vacuum have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.

Hariri also announced the establishment of a state secretariat for refugees, and called on the international community "to take responsibility for helping our country bear the burden".

Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2017, the first legislative vote in eight years.

The current parliament -- elected in 2009 -- has extended its own mandate twice amid fierce disagreements over revamping Lebanon's electoral law.

"The government will also work on the preparation of a new electoral law," Hariri said on Sunday.
Duterte has admitted to killing at least three crime suspects himself in the past

The United States will still work with the Philippine president to address concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the south east Asian country.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a U.S. government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte launched an expletives-laden tirade on Saturday calling Americans 'sons of bitches' and 'hypocrites'.

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United States plans to still work with Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte to address concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines

He also told the U.S. to 'prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement.'

He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises.

The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.

'You know, tit for tat... if you can do this, so (can) we. It ain't a one-way traffic,' Duterte said, adding tauntingly, 'Bye-bye America.'

The U.S. Embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have. It did not elaborate.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but spokesman Josh Earnest has said previously that the White House would not react publicly each time Duterte made an offhand remark.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a U.S. government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs

Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gun battles with police

It comes after Duterte admitted to killing at least three crime suspects in the past when he was a mayor of his southern hometown of Davao.

He was asked at a press conference how many suspects he had killed when he said: 'Maybe one, two three ... I'm saying, maybe my bullets hit them, maybe not, but after the burumbumbumbum, they're all dead.'

The U.S. government, along with European Union and U.N. officials, has raised concerns about Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gunbattles with police.

More than 3,000 other deaths are being investigated to determine if they were linked to illegal drugs.

Duterte, who describes himself as a left-wing politician, has made similar threats like the one he made against the U.S. at the weekend since he took office in June, but he has walked back on many of his public statements.

Duterte launched an expletives-laden tirade on Saturday calling Americans 'sons of bitches' and 'hypocrites'

Two suspected drug dealers, bound and with faces wrapped in packaging tape were found by a passerby and reported to police on November 17, 2016 in Pasay city, Philippines

He praised China on Saturday as having 'the kindest soul of all' for offering what he said was significant financial assistance. 'So, what do I need America for?' he asked.

He also said Russia can be a very important ally. 'They do not insult people, they do not interfere,' he said.

The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

A spokeswoman for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Laura Allen, said Thursday that it would continue to monitor events in the Philippines before the next board review in March 2017.
New Zealand jockey dies in race fall

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  A New Zealand jockey has died after a two-horse fall at a race meeting on Sunday which was attended by two of her children.

Rebecca Black, a 39-year-old mother of three, was riding in the eighth race at the Tapanui Racing Club meeting at Gore when her mount, Point Proven, stumbled and fell. Another horse, Misscattlecreek, which was following closely behind Point Proven, also fell, but its rider was unhurt.

Police and paramedics who attended the incident said the jockey died at the scene from her injuries. A New Zealand Police spokesman told the Otago Daily Times that Black's death had been referred to the coroner for investigation.
Blast kills at least 52 outside Yemen military camp

SANAA, Yemen (AP)  A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said. The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb gave told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest. The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

Soldiers gather the site of a suicide bomb at a base in the southern city of Aden, Yemen, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 48 soldiers, a Health Ministry official said. The Health Ministry told The Associated Press that 84 people were injured in the blast. (AP Photo/Wael Qubady)

The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.

Sunday's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on Dec. 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.

In addition to IS, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen. Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally-recognized government.

The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the Houthis and their allies.
Poland's president talks with opposition, protests spread

WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Police removed several protesters blocking a prominent Polish governing party member's car Sunday in a southern city as the president met in the capital with opposition leaders to help solve a growing political crisis.

The demonstrators sat in a street in Krakow trying to prevent Law and Justice party member Ryszard Terlecki from entering Wawel Castle. He was joining party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was on a private visit to the tomb of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski.

Police officers dragged the protesters away and ensured safe passage. Later, people chanted "Shame! Shame!" at the car that was carrying Kaczynski out of the castle.

People raise placards showing the Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski, reading Thank You, as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to lawmakers in parliament. The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing sweeping reforms.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Poland's democracy and rule of law are threatened.

On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the Constitutional Tribunal. They were supportive of its outgoing head, Andrzej Rzeplinski, for having opposed changes that critics say are against the rule of law. The appointment of Rzeplinski's successor is expected to create further tension in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to parliament, where Poland's most serious political crisis in years began Friday. Some protesters were still there late Sunday.

"We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing," 56-year-old economist Ewa Cisowska said.

Former President Lech Walesa said that there was no easy way out of the crisis unless the Law and Justice party resigns from power.

But the government has remained defiant. Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski told a huge crowd of supporters in front of the Presidential Palace that the government was defending democracy.

President Andrzej Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with four opposition leaders Sunday. He will meet Kaczynski on Monday.

The ruling party has increased welfare spending and still remains popular with many Poles, particularly those outside of the cities and on modest incomes. But its declarations that some social groups have been unjustly privileged under previous governments have angered many, especially after government backers started chanting "thieves," in reference to the opposition.

Supporters of the ruling Law and Justice party shout slogans as they attend a pro-government rally in front of the presidential palace, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-EU opposition.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Supporters of the ruling Law and Justice party shout slogans as they attend a pro-government rally in front of the presidential palace, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-EU opposition.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People raise placards showing the Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski, reading Thank You, as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

Supporters of the ruling Law and Justice party with a portrait of the leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski as they attend a pro-government rally in front of the presidential palace, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-EU opposition.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

People shout slogans as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank the outgoing head of court Andrzej Rzeplinski seen on the placard, for his efforts to defend its independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Opponents of the country's populist government are staging protests in an appeal to protect the young democracy's constitutional order from a series of government steps they deem anti-democratic. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

People gather to show their support for the government in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, and to encourage President Andrzej Duda in his talks with the leaders of opposition parties. Duda is trying to solve a growing political tension between the conservative government and pro-European Union opposition.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

A man holds a photo of the outgoing Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski as people demonstrate in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. Opponents of the country's populist government are staging protests in an appeal to protect the young democracy's constitutional order from a series of government steps they deem anti-democratic. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

A man shouts slogans as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank the outgoing head of court Andrzej Rzeplinski seen on the placard, for his efforts to defend its independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

People raise placards showing the Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski, reading Thank You, and copies of Poland's constitution, as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

People raise placards showing the Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski, reading Thank You, as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)

People raise placards showing the Head of the Constitutional Court Andrzej Rzeplinski, reading Thank You, and copies of Poland's constitution, as anti-government protesters gather in front of the Constitutional Court to thank for his efforts to defend the court's independence, in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Alik Keplicz)
Head of UN nuclear watchdog visits Iran

TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog is visiting Iran for the second time since a landmark nuclear agreement with world powers went into effect at the start of this year.

Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Sunday it is very important for Iran to fully implement the agreement.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Iran would abide by the deal if other nations do as well, and said IAEA reports should be "technical and impartial."

In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, right, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano shake hands for media at the start of their meeting at the Presidency office in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

He also reiterated that Iran will carry out its commitments "until when the other sides remain loyal to their commencements," under the deal.

The IAEA said last month that Iran exceeded its heavy water limit by 100 kilograms (220 pounds) over the 130 metric tons allowed under the agreement. Heavy water is used to cool reactors that produce plutonium, which can be used in atomic bombs.

Iran later said it transferred 11 tons of heavy water to Oman.

Earlier on Sunday Amano met Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi to discuss relations between the agency and Iran.

After the meeting Amano told reporters, "Full implementation by Iran on this commitment is very important for the future of (the deal)... a net gain from the verification point of view."

Salehi said, "We have always insisted that the IAEA must act as a neutral authority and not allow the influence of others to be reflected in its reports."

In response to any possible breach of the deal, he added that "Iran's hands are not tied and it has not burned all its bridges. We are ready to take any necessary action."

The Sunday meetings came after a recent vote by the U.S. Congress to extend some sanctions against Iran, what it believes constitute a breach of the deal.

Responding to the vote Tuesday, Iran decided to draw up plans to build nuclear-powered ships, and on Friday called for a joint commission meeting with world powers on the nuclear deal.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano speaks during a joint news briefing with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano and chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi, rear center, arrive for a news briefing after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, right, greets Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano at the start of their meeting at his office in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

In this photo released by official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Hassan Rouhani, right, and Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano shake hands for media at the start of their meeting at Presidency office in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

Chief of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi speaks with media after his meeting and joint news briefing with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Yukiya Amano in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi speaks with media after his meeting and joint news briefing with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi, left, speaks in a joint news briefing with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Chief Ali Akbar Salehi, right, welcomes International Atomic Energy Agency Director GeneraI Yukiya Amano for their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Yukiya Amano attends a joint news briefing with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi after their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Germany criticizes Christmas ban at German school in Turkey

BERLIN (AP)  Germany's Foreign Office on Sunday expressed irritation over a ban on Christmas celebrations and songs at a German high school in Turkey.

The Foreign Office said it "didn't understand the surprising decision by the school's administration," the German news agency dpa reported.

Turkish administrators of the Istanbul Lisesi, a German high school that was established more than 100 years ago, announced earlier this week that Christmas traditions and the singing of carols would no longer be part of the curriculum, dpa reported. The news agency also reported that the school's choir had to cancel its appearance at the German Consulate's traditional Christmas concert in Istanbul.

Germany's Foreign Office called the decision "regrettable" and said it would seek dialogue with its Turkish partners over the incident.

The school itself denied on its website Sunday night that it had passed a Christmas ban, dpa reported.
A suicide bomber killed at least 40 Yemeni soldiers in Aden Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly bomb attacks against recruits in the war-torn country's second city.

Military officials and medics said many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

"The number of those killed has exceeded 40 with some 50 others wounded," Aden health chief, Abdel Nasser al-Wali, told AFP, adding that the death toll is likely to mount due to "critical cases."

Medics had initially given a toll of 30 dead.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who immersed himself among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber "took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them".

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by the Islamic State militant group killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have for months pressed a campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its militant rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoids "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

No group claimed immediate responsibility for Sunday's blast.

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant militant force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest militant attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Houthis.

The Arab coalition intervened after Houthi rebels allied with troops loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

But the coalition later turned its firepower also at Sunni militants, supporting forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in their bid to flush extremists out of south Yemen.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.

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Flood-stricken historic town mulls federal buyouts again

PRINCEVILLE, N.C. (AP)  When Dianne Hines pulls up to her flood-damaged home in Princeville, she has no interest in going inside.

Her ruined furniture, books, pictures and other belongings lie stacked at the curb, left there by volunteers with Samaritan's Purse. They've placed family photos that might be saved on the porch. Glassware, a girl's pink-and-blue bicycle and a walker sit outside.

Hines doesn't even go on the porch; she doesn't want to live there again.

In this Dec. 1, 2016 photo, Dianne Hines stands in front of the mound of furniture and other belongings pulled from her home after Hurricane Matthew, in Princeville, N.C. Hines' home was rebuilt after Hurricane Floyd in 1999. This time, she said she's ready to move elsewhere. (AP Photo/Martha Waggoner)

The small, one-story house was built on the same spot as her previous home after Hurricane Floyd knocked the old structure off its foundation in 1999. Now that Hurricane Matthew has made her rebuilt home unlivable, the 63-year-old domestic worker is ready to move away from Princeville altogether.

"I feel like it's time to make a change," she said.

That decision, however, doesn't entirely rest with her, or with hundreds of other Princeville residents who might consider moving after the October storm.

Instead, under Federal Emergency Management Agency rules, the four-person town council will vote soon on which of three options to offer homeowners: elevate homes, repair damaged homes or let FEMA acquire the homes of people who want out. FEMA would demolish those homes and turn the land into green space that can never be built on again.

And there's the rub for a small town with an annual budget of less than $1 million: Princeville would be devastated, if not lost entirely. Green space is un-taxable property, which hurts Princeville's bottom line, and the town will have to maintain that property, too.

"Our tax base is already small, and if we allow people to leave and they will never be able to come back to that property, then we'll never be able to bring more citizens in," Mayor Bobbie Jones said at a meeting in early December where locals learned about the options.

A state Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman says she's unaware of any other governments wrestling with the decision.

There are approximately 750 single-family homes in Princeville, a town of about 2,200 on North Carolina's coastal plain.

Town manager Daniel Gerald said 241 homes had major damage and 229 others had less severe damage.

Settled at the end of the Civil War by freed slaves  the first town in the U.S. incorporated by African-Americans  Princeville is still almost entirely black and has a per-capita income less than half the national average. The entire town is in a flood plain, and has repeatedly flooded over the years, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

State historians say there's some evidence that white landowners encouraged the freed slaves to stay on that swampy, unusable land, away from the white residents of Tarboro just across the Tar River.

After Hurricane Floyd struck in 1999, city officials rejected an "all or nothing" federal buyout. Instead, the council wanted to keep the town intact and use the federal money to extend and improve the town's protective dike.

Those improvements still haven't been made, Jones said. A March 2014 report from the Army Corps of Engineers outlines multiple studies that have been done on the project over the years. It says the Corps had permission in 2012 to move forward with its preferred plan with an estimated cost then of $21 million.

Corps officials have said Matthew's floodwaters wouldn't have reached Princeville if the dike had been upgraded, Jones said.

Edgecombe County has a sign-up sheet for people who want FEMA to acquire their homes, and Jones said about 40 Princeville residents are on the list. He thinks some are renters who lack the authority to sell the homes, and some of the others may not understand the terms of a buyout. For example, any debts such as a mortgage or a Small Business Administration loan are deducted from the payout to homeowners.

"FEMA's not just handing out money," Tiffany Parker, a hazard mitigation expert, said at the December meeting. "There are stipulations to that money that you want to take into consideration."

Walking away from Princeville isn't even a consideration for Sheila Robinson, 58, a retired nurse and Army veteran.

"That's my home. That's my land," she said of the mobile home where she lived with her Maltese dog named Rocket. "That's something that was given to me, passed down from my grandmother to me that was given to her by her father. It's my home, and I'm going to give it to my children. And I'm going to have it so they can't sell it so it will continue to stay in the family."

Hines says she would consider renovating and renting her home, but she and her husband are definitely not returning to Princeville. They are already looking at land where they can build a new house. Those who stay can maintain the town and its heritage, she says.

She gazes a long while at the items beside the house, remembering where she got them. "People gifted me with that," she says, pointing to a glass bowl with a red stripe and fruit painted around it.

Then she walks toward her car to drive about 20 miles to Rocky Mount, where she now splits time between living in a house with relatives and in a motel. "One day, everything is here, and then the next day ... the next day, it's not." she says, shrugging her shoulders, the house at her back.

___
Gunmen kill 10, including Canadian, in attacks on police

KARAK, Jordan (AP)  Gunmen assaulted Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said. Several armed men barricaded themselves inside the castle for hours, hemmed in by special forces soldiers.

At least 34 people, including two foreign nationals, were wounded in the day's violence, which was one of the bloodiest attacks in Jordan in recent memory.

Security officials announced late Sunday, several hours after reports of the first shooting, that the operation had ended and that four gunmen were killed. They said troops continued to search the area.

Jordanian security forces stand next to their armored vehicle at the scene next to Karak Castle, during an ongoing attack, in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman in Jordan, Sunday, Dec.18, 2016. Officials say gunmen have carried out a series of attacks in central Jordan, including at the Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing four members of the Jordanian security forces and a woman visiting from Canada. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

The officials said large amounts of weapons had been seized. They made no reference to local media reports that at one point, the attackers had held hostages.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged this pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

A witness said attackers immediately targeted tourists when they reached the castle.

"Four gunmen got out of their car" at the castle, said Wasfi al-Habashneh, a local resident. "They opened fire at the Canadian tourists. The woman was killed, the other Canadian tourist escaped and hid behind a car and one of the children was injured."

Al-Habashneh said the attackers also targeted other people. Security forces "engaged with the gunmen and cornered the gunmen at the castle gate," he said.

The killing of the Canadian visitor could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group seized large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

Canada's global affairs spokesman, John Babcock, told The Associated Press that the dead woman was Linda Vatcher. Babcock said her son Chris was injured.

"Canadian officials in Amman are actively working with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to Canadians at this difficult time," Babcock said.

Barb Rhymes, a cousin of the slain tourist, said the victim was a retired elementary teacher from Burgeo, Newfoundland, and was visiting her son in Jordan where he works. Rhymes said Linda Vatcher, 62, was a widow and a mother of two adult sons.

"She was very friendly, outgoing. She was nice to everyone. A friend to all," Rhymes said from Burgeo, a remote town of 1,400 people on Canada's East Coast. "It's devastating. It has hit the town hard. My mind is not there right now. She was a beautiful person."

The Canadian Embassy in Amman issued an alert warning urging Canadians to avoid travel to Karak, a town in central Jordan about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near Karak.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, said a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate. Officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

Armed men also opened fire on a police station at the Crusader fort, wounding members of security forces.

In all, seven members of the security forces, two local civilians and the tourist from Canada were killed, security officials said. Fifteen members of the security forces, 17 local civilians and two foreign nationals were injured.

Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key U.S. ally, and a member of a U.S.-led military coalition fighting IS.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three U.S. military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base.

___

Associated Press writer Omar Akour reported this story in Karak and AP writer Mohammed Daraghmeh reported from Gaza City, Gaza Strip. AP writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.

Local residents discuss the situation next to Karak Castle, during an ongoing attack, in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman in Jordan, Sunday, Dec.18, 2016. Officials say gunmen have carried out a series of attacks in central Jordan, including at the Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing four members of the Jordanian security forces and a woman visiting from Canada. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Jordanian security forces stand next to their armored vehicles at the scene next to Karak Castle, during an ongoing attack, in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman in Jordan, Sunday, Dec.18, 2016. Officials say gunmen have carried out a series of attacks in central Jordan, including at the Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing four members of the Jordanian security forces and a woman visiting from Canada. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Algerian defense ministry: 125 "terrorists" killed this year

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP)  Algeria's defense ministry says that 125 "terrorists" have been killed during year 2016, without giving details on their identities and the location of the military operations.

In its monthly magazine El Djeich, the ministry also says that 225 other people have been arrested in its effort to fight terrorism.

The ministry says the military "pursues its mission with determination and rigor, achieving results on the ground this year, including the elimination of a subsequent number of terrorists and criminals and the seizure of war weapons."
Wounded Washington officer in critical but stable condition

SEATTLE (AP)  A police officer who was wounded while investigating a reported shooting in Washington state remains in critical but stable condition at a Seattle hospital.

Harborview Medical Center spokeswoman Susan Gregg said in news release Sunday that Mike McClaughry is in the intensive care unit.

McClaughry was shot in the head Thursday evening while canvassing a neighborhood in Mount Vernon, about 60 miles north of Seattle, for witnesses to a report of another shooting.

The 61-year-old officer is a father of three and a grandfather who started working with the Mount Vernon Police Department in 1985.
New Cabinet in Lebanon vows to 'preserve stability'

BEIRUT (AP)  A new 30-member national unity Cabinet headed by Prime minister Saad Hariri was announced Sunday in Lebanon nearly two months after a new president was elected, and the premier vowed that his top priority would be to protect the country from the effects of the civil war in neighboring Syria.

The Cabinet includes most of the country's political groups, including the Shiite militant Hezbollah, which holds two seats. It was to hold its first meeting on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the Cabinet was announced, Hariri said his government's priority would be to "preserve the stability that is prevailing in Lebanon amid fires that are spreading around the region."

In this photo released by the Lebanese Government, Lebanese President Michel Aoun, center, meets with Lebanese Prime Minister designate, Saad Hariri, right, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, left, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016. A new 30-member national unity Cabinet headed by prime minister Saad Hariri has been announced in Lebanon seven weeks after a news president was elected. (Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Government via AP)

He said his government would work to "isolate our country from the negative effects of the Syrian war" and would seek international help in dealing with the hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees who have fled into Lebanon.

Lebanon is home to some 1.2 million Syrian refugees, or a quarter of the country's population. The Syrian war has spilled over into Lebanon on several occasions over the past five years, with clashes and bombings that killed scores.

Lebanese are sharply divided over Syria's war. Hariri has been a harsh critic of President Bashar Assad's government, while Hezbollah has sent thousands of its fighters to back the Syrian leader.

Hariri, who served as prime minister for 14 months until early 2011, began working to form the new Cabinet in early November, days after the country's newly elected president, Michel Aoun, asked him to do so. The new government must still be approved by parliament.

A Christian leader and strong ally of the Shiite Hezbollah group, Aoun was elected president by parliament on Oct. 31, ending a 29-month presidential vacuum in Lebanon. His election was made possible after Hariri endorsed him for president, based on an understanding that Aoun would then appoint him as prime minister.

According to Lebanon's sectarian-based power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Muslim Sunni and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim.

Hariri is the son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a billionaire businessman and influential politician who was assassinated in 2005 in Beirut. Several Hezbollah members are being tried in absentia for the killing by a U.N.-backed tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
A photograph of the Queen and the Prince of Wales has been released to mark the end of the monarchs 90th birthday year.

The previously unseen picture, taken by fashion photographer Nick Knight in May, shows the mother and son in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle before the final night of the Queens celebrations at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

First look: As a year of 90th birthday celebrations draw to a close, we would like to share this special photo of The Prince and The Queen. pic.twitter.com/0qfB41c5VG  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) December 17, 2016

Charles, wearing a black dinner jacket, appears to be smiling at the Queen  dressed in a sea green and dove grey brocade dress by Angela Kelly  who is looking directly ahead in the photograph.

The Queen turned 90 in April and marked the milestone with a series of events  including a private black tie banquet at Windsor Castle with her friends and loved ones.

In June, she celebrated her official birthday with a service of thanksgiving and a picnic on The Mall for 10,000 revellers.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh lead a convoy of cars carrying the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry along the Mall.

She thanked well-wishers but said: How I will feel if people are still singing Happy Birthday to me in December remains to be seen.

Mr Knight said: It was a great pleasure and an honour to photograph Her Majesty The Queen and HRH The Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle.
Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq carved out a fighting hundred to take the floodlit first Test against Australia into a fifth day at the Gabba.

Chasing a record 490 for victory in the day-night match Pakistan closed on 382 for eight, still heading towards a likely defeat but with a slim chance thanks to Shafiqs 100 not out.

The tourists began on 70 for two, with overnight batsmen Azhar Ali (71) and Younis Khan (65) both making half-centuries before wickets from Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon left them 165 for four and staring down the barrel.

Asad Shafiq

10th Test century comes up for @asadshafiq1986, his first one in Australia #AUSvPAK pic.twitter.com/cgqpmP94uy  Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 18, 2016

But Shafiqs 10th Test hundred, and first against the Baggy Greens, stalled the charge for victory as he lasted 140 deliveries with 10 fours and a six.

Mohammad Amir proved his sturdiest ally, making 48 in a seventh-wicket stand on 92 until Jackson Bird ended his stay.
A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 48 soldiers, a Health Ministry official said.

The Islamic State groups Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Nasr al-Wali, a Health Ministry official based in Aden, said 84 people were injured in the blast. Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest.

The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said.

The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the groups black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on December 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In addition to IS, Yemen is the long-time home to an active branch of al Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.

Soldiers and people gather at the site of a suicide bomb at a base in the southern city of Aden (Wael Qubady/AP)

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemens capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen.
A deal to evacuate trapped civilians and fighters in war-ravaged east Aleppo and two Syrian villages has been thrown into doubt after assailants torched six buses assigned to the operation.

The following video contains images some may find disturbing.

The buses were to take part in the evacuation of over 2,000 wounded and sick Syrians from Foua and Kfarya, two rebel-besieged villages that have remained loyal to the government in an area under opposition control in the north-west Idlib province.

The bus attacks could scuttle a wider deal to evacuate thousands of vulnerable civilians and fighters from the oppositions last foothold in Aleppo and return the city entirely to government control.

Smoke rises in green government buses

Evacuations from Aleppo had been halted amid mutual recriminations on Friday after several thousand trapped civilians had already been moved from the city.

The suspension of the evacuations had thrown an Aleppo deal brokered by Russia and Turkey last week into disarray.

That deal marked a turning point in the countrys war. With the opposition leaving Aleppo, President Bashar Assad has effectively reasserted his control over Syrias five largest cities and its Mediterranean coast nearly six years after a national movement to unseat him took hold.

The oppositions Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front was behind Sundays assault on the buses. The insurgent group had been dragging its feet over approving the evacuation deal.

WHO is calling for medical evacuation of the sick and injured from east #Aleppo, #Syria, to be resumed as quickly as possible  World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 17, 2016

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group fighting alongside Syrias government, said the buses were burned during fighting between Fatah al-Sham and a rebel group that supported the evacuations.

Most residents of the two villages are Shiite Muslims, while the most powerful anti-government groups in Idlib are hard-line Sunnis.

The identity of the group behind the attack remains unclear. A video showing armed men circling the burning buses did not reveal their affiliation.

The buses that came to evacuate the apostates have been burned, declared the narrator of the video, as celebratory gunshots rang through the air. He warned that no Shiite pigs would be allowed to leave the towns.
Hundreds of hardy swimmers dressed in Christmas outfits have taken part in a North Coast splash for charity.

The Santa Splash 2016 on Portrushs East Strand raised money for the Childrens Heartbeat Trust, which campaigns for the best treatment for young people with heart disease.

People at a charity Christmas swim

Meanwhile in Derry, participants in a world record bid for the greatest number of people gathered in one place wearing Christmas jumpers will not find out if they have succeeded until later in the week.

Organisers hope to break the record of 3,743 set in Kansas in the US and one of the citys statues has donned festive tops to set the mood.

Hands Across The Divide by artist Maurice Harron was robed in Christmas jumpers at Craigavon Bridge to greet people visiting the city.

Those who took part in the charity event on Sunday included 92-year-old Mickey Murray from Creggan, the oldest participant.

A spokeswoman for the organisers said: It was a great turnout, very successful.

If we get the record it will be the icing on the cake.

She said verifying whether the record has been broken could be a lengthy process because everything had to be double checked.

We will know unofficially if we have been successful later in the week but the formal confirmation will be in the New Year.
Iraqi pro-government tribal militiamen summarily executed four men suspected of being members of the Islamic State group in the country's north, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.

The rights group said that the killings took place on November 29 near the village of Shayalat al-Imam, located some 70 kilometres (40 miles) south of Mosul, the last IS-held Iraqi city that is the target of a massive military operation launched two months ago.

Iraqi security forces were present for at least one execution but did not attempt to intervene, HRW quoted residents as saying.

"The Iraqi government should make clear that government-backed militias don't have a green light to abuse or execute captives regardless of what they think they're guilty of," Lama Fakih, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said in a statement.

According to HRW, residents of Shayalat al-Imam said that the militiamen ordered them to assemble in an open area south of the village.

They saw militiamen kill a man named Ahmed, whose brother said he had briefly joined IS group but then left the militant group and returned to his family.

Residents also said they saw the bodies of three more men who had been in the custody of the paramilitary group, but did not witness those executions, according to HRW.

The rights watchdog quoted a community leader as saying that the militiamen were from a group known as Hashed al-Jubur, meaning they were members of Iraq's Jubur tribe.

The Iraqi government turned to paramilitary groups that are now part of an umbrella organisation known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation, in 2014 to combat a major offensive by IS that overran around a third of the country.

These forces -- the main units in which are Iranian-backed Shia militias, but which also include Sunni Arab and Christian units -- played a major role in halting the jihadist drive and later in pushing them back.

But they have been repeatedly accused of carrying out abuses included summary executions, kidnappings and destruction of property in the course of the war against IS militants.

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Trade union chiefs need a wake-up call over the disruption a wave of Christmas strikes will cause, a leading Labour MP has warned.

Meg Hillier, chairwoman of the influential Commons financial watchdog the Public Accounts Committee, said union leaders were in danger of shooting themselves in the foot.

But Labours shadow home secretary Diane Abbott insisted she would not second guess strike decisions even though she acknowledged the industrial action would be very disastrous for the public.

British Airways planes taking off and landing at London's Heathrow Airport

Talks aimed at averting strikes by baggage handlers and other staff at airports will be held at Acas next week. @acasorguk @unitetheunion  Alan Jones (@AlanJonesPA) December 17, 2016

What has been dubbed a Christmas of discontent sees industrial action planned by rail, postal, and airport workers.

Talks aimed at heading-off strikes by baggage handlers and other staff at 18 airports, and a walk-out by British Airways cabin crew will be held at Acas this week.

Ms Hillier said unions needed to think about the impact the strikes would have on passengers.

Talks aimed at averting strikes by British Airways cabin crew over Christmas will be held at Acas tomorrow.  Alan Jones (@AlanJonesPA) December 18, 2016

I think its absolutely right people should have the right to strike, but I think it is a very unfortunate combination for people travelling, workers, at a particularly difficult time of year.

And I think that all trade unions, even though they are fighting for their rights, need to really think about the impact on the people they are actually there to serve, their customers, or their passengers.

And I think that there needs to be a bit of a wake-up call about the impact on hard working people who are trying to get to work, or go on holiday.

Virgin Atlantic pilots vote to take industrial action short of a strike in row over union recognition, and will work to contract from Dec 23  Alan Jones (@AlanJonesPA) December 16, 2016

And I think that if they are not careful they could be shooting themselves in the foot, she told Sky News.

Ms Abbott refused to endorse the views of her colleague.

I agree with what she is saying that its a really unfortunate situation, but I am not going to be second guessing the leadership of trade unions.

Strike action by RMT union is expected to significantly affect services Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 December https://t.co/Fs2vhcQpZA  Southern (@SouthernRailUK) December 18, 2016

And we need to remember that it takes two to cause a strike. It is not just the trade union, it is also the problems and the incompetence of some management, and Southern Rail is an example of that.

Of course we think about the public we serve, and, of course, these strikes are going to be very disastrous, if they all go ahead, for the public over Christmas time, but people do have a legal right to strike, Ms Abbott told Sky News.

A dispute between Southern Railway and train drivers has already brought a large portion of the travel network to a standstill this December.
Suicide bombing kills soldiers in Yemen, claimed by Islamic State

ADEN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 49 soldiers gathered to receive their monthly pay in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Sunday, officials said, as Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials said at least 60 other troops were wounded in the attack, which occurred near al-Sawlaban military base in Aden's Khor Maksar district, where another Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up a week ago killing 50 soldiers.

Aden is the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognised government in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It has been battling the armed Iran-aligned Houthi movement since 2014.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited the war to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government.

In a statement posted via its Amaq news agency, IS said Sunday's attacker, who it identified as Abu Hashem al-Radfani, detonated an explosive vest amid a crowd of soldiers.

It posted what it said were pictures of the attack, one showing young man wearing a white vest as he stood next to the black and white Islamic State flag.

The jihadist group put the death toll at more than 70.
By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

BEIRUT/AMMAN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Syrian rebels and pro-government forces reached a deal on Sunday to resume evacuations from east Aleppo in exchange for people being allowed to leave two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents.

Some buses and Red Crescent vehicles arrived at the entrance to the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya shortly after the deal was announced, according to al-Manar television, affiliated to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of Damascus.

However, five buses were attacked and burned on their to the villages, most of whose residents are Shi'ite Muslims, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media said.

State television broadcast pictures of flames coming from the green buses which have come to be synonymous with evacuations in Syria.

State media said "armed terrorists", a term it uses for groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, carried out the attack. Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government forces, was responsible.

Buses also began to arrive in eastern Aleppo, state media said, showing live footage.

The Aleppo evacuation ground to a halt on Friday after a disagreement between rebels and the coalition of forces fighting for Assad's government, who wanted people to be allowed to leave the two villages.

Over 15,000 people gathered in a square in east Aleppo on Sunday to wait for buses to arrive and take them to rebel-held areas outside the city. Many had spent the night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures.

According to Syria's al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages.

A document cited by al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the entire deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in two batches, in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo in two corresponding batches.

Following this, another 1,500 would leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Lebanon, which are besieged by pro-government forces.

Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya, al-Ikhbariya TV reported.

"EVERYONE IS WAITING"

In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, every family had been given a number by organizers to allow them on buses when they arrive.

"Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother.

Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Assad.

The World Health Organization's representative in Syria, Elizabeth Hoff, said a team was on its way to Ramousah, about 2 km from Sukari.

Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes, forcing the insurgents out of most of the rebel-held territory within a matter of weeks.

UNITED NATIONS VOTE

The chaos surrounding the evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on all sides.

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor the evacuations from Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain.

Those who were evacuated on Thursday were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo.

Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north.

The draft U.N. text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes."

A vote has been scheduled for Sunday morning, diplomats said.

It was not immediately clear how Russia would vote. Before the draft was circulated to the council, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Friday: "If it is a sensible initiative and we see it on paper, why not entertain this initiative?"

Russia, an ally of Damascus that has provided military backing to Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.
Any transitional deal with EU should not diminish Brexit vote -minister

By Kylie MacLellan

LONDON, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Britain may need a transitional agreement to smooth its exit from the European Union but it should not "buy back" into too many of the bloc's regulations, Britain's trade minister Liam Fox said on Sunday.

Fox, who campaigned for a Brexit vote in June's referendum, also indicated he was seeking a flexible approach on trade to try to ensure the best deals for the British economy.

Businesses and investors have raised concerns that Britain faces a "cliff-edge" at the end of Brexit negotiations and finance minister Philip Hammond has backed the idea of a transition period.

Asked in a BBC interview whether he supported such a plan, Fox said: "That depends what the actual arrangement is as we come to leave the European Union and the timescale needed to implement it."

Britain is due to launch Brexit negotiations by the end of March, setting the clock ticking on up to two years of talks.

Fox, who is reported to be more in favour of a clean break with the EU, said the government needed to seek to minimise disruption to businesses and international trade.

"But at the same time you can't afford to buy back into so much of the European Union that we are actually diminishing the effect of what the British people told us to do," he said.

Fox said Britons had made it clear they did not want to see uncontrolled immigration or to be governed by European courts and the government needed to take that on board.

He was still looking at whether Britain should seek to stay in the EU's customs union or its single market.

Staying in the customs union would impact the kind of free trade deals Britain could do with non-EU countries by putting limits on its ability to set tariffs, but it was not a simple in/out choice, he said.

"It is not binary," he said. "Turkey for example is in part of the customs union but not other parts. What we need to do before we make final decisions is to look at the costs."

The Mail on Sunday reported Fox believes trade with Europe will be damaged by Brexit but this will be outweighed by greater trade with the rest of the world, citing sources saying he had described it as "Europe-minus" and "world-plus".

Former British finance minister George Osborne said forging new trade deals with third countries should not come at the cost of giving up existing free trade arrangements with key trading partners in Europe.
Polish leaders try to defuse media row on third day of protests

By Pawel Florkiewicz and Lidia Kelly

WARSAW, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Street protests and a sit-in by opposition lawmakers against Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party over its proposals to curb media access to parliament extended to a third day on Sunday as leading politicians scrambled to defuse the row.

Since coming to power in late 2015, Poland's PiS-led government has repeatedly come under fire at home and from Brussels for what critics say are undemocratic moves designed to tighten its grip on power, including taking greater control of state media and changes to the constitutional court.

But proposed new rules restricting the media's access to parliament have triggered the biggest political standoff between the conservative PiS and the more liberal opposition yet. Efforts to find a compromise, including those by powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, have not been successful.

PiS ally President Andrzej Duda met several opposition leaders on Sunday in a bid to find a resolution and was due to meet the head of the Civil Platform (PO), Poland's largest opposition party, later on in the day, his spokesman said at a news conference.

At a pro-PiS rally in Warsaw, First Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski told supporters the party would not heed calls by some opposition members to concede on the new rules.

"Let us not get provoked," Glinski said. "The primary weapon of the opposition is urging emotional conflict, hatred. That's what happened in parliament, it was a build-up of negative emotions."

The speaker of the upper house of parliament, Stanislaw Karczewski, is due to meet media representatives on Monday to discuss concrete proposals, he was cited as telling media late on Saturday, after an initial meeting ordered by Kaczynski failed to produce results.

In Warsaw, thousands of protesters gathered first in front of constitutional court before moving on to parliament. The constitutional court has been the target of some of the PiS' most disputed moves, including changes to its sitting judges and to its operating rules.

The crowd carried banners expressing support for the outgoing head of the court, Andrzej Rzeplinski, whose term is ending on Tuesday.

Meanwhile a crowd of PiS supporters gathered in front of the presidential palace, carrying Polish white and red flags and chanting "God, honour and motherland". The PiS government remains popular with many Poles keen on its promises of higher welfare, more Catholic values in public life and a tougher stance towards Brussels and Russia.

FRUSTRATION

Critics see the curbs on media coverage of parliament as yet another attempt by PiS to widen its control. If implemented as planned on Jan. 1, all recording of parliamentary sessions would be banned except by five selected television stations and the number of journalists allowed in the building would be limited to two per media outlet.

Duda's spokesman also said the president had ordered a legal analysis of Friday's events in parliament. When opposition members began their protest that day, they blocked the plenary hall podium ahead of a budget vote. PiS lawmakers moved the vote to another hall, sparking accusations that they had passed the 2017 budget illegally.

"We don't know if there were enough deputies for a quorum," said Ryszard Petru, head of another opposition grouping, the liberal Nowoczesna.

Prime Minister Beata Szydlo dismissed the sit-in as frustration by parties that lost an election in 2015 after eight years in government.

However, there were signs of a more conciliatory approach from her office on Sunday.
Lebanon forms new government - televised statement

BEIRUT, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Lebanon's President, Michel Aoun, and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri have formed a new government of 30 ministers drawn from most sides of the country's political spectrum and from all of its religious sects, the cabinet office said on Sunday.

"Today a new government was formed," said Hariri, after the announcement.

Aoun, an ally of the Shi'ite group Hezbollah which dominates the country's politics, was elected president by members of parliament in October, after more than two years without anyone occupying Lebanon's highest office of state.

His election was partly the result of a political deal under which he would ask Hariri, a former political opponent, to be prime minister. However, some leading Lebanese politicians did not support the deal, contributing to Hariri's delay in being able to form a government.

Lebanon has had a caretaker government for more than two years, led by former prime minister Tammam Salam, contributing to a political crisis that has weakened government services.

Among the main cabinet posts, Gebran Bassil, a Christian and ally of Aoun, stays on as foreign minister, while Ali Hassan Khalil, a member of the Shi'ite Amal party to which Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri belongs, remains finance minister.
Bodies of 11 victims of the accident that occurred in Chavakachcheri Jaffna were airlifted to the Ratmalana Airport today.



Seven of the deceased were identified as members of the same family. Their bodies were due to be taken to Horana from Ratmalana for burial.



All those who perished in the accident which took place yesterday (17) when a van travelling from Middeniya in Horana to Jaffna for a picnic collided with a SLTB bus , killing 11 and injuring another 21.



An investigation had revealed that excess speed was to blame for the accident.

Video by Buddhi
Police today recorded a statement from Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galaboda Atthe Gnanasara Thera for allegedly insulting Islam.

A source said the Police Organized Crime Prevention Division had recorded a statement from the Thera for nearly two hours, in connection with him allegedly insulting Allah during a press conference last month.

Former Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council Azad Sali had lodged the complaint against the Thera.

Video by Buddhi
Decrying Sri Lankan Governments reported move to bring in a new law to impose fine ranging from Rs. 7 lakh to Rs. 7 crore on Indian fishermen poaching in their waters, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko has urged the Centre to prevail upon the Lankan government and prevent it from enacting such a legislation.

Addressing a protest rally in Madurai on Friday, he said as the proposed law to come into force from January next was aimed at crushing the livelihood of the Tamil Nadu fishermen, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should exert pressure through diplomatic channels and restrain the Lankan government from coming out with the law.

Finding a lasting solution to the fishermen issue may take time for Mr. Modi but he should act immediately on this issue, Mr. Vaiko said. If the Prime Minister failed to do so, he would only ruin the livelihood of the fishing community, he said.

He said he had discussed the issue with Mr. Modi when he met him in Delhi on Thursday and explained in detail, the problems faced by Tamil Nadu fishermen to eke out their living, amid threats from the Lankan navy, whenever they set out for fishing in the Palk Bay.

On apprehensions expressed by fishermen leaders that the Lankan navy would attack the fishermen in retaliation to the protest demonstration, Mr. Vaiko said if the Lankan navy attacked the fishermen, he would take up the issue with Mr. Modi and stage a protest in New Delhi to teach a lesson to the Lankan government.

Accusing the Lankan government of trying to create hatred between the Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen and Tamil Nadu fishermen, he said the fisher folk should sort out their differences and ensure that the livelihood of both the fishing community was protected.

Mr. Vaiko hit out at the Indian navy and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for not coming to the rescue of the Tamil Nadu fishermen, when they were attacked by the Lankan navy even while in Indian waters and blamed the then Congress government for handing over Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka on a platter in 1974, which he said was the root cause of the problem.

Fishermen leaders  U. Arulanandham, P. Sesu Raja, Devadoss, N. J. Bose, Emirat, Royappan and Sagayam and MDMK office bearers  Seventhiappan, Nakkeeran, Durai, Balakrishnan, Azhagusundaram and Guna participated in the agitation. (The Hindu)
Rashomon, the 1950 masterpiece of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, is a film revolving around the philosophy of truth presented through alternative, conflicting and self-serving versions of the same incident by different characters. The present crisis in Aleppo (Syria) or Yemen - for that matter, anything in this universe - has similar Rashomon moments when there remains no single, absolute truth, but different versions of the same event.

Since the reports on last weeks takeover of the historical city of Aleppo by President Bashar al-Assads armed forces and their allies - Russian air force, Iranian revolutionary guard, as also Hezbollah and other Shia militias - came, two contrasting versions have appeared in different discourses. While one termed the event as the liberation of Aleppo after nearly four years of siege, the same incident is seen as recapture of the rebel-held Aleppo, a defeat of US supported Free Syrian Army by the Assad regime.

When there is war, truth is often the first casualty. Hence, there is nothing new in how the two sides are using their respective propaganda machine. The worrying trend, however, is that in the age of hyper connectivity with 24X7 TV and internet news industry and social media, the impact of the propaganda has multiplied beyond the imagination of most media researchers.

Events and incidents occurring at a distant place is not just news anymore. Its impact is far-reaching as the audience is not simply a passive consumer, but an active participant. The response of Indians to the battle for Aleppo, particularly the Muslim population here, is a case in point.

Sitting in the comforts of their houses, thousands of kilometres away, they appear to be as divided based on what they read and watch online and are engaged in heated arguments and counter-arguments on Facebook and Twitter choosing their own respective Rashomon versions.

The various versions

In the crudest sense, the swords have been drawn for battle between two camps. While left liberals and supporters of Iran - which comprise mostly Shias but also some self-declared left-liberal Sunni Muslims - are on one side, the other side mainly has liberals - mostly Sunni Muslims - empathising with the huge civilian casualties in Aleppo.

As the second group shares news and graphic visuals of small children immediately after bombing, condemning the alleged massacres, the first camp accuses them of sympathising with Sunni rebels that have been infiltrated by different factions of the al Qaeda and other extremist groups, the most loathsome being the Daesh or ISIS.

They, in return, share articles that question the western version, trying to put things in perspective. Yes, Assad has committed some mistakes, but the war was imposed on Syria by foreign mercenaries and Islamic terrorists, the more sensible among them grudgingly acknowledge, although implying that Assad regime is only defending themselves.

Syrian president Bashar al Assad. (Photo: Reuters)

While pro-Assad cheerleaders share explanatory articles questioning the credibility of those who shared their "last-moment'' videos before Aleppo was recaptured fearing death, adding they are all activists belonging to different rebel factions. They, however, do not hesitate to share widely circulated video of an "independent" Canadian journalist and activist exposing lies about Aleppo and Syria. It a different matter that on Facebook and Twitter, she describes herself as co-founder and member of the steering committee of Syria Solidarity Movement. So much for independence!

The western media and Al Jazeera are rightly critiqued for their lopsided coverage. But can it be countered with another set of propaganda by Russia Today TV or Press TV to produce contradicting Rashomon like narratives? In fact, even the Syrian ambassador to the United Nations has been caught using an old photograph from Iraq to make false claims that the Syrian army has been very cooperative with the citizens.

Rebels or terrorists?

The trope of al Qaeda/IS has become a recurrent theme by different regimes to discredit all forms of opposition - from Uzbekistan to Syria, Turkey or Egypt, where Muslim Brotherhood has been banned, to Saudi Arabia, where atheists have been declared terrorists.

Besides, for long it has been used to cover up the other side of the same militants who are used by respective regimes. Thus, all rebels are Islamic terrorists but not Hezbollah or Shia militias fighting on the side of Assad. Even those who criticise the US/Wests play of good terrorist, bad terrorist is now buying into the same argument as it suits them.

In Iraq-Syria region, while the two respective regimes see every opposition as illegitimate and terrorists; for Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, West, Russia those with them are the good guys and the rest of the opposition are terrorists.

No doubt a large number of opposition groups in Syria-Iraq is extremist and terrorist groups who have not only committed all forms of atrocities on civilians, but have also used them as human shields. But does it wash away the bloods of a dictator only because in past he has been "secular" even in his high-handedness?

What about Malda?

Whenever there is any human rights violation in the country, particularly when minorities are victimised and concerned citizens condemn it, right wing Hindutva trolls question what they term the "selective" outrage, asking "What about Malda?" In the Malda district of West Bengal, Hindus were attacked and their shops burnt by rouge Muslims who had gathered for a protest, although police denied any communal angle to the incident.

As one still struggles to formulate a response to conjectures of sympathising with terrorists or for giving sectarian colour to the geopolitics, pat comes even a sharper inventive, Where have you been all this while when Saudi Arabia-led forces have been murdering innocent civilians (and rebels) in Yemen? Why such deafening silence on Yemen?

The contrast with Yemen - where Saudi Arabia-led Sunni forces are trying to dislodge the Houthi Shia rebellion, exact opposite of Syria wherein most rebels are Sunnis while Assad is an Alawite Shia - is interesting. Of course, the conflict is all about power and geopolitics, but the sectarian angle to it cannot be completely whisked away.

Last week, a senior journalist brought to my notice Fergal Keanes powerful but deeply saddening and disturbing report on the dying children of Yemen on BBC, I responded to him, saying, I always wondered how did the Germans and Europeans remain silent during the Holocaust? Seeing Myanmar, Yemen, Syria et al breaks me. Saw the visuals of dying and malnourished children of Yemen, and interestingly as there is no (powerful) IS yet, the world is silent.

Crisis in Muslim majority countries and hypocrisy of Indian Muslims

On November 18, a few hundred Muslims gathered near Parliament demonstrating against the week-long visit of the Israel President to India. Indian Muslims' - and many others' - contestation remains over the status of Palestine and if they had the option, they would not want any relations with Israel unless the Palestinian crisis is solved.

The stand appears very principled, considering the fact that Israel has continued unabated expanding settlements despite all concerns by international communities and the rampant human rights violations that they have been accused of committing against Palestinians. Move beyond Palestine, however, and you will see Indian Muslims falling in all directions similar to the futile attempts of making a castle from a pack of cards.

In fact, it is not just about Yemen. It has been observed that Muslims in India who generally (rightly) make a lot of noise when fellow Muslims are at the receiving end - such as the Palestinian crisis or most recently against the reported genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar - but when the perpetrators (and also victims) are Muslims, they appear confused at best or condemn in a hushed manner.

The present crisis in Aleppo (Syria) or Yemen - for that matter, anything in this universe - has Rashomon moments when there remains no single, absolute truth, but different versions of the same event.

If we discount the reactions of the past few days, the response to the five-six years of crisis in West Asia has largely been meek, except strong condemnation of the acts of terrorism by Daesh. When was the last time, you heard Muslims or rights activists gathering in sizeable number to protest outside the Saudi Arabian, Syrian or Turkish embassies?

Perhaps it also stems from the fact that the way the narrative has been created in the past few decades, it is considered perfectly normal to criticise Saudi influenced Wahhabi-infested Sunni extremism, but not enough attention has so far been put on Iranian push for Shia milita in their attempt to expand the Persian influence to the Shia population of Arab states. If you dare raise a question on Iran's external adventurism, you would be quickly labelled not just anti-Iran, but sectarian and worse anti-Shia.

Fight against neo-imperialist design and Zionist movement?

On December 14, as there were widespread condemnations from different quarters for the bombings in Aleppo and alleged massacre of civilians by the coalition of Assad regime, the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, posted a series of tweets, observing: Propaganda of US & its regional allies seeks eruption of various more conflicts & introducing faith as a factor in crises is a lie. Sunni people of Aleppo, Mosul & other cities have been & are being massacred by criminal Takfiris, thus crises are not about Shia or Sunni. As Ive said before, if Muslims & Palestinians unite & all fight, the Zionist regime will not be in existence in 25 years.

No doubt it is the collective failure of the international community in not being able to solve the Palestinian crisis even after more than six decades. It is high time, however, that the warring Arab states stop justifying their every crude action in the name of fighting against Zionism.

Of course, Syria for long has been under Moscows sphere of influence and Vladimir Putin is only serving the Russian geopolitical interests by extending help to Assad. What is intriguing though is how Russian cheerleaders, even those in India, maintain demeaning silence on indiscriminate bombing of schools, hospitals and civilian localities.

Considering the fact that Russia officially distanced itself from Communism and allowed the Soviet states to implode at the end of 1992 from within, it is rather laughable that the whole Left movement in India and the world to look upon Russia as some sort of saviour with nostalgia.

What is even more shocking is that a large number of those who protest against every neo-imperialistic design of the West, particularly the United States, and unequivocally condemn the US invasion of Iraq or western interference anywhere, seem to have no qualm in openly supporting the Russian adventurism. Did we support the US invasion of Afghanistan because of 9/11? How are we then willing to accept Russian bombs in the name of fighting against foreign mercenaries? Are only NATO/US bombs or their allies killing innocents and those killed by Russia and regime do not count?

Should we blindly accept Russia as a protector and an alternative to the US neo-imperial designs, simply because it dares to look in the eyes of the US and, ignoring the ultra-nationalist Russian ambitions under Putin? Its high time, we realise that the enemy of our enemy does not have to be our friend all the time.

The Mess in Iraq-Syria

Reports from Mosul to Madaya to other Iraqi and Syrian towns suggest that those being liberated from rebels or IS or other terror groups have mostly slid in the hands of Shia militias, except some pockets under Kurds, all of who are mutating into Afghanistan-style warlords, instead of direct control of the central government. If Afghanistan can be a lesson, this may result in short-term peace but in long run it may end up creating another round of havoc. There are already some reports of excesses on largely Sunni populations on suspicion of being members of any of the several terror groups. This may flare up the situation once again in years to come if not handled with sensitivity as it happened during the de-Baathification phase after the ouster of Saddam Hussein.
Iran discussed its plans for nuclear-powered ships with UN nuclear chief Yukiyo Amano on Sunday, saying it would present details within three months, local media reported.

Amano did not comment on the plans to produce nuclear-powered engines, which were announced by President Hassan Rouhani last week in response to news that the United States was renewing sanctions legislation.

Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, said he and Amano discussed the most controversial point -- the level of uranium-enrichment required for the ships.

"This is not a simple matter that can be decided quickly. We have three months to review it," he told reporters.

"Normally, the enrichment for such engines is between five percent and 90 percent. It depends on the type of engine and the time and goal we want to reach."

Under last year's nuclear deal with world powers, Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67 percent, but that limit falls away after 15 years.

Tehran says Washington has breached the nuclear accord by renewing the Iran Sanctions Act, even though almost all of its measures remain suspended under the deal.

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Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing on Sunday that killed up to 49 Yemeni soldiers in the southern port city of Aden, the group said in a statement.

Islamic State group said more than 70 "apostates" were killed in the attack carried out by a suicide bomber it identified as Abu Hashem al-Radfani.

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Amnesty International Sunday urged Algeria to adopt a law on the right to asylum and to open an investigation into the deportation of sub-Saharan migrants from the country this month.

"The authorities should decriminalise irregular immigration, adopt a law on (the right to) asylum and fight racism against sub-Saharans in the country," the group's Algeria office said in a statement in French.

A draft law on the right to asylum has been in the works for five years, Amnesty said.

The statement comes after Algeria on Saturday defended its treatment of a group of around 260 Malian migrants rounded up and deported to their country at the start of December, dismissing charges of brutality.

Amnesty called on Algiers "to open up a prompt and impartial inquiry into the cases of arbitrary expulsions and allegations of mistreatment".

Algerian law criminalises irregular migration into the country and stipulates jail time for anyone who aids a migrant who entered Algeria illegally.

This means migrants are "extremely vulnerable" and "prevents them from reporting abuse for fear of being pursued, jailed or deported", Amnesty said.

Algeria has expelled thousands of African migrants since the descent into chaos over the past five years of Libya, a focal point for migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.

The migrants are generally arrested in cities of northern Algeria bordering the sea and bused to a reception centre in the south before being deported.

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Jordanian security forces freed tourists trapped inside a medieval castle on Sunday after storming the building where armed men had taken shelter following a shoot-out with police that killed at least nine people, security sources said.

A Canadian woman, three other civilians and five police officers were among the nine killed during the exchange of gunfire between the assailants and security forces. At least 29 people were taken to hospital, some with serious injuries, the sources said.

Police in the mountainous city of Karak had earlier freed 10 people, including foreign tourists, but some were still being held in the Crusader-era castle from where the gunmen shot at security forces who were surrounding it, a security source said.

The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear.

A former government minister from Karak city, Sameeh Maaytah, said there were signs Islamist militants may have been behind the attack but the government has so far steered away from saying this.

"The operation is continuing, it has not ended and the criminals are still inside the castle ... This was a group that was plotting certain operations inside Jordan," Maaytah told pan-Arab news channel al-Hadath.

Video footage on social media showed security forces taking groups of young Asian tourists up the castle's steep steps to its main entrance as gunshots were heard overhead.

The castle is one of the country's most popular tourist attractions.

Prime Minister Hani al Mulki told parliament "a number of security personnel" had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle. The Canadian government confirmed one of its nationals had been killed.

Police and witnesses said gunmen had earlier gone on a shooting spree aimed at officers patrolling the town before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill. They used one of the castle's towers to fire at a nearby police station.

Police said the gunmen had arrived from the desert town of Qatraneh nearly 30 km northeast of Karak city, a desert outpost known for smuggling, where many tribal residents are heavily armed.

They had fled to Karak after an exchange of fire with the police at a residential building, security forces said.

Jordan is one of the few Arab states that have taken part in a U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State militants holding territory in Syria. But many Jordanians oppose their country's involvement, saying it has led to the killing of fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan.

Officials worry about radical Islam's growing profile in Jordan and support in impoverished areas for militant groups.

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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. 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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. 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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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Telefonica, S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services in Europe and Latin America. The company's mobile and related services and products comprise mobile voice, value added, mobile data and Internet, wholesale, corporate, roaming, fixed wireless, and trunking and paging services. Its fixed telecommunication services include PSTN lines; ISDN accesses; public telephone services; local, domestic, and international long-distance and fixed-to-mobile communications; corporate communications; supplementary value-added services; video telephony; intelligent network; and telephony information services, as well as leases and sells handset equipment. The company also provides Internet and broadband multimedia services comprising Internet service provider, portal and network, retail and wholesale broadband access, narrowband switched access, high-speed Internet through fibre to the home, and voice over Internet protocol services. In addition, it offers leased line, virtual private network, fibre optics, web hosting and application, outsourcing and consultancy, desktop, and system integration and professional services. Further, the company offers wholesale services for telecommunication operators, including domestic interconnection and international wholesale services; leased lines for other operators; and local loop leasing services, as well as bit stream services, wholesale line rental accesses, and leased ducts for other operators' fiber deployment. Additionally, it provides video/TV services; smart connectivity and services, and consumer IoT products; financial and other payment, security, cloud computing, advertising, big data, and digital telco experience services; virtual assistants; digital home platforms; and Movistar Home devices. It also offers online telemedicine, home insurance, music streaming, and consumer loan services. The company was incorporated in 1924 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.
The Allstate Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides property and casualty, and other insurance products in the United States and Canada. The company operates through Allstate Protection; Protection Services; Allstate Health and Benefits; and Run-off Property-Liability segments. The Allstate Protection segment offers private passenger auto and homeowners insurance; specialty auto products, including motorcycle, trailer, motor home, and off-road vehicle insurance; other personal lines products, such as renter, condominium, landlord, boat, umbrella, and manufactured home and stand-alone scheduled personal property; and commercial lines products under the Allstate and Encompass brand names. The Protection Services segment provides consumer product protection plans and related technical support for mobile phones, consumer electronics, furniture, and appliances; finance and insurance products, including vehicle service contracts, guaranteed asset protection waivers, road hazard tire and wheel, and paint and fabric protection; roadside assistance; device and mobile data collection services; data and analytic solutions using automotive telematics information; and identity protection services. This segment offers its products under various brands including Allstate Protection Plans, Allstate Dealer Services, Allstate Roadside Services, Arity, and Allstate Identity Protection. The Allstate Health and Benefits provides life, accident, critical illness, short-term disability, and other health insurance products. The Run-off Property-Liability offers property and casualty insurance. It sells its products through call centers, agencies, financial specialists, independent agents, brokers, wholesale partners, and affinity groups, as well as through online and mobile applications. The Allstate Corporation was founded in 1931 and is based in Northbrook, Illinois.
Kimco Realty Corp. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on open-air mall-style properties in the US and is among the largest mall REITs on the market. The firm has been in business since the post-war boom of the 1966 and trading on the public markets since 1991. The name is a blend of the founders names, Martin Kimmel and Milton Cooper, who merged their assets in order to form the larger company.

The stock was added to the S&P 500 in 2006 and has held its position ever since. Kimco is also know for being the first vertically integrated REIT meaning it is internally managed and advised, and provides its own asset and property management. The firm raised $120 million with its IPO and was worth $11.4 billion in October 2022.

As of October 2022, the company laid claim to more than 530 properties enclosing 92 million square feet of retail space. The properties are primarily located within grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use assets in suburban areas. The tenant-focus is on a diverse blend of essential and/or necessity-based goods or services that drive multiple consumer trips per week and provide stable income.

Kimco Realty is headquartered in Jerico, N.Y., but does not limit its investments by geography. The companys properties are located in 1st-ring suburbs surrounding major metropolitan areas from coast to coast. One area of focus is high-barrier-to-entry coastal properties in population-dense vacation zones while another is the rapidly expanding Sun Belt.

The firm offers a variety of services and features apart from property rentals that include curbside pickup zones and many others that enhance the tenant and consumer experience. Other features include digital maintenance requests, Click Pay, and a Discount Program. Some of the markets served by Kimco Realty include New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, and Atlanta.
Banc of California, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California, National Association that provides banking products and services in the United States. The company offers deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, retirement, and interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand accounts, as well as certificate of deposits. It also provides various commercial and consumer loan products, such as commercial and industrial loans; commercial real estate and multifamily loans; construction loans; single family residential mortgage loans; warehouse and indirect/direct leveraged lending; home equity lines of credit; small business administration loans; and other consumer loans. In addition, the company offers automated bill payment, cash and treasury management, foreign exchange, card payment, remote and mobile deposit capture, automated clearing house origination, wire transfer, direct deposit, and internet banking services; and master demand accounts, interest rate swaps, and safe deposit boxes. Further, it invests in collateralized loan obligations, agency securities, municipal bonds, agency residential mortgage-backed securities, and corporate debt securities. As of December 31, 2020, the company operated 29 full-service branches in Southern California. The company was formerly known as First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to Banc of California, Inc. in July 2013. Banc of California, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Santa Ana, California.
Several buses en route to evacuate ill and injured people from the besieged Syrian villages of al-Foua and Kefraya were attacked and burned on Sunday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state television said.

Some buses, as well as Red Crescent vehicles, reached the entrance to the villages in Idlib province, which are besieged by insurgents.

The coalition of forces fighting for the government of President Bashar al-Assad are demanding people to be allowed to leave the two villages in exchange for allowing evacuations of rebels and civilians from east Aleppo.

Syrian state media said "armed terrorists" - a term it uses for insurgent groups fighting against Assad's rule - attacked five buses and burned and destroyed them.

Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government forces, carried out the attack.

A resident in the area told Reuters it was not carried out by the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, which had previously said it had not agreed to the evacuation of the two villages.

Most of al-Foua and Kefraya's residents are Shi'ite Muslims.

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Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao engages in the retail of food, clothing, home appliances, electronics, and other products through its chain of supermarkets, specialized stores, and department stores in Brazil. It operates in Brazilian Retail, Grupo Exito, and Other Businesses segments. The company sells non-perishables, beverages, fruits, vegetables, meat, breads, cold cuts, dairy products, cleaning products, disposable products, and personal care products; and home appliances and other non-food products, such as clothing and baby items, shoes and accessories, household articles, books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, stationery, toys, sports and camping gears, furniture, mobile phones, mattresses, pet products, and gardening equipment and tools, as well as electronic products, including personal computers, software, computer accessories, and sound and image systems. It also offers medications and cosmetics at its drugstores; and non-food products at gas stations, as well as rents commercial spaces and e-commerce sales. The company operates its supermarkets under the banners of Pao de Acucar, Extra Supermercado, Mercado Extra, and Compre Bem; hypermarkets under the banner of Extra Hiper; and proximity stores under the banners of Mini Extra, Minuto Pao de Acucar, Pao de Acucar Adega, and Aliados Minimercado; and gas stations and drugstores under the banners of Extra and Pao de Acucar, as well as sells its products through its Websites. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 667 stores, 74 gas stations, and 68 drugstores in 16 Brazilian states and the Federal District, as well as 15 distribution centers and warehouses across Brazil. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao operates as a subsidiary of Casino, Guichard-Perrachon S.A.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen France SAS, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Suzhou Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel Ireland Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Brooks Instrument Shanghai Co. Ltd, Buell Industries Inc., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS Australia Pty Limited, CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures Australasia S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Coeur Shanghai Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Denison Mayes Group Limited, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., E2M Production B.V.., E2M Technologies B.V.., E2M Technologies Inc.., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO Holding AG, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, Exhibit 21, FEG Investments L.L.C., Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Filtertek SAS, GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech Taicang Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Belgium B.V., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart International Singapore Pte. Ltd., Hobart Japan K.K., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components Chongqing Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components Langfang Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium B.V., ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS UK Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW China Investment Company Limited, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Construction Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Services Manila Inc., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Contamination Control Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Deutschland GmbH, ITW Diagraph GmbH, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW EU Holdings Ltd., ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.L., ITW European Finance Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW European Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Thailand Ltd., ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France Luxembourg S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW Materials Technology Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Ningbo Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology China Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers Wujiang Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion Shenzhen Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials Suzhou Co. Ltd., ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment Shanghai Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films Shanghai Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Illinois Tool Works Chile Limitada, Illinois Tool Works ITW Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, Instron Shanghai Ltd., Instron Thailand Limited, International Leasing Company LLC, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., Itw Spraytec, KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems Canada Inc., Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MTS 2 LLC., MTS 3 LLC., MTS China Holdings LLC, MTS Europe Holdings LLC, MTS Holdings France S.a.r.l., MTS Japan Ltd.., MTS Korea Inc.., MTS Systems China Co. Ltd., MTS Systems Corporation, MTS Systems Danmark ApS., MTS Systems Europe B.V., MTS Systems Finance C.V.., MTS Systems Germany GmbH, MTS Systems Holding B.V.., MTS Systems Hong Kong Incorporated, MTS Systems Limited, MTS Systems Norden Aktiebolag, MTS Systems S.r.l, MTS Systems., MTS Systems.., MTS Sytems Do Brazil, MTS Testing Solutions India Private Limited., MTS Testing Systems Canada Ltd., Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology Suzhou Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited Enping, Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners Shanghai Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., R&D Engineering A/S., R&D Prague s.r.o., R&D Steel ApS., R&D Test Systems A/S., R&D Tools and Structures A/S., RDGDK Engineering Private Limited, Ramset Fasteners Hong Kong Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco Japan Inc., Simco Nederland B.V., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes B.V., Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Hong Kong Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Shanghai Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stokvis Tapes Taiwan Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes Tianjin Co. Ltd., Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Subsidiaries, Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek China Limited, Teknek Japan Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Kunshan Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta Global Limited, Vesta Guangzhou Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil South Africa Pty Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, and Zip-Pak International B.V..

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Flowserve Corporation designs, develops, manufactures, distributes, and services industrial flow management equipment in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Flowserve Pump Division (FPD) and Flow Control Division (FCD). The FPD segment offers custom and pre-configured pumps and pump systems, mechanical seals, auxiliary systems, replacement parts, upgrades, and related aftermarket services, including installation and commissioning services, seal systems spare parts, repairs, advanced diagnostics, re-rate and upgrade solutions, retrofit programs, and machining and asset management solutions, as well as manufactures a gas-lubricated mechanical seal for use in high-speed compressors for gas pipelines. The FCD segment provides engineered and industrial valve and automation solutions, including isolation and control valves, actuation, controls, and related equipment, as well as equipment maintenance services for flow control systems, including advanced diagnostics, repair, installation, commissioning, retrofit programs, and field machining capabilities. This segment's products are used to control, direct, and manage the flow of liquids, gases, and fluids. The company primarily serves oil and gas, chemical and pharmaceuticals, power generation, and water management markets, as well as general industries, including mining and ore processing, pulp and paper, food and beverage, and other smaller applications. The company distributes its products through direct sales, distributors, and sales representatives. Flowserve Corporation was incorporated in 1912 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas.
Iraqi civilians displaced by the battle to recapture Mosul long to return home but bombs left by jihadists and ongoing fighting makes going back now a dangerous proposition.

More than 100,000 Iraqis have fled their homes since the massive operation to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, and the battle is far from over.

Hisham, in his 20s, cannot stand life in the Hassan Sham camp anymore.

"I am not asking anything from anyone, just let me leave this camp and go home," Hisham says.

He waves his arms, brandishing his identity card proving he is from a village that was recently retaken from IS.

"I was searched, my identity was checked and then I was recorded. Now my name is on the list of displaced and I cannot move," he says, adding that he had tried to leave the camp several times but was prevented from doing so.

Nearby, a teenager shivering in the cold is angered that he cannot return to his nearby house, rather than have to live squeezed into a tent in the camp alongside his father, mother and four siblings.

"Our house is in the village of Hassan Sham and we are in the camp of Hassan Sham," says the teenager, who declined to give his name.

"At least we would have a real roof. Here, there is hardly anything to eat," while outside, his father could have found work to support the family.

From inside the fences surrounding camps for displaced people in northern Iraq, life outside may seem much better. But waiting to make sure of stability and that bombs have been removed is the safer course.

"Often we see places being announced retaken and safe for return very quickly," said Becky Bakr Abdulla of the Norwegian Refuge Council aid group.

But in reality, people may be "risking their lives to return home, because it's not safe or secure," Abdulla said.

"Before people return, they need to have all the information necessary to make an informed decision," she said, noting that there may not be "enough aid, not enough service infrastructure (and) they feel forced to leave."

In and around the city of Mosul, things are far from safe or secure.

Iraqi soldiers and police say IS jihadists rigged many everyday household items with explosives before they left, such as a phone, a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and even a teddy bear.

And while fighting is still ongoing, civilians are not always welcome because the security forces fear that jihadists may seek to use them or infiltrate them.

Even after an area is retaken and secured, it may not be fit for habitation: infrastructure may be damaged, businesses shuttered, and people left reliant on humanitarian aid.

Aid organisations say they are hesitant to distribute relief supplies in some areas lest a crowd of civilians become a target for IS.

"The majority of internally displaced persons seem keen to return home, motivated by a desire to return to normality and the need to control and safeguard their property," said Jenny sparks of the International Organisation for Migration.

But "the scale and speed of returns can pose a particular challenge, especially to communities already made politically and economically fragile as a result of the recent occupation by IS and military operations," Sparks said.

Abdulla noted that in Fallujah, a city west of Baghdad that was recaptured from IS nearly six months ago, only around 10 percent of homes are fit for habitation.

"For a sustainable solution and stabilisation effort, we're looking at years, and a lot more funding," she said.

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PulteGroup, Inc., through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West, and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand names. As of December 31, 2021, it controlled 228,296 lots, of which 109,078 were owned and 119,218 were under land option agreements. In addition, the company arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans primarily for homebuyers; sells the servicing rights for the originated loans; and provides title insurance policies, and examination and closing services to homebuyers. PulteGroup, Inc. was formerly known as Pulte Homes, Inc. and changed its name to PulteGroup, Inc. in March 2010. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Sunday denied media reports that the United States had decided to limit military support, including a planned arms sale, to the kingdom.

U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties.

Yemen's 20-month-old war has killed more than 10,000 people and triggered humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula.

Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate."

"The kingdom has received nothing official from the American government in this regard," he said in answer to a question on reported delays of U.S. weapons supplies.

Kerry appeared to play down the reports of delays to weapons supplies, suggesting procurement was often a slow process, and adding he had worked hard to move sales "forward".

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen's civil war in March 2015, several months after the Iran-Allied Houthi movement ousted the Saudi-backed government, and has launched thousands of air strikes on the Houthis and their local allies.

The kingdom has been subject to frequent cross-border raids and missile attacks by the Houthi movement.

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US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the hope in Saudi Arabia on Sunday that a new ceasefire in the Yemen conflict could be agreed within two weeks.

On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the United States will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.

The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.

The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.

Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.

Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.

Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.

The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.

Washington's top diplomat leaves office in January at the end of President Barack Obama's presidency.

But he said the US will "remain engaged" in the search for peace in Yemen.

"We think we've found a path that can move forward," Kerry said.

"And we invite the parties, President Hadi, the Huthis and their supporters, both sides, to take advantage of this moment".

He added that Iran has also indicated that it wants an end to the Yemen war, "and they believe that the key is for Huthis to be able to have some role within government".

Yemen's Tourism Minister Mohamed Qubaty told reporters that Kerry is a "lame duck" attempting "a shot from across 50 yards to score a goal at the last minute."

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians during its air strikes in Yemen, and last week the United States blocked the transfer of precision-guided bomb kits to Saudi Arabia.

A senior US administration official said the move reflected "strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition's targeting practices" and its overall conduct of the Yemen air war.

At Sunday's news conference Jubeir dismissed such reports as "media propaganda" and said the Saudi-led coalition had not been contacted about a halt in shipments.

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First of two parts.

This time of year, nearly every elementary school playground has at least one smarty-pants who delights in telling classmates that Santa Claus is an imaginary figure.

In the case of 8-year-old Virginia OHanlon, the little know-it-alls had gotten an early start in 1897. By July of that year, she was so troubled by the needling question of whether or not Santa exists that she determined to get a resolution on the matter.

Virginias father, Dr. Philip OHanlon, provided his daughter with a sure way to find the truth. When she asked him if Santa was real, he recommended that she send her inquiry to the New York Sun newspaper.

Virginia took pen in hand and wrote the following missive: Dear Editor: I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, If you see it in the Sun, its so. Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia signed the note and provided her address  115 West 95th St. in New York City. The heartfelt question resulted in the writing of a reply that, to this day, remains the most reprinted editorial in English-language newspapers. The famous editorial is most often referred to as Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Charlottesville resident Shelia Dennis grew up in the house next to the one where OHanlon lived after moving to North Chatham, New York.

OHanlon was born July 20, 1889, in Manhattan. Her brief marriage to Edward Douglas resulted in a daughter, Laura. Although Douglas deserted her before the child was born, she kept her married name.

In the late 1950s, she [Mrs. Douglas] retired from being a principal in the New York City school system, said Dennis, who moved with her husband, David, to Charlottesville in June 1989. When I was 8 years old, she moved in with her daughter, who lived in the house next to ours.

Virginia and her daughter and son-in-law were wonderful neighbors. Our families did things together, and we really enjoyed each others company.

From the time we could understand and read for ourselves, we knew that Virginia was the lady who had written this letter asking if there was a Santa Claus. It was very exciting, because she was this celebrity living in our small town.

Douglas once joked that she was anonymous from January to November. During December, however, she was nearly as popular as the jolly resident of the North Pole in whom she never stopped believing.

Each year at Christmas, Virginia would read her letter and the reply, Dennis said. I remember one year, the local news did a big presentation at our church.

And she once appeared on the Perry Como television show. But I dont think she thought of herself as anything special. She simply had this question she wanted answered.

I think she was glad that she wrote the letter, but I dont think she thought it made her a star at all.

Douglas always downplayed her role in the matter. She often said the person who deserved the credit was Francis Pharcellus Church, who wrote the timeless reply.

During an interview in 1959, Douglas was reported to have said the following: It [her letter] gave me a special place in life I didnt deserve. It also made me try to live up to the philosophy of the editorial, and to try to make glad the heart of childhood.

Church was the kind of guy who would have been pleased that Virginia got all the attention. In fact, because of the Suns policy, during his lifetime only a few editors knew he authored the response.

Church had been a war correspondent during the Civil War. The suffering and destruction he witnessed during the conflict left him cynical and reticent.

Edward P. Mitchell was the Suns editorial page editor when Virginias letter arrived at the newspaper. He later wrote that Church bristled and pooh-poohed at the subject when I suggested he write a reply to Virginia OHanlon; but he took the letter and turned with an air of resignation to his desk.

Several hundred words later, Church was finished. His elegant answer dispelled for all times any doubt that Santa Claus not only lives, but will live forever.

Churchs reply for the ages appeared in the Sun on Sept. 21, 1897. The editorial ran in one short column, with several larger news stories vying for readers attention.

Nonetheless, the question that topped the column  Is There a Santa Claus?  didnt go unnoticed. There was an immediate, and enduring, response.

Church might have been writing about himself when he penned the second of his two introductory sentences. Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.

The career newspaperman then used Socratic logic and common sense to reduce nonbeliever arguments to shapeless rubble. Virginia got a reassuring answer to her question, and the world got a yuletide masterpiece worthy of a place next to Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol.

Next: Santas best friend.
MINERAL  In the scruffy pine woods near Lake Anna, workers are spraying insulation into the walls of Chris Denkers big gamble.

Denkers, 33, prowls the construction site in jeans, Marmot fleece and ball cap. He built most of this himself, a barn-like structure with red siding and stone-clad foundation. In April, he plans to open it up as the Coyote Hole Ciderworks  a huge investment for his family and friends in an industry thats suddenly on the rise in Virginia.

Ten years ago, there was only one cidery in the state, and it had just opened. Denkers will be the 19th.

Or 18th  state officials disagree about the exact number. The industry is just now getting big enough to track. The state department of alcoholic beverage control didnt collect production and tax data on cider makers until July.

Its a baby industry, said Denkers, who moved here seven years ago from upstate New York. A lot of wineries are now starting to do cider.

The rise was predictable. There seems to be a winery at every highway exit, and craft beer breweries are popping up like coffee shops. Cider was ripe for a resurgence. But Virginia is catching up to a national cider-drinking trend that may have eased in the past year or two.

Retail sales of hard cider (at stores, not restaurants) grew by about 11 percent in 2015, a fraction of the 71 percent growth the year before, according to Nielsen. Draft magazine, which covers the beer and cider industry, reported over the summer that cider sales slowed toward the end of last year.

Washington state and New York have far more mature cider markets than Virginia. But Virginia has apples, and picturesque countryside, and the new businesses feed other industries important to the state.

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is a big booster of cider, as well as craft beer and wine. His office regularly cranks out news releases announcing jobs that involve fermentation. Brewpubs and wineries are among his favorite spots to hang out.

Sometimes I get some grief from people for the announcements, McAuliffe said. But this whole space drives our agriculture business and at the same time helps boom our tourism. He can spout the precise numbers off the top of his head: Last year, we sold 416,750 cases of cider, and that was up 52 percent from the year before.

And to be clear, the governors talking about hard cider. Technically, its a wine, fermented from the juice of a fruit. Most hard ciders have a little more alcohol than the typical beer, and maybe a little less than the average grape wine. The same is roughly true for its sweetness.

Cider is another of those forsaken products that was huge in Colonial times  like hemp or leeches. Thomas Jefferson cultivated cider apples at Monticello, and John Adams drank it every day. After all, water was often unsafe back then, so cider was a healthier option. (A reporter at Vice recently spent a week living in Colonial mode and found himself constantly drunk from all the cider).

Cider apples are different varietals from the ones people eat  gnarlier to look at and less tasty. Many of the old trees were ripped up in Virginia during Prohibition, so growers have had to re-establish them. They come with poetic old lip-smacking names such as Albemarle Pippin, Roxbury Russet, Burfords Redflesh and Winesap.

Jeffersons favorite cider apple was the Taliaferro, nearer to the silky Champagne than any other, he wrote, according to the Monticello web site. But that variety has disappeared.

Virginia still has a sizeable apple industry, ranked sixth in the nation, producing nearly 200 million pounds worth roughly $35 million per year. Cider orchards are a miniscule portion of that, but increasing. Denkers, for instance, committed to buying more than a million pounds of Virginia-grown apples and other fruits during the next three years.

Cider makers tend to fall into three categories: the mass market (Angry Orchard, owned by the maker of Samuel Adams beer), the mid-range (often made from dessert apples and served in kegs or beer-type bottles) and the fussy artisanal (wine bottles all the way).

This particular business is based on the farm winery model, said Geoff Robinson, director of sales and marketing at Castle Hill Cider in Albemarle County. By that he means that Castle Hill, set in the patrician foothills of the Keswick hunt country, is very much a small-batch operation with a cozy tasting room and facilities for private events such as weddings.

Castle Hill was the states third cidery when it opened in 2010, Robinson said. Hes not worried about the recent flurry of competitors. Its still a rising-tide-lifts-all-ships kind of thing, he said. The big national brands may have saturated the market, but he believes the local-source movement leaves lots of room for craft ciders to grow.

And really, cider is only part of the equation for a place like Castle Hill, with its temple-like white barn and painterly vistas. Wedding photo books are more prominent than menus around the tasting room. Weve seen this wedding industry boom and blow up in the last few years, Robinson said.

Denkers scouted Castle Hill, among other places, when gathering ideas for Coyote Hole. But hes aiming at a slightly different crowd  fewer cheese plates and millennials, more BBQ and families with kids.

He and his wife, Laura, moved from New York to his sister-in-laws basement in Ashburn seven years ago when he got hired to do Web design for a government contractor. After his boss told him he could work from home, Denkers moved to Lake Anna, a rambling, unpretentious getaway spot between Fredericksburg and Richmond.

There, he and his wife are raising twin 7-year-old boys. Its a relaxed lifestyle of panning for gold in local creeks and watching for coyotes on trailcams stationed around their property.

Denkers is a guy who likes to build stuff. He built a house for his in-laws, and with another friend started a nonprofit that hosts party events to raise money to fight cystic fibrosis, which both of his sons have. He has homebrewed beer and cider for years.

The cidery grew out of all those interests. Armed with a 60-page business plan and about $750,000 in investment from his family and several friends, Denkers has spent the past year methodically lining up permits, ordering equipment and designing everything from logos to the main building.

I just thought, why not take what I love doing and make it a business? he said. In my opinion, I think the industry has got a long way to go. More and more people are really starting to drink cider ... I think it will definitely support us and support the other cideries, as well.
AFTON  In October, musical legend Bob Dylan, who 50 years ago sent shockwaves through the music world by introducing the electric guitar into acoustic-centered folk music, stood alone again.

For having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition, Dylan became the first musician to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

But despite Dylan being an international music icon, there are works of his that the world doesnt know.

Thanks to Nelson County-based tech company Digital ReLab, even more of the artists ventures are coming to light.

Recently, Digital ReLabs technology platform Starchive made possible the release of never-before-seen images from Dylans 1966 European tour.

Many think of Dylan as a guy who scribbles songs on napkins, so its cool that his company is actually at the cutting edge of technology, Digital ReLab CEO Richard Averitt said. Its also interesting that he got the Nobel Prize based on what the world has seen, and  Starchive has been able to illuminate that there is so much more to the artist and so much more content that has yet to be released.

Through Starchive, which Digital ReLab describes as the worlds first open media, open data open storage, the company created cover artwork for a special Sony 36-CD box set of Dylans 1966 tours.

Using Starchive, Digital ReLab, located in the Rockfish Valley Community Center, created 60,000 stills in less than an hour from footage shot by D.A. Pennebaker during Dylans 1966 European tour for an ABC special that never aired.

From there, the Bob Dylan Media Company picked 60 favorite frames, and the software created high-resolution versions of those images from the original film. The files eventually were narrowed down to the final 36 cover images.

Averitt said no editing or production tools had to be used for either the first set of 60,000 images or the high-resolution, production-ready images.

As you can imagine, there are closets and closets full of Dylans materials, including old recordings and footage in multiple outdated formats, he said. Through Starchive, the BDMC team has been able to efficiently revisit and rediscover old content.

* * *

Averitt said that like the Bob Dylan Music Company, other companies and individuals can come across the same problems when it comes to storage.

He said no matter what kind of storage system people have, there comes a point where they wont remember where a document, image, video clip or other kind of digital media has been stored. Additionally, the original digital media files often become disconnected with associated data such as licensing agreements or author information.

Companies, entrepreneurs and distributors of digital media face another problem, too, Averitt said. When aiming to share content through a certain platform, files often are not the right format. For example, photos can sometimes be too big to post to social media, or there could be a time when a company wishes to only share audio instead of an entire video.

Starchive can solve all of those issues, he said.

According to Averitt, any type of file can be uploaded to Starchive, which then automatically does two things  it creates derivatives of the original and probes for and brings to the surface metadata embedded in each file.

In creating derivatives, Starchive can separate audio from video, create images with watermarks, create smaller versions of files or change the type of file, for example.

By automatically finding metadata, clients can then use the software to easily search for related files by business records, file type, author information or other data.

All the metadata that exists in files cant be easily seen in the storage systems most people use, Averitt said, meaning, if you dont have access to [the metadata], you cant use it.

Starchive simplifies storage and increases efficiency, Averitt said, drastically cutting down on time companies spend organizing archives.

Averitt decided to partner with Peter Agelasto IV, the brain behind Starchive, after learning details of the software during a four-hour conversation and doing a bit of research.

Also coming from a media background, I immediately saw the power of what he had built. And then I found myself thinking, Surely some other bigger, more well-known company has built this, Averitt said.  I spent about three months trying to prove to myself that it already existed, that it wasnt that new, because I just thought maybe I hadnt heard of anything like it.

But convincing himself similar software already existed proved an impossible task for Averitt.

* * *

After Averitt partnered with Agelasto and became CEO, the two discovered the opportunities for potential clients who could use Starchive software seemed to be endless.

The more we dug, the more we found, Averitt said.

Agelasto said the idea for Starchive was born almost out of necessity. At the recording studio he founded in the late 90s in Roseland, Agelasto estimated employees spent 75 percent of their time organizing the content produced at the studio while only getting to actually create content a quarter of the time.

He called their storage system sub-optimal in how much time had to be devoted to that side of the business and the inability to easily search archived material.

After searching for about four years for a good solution, Agelasto decided to dive into creating his own and developed a few quixotic goals: to be able to save everything; to allow the creative process to become the top priority; and to just have organization happen automatically.

Between 2004 and 2006, Agelasto and his partners worked to develop and refine the Starchive software Digital ReLab currently uses.

Today, in addition to the Bob Dylan Music Company, Digital ReLab has a number of big clients, including the New York Philharmonic; the Sherman Grinberg Film Library, the worlds largest privately held film archive with more than 20 million feet of film from the late 1800s to mid-1900s; and others.

* * *

Currently, the company has nine full-time employees and five part-timers, most of whom work out of Digital ReLabs headquarters at the community center in Afton.

This is a massive problem. Its a huge problem, and its only getting worse, said Tyler Sewell, the companys creative director. Every business is also in the media business. They dont want to be, but they have to be.

Sewell and Agelasto said that even companies whose names and goals have nothing to do with technology have been forced to become familiar with digital media. With the rapid expansion of social media and growing use of the internet, the vast majority of the countrys population has become a creator and sharer of digital media.

We realized that the scale of digital media, theres more digital media being created every day than ever thought 10 years ago, Agelasto said. Everyone has a recording studio in their pocket on their phone. The scale is so big, if we had not done what we did, we probably wouldve been 99 percent of the time trying to organize things.

Sewell said he was an early embracer of digital media, creating podcasts and apps before they were known by those names and before services like iTunes existed. He said had Digital ReLab and Starchive existed then, he would have cut the time spent organizing content by at least half.

I can look anybody in digital media in the eye and tell them, I was around at the inception of digital media. I know what digital media problems are; Ive had them, and this solves them, Sewell said.

As they continue working to land high-profile clients  and as they get ready to launch a version of Starchive geared toward individual consumers, Lens  Agelasto and Averitt said they are passionate about keeping Digital ReLabs headquarters in Nelson County.

Folks ask me, why didnt you go to Silicon Valley? I think the answer is: Why would you leave Nelson? Agelasto said. There happens to be a lot of really creative intellectuals out here. Nelson County is one of the smartest, most diverse places that Ive known, and so its the perfect place to hire and the perfect place to relocate jobs.
The court-mandated destruction of an Albemarle County dog declared vicious by the state was postponed on Sunday.

Audrey Wells and Toni Stacy, the dogs owners, made the announcement on social media on Sunday afternoon, following a demonstration outside the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA. The dog  a 5-year-old Staffordshire pit bull terrier named Niko  is not out of danger, and Stacy said she is going to ask the office of Gov. Terry McAuliffe to intervene on her behalf.

Niko has resided at the local SPCA the last two years. He was taken into custody after an Albemarle County woman  a neighbor of Wells and Stacy at the time of the attack  claimed that Niko killed her cat after coming into her yard. The dogs owners say that he did not do it.

Wells and Stacy, who have since moved to Greene County, filed a motion on Friday to suspend the judges order. As they joined protesters on Sunday, they said they were hopeful, but not optimistic.

Im putting this in Gods hands, Stacy said. Ive been praying this judge will have some kind of compassion.

Nikos case has attracted the attention of animal rights activists online. A Facebook page, Prayers for Niko/Niko Strong, has more than 3,900 members, and posts periodic updates on the dogs legal case. Against All Oddz Animal Alliance, a rescue organization in Buffalo, New York, has offered to take Niko into its care, asking Albemarle Circuit Judge Cheryl V. Higgins to put a stop to the euthanasia procedure.

Wells and Stacy maintain the dog did not do it and does not have a violent temper. The women say they own cats, and that Niko has never shown any signs of aggression toward them.

Niko previously bit another dog, Stacy said, that appeared to be threatening Stacy. Wells said Niko showed restraint during the encounter with the other dog, a Jack Russell terrier.

He could have killed that dog very easily, Wells said.

In any case, the women said they hope Higgins will agree to the animal rescues offer to take him in because he could be trained to be less aggressive.

You could do wonderful things with Niko because hes a wonderful dog, Wells said.

The local SPCA normally has a no-kill policy, but is obliged to honor the court order, according to a statement sent out by the shelters executive director, Jackie Bright, on Friday.

We are doing everything possible under the circumstances to care for Niko while observing all legal requirements imposed upon us as the result of a court order, the statement reads.

Protesters on Sunday stood on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the SPCA, holding signs exhorting passing drivers to Honk 4 Niko. Many of them said they believed the court singled the dog out, in part, because of the reputation surrounding pit bulls.

Mike Kavanaugh, of Fluvanna County, stood alongside his wife, Debbie, while holding a sign that read Stop breed discrimination. Kavanaugh said Nikos owners are being deprived of property rights because the dog is a pit bull and presumed dangerous by birth.

No animal is born dangerous, Kavanaugh said. Theyre made dangerous by people.
AFTON  Nelson County distiller and career security contractor Denver Riggleman said the only reason he wouldnt run for governor in 2017 is to take a job as national security consultant.

While his exploratory committee makes plans to enter the contest as a Republican, hes mulling an offer to consult with the Department of Defense on cyber warfare, the owner of Silverback Distillery said Thursday.

The governorship is a one-time, four-year commitment, and consecutive terms are prohibited in Virginia. The defense job is a two- to four-year commitment, which would follow up on a 14-year career as a contractor in the field, he said.

Both are opportunities to serve, he said.

If you have that call to duty, you have to decide which one at that time, you know, is best for the people that youre serving, but also best for your family and really best for your health, Riggleman said Thursday at Silverback.

The defense consultancy would be a significant paycheck that would help him and his wife, Christine, expand the distillery, he said. Hed have to divest from the business if he won the governorship, he said.

So far, longtime Republican strategist Ed Gillespie, Prince William County Supervisor Corey Stewart, state Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph S. Northam are running.

Riggleman said he plans to decide by the first week of January. If he runs, Riggleman plans a full-bore attack on cronyism in Virginia politics.

When you actually see cronyism up close and personal, it becomes much more than a term you see in the newspaper, Riggleman said. ... If youre lobbying to actually create rules ... that your specific goal is to create an uneven playing field, thats something that not only needs to go away, thats something that needs to be criminalized.

Riggleman was riled during the 2016 General Assembly when he and other distillers tried to peel back restrictions on distilleries selling their hard liquor. He compared the experience to fighting back the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline from coming through Silverbacks property.

He considered running as an independent but considers himself a conservative and liberty-minded. Running under the GOP banner, he said, was the best path to victory.

Rigglemans exploratory committee is led by Zach Werrell, who is fresh off Rep.-elect Tom Garretts win in the 5th District. Werrell was campaign manager for Rep. Dave Brats upset over Eric I. Cantor in the Republican primary for Virginias 7th District in 2014.

The tentative campaign has opened a gubernatorial account and also has put money in the Restoring Economic Fundamentals political action committee Riggleman founded this year, Werrell said. Werrell said he is working 18 hours a day to get the potential campaign running and plans to have the most powerful ground game in the state on Day 1.

This is not some quixotic ride at a windmill. This is about winning a race against a bunch of career insiders, and not just sending a message but actually winning to do something for once, Werrell said.
FREDERICKSBURG  A proposal to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy has been revived by several Virginia lawmakers.

The bill, called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is similar to recent legislation signed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican.

It would prohibit abortions at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies, but none for rape or incest. Del. Dave LaRock, R-Loudoun County, recently filed the bill, and Del. Mark Cole, R-Spotsylvania, is one of three co-sponsors.

Lawmakers will discuss the proposal during the session that begins Jan. 11.

Obviously, Im pro-life, and I think government has a responsibility to protect innocent life, and I think this is a reasonable compromise, Cole said in an interview.

The anti-abortion movement appears to be gaining steam on the heels of Republican Donald Trumps presidential victory. The president-elect has promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence said over the summer that a Trump administration would see Roe vs. Wade consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs.

Nebraska approved the first 20-week ban in 2010, and 14 states have followed suit, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research organization.

Last week, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene sent a letter asking next years candidates for Virginia governor about their positions on LaRocks bill. A news release that included a copy of the letter called the proposal a dangerous and unconstitutional measure.

Since the election of Donald Trump, women are fearful for the future, especially regarding their ability to make personal healthcare decisions free from political intrusion, Keene wrote in the letter. Virginia women want to know where you stand.

LaRock unsuccessfully put forward similar legislation during the 2015 and 2016 General Assembly sessions.

If LaRocks bill passes, it would face a possible veto by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

The bill states that a doctor can perform an abortion after 20 weeks only if the mother would otherwise face death or irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions. It would be a Class 4 felony for a physician to perform an abortion in violation of the law.

LaRock cites disputed evidence that fetuses can feel pain at around 20 weeks. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says a fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after viability.

Virginia already has some of the countrys most restrictive abortion laws.

The state prohibits third-trimester abortions, mandates ultrasounds and requires state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Also, second-trimester abortions must be performed in hospitals.

Anna Scholl, executive director of the left-leaning ProgressVA, said anti-womens health legislators in Virginia have proposed more than 75 abortion restrictions since 2010. Every womans pregnancy is different, and she should be able to make the best decision for her and her family in consultation with her doctor, Scholl said. Its entirely inappropriate for the General Assembly to be interfering in these very private, personal doctor-patient decisions.

Cole said he thinks the anti-abortion movement has some momentum, adding that pro-lifers have done a good job at the grassroots level of educating folks on the issue. He said polls have found support for anti-abortion measures.

In 2014, for instance, a Quinnipiac University National poll showed that 60 percent of respondents backed a 20-week abortion ban. I think the publics been educated, Cole said. A majority of people do not favor abortion on demand.
Celebrating more than 10 years as Egypts premier purveyor of grocery and household products, Spinneys opened a new store. On Thursday, December 15, the newest Spinneys supermarket opened its doors to residents of the upscale neighborhood of New Cairo in Arena Mall.

We are overjoyed to be responding to requests by residents to open another store in New Cairo with our unique brand, said Mohanad Adly, Chief Executive Officer of Spinneys Egypt.

Adly pointed out that this is the second Spinneys store to open in New Cairo following the successful launch of its Maxim Mall branch in July. Expectations were exceeded, despite competing grocery stores nearby.

The number of customers proves the Spinneys brand is highly valued in Egypt, Adly said. Weve developed a format that enables us to offer a very large variety of quality goods at a very competitive price and in very convenient locations.

Our investment in staff training is very rewarding and highly appreciated by customers, Adly said. The Arena Mall store creates 200 new jobs in the Spinneys workforce of 1,500. All successful applicants have become members of the Spinneys family, entitling them to exclusive benefits, including medical insurance, a rewarding incentive scheme and training programs.

The multi-million pound investment in this 3,500 m2 store has provided shoppers with the latest Spinneys offer, including fresh meat, fruit & vegetables, deli & dairy, bakery as well as an extensive range of non-food and general merchandise items. Customers are also able to use the popular loyalty program, providing them with the opportunity to collect and redeem points with every purchase.

Spinneys new store brings the total number of Spinneys hypermarkets and supermarkets in Egypt to 10 stores. "We have an aggressive growth plan for Egypt with a very experienced retail team to see it through. Our strategy is to diversify our formats by opening big hypermarkets along with smaller size supermarkets conveniently located close to our customers.

Spinneys opened its first branch in Egypt 10 years ago and has since made significant strides to increase its presence locally and also to enhance the brands image and awareness. Today, the brand is acknowledged for setting the highest standards of quality, service and value, offering high quality fresh produce, grocery and baked goods at a fair price in a fresh and friendly shopping environment.

This is the last store opening this year but five other Spinneys store locations will be celebrating launches in 2017with the next planned launch in January in the Upper Egypt city of Menya.

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Q: How do reindeer fly?

A: Reindeer, also called caribou, are members of the deer family. Santa chose reindeer to pull his sleigh through the air on Christmas Eve for three very practical reasons.

First, their natural habitat is cold northern climates near the North Pole, including Alaska, Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia. Second, reindeer were first domesticated about 2,000 years ago, just in time for the first Christmas. Finally, and most importantly, reindeer are excellent swimmers. Their well developed muscles used for swimming are well suited for flying through the air.

The vast majority of reindeer seem unable to fly. As far as we can tell, those with the ability have only been seen flying between dusk on Christmas Eve and dawn of Christmas morning. We are able to determine this through analysis of detailed records kept by NORAD, the North American Aerospace Command. NORAD is a military intelligence agency of the United States and Canadian government that monitors the air space over North America.

Since 1955, NORAD has been tracking flying reindeer through military satellites and radar. To track the flight of reindeer for yourself, visit the NORAD Santa tracking web page at www.NORADSanta.org or download their free app for your smartphone.

With all we know about these fascinating creatures, modern veterinary science has been unable to discern exactly how these large animals are able to get off the ground. We are left to conclude it must be one of the mysteries of creation and a very special part of the miracle of Christmas.

Q: How does Rudolphs nose glow?

A: One of the most interesting areas of biology is the study of bioluminescence, or the ability of living organisms to produce light. Ninety percent of deep sea marine life has this ability. On land, most people are familiar with light emitted from fireflies or glowworms.

Bioluminescence is produced by a chemical reaction where a specialized enzyme oxidizes a unique type of pigment. The reaction produces a cold light where less than 20 percent is thermal radiation. It is very likely Rudolph is able to generate this type of chemical reaction within his nasal tissues, resulting in his famous glowing nose.

Each year all of Santas reindeer are examined by a veterinarian to be sure theyre healthy enough for their annual flight around the world. The examinations have revealed that Rudolphs uniquely glowing nose causes him no pain.

Since this glowing nose serves a very important function, veterinarians have never risked damage to it by taking tissue samples to find out for sure how the light is emitted.

However, the veterinarians who have examined Rudolph and Santas other reindeer have published a web site with some of what we do know about these remarkable creatures. To read up on them, please visit www.avma.org/KB/Pages/Santas-Veterinarian-Answers-Kids-Questions-About-Santas-Reindeer.aspx.

Q: One favorite tradition in our family is the arranging the animals of the nativity scene. Each year the children delight in setting various animals around the stable. Where did this tradition come from?

A: Animals were an important part of the very first Christmas. The Virgin Mary rode to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey. When no lodging could be found, Joseph and Mary took shelter with animals in a stable. When the baby Jesus was born they laid him in a feeding trough, or manger. The first to learn of the birth were shepherds tending their sheep in surrounding pastures. Eventually, camels carried Magi from the East to worship the newborn king. Every accounting of that first Christmas recalls the important role of animals.

In the year 1223, in the town of Grecio, Italy, a new Christmas tradition was born. Perhaps the most famous lover of animals, St. Francis of Assisi, arranged the first nativity scene for the local Christmas celebration. This first creche included a donkey, an ox, and people dressed as the Holy Family. St. Francis idea spread from that small town in Italy around the world and through time.

Today it is a common custom to display a nativity scene in the home commemorating that very first Christmas animals and all.
Culpeper native Tammy Jo Lidie Lucas followed in her fathers footsteps: Becoming a master sergeant in the United States Air Force.

But it was unintentional since she says her father, the late Charles W. Lidie, a master sergeant in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, never discussed his military service with his family.

Lucas said shes not quite sure what inspired her to enlist, but as a high school senior she was unclear what career path to pursue. So after she graduated in June 1993, Lucas headed to basic training in August 1993.

After nearly 24 years in the Air Force, Lucas plans to retire in May 2017 as a senior master sergeant and spend more time with her family.

He always wanted to be a senior master sergeant, but Tammy outdid her daddy. She went a notch above him, shared Lucus mom, Jacqueline Lidie, of Culpeper. Im extremely proud that she did it on her own.

In October, Culpeper Mayor Mike Olinger recognized Lucas for her many years of service.

The citizens of Culpeper give their gratitude to the men and women who honorably serve, Olinger wrote. May all the years ahead bring you great joy and the opportunity to spend time with [your husband] LaDarick, [and children] Javon and Jayla as you embark on your next journey in life. We wish you all the best for your future.

Lucas, who turns 41 on Christmas Day, attended Farmington Elementary School before her family moved away.

In the military, Lucas learned air crew life support where she inspected all aircraft equipment such as parachutes, helmets and life jackets. In 1997, Lucas cross-trained, learning personnel management also known as human resources.

While in the military, Lucas, who lives in Cibolo, Texas, received her degree in elementary education and may pursue a career in teaching. Her husband, LaDarick Lucas, who retired from the military in March 2015, has also served more than 20 years in the armed forces.

Lucas said the military has taught her respect, discipline, common sense and structure, which shell utilize in her civilian life.

While in the service, Lucas served two tours in Saudi Arabia and expeditions in Oman, Panama, Turkey, Alaska and visited many other places.

Jacqueline Lidie said her daughter and son-in-law have completed their military duty and shes glad they are home.

Thank goodness they are safe, said Lidie.
The congregants of the Islamic Center of Culpeper are completely justified in challenging the narrow-minded and biased officials of the Culpeper County government.

Led by Culpeper County Attorney Bobbi Jo Alexis, the decision to fight the Islamic congregations religious right to build a more functional facility is blatant discrimination.

This is made very clear since the county had approved 26 pump-and-haul permits in a row and the Culpeper County staff had recommended approval of the sewage permit.

Why are Alexis and the county government fighting this request of the Islamic Center for a house of worship that will better serve their religious needs? Why has the county routinely approved pump-and-haul permits through the years, including for various Christian churches?

Certainly water and sewer services could be extended to the proposed site, just beyond the area serviced by public utilities. I would think this would be done for new government building, new shopping center or new housing development, all benefiting the county.

Perhaps the fact that the mosque would probably be tax exempt has a bearing on this unfounded decision. Instead of wasting the taxpayers money in Culpeper, Alexis should drop this case and instead earmark these expensive legal fees to the extension of utility service to the new site.

I thought governments prime responsibility was to protect and serve the people they represent. Although I do not live in Culpeper, I am still outraged by this act of religious indifference.

Finally, I wonder if the county had applied for a permit for a new government building on this same site would it have agreed if there was no bathroom? Shame on the county government and shame on County Attorney Alexis!
Hurufiyya refers to the usage of Arabic words and/or letters in artworks. A new exhibition currently on display at Bibliotheca Alexandrina celebrates this very art form.



Titled Hurufiyya: Art & Identity, the exhibition features a selection of artworks from the 1960s and up till the early 2000s, by a number of Arab artists including Omar El-Nagdi, Madiha Omar, Shakir Hassan El-Said, Hassan Massoudy, Dia Azzawi, Nasser Al Salem, Ahmed Mater, eL-Seed, among others.

Running until 25 January, the exhibition is curated by the Barjeel Foundation, founded by Emirati commentator Sultan El-Qassemi, to manage, preserve and exhibit his art collection of over 600 works from the Middle East.

At our current moment [hurufiyya] may be indistinguishable from calligraphy. However, its appearance in the middle of the 20th century marked a break from a previous era of creative output. Whereas calligraphy carried with it a rich and long-standing tradition of master-apprentice relationships, modern hurufiyya came in an era of highly individual exploration, writes curator Karim Sultan in the exhibition statement.

Sultan adds that pioneers and most innovative practitioners of this art form were producing art in an increasingly globalized world, and were probably influenced by their modern experiences of travel, of exile, international life and national concerns.

The displayed works vary greatly in style, and range from abstract works centered on the individual letter as in Samir Sayeghs piece Alef, to works that incorporate text areas as a visual element in the artwork, such as Dia El-Azzawis Mualaqqas. Other featured artists experimented with more progressive mediums, like Nasser Al-Salem and his labyrinthine Corian Sculpture depicting the Quranic verse: Whoever Obeys Allah, He Will Make For Him A Way Out.

Syrian artist Madiha Omar is widely celebrated as a pioneer of the hurifiyya movement, with her early explorations during the 1940s looking at the Arabic letters formal qualities in contemporary art.

In her 1950 essay Arabic Calligraphy: An Inspiring Element in Abstract Art, Omar argued that the Arabic letter needed a more "meaningful and powerful life," to bring that art form from a stage of stillness bounded by limitations and into a more free form of expression, one that was closer to the dynamic and restless modern age.

Other pioneers highlighted in the exhibitions pamphlet were Egyptian artist Omar El-Nagdi and Iraqi artist Shakir Hassan Al-Said.

Sultan also highlighted that the exhibition does not aim to introduce hurifiyya in an encyclopedic way, but that it rather seeks to introduce various snapshots of moments, approaches, and [present] artists and their concerns throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century.

The display at Bibliotheca also comprised supporting texts that spotlighted some of the hurufiyya movements main trends or important moments.

The first moment is titled A New Classicism, which reveals how some artists began taking a more open approach to calligraphy; one that was more abstract, ornamental or spiritual than traditional writing.

The second spotlight, titled Modernism: Language and Identity, explores how 20th century artworks featured experimentation with the forms of the letter and word. In those works artists were equally concerned with the identity of the Arabic language and sought deeper meanings through abstract approaches.

The third text, Contemporary Approaches, looks at more contemporary works in the wake of new technologies and mediums, and assesses how they allowed artists to expand hurufiyya beyond the early pioneers of the movement, and to express contemporary themes and concerns in new ways.

On 30 November, Lebanese writer Charbel Dagher, who wrote the book Arabic Hurufiyya: Art and Identity, gave a lecture that further contextualized the exhibition.

He argued that the emergence and development of this art form constituted a response by Arabs to their surroundings, as well as a form of experimentation with European and western art in general.

Response is a way of discourse. Hurufiyyat hold some of our conversations with others, Dagher said.

In the 19th century when modernity came into the Arab world, in Egypt during the time of Khedive Ismail, it killed all previous arts that Arabs were exceptionally good at, he added.

In parallel, under the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century, calligraphers felt that their art was being ignored, and started looking for new channels through which they could make their work more appealing and so started placing [their work] in a new frame, one that was similar to paintings, asserted Dagher.

Dagher highlighted that despite being concerned with Arabic words and letters, Hurrufiya is an offshoot of modern art, and not a development of calligraphy.

Programme:

The exhibition opened on 30 November and runs till 25 January

Small Hall, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria

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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The outreach is part of a number of drives to raise awareness on hearing loss and early detection

The second week of December saw clinics in the Upper Egyptian cities of Qena and Luxor jammed with families accompanying their young ones, eager to know more about the perplexing causes of hearing loss that has affected many of their children.

Awareness sessions were intensely conducted, shedding light on the importance of early detection of hearing loss, especially in the cases of inter-familial marriage, which is common in rural areas.

These sessions came as part of a national campaign led by Egyptian NGO Masr El-Kheir, in collaboration with several governmental entities and with the private sector's MED-EL.

The aim of the campaign is to visit several governorates to donate cochlear implants and perform necessary surgeries in host university hospitals for children suffering hearing loss, in addition to raising awareness regarding prevention and early treatment.

This time, it was Qena's turn, where the governor joined the session and discussed the issue with doctors and residents.

In a previous round, children completed cochlear implant surgery in Al-Minya governorate in November 2015. In March 2016, another drive focused on Fayoum. Children were offered treatment for free, and in Sohag and Assiut as well.

According to the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, it is estimated that around 4.5 million people in Egypt (around five per cent of the population) are living with partial or complete hearing loss.

Children make up around 130,000 of these estimates.

The cochlear implant procedure is considered most effective when performed between ages 1 and 5.

Hearing impairment in a child affects skills of speaking, engaging in society and academic achievement, and the ripple effect resonates in the child's family and society at large. Most hearing impairment cases occur in economically poor governorates.

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TEDxYouth@Dayton organizers have released the speaker lineup for the 2017 event, which will take place on Friday, March 3, 2017, in the Wright State University Student Union. Sixteen students between the ages of 14 and 19 from six high schools and one university were chosen in citywide auditions. Applications for performers, also aged 14-19, are still open on tedxdayton.com until Dec. 31; click on the TEDxYouth@Dayton page to apply.

A group of committed teachers, administrators and volunteers associated with five schools got TEDxYouth@Dayton started in 2015, said TEDxYouth@Dayton chairperson Rachel Graves, For the second youth event, we had students from more communities, including home schoolers, who auditioned. TEDxDayton patrons have supported our efforts to bring the TED model of ideas worth sharing to the youth of the Dayton area.

The theme for TEDxYouth@Dayton 2017 is Level Up. Each student will offer ideas about how to move beyond current thinking  or level up  on a diverse range of topics. Representing the spirit of collaboration within this generation, three pairs and one trio will speak at the 2017 event.

Speakers include:

 Lorien Chavez (17, Yellow Springs), Alexis Jackson (17, Chaminade Julienne) and Lana Katai (17, The Miami Valley School), who will discuss appropriation vs. appreciation.

 Keress Weidner (16, Kettering Fairmont), helping us look at gender in new ways.

 Aaron Lewis (17, Dayton Early College Academy), with a personal story about how robotics bridged some big cultural differences.

 Brennan Harlow (16, Chaminade Julienne), sharing thoughts on the unanticipated effects of addiction.

 Caroline Elliot (15, Kettering Fairmont), who has some fascinating speculations about dreaming.

 Satya Morar (15, The Miami Valley School), with lessons you can learn from Star Wars.

 Simra Ahmed (14, The Miami Valley School), suggesting how we might build Democracy 2.0.

 Meg Schwieterman and Caroline Lunne (16, Archbishop Alter), who will tell how they created permission for students at their school to pursue their own brand of fashion.

 Noah Meyer and Spencer Mullins (17, Chaminade Julienne), sharing their story about peer mentoring and discovering connections.

 Ariel Scales and Iyana Smith (17, Dayton Early College Academy), who will demonstrate what you don't know about isms.

 Vidur Prasad (19, University of Michigan), talking about his research on how to use traffic cameras to reduce drunk and distracted driving.



The TEDxYouth@Dayton event is open to the public; however, each potential attendee must register on the tedxdayton.com Web site. Applicants will be selected on a rolling, person-by-person basis. Most decisions will be made by January 31, or until space is filled. A $10 cash donation is suggested for attendance; these donations will be collected on the day of the event.

One hundred seats are reserved for those who will be 14 to 19 years old in 2017; each may reserve a seat for an accompanying adult, if desired. Fifty seats are reserved for adults who are not connected to a specific youthful attendee. Youth under 18 must provide a medical emergency form if not attending with a legal guardian. Volunteer opportunities are available for youth and adults; apply on the Web site.

TEDx is a global program of independently organized events licensed by TED. Visit www.tedxdayton.com or follow TEDxDayton on Facebook or Twitter for more information.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)



About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or fewer) delivered by today's leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED's annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, and made available, free, on TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Monica Lewinsky, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,Sal Khan and Daniel Kahneman. TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from thousands of volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; the annual million-dollar TED Prize, which funds exceptional individuals with a "wish," or idea, to create change in the world; TEDx, which provides licenses to thousands of individuals and groups who host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
Mumbai: Salman Khan launched the BMC's Open Defecation Free (ODF) drive on Saturday, after being appointed the ambassador of the cause.

The superstar was accompanied by Yuva Sena head Aditya Thackeray.

Sonali Bendre and husband Goldie Behl also attended the event to extend their support.

"In a mega-city like Mumbai, this looks really awkward to find people defecating in open. I will try my best to tell them to do away with this practice," Salman declared at the meet.

The actor later took to his Twitter feed to update his fan-base on the same and appreciated the team's work towards realising the dream of a hygienic city.

Aditya himself took to Twitter to enlighten the people on the grave issue that open defecation in a city as clustered as Mumbai. He then thanked Salman for having supported the cause and credited him for being the driving force.

Salman being his humble self, asked the youngster to not embarrass him and credited him in return for having made the Drive possible.

Salman, who's known to associate himself with social causes, will next be seen in Kabir Khan's 'Tubelight'.
Aryan was widely followed for his unabashed party pictures and selfies.

Mumbai: No star kid in the history of Indian cinema might have had as much hype and anticipation associated to them, as much as Aryan Khan does. Despite of consistent criticism towards the industry's inherent nepotism and hierarchical means, this is one launch fans and critics have been awaiting.

And seems like Shah Rukh Khan's very handsome son is in no mood to keep them waiting any longer.

The 19-year-old's Instagram account has been deleted and so have his gazillion fan pages.

What makes the tidbit even more interesting is the latest rumour that's doing the rounds.

While another much-sought star-kid, Saif Ali Khan's daughter Sara Ali Khan, has been associated with every other major upcoming film, the latest news had been of Karan Johar having roped her in for Hrithik Roshan's comedy to be helmed by Karan Malhotra.

However, as per reports, Karan has asked her to wait a tad longer as he's got something grander, in store.

While Karan apparently plans to launch Aryan as soon as he's back from his American grad-school, the chronology of it all seems to be hinting at an Aryan-Sara mammoth launch film.

How exciting would that be, now?!
Bengaluru: It was standing room only early on Saturday morning as the Bangalore Literature Festival 2016 kicked off with the who's who of the literary circuit in attendance.

Shashi Tharoor, Chetan Bhagat, Sudha Murty, Amish Tripathi, Ramachandra Guha and Manu S. Pillai, to name a handful, were spotted through the day, participating in discussions, meeting one another and most importantly, interacting with their fans!

It was a well-read and enthusiastic crowd in attendance too as they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the many discussions that took place during the course of the day. Kids had plenty to do as well, with storytelling sessions, puppetry and a host of workshops to keep them happy!

Guru Rewben Mashangva, the talented young musician who paid an almost uncanny tribute to Bob Dylan had Guha, Nandan Nilekani in the audience, mesmerized.

The high point? During a lively debate between Tharoor and Sanjeev Sanyal, author of best-seller The Ocean of Churn, a man in the audience called out "Shashi Tharoor, you are the most beautiful man I have ever seen!"
Starting as early as 2006, however, patients and scientific studies began to report serious side effects associated with risperidone, including diabetes, heart problems, and male breast growth. (Photo: File Photo)

Risperdal is the drug that made the young boys in the world to grow breasts in their indolence age which led to embarrassment in the society especially in school. This drug was made initially to treat mental illness like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability in people with autism by Jhonson and Jhonson who are sued by the youngsters for the side effects.

Eddie Bible is one among them who is suffering through this problem and states as its biggest mistake of his life. "If I knew what the side effects would be of the medication, I would have never taken it," Bible said

This problem led to biggest embarrassment of his life and it led him to live a shameful life. Soon after his breasts became noticeable, Bible stopped going outside with his friends. Most days, he'd retreat to his room and play video games to block out the world.

"I had bigger boobs than the girls in (high) school," he said. "I thought, 'Am I going to have to get a training bra?' "

At 13 years old, Bible was suffering a side effect -- not disclosed at the time -- of medication he was taking for anxiety and bipolar disorder.

"They put me on this Risperdal. The doctors said, 'Well, Risperdal was helping some.' To me, it didn't really help, because a year and a half later, I had gynecomastia."

But since 1994, when J&J put Risperdal on the market, the drug has drawn a significant amount of attention and controversy, beyond undisclosed side effects.

Jason Itkin, a lawyer represents Eddie Bible and 13,000 like him who were affected by the drugs is concerned over the fact that doctors continue to prescribe Risperdal today.

"Unfortunately, past fines that J&J has already paid did nothing to help those who directly suffered through the bullying and shaming after developing female breasts," Itkin said.

Johnson & Johnson has been settling some of the 1,500 plus Risperdal gynecomastia claims confidentially, but has also lost several cases in court. In July 2016, a Philadelphia jury found J&J liable for failing to warn of Risperdal side effects, awarding a Tennessee teenager $70 million in damages.

Responding to accusations that it inappropriately marketed the drug to children, J&J said Janssen "did not direct sales representatives to promote Risperdal for use in children or adolescents, and it did not approve sales materials aimed at treating children or adolescents."

J&J insists, "Risperdal is a safe and effective medication that has helped millions of people live better lives for more than two decades."
leslie Binns was in the Army for 13 years, serving in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan and was blown up four times. (Photo: Twitter)

A British ex-soldier who lost his one eye during an explosion in Afghanistan abandoned his dream to reach the peak of Everest to save an Indian womans life who was about to die due to lack of oxygen gas.

Leslie Binns, 42, was approaching an area nicknamed 'The Balcony'- where climbing teams store spare oxygen bottles - when he noticed a "commotion" ahead of him.

"I noticed someone sliding down the fixed climbing lines towards me. All I could hear were the screams of terror as the person gained momentum. I braced myself to try and stop whoever it was, and managed to do so. At this time I didn't know that this was Sunita Hazra, I helped her upright and looked at her oxygen regulator. It was registering empty." Says Mr.Binns while he was describing the incident to BBC.

Sunita Hazra,32 who is a mother says that she owes her life to him. The brave soldier was only 500 metres away from the destination when he decided to abandon his mission and help the woman.

On the way down, they met another stricken climber who joined them but due to exhaustion, they were unable to get him to the camp after an exhausting descent.

Leslie says he is happy that he helped Sunita, but he also regrets that he was not able to do anything more for him and did his tried his level best to rescue him.

The brave man, who has climbed "all the major peaks in the UK", is now in Kathmandu and due to return to the UK to see his fiancee and daughter on 6 June, meanwhile Sunita recovered from her condition and left the hospital in Kolkata on Wednesday.

Leslie was in the Army for 13 years, serving in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan and was blown up four times. He has been awarded two medals, including the Queen's Commendation for Bravery for finding improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan in 2009.
The prison has borne witness to much of the country's brutal history (Photo: AFP)

Dhaka: Many of Bangladesh's most significant political prisoners have been incarcerated within the walls of the two-century old Dhaka Central Jail.

Now the prison that has borne witness to much of the country's brutal history has opened to the public as a museum.

The last inmates of the 228-year-old prison in the capital's old Mughal quarters were relocated in July this year, and the gates of the 35-acre (14-hectare) facility opened, allowing people to explore the jail for a 100 taka ($1.25) ticket rather than being arrested first.

Over the last two centuries, the jail -- the biggest in Bangladesh until it closed -- has been a central stage for much of the country's history.

Scores of mutineers were hanged and their bodies left to rot in the 1860s following a rebellion against the British, which became known as the Sepoy Mutiny.

After the British left in 1947, thousands of political leaders who stood against the new rulers were detained in the prison.

Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- whose daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current prime minister -- spent years in one of the jail's cells, leading the country's budding separatist movement from there until the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

In November 1975, just months after Rahman was assassinated in a coup, army officers stormed the jail and killed four top political leaders, plunging the country into prolonged military rule.

Hasina and her sister -- the only members of Rahman's family who survived the coup -- were among the first visitors to the newly opened jail.

The premier, who regularly visited her jailed father during the 60s, appeared overwhelmed with emotion as she visited the tiny cell where Rahman spent years. She spent some quiet time in there reminiscing about her father.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there was a plan to turn the old jail into a "historical and entertaining place", with schools, shopping centres, a park and museum.

Jail official Ashraful Islam said logistical problems prompted the authorities to shift the jail to a new compound just across the Buriganga River.

"The number of inmates were almost tripled than its capacity, the authorities therefore built the new jail and transferred them," Islam told AFP.

"The jail lies at the centre of Mughal Dhaka. It is a key witness to our history, right from the British Raj to the recent execution of the war criminals," historian Muntasir Mamun said.

"It's an important symbol of the independence struggle. It has housed thousands of state prisoners and saw the hangings of thousands of them," said Mamun, who spent time inside the jail as political prisoner.

'A nightmarish place'

The British-era scaffolds, where the political prisoners were executed -- including most recently the leaders of the country's top Islamist party who were hanged this year -- are closed off to the public and heavily guarded. But the cell where four of the country's former leaders were kept in solitary confinement and then killed are open to the public.

The room's yellowish walls still bare the marks of the bullets that felled its one-time inhabitants. "We needed to see these (rooms) to learn about their sacrifices," said Taufiq Hasan, who travelled 220 kilometres (136 miles) from the central city of Faridpur to visit the prison.

Former inmate Fayzur Mia, a 35-year-old flower seller, choked back tears as he showed his two daughters the tiny cell where he spent nearly a year after being caught up in a political riot in 2014.

"I've passed the most difficult phase of my life here and I wanted to show my children how the place looks," Mia said, standing inside a narrow cell that he shared with dozens of other inmates.

The tiny dark room -- with just two small meshed windows and no electric light -- was so packed that the inmates were forced to sleep in shifts and share one squat toilet, Mia recalled.

"It was a nightmarish place," he said, adding that he was pleased it was now a museum: "a symbol of centuries-long struggle and injustice".

Several visitors who said they had spent months -- even years -- incarcerated in the jail without facing trial -- said the facility reminded them of the harshness of the country's criminal justice system.

"It is a symbol of our brutal justice system. I spent months here without knowing what was my crime. Students and young men must visit this place to know a harsh reality of our life," a visitor said, without giving his name.
Vizianagaram: Police detained nine people in Duppada village for allegedly trying to exchange valid bills with scrapped banknotes for a premium and seized Rs 18.7 lakh from them on Sunday.

"Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, most of it in new Rs 2,000 notes and the rest in 100 rupee notes, was recovered from them after police raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction," said I Town Circle Inspector P. Sobhan Babu.

Police suspect they belonged to a gang and had arranged the money for exchanging it with another gang for a commission.

Among them six are residents of Vizianagaram while others hailed from Visakhapatnam. They were handed over to Income Tax department along with the cash for further action.
Bengaluru: The Mahalakshmi Layout police, who are investigating the murder of the 22-year-old woman advocate, have arrested a person, while the main accused, purportedly a jilted lover of the deceased, is still at large. The arrested have been identified as Shivaramu, aged around 30 years, and a driver by profession. The absconding accused, identified as Madhu, is a bus conductor in BMTC.

According to the police, investigations revealed that the deceased advocate Jyothi and Madhu hailed from Kanakapura and were classmates. Madhu had reportedly proposed to Jyothi but she had turned it down. Later both found jobs in the city and they used to meet. Madhu was upset with her for not accepting his proposal and of late she began ignoring him. Madhu then allegedly hatched a conspiracy to murder her. Though she had not given the address of her workplace, he managed to find it. On Saturday evening, Madhu along with Shivaramu went to her office and called her out on the pretext of talking to her. As they walked a bit farther, Madhu pulled out a knife and stabbed her repeatedly and both the accused tried to run away. However, Shivaramu fell off and was nabbed by the public and handed over to the police, an official said.

The police are, however, not sure on what triggered Madhu to carry out the crime and efforts are on to nab him.
New Delhi: Lt General Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff, was found the best suited among current batch of candidates of Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.

According to Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources, Lt. Gen Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas, and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China, and in the North-East.

He is also known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and connect with civil society.

His experience as GOC-in-C Southern Army Command in Mechanised Warfare has been focused towards the western borders, in coordination with the other two services.

Also, Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa was appointed the next Chief of Air Staff. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1978 and has served in various squadrons, and in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters.

Meanwhile, the Congress has slammed the Centre over the appointment of the new army chief, as the government overlooked a tradition of elevating senior-most officers as service chiefs.

The Congress asked why the Centre did not follow the seniority principle in appointing Lt Gen Rawat, the vice-chief in the army.

"Why has Seniority not been respected in Aptt.of Army Chief?Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?" questioned Congress leader Manish Tewari on Twitter.
New Delhi: The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent Tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step which is aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.

Besides the Tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.

A decision to approve an amendment to the Act was taken at the Union Cabinet's meeting held earlier this week. The amendment is likely to be introduced in Parliament in its next session.

"There will be only one permanent Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolve," Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said.

Earlier, Shekhar said, water tribunals "took ages" to deliver final awards into disputes, where as the proposed Tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict during a span of three years.

Along with the Tribunal, the amendment proposes to set up Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The DRC, comprising experts and policy-makers, is proposed to handle disputes prior to the Tribunal.

"...whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRC's level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the Tribunal," he added.

In order to give more teeth to the Tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required to notify the awards, causing delay in its implementation.

As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union Government with such request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.

At present, there are eight Tribunals including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.

The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (Cuavery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.
New Delhi: The BJP hit back at the Congress for politicising Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat's appointment as the new Army Chief on Sunday, drawing the opposition's attention to a decision taken during the regime of late prime minister Indira Gandhi when the then government superseded Lieutenant General S.K. Sinha to appoint General A.S. Vaidya as the Army Chief in 1983.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said it is extremely unfortunate that the Congress looks to politicise each and everything.

"The Congress spokesperson (Manish Tewari) should resist about it because the chief of the Army has been appointed and this is not the first time that the supersession have been done," said Singh adding that similar cases have occurred in the Air Force and Navy as well.

With the Centre announcing the name of the new Chief of Army Staff superseding two seniors for the coveted post, the Congress demanded an answer earlier from the government while asserting that the Army is a public institution and the nation deserves an answer.

Tewari, however, stated that it was not a personal attack on the new Army Chief but a legitimate question which owes an explanation.

"With all due respect to Lieutenant General Rawat's professionalism and brilliance as a soldier and no personal animosity to anybody, there is a legitimate question as to why this has supersession taken place. After all Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi who commands the Eastern Command, the Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen Mohammed Ali and the Central Army Commander are all senior to the gentleman who is being designated," Tewari said.

"Every situation has its own context and therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify supersession. Why were these three senior army commanders superseded? Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason that the fourth incumbent was picked and I guess the Army being a public institution the country deserves those answers," Tewari stated.

The government earlier on Saturday announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, by-passed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry).

Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades. He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East.

According to sources, Lieutenant General Rawat was found the best suited to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north; continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west and the situation in the North-East.
Thrissur: A 22-year-old student, Avinash, has been hospitalised in Kerala's Thrissur after alleged ragging at a polytechnic college.

According to reports, police said the young man, who happens to be a Dalit, was stripped and made to do rigorous work for more than five hours.

All nine senior students who ragged him have gone missing, said a report. Eight other students were also ragged with Avinash.

The father of the ragging victim has filed a complaint with the police alleging that his son was physically and mentally harassed by a nine-member group of senior students of the Nattakam government polytechnic college. Sivadasan of Irinjalakuda, who filed the complaint with K.G. Simon, Kottayam district police chief in- charge, on Friday said that the gang had undressed his son, a first-year student, and made him take push-ups on December 2.

The accused forcibly fed the boy with liquor mixed with some substances. When Avinash came home, he was admitted to the Mother Hospital, Thrissur, with kidney complaints. The college authorities had failed to take any action against the guilty. Sivadasan urged the police to arraign the accused under the Kerala prohibition of ragging Act 1998 and SC/ST atrocities Act. The complaint was also forwarded to the Chingavanam sub- inspector of police.

DC correspondent adds from Thrissur Dr P.M. Jayaraj, nephrologist at Mother Hospital, said that both the kidneys of Avinash were damaged due to excessive physical activity creating myoglobin protein in the blood which is filtered by the kidneys. If the amount of this protein is too high that will adversely affect the kidneys. Avinash is put on haemodialysis and he will recover within three weeks, he said. Meanwhile, the Nattakam polytechnic college has suspended the 9 students who allegedly ragged Avinash.
Data over the last decade shows that the water flow of River Periyar has reduced by over 60 per cent. (Photo: File)

Kochi: Three students from the St Stephens college in Delhi drowned in Keralas Periyar river on Saturday.

According to reports, the water along the banks of the river had dried up, resulting in water being present farther away from land, in an area that was full of trenches.

Usually, the river was 50-metres-wide, which enabled tourists to swim near the banks. But a few weeks ago, the Bhoothathankettu dam had been closed, leading to the drying up of the river.

When the students went to bathe in the water which was farther away from land, they drowned.

Since the area was affected with man-animal conflicts, forest officials had also restricted visitors from going near the middle of the river.

In the past week, forest authorities had stopped tourists from visiting Paniyeli Poru, the place where the accident took place. As a result, the number of forest officials deployed in the area was also less, said the report. Thus, the students could not be saved.

They were identified as Kennet Jose, 21, Pulikattil Veetil, Meppadi, Waynand, Aditya Patel, 21, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Anubhav Chandra, 21, of Bihar and Benny Abraham, 50, of Aliyattukudi Veetil, Kallungal Road, near Perumbavoor. Jose, Patel and Chandra were third-year students of BSc physics at St. Stephens College and were on a holiday trip to Kerala.

The tragedy took place around 5 pm when the students were bathing near Irumalakkadavu at Paniyeil Poru, a major tourist attraction on the banks of Periyar. The students were staying in a resort owned by Benny near Irumalakkadavu. Benny jumped into the river to rescue the students when he saw them drowning after being caught in a whirlpool.

Hearing the commotion, the local people rushed to the spot and managed to pull out the four, but their lives could not be saved.

The spot is known for its death traps for tourists because of strong undercurrents, though the water is only few feet deep, police said.

The three were part of a 19-member team of students, including Maria, daughter of Benny, who had come on a study tour. They reached Kerala three days ago and visited Wayanad and Thrissur before reaching Perumbavoor on Friday afternoon.

Benny was the assistant manager of the Kolenchery branch of National Insurance Company. He is survived by wife Eliamma, daughters Susan, Raichal, Maria and son-in-law Ray John. Kennet Jose leaves behind his mother Sisy and siblings Dennet and Beninta.

The bodies of the deceased were kept in the mortuary of Perumbavoor taluk hospital. Minister V.S. Sunilkumar, MLAs Eldhos Kunnappilly, Eldhos Abraham, Antony John and former MLA Saju Paul and several others visited the hospital and paid homage to the dead.
Visakhapatnam: Andhra University faculty and students should spearhead the cashless transaction movement and drive the people towards digital economy, said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Mr Naidu was speaking at the second Alumni Day of Andhra University, which had witnessed the presence of Union urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, GMR Group chairman and AU Alumni Association chairman G. Mallikarjuna Rao.

Mr Naidu informed that the AU students would be given credit for taking up the cashless transaction project as part of their studies. The iconic university had produced eminent personalities in its 90-year existence, who can now extend their helping hand. I want to see AU stand at par with Stanford and Harvard Universities and I extend all my support in this process.

These universities hold highest alumni corpus fund and now I ask the AU Alumni Association to work towards collecting Rs 100 crore corpus fund. From the state government, I will give Rs 10 crore. AU officials should concentrate on money-generating programmes to make the varsity self-sustainable, such as becoming consultants for various research activities. I ask the students to turn towards cashless transactions and educate the rural people, Mr Naidu added.

On this occasion, GMR Group chairman handed over Rs 1 crore check to Mr Naidu. Mr Venkaiah Naidu announced Rs 1 crore from Hudco. Narsapuram MP Gokaraju Gangaraju announced Rs 1 crore donation.

Earlier, Mr Venkaiah Naidu explained how the fundamentals he learnt at the AU helped him attain higher positions in the later years. Nobody should forget his alma mater. Students should have a goal in life. When a paperboy A.P.J. Abdul Kalam can become a President and tea-seller Narendra Modi can become Prime Minister, everybody can achieve their goal if they try it with sincerity he added.

In the evening, Mr Venkaiah Naidu visited his classroom and canteen, where he studied and roamed during his student days at Andhra University, and reminisced the old memories.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, to discuss the damage caused by Cyclone Vardah.

The new Tamil Nadu CM will also hand over a letter to PM requesting him to confer the Bharat Ratna on late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The state Cabinet had met on Saturday and decided to urge the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on Jayalalithaa.

A resolution adopted by the Cabinet that met under the new Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam for the first time on Saturday, resolved to recommend to the Central government to present Bharat Ratna award to Jayalalithaa. Another resolution decided to rename the Bharat Ratna Dr MGR memorial as Bharat Ratna Dr. Puratchithalaivar MGR and Puratchithalaivi Amma Selvi J. Jayalalithaa memorial.

Also, DMK leader Trichy Siva had earlier spoken in Parliament and demanded that Rs 10,000 crore be released to Tamil Nadu to combat the impact of Cyclone Vardah. The Opposition party had asked Panneerselvam to visit Delhi to present the demand before the PM.
Kochi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's corruption charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi were not a "loose statement", senior party leader Anand Sharma said Kochi on Sunday.

"Definitely there are issues. It is not a loose statement. That much I can say," he told reporters when asked what was stopping Gandhi from revealing the "detailed information" on the "personal corruption" of Modi.

"Certain things must be placed on the table of the House under the rules. That is real. Outside, it can be debated, disputed or diluted. But once it is placed in Parliament, the Prime Minister or the Minister cannot escape accountability. That is the difference," Sharma said when asked whether the people will have to wait till next session of Parliament to know about the "corruption" charges against Modi.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said it was for the Prime Minister to tell the country why he "directed the Ministers to disrupt" both the Houses and "not allow Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition leaders to speak."

"If there is nothing Prime Minister is worried about, why he (Rahul) was not allowed to speak?" Sharma asked.

After claiming that there will be an "earthquake" if he speaks, Rahul Gandhi on December 14 had alleged he has detailed information about "personal corruption" by the Prime Minister which he wants to present in Lok Sabha.

"But he was not allowed to do so by Prime Minister", Sharma alleged.

Sharma also attacked Modi for his statement that Indira Gandhi paid no heed to the Wanchoo Committee's recommendation to demonetise high-value currency notes in 1971.

"Prime Minister must be condemned for tarnishing the image of a martyr Prime Minister, that too he chose December 16 when Vijay Diwas - The victory of India over Pakistani  is celebrated," he said.

The Prime Minister had cited a book to say that when the then Finance Minister Y B Chavan went to Indira Gandhi and supported the exercise, she asked "only one question. Are no elections to be fought by the Congress party?" ???

He also urged Modi to "stop insulting" former Prime Ministers.

Sharma said the Wanchoo committee report was not only on demonetisation.

"It was on the establishment of the tax settlement commission, which was accepted in 1976 and based on the recommendations Income Tax Commission's settlement was set up.

And the demonetisation got implemented in 1978 was a disaster," he added.
Panaji: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday claimed that several politicians have become beggars after the demonetisation move by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Some people had made it their business to loot Goa. After the surgical strike by (Narendra) Modiji in which he demonetised Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, several politicians turned beggars," Parrikar said addressing BJP's Vijay Sankalp rally in Ponda constituency.

He claimed that one of the politicians even suffered a heart attack and had to clarify that the attack had no relation to the demonetisation.

"That politician went on sending messages to the people that his heart attack was not due to demonetisation," the Minister further claimed.

Parrikar said during his tenure as Goa chief minister some people had approached him with the fear that a bridge was not getting completed.

"There was one bridge in the state whose foundation stone was laid three times by earlier governments. When I became chief minister, I took up the work of constructing the bridge," he recalled.

"I announced that I will complete the bridge in six months but people did not believe me. Next day some people met me and said it is good that the bridge should be completed in time, but we had heard that the bridge is not getting completed as it requires 'narbali'," Parrikar said.

"I asked people to just stop thinking that way and said if they want they can sacrifice chicken," the Minister added.
New notes of Rs 2000 issued by the Reserve Bank of India. (Photo: PTI)

Surat (Gujarat): The Income Tax Department on Saturday raided the premises of city-based tea seller-turned-financier Kishore Bhaijyawala and seized cash worth approximately Rs 400 crores, including cash, bullion, jewellery and property papers from his possession.

The IT search was on on Bhajiyawala's premises by the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seized Rs. 30 lakh, of which Rs. 18 lakh were in new currency notes and 2.5 kg gold from the premises of a tailor in Mohali and Chandigarh.
Lucknow: Terming demonetisation as a "conspiracy" of BJP and the Prime Minister, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said people of Uttar Pradesh, "who made Narendra Modi the PM", will now teach BJP a lesson for the "anti-people" step.

"The step is aimed at depositing money of ordinary people in banks to improve their financial condition and to waive loans of people like Vijay Mallya. It has been done to help big industrialists, who have taken loans of over Rs 8 lakh crore from banks...," the AAP leader alleged at a rally in Lucknow.

Calling the note ban as "anti-people", Kejriwal said, "People of UP, from where BJP got 73 (out of 80) Lok Sabha seats (including two of ally Apna Dal) will now teach BJP a lesson for the conspiracy."

After demonetisation, he alleged, "record corruption" was done in the country and added that "not only the step and intentions but execution was also bad".

Questioning claims of Modi that demonetisation was a step to curb black money, Kejriwal asked why not a single person was jailed when the government had a list of people who had stashed away money in foreign banks.

"If he sends two or four such persons to jail, corruption will end in the country," he said.
The highest-ever allocation for the scheme in any financial year since its inception in 2005. (Photo: Representational Image)

New Delhi: The government has received Parliaments approval to increase funding to MGNREGA - Indias flagship rural job scheme - by Rs 4,000 crore, a major relief for a large number of demonetisation-hit casual labourers and small-time workers.

Labourers and workers have been forced to move from cities to native villages after the governments move last month to scrap high-value currency sparked a crippling cash crunch and job losses. The government had moved the proposal anticipating a spike in demand for rural jobs.

Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or MGNREGA, villagers can enroll for work building roads, digging wells or creating other rural infrastructure and receive the minimum wage for 100 days a year.

After Parliamentary nod last week for the remaining quarter of the current fiscal, the total spend on MGNREGA will go up to Rs 47,000 crore for 2016-17, the highest-ever allocation for the scheme in any financial year since its inception in 2005.

While the move will help generate more jobs, it is also likely to help the BJP-led government at the Centre deal with political rivals ahead of next years Assembly elections in UP.

The governments November 8 currency replacement move has hit Indias rural economy, prompting an unrelenting Opposition attack and disrupting an almost entire Parliament session.

The Narendra Modi government has been particularly concerned over demonetisations negative impacts on small businesses and industries like gems and jewellery, carpets, bangles, brassware, tobacco and many other sectors as many people involved in them have lost jobs.

The scramble for cash has caused a string of deaths, and long queues have stayed outside low-on-cash banks and ATMs, about five weeks after the Centres demonetisation announcement to fight black money and fake currency.

With the Uttar Pradesh elections round the corner, the ruling NDA may highlight the increased funding for MGNREGA to send a message to the voters that the scheme remains its top priority.
Hyderabad: In which State is Golconda and Charminar? No guessing, it is Telangana State. But for Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the two along with others which were in undivided Andhra Pradesh, continue to be depicted in AP.

In fact, the newly formed Telangana State does not exist in the ASI records though the State was bifurcated two and a half years back.

A senior ASI official was stumped at the faux pas in the organisations official website but asserted ASI will change it. Probably its under process. It has to be changed and it will be changed. Charminar, Golconda and other Telangana monuments have to be shown there, he added.

A notification was issued by ASI in June establishing a new circle in AP with its headquarters in Amaravati, bifurcating its Hyderabad circle for better maintenance of Centrally protected monuments, arch-aeological sites and remains at Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Gun-tur, East Godavari, Kri-shna, Kurnool, Nellore prakasam, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.
New Delhi: Handlers of terror operatives from across the border in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) are now directing cadre in the Kashmir Valley to target banks in a bid to generate more resources for their activities as they are said to be facing a major cash crunch following Centres demonetisation drive.

Wireless intercepts available with the security agencies reveal that handlers in PoK are asking their local commanders in the Valley to loot banks for financing those militants which are targeting security personnel.

In fact, security agencies are now investigating the possibility of whether money looted from two banks in Pulwama and Charar-e-Sharif in the last few days was used in Saturdays attack on an Army convoy in Pampore in which three security personnel were killed.

We have some information that money robbed from the two banks may have been used for financing Saturdays attack. A detailed investigation is being carried out. There is no doubt that post demonetisation, terror groups in the Valley are facing a major shortage of cash as the hawala network has been badly hit. Since, militants are given cash incentive or rewards for killing security personnel there is a possibility that money looted from banks is being used, a senior official said.

The Centre has already directed the state that adequate security cover should be provided to all bank branches in the Valley and vehicles transporting cash.
ISIS mouthpiece Dabiq, in its 14th issue, said that Bengal is an important region for the caliphate due to its geographic location (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The declaration by the head of the Bangladesh unit of the ISIS, Shaykh Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, in the ISIS propaganda magazine Dabiq in April 2016, that the terror outfit was contemplating guerrilla attacks in India like those of the CPI (Maoists), seems to be confirmed by the National Investigation Agency probing into the pipe bomb conspiracy.

The NIAs Mumbai unit, following the pipe bomb conspiracy case, had arrested the alleged masterminds in January 2016. It had also filed the charge sheet against the accused.

In a chargesheet filed against city-based ISIS terror suspect Mohammed Nafees Khan (Accussed No. 2) of Tolichowki and others, the NIA has said: In September 11, 2015, during the coordination meeting in Sharanpur in Uttar Pradesh regarding expansion of base of the ISIS in India, one of the accused Md Azhar Khan alias Ikrama (Accused 16) of Madhya Pradesh had suggested that, since their fight was against the security forces, they should adopt the guerrilla tactics as was being done by the Maoists. In the said meeting, it was discussed that they should purchase a piece of land in a remote area to operate in clandestine manner.

Maharashtra-based ISIS suspect Mudbabir Shaik (Accused 3) also took part in the meeting, the chargesheet says. Around 17 persons were named as being part of the module, including four Hyderabadis.

To train themselves in guerrilla warfare, the terror suspects led by Nafees Khan visited Vikarabad and Naraspur forest areas in Telangana state, according to the chargesheet.

ISIS decides to focus on West Bengal

ISISs mouthpiece Dabiq, in its 14th issue, had also said: Bengal is an important region for the caliphate and the global jihad due to its strategic geographic position. Bengal is located on the eastern side of India, whereas Khurasan province of South Asia is located on its western side. Thus, having a strong jihad base in Bengal will facilitate performing guerrilla attacks inside India simultaneously from both sides and facilitate creating a condition of tawahhush (savagery) in India along with the help of the existing local mujahideen there, until the soldiers of the caliphate are able to enter with a conventional army and completely liberate the region... Also, jihad in Bengal is a stepping-stone for jihad in Burma as already mentioned.

The ISIS was also speaking about expanding with the help of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba

A senior police officer of TS said, Urban guerrilla warfare and lone wolf attacks like in Paris cant be ruled out here too. There has been an alert on it. However, our forces are prepared. We have TS Octopus commandos well trained to tackle urban guerrilla warfare like National Security Guards at the national level who are based in Hyderabad too.

ISIS suspects were found using newer Internet social platform networks for communication, like Signal, to avoid the scrutiny of Indian security agencies.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam will on Monday evening meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi seeking an immediate grant of Rs 1,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation works due to the impact of Cyclone Vardah.

During his meeting with Mr Modi, Mr Panneerselvam will also demand that the Union Government posthumously confer Bharat Ratna on late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and install her life-size bronze statue in Parliament House. The first Cabinet meeting chaired by Mr Panneerselvam on December 10 had adopted a resolution regarding the demands.

The meeting between the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister will take place at 5 pm on Monday in the national capital. Sheela Balakrishnan, Advisor to the Tamil Nadu Government, and other senior officials, will accompany the Chief Minister.

A day after Cyclone Vardah pounded the Chennai Coast, the Chief Minister dashed off a letter to the Prime Minister demanding Rs 1,000 crore as immediate relief and deputing a Central team to assess the damage.

In the letter written on December 13, Mr Pannerselvam had said that he would submit a detailed memorandum when he meets the Prime Minister in person.

During the meeting on Monday, the Chief Minister would inform the Prime Minister that an initial assessment of damages caused by Cyclone Vardah would amount to Rs 10,000 crore and demand Rs 1,000 crore as immediate relief.

On the eve of his meeting with Prime Minister, Mr Panneerselvam went into a huddle with senior government officials and reviewed the situation in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts, which were worst affected by the cyclone.

Mr Pannerselvam will also ask the Prime Minister to expedite the visit of a Central team to assess the damage caused by the devastating cyclone.

According to an initial assessment by industry chamber ASSOCHAM released on December 13, loses due to the impact of cyclone was Rs 6,600 crores and it is likely to increase as much more damage come to light.
Hyderabad:Dalit PhD scholars Dontha Prashant, Vijay Pedapudi and Seshaiah Chemudugunta, who were suspended along with Rohith Vemula last year, have written a representation to President, Pranab Mukherjee, seeking his intervention as a Visitor to the University, to sack UoH Vice-Chancellor, Prof Appa Rao Podile and ensure action on the SC and ST Atrocities Act complaint filed against him.

The President will be staying in Hyderabad as part of his winter sojourn from next week.Speaking to mediapersons, the three students said they had met Opposition parties in the Assembly and requested them to raise the lack of police action on the issue in the ongoing Winter Session. They said Congress leaders had accepted their request.

On Sunday evening students in UoH also conducted protests and burnt effigies of the VC and the BJP.
Mr Naidu has the account with the Andhra Bank branch in Tadipatri in the district. (Representational Image)

ANANTAPUR: Mr K. Srinivasulu Naidu, a small farmer of Komatikuntla in Putlur mandal, is going to bed a crorepati, albeit a very worried one. He was shocked on Sunday when he got an SMS on his mobilephone about Rs 1.84 crore being credited into his savings bank account.

Mr Naidu has the account with the Andhra Bank branch in Tadipatri in the district. He has very little money in the account, following the series of crop failures.

The message said 1.84 crore had been credited to the account, he said. Mr Naidu and his wife Syamala tried to speak with bank officials but no one was available.

The farmer suspects someone credited the money into his account. We will meet bankers on Monday to freeze the transaction, he said. The money was still in his account when reports last came in.

A cinema theatre operator had a similar experience two days ago in Anantapur, when his SB account was credited with Rs 1 crore. He rushed to the bank and alerted the officials who froze his account.

Earlier last week, daily wage worker Nazeer in the Chittoor district received a message about Rs 1.26 crore credited to his account in teh Andhra Bank branch at Gurramkonda on Wednesday. Bank officers later said it was a technical error, and issued an account statement later.

Police seizes Rs 17 lakh from 2 rail passengers

New and old currency notes worth Rs 17.23 lakh were recovered from the bags of two passengers at Khammam Railway Station on Sunday.

The RPF intercepted two persons who got down from the Konark Express and searched their belongings. The two were taken into custody after the cash was found in their luggage. They have been identified as Nageti Murali Krishna, 29, who works as a clerk at a firm in Pumping Well Road, and Basani Upender, 45, a clerk in another firm. It doesnt look like the two had the economic capacity to generate this much cash.

Old and new currency was found in the bags. There were 321 new Rs 2000 notes, 41 new Rs 500 notes, 9075 Rs 100 notes, 1000 Rs 20 notes, 500 Rs 10 notes and 500 Rs 10 coins. Of the old notes, 53 were of Rs 1000 and 158 of Rs 500. The new currency notes had bank slips of the main bazaar branch of Berhampur in Odisha.

The RPF has handed over the case to the Railway Police. Railway police SI K. Naresh said they are interrogating the two persons. It is suspected that businessmen of Khammam, who had links with banks in Berhampur, sent their men to exchange notes.
Chennai: Statistics reveal over 5,000 seats in dental science at the UG level are vacant out of a total of 26,600 seats, said Dr Dibyendu Mazumder, president of Dental Council of India, while inaugurating the international conference, convocation and symposium of the International College of Dentists (ICD)-Section VI on Saturday.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Dibyendu Mazumder added, The Dental Council of India has requested the Chief Ministers of the country to appoint dental surgeons in primary health centres. Professor Dr. S.M.Balaji, who represented the Indian section of ICD, comprising Nepal and Sri Lanka too, said, Around 60 professionals will take oath in the convocation on Sunday to be a part of the collegium based on their service and paper publications.

The symposium on dental education in India - past, present and future, had an array of international and national speakers talking about dental science and its importance at the grassroots level. The officials also talked about a proposal submitted to the government to introduce new courses offering dual degrees - BDS and MBBS - enabling students to practise both when required, especially in primary health centres.
New Delhi: Implementation of urban missions, including Swachh Bharat, will continue to be the focus area of the new year, said Urban Development and HUPA Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, who has set a target of achieving enhanced

outcomes within stipulated time frames.

The year 2016 was hectic for his ministries which succeeded in getting the Real Estate Bill passed in Parliament and in giving momentum to Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, getting close to half-way mark of mission targets in

constructing toilets.

"On the whole, 2016, the first year of execution of new missions has been encouraging. We would like this momentum to be further enhanced so that intended outcomes are realised within stipulated time frames," he said.

He said new urban missions, except Swachh Bharat Mission, were launched in 2015 after year-long "extensive consultations" with states, urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders.

"City governments were required to adopt new approaches in place of the earlier business. They rose to the occasion to a large extent and that is evident in the pace of implementation," he said.

Naidu also said there was a "new-found spirit of competition" among states and cities in giving "positive results" adding that the ease of doing business in urban areas is "improving rapidly".

The year saw the selection of 60 cities in three rounds for financial assistance from the Centre to develop them as smart cities.

Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas got close to half-way mark of mission targets in building toilets during this year.

As against the target of building over 66 lakh individual household toilets, about 27.82 lakh have already been built and construction of another 21.43 lakh toilets is nearing completion as the mission gained momentum in 2016. While 5.08 lakh community and public toilet seats are required to be built by 2019, already 1.07 lakh toilet seats have been built so far and construction of another 1.28 lakh

toilet seats in nearing completion.

As many as 87 smart cities have undertaken credit rating exercise with 16 of them completing the process. Of the over 81,000 urban wards in the country, 39,995 wards have reported 100 per cent door-to-door collection of municipal solid waste.

A major highlight of 2016 being enactment of Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act and subsequent notification of Real Estate Rules for five Union Territories without legislatures by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) and by the Ministry of Urban Development for Delhi.

Some states too have come out with such rules. This legislation that came into being after a long wait of 8 years has been widely welcomed.

Under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-NULM, meant for enhancing employability and enhancing incomes of urban poor, 7.38 lakh beneficiaries were skill trained, 1.18 lakh urban poor were assisted for self-employment through subsidised loans and 1.43 lakh self-help groups were formed.

Towards improving the 'Ease of doing business', Ministry of Urban Development issued 'Model Building Bye-laws' providing a framework for online approvals for building and construction projects in urban areas including simplified environmental and other clearances within 30 days besides promoting green construction technologies.

To enhance ease of doing business, integrated online building permission system commenced during 2016 in Delhi and Mumbai under which approvals are being accorded in less than 30 days.
A Malayalam writer and theatre artist was on Sunday charged with sedition for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem, police said. (Representational image)

Kozhikode: A Malayalam writer and theatre artist was on Sunday charged with sedition for allegedly showing disrespect to the national anthem, police said.

Kamal C Chavara, alias Kamalsy Prana, was taken into custody on charges of insulting the national anthem in a Facebook Post.

A case was registered against him by police at Karungapally in Kollam a few days ago following a complaint from Yuva Morcha activists. The case under 124 A (sedition) has been registered against the writer, police said.

As per the complaint filed by the Yuva Morcha activists, Kamal had posted some excerpts from his novel "Smasanangulude Nottupusthakam" on Facebook, which they alleged was an insult to the national anthem.

Police said Kamal would be handed over to their counterparts at Karunagapalli.

The incident comes close on the heels of the arrest of 12 persons earlier this month for not standing up when the national anthem was being played before the screening of a film at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Supreme Court had recently directed that cinema halls across the country must play the national anthem before the screening of a film and people should stand up as a mark of respect.

The ruling, however, has received mixed reactions from legal experts with a few terming it as "judiciary's over-enthusiasm" and others saying playing it and respecting it won't cause any harm.
Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode: There was utter chaos over the case against Kamal C. Chavara, a novel writer who was taken into custody by the Nadakavu police on Sunday for defaming the national anthem. Even though friends of Mr Kamal claimed that the police has registered a case under Section 124 A (sedition), sources in the police maintained that only verification was being conducted, on the basis of a complaint received by the police. Kollam city police commissioner Satheesh Bino told this newspaper that the notice was sent to Mr Kamal under Section 124 A. Mr Kamal was taken into custody and later set free. The police would first verify the authenticity of the complaint against Mr Kamal before arresting him, Mr Bino said.

The notice was sent following a complaint about a passage from his book Smashanangalude Notupusthakam. The passage reads thus: A school in Kerala has 44 students named after the 44 rivers of Kerala, which have all dried up. The teachers of that school never used to pay heed to the requests of the children, including permission to go to the toilet for urinating. At 4 pm every day, these students had to stand up for the National Anthem. As urinating was more important for me than Jana Gana Mana, I preferred to be an indisciplined student.

Copy of the complaint

Apart from that Mr Kamal had also posted a portion of his upcoming novel Sashiyum njanum, which the complainant claimed was against the national anthem. Kerala police sent a notice to him on the complaint of a yuva morcha activist, and the police raided his home in Karunagappally. He was initially asked to come to Karunagappally police station. However, the police took him into custody in Kozhikode on Sunday morning. Mr Kamal in a Facebook post had earlier claimed that the Karunagappally police had raided his house and threatened his father who is heart patient and took into custody, CDs and the copy of his novel.

Kamal was taken into custody from Eranhipalam near Kozhikode when he was coming from his home at Kunnamangalam, where he lives with his wife and a newborn baby. Nadakkavu police said that Kamal was under their observation till the Karunagapally police reached here and later he was handed over to them. A day earlier we were directed to track Kamal and we were tracking him since then, police added.
Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tender a public apology for denigrating the memory of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a martyr for the cause of national unity, Congress leader Anand Sharma said on Sunday. Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Sharma made a scathing attack on Modi for his remarks that demonetisation should have been undertaken in 1971 as recommended by the Justice Wanchoo Committee Report. "The officials in civil services will write many things after their retirement and it is not necessary that all of them were true" he said.

A Prime Minister should not have used such speculative materials for denigrate his predecessors, he said, referring to Modi basing his remarks based on the reference in Madhav Godbole's book. A book written by Mr. Godbole has reference that Mrs. Gandhi vetoed the demonetisation recommendation during discussions with her then cabinet colleague YB Chavan. "Normally, when a PM speaks with cabinet colleagues on important matters, officials will not be present", Mr. Sharma pointed out. He also advised Mr. Modi to at least read the Wanchoo Committee report once before making statements.

The demonetisation has dealt a severe blow to India's image as an important global economy, the congress leader said. "The Prime Minister himself is proclaiming that all the wealth in the country belongs to the category of black money and this amounts to shaming the country before a global audience", he added. The Modi government is adopting policies completely opposed to the principles of a democratic governance. The Congress leader also said that Rahul Gandhi holding a meeting with Mr. Modi would not weaken the opposition unity.
Hyderabad: The killing of gangster killing in an encounter with police and his criminal network will be the hot topic on Monday when the state Assembly will take up a short notice discussion on the issue.It was alleged that politicians from different political parties were involved with the gangster in organising murders, kidnap, extortion and for settlements.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team into Nayeemuddins criminal activities. The SIT arrested nearly 100 associates of the slain gangster.

There were reports of the involvement of high ranking legislators with Nayeem. It was said Mr Rao was contemplating disciplinary action against two TRS legislators, which did not happen. There were allegations and counter allegations among the Congress, TRS and TD on involvement of the politicos.
The Centre said it would amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956 in the Budget Session of Parliament to form the national tribunal. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The Telangana state government on Sunday welcomed the Union Cabinet decision to constitute a single tribunal to deal with all inter-state river water disputes by dispensing with the various existing tribunals. The AP government said the Centres decision would further delay the adjudication of disputes.

The Centre said it would amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956 in the Budget Session of Parliament to form the national tribunal. The existing Act, enacted under Article 262 of the Constitution in 1956, allows the Centre to constitute separate tribunals to adjudicate water disputes between river basin states.

A senior officer of the Telangana state irrigation department said the incumbent tribunals were taking too much time in adjudicating matters; it would be handy for a few former judges to prolong the litigation to seek more extensions.

He said there was enormous delay in constituting the tribunal by selecting the chairman and members, then searching for a separate office and residential accommodation for them. State governments object to the appointment of some members which causes more delay, he said. If the national tribunal would be constituted on the lines of the Supreme Court with 10 or more members dealing with different disputes, it is very good, he said.

A senior officer in the AP government water resources ministry said setting up a common tribunal was like constituting a parallel Supreme Court-like institution which would only delay matters.

The tribunal is a body that exclusively deals with the issue that was referred to it by the Centre. It is in the implementation that political issues are cropping up, he said. He cited the Cauvery dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and said one state was always not ready to implement the tribunals award.

The Centre using it powers should discipline the particular state even going to the extent of dismissing the government which it did not do. Without enforcing discipline, setting up a common tribunal is not the solution, he said.

Assuming that the award of the national tribunal is also not implemented by a state government, is its purpose, the water resources ministry official said.
US President-elect Donald Trump has made many controversial and outlandish appointments for his future Cabinet. But even more surprising than naming rich billionaires like himself and a string of outspoken generals he has gathered is the appointment of his countrys ambassador to Israel. David Friedman is an orthodox Jew and son of a rabbi, who owns an apartment in Jerusalem and justifies illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. He greeted his new post with the declaration that he looked forward to working from the US embassy in Israels eternal capital, Jerusalem, rather than Tel Aviv. This appointment, that baffled Americans and the world, comes after Mr Trumps boast in an interview that he would make the ultimate deal between Israelis and Palestinians. Daniel Kutzer, a former US ambassador to Tel Aviv, declared Mr Friedman should be beyond the pale. Others have simply thrown up their hands in despair at the appointment of a bankruptcy lawyer who has taken up some of Mr Trumps cases with no diplomatic experience broadcasting hardline views crossing all the red lines.

In a sense, Mr Trump has made explicit what was implicit in US policy over decades, a bias towards Israel due to military and regional factors and the strong US Jewish lobby, which has the ear of both Republicans and Democrats. The most American leaders have been able to do to discipline Israelis are slaps on the wrist. Two myths US administrations have carefully nurtured are an ambivalence towards Jerusalems status, sacred to both Jews and Arabs, its embassy functioning from Tel Aviv. Second, the US has officially viewed Israeli settlements as being illegal, with the suggestion that large border settlements can be swapped for Israeli territory. Significantly, Israelis greeted Mr Trumps poll victory as a signal for announcing new settlements. Israel has in office the most right-wing government in its history under Benjamin Netanyahu. The official fiction is of a two-state solution, with Israeli and a defanged Palestinian state living side by side in peace. But the policies of the present administration have been making the constitution of such a state, opposed by the Prime Ministers allies, impossible. Officially, Washington still swears by the virtues of two states without possessing the will or domestic support to bring it about. In contrast, the US recently signed a whopping new military aid package for Israel.

Washington has refrained from moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for nearly seven decades because it has been conscious of the emotive overtones of a city revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Even for a nonconformist President, to appoint an envoy who openly advocates illegal settlements does not make sense. Mr Friedman for one has described President Barack Obama as being anti-Semitic. There has been much debate in the United States and Europe among liberal circles and the broad consensus is that if the Israeli state continues building settlements to swallow the occupied West Bank, apart from having annexed Arab East Jerusalem, it cannot remain a democratic entity. Although there is a strong minority not in favour of current trends in the country, it seems to have lost heart and its main argument. The populist streak apparent in the United States and Europe is in favour of demagogues in Israel.

Against this backdrop, what does the future hold for Israel, the region and foreign backers, the US in particular? Palestinians themselves are in a sorry state, with Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, well past his term, and divisions in Palestinian ranks in the shape of Hamas ruling the shattered Gaza Strip with an unfriendly Egypt making peoples lives as miserable as the consequences of Israeli policy. Mr Friedman is on record in the US on refusing collectively to talk to the J Street, a moderate parallel to the main American Jewish lobby. But if he were to follow his plan to move the US embassy to Jerusalem with Mr Trumps blessing, Palestinian frustrations would boil over and it would become an issue the whole Arab world would identify with. Thus far, Palestinian reaction to the appointment has been muted, but Jerusalem can light the banner of revolt in an instant with serious consequences for Israels future trajectory.

American legislators room for manoeuvre on any question over Israel is limited across party lines. They have a powerful lobby group that can blackball any political aspirant and deny him the money power they possess. Issues of freedom and justice for Palestinians living in Israel denied rights as citizens cannot be raised by mainstream politicians who must look over their shoulders to ensure Jewish lobbyists are not cross with them. US administrations of both main parties have routinely supported with money and arms countless dictators in the Middle East and Latin America for reasons of realpolitik, and still do so even as they broadcast the merits of a liberal democracy. But the future Trump administration will be likely to start a new tempest in the Muslim and Arab worlds by striking at the Islamic faiths heart by the implied recognition of Jerusalem as Israels exclusive holy land. They would also have to contend with Christians, who believe in Christs provenance in Jerusalem.

Its difficult to believe Mr Trump and his transition team are unaware of what they are bargaining for. If the President-elects purpose is to shock Palestinians into conceding their foremost dream, he will be disappointed. There isnt a more emotive issue in the historical struggle between Jews and Palestnians than Jerusalem. And here is a Jew sent as Americas envoy, assuming he gets the Israel-friendly Senates approval, believing that his first task would be to move his countrys embassy to Jerusalem to fortify Israels claim of it being its eternal capital. There will doubtless be other surprises up Mr Trumps sleeve, but in its explosive potential few things will surpass Mr Friedmans appointment.
Kiren Rijiju, Union minister of state for home affairs, remains unflappable amidst allegations that he facilitated a scam centering on construction of two dams for NEEPCOs 600-MW Kameng hydro-electric project in Arunachal Pradesh. Mr Rijiju spoke to Sanjib Kr Baruah about the secretly-recorded conversation that led to the controversy.

Your name has been recently linked to Arunachal Pradeshs Kameng-NEEPCO dam project where a person named Goibi Rijiju had approached an official seeking clearance of certain pending payments and he has been audio-taped saying that his Bhaiya would suitably return the favour if needed. What do you have to say?

Now, even as we speak the Congress MPs and local Congress leaders in Arunachal Pradesh, specially the Congress panchayat leaders are blaming the Congress high command of the grave mistake of raising this issue. And the Congress is already paying the price now because its local leaders are no longer interested in staying in the party. They realise that the Congress is working against the interest of the local people.

There are rumblings of corrupt dealings

There is no question of corruption because the local people are supplying and providing boulders and sand to construct a dam. It is not huge transportation of construction material and other items; it is just a small-time supply of boulders and sand which is being done by thousands of local people. The money they get from it is their bread and butter.

When did this project start?

This project started in 2004 and the civil contract was awarded in 2004 when the Congress was in power. These so-called local contractors were appointed in 2012, again during Congress rule. Most of the payments were already made before I wrote a letter. So it was a bogey. The Congress now realises that they have made a mistake. Congress workers are now leaving the party. Local panchayat leaders have come out openly and have condemned the Congress shameful act.

And about the claims of the chief vigilance officer (CVO) of NEEPCO?

What I dont understand is that even a national publication has used the word scam. One should be careful about using such words. Suppose I have recommended in a letter and some `2-3 crore payment were made, then you can still accuse me and say that because of my recommendation some people got money. But in this case, it is zero. Even before I wrote the letter, the pending bills were cleared.

The same CVO who wrote the report had cleared all the payments before I had even written the letter. About 60 per cent payment was had already been made. The contractors came to me with about 40 per cent pending payment. But 10 days before I had written the letter, the payments were all cleared because the same CVO found that the pending bills were alright.

So you mean to say there is no issue?

It is a non-issue and the Congress has dug its own grave by making it an issue against the local people.

Do you think the CVO report was politically motivated?

I will not even call it politically motivated because the same CVO who had written these backdated fraudulently is the same officer who cleared the bills. He himself had visited the location, he himself had cleared all the bills. The pending bills were cleared after the same CVO gave the clearance. So tell me now how can an issue be made out of this? It is not even shameful, it is some kind of a joke. Nor am I bothered as to who is behind this. But what we can apprehend is that some people in the Congress might have just told the CVO to write a letter and then telling him that an issue will be made out of it as because the AgustaWestland issue was coming up. The Congress must have searched the country to look for an officer who could have written a cooked-up report. It found this particular officer (CVO) and then made him write a letter after he was transferred. This officer will now be held to question for his fraudulently backdating documents, the dates of which are available in the postage stamps. But this story has been exposed now.

Your reaction has also been quite acidic...

Those people who raised this bogey against the poor people, they will be beaten with shoes by the poor people in Arunachal is what I said.

Is Goibi Rijiju your cousin?

Goibi is from my village and he is not even a contractor. Nor has he supplied boulders and sand. He just went to the officer and pleaded for the village. Goibi referred to Bhaiya. Everybody in my place calls me Bhaiya. So he said well tell Bhaiya so please help us. Goibi is not asking for a favour, he is asking for his right. Rights which are due to the people. He is not seeking false payments. Also, how can I be held responsible for someone who says Bhaiya? The officer then recorded their conversation. Dont you think if the CVO had a genuine case,

he should have sent the report to his mother agency and not to the Congress and to the newspaper? A group of contractors came to me and I wrote a letter to the power ministry to examine the matter. I did not say make the payment.

Reportedly a transport scam has been going on in Arunachal for quite some time now?

Yes, the hill transport subsidy is a big scam. The court is looking into it; I dont have much to comment. I just want it to be expedited.

There are reports of money being taken to the Northeast in the backdrop of demonetisation?

While the Reserve Bank of India has been sending money to all parts of the country, a case has come to light about money having gone from Hissar to Nagalands Dimapur in an aeroplane. Now a local person has come forward to claim that it is his money. So as long he can show his source of income the case is a settled one and legal action cannot be taken.

Mamata Banerjee has alleged that the principles of federalism have been violated because an FBI team from the US has been allowed free and unhindered access to a jailed terrorist in West Bengal?

Not at all. Everything is under the established law. If there is anything wrong let it be challenged in a court of law. We should not question all the time just because you have a political angle to it. We are very clear that we are living in a democracy and a federal structure and it has to be respected by all means. Never should the federal structure be breached.
Demonetisation has been such a resounding disaster for the people and the country that the term is likely to enter our political lexicon with a capital D, much like E for Emergency. The difference between the two episodes is, however, stark. Barring a clutch of the so-called Young Turks, an energetic but minor woolly socialism-oriented faction in the Congress, Prime Minister Indira Gandhis party stuck by her through the Emergency, although it was becoming plain, as the days wore on, that this method of fighting political opponents was going to boomerang badly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not so blessed. His Demonetisation is being likened to the Emergency in that it has taken away the liberty of the people to work by creating such a devastating condition of absence of cash that the hirer is deterred from offering daily-wage employment, although there is work to be done.

The list of other negatives is long and well-known, and is reminiscent of the Great Depression of the 1930s, though we are not quite there yet. People are finding it difficult to buy food even if they have some money in the bank as they cant withdraw their own money. Their everyday miseries are being compounded in a variety of ways, and the prospect of the economy regaining its verve in the foreseeable future seems not even a distant possibility at the moment. This is why the BJPs MPs and MLAs, specially from poll-bound states like UP and Punjab, are deeply disturbed. Theyve anyway been unhappy for long as the Modi government has done so little for the farming community. The RSS, which makes or breaks BJP leaders, is said to be dissatisfied. Although its top brass have shown restraint in their speech, they know India has been struck a body blow by Demonetisation.

A vastly experienced outfit like the RSS can see the writing on the wall. In conditions like these, it is likely to be exploring fallback options to prepare for a scenario in which the Modi motif has been taken off the shelf. Unlike the case of the Emergency, senior people in the Modi government and the BJP are not ready to speak up in defence of Demonetisation. In private, they roundly condemn it, and deeply worry for their political future. Those in the BJP and the government who are speaking up for Demonetisation can be counted on the fingers of one hand, but are principally just two  finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah who, along with PM Modi, make up the trio that are running the show, as was derisively pointed out by Arun Shourie, a writer and former journalist who commanded much respect in the (Atal Behari) Vajpayee period.

But even Mr Jaitley and Mr Shah are careful how they put across their thoughts. The finance minister has indeed found a clever way. He speaks ad nauseam about digital cash and plastic money but remains completely quiet about how to address the bread and butter issues of the people. The BJP president, on the other hand, has the image of a bully. He inspires fear, not affection; he tells his party ranks to take the message of the government to the people instead of complaining and malingering. But he is careful not to elaborate his thoughts on the positive features of Demonetisation. His party colleagues tend to give him a wide berth. But when confronted by him they dare not contradict him to his face, and prefer to stay mum.

In short, the people are deriving the message of Demonetisation through their own experience, not through the channels of the party machinery or the widespread RSS network. Initially, many among the poorer classes did appear to be satisfied. They grew vicarious pleasure  and solace  from the thought that Demonetisation was intended to be a blow struck at the heart of the fatcat, and of big business. Now people know better. It wasnt just that the banks were denying the public their own hard-earned cash while they were stealthily serving their high-end customers. Enough indications are now becoming available to suggest that clever tricks to favour the rich start not at banks but at the government security presses, where new currency notes are being printed  for example, wads of fresh notes of the Rs 2,000 denomination are marked as wads of `10 notes and spirited out.

The thought is inescapable that Demonetisation was a political move, not a well-considered economic one (or it would have been much more expertly handled). It aimed to excite the poor mans inner anger with the rich and leave behind the subliminal thought that Prime Minister Modi was on their side and intended to get even with the rich on their behalf. Indeed, it was planned as a gigantic PR exercise to boost Mr Modis image with ordinary people for the purpose of gaining their confidence, first for the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab polls in February, 2017 and then the Lok Sabha poll of 2019, since the governments track record is otherwise thin. In this respect, it was like the surgical strike, which turned out to have no military value but it did catch the public imagination initially.

But the hoax has now been found out. How will the poor behave? Shakespeare cautioned us long ago: Beware the fury of a patient man! Mr Modi must have been made more aware of this last Friday when he addressed the BJP Parliamentary Party. Images of the event on television showed there was a sullen silence. The Prime Minister himself looked haggard and distraught, not his usual confident, crack-the-whip self. He pulled out scrappy lines from a book written by a long-ago bureaucrat to condemn Indira Gandhi and quoted from sundry speeches of Indira-baiters to slam her. But his audience remained unmoved. The Prince of Gujarat was walking the razors edge and his feet were bleeding. But those who saw him thus seemed to feel no pity. With a mood such as this within the BJP, how could Mr Modi have summoned the nerve to allow a proper discussion on Demonetisation in Parliament? And not inviting a debate on the most important economic policy measure in decades is a scornful rejection of the democratic process.
One of my favorite hadiths or Prophetic anecdotes teaches: Purity is half of faith, prayer is a light, charity is proof, and patience is illumination. In this Prophetic tradition, the Arabic word meaning purity is Taharat which encompasses two spiritual dimensions: (1) taharat-e-batini, inward purity and (2) taharat-e-zahiri, outward purity. Taharat-e-Batini or inward purity can be achieved through a clean and pure thinking process, by avoiding evil thoughts and engaging in constant spiritual meditation (dikr). It directly helps the heart and mind to be pure and sound, purging them of spiritual maladies such as anger, hatred, jealousy, egoism etc. However, Taharat-e-Zahiri or outward purity is attained by properly maintaining the physical cleanlinessfor instance, making wudu (ablution), taking shower (ghusl), using fragrance or perfumes (itar) and keeping house and clothes neat and clean.

One of the earliest Sufis in India, Hazrat Data Ganj Baksh Hijweri states in his mulfuzat (Sufi discourses): After iman (faith in God), the most imperative link of the Sufi life style is Taharat which includes both kinds of cleanliness: purity of body and mind. Just as prayer or devotion cannot be accepted without Taharat-e-Zahiri, similarly wisdom or maarifat cannot be attained without Taharat-e-Batini. The latter is also known as tazkiyah (purification of soul). In fact, the practice of Sufism or tasawwuf is nothing but tazkiyah. Tazkiyah empowers one to curb all the demonic forces (quwwah-e-wahmiyya), ferocious thoughts (quwwa-e-ghazabiyya) and animalistic impulses (quwwah-e-shahwania). Therefore, Prophets, their close companions (Sahaba) and Sufis used to profess and practice the tazkiyah. They would often exhort: purify yourself, you will have no disease. Thus, they alluded to various forms of disease that emanate from moral and spiritual maladies.

A Naqshbandi Sufi saint writes that Tazkiyah is the essential Islamic teaching upon which all Sufi teachings are primarily based. In the Sufi view, the purification (Tazkiyah) of Nafs (spirit) requires the purity of all faculties of the soul including Qalb (heart), Ruh (spirit) and Aql (mind). Thus, Purification of the soul or Tazkiyah-e-Nafs requires one to eschew all baser instincts that prevent a person from developing into a divine existence. Not only major sins like hatred, lying, slandering, but what is seen as minor evils such as backbiting, jealousy, envy, greed etc. are also completely annihilated in the process of Tazkiyah. One who treads the path of Tazkiyah must be cognizant enough of all this.

S/he should constantly engage in self-evaluation in terms of the actions s/he has done. An honest introspection is required to ascertain that mind and heart are purged of all evil impulses of Nafs, one by one, and thus determine the purity of the soul (Tazkiyah). This is the broader meaning of the Prophetic saying: Purity is half of the faith. Quran has also explained it in this verse: And by the Soul (Nafs), and the One Who perfected man in proportion; indeed, whoever purifies his own soul, succeeds and indeed, whoever corrupts his own soul, fails. (91:9-10)
Washington: An asteroid or comet strike of sufficient size could mean the end of the world because the Earth is unprepared to defend itself against such an occurrence, a Nasa scientist has warned. The planet is overdue for an extinction-level event involving a giant space object  such as an asteroid or comet  following a number of close encounters over the last 20 years, Dr Joseph Nuth said.

Speaking at Nasas Goddard Space Flight Centre in San Francisco Dr Nuth said that if a potentially dangerous object was on a crash-course with our planet theres not a hell of a lot we can do about it at the moment, according to The Guardian. He said: They are the extinction-level events, things like dinosaur killers, theyre 50 to 60 million years apart, essentially. You could say, of course,

were due.

Earth had a close encounter with a comet in 1996 and again in 2014, when one passed within cosmic spitting distance of Mars, he said.

Scientists had only 22 months warning time for the second pass, less than half the time currently needed to get a craft capable of deflecting such an object into space, Dr Nuth said. He recommended Nasa build an interceptor craft and keep it in storage in order to cut down on the time it takes to organise such a mission.

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TRAI has recommended imposition of a fine of Rs. 50 crores for each of the 21 circles of Vodafone

Telecom major Vodafone Friday told the Delhi High Court that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recommendation to the Centre to impose Rs. 1,050 crores penalty on it for not giving interconnectivity to Reliance Jio was an "arbitrary" decision.

TRAI has recommended imposition of a fine of Rs. 50 crores for each of the 21 circles of Vodafone, except in Jammu and Kashmir, coming to a total of Rs. 1,050 crores.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva did not pass any orders after TRAI's lawyers sought time till December 19 to take instructions on the steps taken by the authority after it issued a show cause notice to Vodafone on September 27.

Vodafone has claimed that the entire process adopted by TRAI was "arbitrary" as Reliance announced Jio offer on September 5-6 and had thereafter made payment for "augmentation of interconnection links" on September 25 after which there was a 90-day period to provide interconnectivity.

Senior advocate Meet Malhotra and central government standing counsel Kirtiman Singh, appearing for TRAI, sought time for instructions after the court asked how the September 30 meeting of TRAI with all operators was held before expiry of 10 days given to Vodafone to reply to the show cause notice.

"In these circumstances, how can even the findings be sustained," it asked and added that once a recommendation was made it could cloud judgement of decision-taking authority.

Vodafone, represented by senior advocate Rajiv Nayar, contended that it had time till December end this year for providing interconnectivity to Jio and even before expiry of the period it has provided 10,000 connections.

During arguments, Nayar said TRAI did not have the power to recommend imposition of penalty and it can only recommend revocation of licence for breach of licence conditions and sought setting aside of the recommendation.

He argued that TRAI has the power to impose "financial disincentives" for breach of Quality of Service regulations and to ensure compliance of terms and conditions of licence.

Vodafone has also said that no proper hearing was given to it by TRAI before issuance of recommendation of October 21.

The court will hear the matter again on December 21. TRAI, in its recommendation to the DoT, had said it has found Vodafone to be non-compliant with licence conditions and service quality norms given the high rate of call failures and congestion at interconnect points for RJio.

The regulatory authority also noted that denial of interconnection by some existing operators, including Vodafone, to RJio "appears to be with the ulterior motive to stifle competition and is anti-consumer".

TRAI had also recommended imposition of penalty of Rs. 1,050 crores on Airtel, at Rs. 50 crores for each of its 21 circles, and Rs. 950 crores on Idea Cellular for 19 circles.

The regulator had not recommended cancellation of their telecom licences saying it may lead to "significant consumer inconvenience".

The recommendation had come on a complaint by Reliance Jio that over 75 percent of calls on its network are failing as these telecom companies were not giving sufficient points of interconnect that would help complete calls.

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Apple Inc's board relaxed some rules for director nominations by outside investors but stopped short of broader changes sought by an activist shareholder.

The new bylaws disclosed in a securities filing late on Thursday dealt with the mechanics of "proxy access," the sometimes controversial process allowing outside investors to nominate their own candidates to a company's board.

Just how much influence to give such investors has been a hot topic with the rise of activist shareholders who some executives fear may not have long-term corporate interests at heart. At Apple, this debate played out several years ago when billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn successfully urged an increase in share buybacks.

Apple, the world's highest-valued publicly traded company, moved last year to allow a group of up to 20 shareholders owning at least 3 percent of its stock to include their own director candidates, constituting up to 20 percent of the board, in its proxy materials.

Thursday's filing said shareholders also could re-nominate a director candidate regardless of the level of support he or she had won in earlier elections. Previously, shareholders were prohibited from re-nominating candidates who had gotten less than 25 percent at either of the company's last two annual meetings.

Apple also extended a procedural deadline for nominating shareholders and director candidates, and it limited its board's direction to unilaterally interpret certain provisions, according to the filing.

An Apple representative said the company would not comment beyond the filing.

Independent shareholder James McRitchie, who has pressed Apple to grant more proxy access rights, said the changes were welcome, especially on the re-nomination question. But he said Apple failed to address two of his other, larger concerns.

McRitchie said in a telephone interview that he would prefer there be no limit to the number of investors needed to reach the 3 percent threshold for nominating a director and that the board should change its terms to allow investors to nominate up to two directors to its eight-member board, up from one currently.

Both ideas, along with a request to do away with the limits on re-nominations, are in a shareholder proposal McRitchie submitted to the company for a vote at its next annual meeting, expected early next year.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in October rejected a request by Apple to exclude the proposal. An agency lawyer said officials were "unable to conclude" Apple's current policies compare favorably with the activists' submission, as the company had argued, according to correspondence on the SEC's website.

McRitchie, who owns about 600 shares of Apple, said he might be amenable to a compromise, but Apple has not spoken to him about one.

"I'm a bug that's too small to register on their thick hide," he said.

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Masvingo: Zimbabwes 92-year-old president, Robert Mugabe, was endorsed on Saturday as the ruling partys candidate in a national election scheduled for 2018.

The leader was endorsed by all party structures at the meeting held in Masvingo, 300 kilometres southeast of the capital Harare.

The congress voiced its support to the president and first secretary comrade Robert Mugabe as the sole candidate for the forthcoming 2018 elections, said deputy secretary Eunice Sandi Moyo.

The endorsement was met with resounding applause from thousands of supporters attending the annual conference, chanting in Shona language, tongai, tongai baba meaning rule, rule father.

Mugabe, 92, has been in power since independence from British colonial rule in 1980 has avoided naming a successor or laying out plans to retire. He once joked that he would rule until he turned 100. Mugabe, who won the 2013 election that was marred by allegations of voting irregularities, has seemed frail at times but still travels widely.

The absence of a clear successor has sparked infighting, including verbal exchanges on social media, in recent weeks between factions angling for his position.
Though al-Baghdadi has been elusive, he has spoken out occasionally in videos and audio messages. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The US has more than doubled the reward for information leading to the capture of dreaded Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to USD 25 million.

The Department of State released a statement announcing the USD 25 million reward for the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The new bounty, USD 25 million, is the same amount offered for Osama bin Laden in 2011, but no one ever cashed in after the al-Qaeda leader was killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs in May of that year.

"Protecting the homeland and the American people is our top counter-terrorism priority, and just as we have intensified our efforts against ISIL (another name for ISIS), we are increasing the means available to us to gain information on their leadership and bring them to justice," the State Department said in a statement.

"The threat that al-Baghdadi poses has increased significantly since the Department of State's initial USD 10 million reward offer for information leading to his location, arrest, or conviction was announced in 2011," the department's Rewards for Justice Programme said on its website.

"Under Baghdadi, ISIL has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States," it said.

"Al-Baghdadi has taken credit for numerous terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, killing thousands of his fellow Iraqi citizens," it added.

Baghdadi is designated by the Department of State as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee. US officials have long described Baghdadi as enemy No. 1 in the fight against the militant group and speculation has swirled over his whereabouts.

Though Baghdadi has been elusive, he has spoken out occasionally in videos and audio messages.

In October 2015, Iraq's military claimed its air force had struck a convoy in western Anbar province that included a vehicle carrying Baghdadi. For weeks, reports circulated that he was seriously injured in the airstrike.

Those reports have since been disputed by US officials.
Manila: The United States on Sunday said it will work with the Philippines' President to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows US troops to visit the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a US government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte on Sunday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the US to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement."

He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises.

The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.

"You know, tit for tat ... if you can do this, so (can) we. It ain't a one-way traffic," Duterte said, adding tauntingly, "Bye-bye America."

The US Embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have. It did not elaborate.

While calling Americans "sons of bitches" and "hypocrites," Duterte on Saturday praised China as having "the kindest soul of all" for offering what he said was significant financial assistance.

"So, what do I need America for?" he asked.

He also said Russia can be a very important ally. "They do not insult people, they do not interfere," he said.

The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

The US government, along with EU and UN officials, has raised concerns about Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gunbattles with police.

More than 3,000 other deaths are being investigated to determine if they were linked to illegal drugs.

In a news conference, Duterte was pointedly asked how many crime suspects he has killed in the past when he was still a crime-busting city mayor amid his vague and contradicting accounts of his exploits.

"Maybe one, two, three ... I'm saying, maybe my bullets hit them, maybe not, but after the burumbumbumbum, they're all dead," Duterte said.

He asked God for forgiveness in advance, saying he may not have time to pray if he's assassinated. "God, forgive me for killing these idiots," Duterte said, then blamed God for the presence of criminals. "You create a human monster so if you are God, why do you have to create these idiots? That's why they die.
Washington: An officer of the Central Intelligence Agency, who interrogated former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein soon after his 2003 capture by US special forces, has claimed that the United States made serious errors while creating a profile on the country's leader.

Analyst John Nixon says that after his numerous conversations with the deposed leader, he found that America had made numerous critical mistakes during their intervention in Iraq.

Primarily, Nixon claims that Saddam had never intended to use chemical weapons against his enemies. the presence of these weapons in Iraq was one of the chief reasons that propelled the Bush administration to green light Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

According to Nixon, when Saddam was asked about the weapons he dismissed even the very idea of it. We never thought about using weapons of mass destruction. It was not discussed. Use chemical weapons against the world? Is there anyone with full faculties who would do this? Who would use these weapons when they had not been used against us?

Writing for the Daily Mail on Sunday, Nixon admits the reply was not what we had expected to hear.

Saddam then added that a breakdown of communication between his government and America had led to the suspicion and the lies.

But what came next still haunts Nixon. According to the CIA officer, Saddam had warned that America would fail in Iraq.

You are going to fail. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq. You are going to fail in Iraq because you do not know the language, the history, and you do not understand the Arab mind, the dictator is believed to have said.

His prediction has been true. Iraq remains a military nightmare and is mostly a failed state with 5,000 American troops still stationed there  struggling to maintain control of the country.
Afghan first vice-president Abdul Rashid Dostum walks at his headquarters in Sheberghan, capital of northern Jowzjan province. (Photo: AFP)

Kabul: Afghanistan has launched an investigation into allegations that the country's vice president sexually assaulted a rival, in the face of mounting criticism from Western allies and activists over a pervasive culture of impunity.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord who has a catalogue of war crimes attached to his name, is accused of abducting Ahmad Ishchi last month during a traditional game of Buzkashi, or polo with an animal carcass, in northern Jowzjan province.

Dostum allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to be tortured and sodomised.

"The attorney general's office has begun its impartial and transparent investigation regarding the incident," Afghanistan's top prosecutor said in a statement late Saturday.

"The investigation will be carried out neutrally and independently."

Officials are scrambling to gather evidence after the United States, European Union, Australia and Canada on Tuesday joined the chorus of calls for a thorough probe.

Ishchi has undergone a medical examination since his release earlier this month at the American air base in Bagram, north of Kabul, local media reported.

Dostum has denied the allegations, but his office said he would cooperate with any investigation. It added, however, that it prefers to "resolve" the matter by the traditional mediation of tribal elders rather than through conventional courts.

Observers are sceptical the government will sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

"He is too powerful to be sacked or tried in court," said Kabul-based analyst Ahmad Saeedi told AFP.

"The president is under pressure to take action, but he (Dostum) has a lot of support and influence, which the government cannot take lightly."

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by President Ashraf Ghani to attract the support of his mostly ethnic Uzbek constituency.

The latest controversy has once again drawn attention to how Afghan warlords and strongmen operate with impunity, hobbling Western-backed efforts to restore peace and rebuild the nation after decades of conflict.
Beijing: China, on Saturday, slammed the United States (US) for "making a fuss" over the seizure of its underwater drone in the disputed South China Sea, saying it will return the device in an "appropriate manner" even as it called its action as "professional and responsible".

The Chinese Defence Ministry said it had taken the drone for verification and accused the US of "making a fuss" over the incident after US President-elect Donald Trump accused China of "stealing" the US Navy research drone.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting China had been "professional and responsible" to take the drone.

"We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel," he said in a late night statement.

Yang said the drone would be returned "in an appropriate manner", hinting that Beijing may carry out its own examination of it but did not specify any timeline. He said China was strongly opposed to such reconnaissance activities and it was highly inappropriate for the US to make a fuss over the incident.

His statement came after Trump joined the war of words with a tweet saying that "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (unprecedented) act".

Though the US and China have been experiencing tensions over the strategic South China Sea (SCS) for the past few years, this is the first time Beijing picked up a US drone, taking it to a different level.

Despite claiming almost all of SCS, China said there was never a threat to the freedom of the navigation in the most important trade route through which trillions of dollars of goods pass.

Earlier confirming the seizure of an unmanned underwater drone by its navy, China said both sides are "appropriately handling" the issue while Chinese military official expressed confidence it will be "resolved successfully".

"According to (our) understanding, the US and Chinese sides are working on appropriately to handle this matter through channels between the two militaries," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in its first reaction on the incident while replying to queries from the media outlets in Beijing. The Chinese military earlier said that it has received a request from US to return its underwater drone seized by the PLA Navy warship in the disputed South China Sea and said that the issue will be "resolved successfully".

A Chinese military source confirmed that they received a "claim request" from the US for an underwater drone after a Chinese warship seized it during a security check in the SCS, state-run Global Times reported.

Reports from Washington said the request was made by the US after its unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) was picked up by a Chinese naval ship about 80 kms Northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines on December 15 just as the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey ship, was about to retrieve it.

"We call upon China to return our UUV immediately, and to comply with all of its obligations under international law," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.
The evacuation of eastern Aleppo stalled on Friday after an eruption of gunfire, as the Syrian government and rebels threw accusations at each other, raising fears that a peaceful surrender of the opposition enclave could fall apart with thousands of people believed to be still inside. (Photo: File)

Beirut: Rebel and government forces agreed on Saturday to allow "humanitarian cases" to leave two besieged government-held Shiite villages in northwestern Syria, a step that would allow the resumption of civilian and rebel evacuations from eastern Aleppo which were suspended a day earlier, Hezbollah's media arm and a monitoring group said.

The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the evacuation of some 4,000 people, including wounded, from the villages of Foua and Kfarya was expected to start on Saturday.

It later reported that 29 buses were heading toward the two villages to start the evacuation process, adding that insurgents in the area rejected allowing 4,000 people to leave and saying they will only allow 400 people to be evacuated.

The Syrian army said another 25 buses left later on Saturday heading to the two villages.

It was not immediately clear whether the alleged evacuation limits set by the insurgents in the two villages would undermine evacuation efforts in Aleppo.

Hezbollah fighters have joined the Syrian war fighting along with President Bashar Assad's forces. Opposition activists blamed the Lebanese group for blocking the main road south of Aleppo and blocking evacuations from rebel-held eastern neighbourhoods of the city.

The Aleppo evacuation was suspended on Friday after a report of shooting at a crossing point into the enclave by both sides of the conflict. Thousands were evacuated before the process was suspended.

An amateur video posted online by opposition activists on Friday showed scores of men, women and children running away from a crossing point for fear of being shot at. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other reporting of the events.

The Syrian government has said that the village evacuations and the one in eastern Aleppo must be done simultaneously, but the rebels say there's no connection.

Hezbollah's Military Media said the new deal also includes the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani near the border with Lebanon where tens of thousands of people are trapped under siege by government forces and the Lebanese group.

A Syrian state TV correspondent, speaking from Aleppo, said Saturday that the main condition for the Aleppo evacuation to resume is for residents of Foua and Kfarya to be allowed to leave.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday called his counterparts in Turkey and Iran to discuss the Syria crisis.

The ministry's read-out said all three discussed the Aleppo evacuation and humanitarian efforts and stressed "the importance of continuing to coordinate efforts of the international community to provide humanitarian aid to those in need." They agreed to meet soon.

Separately, Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu spoke by telephone on Saturday with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts, as well as the chief of the Turkish intelligence service, to discuss the crisis in Aleppo, including "concrete steps to create conditions for a lasting cease-fire in Syria."
Pope Francis receives the President of Malta, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, left, and her husband Edgar, right, during a private audience at the Vatican. (Photo: AP)

Rome: Pope Francis voiced hope for a "fruitful and joyous" old age at a mass for his 80th birthday on Saturday, as he received messages of congratulations from around the world.

"Old age sounds ugly, and causes fear. But old age yearns for wisdom," he told dozens of cardinals at the mass in a papal chapel in Rome.

"Old age is quiet and religious, but also fruitful. Pray that mine will be that way, quiet and religious, fruitful and also joyous."

The Argentine pope received messages of congratulations from around the world for his 80th birthday, including at email addresses in eight languages specially set up by the Vatican.

"Italy is grateful to you for your constant closeness," said one from Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

The pope's office is covered in drawings by children from the whole world celebrating his birthday," tweeted Antonio Spadaro, a Jesuit theologian close to the pontiff.

Spadaro released photographs of drawings showing a smiling pope with the world on his head or surrounded by children and party balloons.

But like almost every other day of his papacy, Saturday will be a working day for the holiday-phobic Francis.

Apart from the morning mass with the cardinals, he has meetings with Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro, several prelates and members of the Nomadelfia, a secular community that tries to live as the early Christians.

In recent years, the Pope has marked his birthday by distributing hundreds of sleeping bags to homeless people in Rome or by sending food to a migrant shelter.

Born into a family of Italian heritage on December 16, 1936, Jorge Bergoglio became the 266th pope when he was elected on March 13, 2013.

This will be the fourth birthday the former bishop of Buenos Aires has celebrated in the modest St Martha's boarding house he has made his home inside the Vatican's walls.

He has shown no sign of slowing down in his drive to reshape the Catholic church to reflect his own vision of compassion and humility.

The first pope from the Americas continues to set a relentless pace as he reaches a milestone at which cardinals are ushered into semi-retirement.

There are signs of fatigue, natural for a man of his age who lost part of a lung in his youth, and the occasional grimace bears witness to the sciatic pain that is a near constant companion.

He has not ruled out following the historic example of his predecessor Benedict XVI, who retired, exhausted, in 2013, although there is no suggestion that could happen soon.
Free Syrian Army fighters of Fursan al-Haq Brigade hold a banner, in Kafranbel, Idlib province, northern Syria. The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only active front across Syria. One of the next targets for the forces of Bashar Assad will probably be the heartland of rebel territory, the neighboring Idlib province. (Photo: AP)

Beirut: The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only active front across war-torn Syria. One of the next targets for the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will probably be the heartland of rebel territory, the neighbouring province of Idlib.

The province west of Aleppo is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate and is now also packed with tens of thousands of rebels, many of them evacuated from other parts of the country, making it likely to be an even more bloody theatre than Aleppo.

Idlib has direct links to the Turkish border, and is located only a few kilometers north of Hama, a central province and key point for defending Assad's coastal strongholds and nearby Russian military bases.

Asked where he will turn to next, Assad has suggested his first priority, after fortifying the area around Aleppo city, would be Idlib.

"Identifying which city comes next depends on which city contains the largest number of terrorists and which city provides other countries with the opportunity to support them logistically," he told Russian media outlets in an interview in Damascus this week.

"Currently, there are direct links between Aleppo and Idlib because of the presence of Jabhat al-Nusra inside and on the outskirts of Aleppo and in Idlib," he said, a reference to the Al-Qaeda affiliate, formerly known as the Nusra Front, now the Fatah al-Sham Front. He added that the decision about what comes next will be made through discussions with his Russian and Iranian allies.

The government's loss of Jisr al-Shughour, in the westernmost corner of the province, and with it the whole of Idlib province, in the summer of 2015, was what prompted Russia to intervene to shore up Assad's forces, eventually turning the war's momentum back in his favor.

Syrias Kandahar?

For the past two years, as Assad pursued a policy of siege and local truces to force surrenders, thousands of rebels and opposition supporters have been deported to Idlib - a forced exile that many see as a calculated attempt to gather the fighters in one location where they can later be eliminated.

The province has welcomed thousands of Islamic militants - with varying degrees of extremist ideology - who have converged along with their families from the central city of Homs and the suburbs of Damascus, after capitulating to government forces.

It has become a common sight: Men receiving a hero's welcome as they step off the green buses in Idlib with guns slung over their shoulders, having been forced to leave besieged and bombarded towns and cities.

"The government wants to prepare people, psychologically, for the idea that Idlib is the Kandahar of Syria," said Ibrahim Hamidi, a journalist who covers Syrian affairs for the Saudi-owned newspaper Al Hayat.

He was referring to Kandahar province in Afghanistan, the base of the militant Taliban's 1996-2001 government. He said the presence of so many Islamic militants would make it easier for the government and its allies to later justify a massive assault.

The province has the most powerful concentration of rebels. According to the Institute for the Study of War, it boasts more than 50,000 fighters regrouped under the umbrella organization Jaish al-Fatah, or Army of Conquest, which is led by the Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Using Idlib as a launching pad, the group briefly broke the government's siege of eastern Aleppo in August.

Open lines to Turkey

Idlib is one of the few regions in Syria where the Islamic State group and the government have no presence, save for two small government-controlled Shiite-majority villages. The province borders Turkey, a key sponsor of Syrian rebels, and the coastal province of Latakia, a government stronghold.

Access to the Turkish border means virtually everything is available in Idlib - including weapons and other supplies.

Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, said a major point in the Idlib battle will be the role that Turkey will play, since the opposition survives on continuous replenishment of supplies from Turkey.

He added that if Turkey decides for various reasons - perhaps as part of an understanding with Russia - to reduce that assistance, then the Turkish border with Idlib would become like the Jordanian border with Daraa, where the armed opposition has very little ability to take independent action or to survive in the long run.

Al-Qaeda Stronghold

Members of the opposition fear that government and Russian warplanes will eventually carpet bomb Idlib under the pretext that it is a stronghold of Al-Qaeda-linked extremists. The Fatah al-Sham Front's leadership is based there, perhaps making western powers more inclined to turn a blind eye to a massive military campaign targeting the province.

Since July 2015, US aircraft have killed some of Al-Qaeda's most senior figures in strikes on Idlib, including Kuwait-born Mohsen al-Fadli, Sanafi al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia and Ahmed Salama Mabrouk of Egypt, who was killed in early October. They belonged to what US officials call the Khorasan group, which Washington describes as an internal branch of Al-Qaeda that plans attacks against Western interests.

"The regime wants Idlib to become another Raqqa," said Hassan al-Dughaim, a Turkey-based Syrian preacher and researcher from Idlib, who lived there for most of his life until 2015. The Syrian city of Raqqa is the de-facto capital of the IS group's self-styled caliphate. Idlib city serves a similar function for Al-Qaeda.

Al-Dughaim said the Syrian government hopes that the presence of so many militants from different groups will lead to infighting. But despite the steady flow of fighters such confrontations have been rare.

Faysal Itani, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, agrees. "By lumping the displaced hostile populations in with the extremists, you've basically confined the problem to one place," he said. "Once that is done, the regime will go after it hard and no one will be able to make much of a fuss internationally."
The city had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-old civil war. (Photo: Representational Image)

Dubai: Saudi Arabia, a powerful supporter of the Syrian rebels, called on Saturday for an immediate end to what it said were war crimes being committed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad as they retake rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

"It is by far the worst humanitarian tragedy of the beginning of the 21st century unfolding before the international community's eyes," state news agency SPA quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.

"The horrific massacres perpetrated in Aleppo ... have amounted to war crimes against humanity," the official said.

The city had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-old civil war, but an advance by the Syrian army and its allies that began in mid-November deprived the insurgents of most of their territory in a matter of weeks.

An operation to evacuate fighters and civilians from the last opposition-held area was suspended on Friday, its second day, after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people also be brought out of villages where they are under siege from the rebels.

Officials from both sides said on Saturday that a new deal was being negotiated to complete the evacuation.

Saudi Arabia accuses regional rival Iran of meddling in the affairs of other states, including Syria, to expand its influence in the Arab world.

The Saudi source said Riyadh was in contact with regional and international powers "emphasising the importance of taking immediate action to stop the carnage" in Aleppo.
Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited nearly two years of war in the impoverished country to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government. (Representational Image)

Aden: A suicide bomber killed at least 43 soldiers in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Sunday, officials there said, a week after an attack by the militant Islamic State group killed 50 troops nearby.

The officials said the soldiers were queuing to collect salaries near a military base in the Khor Maksar district when the attacker blew himself up. At least 60 other troops were wounded, they said.

Aden is the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognised government in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The administration has struggled to establish its control in the city as militants have launched dozens of attacks against its forces.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited nearly two years of war in the impoverished country to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government.

Saudi Arabia and its allies in a mostly Gulf Arab military coalition have been bombing Yemen's dominant Houthi movement in parts of the country under its control since it drove the government from power in March 2015. They have failed to dislodge the group from the capital, Sanaa.
The evacuation of eastern Aleppo stalled on Friday after an eruption of gunfire. (Photo: File)

United Nations: The UN Security Council will vote on Saturday, on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said.

The council will meet at 10:00 am (2030 IST) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member.

France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation.

Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Friday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

"Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre said.

The draft resolution would request that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo," according to a copy of the text.

Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers.

The UN Chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war.

Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements.

The draft resolution would seek to ensure the "voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians" from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable.

It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo.

The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.
Islamabad: Russia wants India and Pakistan to resolve all their differences, including the Kashmir issue, through peaceful means, the Russian envoy said in Islamabad on Saturday.

Replying to a question, Russian Ambassador to Pakistan Alexey Y Dedov said his country wants Pakistan and India to resolve all differences, including the Kashmir issue, through peaceful means.

He said Pakistan and Russia are also closely cooperating in efforts for restoration of peace in Afghanistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

Talking about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, Dedov said Russia strongly supportsthe project as it is crucial for Pakistan's economy and regional connectivity.

He pointed out that CPEC is component of China's Silk Road and his country was also working on a similar Eurasian Economic Union and China and Russia are holding discussions to merge the two projects.

Asked about North-South gas pipeline project of Pakistan, the Russian Ambassador said they are eager to realise the project at the soonest.

The Ambassador said the two countries are closely cooperating in different areas but there is need to enhance the volume of bilateral trade.

Russia and Pakistan are rebuilding their ties after decades of mistrust during the Cold War and have recently given gestures in deepening ties.
Very small amount of the 100 rupee notes are now permitted to people who want to visit India.(Photo: PTI)

Kathmandu: The Central bank of Nepal has developed a software to facilitate exchange of banned Indian Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes in the country.

According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the demonetisation of Indian notes has affected the banking system of Nepal. Very small amount of the 100 rupee notes are now permitted to people who want to visit India.

The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has been witnessing long queues since the demonetisation of notes in India.

However, officials from the RBI said that only a maximum of 25,000 Indian rupees can be exchanged by each Nepali citizen.

A Nepali citizen can exchange only 25,000 Indian rupees and this is the limitation. If anyone is found having exchanged more than one time, the amount will be seized, said NRB Deputy Governor, Chintamani Siwakoti.

In accord to the new template, a Nepali citizen wanting to exchange money has to fill up a form, submit a copy of Nepali citizen and other personal details, which will be uploaded in the software. The software will bar any user coming to exchange money for the second time and has exceeded the limit.

We have developed separate software to facilitate the exchange of banned Indian bills and template of exchange modality has been sent for approval from Reserve Bank of India, Siwakoti said.

Nepal is now waiting for Indias nod to use this software. As soon as they get the permission, NRB will distribute the software across its branches in Nepal.

Siwakoti, citing the RBI officials said that they are not going to receive India notes till April of next year.

Thousands of Nepali citizens who come to India for education, pilgrimage, trading or for treatment, are facing the cash crunch.

But we have enough reserve of Indian 100 rupee bills, so there is not much worry, Siwakoti said.

However, many of them are holding huge amount of banned Indian currency, including those who are daily wage labourers in India.
Chinese President Xi in his congratulatory message to his Pakistani counterpart on the occasion said the grand chandelier will become an important symbol of the friendship between the two countries from generation to generation, the APP news agency reported. (Photo: AP)

Karachi: China has gifted a new crystal chandelier to Pakistan to replace an earlier one at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that was given by it 46 years ago with President Xi Jinping describing the gift as a symbol of their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

President Mamnoon Hussain yesterday unveiled the grand chandelier, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology, at the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.

Chinese President Xi in his congratulatory message to his Pakistani counterpart on the occasion said the grand chandelier will become an important symbol of the friendship between the two countries from generation to generation, the APP news agency reported.

Xi, in the message read out by Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, said the crystal chandelier, presented by the Chinese government 46 years ago as a national gift to Pakistan, became an often quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two countries.

"Now the maintenance of the chandelier has been completed smoothly. It will become an important symbol of the friendship for generations between our countries and our peoples," Xi added.

He said China-Pakistan friendship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and contributes to peace and development of the region and the world at large.

"I attach high importance to China-Pakistan relations, and would like to join hands with you to promote greater development of China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperative partnership. May China-Pakistan friendship pass on from generation to generation and retain its full vitality forever," he said.

President Mamnoon said China's friendship is Pakistan's precious asset and the gift of the chandelier is a beautiful symbol of this close relationship.
Dhaka: Assuring Bangladeshs support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Pakistan needs to be isolated for harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts.

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists. We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country, Kamal said in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistans involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop.

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased cross-border attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty, Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries dont depend on this single treaty.

Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later, he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesnt depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

The bilateral relationship wont depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries, he says.
Karachi: Police in Pakistan's Sindh province have warned 13 lawmakers and a bureaucrat, who were part of the recently-passed Minorities Bill which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country, that religious parties and defunct organisations could "harm" them.

The Sindh Assembly's secretariat has asked the provincial police chief and the home department to provide security to 13 lawmakers, including three ministers, and a bureaucrat who were part of the team which drafted the bill after a threat alert.

Sindh Police's special branch issued a threat alert saying after the passage of the bill, the situation was quite tense and there was a threat to the life of Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA)s, particularly the members of the 'Standing Committee' on minorities' affairs who considered the private bill, Dawn reported.

The report also said that the police warned that "religious parties and defunct organisations" could "harm" the members of the standing committee concerned.

The Sindh Assembly last month adopted the bill against forced religious conversions. Under the bill, forcibly converting a minor is also a punishable offence. Adults will be given 21 days to consider their decision to convert. It recommended a five-year jail term for perpetrators and three-year sentence to facilitators of forced religious.

The special branch also warned that the Chief Minister House or the Sindh Assembly building might be besieged by certain organisations "if this bill may not be abolished by the Sindh government".

On Saturday, Sindh province said it will amend the bill, weeks after two hard-line Islamic parties opposed the law claiming it to be part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed have also opposed the bill on December 5 and have threatened to launch a movement against the law.

"We will take other political and religious organisations on board in our movement against this anti-Islam law. We will not remain silent on this controversial law and launch a countrywide movement to force the Sindh government to withdraw this anti-Islam law," Saeed had said.

Civil society, including the minorities' rights organisations, had celebrated the passage of the bill. Cases of forced conversions have regularly been reported from different parts of Sindh including Jacobabad, Tharparkar, Mithi, Umerkot, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Ghotki, Sukkur and Larkana.

According to the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK), at least 1,000 girls mostly Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year.
According to Amnesty International, at least 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries in 2015. (Representational Image)

Islamabad: For the second year in a row, Pakistan has retained its "notorious status" of being the "third most prolific executioner" in the world, executing 419 people in two years, a rights group said on Sunday.

Sarah Belal, Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), said in a statement that it has been two years since the tragic terrorist attack on the students of the army-run school in Peshawar in 2014 that killed 154 people, mostly students, prompting Pakistan to lift the six-year moratorium on death sentences.

She said that so far Pakistan has executed 419 death row prisoners convicted for terrorism and other crimes since re-starting executions.

"Pakistan has retained its notorious status of being the third most prolific executioner in the world, two years in a row," she said.

According to Amnesty International, at least 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries in 2015.

Out of these, most of the executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the USA in that order, it said.

Belal said that "no amount of commiseration or time can ever mitigate the horror" of the Peshawar attack but executions may not be the right way to deal with it.

"An analysis of the 419 executions that have occurred so far reveals significant flaws in that narrative," she said.

"According to data collected by Justice Project Pakistan, only 16 per cent of the executions carried out since December 2014 were related to terrorism charges," she said, adding that the remainder included several cases of wrongful execution such as juveniles, the mentally ill and the physically disabled, all of which are expressly forbidden in light of Pakistan's international legal obligations.

Belal said this figure is even more problematic when considering that in as many as 88 per cent of "terrorism" cases, there was no link to a terrorist organisation or anything that can reasonably be defined as terrorism.

"It is a dishonour to the memory of the attack victims for the state to take lives in their name, when they have no bearing on curbing the menace that caused their deaths," she said.

She said that under Pakistani law, 27 crimes carry the death sentence and an average of 258 death sentences have been imposed yearly from 2007 to 2015, explaining why the country has the highest number of death row convicts in the world.

Given these statistics, it is clear that Pakistan does not reserve the death penalty for 'the most serious crimes' as required by the international law, she said.

Belal urged authorities to revamp and reform Pakistan's criminal justice system to make it more transparent.
Announcing the decision, association chairman Zoraiz Lashari said that cinema owners in Pakistan would begin screening Indian films from December 19. (Photo: File)

Karachi: Cinemas in Pakistan will start screening Indian movies from tomorrow as film exhibitors and cinema owners lifted the self-imposed suspension on their screening that was put in place after escalating Indo-Pak tensions following the Uri terror attack. Zoraish Lashari, Chairman of the Film Exhibitors Association, told reporters that after thorough discussions with parties concerned, it has been decided that screening of Indian films would resume from tomorrow.

"The cinema owners and other stakeholders in the industry have been hit by the decision to impose a temporary suspension on screening of Indian films. A lot of investment has been made into upgrading or building new cineplexes and multiplexes and the business at this time is dependent on screening of latest Indian films," he said yesterday.

The cinema houses' owners said that they had only suspended the screening of Indian films but had not completely banned them.

Movies which were missed and could not be screened due to the suspension will be screened first, said Nadeem Mandviwala of Atrium cinemas.

The first film to be screened will be actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui's Freaky Ali.

"We lifted the suspension as a cinema guild. We took this decision because we would like to support them (Indian cinemas) and expect them to support us," Aadil Mandviwala, Director Mandviwala Entertainment, was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

The Pakistan Film Exhibitors and Distributors Association, which includes most owners of cineplexes, multiplexes and single screen cinemas in the country, had announced to "temporarily" stop screening Indian films soon after tensions escalated between Pakistan and India following the Uri terror attack and cross border firing incidents in late September.

The exhibitors and cinema owners had taken the decision voluntarily after the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) announced a ban on Pakistani artistes and technicians working in India.

Sources in the industry told PTI that most of the cinema owners, exhibitors and importers of Indian films had got panicky after Pakistani films including old and fresh releases and even latest Hollywood movies failed to fill up the halls.

"Plus in recent weeks several Indian films have been released while everyone is eagerly anticipating the release of Aamir Khan's 'Dangal'," a source said.

One source, however, said some cinema owners were still apprehensive of any backlash from religious parities or groups once they resumed screening of Indian films and have asked for protection if required.

"A private media group is presently trying to import and release 'Dangal' in Pakistan," the source added.

Pakistan's leading English newspaper 'Dawn' had in a editorial last month termed the ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistani cinemas as "damaging" and said Pakistani cinema houses were losing money because of the move.

The Media and Marketing Manager of a major chain of cineplexes, Sabina Islam, said 75 per cent of the revenues generated in the industry came from screening of Indian films.

Pakistan is considered as the third largest market for Indian films. Indian movies returned to Pakistani cinema houses in 2008 after a 43-year-long hiatus imposed during the 1965 war.
Islamabad: In the wake of a report on the "monumental failure" of his ministry to combat militancy, Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said he offered to resign over the damning revelation.

The one-man commission report by Justice Qazi Faez Isa over the attack in Quetta on August 8 in which about 70 people, mostly lawyers, were killed, has been released by the Supreme Court.

It highlighted the "monumental failure" of the Interior Ministry to combat terrorism and targeted Nisar for failure to respond to questions by the inquiry.

He was also taken to task for holding a meeting with leaders of a banned outfit in Islamabad.

Nisar addressed a press conference yesterday and said he was ready to resign and defend his role in combating terrorism.

"I went to the Prime Minister (Nawaz Sharif) to tell him that I wanted to resign from my position but was told by him that the decision was unacceptable," he said.

The Interior Minister termed the report as "one-sided" and alleged that it was released without including the Interior Ministry's point of view.

He also said the report was used by opposition for "personal attacks" on him.

"I had decided to respond to the allegations much earlier as media resorted to personality bashing for the last two days," he said.

Nisar said he resisted from responding to allegations as it could lead to harming the national institutions and war against terrorism.

He said if a judge had the privilege of integrity, everyone else reserved the same right. Nisar said he would hold the current job only with integrity.

Nisar said there had been only 774 incidents of terrorism in the country during the current year as opposed to nearly 10,000 such incidents from 2007 until 2013.

Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party had demanded his resignation after the report was released. The party also submitted a motion against Nisar in Parliament to discuss that the Interior Minister was incapable of playing a role in combating terrorism.
In yet another swipe at China, President-elect Donald Trump today said the US should let the Communist giant keep the Navy's unmanned underwater drone after Beijing agreed to return in an "appropriate manner" the device it had seized in the disputed South China Sea.





"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back - let them keep it!" Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.



The Pentagon had alleged that the drone was unlawfully seized by China on December 15 in the SCS while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.



The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back. The incident is among the most serious military confrontations between the two powers for decades.

China yesterday slammed the US for "making a fuss" over the seizure of its underwater drone and said it will return the device in an "appropriate manner".



Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting that China seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships.



Trump's latest tweet was the second time the President-elect blasted China for the seizure.



Earlier, he accused China of stealing American drone.



"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act," Trump tweeted, misspelling unprecedented.



He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.



Trump has repeatedly infuriated China in recent weeks, questioning decades-old US policy on Taiwan, making phone call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and calling Beijing a currency manipulator.



The drone incident, the latest encounter in international waters in the South China Sea region, occurred earlier this week about 161 km off the Philippine port at Subic Bay.

The USNS Bowditch had stopped in the water to pick up two underwater drones. At that point, a Chinese naval ship that had been shadowing the Bowditch put a small boat into the water. That small boat came up alongside and the Chinese crew took one of the drones.



The US got no answer from the Chinese on the radio when it said the drone was American property, a US defense official was quoted as saying by the CNN.

As they turned away, the Chinese did come up on the radio and indicated they were returning to their own operations.



US oceanographic research vessels are often followed in the water under the assumption they are spying.



Although it is unclear what the motivation was for the Chinese action, the seizing of the drone comes on the heels of other provocative incidents that have happened since Trump received a congratulatory call from Taiwan's President, a violation of the US's agreement with China's "One China policy." China publicly voiced its disapproval of that incident and protested to the White House at the time.



Experts say the seizure of the drone was the most significant military incident between China and the US since a 2001 mid-air collision between a US Navy surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet that led to the death of a Chinese pilot.



The latest incident could add to US concerns about the growing military build-up by China in the South China Sea.



China has claimed territorial rights over parts of the region but its claims are disputed. It is not clear if China claims the territory in which the US drone was seized.



China has become more assertive over the South China Sea after an international tribunal this year struck down its claim over all most all of the area.



The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have counter claims over the South China Sea.



Also, amid increasing tensions, China's first aircraft carrier conducted its maiden live fire drills on a massive scale along with a host of naval ships, aircraft and submarines, four years after it was commissioned.



A US think tank reported this week that aerial imagery shows that China has installed weaponry along seven artificial islands they have built at sea, despite US protests.
Recuperating after a kidney transplant at AIIMS here, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj continues to promptly respond to pleas for helping Indians abroad -- this time from a family which is unable to bring back the mortal remains of a member who died in Tokyo.





"We will bear all the expenses (to bring back the body) and do this without delay," Swaraj today tweeted from the hospital bed here, a day after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sought her help for the family of Gopal Ram who died eight days ago in the Japanese capital.



DCW Chief Swati Maliwal had written to Swaraj seeking intervention after Radha Debi, wife of Gopal, approached the Commission seeking help, saying the family was unable to bring the body due to financial constraints.



The External Affairs Minister is known for her prompt response in addressing problems of distressed Indians abroad, many of whom have approached her through twitter. Even during her hospitalisation, Swaraj, 64, who underwent a kidney transplant on December 10, has continued to respond to requests for help.



48-year-old Gopal Ram, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar here, had gone to Tokyo in September last year looking for greener pastures. He died of a cardiac arrest in the Japanese capital on December 10.



"The family is severely distressed and needs your kind support.



"As we all aware you have been extremely pro-active in resolving such matters. Therefore, I am forwarding the representation along with this letter for your kind perusal. Hoping for your support in this matter," Maliwal said in a letter to Swaraj yesterday.



Gopal was working in Tokyo as a cook in a hotel and, according to a family member, he was fired within three months after which he started working in some local shop.



His financial condition was bad because of which he was in distress, he said.



On December 10, the family received a call from a person who worked with Gopal, saying that he has passed away following a heart attack.



"Since then we have been in touch with Indian Embassy officials in Japan and also have written to the MEA but they have asked us to arrange for several documents and it is becoming extremely difficult for us to arrange things as we are financially not sound.



"We want the government of India to help us bring back the body of my father so that we can perform his last rites," Gopal's son Jatin said.
For the second year in a row, Pakistan has retained its "notorious status" of being the "third most prolific executioner" in the world, executing 419 people in two years, a rights group said today.





Sarah Belal, Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), said in a statement that it has been two years since the tragic terrorist attack on the students of the army- run school in Peshawar in 2014 that killed 154 people, mostly students, prompting Pakistan to lift the six-year moratorium on death sentences.



She said that so far Pakistan has executed 419 death row prisoners convicted for terrorism and other crimes since re-starting executions.



"Pakistan has retained its notorious status of being the third most prolific executioner in the world, two years in a row," she said.



According to Amnesty International, at least 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries in 2015.



Out of these, most of the executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the USA  in that order, it said.



Belal said that "no amount of commiseration or time can ever mitigate the horror" of the Peshawar attack but executions may not be the right way to deal with it.



"An analysis of the 419 executions that have occurred so far reveals significant flaws in that narrative," she said.



"According to data collected by Justice Project Pakistan, only 16 per cent of the executions carried out since December 2014 were related to terrorism charges," she said, adding that the remainder included several cases of wrongful execution such as juveniles, the mentally ill and the physically disabled, all of which are expressly forbidden in light of Pakistan's international legal obligations.



Belal said this figure is even more problematic when considering that in as many as 88 per cent of "terrorism" cases, there was no link to a terrorist organisation or anything that can reasonably be defined as terrorism.



"It is a dishonour to the memory of the attack victims for the state to take lives in their name, when they have no bearing on curbing the menace that caused their deaths," she said.



She said that under Pakistani law, 27 crimes carry the death sentence and an average of 258 death sentences have been imposed yearly from 2007 to 2015, explaining why the country has the highest number of death row convicts in the world.



Given these statistics, it is clear that Pakistan does not reserve the death penalty for 'the most serious crimes' as required by the international law, she said.



Belal urged authorities to revamp and reform Pakistan's criminal justice system to make it more transparent.
Facing attack from opposition parties, Government today justified the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as army chief superseding two commanders, insisting that his operational experience and "general dynamism" tipped the scales in the officer's favour.





The Defence Ministry sources also asserted that selection of Army chief is the sole prerogative of the government and it is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged.



The "outstanding" track record of Lt Gen Rawat, an Infantry officer, as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his familiarity with the functioning of the Army Headquarters and MoD were cited by the Ministry as the reasons for his selection for the top position.



The Ministry sources said all officers in the panel of officers in the rank of army commanders are competent and the most suitable is selected.



"However, it must be emphasised that the prerogative of selecting the most eligible from the panel is that of the government," sources said.



The government of the day takes the final decision choosing the most suitable officer based on various aspects of the security situation in the country and the future scenario, they said, adding in the current environment, counter terrorism and counter insurgency are key issues.



"Therefore the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next COAS.



"Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his outstanding track record, his familiarity with the functioning of the Army HQ & MoD in his capacity as Vice Chief and his general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour," the sources said.



A political slugfest today broke out over the new army chief's appointment with Congress and the Left asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons" for superseding the senior officers even as BJP hit back saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces.



The Ministry maintained "that the selection is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged".



While Lt Gen Rawat is from the Infantry, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior most army commander who was superseded, is from the Armoured Corps.
If you love technology, it may be time for a group hug: This year has been rough for consumer technology. From exploding smartphones and hoverboards to the proliferation of fake news on social media, many of our tech hardware, software and web products suffered embarrassing failures. Behemoths like Google, Facebook and Samsung Electronics were on the firing line as a result.



Yet the year was not entirely bleak. There were major strides in several areas of consumer tech, including Wi-Fi, virtual reality and encryption.



What follows is a year in review on the tech that needed the most fixing, and the tech that was actually fixed in 2016.



Tech that needed fixing

Batteries

Lithium ion has been the go-to technology for batteries powering consumer electronics for decades. But faulty lithium-ion battery cells were blamed for two high-profile product safety hazards this year: exploding hoverboards and Samsung Galaxy Note smartphones. The defects led schools to ban the use of hoverboards on campus and Samsung to recall more than 2.5 million Note 7 smartphones.

Lithium ion has stuck around for so long because it is cheap and easy to reproduce. Yet this years explosive episodes  combined with the persistent complaint that smartphone batteries dont last very long  raise questions about whether the industry should shift toward advanced battery technologies that have been in development for years.



Samsungs safety record

Samsungs safety record took a black eye from more than just those combustible cellphones. The company also recalled 2.8 million defective washing machines in the United States that were prone to abnormal vibrations that could cause injury.

In addition, Samsungs Galaxy Note recall was so poorly handled that the company had to issue a second recall, then kill the product, after it failed to diagnose and fix the problem both times.

The two major product defects made one thing clear: The tech giant needs to fix its quality assurance protocols to ensure that consumer safety is a priority  and not just crank out big, bright screens on phones or fast spin cycles on washers.



Fake news and abuse on social media

During the presidential campaign, Facebook, Twitter and Google faced mounting criticism for letting fake news propagate on their platforms, potentially influencing Americans to cast their votes based on misinformation. Twitter was also separately criticised for its taciturn approach to dealing with abusive tweets, including racist attacks and threats of violence.



All the internet companies took steps toward combating fake news and hateful speech. But the polarized election underscored the costs of internet freedom: When the web resembles the Wild, Wild West, the consequences can be dire.



Virtual assistants

Google put artificial intelligence in the spotlight this year when it introduced Home, a smart speaker that is its response to Amazons Echo; Allo, a messaging service that leverages AI; and Pixel, a smartphone that heavily relies on a virtual assistant.

Despite all the hype, all virtual assistants, including Googles Assistant, Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa, continued to be subpar this year. In rigorous testing, they all failed at obvious tasks  for example, Alexa initially couldnt say who was playing in the Super Bowl (even though she was featured in a Super Bowl commercial), Google Assistant couldnt book a dinner table or order delivery food, and Siri was unreliable at giving map directions.



Virtual assistants are poised to get smarter as we use them more. But consumers shouldnt let virtual assistants be a major factor in what they buy just yet, because the assistants are all pretty dumb.



Tech that was fixed

Wi-Fi

On the bright side, a ubiquitous technology that has been the source of much consumer anguish saw great improvement over the last year: Wi-Fi.

Newer, well-reviewed routers, like products from TP-Link, Asus and Netgear, feature smarter and faster wireless technologies that do a better job of assembling signals and beam energy more accurately at mobile devices.



In addition, Google and the startup Eero made Wi-Fi networks easier to set up for those with little technical know-how. With Eeros Wi-Fi system and Google Wifi, the companies introduced well-designed apps that help people set up multiple Wi-Fi stations in the home. The multiple access points create a so-called mesh network that enables mobile devices to seamlessly switch to the strongest Wi-Fi signal as consumers move around their homes with smartphones, laptops and tablets.



Virtual reality

Virtual reality still has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream. The devices released this year by HTC, Facebooks Oculus, Sony PlayStation and Google largely revolve around gaming, limiting their audience. In addition, most of the devices are expensive.



But the technology has made significant strides. It works smoothly, and the experiences are immersive and stunning. Apps released this year  like Tilt Brush, a 3-D painting tool for HTCs Vive, or SuperHyberCube, which is like Tetris with a virtual-reality twist for PlayStation VR  demonstrated virtual realitys tremendous potential.



Encryption

Tensions between tech companies and the government reached a fever pitch during Apples face-off with the FBI early this year over privacy and security. The FBI had demanded that Apple weaken its iPhone encryption so that it could gain access to the contents of a phone belonging to a gunman in the San Bernardino, California, mass shooting. Apple refused, arguing that weakening its software system for a single investigation would create vulnerabilities that might put all customers at risk. The FBI eventually withdrew its demand after figuring out how to break into the iPhone without Apples help.



Amid Apples feud with the FBI, many big tech companies expanded encryption in their products. Facebook, WhatsApp and Google put the encryption protocol from Signal, a widely lauded secure messaging service, in their messaging services. Though none of the encrypted messaging services are perfect, this year marked significant progress toward offering tools that strengthened consumer privacy.



Streaming live video

Mobile video broadcasting was once a novelty because live streams had a tendency to be spotty, unreliable and impractical to produce. But in the last year, Twitters Periscope and Facebook Live have made mobile live video streams simple to shoot and extremely popular.



Periscope reported that as of March, 110 years worth of live video was consumed daily on its mobile apps, up from 40 years worth a day last year. Facebook said videos are viewed 8 billion times a day on the social network, up from 1 billion a year ago, and live videos get 10 times as many comments as other videos.



The popularity of live video streaming is making online video a prominent medium. Just scroll down your Facebook News Feed and witness how often people are posting videos instead of photos and text. Video has become unavoidable.


Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel will on December 22 brief the Parliamentary Committee on Finance about the demonetisation process and its impact.





Briefing by the Governor, RBI, on the subject Demonetisation of Indian currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 and the impact thereof, said a schedule posted on the Parliament website. The briefing will start at 11 am at the Parliament annexe building on Thursday.



Since banning of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes on November 8, the government has taken a host of measures like service tax sops and incentives for making digital payments to ease out problems arising out of less currency being available in the market.



The move has led to wiping out of almost 86% of the currency which was present in cash before November 8, in the form of Rs 500/1000 notes.



The RBI and the government have been assuring the common people regularly that there is enough cash that has been pumped back into the system. The RBI last week said that Rs 12.44 lakh crore in demonetised notes have been collected at banks. Also, banks have issued Rs 4.61 lakh crore to the public since November 8-9 through ATMs and bank counters, it said.



The RBI has issued 21.8 billion pieces of bank notes of various denominations since demonetisation, RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi said.


In India, where corruption is a fact of life, the Tata Group  a powerhouse conglomerate that makes Land Rovers, operates the historic Pierre Hotel in New York and sells the world Tetley tea  has been held up as the exception to the rule.





Its patriarch, Ratan Tata, 78, is a revered figure in India, a cross between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates whom even schoolchildren know and look up to as Mr Clean  the billionaire whose family built its name in part on zero tolerance for corruption.



His company symbolises the role an ascendant India sees for itself on the global stage. In 2010 Tata arranged a $50 million donation to Harvard Business School, the schools largest gift from an international donor, and its dean sits on the board of the empires umbrella organisation, Tata Sons. Tata has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth.



Now, however, Tata is caught up in a nasty public fight for control of the business  with the man he had chosen to succeed him as chairman. The company finds itself defending against serious allegations of wrongdoing.



Some of the claims have been raised by his chosen successor, Cyrus Mistry. Tata ousted Mistry in late October, saying it was necessary because the board of Tata Sons lost confidence in him and in his ability to lead the Tata Group in the future.

Mistry, 48, told Tatas board in a letter that an internal audit indicated that its airline joint venture, AirAsia, had made more than $3 million in fraudulent transactions with two companies. In recent days, Directorate of Enforcement has started an investigation into the AirAsia payments.



Never before has the Tata Group, including the philanthropic objectives of the Tata Trusts, been in jeopardy to this extent and scale, Mistry said in a public statement this month. He said he was fighting to protect the Tata Group from capricious decision-making by the interim chairman, a reference to Tata.



Separately, last Friday, the crusading BJP MP, Subramanian Swamy, called in a court complaint for an investigation into allegations from a government report that Tata in 2008 used a front company to apply for a telecommunications license, potentially circumventing the limits on the number of licenses one investor could hold.



This is alleged to have happened at a time of furious manoeuvring among companies trying to win the rights to offer cellphone service in India  a battle that resulted in one of Indias biggest corruption scandals ever. Ultimately, the scandal helped sweep the Congress party from power in an epic defeat.



The New York Times has reviewed government documents showing that Indias Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) recommended prosecuting Tata in 2013. For reasons that are not clear, the government did not file a case in court. Officials at the fraud office and at the Central Bureau of Investigation did not respond to requests for comment.



The fraud office documents, which Swamy filed as part of his court complaint, say that the Tata Group invested $250 million in eight subsidiaries of a real estate firm, Unitech  a sum roughly equivalent to the telecom license application fee. Unitech used that money to apply for a licence on Tatas behalf, the report from the governments fraud office said.



A Tata spokesman said the company made a bona fide real estate deal with Unitech unrelated to telecom licenses, adding that no evidence was found which could be attributed to any criminality.



According to several people close to Mistry, the relationship between him and Tata soured in part because Mistry had begun reining in some favours that the company had previously extended to Tatas personal friends.



In one instance, after Mistry raised the issue, the Tata board explored starting legal proceedings against C Sivasankaran, a longtime friend and close business associate of Tata, to try to recover $100 million the company said it was owed from a telecom deal. Sivasankaran also had been renting a 5,300-square-foot penthouse for $11,000, less than half the market rent, from the company, according to correspondence reviewed by The Times. Mistry raised his rent to the market rate.



Sivasankaran, in an interview, said he was a friend of Tatas. He said, though, that he had suffered financially from the investment and had no intention of paying back the $100 million he owed. I dont want to pay it because Tata has not managed the company properly, he said. Siva is alleging the Tata Group does not have management skills, Sivasankaran said, referring to himself in the third person.



Another issue at Tata involved no-bid dredging, shipping and barge contracts granted to companies belonging to another of Tatas longtime friends, Mehli Mistry, according to three people who have reviewed company documents. (He and Cyrus Mistry are cousins.) Cyrus Mistry allowed the contracts to be put up for bid once they expired, according to the people who have reviewed the documents.



A Tata Group spokesman referred questions to Tata Power, the unit that made the contracts. Tata Power did not respond to requests for comment. Mehli, through a lawyer, said the contracts were not the result of his friendship with Tata, and disputed that they were not fairly valued.



Inside the cellphone allegations

A decade ago, India pried open its notoriously dysfunctional telecom market. In the days before deregulation, it could take a customer years just to get a new phone number. People would hang on to their phone lines like family jewels and hand them down to relatives.



Against that backdrop, investors saw a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build an Indian phone empire. But applicants could seek only one licence. And the Tata Group had already applied for a different one. The 33-page report from the SFIO says that Tata, desperate to acquire the licence, used Unitech as its front in pursuit of a second license.



Unitech was one of the eight companies granted licences in 2008. But the Supreme Court later ruled all the licences illegal, in part because government investigations said that the licensing fee paid by the companies was substantially below market rates. Fourteen people have been on trial in a special court on charges of cheating the government by underselling the licenses. A verdict is expected early next year. All have said they are not guilty.



Tatas friend Mehli Mistry maintained a lengthy financial relationship with the Tata Group. Over the last two decades, his companies were granted contracts for dredging, barging and shipping by Tata Power, often renewing them without a bidding process.



But after Cyrus Mistry took over, Tata Power put Mehli Mistrys contracts out to bid. Other companies won those contracts, according to two people familiar with the bidding process.



Mistry was so disappointed at losing the contracts that he sent a message this year to Cyrus Mistry through a family member, people close to Cyrus Mistry said. A person familiar with the message said Mehli Mistry told Cyrus Mistry to stop interfering in his contracts or he would take steps to defend himself.



People close to Cyrus Mistry say he thinks his ouster was, in part, Mehli Mistrys retaliation. In his letter to the board, Cyrus Mistry wrote, I had to ease out hangers-on. Mehli Mistry, his lawyer said, emphatically denied sending any message regarding contracts to Cyrus Mistry and played no role in his ouster.


The battle to return east Aleppo to Syrian government control has consecrated the alliance between Damascus and Moscow. The intervention of the Russian Air Force at the end of September 2015, has provided the Syrian army and its Iranian and Iraqi allies on the ground with air cover needed to not only defend territory held by Damascus but also to retake areas lost to Western-backed insurgents as well as al-Qaedas Jabhat al-Nusra, and Islamic State.



Moscow's military involvement came in belated response to a major Saudi injection in March 2015 of weapons and funds which enabled insurgents, who had been losing the battle for Syria, to overrun the northwest Idlib province and threaten government strongholds along the coast. Without Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule might have been confined to the capital and surrounding suburbs. Assad now holds all five of Syrias main cities: Damascus, Homs, Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo.



Russian President Vladimir Putins intervention has renewed an alliance formed between Damascus and the Soviet Union during the Cold War and enabled Moscow to re-establish its presence in strategic West Asia. Russia has also boosted its credibility as a partner and bested the US which has been sharp-ly criticised by the Syrian opposi-tion for failing to deliver decisive political and military support.



Russia can be expected to build on their naval support facility at Tartus port and air base on the Syrian coast. Moscow has already formed working relationships with Iran, Egypt and Turkey. Moscow and Tehran coordinate military operations and political efforts in support of Damascus and could expand cooperation beyond Syria, particularly in the fight against IS and Nusra, which threaten both Russia and Iran.

Russia has also begun to rebuild relations with Egypt, another former Soviet ally. In 2015, Moscow and Cairo held first ever joint naval exercises in the Mediterranean and in October 2016 they carried out joint aerial exercises. Egypt, which ousted the Muslim Brotherhood from power in 2013, signalled a readiness to cooperate with Russia by adopting a pro-Damascus stance in the war against rebels and radical fundamentalists. Russia is angling to reopen an ex-Soviet naval base at Sidi Barani to provide fresh facilities for Russia's expanding Mediterranean fleet.



In spite of dramatic differen-ces over Syria, Russia and Turk-ey have concluded a deal for the construction of an undersea pipeline to carry Russian gas to Europe and reduce exports via Ukraine, which has been the main route for exports. Moscow and Ankara have also agreed to expand trade and tourism and to reactivate an agreement for Russia to construct four nuclear reactors for a Turkish power plant. This deal was suspended after Turkey, which seeks to topple Assad, shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border in November 2015.



Russia could cultivate ties with other regional powers with the aim of undercutting the influence of the US and the West. Moscow seeks to increase expo-rts in the nuclear, arms, oil and gas fields and attract investment from the wealthy Gulf states.



On the international, West Asian and domestic levels, Russia seeks to contain radicalism which has infected Muslim populations in the Russian Federation. Some 2,500 Russian nationals and 7,000 from the former Soviet bloc have been fighting with the IS in Syria and Iraq. Several thousand have returned home and could pose a security threat to Russia and surrounding countries.



The distant US

Moscow has long considered West Asia as its backyard and is eager to stabilise Syria and Iraq, the core countries of the region, and deny radical fundamentalists bases from which to expand operations to the Caucasus and Russia itself. The Russian attitude contrasts sharply with that of the distant US which has for decades meddled in the region without paying a price.



Moscow has enjoyed the advantage of being able to exploit Washingtons close ties with Israel in order to court Arab and Muslim public opinion which deeply resents Israels refusal to end colonisation of territory Pal-estinians demand for their state.



Although the quest for Palestinian self-determination has been sidelined by the wars currently being fought in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, Russia can count on taking political advantage of the revival of the Palestinian cause once these wars come to an end.

Moscow would also like to rebuild relations forged by the Soviet Union with Sudan, Algeria and Yemen as well as develop trade ties with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states which could become major customers for Russian weaponry.



Finally, within weeks Putin could have an ally in the White House. US president-elect Donald Trump has not only repeatedly spoken of improving relations with the Kremlin but also appointed cabinet members who favour this course of action as well as ending the Obama administration's drive for regime change in Damascus in order to concentrate on containing the IS and al-Qaeda. Since Russia's immediate objective is to do just this, Moscow is certain to benefit from such policies and, perhaps, in the longer term, from a less confrontational Washington still mired in Cold War attitudes.


In an unprecedented move, Rajasthan has announced that it would penalise owners who abandon their cows or let them starve to death.



The State government, for the first time, formulated a stringent law for cow protection, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said at a public hearing in Jodhpur.



A person failing to properly maintain a cow must pay Rs 10,000. Those who abandon cows after milking them will also be penalised. Her announcement comes four months after 5,000 cows died at the Hingonia cow rehabilitation centre maintained by the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. The incident earned nationwide condemnation and embarrassed the state that prided itself on creating the countrys first ever cow welfare ministry.



Caught off-guard by the announcement, officials of the Animal Husbandry and Cow Welfare departments said the government has been mulling imposition of tough penalties for some time.



At present, the fine imposed on owners of stray cows ranges from Rs 500 to Rs 2,500 depending on the city. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipal administration, secretary for Animal Husbandry Kunji Lal Meena said, adding that the new rules would apply to the whole of Rajasthan.



The CMs effort to protect cows was made obvious when the JMC mayor was asked to resign for the cow deaths, a day after the BJP government completed three years in power.


The state government will soon set up an authority to review cases filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the state, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Sunday.





Speaking at the inauguration of Minorities Rights Day, he said the proposed authority will review cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and submit reports to the government. The permission for prosecution will be accorded based on its reports. This is being done to prevent misuse of the Act, he added.



A provision has been made in the Act to set up the authority. But, it has not been done in Karnataka so far. Currently, cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are directly referred to investigative agencies, resulting in its misuse. The government has received complaints against the misuse of the law. Hence, the decision has been taken to set up the authority, he added.



Parameshwara also said the state government will initiate steps to withdraw cases filed unnecessarily against those belonging to minority communities. A proposal in this regard will soon be placed before the state Cabinet, he added.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said a Cabinet sub-committee will soon be set up to look into the status of minority communities in the state. The government will take appropriate measures for the social and economic development of these communities based on the sub-committees findings, he added.



He said the government is contemplating enacting legislation to provide reservation in jobs and education based on population of various communities. Steps will be taken in this direction after the caste census report is released. People should get equal opportunity. There should be equitable share of wealth. Only then equality can be ensured in society, he added.



The government is committed to the welfare of minorities. It is also the responsibility of a government to ensure protection to minorities. The Congress will never betray you (minorities). And you (minorities) too should not betray us (Congress), Siddaramaiah stated.


A Parliamentary Standing Committee has asked the Centre to come up with time-bound programmes to minimise regional disparities in education.



The panel noted that there was a strong bias in favour of the economically developed areas with strong infrastructural support for educational institutions as compared to the backward regions of the country.



It also recommended removing the disparity in the enrolment age of children for admissions to the first level of elementary schools, noting that the minimum age for admissions to Class I was six in many states, while most states were admitting students to the first level of school at the age of five.



Educational development in India is neither homogeneous in regional spread nor neutral to social formations. It has a strong bias in favour of the economically developed areas with strong infrastructural support as compared to the backward regions of the country, the committee noted in its report to Parliament recently.



The panel also underlined that it was disheartening to take note of the glaring regional disparities prevailing in the education sector despite several planned efforts made by various central government bodies for bringing in a quality education system in the country.



The Government of India should bring out time-bound programmes to minimise the gap wherever states are standing differently in their educational status, the panel, headed by BJPs Rajya Sabha member Satyanarayan Jatia, recommended.



It made a strong pitch for decentralisation of the national framework of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), maintaining that it could be a major strategy for planning and management of the elementary education in the country.



It underlined the need for proper coordination and synchronisation of efforts made by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry and other bodies associated with it for the success of the SSA.



This is the prime duty of the Government of India not to obviate from the endeavour that if the SSA is an opportunity for the states to develop their own vision of the elementary education, as the basic framework of the programme claims, the states have to fit themselves with the broader national goal of providing useful and relevant elementary education for all in the category of 6-14 years age group, the panel said, expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of school education.




Poll-bound Uttar Pradesh may witness a face-off between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi over demonetisation on Monday.



Modi is scheduled to address the BJPs Parivartan rally at Kanpur, while Rahul, who had recently levelled allegations of personal corruption against Modi, will address a meeting at Jaunpur around the same time.



The venues are just 300 km apart.The two leaders are likely to take on each other on the cash-ban issue and will try to galvanise public opinion in their favour in the state, where Assembly elections are due early next year.



Midnight oil



The members of the two parties have been burning the midnight oil to make the rallies of their respective leaders successful.



We expect a crowd of over five lakh... the rally is going to be a historic one, said senior BJP leader Vijay Bahadur Pathak, who has been camping at Kanpur, ahead of the rally, for the past few days.



Pathak said the prime ministers rallies in the state have been drawing huge crowds, which was proof enough that the common man is in support of demonetisation.



No stone unturned



It will Modis sixth rally in the state in as many days. In all the meetings, Modi has been seeking peoples support for demonetisation and exhorting them to adopt cashless transactions.



Meanwhile, the Congress is not leaving any stone unturned to make Rahuls meet a success. The venue of his rally is also significant as Jaunpur has a sizeable Muslim population.



Lakhs of people will be attending Rahuljis meeting, said senior Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh. Rahul had recently held cot meetings across the state to woo farmers.



Both the Opposition as well as BJP leaders are eager to see if Rahul will say anything more with regard to the allegations of corruption that he had recently levelled against the prime minister.
JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda on Sunday said he will stand by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation if he can take action against those who have made money illegally through real estate business in Bengaluru.





Addressing the JD(S) workers here, he said he is ready to hand over a list of those who have made money illegally in real estate business in Bengaluru to Modi. The Centre has caused a lot of inconvenience to the poor in the name of fighting black money. Cases against those who had taken bribe through cheque were dropped... I dont understand what sort of politics is this, he added.



The former prime minister said only regional parties can protect the interests of the state. People of Tamil Nadu have demonstrated it by supporting regional parties, he added.




Two days after tendering an unconditional apology in the Supreme Court for terming the Bulandshahar gang-rape a political conspiracy against the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the state, senior Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan has once again put his foot in his mouth.



This time, Khan suggested that landlords were sexual predators, and said women need to be protected from their prying eyes.



Khans remarks came while addressing a function here on Saturday after handing over allotment letters of houses to the beneficiaries of the state government-sponsored Asra scheme.



Women who live in rented accommodations have to face the prying eyes of the landlords. That is why the state government has launched a scheme for them.



They will be given one-room houses so that they remain safe, Khan said at the function.

The minister, who has courted controversies on several occasions, said that many women had shared their experiences with him in this respect.



Many women told me that they have to give so many things to the landlords along with the rent, Khan said, refusing to elaborate.



Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was also present at the function. Meanwhile, with regard to the Bulandshahar incident, Khan claimed his remarks had been twisted by the media.


The NDA governments decision to appoint Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new army chief by superseding two of his seniors triggered a major controversy in the political and military circles on Sunday.



Both the Congress and the Left parties questioned the Narendra Modi government for moving away from the seniority principle followed in the army for decades. There was only one violation in 1983, when the senior-most officer, Lt Gen S K Sinha, was not chosen by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and defence minister R Venkataraman. Instead, they picked Gen A S Vaidya, two months junior to Sinha, for the top job. Sinha later resigned.



In selecting Lt Gen Rawat, the government overlooked the claims of Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, who is the senior-most army officer after the incumbent Gen Dalbir Singh and Southern Army Commander Lt Gen P M Hariz. Lt Gen Rawat will take charge as the new army chief from January 1 and retain the post for three years.



Congress leader Manish Tewari slammed the government for playing with institutions and doing politics in the army, even as he wondered if it was whimsical cherry picking. Responding to criticism, defence ministry sources pointed out that selecting the army chief was the prerogative of the government and in the current security scenario, Lt Gen Rawat was the best choice due to his vast experience.



The appointment of the chief of army staff is based on selection from a panel of officers in the rank of army commanders. All officers in the panel are very competent officers and the most suitable among them is selected. It is the prerogative of the government to select the most eligible person from the panel, said a source.



In the current security situation, counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency are key issues. Therefore, the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next army chief. Lt Gen Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as commanding officer of the 19 Division in J&K and his outstanding track record, and his familiarity with the functioning of the army headquarters and defence ministry in his capacity as vice chief. His general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour, said an official.



CPI leader D Raja, however, wondered why the appointments made by the NDA government, be it in the army, judiciary, Central Vigilance Commission, Central Information Commission or acting CBI director always became controversial.
The second day of Bangalore Literature Festival looked forward into the future of food, relationships, media and more.



Participants began the day with morning exercise in the form of a ballet class conducted by The Lewis Foundation of Classical Ballet.



New media journalists Mini Menon, Shradha Sharma and Siddharth Varadarajan discussed the disruptive power of the digital media. The panelists talked about how technology had democratised news and given space for new ideas to be heard. Sharma, founder of YourStory, said, In the next five years, I expect that Indians will start paying to access good content.



Journalists Josy Joseph and Neena Gopal discussed Neenas recent book The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, in which she gives a first-hand account of the incident.



My white saree was stained with blood and all the people in front of me had been killed. I stumbled past the bodies to find Rajiv Gandhi. There was hardly anything left of him. Just his Lotto shoes, his Gucci watch and his head, she described.



Aishwarya R Dhanush, daughter of superstar Rajinikanth, discussed her book, Standing on an apple box, which was released on Saturday. I would not want to direct my father in any movie. In the role of a director, I would be expected to interact with him in a certain way. I like the equation we share now and do not want to change that. She is, however, looking forward to the Rajinikanth movie she and her husband Dhanush will be producing.



In the evening, the debate at the festival shifted towards ideology and political leanings. Rajiv Malhotra, Hindu activist and author of several books on Indology, said Leftists and pseudo-liberals control the discourse too much. We need world-class intellectuals who speak based on research. Malhotra said chauvinistic right-wingers, with their talk about Pushpaka Vimana, discredit Hinduism. He hinted that the decision-makers at the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) were set to change in 2017.



ICSSR has a budget of crores of rupees which mostly go to Leftist organisations. If the change comes through in ICSSR, we are hoping that this trend will get modified.



Expecting the presence of former president of JNU students union Kanhaiya Kumar, a large number of people gathered for an evening session titled Contrarian Views.



However, Kumar did not make an appearance. The anchor announced that he could not make it because he was unwell. We were not informed that he will not be coming. We got to know only an hour after he was supposed to land, one of the organisers of the festival said. Kumar was replaced on the panel by journalist Mihir Sharma who engaged with actor-turned-politician Ramya, Amnesty International director Aakar Patel and Swarajya magazine CEO Prasanna Viswanathan about what it means to have a view contrary to public opinion.



Prizes awarded



The Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival 2016 book prizes were awarded to Kannada poet K V Tirumalesh, Perumal Murugan and Vinay Sitapati. Tirumalesh received the Literary Achievement in Kannada award for his poetry collections. Murugan received the award for his book Pyre in the fiction category and Sitapatis book Half-Lion: How P V Narasimha Rao Transformed India, received the prize in the non-fiction category.
Anyone can sign up to drive a cash van that ferries crores in public money. No questions asked, and no police verification required.



The Rs 1.37-crore heist involving a security agency driver last month and the one on Saturday evening have put the focus back on how drivers are recruited for such high-risk operations. It turns out no system is in place to ensure they come with a clean record.

The police dont verify the background of anyone unless a request is made.



However, a mechanism exists at the city police commissioners office to verify the background of all categories of employees, including drivers and security guards. Using it is left to the employers discretion.



We are concerned with law and order, prevention and detection of crime, and regulation of traffic, and not so much with employees background verification. Basic policing in Bengaluru will go for a toss if we start background verification for every driver, a senior police officer told DH.



By his reckoning, the city has about four lakh drivers and an equal number of security guards. It is mandatory only for cab drivers to get police background checks. A large number of private banks have come up in the last 20 years and entered into agreements with security agencies to transport cash.



Agreements



The agencies have further entered into agreements with other agencies for drivers. It is high time an agency was set up to train drivers for high-security jobs, the police officer said. Moreover, police are not authorised to monitor agreements between banks and security agencies, he said.



We come into the picture only when an employee is involved in a crime. If a cognisable offence is committed, we act. We are not shirking our responsibility, but just stating facts, he said.



Police also say verification of drivers is not foolproof. We check for cases in Karnataka and issue a certificate. We cant verify if drivers face cases in other states, said a senior policeman. No intra-state network exists for the police to determine if the 3,500 drivers who have obtained clearance are free from criminal charges elsewhere, he said.



Also, drivers with a criminal background know they will be filtered out during verification. Hence, they may not apply, he said.




On the Sunday morning of Nov. 27 Glasses for All held an event at the Neil Good Day Center in downtown San Diego to distribute eyeglasses to the homeless. That day, many of the homeless walked away with a pair of glasses, and a new opportunity to see.

Glasses for All is a 501(c) nonprofit organization, founded in April 2016 by Canyon Crest Academy high school student Amy Yan. The organization, in collaboration with local churches such as St. Therese of Carmel, collects donations of eyeglasses and redistributes those eyeglasses to those in need or those who cannot afford vision care.

The Neil Good Day Center event was very well-received  about 200 pairs of prescription glasses and reading glasses were distributed. Paul Sheck, the manager of the Neil Good Day Center, stated that there is a surprisingly high demand for glasses among the homeless, many of whom lose their previous glasses to thefts, assaults or other unfortunate events.

Clear vision is crucial to people living on the streets. I dont care whats going on across the street, I just want to see whats happening in front of me, one man waiting in line said. With all the hardships they face, new glasses can help make life just a bit easier.

Glasses for All continues to collect eyeglasses and plans to hold more distribution events. The tremendous support and donations from the community has been essential in the success of Glasses for All.

To get involved, visit glassesforall.org or email amyyan726@glassesforall.org.
How J.T. Tuimoloau became Ohio State's next dominant defensive end

A multifaceted skill set shaped by playing multiple sports and training with family set J.T. Tuimoloau to become Ohio State's next star defensive end.
A Houston County judge set bail at $30,000 Tuesday for a Dothan man charged with assault on a police officer.

District Court Judge Benjamin Lewis set the bail amount for the felony second-degree assault charge filed against 47-year-old Kevin Saffold. Dothan police investigators arrested Saffold late last week in connection to an alleged attack on a narcotics investigator.

Investigator Timothy Powell, the victim of the assault, testified during the hearing that he came in contact with Saffold near the road while other investigators served a search warrant at a nearby home in an unrelated drug operation on Poyner Street.

Powell said he was struck at least eight times by someone who shined a bright light and appeared to be filming something. He said he questioned the man about filming the police and their vehicles.

I yelled for help real loud, Powell said. I guess it took probably five or six of us to get him in cuffs. He filmed it too.

Powell told the court he wore a bullet proof vest with the word police on it and there were also two marked police cars from the patrol division at the street.

He said F you, this is private property, Powell said.

Saffold, who represented himself, told the court hes filmed the police seven or eight times, mostly on his street. Saffold lives on Meharis Circle.

First of all, Ive been arrested 56 times, and Ive never assaulted an officer during an arrest, Saffold said.

Saffold said the police officer grabbed him as he attempted to take the camera from him.

Im in my yard, and filming, Saffold said. Im telling the truth.

Saffold asked the court to set bail within the guideline range for a second-degree assault charge. He also told the court hes a lifelong resident of the area.

Lewis said during the hearing he wanted to hear from police about their concerns of possible riots as a result of the incident.

Investigator Robert Cole testified during the hearing that patrol officers had learned Saffold had wanted to be an advocate and basically turn Dothan into a Ferguson, Missouri. Riots and protests occurred in Ferguson recently after no indictment was returned against the police officer who shot teenager Michael Brown.

Dothan Police Sgt. Andy Martin said both Saffold and the investigator were taken to Southeast Alabama Medical Center for treatment to injuries. He said the investigator suffered several knots to his head, a busted lip and had red swelling around both eyes.

Assistant Houston County District Attorney Patrick Amason asked the court to set bail at $250,000, based on the offense of an assault on a police officer.

Lewis questioned the prosecution about their request.

Basically youre requesting a bail almost 17 times more than the schedule (guideline)? Lewis asked.

Amason said he asked for the $250,000 bail because of statements made by Saffold to police and his alleged behavior.
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Like Barry Goldwaters campaign to Save America in 1964, Trumps Make America Great Again campaign unearthed a marginally suppressed anger rooted in white supremacist racism, fear, and capitalism.

Goldwaters opposition to big government and civil rights had come at a time when the country was wounded and struggling to move forward. It came at a time after a presidential assassination, after race riots and uprisings injuring thousands and killing dozens. It came at a time when civil disobedience in response to unfair laws and governmental practices had become an anticipated and daily occurrence.

Trumps opposition to Black Lives Matter (made clearer through his nomination of Jeff Sessons) stands squarely with Goldwaters then opposition to the Civil Rights Movement. Trumps position against government models Goldwaters pursuit of a shrinking government. The difference is that the electorate wasnt willing to follow Goldwaters lead.

In response to pushback against his extremism, Goldwater espoused, extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. This and other divisive rhetoric ultimately helped sink Goldwaters 1964 campaign. Ironically, this same sort of rhetoric under similar political conditions would help sail Trump into victory over 50 years later.

Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Backward

America was reluctantly struggling to become great, a goal I would argue it had evaded until the country seemingly unified during the 2008 election of its first Black President. On the surface, America had taken more steps closer to greatness than it had ever taken before; not because America had resolved its ugly past and present global contradictions, but because for once, a black man could stand before America and say in good conscience that he believed the United States Constitution also applied to him. It was a short-lived window of progress.

Although the 2008 election of President Obama brought together progressives from around the world, it also unified racist hatred inspiring hundreds of incidents of anti-Obama violence. Nooses were hung from trees, Obama signs and crosses were burned on lawns, and people were assaulted. The country became polarized.

At my own job at the time, the office split down the middle. Blacks and whites that had once considered each other friends, shared joint lunches and chatted on a regular basis became reticent towards one another. One person even reported an Obama t-shirt to human resources.

The Awakening

In the days since Obamas first 2008 victory, the US has moved backward and forward contemporaneously. With oppressive policies and discrimination came mobilization and civil disobedience in ways reminiscent of the 1960s. The Occupy Movement was mobilized against capitalism in 2011. Black Lives Matter began as a hashtag in 2013 following the murder of Trayvon Martin and galvanized the country in 2014 following the police murder of Mike Brown and the uprisings in Ferguson, Baltimore, and other cities across the United States. The Peoples Climate March mobilized nearly 400,000 people in NYC to stand against global warming and fight for environmental justice in 2014, the world responded to the government sanctioned poisoning of 100,000 people in Flint, Michigan and the massive water shutoffs in Detroit, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe mobilized the country to join their resistance against the pipeline in North Dakota. Americans were no longer accepting things as they were. Unfortunately, not all who resist are on the right side of history.

Trumps Rhetoric

There are two major differences between the 1964 hostile campaign rhetoric and the 2016 hostile campaign rhetoric. First, fear and anxiety towards a Trump administration among Blacks was no longer sure-fire support for the Democratic Party in 2016. Second, Trumps rhetoric was timely and desired by a populace exhausted with movements for social justice, declining economic mobility, and so-called political correctness that had been on the rise since the 1960s.

As much as the (mostly white) Republican Party had grown tired of the middle of the road Republicans they felt had not had their backs, many black Democrats had grown wary of a middle of the road Democratic Party they realized could not represent the full scope of their humanity. Their attraction to Bernie Sanders and the failure to elect Hillary Clinton showed proof of that. Blacks exhaustion towards a racist society fueled their support of Sanders as much as racism itself fueled support for Trump. When Bernie Sanders campaign was yanked from underneath them, it pissed a lot of people off.

What Now?

More than anything, I believe it is Trumps lifelong pursuit of a Rockefeller-like legacy that drives him. Trump has managed to channel both Barry Goldwater and Nelson Rockefeller (seemingly archenemies) into one mighty titan rolled into one. Even more ironic is his relationship with Mitt Romney, eerily similar to the political antagonism between Goldwater and Romneys father in the 60s.

The President-elect has been trying to make Trump a household name like Rockefeller once was since he was a young man; a pursuit of fame and notoriety similar to that of his own grandfathers attempts to shadow the wealth of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Its no coincidence that the President elect has nominated Rex W. Tillerson  Chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil Corporation and a decedent of Rockefellers Standard Oil Company to the office of Secretary of State. What better way to secure a global oil fortune?

As I watched Trump circle back on his Thank You Tour trying to squash some of the hate filled rhetoric and lies that got him elected, his motives for world dominance became clearer to me. He doesnt want to be known for draining the swamp, hes too busy digging for oil beneath it.

Trump is a capitalist and American capitalism is intertwined with racism. Weve seen the hand that Trump is dealing. We had better start paying attention to Pences.
Pakistan has a long history of political violence. Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in December 2007 in a gun and bomb attack after holding an election rally in the city of Rawalpindi.
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INGRAM  As the year's first big cold front blew through on a December afternoon, hunting outfitter Aaron Bulkley drove across rocky soil dotted with gray-green live oaks and pointed out a United Nations of grazing animals.

They were all on sale.

Here were North American elk, the Asian antelope nilgai, a herd of pregnant scimitar horned oryx, native to North Africa, and the elegant fallow deer from Europe, whose broad antlers fan out like a palm with fingers extended. A bachelor herd of blackbuck, an Indian antelope with long horns in a tight spiral, sped across the landscape and vanished like a mirage, gone as fast as they were spotted.

There were native Texans, too, among 20 species on the 3,500-acre White Cross Ranch, where hunting is a bargain and revenue is down about 50 percent this year. Turkey gathered and a white-tail buck, whose rack and meat are prized by hunters, nestled in high grass.

Bulkley gestured to an Iranian red sheep with horns that curl like commas.

We used to shoot these for $3,750. Now were down to $2,900, Bulkley said and shrugged. Again, price drop.

It should be a banner winter hunting season in Texas. Two rainy years have broken the states crippling five-year drought. The native white-tailed deer population is at an 11- to 12-year high, thanks to the back-to-back years of rainfall. Good habitat and plenty of high-quality forage for white-tail crisscross the entire state, according to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department.

Yet a classic supply-demand problem has hit the hunting industry. Prices for hunts have plummeted this year. Outfitters and ranchers blame the fortunes of the downtrodden oil industry, whose spending accounts in rich years send executives and clients on corporate hunts, and whose employees at all income levels are some of the most devout hunting enthusiasts.

Since oil prices fell in late 2014, the energy industry in Texas has seen 100,000 layoffs and corporate budgets have been slashed by billions.

Those low oil prices have dominoed across the state. Sales tax revenues are down statewide, which the comptroller has blamed on persistently low levels of drilling in the state's oil and gas fields. In 2017, the drop likely will limit the spending of state lawmakers in next years legislative session.

This year, the oil bust hit hunting.

Hunting is way down and it's followed oil, said rancher Larry Priour, who offers hunts on his familys three ranches in the Hill Country and near San Angelo. Now that we have the rain, the deer are in great shape but the oil bust is not bringing the hunters.

Terry Retzloff, a South Texas rancher who raises white-tail deer and offers hunts, said that though the oil bust started in late 2014, the worst impact was delayed until this year for the hunting business. When you take away that oil field money, it makes a difference, Retzloff said.

There are other factors that pinch. Captive deer breeding programs have soared in popularity, adding to the numbers of white-tail released on Texas ranches each fall.

Texas Parks & Wildlife estimates the population of white-tailed deer around the same as last year, 4.12 million. The rain bodes well for the native wildlife as well as the exotic animals that have been imported for decades for hunting.

There is so much supply now, said Bulkley, owner of Texas Hunt Lodge in Ingram, an outfitter whose guests go on guided hunts on 34 large Hill Country ranches covering 100,000 acres. Weve had some huge price reductions this year. White-tail prices have plummeted.

About 60 percent of the business at Texas Hunt Lodge in Ingram comes from the oil and gas industry  either companies booking hunts for customers and clients, or people who work in oil and gas coming to hunt with friends or family.

Theres people that are just struggling this year, Bulkley said.

Prices slashed

Its not just that theres an overlap - though there is - between hunters and the oil industry. Its the amount of money spent.

Oil field companies often use hunting as a carrot to lure business, offering customers access to hunting leases or inviting them to high-end guided hunts that can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

In the oil field specifically, this is how they get business done, Bulkley said. Those deals arent being done now. Theyre having to pay for it themselves now. Its not a $100,000 event with six or seven corporate executives. Now its the guy bringing his family for the weekend and theyre shooting. These oil field service companies are struggling. Their trailers are sitting. The equipment is piling up, Bulkley said. The entire South Texas and Hill Country industry does well when oil is doing well.

Texas Hunt Lodge hosts around 1,000 hunters each year. It had revenue of around $5 million in 2014 as oil prices peaked at $107 per barrel. Revenue fell by about $1 million in 2015 when oil fell as low as $34 per barrel, and is down $600,000 to $700,000 this year, Bulkley said.

Priour said a few clients have had to drop their hunting leases, including one Louisiana company. They depend on a booming oil business to fund their business, Priour said.

Bulkley said some outfitters and ranchers across the state have resisted cutting prices. On high-fenced properties under wildlife management plans, though, a certain number of animals must be hunted each year to keep populations at healthy levels. You might as well make some money on it, Bulkley said.

In the Hill Country, elk hunts that averaged $8,000 last year are going for $4,950. Orxy hunts fell from $5,500 to $3,000.

Slashing our prices across the board was the main motivator for people to book hunts, Bulkley said.

Booking now is critical for ranches that depend on hunting revenue. Theres no seasonal restriction on hunting exotic animals, but the most popular season matches deer season - fall and winter.

Despite a tough year, theres optimism in recent weeks for the Texas economy and the oil patch, and therefore hunting. The phones have started ringing more for Bulkley, Retzloff and others.

Now that the election is over, people have opened up their checkbook again. Its coming back around, Bulkley said. He visited with a client in Atascosa County last week who seemed convinced that come January, with a new Republican administration in Washington, D.C., and the start of a new corporate fiscal year, the oil field would return to work.

The oil industry hasnt recovered, but there is a sense that the worst has happened, and that President-elect Donald Trumps administration will be pro-fossil fuels.

Oil hit a low of $26 per barrel in January and February, down 75 percent from its high of $107 in June 2014, but has been moving up all year.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

In November, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reached its first deal since 2008 to cut production, a move that boosted oil prices. The price of the benchmark West Texas Intermediate closed at $53.10 Friday. Most analysts forecast gradually rising prices in 2017.

Springing back to life

If the oil industry returns to growth mode, it would match the South Texas landscape for the first time in years. During the drought, the oil industry boomed in South Texas 400-mile Eagle Ford Shale oil field, but the rolling coastal prairie and thorn brush country turned brittle, and wildlife suffered. In the last two years, the land has reawakened in blankets of waving grass.

Everything is pretty again, said Peggy Van Cleve, who sells everything from deer feed to clothing at the Circle V Ranch Center in Carrizo Springs.

The states densest population of white-tail is in the Hill Country, but its the area around Van Cleves business that produces trophy white-tail deer, the kind hunters enter in contests, mount and hang on the wall. Its a tough, semi-arid region, but one where the native plant life is naturally high in protein. Deer graze the stems and foliage of plants like the granjeno, or desert hackberry, and other plants that that help antlers grow to record size.

Hunters call it the Golden Triangle, a collection of sparsely populated South Texas counties with large ranches. Van Cleve said the return of rain has made the South Texas brush country replete with hogs, quail, turkey and deer.

Along with the wildlife, quiet has returned to many parts of South Texas, too. Roads once jammed with the heavy trucks and equipment of the oil field at all hours of the day and night have emptied out. Though theres still plenty of oil field activity and nearly 1 million daily barrels of oil production, the farm-to-market roads feel lonely again sometimes. The stars have returned.

Probably the hunters are a lot happier that we dont have the oil activity as much with all the trucks all over the place, Van Cleve said.

Bulkleys parents own an RV park in Pleasanton, one of the larger cities in the South Texas oil patch, and they have started to get more bookings for people who will arrive in January.

Tracking the South Texas oil field population, who often travel in RVs to wherever theres steady work, is a good economic indicator of Bulkleys hunting business.

When theyre full, were busy, he said.

The RV park isnt booked up yet, but Bulkley, who spots wildlife for a living, can see it coming.

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller
AUSTIN  Texas education officials are preparing to unveil their first iteration of the states new A-through-F grading scale for schools and school districts, but warn the report card is a work in progress.

The Texas Education Agency will release letter grades on how each school and district performed under the states new accountability system to legislators later this month, TEA officials said Friday.

The report will serve as both a progress report to state lawmakers wanting a preview of the new grading scale they passed two years ago, and as an indication to parents, schools and districts about how their schools will measure up.

It will stigmatize these kids, stigmatize these teachers and do absolutely nothing to help them, said Clay Robison, spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association, who predicted the new scale will assign low letter grades to schools serving a disproportionate number of low-income or minority students because they tend to score lower on standardized tests. You dont fix these things by slapping a D or an F on a school campus.

Commissioner Mike Morath cautioned Friday that the preliminary letter grades will not provide the full picture of how Texas schools and districts fare given that it only will measure four out of the five categories that ultimately will factor into the grades.

The new tool will help parents, educators and the public keep schools accountable in hopes they can improve, Morath said.

Whatever we do tomorrow should be better than what were doing today, he said, so, creating a system that allows for continuous improvement, I think, is entirely appropriate and, in fact, quite good for our kids.

Several school superintendents and board members across the state are pushing back against the new accountability measures, passing resolutions in opposition to the state law on the basis that letter grades are superficial and lack the nuance to account for schools and districts with challenging student populations.

This week, the North East Independent School Districts board of trustees this week passed a resolution against the states A-through-F grading system.

We as a board feel that the system is oversimplified and misleading and we wanted to go on record showing that we do not support it and that we would like to affect change, said Shannon Grona, president of the board.

While the districts superintendent Brian Gottardy has been known to be critical of the system for some time, along with many other local superintendents, this is the first known San Antonio school district to make a formal resolution on a board agenda about the issue. The two other largest San Antonio districts, Northside ISD and San Antonio ISD, have not done the same.

We are all for accountability  meaningful accountability, said Grona. But we think this A through F system is oversimplified and misleading.

The boards resolution argues that the 16 other states throughout the country that have implemented the measure have not found it led to improved school and student performance.

It takes issue with the fact that student STAAR scores will make up 55 percent of the letter grade, which Grona and other board members feel is an unfair assessment of school performance, and the resolution says that the other 45 percent is full of indicators that dont have a clear connection with school performance.

Were hoping to be able to go and meet with legislators and we wanted a formal way to express our displeasure with the system, Grona said.

The board is advocating for a community-based accountability system, which gives the district the flexibility to define its own measurements for rating its campuses within the confines of state requirements.

Grona said she is hoping this will inspire local school districts to follow suit and community members to write or call their legislators.

The grading system is scheduled to take effect in 2017. In January, the Texas Education Agency is expected to post mock ratings of school campuses for the 2015-2016 year  basically giving them the grade they would have gotten had the system been in place last year.

During the board meeting, the superintendent read the letter that he later sent out to the entire North East ISD community.

It is nearly impossible to create a one-size-fits-all statewide accountability system to adequately evaluate the performance of all public schools, the letter reads. I believe that no single rating label will ever be able to adequately capture the actual effort and effectiveness of a school or district or the strength of the 360 degree education we provide to students.

The new measure calculates school and district quality using five major components: student test scores, growth in student test scores, progress closing performance gaps, college or career readiness and a self assessment by the school district. The report card due out later this month will lack the self-evaluation measure from school districts, Morath said. Districts must decide by early 2018 how they want to measure themselves.

Oft criticized by superintendents and school boards as relying too much on standardized testing, the current version of the new accountability measure will allow the state to base a portion of the grade on raw test scores or students academic growth, whichever measure is highest, according to Morath.

He said he plans to continue refining the letter grade formula leading up to the 2018 implementation date.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
BEIJING  The Pentagon said Saturday that Beijing had agreed to return an underwater drone seized by China in international waters, an indication that the two countries were moving to resolve an unusual incident that risked sharpening tensions in the run-up to the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States, said Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, using initials to refer to the Navys unmanned underwater vehicle.

Cook said the deal had been reached after the United States registered our objection to Chinas unlawful seizure of a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle operating in international waters in the South China Sea.

Chinese authorities told U.S. officials that they planned to return the drone, but the two sides were still working out where, when and precisely how the device would be handed back, said two Defense Department officials, who talked about the negotiations with China only on the condition of anonymity. One of the officials said the Pentagon expected the matter to be resolved in the coming days without further acrimony.

The Pentagon statement came hours after China warned that the highly charged episode would not be resolved easily.

In its own statement, the Chinese Defense Ministry said it was in talks with the United States but criticized Washington for what it called an inappropriate exaggeration of the dispute. The American reaction, it said, is not conducive to solving the problem smoothly.

We hereby express regrets for that, the ministry said. It said the drone, which Chinese and U.S. analysts say was most likely used to gather intelligence about Chinese submarine activity in contested waters, would be returned to the United States in a proper way.

Trump entered the fray Saturday morning, accusing China of acting improperly.

China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act, he said on Twitter.

The overseas edition of The Peoples Daily, the Communist Partys flagship newspaper, said on its social media account Saturday night that the Chinese capture of the drone was legal because rules about drone activities had not been clearly written. This is the gray area, the newspaper said. If the U.S. military can send the drone, surely China can seize it.

In its statement, the Defense Ministry scolded the United States over what it called its long-standing practice of conducting close-in reconnaissance and military surveys in waters near China.

The Chinese government has often complained to senior U.S. officials, including President Barack Obama, that the United States repeatedly intrudes by air and ship into waters close to China. The ministrys statement reiterated the complaint, saying China firmly opposes it and urges the U.S. side to stop such operations.

A Chinese naval vessel seized the drone, which had been launched Thursday from a U.S. ship, the Bowditch, in waters off the Philippines. The U.S. crew was in the process of retrieving the device when a small boat dispatched from the Chinese vessel took it as the U.S. sailors looked on.

The action came two weeks after Trump angered Beijing by speaking by phone to the leader of Taiwan, and almost a week after he criticized China for building military bastions in the South China Sea. U.S. officials were trying to determine whether the seizure was a response to Trump or whether it was one more escalatory step in Chinas long-term plan to try to push the U.S. Navy out of the South China Sea, one of the worlds busiest commercial and military waterways.

The Pentagon formally protested the capture of the drone, saying it was stolen U.S. military property. The Pentagon said the drone had been carrying out scientific research. U.S. experts, however, said the drone might have been designed to help follow Chinas submarine buildup, a critical part of the countrys growing naval strength as it seeks unfettered control of the South China Sea and unimpeded access to the Pacific and Indian oceans.

A retired Chinese rear admiral, Yang Yi, speaking earlier at a conference sponsored by a state-run newspaper, The Global Times, said the Americans had invited the Chinese sailors to take the drone by sailing in the waters close to the Scarborough Shoal, fishing grounds that are claimed by China and the Philippines.

The Americans deliver these things to our home, and it would be more than natural for Chinese sailors to seize the drone and examine it, Yang said.

If Trump and the American government dare to take actions to challenge the bottom line of Chinas policy and core interests, he said, we must drop any expectations about him and give him a bloody nose.

Reached by telephone, the president of a state-affiliated think tank, Wu Shicun, said the United States had most likely been conducting intelligence reconnaissance to detect Chinese submarine routes in the South China Sea. Wu, who heads the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and advises the government on maritime matters, described the drone as a new way for the United States to conduct intelligence gathering.

Previously the United States conducted surveillance with warships in the nearby waters of China, or by aircraft, he said. Now the unmanned underwater vehicle is a new approach. The Chinese were justified in taking the unmanned underwater vehicle, he said.

The episode occurred in seas about 50 miles northwest of Subic Bay, a major port of the Philippines and a former U.S. Navy base, the Pentagon said. That means the Bowditch was within 200 miles of Scarborough Shoal, U.S. analysts said.

The U.S. vessel appeared to be outside the perimeter of the nine-dash line, said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. China drew the line in the late 1940s as it laid claim to about 90 percent of the South China Sea.

China has no legal basis to take actions like these on the high seas, but doing so outside Beijings ambiguous claim line is particularly egregious and will make the incident especially hard to justify, Rapp-Hooper said.

Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines, who is nurturing warm ties with China and has warned he may break long-standing military relations with the United States, took a conciliatory approach over the Chinese action.

I will not impose anything on China, he said at a news conference in Manila on Saturday. Why? Because politics in Southeast Asia is changing. This was a reference to his tilt away from the United States, a treaty ally, since taking office in June. He referred to China as the kindest soul of all.

The Philippines also took a forgiving attitude after the release of satellite images Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that appeared to show that China has installed weapons on the seven artificial islands it has built in the Spratly archipelago, not far from the Philippines in the South China Sea.

There is nothing that we can do about that now, whether or not it is being done for purposes of further militarizing these facilities that they have put up, the foreign secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr., said, reflecting the weak state of the Philippines military. We cannot stop China at this point in time and say, Do not put that up.

By seizing the drone so close to the Philippines, China may have been trying to further weaken the frayed U.S. alliance with Manila, U.S. experts said.

The conciliatory reaction by the Philippines, even as the United States was making stern demands on Beijing, would complicate Washingtons efforts to convince China that its actions were unacceptable, a senior U.S. military official said Saturday.

In an important ruling in July, an international tribunal in The Hague decided against China, saying that the Scarborough Shoal was entitled only to a 12-mile territorial zone, not 200 miles as the Chinese assert. China has refused to recognize the ruling.

Duterte on Saturday said he was ignoring the Hague ruling even though the case had been brought by the previous Philippines government. In the play of politics now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling, he said.

The drone incident, according to a Pentagon account, began when a Chinese navy vessel that was shadowing the Bowditch  a common practice in the South China Sea  pulled up not far from the ship. It then dispatched a small boat to seize the drone as the U.S. crew was recovering it from the water. The Pentagon described the vehicle as an unclassified ocean glider system used to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature and sound speed.

A U.S. naval expert did not disagree with Wus notion of what the Americans were probably doing. Warfare and surveillance in the age of drones has not yet developed an agreed-upon set of rules, said Lyle J. Goldstein, associate professor at the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island.

This is increasingly a major problem as both China and the U.S. are deploying ever more air and naval drones into the contested waters and airspace of the Western Pacific, he said.

The seizure may have been just another way for Beijing to provoke the United States in a gray zone, just under the threshold of actual hostilities, Goldstein said. He said it was a time for cooler heads to prevail, to halt a cycle of escalation that cannot end well for either side.

In some respects, the seizure was not a surprise but just another step in Chinas increased harassment of the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea, several U.S. naval experts said.

In March 2009, soon after Obama took office, five Chinese ships swarmed a U.S. surveillance vessel, the Impeccable, 75 miles off Hainan island, the southernmost province of China. The Impeccable was towing sonar equipment designed for anti-submarine warfare, and the Chinese ships got as close as 25 feet from the ship in what the Pentagon called illegal and dangerous maneuvers.

______

Matthew Rosenberg reported from Washington. Felipe Villamor contributed reporting from Manila. Yufan Huang contributed research.
A motorist died Friday night after a fiery accident on Interstate 35 near Conrads Lane, according to a release from the New Braunfels Police Department.

New Braunfels police and fire units responded at 10:46 p.m. Friday, to the accident in the 4800 block of Interstate 35 on the southbound frontage road, where they found a 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse engulfed in flames.
Near-record highs gave way to freezing lows early Sunday, as an incoming Arctic front sent San Antonio temperatures plummeting more than 40 degrees in a matter of hours, according to the National Weather Service.

The icy drop, from 77 degrees as of mid-afternoon to the mid-30s Sunday morning, was projected to be one of the top-10 major two-day drops ever recorded in December, according to NWS reports.
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
On Sunday morning Indonesian plane Hercules C-130 , a millitary airship crashed in the eastern most province of Papua, which in turn killed around 13 people who were in the flight.

Air force chief of staff said that, "The plane was carrying 12 tonnes of food supplies and cement from Timika to Wamena, a distance of about 200 km, when it crashed just minutes before its scheduled landing."

The millitary of Indonesia has always been deficient of funds and even suffered many airplane and helicopter plunges. This has third air crash in a month.

12-year old schemes 'Bomb attacks' in Germany

IS lost 14 tanks in latest offensive by US air-strikes

Australia to Demonetise 100 Dollars Currency Notes to Capture Black Money...
"If a Chinese company is looking to invest in dairy, are we really worried that the company they are looking to acquire is in WA or in Queensland, when they are looking for a sound investment with a significant return?
Resolution six, which called for the adoption of the board's executive share option plan, and resolution seven, which comprises an option issue to Wellard chief executive officer Mauro Balzarini were both declared to be initially rejected following the meeting, however both were approved following the audit.
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On Saturday, in a suicide car bombing in the city of Kayseri, killed around 14 soldiers and left many injured. All 14 turkish soldiers were off-duty who were targeted.

The government said "all signs so far suggested the the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was behind the bombing in the city of Kayseri, a usually calm industrial hub in the heart of Anatolia."

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the "acts of terror" in Turkey were "aiming at all 79 million of our citizens together with our soldiers and police."

"We will fight decisively against these terror organisations in the spirit of a national mobilisation," he said.

Turkey has seen a lot of blood-shed in the year 2016 with the repeated bomb-attacks that have killed around many people. The attacks were mostly planned by Rebels and Kurdish terrorists.

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Scarlett Moffatt is a "serious contender" to be the new host of 'The Great British Bake Off'.

Scarlett Moffatt

The 'Gogglebox' star is being tipped to take over from Mel and Sue when the popular culinary competition moves to Channel 4, after proving a hit with viewers when she won 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!' last month.

A source told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Scarlett is now a serious contender - she opened a lot of eyes to her potential on .I'm a Celebrity'.

"She is young, very funny and just the type of presenter Channel 4 are looking for to front their version of the show."

However, the 26-year-old star won't be fronting the programme alone.

The insider added: "Scarlett may be inexperienced but the thinking is she could be paired with a more senior co-host."

Among those being tipped to anchor the show with the telly fan are Victoria Coren Mitchell, comic Sarah Millican, 'QI' host Sandi Toksvig and popular Channel 4 presenter Davina McCall.

Offers have been flooding in for the former office worker since she won the jungle contest last month, but Scarlett has reportedly told her management team she wants to enjoy Christmas with her boyfriend Luke Crodden and her family before making any decisions about her future.

A friend said: "She wants to enjoy a lovely Christmas, then make a proper shot at a long-term television career. She is prepared to work hard to achieve it."

Regular 'Bake Off' hosts Mel and Sue confirmed after it was announced the show was moving from the BBC to Channel 4 that they would not be staying with the programme, as did original judge Mary Berry.

However, her co-judge Paul Hollywood will be a part of the new show when it returns to screens, which is expected to be in 2018.
Iconic Hollywood Star, Arnold Schwarzenegger urges the citizens of America to "stop whining" about the newly elected President Donald Trump.

"Now, he is elected, and it's important we all support the president and we all come together and we stop whining and it becomes one nation," said Schwarzenegger in a statement.

The Terminator actor, who had been very vocal about casting vote against Trump at the time of election, saying "For the first time since I became a citizen in 1983, I will not vote for the Republican candidate for President," is now ready to accept Trump for the greater good.

The Terminator actor said, it is not about any individual or race, it is for the betterment of the country as a whole, and now that is Trump has been elected as the American President, he will give his 100 percent to help him for the betterment of the country.

"Like Obama said, it's not blue states, its not red states, it's the United States of America, when someone is elected, then you go 100 percent behind them and you help them, and you help them shape the future of the country." Schwarzenegger added.

"I am 100 percent behind him and I will do everything I can do to help." Schwarzenegger concluded.
ABU DHABI and DUBAI, UAE, December 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Pegasus will provide Dubai Police with advanced analytic capabilities in solving and preventing crime

DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, announces that Pegasus, a DarkMatter company, has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Police to provide a comprehensive Big Data platform on which custom analytic solutions will be developed to help solve and prevent crime and make citizens safer.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/450625/Faisal_Al_Bannai.jpg )



DarkMatter had previously been working with Dubai Police in this area under the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative, and the MoU signals the formalisation of the scope of this interaction. The firm will formally assist Dubai Police in the development and management of Big Data capabilities in a bid to assist Dubai Police to investigate and fight crime in both the physical and virtual worlds.

Given the highly interconnected nature of modern digital environments, the amount of data being generated and exchanged among individuals, devices, systems and other entities is growing exponentially. The ability to organise, interpret and utilise this data is fundamental to being able to make qualified and timely real-life decisions.

Pegasus Big Data Platform is capable of processing billions of data points per day to power a variety of analytic solutions that generate critical insights in near real-time. In relation to the MoU with Dubai Police, Pegasus will assist Police authorities to maintain safety and security by applying both technology tools and professional services to create a holistic ecosystemfor producing high-value and high-impact information to drive decision-making.

Commenting on the collaboration with Dubai Police, Faisal Al Bannai, DarkMatter Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, "This agreement is an enormous endorsement of DarkMatter's technical capabilities, and we are looking forward to partnering with Dubai Police in developing and utilising innovative big data and analytic tools to create a safer living environment for all citizens."

Faisal Al Bannai continued, "We applaud Dubai Police's proactive adoption of cutting-edge technology, and we see huge benefit from leveraging timely and actionable information to help solve and prevent crime. We are proud to be a UAE-headquartered technology specialist that is able to provide the authorities with this level of fundamental capabilities."

Peng Xiao, Pegasus Chief Executive Officer, said, "We live in an era of data explosion. While it is overwhelming many organisations, Dubai Police has seized it as an opportunity to develop a competitive advantage in its fight for public good. We are honoured that Pegasus Big Data Platform can be leveraged by Dubai Police in its mission to improve safety and security."

"It was only 150 days ago that this programme was a mere idea and we wondered whether we could turn Dubai into a testbed for innovation," said H.E. Saif Al-Aleeli, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. "In September we opened our doors to the world's most innovative companies to work side-by-side with leading government departments to solve future civic challenges. The results these companies have achieved over the 12 weeks of the programme have been remarkable. We have signed commercial agreements with nineteen out of 30 companies, totalling US$33.5 million. At the Dubai Future Accelerators we are committed to work with the world's best and brightest to address global challenges."

About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is transforming the cyber security landscape. Headquartered in the UAE and operating globally, we're the region's first and only fully integrated digital defence and cyber security consultancy and implementation firm. Our elite team of global experts deliver advanced, next-generation solutions to governments and enterprises across the cyber security spectrum.

We help clients simplify the enormous complexity of today's ever-evolving cyber threats. Our vision is to secure the future by protecting its technologies. Innovation and Research are cornerstones to our development and the activities in these areas underpin our entire range offerings, including Secure Communications, Public Key Infrastructure and Big Data & Analytics products.

They also extend to our activities in Governance, Risk & Compliance, Cyber Network Defence, Managed Security Services, Infrastructure & System Integration, Test & Validation Labs, and Smart Solutions.

About Pegasus

Pegasus - a DarkMatter company - is a UAE-based software technology and professional services firm with a global presence. We offer an all-source Big Data platform with advanced analytic and machine learning capabilities. Our platform provides comprehensive and customisable technology solutions for collecting, processing, managing, analysing and visualising data to support rapid and collaborative decision making. In addition to our cutting-edge technical expertise, we work hand-in-hand with our clients to address the people and process aspects of their operating environment and create the optimal Big Data ecosystem unique to their needs.

For further details, visit http://www.darkmatter.ae

About Dubai Future Accelerators

Dubai Future Accelerators is the world's largest government-supported accelerator, launched by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation. The programme is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and identifies ground breaking companies from around the world, offering them the opportunity to find and test new solutions to real-life challenges. To learn more about the Dubai Future Accelerators programme, visit:https://dubaifutureaccelerators.com/en




LONDON (dpa-AFX) - BP plc (BP.L, BP_UN.TO, BP) said that it signed an agreement with the Supreme Petroleum Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC that grants BP a 10% interest in Abu Dhabi's ADCO onshore oil concession, which has a life of 40 years.



In addition to the interest in the ADCO concession, BP becomes a 10% shareholder in ADCO, the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Limited, which operates the concession. The agreement includes BP becoming asset leader for the Bab asset group within the concession.



In connection with the transaction, BP p.l.c. has agreed to issue new ordinary shares representing approximately 2% of BP's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares), to be held on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Government. The issuance of the new ordinary shares is subject to certain listing requirements and is expected to be completed shortly.



BP becomes a 10% shareholder of ADCO and the concession alongside Total of France, INPEX Corporation of Japan, and GS Energy of South Korea who hold interests of 10%, 5% and 3% respectively. ADNOC continues to look for partners to take up the remaining 12% stake of the 40% earmarked for foreign partners.



The ADCO concession, including the Bab, Bu Hasa, Shah and Asab fields, has total resources of between 20-30 billion barrels of oil equivalent over the term of the concession. The overall production in 2016 is expected to average around 1.66 million barrels of oil per day (bpd). The concession, put in place in January 2015, is valid until the end of 2054.



In support of its interest in the ADCO concession and asset leadership of the Bab assets, BP expects to second up to 50 technical staff to ADCO, bringing technology, expertise and experience to support the ongoing efficient operation and development of the assets.



BP announced that it has been awarded a 10% working interest in the concession for Abu Dhabi's onshore oil interests. The consideration for the transaction is intended to be satisfied through the issuance by BP p.l.c. of 392.92 million new ordinary shares, par value US$0.25 each, to be held on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi.



As at 16 December 2016, the issued share capital of BP p.l.c. comprised 19.08 billion ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) par value US$0.25 per share, each with one vote and 12.71 billion preference shares par value 1 per share with two votes for every 5 in nominal capital held.



The ordinary shares to be issued in connection with this transaction will be issued at a price of 4.47 per ordinary share1, which price was determined by reference to an agreed prior pricing period for BP's ordinary shares.



The issuance of the new ordinary shares in connection with this transaction is subject to an application for the admission of those shares to the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange plc. It is expected that Admission will occur within 5 business days.



Following Admission, the issued share capital of BP p.l.c. will comprise 19.47 bilion ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) par value US$0.25 per share, each with one vote and 12.71 million preference shares par value 1 per share with two votes for every 5 in nominal capital held and the total number of voting rights in BP p.l.c. will be 19.48 billion.



These new ordinary shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of US$0.25 each in BP p.l.c., including the right to receive dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of such shares after the date of issue.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Braas Monier and Standard Industries Agree to Amended Offer and Sign Business Combination Agreement

DGAP-News: Braas Monier Building Group S.A. / Schlagwort(e): Firmenzusammenschluss/Rechtssache Braas Monier and Standard Industries Agree to Amended Offer and Sign Business Combination Agreement

18.12.2016 / 20:23 Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent verantwortlich.

Braas Monier and Standard Industries Agree to Amended Offer and Sign Business Combination Agreement

- Shareholders who tender their shares into the offer to receive economic value of EUR 28.50 per currently held share - Braas Monier Board of Directors will unanimously support Standard Industries' amended voluntary takeover offer

LUXEMBOURG and NEW YORK, NY, 18 December 2016. Braas Monier Building Group S.A. ("Braas Monier"), Marsella Holdings S.a r.l. and Standard Industries Inc. (together, "Standard Industries") are pleased to announce an amended offer (the "amended Offer") which the Board of Directors of Braas Monier (the "Board") fully supports and which it will unanimously recommend shareholders of Braas Monier to accept. The parties have today signed a business combination agreement (the "Agreement").

"The Board is very pleased that a mutual agreement has been reached which is favorable for all stakeholders involved. The amended Offer provides excellent value for existing shareholders, who have strongly supported the Braas Monier management and its growth strategy since the IPO," said Pierre-Marie De Leener, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Braas Monier. "For our employees and the management team the combination of these successful businesses will open up new interesting development opportunities while providing increased stability, diversification and scale. Together, we will be in a position to offer our customers access to a broader range of pitched and flat roofing solutions and an improved service experience," said Georg Harrasser, CEO of Braas Monier.

"We are pleased to bring together Braas Monier and Standard Industries with the unanimous support of the Braas Monier Board of Directors for our Offer. We have always believed that the combination of these two companies will create an unparalleled leader in the global roofing and waterproofing industry, one that can focus on creating long-term value by investing in its employees and both product and marketplace innovation," said David Millstone, Co-CEO of Standard Industries. "The combination of Standard Industries and Braas Monier provides tremendous benefit for all stakeholders," said David Winter, Co-CEO of Standard Industries. "The combined business will deliver enhanced scale, geographic diversification and, most importantly, an outstanding brand and product portfolio with which to serve our customers. We have tremendous respect for Braas Monier's employees and management, and look forward to working together to build a new global leader in our industry," he continued.

Increased Offer price The Agreement provides that Standard Industries will increase the offer price to be paid at closing of the Offer from EUR 25.00 by EUR 0.27 to EUR 25.27 per share.

Capital increase In the Agreement, the parties have agreed that Standard Industries will withdraw its litigation against Braas Monier with respect to the proposed 10% capital increase in a timely manner.

The Agreement provides that following the withdrawal of the litigation against Braas Monier with respect to the proposed 10% capital increase, the Board will resolve to issue 3,916,666 new ordinary bearer shares each with a par value of EUR 0.01 and carrying dividend rights as from 1 January 2016 (the "New Shares") from a capital increase by incorporation of reserves, making use of the authorized share capital of Braas Monier. The capital increase will become effective upon the passing of the resolution. The total share capital of Braas Monier will then amount to EUR 430,833.33 and will be divided into 43,083,333 ordinary bearer shares, each with a par value of EUR 0.01.

The New Shares will be allocated to shareholders at no additional cost to them at a ratio of one New Share for every ten currently held shares. Some shareholders may not be entitled to a full number of New Shares, but will receive fractions of New Shares. Any New Share that cannot be allocated to a single shareholder, will be sold and the proceeds there from will be credited proportionately to those shareholders holding the fractions. Under the terms of the Offer and in line with the Agreement, shareholders will be able to tender both their currently held shares and New Shares during the extended acceptance period and/or the additional acceptance period.

Interim dividend Further, the Agreement provides that the Board will resolve to distribute an interim dividend of EUR 0.64 per currently held share and New Shares (equivalent to approximately EUR 27.6 million in total). The interim dividend will be paid at or before 5 January 2017.

Total economic value for accepting Braas Monier shareholders The total economic value of EUR 28.50 represents a 32.8% premium to the 30- day VWAP and a 31.1% premium to Braas Monier's unaffected closing share price of EUR 21.74 on 13 September 2016.

For shareholders who currently hold shares in Braas Monier and who tender such shares into the Offer, it will lead to a total economic value afforded to such shareholders of EUR 28.50 per currently held share, comprising: - EUR 25.00 per share under the initial offer;

- EUR 0.30 per currently held share from the increase of the offer consideration (by EUR 0.27 for each currently held share and New Share); - EUR 2.50 per currently held share from the issuance of the New Shares; and - EUR 0.70 per currently held share from the interim dividend (of EUR 0.64 for each currently held share and New Share).

Shareholders who do not tender their shares or New Shares will not receive the offer consideration of EUR 25.27 per share. Shareholders who acquire shares after the reference date for the issuance of the New Shares will not receive the New Shares in respect of those shares. Shareholders who acquire shares after the reference date for the interim dividend will not receive the interim dividend in respect of those shares. Braas Monier will publish those reference dates in due course.

Recommendation by the Board The Board fully supports and will recommend that shareholders accept the Offer, in accordance with the Agreement. Standard Industries will withdraw its litigation against Braas Monier with respect to the proposed 10% capital increase and will publish the amendment of the Offer in a timely manner. The Board will publish a complete evaluation of the improved terms in an amended reasoned opinion pursuant to Section 27 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Ubernahmegesetz (WpUG)) before the end of the year.

Future of the combined business Standard Industries intends to further develop and to expand the business of Braas Monier and both companies aim to create a global leader in roofing and waterproofing products, which will offer a full suite of roofing products in both pitched and flat roofing and will benefit from a significant manufacturing presence in all key geographies. To ensure stability and continuity, Standard Industries confirms that the current CEO (Mr. Georg Harrasser) and CFO (Mr. Matthew Russell) will remain in office to further develop the Braas Monier business.

Workforce of Braas Monier Standard Industries and Braas Monier acknowledge that the dedicated workforce of Braas Monier is the foundation of the current and future success of Braas Monier, and expressly view the Offer as an opportunity for growth.

Standard Industries intends to continue and further strengthen a constructive dialogue with all of the constituencies of the Braas Monier workforce (including established works councils) and to support Braas Monier in maintaining and developing an attractive and competitive framework to retain an excellent employee base and to strengthen and further develop Braas Monier. In particular, Standard Industries intends to respect the statutory and contractual rights of the employees, works councils and unions of Braas Monier.

Extension of acceptance period Pursuant to Section 21 (5) of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Ubernahmegesetz (WpUG)), the amendment of the Offer will cause an extension of the acceptance period by two weeks. Therefore, the extended acceptance period for the Offer will expire on 6 January 2017 24:00 hours (midnight) CET. The additional acceptance period is expected to commence on 12 January 2017 and expire on 25 January 2017 24:00 hours (midnight) CET.

Braas Monier is being advised by Rothschild in relation to this matter. Rothschild and UBS have provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Braas Monier. Scott Harris in regards to shareholder engagement and Hengeler Mueller and Bonn Steichen & Partners as legal advisors. Standard Industries is being advised in relation to this matter by Moelis & Co. and Deutsche Bank as financial advisors as well as Sullivan & Cromwell and Elvinger Hoss Prussen as legal advisors.

Enquiries:

Braas Monier: Achim Schreck Standard Industries: Melisa Tezanos Director Group Communications / Investor Relations Head of Communications Tel: +49 6171 61 2859 Tel: +1 212 821 1596

CNC Communications: Hering Schuppener Consulting: Harald Kinzler Phoebe Kebbel Tel: +49 69 5060 37579 Tel. +49 69 921874 77

Forward-Looking Statement This document contains forward-looking statements relating to the business, financial performance and results of Braas Monier Building Group S.A. (the 'Company') and/or the industry in which the Company operates. The words 'anticipate', 'assume', 'believe', 'estimate', 'expect', 'foresee', 'intend', 'may', 'plan', 'project', 'should' and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they include statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations and the assumptions underlying them. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections as they are currently available to the management of the Company. Forward-looking statements therefore speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them in light of new information or future events. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on the Company's management's current expectations and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors (including, but not limited to, future global economic conditions, changed market conditions affecting the building materials industry, intense competition in the markets in which we operate and costs of compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards, diverse political, legal, economic and other conditions affecting our markets, and other factors beyond our control). This document is intended to provide a general overview of the Company's business and does not purport to deal with all aspects and details regarding the Company. Neither the Company nor any of its directors, officers, employees or advisors nor any other person shall have any liability whatsoever for any errors or omissions or any loss howsoever arising, directly or indirectly, from any use of this information or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. This document speaks as of its date and the material contained in this presentation reflects current legislation and the business and financial affairs of the Company which are subject to change and audit.

18.12.2016 Veroffentlichung einer Corporate News/Finanznachricht, ubermittelt durch DGAP - ein Service der EQS Group AG. Fur den Inhalt der Mitteilung ist der Emittent / Herausgeber verantwortlich.

Die DGAP Distributionsservices umfassen gesetzliche Meldepflichten, Corporate News/Finanznachrichten und Pressemitteilungen. Medienarchiv unter http://www.dgap.de

Sprache: Deutsch Unternehmen: Braas Monier Building Group S.A.

4, rue Lou Hemmer 1748 Senningerberg Groherzogtum Luxemburg Internet: www.braas-monier.com

ISIN: LU1075065190, LU1498426326

WKN: BMSA01, BMSA02 Indizes: SDAX

Borsen: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Munchen, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange

Ende der Mitteilung DGAP News-Service

531011 18.12.2016

ISIN LU1075065190 LU1498426326

AXC0038 2016-12-18/20:23
"Barry", as you might have guessed, stands for a young, newly-admitted-to college Barack Obama. Barry, the film, traces the early period of Obamas college life at Columbia University, in the fall of August 1981. It doesnt deal as much with his academic life as it does with the situations and circumstances he finds himself in, and how he responds to them. Set in New York (which Barry hadnt visited prior to being admitted to college), this period in Obamas life will later prove to be a defining one, ultimately shaping his views on race, government and what it means to be an American.

The movie opens with Barry, essayed brilliantly by Devon Terrell, reading a letter from his estranged Kenyan father. His father urges him to focus on his studies and goals and not be distracted by his new surroundings. He also promises to write often and looks forward to him visiting Kenya. As fate would have it, this never materialises and his father is killed in a car crash while Barry is still in college. (Obama visited Kenya for the first time in July 2015, while serving as the US president.)

His fathers words stay with Barry. He tries several times to respond to the letter, while in his melancholic moods. Just when he has finally finished writing it, he receives the news of his fathers death from one of his aunts in Kenya. Barry  who has been angry with his father for leaving his mother (played by a very frail-looking Ashley Judd)  is devastated.

Barrys first night in New York is spent on the streets, as he does not have a place to stay. When he visits his future campus that night, he is shooed away by a policeman for not carrying a valid ID. Such a scene repeats later, making him think about racism  a theme that has been delicately but potently woven into the larger narrative by director Vikram Gandhi. Gandhi himself went to Columbia and happened to live in the building next to the one Barry once occupied.

The first 30 minutes of the film fly by, with short, crisp frames capturing the initial weeks of Barrys life in college. One of his first friends is a Pakistani named Saleem (actor Avi Nash, who does a fantastic job) who shows Barry around the nightlife in New York. Saleem is moneyed son and a ex-banker who is perpetually broke due to his addiction to ganja and women. At the first party Barry attends, he hooks up with Charlotte, a white classmate. Charlotte is smitten by Barry, and a sweet and steady relationship develops. When Barrys mother pays a visit, Charlotte admires her as well.

Only at this point in the film, do the scenes start to feel stretched. Judd makes her cameo appearance at this juncture; unfortunately, she doesnt have anything substantial to do in the film apart from worrying over the well-being of her beloved son. Surprisingly, theirs comes across as a pretty unremarkable relationship.

Later, it is Barrys turn to have dinner with Charlottes parents. Before he meets them, Barry is sprucing up his appearance in the washroom. A man, who Barry doesnt know at this point is Charlottes father, asks him to pass a towel. For this, he tips Barry 5 dollars. When Barry joins Charlottes family at the table, he is effortlessly gregarious and at that time you get an inkling of the oratory talent that Obama would later use to great effect in his political career.

Its one of the rare instances when you see Barry display a flash of his future persona. At other times, you see him as observant but meek, contemplative but unsure. There is very little to indicate that his personality will develop into the charismatic one thats now known to the world. What we do get to see, is Barry finally appearing to broker a peace between his internal demons and the external world. As a portrait of a leader in the making, Netflixs Barry is nowhere close to other films in the genre, like Lincoln. At best, it can serve as a minor footnote about the life of the most powerful man in the world, one whose legacy is now uncertain as the baton is passed to his successor.

Barry is now available on Netflix. Watch the trailer here:
DHAKA Bangladesh's tea output in 2016 is expected to hit a record 80 million kg from 66 million a year earlier, the commerce minister said on Sunday, a volume that may be big enough to make imports unnecessary. The country became a net importer of tea after ranking as the world's fifth-largest exporter in 1990s, due to a big increase in domestic consumption."Tea production this year is likely to hit all-time high of 80 million kg, Tofail Ahmed, the minister, told reporters when announcing a tea exposition on Jan. 12-14.Domestic consumption has been rising by more than 3 percent annually, in line with economic growth.

Bangladesh has imported tea mostly from India and Thailand, market sources said.

Tea is sold at the country's sole auction center, in the port city of Chittagong, where most of it is picked up by domestic buyers.Bangladesh also exports a small quantity, mainly to United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where many Bangladeshis work.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
On Saturday, the Defence Ministry said that Lt General Bipin Rawat will be the new Army Chief and Air Marshal BS Dhanoa will be the new chief of Indian Air Force.

The appointment of Rawat has ignored the principle of seniority as Eastern Army Commander, Lt General Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander, Lt General PM Hariz had spent longer time in service. Bakshi was also not appointed Vice Chief when the post fell vacant in September and Rawat brought in from the Southern Command.

Lt General Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa, presently the Vice Chiefs of their respective services, will take over on 31 December, when incumbents General Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha demit office on retirement from service.

Who is Lt General Bipin Rawat?

Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the Eleven Gorkha Rifles in December 1978, from IMA, Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'. He has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control, a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley, and has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations.

Commissioned into the IAF's fighter stream in June 1978, Dhanoa, who has flown various types of fighter aircraft and is a qualified Flying Instructor, commanded a fighter squadron during the Kargil Operations and flew numerous night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

He has also held a number of important operational appointments including commanding a fighter base and leading the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan. He has also served as Chief Instructor (Air) at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) and Senior Air Staff Officer (chief of staff) of two operational commands.

According to a report in The Indian Express, Rawat has authored numerous articles on National Security and Leadership which have been published in various journals and publications. He also has completed his research on military media strategic studies. He also has a Doctorate of Philosophy from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut.

Why was he chosen?

Army Chief appointments are made at the sole discretion of the government  it is free to choose any candidate. In most cases however, the seniority principle is followed, but the government said that it is purely on the basis of merit. The government on Sunday justified the appointment of Rawat by insisting that his operational experience and "general dynamism" tipped the scales in the officer's favour.

"Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in Jammu and Kashmir and his outstanding track record, his familiarity with the functioning of the Army HQ and MoD in his capacity as Vice Chief and his general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour," the sources told PTI.

A report in The Times of India quotes a government source as saying: "He was chosen because he was deemed to be suitable at a time "when the threat from Pakistan and China has increased," and his appointment isn't "a reflection on anyone else." A report in India Today states that Rawat has a decade of counter insurgency ops to his credit and had led his battalion against the Chinese PLA in 1986.

What's the controversy?

As soon as the appointment was announced, the Opposition expressed anger that the government had failed to respect seniority.

"Why has seniority not been respected in appointment of Army Chief? Why have Lt General Pravin Bakshi and Lt General Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded, Mr PM (Narendra Modi)?" Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari posted on his Twitter account on Saturday. "Why has third senior most officer Lt General Bipin Rawat with due respects to his professionalism superseded other two in a hierarchical force?" he asked.

Tewari further corrected himself saying: "Correction... General Rawat is not third but fourth senior most. Even Lt Gen BS Negi Army commander Central Command is senior to him? Why Mr PM?...And I only hope and pray it is untrue that this supersession in the Army is not a precursor to suppressions in other institutions Like SC?" Tewari asked. On Sunday, Tewari held a press conference and raised this issue. "We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supersession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, was not respected," he said.

The CPM on Sunday accused the Modi government of creating controversies over appointments to top posts and said the army should not be dragged into a row.

However, BJP was quick to respond to Congress and the Left front. Hitting back at Congress and the CPM for questioning appointment of Rawat as new Army Chief, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that armed forces should not be dragged into political debate for political gains. "We condemn the Congress's repeated attempts at dragging armed forces into political debate to suit its narrow political ends," BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao said.

Surprise move, but not a first

This is not the first time the seniority principle has been given the go-by by the government. In 1972, the Indira Gandhi government had side-stepped Lt General PS Bhagat, who was next in seniority to then army chief General Sam Manekshaw, who later became a Field Marshal, by giving his junior, Lt General GG Bewoor a year's extension. Bhagat retired in this period and Bewoor then succeeded Manekshaw. In 1983, again under Indira Gandhi, Lt General SK Sinha who most senior was superseded when General KV Krishna Rao demitted office and General AS Vaidya was appointed the chief.

It is likely that in the coming week, the Opposition is likely to rake up the issue more seriously.

With inputs from IANS and PTI
At least 22 cars, buses and other vehicles were torched in some places in Manipur's Imphal East district on Sunday by angry residents protesting against the Naga economic blockade and several incidents of militancy targeting security forces.

Following the heightened tension and violence, parts of Manipur capital Imphal were brought under indefinite curfew and mobile internet services were snapped at various places to prevent spread of rumours.

The curfew was imposed on Sunday afternoon and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district, said an order issued by the District Magistrate. It will continue till further directions.

In Imphal West district, the major areas where violence flared up were around the area where three blasts had taken place within an hour on Friday evening.

The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since 1 November after United Naga Council (UNC) imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifeline for the state.

The blockade was imposed following the state government's announcement of formation of seven new districts, four of which have been formally inaugurated. The UNC claims that the creation of new districts in the Naga dominated hill areas will encroach upon and divide the traditional land holdings of Naga tribes.

The blockade, however, has not only crippled trade and normal life in the state, it also stoked up the existing divide between the valley and the hill populace.

Tension in the state further heightened after suspected militants continued their violent attacks on Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday. The attack was followed by triple bomb blasts at Nagaram area in Imphal West district allegedly by Manipur Naga People's Front on Friday.

In another incident, suspected militants overpowered a small outpost of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Nungkao area on Saturday in Tamenglong district and fled with nine service weapons.

According to a report in News 18, the violence and insurgency in the state  suspected to be carried out by various Naga outfits  has steeped in the recent past, even as the National Socialist Council of Nagaland - Isak-Muivah (NSCN(IM)) leadership claims that a political solution on the lines of Greater Nagalim is on the cards. The situation has worsened so much so that the Manipur Chief Minister urged the Centre in writing to snap all agreements with the NSCN(IM) and revoke the ceasefire at least in Manipur.

Thus, in the aftermath of the economic crisis and insurgency, a group of angry protesters on Sunday took to the streets and torched vehicles coming down from the Naga dominated hilly areas. Even as several vehicles were torched and vandalised, the arsonists did not target the vehicle drivers and passengers. The fire tenders and security forces, however, could not salvage the vehicles due to street blockades and protests.

Expressing the people's resentment against the blockade, activist A Rajen told IANS, "Since the central government is pampering the United Naga Council (UNC) and the militant outfit underpinning it, the situation is getting worse day by day. The Centre is a silent spectator to the indefinite economic blockade imposed against Manipur since 1 November."

The violence comes on a day when a state-wise bandh was called by various civil society groups in the state, including a group of women vendors of Khwairamband Bazaar. The protesters took out marches and forced all transport to stay off-road as they displayed placards saying "Remove NSCN-IM from Manipur", "Declare United Naga Council an unlawful organisation" among others, according to a PTI report.

Earlier in the day, the state Cabinet decided to shut down mobile internet services in Imphal West district with immediate effect, taking serious note on the prevailing situation in Manipur following the three blasts on Friday and the subsequent call for state-wise bandh.

The Cabinet decision came after analysis of the prevailing law and order situation and to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites, officials said.

All measures were being taken to contain violence by deploying a large number of police personnel at sensitive areas of the state, a police officer said.

With inputs from agencies
Hyderabad: The head of a bank was injured when an unidentified person fired at him at his apartment on Sunday, police said.

Manmath Dalai, Chief Executive Officer of KBS Local Area Bank, was shifted to a private hospital and he is said to be out of danger.

The incident occurred in Masab Tank in the heart of the city.

Police said a man came to the apartment inquiring about Dalai. He went to the official's flat and after a few minutes the guard heard the sound of gunfire.

"A bullet hit the bank official in his leg. We have launched a hunt for the unidentified attacker who escaped on his motorbike," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Venkateswara Rao.
New Delhi: To consolidate and expand the maritime relation between New Delhi and Tokyo, India's Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to Japan, reported The Economic Times.

During the visit, Admiral Lanba will hold discussions with the Japanese Navy chief, the Defence Minister and the Chief of Joint Staff besides other senior officials and dignitaries.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is primarily focused towards maritime cooperation, the statement said.

The Navy is waiting for the government's approval to purchase 12 US-2i amphibious aircraft from Japanese aircraft maker ShinMaywa for Rs 10,000 crore.

This will be the largest defence purchase from Japan after it ended its five decades old self-imposed embargo defence export. The deal is stuck since 2013.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force has participated in the Malabar naval exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior to being included as a regular member in the exercise since last year.

The force participated in Malabar 15 and 16 held respectively in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific.

Japan was in 2014 included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, a maritime cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by the Indian Navy in 2008.

Received Admiral Sunil Lanba CNS.His visit will foster closer coop in defence sector with Japan @indiannavy @SpokespersonMoD #ActEastPolicy pic.twitter.com/ZsaqnLh99g  Sujan Chinoy (@SujanChinoy) December 18, 2016

The aggressive posturing of the Chinese Navy in East Asia and South China sea has compelled both India and Japan to formulate a joint maritime strategy.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive exclusive economic zone, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, and both navies have opportunities to learn from each other's experiences.
Many senior army officers will not only be surprised but also deeply dismayed at the governments decision to supersede the Indian Armys two most senior officers while appointing Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Chief of Army Staff. For, not only has seniority been given the go-by, the two officers who command almost unparalleled professional respect have been humiliated.

Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Command, was widely expected to take over as the next chief. Many in the army looked forward to that eagerly. Not only was he the senior most, he is respected as an exceptional officer.

The officer next in line, Lt Gen PM Hariz, is equally respected as an outstanding professional of rare calibre. He has also been superseded.

General Bakshi had been the Chief of Staff of the Northern Command at Udhampur before he took over as Army Commander in the East. He has had hands-on experience of the current situations on the major fronts on which India faces threats from both Pakistan and China. He was perfectly trained, prepared and suited for the top job.

Some senior army officers have even compared generals Bakshi and Hariz  and Lt Gen BS Hooda, who retired at the end of last month as Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Command  with the exceptional General BC Joshi, who was chief in 1993-94. Some rate Joshi as the best Chief of Army Staff India has had since Field Marshal Manekshaw retired in January 1973.

"It is very rare to have three such extraordinary officers near the top of the pyramid at the same time," another very senior officer had remarked earlier this year. Now, the country faces the prospect of losing all three officers. For, it is possible that Generals Bakshi and Hariz may resign rather than serve under their junior.

The worst part of this denouement is that it comes at a time when the country faces a huge security challenge from the Sino-Pak axis. It would be a grave error to think the challenge in Jammu and Kashmir is a thing of the past. Militant attacks keep occurring (three soldiers were killed in one of two attacks reported on Saturday). There has been a lot of infiltration over the past couple of years, and unrest in such disturbed districts as Pulwama continues.

To lose three extraordinarily fine top officers at such a juncture is a compromise on national security. More importantly, this could have an adverse effect on morale down the line  particularly in the higher echelons of a force that has been through a lot of hard knocks in the past few months. Both superseded officers are hero-worshipped by many senior officers.

The fact that Lt Gen Hariz is a Muslim is irrelevant in the Armed Forces, which are more inclusive than perhaps any other major national institution. However, given the doubts that hang over the current governments commitment to the countrys secular ideal, both domestically and internationally, his supersession gives a negative signal.

The greater irony is that this move has come from a government run by a political formation that strongly criticised Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for years after she superseded Lt Gen SK Sinha in 1983. Until now, that was the only time in the life of the republic that the senior most officer in the army was superseded in the appointment of a new chief of army staff.

This sort of thing is far more common in Pakistan, where the army is much more political than the Indian Army has so far been. If supersessions become the accepted and expected norm, officers would tend to invest in relationships with political parties and build other sorts of political alignments in the course of their careers, hoping for rewards.

That would not be good for the army.

It would be even worse for the country.
Following the Saturday's attack on an Army convoy in Pampore that claimed the lives of three soldiers, the Indian Army on Sunday conducted a house to house search in the area in a quest to nab the militants behind the attack.

According to a report by India Today, the Indian Army has cordoned off three villages in the region and a massive search operation is on in the region.

In the lethal attack on an army convoy on Saturday, three Indian soldiers were killed, while two other jawans were injured. The attack was staged at a place crowded with civilians in Pampore of Jammu and Kashmir on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

According to a report in PTI, army sources said that the militants were able to inflict casualties as the forces exercised restraint and did not retaliated in order to avoid civilian casualties.

The army convoy was on its way from Jammu to Srinagar when the attack took place in Pampore.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the militants might have used motorcycles to carry out the deadly attack and search operations were going on in the surrounding areas since Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Indian Army on Sunday payed tribute to the martyrs: Naik (Gnr) Ratheesh, Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar and Gunner Shashikant Pandey.

In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, many senior officials from security agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, BSF and SSB, joined General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the martyrs. Many officials from the civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmed Khan were also present on the occasion.

"Martyr Naik (Gnr) Ratheesh C (35) had joined army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and is survived by his wife and a son," an Indian Army official told PTI.

He said 33-year-old Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar of Bhekrai Nagar village in Pune of Maharasthra had donned the uniform in 2004 and is survived by his wife and twin daughters.

Gunner Shashikant Pandey (24) had four years of service and was on his way to join his unit in the Valley. Hailing from Zharian area of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, he is survived by his parents, the official said.

The mortal remains of the martyrs would be flown for last rites to their native places where they would be laid to rest with full military honours, he said.

With inputs from PTI
Srinagar: In the wake of terror attack on army convoy on Saturday, security of the forces during their movement on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was on Sunday reviewed at a high level meeting chaired by state police chief K Rajendra Kumar who pressed for devising foolproof mechanism.

The Director General of Police later held a meeting with Srinagar-based Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu and discussed implementation of different decisions with regard to strengthening and augmentation of security setup across Kashmir Valley.

At the meeting with officials of police, army and paramilitary forces, Kumar emphasised the need for greater coordination and cooperation among the various forces and agencies.

The meeting was held at District Police office in Awantipora in south Kashmir, some kms away from Pampore where terrorists struck at an army convoy on Saturday, killing three soldiers.

Addressing the meeting, the Director General of Police asked the officers to devise a foolproof plan for the national highway for safe and secure movement of the people and the security forces, a police spokesman said in Srinagar.

Kumar asked the army to strengthen the corridor protection and asked the CRPF to finetune the Road Opening Parties (RoPs) along the highway.

While highlighting the need of tackling the militancy effectively, the DGP said surgical operations with minimum collateral damages should be conducted.

In their respective briefs, the officers gave details of the security arrangements made by their organisations for the highway, the spokesman said.

Earlier, Kashmir Zone Inspector General of Police SJM Gillani briefed the meeting about the security situation of south Kashmir and also highlighted recent operations conducted against the militants, he said.

South Kashmir has recently witnessed a number of terror attacks, including two bank robberies. The DGP told the meeting about the measures taken by the police to investigate and solve the bank robberies.
New Delhi: Recuperating after a kidney transplant at AIIMS, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj continues to promptly respond to pleas for helping Indians abroad  this time from a family which is unable to bring back the mortal remains of a member who died in Tokyo.

Swaraj reassured the family on Sunday in a tweet she sent out from the hospital bed in Delhi, a day after the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sought her help for the family of Gopal Ram who died eight days ago in the Japanese capital.

We will bear all the expenses and do this without delay.@htTweetshttps://t.co/SXVVsI5qaP  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 18, 2016

DCW Chief Swati Maliwal had written to Swaraj seeking intervention after Radha Debi, wife of Gopal, approached the Commission seeking help, saying the family was unable to bring the body due to financial constraints.

The External Affairs Minister is known for her prompt response in addressing problems of distressed Indians abroad, many of whom have approached her through twitter. Even during her hospitalisation, Swaraj, 64, who underwent a kidney transplant on December 10, has continued to respond to requests for help.

48-year-old Gopal Ram, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in delhi, had gone to Tokyo in September last year looking for greener pastures. He died of a cardiac arrest in the Japanese capital on 10 December.

"The family is severely distressed and needs your kind support.

"As we all aware you have been extremely pro-active in resolving such matters. Therefore, I am forwarding the representation along with this letter for your kind perusal. Hoping for your support in this matter," Maliwal said in a letter to Swaraj on Saturday.

Gopal was working in Tokyo as a cook in a hotel and, according to a family member, he was fired within three months after which he started working in some local shop.

His financial condition was bad because of which he was in distress, he said.

On 10 December, the family received a call from a person who worked with Gopal, saying that he has passed away following a heart attack.

"Since then we have been in touch with Indian Embassy officials in Japan and also have written to the MEA but they have asked us to arrange for several documents and it is becoming extremely difficult for us to arrange things as we are financially not sound.

"We want the government of India to help us bring back the body of my father so that we can perform his last rites," Gopal's son Jatin said.
It cannot be denied that Islamist supremacism and exclusivity emanate from the retrogressive movements of preaching and proselytising like the Tablighi Jamat (TJ)  the largest Islamic movement across the world, based in India.

Faith-Based Violence and Deobandi Militancy in Pakistan, a ground-breaking book (edited by Jawad Syed, Edwina Pio, Tahir Kamran and Abbas Zaidi) explores various shades of the Tablighi extremism and its implications for faith-based militancy. This dimension of radical Islam remains largely ignored or misunderstood in mainstream media and academic scholarship, writes Arshi Saleem Hashmi who contributed a chapter in this book on the historical roots of the Deobandi version of Jihadism.

In her research work, Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Implications for South Asia Swati Parashar did a field study on how the students and the faithful at Lal Masjid were strict adherents to the principles of the Tablighi Jamaat, which she considers the largest movement of Islamic preaching in South Asia, with strict adherence to the Deobandi sect of Islam.

Founded in 1926 in an Indian province, Mewat, by a UP-based Islamist cleric Maulvi Muhammad Ilyas Kandhaulvi, the TJ aims at reverting what they call misguided or deviant (bidati) Muslims into puritan believers. According to the Pew Research Centers Religion and Public Life, the TJ spreads across more than 150 countries with numbers ranging from 12 to 80 million. The TJ came into media limelight only after the central Asian countries Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan, once part of the USSR, banned it accusing that the TJ preaches Islam with an extremist outlook.



Ideological Jihadism

An objective study reveals that the TJ has been spawning ground for various forms of a relatively soft-core jihadism in the subcontinent on an ideological level. The present-day violent jihadism dressed in Talibanism in Pakistan and Afghanistan has its theological roots in the Tablighi-Deobandi school of thought. Though, of course, Darul Uloom Deoband the largest Islamic seminary in India has been in the forefront organising anti-terror conferences.

Recently, Darul Uloom Deoband came up with a strongly-worded fatwa declaring the Tablighi Jamaat "misguided" and the preacher of perverted views". Deoband seminary has also urged the current chief of the Tablighi Jamaat, Maulvi Sa'ad Kandhalvi to repent in the court of God. Accusing him of an ideological perversion, misinterpretation of Islamic texts and desecration of prophethood, the fatwa pronounced by the Deoband clergy has stated: It is our religious duty to warn Muslims particularly those with the Tablighi jam'at that Maulvi Sa'ad Kandhalvi, the current chief of the Jama't, is misinterpreting Quran and Hadith.

It is noteworthy that this fatwa was originally drafted for muftis (Islamic jurists), but it was leaked by an Urdu daily, Roznama Sahafat (Lucknow edition), as the front-page news report dated 6 December, 2016 tells us.

Inevitably, several messages and comments were circulated in the social media. Now the fatwa has been made public officially by the Darul Uloom Deoband, which has posted it on its website.

The Deoband seminary has cited a number of statements attributed to the Tablighi Jamaats chief. The fatwa alleges that Maulvi Sa'ad Kandhaulvi in his speech at the Tablighi Jamaats large-scale congregation (ijtema) recently held in Bhopal, spoke many things which went against the canonical understanding of Islam.

Fazail-e-Aamaal: the Tablighi textbook

One accusation is that Fazail-e-Aamaal (the virtues of Islamic actions) the text book Tablighi Jamaat preaches to its followers, contains many things antithetical to the Quran. Such objections over the TJ and its preaching style have been repeatedly raised in the past as well. The Darul Uloom itself confessed that the seminarys clerics have received such complaints earlier too, from various sources including those in Bangladesh and Pakistan, in which the perverted views of the TJ chief were spelled out.

But one wonders why the TJ has been left unchallenged over its more grievous stands which are cultivating the ideological jihadism inherent in its curriculum. Like various texts of Fazail-e-Aamal, another textbook entitled Taleem-e-Islam (the teachings of Islam), contains pro-jihadism exhortations. But both textbooks are valued by the TJ followers as significant as the Quran and Hadiththe two primary Islamic texts. In fact, the common followers of the TJ literally place these books at a pedestal above the Quran.

One of the founding ideologues of the TJ writes in the book "Teachings of Islam" explaining the Jihadi doctrine: Jihad is spreading the kalima (word of God) and enforcing Allah's Commandments." In reality, spreading word of God is not confined to the TJ. All Islamic, Christian, Jewish and other evangelical organisations based on preaching and proselytizing are doing almost the same. But what is quite staggering is the TJs overt exhortations towards enforcing Allah's Commandments.

In the canonical Arabic etymology, kalima is the first article of Islamic faith which enjoins a Muslim to testify that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the last messenger". But it has got an antagonistic connotation after it has been weaved into a 6-point curriculum of the TJ as mentioned in its textbook Fazail-e-Aamal. Muslims are in a constant state of Jihad in the sense of fight against evil. Their weapon is dawa (proselytisation) and their battles are won or lost in the hearts, reads a passage in the book.

Barring ulema and a few preachers associated with the Jamaat, nearly all TJ members have confined their job to reading out Fazail-e-Aamal to the common Muslims. The Tablighi preachers captivate their audiencesmostly uneducated and gullible Muslim youthswith whimsical tales and fabricated hadith reports falsely attributed to the Prophet. A considerable number of Islamic researchers have stated that the entire Tablighi curriculum in general and Fazail-e-Aamal in particular are replete with concocted Hadiths (mauduaat).

The thrust of Fazail-e-Aamal is that leading a true Islamic life is not possible without harbouring hate and animosity towards this world. In fact, the entire life before death is considered futile and worthless. This world (dunya) is similar to a toilet or a prison, as is written in the book Fazail-e-Aamal. The gravity of this belief can be gauged by the fact that most Tableeghi preachers literally place this textbook at a pedestal above the Quran. Consequently, the TJ preachers pride themselves on the notion that they talk only of what is in the heavens above or in the grave below and nothing at all about the world in between.

Such thoughts of religious fanaticism are actually antithetical to the spirit of the Quranic verses that explicitly forbid asceticism (rahbaniyat).

Six-point curriculum

The entire edifice of the TJ is based on the six points which were propounded to initiate the tahrik-e-iman (faith movement). The points are: (1) iman (faith), (2) namaz (Islamic prayer), (3) ilm-o-zikr (the knowledge and remembrance of Allah), (4) ikraam-e-Muslim (respect for Muslims), (5) ikhlas-e-niyyat (sincerity of intention) and (6) tafarrugh-e-waqt (the sparing of time for the dawah or preaching and proselytisation).

In the textbook, Taleem-e-Islam under the sub-heading "General Principles", the TJ writer comments on the six points: "No points of secondary importance should be discussed at any time. Confine all talk to the main points of the Tabligh..There is no gain, honour, happiness, peace or tranquility in this life without adopting and firmly holding on to the work and system of the Tablighi Jamaat."

Thus, in its 6-point curriculum, the TJ declares its core objective as dawa (proselytisation) which is based on an exclusivist notion of enforcing Allah's Commandments. The ideologues believed that Muslims joining the TJ would act upon the Quranic commandment of enjoining good and forbidding evil (Amr bil Ma'ruf wa Nahi an al Munkar). They derived it from the Quranic verse which reads: Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah (3:110).

Tellingly, the way todays literalist Islamists are enjoining the right and forbidding the evil is sometimes obnoxious. An instance can be seen in the recent incident in Mecca, Saudi Arabia which was lambasted in some progressive Saudi newspapers, though not in the mainstream media. On 11 March, 2002, the Mutaweenthe Islamic police in Saudi Arabiadid not allow schoolgirls to escape a burning school, because the girls were not wearing Hijabs or Abayas, and were not accompanied by a male guardian. In this show of enjoining right and forbidding evil, fifteen young girl students died and fifty more were injured, as reported in the Saudi Arabic daily Okaz.

Apolitical

It is widely held that the TJ is an apolitical religious outfit. Scholars like Olivier Roy, a prominent authority on Islam at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and Barbara D. Metcalf have endorsed this perception. While Roy sees to the TJ as an apolitical preaching-to-the-people movement of internal grassroots missionary renewal (The Columbia world dictionary of Islamism, Columbia University Press. p. 430), Metcalf views that the TJ is a quietist, apolitical movement of spiritual guidance and renewal ("Islam and women: The case of the Tablighi Jama`at". Metcalf, Barbara, Stanford University, 27 February 1996).

But these studies are age-old. The former was conducted in 2007 and the latter in 1996. The recent developments have substantially evidenced that the TJ is advancing ahead towards the Indian politics in a bid to correct the countrys course of actions with regard to the Muslims.

An earlier Firstpost article depicted an instance of how the TJs six-point religious principles are being used to arouse the passion of Muslim voters during the UP assembly election campaigns. The recently-established political coalition of the Muslim parties in Uttar Pradesh known as Ittehad Front is garnering votes on the basis of religion. In his latest political promos, the Peace Party leader Ayyud Khan, a medical doctor-turned-politician staunchly exhorted to promote the Tablighi Jamaat in several front-page advertisements published in Inquilab, the largest Urdu daily in India.

Ayyub went to the extent of taking a resolution that if the Peace Party wins in the upcoming elections, he would ask all his party workers to go for Chilla or Khurujthe 40-day tour of the Tablighi Jmaat for preaching and proselytizing.

Barbara Metcalf writes in her book, Traditionalist Islamic Activism: Deoband, Tablighis, and Talibs that the TJ encourages its adherents to follow the pattern of spending "forty continuous days a year and ultimately 120 days at least once in their lives engaged in the tablighi missions".

Even in its preceding history, the TJ maintained its recognition of being apolitical in a shrewd way. It was apolitical when the Indian citizens were fighting the war of freedom from the British colonization. The TJ continued to remain an apolitical onlooker when Pakistan carried out attacks on India in 1971. No words were minced from the TJ leaders in condemnation of the ghastly attack. Recently in the wake of the Uri attack, the TJ masterfully maintained its apolitical status by declining to issue any statements neither in favour nor against. This is precisely what has earned the TJ the two great-sounding epithets: apolitical and quietist.

Similarly in Pakistan, the TJ members officially portray themselves as simple missionaries, but in the recent past, many cases have reported where militants sought accommodation and hideouts in the Tablighi Markaz at Raiwind, as this study shows.

The TJ preachers in Pakistan remain apolitical when Tahreek-e- Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Hizbul Mujahidin or Jaish-e-Muhammad launch attacks on minority religions or sects. After every terror attack, they simply remain silent onlookers, loudly claiming to be peaceful and non-violent. The TJ chief preacher in Pakistan Maulana Tariq Jameelthe global Tablighi televangelistnever denounces the terrorist strikes of the TTP like the one recently launched at Bacha Khan University. This intrigued even the Pakistani defence analyst, Zaid Hamid who questioned him. All terrorists in Pakistan greatly revere Maulana Tariq Jameel, but he never denounces terrorism calling the name of TTP and other terror outfits. The entire youth segment of Pakistani Muslims listens to Tariq Jameels sermons and hence follow his verdicts. But what kind of Ulama-e-Haq (rightful clergy) he is from that he has shut his mouth on the merciless slaughtering of innocent children?, Hamid says in this video .

The author is a scholar of comparative religion, classical Arabic and Islamic sciences, cultural analyst and researcher in media and communication Studies. Views are personal. He tweets at @GRDehlvi and can be reached at grdehlavi@gmail.com
Dehradun: Ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly elections next year, the state government has decided to implement recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission from 1 January, official sources said.

The decision, which will benefit around 2.5 lakh government employees and pensioners, was taken in the state cabinet meeting headed by Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Saturday.

The government employees will get the benefit of the 7th Pay Commission from January 1 next year, they said. The arrears for this year will be paid after the finalisation of the procedure for the same.

As a result of the cabinet's decision, the treasury will have to bear a burden of Rs 3000 crore, they said. The decision to implement the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for government employees of corporation and public venture will be taken by their board and Finance Secretary Amit Negi has been assigned responsibility in this regard.

Dehradun-Haridwar-Rishikesh have been declared metropoliton cities and a consent to make a detailed project report for metro has been given to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

The state government also posed a penalty of Rs 2 crore and Rs 2.5 crore for PG doctors for violating bond of 5 years with the state for essential service.
Twelve venues. 108 days. 97 artists. 31 countries. And more than half a million visitors expected. Thats the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016 for you. Bose Krishnamachari, president of Kochi Biennale Foundation and one of the founders of this global event, is beaming as he says, From the first and second edition, we gathered that it is important the city needs to be engaged with the project. We need to educate the people about what a biennale is, what is involved, what are the art processes, and what can be their involvement.

The first biennale was an emotional one  a carefully-nurtured baby. The second one, establishing your ground. So how does the third one feel? Bose says, Now it has transformed into an institution. People believe in this biennale. We have created an ecosystem for art in India. Art can exist, survive and sustain. In the last eight years, the Foundation and its team have worked to ensure better technical expertise, more training for various teams, and opportunities for the foundation and those associated with us.

The third edition is huge, its ambitious. Sudarshan Shetty, the curator, who was unanimously selected by a ten-member council, has produced large projects at multiple venues. The curatorial difference can be found in the fact that the curator has consciously left open and empty spaces on the property. It is meant for site-specific performances. We want people to visit us more than once, and be part of such performances. There are dances, theatre pieces, traditional music, mime, and much more, adds Bose. A major shift is that with this biennale is the curator wants the public to excavate, to find, to engage in the process. If you give them a signposting, they wont be curious. Let them find their own stories. It should be unique, he says.

The main pavilion has been moved to another location, this time. Sudarshan was very particular that he didnt want people located at only one venue. Even the one at Kottapuram has many activities and performances daily, so there will be a lot of human movement among the 12 venues, adds Bose. The overall look of the biennale has also changed  it was designed by one of the KBF trustees, V Sunil. The third biennale has an improved look and feel. We have upgraded the technology used, the practices being followed. The Tata-supported Video Lab is an example, affirms Riyas Komu, secretary of Kochi Biennale Foundation and one of the founder members of the event. Even the food stalls, seating areas and restrooms are designed very aesthetically and is more hygienic. There has been conscious effort that has gone into it.

So what has the initial response been like? We have first-time visitors and repeat ones, people who have seen and experienced the last two editions. People have shared their positive comments, and it is very endearing, says Bose. I see what he means: in the midst of my interview with him, a visitor walks up to Bose, asking to take a selfie with him, which he readily agrees to. That was his way of appreciating the biennale and the team behind it.

The foundations job isnt just to create a biennale. it believes that education in art and aesthetics has to be taught and not just learnt. In the in-between period of two years, we have been preparing a large national outreach programme, the Students Biennale that features 465 art students from 55 institutions across India. It gives the students the confidence they need to go forward in their careers, and also sends a message to their parents, common men and the general public about the relevance of art and art education, says Riyas.

Another expansive project is the ABC  Art By Children, supported by Merck group  involving 5,000 children from 100 schools in Kerala. It gives them space to engage with art and exhibit their artworks. Conducted as three-day painting and creativity workshops in the schools using various art and theatre techniques, the venture was a grand success, earning a permanent exhibition space at the Aspinwall venue. For us, painting isnt just a visual activity. In our workshops, we have used kinesthetic and auditory activities, children engaging in theatre, storytelling and craft interspersed with painting, says Manu Jose, theatre person and programme head, ABC.

Riyas explains how the biennale has involved and included the common people of Kerala. There is a very exciting, multiple layering of diverse projects, a biennale which is an ongoing cultural acupuncture in Kochi. The biennale is a rejuvenator. The curator has succeeded in spurring discourse from the city and around, he says. We have managed to break the perception of what art is or even what a biennale should be like. There are lots of performances, film screenings, artist talks, mural works, designing, and more for this years visitors.

An interesting feature of this times biennale is the ongoing painting and drawing artworks: every day, a few artists such as C Bhagyanath, Sadanandan and Daniele Galliano will paint and draw over the previous days work, adding layers, one day at a time. So each day, the painting or sketch would look different.

Seen at the opening ceremony of the biennale, last Monday, there was a sense of ownership, by the local people, by the government and by city officials. The biennale is here to stay. All of us  especially the KBF team  have cultivated good relations with people in and around the venues. Even when I go out for a cup of tea at the local chai shop, people come to me and are interested to know more about the biennale and what goes on. He adds that there are systems in place for health, transport and logistics, working with local unions and authorities, to ensure smooth operations.

This year, the Kochi Muziris Biennale has even got its own brand of paint: the Biennale White, provided by Asian Paints. The company invited us to their factory and we suggested a gallery kind of white. This white is a special white, created just for us, Bose says. Everything about this years biennale is new and different. Visit it!
Corfu in Greece may not exactly be similar to Goa but obviously for Mariketty Grana, it struck the right chord and welcomed her. Small wonder then she made it her home and started Thalassa, a Greek taverna in Vagator, a must-go-to place on every visitors list.

Always keen to give Mumbaikars a taste of authentic Greek food, which she felt they were missing, this matriarch of Greek food, and owner-cum-head chef, has finally opened her second outpost in India in Khar, off Carter Road, after having a presence in Goa for ten years. After having tested the waters in Mumbai with a successful pop-up at Olive Mahalaxmi racecourse, Mumbai for six months in 2013, Grana is hopeful people in this city are now ready for her food, as the younger generation is well-travelled and experimental.

Why the delay? We knew it would be hard to find a view that matched the one at Thalassa, Goa. Mumbai being a city that is so busy and chaotic, I was keen to find a spot where people could get away from their busy lives, where time slowed down over good food and wine and just for a couple of hours you escape your hectic lifestyle. Finding a spot that embodied all this, was difficult to find but now when the timing was right, it all fell into place, Grana explains.

When Grana set up Thalassa, one of her objectives was to show that theres more to Greek cuisine than the done-to-death Greek salad. The Thalassa menu thus, boasts of an exhaustive variety of authentic Greek dishes, from saganaki to gyros, and lamb kebabs to moussakas, to cater to every palate. Theres lots of meat and sea food of course, but abundant choices for vegetarians too.

Whether it is taking orders during rush hours, or supervising the dish before it leaves the kitchen or smashing plates on the floor doing the traditional Greek dance, Grana is completely involved and enjoys every minute of being at her taverna. It is my passion that keeps me going, she avers.

Food is something she was attracted to ever since she can remember, as her father ran a restaurant in Corfu and later her sister. A trained chef, she has made use of her familys recipes to serve gourmets, the best of Greek food. And she does not compromise on the ingredients used either. I make my own feta or import it if I have to, but use only the real thing, she declares.

She grew up eating a lot of fresh food, varieties of cheese and wine  all things that Corfu is synonymous with. And by introducing these elements in Thalassa, Grana ensures, you savour a bit of Greece in India.

Intuitive and ready to experiment, Grana actually decided to start Thalassa in Goa ten years ago, based on her gut feeling, after figuring out that her kebabs and wraps, which she sold at stalls at the night markets in North Goa, were immensely popular. Greek food is comfort food that nourishes the soul and Greek cuisine like Indian, has its basis in flavoursome ingredients like garlic, tomatoes, onions, lemon and fresh herbs. How can you go wrong with that? she points out.

Of course, the initial years were not easy. It was Granas determination and grit that kept her going. She recalls, I was a single mother in a foreign country, there was a language barrier. But when your mind is made up and you are focused on your path nothing is a problem. Just a hurdle you have to get over and I did.

Reminiscing about her coming to India she says, I was in search for a new adventure. Circumstances at that point in life along with cosmic forces seemed to conspire to bring me here. I was backpacking around India and was drawn to sunny Goa and the energy of the place just kept me here. It was like love at first sight.

Her energy belies her 54 years and Mariketty Grana can be on her feet all day without complaining. All because she enjoys her work and in fact does not view it as a job or chore. Every aspect of it is done straight from the heart and it shows. She knows most of her guests in Goa personally, remembers their preferences and for the new ones, is happy to guide them. But one thing she never does, even on request  Indianise her food. She prefers to keep it authentic. And after a few visits, guests get used to her food and enjoy it. After all my food is made with love and olive oil, she jokes.

She is happy to hire local talent and has trained them to be the best in their field. There is talent everywhere. Anything can be taught if the person is willing to learn, she says, adding, "I only like my waiting staff to be able to explain what a dish is to a guest who may be a first-timer.

Having lived in Goa for over two decades, Grana loves Indian food. Indian food is delicious and like Greek food can also be very comforting. I love the complexity of the spices and the depth of flavour that develops when cooked right. My favourite dishes are Kerala style curries and parathas, she confesses.

Thalassa is clearly a product of her passion, love for food and a desire to live in Goa. And yes, there is a spiritual connection too, with Goa, Grana says, and heads off.

Mini Ribeiro is a food writer and critic. Follow her blog here.
New Delhi: Facing attack from opposition parties, Government on Sunday justified the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as army chief superseding two commanders, insisting that his operational experience and "general dynamism" tipped the scales in the officer's favour.

The Defence Ministry sources also asserted that selection of Army chief is the sole prerogative of the government and it is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged.

The "outstanding" track record of Lt Gen Rawat, an Infantry officer, as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his familiarity with the functioning of the Army Headquarters and MoD were cited by the Ministry as the reasons for his selection for the top position.

The Ministry sources said all officers in the panel of officers in the rank of army commanders are competent and the most suitable is selected "However, it must be emphasised that the prerogative of selecting the most eligible from the panel is that of the government," sources said. The government of the day takes the final decision choosing the most suitable officer based on various aspects of the security situation in the country and the future scenario, they said, adding in the current environment, counter terrorism and counter insurgency are key issues. "Therefore the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next COAS.

"Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in Jammu and Kashmir and his outstanding track record, his familiarity with the functioning of the Army HQ and MoD in his capacity as Vice Chief and his general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour," the sources said.

A political slugfest broke out over the new army chief's appointment with Congress and the Left asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons" for superseding the senior officers even as BJP hit back saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces. The Ministry maintained "that the selection is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged".

While Lt Gen Rawat is from the Infantry, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior most army commander who was superseded, is from the Armoured Corps.
A political slugfest broke out over the new army chief's appointment by superseding two officers with Congress and the Left asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons" for it even as BJP hit back saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces.

Congress party on Sunday hit out at the Narendra Modi government for what it termed as "playing with institutions" and doing politics in the army even as he wondered if the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Chief of Army Staff was Centre's "whimsical cherry picking."

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari on Sunday questioned as to why the government was avoiding a clarification on this "unprecedented action."

Slamming the government, Tewari said that this supersession could be politically motivated. Tewari also said that undermining the set procedure is not a new thing for the present government.

The Opposition party's comments came just a day after the government appointed Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief superseding his two Lieutenant Generals. Customarily, the senior most army officer is accorded the position but in this case, as the Congress party claimed, Lt Gen Rawat superseded three senior officers in his appointment as the next Chief of Army Staff.

Tewari also lashed out at Modi over the appointment. "Our current prime minister behaves as if he's not answerable to anyone... what compelled the government to take this unprecedented action, don't the people have a right to know," Tewari asked.

Hitting out at the government for dodging questions over the Army Chief's appointment, Tewari alleged, "This government believes that anybody who questions them is anti-national and even questions on the Army Chief's appointment are termed seditious."

Earlier, Tewari had said that every institution has its own dynamics, hierarchy and seniority which is the overriding dynamic of the armed forces not only in India but everywhere in the world.

"With all due respect to Lt Gen Rawat's professionalism and no personal animus towards anybody, there is a legitimate question that why has that supersession taken place," he said.

Arguing that even though three other senior officials, Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen PM Hariz and Lt Gen BS Negi, Army commander Central Command are senior to Lt Gen Rawat, Tewari questioned shouldn't people of the country ask as to what compelled the government to take this decision.

Tewari said, "While Lt Gen Rawat, who is being appointed the COAS, may perhaps have all the requisite credentials but the fact remains that in a hierarchy conscious organisation where the principle of seniority is almost sacrosanct, the supersession of three senior officers raises extremely serious and critical questions of institutional

integrity."

He said now the argument the government will give that Congress did supersession in the 80s and, therefore it has the right to do so is "complete nonsense".

"Every situation has its own context and, therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify a supersession. Therefore, the government needs to answer this legitimate question as to why these senior army commanders were superseded," he said.

"Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason and I guess the Army being a public institution, the country deserves those answers," Tewari said.

Meanwhile, Left parties also raised questions over the appointment. CPI leader D Raja also questioned the government's move and said appointments have become controversial.

"Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVCs, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial," he said.

Terming this as "very unfortunate", Raja said it is not in the interest of democracy and the country.

He said there should be transparency and transparency should go along with integrity and nobody should raise questions. "But now questions are being raised," he added.

BJP, on the other hand, condemned Congress for its attack on the government over the army chief's appointment, saying there should be no politics on defence forces and asserted that Lt Gen Rawat has been elevated keeping in mind the current security scenario.

BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma said the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Lt Gen Rawat's appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

Lashing out at the opposition party, Sharma said Congress by "politicising" the appointment of the army chief was showing its "frustration" after it has been pushed to the "margins" of national politics following successive electoral defeats.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: Facing a tough electoral battle in Punjab next year, Congress has decided not to let sitting MLAs in general seats change their assembly segments and strictly apply the "one family, one ticket" formula by not allowing two people from a family to contest. "These two rules are non-negotiable. We have decided that all sitting MLAs in general seats must defend their own segments. They will not get to replace their seats.

"Replacements will be allowed only in case of 34 reserved seats. Also, the decision to allot one ticket per family is final. It will not be bent," Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh told PTI in an interview.

He said the remaining party tickets for Punjab are likely to be finalised by early next week when the party's Central Election Committee headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi would meet. The former Punjab Chief Minister said allowing sitting MLAs to shift to other constituencies would send "wrong signals" to the party workers. "Everyone must go into this battle thinking they are winning," Amarinder said at a time when many sitting MLAs of Congress, including some senior leaders, want to shift to other constituencies. Among those are six-time MLA from Sanaur Lal Singh, who wants to shift to Samana, but is unlikely to be obliged.

Another MLA demanding a change is Indian Youth Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who is hoping to shift to Muktsar though he represents Gidderbaha in the Punjab assembly. "No changes will be allowed for any general candidates," Amarinder categorically said. Singh also said the first list of 61 candidates announced a few days back reflected the sentiment that the MLAs will have to defend their turfs when it comes to general seats. Former Punjab CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who was seeking to contest from Sunam has been fielded from Lehra, which she currently represents in the assembly. Similarly, the "one family, one ticket" rule will apply, said Amarinder.

"The CEC is likely to meet on Tuesday," he said, as 56 seats are pending declaration. Punjab assembly has 117 seats.

On "one family, one ticket" rule, Amarinder referred to his own family in which his wife and Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur had stepped down in his favour. Similarly, sitting MLA from Qadian Charanjit Kaur Bajwa has stepped down in favour of her brother-in-law Fateh Jung Bajwa. Guriqbal Kaur Babli, the Nawanshahr MLA has vacated her seat for her son Angad Saini whose name has been announced in the first list.

Also, former Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Amar Singh, who was principal secretary to AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh when he was the state's chief minister, has been fielded this time from Raikot reserved seat instead of his brother and sitting MLA GS Boparai. Congress is seeking to wrest power from the ruling Akali-BJP combine after two successive defeats. The state appears set for a tough three-cornered fight with Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party seeking to queer the pitch for both Congress and Akali-BJP alliance.
By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

| BEIRUT/AMMAN

BEIRUT/AMMAN A number of buses containing fighters from east Aleppo and their families left the last rebel-held sector of the Syrian city on Sunday after a deal between rebels and pro-government forces allowed evacuations to resume.Pro-government forces agreed to the deal in exchange for people being allowed to leave two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents. The Aleppo evacuation ground to a halt on Friday after a disagreement over the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya. Syrian state television, citing its correspondent in the city, said on Sunday buses had started to leave east Aleppo where over 15,000 people gathered in a square to wait for the buses. Many had spent the night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures. Some buses and Red Crescent vehicles also arrived at the entrance to the two villages, most of whose residents are Shi'ite Muslims, shortly after the deal was announced, according to al-Manar television. The broadcaster is affiliated to the Lebanese group Hezbollah, an ally of Damascus.However, five buses were attacked and burned on their way there, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media said.State television showed pictures of flames coming from the green buses which have come to be synonymous with evacuations in Syria.Videos broadcast on social media showed men with guns cheering and shouting "God is great" as the buses burned. State media said "armed terrorists", a term it uses for groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad's rule, carried out the attack. Pro-Damascus Mayadeen television said the rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front was behind the attack.Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government "operatives", was responsible.Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes, forcing the insurgents out of most of the rebel-held territory within a matter of weeks.

"EVERYONE IS WAITING"

According to Syria's al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages. A document cited by al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the entire deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in two batches, in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo in two corresponding batches. Following this, another 1,500 would leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Lebanon, which are besieged by pro-government forces.Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya, al-Ikhbariya TV reported.

In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, organizers gave every family a number to allow them on buses. "Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother.Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Assad.UNITED NATIONS VOTE

The chaos surrounding the evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on all sides.

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor the evacuations from Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain.Those who were evacuated on Thursday were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo. Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north.The draft U.N. text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes."A vote has been scheduled for Sunday morning, diplomats said.It was not immediately clear how Russia would vote. Before the draft was circulated to the council, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Friday: "If it is a sensible initiative and we see it on paper, why not entertain this initiative?" Russia, an ally of Damascus that has provided military backing to Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed. (Reporting by Lisa Barrington in Beirut and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman.; Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Angus McDowall in Beirut; Writing by Anna Willard; Editing by John Stonestreet)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Aleppo: Trapped civilians and rebels waited desperately for evacuations to resume from an opposition-held enclave in Aleppo, as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on sending observers to the flashpoint Syrian city.

A rebel representative told AFP an agreement had been reached to allow more people to leave the city which has been ravaged by some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

But there was no confirmation from President Bashar al-Assad's regime or its staunch allies Russia and Iran, which are under mounting international pressure to end what US President Barack Obama denounced as the "horror" in Aleppo.

The UN Security Council was set to meet at 11:00 am (local time) to vote on French proposals to dispatch monitors to oversee evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, but faced resistance from veto-wielding Russia.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said an international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

"Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre told AFP.

Families spent the night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppo's Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations before they were halted on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported.

Abu Omar said that after waiting outside in the cold for nine hours the previous day, he had returned yesterday only to be told the buses were not coming.

"There's no more food or drinking water, and the situation is getting worse by the day," he said, adding that his four children were sick because of the cold.

Dozens of trucks with humanitarian aid crossed the Turkish border Saturday into Syria, piling supplies in a buffer zone.

The government blamed rebels for the suspension of the evacuation which began on Thursday, saying they had tried to smuggle out heavier weapons and hostages.

The opposition accused the government of halting the operation to try to secure the evacuation of residents from Fuaa and Kafraya, two villages under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

In return, the rebels want the evacuation of the towns of Madaya and Zabadani in Damascus province which are besieged by the regime.

Al-Farook Abu Bakr, of the hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, said a deal had been reached for evacuations to resume.

"There will be evacuations from Fuaa and Kafraya, as well as Madaya and Zabadani, and all the residents of Aleppo and the fighters will leave," he said.

But the government did not announce any deal.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters remained in Aleppo's rebel enclave.

A Turkish official said 90 wounded from Aleppo have crossed into Turkey for treatment since Thursday.

Before evacuations were suspended around 8,500 people, including some 3,000 fighters, left for rebel-held territory elsewhere in the north, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Karachi:China has gifted a new crystal chandelier to Pakistan to replace an earlier one at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that was given by it 46 years ago with President Xi Jinping describing the gift as a symbol of their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday unveiled the grand chandelier, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology, at the Mazar-e-Quaid here.

Chinese President Xi in his congratulatory message to his Pakistani counterpart on the occasion said the grand chandelier will become an important symbol of the friendship between the two countries from generation to generation, the APP news agency reported.

Xi, in the message read out by Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, said the crystal chandelier, presented by the Chinese government 46 years ago as a national gift to Pakistan, became an often quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two countries.

"Now the maintenance of the chandelier has been completed smoothly. It will become an important symbol of the friendship for generations between our countries and our peoples," Xi added.

He said China-Pakistan friendship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and contributes to peace and development of the region and the world at large.

"I attach high importance to China-Pakistan relations, and would like to join hands with you to promote greater development of China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperative partnership. May China-Pakistan friendship pass on from generation to generation and retain its full vitality forever," he said. President Mamnoon said China's friendship is Pakistan's precious asset and the gift of the chandelier is a beautiful symbol of this close relationship.
Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump got plenty of attention  but not the kind he was looking for  after a tweet Saturday calling out China for its seizure of an unmanned US naval probe.

"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act," the real estate magnate wrote on his favorite platform.

"Unpresidented" quickly became a top trending topic on Twitter in the United States, as online wags savaged the incoming president for the unfortunate misspelling.

"TrumpSpellCheck  Unpresidentedly effective," tweeted "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling.

"Dear world, most Americans really wish we could be #unpresidented," another user wrote. Even dictionary Merriam-Webster weighed in. "The #WordOfTheDay is... not 'unpresidented'. We don't enter that word. That's a new one," it tweeted.

Trump deleted his tweet after about an hour, replacing it with one correctly using the word "unprecedented." While many mocked the deeply divisive political novice, famous for his verbal tics and gaffes, supporters jumped to his defense and said critics were piling on about a typo while ignoring the bigger problem.

Hours after his first tweet, Trump returned to his preferred forum of Twitter to write: "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" Trump was referring to China's seizure on Thursday of an unmanned US naval probe in international waters of the South China Sea, a serious provocation amid rising tensions between the two major powers.

Trump has repeatedly infuriated Beijing in recent weeks, questioning longstanding US policy on Taiwan, calling Beijing a currency manipulator and threatening to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. Both Beijing and Washington confirmed Saturday that the probe would be returned, without providing details of the handover. But China's Ministry of Defense also slammed alleged American "hyping" of the incident as "inappropriate and unhelpful." On Friday, the Pentagon had called on Beijing to "immediately" return the probe that it had "unlawfully seized."

The incident comes amid broader tensions in the South China Sea, where China has moved to fortify its claims by building out tiny reefs and islets into much larger artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have competing claims in the waterway that includes some of the world's most heavily traveled international trade routes.

Here's a few more tweets from #TrumpSpellCheck hashtag:

Believe me. I know words, I have the best words. You're going to be tired of how tremendous my words are. #unpresidented #TrumpSpellCheck  Michael Holota (@MHolota) December 18, 2016

That time you see "deplorable" added to a trump follower's profile. And it is misspelled. #trumpspellcheck #trumpeducation. #Election2016  Eileen Dorn (@eileenlynnedorn) October 26, 2016

#trumpspellcheck comes along just in time for the grammar nazis to rebrand as the friendly neighborhood alt-write.  Roboseyo (@roboseyo) December 18, 2016

@jk_rowling Ooh, it would be excellent to have TrumpSpellCheck to go with the Drumpfinator Chrome Extension.  Aarthi (@Arty_Artie) December 17, 2016

With inputs from AFP
By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

| BEIRUT/AMMAN

BEIRUT/AMMAN Armed men burned five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria on Sunday, holding up a deal to allow thousands to depart the last rebel pocket in Aleppo, where evacuees crammed into buses for hours, waiting to move. In return for the evacuation of fighters, their families and other civilians from Aleppo, mostly Sunni insurgents have agreed that people in the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Shi'ite villages they have besieged near Idlib, should also be allowed to leave. Videos posted on social media showed bearded men with guns cheering and shouting "God is great" after torching the green buses before they were able to reach the villages and pick up the evacuees. State media said "armed terrorists", a term it uses for all groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, carried out the attack. Pro-Damascus Mayadeen television blamed the rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front.Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government "operatives", was responsible. Hours after the incident, as the Aleppo evacuees waited on their buses, it was still unclear what impact the bus burning near Idlib would have on the wider agreement.The commander of forces allied to Assad said on Sunday there was still a chance for states with influence over rebel groups to find a solution to evacuate civilians safely.In a statement carried by a military news outlet run by Damascus's ally, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, the allied forces leadership said responsibility for the delay in the evacuation falls with "terrorists and their state sponsors".Some 40 km (26 miles) to the northeast, hundreds of fighters and their families in Aleppo sat or stood in buses after a deal on Sunday to resume evacuations after a three-day hiatus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was no sign the buses had left Aleppo or the villages, and a passenger on one told Reuters he had been on the bus for four hours and was still in the city's rebel enclave. Syrian state television, citing its correspondent in the city, said buses had started to leave east Aleppo where over 15,000 people had gathered in a square to wait. Many had spent the night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures.Some buses and Red Crescent vehicles arrived at the entrance to al-Foua and Kefraya shortly after the deal was announced, according to al-Manar television, a broadcaster affiliated with Hezbollah.

Soon afterwards, reports that some of them had been burned began to circulate. Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes, forcing the insurgents out of most of the rebel-held territory within a matter of weeks. "EVERYONE IS WAITING"

According to Syria's al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages. A document cited by al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the entire deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in two batches, in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo in two corresponding batches.

Following this, another 1,500 would leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Lebanon, which are besieged by pro-government forces.Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya, al-Ikhbariya TV reported.In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, organizers gave every family a number to allow them on buses. "Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother.Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Assad. They were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo. Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north.

UNITED NATIONS VOTE

The chaos surrounding the evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on all sides.The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor the evacuations from Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain.The draft U.N. text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes."However, Russia said it would veto the draft resolution."We cannot support it, we cannot allow it to pass because this is a disaster. But there could be another thing which could be adopted today by the Security Council which would accomplish the same goals," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters.He circulated a rival Russian text to council members during a closed-door meeting on Sunday ahead of a planned vote on the French draft.Russia, which has provided military backing to Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed. (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Angus McDowall in Beirut and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Anna Willard; Editing by John Stonestreet and Robin Pomeroy)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Stephen Kalin

| ERBIL, Iraq

ERBIL, Iraq Seven-year-old Anas lies in a hospital bed in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, his little body wrapped in bandages following four surgeries to remove shrapnel that shredded his intestines. He is considered lucky for being alive. Two of his brothers did not survive the Islamic State mortar attack three weeks ago on their family's home in Mosul. One boy died immediately, the other after reaching the emergency room. "I saw them and then I fell to the ground and fainted," Anas said in a strained whisper, sometimes wincing from pain. At the time of the attack, Anas and his family may well have believed they were finally safe after 2-1/2 years of deprivation and cruelty under the Islamists' hardline rule.Their house was in an eastern neighbourhood the Iraqi government had declared "liberated" by its forces in their battle to recapture Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq. But the military's advance has been slow and punishing, and nine weeks in they have retaken just a quarter of the city.When elite army troops arrived in their districts and the jihadists beat a retreat, many residents fled towards the relative safety of camps outside the city. But a growing number of civilians, like Anas and his brothers, are being dragged back into violence at the moment of their supposed deliverance.Iraqi authorities do not release statistics about those killed or wounded in the Mosul campaign in an apparent effort to maintain morale, but a month ago the United Nations warned that civilian casualties were overwhelming the capacity of the government and international aid groups operating in the area.Since then, the situation seems to have deteriorated.

Iraqi security officials at the Erbil hospital where Anas is being treated say dozens of wounded people from the Mosul area arrive each day, and that the majority are civilians. A Kurdish medical official said military personnel make up the larger portion. Reuters could not verify either account but patients at the Emergency Medical Center hospital include both civilians and members of the armed forces.Relatively peaceful Erbil, just an hour's drive from the frontline, lies in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Its own peshmerga forces have pushed back Islamic State across the north, expanding its territory and becoming a haven for evacuees.SURVIVING ON PAINKILLERS

Nour, a little girl with blonde hair, sits in a wheelchair at the far end of a ward for women and children. Her left lower leg, concealed by a blanket, is held together by metal pins that stick out several centimetres.Nour's aunt said her niece was hurt in an air strike two months ago on their village south of Mosul. Both the Iraqi military and a U.S.-led coalition backing Baghdad are bombarding Islamic State in the region.The international coalition, which is also bombing in Syria, has acknowledged killing 173 civilians since strikes started in 2014, significantly lower than estimates made by other groups.The doctors say Nour needs surgery abroad, but the cost is prohibitive so for now she subsists on painkillers. Her aunt was permitted to accompany her to the hospital, but her parents and siblings cannot visit because of restrictions on Arabs entering the Kurdish region, which has already accepted more than one million displaced people since Islamic State seized large swathes of the country's north and west in 2014.

As soon as Nour's condition improves she will most likely have to go live in a government-run camp in the Kurdish region or return home despite the continued presence of Islamic State remnants there.As Nour and her aunt spoke to Reuters, a woman stretched out on a nearby bed began weeping. She was wounded in an explosion last month that killed her husband and blew the legs off her eldest son."The army told us to go out to a safe place," she whispered amid sobs. "We hadn't moved even 100 metres and at the third house Daesh (Islamic State) had planted a mine next to the door."Iraqi security forces wounded in Mosul are stabilised at Erbil hospitals before being airlifted to Baghdad for further treatment. Many of their casualties come from snipers or suicide car bombs.One soldier from the elite counter-terrorism force was shot in both legs last week. Another was hit by a bomb released from an Islamic State drone, a relatively new addition to the jihadists' improvised arsenal, which took him by surprise."'Where did that come from, the sky?'" he remembers thinking about the blast. (Reporting By Stephen Kalin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Yangon: Myanmar forces have occupied Gidon outpost, a stronghold of the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA), in a clearance attack, Myanmar media reported on Sunday.

The government troops managed to take over the outpost and the headquarters on Saturday amid fierce resistance from the KIA, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the crossfire, both sides suffered heavy casualties, the report said, adding that the government troops were still carrying out area clearance operations.

Meanwhile, two explosions hit Kyaukme district police headquarters in northern Shan, blowing away window panes of the office but causing no injuries.

Conflicts erupted in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan province on 20 November after rebels' three armed groups launched attacks on military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai towns and the border trade zone.

Sporadic clashes between the government troops and the three armed groups  Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)  continue.
Karachi: Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners are likely to end a self-imposed ban on screening of Indian films on Monday that was put in place amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the Uri terror attack.

Zoraish Lashari, Chairman of the Film Exhibitors Association, told reporters that after thorough discussions with parties concerned, it has been decided screening of Indian films would resume from 19 December.

"The cinema owners and other stakeholders in the industry have been hit by the decision to impose a temporary suspension on screening of Indian films. A lot of investment has been made into upgrading or building new cineplexes and multiplexes and the business at this time is dependent on screening of latest Indian films," he said.

Lashari said the cinema owners and exhibitors had only taken a self-imposed suspension of screening of Indian films and that it was not a ban.

The Pakistan Film Exhibitors and Distributors Association, which includes most owners of cineplexes, multiplexes and single screen cinemas in the country, had announced to "temporarily" stop screening Indian films soon after tensions escalated between Pakistan and India over cross border firing incidents in late September.

The exhibitors and cinema owners had taken the decision voluntarily after the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) announced a ban on Pakistani artistes and technicians working in India.

Sources in the industry told PTI that most of the cinema owners, exhibitors and importers of Indian films had got panicky after Pakistani films including old and fresh releases and even latest Hollywood movies failed to fill up the halls.

"Plus in recent weeks several Indian films have been released while everyone is eagerly anticipating the release of Aamir Khan's "Dangal"," a source said.

One source, however, said some cinema owners were still apprehensive of any backlash from religious parities or groups once they resumed screening of Indian films and have asked for protection if required.

"A private media group is presently trying to import and release "Dangal" in Pakistan," the source added.

Lashari said that first unreleased Indian films would be screened after which they would have negotiations with Indian distributors to continue the import of movies into Pakistan.

Pakistan's leading English newspaper "Dawn" had in a editorial last month termed the ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistani cinemas as "damaging" and said Pakistani cinema houses were losing money because of the move.

"Political concerns are indeed genuine, but they should not come at the cost of cultural exchanges that bring benefits to both sides of the border," the editorial had said.

The Media and Marketing Manager of a major chain of cineplexes, Sabina Islam, said 75 per cent of the revenues generated in the industry came from screening of Indian films.

Pakistan is considered as the third largest market for Indian films.
Warsaw: Poland's political crisis crossed a new threshold this weekend, with parliament blockaded by protesters, its main chamber taken hostage by opposition lawmakers and critics claiming media freedom had been threatened.

Fresh protests kicked off Saturday in Warsaw, with several thousand demonstrators waving Polish flags, blasting air horns and chanting "Stop the devastation of Poland".

They marched to the heavily guarded parliament building to voice anger at the governing rightwing Law and Justice (PiS) party and measures including its plans to impose new restrictions on media coverage of the chamber.

"I don't want to see Poland turned upside down" by the PiS, a protester in her 60s, Malgorzata Kramarz, told AFP on Saturday.

She was referring to the controversies over government action on several issues ranging from tightening the abortion law to changes to Poland's constitutional court's decision-making rules, which sparked a crisis.

Opposition anger boiled over on Friday with dozens of Polish MPs seizing parliament's main chamber over the plans to restrict journalists, as thousands of demonstrators marched outside in support for their stance.

The speaker of parliament had to interrupt the session and hours later transferred the proceedings to another gallery so lawmakers could vote on the state budget for 2017.

The quorum for the vote was met, though the opposition slammed it as illegal.

Meanwhile the protesters blocked the exits of the parliament building, with Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and PiS party chief Jaroslaw Kaczynski only managing to leave the building overnight by forcing their vehicles through the crowd with the help of police.

'Violation of the law'

The restrictions planned by the conservative party grant access to the parliament's press gallery to only two journalists per outlet, and ban them from shooting still pictures or video.

The limits prevent the media from recording images of lawmakers when they break the rules, for example by voting for an absent colleague.

The PiS has defended the measure, saying it seeks to ensure a comfortable work environment for both lawmakers and journalists.

"It's definitely not meant to reduce transparency," PiS lawmaker Arkadiusz Mularczyk said previously.

On Saturday the main opposition parties announced they would seek an investigation into the budget vote, while dozens of lawmakers remained in the chambers and pledged to remain until next week.

The prime minister's spokeswoman denounced "a violation of the law", referring to the opposition's taking over of the parliament chambers.

Emerging from a long silence, Poland's President Andrzej Duda called for calm, expressing his "worry" over the turmoil and offering to mediate.

European Union President Donald Tusk, a former Polish premier, called on the government during a ceremony in Warsaw to respect "the people as well as the principles and values of the constitution".

"When we deprive people of access to information or when we impose a single way of living, democracy becomes as unbearable as a dictatorship," he said.

The battles PiS has fought since coming to power about a year ago have not undermined its support, with the latest polls giving it a roughly 35 percent approval rating. That score beats the combined ratings of the two main opposition parties.

The government's success is due in part to its flagship project, a child allowance programme that gives families a monthly 500 zlotys ($120, 112 euros) for every child after the first.
Beirut, Lebanon: Gunmen attacked buses sent to evacuate people from two pro-regime villages in northwest Syria on Sunday but a senior military source said the incident should not disrupt parallel evacuations from Aleppo.

Thousands of people were to leave the last rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo in exchange for residents leaving Fuaa and Kafraya, Shiite villages, in the neighbouring province of Idlib.

But two dozen armed men attacked buses on their way to the villages under rebel siege, an AFP reporter said.

They made the drivers get out, opened fire on the vehicles and set fire to the fuel tanks of at least 20 buses, the reporter said.

The attack came after five other buses had entered the villages.

The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two member groups of a coalition of Islamist rebels controlling most of Idlib had disagreed over the evacuations.

Fateh al-Sham Front, which was formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front before renouncing ties with Al-Qaeda, disagreed with Ahrar al-Sham over the deal, the monitoring group said.

But the military source said the attack should not affect any of the evacuation operations.

"There's collective will for the deal to stay in place. There must be solutions for all obstacles," the source said.

Dozens of buses on Sunday began entering the last rebel-held parts of east Aleppo to resume the evacuation of thousands of increasingly desperate trapped civilians and rebels.

The operation was suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of evacuees had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

In mid-November, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad launched a blistering offensive to seize all of Aleppo, where rebel areas have been besieged by regime forces since July.

A senior Iranian official on Sunday complained of bias in attitudes towards civilians in east Aleppo and those of the two Shiite villages.

"While the Western-Hebrew-Arabic media have united to spread false information on the human losses in Aleppo, they remain silent on the need to evacuate the wounded and elderly from Fuaa and Kafraya," said Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
CAIRO Ten policemen in Egypt have been charged with torturing a man to death at a police station in Cairo in November, a judicial source and the victim's lawyer said on Sunday.Rights groups say police brutality is widespread in Egypt, enabled by a culture of impunity, and a string of incidents have triggered protests and riots in the past year. Anger at police was also major factor in setting off the 2011 uprising that ended President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. Magdy Makain, a middle-aged street vendor died in custody at a police station in Al-Amiriah in Cairo in November. He was taken in after a traffic argument with police but not formally arrested or charged with a criminal offence, according to local media.Photos purported to be of Makain's body baring signs torture on his legs and face circulated on social media.Egypt's public prosecutor ordered four of the policemen to be kept in custody. They also face charges of forging reports and using force against two other men held with Makain at the police station, the judicial source said.

The six other policemen were released on a 3,000 Egyptian pound ($160) bail. If found guilty, the men could face the death penalty, said Mohamed Othman, Makain family's lawyer.

In February, a policeman shot dead a driver in a Cairo street in an argument over a fare, prompting hundreds of people to protest outside the security directorate. In April, a policeman shot three people in a Cairo suburb after an argument over the price of a cup of tea, killing one of them, which also caused a riot.There were also riots in the northern, Suez Canal city of Ismailia and southern Nile city of Luxor over the authorities' handling of at least three deaths in police custody in a single week in November last year.

Egyptian security forces have faced further scrutiny over the killing of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni in Cairo this year. Human rights groups say his death bore the hallmarks of torture by Egyptian security services. They deny involvement. (Reporting Haitham Ahmed; Writing by Amina Ismail; Editing by Ahmed Aboulenein and Raissa Kasolowsky)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Aden: On Sunday, a suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 40 Yemeni soldiers in Aden, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the country's second city.

Military officials and medics said many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

"The number of those killed has exceeded 40 with some 50 others wounded," Aden health chief, Abdel Nasser al-Wali, told AFP, adding that the death toll was likely to mount due to "critical cases."

Medics had initially given a toll of 30 dead.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber "took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them".

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a "martyrdom seeker" had gotten through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the 10 December attack, claiming that it tends to avoids "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.
It is difficult to imagine a more powerful indicator of the dynamism and promise of the food and beverage industry than the emergence of venture capital funds targeted specifically at the sector. Recognition of this potential extends beyond the investment community.

With the industrys largest and more mature companies seeking new avenues for growth, many have established such venture funds in pursuit of innovation and to avoid the high multiples involved in acquiring such businesses as Annies and Applegate Farm later in their development.

Beyond the high cost of acquisitions, there are other reasons why venture capital investing has become a preferred avenue toward innovation in food and beverage. Most notably, the process allows manufacturers to test new product concepts outside of their higher-equity stables of brands, brings less risk to the innovation process and may ultimately lead to less expensive acquisitions.

Food and beverage companies active in the venture capital market include Nestle S.A.; The Coca-Cola Co.; General Mills, Inc.; Kellogg Co. and others. In some cases, the creation of a fund may reveal the pursuit of strategic shifts. For example, Tyson Foods, Inc., one of the worlds largest meat protein providers, recently created Tyson Ventures L.L.C., a $150 million fund that will focus on opportunities in alternative proteins, food waste and food insecurity and improving the supply chain through technology.

The funds first investment was a 5% stake in Beyond Meat, a California manufacturer of meat-free burgers and single-serve meals. The move may be viewed as recognition by Tyson Foods that the greatest future growth in protein lies beyond its core markets for chicken, beef, pork and prepared meals.

The Campbell Soup Co. entered into a partnership with Acre Venture Partners earlier this year to create a $125 million fund. Denise Morrison, president and chief executive officer of Campbell Soup, said about the companys participation in the fund that defining the future of food requires new approaches and new business models.

The fund reinforced Ms. Morrisons statements when Campbell Soup invested in a personalized nutrition meal delivery service called Habit (see related story on Page 36). What stands out about the investment is how it differs so widely from Campbell Soups current business mix. Habit uses personalized data generated from a number of indicators, including DNA testing, to create customized meal plans. As part of the program, Habit will prepare the customized meals and deliver them as well.

The venture fund approach also suggests a belief that new brands may incubate more effectively in small, nimble businesses versus under the stewardship of the largest consumer packaged goods companies. A study published earlier this year by the consultancy A.T. Kearney highlighted how small- and mid-size food and beverage companies have seen sales increase at the expense of the industrys 25 largest companies. The top 25 food manufacturers in the United States, which include companies with annual revenues of more than $4 billion each, have ceded 300 basis points to small- and medium-size competitors since 2012 and have grown revenue at 1.8% compared with 11% to 15% for smaller companies, according to the report.

A similar study published by the market research firm I.R.I. in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group shows small companies, those with less than $1 billion in sales, and mid-size companies, those with sales between $1 billion to $5 billion, accounted for 46.4% of total C.P.G. sales in 2015, a 2.7% gain since 2011. The gain translates into an $18 billion shift in the $670 billion C.P.G. market during the past four years, according to the study. The shift has taken place as more niche companies are establishing themselves in specific categories as viable competitors to some of the largest C.P.G. companies.

Whether any of the early-stage investments prove scalable and brings the growth companies are seeking remains to be seen. A great positive is that so many companies are willing to embrace ideas and approaches outside of their traditional business models. It shows an openness that is required to identify ideas that may be considered truly innovative.
General Dynamics (GD 1.42%) landed a huge arms contract in August when Saudi Arabia requested permission to purchase $1.15 billion worth of M1 Abrams main battle tanks for its army. At least, the contract looked huge at the time. Now, it looks positively tiny...

Because General Dynamics just scored a second tank contract last week that's 50% bigger.

We want to tank you for your business!

Once again, General Dynamics is benefiting from turbulence in the Middle East.

As we learned earlier this week from an official U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notification to Congress, the government of Kuwait has asked Congress to approve the sale of a "recapitalization" package for 218 of its M1A2 main battle tanks. According to DSCA, this recapitalization will include the sale of 240 .50-caliber M2A1 machine guns and 480 7.62 mm M240 machine guns to install on the tanks, plus upgraded armor and engines, new 120 mm cannon tubes and remotely operated weapons stations, and assorted radios, night vision goggles, infrared sights, and other hardware.

In total, the recapitalization, which is essentially a rebuilding and upgrading of the entire tank fleet, will be worth $1.7 billion in revenue to principle contractor General Dynamics, which builds the M1. Other companies named as principal contractors include American contractors Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Honeywell, and also Norwegian defense giant Kongsberg.

What it means to investors

When you take the $1.15 billion Saudi tank deal from August, the $668 million Stryker sale that General Dynamics just scored in Peru, and now the massive $1.7 billion win in Kuwait, General Dynamics has put together more than $3.5 billion in armored vehicle contracts in less than half a year.

This amounts to nothing less than a lifeline for General Dynamics, which only a couple of years ago was facing the imminent threat of having to close down its Lima, Ohio, tank-building factory due to a lack of new orders. Recently clocked at a production rate of just 10 tanks per month, Lima now has enough work to keep it busy for years -- building and upgrading not just Abrams main battle tanks, but Strykers as well. (The Stryker, originally built in London, Ontario, by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, had some of its production shifted to Lima to help take up underutilized capacity at the tank plant.)

From a dollars-and-cents perspective, the news is just as good for General Dynamics investors. According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, General Dynamics earns about a 15.6% operating profit margin on armored vehicles such as the Abrams and Stryker. The $3.5 billion in sales represented by General Dynamics' three new contracts thus promises to produce profits to the tune of $550 million for General Dynamics -- nearly $1.80 per share. Even for a company that earned more than $9 per share in profits last year, this is obviously a big deal.

And remember: All of this is before General Dynamics even begins executing on the even bigger foreign arms deal it inked back in 2014, to sell Saudi Arabia $13 billion worth of light armored vehicles (LAVs). According to Canada's The Globe and Mail, General Dynamics is still just gearing up to begin delivering on that contract. But Canada has begun issuing export permits for the vehicles, and shipments should begin any day now.

Once it does, the profits are really going to start flowing for General Dynamics.
As we look back at what's transpired in 2016, it could rightly be argued that this was the most successful year ever for marijuana.

2016: Marijuana's most successful year ever

Entering 2016, 23 states had legalized cannabis for medical use, while residents in four states -- Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Alaska -- had approved the sale of recreational pot to adults ages 21 and up. Furthermore, Gallup's 2015 marijuana poll found that 58% of Americans favored the legalization of recreational weed.

Now, less than two weeks before the end of the year, 28 states have legalized medical cannabis, two of which did so entirely through the legislative process (Ohio and Pennsylvania). The number of recreational pot states has also doubled to eight from four, with residents in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada all approving statewide initiatives to legalize adult-use weed. Even marijuana's public approval has increased, with the 2016 Gallup poll finding that 60% of Americans want to see pot legal across the U.S. -- a new all-time high. For added context, just 25% of Americans wanted to see marijuana use legalized two decades ago.

The proof of marijuana's success can be seen in its election near-sweep (sorry, Arizona), as well as in the rapidly growing legal dollar figures behind the industry. Investment firm Cowen & Co is forecasting compound annual growth for the legal pot industry of nearly 24% through 2026, while ArcView is calling for 30% annualized legal sales growth through the end of the decade.

Marijuana's expansion could very well lead to an employment boom within the industry, with some pundits calling for a 100% to 200% increase in pot jobs available in the near future. CNBC is estimating that the cannabis industry already employs about 150,000 people, so we could be talking about another 150,000 to 300,000 jobs being created solely because of marijuana's state-level expansion.

However, outside the marijuana industry, it could be another story.

A nightmare for employers is brewing

While marijuana's expansion is setting up bountiful opportunities within the pot industry, it could be narrowing employment opportunities elsewhere.

Even though more than half of all U.S. states have legalized medical cannabis, and more than a fifth of the U.S. population will soon have access to legal recreational cannabis following the November elections, the federal government still holds marijuana to be a schedule 1 substance. Schedule 1 drugs are deemed to have no medical benefits and are thus illegal. Employers are within their right to follow federal law during the hiring and/or employment process and administer drug tests that screen for marijuana, even if the state a worker resides in has legalized medical and/or recreational pot. Given that marijuana can stay in a person's system for a considerable amount of time, this could prove a problem for infrequent users in legal states, and especially for medical marijuana patients who need the drug to treat a specific ailment.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, companies in certain safety-sensitive industries, as well as those that operate directly with the federal government, are unlikely to relax their drug-testing qualifications for initial or continued employment. Industries such as trucking and construction, which require the user to operate heavy machinery, are almost assuredly not going to budge on their marijuana-testing standards, especially with the full effects of marijuana on drivers still not fully known.

Likewise, federal contractor Boeing (BA 6.27%), which employs nearly 162,000 -- many of whom are in Washington and California -- has firmly stated that it has no intention of changing its drug-testing policy regardless of what laws individual states pass. According to the company, "As a federal contractor, The Boeing Company's Drug Free Workplace policy is based on federal standards which define marijuana as an illegal drug. Therefore the use of marijuana by Boeing employees is prohibited." For what it's worth, Boeing hasn't experienced major shifts in hiring despite the passage of recreational marijuana laws in Washington state, but that isn't the case with other industries where it has been difficult to find workers to hire who can pass (and continue to pass) a drug test.

Barry Sample, the aptly named Director of Sciences and Technology for Quest Diagnostics, the company that handles most drug testing for employers, told the Los Angeles Times that most California employers don't plan to change their policies on marijuana, and many of those in Washington and Colorado that had suggested they would alter their drug-testing policies have not followed through.

A reminder of marijuana's many challenges

If there's a lesson to be learned behind the growing clash over legal state-level marijuana use and employers that ardently oppose their employees' use of pot, it's that marijuana's path to success is probably more challenging than most people realize.

Until marijuana is rescheduled by the federal government, many employers that are currently testing for it (along with other illegal substances) are probably going to continue to do so. But that's the problem -- the federal government isn't liable to alter its stance on cannabis anytime soon. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency had its opportunity to reschedule pot this summer but declined. The DEA cited a lack of safety and medical evidence, as well as a lack of knowledge surrounding the chemical makeup of marijuana, as reasons for declining to reschedule pot. Petitions that call for the DEA to reschedule or de-schedule marijuana can take years to review.

Also, even though President-elect Donald Trump has demonstrated support for medical marijuana, it doesn't mean that Republican leaders in Congress will agree. Of the states that have not legalized medical marijuana, many are led by Republican legislators.

These employment challenges compound a number of existing challenges that actual marijuana businesses are also facing, which stem from the federal government's stance on marijuana. As long as cannabis stays as a schedule 1 substance, access to basic banking services (i.e., checking accounts and lines of credit) will remain constrained, and pot industry businesses probably won't be able to take normal business deductions come tax time.

Though marijuana's expansion could continue in 2017 and beyond, it's expected to be filled with some sizable hiccups and speed bumps. That's more than enough for this Fool to keep his investable money far, far away from this perceived-to-be-high-growth industry, and it should give you a reason to pause as well.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
U.S. Republican and Democratic senators called on Sunday for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russia's alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

Charles Schumer, who will be Senate Democratic leader in the new U.S. Congress in January, and Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said separately on Sunday a select committee was needed to ensure effective congressional focus on the hacking of Democratic Party emails during the campaign.

"The fact that they're hacking our political system and trying to influence the outcome, as it seems to be, that is serious, serious stuff," Schumer of New York told a news conference in New York. He said the panel should also examine hacking by other countries including China and Iran.

Two other senators, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, joined Schumer and McCain of Arizona in sending a letter to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell requesting the panel.

By having one dedicated committee on the subject, they said, the investigation could be targeted, while avoiding the jurisdictional overlap that would occur if multiple panels started conducting their own reviews.

"Recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American," they wrote.

"Cybersecurity is the ultimate cross-jurisdictional challenge, and we must take a comprehensive approach to meet this challenge effectively."

A spokesman for McConnell's office said on Sunday he would review the letter from the four lawmakers.

Last week, McConnell said he would support efforts to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia tried to influence the Nov. 8 election by hacking individuals and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies.

The matter has angered Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who says he won the vote fairly.

Russian officials have denied accusations of interfering in the U.S. election.

The U.S. Electoral College is expected to officially vote on Monday for Trump as the country's next president. At meetings scheduled in every state and the District of Columbia, the institution's 538 electors, generally chosen by state parties, will cast official ballots for president and vice president.

Trump won a majority of Electoral College votes, while the popular vote went to Democrat Hillary Clinton.

U.S. President Barack Obama suggested on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the Democratic Party email hacks.

McCain told CNN's "State of the Union" program that the U.S. response to the Russian attacks had been "totally paralyzed" and said cyber warfare "is perhaps the only area where our adversaries have an advantage over us."

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

John Podesta, Clinton's presidential campaign chairman, said on Sunday it was an "open question" whether Trump's advisers colluded with Russia to hack into Democratic Party emails to try to sway the election outcome.

Leaked emails had revealed details of paid speeches that Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from Clinton top aides who said they were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while U.S. secretary of state.

The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign.

Podesta said there was evidence that Trump associates had contact with a Russian intelligence official and the website WikiLeaks before U.S. intelligence agencies accused Russia of being behind computer attacks of Democratic emails, including Podesta's. He did not specify what the evidence was.

"It's very much unknown whether there was collusion. I think Russian diplomats have said post-election that they were talking to the Trump campaign," he told NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

"Not what Mr. Trump knew, but what did 'Trump Inc' know and when did they know it? Were they in touch with the Russians? I think those are still open questions," he added.

Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, rejected the notion that Trump or his associates were aware of and in touch with the Russians during the hack attack.

"Even this question is insane," Priebus told "Fox News Sunday." "Of course we don't interface with the Russians. (Additional reporting by Julia Harte in Washington; Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)
If you're among the millions of American workers worrying that retirement may fail to live up to your expectations, you're not alone.A new study by Transamerica shows that American workers are wrestling with fearsinvolving financial security and health in retirement. If you have similar worries to the respondents to this survey,here are some ways to overcome them.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

No. 1: Outliving my savings and investments

Transamerica's 17th Annual Retirement Survey finds that 51% of American workers are nervous that their nest egg isn't going to cut it in retirement.Unfortunately, retirement savings statistics indicate that they're right to be nervous.

In April, PWC's Employee Financials Wellness Survey reported that 47% of American workers have less than $50,000 in retirement savings, and that roughly half of baby boomers, who are fast approaching retirement, have retirement savings of less than $100,000.

Given that the common financial wisdom is that retirees withdraw no more than 4% of their savings per year in retirement, those savings aren't likely to do much heavy lifting, when it comes to retirement expenses.

While you may be behind in saving for retirement, making even small changes today can have a big, positive impact on your nest egg. On average, Americans contribute only 8% of their income to workplace 401(k) or 403(b) plans, and that means most participants aren't anywhere near contributing the maximum allowed to these plans.

In 2017, 401(k) or 403(b) participants can contribute $18,000 plus an additional $6,000 if they're over 50 years old. If you're not maxing out your contributions, the best move you can make right now is to bump up your contribution rate. Even if you can't contribute the maximum allowed, an extra 1% or 2% per year can still add up.

No. 2: Social Security will be reduced or cease to exist in the future

Almost as many workers -- 47% to be exact -- worry that changes to Social Security to bolster its finances couldresult in changes to the program that jeopardize its role as retirees' financial safety net.

Typically, Social Security replaces approximately 40% of a worker's pre-retirement income, and according to the Social Security Administration, nearly half of single seniors count on it for at least 90% of their income.

Clearly, Social Security is critically important, but it's running out of money.According to Social Security's trustees, the program's outlays are outstripping payroll tax revenue, forcing them to tap Social Security's trust fund. That fund is expected to run dry in 2034, and without legislative changes, recipients could face an across the board 25% cut in benefits.

Undeniably, that's a scary proposition, but solutions that willshore up Social Security's future may be coming. Proposals, such as increasing retirement ages and payroll tax rates, aren't being voted on right now, but a growing population of voting baby boomers has me thinking that Social Security will be protected, not gutted. Even so, the best way to reduce the fear of Social Security's failure is to plan for it, and that means saving more and spending less so that you don't have to rely on it.

No. 3: Declining health that requires long-term care

Long-term care is incredibly expensive and it's uncovered by private insurance and Medicare, so workers are right to be concerned. In Transamerica's survey, 45% of people listed long-term care as a retirement fear.

Americans are living longer than ever before, and that means they're increasingly suffering illness or injury that limits their independence. More than two out of every three Americans turning 65 this year will require long-term care at some point in their lifetime, reports the Department of Health and Human Services.

The financial toll of that care could be staggering. Genworth's annual cost of care survey finds that the average cost of assisted living is $3,628 per month currently, and that the average cost of nursing home care is $6,844 per month, for a semi-private room.

If you've got health concerns or family health history that suggests you might end up needing long-term care, or you simply want protection against the risk of needing it, now could be a good time to consider long-term care insurance. Long-term care insurance is cheaper if you buy it in your 50s, rather than your 60s, so investigate long-term care insurance benefits sooner rather than later to find out if it's right for you.

No. 4: Cognitive decline, dementia, or Alzheimer's disease

Cognitive decline is major cause for needing long-term care, so it's not too surprising that 35% of workers are worried about it.

Alzheimer's disease is increasingly common, and the number of cases is expected to rise substantially over the coming decades. Today, 5.4 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, but that number is expected to climb to 7.1 million by 2025 and to 13.8 million people by 2050.

In addition to the patient losing their independence, Alzheimer's disease is a big burden on loved ones. In 2015, an estimated 18.1 billion unpaid hours were spent by families and friends caring for people with Alzheimer's disease, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Also, the cost of healthcare, long-term care, and hospice care for Alzheimer's disease patients is an estimated $236 billion per year.

While you may not be able to prevent cognitive decline, you can have open and honest discussions about it with your family. Explaining your concerns and establishing plans ahead of time can ease worries. Long-term care insurance may provide additional peace of mind. Donating to organizations researching cognitive disease or helping patients in need might, too.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

No. 5: Lack of adequate and affordable healthcare

Medicare provides financial support to seniors requiring healthcare, but Medicare only goes so far, and uncovered Medicare costs can be high. That's probably why 32% of Transamerica respondents list it as a big retirement fear.

Medicare Part A covers hospitalization costs but only after a deductible is met and only for a certain period of time. After the clock runs out, Medicare coverage phases out, and since there's no limit on patients' out-of-pocket spending, an extended hospital stay can wipe out a lifetime of savings. Similarly,Medicare part B helps with every-day healthcare expenses, like lab tests and doctor visits, but patients pay monthly premiums, 20% co-insurance, and, like part A, there's no out-of-pocket maximum for part B, so expenses can mount quickly.

Since there are gaps in part A and B coverage, consider alternative insurance that can be more comprehensive. Medicare Advantage plans, for example, provide part A and part B coverage, and they typically include drug coverage too. If you're happy with Parts A and part B coverage, a Medigap plan that picks up where Medicare leaves off, may be your best bet to a worry-free retirement.

The $15,834 Social Security bonus most retirees completely overlook If you're like most Americans, you're a few years (or more) behind on your retirement savings. But a handful of little-known "Social Security secrets" could help ensure a boost in your retirement income. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $15,834 more... each year! Once you learn how to maximize your Social Security benefits, we think you could retire confidently with the peace of mind we're all after.Simply click here to discover how to learn more about these strategies.

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A smog-shrouded Chinese city has canceled airline flights due to poor visibility on the second day of a pollution alert across the country's north.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 35 flights in Tianjin, east of Beijing, were delayed or canceled Sunday.

The Chinese capital, Beijing, and 22 other cities ordered cars off the road Saturday and told factories and schools to close after pollution soared to more than 10 times safe levels.
Northrop Grumman's (NYSE: NOC) TERN drone for the Navy could be an even bigger deal than we initially thought.

One year ago, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) tapped Northrop Grumman to build it a TERN prototype, capable of launching from and landing on small naval warships. Just six months later, before TERN had even conducted its first test flight, DARPA decided it liked the new drone so much that it "doubled down" and ordered Northrop to go ahead and build it a second test vehicle.

Already, we're beginning to see why.

TERN at takeoff. Image source: DARPA.

What is TERN?

This is how DARPA describes TERN: "The Tern Phase 3 design is a tailsitting, flying-wing aircraft with a twin contra-rotating, nose-mounted propulsion system. The aircraft would lift off like a helicopter and then perform a transition maneuver to orient it for wing-borne flight for the duration of a mission. Upon mission completion, the aircraft would return to base, transition back to a vertical orientation, and land." (To help visualize all of that, check out the concept photo above.)

Additionally, we have learned that TERN is going to be big enough to carry 600 pounds of ordnance -- which is surprising. While TERN's name derives from the descriptor "Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node," this drone is being designed from day 1 to conduct combat strikes. And here's perhaps the most surprising statistic: As reported by DefenseSystems.com last week, TERN will be capable of carrying out "light strike" missions at ranges "beyond 600 nautical miles" from base.

Advance to range

Here's why this is important: The Navy's current workhorse of naval strike missions is Boeing's (NYSE: BA) F/A-18 Super Hornet. In his groundbreaking 2015 paper, "Retreat from Range: The Rise and Fall of Carrier Aviation," Captain Henry (Jerry) Hendrix (U.S. Navy, retired)notes that the current version of the F/A-18 boasts a strike range of "just beyond 500 nautical miles on internal fuel."Lockheed Martin's (NYSE: LMT) newer F-35C stealth fighter, slated for deployment in 2021, is expected to boast "an effective combat radius around 550 nm, exceeding the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft by 50 nautical miles."

At the risk of stating the obvious, both those ranges appear to be inferior to the 600-nautical-mile range given for Northrop's TERN. Admittedly, it's probably premature to give TERN full credit for that range, given that the bird hasn't even been built yet. But just the possibility that Northrop's drone might outclass the proven range of fighter jets from both Boeing and Lockheed Martin deserves consideration.

Sure, detractors can argue that the aircraft aren't comparable. For example, Boeing's F/A-18 boasts a bomb load 30 times greaterthan what TERN can carry. And Lockheed Martin's F-35C is stealthy in ways TERN can't hope to replicate. Still, with its small footprint and groundbreaking design, TERN will be able to deploy from ships too small to carry an F/A-18 or F-35C. And now we learn that the drone might boast a better range than Boeing's and Lockheed's fighter as well? That's impressive stuff.

How big of a deal is TERN?

Now, how impressive might it be for Northrop Grumman's stock? That's harder to say. As we've pointed out before, TERN has so far generated more than $110 millionin DARPA funding for Northrop Grumman. At an estimated $17.8 million per drone (the incremental funding DARPA allotted to build the second test vehicle), it could generate billions of dollars of sales were the Navy to decide to outfit every ship in the fleet with its own TERN.

Conversely, a lower price tag would yield less revenue per drone sold, but also widen the gap between the drone's price, and that of full-fledged fighter jets -- increasing the drone's attractiveness to a budget-constrained Navy.

For now, we'll all just have to wait until Northrop Grumman begins demonstration flights in 2018to see if TERN lives up to its billing.

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Venezuelan troops are patrolling cities where rioting erupted over an official decree that nullified most of the country's currency.

Officials have restricted overnight vehicle and pedestrian traffic in Ciudad Bolivar, the southern city most affected by the disturbances. Motorcycles have been banned for 48 hours. Bolivar state Gov. Francisco Rangel Gomez says 135 people have been detained because of the violence.

President Nicolas Maduro last week cancelled the country's largest and most-used denomination, the 100 bolivar note. Following widespread complaints and disturbances, he retreated Saturday night, saying the bills can still be used until Jan. 2.

Maduro says he acted because saboteurs are blocking the arrival of new bills mean to replace the 100s  indicating he'd withdrawn the old currency without having new bills already on hand.
A group of Hollywood actor-vists are leading the effort to convince electors not to vote for President-elect Donald Trump on Monday, a hastily-arranged last-ditch bid that has led to at least one embarrassing mistake.

Martin Sheen, who played fictitious President Josiah Barlett on The West Wing, is featured in a personalized video designed to sway a Kansas elector, Politico reported. The piece is titled Mr. Ashley McMillan and Sheen implores Mr. McMillan to follow the example of Americas Founding Fathers. Hes hopeful that McMillan will switch his vote and become one of the 37 Republican electors required to possibly deny Trump the presidency.

Just one problem with Sheens pitch: Ashley McMillan is not a man.

Its my job to represent the people of Kansas on Monday. It was Martin Sheens job to get my name right. He failed. I wont, McMillan, who plans to vote for Trump, told The Daily Caller.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE PREPARES TO MEET UNDER OLD RULES, NEW CONTROVERSY

Sheen is joined in the main, non-personalized Unite for America video by the likes of Will & Grace actress Debra Messing, Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and musician Moby.

Im not asking you to vote for Hillary Clinton, Moby says during the ad, as soft piano music plays beneath his voice.

What is evident is that Donald Trump lacks more than the qualifications to be president, M.A.S.H. actor Mike Farrell says, with Messing delivering the blow: He lacks the necessary stability.

Sheen says the electors have the opportunity to go down in the books as an American hero if they dont vote for Trump.

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway on Sunday dismissed the effort as out of work actors and actresses embarrassing themselves.

One guy played the president on the show The West Wing. Hes not the president going to the West Wing. Thats Donald Trump, Conway told Fox News Howard Kurtz on Media Buzz.

Trump is in line to get 306 of the 538 electoral votes under the state-by-state distribution of electors used to choose presidents since 1789.

The Associated Press tried to reach all 538 electors and was able to interview more than 330 of them. Many reported getting tens of thousands of emails, calls and letters asking them to vote against Trump.

But the canvass found overwhelming support for the system, and the nominee, among Republican electors. The AP found only one pledged to Trump who will refuse to vote for him.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Vietnamese comedian Minh Beo has been sentenced to 18 months in state prison for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy in California.

Orange County prosecutors said Friday the 38-year-old must also register as a sex offender.

The comedian, whose real name is Minh Quang Hong, pleaded guilty in August to oral copulation of a minor and attempting to commit a lewd act on a child under the age of 14. The second charge stemmed from a meeting he arranged with a police officer posing as a 13-year-old boy.

He is known in Vietnam as Minh Beo, meaning "Fat Minh." He has been popular in stage, TV and movie comic roles and has his own theater in Ho Chi Minh City.
It will take months, if not years, until the three Cleveland kidnap victims emotionally recover from their harrowing ordeal.

As more and more details emerge involving the disappearance of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, attention will continue to shift toward the womens mental state.

One reason it may have taken Berry, whose screams initiated their rescue, so long to cry for help is that those victims abducted at a young, vulnerable age respond greater to psychological intimidation tactics.

While it has been widely accepted that many individuals held captive for a long period of time develop Stockholm syndrome, most analysts agree that genuine cases involving this condition are the exception, not the rule.

Stockholm syndrome occurs when hostages bond with their captors, out of both gratitude that that they are still alive and the fact that their captivity has warped their sense of reality.

The term "Stockholm syndrome" was dubbed by the FBI after a 1973 robbery of the bank Kreditbanken in Stockholm, Sweden.

During a five-day period, two robbers held four bank employees hostage in which the victims shared a vault with their captors and soon became emotionally attached.

While viewpoints on the condition differ widely, there are certain agreed upon conditions necessary for this form of traumatic bonding to actually occur.

If a person really does suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, along with other characteristics, the captor has to have exhibited kindness toward her or him.

According to a 1999 study of hostage victims by the FBI, Stockholm Syndrome has been over-emphasized, over-analyzed, over-psychologised, and over-publicized in the past 25 years.

"Stockholm Syndrome happens much less frequently than people think, although it's likely that over the course of 10 years, a prisoner will encounter some of his captor's humanity as well as his brutality, and they may have conflicting feelings about it all afterwards, London-based hostage negotiator and psychologist, Jim Alvarez, told The Telegraph.

"Having said that, in this case, Ms. Berry appears to have escaped, so whatever element of Stockholm Syndrome she might have had clearly had its limits. It is, in a way, a case of 'if I can't beat 'em, I will join them', and that can change at any time."

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A new test may help prostate cancer victims determine how aggressive to get with their treatment.

The test gauges the aggressiveness of prostate cancer and may help tens of thousands of men each year decide whether they need to treat their cancer right away or can safely monitor it.

The new test, which goes on sale Wednesday, joins another one that recently came on the market. Both analyze multiple genes in a biopsy sample and give a score for aggressiveness, similar to tests used now for certain breast and colon cancers.

Doctors say tests like these have the potential to curb a major problem in cancer care  over treatment. Prostate tumors usually grow so slowly they will never threaten a man's life, but some prove fatal and there is no reliable way now to tell which ones will. Treatment with surgery, radiation or hormone blockers isn't needed in most cases and can cause impotence or incontinence, yet most men are afraid to skip it.

"We're not giving patients enough information to make their decision," said Dr. Peter Carroll, chairman of urology at the University of California, San Francisco. "You can shop for a toaster" better than for prostate treatment, he said.

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A study he led of the newest test  the Oncotype DX Genomic Prostate Score  is set for discussion Wednesday at an American Urological Association meeting in San Diego.

The results suggest the test could triple the number of men thought to be at such low risk for aggressive disease that monitoring is a clearly safe option. Conversely, the test also suggested some tumors were more aggressive than doctors had believed.

Independent experts say such a test is desperately needed but that it's unclear how much information this one adds or whether it will be enough to persuade men with low-risk tumors to forgo treatment, and treat it only if it gets worse. Only 10 percent who are candidates for monitoring choose it now.

"The question is, what's the magnitude of difference that would change the patient's mind?" said Dr. Bruce Roth, a cancer specialist at Washington University in St. Louis.

One man may view a 15 percent chance that his tumor is aggressive as low risk "but someone else might say, 'Oh my God, let's set the surgery up tomorrow,'" he said. "I don't think it's a slam dunk."

Also unknown: Will insurers pay for the expensive test without evidence it leads to better care or saves lives?

The newest test was developed by Genomic Health Inc., which has sold a similar one for breast cancer since 2004. Doctors at first were leery of it until studies in more groups of women proved its value, and the same may happen with the prostate test, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society's deputy chief medical officer.

The company will charge $3,820 for the prostate test and says it can save money by avoiding costlier, unnecessary treatment. Another test for assessing prostate cancer risk that came out last summer  Prolaris by Myriad Genetics Inc.  sells for $3,400.

Both companies can sell the tests without Food and Drug Administration approval under separate rules that govern lab diagnostics. Myriad Genetics has published nine studies on Prolaris involving more than 3,000 patients. Genomic Health has not published any results on the prostate test, another thing that makes doctors wary. Yet it has a track record from its breast cancer test.

About 240,000 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, and about half are classified as low risk using current methods. Doctors now base risk estimates on factors such as a man's age and how aggressive cells look from biopsies that give 12 to 14 tissue samples. But tumors often are spread out and vary from one spot to the other.

"Unless you can be sure your biopsy has hit the most aggressive part that's in the prostate, you can't be sure" how accurate your risk estimate is, explained Dr. Eric Klein, chief of urology at the Cleveland Clinic, who led early development of the Oncotype prostate cancer test.

For one study, researchers used prostates removed from 440 men. They measured the activity of hundreds of genes thought to be involved in whether the cancer spread beyond the prostate or proved fatal. A second study of biopsies from 167 patients narrowed it down to 81 genes, and researchers picked 17 that seemed to predict aggressiveness no matter the location in the tumor.

A third study used single needle-biopsy samples from 395 UCSF patients scheduled to have their prostates removed. The gene test accurately predicted the aggressiveness of their cancer once doctors were able to see the whole prostate after surgery.

Using one current method, 37 of the 395 men would have been called very low risk and good candidates for monitoring. Adding the gene test put 100 men into that category, said another study leader, Dr. Matthew Cooperberg of UCSF. The gene test shifted about half of the men into either a lower or a higher risk category.

"It went both ways  that was the remarkable thing. In any category of risk it added independent information compared to the standard criteria we use today," Carroll said. "More work needs to be done, but, in my opinion, this is a very good start."

However, Dr. Kevin McVary, chairman of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and a spokesman for the Urological Association, said the test must be validated in more men before it can be widely used.

"It's not there yet," he said.

UCSF just got a federal grant to see how men choose treatments and whether this test might sway them.

"We throw all these numbers at them. Are they really going to make a better decision?" Cooperberg said.

Dean Smith, 60, a retired marketing executive from Mill Valley, Calif., is following his doctor's advice to monitor the cancer he was diagnosed with in March. He said a gene test may have made him more comfortable with that decision.

At least six of his friends suffered side effects ranging from urinary leakage to inability to have sex after having their prostates removed.

"I would suspect that having cancer and having to live with it would be very difficult for them," but it doesn't bother him, Smith said. "I will die from something other than prostate cancer, I guarantee you."

Based on reporting by the Associated Press.

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On the heels of Angelina Jolies announcement that she had a double mastectomy, women should know that the once thought of as terribly disfiguring removal of both breasts is less severe these days.

New approaches are dramatically changing breast surgeries and giving patients, or potential patients, the option to treat cancer or to prevent it, as Jolie just chose to do.

Jolie revealed on Tuesday that she had a double mastectomy and reconstruction with implants because she carries a gene mutation that puts her at high risk of developing breast cancer.

For women who already have the disease, the choice used to be whether to have the lump or the whole breast removed. Now there are more options that allow faster treatment, smaller scars, fewer long-term side effects and better cosmetic results. It has led to a new specialty  "oncoplastic" surgery  combining oncology, which focuses on cancer treatment, and plastic surgery to restore appearance.

"Cosmetics is very important" and can help a woman recover psychologically as well as physically, said Dr. Deanna Attai, a Burbank, Calif., surgeon who is on the board of directors of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. Its annual meeting in Chicago earlier this month featured many of these new approaches.

More women are getting chemotherapy or hormone therapy before surgery to shrink large tumors enough to let them have a breast-conserving operation instead of a mastectomy. Fewer lymph nodes are being removed to check for cancer's spread, sparing women painful arm swelling for years afterward.

Newer ways to rebuild breasts have made mastectomy a more appealing option for some women. More of them are getting immediate reconstruction with an implant at the same time the cancer is removed, rather than several operations that have been standard for many years.

Also, skin and nipples increasingly are being preserved for more natural results. Jolie, for example, was able to keep her nipples and presumably her skin.

Some doctors are experimenting with operating on breast tumors through incisions in the armpit to avoid breast scars. There's even a "Goldilocks" mastectomy for large-breasted women  not too much or too little removed, and using excess skin to create a "just right" natural implant.

Finally, doctors are testing a way to avoid surgery altogether, destroying small tumors by freezing them with a probe through the skin.

"Breast surgery has become more minimalistic," said Dr. Shawna Willey of Georgetown's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"Women have more options. It's much more complex decision-making."

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women around the world. In the U.S. alone, about 230,000 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Most can be treated by just having the lump removed, but that requires radiation for weeks afterward to kill any stray cancer cells in the breast, plus frequent mammograms to watch for a recurrence.

Many women don't want the worry or the radiation, and choose mastectomy even though they could have less drastic surgery. Mastectomy rates have been rising. Federal law requires insurers to cover reconstruction for mastectomy patients, and many of the improvements in surgery are aimed at making it less disfiguring.

Here are some of the major trends:

IMMEDIATE RECONSTRUCTION

Doctors used to think it wasn't good to start reconstruction until cancer treatment had ended  surgery, chemotherapy, radiation. Women would have a mastectomy, which usually involves taking the skin and the nipple along with all the breast tissue, followed by operations months later to rebuild the breast.

Reconstruction can use tissue from the back or belly, or an implant. The first operation often is to place a tissue expander, a balloon-like device that's gradually inflated to stretch the remaining skin and make room for the implant. A few months later, a second surgery is done to remove the expander and place the implant. Once that heals, a third operation is done to make a new nipple, followed by tattooing to make an areola, the darkened ring around it.

The new trend is immediate reconstruction, with the first steps started at the time of the mastectomy, either to place a tissue expander or an implant. In some cases, the whole thing can be done in one operation.

Nationally, about 25 to 30 percent of women get immediate reconstruction. At the Mayo Clinic, about half do, and at Georgetown, it's about 80 percent.

Jolie wrote in an op-ed piece in the New York Times that she had tissue expanders and then implants placed nine weeks later. "There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful," she wrote.

SPARING SKIN, NIPPLES

Doctors usually take the skin when they do a mastectomy to make sure they leave no cancer behind. But in the last decade they increasingly have left the skin in certain women with favorable tumor characteristics  and women having preventive mastectomies, such as Jolie. Attai compares it to removing the inside of an orange while leaving the peel intact.

"We have learned over time that you can save skin" in many patients, Willey said. "Every single study has shown that it's safe."

Now they're going the next step: preserving the nipple, which is even more at risk of being involved in cancer than the skin is. Only about 5 percent of women get this now, but eligibility could be expanded if it proves safe. The breast surgery society has a registry on nipple-sparing mastectomies that will track such women for 10 years.

"You really have to pick patients carefully," because no one wants to compromise cancer control for cosmetic reasons, Attai said.

"The preliminary data are that nipple-sparing is quite good," but studies haven't been long enough to know for sure, Willey said. "It makes a huge difference in the cosmetic outcome. That makes the woman's breast recognizable to her."

Dr. Judy Boughey, a breast surgeon at the Mayo Clinic, said the new approach even has swayed patients' treatment choices.

"We're seeing women choosing the more invasive surgery, choosing the mastectomy," because of doctors' willingness to spare skin and nipples, she said.

It helped persuade Rose Ragona, a 51-year-old operations supervisor at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. She had both breasts removed on April 19 with the most modern approach: Immediate reconstruction, with preservation of her skin and nipples.

"To wake up and just see your breasts there helped me immensely," she said.

She chose to have both breasts removed to avoid radiation and future worry.

"I felt it was a safer road to go," she said. "I can't live the rest of my life in fear. Every time there's a lump I'm going to worry."

FREEZING TUMORS

Attai, the California breast surgeon, is one of the researchers in a national study testing cryoablation. The technique uses a probe cooled with liquid nitrogen that turns tumors into ice balls of dead tissue that's gradually absorbed by the body. This has been done since 2004 for benign breast tumors and the clinical trial is aimed at seeing if it's safe for cancer treatment.

"The technology is amazing. This is done in the office under local anesthesia, a little skin puncture," Attai said.

In the study, women still have surgery at some point after the freezing treatment to make sure all the cancer is destroyed. If it proves safe and effective, it could eliminate surgery for certain cancer patients.

"I'd love to see the day when we can offer women with small breast tumors a completely non-operative approach, and I do think that's coming soon," Attai said.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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When she was just 28 years old, newlywed Kathleen Keenaghan received the call that would change her life.

As soon as he said my name, I just knew I had it, Keenaghan, who lives in Poway, Calif., recalled.

We got your test results in, her doctor said. It came back positive and we need you to come in within the next 24 hours.

Keenaghan had tested positive for the harmful BRCA1 breast cancer gene mutation.

Although her doctor had encouraged her not to get tested before having kids, I was always of the mindset that knowledge is power, she said.

Studies show approximately 55 to 65 percent of women with the BRCA1 mutation and 45 percent of those with BRCA2 mutation will develop breast cancer by the time they turn 70.

For Keenaghan, the risk that she would be diagnosed with breast cancer was up to 87 percent, since genetics were not on her side. Keenaghans aunt was diagnosed at 31 with breast cancer and died at 35. Keenaghans mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer six months before her 60th birthday.

Since Keenaghan and her husband, Darren, were set on having a family, her physician suggested they conceive before she turned 35. In 2011, Keenaghan gave birth to a daughter and the following year to a son.

Shortly thereafter, she received devastating news: Her father had brain cancer. He later passed away.

In 2013, Keenaghan made a life-changing choice: She decided to have a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy to significantly reduce the odds that she would ever battle breast cancer.

I know I cant control every cancer, but if I can control one of them I need to, she recalled telling Darren while her father was in hospice care. I just dont want my kids to have to go through this.

Options for moms with BRCA1 and BRCA

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes can be inherited by either parent and can increase an individuals risk for breast and other types of cancer such as prostate and pancreatic cancer. Siblings and children of women who have the genetic mutation have a 50 percent chance of inheriting it as well.

In the general population, between 1 in 400 and 1 in 800 have a mutation, while that number increases to 1 in 40 for those who are in the Ashkenazi Jewish population.

That number is high enough that even if a woman doesnt have cancer in her family, she should talk to someone about her risk and the possibility that she might be a carrier said Dr. Lucy Langer, medical director of the Genetic Risk Evaluation and Testing Program for Compass Oncology, a practice in The US Oncology Network in Portland, Ore.

Women who test positive for the BRCA genes have options when it comes to managing their risk for breast cancer and passing the mutation onto their children.

For those women who plan to get pregnant or have more children, experts recommend alternating an MRI and a mammogram every six months. For women in their 20s, a baseline mammogram and an annual MRI is a good idea, Langer said. Regardless of a womans age, monthly breast self-exams and a clinical breast exam twice a year are recommended.

Doctors also recommend screening for ovarian cancer with the CA-125 blood test and a transvaginal ultrasound once a year, along with a pelvic exam. Although the CA-125 and the transvaginal ultrasound have not been shown to be effective in the general population, for women who test positive for the BRCA genetic mutations, its the best thing we can do at the present time other than surgical intervention, said Dr. Herbert Gretz, a gynecologic oncologist at WESTMED Medical Group in Rye, New York.

For women who want children but havent found a partner, are not ready to have children, or do not want more children but arent ready for surgery, chemoprevention is an option. Drugs like tamoxifen, raloxifene and exemestane have all been studied and proven to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Although all of the drugs carry side effects, for a woman who has seen family members go through bad cancers, Langer called it an easy decision.

Women may opt for bilateral prophylactic mastectomy, as Keenaghan did. One study found that the procedure may reduce the risk of breast cancer by at least 90 percent in high-risk women.

To reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, the recommendation is to have both the ovaries and fallopian tubes removed at age 35 or when childbearing is complete. A study the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that women with the BRCA1 mutation should have their ovaries removed by age 35 because the risk of developing ovarian cancer seems to increase before or at the time of surgery.

Women who plan to have their ovaries removed but want to have children can opt for egg or embryo preservation. And those who are concerned about passing the genetic mutations onto their children can opt for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD tests the embryos for BRCA mutations and then selects those that are BRCA intact to be implanted through IVF, Langer said.

Ultimately, each womans decision is their own and should always factor in personal and family history and the ages her relatives were diagnosed with cancer, Gretz said.

For Keenaghan, the decision was a no-brainer, she said. In 2014, she underwent reconstruction surgery and plans to have her ovaries removed as well.

Although her journey has not been easy, and one that has included setbacks and a host of emotions, she finds comfort knowing that she was able to control her future on her own terms.

I have no regrets at all, Keenaghan said. Any time I look at my kids, I know I made the right decision.
INDIANAPOLIS  Before he went to prison, Ernest killed his 2-year-old daughter in the grip of a psychotic delusion. When the Indiana Department of Correction released him in 2015, he was terrified something awful might happen again.

He had to see a doctor. He had only a months worth of pills to control his delusions and mania. He was desperate for insurance coverage.

But the state failed to enroll him in Medicaid, although under the Affordable Care Act Indiana had expanded the health insurance program, making most ex-inmates eligible. Left to navigate an unwieldy bureaucracy on his own, he came within days of running out of the pills that ground him in reality.

I have a serious mental disorder, which is what caused me to commit my crime in the first place, said Ernest, who asked reporters to use only his middle name to protect his privacy. Somebody should have been pretty concerned.

The health law was expected to connect Ernest and almost all other ex-prisoners for the first time to Medicaid coverage for the poor, cutting expensive visits to the emergency room, improving their prospects of rejoining society and reducing the risk of spreading communicable diseases that flourish in prisons.

But Ernests experience is repeated millions of times across the country, an examination by The Marshall Project and Kaiser Health News shows.

Most of the state prison systems in the 31 states that expanded Medicaid have either not created large-scale enrollment programs or operate spotty programs that leave large numbers of exiting inmates  many of whom are chronically ill  without insurance.

Read more: Prisons fight opioids with $1,000 injection: Does it work?

Local jails processing millions of prisoners a year, many severely mentally ill, are doing an even poorer job of getting health coverage for ex-inmates, by many accounts. Jail enrollment is especially challenging because the average stay is less than a month and prisoners are often released unexpectedly.

Ex-inmates with the worst chances of getting insurance and care are in 19 states that did not expand Medicaid. Only a small number qualify for coverage. Enrollment efforts by prisons and jails are almost nonexistent.

Nationwide, 16 state prison systems have no formal procedure to enroll prisoners in Medicaid as they reenter the community, according to a survey by The Marshall Project. Nine states have only small programs in select facilities or for limited groups of prisoners, like those with disabilities. These 25 states collectively release some 375,000 inmates each year.

Failure to link emerging inmates to health insurance is a missed opportunity to improve health and save money by cutting recidivism as well as visits to the hospital emergency room, advocates say. Studies have showed Medicaid access in Florida and Washington cut return trips to jail among the mentally ill by 16 percent.

I hate to say it  its a captive audience. You have somebody there! You know theyre going to be released in a few weeks, said Monica McCurdy, who as head of a clinic for Project HOME in Philadelphia constantly sees homeless, recently released prisoners without Medicaid coverage. Why not do the handoff thats needed to prevent this person winding up in the ER? It defies common sense.

Health risks soar after prison release

Before the Affordable Care Act, state Medicaid programs covered mainly children, pregnant women, and disabled adults, which included only a small number of ex-offenders. Thats still generally the case in the 19 states that didnt expand Medicaid.

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal the health act and replace it with something else, leaving the laws Medicaid expansion and eligibility for ex-prisoners in doubt. Representative Tom Price, Trumps pick to head the health and human services department  which oversees Medicaid  has been one of Obamacares most vociferous critics in Congress.

But some analysts expect parts of the law to survive, perhaps including Medicaid expansion managed more directly by states than by Washington.

Even some Republicans have supported the idea, suggesting that revoking Medicaid coverage from millions of new recipients would be difficult. Republican Governor John Kasich expanded Medicaid in Ohio in part for ex-inmates, he has said, to get them their medication so they could lead a decent life.

Other parts of the health law received more attention, but advocates saw giving Medicaid coverage to ex-inmates as one of its most transformative aspects. Illness for illness, inmates are the sickest people in the country.

They have far higher rates of HIV, hepatitis, and tuberculosis than the general population. Theyre also more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma. More than half are mentally ill, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, with up to a quarter meeting criteria for psychosis. Between half and three-quarters have an addiction problem.

Prisons and jails have their own doctors, but their responsibility to provide care stops upon an inmates departure. Inmates generally arent eligible for Medicaid while imprisoned.

No time is more critical than the days immediately after release. One study showed that in the first two weeks, ex-prisoners die at a dozen times the rate of the general population. Heart disease, drug overdose, homicide and suicide are the main causes.

But even in states that expanded Medicaid, the most vulnerable and sometimes dangerous ex-inmates are often left on their own.

Ernest went to prison for shooting and killing his daughter amid a psychotic religious delusion. Re-enacting the biblical story of the sacrifice of Isaac, he thought God would intervene to save the girl. News reports from the time say police found him naked, carrying the childs lifeless body through the streets of an Indianapolis suburb.

Indiana expanded Medicaid under the health law in February 2015 and set up a system to enroll all eligible prisoners upon release. Yet when Ernest got out in August 2015, he was not enrolled in Medicaid, let alone connected to doctors.

Prison officials say they applied for Medicaid on Ernests behalf, but Medicaid records show he applied when he got home. Its not clear where the system failed.

It is important that the offenders have some accountability in the process, said Douglas Garrison, a spokesperson for the Indiana Department of Correction. The IDOC has worked diligently to ensure released offenders are receiving coverage.

Ernests letters to Medicaid and a clinic before he got out didnt help. He had to start the application process from scratch after he got home, making increasingly frantic calls and scrambling to find his birth certificate and other paperwork as his supply of lithium and perphenazine, an antipsychotic, dwindled.

Somebody whos committed a violent felony because of a mental illness is getting out of prison, and we dont have anything set up yet? he said.

Failure to sign up ex-inmates for health care is a common occurrence in states that expanded Medicaid under the health law, even in places such as Indiana where agencies have provided enrollment assistance.

Read more: State Medicaid programs continue to restrict access to hepatitis C drugs

No enrollment for thousands of chronically ill

Two-thirds of the 9,000 chronically ill prisoners released each year by Philadelphias jails arent getting enrolled as they leave, said Bruce Herdman, medical director for the jails. The city lacks even the $2 million necessary to supply a months worth of medication for released inmates with prescriptions, he said.

They give you like two weeks supply of medication, said Ricky Platt, 49, who left the Philadelphia jail in 2015, quickly ran out of Zoloft antidepressants, and became homeless. They dont give you any resource of where to go or get a doctor and get your prescription filled or anything.

Emergency doctors at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia often see released inmates with kidney failure who are at risk of dying if they dont receive dialysis almost immediately, said Dr. Priya Mammen, one of the hospitals emergency physicians.

Somebody whos committed a violent felony because of a mental illness is getting out of prison, and we dont have anything set up yet?

Were kind of the go-to spot for many people, but particularly for people who have been released from prison, she said. Either in the first week we see them or when their prescriptions run out.

Kara Salim, 26, got out of the Marion County, Indiana, jail in 2015 with a history of domestic-violence charges, bipolar disorder and alcoholism  and without Medicaid coverage. As a result, she couldnt afford the fees for court-ordered therapy.

Without therapy she wasnt allowed to see a psychiatrist for her medications. Without medication she spiraled downward, eventually threatening suicide at a court hearing. When court officers tried to bring her to a psychiatric hospital, she erupted, kicking and scratching them and landing back in jail, with new felony charges: battery against a public safety officer.

I wish I could tell you shes the exception, said Sarah Barham, an addiction counselor with Centerstone, an Indiana nonprofit.

Medicaid enrollment requires resources that many prison systems and local jails  often overcrowded and operating in crisis mode for years  lack or have been reluctant to commit.

Most of the county sheriffs dont have the proper staff they need to even run the jails, said Bill Wilson of the Indiana Sheriffs Association. Many jails are making an effort, but in some places pulling the resources out to enroll an inmate in Medicaid is not something the sheriffs able to do.

In Minnesota, only those eligible for special release planning programs are offered assistance in applying; as a result, fewer than 1,000 of the 6,800 prisoners the state released last year applied for Medicaid, according to corrections officials there. Minnesota is one of seven states  Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Montana, Louisiana, and Illinois are the others  that expanded Medicaid but have not implemented a large-scale enrollment program.

In many states, even prerelease registration requires a follow-up visit to a local Medicaid or welfare office to activate the coverage on release. Obtaining a phone, paying for minutes and navigating bus lines to state offices can be daunting for newly released inmates who often struggle with basic needs such as food and shelter.

Indiana officials applied for Medicaid on behalf of more than 7,000 state prisoners from March through September  nearly 90 percent of those released. (Many of the others were released to other states or deported, officials said.) Yet only a little more than half called to activate their coverage when they got home, according to state data. The state said in recent weeks it eliminated the requirement to activate coverage with a call.

Released prisoners also often need to reestablish identification by applying for Social Security cards and birth certificates. That can take weeks or months. Sometimes theres another step: enrolling in one of the private, managed care networks that many states hire to administer Medicaid benefits.

In the chaotic days and weeks after release, red tape can mean the difference between joining Medicaid or remaining cut off from community caregivers.

William Santee, 46, released from Pennsylvania state prison this year, has diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. He learned about Medicaid enrollment requirements and the need to visit a welfare office from workers at a homeless shelter.

The prison didnt tell me about where to go or anything like that, he said. They dont consider that their responsibility. Waiting in line and completing the welfare-office paperwork took five hours.

Getting the details right

Almost as critical as successful enrollment is choosing a Medicaid plan that covers medicines and services ex-inmates need. Jail and prison workers are rarely equipped to wade through such details.

Thats a huge issue for us, said Susan Jo Thomas of Covering Kids and Families, a nonprofit that helps enroll people in Medicaid in Indiana. You finally get a person to the place where they are ready  to go into detox, but if they have aligned with an insurance company that doesnt cover the medicine that program uses, then you have a problem.

In some extreme cases bureaucratic rules clash, leaving ex-prisoners stranded between agencies. In Indiana and several other states, corrections departments consider prisoners in work release programs, who report to jobs during the day, to be free. That means theyre not eligible for care from the prison system.

Medicaid, on the other hand considers them still incarcerated. So they cant enroll in community health coverage, either.

We got all excited when Obamacare came out, because everybodys going to be covered, said Peggy Urtz, who runs an Iowa work release facility for women. Instead, she said, the women are going to ERs when theyre ill and racking up medical bills. We have good providers, well experienced in working with women, and they cant go to them because they dont have insurance.

Read more: Less than 1 percent of state prisoners with hepatitis C get treated due to drug costs

A few states and localities reap praise for innovative and comprehensive attempts to enroll emerging prisoners in Medicaid.

Ohio recently finished phasing in Medicaid registration at all state prisons and is one of the few states giving inmates a managed-care insurance card as they leave, said John McCarthy, that states Medicaid director. Chicagos huge Cook County jail puts prisoners on the Medicaid books as they enter, rather than before they leave, to sidestep the common problem in jails of unpredictable release dates.

More often the process looks like what was happening one recent Friday in Indianas Marion County jail, where Lt. Debbie Sullivan was trying to rouse sleepy women to sign up for health insurance.

The document she distributed was three pages long, authorizing a Medicaid application on inmates behalf. It asked for names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. The handwritten information would later be entered into computers  a recipe for transposed digits and misspelled names.

The program remains a work in progress, said Katie Carlson, a spokeswoman for the Marion County Sheriffs Office, which runs the jail. It has proven a daunting task to enroll, track and provide meaningful information on both Medicaid and health care.

Experts say such sessions require a half hour or more to get the details right and answer questions about picking the right plan and following up with doctors and insurance officials after release.

Sullivans knowledge of the womens next steps was minimal. In response to questions, she simply told them to contact their local social service office when they get out. She walked out of the block with about 30 signed applications. It was over in 15 minutes.

Thank you ladies! she called on her way out, as the heavy steel door slammed behind her.

This story was originally published by Kaiser Health News and in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the US criminal justice system, NPR, and Side Effects Public Media, a news collaborative covering public health.
Music therapist Elizabeth Klinger, right, quietly plays guitar and sings for Augustin as he grips the hand of his mother, Lucy Morales, in the newborn intensive care unit at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago on Monday, May 6, 2013. Research suggests that music may help those born way too soon adapt to life outside the womb. Recent studies and anecdotal reports suggest the vibrations and soothing rhythms of music, especially performed live in the hospital, might benefit preemies and other sick babies. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
Before we can talk about comprehensive immigration reform, we have to secure our borders.

This is a mantra that has been repeated time and time again by U.S. politicians many of them former presidential candidates who have provided neither a solid description of what a secure border actually looks like, nor an illuminated path toward a system that provides some sort of legal status for the millions of undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S.

The virtual border fence was a billion-dollar boondoggle that ended after five years and 53 miles of an electronic barrier that doesnt work.  Sylvia Longmire

While many people disagree with that statement, many also feel there is no direct correlation between the two, and that immigration reform needs to happen regardless of the security situation along our southwest border with Mexico.

In fact, there is absolutely a direct relationship between the two issues, but for years elected officials with a pulpit to speak from on these matters have gotten it backward. Immigration reform needs to happen now to make it easier to secure our borders.

In general, there are three categories of people who are crossing or could potentially cross illegally from Mexico into the U.S.: terrorists or individuals associated with terrorist groups, drug traffickers and other violent criminals, and immigrants from various countries looking for work and better lives for their families. Securing our borders means stopping threats to our national security before they manage to infiltrate our country, and only two of these three groups pose an actual threat.

Fortunately, not one operational terrorist meaning someone with a specific plan to blow something up on U.S. soil has ever entered the U.S. from Mexico, legally or otherwise. But every year, drug traffickers move hundreds of tons of illegal drugs into over 1,200 U.S. cities, raking in billions of dollars in profits as they go. They routinely kill and seriously injure each other and undocumented immigrants, and pose an increasingly dangerous threat to U.S. law enforcement officials.

The third category of border crossers undocumented migrants from Mexico, Central and South America, and dozens of other countries sprinkled in vastly outnumber the people in the first two groups. These border crossers do not pose a threat to our national security, and current immigration and border enforcement policies direct a disproportionate amount of resources toward detecting and apprehending non-criminal undocumented immigrants when those resources would be better utilized trying to keep members of Los Zetas or the Gulf cartel out of south Texas.

One example of this resource misdirection is the border fence. Based on current border security policies, the fence is effective along some parts of the border to act as a deterrent to violent drug smugglers and migrants. However, drug smugglers working for Mexican cartels have easily found ways around, under, over, and through it, and migrants move to areas often much more unforgiving where the fence ends. Yet, many politicians want to build more fence at the cost of millions of taxpayer dollars per mile just to say we have it, and not necessarily because it will be more effective. The virtual border fence was a billion-dollar boondoggle that ended after five years and 53 miles of an electronic barrier that doesnt work.

What our elected officials dont seem to understand is that immigration reform has the potential to do much more than just provide legal status to undocumented immigrants and legitimize a much-needed workforce of millions.

It can completely reshape our approach to border security by allowing our border agencies to focus less on job and better-life seekers and more on fund-raisers for terrorist groups, special interest aliens and violent drug smugglers.

With a clearly defined and legal process for seeking entry into the U.S. via a temporary worker permit, or a new class of visa or some other method, more and more immigrants wont need to submit themselves to shady human smugglers and the hardships of the Sonora desert to come here.

Even if immigration reform is wildly successful, universally accepted and implemented quickly, that doesnt mean illegal immigration will end completely. However, it opens an enormous door to revised policies that can shift our border security focus to the real threats to our national security. Thus, by quickly enacting comprehensive immigration reform, only then can we truly start on the path to effectively securing our borders.
Jesus condemned gays zero times. - Herndon Graddick

In 2010, the man just elected to lead the Roman Catholic Church lobbied the Argentinean government in Buenos Aires against a bill to establish same-sex marriage and gay adoption. He lost. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and gay rights activists everywhere, won.

Argentina became the first Latin American country to approve same-sex unions. Brazil has since followed suit and countries all over Latin America, including my native Chile, have similar legislation pending. With 40 percent of the worlds 1.2 billion Catholics living in Latin America, the first Latin American Pope has positioned himself squarely on the wrong side of regional history.

And what of Gods law regarding gay love? There is no clear and incontestable place in the Bible that establishes being gay as a sin.  Pablo Manriquez

In Africa, the Vaticans anti-gay position is of particular concern. The continent has seen the largest increase of Roman Catholics since 1970. It has also seen the most-severe and hateful state-sanctioned prejudices against same-sex love. In much of Africa, same-sex sexual activity is illegal. Offenders can be subject to imprisonment, corporal punishment, and even the death penalty. By defining the same-sex unions as gravely unjust the Vatican is complicit in these horrific human rights violations on the continent.

So why does the Catholic Church continue to demonize gay relationships as a sin? The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes giving the status of marriage to gay unions because they are inherently nonprocreative. But many heterosexual relationships are, for a variety of reasons, also nonprocreative. Is a married man and woman who do not procreate also living in sin?

During Argentinas push to legalize same-sex unions and gay adoption, Pope Francis, then-Cardinal Bergoglio expressed concern that children raised by same-sex couples will be discriminated against in advance; and that what is at stake is the total rejection of Gods law engraved in our hearts. But by demonizing same-sex love, the church creates the very conditions of discrimination that worry Pope Francis. Moreover, science continues to show that people do not chose to be gay, they are born gay. Indeed, God makes gay people with same-sex attraction engraved in their hearts.

And what of Gods law regarding gay love? There is no clear and incontestable place in the Bible that establishes being gay as a sin. The Vaticans current teaching on marriage and sexuality relies on a troubling gender essentialism rooted in the recent insistence that every child needs a father and a mother. This has become the churchs hinge argument against gay marriage. It is theologically unfounded and culturally dangerous.

Catholicism is better than this. The faith has more to say about love and responsibility than it has to say about sexual difference and gender roles. While Catholics can hardly expect an institution as old and enormous as the Roman Catholic Church to turn on a dime, the Vatican is not immune to change. The Washington Posts Melinda Henneberger notes that popes can surprise us; no one expected Pope John XXIII to convene the Second Vatican Council.

As Catholics, we should invite our new pope to devote more attention to gay marriage as a theological (not political or cultural) question. Ultimately, the question is not whether the church should accommodate the culture, but about how gay relationships fit into the mystery of God's love for all of humanity.
This years CPAC, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, featured a healthy array of Latino speakers and panelists: Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz (who delivered the keynote address), Congressman Raul Labrador, Dan Garza of LIBRE Initiative, Mario Lopez of the Hispanic Leadership Fund, and several other notable Latino conservatives. The event itself is organized by a Latino, the American Conservative Unions chairman, Al Cardenas.

Two events addressed Latino issues: a five-member panel entitled Respecting Families and the Rule of Law: A Lasting Immigration Policy and an address by Alfonso Aguilar, director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, entitled Expanding the Conservative Movement with the Hispanic Community.

Curiously, Marco Rubios own address notably steered clear of any mention of the matter, leaving some to speculate whether he cautiously did so to avoid any jeers from the conservative audience.  A.J. Delgado

But there is much room for improvement.

While Aguilars address on reaching out to the Latino community included solid suggestions ("dont wait until two months before the election"; "show Hispanics we favor small business"), a robust panel discussion  with Latinos of various nationality backgrounds, ages, and socioeconomic status  would have gone further in exploring this critical issue.

Considering the amount of discussion amongst conservatives post-election (where Romney pulled a measly 27 percent of the Latino vote) regarding how to gain ground with Latinos, and in light of the RNCs newly announced $10 million minority-outreach plan, should this not have been a panel discussion followed by a healthy Q&A? Should this not have taken place on the main stage, rather than relegated to a small conference room, at lunchtime, lasting a mere 15 minutes?

The panel on immigration, while featuring an impressive roster, failed to offer any clear consensus on how to proceed on immigration reform or even the particular panelists preferred path. Nonetheless, all the panelists seem to favor immigration reform and some sort of legalization of the undocumented. This was no surprise, as CPACs chief organizer, Cardenas, had previously expressed his support for the Gang of 8 proposal, telling journalist Jose Diaz-Balart that CPAC was a key moment to stimulate conservative support for the plan.

Indeed, broadcasting from CPAC, Cardenas informed MSNBCs Chris Matthews: One of the greatest things were doing here is an immigration panel. Youd be amazed at the great reception weve had on comprehensive reform, right here at CPAC  the epicenter of the conservative movement.

Not so fast. Many attendees I spoke to expressed reservations, or outright hostility, about Rubios immigration proposal, with some saying the Cuban-American senator risks losing their support. And several of CPACs own key speakers were not on board.

At Thursdays presidential dinner, Heritage President and former senator Jim DeMint stated: We have to fix the system but we cannot design our national immigration policies to accommodate those who broke our laws. Granting citizenship to those who came here illegally violates the basic principles of freedom. Amnesty and citizenship only encourages more law breaking.

The following morning, speaker Donald Trump blasted the idea of granting illegal immigrants citizenship, likening it to a suicide mission and noting it will hand the Democrats 11 million votes.

And, in her address Saturday afternoon, commentator and author Ann Coulter focused on her staunch opposition to amnesty, declaring she is now a one-issue voter against the measure.

Curiously, Marco Rubios own address notably steered clear of any mention of the matter, leaving some to speculate whether he cautiously did so to avoid any jeers from the conservative audience.

So, while it was a shining moment for Latinos at CPAC (delivering the keynote address and with Latinos featured throughout the three-day event), immigration reform remained not only a muddled message but also, perhaps most importantly, an issue of contention among participants.
In such a politically polarized country as Argentina today, there are only two options  K or anti-K (pro-Kirchner or anti-Kirchner). No room for any middle ground. So mighty is this polarization vacuum cleaner that its suction power could reach Rome in a bid to freeze-frame the new Holy Father as an adherent of the 1976-83 military dictatorship  no less.

One of the many marvels of Argentina: ignominy as an export.

This is not the time to insist on K polarization for export, nor to sin of omission  the big omission being the reconciliation claimed by the 70 percent of the Argentinean population which considers itself Catholic.  Carolina Barros

This is not exactly a matter of faith. The main driving force behind the thesis that Jorge Bergoglio was an accomplice of the military regime is journalist and Casa Rosada advisor Horacio Verbitsky, who in 2005 published a book -El Silencio: de Paulo VI a Bergoglio: las relaciones secretas de la Iglesia con la ESMA- to press the case.

Strangely enough, 2005 was also the year in which then President Nestor Kirchner broke with the Argentine Church hierarchy. And how could he not? The sermons and public stances of then Buenos Aires archbishop and today Pope Francis were not exactly making him patron saint. Not surprisingly, that year the Kirchners stopped attending the traditional Te Deum in order to escape the admonitions of Bergoglio.

Last week, Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel was quick to deny any complicity of Bergoglio with the junta dictatorship. "Bergoglio was questioned for not doing enough as Jesuit superior to get two priests out of jail, but I personally know for a fact that many bishops interceded with the military junta for the release of prisoners and priests to no avail," the Nobel Prize winner recalled.

Whether another coincidence or not, 2005 also saw the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Joseph Ratzinger in the Petrine succession, with Bergoglio widely named as very much in the running in that race.

Two big guns joined the Kirchners attack against the now pope  Mothers of Plaza de Mayo leader Hebe de Bonafini and picket leader Luis DElia, also a parallel foreign minister pioneering the relations with Iran.

This anti-Bergoglio Trinity was not in a quest for any doctrinal re-interpretation of the faith but for far more earthly results: give the Cardinal Primate of Argentina a blast of the political polarization in order to drive him into opposition trenches.

The fact that two visible opposition leaders (Elisa Carrio and Gabriela Michetti) frequented the Archbishops confessional surely contributed to the conspiratorial reasoning.

Shoved into a trench by the political infighting, Cardinal Bergoglio then started showing his opposition teeth, with pronouncements against legislation favoring abortion, gay marriage and euthanasia  all answered with the cheap shots of the moment.

The memory of the anti-Bergoglio Trinity returned with a vengeance last week, the moment that the Argentines elevation to the papacy became known. "Francis is to Latin America what John Paul II was to the Soviet Union, a new attempt by the empire to destroy South American unity," tweeted pro-Iran picket leader Luis DElia.

In other words, this Casa Rosada habitue seems to believe the Pope lies at the heart of an international conspiracy.

Not wanting to be left behind, Hebe de Bonafini gave her own theological classes, saying the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo have maintained contacts "only with Third World priests ... since we started our struggle." The official Church is oppressive but Third World priests are a liberating force, she explained. She could not have spelled it out more clearly  in Bonafinis eyes, this Pope is an oppressor.

The funny thing about all this is the silence. And here we are not referring to the title of the book seeking to link Pope Francis to the military dictatorship. The odd thing is the silence of the Casa Rosada in the face of these rumors striving to smear the man elected in the Vatican conclave, among other reasons because he was found to be completely clean of all the dirty linen aired by the so-called Vatileaks.

Bergoglio is now in Rome as the head of 1.2 billion people. From an enemy soldier in the local trenches he has passed to represent a global power. This is not the time to insist on K polarization for export, nor to sin of omission  the big omission being the reconciliation claimed by the 70 percent of the Argentinean population which considers itself Catholic.
Barack Obama is in Israel this week, doing his best to convince a skeptical public and a more skeptical government that he has their best interests in mind as he crafts Americas policy in the Middle East.

Hes got a lot of work to do. One recent Jerusalem Post/Smith Poll found that only 12 percent of Israelis consider Obama to be pro-Israel.

The gestures are nice, but Obamas Israel problem goes deeper than misunderstandings over history.  David Laska

The president is trying to mend fences with a series of gestures: he will lay a wreath at the grave of Theodore Herzln, the founder of modern Zionism, and visit the Israel Museums exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls, honoring Israels ancient roots.

The gestures are nice, but Obamas Israel problem goes deeper than misunderstandings over history.

Obamas softening stance on Israel started causing the president political problems when, in September 2011, former New York City Mayor Ed Koch  a Democrat  endorsed Republican Bob Turner in the special election to replace Congressman Anthony Weiner. Mayor Koch made it clear that his support of a Republican was meant to send a message to the White House, and characterized that election as a referendum on President Obamas throwing Israel under the bus.

Mayor Kochs endorsement was a major reason why, for the first time since 1923, a Republican won that seat.

Indeed, Obama has crafted the most anti-Israel foreign policy of any president in decades. Even MSNBC stalwart Andrea Mitchell admitted this week that Obamas relationship with the Israeli Prime Minister is one of the worst in recent memory.

And this at a time when Israel faces its biggest threats since 1973: the growing strength of Hamas and Hezbollah; potential radical Islamist governments following the Arab Spring, especially in Egypt; a potentially nuclear armed Iran; and an alienated Turkey with an increasingly Islamist government looking for influence in the Arab world.

Obama has pursued his stated goal of putting daylight between the United States and Israel by proposing that Israel use the indefensible pre-1967 borders as a basis for negotiation, suggesting that a united Jerusalem is not a part of Israel, and urging Israel to engage in serious self-reflection, while making no such demands on the PLO or Hamas, a terrorist organization that denies Israels right to exist.

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House last year to repair relations after being chastised by Secretary Clinton over the phone, Obama snubbed him during a negotiating session, declaring, Im going to the residential wing to have dinner with Michelle and the girls. Netanyahu was denied the customary joint statement and photo op with the president and was summarily ushered out through a side door.

Even so, Obama sailed to reelection with the overwhelming support of Jewish Americans. So why bother trying to spruce up his pro-Israel bona fides?

Its a puzzling question, and no one, least of all the Israelis, seems quite sure what the president is trying to accomplish this week. But with Obamas record of open hostility to Israel, itll take more than a wreath laying and a museum visit to convince our closest ally in the Middle East that were still on their side.
On April 14th, Henrique Capriles-Radonski will challenge Hugo Chavez for the presidency of Venezuela for the second time in just over six months.

On the first occasion, on October 7th last year, Chavez was very much alive  and despite the Comandante's stranglehold upon the media and his control of Venezuela's national electoral commission, the CNE, Capriles garnered 44 per cent of the vote. It was a much better performance than that achieved by any of Chavez's previous opponents. Had both candidates competed on a level playing field, there is every reason to believe that Capriles would have won.

Maduro is even trying to co-opt Capriles into his conspiracy theorizing by claiming that the U.S. "right-wing" attempted to assassinate Capriles himself!  Antonio Herrera-Vaillant

This time around, Chavez is dead. Having failed to embalm Chavez for eternity, thanks to their legendary incompetence, his successors are nonetheless attempting to transfer his political DNA to acting President Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro wants the forthcoming election  the most important in Venezuela since the Chavistas came to power in 1999  to be about Chavez. That's why he loudly proclaims that we Venezuelans are all Chavez. It's why he insists that Chavez died from a cancer implanted in his body by nefarious forces in Washington, DC. Maduro is even trying to co-opt Capriles into his conspiracy theorizing by claiming that the U.S. "right-wing" attempted to assassinate Capriles himself!

Against this fevered, increasingly irrational background, Capriles is trying to affect a quiet revolution in Venezuelan politics. In doing so, Capriles has had to overcome discontent within the ranks of the opposition, some of whose members criticized him for conceding too easily last October. The opposition's poor showing in last December's state and local elections further cemented the gloom about the prospects for an opposition victory on a national scale.

In standing again  a decision that necessarily involves a great risk to his own career  Capriles has come out fighting. He has openly challenged the legality of our current political arrangements: under the terms of our constitution, the acting President should be the President of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, and not Maduro, who was Chavez's Vice-President. Capriles has also highlighted the danger posed by the Venezuelan Defense Minister, Admiral Diego Molero Bellavia, whose flagrantly illegal pledge that the armed forces will back Maduro demonstrates a degree of military involvement in politics unseen since the departure of former dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958.

Above all, Capriles understands that the April election is about the ownership of Venezuela's national institutions. For if Maduro has his way, Chavez's lasting legacy will be the conquest of those institutions by the tribunes of his "Bolivarian revolution."

In today's Venezuela, there is no longer a constitutional separation of powers: as early as 2004, Chavez railroaded through a law that expanded the number of judges on Venezuela's Supreme Court, the TSJ, from 20 to 32, and then promptly packed the court with his own appointees. Since then, the TSJ has dutifully served the regime's every whim. Among its most notorious decisions was the suspension of the opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez from running for public office, on the basis of corruption allegations for which he was never charged, prosecuted or convicted.

It's a similar story with other nominally independent institutions that are critical to our political and economic future. The CNE electoral commission, run by Tibisay Lucena, a former Chavez aide, has consistently refused opposition entreaties for consulation on everything from voter registration to voting machines. It has also canceled, without proper explanation, a round of local elections scheduled for this July.

Our state oil company, PDVSA, which controls the 95 per cent of our foreign revenues that come from the export of petrol, has been wrecked by the replacement of competent, non-political officials with loyal Chavistas. By providing heavily subsidized oil for Chavez allies like Cuba, and by diverting funds into Chavez's high-cost, low-impact "social programs," PDVSA has become a plaything of the Chavistas, rather than the motor of our economic development.

Capriles offers a profoundly different, and far more attractive, political vision which revolves around four key points. Firstly, a return to the rule of law: no-one will be above the law, and the law will not be compromised by ideology. Secondly, the banishing of hate-filled rhetoric from our political life: last year, the Chavistas regularly threw homophobic and anti-Semitic barbs at Capriles, a continuing trend which the opposition leader has rightly condemned as "fascism." Thirdly, an end to the corruption and cronyism that stained the Chavez years, beginning with an overhaul of PDVSA. Lastly, the promise of Venezuela taking its place as a sovereign member of the community of democratic nations, no longer at the beck and call of Chavez's allies in the Cuban regime, and enjoying fruitful relations with other states in the region from Brazil and Chile to the United States and Canada.

Capriles goes into this race as a clear underdog, but he does so in a nation that traditionally favors underdogs. The stakes have never been as high as they are now, but if pro-democracy Venezuelans didn't let Chavez extinguish them while he was alive, they'll be damned if he'll do so now that he's dead.
Negotiating while fighting continues is the main risk for ongoing peace dialogues between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The insurgents are calling for a bilateral cease-fire, which the Government has rejected.

While diminishing the humanitarian costs of the conflict is urgent, the discussions on a cease-fire should avoid further polarization. Cease-fire is not an either/or question, but rather a confidence-building process.

This is about a humanitarian agenda being the path toward peace, not a substitute for peace. This humanitarian agenda does not even need to be publicly announced, but simply implemented with discretion.  Kristian Herbolzheimer

The Colombian government faces a complex quandary. On the one hand, it cant give in to FARCs request for a bilateral cease-fire because the Colombian public doesnt fully trust the guerrillas will and capacity for peace. Failed negotiations and cease-fires in the past still weigh heavily on the governments mind, and it would be difficult to justify a truce in a moment of relative strength in military arenas. The Colombian government also fears it would give oxygen to sectors of society who are opposed to peace negotiations.

Nevertheless, the country needs gestures from the negotiating panels that increase peoples trust and support for the peace talks. Opinion polls describe a predominantly skeptical population. This only benefits opponents to the peace negotiations, who have a well-articulated discourse.

There is an interesting correlation between recent declarations by Humberto de la Calle (head of the Government delegation) and statements made by FARCs historic leader Manuel Marulanda some years back: the goal is not to humanize war, but to end it.

It is, of course, good that opposing sides share the primary goal of terminating the armed conflict. But this does not contradict the parallel goal of stopping the bloodshed even before an agreement is signed. It is unacceptable that soldiers, insurgents and civilians keep sacrificing their lives while the warring factions have decided to end the war through negotiations.

At the same time, the bilateral cease-fire suggested by FARC does not seem feasible for the moment, for two reasons.

Firstly, a formal cease-fire requires a complex and expensive verification mechanism. Experience shows that the discussion can tangle and lengthen, eventually distracting the focus of the peace talks from the political agenda. For example, the Colombian government and a federation of guerrillas started peace negotiations discussing a cease-fire for several months in Venezuela in 1991 and in Mexico in 1992. The talks collapsed before being able to address any of the political items. During Alvaro Uribes first period in power, the Colombian government and ELN also engaged in a sterile debate about the scope of a cessation of hostilities, without reaching the stage for political discussions.

Secondly, a cease-fire agreement does not necessarily shield negotiations. Furthermore, due to the difficulty for its verification and the immediacy of media reporting, it is quite easy to spoil negotiations with acts falsely attributed to either side. This happened in 2000 when an execution falsely attributed to FARC had a serious impact on the peace negotiations.

It is undoubtedly urgent to reinforce the call for a cessation of hostilities. There is no human reasoning that can oppose this. But the demand should be dealt with in a creative manner, preventing it from contributing to the reinforcement of polarization. A departure from the dichotomy of yes or no to a bilateral cease-fire can allow for more unilateral acts. FARCs two month unilateral cease-fire over Christmas was a very important gesture. This is the path to be followed, by both sides.

A cease-fire is not just a humanitarian gesture; it is also a confidence-building measure. Without trust, negotiations cannot progress. War de-escalation should be a direct result of progress at the negotiating table. Both the Colombian government and the FARC can agree on multiple unilateral gestures that can prove, with facts, their commitment to change. This is about a humanitarian agenda being the path toward peace, not a substitute for peace. This humanitarian agenda does not even need to be publicly announced, but simply implemented with discretion.

Sooner rather than later, the dynamic of the peace negotiations will reach a tipping point, when the parties will stop using violence because, fundamentally, peace building and armed confrontation are incompatible.
A strikingly attractive, slender, hardworking, intellectually impressive African-American woman, Janice was 45 at the time of this incident. Her daughter was 30. Her granddaughter was 15, a student at the local high school, and pregnant. Janice (which is not her real name, but this is her real story) worked for our family as a domestic, helping raise our children and run our home in a leafy upscale New Jersey suburb.

Neither Janice, her daughter nor the pregnant granddaughter had ever been married. Capable of jobs far more challenging than running our household, the invaluable Janice asked one day if I would speak to her granddaughter about getting an abortion.

The road back to social sanity begins by asking every would-be office holder to endorse my proposal for a fathers name on every birth certificate.  Geraldo Rivera

Although I had the usual middle-class, middle-aged modern male ambivalence about abortion, (icky but sometimes appropriate), I agreed to do whatever I could to help. Janice was intent on guiding her granddaughter to avoid her own fate of being trapped in domestic work because of the early onset of motherhood. I was tapped to do the job because there was no other father (or grandfather) figure around and the issue was clear. Time was obviously of the essence, so we had a family meeting.

I thought the 15-year-old grandchild bearing the unborn great-grand-child of my 45-year-old housekeeper would be grateful for my sage advice to terminate the still early pregnancy so she would have a chance to get her own life together before embarking on motherhood.

There was no father in the house, no babys father on the horizon to help in her journey or in caring for the child, and she was just barely out of childhood herself; literally a child bearing a child.

The high school freshman not only refused my sage advice, but did so scornfully, as if I was clueless about contemporary life. All my friends are pregnant, she insisted, or they soon will be. She explained how her clique waits until they are 15 or 16 to get pregnant so they can set up a separate household free of their parents; have the child at 16 or 17, then live a sustainable, semi-independent, state-supported existence on various entitlement programs until their own children are old enough to start the cycle again.

In 1954 a sociologist named Oscar Lewis wrote La Vida, a melancholic book describing the lives of poor Puerto Rican families in Manhattan who lived on the margins of postwar society in Spanish Harlem. One of the principal themes of that book is the Culture of Poverty  how people evolve or rather devolve into wards of the state.

Essentially, Lewis describes how the highly dysfunctional family and its circle of friends learn to survive by taking advantage of welfare, other forms of government assistance and the kindness of strangers, tossing in the odd job, legal and illegal, to improvise a livable existence on the edges.

Flash forward more than half a century and what is undeniable is how the life Lewis describes in La Vida now defines the lives of tens of millions of Americans, black, brown and white. I add that multiracial aspect of this dilemma, but make no mistake: this is mostly a black and brown phenomenon, especially black.

It is the Entitlement Hustle; families being raised by young mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers because there are no fathers in the house.

One out of four white families has no father in the home. Two out of four Latino families have no father in the home. Three out of four black families have no father in the home, and that number is growing so rapidly there is a real fear that marriage will become obsolete in minority households.

Why are there no fathers? Because if there was a dad in the home, he would have some responsibility for raising the child he helped bring into the world.

The consequences of the Entitlement Hustle are clear. Google them if you feel the need to be bummed. The children of these fatherless families are far more likely to drop out of school. The boys are far more likely to get shot or go to jail. And the girls are far more likely to have multiple children often by multiple fathers. These children will not be formally acknowledged by their dads and they will be unsupported either financially or emotionally by them.

After all this time living the Entitlement Hustle, many minority dads have lost the instinct to be parents.

This grim reality is seldom addressed by either liberals or conservatives. The right stays away from it because they fear being branded racist. Imagine bringing this up on say Bill Mahers show or the Colbert Report. It is totally uncool and best ignored. The same audience that gives rapt, enthusiastic applause to any aspiring public official who talks about the need for income equality and social justice would hiss and boo someone with the temerity to suggest that the post Civil Rights era has spawned broken families and a social system based on fathers not recognizing, disciplining or giving aid and comfort to their offspring because to do so would mean they are required to support them.

The left never brings up the Entitlement Hustle on the talk show circuit because to admit it is to suggest that civic compassion has spawned social devastation and that the sacrifices of Selma and Montgomery and the March on Washington have led to this sorry state for so many.

The tragedy is compounded by demographics in places like Newark, Trenton, Detroit, Camden, New Orleans and Chicago; more and more babies having babies and no official fathers in sight.

As the culture of Entitlement Hustle spreads, elective democracy surely follows. I dont mean to make you wince, but why do you think Romes emperors played to the mob with something for nothing perks like their bloody games?

Populist leaders of today will continue to speak eloquently of social justice, but the subtext is vote for me and Ill make sure the government takes care of you and your children.

Full stop.

There is at least the beginning of a relatively easy solution available.

The road back to social sanity begins by asking every would-be office holder to endorse my proposal for a fathers name on every birth certificate.

The idea has been endorsed on my program by brilliant African-American social activists Tavis Smiley, Dr. Cornel West and others. Is it too onerous a social burden? Who is the babys daddy? Is that a racist question? Will that inquiry elicit hisses and boos from hipsters in the talk show crowd? If the father is named wrongfully, a simple five dollar DNA test will quickly resolve the matter.

Our overburdened social safety net can not long endure a society that encourages irresponsibility and makes normal the pregnancy of 15-year-olds. Pride will surely follow the acknowledgment of parenthood.

Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your family.
Recently, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, Osama bin Ladens son-in-law and reported longtime member of al-Qaida, pleaded not guilty in a New York federal court to the charge of conspiracy to kill Americans. The decision by the Obama administration to try Abu Ghaith in federal court has reignited a debate over the proper venue to bring high-profile terrorists to justice.

In 2010, President Obama attempted to try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in criminal court, but reconsidered under pressure from members of Congress and New York City officials.

A trial near Ground Zero affords [Abu Ghaith] a unique stage and ironic opportunity to put the United States on trial. He may allege war crimes on the basis of enhanced interrogation techniques and drone killings in order to incite hatred against the United States.  Alberto Gonzales, Former U.S. Attorney

Government lawyers advised President Bush to adopt a law of war framework immediately following the 9/11 attack. Because of that decision we were able to provide the commander in chief with multiple options to deal with captured enemy combatants.

Depending on the circumstances, the U.S. has the option to try them in a military commission or in federal court. The U.S. also has the option to return enemy combatants to their home country for further detention or trial, or simply detain them under the laws of war, without charges, for the duration of hostilities.

The Obama administration has not disclosed how it made the decision to bring Abu Ghaith into the United States. In the Bush administration, participants in the National Security Council interagency process worked to reach a consensus recommendation for the president. At times the interagency struggle to control the disposition of an enemy combatant was fierce. The views of the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency carried significant weight obviously.

Whether they did so in this case is unclear. It is possible President Obama made this decision during a period of uncertainty at each agency. Both Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and CIA Director John Brennan recently survived tough confirmation battles. The possible absence of the judgments of senior leaders at the Department of Defense and CIA may have contributed to the presidents decision.

I have always believed that circumstances and timing should dictate the appropriate disposition of high-profile detainees. Having said that, I recognize that there are challenges to a criminal trial of someone like Abu Ghaith. For example, because he was captured overseas our government may have problems introducing certain physical evidence and incriminating statements in court.

Under our Constitution, Abu Ghaith is entitled to confront witnesses. He is likely to try to force the U.S. government to make tough choices by subpoenaing senior military and intelligence officers away from their duties on the front lines, and demanding access to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

Security for a criminal trial will be extensive and costly for New York City and the federal government.

Finally, a trial near Ground Zero affords this defendant a unique stage and ironic opportunity to put the United States on trial. He may allege war crimes on the basis of enhanced interrogation techniques and drone killings in order to incite hatred against the United States, embarrass our government and recruit more jihadists. These are principally the same reasons President Obama was forced to reconsider his plans to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a criminal court.

The U.S. has successfully tried hundreds of terrorism related cases in our criminal courts, but an overwhelming majority of these cases were prosecuted prior to 9/11, well before we were at war. In an ongoing conflict, military necessity and national security concerns limit options and discretion for prosecutors.

The conviction of other terrorists, such as Zacarias Moussaoui, demonstrates the ability of our federal government to use our criminal courts to bring a high-profile detainee to justice. However, Moussaoui in essence represented himself and pled guilty. Yet it still took our government several years, at the cost of millions of dollars, to send him to prison.

Obtaining a guilty verdict here will be significantly more difficult if Abu Ghaith is represented by a high-profile legal team and decides to fight his conviction at trial.

The military commission for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is proceeding at Guantanamo Bay, but at times it appears that some members of the Obama administration believe that only criminal trials will show the world our commitment to the rule of law.

I do not know what I do not know about the governments case against Abu Ghaith, and whether a criminal trial is the best course for our country to bring him to justice, or even whether now is the best time to do so.

I do know that trying him by military commission under procedures approved by Congress would also be consistent with the rule of law. I also know detaining him for the duration of hostilities would likewise be consistent with the rule of law.

Perhaps this decision was made after a careful and full vetting in the interagency process; perhaps Abu Ghaith has low intelligence and symbolic value, and the timing and circumstances require a criminal trial; and although the White House apparently no longer has the funds to give White House tours, perhaps the costs of an expensive criminal trial are no longer an overriding concern.

It is my hope that all this is true, and that the administration has elected to pursue this present course because it is the best way to bring Abu Ghaith to justice consistent with our national security. If so, this is how we best honor the rule of law.
Immediately following the Conservative Political Action Conference held outside Washington DC in mid-March, the Republican National Committee released an action plan critical of Republican Party strategy in the last election.

According to party chairman, Reince Priebus, the upshot of the election showed a party with a weak message, an insufficient ground game, a poor sense of inclusion of women, minorities and youth, lagging behind in data collection and digital capacity and weighed down by a primary and debate process which proved onerous and redundant.

It is the growth of the welfare state in the last 60 years that has created perverse incentives and made immigration the third rail of U.S. politics.  Fernando Menendez

In an effort to reverse the trend, the leadership announced it was spending $10 million to hire more staff, and consequently improving its message of inclusion, outreach to women and minorities, building grassroots organization, up scaling technology and reforming the system of primaries, conventions and debates.

One key lesson of the last election, for some Republicans, came when the partys presidential candidate lost the Latino vote to president Obama by 72 to 28 percent. Many pundits have since written off the Hispanic vote, claiming that the Democrats had bought off the fastest growing U.S. demographic group for years to come.

The New Latino Demographics

What these pundits have missed so far concerns the nature and dynamics of the new Latino demographic. Far from being a static population, changes are taking place within the Latino community that are worth watching.

As the fastest growing demographic group, Latinos are anticipated to constitute 30 percent of the U.S. population by 2050, with a 40 percent growth in the Latino electorate by 2030. These new generations of U.S. Latinos, nearly 60 percent of whom are U.S.-born with continued cultural and family ties to relatives elsewhere in the Americas, are often bilingual and increasingly monolingual English speakers. They are Americans of Latino descent. Politicians failing to respond to these trends, or worse, those who antagonize it, are condemned to wander the political desert for decades.

Focusing on the education of the next generation, entering the middle class and the attaining the American dream of owning ones own home or business are still key aspirations for many within the Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central and South American communities that make up the Latino population of the United States. These aspirations clash with an expanding public sector, government dependence and ever-burdensome tax levies on productive entrepreneurs. The bodega owner struggling to clear $250,000 might find it alarming to be considered among the rich.

Latino values tend to be traditional, religious and family centered, emphasizing self-reliance and responsibility. On average Hispanics are more conservative than most Americans on social issues like abortion and crime. According to several studies, Hispanics favor school choice overwhelmingly by over two to one.

Immigrants coming to the U.S. seek the rule of law and the legal framework allowing them to pursue their individual and family dreams. It is not the lack of hard work that keeps them poor in Mexico or Bolivia  these are extremely hardworking people  but the legal and political institutions that erect barriers to entry in commerce, education, and other avenues of social advancement and propel them to leave home.

Immigrants have always come to the U.S. to work and contribute. It is the growth of the welfare state in the last 60 years that has created perverse incentives and made immigration the third rail of U.S. politics. Any comprehensive reform must combine the continued contribution of immigrants with respect for existing laws.

What Kind of Strategy?

The Republican strategy, if it is to have any significance to these communities, must avoid a scaled-down version of the Democratic party alternative. Responding to government entitlements with a Republican-lite version is to lose the battle. The question becomes not whether government will expand, but how fast and how much.

In the 1980s it was British prime minister Margaret Thatcher who best understood how to change this pattern of capitulation. Thatcher proposed a new relationship between the people and their government. By privatizing public housing and state-owned industries she created thousands of property owners and provided British citizens the chance to opt out of failing government schools and welfare schemes.

As people began to look to a growing private sector for their incomes and jobs, becoming shareholders and homeowners, their aspirations became wedded to private property and the market economy. New sectors of the population, once dependent on government, gained a growing stake in freedom. The new relationship resulted in Conservative electoral victories and influenced Tony Blairs Labour party to jettison its socialist platform.

The tactical changes announced in the GOPs new plan of action may yield some success, but only if they adopt a new strategic orientation to women, minorities and youth. Taking a page from Thatcher, Republicans must learn to place their renewed efforts within the larger long-term strategy of illustrating the advantages of freedom to those most denied it and most desirous of it.
In recent days, a lively discussion has emerged regarding to what extent the newly elected leader of the Catholic Church is or should be considered a Latino. Some claim that as the son of the Italian immigrants, Pope Francis cannot claim to be Latino while others argue that he is, having been born and raised in Argentina and firmly immersed in and shaped by the culture of that beautiful country.

I find the debate both silly and mildly offensive.

Truth be told Ive always been uncomfortable with the term Latino or even Hispanic for that matter. Why is it that American society is so obsessed with the need to categorize people into ethnic groups?

Anyone who has ever been to Argentina has immediately noted the large number of Italian descendants as well as the decidedly European feel of its capital city Buenos Aires.  Raul Mas

The whole thing strikes me as a throwback to the 60s and 70s and the need to differentiate minorities into specific groups so as to better implement affirmative action and promote racial equality. It may have served a purpose back then, but why do we continue to categorize people in the 21st century? Havent we evolved since then? How much longer will we continue to allow ourselves to be identified as being this kind of American or that kind of American instead of just being called Americans, pure and simple?

Dont get me wrong. I am all for showing pride in your cultural background. Diversity is a great thing and bringing together our diverse experiences has been an integral part of the greatness of this country we are blessed to live in. I am immensely proud of my Cuban roots and still hold a strong affinity to my native island country. I am however, an American first and foremost. When asked about my ethnic background, I much prefer to identify myself as Cuban-American rather than as a Latino or Hispanic.

Anyone who has ever traveled or lived in Latin America (a misnomer in and of itself), will tell you that the continent and its people are vastly different. We may share the common influence and bloodlines of Spanish or Portuguese settlers but the histories, culture, food and traditions of our individual countries is very diverse. In some cases, racial mingling with indigenous peoples, as well as climate and geography, have shaped our behavior and our customs.

Pope Francis was born and raised in Argentina, the son of Italian immigrants. Anyone who has ever been to Argentina has immediately noted the large number of Italian descendants as well as the decidedly European feel of its capital city Buenos Aires. Their influence is the result of Argentinas 1853 Constitution as well as other government policies that encouraged European immigration to settle the sparsely populated country.

Immigration also served to consolidate the power of the ruling elites and diminished the strength of Argentinas native inhabitants.

Italians were not the only ones who migrated in large numbers to Argentina in the late 19th and early 20th century. Large numbers of Spaniards also arrived as did Germans, Poles, Russians, Slavs, Syrians and others, many of them of Jewish ancestry.

As a result, Argentina has its own distinct personality, history and culture. It is unlike that of Mexicans, Central Americans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans and Puerto Ricans that make up the vast number of Latinos living in the United States.

But do those dissimilarities really make us that different? Does that mean that Argentines  and Pope Francis  cant relate or sympathize with the rest of us branded with the Latino moniker?

I dont think so. I think our similarities bind us more than our differences. We mostly speak Spanish or Portuguese. The influence of the Catholic Church (good and bad) has played a major role in our common history. Many of our countries have suffered through remarkably similar experiences with oppressive and corrupt leaders and failed policies that have thwarted prosperity and social equality. Too many wars and too much civil strife have hindered the continent and kept it from reaching its full potential. Poverty, discrimination and crime continue to plague many of our countries, especially in urban areas.

Pope Francis comes from a country with more than its share of problems. He has seen up close the inequalities, as well as the positives, that exist in our native lands. He knows the unfulfilled capacity for greatness that lies not just in Latin America but in all of the developing world. In that respect, he is surely a Latino and African and Asian too.

I remind people that Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church. The word catholic has its roots in the Greek phrase  (katholou), meaning "on the whole, in general." He represents not just the faithful of Latin American origin but rather the universal Church. His principal function is to spread to the world the timeless message of Jesus Christ: that we should strive to love each other, to be humble, and to serve the poor among us. For us Catholics, that is also how we obtain redemption and salvation.

Pope Francis is Latino but he is also much more than that. He is a temporal leader called to preach the eternal truth that the only label that really matters is the one we all share: human.
Rand Paul isn't rehearsed. Hes plainspoken. He rarely reads his speeches and sounds a lot like that unassuming guy we meet at the local supermarket whos carrying a clipboard. You know the type  the guy who wants you to sign a petition to support a law, repeal a law or save an animal of some kind. The senator from Kentucky is by all outward appearances very un-senatorial and unsensational.

But you can never judge a book by its cover. And despite outward appearances, Rand Paul may be the most powerful voice in the Senate today. Why? Because he can do what no other Republican can do: he can unify. At a time when Republicans seem as splintered as the Democrats did in the 80s, Paul seems more capable of bridging the divide on big issues than almost anyone else.

Rand Paul has done what the 2012 Republican nominee for president failed to do: take a stance on immigration that makes sense, appeals to Latinos and doesnt alienate the Tea Party base.  Rick Sanchez

This week, on immigration, Paul has taken the GOP where few including me ever imagined it could go: a real public discussion about allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. for good. Even Marco Rubio, the Senates highest profile Latino and the seeming Golden Boy for 2016, has hemmed and hawed on immigration and failed to substantively distinguish himself. And prominent pro-immigration Republicans like Newt Gingrich couldnt move the needle the way that Rand Paul has in just one week.

Let's remember that just six months ago, the prevailing Republican thinking on immigration was, essentially, we want you to leave. In the now infamous words and muddled philosophy of GOP candidate Mitt Romney, the answer is self-deportation.

Say what you will about Romneys words and how they may not have been chosen wisely, but you can't say they didn't work for their intended purpose. In fact, they propelled him to the nomination by providing the GOP base with just the amount of red meat that he needed to prove he was not a weak-kneed liberal in Republican clothing.

In October, after the nomination was locked up and in response to the presidents public stance on the DREAM Act, Mitt Romney seemingly reluctantly said hed support the DREAM Act too. But self-deportation was still part of the picture and still in everyones mind.

Imagine the kind of conviction, courage and credibility it would have taken for Mitt Romney to have stood up at the time and said clearly and unequivocally that undocumented immigrants deserve a pathway to citizenship.

Those three C's courage, conviction and credibility are exactly what Rand Paul is demonstrating. And he's proving it not just with his own words, but with the words that others are saying about him.

I am writing specifically about the Tea Party, the movement from which Paul authentically hails. Here is what Tea Party leaders are saying about Rand Paul's immigration position, a position that I believe if taken by anyone else in the GOP would have garnered criticism and consternation.

Sal Russo, the founder of the Tea Party Express, doesnt seem at all bothered by Pauls backing of a pathway to citizenship. He says Paul is still his favorite of the group. And he is praising him for his willingness to stand up and take a principled stand on immigration.

Its surprising, considering that the Tea Party has viewed similar statements by other politicians as a call for amnesty for illegal aliens.

But Russo seems to have no problem with Paul telling America's 11 million undocumented immigrants that, we will find a place for you.

In the past, words like those spoken by Paul last Tuesday would have gotten him compared to the likes of uber-liberals like Al Gore (or worse  Barack Obama), but Russo in interviews says that he sees Paul more in the mold of Ronald Reagan:

A lot of people voted for Reagan that didnt agree with him on everything, but he spoke boldly, Russo said. Thats what we are sort of applauding with Rand Paul Its refreshing to have someone raise an issue in a clear and unambiguous way. We think it needs to happen on the fiscal issues.

It no doubt helps that Rand Paul is coming off from his filibustering victory on the issue of drones. Getting the Obama administration to be accountable has raised his profile and allowed him to make a principled stand on immigration. His willingness to stand up for what he believed on the drone issue earned him respect  and that is paying dividends right now.

Russos words are more than a passing gesture of respect for Paul  theyre a full-blown endorsement of immigration reform. He goes on to say, People are in this country a long time and they are not legal. We have to get them legal in some way in a process that gets people legal that are here We should do it because it's the right thing. We need to reform immigration because we need a system that works, Russo said.

And Russo is not alone. Matt Kibbe, the CEO of Freedom Works, another visible Tea Party group, agrees.

Rand Paul has done what the 2012 Republican nominee for president failed to do: take a stance on immigration that makes sense, appeals to Latinos and doesnt alienate the Tea Party base. If Romney had pulled this off, hed be president today.

Can you imagine any other Republican getting this kind of Tea Party support on an issue as contentious as immigration? Frankly, I cant.

I think it comes back to the three Cs, and Pauls authenticity that he believes what he says, and says what he means like the guy with the petition at the supermarket and is not a politician whose positions are based on polls.

It is also the fact that Paul has grasped the reality of the immigration issue, and the essence of the argument. Talking about fences or deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants who are integrated into our economy and society may make good sound bites, but it doesnt make much sense.

These 11 million undocumented immigrants who have come to the U.S., worked here and raised children here, only want the chance to prove themselves worthy of staying. They dont care what form it comes in, or whether its called a pathway or legal residency or citizenship. They just want to stop looking over their shoulders as they live in the pursuit of happiness.

While other politicians argue about the form the path to citizenship should take, what it looks like whether its a highway, a cobblestone road or one with speed bumps and checkpoints and as they debate semantics over what to call it, Paul gets to the point. And hes

right because the fact is, for now, it doesnt matter.

These people will walk on whatever path to citizenship we build, whether it's quick and smooth or long and difficult. They'll even walk on glass for the right to stay in America. Rand Paul knows that and is by far the best of all Republicans at communicating this message to the rest of the party and the country. And so when it comes to the rest of the GOP, Rand Paul is right now, without a doubt, El Hombre!
Considering the growing clout of Latino voters, it is no surprise that politicians are now, more than ever, focusing on outreach and messaging toward the Spanish-speaking electorate. Spanish-language ads and addresses are everywhere and rightly so. Since Latinos are a rainbow of nationality backgrounds and skin colors, what unites us and defines us is our language, as commentator and leading Latino figurehead, Charles P. Garcia, recently noted. (Well, that and knowing what its like to have mama scold you if you step outdoors with your hair wet as you will now, certainly, catch a cold.)

But in employing Spanish as a messaging tactic, politicians often overreach and even err.

What works and what doesnt? Lets take a look:

1) Rubios Spanish-language State of the Union response: When plans were announced that the Florida senator would mark a historical first with this novel approach, some railed that it was divisive or even offensive. But, as I wrote on this site, Rubios move, while bold, was inclusive and laudable. Once it aired, naysayers realized their criticisms were premature and amounted to much ado about nothing. Rubio delivered the address in English, and Spanish language networks were able to broadcast the Spanish version.

VERDICT: Works! When a politician speaks Spanish flawlessly, as Rubio does, providing an alternate, additional Spanish-language version is not only effective and inclusive but also simply natural.

As we continue to (rightly) abandon harsh rhetoric and tone toward Latinos, politicians must be careful to walk the delicate line between what does not work and what does.  A.J. Delgado

2) Spanish-language campaign ads: In the 2012 election cycle, both President Obama and Mitt Romney aired ads exclusively in Spanish, aired heavily on radio stations catering to Latino audiences. This is a no-brainer. There are many voters, mainly elderly Latinos, who are citizens and have actively voted for years but who never mastered the English language. Why not speak directly to these key members of the voting populace? Such addresses are even effective toward those who do speak perfect English but for whom Spanish is their native tongue, as it is heartening for many to hear the political message articulated directly to their ethnic community.

VERDICT: Works! Spanish-language ads reach a broader audience and in a way that is personal to those listening.

3) Bilingual ads: Last month, second-generation Colombian-American Gabriel Gomez spurred a controversy with an online video announcing his candidacy for the U.S. Senate. Gomez, a Republican and former Navy SEAL, incorporated Spanish into the ad, underscoring his ethnic heritage  fair enough. But he opened the ad in Spanish, stating: Me llamo Gabriel Gomez y yo estoy anunciando que voy a correr para ser senador de los Estados Unidos. To those of you who dont speak Spanish, today Im announcing my run for U.S. Senate. Prior to closing the 60-second ad, Gomez used Spanish once more: Ojala no vemos pronto en el futuro.

VERDICT: Fails! Its wonderful for Gomez to highlight and even emphasize his Latino heritage. There is, however, a proper time and place  the very first sentence, and the very first words uttered, in an ad announcing ones candidacy is not it. Gomez can and should produce Spanish language ads for YouTube, radio stations, and Spanish television stations, or even incorporate a Spanish phrase into a general ad. But starting off his candidacy in Spanish and, even worse, following that sentence with: To those of you who dont speak Spanish. (i.e., the majority of Massachusetts residents) is misguided and simply cringe-worthy. Moreover, the intense use of Spanish throughout the short ad seemed to be pandering, as Gomezs Spanish language skills (struggling to articulate the words) are not those of a native speaker. If one does not normally, fluently speak the language, is it natural to make such heavy use of it in a campaign ad? And, perhaps most worrisome, does an ad like this (to those of you who dont speak Spanish) offend non-Latino voters and further heighten tensions against the Latino community?

4) Spanish when addressing a Latino organization: When Romney and Obama spoke to NALEO last year, both stressed their love of Latino culture (with Romney even noting his father was technically born in Mexico) and using Spanish phrases. And when Senator Rand Paul spoke to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce yesterday, he incorporated Spanish over a dozen times, as well as opening and closing in the language.

VERDICT: Works! Learning a few Spanish phrases to employ in addressing a Hispanic organization is, at the very least, polite, endearing, and appreciated. While Jon Stewart good-naturedly poked fun at the degree to which Romney and Obama did so last year, in a segment skewering los panderos (the panderers), in seriousness, few find fault with this sensible, charming approach.

So there you have it. As we continue to (rightly) abandon harsh rhetoric and tone toward Latinos, politicians must be careful to walk the delicate line between what does not work and what does. Pandering? No. Inclusion in the right way, time, and place? Si!
In an interview with KRBD radio Thursday, Representative Don Young ( R-Alaska) used the racist smear "wetback" in describing migrant workers his father employed in their California ranch.

Young used the derogatory term when explaining how automation has taken away jobs.

My father had a ranch; we used to have 50-60 wetbacks to pick tomatoes, Young said. It takes two people to pick the same tomatoes now. Its all done by machine.

Certainly Representative Young's insensitive slur this week does not help the GOP's effort to reach out to the Latino community.  Hugo Balta, President of NAHJ

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is disappointed by Representative Young's insensitive remark. NAHJ calls for his immediate apology.

In a statement Young did not apologize, but rather tried to excuse himself by explaining that it came from his time growing up in a different era. He said, "I used a term that was commonly used during my days growing up on a farm in central California (...) I know that this term is not used in the same way nowadays and I meant no disrespect."

No, Mr. Young, such tactless expressions always had the same "use" and that's to demean a group of hard working people who are often the target of abuse.

In 1954 (when young was 20 years old), then president Dwight Eisenhower launched Operation Wetback, a shameful initiative to remove (often violently) thousands of undocumented workers - mostly Mexican nationals. In what has been described as a "quasi-military operation", border patrol agents, along with state and local law enforcement methodically targeted Mexican-Americans.

The result was widespread fear and abuse.

It is estimated that 4,800 people were apprehended on the first day of the military operation. In the end, The Immigration and Naturalization Service agency (INS) claimed as many as 1,300,000 were deported - many on their own out of fear. There were reports of beatings. Hundreds of families were torn apart. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Following the overwhelming loss in November, The Republican National Committee (RNC) called on the party to present a friendlier face to diverse voters from different racial and ethnic groups. The five-member Growth and Opportunity Project of the RNC stated in its report, It does not matter what we say about education, jobs or the economy; if Hispanics think we do not want them here, they will close their ears to our advice.

Certainly Representative Young's insensitive slur this week does not help the GOP's effort to reach out to the Latino community.

It is my personal hope that Mr. Young understands how that term fuels racist and discriminatory actions by ignorant people, who feel it (wetback) is acceptable to use because a person in power (a politician) like him uses it.

I invite Representative Young to a conversation in an effort to educate others about how inappropriate and inaccurate this negative term is.
Immigration reform is at the top of Washingtons to-do list. Its not the first time in recent memory that the issue has received serious attention from lawmakers. But unlike six years ago when the last bipartisan effort fell apart, it now looks as if there may be the right combination of public support, leadership (public and private) and political will to make sensible reform a reality.

This turnaround, regardless of the reasons for its occurrence, is good. Thats because the countrys economic vitality and future competitiveness depends on getting immigration right.

In 2011 immigrants started 28 percent of all new businesses, employing 1 in 10 U.S. workers and adding more than $775 billion dollars of revenue to our GDP.  Antonio Garza

Long viewed as the land of opportunity, the U.S. has always attracted a steady influx of enterprising, foreign-born workers who have come here to work, innovate and succeed. Immigrants now comprise 13 percent of our population. Its accepted fact that we are a nation of immigrants and most Americans (54 percent according to a new poll by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution) believe we are stronger for it and nearly two-thirds (63 percent) support an earned path to citizenship for immigrants currently living in the country illegally.

Several recent studies underscore just how significant immigration has been in helping drive U.S. economic success. Consider, for instance, that 18 percent of the companies on the Fortune 500 list (the annual ranking of top American companies by revenue) were founded by immigrants. These 90 companies span all sectors of the economy, generate more than $1.7 trillion in annual revenues and employ more than 3.6 million people worldwide. They include such recognizable names as Goldman Sachs, AT&T, Google, DuPont and U.S. Steel.

Immigrants also fuel small business creation, a reflection of the entrepreneurial drive that is typical of an individual who leaves home to start a new life abroad. Eighteen percent of U.S. small business owners are immigrants, according to a study by the Fiscal Policy Institute, and 30 percent of small business growth over the past two decades has been due to immigrants.

Immigrants are more than twice as likely to start a business as the native born, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy. This is an important insight given that new business generation, which has reached its lowest rate in 30 years of recorded data, is critically needed to spur economic growth and job creation. In 2011 immigrants started 28 percent of all new businesses, employing 1 in 10 U.S. workers and adding more than $775 billion dollars of revenue to our GDP, the study found.

Many new businesses immigrants start in the high-tech sector. The National Venture Capital Association reports that a quarter of new venture backed tech companies are immigrant-led. And foreign-born inventors have contributed to more than 75 percent of the patents issued to the top 10 patent-producing U.S. universities, another study found.

Moreover, foreign-born students who graduate with a degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) and remain in the U.S. for work create an estimated 2.62 American jobs. We need such graduates in order to retain our global competitiveness and to surmount a looming skills gap.

Its not just high-skilled immigrants who create jobs, however. Every low-skilled, non-agricultural, temporary worker who comes to the U.S. to fill a job that may otherwise be left open creates an average of 4.64 U.S. jobs, according to The Partnership for a New American Economy. These low-skilled jobs are the necessary backbone to support higher-skilled positions and they help raise living standards for all U.S. workers and families.

A host of other facts and studies illuminate the importance of immigration to U.S. economic vitality. Some reveal that immigrants boost tax revenue, enlarge the taxpayer base and help keep down the price of goods. Others underscore the demographic reality that without immigrants the U.S. will not have enough new workers to support retirees. All clearly demonstrate that our economic strength and future competitiveness depend on immigrants.

To continue to attract and retain those who want to better their lives by coming to the U.S. and contributing to our economy, we must adopt a sensible immigration policy. Our main economic competitors are structuring policies to lure immigrant talent. Without immigration reform, we risk seeing those who would come to the U.S. to work hard and get ahead, innovate and invent, and start and grow companies go elsewhere. Our great country cant afford such an outcome.
Yoani Sanchez, the 37-year-old Cuban dissident, arrived in America this past week on the last leg of her 80-day world tour. She came with a message that is honest, bold and, in an old world sense, very American.

She is here telling us how she would like Cuba to be, but in the process, reminds us of how we used to be  and how we used to sound when we fought for freedom as passionately as we now fight for our remote controls.

Her words against her own oppressive government cannot help but remind us of our own history against tyranny. But should they not also remind us of our present condition?  Rick Sanchez

Sanchez is a rock star as political dissidents go. She has a worldwide following, due in large part to her ability to leverage the Internet in order to get her message out. She has 460,000 Twitter followers and her blog available in 17 languages gets more than 14 million hits a month.

If that's not impressive enough, consider that her blog is blocked in Cuba, that she has to contend with government minders and censors, and that the only way she can circumvent these obstacles is by emailing her blog posts to friends outside of Cuba who then publish them on her site for her.

One day, Sanchez decided to tell the truth about life inside Cuba. And since then, her words have encouraged people worldwide to think about their own freedom, or lack thereof. She's received countless international honors, medals and is listed on too many "most influential" lists to detail here. While the fame and notoriety may inoculate her from the Cuban government taking severe action against her, one gets the sense fame and notoriety is not what drives her.

Cuba is her home, her homeland and the place she hopes to change from within. If she left Cuba and wrote her blog from Miami or New York, she would enjoy just a fraction of her following.

True defenders of liberty sacrifice themselves for the sake of freedom. They have throughout history, including our own. And Sanchez has undoubtedly made that sacrifice: she has reportedly been arrested, detained, beaten and harassed for speaking out against Cubas prohibitions on freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

She speaks of truths that insult and infuriate every statist, absolutist, oligarch and totalitarianmuch as our own forefathers once did.

Through John Locke, Thomas Paine, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson we once came to revere the concept of our inalienable rights as Americans, derived not from the state, but from our own free will and from God. More than two centuries later, those rights have been slowly whittled down eroded by politicians who mask their cruelty with benevolent laws that have only served to make us more dependent on government, less free and reliant upon ourselves and our communities.

This is the battle that Yoani Sanchez talks about in her own country when she spreads her message of freedom, and when she says that the rights of citizens are not gifts from the government but that they are instead inherent human rights.

Her words against her own oppressive government cannot help but remind us of our own history against tyranny. But should they not also remind us of our present condition?

At a time when government workers earn more than private citizens, when our tax money is collected and given to those who crony up to politicians, when defense spending is used to defend earnings, when governments mandate our choice of schools, healthcare, food and even drink size, isnt it time for us to re-examine our own inalienable rights or lack there of?

Isn't it time for our own Yoani Sanchez?
The decision by The Associated Press to drop the offensive phrase "illegal immigrant" to describe immigrants who are in the United States without legal status marks a new moment in the struggle for immigrant rights.

Coming on the heels of the 180-degree turn on immigration of the Republican Party, the campaign to Drop the I-Word marks another high point in the crescendo of an increasingly mature immigrant rights movement.

we see this victory against the I-Word and the institutional forces that sustained it as another step to real immigration reform and a more humane treatment of immigrants.  Arturo Carmona, Executive director of Presente.org

The Drop the I-Word effort, which was launched and led by the Applied Research Center (ARC) in 2010, involved many groups working tirelessly for many years in many places across the country. This same multi-sectoral, multi-dimensional approach previews and helps pave the way for what we hope and expect will be the 800-pound gorilla of immigrant rights: real immigration reform.

We should not and cannot underestimate the role of language in shaping our political losses and victories. Dehumanizing language is a precursor to dehumanizing policy and the psychological and physical violence that enables it. Viewed from this vantage point, we see this victory against the I-Word and the institutional forces that sustained it as another step to real immigration reform and a more humane treatment of immigrants.

My organization, Presente.org, is proud to have engaged thousands of its members and to have played an active role in support of the national "Drop the I-Word" campaign led by ARC. Most importantly, we should also recognize that this victory would not have been possible without the immigrants and non-immigrants who challenged their friends, families and acquaintances about their daily use of illegal immigrant.

The history of language change tells us that these kinds of daily challenges are stuff that immigrant dreams are made of.

While we should be celebrating, there remains much work to do, beginning with the other major journalistic arbiter of the American language, The New York Times. Though no formal announcement has been made, we are encouraged by the signals sent by The Times that it too may soon follow suit and drop the I-Word."
The terms "illegal immigrant" and illegals were first used in 1939 as slurs by the British toward Jews who were fleeing the Nazis and entering Palestine without authorization. Today, the racially charged terms are regularly leveled at people who reside in the United States without authorization, particularly Hispanics. Whats worse, their use has been officially sanctioned.

Since 2004, the Associated Press has directed journalists to use "illegal immigrant" and other combinations of the word illegal when referring to people in this group. Most of the national media follow the Associated Press Stylebook, which is the industry bible for the appropriate use of language, and consequently the majority of U.S. media outlets refer to undocumented immigrants as illegals. University of Memphis journalism professor Thomas Hrach conducted a study of 122,000 news stories published between 2000 and 2010. He found that 89 percent of the time journalists used the terms "illegal, illegal immigrant or illegal alien."

But after much criticism and pressure from the Latino community, AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Kathleen Carroll announced on Tuesday that AP is changing its stylebook and calling on media outlets to stop using the term illegal immigrant.

When the brain hears and reads illegals and illegal aliens over and over again, these hate words spread subconsciously, triggering fear and resentment that America is a dangerous place under attack by hordes of invading aliens.  Charles Garcia

Its too early to tell if this change will cause our current political leaders, like John McCain, Paul Ryan and Secretary Janet Napolitano to stop ardently promoting this slur, which they continue to use despite the pleas of the Latino community.

Far too many journalists and commentators chalk these pleas up as another example of political correctness run amok, despite strong arguments to the contrary. New York Times editorial writer Lawrence Downes, for instance, says the term "illegal" is often "a code word for racial and ethnic hatred.

Linguist and cognitive scientist George Lakoff has also warned journalists that language is not neutral. Lakoff explains that, if you study the way the brain processes language, every word is defined with respect to frames. Each frame triggers ideas and emotions that subconsciously lead you to certain choices. When the brain hears and reads illegals and illegal aliens over and over again, these hate words spread subconsciously, triggering fear and resentment that America is a dangerous place under attack by hordes of invading aliens.

Why does any of this matter? Because words can be loaded guns.

In May 2011, Juan Varela was in his front yard in Phoenix when he was shot by his white neighbor, who was yelling "Go back to Mexico or die!" Juan was a fifth-generation American.

In May 2010, in the Arizona border town of Avivaca, 9-year-old Brisenia Flores and her father Raul were gunned down in their house by a Minuteman vigilante group. The group first killed her father. Then, as the little girl begged Please dont shoot me, her head was blown off at point blank range in front of her mother, who survived the attack. Both father and child were natural-born U.S. citizens.

In November 2008, in Long Island, N.Y., seven white teenagers admitted to the perverse sport of beaner hopping. One of their victims was Marcelo Lucero, who was waiting for a train around midnight. They terrorized him with racial slurs, and then beat and stabbed him to death. Marcelo was a church-going Ecuadoran foreign national who worked at a local dry cleaner to help feed his family.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg  over the past decade there has been a spike in hate crimes against Latinos. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Latinos in 2010 made up 66 percent of ethnically motivated violence, up from 45 percent in 2009.

Hill + Knowlton Strategies, one of the worlds leading communications firms, conducted eight focus groups in Phoenix, Charlotte, Houston and Chicago to better understand current public opinion about Latinos among Anglo-Americans. The full study will be released next Friday during Hispanicize 2013, which brings together Latino newsmakers in journalism, film, social media and marketing. One of the most disturbing findings was that nearly 80 percent of Anglo-Americans believe Hispanics are involved in criminal activity  illegal activity, in other words. And the publics view of the percentage of undocumented Hispanics in the U.S. is greatly skewed  75 percent overestimate the proportion of Latinos in the U.S. who are undocumented.

If most Anglo-Americans believe Im an unauthorized immigrant involved in criminal activity because my last name is Garcia, then its clear to me that this is not simply about political correctness. Words matter.

The incessant use of the racial slur illegals and illegal immigrant is perpetuating negative sentiments of the Latino population, and putting a target on the back of innocent Hispanics.

Now, its up to the likes of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times to stop sitting there like the three monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil" and to cease using language that promotes misconceptions and hatred.
The bipartisan group of U.S. senators known as the Gang of Eight that is crafting a comprehensive immigration reform package has, by anyones estimate, a tough job. Writing a bill that can pass muster with a Democrat-controlled Senate, a Republican-controlled House and that will get signed by the president is hard enough on any topic, never mind how difficult it is to do on an issue that gets as emotional a response as immigration.

But the Gangs already difficult job gets even harder with its provision that U.S. borders must be verified as secure before any plan to move the nations estimated 11-12 million undocumented immigrants on a pathway to potential legalization can be implemented.

As encouraged as I am that this influential group of senators is working diligently, I hope that its approach to border security will not simply be to appropriate more dollars for Border Patrol and call it a day.  Nelson Balido

Determining whether security has been sufficiently achieved will fall on a commission comprised of governors, attorneys general, and community leaders living along the Southwest border.

All of which raises these questions: How will such a commission know when the border is secure? What does a secure border look like? What should a secure border look like?

Half of the Gang recently toured the Tucson, Ariz. Border Patrol Sector, which included a stop in the port community of Nogales. It was there where the senators got a peek at just how complicated defining border security really is. While on their tour, the senators witnessed a woman scale an 18-ft. border fence from the Mexican side and shimmy down to the U.S. side. She was easily apprehended by Border Patrol agents, but the scene made an impression on New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who was making his first visit to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Senator (John) McCain and Senator (Jeff) Flake had impressed upon our group from the beginning the need to do something further on the border, and this trip certainly strengthens that view, Schumer told reporters.

As encouraged as I am that this influential group of senators is working diligently to confront one of the most challenging issues of our time, I hope that its approach to border security will not simply be to appropriate more dollars for Border Patrol and call it a day.

To his credit, Sen. Schumer indicated that he and his colleagues recognize that more Border Patrol agents, an agency that has gone from just 4,000 in 1993 to over 21,000 in 2012, isnt a silver bullet.

"What I learned today is we have adequate manpower, but not adequate technology, Schumer said after the Nogales tour.

The senator is partially right. More technological resources are needed for Border Patrol. But Customs and Border Protection at the ports of entry could use the manpower help as well as more technology. As the grip on the vast expanse between the ports continues to tighten, smugglers and drug traffickers are already taking their chances at the ports. CBP needs to be ready.

And any border security plan must pass muster with American taxpayers who, despite their eagerness to see a deal get done, arent going to support a plan that breaks the bank. Thats why, as much as I support unmanned aerial vehicles for border surveillance, they are a lot more expensive than those four-pawed, tail-wagging drug sniffers at the ports, or small twin engine aircraft.

Finally, border communities are holding their collective breath over the component in the proposal that any bill will require the completion of an entry-exit system that tracks whether all persons entering the United States on temporary visas via airports and seaports have left the country as required by law.

If an exit system becomes a negotiating point, I would urge lawmakers to proceed with extreme caution before extending the exit system concept to the land borders. Unless border region citizens have the utmost confidence in the efficiency and efficacy of such a system, they will never support a system that turns their communities into parking lots for outbound traffic, replicating the same inefficiencies we see on the inbound side.

There arent easy answers for the questions of what constitutes a secure border. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, also a member of the Gang of Eight, was right to urge Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Pat Leahy not to rush an immigration package through the legislative process. A proposal that has the potential to affect our borders so dramatically is too important not to get it right.
Ricky Martin is not the poster man for what it means to be gay and Latino in todays society  in fact, his experience is coated in privileges granted to him by his celebrity status.

Daddy Yankee is not only a victim of fabricated social media-driven news, which accused him of being gay, he is also a victim of the machismo and homophobic culture that saturates the Latino community.

The lack of conversations about the experiences of LGBT Latinos is problematic because it continues to disregard the added cultural burden that LGBT Latinos face as it pertains to bullying, homelessness, and HIV, just to name a few.  Mark Travis Rivera

Having denied the rumors, Yankee, who is known for his reggaeton music with songs like Gasolina, had to combat the frenzy that surrounded his sexual orientation. The Puerto Rican artist had to proclaim his heterosexuality, which leaves one wondering why his sexual orientation mattered in the first place.

Without much inquiry it becomes apparent why his sexual nature would be of such interestmachismo relies on strict gender norms in order to operate, and being a gay man is going against the definition of manhood.

A discriminatory commentary began to flood social media, alleging that Daddy Yankee is now somehow less of a man, and some even dubbed him Mamma Yankee.

What does this say about one of the largest growing minority groups who politically played a huge role in the recent presidential election? It says that regardless of the shift within society about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community or how accepting people are of same-sex marriage, to be a person of color who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender means to be a double minority  struggling to find absolute acceptance both within the Latino and LGBT community.

Within the Latino community and other people of color communities, discussions on LGBT individuals continue to be met with much resistance from families and the church. The lack of conversations about the experiences of LGBT Latinos is problematic because it continues to disregard the added cultural burden that LGBT Latinos face as it pertains to bullying, homelessness, and HIV, just to name a few.

It would be in poor taste to fail to mention that some people spoke out in support of Daddy Yankee as it pertained to his sexuality but that does not negate the fact that we must begin to talk about the mistreatment of our LGBT Latinos.

The language we use to shape those conversations, the choice to abandon the sexist machismo ideology, and the choice to love your family member or friend regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression symbolizes what family should really be about  love.

Let us not marginalize gay Latinos as the overtly flamboyant queens that the media often portrays us as, recognize that like the various shades of our skin color, LGBT Latinos are all different, some of us are even rappers, actors, and athletes.

For many Latinos, the closet is the only option; it means remaining a part of the only community they have, even if the price to pay is silence. Lets not mistake the love and acceptance Ricky Martin experiences overall as a representation that our community has truly progressed  we have yet to make significant strides in this struggle.

Ideally, one would love to see society get to the point where an individuals sexual orientation is not the cause of a media frenzy, that a celebrity like Daddy Yankee would not have to defend and proclaim his heterosexuality simply because we as Latinos continue to talk down on those who are LGBT.

Hop off the social media bully pulpit and recognize the weight of your words, and learn to fully embrace your community, gay or straight. At the end of the day, we are all Latinos.
America is in full retrenchment mode. Our economy is on the ropes. The so-called recovery would be laughable if it wasnt so tragic: miniscule growth combined with stagnant unemployment and a workforce that is increasingly throwing in the towel.

Sequestration, the congressional version of a budgetary IED, has hit the Pentagon hard. Born of political gridlock, the across-the-board cuts are forcing military commanders to cut even important missions and programs.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), charged with engaging and partnering with our Latin American neighbors, is going to take it particularly hard. You dont hear much about SOUTHCOMs work because the news headlines have rightly been focused on our ongoing war in Afghanistan. SOUTHCOM, however, has been playing a critical role in our hemisphere countering illicit drugs and assisting our allies in defeating transnational criminal organizations as well as the home-grown guerilla groups that support them.

All that is now at risk, with sequestration cuts coming into effect. The consequences are real, not imagined. More drugs will flood Americas streets. Drug lords and insurgents will find it easier to take on the frail police and military forces that characterize many of our cash-strapped neighbors in Central and South America. The result will be even more pressure on fragile democracies that are struggling to maintain order and stability. Those governments operate in a part of the world where life is cheap and corruption and violence have historically been the instruments of power.

[Sequestration] cuts the good with the bad and makes no distinction over programs that work and those that dont. It doesnt just cut the fat. It cuts muscle and fat equally.  Raul Mas Canosa

One of the favorite routes for drug dealers these days is up the Pacific coast from Colombia, along the Central American isthmus and then into Mexico, where the illicit cargo eventually crosses the U.S. border. The infiltration efforts have become increasingly sophisticated with home-grown semi submersible vessels and submarines now plying the waters carrying large quantities of cocaine. To counter this threat, the U.S. Navy has deployed ships and aircraft to find and intercept these vessels which are then seized by local law enforcement units. The program is known as Operation Martillo.

Because of sequestration, Operation Martillo will now suffer. The USS Thach, a Navy frigate based out of San Diego, is being sent home early, completing only four months of her originally scheduled six month deployment. Other Navy ships involved in the effort will see more time in port and less time at sea. Navy anti-submarine aircraft, re-purposed to fight the drug war, will fly fewer missions looking for the carefully camouflaged or submerged drug boats.

Another favorite drug route for smugglers is out of Venezuela and into the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico. From there, the drugs find their way to the U.S. and into Europe. Working out of Curacao and Aruba with our NATO partners, the U.S. Air Force has been supporting drug interdiction efforts in the region and helping to seize large quantities of cocaine that would otherwise end up on our streets and on the European continent. That mission is now also being cut back.

SOUTHCOM however, is not just about intercepting drugs. The Command works closely with our Latin American neighbors to promote peace in the region and to provide badly needed humanitarian assistance as well as disaster relief whenever a crisis erupts.

This projection of American soft power has been very successful and, in my humble opinion, an extremely cost-effective use of American taxpayer dollars.

One such effort has been Operation Continuing Promise, the yearly deployment of a U.S. Navy hospital ship or amphibious landing ship to the region to provide medical assistance to some of the most remote and impoverished areas of the continent. The deployments provide valuable training for our sailors and Marines. These ships however, do not just carry American military personnel. They bring civilian doctors and nurses who volunteer their time and talent to repair cleft lips, perform cataract surgery, and undertake other lifesaving and life-enhancing procedures that make a real difference in the lives of thousands of poor rural families. The April deployment of Operation Continuing Promise has now been cancelled. Our commitment to sustain this program, our promise to the region, has effectively been broken.

Other multinational military and humanitarian activities, including Fuerzas Comando, Fuerzas Aliadas Humanitarias and PANAMAX, are also being eliminated or reduced to a shell of their former self.

These cutbacks will surely weaken U.S. security and will embolden the criminal and insurgent elements operating in Latin America. They will diminish the bonds of friendship that SOUTHCOM has worked so hard to establish over the years with our partner nations in the region.

Sequestration is not just a lousy way to cut the federal deficit. It is also a dumb way to curtail military spending. It cuts the good with the bad and makes no distinction over programs that work and those that dont. It doesnt just cut the fat. It cuts muscle and fat equally.

Congress and the president need to re-think and reverse sequestration. There are plenty of areas where belts can be tightened, including the U.S. defense budget. However, the mandatory cuts being leveled at SOUTHCOM, and other areas of military spending, are of the classic penny wise and pound foolish variety. They will come back to haunt us. They will hurt not just our security but the security of many of our neighbors who depend on us to keep a lid on violence and on the incredibly corrosive effect of illicit drugs.
Conviction of her core values is probably the one quality that I admire most about Margaret Thatcher. While it was believed that her time to leave this world was coming near; I was, nevertheless, deeply saddened by her passing yesterday.

A lot has been written about her and a lot more will be. Her authorized biography will be published in no time and soon we will know even more about her life, her thought process, her passions and hopefully her challenges. But there is almost universal acceptance in one simple fact  she made a difference. To friends and foes Lady Thatcher might have been a controversial political figure, but one they all understood was a mighty force to be reckoned with.

I appreciated her determination, her disposition, her elegance and certainly her love for her country. It was that unquenchable love for her country that made her resolve as strong as iron.  Rosario Marin, Former U.S. Treasurer

I admired her from the moment she became prime minister. She made history that day and forever changed the political landscape. While she was the first and so far only woman to be prime minister of England, she never saw herself as a feminist. It seemed like she almost scoffed at the term. Yet there will never be a question that a woman can be as determined, strong willed and ruthless if necessary, as any man capable to govern a country. Whether it was her intent or not, she blazed a trail for women throughout the world.

I got elected to my City Council in 1994 four years after she had left 10 Downing Street, but I confess that deep inside of me, I looked up to her. She was a role model to me. Like her I come from a very humble family and I was the first one in my family to go to college. So secretly I wished to emulate her. I appreciated her determination, her disposition, her elegance and certainly her love for her country. It was that unquenchable love for her country that made her resolve as strong as iron. I love my country just the same, and cherished my position as an elected official. In so doing, I was compelled to follow her example as a public servant.

People that underestimated her did it at their own peril. She was always prepared  her shield was based in a torrent of facts. She would deluge a barrage of facts and figures to the poor soul that dared to challenge her. She earned the respect of her adversaries.

On Monday David Cameron, the current Prime Minister of England, said, "Margaret Thatcher didn't just lead our country  she saved our country. Margaret Thatcher took a country that was on its knees and made Britain stand tall again."

Her clarity of purpose along with her strong convictions of personal responsibility, individual liberty and limited government made it possible for her to turn around her beloved country. Maybe even in the United States we can restore some of those values which have made this country the greatest country on earth and now, I am afraid, its at risk of losing with every passing day.

Rest in peace Iron Lady. Rest in Peace.
Mediawise it was like the return of Elian Gonzalez or an electronic Bay of Pigs. From editorial obscurity, Cuba had been hurled back onto the front pages of the worlds newspapers and newscasts by Beyonce and Jay-Z, medias royal couple. Even Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt could never have roiled the treacherous waters of U.S./Cuban relations like the pop stars did with their just concluded Fifth Anniversary visit this week.

The action/reaction/counter-reaction happened in real time. The video of their smiling, crowded, heavily-guarded tour of Old Havana was still in the news loop when prominent Cuban American leaders unleashed a no-holds barred condemnation that took the celebrity visit as seriously as if it had been a terrorist attack.

Cubas repressive government should fear visitors bringing in these liberating ideas, not the other way around.  Geraldo Rivera

Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio was on fire. Cubas not a zoo, where you pay an admission ticket and you get to go in and you get to watch people living in cages, to see how theyre suffering. Cuba is not a field trip. I dont take that stuff lightly. Whoa. With that intensity the young senator elevated the discussion. He portrayed the perhaps self-indulgent celebrity field trip as a crime against humanity. You just went to Cuba, and to fulfill your curiosity, which I could have told you about, if you would come and see me for five minutes, you left thousands of dollars in the hands of a government that uses that money to control these people that you feel sorry for.

Personally, I thought Senator Rubio was way over the top. Unless he thought to serve red meat for Tea Party Only, the rhetorical flourish was extreme. Havent hundreds of thousands of Americans, including journalists, educators and businesspeople visited since the good old days of the Batista dictatorship? Havent millions from nations like Canada, Britain and France visited over the decades? In fact, isnt the U.S. the only nation maintaining this aged and outdated embargo? Was it appropriate for Senator Rubio to make the attack so severe when most of the world thinks it is no big deal; and that it is not human rights but ideology that prevents the U.S. and Cuba from treating each other with the same civility America deals with communist China and particularly Vietnam, with which we fought a ten-year bloody war?

The first time I went to Cuba in 1979 was to interview Fidel Castro about the legacy of Ernest Hemingway, my literary hero who made this Pearl of the Antilles and fishing and drinking rum at la Floridita Bar in downtown Havana so attractive. Aware that most Cubans longed for freedom, it never occurred to me that I was putting money in the hands of government, that uses that money to control these people. What I thought was that I was part of the process of Cuba opening to the modern world, a process that as with China, Russia, Eastern Europe and Vietnam would inevitably make Cuba a freer place.

The next time I visited, in 1986, I was sailing my old boat around Central America through the Panama Canal. During that trip we were met outside Havana by an armed gunboat that escorted us into Marina Hemingway. After that uncomfortable experience, on land we had a government minder watching our every move. Yet, I still believed that our mere presence among non-governmental Cubans was as good for them as it was for us.

This is how the modern freedom-fighting process has worked since the fall of the Iron Curtain. In a head-to-head confrontation, the idea of freedom is so powerful that it cant lose. Cubas repressive government should fear visitors bringing in these liberating ideas, not the other way around. The few dollars spent by Beyonce and Jay-Z was chump change compared to the whiff of Americas good life our other First Couple brought to Cubas millions.

Another prominent Cuban-American, who like Senator Rubio was born in the United States, Florida Republican congressman Mario Diaz-Balart was equally firm, though not as over the top. I know some people might think that its not a big deal like, its not a big deal to have (Dennis) Rodman meeting with the North Korean dictator, he told me during an interview that airs on my Fox News show this Saturday at 10pm ET. But, in the case of Cuba, heres your problem: that theres a law. And we have to follow the law. I dont care Geraldo, how famous you are, how wealthy you are, were a country of laws, and nobody should be or can be above the law.

The law prohibiting tourism referenced by the congressman is the Cuban Democracy Act, the latest version of the embargo that has frozen U.S./Cuban relations in a time machine set on 1960. But why not go with the flow, I ask the congressman. We did it with the Chinese and the Vietnamese?

Heres the difference, were dealing with a state sponsoring terrorism. This is not Vietnam, this is more like Iran. This is more like Assads Syria, if we knew that one of the big funding sources for the Iran regime was U.S. travel, I think we would all be outraged, and say 'lets not do that, thats funding state sponsored terrorism.' Every case is different, I would probably argue that we should not be doing things that are funding communist China, but at least its not a state-sponsored terrorism, Congressman Diaz-Balart added strongly.

But to those critics, Jay-Z had a powerful retort; a quickly crafted song called Open Letter:

[Verse 1]

I done turned Havana to Atlanta

Guayabera shirts and bandanas

Every time you think they got me I switch the planna

Bulletproof this, radio scanners

Ballin' 'til they ban us

You gettin' too much bread, they try to jam you

Boy from the hood but got White House clearance

White House clearance? "It's a song," Jay Carney said Thursday denying the lyrics literal accuracy. "The president did not communicate with Jay-Z over this tripI am absolutely saying that the White House, from the president on down, had nothing to do with anybody's personal  anybody's travel to Cuba. That is something that Treasury handles."

When pressed, Carney offered a defense of Jay-Z allegation of White House complicity suggesting the music mogul couldnt find a rhyme for Treasury.

Cuba is not Iran. It is 90 miles away, and its 11 million are related to our million and more. Im sure most were as pleased to see Beyonce and Jay-Z go to Cuba as they were to see the Cuban people. Tourism is not terrorism. It is the beginning of freedom.
There is an old saying that times change and people change with them; sentiments toward immigration is no exception. In the last few decades, more Americans have come to recognize that political, economic, and social changes have rendered our current immigration law no longer workable, beneficial to society, or favorable to our economy.

Many also agree that we have paid a heavy price for our hesitancy to adequately address our nations broken immigration law, and consequently, have called on Congress to approve a system that is compassionate, restores order and prevents the future flow of unauthorized immigrants. They join long-time immigrant advocates, elected leaders and other stakeholders who have gone through a seesaw of emotions in the last two decades.

Determining how to achieve operational control over the southern border in a way that satisfies all stakeholders is proving to be a complex challenge, and establishing suitable levels of infrastructure and security personnel is an arbitrary science.  Daniel Garza

I, myself have come full circle from the enthusiasm I felt about our prospects of passing reform during my time in the Bush White House, to the melancholic resignation I felt when reform fell short of approval in 2007 and now, back to feeling a sense of guarded optimism amid the most recent efforts; namely, in the advent of actual legislation being introduced this week by the Gang of 8 in the Senate.

Here is what we know. The bill will offer the much sought after legal status via temporary worker programs, a more permanent remedy for Dreamers, and prescribes an eventual path to citizenship to those who qualify which will be triggered only after federal officials achieve 100 percent surveillance and a 90 percent capture rate along the nations border areas.

Additionally, the plan aims to deal with the family members of those who are here currently unauthorized, those wanting to enter legally and an entry-exit tracking system for those coming to the United States with visas.

All very ambitious components when taken separately, but when cobbled together, it ensures the legislation will require nothing short of a herculean task to achieve passage. There is ample reticence by many Washington insiders on the bills eventual enactment as well. There is enough stuff here to placate Republicans and also enough to appease Democrats. But there is also enough in the bill for Republicans who are balking at the effort to make a strong case in opposition, and enough for Democrats who may feel compelled to do the same.

Theres a 10 to 12 year process being proposed before eligibility for citizenship kicks in, a period of time many on the left have said is much too long for their liking. Tying citizenship to border security is not as easy as it may seem either. Thats because determining how to achieve operational control over the southern border in a way that satisfies all stakeholders is proving to be a complex challenge, and establishing suitable levels of infrastructure and security personnel is an arbitrary science.

Requirements such as learning English, paying steep fines and fees, and calls to dispense with the Houses regular order procedure to slam through a bill in short order are all issues that are already inciting passionate debate.

Taken individually, these requirements may seem to be simple at face value, but when you lump them all together, they may be enough to dissuade a sizable percentage to enlist. If these requirements hinder full enrollment by the estimated 11 million currently residing in America without authorization, why not ease them in order to optimize participation, goes the argument. I dont entirely disagree.

As a people who are in the habit of expressing pride for being citizens in the land of the free, and as the free Americans that we are- isnt it reasonable we should want others to be free Americans? Isnt it in our interests to bring hard working people out of the shadows and into the light of liberty?

My predilection in favor of policies that expand freedom heightens my aversion to the proposed limits imposed on those entering on employment visas. We should instead simply allow market demand to dictate the number of workers needed. The problem is if the prescribed number of W-visas doesnt satisfy labor market demand -assuming there is future growth- other immigrants will come in illegally to fill the gap.

Another angst inducing component is the proposed establishment of new federal bureaus and agencies supposedly needed to manage the flood of applicants. It is a component I intuitively resist with every fiber of my being and fully expect an intrepid House member to propose an amendment that offers up market-based options instead.

Still, it has been encouraging to read that many of the previously irresoluble sticking points have been mostly smoothed out in closed-door negotiations. Agreeable parleys between union officials and members of the Chamber of Commerce have proved fruitful, and the essential advocacy of religious clergy, minority communities and student activists have also served in persuading Republicans and Democrats to redress major policy differences.

Im certain, when all is said and done, Republicans Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham and John McCain, who are receiving intense criticism for their stance, will be justly rewarded politically. Thats because they are determined to get the policy right. Similarly, on a personal note, although I may disagree with Democrat U.S. Congressman, Luis Gutierrez on much more than I agree with him, he has been an impressive figure, standing tall and firm on immigration. Justly, his time in the sun is here.

All in all, the bill is now in the hands of Congress and its time in the fire has come. If the immigration bill introduced this week is to achieve successful passage from both chambers of Capitol Hill, proponents will have to show it is superior to the status quo as it endures the intense heat sure to be turned up by both sides of the aisle during the legislative process.

The proposal will also have to endure heavy political opposition and the heated rhetoric from Americans who prefer no reform at all (aka: the enforcement of current law) or the untenable policy of self-deportation.

For this, the measure will have to show it will vastly improve border security. For it is, I concur, a basic responsibility of any government to stop terrorists and criminals who would do us harm, stop human trafficking and victimization of the innocent, and deter the smuggling of dangerous and illegal contraband from getting past our borders.

The aims of the legislation must also help in making America an economically prosperous and welcoming society and enable the beneficiaries maximum opportunity to contribute fully to a stronger, freer and more prosperous society.

Will the Senate bill get shredded in the legislative process? You bet. Will full passage be achieved? No one can say. If past is prologue, expect verbal brawls veiled in polite language to displays of heated passion, and even some unbounded ugliness in the final deliberations. Yep, Its going to get ugly.

Welcome to the crucible.
Living as an undocumented immigrant in the United States can be very difficult. Struggling as a sick, injured, or chronically ill immigrant can mean days, weeks, or even months of discomfort, with a visit to the emergency room usually the most affordable remedy.

By act of living here illegally, these immigrants have very limited options for health care. All human beings deserve at least a basic level of medical care to prevent loss of life, deliver a baby, etc. but does that mean that taxpayers should foot the bill for more extensive care for anyone who manages to cross our borders and establish illegal residence in the US without detection?

We should focus more on sending a strong message to potential immigrants that legal access to government-funded health care should not be an expectation upon arrival in the United States.  Sylvia Longmire

In March 2013, the California Endowment, a private foundation that advocates for affordable healthcare, launched a TV ad in which several undocumented immigrants explain to the viewer:

Im undocumentedWe work hard and were strong, but everyone gets sick sometimes. Yet many of us dont have health care. We cannot get health insurance. Now our country has spoken, saying that everyone should have affordable health care. Does that mean everyone everyone? I dream that everyone includes all of us.

Its unfortunate that part of that ad is untrue. While undocumented immigrants have traditionally had few choices for obtaining health care in the U.S., they can get it legally by purchasing private health insurance, paying out-of-pocket to visit an urgent care or community clinic for routine care or non-life threatening illnesses, or visiting an emergency room.

Urgent care and community clinics have been a primary health care option for undocumented immigrants and many uninsured U.S. citizens for quite some time. While visits arent exactly cheap, theyre preferred for low-income families who are generally healthy and can set some money aside for illnesses that require prescription medications, casts for minor bone fractures, etc.

Controversy already exists over the use of emergency rooms for medical care by undocumented immigrants because they know theyll receive care regardless of their ability to pay for it which they commonly dont. Funding for those visits currently comes from federal, state and local taxes, and hospitals in certain cities with high immigrant populations have an expectation for the flow of these patients.

But now that the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) is set to go into effect in 2014, the public cry from immigrant advocacy groups is growing to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for health care coverage under the Act. Section 1312 (f)(3) of the law: Access limited to lawful residents. If an individual is nota citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States, the individual shall not be treated as a qualified individual and may not be covered under a qualified health plan...

Under President Obamas current health care reform plan, undocumented immigrants will have to wait eight years before becoming eligible for public health care benefits, and ten years under a Congressional plan.

Were in a time when the need for immigration reform has never been more real and our country and government never more ready. However, were also in the time of sequestration cuts, shrinking budgets, smaller incomes and higher taxes. Have we created the expectation among undocumented immigrants that by virtue of simply living in the U.S. they should have access to the same government benefits as legal residents, despite the fact that many of them dont pay the taxes that fund those programs?

Obamacare isnt free, and undocumented immigrants meeting a certain income threshold would have to pay premiums for any part of the plan theyre eligible for. However, currently the law provides federal subsidies for low-income families applying for public health insurance. According to a 2012 study by the Washington-based Urban Institute, undocumented immigrants many of whom would require a federal subsidy will make up the nations second-largest population of uninsured, or about 25 percent. All those subsidies would come from U.S. taxpayer pockets.

This isnt about being anti-immigrant; its about following the rules, and not being rewarded for breaking them. My family emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. 50 years ago with nothing but the clothes on their backs, and no expectations or demands of the U.S. government. They worked very hard, followed the rules, and eventually became U.S. citizens. Its hard for them and other immigrant families like them to watch millions of people who knowingly broke the rules demand equal footing just because they didnt get caught coming here.

Theres no question that the current health care situation in the U.S. isnt ideal for undocumented immigrants, but its not supposed to be. Its already difficult enough to make routine health care accessible and manageable for U.S. citizens and legal residents, who must take priority over those living here illegally.

Instead of relying on immigration reform to find a way to pay for undocumented immigrants health care with tax dollars, we should focus more on sending a strong message to potential immigrants that legal access to government-funded health care should not be an expectation upon arrival in the United States.
In the span of just two weeks, two major events in Washington could have profoundly positive effects on the U.S.-Mexico border.

First, the president released his budget, offering up for debate with Congress a plan to devote new and needed resources to the ports of entry that every day processes billions of dollars in cross-border trade and travel. The presidents budget, through a mix of direct appropriations and user fees, calls for adding nearly 3,500 new Customs and Border Protection officers.

There are proven strategies for detecting illegal crossings that dont require fencing through border communities. Technology is the way forward.  Nelson Balido

This is a potentially huge economic impact for the border. In a new study by the National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California, researchers found that adding just one new CBP officer at the nations busiest land and airports could lead to an increase of $61.8 million in GDP and over 1,000 new jobs, or 33 jobs per new CBP officer.

This confirms much of what border watchers already know, but its always nice to get third party validation. Increased resources at the ports leads to decreased wait times, which means reduced headaches for travelers and reduced costs to business  costs that would otherwise get passed on to customers. Better borders mean a better economy.

The border also figures prominently in the groundbreaking immigration proposal put forth by the bipartisan Gang of Eight. The bill seeks to dramatically increase border security, aiming for a 90 percent effectiveness rate, which is determined by the number of apprehensions and turn backs in a specific sector divided by the total number of illegal entries. In other words, the more illegal entries stopped by Border Patrol, the higher the effectiveness rate.

Theres also a lot of good news for those of us who have been clamoring for increased personnel and technology. The Gangs bill calls for $3 billion for new surveillance equipment, unmanned aerial systems, fixed wing aircraft an increase in Border Patrol agents and 3,500 new CBP officers.

But the bill also calls for $1.5 billion to implement a Southern Border Fencing Strategy while calling on the National Guard to assist in the construction of double and triple-layer fencing. Dont get me wrong: I know the politics of an immigration overhaul will likely mean that fencing will figure into any deal that passes Congress. But I still must advise members of Congress that there are proven strategies for detecting illegal crossings that dont require fencing through border communities. Technology is the way forward.

These are important times for the border, and were going to see even more attention focused at the vast expanse between San Diego and Brownsville over the summer as debate ramps up on the immigration bill. These bills are not perfect, but they have the chance to show that Congress can be a relevant institution by moving bipartisan solutions forward. The border stands to be a beneficiary.
The small business sector of the United States currently employs 60 million Americans full of entrepreneurial spirit, invaluable experiences and encouraging solutions for the expansion and growth of our economy.

Small businesses are the engine of our nation's economic prosperity. They employ about half of all private sector employees, and they create nearly two-thirds of all new jobs. By far, they are the most significant, most populated and therefore the most potentially powerful sector of our economy and our electorate.

We will foster ideas of opening new markets for goods and services in order to strengthen free enterprise around the world.  Hector Barreto

Hispanic Americans are a major force in this small business sector with 3 million Latino-owned companies and over $500 billion in revenue.

As administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, I led an organization that exceeded all previous records in small business loans, women and minority owned business support and private-public sector procurement opportunities, guaranteeing loans totaling more than $60 billion.

This week, small business owners from around the nation will come together for The Latino Coalition and U.S. Chamber of Commerce 2013 Americas Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. The summit seeks to champion the leadership of individuals with the American Dream of being small business owners and generate the productive, diverse, and flexible workforce that America needs to ensure prosperity over the coming generations.

On Monday, April 29th  Wednesday, May 1st, the TLC Summit will host more than 40 speakers and panelists on key issues important to small business such as: procurement opportunities, newly available financing, risk management, legal reform, healthcare, immigration and international trade.

We will hear from a stellar line-up including chairman and editor in chief of Forbes Steve Forbes, investigative journalist and best-selling author Bob Woodward, president and founder of the Boston Beer Company Jim Koch, co-owner of the Colorado Rockies Linda Alvarado, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Bank of America CEO Brian T. Moynihan to name a few. These leaders will share their experiences as active players in our economy, the triumphs and hurdles to their growth and the initiatives and partnerships that enhanced their businesses.

A B2B National Procurement Matchmaking event will take place during the summit as well, during which attendees will have the opportunity to meet with procurement officers from federal agencies, as well as Fortune 500 companies, to discuss small business contracting opportunities. Over the years, this Business Matchmaking event has proven to be a huge success by generating an estimated $8 billion in verifiable contracts. In addition, small businesses are provided with a unique chance to access contract opportunities, strategic business solutions and better practices to thrive as the driving force of our economy.

The summit is focused on job creation principles and the tools to help make America a more fruitful place with panels on healthcare, immigration and international trade. We will discuss the Affordable Care Act and its impact on the Latino community. We will advocate a bipartisan solution to immigration reform in order to expand our worker pool legally. And we will foster ideas of opening new markets for goods and services in order to strengthen free enterprise around the world.

Small business will lead our nation back to meaningful economic expansion and growth. And The Latino Coalition is a willing and open partner to aiding this success because the entrepreneurs who are the engine of America are essential to the U.S. economy now and in the future.
This weeks meeting between Presidents Obama and Pena Nieto brings U.S.-Mexico relations to center stage. This second face-to-face between the two leaders occurs at a critical time in each presidency. Domestic reform efforts that have far-reaching implications for the bilateral agenda are underway in both countries. These include immigration reform in the U.S. and reforms to boost economic competitiveness in Mexico and though they inject some short-term uncertainty into the relationship they also infuse it with a sense of new possibilities and opportunity.

Presidents Pena Nieto and Obama have both entered a post-honeymoon environment that demands hard work and successively heavier lifts on every policy goal.  Antonio Garza

Recent efforts to broaden the discourse on U.S.-Mexico relations have been largely successfuland overdue. Nevertheless, security remains the focal point for many citizens of both countries and a primary challenge for Mexican leaders.

Pena Nieto campaigned on promises of a recalibrated strategy on security and the Mexican public has been patient in granting his administration time to develop its approach. But there are risks in the pace his team seems to have adopted, including mounting skepticism at home and to some extent in the U.S. that the issue has not been given the priority it deserves. Mexican officials emphasize their commitment is strong and encompasses efforts to reduce violence, protect human rights and construct a rule of law that supports a more open and competitive economy.

Now near the 150-day mark of his six-year term, Pena Nieto has pushed through a number of long-awaited reforms to labor, education and telecommunications and is readying other, thornier ones for action. His efforts have been widely praised and his popularity is high, but passing the reforms is just the opening act. Implementation is crucial. And its this recognition that has prompted many observers, particularly Mexicans themselves, to be more circumspect in their praise of the administrations accomplishments to date.

The foundation for the administrations ambitious reform drive has been the Pact for Mexico, an historic agreement Pena Nieto and the leaders of the two main opposition parties signed the day after the new PRI president took office. A few days ago the administration was forced to temporarily suspend all activities related to the Pact, including a planned announcement of financial reforms.

The crisis was provoked by the oppositions discovery that the PRI was using public funds to finance party-run programs and thereby gain political advantage ahead of local elections in July. The dispute has exposed the inherent political tensions and consequent limitations of the Pact.

Though the parties may be able to resolve the immediate controversy, many see signs that the alliance is fraying and expect negotiations for remaining initiatives on the 95-item reform agendaincluding highly anticipated fiscal and energy reform packagesto be more problematic.

President Obama will be able to sympathize with his Mexican counterpart on this score. Over four years and 100-days into his second term he has become well acquainted with difficult negotiations. Like other two-term presidents, he may soon look to foreign affairs to burnish his legacy. His visit to Mexico offers a rare opportunity to promote goals in both the domestic and foreign policy arenas.

President Obama will emphasize the need to continue to effect close security cooperation and coordination. He will also seek to positively frame the immigration reform debate, which is just getting underway in the U.S. Senate and is expected to continue for the remainder of the year. The visit to Mexico affords the chance to highlight the successful and interconnected economic partnership the countries share and to make the case for immigration reform as essential to North Americas economic security. And in many respects President Pena Nieto will have the opportunity to do the same.

The U.S.-Mexico economic partnership is thriving. Mexico is the U.S.s second largest export market and third leading source of imports. Bilateral trade reached nearly one-half trillion dollars in 2012, roughly $1.4 billion each day. An estimated six million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico. And strong regional supply chains mean that nearly 40 percent of every product the U.S. imports from Mexico is really Made in America.

As strong as the bilateral relationship is now, however, it must deepen and evolve in order to ensure expanded opportunity and security for both countries going forward. Presidents Pena Nieto and Obama have both entered a post-honeymoon environment that demands hard work and successively heavier lifts on every policy goal.

With the stakes potentially so high on so many issues fundamental to the relationship, only the highest-level commitment will advance the agenda. There may never be a more opportune time.
When the Obama administration looks at our border with Mexico, does it see dollar signs? At least thats what the presidents Fiscal Year 2014 budget says with the border tax its considering.

I was reviewing the presidents budget and, buried deep in the section relating to the Department of Homeland Security, there is language directing the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to carry out a study of the potential impacts of collecting a border crossing fee on pedestrians and private vehicles at our countrys land borders.

A border crossing tax would be devastating, costing thousands of jobs in border communities that depend on our neighbors ability to securely cross our borders.  Nelson Balido

Just because the government has fallen behind during the past four years to fund our nations ports of entries in with up-to-date technology or better infrastructure does not mean that it should now study the collection of a tax to fund those endeavors. Why else would the president want to study this? And for much of the border there are already tolls being collected by municipalities and port authorities for every crossing  what this would mean is a tax on top of the existing toll, or a fee where there is no fee in exchange for who-knows-what.

Let me spare the government the cost of carrying out such a study: A border crossing tax would be devastating, costing thousands of jobs in border communities that depend on our neighbors ability to securely cross our borders to shop in our stores, eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, visit our tourist attractions and spend time with family and friends.

Slapping a tax on border crossings is a move fraught with economic danger. Visitors from Mexico and Canada represent over 56 percent of all international travelers to the U.S. according to data from the U.S. Travel Association, and the economic health of our border states is inextricably linked to the ability to attract Mexican travelers. Consider the data:

 In Arizona, nearly 99 percent of Mexican visitors come from the neighboring state of Sonora, with over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs tied to Mexico-to-Arizona tourism.

 In Texas, spending by Mexican nationals injects over $5.1bilion into the economies of South and Central Texas and supports more than 150,000 jobs.

 Visitors from Mexico to California spent over $1.7 billion in 2011.

Mexican visitors to the U.S. are, as Raul Salinas, the mayor of the border community of Laredo, Texas so accurately states, The best type of visitors. They inject outside dollars into communities, generating jobs and spurring business growth, but without creating a drag on public services. In other words, border-crossing visitors come to the U.S. to shop and spend money, not to visit the public library.

For Mexicans, visiting the U.S. is no picnic. It involves a visit to a U.S. consulate for an in-depth interview and vetting process in order to secure a Border Crossing Card. It most likely requires an hours-long wait in a line of cars waiting to get through the port of entry. Depending on whether the Customs and Border Protection officer the traveler first encounters needs more information, it could mean a lengthy inspection in a secondary screening area. And finally, depending on the travelers destination, it might mean obtaining an I-94 entry/departure record for a $6 fee and the required myriad of additional information that proves solvency in your home country. Its a wonder they want to come at all. Why in the world would we want to make the process more difficult, more expensive?

Instead of creating new barriers between the U.S. and our neighbors, we should be looking for ways to make the border-crossing experience easier, with fewer hassles and less expense. If Washington is hoping it can solve its fiscal woes by sticking our neighbors with the bill, its going to be disappointed. Instead it should better support the establishment of new private-public partnerships in terms of infrastructure and technology so that local municipalities have a say to what happens in their communities both on the ports of entries and in-between. Instituting a new border tax is a very bad idea that doesnt need to be studied, it needs to be rejected.
One early morning in mid-January of 2013, Jesus Juarez opened the front door of his Brownsville, Texas home and saw a package. It had the typical FedEx markings on it, and despite the fact that his daughters boyfriend didnt see it on his way out the night before, Jesus brought the package inside and opened it. Fortunately, only one of the four pipe bombs inside the package detonated, but just that single device blew out the front door and windows and severely burned him, his wife and their young daughter.

An investigation by the Brownsville Police Department began immediately, and was soon joined by the FBI. Local authorities told the media that the perpetrators knew what they were doing because the pipe bombs required a certain level of technical sophistication to create. However, they could only speculate on who might be interested in deliberately sending such a violent message to a quiet home in a nice south Texas neighborhood.

Heads can literally roll in the streets of El Paso or Nogales, and DHS or the local sheriffs department can just say its business as usual for drug traffickers and chalk it up as a typical homicide.  Sylvia Longmire

This incident in Brownsville never made it into the national news, but local reporters in the busy drug smuggling corridors of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of south Texas continued to follow developments. Mexican cartels and their minions have a large presence in this area, and the bombing reeked of a retaliation hit of some kind. However, cartel members (or gang members they hire) in the U.S. tend to shoot their targets; no cartel-related bombing of any kind had ever occurred on U.S. soil, and some private intelligence firms and drug war observers were quick to dismiss the Brownsville case as a prank gone wrong or something involving local criminals.

Then in late April 2013, federal authorities unsealed the case and named Jesus Juarez in a multi-count indictment for marijuana trafficking, along with several other individuals who had been arrested by the DEA. Jesus and company were accused of smuggling at least 1,000 pounds of marijuana through the RGV between September and December 2012, and the DEA is looking to recoup half a million dollars in drug profits from the group. Jesus received the pipe bomb just a few weeks after his reported smuggling stint.

There are still no suspects in custody, which poses several problems  first and foremost the fact that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local law enforcement authorities can deny this was a bona fide case of border violence spillover.

While cartel-on-cartel violence is the hallmark of drug-related violence in Mexico along with violence directed at the Mexican police and army DHS doesnt take this type of violence into account when trying to assess the existence of such spillover. DHS officials have even stated in Congressional testimony that the agency doesnt keep track of crime statistics involving cartel-on-cartel attacks in the U.S.

Some U.S. law enforcement agencies are finally starting to acknowledge that these incidents are happening in their territory. In late October 2012, a Hidalgo County (also in south Texas) Sheriffs deputy was shot three times by a gang member on the Gulf cartel payroll. Sheriff Lupe Trevino has traditionally been very hesitant to say spillover is a problem, but he had no qualms about telling the media after the shooting that this was the first authentic case of border violence spillover in his county.

These two examples beg the question: how bad do things need to get along our southwest border before DHS or any other agency, for that matter will acknowledge that spillover violence is happening?

The general message being sent is that no one seems to care as long as its just criminals getting killed or kidnapped in south Texas or Arizona. But in these cases, an innocent five year-old was burned to within inches of her life, and an American police officer one of many involved in recent confrontations with cartel members and their associates could have died. Theres no proof the bomb was sent by a drug trafficking organization, but all the existing evidence is definitely pointing in that direction.

There is no standardized definition of spillover violence, and this is part of the problem. Heads can literally roll in the streets of El Paso or Nogales, and DHS or the local sheriffs department can just say its business as usual for drug traffickers and chalk it up as a typical homicide.

Sadly, this mentality prevents the development of any sort of strategy to prevent more incidents like the Brownsville bombing from happening again. No U.S. agency should be waiting for Ciudad Juarez-style shootouts to happen in Tucson or narcoblockades to be set up in Laredo before stepping up and finally acknowledging the fundamental nature of cartel violence in Mexico has effective spilled over into the United States.
On Monday, the Senate passed S. 743, the Marketplace Fairness Act, which essentially gives states the right to force out-of-state online retailers to collect taxes from the states residents. If the bill passes the House, it will allow for another tax that will hurt entrepreneurs, stymie economic growth, and raise the price of nearly everything we buy at a time when our fragile economy needs just the opposite.

So why are so many Republicans and Democrats alike, in favor of a bill that will increase taxes on Americans?

First, they dont see this Act as a tax increase. Politicians are experts at selling tax increases as anything but (e.g. the expiring Bush Tax Cuts ... I mean, how long does a law have to be in place until its the standard? Geez.). The bill even goes so far as to add the meaningless line, [n]othing in this Act shall be construed as encouraging a State to impose sales and use taxes... In other words, Hey, even though this bill allows taxes to go up, dont blame us if they do.

Not only will the taxes increase your costs online, but as that price advantage is taken away from smaller firms, large brick-and-mortar retailers will feel less pressure to keep prices low to compete with online sellers.  Jeb Bush Jr. and Justin Velez-Hagan

States are desperate to increase their revenues and the Senate sees this as a way to help them without providing federal dollars.

Over the years, Congress has been lobbied to pass such a bill by both big government (the states) and retailers, even online retailers. The states benefits are obvious: the bill will allow a new source of revenue at someone elses expense, as businesses outside of their borders, and outside of the voting population, will be the ones remitting the new revenues.

Retailers positions are less obvious. Most big online retailers already collect these taxes because they have the required physical presence within the jurisdiction, so they tend to be ambivalent to the new tax increases, but favor the resulting reduction in competition.

Our governments historic role has always been to increase competition, as its better for consumers and ensures innovation. Passing this bill will be a step in the opposite direction.

Amazons position is even less apparent. They have physical locations in far fewer states, but they still prefer to eliminate the competitive advantage smaller firms have (not to mention the fact that they already have a growing tax compliance service).

The atypical union of D.C. legislators with the largest online retailer and some of the largest traditional retailers makes it seem as if everyone will benefit from the legislation. However, the fact is, even large retailers will suffer while the rest of us will be hurt even more if this bill passes the House.

Entrepreneurs looking to form companies are going to see an increase in their paperwork and compliance costs. Even at the $1,000,000 revenue threshold, the legislation will affect numerous growing businesses who will now have to hire compliance officers, attorneys, and accountants to stave off state tax authorities and their auditors. Can you imagine having to keep up with the constantly changing tax laws of thousands of jurisdictions or making a mistake that results in 46 different audits (every state with a sales tax plus D.C.)?

The new costs of doing business will be a deterrent for growth, plain and simple.

Needless to say, as businesses decide not to grow and the number of startups is restrained, job growth will also slow. Some jobs will be lost as businesses aim to maintain their bottom line.

As Hispanics tend to be more entrepreneurial, have higher rates of unemployment than the national average, and have lost more household wealth since the recession than any other group, we will again suffer more than most when economic opportunities are limited.

For the rest of the country, you will also see the costs of the goods you purchase, both online and in your local store, go up. Not only will the taxes increase your costs online, but as that price advantage is taken away from smaller firms, large brick-and-mortar retailers will feel less pressure to keep prices low to compete with online sellers.

Contrary to their beliefs, legislators will not win either. As voters become annoyed by new taxes and increased costs, they express their annoyance at the voting booth. Annoyed voters tend to vote against incumbents and midterm elections are right around the corner.

There is a reason the 1992 Supreme Court decision in Quill Corporation v. North Dakota found that a state could not force an out-of-state business to collect its taxes: its un-American. How ironic that jurisdictions like D.C., whose license plates have the famed slogan Taxation Without Representation, would benefit from just that.

Its true, states are hurting for revenues and small businesses need all the help they can get. But, what is essentially a new Internet sales tax that will increase consumer costs and stunt economic growth is not the way to foster economic growth and entrepreneurism.
A study released Monday by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation is getting criticism from both the left and the right sides of the aisle  the new bipartisan immigration bill proposed in the Senate, it said, would cost the country 6.3 billion dollars.

Fox News Latino's Juan Williams breaks down the problems surrounding the study.

*Shortly after this commentary was recorded, Jason Richwine, a co-author of the study, resigned from The Heritage Foundation. It was reported this week that Richwine had argued in the past that whites and Hispanics are genetically less intelligent than whites.

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Just recently, the Solicitor General challenged in the United State Supreme Court a recent decision reached by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. In its decision Noel Canning v. NLRB, the court found that President Obamas so-called recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on January 2012 were unconstitutional.

This is just another chapter in a growing saga for a federal agency that has been focused on rewarding Big Labor bosses at the expense of Americas workers and small businesses. The commotion has garnered the ire of the U.S. Congress. Just a few weeks ago, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation named the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act (H.R. 1120). The legislation decreases uncertainty among employers by preventing the Obama Labor Board from issuing decisions until the Supreme Court decides it has the authority to act or the U.S. Senate confirms new members constituting a legitimate quorum.

Im hoping Congress acts and sends the president legislation addressing the NLRB, while the highest court in the land deliberates and hopefully finds the appointments made to the Board to be unconstitutional as the Senate was not in recess.  Hector Barreto

And not to be outdone, U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander along with numerous co-sponsors recently introduced in the Senate companion legislation to the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act. In introducing the bill, Alexander stated, The NLRB has just one member today  just one Senate-confirmed, constitutional member  so it has no quorum. Allowing these individuals to issue invalid decisions and regulations will only threaten the rights of American workers, the very people the board is intended to protect.



I couldnt agree more. The very existence of an illegitimate Board sends the wrong message to job creators considering whether to start or expand a business. The simple fact is entrepreneurs do not want unnecessary risk outside what they are already undertaking to form and run a business. But the government bureaucrats at the NLRB fail to understand this basic and common sense reality, and have instead doubled down on a strategy that is applauded by union bosses and opposed by virtually anyone and everyone else.

This is why legislation pursued by the Congress is so important. It sends the message to Americas employers that allies on Capitol Hill understand the Board is out-of-control and needs to be reined in. The President has already stated he will veto the bill, but legislators should force his hand and make him follow through on his word. It will only serve to remind Americans just how anti-business this administration really is.

With unemployment still high and less than projected economic growth, the White House is in no position to disregard yet again a co-equal branch of government. In fact, when the D.C. Circuit Court rendered its decision on the Presidents so-called recess appointments, it didnt take long for NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce to weigh in on behalf of the federal agency dissing the ruling writing, [T]he boardwill continue to perform our statutory duties and issue decisions.

The National Labor Relations Boards effort to overturn the D.C. Circuit court ruling coupled with its complete disregard for the Congress is a reflection of the stances held by their boss, President Obama. As someone who has spent decades working with Americas small businesses, Im hoping Congress acts and sends the president legislation addressing the NLRB, while the highest court in the land deliberates and hopefully finds the appointments made to the Board to be unconstitutional as the Senate was not in recess.

The Obama Labor Board poses a threat to employees and employers, and anyone hoping to reassure them, should want Board action halted until such time as the Senate can consider nominations to the NLRB and properly exercise its constitutional role of advising and consenting on federal appointments.
One of the first things a wide-eyed college freshman must learn is the difference between macro and micro; then, if this naive college freshmans metamorphosis produces a learned person, the world benefits.

Case in point: The Heritage Foundation report that alleges comprehensive immigration reform (SB 744) will cost the American taxpayer over $6 trillion dollars in the next 50 years. It maintains that the instant-legalized immigrants will only pay in $3 plus trillion in taxes in the next 50 years but will draw over $9 trillion in benefits. Thus, immigration reform will cost us $6 trillion dollars.

[Heritage Foundation authors] project that below-average annual incomes of the instant-legalized people will continue for 50 years. They claim these people are not educated now and never will be, and that their children will never be educated.  Raoul Lowery Contreras

The Heritage authors, Robert Rector (John Hopkins University Masters degree) and Jason Richwine, pride of the Harvard Phd. program, have authored a laughable, defective fictional macro study.

They project that below average annual incomes of the instant-legalized people will continue for 50 years. They claim these people are not educated now and never will be, and that their children will never be educated. The most egregious deficiency, however, is Richwines, who believes that people from Latin America (read Mexicans) are of low intelligence (based on his studies of IQ test results) and that they can never improve because they lack white Northern European genetics.

This study is bogus for two reasons: Richwines defective analysis based on his race intelligence theory and Rectors static numbers that have little basis in history or experience.

If one believes a group can never improve its IQ, one can posit they will never improve their economics and education. Rector believes in Richwines race-based theories thus his projections are defective to begin with.

Rector/Richwine and their macro theory logically produce the numbers they do because they do not take into account historical experience.

For example: Do Hispanic immigrants create businesses? In the process of creating business, do immigrants create new jobs? Do immigrants and/or their children accomplish better education as a group? Do immigrants spend money in the local economy from their job earnings? Do immigrants pay any taxes, local state and federal at all?

If the answer were no to these questions, Rector/Richwines theory and numbers might be spot on. The answer to these questions, however, is YES, YES, and YES Readers of the Heritage report would not know that the answers are YES because Rector/Richwine avoid these questions.

Education: The famous RAND Corporation reports that in 1900 Mexican male immigrants had a 4th grade education level. Their grandchildren doubled that. In 1950, conservative scholar Thomas Sowell writes, the California Mexican American averaged an 8th grade education  double that of their grandfathers.

The Pew Hispanic survey this week issued the greatest educational news of the new century, to wit: 69 percent of Hispanic 2012 high school graduates entered college in the fall of the same year. That does not include future college matriculation of those men and women who joined the military.

2012 Hispanic high school graduate college matriculation increased to 69 percent in contrast to 67 percent non-Hispanic White 2012 college enrollment.

Will these people earn more annually than the $10,000-a-year Rector/Richwine attribute to those who will be legalized by immigration reform? Of course they will. How about the children of these 2012 graduates? Will they go to college? Will they have better employment and earn more money than their grandparents? Of course they will, just like their great-grandparents who had a 4th grade education and whose descendents steadily rose through education and better jobs and employment.

Rector and Richwine have constructed a macro study that makes sense if one believes their assumptions. Their macro study falls apart though when one uses RAND Corp studies to offset their cute macro theories.

Micro story: Though my mother was born in San Diego, she was taken to Mexico City at 2-years-of-age and raised and schooled there through the 8th grade. She birthed me at age 15; we came to America when she was 17, for all practical purposes like Mexican immigrants: no high school, no English and no experience. Working in tuna processing plants for $25 a week was the job de jour.

She raised four boys, with one earning a community college two-year degree, two with bachelor degrees and one with a Masters degree. Two worked in law enforcement and retired with combined pensions of over $70,000 yearly and one (me) retired as a bank executive; one is still working at $400,000 a year. As to mom, she learned English, worked in restaurants until she passed a civil service test and worked at a career in public service that saw her retire as a Senior Clerk which is as high as one can go in county service without college. Two grandsons have graduated from the University of California and one granddaughter is at Harvard. Another grand-daughter is a working political lobbyist in the 9th largest city in the USA earning a six-figure income.

Multiply this micro story by millions of legal people and one can easily see that Heritages Rector and Richwine are very, very wrong.
Each and every day, sometimes several times a day, there are segments on cable news about the immigration debate. To be sure, its a topic that engenders passion on both sides.

Immigration is both very important and very personal to U.S. Hispanics. According to a Fox News Latino poll conducted last year prior to the general election, nearly half of the Latino voters polled say they take offense at the term illegal immigrant. In this, theyre not alone. Just last month, The Associated Press Stylebook recommended against the use of the term illegal immigrant by journalists  the thinking being that the term "illegal" should describe an action, not used to describe a person.

The immigration debate is already emotionally charged and colored enough by political rhetoric on each side. We dont need groups like the Heritage Foundation throwing gasoline on the fire. We dont need studies grounded in racist and wrong philosophies.  Rick Sanchez

I suppose Hispanics should be grateful that somebody (heck, anybody) took the time to ask their opinion on immigration because it rarely happens. If you watch most news shows, youll see that Latinos are rarely invited as guests to discuss or weigh in on the immigration debate.

(While Latinos make up roughly 17 percent of the U.S. population, a review of guests on 13 evening cable news shows on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC last month by Media Matters reveals that these networks overwhelmingly host male and non-Hispanic white guests, with Fox News scoring the highest at 3 percent, while CNN and MSNBC followed with only 2 percent.)

The Fox News Latino poll showed that a whopping 85 percent say they want undocumented immigrants to be given an opportunity to legalize their status. And 82 percent believe undocumented workers do the work that many Americans will not do and that they help expand our economy.

Are they right? Of course they are. Ask any economist worth his pedigree and he will tell you that to remain vibrant, our country needs a young and motivated labor force.

Unfortunately, economists, like Latinos, are also too often left out of the immigration debate in favor of politicians pundits. Not only would economists make the immigration discussion more interesting, they would also make it smarter  unless of course theyre employed by the Heritage Foundation.

The Heritage Foundation, a highly regarded think tank that used to stand for the best of conservative free-market ideals, has now weighed in on immigration. However, their study is, at best, questionable and seemingly based on a discredited pseudo-intellectual theory.

The logic, methodology and premise of their report is so tortured, so biased, that one has to wonder if the Heritage Foundation believed that the end would simply justify the means  that the desire to substantiate a particular position on immigration forced xenophobic, short sighted, and questionable techniques to reach that result. Far from contributing to this countrys conversation on immigration, the Heritage Foundation has debased it.

This flawed and suspect report was co-authored by Heritage Foundation senior policy analyst Jason Richwine, who resigned last week over the resulting furor. The report came to the surprising conclusion that immigration reform would cost us $6.3 trillion. Its a pronouncement that is so far removed from the basic principals of economic understanding and common sense that is stretches credulity.

Worse is how Richwine came to it. His methodology was grounded in a belief that there is a connection between race (and genetics) and IQ. If that sounds familiar, its because it is: the 1994 book The Bell Curve, roundly criticized and since discredited, posited this same theory. These ideas, long thought to be relegated to the dustbin of pseudo-science, were given new life by Richwine, who asserted in his 2009 doctoral dissertation at Harvard that Hispanic immigrants have lower IQs and are inherently less intelligent than whites.

In his dissertation, Richwine wrote that the U.S. government should grant immigrant visas based on IQ and that, No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.

He also posited that too many Hispanic natives are not adhering to standards of behavior that separate middle and working class neighborhoods from the barrio. Its little wonder that Richwine is now being criticized by both the left and the right.

Alex Nowrasteh is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute. Here is what he told The Washington Post about the Heritage Foundations report. They employed a statistical method that no other economist would use to measure things like these, and on such an important policy issue. And they predictably reached terrible results.

Not only was Richwines report wrong on race, it was also wrong on economics. The simple fact is that our economy cant grow and wont grow without a young labor force of immigrants. The median age of the U.S. workforce has been steadily moving back.

It is estimated that by 2020, almost 25 percent of the U.S. workforce will consist of workers 55 or older. A 2010 report from the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association showed that Georgia farmers had lost 50 percent of their crops because of a limited workforce.

The immigration debate is already emotionally charged and colored enough by political rhetoric on each side. We dont need groups like the Heritage Foundation throwing gasoline on the fire. We dont need studies grounded in racist and wrong philosophies. What we need are fewer politicians bloviating and less politicization of this issue and more dispassionate, fair analysis, economic and otherwise.

And most of all, what we need is to grow the conversation to include Hispanics themselves. As we debate the future of Latinos in America, we deserve and need a seat at the table.
Democrats have coupled identity politics with a strong narrative to build a fashionable but unrepresentative coalition of ethnic minorities, the young and the economically disadvantaged. Its no coincidence that these are the three most politically misled groups in America.

Democrats winning narrative goes something like this: wealthy, white males have dominated and abused those with whom they differ for centuries, and only enlightened, well-intentioned government can stand in the way of these abuses. The larger the size and scope of government, the better and more fair our society will be.

The American people bought the Democrats story about government as a force for social justice. But what they got was a government run by politicians who are growing the bureaucracy toward their own ends.  David Laska

That divisive, us versus them mentality came to a head last fall, when Obama infamously told an audience of Hispanics that Republicans are their enemies who need to be punished.

Barack Obamas background and incredible personal narrative made him an ideal candidate to carry this banner in 2008. But four recent scandals have left his narrative in tatters:

First there was Benghazi: Obama, in the midst of his reelection campaign and still riding high off the killing of Bin Laden, failed to call the attacks what they were: a deliberate and orchestrated terrorist attack on our embassy on the anniversary of September 11. Whether he did so out of ignorance or malice is irrelevant. Four Americans were killed abroad, and instead of giving the American people the facts, the administration blamed the attack on a video that offended Muslims: an thinly-veiled and inartful means of spinning tragedy to fit the Democrats narrative.

Next came the implementation of Obamacare. Even one of the bills chief authors, Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana, has admitted that the process is a train wreck, and has opted not to seek reelection in 2014. The failure to implement a federal program that seizes one sixth of the economy and was written in legislation that -we were told by Nancy Pelosi- was so important that we had to pass it before we could know what was in it, is nothing short of scandalous.

Now, were learning that the IRS specifically targeted and harassed outspoken conservatives, from Tea Party groups to political pundits to student organizations to a Catholic professor, demanding everything from donor rolls to records of Facebook posts to reading lists.

As if that werent enough, we now know that the Attorney Generals office secretly obtained journalists call logs, a direct violation of our First Amendment right to a free press. Eric Holder is pointing his finger at his deputy, but where theres smoke, theres fire.

The effect that these Four Horsemen of Scandal will have on the administration will play out in the coming months, but what shouldnt be in doubt it what these scandals say about the Democrats and their narrative.

The American people bought the Democrats story about government as a force for social justice. But what they got was a government run by politicians who are growing the bureaucracy toward their own ends, using its institutions to harass their political opponents and lying in the face of tragedy to promote their narrative.

The lesson: all power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Its time for every American to give a top-to-bottom reassessment, not just of Barack Obama and his administration, but of their very philosophy on government.
Massachusetts first Latino candidate for the U.S. Senate has yet to capture the attention of national Republican leaders.

While local Republicans are excited about Gabriel Gomez, major GOP donors outside the Democratic-leaning state are skeptical of the former Navy SEAL-turned-businessman's chances in the state's June 25 special election to replace former Sen. John Kerry.

So far, this uncertainty has blocked the larger flow of money and manpower that helped Republican Scott Brown score an unlikely special election victory here three years ago to replace the late Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Several top Republican donors say they know virtually nothing about Gomez, whose previous political experience is limited to an unsuccessful run for town selectman. The Senate GOP's national campaign committee has yet to decide whether to invest significant resources, and likely won't until it's convinced that the race is winnable. And the tea party movement's national network of small-dollar donors has shied away from the socially moderate Gomez, who acknowledged giving money to President Barack Obama in 2008.

"We are not looking at that Senate race at all," Tea Party Express chairman Amy Kremer said recently. "We cannot get behind someone that donated to Obama."

Gomez, 47, emerged from relative obscurity to win last week's low-turnout three-way Republican primary. In many ways, he fits the profile of a new brand of politician that national Republican leaders described in a March report calling for better minority outreach and more inclusive tones on immigration and social issues.

The son of Colombian immigrants who speaks fluent Spanish, Gomez supports gay marriage and personally opposes abortion, but hasn't advocated overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that established a nationwide right to abortion.

In the general election, Gomez is competing against Democratic Rep. Ed Markey, 66, who was first elected in 1976 and is dean of the state's all-Democrat congressional delegation.

In Congress for more than three decades, Markey has been repeatedly painted as an out-of-touch Washington insider by opponents in both parties. The congressman has also faced difficult questions about whether he maintains a home in his Massachusetts district at all.

But while Markey has weaknesses, the political realities of Massachusetts politics make it difficult for Republicans to win here.

Only around 11 percent of state voters are registered Republicans. All of Massachusetts' members of Congress  nine representatives and two senators  and its statewide officers are Democrats.

"In Massachusetts, the numbers are mathematically daunting," said Washington-based Republican strategist Phil Musser, who has worked in the state. "But it can be done."

Indeed, Brown stunned the political world in 2010 by winning the special election for the seat left vacant with Kennedy's death. But the victory was fueled by a flood of tea party volunteers and out-of-state money that allowed the little-known state senator to blanket the television airwaves and generate a sophisticated statewide get-out-the vote operation, taking Democrats by surprise.

Undaunted by the lack of national GOP attention, Gomez spokesman Will Ritter said Monday that the campaign has raised more than $200,000 online and already signed up more than 4,000 volunteers in the days since last week's GOP primary victory. But with Election Day seven weeks away, the donations represent a fraction of the support Brown attracted in 2010.

Brown ultimately raised and spent more than $10 million on his winning bid, though two years later he was defeated by Democrat Elizabeth Warren.

The tea party donors who lined up behind Brown worked against Gomez in the days immediately before last week's primary.

"He's pledged his support for Obama's policies on immigration reform (amnesty) and gun control," says a fundraising appeal for Gomez's primary opponent, Michael Sullivan, released by the Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, a tea party-backed political action committee. "We must defeat Obama supporter, GabrielGomez."

Gomez has one advantage that Brown did not: the ability to tap super political action committees, which emerged in full force after Brown's 2010 race.

He has so far resisted taking the so-called "People's Pledge" that helped prevent outside groups from spending money in the state's last high-profile Senate contest. Without such a pledge, Gomez could be the beneficiary of super PACs that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money on his behalf.

Markey is trying to make Gomez's refusal to sign the pledge a campaign issue.

"I'm going to keep pressuring him," Markey said at a Monday press conference. "Obviously he doesn't want to sign it because the Koch brothers"  a reference to conservative political supporters David and Charles Koch  "Karl Rove, would be able to come into this state."

Eric Fehrnstrom, previously a top aide to former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, already is working on advertising to help Gomez through the super PAC known as the Committee for a Better Massachusetts, which raised at least $50,000 in the weeks before the primary election, relying upon just three donors.

But in a race that's expected to cost millions, it's unclear how many donors will bet big on Gomez.

Some of the party's most prominent donors in recent days said they knew very little about Gomez, and that it was simply too early to know whether he could make the race competitive. And none planned to donate until that question was answered.

Many are waiting to take their cues from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the GOP's formal campaign arm, and to see whether it would devote major resources on the race. So far, the committee has set up websites and low-cost online videos attacking Markey, but it hasn't yet decided whether to make more significant investments in television advertising  pricey because of the expensive Boston TV market  until conducting its own polling.

The Republican super ally, American Crossroads, is in a similar position, having yet to determine whether the race is winnable.

Even so, donors publicly suggest that Gomez could have a bright future.

"It's an exciting race," said Charlie Spies, a Washington-based lawyer who led fundraising efforts for the super PAC that worked on Romney's behalf. "Gomez is exactly the sort of candidate that Republicans need to be recruiting. And has the potential to turn into a rock star fresh face for the party."

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Four years after being caught in the fire of a political scandal, Mark Sanford is headed back to Congress with his Argentinean mistress-turned-fiance by his side.

On Tuesday, Sanford defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch to win back the 1st District seat he held for three terms in the 1990s.

"I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace," the Republican told about 100 cheering supporters Tuesday. "It's my pledge to all of you going forward I'm going to be one of the best congressmen I could have ever been."

Although the race was thought to be close going into the voting, Sanford collected 54 percent of the vote against Colbert Busch, the sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert, in a district that hasn't elected a Democratic congressman in more than three decades. About 32 percent of the district's voters went to the polls. Green Party candidate Eugene Platt finished far behind.

"Some guy came up to me the other day and said you look a lot like Lazarus," Sanford told the crowd, referring to the man who, according to the Bible, Christ raised from the dead. "I've talked a lot about grace during the course of this campaign. Until you experience human grace as a reflection of God's grace, I don't think you really get it. And I didn't get it before."

Sanford, who turns 53 later this month, has now never lost a race in four runs for Congress and two for governor. And he said before the votes were counted Tuesday that if he lost this one, he wouldn't run for office again.

He saw his political career disintegrate in summer 2009 when he disappeared for five days, telling his staff he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He returned to admit in a tearful news conference he had been in Argentina with his mistress, Maria Belen Chapur, to whom he is now engaged. Sanford later paid a $70,000 ethics fine, the largest in state history, for using public money to fly for personal purposes. His wife and political ally, Jenny, divorced him.

Three weeks before the special election, news surfaced that Sanford's ex-wife had filed a court complaint alleging he was in her house without permission in violation of their divorce decree, leading the National Republican Congressional Committee to pull its support from the campaign. Sanford must appear in court Thursday on the complaint.

Sanford said he tried to get in touch with his ex-wife and was in the house so his youngest son would not have to watch the Super Bowl alone.

The congressional seat became vacant when U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint resigned from his Senate seat late last year. Governor Nikki Haley then appointed the sitting congressman, Tim Scott, to fill DeMint's seat.

"We put up a heck of a fight, didn't we?" Colbert Busch told a crowd of supporters at a hotel in Charleston. "The people have spoken, and I respect their decision."

Although the district is strongly Republican, Colbert Busch raised more money than Sanford. And national Democrats flooded the airwaves with ads attacking Sanford's past indiscretions.

Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Sanford now becomes the face of the Republican efforts to reach out to women voters and the GOP will have to defend him.

"In this deep red Republican district that Mitt Romney won by 18 points, the fact that the Democrat made this competitive is a testament to the strength of Elizabeth Colbert Busch as a candidate and the Republican habit of nominating flawed candidates," he said in a statement.

But Greg Walden, his counterpart at the National Republican Congressional Committee, countered that the "results demonstrate just how devastating the policies of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi are for House Democrats in 2014. Democrats spent more than $1 million trying to elect a candidate who was backed by the Democrat machine, but at the end of the day, running on the Obama-Pelosi ticket was just too toxic for Elizabeth Colbert Busch."

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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On the heels of President Barack Obama's trip to Mexico and Costa Rica, the White House will continue to focus on its southern neighbors with upcoming visits from two Latin American heads of state and a trip to the region by Vice President Joe Biden.

Peru's President Ollanta Humala and Chile's President Sebastian Pinera will travel to Washington in June to meet with President Obama, the White House said Wednesday. And next week, Biden will make stops in Brazil and Colombia, plus the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

The visits reflect the administration's desire to show the U.S. relationship with its neighbors to the south is about much more than drugs, crime and illegal immigration. The need for closer economic ties topped Obama's agenda during his three-day trip last week to Mexico and Costa Rica.

"All told, we will have the most active stretch of high-level engagement on Latin America in a long, long time," Biden said Wednesday at the State Department. "There are so many opportunities. There's so much more we believe we can do."

Of intense interest to leaders and citizens in Latin American countries is the immigration overhaul advancing tenuously through Congress. Obama is largely supportive of the bipartisan bill, which would strengthen borders and provide a pathway to citizenship for many of the 11 million people in the U.S. illegally  most of them from Latin American countries.

The June 4 visit by the Chilean leader will focus on regional cooperation on education, the economy, energy and the environment, the White House said. A similar roster of topics was set to dominate the session with Peru's president on June 11.

High on the agenda for both meetings will be negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Asia-Pacific-wide trading bloc meant to open markets to wider trade. Peru and Chile are members, as are Mexico and Canada. The pact is key to Obama's vaunted strategy to forge closer ties to Asia as China and other regional nations gain economic clout.

Ricardo Zuniga, who heads Latin America policy for the White House's National Security Council, said the U.S. wants to make sure other countries in the Western Hemisphere aren't left out of that process.

"The countries in the Americas are more active global players," Zuniga said. "We're running into each other in more parts of the world and in more multilateral organizations."

In Colombia, Biden will meet with President Juan Manuel Santos for a security-focused discussion that will also touch on economic issues. Although Colombia isn't initially part of the trade partnership with Asia, Zuniga said, the U.S. has been supporting Colombia's aspirations to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD. The U.S. also wants to show it supports peace talks between Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, taking place in Cuba.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will host Biden for meetings there focused on the economy, the White House said. In Trinidad and Tobago, an archipelago off the coast of Venezuela, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is inviting leaders from numerous Caribbean countries to talk economic collaboration and security with Biden.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Senate Democrats blamed Republicans for the second delay in committee action on the nomination of Thomas Perez for labor secretary.

Democrats allege that Republicans invoked an obscure chamber rule that calls for leaders of both parties to agree to a meeting if it is to take place after the Senate has been in session more than two hours, according to published reports.

But Republicans said they were not actually opposed to the meeting of the Senates Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which was to hold a hearing on Perezs confirmation. Democrats have a majority on the committee.

Sen. Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who is chairman of the committee, angrily blamed the Republicans in a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Republican obstructionism and procedural tricks are preventing this body from carrying out its duties, including its obligation to consider important presidential nominations, Harkin said in his floor speech. This continuing delay is unconscionable and only hurts the American workers and businesses that rely on the Department of Labor each and every day.

Perezs nomination by President Obama has been controversial, with Democrats generally backing him and Republicans opposing the former assistant attorney for the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division.

Many Latino leaders have been closely watching developments surrounding Perez, because he is the only Latino nominated for a Cabinet position in Obama's second term.

Republicans asked for a postponement earlier this year to review what they said were troubling actions in the Civil Rights Division under Perezs leadership.

Specifically, opponents of Perezs nomination said that he decided not to take part in a whistleblower complaint against the city of St. Paul because he was seeking for the city to withdraw its Supreme Court challenge of federal housing discrimination guidelines.

Indeed, even as they denied that they were seeking to put roadblocks to a hearing, Republicans made their opposition to Perez known, loud and clear, on Wednesday.

His willingness, time and again, said McConnell on the Senate floor, to bend or ignore the law and to misstate the facts in order to advance his far-left ideology led me and others to conclude that hed continue to do so if he were confirmed to another, and much more consequential, position of public trust.

If the committee approves Perez, his confirmation still would face a fight in the full Senate.

Earlier this week, Sen. Marco Rubio, Florida Republican, essentially guaranteed a fight.

"For a Cabinet position that oversees the countrys workforce, our nation deserves a proven administrator who is committed to maximizing opportunities for the American worker," Rubio said in a statement, "not a liberal activist who has pushed the boundaries of public office to advance his agenda."

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A day after President Barack Obama won re-election in 2012, headlines declared 'record' Latino voter turnout at the polls was a main reason. The era of Hispanic voter apathy had ended alongside Mitt Romney's campaign and any future hopes of the Republican party for years to come.

Obama had just won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote and Romney garnered a measly 27 percent.

A Fox News Latino article made the point that Obama's victory was proof that the "Sleeping Latino Giant Is Wide Awake," and the New York Times concluded that Latinos had secured their position as a "force in American politics with the power to move national elections."

But a new report released by the U.S. Census Bureau Wednesday shows that the Latino voter turnout in 2012, 48 percent, was actually proportionately lower, by nearly 2 percentage points, than in 2008 at 49.9 percent.

While the number of Latino voters rose by about 1.4 million in 2012, to a record 11.2 million, the Census report attributed the increase to population growth  a mathematical certainty for the nation's fastest growing demographic group.

In fact, the number of Latino voters who chose not to vote in the presidential election increased even more  by 2.3 million  from 9.8 million in 2008 to 12.1 million in 2012, according to the report.

The new census numbers also undermine a national narrative pushed by Latino leaders and national Latino advocacy groups that hailed 2012 as the beginning of a new era of engaged involved Hispanic electorate.

Meanwhile, the data also shows that for the first time ever America's black electorate voted at higher rates than whites in 2012.

While just 48 percent of Hispanics voted in 2012, 66.2 percent of eligible black voters cast their ballots, up from 64.7 percent in 2008 compared with non-Hispanic white turnout of 64.1 percent, which fell from 66.1 percent four years earlier.

The data underscore how turnout plays an important role in elections for both whites and blacks, who will remain the two largest racial groups of eligible voters for the next decade. While Hispanics are now the fast-growing demographic group, they currently make up a smaller share of eligible voters because many are children and non-citizens, limiting their electoral impact for the immediate future.

"Blacks have been voting at higher rates, and the Hispanic and Asian populations are growing rapidly, yielding a more diverse electorate," said Thom File, a census sociologist who wrote the voting analysis. "Over the last five presidential elections, the share of voters who were racial or ethnic minorities rose from just over 1 in 6 in 1996 to more than 1 in 4 in 2012."

In a statement released by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, the organization highlighted the increased share of Latino voters as a whole and pointed out that Latino voter turnout had its greatest impact in the battleground states that ultimately determine the presidency.

We are pleased to see the latest Census analysis confirm what we have known all alongthat the Latino electorates participation in the 2012 election reached historic heights," the press release said. "Nationwide, the Latino share of the vote rose to 8.4 percent in 2012, compared to 7.4 percent in the 2008 election. In battleground states like Colorado, Florida and Nevada, the Latino electorate was particularly decisive, providing the margin of victory in a number of key municipal, state and federal elections."

Paul Taylor, executive vice president of the Pew Research Center, indicated the economy will be an important factor in future elections, noting that Hispanics and young people were among the hardest hit during the high unemployment years of 2008-2012.

"Given what we know about the youth bulge in the population, Millennials and Hispanics will become ever more important voting blocs in upcoming presidential elections," Taylor said. "But in 2012, both groups left a lot of votes on the table."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Agha Saleh came to the United States inspired by democratic ideals, but it took him years to achieve a basic one here: voting.

He'd lived through political upheaval in his native Pakistan and was eager to be part of America's storied "government of the people." But for the eight years until he got citizenship, it struck him as "a dream, perhaps, this democracy of the United States," recalls Saleh, 51.

Now a cafe owner and community group leader in New York City, Saleh is among a roster of immigrant activists, voting-rights advocates and lawmakers championing a controversial proposal to give an estimated 800,000 green card and visa holders the right to vote in city elections.

The proposal, aired at a City council hearing Thursday, would mark the biggest expansion yet of efforts to enfranchise immigrants. It may amplify a decades-long debate over whether voting rights should be reserved for citizenship or embrace newcomers on the premise that they also have a stake in the society.

In a country that describes itself as a nation of immigrants, many states once let non-citizens vote, but those policies changed by the 1930s.

The idea has had something of a renaissance in recent decades. A half-dozen Maryland cities now allow it, four Massachusetts towns have OK'd it but are awaiting state approval, and Chicago lets immigrants vote in school board elections. But immigrant suffrage initiatives were defeated at the polls in San Francisco and Portland, Maine.

Immigrant and voting-rights advocates see non-citizen suffrage as a matter of taxpayer fairness and civic engagement. But some officeholders and others view the vote as a fundamental province of citizenship, a privilege to hold out as a goal for new arrivals.

"Voting is the most important right we are granted as citizens, and you should have to go through the process of becoming a citizen and declaring allegiance to this country before being given that right," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said through a spokeswoman.

Independent Party candidate Adolfo Carrion Jr. also opposes the proposal.

There are very few things that bring me to the point of being almost speechless," Carrion said in a statement to Fox News Latino, "This is one of them."

"Being a citizen of the U.S. is a privilege that carries with it an awesome and sacred responsibility  the right to vote," he said. "If we water that down, we are essentially removing one of the building blocks of our democracy, let alone violating state law. To suggest that elected officials will not represent the interests of non-citizens is insulting to all of us who have spent our lives working to represent new immigrants and help them become U.S. citizens."

But Democratic candidate, Erick Salgado, a minister from Staten Island, firmly supports the proposal.

"They're in the country legally, they pay taxes, they contribute, and they are impacted negatively or positively by the actions of their elected leaders," Salgado said to Fox News Latino. "They should be able to have a say in the election of those leaders. Since the majority of legal immigrants are Latinos, this law would benefit our community."

No vote has been scheduled on the New York measure, which faces legal as well as political questions.

Non-citizens were able to vote for the city school board for three decades, until the board was disbanded soon after Bloomberg took office in 2002.

Councilman Daniel Dromm's proposal would open all city elections to foreigners who are in the country legally and have lived in the city for at least six months. They would register as a separate category of "municipal voters" but would vote alongside citizens.

Jose Torrero left Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to join his daughter in New York four years ago and has a green card. He was active in politics in his homeland, and he'd like to vote for New York candidates who share his views on immigration, job creation and other issues. The 70-year-old is preparing to apply for citizenship, but it's likely years away.

"We're all involved in politics since we're born. And the people who look for government to work for them have to be involved in the political process," Torrero said through a translator in an interview.

Backers of immigrant voting invoke a most American complaint  taxation without representation  and they note that citizenship can take a decade or more to acquire. Advocates also say the vote would help immigrants engage with their political leaders, and vice versa.

"I think that their voices will be heard louder and clearer," City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez said in an interview. An immigrant himself from Licey al Medio, Dominican Republic, he taught in New York public schools for years before he could vote for city leaders.

New York state election law prohibits immigrants from voting, and advocates and the mayor's office dispute whether the City Council has the authority to allow it in the city. In any event, it would require federal authorities' review for compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

City Board of Elections lawyers expressed concerns this week about the potential costs and logistics of implementing the plan, but they didn't opine on the underlying idea.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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The International Criminal Court has received a request from a Venezuelan civil rights group to investigate alleged physical and psychological abuse of detained young protesters at military bases following last month's disputed presidential election.

Nearly 200 people, most aged between 15 and 22, were arrested during the street protests and some were subjected to "inhuman and degrading treatment, and even forms of torture," says the complaint filed by Foro Penal Venezolano at the Hague-based court on Wednesday.

The alleged abuses occurred April 15-16 in the cities of Valencia, Barinas and Barquisimeto and included forcing detainees to sing pro-government songs, dousing them with urine and beating them "multiple times with frozen water bottles," according to the complaint.

It says some female detainees were "forced to strip naked in front of other prisoners and male soldiers."

The Defense Ministry and the Attorney General's office didn't return calls seeking comment Friday.

Tensions are high in Venezuela, with President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Henrique Capriles trading bitter accusations after Maduro's narrow election win on April 14. Capriles claims Maduro won through fraud and thousands of his supporters protested in the streets in several cities after the election.

The government says at least nine of its supporters were killed in attacks by opposition supporters and dozens were injured. It also claims opposition supporters damaged government offices and Cuban-run neighborhood medical clinics.

The opposition vehemently denies the accusations.

Foro Penal Venezolano is comprised of more than 200 lawyers who represent what its coordinator, Alfredo Romero, calls political prisoners.

In the complaint, it named some of the military commanders it said were in charge during the detentions, including Army Gen. Freddy Hernandez Parababi and Col. Edgardo Zuleta, Lt. Col. Rafael Quero Silva and Lt. Col. Henry Arellano Gallardo of the National Guard.

The rights group asked the ICC to request more information about the detentions from the Venezuelan government and to launch an investigation.

Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz has said authorities are investigating only two complaints of alleged mistreatment by police officers against detainees.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez is trying to raise his profile and campaign funds and he's counting on veteran Senator John McCain to help him do both on Monday.

McCain is stomping for his Republican colleague in Massachusetts, where Democrat John Kerrys new post as U.S. Secretary of State earlier this year left his Senate seat open.

Gomez is challenging Democrat and longtime congressman Edward Markey for Kerrys seat in a special election on June 25.

The Monday rally for Gomez, a former Navy Seal trying to become the first Latino senator ever from Massachusetts, was planned for a Boston VFW post in the city's Dorchester neighborhood. Tickets to the fundraiser range from $2,600 for lunch to $37,000 per person for a VIP round-table.

Markey on Monday planned to attend a Congressional Badge of Bravery Ceremony at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston to honor Woburn Police Officer Mark Gibbons for his actions after a jewelry store robbery.

Markey could also release six years of tax returns as early as this week. Gomez has already released six years of returns.

Gomez is accusing Markey, with a narrow lead among likely voters according to the latest polls, of hiding during the race for Kerrys old seat.

Gomez, the son of Colombian immigrants who works as a private equity investor, has again asked for a debate with Markey, who has yet to agree to one.

A Boston Herald story said: If you havent been paying much attention to U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markeys Senate campaign, thats just fine with Markey. Debates? He hasnt agreed to any against GOP opponent Gabriel Gomez. Releasing his tax returns? Hell get to it  eventually. Public campaign appearances?Good luck finding Markey. He made few campaign appearances last week  and most of those were not open to the public.

Gomezs campaign sent a letter to Markeys campaign that said: We got tired of waiting and have gone directly to debate organizers and confirmed Gomez attendance. We hope he will meet us at these debates across the Commonwealth.

To be sure, the campaign has been turning nasty.

Markey alluded to the Connecticut school massacre in a new TV ad that criticized Gomez's gun stand.

Markey's ad notes that Gomez opposes a ban on federal assault weapons and on high-capacity magazines "like the ones used in the Newtown school shooting."

Gomez called the reference to the shooting that killed 20 children and six adults "below the low."

The Republican said he supports expanded background checks for weapons sold at gun shows and online.

A recent poll showed Markey with a narrow lead over Gomez.

Markey leads Gomez by 48 to 41 percent, according to a poll conducted by the Democratic Public Policy Polling and paid for by the League of Conservation Voters.

Though narrow, Markeys lead over Gomez is an improvement over what it was two weeks ago, 4 percent, in a poll also conducted by Public Policy Polling.

Another poll, however, showed Markey with a double-digit lead. And a recent Suffolk University-7 News poll showed Markey leading over Gomez with 17 percentage points, or 52 to 35 percent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Latinos in New Haven are hoping to duplicate the impact that Latinos had nationally in the presidential election last year.

Henry Fernandez, a graduate of both Harvard College and Yale Law School, is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor in this Novembers elections. Sergio Rodriguez, who sits on the board of Aldermen, is seeking to be New Havens first Latino City Clerk, according to CTLatinoNews.com.

Both say they believe the city needs more Latino representation, the site said.

Fernandez hopes to fill the seat that will be vacant once Mayor John Destefano steps down after 10 terms. His challengers will be Justin Elicker, Gary Holder-Winfield, Sundiata Keitazulu, Toni Harp, Matthew Nemerson and Kermit Carolina.

Rodriguez will be challenging Ronald Smith for the City Clerk post.

New Haven is following state-wide and national trends, which have seen a significant increase in Latinos vying for political positions, the site said.

Several Latinos ran for legislative seats last year in Connecticut, and Latino voter registration rose to comprise 9 percent of the overall electorate, said CTLatinoNews.com.

Fernandez has named his campaign One City, in the hope of bringing residents closer together, the CTLatinoNews.com said.

New Haven has reached out to its immigrant community  made up of a large number of Latinos  by doing such things as issuing municipal identification cards to residents, including undocumented ones, so they can bank and check out books at the library, according to the New Haven Register.

In neighboring East Haven, relations with Latinos and city officials have been tense over the years.

Police there were accused of targeting Latinos and the former mayor said he would try to do something positive for the community and might have tacos.

The CTLatinoNews.com said the candidates think that getting Latinos involved politically is critical to gaining a stronger voice in the city.

We saw that in the election of President Obama, Fernandez said, according to the site. We should make sure that the Latino electorate is fought for.

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An audio recording that purportedly contains a prominent member of the ruling party discussing political strategy with a Cuban intelligence officer was released by Venezuela's opposition.

Opposition lawmaker Ismael Garcia said Monday that the recording captures a phone conversation between state TV personality Mario Silva, a staunch government ally, and a Cuban identified as Lt. Col. Aramis Palacios.

Venezuela's opposition has long accused Cuban leaders of wielding influence behind the scenes in guiding government decisions. For its part, the Venezuelan government accuses opposition leader Henrique Capriles of being a puppet of the U.S.

At a news conference, Garcia didn't say when the conversation was recorded or how he obtained it.

In it, a man identified as Silva is heard discussing a split in the ruling socialist party between parliament leader Diosdado Cabello and President Nicolas Maduro, the late President Hugo Chavez's successor.

The man says he worries that Cabello, a former army officer, is conspiring against the president, who narrowly defeated Capriles in an April 14 election that the opposition refuses to accept, claiming fraud. For example, the voice says, Maduro's opponents in the party want to remove Defense Minister Diego Molero.

"Why do they want to remove him, Palacios? To be able to take the armed forces and put pressure on Maduro or to behave as they please or to pull a coup d'etat," the man says.

Silva dismissed the recording on Twitter as a "montage" and suggested U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies were behind it. In a statement later Monday, he insisted that the recording was "absolutely false," and pledged his support to both Maduro and Cabello.

Cabello also dismissed the recording, calling on the opposition to present real evidence, "not a show."

Cuban authorities did not immediately respond to a request for reaction or information about Palacios.

In a speech broadcast Monday on state TV, Maduro called for an end to "intrigues" against his administration and the armed forces but didn't specifically mention the recording.

During his 14-year reign, Chavez forged close ties with Cuba, where he was treated for the cancer that killed him March 5. Venezuela has shipped billions of dollars' worth of oil to Cuba on preferential terms.

Capriles had urged his supporters to pay attention to the news conference in which the recording was released.

"Every corrupt and illegitimate government always implodes!" he tweeted later Monday.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Senate supporters of far-reaching immigration legislation have begun phasing in a requirement to the bill that would require foreigners to undergo fingerprinting when they leave the country.

Lawmakers also agreed to make an immigrant's third drunk driving conviction a deportable offense in some cases.

Supporters have accepted minor changes in public while negotiating over more sweeping alterations in private Monday as they drove toward expected Judiciary Committee approval by mid-week.

At the same time, officials expressed optimism that agreement was in sight in complex private talks over proposed changes to a section of the legislation relating to H-1B high skilled visas. As drafted, the bill would raise the current cap from 65,000 annually to 110,000, with the possibility of a further rise to 180,000.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, whose state is home to a burgeoning high tech industry, sought changes to reduce the cost and other conditions on firms that rely on highly skilled foreign labor.

He told reporters he is prepared to support the overall legislation when the committee votes on final passage if an agreement is reached on the issues. "The way it was written they're going to move offshore," he said of firms seeking changes.

In general, organized labor and its allies on the committee, including Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., wanted tougher conditions than industry was seeking, part of an attempt to assure than American workers are not disadvantaged by a larger influx of H-1B visa holders.

At its core, the legislation would provide an opportunity of U.S. citizenship to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, create a new visa program for low-skilled workers and permit a sizeable increase in the number of high-tech visas, at the same time it mandates new measures to crack down on future unlawful immigration.

The full Senate is expected to begin debate on the legislation next month.

In two previous weeks of deliberations, supporters of the legislation have demonstrated their command over the committee's proceedings, alternately accepting some proposals advanced by the bills critics and rejecting others  all without losing a single showdown.

The same pattern held true as the committee embarked on its third and final week of drafting.

On a vote of 13-5, the legislation's supporters agreed to require foreigners leaving the country through any of the nation's 30 busiest airports to submit to fingerprinting, part of an attempt to strengthen security.

"This is an agreement that we need to build toward a biometric visa exit system," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. He said the system is "long overdue." Most of the committee's Democrats supported the provision, along with four Republicans. Among them were GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Flake of Arizona, two the so-called Gang of Eight that negotiated the bill's basic framework over many months.

The committee last week rejected a proposal by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to impose the fingerprinting requirement at all of the nation's ports of entry rather than only the biggest airports. He said the system's partial implementation marked a "retreat from current law," which already requires a nationwide biometric system. The requirement has not been fulfilled because of the cost.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, advanced the drunk-driving amendment, a proposal that stipulates at least one of three convictions must occur after enactment of the law. It cleared on a vote of 17-1.

It appeared unlikely the issue of the high tech visas would be settled formally until Tuesday.

High-tech companies sought a change in the bill's requirement that they show they've tried to recruit U.S. workers before hiring anyone on an H-1B visa. Hatch's original proposal would make the regulation apply only on the firms most heavily dependent on H-1B visas, not on those where 85 percent of the jobs are filled by American citizens.

Hatch also has an amendment to change a requirement in the bill seeking to ensure that U.S. workers are not displaced by the hiring of foreigners.

In an email issued during the afternoon, the AFL-CIO urged its supporters to contact the committee and express opposition to "Hatch's anti-worker amendments...

"Hatch's amendments would change the bill so high-tech companies can hire new immigrant employees without first making the jobs available to American workers," it said.

One Senate official said two earlier stabs at compromise had failed, one when the high tech industry rebelled at the terms, and the other when the AFL-CIO balked. The officials who described the deliberations did so on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to speak on the record.

Whatever the ultimate outcome of the negotiations, it seemed unlikely that the committee's vote would be the final vote on high tech visas  or any other major portion of the measure.

"This bill is not perfect," Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said at one point during the day, one of several occasions in the past two weeks he has signaled that he and other supporters will be receptive to some changes when the legislation reaches the Senate floor.

And in fact, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., arguably the Republican with the largest ability to sway the vote in the Senate, has said he wants to tighten the fingerprinting requirement that the committee accepted during the day. "I will continue to fight to make the tracking of entries and exits include biometrics in the most effective system we can build when the bill is amended on the Senate floor," he said.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Several senators working on an immigration reform bill reached a compromise Tuesday on a part of the measure that would satisfy both industry, which relies increasingly on skilled foreigners, and organized labor, which represents American workers.

Officials said the agreement was reached as the Senate Judiciary Committee neared completion of its work on the measure.

The compromise on high tech visas was negotiated by Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah and Chuck Schumer, D-New York.

At its core, the legislation would provide an opportunity of U.S. citizenship to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, create a new visa program for low-skilled workers and permit a sizeable increase in the number of high-tech visas, while at the same time it mandates new measures to crack down on future unlawful immigration.

Final committee approval is expected by midweek, with the full Senate likely to begin debate next month.

Jeff Hauser, a spokesman for the AFL-CIO, said the organization remains opposed to the amendments, but will continue to support passage of the overall legislation with a path to citizenship.

The officials who confirmed the agreement did so on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly ahead of an official announcement.

As drafted, the bill would raise the current cap on so-called H-1B visas for highly skilled workers from 65,000 annually to 110,000, with the possibility of a further rise to 180,000. The legislation also included new protections designed to ensure American workers get the first shot at jobs, and high-tech firms objected to some of those constraints.

Hatch, whose state has a large high-tech industry, championed their cause. Schumer, an author of the bill, worked to satisfy his concerns. In exchange, Hatch told reporters Monday he'd committed to supporting the overall legislation when it comes to a vote in committee, lending it important GOP support.

The deal disclosed Tuesday modifies several amendments Hatch introduced on high-tech visas, including limiting some of the bill's protections for U.S. workers to companies that are more heavily dependent on H-1B visas. That would exclude many major U.S. firms.

At the same time, several officials said the White House has made it known to Sen. Patrick Leahy, the panel's chairman, that it would prefer postponing a showdown over the rights of same sex spouses until a vote in the full Senate.

It was unclear whether Leahy would comply as he drives the committee toward a final vote on the sweeping immigration measure, which would give an estimated 11.5 million immigrants living in the United States illegally a chance at citizenship. "There have been 300 amendments offered. Why shouldn't there be one more?" he told reporters.

Officials said there was a growing if unspoken expectation that the measure would likely emerge from committee without a provision granting same-sex spouses the same access to legal status as heterosexual spouses are entitled to.

Leahy has introduced a proposal to give equal treatment under the bill to same-sex couples, a provision gay rights groups seek. Several lobbyists and others noted during the day Monday that he had not said definitively that he would seek a vote on it before the panel completes its work, and neither the White House nor other Democrats on the committee have made a strong push for its inclusion.

Two people familiar with the deliberations said the White House had suggested to Leahy that it would be best to put the controversy until bill goes before the full Senate. They were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and insisted on anonymity.

A vote on the proposal could create political difficulty for Democrats on the committee who support gay rights and are also members of the so-called Gang of Eight, which negotiated the main features of the legislation. That includes Schumer and Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Durbin has told outside groups he will back the change if it is offered. Schumer hasn't said which way he would vote.

All eight authors of the bill have pledged to maintain the essential outlines of the legislation. A vote to add the gay rights provision could lead to approval on a party-line vote in committee, but lead to the collapse of Republican support on the Senate floor and the bill's demise.

In addition, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling by early July that could render the issue largely moot.

The measure is one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities, although the administration has generally let the committee work on its own.

In a show of support, though, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden arranged to meet Tuesday in the Oval Office at the White House with individuals directly affected by the measure.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Eric Garcetti, a Jewish councilman with Mexican and Italian roots, won the race for Los Angeles mayor over Wendy Greuel to replace Antonio Villarraigosa.

According to results from the City Clerk's Office, with all precincts reporting Wednesday, Garcetti grabbed 54 percent of the votes against his fellow Democrat. Greuel had 46 percent.

"Thank you Los Angeles  the hard work begins but I am honored to lead this city for the next four years. Let's make this a great city again," Garcetti tweeted.

Garcetti shares a Latino heritage with the outgoing mayor, but he has a far different resume than Villaraigosa, who will step down July 1 after serving eight years.

Garcetti is the son of a former district attorney who grew up in the San Fernando Valley's Encino enclave, attended Columbia University and enjoys playing jazz piano.

Despite record spending, turnout at polls were sluggish after a campaign that centered on the city's ailing economy and the influence of municipal unions. Only one of four voters in the nation's second-most populous city were projected to cast a ballot, possibly a historic low in a city known to shrug at local politics.

The lack of public interest ran counter to what's at stake. A key issue has been the city's shaky $7.7 billion budget and the prospect of living with less. Spending is projected to outpace revenue for years, and rising pension and retiree health care bills threaten money that could otherwise go to libraries, tree-trimming and street repairs. Villaraigosa urged his successor to try to block a 5.5 percent pay increase for civilian employees.

With so much common ground on policy, the race became a duel over character issues as well as a referendum on who was closer to politically powerful municipal unions often criticized for landing generous raises and benefits.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press

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The Senate Judiciary Committee approved an extensive immigration bill Tuesday night, setting up an epic showdown on the Senate floor over legislation that would offer amnesty to 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally.

The committee approved the immigration measure by a vote of 13-5. The legislation is one of President Barack Obama's top domestic priorities  yet it also gives the Republican Party a chance to recast itself as more appealing to minorities.

Aside from offering citizenship, the most contentious issue in the bill, the legislation would create new routes for people to come legally to the U.S. to work at all skill levels, tighten border security and workplace enforcement.

The attempt to remake the nation's immigration system now heads to a full Senate debate, where tough battles are brewing on gay marriage, border security and other contentious issues, with the outcome impossible to predict.

Many involved still vividly recall the last time the Senate took up a major immigration bill, in 2007, beginning with high hopes only to see their efforts collapse on the Senate floor amid a public backlash and interest group defections.

Some expressed optimism for a better outcome this time around as the Judiciary Committee gave its bipartisan approval. Three Republicans  Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake of Arizona, both authors of the bill, and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah  joined the 10 committee Democrats in supporting the measure.

"We've demonstrated to the United States Senate we can all work together, Republicans and Democrats," said the panel's chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

"Now let's go out of this room and work together with the other members of the Senate, and with the other body (the House), and more importantly work with all Americans, and all those who wish to be Americans."

In a statement, Obama applauded the committee's action and said the bill was "largely consistent with the principles of common-sense reform I have proposed and meets the challenge of fixing our broken immigration system."

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl), a member of the so-called bipartisan "Gang of Eight" group of senators who authored the bill, says he is looking forward to debate on the senate floor that will hopefully make real improvements to the bill.

However, the reality is that work still remains to be done," Rubio said in a statement.

"The vast majority of Americans across the political spectrum are prepared to give millions of people living here today illegally the opportunity to earn legal status and, potentially, permanent residence and citizenship," added Rubio, "but only if they pay fines, pass background checks, dont receive federal benefits and wait in line behind everybody who followed the rules. And only if we secure the border."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would bring the legislation to the Senate floor early next month for a debate that some aides predicted could consume a month or more. The fate of immigration legislation in the House was even less clear, although it was due to receive a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

It was Leahy's 11th-hour decision to hold back on an amendment to extend immigration rights to same-sex married couples that cleared the way for the bill's approval.

Until Leahy began speaking on the issue to a hushed hearing room Tuesday evening, it wasn't clear how the matter, which had hovered over the three weeks of committee sessions to review the legislation, would play out.

Leahy had been under pressure from gay groups to offer the amendment, which would allow gay married Americans to sponsor their foreign-born spouses for green cards like straight married Americans can. But Republican supporters of the bill warned that including such a measure would cost their support. As the committee neared the end of its work, officials said Leahy had been informed that both the White House and Senate Democrats hoped he would not risk the destruction of months of painstaking work by putting the issue to a vote.

"I don't want to be the senator who asks people to choose between the love of their life and the love of their country," Leahy said, adding that he wanted to hear from others on the committee.

In response, he heard a chorus of pleas from the bill's supporters not to force a vote that they warned would lead to the collapse of Republican support and the bill's demise.

"I don't want to blow this bill apart," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the first to speak up.

"I believe in my heart of hearts that what you're doing is the right and just thing," said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. "But I believe this is the wrong moment, that this is the wrong bill."

Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Al Franken, D-Minn., added their voices, and Leahy announced that, "with a heavy heart," he would withdraw his amendment.

Gay rights groups voiced outrage, and the issue is certain to re-emerge when the full Senate debates the legislation. But it is doubtful that sponsors can command the 60 votes that will be needed to make it part of the legislation.

In the hours leading to a final vote, the panel also agreed to a last-minute compromise covering an increase in the visa program for high-tech workers, a deal that brought Hatch over to the ranks of supporters.

Under the bill, the number of highly skilled workers admitted to the country would increase greatly, but there were also protections aimed at ensuring U.S. workers get the first shot at jobs, and high-tech companies objected to some of those.

Under the deal, companies in which foreign labor accounts for at least 15 percent of the skilled workforce would be subjected to tighter conditions than businesses less dependent on H-1B visa holders, and requirements on recruiting and hiring and firing of U.S. workers would be relaxed.

In defeat, opponents said they, too, wanted to overhaul immigration law, but not the way that drafters of the legislation had done.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, recalled that he had voted to give "amnesty" to those in the country illegally in 1986, the last time Congress passed major immigration legislation. He said that bill, like the current one, promised to crack down on illegal immigration, but said it had failed to do so.

"No one disputes that this bill is legalization first, enforcement later. And that's just unacceptable to me and to the American people," he said.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also voted against the bill, citing concerns that the legislation does not effectively secure the border or improve legal immigration enough.

Unfortunately, every Democrat on this committee voted against measures that would put real teeth into border security and that would have improved legal immigration," he said in a statement. "I believe in its current form, the bill will not become law, and if Congress cannot pass immigration reform, that is a terrible outcome."

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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The scene was The White House. The year was 2009.

A main attraction at a small power gathering that included President Obama was a young mayor whose name was unknown to many outside Texas  Julian Castro.

Castro, who was one of only five mayors among those invited to a jobs and economics growth forum, had graduated from Harvard Law School only nine years earlier.

Now, in his late-30's, he had become mayor of San Antonio and was, as he was told before the White House meeting by a Cabinet official in the Obama Administration, on the radar in Washington.

That was not a light observation.

In an extensive New York Times Magazine profile on Castro, Mark McKinnon, described as a member of George W. Bushs inner circle in Austin, said: Julian Castro has a very good chance of becoming the first Hispanic president of the United States.

Later, he was one of Time Magazines 40 Under 40  a list of the countrys most promising leaders. Higher office may be in Castro's future, the Time story said.

Now, Castro, 37, has received a volcanic boost to national notoriety with the selection of him as the new Secretary for Housing and Urban Development. He is also being talked about as a strong contender for vice president if Hillary Clinton gets the Democratic nomination.

Castro and Obama share trail-blazing parallels. They both were raised by single mothers. They both are graduates of Harvard Law School. Obama gripped national attention  and acquired a presidential glow, so to speak -- with a riveting keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Castro is the son of an activist named Rosie who was a force in a radical movement in Texas that pushed the case of Chicanos and Mexican American civil rights.

He says that affirmative action helped him and his twin brother, Joaquin, a U.S. Representative in Texas, get into Stanford, but then notes that he did well in school and has done pretty well since. Shortly after getting his law degree, Castro, 26, became the youngest elected city councilman at that time in San Antonio history. His brother is a member of the Texas legislature who is running for a congressional House seat.

Castro's mayoral website says that he has focused on attracting well-paying jobs in 21st century industries, "positioning San Antonio to be a leader in the New Energy Economy and raising educational attainment across the spectrum." In 2011, the Milken Institute ranked San Antonio the nations top-performing local economy.

Published reports say Julian, whose wife, Erica Lira Castro, is an elementary school teacher, is not fluent in Spanish, and once hired a tutor to try to gain some rudimentary skills in his ancestral language.

Like anyone who achieves a high profile, Castro is not without critics who, among other things, say hes driven too strongly by his ambition, that hes in too much of a hurry to make a splash.

Of all the powerful, over-achievers Castro has rubbed shoulders with in his spectacular journey so far, its his mother he admires most, he says.

She has never held political office, but has always been civically involved, Castro was quoted as telling Time Magazine. Growing up, I learned to appreciate the value of the democratic process through her love for making a difference in the lives of others.

Follow Elizabeth Llorente on Twitter: @Liz_Llorente

Elizabeth Llorente can be reached elizabeth.llorente@foxnewslatino.com

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President-elect Donald Trump returned Saturday to Alabama, where his longshot presidential campaign got rolling 16 months ago, to thank voters and some behind-the-scenes staffers, then boasted that the hard work has just begun.

This is where it all began, Trump said in his final rally before being sworn in January 20 as president. You propelled to victory a campaign the likes of which this country has never seen.  To the forgotten men and women of this country, you are not forgotten any longer.

Trump spent nearly an hour recounting his election night victory, in essentially a blow-by-blow account of his seemingly impossible wins in Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in his path to victory.

He said the founding fathers idea of creating an Electoral College system was genius because it gave votes across the country equal weight and admitted he was prepared to make a concession speak on election night.

In a thank you to the core voters who help him get elected, Trump vowed to rebuild the military, expressed his personal dislike for burning the U.S. flag and promised to repeal Obama Care, provide better health care to veterans and build a wall along the southern U.S. border.

Dont worry, Trump said in response to chants of Build a Wall. But we will be smart with how we spend our money.

He also returned to his winning message on the economy.

Three powerful words: jobs, jobs, jobs, he said.

Trump, a Republican, also brought on stage at the LaddPeebles Stadium, in Mobile, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, an early supporter and his choice for attorney general.

Trump was introduced by Stephen Miller, a Session staffer off Capitol Hill who became a top campaign advisor, campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, and Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman throughout the entire, 18-month campaign.

This is truly an exciting time to be alive, Trump said. The script is not yet written.
While many of Hillary Clintons top advisers have focused their post-presidential election fury on blaming alleged Russian interference and FBI Director James Comey for Clintons loss, some in the so-called Hillaryland orbit are looking inward, including pointing fingers at Clintons most-trusted aide: Huma Abedin.

The real anger is toward Hillarys inner circle, a Clinton insider told Vanity Fair for a Wednesday feature on Abedin. They reinforced all the bad habits.

One of the most important people in that inner circle was Abedin, 40, who has been by Clintons side since she was a White House intern during President Bill Clintons tenure. The email trove hacked from Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta and posted on WikiLeaks shows Abedin, the estranged wife of disgraced ex-Congressman Anthony Weiner, as an important resource for the campaign. The vice chair of the Clinton campaign, Abedin offered guidance on Clintons probable thoughts regarding upcoming events, meetings and calls before the requests ever made it to the Democratic presidential candidate. While her fingerprints dont often appear on policy issues, she weighed in with authority on most other matters.

ABEDIN CLAIMS SHE NEVER RECEIVED FBI WARRANT

Clinton was known to keep an extremely small and tight-knit group around her, and, indeed, during the 2016 primary and presidential campaign, the core group  including Campaign Manager Robbie Mook, Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri, adviser Cheryl Mills, Podesta and Abedin  never changed.

One Clinton insider, however, said the closeness of that group also created problems, prompting dismissive answers when new ideas that originated outside the circle were suggested, Vanity Fair reported.

Where in most presidential campaigns the circle grows broader and broader, hers grew smaller and smaller, a source told Vanity Fair.

A spokesperson for the Clinton campaign disputed that notion to Vanity Fair and said the campaigns plane seated up to three times as many people during the run-up to the November vote. Abedin declined to be interviewed for the feature.

Abedins proximity to Clinton  and in turn the limelight  also created another issue, according to some observers.

She was enjoying the red carpet and enjoying the photo spreads much too much in my opinion, one Clinton insider told Vanity Fair. She enjoyed being a celebrity too much.

Though Abedins next move seems to be in limbo now that Clintons political career appears to be over, she was recently spotted at Clintons Thank You holiday party for top-tier donors on Thursday and then at an after party with fellow attendees Mick Jagger and Reese Witherspoon, The New York Post reported.

Maybe Im just p----- off, but I really dont give a s--- about what happens to Huma to be honest with you, one close adviser to Clinton told Vanity Fair.
Local election officials in Detroit waited several days to deliver almost 100 poll books to county officials to certify the presidential election, according to newly released documents that come as the state has ordered an audit of the city's voting precincts.

Wayne County Clerk officials released a memo Thursday obtained by The Detroit News to State Elections Director Chris Thomas that said 95 poll books from the 662 precincts werent available at the start of the canvass, which began the day after the election.

Of those 95 poll books, five were never delivered to county canvassers and presumably remain missing, according to the memo. The poll books contain the names of voters and are used to ensure integrity of elections by canvassers, who compared the books with printouts from voting machines to make sure the number of people signed in to vote match the number on the machine for total ballots cast.

Im not happy with how Detroit handled this election at all, Krista Hartounian, chairwoman of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, told The Detroit News.

We had been seeing improvement, but this one was different. This one was off.

Hartounian, whose agency certifies the election, said Detroit officials were still delivering poll books to canvassers on the Friday and Saturday after the Tuesday election.

The canvass was extremely pressed for time, she told the newspaper. There was so much pressure. It was so tight, and Detroit was still delivering information until the very end.

Canvassers by law have 14 days to certify general elections.

Last Monday, Michigan's elections bureau ordered an investigation into substantial ballot discrepancies in a small portion of Detroit's voting precincts, after the discovery of a polling place where 300 people voted but only 50 ballots were properly sealed in a container.

Since learning of the issue during the state's presidential recount, officials have learned of similar "significant mismatch" problems at roughly 20 of Detroit's 490 precincts, according to Fred Woodhams, a spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson. He said there is no reason to think votes were not counted and the differences would not have affected Republican Donald Trump's narrow victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the state. Clinton won 95 percent of Detroit's vote.

Detroit elections officials told the state that in the one precinct, the 250 missing ballots were left in the tabulator bin, "but we want to verify this," Woodhams said. It was not immediately clear what caused the inconsistencies in other precincts.

Clinton cut into Trump's 10,704-vote win by only 102 votes during Michigan's election recount, which was requested by Green Party candidate Jill Stein and which covered more than 40 percent of the statewide vote before courts stopped it.

The ballots in question will be taken to the state capital, Lansing, for review. The investigation will take about three weeks.

Roughly 2 million of Michigan's 4.8 million ballots were recounted by hand, including about two-thirds of those in the suburban Detroit suburb of Oakland County and one-third of Wayne County, which includes Detroit.

"We do have a very accurate system that people should have confidence in," Woodhams said.

Click for more from The Detroit News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus suggested Sunday that President-elect Donald Trump will accept that Russia is behind the hacking of Democrats' email accounts during the 2016 White House race if the leaders of the U.S. intelligence community draft a report with that consensus agreement.

I think he would accept the conclusion if they would get together, put out a report and show the American people they are on the same page, Priebus said on Fox News Sunday.

Trump won the presidential race in an upset victory over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, whose campaign was hurt by a raft of emails hacked from campaign chairman John Podestas personal account, then released by WikiLeaks.

The Trump campaign has suggested the effort to tie Russia to the leaks is an attempt to delegitimize his victory.

Theres no evidence that shows the outcome of the elections was changed by a couple of dozen John Podesta emails, Priebus, who is still chairman of the Republican National Committee, also said Sunday.

He also said the intelligence community is almost there on a consensus finding about Russias involvement.

I think theyll get there, Priebus said.

He suggested that the Trump team accepts CIA Director John Brennans statement that Russia was involved. However, it remains wary about news media reports that FBI Director James Comey agrees.

Not when you have multiple people saying different things through third parties and media reports, Priebus told Fox News Sunday. It would be nice to hear from everybody.

Priebus also said he was 100 percent confident that the Senate will confirm Exxon/Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson as Trumps pick to be the next secretary of state.

He also said he expected everything to fall in line Monday when the Electoral College votes to officially make Trump president and that Trumps recent statements and actions dont suggest that the president-elect is interested in revisiting the [United States] One-China policy right now.
The Electoral College is poised Monday to select Donald Trump as the next president of the United States, despite efforts to disrupt the 227-year-old process that so far appear to have resulted in just one openly rogue voter. Still, Democrats and Republicans on Sunday spoke with some uncertainty about the anticipated outcome.

We expect everything to fall in line, Reince Priebus, White House chief of staff in the incoming Trump administration, told Fox News Sunday.

Electors will convene in state capitals across the country Monday to make the results of the Nov. 8 election official.

In most presidential election years, the Electoral College vote would essentially be a formality. But electors have been facing pressure for weeks from anti-Trump forces to upend the November results; protests also are expected at state capitals on Monday.

While the efforts stand little chance of succeeding, those factions have been fueled by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's win in the popular vote. She won roughly 2.6 million more ballots than Trump but lost the Electoral College vote.

Trump got more Electoral College votes by winning many of the smaller, less-populated states in the Midwest and South, along with the big coastal state of Florida and traditionally Democratic-leaning Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Trump and Clinton also split the six most populous states.

Trump needs 270 electoral votes Monday. And the state victories put him in line to get 306 of the 538 -- with each state getting one vote for each House and Senate member. The three remaining votes go to the District of Columbia.

Priebus, who still runs the Republican National Committee, which is trying to keep count of the apportioned or pledged votes, cited the only known and so-called faithless balloter, who lives in Texas and whose vote goes to Trump but plans to vote for another, yet-to-be-named Republican.

But other than that, we're very confident that everything is going to be very smooth, said Priebus, noting a massive petition drive to get electoral voters to cast ballots against Trump and the alleged harassment of some of the voters, particularly in Arizona, where Trump won 49 percent of the vote, compared to 45 percent for Clinton, which entitles him to all 11 electoral votes.

Arizona elector Robert Graham told Fox News on Saturday that the 11 electors have received hundreds of thousands of emails telling them not to vote for Trump and that hes received information that some of the other 10 have been followed or have received a death threat.

Its out of hand when you have such  a small group of people that is pushing so hard against millions if not hundreds of millions of people who still appreciate this whole system, said Graham, chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. The Electoral College is part of the Constitution.

All swore to party officials that they will back Trump, even though they're not legally bound to do so, and plan to hold to that pledge.

Trump responded to the reports of elector harassment and intimidation Sunday.

If my many supporters acted and threatened people like those who lost the election are doing, they would be scorned & called terrible names!

There is no federal law on electoral votes. Some states bind their voters -- often state party officials -- to the popular vote. But the penalties for violations are minor, such as being disqualified from future balloting.

On Sunday, John Podesta, Clinton campaign chairman, suggested that 37 electoral voters bound to Trump could defect, which would be enough to create at least a tie and send the vote to the GOP-controlled House, where Trump would still likely win.

Podesta, as he has in recent days, pressed the argument on NBCs Meet the Press that Russians hacking the emails of Democrats during the election led in part to Clintons loss.

He also made a last-minute argument that members of the Electoral College should have an intelligence briefing about the hackings before voting Monday.

I assume that our electors are going to vote for Hillary Clinton, Podesta said. But the question is whether there are 37 Republican electors who think that either there are open questions [about the purported Russian hackings] or that Donald Trump  is really unfit to be president.  And I guess we will know that  tomorrow.

The Associated Press tried to reach all 538 electors and was able to interview more than 330 of them. Many reported getting tens of thousands of emails, calls and letters asking them to vote against Trump.

But the canvass found overwhelming support for the system, and the nominee, among Republican electors. The AP found only one pledged to Trump who will refuse to vote for him but did not identify him as the voter in Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Israeli tanks, bulldozers and armored personnel carriers knocked down a fence and barreled over the Lebanese border Saturday as forces seized a village from the Hezbollah guerrilla group.

The soldiers battled militants throughout the day and raided the large village of Maroun al-Ras in several waves before finally taking control, military officials said. Tens of thousands of Lebanese fleeing north packed into the port of Sidon to escape the fighting as the United Nations warned of a growing humanitarian "disaster."

Click here for full Mideast coverage.

Early Sunday, warplanes for the first time hit inside the port city of Sidon, currently swollen with refugees, destroying a religious complex that the Israeli military said was used by Hezbollah. Hospital officials said four people were wounded.

A series of large explosions reverberated through Beirut in the early hours Sunday as Israeli aircraft again pounded Hezbollah's stronghold in the south. Warplanes also hit targets in eastern Bekaa Valley, firing missiles in the cities of Hermel and Baalbek, witnesses said. There was no immediate word on casualties in either strike.

CountryWatch: Israel

The growing use of ground forces, 11 days into the fighting, signaled Israeli recognition that airstrikes alone were not enough to force Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon. But a ground offensive carries greater risks to Israel, which already has lost 18 soldiers in the recent fighting. It also threatens to exacerbate already trying conditions for Lebanese civilians in the area.

Israeli military officials have said they want to push Hezbollah beyond the Litani River, about 20 miles north of the border, with the Lebanese army deploying in the border zone. An Israeli radio station that broadcasts to southern Lebanon warned residents of 13 villages to flee north by Saturday afternoon. The villages form a corridor about 4 miles wide and 11 miles deep.

With Lebanese fearing an escalation in the battle, international officials worked to end the conflict.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was set to arrive in the Middle East on Sunday, though she ruled out a quick cease-fire as a "false promise." (Full story)

President Bush said his administration's diplomatic efforts would focus on finding a strategy for confronting Hezbollah and its Syrian and Iranian backers.

"Secretary Rice will make it clear that resolving the crisis demands confronting the terrorist group that launched the attacks and the nations that support it," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

CountryWatch: Lebanon

Italy, which has been trying to mediate an end to the fighting, said it would hold a conference Wednesday to work out the basis for a truce agreement. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has proposed a beefed-up U.N. force along the Lebanese border, but Israel has called for the Lebanese army to take control of the area.

Annan said the conflict had displaced at least 700,000 Lebanese so far, and Israel's destruction of bridges and roads has made access to them difficult.

"I'm afraid of a major humanitarian disaster," he told CNN.

U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland said it would take more than $100 million to help the displaced. He said he would make an appeal "urging, begging" the international community for contributions.

As part of an effort to avert such a crisis, Israel eased its blockade of Lebanon's ports to allow the first shiploads of aid to arrive. It remained unclear how that aid would get to the isolated towns and villages where the fighting has been centered. (Full story)

Israel has attacked mostly with airstrikes, but small units have crossed the border in recent days and fought with Hezbollah fighters.

A far larger force of about 2,000 troops entered the area Saturday trying to root out Hezbollah bunkers and destroy hidden rocket launchers.

The troops, backed by tanks and armored vehicles, raced past a U.N. outpost and headed into Maroun al-Ras. Gunfire could be heard coming from the village, and artillery batteries in Israel also fired into the area.

"The forces have completed, more or less, their control of the area of the village, Maroun al-Ras, and made lots of hits against terrorists," said Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz, chief of Israel's ground forces. "It was a difficult fight that continued for not a short time."

Dozens of Hezbollah fighters were injured or killed in the battle, Gantz said. Hezbollah said two of its fighters were killed Saturday, bringing the total number of acknowledged Hezbollah fighters killed to eight. Israel accuses the group of vastly underreporting its casualties.

The village was strategically important because it overlooked an area where Hezbollah had command posts, Gantz said. The forces seized a cache of weapons and rockets in a village mosque, he added. The village is believed to be a launching point for the rocket attacks on northern Israel.

At one point, a half-ton bomb was dropped on a Hezbollah outpost, about 500 yards from the border and near the village. Other positions were bombarded by Israeli gunboats off the coast.

About 32 residents took refuge at the U.N. observers post. Nearly the entire remaining population of the village  which numbered about 2,300 before the crisis broke out  were believed to have fled, Lebanese security officials said.

Some of the invading forces returned to Israel during the day. U.N. peacekeepers and witnesses said Israel also briefly held the nearby village of Marwaheen before pulling back.

About 35,000 fleeing Lebanese filled Sidon as they searched for a place to stay or a way to get farther north.

"I'm afraid a disaster is going to happen with all these refugees. There's no aid, not from other nations, not from Lebanon," Mayor Abdul-Rahman al-Bizri said.

More than 200,000 Lebanese fled to Syria, according to the Syrian Red Crescent.

A steady stream of foreign nationals boarded ships and planes Saturday to take them away. U.S. officials said more than 7,500 Americans had been evacuated from Lebanon by Saturday night.

"Everybody's crying and kissing and wishing you well, and you have to turn and leave. We have the chance to get out, but they don't," said Susan Abu Hamdan, 44, of Northville, Mich., who was visiting her siblings in Beirut.

The Israeli army said it wanted to completely destroy all Hezbollah infrastructure in an area between a half-mile and two miles from the border, but it had no intention of going deeper into Lebanon.

"We really want to knock out Hezbollah in this area," said Capt. Jacob Dallal, an army spokesman. "We want to wipe them out, and we don't intend for them to ever be there again."

A senior Israeli military official confirmed that Israel did not plan to reoccupy southern Lebanon as it did in 1982-2000 to create a buffer zone to protect northern Israel.

Israel's current offensive began July 12 when Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers and killed three others in a cross-border raid.

Israeli airstrikes on Saturday blasted communications and television transmission towers in the central and northern Lebanese mountains, knocking the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. off the air and killing one person at the station.

The death toll in Lebanon rose to at least 372, Lebanese authorities said.

Over the past 11 days, Hezbollah has launched nearly 1,000 rockets into Israel, killing 15 civilians and sending hundreds of thousands of others fleeing into bunkers. At least 132 rockets landed in Israel on Saturday, wounding 20 people, three seriously, rescue officials said.

A total of 19 Israeli troops have been killed in the fighting so far.

Hezbollah also fired at the army base of Nurit in Israel, wounding one soldier, the army said.

Israel's call for Lebanese to leave much of the area south of the Litani River caused many to fear that a far deeper Israeli ground incursion was being planned, an offensive that would almost certainly lead to far higher casualties.

More than 400,000 people live south of the Litani. Though tens of thousands have left, many are believed still there, trapped by the damaged roads or by fear of being caught in an airstrike.

Click here for full Mideast coverage.
Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes began a honeymoon in the Maldives, a government official said Tuesday, after the couple married in a 15th-century castle in Italy over the weekend.

"Yes, they are here, I can confirm that," chief government spokesman Mohamed Hussain Shareef told The Associated Press by telephone from the capital, Male.

"They have gone to one of the islands, but this is very, very secret," he said.

Photo Essay: The TomKat Wedding

Click Here for the Katie Holmes Celebrity Center

Click Here for the Tom Cruise Celebrity Center

The couple may face bad weather.

"It has been raining heavily the past week and there are predictions of scattered showers," Shareef said. "However, right now there is sunshine."

Cruise, 44, and Holmes, 27, are on one of the Indian Ocean country's 1,192 tiny coral islands after arriving by private jet, the local Haveeru newspaper said, citing witnesses.

Since their arrival, rumors have gripped the Muslim-majority archipelago of about 350,000 people that a VIP couple is visiting.

An official from the Tourism Department said speculation was swirling on the couple's whereabouts. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was a rush for bookings at an underwater restaurant after rumors spread that the duo will have dinner there Tuesday.

"At the moment, we hear that they are cruising on the yacht and that they are expected to visit some of the island resorts  at least one exclusive and expensive one with its underwater restaurant," said another government official declining to give his name because he was speaking about a private matter.

Ali Siraj, a local journalist in Male, said he heard that the couple was staying in a yacht.

"There are many big boats here, which are like floating resorts and I have heard a rumor that they are staying in one of them," he said.

Shareef said all the resorts were fully booked.

"There is 100 percent occupancy and we are hopeful that we will break the record of 2004," when 615,000 tourists visited. Most resorts damaged by the 2004 tsunami have been refurbished.

Photo Essay: The TomKat Wedding

Click Here for the Katie Holmes Celebrity Center

Click Here for the Tom Cruise Celebrity Center
A cruise ship employee who entered a cabin and molested a sleeping passenger has been sentenced to 13 months in prison.

Twenty-five-year-old Karan Seechurn was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Newark, New Jersey. He pleaded guilty in April to abusive sexual contact.

Federal prosecutors say Seechurn was responsible for restocking guest room minibars on the five-day cruise from Bayonne, New Jersey, to the Bahamas.

He admitted he was off-duty when he entered the cabin and touched the woman's genitalia Dec. 23. The woman awoke and pushed Seechurn off her.

Prosecutors say he threatened to burn down the ship if the woman reported it.

Seechurn is from the island nation of Mauritius.

He had faced up to three years in prison. He also received a year of supervised release.
Philadelphia police say two would-be robbers became the victims when they were shot in separate incidents.

Police say a 30-year-old man who attempted to rob an auto repair shop was shot three times by the shop's owner. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The man is being treated at a hospital for wounds to his chest, right shoulder and buttocks. His condition wasn't immediately known.

About three hours later, authorities say a pizza deliveryman shot a 19-year-old man who tried to rob him.

WCAU-TV reports that the deliveryman shot the suspect in his lower left and right legs. He's in stable condition at a hospital.

The names of the two men have not been released.
A woman was killed and five others injured Saturday when a large eucalyptus tree fell on a wedding party taking photographs at a Southern California park, officials said.

Up to 20 people were trapped under the tree after it fell at Whittier's Penn Park around 4:30 p.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department told Fox 11.

Video from the scene showed fire crews using chain saws to cut through the downed branches. Witnesses described hearing a loud crack, and seeing people run from the area.

Large Tree Falls on Wedding Party Causing Multiple Injuries in Whittier https://t.co/9Wtuy7GONE #whittierpd pic.twitter.com/KjwsbHs85r  Whittier Police Dept (@whittierpd) December 18, 2016

Four of injured suffered scrapes and bruises, officials said.

The Los Angeles Times reported that a 4-year-old girl was listed in critical condition due to head trauma.

Local officials said the tree could have been weakened by California's ongoing drought, and recent heavy rain could have been contributed to its fall.

An arborist will assess the area on Sunday, officials said.

Click for more from Fox 11.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 3-year-old boy being taken on a shopping trip by his grandmother was killed in a road rage shooting when a driver opened fire on their car Saturday evening because he thought she "wasn't moving fast enough at a stop sign," officials said.

The boy and his grandmother were at the stop sign in southwest Little Rock when a driver apparently angry about the delay stepped out of his car and opened fire, police said. The boy was struck by gunfire at least once, they said.

The grandmother, who wasn't struck, drove away and called police from a shopping center. Authorities arrived at the shopping center and found the boy in the car outside a JCPenney department store. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly after.

Police Lt. Steve McClanahan said investigators believe the boy and his grandmother "were completely innocent" and have no relationship with Saturday's shooter, who was being sought. He said the grandmother simply was "driving the car and was taking her grandson shopping when the incident occurred."

Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner told Fox 16 the shooting is a senseless act of violence.

"I certainly have no information to say that anyone in this family has done anything to cause this young person's life but this is about as frustrating as you can be as a public safety official or just a plain citizen," he told the television station.

Police said they were looking for an older black Chevrolet Impala. Police did not release a detailed description of the man who was driving it.

Last month, a 2-year-old girl was killed when a car drove by and someone fired into her vehicle; the shooter in that case hasn't been captured.

Buckner said the road rage killings were frustrating for the police department and the community, especially because the young victims were "very innocent" and "can do very little to protect themselves."

"We cannot have a community to where the least protected among us, being infants, who are dying these senseless crimes in our city," Buckner said.

He said he didn't know if the children's shootings were related.

Click for more from Fox 16.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities say sheriff's deputies in Tennessee have fatally shot a man after he threatened them with a knife.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation tells media outlets that Shelby County Sheriff's deputies responded to a domestic call at a home in Arlington on Saturday night. The bureau says 48-year-old Jimmy Lee Lawson confronted two deputies with a knife in his driveway. The deputies then shot him.

Bureau spokeswoman Susan Niland says a woman and two other people were inside the home at the time.

Sheriff's spokesman Earle Farrell says both deputies were placed on administrative leave pending the results of the bureau's investigation.

The deputies' names and races weren't immediately released. Lawson was white.
Eccentric real estate heir Robert Durst claims drugs fueled his seeming killed them all confession to the murders of his wife and two others in an HBO documentary.

That was Dursts explanation for his caught-on-tape outburst when a prosecutor quizzed him about it after his 2015 arrest for the murder of confidante Susan Berman, the New York Post reported Saturday.

The paper reports that Durst, now 73, told the prosecutor he was using meth during his interviews with the filmmakers behind HBOs The Jinx. The six-part series ended with a live microphone capturing Durst muttering to himself, There it is. Youre caught! What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course. Durst was arrested on the same day the final installment aired.

I was on meth, I was on meth the whole time. . . It should have been obvious, Durst said to Los Angeles prosecutor John Lewin, the New York Post reports. I think the reason I did it had to be because I was swooped, speeding.

The Post based its report on a transcript of the interrogation that was just made public in a court filing related to the Berman case.

NEW YORK HEIR ROBERT DURST PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO MURDER IN LA COURT

LA prosecutors say Durst killed Berman in 2000 out of fear shed implicate him in the 1982 disappearance of his young wife Kathleen Durst, who is presumed killed, according to the paper.

The Post reported that investigators believe Durst's third murder was that of a Texas neighbor in 2001. A jury cleared Durst after he testified that he killed the man during a struggle over a gun.

Durst was asked why he didn't split after the filmmakers confronted him in 2012 with a letter anonymously sent to police in 2000 tipping them to the location of Susan Berman's body that matched handwriting on a letter he had sent her years before.

"You saw the envelopes. How come you didn't ... leave then?" Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney John Lewin asked. "It's mind-boggling to me."

"I guess inertia," Durst replied. "I just didn't really, really, really think that I was gonna end up arrested."

Durst acknowledged he was in the process of fleeing when he was arrested. He was found in a hotel with a false Texas ID, stacks of $100 bills, bags of marijuana, a .38-caliber revolver, a map folded to show Louisiana and Cuba, and a flesh-toned latex mask with salt-and-pepper hair.

"I was the worst fugitive the world has ever met," he said.

Throughout the interrogation, Lewin complimented Durst, telling him he was brilliant and the most interesting suspect he'd ever investigated. He prodded and coaxed and constantly pushed for a confession.

"I know that when you killed Susan, that was not something you wanted to do," Lewin said.

"Um, I'm gonna stay away from killing Susan," Durst replied.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Police say an Uber driver fatally shot a would-be robber who tried to ambush him near an upscale South Florida mall.

Aventura police spokesman Chris Goranitis told local media that the driver had picked up a passenger about 5:30 a.m. Sunday when a minivan cut him off near the Aventura Mall. Goranitis said a robber emerged and pointed two handguns at the driver.

Goranitis said the Uber driver pulled his own handgun and fired shots that killed the robber. Two others inside the minivan sped away and are being sought.

Goranitis said the Uber driver had a concealed weapons permit. Neither the driver nor his passenger was injured.

Aventura is a coastal suburb between Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
In life, Pall Arason sought attention. In death, he is getting it: The 95-year-old Icelander's pickled penis will be the main attraction in one of his country's most bizarre museums.

Sigurdur Hjartarson, who runs the Phallological Museum in the tiny Icelandic fishing town of Husavik, said Arason's organ will help round out the unusual institution's extensive collection of phalluses from whales, seals, bears and other mammals.

Several people had pledged their penises over the years  including an American, a Briton, and a German  but Arason's was the first to be successfully donated, Hjartarson said.

"I have just been waiting for this guy for 15 years," he told The Associated Press in a brief telephone interview.

Hjartarson's museum started in Reykjavik but has since moved to Husavik, a small community probably better know for its whale watching. The Phallological Museum is an important part of the region's tourist industry, bringing in thousands of visitors every summer.

Highlights of the museum's collection include a 170-centimeter (67-inch) sperm whale penis preserved in formaldehyde, lampshades made from bull testicles and what the museum described as an "unusually big" penis bone from a Canadian walrus.

Hjartarson, 69, said his interest in what he calls "phallology" began when, as a youngster in rural Iceland, he was given a whip made from a bull's penis to help him herd cattle. Later, when he worked at a school near a whaling station, colleagues brought him whale penises as gifts.

"That was how it started. I opened this museum 15 years ago with 62 specimens," he said. Now, with the addition of Arason's organ, he has 276, many suspended in formaldehyde or dried and mounted on the walls.

Photos posted to the museum's website show small army of ghostly, whitish penises stuffed into jars, tall glass cylinders and large aquariums. There are sculptures, molds and other penis-related craft items. Outside, the museum has a large tree trunk carved into the shape of an erect phallus.

Most items are donations from friends and well-wishers, people listed on the museum's website as "honorary members."

Arason was described by Hjartarson as a former tourism worker who died Jan. 5 in the nearby town of Akureyri. Thorvaldur Ingvarsson, the medical director of Akureyri's hospital, didn't give a cause of death but said the specimen was removed from the body under the supervision of a doctor.

The phallus was officially installed in a ceremony last week, Hjartarson said, adding that he saw nothing wrong with the idea of having someone donate their penis to be shown off to the public.

"People are always donating some organ after they died," he said. "It's no more remarkable to donate a penis than it is to donate an organ like a kidney."

Hjartarson said the donation fit with Arason's personality.

"He liked to be in the limelight, you know? He was a funny guy," he said. "He was a boaster, a braggart ... he liked to be provocative."

But the museum director was coy when asked about the size of his newest acquisition.

"I can't tell you that," Hjartarson said. "You will just have to come and see it."

___

Online:

http://www.phallus.is/
It's a gruesome display seen many times over the years in Mogadishu: The bodies of dead soldiers dragged through the streets. Somalis angry over 20 years of violence say they do it in hopes of driving out African Union forces.

The latest incident happened Thursday, when the body of a fighter who appeared to be a member of the AU's peacekeeping mission was pulled through the streets by a rope. The spokesman for the country's most dangerous militant group, al-Shabab, also displayed a body alongside documents that identified the man as a Ugandan soldier.

"Today we are celebrating the death and blood of your sons," Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said at a news conference Thursday.

The most infamous occurrence happened in 1993, when fighters dragged a U.S. soldier through the streets after a disastrous U.S. military assault into the Somali capital described in the book and movie "Black Hawk Down." The deaths and grisly scene were widely used by media outlets who had to weigh the images' news value against their violent nature. The incident hastened the U.S. withdrawal from the East African nation.

In 2007, Somalis dragged the bodies of Ethiopian soldiers through the streets. Ethiopia withdrew after two years of war.

The spokesman for the AU mission, which has 9,000 troops in Somalia, said militants or residents dragging bodies through the street wouldn't result in a withdrawal.

"We condemn the act of the insurgents in the strongest terms possible because its inhuman and un-African," said Paddy Ankunda, whose force has lost hundreds of soldiers since its deployment four years ago.

Some Mogadishu residents angry at the AU for past shellings into residential neighborhoods say they vent their frustrations by dragging bodies.

"The people drag the corpses to force these so-called peacekeepers to leave the country," said Abdisalam Abdullahi, a 19-year-old high school student in Mogadishu. He said several of his friends have been killed by shelling from AU forces.

Another resident, Ahmed Hassan Nur, 21, said he has dragged six foreign bodies since 2007, including Ethiopians, Ugandans and Burundians.

"The Africans killed my brother with their ruthless shelling," said Nur, referring to the AU forces.

Asked if he felt any shame after dragging bodies, he said: "No. Absolutely not. I'm happy with what I did."

Ali Muse, the head of Mogadishu's ambulance service, said he condemns the dragging of bodies.

"But I understand why the people decided to drag the corpses of AU peacekeepers," he said.

Muse has said that African Union troops bear a large portion of responsibility for civilians killed in fighting. The AU says it tries to minimize such deaths.

In February, Islamist insurgents brought the bodies of nine AU peacekeepers to an area that has now become the preferred site for displaying bodies, Bar Ubah, which lies near the city's busy Bakara market.

Islamists then tied ropes to the legs of the corpses and asked a mob to drag them, but with one caveat.

"Don't touch them because you don't know if they have diseases," said Abdihakim Yahye, who participated in that day's dragging, quoting the militants.

Yahye said that as the mob moved through the city, its numbers grew as idle residents joined in.

"They were falling over themselves to drag the corpses. You can't imagine how happy the people were. You would think it was a holiday," said Yahye. "My mind told me to drag them and humiliate them. I was happy to do that. I dragged them because I harbor strong animosity and grudge against them."
Three high-ranking police officials in the Dominican Republic have been accused of providing security to drug traffickers, marking the latest public corruption case to hit the Caribbean nation as it tries to clean up its military and police.

The officials worked for the National Drug Control Agency and were arrested alongside four men allegedly waiting for a drug shipment bound for Puerto Rico, agency chief Rolando Rosado said Thursday.

The officials have been suspended from their jobs as have others who have been charged in drug-fueled corruption cases that have resulted in dozens of arrests and dismissals in recent years.

"It's a serious situation," said Tulio Castanos, vice president of the Institutional Justice Foundation, a non-governmental group that is helping the government design and implement police department reforms. "The people have lost faith in the police."

The Dominican Republic has a national police force of 32,000 officers and a military with 65,000 members, for a country of about 9 million people.

Since 2009, more than 700 agents with the National Drug Control Agency, a combination of police officers and military personnel on loan, have been removed for a variety of crimes, according to government statistics. Of those, 200 were suspected of involvement in drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, the national police force has expelled about 1,400 officers since 2010 for a variety of alleged crimes, including ties to drug trafficking, spokesman Maximo Baez said.

Members of the police and all branches of the military have become ensnared in drug investigations, including a recent one involving a navy officer in charge of port security accused of attempting to smuggle more than 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds) of cocaine to Spain on board a cargo vessel.

In another case, nearly 20 officials, the majority with the navy, were accused in 2008 of killing seven Colombian drug traffickers to steal 1.3 tons (1.18 metric tons) of cocaine. Five of those officials were sentenced to 30 years in prison, while three others received 20-year sentences.

So far this year, authorities have confiscated more than 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) of cocaine. They seized nearly 7 tons (6 metric tons) during all of 2011.

"The biggest concern is that in almost every seizure, officials were implicated," according to a report by Citizen Involvement, a non-governmental organization that tracks corruption allegations in the Dominican Republic.

The government is now requiring members of the police and armed forces to pass polygraph and background tests. In addition, internal affairs units are regularly investigating corruption allegations and handing out punishments, which has been increasing along with the country's role as a stepping stone for cocaine and other drugs bound for the U.S. and Europe.

The government's attempt to address the situation comes amid growing concerns among Dominicans about the way drug trafficking has seemed to take a central role in the country.

But there is also pressure from the U.S., which was critical of Dominican anti-drug efforts in its annual 2012 trafficking report.

In a 2009 diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks and other organizations, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic noted the country had an "embarrassing" drug seizure rate and cited a lack of resources for law enforcement and infiltration of the armed forces by criminal organizations.

Former President Leonel Fernandez and others also have cited low salaries, typically around $155 a month for police officers, as a long-standing problem that may be a factor in some corruption cases.

Complaints that police and military officials demand payment from drug traffickers to operate in certain neighborhoods are common, said Manuel Maria Mercedes, president of the National Commission of Human Rights.

Payments can range from $125 a week in poor communities to more than $1,000 a week for drug-distribution points in popular tourist regions, and shootouts ensue if they fail to pay, he said.

"Hundreds of citizens have lost their lives this way," he said.
A teenaged girl received 60 lashes in Timbuktu after Islamist extremists convicted her of speaking to men on the street.

The girl, about 15 years old, was allegedly caught standing alongside men by the Islamists of Ansar Dine who now run Timbuktu.

"The Islamists charged that the girl was warned five times by Islamist police but she continued to speak to men in the street. After the hearing, the Islamists gave 60 lashes to the girl. The population did not turn out in large numbers to attend this flogging," said Ousmane Maiga, a Timbuktu resident contacted by phone from Bamako.

The public whipping took place at around 11 a.m. local time in front of the new headquarters of the Islamic police in downtown Timbuktu, next to Independence Square.
The Gulf state of Kuwait has discovered a new oil and gas field in Kabed area close to the well-known Manageesh oilfield, Hashem Sayed Hashem, CEO of state-owned Kuwait Oil Co said on Monday.

Hashem gave no estimates of the reserves in the field located in western Kuwait but told the official KUNA news agency that more details would be released at a later date.

OPEC member Kuwait is pumping around 3.0 million barrels per day of oil and says it has about 100 billion barrels of crude reserves although the figure had been questioned in the past.

The emirate has earmarked around $100 billion to be invested over the next five years on several oil projects like building a large refinery and upgrading two existing ones.

The investment is part of a long-term plan aimed at boosting oil production capacity to 4.0 million bpd by 2020.
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Euphoria gripped Portugal during the 1974 Carnation Revolution, when junior army officers swept away a four-decade dictatorship. The almost bloodless coup brought what for the Portuguese were novelties  the right to vote, universal health care, public education, old-age pensions and labor rights.

On the coup's 40th anniversary Friday, the prevailing mood among the Portuguese is anger at how their government is now stripping away those cherished entitlements amid a financial crisis.

"Many people are feeling very cheated," said Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, a former army captain who masterminded the pre-dawn military takeover. "What we're living through now, it's like it's signing the death warrant of the hopes and values of (the revolution)."

April 25, an annual public holiday, has this year provided a lightning rod for those keen to voice their discontent at austerity measures. It's a sentiment also encountered in other European Union countries feeling the pain of public spending cuts aimed at defusing a recent debt crisis.

Portugal, like Greece and Ireland, had to ask for an international bailout in 2011, needing 78 billion euros ($107.8 billion) to avoid bankruptcy. It became a ward of foreign creditors, who have compelled the country of 10.5 million people to slash social programs and job protection laws established in the revolution's aftermath.

The Carnation Revolution, which saw a million people fill the streets in a mass celebration, is regarded as one of the glorious moments of Portugal's 20th-century history. It is named for the red flowers  in season and plentiful at the time  which people stuck in the barrels of soldiers' rifles on that landmark day. Within a year, elections were held.

For most Portuguese under 50 years old, the revolution is a milestone they learned about at school. But with youth unemployment at 35 percent, the anniversary has struck a chord with many young people. Nationwide commemorations include dozens of protest events organized on social media.

Miguel Januario, a 33-year-old street artist painting a commemorative mural on a wall of Lisbon's New University, said he held dear the changes brought by an event he didn't live through, "but since then we've allowed new forms of dictatorship  in this case financial  to take over."

Portuguese of all ages have plenty to complain about after three straight years of recession.

Budget cuts have, for example, forced the closure of local health centers and reduced subsidies for prescription drugs. High schools have seen staff levels fall and the purchase of new equipment postponed. New laws have made it easier and cheaper to hire and fire workers.

The government has cut the salaries of government workers, lowered old-age pensions, and introduced what the finance minister conceded was a "brutal" increase in income tax. Meanwhile, unemployment reached a record 17.7 percent last year, though it has now slipped back to 15.3 percent.

The scrapping of rent controls  another bailout demand  has left many in danger of losing their homes.

Conceicao Pequito, a sociology researcher at the University Institute of Lisbon and co-author of a study examining public attitudes amid the crisis, says people feel their rights have been "confiscated."

"There's a lot of pessimism about what living in a democracy means these days," she said.

Just as in the revolution, when only four people were killed, there has been little violence despite the upheaval.

A small  and muted  number express nostalgia for Antonio Salazar's long dictatorship. They note that he kept the country's public finances in order and wasn't guilty of the kind of brutality witnessed under Gen. Francisco Franco during his almost simultaneous dictatorship in neighboring Spain.

But even those people don't want a return of Salazar's secret police, political prisons and censorship.
A boy kidnapped during the murder of an American missionary in Haiti last month was found "alive and well," and two suspects are in custody, a U.S.-based church said Tuesday.

Roberta Edwards -- a Tennessee missionary who devoted her life to helping the poor of Haiti -- was killed Oct. 10 when two men cut off her car on a dirt road and shot her near the foster home and food pantry she had run on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince since 2002.

Two teenage orphans in Edwards' car managed to escape after the 55-year-old woman told them to run for their lives, according to officials at the Estes Church of Christ, in Henderson, Tenn., which sponsored her efforts. But Edwards' 4-year-old foster son, Jonathan "JoJo" Paul, was snatched when the men opened fire on Edwards during the nighttime attack.

"She was one of the most impressive people that anyone could ever want to know."  Trent Scott, spokesman for the Estes Church of Christ

A church spokesman told FoxNews.com Tuesday the boy was found last week and two suspects were detained in connection with the murder of Edwards, whom he described as "unbelievably dedicated to the people of Haiti."

"Haitian police informed us on Friday that JoJo has been found and that some people have been arrested or taken into custody," said church spokesman Trent Scott.

"We have been very impressed with the investigation and the professionalism of the law enforcement team in Haiti. They worked extremely hard on this case," Scott said, noting that a motive is still being probed. "It's been a hard several weeks for our church and the work in Haiti, but the information we got Friday was good news in the midst of a tragedy and we are very encouraged by that."

Jonathan "JoJo" Paul had been raised by Edwards at her Sonlight Children's Home from the time he was a severely malnourished 9-month-old. Edwards' older adult son, who is a co-director at the home, is currently caring for the boy, according to Scott.

Edwards had lived in Haiti since the 1990s, first going there with her husband, whom she later divorced. She was named "Woman of Hope" for 2011 at Healing Hands International's annual Women of Hope conference in Nashville, Tenn., which was attended by nearly 400 women, representing 75 churches in 17 U.S. states.

On a recent trip home, Edwards told friends at the church she feared for her safety in the country, according to church member Harold Pirtle.

"You can imagine being here and doing this work -- she'd been doing it for 20 years. And so she had considered leaving the work, but then she said: 'I can't leave the kids,'" Pirtle told The Associated Press.

The murder of Edwards stunned residents in the Haitian community where she lived and worked. Hundreds of people, some weeping, gathered outside the gates of the children's home and abutting nutrition center the morning after Edwards' killing. Edwards cared for about 20 children and ran a nutrition center that feeds around 160 children daily, according to church officials.

At home in Tennessee, church members mourned an "ordinary woman who did extraordinary things."

"She had sincere love for the people of Haiti," Scott told FoxNews.com. "She tried to serve people who needed help the most."

"She was one of the most impressive people that anyone could ever want to know," he said.

FoxNews.com's Cristina Corbin contributed to this report.
One Peruvian woman was among the people killed Tuesday during the early morning terrorist attacks in Brussels, family members have confirmed. Two Colombians were injured, one seriously.

Bombs exploded Tuesday at the Brussels airport and on the city's subway, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 180. Many of the people at the airport were foreign nationals, and countries around the world are trying to locate citizens among the casualties of the attacks.

The Venezuelan attorney, Ingrid Trujillo, who lives in Chicago, described a chaotic scene at the airport.

"The first explosion blew out the windows," she told the South Florida radio station, Actualidad 1020 AM.

Trujillo had just checked in for a flight to Barcelona with her aunt and uncle, she said. "We trying to find a way out when I saw the second explosion, 10 or 15 paces away from me. That one struck with more force, as the ceiling began to fall in, and people were falling to the ground."

At least one of the explosions was caused by a suicide bomber.

The death of a Peruvian woman, Adelma Tapia, was confirmed to Peruvian media by her brother Fernando Tapia. He said his sister, 37, was at the Brussels airport waiting for a flight to New York City when she was hit by one of two blasts. Her Belgium husband and her 3-year-old twin daughters were with her and had minor injuries, the brother told the cable news station, Canal N.

"The girls apparently were running around the hallway, my sister stayed in one of the gates at the Brussels Airport where the suicide bombing occurred," he said.

In Colombia, President Juan Manuel Santos said in a statement via Twitter that two Colombians are among the dozens of people injured in the attack, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility.

El Tiempo newspaper identified the Colombians as 42-year-old Felipe Duque and 53-year-old Mauricio Villegas Martinez, who had visited the Belgian capital and were headed back home.

Meanwhile, Eloy Cantu, Mexico's ambassador to Belgium, told reporters there are three Mexicans believed to have been at the airport who have not been located hours after the attack.

About an hour after the airport blasts, another bomb exploded on a rush-hour subway train near the European Union headquarters. Terrified passengers had to flee through darkened tunnels to safety.

"What we feared has happened," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said. "In this time of tragedy, this black moment for our country, I appeal to everyone to remain calm but also to show solidarity."

Belgium raised its terror alert to the highest level, diverting planes and trains and ordering people to stay where they were for most of the workday. Airports across Europe  and in the New York area  tightened security.

"We are at war," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said after a crisis meeting in Paris. "We have been subjected for the last few months in Europe to acts of war."

Added French President Francois Hollande: "Terrorists struck Brussels, but it was Europe that was targeted, and it is all the world which is concerned by this."

European security officials have been bracing for a major attack for weeks and warned that the Islamic State group was actively preparing to strike. The arrest Friday of Salah Abdeslam, a key suspect in the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, heightened those fears, as investigators said many more people were involved than originally thought and that some are still on the loose.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the Brussels attacks, saying in a post on the group's Amaq news agency that its extremists opened fire in the airport and "several of them" detonated suicide belts. It said another suicide attacker struck in the subway. The post claimed the attack was in response to Belgium's support of the international coalition arrayed against the group.

Authorities found and neutralized a third bomb at the airport once the chaos after the two initial blasts had eased, said Florence Muls, a spokeswoman for the airport told The Associated Press. Bomb squads also detonated suspicious objects found in at least two locations elsewhere in the capital, but neither contained explosives, authorities said.

The AP contributed to this report.

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In almost any other country, going food shopping is an afterthought. You head to the market, buy food then head home.

But in Venezuela, where the economy is on the brink of collapse, food shopping has become an adventure.

Theres an hours-long wait to enter the supermarkets. Shelves are empty. Meat and chicken, and even diapers, are nowhere to be found. People are so desperate for food that fights break out in the aisles.

On May 31st, a line formed early in a supermarket in El Cafetal, located in eastern Caracas. It lasted until the store closed at 7 p.m. because they received wheat for the arepas, a product tough to find these days.

The line started outside of the malls parking lot, where the supermarket is located. People looking for wheat entered through a back door and continued to an aisle closed to the rest of the public.

In footage obtained by Fox News Latino, a young child is heard screaming and crying when a fight broke out. The child's mother was accused of being a bachaquera, what the government calls those who buy regulated goods to later resell on the black market.

The woman's young son screams "no!!!" and "mi mama (my mother)" when people threatened to report her to police.

Situations like this one are no longer unusual in Venezuela. There were more than 70 cases of looting or looting attempts in May, most of them in supermarkets, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict.

Sometimes looting begins when stores dont sell products fast enough or run out of supplies.

According to local polling firm Datanalisis, scarcity in Caracas supermarkets reached 82 percent this year, meaning that people only find two out of every 10 items on their list.

Its been two years since the last time that we had enough food to fill up every shelf, Jorge Luis Lastra, head of the workers union of Bicentenario Supermarket, the state-run grocery store chain that began operating in 2010.

Bicentenario is a clear example of how the economic crisis has hit Venezuela. The chain used to operate 32 stores around the country, but now 10 of those supermarkets are closed, some in the countrys biggest cities, including Caracas, Maracaibo and Valencia.

In the coming months there could be more closures, Lastra told Fox News Latino. We were 8,500 workers and now we are down to 3,500.

If you go to the meat or butcher section of any Bicentenario, you will find refreshment drinks or other products, but not meat or chicken. In the dairy department, there is just yogurt, if you are lucky.

In Bicentenario and other stores, employees apply a trick to deceive the public. To fill shelves they use any given product. Thats why it is possible to find an entire aisle full of vinegar, for instance.

In other places, like Farmatodo, a pharmacy and a convenient store, they eliminated more than three aisles to reduce the number of shelves to fill.

We havent sold meat or chicken in more than a year. In fact, most of our stores dont sell any kind of food with regulated prices (like milk, wheat, sugar), Lastra told FNL.

This is why most Bicentenario stores dont have the long lines the private supermarkets do.

In an effort to make the process more efficient, the government recently announced a new social program to sell bags of food directly to communities without making residents go to grocery stores.

But experts dont think that strategy will work.

Venezuelas crisis is not about the distribution of food. The problem is that we are not producing, Tomas Socias, an economist and a local expert on food production, told FNL.

In a recent survey, the Industrial Chamber of Venezuela, or Conindustria, revealed that 70 percent of its members said their production has dropped significantly since last year.

Since 1996, three years before Chavismo took power in 1999, 8,000 companies have shuttered, according to Conindustria. Thats a two-third decrease since 1993.

To make things worse, the government recently announced it will cut imports by 46 percent because of the shortage of dollars the country is facing.

Socias thinks that things could become worse in the upcoming months. If thats true, buying food might become even a bigger adventure.
Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro made room in his high-pressure agenda to receive Irans foreign minister over the weekend, and he made sure the meeting was broadcast on national TV.

Maduro gave Mohammad Javad Zarif a warm welcome in the Presidential Palace of Miraflores. They shook hands as they announced an alliance to stabilize oil prices.

We continue to build common ground and a new consensus on stabilizing oil markets, strengthening industries, strengthening OPEC, to strengthen the closeness and alliance with the production countries of OPEC, said Maduro as he greeted Zarif, the highest-ranking Iranian official that has visited Venezuela since 2013.

Political analysts here say the encounter was a political show aimed in part at irritating the United States, repeatedly pointed at by the socialist government as conspirator to overturn the regime. A partnership between the two countries is sure to infuriate Washington because it shows Irans influence in Latin America, the U.S. neighbor, is growing.

"I've visited Iran more than 20 times, I deeply know the good nature, the good, deep spirit of the Iranian people and I love it. I love Iran as much as I love our Commander Chavez, Maduro said during the visit. He then announced the appointment of a new ambassador to the Islamic nation, Gen. Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez, and proclaimed the start of a new stage in the countries relationship.

We are going to create a new dynamism in Venezuela-Iran relations," he said, announcing the creation of a special commission to follow up on their bilateral deals.

Critics say the alliance should be seen as troubling.

Miami Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said Iran was using its growing clout in Latin America to expand Irans radical extremist network.

The timing of Zarifs trip is significant as Iran could use many of these rogue regimes to circumvent remaining sanctions, undermine U.S. interests, and expand the drug trafficking network that helps finance its illicit activities, Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. The threat to U.S. national security interests and our allies should be setting off alarm bells.

Experts say Maduro, a socialist leader whose government is on the brink of collapse, seems to be looking at Iran to help solve its social ills. But they doubt that strengthening relations with Iran will help to solve the countrys acute economic and social problems, rooted in the dramatic drop of oil prices since 2014.

In fact, many note that both countries privately disagree on the fundamentals of the oil crisis.

While Irans policy is to increase its production to get more money, Venezuela is asking to reduce global production to push for a price increase, said Gustavo Salcedo, an expert in U.S.-Venezuela relations, to Fox News Latino.

Still, Salcedo noted that Washington probably wont see the rapprochement with good eyes. It adds to Venezuelas political internal situation, which right now is the main focus for the White House and Department State regarding the country, Salcedo said.

Others downplayed the visit.

The political air has changed in Latin America and the Bolivarian influence is fading quickly. Countries like Argentina, Brasil and Paraguay are no longer part of that alliance, said Milos Alcalay, former Venezuelan ambassador to the UN, to FNL.

The diplomat said Maduros statements on Saturday are more part of a political show than a real game changer for Venezuela.

All the companies built between Venezuela and Iran in the past have been a complete failure and that will not change in the future. Now both countries are facing crises of their own and Teheran doesnt really have resources to help Venezuelas economy, the former ambassador told FNL.

Zarifs visit to the region, a tour that also took him to Cuba, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia, seems to indicate a rekindling of Irans interest in the region.

However, some remain skeptic of the true value of the visit, which included a delegation of 80 businessmen.

Maduro made a big deal out of the visit because its useful for him to tell the world that his government is not politically isolated and it helps his anti-U.S. image, Alcalay said. Other world leaders are skipping Venezuela when they visit Latin America, so he used the opportunity.
Spain is about to pass 300 days without a government. But guess what? Few Spaniards seem bothered by that as the country's economy roars ahead.

Spanish cities are boasting of packed cafes and restaurants, thriving fashion shops and art galleries, plenty of tourists. The overall impression is of a bustling, vibrant country.

So who needs a government?

"I'm not especially worried about it," said retiree Goyito de Camacho. "I see it on the TV and in the papers but (politicians) are all the same. They're all scum who don't care about the people."

Two inconclusive elections on Dec. 20 and June 26 have left the conservative Popular Party running a caretaker government for the past nine months  Saturday will be its 300th day. The party won both elections but lacked a majority and now has until Oct. 31 to muster support to form a minority government or Spain will face a third election.

There's no sense of panic, however. A CIS survey this month showed Spaniards' chief worry  by far  is the country's 20 percent unemployment rate. After that, those questioned expressed concern about corruption and disappointment with politicians and political parties. The absence of a government came in fifth.

"Politics in Spain is chaotic, the parties are only interested in themselves" said 52-year-old computer technician Jose Luis Alfonso. "They say it's not affecting the economy, although I imagine it is. Maybe we'd be better off without a government."

But economics professor Jose Ramon Pin of the IESE Business School and other experts warn that the impression that Spain is doing just as well without a government is deceptive.

"It's true that a country can maintain itself without a government. The problem is if it goes on for too long," said Pin.

Spain's case is by no means unique. Belgium set a European record with a massive 541 days needed to form a government following a 2010 election.

As it stands, Rajoy has the support of 170 lawmakers in the 350-seat national parliament  137 of them from his own party  but he needs other parties' votes, or abstentions, in a confidence vote if he wants to form a minority government.

But Spain has never had a coalition government and its political parties seem incapable of making deals. Speculation, however, is rife that the leading opposition Socialist party, whose leader has quit amid the stalemate, may abstain if a vote is held this month.

Meanwhile, Spain is one of the European Union's fastest-growing economies. The International Monetary Fund says Spain will grow 3.1 percent this year, just as strongly as when it had a fully functioning government last year.

There are clouds on the horizon, however.

Spain's central bank is warning that the political deadlock could have negative economic effects as key reforms to ensure long-term growth aren't being introduced.

Pin, the economics professor, notes that a key reason for continuing growth is that Spain's 2016 budget was passed before the political paralysis set in.

"The problem will be in 2017, because there's no budget yet and public investments, fiscal policy or money distribution won't be known till then," he said. "This produces uncertainty."

He said "the main issue is investor confidence, national and foreign," predicting that, once a new government is formed, there should be a surge in investment.

Another potential problem is the EU's threat to impose sanctions on Spain if it doesn't curb its bloated budget deficit.

Spain's central bank says the deficit for this year and next will be 4.9 percent and 3.6 percent of annual GDP, respectively  well above the 3 percent level permitted by the EU. Any sanctions could eat into economic growth and investor confidence.

Pablo Simon, a political science professor at Madrid's Carlos III University, believes Spain is in an economic bubble and has failed to make the necessary reforms to consolidate growth.

"There been absolutely no legislation passed," he said. "We have lost precious time and we don't realize it because it looks like the economy is going well. But we are going to notice it in one or two years."

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Chechnya's regional leader says police in the Russian province have killed four suspected militants.

Ramzan Kadyrov said Sunday on Instagram that a group of gunmen attempted to launch attacks on police in the provincial capital, Grozny. During the overnight clash, they fired at police who tried to stop their vehicle. Police killed four gunmen and captured two others, who have been taken to a hospital.

Kadyrov hailed police for acting quickly to stop the gunmen.

The Kremlin has relied on Kadyrov to stabilize Chechnya after two separatist wars. The Chechen leader has used generous federal subsidies to rule the region like a personal fiefdom. International rights groups have accused his feared police force of abductions, torture and extrajudicial killings.
Gunmen killed seven Jordanian police officers, two Jordanian civilians and a female Canadian tourist in a series of ambushes, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, officials said Sunday.

At least 34 people, including two foreign nationals, were wounded in the day's violence, which was one of the bloodiest attacks in Jordan in recent memory.



Security officials said in a statement late Sunday that at least four gunmen were killed and that troops continued to search the area. The statement said large amounts of weapons had been seized. It made no reference to local media reports that at one point, the attackers had held hostages.



The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged this pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.



The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq two years ago.



Another Canadian was injured in the shooting, Canada's Global Affairs spokesman John Babcock said.



"Canadian officials in Amman are actively working with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to Canadians at this difficult time," he said.



The Canadian Embassy in Amman issued an alert warning urging Canadians to avoid travel to Karak, a town in central Jordan about 87 miles south of the capital.



There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near Karak.



The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, said a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate. Officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.



In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.



Armed men also opened fire on a police station at Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of security forces. The statement said five or six gunmen were believed to be holed up inside the castle.



In all, seven members of the security forces, two local civilians and the tourist from Canada were killed, security officials said. Fifteen members of the security forces, 17 local civilians and two foreign nationals were injured.



Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other ISIS militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key U.S. ally, and a member of a U.S.-led military coalition fighting ISIS.



Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers.Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three U.S. military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Saddam Hussein was an inept dictator during his final years in charge, thought 9/11 would bring Iraq and America closer together and took partial blame for his eventual fall from power after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, according to a new book by one of the men who interrogated the ex-Iraqi president.

The revelations are contained in the upcoming John Nixon book Debriefing the President: The Interrogation of Saddam Hussein. Nixon was a CIA analyst in Iraq who had been assigned the task of finding Hussein, and then getting information out of him. But he quickly found that Saddam seemed clueless.

He was inattentive to what his government was doing, had no real plan for the defense of Iraq and could not comprehend the immensity of the approaching storm, Nixon wrote in the book excerpt published by The Daily Mail.

SADDAM WHINED ABOUT SCRAPES AND BRUISES, BOOK SAYS

Hussein, who was hanged and killed in 2006 for crimes against humanity, was frequently defiant while being interviewed and even mocked the U.S. rationale for the war: that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

You found a traitor who led you to Saddam Hussein. Isnt there one traitor who can tell you where the WMDs are? Hussein said shortly after he was found hiding, dirty and grizzled, inside an underground spider hole on Dec. 13, 2003.

The sadistic despot said Iraq had never thought about using WMDs and questioned why anyone with full faculties would deploy chemical weapons unprovoked.

Iraq is not a terrorist nation, Hussein told Nixon during one session. "We did not have a relationship with [Usama] bin Laden, and did not have weapons of mass destruction... and were not a threat to our neighbors. But the American president [George W. Bush] said Iraq wanted to attack his daddy and said we had weapons of mass destruction.

Asked about the 1988 Halabja massacre, in which thousands of mostly Kurdish civilians were killed by Iraqi chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war, Hussein grew angry.

Then he turned to me and sneered: But I did not make that decision, Nixon wrote.

The carnage in Halabja allegedly infuriated Hussein, not because of the thousands killed, but instead, because it provided Iran with a propaganda coup.

Hussein could also be candid, Nixon wrote, and did not absolve himself of all responsibility for his downfall.

The spirit of listening and understanding was not there  I dont exclude myself from this blame, Hussein said of his frequently antagonistic relationship with the international community.

As Nixon questioned Hussein, he said it became clear the CIA profile of the Iraqi leader had been wrong on many fronts.

I asked about the CIAs belief that Saddam suffered great pain from a bad back and had given up red meat and cigars, Nixon wrote. He said he didnt know where I was getting my intelligence, but it was wrong. He told me he smoked four cigars every day and loved red meat. He was also surprisingly fit.

A little more than four months after 9/11, President Bush named Iraq as a member of the Axis of Evil during his State of the Union address. Hussein, however, had initially assumed the Al Qaeda-directed terror attacks would bring the U.S. and Iraq closer together. Hussein had believed his secular government would be seen by America as an ally in the war on fundamentalist terror.

Instead, fewer than two years after the attacks, the U.S.-led coalition deposed Hussein.
Germany's Foreign Office has expressed irritation over a ban on Christmas celebrations and songs at a German high school in Turkey.

The German news agency dpa reported that the Foreign Office said Sunday it "didn't understand the surprising decision by the school's administration."

Dpa reported that the Turkish administrators of the Istanbul Lisesi, a German high school that was established more than 100 years ago, announced that Christmas traditions and the singing of carols would no longer be part of the curriculum.

The Foreign Office called the decision "regrettable" and said it would seek dialogue with its Turkish partners over the incident.

Some 35 German teachers work at the Istanbul school, which is subsidized with millions of euros (dollars) from Germany. The majority of the students are Turkish.
Russia threatened Sunday to veto a U.N. resolution demanding immediate access to areas of Aleppo besieged by the Syrian government, while a shaky deal to evacuate thousands of trapped civilians was thrown into doubt again after militants burned buses involved in the rescue operation.

The Aleppo evacuations were to have been part of a wider deal that would simultaneously allow more than 2,000 sick and wounded people to leave two pro-government villages that have been besieged by Syrian rebels. Most villagers are Shiite Muslims, while most rebels are Sunni Muslims.

Six buses that were among those poised to enter the villages of Foua and Kfarya on Sunday were set on fire by unidentified militants, presumably to scuttle any deal.

A video posted online showed armed men near the burning buses as celebratory gunshots rang out. "The buses that came to evacuate the apostates have been burned," the narrator of the video said. He warned that no "Shiite pigs" would be allowed to leave the towns.

The video could not be verified independently, but was in line with AP reporting from the area.

Earlier Sunday, pro-Syrian government TV stations showed dozens of buses on stand-by at a crossing near east Aleppo, reportedly poised to resume evacuations from the opposition's last foothold in the city.

The evacuations had been suspended two days earlier amid mutual recriminations after several thousand people had been ferried out of the war zone. Thousands more desperate civilians are believed trapped in the city.

About 2,700 children were evacuated in the first rescue mission earlier this week, but hundreds more "are now waiting in freezing temperatures, close to the front lines," said Shusan Mebrahtu of the U.N. agency for children, UNICEF. "We are deeply worried."

Wissam Zarqa, an English teacher and Aleppo resident, said he went to an evacuation point in east Aleppo on Sunday afternoon and found buses with evacuees on board, but that the vehicles did not move. The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said the buses hadn't left the city.

Several buses with Aleppo evacuees were stuck for hours in a buffer zone between the front lines in the city, according to aid officials familiar with the negotiations between the two sides.

Rami Zien, who was on board one of the buses, said passengers had been stuck in the buffer zone since 1:30 p.m. "Government forces are just ahead of me," he wrote in a text message. "If anything goes wrong, I will be the first to die."

On Friday, a bus convoy carrying evacuees was stuck in government territory in Aleppo and was turned back after being searched.

The continued suspension of evacuations is throwing into disarray an Aleppo deal that had been brokered last week by Syria ally Russia and opposition supporter Turkey.

The deal marked a turning point in the country's civil war. With the opposition leaving Aleppo, Syrian President Bashar Assad has effectively reasserted his control over Syria's five largest cities and its Mediterranean coast nearly six years after a national movement to unseat him took hold.

At the United Nations, the Security Council held closed-door consultations Sunday on a French-drafted resolution that demands safe evacuations, immediate and unconditional U.N. access to deliver humanitarian aid and protection of medical facilities and personnel.

France's U.N. ambassador, Francois Delattre, said the goal of the resolution is to avoid "mass atrocities" by Syrian forces, and especially militias, in eastern Aleppo, which is now defenseless following the defeat of rebel forces.

Delattre said that "our goal is to avoid another or a new Srebrenica," a reference to the massacre of nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslims who sought protection in the U.N. safe haven of Srebrenica in 1995 during the Bosnian war.

Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said he would veto the resolution unless it was changed, arguing that allowing monitors to wander in the ruins of eastern Aleppo without proper preparation "has disaster written all over it."

Russia proposed a rival resolution that would require Syrian government approval before the United Nations could deploy any monitors to eastern Aleppo to check on civilians.

Delattre said France would seek an emergency special session of the U.N. General Assembly if Russia vetoes the French draft.
South Sudan rebel leader Riek Machar says he cannot leave his home in South Africa without first informing South African authorities.

Machar told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he can move freely, but "I am to inform them I want to go somewhere and they take me there."

He says this is for his protection. When asked if he is under house arrest, he referred the question to South African authorities, saying: "I am their guest, so you ask them."

South Africa's foreign affairs ministry has said it was "taking care" of Machar and expressed concern about reports claiming house arrest.

Machar resumed his vice president role under his rival, President Salva Kiir, this year but fled the country in July after fighting erupted in the capital.
Several thousand workers have taken to the streets of Madrid to protest the Spanish government's labor policies of recent years as the country emerges from a long economic downturn.

Spain's two main labor unions, UGT and CCOO, organized the march in the capital Sunday under the theme "People and their rights first." The march follows more than 60 smaller protests held by unions in recent days across the country.

Unions claim that the cuts to public spending and labor reforms carried out by Spain's conservative government to deal with the country's five-year economic crisis hurt workers' rights and their purchasing power.

"We won't allow the government to maintain the cuts of recent years." said UGT leader Jose Maria Alvarez.

The march was backed by leaders of Spain's Socialists and far-left Podemos (We Can) parties.
Dozens of buses and ambulances were poised to enter east Aleppo to resume evacuating rebel fighters and civilians from the opposition's remaining districts in the city, pro-Syrian government media said Sunday.

As part of a wider deal, convoys were also preparing to evacuate more than 2,000 wounded and sick residents from two villages that have been besieged by rebels, the reports said. The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said buses had begun entering the villages, Foua and Kfarya.

Evacuations from Aleppo had been halted amid mutual recriminations Friday, after several thousand trapped civilians had already been moved from the city. The suspension of the evacuations had thrown an Aleppo deal brokered by Russia and Turkey last week into disarray.

The deal marked a turning point in the country's war. With the opposition leaving Aleppo, Syrian President Bashar Assad has effectively reasserted his control over the Syria's five largest cities and its Mediterranean coast nearly six years after a national movement to unseat him took hold.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has overseen the Aleppo evacuations, had no comment Sunday on the possible resumption of evacuations. The agency has said thousands of people, among them women, children, the sick and the injured, remained trapped in besieged areas of the city, waiting in freezing temperatures for the evacuations to resume.

English teacher Wissam Zarqa, an Aleppo resident waiting to leave, said Sunday that families have been assigned bus numbers, in an apparent sign that evacuations would resume.

Syria's pro-government Al-Ikhbariya TV and Al-Manar TV, the media arm of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group that supports the Syria government, on Sunday showed buses lined up at an access road leading into Aleppo. Al-Manar said 75 buses were to enter east Aleppo, and that convoys were also preparing to evacuate sick and wounded from the two rebel-besieged villages.

Also Sunday, the U.N. Security Council was expected to vote on a resolution demanding immediate and unconditional access for the United Nations and its partners to besieged parts of Aleppo and throughout Syria to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The council scheduled consultations Sunday morning on the French-drafted resolution followed by an open meeting where members are expected to vote.

The draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, calls on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately redeploy U.N. humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out "neutral monitoring" and "direct observation and to report on evacuations."

It stressed that evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to the destinations of their choice.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Friday he would examine the draft, but was skeptical that monitors could be deployed quickly
The United Nations diplomats told Fox News that the U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on a French-drafted resolution on Sunday.

The council scheduled consultations on Sunday morning on the resolution followed by an open meeting where members are expected to vote.

The draft resolution would authorize immediate and unconditional access for the U.N. and its partners to besieged parts of Aleppo and throughout Syria to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The draft resolution calls on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately redeploy U.N. staff already on the ground to carry out "neutral monitoring" to ensure the "protection of civilians inside Aleppo. The resolution also calls on the staff for "direct observation and to report on evacuations."

It stresses that evacuations of civilians "must be voluntary and to destinations of their choice."

The U.S. and other western allies on the council support the French initiative.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Friday he would examine the draft but was skeptical that monitors could be deployed quickly.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The British government says it doesn't need maverick anti-European politician Nigel Farage to be its go-between with the incoming Trump administration.

Senior figures in Prime Minister Theresa May's government rejected the idea Sunday after Farage, former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, argued he would be ideal given his bond formed on the U.S. presidential campaign trail with Trump.

Farage told BBC radio: "I can help to be a bridge between the government ... and not just Donald Trump, but his team and his administration. I would like to do that."

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox retorted Sunday that Britain has "a perfectly good ambassador in Washington."

The U.S. president-elect met Farage last month at Trump Tower and tweeted that Farage would make an excellent ambassador to the United States.
#MBN Cable channel loses lawsuit against suspension order MBN, a cable TV channel, on Thursday lost a lawsuit against the government's order to suspend its operation for six months for accounting fraud. The Korea Communications Commis...

#Hybe Q3 Hybe posts highest Q3 revenue ever Hybe, the entertainment company behind K-pop superstars BTS, on Thursday reported a revenue of 445.5 billion won (US$314 million) for the third quarter of the year, up 30.6 percent...
Turning in an old pistol during the citys annual gun give-back event Dec. 10 was a win-win-win, according to a note attached to the firearm.

The Army had issued the firearm to the anonymous donors father around 1944.

He has since died, and I am unable to use it safely, the note said.

The donor added that giving the pistol to the Fredericksburg Police Department would result in a $100 donation by philanthropist Doris Buffett to a local charity, and ended the note with a heart-shaped exclamation point.

The pistol was one of 28 guns that were turned in to the Fredericksburg Police Departments headquarters during the give-back day.

City Councilman Chuck Frye Jr. said that means people have voluntarily turned in more than 100 unwanted firearms for safe disposal since the event began in 2014. And Buffett, who used to live in Fredericksburg, has donated $100 for each one to local charities.

This year the funds will be equally divided among four charities: Cops and Kids (Shop with a Cop), Empowerhouse, Micah Ministries and the Thurman Brisben Center.

My opinion is, if we can talk about a shooting and talk about a murder and so forth, we should be able to talk about public safety and also giving residents an option, Frye said at Tuesdays City Council meeting. I think the city of Fredericksburg has made a big impact by taking this idea and running with it.

Frye organized the first give-back with Fredericksburg Police Sgt. Jim Kuebler in 2014. Their goal was to get unwanted guns out of circulation and disposed of so they arent used in crimes or to wound someone in an accidental shooting. People turned in 67 guns that year, and 32 in 2015.

Its a win for the gun owner, a win for police, and a win for the community, Fredericksburg Police Chief David Nye said in a news release.

The event is held as a give-back rather than a buy-back because, under Virginia law, guns returned for a reward must be offered to firearm dealers for purchase.

The guns collected Dec. 10 ranged from pistols and other small firearms to hunting rifles and shotguns. All were donated anonymously.

We dont ask questions, said Capt. Brian Layton of the Fredericksburg Police Department.

The firearms were offered to the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for research purposes. Any guns they dont want will be properly disposed of so they dont end up in the hands of criminals or children.

The police department also gave away gun locks, which theyve done each year to promote gun safety.

Looking back over three years, I cant help but think what a success it is, Layton said of the annual give-back event.

Any unwanted gun thats not in a house that a criminal can get their hands on and hurt one of my officers or a resident or a visitor to our community, thats a win in my book, he said. I couldnt help but get involved and be passionate about it.
Instead of grumbling about the extra workload created by the Christmas cards and boxes flooding into the Thornburg Post Office, the men sorting the mail reveled in it.

Postmaster Mike Armistead and associate Todd Leake beamed as they stacked packages atop counters and filled a plastic tub with envelopes for Lauryn Newsome and her family.

So far, shes got more mail than the whole post office, Armistead announced Friday morning.

The Spotsylvania County girl and her older siblings, Lily, 9, and Logan, 7, were featured in a Free LanceStar story Tuesday in which their mother, Elizabeth, asked for cards to cheer up the children.

Lauryn, 5, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2014 and has spent half her life fighting it. While the disease is in remission, Lauryn has suffered damage to her heart, liver and fertility from the drugs to treat it. Shes also still wearing leg bracesthe cancer manifested behind her kneesand she gets therapy three times a week.

Her siblings have suffered along with her, as their lives have revolved around her appointments and procedures, clinics and chemotherapy.

The brothers and sisters of a child with cancer can feel a real sense of loss as their familys sense of normal shifts after diagnosis, said Andie McConnell, executive director of the Fairy Godmother Project, which helps families of children with cancer.

Fairy Godmother volunteers have supported the Newsomes throughout the ordeal, Elizabeth Newsome said.

She and her husband, Josh, who works in Washington, have been able to stay on top of massive medical bills with help from an online fundraiser, but she mentioned in the earlier story that there wasnt money for a typical Christmas.

Thats why she asked for cards for each child so they could decorate their rooms. She requested they be sent to their box at the Thornburg Post Office. The address is Box 172, Thornburg, VA 22565.

Armistead and Leake started seeing red, beige and white envelopes with the Newsome name on them the day after the story was published.

Just about everybody has sent three or four cards, Leake said. One for each child and one for the parents.

Im telling you, I didnt expect this response, Armistead added.

The postal workers have known the family since Lauryns struggle began and have kept a thank-you card posted on the wall, showing a younger Laurynhairless, but smiling, after initial chemo treatments.

Theyre good people, Armistead said. Theyve had a lot more struggles that most people have, and our hearts go out to them.

Apparently, many others feel the same way.

One woman drove from Fauquier County to bring presents to the children. She never had kids, and she didnt know where the post office was, but she stopped at a local fire department and asked directions.

She happened to come at a slow time, so Armistead and Leake helped her package the stuffed animals she brought.

Spotsylvania County Sheriff Roger Harris and some elves from his office visited the family and brought coats for the children.

Others called the post office to see if they could bring gifts, and the Thornburg workers set up a space atop a cabinet for them.

Still others contacted the newspaper, wondering if there was a list of what the children needed. When the mother was asked, she said the kids hadnt had the chance to go to the movies or places such as Funland and Chuck E. Cheeses, and that gift cards would be nice.

First, though, she said her children could really use underwear and socks, and their sizes were passed along to Fredericksburg resident Joe McKinley, who had called the newspaper.

Were going to get them taken care of, he said. Theyre going to have a good Christmas.

He echoed what many others expressed as they described why they wanted to help the Newsomes. Children should not have to suffer, either with a disease or by seeing their sibling go through it, he said.

We are blessed, McKinley said, and we want others to feel that.

Meanwhile, the Newsome children came by the post office Friday morning to see what was in their box. The night before, after homework and dinner, the family sat on the living room rug and opened the 40 cards that came that day.

That was like Christmas in itself, the mother said. They were over the moon.

On Friday, the group had what the post office workers described as a makeshift slumber party. It was pajama day at school, and the kids were appropriately dressed. When Leake turned into a temporary Santa and brought out the packages and wrapped presents, the kids plopped down on the lobby floor and started unwrapping.

Logan got a pair of headphones that perfectly matched his Batman pajamas.

Lily was thrilled with a stuffed horse and foal.

Lauryn grinned over a Cinderella Barbie doll.

Its just amazing, Im floored, the mother said, as she smiled as widely as those around her. I think Im as excited as they are.

Armistead was thrilled to see a community that extended well beyond Thornburg come together to help a local family.

The coolest thing is knowing youre surrounded by people like this, he said.
One woman died after a three-vehicle accident on Interstate 95 Saturday near exit 126 in the Massaponax area that shut down all southbound lanes for an hour, according to Virginia State Police.

Candice M. Merritt, 22, of Gainesville was taken to Mary Washington Hospital and died from injuries sustained in the accident, Sgt. Les Tyler of Virginia State Police said.

The accident occurred at 11:55 a.m. The first vehicle involved in the accident, a four-door 2006 Mazda, was northbound in the center lane. The vehicle changed lanes, striking a blue Ford F-150 truck in the right lane. After impact, the truck lost control and went into the median of the interstate, going into the southbound lane. The truck struck a 2008 Saturn SUV that Merritt was driving. Merritts vehicle ran off of the road after the impact and hit a sign.

Trooper J.M. Fletcher investigated the accident and was assisted at the scene by the Spotsylvania County Sheriffs Office, Spotsylvania Fire & Rescue and the Virginia Department of Transportation.

As a result of the investigation, the driver of the 2006 Mazda vehicle, Santos H. Sandres-Rozales, 27, of Woodbridge, was charged with reckless driving, driving without a valid license and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.
Jacob Aram Dean, the son of Laura P. Dean of Stafford County and a member of Troop 1717, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

For his Eagle Scout service project, Jacob led an effort to create care packages for patients at McGuire Veterans Administration Medical Center in Richmond. Specifically, toiletries, underwear and socks were in high demand. His goal was to create 25 packages of travel-sized products to be distributed to patients, hoping to make their time in the hospital less stressful by providing basic necessities that might not be available otherwise.

In addition to contacting manufacturers, Jacob organized neighborhood canvassing and storefront solicitation. As predicted by his Scoutmaster, Jeffery Tlapa, he experienced catastrophic success. In July, scouts from four different area troops, along with their parents and siblings, assembled 122 packagesnearly five times the original plan. Additionally, several large shipping boxes were filled with underwear, socks and full-sized toiletries. Jacob, his brother, Steven, and fellow scout, Luke Klinefelter, required two vehicles to deliver the boxes to Richmond.

Jacob was inspired to join Scouts at age 7 by his best friend at the time. They were Wolf Scouts together in Pack 578 at Rocky Run Elementary School. He achieved Cub Scoutings highest honor, the Arrow of Light Award, in 2010 and crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 1717 at Hartwood Presbyterian Church. Jacob held leadership positions including Librarian, Axemaster, Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Senior Patrol Leader, the highest ranking Scout in the Troop.

At his Eagle Scout Court of Honor, in addition to his mother, Jacob specifically honored his grandmother, Lucy Papazian, also of Stafford, for being a constant source of love and support. His godparents, Steven Tomasian and Lynne Papazian, traveled from New Jersey and New York, respectively, to participate in the ceremony by bestowing his Eagle neckerchief. Jacob also received a rare 1950s vintage neckerchief slide from a family friend to be used on his special day. Jacob acknowledged the unwavering support and guidance of three mentors: Christine Hartigan, his private cello teacher; Tom Coen, his AP Government Teacher; and Ben Klinefelter, a former Troop 1717 Scoutmaster, who had been with Jacob since his Cub Scout days.

Jacob is a senior at Colonial Forge High School, where he attends the Commonwealth Governors School. A cellist with the CFHS Chamber Sinfonia, he has successfully auditioned for the All-County Orchestra each year and will be seated as the Principal Cellist for the 2016-17 performance in January. Jacob is also a member of the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic and Concertmaster of The Virginia Cello Ensembles.

Jacob received the CFHS CGS AP Government Award in recognition of his academic excellence in that class. He has also participated in several Model United Nations forums, and in June of this year, he attended Boys State as part of the Stafford Delegation at Radford University. Additionally, his CGS-required culminating projects have focused on U.S. Presidential Elections. During his freshman and sophomore years, he researched the viability of third party candidates. His current project, started prior to the 2016 campaign season, explores the impact of non-establishment candidates.

Jacob is currently applying to colleges. He intends to pursue a degree in Music Education. His personal goal is to earn a doctorate by age 30 and teach at the collegiate level.
A proposal to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy has been revived by several Virginia lawmakersincluding Republican Del. Mark Cole of Spotsylvania County.

The bill, called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, is similar to recent legislation signed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican.

It would prohibit abortions at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions for medical emergencies, but none for rape or incest. Del. Dave LaRock, RLoudoun County, recently filed the bill, and Cole is one of three co-sponsors.

Lawmakers will discuss the proposal during the session that begins Jan. 11.

Obviously, Im pro-life, and I think government has a responsibility to protect innocent life, and I think this is a reasonable compromise, Cole said in an interview.

The anti-abortion movement appears to be gaining steam on the heels of Republican Donald Trumps presidential victory. The president-elect has promised to appoint Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence said over the summer that a Trump administration would see Roe vs. Wade consigned to the ash heap of history where it belongs.

Nebraska approved the first 20-week ban in 2010, and 14 states have followed suit, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research organization.

Last week, NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia Executive Director Tarina Keene sent a letter asking next years candidates for Virginia governor about their positions on LaRocks bill. A press release that included a copy of the letter called the proposal a dangerous and unconstitutional measure.

Since the election of Donald Trump, women are fearful for the future, especially regarding their ability to make personal healthcare decisions free from political intrusion, Keene wrote in the letter. Virginia women want to know where you stand.

LaRock unsuccessfully put forward similar legislation during the 2015 and 2016 General Assembly sessions. During this years session, Cole; Sen. Bryce Reeves, RSpotsylvania; and Del. Bobby Orrock, RCaroline County, were among 33 co-sponsors.

If LaRocks bill passes, it would face a possible veto by Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

The bill states that a doctor can perform an abortion after 20 weeks only if the mother would otherwise face death or irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function, not including psychological or emotional conditions. It would be a Class 4 felony for a physician to perform an abortion in violation of the law.

LaRock cites disputed evidence that fetuses can feel pain at around 20 weeks. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says a fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after viability.

Virginia already has some of the countrys most restrictive abortion laws.

The state prohibits third-trimester abortions, mandates ultrasounds, and requires state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Also, second-trimester abortions must be performed in hospitals.

Anna Scholl, executive director of the left-leaning ProgressVA, said anti-womens health legislators in Virginia have proposed more than 75 abortion restrictions since 2010. Every womans pregnancy is different, and she should be able to make the best decision for her and her family in consultation with her doctor, Scholl said. Its entirely inappropriate for the General Assembly to be interfering in these very private, personal doctor-patient decisions.

Cole said he thinks the anti-abortion movement has some momentum, adding that pro-lifers have done a good job at the grassroots level of educating folks on the issue. He said polls have found support for anti-abortion measures.

In 2014, for instance, a Quinnipiac University National poll showed that 60 percent of respondents backed a 20-week abortion ban. I think the publics been educated, Cole said. A majority of people do not favor abortion on demand.
CHARLOTTESVILLEState and federal governments will need to take some innovative steps to keep public higher education funded and affordable to American students, according to a new study from the University of Virginias Miller Center.

The study suggestsamong other thingsfederal block grants meant to pressure states into funding public colleges adequately; funding incentives tied to graduation rates; and a simplification of the federal financial aid program.

These measures are meant to increase the percentage of Americans with a postsecondary degree or certificate to 60 percent by 2025, which could be difficult as the nations shifting demographics mean educators will have to cater to a more diverse student population, according to the studys authors.

As ambitious as the goal is, its necessary to keep the U.S. competitive, according to the studys opening chapter.

The United States faces a shortage of skills and talent, and many in our nation are unable to fulfill the educational ambitions within their reach and capabilities, reads the study, titled Investing in the Future: Sharing Responsibility for Higher Education Attainment.

Last year, the center assembled a team of former public officials, college administrators and executives from the private sector to come up with new ways to fund higher education. The team includes former governors of Delaware and Florida; the presidents of Cal State University-Fullerton, Michigan State University and LaGuardia Community College; and the CEOs of Discover Financial and State Farm Insurance Co.

The changing demographicswith a shift toward more nonwhite studentsis the big driving force likely to change the education system in the next 10 years, said Raymond Scheppach, professor of public policy at UVa and head of the commission that wrote the report.

These historically underserved populations will need more training than previous generations as more jobs require technological know-how, Scheppach said.

Its a population we havent educated well in the past that were going to need to educate at a higher level, he said.

At the top of the commissions list of suggestions is $15 billion in federal block grant funding for public higher education. The funding would have to be matched by a total of $5 billion in maintenance of effort funding from statesa minimum level at which states give funding to their own colleges and universities. This would provide an incentive for states to keep public higher education adequately funded, according to the report.

State higher ed funding went into a freefall during the recession, which drove tuition costs up as institutions scrambled to fill budget gaps, according to annual reports from Illinois State University, which conducts nationwide studies on this subject. Though most states have slowly reboundedstate support for higher education rose 4 percent in 2015half of states spent less in 2015 than they did in 2010.

Creating an incentive to keep higher education funded would control costs facing students, wrote the authors of the Miller Center report.

Such funds would be used to support the annual costs of public institutions and help keep tuition costs in check, the report reads.

But colleges and universities need to earn the additional funding by improving graduation rates, lowering their operations costs and providing more students with the opportunity to fast-track their degrees, Scheppach said. Currently, there are too many students who spend six years in college, or who leave with thousands of dollars in debt but no degree, he said.

What youve got is a lot of access, but a lot of people dropping out, Scheppach said.

The commission suggests a carrot-and-stick approach that awards funding based on the number of graduates, the percentage of students who complete their degrees, the amount of financial aid for low-income students and measured outcomes for nonwhite students. Most states currently calculate the amount of public funding for colleges based on enrollment.

The report is available at millercenter.org.
DRAWING voting district boundaries is not for the faint of heart. Forget all that stuff they taught you in government class. In Virginia, where we make no attempt at the bipartisan drawing of districts, its a bare-knuckled political process.

Its not pretty, its not fair and while it protects the political party in power, it does little for the voters. Whats more, partisan gerrymandering, as its called, is perfectly legal. The drawing of districts for the purpose of a desired outcome isnt against the law in the commonwealth.

The practice has given the Republicans in the Virginia House of Dele-gates a lopsided super majority. Vladimir Putin would be proud. In the upcoming 2017 election, a good guess is that a few as 7 to 10 (out of a total of 100) seats in the lower chamber will be competitive. As many as half will have no competition at all.

Opponents of the status quo dont have many options. The only way to reform the process is for the party in power to decide they want to change the way the commonwealth draws districts. Options, such as a bipartisan commission, represent one alternative, but its hard to see a group as partisan as the House GOP giving away their super majority.

However, there has been some nibbling around the edges. One of the problems is that when you do all the machinations necessary for gerrymandering, you sometimes risk running afoul of whats called strict scrutiny. Namely, that you group people, primarily AfricanAmericans, based on their race as opposed to the way they vote. Its a fine line sometimes, but also one of the more crass consequences of this kind of district drawing.

Thats the question thats being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of BethuneHill v. state Board of Elections. The plaintiff in this case argues that race was the primary guide for creating a number of House of Delegates districts. Theyre saying it was an attempt to reduce the impact of AfricanAmerican voters by packing them in as few a districts as possible. That way, their influence in other districts would be limited.

Its one of those situations where the court has to determine the intent of the boundary drawers. In reviewing the case, the court will look at the percentage of minority voters, will try to ascertain whether that population is in a reasonably compact area and whether or not its within local political or geographical barriers.

In a recent decision concerning Virginias 3rd Congressional District, the high court handed down an 80 opinion saying the district map was redrawn to put an unusually large number of black voters in one district. The end result was that the state was forced to adopt a new district map drawn by the Court of Appeals. The court had ordered the state to submit a revised map of its own, but when the commonwealth didnt oblige, the judges commissioned their own. The new 3rd District has fewer AfricanAmericans than it did, while other previously Republican-friendly districts have more.

But when it comes to Bethune-Hill, which deals with House of Delegates districts, in spite of the congressional district precedent, the outcome isnt guaranteed to be the same. In Bethune-Hill, unlike the 3rd District suit, the Appeals Court ruled in favor of the state. Saying, in other words, that race wasnt the guiding factor in drawing the districts. Still, the Supreme Court didnt have to take up the case, and it did. So, that is at least some indication that the justices want to look at the issues and perhaps may consider overturning the ruling.

If that happens at least 12 districts out of the Houses 100 will have to be redrawn. And as the result, some additional seats in the House of Delegates may become more competitive. But most of all, it will be a hard slap in the face to the way we currently draw districts. And who knows, it may be enough to prompt a new look at the whole process.

David S. Kerr, a Stafford County resident, has worked on Capitol Hill and for federal agencies. He is an instructor in the political science department at Virginia Commonwealth University.
ONCE AGAIN, the U.S. Supreme Court has entered the thorny issue of redistricting, hearing two cases this month. The issue confronting the justices is the motivation behind the creation of districts.

With a closely divided court, it is hard to envision a sweeping decision changing how state legislatures draw up House, Senate and congressional districts. Some criticize the current system, where districts are created for political purposes, also called gerrymandering. The purposes can be to help one party or to hurt the other, or to group together those with voters with similar opinions. It could be to protect incumbents, as the redistricting in Virginia did, helping incumbents of both parties.

The critics want to create districts that will be more competitive. So in short, they want to eliminate gerrymandering, by well, more gerrymandering. There are concerns about these efforts, as well as arguments in favor of the current system.

Those pressing for change are doing so with political goals in mind. Some are displeased with how the current system has allowed Republicans in the state House of Delegates to block efforts to enact Democrats programs. Their view is if there are more swing districts, then the Democrats can get more of their members elected, a political goal. This is shown by their spotlighting what districts to impactones held by Republicans. They do not propose making districts in Northern Virginia reach out into the rural areas, thus making a Democrat vulnerable. They target Republican districts.

A move to an independent commission also has flaws. Who will appoint its members? If it is the political leaders, the commission will likely mirror their views, thus leading to questions about its independence. With an appointed panel, the public has no recourse should they disagree with the plans. Editorials and letters to the editor have criticized those elected officials who control the process. People displeased with the districts can donate to an opponent and even volunteer on a campaign to unseat that delegate. With a commission, the public has no recourse or say in the process. This further removes the voter from their government.

It is interesting that Gov. Terry McAuliffe created a Government Integrity Panel, which called for such a commission. Yet when the 3rd Congressional District was to be redrawn, he did not create a commission. He and other Democratic legislators proposed a plan. The political goal trumped the theory.

While there may be concerns with the current process, it has merits. First, the Founders were well aware of the way legislatures create districts. Prior to the U.S. Constitution being written, state constitutions had legislatures drawing up the states districts.

Importantly, these districts represent the peoples views. In a district that has people of similar views or party, the elected official advocates for those citizens views. In a district where one party wins by a wide majority, as often happens in Northern Virginia, the majority views are what is represented in the Capitol.

An examination of the maps of the 2016 presidential results by county and maps of the districts show an interesting consistency. For a district that is created to be 5050, and someone wins with barely over 50 percent, nearly half of the voters viewpoints are not taken into account. They are unrepresented. The 2nd Congressional District is a case in point. Since it was created, the parties have flipped control every two years by narrow margins. The delegates are not able to develop institutional knowledge or seniority. This leaves all the residents with less influence and less continuity.

In discussing this issue with a major opponent of gerrymandering, I referred to a specific member of the House of Delegates who might be vulnerable if the Democrats would, instead of nominating a strong liberal, select a conservative. His response was there are none.

Perhaps this is the heart of the matter. Rather than have candidates who would appeal to more conservative voters, the plan is to create new districts where those voters are in the minority and therefore outvoted. Thus districts, even those created by independent commissions, are done for political ends. In a wordgerrymandering.

Tom Coen of Stafford County is an adjunct professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University and RandolphMacon College. He also teaches at Colonial Forge High School.
First-term Irmo Mayor Barry Walker announced Sept. 26 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. The mayors wife, Susan, also got COVD-19, Walker said on social media. As you know Im a kidney patient and require weekly dialysis, Walker wrote. This virus compromises my immune syste Read moreWhat You Missed: Irmo Mayor Barry Walker gets COVID-19
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Hi Im Amy! I have a passion for cooking and baking all sorts of delicious foods. That is where I also fell in love with kitchen products. I started From The Kitchen to help share my knowledge and help others find great products.
Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus Latest News & Updates: Android 7.0 Nougat Now Available; Sony Experia X Performance Gets Update 7.1.1

There are some mobile devices that have not been upgraded to the latest OS of Android, which is Android 7.0 Nougat. Some manufacturers are catching up on these updates that never hit certain mobile devices in some regions including Motorola for Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus.

This means that owners of Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus owners in India and Sony Xperia X Performance owners in Canada are expecting to download the latest Google software on their devices. Moto G4 and Moto G4 Plus are the first non-Google branded smartphones that received the update this year, October. However, users in India missed out on the update when it began in Brazil and quickly rolled out in other markets. Now, Android 7.0 Nougat can be download to their devices through security update over the air or they can manually check by accessing Settings > About Phone > Software Updates.

Furthermore, Canadian carrier Rogers also laid out a detailed announcement that Sony Xperia X Performance will update to Android 7.1.1 Nougat, skipping the initial Android 7.0 Nougat version. This means that the update goes straight from Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow to Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The update will be available in February 2017. Sony started updating Xperia X Performance handsets in various markets such as Russia, Australia, and Latin America in November. However, there are carriers that often do not update to the most recent versions of software as it may contain more bug fixes.

There are also said smartphones that will skip the Android 7.0 Nougat version and will jump to the 7.1.1 update. Some of these smartphones include Google Pixel, Huawei, HTC, LG, Motorola, and OnePlus, among others.

Android 7.0 Nougat is the latest operating system from Google. This is already available for download in some of the largest and most used smartphones in the world such as Sony, Samsung, and HTC.
Samsung Galaxy Latest News & Update: Samsung Galaxy S8 VS Apple iPhone 8 ; Samsung S8 to Leave Iphone 8 Behind?

With speculations and rumors filling the Internet about Samsung 8 and iPhone 8, smartphone users anticipate 2017 with high hopes for the smartphone industry. Here are the specifications of both smartphone leaders and why observers think Samsung Galaxy S8 will leave iPhone 8 behind.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. Apple Iphone 8 Major Specifications

In terms of display, the rumored iPhone 8 will have 4.7, 5.5 and 5.8in 1920 x 1310 Curved OLED. Its storage comes in 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. It has 8 MP front camera and 12 MP dual-lens, dual IOS, 4K video recording. Iphone 8 is expected to run with an A11 processor with 3.4 GB RAM.

Samsung Galaxy S8, on the other hand, is expected to have 5.1 and 5.5in 2160 x 3840 Curved 4K Super AMOLED Display, according to Mirror. Its storage capacity is 64GB internal, 256GB expandable. It is expected to run in Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 or Samsung Exynos 8995 Processor with 4-6GB RAM. It will also have a 12 MP with wide angle lens front camera and Dual-lens 16MP, 4K video recording, optical image stabilization rear camera with Iris scanner.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. Apple Iphone 8: Charging

Apple, on launching iPhone 8, is expected to introduce wireless charging. The company was also alleged to have struck a deal with wireless charging company Energous, which developed a wire-free charging solution dubbed WattUp RF.

This solution is proficient of charging devices from up to four meters away or 15-feet. There are no firm claims that the S8 will have wireless charging yet, but it is still premature. Given the prevalent wireless charging of Android phones in operation, it might be a good assumption that Samsung might just take in this feature on the Galaxy S8.

Samsung Galaxy S8 vs. Apple Iphone 8: Extras

The Galaxy S8 smartphone is anticipated to feature an advanced digital assistant. This feature is founded on AI features developed by the Viv Labs, a UK-based company that the South Korean tech company purchased in October. Iphone 8 on the other hand will have a glass body and edge-to-edge OLED display that includes an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor, says, MacRumors.
Sony Xperia M5 News & Update: Sharper Screen, 21.2 Main Camera, Water Proof & 4G LTE Connectivity

Sony started a long, long time ago while its brand name for smartphones and tablets, Xperia, has been founded 15 years ago. It was previously known as Sony Ericson but in 2012, after re-branding, it has taken a new name while producing high-quality phones at the same time.

One of which is Sony Xperia M5, the device that promises more storage, larger megapixels, but for a higher amount. But, is it even worth it?

Pros

It's not new to know how wonderful and vibrant Sony Xperia's screen is, but apart from having a sharp, impressive LCD, the Sony Xperia M5 is designed to be water resistant. It also has a solid battery life, according to TechRadar, which lasts for up to two days. Also, since it's the upgraded version of the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua, it has resolved the many underlying issues it used to have.

For those who love taking pictures, this is a great phone since it comes with a higher-spec camera, something that Sony is known about. With a 21.2 MP main camera and a 13MP front-facing one, moments will be captured with comfort and confidence.

The internal storage. according to Gizmo Times, is capable of housing MicroSD cards of up to 200GB. Apart from this, it has WiFi, Bluetooth, and a 4G LTE connectivity.

Cons

Just like other phones, Sony Xperia M5, has its drawbacks. One of which is its sluggish camera and this means that despite all the improvements, taking photos still needs a couple of seconds to boot up plus another second for snapping photos.

Also, because of its Mediatek Helio X10, Sony Xperia M5 may not be the best gaming phone for gamers. Furthermore, it looked almost the same as the previous version, the Sony Xperia M4 Aqua.

Overall, with its edge and drawbacks, Sony Xperia M5 has still proven why it should be considered as your next phone. With its amazing camera specs and battery life, this choice is not a bad one.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Release Date, News & Update: Predicted Price & Reveal Date Revealed! Premium Specs & Features Detailed

After a year of explosions and fiascos, Samsung is ready to redeem itself again, with the Galaxy Note 8 already confirmed for next year. With the high pressure to deliver a top-notch, feature-packed, and safe device, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would surely be a beast of a phablet.

All exploding battery issues aside, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was undeniably one of the best smartphones that has ever graced the market. With this, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would definitely follow suit, but with a much safer implementation.

While no official specs have been released, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is predicted to flaunt the same 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with curved edges. The main difference here is the rumored resolution upgrade from Quad HD to 4K resolution.

The new 10nm Snapdragon 835 chipset from Qualcomm would power the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, coupled with 6GB of RAM, and at least 64GB of internal storage. A big, non-explosive battery would also give the device a lot of juice, powering through an entire game easily.

A new digital assistant similar to Siri and Google Assistant would also be featured, but is claimed to be better. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would also run on the new Android 7.1 Nougat update. A much-improved S-Pen would also be integrated on the phablet, integrating a new layer of device interface.

The usual high-end specs could be expected from the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The rear camera would be drastically improved, along with the selfie snapper. The iris and fingerprint scanners would also be updated for faster unlocking of the device. The IP68 certification for water resistance and dust proofing would also return. Support for Gear VR and Google Daydream View would also be featured in the Galaxy Note 8.

Much like the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy Note 8 would be launched in the IFA tech show in Berlin, which would occur in September 2017. The predicted price tag of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be around $700, similar to its predecessor.
At least one driver has died following anasty winter mix of rain, sleet and ice that slammed into the mid-valley on Wednesday. The conditions snarled traffic and caused multiple traffic crashes. Two avalanches were reported on Highway 20 near Santiam Pass.

A single-vehicle critical-injury rollover crash closed Springhill Drive near N.W. Winn Drive Wednesday afternoon. The accident is believed to have been caused by an icy road surface.

According to a Benton County Sheriff's Office news release, Barbara Mulkey, 58, of Albany, was driving northbound on Springhill Road, just north of N.W. Winn Drive, in a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee. She lost control around a corner, went across the roadway and collided with a ditch. The Jeep rolled and came to rest on its roof facing north in the southbound lane.

Medics from the Albany Fire Department extricated Mulkey, who had suffered critical injuries, and transported her to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis by ambulance. Mulkey was pronounced dead Friday morning, according to Benton County Sheriff's Office.

The Benton County Multi-Agency Traffic Collision Investigation team also responded. The roadway was closed for about two hours.

Deputies are investigating the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. David Iverson at 541-766-6858.

A rollover was reported on Oakville Road on Wednesday afternoon, and two more accidents occurred on Interstate 5 north of Albany. Multiple crashes were reported in the mid-valley through the evening.

Two avalanches about 30 minutes apart Wednesday afternoon closed Highway 20 about two miles west of the Santiam Pass, according to the Oregon State Police.

The first avalanche was reported about 2:30 p.m., and a second event was reported in the same area about 30 minutes later.

It was unknown if the event caused any damage to vehicles. No injuries have been reported.

The Oregon Department of Transportations TripCheck cameras noted that the Santiam Pass was snowy and cold, with temperatures as low as 10 degrees Wednesday afternoon. Some areas of the Cascades were expected to see as many as 13 inches of snow.

Snow chains or traction tires were required.

ODOT has imposed a chain requirement on Interstate 5 from Albany to Portland.

Linn County Roadmaster Darrin Lane described Wednesdays weather in the mid-valley as Yucky  really yucky.

With temperatures bouncing around 32 degrees, the mid-valley experienced everything from rain to freezing rain to snow.

So far, the weather has behaved as forecast over the last couple days, Lane said. The weather folks predicted snow and freezing rain in the valley tapering off later in the day and then maybe freezing again later in the day.

Lane said his staff was on alert and had sanding trucks, plows and dicer units in place.

About 2:30 p.m., crews were watching the higher elevations in the Scio area, but rain was continuing and snow had yet to fall.

Retired school teacher Mary Betts, who lives on Whiskey Butte between Sweet Home and Cascadia, said there had been a light dusting of snow Wednesday morning  she described it as being like powdered sugar  but the rest of the day it only rained.

Several mid-valley schools either cancelled classes entirely, or sent students home early.

As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, school districts in Corvallis, Philomath, Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home had announced they would be closed on Thursday. Linn-Benton Community College will also be closed Thursday. The Linn Benton Loop Express bus canceled its Thursday service. State offices said they would open at noon Thursday. (For an updated list, see www.democratherald.com.)

The Fairview Mennonite Church at 35100 Goltra Road S.E. cancelled its Wednesday evening Christmas Pageant performance, but it will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Christmas Storybook Land also cancelled its Wednesday evening showing.

The Linn Benton Loop Express bus has cancelled its Thursday service.

The Linn County Courthouse as well as all other departments are closed, except for the Sheriff's Office, Road Department and Linn County Health Services office, which opens at 10 a.m. State offices

Lebanon opened its warming shelter at the Lebanon Soup Kitchen, 170 East Grant, due to frigid temperatures, expected to fall to the mid-20s overnight.

The shelter is coordinated by the Lebanon Police Department and the Warming Shelter Team. It will be open until 7 a.m. Thursday.

Snacks, warm beverages and mats and blankets are provided.

Shelter volunteers said donations of good used blankets, socks, gloves and coats are still needed. They can be dropped off at the Lebanon Police Department or the Lebanon Soup Kitchen. For more information, call Dala Johnson at 541-258-4339.

According to the National Weather Service, there is a 20 percent chance of snow showers in the mid-valley on Thursday, with the temperature dropping to 23 at night.

Fridays weather is expected to be partly cloudy with an overnight low about 20 degrees, warming up to 33 by mid-day.

Cool weather is expected to continue through the weekend, with a low of 27 on Saturday and 33 on Sunday.

Daytime temperatures are expected to climb to the low 40s.
The caseworker called a second time, sounding more desperate.

Jen OConnell was preparing dinner in her Albany home when she answered the phone. She and her husband, Jim, were taking a break from fostering. Two kids in their care had been returned to their biological mother, and the OConnell family was back down to four children.

It just wasnt the right time to take in another child and disrupt everyones lives.

I dont know. Maybe we just want to take the summer off, and then well re-evaluate, Jen said during that call 18 months ago, promising to try to come up with another family that may be interested.

But no one would take in the 3-year-old girl.

At this point, it didnt matter if the placement was temporary  for a week or even just one night. It was dinnertime. The sweet, affectionate child had been at the Department of Human Resources office in Albany most of the day as the caseworker made call after call. Hours after the little girl had been ripped away from everything she had ever known, she sat in the office, just as unaware as her caseworker was of what would happen to her that night.

Then, a third call to Jen OConnell. This time, to plead.

Its been a familiar story as Linn and Benton counties have mirrored two statewide trends for at least the past five years: a shrinking number of certified foster homes and a strained child welfare system crushing its staff with unmanageable caseloads.

The stress on staff, foster families and providers has been attributed, at least in part, to high-profile cases of abuse and neglect of these vulnerable children in other parts of the state, putting a spotlight on systemic problems plaguing child welfare, and prompting the governor and lawmakers to make reforms.

The third desperate call to OConnell that evening 18 months ago did the trick.

OK, fine, OConnell recalled saying. You can bring her here, but I dont have a bed or anything.

The caseworker responded, Do you have a couch? Your couch is better than our couch.

Decreasing homes

The number of foster homes in the mid-valley has decreased sharply in the past five years, according to Deena Loughary, program manager for the Child Welfare Division of DHS in Benton County.

Last month, 262 children were in foster care from Linn and Benton counties, with only 143 certified foster homes to serve them in the mid-valley. Roughly one-third of those homes were certified for a specific child known to the foster parent, so they are not available for any other children who are brought into the system.

Currently, nearly 70 foster children from Benton County are in care, and most cant be placed in their communities because there are only 27 certified foster homes in the entire county. About half of those are child-specific homes.

The lack of homes has forced child welfare workers to place children farther and farther from their communities, sometimes 200 to 300 miles away, Loughary said, which can be detrimental, especially for school-aged children.

When they are placed outside of our community, one of two things happen, Loughary said. We are able to continue to transport them to and from their out-of-county placement to their school, or we end up moving them to another school.

When kids are taken from unsafe homes, they rely on the consistency and familiarity of their school and their teachers, friends and counselors.

We know that kids suffer significant trauma because of the abuse they left, and they are grieving the loss of a parent temporarily, Loughary said. Then, to take them outside of a community where they feel safe  they grieve the loss of those connections as well.

Driving back-and-forth between school, court hearings and weekly parental visits, however, can be draining for the child, as well as the foster parents and the caseworkers charged with arranging transportation.

Jed and Angie Schmoker live in Shedd with their adopted 10-year-old and 7-year-old, their biological 22-month-old and their foster kids  siblings ages 18 months and 7.

Their 7-year-old commutes to school in Corvallis.

She has a good support system there, Jed Schmoker said. She has behavioral issues and the teachers are very familiar with those and have policies and protocols established for her, and she has a counselor there so it was really important to keep her there.

She leaves for school at 7:15 in the morning and gets home between 3:30 and 4 p.m. Its not a terrible commute, Schmoker said, considering other cases he has seen. A sibling pair that he and his wife had cared for in the past had been fostered separately in opposite ends of the Portland area before being placed in their home.

For (parental) visits every week, the caseworker had to get up at 4 in the morning to drive up there, pick up both kids, and have them here (in Corvallis) by 11 oclock, Schmoker said. Then, he still had to turn around and take them back up there four hours later.

Sometimes caseworkers seek out exceptions in order to place a child with a family that has more kids than is normally allowed under the agencys rules.

We can do an exception for an overfill, but we also have to balance that with safety, Loughary said. Safety absolutely has to be our number one priority and if doing an overfill in a foster home would create a safety situation, we would never do that. So, wed still, at the end of the day, be looking at an emergency placement at a hotel, if theres no alternate placement to keep this child safely.

In the past six months, Loughary estimated that mid-valley foster children stayed the night in a hotel about six times  a temporary, emergency measure usually used for children with higher needs than a typical foster family can safely provide.

Last month, DHS settled a class-action lawsuit with lawyers representing the states foster children, agreeing not to use hotels or DHS offices to temporarily house children unless its an emergency. It's unclear if the settlement will change current practices, however, as its already policy to not house foster children in hotels or DHS offices unless there are no other options.

Why the shortage?

The shortage of foster parents in the mid-valley and all of Oregon is a symptom of a much larger, complex set of problems with the funding and management of the statewide system, according to state Sen. Sara Gelser of Corvallis.

These problems, Gelser said, have been festering for years and have only come to light recently after highly publicized cases surfaced last year of children being abused while in state care. Amid the scandals, Gov. Kate Brown replaced the head of DHS and commissioned an in-depth independent audit of the foster care system, while Gelser sponsored legislation that created a commission to provide more oversight into foster care.

I think we had inadequate leadership at the Department of Human Services for years, and that the problems were hidden from the public and the Legislature, and the signs of problems were ignored, Gelser said. We know that independent reports first started highlighting a shortage of foster homes years and years and years ago and nothing was done about that.

The final version of the foster care audit was released in September. Top reasons why foster parents left the system, according to its surveys, were that they were being asked to care for more children than they were certified to care for and they felt they had insufficient training, little support from DHS and lack of respite care when needed.

Its almost like a death spiral, Gelser said. You have fewer homes, and you have the homes that you already have kids in that you have relationships with, and you keep saying, Can you take one more kid? Well write an exception for you so youll be above the allowable number. Will you take this kid that doesnt fit your level of expertise but we have no place to put him? Most of your families arent going to say no.

Those exceptional foster families get overwhelmed and dont have adequate support, Gelser said, which leads to them being burned out and leaving the system. In some cases, it leads to allegations of abuse.

When foster parents were asked what the top priority should be to improve their experience, Gelser expected them to say they needed an increase in the rates  the stipend they receive to help cover the cost of care.

But, Gelser said, the most important thing parents said would improve their experience is simply getting a phone call back when they contact DHS with a question about their foster child.

OConnell, who has fostered in Linn County for nine years, has seen families leave the system. Lack of communication has been the most aggravating factor.

I think theyve lost a lot of families, foster families just not feeling the support, not feeling like there was good communication (with DHS) so foster parents get burnout, OConnell said. I think that DHS is just so overwhelmed and overworked that its been hard for them to be able to foster great relationships with families. But I see that as being one of their priorities now.

Crushing caseloads

A state DHS spokesperson and local DHS child welfare program managers declined to provide specific information about staffing levels, the turnover rate or the amount of overtime that child welfare staff are working, but anecdotal evidence suggests that caseworkers and foster parent certifiers in the mid-valley are dealing with unmanageable caseloads, leading to a high turnover rate and making it difficult for them to take care of kids and support foster families.

Gelser said she talked to a caseworker this month who reflects the sentiments of many child welfare workers in Oregon.

The person said the caseload is completely unmanageable. It is not humanly possible to do it all, Gelser said. The person used the phrase, I am the legal guardian for 17 children in the state of Oregon, and there are not enough hours in a day to do what I need to do for that.

Loughary, of Benton County Child Welfare, said that housing a child in a hotel is an absolute last-ditch measure that requires two staff to stay with the child all night  hours that child welfare cant spare to lose.

We dont (have the staffing), Loughary said. Workers are working a ton of overtime. Supervisors are working, program managers, district managers are working to help support the (child) supervision because for every one child, we have to have two staff.

OConnell has witnessed DHS workers, with the best intentions, come and go.

I think people get burned out really fast and there is turnover, and its not because theyre not doing a good job, OConnell said. Its just hard to feel like you dont have the power to make an impact. I think they feel like their hands are tied.

Its not just the number of hours they work, Gelser said, its the type of work that makes it difficult for child welfare staff to stay long-term.

You take overwhelmed people who are having their hearts broken every day, seeing some of the most difficult things that you could possibly imagine, Gelser said, and they dont get to go home on time because a kid doesnt have a placement at 7 oclock, or there is an emergency that happens and they have to go out. Thats how you end up with (DHS workers) who have their health impacted and who have to get out.

Its difficult to pinpoint exactly how short-staffed the Child Welfare Division is locally or statewide.

Oregon uses a workload model to track the percentage of work being completed by its employees within a certain timeframe. Numbers show that child welfare workers are able to complete only 83 percent of what the model deems as needed work. But the model, according to Gelser, may not account for, or give proper weight to, essential duties  things that child welfare workers need to do to keep kids safe.

What Im hearing from caseworkers and certifiers and others is that that caseload model doesnt really account for all of the functions and all of the things that you need to do, Gelser said. And, its not always predictable. If you go to the face-to-face visit with a child, and its supposed to take an hour, but the kid is having a crisis when youre there, youre not going to say, Sorry, your hour is up. Im leaving. See you next month.

Lack of capacity

About 80 people gathered Dec. 5 for a DHS-sponsored foster parent recruitment event at Adams Elementary School in Corvallis.

There is a dire need, not only in Benton County, but throughout the state, for more foster placements, Benton County District Judge Locke Williams told the crowd. I am the juvenile court judge  I preside over all of the dependency cases  so I have a pretty good sense as to what some of these kids needs are.

Williams implored attendees to take the information to their friends, relatives and churches  to spread the word of the shortage of foster families so that kids can be cared for in safe and loving homes in their own communities.

More families do need to come forward, and to take the classes and complete a home study to get foster certified, Gelser said, but they also need to be prepared for it to be an arduous, frustrating process.

Because child welfare is understaffed, Gelser said, it is taking too long for people to get signed up for classes, to be assigned to a foster parent certifier, for home studies to be completed and for paperwork to be pushed through. Or, once families are certified, its taking too long to have a child placed in their homes.

Theres a huge workload issue in all of that, Gelser said. You cannot safely place kids in care, even if you have willing families, if you dont have the bodies and the people to be able to do the certification, and the appropriate matching.

Despite the challenges, O'Connell urges more people to take the leap. Mid-valley foster parents have become more connected over the years, she said, and can provide support and advice to new foster parents that she wished she had when she began fostering nine years ago.

My advice is to do it! Become a foster parent, but become connected, OConnell said. Dont think that you can do it in a vacuum.

'Time of transition'

Right now, Gelser said, were in this time of transition.

Oregons new foster care commission will be looking at the recruitment, retention and support of foster parents. Gov. Brown is creating a childrens cabinet to allow people across different systems that serve children  like foster care, mental health and juvenile justice  to work on policy issues that impact them across the board, and to increase coordination in supporting kids.

Browns proposed budget, released early this month, recommended that more funding go toward staffing front-line child welfare workers and to increase foster family reimbursement rates, which have not adjusted in more than a decade.

A big portion of that budget was allocated toward funding staff, OConnell said. So were really hoping and praying that we will see not only staff being hired in every county that needs additional staff, but that they will be able to train and retain the staff.

The goal of child welfare is to put supports in place to help children stay with their biological families or to be reunited with them when its safe. But when its not possible and parental rights are terminated or given up, Gelser said, she would like to see the adoption process become more of a priority  for the process to be expedited. She plans to introduce a related bill this legislative session as one way to reduce the number of children in the states care.

The OConnell family, which has adopted three children through the foster care system, is in the last phase of adopting their fourth child, Aleah.

They werent interested at first  in interrupting their lives a year-and-a-half ago for that sweet, affectionate 3-year-old who had no place to go. It took three desperate calls from her caseworker for them to say Yes. But now, they cant imagine their lives without her.

The system, OConnell admits, has major flaws. But that cant be the excuse to turn kids away.

No matter our feelings, no matter if we get disgusted with child welfare or the laws or if were frustrated with the court process, none of that matters, OConnell said. What matters is the children, and if we strip away everything else, and just remember that these childrens lives are at stake  that is all that matters. Whether we have them in our home for a day or a month or a year or forever, the impact that we can make on their lives can be exponential.
bohlah at 18-12-2016 09:37 PM (5 years ago) (m)

These heartwarming photos show the moment Prince Harry was reunited with a African orphan he first met 12 years ago on his gap year. The 32-year-old scooped the now 16-year-old boy, known as Mutsu, off the ground with a big hug.

These heartwarming photos show the moment Prince Harry was reunited with a African orphan he first met 12 years ago on his gap year. The 32-year-old scooped the now 16-year-old boy, known as Mutsu, off the ground with a big hug.

Brimming with joy, the royal then stood and talked with the teenager while filming for a new hour-long ITV documentary which airs tomorrow night.





The new film - filmed last year - follows Harry on his return to the Aids-stricken southern kingdom of Lesotho, in Africa, to continue the charity work he started in 2004.



He first met Mutsu when he was four years old and gifted him with a pair of bright blue wellington boots, which apparently he cherished for many years.





Over the years, the two stayed in touch, writing letters to each other about how they were getting on.



On the subject of children, Prince Harry touches on fatherhood in the documentary.



The young royal added that he first turned to charity work to make his mother 'proud' and in turn, he found a way to use his 'name and the position for good'. The Prince also revealed that he looks to his charitable work as an 'escape' where he can step away from the spotlight and the formalities of palace life.











Brimming with joy, the royal then stood and talked with the teenager while filming for a new hour-long ITV documentary which airs tomorrow night.The new film - filmed last year - follows Harry on his return to the Aids-stricken southern kingdom of Lesotho, in Africa, to continue the charity work he started in 2004.He first met Mutsu when he was four years old and gifted him with a pair of bright blue wellington boots, which apparently he cherished for many years.Over the years, the two stayed in touch, writing letters to each other about how they were getting on.On the subject of children, Prince Harry touches on fatherhood in the documentary.The young royal added that he first turned to charity work to make his mother 'proud' and in turn, he found a way to use his 'name and the position for good'. The Prince also revealed that he looks to his charitable work as an 'escape' where he can step away from the spotlight and the formalities of palace life.

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 18-12-2016 09:37 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Chinese Seize U.S. Navy Underwater Drone in South China Sea

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2016  Using appropriate government-to-government channels, the Defense Department has called upon China to immediately return an unmanned underwater vehicle that it unlawfully seized yesterday in the South China Sea, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement today.

Earlier, Pentagon press operations director Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters that a Chinese Navy Dalang-III class submarine rescue vessel launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV as the oceanographic survey ship USNS Bowditch was attempting to retrieve it and a second UUV in the South China Sea.

The incident occurred in international waters about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay Naval Air Station in the Philippines, Davis told reporters.

Calling for International Law Compliance

"The UUV is a sovereign immune vessel of the United States. We call upon China to return our UUV immediately and to comply with all of its obligations under international law," Cook said.

Bridge-to-bridge communications took place between the Bowditch and Chinese ships, but demands to have the UUV returned were ignored, Davis said.

"The USNS Bowditch and the UUV -- an unclassified 'ocean glider' system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature, and sound speed -- were conducting routine operations in accordance with international law," Cook said.

Chinese Ignored Calls to Return UUV

Davis said the Chinese ignored repeated U.S. calls for them to return the U.S. property.

"As [the Chinese ship] went sailing off into distance, [it] said, 'We are returning to normal operations,'" Davis said.

"We need to find out what the Chinese have to say about it," he said. "It's certainly not something we consider to be commensurate with their level as a professional military."

Davis said the entire incident occurred within a 500-yard area.

"It is ours. It is clearly marked; we'd like to have it back and [would] like this to never happen again," he said.

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Army's first armored multi-purpose vehicle rolls off production line

By David Vergun December 16, 2016

WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- The first armored multi-purpose vehicle rolled off the production line in York, Pennsylvania, Thursday.

The AMPV will replace the Army's aging M113 family of vehicles that today make up 32 percent of the armored brigade combat team vehicle fleet, said Col. Mike Milner, project manager, AMPV, during the rollout ceremony. The M113 was first produced in 1960.

CAPABILITIES

Milner said AMPV will provide significantly more size, power, cooling and mobility than the M113 to the ABCT.

"[The AMPV] will enable mission command on the move, restore indirect fires for the combined arms battalions, provide protection and survivability to the company's logistical forces and provide significantly greater care to wounded Soldiers than was previously available," Milner said.

"All of this while providing protection and survivability levels well above the capabilities in the field today."

While pointing out the AMPV on display behind him, Erwin Beiber, president, Platforms and Services, BAE Systems, Inc. -- the company that was awarded the contract -- said the AMPV will include five variants. The variant on display was the general purpose variant.

Other AMPV variants currently in various phases of build include:

-- Mission command.

-- Medical treatment.

-- Medical evacuation.

-- Mortar carrier.

The AMPV will create a tremendous amount of commonality in the fleet, Beiber added. "When this gets out there with Bradleys, that high degree of commonality will hold down costs in production and full-life-cycle costs, supply, training and troop support to these vehicles and that will be absolutely fantastic," he said.

ON TIME, ON BUDGET

That the first prototype of AMPV was rolled out just shy of 24 months after the contract was awarded is significant, Milner said, a short time in Army acquisition programs. The AMPV was rolled out, he noted, on cost and on schedule, fewer than six months after its critical design review.

"There are so few programs today that have delivered prototypes this quickly," he said. "[Now] we can get it into test and eventually into production."

Beiber attributed the quick turnaround, in part, to the fact that the AMPV is built on prior programs like the Bradley and Paladin Integrated Management program. Bringing a lot of that mature technology to this program, he said, "significantly de-risked the timeline to execute this program."

Maj. Gen. David G. Bassett, program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems, credited Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley with keeping the program moving forward.

"His personal involvement has prevented this program from falling into the trap that's caught other programs and caused them not to succeed," he said. "[Milley has] ensured we've stayed aligned with his priorities, to deliver the appropriate combination of protection, mobility, reliability  on budget and on schedule."

Bassett added, "This is not the finish line. The last thing we want to do is celebrate too soon, like Navy did" near the end of the Army-Navy game in Baltimore last week, in which Army was triumphant.

"We're not going to rest," he said. "We're going to be relentless until we deliver AMPVs across every ABCT in the Army. Our Soldiers deserve nothing less."

He concluded: "The [ABCT] is not the kind of formation you send out when you want to put up a school, hand out bags of rice or build a road. It's for dominating our nation's adversaries. It is our most lethal formation. There are no more lethal formations on the ground today in the world than a U.S. Army ABCT. This vehicle  will make this ABCT even stronger."

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Kentucky National Guard Construction Soldiers deploy to Middle East

By Staff Sgt. Scott Raymond December 16, 2016

Hazard, Ky. -- The 207th will conduct construction operations in the Middle East, Central and South Asia in support of U.S. Army Central Command. Their missions will focus on road and runway repair, base maintenance, drainage correction projects, and culvert installation. The 207th will conduct multiple construction missions across multiple countries simultaneously.

"We represent a place where hard work and strong character are still a part of the values that exist," said Capt. Brian Ladd, commander of the 207th. "We will continue to live those values as we go forward and represent our commonwealth and our country overseas."

The 207th will use its members' extensive military and civilian skills to execute complex construction projects in austere environments in support of ongoing military operations in the region.

Soldiers of the 207th last deployed overseas in 2005, so very few of the unit have mobilized before. Sgt. Jacob Hudson, a mechanic with the 207th is preparing to leave home and his wife and newborn for the first time. He described the moment as a wave of emotions, but is optimistic because of the Soldiers around him.

"I've worked with a lot of people both in and out of uniform, but this group of Soldiers is the closest knit I've ever been a part of, and that will help us accomplish our mission," he said. "We are ready as a team for this and are excited to get the job done."

The 207th will deploy with a lot of optimism, pride and community support. Sgt. 1st Class Adam Spencer is the unit readiness noncommissioned officer, and has lived in the area for 10 years. He has seen the unit change with the times and prepare itself for the next step.

"I've been in the Guard now for 15 years and I can personally say I have never seen a group of Soldiers work so hard than the ones of the 207th," said Spencer. "It's because of these Soldiers that the 207th is such a successful unit and is a great example of where the Kentucky National Guard will go one day."

The Soldiers will finish their training at Fort Bliss, Texas prior to deploying overseas.

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Arizona Army National Guard teamed with Canadian Army for Cougar Conqueror 2016

By Staff Sgt. Adrian Borunda December 16, 2016

ALBERTA, Canada -- Members of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 158th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion teamed up with Canadian Army logisticians to provide the manpower, sweat and service needed for Exercise Cougar Conqueror 2016.

The HHC Soldiers integrated with the 3rd Canadian Brigade during the exercise at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta, Canada, during offensive training there.

"The transition into assimilating with the Canadian forces was quite seamless," said Maj. Jonathan Gutierrez, executive officer of the battalion and officer in charge of Arizona Guardsmen. "It also helped that the [Canadians] came to Douglas, Arizona before to conduct similar operations."

For many of the Soldiers, this was their first international exercise that included logistical, medical, and combat oriented training.

"Working in a combined operation like Cougar Conqueror, the Soldiers learned that they have to remain flexible, understand our partners and that there are different ways of doing things and sometimes you have to blend them," said Gutierrez.

HHC Soldiers arrived before the main body and worked long hours preparing the battlespace for the main force. Building and supplying a forward operating base, in-processing and out processing all exercise participants, and preparing and delivering hot food to Soldiers in the remote locations of the base are but a minuscule part of the Arizona Guardsmen daily duties.

"Working better with your instincts and your values and principles are some of the things we've improved on out here," said Gutierrez. "Sometimes listening to your gut and ignoring your head will get you mission accomplishment."

This large-scale exercise pushed the 158th to its limits and forced the Soldiers to learn to improvise in a dynamic situation.

"This is just a great way to show the citizens of Arizona that we are doing great things with our partner ally forces and that we are flexible enough to accomplish any mission," said Gutierrez.

Lt. Col. Bobby Alolega, commander of the 39th Service Battalion, Canadian Army, brought the 158th into his unit to provide logistical support to maintain the exercise and also train in the exercise.

"The work that we've done over the years with the Soldiers of the 158th has allowed us to augment our smaller reserve number and makes supporting our Canadian forces easier," said Alolega.

Sgt. 1st Class George Schimmel, HHC first sergeant, led the everyday effort to make Cougar Conqueror 2016. "The operation tempo is very high, and we've been conducting supply convoys everyday while simultaneously providing FOB security," said Schimmel.

That high level of training pushed the Soldiers beyond their limits, both physically and professionally.

"Everyone in the company is tired, but you still see smiles, they are happy, they are engaged and not one Soldier in the unit isn't constantly engaged," said Schimmel.

Providing logistical support to close to 3,000 Soldiers, airmen and sailors participating in Cougar Conqueror 2016 gave the Arizona Guard members the opportunity to expand their skill sets.

"Using their basic soldier skills, HHC Soldiers are conducting missions that they wouldn't normally do, take for example the chaplains assistant doing gate security," said Schimmel.

"They are really learning and expanding professionally here."

The Soldiers from both countries and different components overcame the larger than life mosquitos, rough terrain and grueling hours to complete Cougar Conqueror 2016.

"These international exercises are important and provide valuable training for Arizona Guardsmen to participate in real-world missions across the globe," said Schimmel.

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South Carolina Army National Guard deploys to Guantanamo

By Ismael Ortega December 16, 2016

FORT BLISS, Texas -- Soldiers assigned to the 131st Military Police Company, South Carolina Army National Guard, deployed to Guantanamo Naval Base, Cuba, from the Silas L. Copeland Arrival/Departure Airfield Control Group here Nov. 29, to conduct detainee operations. This will be the first time the unit has supported a mission such as this, but after completing training with the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security the Soldiers feel prepared.

"Prior to us coming here we had a lot of the standard Army Warrior tasks, battle drills and when we arrived on the ground we focused more on the operational and non-lethal training which (the Soldiers have) done in the past but really honed their skills here," said 1st Lt. Katherine Weatherly, commander, 131st MP Co. "We also worked with really for the first time, knowledgeable (internment/resettlement specialist) instructors that taught detainee operations."

The 131st MP Co. was assembled by servicemen and servicewomen who volunteered from sister companies and other units within the Palmetto State to go on this deployment.

"We've been lucky with our state to be able to pull from other units and not hurt (their deployment cycle) to have this 100 percent volunteer mission," Weatherly said. "I'm very proud of everybody and I wouldn't trade them for anyone else. We are ready to go and mission ready."

More than half the unit is deploying for the first time and many hope to better themselves by gaining valuable leadership skills. Soldiers such as Evans and Sgt. Austin Rogers, team leader, use what they learn in their military career such as managing personnel and interacting with different personalities in the civilian sector.

"In the military you have to learn to be patient. You deal with a lot of different people that you probably wouldn't on a regular basis so that definitely helps a lot in the real world," said Evans.

Others will use their time at the naval base to attend the Basic Leadership course to prepare for higher rank or take advantage of the Morale, Welfare and Recreational opportunities. Overall the unit's goal is to have a 100 percent pass rate on the Army Physical Fitness test and have all Soldiers complete their structured self-development.

Mentorship has also helped prepare the unit members. Rogers credits his promotion to a noncommissioned officer to his squad leaders' and platoon sergeant. Evans sees Staff Sgt. Alycia Bradshaw as an example to follow.

"(Bradshaw) is the top female noncommissioned officer and definitely handles her business," said Evans. "She's good at (physical training) and very knowledgeable  I want to move up in rank and be like her."

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More women than expected pursuing combat arms positions

By Sean Kimmons December 16, 2016

WASHINGTON (Army News Service) -- Full gender integration in the Army is exceeding expectations, with more than 300 women successfully recruited or transferred into the service's most physically demanding career fields in 2016, according to senior leaders.

Earlier this year, the Army opened about 138,000 positions once closed to women in the infantry, armor, field artillery and Special Forces.

"This is about identifying a Soldier or applicant who is capable of doing a job to standard regardless of gender," said Maj. Gen. Hugh Van Roosen II, the Army's deputy G-1. "For us, this means opening up some of the hardest jobs in the Army to all the talent pool that's out there and not cutting ourselves off from 50 percent of the population."

The influx of women interested in combat arms has surprised Van Roosen and others who expected to see half that number of women by this time after the defense secretary approved the Army's implementation plan in March.

"This is a real success story," he told representatives of military and veteran service organizations who visited the Pentagon Wednesday. "This has gone far better than we anticipated."

Now in its third phase, the integration plan, also known as Soldier 2020, is placing female infantry and armor officers in operational units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Hood, Texas. The fourth and final phase will sustain and optimize integration efforts once the Army reaches full operational capability and re-validates screening requirements for jobs in combat arms.

Small cohorts of female and male officers are currently being trained together and assigned to the same company as a way of gradually adjusting the culture in male-dominated units before female enlisted Soldiers begin to graduate this summer.

"We're going to break stereotypes," Van Roosen said. "We keep that up  until we determine the climate and culture have sufficiently changed to normalize processes and get back to business as usual."

A majority of the women within the program -- more than 260 -- are part of the infantry and armor fields. Of them, fewer than 30 are serving in the reserve component.

Unlike the regular Army, which can place active-duty troops in positions at any base, the Army National Guard must figure out how to place its members in positions based on vacancies. One way the Guard hopes to offer guidance to women enlisted in combat arms is by having female officers who are serving nearby in other career fields act as leaders for them, Van Roosen said.

Initial data of fully integrated training at Fort Benning, Georgia -- where infantry and armor courses are held -- have shown no significant difference between male and female student performance.

"The female attrition rate is lower or the same as men," Van Roosen said. "These are women who are physically fit and absolutely prepared for this."

The Army has also conducted several studies to decrease injury and attrition rates among all trainees. The Occupational Physical Assessment Test, which rolls out to the entire service Jan. 3, was developed as a result of the findings.

The new test features gender-neutral tasks, including a standing long jump, a dead lift, an interval run and a seated power throw to measure strength needed for tasks such as loading ammunition. Those who score in the highest physical category, among other qualifications, will be allowed to work any job in combat arms, Van Roosen said.

As of now, no cap has been placed on the number of women who can serve in combat arms, and Van Roosen doesn't believe there should be one. "This isn't about gender, this is about capability," he said. "We don't really care what the gender is."

The general does believe the U.S. Army could have a larger percentage of women in combat arms compared to the Canadian army, which served as a model for the gender integration plan. Canadian women have served in combat arms for 30 years, but commissioned and enlisted females make up only about 2 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, of that army's infantry, according to Van Roosen.

"We will probably do better than the Canadian model," he said. "Time will tell what the long-term propensities will look like."

Having women in the Army's toughest jobs will greatly benefit readiness, the general believes.

"We're getting after the best Soldiers we can," he said. "This will give our Army capability that we've not had before on several levels, and it will make us a better Army."

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DRC: Call for Calm and Respect for Human Rights

Press Statement

Mark C. Toner

Deputy Department Spokesperson

Washington, DC

December 16, 2016



The United States is deeply concerned about the potential for unrest and violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on or around December 19, when President Joseph Kabila's second and final term in office was to end with the inauguration of a democratically elected successor. We urge both the government and opposition to cooperate fully and in good faith with the DRC's Conference of Catholic Bishops (CENCO) to finalize an inclusive agreement as soon as possible on the holding of elections, parameters for an interim government, and a peaceful transfer of power. We further urge the DRC government and opposition parties to refrain from any actions or statements that could incite violence or unlawful activity in the coming days and weeks.

The United States strongly supports the right of peaceful assembly. Violent repression of peaceful protests or assemblies, or violence by the opposition, is inconsistent with democratic norms and the rule of law, endangers the lives of countless civilians and DRC security force members, and undermines efforts to reach a negotiated political agreement. The DRC government must respect human rights. Those who lead DRC security forces are responsible for the conduct of their officers and personnel, and must ensure that their actions remain consistent with the rule of law. We similarly call on any opposition and civil society leaders who may intend to organize protests to take all possible steps to ensure that participants remain nonviolent. Individuals who engage in repression or perpetrate unlawful violence must be held accountable.

At this critical moment in Congo's history, we call on opposition party leaders, civil society representatives, ruling coalition officials, and leaders of the DRC government to renew their commitment to nonviolence and redouble their efforts to reach an inclusive agreement acceptable to all sides.

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Security Council adjusts mandate of UN mission in South Sudan to deter sexual violence, monitor hate speech

16 December 2016  Approving a one-year extension of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the Security Council today demanded an end to the fighting in the war-riven country, and decided that the mission, known as UNMISS, shall "use all necessary means" to "deter and prevent" sexual violence within its capacity, and "monitor, investigate and report incidents of hate speech."

Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the Security Council extended the mandate of UNMISS through 15 December 2017, maintaining its core functions, while also maintaining a troop ceiling of 17,000, including a 4,000-strong Regional Protection Force (approved in mid-August), and increasing the police ceiling to 2,101 police personnel, and 78 corrections officers, and requesting the Secretary-General "to take the necessary steps to expedite force and asset generation."

South Sudan has faced ongoing challenges since a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and his Vice-President Riek Machar erupted into full blown conflict in December 2013. The crisis has produced one of the world's worst displacement situations with immense suffering for civilians.

Despite the August 2015 peace agreement that formally ended the war, conflict and instability have also spread to previously unaffected areas in the Greater Equatoria and Greater Bahr-El-Ghazal regions of South Sudan.

Through the text adopted today, the Council reiterated its increasingly grave alarm and concern regarding the political, security, economic and humanitarian crisis in South Sudan resulting from a political dispute within the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) and subsequent violence caused by the country's political and military leaders. It also expressed its intention to consider sanctions against those whose actions undermined peace, stability and security in the country.

The Council demanded that South Sudan's leaders implement the permanent ceasefire declared in the peace agreement and respective ceasefires, but also expressed grave concern at the findings of the UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict [Zainab Hawa Bangura] of the systematic and widespread use of sexual violence as a tactic by parties against the civilian population, particularly against the country's women and girls.

To this end, the Council decided that UNMISS would "use all necessary means" to deter and prevent sexual and gender-based violence within its capacity and areas of deployment, and "monitor, investigate, verify and report specifically and publicly on violations and abuses committed against children and women."

Further expressing deep concern at the possibility that what began as a political conflict could transform into an outright ethnic war, as noted by the Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, the Council condemned the use of media to broadcast hate speech and transmit messages instigating violence against a particular ethnic group, a practice that has the potential to play a significant role in promoting mass violence."

As such, in today's resolution, the Council tasked UNMISS with monitoring, investigating and reporting on incidents of hate speech and incitement to violence in cooperation with the UN Special Adviser.

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Philippines: UN expert rejects Government-imposed conditions on fact-finding mission

16 December 2016  The United Nations Special Rapporteur on summary executions urged the Government of the Philippines to lift a series of preconditions it has imposed on her planned visit to investigate the alleged extra-judicial killings of suspected drug dealers, since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.

According to a news release from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), estimates by the authorities themselves suggest that close to 6,000 people have been killed since the beginning of President Duterte's anti-drug campaign. Of these, 2,086 were allegedly killed in police operations and 3,841 in other circumstance, including vigilante-style killings.

Agnes Callamard encouraged the Philippines Government to respect the Special Rapporteurs' Code of Conduct, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council.

"I deeply regret the Government's position and urge the authorities to reconsider their demands," said Ms. Callamard, adding that she proposed an alternative, which comply with the Human Rights Council's code of conduct governing country visits by Special Rapporteurs."

Ms. Callamard's visit was aimed at investigating the rising death toll in the context of President Duterte's 'war on drugs.' Despite media reports, the Government claims it did not cancel the visit, insisting, however, that the Special Rapporteur will have to comply with the conditions imposed by the president in order to visit the country.

So far, the specific demands are: that the Special Rapporteur holds a public debate with President Duterte; that the president can put forward his own questions to "whoever he deems appropriate, including the Special Rapporteur," and that the Special Rapporteur takes an oath before answering questions from government officials and the President.

"It is crucial for the effective implementation of the mission that the UN terms of reference are fully accepted by governments and that the code of conduct is respected," stressed Ms. Callamard, adding that these are essential guarantees which ensure that the mission delivers on its outcomes, to the benefit of all those involved.

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UN Peacekeepers to Stay in South Sudan Through 2017

By VOA News December 16, 2016

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously extended its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan for another year.

The U.S.-drafted resolution says the council also will consider "appropriate measures" including an arms embargo against South Sudan to address continuing violence in the country.

4,000 troops added to mission

The new mission covers a new regional force of 4,000 troops, approved in August but not yet deployed, in addition to the approximately 13,000 peacekeepers already there.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, has come under criticism for failing to do enough to protect civilians during the three-year conflict. Human-rights groups said the mission did not do enough to protect civilians in Juba from a wave of mass rapes and murder that swept the capital five months ago, leaving at least 300 people dead.

Tensions between U.N., South Sudan

Ahead of the Security Council vote, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon sharply criticized South Sudan's leaders Friday, saying they have betrayed the people's trust and manipulated ethnicity for political gain.

Ban warned that violence in South Sudan, including "mass atrocities" and "recurring episodes of ethnic cleansing," could escalate into genocide.

Tensions have been growing between South Sudan's government and the U.N. mission. South Sudan initially rejected a U.S. proposal to deploy an additional 4,000 U.N. peacekeepers to the country in the wake of the fighting in July, but has now agreed to allow them, even though the technicalities are still being worked out.

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China: Sea drone to be returned after US origin verified

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:1PM

China says its seizure of a US Navy underwater drone was carried out to ensure the "safe navigation of passing ships" in the South China Sea.

On Thursday, the Chinese navy launched a small boat and removed an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from waters near a US oceanographic research vessel.

"In order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the safe navigation of passing ships and personnel, the Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device," said Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun in a statement released on Saturday.

He added that the drone would be returned after verification that the device was in fact a US unmanned submerged device.

Earlier, China's foreign ministry announced that the military was in contact with its US counterparts over the drone to "return it to the US side in an appropriate manner."

It also accused the US of "hyping up" the incident, while calling on the Washington to stop surveillance in Chinese waters.

"China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the US stop such activities," it added. "China will continue to maintain vigilance against the relevant US activities and will take necessary measures to deal with them."

The seizure of the drone brought a formal protest from the United States and set off one of the tensest standoffs between Beijing and Washington in 15 years.

US President-elect Donald Trump accused China of stealing the drone from international waters.

China has repeatedly criticized US military presence in the region. Observers believe America's efforts to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region are aimed at containing China, and the policy has increase the chance of confrontation Beijing and Washington.

China accuses the United States of meddling in the regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the South China Sea.

Tensions between China and the US escalated in November 2013 after Beijing declared an air identification zone over the East China Sea.

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UN blasts increase in arbitrary detention of Palestinian activists

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:18PM

The United Nations has denounced daily violations of human rights and international law by the Israeli regime in the occupied Palestinian territories, warning of an increase in the arbitrary detention of Palestinian rights activists.

"We have received a worrying number of complaints in recent months regarding human rights defenders, who are arrested and, in many cases, arbitrarily detained, often apparently as a direct result of their important work in their communities," the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, and the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, said in a joint statement on Friday.

The two senior UN officials further pointed to the cases of Issa Amro, the founder of the NGO of the Youth Against Settlements, and Farid al-Atrash, a Palestinian lawyer from the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron), who are being held in Israeli prisons over participation in a peaceful protest in February.

The UN experts also expressed concern over the harassment of Palestinian groups seeking to promote accountability and engage with the International Criminal Court over the Tel Aviv regime's crimes in the occupied territories.

They called on Israeli authorities to respect human rights defenders' "unfettered exercise of fundamental freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association."

"The right of all those who are seeking hope and participation in concrete, nonviolent action must be protected, particularly as we are seeing the deepening entrenchment of the Israeli occupation and the accompanying human rights violations," the two UN special rapporteurs stressed.

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Rwanda's opposition leader to run for president in 2017

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:57PM

The leader of Rwanda's sole government-recognized opposition party has announced plans for standing as a candidate in next year's presidential election.

Frank Habineza, with the Democratic Green party, announced the decision on Saturday after a meeting with party leaders in the capital, Kigali.

"I have accepted your request to represent you as the presidential candidate for the upcoming presidential election, which will take place on 4th August 2017," he said.

Habineza will challenge President Paul Kagame. The incumbent leader, who took power in 1994 at the head of a rebel army, had previously come forward as a candidate. Rwanda's parliament passed amendments to the constitution this year to allow Kagame to stand for re-election for another seven-year term.

Over the past years, Kagame has faced criticism for the lack of political freedoms in Rwanda, although the country is regularly praised for its stability and economic performance. Kagame's government has refused to recognize several opposition parties, barring them from contesting elections. The United Democratic Forces (FDU) is the most prominent of all those parties. Its leader, Victoire Ingabire, was arrested in 2010 while campaigning against Kagame.

Habineza vowed at the end of the Saturday party congress that his main goal would be to establish democracy in Rwanda.

"Democracy does not come from the sky, it won't come from America or Europe, we are the ones who have to fight for it," Habineza said, adding, "We want to bring democracy to this country."

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US reaction to drone incident not conducive to resolution: China

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:17PM

China has accused the United States of "hyping up" a recent incident in which an American underwater drone was captured by a Chinese naval vessel in the South China Sea.

China's Defense Ministry issued a statement on Saturday, saying it has been in touch with the US to "return it to the US side in an appropriate manner."

"During this process, the US side's unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate, and is not beneficial to the smooth resolution of this issue. We express regret at this," it added.

The incident occurred on Thursday, when the Chinese navy launched a small boat and removed the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) from waters near a US oceanographic research vessel.

The US said the drone "was lawfully conducting a military survey."

"It's a sovereign immune vessel, clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water- that it was US property," said an official. The Pentagon also viewed the incident seriously and demanded China to "return our UUV immediately."

"It is ours, and it is clearly marked as ours and we would like it back," said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. "And we would like this not to happen again."

China said a Navy vessel first discovered a piece of "unidentified equipment" and checked it to prevent any navigational safety issues, before discovering it was a US drone.

The Chinese Defense Ministry said it will return the drone, but called on Washington to stop surveillance in Chinese waters.

"China is resolutely opposed to this, and demands the US stops this kind of activity," the statement said, warning that the Navy will remain on alert and will take necessary steps to deal with these sort of activities.

Beijing, which claims most of the resource-rich South China Sea, has repeatedly criticized US military presence in the region, accusing it of meddling in the regional issues and deliberately stirring up tensions in the South China Sea.

Observers believe America's efforts to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region are aimed at containing China, a policy that has turned the region into a source of friction between the United States and China.

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Three soldiers killed as Indian army convoy ambushed in Kashmir

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 4:54PM

Three Indian soldiers have been killed when a military convoy came under attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Indian officials said on Saturday that assailants on motorbikes opened fire on the convoy near the town of Pampore, south of Srinagar, the region's main city.

K. Rajendra Kumar, the police chief of Kashmir, said, "Motorcycle-borne militants ambushed an army convoy. There have been casualties but details are being ascertained."

An Indian army official, however, said three soldiers were killed.

An Indian Defense Ministry spokesman blamed the attack on what he called militants, adding that a search operation had been launched to find those responsible for the deadly attack.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been the scene of protests and tight security since early July, when Indian forces killed a leading pro-independence fighter. The protests have left nearly 90 civilians and two policemen dead and thousands more injured.

The recent violence in Kashmir has chilled ties between India and Pakistan.

Senior officials in New Delhi blame Islamabad for sending fighters and material into Indian-controlled Kashmir. Pakistan has repeatedly denied any involvement, saying New Delhi must agree to talks to resolve the future of Kashmir.

Diplomatic tensions heightened between the two sides in late October, when India ordered one employee of the Pakistani High Commission out of the country, saying he was a suspected spy. Islamabad expelled an Indian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move.

In addition, Pakistan has recently accused eight Indian diplomats of conducting acts of "espionage and terrorism" against Islamabad.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan, but claimed in full by both, since the two countries gained independence from Britain in 1947.

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ECOWAS urges swift resolution of Gambia impasse

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:21PM

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for a swift resolution of the political impasse in the Gambia.

ECOWAS issued an appeal on Saturday as the heads of state from 11 member countries gathered for the 50th summit of the 15-member regional bloc in Abuja, Nigeria.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who serves as the current ECOWAS chairperson, said the bloc would continue to push for the prompt resolution of the impasse in the Gambia.

"It is now important that the authority, at this summit, considers recommended measures to bring this matter to successful conclusion before January 19, the constituted date when the mandate of the incumbent president expires," said Sirleaf, whose trip earlier in the week on top of a delegation to the Gambia failed to end in a deal between incumbent President Yahya Jammeh and the declared winner of the Gambia's presidential election, Adam Barrow.

The United Nations has also supported initiatives meant to resolve the dispute.

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, who serves as the special representative of the UN secretary-general and head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), said recent developments in the Gambia, including the seizure of the country's Independent Electoral Commission, have made the situation more complicated.

"The UN remains concerned by some of the worrisome developments that occurred during the post election period in The Gambia," Chambas said at the beginning of the ECOWAS summit. He condemned the military's takeover of the electoral office.

Jammeh initially conceded defeat in the December 1 election, but later changed his mind over what he described as "unacceptable errors" by election authorities. He has called for a new vote while his political party has filed a legal challenge against the result with the Supreme Court of the Gambia.

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US demands China return 'seized' underwater drone

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:11AM

The US Defense Department has demanded that China return an underwater drone that was "unlawfully seized" in the South China Sea, an episode that threatens to increase tensions between Washington and Beijing in the disputed waters.

"We call upon China to return" the underwater vehicle "immediately and to comply with all of its obligations under international law," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement Friday.

The drone was deployed by an American oceanographic survey ship in international waters in the South China Sea when the Chinese launched a small boat on Thursday and snatched the unmanned underwater vehicle, the Pentagon said Friday.

Ignoring radio demands from the Americans to return the drone, the Chinese ship sailed off.

The seizure of the drone brought a formal protest from the United States and set off one of the tensest standoffs between Beijing and Washington in 15 years.

The South China Sea has become a source of friction between the US and China since Washington launched its so-called pivot to Asia strategy some five years ago.

China has repeatedly criticized US military presence in the region. Observers believe America's efforts to increase its presence in the Asia-Pacific region are aimed at containing China, and the policy has increased the chance of confrontation between Beijing and Washington.

China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, despite partial counterclaims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines. China is also locked in disputes with Japan and South Korea over the East China Sea.

Thursday's incident complicated already fraught relations between the US and China, ties that have been further frayed by incoming President Donald Trump's phone call with the president of Taiwan earlier this month.

The conversation between Trump and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was a first by a US president or president-elect since Washington cut ties with Taipei in 1979 and committed to the "one-China" principle, which recognizes Taiwan as a part of China.

President Barack Obama warned Friday that a shift in China policy could lead to significant consequences in the US relationship with Beijing.

"For China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket," Obama told a news conference. "The idea of one China is at the heart of their conception as a nation and so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what ... the consequences are."

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China Says Pentagon 'Hyping Up' Its Seizure Of U.S. Naval Probe

RFE/RL December 17, 2016

China's Defense Ministry has accused the United States of "hyping up" its seizure of a U.S. naval probe, saying that Beijing is "strongly opposed" to U.S. reconnaissance operations in the South China Sea.

In a statement issued a day after a Chinese warship seized the U.S. unmanned underwater glider, the Defense Ministry in Beijing on December 17 said "the hyping up from the American side is inappropriate and unhelpful to the swift resolution of the problem."

Meanwhile, China's Foreign Ministry on December 17 said that its military was in contact with the Pentagon about "appropriately handling" the seizure of the U.S. underwater drone -- one of the most serious incidents between the two militaries in years.

The Pentagon on December 16 said the underwater drone was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research about 85 kilometers northwest of a U.S. naval base in the Philippines when the Chinese warship seized the vessel.

U.S. officials say the drone was lawfully conducting a military survey in the waters of the South China Sea at the time.

They described the drone as a "sovereign immune vessel, clearly marked in English not to be removed from the water" and containing warnings that "it is U.S. property."

The Pentagon later confirmed that the value of the drone is about $150,000.

Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said: "It is ours, and it is clearly marked as ours and we would like it back. And we would like this not to happen again."

Washington says it has issued a formal diplomatic complaint and has demanded the return of the drone.

The dispute has frayed already tense relations between the United States and Beijing at a time when China has been building up its military maritime outposts in the South China Sea.

China claims that most of the South China Sea is its own territorial waters -- a position that has led to maritime territorial disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Indonesia.

China's government has estimated the South China Sea may contain some 17.7 billion tons of crude oil.

Beijing was angered by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on December 2.

Trump also has said he does not feel "bound by a one-China policy" regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the United States gains trade or other benefits from Beijing.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/china-says-pentagon- hyping-seizure-of-naval-probe/28182091.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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Silencing opposition is 'not the solution,' UN rights chief says as Internet blackout looms in DR Congo

17 December 2016  The United Nations human rights chief today said he is "deeply alarmed" at a planned Government shutdown of social media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) from Sunday evening, ahead of the end of President Joseph Kabila's mandate, coupled with a continuing ban on demonstrations by civil society and the opposition.

"We are especially concerned as Monday also marks three months since 54 people died in Kinshasa, when defence and security forces used excessive force against people calling for constitutional deadlines to be respected and for President Kabila to step down at the end of his second and final mandate, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said, adding that to date, no one has been held accountable for this violent repression of demonstrations.

Since the beginning of December, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC documented at least 45 arrests of people trying to exercise their right to peaceful assembly. Of these, at least 16 people were detained in Bunia, Kinshasa, the capital, and Goma in the context of the 'Bye Bye Kabila' campaign organized by the Filimbi and Lucha youth movements. A further 26 people were reportedly arrested for their political links or because they belong to citizen movements.

"Intimidating and targeting opponents and civil society is not the answer. Silencing their views and stopping them from protesting is not the solution, and in fact is more likely to push them to resort to violence," said Mr. Zeid, calling on the Government, and especially its security forces, to take all necessary measures to guarantee the rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly.

He went on to express concern that the DRC Government has asked Internet providers and phone operators to block social media networks from Sunday evening. "Such disruption is generally disproportionate and risks heightening tensions and fears, as it follows recent increased restrictions on independent media and on political debate," he stressed, adding: "I urge the authorities to reverse this order and to guarantee the right to freedom of expression and to access information, in line with the Congolese constitution."

Under an agreement reached with some members of the opposition, elections are not expected before April 2018, with Mr. Kabila planning to stay on in office beyond 19 December. Talks mediated by the Catholic Church have been taking place in Kinshasa to try to find a negotiated way forward beyond this date and to avoid violence. Respect for the Constitution and human rights principles and standards must be a cornerstone of any agreement achieved at these talks, the High Commissioner noted.

"Let me stress how important the implementation of confidence-building measures is to reassure the Congolese population. I call on the Government to release all political prisoners, guarantee the independence of State institutions, including the judiciary, and open up the political space. At the same time, the opposition and civil society must strictly adhere to the peaceful exercise of their rights and freedoms," Mr. Zeid said.

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China: 'Appropriately Handling' Return of US Drone

By Carla Babb December 17, 2016

China accused the U.S. Friday of "hyping up" the Chinese navy's seizure of a U.S. naval underwater drone from international waters in the South China Sea while the two countries' militaries are in contact to "appropriately handle" the situation.

Beijing also accused Washington of deploying "ships in China's presence to conduct renaissance and military surveying," in a statement released by Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun late Saturday. "China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the U.S. stop such activities.''

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said Saturday that the U.S. military had heard from China and that there was an understanding that the drone would be returned, though he gave no timetable for it to happen.

"We have registered our objection to China's unlawful seizure of a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle operating in international waters in the South China Sea. Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States," he said in a statement.

President-elect Donald Trump blasted China's seizure of the drone on Twitter Saturday morning, calling the act "unprecedented."

An earlier version of the tweet, which was deleted and replaced, had misspelled "unprecedented" as "unpresidented."

The Pentagon had used diplomatic channels to call for the immediate return of the glider and to ask that China not repeat similar incidents. Although unmanned, the glider still retains the protections of a sovereign U.S. vessel.

"This is an action that's not in keeping with international law," Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. "It's certainly not something we consider to be commensurate with [China's] level as a professional military."

How it happened

Davis told reporters a civilian-manned Navy oceanographic research vessel was in the process Thursday of recovering two underwater ocean gliders that were "stopped dead in the water" 93 kilometers from Subic Bay in the Philippines when a Chinese military vessel approached.

The Chinese ship dispatched a smaller vessel into the water and snatched one glider as the U.S. Navy ship was retrieving the other one.

"There were multiple attempts over bridge-to-bridge radio to demand it back," Davis said.

"[The Chinese navy] acknowledged the communications on bridge-to-bridge radio, so it wasn't a radio problem, but ignored the requests for it to be returned," he added.

Davis said the Chinese gave no reason for taking the U.S. drone, which he said was worth about $150,000.

As the Chinese vessel was leaving, the only communication its crew sent to the U.S. ship was, "We are returning to normal operations," according to Davis.

The Pentagon said the drone measures unclassified information, including water temperature, clarity, salinity and the speed of sound through water. The data are gathered to help with sonar use, among other things, and are collected by the U.S. military in international waters around the world.

The two gliders being recovered had run a pre-programmed route and had stopped in the South China Sea's international waters for a routine recovery mission, Davis said.

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Al-Shabab Kills Two Government Soldiers in Somalia's Mahaday District

By Mohamed Olad Hassan December 17, 2016

Heavily armed al-Shabab fighters in pickup trucks moved into Somalia's Mahaday district in the Middle Shabelle region early Saturday, killing two government soldiers before voluntarily withdrawing, residents and officials said.

The militants attacked about 4 a.m. local time, seizing a police station and administrative offices, residents said. The Mahaday district commissioner, Ahmed Husein, said officials had received word that militants were headed to the town, so they made a quick decision.

"We got intelligence tips from the local people about their attack, and we made a strategic withdrawal for the safety of the innocent civilians," Husein said. "They briefly held the town and immediately withdrew once they realized that we would counterattack as the day wore on."

Fearing reprisals, sources in the town who asked not to be named told VOA the two government soldiers and three militants were killed in a brief clashes at the town's entry checkpoint.

Mahaday is a small agricultural town 27 kilometers from Jowhar, the capital of the Middle Shabelle region and the seat of HirShabelle, a newly established federal member state.

The attack came as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) jointly embarked on an operation to open up key supply routes in the region.

The organizations intend to open roads in the region and help the military access forward operating bases "in the sector that is under the Burundi contingent," an AMISOM statement said. "The rehabilitation and opening up of the roads in the operation will help the local population to move their crops from farms to the markets, while the security agencies will be able to respond to emergencies much faster than is the case now."

AMISOM said that during the operation, which is expected to take at least three months, it plans to rehabilitate more than 150 kilometers of roads in the agricultural-rich region of Somalia.

Elsewhere in the country, government forces backed by Kenyan Defense Forces have launched an offensive against al-Shabab-controlled villages west of Kismayo to aid local people who have been fighting with militants over the imposition of a tax on their livestock.

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Rewards for Justice - Increased Reward Offer for Information on ISIL Leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

December 16, 2016



Today, the U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is increasing to $25 million its reward offer for information leading to the location, arrest, or conviction of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Ibrahim 'Awwad Ibrahim 'Ali al-Badri, also known as Abu Du'a. This represents a significant increase from the previous reward offer of $10 million announced in October 2011.

Protecting the homeland and the American people is our top counterterrorism priority, and just as we have intensified our efforts against ISIL, we are increasing the means available to us to gain information on their leadership and bring them to justice. In June 2014, ISIL, also known as Da'esh, seized control of portions of Syria and Iraq, self-declared a so-called Islamic caliphate, and named al-Baghdadi as caliph. In recent years, ISIL has gained the allegiance of jihadist groups and radicalized individuals around the world, and has inspired attacks in the United States.

Under al-Baghdadi, ISIL has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The group also has conducted chemical weapons attacks in Iraq and Syria in defiance of the longstanding global norm against the use of these appalling weapons, and has enabled or directed terrorist attacks beyond the borders of its self-declared caliphate.

In 2011, the Department of State designated Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Al-Baghdadi was also added to the United Nations Security Council ISIL (Da'esh) and al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in 2011. Al-Baghdadi was the leader of al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI), which subsequently morphed into ISIL.

More information about al-Baghdadi is located on the Rewards for Justice website at www.rewardsforjustice.net. We encourage anyone with information about al-Baghdadi to contact the Rewards for Justice office via e-mail (no2daesh@rewards4justice.co), by phone (1-800-877-3927 in North America), or by mail (Rewards for Justice, Washington, D.C., 20520-0303, USA). All information will be kept strictly confidential.

The Rewards for Justice Program is administered by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Since its inception in 1984, the program has paid in excess of $125 million to more than 80 people who provided actionable information that helped bring terrorists to justice or prevented acts of international terrorism worldwide.

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US electors won't get intelligence briefing on Russian 'hack': Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:14PM

US Electoral College electors will not receive an intelligence briefing about alleged Russian interference in the November 8 presidential election, a new report says.

US National Public Radio (NPR) reported on Saturday that the electors would not get any national intelligence before they cast ballots next week.

All 538 electors will convene at governors' offices and state capitols across America on Monday to officially elect Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States.

Fifty-four of the 232 Democratic electors have called for a full intelligence briefing about the extent and purpose of Russia's purported intervention in the US election before the Electoral College's vote, according to reports.

The Obama administration has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of direct involvement in a covert Russian operation to intervene in the US election.

Trump has rejected claims that Russia boosted his campaign as "ridiculous," describing them as "another excuse" from Democrats devastated by his stunning victory against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

Democrats had signed a letter asking Director of National Intelligence James Clapper for information on what role, if any, Russia had in defeating Clinton.

"Separate from Mr. Trump's own denials of Russian involvement in the election, the confirmed communication between Trump's aides and those associated with the Russian election interference activity raise serious concerns that must be addressed before we cast our votes," the letter reads.

Originally only some Democratic electors signed the letter but later on at least one Republican, Chris Suprun of Texas, also signed it.

Suprun has already vowed not to vote for Trump and claimed that other Republican electors plan to pick an alternative too.

The Clinton campaign had appreciated the electors' demand for an intelligence briefing, but lamented that the media did not pay much attention to the issue.

"Despite our protestations, this matter did not receive the attention it deserved by the media in the campaign," Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said in a statement about alleged Russian interference.

"We now know the CIA has determined Russia's interference in our election was for the purpose of electing Donald Trump. This should distress every American."

Last week, The Washington Post reported a "secret CIA assessment" that Russia intervened in the November 8 election to help Trump win the White House.

President Barack Obama ordered the intelligence community to fully review Russia's cyber attacks during the presidential campaign and wants a report before he leaves office in January.

Though he lost the popular vote to Clinton by nearly 3 million votes in the election, Trump won enough states to claim 306 electoral votes to emerge as the victor.

The overwhelming majority of Republican electors are expected to back Trump but still a group of liberal electors is trying hard to convince enough Republican delegates to vote against Trump in order to deprive the president-elect of the 270 votes he needs to enter office.

Under the US Constitution, the president is not elected through popular vote. American voters rather vote for members of the Electoral College who elect the president on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. A majority of 270 electoral votes are required to elect the president.

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FBI now backs CIA assessment on Russia election hack: Report

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:23AM

The FBI finally agrees with a CIA assessment that Russia deliberately intervened in the US presidential election through cyber operations to help Donald Trump win the White House.

Both FBI Director James Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper are in agreement with the CIA analysis, The Washington Post reported on Friday.

"Earlier this week, I met separately with FBI (Director) James Comey and DNI Jim Clapper, and there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election," CIA Director John Brennan wrote in a message to employees, according to the report.

"The three of us also agree that our organizations, along with others, need to focus on completing the thorough review of this issue that has been directed by President Obama and which is being led by the DNI," Brennan added.

The message follows media reports last week that the FBI did not stand by the CIA on Russia's motives for hacking the Democratic National Committee, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta and other political operatives.

While the CIA insisted that Moscow was trying to use the hacked emails to get Trump elected, the FBI told lawmakers the evidence was "fuzzy" and "ambiguous."

President-elect Trump has dismissed the intelligence community's assessment as "ridiculous."

The growing distrust between Trump and the intelligence community he will soon command marks the latest in a series of disputes over Russia's international conduct and its alleged ties with the president-elect.

Washington first publicly accused Moscow of a campaign of cyber operations against American political organizations in October but did not attribute motives at the time.

As the November 8 election neared, Democrats pressed the White House for a stronger response.

On Friday, President Barack Obama defended his administration's handling of the cyberattack and vowed retaliations for the moves.

"I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections that we need to take action," Obama told NPR. "And we will, at a time and place of our own choosing."

At a year-end press conference the same day, Obama all but named Russian President Vladimir Putin as behind Moscow's alleged attempts to influence the election.

"Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin," he said. "This happened at the highest levels of the Russian government."

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President Obama says everyone worse off if US-China ties break

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:34, December 17, 2016

US President Barack Obama said on Friday no other bilateral relationship carries more significance than US-China relationship, and if the US-China relation breaks down, everyone becomes worse off.

"Given the importance of the relation between the United States and China, given how much is at stake, in terms of the world economy, national security... China's increasing role in international affairs, there's probably no bilateral relationship that carries more significance," said Obama here in his final news conference of the year.

"There's also the potential if that relationship breaks down or goes into a full conflict mode that everybody's worse off," he added.

US President-elect Donald Trump early this month received a telephone call from Taiwan's Tsai Ing-wen.

After the phone call, the White House reaffirmed it's firm commitment to one-China policy on several occasions.

It is universally recognized by the international community that there is only one China in the world, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has made clear that adherence to one-China policy is the prerequisite for Taiwan to conduct contacts with foreign countries or participate in international activities.

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Iran FM urges JCPOA joint commission meeting over US sanctions extension

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:33PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Iran and the P5+1 group of countries need to hold a joint commission meeting to discuss the recent US move to renew the Iran Sanctions Act in violation of the nuclear agreement between Tehran and the six states.

In an official letter to the European Union foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, on Saturday, Zarif said the Islamic Republic remained committed to all of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries last year.

On December 1, the US Senate voted to extend the Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for another 10 years. The sanctions law, which would authorize the US president to re-impose sanctions on Iran, was first adopted in 1996 to punish investments in the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program and its support for anti-Israeli resistance groups.

US President Barack Obama on Wednesday declined to sign the bill renewing the existing sanctions against Iran, but allowed the legislation to become law.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a statement that Obama had decided to allow the legislation to become law without his signature.

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that all sides needed to fulfill their commitments stipulated in the deal as the JCPOA was a multilateral agreement.

"Maintaining the JCPOA integrity and coherence as well as its sustainability requires that all parties to the JCPOA pay attention to [their commitments to] implement its provisions," Zarif said.

He noted that the United States kept reneging on its obligations under the nuclear agreement and called on the EU foreign policy chief to make necessary preparations for the JCPOA joint commission meeting.

In a directive issued to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on December 13, President Hassan Rouhani instructed Zarif to take action to follow up on the US violations of the JCPOA as per the provisions of the deal and to take other legal and international measures necessary in that regard.

The Iranian president also ordered the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) to plan work on nuclear propulsion devices to be used in sea transport in response to the recent US violation of the JCPOA.

In the directive issued to the head of the AEOI, Ali Akbar Salehi, the Iranian chief executive demanded that the organization draw appropriate plans to design and manufacture nuclear propulsion devices as well as the fuel required for them.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China -- plus Germany started implementing the JCPOA in January.

Under the nuclear deal, Iran undertook to put limitations on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

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Iran Claims U.S. Violated Nuclear Deal, Requests EU Review

December 17, 2016

Reports from Tehran say Iran has requested a meeting of a commission that oversees the implementation of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers in response to Tehran's claims that the United States has violated the agreement.

Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on December 17 that Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif requested the meeting in a letter to European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who coordinates the work of the joint commission.

The commission includes Iran and the world powers that reached a deal in July 2015 on Iran's nuclear program -- the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and the United States.

On December 15, the White House said a bill on Iran passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress will become a U.S. law automatically without President Barack Obama's signature.

The legislation would allow U.S. lawmakers to continue imposing U.S. sanctions against Iran in the future for another 10 years

Although Obama did not sign the legislation, he also did not veto it.

The White House said the legislation would not affect the implementation of the nuclear deal under which Iran agreed to limit its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

Based on reporting by Reuters, dpa, and IRNA

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/iran-claims-us-violated -nuclear-deal-seeks-eu-review/28182092.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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Massive pro-, anti-Park protests held in S Korean capital

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:12AM

Massive crowds of protesters have converged on the streets of the South Korean capital Seoul for the eighth straight week demanding the swift ouster of the country's president amid a counter-rally by her supporters.

Protesters marched Saturday on the Constitutional Court whose nine justices are considering the validity of the impeachment bill passed by the national assembly more than a week ago against President Park Geun-hye, urging her immediate resignation and pushing for the high court to abruptly remove her from office and allow for her criminal prosecution.

Although Park has been stripped of her substantial executive powers, she is allowed to retain the title of presidency and continue to live in the presidential Blue House while the court, which has 180 days to make a ruling on the case, deliberates.

This is while several thousands of Park's loyalists waged their own rally near the court earlier in the day to demand that the impeachment bill be dismissed.

Waving national flags and clutching red roses, pro-Park demonstrators carried banners denouncing the anti-Park protests as a "leftist conspiracy."

Many of Park's supporters are elderly voters who remain committed admirers of her father, the late military dictator Park Chung-hee - credited with South Korea's economic transformation but also vilified as an authoritarian rights abuser.

The development came as the country's opposition-controlled parliament voted last week to impeach Park over an explosive corruption scandal that saw millions protest over consecutive weekends.

This is while lawmakers tried to inspect records at the president's office on Friday, but were denied entry. The legislators had planned to look into allegations that Blue House security authorities allowed Park's long-time friend Choi Soon-Sil - who is currently awaiting trial for fraud and embezzlement - and her key associates to easily move in and out of the presidential offices and residence.

Meanwhile, Park's lawyer, Lee Joong-hwan, has argued that the court should restore her powers because there is insufficient evidence to justify her unseating. He and other members of Park's legal team submitted a 24-page rebuttal of the impeachment charges to the court explaining why they lacked any legal merits.

"We can't accept that there was any violation of the constitution by the president... the impeachment motion should be rejected," Lee told reporters.

Park was impeached on numerous counts of constitutional and criminal violations ranging from a failure to protect the people's lives to bribery and abuse of power.

Most of the charges stemmed from a probe into a scandal involving Choi. Prosecutors named Park a suspect in the case, insisting that she had colluded in Choi's efforts to coerce major corporations to give donations worth tens of millions of dollars to organizations under her control.

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Iran, Russia defense ministers urge firm fight against terrorism in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:18PM

The defense ministers of Iran and Russia have stressed the importance of proceeding with a firm fight against terrorism in Syria, following the liberation of the strategic city of Aleppo from the foreign-backed militants.

In a telephone conversation on Saturday, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu discussed the latest developments in Syria, particularly after the liberation of Aleppo.

The two ministers emphasized that the Syrian town of Fua'a and the village of Kefraya, which are besieged by the terrorists, must be liberated at the earliest.

Dehqan and Shoigu also called for a firm and all-out battle against Takfiri terrorists in Syria until the full establishment of security in the war-stricken country.

The Iranian and Russian defense ministers underlined the need for constant consultations on the fight against Takfiri terrorists.

Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, was fully liberated this week, less than a month after the Syrian army started to drive foreign-backed militants out of their stronghold in the eastern side of the strategic city.

Russian Defense Ministry's Center for Reconciliation in Syria said in a statement on Friday that the Syrian military had wrested full control of eastern Aleppo, scoring a major victory against terrorists in the strategic northwestern city.

It further noted that more than 9,500 people, including over 4,500 militants and 337 wounded, had been taken out of eastern Aleppo.

In a telephone conversation on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani congratulated his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on the liberation of Aleppo, saying the Islamic Republic feels duty-bound to support the "flag-bearers" of the fight against terrorism.

Rouhani said Aleppo's liberation was an important step towards Syria's ultimate victory over terrorism in the Arab country.

Tehran and Moscow support the elected Syrian government and have been assisting Damascus in its fight against terrorism.

Russia has been carrying out airstrikes on positions of Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria since late September 2015, while Iran has been providing military advisory assistance to the Arab country.

Meanwhile, a new deal has been reached between the Syrian government and the militants in the city of Aleppo to resume the evacuation of civilians and the remaining armed groups from the east of the city, after the original pact came to a halt.

The original deal was suspended after militants prevented residents from leaving the two militant-besieged villages of Fua'a and Kefraya despite an agreement reached the day before.

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Deal reached to resume Aleppo evacuations: Reports

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 9:59AM

A new deal has reportedly been reached between the Syrian government and the militants in the city of Aleppo to resume the evacuations of civilians and the remaining armed groups from the east of the city, after an earlier halt in the evacuation operations.

Evacuations were suspended on Friday after the militants fired on corridors set up to let out the civilians and militants in eastern Aleppo and prevented residents from leaving the two militant-besieged villages of Fua'a and Kefraya in Idlib Province despite an agreement reached the day before.

Reports on Saturday quoted Syrian government sources as saying that the new deal would see a resumption of the evacuations. The fresh deal was reportedly reached after the militants agreed to allow residents out of the two villages.

Thousands have already been transferred out of Aleppo, where full government control was recently restored, before the suspension of the deal on Friday.

Earlier on Saturday, Syria's armed opposition had said that a new agreement was struck to complete the evacuations from the militant-held areas of eastern Aleppo. Al-Farouk Abu Bakr, a Syrian militant, told news channel al-Arabiya al-Hadath on Saturday that the deal included an evacuation from the two villages in Idlib as well as from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition monitoring group, said some 4,000 people, including injured ones, could be evacuated from the villages starting from Saturday.

Meanwhile, Syrian state television said that the militants in the villages of Zakiya and Deir Khabieh in the southwestern countryside of the capital, Damascus, have also laid down their weapons and surrendered to the Syrian authorities as part of another deal between the two sides.

The news comes as the Syrian troops continue to advance against the militants in the countryside of Damascus.

The foreign-sponsored conflict in Syria, which started in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people, according to an August estimate by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

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Comprehensive ceasefire, peace talks sole way out of Syria crisis: Russia

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:30AM

Russia says a political settlement based on the resumption of "inclusive inter-Syrian" negotiations and enforcing an "all-encompassing ceasefire" is the sole solution to the years-long conflict in the Arab country.

"The first and foremost task today is the establishment of all-encompassing ceasefire and the resumption of inter-Syrian negotiations, the readiness of which Damascus has re-confirmed repeatedly," Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin said at a Security Council meeting in New York on Friday.

He added that Moscow, however, believes that delivering humanitarian aid and a simultaneous fight against terror must complement parallel efforts to reach a ceasefire and hold negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition.

"We are convinced that there is no alternative to the political regulation [than the one] based on the inclusive inter-Syrian dialogue with the parallel provision of ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid and continuation of the fight against terrorism," the Russian diplomat stated.

Churkin also hailed his country's counter-terrorism operations in Syria which he said have barred terrorists from capturing the capital Damascus, minimized their military and economic potential, and liberated vast territories, including the major city of Aleppo, from the clutches of militants.

Moscow keeps on taking all possible measures to reduce tensions and resolve vital humanitarian issues in the country, particularly in newly-liberated Aleppo, he said.

"At the same time, massive humanitarian and medical aid is being provided to the Syrian population affected by the conflict, and the main wave of humanitarian aid is being delivered to Aleppo for a couple of days now," Churkin added.

He went on to say that the military operations in the northwestern city as well as the evacuation of militants and their families from the eastern part of Aleppo "are coming to an end."

Earlier in the day, Russia's Defense Ministry said more than 6,400 people, including over 3,000 militants, had been transferred out of the city as part of a ceasefire deal brokered by Russia and Turkey.

Russia began its military campaign against terrorists in Syria in September last year upon a request from the Damascus government, shortly after the upper house of the Russian parliament gave President Vladimir Putin the mandate to use military force in Syria.

The conflict in Syria, which flared up in March 2011, has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people, according to an estimate by UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

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Obama: Russia, Iran, Syria Have 'Blood On Hands' In Aleppo

RFE/RL December 17, 2016

U.S. President Barack Obama charged that Russia, Iran, and Syria have "blood on their hands" from their brutal takeover of Aleppo even as he lamented being unable to stop the bloodshed in Syria despite years of effort.

"The world as we speak is united in horror at the savage assault by the Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian allies on the city of Aleppo," Obama told a yearend news conference on December 16. "This blood and these atrocities are on their hands."

"We have seen a deliberate strategy of surrounding, besieging, and starving innocent civilians. We've seen relentless targeting of humanitarian workers and medical personnel, entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble and dust. There are continuing reports of civilians being executed."

Obama in particular warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose civil war against armed opponents since 2011 has killed more than 250,000 people, that he will not be able to "slaughter his way to legitimacy."

But at the same time, Obama acknowledged the United States and its allies have had little success in their attempts to prevent the bloodshed or alleviate it, mostly as a result of his decision early in the war not to get in involved militarily.

"For years, we've worked to stop the civil war in Syria and alleviate human suffering.... It has been one of the hardest issues that I've faced as president," he said.

Obama said he concluded early on there was no way for the United States to intervene militarily "on the cheap."

"Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems," he said, adding that a military takeover would have required "putting large numbers of U.S. troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate."

Obama also acknowledged that his administration's efforts to establish a peace process through the United Nations as well as directly in negotiations with Russia have borne little fruit.

"I cannot claim that we've been successful, and so that's something that, as is true with a lot of issues and problems around the world, I have to go to bed with every night," Obama said.

"But I continue to believe it was the right approach given what realistically we could get done."

Many analysts say western inaction led to Russia's decision last year to intervene. Moscow is now helping Assad's regime make significant gains retaking rebel-held territory.

As the president spoke, Russia and Syria had halted their evacuation of thousands of civilians and fighters as they moved to take control of the last areas of Aleppo once held by rebels.

Obama threw his weight behind a French initiative at the United Nations to authorize UN observers to monitor the evacuation -- but Russia has blocked such moves and UN officials seem as confounded as Obama on how to proceed.

Outgoing UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at his final news conference on December 16 that the Syrian war has been "heartbreaking" for him, especially since efforts to evacuate hundreds of wounded civilians stopped on December 16.

"The carnage in Syria remains a gaping hole in the global conscience," he said. "Aleppo is now a synonym for hell."

Ban urged "the parties to take all necessary measures to allow safe resumption of this evacuation process."

Syrian forces said they stopped evacuations because rebel groups had not made good on promises to similarly evacuate wounded government troops and civilians from two Shi'ite villages the rebels are besieging in Idlib Province.

Iran demanded that the villages be included in a cease-fire deal which has enabled people to leave Aleppo, UN officials have said.

Turkey, a main backer of the rebels, said Ankara is talking to counterparts in Tehran to try to resume the evacuations.

Obama dismissed claims by Russia and Syrian officials that all innocent civilians who were trapped in Aleppo had been able to leave already.

"Humanitarian organizations who know better and who are on the ground have said unequivocally that there are still tens of thousands that are trapped and are prepared to leave," Obama said. "So right now our biggest priority is to get them out."

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power sought to address Russian resistance to installing UN observers to monitor the evacuations.

"Russia has helped deliver Aleppo to the Syrian government. Surely Russia can secure actual safe corridors for civilians," she said.

With reporting by AP, AFP, dpa, and Reuters

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/obama-says-russia -iran-syria-have-blood-on-hands-brutal- takeover-aleppo-syria/28181365.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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Aleppo Evacuation to Resume

By VOA News December 17, 2016

An agreement was reached Saturday to resume the evacuation of Syria's eastern Aleppo, though hours later, the evacuation hasn't started and rebels and civilians are still waiting.

The evacuation was suspended Friday due to demands from pro-government forces who wanted two villages  Foua and Kfarya  evacuated. Residents of the villages will be included in Saturday's exodus, which has yet to begin.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it expected 4,000 people to be evacuated from the two villages starting on Saturday and reported that 29 buses were en route to the villages to start the evacuation process.

The Syrian government suspended the evacuation Friday after blasts and gunfire were heard in Aleppo. Both rebels and government forces accused the other of breaking the fragile cease-fire agreement.

U.N. refugee agency commissioner Filippo Grandi warned Saturday that the violence in Aleppo could spread to other areas if the war in Syria isn't immediately brought to a halt.

"There is grave risk now that such displacement and suffering will not stop, but will be repeated elsewhere, in other wars. For the sake of civilian protection everywhere, Syria's conflict must be ended, now, and without delay," he said in a statement. "Civilians should not be hostage to negotiations."

Russian news agencies reported Saturday that the Russian Foreign Ministry hopes the evacuation of rebel fighters in eastern Aleppo will lead to new cease-fire possibilities in other areas of Syria.

The Syrian government had ordered trucks and buses carrying people out of the rebel-held parts of Aleppo to turn around as the army set up roadblocks along the highway that had been used in the evacuation.

Turkey, which has been heavily involved in the Aleppo peace process, said the suspensions were temporary.

Syria's government said the rebels broke the agreement by trying to smuggle heavy weapons and hostages out of Aleppo. The rebels, though, accused the government of suspending the evacuation as a way to pressure them into releasing civilians from Foua and Kfarya - two government-held Shi'ite villages currently under siege by the rebels.

The government said the evacuations in the villages had to coincide with those in eastern Aleppo, but the rebels had said the two are unrelated.

One of the rebel leaders who leads the al Sham group, blamed Iran for holding up the deal for political reasons and said Russia wasn't doing enough to restrain its ally.

"Iran and its sectarian proxies are using the humanitarian situation of our people in besieged Aleppo and preventing civilians from leaving until the evacuation of their groups in Foua and Kfarya," Munir al-Sayal told Reuters.

Talks planned

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is working with Turkey to start a new round of peace talks on Syria with a goal of a nationwide cease-fire.

The U.N. Security Council met in a closed-door emergency session Friday to discuss Aleppo and more talks are planned Saturday.

France, which called for the meeting, wants international observers on hand to monitor the evacuation of civilians. Previous cease-fires collapsed almost immediately, putting a halt to evacuation efforts.

The conflict in Syria, which began nearly six years ago as a protest against the government, has so far killed more than 310,000 people and forced millions of people to flee their homes.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said, "We have witnessed indiscriminate slaughter, not accidents of war, not collateral damage, but frankly purposeful, cynical policy of terrorizing civilians."

Kerry said the United States is going to work to save lives and continue pushing all parties in Syria toward a resolution and allow full access by humanitarian groups throughout all of Syria.

U.S. President Barack Obama has denounced the "horror" in Aleppo and warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad he cannot "slaughter his way to legitimacy."

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ROC is a sovereign country, committed to cross-strait peace: MAC

ROC Central News Agency

2016/12/17 19:56:56

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign country committed to promoting peaceful and stable relations with mainland China, Taiwan's top China policy planner said Saturday, in response to comments by U.S. President Barack Obama on the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangular relationship.

Since the administration of President Tsai Ing-wen () came into office on May 20, it has reiterated that the government remains committed to preserving peaceful development in the Taiwan Strait and in the region, the Cabinet-level Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said.

The government has also pledged to continue to promote a pragmatic, steady cross-strait policy that safeguards the country's best interests and ensures the people's well-being, the MAC said.

The council also noted that the core goal of Taiwan's national development is to ensure a sustainable development of a democratic system and to be able to participate in international organizations with dignity.

Both Taiwan and the United States have upheld the values of freedom and democracy and established a close partnership in all areas, the MAC said, expressing its gratitude for the U.S.'s support for Taiwan's efforts to promote a pragmatic cross-strait policy.

The MAC urged Beijing, meanwhile, to consider restarting cross-strait dialogue and deal with cross-strait ties with a rational, practical attitude.

The MAC's remarks came after Obama spoke of Taiwan and China Friday at his year-end press conference, his last before departing the White House on Jan. 20.

It was the first time Obama spoke extensively about the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangular relationship since President-elect Donald Trump questioned Washington's one China policy, under which it acknowledges but does not necessarily accept Beijing's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of it.

The U.S. president said there has been a longstanding agreement between China, the United States and, to some degree, the Taiwanese, and that is to not change the status quo.

"China views Taiwan as part of China, but recognizes that it has to approach Taiwan as an entity that has its own ways of doing things," Obama said.

"The Taiwanese have agreed that as long as they're able to continue to function with some degree of autonomy, that they won't charge forward and declare independence.

"And that status quo, although not completely satisfactory to any of the parties involved, has kept the peace and allowed the Taiwanese to be a pretty successful economy and a people who have a high degree of self-determination," he said.

Obama cautioned against changing the status quo. "But understand, for China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket. The idea of one China is at the heart of their conception as a nation," he said.

He was answering a question on whether Washington's policy toward China could use a fresh approach as suggested by Trump's recent comments.

The president-elect took a call from President Tsai and later appeared to say that he would not necessarily be bound by Washington's longstanding one China policy unless the U.S. got some trade concessions from Beijing.

Taiwan's Presidential Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued statements, thanking the Obama administration for its support over the past eight years, including selling arms to Taiwan, upgrading bilateral trade and economic relations, and helping Taiwan participate in international activities.

Taiwan also thanked the U.S. government for not treating its relationship with Taiwan as subordinate to or an extension of U.S. relations with other countries and for strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations step by step, the statements said.

They also affirmed that Taiwan hopes to strengthen its relations with the incoming Donald Trump administration on this robust foundation for bilateral relations.

In response to Obama's remarks, Legislator Tsai Shih-ying () of the Democratic Progressive Party, a member in the Legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, said Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country.

The legislator suggested that Obama might have been trying to steer Trump away from a radical approach on its China policy to avoid irritating Beijing.

Lawmaker Ma Wen-chun () of the Kuomintang, also a member in the committee, agreed that Obama's remarks showed his concern about regional stability and were an attempt at reducing the possibility of any unnecessary conflicts.

Alexander Huang (), an assistant professor at Tamkang University's Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, told CNA that Obama's remarks showed he saw "the Taiwanese as unwilling to change the status-quo" in cross-strait ties.

For a president who will step down in about a month, Obama's remarks were not an announcement of a major policy but rather a response to the Trump-Tsai call and Trump's comments on "one China policy" and a reminder for the incoming president, Huang said.

Huang said that after Trump's election, it was clear that the U.S. government will scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal strongly supported by Obama.

Recent developments in Asia, including political turmoil in South Korea and deteriorating relations between the U.S. and the Philippines, also pose serious challenges to Obama's rebalancing policy toward Asia, and Obama was trying to defend his legacy, Huang said.

Lai I-chung () of Taiwan Thinktank predicted that Obama's remarks will not have any impact on Trump's policy in the future.

He also disagreed with Obama's comment that "the Taiwanese have agreed that as long as they're able to continue to function with some degree of autonomy, that they won't charge forward and declare independence."

Taiwan's democracy and achievements in economic development were the results of the hard work of the Taiwanese people, Lai said.

"Before speaking on behalf of others, one should first understand the thoughts of others," he said.

(By Miu Chung-han, Justin Su and Elaine Hou)

ENDITEM/ls

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Full text of Obama comments on China, Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

2016/12/17 13:00:55

Washington, Dec. 16 (CNA) President Barak Obama on Friday gave one of his most elaborate comments to date on U.S. relations with China and Taiwan, saying the status quo, although not completely satisfactory, "has kept the peace and allowed the Taiwanese to be a pretty successful economy and a people who have a high degree of self-determination."

The U.S. president also warned of the dangers of "upending" that status quo, calling on Donald Trump, his successor at the White House, to be fully briefed and think it through before taking a different approach.

Obama made the comments at a yearend press conference, his last before handing over the presidency to Trump on Jan. 20.

The following is the full text of the question and the president's answer according to a transcript provided by the White House Office of the Press Secretary:

Q: Your successor spoke by phone with the President of Taiwan the other day and declared subsequently that he wasn't sure why the United States needed to be bound by the one-China policy. He suggested it could be used as a bargaining chip perhaps to get better terms on a trade deal or more cooperation on North Korea.

There's already evidence that tensions between the two sides have increased a bit, and just today, the Chinese have evidently seized an underwater drone in the South China Sea.

Do you agree, as some do, that our China policy could use a fresh set of eyes? And what's the big deal about having a short phone call with the President of Taiwan? Or do you worry that these types of unorthodox approaches are setting us on a collision course with perhaps our biggest geopolitical adversary?

THE PRESIDENT: That's a great question. I'm somewhere in between. I think all of our foreign policy should be subject to fresh eyes. I think one of the -- I've said this before -- I am very proud of the work I've done. I think I'm a better President now than when I started. But if you're here for eight years, in the bubble, you start seeing things a certain way and you benefit from -- the democracy benefits, America benefits from some new perspectives.

And I think it should be not just the prerogative but the obligation of a new President to examine everything that's been done and see what makes sense and what doesn't. That's what I did when I came in, and I'm assuming any new President is going to undertake those same exercises.

And given the importance of the relationship between the United States and China, given how much is at stake in terms of the world economy, national security, our presence in the Asia Pacific, China's increasing role in international affairs -- there's probably no bilateral relationship that carries more significance and where there's also the potential if that relationship breaks down or goes into a full-conflict mode, that everybody is worse off. So I think it's fine for him to take a look at it.

What I've advised the President-elect is that across the board on foreign policy, you want to make sure that you're doing it in a systematic, deliberate, intentional way.

And since there's only one President at a time, my advice to him has been that before he starts having a lot of interactions with foreign governments other than the usual courtesy calls, that he should want to have his full team in place, that he should want his team to be fully briefed on what's gone on in the past and where the potential pitfalls may be, where the opportunities are, what we've learned from eight years of experience, so that as he's then maybe taking foreign policy in a new direction, he's got all the information to make good decisions and, by the way, that all of government is moving at the same time and singing from the same hymnal.

And with respect to China -- and let's just take the example of Taiwan -- there has been a longstanding agreement, essentially, between China, the United States, and, to some degree, the Taiwanese, which is to not change the status quo. Taiwan operates differently than mainland China does. China views Taiwan as part of China, but recognizes that it has to approach Taiwan as an entity that has its own ways of doing things. The Taiwanese have agreed that as long as they're able to continue to function with some degree of autonomy, that they won't charge forward and declare independence.

And that status quo, although not completely satisfactory to any of the parties involved, has kept the peace and allowed the Taiwanese to be a pretty successful economy and a people who have a high degree of self-determination. But understand, for China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket. The idea of one China is at the heart of their conception as a nation.

And so if you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are, because the Chinese will not treat that the way they'll treat some other issues. They won't even treat it the way they treat issues around the South China Sea, where we've had a lot of tensions. This goes to the core of how they see themselves. And their reaction on this issue could end up being very significant.

That doesn't mean that you have to adhere to everything that's been done in the past. It does mean that you've got to think it through and have planned for potential reactions that they may engage in.

Enditem

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Presidential Office thanks Obama administration for deepening ties

ROC Central News Agency

2016/12/17 13:17:55

Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Presidential Office on Saturday thanked the U.S. government for deepening U.S.-Taiwan relations and said it hopes to further strengthen ties with the incoming administration under President Donald Trump.

Alex Huang, the spokesman for the Presidential Office, said Taiwan thanked the administration of President Barak Obama for its support over the past eight years, including selling arms to Taiwan, helping to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities, upgrading bilateral trade and economic relations and helping Taiwan participate in international activities.

"As a democracy just like the United States, we also thank the U.S. government for not treating its relationship with Taiwan as subordinate to or an extension of U.S. relations with other countries and for strengthening U.S.-Taiwan relations step by step," Huang said.

"Taiwan hopes to strengthen its relations with the incoming Trump administration on this robust foundation for bilateral relations," he said.

The statement also stated the Tsai administration was committed to maintaining the status quo of peace across the Taiwan Strait.

"It is our government's abiding position to maintain Taiwan's freedom and democracy and to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and the status quo of peace and stability in cross-Taiwan Strait relations," Huang added.

Huang made the comments after Obama spoke of Taiwan and China Friday at his yearend press conference, his last before departing the White House on Jan. 20.

It was the first time Obama spoke extensively about the U.S.-China-Taiwan triangular relationship since President-elect Donald Trump made surprising remarks questioning Washington's one China policy, under which it acknowledges but does not necessarily accept Beijing's position that there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of it.

The U.S. president said that there has been a longstanding agreement between China, the United States and, to some degree, the Taiwanese, and that is to not change the status quo.

"China views Taiwan as part of China, but recognizes that it has to approach Taiwan as an entity that has its own ways of doing things," Obama said. "The Taiwanese have agreed that as long as they're able to continue to function with some degree of autonomy, that they won't charge forward and declare independence."

"And that status quo, although not completely satisfactory to any of the parties involved, has kept the peace and allowed the Taiwanese to be a pretty successful economy and a people who have a high degree of self-determination," he said.

He raised cautions about changing the status quo.

"But understand, for China, the issue of Taiwan is as important as anything on their docket. The idea of one China is at the heart of their conception as a nation," Obama said.

He was answering a question on whether Washington's policy toward China could use a fresh approach as suggested by Trump's recent comments. The president-elect took a call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen () and later appeared to say that he would not necessarily be bound by Washington's longstanding one China policy, unless the U.S. got some trade concessions from Beijing.

"If you are going to upend this understanding, you have to have thought through what the consequences are, because the Chinese will not treat that the way they'll treat some other issues. They won't even treat it the way they treat issues around the South China Sea, where we've had a lot of tensions. This goes to the core of how they see themselves," said Obama. "And their reaction on this issue could end up being very significant."

"That doesn't mean that you have to adhere to everything that's been done in the past. It does mean that you've got to think it through and have planned for potential reactions that they may engage in," he added.

(By Rita Cheng and Jay Chen)

Enditem/cs

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Turkey arrests over 50 top officers amid crackdown after mid-July coup attempt

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:0PM

Turkish authorities have detained more than 50 high-ranking officers as the Ankara government escalates its wide-ranging crackdown against people allegedly linked to US-based Muslim preacher and opposition figure Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of having masterminded the failed July 15 coup.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement on Saturday that 53 officers had been arrested. A total of 48 people were arrested in the coastal city and the remaining five were detained elsewhere in the country.

The development came shortly after the Istanbul 11th Criminal Court of Peace issued arrest warrants for 530 military personnel, including 280 officers and 250 sergeants.

Turkish officials are on the lookout for the rest of the suspects, some of whom are believed to be using ByLock mobile application, which the Turkish government claims to be the top communication tool among members of the Gulen movement.

Ankara says it has been successful in significantly diminishing the power of Gulen's supporters in state institutions following the coup.

Gulen has strongly condemned the coup attempt and denied any involvement in it.

Turkish officials say over 240 people were killed and more than 2,100 others injured in the coup attempt.

Tens of thousands of people, including military personnel, judges and teachers, have been suspended, dismissed or detained as part of the post-coup crackdown.

According to a survey conducted by the official Anadolu news agency, a total of 40,832 suspects have been arrested since the mid-July botched putsch. A total of 2,279 administrative and judicial judges, 104 members of the Appeals Court, 41 members of the Council of State, two members of the Supreme Court, and three members of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigations.

Additionally, 168 army generals, 7,596 Security Directorate police officers, 17 governors, 74 deputy governors, and 69 district governors under the Interior Ministry have been detained.

International rights groups argue that Ankara's crackdown has gone far beyond the so-called Gulenists and targeted Kurds as well as government critics in general.

On November 24, the European Parliament decided to temporarily halt accession negotiations with Turkey over the large-scale crackdown.

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FBI Met With Poroshenko Accuser; No Further Talks Planned

Christopher Miller December 17, 2016

The U.S. Justice Department has cut ties with a fugitive Ukrainian member of parliament who said he had turned over damning evidence proving the corruption of Ukraine's president, a spokesman told RFE/RL on December 16.

The disclosure confirms for the first time that the department had held talks with the lawmaker.

Oleksandr Onyshchenko, the runaway lawmaker, said on December 1 that he had handed FBI agents audio recordings he made of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and members of his inner circle discussing schemes to steal money from state and private companies and buy votes in parliament -- charges the president's administration vehemently denies.

Since then, Onyshchenko has gone on a media blitz, discussing the allegations -- which included a complex scheme to drive down the approval ratings of the former prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, to make way for a Poroshenko ally -- contacting Ukrainian and international media as well as RFE/RL.

The scandal has caused an uproar in Ukraine, where the public is becoming increasingly frustrated by the slow progress of anticorruption reforms.

But despite having met with Onyshchenko, the Justice Department said it would not be contacting him again and gave no indication that it would pursue the allegations.

"While the Department of Justice does not usually comment on such meetings, in light of Mr. Onyshchenko's decision to speak publicly in this regard, we can state that the U.S. Department of Justice has no plans to have further meetings or communications with Mr. Onyshchenko," Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr told RFE/RL by e-mail without saying when, where, or how many times the department met with him.

Carr declined to say what specifically -- if anything -- Onyshchenko had handed over to U.S. law enforcement.

As a general matter, Carr explained, the Department of Justice and U.S. law enforcement agents will meet with individuals who claim to have evidence regarding violations of U.S. law. But the mere fact of such a meeting is not an indication that such violations have occurred or that the individual's information is considered to be accurate.

Onyshchenko, who fled Ukraine before being stripped of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution last summer, is being investigated by Ukrainian authorities for allegedly stealing $64 million from a state gas producer.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has accused Onyshchenko of spying for Russia.

Onyshchenko's current whereabouts are unknown, although he has spent much of his time in London since leaving Ukraine.

Poroshenko's office, which dismissed Onyshchenko's accusations as "the expedient fiction of the suspect" in a statement to RFE/RL on December 7, has gone on the offensive and even threatened to sue some journalists who report on the lawmaker's claims.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/a/fbi-met-with- poroshenko-accuser/28181758.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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Nagam Back In Action In TDP?

It has been quite some time since one has heard of senior leader and former minister Nagam Janardhan Reddy.

After joining the Bharatiya Janata Party, Nagam has lost his relevance in the state politics. Because of his independent approach, he has lost his position even in the BJP and nobody is acknowledging his presence in the party.

Now, Nagam is making efforts to stage a comeback into active politics. And he has no option but to return to his parent Telugu Desam Party.

On Friday, Nagam made a surprising appearance in the TDP Legislature Party office and interacted with party MLAs A Revanth Reddy and S Venkata Veeraiah.

He is learnt to have given them some tips as to how to take on the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

On this occasion, Revanth is learnt to have asked Nagam to return to the TDP. Since party president N Chandrababu Naidu is focussing completely on Andhra, Nagam would not have any issues with him and he would get a free hand in Telangana, Revanth is learnt to have told him.

It could be okay for Nagam, but the TDP itself has lost its relevance in Telangana and it might not be of much use to him to get his past glory.

For that, Revanth is learnt to have suggested that in the coming days, there is a possibility of TDP and the Congress fighting the elections together in Telangana and it would provide him an opportunity to get back to power politics.

Not a bad idea, Nagam!
We're now just a few weeks away from Ireland's Dancing With The Stars hitting our screens.

Today saw the official announcement of the judges for the show by RTE. Talent agent Julian Benson, and two of Ireland's most successful ballroom dancers, Loraine Barry and Brian Redmond, have been confirmed as the judging panel for the inaugural season.

Speaking at the announcement, Benson said that his "fellow judges would be a lot more technically-minded, Im going to be the peoples judge. Ill be looking for the three Ps; passion, performance and personality."

Meanwhile, Barry explained that she will "be mainly looking for characterisation of dances in the early stages" and expects "technical ability to develop as the show progresses," whilst Redmond said that between the three judges, there's "guaranteed to be conflict."

"As a trio, we get on, but we wont be afraid to tell each other whats what," explained Redmond.

Dancing With The Stars kicks off on RTE from January 8th.
Week 50 in review: Nokia 150 announced, some more Galaxy S8 rumors

Nokia announced two new devices this week, boom! Okay, it's not the long-awaited Nokia return to smartphones, and the two featurephones are actually one, but with a dual SIM version. Even so, the announcement was the most widely read story here this week, by a country mile.

There was a healthy amount of Galaxy S8 rumors, too - that's unlikely to change anytime before the Spring announcement either. An optical fingerprint reader, unveiled by Synaptics, may be found on the S8, as well as the very same display from the Note7 (or at least one made using the same technology). Bluetooth 5 may also debut on the next-gen Samsung flagship.

A few very intriguing Xiaomi leaks took place this week. One is the Mi 5c, with some of its specs outed by a retailer. The other is the Mi Pad 3 - a Windows-based (for a change) tablet by Xiaomi due to be released on December 30. Not all rumors when it comes to Xiaomi though - the Chinese company officially announced the Mijia electric scooter - you'd think Xiaomi would have had by now.

Those were the top stories this week and you can read the full scoop on them by following the links below.



Nokia unveils two feature phones: 150 and 150 Dual SIM We are yet to see any Android smartphones from the descendant of the once mighty company.





Xiaomi Mi 5c leaks via a retailer, specs confirmed Xiaomi Mi 5c stars in yet another leak, a retailer confirms the specs.





Galaxy Note7's Y-OCTA display headed to the Galaxy S8 Samsung will be reportedly using the Y-OCTA display from the Note7 pm the upcoming Galaxy S8.





Samsung Galaxy S8 to be among the first to adopt Bluetooth 5.0 The new standard promises four times bigger range and twice times the speed of Bluetooth 4.0.





Synaptics unveils optical fingerprint sensor, may debut in Galaxy S8 The industry-first optical sensors work through 1mm thick cover glass and should go viral next year.





Xiaomi unveils the Mijia electric scooter: 30km range, sub-$300 price It's foldable, to make it easy to get on public transport stash away when you reach your destination.





Sony Xperia XA successor rendered: Type-C port, slim bezels The updated design language from the Xperia XZ set to make it to the midrange XA.





Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) specs leak once again The 5.2-inch device appears to have a very Samsung Galaxy S6 aesthetic going on, complete with a 2.5D display.





Samsung might offer Secure Folder as a download for the Galaxy S7 The now lost Galaxy Note7 feature could potentially be made compatible with Nougat Galaxy S7 handsets.





Here is the beautiful Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Design unboxed Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Design comes in a premium box full of goodies to complement the luxury device.





iOS 10.2 is now available The new incremental OS version brings new emoji, wallpapers, and iMessage screen effects, as well as the TV app.





Gionee M2017 with 7,000 mAh battery becomes official on December 26 The smartphone is also packing 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a dual rear camera setup.





EU's Galileo satellite navigation service will go live this Thursday It is set to offer higher accuracy than GPS and GLONASS. Some phones are already supported.





Nova Launcher turns 5, receives major update The update, which bumps the app to version 5.0, brings along several new features as well as improvements.






Haiti - Politics : UN adopts new strategy against cholera in Haiti





Friday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the new strategy of the Organization to combat cholera in Haiti, which was presented to it at the beginning of the month by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.



In a resolution adopted without a vote, the General Assembly expresses its concern that the epidemic has so far affected nearly 800,000 people and caused more than 9,000 deaths. In particular, it notes with deep concern the increase in the number of cases of cholera and other diarrheal diseases following the passage of Hurricane Matthew, which hit Haiti on 4 October 2016, and the continuing vulnerability of Haitians resulting.



The General Assembly expresses its appreciation for the considerable efforts made since 2010 at the national, regional and international levels to combat cholera in Haiti and is aware of the fact that, despite significant progress in the fight against cholera, the country still faces major difficulties.



In the resolution adopted, the General Assembly is "firmly resolved to deal with this emergency situation which has lasted too long, in an efficient and coordinated manner". It considers that the United Nations "acknowledged the United Nations role in the cholera outbreak and its moral responsibility to assist the victims of the cholera epidemic and it has to help Haiti recover from the epidemic and build strong water systems, sanitation and health-care facilities."



Accordingly, the General Assembly "calls upon all Member States, United Nations agencies and other international governmental and non-governmental partners to fully support the Secretary-General's new strategy for combating cholera in Haiti, in particular to redouble efforts to combat and eradicate cholera and to alleviate the suffering of the victims, in particular by providing material assistance and support to the populations and Haitians most affected by cholera."



During the presentation of the new strategy on December 1 before United Nations Member States, Ban Ki-moon had apologized to the Haitian people, expressing his deep regret for the suffering caused by the cholera epidemic. He suggested the way forward through a plan that included immediate action to stop the epidemic and provide long-term support to those affected.



At a cost of about $ 400 million over the next two years, the package proposed by the United Nations is centered on two components. The first is a much strengthened and better funded effort to address and reduce the incidence of cholera, while addressing short- and long-term water, sanitation and health system and improving access to care and treatment.



The second component of the new strategy is to develop a program of material assistance and support to Haitians most directly affected by cholera. This should include consultation with affected individuals and communities in the development of this program.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19496-haiti-health-eliminating-cholera-in-haiti-a-matter-of-money.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18970-haiti-health-un-creates-a-fund-to-fight-against-cholera-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19030-haiti-cholera-new-un-approach.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18970-haiti-health-un-creates-a-fund-to-fight-against-cholera-in-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18778-haiti-health-alarming-evolution-of-cholera-in-the-country-2016.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Security: Privert tries to reassure the Economic Forum





Friday de facto President Jocelerme Privert, had an important meeting at his private residence, with representatives of the Economic Forum around the political, economic and social situation of the country. Were present at this meeting held at the request of the Forum, the Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, Camille Edouard Jr., Minister of Justice and Public Security, the Chief of Staff of Head of State Jean Max Bellerive and representatives of the Economic Forum including its President Gregory Brandt, as well as Pierre Marie Boisson, Stephane Coles and Georges Sassine.



While recognizing that the first round of the presidential and legislative elections of 20 November was calm, the Forum expressed concern regarding thez calls for violence and disorder at demonstrations as part of challenges following the publication of preliminary results. While recognizing the efforts made by the security forces in the current state of affairs to ensure order and security, the Forum calls for the strengthening of measures already taken to secure the lives and property of the population.



Privert gave the firm guarantee to his interlocutors that there will be "a massive and visible police presence in the main arteries for the end-of-year and new year celebrations", which coincide with the announcement of the final results of the first round of elections (scheduled for 29 December), to ensure the safety of the population. He also condemned the calls for violence wherever they come from and that they have instructed the authorities concerned to take all necessary measures to prevent disturbances of public order...



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2016/12/17

Earn that Instagrammy by snapping up Korea's best views, Style tracks the rise of Korea's monochrome movement, watch a documentary that explores North Korea's love of 3D photographs, and a Korean professor releases a new book on contemporary South Korean art.

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"18 STUNNING INSTA-WORTHY VIEWS IN SEOUL"

Behold, Korean beauty! 10 Magazine's Ginyn Noble shows us just how photogenic Korea can be by highlighting some of the country's most 'insta-worthy' views, places like Deoksugung Palace, Banpo Bridge, Haneul Park, Seoul Forest, and Mt. Bukhansan. How many of these stunning sights have you snapped up? Did they miss a spot you know is spectacular? Let us know in the comment section below...

...READ ON 10 MAGAZINE

"South Korea's monochrome painting movement is the art world's latest obsession"

South Korean art, along with its literature, is forming an exciting new crest on the Korean Wave. More specifically, artists such as Lee Ufan, Park Seo-bo and Chung Chang-sup are capturing the attention of art lovers with their less-is-more monochrome works-"...these painters have created something of a storm in the art world in the space of only two and a half years": K-minimalism?

...READ ON STYLE

"Documentary on North Korea's love of 3D photographs"

While South Korea is well known for its technologically advanced cities and lifestyle, it's northern neighbour, the DPRK, is not. In this twenty minute documentary from Koryo Tours, however, you'll learn more about North Korea's strange fascination with 3D photography in this "never-before-seen examination of the process behind such cultural engagement projects between international artists and local North Koreans".

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"UNIST professor publishes book on contemporary art practice"

One of the books that helped put Korea's art scene on the map was Joan Kee's introduction to Dansaekhwa ("monochrome painting") in "Contemporary Korean Art: Tansaekhwa and the Urgency of Method" (the first book published in English not he subject). In that vein, Kyong-mi Paek, professor of Division of General Studies at UNIST, has recently released another book on contemporary South Korea art (but no word yet of an English translation): "Dynamic Growth in Contemporary Art and Creative Practitioners for the Future": "...the book explores the new reality of the Korean contemporary art after 1990s. The book also offers a basic introduction to the work of five of the country's prolific contemporary artists and their work".

...READ ON EUREKALERT
Published on 2016/12/17

Look out for Korea's new super train, 10 Magazine has your winter in Korea covered, get refreshed and focused at this amazing high-end spa, and see some of Seoul's attractions and architecture through designers' eyes.

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"South Korea's new super trains may be more convenient than domestic air travel"

Could South Korea's new super-train challenge planes as the country's preferred method of travel? Given that Korea's new trains can get from Seoul to Busan in close to two hours, many may choose to ditch the skies for this cutting-edge locomotive system by SR: "SR is opening up the future by offering safer, more reliable and more comfortable trains to the Korean railway industry", said Kim Bok-hwan, SR's CEO.

...READ ON ASIA ONE

"19 OF THE BEST WINTER ACTIVITIES IN KOREA"

South Korea will host the next Winter Games, but until then, here are 19 great wintery things to plan your weekends and holidays around. Go get some!

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"Heal your Body and Mind at Aquafield Jjimjil Spa"

Mind, body, soul: Visit Korea features an incredible high-end spa and sauna that opened back in September: "Aquafield Jjimjil Spa is gaining reputation for its luxurious interior and diverse sauna rooms in nine different themes". You can mediate in the Cloud Room for a spell, relax with a friend in the Cypress Room, or just let your imagination run wild in the Visual Pleasure Room-there's a room for everything! What bliss.

...READ ON VISIT KOREA

"Seoul: Vibrant and forever evolving"

Seoul is one of Cada Design's favourite places to work, and in this post they take a look at what Korea's capital has to offer in terms of their stylish art galleries, retail designs, and restaurants: "South Korea's bustling capital is an exciting city to explore, with millions of discoveries to be made in each strikingly different neighbourhood". See Seoul, intelligently designed...

...READ ON CADA DESIGN
By Vasia Orion | Published on 2016/12/17

The romantic comedy genre is a place of comfort for audiences. It is a place where a couple can be happy and with few problems, but also one where life is easier for everyone. Romantic comedy has had its ups and downs in Korean drama, and the industry's love for the melodramatic has been an issue. "Shopping King Louis" is a series which aims for genre purity.

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Louis/Kang Ji-seong (Seo In-guk) is a shopaholic "prince in a tower". When his grandmother, who sent him abroad to protect him from her perceived bad luck throws a party for him back in Korea, Louis has an accident and loses his memory. When Go Bok-sil (Nam Ji-hyun), a country girl who has come to Seoul looking for her lost brother discovers Louis in her brother's clothing, she decides to stay with him until he gets his memory back.

When I started watching "Shopping King Louis", I did not expect a lot. Having witnessed the decay of the romantic comedy genre in Korean drama over the last few years, I had little hope that the upbeat tone and endearing story would remain untainted throughout. The drama has proven me wrong, however and this is one of its greatest strengths. It stays within its genre and even enriches it.

In fact, I could write volumes about all the lovely ways in which the series subverts tropes and defies expectations, despite its seemingly cliche premise and often predictable outcomes. There is just a human, warm touch about the story that sucks you in and gives you something good, rather than something solely designed to keep your attention. The series has some lovely relationships and characters beyond the romantic pairing, providing great world building and meaningful messages.

If there is one thing to complain about regarding the great ensemble cast, it would be that not every character and subplot is handled with the same care. We have a standard mean-spirited second female lead who could have been developed and used well. Some of the side characters' stories lose their purpose at times and are given a hasty resolution, which is a shame to witness after having fallen for them.

This is something which could have been handled better, especially given the drama's length, which is my second issue. The plot tends to get repetitive and dawdle at times, especially near the end of the series. The story does rely on the everyday life of its characters a lot, which makes some of its less fast-paced parts enjoyable, but its story is clearly fit for a shorter duration.

Whatever grievances I personally have with "Shopping King Louis" are small and the series owes that to its wonderful atmosphere, lovely cast and lovable characters. It sneaks in social commentary, thoughts on love and life and it does all of this with apparent respect for its audience. It is a sweet little story that will stay with me for a long time.

"Shopping King Louis" is directed by Lee Sang-yeob-I, written by Oh Ji-yeong-I and features Seo In-guk, Nam Ji-yeon, Yoon Sang-hyun and Lim Se-mi.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'

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Note: Due to licensing, videos may not be available in your country
Published on 2016/12/18 | Source

Applicants attend at a job interview. /Courtesy of LG Uplus

A growing number of employers let applicants dress casually for job interviews, a straw poll suggests.

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Employment portal Job Korea said a poll of 784 jobseekers this year showed 44.8 percent of the respondents were allowed to dress casually for job interviews.

As a rule only employers in creative professions such as advertising or venture companies have allowed job applicants to dress casually in interviews while most others required the traditional dark suit. Even companies that allow their staff to wear shorts required job applicants to dress up.

But now even Hyundai, SK Telecom, LG Uplus, POSCO and Lotte are among the growing number of businesses that accept casual attire in interviews.

The aim is to create a comfortable atmosphere where interviewers can gain a deeper understanding of the personalities and traits of applicants. And for big conglomerates it offers a chance to shake off their image of being bureaucratic and rigidly hierarchical.

The most popular casual dress was khaki pants and oxford shirts for men and one-piece dresses for women. Next came semi-formal clothes and casual styles such as jeans and a T-shirt.

Experts said applicants should draw the line somewhere. "Clothes that are too loud must be avoided since they can be negative factors", said Byun Ji-sung at Job Korea.

But 50.6 percent of respondents said they would actually prefer formal dress, saying casual clothes just create one more agony of choice for them ahead of the interview.
Reaching Back into the Past, Part 2

by Tom Yamachika, President, Tax Foundation Hawaii

Last week we looked at a decision by the Supreme Court of Washington allowing a 27-year retroactive technical fix to legislation. We do retroactive legislation in Hawaii frequently, and there have been several instances where we in the Foundation had no issue with this effort. This week we look at different kinds of retroactive legislation and why some are okay while others just shock the conscience.

Our Due Process Clause generally gives citizens the rights to notice and an opportunity to be heard before the law. In general, the desirability of retroactive legislation is based on notice (or lack thereof). People get viscerally upset when you tell them they need to follow a rule they didn't know and couldn't have known. The government doesn't notify everyone of every new law that passes, and it doesn't have to if there is some publicly accessible place where people can see and read the law if they so choose. People cant even search out the law if it is retroactive, because it obviously didn't exist at the time it becomes effective. Its acceptability depends on whether the public needed fair notice of the law.

For example, we in Hawaii pass retroactive legislation every year to incorporate into our income tax law the changes in the federal tax code enacted in the prior year. This isn't a problem because our law says that we generally will follow Uncle Sam's lead on such things so that our beleaguered taxpayers don't have to learn and follow two entirely dissimilar income tax systems.

Retroactive legislation is also used when the legislature acts promptly to fix language in a measure that otherwise would make no sense. Take Act 18 of 2015, for example. Our general excise tax (GET) Law has an exemption for revenue of hospitals acting "as such." In 2011, "as such" was taken out of the statute, which doesn't seem like a big deal but those two words were pivotal in a 1983 case involving a famous hospital. Hospital got parking revenue. Our tax folks wanted a piece of it. Hospital said that it was exempt because it was related to it being a hospital; patients benefit when relatives and loved ones can visit. Our supreme court said that may be true but parking revenue didn't come from a hospital acting "as such," so the exemption didn't apply and the Department won.

When the 2011 amendment took out "as such," nothing in the legislative history mentioned a desire to bring back the exemption for hospital parking revenue. The Department continued to enforce the law as if the two words never had been taken out. It seemed like the language fell by the wayside only because of the Legislatures frenzied pace. It seemed that a retroactive fix was defensible. Still, taking four years to fix the problem seemed a bit much.

The Dot Foods case discussed last week seems clearly on the other side of the continuum of injustice. There, the Washington Department of Revenue had enforced the statute in a certain way for 17 years, granting the taxpayer a ruling letter in the process. The Department then changed its mind and started assessing the taxpayer and other industry members. When the Washington Supreme Court sided with the taxpayer, the Chicken Littles in the Department squawked about massive revenue loss, leading to a statutory amendment reaching back 27 years. Note well that if revenue loss is justification for grand-scale retroactivity, no one is safe! All tax laws are there to raise revenue.

Citizens have the right to notice of the laws before they are effective. Retroactive laws shouldnt be used to rewrite history, but may be acceptable to clarify it. And our lawmakers duty is to make our laws clear so citizens understand what they must do without having to use revisionist legislation.

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Candidates with no legislative history not uncommon

Maryland's candidates for governor do not have long legislative records. Wes Moore has none at all. Analysis shows that is not uncommon.
run75441 | December 18, 2016 11:45 am



The Republican controlled House and Senate has been largely busy passing bills in the few days left in 2016. This particular one caught my eye.

Michigan had put in place a new Unemployment System (Michigan Data Automated System or MiDAS) to help in detecting unemployment fraud. With the passage of Senate Bill 1008 by the Republican led House, $10 million is transferred from the Unemployment Contingent Fund to the General Fund to be done with in the General Fund as determined by the Republican held Legislature.

Just a little history; MiDAS was put in place (2013) by Governor Rick Snyder of Flint, Michigan fame to automate the system away from the manual process. The system sends out a series of questions, which the Unemployment Applicant has to answer picking from listed answers. There is no room for explanation. The claimants chosen answers from the list of answers are then loaded into the MiDAS data base and notification is sent to the former employer who then confirms the answers the claimant has listed in the system. If there is any discrepancy, MiDAS assumes the claimant has committed a potential fraud.

Another questionnaire is then sent to the claimant, which is also limited to listed responses. If you do not respond in 10 days, it is assumed a fraud has been committed as determined by MiDAS. A notice is supposedly sent out and the claimant has 30 days to answer. If no notice is sent out and the claimant does not answer, MiDAS assumes fraud and the issue goes to collections where just about anything can take place to collect the unemployment funds already given to the claimant. There is little or no human interaction throughout the process and little can be done to explain circumstance during the process.

The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, partly at the request of the federal government and partly on its own, reviewed 22,427 cases in which a computer determined a claimant had committed civil fraud between October 2013 and October 2015 and found that 20,965 of those cases did not involve fraud. Unemployment Insurance Agency spokesman Dave Murray said on Wednesday. Thats an error rate of more than 93%.

The $10 million will be transferred from the Unemployment Contingent Fund which had already grown by 400% after the MiDAS caused spike in fraud cases of which nearly all of them unfounded. Senate Bill 1008 is balancing the state budget on the backs of innocent citizens wrongfully accused of false unemployment claims.

Governor Rick Snyder spent $47 million of taxpayer funds to install MiDAS which has been shown to be correct in determining fraud < 7% of the time. Rather than give the funds to those who were unjustly denied Unemployment Compensation by MiDAS, the Republican led Michigan legislature and Republican governor Rick Snyder are keeping much of it in the Unemployment Contingent (used to train workers and for rainy days) and will also transfer $10 million of it to the General Fund to help balance the budget. This is the same as using the additional Medicaid funding received from the expansion to balance the budget rather than set it aside for later years which would have kept Michigan from having to add to Medicaid funding till 2027. It too was used to balance the budget. By doing so in both cases, the Republicans do not have to raise taxes on the rich in income.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / December 18, 2016 / On December 14, 2016, Texas' highest criminal court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, reversed the convictions of a husband and wife who were convicted at trial of bribery of a judge, reports Dallas criminal lawyer John Helms. In State of Texas v. David Cary and State of Texas v. Stacy Stine Cary, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals held that the evidence at trial was insufficient to prove bribery under the Texas bribery statute.

The trials took place in McKinney, Collin County, Texas. The Carys were convicted of bribing former State District Judge Suzanne Wooten. The State's theory was that the Carys directed payments to Ms. Wooten's campaign manager, who used the funds to pay campaign bills at times when the campaign had not yet raised the money to pay the bills. Ms. Wooten ran against incumbent judge Charles Sandoval, who was presiding over a highly contentious child custody matter involving Mr. Cary and his ex-wife. There was evidence that the Carys wanted someone to defeat Judge Sandoval, who was widely regarded as highly vindictive, but there was no evidence that Ms. Wooten knew about the Carys' relationship with her campaign manager. Ms. Wooten ultimately defeated Judge Sandoval in the election.

John Helms, a criminal defense attorney in Dallas, represented the Carys on appeal. He argued to the high court that, as charged, the Texas bribery statute required the State to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the payments to the campaign manager were NOT campaign contributions, but in fact, under a proper interpretation of Texas law, the State had actually proved that they WERE campaign contributions. Because the jury was not charged and instructed on a theory of bribery by campaign contribution (which requires a much higher level of proof that the State did not meet), the State's proof was insufficient. The Court of Criminal Appeals agreed and ordered that the Carys must be acquitted of all charges.

The ruling from the state's highest criminal court effectively ends a multi-year nightmare for the Carys, who maintained their innocence from the beginning. "The Carys are obviously very relieved and very happy this is over. Justice is finally served," added criminal defense attorney Helms.

If you or someone you know has been charged with bribery or any serious criminal offense, contact Dallas criminal lawyer John Helms immediately. Call 214-666-8010.

Read more about this victory in the Dallas Morning News.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/102874298661508534943/+JohnHelmsLawFirmDallas

Source: http://johnhelms.attorney/dallas-criminal-lawyer-helms-wins-acquittals-texas-highest-criminal-court/

SOURCE: John Helms Law Firm via Submit Press Release 123
NEWTON -- Friends and family of former Newton Police Department (NPD) Captain Mike Sullivan gathered Friday afternoon at the Newton City Council chamber to honor his 29-year career at his retirement ceremony.

Sullivan stood at the front of the room, greeting well-wishers as they entered. Instead of a uniform, he wore a grey shirt with a leather shoulder holster, sans sidearm.

NPD Chief Donald G. Brown II opened the ceremony.

The huge crowd is a testament to his career, Brown said.

Brown then introduced Newton city manager Todd Clark, who introduced Newton Mayor Anne P. Stedman.

You have meant a lot to this community, Stedman said to Sullivan.

Stedman then presented Sullivan with a plaque in honor of his service.

Clark, before giving Sullivan his last paycheck, had another gift for Sullivan -- an invoice for damage to city property.

Highlights of this list included a 2001 Crown Victoria and several phones, a combined total to $7,891.

Just keep that check, Sullivan said.

Clark explained liability insurance covered the damage, so Sullivan was in the clear.

I recognize you for the many years that you had to go home with the stress, Clark said. You have a big heart, and youre my friend.

Sullivan's wife, Marguerite, joked she might have to put the check in savings for replacement phones.

Brown presented Sullivan another plaque, and more importantly to Sullivan, a service weapon. Sullivan, after receiving the weapon, placed it into his holster.

"Mike Sullivan has made an impact on so many people. He has been the brother I never had," said Brown later in the ceremony. "His family is the god-family to my son. They probably have as much to do with raising him as we have."

Others spoke, including officers from other agencies. Most told humorous anecdotes about Sullivan, and all spoke highly of him and his service.

Mikes the most loyal person I know, said Catawba Country Sheriff's Office Captain Jason Reid. We're going to miss him.

Hickory Police Chief Thurman Whisnant presented Sullivan a traditional hickory night stick.

We give these to truly special people who made a difference in the community, Whisnant said.

I dont know what to say, it blows my mind, Sullivan said before taking a moment to gain his composure. I told my wife, I didnt think it was such a big deal. I didnt think it would be this hard, I really didnt.

We love you, said a voice in the audience.

Sullivan had a gift prepared for the department -- a painted replica of the NPD shoulder patch for the departments firing range.

Sullivans daughters, Amy and Katie, painted the patch.

Just give of yourself and youll get back 100 fold of what you give, Sullivan said.
The central bureau of investigation (CBI) on Saturday seized several incriminating documents raiding six premises spread across two states in connection with a corruption case in the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)s Madhya Pradesh circle.

Six teams of the premier investigation agency raided an office and the residence of general manager (telecom project) CL Yadav at Jalandhar in Punjab and Bhopal respectively.

They also conducted searches at business and residential premises of two officers of a private pipes and products company in Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

Sources in CBI said the investigators also questioned the prime accused and two co-accused.

The searches came a month after CBI-Bhopal registered a case of corruption and fraud against Yadav and Burhanpur-based Taxmo Pipes and Products Private Limiteds managing director Sanjay Agrawal and director Vijay Prasad alias Pappu.

According to key CBI sources, the raids that begun at 8 am and continued for hours led to the seizure of several incriminating documents, which will be further scrutinized by the sleuths of the agency.

Yadavs house in Trilanga locality of Bhopal was among the places CBI raided.

Sources privy to the ongoing investigations told Hindustan Times that income tax raids at the business premises of Burhanpur-based company in March 2016 had apart from unearthing unaccounted income, led to the seizure of some documents that revealed how some senior officials of the company rendered illegal gratification to the tune of over Rs 60 lakh to CL Yadav in the previous years.

At the time of the alleged corruption, Yadav was posted as GM (telephone projects) of BSNL-MP in Bhopal.

The payment of the illegal gratification by the private company to Yadav was for accelerating payment of bills pertaining to supply of plastic ducts used in laying of fiber optic cable network in MP.

The income tax department in Bhopal subsequently referred the alleged corruption involving the senior BSNL official to the CBI, which lodged the corruption case against Yadav and the two officials of the private company on November 8, 2016.
Four-year old Mohd Talha everyday nudges his maternal uncle Zahid Nagauri to take him to the Bhopal Central Jail, where he believes his father is lodged.

Talha is the son of Abdul Majid, a suspected activist of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), who was gunned down by police in an alleged encounter in Bhopal 45 days ago.

Talhas two elder siblings--six-year-old sister Sharmin Fiza and eight-year-old brother Imanq Abdullahtoo are yet to realize their father, an electrician turned alleged bomb maker, has died.

They often pester their truck-driver uncle Abdul Rashid (elder brother of Majid) to take them to the jail where their father is waiting to meet them.

Faced with the poignant situation, the joint family of the slain militant at the states Ujjan district is forced to keep the dead man alive for his children.

We have not yet mustered the courage to tell the truth to the children. We dont know how long we have to hide the truth from the children, said Rashid.

We had brought Majids body to home town Mahidpur at 3.30pm on November 1 and buried it by 5 pm. But in the hubbub none of the three kids could realise that the deceased was their father, whom they had met in Bhopal Central Jail a few weeks ago, claimed Zahid.

Majid was gunned down on October 31, along with seven other activists of the proscribed outfit hours after their audacious jail break.

Eldest of the three siblings Imanq told HT over phone on Saturday that the last time they met abbu and mamu (a maternal uncle, Irfan in Bhopal jail, their father had promised to come and meet them within a few months.

We will soon meet abbu and ask him when the police will let him live with us as in the past, said Imanq, a student of Class III.

We went to jail on Eid and had food and sweets with abbu and Irfan mamu. I have urged my mother to take us to Bhopal again to have food and sweets with abbu and mamu, said Sharmin Fiza, the second child of the slain SIMI activist. She is a student of Class I.

Even our neighbours and teachers at the school and madarsa in which the two kids study have not told the children about Majids death in the encounter, claimed Abdul Rashid.

According to Zahid, his younger brother Irfan Nagauri was arrested along with self-styled chief of the SIMI MP unit Abu Faisal alias Doctor by police from Sendhwa (Barwani) in December 2013.

A few weeks later in January 2014, Majid surrendered before the police in Bhopal after the cops put a bounty of Rs 10,000 on his arrest for allegedly supplying explosives to other SIMI men.

Majid and Irfans Bhopal-based legal counsel, Parvez Alam said, Majid was accused in a 2013 case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Explosives Substances Act and Section 307 of the IPC dealing with attempt to murder.

Statements of witnesses were recorded in the case before court just a few weeks before Majid and seven other jail inmates were killed in the encounter, said Alam.

The encounter is now being probed by a retired High Court judge, SK Pandey.
Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh said on Saturday the real competition in Uttar Pradesh elections would be between his party and the BJP.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has lost its sheen while the Congress is facing an existential crisis, said Singh, who was in Bhopal along with actress-turned politician Jaya Prada to receive an honorary doctorate at the convocation of Peoples University.

On demonetisation, Singh said the impact would be evaluated past 50 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said things will get normal within 50 days of the decision. So we should give him 50 days.

Jaya Prada supported Singh and said she would comment on the note ban issue after 50 days.

Peoples University conferred the Degree of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa) on Amar Singh, member Rajya Sabha and BrahMos Aerospace chief executive officer and managing director Sudhir Kumar Mishra

Peoples University chancellor and Peoples Group chairman Suresh N Vijaywargia presided over the function.

Jaya Prada, Madhya Pradesh Private University Regulatory Commission chairman Akhilesh Pandey, Suresh N. Vijaywargia and vice chancellor VK Pandya conferred the degrees to 71 post-graduate students of Peoples University. The toppers from management, engineering, pharmacy and nursing were felicitated on the occasion.
Two farmers allegedly attempted suicide in separate incidents in two Madhya Pradesh banks, police said on Saturday, underlining rising desperation among people unable to withdraw cash since the shock ban on high-value notes.

In Uttar Pradeshs Aligarh, one person allegedly suffered a heart attack and died on Saturday after he was unable to deposit money in his bank account as the branch did not function due to ruckus created by some people over withdrawing cash.

The incidents will give opposition parties a fresh handle to attack the government over its decision to scrap 500-rupee and 1000-rupee banknotes which they say have led to the death of more than 100 people across the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has defended the clampdown, saying the short-term pain of will lead to long-term gains for the country.

Since the November 8 announcement, MP too has seen snaking queues in banks and ATMs with people lining up for long hours, most of them to withdraw cash.

Police said a 40-year-old soyabeen farmer, identified as Radheyshyam Prajapati, allegedly consumed pesticide while standing in queue at a Central Bank of India branch in Mandsaur on Saturday.

He was said to be depressed after failing to encash a cheque despite visiting the branch for 23 days, police added.

Mandsaur collector in-charge Arjun Singh said action will be taken against bank officials if any negligence was found on their part. The farmer was admitted to a government hospital.

In Ashok Nagar, a 45-year-old farmer allegedly tried to hang himself inside the Madhyanchal Grameen Bank at Pranpura after he was allegedly refused to withdraw Rs 10,000 for three consecutive days. Bank employees overpowered him and sent him home.

Kushwaha said he wanted to withdraw money for treatment of his son who is suffering from typhoid.

He was standing in queue, but when his chance came, our cash was exhausted, bank manager Vivek Kumar Jain said.

We are helpless, we cannot help everyone.

However, no police complaint was lodged over the suicide attempt.
A tribal woman was allegedly kidnapped from her house by six neighbours and then gang raped by the accused for 36 hours in a in a dense forest in Betul district, police said. One of the accused is a former BJP corporator.

The woman claimed that police did not lodge her gang rape complaint.

After she was admitted at Betul hospital that the districts crime against women cell in charge Priti Tiwari recorded her statements and also lodged a case.

Tiwari denied the womans allegations. The deputy SP of Anusuchit Jati Janjati Kalyan Wing (AJK) police station Chaudhary Madan Mohan also denied allegations of police inactivity by the cops.

A case of gang rape, abduction, criminal intimidation and assault, besides atrocities against SC/ST has been lodged, but the accused, who are the womans neighbours in Itwari area, are on the run.

The accused had a brawl with the woman, her mother-in-law and brother-in-law last month, after which a case was lodged against them by police.

The 32-year-old woman (whose husband is lodged in jail in a murder case) alleged that six accused, including three siblings and a minor, stormed into her house on December 15 evening and started pressurizing her and mother-in-law to withdraw the criminal case lodged against them last month.

The accused allegedly abducted the woman and took her to the forests. The woman said that she was raped in captivity for 36 hours and then released near Barsali jungles on Saturday morning.

The woman alleged that she went to Betul SP office and met several cops, but no one helped her in getting the case lodged.
Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has locked horns with Germany's Angela Merkel amid an argument about a Christmas bonus payment for poor Greek pensioners in December. On Friday he visited Berlin to discuss the matter, but no progress was made.

The plan triggered euro zone lenders to suspend a new debt-relief deal. On Wednesday they halted 45 billion euro ($47.7 billion) in short-term debt relief to help the indebted country, which is suffering from a deep recession and high unemployment. In response, the Athens stock market fell sharply.

Freezing the flow of funds to Greece now threatens to trigger a renewed flare-up of the Greek debt crisis and would create a further test for the cohesion of Europe. The debt relief was intended to shore up liquidity.

Just as worrisome is that it precludes Greece from participating in the EU's quantitative easing program.

The harsh move by the EU came after Tsipras announced last week that 617 million euro ($654) will be distributed to 1.6 million low-income pensioners as emergency support. Currently, 1.2 million Greek pensioners live below the poverty level.

Tsipras told reporters before the meeting with Merkel that he would emphasize the "spectacular overachievement" Greece made on revenue targets. As he explained, "We want to heal the wounds of the crisis and help those who have made great sacrifices." He noted that the projections for the Greek economy are 2.7 percent growth in 2017 and 3.1 percent in 2018.

Greece infuriated Germany after announcing and legislating a one-off pre-Christmas payout for low-income pensioners without being consulted. It has asked the institutions involved in Greece's aid program  the IMF, European Central Bank and the ESM  to assess whether Tsipras' actions are compatible with its EU bailout obligations.

At a joint press conference, Merkel reiterated that decisions on the Greek bailout program lay in the hands of these institutions and the Eurogroup.

Story continues

So far, preliminary assessments by the institutions has raised significant concerns. But a full evaluation will not be released until next week, and any final decision will not be made until the next Eurogroup meeting, which will take place at the end of January.

During the press conference, Merkel said that Greek-German cooperation is now characterized by "good and close relations," while ticking off a list of matters to be discussed, including the cost of the ongoing refugee/migrant crisis.

"We are trying to support Greece. ... We want a fair distribution of refugees throughout Europe," she said.

She also mentioned the Cyprus issue and efforts to find a solution to the decades-old problem of division of the island, a statement that signals a more pronounced German involvement regarding an issue that Berlin previously kept at arm's length.

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Tsipras thanked Merkel for the opportunity to exchange views in person, saying relations with Berlin are characterized by a "sincere exchange" in opinions between the two EU states.

Speaking in broader terms, he called for a "new vision" for Europe, based on courageous decisions, good faith and mutual respect between partners, in order to avoid further uncertainty and consolidate security. "



He also expressed concerns over the resurgent nationalist language emanating from Turkey, especially with recent revisionary statements over the landmark 1923 Lausanne Treaty. "Greece will not accept any questioning of its sovereignty rights," he said, adding that Greece steadily supports Turkey's European prospect but with strict focus on the criteria."

Finally, he said Turkey's volition to support a viable and just solution to the Cyprus issue will soon be ascertained, reminding that Athens is backing a solution without third-country guarantees and occupation troops. "We support a fair and viable solution without guarantees, without occupation troops and without fear for the citizens of Cyprus," said Tsipras in his joint statements with Merkel.

 By Nasos Koukakis, special to CNBC.com







More From CNBC


Revising its recommendation, proxy advisory firm Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS) has supported removal of independent director Nusli Wadia from board of Tata Motors and Tata Steel, saying it was in the long-term interest of Tata Group.

IiAS, which supports the removal of estranged chairman Cyrus Mistry from Tata Group firms, changed its voting recommendation on the resolution to remove Nusli Wadia from Tata Steel and Tata Motors  we support the resolution, it said in a report.

The change in recommendation follows the recent Rs 3,000 crore defamation case filed by Nusli Wadia against the Tatas.

Given this, we believe the relationship between Nusli Wadia and the Tatas has become antagonistic and will therefore likely be a distraction for the boards, it said.

The lawsuit, and the amounts demanded as reparations, is significant evidence to suggest that Nusli Wadias presence in the boardroom is likely to be a distraction, it said.

IiAS had previously recommended that shareholders vote against the removal of Nusli Wadia as a director.

Nusli Wadias support for Cyrus Mistry is purportedly causing harm to the interests of the Tata Group. But no evidence is provided to support this claim.

Given recent developments, IiAS now changes its voting recommendation to support the resolution  it is in the long-term interest of the Tata companies to remove Nusli Wadia as a director, it said.

IiAS said its previous recommendation in support of Nusli Wadia emanated from a larger governance question  can Tata Sons, as the controlling shareholder, ask for the removal of an independent director on account of his support to Cyrus Mistry?

Tata Sons accused Nusli Wadia of being disruptive and galvanizing other independent directors to act against the interests of the Tata group.

While Nusli Wadia has been vocal in his views, there was no tangible evidence of his contrarian views being detrimental to the interest of Tata companies or the group in general.
Embarrassed and upset over the conduct of a handful of employees bringing the organisation into disrepute, Axis Bank MD and CEO Shikha Sharma has said the bank has hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit to build more safeguards.

Assuring that the fundamentals of the bank is on a solid footing, Sharma said in a letter to Axis Bank customers that the bank is tracking sudden surge in account activity and have proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts.

The recent media reports around the conduct of a few of our employees have left me embarrassed and upset. We have fallen short of your expectations because a handful of people did not follow our fully compliant and robust processes. We have taken the toughest action against such employees and we will do so in every case of divergence from our Code of Conduct.

The income tax department had last week conducted a raid at an Axis Bank branch in Noida and unearthed Rs 60 crore from the accounts of 20 shell companies.

I regret that the misdeeds of a few people have eroded the hard work of 55,000+ employees, who have been at the front end beyond working hours, displaying extraordinary patience and commitment to their responsibilities, she said in the letter.

The Enforcement Directorate recently arrested two Axis Bank managers in Delhi and seized 3kg gold bars in connection with its money laundering probe in a racket of illegally converting old notes in connivance with banking authorities.

The agencys probe after it registered a criminal complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on November 30, revealed that huge amounts were transferred through RTGS transfers to some shell companies, including a case in which the director of one such firm was a petty labourer.

Sharma said the bank has identified suspicious accounts and has given inputs to regulatory authorities for further investigation.

I would like to reassure you that the bank has always been committed to the highest standards of operational control and continues to fully cooperate with the authorities. We have been tracking sudden surges in account activity and have proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts.

This proactive identification has been one of the inputs in investigation by the regulatory authorities, who are visiting some of our branches to seek out information. Further, we have hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit for enhanced due diligence and building more safeguards, she said.

Thanking customers for the support and understanding since the demonetisation initiative, Sharma said it has been a challenging time and the bank has tried its level best to make it easier for customers.

We have made every effort to ease the transition by making special arrangements for senior citizens and differently abled people at our branches, using micro-ATMs to deliver cash to BSF personnel, ensuring salary disbursement to government and corporate employees across the length and breadth of our country, Sharma wrote.

I assure you that the fundamentals of the bank, built painstakingly over the last 22 years, focused on serving its retail and corporate customers are on a solid footing... We will always safeguard your interests because your trust matters the most. I look forward to your continued confidence in making us a safe, strong bank that is always focused on you, she said in the letter.
Army called the militant attack on its convoy on Saturday in Pampore dastardly and paid tributes to the three killed soldiers in a wreath-laying ceremony at Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar on Sunday.

Senior officials of the state civil administration and that of security agencies joined Lt Gen JS Sandhu, Chinar Corps Commander, in paying tributes to the soldiers.

Motorcycle-borne militants fired on an army bus in southern Kashmir on Saturday afternoon, killing three soldiers and injuring several. Most of the soldiers were returning from leave and were unarmed.

The deceased have been identified as Naik (gunner) Ratheesh C (35), Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar (33) and Gunner Shashikant Pandey (24).

Army in its statement said that Ratheesh had joined army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and is survived by wife and a son.

Nandkumar, from Bhekrai Nagar in Pune, had joined the services in 2004 and is survived by his wife and twin daughters.

Only Pandey had four years of service and was in fact on his way to join his unit in the Valley. Survived by his parents, he hailed from Zharian, Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, the army said in its statement.

The bodies of the martyrs will be flown for last rites to their native places where they will be laid to rest with full military honours, the army statement added.

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As the year 2016 draws to an end, if someone were to ask me which social malady I want to rid India of, Id unquestionably say it is dysfunctional families, broken homes and misguided children. To make myself clear, let me share with you the example of Aman from Delhi. His untold story speaks volumes.

The Delhi Police first sent Aman to prison at the age of 20 for chain snatching. In the prison, he met Bunty and Abdul Khan and they decided to form a gang. The trio has since carried out 24 incidents of snatching, robbery and dacoity. Police suspect that even after coming out of prison, they wouldnt desist from such activities.

Read: Forcing husband to separate from family is ground for divorce: SC

Aman wasnt born a criminal. He grew up in a middle-class family and was considered a bright student till Class 12. He was expected to lead a life of peace and prosperity like other young Indians. How did things go so drastically wrong? Jail authorities and the police believe the reason could have its genesis in Amans childhood. His parents separated when he was just eight years old. This left an indelible imprint on Amans young psyche. Aman isnt alone. Like him, in the absence of family guidance, thousands of youngsters go down the wrong path. Even our law enforcement authorities find themselves helpless when it comes to bringing misguided youth back into the mainstream.

The rapid pace at which Indias family traditions are breaking down also has sociologists worried. Just Kerala had 47,525 divorce cases in 2014. Within one year, the incidence of divorce rose to 52, 541 in the state. The statistics for Maharashtra are no better. If 22, 812 couples decided to part ways in the state in 2014, the number crossed 31,000 in 2015. Bengaluru had just one family court to begin with. Now, owing to the rapid breakdown of families, the number of such courts has been increased to three. But even these appear to be inadequate when it comes to coping with the sheer number of divorce cases.

Here we shouldnt forget that Kerala, Karnataka and Maharashtra have higher literacy levels than other states in the country. But that doesnt seem to have an effect on the incidence of disputes within families.

Read:How and why number of young Indian couples getting divorced has risen sharply

The Hindi heartland might compete with these states in the spheres of industrialisation, per capita income or literacy but they are not too far behind in cases of marital discord. The number of people seeking divorce in Haryana in 2014 and 2015 rose from 9,151 to 12,059. If you look just at percentage increase, Haryana leaves these three states behind. Earlier, it was believed that quick marriages and quicker divorces was a syndrome restricted to large metropolises. But of late, mid-sized towns, who swore by arranged marriages, appear to be competing with them. Clearly, these circumstances are a cause for concern.

Much before it reached our country, this syndrome had set up home in the West. In the America of 1935, just 16 out of 100 marriages were unsuccessful. By the end of the 20th century, this number began to hover near 50%. The repercussions are obvious. A Heritage Foundation study of American kids involved in crime reveals that those children who dont live with their biological fathers are three times more likely to display criminal tendencies than those who do. In 2010, Duncan Smith had warned people in Britain to prevent a breakdown of families. Studies in Britain on children involved in crime had revealed that compared to families where both the parents were together, the number of children involved in crime from families with divorced parents was nine times more.

Read: Dealing with a dysfunctional family

If you look at it, there are many other factors prevalent in the society that may drive children to crime. The other side of Amans story is a living example of this. While he was being questioned, Aman told the police that he got the idea of forming a gang after watching the film Shootout at Wadala.

Here I dont want go get into a debate on the relative merits of meaningful and commercial cinema. But it is true that cinema often gives good or bad ideas to the youth. Not too long ago, after a long, tiresome probe into a murder case, the police discovered the killer had been inspired by the Bollywood film Drishyam.

It is true that movie producers invest crores of rupees so that they can get a good return. Still, if this job can be done responsibly, they can make a profit and serve a cause at the same time. There was a time when most state governments screened movies about patriotism and social reforms on projectors in schools. The song Mat ro maata laal tere bahutere (Dont cry mother, you have numerous sons) from Bandini and the martyrdom of freedom fighters in Shaheed continue to inspire our generation. It may be worthwhile remembering that Richard Attenboroughs Gandhi has compelled a new generation to introspect deeply in the last 35 years.

The question that arises is: from the parliament to the street, which issues are our leaders debating? Can you imagine of a developed India without its children and families? Why do our society and the ruling establishment run away from such a conversation?

Shashi Shekhar is editor in chief, Hindustan

letters@hindustantimes.com
Business will begin early for the Parliament next year. With the winter session proving a washout, and the deadline for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) looming, the government could convene the budget session of Parliament as early as the second week of January. The Union Budget itself will be presented on February 1.

I expect a rash of people-friendly announcements in the budget. The narrative around demonetisation  the governments move on November 8 to render invalid all old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination currency notes, 86% of the cash in the system  is turning negative in parts, although it is a measure of the goodwill Prime Minister Narendra Modi still enjoys that most Indians continue to put up with the fallout because they think it is well-intentioned. The move has hit business in the second part of the third quarter (October-December) and could affect business in the next quarter (January-March) too. The government needs to address this and the budget is a good platform to do so.

Read | GST can be rolled out anytime between Apr 1-Sept 16, says FM

Elections in Indias largest state, Uttar Pradesh, may happen as early as February. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party is up against the governing Samajwadi Party, the resurgent Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Congress, which may or may not forge an alliance with the second. A year ago, the BJP seemed to be gaining a lot of momentum in the state where it swept the parliamentary elections in 2014 (although people have been known to vote differently in state elections). Thats changed, not the least because of demonetisation, and the budget is, again, a good platform for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government to regain its mojo.

If the elections in Uttar Pradesh have to happen in February, they will have to be announced sometime in early January. The so-called model code of conduct will come into effect immediately, preventing any populist measures from being announced by both central and state governments. This restriction, though, is unlikely to apply to the Union Budget, another reason why it will have to serve as the platform for such measures.

There have already been murmurs within the BJP  they are all you will hear in a party led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah  about how the fallout of demonetisation is hurting the party, and some people- and business-friendly measures will, no doubt, quell these too.

Read | In Rajasthan, Annapurna Rasoi to serve breakfast for Rs 5, meals Rs 8

Industry will cheer even a watered-down GST and the government will try its best to finalise the fine-print of one in January. The government will likely announce wide-ranging cuts in income tax, both personal and corporate. That should boost both consumer- and business-sentiment. The tax cuts may be announced in the budget. With an eye on the rural economy, and Uttar Pradesh, the government is also likely to announce a farm-package in the budget.

What else can we expect in the budget?

With the rail budget anyway being integrated with it, the Union Budget already comes with a built-in emphasis (and a big one) on infrastructure. With private investment still not kicking in, the government probably recognises the importance of spending on infrastructure. The focus on solar and wind power, and highways and inland waterways could continue.

Digital and cashless are perhaps the two most used words by anyone in government since November 8, when Modi announced the invalidation of old high denomination currency notes. Both will get a fair share of attention (and money) in the budget too. I expect more sops and incentives for cashless transactions and the makers of hardware required to power such transactions.

Read | Demonetisation will have long-term benefits : Arun Jaitley

Other (perennial) favourites of the governments, schemes such as Make in India, Skill India, and Start-up India will likely get a look-in too.

It is important to recognise the kind of budget India needs at this point in time. There are times when a country needs a budget that can spur growth. There are other times when a country needs a budget that can cut expenditure. There are still other times when a country can get by with a middle-of-the-road budget that maintains the status quo. Then, there are times when a budget has to focus on a specific sector  agriculture, for instance.

The budget which Union finance minister Arun Jaitley will present on February 1 needs to have a different and singular objective. Demonetisation has left people feeling low and tired. While it is effecting one kind of behaviour change, towards cashless transactions, it is also encouraging the hoarding of cash and forcing people to defer expenditure. Consumer-, business-, and investor-sentiment are all down. The budget needs to change all that. We need one that is, in letter and spirit, true to that cliche popularised by headline writers  a feel-good budget.

We will probably (and hopefully) get one.

R Sukumar is editor, Mint

letters@hindustantimes.com

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Alleging that a scam worth Rs 1,000 crore in acquisition of land for National Highway 74 in Udham Singh Nagar district, BJP demanded on Saturday that a CBI probe be ordered into the matter and chief minister Harish Rawat resign from his post taking moral responsibility.

BJP state unit chief Ajay Bhatt in a statement alleged a scam in the acquisition of land for the Jaspur-Sitarganj stretch of the highway, saying, Congress, the ruling party in the state, robbed farmers of their rights and was involved in a Rs 1,000 crore fraud.

Those embroiled in the alleged scam were being supported by people in the Rawat government. Congressmen purchased land from farmers at dirt cheap prices. They then looted a huge amount of money in the name of change of land use, he alleged in the statement.

Bhatt demanded that a CBI probe be ordered into the matter and those found guilty be punished.He said that Rawat should take moral responsibility for this and quit as chief minister.

It is a fraud with the farmers and a huge loss to the government exchequer, the BJP chief said.
The Delhi BJP will collect public opinion on civic and developmental issues in the city. On the basis of the feedback, the party will prepare a 10-point agenda that will be its priority in the upcoming municipal corporation polls.

The move, sources said, was the first step in trying to woo voters and preparing the ground for municipal elections due next year. This exercise is also being touted as the first step towards preparation of an election manifesto.

Manoj Tiwari, newly appointed president of the partys Delhi unit, said public responses would be invited through e-mails for which a dedicated ID DelBjpMT@gmail.com  has been created. After analysis by a team of experts, a final list of all issues and suggestions will be prepared.

Read: Delhi BJP appoints presidents for 14 districts

With the help of suggestions collected through email, we will prepare a 10-points agenda to move forward for the betterment of the city and for the welfare of its citizens. This will let us know what the expectations of the city are and what the people of Delhi want from us. They can send their views and ideas by January 10, he said.

Tiwari said people can send mails after the deadline, which would be taken up for further course of action. Tiwari is likely to formally release the mail ID next week.

For monitoring the entire process, a special team of experts is being set up within the media and IT cell of the party.

The partys media and IT teams are being further strengthened. A dedicated team will supervise the process and help evaluation of public responses. This email ID will continue to function after January 10 and we will keep addressing issues related to Delhi, the BJP leader said.

The email ID, Tiwari said, will be printed on the feedback form, which Tiwari plans to send to every household for seeking response on demonetisation.

Starting from January 1 next year, each party worker will visit at least 20 families and submit a report to district president, who in turn, will send a complete report to Tiwari. The drive will continue for 10 days.

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Two years back, Sanjay Chaurasia, a 32-year-old plumber, was finding it difficult to make ends meet. He could often be seen at Labour Chowk, Sikandarpur, waiting to get work. There were days when he found work, on others, he would leave after waiting for hours with no money for his daily expenses.

One-and-a-half years back, he signed up with an online home services provider, which did a background check on him, gave him training in behavioural skills, and a phone with an app that could be used to find work.

Earlier, it was hard to make 7,000 per month, now I make about 55,000, says Chaurasia. There is hardly any impact of demonetisation on me as my customers are tech-savvy, and my company transfers my earnings into my bank account, he says.

Chaurasia has bought land and will soon construct a house in his village. But the biggest change, he says, is in the way people treat him.

Earlier, I was treated like a menial labourer, and now that I work for a company, have a uniform, wear an I-card, people treat me with respect.

As he talks, he gets a beep on his mobile  it is the fourth assignment of the day he has received on the app of the company he works for. He has to go and change a leaking tap in Gurgaon sector 12.

Chaurasia is not the only one: The life of the countrys blue-collar workers  plumbers, carpenters, electricians  is undergoing a slow transformation, thanks to the growing number of home services start-ups such as EasyFix, Housejoy, Urban Clap, among others.

Demonetisation has not affected the income of these blue-collar workers as their customers are young tech-savvy professionals and make payments through credit cards and other online options. The only difference is that earlier 80% people paid in cash, now they pay the company through credit cards. And the company transfers the money to our bank accounts, says Umesh, a carpenter who makes about 60,000 per month.

A few months back, he got a contract worth 2.5 lakh through the online platform he works for. I also engaged a fellow carpenter and made about 1 lakh in a month. I recently built a house in my village in Bihar and am now planning to buy a car, says Umesh, who once worked as a casual labourer. This device has empowered me, he says pointing at his smart phone.

These online home service providers are seeking to organise a largely fragmented market and channelise demand, ensuring steady work and better earnings for blue-collar workers.

Sanjay Chaurasia, a plumber, says earlier it was difficult to make 7,000 per month but now he earns about 55,000 every month. (Saumya Khandelwal/Hindustan Times)

Binod Sharma, 31, used to worked for a contractor as a carpenter and made about 12,000 per month, but now he makes about 55,000 a month thanks to the fact that he now has more work and gets better pay for it.

There are months when I earn about 1 lakh, says Sharma. The money, he says, has changed his life. He has built a house in his hometown, bought a bike, married off his sister last year, and brought his son and younger brother from his village in Bihar to Gurgaon for better education.

Driving the change in the fortunes of blue-collar workers is the mobile phone revolution, which has allowed start-ups to connect with many bottom-of-the-pyramid jobseekers and reduce the demand-supply gap in the home service market.

Most of them are extremely good at their work but lack behavioural skills and that is the area we focus on and the result is great. Society has been very judgmental about them and there has been a lack of empathy towards them. We have not only been able to get them regular work but the respect they deserve, says Shaifali Holani, founder of EasyFix. Upgrading their skills is essential, so we also organise refresher courses for them from time to time.

Companies are roping in experts to train the workers.

Saran Chatterji, CEO, Housejoy, says We tie up with brand experts to provide training to our home service providers. So far, plumbers and electricians have been most sought after, but the demand for carpenters is growing the fastest these days, he says. We try for hyper local matches that ensure that these workers spend less time commuting and are able to get more assignments. But the biggest challenge before us is to scale up by having as many service providers as possible on board, Chatterji says.

Many like Suchita Datta, executive director, India Staffing Federation, an industry body that works in the area of contractual employment, says that it is necessary to bring more and more unorganised workforce into the organised sector for their socio-economic uplift. She says online job portals and app-based service providers for blue-collar workers have mobilised jobs and provided more opportunities to blue-collar workers. But the biggest challenge is to ensure that these workers get employment security, skill recognition, and social security. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of companies that are not willing to comply with the law in this regard, says Datta.

K Lakshma Reddy, chairman, Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development, an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Labour, says that it is necessary to make workers aware of their social and economic environment, their rights and responsibilities.

We are educating them about it apart from ensuring that they continuously acquire and upgrade knowledge and skills to find and hold a job. Besides, it is necessary to spread computer literacy among workers so that they could make use of the opportunities provided by digital platforms, says Reddy.

But there are many blue-collar workers such as Praveen Kumar, 36, a multi-skilled technician, who say that while these app-based service providers have changed their lives by raising their incomes, they could do more. The fact is these companies also owe their existence to us, so I shall be happier if they could ensure some benefits such as provident fund and health insurance for us. After all, we wear their uniform, carry their I-card and serve as their free marketers, says Kumar.

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Over 48 lakh people in Delhis unorganised sector may lose jobs as the demonetisation exercise was not executed properly, said Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken.

The Congress party has planned a protest march from Jantar Mantar to Parliament House on December 24 to highlight the sufferings of migrant worker.

The sword of unemployment has been hanging over the heads of 48.63 lakh people in the unorganised sector comprising daily wage labourers and construction workers among others. Around 15,000 labourers are returning to their homes every day, which is stalling developmental works in Delhi, he said, addressing a press conference.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on November 8 announced the demonetisation of R500 and R1,000 notes with an objective to put a check on black money.

Read More: Demonetisation a Modi-made disaster, more than 100 people have died: Rahul

Labourers are citys lifeline because no infrastructural developmental can be done without them, Maken added.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee arrived at this figure after holding discussions with several small-scale industry associations. Quoting a National Sample Survey Office survey on employment that says between 2011 and 2012 working population of Delhi was 57.06 lakh and Delhi government data that shows that the number of people in the organised sector was 8.43 lakh in 2009; Maken said 48.63 lakh people in the unorganised sector will lose jobs.

A large chunk of the workforce in factories and industries in the national capital region comprises of workers from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Note bandi laayi bhukhmari ka daur, garib mazdoor chale gaon ki aur (Demonetisation brings an era of starvation, poor and labourers are going back to villages), he said.

There have been media reports on how workers have been forced to leave as low demand has hit production. There have also been cases of workers being forced to take money in old notes.

Maken said he wrote a letter to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 9 to draw his attention to the issue but has not got any reply.
New Delhi: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj promised immediate financial help to a Delhi family struggling to fly back the body of Gopal Ram (48) who died in Japan on December 10 allegedly due to cardiac arrest.

Union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted on Sunday, We will bear all the expenses and do this without delay.

The move comes a day after HT reported that Rams family could not afford to transport his body to India.

The family said the Indian Embassy in Japan was asking them for documents such as a letter authorising somebody to receive his remains in Tokyo, and also an income certificate to prove that they were not able to afford his repatriation.

Read More: Sushma Swaraj among 15 global thinkers for novel Twitter diplomacy

Rams wife, Radha Devi, contacted the Delhi Commission for Women, which escalated the issue to external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj in an official letter on Friday.

I also saw on Twitter. It has brought some relief. Madam (Swaraj) has seen it. Now we can hope to see our father one last time, the oldest son, Jatin, a Chartered Accountancy student, told HT.

We dont know anybody in Japan whom we can authorise to receive my fathers body. The income certificate is also taking a long time with every government official I meet asking me to either come later or meet somebody else. Now, hopefully, the process will be done smoothly, he said.

Ram, a father of three children under the age of 25, worked as a cook in India. Through an agent, he got an offer to work in Tokyo. He hoped it would improve his financial situation and left in September 2015.

Read More: Swaraj plays cupid, ensures couple travel together for honeymoon

After three months, Ram allegedly stopped getting a salary. He wasnt able to send home any money. They used to make him do menial jobs like wash dishes at the first place, and did not even pay his salary. He switched jobs and worked as a cook at a hotel or a restaurant. There too, he was not paid regularly. We did not get any money from him in over six months, said Jatin.

The family struggled to make ends meet. My house is mortgaged. I had to borrow money from my neighbours to buy rice. The only source of income I have now is the rent I get from leasing a room. Is it possible to survive and feed three children with Rs 3,000 a month? How will we be able to afford the lakhs of rupees needed to transport him home? said Devi.
reince priebus

Fox News anchor Chris Wallace on Sunday pushed President-elect Donald Trump's incoming chief of staff to answer whether Trump believed US intelligence reports that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election through strategically hacked and leaked private emails from Democratic Party organizations and officials.

In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Wallace interjected when Reince Priebus argued first that Trump would accept US intelligence findings if they were made public. The anchor noted that the CIA's director, John Brennan, issued a memo to employees saying the American intelligence community as a whole believed that Russia meddled in the election.

"A lot of these things, though Chris, are coming through third parties. We haven't heard from Comey," Priebus said when asked about the reports, referring to the FBI's director, James Comey.

"This is CIA Director Brennan," Wallace replied. "You think he's lying about what Jim Comey thinks?"

Priebus said he did not believe that Brennan was lying but added that Trump would accept that Russia interfered in the US election if intelligence leaders, including Comey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, publicly came out and said so.

"It'd sure be nice to hear from everybody," Priebus said. "If there really is this conclusive opinion among all of these intelligence agencies, then they should issue a report and stand in front of a camera and make the case."

He added: "I think he would accept the conclusion if these intelligence professionals would get together, put out a report, and show the American people that they're actually on the same page as opposed to third parties through The Washington Post."

Trump has so far refused to publicly accept intelligence agencies' assessments, which have been relayed through reports in various outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Trump has called the reports "ridiculous" and insisted that the hacker "could be somebody sitting in a bed someplace."

Story continues

The Republican National Committee chair also dismissed the idea that the Democrats' hacked and leaked emails were enough to sway the election in Trump's favor.

"There's no evidence that shows that the outcome of the election was changed because a couple dozen John Podesta emails were out there," Priebus said, referring to the steady drip of hacked emails that were released from the Hillary Clinton campaign chair's personal account in the weeks leading up to Election Day.

Watch the exchange here:

NOW WATCH: OBAMA: Russia is a 'smaller country, they're a weaker country'





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Talk about double standards. A dry state for almost six decades, Gujarat has now made its prohibition law even more stringent for locals but relaxed it for tourists. According to the new directive, locals could now end up in jail for three years and pay a Rs 5 lakh fine if caught with a liquor bottle but visitors and tourists can walk into a liquor shop and buy a bottle after furnishing certain documents. There is more cheer in store for tourists: They can get an online permit for consuming liquor in the state. The prohibition policy in the state started becoming tourist-friendly during the last few years of Narendra Modis tenure as chief minister and remained so under Anandiben Patel, with more and more hotels getting licences to run liquor shops. Besides, the process for on-arrival permits at airports and hotels and even e-permits had been eased. Apparently, the present Vijay Rupani government, which faces the crucial assembly elections next year, seems to have succumbed to the demands of two electorally important communities -- OBCs and Patidars -- to make the law tougher for locals.

Read: Gujarats prohibition law friendly to tourists but sends residents to jail

In India, political parties tend to use prohibition as a card to entice voters but dont reveal other effects of such a policy decision. In the past, bans have led to black marketing in alcohol, as in Ahmedabad and Kohima. Loss of livelihood is also an issue. And, sometimes, one states loss turns out to be anothers good fortune: On weekends, Mount Abu and Daman and Diu are the key destinations for many people from Gujarat. After Bihars prohibition decision, towns located outside the state, such as Dalkhola in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, are reaping the benefits of the ban.

Read: Bihar prohibition helping UPs excise department make windfall gains

While in Gujarat it is more of the Gandhi link that is used for continuing the prohibition, other states have used gender violence as cause for banning liquor. But a first-of-its-kind analytical study of alcohol and violence against women done by the International Center for Research on Women, a global research institute, and commissioned by IPE Global, an international development consulting firm, concluded that though not all types of alcohol consumption are linked to violence against women, heavy and frequent alcohol consumption is and must be made part of policy frameworks that look at alcohol treatment, de-addiction and prevention. A review also showed that structural policy-level changes regarding alcohol have a better impact on decreasing alcohol consumption and reducing violence. But in India, where knee-jerk and populist reactions have become the normal political response to any problem, not many governments are interested in addressing the issue holistically. They are happy to allow a parallel black market than tackle the issue head-on and holistically. It seems alls well as long as it is behind the scenes.
It appears to be an idea fraught with uncertainties. As part of its campaign against black money, the central income tax department has created a special e-mail address where people can furnish information about those trying to convert black money into white. Reiterating the Union governments stance that merely depositing money in banks doesnt mean it becomes white unless tax has been paid on it, revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said information received on this e-mail ID would be monitored by a cell of the I-T department and acted upon immediately. The taxman will act on the tip-off with alacrity, the government promises.

Read: Demonetisation will cause grievous injury to the honest Indian: Manmohan Singh

The Centre cannot seriously expect thousands of messages landing in its in-box overnight with reports of black money transactions. Also, expecting the common man to turn whistle-blower against his acquaintances, colleagues or neighbours can set an unhealthy precedent. It might not be as drastic as George Orwells infamous Big Brother with listening devices and cameras in a totalitarian society in his iconic novel 1984, but the decision reeks of post WW II era when neighbour turns on neighbour; old friends become deadly enemies.

Read: Political parties get tax exemptions for old notes but subject to conditions

Last year, after launching an anti-graft helpline, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged people to record videos of officials who were asking them for a bribe and send them to the state government. Now every citizen is an inspector. If anyone now demands a bribe, do not say no. Record the conversation. We will send them to jail, the chief minister had famously announced. But the problem with every citizen turning black money inspector against tax evaders is that people may use the device to settle personal scores. Even in the scenario that the scheme is a success, does the implementing infrastructure, already crumbling owing to black money raids and the human costs of people standing in queues outside ATMs, have the energy and resources to check the veracity of the whistleblowers claims? In its stated desire to target those with black money, the Centre seems to have not thought this scheme through. These are the times of the empty hand for thousands standing in ATM queues. The charge of the in-box vigilantes may appear imminent to the over-zealous taxman preaching the merits of demonetisation. But, it may sound a jarring note for those at the receiving end of this whistle-blowing. Lets catch the real tax evaders and ensure that the innocent dont reach the point of no-return.
Drugs used to lower blood pressure can potentially block breast and pancreatic cancer invasion by inhibiting their cellular structures, say researchers.

The study discovered that calcium channel blockers -- currently used to treat hypertension -- can efficiently stop cancer cells move and invade surrounding tissue. Identification of anti-hypertension drugs as potential therapeutics against breast and pancreatic cancer metastasis was a big surprise, said reseachers.

The targets of these drugs were not known to be present in cancer cells and therefore no one had considered the possibility that these drugs might be effective against aggressive cancer types, said Johanna Ivaska at the University of Turku in Finland. The findings showed that aggressively spreading cancer cells express a protein called Myosin-10 which drives cancer cell motility.

Myosin-10 expressing cancers have a large number of structures called filopodia, or sticky finger-like structures the cancer cells extend to sense their environment and to navigate - imagine a walking blind spider, explained Guillaume Jacquemet, postdoctoral researcher at University of Turku.

The calcium channel blockers target specifically these sticky fingers rendering them inactive, thus efficiently blocking cancer cell movement. This suggest that they might be effective drugs against cancer metastasis, the researchers said. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
Hollywood star Brad Pitt will only be allowed a four-hour long visit to his children on the Christmas Day.

His estranged wife Angelina Jolie has agreed he can deliver gifts in the morning and early afternoon, reports Dailystar.co.uk.

She doesnt have the heart to refuse to let him see the children over the holidays and they would probably never forgive her if she did. But Brad is going to have to use every ounce of his acting skill when he arrives with their presents and put on a brave face to mask the torment hes going through over spending so little time with them, said a source close to the warring pair.

Jolie, 41, is living in a rented beachfront mansion in Malibu with Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. She is locked in a legal tussle over the custody of their children with Pitt, 52.

The family in better times.

Jolie had filed for divorce on the grounds of irreconcilable differences and is demanding sole physical custody of the kids with visitation rights only for Pitt, whose lawyers have filed a counter-claim.

As part of the Family Services probe, he was ordered to undergo anger management counselling and submit to random drug tests prior to agreed visits with the children.

The source told Daily Star: He bit his tongue and suffered through all of that in the hope Angelina would allow him more time with their kids. But he was really choked when he didnt get to spend a single moment with them at Thanksgiving last month.

And although he cant wait to see them at Christmas, hes dreading how hard it will be for him to leave them again after four hours.

Last year, the family had spent Christmas Day together in a 10-bedroom rented villa in Phuket, Thailand.

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A 25 year-old woman from Maharashtra was allegedly gangraped by two auto drivers near the railway station area early on Sunday, police said.

According to the complaint, two unidentified auto drivers took her to a building located near the station area and raped her.

The accused duo then left her next to central ST bus stand near the station after giving her Rs 100, the complaint reads. The woman does not know the registration number of the rickshaw.

Patrolling party brought her to police station where she spoke about what happened to her.

The complaint further states that After a quarrel with her mother in native village at Umra the victim came to Mumbai and boarded a train which reached Vadodara around 10.30 PM yesterday.
AAP national treasurer Raghav Chadha on Sunday wrote to his Congress and BJP counterparts asking them to disclose the source of unaccounted donations received by them.

Chadha, in his letters to Congress national treasurer Motilal Vora and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national treasurer Piyush Goyal, said the governments move to exempt demonetised currency deposited in banks by political parties raises questions about the actual intention behind the note-ban.

He urged them to express their willingness to get their party account details of the last five years probed by an independent panel.

Political parties dont give account of the donations received by them. I request you to make public the details of all the donations received by your party.

Also make public the names of those who gave donations below Rs 20,000, he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader further said that most of the donations received by the Congress and the BJP comes from undisclosed sources and asked them to make their details public as well.

He also asked both BJP and Congress to come clean on the amount of money they deposited in bank accounts in Rs 500 and 1000 notes after the November 8 demonetisation announcement.

Political parties have become machines to convert black money into white. The amount of black money that the political parties have, I dont feel that much black money could be found anywhere else.

AAP has always been accountable for every single penny received as donations by giving all details to Income Tax Department. Are other parties ready to do that? Chadha asked.

He added if the BJP and Congress were serious about corruption and black money, then they should come clean about their donations as the public had every right to know the truth.

If you do not accept our demands, then public will have no choice but to believe that you and your party are not only standing with the corrupt and black money hoarders, but are actually partnering with them, he wrote.
Discussions were held between the Canadian government and India earlier this year to explore the possibility of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau being invited as the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade on January 26 next year.

However, scheduling and signalling matters led the Indian government to invite Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, even as the United Arab Emirates is emerging as an ally in the troubled West Asia region.

Given the diplomatic protocol issues involved, officials will not comment on the matter. Canadas high commissioner to India, Nadir Patel, when asked about it, reacted: News to me!

Other sources, though, confirmed contacts in this respect.

If Trudeau had been invited, it would have marked a splashy debut visit to India for the Canadian leader. But any visit by him is likely to be high profile, given how his personal charisma has wowed the world.

While dates for a Trudeau visit are yet to be finalised, given domestic and multilateral commitments of both countries, there is near certainty it will happen next year.

More than that, when such principals in the bilateral process meet, agenda matters that may have been mired can be accelerated.

The relationship appears to be on autopilot, but if the prime ministers take control and steer it, then it will move forward quickly, one person, who was involved in the process, argued.

It will re-emphasise, revalidate how strong that relationship is. I think it will provide an opportunity for us to take that relationship to even great heights. I think, from Canadas perspective, India is a bright spot, against a backdrop of some economic uncertainty around the world. Our trade, investment, people-to-people linkages continue to grow. It will be an opportunity to really showcase that, the Canadian high commissioner said.

While a possible Trudeau visit in 2016 did not transpire as the Canadian leader chose to bring his personal charm to bear on somewhat thornier ties, there was plenty of two-way movement of ministers, starting with a visit by Canadas natural resources minister Jim Carr in September to visits to Toronto by finance minister Arun Jaitley and minister of state for commerce Nirmala Sitharaman the next month.

Last month, two more Canadian Ministers arrived in India  immigration, refugees and citizenship minister John McCallum and innovation, science and economic development minister Navdeep Bains  and the latter became the first of four Indo-Canadian ministers in the Trudeau cabinet to come to his native nation in an official capacity.

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As concerns heighten in India over a perceived uptick in Khalistan-related extremism in Canada, the government of the North American nation has affirmed that it will act if any laws are broken by activists on its soil.

The bottomline, according to Canadian high commissioner Nadir Patel, is that if there is anything that could create concern, we will act on it.

In an interview, Patel spelt out that assurance: At any time, if theres any information that suggests laws are being broken, theres any type of extremist activities that could affect safety and security of people, we will take immediate steps to investigate and take action.

So we have a standing discussion, if any information suggests that, let us know.

The envoy was skeptical about reports of arms training being carried out by a Khalistani activist in a suburb of Vancouver this year, but his statement about Canada acting against extremism on its territory comes at a time when India is worried over pro-Khalistan elements, particularly as assembly elections in Punjab near.

Patel, however, pointed out peaceful separatist protests in Canada could not be stopped since freedom of speech, freedom of expression are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada and unless a law is being broken we wont impinge on (it).

While there may be some irritation on this issue, the bilateral engagement is flourishing.

Patel pointed to Canada lobbying on Indias behalf at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG): We are a strong supporter of Indias membership of the NSG, weve made that very clear at multiple meetings. We feel that the NSG can benefit from Indias participation.

We also have commended India for stepping up and adopting a number of the guidelines and protocols that are associated with the membership.

There may be scope for greater cooperation between the two sides as both vie for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2020, for the 2021-2022 term.

Were seeking Indias support. They havent made a decision yet. India has been seeking support for a permanent seat. Canada has expressed its support for a temporary seat because we are in support of broader reforms to the Security Council process, Patel said.

The foreign policy component of the bilateral strategic dialogue, stalled because of the persistent health problems of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, will occur in 2017. Our expectation is that we would have this dialogue in the coming months, he said.

While finance minister Arun Jaitley visited Toronto in October, the formal dialogue between the two countries is also imminent. After nearly two years in the doldrums, discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) have moved, with negotiations having resumed.

Patel said the Narendra Modi governments economic reforms provide a very meaningful backdrop to take things forward in way that perhaps didnt exist before.

Another deal-in-the-making, the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), will also witness negotiators meeting in January. Canadian investment in India has increased dramatically to $13 billion over the past 18 months.

Which is great, it shows confidence in the market. But that makes the conclusion of a FIPA that much more important, to ensure that the stability that investors want through a treaty which can do that, Patel said.

As anti-immigration rhetoric rises in the US, Canada could benefit in terms of attracting Indian professional, like entrepreneurs. What we have to offer is very strong and piggyback on to that is a government that is pro-immigration, pro-innovation in a big way.

But Patel stressed this was regardless of what was happening south of the border since it has been drawing startups for the last couple of years. Digital payment firm PayTM, for instance, has its only location outside India at Mississauga, a Toronto suburb.

Demonetisation may have opened up avenues for Canadian companies, as Patel said, Fintech is an area that Canada can play a very significant role in. We are exploring ways in which we can contribute to demonetisation initiatives here. How can we support that? Definitely, thats an area of ongoing potential.

The envoy said the relationship is moving in a really good trajectory, brushing away criticism that it appears to be on autopilot as Justin Trudeaus government focussed on countries such as the US, Mexico and China in its first year.

Patel takes that as a positive, implying those nations being given emphasis meant plenty of differences had to be managed. In the Indian context, that doesnt require a lot of issues management, hand-holding, if you will, thats a good thing, he said.

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Senior citizens under the banner of State Pension-Raj Workers Association on Saturday staged protest against the government over difficulties faced by them because of demonetisation of high value banknotes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000. They complained that they were facing immense inconvenience in getting their pensions and warned of intensifying their protest if things fail to improve soon.

The protesters removed their shirts at Jat Dharamshala in Jind as a mark of protest and blamed the government for deaths of several people following the demonetisation announcement.

The government must compensate the family members of those who died while standing in queues to withdraw their own hard-earned money with Rs 10 lakh, the protestors said.
The Noida and Kerala police in a joint raid arrested three persons from a housing society in the city that blew the lid off a racket that involved one of the accused allegedly marrying 11 men and then duping them.

Con bride Megha Bhargav, 26, a resident of Amrapali Zodiac at Sector 120, was arrested along with her sister Prachi Bhargav, 28 and brother-in-law Devendra Sharma, 30, in the joint raid Saturday. Police said the case came to light after Kochi resident Loren Justin filed a complaint at the local police station against his wife who decamped with jewellery worth Rs 15 lakh few days after their marriage.

The Kerala police sought help in arrest of a woman. Our team traced her to Sector 120 and they were nabbed in a joint raid, said Dinesh Yadav, superintendent of police, Noida.

Police said the accused had allegedly married at least 11 men in Kerala over the past few years and decamped with their valuables after giving them tea or milk laced with sedatives.

After Lorens complaint, the Kerala police formed a team to investigate the matter. They found three similar cases in which the bride fled from the husbands house with all valuables merely 2-3 days after marriage. Police investigation revealed an organised gang of at least four people behind the incident.

The police found that while Megha posed as an eligible bride, her husband Mahendra who is still absconding searched a groom for her. They targeted rich men who are either divorced or somehow not getting married. Her sister Prachi and brotherin-law Devendra also helped her in getting married to such persons. After spending 3-4 days at the victims residence, Megha allegedly laced the food or drinks with sedatives and served them to all of the family members and ransacked the house before fleeing with the help of her family.

The Kerala police took the accused in their custody for further investigation, said Yadav.

Police said that Megha hails from Indore and had recently shifted her base to Noida with her sister and brother-in-law.

Residents of the society say the accused were hardly seen in the society.

We have hardly seen them. Apart from some security guards, sanitation and maintenance workers, nobody in the society even recognize them, said Archana Singh, a resident of Amrapali Zodiac.
US Secretary of State John Kerry listens as he attends a meeting of the Quartet on the situation in Yemen, on December 18, 2016 in Riyadh (AFP Photo/FAYEZ NURELDINE)

Riyadh (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the hope in Saudi Arabia on Sunday that a new ceasefire in the Yemen conflict could be agreed within two weeks.

On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the United States will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.

The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.

The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.

Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.

Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.

-- 'Lame duck' --

Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.

Story continues

The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.

Washington's top diplomat leaves office in January at the end of President Barack Obama's presidency.

But he said the US will "remain engaged" in the search for peace in Yemen.

"We think we've found a path that can move forward," Kerry said.

"And we invite the parties, President Hadi, the Huthis and their supporters, both sides, to take advantage of this moment".

He added that Iran has also indicated that it wants an end to the Yemen war, "and they believe that the key is for Huthis to be able to have some role within government".

Yemen's Tourism Minister Mohamed Qubaty told reporters that Kerry is a "lame duck" attempting "a shot from across 50 yards to score a goal at the last minute."

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians during its air strikes in Yemen, and last week the United States blocked the transfer of precision-guided bomb kits to Saudi Arabia.

A senior US administration official said the move reflected "strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition's targeting practices" and its overall conduct of the Yemen air war.

At Sunday's news conference Jubeir dismissed such reports as "media propaganda" and said the Saudi-led coalition had not been contacted about a halt in shipments.
Lieutenant General Bipin Rawats appointment as army chief has become the latest flashpoint between the government and the Opposition, days after a political row over the recall of high-value currency washed out Parliaments winter session.

The Congress said it wasnt questioning Rawats abilities but wanted to know why two senior people were superseded, as the government did not follow a three-decades old tradition of elevating senior-most officers.

Is it that all these officials who were superseded were not able? Or was it cherry picking? Congress leader Manish Tewari asked.

Such political sparring over the army chiefs appointment is unusual as parties usually steer clear of commenting on what is seen as an apolitical institution. But within hours of Rawats appointment on Saturday, the Congress and the Left had criticised it.

On Sunday, Tewari also pointed out how the NDA administration created controversies over other key appointments, such as that of the chief vigilance commissioner.

Former central board of direct taxes chief K V Chowdary was appointed as CVC after a long delay, triggering criticism from lawyers such as Ram Jethlamani and Prashant Bhushan.

Highlights Lt Gen Bipin Rawats appointment as army chief has become the latest flashpoint between the government and the Opposition. The Congress said it wasnt questioning Rawats abilities, but wanted to know why two senior people were superseded. Within hours, the ruling BJP hit back, saying that the government had followed standard norms. Government sources said Rawat was found best suited to deal with emerging challenges.

Read: Eight things you need to know about new army chief Bipin Rawat

The Congress also cited the non-appointment of a full-time director of the enforcement directorate.

Right now, there are questions about the CBI director... and they have still not notified the appointment of the Chief Justice of India, said Tewari.

The Congress had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the appointment of

Rakesh Asthana as interim CBI director earlier this month, calling the process vitiated and manipulated.

Within hours, the BJP hit back, saying that the government had followed standard norms and that the Congress couldnt dictate terms.

The government does not require the permission of 10, Janpath (Congress president Sonia Gandhis official residence), Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Sunday.

I think till now the Congress is not able to understand that they have lost power at the Centre.

The BJP and the Congress have been locked in a verbal war since the government recalled Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes last month, a move that the Opposition says has hurt the poor and the farmers.

Controversy over the decision deadlocked the winter session, which saw little legislative business.

In promoting Rawat, the claims of Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior-most general, and Southern Army commander Lt Gen PM Hariz, were ignored. The last time this had happened was in the early 1980s.

Read: Govt final authority, dont politicise Rawat appointment: Ex-army chief to parties

But government sources said Rawat  who takes over on December 31  was found best suited to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the Northeast.

Former army chief Shankar Roy Chowdhury also confirmed the government had the final authority to pick the army chief. I have no patience with what political parties are saying. I appeal to them not to politicise the last reputable institution of India which is world class.

But many opposition parties didnt seem convinced.

Superseding in appointments always opens the up the avenue for many questions, said Tathagat Satpathy, a leader of the Biju Janata Dal that is otherwise supportive of the government.

Communist Party of India leader D Raja reminded that the appointments in the army, CVC and other top-level positions had become controversial during the NDA regime.

The government should answer how these appointments have been made, Raja said.

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A political war of words has broken out over the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as Indias new army chief, with Opposition parties questioning the governments decision and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying there should be no politics on the issue.

The Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the circumstances around Rawats appointment superseding two senior candidates. The Left said appointments in the army and judiciary, of the acting CBI director and to the Central Information Commission have become controversial.

Heres who said what on the issue:

Congress leader Manish Tewari slammed the government on Sunday for playing with institutions and doing politics in the army, even as he wondered if it was whimsical cherry picking.

While Lt Gen Rawat, who is being appointed the COAS, may perhaps have all the requisite credentials, but the fact remains that in a hierarchy conscious organisation where the principle of seniority is almost sacrosanct, the supersession of three senior officers, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Lt PM Hariz, and perhaps even Lt Gen BS Negi, raises extremely serious and critical questions of institutional integrity.

However, senior army officials said that Lt Gen Rawat has only superseded Eastern Army commander Lt Gen Bakshi, the senior-most army commanderon the day present army chief Dalbir Singh retires, and Southern Army commander Lt Gen Hariz.

Tewari said PM Modi should spell out the compelling reasons behind the move, and asked: ...is it whimsical cherry picking which has been done by the BJP-led NDA government?

Why does the army have to go through unnecessary bloodletting at the top? If it has been done, then reasons need to be put out in the public domain.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the governments move. Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVC, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial.

Commenting on the matter, JD(U) MP Pavan Varma said, Every question that is being raised is not about politicising an issue but about seeking a clarification for an answer.

For his part, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said the new army chief was picked up from a pool of five senior-most officers, who are all competent, and Lt Gen Rawats appointment should not be seen as a negative against others.

He said the Congress, by politicising the appointment of the army chief, was showing its frustration after it has been pushed to the margins of national politics following successive electoral defeats.

If any party has flouted the democratic norms most, it is the Congress party. BJP has always adhered to democratic norms, Sharma said.
A special anti-money laundering court in Delhi has confirmed an attachment of assets order worth over Rs 749 crore issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, his wife and others in a money laundering case.

The agency had attached the said assets in June this year as part of its probe against Jagan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

On a thorough perusal of the Provisional Attachment Order (PAO), relied upon documents, the investigations conducted by the ED and the statements recorded....and on careful consideration of the arguments advanced on behalf of the complainant (ED) and defendants (Jagan and others) undersigned comes to the prima facie conclusion that the defendants have committed the scheduled offences, generated proceeds of crime and laundered them.

No doubt, the properties attached are proceeds of crime or value there of and are involved in money laundering. Undersigned therefore orders confirmation of the above PAO, an order issued by a three-member bench of the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA here said.

The bench comprised authority chairperson Mukesh Kumar, member (Law) Tushar V Shah and member (Administration) Devendra Singhai.

The order added that the defendants are in possession of proceeds of crime within the meaning of provisions of PMLA...

The Enforcement Directorate, while issuing the order in June, had said its investigations found that Jagan laundered the proceeds of crime through his group companies Ms Sandur Power Company Pvt Ltd, Ms Classic Realty Pvt Ltd, Ms Silicon Builders Pvt Ltd, Ms Saraswati Power and Industries Pvt Ltd and 10 other firms in the form of investments, purchase of movable and immovable properties, third party payments among others.

Apart from it, the agency had said, Ms Bharathi Cement Corporation Pvt Ltd has received the proceeds of crime in the form of limestone mined from the mines allotted illegally to them in Kadapa district by then Andhra Pradesh government. The value of limestone works out to be more than Rs 152 crore during the relevant period, it had said.

During investigations under PMLA, the proceeds of crime involved in money laundering were identified in the form of movable (Rs 404,72,32,182) and immovable properties (Rs 344,38,10,378) totally valued at Rs 749.10 crore, the ED order had said.

These attached properties are spread across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
The prevailing cash crunch was due to poor planning from the finance ministry, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said on Sunday.

He also said that the decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was taken back in 2014.

The Finance Ministry should have taken precautionary measures before demonetising Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, he told reporters in Coimbatore.

The government had decided to go for demonetisation in 2014 itself and the Finance Ministry ought to have done contingency plans. They have not done any preparation and the Prime Minister had announced (demonetisation), assuming that the things will be a smooth, he said.

Moreover, the size of new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 currencies was small to accommodate in the existing ATMs, which was another reason for the problem, he pointed out.

Along with demonetisation, the committee headed by me on the issue in 2014 had recommended abolition of income tax, so that the people get relief, Swamy said.

On stalling of Parliament proceedings, the BJP leader said, We are not responsible for this, it is Congress which is responsible.
The Centres cash clean-up drive has severely impacted the sale of campaign materials in the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, upsetting electioneering plans of all the political parties.

Banners, posters, stickers, flags, masks of leaders, caps, t-shirts and other paraphernalia associated with the campaigning are generally in great demand during elections. But this time, the shops dealing with such materials are almost deserted.

Eight campaign material shops in Lucknows Vikramaditya Marg near the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP)s state headquarters witnessed a massive decline in footfall after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the scrapping of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes on November 8.

Demonetisation has ruined our business, rued Ravindra Agarwal, a shop owner. So much so that another shop owner, who did not wish to be named, is even contemplating to quit the business.

All these eight shops exclusively cater to the demands of the SP.

The mood is no different even in the shops that deal with publicity materials of other political parties in the state.

The adversity has now forced political parties to change their campaign strategies. After the demonetisation, the BJP is relying more on the door-to-door campaign and word of mouth, besides social media campaigning.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is banking on its tried and tested materials such as CDs consisting of party chief Mayawatis speeches and a booklet highlighting the ideals and policies of the party.

Mayawati summoned all the candidates to her residence at 13 Mall Avenue on November 10 and handed over the CDs and booklets with an instruction to distribute the booklets among the people in their respective constituencies and play the CDs in public meetings.

The Congress is using the social media and public meetings to reach out to the people.

The partys social media cell is aggressively pushing the partys 27 saal UP behaal campaign on the Facebook and Twitter.

But amid the slump, one material that survived the demonetisation blues is the Modi mask. The mask is sold for `6 per piece. Over 2,000 masks were ordered for the Prime Ministers fog-hit Bahraich rally on December 11.
Seeking to stem the flow of black money in polls, the Election Commission has urged the government to amend laws to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2,000 and above made to political parties.

There is no constitutional or statutory prohibition on receipt of anonymous donations by political parties. But there is an indirect partial ban on anonymous donations through the requirement of declaration of donations under section 29C of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

But, such declarations are mandated only for contributions above Rs 20,000.

Highlights The Income Tax Act exempts political parties from being taxed on voluntary contribution, income from capital gains, house property and other sources. Post demonetisation, these exemptions still hold, but the government has asked for proper documentation on donations exceeding Rs 20,000, including the identity of the donor. Cash donations may still be made in Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 banknotes till December 30, when the governments window for exchanging the scrapped notes for valid money closes. The Election Commission is seeking to stem the flow of black money into the upcoming assembly polls by limiting anonymous donations to Rs 2,000 instead of Rs 20,000.

As per the proposed amendment, sent by the Commission to the government, and made part of its compendium on proposed electoral reforms, anonymous contributions above or equal to the amount of Rs 2,000 should be prohibited.

The government had said on Friday that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts will be exempt from income tax provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.

Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the government is not tinkering with the tax exemption available to political parties and they are free to deposit old 500 and 1000 rupee notes in their bank accounts. But these deposits will be subject to the condition that individual donations taken in cash do not exceed Rs 20,000 and are properly documented with full identity of the donor.

The Commission has also proposed that exemption of income tax should only be extended to political parties that contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or assembly polls.

Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 confers tax exemption to political parties for income from house property, income by way of voluntary contributions, income from capital gains and income from other sources.

Only income under the head salaries and income from business or profession are chargeable to tax in the hands of political parties in India.

The Commission said, There could be cases where political parties could be formed merely for availing of provisions of income tax exemption if the facility, that are at the expense of the public exchequer, is provided to all political parties.

In yet another recommendation to check black money, the EC has asked the law ministry to ensure that political parties are made to register details of donors for coupons of all amounts on the basis of a Supreme Court order of 1996.

Coupons are one of the ways devised by the political parties for collecting donations and hence are printed by the party itself. There is no cap or limit as to how many coupons can be printed or its total quantum.

Currently, the details of donors is not required for coupons with small amounts such as for Rs 10 or 20. These smaller sums aggregate into a bigger amount and hence, they need to be accounted for, to ensure transparency, the Commission said.

Also read| No I-T exemption for political parties on donations, says FM Jaitley
The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.

The government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.

A decision to approve an amendment to the Act was taken at the Union Cabinets meeting held earlier this week. The amendment is likely to be introduced in Parliament in its next session.

There will be only one permanent tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolved, water resources ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said.

Earlier, Shekhar said, water tribunals took ages to deliver final awards into disputes, where as the proposed tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict during a span of three years.

Along with the tribunal, the amendment proposes to set up Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The DRC, comprising experts and policy-makers, has been proposed to handle disputes prior to the tribunal.

...whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRCs level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the tribunal, he added.

In order to give more teeth to the tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required to notify the awards, causing delay in its implementation.

As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union government with a request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.

At present, there are eight tribunals including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.

The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karntaka (Cauvery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.
A 33-year-old cashier with the State Bank of India allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his residence at Tharad in Banaskantha district, police said.

Though the police refused to assign any motive to the extreme step taken by Prem Shankar Prajapati, his wife said he had talked about heavy work pressure at Tharad branch of the bank.

He originally belonged to Barmer in Rajasthan.

Prajapati was a native of Barmer and has been working as a cashier at SBIs Tharad branch for last one-and-half-years. Due to some unknown reasons, Prajapati committed suicide by hanging himself from ceiling fan today morning. We have not found any suicide note from the spot, said Tharad police inspector J G Chavda.

However, Prajapatis wife Manjula claimed her husband had once complained about the work pressure.

My husband used to remain tensed after coming home from the bank. He once said that there is so much work pressure. He did not talk much due to tension, Manjula told reporters outside police station.
When Bipin Rawat took charge of the United Nations North Kivu Brigade in the Democratic Republic of Congo eight years ago, things werent going too well for the worlds costliest peacekeeping mission, known by its French acronym MONUC.

The locals were contemptuous of UN peacekeepers, questioning what difference they had made in their lives and accusing the mission of doing little to protect them. Angry crowds would often hurl stones at UN vehicles on the streets of Goma, the capital of North Kivu and where the Indian brigade is based.

Lieutenant General Rawat, who will take over as army chief on December 31, was a brigadier when he was sent to the Congo in August 2008 to command the Indian Armys, then as now, largest deployment on foreign soil. He hit the ground running and quickly grasped the reason the peacekeepers were struggling to contain the crisis in the Congo, formerly known as Zaire.

We were not fighting with our equipment, despite Chapter VII of the UN Charter, authorising the use of force in some scenarios. We have decided to fight with our equipment, Rawat told this correspondent who was then covering the conflict in eastern Congo.

They knew we were willing to go the extra mile to protect them.

Rawat reworked the velvet-glove strategy to an iron fist within a month of his arrival, frequently authorising the use of attack helicopters to strafe positions held by rebel groups responsible for civilian deaths, recruiting child soldiers and displacing millions of people.

As the Congos internal conflict raged, he ordered the deployment of infantry combat vehicles rigged with machine guns and cannons to crush rebels and enforce peace in flashpoints such as Tonga, Kanyabayonga, Rutshuru and Bunagana.

Lt Gen Rawat was a brigadier when he was sent to the Congo in August 2008 to command the Indian Armys, then as now, largest deployment on foreign soil. (Rahul Singh/HT File Photo)

Read: Eight things you need to know about new army chief Bipin Rawat

In a remarkable turnaround, peacekeepers facing public anger soon became a symbol of hope for the local communities.

The change in attitude was clearly visible when thousands of locals, caught in the crossfire between the Congolese forces and rebel fighters, took refuge in an army base at Masisi located 80km from Goma.

The crowd clapped and cheered for the peacekeepers as Indian helicopter gunships swooped down and sprayed rockets on rebel positions, allowing the Congolese army to push them back.

They knew we were willing to go the extra mile to protect them, Rawat then told this correspondent.

Interestingly, Pakistani army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa was heading the Bukavu-based South Kivu brigade in 2007. The two Kivu brigades were under the Eastern Divison then commanded by former army chief General Bikram Singh.

Read: Govt final authority, dont politicise Rawat appointment: Ex-army chief to parties

Read: Cong, Left question Rawats appointment as army chief over 2 senior candidates
A year-long probe into the Pathankot airbase attack by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has failed to answer an important question  Kitne aadmi thay? (How many were there?)

Even in its chargesheet likely to be filed on Monday, the NIA has decided to tell the court that it could establish the presence of only four terrorists at the airbase. It may say the probe into the presence of more attackers was still on, further deepening a mystery that has shrouded the case from the very start.

The document might tell the court that oral, documentary and scientific evidence such as DNA profiling reports have established the presence of four terrorists at the scene of crime. The expert opinion of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory regarding the charred/burnt mass, including pieces of clothes and parts of a pithu-bag recovered from a residential billet (at the airbase), was inclusive as far as revealing anybodys identity, age, origin or number of people is concerned.

Highlights The NIA has decided to tell a court that it could establish the presence of only four terrorists at the Pathankot airbase. It may say the probe into the presence of more attackers was still on. The NIA chargesheet will narrate the sequence of events leading up to the attack.

Read: Pathankot: India claims strong evidence, rejects Pak media reports

The NIA chargesheet will narrate the sequence of events leading up to the attack, and try to clarify its position on the exact number of attackers. It might say that four heavily armed terrorist infiltrated into Indian territory on December 30, 2015, from Pakistan... through the forest area near the Simbal border outpost of the BSF, close to Bamilyal village at the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.

The attackers phone conversations with family members and handlers revealed that they remained hidden near the border till the next day, and hijacked an Innova at 9.35 pm before killing car driver Ikagar Singh. However, an accident forced them to leave the Innova and hijack Punjab superintendent of police Salvinder Singhs private SUV. After forcing Salvinder and his cook out of the vehicle, they tried to kill another occupant  Rajesh Verma  by slitting his throat. Verma, however, survived.

The four terrorists entered the airbase on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, and remained hidden till dusk the following day. Security forces neutralised the four on the night of January 2.

Read: Pak militants attacked Pathankot airbase, Jaish operative tells HT

The second encounter, which reportedly involved two more terrorists, took place on the ground floor of a two-storey structure  known as Airmen Billet  at the base. Airmen were evacuated from the upper floor of the building. The building was demolished in the encounter that ensued, and charred remains were recovered from two places.

Sources said the remains  devoid of bones and teeth  were sent for forensic tests to verify if they belonged to humans. Three months after the attack, home minister Rajnath Singh informed Parliament that the remains were found to belong to human males. However, their identities could not be established.

Side-stepping the question whether the people hiding in the structure were terrorists, the NIA chargesheet might say: Due to the absence of any recovered arms from the billet, its residential nature and inconclusive DNA analysis report of the charred remains, the presence of any other terrorists could not be established till date. This, it would insist, is the reason why the matter needs to be investigated further.

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President Barack Obama said Friday he cannot claim the United States has been successful in Syria.



Obama, in his final news conference of the year, said he always feels responsible about issues happening around the world, but defended America's approach toward the civil war in Syria.

"With respect to Syria of what I have consistently done is taken the best course that I can to end the civil war and having also taken into account of the long-term national security interest of the United States," he said.

"Throughout the process based on hours of meetings, if you tally it up, days or weeks of meetings, where we went through every option in painful details and maps and with our military and we had our aid agencies and our diplomatic teams and sometimes we bring in outsiders who were critics of ours."

Obama told reporters he understood the desire for action to end the conflict, but it would have been impossible to do "on the cheap" without a full U.S. military intervention.

"Unless we were all in and willing to take over Syria, we were going to have problems," Obama said in the news conference, noting that it would have required "putting large numbers of U.S. troops on the ground, uninvited, without any international law mandate."

He also said that the world is united in horror at the assault on Aleppo, and that President Bashar Assad and his allies were responsible for atrocities including reported massacres of civilians.

"Responsibility for this brutality lies in one place alone: with the Assad regime and its allies Russia and Iran. And this blood and these atrocities are on their hands," Obama said.

 Reuters contributed to this report.
An unidentified man shot at a private bank official injuring him on Sunday at his residence in Hyderabad, police said.

Manmadh Dalai sustained injuries in his leg was rushed to hospital. He was later declared as out of danger, Police said.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said they will soon nab the unknown accused.

... He (accused) spoke in Telugu, English and broken Hindi. He ran away after he (victim) sustained injury in the leg. The way he spoke to the watchman, with the wife of the (victim) on intercom and the owner, we cannot come to a decision... It could be robbery, Reddy told reporters.

We will definitely detect the case soon by taking into consideration whether he (accused) came in connection with bank transactions or whether he was completely an unknown person or he came through employees of the bank, he added.
DMK chief Karunanidhi, who is undergoing treatment in Chennai for breathing difficulties caused by throat and lung infection, is doing well, party treasurer and the nonagenarian leaders son M K Stalin said on Sunday.

Doctors treating Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) told me that the party chief is alright and asked me not to worry, he said while addressing a function organised by the party at Namakkal for students.

Stalin said doctors told him he could leave for Namakkal to attend the function as the DMK chief is alright and doing well.

Karunanidhi was admitted to Kauvery Hospital here on the night of December 15 due to breathing difficulty caused by lung and throat infection. He later underwent a tracheotomy which helped him breathe freely.

Meanwhile, a host of leaders including Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and Tamil Maanila Congress chief G K Vasan visited the hospital and enquired about the 92-year-old leaders health.

Actors Naser and Vishal and A M Vikramaraja of the traders federation were among others who visited the hospital.
An engineering student attempted suicide and another was hospitalised in two alleged incidents of brutal ragging in Kerala, police said on Sunday, putting the spotlight back on a menace that has claimed many lives on Indian campuses.

In Kochi, a marine engineering student at the Cochin University of Science and Technology tried to kill himself after he was allegedly beaten up and mentally tortured for hours last Friday, his father said.

I joined the course after yearning for it a lot. But animals there subjected me to severe physical and mental torture, the student wrote on Facebook.

His father said the boy consumed pesticide and was admitted to a hospital in Mangalore. Police booked three students under attempt to murder charges.

My son is recovering fast. Besides the police case, I have written to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take stringent measures to stop such brutal acts, the father added.

The second case was reported from south Keralas Kottayam where two Dalit students of the Government Polytechnic College were allegedly forced by older peers into doing push-ups and other demanding physical exercises for six hours.

The duo was then compelled to drink undiluted alcohol, police said.

One of the victims is now undergoing dialysis after his kidneys were damaged, a doctor at the Ernakulam General Hospital said, while the other has been discharged.

Police said they have charged eight students under the scheduled caste/scheduled tribe prevention of atrocities act for the incident, which took place on December 2.

The suspects in both cases are on the run, police said.

The incidents have sent shockwaves across the state with the Kerala human rights commission seeking a report from the college and police.

Ragging is outlawed in Indian campuses but despite interventions from the government and the Supreme Court, fresh college entrants are often subject to days of physical and mental abuse by their seniors  a practice often dubbed as entertainment or fun.

Ragging is an institutionalised crime, not a result of a drunken night or a playful evening gone too far. Those who rag should be treated as criminals, said Ajay Govind from the Society Against Violence in Education, an NGO working against ragging.

In 2009, the University Grants Commission set up an anti-ragging helpline after the death of 19-year-old Aman Kachroo, a first-year medical student in Himachal Pradesh.

The death triggered national outrage and a panel appointed by the Supreme Court found the teenager had repeatedly complained to college authorities and asked for help. But he was ignored.

The UGC helpline has received more than 3.1 million

calls but many students say they are scared to complain. A study funded by the national education regulator this year found 40% students face some ragging but only 8.6% report them.

Earlier this year in Kerala, a nineteen-year-old nursing student suffered massive organ damage after being allegedly force-fed toilet cleaner by her seniors. This came on the back of several such complaints ranging from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Read | Seniors or foes? How ragging in our colleges is pushing students to the edge

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The Kerala police on Sunday arrested Kamal C Chavara, a Malayalam writer and theatre personality, for allegedly insulting the national anthem.

Chavara had posted excerpts on Facebook from his controversial book that allegedly contained derogatory references to the national anthem.

The Bhartiya Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, had filed a complaint against Chavara, citing his post on the social media website.

Chavara was arrested from Kozhikkode (north Kerala), where he had gone to attend a function.

The writer, who was planning to move the court for anticipatory bail before the arrest, defended his work, saying not a single word was intended to insult the anthem.

Later in the evening, Chavara was released on bail. He alleged that he was humiliated by policemen, though officials denied his charges.

The incident came close on the heels of the arrest of six people for not standing up when the national anthem was played before the screening of a film at the International Film Festival (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram.

Last month, the Supreme Court asked all cinemas to play the national anthem before a film is screened, a controversial decision that many say will embolden right-wing Hindu groups pushing a strident brand of nationalism.

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At least 22 cars, buses and other vehicles were torched in Manipurs Imphal East district on Sunday by residents protesting against the Naga economic blockade. As violence spread, authorities imposed curfew throughout the district as well as in neighbouring Imphal West.

Authorities also suspended internet connectivity in the areas.

In the attack on vehicles in Imphal East, arsonists did not target drivers or passengers. But as fire-tenders could not reach the spot, the vehicles could not be salvaged.

Vehicles are seen burning after being set alight by protesters in Imphal, the capital of Manipur. (AFP)

In wake of the attacks, heavily armed police and paramilitary personnel were patrolling the trouble-prone areas after dispersing mobs by firing tear gas canisters.

Curfew imposed in a part of Imphal East following a militant attack was extended.

Expressing the peoples resentment against the blockade, activist A Rajen said: Since the central government is pampering the United Naga Council (UNC) and the militant outfit underpinning it, the situation is getting worse day by day. The Centre is a silent spectator to the indefinite economic blockade imposed against Manipur since November 1.

Women who called the 24-hour general strike had threatened with more agitations after they ended it on Saturday night.

In Sagolband area of Imphal West district, women stopped and set alight several items including consumer goods which were being transported to the tribal areas.

Vehicles are seen burning after being set alight by protesters in Imphal, the capital of Manipur. (PTI)

Nirmala, a housewife, said: No consumer item is available in the market. Baby foods, life saving medicines, chicken, fish, eggs had vanished. We are resorting to counter blockade against some tribal areas since they should also suffer like us.

Another woman activist called the UNC a frontal organisation of a militant outfit and said it should be outlawed.

Curfew was imposed in a stretch of Imphal East earlier on Sunday after tribal militants opened fire in Bongyang village along the Imphal-Ukhrul road. Since most of the villagers were inside the church for Sunday prayers, there was no casualty.

In response, collector Ningthoujam Geofrey clamped curfew in the area from Lamlong market to Yaingangpokpi, with the restrictions extending to 300 metres on either side of the state highway.

Meanwhile, villagers and staff of Vijaya Bank took out a procession on Sunday at Saikul, also a Kuki area, condemning the robbery of Rs 6 lakh on December 15 by two masked men.

Autonomous District Council member T Guite said: The money belongs to the poor people and not the rich and influential businessmen. The common people are hit hard by the closure of the bank branch.

While condemning the heist, elected representatives and village elders urged the bank to reopen the branch there.

Police circles and civil organisations fear a communal flare up as the central government has not stepped in to restrain the Naga groups. Police sources fear that this may be the beginning of a repeat of ethnic cleansing witnessed in the 1990s which left over 1,500 dead and dozens of villages destroyed.
The case involving allegations of sexual harassment against Bhagat Singh, head of physical education department Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), has taken a new turn with police registering first information reports (FIR) against two complainants for fraud.

Earlier, a male resource persons mother had complained with police that Singh molested her whenever she visited the university to meet her son. Apart from this, a female resource person at MDU, who had resigned, complained that Singh sexually abused her on many occasions, because of which she had to resign.

The two, along with their supporters, have been sitting on a dharna at Ambedkar Chowk outside women police station in Rohtak for past three days, protesting police inaction for not registering FIR against Singh.

The police on Saturday booked the two women for fraud on a complaint filed by Bhagat. In his complaint he stated that the female resource person had got job in the department by forging her postgraduate and doctoral degree from Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur. Singh claims that after receiving an official reply about the forgery from the said university, he registered a police complaint. In it, he has stated that the woman had filed a sexual assault complaint against him with an intent to blackmail him.

Based on Singhs complaint, police have booked the woman under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly) , 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Bhagat Singh has also complained against the male resource person and his parents. He claims that he had informed his seniors about a criminal case and FIR registered against the resource person. In response, the resource person, along with his parents, tried to strangulate him to death at his office in September, Singh claimed. He said that when he complained of assault, the resource person's mother filed a counter complaint of sexual harassment.

Based on his complaint, police have booked the male resource person and his mother under sections 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions),332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint) of IPC.

The police said they have lodged a case and investigations were going on.
Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to Japan during which he will explore new avenues of cooperation with the country which has emerged as a close partner of India in recent years, both on the nuclear energy front as well as military.

The visit also comes at a time when India, Japan and the US are preparing for their next edition of the Malabar exercise which will focus on submarine hunting amid increasing forays by the Chinese underwater vessels in the Indian Ocean.

The visit aims to consolidate existing maritime cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues, a statement by the Navy said.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive Exclusive Economic Zone, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, wherein both navies have opportunities to learn from each others experiences, it added.

In addition, common ground exists for cooperation on a number of issues for the navies.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is robust and is primarily focused towards maritime cooperation. Bilateral defence cooperation was institutionalised with commencement of the India-Japan Comprehensive Security Dialogue which was initiated in 2001.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has participated in the Malabar exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior being included as a regular member in the exercise since 2015.

JMSDF participated in Malabar 15 and 16 held in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific respectively.

In 2014, Japan has also been included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a maritime cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008.

Both navies also engage in navy to navy staff talks which commenced in 2008. The 7th such talks are scheduled to be held in 2017.

JDS Matsuyuki participated in the International Fleet Review 2016 held at Visakhapatnam. The Chief of Staff of the JMSDF, Admiral Tomihisa Takei also attended the Review.

Indian Navy too participated in the International Fleet Review conducted by the JMSDF in October 15 at Sagami Bay, Yokosuka, Japan.

JMSDF for the first time participated in the Admirals Cup Sailing Regatta conducted by the Indian Navy in 2016 at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala from December 5 to 11 this year.

Warships of both countries regularly visit each others ports.

During the visit, Admiral Lanba is scheduled to hold discussions with Chief of Staff, JMSDF, minister of state for defence, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff besides other senior dignitaries and naval officers.
A pall of gloom has descended on Phursungi, the native village of 32-year-old gunner Saurabh Farate, who was among the three soldiers killed in Saturdays militant attack on an army convoy in Pampore.

Saurabh, who was in the Indian Army for last 13 years, is survived by parents, wife, twin daughters and a brother who also serves in the army.

Saurabhs fathers Nandkishor Farate said that in October, he had come home on two months leave to celebrate the first birthday of his daughters and had left on December 24.

Before leaving for duty on Saturday morning, he had a telephonic conversation with the family. Yesterday, I received a call from his unit, however, the person on the other side gave incomplete information and only informed us that Saurabh was shot, said the bereaved father.

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat #VCOAS pays homage to the martyrs of Pampore, #J&KOps in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/4082LD2hA1  ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) December 18, 2016

I then called up my younger son, Rohit, who too works in army in Jammu and informed him about the call. It was he who informed us about his (Saurabhs) martyrdom after due enquiry, he said.

He hoped the government would take concrete steps to tackle the menace of terrorism.

Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar visited Saurabhs house and consoled his parents and relatives.

The mortal remains of the soldier would be flown for the last rites to his native place in Hadapsar area here and will be consigned to the flames with full military honours tomorrow morning.
Congress targeted on Sunday the RBI and banks in the country, saying people have lost faith in the banking system after Prime Minister Narendra Modis disastrous movement to demonetise the high-value currency notes.

Senior Congress leader and partys chief spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that crores and crores and crores of newly-printed currency (notes) are going out from the back doors of the banks while common people were denied their right to withdraw their hard earned money they have deposited in these banks.

People had faith in Indian banking system. After the financial crisis and after the economic crisis of 2008-09, Indian banks showed their resilience and their trustworthiness.

The Reserve Bank of India had a formidable reputation. Today, peoples trust in the Indian banks is shattered and the reputation of the RBI is dented, Sharma told reporters in Kochi.

The ex-Union minister for commerce said, I am telling you why. People who toil hard have small savings. You put your money in the bank and you have the assurance that the money is safe. When I need it, I can go to the bank and withdraw it.

But the bank is not giving that money. Because cash is not available and the cash which is available is not coming from board or the counter, he said.

ATMs are running dry. And from the back doors crores and crores and crores of newly printed currency is going out. So how can people have trust... he asked.

He said it will take a long time for the Indian banks to rebuild their trust.

What ethics are there and correctness is there when your own money is snatched. You will say that your money is there, dont worry. It is safe. But it is safe with me as a government. I will use it the way I want and I wont give it to you. That is where the trust is gone. It will take a longtime to rebuild the trust in the banking system, he said.

Sharma, who is also the deputy leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, attacked Prime Minister for the sufferings of the people through the disastrous movement.

Prime Minister must be held to account and the BJP government for creating the huge upheaval in the lives of the citizens for afflicting the sufferings, for destroying the economy and for over 111 deaths. He has misled the nation and its people, he said.
A retired naval commander, who was also chairman of the Navy Recruitment Board, has been booked for cheating a man on the pretext of a job offer as an unskilled labourer at the naval dockyard in Mumbai.

The Cuffe Parade police said the retired commander, along with his daughter, cheated the aspirant of Rs 8 lakh in 2012.

The commander retired last year and at the time of the alleged incident was employed with the force as the chairman of the Navy Recruitment Board.

The police are not ruling out the possibility of this being part of a larger job racket in the naval dockyard.

Highlights Police said the retired commander, along with his daughter, cheated the aspirant of Rs 8 lakh in 2012. Police are not ruling out the possibility of this being part of a larger job racket in the naval dockyard. A police inspector confirmed a case has been registered against the retired commander.

An officer from the Cuffe Parade police station, on condition of anonymity, said, The aspirant Adhinath Kale got a call from the naval dockyard in 2012 and was asked to be present for the selection process.

He met the commander in the dockyard, where he was asked to pay Rs 8 lakh for the job of an unskilled labourer.

In the same year, Kale allegedly gave the commander Rs 5 lakh in a hotel at Colaba, and after three days, the remaining Rs 3 lakh was collected by his daughter, he said.

The ex-navy man originally hails from Rajasthan, but as we got his Gurgaon address, we have summoned him for a statement.

An officer said, After that the accused began ignoring his calls. The aspirant, who is a Dombivli resident, had registered a complaint with the police sand following investigations a case was registered.

Senior police inspector Rashmi Jadhav from Cuffe Parade police station confirmed a case has been registered against the retired commander.

A senior official of the Indian Navy, who did not wish to be named, told HT the case had no connection with the force, and stressed police will investigate the matter.

Another police officer said: The ex-navy man originally hails from Rajasthan, but as we got his Gurgaon address, we have summoned him for a statement.

The accused has been booked under sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama hit at Russia and President Vladimir Putin during his final end-of-the-year press conference.

Obama stopped short of blaming Putin directly for hacks that interfered with the US presidential election, but he still pointed his finger in that direction.

"The intelligence that I've seen gives me great confidence in their assessment that the Russians carried out this hack," he said.

Questions surrounding Russian interference in the election have become a central focus in recent days amid reports that a CIA assessment concluded Russia interfered in the US election with the specific goal of aiding Trump's campaign. It was reported Friday that the FBI supported the CIA's findings.

Internal emails from members of the Democratic National Committee and John Podesta, the chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign, were leaked online throughout the campaign. The organization WikiLeaks released a steady stream of Podesta's emails in the final weeks of the campaign.

Intelligence officials reportedly believe that Putin himself was directly involved in the hacks. And Obama seems to share that opinion, even if he neglected to fully endorse it.

"Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin," Obama said. "This is pretty hierarchical operation. Last I checked, there's not a lot of debate and democratic deliberation, particularly when it comes to policies directed at the United States."

Obama also warned against allowing Russia to influence American political culture.

"The Russians can't change us or significantly weaken us," he said. "They are a smaller country. They are a weaker country. Their economy doesn't produce anything that anybody wants to buy except oil and gas and arms. They don't innovate. But they can impact us if we lose track of who we are."

Story continues

He also chided Republicans who support Putin.

"There was a survey that some of you saw where  now this is just one poll, but a pretty credible source  that 37% of Republican voters approve of Putin," Obama said. "Over a third of Republican voters approve of Vladimir Putin, the former head of the KGB. Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave."

Trump was often criticized during the election for his apparent fondness for Putin. Trump has often said that he would like the US to have a closer and more cooperative relationship with Russia.

But many in the foreign policy community see Russia as an adversary, especially considering the recent hacks.

obama putin

Obama detailed some of the US efforts to stop Russian hacking in the future.

"What we can also do is to, on a bilateral basis, warn other countries against these kinds of attacks," Obama said. "And we've done that in the past. So just as I told Russia to stop it and indicated that there will be consequences when they do it, the Chinese have in the past engaged in cyberattacks directed at our companies to steal trade secrets and proprietary technology. ... What we've seen is some evidence that they have reduced, but not completely eliminated, these activities."

He also emphasized that not all of these efforts to deter Russia's cyberattacks are public.

"Our goal continues to be to send a clear message to Russia or others not to do this to us, because we can do stuff to you," Obama said. "But it is also important for us to do that in a thoughtful, methodical way. Some of it we do publicly. Some of it we will do in a way that they know but not everybody will."

He continued: "And I know that there have been folks out there who suggest somehow that if we went out there and made big announcements and thumped our chests about a bunch of stuff, that somehow that would potentially spook the Russians, but keep in mind that we already have enormous numbers of sanctions against the Russians."

Obama also said that the "idea that somehow public shaming is going to be effective" in preventing future hacking "doesn't read the thought process in Russia very well."

Obama also reassured the public that while Russia might have attempted to interfere with the US election, the voting process was still sound.

"I can assure the public that there was not the kind of tampering with the voting process that was a concern and will continue to be a concern going forward, that the votes that were cast were counted  they were counted appropriately. We have not seen evidence of machines being tampered with," Obama said.

"That doesn't mean that we find every single potential probe of every single voting machine all across the country, but we paid a lot of attention to it ... and we feel confident that that didn't occur."

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Suspense is building up over whether the government has any immediate plans to create the post of chief of defence staff (CDS) or permanent chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, amid the debate swirling around the appointment of the new army chief.

The government on Saturday announced Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat will replace Gen Dalbir Singh as army chief on December 31, abandoning a decades-old tradition of elevating the seniormost officer to the position.

In promoting Rawat, the claims of two officers senior to him  Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi and Lieutenant General PM Hariz  were ignored.

Had the government gone by seniority, Bakshi would have been the next chief. But government officials said it may be too early to write off Bakshi because the plan to appoint a new four-star general to provide single-point military advice to the political leadership was under serious consideration.

Read | Eight things you need to know about new army chief Bipin Rawat

Who knows, the government could spring another surprise and appoint a CDS in the near term. It could be anyone, said a defence ministry source.

It also remains to be seen what will be the next move of the superseded generals  they could choose to serve, resign or move court.

Customarily, seniority has been the deciding factor, but the final call rests with the government that has the option of making the selection after examining the dossiers of top eligible generals.

A government source said Rawat was the best suited among the generals to deal with emerging challenges such as a reorganised force structure in the north, continuing militancy in J&K and the insurgency in the northeast.

He said due process was followed and the existing security environment factored in before declaring Rawat as chief-designate.

Read | How Lt Gen Bipin Rawat changed the face of UN peacekeeping in conflict-hit Congo
A 14-year-old girl, studying at a private school in Thane, was allegedly molested by two of her classmates inside a bus and a car, police said on Sunday.

The owner of the bus transport service, hired by the school on contractual basis, has been arrested for allegedly abetting the crime and the two minor boys have been detained, assistant police inspector Dinkar K Chandkar, of Kasarwadavali police station, said.

On December 15, the girl finished her school exam earlier than others and went and sat in the bus parked outside the premises at around noon. Another girl was also in the bus at that time. Soon, two male students from the victims class came into the bus and allegedly molested her, Chandkar said.

The other girl sitting in the bus got scared and alighted from the vehicle.

The two boys then took the victim into a car parked nearby in which the school transport bus owner was also there.

The car was then driven to Gaimukh creek where the boys allegedly molested the girl again. Later, the bus owner, identified as Darshan Bhokre (30), drove the car to a place near Ovla petrol pump and dropped the two boys and the girl there and fled, police said.

While the scared victim did not reveal the incident to anyone, the other girl, who was in the bus at the time of the alleged offence, reported the matter to a school teacher.

The school teacher in-turn informed the victims mother about the incident. Later, the girl confided in her mother and based on the victims complaint, an FIR was registered against the accused by Kasarwadavali police yesterday, Chandkar said.

Subsequently, the bus owner was arrested and the two boys detained and sent to a remand home, police said adding that they have been booked under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and also section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act-2012.
A woman was killed on the spot after being hit from behind by a speeding car and her body travelled for two kilometers --- stuck to the vehicles bonnet --- before the driver panicked and fled, in Telangana on Sunday.

Maheshwaramma, 45, was riding pillion with her husband Turpu Siddilingam, 50, when the accident happened in Addakul village near Kothakota block in Mahbubnagar district on national highway 44.

While Siddilingam fell on the ground, Maheshwaramma got stuck to the cars bonnet, which was crushed due to impact of the accident, K Srinivas, Addakul police sub-inspector, said.

Siddilingams condition is critical, the police said, adding that he was sent to Hyderabad for treatment. Maheshwarammas body was sent to Mahbubnagar government hospital for autopsy.

The duo hailing from Gajulapet village was on their way to their daughters house in Wanaparthi. The Hyndai i-10 car with Andhra Pradesh registration was coming from Hyderabad, Srinivas said.

The driver and owner of the vehicle have not yet been traced, the sub-inspector said.

Such incidents are not uncommon in the notorious national highways of Telangana. In fact, two strikingly similar incidents were reported in the state this year.

Three months back, on September 20, a speeding Chevrolet hit from behind Srinivasulu, a labourer, whose body was flung in the air before it landed on the roof of the car. The driver rode on unperturbed for three kilometers before he was stopped by locals.

On January 2, Venkat Reddy, a farmer from Nalgonda district, was killed on the spot when a Maruthi Swift swept him off his feet near Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway and his body landed on the top of the car. The driver drove on for another 20 km before traffic police noticed the body and brought the car to a halt.

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Fishing nets of 10 mechanised boats of Tamil Nadu fishermen were allegedly snapped by Sri Lankan naval personnel who also chased away nearly 3,000 fishers off Katchatheevu islet.

The Lankan naval personnel cut the nets and chased away the fishermen on charges of entering their territorial waters yesterday, Rameswaram Fishermens Association president P Sesuraja said.

The fishermen who had ventured into the sea from this island town in more than 600 boats were intercepted by the naval men, who also threatened to shoot them, he added.

The fishermen returned to the shore this morning, he said.

Sesuraja urged the Centre to act on Sri Lankan navys atrocities against Tamil Nadu fishermen.

On December 15, more than 2,500 fishermen from here were forced to return without their catch after Lankan navy personnel allegedly snapped the fishing nets of 50 mechanised boats off Katchatheevu.
Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to jail those who have black money in Swiss bank accounts and also issued an appeal to people to not vote for the BJP in the upcoming assembly polls.

Kejriwal was in the state capital to address a rally against demonetisation at Rafe-e-Aam club ground, his third in Uttar Pradesh, after PM Modis November 8 decision to discontinue high value currency notes of `500 and `1,000.

I have come here not to seek votes but to plead before you to save the country, Kejriwal said at the gathering.

Attacking PM Modi, the Delhi CM said, After PM Modi made illegal in one stroke on November 8 use of `500 and `1,000 notes, the entire country is compelled to queue up outside banks and ATMs to withdraw cash.

Demonetisation will help no one except a few friends of the PM, he added.

Challenging the PM, Kejriwal said, If the PM wants to fight against corruption, then he must send those to jail who have black money and also those who have stashed black money in Swiss banks. Give your vote to a kala kutta (black dog) but not to the BJP, Kejriwal urged people at the rally.

Kejriwal also asked his cadre to campaign against the BJP in the forthcoming assembly polls.

He accused the PM of waiving off loans of industrialists and big business houses and not offering loan waiver scheme for farmers.

He also raised the issue of recent grand wedding of Gali Janardhan Reddys daughter in Bengaluru, in which the mining baron of Bellary is estimated to have spent around `550 crore.

Now, PM Modi must tell us how to get a daughter married in `2.5 lakh, said Kejriwal, while referring to the cash withdrawal limit set up by the Centre for those who have to marry off their son or daughter.

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The absence of a 2014-like wave is giving the BJP jitters in poll-bound Uttarakhand, especially in segments where Muslims are sizeable in number.

Uttarakhand, which goes to vote early next year, has a 14% Muslim population. This goes up to between 15 and over 50% in 23 out of the 70 assembly constituencies that are spread across Haridwar (10 segments), Udhamsingh Nagar (8), Dehradun (3) and Nainital (2) districts.

The BJP had won 10 of these 23 seats in 2012 assembly polls while Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had shared the rest, 10 and 3.

The BJP also did exceptionally well in these areas in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls winning 19 seats while the Congress could get just 4.

Given the wave in favour of (Narendra) Modi for Prime Ministership, 2014 outcome was an exception, a BJP general secretary said. We neither have such a face nor a wave this time.

The party is running without a chief ministerial face, largely depending on the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre.

It has four former chief ministers on its side and an equal number of leaders nursing ambitions for the top post, which may be counterproductive, according to the strategists.

They fear the current situation may not unite all non-Muslim population, like it did in 2014, but will prompt the minority community to consolidate against the BJP.

Uttarakhand has always chosen its ruler with a wafer thin margin. Every vote counts. We have taken note of the minority factor and our strategy will be formulated accordingly, another BJP leader involved in Uttarakhand affairs told HT.

Uttarakhand also has 18% Scheduled Caste population, which is equally strong in these 23 seats. The three seats that Mayawatis BSP won in the last assembly polls are from these areas. A Dalit-Muslim combination helped her gain foothold in the hill state.

On seats that the BJP sees a potential of winning, it will field SC candidates of its own. In the rest, it will tactically support strong candidates to cut maximum votes that they can.

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State-owned BSNL may introduce a monthly unlimited voice call plan for mobile subscribers for Rs 149 or less soon.

We have plans to introduce an unlimited local and national voice call plan to any network with a bit of free data for Rs 149 or less than it for our cell phone subscribers from next month, BSNL CMD Anupam Shrivastava told reporters.

Revival path of the BSNL has begun. Its financial condition is improving. Now we have started earning operational profits, he said.

By 2018-19 we are hopeful of earning the net profit and thereafter our aim is to become one among the three top telecom operators of India, said Shrivastava.

According to the CMD, their move to provide free roaming facility to their cell phone customers has paid off with expansion in their subscribers base.

Shrivastava said BSNL was once number 1 but slid to 6th place.

Now we have bounced back and climbed to 4th position, the CMD added.

He admitted that BSNL was having 10 per cent cell phone customers base in the country and said they were working to rev it up to 15 per cent.

We missed the voice bus but we wont miss the data bus, he said in an apparent reference to Reliance Jios free data service to its subscribers till March.

We are focusing on landline sector as well, he said, adding this segment was witnessing resurrection in US and UK.

Sources from BSNL said the plan could be introduced from January 1.
The Indore crime branch team on Saturday seized Rs 11.43 lakh, including Rs 11.4 lakh in new currency notes of Rs 2000, and arrested four persons in this connection, the police said. Earlier the crime branch got a tip-off about the presence of huge cash in the house of one of the accused.

The accused were identified as 48-year-old Laxminarayan Purohit and his two sons 26-year-old Vinod Purohit and 24-year-old Dilip Purohit, all residents of 18 Shahid Hemu Colony under Malharganj police station (PS) limit, along with one 18-year-old Ayush Rathore, a resident of 530 Janata Colony, Bada Ganpati under the same PS jurisdiction.

Superintendent of police (Indore headquarters) Mohammed Yusuf Qureshi said, Police have seized Rs 11.40 lakh in new currency notes and remaining Rs 3,000 in old currency notes from Purohits resident.

During preliminary investigation, police came to know that they were about to exchange the cash with defunct notes at a commission of 18%. The Income Tax department has been informed about it and an investigation is on in the matter, said Qureshi.

During the raid at Purohits house, the crime branch team recovered new and old currency notes and one mobile phone. When questioned about such a huge number of new currency notes, Laxminrayan and others gave vague answers. Police suspected they were about to exchange the cash with defunct notes and it turned out to be true as they confessed it during the interrogation.

Laxminarayan worked as a security guard at a court while Vinod and Dilip were earning their livelihood by selling toffees and biscuits. Ayush is an employee of one Manish Dave.

Vinod informed police that Dave owns a shop at Novelty Market and they had got money from Dave and Rathore for exchange and in return they were assured that they would get 18% commission.

Currently, none of Purohit family members has any bank account and now police are trying to find out who provided such huge amount to them. In addition, police are also trying to find out the possibility of involvement of any bank employee in this case.
Wall of kindness -- a simple concept that originated in Iran last year -- is flourishing fast in Rajasthan. Now, Jhalawar district joined a dozen others to house a wall of kindness.

The first wall of kindness was set up in Iran to encourage people to donate winter clothing for destitute or homeless people. The wall is a place where people, who have excess, can leave things and needy people can take them.

Used clothes can be seen hung up from the wall near Panchayat Samiti building in Jhalawars Bhawanimandi. Used foot wears are kept in a metal box. The wall is locally known as Bhalai ki Diwar (wall of benevolence).

An appeal for donation is also inscribed on the wall. Jinke paas adhik kapde ho rakh jaaye, jinko zaroorat ho kapdo ki woh le jaaye (those who have spare clothes can drop them here, while those who need clothes can take them from here).

Bhawanimandi municipalitys executive officer Shambhu Lal Meena said the concept has witnessed overwhelming response. The civic body is overseeing the project.

Over 1,000 clothes have been donated so far and 600 needy people have taken clothes and foot wears from the wall, he said. Most of the beneficiaries are poor people of nomadic tribes including Kalbeliya, Gadia Luhar and others.

Deepak Kumar, a daily wage labourer in Bhawanimandi, said he has taken warm clothes for his family from the wall as he cannot buy them. Ashish Pareta said after receiving information about the wall, he decided to donate dead stock of his shop for the poor people.

The trend of establishing such walls was initiated by the urban improvement trust (UIT) of Bhilwara district five months ago. UITs Kota secretary Pradeep Singh Sangawat said Bhilwara is now home to 20 such walls.

He said a dozen districts, including Udaipur, Rajsamand and Dungarpur, now have such walls.
Rajasthan may boast of having the highest number of universities in the country, but when it comes to enrolment of students for higher studies, the state continues to be a laggard.

The desert state has 64 universities, which is 8.4% of the total varsities in the country, according to a recent report titled Annual Status of Higher Education of States and UTs in India prepared jointly by the Deloitte and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

In terms of total number of universities, Rajasthan is followed by Uttar Pradesh (63), Tamil Nadu (58), Karnataka (51) and Gujarat (49). But in terms of enrolment, with 2.35 lakh students in the universities, Rajasthan lags behind Tamil Nadu (8.63 lakh), Maharashtra (7.15 lakh), Delhi (6.87 lakh) and a few other states.

When it comes to number of colleges, Rajasthan stands fifth with 2,190 colleges out of 34,452 in the country. Only Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have more colleges than Rajasthan.

In terms of enrolment in these colleges, Rajasthan with 17.2 lakh students out of countrys 342 lakh, comes behind UP (60.6 lakh), Maharashtra (37.4 lakh), Tamil Nadu (33.5 lakh), and a few other states.

The states gross enrolment ratio in institutes of higher education is 20%, which means of the five students of college going age, only one is attending college.

The state has 32 state private universities, 19 state public universities, 8 deemed private universities, 3 institutes of national importance, 1 state open university, and only one central university.

Rajasthan has an average enrolment rate of 3,677 students in the universities, while in the colleges it is 562, and in stand-alone institutions it is 333. The corresponding figures for total enrolment are 2.35 lakh, 17.2 lakh, and 0.8 lakh.

Of the total enrolment among different courses in regular mode, 9.17 lakh are boys while 6.99 lakh are girls. Overall, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the state is 20, whereas it is 21.9 and 17.9 for males and females respectively. Among SCs the GER is 14.7 while among STs it is 15.8. The female enrolment is higher in both the categories.

The pupil-teacher ratio in the state is 22 as against 21 at the national level. However, in terms of teachers per college ratio, the figure in Rajasthan is 24.6, which is lower than the national figure of 36.6.
On December 11, professors from Wilson College and the principal of a Zoroastrian religious school led a group of 25 people, including a few foreign travellers, on a one-hour tour of Doongerwadi, the Zoroastrian forest cemetery on Malabar Hill.

The walk should have been an inconsequential one  like the many others organised in Mumbai by urban heritage enthusiasts, but the event escalated into a major controversy, with some community members filing a complaint with the police, accusing the cemeterys managers of hurting religious sentiments by allowing a public tour in a sacred area. The communitys worldwide diaspora, connected though social media, joined the debate and community forums last week were abuzz with accusations and counter-allegations.

The three-century-old cemetery has prayer halls, a fire temple and circular stone structures known as Dakhmas, or Towers of Silence, where the dead are laid out for sky burial. Zoroastrian tradition requires the corpses to be disposed of by natural elements like the sun and carrion birds, though the near-extinction of vultures in India has jeopardised the arrangement. Non-Zoroastrians are allowed entry into some parts of the cemetery, including one prayer hall, and only Zoroastrians pall-bearers enter the Dakhmas.

The funeral rituals have interested students of religion, and travellers have written about the cemetery  though visits to most sections are prohibited. Since 2007, Ramiyar Karanjia, a priest and principal of Dadar Athornan Madressa  a religious school  has been taking students of comparative religion from Wilson College for an annual tour of the cemetery. The walks have been conducted without any problems. This year, the Mumbai Research Centre of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, joined the tour. The event has the approval of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP), the trust that manages the cemetery. The number of participants is restricted to 30 and the group avoids areas that are out-of-bounds, like the Towers and the paths leading to them. The protests this year, therefore, surprised many.

A day before the walk, a complaint was filed at Malabar Hill police station. Anahita Desai of World Alliance of Parsi-Irani Zarthoshtis, who is the wife of BPP chairperson Yazdi Desai, said that she received a call in the evening from a resident of Godrej Baug, a community housing estate near the cemetery. She was told that the police wanted to speak to someone from the trust. We were given a letter and were asked why the police was not informed of the tour. We said we did not foresee any problem, said Desai. Ramiyar Karanjia is a scholar-priest and knows what is open to the public. Doongerwadi is a sacred ground and we trust his learning and scholarship.

Protestors tried to stop the tour, and though the walk could be completed with the police watching from a distance, the event was acrimonious. People who were opposed to the tour said that they were stopped by the police from joining other protestors. Inside a funeral hall  the one open to non-Zoroastrian friends and relatives of the deceased, as Karanjia explained the Zoroastrian idea of life, death, the etymology of the phrase Tower of Silence, and the importance of the cemetery as a historic site, he was asked whether the women in the tour group knew about rules that prohibited them from entering a sacred place when they were menstruating.

Shehernaz Nalwalla, professor at Wilson College and a member of the team that organised the walk, said, Patriarchy stills dominates, whether it is menstrual taboos or keeping women married to non-Parsees out of the fold. But what is surprising, or perhaps not so, was the vociferousness of the women who vehemently believed that menstruating women defile sacred spaces.

Those who opposed the tour accused their opponents of being fanatic supporters of religious conversions. This is due to the influence of the pro-conversion people, who say that there are no rules of purity, no rules at all in our religion, a community member wrote from New Zealand.

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The Mumbai University officials have blamed the paper setters for the goof-up during the second year engineering examinations that took place on Friday. A section of students appearing for their electronics instruments and measurement exam said that question paper was a copy of the paper given to the May 2015 repeater candidates.

Inquiry is on but it is very clear that the paper setters are at fault. We will wait for the final inquiry report before deciding the next move as per the University law, said M A Khan, registrar, MU. He added that first hand inquiry shows carelessness on part of the paper setters. It is one thing to have some similar questions, but to have an identical paper from previous year is unacceptable, added Khan.

The examination was held across centers on Friday and while students did not find anything fishy on the day of the examination, they got back to their professors on Saturday. We have received the complaint but being a weekend, there hasnt been much development in the inquiry. Early next week, we should be able to point at the cause of this problem and have more clarity, said Suresh Ukrande, dean (in-charge), of the engineering faculty.

After getting confirmation from University officials about the 2015 and 2016 question papers being identical, students are now worried about re-examination. However, MU officials said that there were no plans for that at the moment. Taking any hasty decision, before getting to the root of this problem will serve no purpose. We will first find out why something like this happened, despite having clear rules in place. Students, in the meantime, should concentrate on their examinations, added Ukrande.

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The third phase of the local body elections in Maharashtra for 19 municipal councils and two nagar panchayats in the Aurangabad, Nanded, Gadchiroli and Bhandara districts on Sunday saw an overall turnout of 72.76% among the 5.16 lakh registered voters.

Voting to these local bodies, with a majority of them being Congress strongholds, began at 7.30am and went on till 5.30 pm. The votes will be counted on Monday from 10am onwards.

A total of 1,947 candidates were in the fray for 409 seats across the local bodies. Like in the first two phases, the council presidents are also being elected directly by the people, as per information from the State Election Commission (SEC). There are 111 candidates for the 19 president posts.

The local bodies where polling took place included Kannad, Paithan, Gangapur and Khultabad in Aurangabad, with the Congress currently having a majority in three of the four councils. From Nanded, the councils and nagar panchayats going to polls included Dharmabad, Umri, Hadgaon, Mukhed, Biloli, Kandhar, Kundalwadi, Mudkhed, Deglur, Ardhapur and Mahur. The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have a majority in four of these local bodies, while the former controls a larger share of the district in terms of the number of seats.

From Bhandara, the Pavni, Bhandara and Tumsar councils along with the newly-formed nagar panchayat of Sakori went to the polls.

The NCP has 30 of the existing 72 seats across the local bodies, with a majority in the Bhandara and Tumsar councils, while the Shiv Sena controls the Pavni municipal council.

The third phase also included voting to two municipal councils in the Vidarbha region, traditionally a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stronghold, in the Gadchiroli district  Gadchiroli and Desaiganj.

The Desaiganj council polls have been mired in controversy with Mahadev Jankar, a cabinet minister in the BJP-led state government, battling charges of attempting to pressurise an election officer to give a favourable symbol to his candidate in Desaiganj. The returning officer has registered a criminal case against Jankar, founder and president of BJP ally Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, while the minister continues to deny allegations.

Following the case, the election to ward number 9-B in the Desaiganj municipal council was scrapped. Election to the seat will now take place on January 22, 2017, as per the revised schedule, an SEC official said.

He added, election to the Vaijapur municipal council were also scheduled to be held on Sunday, but had to be postponed because of a court-mandated stay.

So far, the BJP swept the first two phases. Notwithstanding the oppositions barbs over alleged corruption and demonetisation, the BJP stamped its popularity with a clear lead in the first phase of elections for 147 municipal councils and 18 nagar panchayats.

It also made deep inroads into the bastions of the Congress and NCP in the second phase of polls to 14 municipal councils in Pune and Latur, wining the maximum number of council president posts and being a close second to the NCP in terms of the number of member seats.

A total of 212 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state are to go to polls in four phases. The polls are said to give an insight into whether the ruling BJP still holds sway among the public, and if the Congress and NCP, reduced to bits during the 2014 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, are still popular in Maharashtras semi-urban centres.

The last phase of the local polls is scheduled on January 8.

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She is hardly ever on Facebook. Its been three years. She may have got married. She was planning to when we met three years ago. A lot has changed since. I can no longer take her to Aroma, the hotel in Chandigarh, to order some mutton and warqi paranthe from Lahore Chowk, and reciprocate her gesture of taking me to that restaurant in Lahore where we shared a plate of Amritsari kulche-chhole. The eatery has been renamed Lucknow Chowk.

I am sure she will understand why. I still remember her bittersweet shrug of the shoulders when a procession led by some radical Islamists marched in front of Awari hotel in Lahore, protesting against the journalists group of which I was a part. Guns were being flashed, slogans raised against India. But I only remember her ironic smile. And those loud burps  our uninhibited, shameless celebration of our shared, sumptuous food  that remain the takeaway sound from that trip.

At Aroma, no guns were flashed, and no slogans were raised. There was a ruckus a couple of times, say the waiters. This was days after the mid-September terror attack in Uri, J&K, where 17 soldiers were killed. The owner denies that, but, whatever be the real reason behind the name-change, the India-Pakistan tension was surely the trigger. There comes a time when one has to stop being too soft I have sided with my feeling of nationalism and patriotism this time, says the owner, Manmohan Kohli.

The groups that created the alleged ruckus were more direct, say the waiters. These guys are killing our soldiers, and you are using their name! Take this board down, they told the staff.

She will understand that feeling, too. At any social gathering, it is customary for us to make fun of Indians. Many of us laugh at the jokes. When we are told about civilians dying in firing at the LoC, and of the families of our slain soldiers, many of us profess to go to war and finish this panga off, once and for all. Many of us pledge never to watch Indian TV serials again, she had told me.

But, often, the conversation veers towards the pointlessness of it all, she had added. People dont understand politics, or how we actually elect some people to govern our country. They are not supposed to govern our culture and minds, she had said, making a face, pushing her chin down with lips pursed in an inverted smile. Her nose had become pointier in the process. The sulk face is the same across borders. Thats just how we are, ji!

As part of the visit, at a village-themed restaurant, our delegation of 15  most of them Punjabi, a community thats routinely run down for being too emotional about India-Pak relations  had not quite understood the logic of why we were there. What were our hosts trying to show us? Golgappe? Dal makhani? Makki di roti and sarson da saag? Where else could they have taken us in the heart of the Punjab? What else could they have made us eat? A Big Mac from Ronald McDonalds Pakistan address, maybe.

Kohli underlines the same irony. His parents are from what is now Pakistan, and he was known to be extra-hospitable to visitors from his native chunk of land. They wouldve loved to have a restaurant named after Pindi here, he tells me. But there comes a time, he says, when you need to tell the other side, Look, yaar, we dont like you!

The food is the same anyway  this is what the owners, waiters, I and she agree on. After all, there would have been no Chandigarh had Lahore not been given to us! she had said.

The people, too, are the same; arent they? She had differed on that, and grown quite animated: No, we have too many of these radical Righties. I am sure people can differ between politics and culture, between people and the power elites, between these agenda-driven idiots and the emotion-driven commoners. But this atmosphere of hyper-nationalism just does not leave room to think. You guys have much less of that. She was speaking in the August of 2013. A lot has changed. She is hardly ever on Facebook. I want to ask her if they still serve Amritsari chhole-kulche at that restaurant. I hope she says yes.

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Apprehending misuse of habit-forming drugs during the assembly elections, district-level and sub-divisional committees will check chemist shops on a daily basis.

VK Bhawra, ADGP, intelligence, exhorted chemists that drugs that carry risk of habit-forming should not be sold without prescription. He was speaking during a meeting held on directions of the state chief electoral officer on the issue.

Hussan Lal, secretary, health, and commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Punjab, directed the chemist association to that sellers must keep their inventory record updated. He also directed drug control officers to submit a daily action-taken report.

The meeting was attended by senior officers of the FDA, police, excise department and the narcotics control bureau, besides drug regulatory officers and representatives of the Punjab Chemist Association.

Lal informed that any information, suggestions or complaints pertaining to unethical trade of habit-forming drugs can be shared on toll-free helpline number 104. Ishwar Singh, director of the state narcotics control bureau, also shared a helpline number: 181.
There was confusion and chaos on store for bus passengers with not all bus operators shifting from Phase-8 to the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in Phase-6 as was planned. Most operated from the Phase-8 facility.

Many residents had to return from the new facility with buses not running. There were no help desks set up at either of the two facilities.

All 225 buses originating from SAS Nagar were to start operating from the new ISBT. On Saturday, however, only buses en route Himachal Pradesh operated from new terminal. Many buses operating on Punjab routes did not come to the new terminal at all.

Phase 6 resident Kuljeet Kaur said, I was to board a bus to Hoshiarpur. I have heard that the service has not yet shifted to the new facility. There is no one to guide passengers properly so now I am going to Chandigarh to board the bus.

Phase 8 resident Sukhdev Singh, I had to go to Sirhind but am now told I will be able to board the bus from the Kumbra Chowk.

NO PRINTED RECEIPTS FOR ADA(BUS STAND) FEE

Bus operators were also harassed as they were not given printed receipts for Rs 50 paid as parking fee. The only thing they got was a hand-written plain paper with stamp in name of receipt. Officials claimed printers were not working.

NO ROUTES DISPLAYED ON LEDs

LED screens have been put up at ISBT to display the routes of buses but they did not work on Saturday. The facility is under the transport department.

We have started the operations today and owing to lack of awareness not all buses operated from Phase-6. Things will be streamlined soon, said Pawan Kumar Singla, general manager, Punjab Roadways.

There were reports that after intervention from transport officials, some buses were stopped at Balongi and diverted to Phase-6.
Two groups of the same student outfit, 'Azad Group', clashed with each other when one of them was on its way to join Congress at New Motibagh Palace in the presence of Captain Amarinder Singh's wife and Patiala legislator Preneet Kaur.

Some members of the group who were against the bond attacked with swords and other weapons. The attackers also pelted stones and soda bottles on the joiners. Preneet, who was returning home after election campaign at the time of the incident, also got caught up in the clash as cars in her convoy were too pelted. After alighting from the car, she was rushed inside the house.

One person was reported to be injured and taken to Rajindra Hospital for the treatment, while three people were arrested.

Jaswinder Singh alias Jassa, leader of the joiners, alleged that it was their constitutional right to extend support to any political party and they were just going to do that when the attack took place.

Preneet said it was out of frustration that SAD sent a group of goons to stop a section of the students group from joining the Congress.

"I am aware that some of the police officials have been handpicked by the halqa in-charge to foment trouble and disturb the Congress campaign", she further said.

She said she has spoken to a senior police official and urged for an action against the miscreants.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan said suitable action against the responsible culprits will be taken to maintain the peace in the region.
Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR) authorities have sought donations from people and organisations to improve habitation in the only park for big cats in Jharkhand and run the newly constituted tiger conservation foundation (TCF).

The Centre and the state contribute 10 crore, including 2 crore for habitation improvement annually, which, forest department officials said, is not sufficient as most of the amount is released under a planned head. PTR authorities often struggle to get money for sudden requirements, called the contingency fund, a source in the department said. Public donations will help deal with such issues, he said.

There is a provision in the PTR tiger conservation foundation that donations could be accepted from the state, Centre or governments of other countries, people, organisations and private agencies, PTR field director MP Singh said.

The objective of appealing for donation is to involve common people in wildlife conservation. The donations will be spent on habitat improvement, locals awareness on animal protection and reducing man-animal conflicts, Singh said.

Constituted in 1974 under the Project Tiger, PTR had 22 tigers in 1972. According to the book Main Baagh Hoon written by former Jharkhand principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) Pradeep Kumar, the reserve recorded its highest tiger population in 1995 at 71. The number declined to 44 in 1997, 34 in 2002, and 10 in 2010. Spread over 1026 sq km, the reserve has only three tigers left, the latest tiger census says.

DS Srivastava, Jharkhand wildlife board member, said unrestricted human interference, food shortage, rising water crisis, forest degradation and negligible security guards were major factors for decline in tiger population. Frequent Maoist-police conflicts in the reserve area add to the threat to wild animals. Big animals like tigers and elephants are leaving the jungle, Srivastava said.

He said the reserve has only seven forest guards against the sanctioned strength of 135. Absence of forest guards increased security threats to animals in the reserve, he said. PTR officials seized on Saturday over 200 Munia birds, protected under schedule-IV of the wildlife protection Act 1972, from Belwatikar market of Daltonganj. The rare birds were caught from the reserve area.

We have been making appeals in vernacular dailies for donations to the TCF to protect wildlife and forest, the PTR field director said. Once donations will start coming, we will make a PTR development plan. If we get good donation, we will also hire forest guards for forest protection besides initiating a livelihood programme for local villagers.

PTR at a glance

Reserve area: 1026sq km

Number of tigers: 3

Annual grants: 10 crore

Central grant: 6.5 cr

State grant: 3.5 cr

Forest guards: Seven

Sanctioned posts of forest guards: 135

Major trouble: Unrestricted human interference, poaching, food shortage, police-Maoist conflicts

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A brazen attack by a violent mob on an Ahmadi mosque last week reflected the growing isolation and persecution of the beleaguered community that was declared non-Muslim by a constitutional amendment four decades ago.

The mosque at Chakwal in Punjab province was overrun on December 12 by more than 1,000 people, who occupied the building and threatened occupants with dire consequences as police watched helplessly.

The violence by members of the Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat (national organisation for the protection of the finality of prophethood) happened even though Ahmadi leaders had alerted authorities about possible violence a week earlier.

Even today, the mosque remains in the custody of outsiders and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has promised action but nothing has happened so far.

This is not the first time members of the Ahamdi community have been targeted. Over the years, their mosques have been occupied, their businesses attacked and prominent personalities targeted. Hundreds of Ahmadis have been jailed under the black blasphemy law on grounds that they abused Islam in one way or another.

In September 1974, Pakistans Parliament declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims after then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto came under pressure from right wing parties. Since then, Ahmadis have faced systematic persecution at the hands of the state and hardline groups.

Many argue that declaring any religious community as a minority was out of the ambit of the state, but the move became the basis of attacks by outsiders.

It has reached a stage now that if someone is accused of being an Ahmadi, they are in immediate danger of being attacked or sidelined if they are in government service, says Zohra Yusuf, director of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

The HRCP has documented the manner in which the state, egged on by religious parties, has introduced legislation that has not only declared Ahmadis out of the pale of Islam but also stopped them from calling themselves Muslim, referring to their places of worship as mosques and even reciting Quranic verses.

All these have now become offences, says Yusuf.

File photo of a policeman standing guard inside the compound of an Ahmadi mosque in Lahores Garhi Shahu neighbourhood in May 2010. (Reuters)

This is a far cry from the circumstances prevailing at the creation of Pakistan, when the countrys founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, appointed a member of the community, Zafarullah Khan, as his first foreign minister. Jinnah encouraged Ahmadis to migrate from Qadian (in what is now the Indian state of Punjab) to set up the communitys world headquarters in a newly created township, Rabwah, nestled on the banks of the Chenab river.

Even the name of that town has now been changed to Chenabnagar at the insistence of religious groups.

In some ways, the Ahmadis of Pakistan can be compared to the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe. The community produced a number of scientists, teachers, doctors and other professionals. They are known for their high educational achievements and Abdus Salam, the countrys first Nobel laureate, was an Ahmadi.

Ahmadi businesses did well in the early years of Pakistan. One such company, Shezan, was once the largest food processor. But all that changed in the mid-1970s, when under Saudi Arabian influence, there was a campaign against the community nationwide led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, a right wing party that aims to turn Pakistan into a theoretic state.

The persecution levels are almost the same as with the Jews under Adolf Hitler. Over the years, thousands of Ahmadi professionals left Pakistan and the community shifted its world headquarters over fears that the top leadership would be killed by zealots.

Hundreds of Ahmadis have also been killed on the ground that they are apostates. Pakistans main Sunni leadership declared Ahmadis wajib-ul qatl (fit to be killed) because of their belief that the movements founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, is the promised messiah. There is often no follow-up in most of these murder cases.

In the midst of this, a decision by Prime Minister Sharif to name a university research center after Abdul Salam came as a pleasant surprise to many. But the decision has already evoked the wrath of religious parties, who have demanded that it be reversed.

Ahmadis continue to struggle in their every day existence in Pakistan. The PMs decision is welcome but has no bearing on our everyday lives, said Saleemuddin, a spokesman for the community. What we need is to be treated as equal citizens of the state. I doubt that will ever happen.
At least 20 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local minister said on Sunday.

The deaths occurred overnight at a mine in South Kivu region in the east of the country, the provinces mines minister Apollinaire Bulindi said.

The toll is likely to rise because many people were working in a disorderly way in this quarry, Bulindi said, referring to illegal miners.

The Makungu mine where the accident took place is located in the Fizi district of Sud Kivu near the border with the Tanganyika province.

Map locating Makungu, site of a fatal mine accident. (AFP)

We (the provincial authorities) do not control this quarry, these are soldiers who are working there..., he said.

Mining accidents are common in mineral rich DR Congo.

Last year, 15 people have suffocated while digging in an illegal mine in southeast, where the problem of illicit mining is widespread.

Much of the gold mined in Sud Kivu is smuggled out of the country to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, and from there allegedly to Dubai, according to the OECD.

Rebel militia frequently use illicit gold trading as a source of financing.

President Joepeh Kabila in 2010 imposed a nine-month ban on illegal mining in three provinces including Sud Kivu.

It hit cassiterite and coltan mining but failed to have any impact on the gold mining there, OECD added.
Representatives of President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday adopted the same line as the Kremlin with regard to U.S. intelligence agencies claim that Russia interfered in the recent presidential election: The assessment of senior U.S. intelligence officials shouldnt be believed unless they present direct evidence.

With U.S. intelligence agencies all in agreement that the Russian government sponsored the computer hacking of Democratic Party institutions and officials during the 2016 election as part of an effort to help Trump, the Kremlin has offered a blanket denial.

Related: Russia to Obama: Put Up or Shut Up About Hacking the Election

In a conversation with reporters on Friday, Dmitry Peskov, the chief spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, put it this way: They should either stop talking about that or produce some proof at last. Otherwise, it all begins to look unseemly."

The Trump transition team apparently found that a pretty compelling argument because when they were dispatched to the Sunday talk shows over the weekend, they essentially sang the same tune.

Wheres the evidence? demanded Kellyanne Conway, Trumps former campaign manager, in an appearance on CBSs Face the Nation. Why, when CIA officials were invited to a House Intelligence briefing last week did they refuse to go? Instead, theyre talking to the media. That undermines our national security and our intelligence operations.

Conway was referring to an agency-wide memo from Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan that was provided to The Washington Post on Friday. In it he wrote, Earlier this week, I met separately with FBI [Director] James Comey and DNI Jim Clapper, and there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election.

Related: Trumps Massive Global Business Footprint Can Subvert US National Security

In general, intelligence agencies of any stripe are reluctant to reveal the evidence they use to draw their conclusions. Their assessments dont have to be tested in a court of law, so publicizing specific information they have obtained is generally seen as creating an unnecessary risk of revealing their sources and intelligence gathering methods.

Story continues

President Obama on Friday said that he has demanded a comprehensive report from the Intelligence Community on the Russian hacking and promised that he would make as much information public as practicable.

But that hasnt satisfied the Trump transition team, which is increasingly given to suggesting the reports of the Kremlins interference in the election are simply an effort to delegitimize the President-elects victory.

If the CIA and if director Brennan and others at the top are serious about turning over evidence to we the American people then they should do that, Conway said.

Related: Trump Train Headed for a Brick Wall in US-Russia Relations

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus, in an appearance on Fox News Sunday, took a similar tone.

If there is this conclusive opinion among all of these intelligence agencies, then they should issue a report or they should stand in front of a camera and make the case," he said. I think that these guys should be straight with the American people and come out and say it," said Priebus.

Priebus repeatedly insisted that the reports about Russian involvement were all coming from anonymous third parties and suggested that until Comey and Clapper themselves say so in public, nobody can be sure that they believe it.

Host Chris Wallace pointed out that the latest news came from the CIA director himself directly reporting his conversations with other senior intelligence officials.

Related: Why the Russia Hacking Scandal Could Cost Trump His Pick for Secretary of State

Do you think hes lying? Wallace asked.

I dont think he is, Priebus answered, in a tone that suggested he was still open to the possibility. But it sure would be nice to hear from everybody. He went on to say that the CIA directors word alone was not enough to give him confidence that he was getting the true assessment of the intelligence community.

To be fair to Team Trump, the conclusions of the U.S. Intelligence Community have not always been correct. The conclusion that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, which led directly to the Iraq war, is the most obvious example. They have also not always been above politics -- the FBIs COINTELPRO program in the 1960s and 70s was very active in disrupting domestic political movements.

For two of Trumps most senior advisers to openly suggest that the Intelligence Community could be working to mislead the American people is pretty remarkable. But at this point, it is clear that Conway and Priebus are just representing the perspective of their boss. Trump himself has repeatedly said that he doesnt believe the findings of the intelligence community and has said that he believes the findings are politically motivated.

Related: Putin Cranks Up Russias Cyber Defenses

But the increasingly open war between the intelligence community and the incoming president is, at the very least, completely unprecedented and, in the view of many, dangerous.

In an appearance on ABCs This Week on Sunday, Rep. Adam Schiff, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said, For the president-elect to continue to give the Russians deniability is deeply damaging to the country. He is doing damage to himself and to his ability to lead the country when he becomes president. We are going to have a national security crisis at some point. It may be very early in the administration or it may be later but it's going to come and he is going to need to rely on the intelligence community.

Schiff went on to specify that he was referring to the likelihood that, in a crisis, Trump would find himself explaining what he viewed as a necessary response by informing the American people of the findings of the Intelligence Community. That will be hard to do, he said, if Trump continues to characterize its members as political hacks.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
A suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 40 Yemeni soldiers in Aden today, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the countrys second city.

Military officials and medics said many others were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

The number of those killed has exceeded 40 with some 50 others wounded, Aden health chief, Abdel Nasser al-Wali, told AFP, adding that the death toll was likely to mount due to critical cases.

Medics had initially given a toll of 30 dead.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them.

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a martyrdom seeker had gotten through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemens Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemens second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoids the shedding of any Muslim blood while focusing on fighting the Americans and their allies.

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaedas Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.
Berlin

Berlin voiced outrage Sunday over an alleged decision by a German-backed international school in Istanbul to scrap Christmas festivities, although the claim was swiftly denied in Turkey.

We dont understand the surprising decision by the management of the Istanbul Lisesi, said the German foreign ministry.

It is too bad that the good tradition of pre-Christmas intercultural exchanges at the school with a long German-Turkish tradition has been suspended, it said.

We are of course taking this up with our Turkish partners.

Set up in 1884, Istanbul Lisesi is a Turkish-German bilingual state school but is partly backed by the German government.

The school denied any such ban.

The reports in German media about restrictions on Christmas festivities of German teachers do not reflect reality, it said.

A concert was cancelled by the German teachers in question without explanation and there is no question of the school or its management placing an obstacle in its way or prohibiting it.

Ruling AKP party MP Mustafa Yeneroglu also denied the claims, saying such false reports do nothing for Turkey-Germany relations.

German politicians had reacted with fury over the reports.

Left party lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen told Tagesspiegel the government must immediately summon the Turkish ambassador and send a note of protest to Ankara.

The Greens education policy spokesman Ozcan Mutlu said the alleged ban is simply shocking.

If the ban remains, then the question of whether German taxpayers should continue to fund the school must be examined urgently, he told the media group Redaktionsnetzwerk.

Andreas Scheuer, the general secretary of the CSU -- Chancellor Angela Merkels Bavarian allies, said the move was new proof that (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogans Turkey is burning all bridges with Europe.

Christmas is part of Germany, and that applies too for a German school abroad, Scheuer told the Funke regional media group.

Relations between Ankara and Berlin have been strained in the wake of the July failed military coup, with Germany repeatedly expressing concern over the scope of a massive crackdown on Erdogans opponents.

Developments in Turkey have a strong resonance in Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish population, the legacy of a massive guest worker programme in the 1960s and 1970s.
A delicately timed evacuation deal involving trapped civilians and fighters in war-ravaged east Aleppo and two Syrian villages was thrown into doubt Sunday when assailants torched six buses assigned to the operation.

The buses were to take part in the evacuation of over 2,000 wounded and sick Syrians from Foua and Kfarya, two rebel-besieged villages that have remained loyal to the government in an area under opposition control in the northwest Idlib province, activists and government media reported.

The bus burnings could scuttle a wider deal to evacuate thousands of vulnerable civilians and fighters from the oppositions last foothold in Aleppo and return the city entirely to government control.

Evacuations from Aleppo had been halted amid mutual recriminations Friday, after several thousand trapped civilians had already been moved from the city. The suspension of the evacuations had thrown an Aleppo deal brokered by Russia and Turkey last week into disarray.

That deal marked a turning point in the countrys war. With the opposition leaving Aleppo, President Bashar Assad has effectively reasserted his control over Syrias five largest cities and its Mediterranean coast nearly six years after a national movement to unseat him took hold.

The oppositions Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al Qaeda-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front was behind Sundays assault on the buses. The insurgent group had been dragging its feet over approving the evacuation deal.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group fighting alongside Syrias government, said the buses were burned during fighting between Fatah al-Sham and a rebel group that supported the evacuations.

Most residents of the two villages are Shiite Muslims, while the most powerful anti-government groups in Idlib are hard-line Sunnis.

The identity of the group behind the attack remains unclear. A video showing armed men circling the burning buses did not reveal their affiliation.

The buses that came to evacuate the apostates have been burned, declared the narrator of the video, as celebratory gunshots rang through the air. He warned that no Shiite pigs would be allowed to leave the towns.

The video could not be verified independently, but was in line with AP reporting from the area.

A coalition of rebel groups disavowed the bus burning as a reckless attack, saying it endangered tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in Aleppo. No group has claimed responsibility for burning the buses.

Earlier in the day, dozens of buses and ambulances were poised to enter east Aleppo to resume evacuating rebel fighters and civilians from the oppositions remaining districts, pro-Syrian government media said. But the evacuations remained on hold at nightfall.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has overseen the Aleppo evacuations, had no comment Sunday on their possible resumption. The agency has said thousands of people, among them women, children, the sick and the wounded, remain trapped in besieged areas of the city, waiting in freezing temperatures for the evacuations to resume.

Also Sunday, the UN Security Council was expected to vote on a resolution demanding immediate and unconditional access for the United Nations and its partners to besieged parts of Aleppo and throughout Syria to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The council began consultations Sunday on the French-drafted resolution followed by an open meeting where members are expected to vote.

The draft resolution calls on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately redeploy U.N. humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out neutral monitoring and direct observation and to report on evacuations.

It stressed that evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to the destinations of their choice.

Russias UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Friday he would examine the draft, but was skeptical that monitors could be deployed quickly.
Dozens of buses began entering the last rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday to resume the evacuation of thousands of increasingly desperate trapped Syrian civilians and rebels.

The operation was suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of evacuees had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

Buses started entering several neighbourhoods on Sunday under the supervision of the Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to bring the remaining terrorists and their families out, state news agency SANA said, referring to the rebels.

Read | Now a synonym for hell: Aleppo evacuation halted as ceasefire stutters

A military source confirmed to AFP that a new evacuation deal had been reached. State television said 100 buses would take people out of Aleppo.

The main obstacle to a resumption had been a disagreement over the number of people to be evacuated in parallel from two Shiia villages, Fuaa and Kafraya, under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

A child sleeps while waiting to be evacuated with others from a rebel-held sector of eastern Aleppo, Syria. (Reuters)

A rebel representative told AFP on Sunday that a new agreement had been reached under which evacuations would take place in two phases from Aleppo, Fuaa and Kafraya as well as Zabadani and Madaya, two rebel towns besieged by the regime in Damascus province.

In New York, the UN Security Council was set to meet at 1600 GMT on Sunday to vote on French proposals to dispatch monitors to Aleppo to oversee evacuations and report on the protection of civilians.

The draft text said the council was alarmed by the worsening humanitarian crisis and by the fact that tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants are in need of aid and evacuation.

Read | My soul is torn out more with each step away from Aleppo: Evacuees talk of their pain

Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations, French Ambassador Francois Delattre told AFP, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre.

But the proposals face resistance from veto-wielding Russia, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Families have been sheltering during the night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppos Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations before they were halted.

An AFP correspondent who visited a hospital in the rebel sector saw appalling conditions with patients lying on the floor without food or water and almost no heating.

People carry belongings as they walk on the rubble of damaged buildings in the government controlled area of Aleppo. (REUTERS)

No food, water

Abu Omar said that after waiting outside in the cold for nine hours the previous day, he had returned on Saturday only to be told the buses were not coming.

Theres no more food or drinking water, and the situation is getting worse by the day, he said, adding that his four children were sick because of the cold.

Read | No money, hospitals: People wounded in Aleppo desperate for treatment

Dozens of trucks with humanitarian aid crossed the Turkish border Saturday into Syria, piling supplies in a buffer zone.

Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters remained in Aleppos rebel enclave.

People warm themselves around a fire while waiting to be evacuated from a rebel-held sector of eastern Aleppo. (REUTERS)

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) appealed for safe passage for the civilians still trapped in the city.

People have suffered a lot. Please come to an agreement and help save thousands of lives, said ICRC Syria delegation head Marianne Gasser.

We cannot abandon these people.

A Turkish official said 90 wounded from Aleppo have crossed into Turkey for treatment since Thursday.

Before evacuations were suspended around 8,500 people, including some 3,000 fighters, left for rebel-held territory elsewhere in the north, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Friday, a convoy of evacuees that had already left east Aleppo when the operation was suspended was forced to turn back.

The ICRC said it was looking into reports of shooting before the convoy was turned around.

The main regional supporters of the rival sides in the devastating civil war have engaged in a flurry of diplomacy to try to secure a resumption of evacuations.

The official Iranian news agency IRNA said the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran would meet Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the conflict.

Read | Between guilt and outrage, West looks helpless over Aleppo
China has gifted a new crystal chandelier to Pakistan to replace an earlier one at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah that was given by it 46 years ago with President Xi Jinping describing the gift as a symbol of their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership.

President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday unveiled the grand chandelier, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology, at the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi.

Chinese President Xi in his congratulatory message to his Pakistani counterpart on the occasion said the grand chandelier will become an important symbol of the friendship between the two countries from generation to generation, the APP news agency reported.

Xi, in the message read out by Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong, said the crystal chandelier, presented by the Chinese government 46 years ago as a national gift to Pakistan, became an often quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two countries.

Now the maintenance of the chandelier has been completed smoothly. It will become an important symbol of the friendship for generations between our countries and our peoples, Xi added.

He said China-Pakistan friendship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and contributes to peace and development of the region and the world at large.

I attach high importance to China-Pakistan relations, and would like to join hands with you to promote greater development of China-Pakistan all weather strategic cooperative partnership. May China-Pakistan friendship pass on from generation to generation and retain its full vitality forever, he said.

President Mamnoon said Chinas friendship is Pakistans precious asset and the gift of the chandelier is a beautiful symbol of this close relationship.
China has said it will return the US navy underwater drone it seized marking a new escalation in tensions between the two countries, but president-elect Donald Trump said Beijing should be told to keep it.

Trumps remarks, in a post on Twitter, came late Saturday after both China and the US announced the drone was being returned after the usual protests and claims from either party. But a date or other details were not specified.

President-elect Trump, who has argued for a muscular US posture regarding China, said in a tweet, We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!

He had accused China of stealing the vessel in an earlier post.

His second tweet came after his campaign claimed the Chinese gave up the vessel because of Trump. Spokesman Jason Miller celebrated, also on twitter, @realDonaldTrump gets it done: China says it will return US drone it seized 

His boss followed up shortly, saying China should keep it.

The Chinese, who had not responded to Trumps remarks, had seemed irritated by the reaction in the US over the drone seizure, saying in a statement, The US sides unilateral public hyping is inappropriate and not conducive to a resolution of the issue.

The Chinese seized the naval drone on Thursday while it was collecting, according to the US, unclassified scientific data about 92 km northwest of Subic Bay near the Philippines in the South China Sea (SCS), which China claims.

The Unmanned Underwater Vehicle or UUV as its technically called, was described as an unclassified ocean glider system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature and sound speed.

It cost an estimated $150,000, which could be the reason for Trumps generosity as he has set his sights on larger numbers to tackle such as the multi-billion dollar contract for new Air Force One plane and the expensive F-35 jets that he has talked about recently.

But the US clearly wanted the drone back. Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States, Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement.

US experts have said that though described as unclassified, these vehicles are often used to track foreign submarines, and, as one of them told The Wall Street Journal, they appear to be most directly relevant to anti-submarine warfare.

The Chinese think so too. Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said in a in a statement, The US military has frequently dispatched naval vessels to carry out reconnaissance and military measurements in Chinas water.

He added, China resolutely opposes this and urges the US side to stop such activities.

But the seizure, described as a rare act by the Chinese, appears headed for a peaceful resolution, as announced by both sides.
The latest US-China spat over Beijing seizing an American sea drone in the South China Sea (SCS) is on its way to be resolved with the return of the underwater vehicle. But the already tense bilateral relations is likely to enter choppier waters in the coming months.

Diplomats from the two countries have been involved in frequent exchanges of angry words recently, especially after US president-elect Donald Trump made comments on China and spoke with President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, which Beijing sees as a breakaway province.

The capture of the US underwater drone by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy last week brought more diplomatic tensions to the surface. The US reacted angrily, saying the drone was in international waters and China said Washington was hyping the incident. Beijing claims almost the entire SCS and is locked in disputes with several countries over the ownership of islands in the region.

But defence ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said on Saturday that China had decided to return the drone to the US in an appropriate manner, signalling Beijing wanted to resolve the incident quickly.

According Yang's statement on the website of the defence ministry, and quoted by the official news agency, Xinhua, on the afternoon of December 15, a Chinese naval lifeboat located an unidentified device in the waters of the SCS.

In order to prevent the device from causing harm to the safety of navigation and personnel of passing vessels, the Chinese naval lifeboat verified and examined the device in a professional and responsible manner, Xinhua quoted Yang as saying.

Yang added the Chinese side has decided to hand over it to the US in an appropriate manner. Both sides have been maintaining communication on the issue.

Yang, of course, made sure the US was conveyed Chinas displeasure.

He said the US side's unilateral move to dramatise the issue is inappropriate, and not conductive to its settlement, adding: We regret that.

Referring to US often dispatching ships and aircraft to the SCS, Yang said: China resolutely opposes these activities, and demands that the US side should stop such activities. China will continue to be vigilant against the relevant activities on the US side, and will take necessary measures in response.

It will not be surprising to see more tense exchanges between the two countries in the coming weeks as Washington  and the world  readies for Trumps presidency.

Whether Trump continues to make unpredictable statements on China after his tenure begins remains to be seen. But it would be a safe prediction that if he does, China will come back sharply.
China will return an underwater US drone seized by a naval vessel this week in the South China Sea, both countries said on Saturday, but Beijing complained that Washington had been hyping up the incident.

US President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to take an aggressive approach in dealing with China over its economic and military policies, jumped on the unusual drone seizure with a pair of provocative tweets, accusing Beijing of stealing the equipment.

The drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), was taken on Thursday, the first seizure of its kind in recent memory. The Pentagon went public with its complaint after the action and said on Saturday it had secured a deal to get the drone back.

Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States, Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

The drone, which the Pentagon said was operating lawfully was collecting data about the salinity, temperature and clarity of the water about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay, off the Philippines.

It was seized just as the USNS Bowditch was about to retrieve it, US officials said.

Chinas Defence Ministry said a Chinese naval vessel discovered a piece of unidentified equipment and checked it to prevent any navigational safety issues before discovering it was a US drone.

China decided to return it to the US side in an appropriate manner, and China and the US have all along been in communication about it, the ministry said on its website.

During this process, the US sides unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate, and is not beneficial to the smooth resolution of this issue. We express regret at this, it added.

KEEP IT!

Trump, a Republican who takes office on January 20, waded into the dispute on Twitter early on Saturday from his seaside resort club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he plans to spend the holidays.

China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act, he said.

After China said it would return the drone, Jason Miller, a spokesman for Trump, tweeted a link to a news story, saying: @realdonaldtrump gets it done.

There was, however, no evidence that Trump had played any role. U.S. officials said the negotiations took place in Beijing during the overnight hours in the United States. Miller did not respond to requests for comment.

Hours later, while riding in a motorcade back to his resort, Trump tweeted his second jab. We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back - let them keep it! he said.

Trump has previously threatened to declare China a currency manipulator and force changes in US-Chinese trade policy, which he says has led to the greatest theft of American jobs in history.

Trump has also raised questions about the most sensitive part of the US-China relationship: whether Washington would stick to its nearly four-decades-old policy of recognizing that Taiwan is part of one China.

After his November 8 election victory, Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, prompting China to lodge a diplomatic protest.

President Barack Obama said on Friday it was fine for Trump to review Washingtons policy toward Taiwan, but he cautioned that a shift could lead to significant consequences in the US relationship with Beijing.

Theres probably no bilateral relationship that carries more significance and where theres also the potential, if that relationship breaks down or goes into a full-conflict mode, that everybody is worse off, Obama told reporters.

HEIGHTENED TENSIONS

The drone incident has raised fresh concerns about Chinas increased military presence and aggressive posture in the energy-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to the waterway.

New satellite imagery shows China has installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, a US research group said this week.

Without directly saying whether the US drone was operating in waters Beijing considers its own, Chinas Defence Ministry said US ships and aircraft have for a long period been carrying out surveillance and surveys in the presence of Chinese waters.

China is resolutely opposed to this, and demands the US stops this kind of activity, it said.

China will remain on alert for these sorts of activities and take necessary steps to deal with them, the ministry said without elaborating.

The Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily, earlier cited an unidentified Chinese source as saying they believed the issue would be resolved smoothly.
At least 38 Islamic State group fighters have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes this week near Syrias ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor said on Saturday.

The jihadists retook Palmyra in central Syria on December 11, just eight months after the army backed by Russia drove them out.

On Thursday, US-led coalition aircraft destroyed heavy weaponry seized by the jihadists when they retook the city, the coalition said.

A statement on Friday said the strikes destroyed an air defence artillery system, 14 tanks, three artillery systems, two IS-held buildings and two tactical vehicles.

Among the Russian weaponry IS captured around Palmyra were thought to be modern surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, giving jihadists the potential capability to shoot down aircraft, a coalition official told AFP.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain, said that at least 38 IS members were killed in the air strikes.

The strikes, near the Tiyas military air base northeast of Palmyra, helped regime forces gain some ground west of the fabled city, said the Observatory.

Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its recapture by IS gave the jihadists a propaganda boost as they face assaults on two of their key strongholds -- Raqa in Syria and Iraqs second city Mosul.
Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes admission that he used a powerful painkiller has prompted concern about his health, with lawmakers urging him Sunday to undergo a medical examination and disclose the results.

Duterte on Monday revealed that he used to take fentanyl, often prescribed for cancer pain and other chronic ailments, because of a spinal injury from previous motorcycle accidents.

He however said his doctor made him stop using it on learning he was abusing the drug by using more than the prescribed patches.

The firebrand leader has attracted controversy over his war against suspected users of illegal drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives, and his incendiary language against the United States and the United Nations.

Lawmakers said Dutertes remarks revived speculation about his health, including rumours during the election campaign that he suffered from cancer -- a claim Duterte repeatedly denied.

To end this speculation, it would be better if his physician explains how the president manages the pain that he suffers, Duterte ally congressman Carlos Zarate told AFP.

Zarate added that a medical bulletin would clarify the state of Dutertes health, as fentanyl became controversial after pop legend Prince died of an accidental overdose of the drug in April.

Fentanyl, highly potent and addictive, is estimated to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

An outspoken Duterte critic, Senator Leila de Lima, supported Zarates call.

It is not just the illness itself that we should be worried about, but also the impact or side effects that the medications he is taking may have, especially on his lucidity and ability to make decisions with a clear mind.

At 71, Duterte is the oldest president of the Philippines.

He has said he suffers from daily migraine and ailments including Buergers disease, a cardiovascular illness characterised by inflammation of blood vessels usually due to smoking.

Duterte cited ill health as the reason for skipping events during summits abroad. In Cambodia last week he said he might not even finish his six-year term.

Another critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes, told AFP Dutertes admission that he took more than the prescribed fentanyl dosage showed he qualified as a drug addict.

However Duterte on Saturday denied any addiction.

When theres regularity, my friend, when you take it and when theres a monkey on your back, thats addiction, he told a BBC reporter.

Doctors said fentanyl was regulated in the Philippines, with physicians needing a licence from the drug agency to prescribe it.

The ones using (fentanyl) are usually people with harrowing pain or terminal diseases. Doctor monitoring manages risks of addiction, said Leo Olarte, former president of the Philippine Medical Association.

A medical bulletin is good so the public wont be rattled.
Linda Davidson | The Washington Post | Getty Images. Montana's only congressional seat would be up for grabs if Rep. Ryan Zinke is confirmed as Interior secretary.

White nationalist Richard Spencer is considering running for Congress , the Huffington Post reported Friday.

Spencer, who received national attention for yelling "Hail Trump" during a postelection conference last month in Washington  is looking at campaigning for Montana 's only congressional seat, which will be vacant if the Senate confirms Rep. Ryan Zinke as Donald Trump 's Interior secretary.

Spencer, who has never held public office, told the Post he is "only thinking about it." He said "a lot of people" were urging him to do it, and that he is taking "an exciting prospect" seriously. He spends some of his time in Whitefish, Montana, according to the publication.

Spencer is head of the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist "research and educational" group. The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, says Spencer coined the term "alt-right" in an effort to rebrand white nationalism.

"If I did this, it would not be some eccentric campaign that no one talks about and is a footnote to history," he said. "It would become a major conversation around the country ... just because of my profile in the alt-right. Again, I would only do it to win it," he told the Post.



Read the full Huffington Post report here.





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Gunmen killed seven people including a Canadian tourist and police officers on Sunday in a city in southern Jordan where security forces were hunting down the unidentified attackers.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres south of the capital Amman.

Jordans general security department said four policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings. Several others were reported wounded.

The first attack took place when a police patrol went to check on a fire that broke out in a house in Karak, the department said.

As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car, it said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties, it added.

At the same time, gunmen holed up in the Crusader castle opened fire on the Karak police station, wounding several policemen and passersby who were rushed to hospital, the statement added.

Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen, the statement said, adding that the search was still under way.

The ministry said five or six gunmen were thought to be involved in the shootings.

However, Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the attacks, said that special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting IS jihadists and hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014 and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbehs hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to Islamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, where an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.
Police in the US state of New York broke into a vehicle to rescue an apparently frozen woman, only to find it was a life-size mannequin, media reports said.

A caller described as upset called police on Friday to report a woman frozen to death in a parked car in the city of Hudson.

Officers rushed to the scene found a seat-belted figure wearing an oxygen mask sitting motionless in the passenger seat.

Police said the car was covered in snow, suggesting it had been left overnight in temperatures of about -13 degree Celsius.

Police said the mannequin was extremely realistic, with real clothing, glasses, shoes, teeth and skin blemishes. It was even wearing a seat belt.

They later tracked down the owner, who complained about the police action.

The mannequins owner said he used it as a medical training aid.

It is my understanding that the owner was incredulous that we took action in this matter, police chief L Edward Moore said in a statement.

He apparently was quite vocal and vulgar to my sergeant.

Chief Moore had this message for mannequin owners.

Just to clear the record, all citizens of Hudson should be put on notice that if you park your locked vehicle on the street on a sub-zero night with a life-size realistic mannequin seated in it... we will break your window.
As Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) resumed its ATR flights for commercial travel after the fatal crash of December 7, the carriers staff sacrificed a black goat near the first aircraft to fly, apparently to ward off the evil eye.

All the 47 people on board an ATR-42 had died when it smashed into a hillside in the countrys north while travelling from the mountain resort of Chitral to Islamabad. This was the deadliest plane crash in four years for Pakistans cash-strapped national carrier, and the victims included famous rock star-turned-Muslim evangelist Junaid Jamshed.

PIA grounded its entire ATR fleet after the civil aviation regulator ordered a detailed check-up for all ATR aircraft. The chief of PIA Azam Saigol resigned in the wake of the crash, which took place near the town of Havelian in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

PIA management had insisted at the time that the aircraft had been technically cleared some months ago and was fit for flying.

However, to appease both passengers and pilots, the ground staff resorted to a local practice of slaughtering a black goat to ward off the evil eye.

According to reports, the goat was slaughtered moments before an ATR took off for the first time after tests.

The ritual took place before the Multan-bound flight left the Islamabad airport.


Thirteen people have died after an Indonesian military transport plane crashed in the east of the country on Sunday, officials said, marking yet another air accident for the armed forces.

The Hercules C-130 plane took off from Timika city in Papua province carrying 12 crew and one passenger, but came down in a remote mountainous region shortly before its scheduled landing, officials said.

The operator on land saw the plane at 06:08 am local time but at 06:09 am the plane had lost contact, air force chief Agus Supriatna told AFP.

The plane was expected to land at 06:13 am local time.

Aboard the aircraft were three pilots, eight technicians, a navigator and a military officer, as well as food and cement, Supriatna said.

Weather around the area is known to be unpredictable, and the plane went in and out of clouds before the crash, he added.

Rescuers located the plane debris soon after. All 13 bodies have been recovered according to the air force. Supriatna said a team was heading to the site to investigate.

The fatal incident is the latest for Indonesias accident-prone military.

In November an army helicopter accident killed three on Borneo, while another three died when a military chopper went into a home in Central Java in July.

Some 12 people were killed in March when another military helicopter went down in bad weather on Sulawesi in central Indonesia.

But the worst incident in recent times was in June 2015, when an air force Hercules C-130 plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood in the city of Medan, killing 142 people and causing widespread destruction.
Japan has begun slaughtering about 210,000 farm birds in northern Hokkaido to contain another outbreak of a highly contagious strain of avian flu, an official said Sunday.

It is the fifth mass cull this winter in Japan with hundreds of officials working to prevent the spread of the virulent H5 strain, which has been detected at several farms across the country.

Just weeks earlier, outbreaks led to a cull of 550,000 chickens in the central city of Niigata and 23,000 ducks in the Aomori prefecture south of Hokkaido.

Authorities have also banned the transport of poultry and poultry products in areas close to the affected farms, while sterilising main roads leading to them.

But progress has been slow this time with just 32,310 chickens at the farm in Shimzu town in northern Hokkaido culled by Saturday evening, local officials said in a statement.

We continue to cull the chickens today but the work is difficult as the air temperature falls to some -20 degree Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) at night in addition to fallen snow that is another obstacle, an official told AFP.

Before the current outbreaks, Japans last confirmed case of avian flu at a farm was in January 2015.
Libyas unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday officially announced the end of military operations in Sirte, after the liberation from Islamic State group forces of what was the last significant territory they held in the country.

However, prime minister-designate Sarraj warned that the battle against the Islamic rebels was not over.

Eight months after the start of the operations against IS in the coastal town of Sirte I officially announce the end of military operations and the liberation of the town, Sarraj said in a televised speech two weeks after the announcement that the area was in control of forces loyal to the government.

Read | Sirte defeat doesnt mean Islamic State is losing Libya: Analysts

The capture of Sirte, first announced on December 5, boosts the authority of Sarrajs UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which was launched in Tripoli in March but whose legitimacy is contested by a rival administration based in eastern Libya.

Fighters of the Libyan forces affiliated to the Tripoli government rest and reload weapons during an offensive against Islamic State militants, in Sirte. (AP File Photo)

The country descended into chaos following the Nato-backed ousting of long-time dictator Moamer Gaddafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

The infighting and lawlessness allowed extremist groups such as IS to seize several coastal regions, giving the jihadists a toehold on Europes doorstep.

The fall of Sirte -- Gaddafis home town located 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced a series of military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

Sarraj made the announcement on Sirte on the first anniversary of the signing of a peace agreement in Morocco.

The battle for Sirte is over but the war against terrorism in Libya is not finished, he warned, stressing the need to unify the various military forces into one single army.

Read | Libyan forces clear last Islamic State holdout in Sirte

The GNA is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem the upsurge of jihadism in Libya, as well as to halt people trafficking across the Mediterranean that has led to thousands of drownings.

But the unity government headed by Sarraj has struggled to replace the two rival administrations.
Nepal's central bank has developed a software to facilitate exchanging banned Indian notes in the country.

Billions of banned Indian currency in the 500 and 1000 denominations, within and outside the banking system in Nepal, were affected by demonitisation in India. Even Nepali banks are facing serious shortage of 100-rupee notes as very small amount is now permitted to people who want to visit India. People are standing for hours outside the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to exchange Indian currency.

The software was developed by NRB as India has not responded to Nepali governments proposal to provide exchange facility to Nepalis holding Indian currency in the scrapped denominations.

We have developed separate software to facilitate the exchange of banned Indian bills and template of exchange modality has been sent for approval from Reserve Bank of India, NRB Deputy Governor Chintamani Siwakoti said on Sunday.

During discussions with NRB, officials from RBI indicated it would only allow exchange facilities for up to 25,000 Indian rupees to each Nepali citizen.

 A Nepali citizen can exchange only 25,000 Indian rupees and this is the limitation. If anyone is found having exchanged more than one time, the amount will be seized, said Siwakoti.

As per the new template developed by the NRB and forwarded to RBI, any interested Nepali citizen wanting to exchange banned Indian notes has to fill a form, submit copy of the Nepali citizenship and other personal details which will be uploaded in the software. Anyone coming for the second time after exceeding the limit on exchangeable amount will be barred from such facilities with the help of the software.

As soon as India gives nod for using the software to avoid multiple exchanges, the NRB will distribute it across Nepal to its branches and will collect the banned Indian notes.

Siwakoti is leading the Nepali delegation to India soon to resolve the problem.

As thousands of Nepali citizens visit India on a daily basis crossing the open border for various purpose, Nepal is faced with a double crisis. On the one hand, Nepalis have been facing hardship to get even 100-rupee Indian bills while on the other hand, India has not given nod to exchange facilities.

Until April of next year, we are not going to get the Indian notes, Siwakoti said, citing RBI officials.

Many Nepali students, pilgrims, those who go for treatment in India, traders and businessmen are facing the currency crunch.

 But we have enough reserve of Indian 100 rupee bills, so there is not much worry, Siwakoti said.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara and NRB Governor Chirinjivi Nepal spoke with their Indian counterparts several times in the past.

Hundreds of thousands of Nepalis are holding big chunks of scrapped Indian banknotes, including many who earn a living as daily wage labourers in India.
Assuring Bangladeshs support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Pakistan needs to be isolated for harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts.

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists. We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country, Kamal said in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistans involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop.

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased cross-border attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty, Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries dont depend on this single treaty.

Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later, he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesnt depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

The bilateral relationship wont depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries, he says.
Russia on Sunday warned it would use its veto to block a French-drafted resolution on sending UN observers to Aleppo, setting up yet another showdown with the West over the fate of the besieged Syrian city.

Moscow presented a rival draft resolution during a closed-door meeting of the Security Council that requests that the United Nations make arrangements to monitor the situation, according to the text seen by AFP.

But the Russian proposal makes no specific mention of sending observers to Aleppo, where the evacuation of civilians from the last rebel-held part of the city was set to resume on Sunday.

We believe quite simply that what they are proposing is unworkable and dangerous, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters about the French proposal.

We cannot allow it to pass because this is a disaster, said Churkin ahead of the meeting.

Russian United Nations Ambassador Vitaly Churkin addresses reporters before an expected vote by the U.N. Security Council at the United Nations headquarters on Sunday. (AP Photo)

Russia, Syrias main ally in the nearly six-year war, has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in March 2011.

France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is alarmed by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants are in need of aid and evacuation.

The measure would task UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with deploying UN staff to Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians who remain in the city.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

Evacuations that were halted on Friday were expected to resume Sunday under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in four other besieged towns to leave.

Hundreds of civilians, including scores of children, have died in east Aleppo during the latest round of fighting. Nationwide, more than 310,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began.

Preventing a new Srebrenica

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces.

Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations, Delattre said, warning that mass atrocities were possible.

Map showing the destruction to buildings in the Syrian city of Aleppo up to September 2016 as detected by satellite images. (AFP Photo)

The French envoy, who met with Churkin on Saturday, said he was not ready to compromise on his proposal, suggesting that the Russian draft resolution would be blocked by the Western powers.

Churkin said it would be reckless for Ban to send observers to east Aleppo under the French proposal because their safety could not be ensured.

He cannot tell his people just to march into a ruined city -- and do what? he said.

There are various groups who are fighting there, maybe there are some terrorists still lurking in the ruins of eastern Aleppo, he added.

Both the French and Russian draft resolutions demand immediate access for deliveries of humanitarian aid to Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

France and the United States have said they would be ready to call for an emergency special session of the General Assembly if Russia again blocks UN action on Syria.

Such a session, a rare occurence at the United Nations, would be aimed at declaring global condemnation of Russias actions in Syria, although resolutions adopted by the General Assembly are non-binding.
Saudi Arabia, a powerful supporter of the Syrian rebels, called on Saturday for an immediate end to what it said were war crimes being committed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad as they retake rebel-held parts of Aleppo.

It is by far the worst humanitarian tragedy of the beginning of the 21st century unfolding before the international communitys eyes, state news agency SPA quoted a foreign ministry official as saying.

The horrific massacres perpetrated in Aleppo ... have amounted to war crimes against humanity, the official said.

The city had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-old civil war, but an advance by the Syrian army and its allies that began in mid-November deprived the insurgents of most of their territory in a matter of weeks.

An operation to evacuate fighters and civilians from the last opposition-held area was suspended on Friday, its second day, after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people also be brought out of villages where they are under siege from the rebels.

Officials from both sides said on Saturday that a new deal was being negotiated to complete the evacuation.

Saudi Arabia accuses regional rival Iran of meddling in the affairs of other states, including Syria, to expand its influence in the Arab world.

The Saudi source said Riyadh was in contact with regional and international powers emphasising the importance of taking immediate action to stop the carnage in Aleppo.
Visitors peer into a former cell as they walk around the grounds of Dhaka Central Jail (AFP Photo/Munir Uz Zaman)

Many of Bangladesh's most significant political prisoners have been incarcerated within the walls of the two-century old Dhaka Central Jail.

Now the prison that has borne witness to much of the country's brutal history has opened to the public as a museum.

The last inmates of the 228-year-old prison in the capital's old Mughal quarters were relocated in July this year, and the gates of the 35-acre (14-hectare) facility opened, allowing people to explore the jail for a 100 taka ($1.25) ticket rather than being arrested first.

Over the last two centuries, the jail -- the biggest in Bangladesh until it closed -- has been a central stage for much of the country's history.

Scores of mutineers were hanged and their bodies left to rot in the 1860s following a rebellion against the British, which became known as the Sepoy Mutiny.

After the British left in 1947, thousands of political leaders who stood against the new rulers were detained in the prison.

Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman -- whose daughter Sheikh Hasina is the current prime minister -- spent years in one of the jail's cells, leading the country's budding separatist movement from there until the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

In November 1975, just months after Rahman was assassinated in a coup, army officers stormed the jail and killed four top political leaders, plunging the country into prolonged military rule.

Hasina and her sister -- the only members of Rahman's family who survived the coup -- were among the first visitors to the newly opened jail.

The premier, who regularly visited her jailed father during the 60s, appeared overwhelmed with emotion as she visited the tiny cell where Rahman spent years.

She spent some quiet time in there reminiscing about her father.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said there was a plan to turn the old jail into a "historical and entertaining place", with schools, shopping centres, a park and museum.

Story continues

Jail official Ashraful Islam said logistical problems prompted the authorities to shift the jail to a new compound just across the Buriganga River.

"The number of inmates were almost tripled than its capacity, the authorities therefore built the new jail and transferred them," Islam told AFP.

"The jail lies at the centre of Mughal Dhaka. It is a key witness to our history, right from the British Raj to the recent execution of the war criminals," historian Muntasir Mamun said.

"It's an important symbol of the independence struggle. It has housed thousands of state prisoners and saw the hangings of thousands of them," said Mamun, who spent time inside the jail as political prisoner.

- 'A nightmarish place' -

The British-era scaffolds, where the political prisoners were executed -- including most recently the leaders of the country's top Islamist party who were hanged this year -- are closed off to the public and heavily guarded.

But the cell where four of the country's former leaders were kept in solitary confinement and then killed are open to the public.

The room's yellowish walls still bare the marks of the bullets that felled its one-time inhabitants.

"We needed to see these (rooms) to learn about their sacrifices," said Taufiq Hasan, who travelled 220 kilometres (136 miles) from the central city of Faridpur to visit the prison.

Former inmate Fayzur Mia, a 35-year-old flower seller, choked back tears as he showed his two daughters the tiny cell where he spent nearly a year after being caught up in a political riot in 2014.

"I've passed the most difficult phase of my life here and I wanted to show my children how the place looks," Mia said, standing inside a narrow cell that he shared with dozens of other inmates.

The tiny dark room -- with just two small meshed windows and no electric light -- was so packed that the inmates were forced to sleep in shifts and share one squat toilet, Mia recalled.

"It was a nightmarish place," he said, adding that he was pleased it was now a museum: "a symbol of centuries-long struggle and injustice".

Several visitors who said they had spent months -- even years -- incarcerated in the jail without facing trial -- said the facility reminded them of the harshness of the country's criminal justice system.

"It is a symbol of our brutal justice system. I spent months here without knowing what was my crime. Students and young men must visit this place to know a harsh reality of our life," a visitor said, without giving his name.


A militia backed by the Iraqi government killed suspected Islamic State fighters captured during the operation to retake Mosul, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.

The Hashed al-Jabour militia, made up of Sunni tribal fighters, killed four men it had captured in a village north of Mosul in November, according to a report published by the New York-based group. The report cited witnesses who said the men were shot in the presence of Iraqi security forces without any judicial proceedings.

The militia is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a group of mainly Shiite militias sanctioned by the government which have been accused of abuses during past campaigns against IS, a Sunni extremist group.

Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said authorities were unaware of the incident, but were committed to arresting and trying anyone suspected of human rights violations.

Generally speaking, retaliations could happen in some areas by the locals (in the PMF) who had family members and relatives killed by Daesh before the entering of government security forces, al-Hadithi said, using the Arabic acronym of IS. Such acts are totally rejected by the Iraqi government and are fully investigated, and those behind it face trials.

In comments broadcast on state television Saturday, Iraqs Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he had not received any complaints about the Popular Mobilization Forces. He said the Mosul fight was clean, and moving forward at a good pace.

The Mosul offensive involves tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police, as well as Kurdish fighters, Shiite militias and Sunni tribesmen. Iraqi forces have seized a handful of neighborhoods in the city  the countrys second largest  since the operation began Oct. 17.

Human Rights Watch has previous accused Sunni militias participating in the Mosul operation of recruiting boys younger than 18 for the fight. The group has also accused the Shiite militias operating under the PMF of abuses against civilians in majority Sunni towns and cities. The prime ministers office has investigated individual militiamen after past allegations.
Evacuations of fighters and civilians from the devastated Syrian city of Aleppo were postponed on Sunday until further notice after gunmen attacked buses for a similar operation from two rebel-besieged villages.

The development came as Syria ally Russia warned it would veto a French-drafted resolution at the Security Council on sending UN observers to Aleppo and submitted a counter draft resolution.

Diplomats said the Security Council vote would take place on Monday.

Dozens of buses had entered the last rebel-held parts of Aleppo on Sunday to resume the evacuation of thousands of increasingly desperate trapped Syrian civilians and rebels.

The evacuation was suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of people had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

The main obstacle to a resumption had been a dispute over how many people would be evacuated in parallel from two Shiite villages, Fuaa and Kafraya, under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

But just as a deal to go ahead with the evacuations was found and announced by both sides, gunmen attacked buses sent to take people out of Fuaa and Kafraya and torched them, a monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one bus driver was killed in the attack and that the overall evacuation operation was put on hold.

The Britain-based monitor said security guarantees were needed before they could resume.

Yasser al-Youssef of the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group confirmed that the evacuations have been momentarily suspended.

The Observatory said buses would not leave the rebel areas of Aleppo until residents of Fuaa and Kafraya were also able to leave.

Buses drive through the Syrian government-controlled crossing of Ramoussa, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo. (AFP)

Read: Between guilt and outrage, West looks helpless over Aleppo

A disaster

Buses began entering several east Aleppo districts earlier Sunday under Red Crescent and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) supervision to bring the remaining terrorists and their families out, state news agency SANA said, referring to the rebels.

State television said 100 buses would take people out.

By early evening in Aleppo, more than 30 buses were packed with people awaiting evacuation, while thousands more stood in the cold for their turn to board other buses, an AFP reporter said.

A rebel representative had also said that hundreds of people would also be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, two regime-besieged rebel towns in Damascus province, as part of the deal.

The UN Security Council met to discuss a French draft resolution saying that tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants are in need of aid and evacuation.

The measure would task Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with deploying UN staff to Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians who remain there.

But Russia said it would use its veto to block the French proposal, and instead presented a rival draft asking the UN to make arrangements to monitor the situation.

The Russian draft seen by AFP made no specific mention of observers going to Aleppo.

We believe quite simply that what they are proposing is unworkable and dangerous, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said ahead of the meeting.

We cannot allow it to pass because this is a disaster.

The Security Council will vote Monday on a new draft resolution on observers after France agreed to take Russian concerns into account, diplomats said.

Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy to Syria visited Damascus ally Iran on Sunday for talks with top officials on the Syrian conflict.

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, smoke rises in green government buses, in Idlib province, Syria. (AP)

Freezing temperatures

Irans official news agency IRNA said the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran would meet Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the situation.

Families have been sheltering at night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppos Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations.

An AFP reporter visited a hospital in the rebel sector where patients lay on floors without food or water and almost no heating.

Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

A physiotherapist, Mahmud Zaazaa, said only three doctors, a pharmacist and three nurses remain in the area.

An official said more than half of Aleppos buildings and infrastructure have been badly damaged or destroyed since violence erupted there in 2012.

This is an optimistic percentage of the damage, Aleppo administrator Nadeem Rahmoun said.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters remained in Aleppos rebel enclave.

The ICRC appealed for safe passage for the civilians.

People have suffered a lot. Please come to an agreement and help save thousands of lives, said Syria delegation head Marianne Gasser.

Before evacuations were suspended around 8,500 people, including some 3,000 fighters, left for rebel-held territory elsewhere in the north, said the Observatory.
President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday on Twitter the United States should let China keep the US Navys unmanned underwater glider that it seized in the South China Sea.

We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it! Trump tweeted a few hours after the US military announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the underwater glider.

We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 18, 2016

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. The US demanded the drone back, calling it an unlawful seizure in international waters.

China said its military seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships but would give it back.

It was not immediately known what effect, if any, the president-elects tweet would have on the agreement with the Chinese.

The evening tweet was the second time the president-elect injected himself into the controversy through Twitter on Saturday.

Misspelling unprecedented, he tweeted Saturday morning: China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act. He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

Relations already were tense between the US and China following Trumps decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on December 2. He later said he did not feel bound by a one-China policy regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China.

China considers the self-governing island its own territory to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.
The American oceanographic survey ship which controls the underwater drone seized by China had been spying against the Communist nation posing a threat to Chinese naval ships in the South China Sea, a state-run daily has said while claiming that such activities by the US Navy were very rampant in the strategic region.

We welcome that the Chinese navy is conducting regular verification and examination of devices dispatched by the US to collect intelligence in Chinas surrounding waters in future. This should go along with US sabotage activities in Chinas periphery, an editorial posted on the web edition of the state-run Global Times daily said today.

The US claimed that the glider was collecting unclassified data such as salinity and water temperature, which are routine operations in accordance with international law. However, this argument is absurd, the daily said.

The Chinese military said last night that the drone seized by its naval boat would be returned in an appropriate manner after the US took up the issue with China, but did not give any time line.

The USNS Bowditch (which controlled the drone) has appeared in the waters around China now and then. It caused a dispute between China and the US in the Yellow Sea in 2002. The surveillance ship has been engaged in maritime intelligence gathering, posing a long-term threat to the safety of Chinese navy vessels, especially submarines, the editorial said.

Reports said a Chinese naval boat seized the drone before the Bowditch could retrieve it from the water.

Defending the seizure of the drone Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun yesterday dismissed the US allegations, insisting China had been professional and responsible to take the drone.

We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel, he said.

US president-elect Donald Trump has accused China of stealing the drone.

In its editorial, Global Times said its well-known that the South China Sea is an important area where Chinese strategic submarines conduct activities. Intelligence gathering activities by the US Navy in the region are very rampant, it said.

China and the US have confronted each other over US intelligence gathering in Chinas periphery for a long time.

In 2001, a US Navy intelligence aircraft collided with a Chinese jet while in 2009, several Chinese fishing vessels besieged US surveillance ship USNS Impeccable, it said.

Many people worry that the US Navy has collected too much information about Chinas naval base in Hainan Island, and it may even have deployed underwater devices that can continuously send signals, it said.
Uncredited/HOGP

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - BP PLC signed a $2.22-billion deal Saturday restoring its share of an onshore oil block in Abu Dhabi by agreeing to give the emirate stock worth 2 percent of the oil giant's overall value.

The unique agreement spares BP of paying out cash and gives the capital of the United Arab Emirates stake in a company that first arrived there in 1939, when the country was still a British protectorate of sheikhdoms.
Hong Ogle became Bank of America's market president for Houston and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management about 2  years ago - just as the city was about to weather a debilitating oil downturn. We sat down with Ogle to talk about seeing clients through tough times, reaching people who aren't even part of the banking system yet, and what a Donald Trump presidency might mean for the bottom line.

Q: How was Bank of America impacted by the oil bust?

A: Houston has been amazingly resilient, although no question oil and gas is an important part. But really, for our business, our customers and clients, we are continuing to grow our client and customer-facing workforce, and Houston is one of our key areas for growth. Most of our lines of businesses, we're still seeing record revenue. I think being able to serve them and hold their hands through this difficult time is how we build relationships for the long term.

Q: Lots of banks overextended themselves by making loans to drillers and oil services companies that they ended up not being able to repay. How did Bank of America avoid that?

A: We have been very responsible in our lending in the past. So, there have been some impacts, and we'll reserve for it, but really we have not been the worst impacted in the banking area. We have very strict lending rules and guidelines, and we really follow that and try to serve our clients the best we can, but we also want to make sure we're responsible lenders, and not reaching for the last dollar.

Q: What lines of business are you seeing grow most quickly?

A: The medical area is growing, and there are many areas that we are working on. For example, small-business lending, we lent $147 million last year in Houston to small businesses that are either forming or in the growth stage. And even nonprofits and schools, we lend to them as well.

Q: How is Bank of America trying to help the unbanked population?

A: There are many things. No. 1, we do have financial centers in the areas where there might be low-income populations. And we call them financial centers for a reason, because we really want to be their first line of assistance, not just transactions, you come to deposit a check and you leave. And the second thing is, the 2,600 associates employed by Bank of America constantly go out to the community to educate the community of the basic financial knowledge, and bettermoneyhabits.com was created for that purpose as well.

Q: It's interesting that you talk about bank branches - aren't there going to be fewer of those in the future as people manage their finances online?

A: Absolutely, more and more people are using mobile devices. I myself make deposits online, and my kids probably, who are 19 and 22, I do not know if they have seen the inside of a bank. They even use some mobile apps to transfer money, and Bank of America is developing that capability as well. And we do have statistics, how many bank deposits are done on the mobile device, and it's equivalent of what's done in financial centers.

Q: So, does that mean Bank of America will gradually close its physical branches?

A: Generally speaking, that might be the trend for the banking industry. Because Houston is a key growth area, we are actually growing the financial centers in key areas, as well as renovating existing financial centers to make them more future-looking. In the future, when you go into a financial center, it will be like a high-tech type of store. Somebody will greet you at the door, and ask you for your needs.

Q: You've also had to deal with a quickly evolving legal landscape, as many of the Dodd-Frank Act's rules went into effect. What impact have those had on the industry?

A: We definitely changed a lot since the financial crisis, and our industry overall is more transparent, more streamlined. We do things more simply, and I really think that is a positive thing for the consumer. We would love to be living in a world where we just do the right thing and not be overlooked so much, however, I do think being more transparent, that's always a good thing.

Q: There's talk now about dismantling those regulations, and potentially making the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau much less powerful. Would you be glad to see that happen?

A: As far as regulations, nobody likes to be told what to do. We want to continue to be the industry leader to deliver what the rules and the laws are designed for us to do, voluntarily.

Q: Would you still abide by those regulations, even if they went away?

A: Absolutely. We're going to stay on course.

Q: Some of those regulations are designed to guard against banks becoming "too big to fail." Bank of America is huge - do you think that size is a problem?

A: Although it is a big bank, we do operate it more like a local bank. There are 87 markets like Houston, and each market has a president, and a lot of the decisions are made locally, and I would say we are gaining more autonomy every day. And I think that makes a big bank feel smaller.

Q: As you know, Wells Fargo has gotten into a lot of trouble for pushing more services on customers than they really need, and even creating fake accounts. How do you make sure that kind of thing isn't happening in your sales operation?

A: At Bank of America, we try to put our customers at the center. We try not to have the bank's agenda to do more things with you, we really put you in the middle. You may have a checking account with us, and meanwhile we want to understand who you are, and satisfy all of your financial needs. For example, if you just graduated from college and have loans, we can work with you on that. If you're trying to buy a car, eventually, when you're financially independent, we want to make sure that we understand who you are, instead of saying as a bank we would like to sell you more products.

Q: There are certainly lots of ways to learn more about people these days. How do you gather that information?

A: We have 45 million households that do business with us, so just studying their credit card habits can really tell us a lot, whether they're buying things or trying to be conservative and saving more. We definitely use those data and information to help deliver the right financial solutions to them.

Q: Another thing you've had to manage is the rise of online wealth management services that offer advice at lower rates. How are you dealing with that competition?

A: Part of Merrill Lynch is an arm called Merrill Edge, that is a self-directed service. In November, we are rolling out a pilot, a financial product where you can go online, answer the questions and choose from several portfolios. The difference between us and several of the competitors you mentioned is that those are mostly automated and/or computer-generated, programmed products. We are going to have our chief investment officer behind our product, so you are going to get a superior product at a very similar price.

Q: Financial services is still very male-dominated. What would help more women get to your level?

A: Bank of America has done a great job. More than 50 percent of our sales force is women, and 40 percent of our management. I would say Bank of America has been intentional about promoting women. It doesn't mean you promote someone only because they're women. I think you can find women who are qualified. But if you're not intentionally doing that, sometimes you're more likely to promote some-one who's like you.




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From their offices on Summer Street in the First Ward, Laura and Evan Michaelides kept an eye on the aging two-story brick building across the street.

It was showing its age, for sure. Built in 1923, it had changed hands a number of times and had been neglected by its most recent owners, who had used the structure as an apartment building.

The front door didn't lock, and animals had been wandering in and out. Paint was peeling off of walls, plaster was crumbling, and tenants suffered in the summer heat as air conditioning was never installed.

For all of its problems, the Michaelideses saw something more: a stately building with a sliver of Houston history - the Dentler Maid Potato Chip Co. at one time operated on the site.

More important, the couple could see its future: a beautiful home that they would create.

"New, architect-designed houses are lovely, but I like the depth and sense of time in older buildings," said Laura Michaelides, who owns Four Square Design Studio. "In the morning when we go to work, it's the greatest. We just go across the street."

For their efforts, the Michaelideses will receive a 2017 Good Brick Award from Preservation Houston. In 2013, they won another Good Brick Award for the restoration of the Queen Anne cottage that houses Laura's design studio. Evan handles some administrative duties there but telecommutes for a Boston software company.

More Information "New, architect-designed houses are lovely, but I like the depth and sense of time in older buildings." Laura Michaelides, owner of Four Square Design Studio See More Collapse

At one time, this neighborhood was more industrial, situated near a rail line and full of homes for working-class people. Now, it's part of the still-evolving Washington Avenue Arts District in the First Ward. It's a mix of older homes, some of which have been lovingly restored, and newer homes and townhomes. Shops and restaurants are walkable, even if some of the area's narrow streets lack sidewalks.

David Bush, acting executive director of Preservation Houston, praised the couple for seeing and doing what so many others cannot.

"It's a good example of what you can do with a historic building if you look at it differently," Bush said. "A lot of people would look at it and say, 'Those apartments are too small.' They looked at it and said, 'That could be a house.' "

Bush urges people to see historical buildings beyond their past. A schoolhouse can be turned into a store; a store can be turned into a home.

"We have a lot of these buildings in neighborhoods around Houston," Bush said. "They're rapidly disappearing."

Local history

Longtime Houstonians remember the tall metal cans with the bright-red logo: Dentler Maid Potato Chips. Sold in 2-pound tins, the thin and crispy chips were made fresh daily and sold directly to consumers as well as through grocers across the city and even in Beaumont.

George H. Dentler founded his food company in 1910, selling the potato chips, as well as horseradish, pickles, olives, mustard and other condiments. His recipes were closely held secrets, and he boasted that his company used "the first fully automated chip machine west of the Mississippi."

His granddaughter, Marlene Rhoden, is the keeper of Dentler family history, and she recently pored over old family photos, including some showing her grandfather's delivery trucks in the 1920s and '30s.

She recalled that her grandparents lived in part of what is now the Michaelides' Summer Street home. Chips were made in its outbuildings and sold in the front of the building, as well as at a second site on McGowen, she said. But the family outgrew that home, and in 1939, George H. Dentler built a grand home on North Boulevard in Broadacres.

In 1962 - 10 years after Rhoden's grandfather died - the company was sold to Pet Milk and later sold to Frito-Lay, Rhoden said.

New life

When the Dentler building's previous owners were cited for a number of safety violations, they finally conceded that they simply could no longer take care of it.

The Michaelideses, New Jersey transplants who moved here in late 1998, knew it was time to act.

They bought the place in 2013 and spent the first year getting it cleaned out and fumigated, in addition to working on plans for its restoration.

Though the foundation was good, the building came with a lengthy to-do list that included shoring up floor joists, remediating termite damage and fixing damage from water that had leaked in between layers of bricks when the gutters were clogged.

"There were times it was a little scary because we didn't know what else we would find," Laura said. "There was a point that we thought that there couldn't be anything else we could find."

Once they started on the interior work - which took another year and a half - they could see their dream taking shape.

Though the building's architecture isn't remarkable - it's standard 1920s masonry and plaster - the bones were strong. The couple was reminded, in every step of the work, of the quality of materials and craftsmanship of another era. Walls throughout were stripped of their cracking and crumbling drywall. Plaster was repaired and left bare in the entry, and some brick walls were exposed to add warmth. State history comes to life here, with bricks stamped with company names such as Ferris, Coffeyville and Groesbeck.

The change is evident from the moment you step in the front door.

In the home's entry are gray walls lining the staircase to the second floor. With a suede look from the natural irregularity of the plaster, they could easily pass for a fancy wall treatment.

"I was going to paint it, but it's just so beautiful. There's nothing on it at all; it's just raw plaster," Laura said.

On one side is the dining/kitchen area, and on the other is a large living space. Each was at one time an apartment, with internal walls dividing the space into rooms. Those walls were demolished, leaving open spaces for a front-to-back view.

On one side is a casual seating area that holds a gorgeous antique Regency-style sofa that Laura purchased at Reeves Antiques and had reupholstered in a silvery fabric. Nearby shelves hold family mementos.

In the center of the room is a dining table that Laura designed, paired with English Arts and Crafts chairs she bought at a New Jersey antiques store. Since the set had just five chairs, she hired Juan Martinez locally to make three more to match; good luck telling the reproductions from the originals.

In the back is a kitchen with on-trend gray cabinets, black honed granite counters and a stainless-steel island.

In every room, the Michaelideses can point to a chair, sofa or table in their eclectic design mix and tell the story of where and how they found it - an oral scrapbook of their years together.

Upstairs are bedrooms and bathrooms, all restored and updated for modern life. One of the best perks, the couple agreed, is the balcony that allows striking views of downtown. It served as a great party site for Fourth of July fireworks.

The building earlier had a first-floor patio and second-floor balcony, but a connecting staircase ate up much of that space. Since the rickety external structure had to be torn down and replaced, the couple opted for two separate patios.

Downstairs, the decklike patio is screened in. Upstairs, the terrace is open and accessible from bedrooms.

Thick weeds and chunks of broken concrete once made the back yard unusable, but it has been transformed into a relaxing spot with lush green grass, trees and easy-to-maintain plants.

Time to reflect

During the renovation, Laura leaned on the professional community she's gotten to know during her years here.

An older home requires special knowledge and the caring hands of tradesmen who value both old and new.

Contractors from her design projects - masons, window experts, tile setters and others who know where to find things that work in the 93-year-old building - all played a part, she said.

Even her husband has come to realize the lasting effect of finding your perfect space.

"These two restorations really opened my eyes to a realization late in life of how much a space can affect your mood and your level of enthusiasm," Evan said. "You can look at something and say, 'Oh, that's beautiful,' but what was new to me was that the way a space feels or is designed can really just change your mood and make you feel differently."

Along the way, he also gained an appreciation of how the home was originally built.

"Old buildings were built with care and good materials. The craftsmanship was high, and you get the sense that people were really invested in making the materials," Evan said. "We're just the custodians of these older homes."
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For Houston nurse Jeremy Williamson it had been just another day on the job. Except that it wasn't.

His teenaged patient had died, and as he drove home from the hospital, he grappled with a grief that left him exhausted and empty.

"It was a whirlwind," said Williams, an intensive care unit nurse at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. "You feel the exhaustion. You feel the pain. It's not what the patient's relatives are experiencing, obviously, but it's still there for you.

"Sure, you're told these types of things will happen, but I don't think you're ever really prepared."

Left unresolved, such feelings can fuel the burnout that drives up to one-half of new U.S. nurses out of their jobs - or out of the profession - within their first three years. That turnover costs hospitals millions of dollars and diminishes the quality of patient care.

Faced with the most devastating patient outcome, though, Williamson and his colleagues had been lucky.

Before they went home for the day, they were counseled and comforted by a team of nurses trained to defuse turbulent emotions. Williamson and the other team members were allowed to express their frustrations and sorrow. The session didn't solve all the hurt, but it helped.

"Code Lilac," the hospital program that trained the nurses, was launched in November 2015 by hospital Chaplain Glenda McDonald. The program aims to ease emotional trauma that could debilitate health care professionals.

Now, after 21 Code Lilac activations at the children's hospital, Memorial Hermann administrators hope to expand the program to other hospitals in their regional network.

"In trauma hospital culture, we're tough," McDonald said. "We don't need this touchy-feely stuff, but we do."

At a hospital with more than 300 patient beds and the region's busiest pediatric emergency room, deaths are not uncommon. Health care providers labor to balance empathy with emotional distance.

"We have kids die here every day," McDonald said.

Still, there are occasions when a professional's self-protection dissolves. After six victims of physical abuse died in a short period of time, McDonald saw medical residents weep as they made their rounds.

"You know when this one, a death, is different," she said. "You can see it on their faces when they walk out of the room. You can see everything is not right."

Hospital is "family"

McDonald, manager of the children's hospital three-person chaplaincy staff, described the hospital as a "family." "Our goal is to take care of each other," she said. "This isn't a job where your work an eight- or 12-hour shift, then forget and go home."

Code Lilac, she said, is an extension of an existing program, "Refreshing the Spirit," in which quiet time regularly is set aside for hospital staff to broach job-related emotional stains with colleagues or chaplains.

Seventy-five nurses, trained by Bellville crisis intervention specialist Naomi Paget, volunteer on Code Lilac teams.

Paget, who has trained international relief teams as well as intervenors at hospitals and law enforcement agencies, said medical workers are immersed in the "most difficult scenes of trauma."

"The constant attack on their own well-being is evidenced by their reactions to what they experience on a day-to-day basis," she said. "Add in their own personal issues and crises away from work and you have a recipe for physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion."

In a profession in which stakes always are high, stress is omnipresent.

Half of nurses in one American Nursing Association study reported they were "exhausted and discouraged." Another study found four in 10 nurses saying they would leave the profession within a decade. A 2010 study reported in MEDSURG Nursing, the journal of the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, asserted that 30-50 percent of new nurses leave their first jobs, or the profession entirely, within three years.

Emotional first aid

Paget called Memorial Hermann's Code Lilac "emotional first aid."

McDonald, a Quaker clergywoman, said anyone affected by a patient's death can call for a Code Lilac intervention. Such sessions, involving all the staff wanting to attend, take place before the hospital shift's end.

"I really think the Code Lilac idea has been great," pediatric ICU nurse Matt Varnum said. "It's done good things for the hospital, good things for the nurses."

Varnum, 31, is both a Code Lilac intervenor and a beneficiary of the program.

His moment of crisis came when his young patient, seemingly recovering, unexpectedly died. Such crises sometimes come after weeks or months of unacknowledged but growing stress.

"It seems to go in cycles," he said. "There will be periods that they have a lot of really sick children. ... Then, it will hit you all at once."

Williamson, 30, said he broadly was acquainted with the demands of nursing because his brother and sister-in-law are nurses.

"It's much tougher than I thought," he said. "It's hard work. It physically and mentally takes a toll. There's also an emotional aspect that I didn't expect, especially working with children ... I don't always not take it home with me. It does come home with you sometimes."

Alyssa Summers, 27, a pediatric ICU nurse who also was present at the teenager's death, admitted that on occasions of particularly traumatic events she doesn't feel like going home. The mother of two young children, she acknowledges the difficulty in establishing the right relationship - neither too familiar nor too distanced - with patients and their families.

Summers was not the dead teen's primary nurse, but the episode devastated her. As she entered the Code Lilac meeting after the teen's death, she was in shock.

"I knew this was a safe place and I was glad I was there, but I wasn't ready to talk," she said.

Making eye contact

Code Lilac nurses, she said, made a point of establishing eye contact.

"There was warmth and peace," she said. "OK, this was a moment to talk and surface our emotions. This wasn't about medical issues - what went wrong and what went right. It was about emotions ... I'm sure I was crying. It was my only time to get it out. Then I stepped back out there to take care of my patients, who had no idea what had happened in the next room.

"It was a very hard day, my worst so far."

Without the Code Lilac intervention, Summers said, she likely would have continued to function as a competent nurse.

"There would have been something missing, though," she said. "That heart connection."
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LONDON - Not much has united Britain, France and Germany in recent months. There is one striking attribute, however, that they share: the influence of religious beliefs on the politics of these nations.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has acknowledged that her Christian faith informs many of her political decisions. She also has a clear message for her fellow Christians: Don't be afraid to speak out about your faith.

Across the English Channel, champion of Catholic values and former French Prime Minister Francois Fillon recently won a primary contest to be the conservative nominee in the country's presidential election, scheduled for next year.

Room for refugees

In neighboring Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has led the country for 11 years and hopes to get reelected next year. Merkel's Protestant Christian values were credited for her decision to let almost 1 million refugees into the country last year.

All three countries either have or could have observant Christians as political leaders next year. But all three countries also are among the world's least religious. The phenomenon is another unexpected result of the political upheaval of 2016, which included Britain's decision to leave the European Union, the presidential victory of Donald Trump in the United States, and the rise of far-right movements in France and Germany.

A survey of 65 countries conducted by Gallup International and the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research last year found that 66 percent of British citizens identified as not religious or as atheist. In Germany, 59 percent of the population identified that way. In France, the number was 53 percent. The survey is based on 63,898 interviews.

France most secular

No European country is generally considered to be more secular than France, at least officially.

Collecting information about ethnicity or religious beliefs, for instance, is generally prohibited in France. The law - which was passed in 1978 - was a response to historical injustices. Particularly in the decades after Jews were ordered to sew yellow stars on their clothes during World War II, questions about citizens' ethnic or religious identities had bitter connotations.

France's secular state model also means that religious displays are generally prohibited in public spaces.

Yet, as the Washington Post's James McAuley recently observed, Fillon could shift the meaning of secularism in France: "He is viewed as a crusader in the throes of a holy war. ... In short, what he promises is a return to his nation's roots. And in his eyes, those roots are fundamentally Catholic."

Loss of values

The far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a likely top contender in France's presidential election, also has used Christian values to justify some of her policy proposals. An increasing number of moderate Catholics blame what they deem a loss of values for the devastating attacks over the past two years in France and for a divided society.

In Germany, Merkel has attempted a balancing act. Christian believers have always been an influential voting bloc in the country, and she has disappointed many of them, shifting away from traditional conservative positions over the years.

Fearing defeat in the upcoming election, Merkel recently has defended some of her less popular decisions as influenced by her Christian values. This came as the anti-immigration movement Pegida, for instance, carried Christian crosses at many of the group's marches.

To the members of that group, Merkel's decision to open the borders to hundreds of thousands of predominantly Muslim refugees was a threat to the country's Christian roots. Some Catholic politicians from Merkel's own party voiced similar concerns, calling her pro-refugee policies "not Christian."

Amid such criticism from her core voter base and political allies, Merkel repeatedly has tried to frame her policies in a Christian context. With more than half of Germans identifying themselves as atheists, her attempts to explain her more liberal policies with religious arguments reflect her struggles to appeal to those nonreligious voters as well as her increasingly disgruntled core supporters.

Daughter of pastor

Like Merkel, Britain's May is the daughter of a pastor.

"It [the Christian faith] is part of me. It is part of who I am and therefore how I approach things," she was quoted as saying in a 2014 interview. It is "there and it obviously helps to frame my thinking and my approach."

Whereas Merkel and Fillon have been accused of using Christian values to defend controversial policy positions, May's frequent references to her religious beliefs have not been interpreted as an attempt to use religion to justify policies. With nearly two-thirds of the British population identifying as not religious or as atheist, such an approach would hardly help May win over the public's support.

"Christian faith) is part of me. It is part of who I am and thereforehow I approach things ...and it obviously helps to frame my thinking and my approach."

Theresa May, U.K. home secretary
CORPUS CHRISTI - Chris Phelan and Roni Vela loaded several cases of water into the back of a red Suburban and drove away from their makeshift stand in front of city hall.

On Saturday, the third day that large swaths of Corpus Christi residents were without access to running water, the pair headed toward the home of Olga Reyna after the 63-year-old woman reached out to them through Facebook because no one in her family could lug water.

While city workers distributed more than 20,000 cases of bottled water from several locations Saturday, not everyone in Corpus Christi had the means or know how to get there. For the Greater Good, a grassroots organization formed earlier this year in reaction to repeated boil water notices that Phelan and Vela are involved in, passed out water and mader personal deliveries to families like Reyna's.

By Friday, water restrictions were lifted on the outskirts of the city. In other parts of the city, residents could bathe and clean with the water, but they still couldn't drink it. But through Saturday, a full restriction on water use remained in effect for downtown Corpus Christi, as the city awaited the results from 30 samples sent to Houston for testing by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We know the citizens are hurting," said City Council Member Greg Smith at an afternoon press conference.

City officials still do not definitively know if any chemicals from Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. leaked into the local water supply, or how much. They did not provide information on four unconfirmed reports of symptoms consistent with exposure to Indulin AA-86, which the company processed nearby.

A TCEQ report obtained Friday indicates that a combination of Indulin AA-86 and hydrochloric acid leaked into the water supply. Indulin is an asphalt-emulsifying agent that's corrosive and can burn the eyes, skin and respiratory tract if a person comes into contact with concentrated amounts. The amber liquid is considered a hazardous material by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"The risk is from zero to infinity," Mayor Dan McQueen said. "The risk is unidentified right now."

As city, state and federal officials continued to assess the situation, members of For the Greater Good set up shop once again, strategically placing their folding table in front of City Hall and near three homeless shelters. Across the street, passengers for city and Greyhound buses waited at the city's largest bus stop, where water fountains were covered with black trash bags and printed signs.

"Do not use water until further notice."
At a popular restaurant last week, two sociologists - both in dark suit coats, both professors at Rice University, both experts on demographics of Houston and Texas who happen to live on the same floor of the same museum district high-rise - met me for lunch and ordered the same thing, the beef tenderloin sandwich.

There, many of the similarities ended. And that was the point.

For years, as I listened to the breathless, often glass-half-full presentations of Stephen Klineberg about the intriguing diversity of Houston, which he likes to call "a portrait of America's future," I asked myself: "What would Steve Murdock say to this?"

Murdock was Texas' first state demographer and a Bush-appointed former U.S. Census bureau director who for more than 40 years tried to educate everyone from lawmakers to business people about the state's rapidly changing population and the implications for our future. But his take was always a bit more sober, his audiences across the state sometimes a bit less friendly. Perhaps, as a result, Murdock's glass is a little less full.

I asked both to join me for a couple of hours, to sit across the table from each other and talk about where Houston is today and where we're headed.

"This whole transition, this epic transition of the population " Klineberg began.

"Epic transition," Murdock muttered. "Not just a transition - an epic transition."

They laughed. Klineberg is a master at employing adjectives to keep audiences from dozing off during his lengthy PowerPoint sessions using dozens of charts and statistics.

"None of us are optimistic when you look at what's actually happening in the state," Klineberg says. "Where my optimism comes, to the extent that it does, is from the surveys that track increasingly positive views."

Klineberg is talking about the Houston Area Survey he has conducted for 35 years, which asks about a range of issues, from traffic to crime. In recent years, Klineberg has measured an increasing acceptance of the city's diversity, support of gay rights, concern about economic inequalities, less antagonism toward immigration and even growing support for a path to citizenship for those here illegally.

"Do views make reality?" Murdock asks.

"So," Klineberg continues undeterred. "The question is why is there such a disconnect between public opinion and politically effective leaders."

We all know that the answer has to do with Texas' staggeringly low voter turnout rates, partially fueled by redistricting efforts that protect incumbents and have left few competitive districts. But Murdock asks Klineberg how he can be sure that people are being honest.

Klineberg acknowledges the challenges all researchers face in accurate sampling. But he says the trend over so many years is firm: Houstonians are becoming more progressive in their thinking.

"And you find the actions going with those how?" Murdock asked. "I don't care if my neighbor loves me. If he still puts his junk in my yard, I'm not going to like him."

"But if everyone in the neighborhood says increasingly 'we don't want this junk in people's yards,' you have some confidence that you can begin to move the needle," Klineberg responded.

We start talking about diversity, and Klineberg believes the city has a culture of accepting the inevitable. Perhaps the same thing that led past leaders to desegregate swiftly and peacefully, without the riots of other Southern cities, is what moved Mayor Sylvester Turner to make sure both the police and fire chiefs were Hispanic.

Murdock says that part of Houston's peaceful coexistence may be due to its high segregation, in terms of income and education.

"That's how we handle it," Murdock says. "We've said: 'Yeah, we'll have diversity. You people look like you should live over there. These people look like they should live over here.' "

They agree that income is the great divider. People of different races, faiths, speaking different languages won't have a problem living on the same street if they are all doctors, lawyers and folks with professional degrees.

Meanwhile, education is supposed to be the great equalizer. It's the No. 1 predictor of socioeconomic status. And public education policy in this state is the one area that seems to concern both professors the most.

Texas lawmakers have repeatedly cut funding and turned a blind eye to blatant disparities in public schools.

Hispanics make up more than half of the public school enrollment in this state.

Yet, 34 percent of Hispanics under 18 grow up in poverty. Hispanic enrollment at the state's two flagship universities hovers around 20 percent. Only one non-judicial statewide elected official, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, is Hispanic.

"We know that 65 percent of all the jobs that will exist in America in 2020 will require some kind of certificate or degree beyond high school. And 27 percent of all the people in Harris County schools get any education out of high school," Klineberg says.

He is encouraged by what business groups such as the Houston Partnership are doing to support education reforms, like more access to pre-kindergarten.

"It's not just because they care about children," he says. "It's because they recognize we're not going to make it if we don't have an educated workforce."

Murdock says that he may have been naive to think policymakers would get the message sooner, or that, by now, political representation would be more reflective of the population, which is 39 percent Hispanic in Texas. When he first started talking about race decades ago, people would walk out of his speeches. He didn't account for the resistance or the partisans who would respond to his data by getting organized, redistricting and supporting policies to stave off political effects of demographic change.

For both men, the message is clear: if Texas doesn't educate and provide opportunities for Hispanics, we're doomed.

"I'll stand up in front of anybody anytime and say, look, the socioeconomics that go with our demographics, if we don't change those, we're going to be a poorer, less competitive state, poorer, less competitive nation than we are today," Murdock says.

"But," I interrupt, "you've been saying that for decades, and they're not listening. So are we headed to Third World status?"

"Let me say this," Murdock responds. "I have an increasing number who come up to me and say, 'you know, you're right.' "

"Think what happens if it doesn't change," he said. "I don't want to predict what people will do. But those type circumstances are worrisome. People keep asking, well, are you saying we're going to have riots? I'm not going to say that."

But the consequences of inaction are as inevitable as population change itself.

Nobody should be comfortable with that. We ended our lunch knowing that the realities of Houston and Texas are far from philosophical conversation at a nice Rice restaurant.

But the answers are there for the taking, and it's time for all of us to listen.
Prosecutors in all but one of Texas' biggest counties have launched a spate of police officer prosecutions in the shootings of unarmed or mentally ill people over the past three years that parallels a similar rise in police prosecutions nationwide.

Harris County, which leads the state in police shootings by a wide margin, is the exception. Prosecutors have presented evidence in more than 200 officer-involved shootings to grand juries that happened here since 2012. One of every five individuals shot by police was unarmed. But in every case, the officer was not indicted, records show.

See videos that played a role in recent prosecutions in Texas

In an interview, newly elected Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said she will redouble efforts to ensure that all available information is presented to grand juries in reviews of shooting cases. She said she also will attempt to make videotapes of shootings by officers available first to families and then to the public "as soon as possible" to boost transparency and public confidence of shooting reviews.

Nationally, only about a quarter of police shootings involve unarmed civilians. But nearly all prosecutions of officers arrested for on-duty shootings involve unarmed people, according to a tally of 79 prosecutions from 2005 to the present by Philip Stinson, an associate professor at Bowling Green State University.

More for you Video played a role in recent prosecutions of officers involved in shootings

Read more in The Unarmed series

Many cases Stinson tracked, and five recent Texas cases, involved police who chased and then shot unarmed people either in their cars or on foot. In some cases, the shots were fired in the suspect's back or head. Stinson has recorded 15 prosecutions in 2015 for murder or manslaughter by on-duty officers who shot civilians, more than in any previous year in the past decade. He's tallied 13 more in 2016.

Dallas County alone has four pending cases against officers who killed or wounded civilians - video evidence played a role in three of those cases. Prior to that string of prosecutions, the county had no similar cases in 15 years. Officials in San Antonio, Fort Worth, Bastrop and Austin also recently prosecuted officers; each had seen no prior indictments of officers involved in shooting or killing civilians for years.

In Harris County, officers cleared by grand juries include an off-duty officer who shot a naked man in a hospital and an officer who shot a DUI suspect in the back. Another case involved an off-duty officer who was drunk when he shot two unarmed brothers, killing one. Another officer shot and killed a double-amputee in a wheelchair armed only with a ballpoint pen.

The last indictment here came after when Pasadena officer Michael T. Martin killed an unarmed 20-year-old during a 2011 traffic stop. Martin was fired, but a Harris County grand jury did not indict him for murder or manslaughter - only for the lesser crime of official oppression in June 2013. He was acquitted in 2015.

Some shootings of the unarmed involved errors or poor police work that might be hard for ordinary citizens to accept. But none of the evidence was strong enough to convince a grand jury that an officer lacked an objectively reasonable fear of imminent threat to his life or to the lives of others before using deadly force, said Julian Ramirez, an assistant district attorney who leads the civil rights division, citing the high legal standard for such cases. Ramirez was on the list of 37 prosecutors that Ogg announced Friday that she will replace on January 1.

Few videos were available or released in the past. Police Chief Art Acevedo, newly arrived from Austin, last week announced he will push for officers to acquire body-worn cameras that will turn on automatically. He also said he will establish a specialized unit to investigate police shootings, now probed by HPD's Homicide and IAD division as well as by the DA's office. Acevedo said it's important to remember that there is at least one gun in all officer-involved shootings - and sometimes officers get shot or killed when their own weapons are wrestled away.

Video footage often key

Texas prosecutors typically present all police shootings to grand juries behind-closed doors in secretive reviews. Around the state, video tapes played a role in some controversial shootings that led to firings and to charges. Only the Travis County District Attorney's office currently routinely releases videos and witness statements in such cases after grand juries rule.

Dash-cam videos helped prosecutors decide to pursue charges in three of four pending Dallas County cases. Video footage called into question the veracity of Garland Police officer Patrick Tuter, who fired 41 shots and killed Michael Vincent Allen, 25, after a high-speed chase through eastern Dallas suburbs in 2012. Tuter initially claimed he fired after Allen had rammed his patrol car, though the video showed Tuter had crashed into Allen. A jury continued to deliberate late Friday after a manslaughter trial in that case.

That was the first such prosecution in more than a decade. Two other cases captured on video followed. One involved an unarmed teen, the other a mentally ill man whose mother had called for help.

"The existence of any evidence, including video evidence, makes the determination to charge and prosecute more clear. It makes the decision to convict or acquit more clear," said Messina Madson, first assistant DA. But because video tells only part of the story and isn't always available, Dallas County began sending its own team of investigators in 2015 to all officer-involved shootings, she said. Harris and Montgomery Counties do, too.

Video also played a role in a 2016 decision to indict an officer who fired a shotgun at an unarmed man carrying a barbecue fork in Tarrant County this year. Very few videos have been released to the public in recent Harris County shootings. Ogg said she was dismayed that it took nearly two years before Devon Anderson, the current Harris County DA, agreed to release a surveillance video of the struggle that occurred just before an off-duty police officer shot and killed Jordan Baker, an unarmed 26-year-old man in 2014. Baker was riding his bike through a strip mall parking lot, which was only three blocks from his home, when he was confronted by the Houston police officer working as a security guard.

Ogg, who previously worked as a victim's advocate, said quicker release of the video might have helped Baker's mother deal with the incident as a parent and boost public confidence in the objectivity of the county's legal review. The officer was no-billed by a grand jury, though the family's civil rights lawsuit remains pending in a Houston federal court. Baker's family has claimed in the lawsuit that he was racially profiled by the officer who accosted and attacked him without any legitimate reason.

Ogg will inherit the ongoing review of several 2016 officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians, including that of an off-duty Houston Police officer who confronted and then shot his 21-year-old neighbor after their dogs fought. Another case involves the shooting of Earl Wayne Brown, a bystander injured by another off-duty officer, who drew a gun when a fight broke out and has claimed he accidentally fired after being pushed while working security at Mr. A's - a crowded nightclub, according to information released by HPD.

Ogg told the Chronicle that she will establish a committee to help advise her on police-shooting protocols when she takes office in January and will consider opening older cases that were reviewed under the previous DA.

Proving a murder or manslaughter case against a police officer presents particular challenges. Officers have a legal right to use deadly force when they have a "reasonable" fear that their own lives or the lives of others are endangered. They also can employ all of the same self-defense legal arguments that ordinary citizens can, said First Assistant Montgomery District Attorney Kelly Blackburn, chief of the trial bureau. He made national news when he successfully prosecuted an officer for manslaughter in 2014.

Although Texas departments can opt to have the Texas Rangers investigate their officer-involved shootings, many departments such as Houston investigate their own cases. After Conroe Sgt. Jason Blackwelder shot and killed an unarmed teenaged shoplifter in 2013, Conroe police detectives - his subordinates - investigated. Blackwelder was off duty when he spotted the suspect running out of a Wal-Mart and chased him into the woods. Seconds later, 19-year-old Russell Rios was dead, with a bullet hole in the back of the head. Blackwelder claimed he'd been choked and was nearly blacking out when he reached over the suspect and shot Rios, from behind in self-defense. But blood spatter evidence told a different story and led to a manslaughter charge and a guilty verdict in 2014.

At trial, Blackwelder stuck to his claim of self-defense - and hired a former state police training expert to defend his use of deadly force.

But the jury voted to convict after prosecutors presented testimony that showed the officer's account didn't jibe with the bullet wound location and other crime scene evidence. "He was lying because he knew what he did was reckless," Blackburn said. At trial, Blackburn used a blood spatter specialist to help prove the officer violated his training, mishandled his weapon and was negligent when he shot and killed Rios likely by accident - thereby committing the crime of manslaughter.

That unusual guilty verdict generated speaking invitations for Blackburn from other prosecutors seeking to chart a course for justice between inflammatory videotapes and pressure from both the black lives and blue lives matter movements.

"The simple fact is that these cases are way more complicated than the public or the media perceive them to be," said Blackburn.

Convictions prove difficult

Statistics show prosecutors nationwide have often failed to convict police who were charged with manslaughter or murder. Out of the 78 police officers charged with murder or manslaughter in shooting-related prosecutions tracked since 2005, only 27 officers were convicted; 29 were acquitted or had charges dismissed; 22 cases remain pending as of November, according to Stinson at Bowling Green.

Three other recent Texas prosecutions in Austin, San Antonio and Bastrop were ultimately unsuccessful. A Bexar County sheriff, normally assigned to work as a bailiff, was acquitted of a murder charge in May three years after shooting an unarmed motorist in 2013. The officer described the shooting as self-defense, while a special prosecutor characterized the incident as a minor accident that escalated into an off-duty road rage incident. A jury found the bailiff not guilty.

Another recent acquittal came in another murder case involving a rookie deputy who fired without warning when a woman opened the door at the scene of a disturbance call in Bastrop County near Austin. The officer, who had only a year's experience, was fired for killing the unarmed woman who had called 911 for help. But in his first trial in 2015, a jury deadlocked 8-4 on a guilty verdict. In March after a second trial, a visiting judge found the officer not guilty.
Houston's police chief is still settling into a new city and a new job, but he's already a little frustrated he hasn't had time to fulfill what he considers one of his essential duties.

"I still haven't had any community meetings and it's driving me crazy," Art Acevedo told us in an editorial board meeting last week.

Within days of his arrival in Houston, Acevedo was already articulating what he considered his top priorities as our city's highest-ranking law enforcement officer.

Acevedo seems almost aggravated that Houston's police body camera system requires officers to start and stop their own recordings during encounters with the public. That inevitably leads to incidents in which cameras fail to capture images of police shootings and other events that become matters of controversy. And officers rushing into potentially deadly situations requiring split-second decisions shouldn't have to worry about pushing a button to start a camera. So the new chief wants HPD's body cameras automatically activated anytime officers step out of their vehicles, and he's already trying to figure out how much changing the current camera system would cost.

Still, improving the recording system won't solve all the problems surrounding body cameras. Prosecutors have been forced to drop cases because they can't get their hands on police videos, and journalists who've asked for body camera pictures have been stymied by overly restrictive rules about their release. Acevedo, concerned that publicity could prompt judges to move trials to other counties, said he'll decide whether to release videos on a case-by-case basis. We urge the new chief to err as much as possible on the side of transparency, because keeping body camera videos under wraps - rightly or wrongly - deepens suspicions that police have something to hide.

Acevedo also plans to create an entirely new group in HPD to investigate police shootings and allegations of crimes involving officers. Right now, police shootings are investigated by at least three entities: HPD's homicide division, HPD's internal affairs division and the civil rights division of the Harris County District Attorney's Office. Acevedo intends to create an entirely new special investigations unit to focus on incidents involving police officers, staffed by people he personally selects. They'll take over duties now assumed by homicide investigators, who already have all the work they need probing cases involving civilians.

One of the biggest challenges HPD's likely to face in the near-term future will be an unusually large number of officers leaving the department. Acevedo notes about 600 officers were routinely expected to retire, but the department now anticipates losing 400 to 600 additional people. The new chief hopes to help fill the gap with aggressive recruiting, possibly even poaching smaller police departments for lateral hires. But it's refreshing to hear he's not at all worried that changes in the city's generous benefits package area are leading a number of top administrators to retire.

The new chief sees the departure of so many longtime administrators not as a problem, but an opportunity to flatten the department's top-heavy command staff.

Acevedo is a passionate police administrator with a gregarious intensity reminiscent of Harry Caldwell, the reform chief of the 1970s who led the department kicking and screaming into a new era of public accountability.

His candor and his determination to improve his department guarantee he'll butt heads with entrenched interests in the police union and the police force itself.

We taxpayers are spending a fortune on law enforcement - $850 million in the city of Houston's current fiscal budget. Now that a new chief has arrived, we urge him to examine every aspect of our police department with a fresh set of eyes and ensure citizens are getting everything they're paying for from the men and women sworn to serve and protect our city.
Although private-practice lawyers are often maligned for their sometimes whopper-sized bills, few outside the profession or the people they help may know that lawyers contribute thousands of hours to nonprofit causes every year.

Almost every charity, community organization, club, sporting organization and political party you can name benefits from legal largess, yet it's rare to see law firms unite to act collectively. That could be changing. A new coalition has formed to file litigation to prevent gun violence, according to a recent article in The New York Times.

A group of prominent law firms, including Covington & Burling and Arnold & Porter (which has a Houston office) and gun control organizations, such as the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, have formed the Firearms Accountability Counsel Task Force.

This coalition could be the strongest counterweight to the gun lobby that this country has ever fielded. Together, the firms are dedicated to providing tens of millions of dollars in time from top lawyers who might bill clients $1,000 an hour or more for their legal services.

Rather than directly sue the gun industry, the coalition is searching for fresh legal strategies to pursue. One possible target could be the longtime restriction by Congress on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives from releasing certain data about the use of firearms in crimes. The coalition also might challenge a congressional policy that effectively chokes off funding to government research on the potential public-health threat of guns.

This coalition has right on its side. "There is an epidemic of gun violence in this country, and the law can save innocent lives without infringing constitutional rights," Brad D. Brian, co-managing partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, told The Times. We agree. Brian noted that the coalition is not taking issue with responsible gun owners.

An effort to tackle issues that would stem the epidemic of gun violence is not only a major public service, it's a gutsy move by these law firms. After all, law firms are service providers, and their fees are dependent on the good will of clients.

Big law could come under considerable pressure not only from clients sympathetic to the gun industry, but also from the White House. Donald Trump, the president-elect, has vowed to expand protections for gun owners.

Meanwhile, the litany of ceaseless death goes on and on. There have been more than 14,000 deaths this year from gun violence and over 29,000 injuries, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit. This anti-gun violence coalition provides some needed hope for change.
Envisioning gloom, doom

Regarding "War over words" (Page A2, Dec. 11), the Kremlin candidate continues to deny the conclusion of the CIA, the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security by insisting that it might be some 300-pound guy in New Jersey who torpedoed Hillary Clinton's candidacy with hacked emails.

Conveniently, after the election it has also been reported that Russian operatives were in regular contact with the Donald Trump campaign staff in the run-up to the election. Trump's admiration of Vladimir Putin derives from the Russian strongman's rule over an oligarchy and an adventurous military, in which direction this nation is headed as evidenced by the nomination of a Cabinet packed with retired hawkish generals and business executives favoring de-regulation and the president-elect's declared intention to lower corporate and high-income individual income tax rates, remove post-Great Recession limits on Wall Street, increase military spending and pursue isolationist trade policies.

One can imagine a new world order in which the two superpowers tacitly divide the globe into regions of interest to impose their will by force. Sad.

H. Clay Moore, Houston

Cyber warfare

Regarding "White House ties Putin to hacking" (Page A1, Friday), Houstonians are not Republicans first or Democrats first, or conservative first or liberal first, or pro-Trump first or pro-Hillary first; Houstonians are pro-America first.

As Americans, Houstonians value and cherish the rule of law and believe in impartiality under the law. As Americans, Houstonians value liberty and freedom and our right to chart our own destiny.

With Americans first, Houstonians can make no mistake: Russia meddling in our presidential elections is a blatant declaration of war that cannot go unanswered.

Jose Carlos Gonzalez, Houston

Climate future

Regarding "How could Trump go for clean energy? Texas-style" (GrayMatters, HoustonChronicle.com, Monday), Marilu Hastings, of the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, brilliantly suggests that "Trump could establish himself as a respected world leader in addressing climate change by supporting the revenue-neutral carbon tax that dozens of thoughtful conservatives support, but few in Washington are willing to discuss openly."

Indeed, the market, in conjunction with government policies, is already working to make wind and solar competitive with fossil fuels in the generation of electricity. Also in alignment with conservative principles, cities and states around the country are leading with bold climate action on the local level.

In an open letter, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner joined 44 other U.S. mayors, calling on the president-elect to "lead us in expanding the renewable energy sources we need to achieve energy security, address climate change and spark a new manufacturing, energy and construction boom in America [ ]And we ask that you shift to embrace the Paris Climate Agreement and make U.S. cities your partner in doing so."

Climate change not only threatens us with catastrophic results if we do not act wisely and boldly, but offers us immense opportunities for a bright and prosperous future if we do.

Jimmy Pryor, Houston

Political party labels

Regarding "Should judges be selected in partisan elections?" (Page A33, Dec. 11), I believe in the right of busy voters to vote for their party. Neither the "point" or "counterpoint" supported the current right to vote for your party straight ticket. Please remember that Texas has one of the lowest voter turnouts in our nation. Let's not make it any harder.

Those who do make it to the booth have spent a lifetime deciding what party they support. Of course, there are a noble few who learn about the middle of the road, the candidates, the policies and perceptions.

But for most, pulling the lever for their party is their civic duty and their civic right. To take that away from them would be wrong. It may be relevant to note I am a lawyer who ran for judge in the Democratic primary this year but voted for many of the Republican judges who lost.

Jonathan C.C. Day, Houston
Folks in Foggy Bottom no doubt had heart palpitations when President-elect Donald Trump announced last week that he selected Rex Tillerson,the CEO of ExxonMobil, to serve as Secretary of State. No fan of big oil companies, and ExxonMobil in particular, the diplomatic corps' poor relations reflected the views of President Barack Obama, whose priorities often were at odds with Chairman Rex Tillerson.

Government officials in Washington criticized the Irving-based company for focusing too strongly on oil and gas production instead of renewable energy, maintaining effective relations with Moscow, taking contrary views on climate change, and offending Baghdad by investing in oil opportunities in Kurdistan, after establishing the major interest in the super-giant West Qurna-1 oil field near Basrah.

In most countries, diplomacy and business work together hand-in-glove. British and Canadian cases are exemplars for this symbiotic relationship; they do this so well that it is virtually seamless. But this is not the case for Americans, who periodically hold to values that are antithetical to the promotion of business around the world. Sometimes social values displace political economy imperatives in diplomacy, which often confounds our allies and amuses others.

Thankfully, this strange situation will come to an end when businessman Donald Trump ascends to the White House in January 2017. The State Department transition will be difficult and painful, but it will be rapid and lasting because international business promotion is in the national interest, along with a new political-diplomatic-military strategy for foreign policy that enhances domestic and international security. Promoting social values will not disappear, but business and security will take higher priority.

I arrived at the U.S. Consulate General offices in Basrah in September 2012 to serve as the Senior Oil & Gas Adviser. My diplomatic colleagues had good relations with Shell, BP and other European-based petroleum companies. On the other hand, we had terrible relations with ExxonMobil, and the feeling was mutual. Because I had friendships with ExxonMobil dating back to the early 1980s, it became my mission to assess, repair and promote our relations with this iconic American and global brand which set the standard for other oil companies to follow in Iraq on management, ethics and community relations.

I found that many in ExxonMobil saw the State Department as a business obstacle instead of a business advocate. Someone pointedly asked me what State had done to help them with the many challenges they had in trying to do business with the South Oil Company (Basrah) and the Ministry of Oil (Baghdad). Despite the enduring animus between Irving and Washington, I found there were plenty of things that my colleagues and I could do to help this major petroleum company do business in the challenging Iraqi environment.

After a few meetings, tensions subsided and we developed a rapport, which led to real progress in helping ExxonMobil succeed. From improved payment schedules to a candid conference on Iraq's failure to make progress with the Combined Seawater Supply Project (to enhance water supplies to better exploit oil fields), we strengthened the relationship between diplomacy and business. It was long overdue.

With Trump's selection of Tillerson to serve as Secretary of State, Rex has gained a measure of revenge for the poor treatment that he and his company often endured under President Obama and through his diplomatic corps. The incoming president strongly believes that the U.S. government has an important responsibility to advocate for American business around the world, and ExxonMobil is a key business leader. That mandate will be in effect with this choice for Secretary of State, and is further reinforced with nominations of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to serve as EPA Administrator and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to head the Department of Energy.

Moreover, Trump wisely understands that all forms of energy are important to his plan to benefit consumers and business. Likewise, on the international stage, having an effective relationship with a global powerhouse like ExxonMobil will only enhance U.S. diplomacy and bolster American economic power, thus strengthening military power to preserve the peace. Who knows, diplomats might actually find this to be enjoyable and worthwhile.

After a 30-year military career, Nunez served as a senior adviser in Iraq between 2007 and 2013, most of it with the U.S. Department of State.
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In late October, amidst a flurry of economic updates, Finance Minister Bill Morneau stated that Canadians should get used to job churn. Job churn refers to sequential short-term employment engagements and multiple career changes in a workers professional life. As mentioned in the white paper Do it yourself career resilience: A guide for employers, job cycles are now shorter than theyve ever been before. Positions persist for between five and seven years with the same context and skillsand thanks to rapid technological advancement, that time period is likely to shrink even further. Furthermore, the gig economya job market where free agents such as freelancers and independent contractors work defined-term jobs for multiple employersis playing an increasingly larger role in our economy. In fact, Statistics Canada states that the number of term or contract jobs has risen from 870,100 in 2005 to 1,074,700 in 2015an increase of 23.5 percent in just one decade. Canadian professional/technical workers are confident about their skills and employability Kelly Services regularly conducts the Kelly Global Workforce Index; a proprietary survey that collects feedback regarding work preferences and attitudes from workers across the globe. Statistics from the 2015 survey that involved 164,000 workers across 28 countriesincluding 10,352 Canadian employeesindicate that th...
A privilege and an honor to stand for Elana but one of the most profoundly heartbroken moments of my life. RIP Elana. May your parents and children find comfort and peace in the days ahead. #mother #physician #advocate #runner #motherrunner #colleague #meds2003 #drelanafric #sayhername #endviolenceagainstwomen

A photo posted by @thisdocruns on Dec 17, 2016 at 4:55pm PST
These days, "Saturday Night Live" episodes basically write themselves.

The show came back this week with Alec Baldwin's portrayal of president-elect Donald Trump. This time he was joined by Vladimir Putin, played by Beck Bennett, who arrived shirtless through the chimney.

"I was just in town, you know, hiding in the walls," Putin says. Trump assures him that he doesn't believe the "lies" going around that Russia interfered in the presidential election.

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"So, you trust me more than American CIA?" Putin responds. "This guy is blowing my mind."

Later in the sketch, John Goodman shows up to play Trump's pick for Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson.

He and Putin pull out a map to discuss their plans for oil production  playing up Tillerson's longtime ties to Russia. Exxon Mobil, the company Tillerson has led since 2006, has billions of dollars in oil deals that depend on the U.S. lifting its sanctions against Russia. He was also awarded Putin's Order of Friendship in 2013.

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On International Migrants Day, it is important to consider the tens of thousands of children and young people living in the UK who are undocumented; that is living in the UK without the paperwork to show that they are citizens or legal residents.

The best estimate we have is that there are 120,000 undocumented children and young people living in the UK, of whom at least a third were born here. This estimate was made in 2012, and academics have made attempts since then to update it. However the febrile post-referendum climate in the UK is, most likely, making it significantly harder for individuals to come forward and talk about living without status.

Many undocumented children are brought into the UK by a parent or guardian. Some come lawfully when they are very young with a parent or other relative and grow up here, unwittingly staying beyond the period when their visas or leave were valid. In some cases, family relationships may break down, leaving children abandoned and left to be taken into the care system. Other children are born in the UK to parents with irregular status, while others claim asylum or are victims of trafficking but do not receive the protection they need.

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Undocumented children and young people are incredibly vulnerable. The government's 'hostile environment' agenda has real and concrete repercussions as fear of being discovered often prevents engagement with agencies and services such as health and education they so desperately need. In many cases they and their families end up facing extreme poverty as working without permission could lead to loss of earnings, savings and a criminal conviction.

Silence breeds desperation, and desperate people are at higher risk of falling prey to unscrupulous landlords renting cramped and dilapidated properties to those without documentation, safe in the knowledge that their tenants are afraid.

As well as fears and uncertainties, young people face concrete barriers to regularisation. It takes ten years before an undocumented young person can apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. Over that decade many applications will have to be made, costing a total 7119 in application fees alone. This assumes that each application is successful, and that the young applicant is never pushed into a situation of having to appeal a decision because a Home Office decision-maker got it wrong. There is no legal aid to help put together these applications, so young people are faced with the choice of completing their own application form, when an error might mean becoming undocumented again.

There is a fee waiver for those who would be made destitute if they had to pay the fee, but this is only granted for those in extremely difficult financial circumstances. Only sixteen per cent of applications are granted. Those that fall within the other 84 per cent risk having the application returned as invalid and not processed. If an application is returned, this means that the decision-making branch of government may act as if it were never made in the first place. The applicant in question will thus have broken the continuity of the ten year journey to settlement, and will be forced to begin again at year zero.

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The time-limited nature, costs and constantly changing rules of trying to acquire a legal settled status mean that whole families can lose their status when it comes to renewal. Many young people who we advise at Coram Children's Legal Centre's Migrant Children's Project have lived in the UK for most of their lives. They have friends, family and homes here and can't imagine life in another place. For some, it is only when they apply to go to university, and face fees as if they were international students, or when they are unable to go on a school trip because they don't have a passport or visa, that the reality of their undocumented status hits home.

Children who are in the UK but separated from their parents fare no better. Through fierce budget cuts and a dearth of understanding of immigration-related issues, those who are cared for by the local authority will not necessarily receive the advice and support that they need in order to regularise.

As we head towards negotiations on leaving the European Union, we have no guarantees about the fate of the European citizens who are already living in the UK. Some of these cases will be straightforward, but many of them will not be. We should be very wary of any settlement that risks pushing more people into undocumented life in the UK, or which creates routes which are so expensive and difficult to access that they are inaccessible to children and young people.
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In 2016 the political landscape has changed around us. A resurgence of conservatism resulting from changes within the Conservative Party leadership following the EU referendum has been followed by Donald Trump's victory in the US Presidential election and the possibility of populist parties and personalities winning elections in Europe next year.

In Britain, much of the left has put its heart and soul (and hundreds of thousands of activist hours) into keeping a left-wing leader at the top of the Labour Party. They seem to have spent more time doing that than getting stuck into the ruling class, although I suspect they think this is exactly what they've been doing.

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I've seen all the immediate analysis from Brexit and the Trump victory and it's not surprising that much of it is poor and ill thought out. This changing landscape may be something we don't fully understand for years and I don't think anyone has got the definitive vision yet (and you shouldn't expect to see it here either). However, at the end of the 2016 it's time we took stock and prepare for whatever will come next. This is my contribution to that process.

Neoliberalism appears to be facing its most important challenge, and it's not us. Since 2008, when the financial crisis we're all still witnessing started, socialists of all types have been winning the arguments on austerity, being both anti-Establishment and anti-elite. But the right has won power. Think for a moment about how this anti-Establishment feeling has manifested around the world since it started: the Arab Spring, Occupy, Brexit, Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, Momentum and Corbyn. We have seen a global public response that has encompassed revolutions, student debt protesters and changes to parties of both the left and the right. The response to a disaster within global capitalism hasn't been one simple global revolution. Instead people have responded in ways that reject a simple left/right ideological perspective. When things settle at home and abroad there will be a new alignment, a new politics which may well conform to a clearer ideological split.

In many ways this could look like the old politics but with new people, aligned to different causes. The political battle for the last 30 years has always been about conservatism and liberalism. Whether Thatcher, Major, Blair or Brown it was some form of liberalism in the ascendancy. Alongside brutal economics we got identity politics and a shallow pitch on individual and minority rights, particularly in the final few years.

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The Conservative Party has for many decades been a fine balance between liberal and old Tory values with the former gradually taking prominence, until this year. The Tories are now pragmatically shifting their focus to a perceived conservative element of the working class they think they can get votes from.

The Labour Party has for decades been a mixture of social democratic and liberal values with liberals in the ascendancy. They, however, are currently attempting a strange experiment. It's a Marxist wet dream where they get to model a social movement in an Occupy mould, but from the top down and within a political party. For decades they've watched anarchists and wondered how they could steal what they thought were our best bits -- lots of young people in groups practicing direct democracy.

For socialists there has been no real parliamentary voice for decades. With its champions defeated in the 1980s at home and abroad, anarchists have led the way for socialism. We were the banner bearers. Throughout the years of globalisation it was our umbrella of groups which resisted the excesses of the free market, with trade unionists, Marxists and social democrats tagging along and marvelling at the decentralised approach.

Now neoliberalism and globalisation appears to be in retreat. Trump has already vowed to pull the US out of multinational trade deals. Brexit could see Britain out of the single market. Suddenly governments are thinking about protecting certain industries and jobs for the good of the nation. Suddenly nationalism and not globalisation is sound economics. Suddenly we are bracing ourselves for the oncoming new style of capitalism in which exploitation will continue unabated whilst the gains made for minorities could be offset or eroded. It will be the worst of both worlds.

This new politics and economics is in no way set in stone though. The political landscape is realigning. How politics works right now might not be how it works by 2020 or 2030. If Corbyn's Labour can convince people that it is worth voting for then in Parliamentary terms this resurgent conservatism has a fight on its hands. That doesn't seem likely though. The recent Richmond by election victory for the Lib Dems shows that the Brexit split can make a very real difference to British politics. It isn't inconceivable to see the British public split along the lines of the referendum for years to come, with the Conservatives and UKIP on one side and the Lib Dems, Greens and SNP on the other. Note that as things stand there isn't any real role for the Labour Party in this scenario. If the country remains split and they want votes they have to come down on one side or the other or else hope they can heal the split singlehandedly and with policies that satisfy both camps to a certain extent.

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Labour and indeed labourism (the link between socialism, trade unions and a party for working people) could well die in Britain over the next few years as Labour voters move to the Conservatives, UKIP, the Lib Dems and the Greens. The SNP appears to have already taken their votes in Scotland. The main political battle is, as it was, between conservatism and liberalism. Socialism in parliamentary terms appears dead, despite Corbyn.

So we are undoubtedly witnessing the end of one era and the start of something new. If the scenario that the Labour Party is dying is correct then we need to give some thought to how we develop our alternative. The people who have joined the Labour Party and its faction, Momentum, may stay and fight it out or they might start drifting away from mainstream politics again. Anarchism should offer a political home to as wide an array of people as possible. That is our challenge. We have to be able to show that we have the answers to the problems of the majority. Anarchism is in this sense both an end result and a living process.

The end of capitalism and the State is a tough thing to explain to people who see no possible alternative to either. People often get bogged down in visualising that end result. How would an anarchist system work in practice? But the process is more accessible and one in which we can gather the politically dispossessed around us.

The process starts with a simple question: how can we speak truth to power? It is in answering this question that we will find our pathway through the changing political landscape. We may carry on doing the same things we've always done. It might be direct action, striking, anti-fascist action, green campaigning, animal rights etc. It might still involve a class analysis alongside identity campaigns. It might even involve the occasional petition signing (I bet you do). Some of the tactics we use will always be effective, others will depend on circumstance. The exciting position we are now in is to find the tactics that work the best. The objective is to speak truth to power and in doing so to disrupt their harmful practices. Along the way we will find new comrades and they will inspire and reignite our anarchist community. Together we can challenge capitalism and the State. Together we can shake things up and hopefully shape the political landscape for ourselves.

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It is only the landscape, the terrain, that has changed. The war remains the same.
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During the Christmas and New Year period, many people choose to take regular breaks from the indulgences of food and drink popular at this time of year. Similarly, I'm hoping to cut back on another great addiction of our time: technology and the internet.

Like much of the UK, I rely on the internet to enable both my business and personal lives. It's made me wonder: how long I can get by without my phone or tablet? I usually have them nearby during most waking hours. Am I one of the 49 percent of Brits who can't cope without a smartphone for more than a day? Sadly, the answer is probably yes.

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I expect to find a digital detox tricky, as I am in the sweet spot for technology making my life more convenient and connected, with few downsides. Yet a survey of over 1,500 UK adults has highlighted how there are two extremes to internet usage, both of which can lead to social isolation.

For men aged 25-34, the reliance on social media and apps has left 43% seeing friends in person much less often as they would like. At the other end of the spectrum, the ONS reports that 11% of UK households don't have any internet access, meaning they are left without any of the advantages it can bring. This figure rises to 47% among single pensioners.

The isolation technology can create is damaging not only to those individuals directly affected, but also to our society as a whole. We miss out on their experiences and knowledge. For example, what if schools lists of approved retired people who children could Skype when they need help with their homework?

Before she passed away, my Grandmother used the internet to check her bridge club schedule and kept in touch with friends and family across the world over email. All it took was one of her younger relatives to demystify the technology around the internet. Christmas time, when generations come together, would be the perfect time for this exchange of skills.

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There's also an opportunity for businesses to help. Programmes like Barclay's Digital Eagles help get people of all ages online and comfortable not just with banking services but also applications like video calls and email that reduce social isolation and improve well-being. For the bank, it helps move more of their customer base online, allowing them to reduce costs in high-street branches and invest elsewhere.

As well as being able to get online, people need to feel like they are safe and that their privacy is protected when using the internet. Consumers' lack of trust in online privacy was evident in the results of the Oliver Wyman research, with 57 percent of internet users worried about sharing personal information online. Perhaps this is fuelled by the introduction of the Snoopers' Charter and that in October 2016 The Telegraph reported that, in response to hacking concerns, UK government ministers are barred from wearing SmartWatches during Cabinet meetings.

In response, companies of all kinds not only need to prioritise cyber security, but also be vocal about what consumer data they collect, why, and how that information is protected. Transparency and honesty will help reduce consumer distrust.

At home, it will be important to explain to family members who are new internet users about when providing credit card numbers and other personal information is necessary, when it isn't, and how banks and retailers protect customers' personal information.
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Syria's second city, Aleppo, has 'fallen' to Syrian government forces, backed on the ground by a motley bunch of fighters from friendly neighbours and from the air by warplanes from a powerful ally.

Meanwhile, Iraq's second city, Mosul, is in the process of being 'liberated' by government forces, backed on the ground by fighters from friendly neighbours and from the air by warplanes from a powerful ally.

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Or should that be the other way round? Has Aleppo been 'liberated', and is Mosul about to 'fall'? Funny things, words. So much depends on the eye of the beholder.

The warplanes dropping bombs on Aleppo were mainly Russian. The ones bombing Mosul are mainly American. Perhaps that's what makes the difference. The 'rebels' in Mosul are from the notoriously brutal Islamic State group; the ones in Aleppo were more difficult to label, but included several whose ideology and brutality are virtually indistinguishable from IS.

The lesson to be learnt from Syria, we are told, is that this appalling tragedy is the kind of thing that happens when foreign powers turn their backs on tyranny and refuse to intervene. The lesson to be learnt from Iraq, on the other hand -- and Libya, and Yemen, come to that -- is that chaos, violence and human suffering on an unimaginable scale are what follow when foreign powers intervene.

If only there were clear lessons to be learnt. If only life were simple. Perhaps the truth is that the world's major powers -- for the sake of argument, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: the US, Russia, China, France and Britain -- are still grappling with the new geo-political realities of the post-1989 world.

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Two of those powers, neither of them democracies, seem to have decided that they do understand this brave new world in which global Communism is no longer seen as a threat to the future of the Western way of life. Russia and China have watched and learnt as the US first brandished its big stick in Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, and then withdrew back into its tent, its big stick snapped into pieces.

While Russia has used its military muscle in Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria, China has been drawing new battle lines in the South China Sea. On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal reported that according to a US think-tank, China has just installed anti-aircraft weapons and other weaponry on all seven islands that it has built in the South China Sea.

If confirmed, it would seem to be a new, and potentially, dangerous raising of the stakes, just as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is rattling his sabre at Beijing. (Moscow, on the other hand, is being sent nothing but coochie-coochie messages.)

So this is where we are, as 2016 draws to a close. The UK has voted to withdraw from the European Union, ushering in several years of uncertainty and instability both here and there. The US has elected a president who has zero political experience, who is waging open war on the CIA because it says Russia directly intervened in last month's presidential election to help him win office, and who says he doesn't need to read intelligence briefings because he's smart enough to manage without them.

Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has spotted the disarray among his traditional foes (let's face it, he would have to have been totally myopic to have missed it), and Xi Jinping of China has realised that no one outside the Asia Pacific region seems to care too much about his steady expansion into waters well outside Chinese sovereignty.

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Second rank powers like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran are running amok in the Middle East, carving out zones of influence and arming sundry proxy militias, just as the US did in central America in the 1970s. Far from having learned nothing, they have learned too well.

I have been hunting frantically for a silver lining, and I think I have found one, albeit one that is tissue-thin. The new secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, is a man of real substance with an impressive track record. He takes office on 1 January, and bears a giant responsibility at a time when the bad guys seem to be winning.
Standing over the stove in the humid kitchen, peeling vegetables for her family's lunch while her young daughter tugged at her jeans, Kayla told me that she wished she never met him. She was referring to her live-in partner, the father of her child who is still technically married to another woman, whom she first met when she was 15 and he 28. Now at 19, Kayla lives with him and her in-laws in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. She goes to school one day a week, on Saturdays, bringing her daughter Angela, while she works towards her high school diploma. She wants to be a pharmacist or journalist one day. Her more immediate ambition is to get a job, leave him, and start a new life with her daughter.

We just met that day, but soon Kayla and I are talking about sex, whispering as her mother-in-law walks by the kitchen. Before getting pregnant with Angela, Kayla and her boyfriend didn't use contraceptives, but she would pick up morning-after pills regularly. They were easy to get at the pharmacy and didn't require the shame-inducing encounter with a healthcare provider she would face if she went to the public family planning clinic for contraception. She had been pregnant once before at age 14, but was able to keep it a secret from her family - her teacher gave her Misoprostol, an abortion-inducing medication, which she took alone at home. Although it made her bleed and was painful, she didn't go to the doctor because she knew it was illegal for her to have an abortion, and she was worried her parents would find out. She now tries to use condoms, but her boyfriend - who has three other children with three other women - doesn't like them. Kayla had no sex education at home or in school when she first got pregnant. Her daughter is not yet three years old, but when the time comes Kayla plans to have open communication about sex and is determined to provide Angela with the knowledge she needs to make informed choices.

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About one in four teen girls in Nicaragua have gotten pregnant or have given birth, in part, because they lack access to sexual and reproductive services, information, and products. Unintended teen pregnancy not only prevents girls like Kayla from finishing school and earning a living, it also puts them and their babies at risk of complications from pregnancy and childbirth. In fact, complications from pregnancy and childbirth is a leading cause of death for girls 15-19 years old in Nicaragua. In 2010, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), 20 percent of all maternal deaths in Nicaragua were among adolescents. With abortion outlawed - even if the woman's life is in danger - and sex education forbidden in public schools, it's unrealistic to think the government would address this public health crisis on its own. That's why the private healthcare sector, nonprofit advocacy groups, and young women themselves are leading the way toward a future where girls have the power to make informed, healthy decisions for themselves and their families.

One leader in this movement is PASMO, the PSI affiliate in Central America that has been active in Nicaragua since 1998. PASMO is now the leading supplier of family planning methods in Nicaragua and holds an impressive 89% share of the condom market. Led by Dr. Guadalupe Canales, PASMO also manages a network of health clinics across Nicaragua through its social franchise called Red Segura. One such clinic is housed at the National University of Managua (UNAM), offering students and other young people in the area comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and counseling. I had the opportunity to visit the clinic, where 26-year-old Dr. Ericka Arroliga leads group classes and private counseling sessions. After giving a lesson on IUDs to a group of pre-med students, Ericka reflected that many teenagers feel ashamed that they don't have a complete sex education. Since they don't learn about sex at home or in school, they gather what they can from their equally misinformed peers. She noted that most girls who are sexually active take the morning-after pill instead of using a regular contraceptive method, despite the high cost and health consequences of repeated use. It is easy to get over the counter or on the street, hidden from parents and teachers, and seen by boys as the best way to ensure they don't have to wear a condom. Through her work at the clinic and in the community, Ericka hopes to create a friendly environment for young people to learn about sex, ask questions, understand their options, and help inform their peers as well.

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There are thousands of young women like Ericka and Kayla who are committed to ensuring that their peers and future generations of girls have access to the information, resources, and services they need to make healthy decisions. Women and girls need to be at the center of any decision about their bodies, families, and future, but too often they are left out of the discussion. Organizations like PASMO recognize that young women, including young mothers, know their challenges best and are vital to creating solutions that last. We need to scale this type of thinking across the healthcare sector. Young women know what they need and what they want - when they have the power to make those decisions, the whole world thrives.
Co-authored with Jonathan D. Greenberg, Scholar in Residence at The Daniel Gould Center of Conflict Resolution at Stanford Law School.

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1.Ten weeks ago, in early October, as war crimes and mass atrocities against civilians in Aleppo intensified, humanitarian organizations and individuals of conscience called out in warning.

A global coalition of 223 civil society organizations, including Amnesty International, Care International, Human Rights Watch, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Physicians for Human Rights, Save the Children, and the Syrian Relief Network issued a joint statement:

"The UN Security Council has failed Syrians. In almost six years of conflict, close to half a million people have been killed and eleven million have been forced to leave their homes. Most recently, the Syrian and Russian governments and their allies have carried out unlawful attacks on eastern Aleppo with scant regard for some 250,000 civilians trapped there. Armed opposition groups have also fired mortars and other projectiles into civilian neighbourhoods of western Aleppo, though according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 'indiscriminate airstrikes across the eastern part of the city by Government forces and their allies are responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties.' Efforts to stop these atrocities and hold those responsible to account have been blocked repeatedly by Russia, which continues to misuse its veto power in the Security Council."

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The organizations "urgently call upon UN member states to step in and request an Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly to demand an end to all unlawful attacks in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria, and immediate and unhindered humanitarian access so that life-saving aid can reach all those in need." https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/01/uniting-peace-syria-global-civil-society-appeal-un-member-states

Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, warned that "the whole of eastern Aleppo could be destroyed by Christmas if the 'cruel, constant' Russian-backed bombing continues." The scale of human tragedy in the besieged areas of Aleppo was already overwhelming, and it could become much worse. He called on the world to avert "another Srebrenica, another Rwanda." https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/06/aleppo-could-be-destroyed-by-christmas-warns-un-envoy-for-syria Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned the slaughter, and demanded accountability from its perpetrators.

He said that "crimes of historic proportions" were committed, and that ""Indiscriminate airstrikes across the eastern part of the city by government forces and their allies are responsible for the overwhelming majority of civilian casualties." http://www.npr.org/2016/12/17/505893462/they-said-never-again Specifically, Zeid called for Russia and Syria to be charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the bombardment of civilians in Aleppo. A referral to the International Criminal Court, he said, "would be more than justified given the rampant and deeply shocking impunity that has characterized the conflict and the magnitude of the crimes that have been committed..."

As reported by Reuters, "Zeid said Syria's government and its allies attacked targets protected by international law, including medical units, aid workers and water-pumping stations. He said that dropping indiscriminate incendiary weapons in heavily populated areas was particularly concerning, as well as being banned by a treaty that Russia is bound by. He compared Aleppo to the World War Two battles of Warsaw and Stalingrad and the attack on Dresden, and said calling the enemy a 'terrorist organization' was not an excuse to ignore the laws of war." http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-zeid-idUSKCN1240RU

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Religious figures also spoke out, including the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. "What is being done is evil both in the strict theological sense and in the general sense. It is demonic. It's the absolute contempt for the human spirit. For the dignity of the human being. It's the brushing aside of the poor and the weak and the fragile in a way that is as bad as anything we've seen in the last century. It compares with some of the great atrocities of the last century. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/violence-aleppo-demonic-archbishop-of-canterbury-syria-rome-justin-welby-a7349606.html

Dr. Ahmad Tarakji, President of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said, "It is important to face down the worst of humanity, look it straight in the eyes and refuse to blink. But we are closing our eyes to what is happening in Aleppo. If we are to not act now in the face of such depravity and disregard for basic norms - when will we ever?" https://www.savethechildren.net/article/un-general-assembly-must-urgently-unite-peace-syria-humanitarian-catastrophe-unfolds-aleppo

British MP Andrew Mitchell spoke out, on the floor of the House of Commons: "What Russia is doing to the United Nations is precisely what Italy and Germany did to the League of Nations in the 1930s. And they are doing to Aleppo precisely what the Nazis did to Guernica in the Spanish civil war." https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2016/oct/12/picasso-guernica-aleppo-syria

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry put it simply: "The Assad regime is actually carrying out nothing short of a massacre." http://www.npr.org/2016/12/17/505893462/they-said-never-again

2.Clarifying the analogies:

Human beings use historical analogies to help us understand that world-historical events are taking place in the present moment; to help us comprehend the significance and meaning of these events in a deeper context; to help us assess more accurately their moral gravity; and to help us find the correct political and ethical response.

There are three sets of analogies here. It is important to differentiate them, and reflect on each.

The first set refers to aggression by Italy and Germany in the 1930s - including the 1935 Italian invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia), Hitler's 1936 military occupation of the Rhineland in 1936, the German and Italian intervention to support Franco against the republicans in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), and Hitler's occupation of the Czech Sudetenland in 1938 and the entire nation of Czechoslovakia the following year -- and the failure of the League of Nations to take action to prevent these illegal and grave violations of international peace and stability, or to punish Italy and Germany after those violations occurred. Blame for this failure can be assigned to the League's member states, especially Britain and France and its leaders, whose cowardice in the face of criminal aggression was clothed in the rhetoric of "non-intervention." But the greatest blame for this failure must be assigned to the United States. This is because the U.S. Senate, under the control of an "anti-globalist" Republican party, refused even to join the League, thus ensuring its fatal weakness.

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The second set of historical analogies - Guernica, Warsaw, Stalingrad, Dresden - refers to the indiscriminate aerial bombardment of civilian populations in urban areas, an atrocity and crime of war. Dresden is included in this list, as it should be. We must not forget that the United States and the U.K. perpetrated mass murder from the air during World War II no less than the Axis powers, culminating in the fire-bombing of Tokyo and the use of nuclear weapons on civilian populations in Japanese cities. Each military force conducted indiscriminate bombing of enemy civilians, a category of war crime that was deliberately left out of the Nuremberg charter to ensure that no decision-maker, neither from Nazi Germany nor from any Allied power, would be held accountable.

Nevertheless, we remember.

We remember Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We remember that the U.S. dropped a far greater tonnage of explosives in Indochina from 1964 to 1973 than during all of World War II, including over 2 million tons of ordnance over Laos in 580,000 bombing missions -- the equivalent of one planeload every 8 minutes, 24 hours a day, for 9 years - and least 270 million cluster bomblets, killing 50,000 Laotians since 1964 (and 20,000 since 1973, after the war ended). http://legaciesofwar.org/resources/cluster-bomb-fact-sheet/

We remember the 1937 bombing Guernica because one individual, Pablo Picasso, indelibly portrayed the abject criminality of the German Luftwaffe and the Italian fascist Aviazione Legionaria in human terms. Poland can never forget the 1939 and 1944 bombing raids by the Luftwaffe on Warsaw, leveling the city and killing many thousands of its inhabitants. Hundreds of bombing sorties by the Luftwaffe over Stalingrad, combined with relentless attacks by Nazi troops in the city's streets, killed more than a million Russians there. Annihilation of civilian populations was not a collateral effect of Hitler's policy. Annihilation was Hitler's policy.

In January 2016, in a press conference in which he stood next to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced Russian policy in Syria: "to fight them until their complete annihilation." https://www.rt.com/news/329591-syria-isis-lavrov-kerry/ Mr. Lavrov was referring specifically to ISIS and the Nusra Front. But the Russians were less nuanced and deceptive in subsequent months, as they prepared for the final onslaught on Aleppo's civilian neighborhoods. As described in an October 26 statement to the United Nations Security Council by Stephen O'Brien, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs:

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"The leaflets which have been dropped on eastern Aleppo by Syrian and Russian aircrafts operating in that area make the intention chillingly clear. They read 'This is your last hope.... Save yourselves. If you do not leave these areas urgently, you will be annihilated' and they end by saying 'You know that everyone has given up on you. They left you alone to face your doom and nobody will give you any help'. And it is clear that the aircraft which drop the bombs, the generals who give the orders and the politicians who have designed the strategy intend to make good on that horrific promise."

As indeed they have done.

The third set of analogies includes Srebrenica and Rwanda. In these places mass murder was committed in cold blood. Executions were carried out by bullets to the head in the first case, and machetes in the second, while the international community watched and did nothing. According to the UN Human Rights Office, civilians in Aleppo were killed in summary executions as Syrian and Russian soldiers and mercenaries went house to house in the final phase of Assad's offensive against the besieged city. How many Russians took part in these executions? We don't know the answer. According to a Wall Street Journal news report published on December 16 ("Russian Special Forces Seen as Key to Aleppo Victory") reports: "On Sunday, the weekly state news program Vesti Nedeli offered a rare glimpse of Russians in combat, airing footage of Russian special operators in Syria. "Russian special forces have been in Aleppo for a number of weeks, where they've taken on a combat role," said Ruslan Pukhov, the head of Moscow-based defense think tank CAST." http://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-special-forces-seen-as-key-to-aleppo-victory-1481884200 In addition to the men, women and children killed by Russian bombs, how many civilians were slaughtered by Syrian and Russian militias? We don't know the answer to this question either.

A week ago, UN published evidence of at least 82 victims, but the killings have continued and perhaps escalated over in the subsequent days. http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=21024&LangID=E#sthash.KMWaL70K.dpuf Whatever the number, these people were executed in cold blood.

Yesterday the UN envoy to Syria estimated that 50,000 men, women and children remain in eastern Aleppo. David Milliband, President of the International Rescue Committee, warned that these civilians face "sheer terror. And that is the only way to describe this because people are fleeing from appalling bombardment, and house-to-house murder that's being documented by the UN, and they don't know if it's going to follow them from Aleppo to Idlib [the Syrian city to which refugees from Aleppo are fleeing]."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/aleppo-syria-civilians-massacre-assad-david-miliband-a7481241.html

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In retrospect, UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura was correct in his assessment ten weeks ago: the annihilation of Aleppo was accomplished before Christmas. The UN Human Rights Commissioner's call for a referral to the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity has gone unheeded - because Russia has a veto power over any such referral. For the same reason the Security Council has been neutered. The Russians have been proven correct: civilians trapped in Aleppo were annihilated, as promised, and their assessment of the world's response was also vindicated. Everyone gave up on them, leaving them alone to face their doom, "and nobody will give you any help." Three days ago Syrian President Assad appeared on state television to celebrate the "liberation" of Aleppo. "Driving the last 'terrorists' out was 'history in the making', and 'greater than the word 'congratulations', he said." http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/aleppo-conflict-assad-ceasefire-syria-civil-war-a7477491.html

Will we remember the Aleppo as we remember Guernica? Thus far we don't have a 21st century Picasso to capture the victims' agony in a way that captures the world's moral imagination with comparable force. The brushing aside of the poor and the weak and the fragile continues unabated, in Syria and throughout the world. Millions of Syrian refugees and internally displaced men, women and children have been abandoned.

The U.S. President-elect has promised to prevent any of them from finding refuge in our country, no matter what our obligations under international law. In a recent interview on Russian media, in the wake of Aleppo's destruction, Syrian President Bashir Assad said that Donald Trump will be a "naturally ally" of his regime, and Putin's - presuming that he acts according to pronouncements he made during the campaign.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-bashar-al-assad-donald-trump-russias-natural-ally-putin-a7474786.html

According to analysis in the November 15, 2016 Washington Post: "Assad's government is exulting over Trump's election because of his pledges to join forces with Russia against the Islamic State and Syrian rebels, according to Bassam Abu Abdullah, a professor at Damascus University who supports Assad. The expectation in Damascus now is that Washington will sever support for Syrian rebels, join in bombing them alongside Russia and perhaps restore diplomatic relations with Assad, he said."

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We pray that President Assad and Professor Bassam Abu Abdullah are incorrect in their predictions.

3.The silence of the good people: the "wintertime soldiers of conscience".

Of course we will never forget the famous "I Have a Dream" speech delivered by Martin Luther King, Jr. in front of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. But it is the speech delivered just before King's speech that haunts us most powerfully to this day. It was given by Rabbi Joachim Prinz, and this is the paragraph we remember most:

"When I was the rabbi of the Jewish community in Berlin under the Hitler regime, I learned many things. The most important thing that I learned under those tragic circumstances was that bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence. A great people which had created a great civilization had become a nation of silent onlookers. They remained silent in the face of hate, in the face of brutality and in the face of mass murder. America must not become a nation of onlookers. America must not remain silent." http://www.joachimprinz.com/civilrights.htm

Rabbi Prinz was speaking directly about the persistence of Jim Crow segregation throughout the former Confederate states. But his warning has a far deeper resonance.

His call to conscience demands that we remember Dresden as we remember Guernica. We must remember Srebrenica, and we must also remember instances when U.S. forces perpetrated mass murder against foreign civilians. On April 23, 1971, three years after Rabbi Prinz's plea at the March on Washington, a young Vietnam veteran could no longer remain silent about what he had witnessed and experienced during his service overseas. In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he spoke out in protest against the moral atrocities perpetrated against civilians in that war, and against silence of good Americans in the face of war crimes committed in their name. The name of the veteran was John Kerry. Here is an excerpt from his testimony on that day:

"I would like to talk on behalf of all those veterans and say that several months ago in Detroit we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged, and many very highly decorated, veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia. These were not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command. It is impossible to describe to you exactly what did happen in Detroit - the emotions in the room and the feelings of the men who were reliving their experiences in Vietnam. They relived the absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do."

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"They told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country."

"We call this investigation the Winter Soldier Investigation. The term Winter Soldier is a play on words of Thomas Paine's in 1776 when he spoke of the Sunshine Patriots and summertime soldiers who deserted at Valley Forge because the going was rough."

"We who have come here to Washington have come here because we feel we have to be winter soldiers now. We could come back to this country, we could be quiet, we could hold our silence, we could not tell what went on in Vietnam, but we feel because of what threatens this country, not the reds, but the crimes which we are committing that threaten it, that we have to speak out...." http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/sixties/HTML_docs/Resources/Primary/Manifestos/VVAW_Kerry_Senate.htm

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The most terrible such crime was the massacre by U.S. troops of Vietnamese women and children in the hamlet of My Lai, South Vietnam. Calley was prosecuted, convicted and released before his sentence had been completed. But his superior officers were never held accountable for creating the environment in which Calley's actions were understood to be permissible.

4.Facing down evil

We were reminded of the My Lai massacre yesterday when we read the New York Times obituary of Larry Colburn, a Vietnam-era veteran and American hero who died earlier this past week. According to the Times, "Colburn, was the last surviving member of a three-man helicopter crew that was ordered to hover over My Lai on Saturday morning, March 16, 1968, to identify enemy positions by drawing Vietcong fire." But there was no enemy fire, because there were no Vietcong soldiers in the hamlet. Only women and children, shot in cold blood or being herded into an irrigation ditch to be executed there. Colburn and his colleagues watched from above as their fellow platoon members systematically murdered the villagers.

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In a 2010 PBS interview, Colburn described what happened next. Hugh Thompson, the helicopter pilot, notified his superiors. "[Thompson] got on the radio and just said, 'This isn't right, these are civilians, there's people killing civilians down here." But Thompson's superior officers didn't care. "And that's when he decided to intervene. He said, 'We've got to do something about this, are you with me?' And we said, 'Yes.'"

The Times obituary continues:

"Mr. Thompson confronted the officer in command of the rampaging platoon, Lt. William L. Calley, but was rebuffed. He then positioned the helicopter between the troops and the surviving villagers and faced off against another lieutenant. Mr. Thompson ordered Mr. Colburn to fire his M-60 machine gun at any soldiers who tried to inflict further harm.

"'Y'all cover me!" Mr. Thompson was quoted as saying. "If these bastards open up on me or these people, you open up on them. Promise me!'"

"'You got it boss,' Mr. Colburn replied. 'Consider it done.'"

"Mr. Thompson, Mr. Colburn and Glenn Andreotta, the copter's crew chief, found about 10 villagers cowering in a makeshift bomb shelter and coaxed them out, then had them flown to safety by two Huey gunships. They found an 8-year old boy clinging to his mother's corpse in an irrigation ditch and plucked him by the back of his shirt and delivered him to a nun in a nearby hospital.

"Crucially, they reported what they had witnessed to headquarters, which ordered a cease-fire. By then, as many as 500 villagers had been killed...

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"In 1998, thirty years after the massacre, Mr. Thompson and Mr. Colburn were awarded the Soldier's Medal, which is granted for life-saving bravery not involving direct contact with an enemy.

"'It is my solemn wish that we all never forget the tragedy and brutality of war,' Mr. Colburn said at the ceremony, held at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. 'I would like to quote Gen. Douglas MacArthur: 'The soldier, be he friend or foe, is charged with the protection of the weak and the unarmed. It is his very existence for being.'

"... The two men returned to My Lai that year, meeting some of the villagers they had rescued and dedicating an elementary school. On the flight home, Mr. Colburn recalled, he turned to Mr. Thompson and said, 'It was so good to see all those little kids smiling again, not having to worry about being blown up, not having to look over their shoulders all the time, just being able to be kids.'

"Mr. Thompson died of cancer in 2006 at 62.

Two years later, on the 40th anniversary of the massacre, Mr. Colburn returned to Vietnam and was reunited with Do Ba, who as a boy had been rescued by Mr. Colburn from an irrigation ditch."
TalentSmart has given emotional intelligence tests to more than a million people and found that the upper echelons of top performance are filled with people who are high in emotional intelligence (90% of top performers, to be exact). The hallmark of emotional intelligence is self-control--a skill that unleashes massive productivity by keeping you focused and on track.

Unfortunately, self-control is a difficult skill to rely on. Self-control is so fleeting for most people that when Martin Seligman and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania surveyed two million people and asked them to rank order their strengths in 24 different skills, self-control ended up in the very bottom slot.

And when your self-control leaves something to be desired, so does your productivity.

When it comes to self-control, it is so easy to focus on your failures that your successes tend to pale in comparison. And why shouldn't they? Self-control is an effort that's intended to help achieve a goal. Failing to control yourself is just that--a failure. If you're trying to avoid digging into that bag of chips after dinner because you want to lose a few pounds and you succeed Monday and Tuesday nights only to succumb to temptation on Wednesday by eating four servings' worth of the empty calories, your failure outweighs your success. You've taken two steps forward and four steps back.

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Since self-control is something we could all use a little help with, I went back to the data to uncover the kinds of things that people who are high in emotional intelligence rely on to keep themselves productive and in control. They consciously apply these behaviors because they know they work. Some are obvious, others counter-intuitive, but all will help you minimize those pesky failures to boost your productivity.



1. They focus on solutions. Where you focus your attention determines your emotional state. When you fixate on the problems that you're facing, you create and prolong negative emotions which hinder self-control. When you focus on the actions you'll take to better yourself and your circumstances, you create a sense of personal efficacy that produces positive emotions and improves performance. Emotionally intelligent people won't dwell on problems because they know they're most effective when they focus on solutions.

2. They eat. File this one in the counter-intuitive category, especially if you're having trouble controlling your eating. Your brain burns heavily into your stores of glucose when attempting to exert self-control. If your blood sugar is low, you are far more likely to succumb to destructive impulses. Sugary foods spike your sugar levels quickly and leave you drained and vulnerable to impulsive behavior shortly thereafter. Eating something that provides a slow burn for your body, such as whole grain rice or meat, will give you a longer window of self-control. So, if you're having trouble keeping yourself out of the company candy bin when you're hungry, make sure you eat something else if you want to have a fighting chance.

3. They forgive themselves. A vicious cycle of failing to control oneself followed by feeling intense self-hatred and disgust is common in attempts at self-control. These emotions typically lead to over-indulging in the offending behavior. When you slip up, it is critical that you forgive yourself and move on. Don't ignore how the mistake makes you feel; just don't wallow in it. Instead, shift your attention to what you're going to do to improve yourself in the future.

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Failure can erode your self-confidence and make it hard to believe you'll achieve a better outcome in the future. Most of the time, failure results from taking risks and trying to achieve something that isn't easy. Emotionally intelligent people know that success lies in their ability to rise in the face of failure, and they can't do this when they're living in the past. Anything worth achieving is going to require you to take some risks, and you can't allow failure to stop you from believing in your ability to succeed. When you live in the past, that is exactly what happens, and your past becomes your present, preventing you from moving forward.

4. They don't say yes unless they really want to. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco shows that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression, all of which erode self-control. Saying no is indeed a major self-control challenge for many people. "No" is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to wield. When it's time to say no, emotionally intelligent people avoid phrases like "I don't think I can" or "I'm not certain." Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them. Just remind yourself that saying no is an act of self-control now that will increase your future self-control by preventing the negative effects of over commitment.

5. They don't seek perfection. Emotionally intelligent people won't set perfection as their target because they know it doesn't exist. Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible. When perfection is your goal, you're always left with a nagging sense of failure that makes you want to give up or reduce your effort. You end up spending your time lamenting what you failed to accomplish and what you should have done differently instead of moving forward excited about what you've achieved and what you will accomplish in the future.

6. They stay positive. Positive thoughts help you exercise self-control by focusing your brain's attention onto the rewards you will receive for your effort. You have to give your wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus your attention. When things are going well, and your mood is good, self-control is relatively easy. When things are going poorly, and your mind is flooded with negative thoughts, self-control is a challenge. In these moments, think about your day and identify one positive thing that happened, or will happen, no matter how small. If you can't think of something from the current day, reflect on the past and look to the future. The point here is that you must have something positive that you're ready to shift your attention to when your thoughts turn negative, so that you don't lose focus.



7. They avoid asking "What if?" "What if?" statements throw fuel on the fire of stress and worry, which are detrimental to self-control. Things can go in a million different directions, and the more time you spend worrying about the possibilities, the less time you'll spend taking action and staying productive (staying productive also happens to calm you down and keep you focused). Productive people know that asking "what if? will only take them to a place they don't want--or need--to go. Of course, scenario planning is a necessary and effective strategic planning technique. The key distinction here is to recognize the difference between worry and strategic thinking.

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8. They sleep. I've beaten this one to death over the years and can't say enough about the importance of sleep to increasing your emotional intelligence and maintaining your focus and self-control. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges, shuffling through the day's memories and storing or discarding them (which causes dreams), so that you wake up alert and clear-headed. Your self-control, attention, and memory are all reduced when you don't get enough--or the right kind--of sleep. Sleep deprivation raises stress hormone levels on its own, even without a stressor present, which are a major productivity killer. Being busy often makes you feel as if you must sacrifice sleep to stay productive, but sleep deprivation diminishes your productivity so much throughout the day that you're better off sleeping.

When you're tired, your brain's ability to absorb glucose is greatly diminished. This makes it difficult to control the impulses that derail your focus. What's more, without enough sleep you are more likely to crave sugary snacks to compensate for low glucose levels. So, if you're trying to exert self-control over your eating, getting a good night's sleep--every night--is one of the best moves you can make.

9. They exercise. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. If you're having trouble resisting the impulse to walk over to the office next door to let somebody have it, just keep on walking. You should have the impulse under control by the time you get back.

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10. They meditate. Meditation actually trains your brain to become a self-control machine. Even simple techniques like mindfulness, which involves taking as little as five minutes a day to focus on nothing more than your breathing and your senses, improves your self-awareness and your brain's ability to resist destructive impulses. Buddhist monks appear calm and in control for a reason. Give it a try.

11. They ride the wave. Desire and distraction have the tendency to ebb and flow like the tide. When the impulse you need to control is strong, waiting out this wave of desire is usually enough to keep yourself in control. When you feel as if you must give in, the rule of thumb here is to wait at least 10 minutes before succumbing to temptation. You'll often find that the great wave of desire is now little more than a ripple that you have the power to step right over.

Bringing It All Together

The important thing to remember is you have to give these strategies the opportunity to work. This means recognizing the moments where you are struggling with self-control and, rather than giving in to impulse, taking a look at these strategies and giving them a go before you give in.
From the moment he began assembling his administration, president-elect Donald Trump has confirmed the worst fears of the 75 percent of the electorate who did not vote for him. He has eschewed a team of rivals in favor of prospective nominees who carry the stains of inexperience and insouciance regarding issues that matter most to millennials and minorities, who voted overwhelmingly against him, or the issues that matter to the majority of all voters who declared by a margin of over 2.8 million distinct ballots that Mr. Trump is not their president of choice. Americans have been asked to "give him a chance" but, if he didn't already squander that chance on the campaign trail itself, his actions since the election have certainly proven that his administration is a sure bet for disaster on numerous fronts.

With each successive pick, Mr. Trump has entrenched his inner circle of executive confidantes and cabinet nominations with radicals who are, at best, inexperienced and, at worst, white-supremacist ideologues. Within a week of the election, Mr. Trump appointed the architect of his divisive campaign, Stephen Bannon, formerly the executive chairman of the sensationalist media outlet Breitbart News, as his chief strategist. During Bannon's tenure at Breitbart, he helped fuel a hard-right nationalist movement with anti-immigrant and racist content, earning him the title of father of the "alt-right"--a sanitized appellation for white nationalism.

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Rather than looking to qualified, consensus picks, Mr. Trump has moved to staff a cabinet dominated by hard-liners, many of whom are of questionable competence and fitness to serve and who, collectively, are woefully less educated than previous administrations. For United States Attorney General, the chief law enforcer in the country, Mr. Trump has promised to nominate Senator Jeff Sessions from Alabama and fast-track his appointment. Sessions first rose to national prominence because his nomination to a federal judgeship was withdrawn amid evidence of extreme racial animus and bias. Sessions joined the Senate in 1997, where he continued to build his long record of standing in vehement opposition to civil rights and equality. Just this year, Sessions publicly praised a 1980s Trump ad that called for the execution of the Central Park Five--five African-American young men who were fully exonerated five years ago. These are teens who spent nearly two decades in jail for a crime they did not commit, yet, Sessions still believes in 2016 that calling for their execution in 1989 was praise-worthy. This is on top of his opposition to critical protections for Americans like voting rights, pay equity, and hate crime enhancements.

Jeff Sessions' nomination is as much a threat to our democracy and dog whistle to political extremists within our borders as the discussion of creating a Muslim registry based on the same legal precedent used during World War II to establish Japanese internment camps. Moreover, misrepresentations and omissions in his response last week to the questionnaire that the Senate requires of all nominees underscore that Mr. Sessions lacks sufficient hands-on legal experience, possesses an abysmal record on civil rights, and is unlikely to exercise and independence from the president-elect who enters the Oval Office mired in legal troubles and conflicts of interest.

Even the president-elect's nominees that add diversity to his cabinet are troubling. In naming Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley as ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Trump diversified his picks in gender and ethnicity, but not political and cultural outlook. The daughter of immigrants, Governor Haley garnered national attention when she spoke out belatedly, and somewhat reluctantly, against the Confederate flag in the aftermath of the 2015 massacre of the Emmanuel Nine in Charleston. Although she was a prominent critic of Mr. Trump early in his campaign, she has now agreed to serve his administration, and the positions she espoused as governor indicate she is far more ideologically in step with Mr. Trump than her earlier criticism indicates. She has voted against freedom of choice and for strict voter ID laws. Perhaps more important, however, is her stark lack of experience in foreign affairs, which leaves her highly susceptible to heavy-handed direction from the equally-inexperienced and uninformed president-elect.

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Mr. Trump's nomination for Secretary of Education is also alarming and consistent with the deepening trend of politically radical wealthy nominees, such as Wilbur Ross for Commerce Secretary, Steven Mnuchin for Treasury, and Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. Billionaire Betsy DeVos is a long-time conservative education activist whose arguable bone fides derive from her outsized philanthropy in support of school vouchers and against affirmative action. She founded and serves as chair of the American Federation of Children and has staunchly promoted voucher programs that siphon taxpayer dollars away from public education to fund enrollment in private and religious schools. This is fully consistent with Mr. Trump's avowal to do away with regulations ensuring education accountability, effectively retrenching the country's painstaking progress toward education equity in the sixty years since Brown v. Board of Education.

In contrast to other cabinet picks, Elaine Chao, whom Trump has named to lead the Department of Transportation, adds diversity as an immigrant from Taiwan and has significant agency experience. She served for eight years in the George W. Bush administration as labor secretary, and served as Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush. But during that time, she demonstrated that she is decidedly anti-union and anti-low wage workers. Allowing her to lead a potentially $3 billion infrastructure project does not bode well for the rights of the laborers needed to execute that mission.

Mr. Trump's proposed nomination of Dr. Ben Carson for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues this troubling trend. Dr. Carson possesses negligible experience in housing policy, as demonstrated by his remarks on the current administration's stricter rules targeting segregation in housing. Dr. Carson wrote that this new HUD rule was a "government-engineered attempt to legislate racial equality" and reflected a history of "failed social experiments." This sentiment reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the Fair Housing Act's explicit mandate to "affirmatively further" fair housing which, according to the rule, requires "taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation and foster which inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity based on protected characteristics." This mandate would become Dr. Carson's responsibility, as head of HUD, to enforce, and his record thus far suggests that he is lamentably inept to do so.

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In choice after choice, Mr. Trump has selected people at the fringes, and certainly far removed from the views and values of the roughly 66 million Americans who did not vote for him. If these picks are any indication of how he plans to fill the nearly 4000 remaining posts over which the executive has first dibs, we should be alarmed. Mr. Trump appears to be on an irreversible course to squander the chance we've been asked to give him. What we cannot do is also give his proposed cabinet and advisors a chance to destroy the fundamental principles of our democracy. For these reasons, we must call upon President-elect Trump to withdraw the names of his most offensive cabinet picks, including Jeff Sessions and Betsy DeVos, and to dismiss Steve Bannon. Should he fail to do so, we must call upon the Senate to vigorously interrogate each nominee about their ability to represent the best interests of the American populace and to deny confirmation unless that bar is fully met. This resistance is critically important in the context of a fraught presidency that faces unprecedented scrutiny domestically and abroad, and that lacks not only the backing of the popular vote, but also a discernible vote of confidence from his own party.
The nation's crisis in pain treatment and need to reduce opioid dependence has lifted a powerful chorus of voices to change insurance practices. The American Medical Association is among the organizations urging payers to cover non-pharmacological approaches. Many specifically extend this call to integrative treatments.

The statements were discovered by representatives of the Acupuncture Now Foundation (ANF) and the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) among comments submitted to the USA Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC had a public comment period prior to its March 2016 issuance of its Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.

Stated Mathew Bauer, LAc, ANF president: "Mainstream group after mainstream group [is] telling the CDC that physicians can't act on the CDC's number one recommendation regarding how to avoid relying on opioids because of a lack of insurance coverage for CAM/integrative therapies. I have never seen anything like this."

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Among those echoing the AMA in calling for this reform of insurance practices are the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), American Pain Society (APS), Medical Board of California (MBC), American College of Physicians (ACP), American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM, now AIPM), and Trust for America's Health (TFAH). The comments are detailed in a recent editorial published online in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (JACM). Some sample comments provided by ANF/ASA to the journal are as follows:

"Non-pharmacologic therapy and non-opioid pharmacologic therapy are preferred for chronic pain. Providers should only consider using opioid therapy if expected benefits for pain and/or function are anticipated to outweigh risks. In order to achieve this goal, public and private payer policies must be fundamentally altered and aligned to support payment for non-pharmacologic treatments and multimodal care." (AMA)

"Many insurers don't adequately cover or reimburse for non-pharmacologic therapies such as acupuncture, biofeedback, relaxation, and other interactive, multimodal therapies. Payer policies--both public and private--would need to be fundamentally changed to support this recommendation." (TFAH)

"We believe that patients should have both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches available and reimbursed ... for the management of their chronic pain." (APS)

"At a bare minimum, recommendations that payers provide universal coverage for the five types of nonpharmacologic care mentioned in the [Department of Defense/Veteran's Administration] pain guideline (physical manipulation, massage, acupuncture, biofeedback, and yoga) should be issued." (AAPM)

"While it is true that many non-pharmacologic modalities are effective for the treatment/control of chronic pain, the [draft] Guidelines fail to address the fact that many patients do not have access to these modalities, due to lack of insurance coverage or low availability.(MBC)

The calls come among expanding evidence of the value of integrative treatments in pain care. The JAMA website recently published "As Opioid Epidemic Rages, Complementary Health Approaches to Pain Gain Traction."

The article details a September 2016 publication in Mayo Clinical Proceedings by a team at the National Institutes of Health that found quality evidence for: acupuncture (back pain, osteoarthritis of the knee); massage therapy (neck pain - with adequate doses and for short-term benefit; back pain); osteopathic manipulation (back pain); relaxation techniques (severe headaches and migraine; fibromyalgia); spinal manipulation (back pain); tai chi (osteoarthritis of the knee; fibromyalgia); and yoga (back pain).

The JAMA writer concluded by quoting an orthopedic physician on medical doctors' "tendency to default to medications" because patients cannot afford uncovered options. "Physicians," the specialist states, "are often backed into a corner when dealing with a patient's pain ... We need to create better access to CAM therapies. By reducing the cost burden on the patient, these therapies become far more accessible."

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Evidence on cost benefits suggests that enhancing the physician options and patient experience may not be the only benefits from a shift to more inclusive coverage. Nearly two dozen studies have been aggregated on the Project for Integrative Health and the Triple Aim website of the Academic Collaborative for Integrative Health.

ANF's Bauer shares that American Specialty Health, a company that manages complementary and integrative medicine benefits for multiple employers, has just released data showing that acupuncture services "exceed national standards for patient satisfaction, quality and treatment success."
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2016/12/12: Hundreds of activists, mostly women, gathered in front of Trump International in Columbus Circle for a 'Not My President!' rally and march against the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump. After speeches from protesters that included playwright & activist Eve Ensler, activists marched across 59th Street to Trump Tower on 5th Avenue. (Photo by Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

One of the keys to Donald Trump's political success has been his willingness and ability to upset political norms. Before he began his campaign, it was almost unimaginable that a presidential campaign could occur, let alone succeed, without consultants or strategists and with the main form of communication being the candidate's own slightly batty and often hurtful use of Twitter. During the campaign Trump regularly said things, frequently about ethnic and racial minorities, that had previously been considered off-limits even for candidates whose campaigns included a heavily racist subtext. Other campaign ploys such as using adolescent nicknames for his opponents or bringing women from Bill Clinton's past to a debate to try to unnerve Hillary Clinton, were similarly without precedent in American politics.

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A major reason this approach has worked so well is that many in the the political class, including journalists, pundits and other kibitzers, lack the language to describe, and remain focused on these issues. We saw this during the campaign when Moscow's involvement, in what we now know was an effort to help Trump win, was initially not fully probed by the media because the usual pundits and journalists had never seen anything like this and could not quite believe it was real. We also saw this when white supremacists, textbook anti-Semitism and other expressions of racial hatred took a front and center role in Trump's campaign. It was simply easier to view those things as side stories and focus on endless analysis of demographics and swing states, or to take comfort in Hillary Clinton's certain victory.

Now that Trump's transition is well under way and his presidency looms in the near future, this problem is even more significant. It has become most evident in recent weeks, as many in the media have continued to treat this transition as similar to any other. Thus stories of who comes to Trump Tower, speculation about will be named Trump's spokesperson or the not so shocking news that a Republican president-elect has appointed a climate change denier as the head of the EPA continue to be receive a fair amount of overage. These stories are important and should be covered, but they are very far from being the most relevant things happening around our president-elect.

Ongoing revelations around the Russian involvement in our election, the president-elect's use of Twitter to bully opponents including media and, in one case, a local labor leader, leading to threats against that man from Trump supporters, and the seemingly unending conflicts of interest that Donald Trump faces as he seems to be already leveraging the presidency to help his businesses are much more important stories. Any one of them would bring down a typical presidency, but the media and others in the political class seem lulled by the fun, gossipy and normal dynamics around a presidential transition. Perhaps this is due to collective wishful thinking, based on the belief that if we all treat Donald Trump like a normal president he will conduct himself as one, but that is not going to happen. It is also, however, due to an inability by many in the political class, even many who lean Democratic to accept what is glaringly obvious-Russia helped an authoritarian bigot win our election.

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Treating Trump like any other president is exactly what is needed for Donald Trump to gain initial successes in his efforts to rollback American democracy, follow through on his threats to limit constitutional rights and to make sure nobody looks to hard at that Russia issue. However, to cover these, and other issues properly, journalists and others in the political class will need an entirely new way of thinking about politics. Understanding what terms like democratic elections, election fraud, international democratic standards, conflict of interest, kleptocracy and democratic rollback, semi-authoritarianism really mean, and what they look like in the American context is absolutely essential to understanding, and properly covering, the coming Trump presidency. These are the concepts that will provide the best guidance for understanding the Trump presidency.
This past week the show that drew me to the world of soundcasting dropped its 500th episode. I first heard the Chillpak Hollywood Hour some eight years ago, hosted then as it is now by Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness. (Haglund is best known for his recurring role as Langley in TV's The X-Files and its spinoff series The Lone Gunmen; Leirness has directed a number of films, including Specters, Karl Rove I Love You, and The Truth Is Out There, a documentary he and Haglund collaborated on delving into a variety of conspiracy theories.)

Even Haglund's move to Australia last year hasn't slowed the steady release of Chillpak every Monday, as the two host continue to collaborate through Skype to pull off the show. Leirness takes advantage of the occasional trip back to America that Haglund makes to try to do something special with the show and the solution this time -- just in time for the show's 500th episode -- was to do a field trip to someplace weird and wonderful.

The destination was the famed Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, just outside of Los Angeles proper. The last resting place of many stars and celebrities over the years, Forest Lawn is also an amazing array of various artistic and architectural attractions thanks to the original owner's belief in "a joyous life after death."

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After kicking off the show from "a certain historic building in Los Felix", and armed with a digital audio recorder, the hosts enter the gates of Forest Lawn. One of the regular features of Chillpak Hollywood is their Celebrity Deaths segment, where they honor recently passed stars and luminaries, so this sojourn -- last resting place to over 250,000 people, is very much in keeping with that tradition as they recount some of the stars interred in the cemetery.

Their description of the grounds, the features and the artwork on display makes the place sound part museum and part amusement park. The banter which is at the heart of the show Haglund and Leirness have been producing for over a decade is in full display and they move from one part of the cemetery to the next with their combo of facts and jibes running non-stop along the way.

At under an hour, our audio tour is over too quickly but it certainly leaves one feeling like Forest Lawn should be a "must see" when touring the Southland. One hope that the hosts wandering through a cemetery isn't foreshadowing anything dire -- surely Chillpak Hollywood has at least another 500 episodes yet to go.

  

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What will happen after the Battle of Aleppo? What has the battle done to the regional and international balance of power, in light of the collapse of all international humanitarian norms and laws? Russia made it clear from the outset that there was no choice but to win in Aleppo no matter the cost, including perpetrating war crimes. However, what will Russia do with its tainted victory? Has this "achievement" prepared Russia to negotiate with the US over a grand bargain? Or is this just one battle that has been won, and not the war, making this bargain still far from reach and portending more bloodletting in a fragmented Syria? The time between Election Day and inauguration of the new president in the US is known as the transition, which acts as extra time for the axis of Russia, Iran, and the Damascus regime and their allies, also backed by China, to vie for a bloody settlement in Syria. During this time, they can be confident the US will be powerless to act, even vis-a-vis war crimes. Thus, the axis prepared the ground for US president-elect Donald Trump to help him wash his hands clean of the Syrian issue, having benefited greatly from the dithering and prevarication of outgoing president Obama on Syria. Both presidents are isolationists when it comes to Syria, which has emboldened the members of the Damascus axis to settle the battle for Aleppo at any cost. The axis considers the outcome in Aleppo to be a victory, at the same time a defeat for rival Gulf Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia. But the attitudes of the GCC countries are divergent; their peoples are preoccupied with their future and their ambitions, and do not want to be dragged to Arab conflicts from Syria to Libya via Yemen. For this reason, there is a great deal of ambiguity surrounding both official and grassroots attitudes in the Gulf, where a detachment is felt from non-Gulf Arab countries. Whether the Gulf role in the conflict zones was a mistake or not, the Gulf people and leaders now want to preserve their calm oasis surrounded by a sea of flames. For their part, the peoples of the countries whose fires were fed and had oil poured on them, they feel they were the victims of manipulation and exploitation, which have led to the Afghanization of their nations and the fragmentation of their social fabric. So what lies in store for the region?

Key powers like China, who is playing a behind the scenes role in the Arab region, recently joined the global war on terror, according to what its envoys have started to state publicly and overtly. China sees the battles in Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Aleppo as part of the same effort against Islamist terrorism, and is a strategic partner of Russia in this context. Traditionally silent, China recently started to go public with its political positions, if not its logistical support for military operations in Syria.

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Chinese officials justify the first four vetoes co-deployed with Russia at the Security Council against international resolutions on Syria by saying they were meant to prevent attempts to remove the "elected" president, Bashar al-Assad, while describing their fifth veto as being aimed against terror. They also echo the Russian-Iranian-Syrian regime rhetoric, which has turned the Syrian issue that began with calls for reforms into a war on terror. In other words, there is a bona fide Russian-Chinese partnership seeking to shape Syria's future under the broad title of fighting terror, but with the real aim of securing the strategic interests of the two allied powers in the Arab region against US and Western influence and interests there.

What does Russia want in Syria? The answer is everything, from military bases to economic interests - oil and gas corridors to Europe, investment, and reconstruction. At the same time, Russia wants to use the Syria card to bargain with the US and Europe in other places, as part of a grand or even a great bargain.

Russia and Turkey are now on truce terms. The deal between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan is multifaceted: Erdogan entered the Syrian war to pre-empt the perceived Kurdish threat, moving against Kurdish factions Turkey designates as terror groups with de-facto green light from Russia. By contrast, Turkey, Egypt, and the Gulf countries have been deafeningly silent on the Russian-led atrocities in Aleppo, a major Sunni city.

The Kurds in Iraq have moved away from any bid to unite Kurds in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran, and decided to focus on independence and statehood in Iraqi Kurdistan, now a near fait accompli. They just need to produce and export enough oil before declaring independence. According to experts, the prospective Kurdish state would need to export 800,000 barrels of oil per day to do so, compared to current level of 500,000. Negotiations are ongoing with the authorities in Baghdad, with tacit approval from Iran, to achieve Kurdish statehood, and if all else fails, this could be imposed.

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This would lead to the partition of Iraq in an organized manner not so far from now, possibly after the battle against ISIS in Mosul and other major cities is concluded. This way, Iran would gain the necessary geographical contiguity with Syria and Lebanon, as reflected in events on the ground.

But while the partition of Iraq may be organized, the partition of Syria will be chaotic. The battle in Aleppo will not end the war in Syria, not remove ISIS and al-Nusra Front from Syrian territories. It will not guarantee victory for Assad or guarantee him the ability to rule the entire country once again.

Iran will guarantee for itself the geographical corridor in Syria that links it to Hezbollah in Lebanon. This corridor is part of the Persian-Shia crescent the neo-cons in the US wanted to create, to link Iran and Israel in a relationship of appeasement designed against the common Arab foe. Perhaps this explains the lack of protests coming from Israel regarding this geographical engineering, as it may not perceive it as a threat.

In turn, the Gulf countries do not appear panicked by the Iranian expansion via Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon towards the Mediterranean. The Gulf countries seem confident that the part related to the Saudi eastern region in the context of this crescent will never see the light of day under any circumstances. But what happens outside the Gulf is no longer a priority for the Gulf countries, and this much was clear from a tour of the Gulf that included the GCC summit in Bahrain and the Arab Thought Foundation conference in Abu Dhabi focusing on Arab integration.

Realistically speaking, the only viable integration taking place is within the GCC, not with other Arab countries, relations with which are marred by detachment and mutual distrust.

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One of the participants at the conference, a veteran Saudi figure, said: "We must scale back when it comes to the Syrian issue." The intervention was a mistake and a foolish policy, he continued, insisting that the Gulf no longer had any business in Syria, now an issue between the West and Russia. "We are not responsible for the Arabs everywhere. We are responsible for our people, their development, education, security, safety, and health...we must focus on our countries in the Gulf to tackle falling oil prices, deficits, and debt, and it is time we become a developed society."

His view is that the so-called Iranian victory in Syria will become an inevitable attrition of Iran, which is in a tough economic shape. "In the end, Iran not us will suffer, especially as it is surrounded by a sea of disaffected Arabs." It is not true that the Gulf countries were defeated in Syria, he adds. "We did not send armies or enter as a party to the conflict, but only answered the call to help Syrians. Iran has an agenda. We don't. This is not our defeat. It is a defeat for the Syrian people."

The Gulf thus is seeking to retreat, especially in light of the disillusionment with Gulf interventions in Syria, Iraq, and the Gulf attempts led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to forge an alliance with Egypt to shore up the Arab component of the regional balance of power. Egypt is now pivoting to Russia and Iran on Syria, having concluded that there is a Saudi inclination to accommodate the Muslim Brotherhood and establish an alliance with Turkey. The desired relations important for the regional balance of power thus failed, prompting further Gulf retreat from the Arab region.

There are two views regarding Saudi-Qatari-Turkish reactions vis-a-vis developments in Syria: One view insists that this trio of countries will sustain their opposition to Bashar al-Assad and will not accept the outcome of the battle for Aleppo, and would therefore continue supporting what is left of the moderate rebel forces. The other view holds that these three countries are realistic and pragmatic, and have read international developments well. They realize the Trump administration will now allow support for the Syrian rebels, and instead wants to close the chapter on Syria with Bashar al-Assad in power for now.

Some cite the fate of Saddam after he had thought he was victorious in his wars, especially after the US decided to leave Baghdad in the First Gulf War and not settle it by ending Saddam's rule. These voices say the major powers know how to choose the time and the place to achieve their objectives, and that it would be imprudent to rush to declare that one party has won in Syria and another has lost.

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Regardless, what happened in Aleppo remains fateful. The international reactions have discredited all claims regarding accountability for war crimes, and exposed the apathy of the Arab and international public opinions. The collapse of moral values and norms was stark in Aleppo, and no one has the right to pretend to hold on to the minimum humanitarian rules any longer.

Will a grand bargain follow, on the ruins of humanity in Aleppo? Or is this just a stop in Vladimir Putin's long journey towards realignment and negotiations for a deal with Donald Trump? Clearly, the two men want to sit at the table to conclude a deal, so they can both boast of their abilities to impose their terms. They might take a liking to one another, but the interests of the US and Russia may require them to continue doubting one another as each gathers his bargaining chips.

The battle of Aleppo has been a stain on the conscience of the international community. Everyone will rush to wash it clean under the pretext of the war on terror. Until alignments are demystified and the negotiations convene, the battle of Aleppo is not necessarily a roadmap for ending the Syrian war. Winning a battle is one thing, and winning the war is another.
My name is Stacy Le Melle. I live in New York but I was born in Michigan, and over the course of my 42 years I have lived in Texas, Louisiana, Washington, DC, Virginia, Florida, and California. Because I have seen so much of America, I know my love for her is nothing abstract. I also carry the love of my ancestors - including German immigrants and enslaved Africans - who sacrificed all so their children could stand on their shoulders. Together we dream what is possible in a great country striving to live up to the ideals of its founding fathers.

I must say this up front: I am not a Republican. I've actively supported Democrats since I volunteered for the (MI) Oakland County Democrats when I was in high school. But we have one thing in common: patriotism. Our fierce desire to protect this country from threats.

On Monday, you have a critical choice to make. Please do not hand the American presidency to Donald Trump.

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I could list a hundred reasons as to why I think Trump is unfit for the Oval Office. Let me instead focus on the issue of loyalty. We see how Trump cheated contractors. We see how Trump cheated Trump University students. We see how Trump cheated on his wives. We see how Trump cheats supporters by dropping campaign pledges left and right.

Now, we see how he cherishes his relationship with Vladimir Putin. How his team appears to be in constant contact with Russian agents--even after reports of Putin-led Russian hacking. How do we know that Trump's loyalty is with America? How do we know that if you give Trump the presidency, that he won't have to listen to Putin whenever Putin calls? How do we know this isn't a bloodless coup - or, at least bloodless until the first truth-tellers speak out after Inauguration Day?

Media reports tell us that Electors are being bullied to support Donald Trump. That you've suffered threats of political reprisals and worse. No matter how strong we are, threats are frightening. When our livelihoods, even our lives, seem on the line, going against the crowd feels like walking off the roof of a skyscraper. But that is what faith asks us to do, yes? To walk out, and know, that if we're acting for the greater good of our nation, that we will be caught because we acted in love.

But let's take a closer look at Team Trump's behavior. To have all the President's men (and women) come down on you because you disagree - and think about it, who can possibly agree with changeable Trump all of the time - what kind of life is that? It's one thing to be loyal to a person who is loyal in return. But look at Trump's track record. Unless you are a very rich person able to enrich Trump further, do you think he has your interests at heart? Look at how many people feel cheated by him. Unfortunately, that will also include many Republican voters who took his campaign talk seriously.

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Look at how he sunk company stock with a tweet. Do you want to be at this man's mercy?

Today, Michael Sheen paraphrased Ronald Reagan when speaking to a decision to put his acting career on hold and focus on activism. I will close with the full quote:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.

People close to me have told me not to write you. That I'm a dreamer to think you'll change your minds. That there's no way the Electoral College won't elect Trump.

I don't know if that's true. I do know that we all have free will. I also know that our American freedoms are in your hands. Please don't throw them away.

Thank you for reading.

Your fellow American,
Right-wing "news" website WorldNetDaily has been freaking out about the effort to get the Electoral College to slow things down a bit and examine Russian efforts to meddle in the presidential campaign for the apparent benefit of Donald Trump:

One article complained about the lobbying and other "various measures to keep Trump out of the Oval Office or at least delegitimize his presidency."

Another article fretted about this "SHOCKING SCHEME TO STEAL THE PRESIDENCY," the "Hamilton Electors" effort to "prevent Donald Trump from becoming president by denying him a victory in the Electoral College."

WND seems to have forgotten that it launched a similar effort to lobby the Electoral College in 2008 in an attempt to stop Barack Obama from becoming president.

A December 2008 WND article announced that "WND announced a historic first in its quest to establish Obama's qualifications for office -- a similar FedEx letter drive directed at individual electors" to one WND previously used to target the Supreme Court. The issue: birtherism, of course. The article continues:

As WND has reported, there remain serious questions as to whether Obama is "a natural born citizen," as specified in Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution. While he claims to have been born in Hawaii in 1961, two Obama family members have told WND they were present at his birth in Mombasa, Kenya. Further, Obama has steadfastly refused to release publicly his full birth certificate that would identify the hospital of his birth, the attending physician and other details. Instead, the campaign posted a document purporting to be a birth certificate devoid of these details. It has also come under fire as a possible forgery.

The article stated that "WND was able to track down addresses for all 538 electors. With the new 'FedEx the Electoral College' program, you can reach all of them with a one-page pre-written letter, with your name and address attached, delivered overnight for less than it would cost you to FedEx one member -- if you had the address." That cost was $10.95 -- one of WND's many attempts to skim money off its readers to send letters in bulk to politicians regarding certain issues despite never offering any evidence that the letters had any effect.

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WND editor Joseph Farah wrote a column promoting the campaign, declaring that "unless we're going to live under an honor system in the future, one that relies solely on what a candidate says about his own eligibility, there is no reason to believe Obama is. There is simply no valid evidence to prove it, and there is plenty to raise doubts." He added that "never before has there been serious concern about the eligibility of the winning candidate" and "If there is any doubt, electors have a sworn duty to find out."

Neither Farah nor anyone else at WND seem to think that the 2016 electors have a "sworn duty" to alleviate any "serious concern" they may have about Russian intervention in the presidential campaign before voting.

A later WND article indicated that 3,653 readers paid WND for the privilege of getting those letters bulk-mailed to electors, meaning WND grossed around $40,000 on the effort -- a nice little money-maker for them.
Reno Commission puts liquor by drink without food sales on 2023 ballot

Hutchinson board acts quickly to respond to brewery's dilemma, but vote is more than a year away.
Rusinformexport, a subsidiary of Russia's state corporation Rostec, supported by the Russian Export Center (REC), received a contract to create a system of e-government services in Syria, the REC's press service said in a press release.

Under the deal, Rusinformexport is expected to create the infrastructure necessary for electronic communications in the country, the press release added.

"An export contract on creation of e-government in Syria has been signed on the premises of the Russian Ministry of Communications with the participation of Russian Communications Minister Nikolai Nikiforov and Syrian Minister of Communications and Technology Ali Zafir," the press release said on Tuesday, adding that the signing ceremony took place on Thursday. According to the press release, the Central Bank of Syria has guaranteed the funding of the project, while the REC is set to consult the Rusinformexport in the issues related to the contract risks.

Source: https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201612141048538252-russia-syria-egovernment/
Eight small local newspapers in German-speaking Switzerland started a digital tool, petitio.ch at the beginning of this month, which encourages citizens to have a greater say in local decisions.

A special online platform has been launched to promote political petitions in a bid to increase local citizen participation. The scheme is aimed at the collection of signatures and enjoys support from the media.

Anyone who is pushing for specific changes in their local town or his municipality can use the platform and try to build up support from others, according to the AZ Medien group.

Once a petition has collected enough signatures, it is sent to the local authorities with a formal letter.

The platform, which is part of the Digital News Initiative by the American technology giant Google, involves the local media.

It covers a broad area between two of Switzerlands biggest cities, Zurich and Basel, and spans almost a fifth of Switzerlands 2,300 municipalities.

The project authors say the local media will assist the petitioners to collect the signatures  the necessary numbers varying from one municipality to the next.

Each petition can be signed by supporters within 30 days of its launch in order to get an official response by the local authorities.

Wealth of proposals

In the first week of the launch of the platform, nearly 40 petitions were started on a wide range of issues.

They include a call for more public benches in the town of Brugg, more attractive playgrounds in a suburb of Solothurn or the survival of an intercultural library in Olten.

Other proposals are aimed at reducing road traffic, installing a free wireless network on a local train line as well as the closure of monthly open-air market and the abolition of civil servant status.

In Aarau, petitioners successfully started collecting signatures for extended opening hours of late-night bars and clubs.

Political experts say it is too early to say whether the new tool for e-democracy is here to stay or if it might have a potential negative impact.

Petitions have been a regular political instrument also at a national level, often used by pressure groups. However, they are not binding and do not lead to public votes as is the case with peoples initiatives or referendums challenging a parliamentary decision.

Source: http://www.swissinfo.ch/directdemocracy/pushing-for-change_online-platform-aims-to-boost-local-citizen-participation/42769068
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President Obama on the 80th Birthday of His Holiness Pope Francis

Washington, DC - President Barack Obama: "As he marks his 80th birthday tomorrow, I join the American people in extending our best wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis. In both word and deed, Pope Francis has inspired people around the world with his message of compassion, hope, and peace. He has called on us to see ourselves in one another, reach out to those who are at the margins of society, extend mercy, and care for the planet we all share. It was my great honor to welcome His Holiness to the White House last year and to work together on common causes. I remain especially grateful for his invaluable support for our work to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba, which I announced on December 17 two years ago.

"Guided by his humble example, may the people of the world move forward together toward true justice and peace for all Gods children."
Vice President Bidens Call with Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Lofven

Washington, DC - The Vice President spoke today by phone with President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci. The Vice President commended the leaders on the agreement they reached to resume talks in Geneva on January 9 and praised the courage and vision of the leaders that has made possible the progress thus far.

The Vice President reiterated unwavering U.S. support for the leaders' efforts to reach a settlement that would reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
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The British explorer extraordinaire Sir Ranulph Fiennes will be at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) on Monday to introduce a screening of Scott of the Antarctic starring John Mills. Fiennes isnt a movie expert but he knows everything there is to know about Captain Robert Falcon Scott, whom he describes as by far the greatest polar traveller of all time. He remembers hearing from Mrs Gorbachev in the 1980s that a new book had been published on Scott by Roland Huntford that described him as a bad man and suggested that Scotts expedition was incompetently planned. Fiennes was astounded by the lies and inaccuracies in the Huntford book. He spent a year researching his own study of Scott and concluded that the expedition was not poorly planned at all. Scott was simply very unlucky with the weather.

The Kensington venue is a fitting place at which to screen Scott Of The Antarctic. After all, this is where many celebrated explorers came for funding and support, Scott among them. The RGS also features prominently in James Grays remarkable new feature, The Lost City Of Z, which dramatises the life of Percy Fawcett, another British explorer in the Scott and Fiennes mould. In the film, based on David Granns book, Fawcett (Charlie Hunnam) is both lionised and ridiculed by members of the RGS. He receives one of its highest medals for his work charting and exploring unknown territory in South America  but his fervent belief in a lost civilisation somewhere in the Amazonian jungle is regarded with extreme scepticism by many RGS members.

Filmmakers relish expeditions which dont turn out quite as their leaders had hoped. What makes Fawcetts story so fascinating  and such fertile subject for a film  is that he vanished. Like Scott, he never returned to Britain from his final expedition. Many RGS members of his era gave their lives in their bid to discover and map new lands. However, as Grann writes, among the Societys long list of those who were sacrificed, Fawcett filled a distinct category: neither alive nor dead  or, as one writer dubbed him, the living dead.

The British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes is introducing a screening of Scott of Antarctic at the National Geographical Society (PA)

It goes without saying that filmmakers share some of the same mix of restlessness and hubris as the explorers whose stories they tell. Their movies are the equivalent of expeditions. When they venture far afield on location, disaster is never far away.

Jungles and deserts are at the extreme ends of the landscapes this planet has to offer, and both have enormous visual force. They also both hit back at idiots like me who challenge them by wanting to make films there, Werner Herzog commented in recent book A Guide For The Perplexed. Herzog was in the Amazonian jungle for his 1972 film Aguirre, The Wrath of God, about a Spanish conquistador in search of El Dorado. He returned a decade later for Fitzcarraldo (1982), which wasnt about an explorer but told the story of a mad opera-loving businessman who dragged a steamship over a mountain. It was very, very difficult. I still think it was the toughest film in film history, tougher than Apocalypse Now. We had starvation  and no money, his production manager George Sluizer later recalled of his experiences on the troubled production. Both films had a touch of madness about them  and both were awe-inspiring and spectacular in a way that puts the most expensive studio-made epic to shame.

Think of the movies and the first images likely to spring to mind are of Klaus Kinski (who played the leads in both) with that look of demented, demonic determination in his eyes.

British explorers like Mills Scott or Hunnams Fawcett share that determination. Theyre also well-bred Englishmen with very good manners. Thats one of the fascinations of the films about them. Almost as important as reaching their destinations is behaving with decorum and selflessness. Theyll always divide the rations in an equitable way. They may be in desperate straits, close to starvation, but you won't find them swearing. Theres a tremendous scene in The Lost City Of Z in which James Murray (Angus MacFadyen), a companion on one of Fawcetts expeditions, realises that he isnt strong enough to keep up with the others. Weve seen him back in London at the RGS and at society events. Deep in the jungle, with sweat pouring down him and his companions furious at his cowardice and venality, he still speaks as if he is exchanging some smart London club.

The Lost City Of Z isnt just the story of an explorer on a daring journey to the earths limits. What makes it such rich and fascinating fare is its questioning of just why men like Fawcett are so desperate to go on such far flung expeditions. They all realise that their journeys may cost them their lives. At the very least, you will be gone for several years, Fawcett is blithely told by his sponsors at the RGS when he heads on his first trip to South America.

The Lost City of OZ tells the story of explorer Percy Fawcett, played by Charlie Hunnam, who vanished on his expedition to Brazil

Why does Fawcett do it? James Grays screenplay points to many and often wildly contradictory motives. Theres an element of sexism. He is happily married but simply wont countenance the idea of his wife Nina (Sienna Miller) accompanying him, although she is as tough and self-reliant as he is. Hes a soldier who doesnt have any medals and is desperate to prove his courage. He is driven by patriotic pride in the British Empire  but also by shame at the virulent racism of so many of his British contemporaries who treat the native people as primitives. After serving in the trenches in the First World War, he wants to get as far away from the slaughter as he can  even if he knows he might be killed by indigenous tribes in Bolivia. He yearns for glory and fame but he also wants to disappear.

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One reason why filmmakers are so intrigued by characters like Scott and Fawcett is that their stories arent simply about reaching a destination. Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, Captain Scott famously wrote in his journal shortly before his death. In fact, had Scott lived  or had Percy Fawcett returned from his final expedition  their mystique would surely have been diminished. The best movies about expeditions are rarely ones in which the travellers achieve their goals and then come back home to boast about it. Films about explorers who dont come back always have far more of an emotional kick.

The BFI and Studiocanal present: 'Scott of the Antarctic' + Q&A with Sir Ranulph Fiennes at the Royal Geographical Society, London on Monday 19 December at 19:00. (Tickets at bfi.org). 'The Lost City Of Z' will be released next year
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Brunching out...

Sometimes, the safe brunch staples of eggs Benedict, smashed avocado toast and thick American pancakes topped with blueberries are exactly what you need. Other times  well, they just feel a little overdone.

And on weekends when you feel like that, you should head to Yosma in central Londons Marylebone and ditch American and European comfort food in favour of a taste of kahvalti, or Turkish breakfast.

The term literally means before coffee and is the meal gorged on before the first coffee of the day.

Recommended A top chef has revealed the brunch food you should never eat

Yosma boasts a menu inspired by Istanbul, particularly the three pillars of the waterside citys culture: meyhane meze bars, mangal grilling, and seafood.

The restaurant is vast, airy and despite only having opened in September, it doesnt lack in personality, thanks to the white tiling and exposed concrete, chocolate-coloured wooden seating, low-hanging lamps and Turkish-inspired monochrome illustrations.

Yosmas meze platter with pastirma, pancar, kirmizi biber, levrek marine and fava

Served from 10am to 2pm, brunch at Yosma offers up simple ingredients in hearty and flavour-packed dishes. Go for the simit  warm, soft bread sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with a sweet and moreish honeycomb and kaymak clotted cream. Or the sucuklu yumurta, with eggs baked in tomato with spicy beef sausage, yogurt and chilli butter.

The plate sizes mean that selecting a few items to share will leave your stomach full but your palate very satisfied indeed. Those with room left for pudding should try to squeeze in the excellent, syrup-drenched kunafa cheese pastry, washed down, of course, with a strong Turkish coffee.

Yosma, 50 Baker St, Marylebone, London W1U 7BT; 02030196282; yosma.london

Brunching in...

Beef, chard and egg casserole

This is a delicious, Lebanese-inspired dish served with a tahini yoghurt-style dressing. Its the dressing that takes it up a notch, and brings you back into the kitchen to make it again and again. The dressing can happily keep in your fridge for three days  but dont add the parsley until just before you are ready to use it  and is also great with oily fish and roasted vegetables. I love using Swiss chard for this dish, which is in season between July and November, but you can use any kind of chard you like.

Serves 4

For the tahini dressing

150ml tahini

70ml lemon juice

150ml water

1 garlic clove, grated

Salt to taste

30g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the casserole

Olive oil for frying

1 red onion, finely chopped

400g lean minced (ground) beef

2 garlic cloves, grated

1tsp chilli flakes (spicy red pepper flakes)

1tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)

2tbsp water

200g Swiss chard, roughly chopped

4 duck eggs

Make the dressing by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, water and garlic in a bowl until you have a creamy, smooth texture. Add salt to taste and set aside. To make the casserole, preheat the oven to 180C (350F/Gas 4).

Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat and then add the onion. Fry the onion for 3-4 minutes until it is translucent. Add the mince and half of the garlic to the pan, and fry for 5 minutes before adding the chilli flakes and tomato puree.

Continue to cook for around another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is a little crispy and brown in colour.

Recipe from Breakfast Morning, Noon and Night, by Fern Green. Published by Hardie Grant, 18.99
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Panetone, the sweet and citrus dome shaped Italian bread, has undoubtedly imbued British Christmas tables in the past few years, but these are not the only traditions that Italian enjoy over the festive period. But traditional flavours for Italian Christmas spreads include seasonal ingredients such as chestnuts, almonds, sage, dried and spiced fruits and anchovies and artichokes.

Fish is often eaten on Christmas Eve, where meat  and sometimes dairy  are not eaten prior to the big day. And after midnight mass, traditionally many eat a slice on Pantone and match it with a mug hot chocolate.

In southern Italy, the main dish is known as Capitone, a large female eel which is roasted, baked or fried. Other dishes from the area include tortellini in chicken stock, crostini with liver pate, and lamb with lentils and vegetables. While desserts include panforte and pandoro  slight variations of panetone bread.Northern Italy feasts on a mainly pork, where the skin of the lower leg, known as lo zampone is eaten, and the foot is stuffed with spiced minced meat and called il cotechino.

Recommended The best ways to cook sausages

Italian born Celebrity chef, Aldo Zillo, suggests three dishes from his home country to create your own Italian inspired Christmas feast.

Struffoli (Neapolitan fritters with Umbrian honey)

Serves four

500 grams flour

4 eggs

2 grams salt

2 tbsps white sugar

2 tsps vanilla essence

1 litre vegetable oil

500 grams honey

2 tbsps butter

Zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Handful of Hundreds and Thousands

Take four eggs and two tablespoons of white sugar and whisk together until meringue texture.Add a pinch of salt, two teaspoons of vanilla essence, two tablespoons of butter and 500g flour. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly into a dough then separate into small marble sized dough balls and fry in vegetable oil. The dough balls will sink to the bottom of the fryer as they cook, when ready the dough balls will rise to the top. Lift out of the fryer and leave for a minimum of 8 hours after cooking. Take the honey (should be firm in texture not too runny) and roll the cooked dough balls in the honey to coat them and assemble in a pyramid shape. Add sprinkles and serve.

(

Chicken broth with bread and parmesan dumpling, black winter truffle

1 full chicken

2 carrots (diced)

2 celery (diced)

1 onion (diced)

60g salt

3.5 litre water

500g ice

2 bay leaves

40g parsley (whole)

20g Olive oil

For the dumpling:

400g Chopped Ciabatta (2 day old - needs to be dry)

1 garlic

80g pecorino cheese

100g unsalted butter

20g parsley

Food and drink news Show all 35 1 /35 Food and drink news Food and drink news Healthy living makes us more inclined to binge, research suggests Gluten-free breads, dairy-free milks and other plant-based products have been some of the most favoured foods in British supermarkets this year. However, while were busy filling our shopping trolleys with gluten-free goodness, were also jamming it with junk food and alcohol, new research suggests Getty/iStock Food and drink news Growing list of Vegan celebs Making the switch to veganism is a major lifestyle choice, one that many claim can improve energy levels, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and clear up any skin issues. Beyonce, Natalie Portman and Jessica Chastain are among the growing list of Hollywood stars who have eschewed animal products from their diets in recent years. Theres also been an increasing number of professional athletes who have gone vegan, such as boxing champions Mike Tyson and David Haye, thus debunking the myth that following a plant-based diet will leave you feeling weak and malnourished. AFP/Getty/NARAS/iHeartMedia Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion. McDonald's Germany Food and drink news Drinking too many protein shakes could lead to an increased risk of obesity and a reduced lifespan, a new study has claimed Researchers from the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre carried out an investigation to determine the impact excessive consumption of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) has on the body. BCAA supplements are often consumed in the form of powder, which is then added to water to make a shake. Published in journal Nature Metabolism, the study found that while BCAAs help to build muscle, they can also negatively impact an individual's temperament, cause weight gain and lead to a shortened lifespan Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Britain consumes more chocolate than any other country Most people love chocolate but it turns out no one does more than the Brits  with the average Brit found to have consumed 8.4 kg of chocolate in 2017, according to new data. Chocolate consumption around the world is on the rise, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD), which found that in the past year alone, Easter chocolate production has risen by 23 per cent Food and drink news 'Easter eggs should be banned for children under four' Dr Becky Spelman, chief psychologist at Harley Streets Private Therapy Clinic, is calling for Easter eggs to be banned for consumption for children under the age of four, claiming that giving them the opportunity to binge on chocolate so young will give them an unhealthy relationship with food later on. "This is a nightmare situation for parents of this generation as they have no idea how to teach their children to delay their response to cravings, she said, explaining that too many young kids binge on these chocolates because their parents dont know how to stop them. "Once a child starts overeating behaviour at a young age its very hard to turn things around for them in terms of food and their eating habits moving forward, leading to obesity from at very young age," she added PA Food and drink news Pineapple overtakes avocado as the UK's fastest-selling fruit According to Tesco, pineapple has overtaken avocado as the UKs fastest-selling fruit, with sales increasing by 15 per cent in 2017. In comparison, avocado sales rose by just under 10 per cent last year. The popular supermarket says the surge in popularity comes as shoppers buying the versatile fruit are beginning to use it as a main ingredient in everything from curries and barbecues, to juices and cocktails Getty Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. Whats more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour M&S Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New study shows drinking more coffee leads to a longer life There is good news and a final hope for coffee addicts and lovers. You will now be able to drink coffee for longer as new study shows its can lead to a prolonged life. Scientists showed that those who drank between two and four cups of coffee a day had 18% lower risk of death compared to non-coffee drinkers. PA Food and drink news Coke Zero is replaced with Coke Zero Sugar Coca-Cola is pulling the plug on its Coke Zero. The much loved drink will be replaced with a new improved taste. The move, backed with a 10 million campaign, is said to come from Coca-Cola supporting people to reduce their sugar intake. Coca-Cola want people make this move while not sacrificing sugary taste of Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola Food and drink news Starbucks introduce new avocado spread The avocado craze has grown from hipster brunch restaurants to Starbucks. Starbucks have introduced their new avocado spread earlier this year and it has the internet in debate. Some argue that it not a spread but guacamole while others question if there is any avocado in there at all. When buying the new spread you can also buy an optional toasted bagel. It is a must try for all avocado connoisseurs. Starbucks Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has good intentions. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p. Mars Food and drink news Wine prices could increase because of Brexit Wine lovers across the UK might soon have to shell out close to a quarter more for their favourite tipple after Brexit, as a weaker pound and sluggish economy takes its toll, a new study shows Rex Food and drink news Chocolate may be good for the heart A new study, published in the British Medical Journal: Heart, found that moderate chocolate intake can be positively associated with lessening the risk of the heart arrhythmia condition Atrial Fibrillation Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Brits throw away 1.4 million bananas each year British families are throwing away 1.4 million bananas that are perfectly good to eat every day at cost of 80m a year, new figures have shown PA/Armin Weigel Food and drink news Rosemary sales spike over exam time There has been a surge a surge in sales of the herb rosemary after a recent study found it helps improve memory. According to high street health food chain Holland & Barrett, sales of the herb have increased by 187 per cent compared to the same time last year Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Gluten-free diets 'not recommended' for people without coeliac disease Avoiding wheat, barley and rye in the belief that a gluten-free diet brings health benefits may do more harm than good, according to a team of US nutrition and medicine experts Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Starbucks launches two new coffee-based drinks Starbucks is launching two new coffee-based drinks in the UK, as it strives to tap into consumers growing appetite for healthy beverages. The Cold Brew Vanilla sweet cream and the Cappuccino Freddo, will both be available in stores throughout the UK from the start of May Twitter/@SbuxCountyHall Food and drink news Cadburys Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats  at the cost of 1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers Cadburys Food and drink news Pizza restaurant makes worlds cheesiest 'Scottie's Pizza Parlor' in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Facebook/Scottie's Pizza Parlor Food and drink news A pizza joint in Portland Oregon has created the worlds cheesiest pizza using a total of 101 different cheese varieties. Why not eating before a workout could be better for your health A study published in the American Journal of Physiology by researchers at the University of Bath found you might be likely to burn more fat if you have not eaten first Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news New York restaurant named best in the world A New York restaurant where an average meal for two will cost $700 has been named the best in the world. Eleven Madison Park won the accolade for the first time after debuting on the list at number 50 in 2010. The restaurant was praised for a fun sense of fine-dining, blurring the line between the kitchen and the dining room Getty Images Food and drink news Why you crave bad food when youre tired Researchers at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University in Chicago recently presented their results of a study looking into the effects of sleep deprivation upon high-calorific food consumption. 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New data from nationwide food-delivery service Deliveroo reveals there was a surge in Brits ordering desserts in February compared to the first month of 2017 Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news US congress debates definition of milk alternatives A new bill has been created that seeks to ban dairy alternatives from using the term milk. Titled the DAIRY PRIDE Act, the name is a tenuous acronym for defending against imitations and replacements of yogurt, milk, and cheese to promote regular intake of dairy every day. 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The successful candidate will help them to test, perfect and launch new products all over the world. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news MSG additive used in Chinese food is actually good for you, scientist claims For years, weve been told MSG (the sodium salt of glutamic acid) - often associated with cheap Chinese takeaways - is awful for our health and to be avoided at all costs. But one scientist argues it should be used as a supersalt and encourages adding it to food. Getty Images/iStockphoto Food and drink news Lettuce prices are rising Not only are lettuces becoming an increasingly rare commodity in supermarkets, but prices for the leafy vegetables seem to be rising too. According to the weekly report from the Governments Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, a pair of Little Gem lettuces had an average market price of 0.86 in the week that ended on Friday, up from an average of 0.56 in the previous week  thats an almost 54 per cent increase. Getty Images Food and drink news Do-It-Yourself restaurant To encourage more people to cook and eat together, IKEA has launched The Dining Club in Shoreditch  a fully immersive Do-It-Yourself restaurant . Members of the public can book to host a brunch, lunch or dinner party for up to 20 friends and family. Supported by their very own sous chef and maitre de, the host and their guests will orchestrate an intimate dining experience where cooking together is celebrated and eating together is inspirational Mikael Buck / IKEA Food and drink news Ping Pong menu with a twist Gatwick Airport has teamed up with London dim sum restaurant Ping Pong to create a limited edition menu with a distinctly British twist; including a Full English Bao and Beef Wellington Puff, to celebrate the launch of the airports new route to Hong Kong Food and drink news Zizzi unveil the Maamgharita Unique pizza art has been created by Zizzi in celebration of the Queens 90th birthday. The pizza features the queen in an iconic pose illustrated with fresh and tasty Italian ingredients on a backdrop of the Union Jack Food and drink news Blue potatoes make a comeback Blue potatoes, once a staple part of British potato crops, are back on the menu thanks to a Cambridge scientist turned-organic farmer and Farmdrop, an online marketplace that lets people buy direct from local farms. Cambridge PhD graduate-turned farmer, Adrian Izzard has used traditional growing techniques at Wild Country Organics to produce the colourful spuds, packed with healthy cell-protecting anthocyanin, which had previously disappeared from UK plates when post-war farmers were pushed towards higher-yielding varieties

Heat the oil, add diced carrots, celery and onion. Once crispy add the water. Add the ice and then the chicken. Leave on a slow boil. When water has evaporated by approx. 50% (approx. 1.5 hour) take out the chicken and vegetable and remove fat residue. Take broth and return boil. Mix all ingredients into a dough. Check consistency. If dry add more butter. Once mixed, separate the dough into small dumplings and keep refrigerated 3-4 hours Add dumplings to the broth and cook for 1.5 minutes Serve with shaved truffle.

Slow cooked Beef cheek in Barolo with chestnuts, Friarielli and truffle potato

Serve 4

800g beef cheek

60g Olive oil

2 carrot (diced)

2 onion (diced)

2 celery (diced)

1 bay leaf

30g rosemary

30g thyme

1.5 litre Chianti or Barola

60g flour

150g chestnut for veg mash

100g for garnish

Coat the beef in plain flour and seal in hot oil in the pan - season with salt and pepper - cook for 10 minutes. In a separate pan, fry off the diced vegetables for 5-10 minutes and season. Add half the wine and bring to boil. Add the remaining wine to the beef bringing to the boil. Combine the beef, vegetables and wine adding the bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Cover and simmer on a low heat for a minimum of 2 hours. Check frequently, adding water if required. Once cooked, remove beef and vegetables. Mash/puree vegetables with 150g chestnut adding the remaining chestnuts to garnish. Place beef back into red wine sauce and heat for 20 minutes until consistency thickens. Serve with spinach and roast potato.

Aldo Zilli is Chef Consigliere for the San Carlo Restaurant Group sancarlo.co.uk and hosts Buongiorno with Aldo Zilli on Soho Radio sohoradiolondon.com
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It's a quirk that's puzzled many a frazzled commuter - why do Starbucks insist on calling their small drinks 'tall'?

For seasoned coffee drinkers, ordering a cup of Joe comes with much more than an extra shot; namely a quick-fire master class in entry-level Italian.

But the most puzzling part is why a small coffee has a name which suggests the opposite: tall.

It turns out, it all comes down to space on the Starbucks price board.

When the firm started out, the cup sizes presented more familiar names; a small coffee was called short, the medium size was tall, and the biggest one was known as a grande.

As customers started demanding larger sizes, the short disappeared completely, making way for the more sizeable venti and leaving tall as the smallest option on the board.

The exact origin of the cups Italian names goes back to 1986 when the founder of Starbucks, American businessman Howard Schultz, opened mini coffee chain Il Giornale.

And, while you may have never heard of it, it was the dawn of all things venti.

So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district Show all 8 1 /8 So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCAT8YB2E.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCA5OIB8V.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCAVJI28R.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccess.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCAV1SLY4.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCATS6PXM.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCAILNS3F.jpg Alastair Levy So long, Soho: Starbucks and Stradas are taking over Londons most characterful district AssetAccessCAP96YJZ.jpg Alastair Levy

When it first opened, the outlet had just three sizes: short, tall and grande but after a trip to Italy in 1983, Schultz became obsessed with the country's coffee bars.

As a result, his own venture became intrinsically designed around the romance of an Italian coffee experience, but why stop at the interior?

Schultz wanted to bring the taste of Italy to America and present Il Giornales patrons with something more exotic than a humble brew.

Thus, the use of Italian was carried through to the menu with words like doppio, macchiato, and misto on the menu until, in 1987, he bought a tiny brand called Starbucks.

Fast forward 30 years and there we have it; the Starbucks jargon we all now love, kind of.
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For two years, Anne Frank's family hid in secret rooms in Amsterdam, knowing that a curtain left open by mistake, a wayward noise or a nervous conspirator's phone call to the Nazis could land them all in concentration camps.

The worst happened on a summer day in 1944, when investigators discovered their secret world behind a movable bookcase and rounded them up.

Of the eight Jewish people seized, seven died before the Holocaust was over, including Anne, whose diary was a testament to the horrors of the Nazi regime. She died of typhus at age 15 at Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany.

For decades, Anne's father, Otto, tried to figure out who tipped off the Nazis  a question historians have debated for 72 years.

Now, the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam has put forth a new theory: It was a coincidence.

For decades, the common theory has been that Anne Frank's family was betrayed, possibly by a new employee at her father's business or a conspirator's wife, unsympathetic to the plight of the eight Jews.

But according to a research paper published this month by the Anne Frank House, this explicit focus on betrayal, however, limits the perspective of the arrest.  [O]ther scenarios tend to be overshadowed.

Previous theories were based on Otto Frank's suspicions, which centered on Willem van Maaren, a new employee who hadn't been let in on the secret about the hiding place.

We suspected him all along, Frank told a Dutch newspaper in 1963.

On its website, the museum says van Maaren was an inquisitive type who became suspicious and laid a trap in the warehouse once: on the corners of the tables there are sheets of paper which fall off when you walk past.

Still, no conclusive evidence has ever come to light of van Maaren alerting authorities, the paper says.

Through the decades, others have been identified as potential betrayers, including Dutch National Socialist Tonny Ahlers, as well as the wife of an employee who helped Anne's family hide.

But no one has cast serious doubts about the betrayal theory  until now.

Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? Show all 21 1 /21 Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238504.bin GETTY IMAGES Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238659.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238660.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238658.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238506.bin GETTY IMAGES Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238483.bin Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238656.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238657.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238661.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238649.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238653.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238662.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238663.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238651.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238664.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238652.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238654.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238655.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238666.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238667.bin Getty Images Was the Second World War Britain's finest hour? 238505.bin Getty

In part, that is because historians believed the three investigators who found the Jews hiding in the Opekta building were members of the Sicherheitsdienst, which tracked down potential enemies of Hitler's Nazi regime.

But new information uncovered by researchers showed the three men Otto Frank later identified as the investigators weren't looking for enemies of Nazis, but were likely assigned to track down people committing ration card fraud or dodging service in the military  not hunting down Jews.

Gezinus Gringhuis, for example, had previously been assigned to track down Jews, but had a new assignment  investigating economic violations, according to the research paper.

In her diary, Anne repeatedly wrote about the arrests of men who had been caught dealing in illegal ration cards so we have no coupons.

Such arrests were often reported to authorities, who frequently came across hiding Jews as they tried to sniff out people with phony ration cards.

The research paper also highlights other circumstantial evidence that pokes holes in the betrayal theory. Many phone lines were cut off, for example, which would make it hard for civilians to call authorities about Jews in hiding.

This creates a real possibility that the call, if it actually took place, came from another government agency, the paper says.

The paper stressed that there is no conclusive theory about how Anne's family was discovered  including its own hypothesis.

In any case, the Anne Frank House's investigative report indicates that more was going on in the building (than) only people being hidden there, it says. The possibility of betrayal has of course not been entirely ruled out by this.  Clearly, the last word about that fateful summer day in 1944 has not yet been said.

The interest in the betrayal of a teenage girl seven decades after her death is a testament to the universality of Anne's powerful tale.

Many have pointed out the historical similarities between the plight of Anne's family and the current debate about Syrians seeking refuge in the United States. As The Washington Post's Elahe Izadi wrote, the Franks collided with restrictive policies designed to protect national security and guard against an influx of foreigners during [a] time of war.

The Franks were unable to immigrate to the United States and instead lived in a hidden storeroom.

And a 7-year-old Syrian girl, Bana al-Abed, has been called a modern-day Anne Frank, according to The Post's Caitlin Gibson. Bana amassed 200,000 Twitter followers while documenting her family's struggle to survive in war-ravaged Aleppo.

Copyright Washington Post
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Michael Sheen has clarified comments he made about swapping acting for activism.

In an interview with The Times, the Welsh actor reportedly told the paper he was leaving Hollywood for his hometown of Port Talbot and foregoing acting for grassroots activism to combat the wave of demagogic, fascistic politics he believes is rising in the West.

The interview explained how one of the greatest actors of his generation is returning home to Port Talbot, adding: Michael Sheen explains why hes leaving Hollywood behind.

It means that I would work less as an actor, and possibly stop, he was quoted as telling the paper, before replying: Yeah. Certainly for the time being, when asked if he would stop acting completely.

People news in pictures Show all 18 1 /18 People news in pictures People news in pictures 7 October 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in an ice hockey match between former NHL stars and officials at the Shayba Arena in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. Vladimir Putin spent his 63rd birthday on the ice, playing hockey with NHL stars against Russian officials and tycoons EPA People news in pictures 6 October 2015 German designer Karl Lagerfeld (R) and model Cara Delevingne (C) appear at the end of his Spring/Summer 2016 women's ready-to-wear collection for fashion house Chanel at the Grand Palais which is transformed into a Chanel airport during the Fashion Week in Paris, France Reuters People news in pictures 5 October 2015 Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne addresses the Conservative party conference in Manchester. The Chancellor argued that reducing the payments to people in low paid jobs would give them economic security by reducing the Governments spending deficit Getty Images People news in pictures 4 October 2015 Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston takes a moment in the centre of the field with his daughter Frankie Thurston, holding dark-skinned doll, after winning the 2015 NRL Grand Final match between the Brisbane Broncos and the North Queensland Cowboys at ANZ Stadium in Sydney. The image quickly became the talking point of Australias National Rugby League Final and provoked a strong reaction on social media, with many praising Thurston for giving his child a toy that promotes inclusiveness and diversity Getty Images People news in pictures 3 October 2015 Pope Francis gives a thumbs-up as he greets people at the end of an audience to the participants of a meeting organized by the "Food Bank" at the Paul VI audience hall in Vatican Getty Images People news in pictures 2 October 2015 Britain's Finance Minister George Osborne (L) throws an American football as he meets with former American football players Dan Marino (2nd R) and Curtis Martin (not pictured) at 11 Downing Street in London, ahead of the New York Jets playing against the Miami Dolphins at London's Wembley Stadium on 4 October Getty Images People news in pictures 1 October 2015 An honor guard opens the door as Russian President Vladimir Putin enters a hall to attend a meeting with members of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia People news in pictures 30 September 2015 Former Mrs America Lisa Christie, who alleges misconduct by Bill Cosby, holds up photos of her younger self during a news conference at the law office of attorney Gloria Allred in Los Angeles People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Matt Damon has defended himself against claims that he instructed gay actors to remain in the closet. He had said I think youre a better actor the less people know about you and sexuality is a huge part of that. Whether youre straight or gay, people shouldnt know anything about your sexuality but an appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show said, I was just trying to say actors are more effective when theyre a mystery. Right? Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Marion Cotillard has said that there is no place for feminism in Hollywood. Speaking to Porter magazine, she saidFilm-making is not about gender/ You cannot ask a president in a festival like Cannes to have, like, five movies directed by women and five by men. For me it doesnt create equality, it creates separation. I mean, I dont qualify myself as a feminist." Getty People news in pictures 29 September 2015 Actor Paul Walkers daughter, Meadow, is suing Porsche over her fathers death in a lawsuit that claims he was trapped in the burning car because of design flaws and the seat belt. The Fast and Furious star was killed when the Porsche Carrera GT he was a passenger in hit a pole in California in 2013. The driver, his friend Roger Rodas, also died when the vehicle burst into flames. AP People news in pictures 28 September 2015 Robert Mugabe waits to address the United Nations General Assembly. The leader of Zimbabwe reportedly exclaimed 'We are not gay!' as he criticised Western nation's "double standards and attempts to prescribe new rights that are contrary to our values, norms, traditions and beliefs. In 2013 he described homosexuals as worse than pigs, goats and birds. Reuters People news in pictures 28 September 2015 South African comedian Trevor Noah hosts the first 'Daily Show' since taking over from Jon Stewart as host. Stewart had presented the US satirical news show since 1999 and was described by Noah during the show as a 'Political father' 2015 Getty Images People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Sir Elton John may have received a phone call from the real Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin's spokesman announced he had made contact weeks after the singer was duped by pranksters pretending to be the Russian President. Getty People news in pictures 25 September 2015 Actor Leonardo DiCaprio was mistakenly declared as the artist who produced the Mona Lisa by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith. It was in fact Leonardo da Vinci. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 A new biography claims Donald Trump expected to be dead by 40 and never marry. The Guardian says the a new book also claims that in 1980, Mr Trump manufactured a fake vice-president of his real estate conglomerate, whom he called John Baron. People news in pictures 24 September 2015 The Dalai Lama has said that Britain's policy towards China is just about 'Money, money, money.' And asked 'Where is morality?' People news in pictures 24 September 2015 Puff Daddy secured the number-one spot on the Forbes Hip Hop Cash Kings list, with the publication calculating he made an estimated $60million (39m) between June 2014 and June 2015.

But Sheen has now said he is only considering putting his acting career on the backburner.

The interviewer asked me what that meant for my career and I said it might mean I work less as an actor and maybe even stop for a while, he said on Sunday.

Sheen said he might stop acting at some point but added: I dont really know yet.

I certainly did NOT equate people who voted for Brexit or Trump with a fascistic 'hard right that must be stopped, he continued. "The majority of people in the UK, including my hometown of Port Talbot, voted for Brexit. That is the will of the people and is to be respected. That is democracy. Given the concerns around the economy in the area I come from and its industrial history I totally empathise with the dissatisfaction with the status quo that the vote was partially an expression of.

What I think must be resisted is the re-emerging spectre of fascism in the West. Our democracy must be defended and each of us needs to decide how we can contribute to that effort.
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An official estimate of deaths expected to be caused annually by antimicrobial resistance  cited by the United Nations and world leaders  is unreliable and undermines the fight against superbugs, a group scientists has warned.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) arises when micro-organisms that cause an infection survive medicine that is intended to kill them or stop their growth.

A figure of 10 million deaths a year has been widely used to illustrate the dangers of not taking action on AMR, but leading scientists now say it is based on incomplete data and flawed assumptions.

The number first appeared in 2014, in the initial report of the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance  a body set up by former Prime Minister David Cameron and headed by the economist Lord Jim ONeill.

The aim of the AMR Review was to analyse the potential impact to human health of growing resistance to antibiotics and antivirals.

 Antibiotics crisis is global

It warned that without urgent action, by 2050 a further 10 million people around the world would lose their lives to drug-resistant infections  a figure that has been cited for the past two years by media organisations, politicians, the UN, the European Commission, the World Health Organisation, the G7, and many others.

The number also has prompted headlines warning of an antibiotic apocalypse, in which superbugs would kill more than cancer  and a world thats on the cusp of a post-antibiotic era.

Now scientists, led by Marlieke de Kraker at the HUG (Geneva University Hospitals), say that while the dangers of the overuse of antibiotics are undisputed, the 2014 death toll estimate does not stand up to scientific scrutiny.

In a peer-reviewed article, published in the scientific journal PLOS Medicine, the researchers acknowledge that action is required to fight antibiotic resistance, but recommend that estimates for such an important, hot topic should undergo scrutiny by independent experts before being made publicly available.

We contend that unreliable global estimates like those provided in the AMR Review potentially undermine, rather than support, the fight against a post-antibiotic era, the studys authors conclude.

Their findings  revealed today by The Independent  are being covered by the German non-profit news website correctiv.org as part of its long-running investigation into superbugs and the threat they pose to public health.

Speaking to correctiv.org, Ms de Kraker said her article had been well-received by the scientific community  many had long doubted the figure and are reportedly glad it has finally been disputed.

Petra Gastmeier, director of the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine at the Charite University Hospital in Berlin  not involved in the study  agreed with its conclusions, saying the authors have shown the mistakes of the British study step-by-step.

But neither scientist would provide their own estimates, saying there were too many uncertainties and not enough data.

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The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has more than 100 officials investigating the cause of the mystery illness, and has warned citizens against smoking e-cigarette products until more is known, particularly if modified or bought off the street Getty Health news in pictures Baldness cure looks to be a step closer Researchers in the US claim to have overcome one of the major hurdles to cultivating human follicles from stem cells. The new system allows cells to grow in a structured tuft and emerge from the skin Sanford Burnham Preybs Health news in pictures Two hours a week spent in nature can improve health A study in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that a dose of nature of just two hours a week is associated with better health and psychological wellbeing Shutterstock Health news in pictures Air pollution linked to fertility issues in women Exposure to air from traffic-clogged streets could leave women with fewer years to have children, a study has found. Italian researchers found women living in the most polluted areas were three times more likely to show signs they were running low on eggs than those who lived in cleaner surroundings, potentially triggering an earlier menopause Getty/iStock Health news in pictures Junk food ads could be banned before watershed Junk food adverts on TV and online could be banned before 9pm as part of Government plans to fight the "epidemic" of childhood obesity. Plans for the new watershed have been put out for public consultation in a bid to combat the growing crisis, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said PA Health news in pictures Breeding with neanderthals helped humans fight diseases On migrating from Africa around 70,000 years ago, humans bumped into the neanderthals of Eurasia. While humans were weak to the diseases of the new lands, breeding with the resident neanderthals made for a better equipped immune system PA Health news in pictures Cancer breath test to be trialled in Britain The breath biopsy device is designed to detect cancer hallmarks in molecules exhaled by patients Getty Health news in pictures Average 10 year old has consumed the recommended amount of sugar for an adult By their 10th birthdy, children have on average already eaten more sugar than the recommended amount for an 18 year old. The average 10 year old consumes the equivalent to 13 sugar cubes a day, 8 more than is recommended PA Health news in pictures Child health experts advise switching off screens an hour before bed While there is not enough evidence of harm to recommend UK-wide limits on screen use, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health have advised that children should avoid screens for an hour before bed time to avoid disrupting their sleep Getty Health news in pictures Daily aspirin is unnecessary for older people in good health, study finds A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has found that many elderly people are taking daily aspirin to little or no avail Getty Health news in pictures Vaping could lead to cancer, US study finds A study by the University of Minnesota's Masonic Cancer Centre has found that the carcinogenic chemicals formaldehyde, acrolein, and methylglyoxal are present in the saliva of E-cigarette users Reuters Health news in pictures More children are obese and diabetic There has been a 41% increase in children with type 2 diabetes since 2014, the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit has found. 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Just Giving Health news in pictures Government to review thousands of harmful vaginal mesh implants The Government has pledged to review tens of thousands of cases where women have been given harmful vaginal mesh implants. Getty Health news in pictures Jeremy Hunt announces 'zero suicides ambition' for the NHS The NHS will be asked to go further to prevent the deaths of patients in its care as part of a zero suicide ambition being launched today Getty Health news in pictures Human trials start with cancer treatment that primes immune system to kill off tumours Human trials have begun with a new cancer therapy that can prime the immune system to eradicate tumours. The treatment, that works similarly to a vaccine, is a combination of two existing drugs, of which tiny amounts are injected into the solid bulk of a tumour. 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Rex Health news in pictures Potential key to halting breast cancer's spread discovered by scientists Most breast cancer patients do not die from their initial tumour, but from secondary malignant growths (metastases), where cancer cells are able to enter the blood and survive to invade new sites. Asparagine, a molecule named after asparagus where it was first identified in high quantities, has now been shown to be an essential ingredient for tumour cells to gain these migratory properties. Getty Health news in pictures NHS nursing vacancies at record high with more than 34,000 roles advertised A record number of nursing and midwifery positions are currently being advertised by the NHS, with more than 34,000 positions currently vacant, according to the latest data. Demand for nurses was 19 per cent higher between July and September 2017 than the same period two years ago. 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Lord ONeill, who was the first minister to resign from Theresa Mays new Government  two days after presenting the Reviews findings to a major summit of the UN in New York  said the AMR Review no longer existed in a formal capacity, but was keen to comment on the new findings.

He said: Two specialist forecasting organisations put these numbers together for us about the possible future consequences of inaction, and this work has helped spur huge momentum on AMR in the UK and internationally in the last two years, which continues.

One of my Reviews 10 specific calls was for improved surveillance to get better data to continue to assess this huge health and economic threat so in that sense we agree on the need for better data.

Recommended CMA discovers more pharmaceutical funny business

Consulting giant KPMG was one of the two forecasting organisations mentioned by Lord ONeill. A KPMG spokesperson said: Our own analysis was based on assumptions and the best data available at the time. Since then more data has become available and we are looking to update our estimates next year.

When David Cameron commissioned the review in 2014, he warned that antibiotic resistance could lead to medical dark ages. He said it was one of the gravest crises the world faced.

Lord ONeill, a former senior Goldman Sachs banker with a worldwide reputation as a top economist, was asked to head the review  and in 2015 he issued a call for urgent action.

But according to the PLOS Medicine study, Lord ONeills AMR Review contained three main errors.

The scientists led by Marlieke de Kraker found the Reviews global deaths estimate not credible because it was based on incomplete data from the European Antimicrobial Resistance Network (EARS-Net), which records instances of infections in 895 European hospitals.

The new study argues this data is not representative of infections across Europe as a whole. This is because a third of the hospitals that report to EARS-Net are large specialist hospitals, whose patients will naturally be carrying more infections than patients in, for example, a smaller hospital or a GPs surgery.

The AMR Review had extrapolated infections data from the 895 European hospitals to calculate the global number of infections, which the new study calls a crude approach.

Fears over antibiotic usage leading to lethal infections were discussed by the G8 in 2013 (Rex Features)

Suppose that 2,000 patients die from a resistant strain from a bug such as MRSA, and 1,000 patients with a treatable, non-resistant strain also die. It would be reasonable to assume the deadliness of the resistant bug is twice as high. It was precisely this assumption the Review made  according to Ms de Krakers team who contest it.

Charite University Hospitals Petra Gastmeier explained that the two groups of patients were different. She said the MRSA deaths will be, on average, older  and therefore at a bigger risk of serious illness and death than those who are infected with the non-resistant bug.

The older people are, the more antibiotics they are likely to have taken  increasing the likelihood of them carrying resistant bugs, she added.

While infections with resistant bugs can result in death, the risk is probably lower than what the Review had assumed.

Based on these assumptions, the Review used a figure of 700,000 deaths a year from antimicrobial resistance as its baseline. And then, based on [these] already uncertain estimates, the PLOS Medicine study suggests that the Reviews final error was assumptions about increasing infection rates in the future.

According to the study, there is already evidence that fewer people are dying from infections because of better medical care. The 10 million figure was calculated based on the AMR Reviews assumption that resistant bugs will become significantly more common and twice as infectious, and that the proportion of people who die from these infections will not change  even though, as the study points out, improvements in public health systems, especially in middle-income countries, mean that even now the number of people who die from such infections is getting smaller.

While the study acknowledges that the Review did call for better data and better surveillance of infections, it also says that the Review did not clearly report how existing uncertainties in each of the applied steps could affect their estimates.

The scientists said: The Review estimated that antimicrobial resistance could cause 10 million deaths a year by 2050. This estimate has become a familiar refrain. It has been quoted repeatedly by lay media, experts, and public health agencies. Frequently, only this specific, frightening conclusion is reproduced from the report, unaccompanied by caveats or confidence intervals We contend that unreliable global estimates like those provided in the AMR Review potentially undermine, rather than support, the fight against a post-antibiotic era.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: The figures in Lord ONeills report are predictions based on a number of assumptions about current and future trends. They serve as a warning as to what might happen if we dont act now  and there is certainly consensus from experts across the world that the threat from antimicrobial resistance is very real.

The authors of this article are journalists with correctiv.org, an independent, non-profit, investigative journalism centre in Germany. Correctiv.org is financed exclusively through donations and membership fees. To support the non-profit newsroom or become a member, see correctiv.org/en
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The number of homeless children who will spend Christmas in temporary accommodation stands at more than 124,000, government figures have revealed.

Many will be in hostels and bed and breakfasts located miles from their original homes and families,with the figure rising by more than 10 per cent since last year.

The Department for Communities and Local Government said 21,400 homeless households, accounting for 29 per cent of all those in temporary accommodation in England, have been moved away to a different council area  a 15 per cent rise in household numbers in the last year, according to the figures.

 Jeremy Corbyn attends homeless appeal event

The figures, which were quietly released by the Government 10 days before Christmas, have been described as shocking and hugely worrying by leading homeless charities.

It comes as Centrepoint issues a stark warning about the number of young homeless people who will be facing problems this Christmas, some of whom have families of their own.

Kiera Piper, 17, has been living in temporary accommodation with her partner and baby son for six months, and will be spending Christmas in a hostel in which everything is shared.

The young family have been moved three times since June, being shifted between different hotels and hostels, sometimes more than 10 miles from where they work.

Ms Piper told The Independent: My son turned one in October. Its his second Christmas, so he'll remember it better this year. I'm disappointed that we'll be spending it in this hostel where everything is shared, and not in our own home where we should be.

"It's not the nicest of places, but the only thing we can do is try and make the most of it and make it as Christmassy as we can for his sake.

The causes of homelessness Show all 7 1 /7 The causes of homelessness The causes of homelessness Family Breakdown Relationship breakdown, usually between young people and their parents or step-parents, is a major cause of youth homelessness. Around six in ten young people who come to Centrepoint say they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Many have experienced long-term problems at home, often involving violence, leaving them without the family support networks that most of us take for granted The causes of homelessness Complex needs Young people who come to Centrepoint face a range of different and complex problems. More than a third have a mental health issue, such as depression and anxiety, another third need to tackle issues with substance misuse. A similar proportion also need to improve their physical health. These problems often overlap, making it more difficult for young people to access help and increasing the chances of them becoming homeless Getty/iStock The causes of homelessness Deprivation Young people's chances of having to leave home are higher in areas of high deprivation and poor prospects for employment and education. Many of those who experience long spells of poverty can get into problem debt, which makes it harder for them to access housing Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Gang Crime Homeless young people are often affected by gang-related problems. In some cases, it becomes too dangerous to stay in their local area meaning they can end up homeless. One in six young people at Centrepoint have been involved in or affected by gang crime Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Exclusion From School Not being in education can make it much more difficult for young people to access help with problems at home or health problems. Missing out on formal education can also make it more difficult for them to move into work Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Leaving Care Almost a quarter of young people at Centrepoint have been in care. They often have little choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age. Traumas faced in their early lives make care leavers some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities, with higher chances of poor outcomes in education, employment and housing. Their additional needs mean they require a higher level of support to maintain their accommodation Getty Images/iStockphoto The causes of homelessness Refugees Around 13 per cent of young people at Centrepoint are refugees or have leave to remain, meaning it isn't safe to return home. This includes young people who come to the UK as unaccompanied minors, fleeing violence or persecution in their own country. After being granted asylum, young people sometimes find themselves with nowhere to go and can end up homeless Getty Images/iStockphoto

The government data reveals a rise of more than 300 per cent since 2014 in the number of families in England who are being housed illegally - for more than the statutory maximum period of six weeks - in B&Bs by local authorities because they cannot find any alternative places.

In reaction to the figures, Campbell Robb, Shelters chief executive, said: Todays figures paint a desperate picture of the thousands of families facing not only the trauma of homelessness, but also the prospect of having to move away from their friends, families and everything they hold dear.

Its especially heartbreaking to know that so many children will find themselves waking up without somewhere to call home this Christmas morning.

Mr Robb blamed a perfect storm of a lack of affordable homes, soaring rents and cuts to welfare, all of which are pushing more and more families to crisis point.

Centrepoint said the latest figures echoed the rocketing numbers of young people who will be facing difficult circumstances over the festive season.

Its head of public affairs, Paul Noblet, said: These figures are going up year on year, and while its a hugely worrying increase, it is not surprising. These figures echo our own which show that 25,000 young people will be facing different choices that Christmas.

At Centrepoint we have seen the human cost as the financial pressures on local authorities, huge rent increases, and stubbornly high levels of long-term youth unemployment translate into more and more young people struggling to find a place to live.

The charity has stressed that there is growing pressure on homelessness services, amid the cuts, along with an increase in the demand for housing, particularly in London, with up to a third of the young people who seek homelessness support from English local authorities each year being sent away with little or no advice.

Through its Helpline, Centrepoint will provide early-intervention housing support to the growing numbers of young people already on the streets or at risk of homelessness.
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Lidl was alerted to the harmful effects of a paint thinner chemical found in its gravy granules more than two weeks before it issued a public recall, The Independent can reveal.

The supermarket has recalled two batches of Kania Gravy Granules found to contain xylene, which occurs naturally in petroleum and crude oil, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Eugene Vatsaloo, from Tonyrefail in south Wales, said he and his family had suffered stomach cramps, headaches, dizziness and breathing difficulties shortly after eating the gravy with their dinner on 29 November.

Recommended Lidl gravy granules found to contain harmful paint thinner chemical

Exposure to xylene poses a health risk, causing irritation of the mouth, throat, nose and lungs and in severe cases leading to heart problems, liver and kidney damage and coma, according to Public Health England.

Mr Vatsaloo told The Independent his wife had mentioned a chemical smell while cooking the meal, but thought it was the saucepan handle burning.

I put lots of salt and pepper on mine. I was fairly hungry as I'd been working all day. The others said they didn't like the taste of it and stopped eating it, he said.

The whole family  along with their three French bulldogs, who had eaten the childrens leftovers  quickly became unwell, with his two children aged 15 and 20 experiencing headaches and burning and blisters in their throat.

I had a real bad back pain as well as passing blood for two days, said the DJ. The doctor told me the bleeding was from burning in the stomach.

I waited five or six days before I saw the doctor, as I thought I had food poisoning and it took two days to get an appointment. Had I known, I would have gone to A&E straight away.

L-R: Eugene Vatsaloo, his daughter Riva, aged 20, and his son Eugene, aged 15 (Courtesy of Eugene Vatsaloo)

Mr Vatsaloo informed Lidl and environmental health authorities of a possible contamination on 2 December when the family became concerned about the granules noxious smell after opening the packet again a few days later.

In emails seen by The Independent, the supermarket acknowledged the complaint and said the matter had been passed on to the Quality Assurance Department.

However, according to Mr Vatsaloo, more than two weeks later he had still not had any information from Lidl on what might have caused his symptoms.

He said Mya, one of his three dogs who had not vomited after consuming the gravy, was still critically ill and her treatment had been delayed from the alleged lack of information provided by the supermarket.

[Mya] never goes to the toilet in the house, and there was a pool of blood on the floor in my bedroom, he said.

I rang [Lidl] every day, saying 'can you tell me what it is'. I sought medical attention and took my dog to the vets. They said I needed to find out what it was from the manufacturer.

Mya, the French bulldog who has been taken ill after eating Lidl gravy (Courtesy of Eugene Vatsaloo)

My dog is still passing blood. The vet said it was caused by caustic burning in the colon. I'm sure she's got kidney damage, she's got to go back tomorrow. We're worried sick about her.

I've been living this nightmare for the last 17 days, I want to know what I've eaten and what my dog has eaten. Is she going to be ok? Obviously she's not going to be ok.

A Lidl spokesperson told The Independent an investigation was launched as soon as they were made aware of the situation and they had announced the public recall yesterday, having been in consultation with the FSA.

Recommended Lidl becomes first supermarket to pay workers Living Wage

A recall notice has been issued in all stores advising customers not to consume any Kania Gravy Granules with a best before date of October 2017 and November 2017 only, they said.

If a customer has consumed this product we would urge them to seek medical advice. We are taking the issue very seriously and are working closely with our supplier to identify the cause.

The supermarket said it had issued its own recall notice in its 640 UK stores as a precaution on 5 December, but had not released details of the suspected contamination until it had been confirmed by laboratory analysis.

The spokesperson said the customer service team had been in ongoing contact with the customer and requested further information in order for our quality assurance team to carry out a full and thorough investigation."

 Lidl Christmas Advert 2016

Kirsta Horsman, from Welling in Kent, told The Independent she had also experienced persistent headaches and an upset stomachafter eating the gravy granules bought from Lidl.

She said her nine-year-old daughter had suffered a dizzy spell on the way to school for the first time.

"We've been eating these granules on and off for a month," she said. "It was only after seeing the news that I thought, 'oh, that's why I've not been feeling well".

A notice issued by the supermarket said the products affected were 300g packets of Kania Gravy Granules for meat and for chicken with best before dates of October and November 2017.

Other Kania products are not affected by the recall.
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Britain is extending its training programme for Ukrainian government troops in the face of a more belligerent Russia, the Government has announced.

Sir Michael Fallon said the initiative would continue for at least another year as the conflict in eastern Ukraine shows no sign of ending.

Britain is stepping up in Europe and around the world, the Defence Secretary said.

 Boris Johnson flies in to address Ukraine crisis but is left sidelined

Extending British training of Ukrainian Armed Forces sends a clear message that we support Ukraine and remain firmly committed to its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in the face of a more belligerent Russia.

Sir Michael said thousands of service personnel would be trained by British troops, who have been spread across around 14 sites across Ukraine since 2015

Around 100 training team members are active in the country at any one time, running 30 courses for infantry, medical and logistics corps, as well as on IED clearance.

British forces have already trained more than 5,000 Ukrainian troops, the Ministry of Defence said, saying they would remain until early 2018 at least.

The UK coordinates with four other nations in the Quint group, including the US, Canada, Lithuania and Poland.

The Government has also loaned a senior adviser to the Ukrainian governments defence ministry and sent more than 1m of non-lethal equipment, including first aid kits and cold weather clothing.

Its latest deployment comes amid heightened tensions with Russia over Britains opposition to Vladimir Putins support for Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war.

Diplomatic relations have worsened over the regimes advance on Aleppo, with Theresa May saying civilians lives were in President Putins hands.

In pictures: Ukraine crisis Show all 12 1 /12 In pictures: Ukraine crisis In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis People shout slogans during a pro Russian rally at a central square in Donetsk. Pro Russian activists continued to gather on Saturday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, as Russia was reported to be reinforcing its military presence in Crimea. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis In the same pro Russian rally, demonstrators show their support. Ukraine's ambassador to Russia and a deputy Russian foreign minister held a "cordial" meeting on Saturday, Moscow said, without giving details of any discussion of Russian-occupied Crimea. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Crimean ethnic tatars stand on the roadside as Russian troops move towards to Simferopol in the settlement of Kok-Asan, some 70 kilometres from Simferopol in Crimea. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Russian troops stand on a roadside in the settlement of Opytnoye, some 70 kilometres from Simferopol. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Armed members of the first unit of a pro-Russian armed force, dubbed the "military forces of the autonomous republic of Crimea" march before the swearing-in ceremony in Simferopol, Ukraine. Some 30 men armed with automatic weapons and another 20 or so unarmed, were sworn in at a park in front of an eternal flame to those killed in World War II. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis A group of Cossacks march past a statue of Soviet revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin in Simferopol as tensions in the area continue to rise. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis An armed member of the first unit of a pro-Russian armed force, dubbed the "military forces of the autonomous republic of Crimea" signs the oath during the swearing-in ceremony in Simferopol, In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Ukrainian soldiers load their armed personnel carriers (APCs) into boxcars in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Pro-Kremlin militia fired warning shots as unarmed foreign observers tried to enter Crimea on the 8th. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis An abandoned naval ship sunk by the Russian navy to block the entrance is seen in the Crimean port of Yevpatorya on March 8th. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Ukrainian sailors stand guard on top of the Ukrainian navy ship at the Crimean port of Yevpatorya. In pictures: Ukraine crisis Ukraine crisis Crimea's pro-Moscow leader Sergei Aksyonov speaks to the media in Simferopol on the 8th March. He has defended a decision to hold a referendum on whether the region should join Russia, saying on Saturday that "no one" could cancel the voting.

The Kremlin has hit back by denying all allegations of war crimes and claiming civilians were being held hostage by terrorists.

EU leaders also voted this week to extend economic sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis after attempts at implementing a peace deal agreed in Minsk failed.

Successive rounds of EU and US sanctions have been imposed on Russia over the conflict and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014, prompting Russia to respond with counter-sanctions.

The Russian government has denied supporting pro-Russian separatist rebels in the face of evidence by Nato and monitors claiming to show its troops and weapons in rebel-controlled areas of the country.

Hacked emails seen by the BBC appear to show Vladislav Surkov, one of Vladimir Putins closest aides, detailing budgets for pro-Russian republics in eastern Ukraine, as well as a plan for Moscow to provide fuel for the separatists during shortages.

International investigators also concluded that rebels shot down a Malaysia Airlines passenger plane using a missile system supplied from Russia, killing all 298 people on board.

Rising tensions between Russia and Nato have sparked a military build-up on both sides, with Nato launching huge war exercises and making high profile deployments as Russia moves nuclear missiles nearer to European borders.

Mr Putin said the move was necessary to combat Nato threats, while military commanders vowed to continue developing Russias military capability.
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People who don't engage as much with the wider world are overwhelmingly more likely to have voted for Brexit, research has found.

A study by Demos also found the size of a person's social network and their likelihood of travelling beyond their hometown had a greater influence on their decision to vote to leave the EU than other factors such as income. The think-tank found those who socialised with friends from a different part of Britain were nine per cent less likely to have voted for Brexit, despite their income.

Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Show all 13 1 /13 Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Supreme Court Brexit Challenge People wait to enter the public gallery outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Gina Miller, co-founder of investment fund SCM Private arrives at the Supreme court in London on the first day of a four-day hearing Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waves the EU flag in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Satirical artist Kaya Mar poses with two of his paintings in front of the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin. The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge The eleven Supreme Court Justices will hear the government's appeal, following the High Court's recent decision that only Parliament can trigger Article 50 Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Businesswoman Gina Miller arrives at the Supreme Court ahead of the first day of a hearing into whether Parliament's consent is required before the Brexit process can begin Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Attorney General Jeremy Wright arrives at the Supreme Court in London EPA Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Protesters outside the Supreme Court in London, where the Government is appealing against a ruling that the Prime Minister must seek MPs' approval to trigger the process of taking Britain out of the European Union PA wire Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protesters wearing a judge's wigs and robes stands outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A protester holds up a placard outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters Supreme Court Brexit Challenge Pro-Europe protestors dressed as Supreme Court Justices stand outside the Supreme Court Getty Supreme Court Brexit Challenge A man waiting to enter the public gallery waves a European Union flag outside the Supreme Court ahead of the challenge against a court ruling that Theresa May's government requires parliamentary approval to start the process of leaving the European Union, in Parliament Square, central London Reuters

Similarly, those who had spent time with a resident of another country were 15 per cent less likely to have voted to leave. According to The Guardian, the report, which is published in full in 2017, shows people who still live in their childhood hometowns were 10 per cent more likely to think globalisation had had a negative impact on their lives. Those who were hostile to same-sex relationships and the rise of the number of women in the workplace were also more likely to have voted leave.

 Theresa May refuses to comment on suggestions Brexit deal will take 10 years

Prime Minister Theresa May has been warned a 50bn Brexit bill that Britain must pay will be one of the first issues on the table in negotiations.

EU leaders said Michel Barnier, the European Commission chief negotiator, has confirmed the UK will have to pay the fee for outstanding liabilities. The sum is believed to include the obligation for the UK to pay into the EU Budget until the end of 2020, as well as pension liabilities for EU staff.

Downing Street said the UK would meet its obligations while it remained a member of the EU  but any financial settlement after that would be a matter for negotiation.

Last week, Ms May refused to comment on suggestions it will take 10 years for the UK to negotiate the Brexit deal. However, Chancellor Philip Hammond rejected the suggestion that a trade deal could take a decade to reach.

Speaking on a visit to South Korea, he said: I don't expect that it will take as long as that. There will be two stages in this process: first we will negotiate a deal for our exit from the European Union and, once we have started that process, we will, in parallel, begin to negotiate new arrangements with our former European Union partners so that we can continue to trade and work closely with them.
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Nigel Farage has claimed cabinet ministers have been banned from talking to him by Downing Street.

The former Ukip leader also said he wants to be a bridge between Donald Trump's US and the UK.

His comments came after he became the first senior UK politician to meet the president-elect following his surprise victory.

Downing Street did not comment on Mr Farages latest remarks but previously brushed off the chances of him becoming a go-between, insisting there was no vacancy.

Nigel Farage's most controversial moments Show all 12 1 /12 Nigel Farage's most controversial moments Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he unveiled that 'breaking point' poster during the referendum Mr Farage was accused of deploying Nazi-style propaganda when he unveiled a poster showing Syrian refugees travelling to Europe under the next Breaking point. Users on social media were quick to compare the advert to a Nazi propaganda film with similar visuals and featuring Jewish refugees. The poster was particularly controversial because it was unveiled the morning of the killing of Labour MP Jo Cox Rex Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said hed be concerned if his neighbours were Romanian In May 2014 Mr Farage was accused of a racial slur against Romanians after he suggested he would be concerned living next to a house of them. I was asked if a group of Romanian men moved in next to you, would you be concerned? And if you lived in London, I think you would be, he told LBC radio during an interview. Asked whether he would also object to living next to German children, he said: You know the difference Bongarts/Getty Images Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said the EU campaign was won 'without a bullet being fired' Nigel Farage has said the next Prime Minister has to be a Leave supporter AFP/Getty Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he resigned as Ukip leader and came back days later After failing to win the seat of South Thanet at the general election, Nigel Farage stepped down as Ukip leader  as he had promised to do during the campaign. Days later on 11 May he un-resigned and said he would stay after being convinced by supporters within the party. Well see how long his resignation lasts this time AP/Matt Dunham Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he blamed immigrants for making him late Mr Farage turned up late to a 25-a-head meet the leader style event in Port Talbot, Wales in December 2014. Asked why he was late, he blamed immigrants. It took me six hours and 15 minutes to get here - it should have taken three-and-a-half to four, he said. That has nothing to do with professionalism, what it does have to do with is a country in which the population is going through the roof chiefly because of open-door immigration and the fact that the M4 is not as navigable as it used to be Getty Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he wanted to ban immigrants with HIV from Britain Mr Farage has used his platform as Ukip leader call for people with HIV to be banned from coming to Britain. Asked in an interview with Newsweek Europe in October 2014 who he thought should be allowed to come to the UK, he said: People who do not have HIV, to be frank. Thats a good start. And people with a skill. He also repeated similar comments in the 2015 general election leadership debates Getty Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he defended the use of a racial slur against Chinese people Defending one of Ukips candidates, who used the word ch**ky to describe a Chinese person, Mr Farage said: If you and your mates were going out for a Chinese, what do you say you're going for?" When he was told by the presented that he honestly would not use the slur, Mr Farage replied: A lot would Lintao Zhang/Getty Images Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said parts of Britain were like a foreign land The Ukip leader used his 2014 conference speech to declare parts of Britain as being like a foreign land. He told his audience in Torquay that parts of the country were unrecognisable because of the number of foreigners there. Mr Farage has also previously said he felt uncomfortable when people spoke other language on a train Screengrab Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said the British army should be deployed to France At the height of trouble at Britains Calais border Mr Farage proposed a novel solution. The Ukip leader called for the British army to be sent to France to put down a migrant rebellion. In all civil emergencies like this we have an army, we have a bit of a Territorial Army as well and we have a very, very overburdened police force and border agency, he said. If in a crisis to make sure weve actually got the manpower to check lorries coming in, to stop people illegally coming to Britain, if in those circumstances we can use the army or other forces then why not AFP/Getty Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said breastfeeding women should sit in the corner Mr Farage sparked protests from mothers after he told women to sit on the corner if they wanted to breastfeed their children. I think that given that some people feel very embarrassed by it, it isnt too difficult to breastfeed a baby in a way that's not openly ostentatious, Mr Farage said. He added: "Or perhaps sit in the corner, or whatever it might be AFP/Getty Images Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said the gender pay gap exists because women are worth less At a Q&A on the European Union in January 2014 Mr Farage said there was no discrimination against women causing the gender pay gap. Instead, he said, women were paid less because they were simply worth far less than many of their male counterparts. A woman who has a client base, has a child and takes two or three years off - she is worth far less to her employer when she comes back than when she went away because that client base won't be stuck as rigidly to her portfolio, he said Getty Nigel Farage's most controversial moments When he said he actually couldnt guarantee 350m to the NHS after Brexit During the EU referendum campaign the Leave side pledged to spend 350 million a week on the National Health Service  claiming that this is what the UK sends to Brussels. Nigel Farage didnt speak out against this figure and also pledged to spend EU cash on the health service and other public services himself. Then the day of the election result he suddenly changed his tone, saying he couldnt guarantee the cash for the NHS and that to pledge to do so was a mistake Getty

Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4: If you wanted to get business from the biggest company in the world and there was someone there that had the contacts and connections, the first thing you do is to employ that person.

I find the fact that Downing Street don't want to acknowledge me, have banned cabinet ministers from even talking to me, it shows you the sort of very small-minded, petty, tribal level that British politics is at  it's a shame.

Responding to a question about a spike in hate crime after the EU referendum, Mr Farage said he has received 10 death threats in the last two weeks.

He added: Have there been yobs and louts that have behaved badly since Brexit? Yes. But, you know what, they were behaving badly before Brexit.

Farage with Donald Trump shortly after the US election

Last month, Mr Farage was pictured grinning in a gold-plated lift alongside the president-elect at his New York skyscraper.

Mr Trump then shocked Westminster by sending a late-night tweet saying Mr Farage would do a great job as Britain's ambassador to the US.
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A senior Labour MEP has criticised the right-wing press about his amendments to an obscure report about Brexit as silly and contrived and said their concerted attack on him shows they are panicking over the likelihood of a second EU referendum.

Richard Corbett, deputy leader of Labours MEPs, was accused of plotting to sabotage Brexit by amending European Parliament legislation.

He also drew criticism for suggesting Leave voters may want a second referendum in order to change their mind.

 Theresa May refuses to say she will defend judges from press attacks ahead of Brexit judgement

In October, the Yorkshire and Humber MEP tabled a series of amendments to a report by Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt to the Constitutional Affairs Committee in Brussels which appeared to downplay the significance of the referendum.

One changed a line that said the European Parliament "stresses that this wish (to leave the EU) must be respected" to simply that the body "notes" the referendum.

However, the proposed changes were rejected. Mr Corbett told The Independent the documentation was a non-legislative report which the Parliament was drawing up on its own initiatives and was just putting ideas on the table.

It was not focused on Brexit but the long-term developments of the European Union, Mr Corbett said, and will have no bearing on how the UK extracts itself from the EU. However, the right wing press presented the documentation as important.

Mr Corbett said he decided to propose the changes because he was the only non-Ukip British member of the Committee and that part of the report referred to the UK. My amendments were partly on a factual point, because it referred to the decision of the UK to leave. Given what the High Court has said, the decision is for parliament. The referendum was legally advisory. I was just correcting that point.

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

There was an idea floated about Britain, Ukraine and Turkey being associate members and that might satisfy the 52 per cent of voters who voted to leave. I said it might be a way of perhaps reconciling the 52 per cent and 48 per cent.

Mr Corbett also defended a point he made which said the EU shouldnt stand in the way of the UK re-joining if the public changed its mind. I maintain thats just common sense. If Britain were to reconsider  the EU cant force it to reconsider  they shouldnt prevent that. Whether we do or not is a British choice and a British debate.

He continued: I would argue that if there is a mandate for Brexit from this referendum, its surely for one that works without sinking the economy.

And as we go on it turns out to be rather costly, then people who voted leave at no cost  because they were told there would be no cost, there would be a benefit to the NHS  when they see that its going to be a rather costly exercise, then surely they are entitled to say: Hang on a minute Thats not what I voted for, I want the opportunity to reconsider?'

This point has been met with massive criticism from pro-Brexit MEPs and contributed to the concerted attack from the Eurosceptic press on Mr Corbett.

However, the MEP said the newspapers must be in a panic" over the idea that people might start demanding a rethink.

He added: I thought it was strange a curious they latched onto these three obscure amendments in an obscure report and made such a song and dance about it.
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Steve Biko, who died fighting apartheid in South Africa, would have turned 70 today.

An illustration commemorating Bikos life and legacy has been published as a Google Doodle in South Africa, the UK, North America, Portugal and other countries.

Here are five things you may not know about the student leader and activist.

Steve Biko (Rex Features)

He believed 'black is beautiful' and encouraged others to do so too

Biko, born on this day in 1946, founded the grassroots Black Consciousness Movement in the late 60s.

He led the Movement in its campaign against apartheid, a system of enforced racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa between 1948 and the early 1990s.

He became known for his slogan black is beautiful, which he described in his writings as meaning you are okay as you are, begin to look upon yourself as a human being.

He was expelled from school for his political views

Born in Ginsberg, near the city of East London in the Eastern Cape province of todays South Africa, Biko was the third of four children.

He attended a prestigious boarding school in the region called Lovedale, but was expelled after three months for his political activities after being arrested with his brother who was charged for being a member of resistance group Poqo.

Biko went on to study at the Catholic school St Francis College, where he was vice chair of the literary and debating society, and enrolled to study medicine at the non-European section of the University of Natal in Durban.

There, he founded the South African Students Organisation, which later became the Black Consciousness Movement, but his political activity led him to be expelled from the university in 1972.

He was banned by the apartheid government

In early 1973, the government tried to silence Biko by prohibiting him from speaking in public or from talking to more than one person at a time.

He was not allowed to leave the Eastern Cape province and he was forbidden from writing publically or speaking to journalists.

However, Biko resisted by forming local grassroots groups and organising rallies and a speech he made as a defence witness in May 1967, the first time he had spoken in public since being banned, has been described as a seminar on Black Consciousness.

His testimony gave impetus to the Soweto Uprising  a student demonstration which police reacted to with fierce brutality, killing hundreds of young people.

Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Show all 15 1 /15 Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: 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 on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message "Go Trump". Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: 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 on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message "Go Trump". Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: 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 on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message "Go Trump". Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: 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 on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message "Go Trump". Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: Children play on playground equipment that was defaced with swastikas during an anti-hate rally at a Brooklyn park named in memory of Beastie Boys band member Adam Yauch on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message AGo Trump.A Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz speaks at a anti-hate rally at a Brooklyn park named in memory of Beastie Boys band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message AGo Trump.A Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 20: A piece of playground equipment that was defaced with swastikas stands during an anti-hate rally at a Brooklyn park named in memory of Beastie Boys band member Adam Yauch on November 20, 2016 in New York City. On Friday, the park and playground was spray painted with swastikas and the message AGo Trump.A Hundreds of people, many with their children, listened to community leaders and Beastie Boys member Adam Horovitz condemn racism and intolerance. Following the election of Donald Trump as president, there has been a surge of incidents of racist activities reported. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn A woamn takes a photo of messages and flowers left at a playground before a protest against racism and hate after swastikas were found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Activists protest racism and hate after swastikas were found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Activists protest racism and hate after swastikas were found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Activists protest racism and hate after swastikas were found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn New York State Senator Daniel Squadron speaks as activists protest racism and hate after swastikas found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. The two remaining members of the Beastie Boys called for an anti-hate rally at the park in memory of band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Flowers left by activists at the entrance to Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016 after swastikas were found in the park. The two remaining members of the Beastie Boys called for an anti-hate rally at the park in memory of band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Messages and flowers left by activists at a playground protesting racism and hate after swastikas were found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. The two remaining members of the Beastie Boys called for an anti-hate rally at the park in memory of band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Activists Protest Racism And Hate In Brooklyn Activists protest Racism and Hate after swastikas found in Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 2016. The two remaining members of the Beastie Boys called for an anti-hate rally at the park in memory of band member Adam Yauch after it was defaced with swastikas. / AFP / ANGELA WEISS (Photo credit should read ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images

He died from injuries sustained in police custody at the age of 30

Biko was arrested at the height of the Uprising and held in solitary confinement for 101 days.

He continued to campaign against apartheid on his release and adopted a disguise as police pursued him, according to South African History Online.

After being arrested at a roadblock, Biko was beaten by police while in custody and suffered a brain haemorrhage.

He died alone in his cell in September 1977.

Nelson Mandela's artwork

Nelson Mandela said he 'lit a veld fire across South Africa'

Thousands attended Bikos funeral, including diplomats from the US, the UK, Germany, France and other western countries.

Authorities banned 18 organisations, many affiliated with the Black Consciousness Movement, shortly after Bikos death, and apartheid continued until the early 1990s.

In 2002, Nelson Mandela said of Biko: Living, he was the spark that lit a veld fire across South Africa. His message to the youth and students was simple and clear: Black is Beautiful! Be proud of your Blackness!

"And with that he inspired our youth to shed themselves of the sense of inferiority they were born into as a result of more than three hundred years of white rule."
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Steve Biko died 14 years before his goal of bringing down Apartheid rule in South Africa was achieved in 1991.

The activist and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) has been commemorated with a Google Doodle on his 70th birthday.

He died in police custody aged 30 - arguably the face of the anti-Apartheid movement along with the then-incarcerated Nelson Mandela.

Soweto anniversary: Uprising marks ending of apartheid

While never a member of the the African National Congress (ANC), Biko was targeted by the South African authorities.

In February 1973, he was banned from speaking at public gatherings or even talking to more than one person at a time.

Despite this censure, Biko refused to back down and was instrumental in organising the 1976 Soweto student protests.

The rally in Soweto, a black township near Johannesburg, was mostly made up of high school students who protested being taught in Afrikaans - the language most associated with the Apartheid government.

The authorities brutally put down the protest shooting dead 170 people, mostly children. It was one of the key events that condemned the ruling elite in the eyes of the international community.

Biko was arrested at a road block on August 18 1977. He was stripped naked and placed in manacles and taken to the Security Police headquarters in Port Elizabeth where he was subjected to prolonged torture and beating.

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A post-mortem revealed he had died from severe brain damage. During a Truth and Reconciliation hearing after the fall of Apartheid, five former members of the South African security forces admitted to killing the activist.

The men were not prosecuted due to statue of limitations elapsing despite being denied amnesty for their crimes.

 Young and jobless in South Africa

More than 15,000 people attended his funeral with many thousands more denied access to the event by South African security police. Reverend Desmond Tutu, then Bishop of Lesotho, presided over the ceremony.

Known for his inspirational speeches and writing, here is just one of his most famous quotes: "The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed."
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Four people were killed and at least five were injured following a shooting on Saturday afternoon in Chicago.

The incident took place at a residence the Far South Side in the Fernwood neighborhood, the Chicago Tribune reports. At least five ambulances rushed to the scene after the shooting was reported at 12.40pm, a Chicago police spokesman told the newspaper.

There are conflicting reports over how many victims were injured in Saturdays shooting. ABC7 reports that at least five victims were taken to local hospitals. One adult was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and listed in critical condition.

Nearly 10 minutes before the shooting occurred, a 21-year-old resident was wounded at a funeral home on the West Side of the city. According to data compiled by the Chicago Tribune, between January and 17 December, there have been 4,210 shooting victims in the city in 2016 alone.
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A white supremacist website has endangered peoples lives by posting contact details and photos of Jewish residents in a small Montana town  where the mother of white supremacist Richard Spencer lives - and has urged readers to "take action".

The Daily Stormer, a racist website that describes Jews as a "people without shame", cites a Daily Mail article which alleges that Sherry Spencer was considering selling her business in Whitefish, as she claimed she was suffering backlash against her sons views. Richard Spencer is a member of white supremacist think tank the National Policy Institute, which coined the term alt-right.

The attacks focus on a group called Love Lives Here, which Ms Spencer accused of damaging her family.

 Obama says he "absolutely" suffered racism in White House

The peace organisation, which is "committed to co-creating a caring, open, accepting and diverse community, free from discrimination and dedicated to equal treatment", denied any wrongdoing.

The fascist website has posted photos, phone numbers, addresses and social media channels of members of Love Lives Here. It also posted a picture of a child and pasted yellow stars on each photo. Jewish people in Nazi Germany were forced to wear a similar yellow star on their clothing. The article told readers to "hit them up".

"Are yall ready for an old fashioned Troll Storm?" the Daily Stormer article by Andrew Anglin read.

"This is very important," it added. "Calling these people up and/or sending them a quick message is very easy. It is very important that we make them feel the kind of pressure they are making us feel.

"There hasnt been a more important campaign than this."

Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Show all 14 1 /14 Donald Trump's most controversial quotes Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Isis: "Some of the candidates, they went in and didnt know the air conditioner didnt work and sweated like dogs, and they didnt know the room was too big because they didnt have anybody there. How are they going to beat ISIS?" Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On immigration: "I will build a great wall  and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me and Ill build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Free Trade: "Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people." PAUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Mexicans: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists." Getty Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On China: "I just sold an apartment for $15 million to somebody from China. Am I supposed to dislike them?... I love China. The biggest bank in the world is from China. You know where their United States headquarters is located? In this building, in Trump Tower." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On work: "If you're interested in 'balancing' work and pleasure, stop trying to balance them. Instead make your work more pleasurable." AP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On success: "What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate." Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On life: "Everything in life is luck." AFP Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On ambition: "You have to think anyway, so why not think big?" Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On his opponents: "Bush is totally in favour of Common Core. I don't see how he can possibly get the nomination. He's weak on immigration. He's in favour of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy? You just can't do it." Reuters Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Obamacare: "You have to be hit by a tractor, literally, a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high. It's virtually useless. And remember the $5 billion web site?... I have so many web sites, I have them all over the place. I hire people, they do a web site. It costs me $3." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On Barack Obama: "Obama is going to be out playing golf. He might be on one of my courses. I would invite him. I have the best courses in the world. I have one right next to the White House." PA Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On himself: "Love him or hate him, Trump is a man who is certain about what he wants and sets out to get it, no holds barred. Women find his power almost as much of a turn-on as his money." Getty Images Donald Trump's most controversial quotes On America: "The American Dream is dead. But if I get elected president I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before and we will make America great again." GETTY

The FBI could not be immediately contacted for comment by The Independent.

A local rabbi contacted by The Independent said by email that "out of concern for the safety of the people being attacked in Whitefish" they did not want to provide further comment.

The "campaign", which urges readers to tell male members to put their wives "on a leash", has been supported by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Both Spencer and Duke supported Donald Trump for president.

Love Lives Here Chairman Will Randall told the Missoulian that the discrimination has been "gut-wrenching".

"These are some of the best people around, and to see them attacked because theyre Jewish or have a Jewish-sounding name is disgusting," he said.

Richard Spencer recently held a white supremacist conference in Washington DC, near the Holocaust Memorial Museum.

"Hail, Trump! Hail, victory!" he called out and made the Nazi salute.

The museum responded that Spencers words echoed the call to action from Adolf Hitler.

"The Holocaust did not begin with killing; it began with words."

The incident in Whitefish, Montana, is the latest in a string of white supremacist-motivated hate crimes in the run up to and the election of Mr Trump. The president-elect was criticised for being slow to disavow endorsement from the KKK, and has frequently made racist statements about Muslims, Latinos and African Americans.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre said there were 300 reported hate crimes in the week after the election, and close to 1,100 such reported crimes in the month since 8 November.
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Donald Trump will face his final hurdle before being inaugurated as President of the United States on Monday, when members of the Electoral College meet to cast their votes.

Mr Trump must gain 270 votes for the election result to be formally recognised, in what is normally considered a rubber-stamping process. However, the vote has on this occasion been marred for widespread calls for recounts in key states, calls for electors to disregard their states' voting rules and a bill aimed at threatening Mr Trump with future impeachment by introducing new conflict-of-interest rules.

A vocal movement has pressured Republican electors to abandon Trump even though he won 30 states, giving him the electoral voters needed to be president.

Most base their plea on the fact that Clinton won some 2.8 million more popular votes.

The Independent asked two experts  assistant professor Rebecca Thorpe, a political scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, and Dr Jacob Parakilas, assistant head of the US and Americas Programme at Chatham House  whether they thought there was really a chance Mr Trump may not succeed.

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

Is there anything or anyone that can derail Mr Trump's inauguration, besides the Electoral College?

Dr Parakilas: For very good reason, there is no legal mechanism that the CIA, or any other American executive agency or government body, can [use to] challenge or invalidate the result of the election. The only thing right now that stands between Trump and being inaugurated is the Electoral College.

Prof Thorpe: Legally, no. All we right now is that someone hacked the DNC and released details to Wikileaks, and that the source comes from Russia.

It is unclear whether the purpose of these hacks was to help elect Trump or simply to create chaos, and intelligence agencies have not released conclusive evidence confirming that the cyberattack was state-sponsored. There is also no evidence Russia tampered with actual voting machines or vote counts, and the Michigan recount did not reveal any evidence of voter fraud.

Given the razor-thin margins in key crucial swing states, essentially anything could have tilted the balance.

What about the threat of impeachment?

Dr Parakilas: There's no chance that he would be immediately impeached. It just wouldn't happen, partly because the Republicans would need to find political cause to do so.

He is their presidential candidate, it would look terrible. It would alienate a huge number of their voters.

Prof Thorpe: Given Trumps numerous financial conflicts of interests, the potential for corruption and the likely violations of the Emoluments Clause, the legal possibility for impeachment is rife.

However, with a GOP-controlled House and Senate, the possibility of impeachment is not a question of law but of political will. Trump is an unconventional Republican in many ways, but he has appointed a cabinet full [of] far-right conservatives with a conventional conservative agenda of tax cuts, reduced spending on health care and social services, and extensive deregulation.

Thus far, he has also received support from congressional Republicans who have blocked legislation to investigate or curb Trumps massive financial conflicts of interests.

Do you think Mr Trump will win the Electoral College vote?

Prof Thorpe: Given how many electors are pledged to Trump, what theyve said publicly and the norm of abiding by the state plurality winner, it is incredibly unlikely that the electors will alter the expected result.

If 37 Trump electors defect, this will deny Trump the 270 electors he needs to win. However, only one of the 306 electors pledged to Trump has said publicly that he will do so.

Faithless electors are extremely rare and have never changed the election outcome in US history  however, 2016 is an extremely abnormal election.

Dr Parakilas: I wouldn't be surprised if you saw three or four Republican electors [choose] someone else. I would be shocked if he got less than 270.

A lot of this is just a reaction to how outlandish the whole election season has been. I think there's also a sense that because Trump won with a significant gap between the Electoral College and the popular vote, that underscores calls for the Electoral College to do something different than it normally does.

By and large, those calls are going to fall on deaf ears.

Is the furore surrounding this election what you would typically expect after a vote?

Prof Thorpe: The controversy and legal challenges surrounding the election are highly abnormal. However, these are likely symptoms of the same syndrome that led to Trumps unprecedented rise to power.

Trump is the only presidential candidate in US history to openly challenge the legitimacy of the electoral process [by] falsely claiming that he lost the popular vote because of millions of people who voted illegally.

Trump rose to power by challenging President Obamas status as an American citizen, and his presidential campaign featured the claim that his political rival is criminal who should be in jail.

However, the ongoing legal challenges are unlikely to prevent a Trump presidency, and some in fact defy the same democratic norms that Trump's critics accuse him of dismissing.
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Donald Trump has said the United States should let China keep the US Navy drone it seized in the South China Sea.

In his second tweet about the controversy on Saturday, the President-elect said: We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back  let them keep it!

His comment came a few hours after the US military announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the underwater glider.

According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized on Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

The USNS Bowditch, which is not a combat ship, was stopped in international waters on Thursday after noon while attempting to recover two of its underwater gliders when the Chinese ship approached, taking one of the drones away.

The US demanded the return of the drone, calling it an unlawful seizure in international waters.

China said its military seized the glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships, but said it would give it back.

It was unclear what effect, if any, Mr Trumps tweet would have on the agreement with the Chinese.

Initially misspelling unprecedented, Mr Trump tweeted on Saturday morning: China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act.

He later deleted and then reposted the tweet to correct the spelling.

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

Beijing has hit back in the diplomatic controversy over the seizure of the drone, accusing Washington of "hyping up the issue after the President-elect's first tweet.

 Chinese government 'seriously concerned' by Trump stance on Taiwan

Relations were already tense between the US and China after Mr Trumps decision to talk with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen by phone on 2 December.

The President-elect later said he did not feel bound by a one-China policy regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the US could gain trade or other benefits from China.

China considers the self-governing island to be its own territory, to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.
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Pressure on members of the electoral college to select someone other than Donald Trump has grown dramatically  and noisily  in recent weeks, causing some to waver but yielding little evidence that Mr Trump will fall short when electors convene in most state capitals Monday to cast their votes.

Carole Joyce of Arizona expected her role as a GOP elector to be pretty simple: she would meet the others in Phoenix and carry out a vote for Mr Trump, who won the most votes in her state and whom she personally supported.

But then came the mail and the emails and the phone calls  first hundreds, then thousands of voters worrying that Mr Trumps impulsive nature would lead the country into another war.

Honestly, it had an impact, said Ms Joyce, a 72-year-old Republican state committee member. Ive seen enough funerals. Im tired of hearing bagpipes. But I signed a loyalty pledge. And that matters.

Such is the life these days for many of the 538 men and women who are scheduled to meet on Monday across the country to carry out what has traditionally been a perfunctory vote after most every presidential election.

Women go on strike against Donald Trump Show all 7 1 /7 Women go on strike against Donald Trump Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump Protestors march during a demonstration against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump near Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, December 12, 2016. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Women go on strike against Donald Trump Protestors march during a demonstration against U.S. President-elect Donald Trump near Trump Tower in the Manhattan borough of New York City, December 12, 2016. Shannon Stapleton/Reuters Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images Women go on strike against Donald Trump People rally as part of a nationwide protest against US President-elect Donald Trump outside of Trump Tower on December 12, 2016 in New York. Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images

The role of elector has intensified this year, in the wake of a bitter election in which Mr Trump lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by a margin of nearly three million votes and the revelation of a secret CIA assessment that Russia interfered to help Mr Trump get elected.

Amid the uncertainty caused by Russian influence, 10 electors  nine Democrats and one Republican  asked for an intelligence briefing to get more information about Moscows role. Their request was endorsed by John Podesta, Ms Clintons campaign manager.

The administration should brief members of the electoral college on the extent and manner of Russias interference in our election before they vote on Dec. 19, Mr Podesta wrote Thursday in a Washington Post op-ed.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Friday evening that it would not brief the electors, because it is engaged in a presidentially ordered review of the Russian interference. Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the intelligence community stands ready to brief Congress and may release findings, the ODNI said in a statement posted to its website.

Meanwhile, Ms Joyce and the other 305 Republican electors who are supposed to cast their votes for Mr Trump have been subject to intense campaigns orchestrated by anti-Trump forces to convince them that they alone can block the reality-television star from the White House.

Others have targeted Democratic electors, who are supposed to cast votes for Ms Clinton, to persuade them to switch to a more conventional Republican who could also draw enough support from GOP electors to swoop into office.

While there is little sign the efforts will prove successful, the push has unleashed intense pressure on individual electors, who have now been thrust into a sometimes uncomfortable spotlight.

Ms Joyce has received emails from Benjamin Franklin and John Jay  and a Christmas card that read: Please, in the name of God, dont vote for Trump.

The rancor about the role of electors started early in the campaign. In August, Baoky Vu, a GOP activist in Atlanta, said he planned to resign from the job because he was so morally opposed to Mr Trump. He planned to defer his voting responsibility to someone more willing  an alternate who would be put in place Monday.

After the election, Mr Vu started getting phone calls and emails asking him not to resign. He was asked instead to consider joining a coalition of electors hoping to vote against Mr Trump. He declined.

I dont think we should drag this election out any longer, Mr Vu said. And can you imagine if the electors overturned the results? If we attempt to change them in any way, youve got these far-right elements that are just going to go haywire.

Mark Hersch, a 60-year-old Chicago-based marketing strategist, joined a group known as the Hamilton Electors, who have been organizing efforts to contact electors and change their minds. Before the election, Mr Hersch said, the most political activism he had ever undertaken was planting a yard sign.

He said he believes the goal to deny Mr Trump seems reachable if not probable. Rather than persuade an entire country, he and his allies must find 37 Republicans willing to vote for someone else, a tipping point at which the responsibility of picking the president would shift to the US House of Representatives. No one knows for sure how many are considering alternate votes; estimates vary from one to 25.

The GOP-controlled House could vote for Trump anyway, but those trying to flip voters say there is still value in taking a stand. Hersch said he was inspired to continue to flip electors by the movie 300, which depicts an ancient Spartan armys stand against a Persian force that outnumbered it 1,000 to 1.

I would like to think we would be successful, but if not, we need to do all we could to prevent this man from being president, he said. Then he modified a line from the movie: Prepare your breakfast, and eat hearty, for tonight, we will go to battle. This isnt 300, but 538.

That battle has intensified as electors draw closer to their convening Monday. Joyce was getting 15 letters a day and 300 emails in the days after Nov. 8, but those numbers quickly increased to 50 and 3,000. Some of them have been form letters, others handwritten.

The letters came from Washington state and from China, stuffed with copies of the U.S. Constitution or Alexander Hamiltons writing in Federalist Paper No. 68, which states that the meeting of the electoral college affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.

On Thursday, Joyce received so many letters that the letter carrier just gave her a U.S. Postal Service bucket filled to the brim.

Im sorry this is happening to you, Joyce recalled the letter carrier saying. While some electors have complained of harassment, Joyce shrugged off the mail and placed it all on a sofa decorated with American flag pillows.

This is America, she said in a phone interview. People have a right to say what they want. She said most of the messages were thoughtful.

On Friday, she said, her emails became more positive. The messages were from Republicans, thanking her for taking Trump to the finish line of an arduous process.

How refreshing! she said.

Although some Democrats (who have in the past five presidential elections lost two in which they won the popular vote) and even Trump himself have questioned the necessity of the electoral college, many opposing Trump have said this election proves just how important it is.

Norman Eisen, a former ambassador to the Czech Republic who served as legal counsel to both the Bush and Obama administrations, began calling electors to explain that their job is not necessarily to certify the results but to have a reasonable discussion over whether the public made the right decision.

For instance, Eisen, who focused on government ethics in Obamas White House, noted that Trump could be violating a clause in the Constitution that prevents presidents from receiving gifts and funds from foreign governments; it is unclear whether his businesses do because he has not publicly disclosed his tax returns.

In Massachusetts, Republican operative and attorney R.J. Lyman said he didnt want to harass anyone, so he used his connections to find electors who were willing to chat about the lessons he learned in American history class and at the dinner table. He became one of the few people in the country more willing to talk about Hamilton the man than about Hamilton: An American Musical.

The electoral college, he said he tells them, was not intended to be a rubber stamp. Otherwise, he said, the Founding Fathers would have tasked the responsibility to a clerk or simply used the popular vote as a way of choosing a president.

Im reminding them of their duty to think about their choice in a way thats consistent with their conscience and the Constitution, Lyman said.

So far, Lyman said, he has identified 20 electors who might be willing to vote other than their party pledge. He couldnt name more than one publicly but insisted that more were out there.

Earlier this month, Chris Suprun of Texas became the first Republican elector in a red state that voted for Trump to declare, in a Dec. 5 New York Times column, that he would not cast his electoral vote for Trump. Suprun voted for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the primary and said he left behind his wallet on Election Day and thus did not vote in the general.

Nonetheless, Suprun said, he was willing to vote for Trump in the electoral college until the candidate claimed with no evidence that millions of Clinton supporters voted illegally.

Supruns public stance has elicited death threats and hate mail, he said.

As of yesterday, people are calling to say, Get your ass together, or were coming for you,  said Suprun, who was the sole Republican elector to ask for an intelligence briefing on Russia. They are doing it with their own phone number, not even blocking the number. Thats not been surprising  look at what Trump says himself.

Vinz Koller, a Democratic elector from Monterey County, Calif., said he read Supruns column and started thinking about his own role in the college. It inspired him to support a new theory: If he could persuade other Democrats to abandon their Clinton votes, perhaps he and Republicans could agree on a more conventional choice  a la Ohio governor and failed GOP candidate John Kasich  to vote for instead of Trump.

The plan seemed unlikely, he said, but Trumps candidacy unsettled him so much that he felt he needed to try anything. California is one of 29 states that mandate electors vote for the candidate who won the state, so Koller sued to continue his plan.

Frankly, this is hard and not something I do lightly, he said. Ive been working in partisan politics a long time, and I dont like voting against my candidate, but I never thought that the country might be unstable until now.

On Thursday evening, he found himself in the Library of Congress. Strolling through its stacks, Koller sought a librarian with one request: Can I see the original Federalist Papers?

He looked to see Federalist No. 68, written by Hamilton to describe the need for the electoral college.

We have been getting a civic lesson we werent prepared to get, Koller said. They gave us the fail-safe emergency brake, in case the people got it wrong. And here we are, 200 years later. Its the last shot we have.

 Washington Post
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A Louisiana man who is running for elected office has defended a Facebook post calling for a boycott of Muslim-owned businesses.

Michael Duke Lowrie wrote in November 2015 that people who follow the Islamic religion seek to kill us and make us submit to their false religion and god.

I for one will no longer knowingly go to or do business with any establishment that has someone who I know is a follower of Islam working there. I will challenge every Islamist (sic) I see to denounce their false god and religion. Those Islamist (sic) here walk among us in stores and we act as if they're no different than any of us. Well I'm sorry they are different. Their religion demands you to convert or die.

Mr Lowrie, a firefighter and paramedic who is running for the states House of Representatives District 8, will participate in the election on 25 March.

He cited a so-called kill list that surfaced on social media last year and included Shreveport, the 113th largest city in the country.

The Republican defended his Facebook post and the call for a boycott.

We are a Christian nation, he told the Shreveport Times.

The threat of Islamic terrorism is real. Too many times, politicians are sometimes so afraid to speak the truth because of the PC culture in which we live. I'll call it how I see it. We must tackle Islamic extremism head on. I believe President Trump will do that.

Mr Lowrie could not be immediately contacted for comment by The Independent.

friends1.jpg, by Rachael Revesz (Facebook)

His comments come as Donald Trump has been condemned for appointing people to his cabinet who have openly expressed Islamophobic views. This includes Michael Flynn, his defense secretary, who said fear of Muslims is rational and described Islam as a cancer. Fox News KT McFarland, who will join Mr Trumps national security team, insisted that followers of Islam were determined to "destroy western civilisation".

The population of around 3.3 million American Muslims have faced record high levels of discrimination and hate crimes since the presidential campaign began. Hate crimes grew 67 per cent in 2015, according to the FBI, while the Council on American-Islamic Relations found that Muslims faced a higher level of threats since the 9/11 attacks.

IMr Lowrie was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2012 and served as a statewide delegate for Mr Trump in July.

He has also been a member of the National Rifle Association for 20 years and belongs to anti-abortion group Louisiana Right to Life. He does not believe in any exceptions for abortion, such as rape or incest.

Life, its the most important issue. And protection of the unborn, its not up for debate, he said in his campaign video.

He also opposes the bathroom bill, which would allow trans people to use the facilities that pertain to their natural gender as opposed to their birth gender.

I am pro-life, pro-gun, pro-traditional families, and pro-religious liberty. I will vote this way each and every day, he wrote on Facebook.

Mr Lowrie ran for the same seat in 2011 but lost by about 1,000 votes to Jeff Thompson.
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Tech giants Microsoft and IBM have said they would refuse to help create a registry of Muslim Americans under Donald Trump's presidency.

Mr Trump has previously discussed a potential religion-based register during the campaign.

Although he has rowed back on his statements, a prospective cabinet member has since been photographed carrying plans for "extreme vetting" and questioning for Muslims.

Hundreds of individual workers from Silicon Valley and beyond have also signed a pledge on neveragain.tech to say they would refuse to work on building a religious registry.

The day after chief executive Satya Nadella and other technology leaders met with Mr Trump in New York, a Microsoft spokesman told Buzzfeed: Weve been clear about our values. We oppose discrimination and we wouldnt do any work to build a registry of Muslim Americans.

And IBM, which employs some 380,000 people,said: IBM would not work on this hypothetical project.

It follows official commitments from Apple, Google, Uber and Facebook.

Our company has long-standing values and a strong track record of opposing discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. That perspective has not changed, and never will.

Recommended We ate at the Trump Grill restaurant that Vanity Fair destroyed

Mr Trump faced criticism for allowing his daughter Ivanka and sons Don Jr and Eric to sit in on this week's technology summit, which included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Alphabet's Larry Page, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk as guest, as well as Mr Nadella.

You would think that if he is planning to come out with a solution of turning everything over to his children, that he would separate his children immediately from the transition. But hes not even doing that, so its hard to see how this fits into any plan he may have for trying to avoid conflicts of interests, Larry Noble, the general counsel of the Campaign Legal Center, said.
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Donald Trumps incoming chief of staff attempted to assure Americans that his boss would not seek to change the USs "one China" policy.

Mr Trump walked a hugely sensitive tightrope last week when he said he would reconsider the policy of considering Taiwan as part of China, but Reince Priebus quickly acted to quell any fall-out with Beijing.

"We are not suggesting that we're revisiting 'one China' policy right now," he said on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.

"He is not president right now and he's respectful to the current president."

The one China policy has been in place since 1979 and is a bedrock for Chinese foreign policy and international trade.

The previous week, Mr Trump told the same program: "I fully understand the 'one China' policy, but I don't know why we have to be bound by a 'one China' policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade."

He accepted a call from the Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen to congratulate him on winning the election - a convention that is unheard of among recent US presidents.

In another recent unprecedented move, China stole a US underwater drone off the coast of the Philippines. Mr Trump tweeted that China should keep the drone, even though China had already vowed to give it back.

Mr Priebus comments on Fox News were the first official actions of the Trump team to improve relations between the two countries before the president-elect steps into the White House.

Yet the incoming chief of staff said Mr Trumps comments on the drone were not provocative and that 80 per cent of Americans agreed it was inappropriate for China to have taken the drone.

The threat to US-Sino relations comes shortly after Mr Trump encouraged Russia to hack into Hillary Clintons emails and suggested that South Korea and Japan obtain their own nuclear weapons to deter North Korea.
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Leaked documents show Donald Trumps appointed secretary of state was a director of a Bahamas-based US-Russian oil company.

Rex Tillerson, whose suitability for the top government position was already under question due to his potential conflicts of interest with the energy industry and his ties to Russia, is now revealed to have been the former director of ExxonMobils Russian subsidiary.

Mr Tillerson was named director of Exxon Neftegas in 1998. His name on company filings  RW Tillerson  appears next to other directors based in Texas, Moscow and in far eastern Russia. The company is incorporated in the Bahamas, thousands of miles away from their most important Russian Arctic exploration projects and where the corporation tax rate is zero.

As reported by Suddeutsche Zeitung, the 2001 leaked document  a public registry - was part of 1.3 million files given to the German newspaper by an anonymous source.

The incoming secretary of state is head of ExxonMobil, the largest oil company in the world, and Mr Tillerson owns company shares that are worth more than $200 million.

He was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship in 2013 by president Vladamir Putin, two years after he struck a deal with another oil giant to explore the Russias Arctic. The deal was delayed when president Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, which Mr Tillerson said he was against and which are widely expected to be lifted once Mr Trump enters the White House.

 Donald Trump's controversial cabinet

The oil chief is firm friends with Igor Sechin, the head of Russian oil company Rosneft, who is ex-KGB and the second in command inside the Kremlin. Mr Sechin is banned from entering the US under current sanctions.

Mr Tillersons appointment must be approved at a senate hearing, which is dominated by Republicans. Two Republicans in the 19-strong committee  Marco Rubio and John McCain  have cast doubt, however, over whether he is the right person for the job.

According to filings, Exxon has registered more than 67 companies in the Bahamas, which cover subsidiaries in Russia, Venezuela and Azerbaijan.

In a statement to The Guardian, Exxon said: "It is not done to reduce tax in the country where the company operates. Incorporation of a company in the Bahamas does not decrease ExxonMobils tax liability in the country where the entity generates its income."

In 2015, Exxon paid 43 per cent income tax, the statement added.
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A lawyer advising a group of "faithless" Republican electors planning to vote against Donald Trump at the Electoral college has said they wont be successful in denying him the presidency.

R.J. Lyman has been advising those individually deliberating on their right to break from the majority vote of their state when they cast their votes on 19 December.

However, he said the Electoral College serves as an important democratic check, which the founding fathers would still support today.

Spoiler alert: in 1789 they anticipated 2016," he told USA today. "They (electors) have to decide whether, in Hamiltons words, the candidate to whom you are pledged is fit for office."

Electors are voted in by people in their state who are supporting the candidate they want to become president. This process is called the "Electoral College".

There are 538 members and they are expected to vote in line with the majority of voters in their state. Throughout history more than 99 per cent of electors have done so, according to US government figures.

But a group dubbing themselves the "Hamilton Electors" are urging them to ignore their mandates and vote for a candidate other than Mr Trump. It is thought John Kasich, the Ohio governor who has twice made unsuccessful bids for the presidency might be considered as an alternative.

To date, eight "faithless electors" have come forward and said they will vote against their nominee for an alternative candidate. However, only one was from Mr Trump's Republican Party.

"Electors of conscience can still do the right thing for the good of the country," said the lone Republican dissenter Christopher Suprun, as the former firefighter and 9/11 responder announced his intention to rebel.

The other seven are Democrats, casting their votes elsewhere as a form of protest.

Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig is also offering legal advice to the faithless electors.

He is also sceptical the opposition voters will have any sway on Mr Trumps chances, with only 20 of the 538 members of the Electoral College expected to flip their votes.

Mr Lyman said he wanted to raise awareness of electors constitutional rights as Mr Trump, with no government or military experience, prepares to be sworn-in as the US leader.

Im not trying to undermine the legitimacy of Donald Trumps ascendancy to the presidency. I am trying to make sure our institutions function the way they are supposed to, he said.

They hold a constitutionally important obligation and every single one Ive spoken with has understood that issue and that theres reason for them not simply to follow the majority vote.

The Republican leader won the presidential race with 306 electoral votes, 36 more than the 270 needed to clinch victory.

37 Republican electors would need to flip their votes in order to deny Mr Trump the presidency.

Recommended What happens when the US electoral college votes for the President

However, Mr Lyman said many electors have expressed concern over potential legal ramifications for any potential rebellion.

Of the 29 states with faithless electors laws, only four of them has a specified penalty, he added.

A number of them are concerned about lawsuits, suing them personally, whether its the state party or the presumptive President-elect or his team. These arent rich people, Mr Lyman, who is coordinating a legal defence fund, said.

More than 4.8 million people have signed a change.org petition that urges electors to vote Hillary Clinton.

Ms Clintons lead over Mr Trump in the popular vote has soared to 2.8 million.

The Democrat has seen her winning margin continue to rise as the last remaining postal votes are counted, more than a month after the 8 November polling day.
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The United Nations has received daily reports of rapes and killings of the Rohingya minority in Burma.

UN human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said the government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, had taken a "short-sighted, counterproductive, even callous" approach to the crisis.

He said the government's handling of issues in northern Rakhine state, where independent monitors are barred from investigating, risk grave long term repercussions for the region.

At least 86 people have been killed, according to state media, and the UN estimates 27,000 members of the largely stateless Rohingya minority have fled across the border from Rakhine into Bangladesh.

 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Burma recall the horrors they left

The High Commissioner said killings, rapes and the burning of Rohingya homes are reported to the UN human rights office on a daily basis.

"The repeated dismissal of the claims of serious human rights violations as fabrications, coupled with the failure to allow our independent monitors access to the worst affected areas in northern Rakhine, is highly insulting to the victims and an abdication of the government's obligations under international human rights law," Mr Zeid said in a statement.

"If the authorities have nothing to hide, then why is there such reluctance to grant us access? Given the continued failure to grant us access, we can only fear the worst."

UN human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said the UN human rights office had submitted a formal request for access to the area, which had not yet been granted.

Muslims protest against what they say is Burma's crackdown on ethnic Rohingya Muslims (Jorge Silva/Reuters)

Adrian Edwards, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency UNHCR, said his colleagues in Bangladesh had spoken to more than 1,000 newly-arrived refugees in the past few weeks who gave accounts of houses being burned, targeting of civilians and traumatised women and children who had witnessed the killing of family members.

UNHCR could not verify the accounts first-hand, but it was extremely concerned and it urged the Myanmar authorities to investigate and the government of Bangladesh to give the refugees a safe haven, he said.

Burmese government officials have denied allegations of abuse and said the army is hunting "terrorists" behind raids on police in October.

In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Show all 5 1 /5 In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Hard-line Buddhist monks lead a demonstration against Rohingya migrants who were resettled in Rakhine state after being found at sea while fleeing Burma following anti-Muslim violence EPA In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist monks demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims in Yangon In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Buddhist nationalists demonstrate against the UN and the return of Rohingya Muslims In pictures: Burma protests against Rohingya Muslims Burma Radical Buddhist nationalists protest the international pressure on Myanmar to accept the repatriation of persecuted Rohingya boat refugees

Mr Zeid said in June that crimes against humanity may have been committed against the Rohingya.

Ms Shamdasani said if the government did not handle the situation very carefully and address the grievances of the Rohingya minority, violence could ensue.

"Unfortunately this is exactly what has happened in the past couple of months," she added. "We are worried that this is going to get further out of hand. This is perfect breeding ground for violent extremists."

Myanmar police officers patrol along the border fence between Myanmar and Bangladesh in Maungdaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Friday, 14 October, 2016 (AP)

Although they have lived in Burma for generations, Rohingya Muslims are barred from citizenship in the nation of 50 million, and instead live as some of the most oppressed people in the world.

Since communal violence broke out in 2012, more than 120,000 Rohingya have been driven from their homes and crammed into squalid camps guarded by police. There, they are denied healthcare and education, and their movements are heavily restricted.

Some have tried to flee by boat, but many ended up becoming victims of human trafficking or were held for ransom.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Anti-government protests in Poland have entered their third day, as opposition leaders blockaded the parliament in Warsaw, in a move the ruling party has condemned as an illegal attempt to seize power.

Around two dozen members of Polands main opposition party continued their sit-in protest in parliament on Sunday, as members of the public gathered outside to protest the ruling partys plan to restrict journalists access to parliament.

New rules for journalists put forward by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party would restrict the number of journalists permitted to enter parliament and allow only five Polish TV stations to record or broadcast parliamentary sessions.

On Saturday, European Council President Donald Tusk invoked the word dictatorship and reminded his audience of protests in Poland under communism that ended in bloodshed.

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

I appeal to those who hold real power in our country to respect the people, the principles and values of the constitution, the standing procedures and good practices, Mr Tusk said in Wroclaw, where he was attending a cultural event.

He added a warning that whoever was undermining the European model of democracy in Poland was exposing us all to strategic risks.

Also speaking on Saturday, Interior Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the opposition blockade was an illegal attempt to seize power, while Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo called the actions of the opposition scandalous.

The move by the opposition to ignite extreme political emotions... has nothing to do with the actual condition of the country, Ms Szydlo said.

On the contrary, it is due to the helplessness, the frustration of those who have lost the power and who have no idea how to convince Poles of their views.

 Women protest planned abortion law in Poland

Some protesters held up copies of the constitution on Saturday to show they believe it was not being observed by the ruling party.

They also chanted Solidarity! reflecting how many link today's protests to the anti-communist opposition of the past.

Opposition leaders called for days of anti-government protests and pledged to keep blocking parliament.

On Sunday, Polish President Andrzej Duda offered to mediate between government and opposition leaders in an attempt to solve the political crisis.

Rallies supporting the government were also planned in Warsaw later on Sunday.
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The latest video from Iceland shows magma flaring up from the Holuhraun dyke, just north of the Bardarbunga volcano.

According to authorities on Wednesday, more lava poured out of Bardarbunga but no ash emerged from the eruption.

Experts have said that while tall fountains of fire and lava continue to appear around the volcano, seismic activity has begun to calm down.

Recent video shows the lava fields at the Holuhraun dyke. On Wednesday, increased volcanic tremors near the Holuhraun eruption led to an evacuation of people in the area over fears that a subglacial eruption might be imminent. By the evening, the tremors had receeded.

The ash warning for planes flying in the region remains at orange after briefly rising to the top level of red on Sunday after lava fountains were seen rising 50 metres high. Organ is the second-highest level on the scale which indicates how much of a risk ash in the air will cause aircraft.

Back in 2010, another Icelandic volcano called Eyjafjallajokull closed large parts of European air space for nearly a whole week causing severe disruptions for thousands.

"The eruption is still going on at the same pace as before," Einar Heinarsson, a spokesman at Iceland's department of civil protection, told Reuters. "It has been continuous."

Iceland's largest volcanic system, which cuts a 190-km long and up to 25-km wide swathe across the North Atlantic island, has been hit by thousands of earthquakes over the last two weeks.

In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: Icelandic eruptions In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland A plane flying over the Bardarbunga volcano spewing lava and smoke in southeast Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland An aerial picture shows lava flowing out of the Bardarbunga volcano in southeast Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland The Bardarbunga volcano system has been rocked by hundreds of tremors daily since mid-August, prompting fears the volcano could explode In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland The Bardarbunga volcano spewing lava and smoke In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland Fire and smoke rising from the Bardarbunga volcano In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland In this aerial view, fountains of lava, up to 60 meters high, spurt from a fissure in the ground on the north side of the Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland. The alert warning for the area surrounding Iceland's Bardarbunga volcano remained at orange, indicating that it is showing increased unrest with greater potential for an explosive eruption In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland Smoke and lava rise from a fissure in the ground on the north side of the Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland A close up of lava from an eruption on Holuhraun, northwest of the Dyngjujoekull glacier in Iceland. Lava fountains danced along a lengthy volcanic fissure near Iceland's subglacial Bardarbunga volcano, prompting authorities to raise the aviation warning code to the highest level and close the surrounding airspace In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland A man stands near to a lava eruption on Holuhraun, northwest of the Dyngjujoekull glacier in Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland Smoke rises from the lava eruption on Holuhraun, northwest of the Dyngjujoekull glacier in Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland The sky over the site of a lava eruption on Holuhraun, northwest of the Dyngjujoekull glacier in Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland The lava eruption on Holuhraun, northwest of the Dyngjujoekull glacier in Iceland In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland Clouds over a 1-km-long fissure in a lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier, which covers part of Bardarbunga volcano system Reuters In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland A magma along a 1-km-long fissure in a lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier, which covers part of Bardarbunga volcano system In pictures: Icelandic eruptions Iceland An aerial view of white clouds of smoke and steam rising from a fissure eruption of the Holuhraun lava field north of the Vatnajokull glacier

While scientists and authorities continue to monitor the volcano and the surrounding area, an Icelandair pilot decided to use the lull in volcanic activity to give his passengers a closer view of Bardarbunga.

Video courtesy of Newsflare.com

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A convoy carrying supplies to build a new childrens hospital in Syria has left the UK after more than 170,000 was donated to the cause in just 10 days.

The crowdfunded project, dubbed ,The Peoples Convoy, is an effort to replace a childrens hospital that was bombed in November and offer direct support to medical workers who have been deliberately targeted during the conflict.

The fleet of volunteers and medical supplies, organised byCanDo, The Syria Campaign, Doctors Under Fire and The Phoenix Foundation, left London following days of harrowing reports of civilians suffering in rebel-held enclaves in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

It will take about a week for the convoy to reach the Syrian border, at which point it will be handed over to the Independent Doctors' Association, which plans to travel on to the outskirts of Aleppo and begin building the hospital.

Saleyha Ahsan, an emergency doctor and co-founder of Doctors Under Fire who is travelling with the convoy, told The Independent: We decided we had seen enough and now its time to respond.

The ongoing attacks against healthcare have rendered it redundant and now a real urgent need exists to find a solution - in terms of healthcare.

Also among those travelling to Syria with the convy is photographer Paul Conroy, who is returning to the war-torn region four years after a blast that left him seriously injured and killed acclaimed war reporter Marie Colvin when the media centre they were in was shelled.

Mr Conroy told the Press Association: A few years ago I was in Homs lying in the rubble next to my dead partner Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik.

We were taken to a hospital field clinic and the treatment I had - I had a toothbrush, a bottle of iodine and an office stapler to put my leg back together. That hasnt changed. Doctors and medics are some of the most hunted people in Syria.

The childrens hospital in Aleppo was destroyed in November during an assault against opposition-held districts of the city. Harrowing video footage showed tiny babies being removed from their incubators in smoke-filled wards, prompting condemnation of the Syrian government and Russia by the US and the UN.

 Harrowing scenes from a hospital under siege as nurses evacuate babies from a childrens ward

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) at the time warned that medical supplies had been depleted with no possibility of sending more supplies in.

Some 8,000 civilians, including 2,700 children, were supposed to begin leaving the besieged rebel-held areas in the citys east on Wednesday, but the evacuation was halted on Friday after reports a ceasefire, negotiated by Turkey and Russia, had broken down.

Rebel and government officials said the evacuation of Aleppo would resume and two Shia villages would be evacuated as part of the deal, as well as the wounded from two towns near the Lebanese border and east Aleppo.

But sources said negotiations between pro-government and opposition forces, plus their international backers, continued to finalise how the evacuations would take place and how many people would leave.

Syrian rebels have meanwhile accused Iranian and Shia militias of deliberately holding up a deal to evacuate civilians trapped in the rebel-held enclaves of the city.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned on Saturday that house-to-house murder was being carried out in besieged areas of the city, denouncing the appalling bombardment of civilians and raising fears the fighting could spread to Idlib, the rebel-held province where people were being taken during the evacuation.

On Saturday evening there was reportedly no sign the evacuation was happening, with a resident in Aleppo telling Reuters nobody had left the rebel-held enclave and no buses had entered, and adding that he had heard gunfire near where people were supposed to wait for buses.
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the organisation has a disproportionate volume of resolutions against Israel, which he believes has foiled the ability of the UN to fulfill its role effectively.

Addressing the UN Security Council on Friday, Mr Ban said: Over the last decade I have argued that we cannot have a bias against Israel at the UN.

"Decades of political maneuvering have created a disproportionate number of resolutions, reports and committees against Israel.

In many cases, instead of helping the Palestinian issue, this reality has foiled the ability of the UN to fulfill its role effectively."

In response, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, said Mr Ban "had admitted the clear truth", adding that the UN's hypocrisy towards Israel had "broken records over the past decade".

Mr Danon continued: During this time the UN passed 223 resolutions condemning Israel, while only eight resolutions condemning the Syrian regime as it has massacred its citizens over the past six years. This is absurd.

With a new Secretary General set to take office next month, we look forward to the possibility of a new era of fairness at the UN.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

Despite the admission, Mr Ban added: "Israel needs to understand the reality that a democratic state which is run by the rule of the law, which continues to militarily occupy the Palestinian people, will still generate criticism and calls to hold her accountable."

The UN recently passed a series of resolutions during its annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

They came amid a period of hightened violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, with security services responding to an increase in Palestinian attacks.

At least 33 Israelis and two foreign visitors have been killed in Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings since October last year, while more than 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces in the period.

Israel says at least 156 were carrying out or attempting attacks but others were killed during protests, while human rights groups have raised concern over the proportionate use of force.

Mr Ban is to be replaced on 1 January by the former prime minister of Portugal, Antonio Guterres.
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Disgraced former Israeli President Moshe Katsav has been granted early release after serving five years in prison for rape.

An Israeli parole board agreed Katsav can walk free after serving five years of his seven-year jail term.

"There is no doubt... the prisoner underwent a change," the parole board wrote in its decision. The board previously rejected his parole requests twice.

However, it said it had questioned Katsav about his actions and their consequences, and was "impressed by the honesty of his answers".

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

Zehava Galon, the head of the liberal political party Meretz, called the ruling "cowardly." She wrote on Facebook that the early release sent a message to his victims and rape victims in general that "you can rape women and get out of it easily, especially if you are well connected".

The rape conviction for the former head of state was hailed as a victory for women's rights and equality under the law.

Katsav resigned in June 2007 after being charged with raping an aide when he was cabinet minister in the late 1990s and with molesting or sexually harassing two female employees during his 2000-2007 term as president.

He began his sentence in 2011 and has repeatedly professed his innocence.

 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Calls UN 'Joke' and 'Moral Farce'

Israel's presidency is a largely ceremonial office, typically filled by a respected elder statesman expected to rise above politics and serve as a moral compass. Most political power is in the hands of the prime minister.

Under the terms of his release, Katsav cannot travel abroad for two years or grant interviews to the media, and must not leave his house after 10pm.

He has been ordered to attend weekly therapy sessions, and will not be able to serve in any position in which he oversees women.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Jordanian security forces said they killed four terrorist outlaws after flushing them out of a castle in the southern city of Karak where they had holed up after a shoot-out that killed nine people.

A Canadian tourist was among those killed amid gunfire between police and the armed men who took the hostages in a Crusader-era castle.

Other tourists are believed to have been taken hostage inside, police and security officials said.

Four Jordanian police were killed when the group of gunmen went on a shooting spree in the city before taking refuge in the castle, a police statement said.

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

Between four and six gunmen continued to fire at police from the castle, a popular tourist spot, as special forces rushed to the scene from surrounding areas, a security source told Reuters.

As many as 14 tourists were reported to have been freed as police stormed the castle.

Many tourists were trapped inside the castle (Twitter/Rami)

Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki told parliament "a number of security personnel" had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle.

Police said gunmen shot at officers patrolling the city before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill.

An official statement said the four assailants, who shot at police targets in the town before heading to the Crusader-era castle, carried automatic weapons. Large quantities of explosives, weapons and suicide belts were seized in a hideout, it added.

The statement made no mention of their identity or whether they belonged to any militant group.

The Foreign Office has advised British nationals in the area to follow the instructions of the Jordanian authorities.
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The US "got it wrong" about Saddam Hussein and Iraq, the CIA analyst who interrogated the former dictator has said.

John Nixon had numerous conversations with the deposed leader and now says that America was critically mistaken about their intervention Iraq in a number of ways.

In particular, he claims, the CIAs view of Husseins attitude to using chemical weapons was wrong.

Recommended George Bush says world is better off without Saddam Hussein

They were also mistaken about his health, personal habits and his involvement in running Iraq.

Mr Nixon also criticised the conduct of George W Bush, under whose leadership America invaded Iraq, saying the former president heard only what he wanted to hear on the topic.

During the interrogations, Mr Nixon asked Hussein if hed ever thought of engaging in a pre-emptive strike with WMDs against US troops based in Saudi Arabia.

According to Mr Nixon, writing in the Mail on Sunday, the former dictators reply was: We never thought about using weapons of mass destruction. It was not discussed. Use chemical weapons against the world? Is there anyone with full faculties who would do this? Who would use these weapons when they had not been used against us?

 'I toppled Saddams statue, now I want him back'

Mr Nixon admitted this was not what we had expected to hear.

The main reason the American and British governments used to justify the controversial invasion of Iraq was the supposed risk posed by the WMDs possessed by the country.

Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Undated photo of Hussein Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq from 1979 to 2003 Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein family photo Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein meets Donald Rumsfeld The pair met in 1983 when Rumsfeld was appointed US special envoy to the Middle East. He was later the Sec of Defence during the Iraq War 20 years later. Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein and his sons Saddam Hussein pictured with his sons Uday and Qusay Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein meets the Castros Saddam Hussein pictured with Fidel and Raul Castro in 1979 Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein and Yasser Arafat Hussein meets with the Palestinian president in 1988 in Gaza City Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures The fall of Baghdad Soldiers observe as Iraqis tear down a statue of Hussein Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Hussein captured US troops captured Hussein invasion in Dec 2003, months after the initial invasion Getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Verdict delivered Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity getty Rise and Fall of Saddam Hussein in pictures Execution Hussein was executed in Baghdad on 30 December 2006 Getty

Hussein then said America had made such a grave misjudgement because the spirit of listening and understanding was not there and some of the blame for this lay with himself.

The faulty intelligence surrounding WMDs wasnt the only mistake the Americans made about Iraq.

According to Mr Nixon, Hussein warned him against the nation building the American government was attempting in the country.

You are going to fail, Hussein told him. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq.

When asked why he believed this, Hussein said it was because the Americans didnt understand the Iraqi people because they didnt know the language, mind-set of the country, the history and even the weather.

Hussein was executed in 2006, three years after his capture close to his home town of Tikrit at the hands of American Special Forces.

But his predictions were accurate: The country descended into chaos after he was removed from power, and nearly 200,000 people have died in the conflicts that followed.

Iraq is now widely regarded as a failed state, and still suffers from widespread violence, including from Isis, who are currently defending the city of Mosul.

Thirteen years on, at least 5,000 American troops remain in the country.

Mr Nixon also spoke out against Mr Bush, who was rude towards him and reportedly made inappropriate jokes about the missing WMDs.

Mr Bush blamed the CIA for Iraqs failures, Mr Nixon said, adding that he called its analysis guesswork while hearing only what he wanted to hear.
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A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 48 soldiers, a Health Ministry official said, and Isis' Yemen-based affiliate has claimed responsibility.

Abdel-Nasr al-Wali, a Health Ministry official based in Aden, told The Associated Press that 84 people were injured in the blast.

Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest.

The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The Isis affliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on Isis-run Aamaq news agency.

It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the groups black flag. It also posted photos it said were of the blast that killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.

The blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on earlier this month on 10 December, killing 57 soldiers. The Isis Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.

In addition to Isis, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaeda, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.

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

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups.

They are battling Shia rebels, known as Houthis, who seized Yemens capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen.

The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the rebels and their allies.

AP
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The gap between the continent and England has never been wider. While every morning our press, most especially the two Andrews  Marr and Neil  and the Today programme, work themselves into a lather over Brexit, the rest of Europe shrugs its shoulder and says, Sil vous plait, just get on with it.

As Theresa May saw for herself in Brussels last week, the EU 27 are now in Zen mode. The hopes of some in London that different EU capitals could be divided one from the other have proved fruitless. The talk of punishing Britain is empty waffle. Talks with chief negotiators from the European Commission and Council and ministers in EU capitals produce a common line. They see Brexit as lose-lose but they respect the decision.

There is no aggression, no desire for a row, but equally no sense that the rest of Europe has to follow Britain down the road of hostility to other European citizens or to tear up the common rule book.

Spain has 1.1 million Romanians living there, France has 650,000 Portuguese and Germany 2 million Poles. But the kind of anti-Polish hate language or Nigel Farage saying he would not want a Romanian family to move in nextdoor is virtually unknown in Europe.

Germany has eight frontiers with EU countries, plus one with Switzerland, and 380,000 European workers cross German frontiers every day to add value to the German economy. The idea of a return of entry and work visas, or controlling every lorry or van or car crossing a frontier to trade goods or do business, seems to any German politician to be just slightly potty.

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

If the Britons want to pull out of the customs union and revert to having to fill in hundreds of millions of custom forms for any good or service sold to the worlds biggest market, which will include hiring thousands of new customs officers on the public payroll, that is Britains problem but not one for sensible continental European businesses to get involved in.

Ministers jaws drop in EU capitals when they hear of appeals from Theresa May or David Davis for a quickie agreement on the status of British ex-pats on the continent or EU citizens here. May can easily  and should  make a Government announcement on the status of EU citizens in the UK once we are out of the EU, but the right of all EU citizens to live and work everywhere is part of EU Treaty law. The idea of opening up negotiations to write a new treaty law in a few weeks just because of Brexit xenophobia makes no sense anywhere in Europe.

No EU capital likes the European Court of Justice, which is more of a giant commercial court and administrative tribunal despite its grandiose title. The UK has won more cases than it has lost at the ECJ. But a rulebook needs an arbiter, and so the rest of Europe remains puzzled at the fact that Britain, the nation that invented playing by the rules and accepting the umpires decision, now can no longer bear to do so.

The non-Europhobe press here report announcements by the Japanese and other banks that they will relocate key parts of their activities to have full single market access which ends the day the UK starts to discriminate against EU citizens in terms of travel, work and residence rights. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe knows at best it will get a small segment of City business but overall it is New York that will benefit as global finance leaves London and hence Europe.

 Theresa May left standing on her own at Brussels EU summit

Europe is puzzled by personal attacks on Michel Barnier by Andrew Tyrie, the normally level-headed chair of the Commons Finance Select Committee, or the insistence of Labour bigwigs on echoing the Ukip call for managed migration. Why, they wonder, doesnt our Government instead work out how to reorganise the UKs labour market to support jobs, training and fair pay for British workers, which would reduce low-pay employers preferences for foreign workers?

For European governments, Article 50 negotiations are narrow and technical. Once the UK is out of political Europe in the spring of 2019, then the talks on trade, customs union rules, and the dozens of agencies and funding from Europol to Erasmus to Horizon scientific programmes can begin. They will last years.

The EU celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome in 2017. It will be 2027 before Englands relationship with the rest of Europe is settled. If then.

Denis MacShane is the former Minister of Europe and author of Brexit: How Britain Left Europe (IB Tauris)
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CETA is an EU-Canada trade deal just like the controversial EU-US deal TTIP. It was secretly negotiated over five years, locks in the privatisation of public services and will permit corporations across the North America to sue European governments in a private justice system. Brexit may not happen for at least two years, but CETA will be voted on in February  if it passes, it will immediately apply to the UK.

Inequality is grist to the mill for far-right populists, yet the European Commission and members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are failing to learn the lessons of Brexit and the rise of Nigel Farage and Donald Trump. Instead, its big business as usual, and continued support for policies that generate inequality and, in turn, fuel the xenophobic right.

This week there has been a clear demarcation of the crucial choice faced by the EU and UK, which may help determine the future rise of the far right in Europe  and, set against it, the decline of out-of-touch, centre-left parties.

On Friday, the International Labour Organisation reported that the top 10 per cent of highest paid workers in Europe together earn almost as much as the bottom 50 per cent. Last week, the European Parliaments Employment and Social Affairs Committee found that the EU-Canada trade deal CETA will only make this situation worse, widening the income gap between unskilled and skilled workers thus increasing inequalities and social tensions.

 Trudeau defends Castro statement

The cross-party committee points to CETA triggering potential job losses of more than 200,000 across the EU. It goes on to point out what campaigners across Europe have long been saying about accords like CETA, TTIP, and the Donald Trump-opposed TPP: There is a clear disparity between the levels of protection envisaged for investors and for labour interests and rights.

These investors are not the small businesses that CETA and TTIPs supporters repeatedly cite. As the report makes clear, CETA has no chapter with specific measures to help small business.

The clear disparity between workers and investor interests is perhaps best captured in one key element found across all these deals: the widely opposed corporate court private justice system that grants big business the power to sue states for policies that affect their profits.

Put more simply, its a taxpayer-funded risk insurance scheme for corporations that would swing into play were a government to decide to ban nuclear power, oppose fracking or re-nationalise public services like the railways.

Despite voting to leave the EU, CETA can still affect the UK: the deal could be passed within the next two months, with large swathes of it immediately put in place. After that happens, those already struggling in the UKs brittle Brexit economy will feel the squeeze of yet more anti-worker policy-making.

Yet despite the clear dangers posed by CETA, Liam Take Back Control Fox has already signed the UK up to the deal, willfully bypassing UK parliamentary scrutiny along the way.

The 10 happiest countries in Europe Show all 10 1 /10 The 10 happiest countries in Europe The 10 happiest countries in Europe Denmark Coulourful houses and boats seen in the Nyhavn district in Copenhagen The 10 happiest countries in Europe Switzerland The 10 happiest countries in Europe Iceland Iceland, Northern Lights The 10 happiest countries in Europe Norway Wheel deal: cycling in Norway Visit Norway The 10 happiest countries in Europe Finland Getty The 10 happiest countries in Europe The Netherlands The 10 happiest countries in Europe Sweden AFP The 10 happiest countries in Europe Austria Sean Gallup/Getty Images The 10 happiest countries in Europe Germany Getty Images The 10 happiest countries in Europe Belgium The city hall on Brussels' Grand Place is illuminated during a light show, December 30, 2015 Reuters

Appearing before the European Scrutiny Committee in October, Fox admitted to and apologised for intentionally side-stepping Parliament. His reason? The treaty was worth a great deal in terms of jobs, investment and prosperity.

When MPs debate CETA in the new year, they must seize on the chance to hold Liam Fox to account and question him on his anti-democratic support for what economist  and inequality expert  Thomas Piketty calls a treaty which belongs to another age.

When it votes on CETA in February, the European Parliament has a chance to draw a line in the sand by opposing an agenda designed to enrich big business above anyone else. If they fail to do so, then the future of social democratic parties and the EU bloc as a whole will be in jeopardy.

Mark Dearn is a Senior Trade Campaigner at War on Want and Board Member of the Trade Justice Movement UK
The Irish hotel sector recorded sales of some 700m representing 55 hotels in 2016 including the Gresham Hotel and former Burlington Hotel (now trading as the Clayton Burlington Road).

This followed an active 2015 with 63 trading hotels sold for 710m. These figures do not include investment sales or loans associated with hotel properties which also changed hands as part of loan portfolio sales.

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Other significant transactions in 2016 included the Dublin Lifestyle Collection (The Morgan, The Spencer and The Beacon Hotels), Lyrath Estate and Hotel, Kilkenny, Farnham Hotel, Cavan, The Hilton Dublin Airport and the Travelodge Hotels Portfolio.

Trading performance in the hotel sector, especially in Dublin and the other main cities, continues to strengthen, as seen by the most recent hotel data from STR and Trending.ie which shows significant year-on-year improvement. Dublin hotel year-end forecasts in occupancy are expected to be 83.7pc - up 2pc on last year. Average room rates are up 17pc to 131.40 resulting in RevPar (Revenue per available room) of 109.93 - an increase of 19.8pc. Other contributory factors to the heightened interest in hotels are the increased level of tourism and volume of traffic through Dublin Airport. Overseas visitor numbers are up 11.6pc year-on-year for the first 10 months of 2016 to 8.28 million. There is demand for all hotels in Dublin and around the country, from a range of different buyers.

Over the past few years, there has been frustration at the shortage of Dublin hotel accommodation. New Failte Ireland regulations significantly reducing minimum hotel bedroom sizes will improve the viability of hotel development. In Dublin, a number of hotel developments have been announced, while budget brands including Premier Inn, Motel One, Bloc, Citizen M and Yotel are reportedly looking for opportunities.

Investor confidence remains strong despite Brexit and we continue to see new entrants - especially from the eurozone and from global investors who trade in dollars or are headquartered or based in the US.

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The five-year extension to the successful Irish Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme, which allows non-EU nationals to travel from the UK to Ireland without an additional visa requirement, has been welcomed by the hotel industry - as has the retention of the 9pc Vat rate for the hotel sector in the Budget. As 2016 comes to a close, we can look forward with optimism to 2017. Although we expect to see a significant number of hotel transactions concluding next year, we are unlikely to see hotel spend matching the record volumes of 2015 and 2016.

John Hughes Director CBRE Hotels

Offices

This year as another strong one for the Dublin office market. We're heading for more than 2.5m sq ft in take-up, well above the long-term average of close to 2m sq ft, albeit slightly down on the record 3m sq ft seen in 2015. Absorption has been strong and those with space have clung to it - given CBD Grade A vacancy rates now stand at below 2pc. Absorption on paper belies the truth on the ground due to the emergence of two trends - 'intra-quarter re-lets' where the space is not recorded as vacant at either end of a period and secondly, increased pre-let volumes (when the take-up is counted yet the occupation has not occurred). Both are symptoms of low availability. We estimate 41pc of on-site office space (4.1m sq ft in 42 buildings) is pre-committed. Notably, over 60pc of space delivering in the first half of 2017 is pre-committed.

The most active sector again has been ICT but professional services have been prevalent in the CBD. The State has re-entered the market after a long embargo, marking a welcome return for a properly functioning office market in a capital city. Naturally, the 'FIRE' (Finance, Insurance and Real Estate) sector will be in focus in 2017 as the impact of Brexit materialises, or not.

Brexit is causing international uncertainty which is not good for the office markets. The 'on-off' nature of the 'Hard Brexit' date has an impact in Dublin. The type of Brexit delivered will determine what effect it has, but it is reasonable to expect some relocation from London to Dublin.

Average letting size has risen slightly though remains at 10,000 to 12,000 sq ft, re-emphasising the fact that buildings in Dublin need flexible floor plates. The preferred location among take-up and active requirements remains strongly CBD-biased with more than 90pc of requirements (by size) including Dublin 2 in their search areas. This is being amplified by the competitive HR environment on foot of reducing unemployment. That said, the winner this year has been Dublin 3 in terms of share of overall take-up.

We have quantified occupier demand for Dublin for the past two years and despite high volumes of take up and volatility as a result of Brexit and the US election, we note unfulfilled demand is on the rise. The rise has been much more incremental in the final half of this year but it represents the depth of demand in the Dublin office market. Unfulfilled office demand is estimated to be in the region of 3.6m sq ft.

The key threat to Dublin offices is competitiveness. Both office rent levels and more particularly residential rents which in turn drives wage demand should be more in focus. Wages have a much greater impact for large corporates.

A figure of 60 per sq ft has emerged as the headline rent for Grade-A space for immediate delivery. The pace of headline growth in 2016 slowed but effective rents grew. This was a product of funders changing aspirations to solidify cash flows against upwards and downwards rent reviews. It also reflects the changing nature of landlords from opportunist traders of stock to long-term holders. Given Tenant Incentives ("TIs") have now been squeezed considerably, it would not be surprising if headline rental growth for CBD Grade A stock returned In the short-term (H1 2017) for immediate delivery. We expect the tone of headline rents to hit 63-64 per sq ft by the end of 2017.

Andrew Cunningham, Director of Offices, Savills Ireland

Industrial

While take-up for 2016 may not exceed much more than half that of last year's record, this will be as a consequence of the lack of supply of good quality, modern stock, rather than any lack of demand. In terms of the type of current demand, purchasers still outnumber tenants, although some would-be purchasers are being forced to lease as the options in the second-hand sales market are so few.

Speculative development has now recommenced on a small scale through Green REIT plc in north Dublin. IPUT plc and Rohan Holdings are also expected to begin speculative development in 2017. Given that this type of development will probably be very measured, it is unlikely that there will be any oversupply.

Prime rents in the second-hand market have reached 7.50 per sq. ft. with rent free periods down to three months or less in many cases. Rents for well specified new-build warehousing are at 9.50 per sq. ft. New build pricing ranges from 130- 160 per sq. ft. depending on size. Prices for the best second hand stock now range from 70 - 90 per sq. ft.

With supply set to remain constrained and rents and prices in the second hand market yet to reach economic replacement levels, value recovery looks set to continue in 2017.

Kevin McHugh, a Director of William Harvey & Co, Industrial Property Specialists

Development land

The development land market performed well in 2016, with a relatively strong volume of sales achieved. Prime city-centre sites suitable for hotels and offices were well sought after and it was notable that there was particular demand for sites suitable for student accommodation and 'build-to-rent' multi-family residential projects. Land values continued to increase, particularly on sites with planning permission.

From a residential point of view, there continued to be extremely strong demand for infill development sites in mature parts of Dublin, particularly those with full planning permission. Simultaneously, there was a limited supply of large sites in secondary areas, which were zoned for housing but with many lacking essential infrastructure. With larger development sites, purchasers were primarily international private equity firms, often in partnership with Irish developers. Conversely, smaller infill sites attracted mainly domestic purchasers.

The 'Rebuilding Ireland' action plan released by the Government in July seeks to identify major urban housing sites. These must be zoned and have the potential to deliver significant numbers of additional homes close to key areas of demand. Sites have been identified within the four Dublin local authority areas and will be provided with the necessary infrastructure to enable the construction of both private and social housing.

In light of the difficulty many developers are experiencing obtaining development finance for residential schemes, Nama has adopted a licensing model to aid the construction of new homes. This sales method allows developers to gain possession of housing sites on the payment of an initial fee and then reimbursing Nama once the houses are sold. Last year a site in Maynooth was offered to the market on this basis and a deal was completed with Anthony Neville Homes. A site at St Edmunds in Liffey Valley was offered to the market this autumn and a preferred bidder has been selected. Another site at Ballycullen is on the market and a bidder will be selected in early 2017.

This will go down as the year when meaningful value recovery finally emerged in the Dublin industrial and logistics property market. A significant improvement in consumer demand in the previous year was one of the main drivers of occupier space requirements which led to the highest take-up on record of some 5 million sq ft in 2015. The resulting decrease in supply coupled with continued strong demand saw a significant increase in both rental and capital values throughout 2016.

Ross Shorten, Director of Development Agency at Lisney

Retail

The retail market saw substantial changes in the ownership of major retail centres throughout the country. Preliminary figures suggest some 1.6bn was invested in the sector, exceeding 2015's total by 60pc. Notably, this figure does not include the sale of Liffey Valley, which has not yet transacted. The majority of 2016 retail investment sales were single assets, in contrast to previous years where portfolio transactions predominated.

The remarkable level of retail investment can largely be attributed to the sale of Blanchardstown Town Centre, which was acquired by Blackstone in Q2 for a reported 950m. This is the largest single asset sale in the history of the State. More recently it has been confirmed that BVK (Bayerische Versorgungskammer), one of Germany's largest pension funds, has contracted to buy Liffey Valley Shopping Centre from HSBC Alternative Investments, Grosvenor and Hines. The largest retail transaction of note outside Dublin was the sale of Whitewater Shopping Centre in Kildare. The centre was sold to German-based fund, Deka Immobilien GmbH, for a reported 180m and will add to its Irish portfolio which includes Cork's Mahon Point Shopping Centre.

Overseas capital at approximately 85pc continued to be the largest investor in the retail market. This capital will strengthen Irish retail development. In terms of shopping centres, the green shoots include Liffey Valley's opening of phase two this year, comprising Penneys, a reconfigured cinema and restaurant quarter, while the Crescent Shopping Centre in Limerick is due to complete its latest extension shortly. The proposed development and extension of other shopping centres is robust following a hiatus of almost five years without new floor space.

Our recent Cushman & Wakefield Main Streets Across the World 2016-2017 report highlighted strong retailer demand for Dublin, and the Grafton Street area particularly. Grafton Street is now ranked 13th, in rental positioning by country internationally, with a current Zone A rent of 6,500 per sq m. The street has seen a 4.8pc rental growth year-on-year to June, with high profile new entrants, '& Other Stories', opening recently and Victoria's Secret to open in the former BT2 store in 2017. Henry Street has also seen a sharp rise with prime rents, with Zone A levels now standing at 4,685 per sq m. Demand for prime retail pitch in Dublin city centre has seen development extend beyond the traditional streets, to Suffolk Street, Nassau Street and Dawson Street.

Occupier trends in the retail market are promising, with new entrants and expansion plans for a number of existing occupiers. The Food & Beverage (F&B) sector has continued as a key trend in 2016, with demand far outweighing supply. Among the new entrants to the market were Five Guys and Prezzo, while operators such as Carluccios, Chopped, Starbucks and Costa remain active in the market.

Overall the outlook for the retail market is positive, with consumer sentiment trending upwards, despite a slight decline in recent months.

Karl Stewart, Director, Retail, Cushman & Wakefield
Five of the country's biggest property developers have demanded the European Commission investigate the "selective" tax treatment afforded by the State to Nama, comparing the case of the so-called 'bad bank' to that of US tech giant Apple.

The extraordinary parallel is contained in a letter sent last Wednesday to the Commission's competition directorate by lawyers representing developers Michael O'Flynn, Paddy McKillen, David Daly, Pat Crean and Brian McKeown as part of their ongoing State aid complaint against Nama.

Having highlighted the fact that Nama is not liable for income tax, corporation tax or capital gains tax by virtue of Section 214 of the Nama Act, the letter quotes directly from European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager's statement on the Apple case, following her ruling that the company had received some 13bn in illegal State aid from Ireland.

While the developer's lawyers concede that a number of Nama's operations are conducted by SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles), "which are not, of themselves" tax-exempt, they add that "it is understood that the taxable profits in the SPVs may be reduced through profit-participating loans or other instruments which extract profits through interest payments to lower tax or exempt entities".

Calling for the Commission to investigate the extent to which the "low tax charges" they say are "evident in Nama's accounts are related to Nama's unique tax exemption" the letter adds "if it is determined that they are connected, it would appear to be imperative that a finding of illegality must follow if the same principles applied in the 'Apple' case are to be consistently applied".

Asked for comment on the developers' claims, a spokesman for Nama said: "Nama engages with the Department of Finance and the European Commission and Nama believes it is compliant with applicable State Aid rules".

The developers have sought clarity from the Commission on the status of their complaint, noting that over a year had passed since they submitted it. Referring to a meeting with the competition directorate on June 2 last, where they were advised the matter was receiving "priority treatment", the developers' lawyers said this had yet to be communicated in a formal letter to them. The letter warns that the complaint may now be brought to the General Court of the European Union to vindicate the developers' rights to obtain a decision.
"GAA clubs keep communities alive" - this slogan runs deep in the village of Dromin-Athlacca, Co Limerick, where a group of farmers are going to great lengths to ensure their club has a vibrant future.

Over the last 12 months, 30 farmers from the small parish, situated along the River Morningstar, have been rearing calves to help fund the building of new dressing rooms, meeting rooms and the development of the club grounds.

Organisers say they are hoping to make 16,000 on the sale of these bullocks and heifers.

Colum Breen, chairman of Dromin-Athlacca GAA Club, praised all the farmers for rowing in behind them and said cheques are already flowing in.

"The take-up was phenomenal. Not one farmer refused when we went around knocking on doors. It's a real testament to the generosity in the community, and it has given us a great kick-start in helping to build a ball wall in the field and for plans to develop the clubhouse."

"It started in January 2015 so they are selling them off now to the factory or the butcher or they're selling it as a store and donating the cash," he said.

Mr Breen is very confident that they'll meet their target.

"At the end of the day, the GAA is a great organisation and benefits everyone in the community from the youngest kids right up to the older generations," he said.

Back in the 1980s, local farmers ran a similarly novel fundraising campaign to build the pitch, so organisers knew locals would be interested.

Ian Kelleher, local farmer and member of the GAA development committee, said the funds will give the intermediate club a much-needed boost.

"It's not going to pay for a lot, but for grants you need an existing scheme in place and you need money to get development and planning going. It's a handy way of bringing in money just to get us started. I lodged four cheques today," he said.

The majority of farmers involved have sons or daughters who play with Dromin-Athlacca, however, the important links between the GAA and rural life is something that resonates with the entire community.

"Farmers are sporting people in general so they usually are involved at some stage in the club. There is a new generation coming through now so it's about making sure the children of the parish have a decent pitch going forward - otherwise in 10 years' time there will be nothing left for them," said Mr Breen.

"GAA clubs are keeping communities alive and for us here in this small little parish, the club is our grassroots, our social parish, it's our church, it's our religion," he said.

Kenyan Immersion Project 2017

Fifty three tractors motored through the streets of Kilkenny recently as part of fundraising efforts to send local students to a poverty-stricken region of Africa.

Next Easter, 13 transition year and fifth-year students from Colaiste Eamann Ris, Callan, hope to travel to Embulbul, Kenya, as part of the schools Kenyan Immersion Project 2017.

The aim of the project is to give students an eye-opening insight into the daily destitution and hardship endured by local people in their schools, homes and on farms in the area located just on the outskirts of Nairobi.

But first, they must raise 25,000 to fund their 10-day trip due to take place during their midterm break.

With the help of teachers, supporters, local businesses, farmers, fellow students and past pupils, the innovative group already have 23,000 in their Kenya kitty.

Br Damien Brennan said the students are well on track thanks to the successful tractor run, cake sales, no uniform days, tea parties and match day collections.

The whole school and community have really gotten behind us and now were on the final stretch.

We have a clothes collection coming up next month so hopefully that will get us over the line, he said.
The hardest version of 'hard Brexit' would see the UK out of the single market, out of the customs union and with no deal for London to retain its sizeable financial services exports to continental Europe.

Six months after June's fateful referendum, none of the Brexit uncertainties has been addressed and the longer the prevarication continues, the more likely a 'hard' Brexit becomes. In a survey last Friday from accountants Deloitte, just 7pc of financial officers at large UK firms said they planned to increase capital investment during 2017.

Theresa May offered a risible non-clarification during her latest trade promotion trip, this time to Bahrain, on December 5. The UK prime minister's initial revelation that 'Brexit means Brexit' was expanded into a crystal clear 'red, white and blue Brexit'.

The context is the 'grey' characterisation applied by journalists to a middle course between soft (white) and hard (black) Brexit, reportedly favoured by the chancellor, Philip Hammond, and a convert from the dark side, David Davis, the Brexit minister.

Liam Fox, the trade secretary, and Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, still favour the darker option, with Britain outside the single market and the customs union.

A white Brexit would see Britain remain in both, but continuing to pay the full whack into the EU budget, foregoing the freedom of the high seas for buccaneering trade deals and accepting free immigration from the EU, thus rather negating the electorate's decision to quit. The compromise grey formula, if it could be negotiated, would yield some bespoke access to parts of the single market, some continuing immigration quotas and reduced, but ongoing, budget contributions.

The range of options is very wide and the UK government appears to have no view about what it wants.

Theresa May told reporters, "I'm interested in all these terms that have been identified - hard Brexit, soft Brexit, black Brexit, white Brexit, grey Brexit - and actually what we should be looking for is a red, white and blue Brexit."

Let joy be unconfined in those lucky EU countries sharing the Union Jack colour scheme - Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Slovenia all sport the red, white and blue.

Their citizens can dance through Christmas now that Britain's prime minister has prioritised their concerns. And pity the British financial officers surveyed by Deloitte - how can people commit company funds to capital investment when the prime minister and her government still have no guidance to offer?

It is possible, at a push, to sympathise with the prime minister's dilemma - the Conservative party is still divided over Europe and cannot choose between the white option (what was the point quitting?) and the black. To go for a clean black break has the twin merits of speed and simplicity but little else to recommend it - there would be serious disruption to trade with Europe and no certainty that losses could be made up elsewhere.

So long as the leap in the dark remains possible, firms would be foolish to commit investment funds. But the grey option is messy, unpredictable and difficult to negotiate. The prime minister's red white and blue soundbite (congratulations to the spinners) reflects the simple fact that this dilemma is yet to be resolved.

The Financial Times reported last Friday that the French government is behind efforts to change EU rules permitting the European Central Bank to ban the clearing of certain euro financial transactions outside EU territory.

There is no obvious commercial justification for such a requirement - certainly none has been offered. The FT even suggested that, perish the thought, the French might be playing protectionist games, seeking to divert business from London to Paris.

There are lingering sentiments in both France and Germany, ever anxious to defend national corporate champions, and there was always a risk that Brexit would revive the protectionist spirit. Once Britain triggers Article 50 next March, through notifying its decision to initiate the process of departure, its hand is weakened - you cannot threaten to leave after you have signed the resignation letter.

If the FT's story is accurate, the City of London is the bullseye on the dartboard.

The House of Lords European Union Committee released a series of reports last week on Brexit, beginning with a volume devoted to issues affecting Ireland. It suggested that the Irish and British governments, and the Northern Ireland executive, should be discussing shared concerns across a wide range, including border controls, agriculture and the implications for the Good Friday Agreement. This prompted Finance Minister Michael Noonan and the Taoiseach to point out, quite correctly, that bilateral deals between Ireland and Britain, however fervently desired by the Irish and British governments, are simply not possible. The Brexit negotiations will be between the EU-27 and the British. The European Council formally appointed the Commission to conduct the process on Thursday last and the Commission team, under Michel Barnier, has already commenced work. But Messrs Noonan and Kenny were not denying that these concerns can fruitfully be discussed bilaterally as the House of Lords report advises.

They were saying something more important - they cannot be resolved in any side-deal without the ultimate consent of the European Union.

The second report of the House of Lords committee, released last Tuesday, deals with trade issues and possible arrangements for Britain to remain in the EU's customs union. It is clear that, unless the British are willing to contemplate a continuation of free movement, the option of retaining tariff-free access to the single market is not on offer. Britain, it would appear, will be quitting the single market, which means trade restrictions. But will it also be quitting the customs union?

The report argues that it will be difficult for the United Kingdom to remain part of the customs union, an outcome with negative implications for this country (and for Northern Ireland) additional to those arising from the departure from the single market.

The full re-imposition of customs procedures would affect Irish trade through, as well as with, the UK, would add to both import and export costs and would come on top of whatever tariffs or quotas might apply with Britain outside the single market.

Just one country, Turkey, has a customs union deal with the EU and this has been mooted as a template. But it is a partial arrangement, does not cover agriculture and food, for example, and has been coming under strain for various reasons. Their lordships list all the snags and a customs union deal may not be practical for the UK either.

If Britain departs both the single market and the customs union without an agreed transition to a successor arrangement, things could get very fractious. Protectionist lobbies in continental Europe could inflict serious damage in a free-for-all and there would be greater damage for Britain than for the continental EU.

For Ireland, and especially for Northern Ireland, this would be the worst possible outcome. The sanest approach is to negotiate the divorce agreement quickly, accept that a permanent successor deal is in everyone's interests but will take too long, and agree continuing transition membership of both single market and customs union.

But would this qualify as a red, white and blue Brexit?
She was confident without being brash, a woman in a man's town who wore a beaming smile that would entice you effortlessly into her charmed circle.

Gillian Bowler was an English woman in Dublin at a difficult moment in Anglo/Irish history, but that was something nobody seemed to notice.

Around this time of the year, the catalogue for Budget Travel and the saucy advertisements that accompanied it - a semi-naked girl wearing a yellow thong with her back to the camera - carrying the legend, "Get your seat in the sun" would result in queues forming outside the Baggot Street office for the January travel sale.

Collateral damage was a string of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority which were successfully upheld. She then amended the offending line to "Don't get left behind" and said "it was worth 1.2m in publicity for a poster that cost us 20,000."

She knew marketing by instinct long before it turned into the pseudo-science which it is today.

It was an era of long lunches, endless receptions ending in Scruffy Murphy's in Mount Street, and a business aristocracy in which she appeared to find herself by accident.

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Gillian Bowler could charm Charlie Haughey or his arch enemy Hugh Leonard, could hold her own with a coterie of 'new' women like Terry Keane and Noelle Campbell Sharp, but maintained that she was happier at home reading a book than being dolled up for the social scene.

I first met her in the old Dobbins Bistro at one of those brochure launches and was captivated by the gleaming white teeth, the sunglasses on the top of the head and the sheer confidence of a woman who could command a room.

Much much later, when she was chairwoman of Irish Life & Permanent, and things were going pear-shaped, I saw a different woman - the confidence shaken, her health deteriorating, the bank floundering. But as she told us in 2008: "I'm a fighter, not a quitter."

Back in the glory days a business magazine dubbed her 'Charlie's Angel' - a reference to an American television series that was popular at the time and her friendship with the sulphurous Charlie Haughey.

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But it was actually Michael O'Leary, the former leader of the Labour Party, who had a keen eye for strong women, who put her on her first State board.

"People used to say I was having an affair with Charlie Haughey," she once told me with a gleam in her eye. "Even my secretary believed it."

She was unmarried at the time but in a long-term relationship with Harry Snyder, her partner in business and life who became her husband in 1989.

She used publicity as a tool to draw attention to her travel business, but also to draw a veil over her own private life. She was always ready with a quote for reporters looking for a story, but when you look back through the cuttings you realise there is little or nothing about her own private life.

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"I got a lot of publicity because I was a woman in business when there were no women in business," she told me.

"It was a huge advantage. If you're in the service industry or the holiday business, you are willing to do almost anything. It's a bargain with the devil. You are willing to expose part of yourself, but not all of yourself. But if you live by the sword, you can also die by the sword and there is no point in complaining."

The brash publicity attracted huge traffic to Budget Travel at a time when young people suddenly had money for two weeks in the sun and so-called 'courting couples' were beginning to go on holidays together for the first time.

Her husband Harry and her stepdaughter Rachel were content to keep well clear of the limelight. The family lived in a mews house in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, and spent long weekends at their Wexford retreat where only close friends were invited.

Born in London in November 1952, Gillian and the Bowler family moved to the Isle of Wight when she was about 12. But after a long illness and without finishing her education, Gillian headed back to London at the age of 16 where she lived in a hostel for a time.

Foreign travel was blossoming and she got a job with Greek Island Holidays, set up its office in Manchester and by the age of 19 was earning 1,000 a week selling Greek holidays through the newspapers. Her real education was "the University of Life".

When she had money, she simply took off to Greece, so by the time she came to Ireland to set up Budget Travel in 1975, she knew the holiday business inside out and specialised in the sun-soaked Greek islands.

According to company documents, Gillian Bowler, described as a travel agent, and Elizabeth Frost, a housewife of Orwell Park, Dublin, were the original directors in Budget Travel. It was by no means an overnight success and she would later say that for the first year the bank manager called in to the office every morning to check on his loan.

It was a good investment for all concerned. She sold Budget Travel to the British group Granada for 5.7m in 1987, disposing of her final 10pc in 1996 for a further estimated 3m when Thomson Holidays bought the business. By then she was something of a 'quango queen', appointed to the boards of the Irish Goods Council, VHI, the Tourism Task Force and the Irish Tourist Board, as well as the boards of a number of commercial firms.

"I liked him then and I like him now," she said of Charlie Haughey in 2004, when others from the golden circle were trying to distance themselves from a man in disgrace.

"I didn't really know him before he first appointed me to the Tourism Task Force. It was typical Charlie. I got a phone call from him to ask if I'd take part at 1pm as it was going to be announced at 4pm - and that evening a journalist told me I was chairwoman - Charlie hadn't bother to ask. I accepted anyway."

Gillian Bowler was appointed to the board of Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) in 2004 and quickly succeeded Roy Douglas who stood down as chairman, later provoking Shane Ross to ask: "What was a travel agent doing running a major bank and insurance company during the boom?"

She had the misfortune to be in charge when 7.5bn was deposited with ILP by Anglo-Irish Bank and later returned as a "customer deposit" in a circular transaction to make Anglo's balance sheet look better.

She defended the transaction at the time, saying it was done "to support the policy objectives of the Financial Regulator". She eventually stood down as chairwoman of the bank in 2010.

Without really trying, Gillian Bowler broke the 'glass ceiling' in Ireland.

She made it acceptable for a woman to be successful in her own right and not just as an appendage to a successful man.

"There is a lot of work, and then there are the social things, and I am very bad at that," she told me in an interview in 2004. "I get no joy standing around in high heels. I like to get home and read a book. Time is the most precious thing we have and yet we don't realise it."

Sadly time ran out for Gillian last Wednesday at the age of 64. And another light from what some of us remember as a golden era was extinguished.
Few will have been surprised at the findings of a recent survey showing family finances are yet to recover after years of austerity. Almost three years since the bail-out Troika left this country, nearly half of the workforce is still worried about losing their jobs. And thousands worry about pay cuts, according to the 'Aviva Family Finances' report.

Our political leaders would do well to study the report.

In it they will find, in a nutshell, why voters are furious. There is a justified anger all over this country over the blowing up and inevitable collapse of our public finances and the banking crash - and over the fact that the bill for the mess has been sent to middle Ireland.

There is a disconnect between politicians and put-upon citizens, who are being forced to shell out again and again over the failures of an insider elite. Banking chiefs, high-end business consultants and corporate lawyers are making merry.

And it is the squeezed middle that is asked to carry the can for the mess.

A recent study by the Economic and Social Research Institute, the Geary Institute and Oxford University ('Economic stress and the great recession in Ireland') found that middle-income groups have been proportionately most affected by the economic crash, and not the poor, as many claim. The self-employed were hit particularly hard.

What this shows is that those who shout loudest are not always the worst-off.

Middle-Ireland has been savaged by redundancies, pay cuts, higher taxes and charges, extortionate motor insurance increases, surging health insurance premiums, a disgraceful levy on private pensions, and banks that are price gouging.

The researchers concluded that these changes are more likely to impact middle-income people.

And the reward people get for paying up? Water charges are abolished, leaving tax-compliant householders that paid up looking like patsies. And thousands who refuse to pay bin charges get the debts written off.

Large numbers of left-wing TDs now populate the Dail opposing water and waste charges, shouting that someone else should pay. They conveniently ignore the fact someone else is already paying, on the double - the middle-income mugs.

Economic victimhood abounds, with relatively well-off public servants adept at putting on the poor mouth.

The real financial pain is being suffered by the squeezed middle, particularly those in the private sector and the self-employed.

Politicians need to wake up to this fact.
Are robots coming to take our jobs? Yes. Should we welcome them? Absolutely. Robots and artificial intelligence will make our lives easier and more productive. Standards of living will go up and we'll wonder how we coped without them.

It's happening already. When I'm at work, a small Dyson robot vacuum cleaner hoovers the kitchen and hall by itself. If anything happens in my house, a Nest security camera activates itself and sends me photos and videos. I'll soon have a home voice-recognition system (from Google or Amazon) that can switch house lights and other electrical devices on and off just by me saying so.

And in a couple of years, I'll have a self-driving car that can pick me up from the pub and take me home without risking my licence for drink-driving. Or I'll order a car to do this, such as one from Uber, which has begun testing its self-driving passenger pick-up service in San Francisco. (My chances of being killed by other drink-drivers will also be much smaller, as they will likely be using self-driving cars too.) I'll also likely have free same-day delivery for small items I buy online through drone dispatches from Amazon and other online retailers. The items themselves will almost certainly be cheaper than they are now, as robots will make a higher proportion of them at less expense.

Robots are even taking over my fast-food habits. When I walk into McDonald's in Dublin today, I order using the self-serve touchscreen menus. Robots may soon also make the food: the US chain Carl's Jr has signalled as much.

And they may even do the bulk of the food growing and preparation. Big farms are starting to automate more and more traditional processes, such as crop-dusting, harvesting and milking.

This isn't a dystopian, scary future - it's a better one. Scarcity of goods and basic foods will become less frequent, goods will be cheaper and people won't have to work as hard just to survive. Road deaths will almost certainly fall, as will insurance rates (machines don't have as many costly mishaps as humans do).

In general, the basic plumbing-type maintenance we waste so much time and effort on every week will be taken care of by clever computer assistants and machines.

So why the long faces and predictions of doom and gloom? Well, job security is admittedly a concern in the short term.

Factory and call-centre jobs are being replaced at breakneck speed by robots. Apple's iPhone manufacturer, Foxconn, is switching 60,000 human workers for mobile machines. Amazon now has 30,000 'Kiva' robots in its warehouses, which replace the need for humans to fetch products from shelves.

Call centres are gradually switching over from humans to online bots, helped by new services from Microsoft which is releasing software to allow online customer service robots initiate, co-ordinate, and confirm calls completely by themselves.

Taxi, bus and professional car drivers are surely on a countdown clock with the arrival of self-driving cars, now being introduced in the US.

Lawyers and accountants have also been put on notice. Holland's legal aid board is replacing lawyers with online algorithms to help settle divorce cases. Canada is about to introduce a similar system relating to certain property disputes. Bread-and-butter book-keeping tasks such as expenses and tax returns are expected to become completely automated in the next ten years, according to a recent Oxford study.

And then there is retail. Amazon recently showcased a supermarket without manned pay booths, where wireless technology lets you pick something up and walk out, debiting your Amazon account as it does so. In Ireland, some major supermarkets are also now starting to trial more intelligent paypoint terminals so that even fewer floor staff will be required.

For lots of workers, then, the rise of robots looks like a threatening thing. Indeed, one of the most quoted studies this year (from Forrester, a research agency) predicted that robots would cause 7pc of people to lose their current jobs.

And when that many people are laid off in a generation, things like Trump or Brexit can happen.

Some economists and technologists suggest a universal basic income of between 12,000 to 30,000 per annum so that workers in the worst-hit industrial sectors could regroup and focus on something different without looking over their shoulder at State authorities nagging them to get an available job as a cleaner.

But one thing pessimists rarely acknowledge is that technology advances usually create at least as many jobs as they destroy. The advent of the train, the plane or the computer (automated machines doing previously labour-intensive processes) did not undermine employment levels. They created more jobs (in maintenance, mechanics and engineering) and spurred a better overall quality of life for everyone.

As for more imaginative theories of Terminator or Cylon-style robots subjugating us in the near future, Facebook's chief technology officer recently told me that such intelligence levels were decades off "at a minimum".

The transition to more automation will have its ups and downs. But mostly ups. In a decade, we'll love it.

In the meantime, Panasonic has announced a robotic machine that analyses the clothes in your heap, separates them and folds them. Take my money, Panasonic.
Leading the way: Tanya Grimson and Agata Stoinska of start-up Maven 46 at their Dublin offices. photo: Frank McGrath

What a difference 12 months makes. Last year, tech entrepreneurs Tanya Grimson and Agata Stoinska attended the Web Summit in Dublin and were struck by how few women were there.

"We really stood out," Grimson says. "We almost felt like we were a source of curiosity." But this year, in Lisbon, females made up a large chunk of the attendance.

"It could hardly have been more different."

But then, she points out, they were in receipt of complimentary tickets as Web Summit organisers sought to boost the proportion of women attending.

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Grimson and Stoinska - respectively an in-demand fashion stylist originally from Tipperary and an acclaimed photographer from Poland - run a start-up called Maven 46, which is all about shoppable fashion. Their online magazine is aimed at fashion-forward, creative women in their 20s and 30s, and every single piece of clothing and accessory featured can be clicked on and bought.

Stoinska says they had done their homework before attending the Web Summit last month and, consequently are hopeful to secure investment from contacts they made there.

The two are typical of the new breed of tech entrepreneur - a far cry from the geeky, basement dwelling young men of popular imagination. They are passionate about data and are proving that when it comes to Irish start-ups, female entrepreneurs are increasingly getting the investors to open their chequebooks.

This week, the changing face of tech in Ireland was thrown into sharp relief when Cork woman Sinead McSweeney was appointed head of Twitter in Ireland, replacing the departed Mark Little. She is the latest woman to front a major tech firm in Ireland and the roll-call is quite something.

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Earlier this year, Google appointed its first female head of site, Fionnuala Meehan, at the Dublin-based office facility, which employs over 5,000 people. Dell's country manager for Ireland is Niamh Townsend, while LinkedIn's overall Irish boss is Sharon McCooey.

IT giant Microsoft is managed by Cathriona Hallahan in this country, while Lenovo has had a female country manager, Fiona O'Brien, for a decade. Not to be outdone, PayPal also has a female Irish director, Louise Phelan.

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It's a similar picture globally. Amy Hood is the chief financial officer of Microsoft, while Ruth Porat holds the same position in Alphabet, the holding company behind Google. The pair represent two of the three most valuable companies on earth (the other is Apple), with a joint market value of almost 1 trillion.

Other tech giants managed by women include Hewlett Packard (Catherine Lesiak), Cisco (Kelly Kramer) and Xerox (Kathryn Mikells). Meanwhile, Square, the credit-card-processing company founded by Twitter's Jack Dorsey, is run by Tyrone-born Sarah Friar. Its annual revenue is in the region of 1.5bn.

Despite such high-profile appointments, women are poorly represented in managerial roles in the vast majority of tech firms based here. According to research conducted by Irish Independent technology editor Adrian Weckler into 88 Irish tech firms earlier this year, less than 3pc of tech venture capital in Ireland goes to companies led by women, with the average individual investment amounting to 10 times less than for male-run firms.

"While almost one in eight VC-funded tech firms here has a female co-founder," Weckler notes, "only one in 20 has a female chief executive. Furthermore, the average investment for a VC-funded tech firm with a female founder last year was 911,000, while the average for a company with a female chief executive was 591,000."

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Elaine Burke is managing editor of leading Irish tech news website Silicon Republic, and well-placed to sense the industry's changing gender make-up. "For the most part, the major tech companies have at least shown themselves willing to hold up a mirror to themselves and acknowledge their overly white and manly looks," she says.

"Action and change, though, still proves incremental. Yes, women are more visible. Yes, the numbers are rising, but not by massive leaps and bounds. There are glass ceilings, glass cliffs and glass mazes to navigate, too.

"I'm not so much encouraged by the changing numbers - that still depresses me - but I am encouraged by the changing conversation. People - men and women - are calling out gender bias as they see it, and that is having an important ripple effect."

A gender pay gap exists in tech, but it's not as wide as in areas such as financial services. "[Last month's] Morgan McKinley study put the gender pay gap in technology and telecoms at 7pc," Burke says. "Then there was a disciplinary breakdown with sales at the top [23pc], and IT and software development, R&D and engineering all falling close to the 20pc average.

"Big data had the smallest gender pay gap by discipline at 3pc, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's because of the skills shortage in this area. The data scientist role is quite new for most companies and there's a limited pool of qualified candidates creating an incredibly high demand.

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"So, I'd imagine that as long as you are a qualified data scientist, you will be gainfully employed whatever your gender. In a sad way, skill shortages may be the reason why we end up fixing the gender and pay imbalances in science and technology."

Ruth Buckley longs for the day when tech is no longer so male-dominated. Head of ICT at Cork City Council, she is one of the founders of iWish, an organisation that seeks to promote STEM - science, technology, engineering and maths - among school girls.

"We need a cultural shift," she says. "For too long, girls have not been engaged enough these fields. They're perceived to be very male-dominated, and some just don't want to work in that sort of environment." Buckley has worked in the industry for 30 years, and while she feels more females are motivated to pursue careers in tech now than at any time in the past, she says old habits still die hard.

"I remember my mother would help me with my homework - everything, except maths. When we got to that, she'd say 'wait until your father comes home'. I think many Irish households are still having that conversation." She believes that the fact that girls largely outperform boys in the Irish school curriculum makes a mockery about why cultural mores still hold sway.

For engineer and scientist Dr Niamh Shaw, it is imperative that science is taught in a far more engaging way in our school system. "If you only focused on grammar in English class it would be very dull," she says. "Too often there isn't enough creativity employed to make science subjects more compelling.

"There is a gender imbalance in tech and related sectors now and that can't be changed overnight, but if there's a concerted effort to reach out to girls from a young age, change can happen. Role models really help with that and when girls see that women head companies like Twitter here, that's a great thing."

And yet, the new tech entrepreneurs often have no STEM qualifications. Dubliner Katie Tsouros has an art background. "I opened my own gallery in Dublin in 2010," she says.

"It was around that time that we started to see moves for the art industry towards technology. It's one of the slowest industries to move online and I began to see the vast opportunities that lay in that sector."

Tsouros's e-commerce start-up, Artfetch, was a hit from the off and last year was acquired by UK firm Rise Art. Tsouros is its brand marketing manager.

"I can't say that my gender has helped or hindered my progress," she says. "I think I succeeded and did well in the areas that I had a capacity and skill set for, or an aptitude for learning, and that was nothing to do with my gender.

"There are definitely opportunities out there that are only open to women, and we should take advantage of those, but they are also necessary in order to increase female visibility, which I believe is the biggest hindrance. I think women - famously - lack confidence in comparison to men, and I certainly found that I was bad at asking for things and asking for help, but I learned to get better at that."

Tsouros says the Irish tech landscape "is undoubtedly male dominated", but points out that so too are the "corporate, entrepreneurial, political" worlds.

"I never found it problematic," she adds, "but women need more role models, we need visibility and to see other women rising to the top. You need to seek women out and put them there, and everyone needs to make the effort to do that if we're going to see any change.

"The good thing about tech is that most people are young, they are progressive, men and women both want to see the change and I think welcome a more equal gender balance. Yes, you enter rooms entirely filled with men, it can be intimidating to be in the minority, but luckily I never experienced anything directly negative."

And nor have Tanya Grimson and Agata Stoinska, although Grimson admits that as the mother of a six-year-old, she sometimes wrestles with feelings of guilt. "Sometimes it's quite difficult being a woman and a mother and an entrepreneur - it's almost like you're adding another difficulty on top of it because you do have a terrible guilt, if you're doing the right thing.

"The one thing that always brings me back is I'm doing it as a legacy for my son. I want him to believe in strong women.

"I want him to be one of those men, when he's grown up, who values hard work but also, 100pc, doesn't see the difference between men and women."

Irish women who are leading tech charge

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Sinead McSweeney - managing director of Twitter in Ireland, who joined the social-media giant four years ago

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Cathriona Hallahan - joined Microsoft in 1986 and after holding several senior roles, is now managing director of the giant's Irish operation

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Aisling Hassell - head of Airbnb's customer experience operations across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA)

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Cathy Kearney - has been with Apple since 1988 and has overseen the expansion of the Cork site, which now employs over 5,000 people; she is vice president for European operations

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Fionnuala Meehan - after a 10-year career at Google, the Trinity graduate has recently been appointed as the head of the Irish site in charge of 5,000 employees

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Regina Moran - the long-time head of Fujitsu Ireland is now managing the UK and Irish operations from London

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Louise Phelan - VP for global operations for PayPal in EMEA

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Niamh Townsend - general manager for Dell in Ireland, with some 2,500 people employed here
If Donald Trump is elected president... Kate McKinnon does not mince her words on SNL NBC

Everyone remembers that scene in Love Actually, when Andrew Lincoln turns up at Keira Knightleys door with a hi-fi, chunky jumper and messages of almost creepy love written on white card.

Saturday Night Live got into the Christmas spirit when Kate McKinnon, aka Hillary Rodham Clinton, stood at the doorstep, warning an elector about the potential dangers of the president-elect.

Eight days before Christmas, and just two days before 19 December when 538 members of the electoral college convene to rubber stamp the election of Mr Trump, Ms McKinnon reels off her worries on a stack of white cards while a giggly, undecided elector hovers in the doorway.

"Let me just say," one card reads. "Because its Christmas And at Christmas you tell the truth I know youre an elector And on December 19th Youre supposed to vote for Donald Trump.

"But bish" The next card says: "He cray"

Ms McKinnon's character lists the reasons why Mr Trump might be "cray": refusing to attend security briefings, provoking China to steal a US navy drone, and his cabinet appointees' negative stance on immigrants, conspiracy theories, women and gay people.

Ms McKinnon suggested the elector vote for anyone else  John Kasich, Tom Hanks, The Rock.

The spoof taps into the mind-set of millions of people who signed a petition to reform or scrap the electoral college, a system which elected Mr Trump, despite Ms Clinton gaining a lead of more than 2.8 million votes in the popular count.

Electoral college members are usually chosen due to their party loyalty, therefore most of them are likely to stick with their party's candidate come 19 December.

One elector in Texas and a group of Democrats, however, have vowed to become "faithless electors" by breaking their pledge to vote for the candidate that won in their state and instead vote for a more moderate Republican. But most of the faithless electors are already bound to vote for Ms Clinton and therefore the protest vote is very unlikely to swing the result.

During times of turmoil, the comedy show has the potential to convey a powerful message to the president-elect, who has already shown his ire about the Alec Baldwin sketches on twitter. Even Mr Trumps aides, such as campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, have shared their views on CNN, perhaps knowing the message was more likely to be digested by Mr Trump via the medium of cable television.

Electors who break their pledge may face a fine of up to $1,000 depending on state laws, a fact that Ms McKinnon brought up in the sketch. It was a small price to pay, the show seemed to suggest, to avoid Mr Trump being president for the next eight years.

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But keep in mind, if Donald Trump becomes president, he will kill us all, the cards read.

In Love Actually, the US president visits UK prime minister Hugh Grant. Played by Billy Bob Thornton, he has blonde hair and acts inappropriately with a Downing Street staffer.

Mr Trump has yet to tweet about the latest sketch.
During a week of barbarism in Aleppo, The Crossing (RTE1) showed that acts of humanity still somehow survive in a world largely indifferent to the fate of desperate millions.

Filmed and directed by Judy Kelly, this was a salutary documentary, not least because it eschewed any attempt at moralising, trusting instead in the frightening footage it was showing and in the observations of the rescuers on board the LE Samuel Beckett as it traversed the Mediterranean sea between Libya and southern Italy.

It was hard to credit that a flimsy rubber dinghy crammed with over 100 refugees had made it to where the Irish rescue ship found it in the open ocean, while the sight of a rickety wooden barge containing up to 800 people defied belief as it bobbed precariously in the waves. Some of these unfortunates died in the process, toppling into the sea as they stood up excitedly at the rescue boat's arrival ("their screams will haunt me for a long time," said petty officer Patricia O'Sullivan), though almost all of them were saved by the herculean efforts of the crew.

However, even in the safety of the ship, all wasn't always well, with antagonism breaking out between Christians and Muslims. "That I can't understand," said Lieutenant Diarmuid O'Donovan as he reflected on the ordeal they'd all just undergone.

As for the fate of these refugees when taken to the promised land of Europe, a caption near the film's end informed us that less than 40pc of them are granted asylum when they reach Italy. Meanwhile 250,000 more refugees are currently on the Libyan coast intending to make the same perilous journey.

"What we're doing won't solve the situation", O'Donovan conceded, yet though that's undeniably true, the heroic work undertaken by himself and his colleagues made me feel proud to be Irish.

There was antagonism, too, in the two-part Muslims Like Us (BBC2), almost all of it caused by the presence of Abdul Haq, one of 10 Muslims who'd been selected to share a house in York for 10 days in an effort to discover what being a Muslim actually meant in today's Britain.

The other nine seemed like nice people, though Haq wasn't nice at all. Having converted from Christianity a decade ago, changing his name in the process from Anthony Small, this former boxer now made fundamentalist videos, believed that men and women shouldn't mix, and avoided eye contact with the latter.

So what was he doing there? Well, clearly he was the programme's fly in the ointment, disturbing the feel-good ambience of the house with his show-boating intransigence and occasioning rows every time he opened his mouth.

"They're queuing up to challenge him," the voice-over excitedly confided, though after 40 minutes of tedious confrontations I let them all at it.

The final instalment of Planet Earth II (BBC1) ended with the 90-year-old David Attenborough pleading with us to look after our fragile world, which, in the era of Trump, seems a forlorn hope. But the series was a marvel, this concluding episode focusing on the extraordinary way in which animals and birds have adapted to urban challenges.

"The complexity of urban life favours the clever and the brazen," Attenborough said, and there was spectacular footage of peregrine falcons on Manhattan skyscraper ledges, leopards prowling the streets of Mumbai and raccoons roaming around Toronto. However, I was just as enthralled by a re-run on the same night of Wild Cities: Dublin (RTE2), in which Rob Gandola introduced us to the deer, hares, geese, falcons and foxes of our capital.

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In the second instalment of This is Ireland with Des Bishop (RTE2) the hectoring comedian declared that "we're a show about what matters in Ireland", and so he embarked on a lecture about our libel laws and an even lengthier tirade about anti-vaccine scaremongers. Neither of these harangues was accompanied by even a titter of wit, while segments by fellow comedians Colm O'Regan and Dermot Whelan were similarly laugh-free. And an interview with film-maker Jim Sherdian meandered on pointlessly until the show's end-titles abruptly cut it off, thus saving me the bother of reaching for the remote.

Professional chef Michelle won The Taste of Success (RTE1) with her Irish beef brisket pie. A cool 100,000 was the prize she got from Lidl, which is also selling the pie in its 140 nationwide stores. One of the three judges was from Lidl, too, while fellow judge Paul Flynn has for years been the celebrity face of Lidl media promotions. As far as RTE is concerned, it's clear that a Lidl can go a long way.

Amiably presented by Harry McGee, Polaitiocht: Power on the Box (RTE1) has been a lively and entertaining series about the role of television in Irish political life, with lots of pithy soundbites.

"This is where careers can be forged or finished," McGee said at the outset, though Martin McGuinness's career wasn't ended when Miriam O'Callaghan asked him "How do you square with your god the fact that you were involved in the murder of so many people?" However, he himself effectively ended the presidential hopes of Sean Gallagher with a live-on-air question about sources of money that left Gallagher flailing.

Claire Byrne, who showed her steeliness during another political leaders' debate, told McGee that politicians were "not my friends" and that "the day I'm buddy-buddy with politicians is the day I should stop doing what I'm doing". That, of course, should be the stance of every self-respecting journalist.
Tullamore twinkles like a Christmas bauble in the winter fog and around the town there is a palpable sense of relief that Bernadette Scully was acquitted of the manslaughter of her daughter, Emily.

In the pubs and pews of the Midlands town there is indignance that the State even took the case. After morning Mass, one local woman sums up the sentiment. "What did that case cost the taxpayer to prosecute? We're told there isn't the money to care properly for youngsters like Emily, but there was more than enough money to hound her poor mother, who wasn't even allowed to grieve properly. Bernadette was very popular locally. She was a great GP. I hope she'll be able to go back to it. People are appalled."

When the trial was over we saw the face of a woman, a mother, no longer a pair of eyes glaring defiantly from under a cap. Now we saw a face warmly framed by blonde hair, a person invigorated with hope, and we finally glimpsed her in full context, surrounded by the people who loved her; her handsome partner, Andrius Kozlovskis, and her sisters, as protective of her as she had been of Emily.

At the door of Bernadette's house on the outskirts of Tullamore one of them wards off reporters, while a cat pirouettes around her ankles. A planning permission sign signals that next year will be a new start; the awful memories of 2016 to be built over.

If the case transfixed the nation, it did so for more than reasons of voyeuristic pity. At trial, Bernadette Scully was painted as a high-achieving martyr - to her career and her daughter's dreadful conditions.

The description of Bernadette going back to work the same day as having a gynaecological procedure, the Herculean care of Emily, even the Shakespearean drama of the suicide note; they all seemed to bespeak a woman who would have the steely pragmatism to make terrible decisions. But gleaming in the details there was also a softer sense of the modern everywoman about Bernadette Scully: the chequered love life, the IVF attempts, the difficult balance of work and home. She had managed them all, yet somehow she had ended up in the dock with her life, her reputation and her freedom to grieve, all on the line.

She had, by the account we heard, a fairly tough early life; her father died when she was young and Bernadette helped look after her younger siblings from a young age. She thought of becoming a teacher but went for medicine after getting high points in the Leaving Certificate. She studied in UCD and qualified in 1983. She worked as a junior doctor in Kilkenny, before training to be a GP. She also spent time in England but returned to Ireland to work in the border area as a family doctor.

She was unlucky in love. The first husband turned out to be gay and Bernadette became an unwilling font of gossip for Tullamore. She eventually split from that man, on amicable terms, and met a Turkish chef, Haluk Barut. By then in her 40s, the marriage must have represented Bernadette's last chance to have children. She became pregnant after three gruelling rounds of IVF and Emily Barut was born, profoundly disabled, in 2001. Bernadette split from Haluk, and was left saddled with his gambling debts, the prospect of early retirement and full-time care of Emily now more distant than ever. In the witness box, Bernadette's sister, Teresa, spoke about her bravery in caring for Emily. "All Bernie ever wanted to do was to have a little baby of her own, and there was no one more deserving because all she had done, all her life, was give, give, give," she said.

The defence case seemed very much to hinge on this narrative, that Bernadette could not have committed a killing. Emily's medication was so voluminous that it had to be delivered in a van and a nurse testified at trial that the care she received at home was beyond reproach.

The unspoken question for many of us was: even if Bernadette had accidentally caused Emily's death - which she did not - would any justice have been served by holding her accountable before the courts? Does any child deserve to live a life screaming in pain, convulsing with constant fits (which in Emily's case, one nurse testified, would likely get much worse through puberty)? And is not the larger problem that the law, as it stands, seems to believe in life at all costs, even when those costs are constant, unbearable, humiliating pain and the destruction of the spirit. If any of us had to face a situation like this, would we want those who love us the most to take their courage in both hands and give us back our dignity?

This was an option that was denied to Bernadette, even if she, or Emily, had wanted it. Like any parents of disabled children she was all but abandoned by the State to shoulder most of the care of her child alone, aided by her partner and family. As a doctor she perhaps felt that if anyone could give Emily a semblance of normality, it was her. The last, sleepless hysterical night of Emily's life left them both at the ragged edge of distress. And in the aftermath of Emily's death, at the very limits of her terror, Bernadette tried to take her own life. In court the note was read out.

"I do not want to die," Bernadette wrote. "I cannot let Emily's suffering continue. I can't watch it any longer. The pain is too big, the struggle each day too hard, the loneliness and isolation too much."

Although there was 10 times the therapeutic dose of chloral hydrate in Emily's blood, expert evidence said people metabolise the drug at different speeds, so that a life-saving dose for some would be a lethal dose for others.

It was difficult to tell which had been the case for Emily, but in the end sense prevailed over procedure. The wisdom of the abolition of juries is periodically discussed, but here we had a brilliant example of one exercising its discretion. One of the abiding images of the trial was Bernadette's sister mouthing the word 'thank you' to the jury, even as she was reproached by the judge for doing do. It was the last twitch of an ordeal that is now over.

Still, Irish officialdom is sometimes baffling in its inhumanity. Yesterday it was reported that it was "not inconceivable but highly unlikely" that Bernadette would face disciplinary proceedings from the Irish Medical Council.

An expression of condolence or support might have been more apt for a colleague about to pick up the pieces of her life.

On the streets of Tullamore, the sentiment was a humane antidote to this thin-lipped officiousness. One bartender told me: "After all she's been through, she'll be warmly welcome back. We've missed her."
Proposals for the new legislation are being brought to Cabinet by Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald. Photo: Gerry Mooney

The Government is preparing to draft tough new legislation which will put more responsibility on banks and other financial institutions to identify customers laundering money for terrorist activities.

The new laws will also require accountants, lawyers, tax advisors and private gambling clubs to carry out risk assessments on their client base.

Banks and business owners are then legally obliged to contact the Garda and the Revenue Commissioner's office if they identify customers who are laundering money.

The legislation is aimed at clamping down on international crime gangs and jihadi terrorists using Irish institutions and businesses to funnel money for criminal activity.

There will be a discussion about the new laws at the final Cabinet meeting before the Christmas recess. Proposals for the new legislation are being brought to Cabinet by Tanaiste and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

The new laws are required following the passing of an EU directive on money laundering. However, there are concerns over the vagueness of the EU legislation and how it will translate into Irish law.

Among the measures contained in the directive from Brussels is the need for the Government to establish an anti-money laundering steering committee.

However, the key element of the legislation is to oblige firms which could be targeted by money-launderers to carry out business-wide risk assessments of all their customers.

Separately, the Department of Justice has hit back at suggestions by PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton that Ireland has weak borders which allow criminals into Northern Ireland.

Hamilton said Irish authorities do not have the same "resource or focus" as those operating in the North and highlighted that 775 people had been detained at Northern Ireland ports in the past year. However, new figures from the Department of Justice show Ireland handed over the names of more than 300 potential criminals to UK immigration authorities in less than two years.

"Of those referred, approximately half were arrested by the UK on entry. Therefore, many of those referred to by the Chief Constable were as a result of referrals from Ireland and demonstrate the close co-operation between the Irish and UK authorities in operation," a source said.

The source said UK and Irish immigration authorities regularly share information.
Gardai are investigating after a woman (63) was left in shock after she was robbed on her way to work in Co Dublin.

The incident occurred at Northwood Court in Ballymun shortly after 8:15am on December 13.

The 63-year-old woman was believed to be walking along the main road when two men in a silver car approached her.

According to gardai the woman was walking from her car to a near-by building when one man got out of the car and stole the womans handbag.

A phone valued at 400 was in the bag among personal possessions.

Gardai in Ballymun later arrested two men but they were released without charge.

Gardai said they are investigating and a file is being prepared for the DPP.

Local Ballymun Councillor Noeleen Reilly told Independent.ie that the woman was left devastated after the incident.

She was absolutely devastated and in shock. The community in Ballymun came together to help raise some money for her. We were able to raise over 400, so we put some money on her gas account because we noticed her house was cold.

Its shocking that somebody would do something like this.

Cllr Reilly said the woman was most upset about her miraculous medals that were stolen.

"They mean nothing to anybody else but her. They were in her bag when it was stolen and she's very upset."

She said the woman is afraid to leave her house after the incident.

I went to visit her this morning with some groceries and shes absolutely devastated and afraid to leave the house.

Its disgraceful that somebody would do this.
Health Minister Simon Harris has accused international pharmaceutical companies of "kidnapping" Irish patients with samples of life-saving drugs before demanding a ransom from the Government once the free trial is over.

In his strongest comments on the drug price controversy to date, Mr Harris launched a scathing attack on "unethical" big pharma companies demanding millions of euro from the Department of Health for drugs which could save or improve lives.

"I'm really fed up at this stage of drug companies pretending their reason for existing is to protect the interests of Irish patients," Mr Harris told the Sunday Independent.

"There are many great companies out there with innovative technology but the people who are charged with looking after patients are me, the Department of Health, the HSE and the Government.

"We're the people who are standing up for patients. Drug companies stand up for their shareholders, their investors and that's fair enough, it's a capitalist and free world," he added.

The minister is currently in discussions with manufacturer Vertex Pharmaceuticals over the price of cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi.

He is also seeking to spearhead an international response to drug companies charging countries extortionate prices for drugs.

He has made contact with his counterparts in the UK, Scotland, Australia and Canada about drug prices, and has also raised the issue at a recent EU meeting of health ministers.

The minister said the companies are distorting the facts and "holding Irish taxpayers to ransom and nearly kidnapping our patients, by saying 'you must pay this amount of money or we will not give this life-saving drug or this life- altering drug to the patient'".

He added it was "immoral and unethical" for pharma companies to initially give drugs to seriously sick patients free of charge, and then pull the medication when the Government said it could not afford to pay for the treatment.

"It's completely unethical and immoral. We have in this country a really good track record of providing access to innovative drugs but I'm not going to be bullied or intimidated by big pharma. I refused to do it twice already," he said.

In an interview in today's Sunday Independent, the Health Minister also revealed he is willing to pay private hospitals to take patients from public hospitals to deal with the trolley crisis if it escalates during the winter months.

The proposal was suggested to him by Labour Party TD Alan Kelly, who has said he believes it is "immoral" for private hospitals to be "rolling out the red carpet" for patients while public hospitals are dangerously over-crowded with trolleys.

Mr Harris said he is "absolutely" open to the idea but warned "it is not as straightforward as it sounds".

"You have to remember a lot of people who go to our emergency departments are an emergency and need access to 24-hour emergency departments, they need access to ICU, high-dependency beds, very specialist medical care and not all of our private hospitals have those facilities," the minster said.

"When I came to health I was very clear on this. I really value the Irish health service and want to see it significantly invested in but I won't become a prisoner to ideology," he added. He also plans to open HSE-run GP clinics so "salaried GPs" can focus on medical care rather than worry about the business side of running a practice.
A major international investigation is under way following a cyber 'CEO fraud' attack aimed at stealing over 4m from Meath County Council.

Some 4.3m has been frozen in a bank account in Hong Kong after the local authority was targeted in a "sophisticated" online scam.

The attempted fraud was carried out on October 28.

The Council said the attack involved impersonating the identity of chief executive, Jackie Maguire.

It is believed cyber criminals contacted a junior member of staff pretending to be Mr Maguire - and requested the transfer of some 4.3m to an account in Hong Kong.

However, the attempted fraud was detected before the transaction was completed, and the money has been secured. So-called 'CEO fraud' is the latest cyber threat facing businesses and other organisations which hold bank accounts.

The fraudster first gains access to a company's finance- related emails - to establish the role of certain individuals within a particular company - and their technical methods of communication. Usually the fraudsters hijack the CEO's email account, or create one that is near identical.

A junior employee is then sent a fake email that looks like it's from a superior asking to transfer money from one account to another.

The funds are usually sent to a foreign bank account.

The email may also indicate that the request is "urgent" or "confidential" in the hope of getting the funds moved quickly and quietly.

Industry experts say criminals use social media, among other online tools, to cultivate targets over time. These scams are typically for large amounts and have reportedly occurred in over 80 countries worldwide.

In a statement, Meath County Council said its bank was alerted and the matter was reported to the gardai, who provided assistance through the Financial Intelligence Unit in the National Economic Crime Bureau, and through Interpol.

"The funds have been secured and the matter is now the subject of criminal investigations, and legal proceedings, in Ireland and abroad.

"In light of the ongoing investigations, the Council has been advised to make no further comment on the matter at this time."

Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne expressed his shock at the attempted theft, describing it as a "disgraceful act".

"I hope the perpetrators are identified and brought before the courts to account for their actions.

"I will be seeking assurances that cyber security procedures within Meath County Council are at their highest possible level. I will also be looking for assurances that vital public services are not at risk, either temporarily or permanently, as a result of this attempted theft. It is also important that other local authorities across the country examine their own internal cyber security procedures to ensure they do not fall victim to a similar attack."

Fianna Fail councillor, Sean Drew, who is a member of the audit committee on Meath County Council, says he will be looking for a full review of the local authority's internal controls and security measures. "This attempted theft is shocking. We are lucky that the suspicious activity was identified and acted upon by An Garda Siochana. The detection and prevention of the attempted theft will allow for a full international criminal investigation to take place. As a member of Meath County Council's audit committee I will be looking for a full review of our internal control and security measures.

"It's important that any potential security issues are identified. We must be vigilant."

In January a number of Government-related and public sector websites were knocked offline by an apparent cyber attack. Websites including those of the Central Statistics Office, the Department Of Justice and the Courts Service were targeted.
DEVASTATING: The bodies of Oisin ODriscoll (7) and his mother Sinead Higgins (37) were found at their home in Ruislip, West London, last Wednesday morning

The house where the bodies of Sinead Higgins and Oisin O'Driscoll were discovered in Ruislip, London. Inset: Shane O'Driscoll and Oisin

The father of a boy who died in a suspected murder-suicide this week has expressed his devastation at losing his young son.

Shane ODriscoll alerted authorities when he realised that his son Oisin (7) had not turned up at school on Wednesday. His ex-partner Sinead Higgins (38) and their son were found dead at her home in Ruislip, West London that morning.

Detectives in the case are satisfied that their deaths are "consistent with a murder-suicide.

Mr ODriscoll took to Facebook on Friday to express his grief at seeing his son Oisins body.

Expand Close DEVASTATING: The bodies of Oisin ODriscoll (7) and his mother Sinead Higgins (37) were found at their home in Ruislip, West London, last Wednesday morning / Facebook

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Whatsapp DEVASTATING: The bodies of Oisin ODriscoll (7) and his mother Sinead Higgins (37) were found at their home in Ruislip, West London, last Wednesday morning

Thank you for all your support and messages. Words cannot express how we are feeling, he said.

Today it became real when I had the first opportunity to hold Oisin and see his little face. My best buddy has been taken from this world and taken from all his little friends.

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He has always been an angel.

Sleep well my little man. Love Dada

Expand Close Sinead Higgins with her son Oisin O'Driscoll / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sinead Higgins with her son Oisin O'Driscoll

Mr ODriscolls post was flooded with condolences of friends and family expressing their support for him in this tragic time.

Ms Higgins, originally from Aughagower, County Mayo, was said to be depressed in the time leading up to her death.

Expand Close Sinead Higgins. Picture: Twitter / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sinead Higgins. Picture: Twitter

Barbara Lonnan, a neighbour who lived close to Ms Higgins in Ruislip, said: "When she first came here two years ago she was really bubbly but gradually she got more and more depressed.

"It was so sad to see. I told her there are people who can get you help but I don't think she ever went."

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She said: "I think it was because of her boyfriend and life in general getting on top of her. She also said the landlord had put up the rent and she didn't know how she could pay for it.

"I know she was depressed but to take him as well - her family must be devastated."

If you have been affected by issues in this article, you can free-phone the Samaritans on 116 123. Pieta House can be contacted on 1800 247 247. For more information on Pieta House and its services visit www.pieta.ie.
'If I had a diamond for every time it was written that I'd been axed by RTE," Grainne Seoige said, with a twinkle in her eye, "I'd have more sparkling jewellery than Elizabeth Taylor ever owned."

The TV star added: "It is about finding the right thing for me in television. It is not about finding just the next thing. I'm very calm, very positive and, most of all, very excited about the future."

My sources in Montrose told me that Galway goddess Grainne had a meeting with RTE director general Dee Forbes last week, which went well. She was seen entering Forbes's office last Monday. "I'm not commenting whether I did or not," Grainne said, refusing to be drawn any further.

The Deep Throat within RTE did add that at the meeting, Forbes was "extremely positive and complimentary about Grainne and her career at RTE and indeed her future".

Grainne said: "You can go back to whoever is leaking this to you and ask them."

She did say, however, that "the plates are moving very quickly, very dramatically in television generally. Look at TV3, UTV Ireland, Virgin Media, even RTE. There is a lot of upheaval, a lot of uncertainty. But that uncertainty also creates great opportunity. And I have always been open to opportunity. I was launch anchor for three channel start-ups."

Grainne added: "It has been a year of great excitement for me. I'm doing something new after 20 years of television," she said, referring to her new diamond business, gracediamonds.ie.

"I'm really feeling like Santa's little helper at the moment. We are finishing some fabulous engagement rings in time for Christmas Day proposals. It will be a sparkling day for a few people in more ways than one."

And is there any hope of a wedding ring on her finger any time soon from Leon Jordaan?

Grainne got engaged to her South African boyfriend in what seems like the distant mists of time, November, 2013, having been dating since October 2011.

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"There is very much hope," she laughed. "There is always hope! We are very happy. The engagement stage must be suiting us. We are both so busy, but I'm sure we will take the next step in the near future.

''Leon and I are looking forward to spending Christmas together. I'm not telling you where. Ask your mole in RTE," she said, laughing.
In nearly 40 years of knowing her, I only ever met one person who didn't like Gillian Bowler.

When I pressed him for his reasons, he told me she was very rude to him at a dinner party we had all attended once upon a time.

I pointed out to him that as he had actually tried to set her hair on fire (that lustrous chestnut mane) at said party, her effrontery was justified.

It would have been easy to be jealous of Gill - she was beautiful, intelligent and sensational fun - but she was such a courageous and decent person that she was simply impossible to dislike.

Initially, though, she infuriated me. As a teenager my heart would sink when I would hear my mother Terry saying "I'm off to lunch with Gill" because I knew mayhem would ensue. It invariably did and I always blamed Gill. To be fair, there was probably a pair of them in it. They were the greatest of friends and my mother was touched and thrilled to be one of only two witnesses at her intimate London wedding to the great love of her life, Harry Sydner.

So it was a poignant symmetry for my sisters and I to pay our final respects to Gill yesterday at the same chapel where eight years ago we said goodbye to our mother.

Gill wasn't there that desolate day. Ill in the south of France, she tried to insist on hiring an air ambulance to attend Terry's obsequies. Sense prevailed and when Gill finally recovered, the four of us had an unforgettable dinner of tears, laughter and unprintable anecdotes at the Pearl Brasserie.

Part of her appeal was her ability to combine a serious work ethic with an eager capacity to play too. December was always a frantic month for her - juggling the production of Budget Travel's spring catalogues with a very busy social life. But even coming to a party straight from the office, she was always on time, looking gorgeous and no matter how late the revelries, she'd be bright-eyed and at her desk early the next day, though always able to find time to ring for an entertaining debrief about the previous evening.

She was extraordinarily generous, too - her wedding present to me was our magical honeymoon in Cyprus - "the island of love, Madeleine," she explained.

Though she was a sophisticated, cosmopolitan woman, bliss for Gill was the Friday bolt from her Baggot Street office to the bucolic retreat she and Harry created near a long, quiet Wexford beach, where the weekend was all about reading, cooking and endless walks with her beloved dogs. Needless to say, she was an avid sun worshipper and I remember one Easter, we were all staying with her there when a feeble spring sun poked its rays out for an hour and she and Terry instantly got into their bikinis.

Literature was one of her greatest pleasures. I last saw her during the summer and gave her a pile of new novels which she received with childlike delight - indeed, our final words were about books. She read widely though she mostly enjoyed literary fiction (the South African novelist Andre Brink was a great favourite), biography and poetry.

Perhaps a result of her many jousts with serious illness, Gill lived life with exceptional verve, passion and energy.

Edna St Vincent Millay's famous poem First Fig came straight to mind when I heard of her death. (Strangely when I was told the very upsetting news, though I was indoors and it is winter, my sunglasses were perched on my head).

My candle burns at both ends;

It will not last the night;

But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends-

It gives a lovely light!

Darling Gill. You gave us such lovely light. We will miss you very much.

May you rest in peace.

Madeleine Keane

Madeleine Keane is books editor of the Sunday Independent
Activists who have taken over a vacant building in Dublin city centre have said they are considering taking up residency in other properties held by Nama - despite being served with a legal notice to leave the site.

Five homeless families have been staying in Apollo House on Tara Street since Thursday when the activists gained access to the building.

An organised community has since been established at the site, with bedrooms being set up with mattresses in empty offices with running water and electricity.

The movement has received widespread support from entertainers and politicians, including Glen Hansard, Jim Sheridan, Hozier and the Rubberbandits. Liam O Maonlai from Hothouse Flowers was at the site on Thursday night when the building was occupied by Home Sweet Home.

"It is an empty building that is not being used and people need it," he said.

"There is a screaming human need, it is in our faces. Our fellow human beings are all over the place freezing at night and most of us cannot even begin to imagine what that must be like."

Solicitors representing the building's receivers wrote to the group occupying the building on Friday night to say they could not allow it to remain "unlawfully occupied by trespassers".

O Maonlai said he was unhappy that legal letters were being used to obstruct the resolution of the homelessness crisis. "The idea that someone could be shaking their fist and going through the usual divisive legal avenues to try and make that difficult [is a shame]. This is something the whole country could get behind.

"It [homelessness] is a crisis, a disaster and a cause of national shame."

Those who are staying at the site insist they are not harming the building and would consider occupying other buildings held by the receiver, Mazars.

Gardai visited the site on Thursday night but were happy that no damage was being caused and the facility was safe.

Quentin Sheridan (40) from Dublin has been homeless for 28 years. He has stayed in Apollo House since Thursday night.

He insisted that nobody broke into the building and no damage had been caused.

"We did nothing illegal to get in to the building. I cannot say how we got in but it was not a break-in.

"The main rule we have is that people don't bring anything in terms of drugs or drink into the premises because the last thing we want is someone putting their life in danger or someone else's life in danger."

The protesters said they had Dublin Fire Brigade inspect the premises and it was deemed safe for people to sleep in.

Rules and systems have been put in place and a team of plumbers and maintenance workers have carried out work in recent days. "We have had doctors in already. Nurses, psychiatrists and counsellors were in the facility getting involved and they are making sure the people who need that kind of help are getting that help," Sheridan said.

A recent count of rough sleepers found that there were 142 people sleeping on Dublin's streets.

The Department of Housing said there were enough beds being provided to meet the needs of people sleeping rough if they chose to avail of the services.

The number of new beds available for rough sleepers is 210 but Quentin Sheridan said some homeless people had concerns about personal security when using such facilities.

"It is a relief for myself because I know I have my own little room. I am not in a dormitory so when I take my shoes off I know I don't have to check where they are every five minutes. I can sleep comfortably.

"I don't have to be worried about getting beaten up or bullied for my dole money."

People were arriving yesterday showing support by bringing clothes, food, toiletries and cleaning supplies to the building.

O Maonlai said it was important people continued to show their support.

"The night the mattresses arrived was very exciting. To see them come out of the truck and the gate being opened, it was like a victory for human beings and human kindness," he said.
One lucky Dubliner is 500,000 richer today - and they may not know it yet.

Be sure to check Friday night's Euromillions jackpot numbers, as the winning Quick Pick ticket for the EuroMillions Plus was sold in Blanchardstown on the day of the draw.

The Spar Waterville shop are set to celebrate as a further two Irish winners were clocked for the festive draw.

One ticket was sold at the Penny Hill shop at the Ballyowen Shopping Centre in Lucan, while another was sold online at lottery.ie.

The National Lottery has now advised the players to check their tickets and sign the back of the ticket if you're lucky enough to have the correct numbers.

The EuroMillions Plus draw gives players an extra chance to win 500,000, at the cost of 1 per extra line.

So far in 2016, a total of 24 players have won the EuroMillions Plus top prize of half a million euro.

Now, Tuesdays EuroMillions jackpot is an estimated 60 million.
Sinn Fein has announced that it will bring a proposal to the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday calling for Arlene Foster to stand aside as First Minister.

The party had earlier on Sunday refused to say whether it would back a similar motion planned by the SDLP.

But on Sunday evening a statement was released on behalf of Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness saying his party plans to bring a proposal to the Assembly on Monday calling for the First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside to facilitate an independent investigation into the RHI scandal.

"The current crisis is not about party politics," he said.

It is not an orange or green issue. It is about restoring the credibility of the power-sharing institutions and dealing with incompetence and allegations of corruption and abuse.

"That is my sole focus and the sole focus of Sinn Fein.

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"It is my firm belief the only way to establish the truth of what has occurred and to begin to restore public faith in the institutions is for an independent, time-framed and robust investigation to take place.

"The First Minister should stand aside to allow this. There is also an urgent need to minimise the cost of the scheme to the public purse.

"Given the First Ministers failure thus far to accept this Sinn Fein will bring forward a proposal to the Assembly which calls on the First Minister to stand aside until this independent investigation brings forward a preliminary report.

We are calling on all parties and MLAs to support this."

Mr McGuinness went on to claim that a statement which Mrs Foster plans to make to the Assembly on Monday does not have his "approval".

The statement which Arlene Foster plans to make to the Assembly tomorrow does not have my authority or approval as deputy First Minister," he said.

"We have told the DUP this.

If she speaks this will be in a personal capacity and not in her role as First Minister.

There is no credibility in an inquiry established solely by the DUP or in the selective release of some documents by DUP departments.

If the DUP does take a unilateral approach, disregarding the authority and joint nature of the Executive Office on an issue which is cross-cutting, with massive budgetary implications and which is undermining public confidence in the political institutions this will have grave consequences."
Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan at the launch of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) at Garda Headquarters. Pic:Mark Condren

The new armed garda unit launched last week is already on emergency standby amid what is termed a "high probability" of further attacks in the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud.

While it had been thought that the feuding had been wound down after the murder of innocent Dublin City Council worker Trevor O'Neill (40) in front of his family in Mallorca in August, sources said the feud was "definitely still on".

Last week, gardai received intelligence of a planned assassination of a senior figure in the Hutch organisation by the south Dublin-based Kinahan gang.

The new Armed Support Unit of 55 gardai has been tasked with providing an 'armed response' at Dublin Airport and is based in a disused office building at the airport complex. This is to meet EU security directives following the Brussels Airport attack in March in which 32 people were killed by suicide bombers.

But the unit's main role will be to assist Dublin gardai to counter the warring gangs in the capital. As the Justice Minister and the Garda Commissioner were publicly launching the new unit last Wednesday, it was already awaiting orders to assist in an operation directed against the core of the Kinahan operation in Dublin.

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No weapons were found in a series of raids last Thursday morning, but gardai believe the high-profile operation helped prevent further attacks. Members of the new unit were on duty for the operation under the guidance of the Emergency Response Unit, the specialist armed assault unit which has been in operation since the 1990s.

Garda sources in Dublin last week said there were continuing plans by the Kinahan gang to "wipe out" the remaining Hutch gang members.

Since the feud broke out in Dublin in February following the murder of Gary Hutch by the Kinahan gang in Spain in September last year, 11 men, mostly associated with the Hutch gang, have been murdered.

Expand Close Members of the new Armed Support Unit (ASU) at Garda Headquarters. Pic:Mark Condren / Facebook

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One garda source said that while some regarded the establishment of the new armed unit as a "PR exercise", gardai involved in policing the inner city and the main feud locations welcomed its establishment.

The source said: "They [the gangs] have exactly the same equipment as our boys and we know they were going to use those machine-guns and AK47s. To tell you the truth, the main worry is that another garda is going to be killed."

Expand Close Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald and Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan at the launch of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) at Garda Headquarters. Pic:Mark Condren / Facebook

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Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan last week apparently ruled out the idea of generally arming the gardai, but sources in Dublin said the policy may have to be revisited if a garda was murdered in the course of his or her duty.

"There are guards in Dublin and all round the country from what I hear that are afraid every day. They are coming up against people they know have guns and high-powered stuff [weapons] like the ERU lads have," the source said.

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Gardai in Dublin said the high-profile armed unit did provide a deterrent value but there were concerns about the carrying of high-powered assault rifles and machine-guns in busy areas. However, it is accepted that with the large number of firearms held by gangs there is no option but to provide a similar response.

The last time members of the Emergency Response Unit were involved in a fatal confrontation was in May 2005 when they shot dead two armed robbers, Colm Griffin (33) and Eric Hopkins (24), while they were raiding Lusk post office in north Dublin. Hopkins and Griffin were part of a gang used by the IRA to carry out hijackings and robberies.

At the time of the shooting, there was exasperation among gardai about what was seen as lack of support for the officers who confronted and shot the raiders.

On hearing news of the deaths, one senior garda was said to have commented: "I was afraid something like this would happen."
The community in Castleblaney have rallied together to help raise money for Maynooth student Kym Owens (18) who was attacked on her way back to college.

Elizabeth Mullholland, PRO for the Castleblaney fundraising group said they are raising thousands of euro to help Kym and her family with the medical expenses.

We did a bucket collection on the street and raised over 6,000 and were holding a concert to try and raise more money, Elizabeth told Independent.ie.

Everyone around Castleblaney was devastated when we heard. We wanted to try and alleviate the medial expenses for Kyms family.

Elizabeth said she isnt sure exactly how much the medical expenses are but noted that they were quite high.

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People around Castleblaney are supporting her because we were so shocked and heartbroken.

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Kym was involved in the community here and we were all devastated when we heard what happened to her.

Kym remains in Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown after suffering severe facial injuries in the assault.

Gardai have again appealed for witnesses or any information regarding the horrific attack.

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Kym was walking to her accommodation when she was attacked and savagely beaten.

She was attacked at the entrance to the Moyglare Abbey estate after travelling from her home town, near Castleblayney, on a private bus on November 20.

A team of detectives have taken 200 statements and trawled though hours of CCTV footage in an attempt to progress the case.

A number of fundraising events were held by local businesses in the area for the young student.

One establishment, The Roost Maynooth, which is a popular venue for local students, managed to raise more than 11,000 after holding a fundraiser.

Gardai have asked anybody with information to contact the investigation headquarters at Leixlip Garda Station on 01 6667800.
Shortly after he starts work at Dublin City Council each morning, Paddy Crosbie phones his partner Derek Simpson at the couple's home in Dalkey.

He asks Derek, with whom he has shared his life for nearly 30 years, whether he'll be biking from their house to the far end of Dun Laoghaire pier as usual.

Later, Paddy phones again, this time to check Derek has arrived home safe from his cycle, and remind him that it's time for his shower and shave.

Around lunchtime, Paddy (54) makes another quick call to the couple's home near Bullock Harbour, to remind Derek to take his medication and have his lunch.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Need to feel secure: Paddy Crosbie, who is a carer for his partner, Derek Simpson. Photo: Damien Eagers Paddy Crosbie, left, who is a carer for his partner Derek / Facebook

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His final call of the day will talk Derek through the process of turning on the TV and finding his favourite rugby programme. Before the couple retire to bed that night, Paddy will remind Derek to brush his teeth.

Derek (63) has early-stage Alzheimer's disease. The daily routine of brief telephone 'prompts', and reminders such as the whiteboard in the kitchen on which Derek's routine is written, are Paddy's way of helping Derek maintain both his sense of independence and the structure of his day.

However, both men are aware that Derek's condition will inevitably deteriorate and choices will have to be made about the type of care that is most appropriate for him.

Paddy and Derek - who are together since 1988 - are among a growing number of LGBTI people living in Ireland who are both ageing and 'out', and who will eventually have to cope with finding the right care environment for either themselves or a loved one.

However, as Aine Duggan, chief executive officer of the Gay & Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) puts it, in a society which often associates 'gay' and LGBTI with young adults, the needs of this older community are not being considered - and they need to be.

"We are now on the cusp of the first generation of Irish people who have lived their lives 'out' and who are ageing into retirement," she points out.

"One of the images of the LGBTI community is that this is about young, able-bodied individuals who may be at mid-adult age - but the reality is that there are LGBTI individuals of all ages.

"Very often, our media doesn't adequately represent LGBTI people of retirement age or people who have a disability."

The question of appropriate care for elderly LGBTI people is a pressing topic, she believes, and particularly so in the context of the fact that London is currently in the throes of getting its first LGBT care home - such facilities already exist in Los Angeles, Berlin and Denmark.

Ireland now needs to think about the needs of ageing LGBTI members of the community, warns Duggan.

There's already a huge demand for such services abroad - according to research in the UK, some 45pc of LGBTI elderly people have experienced discrimination when using mainstream social services and 73pc are uncomfortable disclosing their sexuality to care staff.

However, unless things change here, many ageing Irish members of the LGBTI community may be faced with the prospect of having to move into retirement homes or facilities that are not necessarily LGBTI-friendly or even LGBTI-aware, Duggan points out.

"This is an emerging issue we have been looking at and trying to start a conversation around."

The question is, she asks, whether you develop specialised LGBTI care or ensure that existing services become more LGBTI-friendly and aware?

"The answer is both, and it takes time to evolve services to the level they need to be. However, there are people who need the services now and it is important that they have somewhere safe to go.

"It's important to have specialised LGBTI care services in the near future - we have decided as a society that we want to include our LGBTI brothers, sisters and partners, so the long-term goal is to ensure that all services are LGBTI friendly."

"It's really important that we're looking ahead because it is already here - we have people who are wondering what they will do, especially when the day hits that they will not be able to look after themselves. It is definitely a policy issue for us now," Duggan says, pointing, however, to the glaring lack of an LGBTI government strategy and to the fact that there is not a single government official dedicated to formulating one.

This, she warns, is a problem that is here now and that will only get worse.

For Paddy and Derek, the news in July 2012 that Derek, then 59, had been officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease came as a massive shock.

Paddy says he's not aware of any dedicated support group for gay carers. However, for him, being a gay carer has never been an issue - and the support the couple received from the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, has been "brilliant".

"Being a gay couple has not made any difference to how we were treated - we were welcomed with open arms as just another couple," says Paddy.

A number of gay-support and carer-support organisations contacted by Review said they did not specifically offer supports to gay carers, but a spokesperson for Family Carers Ireland said the organisation would certainly consider it in the event of a demand for such a service.

Although it had been in the planning for quite some time - "a good few of our friends had done it and we wanted to keep up with the Joneses," Paddy quips - the couple's Civil Partnership took place in August 2012, a month after Derek's diagnosis.

From the moment Derek received his diagnosis, Paddy recalls, he encouraged him to maintain his independence as much as possible: "He made a will, decided on Power of Attorney and got his affairs in order."

Over subsequent years, however, he observes sadly, Derek has "faded".

"It has been a gradual fading. I now have to prompt him to do things like brush his teeth, have his shower, empty the dishwasher; we have a whiteboard with lots of things to do on it. He uses the whiteboard to help him remember to do the things that form his daily routine - that was the advice of the Alzheimer Society, to help him maintain his independence," says Paddy, who continues to work full time.

He is very conscious that he and Derek are among a growing number of older members of Ireland's LGBTI community - and he is equally conscious that for a large portion of the general public, this demographic may not necessarily even exist.

"A lot of the emphasis is on the young culture of gay and having the buff body," he observes.

"It was always centred around a 'young' culture of being gay, but in Ireland the ageing profile of the community is becoming more obvious.

"I think the gay community might need to look at the situation - are care facilities appropriate for the needs of gay couples?

"This is 'now' to me as I get older," he says, adding that getting the right care is something he will have to consider, for Derek and later for himself.

"It is about trying to find the right place - and hopefully the right one will not have an issue about me being his gay partner.

"My priority is that the care would be good but the sexuality is not an issue - however, there may be people who would feel more comfortable in an LGBTI facility."

Paddy knows Derek's condition will probably deteriorate further, but he has no idea when.

"With Alzheimer's, you don't know when anything will happen. There are no hard or fast rules, so it's a matter of watching and learning and waiting and then dealing with it as it comes about.

"The thing I keep hanging on to is that Derek can do things when he gets the prompt. We have learned to live with Alzheimer's disease and to manage it on the basis of prompts and with my ringing Derek daily to ensure that everything is going okay."

Aware that the time is coming when expert care will have to be found for Derek, Paddy is in favour of a 'buddy system' under which a trained professional would come in and work with Derek.

This would involve getting to know him first as a friend and supporting him in day-to-day life, with a view to eventually becoming his carer when Derek's condition progresses.

"This kind of one-on-one, person-centred approach to care would allow Derek to remain as independent as possible for a long as possible.

"It would create a sense of security for the person with dementia and enable them to remain their best selves for longer. There's nothing like this available right now, even in the private sector. You can pay for private care, but the problem is you end up with different people sent around from agencies.

"People with dementia need routine and continuity in order to feel secure." Right now, Paddy observes: "The future is terrifying place. I'm aware of what's going to happen and how bad and difficult it may be - but I want to enjoy what we have at the moment because Derek is still so very much himself.

"It makes me sad to see this man who ran his own company, who was always so capable and so vibrant - it's hard to put into words, sometimes, what Alzheimer's disease has done to him but he's still here; we still have an awful lot of him with us."

The story of Derek and Paddy is one of six which make up a new social media campaign run by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, Walk in Our Footprints: A Dementia Carer's Journey. The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland helpline number is 1800 341 341. For more information on the campaign, visit Alzheimer.ie
It's a funny thing, stepping into big shoes like those of Paolo Tullio, whose review slot in this paper I 'minded' for him when he was ill, and took on after his untimely death in the summer of 2015.

I'd known Paolo since I was a child, but everyone who ever watched him on television, when he was a judge on The Restaurant, or listened to his weekly radio slots with Sean Moncrieff on Newstalk, knows that Paolo was smart and funny, and that he was kind, too. Sometimes, when I'm about to turn the knife in a review I find myself thinking, "What would Paolo do?", and I make an effort to deliver whatever criticism I have in a more gentle way.

Paolo was a true polymath, a man who knew an awful lot about a vast number of diverse subjects - everything from astronomy to religion to engineering. And, of course, one subject about which he was supremely knowledgeable was Italian food. As a result, I have tried to avoid reviewing Italian restaurants fearing - with justification - that whatever I have to say wouldn't be up to his standards. What could I write that Paolo wouldn't write a hundred times better, putting the food in its correct geographical and cultural context, and making an authoritative call on its authenticity or otherwise? But I can't continue to ignore one of the world's great cuisines, so I'm going to have to be brave and get on with it.

We had a family birthday to celebrate, and the birthday girl chose where we would go. Being an unreconstructed carb-eater, she favoured Italian. I had spotted Cirillo's on Baggot St and thought that the exterior looked promising, with a smart dark green livery. A dark wood interior spoke of red wine and long-simmered ragu. I read on the website that the restaurant had imported a humdinger of a pizza oven from Naples, which it runs on a mixture of Irish oak and ash, and that they made their pasta, breads and ice creams fresh each day. Cirillo's head pizzaiolo, Luca, uses 00 grade flour and slow-proves his pizza dough for 30 hours. It looked and sounded just the kind of place of which Paolo might approve.

For Ellie, the first bit of good news was that the menu offered calamari as a starter, and the better news for the rest of us was that the portion was sufficiently generous to allow us all a taste. The black garlic aioli was a hit, and the dish impeccably executed, the squid tender and the batter light. A rabbit and lardo terrine with poached plums and house-made sourdough cooked over wood was simple and perfect, and the tomato and mozzarella arancini managed somehow to be light yet substantial; the accompanying gorgonzola dip with basil oil was no hardship, none at all. By way of a fourth starter, we ordered a portion of fettucine with a duck and Parmesan ragu that was just heavenly, the pasta slippery and luscious, the ragu exactly the kind of deep-flavoured creation that I had hoped for.

And then there were pizzas, the char from the oven making them special in a way that pizzas at home can never be, unless you too happen to import a humdinger of an oven direct from Naples. Iterations range from a straightforward Margherita to a Quadrifoglio pizza featuring Young Buck, Hegarty's Cheddar and Gubbeen, and a Daniele with spicy Gubbeen salami, mozzarella, provola cheese and shiitake mushrooms. The signature pizza is the Carbonara, with mozzarella, egg, guanciale and black pepper, and the Nealo features nduja (pronounce it 'en doo ya'), the spreadable spicy Calabrian sausage that everyone loves these days. One is better than the next, and it is good to see a kitchen not so hamstrung by honouring tradition that it isn't afraid to use great Irish ingredients.

Desserts - homemade chocolate and vanilla ice-cream, a lemon and ricotta mouse with marinated cherries and almond crumble, and a deconstructed vanilla and butter milk panna cotta with macerated strawberries - are more than good.

As it turned out, I think Paolo would have liked Cirillo's very much. He'd have liked the affable staff, including the woman who wore her wine smarts lightly and steered us to a fine bottle of Puglian Negroamaro for a reasonable 32. He'd have liked the short menu, and the fact that between six of us we didn't order one dud dish. He'd have liked the relaxed, unpretentious ambience, and the fact that a table of back-packers drinking tap water was given as warm a welcome as we were. Most of all, though, I think he'd have been tickled pink by the complimentary amarettos at the end of the night. Paolo made his own limoncello at home in Annamoe, Co Wicklow (of course he did, he also cooked his own pizzas in an oven that he'd built himself and smoked his own fish) and once, when I enrolled in a series of cookery classes that he gave there, he taught me how to make it, too. So, by way of conclusion to my last review of the year (next week this column will feature my unofficial, without-plaques 2016 Awards), let's raise a glass to Paolo Tullio, limoncello-maker extraordinare, and all-round excellent man. Our bill for six, including two bottles and two glasses of wine, three cocktails, lots of water and one soft drink, came to 266.60 before service.

THE RATING

9/10 food

9/10 ambience

9/10 value for money

27/30

ON A BUDGET

At lunch, the Marinara pizza, with San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh oregano, basil and garlic costs just 9, and the casarecce pasta with nduja, shiitake and pecorino in an egg sauce is 12.

ON A BLOW OUT

A couple having calamari, followed by a brace of Parma pizzas featuring marinated tomatoes, mozzarella, rocket and Parma ham, and dessert, with a bottle of Sangiovese, Cavaliere, Michele Satta, 1999 (70) would end up with a bill of 133 for two before service.

THE HIGH POINT

Simple food executed brilliantly.

THE LOW POINT

It's a bit cramped.
A bottle of wine is the ideal gift for that hard-to-buy for person

A well-chosen wine makes a great Christmas gift for those hard-to-buy-for people in your life. But beware, as a hastily bought bottle can seem as thoughtless as cheap socks and slippers.

Play to your audience. There's no point in buying that cut-price quaffer that regularly turns up in your shopping basket - especially if the wine lover you are gifting it to would spend twice that on their mid-week tipple.

Equally, a great gift is not about how much you spend but rather how you spend it. Consider the style of wine they usually drink: are they experimental, or more traditional? And then try to find a wine that takes them in a slightly new direction - whether that's by spending a little more, or by choosing something a little left-field. The best gifts are those we wouldn't have bought ourselves.

Remember that most local independent wine shops are willing and able to help you find the perfect wine for your brief and budget. And if you move fast enough to make last orders, you could still secure direct delivery from an online wine merchant.

1 TO SAVOUR

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Body Domaine Rene Favre et Fils, Petite Arvine 2015, 14pc, 28.95, selected independents and searsons.com

Adventurous wine drinkers will love this fascinating Swiss white wine with its delicate bouquet, generous body, flinty minerality and tangy acidity. A brilliant pairing for savoury flavours.

2 ASK SANTA

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Santa Duc Cotes du Rhone 'Vignes Vieilles' 2012, 14pc, 16.99,Selected independents and lecaveau.ie

A brilliant buy, hailing from an organic vineyard. Generous dark fruit flavours.

3 SOUTHERN STAR

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Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc 2015, 13pc, 16, selected independents and jnwine.com

Many South African wine-makers are now producing quality Chenin Blancs without the Old World price tag. A weighty white wine with bright acidity and honeyed notes.

4 SPANISH STANDOUT

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Bodegas Zarate, El Palomar Albarino Val do Salne 2014, 13pc, 32.95, selected independents and quintessentialwines.ie.

A treat for lovers of Albarino. Perfumed, complex, delicious.

5 WAIT LIST

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Az Ag II Cancelliere, Nero Ne Taurasi DOCG 2010, 14.5pc, 36.95, selected independents and quintessentialwines.ie.

This rich, dark and tannic Italian wine is ready to drink but will only improve with age - perfect for a patient wine lover.

6 GOOD BUY

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Conde de Valdemar Gran Reserva 2008, 13.5pc, 19.95 (from 33.45), obrienswine.ie

With its notes of vanilla spice, dark caramel and polished wood layered over persistent winter fruits - and its smart presentation box - this is a safe gift bet.

7 SOFT TOUCH

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Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling 2007, 12.5pc, 45, selected independents

Alsace do Riesling very well, in a less austere style than their neighbours in Germany. This aged wine from one of the region's finest producers is soft and juicy but with a taut spine of acidity. Gorgeous.

8 GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING

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Justinos Madeira Colheita 1996, 19pc, 27.99 (37.5cl), selected independents.

Madeira wine will last forever after opening  although I defy any fan of fortifieds to resist this beauty for long.

9 SILKEN TOUCH

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Domaine Yann Chave Crozes-Hermitage AOC 2014, 13.5pc, 28.95, selected independents and searsons.com

A good Northern Rhone Syrah is one of life's great pleasures but rarely comes cheap. This (relatively) accessibly priced example is silky and savoury with notes of balsamic and peppered strawberries. One to decant before a winter's feast.

10 BERRY NICE

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Moineir Blackberry Wine with Wild Elderberries, 11pc, 23.95, wicklowwaywines.ie

A wintry partner to the label's strawberry wine. Best enjoyed with food to balance its generous acidity: pair with turkey or goose dinner and cranberry sauce, or richer game.
Our paths crossed before - they must have. She, sitting in a dishevelled heap on a bridge over the River Lee, legs folded, red-eyed, head bowed and hands cupped. A sign beside her asks "to help the homeless". Running late for a meeting in Cork City or dragging children in tow, I make the decision not to engage with her, not to put my hand in my pocket, not to help.

And now as I sit in Maria's warm, bright, cosy sitting room in her rented apartment, I feel ashamed.

Because in front of me sits a lovely, gentle, witty and intelligent young woman - not someone I feel I could ever walk past when their luck was down.

She could be my own sister.

But I walk by at times - we're all guilty of it. We somehow fail to see the human behind the pain.

This week, as Fine Gael and Fianna Fail haggled over Simon Coveney's rent control plan, there are thousands of Marias across the country whose only focus will be where the next meal, or sometimes fix, is coming from. If you want to talk 'Pressure zones', talk to them.

These plans don't really impact our homeless communities, these plans won't really help them off the streets, and so it's understandable that they wonder if the Government really cares at all.

In the month of October alone, 240 homeless adults sought refuge through the Cork Simon Community.

The homeless shelter in the city is designed to take in 44 souls a night, to take them off the streets and give them a bed. But this year they've been trying to accommodate 54 a night, so increased has been the demand. There are more women, more families, more children, more tears.

The scenes at the door of the shelter during the day, as people plead for a bed for the night, can be heartbreaking and disturbing. A night's sleep in a safe, warm environment can mean the difference between life and death, especially as temperatures fall.

There are around 6,700 homeless people in Ireland right now. That's more than the entire population of many towns.

And when you speak to those impacted by homelessness at the Cork Simon shelter, the issue of rental accommodation comes up repeatedly.

Some end up here after their tenancy ends for one reason or another, others can't leave because they have nowhere to go.

Even with rent allowances and the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, the options for the homeless trying to get back on their feet in Cork are few. Landlords, well aware of the shortage of rental accommodation in the city, hold out for full-paying tenants and, as elsewhere around the country, the rents keep rising.

This year alone, rents in Cork City have increased by a shocking 14.4pc.

While some form of rent control is welcomed by homeless charity groups in the city, the sky-rocketing rents are already unattainable. The horse has well and truly bolted and it's halfway down the Grand Parade.

With nowhere else to go, the homeless often find their way back to the streets, in many cases back to their addiction, and the wheel keeps on turning. I meet young men who have worked hard to overcome their problems, to reach into the depths of their being to retrieve the last crumbs of hope inside - but even those who find work can't find a place to live and inevitably some get tired, can't fight anymore and slip back into old habits.

They're damned if they do (work through their problems and addictions) and damned if they don't.

So Maria, a mother of one, is one of the lucky ones. With her young son, and with the help of Cork Simon, she was accepted into an apartment this year and life is finally returning to something resembling 'normal'.

Without her own place, the opportunity to shut the door and keep the demons outside and love and good health inside, she tells me she would never have made it this far.

Now there is no need to beg. She has her six-year-old son with his Spider-Man stickers on the walls of his bedroom and his hurling helmet by his bed. She may have lost so much in her life so far, but now she can concentrate on the future. "The facts are there to prove that one of the most effective ways to get someone off the streets permanently and help them to turn their life around is to help them get their own home," says Dermot Kavanagh - the head of Cork Simon.

"In 80 to 85 pc of cases where someone who was homeless is given that opportunity to rent their own place with supports, it works. The tenancy sustains. We can't possibly underestimate the massive role an increase in the supply of rental accommodation could have on the homeless crisis in Cork, Dublin and around the country."

As Maria explains: "When I wake up in the morning, I feel safe and that gives me the strength to keep going, continue my development, work hard."

Incredibly, there are 4,500 vacant properties across Cork City alone. Rough sleepers often lay down for the night outside boarded-up buildings as the rains fall. Across the entire county there are 12,000 such properties.

"Look, it's clear that under Minister Coveney there's been a change in policy thinking and that's to be welcomed. But the real issue is supply. The vacant housing repair and leasing initiative, as outlined in the Rebuilding Ireland plan, simply must be rolled out across the country. It's so frustrating that we're still waiting," says Dermot.

While 47,000 new social housing units are planned by 2021 under the Rebuilding Ireland initiative announced in July, those on the streets today can't sit by and wait for these units to be built.

As TD for the Cork South Central constituency, Simon Coveney knows only too well of the escalation of the homeless problem in his home city. And while it's clear his intentions are to help, many believe the proposed rent control plan, in its current state, won't take one person off the streets in Cork.

"Rent increase controls might help limit the amount of people who become homeless. I think that's where it might have a positive impact. Like rents have nearly increased by 15pc here in the last year," says Dermot.

And the problem, of course, is replicated, to different degrees, across the country.

While the plight of the homeless in the capital receives more focus, there are very concerning statistics building in other urban centres, too.

Earlier this month, the COPE Galway group added 14 additional bed spaces for rough sleepers as part of the Cold Weather Initiative.

In October, the city had around 149 homeless adults - and 80 families have sought the help of the Galway Simon group in 2016 compared to 32 families in 2015.

Other homeless charities in the city report similar increases.

And reacting to this week's somewhat chaotic rental strategy proposals, Galway Simon told Review: "We welcome any measure that improves protection for tenants.

"There is no shortage of evidence available to the Minister about rent pressure zones outside Dublin and Cork including Galway. This is evidenced by nationally collected figures such as the Simon 'Locked Out' reports and also by the number of households turning to charities for help, where the only problem is an economic one or the threat of homelessness through rising rents or properties being sold from under them."

Families, often with young children, seeking emergency accommodation are put up in tourist hostels and hotels. While holidaymakers party in one room, distraught families wonder how they're going to get through the next 24 hours in another.

And across the entire city, with a population of some 80,000, a recent study found that there were just two properties available with prices that were within rent supplement or HAP limits.

The last bout of social housing built in Galway City was back in 2009 - and in the third quarter of 2016, the average rent increase, compared to the same period a year earlier, was 10.9pc.

The story isn't much better in Sligo, where only three properties in the county town could be rented out with the state rent supports.

In the North West, too, for the first time, the homeless scourge has become more visible.

Many families are turning to groups such as Focus Ireland after their homes have been repossessed. Having somehow survived the economic downturn, the sting in the tail has forced them on to the streets.

Focus owns 14 apartments in Sligo town and manages a further 23 on behalf of Sligo County Council.

In Waterford, the number of homeless adults in October was just under 100. But there's much 'invisible homelessness' here too. Up to 300 people accessed Focus Ireland services in Waterford every month in 2016. Charities say that at least 20 families are living in emergency accommodation in the city.

It's claimed that on November 25, there were 140 adults and 57 children in homeless care in Limerick city.

Last month, a 31-year-old homeless woman, Louise 'BuBu' Casey, was found dead in a derelict building on Limerick's Catherine Street. She'd lived in a squat and was the second homeless person to die in Limerick over a two-month period. In September, a man overdosed on heroin and was found dead in his sleeping bag in a tent in Limerick.

The Peter McVerry Trust has been urging Coveney to introduce rent regulation. CEO Pat Doyle said: "Rents have risen rapidly over the past number of years and there has been a clear and consistent link between rising rents and new cases of homelessness.

"In December, the first tenancies protected under the two-year rent freeze will come up for review, meaning that landlords are free to increase thousands of rents in line with the market, a market which they control.

"If we are to avoid a major spike in rent prices and homelessness in December and into early 2017 then Minister Coveney must move to protect tenants now, and legislate to link rents to the consumer price index."

But in the wake of this week's proposed rental strategy outline, the Peter McVerry Trust responded critically saying that "the "new rental strategy allows landlords delivering new supply free to charge what they want".

The reality is that over the hours of debate on this week's proposed rent cap reforms, the issue of homelessness barely got a mention.

Political posturing dominated.

"We're really at crisis levels now," explains Dermot Kavanagh in Cork. He and his colleagues are frustrated by the lack of foresight.

"Of course, homelessness is complex and every case is different, but the wave we're seeing now largely began growing from 2008 when the construction sector and housing market collapsed. We could see this coming down the track but still here we are."

He tells me that even social housing accommodation in satellite towns outside of Cork City is full to capacity.

"In years gone by we could usually place someone (in rented accommodation) in places like Mallow, Fermoy, Midleton, Youghal, effectively commuter towns, but now there is very little free stock there either. And you must remember that only a few years ago, 20pc of the population in Cork City rented their properties, that now has increased to 30pc so there's nothing left for those who need a place most. Supply is the key here."

And so Maria is well aware of how fortunate she is to have a place to call her own. Her Christmas tree twinkles and her home is full of festive cheer.

In the Simon Shelter I meet so many who can only dream of such an outcome. Christmas will only act as a reminder of their plight and of the failed relationships that dot their past and present.

In the hallway of Maria's apartment I spot a framed quote she's put up on the wall. It reads: "Dance as though no one is watching, love as though you've never been hurt, sing as though no one can hear you, live as though heavens on earth."

For so long our ever-growing homeless community has not been heard or seen. And still they come seeking shelter, from the cold night, from their demons, from themselves. When will we truly hear their call for help?

The landlord got cold feet. It'll break my daughter's heart

Rosie (30): Living in Cork Simon Emergency Shelter Accommodation

'I, and my seven-year-old daughter, became homeless about a year-and-a-half ago. Her stepdad left us and our landlord told us to move on as she was selling the apartment.

My world started to unravel. We were staying in bed and breakfasts and hotels and I was hanging around with the wrong crowd. I became reckless and I'd be the first to admit that my daughter was around people she really shouldn't have been.

We ended up in Edel House in Cork which provides emergency accommodation for homeless women and children but they kicked me out as I'd been accused of dealing drugs. That wasn't true, I don't use drugs.

My daughter and I stayed with family in Tralee and Dublin but it was from post to pillar. It wasn't right or fair, and six months ago, I decided to volunteer my daughter into care and I came here to the Cork Simon Shelter.

Giving up my daughter was the hardest thing I've ever done but I knew I had to be straight so that she could have the life she deserved after so many months of mayhem.

A few weeks ago, my key worker told me I was ready to start looking for accommodation. I found a house in a town outside Cork City - it wasn't perfect but it could have allowed me to get my daughter back.

I was overjoyed as finding a place to rent in Cork when you're on rent allowance is almost impossible.

I was meant to move in yesterday but the landlord's sister knew someone who knew about my past and my former partner. Things that shouldn't have been revealed. The landlord got spooked and I got a text message two days ago saying she'd changed her mind. I was devastated.

I'd told my daughter about the apartment now I have to go back to her and tell her it fell through. It'll break her heart. I was supposed to get my daughter back on December 19 in time for Christmas, but now that won't happen and the search for a place of my own continues.

Last Christmas, we were in a bed and breakfast and I promised her that wouldn't happen again but here we are. I'm here in the shelter and she's in West Cork.

I get cards off her every week saying I want to come home. I hang them on the wall beside my bed and look at them every morning.

Landlords usually don't give the homeless in Cork a chance.

When I ring up, I don't mention the Simon Community initially, I wait until I go to meet them. When they find out (you're homeless) a lot of landlords say they don't accept rent allowances or they come up with ways of fobbing you off. Usually they don't even give you the time of day.

My day is consumed with trying to find accommodation.

I've never had an addiction problem, I don't drink. I came here to Simon to get my head together and to work towards putting my life back on track. I used to be a chef and would like to get back to work again, but without your own address that's not really possible.

If landlords could just give me a chance, it could turn my life around and my daughter could be back with me again."

I'm not 'that junkie from Cork'. I got a fresh start

Maria (30): living in rented accommodation through Cork Simon's 'Cork Rentals Scheme'

'My partner died from an overdose in 2013 and it was at his funeral in Limerick that I relapsed. We had a beautiful little boy together who was just two years old at the time.

Before I knew it, I was injecting heroin and back on the streets, sleeping rough, begging, doing whatever I had to do to survive.

I thought I was going to die - I couldn't see a way through.

I asked my mother to look after my son because I knew where I was going, I couldn't be there for him. The drugs took over, I didn't think I could possibly come out of that relapse.

Gradually though, with the help of Cork Simon, I started to improve. I eventually went on a methadone programme and reconnected with my son.

Cork Simon saved my life. Without them, I think my little boy would have lost both his parents to drugs.

My poor mother and father suffered so much, I broke their hearts and I'll forever be grateful to them for what they did for my son.

You know, I come from a very respectable family. I did well in school and studied social studies after secondary. I always worked, had my own place, car and all the rest.

It just goes to show that anyone can become homeless. Anyone can lose it all. So many of the people on the streets with me are dead now, so many. When I look back, it makes me shiver. Sleeping in doorways in the cold or in the pitch black in disused buildings it was rough and sometimes violent. As a woman, it was particularly scary.

Then, last year, we got a flat in a town in north Cork. It wasn't really suitable for a mother and son as it was basically renovated office space. Eventually, it flooded and we had to move out.

In some ways it was a blessing as it brought us to a new apartment in another town. This place feels like home. We've a big window looking out on to the town, and sometimes I can't believe how fortunate I am.

It feels right, like a family home.

The rent allowance available for my son and I covers the cost of rent for the apartment. I'm on a scheme where, effectively, the tenancy agreement is between Cork Simon and me. They deal with the landlord and make sure everything is in order.

People around here don't know me or about my past and they're kind. I'm not 'that junkie from Cork City', I'm me. Having a home has changed our lives. We have a fresh start. I can walk down the street and hold my head up high.

All being well, I want to help homeless people down the line when I'm ready to. To give back because I know that I'm one of the lucky ones who found a way through and a place of my own. Without somewhere to live, what would have become of me? I don't even want to think about that."

My family have no idea about my plight

Piotr: living in emergency bed-and-breakfast accommodation in Cork city

'If my friends or family back in Poland knew I had fallen into homelessness in Ireland, I think they'd be shocked. I'm young, this isn't the kind of thing that should be happening to me.

When I ring home, I don't mention anything, they have no idea.

It was a year-and-a-half ago when things started to go wrong. I was living in Dublin and had just split up with my girlfriend. I was working in a hostel in the city, but then that work came to an end and before I knew it I was homeless and in distress.

I started drinking a lot. I lost sight of who I was. I made my way down to Cork and here I met the guys from Cork Simon who have turned my life around.

It's taken time but I feel I'm getting there.

Under the city council's cold weather strategy, where emergency accommodation is found to get people off the streets at the worst times of year, I'm staying in a bed and breakfast in the city. It's dry, it's warm but it's not permanent.

In February, I will have to move out, I won't have any other choice.

So that means the clock is ticking. I've looked online at places, but it's very difficult to find somewhere before Christmas. Once January begins, I'll really have to search hard. I hope I will find somewhere of my own.

You know my addiction counsellor here at Cork Simon has done so much to help me back on track and to watch out for triggers. I need to find a place of my own to continue my development, I just need to. There's no way I can return to the streets.

And I'm saving every week for a deposit.

Last month, I started a new job. It's the first time in a year-and-a-half that I'm working and it feels good.

I'm waking before the alarm clock for the first time in a long time and the routine of work is so helpful after months of wandering. Every week, I try to put some money away. I want that deposit for when I need it. And I'm also trying to save for a car so I can get to work if the apartment I find is outside the city.

I can't really contemplate not finding somewhere. I will be successful, I know it.

Without Cork Simon though I don't know where I would be. They offered more than support, they believed in me.

They told me to get involved in activities, go to seminars, do stuff rather than sitting around getting drunk. They helped me with my CV and it was they who helped me get this job.

I feel that having fallen on hard times, I'm now doing everything right to sort my life out, to be human again and put this difficult period of my life behind me.

But I need to find a place to rent in February. I've taken many big steps in recent months, and that is the next one."
On Friday next, Ian Bailey will pitch his stall at the food and vegetable market in Bantry, west Cork. Subject to the weather, Bailey and his long-term partner, Jules Thomas, an artist, will sell their home-baked bread and Jules's watercolours.

The date marks the 20th anniversary of the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was discovered bludgeoned to death outside her holiday home in west Cork on December 23, 1996.

It is also Bailey's 20th anniversary as the Garda's main suspect for the brutal crime. Bailey vehemently maintains his innocence and was never charged - in this country at least. In one of the many bizarre twists in this case, a French judge has decided there is enough evidence to put him on trial in Paris for Sophie's murder and a European arrest warrant for his extradition is, reportedly, with the French authorities awaiting dispatch to the Irish authorities.

Bailey ploughs on. "We live with this thing. We do what we can. The things that are beyond our control or anything we can do, we have to let them go and we focus on what we can do. We live day by day. We do have a life," he told the Sunday Independent last week.

While the man the French want to try for murder plies his trade at Bantry market, Sophie's family will mark the unhappy anniversary at a private family Mass in Paris.

Her elderly parents, George and Marguerite Bouniol, are expected to be there, along with her son Pierre-Louis and relatives and friends who make up the Association for the Truth of the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (ASSOPH).

Expand Close Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered bludgeoned to death outside her retreat near Schull on December 23, 1996 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered bludgeoned to death outside her retreat near Schull on December 23, 1996

Pierre-Louis and Sophie's brother, Bertrand Bouniol, may host a Mass in Goleen, the village nearest to her holiday home, early next month, but nothing has been organised yet, according to family friend, Jean Antoin Bloc.

Assoph believe the most fitting memorial to Sophie would be a murder trial. Back in 1996, no one could have predicted that her family and friends "would have to wait 20 years for truth and justice for Sophie", ASSOPH said in a statement last week.

The murder of the glamorous and beautiful 39-year-old French film producer at her remote hideaway in west Cork has become one of the most extraordinary unsolved cases in Irish criminal history.

Sophie Toscan du Plantier was born into a well-connected family and married a well-connected French film producer, Daniel, who has since died. They were part of Parisian society. Her former lover, Bruno Carbonnet, an artist, later told police that she was discreet, fragile and secretive.

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She bought the house in Toormore, near Schull, as a retreat where she could go to write and to be alone. She and Carbonnet were lovers for a year in 1992. She took him to Toormore on several occasions, the last time in the summer of 1993.

On December 20, 1996, Sophie flew from Paris to Cork to visit the cottage alone. She hired a car at the airport and drove to Toormore. Her body was found three days later at 10 in the morning by her neighbour, Shirley Foster, who shared the laneway with Sophie. She was dressed in her night clothes, a towel dressing gown that was caught in briars, as though she had been trying to get away, according to one of the local gardai, Denis Harrington.

What happened occurred after 11.30pm the previous night. Sophie spoke to her housekeeper, Josephine Hellen, at 10pm. She called her husband, Daniel, before 11.30pm. Hellen, who used to look after Sophie's holiday home, would later tell gardai that she thought Sophie was probably sitting by the open fire, with a glass of wine, when someone walked in.

The case was dogged with difficulty from the start. The State pathologist took 24 hours to arrive, which meant the time of death could not be established. The murder weapon was a brick found by Sophie's body but it provided no forensic link to her killer. In fact, there were no forensics to speak of. Sophie's parents learnt of her death on the television.

According to evidence that later came out during Bailey's civil action for wrongful arrest, gardai started out with 54 suspects and in four weeks whittled them down to one.

Carbonnet was ruled out because he had an alibi. A German man who later committed suicide was followed up amid claims that he had left a confessional suicide note, but gardai ruled him out after these claims proved untrue. A bachelor farmer who stole gas cannisters from people's back yards was also ruled out because, as one garda said, he was "just a poor farmer who had taken stuff".

Ian Bailey was a suspect almost from the start. He was a freelance journalist who had moved from Manchester and ended up in west Cork, living with Jules Thomas, an artist and divorced mother-of-three girls, outside Schull.

On the day that Sophie's body was found, Martin Malone, a now retired garda on duty at the scene, later recalled the "fright" he got when Bailey showed up at 2.20pm to report on the story. Malone last saw Bailey at the garda station, when his partner, Jules, withdrew a complaint of assault against him. He thought Bailey seemed to be "acting the part" of a reporter and considered it "odd" that he didn't ask him any questions.

Malone nominated Bailey as a suspect four days after the murder. By the end of January, gardai had amassed other "reasonable grounds" to suspect him - scratches on his hands; alleged confessions to local people which he said was black humour; his lack of an alibi for part of the night in question.

Bailey was twice arrested but never charged. But over the two decades since, he has never managed to shake off the suspicions of gardai and the French authorities that he was involved.

He unsuccessfully sued six newspapers for identifying him as a suspect.

He managed to fight off an attempt to extradite him to France to be questioned about the murder.

He took a massive legal action against the State for wrongful arrest and alleged a Garda conspiracy, which he hoped would finally vindicate him. But after 64 days of at times jaw-dropping evidence from a cast of characters , the State won.

Much of Bailey's case was thrown out in the closing stages because it was deemed to be outside of the statute of limitations. The jury found that there was no conspiracy. The judge concluded that the Garda would have been in dereliction of their duty if they hadn't arrested him.

Bailey is appealing against the High Court's decision and the case is expected to be heard in March.

In France, Bailey's status has been elevated from suspect to accused. Judge Nathalie Turquey believes that there is sufficient evidence to charge him with murder based on the French investigation and the Garda files.

The European arrest warrant has been issued but Bailey and his legal team have had no notification of it.

Alain Spilleart, a friend of Sophie's family and a lawyer, said they were awaiting news from the French authorities on the next step.

Bailey has asked the Director of Public Prose-cutions to try him here, if the evidence now exists to charge him.

His French lawyer has cast doubt on him being extradited, and has indicated that he could be tried and convicted in absentia. More attempts to extradite him would follow, all of which could take years.

Assoph regards this as an "insult". "The case of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has dragged its heels in the Irish State for 20 years now. Is it not now long overdue for the family of Sophie to obtain the justice they so rightly deserve, and which is demanded in compliance with European law?"

Twenty years on, it seems the tragedy of Sophie's murder has many years left to run.
Last weekend, gardai raided an apartment in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, arresting two women and a man who were believed to be using the premises as a brothel.

One woman was upstairs with a man in his 70s, where it was believed "there was sexual activity going on in a bedroom" - not an unreasonable deduction in a brothel - while the other two sat downstairs.

The story was easy to overlook, but one detail jumped out: the raid had come at the end of a "long-running investigation".

How long does an investigation have to be to discover that a couple of women are using an apartment in a small Irish town as a base from which to have sex with men for money?

The answer to that came a few days later when the three defendants appeared in court. Undercover members of An Garda Siochana had placed the apartment under surveillance for a whole week before swooping in.

No information was forthcoming as to how many guards were involved in the operation, or how long they'd spent beforehand preparing the groundwork; but basically a group of public servants had spent an entire week on full pay watching a front door to see who went in and out.

Now it's bad form to have a go at the guards, who, as their union representatives insist, are the Most Oppressed Police Ever. But it's hard to think of an easier notch on the belt than the arrest of a couple of Romanian prostitutes, especially when neither was making any effort to hide it.

Both advertised their services on the website Escort Ireland, which claims to be "#1 for escorts, massage and domination in Ireland".

Not exactly hiding their light under a bushel, then?

As of Friday, there were approximately 10 such escorts listed for Co Donegal, mainly in Letterkenny and Bundoran.

All a guard has to do is log on to the internet, make a few basic enquiries, track down an address, stake it out for a while, then whip out the handcuffs. Job done.

Is this really what modern policing is all about? Is this what the boys and girls in blue thought they'd be doing when they donned the uniform?

And for what?

Appearing in court in Letterkenny a few days later, one woman turned out to be the subject of an outstanding warrant from Tralee, where she'd also worked in a brothel, so she was released on 500 bail and ordered to appear before the court in Co Kerry at a future date. The other two were put on probation, meaning an offence was listed against their name but no further action taken.

That, together with the seizure of seven mobile phones, 810 and 120 in cash, as well as 80 Romanian leu (roughly 50), was the sum total of more than a week's work by an unknown number of guards in one corner of Ireland at the fag end of the year 2016.

Is Ireland now a better, nobler place? Are women safer? Has decency been restored?

Minister of State for Training, Skills and Innovation John Halligan was criticised for his Hot Press interview earlier this year in which he compared pro-lifers to Islamic State, but he was bang on the money about one thing.

"Why," Halligan asked, "would we want to fine somebody or make it a criminal offence for two consenting adults to have sex? That's cruel. It should be regulated."

He was immediately forced to defend himself against accusations that he was supporting the exploitation of women. If pro-lifers are Isil, then campaigners against prostitution are the Taliban of the women's movement.

"Not all people in prostitution are exploited," John Halligan insisted, but that just added salt to the wound.

Doesn't he know? Women are like small children or dumb animals. They don't have moral agency. They can't think for themselves. The anti-prostitution Taliban says so.

It didn't even matter that Halligan, like all good old-school socialists, made a progressive case for legalisation, by saying of prostitutes: "They want it monitored, they want health checks, they want to pay their tax and PRSI, they want it unionised."

He had dared to say the unthinkable and needed to be slapped down, and, of course, because there's little benefit in standing up to puritans, fellow politicians washed their hands of him. The crazy man had got himself into this mess and he could get himself out of it.

One of Halligan's strongest arguments was that keeping prostitution illegal necessitated constant surveillance that wasted Garda resources.

Last week's raid in Co Donegal proved him right again, but this expensive and time-consuming battle is always justified on the grounds that prostitution is a cover for the sex trafficking of vulnerable foreign women who are being held against their will.

So how many women were saved this time? None, because there were none to save.

Giving evidence in court last week, Garda Detective Inspector Pat O'Donnell testified: "During this particular operation, which is the second brothel that we have visited under warrant in the last month, we have seen no evidence of trafficking.

"All of the persons who were there were questioned and they were all there of their own free will and earning money for themselves and their families."

So what exactly are these women being saved from?

Earning a living?

Last month three other women appeared in court in Letterkenny charged with the same offence, also from Romania. One women had three children to whom she was sending money back home; another was putting a 20-year-old son through college. By all accounts, they're invariably cooperative and pleasant when arrested. We're not talking master criminals here.

As for the 75-year-old found in the bedroom last week, he was not arrested. Why? Because "it is not an offence in this State to pay a person for sexual services in private".

The moralists might wish that it was, but it isn't. That won't stop the recovered mobile phones reportedly being "scanned to check for numbers of local Donegal men".

Let's get this straight. We're now proudly gathering information on men who've committed no offence? This is law and order, 2016 style? It sounds more like the morality police.

We pretend that censoriousness and prurience are things of a repressive Catholic past, whereas they're every bit as prevalent now, it's just now they're cloaked in virtue and directed at different targets.

The only offence here is a "number of ladies come together and start offering sexual services in private". In other words, the one activity which the State deems to be criminal is the very one which keeps women safest and protects them from exploitation.

Good work, modern Ireland. You're really showing those loose women who's boss.

Taking action against people trafficking is important, even if the extent of it has been exaggerated by campaigners. The nuisance that brothels can cause to residential areas shouldn't be ignored either.

Nonetheless, the answer to all these issues is decriminalisation, and the only thing that stops us admitting it is a silly, outmoded repugnance that paints all men as sex pests and all women as victims.
The attacks occurred in and near the town of Karak, Jordan

Gunmen have ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada.

At least 27 people were also injured in one of the bloodiest attacks in the country in recent memory.

A stand-off between Jordanian special forces and armed men holed up inside the castle continued after nightfall on Sunday, several hours after the first shooting. Government officials declined to comment on local news reports that the attackers had taken hostages who were later freed.

Shots could still be heard at the scene on Sunday evening, and security forces fired tear gas to flush out the gunmen.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordan's embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since the Islamic State group seized large parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 87 miles south of the capital Amman.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, Jordan's Public Security Directorate said in a statement.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were injured and the assailants fled in a car.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries.

Jordan faces home-grown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key US ally, and a member of a US-led military coalition fighting IS.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathisers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three US military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base.

AP
A deal to evacuate trapped civilians and fighters in war-ravaged east Aleppo and two Syrian villages has been thrown into doubt after assailants torched six buses assigned to the operation.

The buses were to take part in the evacuation of over 2,000 wounded and sick Syrians from Foua and Kfarya, two rebel-besieged villages that have remained loyal to the government in an area under opposition control in the north-west Idlib province.

The bus attacks could scuttle a wider deal to evacuate thousands of vulnerable civilians and fighters from the opposition's last foothold in Aleppo and return the city entirely to government control.

Evacuations from Aleppo had been halted amid mutual recriminations on Friday after several thousand trapped civilians had already been moved from the city.

The suspension of the evacuations had thrown an Aleppo deal brokered by Russia and Turkey last week into disarray.

That deal marked a turning point in the country's war. With the opposition leaving Aleppo, President Bashar Assad has effectively reasserted his control over Syria's five largest cities and its Mediterranean coast nearly six years after a national movement to unseat him took hold.

The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the al Qaida-affiliated Fatah al-Sham Front was behind Sunday's assault on the buses. The insurgent group had been dragging its feet over approving the evacuation deal.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group fighting alongside Syria's government, said the buses were burned during fighting between Fatah al-Sham and a rebel group that supported the evacuations.

Most residents of the two villages are Shiite Muslims, while the most powerful anti-government groups in Idlib are hard-line Sunnis.

The identity of the group behind the attack remains unclear. A video showing armed men circling the burning buses did not reveal their affiliation.

"The buses that came to evacuate the apostates have been burned," declared the narrator of the video, as celebratory gunshots rang through the air. He warned that no "Shiite pigs" would be allowed to leave the towns.

A coalition of rebel groups condemned the bus burning as a "reckless attack," saying it endangered tens of thousands of Syrians trapped in Aleppo. No group has claimed responsibility for burning the buses.

Earlier in the day, dozens of buses and ambulances were poised to enter east Aleppo to resume evacuating rebel fighters and civilians from the opposition's remaining districts, pro-Syrian government media said. But the evacuations remained on hold at nightfall.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has overseen the Aleppo evacuations, had no comment on their possible resumption. The agency has said thousands of people, among them women, children, the sick and the wounded, remain trapped in besieged areas of the city, waiting in freezing temperatures for the evacuations to resume.

Also on Sunday, the UN Security Council was expected to vote on a resolution demanding immediate and unconditional access for the United Nations and its partners to besieged parts of Aleppo and throughout Syria to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The council began consultations on the French-drafted resolution followed by an open meeting where members are expected to vote.

The draft resolution calls on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately redeploy UN humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out "neutral monitoring" and "direct observation and to report on evacuations".

It stressed that evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to the destinations of their choice.

Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Friday he would examine the draft, but was sceptical that monitors could be deployed quickly.

AP
The Eiffel Tower has reopened to the public

France's Eiffel Tower has reopened to the public after a closure of five consecutive days due to a workers' strike.

The company that manages the tower, Sete, said in a written statement it reached an agreement with workers unions and the tower reopened at midday on Sunday.

The CGT and FO unions had called for a strike last week because they wanted workers to be included in the decision-making process and more funds to be directed to the site's maintenance.

"The large number of visitors in Paris for the holiday season will be able to visit the Eiffel Tower and discover its fabulous view over Paris," the company said in a written statement.

AP
Nigel Farage, who likes nothing better than being photographed with a pint in one hand and a fag in the other, has become a diplomatic kingmaker

Nigel Farage has claimed cabinet ministers have been banned from talking to him by Downing Street.

The former Ukip leader also said he wants to be a "bridge" between Donald Trump's US and the UK, the BBC reported.

His comments came after he became the first senior UK politician to meet the president-elect following his surprise victory.

Downing Street did not comment on Mr Farage's latest remarks but previously brushed off the chances of him becoming a go-between, insisting there was "no vacancy".

Mr Farage told BBC Radio 4: "If you wanted to get business from the biggest company in the world and there was someone there that had the contacts and connections, the first thing you do is to employ that person.

"I find the fact that Downing Street don't want to acknowledge me, have banned cabinet ministers from even talking to me, it shows you the sort of very small-minded, petty, tribal level that British politics is at - it's a shame."

Quizzed on his relationship with the president-elect and what he would compare it to, he said: "I can't make big decisions, but I tell you what I can do, what I genuinely can do.

"Is I can help to be a bridge between the government in this country and the new trade department in this country and not just Donald Trump, but his team and his administration.

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"And I would like to do that."

On whether he could secure a trade deal for the UK that Prime Minister Theresa May could not, he said he thinks that "trade deal is potentially there on offer".

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"He (Donald Trump) is going to be inaugurated in a few weeks time and mark my words this is a very big Anglophile president that is taking over, and that is good for us," he added.

Responding to a question about a spike in hate crime after the EU referendum, Mr Farage said he has received 10 death threats in the last two weeks, but denied he fears for his life.

He added: "Have there been yobs and louts that have behaved badly since Brexit? Yes. But, you know what, they were behaving badly before Brexit.

"There are always going to be people in our community like that.

"And actually the recent figures show that in the last three months that spike as people saw it hate crime post referendum has now fallen markedly."

Last month, Mr Farage was pictured grinning in a gold-plated lift alongside the president-elect at his New York skyscraper.

Mr Trump then shocked Westminster by sending a late-night tweet saying Mr Farage would do a "great job" as Britain's ambassador to the US.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox dismissed Mr Farage's claim ministers were told not to talk to him.

He told BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I have not had any such instruction.

"We have longstanding understandings of how we deal with incoming administrations in this country. We have got a full diplomatic team that was close to both the Hillary Clinton and the Donald Trump teams preparing for the relationship that we would have to have.

"We don't need anything as an adjunct to what the Government already does, and has successfully done in the past.

"I think we have got a perfectly good ambassador in Washington at the present time. Last time I looked there was no other vacancy."

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "Nigel Farage has absolutely no right to speak for Britain on the world stage.

"The vast majority of British people do not share his hateful vision and want to keep our country open, tolerant and united.

"Someone who has spent their career trying to divide our country is not fit to represent it abroad."
An Indonesian military plane has crashed in Papua's easternmost province, killing all 13 people on board.

Air force chief of staff Agus Supriatna told MetroTV the Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 12 tons of food supplies and cement from Timika to Wamena, a distance of about 125 miles, when it crashed minutes before its scheduled landing.

He said bad weather was suspected to have caused the crash. The plane was carrying three pilots and 10 other personnel.

TV footage showed rescuers and local people bringing out the victims from the wreckage of the plane.

The plane took off from Timika at 5.35am local time and crashed about four minutes before it was due to land in Wamena, the capital of the mountainous district of Jayawijaya.

It is the third serious air accident in Indonesia in less than a month. On November 24 a Bell 412 EP helicopter from the Indonesian army crashed in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, killing three.

A week later, a police plane with 13 people aboard crashed into the sea on the way to the island of Batam, near Singapore.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 250 million people, has been plagued by transport accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings.

The military, which suffers from low funding, has also suffered regular plane and helicopter crashes.

In July last year, an air force Hercules crashed into a neighbourhood of Medan, Indonesia's third largest city, killing more than 140 people including military staff, family members travelling with them and people on the ground.

AP

Deputy air force chief of staff Hadiyan Sumintaatmadja told a news conference: "The tower in Wamena has spotted the plane, but it was not certain that the plane saw the runway."

He did not rule out the possibility of the plane hitting a mountain.

The aircraft, purchased from Australia where it was first used in the 1980s, had more than 60 hours left until the next routine maintenance, he added.
Four security officers and a Canadian tourist were killed on Sunday in shooting attacks in and near the central Jordanian town of Karak.

The Public Security Directorate said a police patrol first came under fire near Karak

The assailants fled in a car to the town.

The statement said there were two separate shootings.

The identity of the assailants was not immediately known.
SAFE AT LAST: Syrian father Ali embraces one of his children upon their arrival at Turkish crossing gate of Cilvegozu

The day that was supposed to mark an end to Aleppo's violence started with some of its most despicable acts of all. The sun had barely risen when an ambulance was attacked as it tried to evacuate injured children. The rebels blamed an Iranian-backed militia. Whoever carried it out is guilty of a war crime.

Footage filmed for ITV News showed the harrowing scenes as children screamed in terror and cowed in a building, as the gunman tried to pick them off.

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Those responsible must have known that a ceasefire was supposed to be in place and that the battle of Aleppo was in its final few hours. Yet they pulled the trigger anyway.

The images of injured children being shot at while they attempt to board an ambulance is sickening. They are scenes that should shame world leaders who had failed to end the fighting in Syria's largest city.

I watched that morning from a hotel overlooking the remaining rebel enclave as President Bashar al-Assad's gunners continued to take pot-shots at the crumbling buildings on the front line. The previous day we had been admonished by the brigadier general in charge of retaking the city for seeking to witness what was happening.

Our foray into the bitter rain had been pointless, as the first planned evacuation on Wednesday unravelled amid arguments over the precise terms. It resulted in a fierce firefight followed by heavy shelling and air strikes.

I witnessed a bright white substance burning for several minutes after one attack on the ever-diminishing rebel enclave; possibly evidence of white phosphorous shells being used.

By Thursday, the shelling had stopped once again, as a second attempt to end the siege began. This time, while we were still not officially supposed to go where the evacuation was starting, we found we were cautiously welcomed by soldiers who were heavily armed and deployed on every street corner. The secret police who had taken up ringside seats on rooftops overlooking the front line, were relaxed and apparently happy with our presence.

Finally, we too were allowed on to the roof to take up a filming position, as the 25 buses got ready to enter rebel-held territory. In the next five hours, I saw the operation to evacuate civilians and rebel fighters, while a similar operation got under way to bring out pro-Assad civilians surrounded by rebels in Kefreya and Foua, in Idlib province to the south-west.

This was an exchange of lives arranged between Russia, Turkey, and Iran, all of whom have a stake in this conflict. Why, though, has it taken so long to get to this point?

The operation was repeated several times as each enclave was emptied. It marked a watershed in Syria's protracted civil war, handing President Assad a victory celebrated by crowds looking on. In government-controlled Aleppo there was little sympathy for rebel fighters who many characterise as simply "terrorists".

Ali, who preferred not to give his full name, said: "People are tired of these rebels. The people of west Aleppo have been living in horror for five years." When I asked if he thought residents could ever forgive each other, he said: "They used to live for 7,000 years with each other. I think they will forgive each other."

But the inconvenient truth is that the people of Aleppo weren't fighting each other. This started as a battle between a regime and those who dared to oppose its tyranny. In some places, the idealistic opposition didn't last long. Liberal goals were soon overtaken by the philosophy of hardline jihadists, who replaced moderate rebels, giving the government the perfect pretext to exterminate everyone who resisted.

Chlorine bombs, sarin gas, white phosphorous and cluster bombs have all been deployed in an attempt to wipe out those who dared to oppose the regime. It has brought President Assad the victory he likens to an historical watershed, but the cost is astonishing.

Thousands of homes have been pulverised, entire neighbourhoods levelled. For many, though, this is better than another night in the refugee camps. One has 5,000 people camping in the most appalling conditions inside large warehouses. They lie on the freezing concrete floor, huddled under blankets.

Aleppo may have fallen to the government, but it is now a shattered city, inhabited by a broken people.

Those that have managed to board a bus out of the city to the rebel-held territory a few miles outside may consider themselves lucky. But the irony is that the very same forces that gave them safe passage will now attack them. The battle for Aleppo may be over, but the war hasn't claimed its last victims yet.

 Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
It's the city that has come to signify the barbarity of the Syrian civil war. Aleppo has been pounded into the ground - and with it the hopes of a generation.

The physical scars on the once-thriving city of two million are only matched by the scars on its people.

Around three million Syrians have fled the war across the border to Turkey. While they have found refuge, many of those from Aleppo are haunted by what they witnessed in the incessant air raids and artillery barrages.

Mother-of-four Fatymah Mamoo (38) summoned up the courage to leave after her husband was shot dead by a sniper as he went looking for food for the family.

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Home now for her young family is a single room on the Turkish border where they eat, sleep and live.

Their only income is from her 14-year-old son, who works in a backstreet garage and earns barely enough to pay the rent.

Recalling my meeting with Fatymah, two words described her state - vulnerable and fragile.

The only things that kept her going were ensuring her children could eat and that they could access education. She cannot sleep and is haunted by the killing of her husband, whose body she was unable to bury. "My husband disappeared. I received news he was dead but they couldn't find his body," she said.

"From what I've been told, he was hit by a sniper. But my family haven't told me everything about the killing because of my mental state."

The family was caught in the middle as President Bashar al-Assad's army attacked the rebel-held city.

"On one side we had the regime, on the other side the coalition forces," Fatymah said. "We were in the middle. We don't know exactly what happened but he was shot dead from a sniper's position. They have shown me photos of his body just lying there. The body is so badly damaged that it is hard to identify him."

Her eyes welled up and she paused as she remembered the nightmare days after her husband's killing, and the constant bombardment from regime helicopter gunships and heavy artillery.

"I sought shelter with my family but they couldn't accommodate us because they have their own responsibilities to their wives and families," she said. "They put me in a car park and I lived there with my children.

"It was horrific. My son was 12 at the time - he would go and try to gather some plants or something to eat. Even in Aleppo if you have money you are good, but if you don't you are nothing.

"My son, Zaid, eventually travelled ahead to Turkey, at the age of 12, on his own. We stayed apart from him for two years.

"He got a job in a tyre shop, where he earned 90 Turkish lira a week (about 25). He sent that home. After a while, he said, 'I work with good people - you should come to Turkey'. I have a brother who lives here in Turkey, so I asked for his support. He said he would do what he could, so we travelled after two years but, honestly, I was so traumatised I cried every night.

"When I arrived, they rented this place for me," she said, as she pointed out the simple first-floor room that costs 60 a month. It is no more than an outhouse with broken window panes but Fatymah had made it clean and homely.

"At first I couldn't stay alone, I was too traumatised," she said. "My brother stayed with me and we were all together at first in this room."

Her children and brother were so worried by Fatymah's lack of sleep and deep depression that they found her counselling with local voluntary group ASAM, which is funded by Unicef Ireland. "When my family told me about the centre, I went there for psychological support," Fatymah said.

"My friends suggested that I could benefit from the help. Now we're fine and good. Here is something to thank God for.

"My son is currently working in lots of different places. His uncle got him a job.

"He too needs psychological support. He has been completely traumatised by what he saw and what happened to his father. Everybody tells me he is not the same boy and that he gets distracted. But he hasn't the time to get help, he is the only one providing for us. "Often they say he isn't good enough at his work, and that's damaging for him. My next-eldest, daughter Zahida (15), goes to Koran school.

"Her two little sisters go to Turkish school, where they are doing well."

I suggested to Fatymah that she must be a strong woman to survive the ordeals she had encountered. She managed a faint smile.

"My children are the only thing keeping me going," she said. "Because of them I am strong. When I see that other children are getting stuff, like food, and my children are not getting these things, that makes me strong and I stand up to fight for them."

The contrast between her life now and before the war was stark. "I had my nest, my house, my home. My husband supported us and life was good," Fatymah said. She hoped that life might get better for her younger daughters Kamer (nine) and Eya (seven) if they could continue to go to school.

"My daughters are really talkative, cute and naughty," Fatymah said.

"If they were here they would be dominating the conversation, just talking all the time. The little one would have said she wants to be a teacher, and then the other one would have said the same thing."

Though it pained her, she still tried to keep up with what was going on in Aleppo, where the regime army took the last rebel strongholds.

"As far as I understand, the Syrian situation is not getting any better," Fatymah said.

"My sister came a month ago. She told me how she was caught between the two groups. Men were just raising their hands and surrendering to the army.

"I have lived through a lot of horrific events. My psychology became very bad. It's been difficult to overcome. Every time I recall I get bad again, so I'm not sure I want to talk about it."
Rivals Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton shake hands before one of their political debates in the run up to the US presidential election Photo: AP Photo/David Goldman

Evidence has emerged that the Government would have been more excited about the US election result if it had been won by Hillary Clinton.

Briefing notes prepared by the Department of Foreign Affairs show the Government had a euphoric speech prepared to greet a win for the Democratic candidate.

The speaking notes prepared for ministers contrast significantly with a more downbeat message to congratulate the eventual winner, US President-elect Donald Trump.

The notes for each eventuality were prepared for Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan ahead of any public utterances on the election result.

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Hillary Clinton was to be referred to as "a good friend of Ireland" and "an extraordinary individual". Her rival Donald Trump, known for his brash comments and bombastic style, was to be given a subtle reminder of his new responsibilities as a world leader.

The note also served as a prompt to publicly remind Trump about the traditional St Patrick's Day reception at the White House before the commentary turned prickly.

"We are all acutely conscious of the particular responsibility of the United States for leadership and engagement across the globe in our endeavours to address our shared challenges," it stated.

It also highlighted "the cause of international peace and security" and hopes of establishing a "productive working relationship".

There was no such urge to tell Clinton of the diplomacy that comes with holding public office.

A warmer and friendlier tone was to be offered to the Democratic candidate if she won the election.

"President-elect Clinton has been a good friend to Ireland for many years and the Government looks forward to working closely (with) her and our new colleagues in the White House," read the note.

"She has made history in becoming the first female president of the US - an extraordinary achievement by an extraordinary individual."

The different tone also extended to each candidates' Irish-American running mates, with the Government appearing to hold a preference for one of its long-lost sons.

Trump's Vice President-elect Mike Pence was congratulated and a reference made to his Sligo-born emigrant grandfather in the note.

Speaking of Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine, who has ties to Longford, the note said: "Irish-American men and women have made an extraordinary contribution both to the development of the United States from its foundation and to the enduring relationship between our nations.

"I know Mr Kaine will seek to build further on this legacy."
Protesters shout slogans during an anti-government demonstration in front of the Constitutional Court in Warsaw, Poland (AP)

Poland's president Andrzej Duda has met separately with opposition party leaders to help solve a political crisis, as anti-government and pro-government rallies were held on a third day of unrest.

Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to politicians in parliament.

The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing fast-paced, sweeping changes in many areas including the legislative sector, the media and education.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Poland's democracy and rule of law are threatened.

On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the Constitutional Tribunal, to thank its outgoing head Andrzej Rzeplinski for having opposed changes that, opponents say, are against the rule of law. The appointment of Mr Rzeplinski's successor is expected to open a new area of conflict in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to the parliament building, where Poland's most serious political crisis in years began on Friday.

"We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing," said Ewa Cisowska, 56, an economist.

Many protesters bitterly said the ruling team is not listening to the people and is not consulting on the steps it is taking. Protests were also held in Gdansk, in the north, and in Krakow, a city in the south, where the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was expected on a private visit.

Former president and democracy champion Lech Walesa said there is no easy way out of the crisis unless the ruling Law and Justice party resigns from power.

Meanwhile, a huge crowd of government supporters waving white and red national flags staged a noisy rally in front of the Presidential Palace to show their approval for the current policy and to encourage President Duda in his mediation.

Deputy PM Piotr Glinski told the rally the government is defending democracy and drew its authority from the electoral vote.

Mr Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with three opposition leaders on Sunday. He will meet Mr Kaczynski on Monday.

The first meeting was held with Ryszard Petru, leader of the Modern party, who said they discussed the media regulations and controversies around an irregular budget vote that was taken on Friday, when the conflict began. The opposition is demanding a repeat of the vote.

"We are still in a stalemate," Mr Petru said on TVN24.

European Council President Donald Tusk, Poland's former prime minister, appealed on Saturday for the ruling party to respect the people and the constitution. Prime Minister Beata Szydlo has blamed the opposition and appealed for calm and dialogue.

AP
West African leaders have promised to enforce the results of a Gambian election won by a little-known businessman backed by an opposition coalition, but rejected by the country's long-time coup leader.

A summit of the Economic Community of West African States in Abuja, Nigeria, ended with all leaders stating they would attend the January 19 inauguration of Gambia's new president Adama Barrow.

They also pledged to "guarantee the safety and protection of the president-elect", who has said he fears for his life.

Gambia's strongman president Yahya Jammeh surprised the nation by conceding defeat the day after the December 1 vote - then changed his mind and called for a new election.

The move has been condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the African Union.

The Abuja summit, attended by 11 presidents with Jammeh absent, agreed "to take all necessary actions to enforce the results" of the Gambian election and called for Jammeh to accept the results and refrain from compromising a peaceful handover of power.

A new deployment of soldiers across the country risked increased intimidation and harassment, UN high commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein warned.

"This is deeply worrying, given the record of human rights violations in Gambia, including excessive use of force against demonstrators, arbitrary detention and deaths in custody, as well as allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees," he said.

The summit named a mediation committee headed by Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari with Ghana's president John Dramani Mahama, who conceded defeat in an election a few days after Gambia's, as his deputy. It was Ghana's first electoral defeat of a sitting president.

The president of the West African community, Marcel de Souza, said this week that if diplomacy failed, a military intervention and "draconian measures" must be considered for Gambia.

Jammeh's defiance challenges the first regional community in the world to agree to military interventions in member states accused of abusing human rights and democratic principles. It has spent 25 years nurturing democracy in a region once prone to military coups.

Jammeh acted after an opposition coalition official said he should be prosecuted for human rights abuses.

He used the excuse of errors in the vote tally, ignoring the country's Independent Electoral Commission, which said the winner remains Mr Barrow with a revised count of 227,708 votes to Jammeh's 208,487.

The ruling party filed a court challenge against the results on Tuesday, a constitutional move complicated by the fact that Gambia's Supreme Court does not have a quorum.

The United States said it doubted it was "a credible court dedicated to ensuring the integrity of Gambia's democratic process".

On Tuesday Jammeh sent troops to take over the electoral commission's office in the capital Banjul, shortly before a delegation of West African leaders arrived on an inconclusive mission.

Jammeh seized power in a bloodless coup in 1994 in the country of 1.9 million people known for its beaches.

AP
Single-digit reduction in NBS rates The revised NBS rates for ensuing Rabi season have been announced by the Government of India. New rates have not seen much steeper cuts as was widely anticipated; therefore, positive for complex (NPKs) fertilizer companies. This brings much comfort to the domestic complex fertilizer companies as a steeper cut would have entailed higher inventory losses. 03 Nov 2022 11:10 AM

October 2022 auto sales: PV and CV segments continue to impress Underlying demand trend has stayed strong for PV and CV segments. Analysts at IIFL Securities estimate October 2022 wholesale dispatches in PV, MHCV and LCV segments to have grown 30%, 24% and 14% YoY, respectively. They expect the above segments to clock 25-35% volume growth in FY23. 02 Nov 2022 11:43 AM

Initial signs of moderation in API cost pressures: IIFL Securities High raw-material inflation, elevated freight expenses, and normalization in marketing spends have impacted margins of Indian pharma players over the past 12 months. However, some of these API/RM cost pressures have started abating in Q3CY22. Cipla, Sun, JB Pharma and Torrent remain IIFL Securities top-picks in the pharma sector owing to lowest risk to IIFL Securities margin and earnings estimates for these companies. 01 Nov 2022 10:53 AM
A well-known tailor in Chandigarh was caught with 30 lakh in cash and two-and-a-half kilogram of gold by the Enforcement Directorate as part of its operation to unearth illegal cash. Out of the seized cash Rs. 18 lakh were in new Rs. 2,000 notes, the rest were in 100- and 50-rupee notes.

Acting on a tip-off, the Enforcement Directorate investigators swooped down on the premises of Maharaja Tailor in Punjab's Mohali and at sector 22 in Chandigarh.

After examining the bill books of the shop, the officials found that the owners of the tailoring shop had bought 2.5 kg gold at a rate of Rs. 44,000 per 10 gram after demonetisation.

PTI

The probe agency's investigators said that they were verifying how the notes were exchanged and who the owners of the shop bought the gold from.

The seizure comes three days after Enforcement Directorate officials recovered Rs. 2.19 crore cash from a cloth merchant in Chandigarh. The Chandigarh Police had arrested a senior bank employee of a private bank in Mohali for allegedly providing new currency to cloth merchant Inderpal Mahajan on a commission basis.

Enforcement Directorate had seized Rs. 2.19 crore including Rs. 17.74 lakh in Rs. 2,000 denomination, Rs. 12,500 in Rs. 500 denomination from the house of Mr Mahajan on December 14.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has been ill and in hospital for over a month, but she still took time out on Sunday to offer help to the widow, who lost her husband in Japan recently. Responding to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal's request, the ailing minister said, "We (Government) will bear all the expenses and do this without delay."

On Saturday, Maliwal had written to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj , seeking help in bringing back the body of a man to India who died in Japan recently.

PTI

"The family is severely distressed and needs your support. I am forwarding the representation along with this letter for your kind perusal..." Maliwal had said in a letter to Swaraj. Maliwal also wished the minister a fast and speedy recovery.

Gopal had gone to Tokyo, Japan in September last year to work as a cook in a hotel. On December 10, the family received a call from a person who worked with Gopal, saying that he has passed away after a heart attack.

"The woman has approached the commission to seek assistance for repatriation of her husband's body to India for performing the last rites. She has informed that she has no means of ensuring the same as her family is financially weak and is unable to bear the expenses for the same," Maliwal had said on Saturday.

PTI

The minister may be in hospital but she's been keeping track of the news reports and responding as and when she can. Her response to the Indian-in-distress comes just days after Foreign Policy magazine named her a 'Global Thinker' for her use of 'novel Twitter diplomacy'.

This is also not the first time Swaraj has responded in her characteristic manner on Twitter from her hospital bed. Early in December, she had responded to a doctor's request, tweeting that she would direct help to an Egyptian woman get a medical visa after it was initially rejected.

Swaraj had been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in November to receive treatment for a kidney ailment. She underwent a kidney transplant on December 11. She was shifted out of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) last week and was recovering well, AIIMS Director Dr MC Mishra had said.
Sahaj International School, India's first residential transgender school will be inaugurated on December 30. 10 transgenders will comprise the first batch, who will study under the National Open School system. Transgender rights activist and artist Kalki Subramaniam will inaugurate the school.

The faculty comprises six transgenders from the TransIndia Foundation.

Selected from different sections of society, the students include a specially-abled person and a migrant. "In the beginning, we have a few sponsors supporting us. We are planning to seek financial help from government after proving its worthiness," Vijayaraja Mallika, who first proposed the idea, told the Indian Express.

A Christian organisation and the National Open School have extended their support, and teachers and social workers have volunteered to hold classes. The curriculum also includes skill development program.

Class X and XII equivalent education and exams will be provided.
The country's first indigenous aircraft carrier will be commissioned by the Indian Navy by the end of 2018, said Rear Admiral Surendra Ahuja, assistant controller carrier project and assistant controller warship production and acquisition, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy).

BCCL

"The indigenous aircraft is currently being constructed in Cochin. It is expected to be delivered by the end of 2018," Ahuja told reporters on the sidelines of the passing out parade of 87th helicopter course of INS Rajjali at Arakkonam, Vellore.

As many as 11 Navy and five Coast Guard pilots were honoured with wings on Friday. It would have the capacity to carry 30 aircrafts, fighter flights and helicopters, he said.

The Indian Navy has sent a proposal to the central government, seeking its nod to build a bigger aircraft carrier, weighing 65,000 tonnes, with a capacity to carry 54 helicopters, fixed wing fighters and multi-role helicopters. "The proposal is currently with the government and is being actively considered. We are reasonably hopeful that we will get the approval very soon. It will be a game-changer," he said.

BCCL

He further said the Indian Navy envisaged procuring 57 more technology-based fighters. "The proposal is yet to reach the government. The Navy is doing the ground work for the 57 tech-based aircrafts," he added.

The Navy has inducted eight P -8I (long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft) in INS Rajali, he said and added that four more would be inducted soon. "We have signed the contract recently. It will be soon delivered," he said.

Of the contract signed with Russia for a total of 45 MiG - 29K aircrafts, the Navy had received 41 and the remaining four would be received within a month's time said Ahuja. "Twelve Dorniers, eight Chetak helicopters, 16 advanced lightweight helicopters, 16 multi-role helicopters and many more on the anvil," he added.

Earlier, speaking in the passing out parade, he said that the Navy and Coast Guard air arm have been expanding and were witnessing an unprecedented growth.

BCCL

Addressing the pilots who received the 'wings', he advised them to remember that flying is good when there is a right mix of discipline and dare. He asked pilots to know their machine, craft and men for a rewarding career in the force.

The pilots underwent rigorous training for 21 weeks in flying and aviation at Indian Naval Air Squadron 561, the Helicopter Training School which has graduated 666 pilots for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard till date. The school was initially commissioned in Kochi on September 15, 1971 and it shifted the present location at INS Rajali in Arakkonam. It is the largest operational air base of the Indian Navy.

Lt Rishab Dutta received the Governor of Kerala rolling trophy after being adjudged the best all-round trainee pilot, while LT Kiran was awarded the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Rolling Trophy for standing first in order of merit. A book prize was also awarded to Lt Rishab Dutta for standing first in ground subjects. The graduate pilots will subsequently join operational flights in Daman, Goa, Kochi, Mumbai and Vizag.
Police in Mumbai seized invalidated Rs 500 currency notes worth Rs 10 crore from a private car at Chembur on Thursday night. The cash belonged to the Vaidyanath Urban Co-operative Bank controlled by BJP MP Pritam Munde.

BCCL

The seizure also had Rs 10 lakh worth new currency notes. One of the three men in the vehicle identified himself as the branch manager of the Pune branch of the bank and said that the cash was being transported to the branch.

Police officials, however, took the vehicle into custody and called up income-tax officials. Mumbai Police refused to comment on the incident but the fact that the money was in gunny and transported in a private car instead of a cash van have raised natural suspicion.

ANI

Pritam Munde, however, told reporters in New Delhi that the money was accounted for and there was nothing illegal. It was going from one bank to another. This was no unaccounted money. It was a routine cash transfer.

There is an entry of the transferred cash in our books. We could have understood if the seized cash was of new notes but these are old notes deposited by the common people in our banks, she told news channels. The bank in a statement said that the seized cash was part of a larger transaction of Rs 25 crore earlier transported from the main Parli branch to Mumbai.

livemint.com

The statement said that the cash was brought to Mumbai as nationalised banks in Parli refused to accept the deposits. Rs 25 crore was brought to Mumbai, out of which Rs 15 crore was deposited in other banks and the Rs 10 crore was being transported to the Pune branch.

The Rs 10 lakh in new notes was meant for payment for our customers in the Pune branch, the statement said. According to government sources, bank accounts of the Parli branch are being scrutinised. ET tried to contact Pritam Munde for her comments but was unable to.
Sex toys are not generally a topic of discussion in India, outside of casual joking in house parties or innuendo-laden banter elsewhere. But when it comes to discussing sex toys in open, none of us seems to have the kind of swag that Emraan Hashmi did when he tried to sell a sex-doll to Kunal Khemu's character in Kalyug almost a decade back.

Boing Boing

But we must talk about them now, maybe not as instruments of pleasure but as weapons maybe? Point-in-case being the attempted robbery at a San Fransisco outlet of lingerie and sex-toy store Lotions & Lace.

Seeing that only two female employees were 'manning' the store just before closure, the masked robber decided to walk and try his luck. But to his dismay, the women were more feisty that he had though and they unleashed a barrage of sex toys at him. He fled the place - he was lucky he didn't have to hand over his wallet.

Check out this video of the event:

CRAZY SURVEILLANCE VIDEO: Sex store employees fight off armed robber by throwing adult toys at him. @ABC7 at 4pm pic.twitter.com/E8QbuxJkEX  Rob McMillan (@abc7robmcmillan) December 15, 2016

One of the employees, Amy, told local news outlet - ABC7 - that she thought it was a fake gun. She was the one who started yelling at him and by the time he tried to grab her, her colleague already started throwing sex toys at him.
In January this year, Elon Musk had said that the only way we could resolve congestion in cities is to move underground.

"Build more tunnels," Musk said. "Tunnels are great. It's just a hole in the ground," he said to students at the SpaceX's Hyperloop Design Competition at Texas A&M University.

Students had laughed then.

He'd explained, almost in what sounded like a brainstorm, how "you could have 30 layers of tunnels and completely relieve the congestion problem in high-density cities."

Come Saturday morning, and Elon Musk went from a rant about traffic on Twitter "Traffic is driving me nuts" to casually declaring that he will "build a tunnel boring company."

Traffic is driving me nuts. Am going to build a tunnel boring machine and just start digging...  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2016



Anyone else, and it could have sounded like a funny Twitter jokes.

@elonmusk Well, you know the drill.  Phil Plait (@BadAstronomer) December 17, 2016

But Musk, widely cited inspiration for Iron Man, and bold enough to plan sending man to live on Mars, the world's fastest train service, and also the world's first privately funded space launch company (all at the same time!), put aside all doubts.

"I am actually going to do this"

It shall be called "The Boring Company"  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 17, 2016



"It shall be called 'The Boring Company.' Boring, it's what we do", Musk declared on Twitter, to millions of followers and the world at large.

Turns out, there's is already a company with that very name in Las Vegas

But the man seems serious - he's added "Tunnels" to his Twitter bio!
It was an ordinary Secret Santa exchange for Reddit user Aerrix, who'd gone to drop off her gift for a lucky someone somewhere in the world.

"My door buzzer goes off and the guy came back! He dropped of this freakin HUGE BOX and I saw c/o Aerrix"

She came home, and the most glorious Christmas experience had landed on his doorstep.

"my jaw. Just. Drops."

"I WON SECRET SANTA...BILL GATES WAS MY SANTA!"

See what he got u/Aerrix for Secret Santa (& how she reacted) on https://t.co/h3P1crCZVG pic.twitter.com/6DIq4xaci6  Reddit (@reddit) December 16, 2016

Staring at her, in a Santa hat was Bill Gates, famed as possibly the most generous man in the world for giving away billions in philanthropy.

"BILL GATES IS MY FREAKIN SANTA!!!!!!!! "

She screamed at her husband on a phone call. Then she called her mom, because, well, Bill Gates as your Santa is too much to handle.

Aerrix described the note that Gates, famous for multiple AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions on Reddit had sent her, along with her gift.

And it wasn't billion-dollar gifts that won her heart, but sweet gestures that only a Redditor can appreciate.

"I just had to go for the two unwrapped boxes that said "Aerrix's Mittens" and "Clairrix's Mittens" first. My dog's name is Claire, btw, how freakin CUTE IS THAT?! He got me ZELDA MITTENS and you guys, matching ones for my DOWG!"

And of course, Microsoft branding.

Next I open the three pink boxes stacked together, and it's three special edition wireless XBOX one controllers!"...There was also a handwritten note from him that says "I love my XBOX and thought you might like one too."

As Aerrix had mentioned her Southern Louisiana roots on her Reddit Secret Santa profile,

Gates had also packed in a looking Cajun cookbook, with a note:

"Aerrix, Since you're originally from Louisiana and miss your Uncle's Cajun cooking, I thought you might enjoy trying some of the recipes from this cookbook." I'm just speechless! My mom couldn't stop gushing over how sweet it was. I will try the book soon!"

The gifts didn't end, and were all nerdy-gamer themed.

"I got a Zelda tie blanket!", and a "PAPEEEEERRRRRRRRRR" version of the final form Master Sword from Skyward Sword! In a Zelda-themed picture frame, Gates had had a photo of herself, her husband, her dog - and photoshopped himself in - all with Santa hats.

Gates also had 'The Martian' and 'The End of the Tour' movies packed in.

By now, nerds the world over should be jealous, because the gifting didn't end.

"I started screaming like a little girl to my mom on the phone...I was just blown away!" He'd also sent her a modern collectible, a NES Classic Edition! Along with 'Halo 5 Guardians'. the new Tomb Raider.

'I'm just blown away by his generosity, which went even further than all these gifts because he submitted a donation to code.org in my name to give more students the chance to learn computer science, which is AWESOME because it's something near and dear to my heart as my husband is a programmer and my brother has a degree in computer science!'
WikiLeaks Figure Says Disgusted Democrat Leaked Clinton Campaign Emails By Dave Boyer December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Washington Times " - A WikiLeaks figure is claiming that he received leaked Clinton campaign emails from a disgusted Democratic whistleblower, while the White House continued to blame Russian hackers Wednesday for meddling in the presidential election and asserted that Donald Trump was obviously aware of Moscows efforts on his behalf. Craig Murray, a former British ambassador to Uzbekistan and a close associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said in the report by the Daily Mail that he flew to Washington for a clandestine handoff with one of the email sources in September. He said he received a package in a wooded area near American University.

Neither of [the leaks] came from the Russians, Mr. Murray told the British newspaper. The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks. WikiLeaks published thousands of emails stolen from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, providing a steady stream of negative news coverage of the Democratic presidential nominee during the final weeks of the campaign. Mr. Murray said the leakers were motivated by disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders. The Daily Mail report noted that Mr. Murray was removed from his diplomatic post amid allegations of misconduct. The White House said Wednesday that Mr. Trump was obviously aware of Russian hacking to benefit his presidential campaign and suggested that the administration didnt retaliate against Moscow because the U.S. has more to lose than Russia does in an all-out cyberwar. Russia tells US to prove campaign hacking claims or shut up : The United States must either stop accusing Russia of meddling in its elections or prove it, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
Duterte Says 'Bye Bye America' We Don't Need Your Money



Video



Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told the United States on Saturday to prepare for repeal of an agreement on deployment of troops and equipment for exercises, declaring "bye-bye America", and we don't need your money.

Posted December 17, 2016
A CIA-led Coup Against American Democracy Is Unfolding Before Our Eyes By Paul Craig Roberts December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - This article by Moon of Alabama is not conspiracy theory: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/46056.htm Read it carefully. Check out the links. The article is a documented and accurate description of a coup that is underway. The extraordinary lies that are being perpetrated by the media and by members of the US government have as their obvious purpose the prevention of a Donald Trump presidency. There is no other reason for the extraordinary blatant lies for which there is not a shred of evidence. Indeed, there is massive real evidence to the contrary. Yet the coup proceeds and gathers steam. President Eisenhower warned us more than a half century ago of the danger that the military/security complex presents to US democracy. In the decades since Eisenhowers warning, the military/security complex has become more powerful than the American people and is demonstrating its power by overturning a presidential election. Will the coup succeed? In my opinion, former and present members of the US government and the media would not dare to so obviously and openly participate in a coup against democracy and an elected president unless they expect the coup to succeed. It is an easy matter for the ruling interests to bribe electors to vote differently than their states. The cost of the bribes is miniscule compared to the wealth and income streams that a trillion dollar annual budget provides to the military/security complex. The fake news of a Putin/Trump election-stealing plot generated by unsupported allegations of present and former members of US intelligence, the lame-duck President Obama, and the presstitute media provide the cover for electors to break with precedent in order to save America from a Russian stooge. The CIA-controlled European media, the politicians in Washingtons European vassal states, NATO officials, and the brainwashed European peoples will support the coup against Trump. The only ones speaking against the coup are the voters who elected Trumpall of whom are alleged to have been deceived by Russian fake news the Russian government, and the 200 websites falsely described by the Washington Post and the secret organization PropOrNot as Russian agents. In other words, those objecting to the coup are the ones described by the coup leaders as those who made the coup necessary. I do not know that the coup will succeed, but looking at the commitment so many high level people have made to the coup, I conclude that those bringing the coup expect it to succeed. Therefore, we should take very seriously the expectation of success that those who control levers of power are demonstrating. Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts' latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West , How America Was Lost , and The Neoconservative Threat to World Order . CIA meddled in hundreds of elections: Ron Paul : The American people should be worried about the influence of our CIA in other people's elections, I mean probably hundreds. It's constant, he said, even going as far as to allude to domestic assassinations the CIA has allegedly taken part in. Long-Shot to Block Trump Lands at Electoral College Monday ; Sixty-two electors have asked for briefing on Russian hacking The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
Making Russia The Enemy



Despite conflicting accounts about who leaked the Democratic emails, the frenzy over an alleged Russian role is driving the U.S. deeper into a costly and dangerous New Cold War, writes Robert Parry.



By Robert Parry December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - The rising hysteria about Russia is best understood as fulfilling two needs for Official Washington: the Military Industrial Complexs transitioning from the war on terror to a more lucrative new cold war  and blunting the threat that a President Trump poses to the neoconservative/liberal-interventionist foreign-policy establishment. By hyping the Russian threat, the neocons and their liberal-hawk sidekicks, who include much of the mainstream U.S. news media, can guarantee bigger military budgets from Congress. The hype also sets in motion a blocking maneuver to impinge on any significant change in direction for U.S. foreign policy under Trump. Some Democrats even hope to stop Trump from ascending to the White House by having the Central Intelligence Agency, in effect, lobby the electors in the Electoral College with scary tales about Russia trying to fix the election for Trump. The electors meet on Dec. 19 when they will formally cast their votes, supposedly reflecting the judgments of each states voters, but conceivably individual electors could switch their ballots from Trump to Hillary Clinton or someone else. On Thursday, liberal columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. joined the call for electors to flip, writing: The question is whether Trump, Vladimir Putin and, perhaps, Clintons popular-vote advantage give you sufficient reason to blow up the system. That Democrats would want the CIA, which is forbidden to operate domestically in part because of its historic role in influencing elections in other countries, to play a similar role in the United States shows how desperate the Democratic Party has become. And, even though The New York Times and other big news outlets are reporting as flat fact that Russia hacked the Democratic email accounts and gave the information to WikiLeaks, former British Ambassador Craig Murray, a close associate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, told the London Daily Mail that he personally received the email data from a disgusted Democrat. Murray said he flew from London to Washington for a clandestine handoff from one of the email sources in September, receiving the package in a wooded area near American University. Neither of [the leaks, from the Democratic National Committee or Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta] came from the Russians, Murray said, adding: the source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks. Murray said the insider felt disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders. Murray added that his meeting was with an intermediary for the Democratic leaker, not the leaker directly. [Update: Murray subsequently said his contact with the intermediary at American University was not for the purpose of obtaining a batch of the purloined emails, as the Daily Mail reported, since WikiLeaks already had them. He said the Mail simply added that detail to the story, but Murray declined to explain why he had the meeting at A.U. with the whistleblower or an associate.] If Murrays story is true, it raises several alternative scenarios: that the U.S. intelligence communitys claims about a Russian hack are false; that Russians hacked the Democrats emails for their own intelligence gathering without giving the material to WikiLeaks; or that Murray was deceived about the identity of the original leaker. But the uncertainty creates the possibility that the Democrats are using a dubious CIA assessment to reverse the outcome of an American presidential election, in effect, making the CIA party to a preemptive domestic regime change. Delayed Autopsy All of this maneuvering also is delaying the Democratic Partys self-examination into why it lost so many white working-class voters in normally Democratic strongholds, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Rather than national party leaders taking the blame for pre-selecting a very flawed candidate and ignoring all the warning signs about the publics resistance to this establishment choice, Democrats have pointed fingers at almost everyone else  from FBI Director James Comey for briefly reviving Clintons email investigation, to third-party candidates who siphoned off votes, to the archaic Electoral College which negates the fact that Clinton did win the national popular vote  and now to the Russians. While there may be some validity to these various complaints, the excessive frenzy that has surrounded the still-unproven claims that the Russian government surreptitiously tilted the election in Trumps favor creates an especially dangerous dynamic. On one level, it has led Democrats to support Orwellian/ McCarthyistic concepts, such as establishing black lists for Internet sites that question Official Washingtons conventional wisdom and thus are deemed purveyors of Russian propaganda or fake news. On another level, it cements the Democratic Party as Americas preeminent war party, favoring an escalating New Cold War with Russia by ratcheting up economic sanctions against Moscow, and even seeking military challenges to Russia in conflict zones such as Syria and Ukraine. One of the most dangerous aspects of a prospective Hillary Clinton presidency was that she would have appointed neocons, such as Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland and her husband, Project for the New American Century co-founder Robert Kagan, to high-level foreign policy positions. Though that risk may have passed assuming Clintons Electoral College defeat on Monday, Democrats now are excitedly joining the bash-Russia movement, making it harder to envision how the party can transition back into its more recent role as the peace party (at least relative to the extremely hawkish Republicans). Trading Places The potential trading places of the two parties in that regard  with Trump favoring geopolitical detente and the Democrats beating the drums for more military confrontations  augurs poorly for the Democrats regaining their political footing anytime soon. If Democratic leaders press ahead, in alliance with neoconservative Republicans, on demands for escalating the New Cold War with Russia, they could precipitate a party split between Democratic hawks and doves, a schism that likely would have occurred if Clinton had been elected but now may happen anyway, albeit without the benefit of the party holding the White House. The first test of this emerging Democratic-neocon alliance may come over Trumps choice for Secretary of State, Exxon-Mobils chief executive Rex Tillerson, who doesnt exhibit the visceral hatred of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Democrats are encouraging. As an international business executive, Tillerson appears to share Trumps real-politik take on the world, the idea that doing business with rivals makes more sense than conspiring to force regime change after regime change. Over the past several decades, the regime change approach has been embraced by both neocons and liberal interventionists and has been implemented by both Republican and Democratic administrations. Sometimes, its done through war and other times through color revolutions  always under the idealistic guise of democracy promotion or protecting human rights. But the problem with this neo-imperialist strategy has been that it has failed miserably to improve the lives of the people living in the regime-changed countries. Instead, it has spread chaos across wide swaths of the globe and has now even destabilized Europe. Yet, the solution, as envisioned by the neocons and their liberal-hawk understudies, is simply to force more regime change medicine down the throats of the worlds population. The new great idea is to destabilize nuclear-armed Russia by making its economy scream and by funding as many anti-Putin elements as possible to create the nucleus for a color revolution in Moscow. To justify that risky scheme, there has been a broad expansion of anti-Russian propaganda now being funded with tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer money as well as being pushed by government officials giving off-the-record briefings to mainstream media outlets. However, as with earlier regime change plans, the neocons and liberal hawks never think through the scenario to the end. They always assume that everything is going to work out fine and some well-dressed opposition leader who has been to their think-tank conferences will simply ascend to the top job. Remember, in Iraq, it was going to be Ahmed Chalabi who was beloved in Official Washington but broadly rejected by the Iraqi people. In Libya, there has been a parade of U.S.-approved unity leaders who have failed to pull that country together. In Ukraine, Nulands choice  Arseniy Yats is the guy Yatsenyuk  resigned amid broad public disapproval earlier this year after pushing through harsh cuts in social programs, even as the U.S.-backed regime officials in Kiev continued to plunder Ukraines treasury and misappropriate Western economic aid. Nuclear-Armed Destabilization But the notion of destabilizing nuclear-armed Russia is even more hare-brained than those other fiascos. The neocon/liberal-hawk assumption is that Russians  pushed to the brink of starvation by crippling Western sanctions  will overthrow Putin and install a new version of Boris Yeltsin who would then let U.S. financial advisers return with their neoliberal shock therapy of the 1990s and again exploit Russias vast resources. Indeed, it was the Yeltsin era and its Western-beloved shock therapy that created the desperate conditions before the rise of Putin with his autocratic nationalism, which, for all its faults, has dramatically improved the lives of most Russians. So, the more likely result from the neocon/liberal-hawk regime change plans for Moscow would be the emergence of someone even more nationalistic  and likely far less stable  than Putin, who is regarded even by his critics as cold and calculating. The prospect of an extreme Russian nationalist getting his or her hands on the Kremlins nuclear codes should send chills up and down the spines of every American, indeed every human being on the planet. But it is the course that key national Democrats appear to be on with their increasingly hysterical comments about Russia. The Democratic National Committee issued a statement on Wednesday accusing Trump of giving Russia an early holiday gift that smells like a payoff.  Its rather easy to connect the dots. Russia meddled in the U.S. election in order to benefit Trump and now hes repaying Vladimir Putin by nominating Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state. Besides delaying a desperately needed autopsy on why Democrats did so badly in an election against the also-widely-disliked Donald Trump, the new blame-Russia gambit threatens to hurt the Democrats and their preferred policies in another way. If Democrats vote in bloc against Tillerson or other Trump foreign-policy nominees  demanding that he appoint people acceptable to the neocons and the liberal hawks  Trump might well be pushed deeper into the arms of right-wing Republicans, giving them more on domestic issues to solidify their support on his foreign-policy goals. That could end up redounding against the Democrats as they watch important social programs gutted in exchange for their own dubious Democratic alliance with the neocons. Since the presidency of Bill Clinton, the Democrats have courted factions of the neocons, apparently thinking they are influential because they dominate many mainstream op-ed pages and Washington think tanks. In 1993, as a thank-you gift to the neocon editors of The New Republic for endorsing him, Clinton appointed neocon ideologue James Woolsey as head of the CIA, one of Clintons more disastrous personnel decisions. But the truth appears to be that the neocons have much less influence across the U.S. electoral map than the Clintons think. Arguably, their pandering to a clique of Washington insiders who are viewed as warmongers by many peace-oriented Democrats may even represent a net negative when it comes to winning votes. Ive communicated with a number of traditional Democrats who didnt vote for Hillary Clinton because they feared she would pursue a dangerous neocon foreign policy. Obviously, thats not a scientific survey, but the anecdotal evidence suggests that Clintons neocon connections could have been another drag on her campaign. Assessing Russia I also undertook a limited personal test regarding whether Russia is the police state that U.S. propaganda depicts, a country yearning to break free from the harsh grip of Vladimir Putin (although he registers 80 or so percent approval in polls). During my trip last week to Europe, which included stops in Brussels and Copenhagen, I decided to take a side trip to Moscow, which I had never visited before. What I encountered was an impressive, surprisingly (to me at least) Westernized city with plenty of American and European franchises, including the ubiquitous McDonalds and Starbucks. (Russians serve the Starbucks gingerbread latte with a small ginger cookie.) Though senior Russian officials proved unwilling to meet with me, an American reporter, at this time of tensions, Russia had little appearance of a harshly repressive society. In my years covering U.S. policies in El Salvador in the 1980s and Haiti in the 1990s, I have experienced what police states look and feel like, where death squads dump bodies in the streets. That was not what I sensed in Moscow, just a modern city with people bustling about their business under early December snowfalls. The police presence in Red Square near the Kremlin was not even as heavy-handed as it is near the government buildings of Washington. Instead, there was a pre-Christmas festive air to the brightly lit Red Square, featuring a large skating rink surrounded by small stands selling hot chocolate, toys, warm clothing and other goods. Granted, my time and contact with Russians were limited  since I dont speak Russian and most of them dont speak English  but I was struck by the contrast between the grim images created by Western media and the Russia that I saw. It reminded me of how President Ronald Reagan depicted Sandinista-ruled Nicaragua as a totalitarian dungeon with a militarized state ready to march on Texas, but what I found when I traveled to Managua was a third-world country still recovering from an earthquake and with a weak security structure despite the Contra war that Reagan had unleashed against Nicaragua. In other words, perception management remains the guiding principle of how the U.S. government deals with the American people, scaring us with exaggerated tales of foreign threats and then manipulating our fears and our misperceptions. As dangerous as that can be when were talking about Nicaragua or Iraq or Libya, the risks are exponentially higher regarding Russia. If the American people are stampeded into a New Cold War based more on myths than reality, the minimal cost could be the trillions of dollars diverted from domestic needs into the Military Industrial Complex. The far-greater cost could be some miscalculation by either side that could end life on the planet. So, as the Democrats chart their future, they need to decide if they want to leapfrog the Republicans as Americas war party or whether they want to pull back from the escalation of tensions with Russia and start addressing the pressing needs of the American people. Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, Americas Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com). The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
Docs Show US Wanted to Rig Election in Ecuador to Prevent Left-Wing Victory By teleSUR December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " teleSur " - While leftist Jaime Roldos Aguilera went on to become Ecuador's president, he was later killed in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances. Previously classified documents released earlier this week on Operation Condor have shed further light on how the U.S. controlled and meddled in Latin America politics in the 1970s, showing how the U.S. was tossing up the idea of tinkering with the outcome of elections in Ecuador as the victory of a left-wing president appeared likely. The latest release of the Cold War-era documents detailed intelligence from July 24, 1978, where the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency looked into committing fraud in Ecuadors 1979 election after left-wing candidate Jaime Roldos Aguilera won the most votes in 1978 but not enough to avoid a second runoff election scheduled for April 1979. According to the source, embassy reports showed that Ecuadors navy and president at the time, Alfredo Poveda, who came to power in a military coup, were determined to have a clean election. Ecuadors military was also determined to allow Roldos to participate in a runoff election, according to reports from the Embassy and DIA. In the runoff election, Roldos would be pitted against Sixto Duran Ballen, from the right-wing Social Christian Party. In the first round of elections, Raul Clemente Huerta, from the centrist Radical Liberal Party, received the third most votes. Showing Washington's clear disdain for left-wing candidates, the intelligence report states that a DIA summary sees some possibility of tinkering the outcome for the second slot in the run-off since Huerta would have a better chance of defeating Roldas than the current apparent second place candidate Duran. Yet Roldos won the runoff election and become president in August 1979, the countrys first freely elected president without a background in the military. His campaign was built on a populist platform on human rights and labor reforms. During his tenure he brought in a number of important labor measures such as increasing the minimum wage and capping the countrys workweek to 40 hours. He was well known for his advocacy of human rights around Latin America and pushed other Andean countries develop a charter of universal rights built on social justice and in particular non-intervention - something that did not sit well with the U.S. amid the fear of communism spreading during the cold war. Roldos also supported a number of left-wing movements around the region, again ruffling feathers within Washington. Roldos also declined Ronald Reagans presidential inauguration in 1981. Roldos died in a plane crash in May 1981, which created accusations that it was a part of a U.S.-backed assassination. Panama President Omar Torrijos, who also was critical of the U.S. role in the region and was known for his human rights leadership, died two months later in a plane crash, raising similar accusations. After a CIA document was released in 2014, revealing that Ecuador was a part of Operation Condor, Ecuadors attorney generals office opened an investigation into his death. With this information, we are going to examine information of whether the accident which killed President Roldos was in fact an accident or was not an accident, said Attorney General Galo Chiriboga told media after the investigation was launched. As of yet, there has been no official answer surronding the possible U.S. role in his death. The 2014 document states that Ecuador became part of Operation Condor in 1978, joining dictatorships of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Ecuador's intelligence services and its armed forces agreed to share information with other countries and to take part in surveillance and psychological warfare, according to files. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
Donald Trump Promising Safe Zones For Syria



By Mark Landler December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " NYT " - HERSHEY, Pa.  President-elect Donald J. Trump said on Thursday that the United States would create safe zones in Syria, his first reference to such an American role in the war there since he was elected, and one that comes as the Syrian government has all but recaptured the rebel stronghold of Aleppo. When I look at whats going on in Syria, its so sad, he told a crowd here. Its so sad, and were going to help people. Mr. Trump said he would ask the Persian Gulf nations to put up money for the project, adding, Well build and help build safe zones in Syria, so people will have a chance. Mr. Trump talked during the campaign about building safe zones, presenting them as a way to stem the tide of refugees into Europe. But this was the first time he had repeated the proposal since he began receiving intelligence briefings. Some analysts and military commanders have warned that it would be a significant and potentially dangerous undertaking on a complex battlefield over which Russian planes have been flying raids. The president-elect coupled his plan with a familiar promise to restrict entry into the United States by people from countries with a history of Islamic extremism. It was Mr. Trumps second rally of the week, in what has become an extended thank you tour of states he won. And it featured a familiar mix for him: a lovingly detailed recap of his victory on election night, along with campaign appeals to populism, economic nationalism, and anti-immigration and anti-free-trade sentiment. From now on, its going to be America first, he declared. There is no such thing as a global anthem, a global currency, a global flag. We salute one flag, and that is the American flag, Mr. Trump said. Were going to make sure the American flag gets the respect it deserves, he added. Were going to maybe have to do something about that  an apparent reference to his earlier suggestion that people should face penalties for burning the flag, despite a 1989 Supreme Court ruling that found that such actions were protected speech. Mr. Trump also repeated his campaign promise of a multibillion-dollar plan to rebuild roads, bridges and airports  something for which the Republican leadership in Congress has shown little appetite. Even his designated chief of staff, Reince Priebus, has emphasized other priorities, like a tax overhaul and repealing the Affordable Care Act. - Continue The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
In this article I am going to argue that the " war on drugs " has been a catastrophic failure, and that it is about time the UK...
Mainstream Media on Syria and Russia; Fake News



By Joe Clifford December 17, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - I try my best to be an informed about what is, and has happened, in Syria. When I watch mainstream medias coverage I am horrified at their Fake News. For example, Lester Holt of NBC nightly news recently referred to Bashar Assad as the brutal dictator. Does Lester know that in 2014 there was a multiparty election in Syria? Does he know that Assad won the election with 88% of the vote? Critics might say, but it was not a fair election! Was ours?



Most of the coverage has centered around Aleppo, and the mainstream Aleppo narrative has been, it was besieged by the brutal dictator, who wanted to slaughter all the residents of Aleppo. The fact is, Aleppo is divided into two parts and has been for four years. West Aleppo is controlled by the Syrian government, and East Aleppo was captured, and has been held by terrorists and thugs for the past four years. Residents of East Aleppo have not been allowed to leave, and have been shot in the streets for trying. The jihadists who control East Aleppo, these would be the same moderates and rebels that beheaded the 9-year-old boy, and showed the beheading to the world, have also controlled the hospitals in east Aleppo and have used them to treat their own, and to launch artillery barrages into west Aleppo, killing innocents every day for the past four years.



Finally, with the help of the Russians and others, the Syrian government liberated East Aleppo and rescued its resident from the terrorists. This is a completely different narrative from what one gets watching mainstream news, which gets its news from anonymous twitter accounts, unnamed activists, and the White Helmets. That fake organization is funded by the US, France, and other western nations to the tune of $100 million, and is nothing more than a propaganda tool for the west. It has been completely exposed and thoroughly discredited, except by mainstream media, which uses its propaganda as if it were factual. The US had no actual reporters anywhere near Aleppo. There are however, reporters from other countries who were in and out of Aleppo daily, like Vanessa Beeley and Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett, who fully understand what has happened and report it accordingly. If your goal is trying to defeat the terrorist and jihadists forces in Syria, the liberation of east Aleppo is a major victory. If, on the other hand, you support terrorists, or have as your goal, prolonging the war to weaken Assad, then the taking of Aleppo represents a tragedy. According to mainstream media, the retaking of Aleppo by government forces and defeating the terrorist is a tragedy.



One of the best journalists in the world, when it comes to the middle east, is Patrick Cockburn. You probably never heard of him if you rely on mainstream fake media, because his voice is not allowed. He is however, recognized as one of the best sources in the world on Syria and the Middle East, but his voice and work cannot get by the censors of mainstream media. Cockburns most recent article: Theres More Propaganda Than News Coming Out of Aleppo This Week argues that jihadists early on, killed or captured western journalists, and gained the narrative using fake sources, twitter accounts and the like. When is the last time you heard Noam Chomsky on mainstream media? He is one of the best minds in the country, but he cannot get by the censors. Other great foreign policy journalists such as Eric Margolis, Pepe Escobar, the great Glenn Greenwald, and Jeremy Scahill, are not tolerated by mainstream fake media.



It is interesting to see mainstream media shed crocodile tears for the civilians of Aleppo, yet when the US besieged the city of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004, the fake news folks were cheerleaders. This was a city of 300,000, which was basically leveled by the US led forces. The US claimed Fallujah was held by terrorists and proceeded to level the city to save the city. No one knows, nor will ever know, how many civilians were killed in a brutal assault on a civilian city. The point here is, mainstream fake news acted as cheerleaders, and never once worried about civilians being slaughtered, nor did they shed any tears during the Shock and Awe destruction of Baghdad. Funny how they can just turn around and shed crocodile tears for the civilians of Aleppo, but cheer when we kill civilians.



In no way am I a champion of Bashar Assad, but I respect the right of the Syrian people to pick their own leader. How many times have you heard Obama and officials in the administration, along with crazies like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, chant in unison: Assad must go. None of the crazies ever tried to explain what gives the US government the legal right to decide who should lead the Syrian people. Then again, what is the law, when you have power. Still, it is interesting to see how upset and angry these same folks are, when Russia is falsely accused of trying to hack into our elections. Julian Assange and Craig Murray claim them never got anything from Russia, and they know who leaked the e-mails. Former ambassador Craig Murray, even claims to have met the individual, and insists the individual is an insider. William Binney, the man who designed the NSAs surveillance system, has come forward and vehemently argued if anyone hacked those e-mails, the NSA would instantly know who hacked, when, where, and whether those e-mails were passed on to another party. Binney, the foremost expert in the world, is banned from mainstream fake media, as are Murray and Assange. They cannot get over the wall of censors who wish always to control the narrative.



If you really are curious about world events, you must work at it, and find good alternative sources. You are ignorant of world events if you only rely on mainstream fake media. Journalists face off over Syria news sources The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Information Clearing House editorial policy.
Only 24, Kenneth Okwor is an adjunct lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus, and a Templars Law Firm Associate. In this interview, he tells KEMI LANRE-AREMU, about his love for the legal profession and some of his career milestones

What schools did you attend?

I attended the University of Jos where I obtained a Bachelor of Law degree; and for my vocational and professional training, I attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos Campus. I graduated with a Second Class Upper Honours from the University of Jos, and First Class Honours from the Nigerian Law School. I graduated top of my class at the Nigerian Law School, winning several awards and prizes.

What is your work history?

Presently, I am employed as an Associate at Templars and I am also an Adjunct Lecturer of Corporate Law and Practice at the Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School.

What are your job responsibilities?

At Templars, I sit primarily in the finance practice area and we basically advise clients on matters relating to banking, capital markets, mergers, acquisitions and other forms of external and internal restructuring options, project finance and other financing and refinancing structures, and general advisory services on corporate and finance matters.

At the Law School, I teach Corporate Law and Practice.

Did you set out to become a lawyer or you had other professions in mind?

I actually wanted to study Literature in English. However, when it was time to fill the form that would enable me sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, Law was the first choice.

Why the sudden change of mind?

I do not think the decision was actuated by any altruistic feeling or by a desire to define a path for my life. Honestly, it was really about gaining admission to the university to study a prestigious course. However, when I began to study Law, I saw that I could be more and I could do more. The study of Law exposed me to deeper issues that have gone a long way in defining who I am today and what I represent.

What are your areas of speciality?

I am specialising in corporate law and finance as my core areas. For me, these areas are niche areas of practice both in Nigeria and across the world and I believe that on account of my love for corporate law and all that concerns it, I would be able to learn, grow, and contribute my quota in developing the jurisprudence in these areas.

You graduated with second class upper honours from the University of Jos and a first class from the Nigerian Law School. How did you achieve these feats?

Like I always say, it was all a function of Gods grace and hard work. Studies at the university are quite different from studies at the Law School. The approach is very different as the university emphasises substantive law and it is usually very theoretical, while the Law School teaches practical law. Even though the Law School keeps an eye out for substantive law, its emphasis is on the practical application of these laws. Therefore, if properly utilised, the knowledge gained from the university can play a key role in facilitating success at the Bar Exams.

At the university, I was diligent and hard-working, and only missed classes when they conflicted with mock trials. Why I placed more emphasis on the mock trials was because they taught me to contextualise the knowledge gained in class and taught me how they would operate in practical reality.

At the Law School, I was also diligent and hard-working. The Law Schools calendar was, and still is, properly structured such that it was perfectly possible to actively participate in the law clinic and the mock trials without missing any class, and this contributed in making the difference.

Can you recollect your first time in court?

Of course I can. It was June 6 this year. My superiors at Templars insisted that I go alone. I was scared and spent the entire weekend studying the file and rehearsing the courts language in front of my mirror. It was a defamation suit and we were the counsel representing the claimant. In court that morning, I was nervous but the longer I waited, the more relaxed I became because I noticed that the courts procedure was not significantly different from the mock trials I had experienced in my undergraduate and Law School days. When my matter was called, I got up and successfully did the needful.

Who and what have impacted your legal career so far?

I am an academic and a practitioner and I have mentors in both aspects of my professional life.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have observed that he saw far only because he had the privilege of standing on the shoulders of giants. My case is not different from his. My life and my story is a product of mentorship, with my parents being my first and foremost mentors. They inspire me and consistently encourage me to do more. After my parents, Mrs. Adetoun Adebiyi, the Deputy Director General and Head of Lagos Campus of the Nigerian Law School is one woman who believes that there is nothing I cannot achieve. Next on the list are my academic fathers and mentors: His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, Prof. Nnamdi Aduba, Prof. Epiphany Azinge SAN (the one I watch from a distance), Prof.Dakas CJ Dakas SAN, Prof. Joash Amupitan SAN, Prof. Shaakaa, Mr. Alimi, Mrs.Odukoya, Mrs. Egbe, Mr.Ogbuanya, Mr. Sam Oguche, Mr.Udemezue, Mrs. James, and my best friend as far as international law is concerned  Mr. Matthias Zechariah. These persons have, whether actively or passively, consistently spurred me to aim for more.

As a practitioner, Mr. Chike Obianwu tops the list of those I work hard to be like and I learn from him daily. Working with him and Desmond Ogba has made me commercially aware, has changed the way I think, and given me deeper insights into the practical application of legal principles and the provision of A grade services to clients.

All these persons have had positive impacts on my legal career and have contributed in pushing me this far in my very young career. I mean, I only became a year old at the Bar on December 16, 2016.

What key skills and qualities must one possess to become a successful solicitor/barrister?

Humility, hard work, diligence, high moral and ethical standards, commercial awareness, reliability, a sound knowledge of the law, continuous professional development, and of course, paying clients!

What do you think are the most important characteristics and abilities for any persons success?

At the risk of sounding ecclesiastic, grace is a necessary tool for success in whatever we do. In addition to grace, anyone who wants to attain success must merge humility with hard work, smart work, diligent work, and excellent work. Having said that, I must state that I would typically not advice anyone to pursue success alone. I advocate excellence and if I am permitted to quote Ranchoddas of the 3 Idiots, pursue excellence and success will pursue you pants down.

How did you arrive at the decision to become an Adjunct Lecturer at the Nigerian Law School?

I have always wanted to teach and I developed that dream while I was a sophomore at the University of Jos. However, the opportunity to teach came when I least expected it and at a level that is best left to imagination. In my eyes, the Law School is a sacred institution reserved only for superior legal minds and I did not permit myself to dream of teaching at the Law School because I did not know that I had the requisite superior mind. Consequently, when Mrs. Adebiyi invited me to be her adjunct lecturer, I was overwhelmed with joy and disbelief.

How do you relate with your students considering your young age?

That has been a challenge  a major challenge actually. I started out by being very friendly with them, but trust students, they started abusing it. Then I switched and became strict, and they said I was proud. Even elderly students consistently try to use the age factor against me. But by and large, God has kept me through. I try to be very friendly with them, but I draw lines where necessary.

What is your ultimate career goal?

To develop the jurisprudence in the theory and practice of corporate law and finance in Nigeria as a scholar and as a practitioner, to fight for a vibrant Nigerian Bar that is made up of lawyers who are driven by a positive sense of ethics and high professional conduct, to fight for the protection of human rights (particularly the rights of internally displaced persons), to make positive impacts on legal education pre-call and mandatory continuing professional development post-call. These are at the vanguard of the career I am building.

In between all that you do, what other things interest you?

Classical music! They always bring peace with them. I also love to watch law-related television series. Arts and nature also interest me. Besides these, I lead a very boring life!

How do you achieve a work life balance?

Truthfully, I do not. In between church, Templars, the Law School, and my personal efforts towards self-development, I have no extra time to myself. Right now, the prospects of a work life balance for me is utopian.

Source: Punch
A man who broke into a restaurant overnight and ate nearly a dozen of bananas is being hunted by the US police.

Surveillance from Sexy Salad in Hauppauge, New York shows the burglar helping himself to food.

The owner said something appeared off, and that the thief was certainly hungry.

https://youtu.be/CqP9QqVGh5A

If youre gonna be broken into, you might as well get a good laugh out of it. This guy was hysterical, Ive never seen somebody so drunk, said owner John Robertson.

Police say the man urinated in a garbage can and fell asleep on the floor. He was gone by the time the owner arrived on Saturday morning, but he did leave behind a big clue for police  his drivers license.

No arrests have been made so far.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Niger on Saturday said that it has seized expired toiletries and detergents worth about a million Naira at a warehouse in Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Anikoh Ibrahim, the State Coordinator of NAFDAC, who disclosed this in an interview with newsmen said the seizure followed a call from concerned citizens.

He said that the agency got information that the consignments were being discharged at a warehouse in Gwada, Shiroro Local Government Area of the state.

He said though they were not able to get the trailer but they succeeded in seizing some of the goods, adding that these included 50 cartons of Zip detergent, 35 cartons of Everyday Sanitary Pad and 20 cartons of Morning Fresh.

Others included 15 cartons of Venus hair cream and nine cartons of Elephant Gold wash.

He explained that the items would have found their way into the market and subsequently, in the homes of unsuspecting consumers.

The NAFDAC State Coordinator said that some of the products expired two years ago, other expired as far back as six years back, adding the agency has commenced investigations to unravel the warehouse owner.

Ibrahim urged residents of the state to check for production and expiring dates of any product before purchase and report to the nearest security agency in case of breach.
Head of the catholic church Pope Francis celebrated his 80th birthday on Saturday by sharing breakfast with eight homeless people inside the Vatican before presiding over a subdued mass in the chapel of the Apostolic Palace with a small group of cardinals.

The pope chatted individually with each of the homeless guests- four Italians, two Romanians, a Moldovan and a Peruvian  at the Vatican hotel where he resides, and shared Argentinian cakes with them before heading to Mass, the Vatican said.

The guests in return of the gesture offered the pope a bouquet of sunflowers. They were invited from among those staying around St. Peters Square and at nearby showers for the homeless established by the popes almsgiver.

Speaking to the cardinals, Francis contemplated the ageing process, telling them, For some days now, I have had in mind a word that seems ugly: Old age, a thought that frightens.

Francis has said he would only be at the helm of the Catholic Church for four or five years. March will mark four years since he took over. Like his predecessor Benedict, he said he will consider retirement.

However, observers say he wants to continue his efforts to make his church more responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalised.

The pope also sent birthday cakes for 1,500 people to kitchens serving the poor and homeless in Rome.
At least 40 soldiers were killed in Yemen on Sunday after a suicide bomber blew himself up in Aden. Dozens more were injured at the gathering near Solban army base in northeastern Aden, according to military officials and medics.

The base was targeted by a suicide bomber last week in an attack that killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29. That attack was claimed by a Yemeni affiliate of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Sundays bombing, though IS and al-Qaeda are both active in the country.

Al-Qaeda, however, distanced itself from the December 10 bombing  claiming that it targets Americans and their allies, while abstaining from the shedding of any Muslim blood.
An organisation that promotes innovative leadership towards a resilient and sustainable economic future has called on Australian businesses to consider climate change in their dealings and to come clean to investors on climate risks.Tom Quinn, Future Business Council (FBC) CEO, said companies can and should inform investors about their climate risks to be able to capitalise on what is promising to be the next boom."Investors are looking for clean, low carbon products and are getting out of fossil fuels at a pace unimaginable even 18 months ago, he said."The writing is on the wall for companies and countries that are dependent on fossil fuels. Divestment combined with class actions against directors for failing to consider climate change and the low carbon economy are accelerating."Companies that are failing to disclose their exposure to climate and carbon risks will be the first to bear the brunt of investors dissatisfaction.The FBC statement comes following the release of a set of recommendations set by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).The global taskforce advised companies to disclose how they identify, assess, and manage climate risks and opportunities, as well as how climate risks impact their business, strategy, and financial planning.Only months before, FBC and Centre for Policy Development (CPD) released a legal opinion on fiduciary duties of Australian business directors with regards to climate change. The opinion determined that directors have an obligation to perceive, disclose, or take steps in relation to a foreseeable climate-related risk that can be demonstrated to have caused harm to a company, FBC said in a statement.
Willis Towers Watson has announced a new senior appointment for is business in Asia Pacific.Ken Brown will join the firm as division leader for South Asia and Emerging markets in the insurance consulting and technology strand of the business.The newly-created role will see Brown lead business operations for Willis Towers Watson in Australia, Korea and Southeast Asia whilst working across developing markets such as Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.Brown has more than 30 years industry experience across the Asia Pacific region in a number of different insurance disciplines, having most recently worked for international broker Gow Gates Group.Kens experience of growing regional and broker markets, along with developing strategies to mitigate and transfer risk, will be important as our insurance consulting practice looks to grow in its smaller markets and tap new opportunities, Richard Collis, managing director, insurance consulting and technology in Asia Pacific at Willis Towers Watson said.The insurance consulting and technology business currently services 97 of the top 100 global insurers with more than 170 specialists working throughout the region.Brown will be based in Singapore.
A 29-year-old mentally ill man is in jail on charges that he killed two of his sisters in a south-end housing co-op Friday night. Musab A-Noor is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the deaths of Asma A-Noor, 29, and Nasiba A-Noor, 32.



yes yes, of course. anyway, not a verything to do eh.did I just say that out loud?Why does that phrase always appear in the same types of reports and never has any corroborating information in those reports?A 29-year-old mentally ill man is in jail on charges that he killed two of his sisters in a south-end housing co-op Friday night.Musab A-Noor is charged with first- and second-degree murder in the deaths of Asma A-Noor, 32, and Nasiba A-Noor, 29.A-Noor was arrested near the scene Friday night and transported to hospital for minor injuries.The accused killer is suicidal and refused to leave his cell at the police station to make his first court appearance Sunday morning.He is now on suicide watch at Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre, where he awaits his next court appearance.Friends of the accused and the dead sisters attended court on Sunday and called the killings tragic.The double homicide has shaken Ottawas Somali community.Suad Mohamed said she is heartbroken after hearing her friends were killed at a home on McCarthy Road.Both of them were the nicest people you would ever meet, Mohamed said Saturday by phone in Edmonton.She has known the two women for about 10 years and says she has kept in touch after moving out west. She said Nasiba taught her the Quran and both sisters were well-known and involved in Ottawas Somali community.There are people that live in the city that are contributors; contribute to the good of the city. They were that kind of people that you can really say that about, and not just say it because its something people say when people die. Really, they were the definition of good citizens.As long as it was good, they would partake in it. Its too bad that they had to die so early, she added.Police were called to the 3200 block of McCarthy Road at around 9 p.m. and found the two deceased women inside a unit in a row of town homes.Anver Malam, imam and founder of the Jami Omar Mosque on Old Richmond Road, said there will be a funeral for the sisters Sunday at 1 p.m., but people are welcome to begin praying at noon before the service. A burial will follow at the Ottawa Muslim Cemetery.The imam said the focus going forward will be to help the family in their grief.We are just trying to understand whats going on and try to console the family members for their unfortunate loss, Malam said. Its very tragic.A heavy dumping of snow overnight Friday and Saturday morning hampered officers efforts to comb the area surrounding the train tracks for evidence.Nasiba Noor was remembered as a devoted teacher of the Quran by those who worked with her at a west-end alternative Islamic school.According to her online biography, Nasiba Noor taught Islamic Studies to girls in grades 5 through 8 at the Tarbiyah Learning Centre on Moodie Drive.She taught the Quran to many, including my daughter as well  Amazing individual, wrote the schools co-founder, Ghazala Choudhary on her Facebook profile.Two amazing young lives lost amazing sisters I am in shock, she wrote, urging others to pray for the sisters and their grieving family.According to Noors profile, she completed her studies with Shaykh Uthman Khan of Torontos Jazriyyah Institute, and taught privately and publicly to women and children across the globe.Nasiba believes that it is the right of every Muslim to have easy access to reciting and understanding the Quran. Her enjoyment in teaching stems from the transformation she sees in her students, as they improve in their fluency and recognize their own potential.Nasibas goal is to make the Quran the most enjoyable part of her students daily routine.One of Nasibas students also posted on the same social media thread.In shock and unable to process it!, she wrote. (Nasiba) was my Quran teacher for two years now and I talked to her Friday morning.The sisters killings were the 23rd and 24th in the city this year.That number now ties 1995s total of 24 homicides as the highest for a single year in the past three decades.On average, over the past 15 years, there have been about 10 slayings a year in the nations capital.
"House of Cards" season 5 is an installment that is much anticipated by Netflix subscribers as it features an interesting plot revolving around the U.S. political environment. However, there are rumors swirling around claiming that the series is already canceled as Beau Willimon is reportedly fleeing the show to join an opposition group against President Donald Trump.

The Truth Behind Beau Willimon's Exit

The victory of Trump in the 2016 presidential race is continuously creating madness among the U.S. citizens. Hollywood personalities are not exemptions to this with some even leading opposition groups against the current president. Among the prominent personalities rumored to despise the current administration is "House of Cards" former creator, Willimon.

In November, it can be recalled that Willimon tweeted about his stand against the president saying that the citizens should prevent Trump from destroying the nation. This has caused a lot of fans to worry about the future of his political drama as numerous cancelation rumors then started to surface. Cast updates, however, have debunked the speculations and yet again new talks are saying that Willimon will already leave the show.

Willimon stepped down as creator and showrunner of the "House of Cards" series in January along with the announcement of Netflix about the show's renewal for its fifth season. The creator reportedly will focus on writing an original series which is why he has to give up his post as a showrunner. Willimon had been in the shadow of the fourth season though until it ended in March. Recent reports then about his exit are quite distorted as the former creator has departed the critically acclaimed series for almost a year now.

"House Of Cards" Season 5 Canceled?

Netflix is keeping mum about speculations that the hit political drama is already canceled. The rumors might have started due to the slow progress of the show as 2017 is already about to enter yet there are no clear updates so far about the show.

There are new talks coming out still involving Willimon with "House of Cards." His supposed decision to join an opposition group against Trump is speculated to cause the series to be axed. Yet this might be pure speculation since Netflix has already invested in the fifth season of "House of Cards," even assigning Melissa James Gibson and Frank Pugliese as its new showrunners.

Fans of Frank Underwood may then rest their worries as "House of Cards" season 5 is still far from being canceled.


Classic American sitcoms dating from the '70s might get their modern reboot. It was revealed that Sony Pictures is planning to do miniseries remakes of Norman Lear sitcoms including "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "Good Times" and "Maude."

Lear and Sony are discussing to repackage the said sitcoms into short, six-episode anthologies. New actors will recreate the scenes from the classic shows from an original script.

"We're exploring it," Sony EVP for comedy development, Glenn Adilman, said according to Variety. "It's tricky for a lot of reasons, and it's something we're exploring," he added.

The discussion emerged with the premiere of Lear's '80s sitcom, "One Day at a Time," on Jan. 6 on Netflix. The story follows a single mother who works hard to raise her to children.

"There is a possibility that we'll do 'All in the Family,' 'Maude,' 'The Jeffersons,' 'Good Times,'" Lear said. For millennials who got no idea how these sitcoms are all about, here are some brief introductions:

'All In The Family' (1971-1979)

"All in the Family" is one of the greatest American television shows of all time and was consistent no. 1 in Nielsen yearly ratings during its original release. Does the title ring the bell? "All in the Family" follows the story of an ordinary working, class family. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) aka "lovable bigot" is a very prejudiced World War II veteran, currently a blue collar worker who hates everyone who doesn't like his ideas and viewpoints.

He has an understanding wife, "dingbat" Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton), who is miraculously able to deal with Archie's stubbornness, but is somehow naive. Their daughter, Gloria (Sally Struthers), is kind like her mother but also inherited her father's stubbornness. She serves as the referee when Archie and Michael Stivic (Gloria's husband portrayed by Rob Reiner) get into silly arguments.

'Maude' (1972-1978)

A spin-off of "All in the Family" featuring Edith's cousin, Maude Findlay (Beatrice Arthur). However, opposite of Edith, Maude is a feminist, politically liberal woman. She is very outspoken and is not afraid to speak her mind. She has been married four times, the first one died while she divorced the other two.

She lives with her current husband, Walter Findlay (Bill Macy), who owns an appliance store and her daughter from her first marriage, Carol Traynor (Adrienne Barbeau), a single mother. Carol has the reputation of dating many men and often clashes with her mother.

'The Jeffersons' (1975-1985)

It's one of the longest-running sitcoms in American television -- well, it aired for a decade. It is another spin-off of "All in the Family" featuring an African-American couple, George (Sherman Hemsley) and Louise Jefferson (Isabel Sanford), former neighbors of the Bunkers. The show is known for its reference to issues such as racism, alcoholism, gun control suicide, and adult illiteracy.

After their success in the dry cleaning business, the Jeffersons moved to a luxury apartment in Manhattan. The sitcom follows their daily interaction with their new neighbors. A common gag in the show is George slamming the door while in the middle of conversation with Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), a friendly but somehow dimwitted British neighbor who works as an interpreter at the United Nations.

'Good Times' (1974-1979)

A spin-off of "Maude" (which also makes it a spin-off of "All in the Family"). The show follows the Evans family. Florida (Esther Rolle) and James Evans (John Amos) live with their three children in a poor, black neighborhood in inner Chicago. The main goal of the show is to deal with serious issues such as poverty in a comedic way, but later it focused more on James Evan Jr. aka JJ's comedic antics.

Florida works as Maude's housekeeper, while James usually juggles manual labor such as being a construction laborer, dishwasher and more. But despite their situation, James is prideful and does not accept charity. Sometimes, he is unemployed and hustles money by playing pool.
A recent study conducted in the US shows that antiretroviral drugs may take a toll on the brain. Researchers say that these medicines may cause forgetfulness, confusion and behavioural changes.

HIV Drugs Lead To Peptide Beta Amyloid, Often Linked With Alzheimers

University of Pennsylvania researchers were able to gather evidence to implicate that antiretroviral drugs may contribute to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). They suggested that certain protease inhibitors, among the most effective HIV drugs, lead to the production of the peptide beta amyloid, which is often linked to Alzheimer's disease.

According to Economic Times, these drugs prompt an increase in levels of the enzyme that cleaves the amyloid precursor protein, APP, to produce beta amyloid, which is responsible for the damage to neurons.

Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, professor at University of Pennsylvania, said: "Protease inhibitors are very effective antiviral therapies, but they do have inherent toxicities. Our findings may cause us to rethink how we're using these drugs and even consider developing an adjunctive therapy to reduce some of these negative effects."

Protease Inhibitors Are Widely Used In Africa

Out of the 34 million HIV-positive people worldwide, 69% live in sub-Saharan Africa. HIV drugs with protease inhibitors are widely used in the region.

It has already been reported in a previous study that protease inhibitors can have toxic effects on the central nervous system. They trigger the activation of stress-response pathways, including oxidative stress and a process called the unfolded-protein response, or UPR.

Meanwhile, another HIV treatment is also said to endanger the brain. The strategy, which is known as "shock and kill" works by using a so-called latency-reversing agents to wake up dormant viruses in the body, making them vulnerable to the patient's immune system. The idea is that this, in combination with antiretroviral medicines, would wipe out the majority of infected cells. According to a study, this treatment could cause brain inflammation.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) plans to kill one to two dozen mountain lions and black bears a year inorder to increase the mule-deer population in the north-western Piceance Basin over the next three years. This strategy would cost about $4.5 million.

Fewer Predators Equals More Fawns

The state's plan would include the US Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services to use hounds, nonlethal traps, and snares to catch 15 mountain lions and 25 bears from around the Arkansas River Valley. Some animals would be trapped together and would be relocated and others will be euthanized. CPW said that with fewer predators, more fawns will survive.

Commissioner Chris Castilian said: "We are trying to understand what contributes to it. Our main motivation is to get to the bottom of the deer declines we've seen.... Everybody is concerned about the mule deer population. We need to be very sensitive as stewards of that. More science is always better."

Activists Argue That Predators Are Already Too Few In Number

However, activist groups are not happy with this move to protect the mule-deer population at all. They argued that big predators like mountain lions and bears are too few in number and that their population may not be able to bounce back if so many are killed.

Colorado State University doubts CPW's move because just last year, about 34,000 mule deer were hunted and killed - legally. "We find it surprising that CPW's own research clearly indicated that the most likely limiting factors for mule deer are food limitation, habitat loss and human-induced disturbance - not predators," Colorado State biologists said in a letter.

Deer population in Colorado has fallen 110,000 short of the 560,000 deer that wildlife managers deem optimal, Denver Post said. CPW did not deny that a lot of factors cause the increase of deer deaths, but said that "Predator Control" is simply to test a hypothesis to see if it works.
AN ISLAND family is pleading with the government to change its mind after their future son-in-laws visa was rejected, meaning he cant spend Christmas with them.



Kevin Kouame, a 27-year-old student, is studying for a post-graduate degree in telecommunications at Beijing University.



He applied for a visa so he and his partner, Rebecca Grant, could spend Christmas with her family in Ryde, and hoped to spend a few days sight seeing in London.



The couple met in Beijing just over a year ago while Rebecca was teaching English at a Chinese school.



But their Christmas fairytale was ruined when Kevins application was rejected and he lost around 2,000 after booking non-refundable flights and insurance  something he had to show proof of in order to apply for the visa.



Originally from Ivory Coast, Kevin, who speaks English, French, and Chinese, had 3,500 in his bank account when applying for the visa.



Sue Grant, Kevins future mother-in-law, who teaches at the Islands Studio School, said Kevins visa was rejected as the government was not satisfied he had enough money to cover the cost of his stay without accessing public funds.



"He is not trying to be a benefits bum in Britain. He is not a migrant trying to come here. He is an educated and successful young man who simply wants to visit us for Christmas," Sue said.



"We were all so excited to have a proper family celebration and we want to meet this person who has taken our daughters heart and clearly makes her so happy.



"Kevin is highly educated and has travelled all over the world, so it seems ridiculous to be jumping through these hoops for a short visit to the Island.



"Kevins mother owns a cosmetic company and travels the world with her business, and she has supported him financially throughout his studies, so the idea that theres not enough money is ridiculous."



Kevin has re-applied for the visa and hopes to receive a decision on Friday.



A Home Office spokesperson said: "All applications are considered on their individual merits and in accordance with the immigration rules.



"The onus is on the individual to ensure their application is submitted with the necessary supporting evidence."



An online petition was set up by Sues former student, Amber Moram, in a bid to get the decision overturned.
"General Hospital" (GH) shows the drama and intensity of the problems that our cast is now encountering. Will they be able to overcome their problems and have a happy ending? Or is there another villain coming to add chaos to Port Charles?

Fans of "General Hospital" would just have to wait for more. As ABC executive Nathan Varni announced via Twitter that the show wont be airing on Friday but instead would be moved on Monday, December 19. He already gave a heads up for fans that GH will not show an encore on December 23, but a new episode to schedule their show back on track.

Blasting News speculations had surfaced, stating that the new Chinese mobsters in town would be the Chinese Triad with Brad Coopers mom involved! It was long hinted that Brads mom would be coming to Port. It would be a nice timing for his mom to arrive since fans arent seeing much of the gay couple Brad and Lucas since they got married.

Brads assumed biological mom was last seen in a mob meeting last September 2015. Where Michael showed up instead of wounded Sonny just shot by Paul. The Chinese woman was called Ms. Wu of the Triad. The history of the Wu Triad in Port Charles is with Mr. Wu with a plot involving Sean Donely, Anna Devane, and many others. Mr. Wu was jailed due to running drugs out of a local cannery.

In addition, Celebrity Laundry speculated that Ms. Wu might be dethroned for her mob power if a legitimate child was discovered so thats why she must have abandoned Brad. Her excuse would be of course protecting Brad of the mob danger if Brad one day finds out.

There are many facts that support this theory of an Asian Port Invasion, like the Chinese menu which Alexis handed Julian, a Chinese ship, Chinese red fabric, Chinese teapot and lastly, those Chinese bags.

This Asian Triad would then rival Jerome and Corinthos cartel with their mob plots to take over. Who knows, maybe this would also be a great opportunity to bring back Brad and Lucas to the scene.

Feel free to also check out "This is Us" writers work on "How I Met Your Mother" spin-off here at Jobs and Hire.
In the latest Facebook news, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and VP Adam Mosseri detailed how the social media platform can finally cut out all hoaxes and fake news on it. Apparently, this was prompted by Hillary Clinton's US Presidential bid failure. To answer the growing problem, Facebook users can now also lend a hand on the going measures.



According to The Wall Street Journal, the recent move of Facebook is a response to Hillary Clinton's call for the last election fake news. Supposedly, the bogus news made people chose Trump over her, and it hugely impacted on his winning.



The fabricated articles weren't proven yet as the reason for Clinton's fall. Although, there's a huge chance that news like "The Pope Endorsed Donald Trump" may have swayed a large number of voters.



In answer, Facebook arranged a full battle on the so called- phony news with the help of its million users around the world. Remarkably, it is an ongoing trial still but the developers are seriously doing their best.



"We're testing several ways to make it easier to report a hoax if you see one on Facebook, which you can do by clicking the upper right-hand corner of a post. We've relied heavily on our community for help on this issue, and this can help us detect more fake news." Game & Guide quotes Mosseri. Notably, the social media user will be the front liners in the battle for fake news elimination.



How does it work? Facebook users will need to flag out the suspected news, then "Associated Press, ABC News, PolitiFact or others." will check the report. As soon as, it is really found to be bogus, it will be buried deep down the new feed.



In all, Facebook fake news battle will be an ongoing measures and the result isn't yet to be seen. For more latest news and updates, stay tuned in Jobs & Hire.
A national report on teen smoking patterns, released last week, shows traditional cigarette smoking dropping again to a historic low.

The 2016 version of the Monitoring the Future study by the University of Michigan also determined that electronic cigarettes and vaporizer use among teens dropped slightly after surging in 2014 and 2015.

Researchers surveyed between 40,000 and 50,000 eighth- 10th- and 12th-grade students in about 400 secondary schools. It measured use of tobacco products of at least once in a 30-day period. The breakdown was 10.5 percent of 12th-graders, down from 11.4 percent in 2015, and 4.9 percent of 10th-graders, down from 6.3 percent. Eighth-grade tobacco use was minimal.

Since the peak year in 1997 (of 70 percent), the proportion of students currently smoking has dropped by more than 75 percent  an extremely important development for the health and longevity of this generation of Americans, said Lloyd Johnston, the studys principal investigator.

As for e-cigs and vaporizers, the breakdown was 13 percent of 12th-graders, down from 16 percent, and 11 percent of 10th graders, down from 14 percent.

Researchers have expressed concern that electronic cigarettes are gaining popularity for experimentation.

With e-cigs and vaping becoming a more popular choice over traditional cigarettes for a third consecutive year, researchers chose to put their focus on those products.

Whether adolescent vaping has peaked or only paused is something we will be able to determine in the coming years, said Richard Miech, a senior investigator with the project.

In the past, we have seen new drugs follow a pattern in which use increases at a fast pace during a honeymoon period, and then reverses course and declines as knowledge of the substances drawbacks becomes known, Miech said.

David Sweanor, an adjunct law professor at the University of Ottawa and the author of a recent e-cig study, said he was encouraged that youth consumption of tobacco products was down overall.

This is of greatest importance with respect to smoking, by far the most hazardous products, Sweanor said.

It also reinforces the view that the fear-mongering about vaping leading to cigarette smoking lacks any credible evidence. he said. The safer and less expensive products speed the demise of the more hazardous and more costly alternatives.

Dr. John Spangler, a professor of family and community medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, said the overall youth smoking and vaping decline came in spite of the General Assembly providing limited funding for stop-smoking and tobacco-prevention programs.

We must keep the smoking trend downward, Spangler said. We cannot relax thinking we have overcome tobacco use among youth or adults, whether in North Carolina or the U.S.

Confusion on e-cigs

The Michigan report was issued Tuesday, five days after Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, sounded an alarm about e-cigs by saying theres no safe use of the products for people younger than 25.

However, its unclear whether the report will lead to increased support for tighter regulatory standards or persuade a Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration to back away from plans to repeal some of those regulations.

There is confusion around e-cigs and youths; are they safe to use? Murthy said in a presentation Dec. 8. We know enough right now to say that youth and young adults should not be using e-cigarettes or any other tobacco product, for that matter. Electronic cigarettes place a whole new generation at risk for nicotine addiction.

There does not appear to be much disagreement with the FDA rule that prohibits the sale of e-cigs and vaporizers to people under age 18. That rule, and several other sales and marketing restrictions on innovative tobacco products, took effect Aug. 8.

On June 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said high school students use of traditional and e-cigs continued to go in opposite directions in 2015. it reported that traditional cigarette smoking dropped to a record low of 10.8 percent, down from 12.7 percent in 2013, according to the CDCs biannual National Youth Tobacco Survey.

However, smoking of e-cigs, vaporizers, hookahs and e-cigars jumped from 4.5 percent to 24 percent. The 2015 survey was the first to put e-cigs in a separate category and not in the smokeless-tobacco category.

Miech said adolescents expressed a slightly greater concern about the potential harm from using e-cigs and vaporizers than they did in 2015.

Vaping may lead to friendship networks that encourage vapers to smoke, he said. Also, vapers may come to believe the dangers of smoking are exaggerated if they do not experience any immediate health consequences from vaping.

Murthy acknowledged that his report doesnt aim to resolve the bigger public-health questions of whether e-cigs and vaporizers offer smokers  particularly adults  a reduced-risk alternative to traditional cigarettes, or should they be regulated similarly to traditional cigarettes.

Murthy has said that e-cig technology should be embraced if evidence shows it can help smokers who otherwise have trouble quitting their habit.

Some studies, including one by the Royal College of Physicians, have claimed e-cigs and vaporizers are up to 95 percent less harmful than traditional cigarettes. The Royal Colleges study on traditional cigarettes played a key role in the landmark 1964 surgeon generals determination on the harmful effects of smoking.

Anti-tobacco advocates hope Murthys report will be viewed as the definitive public-health study that the industry, scientists, advocates and elected officials have sought since e-cigs and vaporizers became a mainstream product in the past six years.

E-cigarettes pose a serious threat to the health of kids and young adults, and we should be doing everything we can to prevent young people from using these products, Matt Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said about the Michigan study. It is too soon to know whether the reported decline is a long-term trend. Sweanor said that if the anti-tobacco groups would work with the market, the science and consumers rather than fight these forces, we could really accelerate the transition to a much healthier future.
I recently interviewed Harvard political theorist Danielle Allen about the Declaration of Independence. She shared with me one of the underreported aspects of the nations founding: The establishment of governing came before the revolution.

Before the Boston Tea Party, Lexington or the Declaration of Independence, states were drafting constitutions, putting in place structures for governing. Borrowing from the line made famous by the late Stokely Carmichael, the Founders were ready for revolution.

Since then, presidential elections have been a referendum on the previous four years. Each time America elects a president for the first time, it marks the ultimate gamble  a decision based largely on the previous four years in order to determine the next four years. Thus, the American people dont know what they have until they get it.

When President-elect Trump takes the oath of office as the nations 45th president, this may mark the first time in recent memory that at least half of the nation will be entrenched in the belief that he is not their president.

They will undoubtedly cite his high negatives, his less than orthodox campaign style that would have eliminated all of his predecessors had they conducted a portion of his behavior; not to mention that Hillary Clinton amassed some 2.5 million more popular votes.

The aforementioned may certainly delegitimize Trump in the minds of many, but is it in the best interest of the nation? I do not profess to have a definitive answer for my rhetorical question.

The mystery involving a new president is magnified by the emergence of Trump. He has already made statements as president-elect that were unprecedented.

Never before has there been an attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the Central Intelligence Agency before taking office. The president-elect was dismissive last week of a CIA report that Russian operatives had intervened in the U.S. presidential election to help him win. Trump appeared more committed to discrediting the report than exemplifying concern commensurate with the CIA findings. But then again, he doesnt read their stuff.

In an interview on Fox News last Sunday, Trump was asked about reports that he is getting the presidential daily intelligence briefing only about once a week rather than every day.

He stated: I get it when I need it. These are very good people that are giving me the briefings ... You know, Im, like, a smart person. I dont have to be told the same thing in the same words every single day for the next eight years ... I dont need that. But I do say, If something should change, let us know.

Trump also stated in that Fox News interview that the 17 intelligence agencies that compiled the evidence prior to the election have no idea as to the origins of the hacking.

Before you run to your computer preparing your reflexive polemic in response, Im not suggesting that the Russians cost Hillary Clinton the election. Rather this is a moment for collective condemnation and concern, and the president-elect is more concerned with proving the CIA wrong than uncovering if a foreign government is trying to influence our elections.

How long can the president-elect continue his high wire act without a net? He has, in effect, sided with Vladimir Putin over the countrys intelligence agency, nominated the Kremlin-friendly ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, and has been allowed to be less than forthcoming with his finances. None of this does a conspiracy make, but weve never seen this movie before.

The president-elect currently enjoys, at best, a quasi-Teflon coating. According to a recent Pew Research Center poll that concluded Dec. 5, his unfavorable rating is 58 percent.

Maybe the president-elect has already done away with the traditional metrics used for determining presidential leadership. Maybe its those of us in the chattering class decrying, Crown me while the president-elect is confidently saying, Check!

Is this the new era of American politics? What does it say about we the people?

Its not enough to offer that its just words and Trump doesnt really mean what he says, especially the really inflammatory stuff. The problem with that retort is that it ignores that words are the only way one can lead in excess of 300 million people. The president does not have the luxury to offer pointless or insincere statements.

It may be true that the American people dont know what they have until they get a new president. Whatever it is that well have on Jan. 20, 2017, I dont think well have seen this before  ever.
RALEIGH  When the 115th Congress convenes in early January, North Carolinas delegation is poised to play a prominent role in charting a post-Obama course on a host of policy issues.

As Ive previously noted, Sen. Richard Burr will begin the 2017 session as chairman of the Intelligence Committee and as a primary sponsor of the Senates Obamacare replacement. But other North Carolina Republicans are moving to the forefront, as well.

A top priority for Congress and the incoming Trump administration will be tax reform. There is broad agreement about the overall direction to go  lower marginal tax rates, fewer special breaks and a more pro-investment tax code  but significant disagreement on details. Fundamental tax reform is easy to talk about in the abstract but difficult to implement in practice.

It has been the states, not the federal government, that have enacted broad-based tax reform in recent years. Our own North Carolina passed one of the most successful ones. One of the leaders who made it happen, former N.C. House Speaker Thom Tillis, now serves in the U.S. Senate. His colleagues will benefit from his experience.

Over in the U.S. House, two caucuses of Republicans will have a lot to say about tax and budget issues. One of them, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), was founded in the 1970s by conservative Hill staffers who also founded a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, that same year. The founding chairman of the RSC was the late Phil Crane, himself a prominent tax reformer.

Over the years, RSC chairs have included vice president-elect Mike Pence and former North Carolina Rep. Sue Myrick (whose son, Dan Forest, is North Carolinas lieutenant governor). In the 115th Congress, the RSC will be chaired by another North Carolinian, Mark Walker of the 6th district.

Last year, dissident members of the RSC split off to form their own group, the House Freedom Caucus. They believed that the current GOP leadership in the chamber was too willing to compromise core principles and too unwilling to challenge President Obama. During 2015 and 2016, dozens of other members joined the Freedom Caucus. In the 115th Congress, it will be chaired by yet another North Carolinian, Mark Meadows of the 11th district.

Within the formal leadership of the Republicans in the House, Pat McHenry of the 10th district serves as the chief deputy whip, which means he is a critical link in the chain that leads to bills passing the House. McHenry is expected to make a play soon for a top leadership post. Another GOP congressman from North Carolina, Richard Hudson of the 8th district, is widely seen as a potential candidate for statewide office.

Virginia Foxx, who represents the 5th district and previously served in the state Senate, has already served in leadership as secretary of the House Republican Conference. In the coming 115th Congress, shell chair the Houses education committee  a very important post from which she will influence federal policy on elementary and secondary schools, universities and job training.

In the minority party, longtime congressman David Price of the 4th district is the key North Carolinian to watch. He serves as ranking member on the House Appropriation Committees subcommittee that covers transportation and housing. If there is any bipartisan push on infrastructure or devolving federal programs to the states in 2017, Prices subcommittee will likely be involved.

North Carolinians have played key roles in the nations capital before. Our longest-serving congressman, Alleghany Countys Robert Doughton, spent 42 years in office, chaired the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and helped shepherd through the Social Security Act of 1935. More recently, Jesse Helms spent 30 years in the U.S. Senate and chaired its Foreign Relations Committee.

Whats different now is that seniority isnt the only pathway to influence in Washington. The two Marks, Walker and Meadows, exemplify this development. Allied with outside groups and new media, recently elected members can have strong voices. Well be hearing a lot from them in the coming months and years.
Karen Pirie, a detective chief inspector, has always been a workaholic. But now immersion in her work doesnt just give her life structure, it also has become a kind of comfort that allows her to deal with grief in Out of Bounds, Val McDermids latest exciting novel about this Scottish police detective.

Pirie, now head of Police Scotlands small Historic Cases Unit in Edinburgh, tackles a decades-old murder after 17-year-old Ross Garvie goes on a high-speed ride with three of his friends. A horrific crash results in the death of the three drunken teens and leaves Garvie in a coma.

Karen and her partner Jason Murray become involved when Garvies DNA is shown to be a familial match to that of a Glasgow hairdresser whose rape and murder has gone unsolved for years. But maneuvering the Scottish legal system to track down Garvies male relatives is fraught with complications.

Another case also occupies Karens time  the alleged suicide of Gabriel Abbott, who lived in Kinross. The Abbott case isnt Karens, but she becomes nearly obsessed with finding out if his death was linked to the death of his mother, who was killed in a plane crash decades earlier.

The caseloads help distract Karen from her grief over the death of Phil Parhatka, a fellow detective who was killed in the line of duty. She loved Phil and longs to discuss every investigation, twist and theory with him.

When not at work, she drinks and walks the streets and neighborhoods of Edinburgh at night to ease her insomnia.

Karen is easily the smartest person in the room. She often infuriates her bosses, who grudgingly acknowledge that her insight and intelligence gets the job done.

McDermid balances the intense character studies in Out of Bounds with an inside view of the Scottish legal system and again shows her acuity in producing intelligent thrillers.
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By Sarah Aziza | ( Waging Nonviolence) |  

With just over a month to go before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Muslim activists are working to block the president-elects long-standing pledge to crack down on their community. Trump has proposed banning Muslims from entering the United States, voiced his support for the surveillance of mosques and has indicated he will create a nationwide registry of Muslim individuals. Last Monday, 200 Muslims and allies in Washington, D.C. marched from the Department of Justice to the White House, bearing signs reading No Muslim Registry, Not Now, Not Ever and End the War on Islam, while chanting we wanna live safe, we wanna live free, we dont want no registry.

Mondays gathering voiced a specific demand that is now endorsed by a coalition of grassroots organizations and 130,000 signatories: They want President Obama to permanently shut down the George W. Bush-era National Security Entry-Exit Registration System, or NSEERS. Created in 2002 in response to 9/11, NSEERS was used to target Muslims and Arabs for surveillance and detention. It ran until 2011, but was harshly criticized by many for being both discriminatory and ineffective. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversaw NSEERS, brought a total of 93,000 cases but failed to reach a single terrorism conviction.

Many who have been impacted by NSEERS are afraid to come forward about their experiences. Move On Campaign Manager Iram Ali shared one story on behalf of a woman whose family was impacted by the NSEERS registry: My family was abused and humiliated. We were put into deportation proceedings, and later my home was raided by immigration authorities, who took me, my husband and my daughter into detention even though we had a pending asylum claim. My daughter and I were detained for 11 days, and my husband was detained for six months.

After the program was suspended, many were still worried that it could provide a template for future targeting of Muslims, Arabs and those associated with these communities. Since the election, Trump has met with Kris Kobach, one of the architects of NSEERS. On November 20, Kobach, in a meeting with Trump, brought a document that  according to a leaked photo  appeared to be a proposal to [u]pdate and reintroduce NSEERS.

Ali says theres no time to waste. Its so important for President Obama to shut [NSEERS] down now, because it will give us an upper hand going into the next administration. Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block of Bend The Arc, a Jewish social justice organization, underscored the importance of the strategy by saying, We have very specific things we need to do right now to dismantle [NSEERS] and prevent it from being amped up.

Organizers are also calling on the tech sector to take a stand. A coalition of organizers issued a call to major tech and social media companies to ensure their resources are not used to support bigotry and discrimination. While most companies have declined to take a definitive stand, Twitter has pledged to abstain from any creation of a Muslim registry. Leaders of the companies, including Facebook, Google and IBM are reported to be meeting with Trump in New York today. At the same time, scores of employees at major tech companies, including Google, IBM and Slack have pledged their personal refusal to help build any future registry. Online, supporters are using the #NoMuslimRegistry hashtag to register their own rejection of the proposed database.

Sarah Aziza is an Arab-American writer, graduate student and activist based in NYC. She has previously worked among refugee populations in North Africa, Jordan and the West Bank. Her areas of focus include immigration, human rights, international politics, feminism and mental health. She is a lover of the story-less-told. Find her on Twitter @SarahAziza1 or www.sarahaziza.com

Via Waging Nonviolence



Related video added by Juan Cole:

AFP: Rally in support of Muslims in Washington
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By Oscar Tomasi Pancorbo | EFEAgro | Euractiv

Concepts like 100% local and zero kilometer products are now on an upward trend in Spain and are forcing the food industry to rethink how it does business. EurActivs partner EFEAgro reports.

Beyond the usual advertising messages, sector and consumer association representatives admit it is not easy to bring together local producers and industries, except for those involved in the primary sector.

Why? Because the most readily available products, in terms of proximity, are not always the cheapest. And because production depends on seasonal foods, meaning regional produce is not always easy to come by.

INFOGRAPHIC: Organic farming in the EU

Today, organic farming plays an increasingly bigger role on the worlds agricultural stage.

In the European Union, the use of organic agricultural land has almost doubled in recent years.

Seasonal raw materials

Catalan company Casa Amella has been promoted as an example worth following. Its founder, Daniel Amella, told EFEAgro that everything we sell has zero preservatives, zero additives; our raw materials are seasonal.

He explained that At the moment, we arent making vegetable or leek soup because, quite simply, they arent growing in the fields. We dont bring in greenhouse vegetables All that is sold is what remains in the shop.

The vast majority of his suppliers are to be found in the Bages region, near Barcelona, a few kilometres from the production facility, which is in the Artes municipality. The only exception? Lentils and other legumes are brought in from Castilla y Leon, thanks to a trusted farmer.

They sell everything from oil and pasta to soups and hamburgers, and in 2017, will set up a factory dedicated solely to the production of juices.

We believe that if its possible to buy stuff from down the road, it is ultimately better than having to buy from the opposite corner of the world, Amella concluded.

The project has gone from strength to strength and the company will close 2016 with a turnover of 2.5 million, a 25% increase on last year.

Our facilities are vegan-friendly, as we dont use any animal products. They are sustainable too; we care about the environment. All the lights are LED and we use materials like wood, clay, and metal, the founder added.

Critics argue it is just a fad, but Amella highlighted the importance of consumers valuing the final product and understanding why the sale price is much higher than many competitors.

Going 100% local is more popular with those who are interested in the primary sector and many engaged with it decide to set up their own production facilities, so they can control the whole process.

Organic farmers could feed the world

Organic farming could provide ample food for the whole human population, while causing less pollution and fewer health problems than conventional agriculture, according to a team of American scientists. Our partner Journal de lEnvironnement reports.

EurActiv.com

Organic yogurt and milk

Another example is Galician enterprise Casa Grande de Xanceda, whose organic yogurt brand has grown strongly and is carving out its own niche.

Owning a farm with 400 cows, the company is thinking about signing agreements with local farmers in order to grow the outfit even more.

We wanted to free ourselves from dependence on the dairy sector with whom we could not negotiate. The initial objective was to get to using 100% milk from our own cows. At first, there was a lot of waste, but technology and our own approach has allowed us to meet this goal, said the firms spokesperson, Jessica Rey.

The company has prioritised brokering agreements with local suppliers, not just in terms of food supply, but also in issues to do with maintaining facilities and animal welfare.

Going for local producers has its own advantages. Transportation is easier, we have more contact with the supplier and can even share calendars and schedules, Rey added.

Casa Grande de Xanceda has doubled its production in just four years, from 10,000 units to 20,000.

At the other end of Spain, in Andalucia, an initiative has sprung up that brings together local producers of gourmet products, so that they can easily sell their wares online.

The enterprise, based in Huelva, ranges from oils produced by cooperatives to mushrooms, and honey, to name just a few products.

Added value through geographical proximity has made its way into another area, including collective catering. Fundacion Fuhem is working with schools so that their kitchens are able to offer organic, seasonal food, provided by local suppliers.

Debate: The future of organic agriculture in the EU

Organic plays an increasing role in EU agriculture. Theres also an ongoing trialogue negotiation on organic regulation review among the Parliament, Commission and the Member States.

This article is part of a special report series: Agriculture: Towards more efficient resource allocation

Oscar Tomasi Pancorbo | EFEAgro | Euractiv



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Mayo Clinic: Mayo Clinic Minute: Benefits of eating local
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By Ibrahim Saleh | (Baghdad) | Niqash.org |  

Although many Sunni politicians tried to block the passage of a November law that legitimized Iraqs Shiite volunteer militias, some did not. They want the 30,000 or so Sunni volunteer fighters to get their share too.

In late November, the Iraqi government passed the controversial law that legitimises the countrys Shiite Muslim volunteer militias. The militias, formed by volunteers who chose to fight the extremist group known as the Islamic State, have been both critical to the success of the fight and controversial, accused of meting out revenge and carrying out extrajudicial killings, arrests and other punishments. The new law will see the militias get a regular salary from the Iraqi government, get similar benefits to those serving in the regular armed forces and be supervised by a new, special body.

The session during which the law was passed by the Shiite Muslim majority government was boycotted by a number of Sunni Muslim MPs. And afterwards some of those said that the passing of the law reflected how the Shiite Muslim majority was acting like a dictatorship.

These voices came from inside the Sunni-majority Iraqi National Forces Alliance and they objected to both the law and the way it was passed. They say that the timing could have been better  if the government waited until the extremist Islamic State, or IS, group had been completely pushed out of Iraq, then all relevant parties could have had their say. The Iraqi National Forces Alliance also objected to the law because it goes against the principle of having national security organisations made up of the different components of Iraqi society  for example, both Shiite and Sunni and also Kurdish.

The now-official Sunni volunteer militias could chip away at the Sunni politicians voting base.

Although those seem like fairly good reasons for the Sunni-majority political bloc to reject the law, there are some other possible, less overt motivations for their arguments.

For one thing, the Iraqi National Forces Alliance considers itself the only political representative of the countrys Sunni Muslims, who are generally estimated to make up around 40 percent of the total number of Muslims in the country (including Kurdish Sunnis). But the new law recognizes another representative group of Sunni Muslims: Those who volunteered to fight the IS group. The Sunni volunteer militias tended to be tribal in nature, with their clans having come out against the IS group. Some of these joined the larger group of Shiite Muslim volunteer militias in the fighting.

These Sunni Muslim volunteer militias would be able to introduce themselves the most genuine representatives of Iraqs Sunnis. The militias law, which recognizes them as a legal entity, not just a volunteers, gives them even more legitimacy to compete in local elections. Which in turn would allow them to chip away at the Iraqi National Forces voting base.

The Iraqi National Forces are not united in their rejection either. Some of their MPs actually voted in favour of the law; often these were MPs who never objected to the Sunni Muslim volunteer militias joining the much larger Shiite Muslim force in the first place. Official numbers now estimate that the total number of volunteers who had assembled to fight the IS group now number around 140,000. It is thought that about 30,000 of these are Sunni Muslims; the rest are Shiite Muslims.

A number of the Sunni MPs agreed with the law because they like the fact that it makes guarantees for the sons of the people who vote for them, argues Haider al-Mawla, a Shiite Muslim politician.

And it is clear why the Shiite Muslim-run National Alliance, which gathers together Shiite Muslim parties in Iraqs Parliament and should not be confused with the Sunni-led National Forces Alliance, wanted the law passed. It has also made promises to those who voted for it and those whose male relatives may have volunteered for the Shiite Muslim militias, to fight the IS group.

In doing so, the Shiite Muslim politicians have, in some ways, driven yet another wedge between themselves and their Sunni Muslim counterparts in politics. However it is also becoming clear that their losses in one area will be replaced by gains in another: In Iraqs upcoming provincial elections, slated to be held in 2017, new and powerful parties with links to the tribal and volunteer militias will doubtless emerge  and they will owe a debt of gratitude to the current government for their ongoing existence.

Via Niqash.org



Related video added by Juan Cole:

AP:  Sunni militia claims major gains over IS in Iraq
The US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit [official website] affirmed [opinion, PDF] a lower court decision on Friday, requiring the state of Michigan to provide bottled water to the citizens of Flint. The court affirmed a ruling that required the state of Michigan to provide water to households without water filters. Michigan attempted to stay the order, citing evidence of extreme cost to the government. The state contends that as of now 96 percent of households already possess a functioning water filter. The court said that the state still has funds from the 212 million dollars that the state had allocated in response to the Flint water crisis. The court found that the state will not suffer irreparable harm by fulfilling the court order. In the absence of this injunction, it is unclear how the State Defendants plan to ensure that every resident in Flint has safe drinking water. The court said that a stay of the injunction goes against the public interest of providing safe drinking water to all citizens.

Multiple lawsuits have occurred as a result of the Flint water crisis. Last month a federal judge ordered [JURIST report] the city of Flint to deliver bottled water to residents, which led to the response from the appeal. In May the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [official website] filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against Michigan officials in federal court over charges of gross negligence and outrageous conduct. A month prior a group of concerned citizens filed a suit [JURIST report] against the Environmental Protection Agency over its response, or lack thereof, in relation to the water crisis plaguing the citizens of Flint. In April a Michigan prosecutor announced that a judge would allow criminal charges [JURIST report] be brought against three people involved with the water crisis, including a supervisor of the treatment plant and two government officials.
North Carolinas Republican Governor Patrick McCrory [official website] signed into law Senate Bill 4 [PDF] Friday, which restricts the powers of the incoming governor Democrat Roy Cooper [official website], who was also the states Attorney General until he was elected. The North Carolina General Assembly [official website] also passed House Bill 17 [text], yet to be signed by McCrory, which further restricts the incoming governors powers. Specifically, Senate Bill 4 eliminates the governors control over the State Board of Elections [official website] by reducing the number of members from the governors party on the board from three out of a total of five to two out of a total of four. Senate Bill 4 also requires the party affiliations of judicial candidates to be printed on ballots and further increases the power of North Carolinas appellate courts. House Bill 17, if signed, would require Coopers cabinet secretaries to be confirmed by the Senate, reduce the number of administrative positions in the executive branch, strip the governor of his powers to appoint trustees at the University of North Carolina and some of his powers to oversee schools in the state. McRory lost to Cooper in the November elections but refused to concede victory [NPR report] until a recount proved that he lost by more than 10,000 votes. Stating that these bills will have a significant impact on education, tax policy and health care, Cooper said: [t]hey knew for weeks what they were going to do and they didnt tell the public. Thats wrong. They need to put these issues out on the table so that the people know about them so that theres time to debate them. Many protesters gathered outside the North Carolina legislative assembly to voice their opposition against the bill, and more than 50 have been arrested during demonstrations.

Last week the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments [JURIST report] in racial gerrymandering cases involving North Carolina and Virginia. In the North Carolina case, it was alleged that two congressional districts, NC-1 and NC-12, were packed with African-Americans in order to lessen their voting power in other districts. Earlier this month Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) [advocacy websites] and other womens groups filed suits [JURIST report] challenging abortion laws in North Carolina, Alaska and Missouri. The challenged law in North Carolina is one that prevents doctors from performing abortions after the twentieth week of pregnancy. Last month the North Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [advocacy website] filed a federal lawsuit [JURIST report] challenging North Carolinas sudden cancellation of voter registrations across three counties. The voter removals, executed by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, were the result of third party challenges to an estimated 4,500 voters who had mailings returned as undeliverable. In September the North Carolina Court of Appeals affirmed [JURIST report] a lower courts dismissal of a claim by two former magistrates that their rights were violated by 2014 guidance memos from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) [official website] that said they could be fired if they refused to perform same-sex marriages. In September the rights coalition North Carolinians for Privacy dropped their case against the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] challenging the federal governments restroom access policy after a federal district court judge ruled [JURIST report] the previous month that North Carolinas House Bill No. 2 (HB2) [PDF], dubbed as the bathroom bill, violated Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 [text].
The Thailand Parliament [official website, in Thai] unanimously approved a controversial amendment [text] to its Computer Crime Act of 2007 (CCA) [text, PDF] on Friday, which rights groups fear will give the government unrestricted power to police the web and suppress criticism. The amendment, which is being criticized as leading to more extensive online monitoring by the government and an arbitrary invasion of privacy, would enable the government to obtain user and traffic data from Internet service providers (ISPs) without court approval. One of the most controversial changes [Phys.Org report] in the CCA is the establishment of a five-person committee that can seek court approval to remove online content offending the countrys public morals. According to Arthit Suriyawongkul of the Thai Netizen Network [advocacy website, in Thai], the term public morals is not written in any law.  Its going to be very difficult for people to know what they can and cannot say. It could also be very inconsistent from one government to another. The Thai Netizen Network also stated that the amendment subjects citizens to five years imprisonment for entering false information into a computer system that jeopardises national security, public safety, national economic stability or public infrastructure, or causes panic. According to Yingcheep Atchanont of the legal monitoring group iLaw [advocacy website, in Thai],[b]locking websites and persecuting critics  will make us unable to criticize the government at all. The Thai Netizen Network led an online petition protesting the amendment that garnered more than 360,000 signatures. It was handed to the parliament on Thursday. However, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha [BBC profile] has defended the amendment [Reuters report], dismissing suggestions that it violates civil rights. The amendment will be submitted shortly to King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal endorsement.

Human rights groups worldwide have expressed growing concern over violations in Thailand since the military junta came to power in May 2014. In September Thailands Bangkok South Criminal Court found [JURIST report] British labor rights activist Andy Hall guilty of criminal defamation and violating cyber crime laws. The charges came about after Hall published Cheap Has a High Price [Finnwatch report, PDF], a report on labor abuse in the fruit canning sector. About a week earlier the same month Thailands military government announced [JURIST report] that it will prosecute cases concerning national security and royal insult in civilian courts, as opposed to military courts where the cases have been tried since 2014. In August Thailand passed a new constitution [JURIST report] by referendum vote. The constitution was drafted by a military-appointed counsel and is feared to be another step in entrenching military control of the nation. Thai military officials in July charged [JURIST report] three human rights defenders with criminal defamation and violations of the CCA because of a report they published detailing acts of torture in Thailand. In April Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] urged [JURIST report] Thailand to stop harassing and charging human right lawyers for defending victims of the governments abuses, and to revoke military police powers.
YEREVAN, DECEMBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Pope Francis had a breakfast with 8 homeless people on his birthday. Armenpress reports 6 of the invited were man, 2 were women.

Vaticans press service informed four Italians, two Romanians, a Moldovan and a Peruvian were the homeless guests. Pope Francis shared with them traditional Argentinian cakes before heading to Mass. The Pontiff received 3 bunches of sunflowers from them as a birthday gift.
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A guest column by the American College of Physicians, exclusive to KevinMD.com.

When the Trump Administration takes office, health reform as we now know it will not go away, but it will take a different form. I dont think the changes will be as easy as opponents of the Affordable Care Act make them appear to be. It wont be as simple as tearing down a building and constructing anew. If anything, its more likely to resemble an implosion that didnt go so well, with parts of the structure, such as guaranteed issue and coverage of dependents to age 26, defying the explosives.

Professional societies have already positioned themselves to work with the new leadership. Soon after the election, the American College of Physicians (ACP) President, Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP, sent an all member email outlining ACPs plans to move ahead on its policy objectives. Other medical organizations did the same. All of these statements speak in broad terms about covering as many persons as possible (and no fewer than before the ACA), addressing financial barriers to health care, and protecting patients.

We can only speculate about the impact on physician practices of the changes that the new President and Congress will make. Practices will be affected differently, depending on their patient mix, size, location, and how deep into payment reform theyve already gotten. Some practices, such as mine, are all in, others are participating only enough to not fall behind, while others refuse to take any part in any of the initiatives, preferring to suffer the penalties and hoping that the changes will go away.

That last group might get its wish.

My biggest fear is that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will be modified in ways that makes it less effective, or be eliminated altogether. It is through CMMI that our practice is a Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) accountable care organization (ACO). The ACO program has made it possible for us to improve the quality of the care that we provide to our patients while saving Medicare millions of dollars. Rather than taking the money and running, we use some of the shared savings to build infrastructure, such as creating a diabetic management program to support our diabetic patients. In addition, some of the shared savings have gone towards increasing compensation to our physicians, most of who specialize in primary care.

Critics of CMMI dont like its ability to spend money without having to ask Congress for permission. I would argue that this freedom is the reason so much has been accomplished in a relatively short time, by Washington standards. While not every one of CMMIs efforts has generated savings, there have enough successes, especially among physician-run groups, and lessons learned to justify continuing CMMI and not get in the way of its work.

I worry that proposed alternatives to parts of the ACA will not move us forward, and might even set us back. People blame the ACA for high-deductibles, but these existed long before the ACA. Repealing the ACA will not make high deductibles go away. Health savings accounts (HSA) are mentioned as a replacement option. From my perspective, HSAs and similar accounts havent achieved their goal of increasing patient choice, since patients lack access to price information to inform their decisions, the urgency of many health-related decisions leaves little time to comparison shop, and patients seem reluctant to spend the money in their accounts.

The theory is that given the freedom to do so, patients will approach health care purchases the way people buy automobile tires, where knowing that they will need a new set, they research the best price for the tires and installation and go wherever they can get the best deal. Most health care decisions are more like when you break a fan belt in the middle of nowhere on the way to the family Christmas dinner. Your car gets towed to the only shop in town, and you pay whatever the mechanic charges for the repair, because you dont have time to see whats available in the next town and cant afford to tow your car there anyway.

While the ACA has increased the number of patients with high-deductible plans, the reality is that at least those patients are now in my office so we can discuss their treatment options, where before, patients would not seek care at all because they had no insurance.

Then theres the ever-popular idea of selling health insurance across state lines. Rarely does that pitch include a discussion of a regulatory framework to protect patients and physicians. If my patient in Rhode Island is insured by a plan based in Oklahoma and there is a dispute regarding coverage of a procedure, which state has jurisdiction? To whom to I appeal: my states Health Insurance Commissioner or the Oklahoma authorities, who have no obligation to a Rhode Island patient or physician? To those that invoke the free market, and argue that a patient unhappy with this situation can always take their business elsewhere, I give you my broken fan belt example.

While I am concerned about what President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress might change, I agree that the status quo is far from ideal. The individual mandate is not increasing the pool of insureds to spread the risk and control premiums. Drug prices are untouched. The cost of care remains a black box. The ACA needs improvement  but lets not implode it.

Yul Ejnes is an internal medicine physician and a past chair, board of regents, American College of Physicians. His statements do not necessarily reflect official policies of ACP.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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ABUJA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - A West African bloc called on Nigeria and other countries to undergo "necessary structural reforms" to improve their economies, as a collapse in oil and commodity prices continues to cripple economic growth.

Nigeria and other member countries should "take appropriate economic and financial stimulus measures in order to be less vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations and improve their economies' resilience to exogenous shocks," said the Economic Community of West African States, meeting in the Nigerian capital on Saturday.

Nigeria, which depends on oil for roughly 70 percent of government revenues, entered its first recession in a quarter of a century this year, as crude prices slumped.

(Reporting by Paul Carsten and Ulf Laessing; Editing by Catherine Evans)
* Petrochemical sector pulls Saudi up

* Shipper Bahri gains on cash dividend

* Dubai near flat; lowest volume in five weeks

* Blue chips support Abu Dhabi

* Egypt up but Qalaa Holdings slips on wider Q3 net loss

By Celine Aswad

DUBAI, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Stock markets in the Gulf posted small gains on Sunday after crude oil prices climbed back towards 17-month highs at the end of last week, but trading volumes shrank across the region. Foreign buyers continued to bid up shares in Egypt.

Brent futures rose 2.2 percent to settle at $55.21 a barrel on Friday after Goldman Sachs boosted its price forecast for 2017 and producers showed signs of adhering to a global deal to reduce output.

Saudi Arabian petrochemical shares were bid up on Sunday with all 14 listed producers advancing, pulling the main Saudi stock index 0.7 percent higher. Mid-sized producer Sahara Petrochemical was the top performer, jumping 7.1 percent.

Saudi Cable Co rose 2.5 percent after saying its Turkish subsidiary had won a $50 million order, with the financial impact to start appearing by the end of the second quarter next year.

Commodities transportation company National Shipping Co (Bahri) climbed 1.5 percent after it announced its board had proposed a cash dividend of 2.5 riyals per share for 2016, in line with 2015. Its dividend yield is at 6.0 percent, according to Thomson Reuters data. Dubai's main index closed almost flat as trading volume fell to the lowest in five weeks, suggesting that many institutional traders, which played a major role last week, were largely absent on Sunday.

Emaar Malls Group rebounded 2.7 percent but builder Drake & Scull , the most heavily traded share, slipped 0.4 percent.

Blue chips helped carry Abu Dhabi's index 0.8 percent higher. Dana Gas rose 1.9 percent and First Gulf Bank climbed 2.0 percent.

Stock markets in Bahrain and Qatar were closed for national holidays.

EGYPT UP

Cairo's main index rose 0.6 percent to 11,398 points, but trading volume was the lowest since the central bank floated the Egyptian pound on Nov. 3, triggering a bull market.

Foreign investors remained net buyers of Egyptian shares by a small margin, continuing a trend which began with the currency float, bourse data showed.

Orascom Telecom , the most heavily traded share, added 2.6 percent and Ezz Steel jumped 10 percent. Ezz reported sharply higher third-quarter sales at the end of last week, though it continued to make a loss.

But Qalaa Holdings slumped 3.3 percent after the company reported a wider third-quarter net loss of 208 million Egyptian pounds ($11.2 million) against a loss 136 million pounds a year earlier.

Analysts at Naeem Brokerage said in a note that the results were due to weak operating performance at both continuing and discontinued operations, impairments, and high interest costs, adding that they anticipated more "painful exits and impairments" in the next quarter.

"Fourth-quarter results could be impacted by translationary FX losses as a result of the recent EGP float, originating from its foreign currency-denominated debt of around $2.1 billion," Naeem said.

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

SAUDI ARABIA

* The index rose 0.7 percent to 7,138 points.

EGYPT

* The index added 0.6 percent to 11,398 points.

DUBAI

* The index edged up just 0.01 percent to 3,555 points.

ABU DHABI

* The index rose 0.8 percent to 4,497 points.

KUWAIT

* Kuwait's index lost 0.3 percent to 5,651 points.

OMAN

* The index slipped a mere 0.01 percent to 5,728 points.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ OPEC in first joint oil cut with Russia since 2001, Saudis take "big hit" ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Editing by Andrew Torchia/Keith Weir)
News.com.au reports:

WHITE supremacist Dylann Roof has been found guilty on all charges in the racially motivated killing of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina. 

The 12 jurors deliberated for just under two hours before finding Roof guilty on all 33 charges. He showed no emotion as the verdicts were read.

The sentencing phase of the mass shooters trial is set to begin on January 3.

Roof has indicated he will serve as his own lawyer as prosecutors pursue a death sentence. 

A self-confessed nationalist, Roof has admitted he hates black people and wanted to start a race war. He told police he wanted to kill African-Americans because he believed they raped white women on a daily basis.

In a videotaped two-hour confession shown in Roofs trial last Friday, he laughed several times and made exaggerated gun motions as he recounted the massacre. He explained that he wanted to leave at least one person alive to tell what happened and complained that his victims complicated things when they hid under tables.

The killer told the FBI he chose the church after discovering online that it was the oldest black church in the South, and there probably would not be any white people there. He had thought about attacking drug dealers, but was worried they might fight back.

I killed them, Roof told agents after they arrested him in Shelby, North Carolina, with the gun used in the shooting in the back seat of his car. As he talked more, he chuckled and said, Well, I killed them, I guess.
Members of an anti-smoking civic group demand the government attach warning pictures on the upper side of tobacco packets during a press conference in front of the Government Complex in downtown Seoul in this file photo taken on May. 13. / Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul



Convenience stores, duty free shops concerned of sales decreases

By Park Jae-hyuk

Another powerful anti-smoking law to be implemented this Friday will be a heavy burden on Korean retailers, such as convenience stores and duty free shops, according to industry sources.

Tobacco manufacturers will have to print images highlighting the deadly risks of smoking on their cigarette packets starting Dec. 23, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The new law enforces more than 65 percent of a cigarette packet's surface to be covered with warning pictures and phrases.

On the upper side of a packet will be printed an appalling image that covers more than 30 percent of the packet's surface.

Each packet will have a picture about one of 10 smoking-related diseases: lung cancer, larynx cancer, oral cancer, cardiac disorder, stroke, second-hand smoking, sexual dysfunction, skin aging, premature death and smoking during pregnancy.

The health ministry said it will require tobacco companies to change the images every two years.

The Korea Tobacco Retailer Association had demanded the government exclude five images among the ten, but their request was rejected.

"It is expected to take about a month or two for the printed cigarette packages to go on display at convenience stores," an official of the health ministry said, "so most consumers will likely see the new packets in late January or February at the earliest."

The ministry, however, plans to start displaying the packages with warning images this Friday at some stores in Seoul, that especially have a large floating population, such as Yeouido, Gangnam, Hongdae and Gwanghwamun areas, so consumers notice the implementation of the new law on the very day.





Cigarette packets are displayed on the shelves of a convenience store in this file photo. Starting this Friday,

graphic warnings will be printed on packets. / Yonhap



Retailers in woe



According to industry sources, convenience store owners are the most worried about the new anti-smoking policy, as they have highly depended on cigarette sales.

Most convenience store chains, such as GS Retail operating GS25 and BGF Retail operating CU, officially said they will follow the new policy faithfully.

However, store owners are demanding the headquarters take measures against the expected drops in sales, according to convenience store industry sources.

"Sales of tobacco generally occupy about 40 percent of a convenience store's total sales," said a spokesperson of Korea Seven, an operator of 7-Eleven. "Our company will wait and see the flow for a while as others, but it is true that some store owners are still concerned about the possible decrease in sales and request the headquarters to take some measures."

With Me and 7-Eleven even considered selling cigarette cases at their stores, due to the demands of some customers and store owners.

The cases, which would cover up the horrific images, have recently become popular among young smokers.

"It will be hard to regulate selling cigarette cases at convenience stores," the health ministry official said. "However, we are trying to pass a law, which at least bans convenience stores from concealing the cigarettes displayed on the shelves."

The ministry is concerned stores may hide packets inside cabinets or lay packets on the side.

According to the ministry, duty free shops will also be forced to sell cigarettes with warning images just as convenience stores.

Small and medium-sized duty free store operators have demanded the government not implement the law, claiming tourists will not buy products from the duty free shops.

However, the health authorities rejected their demands.

"A few duty free shop owners, especially those who only deal in tobacco and alcohol at airports and seaports, complained about the warning images on tobacco packets," an official of the Korea Duty Free Association said. "For them, the new law may make matters worse, because most of them have already suffered a long-term economic recession."



Producers yet to take measures



The government said it will also keep watch on tobacco firms, to see if they build up inventories after the law's implementation.

During a tobacco price hike last year, foreign tobacco firms, such as Philip Morris International Korea and British American Tobacco, were accused of reaping huge illegal inventory gains.

Tobacco firms, however, said they have yet to consider taking any countermeasures this time and will obey the new policy.

"We will just wait and see until the results come up," a KT&G spokesperson said. "It is hard to predict the changes in our sales."

The health ministry said tobacco products without warning images will not be able to be sold in markets after June 23.

Because most cigarettes expire after six months, retailers will have to return their stocks to manufacturers after the day.

According to data from the Korea Health Promotion Foundation, smoking rates in 18 countries fell by 4.2 percent on average after they put warning images on cigarette packets.
Some 190 Korean Air pilots launched a strike, Dec. 17, demanding a wage increase. The walkout halted 20 international flights connecting Korea to Japan, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Soudi Arabia as well as 64 domestic flights during Dec. 22-26.



By Ko Dong-hwan

Travelers who booked international flights with Korean Air during Dec. 22-26 may need to look for alternative itineraries after a pilots' strike partly shut down overseas and domestic routes on Saturday.

The strike at Korea's flagship airline has halted 20 international flights departing Incheon International Airport during the period.

Destinations include Narita and Osaka in Japan, Hong Kong, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and cities in Saudi Arabia.

The strike has stopped 64 domestic flights connecting airports at Gimhae, Ulsan, Yeosu, Jeju and Gimpo.

But the airline  designated an essential public service in 2010  says it will operate most flights, maintaining an operation rate of 97 percent in flights to Japan, China and the Middle East; 83 percent in domestic flights and 90 percent in freight transport.

Korean Air's pilots' union organized the strike as part of a wages dispute.

The dispute started last year, with the union initially demanding a 37 percent increase and later reducing this to 29 percent.

The company argued that the pilots could not demand more than 1.9 percent agreed to between the company and the general employees' union.












By Nam Hyun-woo



Lotte Duty Free, Hyundai Duty Free and Shinsegae DF have snatched licenses for new duty free shops in Seoul, showing that retail specialists will have the upper hand over non-retail firms struggling in the market.



However, the big three firms still have to brace for harsh competition in the already saturated market, as well as lingering questions about the fairness of the selection process due to possible ties to a corruption scandal engulfing President Park Geun-hye and her confidant Choi Soon-sil.



The Korea Customs Service (KCS), Saturday, named the three firms as operators for three Seoul-based duty free outlets. Also, it said a fourth license for the city, reserved for small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), was taken by Top City Corp. Busan Duty Free and Alpensia won licenses for outlets in Busan and Gangwon Province, respectively.



The three conglomerates are retail giants that run department stores in the country. Market watchers say their experience and expertise in attracting luxury brands as well as managing and running their stores worked favorably for them in the KCS evaluation.



All three conglomerate-run shops will be based in southern Seoul. Hyundai, which earned the highest score in the KCS evaluation, will open an outlet near COEX in Samseong-dong. Lotte will reopen an outlet in its landmark Lotte World Tower in Jamsil. Shinsegae will have one in Central City in Seocho-gu.



So far, most of the large duty free stores have been located north of the Han River. Top-seller Lotte Duty Free's main store is located in Sogong-dong, while Shilla Duty Free is in Jangchung-dong and Dongwha Duty Free is in Sajik-dong. The combined earnings of the three outlets last year reached 3.85 trillion won.



Market observers expect the fresh selection will create an opportunity to draw more tourists to southern Seoul and meet the growing demand for duty free shops in the region. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of foreign tourists in those regions grew an average 19 percent annually from 2012 to 2015.



With the new selections, however, more competitors are added to the already saturated duty free market in Seoul. Currently, nine duty free outlets are in operation in the city and the four companies will open their new stores next year.



Data shows that the market is displaying signs of a widening gap between firms. Five duty free outlets that began operation after the government granted licenses last year have posted billions of won in operating losses.



In the first three quarters this year, a Shinsegae shop in Myeongdong posted an operating loss of 37.2 billion won. Galleria Duty Free 63 on Yeouido and HDC Shilla Duty Free in Yongsan each recorded 30.5 billion won and 16.7 billion won in operating loss.



SM Duty Free in Jongno-gu, which opened as an SME shop, also suffered a 20.6 billion won operating loss in the same period. Doota Duty Free in Dongdaemun did not disclose its data, but reportedly it posted an operating loss of 27 billion won in five months after opening in May.



Another factor casting concern is the ongoing controversy that the selection was allegedly affected by Choi Soon-sil. Lotte and SK, which were among the candidates for the fresh selection, donated money to two nonprofit foundations controlled by Choi and the prosecution is suspecting the money worked in favor of the two companies.



With Lotte winning one of the licenses, the controversy is likely to grow.



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Sunday it is "suspicious of the KCS decision to press on with the selection process even though a special inspection over the scandal is ongoing regarding the matter."



The KCS said last December there would be no more selection for duty free operators but suddenly decided to offer more licenses in April.



"There have been suspicions that SK Group head and President Park met privately over the duty free shops," said DPK spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee.




By Yoon Sung-won



Apple has started construction of its first official Korean store in Seoul, according to the industry sources Sunday.



As the first Apple Store in Korea is likely to open next year, anticipation is high that it will lead to an improvement in Apple's after-sales services which have long disappointed customers here.



According to industry sources, Apple leased some 550 square meters of land in Garosu-gil in Sinsa-dong, southern Seoul, for 4.8 billion won on March 1 for the next 20 years. Later on Oct. 21, Apple completed the design for the new building and started construction.



The building is currently in the framework construction stage and is expected to be completed by November next year, sources said.



Though Apple Korea did not confirm details of the building under construction, rumors are that it will be a three-story building covered with a glass exterior.



Apple is working with French construction firm D.P.J. & Partners, Korean builder EAN R&C and British architecture studio Foster + Partners for its first official store, according to the sources. D.P.J. & Partners previously teamed up with EAN R&C to build the embassy building of Oman in central Seoul while Foster + Partners designed the new building of Apple headquarters.



Though Apple has been estimated to generate over $2.6 billion in sales here, it did not have an official Apple Store in Korea. Instead, the U.S. enterprise has distributed its products through authorized resellers such as Frisbee.



Another expectation is that Apple may release new mobile devices earlier in Korea than before. For iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus phones, the company rolled out the new handsets in Japan, where it is running eight Apple Stores, on Sept. 16 as the first launching destination. On the other hand, it released the new handsets in Korea at the end of October as the fifth destination.




Commercial vehicle drivers at the "H:EAR-O" conference at the Rolling Hills Hotel in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hyundai Motor held a conference, titled "H:EAR-O," for commercial vehicle drivers at the Rolling Hills Hotel in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Friday.

The conference was held to improve the company's communication with the drivers.

Hyundai Motor said in a press release that H:EAR-O was Hyundai Motor's first communication program exclusively for commercial vehicle drivers.

It is a part of the nation's largest carmaker's efforts to listen to commercial vehicle drivers and tailor appropriate solutions.

H:EAR-O's H stands for Hyundai Motor while EAR means the carmaker's vow to hear them. The O stands for customers.

During the two-day event, Hyundai Motor invited 30 commercial vehicle drivers and their spouses to take part in various programs, including a field trip to Hyundai Motor's Namyang R&D Center, a conference about commercial vehicles, a special lecture on family health, Hyundai Motor commercial vehicle experiences, and dinner.

Hyundai Motor also held a question and answer session for drivers to express their needs and talk about their experiences.

At Hyundai Motor's Namyang R&D Center, participants saw the automaker's latest technologies in commercial vehicles, including the Automatic Emergency Brake System (AEBS). They also toured the showroom for Hyundai Motor's diesel engine lineup and watched a road simulator.

"Their opinions though the H:EAR-O event will be our valuable assets in Hyundai Motor's future operation," said a Hyundai Motor official.

"Hyundai Motor will hold ongoing events every year to satisfy various customer needs."
"Child with Toys  Gabrielle and the Artist's Son, Jean" (1895-1896)



By Kwon Mee-yoo

French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) once said "Why shouldn't art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in the world." An exhibition in Seoul sheds light on the artist's devotion to female beauty.

"Renoir  Images of Women" held at Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art (SeMA) features some 47 of the French painter's works celebrating beauty and feminine sensuality with his soft palette. The exhibition also commemorates the 130th anniversary of diplomatic ties between France and Korea and the 70th anniversary of the Korean daily Kyunghyang Shinmun.

Renoir is an Impressionist, but his indoor paintings and portraits are better known than his landscapes. The exhibit is divided into four sections  "Children & Young Women," "Women in Family," "Women in All Aspects" and "Bathers and Nudes."

"Young Girls by the Sea" (1894) represent how Renoir reflected his ideal in his paintings. "Some of the most famous Renoir paintings are those of two girls. He once said 'We must embellish,' and he indeed painted beautiful things only. Girls rambling in nature was ideal for Renoir," an official of HANKOOKinterCULTURE, which co-organized the exhibit with SeMA, explained.

Renoir also produced many paintings with fancy hats, including "Girls Putting Flowers on Their Hats" (1893).

"Back then, hats were an indicator of social status and Renoir was interested in adorning hats. Sometimes, he ordered hats for his models and decorated them by himself," the official said.

Family was another favorite subject of Renoir. "Child with Toys  Gabrielle and the Artist's Son, Jean" (1895-1896) is a painting that Renoir hung on his own wall.

The painting features Renoir's second son Jean and the family's nanny Gabrielle Renard, who also frequently modeled for Renoir. It captures a very affectionate, natural moment within a family. Renard shared a bond with Jean, who later became a filmmaker, which lasted throughout their lives.

Renoir also left handful paintings of bathers and nudes, but they are less voyeuristic than most nude paintings.

"Renoir was interested in the outlines of women's body and he painted the lines and pearly skins from the back or side perspectives. Buxom bodies depicted in Renoir's works symbolize the ultimate feminine beauty," the official explained.

Renoir was a prolific artist and left over 5,000 pieces of works and about 2,000 of them are portraits. Among works on display, "Study of Women" is from a private collection and opened to the public for the first time at this exhibit.

"We suspect there must be more studies or sketches of Renoir, but the artist did not pay much attention to these incomplete studies and many of them are no longer in existence," the official said.

The final section of the exhibit features two detailed replicas of a Renoir painting. It is not framed but gives visitors a chance to touch and feel the artist's unique thin application of paint, which is usually off-limits, through this replica.

The exhibit runs through March 26. Admission is 13,000 won for adults. For more information, visit renoir2016.modoo.at or call 02-2124-8800.
SBS's "Running Man" will air its last episode in February amid lackluster rumors involving "merciless sacking" of its members and revoked plan for the second season. / Courtesy of Hankook Ilbo



By Ko Dong-hwan





Kang Ho-dong

"Running Man," an unusual Korean TV variety show that gained popularity in Asia and South America, will stop production in February.

The SBS announcement came on Dec. 16 after SBS earlier this month leaked a plan to scout high-profile show host Kang Ho-dong as a member replacing Gary who left the show two months ago.

But expectations soon turned to public outcry when media outlets said the broadcaster sacked the show's two members, Kim Jong-kook and Song Ji-hyo, without any discussion with them.

Online news outlet OSEN, citing an interview with a show official, said the two stars were not supposed to find out about their termination at such short notice and that it was due to "inside miscommunication."

After the report, Kang announced that he will not join the show's second season, saying he would feel burdened "to be part of the show when it was the subject of fierce public scrutiny."

The show's worsening image led to another report that it would end soon, which the show's producers and stars saw as a "crisis" and held an emergency meeting, according to OSEN.

Kim and Song, despite the rumor about their termination, agreed to stay at their posts until the show ended in February.

"News reports about the merciless sacking' of Kim and Song came even before our team took proper communication steps," a show official said, according to media outlets.

"We apologize to Kim and Song for having suffered such heartbreak."







First airing in 2010, "Running Man" has met with better recognition outside Korea than in the domestic market with a format even easy for non-Korean viewers to understand  grown-up celebrities engaged in a game of running and chasing enemies to take stickers off their backs.

Action and slapstick comedy were key elements that differentiated the show from other Korean TV variety shows like MBC's "Infinity Challenge" or KBS's "2 Nights 1 Day," which focused on jokes and skits only making sense to Korean speakers.

Locations were first limited to Korean rural areas, but they expanded to urban regions and later China and Thailand.

And their reception by local fans was phenomenal, paralyzing airports and malls where the stars appeared.

In 2013, the members launched fan-meeting events called "Running Man Race Start" in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, where the show was particularly popular.

Multiple YouTube videos of performances by Kim, Haha and Yoo Jae-seok show thousands of fans singing along with the stars.

The show's global influence created its Chinese version, "Hurry Up, Brother," which aired on ZJS TV in October 2014.

The Chinese stars met their Korean counterparts the next month and filmed an episode together, which rated 4 percent in China, with a population of 1.3 billion.

Starting late in 2015, the show's TV ratings in Korean households went downhill to 4.8 percent in December.


By Kang Hyun-kyung

Self-made businessman Joung Jin-gu, 64, once had a thriving business that produced garments and daily household products for the U.S. market. During its peak days in the 1980s and 90s, his company Samjoung International had over 3,000 employees in overseas factories in 33 countries across Asia and Latin America, and posted an annual sales income of $50 million. Some of his innovative products, such as hangers and foldable laundry baskets, were a hit in the U.S. market, helping him become a corporate leader of a small but strong company.

In 2002, his life took an unusual turn, from owner and founder of the profitable business into an unstoppable inventor who has invested all his fortune to develop a nasal product for asthma patients.

His sickness was a turning point. In 1999, he was hospitalized for shortness of breath during a business trip to Guatemala where he operated a textile manufacturing factory. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in the local hospital there, which later turned out to be a medical error. He returned to Korea for treatment. After a thorough medical checkup at ASAN Medical Center in southern Seoul, he was diagnosed with asthma and acute respiratory disease which were so severe that he was unable to walk 100 meters without panting and wheezing.

Joung realized at that time that breathing freely is a blessing. As he recovered from the acute respiratory disease, he shifted his focus to developing devices to help asthma patients like him.

He has since invested his entire wealth accumulated over the decades for a small device  an N95 nose filter designed to filter toxic particles and viruses that can cause pneumonia to help patients of respiratory diseases breathe in fresh air.

In the face of financial pressures caused by massive early investments, he sold his luxury apartment in southern Seoul and his land in Boeun County, North Chungcheong Province, to finance the project.

His years of investment in the unprofitable business put himself at odds with some of his adult children. While his daughter and son-in-law showed their unwavering support, his two sons voiced concern about their father who they thought "wasted" all his wealth without preparing for his life after retirement. But their worries didn't stop Joung from exploring the innovative nose filter project which he considers a life mission to fulfill.





Businessman-turned-inventor Joung Jin-gu, left, and his doctor Nam Soon-yuhl at Asan Medical Center in Seoul last Monday / Korea Times file



His years of endeavor bore fruit. In 2007, he released the award-winning nose filter NOSK and the breakthrough product made him an internationally recognized inventor.

The nose filter was chosen as one of the most innovative products in the world's three largest trade fairs for inventors  the Innovation and New Product Exposition (INPEX) in Pittsburg, the international trade fair for "Ideas- Inventions- New Products" (iENA) in Nuremberg and the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. At INPEX 2007, it won Best Invention of the Far East, a gold medal in the environmental field and a bronze medal in the health and fitness field.

Joung's nose filter also won the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards' New Excellent Product (NEP) certification, a label awarded to inventors.

Following its recognitions at home and abroad, he has received calls from many multinational companies and local pharmaceutical firms to forge business partnerships to co-produce the device for sale.

However, Joung rejected their requests. "I feel that NOSK still is not perfect and it needs to be upgraded further," he said. "I want a perfect device that can impress my consumers and my investment will be continued."

Once the nose filter is perfected and becomes a market success, he said he'd like to create an incubator for inventors who have new ideas but no money to monetize their ideas.

Joung said he owes his doctor Nam Soon-yuhl for the successful release of the nose filter. He said Nam, a professor and chairman of the department of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and laryngology of ASAN Medical Center, has offered his unconditional support for the past decade.

"Dr. Nam's advice was critical to move my project forward when I was stuck in the middle of trial and error," he said.





Since inventor Joung Jin-gu released the nose filter NOSK in 2007, the award-winning product has been upgraded. The device was chosen as one of the most innovative products in the world's three largest trade fair for inventions and new products. From right shows the developments of the nose filter from the earliest to the latest version. / Korea Times file



After starting work on the development of the nose filter in November 2002, Joung said he wasted four years without progress. He had changed molds over 30 times to make the filter comfortable. Some of them were unbearable and some made those who tried the device feel sore.

After realizing his limited knowledge of the nose was the source of his repeated failures, he went to Dr. Nam to ask if he could lend his nasal expertise, a request the doctor accepted after a while.

Nam gave his patient one-on-one lectures on the human nose with feedback on Joung's product. The doctor told him there should not be a one-size-fits-all type of nose filter because human noses are different from person to person. But their naval cavities are similar, so he advised Joung to develop a nose filter that can fit the naval cavity. His advice helped Joung solve the Gordian knot that vexed him for four years. The release of NOSK followed a year after he received the professional advice from the doctor.

Nam's talent donation has since continued.

In 2009, the doctor gave a presentation about the nose filter on behalf of Joung to experts from the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards to help his friend earn NEC certification. Before this, Joung unsuccessfully applied for the certification twice. Joung, an elementary school graduate and an engineer by training, was unable to answer professional questions from the experts. Thanks to Nam, Joung passed the test and won the certification for his product.

Nam calls Joung "Korea's Don Quixote" for his "innocent investment." According to him, he initially thought his patient was annoying and he was skeptical about the nose filter project because he thought the chances for its development was bleak.

"I thought my patient kept investing money in an unfeasible project. I knew his blind investment came at the expense of his family members' living standards and his ties with his sons," Nam said. "But he never gave that up which won me over."

Nam said Joung is a man of curiosity who always thinks about how to fix small inconveniences in people's lives and tries to develop his innovative ideas into products.

"He was born like that, but for some reason he happened to be a businessman seeking profits," Nam said. "As his business had gone well and he made a fortune, he seems to have followed his inner voice and invested his wealth to fix inconveniences."

Invention is in his genes, the doctor said of his friend.
By Lee Sung-hun





Lee Sung-hun

On average, an adult catches a cold two to three times a year, and in fact it is the most common cause for an outpatient visit to a hospital here in Korea.

Despite the high number of clinic visits, there are no specific cures for the cold, which is fortunate as it is an illness that can often go away naturally without medical intervention. Hence the common saying goes, "You can get rid of a cold in seven days if you take a prescription, and in a week if you don't."

A cold is the general name given to a number of viral infections in the upper respiratory tract.

There are more than 200 viruses that are associated with the common cold, each with a variety of symptoms. As there are also different strains of each virus, it is nearly impossible to manufacture vaccines against every single one.

Therefore, the treatment for a cold usually focuses on alleviating symptoms.

Oriental medicine regards the cold as an illness that occurs when our body's physiological functions and adaptability become diminished due to a variety of changes in the external environment such as wind, temperature and humidity.

External environmental factors that can bring about a cold such as the wind ("poong") and cold weather ("han") can become pathogenic qis that invade a weakened body.

For treating a cold that starts with a fever and chills along with muscular pains all over the body, Oriental medicine calls for sudorific treatments.

Herbal medication is administered to induce perspiration which helps discharge the invading pathogens from the infected body.

Scallion roots are known to have diaphoretic effects and could be consumed as a tea at the early onset of a cold. Cinnamon can also be used at the early stage of a cold as it has body-warming characteristics that promote qi-circulation, and it is especially effective when the patient has a cold sweat.

As a home remedy against colds, many Koreans often attempt to induce sweating by lying under a thick layer of blankets, or even visiting a sauna.

However, burying oneself under blankets can increase body temperature without inducing enough perspiration, which can be problematic. Also, over-sweating can end up damaging the healthy qi in the patient's body rather than healing it.

Therefore, caution is required with such home remedies.

Unless properly treated at the early stages of a cold, or for a patient whose body lacks the healthy qi to properly defend itself due to old age or generally weak stamina, external pathogens that caused the cold can further entrench themselves and become chronic.

In such cases, Oriental treatment aims to support the body's healthy qi so it can fight off the cold.

Ssanghwatang, commonly available as an over-the-counter medicine for treating the common cold, is such a medication.

Although most readers may drink it as just another cold medicine, ssanghwatang is a traditional medication that has been used to help patients of serious illnesses to recover their strength.

In some cases, patients get rid of all other symptoms except for constant coughing.

For such patients, drinking tea brewed with balloon flower roots can be effective. Balloon flower roots, a common ingredient in bibimbap recipes, are known to promote bronchial secretion, and thus are highly effective in getting rid of phlegm and calming the cough.

While there is no single cure for the common cold, Oriental medicine can provide tailored treatment options to fight off colds. If symptoms persist, you are recommended to visit your local Oriental clinic for professional medical advice.



The writer practices Oriental medicine at the UN Oriental Medical Clinic in Hannam-dong, Seoul.
Members of the National Assembly's special committee investigating the influence-peddling scandal involving President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil question staff at Kim Young-jae Plastic Surgery clinic in southern Seoul during an on-site inspection, Friday. Choi allegedly received frequent propofol injections and may face an additional charge of drug abuse. / Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min

President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil, the central figure of an ongoing influence-peddling scandal, may face an additional charge of drug abuse, following evidence showing she received an addictive anesthetic at a plastic surgery clinic almost once a week for three years.

The sleep-inducer called propofol, used before surgery or other medical procedures, is categorized as a psychotropic drug. Given the precedents of TV personalities who were punished for frequent use of the substance, Choi may face a harsher punishment. Those convicted of drug use are subject to up to five years in prison or up to 5 million won ($4,200) in fines.

Choi's abuse of propofol was found Friday when National Assembly members visited Kim Young-jae Plastic Surgery in southern Seoul, as part of an on-site inspection for the Assembly hearing into the Choi scandal.

Clinic staffers told the lawmakers Choi visited the clinic on a total of 136 occasions, almost weekly, between October 2013 and August this year, and spent more than 80 million won on anti-aging treatments. She received intravenous injections of propofol on almost every occasion, they said.

While clinic records showed Choi was treated under the alias "Choi Bo-jeong," the staffers said they were unable to verify her real name as her treatments were not covered by the national health insurance and she did not pay with credit cards  two ways to confirm a patient's identity.

The clinic may be subject to a suspension of operations as a related law bans hospitals from recording false information about patients and treatments.

The independent counsel-led special investigation team said it would request the clinic submit its patient treatment logs and visitor lists. Choi already faces charges of abuse of power, extortion and attempted coercion.

In 2013, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced actresses Lee Seung-yeon, Park Si-yeon and Jang Mi-inae to eight months in prison suspended for two years on charges of abusing propofol.

Lee and Park were indicted for using the drug on 111 and 185 occasions, respectively, over 18 months, and Jang on 95 occasions over 19 months, meaning Park used it every four days, and Lee and Jang, every six days.

While the three claimed the drug was needed to cope with pain following plastic surgery, the court said the frequency showed habitual use.
By Michael Breen

If you read the Constitution  you can download it in English from the National Assembly website in Microsoft Word format (which is handy in case you want to make any amendments)  you will find its use of language very sparing.

Regarding the grounds for impeachment, for example, it says simply that a sitting president may be impeached by the National Assembly if he or she is deemed to have "violated the Constitution or other Acts in the performance of official duties."

Everything else on impeachment is about the process  that it requires two-thirds of the Assembly vote and that the Constitutional Court has six months to uphold or reject it.

Note it doesn't say anything about the president's approval rate dropping to 4 percent or whether millions of demonstrators are demanding that she step down.

The popular will is, as far as the Constitution is concerned, irrelevant.

That means that if a prosecuting lawyer starts on about it during a Constitutional Court hearing "Gentlemen, that noise outside is the sweet sound of a nation united" the judges should tell him or her to shut up.

If the lawyer says that the president has outraged the people, the judges' proper response is, "Boo-hoo."

What they have to decide is, did she or didn't she violate the Constitution or other Acts in the performance of official duties?

What if she didn't violate the Constitution or other Acts? Or what if there is some way  I don't know how this might work  in which she might have done so but only in the performance of unofficial duties?

What if President Park is more stupid than criminal, more incompetent than culpable? Incompetence is not an impeachable offense. It is something the electorate takes care of at election time.












By Jacco Zwetsloot

The personal is political, yes. But the reverse is also often true  politics is personal. Of the million or so people who demonstrated for the impeachment of President ParkGeun-hye, many blamed her personally for the sinking of the Sewol ferry in 2014  or at least for the failure to rescue its mostly young passengers.

In truth, what difference could President Park's personal presence in the crisis room have made on that fateful day? Would any more lives have been saved? Perhaps not, but the point is that people want to see their nation's leader taking personal charge and caring when there is a crisis.

Similarly, political parties are made, split and re-formed with equal, if not greater, priority placed on powerful personalities as on principles and political platforms.

Why is this? It's not that policies and platforms are not important; it's that a leader's charisma and force of will are better prime movers.

The reverse of this personalizing of politics  or perhaps the reason for it  is that trust in democratic institutions and rule of law is low. Korean history since April 1960 has taught its citizenry that only large street movements alter a government's path. This can have a spillback effect on organs of governance, such as when the decision to audit a company or indict a person is based more on public sentiment than on evidence in hand.

At the same time, people feel that the rich and powerful don't suffer the same legal consequences as those lower down the food chain. Jailed chaebeol heads are pardoned, while entertainers spend a few years in overseas exile before returning to the airwaves.

This situation does not mean Korea is unstable. Those who think South Korea is less politically stable  now that President Park has been relieved of all duties pending a Constitutional Court review of her impeachment  than its northern counterpart would be seriously mistaken.

If you don't believe me, check the markets. On Dec. 9, the day of the impeachment, the KOSPI only fell by 0.3 of a percent, and by Monday the 12th, it had risen again to above pre-impeachment levels. Furthermore, the value of the Korean won is less than 1 percentage point down on last week.












By Kim Hyo-jin



How to form an interim leadership will be a deciding factor for a possible breakup of the ruling Saenuri Party, its officials said Sunday.



Following the resignation of Chairman Lee Jung-hyun and Supreme Council members en masse, Friday, the party plans to form an emergency planning committee, which will serve as the party's acting leadership until the next national convention.



The committee will be tasked with presenting a roadmap for the embattled party, hit hard by the corruption scandal involving President Park Geun-hye and her ensuing impeachment, ahead of a possible early presidential election.



Lawmakers aligned against Park and those loyal to her  the party's rival factions that have tussled over hegemonic power in the post-impeachment stage  are focusing on securing interim leadership posts.



"It will be a critical point for the party's fate," a party official said. "If pro-Park lawmakers seize power, there could be a collective breakaway of anti-Park lawmakers."



The anti-Park faction is on the offensive against the previous pro-Park leaders and other Park loyalists, demanding they step aside from frontline politics to take responsibility for Park's botched state management.



Despite the flak, Park followers show no signs of flinching.



Last week, pro-Park leaders added more members aligned with the President to the party's ethics committee, in a bid to stop existing members from taking disciplinary action against Park.



The move drew a severe backlash from party officials. Officials at the party's secretariat have been on strike, calling for the appointments to be canceled.



Even they were able to realign themselves in the floor leader election. In Friday's race, in which each of the two factions fielded a candidate, Rep. Chung Woo-taik from the pro-Park group won.



In an effort to prevent Park dissenters from leaving the party, Chung noted that he would have them select an interim leader.



"It is reasonable for a figure backed by anti-Park lawmakers to be head of the emergency planning committee," he said.



Chung said it would take time for the rival factions to discuss how to form the emergency planning committee.



The new floor leader, and concurrently the acting chairman, has the right to convene a meeting for nationwide party members to elect interim leaders, but he has yet to do so.



The anti-Park lawmakers are seeking to guarantee full discretion to the committee in operating party affairs and to have at least two-thirds of the committee members from their faction.



But pro-Park lawmakers are concerned about an interim leadership led by their rivals. Despite Chung's concession on the top leader's post, other Park loyalists plan to suggest putting forward co-heads of the committee, according to party officials.



The dilemma for anti-Park lawmakers is deepening. Rep. Kim Moo-sung, a de-facto leader of the anti-Park faction, said Friday, "I will make a final decision on whether to bolt from Saenuri and create a new party after a week of careful deliberation."



The ruling party's power struggle is also expected to influence a decision whether or not to open talks with opposition parties.



The Saenuri Party, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the minor opposition People's Party agreed last week to set up a political consultative body with the government to normalize state affairs after Park's impeachment.



But the opposition parties have refused to start negotiations with a pro-Park Saenuri leadership.



After Chung's victory, they said they would have a "cooling-off period" with Saenuri, indicating they would not accept the new floor leader as a legitimate counterpart.




North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from left, and his top officials, including Kim Yong-nam, left, Hwang Pyong-so, second from right, and Choe Ryong-hae, visit the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, Saturday, to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his father Kim Jong-il's death. / Yonhap



By Jun Ji-hye

Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo said Sunday the government will maintain its hard-line stance toward North Korea despite political chaos sparked by the corruption and influence-peddling scandal leading to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.

During a press meeting, Hong also said the government will continue to make efforts to prod Pyongyang into giving up its nuclear weapons.

The comment comes at a time when the parliamentary impeachment against Park has been raising uncertainty over state affairs.

Hong said there will be no changes in the government's position on its North Korea policy under the interim leadership of Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn.

"We will basically keep the existing policy stance and move toward our goals of North Korea's denuclearization and peaceful unification," Hong said.

The minister said the biggest change related to policies on the North was the adoption of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2321, Nov. 30.

The UNSC's latest action focuses on drying up Pyongyang's foreign currency earnings, mainly from its coal exports, after Pyongyang conducted the fifth nuclear test, Sept. 9.

Following the adoption, China, the North's traditional ally, said earlier this month that it will temporarily suspend its coal imports from the North in a measure seen as a move to join the international sanctions.

Hong said the government will also faithfully implement the latest U.N. sanctions, and continue to apply sanctions and pressure against Pyongyang for the North's denuclearization.

Meanwhile, the isolated state held a large-scale gathering in Pyongyang, Saturday, to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the death of its former leader Kim Jong-il, according to its state media. Kim Jong-il is the father of current leader Kim Jong-un.

The Korean Central Television broadcast the recorded event in which Kim Jong-un and other top officials such as Hwang Pyong-so, the director of the military's general political bureau, and Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, participated.

Despite growing concerns over the reclusive state's possible provocations to mark the anniversary, it has not conducted any military actions as of Sunday. The North previously carried out provocations such as the launch of ballistic missiles when the UNSC adopted the new resolution or the country marked anniversaries.

Military officials said they are keenly monitoring the movement of North Korean soldiers in preparation for any possible provocations early next year on and around the inauguration of Donald Trump as the new U.S. president and Kim Jong-un's birthday.


By Park Si-soo, Kim Rahn

Participants of the eighth mass anti-President Park Geun-hye rally have called for the Constitutional Court to make a ruling to remove the impeached President involved in the influence-peddling scandal surrounding her associates.

Nearly 770,000 people joined protests across the country Saturday, with 650,000 gathering in central Seoul alone.

The protest came one day after the President's attorneys refuted all impeachment charges, although the impeachment motion was endorsed on Dec. 9 with overwhelming support of opposition lawmakers and defiant members of Park's ruling Saenuri Party.

While protesters previously focused on marching through Seochon toward Cheong Wa Dae in previous rallies to demand the President's resignation, this Saturday they marched through Bukchon toward the court, which has up to six months to decide whether to approve the National Assembly's impeachment motion or reinstate Park.

"We urge the Constitutional Court to make a ruling on the presidential impeachment as soon as possible to minimize disorder in state affairs," the rally's organizers said in a joint statement. "We also call for the President's immediate resignation and an early presidential election to minimize the administrative vacuum."

The participants also marched to the residence of the acting president, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, calling for his resignation as well. "Hwang acts as the President and pushes ahead with the Park administration without Park. He should step down immediately."

The demonstration ended an hour earlier than previous ones, with almost all events finishing at around 8:30 p.m. in preparation for winter weather.

The organizers said the protests would continue every Saturday.

"On Dec. 24 on Christmas Eve, we'll give children democracy as a present," they said. "On Dec. 31, we'll gather to call for a New Year without Park."

Meanwhile, members of about 50 pro-Park groups, including her longtime fan club Park Sa Mo (literally, people who love Park), staged a separate rally near the court, calling for the court to reject the impeachment motion.

They claimed the impeachment was improper, holding banners reading "Annul the impeachment" and "Declare martial law." Some denounced Saenuri members who voiced their support for impeachment, such as Kim Moo-sung and Yoo Seong-min, calling them "traitors."

If six members of the nine-judge court find the impeachment justifiable, Park will be removed from office permanently and Korea will have 60 days to elect a successor through a nationwide election. But if fewer than six judges do so, Park will immediately return to power.
Ko Young-tae Lee Man-hee Park Heon-young



By Kim Bo-eun

A controversy has erupted after a report that Rep. Lee Man-hee of the ruling Saenuri Party colluded with a witness involved in the scandal surrounding President Park Geun-hye's confidant Choi Soon-sil, in providing false answers at a hearing for the National Assembly's investigation of the scandal.

The local daily Joongang Ilbo reported Saturday that Ko Young-tae, a former close friend of Choi, told the paper on Tuesday that Park Heon-young, a former official of the K-Sports Foundation controlled by Choi, cooperated with Rep. Lee to plan out the perjurious statements ahead of Thursday's fourth hearing.

"Park Heon-young will provide a false testimony at the fourth hearing, after having planned things out with a Saenuri lawmaker," Ko was quoted as saying by the paper.

"When asked whether he saw a tablet computer while working with Choi, Park will reply that he saw me carrying it around. He will also mention that I asked him to bring a charger for the computer."

The tablet computer  presumed to be owned by Choi  contained classified files including early drafts of the President's speeches. It is believed to be key evidence for Choi's alleged meddling in state affairs, while she has denied having a tablet.

At the hearing on Thursday, two days after Ko's "forecast," Rep. Lee questioned Park Heon-young about the computer and he gave the predicted answers.

However, Lee said Ko's claims were untrue.

"I have never met Park Heon-young or even spoken over the phone with him," he said in a press conference at the Assembly, Saturday, vowing to take legal measures against the false claims.

Lee said he met a staffer of The Blue K, a paper company Choi set up in Germany. "The staffer told me Ko lied about the computer at the previous hearing, saying it did not belong to him," Lee said.

Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Spokesman Youn Kwan-suk said, "If the report (by the Joongang Ilbo) is true, this would be appalling. Those behind the move to interfere with the Assembly's probe will be unveiled and the people will not remain fooled."

At the fourth hearing, Rep. Park Young-sun of the DPK disclosed a document from the K-Sports Foundation titled "How to respond to investigations by the independent counsel and the National Assembly."

Chung Tong-choon, chairman of the foundation, said when he took the witness stand he created the document himself and shared it with those working for the foundation.

The document showed which lawmakers could help them  Lee and other two Saenuri lawmakers' names were marked in blue, saying they may be helpful, while Reps. Park Young-sun and An Min-suk from the main opposition DPK were marked in red.
Nutrition & Education International (NEI) Ambassador Chin Ki-hoon, second from left, looks around a soy farm in Afghanistan on Dec. 16. NEI is a non-profit organization that Doctor Steven Kwon founded in 2003 to fight malnutrition among people in high-mortality areas in Afghanistan. The organization has run the "Seeds of Hope" project since 2003 to eradicate malnutrition in poor women and children and prepare infrastructure for sustainable farming. NEI introduced soybeans to the country and has trained farmers in their cultivation. A soy-milk plant is scheduled for completion in September.



/ Courtesy of the NEI
Each year from December through February, thousands of bald eagles migrate south to winter along the Mississippi River near the lock and dams.

Turbulence created below the dams provides open water and a smorgasbord of stunned fish for eagles to feast upon. In addition, the wooded bluffs that overlook the Mississippi are excellent habitat for roosting and an increasing number of nests. Its not uncommon to see more than 10 eagles in one tree.

Many bald eagle watches are held in January and February in communities from Dubuque south along the river. For more information visit www.TravelMississippiRiver.org.

Bald Eagle Days are Jan. 6-8 at the QCCA Expo Center, 2621 Fourth Ave. in Rock Island, Illinois. This will be the 50th anniversary of the eagle-watching event and is the largest in the Midwest. Hours: Friday 4-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $1 for kids. The annual event includes live eagle programs and live bird of prey demonstrations and Jim Nescis Cold Blooded Creatures. There are over 100 display booths. There will also be spotting scopes set up and manned by the Quad City Audubon Society at Sunset Marina in Rock Island for a great eagle watching opportunity with free shuttle bus service from the Expo Center. Visit www.qccaexpocenter.com for more information.

The Clinton/Fulton Bald Eagle Watch is Saturday, Jan. 7, at Lock & Dam 13 (Fulton, Illinois) and at Clinton Community College for indoor exhibits. Outdoor viewing is at Lock & Dam 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Exhibits and programs at Clinton Community College are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is free bus service from the college to the outdoor viewing area. For more information, call the Thomson Ranger office, 815-259-3628, or visit www.clintoniowatourism.com or www.cityoffulton.us.

LeClaire will host a Bald Eagle Photo Presentation on Sunday, Jan. 15, at the LeClaire Civic Center, 127 S. Cody Road. At 2 p.m., wildlife photographer, Burt Gearhart, will give a free all-ages slide presentation and lecture about Bald Eagles and their everyday lives in Iowa. LeClaire has great eagle viewing at Lock & Dam 14. Visit www.visitleclaire.com for more information.

The annual Keokuk Bald Eagle Days are Jan. 21-22 with free indoor programs and an Environmental Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the River City Mall, 300 Main St. It includes live eagle programs, Native American activities, woodcarvers' exhibits and demonstrations, World Bird Sanctuary presentations and more. There also is eagle viewing with spotting scopes at the riverfront on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

On Saturday, Jan. 28, there will be eagle-watching in Muscatine during the day with outdoor viewing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lock & Dam 16. There are live eagle programs at 9:30 and 11 a.m. and environmental exhibits at the Pearl City Station, 1100 Harbor Drive in Riverside Park. For more information, call the Muscatine Ranger office: 563-263-7913 or visit www.visitmuscatine.com.

More than a dozen Travel & Tourism groups have joined forces to promote traveling along the Mississippi River Valley. Visit www.TravelMississippiRiver.org or Facebook to check out regional events and more.
By Tong Kim





South Korea is besieged by a political vacuum resulting from the impeachment of its president, interrupting normal governance of state affairs. The unfolding of this bizarre drama coincides with the incoming of a Trump administration, whose Korea policy is still not clear even after the nominations of key cabinet members to carry out U.S. foreign policy, including Rex Tillerson for secretary of state.

In Seoul, the nation is caught between the people's wish and the law on the question of what to do with President Park's fate. She was impeached by an overwhelming vote  234 to 56  on the charges of infringement upon the constitution, extortion, and abuse of power. Millions of people participated in vigil demonstrations demanding an immediate resignation of the president.

Even after the impeachment that has stripped her of presidential authority, Park refuses to step down, and the only peaceful way of removing her is to go through a time consuming due process of law.

The Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on the impeachment. Until a final ruling by the Court is reached, she remains a nominal president, confining herself to her presidential residence. The Court is put under enormous public pressure to make its decision as soon as possible, and a decision will probably take about three months.

The center of power has shifted from the presidency to the parliament, especially to the opposition parties. The ruling Saenuri Party is in disarray, undergoing a factional struggle that may lead to a split into two separate parties.

Prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn took over the administration as acting president. He was nominated by Park before she was impeached. She had planned to replace him with a new prime minister that the national legislature would accept.

The constitution does not stipulate the authority of an acting president. A dominant view holds that Hwang should serve only as a temporary caretaker to oversee a presidential election if the impeachment is upheld. When former President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached, the then acting president did not touch substantive policy issues, expecting Roh's exoneration by the Constitutional Court, which did happen.

In hindsight, the parliament could have agreed, as suggested by the President before her impeachment, on a new prime minister who would carry out much of the authority delegated from the President. Now there is a tug of war between the acting president and the National Assembly with respect to how much power should be given to the acting president.

If convicted,  which is very likely  President Park's term would be immediately terminated and she could even be subject to criminal prosecution, depending on the ongoing investigations undertaken by a special prosecutor. After her departure, a special presidential election must be held within 60 days.

There are several candidates in liberal opposition circles, who have expressed their interest to run for the presidency, including Moon Jae-in, Ahn Cheol-soo, and Lee Jae-myung. In the conservative camp, badly hurt by Park's leadership failures, no individual stands out as a potential contender. Support for Ban Ki-moon, departing US Secretary General, has drastically dwindled along with the Saenuri Party.

There is a high probability that a liberal president will lead the country in the wake of the two failed, conservative presidencies of Lee Myung-back and Park Geun-hye. There is much talk of a constitutional revision to curtail presidential power. However, an extensive constitutional revision does not sound realistic, given the tight schedule for presidential campaigns.

In Washington, the President-elect is finishing a lineup of his cabinet picks. The views of the nominees for foreign policy positions are not very well known. But, Trump's management style is known as well as his conflicting statements on China, North Korea, and U.S. allies. He is known to prefer a balance of influence from his aids, while he is expected to delegate authority to his cabinet or cabinet-level chiefs to run their organizations as they see fit.

Trump has proven himself an energetic and hardworking leader. He appears to be the first president-elect to meet with so many potential competitors for key government positions. He has met with many leaders of different walks of life to consider their views. He thinks out of the box, as a person who never worked in government  he had never been in the box.

Admittedly, there are many controversies over the way he handles business as a president-elect  including conflict of interest involving his private businesses, skipping intelligence briefings, nominating some controversial or divisive figures, temperamental Tweets without fact-checks, etc.

What will Trump do concerning Korea? He will maintain the traditional alliance with the Republic of Korea. His key advisors  including the national security advisor and the secretary of defense know that the alliance serves the vital strategic interest of the United States. There might come some adjustments to cost sharing and even to the trade agreement. The KORUS FTA may be reviewed but it would not hurt Korea unilaterally. Trump has yet to nominate somebody for the post of USTR.

In Pyongyang, the Kim Jong-un regime has been relatively quiet, restraining from new provocations, uncertain what Trump might do differently from Obama. Pyongyang enjoys watching the political turmoil in the south, but it is unlikely to launch an attack taking advantage of Seoul's vulnerability. It did not invade the South during the April student uprising, or after the assassination of Park Chung-hee, the December 12 coup by Chun Doo-hwan, or the May 18 massacre in Gwangju.

As a minimum, the North should keep restraining from any nuclear or missile test, until the dust settles in Seoul and Trump's team decides what to do with them. A new provocation would not help Pyongyang's interest. What's your take?





Tong Kim is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies. He can be contacted at tong.kim8@yahoo.com.
Impeachment should not derail international pacts



The opposition camp seeks to invalidate promises the government has made with other countries. Two particular cases are the deployment of U.S. missile interceptors and the settlement of the issue of comfort women, Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese imperial army.



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has repeatedly told Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, now acting head of government, to reconsider the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and break the pact with Japan regarding sex slavery. Hwang acts on behalf of President Park Geun-hye, now impeached and awaiting a ruling by the Constitutional Court.



The THAAD deployment scheduled for May is also opposed by the third-largest People's Party, and DPK Chairwoman Choo Mi-ae rejects the comfort women pact. But both have been settled by a binding agreement with the respective countries concerned.



It is true new doubts have been raised over the soundness of the Park government's decision-making process after the influence-peddling scandal disclosed that President Park often resorted to unqualified counsel by Choi Soon-sil, her private friend of 40 years.



But the opposition's demand for the delay and shelving of these international promises until the next government takes office is irresponsible and arrogant. The DPK runs the risk of creating a chasm in the nation's alliance with the U.S. when its help is most needed against the increasing threat of North Korea. It also can trigger a dispute with Tokyo and touch off an internal ideological fight when stability is sorely missed.



These demands sound as if the opposition has already acquired the people's mandate.



It is high time that it should sober up and face a stark reality: the people have judged the corrupt President through the massive candlelit protests but it by no accounts signals an endorsement of the opposition camp.



Rather, the public is angry with the opposition as well for its failure to penalize Park sooner through the political system of checks and balances. The jury is out on the opposition, which has so far been on the coattails of the public antipathy against Park and shows no ability to meet the people's heightened expectations.



The voters would keenly watch out to see how well the opposition can work with Prime Minister Hwang, who, in the absence of the President, runs state affairs. So far, all it has showed is an eagerness to take power but not the management skills to match it.




Following the news that members Song Jihyo and Kim Jongkook would be let go from 'Running Man,' the SBS production crew held an emergency meeting in Seoul on December 16th. According to the producers, they met with all six cast members to clear all issues and misunderstandings. It was then decided that the show would officially come to an end by February, 2017.

According to the production team, "Running Man members and producers gathered together in Seoul today for an emergency meeting and overcame their misunderstandings and miscommunications. After deep and lengthy discussion both sides decided to end the show at the end of February 2017...However, they decided that they did not want to end the show on such a sad note so therefore decided to have all 6 members, Yoo Jae Suk, Ji Suk Jin, Haha, Lee Kwang Soo, Song Ji Hyo and Kim Jong Kook." The producers have vowed to do their best in the remaining episodes as their way of saying thank you to their loyal viewers who have been there these past 6 years.

It's sad to hear the show will be coming to an end but it's good to hear that all the members will be seeing it through together. Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Jong-kook, Song Ji-hyo, Haha, Ji Suk-jin, Lee Kwang-soo, and Gary you will surely be missed!

What are your thoughts on the ending of 'Running Man?' Let us know in the comments below!
Your parents had such high hopes for you.

You were going to make it, and make something of yourself. Youd have a better life than they had: more wealth, stronger health, bigger home, more opportunities. You were going to be somebody even if, as in the new book Cradles of Power by Harold I. Gullan, it took everything they had.

Walk through any bookstore or library and youll learn that over the last 240 years, a lot has been written about America s presidents. We know what history says about those men, but what about the people who raised them?

George Washington, for instance, loved his mother very much but, according to Gullan, she was a bit of a nag. She also embarrassed her son by complaining so much about a lack of money that the Virginia House of Delegates granted her a pension.

Thomas Jefferson also loved his mother but he wrote next to nothing about her. When her home burned to the ground in 1770, Jefferson s main concern was not Mom, but the loss of his personal library.

When he was just a child, James Madisons father lost his father. Because there was a plantation to run and his mother couldnt do it, the nine-year-old future father of our fourth president stepped up to the plate.

Elizabeth Hutchinson Jackson had three sons. The eldest was killed in battle; the younger two promptly joined the cavalry and were captured by the British. Betty rode horseback to the prisoners camp, bargained for the release of Robert and Andrew, brought them home, and the following summer rode back to broker the release of her neighbors sons. The second trip resulted in the fever, and she died that fall.

Martin Van Burens father was a tavernkeeper. John Tylers father raised eight children and twenty-one wards. The only president not to marry grew up at the center of a circle of adoring females. Chester Arthurs parents had Canadian connections that caused a stir when he ran for office. And, perhaps significantly, a number of Presidents used their mothers maiden names as their own.

Sick of politics, you say? Thats fine; Cradles of Power is really more biographical in nature anyway.

From George W. to George W. and the guy after him, author Harold I. Gullan writes of the influences that shaped our presidents, for better or worse, going back sometimes for generations. Because the new nation (or the journey here) could be a hardship, we clearly see how outside forces shaped early leaders and how modern times led to different issues.

Gullan does the occasional comparison between sets of parents, which is a viewpoint that becomes quite fascinating, and he doesnt gloss over negative aspects of our Presidents childhoods. That offers a nice balance and a great peek through history.

Perfect for parents or grandparents, this book might also be enjoyed by teens who are just gaining an appreciation for the past and its players. And, of course, if thats you, then Cradles of Power is a book to hope for.
Ten years after the tyrants execution, the CIA agent who grilled him reveals the shattering truth- that everything the US thought it knew was WRONG. Tens of thousands of lives were lost, trillions of Dollars wasted, people left homeless, cities destroyed and the nation is yet to recover from the mess.

I had been up for 27 hours and was flat-out exhausted, but the news sent jolts of adrenaline through me like Id never experienced before. .

A Special Forces team hunting the man we called High Value Target No 1 had pulled someone from a hole in the ground. He answered the description. And my bosses at the CIA were grilling me, the expert.



Could this burly, unkempt man truly be Saddam Hussein, the ruthless dictator of Iraq? The most wanted man in the world?

It was December 13, 2003, and Id been in Iraq for eight weeks  a CIA analyst looking for leads that might take us to Saddam and his notorious henchmen. That was when I was called to see Buzzy Krongard, the CIAs executive director.

The war to topple the regime had been going for nearly nine months, yet when it came to Saddam, all wed turned up were Elvis sightings, as we called them. Until, that is, troops searching a farm near Saddams home village of Tikrit found a large bearded man concealed in a tiny underground bunker.

Now a group of senior officers were quizzing me in Krongards office; how, they asked, would I make a definitive identification? I told them about the tribal tattoos on Saddams right hand and wrist, the bullet scar on his left leg and that his lower lip tended to droop to one side, something I picked up from studying videotapes.

Krongard interrupted me: We need to make sure this is Saddam and not one of those body doubles.

The myth  and it was a myth  that Saddam maintained multiple lookalikes was a source of wry amusement to those of us who worked in intelligence, but I decided silence was the better part of valour and started compiling a list of questions only the dictator could answer.

The military was flying the putative Saddam to Baghdad airport that night and it was decided wed make the identification there.

At midnight, after a long wait, the convoy was ready. Men in night-vision goggles drove us at 100mph down the Airport Road, a no-go zone at night. At the airport, a side road led to a series of low-slung blockhouses that once housed Saddams Special Republican Guard. Inside, I found pandemonium and another wait until finally a GI said, OK, guys. Youre up.

Suddenly the door opened and I immediately found myself sucking in air. There he was, sitting on a metal folding chair, wearing a white dishdasha robe and blue quilted windbreaker.

There was no denying that the man had charisma. He was big  6ft 1in  and thickly built. Even as a prisoner who was certain to be executed, he exuded an air of importance.

I spoke first through a translator. I have some questions Id like to ask you, and you are to answer them truthfully. Do you understand?

Saddam nodded. When was the last time you saw your sons alive?

I expected Saddam to be defiant, but I was taken aback by the aggression of his reply: Who are you guys? Are you military intelligence? Mukhabarat [civilian intelligence]? Answer me. Identify yourselves!

I noted his tribal tattoos and that his mouth drooped. Now I needed to see his bullet wound.

There was so much we wanted to know. How had he escaped from Baghdad? Who had helped him? He would not say, answering only the questions he wanted to.

Why dont you ask me about politics? You could learn a lot from me, he barked. He was especially vocal on the rough treatment hed received from the troops who brought him in, launching a long diatribe.

I was incredulous. Here was a man who didnt think twice about killing his own people complaining about a few scratches. He lifted his dishdasha to show the damage to his left leg. I saw an old scar. Was it the bullet wound, I asked him. He assented with a grunt  the final piece of proof. Wed got him.

Capturing Saddam was all very well, but now we had to get to the truth about his regime, and in particular the weapons of mass destruction that had been the pretext for the invasion. His response was simply to mock us.

You found a traitor who led you to Saddam Hussein. Isnt there one traitor who can tell you where the WMDs are? He warmed to the subject, saying Americans were a bunch of ignorant hooligans who did not understand Iraq and were intent on its destruction.

Iraq is not a terrorist nation, he said. We did not have a relationship with (Osama) bin Laden, and did not have weapons of mass destruction and were not a threat to our neighbours. But the American President [George W Bush] said Iraq wanted to attack his daddy and said we had weapons of mass destruction.

Ignoring his goading, we asked Saddam if hed ever considered using WMDs pre-emptively against US troops in Saudi Arabia. We never thought about using weapons of mass destruction. It was not discussed. Use chemical weapons against the world? Is there anyone with full faculties who would do this? Who would use these weapons when they had not been used against us?

This was not what we had expected to hear. How, then, had America got it so wrong?

Saddam had an answer: The spirit of listening and understanding was not there  I dont exclude myself from this blame. It was a rare acknowledgment that he could have done more to create a clearer picture of Iraqs intentions.

Was he playing with us, twisting the truth to spare his pride?

I asked about his notorious use of chemical weapons against the Kurdish city of Halabja during the Iran-Iraq war. He became furious. I am not afraid of you or your president. I will do what I have to do to defend my country!

Then he turned to me and sneered: But I did not make that decision.

We decided to close the briefing. As Saddam left the room, he glared at me. I have annoyed quite a few people in my life, but no one has ever looked at me with such murderous loathing.

My superiors were delighted at the progress we were making, yet something nagged at me about the exchange. My gut told me that there was some truth in what Saddam had said. He was incensed about Halabja. Not because his officers had used chemical weapons  he showed no remorse  but because it had given Iran a propaganda field day.

It was not the only thing that would surprise me. For example, in my years studying Saddam, I never doubted the received wisdom that his stepfather in Tikrit beat him. Many eminent psychiatrists who had analysed him from afar said this was why Saddam was so cruel and why he wanted nuclear weapons.

Yet, in the course of my further interrogations, Saddam turned our assumptions upside down, saying his stepfather was the kindest man he had ever known: Ibrahim Hasan  God bless him. If he had a secret, he would entrust me with it. I was more dear to him than his son, Idham.

I asked about the CIAs belief that Saddam suffered great pain from a bad back and had given up red meat and cigars. He said he didnt know where I was getting my intelligence, but it was wrong. He told me he smoked four cigars every day and loved red meat. He was also surprisingly fit.

The CIA profile of Saddam suggested he was a chronic liar, yet he could be quite candid. Our perception that he ruled with an iron grip was also mistaken. It became clear from our interrogations that in his final years, Saddam seemed clueless about what had been happening inside Iraq. He was inattentive to what his government was doing, had no real plan for the defence of Iraq and could not comprehend the immensity of the approaching storm.

Saddam was quick, too, to deny involvement in 9/11. Look at who was involved, he said. What countries did they come from? Saudi Arabia. And this [ringleader] Muhammad Atta, was he an Iraqi? No. He was Egyptian. Why do you think I was involved in the attacks?

Saddam had actually believed 9/11 would bring Iraq and America closer because Washington would need his secular government to help fight fundamentalism. How woefully wrong he had been.

During our talks, we often heard muffled explosions. Saddam inferred things were not going well for the US forces and took pleasure in the fact. You are going to fail, he said. You are going to find that it is not so easy to govern Iraq. History has proved him right. But back then, I was curious why he felt that way.

Because you do not know the language, the history, and the Arab mind, he said. Its hard to know the Iraqi people without knowing its weather and its history. The difference is between night and day and winter and summer. Thats why they say the Iraqis are hard-headed  because of the summer heat.

He chuckled and added: Next summer, when it is hot, they might revolt against you. The summer of 1958 got a little hot. In the 1960s, when it was hot, we had a revolution. You might tell that to President Bush!

It was several years and several more postings to Iraq before I could explain the realities of Iraq to the President, face to face. By now, Saddam had been tried and executed, finally dispatched in late 2006.

But in late 2007, I was summoned to give a detailed presentation to George W. Bush at the Oval Office. What kind of a man had Saddam been, he asked me?

I told him that he was disarming at first and used self-deprecating wit to put you at ease.

The President looked as if he was going to lose his cool. I quickly explained that the real Saddam was sarcastic, arrogant and sadistic, which seemed to calm Bush down.

He looked at Vice-President Dick Cheney and their eyes locked in a knowing way. As I was leaving, he joked: You sure Saddam didnt say where he put those vials of anthrax? Everyone laughed, but I thought his crack inappropriate. America had lost more than 4,000 troops.

Several months later, I was asked to go back to the White House. This time, the President looked annoyed and distracted and asked for a briefing on the Shia cleric called Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army, then engaged in dangerous insurgency against the coalition. This was not on the agenda.

Trying to gain a few seconds, I said: Well, that is the $64,000 question Bush looked at me and said: Why dont you make it the $74,000 question, or whatever your salary is, and answer? What an a***hole!

In his 2010 memoir, Bush wrote: I decided I would not criticise the hardworking patriots of the CIA for the faulty intelligence on Iraq. But that is exactly what he did. He blamed the agency for everything that went wrong and called its analysis guesswork while hearing only what he wanted to hear.

I do not wish to imply that Saddam was innocent. He was a ruthless dictator who plunged his region into chaos and bloodshed. But in hindsight, the thought of having an ageing and disengaged Saddam in power seems almost comforting in comparison with the wasted effort of our brave men and women in uniform and the rise of Islamic State, not to mention the 2.5 trillion spent to build a new Iraq.

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Their lives may be worlds apart but the bond is clear as Prince Harry hugs African orphan Relebohile Potsane.

The royal met the 15-year-old, known as Mutsu, in Lesotho during his 2004 gap year when the lad was just four and they kept in touch.

Touchingly, Harry gave Mutsu a pair of bright blue wellington boots during their first meeting that the youngster would not be parted from  even wearing them to bed.



Harry, 32, was so moved by his experiences he set up the Sentebale charity 10 years ago to boost the Lesothos impoverished children.

And in an hour-long documentary charting his project, he is shown having an emotional reunion with Mutsu in November last year at his organisations new Mamohato Childrens Centre in Maseru.

Harry says: I had no mechanism to be able to start a charity than just literally being the ginger, white prince whos come to make these children laugh. Thats what it was.

And the pals met again earlier this year when Mutsu took his first overseas trip to London with 11 friends.

Now 16, he travelled with a choir, aided by Harrys charity, to perform in a fundraising concert headlined by Coldplay at Kensington Palace.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
A rubber stamp wont do.

Rick Perry. Scott Pruitt. Rex Tillerson. Meet Donald Trumps Cabinet-in-waiting that detests energy markets in Iowa and Illinois.

The likes of Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst must drop the kid gloves and stand for Iowas interests.

The Republican president-elect isnt simply hoping to send small-government administrators to the top of various departments. Hes picking saboteurs, rife with serious conflicts of interest, to reject the very agencies theyre slated to run, particularly those that regulate financial markets and the environment.

In Trumpland, Goldman Sachs executives would be charged with overseeing Wall Street, which, just nine years ago, sent the U.S. economy into a greed-fueled spiral.

The foxes are in the chicken coop.

Iowa and Illinois are both major energy producers. Wind turbines are a substantial part of both states economies. Perhaps few federal programs are more sacred in Iowa than the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which incentivizes growers to maximize corn production and supports more than 40,000 jobs, according to federal reports.

Perry, former Texas governor and Trumps nominee to head the Energy Department, hasnt hidden his distaste for the RFS. Why should he? He hails from oil-rich Texas. Big Oil despises the RFS. Perry would also be charged with overseeing the countrys nuclear fuel stockpile and research.

Trump is stocking his cabinet with department heads whose stated interests are counter to those that best serve Iowa and Illinois. Would-be Secretary of State Tillerson is an ExxonMobil executive. As Oklahomas attorney general, Pruitt denied climate change  the very foundation for Iowas renewable economy  and is also beholden to massive oil companies.

And yet, Iowa Republicans in particular are treating Trump and his cabinet of conflicts with the softest touch. At least Sen. Joni Ernst has made something of a peep. She said last week that shell question Pruitt about his commitment to the RFS before deciding on her support for him. Ernst must follow through on her pledge.

Never mind that Perry would replace an MIT-educated physicist. Never mind that Perry failed organic chemistry in college. Its par for the course in Trumpland, where the only qualification is a few billion in the bank and a visceral disdain for government. Ties to the Kremlin and experience on reality TV seem to help, too.

The true test of Sens. Ernst and Grassley will come when they are forced to vet this collection of swamp dwellers.

Its shaping up to be a mutually exclusive statement of support. State or party, senators?

 By the Quad-City Times, like the Globe Gazette a Lee Enterprises newspaper.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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IOWA FALLS  Charles Chuck Bernard Dixon, 80, of Iowa Falls, died Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, at the Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, at The Meeting Room in Iowa Falls.

Visitation will be 10 to 11 a.m., one hour prior to the service, at The Meeting Room.

Memorials may be directed to: Bible Truth Publishers; c/o Linns Funeral Home, Iowa Falls.

Arrangements are with the Linns Funeral Home in Iowa Falls.
The gig: Chris McIntyre is co-founder of EagleRider, the worlds biggest motorcycle tourism company. EagleRider, based in Hawthorne, offers bike rentals and sales, guided tours, branded apparel and related merchandise. Operating in 27 U.S. states and offering tours from 30 global locations, the company serves more than 100,000 customers annually.

Origin story: In 1992, McIntyre and his friend Jeff Brown were working white-collar jobs and riding motorcycles on the weekends when they met a bunch of European tourists near Big Sur. The tourists said they wanted to rent bikes and tour the California coast. McIntyre and Brown told them there was no way to do that  and then realized that there should be. Two years later, after adding a third partner in Peter Wurmer, they opened a San Pedro shop stocked with four Harley-Davidsons, one of them the bike that McIntyre had been riding that day in Big Sur, available for rent.

Slow start: It was a solid plan  Brown had written his Pepperdine MBA thesis on the motorcycle rental business  but the partners had trouble getting financial assistance. All the things that exist in the automobile business  financing, insurance  the answer was no, McIntyre said from the companys enormous headquarters. The biggest hurdle in our growth was convincing banks and insurance companies to support us.

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How it works: Renters can choose from more than 20 motorcycle models, from small scooters to massive cruisers, including bikes made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph, BMW and Honda. Guided tours include riding Harley-Davidsons the length of Route 66 and piloting snowmobiles around Jackson Hole, Wyo., at rates between $99 a day for a self-guided ride to $355 a day for a fully-curated event.

Plug and play: The EagleRider model is full service. Show up with a valid motorcycle license and the company does the rest, supplying the riders chosen bike, renting helmets, jackets and gloves, and offering guided or self-guided tours of any duration. The company will also rent customers a trailer to haul the bike and a support vehicle to follow the ride, and will sell riders extra clothes to wear in cold weather, a GoPro to record their adventures and branded merchandise to help them remember the ride. We arent really in the motorcycle business, McIntyre said. We are in the experience business. We rent dreams. Thats our trademark. Its copyrighted.

Two-wheel challenges: EagleRiders target customer can be a stickler. Prospective renters may have traveled thousands of miles, chasing a years-old dream, planning to spend many thousands of dollars to fulfill it. They want what they want. Motorcyclists are very particular, McIntyre said. They want a certain manufacturer. They want a certain model. A guy who wants a Honda Gold Wing really wants a Honda Gold Wing.

McIntyre admitted there have been unhappy customers who reserved a certain machine, then showed up to find it wasnt available. Sometimes a bike is in an accident or needs maintenance or isnt safe to ride, or a shipment we were expecting from the dealer didnt arrive on time, he said. Weve had people who got really upset. The solution? EagleRider now offers a motorcycle model guarantee policy. For an extra $18, above the $99 to $249 a day rental rate, the customer is guaranteed that a specific make and model will be waiting.

Side business: EagleRider has ruffled some feathers. Local motorcycle dealers dont like the fact that the rental company also sells used bikes, cutting into their sales. McIntyre calls it de-fleeting and defends the practice. We dont want to be in the bike sales business, and we dont want to impact dealers in our backyard, he said. But the more popular motorcycles often have to be sold after theyve been in the field eight months or less. If youre talking about 200 bikes in four locations, you can just sell them when you need to, McIntyre said. But if youve got 800 bikes in your Las Vegas location alone, and you have 60 locations, you need a sales strategy.

Personal: McIntyre, 50, has been married for 18 years and is the father of three kids. He still rides. Eagle 1, the Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail he was riding that day in Big Sur, is in his Costa Mesa home garage. But when he and his wife, June McIntyre, take a spin, its more likely to be on a new Harley-Davidson Street Glide or an Indian Roadmaster.

Getting bigger: In February EagleRider announced a partnership with Main Post Partners, a deep-pocketed San Francisco private equity firm. With Main Post funding, McIntyre and Brown bought out many of their original partners and became poised for new growth. This fall the company inaugurated Club EagleRider, a subscription-based motorcycle membership scheme. Customers who pony up $29 a month, and a one-time $39 initiation fee, get one free bike rental day a month, plus deep discounts on motorcycle rentals and tours and a variety of perks. McIntyre said Club EagleRider has signed up more than 5,000 members since its November launch.

Its like a health club, he said. You dont have to have a basement full of weights and machines to get in shape if you belong to a club. Same with Club EagleRider. Bikes are expensive. They take up a lot of space. This is a great price point into the world of two wheels.

Wisdom: McIntyre credits timing, hard work and luck in hiring for his good fortune. Its not that were that good or were that smart, he said. Its just that were passionate and have the best people.

Charles.Fleming@latimes.com

Twitter: @misterfleming
Question: Im the newly elected president of my association. Last week at our first meeting, the board decided to terminate the associations counsel of more than 30 years and get a new attorney. Our new counsel has made two written demands for our associations files. First our old attorney claimed the files were archived and he couldnt get to them. Then he said he destroyed all records and files 10 years or older.

Our association was never informed our files were being archived, and we never gave him permission to destroy any of our files. The state bar told us they have a statute of limitations on complaints against attorneys. We want our files back! What do we do now?

Answer: The previous attorneys claim that your files were destroyed without notice and consent is unacceptable and displays an astonishing lack of common sense given his long-term relationship with the board.

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Absent some express agreement between an attorney and client, files belong to the clients and they must be maintained safely, confidentially and potentially indefinitely. And while there is no clear-cut rule for how long files must be retained by attorneys in California, every attorney has a duty to return client files on request absent a prior agreement, according to the case Academy of California Optometrists Inc. vs. Superior Court, 51 Cal.App.3d 999 (1975). Whats more, the excuse of destroying old files does nothing to explain his inability to provide more recent records.

In addition to demanding more detailed information from the prior attorney about his inability to produce the records, the board needs to reread the original retainer or engagement agreement with this firm. It is not uncommon for such agreements to allow for the destruction of records after a certain period of time, perhaps 10 years, and the archiving after a shorter period. Those terms are typically negotiated at the time the retainer agreement is signed by the client-board. However, there can be ambiguity given that relative timelines are constantly moving. For example, how often is the 10-year period calculated?

Regardless of the conduct of the associations previous counsel, the homeowner associations boards were irresponsible over the 30-year span of representation not to demand copies of legal files on a regular basis and pass that on to each successive board. The documents contain the corporations knowledge base and undoubtedly include private and confidential information.

At the very least, the loss of association records makes ongoing operations more burdensome and expensive. At its worst, it could lead to legal liability for the association or loss of rights when it is unable, for example, to prove compliance with fair-debt collection practices or to respond to a challenge concerning the validity of a past election  just for starters.

If the associations retainer agreement was silent on the issues of file retention and your previous attorney cannot provide proof that notice was given to any board regarding the planned destruction of files, then you need to consider taking legal action.

The associations new attorney is in the best position to advise the board what legal action, if any, is possible. A complaint could be filed with the California State Bar, but there may be statutes of limitation that could jeopardize the associations ability to sue the attorney or his law firm for malpractice and damages.

For purposes of calculating the statute of limitations, however, your recent discovery of their alleged destruction may be considered the first documented notice. That means, the association may be able to bring a claim against the attorney, but it is important that there be no further delays in prosecution.

Zachary Levine, a partner at Wolk & Levine, a business and intellectual property law firm, co-wrote this column. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to Donie Vanitzian, JD, P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 or noexit@mindspring.com.
Hello! Im Mark Olsen, and welcome to your weekly field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

We dropped a series of year-end best lists this week. Kenneth Turan put Moonlight and Manchester by The Sea at the top of his list, while Justin Chang went for Silence, Moonlight and Toni Erdmann. My top three were Moonlight, The Lobster, and Silence. (The big takeaway here seems to be: See Moonlight.)

I was surprised and pleased by the amount of overlap we had among the three of us  Kenny and Justin both included Arnaud Desplechins My Golden Days, for example  but also the places where we did not. I will humbly suggest that awards voters looking to make sense of their screener pile or film fans trying to prioritize holiday viewing could do worse than using these lists as a guide.

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This past weeks Q&A with Nicolas Winding Refn and Cliff Martinez after a screening of The Neon Demon was something of a doozy, a veritable master class on movie music. There were cameras present, so a video should be available soon. Keep an eye out for upcoming events here: events.latimes.com.

Fences

Fences has arrived in theaters a bit ahead of the Christmas crush. Directed by Denzel Washington from a screenplay credited to playwright August Wilson  who died in 2005  the adaptation of the play stars Washington and Viola Davis. The actors are in the same roles they won Tony awards for when they were on Broadway in a 2010 revival of the play.

In his review for The Times, Kenneth Turan notes that the play has been opened up a little but not a lot and that it is the achievement of this Fences that, despite this lack of visual involvement, the combination of top acting and the powerful rhythm of the language in the dramas celebrated high spots absolutely holds us. Every moment on screen may not be enthralling, but the moments that are are such knockouts they make the enterprise essential viewing.

He added, One of August Wilsons great strengths is his ability to combine personal drama with broad social themes, and this film eloquently underlines that gift.

At the New York Times, A.O. Scott also noted, Fences is much more than a filmed reading. Mr. Washington has wisely resisted the temptation to force a lot of unnecessary cinema on the play.  Confinement, however, is a theme implied in the plays title, and opening it up too much would risk diluting the power of watching large personalities colliding in a narrow place.

At Vox, Alissa Wilkinson wrote, As a film, Fences is itself a bit static, a serious movie most interested in showcasing its stars outstanding performances. But its story also feels fresh, as if it were written to slot itself into the concerns of 2016: Questions of race and privilege, agency, and responsibility are all here.

Neruda

Pablo Larrain is having quite a year, releasing both Jackie, his unconventional portrait of Jackie Kennedy starring Natalie Portman, and now Neruda, likewise a not-quite-a-bio-pic of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Though Neruda did not make the Academys shortlist for the Oscar of foreign language film, the film, which stars Luis Gnecco and Gael Garcia Bernal, is a fascinating work.

In his review for The Times, Justin Chang wrote that Larrains latest film, along with the rest of his work, sealed his reputation as one of the most distinctive and continually surprising talents in world cinema, though nothing hes done to date has forced him to take such intuitive leaps, to abandon realism so completely, as Neruda.

Chang spoke to Larrain when the film premiered earlier this year at Cannes. We decided at some point that Neruda would create everything in the movie, Larrain said. Everything was just coming out of his head.  Every real artist is always doing something dangerous, at some point.

Chilean film director Pablo Larrain has two high-profile movies debuting in December: Jackie and Neruda. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

Carolina Miranda also spoke to Larrain and his collaborators more recently. Ive told people that if you are seeing this film to get to know Neruda, then you may have a problem, says Chilean actor Luis Gnecco, who plays the title role in Neruda. Its a film about fiction, how fiction can save you, how fiction can shape things.

Reviewing the film for the AP, Lindsey Bahr wrote, The stories of both Jackie Kennedy and Pablo Neruda are already compelling on their own, but Larrain manages to go beyond the specifics and get to their essence through powerfully and uniquely cinematic storytelling. Larrain is not interested in dramatizing a Wikipedia page but getting to the truth in spite of the facts. In this way, even though he explains relatively little, he reveals quite a lot.

Barry

Vikram Gandhis Barry finds another approach to the bio-pic, choosing to explore a very specific moment from the life one Barack Obama, long before he was president and was simply a young college student who preferred to go by Barry.

Reviewing the film for The Times, Kenneth Turan noted one of the best things about Barry is that it doesnt hammer us with its points. Director Gandhi makes sure the tone stays low-key, the way the future president himself would have liked it.

Actress Anya Taylor-Joy and actor Devon Terrell, from the bio-pic Barry, which looks at an era in Barack Obamas early adulthood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

At the New York Times, Manohla Dargis compared the film to John Fords Young Mr. Lincoln and added, The movies lived-in realism puts Barry on the ground, rather than in the air, where he experiences the usual coming-of-age agonies and joys.  The future beckons, but for now hes here.

At MTV News, Amy Nicholson included the film among her top 10 of the year. In her review, she said, Barry is about someone trying  and often failing  to fuse to any group that will have him. He uses charm like a chisel. Hes always hacking into peoples armor to convince them he belongs.  Barrys questions are powerful whether asked by a future president or a future janitor. The script is great no matter who its about  its just that fewer curiosity-seekers would give it a watch were it about someone else.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.
In the two weeks since the Oakland fire that claimed 36 lives at the venue known as Ghost Ship, the crackdown on other DIY (do it yourself) music venues has already begun.

Prominent spaces including Rhinoceropolis in Denver, Bell Foundry in Baltimore and Purple 33 in Los Angeles have been shut down for building code violations or cited as illegal residences. City Atty. Mike Feuer has launched investigations to identify more unapproved venues, with some promises to help evicted tenants.

Struggling to form a unified response to the fallout, some of the most prominent figures in the local underground arts and music scene held a panel Friday at the East Hollywood arts venue Non Plus Ultra to discuss possible strategies.

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The talk, DIY Lives, featured a varied swath of promoters, venue owners and artists, many of whom are facing the loss of their own venues. Speakers included Jim Smith of the downtown club the Smell, Pauline Lay of the late Echo Park venue Pehrspace, filmmaker Matthew Conboy, whose documentary Goodnight Brooklyn followed the life and demise of the New York venue Death by Audio, and Randy Randall of the punk group No Age.

While there was an air of malaise at the gathering about the impending venue crackdown, most of the panelists agreed that change was inevitable. Many admitted they were alarmed by general misconceptions about the DIY scene that have circulated after the Oakland tragedy.

Lay said some media outlets did not understand the DIY culture. Venues that were characterized as dangerous also felt very safe, like you were around other people who understood what was going on.

Those in attendance also emphasized the positive aspect of the DIY scene. Many venues like the Smell have led neighborhood rejuvenation, activating underused warehouses and improving blighted areas.

The more we talk, the more the public will embrace what we do as beneficial to communities, Smith said. We have to come out of the underground and get the city and community to help us. We need to not be afraid to reach out to the city and describe what we do and the ways that its of value. And if we can make it safer, then wed do it in a heartbeat.

Lay agreed: There are cool people [in government] who understand what these spaces are, and we can seek them out and explain that we want to be safe.

Many on the panel were also frustrated by mediacoverage of the Ghost Ship fire as a rave that went badly. That word  a descriptor for a large, unregulated outdoor dance music event  had little to do with the culture or logistics of most DIY venues, they maintained.

Several panelists expressed dismay that the DIY culture was also disparaged on social media, with some users implying that the victims of the Oakland fire, many of whom were LGBT and minorities, deserved their fate.

Though some venues such as Ghost Ship were undeniably unsafe even by DIY standards, panelists like Randall expressed that it was important to get a more accurate depiction out about what goes on in off-the-grid spaces. He viewed semi-legal spaces as fundamentally American, and essential to the intellectual life of young fans.

In his view, Randall said the DIY philosophy encourages being a freethinking person in charge of your own life. We do it because its a form of living.

Paul McCaffrey, one of the panels organizers, recognized that the DIY culture is now facing unprecedented stress and scrutiny in the wake of the Ghost Ship tragedy, and that promoters and artists should seek new ways of communicating.

Its important to remember that we dont need to use the Internet as our only means, he said. Before the Internet, these spaces still existed. You dont have to rely on Facebook to get things done.

Still, he added, One of the important things to come from Oakland is that we have to talk about our experiences, in ways that rebut inaccuracies about DIY culture.

Following the discussion, Conboys film, which spliced performance footage from Death By Audio with scenes of Brooklyn changing into a more upscale, straitlaced borough, was screened. In the films central irony, the venue was evicted after Vice Media, the $4-billion culture and politics hub and one of DBAs early champions, took over the building.

The film was made well before the Ghost Ship fire, but attendees at the event speculated that the impending crackdown would negatively affect the ambitious kids that made them thrive in the first place.

Its becoming a dystopia for all outsiders, Randall said. Theres a lot to be said for us getting loud and getting in peoples faces. Ive got a sinking feeling its only going to get worse, so we just have to go harder and bigger.

For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter.

ALSO:

Oaklands Ghost Ship fire is nightmare scenario for promoters, governments and music lovers

With the Smells future uncertain, L.A.s music scene could be altered

Ghost Ship fire mystery: What did fire officials know and when did they know it?
Officials say the casualty toll in a series of shooting attacks in Jordan has risen to nine dead, including a Canadian tourist, and 27 wounded.

One of Sundays attacks took place at a Crusader castle popular with tourists.

The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdoms claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

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The killing of the Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordans embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since Islamic State seized large parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 90 miles south of the capital, Amman.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, according to a statement by Jordans Public Security Directorate.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded, and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

Armed men also opened fire on a police station in Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of the security forces. The statement said five or six gunmen were believed to be holed up inside the castle.

In all, four members of the security forces and a female tourist from Canada were killed in the shootings, though it was not clear if all five were killed at the castle.

Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key U.S. ally, and a member of a U.S.-led military coalition fighting Islamic State.

Over the last year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected Islamic State sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three U.S. military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission and came under fire while driving into the base.

UPDATES:

11:42 a.m.: This article has been updated with the death toll rising to nine, and the number wounded to 27.

This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m.
OxyContin is a dying business in America. With the country dealing with an opioid epidemic, the medical establishment is turning away from painkillers. So the companys owners, the Sackler family, pursued a new strategy: Get the painkiller that is widely blamed for setting off the U.S. opioid crisis into medicine cabinets around the world.

A network of family-owned companies are pouring money into operations in the developing world and other countries less familiar with opioids: Brazil; China; Colombia; Spain; South Korea. Theyre using some of the same techniques that made OxyContin a pharmaceutical blockbuster in the U.S. Training seminars that tell doctors to overcome opiophobia. Awareness campaigns to reframe common conditions like migraines as things that deserve opioid painkillers. A discount program to make pills more affordable.

Promotional videos for the international companies feature smiling families and suggest they see OxyContins U.S. success  more than $34 billion in sales  as merely a beginning.

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Were only just getting started, the videos declare.

This is the third installment of our investigation into OxyContin. Join us on Reddit with any questions you might have.

Do you have an experience with OxyContin, or know someone who has? Tell us your story.

annie.yu@latimes.com

Twitter: @anniezyu

ALSO

Part 1: You want a description of hell? OxyContins 12-hour problem

Part 2: More than 1 million OxyContin pills ended up in the hands of criminals and addicts. What the drugmaker knew

How black-market OxyContin spurred a towns descent into crime, addiction and heartbreak

His next pill: An OxyContin users journey from pain relief to obsession and addiction
When Horace Mann Middle School principal Orlando Johnson thinks about the eighth-graders he sent off to high school last year, he worries about how they will fare.

Only about 1% of Horace Mann students in that grade and the ones below it tested at grade level in math. At the end of the year, the eighth-grade math teacher was dismissed for ineffective teaching. Sixth- and seventh-graders, meanwhile, were learning math from long-term substitutes.

Johnson wanted to fill the vacancies, but teachers werent lining up to work at one of the lowest performing schools in L.A. Unified.

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I felt almost like a failure as a principal because I was sending kids off to high school without a solid math foundation, he said.

Prospects have improved for Mann students this year. UCLA has formed a partnership with the school, now called Horace Mann UCLA Community School, that includes an effort to change the schools image, and plans to expand so that the campus eventually will serve grades 6 to 12, and potentially elementary grades as well.

The new eighth-grade math teacher is on the faculty of UCLAs Graduate School of Education. A UCLA doctoral student is teaching sixth-grade math. And UCLA undergraduates are tutoring Mann students.

As the district struggles with financial woes and an enrollment crisis, universities including UCLA and Loyola Marymount are stepping in to help. In exchange, they are gaining a significant say in how the schools are run, winning some of the freedom that charter schools enjoy, including having a say in teacher hiring and curriculum choice.

UCLAs partnership with Mann in South L.A. is the universitys second foray into the school district. The first UCLA Community School opened in 2009 on the site of the old Ambassador Hotel in Koreatown, on the campus of Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools.

For Loyola, expansion has come in response to the popularity of Playa Vista Elementary School, which it operates in conjunction with the school district. Recently, the LAUSD school board approved a new middle school in the Westchester neighborhood that would give preference to children already attending Playa Vista. The middle school, which does not yet have a name, is expected to serve as a teacher training ground for Loyolas students.

The field of education is changing. Universities and K-12 systems cant work in isolation anymore, said Manny Aceves, an associate dean at the LMU School of Education. The days of learning to become a teacher at university, those days are not really the way we want to approach things anymore. We truly feel we can prepare educators in a much stronger way at local school sites.

For district officials, part of the appeal of these university partnerships is the possibility that they will encourage families to keep their children in L.A. Unified schools. When the first UCLA Community School opened, the district was feeling newly threatened by the arrival of charter schools.

It was a very new movement, People didnt really know how it was going to play out in L.A., said Karen Quartz, research director for the UCLA community schools. And so the university wanted to be part of this alternative reform effort that would be inside [the district].

Manns enrollment has been hit hard as the number of charter schools in South L.A. has mushroomed. Although the campus was built for about 1,500 students, today fewer than 400 attend Mann. The district has turned some of the empty classrooms over to one of the charter schools.

LAUSDs board approved the partnership between UCLA and Mann in October, and on a recent visit it appeared the university was already making its presence felt. Multiple UCLA education school faculty members serve on the school design team, helping to plan curriculum and teacher development. One UCLA graduate student researcher co-teaches the schools first ethnic studies class, while another holds after-school seminars and surveys students about safety, classroom instruction and school climate.

At first, Johnson said some Mann teachers were apprehensive.

They felt like, oh, somebody else is coming in  to tell us how to do it. And then theyre not going to succeed and theyre going to leave in a year or two. Thats what they were afraid of, he said. I think [UCLA] earned a lot of respect when they started to work with us before the ink was even dry.

In Westchester, Loyolas partnership with the district to open a new middle school has become the focus of a heated battle between families in Playa Vista who have greeted the school with enthusiasm, and their neighbors in Playa del Rey and Westchester, who say the district has excluded them.

At the center of this fight is well-off families resistance to the idea of sending their children to their zoned middle school, Orville Wright Engineering and Design Magnet, which is under-enrolled and has struggled to counter its reputation for low academic achievement. Many of the families who live near the school choose to leave the district, enrolling their children in charter or private schools or seeking permits to attend the nearby El Segundo Unified School District.

Under the districts plan, Playa Vista Elementary School students will be given an admission preference at the new middle school, virtually assuring them seats in what has been billed as an extension of their high-performing, science and technology-focused school. If these students do not fill the 150-seat sixth- and seventh-grade classes opening next fall on the campus of the old Westchester High School, children from nearby neighborhoods will be permitted to enroll.

At public hearings, Playa Vista parents have praised the district for opening a new school, but other families have expressed disappointment and anger.

When those tiered admission priorities came out, it was a slap in the face, said Christina Nairn, 39, a Westchester resident who hopes eventually to send her kindergartner to Loyolas new middle school but is considering leaving for the El Segundo school district. Were being told. Its not for you, its for them, but were going to put the school in your community.

District officials explanation that they are trying to create a pathway for Playa Vista students to continue in a school similar to the one they will have graduated from has failed to quell the discontent.

School board member Monica Ratliff said the areas affluence may have been a factor in the districts decision to open the school in Playa Vista. It feels a little bit like based on socioeconomics and based on LMU, this is happening here, she said, whereas in other areas where we have the beginnings of pathways, they arent getting anywhere.

L.A. Unifieds partnerships with universities have not always gone smoothly. In 2007, USCs Rossier School of Education took on the challenge of trying to improve Crenshaw High Schools academics. But the university walked away from the collaboration after five years, too frustrated with the school district to continue, according to an essay by the schools dean published earlier this year. The university has since founded a network of three charter schools, with two more expected to open next year in Pico-Union and East Los Angeles.

Frances Gipson, the districts chief academic officer, said LAUSD wants to increase the number of schools linked to reputable universities.

Can I tell you how many of each type of school we will have in the near future? Not at this time. But were actively pursuing partnerships, she said.

Reach Sonali Kohli at Sonali.Kohli@latimes.com or on Twitter @Sonali_Kohli.
Two Alameda County sheriffs deputies seen on surveillance video beating a man with batons in San Franciscos Mission District have been fired, authorities said.

Deputies Paul Wieber and Luis Santamaria are no longer with the Alameda County Sheriffs Office as of 5 p.m. Friday, Alameda County sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Kelly did not provide details on their departure, but Michael Rains, an attorney for Santamaria, said the deputies were fired for their role in the Nov. 12, 2015, beating of Stanislav Petrov.

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The deputies were caught on surveillance video striking Petrov more than 40 times with steel batons after a 38-minute car chase from Castro Valley and a foot chase into a dark alley in San Francisco.

The San Francisco district attorneys office charged Wieber and Santamaria in May with assault with a deadly weapon, assault under the color of authority and battery. They pleaded not guilty.

The office also opened a criminal investigation against Deputy Shawn Osborne, who is seen in the video holding a gold chain that had been taken from Petrov as he lay bleeding on the ground. Osborne is accused of giving the gold chain to a homeless couple who witnessed the incident in exchange for keeping quiet.

Petrov suffered cuts to his head and broken bones in his hands and arms. His attorneys said he also endured mental anguish and fear. He filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the deputies in August.
Los Angeles County sheriffs detectives are searching for a suspect in the Saturday evening killing of a man in Compton, who was shot in his car by an assailant in another vehicle, according to authorities.

While on routine patrol, sheriffs deputies found the victims white sedan stopped in the street, said Deputy Kelvin Moody. They discovered the man slumped over the steering wheel, with gunshot wounds in his upper torso.

Authorities pronounced the man dead at the scene. A female sitting next to him was uninjured, Moody said.

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Before the shooting, which occurred at 6:45 p.m., the victim was driving west on 130th Street, toward Wilmington Avenue, when a second white sedan pulled up to his car. The shooter opened fire with a handgun and drove off, according to Moody.

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrier
Two men were pulled from Coronado Bay early Sunday morning after their car plunged into the water from a bayside parking lot, Coronado police said.

Police responded to the parking lot of the Loews Coronado Resort about 1:30 a.m. to find a car submerged in about 12 feet water, authorities said.

Two men were pulled from the water by witnesses and taken to the hospital with moderate to serious injuries, according to Coronado police.

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Harbor police assisted with the vehicle recovery. The investigation is ongoing.

Police said it was unknown yet whether alcohol was a factor in the incident.

allison.sampite-montecalvo@utsandiego.com

Sampite-Montecalvo writes for the San Diego Union Tribune
The first body he saw, he recognized.

She looked like a mannequin under a pile of charred wreckage about a dozen feet high, among pianos, drum kits and amplifiers coated with soot.

As Brian Centoni carefully peeled away layers of debris, his body drenched in sweat under heavy fire gear, he realized he knew her face.

Hours earlier, the fire engineer had seen her photograph on the news. She reminded him of his wife. Same size, same race. She was somebodys daughter. She was among those unaccounted for after a fire broke out during a concert at an Oakland warehouse known as the Ghost Ship.

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She was the 31st victim authorities pulled from the rubble.

This situation was just, like, Wow,  Centoni said later. It just got real, real fast.

Brian Centoni, an Alameda County fire engineer, labored for hours searching for bodies after the Ghost Ship fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

For days after the Dec. 2 fire, dozens of searchers fulfilled their grim mission in near silence. Some constructed wooden shoring to stabilize areas where the two-story building was collapsing, while others filled five-gallon buckets with blackened lamps, pieces of pallet furniture and horned skull masks while searching for bodies. The work was slow and somber, done mostly by hand, at times with shovels.

Centoni spent roughly three hours digging through the smoldering hulk of the massive Ghost Ship. These are hours neither Centoni nor other firefighters will ever forget.

You go in there, you put your head down and you work, said Brian Ferreira, a fire captain with the Alameda County Fire Department who spent several hours that Sunday sawing wood and hammering nails to build five large shores that could each hold roughly 16,000 pounds of weight. Were doing it with the intent to bring closure to those families, to bring them their loved ones.

Sundays are typically quiet at Centonis Alameda County Fire Station No. 10, several miles from the East Oakland warehouse in neighboring San Leandro.

Centoni, a 36-year-old guitarist in a band with other firefighters, thought hed squeeze in time between calls to catch the Oakland Raiders playing the Buffalo Bills on TV.

But about halfway into his 48-hour shift, Centonis crew got called to the warehouse fire.

A feeling of dread ran through him. He knew hed be searching for the dead.

I knew I was going to see young kids, artists and musicians  kind of like myself, Centoni said.

But he thought of his father, a retired firefighter who responded to the World Trade Center with cadaver dogs two weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and felt proud to have been chosen for such a daunting task.

After a briefing, Centonis crew, including Capt. Bryan Dillingham and firefighter Brendan Burke, hopped on their rig and headed to Oakland Fire Station No. 13, where they swapped out their dress uniforms for their protective turnout gear. Centoni fastened his helmet and pulled on his gloves before walking a few hundred feet to the Ghost Ship, past people weeping and laying bouquets of flowers outside the building.

It felt eerie inside; smoke hung in the damp air. Reality struck when he glimpsed that first body. In that moment, he had no idea what the rest of the day would hold  whether hed find one more body, or 20.

1 / 24 The ruins of the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, the site of a fire that killed at least 36 people, are seen from above on Dec. 5. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 24 Debris litters the inside of a warehouse where a fire killed 36 people during a club-style party. (David Butow / For The Times) 3 / 24 A firefighter walks through the burned-out Oakland warehouse on Saturday. (David Butow / For The Times) 4 / 24 Firefighters walk through a debris-strewn warehouse where a fire killed at least nine people in Oakland. (David Butow / For The Times) 5 / 24 A drone flies over investigators outside Oaklands Ghost Ship warehouse, where 36 people died this month in one of the worst fires in modern California history. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 24 Titus Cromwell, 4, places a flower from his familys garden near the scene of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in Oakland. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 24 In the days after the Ghost Ship fire in Oakland, hearts dedicated to victims were hung from a nearby tree. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 24 Daryl Norman, 63, of Oakland stops by the scene of the fire on his way to church in Oakland. I had to come see for myself, he said of the 36 victims. God bless them. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 24 People stand at the perimeter holding flowers while watching crews remove material from what remains of the Ghostship warehouse fire, that burned and killed at least 36 people in the Oakland neighborhood of Fruitvale. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 24 An art installation near the scene of the Ghost Ship fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 24 People pay their respects Dec. 11 near the scene of the warehouse fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 24 Mourners observe a moment of silence for the lives lost in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire at the Oakland Museum of California on Friday evening. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 13 / 24 ATF agents map the scene of the fire investigation Friday at the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland. (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times) (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 14 / 24 Rain falls on the memorial for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles TImes) 15 / 24 Hillary Morse, 22, of Oakland mourns the loss of two of her close friends in the warehouse fire in Oakland. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 24 Jacob Ramirez, 4, left, looks on while his grandmother Eva Ramirez, 52, consoles Hillary Morse, 22, right, of Oakland near the site of the warehouse fire in Oakland. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 24 Flowers, candles and notes, memorializing those killed and injured in the Ghostship warehouse fire that burned and killed at least 36 people in the Oakland neighborhood of Fruitvale. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 24 A makeshift memorial of flowers and candles stands Dec. 4 near the site of the Oakland warehouse fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 24 A man who identified himself as Ben P. reads cards on Sunday at a memorial near the site of the blaze. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 24 Kristen Grzeca, a music teacher at Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, hugs Monina Sen Cervone, director of world music and dance at the school, on Sunday at a makeshift memorial for victims of the warehouse fire. A 17-year-old victim was one of Grzecas students. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 24 After attending church, Teionna Cunningham of Oakland leaves flowers near the site of the fire. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 24 A Seventh Day Adventist group prays on Sunday near the scene of the fire on 31st Avenue in Oakland. (David Butow / For The Times) 23 / 24 Flowers are left near an Oakland warehouse where a fire broke out during a concert, killing 36 people. (David Butow / For The Times) 24 / 24 Dino Graniello, left, and Jessie Xenakis light candles near the scene of a warehouse fire in Oakland that killed at least two dozen partygoers. (David Butow / For The Times)

Coroners officials came over to snap photographs, looking for tattoos or piercings that would help verify the womans identity, before her body was carried to a more secure area.

As he dug farther down in the pile, Centoni noticed two more bodies. A man and a woman had fallen together from the second floor after flames climbed walls and caved in the roof. Authorities fished out their iPhones and wallets, still mostly intact.

They really had no chance, Centoni said. The fire just snuck up on them so fast.

If only the fire broke out at a different hour, he thought, when the warehouse wasnt filled with people.

It just trips me out how everything lined up perfectly to have this tragedy happen, Centoni said. It was basically a burial ground for these people.

With his face coated with dirt and ash, Centoni took a break that Sunday afternoon to hydrate. He almost couldnt eat after what hed seen, but he felt fatigued and hungry. He scarfed down tacos and water, washed up and waited to see if hed be sent back inside.

He wanted to go back in, he told his captain. He wanted to help.

Another round of digging followed, but he found no other bodies.

By that night, Centoni had returned to his regular fire station. He threw his dirty turnouts in the wash and, after showering, changed into a spare set.

Another emergency call came in. Someone was having chest pains.

With his muscles sore and a trace of soot still on his face, Centoni jumped into Engine 10 with his crew and rolled out.

It was like nothing happened, he said.

Emotion would seep through later, triggered by a news alert, a mindless cleaning task, a photograph.

Firefighters are faced with horrific things on a daily basis: victims of fires and auto accidents and medical emergencies, said Alameda County Deputy Fire Chief Jim Call. It can weigh heavy.

Waking up at his regular fire station Monday morning, Centoni glanced at his cellphone while still in bed. An alert had come in from KTVU: Three more bodies had been recovered from the Ghost Ship. The final death toll would be 36.

Centonis shift was over at 8 a.m. At home, he hugged his 8-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter a little tighter than usual. When hed picked up his daughter from school, a teacher walking with a line of students saw him, stopped and asked, Were you on Engine 10 yesterday?

He said yes, and she gave him a hug.

Centoni spent his day off cleaning out his music studio, thinking of the victims as he moved his own amplifiers and cables, equipment that resembled the ruins hed spent hours sifting through the day before.

Later, he recorded a song called Eureka for his reggae-rock bands upcoming album. It was almost as if he was recording the song for them, he said, those lost in the Ghost Ship.

You see how creative these people were; everybodys super talented  DJs, artists, beatboxers  all super talented people that loved music, Centoni said. I almost couldve saw myself in this place.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

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Officers from a gang unit fired shots at an armed man in the Westlake District on Saturday night, but the suspect fled and a search for him continued for several hours, according to a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman.

The shooting occurred at 7:15 p.m., the spokesman said. The search prompted officers to close the area bounded by Olympic Boulevard and 8th Street, between Alvarado and Lake streets. The man was still at large as of 11 p.m.

The spokesman had no further details.

anh.do@latimes.com

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Twitter: @newsterrier
A woman was killed and her son injured when a speeding car spun into oncoming traffic and crashed into their vehicle in Whittier on Friday night, authorities said.

A white Hyundai and black BMW were accelerating next to each other as they sped north in the 7700 block of Colima Road about 8:40 p.m., Whittier police said in a statement. One of the vehicles struck the other, causing the Hyundai to spin into opposing lanes and hit an oncoming Honda Accord, police said.

The female driver of the Accord was killed, and her juvenile son was transported to UCI Medical Center for treatment of what authorities described as minor injuries. Police said the deceased driver lived in Whittier, but they have yet to identify her.

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The drivers of the other two vehicles, Corey Kiefer and Jacob Zamora, both 22, were arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter.

Zamora, the driver of the white Hyundai, and a passenger were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injures, police said. Kiefer, the driver of the black BMW, did not sustain any injuries.

It was not immediately clear whether either man was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision. Authorities did not specify whether they believe the two drivers were racing.

matt.stevens@latimes.com

Twitter: @ByMattStevens
The best known of three glamorous sisters from Hungary, actress Zsa Zsa Gabor pioneered a modern version of celebrity  she was famous for being famous.

With the advent of television talk shows, Gabor became a frequent guest as early as the 1950s, charming audiences with her fractured English and slightly risque jokes about her reputation as an oft-married seductress fond of men and money.

Husbands are like fires. They go out if unattended, she would say. Or I want a man who is kind and understanding. Is that too much to ask of a millionaire?

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Her nine marriages and reputation for shaving years off her age made her a pop-culture punch line. When entertainer Bob Hope joked, You can calculate Zsa Zsa Gabors age by the rings on her fingers, it only cemented her fame.

So did a penchant for public escapades that included a 1989 assault conviction for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer. When reporters asked if she was prepared for a long trial, she cooed: I have enough outfits to last a year.

The final years of her life were marked by a strange circus of publicity often orchestrated by her ninth husband, Prince Frederic von Anhalt, a German immigrant who had brokered an adoption as an adult to gain a royal-sounding title. He issued frequent media alerts on her precarious health and publicly squabbled with Gabors only child, Francesca Hilton.

Gabor died Sunday of heart failure in her Bel Air mansion, according to her publicist Edward Lozzi. She was 99.

1 / 4 Gabor with her first husband, Turkish diplomat Burhan Asaf Belge, in Ankara. (Pictorial Parade / Getty Images) 2 / 4 Gabor and her third husband, actor George Sanders, whom she called the love of her life. Sanders, who later married Gabors sister Magda, wrote in his autobiography that Zsa Zsa was the 20th centurys Madame de Pompadour, Queen of Sheba and Cleopatra. (Jim Pringle / Associated Press) 3 / 4 With Mexican businessman Felipe de Alba after their 1982 wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The marriage lasted only a day before it was declared invalid because Gabors divorce from husband No. 7 wasnt final. (Pat Alisau / Associated Press) 4 / 4 Gabor and Prince Frederic von Anhalt leave court in Beverly Hills in 1989. When she married him three years earlier, she told reporters he would be her last husband, and she was right. (Doug Sheridan / Associated Press)

The last surviving Gabor sister, she had been in declining health after being seriously injured in 2002 when the Rolls-Royce convertible in which she was riding, with her hairdresser at the wheel, jumped a curb on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood and struck a light pole. The accident left Gabor partially paralyzed.

She had been in and out of the hospital since breaking her hip in 2010 and having most of her right leg amputated in early 2011 after developing an infection following hip-replacement surgery.

Although her personal life grabbed the headlines, Gabor did build an acting career. One of her finest film roles came early in her career when she portrayed Henri Toulouse-Lautrecs model in 1952s Moulin Rouge. In directing her, John Huston reportedly said: Zsa Zsa, forget about acting. Just make love to the camera.

Gabor later told a biographer: Now, I knew very little about acting but a great deal about making love. It worked.

In 1958 she made an impression as a strip-club owner in the Orson Welles cult classic Touch of Evil and appeared in the campy Queen of Outer Space, one of her many more forgettable movies. She acted in at least 30 films.

By the 1970s, Gabor had begun turning down the smaller parts that came her way but would occasionally appear on TV and in movies. She made appearances on talk shows, and on game shows as a panelist, into the 1990s.

To Gabor, everyone was dahlink, an endearment that entered the vernacular of mid-20th century America. She was a celebrity of the old school who believed in glamour. She once said of todays actresses, When you see them in real life, they look like nothing. Not so Zsa Zsa, who flaunted her jewels and furs.

She turned her celebrity into a commodity, mining her own reputation for one-liners. I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man I keep his house, she might say, or There is nothing wrong with a woman encouraging a mans advances, as long as they are in cash.

The aristocratic, blond Gabor was reportedly wooed by such rich and famous men as Prince Aly Khan, billionaire J. Paul Getty and actor Richard Burton, none of whom she married.

Shortly after arriving in the U.S. in 1942, she made her most notable marriage with second husband Conrad Hilton, the hotel magnate, who was more than twice her age.

The union lasted five years. The couples daughter, Francesca, was the only offspring of the Gabor sisters, who had at least 18 marriages among them. Older sister Magda, who largely stayed out of the limelight, had at least five husbands, while younger sister Eva had at least four. Eva made the biggest splash as an actress, co-starring in the CBS sitcom Green Acres, which debuted in 1965.

Life with his young wife, Hilton later wrote, was a little like holding a Roman candle  beautiful, exciting, but you were never quite sure when it would go off. And it is surprisingly hard to live the Fourth of July every day.

He added, Glamour, I found, is expensive.

For her part, Gabor later said Hilton was the only husband she had married for money. In the divorce settlement she received $35,000 and $2,500 a month until she remarried. That union linked her by marriage to tabloid favorite Paris Hilton, Conrads great-granddaughter.

Gabors next marriage, in 1949, was to actor George Sanders, whom she called her one true love. But Gabor complained that the mercurial Sanders wanted to turn her into a little hausfrau and divorced him after five years. Sanders, who was later briefly married to Gabors sister Magda, committed suicide in 1972.

Gabor next married businessman Herbert Hutner, oilman Joshua Cosden, inventor Jack Ryan, attorney Michael OHara and Mexican businessman Felipe de Alba. The De Alba union was declared invalid after a day because Gabors divorce from OHara wasnt final.

In 1986, when Gabor married Von Anhalt, she told reporters he would be her last husband. She was true to her word.

Zsa Zsa Gabor was born Sari Gabor in Budapest on Feb. 6, 1917, and named for Hungarian actress Sari Fedak. Her father, Vilmos, was a cavalry officer turned diamond merchant, and her mother, Jolie, was a onetime aspiring actress who steered her daughters toward show business.

At 15, Zsa Zsa entered the Miss Hungary contest, which led to another beauty contest in Vienna. Instead of returning to Swiss boarding school, Gabor proposed to Burhan Belge, a former Turkish ambassador to Hungary, and the couple married.

But bored with her first husband  and entranced by sister Evas descriptions of life in Hollywood, where she had started acting  Gabor hopped a ship to America in 1941 and had her marriage annulled.

Her mother came too and started a successful jewelry business in New York. With her daughters, she became a fixture of high society. Both Zsa Zsa and Eva often appeared on the covers of popular magazines, and in 1953 the three sisters had a nightclub act in Las Vegas.

Gabor said she was born to make headlines, and often did.

In a 1989 incident that came to be known as the slap heard round the world, she was convicted of assaulting Paul Kramer, a Beverly Hills police officer who had pulled over her Rolls-Royce Corniche for having expired license-plate tags. She claimed she never hit him, served three days in an El Segundo jail and paid nearly $13,000 in fines. She later poked fun at the cop-slapping incident in the movie The Naked Gun 2 1/2.

She became entangled in a slander suit brought by actress Elke Sommer, who didnt appreciate being called a has-been. Gabor was ordered to pay $3.3 million in damages in 1993.

Gabor and Von Anhalt pursued lawsuits against the driver of her Rolls-Royce in the aftermath of her 2002 accident, and against Gabors daughter over disputed finances, one of several clashes that publicly pitted Von Anhalt against Francesca Hilton.

But when Francesca Hilton began performing a stand-up comedy routine in 2008 that riffed on her famous family lineage, Gabor supported the move, according to her daughter. My mother and I, were the best of friends now that were the same age, Hilton, then 61, said in a joke referring to Gabor that wrapped up the act. Hilton died in January 2014 of an apparent stroke. She was 67.

Medical bills and meager savings forced Von Anhalt to list Gabors mansion in 2011, he said. Two years later the home sold for $11 million in a court-approved deal that allowed the couple to continue living there for three more years.

An accomplished horsewoman, Gabor rode in the Rose Parade and owned a horse ranch in Ventura County. She also wrote several autobiographies, including a slender 1970 volume, How to Catch a Man, How to Keep a Man, How to Get Rid of a Man.

A girl must marry for love, Gabor once said, and keep on marrying until she finds it.

She is survived by her husband, who could not immediately be reached for comment by The Times on Sunday.

Nelson and Beyette are former Times staff writers.

Times staff writer Trevell Anderson contributed to this report.

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It speaks volumes about the plight of rabble-rousers in China today that Ai Weiwei, the countrys most famous dissident artist, has decided that working there is too dangerous  so he wants to go to Syria.

Ai, who received his passport back from Chinese authorities last year, is turning his attention to Syrian refugees. For the artist, who spent 81 days in Chinese detention in 2011 and then was blocked from traveling for four years, it is a way of remaining relevant without landing in jail.

Ai reflected on his situation during a trip to New York last month. He said he does not want his 7-year-old son to experience the same difficulties as he did as a child when his father, the acclaimed Chinese poet Ai Qing, was purged after he fell out with former leader Mao Tse-tung and was exiled.

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Its not fair for a child, his father taken away for [a] stupid reason, Ai Weiwei said after a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations. I dont want to put too much trauma on him like my father did. My father had no choice. I do have choice.

Ai still spends time in Beijing, his birthplace and home of his octogenarian mother, but increasingly he is out of China. He has a home and studio in Berlin, where his son attends an international school, and another studio on the Greek island of Lesbos, the center of his work with refugees.

As though making up for lost time, the 59-year-old artist has lived and worked in a remarkable number of places around the world since regaining his passport. He has so many exhibits going this year it is hard to keep track  four locations in New York City, others in Princeton, N.J., and Pittsburgh, another in Florence and one that recently concluded in Vienna.

His documentary about refugees is being filmed in Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Israel, the Gaza Strip, Mexico  and he hopes, Syria.

This is somebody who didnt have a passport for years and so he has a lot of pent-up energy with much he wants to say and share, said Jeffrey Deitch, the former director of the L.A. Museum of Contemporary Art whose New York gallery, Deitch Project, is currently exhibiting Ais work on refugees. He is also someone who has a lot of courage.

Ais trip last month to New York was the first in five years to the city where he lived in the 1980s. During his talk at the council, he had little to say that was encouraging about the political climate in China. Many of his friends, lawyers and activists have been detained, often without formal charges, beaten, fined or placed under house arrest, he said.

I dont even think they can exist in China, even just for lawyers who fight for, you know, just basic rights of their clients, Ai said. If you touch any political issues, theres no such thing as rule of law. Its getting really very bad, the situation.  There is no space to negotiate.

Ai has done so many things to offend the Chinese Communist Party it is hard to pinpoint what exactly got him in trouble. But likely more than anything else  even more than the self-portraits in which he gives the middle finger to the portrait of Mao at Tiananmen Square  it was his tributes to young victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that angered authorities.

Ai compiled the names of more than 5,000 students killed when their shoddily constructed schools collapsed, and proceeded to keep the tragedy in the news with various projects devoted to their memories.

One of the more memorable was a 55-foot-long snake made of childrens backpacks that were salvaged from the earthquake zone.

The artists recent work echoes that approach. For an exhibit open until Dec. 23 in New York entitled Laundromat, Ai collected 2,046 articles of clothing and shoes that were left behind when authorities demolished a refugee camp at the border of Greece and Macedonia. The clothes were meticulously laundered, ironed, categorized and photographed, the care devoted to each item illustrating the preciousness of the humans who once wore them.

It is a way of giving refugees back their dignity, said Deitch, the gallery owner. We see people leave this exhibit in tears.

Ai became interested in refugees when he was asked to select drawings by people living in the Shariya refugee camp in Iraq to be displayed at last years Venice Biennale. Although he couldnt travel to Iraq himself without his passport and sent assistants instead, he found himself strongly identifying with the refugees. It reminded him of his childhood living in exile with his father in Chinas remote Xinjiang region.

I know what it is like to be viewed as a pariah, as sub-human, as a threat and danger to society, he wrote in an essay for the Laundromat exhibit.

In a photo that received some criticism as a publicity stunt, Ai had himself photographed lying face down on a beach in the same position as Aylan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach and whose image was shown around the world last year.

Ai is simultaneously a master of publicity and quite secretive about his upcoming work. He has disclosed little about the documentary, except in an interview published through the Deitch gallery in which he said his crews were covering several different stories  a young pianist who fled from Syria, a family of 30 people from Afghanistan, a female refugee carrying her cat. (Ai is famous for his love of cats.)

Ai told the Council of Foreign Relations that he hoped to go to Syria for the project.

I really want to face the danger and to be in the situation. I think thats more real. Thats why I want to get into Syria as documentary maker, he said.

During the same appearance, Ai bristled slightly at a question from a reporter about whether he had given up on artwork criticizing the Chinese government.

Thats a very, very simple conclusion or some kind of suggestion. When I fight [for] human rights in China, I never think thats human rights in China. I think thats human rights everywhere, he said. Human rights is the value which I believe is universal.

barbara.demick@latimes.com

Twitter: BarbaraDemick
American presidential elections are generally orderly affairs. People vote, somebody wins and life goes on. Its our proud tradition of democratic self-governance.

And yet: The whole thing is controlled by a cabal of elites who actually pick the nations commander-in-chief, and who, theoretically, have the power to defy voters and stop Donald Trump from becoming Americas president.

For the record: An earlier version of this article said that 13 U.S. states sent representatives to the constitutional convention in the summer of 1787. Men from 12 states attended; Rhode Island declined to send a delegate.

We are talking, of course, about the electoral college, a 229-year-old contraption of democracy that the Founding Fathers had to cobble together because they couldnt figure out a better way to pick presidents.

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On Monday, 538 electors from the 50 states, including three from the District of Columbia, will convene across the country to cast the votes that decide who will sit in the Oval Office in January.

Trump is expected to win when the electors vote, even though more Americans cast ballots for Hillary Clinton. Trump was more popular in states that control more electoral votes. Thats the system. Regular Americans dont get a direct say in who becomes president, and not all Americans votes are equal.

Thats the very intent of the electoral college, albeit a design forged from an 18th-century political struggle over how to balance freedom and slavery, elitism and populism, independence and accountability.

The people are uninformed, and would be misled by a few designing men.  Elbridge Gerry, Massachusetts delegate

Lets look back to 1787. The United States of America consists of 13 newly independent states that are bound together by the troubled Articles of Confederation. There are big states like Virginia and small states like Delaware. Some of them have slavery; some dont.

At that summers constitutional convention, white men from 12 of those states fussed over how to make a new federal government where everybody (everybody like them, anyway) got an equal slice of the pie. Rhode Island declined to send a delegate to the constitutional convention.

The debate over how to pick the president actually started with how to create Congress. The congressional puzzle was this: If each state got an equal number of lawmakers in Congress, the small states would wield disproportionate power over the big states. But if states were given seats in Congress according to population alone, the big states huge delegations could just ignore the smaller states.

The founders split the difference by splitting Congress. The big states got more power in the population-based House of Representatives, and the small states got more power in the Senate, where each state got two votes. (The Southern slave states struck their own deal with the notorious Three-Fifths Compromise: Slaves would count as three-fifths of a person for the sake of political representation.)

Then it was time to create the presidency. Some delegates initially proposed that Congress pick the president, but others suggested a direct national popular vote.

If the people should elect, they will never fail to prefer some man of distinguished character, or services, said Pennsylvania delegate Gouverneur Morris, proposing a popular-vote system, according to notes kept of the debates. If the Legislature elect, it will be the work of intrigue, of cabal, and of faction. Another problem was that if Congress controlled who became president, the president could easily become Congress puppet.

But other delegates objected: Small states wishes could be ignored in a popular vote. It was the Congress problem all over again. The most populous States by combining in favor of the same individual will be able to carry their points, said Charles Pinckney of South Carolina.

Some of the delegates also thought regular people couldnt keep track of everything going on and everybody running for office. The extent of the Country renders it impossible that the people can have the requisite capacity to judge of the respective pretensions of the Candidates, said George Mason of Virginia. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts said a popular vote was the worst option, as the people are uninformed, and would be misled by a few designing men.

Voter ignorance was also a form of bias that favored the big states, others argued: Confused voters would just pick some man in their own State, said Roger Sherman of Connecticut.

Then there was slavery, the stain that hung over everything. Although the Three-Fifths Compromise had given the slave states strengthened representation in the House of Representatives, slaves couldnt vote  meaning that in a national popular election, Northern states would have more voting power than Southern states. The latter could have no influence in the election on the score of the Negroes, said James Madison of Virginia, a slave state.

But Madison still opposed Congress picking the president because it would break the separation of powers that allowed for checks and balances. Congress could then pass, as well as execute, tyrannical laws in a tyrannical manner.

The delegates toiled over a compromise. Initially, they also couldnt agree on what a presidency would actually look like. Some suggested the president serve a single seven-year term, but others thought allowing reelection with shorter terms would encourage good behavior by the president.

One delegate suggested that voters be given three votes in a national popular vote so they could get around the problem of just picking someone from their own state. Another suggested giving each state a single vote in a joint session of Congress. It didnt go anywhere.

Finally, inspiration: The Founders decided a special body of legislators would be formed each election for the sole purpose of casting votes for president, and each state would get members equal to the number of its representatives and senators in Congress.

Thus the electoral college was born, an invention designed to shield the job of the president from the ignorance of the people and the manipulation of elites in Congress.

The system later would be revealed to be not so good at selecting vice presidents, leading to the creation of the 12th Amendment to refine the process after a deadlocked election in 1800. And today, the electoral college is largely a rubber stamp to reflect the popular vote at the state level, sometimes to the frustration of Democrats in larger states who see their votes diluted (not to mention future candidates who would win the nationwide popular vote but lose the election, as happened with the election of George W. Bush, and now Trump.)

But at the time, Alexander Hamilton, of New York, hailed the electoral college as almost the only part of the new U.S. Constitution that escaped severe criticism. In 1788, Hamilton wrote, I venture somewhat further, and hesitate not to affirm, that if the manner of it be not perfect, it is at least excellent.

Email: matt.pearce@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @mattdpearce

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Update: President Obama on Thursday slapped Russia with new penalties for meddling in the U.S. presidential election, kicking out dozens of suspected spies and imposing banking restrictions on five people and four organizations the administration says were involved.

Four powerful members of the Senate called Sunday for creation of a special select committee to investigate Russian attempts to influence the presidential election, a sign of growing concern that GOP leaders plans to use existing panels will produce a partisan inquiry.

Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who chairs the Armed Services Committee, and Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the incoming minority leader, said the specter of a foreign power trying to sway the U.S. election demands a special bipartisan investigation.

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We need to get to the bottom of this, McCain said on CNNs State of the Union.

Theres no doubt they were interfering, he said. Theres no doubt. The question is now, how much and what damage? And what should the United States of America do?

Schumer told a news conference in New York that its clearer and clearer that the Russians hacked our cybersystem with the intent of influencing the election.

It sure should raise the hackles of every American, he added.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) also called for creation of an independent investigation.

So far, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) have insisted that the GOP-controlled House and Senate intelligence committees should conduct any inquiry.

McCain and Schumer said four sets of committees have jurisdiction over foreign policy, cyber threats, law enforcement and intelligence.

Most will be tied up next spring with confirmation hearings for the incoming administration, they said, and only a special select committee can focus on cyberthreats from Russia, China, Iran and others.

On Oct. 7, the director of national intelligence released a public statement saying the nations intelligence agencies consensus view is that senior Russian officials had directed hacking of U.S. political organizations in an effort to interfere with the election.

Thousands of emails pilfered from the Democratic National Committee servers and from Hillary Clintons campaign chairman were posted on WikiLeaks and other websites through the summer and fall, undermining Clintons campaign.

In recent weeks, the CIA and other agencies have hardened their conclusions, saying they believe the Russian hacking and leaking was at least partly aimed at helped Donald Trump win the election.

Last week, Trump dismissed those intelligence reports as ridiculous, and on Sunday, his incoming White House chief of staff cast doubt on the intelligence agencies strong consensus on the question.

We havent heard from [FBI Director James] Comey, Reince Priebus said on Fox News Sunday.

I mean, if there is this conclusive opinion among all of these intelligence agencies, then they should issue a report or they should stand in front of a camera and make the case.

I dont think theyve been clear about it, he added. I think that its been all over the map.

Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said he too is not yet convinced by the intelligence.

We havent been shown that consensus, he said on ABCs This Week. If they have the evidence, show it to us.

But Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the intelligence committee, defended John Brennan, the CIA director.

I think he has done a remarkable job at the agency and dont think hes trying to politicize this in any way, he said.

Intelligence officials are naturally wary of disclosing sources and methods used to obtain secret information, he said.

Schiff faulted Trump for using tweets to slam the intelligence reports.

In a future crisis, the public may doubt the Trump White House because hes sending false tweets or persuaded the American people not to believe our own intelligence agencies.

Democratic campaign officials who were the hacking targets said they received little help from Obama administration and the FBI.

Donna Brazile, the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the attempting hacking continued up to election day.

They did not stop. They came after us absolutely every day until the end of the election. They tried to hack into our system repeatedly, she said on ABCs This Week.

I think the Obama administration  the FBI, the various other federal agencies  they informed us, they told us what was happening. We knew as of May. But in terms of helping us to fight, we were fighting a foreign adversary in cyberspace. The Democratic National Committee, we were not a match.

And John Podesta, the Clinton campaign chairman whose emails were stolen and publicized, said he had one conversation with the FBI in early October  months after the bureau had discovered the hacking.

The first time I was contacted by the FBI was two days after WikiLeaks started dropping my emails, he said on NBCs Meet the Press. That was the first and last time he spoke to the FBI, he said.

President Obama told a news conference on Friday that he is convinced the Russian cyberattack that roiled the fall election could not have happened unless Russian President Vladimir Putin had approved it.

Obama has ordered the intelligence community to produce a detailed report that he can share with Congress before he leaves office on Jan. 20.

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The slaughter of civilians in Aleppo last week may have shocked the conscience of the world, but no one should have been surprised. Syrias Assad regime has always treated opponents savagely, and its assault on Aleppo, once the countrys largest city, has been coming for a long time.

When Secretary of State John F. Kerry and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power pleaded with Assad to observe the niceties of civilized warfare, they knew their words would likely have little impact.

What has happened already in Aleppo is unconscionable, Kerry said. The Assad regime is actually carrying out nothing short of a massacre.

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Are you truly incapable of shame? Power asked the Syrians and their allies. Is there no act of barbarism against civilians, no execution of a child that gets under your skin?

But their anguish was real  in part because both Kerry and Power have long urged President Obama to intervene more forcefully in Syria, only to be rebuffed again and again.

The winners are the Assad regime, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Lebanese Hezbollah who supplied many of the ground troops, and Russia.

The U.S. inability to stave off the fall of Aleppo was the tragic but predictable product of a mismatch between Obamas rhetoric and his commitments.

Soon after the uprising against Assad began in 2011, Obama declared the United States on the side of the rebels and announced that the dictators days were numbered.

The president never backed up those words with action, though, because he believed there was no compelling U.S. interest that justified direct intervention in the civil war. He insisted that there was no military solution to the conflict, and dispatched Kerry to seek ceasefires and peace talks.

Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran decided, to the contrary, that there was a military solution  and, so far, they are turning out to be right.

The winners are the Assad regime, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Lebanese Hezbollah who supplied many of the ground troops, and Russia, which provided air power and special operations forces.

The city was the last major stronghold of the moderate rebels whom the United States had been supporting. Their defeat sends many of their surviving fighters into territory controlled by the more radical Conquest Front, Al Qaedas affiliate in Syria.

The battle in Aleppo also took Syrian troops away from the eastern front where theyve been sporadically fighting Islamic State, allowing that group to reconquer Palmyra.

So the fall of Aleppo is not only a humanitarian disaster; its a setback for hard-nosed U.S. interests, too.

In Obamas defense, its true that there were never easy, cost-free alternatives to his policy of restraint. But its not true, as he also argued, that the only alternative was a full-scale U.S. invasion.

Obama aides spent years proposing less-costly alternatives, only to be turned down.

In 2012, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta proposed arming moderate rebels who were already receiving aid from other Arab countries, but Obama rejected the idea.

In 2013, after Assad used chemical weapons against civilians, Obama announced that he would retaliate with U.S. military force  but had second thoughts.

In 2014, after Assad began dropping crude barrel bombs into rebel-held neighborhoods, aides proposed supplying anti-aircraft weapons to the insurgents, but they were denied.

Instead, in a half-measure, the United States sent anti-tank missiles, which helped the rebels win a series of victories on the ground and brought the war to an apparent stalemate in 2015.

At that point, though, Russias Vladimir Putin intervened, surprising the White House by sending air force units to back up Assads troops.

The Russian intervention shut the door on U.S. action to protect civilians, said Frederic C. Hof of the Atlantic Council, a former State Department expert on Syria. The administration worried that any military action would risk a conflict with Russia.

Meanwhile, Kerry doggedly negotiated a series of ceasefire agreements, none of which took hold. Although the Russians played along, they never restrained the Syrian military or its Iranian and Lebanese allies on the ground.

The Obama administration didnt start the Syrian rebellion and doesnt bear sole responsibility for the disasters that followed. The Assad regime and its allies, after all, are the ones who battered Aleppo with pitiless force.

But officials acknowledge privately that Syria has been the greatest foreign policy failure of their eight years in office.

With only a month remaining in Obamas term, theres little more for them to do but continue pleading for an orderly evacuation of Aleppo  and to prepare their briefings for President-elect Trump.

Trump has suggested he might try to end the Syrian war by allying with Russia and leaving Assad in place. His national security advisor, Michael T. Flynn, has said he also wants to reduce Irans influence.

Good luck, said Hof. Were still coming at this from the sidelines, without much leverage to get what we want. Thats been the problem all along.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
The weather outside wasnt frightful at Christmas when I was 8. The days leading up to Dec. 25 in 1956 had been in the mid-80s in my neighborhood. The day itself sweltered at 86. Outside, as my mother addressed the cards she dutifully sent to relatives in the East, winter meant only that our lawn had turned brown, leaves on the neighbors tree had reddened and fallen, and the light of a low, southern sun glared through the smog. The dry air forecast brush fires.

1958 was another year of temperatures in the 80s during Christmas week. Fog in the early morning, accompanied by heavy smog later in the day, closed airports and shrouded freeways. The basin and inland valleys became a 250-square-mile, urine-colored pool of ozone, nitrogen oxides, and molecule-sized bits of partially burned gasoline and diesel fuel. Doctors warned of eye irritation, chest pains, cough, shortness of breath, nausea and headache. Some warned of worse  chronic emphysema and lung cancer.

I rode my Schwinn bike in that hot, leaden air as car radios played the holiday songs of an alien America, where Jack Frost nipped at the noses of walkers in a winter wonderland and folks dressed up like Eskimos to hear sleigh bells in the snow.

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Its beginning to look at lot like Christmas, if that means mostly sunny days and temperatures in the low 60s.

Although boosters never speak of it, snow has fallen on Los Angeles (depending on what you mean by snow). Higher elevations in the citys foothills get thin slush irregularly, most recently in 2007. The last true snow to fall on downtown and the flatlands where I live was in 1949. Over a three-day siege of storms that began on Jan. 10, several inches of genuine snow fell. At first a snowy L.A. was fun, despite the cars that skidded through downtown intersections.

By the second day, more snow, hail and sleet tied up freeways and closed canyon roads, with more than 20 cars trapped in Laurel Canyon alone. Snow (or something like it) reached coastal cities as far south as San Diego. In Long Beach, The Times reported, snow, rain, sleet, hail, thunder, and lightning succeeded one another. Snow fell on Catalina Island on the third day, dropping eight inches on Blackjack Peak.

Its unlikely that snow like that will ever fall again on Los Angeles. The heat island effect of urban development, as well as the mounting effects of climate change, will keep nighttime temperatures too high for downtown residents to wake up to another white Christmas.

Snow is supposed to spur nostalgia. For Irving Berlin, remembering snowy Christmases produced the most successful holiday song of all, selling well over 150 million copies after it was recorded by Bing Crosby in 1942. In the rarely heard introduction to Berlins White Christmas, theres a reason for the songs mood of reverie and loss: The sun is shining, the grass is green/The orange and palm trees sway/Theres never been such a day/In Beverly Hills, L.A./But its December the 24th/And Im longing to be up North.

But as a native, I never expected my Christmases to be white. Snow at Christmas time on the summits of the local mountains (when they could be seen through the petrochemical byproducts) was a kind of theatrical backdrop. It was like Hollywoods fake snow, made first of powdered asbestos and then a sprayable mixture of fire extinguisher foam, sugar and corn flakes. That formula, because it didnt crunch under the actors feet, won a technical award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1950.

The songs, the cards invoking snowmen and sleigh rides and carolers bundled up against the cold, the reruns on TV of Its a Wonderful Life with its acres of fake snow, they were unreal to me. Id never seen chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Id never seen a chestnut. Worse than other peoples memories of home and winter comfort were seasonal hybrids like Surfin Santa (San Diegos official representative of the holidays), or Johnny Mathis improbably singing When its Christmas in the city of the angels the blue Pacific becomes the Sea of Galilee in Christmas in the City of Angeles.

Its beginning to look at lot like Christmas, if that means mostly sunny days and temperatures in the low 60s. If I want a simulation of a traditional holiday, I could attend the Winter Fest at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. Real snow is manufactured daily. Ice is even more uncommon than snow in Los Angeles, but you can skate on it through Christmas week at Pershing Square, onboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, and in downtown Santa Monica. VIP cabanas are available, in place of ice fishing cabins.

A Christmas tradition better fitted to the citys climate  and older than its ice rinks  requires some walking. Begun in Mexico in the 16th century, the celebration of Las Posadas is a kind of pilgrimage in imitation of the search for shelter that Mary and Joseph are said to have made on the first Christmas Eve. Every night until Dec. 24, you can join (or watch) a candlelight procession, with singing in English and Spanish, that begins at the Avila adobe and continues among the historic buildings on Olvera Street.

Ill be hoping for an old-fashioned Christmas this year  enough chill in the air to require a sweater, a quiet walk on the beach before an early dinner, kids on skateboards in the street, and colored lights strung in the palm trees.

And the air quality will be better than the Christmases I used to know.

D. J. Waldie is the author of Holy Land: Suburban Memoir among other books about Southern California. He is a contributing writer to Opinion.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Were living in a post-fact age. President-elect Donald Trumps superb indifference to verifiable claims  or, indeed, to what he has publicly claimed on earlier occasions  reflects and exacerbates the situation. No less important is the vast and complex web of aggregators and news sites issuing dubious claims that, in turn, are amplified by social media. According to one recent study, nearly one out of every two Americans gets their news from Facebook  the same medium whose trending topics section and main news feed circulated countless hoaxes and lies during the campaign.

This phenomenon is new in the sense that its worse than in the immediate past, but it has roots that burrow as deep as 18th century France. The Age of Enlightenment, celebrated for its embrace of reason and empirical investigation, was also the incubator for the post-fact and post-truth landscape we now confront. For Ancien Regime France, the consequences were revolutionary. They may be for us as well.

In a series of influential books, the historian Robert Darnton re-created what he calls the Grub Street of Paris. It was a world inhabited by writers and scribblers who, scorned by the social and political institutions of 18th century Paris, devoted their lives to undermining them. They took Voltaires famous call to ecrasez linfame and turned it upside down. Rather than stamp out the infamous things, they spread them.

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Historians of the 21st century may one day debate whether the virtual world of false news helped bring down the American republic.

The Grub Street desperados weapon of choice was the libelle. A literary vehicle fueled by innuendo and lies, the libelle portrayed royal advisors and ministers not only as incompetent clowns, but also as sex-addled money-grabbers. Presenting rumor as truth, these scandal sheets mined the veins of anxiety and anger felt by a growing number of socially disaffected Parisians.

Readers either didnt know, or didnt care, that the libelles had little, if any, basis in reality. Apropos a collection of apocryphal letters written by King Louis XVs consort, Madame du Barry, one reader noted they were all the more true for having been invented.

Not unlike foreign actors from shadowy Russian or Macedonian enclaves who purveyed false news in our latest presidential election, 18th century libelles were frequently distributed by French emigres abroad. French envoys to the English court protested in vain the impunity with which libellistes such as Charles Theveneau de Morande launched scandalous accounts from the safety of London. (Parliament resisted the crowns efforts to silence Morande and others, insisting on the freedom of the press and enjoying the chaos these libelles sowed across the Channel.)

For Darnton, libelles slandered everything elevated and respectable, including the monarchy itself, with a scurrility that is difficult to imagine today. But Darnton wrote these lines some 40 years ago. Morandes scurrility seems oddly tame in a world where a pizzeria in Washington is said to be the headquarters of a child-slave ring ruled over by a villainous Hillary Clinton.

And yet, while the French archives do not record a musket-wielding commoner bursting into the Trianon to self-investigate the claims made against the king, the libelles may well have influenced, if not incited, those who stormed the Bastille  and its storehouse of muskets  in 1789.

The effectiveness of these scandal sheets, Darnton notes, is that they reduced complex events to the clash of personalities. Matters of great moment, such as Chief Minister Maupeous proposed tax and government reforms  which might have helped France avoid revolution  did not interest Morandes readers. Instead, as he and fellow false news fabricators understood, what mattered was Maupeou the person  a person they cast as a fool and a fraud.

One libelle claimed that when a servant cut into a pie given to the kings favorite, Madame du Barry, a cloud of mayflies swarmed out and invaded Maupeous wig. Eager to help, the servant ripped off Maupeous wig, revealing his bald pate. While the court laughed at Maupeous plight, readers mused over the shambolic and silly people who presumed to rule them.

Under Louis XVI, the libelles grew more toxic, especially those aimed at Marie Antoinette. While the careers and characters of Louis wife and Hillary Clinton have nothing in common, both women attracted venomous lies. Described by historians as political pornography, libelles targeting Marie Antoinette portrayed Versailles as a pit of sexual sinfulness and transgression  rather like the viral accounts of Clinton purportedly murdering Deputy White House counsel Vince Foster after having had an affair with him.

Ultimately it was personalities, and not policies, that made news and unmade regimes, and even made and unmade realities.

In an interview with Ron Suskind in 2004, a senior advisor to President George W. Bush  widely assumed to be Karl Rove  famously observed that his administration was an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. In the same breath, he dismissed what he called the reality-based community where Suskind lived and worked. It happens that Suskinds world is the direct descendant of the noblest reality-based community of all: the Enlightenment. It was, at its best, an empire not of rage, but of reason; not of dog whistles, but of dialogue; not of disdain for science, but of deference to. It is not a coincidence that a toxic tide of false news besieged this earlier reality-based community no less than it does our own.

Historians of the 18th century still debate whether the world of libelles helped destroy the French monarchy. Historians of the 21st century may one day debate whether the virtual world of false news helped bring down the American republic.

Robert Zaretsky teaches at the University of Houston and is author, most recently, of Boswells Enlightenment.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

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President-elect Donald Trumps promise to drain the swamp is getting an early test from a surprising source: one of his closest friends.

Billionaire investor and longtime Trump confidant Carl Icahn is calling for changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard, the federal law requiring gasoline manufacturers to incorporate renewable fuels like ethanol into their blends.

It just so happens that Icahn would reap massive financial rewards from his proposed fix.

The Trump White House must push back.

If its truly committed to ending crony capitalism and protecting taxpayers, it should go even further and work to end the RFS entirely. This is a fundamentally ill-conceived policy that has failed to help the environment or the economy and has cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

Icahns proposal centers on the definition of obligated parties, which is the official government term for the entities required to blend in renewables.

Right now, obligated parties are limited to petroleum refineries and importers. And the volume they have to add in steadily ratchets up each year.

In 2017, theyll be required to blend 19.28 billion gallons, nearly a 1.2 billion-gallon increase over 2016.

If the refiners and importers blend in more than required, theyre rewarded with credits. Those credits can then be sold to other refiners and importers.

Icahns proposal would expand the definition of obligated party to include virtually every firm along the supply route, moving the obligation beyond refiners and gasoline and diesel importers to include local fuel distributors that would be obligated to manufacture their own renewable blends or purchase credits.

Icahn didnt launch this campaign out of the goodness of his heart. He wants a handout.

Hes a large investor in CVR Refining, a mid-size refinery that is an obligated party. The company has to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on credits, and its stock has plummeted 60 percent over the last three years.

Removing CVR from the obligated party definition would dramatically cut down on CVRs expenses and net Icahn a massive windfall while those that invested to comply with the law are left in a less competitive position and the smaller companies are burdened with having to comply with the burdensome RFS.

Plus, this change would create new costs for taxpayers. Regulators would have to register and monitor at least 200 additional companies. And it would complicate whats already a boondoggle.

The real solution isnt faux reform; its repeal. The RFS is costing taxpayers up to $2 billion annually  and it hasnt accomplished anything.

The primary aim of the RFS was to reduce Americas dependence on foreign oil. That goal has been realized, but no thanks to renewables.

Innovative drilling techniques such as fracking have opened vast new swaths of oil reserves buried under American soil. Because of these techniques, our daily oil production has jumped from 6 million to 9 million barrels each day.

Meanwhile, cars are becoming more fuel efficient each year. Oil imports have been steadily falling.

Ethanol, the most popular renewable fuel, is derived from corn. To meet the RFS targets, nearly 40 percent of the national corn crop has been dedicated to ethanol production.

That has driven up demand for corn that goes into cereal, syrup and countless other basic food items. Those products have, in turn, become more expensive and average American families have been hit with bigger grocery bills.

Its estimated that the RFS has increased the consumer price index for food by 25 percent. Taxpayers are also on the hook for higher food prices with taxpayer-subsidized feeding programs like food stamps.

The Renewable Fuel Standard is exactly the kind of ill-conceived government program that Trump promised to end.

He needs to look past his friendship with Icahn, reject this phony reform campaign and work with Congress to dismantle the RFS entirely.
Gov. Jerry Browns approval of sweeping gun control legislation in July has triggered a run on firearms in California, with some stores reporting sales have doubled since then.

Starting Jan. 1, the general public in California can no longer buy a semiautomatic rifle equipped with bullet-buttons that allow for the quick removal and replacement of ammunition magazines, under a new law signed by the governor.

Guns purchased before Jan. 1 can be kept as long as the owner registers them with the state as assault weapons.

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As a result, sales of the long guns have at least doubled at many California gun stores, owners report.

When Gov. Brown signed that bill, the first 30 days in July were just insane, said Joshua Deaser, the owner of Just Guns, a store in Sacramento. It died down for a while but now we are back with everyone trying to get what they can before the end of the year.

Terry McGuire, owner of the Get Loaded gun store in the city of Grand Terrace in San Bernardino County, said people are clamoring to buy semiautomatic rifles before midmonth, given that the state background check process takes about 10 days.

We have people lined up out the door and around the block, McGuire said.

State officials confirm there has been a surge in gun sales.

The number of semiautomatic rifles registered this year with the state has more than doubled over last year, according to the state Department of Justice.

In the less than six months since the July 1 signing of the rifle ban, 257,895 semiautomatic rifles have been purchased, eclipsing the 153,931 rifle purchases reported to the state in all of 2015, the state agency said.

Purchases of all firearms, including handguns, have jumped 40% over last year, to nearly 1 million this year, according to the state agency.

We expected this, said Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California. Any time the government comes up with a ban on guns, the public rushes to buy them to make sure they have at least one.

The state Legislature approved a raft of new gun control measures this year in response to mass shootings from Newtown, Conn., to Tucson, Ariz.

The new law was also in response to a terrorist shooting in San Bernardino last year in which weapons including AR-15 rifles were used to kill 14 people attending a holiday party at the Inland Regional Center.

Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), a coauthor of the bill, said military-style weapons enable shooters to take the most lives in the least amount of time and there is no place for them on Californias streets.

All of us should be able to go to work and send our kids to school free from the fear of becoming a mass shooting victim, Ting said. The bullet button loophole undermined Californias assault weapons ban and the shocking loss of life in San Bernardino last year revealed the subsequent threat to public safety.

Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael), another coauthor of the bill, said the new law is important.

We raise our children in communities, not war zones, he said.

Levine downplayed the increase in gun sales currently being experienced by California stores.

Gun sales have trended up for a while now, he said. Anxiety and strife are being sowed throughout American society. The Legislature acted to limit bloodshed in our communities.

Updates from Sacramento 

Paredes said he expects a lawsuit challenging the new law, but said he understands why people are stockpiling the weapons in the meantime.

In addition to the rifle ban, gun owners are anxious about a law by Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) that will require ammunition purchasers to undergo background checks in 2019, and the recently approved initiative by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom that included gun control measures such as a ban on possessing magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.

Its like Gavin Newsom, Kevin de Leon and Jerry Brown are the biggest marketing and sales guys for AR-15 and AK-47-style rifles in the state of California, Paredes said. Because of their actions, people are buying them any way they can.

Brown, Newsom and De Leon did not respond to requests for comment on the run on guns. An aide to Brown referred to his signing message on the gun control bills that said he was approving them to enhance public safety.

Customers who are buying the guns are as upset as store owners, according to Pete Brown, the retail sales manager at American Gun Works in Glendale, where he said sales are way up.

People are angry, Brown said. They are angry with the Legislature because [the law] doesnt address crime. Nothing in the law addresses criminals. Its another way of cutting back on whats available to law abiding citizens, and thats why they are angry.

Alex Lopez, the owner of Western Firearms in Bell, confirmed that gun buyers dont like the direction the new laws are taking the state.

They cant figure out how this is going to affect criminals from getting access to firearms, Lopez said.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

patrick.mcgreevy@latimes.com

Follow @mcgreevy99 on Twitter

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For those who believe that California is in danger of breaking its promise of retirement cash for local and state government workers, this week marks another important milestone in taking stock of the effort to change course.

On Tuesday, directors of the nations largest pension fund, CalPERS, will consider the pros and cons of asking taxpayers next year to chip in more to cover those retirement promises  the second such discussion in just the last month.

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Californias pension crisis 

Set aside the politics and pension math is pretty simple. There are only three sources for the cash that hundreds of thousands of government workers are expecting during their golden years: worker contributions, government contributions and investment profits from Wall Street.

The CalPERS investments  in all, about $299.7 billion  arent pulling their expected weight. Actual investment profits continue to lag the official benchmark, which was slightly reduced in 2012. Those who oppose ratcheting down that benchmark rate even further argue that long-term trends are still better than recent history and that even a handful of economic boom times can fill expected shortfalls.

But the math is now daunting. Every year that real investment profits come in lower than expected, future years must make up the difference or the funding gap widens. Similar problems have erupted at CalSTRS, the states pension fund for teachers, even after state lawmakers threw out a rescue buoy in 2014.

Political Road Map: Hundreds of extra bills could be coming to the Legislature in 2017 

In other words, the status quo both delays and worsens the day of reckoning.

Part of this discussion reminds me of the climate change discussion, because its a slow trend, said CalPERS board member Bill Slaton at a Nov. 15 hearing. Sometimes you cant feel it.

Which brings us to Tuesdays discussion, and possible action by CalPERS as soon as February to lower the official assumption of investment profits. A faction of board members believes that the pension fund will need to start collecting more money from local and state governments as well as the employees themselves.

Part of this discussion reminds me of the climate change discussion, because its a slow trend.  Bill Slaton, a CalPERS board member, on the pension funds projected path toward a fiscal crisis

On the other side, governing board members who represent public employee unions want to wait a bit longer. I think that we need to step back and breathe, CalPERS board member Theresa Taylor said during last months hearing.

This years state budget assumes $7.2 billion in pension payments, almost 64% more than just nine years ago. Gov. Jerry Brown, who led a notable but limited effort in 2011 to shrink the long-term costs, has quietly pushed the pension funds leaders to effectively send him a larger invoice, convinced that the states bitter pill is better swallowed now than later.

Thats not a popular prescription with some local and state government workers, who would see more of their paychecks earmarked for pension contributions if CalPERS lowers its investment expectations. Nor will it be easy for some cities and counties struggling with existing pension payments.

Still, those are the rules, absent a major ruling by the California Supreme Court next year to rewrite the law on pension promises. In the winter months of 2017, the focus is likely to be back on pension arithmetic. And the question will be whether the world of politics  long known to favor the art of the possible  sees the tough math of pensions as too fraught with electoral danger, and thus sets aside the hard choices for another day.

john.myers@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast

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The manager of a Huntington Beach car towing company was recently honored as a star in his field.

John Boucher, manager of Mandic Motors, was given the Cross of the Order award Nov. 19 during a ceremony at a Baltimore hotel for his dedication to being a towing professional, according to a news release from American Towman magazine, the organization that sponsors the event.

Mandic, 18881 Gothard St., contracts with Huntington Beach police, whose chief, Robert Handy, nominated Boucher for the award.

Boucher was also inducted into the Order of Towman, an elite organization of towing professionals nationwide.

Louis Vuitton perfume shop opens at South Coast Plaza

Louis Vuitton has opened a perfume pop-up shop at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

Prices start at $240 for a 100-milliliter bottle. It is the French luxury labels first such pop-up shop in the Americas, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Les Parfums Louis Vuitton will be at the mall through July 1.

Local Pedego dealers named as top nationwide

Two local Pedego Electric Bike dealers were among the Fountain Valley-based companys top 10 dealers nationwide, according to a news release.

Coming in at No. 7 was the Huntington Beach store, owned by Tom Bock. No. 8 was the Corona del Mar store, owned by Hal Pisors and Lori and Joe Carter.

Dealers were honored for excellence in customer experience, store design, sales and/or successful community outreach, the news release said.

Hanley group raises money for Movember

Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors, a real estate brokerage and advisory firm based in Corona del Mar, raised more than $35,000 during its Movember campaign in November.

Since 2011, the company has raised about $157,000 through the Movember effort, held annually to spread awareness about mens health issues by having men grow mustaches.

This global fundraising effort hits very close to home, as my father died of prostate cancer in 2009 and I want to do what I can to prevent this from happening to other men and families, President Ed Hanley said in a statement. Grow a mo, save a bro. It really does feel good to make this kind of difference in our community and help save lives.

NuVision opens essay contest for high schoolers

Huntington Beach-based NuVision Federal Credit Union has launched its second annual Think. Tank. Challenge.

The contest invites area high school students to write an educational essay for a portion of $20,000 in prize money.

For more information, visit thinktankessay.com.

Spinnaker announces growth since May founding

Spinnaker Investment Group LLC, a Newport Beach-based investment company founded in May, is managing more than $140 million in assets, according to a news release.

We formed Spinnaker because we want our clients needs and best interests to drive every decision we make, Morgan Christen, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, said in a statement. By establishing an independent practice that does not represent a specific insurance company, bank or Wall Street institution, we can confidently and autonomously advise our clients on the best way to achieve their financial objectives.

The firm, based at 4041 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 475, offers financial, wealth and retirement planning services, as well as asset management and securities.

Savalia named to Hoag director position

Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach has named Dr. Nirav Savalia, a clinical assistant professor of surgery at USC, as director of oncoplastic and aesthetic breast surgery.

Oncoplastic surgery combines plastic surgery techniques with tumor removal to preserve aesthetics. Savalia will develop Hoags breast reconstruction program.

Dr. Savalia is a highly skilled, dedicated surgeon who understands the complexity of cancer treatment from a physiological, psychological and aesthetic standpoint, Dr. Melvin J. Silverstein, Hoag Breast Center medical director and the Gross Family Foundation endowed chair in oncoplastic breast surgery, said in a statement. He is a champion of womens health and is a great leader. We are excited to have him direct our efforts at Hoag.

Mothers Market adopts family for SOS program

Mothers Market & Kitchen will be adopting a family of eight through a program offered by the Costa Mesa-based nonprofit Share Our Selves, according to a news release.

The Costa Mesa-based company headquarters and area participating stores will provide gift cards, food and clothing to the family.

Villa Real Estate member receives honor

The Newport Beach Board of Realtors recently honored Cari Young of Villa Real Estate with the Realtor of the Year award for 2016, according to a news release.

Young, a licensed broker and attorney with more than 20 years of experience in residential real estate, was credited for her sales record and professionalism.

Young is a graduate of UCLA and Pepperdine University School of Law.
Many Times readers have taken issue with two letters in the Dec. 11 Travel section, which criticized a Nov. 27 article about National Park sites that address issues of race and ethnicity in Americas history.

The letters employed cultural stereotypes to suggest that the mass internment of Japanese Americans during World War II was justified and sought to minimize the hardships they endured.

Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief and publisher of The Times, said the letters did not meet the newspapers standards for civil, fact-based discourse and should not have been published. He said The Times apologizes for the distress the letters caused.

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The Nov. 27 article highlighted the Tule Lake and Manzanar relocation camps in California, where thousands of Japanese Americans were detained. Tule Lake was especially notorious, the only one of the 10 war relocation camps with a stockade and jail. Japanese Americans deemed disloyal were sent there.

The article quoted park ranger Angela Sutton, who has worked at Tule Lake since the park was established in 2008, on why its important to remember what happened: We take a dark spot in our own history, something other countries might want to cover up, she said, and we maintain it and preserve it so that future generations can learn.

The facts surrounding the internment are well-established. In all, 120,000 Japanese Americans were detained during World War II. Most were U.S. citizens.

In 1988, President Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act, in which the U.S. government formally apologized to the internees and established a $1.25-billion trust fund to pay reparations.

The law said the mass internment resulted from race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership rather than from legitimate security considerations.

The two letters published in the Dec. 11 Travel section accused the National Parks article of engaging in an anti-U.S. remake of history and of needing balance. The letters included racial stereotypes.

They also suggested that it wasnt so bad in the camps and that the detainees could have had it worse elsewhere.

Outraged readers found the opinions offensive and insensitive. Some of those views appear in the expanded Letters that appear in the Dec. 18 Travel section; more are included below.

The Times Travel editor, Catharine Hamm, said she approved publishing the letters, thinking the writers views, although provocative, would be balanced by subsequent letters of response.

Hamm said that, in retrospect, that was not the right decision because the views expressed in the letters did not lend themselves to reasoned discussion.

Maharaj made the same point in discussions with staff members disturbed by the letters, and in remarks to editors last week during a Times daily news meeting.

Letters in The Times are the opinions of the writers, and editors strive to include a range of voices. But the goal is to present readers with civil, intelligent, fact-based opinions that enlarge their understanding of the world, Maharaj said.

These letters did not meet that standard.

 Deirdre Edgar

readers.representative@latimes.com

Readers react to ignorant views

I dont understand the purpose of printing the hate-filled and historically incorrect letters about Japanese American internment [Letters, Dec. 11].

I would hope that The Times, as a reputable news organization, would not print letters for their sensational value.

To give your entire letter space to people who still think imprisoning our citizens was a good idea and who make the camps sound like a summer camp is irresponsible.

I hope you will detail the number of people who died because there were not enough doctors in the camps.

I hope you will describe what it was like to be taken from your home and sent to live in a horse stall in a race track. I hope you will explain the cold and what it was like for young children to live in what my grandmother-in-law called that hell hole.

I hope you will explain the economic and racist basis of the mass incarceration.

And because that ignorant view of history has been spread by The Times to a wide audience and been given credentials as true since it was printed in the L.A. Times, I hope you will now take the print space to give the accurate history, which is widely available.

Elizabeth Kennedy

Long Beach

::

In 1988, Congress passed legislation granting reparations to those who were interned by the U.S. government during World War II. The legislation, signed into law by President Reagan, said the internment was based on race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership.

Under the law each surviving internee received $20,000 from the government. More than 80,000 checks were distributed.

That is historys verdict, in my opinion.

David Simon

Los Angeles

::

The letters regarding Japanese American internment echo the propaganda rationalizing the internment camps in the government film I show my students to teach about propaganda.

Most of these people were American citizens stripped of their rights and property without due process. They were not treated well and lost everything.

The people who wrote the letters should read Farewell to Manzanar for an accurate picture. They should have seen the Skirball Museum exhibition earlier in the year.

The internment was a continuation of the prejudice against Asians who were not allowed to become naturalized citizens. The internment was unconstitutional.

Ilene Oller

Los Angeles

::

These disturbing letters are yet another sign of the rise of racism in the guise of making America strong again. What are we going to do next? Intern all Muslims?

J. Katow

Palos Verdes Estates

::

Neither letter mentions that these 120,000 individuals were American citizens or resident aliens. However, apparently that was OK because all 120,000 American citizens and resident aliens were housed and fed and had assigned jobs.

The housing was tar-paper shacks in the desert surrounded by fencing topped with barbed wire and armed guards standing watch.

I, too, have zero respect for those trying to rewrite history just to make themselves feel good. I also agree that one-way reporting is not very effective for the educated public.

Please try a little balance next time. Its more effective and honest. Instead, read history written by historians such as Peter Irons and Jacobus tenBroek.

Suzanne Ledeboer

San Diego

::

I am livid after reading those letters, especially the racial profiling and denying the rights of fellow Americans.

Japanese Americans are Americans. We are born and raised in the United States of America but were deemed the enemy due to looking like the enemy.

You can educate yourself by visiting the Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles. A recently opened exhibit details the concentration camp called Tuna Canyon. Legally documented immigrants who had been living their lives were labeled enemy aliens or illegal immigrants and had to register. That was the law.

That is what is so scary.

Many were never given an explanation for their arrests; they were just abruptly torn from their families and incarcerated. The government justified it by saying it was for their own safety and protection. Many lost their personal properties and businesses and never recovered them. They were subjected to subhuman conditions. They were sent to different concentration camp locations across the country, many on undesirable lands where the weather was harsh. They were behind barbed wire fences, watched by armed guards in watchtowers with orders to shoot them if they tried to escape. Many Japanese American men chose to enlist in the Army and fought in the 442nd regiment, a highly decorated group who defended a country that didnt trust them or their families.

My family survived the camps. Lets not let history repeat itself. The conversation needs to be we as a country, not about narrow-minded people who still delude themselves that they are privileged or better because of the color of their skin.

If one is still breathing, then one can still learn.

I am sansei, a third-generation Japanese American.

Lynne Hayashi

Santa Monica

::

My parents experienced different sides of the issues internment raised. Neighbors of my mothers were interned, and my father served with Asian Americans in the Marines. They were ashamed of what fear and hatred can inspire.

Apparently its OK to spout such reinventions in todays atmosphere, where you can hide behind your keyboards and hope your churches and employers dont know what you spout in private.

I hope articles such as Carolina A. Mirandas [Honest History, Nov. 27] continue to remind us that if we dont remember the wrongs of the past, how can we hope to avoid repeating them in the future?

Julie T. Byers

Arcadia

::

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black about revisionist history concerning the Japanese American internment.

If you call living with multiple families in Army-style barracks with rooms separated by a blanket for privacy and tar-paper-thin walls to keep out the subzero temperatures housed, having potato soup for dinner fed, having rifle-toting guards staring into the compound from outside the barbed-wire fence protected and cared for, then you have different definitions from mine.

To state that American-born Japanese would have followed the orders of the elders in Japan is ludicrous. No doubt that had the Japanese American population been allowed to stay in their homes, they would have been subjected to hostility, injury and even death, but the U.S. Constitution gives each citizen that right to make his or her own choice: to stay or leave. The letter writers seem to have drunk the WWII-era propaganda Kool-Aid hook, line and sinker.

Glenn Hamanaka

Burbank
President-elect Donald Trump says the Chinese government should be told we dont want the drone they stole back and let them keep it!

Trumps tweet Saturday evening came after U.S. officials confirmed that they secured an understanding for the return of the U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider, which China seized in the South China Sea. The comments may extend one of the most serious incidents between the American and the Chinese militaries in years.

The Chinese navy seized the drone on Thursday; the Pentagon said it was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research. The U.S. lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back.

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Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun issued a statement late Saturday saying that a Chinese navy lifeboat discovered an unknown device in the South China Sea on Thursday.

In order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the safe navigation of passing ships and personnel, the Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device, Yang said.

The statement said that after confirming that the device was an American unmanned submerged device, China decided to transfer it to the U.S. through appropriate means.

The U.S. said that through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the unmanned underwater vehicle, according to a statement from Peter Cook, spokesman for U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

But Trump, after holding a rally to thank supporters for his election, took to Twitter to criticize the deal. We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it! the president-elect tweeted Saturday evening.

Earlier in the day, he had blasted the seizure.

Misspelling the word unprecedented, he tweeted: China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act. He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

The U.S. said Chinas unlawful seizure came in international waters. Yet China pointedly accused the U.S. of long sending ships in Chinas presence to conduct military surveying.

China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the U.S. stop such activities, Yang, the Defense Ministry spokesman, said in the statement. China will continue to maintain vigilance against the relevant U.S. activities and will take necessary measures to deal with them.

Earlier Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said Chinas military was in contact with its American counterparts on appropriately handling the incident, though it offered no details on what discussions were underway.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that the seizure of the drone was a gross violation of international law.

The drone was seized while collecting unclassified scientific data about 57 miles northwest of the Philippines Subic Bay in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Friday.

It is ours. Its clearly marked as ours. We would like it back, and we would like this not to happen again, Davis told reporters. He said the drone costs about $150,000 and is largely commercial, off-the-shelf technology.

The U.S. Navy survey ship Bowditch, which is not a combat ship, was stopped in international waters Thursday afternoon while recovering two of the gliders when the Chinese ship approached, Davis said. The two vessels were within some 500 yards of each other. He said the Bowditch carries some small arms, but that no shots were fired.

According to the Pentagon, as the Chinese ship left with the drone, which is about 10 feet long, its only radio response to the U.S. vessel was, We are returning to normal operations.

Bonnie Glaser, senior advisor for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the seizure of the glider occurred inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, not China, and appeared to be a violation of international law.

China delineates its South China Sea claims with a roughly drawn sea border known as the nine-dash line that runs along the west coast of the Philippines. However, it hasnt explicitly said whether it considers those waters as sovereign territory, and says it doesnt disrupt the passage of other nations shipping through the area. The U.S. doesnt take a position on sovereignty claims, but insists on freedom of navigation, including the right of its naval vessels to conduct training and other operations in the sea.

Davis said that the incident could be the first time in recent history that China has taken a U.S. naval vessel. Some observers have called it the most significant dispute between the countries militaries since the April 2001 midair collision between a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet about 70 miles from Chinas Hainan island that resulted in the death of a Chinese pilot.

The drone seizure seemed likely to fray the already tense relations between U.S. and China. Beijing was angered by Trumps decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2, and by his later comments that he did not feel bound by a one-China policy regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China. China considers the self-governing island its own territory to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.

There also have been increased tensions over Beijings ongoing military buildup in the South China Sea, mainly the development and militarization of man-made shoals and islands aimed at extending Chinas reach in the strategically vital area, through which about $5 trillion in global trade passes annually.

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Residents return to recaptured Old City of east Aleppo. Except the city they knew is gone
Mexican authorities have discovered six hidden graves that may contain the bodies of more than 40 university students who went missing a week ago after clashing with local police in the violent state of Guerrero.

The semiofficial National Human Rights Commission said Sunday that experts will conduct DNA tests in an attempt to identify bodies found in the graves. It was not yet clear how many bodies were present.

Guerrero state Health Minister Lazaro Mazon said nine bodies, burned beyond recognition, were recovered from the muddy pits in the first series of exhumations. He said it could take two weeks before identifications are made. Later, state prosecutor Inaky Blanco said 28 bodies had been recovered, in various conditions.

Frantic parents who have been demanding the return of their children attempted to reach the site of the makeshift graves, near a slum on the outskirts of the city of Iguala, about 80 miles south of Mexico City. They and supporters blocked major highways in the area for several hours.

You took them alive, we want them returned alive, read a huge banner unfurled across the highway that leads from Mexico City to Acapulco.

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On Sept. 26-27, Iguala city police attacked a group of students rallying against government policies. Six people were killed, more than two dozen injured and more than 50 students vanished. About 15 students eventually were found hiding in their homes, but 43 remained missing. Within days, 22 police officers were arrested for what prosecutors said was use of excessive force.

Parents and surviving students have said they last saw some of the missing being taken away by police. Several parents offered up license plates of the police vehicles that took away their children.

Guerrero Gov. Angel Aguirre said the local police corps was thoroughly penetrated by criminal organizations, at whose behest the police may have been acting. He said that after the discovery of the graves, an additional eight people were arrested. He did not identify them.

If the graves turn out to contain the students, it will suggest that they were summarily executed by their captors, be they police or cartel criminals. And if that proves true, it would constitute the most egregious human rights atrocity in the 2-year-old government of President Enrique Pena Nieto and one of the worst in recent years.

The students were from a special kind of rural university in the town of Ayotzinapa, near Iguala. They had a contentious relationship with authorities and often spearheaded demonstrations.

After they went missing late last month, the federal government dispatched army, navy and national police to take over the search. The federal prosecutors office took charge of the case as soon as the graves were discovered late Saturday.

Mexico cannot let such a serious incident go unpunished, Tomas Zeron, head of investigations from the federal attorney generals office, said.

More than 20,000 people are registered as having disappeared in Mexico in the last eight years, giving rise to an intense citizens movement to find them. Most never reappear.

For more news out of Mexico, Latin America, follow @TracyKWilkinson
The ablution fountains, where worshipers would wash before prayers, had long run dry and still stood in the center of the Ummayad Mosque of Aleppo, the fountains domed tops leaking shafts of light from the pinpricks caused by bullet holes.

Around the fountains lay small chunks of masonry and shards of jagged metal, byproducts of the warfare that ravaged this ancient metropolis for more than five years.

But at least for now the guns were silent, and on Saturday dozens of people cut off from this part of the city by the fighting returned to survey the damage to the mosque that opened in 717.

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I feel pain because of what happened to my city, said Jumaa Khalifeh, a well-dressed lawyer, as he gazed at a pockmarked portico.

This scene, this area ... it pains young and old, and hurts the foe even before the friend.

Four months ago, Abdullah Muhaisini, a Saudi cleric and the spiritual godfather of many Islamist factions that once held sway here, was interviewed in the mosques vast black-and-white tiled courtyard. He vowed the rebels would oust troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad from all of Aleppo.

Instead, government forces, backed by Russian air power and thousands of militiamen from as far away as Afghanistan, slowly advanced, leaving the rebels with a scant square mile of territory before they finally capitulated this month.

On Saturday, thousands of rebel fighters and their families remained inside eastern Aleppo, waiting on yet another iteration of an evacuation agreement that had allowed more than 8,000 residents to leave this week for opposition-held territories. That deal appeared stalled once more.

Now, mere yards from where Muhaisini had spoken so confidently, Aleppans posed for selfies before the scarred facades of the mosque.

One woman murmured a soft prayer of thanks as she led her young daughter by the hand through the worn-down archway leading to the majestic buildings interior.

I endured 35 years of working abroad so I could buy the merchandise I had here. And now its gone.  Riyad Shawa, Aleppo resident

The rebels had entered Aleppo one year after the start of the uprising against Assad and seized large portions of the Old City in late 2012. The city came to represent competing visions of modern Syria  either the oppositions capital, or a powerful reaffirmation of Assads grip on the country.

A precarious climb to the mosques roof revealed the fruits of the governments victory  everywhere in the Old City, which was classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986, one could see rubble, cracked rooftops and singed walls. It seemed no structure had been spared.

The mosques northern exit opened into the nexus of shattered streets in the heart of the Madina Souq, where merchants had traded everything  fabrics, copper, soap  since the 14th century (and had made the city known to figures as distant as Shakespeare).

Nearby sat a tank turned upside down, balancing on its turret, an especially popular objet dart for more selfies.

Off to the side, three men stood before a mountain of rocks, all that remained of the front of Khan Harir (the Silk Market).

Its finished. I want to commit suicide. Nothing is left, said Mohammad Huskol, a dyspeptic 58-year old man with morose blue eyes.

His friend Riyad Shawa gave a bitter chuckle when asked if he could rebuild.

You think I have money to do this again? I endured 35 years of working abroad so I could buy the merchandise I had here, he said. And now its gone.

Their story was not unique: All over the Old City quarter, nervous shopkeepers, eager to inspect the remains of their businesses, stepped, climbed and crawled through the devastated collections of shops known as khans.

One textile business owner, Mohammad Assi, navigated from memory through walkways made even more labyrinthine by the barriers the fighters had put up.

Is your place OK? he asked a passerby, another shop owner on a similar quest.

Finally, he found his shop  heavily damaged, but still standing.

Ill build this in six months, he said breezily. Itll be fine.

All around him, walls and storefronts were scribbled with graffiti. Some vowed to stomp Bashar. Others declared this area to be controlled by Ahrar Marea or Omar bin Abdul Aziz Battalion  some of the dozens of opposition factions that once patrolled these streets.

On the second floor of Venetians Khan (the one-time home of the consul of Venice) was the headquarters of another rebel group with the Western-supported Free Syrian Army, the Battalion of Suleimans Soldiers.

It bore all the signs of a hasty retreat during breakfast.

Jars of Aleppos famous pepper paste stood near plastic containers of rotting dates and a bowl of congealed ful (fava bean paste), where a wasp now lay half-submerged.

Yet other residents of these neighborhoods had chosen to stay, unable or unwilling to escape.

There was no bread. The [opposition] cut off the water, but I didnt leave, said Abdul Latif Jisri, a garrulous 63-year old man, sitting in front of his empty grocery store and caressing a cat.

His home was destroyed in the violence three years ago, but he had taken his elderly mother with him to another place close by.

I couldnt leave her. I never even considered it, he said, then apologized for not being able to serve his surprise guest any coffee. No gas or water, you see.

Up the street, in the Mshaatiyeh neighborhood, tired-looking residents stood in shambling lines before a house which had been turned into a nursing home.

It now also served as a food distribution center run by a local charity, the Ihsaan organization, with support from the World Food Program.

Different rebel groups would come here, wanting to take over the home or clamoring to get the food, said Yusra Mahmoud Hassan, the jovial matron of the facility. The rebels never ran the place  too much of a hassle  so Hassan continued her work. I didnt leave for a single minute these last five years, she said.

As Aleppo residents returned to neighborhoods, they often reflected on the unjust randomness of urban warfare.

They would fire, and wherever the shell fell, it fell, said 46-year old Wafaa Fustuq, her raspy voice still audible to a reporter who spoke to her through a hole in the wall next to her house. Her house survived.

Luck had favored the house of Muhyi Al Deen Homsi, a tailor of ornate jalabiyyas, Syrian long robes for men, who lived with his wife and six children in Mshaatiyah.

Just next door towered a pile of rubble. From its side rose a bent metal ladder leading up to nothing.

The shelling never stopped in this area from both sides, but we only left two weeks ago when the fighting got too intense, said Homsi.

Despite the lack of water and electricity, he had brought his family back just one week later, fearing looters would take advantage of the chaos. He was too late. His precious gas-powered generator had been pilfered, along with electronics.

But now, as one of his sons pushed a wheelbarrow piled with blankets and clothing to the door, a weak smile appeared on his face.

The fighting is over now, he said. Hopefully everything will return to what it was.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

ALSO

The U.S. is helping train Iraqi militias historically tied to Iran

Fears of Russia and Trump drive EU leaders to boost defense budgets

Syrias Assad hails the liberation of Aleppo as evacuations begin from devastated city
All material is subject to strictly enforced copyright terms & conditions and cannot be repurposed or reproduced.  19882022 Latin American Financial Publications Inc.
The most anticipated Google Nexus 7 tablet might not be released anytime this year but the search giant about a 2017 major launching. Will the tablet retain the Nexus name or will it be re branded to Pixel 7. So the most awaited Google Pixel 7 is expected to launch.

It was the popular and reliable leakster Evan Blass who revealed about the existence of Google Nexus 7 Tablet that elicits too much excitements for Android users all over the globe. According to The Bit Bag , chances are high for the newest tablet to be re branded as Google Pixel 7,following the trend set by Google Pixel X and Pixel XL as the successors of Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P phone for the purpose of standardization.

A report spilled out Nexus tablet information claimed that it will not run Android Nougat 7.0 but it could be using the hybrid OS that Google has developed, the Andromeda. This operating system allows a tablet to get Chrome features into Android and this could mean a 'more ambitious' project, Android Police reported.

Furthermore, Andromeda enables a device to have a laptop experience, much like how Apple is doing with its iPad Pro. With that being said, Google Nexus 7 2016 tablet could be a purposeful device that has desktop-class performance.

According to University Herald Google Nexus 7 is said to be equipped with high-end specifications such as 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage capacity and poweres by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 mobile processor. Furthermore, Google Nexus 7 is said to become the first device to feature Google's hybrid OS called Andromeda.

Since there are only few days left for December, Google Nexus 7 is likely to be released in 2017. However, there are several Android fans who are still hoping for the new device to hit the store shelves before Christmas.
A former 40 year Atheist analyzes Atheism, without resorting to theism, deism, or fantasy.

***

If You Don't Value Truth, Then What DO You Value?

***

If we say that the sane can be coaxed and persuaded to rationality, and we say that rationality presupposes logic, then what can we say of those who actively reject logic?

***

Atheists have an obligation to give reasons in the form of logic and evidence for rejecting Theist theories.
We applaud the job Mike Penca is doing as interim superintendent of the Mason City School District.

He came into the job this year under obviously difficult circumstances  a district unsettled by the ugly split with its former superintendent, Anita Micich, because of a variety of factors involving a handful of relatively new School Board members.

Looking for stability, the board turned to Penca to run the district, and we have to be believe there are many internally and in the community who would have liked to see him be given the chance to drop the interim tag.

However, this School Board has proven headstrong and went outside the district, selecting Dave Versteeg, superintendent of schools at Montezuma since 2007. With 30 years of experience in education, he will be paid $172,500 his first year, which starts July 1, with his contract calling for the salary for his second year to be mutually agreed upon.

Two board members, Scott Warren and Paul DeRoy, voted against the hiring. DeRoy did not return phone calls seeking comment, but Warren  a retired longtime teacher  said he was pleased with Pencas performance, calling him a known commodity.

Editorial: School Board needs to work more openly Lets start with something basic: Government derives its power from the consent of the gover

Globe Gazette Editorial: Enough blame to share in Mason City school conflict When the Mason City School Board announced in May that it was buying out Superintendent Anit

I thought his performance was good enough, Warren said.

The others thought the district would be better served with Versteeg, acknowledging it was a tough decision

In the end, I liked the experience Mr. Versteeg would bring to the district, said board Vice President Lorrie Lala.

Board President Janna Arndt said she was impressed with Versteeg turning around a district that was struggling financially and academically. Finances and academics are the two biggest points in running a school district.

So now, the board will have its hand-picked superintendent to do just that. It will take some time for his impact to be felt, but among obvious goals is avoiding circumstances that doomed the relationship between the board and Micich.

The healing process, seemingly well-facilitated by Penca, must continue. That happens through mutual trust  perhaps the biggest problem leading to the split with Micich. Issues snowballed. That cant happen again.

There must be strong, transparent communication internally and with the public. Schools take the biggest chunk of taxpayer dollars, and taxpayers need to know that those dollars are being put to the best use.

Along with those issues, it became obvious there was a clash of strong personalities between Micich and the board that proved too toxic to overcome.

So now, the School Board and Versteeg can focus squarely on the job the community expects  creating a strong education system that produces well-rounded, well-trained students ready for whatever their next step in life will be.

We are glad Versteeg sees those possibilities and are eager to see his ideas be put into action in a strong relationship with his board and the community that will expect much from both of them.
Phoenix, Dec. 18, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- - FlexPrint, the nations largest privately held Managed Print Solutions provider, held an inaugural FlexPrint Cares Holiday Dinner and charitable gift giving event to change the lives of 115 special children who have been separated from their parents. FlexPrint employees pulled together over $4,500, which funded a VIP Holiday Dinner for these deserving children. In addition to the dinner, each child received a special personal gift, which made this an unusual holiday experience for each one of them.

The Sunshine Acres family would like to thank the entire FlexPrint team, states Kimberly Raibourne at Sunshine Acres Childrens Home. The love and support shown by the FlexPrint family of employees and friends have certainly touched the lives of all of our children. Their commitment to bettering the lives of underprivileged boys and girls right here in Mesa is an example of corporate leadership that is rare in todays marketplace. Thank you FlexPrint. You have provided an opportunity for the children we serve to begin making new, joyful memories that Im sure they will treasure for a lifetime. You have changed lives!

FlexPrints employees have made a personal commitment to support Sunshine Acres Childrens Home mission to provide a loving and wholesome home for children who are separated from their parents and help them establish long-term relationships with stable parental figures - preparing them for success in adult life. Numerous FlexPrint employees have already contributed, throughout the year, their time and efforts helping Sunshine Acres take care of their facilities and other meaningful tasks.

To see the smiles on all of the kids faces was priceless, states Jessica Zajdel, Supply Manager for FlexPrint. Our entire team had a great time, and love supporting Sunshine Acres and these kids. We look forward to creating more memorable moments, and live Sunshines mission by lending a hand where we can.

About FlexPrint Managed Print Solutions

FlexPrint was founded in 2005, and has become the nations leading privately-owned enterprise for Managed Print and Technology Services. FlexPrints managed solutions and expertise streamlines business workflow for corporate, regional, and remote locations under a single national service level agreement. This blend of consultative service and solutions encourages client growth through consistent workflow with proactive customer service, a boost in employee efficiency, and driving costs out of business operations. For additional information, please visit www.FlexPrintInc.com.

About Sunshine Acres Childrens Home

Sunshine Acres provides the emotional, social, physical, educational and spiritual support for the children we serve, so they may learn to manage their own affairs along with maximizing the development of their potential, abilities and interests. The ultimate goal is to facilitate a childs development to voluntarily leave our home and function within a community environment in a style that is both meaningful and purposeful to himself and the community. To learn more, please visit www.sunshineacres.org.
Can you imagine navigating your life without a smart phone, an iPad or a computer?

Yet, how often do you think about the programming that makes them work?

Computer science teachers want to get as many of you as they can to think about computer coding for at least an hour.

The nationwide Hour of Code event will bring computer coding to millions of people in 180 countries. On Wednesday it came to the office of Easton's mayor.

"I think it's important," Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said. "It gives kids an opportunity to think about a career in technology."

Four students from Easton Area High School helped the mayor code video games involving Moana, the Hawaiian heroine in Disney's latest animated feature. They brought leis for the occasion.

The mayor moved around blocks of javascript code to help Moana catch fish and defeat the Kakamora.

The four are among more than 200 taking computer science classes in the Easton Area School District, according to teacher Carol Carmichael.

Pennsylvania has more than 16,000 vacant computer jobs but only 2,800 computer science graduates in 2014. Every student takes science and math classes, but computer science often takes a back seat, she said.

"Why aren't we teaching them algorithms and how to make an app?" she asked.

The computer science students brought the Hour of Code to the rest of the student body during the free Rover Block period. Even some elementary school kids dipped their toes into the coding waters.

Easton Area High School is among the only schools in the state to offer Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles. But the district and the state have a long way to go to get more children prepared and excited for careers in computer science.

The mayor may not be able to create his own app, but he did come away with a certificate after completing his hour. He was encouraged by the students' ability and enthusiasm.

"Any time I can meet with young people, I find them to be very positive," Panto said. "Young people get a rap sometimes that's not really right."

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Newton cop loses job for exposing himself to driversn

Former Newton Police Officer Jason Miller during his sentencing hearing in August 2015.

(Robert Sciarrino | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

HAMPTON - A former New Jersey police officer accused in 2014 of exposing himself to male motorists has been charged with sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy Thursday in a Burger King bathroom.

Jason R. Miller, 39, of Hampton, is charged with sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, criminal restraint and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Sussex County Sheriff's Office website.

Miller is being held in the county jail on $200,000 bail.

The ex-Newton cop resigned from the force in 2015 after pleading guilty to tampering with police records, and was sentenced to probation. As part of the agreement, charges of official misconduct and lewdness stemming from the motor vehicle stops were dismissed.

Following the alleged assault Thursday, the Burger King manager followed Miller to his vehicle in the parking lot, according to an affidavit obtained by NJ Advance Media, and New Jersey State Police were called.

The boy told police that he was in the bathroom when Miller entered the room and placed his hand down the boy's pants.

Miller allegedly then tried to force the teen to perform fellatio on him, according to the affidavit.

Miller denied the allegations, telling police that he went into the bathroom at the same time and that the teen offered him oral sex.

However, video surveillance from the restaurant allegedly shows Miller following the boy into the bathroom while leaving a 3-year-old child unattended in the restaurant's lobby.

The affidavit does not define the relationship between Miller and the 3-year-old.

The toddler was allegedly left alone in the lobby while Miller was in the bathroom for up to two minutes.

Newton Police Chief Michael Richards, asked Saturday about Miller's arrest, said, "It's been over two years since the first hints of his proclivities were recognized and we then took swift action to remove him from the department and hold him criminally accountable."

"We no longer have any association with Miller," Richards said, adding that the department would aid in the investigation "in any way that we may be of assistance."

An attorney for Miller was not immediately available for comment.

Miller, at the time a 14-year member of the Newton force, was arrested in November 2014 after authorities were tipped off that he allegedly unzipped his pants during "numerous" motor vehicle stops of young male drivers.

In July 2015, the charges were dropped as part of a guilty plea in which Miller acknowledged tampering with police records - specifically, that he turned off his patrol vehicle's audio and video recording devices to conceal unspecified "unprofessional and inappropriate conduct."

While the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office sought a 60-day jail term and up to five years of probation, Miller avoided incarceration and was sentenced to probation for two years.

In doing so, Superior Court Judge Thomas Critchley said Miller had "accepted responsibility" for his actions.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Philadelphia Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Philadelphia Division are searching for two men they say robbed city banks at gunpoint.

The first incident occurred at about 10:28 a.m. Saturday at Citizens Bank, 8616 Germantown Ave. The robber approached a bank teller at gunpoint and demanded money, police said. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber ran and was last seen heading south on Germantown Avenue.

The second incident occurred just before noon Saturday at TD Bank, 5501 Ridge Ave.

The robber from the previous incident, as well as a second robber, displayed a handgun and demanded money from a teller. After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, they ran and were last seen heading north on Ridge Avenue.

The suspects are described as black men wearing black ski masks covering the lower portion of their faces. One was wearing a light gray hooded sweatshirt, jeans and tan Timberland boots while the other, was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, jeans, black gloves and dark-colored shoes.

The firearm used in both robberies is described as a black, compact semi-automatic handgun.

"These subjects are considered armed and dangerous," Philadelphia police state in a news release.

Anyone with information about the robberies or the whereabouts of the suspects is urged to call the FBI at (215) 418-4000 or the Philadelphia Police Department.

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
The Round 2 application deadlines are only 2-3 weeks away. Some applicants are already half way through the application process while some are still at the beginning stage. Whichever stage of the application process you are, you are still working on showcasing your best personal and professional stories. Indeed, your stories about the various aspects of your professional career (goals, accomplishments, leadership experiences etc.) and personal life (background, cultural experiences, setback/mistake etc.) play a key role in determining your chances of admission to you dream school. Therefore, you must invest a significant amount of time in reflecting on your best stories and then developing them into engaging and persuasive essays.Here are 10 key essay tips that will help you highlight your multifaceted personality in brilliantly crafted essays that will set you apart from a gigantic pool of applicants.

Tip #1: Understand the Essay Prompt Before Brainstorming Ideas:

Understanding the essay prompt is the first step towards tailoring your story to a particular essay question. Read the essay prompt carefully and try to gauge what the school wants to know through this question. Without understanding the intent of the essay prompt, your story will go off track and will fail to convey the intended message.For example, if the essay prompt is What are you most proud of and why? you are not expected to narrate your career history and all of your accomplishments throughout your career; instead, you need to share a single accomplishment that makes you feel proud of yourself. Ross admission director Soojin Kwon explains in her blog: Dont write two paragraphs of introduction before stating what youre most proud of. You can even start with, I am most proud of.Once you get an understanding of what the question expects you to discuss, begin brainstorming ideas/stories to be able to address that prompt appropriately. You will have to do a lot of soul searching to identify the right stories/experiences.For examples, click here. http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2326

Tip # 2: Address Each Part of the Essay Question:

Often the essay questions consist of 2 or 3 parts, but sometimes, the candidates tend to ignore the second or third part of the essay question and delve into depth addressing only the first part of the question. There is a reason why a particular school is asking 3 questions in one essay prompt  they are seeking to evaluate certain attributes in their prospective candidates through their response to that part of the essay prompt. Hence your goal should be to pay equal attention to all those aspects.In order to address the essay question holistically, you may break it down into multiple sub-segments and then build a structure around each sub- segment.For examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2335

Tip # 3: Make Your Introduction Engaging:

The beginning of your essay must attract the readers attention and make them want to keep reading your essay. The members of the admission committee have to review thousands of essays, and they dont have more than a couple of minutes for each essay, so you want to make the first few sentences interesting/engaging to hook them into your story. First impressions are always said to be the lasting ones. Right ?You may make your beginning compelling in a variety of ways: a thought, a question, a dialogue or a brief anecdote.For examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2339

Tip # 4: Organize your Ideas Effectively:

One of the key components of effective essays is - proper structure. It is glue that blends together all the pieces of your story. Whether you are narrating your cultural experience, setback or ethical dilemma experience or are discussing your career progression story leading to your goals and accomplishments, your story should contain proper beginning, middle, and end. The key to a good story is an engaging beginning, a well-developed middle and a compelling conclusion. Therefore, it is important to sum up all the key components of your story and tie them to your thesis i.e. your main point. You need to bring it full circle to give your essay a sense of completion. All the details of your story should flow so well that it is comprehensible as well as compelling.When sharing your stories (setback, mistake, culture, background, accomplishment or ethical dilemma etc.), make sure to specify the time of the incident. In order to make a lasting impact on the reader, you should explain each logical step of your story without leaving any loose ends. Also, when writing self-revelation essays (failure/mistake, culture shock, setback, strength and weakness, ethical dilemma etc.) dont forget to share what was going on in your mind at that time. It is not enough to describe what you did, it is also important to explain how you felt when you found yourself in a particular situation.For examples, click here: http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2342

Tip # 5: Provide Specific Details:

One of the most common mistakes I have seen in admission essays is lack of specific examples or details. In order to understand and appreciate your story, the reader needs to know the specifics of your story. The members of the Admission committee have to read hundreds of essays for evaluating candidacy of their prospective students, so if you want your stories to make an impression, your writing needs to be succinct, articulate, and specific. By providing specific examples/details about what, why ,where , and when of your experience, and by sharing your thought process at that time, you can turn your stories into memorable essays. Additionally, in order to connect your ideas, please use transitional words and phrases (Use Transitional Expressions.)For good and bad examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2397

Tip # 6: Do Not Use Jargon

When writing admission essays, the applicants should make sure to use minimum technical details that are specific to your industry. Please note that these technical terms/details are comprehensible only to the people of the same industry. In their enthusiasm to showcase their technical expertise, they often omit relevant information such as What were the main challenges? How did you deal with the situation? or How was the experience meaningful? etc. The use of excessive jargon makes it challenging for the readers to comprehend your story and distracts them from the real story. In order to create effective essays, you should aim at using only as much jargon as is required to convey your story.For good and bad examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2414

Tip # 7 Avoid Using Quotations:

It appears to be a general perception that using quotations of eminent personalities who have made a positive impact in the lives of future generations (leaders, philosophers, and scientists etc.) is a powerful way to impress the readers. Hence most applicants like to begin their essays with quotations. I, however, do not recommend using precious words to quote someone else. These essay questions about your goals, accomplishments, leadership experiences, cultural experience, background, setback, and life experiences are designed to evaluate YOU to determine your fit with the school; therefore, using someone elses words, no matter how eminent that person is or was, is often a waste of valuable words, and not a value addition. Another reason to avoid using quotations is that B-schools are already cutting down on the length of essays and number of essays they require their prospective students to write, so each word that you use should add value to your essay.For good and bad examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2426

Tip # 8: Do Not Use Passive Voice:

One of the key components of your admission essays is personal touch. When narrating your personal and professional stories, please make sure to be personal. Your stories of personal and professional accomplishments, no matter how brilliant they are, will fail to make the desired impression on the reader if they are not written in active voice. I often come across essays composed in flawless English, but they still dont create the desired impact because of the use of passive voice. The lack of personal touch in those stories give an impression as if these stories are referring to someone else and not to the candidates themselves. By using passive voice, you will make your own personal stories so impersonal and lifeless that they will not only weaken your message, but also turn your heroic accomplishments into lackluster ones. Please remember to use active voice for narrating your stories. However, try to avoid excessive use of I. Even though these application essays are about you, you should not have more than two sentences in a paragraph beginning with I. You can very well provide the same details and convey the same message by phrasing your sentences in a different way.For examples, click here- http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2399

Tip # 9: Choose Your Words Wisely:

Every year, B-schools are cutting down on the number of essays and the word limits of essays they require their prospective students to write. By imposing strict word limits, the admission committee members evaluate you for your ability to make your point concisely and succinctly. Also, exceeding word limit reflects your unwillingness to follow the guidelines.However, following stringent word limits, and sometimes even character limits becomes one of the biggest challenges for applicants. Some students find it hard to figure out when to stop writing and end up writing 1000 words for an essay with a specified word limit of 400 words. On the contrary, some students limit themselves so hard that they hold on to many relevant details that the essay question requires resulting in many gaps in the content. Brevity is the key in creating compelling admission essays. With a little bit of brainstorming, you will find that you can achieve precision by replacing big phrases by their equivalent shorter phrases.For examples and some helpful tips to write succinctly, click here-http:// .com/blogs/?p=2431

Tip # 10: Proofread Your Essay Thoroughly:

Helpful Proofreading Tips for Non -Native Applicants

American English vs. British English





Email:poonam@myessayreview.com



MyEssayReview - A personalized and dedicated consulting serviceEmail:poonam@myessayreview.com Signature Read More

After having written and revised your essay multiple times and ensuring that you have effectively narrated your story within the prescribed word limit, your last challenge is to proofread it for sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and spelling errors. If neglected, these errors are a poor refection on your candidacy and can jeopardize your chances of admission despite your great GMAT score, good GPA, and impressive work experience.In order to bring variety to your writing, try to compose a mix of simple, compound, and complex sentences. Do not write extremely lengthy sentences stretching 4-5 lines. Unduly long sentences might confuse the reader.For good and bad examples. http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=2445 Lastly, I would highly recommend that when applying to US B-schools, the non-native applicants should proofread their essays for terms that US Ad Com may be unfamiliar with.For specific proofreading tips for non-natives, you may refer to my articleFor more details on the differences between American English and British English, refer to my articleTo sum up, creating compelling and persuasive MBA admission essays is a skill that can be acquired with careful thought and preparation. You need to invest a significant amount of time in reflecting on your professional aspirations and life experiences. After selecting your stories, organize them coherently, and flesh them out with relevant details, keeping in mind all the above mentioned tips. Since the essence of writing is rewriting, revise your essays multiple times to ensure that all the pieces of your story fit together, and then proofread them for any grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. I am confident that by following this structured approach, you will transform your stories into memorable essays that will help you secure admission in your chosen school.Good luck on your Round 2 applications JThis article first appeared in blog. http://myessayreview.com/blogs/?p=3009 For questions, email Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com Web /Blog/ Free resources/LinkedIn/ Facebook_________________
A study underway by three TY students from St Mary's CBS in Portlaoise, on students' knowledge of the possible dangers of vaping, has won them a spot at the prestigious BT Young Scientists final in January.

Alan Bowe, Killian McGannon and Ben Conroy have found surprising results following a study of senior students at the school, as science teacher Helen Felle explained.

Their aim is to find out how much young people know about the possible dangers of eCigarettes. They conducted research with senior students finding out what they know about the dangers, she said.

They found a concerning lack of knowledge.

So far we have been very surprised by the lack of knowledge. Very few of our senior students could name chemicals in eCigarettes, Ms Felle reported.

The students have also found evidence of the ease at which teens can buy eCigarettes, illegal for under 18's.

They have also proven how easy it is to buy eCigs by purchasing them while wearing school uniform, as part of the experiment, said Ms Felle.

They are delighted to be representing the school especially during their transition year, said Ms Felle.

The project is under the Social and Behavioural Sciences Group at the fair, which runs in the RDS from January 11 to 14. Three other Laois projects will feature, two from Heywood CS and one from Portlaoise College.

Meanwhile all the science classes at the school have had a busy year so far, enjoying two educational field trips.

All students attended a lecture and enjoyed hands-on minaturized activities in the National Conference Centre, said science teacher Clare Carroll.

The conference was run by microTas2016.

It encouraged the STEM themes, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, in an innovative and engaging way, said the teacher.

The second science trip started with a workshop run by Irish Aid, followed by a tour of Trinity College.

Then it was onto a Google sponsored tour of the Science Gallery, where the students had the opportunity to explore what happens when science and art collide.

Two great days were had by all, said Ms Carroll.
If you look to the skies tonight around Manorhamilton, you see something strange and wonderful.

A heart made up of lights will be visible on Benbo mountain. Love Leitrim's heart is back again on the mountain overlooking Manorhamilton every evening from 4.15-8.15pm. Love Leitrim are an antifracking group who want to promote Leitrim's quality of life.

The giant heart towering was first launched on Saturday November 28th last year. The heart with an impressive 120 metres in circumference and 100 feet in height can be seen for miles in the rural area. It sits on the peak of Benbo, a mountain range on the border of Leitrim and Fermanagh, two of the counties at risk from fracking, one in the North of Ireland, one in the South.

Artist Darragh Wilkins created the short-term installation with anti-fracking group Love Leitrim as part of an Artist in the Community scheme, a partnership that also involved Leitrim County Council. In a truly community effort campaigners were delighted that farmers from a number of different sites had offered land but a commonage on Benbo mountain won the day as the site for the project.
With barely a trace of irony, a minister in the Government which has just passed the most illiberal snooping legislation talked about defending freedom in an article in the Sunday Times () today. Not only that, but he seems to think that the answer to any problems harming community cohesion could be resolved by holders of public office swearing an oath committing them to so-called British values of equality, democracy and the democratic process.

He spends the first 8 paragraphs of his article having a real go at Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, setting up the scapegoats while using the language of tolerance as a fig leaf in which to wrap the dog whistle.

This is a government, struggling to get a grip on Brexit  trying to distract us by scapegoating an entire community of people, reinforcing the horribly divisive rhetoric of the referendum. Does that sound tolerant to you?

As an aside, the phrase British values makes me wince  as if respect for the democratic process or support for freedom of speech was a uniquely British thing that stopped at our borders. You cant confine a basic human instinct to a tiny little blob on the map. These universal values are exercised every day in every part of the world  and often with great courage and bravery. The women in Saudi who defy the law and drive. The people who marched in places like Myanmar and Teheran for democracy. The people who attend gay pride rallies in places where being gay is punishable by imprisonment or even death.

Anyway, Javids oath idea tries to plant the idea that people who would do us harm are in every walk of our life, that there is a terrorist behind every tree. Even if that were the case, an oath is hardly likely to make any difference. There are more than enough laws, some of them deeply illiberal, to deal with anyone who is suspected of plotting harm.

He talks about problems faced by women. Perhaps funding organisations who deal with domestic violence in every community in the country might be a better way of dealing with the issue. Its just an idea.

And of course, at a time when distrust in public officials is at an unprecedented high in my lifetime, why not just put another suggestion of untrustworthiness out there? After all, if people dont want to take this oath, then they must be up to no good. Its all very reminiscent of the nothing to hide, nothing to fear rhetoric around ID cards.

Its good that our Home Affairs spokesperson Brian Paddick immediately dismissed Javids plan as superficial and divisive.

Forcing public servants to swear an oath to British values would be both superficial and divisive. We should be talking about the universal values that unite us, not using nationalistic terms that exclude people. The Government must focus on integrating those small pockets of people living in segregated communities. Instead they are creating hostility towards all minority communities, the vast majority of whom want to be an integrated part of the United Kingdom.

It is deeply worrying that Government ministers merely repeat and reinforce the divisive rhetoric of the referendum rather than deal with the issues of poverty and inequality which drove so many to vote leave.

Rather than come up with a coherent plan for Brexit, (which they cant because such a thing doesnt exist), the Governments tries to switch our attention on to something else.

The problem is that if we stand by and allow them to pick on the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, what happens when they decide that its not British to support the EU or campaigning to stay in or rejoin if weve already left. Last week, I saw a post on social media which suggested Tim Farron should be tried for treason just for wanting a vote on the deal  as if that was undemocratic or something.

We liberals really need to do all we can to point out the flaws in the governments utterances  and remind people that if they really were serious about integration they might like to do something about the hate crimes and abuse Muslims face every day. A friend of mine was walking down the street not long after the referendum. She stepped aside to let someone pass. I dont thank your kind. she was told.

The way to closer cohesion is to reach out those who may feel isolated  and provide refuge and options for anyone in any community suffering abuse. That takes real political will and action  much more effort than any meaningless oath.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
The new Federal Board is responsible for setting the strategy of the party. But it cant do it alone. This strategy has to be passed by Conference  which means that the Board will have to get buy-in from across the party as outlined in Article 5.2 of the Constitution.

The Federal Board shall publicise a timetable for the production of the strategy and its submission for debate by Conference. In preparing the strategy, the Federal Board shall consult widely within the party, including in particular the Parliamentary Parties (as defined in Article 9), all relevant Federal Committees, the State Parties and Specified Associated Organisations.

One the strategy is passed, the Board has to oversee its implementation and report on progress to Conference.

So who are the people who will be charged with such responsibility?

The FB will be chaired by Party President Sal Brinton who starts her second 2 year term on 1st January 2017.

Other members on the Board as of right are:

Leader, Tim Farron

A Vice-Chair of the Federal Policy Committee and Chair of the Federal Conference Committee

Three parliamentarians

One principal local authority councillor (Chris White has been re-elected to this role)

A Liberal Youth representative

English Party Chair (Liz Leffman from 1 January 2017)

Scottish Convener (Sheila Thomson)

Welsh Chair (Rodney Berman)

One person elected by each state party from among its members

The 15 directly elected members announced yesterday, who are:

Elaine Bagshaw  campaign whirlwind who has spearheaded the near tripling of membership in Tower Hamlets and massive upscaling of campaigning activity

Dinesh Dhamja  member from the South West endorsed by Gavin Grant and Nick Clegg

Neil Fawcett  campaigning genius and Councillor from Abingdon

Helen Flynn  Chair of the Social Liberal Forum

James Gurling  Currently chair of the Campaigns and Communications Committee

Nasser Kessell  Activist and campaigner from Portsmouth

Caron Lindsay  me

Gordon Lishman  longstanding activist and Social Liberal Forum director from Burnley

Victoria Marsom  Manager of historic Brent and Eastleigh by-elections and former party Campaigns manager.

Joyce Onstad  Newbie and treasurer of Lib Dem Women

Mark Pack  blogger and co-author of pamphlet calling for a Core Votes Strategy

Pauline Pearce  Hackney Heroine and London activist

Candy Piercy  Training and campaigns guru

Alice Thomas  Incoming chair of Lib Dem Women

Gerald Vernon-Jackson  Leader of Portsmouth City Council Lib Dem Group

Its a pretty good mix of people who know how to win elections and get our message across.

If you are a party member, you can keep up with what the committees are up to on the members area of the website and also from our regular reports on this site.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
HE has his own wardrobe of clothes. He sleeps in a bed with an electric blanket. He wears cologne, loves getting his tummy tickled and has 12,000 followers on Instagram. And he's a dog!

Luca, a bichon frise, is the apple of Bee Clearys eye.

The Kilfinane native purchased the snow white pooch after seeing a photograph of him and thinking to herself Oh my God I have to have him!.

I had wanted a dog for ages. My husband and I felt that it wasnt very fair to have one because we both work every day and then I saw a picture of Luca online, explained Bee who lives with her husband Karl Burns in Rathcormac, County Cork.

Unbeknownst to Karl, Bee headed off to the dog breeder in Kilworth.

I rang my husband and he said where are you going? and I said I am on the way to collect the dog and he said you mean the dog we said we werent going to get? Bee smiled.

When she arrived at the yard in Kilworth there were two identical dogs looking up at her.

Luca ran over and jumped into Bees designer handbag which was on the ground. And so began his charmed life.

On a typical morning in the Burns' household, Luca rises from his bed - which is located at the foot of Bee and Karls bed.

The next step is choosing his outfit for the day. Bees mother-in-law Betty Burns in Blackrock minds him during the day.

He has a Barbour jacket for these biting cold mornings.

I love them so I got him one to match. Barbour actually do a range for dogs so I just went onto the Barbour website and ordered it online. It was about 40 which isnt that expensive compared to a humans jacket.

He also has a little tux.

For the month thats in it, he has a festive wardrobe to choose from featuring Christmas bandanas and Christmas jumpers. Bees nieces Sophie and Katie Cleary McCarthy from Kilfinane cant wait to see what his Christmas day outfit will be.

He has a different outfit for every day of December. He wears something different every day going into his granny. He hates being cold so if we are leaving in the car we have to put something on him before he goes out because he absolutely hates being cold. He has loads of different coats and hoodies but its Christmas jumpers now at the moment he is wearing. We take it off when he is in the house.

Before he heads off to Bettys, Luca enjoys some playtime.

We have to throw his paper toy up and down the stairs - thats his favourite game so we have to do that in the morning and we have to do his tummy rub in the morning as well. He loves having his tummy rubbed. My husband gets really playful with him and he could be doing it for five or 10 minutes but he loves it.

When he comes home in the evening Luca first goes for a walk and then he lies down in front of the stove in preparation for his frozen kong.

Its a special cone-shaped toy for dogs and you can stuff them with different items so he gets natural yoghurt and organic peanut butter mixed up and we freeze it. He gets that every single night. It takes him about half an hour to eat it and he gets that every single night - thats his treat, said Bee who is a manager of a cosmetics counter in Brown Thomas Cork.

If a dog comes on the television, Luca pricks his ears and turns them back with excitement.

He also has an Advent calendar - a doggy Advent calendar which reveals a new page every evening. We do some training some evenings as well. He picks up things very, very quickly so we do a little bit of training and then he curls up beside my husband.

On bath nights, Lucas fresh blue bathrobe which has a hood is laid out. ready to go.

I bath him once a week because he is a white dog so if he gets in anyway dirty it shows up. Then he gets groomed once every four weeks. I dont use a dog shampoo I actually use a shampoo for newborn babies so there are no preservatives or anything like that in it so its really safe.

Its a Johnsons newborn baby shampoo but then he has his own cologne spray as well - its a doggy cologne. He has that as well. Now he hates when I put that on him but I put it on him because he smells so cute.

Owing to his white fluffy coat, Luca must be brushed every single day. When Bee takes him to the dog groomer she never wants value for money.

Most people take their dog and they get them scalped whereas I am like I just want you to trim him because he is coming back again in four weeks. I know most people take their dog every 12 weeks but I take him every four weeks, religiously, so that he always looks nice and cute and fluffy.

Luca loves being cosy and likes nothing better than snuggling up in his bed with his electric blanket.

Its so funny - you can actually buy electric blankets for dogs - they only heat up when the dog lies on it - they are really safe. He is just one of these dogs that hates being cold. He has his own bed in our room. He has to have a pillow and put his head up on something - he wont lie down flat. Its at the end of our bed so he gets in there when we go to bed but then at around 1am he jumps up and snuggles on top of the bed in between the two of us. Every single night he does it. He is like my child I love him so much.

As well as having two awards to his name - the Irish Daily Mails Prettiest Pooch title and Irelands Next Top Madra - Luca has a staggering 12,000 followers on his Instagram account.

I update it three times a day with three different photos. People really interact with him. One girl in Switzerland has a dog which is nothing like Luca but she loves him and wants to send him a Christmas card.
WORK on laying the proposed national gas pipeline from Foynes to Listowel is now expected to begin next May or June.

But, a spokeswoman for Gas Networks Ireland, which is spearheading the project, confirmed that the route of the pipeline has not yet been finalised and surveys as well as site investigations and discussions with stakeholders are still continuing. No contractor has yet been appointed for the 20m project.

But, according to Glin councillor, John Sheahan, the route is expected to go through land on the periphery of the village.

And he has called on Gas Networks Ireland to take into account Glins future needs and those of Tarbert when deciding on the exact location, design and capacity of the pipe.

In particular, he has argued the potential future demand at the industrial land-bank at Tarbert/Ballylongford needs to be factored in, along with the possibility of replacing oil with gas at the power station in Tarbert.

The existing manufacturing businesses in Glin as well as householders could also be possible customers, Cllr Sheahan pointed out in a motion to the recent meeting of Newcastle West Municipal District.

This is an issue that is ongoing, he said, explaining that Kerry Ingredients and Gas Networks Ireland had signed an agreement to bring natural gas to the plant and to provide a domestic supply in the town.

But, he added, other towns and villages could have spurs off the line.

This is the third proposal for a gas pipeline along the coast, the Glin councillor pointed out, citing Shannon LNGs proposal to link its proposed plant at Tarbert Ballylongford to the main gas network at Foynes. And at one time, there had been a proposal to link Tarbert power station to the gas network, he explained.

It is amazing that, with the land bank in Tarbert, that nobody on the Kerry side has been looking to see if that could be done, the councillor remarked.

And he asked that the councils director of economic development, Pat Daly, would contact Gas Networks Ireland to ensure that future demand was not being overlooked.

Once it is done, it is done, he said.

In October, Gas Networks Ireland announced it was seeking tenders for the construction of a 40km gas pipeline from Barrigone, Foynes to Listowel and for the development of a gas network in the town.

At the time, a spokeswoman for the company said the final route for the pipeline had not yet been confirmed and that the next stage of the project will involve route reviews to assess the suitability of various routes.

However, she added, it was likely to be along main roads. And she confirmed that no other towns or villages along the route, with the possible exception of Foynes, would be linked to the network.

The spokeswoman stressed that a key factor in extending the network to towns other than Listowel would be a significant increase in gas demand from a town, probably resulting from the addition of a new large industrial or commercial user.

In simple terms, the expected revenues over a period of time must exceed the projected costs for the project to be viable, she added.

The spokeswoman added that the company was continuing to liaise with potential customers in Foynes. To this end, the exact footprint for the gas network in and around the town has not yet been finalised, she said.

This week, Gas Network Ireland confirmed that the route has still to be finalised but that this will happen in the coming weeks .

The contractor for the works will be chosen via public tender. While this process has commenced, the appointment of same will not be made until completion of the public tender process in circa March/April 2017,  a spokeswoman said.
KIERAN Fitzgerald, from Glin, who suffered horrific spinal injuries while on holiday in Spain last summer, is to be appointed for a second five-year term to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).

Mr Fitzgerald, a former journalist and producer with RTE, is currently undergoing rehab at the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire.

But, his sister Louise told the Limerick Leader this week, following the announcement that his re-appointment had been recommended by the Oireachtas, he is looking forward to getting back to work in 2017.

Her brother, she explained, is now wheelchair bound as a result of his accident last June. He has a very high-level injury, she said, but his mind is as sharp as ever.

Kieran is the only son of Kathleen Fitzgerald, a retired school teacher and her late husband Pat. He has worked as a producer, reporter and researcher with RTE, working on programmes that included The Late Late Show, Prime Time and Liveline.

He was named as News and Current Affairs Journalist of the Year in 1999 and is a former chair of the Dublin Broadcasting Branch of the National Union of Journalists.

In 2007, he was appointed Head of Communications and Research for the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission and in 2011, was appointed to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission itself.

He has a Doctorate in Governance from the School of Law at Queens University Belfast and is a Member of the Executive Committee of the British and Irish Ombudsman Association.

Mr Fitzgerald was seriously injured while on holiday in in early June. He had sailed with friends from Dublin to Northern Spain where he was to meet up with his wife, Evelyn, and together they planned to walk part of the Camino de Santiago.

But on arrival in Spain, he felt faint and his sailing companions put him sitting down on a low wall. However, he toppled over on to some rocks and damaged his spine.

He was in an induced coma in a hospital in La Coruna for a number of weeks, with his wife and only child Patrick at his bedside.

Having survived the coma, he was brought by air ambulance to Ireland in early July where he has been in rehabilitation since.

He is very determined, his sister Louise. He is still in Dun Laoghaire and will be there for Christmas but as soon as possible in the New Year he will be going home. He is very impressed with the great care he is getting there.

Kieran has been to the two Ireland rugby matches in Dublin, she said.

He is delighted to be re-appointed to GSOC and said he was looking forward to going back to work as soon as possible in 2017, Ms Fitzgerald said.

It is expected that Mr Fitzgerald and his co-commissioners, chairwoman Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring and Mark Toland, will be officially appointed by the President shortly.

The new commissioners were congratulated by Ms Justice Ring, who pointed out that 2017 will mark the 10th anniversary of GSOC.
A NEW touring route which will connect Limerick to the Wild Atlantic Way was unveiled by Minister of State for Tourism Patrick O'Donovan this week.

The Shannon Estuary Drive is part of a new pilot scheme from Failte Ireland to encourage visitors to discover a variety of inland experiences, branching off from the Wild Atlantic Way.

As the Wild Atlantic Way continues to grow at an enormous rate since its launch, we can now start to develop additional experiences for visitors to enjoy, and that is why I am delighted that the Shannon Estuary Drive, here in Limerick and also in Clare is the first of its kind along with a similar route in the Burren, said the minister.

This route will help us to plan for a more even spread of visitors across the Mid-West and the west of Ireland, he added.

The ring drive will take in the N69 from Limerick city to Tarbert, where the ferry brings drivers across the estuary to Killimer, Clare.

Along the way, tourists would pass through Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Kilcornan, Askeaton, Foynes, Loughill and Glin.

The plans are good news for N69 businesses, which will benefit from the increased traffic and flow of tourists.

The drive is being developed by Failte Ireland in conjunction with Limerick City and County Council and Clare County Council, after being proposed by Minister ODonovan.

"After I was appointed as Minister I immediately set about to put a plan in place to develop this route, said the Newcastle West TD.

The Shannon Estuary Drive will, when fully developed, see a route provided from Foynes on the Wild Atlantic Way, through Limerick and onwards to Killimer in Clare to join up again with the Wild Atlantic Way."

Failte Irelands Director of Strategic Development, Orla Carroll said: We are working in close partnership with both Clare and Limerick local authorities and will be developing appropriate navigation aids and viewing points which will involve some capital investment for both areas.

The route provides a significant opportunity for Limerick and Ennis as gateway towns to the Wild Atlantic Way, according to Failte Ireland.

Councillors from the Adare Rathkeale municipal district welcomed the news at their monthly meeting this week, following calls for the drive to Limerick city to be included in the Wild Atlantic Way.

Some councillors called for waterside viewpoints to be included along the route, at Ringmoylan, Pallaskenry and Beagh, Ballysteen.

We dont pay enough attention to what is going on on the Shannon  it has huge tourism potential, said Cllr Emmett OBrien.
the decline in college enrollment caused by the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds could be offset.

By enhancing college programs to attract the over-fifty population,(A) the decline in college enrollment caused by the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds could be offset(B) the college enrollment decline caused by the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds could be offset(C) college enrollment could offset the decline caused by the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds(D) colleges could offset the decline in enrollment caused by the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds(E) the decrease in the population of eighteen to twenty-four year olds that has caused a decline in college enrollment could be offset_________________
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Apr 28, 2021, 9 PM

Somalias stamp history begins with French colonial stamps of the Navigation and Commerce design, overprinted and issued for Djibouti in 1894.

The first Italian Somaliland stamp, issued in 1903 (Somalia Scott 1), says Benadir, referring to the coastal port cities of Mogadishu and Barawa.

In 1903, the Somaliland Protectorate, also known as British Somaliland, used overprinted stamps of India.

Beginning in 1904, stamps with the country name Somaliland Protectorate (in place of British Somaliland overprints) were issued, portraying King Edward VII.

Italys issues were overprinted SOMALIA ITALIANA for use in Italian Somaliland in 1929.

A colorful new stamp set in 1932 reading Poste Italiane Somalia replaced the Italy overprints of 1929 on.

The last regular issues (not overprints) of Somaliland Protectorate were issued in 1958. One of designs depicts an Askaria militiaman.

The former Italian Somaliland and British Somaliland united to form a new republic in 1960, marking the event with an overprinted 1959 stamp issued on June 26, 1960.

The 10th anniversary of independence was celebrated with four stamps issued June 28, 1970, with a design of a mother bird feeding her young.

An allegorical figure, Lady Somalia, sits on a posthorn on a 1985 Somalia issue. The country name is abbreviated from the Somali-language words translating to Federal Republic of Somalia.

Purportedly an issue of the Cote Francaise des Somalis (Somali Coast), this inverted stamp is not listed in the standard catalogs and is probably a forgery.

By Janet Klug

Somalia is the easternmost country of Africa, on the Horn of Africa. Most of Somalia lies north of the equator; a very small segment lies south of the equator.

Somalias neighbor to the west is Ethiopia, to the south is Kenya, and to the northwest is Djibouti.

To the north, Somalia lies along the Gulf of Aden, and its eastern coast is the Indian Ocean.

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Somalia has an important placement between sub-Saharan Africa and countries of Arabia and southwestern Asia. Because of its prime location, Somalia attracted other nations attention, resulting in changes in the countrys name and its government.

It is interesting to follow the history of Somalia by arranging the countrys stamps by date of issue, though the process is complicated by the fact that the political geography of the area changed so much over time, and its modern boundaries do not reflect what they were in other centuries.

The very first stamps were French forerunners for the Somali Coast, issued in 1894. These were stamps with the French Navigation and Commerce design, overprinted DJ or Djibouti on stamps that had been made for Obock, a seaport on the Gulf of Aden in eastern Africa that was acquired by France in 1862.

At the time, Djibouti was a part of Somali Coast, whose stamps are listed in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue following those of Somalia.

The first stamp to have the words Protectorat de la Cote des Somalis, a fascinating bicolor issue, arrived in 1894 (Somali Coast Scott 6). Within an oval at the bottom of the stamp is Djibouti, and the vignette image is a view of that city. Somali warriors flank the left and right of the design.

One has to be careful about these early Somali Coast stamps  there are a number of varieties that pump up the prices, but some of them are known to be forged.

Nearby you can see an illustration of a 40-centime stamp with an inverted design of a camel and Somali people. This pseudo-stamp probably was created by someone in Paris who had access to the printing plates and made some money by forging some printings.

The last Cote Francaise des Somalis stamp (Scott 309) was issued in 1967. The design pictures a a desert monitor lizard. Somali Coast issues were replaced by stamps of the French Territory of the Afars and Issas.

Italian Somaliland (also known as Italian Somalia), comprised land from Cape Asir to the boundary of Kenya, almost a quarter of a million square miles. Italy got control in 1889, and the land became a state within Somalia.

The first stamps, picturing elephants and lions, were issued in 1903 (Italian Somaliland is listed under Somalia in the Scott Standard catalog). Scott 1 and 2 show an elephant in the center, the arch over the design reads Poste Italiane, and the country name below the design is BENADIR. This name is taken from the Persian word bandar, meaning port, and refers to the coastal cities of Mogadishu and Barawa.

From 1905-32, Italian Somaliland used Italian stamps that were overprinted Somalia Italiana. In 1932, a beautiful series of pictorial stamps (Scott 138-155) was issued, depicting animals and scenery. These issues carry the country name Somalia at the foot of the design and Poste Italiane at the top.

Any reference to Italy on Somalias stamps ceased in 1950 when the country became a United Nations Trust Territory, though administered by Italy.

British Somaliland (listed in the Scott Standard catalog as Somaliland Protectorate) was a protectorate under formal control beginning in 1884, when Britain took it from Egypt. The protectorate was located in northwestern Somalia.

The first Somaliland Protectorate stamps, in 1903, were 1882-1900 India issues overprinted BRITISH SOMALILAND.

Beginning in 1904, stamps with the country name Somaliland Protectorate were issued, with the image of King Edward VII. The last Somaliland Protectorate stamps were issued in 1960, after which stamps of Somalia were used.

Although in 1940, during World War II, British Somaliland fell under Italian control, in 1948 it reverted to the British Colonial Office.

On July 1, 1960, the Trust Territory of Somaliland (former Italian Somaliland) and British Somaliland officially united to become the Republic of Somalia.

A stamp with a flower design issued in 1959 (Somalia Scott 217) was overprinted to commemorate the event and became Somalia Scott 242, issued June 26, 1960.

A coup in 1969 began a period of authoritarian rule, but the following year, to celebrate 10 years of independence, Somalia issued stamps (Scott 360-363) listing the country name as Somali Democratic Rep., with a design of a dove feeding hatchlings.

Stamps of 1973 concluded the use of Somali Democratic Republic, replacing the name with an abbreviation of the Somali-language official country name: Jum. Dim. Somaliya, for Dastuurka Jamhuuriyadda Federaalka Soomaaliya (Federal Republic of Somalia).

The self-declared Republic of Somaliland, covering the same area as the former British Somaliland, and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland function as separate entities.

As noted in the Scott Standard catalog, in 1991 there was a breakdown of government services in Somalia (when the regime in place since 1969 collapsed), but a new government in 2012 stabilized conditions. In 2013, postal service resumed.
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

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Donald Trumps Military Government

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Gen. Michael T. Flynn in Afghanistan in 2009. Credit Carolyn Cole/Los Angeles Times, via Getty Images

Washington  A new president, swept into office on a tide of fake news and media manipulation, surrounds himself with generals: his adviser on foreign policy, the defense minister, his minister of the interior and the further possible appointments of foreign minister and intelligence director.

If this happened in a third world country, the United States, as a global promoter of democracy, would warn against it. America has frequently urged the militaries of other countries to stand down and stay in barracks. The United States supports civilian control; the militarys job should be to provide military advice, not make policy and govern.

Yet these admonitions do not now seem to apply at home. Having roundly criticized generals during the campaign, President-elect Donald J. Trump is now surrounding himself with them.

The issue is not about getting good military advice to the president. The 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Act made the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff the principal military adviser to the president for that purpose. The president regularly listens to uniformed officers in the Situation Room and the Pentagon.

Marine Gen. James N. Mattis aboard the U.S.S. Peleliu in 2001. Credit Jim Hollander/European Pressphoto Agency

As much as Americans like and respect their generals, civilian control of the military has nothing to do with the personal merits or otherwise of particular flag officers. They may be smart (David H. Petraeus), bold (James N. Mattis), temperamental (Michael T. Flynn) or quietly competent (John F. Kelly). There is not just one kind of general.

The larger principle goes back to the founding of the republic: Civilians should oversee the military, and the president is the commander in chief. The founders worried about the influence that a military with excessive power could have on Americas young democracy.

The issue is the same today. Its not the risk of a military coup; it is what I call the velvet militarization of American foreign and national security policy over the next four years.

Military officers do view the world differently. Their experience has necessarily produced in them what psychologists sometimes call a professional deformation, a necessary conditioned way of looking at the world that is structured, hierarchical, strategic and operational. It focuses on the uses of military force.

Military officers are can do. Operational problems require operational solutions  fix the problem, and done. Fundamentally, military deterrence and combat are what they do, generally well.

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Gen. John Kelly at the Pentagon in 2016. Credit Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press

Civilian analysts, strategists and diplomats focus on statecraft: how to wield the foreign policy tool kit to achieve national goals and protect American interests. They focus on broader strategy, diplomatic nuance, setting one sticky problem aside to make progress on another.

Both skill sets, military and civilian, are important. The president and his staff coordinate between the two. But filtering all policy decisions through a military lens will compromise the balance in decision making that good statecraft requires.

More fundamentally, our older democracy is in trouble. Over the past 70 years, the military has become the dominant institution in how the United States engages with the world, especially since Sept. 11, the so-called global war on terror and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Special Operations forces are now deployed to more than 80 countries, the counterterrorism apparatus has expanded across the country, and the military conducts cyberwarfare abroad.

Like water to a fish, our militarized medium has become invisible to us. To have generals in charge of the foreign and national security policy agencies looks normal. While it is true that the strategic failure behind the two biggest operational failures of the past 15 years, Iraq and Afghanistan, was a civilian responsibility, it seems ironic that the careers of the three officers so far appointed by Mr. Trump  Generals Mattis, Flynn and Kelly  were bound up with those debacles. If General Petraeus were nominated as secretary of state, that would make four.

It is important for the president to surround himself with senior cabinet-level advisers who are not military men. The president will need that balance, as well as the capabilities of all Americas foreign policy institutions. The challenges he will encounter are broader than the military view can encompass. And most solutions are not military.

Putting military officers in charge of the entire architecture of national security reinforces the trend toward militarizing policy and risks cementing in place the military-industrial complex that President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of. To borrow the psychologist Abraham H. Maslows words, if all the men around President Trump are hammers, the temptation will be to treat everything as if it were a nail.
On Friday, photos emerged of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Qods Force, in conquered eastern Aleppo, Syria (photos 1, 2). Another photo showed him by the Citadel of Aleppo (photo 3). It was not immediately clear when the photos were taken.

Following rapid advances this month, pro-Syrian government forces entered the Old City on Dec. 6, and ousted insurgents by the following day, as reported by major media outlets. After pro-regime forces squeezed rebels into a small pocket, both sides reached an agreement for civilians and fighters to leave eastern Aleppo in exchange for the territory. Negotiations are underway to evacuate tens of thousands, according to The Guardian.

Backed by Russian air power, the IRGC and foreign Shiite militias under Soleimanis command have been instrumental in imposing siege on Aleppo in a 15-month long operation, and deflecting two major offensives spearheaded by Islamist-led coalitions. Pro-regime Syrian militias, such as the Desert Hawks and Tiger Forces, alongside the Syrian Arab Army led the breakthrough from Aleppos northern sector this past month. Russian special forces also played a pivotal role in the ground offensive to retake Aleppo, as covered in The Wall Street Journal.

Reporting directly to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Soleimani has executed Iranian strategy in Syria since the popular uprisings in 2011. He was the point man who personally negotiated with President Vladimir Putin Russias military intervention in September 2015, according to unnamed security officials who spoke with Reuters.

After more than five years, Soleimani has succeeded in preventing the fall of Bashar al Assad, protecting Irans supply route to Lebanese Hezbollah, and laying siege to Aleppo, Syrias largest urban area prior to the war. He has mobilized thousands of Iranians, Syrians, Lebanese, Iraqis, Afghans, and Pakistanis to fight in Syria, forming an international Shiite expeditionary force.

[Update: the earlier version of this report said that the photos surfaced yesterday, while it was Friday.]

Amir Toumaj is a independent analyst and contributor to FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's seemingly Oscars-bound younger brother and star of Manchester by the Sea hosted Saturday Night Live last night. He played a breakdancing Jesus, a naughty elf, a Boston Dunkin' Donuts fan and a comic nativity scene play actor in the show's Christmas episode.

After the Trumpy cold open, Affleck acknowledged his movie is "an incredibly depressing picture... it's really a downer." He then got an assist from Alec Baldwin and John Goodman, who reassured him he didn't need to sing to host SNL, and then Black Santa (Kenan Thompson) appeared to show him a little holiday magic. (And, no, the show didn't reference the sexual harassment allegationsAffleck later settled out of court.)

The best sketches of the night were two taped segments: The first was a look at the real customers of Dunkin' Donuts, which featured the usual camera-ready types and then Affleck's scruffy Boston native. The other was Kate McKinnon reprising her Hillary Clinton character, with a plea to an elector, in a send-up of Love Actually's creepy stalker subplot.

Chance the Rapper returned to the show, performing "Same Drugs" and "All Night." He also appeared in the fun "Jingle Barack" rap and a skit about a "hilarious" nativity play. Former cast member Fred Armisen also appeared, helping out in a "Microsoft Robot" sketch and then heading to "Weekend Update" to talk Putin.

Recurring sketches included the alien abduction encounters, with Kate McKinnon's hapless Colleen Rafferty and the naughty elves bit, with Kenan Thompson and Vanessa Bayer.

Saturday Night Live returns on January 14, with Felicity Jones as host and musical guest Sturgill Simpson.
The great Gold Rush Music Festival returns to the township of Waihi, with the first nuggets of gold dropping for the highly anticipated return of the 2023 festival.


(via Netflix)

On Friday, Netflix delivered their new surprise series, The OA, which was shrouded in mystery even after the announcement of its arrival. The natural immediate comparison was to their last sci-fi hit, Stranger Things, but it's a very differentand much bettershow. (SPOILERS AHEAD.)

(Really, if you haven't watched this show yet, close this window, it will be much more enjoyable to take in without knowing any of this.)

(For real, remember when that jerk ruined The Sixth Sense for you? It would be like that.)

(No, she isn't dead the entire time.)

(Oh shit, maybe she is??)

The plot centers around Prairie, aka The OA, played brilliantly by Brit Marling. The first episode shows her returning home after a seven-year disappearance; once blind and now able to see, the immediate questionaside from, "Where was she all this time?"is, "How can she see again?" Depending on what you believe, these questions are either answered, or never truly answered, by the end.

As the story unfolds, we get more stories, and it's unclear which parts are fact and which are fiction. Either way, what we're watching is a story of a small town cult; it's the story of near death experiences; it's the story of trauma; it's the story of obsession; it's the story of a mad man; it's the story of magic; it's the story of friendship; it's the story of multi-dimensional travel. There are so many stories in The OA, and this layered approach works beautifully... it also means there will be a lot theories, mystery, easter eggs, and mythologies to untangle.

Because of the blurred line between reality and fantasy that travels with you through this story, it's almost like watching two different shows simultaneously: the one where you take everything at face value, and then the one that unravels itself from that one, where you believe about 95% of this is not really happening. Since finishing the show, I have questioned my own theories on it, but at least means one thing is true: this is a goddamn good show.

The Small Town Cult Theory

In this one, Prairie really did go missing, was likely abused, and the impact of this trauma has severely affected her. This new group she meets up with in the unfinished house in town are all real, but they certainly aren't going to save anyone by performing five choreographed "movements." Instead, they havelikely out of necessity, given their own personal suffering and troublesformed a self-help group that has quickly turned into a cult, where Prairie, The OA, is the leader.

The Trauma Theory

For me, it seemed pretty clear this is the story of Prairie's trauma, and while she may not have created the entire elaborate storyline with Dr. Hunter Hap, she created some parts of it (the five movements) as a form of protection while she was going through it all. And later, protection against her memories. We don't really know what Prairie went through during the seven years she was missing, but the girl who approaches her in the diner mentions rape and abuse, and it's very likely this was a part of it (even if the other elements of Dr. Hap's research were real). When a protective wall like that guarding yourself from trauma starts crumbling, things tend to spectacularly fall apart, and that's when we meet Prairie.

The Coma Theory

This theory came up immediately among those watching, and the most convincing take I've seen is this one from Reddit: When little Nina's school bus crashes she goes into a coma, and what we see is what's happening in her mind. There were two boys, two girls and Nina on the bus, making up a total of 5. The Redditor puts forth this theory, "What if Nina didn't die? I think she's in a coma after the accident. Her mind is creating an elaborate story, based on the tragic events of what happened in those few minutes, that she has to come to grips with and accept before waking up. Her NDE in the story are her fighting with her subconscious to wake up'You have the choice, go with your Dad, or back to help the other 4.' Notice how in the experiments that the 'angel killer' is doing all involve drowning?" OR, what if she went into a coma when her father made her wade in the nearly frozen lake?

With this theory, there was a Russia, but no Dr. Hunter Hap, no Homer, no cult. But as a viewer, those things are all as real and believable as they are to Prairie.

The Main Character Was Dead The Whole Time Theory

I mean, we do see her jump off a bridge in the opening scene, but beyond that this theory doesn't work... unless you change it to the "Nearly Dead This Whole Time Theory," and what we're seeing is her NDE.

The Truth Theory

Okay, maybe it is all true? She does try to Google "Homer Roberts" right from the beginning, after all. And while at the end we see her books on Russia, NDEs, angels, and even Homer's Illiad, which could discredit her story... they are in an Amazon box. This means they were likely new, and maybe even planted. One redditor believes: "The OA is telling the truth. She was blind and she died several times. The movements are real. Throughout the whole season she gets closer to the FBI guy that's 'helping her' by listening to her story. When in fact he's working against her, with the FBI. Hence why he was at the family's house when they were at the hotel and why he planted those books for someone to find and discredit her." Presumably because there's some multi-dimensional travel cover up? Another redditor points out that Dr. Hap isn't the only researching NDEs, so there may be a greater (and perhaps government-funded) interest in this research. It's also possible "The FBI guy," Elias Rahim (played by Riz Ahmed), isn't FBI at all.

There will certainly be plenty more theories, and for that we recommend the OA subreddit.

By the end, no matter what you think, you've already watched a compelling and mystical drama unfold in front of you. Part of the reason the show succeeds is because of these layers of confusion and stacked worlds. And because the universe created is boundless, you are never in one place for too long, even when, geographically, you are. If you are feeling stagnant within an episode, the characters and their minds will successfully expand it... or a Jim Croce song will come on just at the right moment. (Music isn't overused throughout the eight episodeswhereas it was one of Stranger Things' crutchesbut when it is used it is perfect and never overstays its welcome.)

One of the only real criticisms I've read is that the ending fell a little flat (Alan Sepinwall REALLY hated it), which I thought at first too, but the journey getting there was so fantastic and complex that maybe the ending was perfect? The more I sit with this show, the more I love it. The ending (if you follow the "everything was true" theory) also left it open for a second season, with Riz Ahmed's role perhaps becoming bigger as various parties try to dig deeper and discover what happens on the border of life and death. But maybe we should leave it as is.

The show was created by Marling and Zal Batmanglij, and Brad Pitt is listed as one of the Executive Producers. The cast is fairly large, featuring names like Riz Ahmed, Ian Alexander, Emory Cohen, Scott Wilson, Jason Isaacs, Phyllis Smith, and Sharon Van Etten (yes, the musician).
This week, Gothamist sat down with Hunter College urban planning professor Tom Angotti, professor of urban affairs and planning at Hunter College and an editor of Zoned Out!, a new book on the impact of government planning and housing policies on communities of color. We spoke to Angotti, who also contributed to the book, about how federal housing programs solidified residential segregation, the limitations of zoning policies, and the city's affordability crisis.

How has the federal government contributed to residential segregation in New York City over the decades?

The federal government shaped urban development and residential patterns all over the country through two major programs. One was the Federal Interstate Highway Program, which made possible the growth and development of the suburbs. And the second program was the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage guarantees for new home development.

The two went hand in hand to create the suburbs that now have the majority of the urban population of the United States. That spurred an exodus from the old industrial cities and large central cities, while at the same time, the federal government was cutting back on its support for central cities. That had a profound racial edge in several different ways.

First, the mortgage guarantees available to the suburban home owners were not available to neighborhoods with large minority populations, which were essentially, African American. In fact, it was the practice of redlining, which means red lines were drawn around areas in which at least 5 percent of the population was African American. Those areas that were redlined could not get mortgage financing. This led to the decline of housing quality in large central cities that had African American populations, while at the same time, it favored relatively well-to-do new suburban developments in the suburbs. Those new suburban developments were largely unavailable to people of color, due to exclusionary zoning and discriminatory practices that prevented blacks from getting housing in the suburbs. Those were the key policies.

The Federal Urban Renewal Program was another way that federal, state, and local governments contributed to segregation and displacement. The program took large swaths of land in central cities that were occupied by communities of color, relocated people, condemned the property and then turned it over to new developers. At that time, we used to call the Urban Renewal Program the "Negro Removal" (Because "Negro" was the term used at the time.)



Tom Angotti. (Courtesy of Tom Angotti)

In the 1970s, when problems for communities of color became critical and there were urban rebellions, there was massive abandonment of housing. New York City was a major case of this, where there was massive abandonment in the South Bronx and central Brooklyn, which was accompanied by a withdrawal of federal assistance. First by the Nixon administration, and then most famously by the Reagan administration, which cut back on funds for new housing development and essentially ended the construction of new public housing.



You talk a lot in the book about the limits of rezoning to address New York's housing crisis. Can you talk about that?

Zoning is not a strong tool for providing housing. What it can do is encourage the land market to grow in certain areas when the zoning has changed so that new development becomes possible in those areas. It can encourage new development. But the 20 to 30 percent of affordable housing units are dwarfed by the 70 percent or more market-rate luxury housing that has the effect of driving up rents and land values in the area and displacing more existing affordable housing than new housing that's created. In addition to which, the affordable housing isn't truly affordable to the people living in these neighborhoods because of the way affordable housing is defined by government.

Affordable housing is created by capital, and since there's very little public capital available, it's almost entirely private capital. Private investors want to put their money where it's going to grow and it's going to develop. They don't make money on affordable housing, unless it's so heavily subsidized that it becomes a profit center for them. In which case, they're milking the public coffers to provide a very little bit of affordable housing.

By relying on zoning for the main land use tool, New York City relieves itself of the responsibility of doing any serious comprehensive planning, either for its neighborhoods or for the city as a whole. Changing policies across the board, making housing, community facilities, schools, libraries, open space - all of the things that make for a stable community - those are very strong tools.

Zoning's a weak tool. Zoning is a convenient tool for developers because it pretty much limits the extent to which the city government can shape new development. It limits questions to "How big is the building?" or "How much open space is required?" These are all physical elements. But there's so much more to communities and neighborhoods than just the physical elements. Then there's the economic question which is, "How much of this new development that's spurred by zoning is going to be affordable to people?"

The city gives the impression that the only way to get affordable housing is by rezoning, and that's not true. People have bought into that idea. And the mandatory inclusionary housing program gives the false impression that it's the only program.



Map of Brooklyn from 1938 showing redlined neighborhoods (National Archives and Records Administration via Urban Oasis).

How do New York City's zoning and housing policies affect people of color?

The problem starts because the city does not openly discuss the question of race. It acts as if everybody's colorblind - that race doesn't matter. It acts as if its programs are applied neutrally across the board. And it doesn't explicitly examine how its policies disproportionately affect communities of color.

They did so during the period of widespread abandonment. The city was very clear that they were not going to invest in these neighborhoods. Sometimes they're very explicit about it, but mostly they simply refuse to discuss the question of race.

Today, it really isn't much different. The Fair Housing Law, which was passed in 1968 as part of the Civil Rights Act, mandates that governments not discriminate. It's not simply a matter of intentional discrimination, but also de facto discrimination. If there is a discriminatory impact in its policies, governments have to change those policies. New York City has never looked critically at its policies to determine whether there's a discriminatory impact based on race. The first step is to admit that it needs to analyze and assess its policies in that regard.

People are starting to talk about the Fair Housing Act. There was a Texas case before the Supreme Court last year where the Supreme Court reaffirmed that discriminatory impact, not simply intention, was the criterion that had to be applied.

They're doing something very perverse in the upzonings that are essentially contributing to the displacement to African American, Latino, and other minorities. They're justifying it as integrating segregated communities of color, but that's not what's happening. What's happening is that they're eating away at the areas encompassing the communities of color, so that developers can speculate and build housing that is available mostly to whites, because they're people with higher incomes. What they're doing is expanding the white neighborhoods into the communities of color.

In our book, the chapter on Harlem demonstrates on a small scale how that happened with the Frederick Douglass Boulevard rezoning. It's located in a part of Harlem that's adjacent to the Upper West Side. It is not integrating Harlem - it's expanding the Upper West Side, which has already been transformed into a mostly white area, from the multiracial, multicultural area that it once was 30 to 40 years ago.

How have communities dealt with these big changes?

Communities have been fighting displacement for a long time. People organized. They organized tenants associations. That's the most effective method. Building by building, apartment by apartment. Fighting against slumlords who are disinvesting, who are buying out tenants, who are doing anything possible to encourage people to leave, who are even torching their buildings and working with drug dealers to intimidate their tenants to get them out. But rezonings are very difficult to deal with. With zoning, most people don't understand it. It's kind of a hocus pocus, a lot of technical terms, and the way they're explained at community meetings, they're explained in way that doesn't encourage most people to get engaged in any serious way - a lot of pretty pictures and maps, and a lot of nice sounding fairytales about how great the neighborhood's gonna be after the rezoning.

The big challenge today is to discredit this kind of charade.

What can the city do to mitigate the disruption and displacement caused by gentrification

The first thing City Hall has to do is to start seriously planning with neighborhoods and communities, particularly communities of color. This is going to take time. It's a slow process. But the city doesn't do planning and it doesn't even do planning city-wide. You should base your zoning on a clear, long-term picture and strategy of what neighborhoods should be like. If you do it only in some neighborhoods, it's unfair because then there's no city-wide vision. There needs to be a city-wide vision and process, and that takes time.

The other thing that government needs to do is to reformulate its approach to housing. It needs to go back to the provision of truly affordable housing. The only way that you can make truly affordable housing available to the people with limited incomes in New York City is to do it with public dollars - direct investment.

Since the Reagan revolution up till today, the predominate medium has been the public-private partnership. But the private sector, developers and builders, always dominate these partnerships. The public sector is the junior partner. The public sector needs to be aggressive as they were with building public housing and build housing directly and finance it directly. It'll be a lot cheaper than the low-income housing tax credit, which is the main subsidy program nationally. It's an expensive program because it's essentially giving these huge tax breaks to rich people who don't need it.

Let's put public money into the housing, and at the same time save public housing. The largest stock of public housing in the nation is at risk and is in the process of being privatized. Keep that public. Use public dollars for that instead of giving more tax breaks to developers. And provide the infrastructure for them so that they can make money on new property deals.

Zoned Out! is available on Amazon
MARTINSVILLE  Its a dance that goes deep down to their roots, 500 years ago when native religions meshed with Christianity.

Danza San Jose de Martinsville dances Danza de Concheros  Dance of the Shells, an Aztec dance. The troupe of two dozen dancers got its start in the summer and gave its first public performances last week.

Though they were to dance outside, their dance at St. Josephs Catholic Church started in the sanctuary. At the end of Mass, a deep rhythmic drumbeat sounded. Felipe Quintero, with his face completely covered in white and black paint, solemnly kept the rhythm in the back by the doors.

In from the foyer marched two dozen dancers, dressed in Aztec finery: brilliantly colored satin tunics and capes and majestic gold and jewel-toned headpieces topped by long, graceful colorfully dyed peacock and ostrich feathers. Each step was in tune to the beat, the sound magnified by the jangling of the seed pots attached to their leg wraps. Their faces were painted with designs.

The dancers assembled in the aisle, then knelt down facing the pulpit. Two girls walked between the two rows of dancers carrying roses to leave at the pulpit, followed by another girl and the troupes coordinator, Maria de la Vega.

Make me a dancer who is always in Communion with you every day, de la Vega recited in Spanish, that I spend more time praising you than being worldly, so the people respect and hear your word; so I can serve others and show them what you have given me; so I dont lessen everything with my sins; so I dont dance for me, but rather for you and your glory. Lord, prepare me and teach me to be a true missionary.

After her prayer, the drumming resumed. The dancers backed out of the sanctuary slowly and surely, the sounds of their ankle pieces and rattles echoing the beat.

In the parking lot, they performed a series of dances for about half an hour. In each dance, dancers were formed into two rows, one led by Ruben Diaz and the other by Paty Ortiz, and they danced symmetrically. It was a dance of strong and sturdy steps, not of swirls and twirls.

De la Vegas son, Enrique Rangel Rodriguez, read the history of Danza Azteca to the crowd in both English and Spanish.

The Aztec dance melds both Christian and pre-Hispanic cultures. The dress and regalia worn by the dancers, as well as the steps and drums, come from native traditions before the arrival of Europeans.

The Franciscan friars prohibited the use of percussion instruments, because they were considered pagan. However, the friars understood the power of unity dance has, and its value to evangelization.

When their dances were finished, the troupe went back into the sanctuary to kneel before the pulpit.

Catholics use Aztec dance to honor the Virgin Mary and God, de la Vega said in an interview after the performance.

Maria de la Vega, 42, took dance classes in Queretero, Mexico, from the time she was 9 years told to 22. She specialized in two: Danza de Apaches (Apaches dance) or the one performed on Dia de la Virgen in Martinsville, Danza de Concheros (dance of the shells).

She formed the group in the summer. They practice every Friday and Saturday, but in the past month have added an extra day to get ready for their public appearances.

Each member of the dance troupe made his or her own costume, de la Vega said. Some of the women in the troupe and church made costumes for the children, who then decorated their costumes.

De la Vegas costume has the flor de la Virgen, the four-petaled flower that represents Virgin Mary, which her husband, Efrain Rangel, embroidered with satin. Sometimes he was embroidering until midnight to get it done, she said.

Most of the headpieces and the seed pod leg wraps were ordered from Mexico. Mi Ranchito restaurant in Martinsville donated money for the orders from Mexico, and the congregation of the English-speaking Mass paid the delivery fees.

They performed Sunday at St. Joseph Catholic Church for its Dia de la Virgen (Day of Virgin Mary) de Guadalupe celebration, and Monday, which was the actual holiday, at Iglesia (Church) de Sagrado Corazon in Danville. They are hoping they will be able to dance for the public during a Cinco de Mayo celebration in the spring, she added.

She said she and the troupe are deeply appreciative of all who have supported them.
SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee thanked the community for the success of the 2016 parade with a celebration at Palate Restaurant, featuring Puerto Rican food and music.

"This was a way to say thank you to our sponsors and our parade Marshal and honorees for participating and making this year's parade successful," said Victoria Rodriguez, a parade committee member.

Palate, on Boston Road in Springfield, features Latin inspired cuisine as well as a full bar and small dance floor. "El Poder del Mambo" played traditional Puerto Rican music for the event.

It's been three years since the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee took over the annual celebration, which made its way down Main Street in September.

"This was definitely our biggest parade by far. It took over two-and-a-half hours to finish the parade and we had a wonderful turn out from the community," she said.

Parade committee chairwoman Lucila J. Santana and vice chairman Jose Delgado greeted guests, while parade committee treasurer Edward Nunez thanked the sponsors.

We were able to complete this parade and pay our bills because of the wonderful sponsors who support us every year, he said during the event.

Rodriguez added that the event was one more opportunity to celebrate.

"We just wanted to acknowledge everyone's hard work and just celebrate the end of the year with a little holiday party," she said.
East Boston bust.jpg

More than 30 pounds of cocaine, four pounds of crystal methamphetamine and heroin, as well as firearms and more than $180,000 in cash is laid out on the floor of the Bennington Street apartment where police conducted a seach Thursday and found more than $1 million in drugs, guns and cash.

(Boston Police Department)

BOSTON Observant Boston police officers lead the way to a large-scale seizure of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines , as well as firearms and cash after officers conducting a well-being check at an East Boston apartment Thursday noticed what appeared to be drug paraphernalia.

In all, authorities seized 15 kilograms, or 33 pounds, of cocaine, 2 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine , more than 1,000 tablets of oxycodone, 50 grams of heroin and $182,819 in cash. In addition to the drugs and cash, officers found four high-capacity firearms along with six high-capacity magazines and 162 rounds of ammunition.

Police estimate the street value of the drugs alone to be well over $1 million.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said it appeared that the apartment was used as a stash for several drug dealers.

The raid started Thursday evening when officers were called to a Bennington Street apartment for a report of a man with a gun in the house.

As officers talked to occupants of the apartment, they noticed what they recognized as narcotics and various items associated with drug distribution.

Police sealed the unit and obtained a search warrant, and later conducted a full search of the apartment.

Police arrested 35-year-old Roberto Alvayaro. He was arraigned in East Boston District Court on charges of drug trafficking and weapons charges.
FALMOUTH A 9-year-old girl was seriously injured when she was struck by a car as she crossed Sandwich Road with an adult. The girl was airlifted to a Boston hospital with serious, but not life-threatening injuries, fire officials said.

Police said the girl, who was visiting from Bourne, was walking with an adult Saturday afternoon. As the two crossed the road near 174 Sandwich Road the girl was struck by a car operated by an 89-year-old Falmouth man. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with police.

The girl was transported to Falmouth Hospital but was later airlifted to Tufts Medical Center by MedFlight helicopter.

The incident remains under investigation by Falmouth Police and the Barnstable County Sheriff's Department
A Boston man found himself in handcuffs instead of with a handful of stolen loot after Boston Police said he broke into a detective's car in Dorchester Saturday night.

Officers in Dorchester were called to the area of 120 Pleasant St. around 11:30 p.m. to help an off-duty Boston Police detective.

The detective, according to police, found a man inside his personal vehicle and rummaging through his belongings. The detective confronted the man, later identified as 46-year-old Enrique Santos of Boston.

The 13-year veteran officer was able to pull the suspect out of his car and hold him on the ground while calling police.

"At this time, the suspect suddenly got up and took off running, entering the basement of a home in an attempt to allude the off duty detective who was now pursuing him," police said. "Additional units quickly arrived on scene and were directed to the basement where the detective was holding the suspect at bay with the assistance of a witness."

Police said Santos violently struggled with officers during his arrest. He was wanted on three outstanding warrants for past larceny charges. Santos is facing breaking and entering, trespassing and resisting arrest charges in court.
Manhole covers exploded in Malden Sunday afternoon after authorities said there was a transformer fire on Main Street near Malden High School.

There were at least two manhole explosions, CBS Boston reports. Several buildings were evacuated and traffic was closed off between Mountain Avenue and Malden Square for several hours, the city of Malden said.

Video of flames coming out of one of the manhole covers was posted on YouTube.

CBS Boston reports there were no injuries and a transformer fire caused the explosions.

People living in the neighborhood heard loud explosions and saw flames shooting into the air, WCVB News reports. Black smoke filled the air.

The television station said buses from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority were sent to the area to keep people warm during the investigation.

City officials said National Grid was working on restoring power to the area as of 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
fog-murray.jpg

FILE PHOTO | 12.05.2011 | SPRINGFIELD - Heavy fog on Main Street during the morning commute.

(The Republican | Mark M. Murray)

SPRINGFIELD -- The National Weather Service issued a dense fog warning this morning, which will be followed by cold temperatures and black ice.

While the fog has mostly lifted and temperatures will remain in the 40s until about 4 p.m. NWS is alerting residents to a quick drop in temperature late this afternoon.

"Such a quick drop in temperatures will cause a rapid freeze of standing water on roads and any other untreated surfaces, resulting in the development of black ice," the website reads.

The black ice alert is for all of Massachusetts and parts of Connecticut.

Commuters are advised to drive with caution.
I am offering the solution to a problem most Republicans don't know they have -- that they can be outmaneuvered and thrown on the defensive endlessly, on nearly any issue, because they accept as true Democrat lies about the Republican Party. To correct that misperception and to help the Republican Party get 'back to basics' is why I'm a man on a mission.

A few years ago, after one of my speeches, a man told me "Do you know what your problem is? You're too far ahead of your time!" My efforts to show Republicans how they would benefit from celebrating the heritage of our Grand Old Party have been arduous, but if this were easy someone else would have already done it.

Among my speech topics are Reconciling the Tea Party and the GOP; Barack Obama, the Worst President Ever; Socialism, the new Slavery; Appreciating the Heritage of our Grand Old Party; Returning to the Founding Principles of the United States; The Womens Rights Achievements of our Grand Old Party; Abraham Lincoln, Republican; Frederick Douglass, Republican; Martin Luther King and the Republican Civil Rights Legacy.
25 Years of the Best of Backroads

http://www.pbs.org/show/backroads-montana/episodes/

Why We Love Backroads of Montana: Fans Celebrate 25 Years

Backroads of Montana viewers take us through a quarter century of stories featuring our states people, places and events. The Backroads crew visited Montana farmers markets this past summer and spoke to more than 50 fans about the impact of the show, their favorite and most memorable characters, the shows recognizable theme song and why they love the show so much.

http://www.montanapbs.org/WhyWeLoveBackroadsofMontana/
Haifa is on the "front line" in any action in the north but this blog looks at life in the shadow of danger to all of Israel
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Psychotherapy sessions and counseling improve quality of life in patients.

Emotional support - It can help cancer patients manage symptoms better.

Maintain the right attitude - It may not be easy to stay positive all the time. It is advisable to deal with symptoms of depression, anxiety, fear and grief. Ignoring these symptoms and not sharing feelings with another person may increase the loneliness among cancer patients.

The most frequently diagnosed cancer among women is breast cancer . About half of the breast cancer cases and 60% of the deaths occur in developing countries. The incidence of breast cancer has increased during last three decades in Malaysia.It is estimated that one in 19 women in Malaysia is at lifetime risk, compared to one in 8 in Europe and the United States.Among the Malaysian patients from the ACTION study (ASEAN Cost in Oncology Study, a third or 33% had breast cancer.They were asked to complete questionnaires in order to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Anxiety and depression levels were also included in the survey.HRQoL may be defined as a patient's satisfaction with their physical health and mental well-being. It is an important end result in cancer care.The results showed that twelve months post-diagnosis, patients' mental and physical well-being was low.The group of young adults and adolescents do not expect to develop the disease at a young age. In a separate on-going study, researchers focused on a group of young adults and adolescents.The study included 56 patients with an average age of 28 years who were newly diagnosed with cancer.They completed questionnaires on occupation and lifestyle, problems around physical symptoms, mental well-being and financial issues.Results showed more than 37% of patients in this group were suffering distress at diagnosis of cancer. The top causes for distress were identified as treatment decisions, followed by family health issues, sleep and worry.The young adults diagnosed with cancer are at a higher risk of suicide and so conducting studies like this will help in finding new ways to address this issue effectively.Senior author Associate Professor Alexandre Chan, Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore and Specialist Pharmacist, National Cancer Center, Singapore said, "The young differ from older people because they don't expect to be ill, and certainly not with cancer. They're also at a stage when they're facing many social responsibilities and family burdens. That's why they need effective supportive care and help in managing the physical, psychological and emotional side-effects that come with both cancer diagnosis and treatment."The more advanced the cancer is, the lower the HRQoL.Women with cancer in reproductive organs like cervix of uterus had higher sense of well-being compared to patients suffering from lymphoma. This is because of the difference in severity. Cancer of uterus and cervix tend to spread slowly over many years in comparison to lymphoma. The more aggressive the cancer is, the lower the quality of life.ancer also has a significant impact on the lives and well-being of adolescents and young adults.Ravindran Kanesvaran, assistant professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, and Consultant Medical Oncologist, National Cancer Center, Singapore, said "There is a critical need to find ways of addressing the high levels of distress among cancer survivors in general as highlighted by the Malaysian study.""The key message is to focus more on supporting patients throughout their whole cancer 'journey' especially in their lives after treatment," added Subramanian.Researchers feel that the psycho-social impact of cancer clearly needs further evaluation. This is to assess the impact on quality of life at the time of diagnosis as well as throughout and after treatment.Researchers reported their findings at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.Source: Medindia
Names and faces

The Montana Department of Revenue has announced a new hearing examiner in the departments Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR). Department attorney Michele Crepeau is transitioning into the hearing examiner position through December. She will fully assume the position Jan. 3. ODR is an independent adjudicatory office established by the department to render fair, objective and unbiased decisions about tax disputes. Crepeau has worked for the Department of Revenue for 17 years as an attorney with a primary focus on property assessment and litigation. Contact her at 444-3341 or MCrepeau@mt.gov.

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Rick Reisig, a certified public accountant and shareholder of Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., P.C., has been appointed to the Financial Accounting Foundations Private Company Council (PCC) by FAFs Board of Trustees. The PCC is the primary advisory body to the Financial Accounting Standards Board on the establishment of accounting standards for private companies. The PCC consists of 10 members from across the United States representing users, preparers, and practitioners who have significant experience using, preparing, and auditing private company financial statements. Reisig is one of three practitioners serving on the PCC, and the first from Montana.

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Peter Damrow is a 2016 graduate of the University of Washington School of Law, where he served as a managing editor of the Washington Law Review. Upon graduating, he was inducted into the Order of Barristers, a national honor society committed to encouraging and developing successful trial advocates. After passing the Montana bar, Damrow joined the law firm of Moulton, Bellingham, P.C. in Billings as an associate attorney. He practices primarily in the area of general civil litigation, medical professional regulatory defense, and medical malpractice defense. Damrow is a 2007 Capital High School graduate, clerked for the honorable Mike Menahan with the First Judicial District Court in Helena, and also with the Lewis and Clark County Attorneys Office.

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The Lewis & Clark Republican Women Club, which was organized in Helena in 1938, recently installed 2017 officers: Shirley Herrin, president; Joy Novota, vice-president/program; Elaine Herman, 2nd V.P.; Evy Sass, secretary; Danette Warren, treasurer; and new directors Susan Ayres, 2017; Dorothy Keys, 2017-2018; and Janice Smith, 2017-2019. Becky Buckmaster, membership chair, may be called at 227-8787 for additional information.

News and notes

Bison conference to be held in Great Falls

The Montana Bison Association would like to invite the general public to the annual Winter Conference membership meeting, with emphasis on Best Management Practices and a special Bison Advantage Workshop presented by the National Bison Association. The winter meeting will include guest speakers, educational classes, bison meals and an auction, all to be held in Great Falls on Jan. 6, 7, and 8, at the Holiday Inn.

The Montana Bison Association is a not for profit association that was formed in 1999 comprised of bison producers and enthusiasts with a passion for this majestic animal that is native to Montana. The MBA has hundreds of members and enthusiasts in and around Montana. The National Bison Association is nationwide, and also has many has members overseas and in all 50 states.

For more information about the Association and details on the winter meeting, including a registration form, please visit our web site: montanabison.org or by calling 406-214-5056.

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DOR releases 2014-2016 biennial report

The Montana Department of Revenue has announced the release of its biennial report. The publication provides detailed information about the departments tax administration and liquor control responsibilities for the biennium from July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2016. Montana law requires the department to publish the report every two years and submit it to the governor and Legislature. It serves as an information resource to inform the public about Montanas tax and liquor control systems. You can access the report online at revenue.mt.gov. The taxes that the department collects and distributes across the state fund essential public services and contribute to an overall improvement of Montanas quality of life, with:

32.6 percent of all revenue allocated to education

31.4 percent to public safety, welfare and health

20.5 percent to natural resources and infrastructure

13.2 percent to administrative, legislative and judicial costs

2.4 percent to interest on debt

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MCF purchases Aspen Court building

The Montana Community Foundation (MCF) has purchased a building in Helenas historic downtown where its main office will be located. The building, commonly known as Aspen Court, is at 33 S. Last Chance Gulch. MCF plans to move into this new location in January 2017.

For more than a year, MCF has actively searched for new office space to accommodate an expanding team and respond to the growing demand for its services. As the sole owner of the new location, the building provides a larger footprint for MCF who will join three other established tenants.

The decision to purchase was not solely based on the need for a larger office; the results of MCFs due diligence process yielded very favorable investment potential and financing terms. In addition, the new location keeps MCF in Helenas historic downtown, contributing to main street.

Founded in 1988, MCF manages approximately $80 million in assets and administers more than 900 philanthropic funds and planned gifts.

Awards and honors

Retirement community recognized as top-tier provider

Hunters Pointe, a Holiday Retirement community, was recently recognized by SeniorAdvisor.com as part of the Best of 2017 Awards. The local senior living community was honored by the largest ratings and reviews site for senior care and services for receiving consistently high ratings from residents and their families throughout 2016.

To qualify for a Best of 2017 Award, winning communities must offer either assisted living, Alzheimers care, independent living, low-income senior housing, skilled nursing or in-home care in the United States or Canada, and have maintained an average overall rating of at least 4.5 stars and have received three or more new reviews within 2016.

SeniorAdvisor.com provides easily accessible resources and information to help families educate themselves about senior living options and make informed decisions about senior care.

To discover more, call 443-4222 or visit holidaytouch.com/our-communities/hunters-pointe.

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Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred, but we can also use regular photos; we dont guarantee return of these).

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
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Yogaksema Clinics is present in three locations of Bangalore, including Indiranagar, Brookfield and Marathahalli and has a wellness center in San Jose, California, USA. Commenting on this association, Sreevalsan Menon, Founder and CEO of Medikoe said, "Being a reliable platform for 360-degree healthcare and wellness services, our tie-up with a unique player in the market like Yogaksema will allow users to get accustomed to medically prescribed and appropriate therapeutic approaches to achieve optimal health and healing for any Stress-Pain-Lifestyle-Nutrition related issues. We will further be able to expand the ambit of our services by providing Lifestyle Intervention Prescription to the users of Medikoe, which includes Yoga Therapy, Biofeedback Training, Clinical Acupuncture, Therapeutic Massage and Panchakarma and Clinical Nutrition. This collaboration will enable health buffs all over India to stay healthy and will also help us in setting a new benchmark in the sphere of Indian wellness & healing services."Yogaksema CEO, Dr Naveen K Viseweswariah, BNYS, PhD, DSc says, "We want to capitalize on Medikoe's wide reach and by joining hands with it, we aim to educate more and more people about the importance of embracing Integrative Medicine powered by traditional medicine in dealing with Uncontrolled Stress; Untreated Pain; Unhealthy Lifestyle and Unmindful Nutrition. With Medikoe, we will be able to spread this message to a much larger consumer spectrum and enable them in preventing, managing and in some cases reversing any form of Stress & Lifestyle Diseases which needs chronic care."Modern medicine has gained the status of mainstream medicine and has replaced Traditional Medicine to a large extent in almost every part of the world because its' life-saving methods and devices successfully reducing the prevalence of infectious diseases and significantly improve the quality of life of patients suffering from chronic ailments. Despite all its' achievements among all other health systems in the world, modern medicine has its own restrictions. It fails to work on preventive and rehabilitative strategies, and thus is unable to provide lasting solutions for most of the chronic diseases. This makes patients dependent on medicines for life.However, people today have started realizing these limitations and are now turning towards traditional and Integrative medicine for their holistic healthcare. Medikoe aims to further this understanding through this latest strategic tie-up.Source: ANI
BUTTE  For over a year the Pour House Pub on Harrison Avenue in Butte has been supplying Mining City residents with growlers of over 20 craft beers.

But bar owner Kevin Everett says he wasnt always a craft-beer enthusiast.

In fact, at one time Everett was a Coors Light guy and industrial worker.

Everett said his interest in craft beer began when his two daughters got him started on microbrews. However, the path that would ultimately lead him toward launching the Pour House didnt start to take shape until an accident nearly claimed his life.

While at work, Everett said, he fell from a manlift and shattered a majority of his ribs.

I was basically DOA, said Everett. They used CPR on me and everything else.

Everett suffered another injury in 2010 and eventually had surgery to repair the damage.

Although the surgery repaired Everetts body, the operation limited his flexibility, making it difficult to continue in a job he had held for more than 17 years.

It ended a good career, Everett said. It was a very good job, and it all came to an abrupt end.

After retiring from his position, Everett took a couple of years off to regain his strength and find out what his next move would be.

During this time he spent a lot of time fishing, including on the Columbia River in Oregon, where his sister lives.

On one trip to Oregon, Everett said, his sister took him to a growler filling station in Portland that had more than 30 craft beers on tap.

At first Everett pictured a bar with traditional macrobrews, so when he arrived he was surprised to see a selection of beers from small breweries from throughout Oregon and the country.

It blew me away. I just thought this is such a great idea, said Everett.

As he drove the 12 hours home to the Mining City, Everett said, he couldnt stop thinking about the business model, which hadnt yet taken hold in Montana.

By the time he arrived in Butte he had a concrete vision for the Pour House.

Finally in November 2015 Everett opened the Pour House at 1815 Harrison Ave. at the former location of the Top Deck Lounge. Today it offers 24 rotating craft beers from Montana and Butte with a few out-of-state selections. The bar also offers 20 wines and a small selection of ciders.

Everett is also making the most of social media at his bar through a smart-phone application called Untapped where users can rate and keep track of the craft beers theyve tried and communicate with breweries and other devotees. Patrons interactions with the app can be seen in real time on a screen behind the bar at the Harrison Avenue establishment, which also illuminates the Pour House menu.

Everett said that core components of his business philosophy include creating a welcoming, pub-like atmosphere and paying attention to quality.

He said he changes the keg lines and pours himself a glass of every new beer that comes to the Pour House.

I taste the beer to make damn sure it tastes correct, said Everett.
Dec. 18, 1936

At a recent meeting held at the Eagles Club in Dill Street, an organization known as the Cayuga Truck Owners Association was formed. The following officers were elected: Carroll A. Pierce, president; Patsy DeLuca, vice president; Forrest Wilson, secretary; Timothy B. Carmody, chairman of the Board of Directors; LeRoy Kilmer, treasurer and business manager; Howard T. Manion permanent counsel.

It is the purpose of the organization to help truck owners of Cayuga County to cope with problems confronting the local independent truck owners.

Dec. 18, 1961

(Pictured)

CHRISTMAS PARTY  Members of the Purple Lancer Junior Drum Corps were treated at a dinner and Christmas Party Sunday at the St. Francis School Hall. A few of the many who were present are shown in the photo as they received gifts. Left to right are: front, Tim Charles, bugler; Michael Vasco, drummer; Danny Miller, drummer. In back are Mrs. John Sarnicola, member of the committee; Mrs. Dominick R. Gagliostro, public relations chairman of the Purple Lancer Social Club; Thomas J. Aubin, commander of the Carnicelli-Indelicato American Legion post and chariman of the Drum Corps; Mrs. Edward D. Charles, president of the social club; and Harold E. Ide, member of the Drum Corps Committee.

Dec. 18, 2006

East Middle School lunch monitor Anne Zambito has seen some changes in the children she has overseen three hours a day for 36 years. Zambito, affectionately known as Grandma to the students at the school, will retire from her position later this month at the age of 85.

She began monitoring student mealtimes at Auburn High School, which was under construction as she moved into her home on 27 Westwood Drive. The job gave her a few hours to keep herself busy while raising her two children, Charles Zambito, then 15, and Judy Campagnola, then 13. Three years later, Zambito moved to the middle school. She has helped direct traffic inside the school's lunch room ever since. Zambito provides the children with a warm and calming presence in the lunchroom. She begins lunch periods by collecting the orders for the next day's lunch so the cafeteria workers know how much of each meal to prepare. She concludes by wiping the tables clean of crumbs and wrappers.

Dec. 18, 2011

Outside the Montezuma Audubon Center stands a veritable bird hotel. Gold finches, house finches, red-winged blackbirds, house sparrows and mourning doves hop from seed-filled bird houses to the white ground, seemingly unperturbed by the cold. As snow drifts lazily around them, the birds converse in cheeps and honks, undisturbed by the 10 pairs of eyes drinking in their winged movements 10 feet away. The 10 observers inside the Montezuma Audubon Centers (MAC) toasty showroom came to the Savannah refuge Saturday afternoon for two reasons: to see a variety of birds and learn about Project FeederWatch.
Im ready to give the book the nine-lives prize. How many times has it been ruled obsolete? And yet, people are buying and enjoying print books more than ever.

Ive used an e-reader on occasion, but when it comes to the gift books featured below, theres nothing like the printed page for displaying their superior graphics, gorgeous illustrations and well-organized information. Theres something for everyone here, from the lighthearted (The Aloha Shirt) to the sublime (Fireflies).

Objects of our affection

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands by Dale Hope with Yvon Chouinard, foreword by Gerry Lopez (Pategonia, $60). This tribute to Hawaiis favorite shirt, written by a veteran of the Aloha shirt industry, is a perfect antidote to a gray December day, or the next best thing to hopping a plane for Hawaii for a round of aloha shirt shopping.

Vogue: The Shoe by Harriet Quick (Conran, $125). Nearly 100 years of fashionable footwear from the pages of Vogue magazine are documented in this elegant doorstop of a book (which comes, like shoes, in its own elegant box). Its an extravagance, but a delicious one, filled with shoes of every imaginable flavor; you might wish they could jump off the page onto your feet.

Literature

The Book: A Cover-To-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston (Norton, $29.95). There are lots of books about books  this one stands out by virtue of its beautiful design, compact size and the authors erudition, wit and predilection for puns. A splendid, challenging mixture of information and fun, said Kirkus Reviews.

The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations, by Emily Zach (Chronicle Books, $40). Seattle author Zach got the plum assignment of pulling together the story of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (its the 150th anniversary of her birth). Many paintings and illustrations showcase her exquisite art, including watercolor landscapes that eventually inspired The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other childrens books. Another book, A Celebration of Beatrix Potter (Frederick Warne, $25), collects the work of 30 contemporary childrens book illustrators as they riff on Potters stories. A delight for all ages.

History

The New York Times Book of the Dead: 320 Print and 10,000 Digital Obituaries of Extraordinary People, edited by William McDonald (Black Dog & Leventhal, $45). A black-and-white volume that captures the essence of The New York Times obituary: superbly researched pieces of history that retain the immediacy of it-just-happened. Obits range from the 1860s to the present day and revisit the passing of such eminences as nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who lived his life in the blinding light and the crepusculine shadow of the worlds first atomic explosion. Or skip over to Osama bin Laden. Or Nora Ephron. An enclosed key unlocks an exclusive website that archives 10,000 additional obituaries. A must for the history enthusiast.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotosfsky (Ten Speed Press, $16.99). A lively volume that sums up the lives of 50 women of science through words and illustrations. Of course I had heard of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who helped save the Everglades, but not Maria Sibylla Merian, the German scientific illustrator with a passion for insects whose The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname was a European hit in 1705. Physicists, mathematicians and volcanologists pack its pages  inspiration for any girl or young woman mad for the STEMs.

Nature

Plant: Exploring the Botanical World, several authors (Phaedon, $59.95). A collection of 300 gorgeous images, from the earliest days of plant illustration to 21st-century digital photograph; from John James Audubon to Georgia OKeefe; from the Americas to Asia and beyond. (The book even has its own YouTube trailer.)

Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Lewis (Princeton University Press, $29.95). One of my few regrets about moving to Seattle is that there are no fireflies, the most magical animal on earth (my opinion). Lewis, a biology professor at Tufts University, says she is a scientist working hard to stay susceptible to wonder, and she combines her sense of awe with her extensive knowledge of the nearly 2,000 species of fireflies worldwide, including one called a dark firefly that does live here but doesnt light up. No fair.

Coloring books

Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book by Odessa Begay (Lark Crafts, $14.99). If I had the time or patience for coloring books, I might dive into this eerily beautiful collection of images inspired by Poes chilling tales. On the brighter side, there is Color the Pacific Northwest by Zoe Keller (Timber Press, $12.95). From the Space Needle to the rhinoceros auklet  the symbols of our regions wild and civilized places. For kids, or kids at heart.
One by one, 43 names were read.

Each name, hometown, military branch, rank and age when they perished -- a reminder of the Montanans who have given their lives to country since 9/11 -- echoed through the chapel at Fort Harrison Saturday morning.

Reading the names were attendees of the Wreaths Across America ceremony -- a national event placing wreaths in honor and remembrance of deceased veterans during the holiday season.

With the ceremony now in its 25th year, organizers reckon near a million wreaths have been placed across the country.

This is the second year the Montana POW/MIA Awareness Association has hosted a Montana event. The wreaths are purchased through sponsorships and donations, with 227 wreaths received this year to be placed at the Montana State Veteran Cemetery at Fort Harrison.

Gov. Steve Bullock offered opening remarks to more than 40 attendees who ventured out in sub-zero temperatures.

Its fitting that today, all across the country thousands of Americans from all walks of life, as well as all ages, races, political parties and beliefs are joined at cemeteries big and small to honor the lives and the service of our veterans, he said. Its fitting because at times our differences may seem like too great a divide to bridge, but those differences pale in comparison to the gratitude we have to the men and women who have served this great nation.

With Amazing Grace playing in the background, wreaths were carried down the aisle representing military branches, POW/MIA and those lost since 9/11. And then the names were read.

A letter from U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was also read, encouraging those gathering for the holiday season to take the time to remember the sacrifices of veterans and active-duty service members.

Wreaths across America also reminds us to educate the future generation and teach or children the value of freedom, the letter said. Each generation inherits the burden of protecting our freedom and future. And to truly understand the values of patriotism and freedom, each generation must learn its tremendous cost.

Military families must also be honored for their sacrifices, Cmdr. Joshua Clement of Lewis and Clark Post No. 2 told the crowd.

Today is the day we honor and thank those families and service members and pay tribute to the service members that are not with us today, he said. Its hard to think that as we sit there and gather as a family and the joy of this season, there are many families out there that have a void, an empty table, an empty chair.
Matson, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides ocean transportation and logistics services. The company's Ocean Transportation segment offers ocean freight transportation services to the domestic non-contiguous economies of Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam, as well as to other island economies in Micronesia. It primarily transports dry containers of mixed commodities, refrigerated commodities, packaged foods and beverages, building materials, automobiles, and household goods; livestock; seafood; general sustenance cargo; and garments, footwear, e-commerce, and other retail merchandise. This segment also operates an expedited service from China to Long Beach, California, and various islands in the South Pacific, as well as Okinawa, Japan; and provides container stevedoring, refrigerated cargo services, inland transportation, container equipment maintenance, and other terminal services to ocean carriers on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai, as well as in the Alaska locations of Anchorage, Kodiak, and Dutch Harbor. In addition, the company offers vessel management and container transshipment services. Its Logistics segment provides multimodal transportation brokerage services, including domestic and international rail intermodal, long-haul and regional highway trucking, specialized hauling, flat-bed and project, less-than-truckload, and expedited freight services; less-than-container load consolidation and freight forwarding services; warehousing and distribution services; supply chain management services, and non-vessel operating common carrier freight forwarding services. The company serves the U.S. military, freight forwarders, retailers, consumer goods, automobile manufacturers, and other customers. The company was formerly known as Alexander & Baldwin Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Matson, Inc. in June 2012. Matson, Inc. was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
VeriFone Systems, Inc. provides payments and commerce solutions at the point of sale (POS) worldwide. It offers countertop solutions that accept payment options, including contactless, NFC, mobile wallets, and EMV; PIN pads that support credit and debit card, EBT, EMV, and other PIN-based transactions; and multilane consumer facing commerce devices. It also provides portable payment devices, including small, portable, and handheld devices that enable merchants to accept electronic payments wherever wireless connectivity is available; and mobile solutions that attach to and interface with iOS or Android based smartphones and tablets. In addition, it offers integrated electronic payment systems that combine electronic payment processing, fuel dispensing, and ECR functions, as well as secure payment systems for integration with petroleum pump controllers; unattended and self-service payment solutions designed to enable payment transactions in self-service, high-transaction volume, and public transportation environments; and network access solutions. Further, it provides installation, deployment, training, and application development and delivery solutions; project management, client education program, and consulting services; helpdesk support, equipment repair and maintenance, and software post-contract support services; and application libraries and development tools. Additionally, it offers omnichannel commerce, terminal management, and security solutions; and cloud-based managed, transaction payment, and other value added services. It sells its products directly; and through third party and channel partners. It serves financial institutions, payment processors, government organizations, and retailers; petroleum, transportation, and healthcare companies; and quick service restaurants. The company was formerly known as VeriFone Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to VeriFone Systems, Inc. in May 2010. VeriFone Systems, Inc. is headquartered in San Jose, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of BorgWarner: Akasol AG, B80 Italia S.r.l., BERU AG, BW El Salto S.A. De C.V., BWA Receivables Corporation, BWA Turbo Systems Holding LLC, Borg Warner Europe Holdings (PDS) B. V., BorgWarner (China) Investment Co. Ltd., BorgWarner (Reman) Holdings L.L.C., BorgWarner (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner Aftermarket Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Alternators Inc., BorgWarner Arden LLC, BorgWarner Arnstadt RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Asia Inc., BorgWarner Automotive Asia Limited, BorgWarner Automotive Components (Beijing) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Automotive Components (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Brasil Ltda., BorgWarner Chungju Co. LLC, BorgWarner Comercial e Distribuidora de Pecas para Veiculos Automotores Ltda., BorgWarner Comercializadora PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Componentes PDS S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner Cooling Systems (India) Private Limited, BorgWarner Cooling Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Diversified Transmission Products Services Inc., BorgWarner Drivetrain Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Drivetrain Management Services de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Drivetrain de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Electric Motors L.L.C., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Emissions Systems Holding LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Emissions Systems LLC, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Portugal Unipessoal LDA, BorgWarner Emissions Systems Spain S.L.U., BorgWarner Emissions Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Emissions Talegaon Private Limited, BorgWarner Engineering Ketsch RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Engineering Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Esslingen GmbH, BorgWarner Europe GmbH, BorgWarner Europe Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Gateshead Limited, BorgWarner Germany Holding GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Holding Services GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REH GmbH, BorgWarner Germany REM GmbH, BorgWarner Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, BorgWarner Global Holding S.a. r. l., BorgWarner Heidelberg I RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg II RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Heidelberg REH GmbH, BorgWarner Heidelberg REM GmbH, BorgWarner Holding Inc., BorgWarner Holdings Limited, BorgWarner Hungary Kft., BorgWarner IT Services Europe GmbH, BorgWarner India Holdings Inc., BorgWarner Investment Holding Inc., BorgWarner Ithaca LLC, BorgWarner Ketsch Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Ketsch REH GmbH, BorgWarner Ketsch REM GmbH, BorgWarner Kft., BorgWarner Kibo RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Korea Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Korea Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Korea LLC, BorgWarner Limited, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg GmbH, BorgWarner Ludwigsburg RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf Plant RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner Markdorf REH GmbH, BorgWarner Markdorf REM GmbH, BorgWarner Massachusetts Inc., BorgWarner Mauritius Holdings Ltd., BorgWarner Mexico Holding BV, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings II LLC, BorgWarner Mexico Holdings LLC, BorgWarner Morse Systems India Private Limited, BorgWarner Morse Systems Italy S.r.l., BorgWarner Morse Systems Japan K.K., BorgWarner Morse Systems Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner Muggendorf RE GmbH & Co. KG, BorgWarner NW Inc., BorgWarner Netherlands Holdings (PDS) B.V., BorgWarner Oroszlany Kft., BorgWarner PDS (Anderson) L.L.C., BorgWarner PDS (Changnyeong) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Indiana) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Livonia) Inc., BorgWarner PDS (Ochang) LLC, BorgWarner PDS (Thailand) Limited, BorgWarner PDS (USA) Inc., BorgWarner PDS Brasil Produtos Automotivos Ltda., BorgWarner PDS Irapuato S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., BorgWarner PDS Technologies L.L.C., BorgWarner Poland Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Pyongtaek LLC, BorgWarner Romeo Power LLC, BorgWarner Rzeszow Sp. z o.o., BorgWarner Shenglong (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., BorgWarner South Asia LLC, BorgWarner Southborough Inc., BorgWarner Spain Holding S.L.U, BorgWarner Sweden AB, BorgWarner Systems Lugo S.r.l., BorgWarner Thermal Systems Inc., BorgWarner Thermal Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner TorqTransfer Systems Beijing Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Tralee Ltd., BorgWarner Transmission Products LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Arnstadt GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Korea LLC, BorgWarner Transmission Systems Tulle S.A.S., BorgWarner Trustees Limited, BorgWarner Turbo & Emissions Systems France S.A.S., BorgWarner Turbo Systems Engineering GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems LLC, BorgWarner Turbo Systems Worldwide Headquarters GmbH, BorgWarner Turbo Systems of Michigan Inc., BorgWarner Turbo and Emissions Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V., BorgWarner UK Financing Ltd., BorgWarner UK Holding and Services Ltd., BorgWarner US Holding LLC, BorgWarner USA Industries L.L.C., BorgWarner United Transmission Systems Co. Ltd., BorgWarner Waterloo Inc., BorgWarner Wrexham Limited, Cascadia Motion LLC, Creon Insurance Agency Limited, Delphi Technologies, Dytech ENSA, Gustav Wahler GmbH u. Co. KG, Haldex, Kuhlman LLC, Kysor Europe Limited, M. & M. Knopf Auto Parts L.L.C., NSK-Warner (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., NSK-Warner K.K., NSK-Warner Mexico S.A. de C.V, NSK-Warner U.S.A. Inc., New PDS Corp., Old Remco Holdings L.L.C., Old Remco International Holdings L.L.C., Remy International, SeohanWarner Turbo Systems LLC, Sevcon, Sevcon New Energy Technology (Hubei) Company Limited, and Transmission Systems AutoForm LLC.

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Vipshop Holdings Limited operates online platforms for various brands in the People's Republic of China. It operates in Vip.com, Shan Shan Outlets, and Others segments. The company offers women's apparel, such as casual wear, jeans, dresses, outerwear, lingerie, pajamas, and maternity clothes; men's apparel comprising casual and smart-casual T-shirts, polo shirts, jackets, pants, and underwear; and skin care and cosmetic products, including cleansers, lotions, face and body creams, face masks, sunscreen, foundations, lipsticks, eye shadows, and other cosmetics-related items. It also provides shoes and bags, which comprises casual and formal shoes, purses, satchels, luggage, duffel bags, and wallets; handbags; apparel, gears and accessories, furnishings and decor, toys, and games for boys, girls, infants, and toddlers; sportswear, sports gear, and footwear for various sporting activities; home furnishings, such as bed and bath products, home decor, kitchen and tabletop items, and home appliances; and consumer electronic products. In addition, the company offers food and snacks, beverages, fresh produce, and pet goods; beauty products; and internet finance services, including consumer and supplier financing, and microcredit. Vipshop Holdings Limited provides its branded products through its vip.com and vipshop.com online platforms, as well as through its internet website and cellular phone application. Further, it offers warehousing, logistics, product procurement, research and development, technology development, and consulting services; software development and information technology support solutions; and supply chain services. Vipshop Holdings Limited was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, the People's Republic of China.
As we approach another legislative session, it is my sincere hope that our legislators can work together and address the needs for our great state so it may excel in the future. A critical component of this is to provide an education for our children and grandchildren that prepares them for the future global economy.

Montana State University has become the flagship university in our state because it has excelled in preparing students in areas critical to the state and national economies. Because of this, MSU is the largest and fastest growing university in Montana, far outpacing any other university. Enrollment at MSU has grown 33 percent, or over 4,100 students, in just the last 10 years. MSU also has the highest classroom utilization of any campus because it ran out of classroom capacity long ago.

The Governors budget includes $25 million to help fund a $28 million renovation of Romney Hall. This grand and historic building was once a gym long ago (built in 1922). Now it is used for some classroom space (4 classrooms with about 120 seats) because of the classroom shortage. But most of the building interior is unusable due to its age and condition. Legislators need to take a tour of Romney Hall. In frank terms, it is embarrassing that we have to educate some of our students in this atmosphere.

The buildings exterior is sound and is a landmark on the MSU campus. However, the interior desperately needs renovating to provide significantly more classrooms. The plans for Romney Hall will expand classroom space to 18 classrooms with 1,000 seats. Over a 10-hour teaching day, this is an increase from 1,200 student-hours to 10,000 student hours.

Even with other new classroom buildings at MSU, the university does not have the capacity to serve its current students, much less any more growth. Romney Hall needs to be renovated so we can continue serving a growing student body and help our kids receive the education they need. This iconic building can continue to be a critical part of this process with the investment of financial support from our state legislators.

Bob Morrison, MSU Alumni Advocate

Clancy, Montana
Genesee & Wyoming Inc. owns and leases freight railroads. It operates through three segments: North American Operations, Australian Operations, and U.K./European Operations. The company transports various commodities, including agricultural products, autos and auto parts, chemicals and plastics, coal and coke, food and kindred products, lumber and forest products, metallic ores, metals, minerals and stone, petroleum products, pulp and paper, waste, and other commodities. It owns or leases 122 freight railroads, including 105 short line railroads and 2 regional freight railroads located in the United States, 8 short line railroads located in Canada, 3 railroads located in Australia, 1 railroad located in the United Kingdom, 1 railroad in Poland and Germany, and 2 railroads in the Netherlands with a total of approximately 16,200 miles of track. The company also operates 6,200 additional miles of track that is owned or leased by others. In addition, it operates deep sea maritime containers and provides bulk haulage, including coal, aggregates, cement, and infrastructure services. Further, the company provides rail service at approximately 40 ports; rail-ferry service in North America, Australia, and Europe; and contract coal loading and railcar switching for industrial customers. Genesee & Wyoming Inc. was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Darien, Connecticut.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
Theres rampant speculation across the industry that free agent catcher Matt Wieters will sign with the Nationals, according to ESPNs Buster Olney (Insider required and recommended). The Nationals traded for ex-Padres starting catcher Derek Norris earlier this month, but Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com then noted that they could sign Wieters and flip Norris elsewhere. Of course, its worth pointing out that Wieters agent, Scott Boras, is close with Nats owner Ted Lerner and president/general manager Mike Rizzo. The 30-year-old Wieters has spent his entire career in nearby Baltimore, but it may have replaced him Friday with the signing of Welington Castillo.

More offseason rumblings:
Many people are celebrating the recent introduction of a bill into Congress that would protect the Idaho portion of the Scotchman Peaks area as Wilderness. Idaho Senator Risch introduced the bill into Congress on Dec. 8. There is good reason to believe it will pass into law next year, with the support of the entire Idaho delegation of four Republicans.

The Scotchman Peaks proposed wilderness straddles the Idaho/Montana state line in a high, rugged mountain range between the Clark Fork and Kootenai rivers. It represents the largest area of wild and undeveloped land in northwestern Montana that is not permanently protected.

Besides celebrating, many people are also asking What about Montana? Senator Rischs bill protects only the Idaho portion of the Scotchman Peaks, and does not protect the larger potion in Montana. Only our Montana delegation can do that. People are asking Cant we join forces with Idaho and protect the entire Scotchmans area? If they can do it why cant we?

This is magnificent wild country, with pockets of giant old growth cedar, abundant native wildlife, huge rocky ridges and peaks, and stunning views of Lake Pend Oreille and the Clark Fork and Bull River Valleys as well as the glorious peaks of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, just across the beautiful Bull River Valley.

The rugged slopes of the Scotchmans are a natural for protection under the Wilderness Act. They are not suitable for roads or timber production, and wilderness designation would not affect the Kootenai National Forest timber program in any way. There are no significant conflicts with mining or other uses.

In this time of such conflict and polarization in our nation, it is wonderful to think of following Idahos example, and unifying around a positive goal that is good for our communities, and that ensures current and future generations will have access to the spirit-lifting solace of this wild and natural place.

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks now has over 6,700 supporters, of which over 80 percent live within a two-hour drive of the roadless area. We have also earned a great many endorsements from diverse people and groups on both sides of the Idaho/Montana border. Check out our website www.scotchmanpeaks.org for fabulous photos and more information. We certainly invite one and all to sign up as a Friend. It doesnt cost a dime and we need all the supporters we can get to convince our Montana delegation to take action.

Doug Ferrell, Board Chair

The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness

Trout Creek, Montana
FILM REVIEW

'Jackie'

2.5 stars (out of 4)

MPAA rating: R for brief strong violence and some language

Cast: Natalie Portman, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig

Director: Pablo Larrain

Run time: 100 minutes

With "Jackie," it's tempting to list the primary cast members as Natalie Portman, Natalie Portman and Natalie Portman. The film, a beguiling and admirably focused portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy in the days after John F. Kennedy's assassination, is an actress' showcase, a display of her range, from raw, ragged shock to finishing-school posture and diction.

Yet there's something chilly about this film, which keeps us at arm's length, when it should burn hot and intense. Maybe it's the chaotically edited narrative, leaping to and fro in time, by design, replicating shards of memory, post-trauma. One can almost feel director Pablo Larrain resisting pressure to openly manipulate the audience with easy sentiment, as so many conventional biopics do; there's tangible calculation in his direction, which renders the film oddly cold in its aesthetic and tone.

Which isn't to say Portman isn't a powerhouse. There's no questioning her ability to plumb the darkness: grief, bitterness, despair. The woman she portrays was chameleonic, probably out of necessity. To her vast, admiring public, she likely was more symbol than woman, a picture of poise, intelligence and American aristocracy. Portman shows all angles. Larrain recreates Jackie's famously televised 1962 White House tour, all form and fashion. He also puts Portman in front of a mirror, washing her dead husband's blood from her face moments before the famous swearing-in of Lyndon Johnson aboard Air Force One.

"Jackie's" most impactful scenes aren't those that re-create moments we all recognize from photographs or the Zapruder film. (And yes, it depicts the assassination with a fair share of graphic detail, and more than a little queasy indulgence.) They occur when Portman is wandering the White House - which she meticulously redesigned, only to have it taken from her - in a grief-stricken state. Even her most private moments are frequently compromised by her stature as a public figure in an unforgiving spotlight; she's never alone when two sentry-like Secret Service agents are buried deep in the frame, out of focus, but unavoidably present.

Jackie drinks and smokes cigarettes and plays the soundtrack to Broadway's "Camelot," which her husband loved. Portman poignantly embodies this woman, unraveling in the Lincoln Bedroom and her own impeccably decked-out closet, searching silently for a way to steady a ship that's all but sunk in tumultuous waters. Jackie wore many faces, and Portman layers her performance with remarkable complexity, playing a character beneath a character that was familiar to many, altering an alteration of her own voice. The actress' challenges were monumental, and she's a wrecking ball, albeit one trying to bust through Larrain's self-conscious overdirection.

The film dramatizes Jackie's interactions with several people from her inner circle. Key to Larrain's portrait of pain is her brother-in-law Bobby Kennedy (Peter Sarsgaard), who tries to find compromise between Jackie's wishes for a properly historic memorial, and potential security risks; he's careful not to under- or overestimate the strength of Jackie's resolve. "Do you think Lincoln's widow knew that we'd build a monument to her husband?" she asks him.

She engages in confessionals with an unnamed priest (John Hurt), advising her prior to the service, and an unnamed reporter (Billy Crudup), interviewing her a week after the assassination. One gets the sense that Larrain sees himself in both of these characters, who dance with different facets of Jackie's character. The reporter interview is the most transparent, and therefore the least convincing - she teases him with raw, emotional truths, then tells him he can't print them, controlling and manipulating her image even amidst her bereavement.

The film's most powerful moments are its most simple - especially heartbreaking is Jackie telling her children, too young to fully comprehend what happened, that Daddy is in heaven. It's emotionally direct, but simmering with Jackie's past hardships - her struggles to conceive, the death of her infant child, her husband's infidelity. When Jackie returns home to the White House the day of the assassination, Larrain cuts to a wide shot quietly revealing that she still is covered with her husband's blood, staining her famous pink Chanel suit. The director's attempt to re-create Jackie's experience as a lucid nightmare is conveyed with significant weight and clarity in a scene like this, direct and elementary, when the camera isn't bobbing and weaving like a bleary drunk, the scene accompanied by heavy-handed voiceover. "Jackie" is artful when it needs to be heartful; its overly ambitious visual dramatics are often a glass wall between Portman and the audience. But when she breaks through it, watch out.
YPSILANTI, MI - It was a morning to remember for Eastern Michigan University students celebrating the closing of their college careers during commencement on Saturday, Dec. 17, inside the EMU Convocation Center.

A total of 1,768 students were eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony on Saturday, including 26 doctoral candidates -- a record and a group that includes eight students in educational leadership, eight in educational studies, nine in technology and one in clinical psychology. The highest previous total was December 2015, with 17 graduates.

Among EMU's graduates were 426 graduate degree candidates, 1,242 undergraduate degree candidates and 100 students who graduated last August but are walking in Saturday's ceremony.

Saturday's commencement speaker was Bridget Mary McCormack, who has served as a Michigan Supreme Court Justice since 2012.

McCormack joined the Michigan Supreme Court in January 2013. Before her election to the Court in November 2012, she was a law professor and dean at the University of Michigan Law School, where she continues to teach.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Before a hearing in the Gelman dioxane plume case got underway Thursday, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Tim Connors told the attorneys in the courtroom he didn't need to hear a lot of background.

"I'm familiar with the case," Connors said, noting he read the briefs filed by each attorney, and even though he is newly presiding over the high-profile litigation between the state and the polluter, he understands the legal history.

"In its very initial inceptions in the 1980s, I was actually in this courtroom when Judge Conlin handled it," he said, referring to when the case was before Patrick Conlin many years ago. "I was appointed as the special master by Judge Conlin and handled discovery issues, so I've been with it for decades."

Connors also lives atop the plume on Ann Arbor's far west side, a stone's throw from the former Gelman Sciences plant.

Dioxane, a toxic chemical that's believed to cause cancer and other health problems, was found to be spreading through the area's groundwater from the Gelman property on Wagner Road in the 1980s. The plume continues to expand, now covering an area more than three miles long and a mile wide.

The state initially sued Gelman in 1988, leading to a consent judgment in 1992 that has been amended multiple times, most recently in 2011.

That has guided ongoing pump-and-treat remediation efforts, but in the opinion of many local officials and residents, it hasn't been enough.

Now that the state has found dioxane in shallow groundwater on Ann Arbor's west side and issued emergency rules to establish new exposure standards, the case is back in court for the first time in years, and it's before a new judge.

The case is assigned to Connors because the judges that handled it before have retired. Judge Donald Shelton had it last, and he retired in 2014.

Past court decisions pertaining to the Gelman plume have been viewed unfavorably by many who would prefer a more aggressive cleanup.

Conlin dismissed most of the state's original claims in 1991. And it was by Shelton's order in 2005 that a groundwater-use prohibition zone was established, essentially deciding the plume would be managed by minimizing the risk of human exposure, rather than doing a full-scale cleanup.

The strategy that's been in place for more than a decade now allows dioxane to spread through the city in high concentrations, with the idea that someday it will discharge to the Huron River and become diluted.

Local officials argue that doesn't take into consideration vapor intrusion as a potential exposure pathway, as it's now believed to be possible for dioxane in shallow groundwater to migrate into homes and other buildings as toxic vapor. And there still are concerns that dioxane could someday reach Barton Pond, contaminating the entire city's drinking water supply.

Revisiting the Gelman case

Many local officials and residents are hoping there will be a better outcome in court now that the case is before Connors and there are new dioxane standards, new information, and talks of a revised cleanup plan.

The judge spoke of the importance of stewardship of water resources at Thursday's hearing before issuing a ruling -- against the objections of Gelman Sciences -- to let the city of Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County and Huron River Watershed Council intervene as plaintiffs in the case.

The three interveners now have seats at the table in ongoing negotiations between the state and the polluter regarding revising the consent judgment, giving them an opportunity to fight for more monitoring and a better cleanup strategy.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has been in closed talks with the polluter for the past year. Though the DEQ hasn't been willing to say it will press for a better cleanup, now the city, county and Watershed Council can.

"We are hopeful that, by allowing additional affected parties in to the discussions, we will achieve a quicker and more effective solution to the dioxane contamination," said Laura Rubin, the Watershed Council's executive director, who attended Thursday's hearing. "We don't want to hold the process up, but rather work together to restore clean water."

Evan Pratt, the county's water resources commissioner, also attended the hearing and said afterward he's thankful Connors agreed the people who are impacted by the pollution deserve an opportunity to have a voice and to work with regulators toward a goal of clean water and a safe environment.

"I am especially thankful at the recognition that local knowledge and insight is valuable, and creative ideas can come from diverse, science-based viewpoints," Pratt said of the judge's decision. "This is a complex problem and complex problems are rarely solved without innovative thinking."

To be sure, this is only the start of what could be another long legal process, one that could lead to another court battle, even a trial, if the various parties can't reach agreement on a new plan for addressing the Gelman plume.

"I was encouraged that in the courtroom all parties agreed that we share a common goal and look forward to a plan we can all agree on," Pratt said. "It is important to understand that no matter what is agreed to, the problem was decades in the making and will take decades to resolve."

Retracing the legal history

Gelman Sciences used dioxane as a solvent while manufacturing medical-grade filter devices at its plant, which is no longer operational. It's estimated the company used 850,000 pounds of the toxic chemical between 1966 and 1986, with most being discharged to soil, surface water and groundwater through seepage lagoons, land spray irrigation, and direct discharges at the site.

The polluter has spent millions doing pump-and-treat remediation over the years to remove dioxane from the groundwater. However, the rate of pumping and treating has slowed in recent years and some want to see it increased.

Gelman Sciences was acquired in 1997 by Pall Corp., which was acquired last year by Danaher Corp., a multibillion-dollar corporation that some local officials and residents argue has the financial resources to do a better cleanup.

The city's attorneys retraced some of the legal history in a recent court filing, recalling the state first brought action in 1988 to compel Gelman Sciences to remediate releases of the hazardous substance.

In 1992, the state and Gelman entered into a consent judgment, the objective of which was to remove and treat contaminated groundwater, the city's attorneys stated, arguing those efforts failed.

Rather than demanding obedience to the 1992 order, the city argues, the state ultimately acquiesced to Gelman's request for less stringent requirements. An attorney for Gelman Sciences disputes the city's version of events.

In 2005, an amended consent judgment and other court orders were entered, changing the nature of the remediation from complete removal and treatment to a containment strategy, the city argues. Under the amended consent judgment, Gelman was charged with stopping the spread of dioxane except in the court-ordered prohibition zone, anticipating dioxane will migrate to the river.

Property owners are prohibited from drilling new wells within the prohibition zone, and existing wells have been abandoned. Homes that were on private wells have been forced to connect to the city's municipal water system, and the city has shut down one of its own municipal water supply wells.

In 2006, the city and Gelman Sciences settled litigation the city had brought in hopes of requiring the polluter to remediate the pollution.

In the settlement agreement, the city maintains it reserved the right to take future action against Gelman under a number of circumstances, including for claims related to new plumes of contamination, claims arising from an unforeseen change in the migration pathway of a known plume that results in the presence of dioxane at levels exceeding state criteria, and claims for certain response activity costs.

In 2011, the consent judgment between the state and the polluter was amended again, expanding the groundwater-use prohibition zone to encompass additional properties in the path of the plume. Gelman agreed to and was ordered to stop the migration of dioxane outside of the expanded prohibition zone.

Despite those agreements and court judgments, the city argues, Gelman decreased its extraction and treatment volumes and reduced its monitoring and testing for dioxane, and the company did not stop the spread of the dioxane, which continues to migrate, including outside of the prohibition zone.

For example, the city argues, a monitoring well on the northern edge of the plume on Dexter Road, east of Wagner Road, showed no measurable levels of dioxane in 2008, but dioxane was detected in samples there in 2013.

And just 750 feet southeast on Dupont Circle, another monitoring well saw levels as high as 1,700 parts per billion last year, the city argues.

After three decades, the polluter has removed about 110,000 pounds or 13 percent of the dioxane it originally sprayed, dumped and pumped into the environment, the city argues, saying the company has not complied with mandates in the consent judgment and the cleanup has been a failure.

Gelman Sciences offers its take

Mike Caldwell, an attorney representing Gelman Sciences, took issue with the city's version of events in a recent response filed in court. The company claims its ongoing cleanup is "fully protective of the public" and that the company has fully complied with the consent judgments and court orders.

"One measure of the protectiveness of the existing cleanup program is that, despite the state's recent issuance of dramatically more restrictive cleanup standards, not a single person in the community is currently exposed to 1,4-dioxane above these new regulatory levels. Not one," Caldwell wrote.

He argued there was no new public health threat that could possibly justify the city's intervention in the case.

In a 25-page court filing, Caldwell offered the company's version of events, starting by saying Gelman Sciences moved to Scio Township in 1963 and began using dioxane to produce medical-grade filters in 1966.

"Pursuant to a series of wastewater discharge permits issued by MDEQ's predecessor agency, Gelman disposed of its wastewater in treatment ponds, which -- by design and with the permission of the relevant state authorities -- discharged treated wastewater to the ground," he wrote.

"In accordance with similar permits, Gelman also utilized a spray irrigation system to dispose of its treated wastewater to the ground."

Caldwell argues those wastewater discharges were legal and authorized. And while the treatment systems successfully addressed other chemicals found in the company's wastewater, he wrote, they could not successfully treat dioxane due to its unique resistance to biodegradation.

"Gelman did not know and was not advised by its consultants, experts or the suppliers or manufacturers of 1,4-dioxane that the treatment process would not successfully biodegrade that substance," Caldwell wrote.

"Unfortunately, Gelman's permitted waste disposal practices caused the unintended release of 1,4-dioxane into the groundwater."

After the state sued in 1988, the state's case was heard during a bench trial before Judge Conlin in 1990. In 1991, Conlin dismissed most of the state's claims on the basis that the discharges were permitted. That is, except as to overflows from one of the treatment ponds, Caldwell acknowledges.

"In October 1992, the state entered into a consent judgment with Gelman, under which Gelman agreed to take specified response actions to address the 1,4-dioxane contamination," Caldwell wrote, describing the early cleanup objectives then as fairly modest. "Gelman agreed to install groundwater extraction systems to prevent the further spread of the known contaminant plumes and to address the on-site contamination at the Gelman facility. There was, however, no requirement to reduce contamination concentrations near the source area."

In 2000, Caldwell recalls, the DEQ and the company were at odds over how to properly implement the consent judgment.

"Contrary to the intervenors' suggestion that the state has repeatedly agreed to lessen its remedial efforts, the state took aggressive action and filed a motion to enforce the consent judgment, seeking to require Gelman to undertake additional cleanup," Caldwell wrote. "From Gelman's perspective, the company was trying to accelerate the cleanup as demanded by MDEQ, but could not secure necessary approvals from MDEQ for various response actions."

Consequently, Caldwell wrote, the company asked the court to hold an evidentiary hearing in 2000, during which the company could present its cleanup plan, including a wide range of response activities designed to greatly increase the pace of cleanup. Following the hearing, Caldwell wrote, Shelton essentially ordered Gelman Sciences to implement its cleanup plan.

Over the next five years, as part of a plan approved by the DEQ and the court, Caldwell wrote, the company increased its extraction/treatment rate from about 250 gallons per minute to about 1,200 gallons per minute, installed 11 new purge wells to address highly contaminated areas near the Gelman property, and decreased the dioxane concentrations in the groundwater.

At the Gelman property on Wagner Road, Caldwell wrote, dioxane levels were reduced from more than 25,000 ppb to about 1,000 ppb or less. And by 2005, after pumping and treating more than 1 billion gallons of contaminated water, he wrote, more than 37,000 pounds of dioxane was removed from the aquifer.

The company now claims it has extracted and treated nearly 8 billion gallons of contaminated groundwater, removing more than 110,000 pounds of dioxane.

However, recent test results show dioxane still at concentrations as high as 14,000 ppb in the core area.

The rate of pumping and treating has slowed from 1,115 gallons per minute in April 2011 to 487 gallons per minute as of earlier this year.

Caldwell is arguing on behalf of Gelman Sciences that the groundwater use prohibition zone established in 2005 allows the dioxane to "migrate safely to the Huron River, where it could vent at safe levels downstream from the city's municipal water supply intake at Barton Pond."

He recalled that the city brought state and federal court claims against Gelman Sciences in 2004 and 2005. He argued unsuccessfully last week that the city's settlement of those cases in 2006 barred it from intervening in the longstanding litigation between the state and the company.

'Limitations of pump-and-treat remediation'

Caldwell said the DEQ and Gelman agreed to amend the consent judgment in 2011 to reflect a greater understanding of the groundwater conditions in the Evergreen subdivision area and to better coordinate cleanup objectives.

"The prohibition zone was expanded to include the existing northernmost portion of the plume near the Evergreen subdivision," he wrote. "The expansion required Gelman to provide municipal water to the six homes in the area that were still utilizing a private water well, an obligation with which it promptly complied."

Caldwell said the requirement from the original 1992 consent judgment that Gelman capture the leading edge of the Evergreen plume was eliminated because it interfered with other cleanup objectives. But, he maintains, the company continued to operate the Evergreen extraction system to reduce dioxane that could migrate eastward through the prohibition zone.

"The 2011 consent judgment amendment also reflected the reality and limitations of pump-and-treat remediation," Caldwell wrote.

"Despite the dramatic decreases in 1,4-dioxane groundwater concentrations attained as a result of Gelman's initial cleanup efforts, it became clear that the pump-and-treat approach could not reduce the groundwater concentrations below the 85 ppb cleanup standard in effect at that time," he continued.

"Accordingly, the 2011 revisions instead provided for a performance-based groundwater extraction requirement: Gelman was to pump as much groundwater as was necessary to keep the footprint of the plume in the western area (west of Wagner Road) from expanding, while simultaneously pumping enough from the eastern area extraction wells to keep the plume within the prohibition zone."

Since 2011, Caldwell maintains, the company has continued to satisfy the non-expansion objective of the revised consent judgment and has prevented any new water supply wells from being impacted by dioxane.

The DEQ this spring announced it would be lowering the allowable level of dioxane in residential drinking water from 85 ppb to 7.2 ppb, along with a new vapor-intrusion screening level of 29 ppb. Those rules took effect in October.

For more than a year, in addition to continuing remediation efforts, Caldwell said, Gelman Sciences has been working proactively with the DEQ to prepare for the anticipated change in dioxane standards, and even agreed to provide municipal water to a property where the 7.2 ppb level was exceeded. The company also worked in conjunction with the DEQ on recent shallow groundwater tests.

Caldwell said the company also implemented an extensive hydrogeological investigation in the Honey Creek area in 2014 and 2015 to confirm that no drinking water wells were threatened and that the plume was not expanding there.

He maintains there is no evidence dioxane is migrating toward Barton Pond or that the city's municipal water intake is in any danger, and he argues dioxane has never been considered to be sufficiently volatile to pose a vapor intrusion risk, though the DEQ considers it a potential exposure pathway.

Caldwell argues the dioxane found under Waterworks Park in Ann Arbor this summer was only at 2 or 3 ppb, well below the new screening level.

He said the DEQ and Gelman have been negotiating revisions to the consent judgment for more than a year and the parties have been exchanging drafts to come up with necessary adjustments to the cleanup program to ensure it is protective of public health and compliant with the new rules.

He said he fears letting the city, county and Watershed Council have a seat at the table will allow any one of them to veto the revised agreement, and the case might have to go to trial if they can't reach an agreement.

Dioxane is classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as likely to be carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure. It also can cause kidney and liver damage, and respiratory problems. Short-term exposure to high levels of dioxane in the air can cause eye, nose and throat irritation.

Just a few parts per billion in drinking water, with long-term exposure, poses a 1 in 100,000 cancer risk, according to the EPA.
THETFORD TWP, MI -- A Thetford Township trustee is appealing a federal judge's decision, claiming that a township building inspector and police illegally searched his house after they suspected he possessed marijuana.

Eric Gunnels, whose lawsuit against Thetford Township officials was dismissed by in Detroit by Senior U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen in September, says that the police officers unlawfully obtained a search warrant for his house. He said they cited a building permit issue when they really had suspicions about his possession of medical marijuana.

His appeal focuses on the State of Michigan's building inspection statute, calling it "unconstitutional."

"It violates my rights as a citizen, and cuts to the very core of our constitutional rights - particularly the Fourth Amendment, the right to be a secure person in possession," said Gunnels. He alleges township officials violated his rights when they searched his property in 2014.

"I am standing for the residents of Thetford Township against the pre-crime police state mentality," he said.

Attorney G. Gus Morris, who represents the four officers and building inspector involved in the suit, claims the search was legal because Gunnels was allegedly renovating the house without a building permit. He said the appeal of the federal judge's decision is "just ludicrous" and "burning taxpayer money of the people he serves" by continuing to press the case.

"Judge Rosen is highly respected and gave a well-reasoned opinion," said Morris. "Why didn't (Gunnels) just pull a permit? There were clearly construction materials outside (the building), and police found all kinds of construction going on inside."

Morris denied the search was in any way connected to marijuana.

The lawsuit claims Gunnels, who purchased the 14007 N. Lewis Road property in December 2013, was removing snow from his driveway Feb. 12, 2014, when he was approached by township building inspector Stuart Worthing, who demanded to search the property. Gunnels, 36, denied him access.

Judge Rosen's opinion dismissing the suit said Worthing had been in contact with Gunnels for a month before the encounter in attempts to inspect the building after he heard that construction was underway. According to the opinion, Gunnels told Rosen the work he was doing didn't require a permit as it was "just cosmetic stuff."

The lawsuit claims Worthing left, but soon returned with a Thetford Township police officer. He again demanded to search the property, but Gunnels refused, and the officer parked his car outside the property and observed him after Worthing left.

The lawsuit claims the officer read Gunnels a text message the officer received that stated Gunnels was "being harassed because 'they suspect marijuana,'" according to the lawsuit.

Gunnels has been an outspoken supporter of marijuana law reform, including speaking on a panel at High Times magazine's Cannabis Cup at Auto City Speedway in 2015.

More police officers, including Chief Robert Kenny, arrived at the home later that evening and demanded to search the home, and again, Gunnels denied the officers access, the lawsuit says.

The suit also claims officers held Gunnels at his property for three hours while they obtained a warrant to search the home.

After officers obtained the warrant and searched the home - including opening doors inside the building that had been screwed shut - Morris said they discovered evidence of unpermitted construction in the home, including plumbing, mechanical and electric materials. They also found a jar of marijuana, which Gunnels said was legally obtained for medical purposes, and it was not seized by officers.

No criminal charges related to the marijuana were ever filed, and Morris said it was ignored by the officers.

Gunnels, who worked as a construction foreman, was cited for the construction items. The lawsuit claims the citations were falsified, and authorities violated his Fourth Amendment rights by searching the home.

"As a resident, I feel like I was accosted in my own home," said Gunnels. He was recently re-elected to his second term on the township board. "But as an elected official, I look at it as a serious policy issue. You can't procure a criminal warrant for an administrative search."

Gunnels says he has still not filed a building permit for the property and is living elsewhere in the township.

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, is scheduled to hear the appeal in the spring of 2017.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Kent County could profit as much as $10,000 from a halted recount of ballots cast in the Nov. 8 presidential election.

The recount was halted by a federal judge after Kent County had completed two full days of reviewing thousands of paper ballots by hand.

Green Party candidate Jill Stein's campaign requested the recount -- but ultimately U.S. District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith decided that there wasn't evidence of election fraud presented.

Counties will be paid $125 for every precinct they were able to recount -- at the expense of Stein's campaign, said Michigan Secretary of State spokeswoman Gisgie Davila Gendreau.

Kent County recounted 203 precincts, which results in a reimbursement of $25,375, Davila Gendreau said.

However, the county spent about $15,000 on the recount, said Elections Director Sue deSteiguer.

Of the $15,000, $12,850 was used to pay workers and the Kent County Board of Canvassers. Workers were paid $130 on weekdays, and the canvassers were paid $100. Any workers that attended training were paid an additional $30, deSteiguer said.

The remainder of the costs were for table rental, chair rental, catering and incidentals, deSteiguer said.

The county kept its costs for the recount down because the Wyoming Police Department donated space in its facility for free, deSteiguer said. The only other option was to rent out the DeltaPlex for upwards of $22,000, deSteiguer said.
Muskegon Lake

Fish are being moved from the low river beds to Bear Creek during the start of the Bear Creek-Bear Lake-Muskegon Lake reconnection and habitat restoration project in North Muskegon, Mich. on Monday, May 16, 2016. (Emily Brouwer | MLive.com)

MUSKEGON, MI - The Michigan Environmental Hall of Fame is looking for supporters of environmental protection to be nominees for its awards of 2017.

Sponsored by the Muskegon Environmental Research and Education Society, the hall of fame began in 2010 to recognize people and organizations dedicated to environmental protection.

The hall of fame has presented annual awards to colleges and schools, environmental projects, nonprofit organizations, business and industry, individuals, youth and posthumous awards, according to a news release.

Ron Brown, MERES president, said the goal is to acknowledge positive work done on behalf of the environment in Michigan.

"There are many individuals and groups that log thousands of hours protecting natural areas, providing educating, and improving our environment," Brown said. "This award is for them."

Nominations for awards are being accepted through January 25, 2017. The nominations will be reviewed by the Hall of Fame advisory committee. Award winners will be honored at a ceremony in early spring.
ELKTON, MI -- A domestic dispute between a couple turned violent early Friday morning and culminated in the girlfriend allegedly pointing a 12-gauge shotgun at her partner's head and threatening to kill him.

Huron County Sheriff's Office deputies responded around 1:40 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16, to a home on Hoffman Street in the Village of Elkton for reports of an earlier domestic violence situation, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.

Police learned the male complainant had fled the home because an argument with his girlfriend turned violent, according to the press release. The 50-year-old man told police the dispute ended when his 34-year-old girlfriend allegedly pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at his head and threatened to kill him.

Deputies confronted the girlfriend and found reason to arrest her for the suspected assault, the press release states.

She is expected to be charged for assault and is out on $1,000 cash bond.
Close

Despite the fact that the users were not in Singapore, Instagram said it had settled a "bug" that saw users geo-tag themselves as being there in an offer to become a web sensation. The obvious hack expanded the odds of a post achieving the pined for Explore page on the photograph sharing application.

Posts in that segment are probably going to get numerous more likes and pull in followers. Instagram affirmed to the BBC, that when posts were labeled with Singapore, it was a "bug that impacted engagement". What shows up on your Instagram depends on the association's calculation. Similar to Facebook. The representative included that they have now settled the issue.

Tech Mic reported that the trap got on with web stars like King Bach and Christian Collins, who started geo-labeling their post for more extensive reach, in an innovation highlight distributed not long ago. Notwithstanding being no place close to the South East Asian city-state, the pattern began when many unmistakable "influencers" were seen labeling their Instagram photographs with the area "Singapore, Singapore".

The "hack" functioned by first, create a post on Instagram, setting 'Singapore, Singapore' as your area. Second, publish your post and watch it draw in preferences and comments from irregular outsiders over the world. And lastly, Once the user sees the higher engagement, evacuate the odd and inaccurate area.

Thestar.com.my posted about the Instagram superstar Amanda Cerny ventures out onto a street in the rain and begins moving in a clasp recorded and upload onto media-sharing application Instagram."Sunny vibes on a blustery day," peruses its subtitle. In the interim, the video's geo-tag - where it was taken - says "Singapore, Singapore". In any case, the new street markings and right-hand activity recommend it was caught elsewhere. One from Cerny's 10.5 million adherents asked, "Is that really at Singapore?". This is one case of an Instagram post utilizing the 'Singapore help' hack.

 Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
After a third chief medical examiner in little more than a year has left the post, Attorney General Tim Fox will ask the Legislature to revise the management structure of the state crime lab.

Crime Lab Administrator Phil Kinsey described the proposals as clarifications that result in a clearer command structure that should prevent the kinds of problems that led two consecutive medical examiners to resign last year amid questions about the work quality of an associate examiner.

A third examiner has taken a demotion just a year after accepting the states top post.

Another piece of the proposed agency bill would clarify statutes requiring autopsies whenever someone dies in the custody of or during pursuit by law enforcement.

When we first started the transition, having bumps at the medical examiners office, my bosses wanted to know who was in charge of the medical examiner, Kinsey said. I was new on the job. I had been in the lab a long time but had never seen a hierarchical structure regarding the medical examiners.

The Department of Justices Forensic Sciences Division, colloquially known as the state crime lab, provides an array of services to law enforcement officials and coroners statewide.

The state medical examiner, who conducts autopsies, and the crime lab administrator, who oversaw other functions such as drug testing, both are appointed and hired by the attorney general. It was not always clear how the two interconnected positions should function nor who had authority to hire and fire associate examiners.

Dr. Gary Dale had served as state medical examiner for decades and was joined by Dr. Walter Kemp as deputy state medical examiner about a decade ago. The two performed autopsies out of the state crime lab office in Missoula, primarily working for coroners in western Montana.

Death investigators in eastern Montana typically turned to private pathologists. Since 1998, that work had almost exclusively been done by Dr. Thomas Bennett of Billings, who was recognized by the state as an associate medical examiner. Dale directed him not to perform child autopsies because his work on some infant death cases in Iowa had been questioned or discredited by several authorities.

Bennett performed child autopsies anyway, according to previous reporting by Lee Newspapers based on an extensive review of state records. Confronted numerous times by Dale over several years, Bennett did not stop pediatric examinations. He argued he worked directly for the coroners and Dale had no authority over him.

Records show the issue came to a head in late 2014 and appears to have been a factor in Dales resignation in April 2015. Kemp was promoted to the role of state medical examiner but announced his own resignation a couple of weeks after taking the helm, citing the ongoing unworkable situation.

More than a month after Kemps announcement and just a few days before his departure July 1, Foxs staff informed Bennett that his appointment as an associate examiner would end and that the medical examiner's office would be restructured so all coroner-ordered autopsies would be performed by state employees. Despite that statement, the office has continued to contract out autopsies. (See related story).

Fox said the dispute triggered a broader review of the state's system.

"We think the system was antiquated," he said of relying on contractors rather than state employees. "Back in the day it may have been more difficult given Montanas rural population and low population to attract lots of doctors that wanted to do medical examinations.

The changes to state law proposed by Fox are included in a bill to be carried by Rep. Kim Dudik, D-Missoula. The measure would make additional tweaks to clarify the definitions of a state, deputy and associate examiner. They would also give the state examiner explicit authority to hire and fire without having to seek intervention from the attorney general. The state medical examiner also would report to Kinsey.

We really need that cleared up, Kinsey said. There was no real clear line of who worked for who.

The proposal also would have the crime lab administrator take on some day-to-day duties of examiners such as communicating with coroners and managing the budget. That will leave the examiner to focus on medical functions of the post.

After Dale's departure in April 2015 and Kemp's in July 2015, the state struggled to fill three posts: one state medical examiner and a deputy to work from Missoula, and a third examiner to open a new Billings office.

In late August 2015, Dr. Jaime Oeberst started as the new state medical examiner after leading the largest county office in Kansas. Dr. Robert Kurtzman, who performed autopsies for several Colorado counties and had done contract work for Montana, started as a deputy medical examiner in December. Dr. Nikki Mourtzinos joined the Missoula office a month later after working at Childrens National Health System in Washington, D.C.

About a year after Oebersts arrival, she stepped down as chief examiner to become a deputy for personal reasons, Kinsey said. She is currently on leave, Fox said. Her workload involved coordinating with coroners and their deputies from 56 counties to perform autopsies as well as the administrative paperwork of the expanding office and an ongoing effort to secure national accreditation.

Kinsey said Oeberst had previously discussed those challenges with him, but declined to say whether they were why she stepped down.

Coroners interviewed for this story reported no complaints with Oeberst or the new crime lab structure. Montana Coroners Association President Greg Kirkwood said Kinsey notified them at an October board meeting about Oebersts changed title and that Kurtzman would be taking over as the chief examiner.

Citing work schedules or personal time off, both Oeberst and Kurtzman declined interview requests.

Foxs proposed changes also include changes to statute about when to require some autopsies and who will pay for them. Specifically, the statute will mandate an autopsy anytime someone dies in the custody of law enforcement or during an interaction with an officer, such as a traffic stop or chase. If the coroner should decide against an autopsy, the state would do one anyway and pick up the bill.

Thats just to make sure all the information in those investigations is available, Kinsey said. Given the current national conversations about deaths in police custody and shootings, we wanted to make sure everything is investigated that should be.
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DECATUR  At November's Decatur school board meeting, members heard a report on the state of the district.

In that report, Ed Moyer broke down each department's functions and goals before turning to the results of the PARCC assessments in the spring and other district testing showing academic achievement. PARCC stands for Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers.

We have worked with our principals, and they have developed strategic priorities at the buildings in alignment with the goals, said Bobbi Williams, interim co-Superintendent of the district. We're keeping our eye on the data. It's not perfect. We're not going to hide any information.

Some of the news was good. More eighth-graders are passing algebra, and more freshmen are on track to graduate on time. Both results are nearly 3 percent higher than the 2015 tests. Third-, seventh- and eighth-grade students improved in reading, while fifth, seventh, eighth and ninth showed gains in math.

Trying to move from where we are to where we need to be is an enormous challenge, Moyer said. The rate of change of instructional improvement, it does not happen overnight. The things that we're implementing now, we'll see improvement in two, three, four or five years. It's a very slow rate of change.

Moyer prefers other assessments to the PARCC, such as the Measures of Academic Progress, which has a longer history and which he said is more accurate.

One surprising factor in the results from the assessments in the 2015-16 school year was that students in sixth, eighth, 10th and 11th grades showed growth in reading. Middle school, particularly, is a challenging time for kids and academic growth is often sluggish.

Middle schools are getting better at a faster rate, Moyer said.

The Illinois State Board of Education's annual Report Card, available on the website at www.illinoisreportcard.com, is in a different format than previous years and includes statistics such as percentages of students prepared for the next level, freshmen on track to graduate, college readiness, post-secondary enrollment, and post-secondary remediation, which means how many students require remedial courses before being able to enroll in college-level courses.

No Child Left Behind is out of the picture now, including its escalating consequences for districts and buildings that didn't meet learning goals. The replacement, the Every Student Succeeds Act, is still a work in progress and accountability measures will likely include systems of support for struggling districts, said Tony Smith, state superintendent of schools.

This is a different kind of assessment, and we have a lot of work to do to really have kids ready to meaningfully engage in the work force and higher education, Smith said. We've got a long way to go. This is the part that is sobering. We have a considerable distance to travel. This (test) is a great tool to show us where are we, where do we need to be.

Statewide, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations across all grade levels is less than 40 percent in English language arts and literacy. Eight-graders statewide were at 39.1 percent, a drop from 40.4 percent in 2015.

In math, third-graders performed best in 2016, with 39.6 percent meeting or exceeding expectation, while high school students statewide were at 21.8 percent in the preliminary results.

Average student and teacher attendance both improved over 2015, and the high school dropout rate statewide decreased from 2.3 percent to 2 percent. For the first time this year, the graduation statistics included students graduating six and seven years after beginning high school. Some students with individualized education programs are in high school longer than four years.

Our standardized testing is important in gauging where the district is, but it's not the only measure we take to check on student performance, said Mike Williams, superintendent of Maroa-Forsyth schools. We use local assessments, different means and measures to see how students are progressing and have been fairly successful with that.

"(The PARCC) is another one of those measures and just one small aspect of a child's education you can take.

The measure of whether freshmen are on track, for example, is misleading because the test is given early in the second semester of freshman year, he said. If the students have successfully completed their first semester of high school, they're on track, but a lot can happen after that.

Overall, Maroa-Forsyth did well in comparison to other area districts, Williams said, and he's pleased about that, but individual students' performance is measured by far more than one test.

That's true of Central A&M and other districts, too, said DeAnn Heack, superintendent of Central A&M.

No superintendent in the state uses that as sole indicator of their students' progress, Heck said. We have to look at all the other things that go with it. We don't base interventions or decide curriculum, and it doesn't impact personnel decisions. It's a piece of that, but it doesn't drive those decisions.

She also questions how accurate the test is, especially in regard to how many students are going to be prepared for college work, or are ready for the next level. That's why the district doesn't rely on the state tests alone to judge which students might need some extra help. Educators look at the whole picture, with other assessments and classroom work, to find any areas where a student is falling behind.

Teachers and staff encourage students to take the test seriously and do their best, but they do that with everything the students undertake, she said.

We tell the kids it's important to do your best on everything you do, she said. Give it your all. We gave them a good breakfast and encouraged them to really look at each question and spend time on it. I think that makes a difference, when you encourage kids to do their best. It's for their character, their whole person.

"We all should want to do our best on everything we do.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Rabbis installation at Keneseth Israel will get a boost of student creativity
December 18, 2016

Sabotage Of East-Aleppo Evacuation Is Part Of A Plan

Update (Dec 19, 0:00 EST):

The culprits of the bus burning were "rebels" from Ahrar al-Sham and Jund al Aqsa. Both are favorites of the CIA and Turkey and in Idleb governate aligned with and under the military command of al-Qaeda.

After Turkey put heavy pressure on the groups it somewhat controls the evacuation deal is, for now, back on. The first exchange bus run occurrs right now. I expect a new sabotage attempt to jeopardize the deal.

Turkish media claim that Shia inhabitants of Fu'a and Kafraya burned the buses or that it is unknown who did it. Video and pictures proudly posted by the Takfiris themselves show that these radical Sunnis did it.

End-Update - original post follows:



The removal of defeated al-Qaeda fighters and their families from east-Aleppo has been on and off for several days now.

The agreement between Turkey and Russia on which the evacuation is based stipulates the parallel evacuation of wounded people from the al-Qaeda besieged Shiite village Fu'a and Kafraya in Idleb province. Note that neither the U.S. nor the (partisan) UN were involved in these negotiations.

The process was interrupted on Friday after al-Qaeda fighters in east-Aleppo opened fire on evacuating civilians. In parallel buses moving into Fu'a and Kafraya to evacuate the wounded were held up by al-Qaeda aligned groups in the area. Opposition claims that Hizbullah fighters was killing people that were evacuating from east-Aleppo were, according to a BBC producer, lies.

The agreement and evacuations were put on again and proceeded this morning after some new negotiations with unknown additional terms. The movements were to take place in strict parallel. Any move out of east-Aleppo on the government provided public buses would only happen at the very same moment that the wounded would move out of Fu'a and Kafraya on similar buses.

Today's evacuations were again sabotaged by al-Qaeda forces:

Several buses en route to evacuate the sick and injured from two government-held villages in Syria's Idlib province have been burned by rebels. The convoy was travelling to Foah and Kefraya, besieged by rebel fighters. Pro-government forces are demanding people be allowed to leave the mainly Shia villages in order for the evacuation of east Aleppo to restart. Thousands of people are waiting to leave in desperate conditions, reports say.

Al-Qaeda gangs themselves provided video of the bus burning. The bus drivers were likely murdered which pretty much guarantees that no further buses will come or go.

I doubt that this is a solely al-Qaeda induced incident. It seems to me that the certain U.S. forces (aka the CIA) are trying to prolong the removal of al-Qaeda from east-Aleppo for their own purpose.

Just yesterday even the Washington Post (again) reported on the years long collusion between the CIA and al-Qaeda in Syria:

The CIA meanwhile continued to push a program that targeted Russia and its Syrian and Iranian allies  and helped shield Jabhat al-Nusra.

There are several "western" groups that want to keep the evacuation stalled to continue their anti-Syrian, anti-Russian and anti-Iran agenda.

The U.S. administration is miffed that it was kept out of the recent negotiations. It wants to demonstrate that any negotiations without its participation will not have any positive result.

The hundreds of "last video from Aleppo" of "Bana" and other propaganda creatures claiming to be there look like a highly coordinated Information Warfare campaign. The "Stand with Aleppo" campaign in the U.S. was started and is propelled by a Democratic party operative who is also CEO of a public relations company and "strategic affairs consultant" in Chicago, Becky Carroll. Its aim is to escalated the situation in Syria.

Meanwhile members of the Syrian opposition, or rather their "western" controllers in the CIA, are now emphasizing Iran, not Russia, as alleged spoiler in Syria. They claim, without any evidence, that Iran or its operatives held up the evacuations. This is part of a plan to preempt announced Trump policies of negotiating an end of the Syria conflict.

The French president Hollande, despised by his people and with an approval rating between 4 and 6%, is calling for another UN Security Council vote over east-Aleppo. Such a vote, demanding UN observers for the evacuation, is intended to hold it up. Observers would need days to be in place and would lack any reasonable protection. Hollande also wants to provide food to the non-existing "civilians" in east-Aleppo while Reuters provides video showing that al-Qaeda and allies in east-Aleppo have horded enough food for years. The idea behind the UNSC resolution is to let it fail and to then go to the UN General Assembly which, under the right pressure, might allow a war by any nation against Syria.

Earlier Hollande ordered the lights at the Eiffel tower to be turned off to mourn the liberation of Aleppo from Takfiris and to make it look like the flag of his defeated al-Qaeda friends. His sponsors in Qatar and Saudi Arabia will reward his principled stand.

With the burning of the buses the evacuation agreement is dead and unlikely to be revived.

The Syrian army should tell al-Qaeda in Aleppo that there will be no longer be any ceasefire. It must make clear that they will now either be interned or killed. The final fighting should be over in a day or two. Meanwhile as much air support as possible should be provided to the defenders at Fu'a and Kafraya.

The Russian military learned the hard way in Grozny that any ceasefire or pause you give to a mostly defeated enemy only helps the enemy and will, in the end, cost more lives on both sides.

Putin and Lavrov have fallen for various negotiation scams with the U.S. that were designed to only hold back attacks on al-Qaeda and allies so that those forces could reorganize and resupply for renewed attacks on government held areas. Kerry's promises to separate "moderates" from al-Qaeda in Syria was repeated over months until he finally claimed that the groups were too "marbled" to be taken apart. U.S. military attacks on Syrian government forces were launched to sabotage any agreement. Similar deceiving delaying tactics are now evident with the negotiated evacuation of east-Aleppo.

Meanwhile the next al-Qaeda stronghold to be attacked by government forces in the governate and city of Idleb can be prepared for defense. With the Syrian army and its allies still busy in Aleppo new arms supplies can arrive in Idleb and new formations can be organized. The British government even sends more troops to train "moderate" al-Qaeda allies.

It is time to end such sorry play. Clean up Aleppo already. Hollande, Samantha Power and other stooges will howl anyway - no matter how the final scene is done.

Posted by b on December 18, 2016 at 16:56 UTC | Permalink

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MACKINAW  Julie Conn and Julie Troup delivered more than a poinsettia to Diane Hahn and children Eric Hahn and Carly Mitzelfelt on Friday afternoon at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard.

They delivered a message that a friend is remembered during the Christmas season.

The friend is Paul Hahn, who died of colorectal cancer on Nov. 18 at age 62 at OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria.

The message was delivered to his wife and two of their six children by Conn and Troup  St. Francis oncology nurses who helped to care for Hahn during his long hospitalizations at St. Francis.

"When you're at St. Francis, you get to know the staff," Diane Hahn said after accepting the poinsettia. "It's nice to know that (relationship) continues after your family member is gone."

The Hahn family is not alone.

Sixty-seven poinsettias are being delivered by five St. Francis oncology nurses and patient care technicians during the next week. The 67 flowering plants are going to family members of St. Francis oncology patients who died this year.

The five oncology unit employees plan to personally deliver each plant to a family member at their home. While most are in the Peoria area, deliveries are being made as far away as Bloomington-Normal, Galesburg, Monmouth, East Moline, Oglesby, Macomb and Kewanee.

The oncology nurses and techs are coordinating with families, figuring out directions and making deliveries on their own time and using their own vehicles. They are presenting poinsettias that have been purchased with money from bake sales and donations.

The poinsettia program started 20 years ago with two nurses making six or seven deliveries.

"It started because several patients were lost who the nurses had gotten quite close to," Conn said. "They wanted the families to know they were thinking about them during the holiday season. What better way than with the Christmas flower, the poinsettia?

"It continued on and became a tradition," Conn said.

"We develop close relationships with many of our (cancer) patients and their families because some of them are with us for weeks at a time," Conn explained. "When we lose a patient, it's like losing one of our own."

"Our patients have impacted my life more than they will ever know," Conn continued. "The patients show us every single day what it takes to fight to live. Even though they are gone, the living plant is a symbol that they are alive inside of all of us."

Conn and Troup were glad that this year's poinsettia deliveries began at Mackinaw Valley Vineyard, which was owned by Paul Hahn.

"It makes me smile just to think of Paul," Conn said. "I loved taking care of him. He had a tenacious spirit. He stayed positive in every situation."

Hahn was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2012 after having a colonoscopy at age 58.

"He was screened eight years too late," Diane Hahn said.

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery followed. But the cancer spread and Hahn was on chemotherapy and in and out of St. Francis during his final two years of life, Diane Hahn said.

He became an advocate for colorectal cancer screening and urged anyone who would listen to get a colonoscopy beginning at age 50, Diane Hahn recalled.

The timing of Friday's delivery  shortly before Christmas  was good, Diane Hahn said.

"Paul would have liked this," she said. "If people would accept the message of Christmas, it would be a better world."
Two Odessa LaFamila Motorcycle Club members were sentenced in Midland federal court last week for their roles in a cocaine-trafficking operation, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Texas.

U.S. District Judge Robert A. Junell on Thursday sentenced Ruben Rodriguez Jr., 31, and Nicholas Dominguez Rodriguez, 23, to 151 months and 120 months in federal prison, respectively. Junell also ordered that Ruben Rodriguez pay a $10,000 fine.
Energy professionals have not been spared the job cuts that have swept the Permian Basin oil and gas industry since crude prices plunged two years ago.

Compounding the challenge of finding a new job is finding ways to pay for additional education that could make workers more marketable or ease their transition to becoming independent professionals.

People have been struggling for two years now, said Curtis Helms, director of Midland Colleges Petroleum Professional Development Center.

The college set aside $7,352.22 for scholarships to PPDC, but Helms wanted to do more. So he reached out to a number of local professional organizations to help fund scholarships that would offer members access to PPDC courses.

Professional organizations are very good at funding scholarships for high school students or graduate students. But there are no scholarships, that Im aware of, for unemployed professionals, he said.

One of the groups Helms contacted was the Southwest section, American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Weve seen a big job loss in our group, said Mike Raines, who is currently serving as section president.

Raines, a senior geologist in Whiting Petroleums production department in Midland, said the section has made funds available from its general fund to help subsidize PPDC courses. The section set aside $7,500 for courses and an additional $4,500 for travel expenses to Midland to take courses. The scholarships are available to unemployed AAPG members, Southwest section members or members of local societies affiliated with the AAPG.

He said each student will be given a specific amount that can be applied to one or multiple courses. The scholarships are designed to fund up to 50 percent of the cost of a course. They have to invest in their own education, Raines said.

He explained that the organization considered two issues in determining that amount: How many people may want to take advantage of the scholarship, and what the sections bank balance is and how it could keep operating, even in the event of successive down years. Because the section does not charge dues, all its money comes from annual technical meetings held each spring. Midland will host a session in April.

Helms request made sense to the Permian Basin section of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, said section president Billea Karnes.

Our primary goal is scholarships, she said. But wed never given them to unemployed professionals.

She said she has a personal connection, having received scholarships to attend college. That opportunity and her career in the oil and gas industry have allowed me a different life. I dont know of any other industry that has those opportunities. Its important to me to help my fellow professionals.

Helms shared a similar story, saying hes director of the PPDC because of the AAPG. I wanted a way to give back, he said.

Ive been in this industry 22 years  Im a third-generation oil man -- and Ive been through three downturns, he said.

Raines said other AAPG sections are interested in these efforts and will be watching how its done and what feedback is received so they can model their own efforts in their respective areas.
Many oil towns, Midland included, have been knocked off their feet by the fall in crude prices that began two years ago. But a recent survey finds Midland is regaining its financial footing.

In fact, SmartAssets third annual survey of Top American Boom Towns ranks Midland eighth. Odessa held that position in the 2015 survey.

The economy is very much alive in Midland, SmartAsset spokeswoman Asees Singh said in a phone interview.

Major oil companies in the area are beginning to expand, she said, pointing to the addition of 100 active drilling rigs the past year. Those are reasons Midland is coming back from the downturn, she said.

Economist Ray Perryman, in an email responding to the study, said the area is doing much better than it did in the 1980s, but has obviously felt the effects of the downturn in oil.

In conducting the survey, SmartAsset looked at unemployment, migration, housing data and gross domestic product in determining the rankings.

Midland reported the highest GDP growth among the top 10 at 9.4 percent, according to the survey.

There is no date given for the GDP numbers, but I suspect that they lagged to some extent, Perryman said. As we begin to see a pickup in rigs, things will improve further, but we are not where we were in 2014.

The Tall City also experienced rapid population growth with a net migration rate of 2.3 percent, the eighth highest among the 10, and housing growth rate of 7.3 percent, according to the survey. Midland unemployment stood at 4.6 percent as of the survey, up 0.9 percent from 2015.

In conducting the third edition of the survey, Singh said one key finding was that oil towns no longer dominated the rankings, with Midland and Bismarck, North Dakota (No. 9) the only oil cities with indications that the tide may be turning.

A second key finding was that East Coast economies are growing, as cities in North Carolina and Florida record some of the fastest-growing economies following the oil bust. For the first time since the first survey in 2014, four East Coast towns are on the list: Cary (No. 1) and Raleigh (No. 10) North Carolina and Fort Meyers (No. 3) and Kissimmee (No. 7) Florida.

Singh described SmartAsset as offering online technical tools to provide financial advice, especially for major financial decisions such as purchasing a home or life insurance or making investments.

Driving this annual study of the top boomtowns is that unemployment is at its lowest rate since 2007, yet the economy is growing at a relatively slow pace, but there are places like Midland that are bucking the trend, she said.

Perryman recently released his overview of the West Texas region  encompassing 30 counties including Midland, Ector and Tom Green (San Angelo)  and said recent economic news indicates the area is moving forward despite the uncertainties and only tentative recovery in the energy sector.

He said this economic news includes two major construction projects at Angelo State University in San Angelo; the growth of Midlands aerospace industry with the arrival of Sierra Nevada Corp.s Dream Catcher spacecraft; a $72 million hotel development in Odessa; and expansion on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center of the Permian Basins Odessa campus.

In his long-term economic forecast for the West Texas region, Perryman sees continued growth through 2040. His forecast is for real gross product in the West Texas region to grow at a calculated annual growth rate of 3.06 percent, slightly slower than the statewide forecast of 3.27 percent. Through 2040, the regions population is forecast to grow 1.4 percent, and total wage and salary employment is expected to grow at an annual pace of 1.41 percent. Real personal income should grow at a rate of 4.06 percent and real retail sales are projected to grow 3.95 percent.
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Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories about how to buy special items as Christmas gifts. Also in this series are the steps needed when gifting someone a firearm and tips for purchasing the perfect piece of jewelry.

Rolex. The brand name alone is iconic, and seeing one of the companys watches on someones wrist is a sure sign that the wearer has a story to tell. A celebration of a successful business deal. A remembrance of a family member. A token of appreciation for making mom and dad proud.

Christmas is a popular time to gift a Rolex to that someone special, and Cristianis Jewelers, the lone Rolex seller in the Midland-Odessa area, advises people to not fret over getting the right one.

You cant make a mistake, salesperson Gail Spence said.

Cristianis, 203 W. Wall St., has been selling Rolexes for the past 47 years, and owner David Cristiani said the pricey watches, which start at about $6,000, are popular Christmas gifts. How popular remains a secret. Thats proprietary, he said, but we sell a lot.

What isnt secret are tips for buying a Rolex.

Make sure its genuine

Cristiani said you can only buy a genuine, warrantied Rolex from a brick-and-mortar store. There is no such thing as a new watch on the internet from Rolex, he said.

All new watches come in a green Rolex box with appropriate paperwork and a plastic warranty card with serial number, which the dealer has to register with Rolex. While you might find real Rolexes on the gray market, they dont come with a Rolex warranty. Also, it might be counterfeit.

Ive had three or four watches come in for service that were counterfeit watches. I couldnt even tell the difference, Cristiani said

Rolex largely makes automatic watches, which wind during wrist movements. Cristiani services older models but sends newer watches straight to the Rolex service center in Dallas for repairs and routine maintenance.

They made major changes, and Rolex is encouraging their own service on the watch. ... Theyll replace some things we normally dont, but its going to be a considerably higher price, too, Cristiani said.

Picking the right one

Rolex offers many models. Theres the famous Submariner, donned by Sean Connery in the James Bond films. Theres the classic Datejust, which is simple, elegant and looks just as nice on the wrist while attending a black-tie dinner as it does with camouflage during a turkey hunt.

There are also a variety of metal choices: stainless steel, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, platinum and combinations of all of these.

Dial colors, bracelet types  the list goes on. There is a lot to consider, but Cristiani said to not worry.

When youre buying a high-end watch or piece of jewelry, youre committing to it, he said. However, well exchange watches and jewelry, so you cant get a wrong dial or wrong watch.

Cristianis wont size the watch or run the warranty registration before Christmas. After the holiday, customers come to the store for sizing or to exchange it for a model with features they prefer. Only then will the store register the watch with Rolex.

You should also do a bit of homework beforehand. If the person youre buying for doesnt already have yellow gold watches or jewelry, stainless steel is probably a good bet. Take a look at their other watches. Are they sporty or formal? How big are the case sizes? What colors are the dials? What type of straps or bracelets are on the watches?

If the recipient tends to swim with a watch on, lean toward a model that is water-resistant, which many Rolexes are.

Cristiani said he and his employees will do their best to help you pick the right Rolex by asking these questions and others. Ultimately, though, We show them the alternatives and let them take their own direction, he said.

Get ready for the moment

Receiving a Rolex is quite often an unforgettable moment. Spence knows this firsthand. Its incredible, she said about receiving a Rolex as a surprise gift several years ago. Even though she sells plenty of the luxury watches, she never considered getting one for herself.

When describing the moment, It kind of takes your breath away, she said. You feel honored.

Rolexes often become heirloom items, Cristiani said. While not given as a Christmas gift, Cristiani and Spence said theyve seen how special a Rolex can be. They recalled a customer of theirs whose son was dying of cancer. The father bought his son a Submariner. After his son died, the father brought the watch back in to be resized for his own wrist and still wears it to this day.

Whether its sentimental moments, the shock of being gifted in-store or seeing customers come in after Christmas, Its a thrill for us, Spence said. When you have a customer who saved for it, its just as exciting for us to sell the watch and see the joy on their face when they get it.

As for the one receiving the Rolex, The surprise for the recipient is a fun treat.

Like Trevor on Facebook and follow him on Twitter at @HowdyHawes.








If you asked Matt Stringer a year ago who he would select for president, he would have told you he joined a plurality of Texans committed to Ted Cruz.

One year later, he would tell you, he has a bound duty to select Donald Trump.

You see, the Republican from Odessa still has a vote to cast. Hes a member of the Electoral College, and he plans on confirming the selection made by a majority of Texans on Nov. 8 when he casts his electoral ballot Monday in Austin.

Stringer, 26, is among the select group of Americans that casts the official electoral ballots for the 45th president of the United States. Its a group that has been called into question, as so-called faithless electors have made headlines for indicating they will not follow the will of voters in their respective states by voting for Trump.

One such man is Texan Christopher Suprun, who chose to make his determination public through an op-ed in the New York Times. Stringer said the Founding Fathers set up a system -- specifically Section 2 of the 14th Amendment -- that allows for Suprun to cast a vote for some other than the winner if he doesnt feel the winner is qualified. Even a pledge that Republican electors signed at the states Republican Convention doesnt supersede an electors oath to defend the Constitution, Stringer said.

Mr. Suprun and I disagree that the nominee has invoked that responsibility, Stringer said.

It isnt expected that Suprun will be joined by enough voters to make his vote anything more than an act of protest. Trump earned 306 electoral votes on Nov. 8. The idea of 37 of those 306 electoral voters not casting a deciding vote for Trump isnt seen as a likely possibility. Just the idea of it happening and the politicking taking place leading up to Monday has brought more visibility to electors and the process.

Stringer said hes heard stories and seen social media from other electors about what some people will do to influence Electoral College members. He referenced the elector from Lubbock, who Stringer said cited on his Facebook page that he and others received solicitation emails for two nights of bliss to vote for Hillary Clinton.

The Democrats have gone all out, Stringer said.

For Stringer, the notoriety of being an Electoral College voter means an opportunity to be an advocate of the institution and of what the Founding Fathers crafted.

Stringer said the Electoral College is the essence of the nations Republican form of government. Stringer said thats what inspired him to run for his spot in the college. It was at the states Republican Convention that Stringer was nominated and then made his pitch for the position. He left the convention as the representative of this area -- another sizable step for Stringer, who got involved in politics four years ago.

Stringer, a jeweler who works in Midland, said hes been a state delegate and national delegate -- running for national delegate is a blood sport, he said. He said the political representation process for delegates and electors shows that the grassroots of the Republican Party in Texas controls positions of power.

The Republican Party is a party of we the people, Stringer said in an act of proud partisanship. Look at national delegates for (Hillary) Clinton -- every banker and special interest lobbyist serving as (the partys) delegates.

There is likely to be a debate in the upcoming legislative session about electors and their ability to ignore the will of the voters. Twenty-six states have laws requiring electors to vote the way the people voted. Texas isnt one of them.

Stringer said the Constitution doesnt allow for states to determine how an elector will vote. He said the states GOP party pledge is poorly written and doesnt release an Electoral College member from voting for someone else even if the person selected by Texans in the general election dies or is disqualified.

Stringer feels pretty good about what hes seen from the president-elect in the weeks since his Nov. 8 victory. He likes the businessmans eye to America and that Trump will lead the charge and not lead from behind like the last eight years.

And while Stringer feels there are extreme situations that would allow Electoral College members to disagree with a majority of the states voters, this isnt one of them.
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 []
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Department of Corrections is making headway toward the goal of a 25 percent reduction in the states prison population by 2025, but continued partisan gridlock over the state budget could undermine that progress.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner set that goal shortly after taking office nearly two years ago and established a commission to make recommendations for criminal justice reforms to keep people out of prisons. The states inmate population has dropped from 48,214 on Jan. 12, 2015, the day Rauner was inaugurated, to 43,807 last week, a 9.1 percent decline.

Rauner made his case for criminal justice reform Thursday in Chicago, where he joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to sign a bill that will ensure people being released from state prisons or juvenile detention facilities have a valid state identification card.

Criminal justice is not just about punishment, Rauner said. If we think that its only about punishment, we will never keep the people of Illinois safe.

The criminal justice system is about punishment and keeping dangerous criminals away from the public, Rauner said, but its also about providing rehabilitation so that people dont continue committing crimes once theyre out of prison.

That idea has been a rare area of bipartisan consensus amidst Illinois bitter budget battles.

Prison reform advocates applauded the reduction in the states prison population, but they cautioned that theres still a long way to go to achieve the governors goal. And the inability of Rauner and the Democratic-controlled General Assembly to come to an agreement on the state budget will only make things more difficult, they said.

Its great that were down 9 percent, said Jennifer Vollen-Katz, executive director of the John Howard Association, a Chicago-based prison watchdog. Were seeing numbers we haven't seen in well over a decade.

However, Vollen-Katz added, the system is still overcrowded, and we shouldnt rest on our laurels.

Alan Mills, executive director of the Uptown Peoples Law Center in Chicago, which has used a series of lawsuits over several decades to push for reforms within the Illinois prison system, agreed with that assessment.

This system would still be overcrowded if we had 35,000 people in it, Mills said.

The advocates said no single change is entirely responsible for the population decline that has been achieved thus far.

Its a combination things such as policy changes within the Department of Corrections, judges and prosecutors using their discretion in bringing cases and handing out sentences and fewer people being sent back to prison for technical parole violations, among other factors, they said.

While theres a national push to examine incarceration, Mills said Rauner deserves credit for helping change attitudes in Illinois, especially among lawmakers who might otherwise fear being labeled as soft on crime.

The bully pulpit is a really important role that he can play, Mills said. The very fact that he says, This is my goal, allows a lot of people who are otherwise either neutral or actually would like to do something the motivation to get it done and the feeling that theyve got some political cover if they do it.

The General Assembly has passed several laws, like the one Rauner signed last week, that should help continue the downward trend in the prison population.

But Vollen-Katz and Mills said achieving an additional 16 percent reduction will be more difficult because it will require addressing more controversial issues such as mandatory minimum sentences and so-called truth in sentencing laws, which make it harder for people to be released early for good behavior.

Making matters even more complicated is the ongoing budget impasse, which has damaged the ability to provide services both to inmates and to people outside of prison who might end up there.

One such service is Redeploy Illinois, a program designed to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system  and potentially the adult correctional system down the line  by connecting them with mental health treatment and other services.

Tyler Edmonds, the states attorney in Union County in Southern Illinois, said funding for the program after Dec. 31 is uncertain because the states stopgap budget runs out and no agreement appears forthcoming.

This comes after the program went all of the states last fiscal year, which ended June 30, without any funding. The $4.76 million included for the program statewide in the stopgap is supposed to cover all of last year and the first six months of this fiscal year, whereas the program received $4.89 million for the prior 12 months.

As a prosecutor in a small jurisdiction, I can tell you that if were not investing in programs like Redeploy, investing in our youth, then we are going to have an incredibly difficult time reducing our adult prison population, Edmonds said.

The same can be said for community-based mental health and addiction treatment programs and other social services that have been crippled by the impasse, the prison reform advocates said.
New members inducted into Institute of ...
Wreaths Across America, an event originally started in Arlington National Cemetery, has made its way to Central Florida.

Wreaths Across America began eight years ago

Brings thousands together across the country for holidays, patriotism



On Saturday, hundreds helped to lay wreaths on gravestones at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.

Its so breathtaking, just so breathtaking, Vero Beach resident Joanne Bruno said.

Bruno traveled to the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery from Vero Beach Saturday to help lay wreaths on the graves of fallen veterans.

Its such a warm feeling -- it brings us great comfort as families, Burno said.

She wasnt the only one who felt that way -- hundreds gathered for the Wreaths Across America annual event.

The wreaths that we laid today, many of them were on Marine Corps veterans that passed away, so it made us feel good we could do this, said Alfred Battiston, a Marine Corps veteran, himself.

Wreaths Across America began eight years ago at Arlington. It has since spread to national cemeteries all across the United States.

Its the most beautiful feeling in the world, to be loved this much by the military, Bruno said.

More than 1,000 locations in the United States took part in Wreaths Across America Day.
One Melbourne firefighter has reached a milestone. After three decades as a firefighter paramedic, Margie Durant is retiring.

Margie Durant was Melbourne Fire Department's first black female firefighter

Durant received several awards during her time with the department

Her son is also a MFD firefighter

Durant holds a special place in the fire departments history. Shes received several awards as a member of the Melbourne Fire DepartmentFirefighter of the Year, a Life Saving Awards and numerous commendations.

Just gives you a good feeling about yourself, says Durant.

She began her career in 1987.

It was hard when I first started, Durant recalls. The guys werent ready to accept women in the fire service.

Durant was also the departments first black female firefighter. Many would consider her a trailblazer, a role model for young women looking to follow in her path.

At career days, Durant says she would often be asked if she really ran into burning buildings and where she would sleep. Durant says she would laugh and say, We all bunk together at the fire station.

Now it time for rest and relaxation, but Durant says she will always reflect on her years of public service and saving lives.

Im going to miss it, but its time, she says.

Durant says she will spend retirement traveling and working on her antique car collection.

Durants son Rodney is a fellow MFD firefighter.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 84F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy with late night showers or thunderstorms. Low 71F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Ron Chapple/Getty Image

With just two weeks until the end of 2016, Daly City marked its first homicide of the year Saturday when a 23-year-old woman was beaten to death and her San Francisco boyfriend was arrested in connection with the attack, police said.

Just after midnight, Daly City police officers responded to a domestic violence call on the first block of Fairview Avenue off Stoneyford Drive, where they found a woman with serious injuries at the home.
For Jeanie and Dan Coe, opening a country western bar in Auburn was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

As of opening day Nov. 18, the husband and wife are the owners and operators of Whiskey Boots at 192 State St. With weekly line dancing lessons on its spacious floor, live music and country-themed cocktails, the new bar caters to an audience the Coes don't believe were served by Auburn's nightlife scene.

"We wanted to make a safe place for couples to go and enjoy a night of dancing," Jeanie said Thursday. "We just wanted something completely different than what this town already has."

Photographer's Journal: Stepping out country style (video) Richard Jordan, 72, has been kicking up his heels as a country line dancing instructor for o

For the Coes, though, leasing the space and starting their first business there is about more than the market: It's where the two first met. Twelve years ago, Dan DJed at what was then the Rockin' Robin. As he and Jeanie met and fell in love there, it became "their" place where they hung out with friends, they said.

The Rockin' Robin would close and reopen as Fat Boys in 2013. Under new ownership, and with Dan still DJing there and Jeanie now bartending, the bar developed a "horrible" reputation for fights, the Coes said. Meanwhile, Dan worked for the state and Jeanie for McMurphy's Authentic Irish Pub at the Holiday Inn, also as a bartender.

Then, in 2015, Fat Boys closed  and opportunity came a knockin' for the Coes.

Dan has always had a passion for the bar at 192 State St., Jeanie said, and when it became available, he suggested they bite.

The Coes signed the lease June 1 and went to work. Decided on a country western look, and working with Johnny Kehoe and his son J.P. on construction, Dan and Jeanie "just winged it," she said.

Dan oversaw installation of the bar's porcelain tile floor, made to appear like the floor of a barn, in a lengthy process Jeanie called "a nightmare." He spent weeks hand-sanding the bar down to its original wood finish, applied seven coats of lacquer to shine it up, and added a foot rail and coat hooks. He covered the walls in sheets of stained oak.

"Everything in that bar, Dan's had his hands on," Jeanie said. "It's beautiful."

Jeanie, meanwhile, hand-painted an American flag mural near the bar with friend Callie Shutter. The bathroom doors were coated in chalkboard paint so patrons can leave messages there. And The Kehoes made the new pub tables out of Jim Beam bourbon whiskey barrels.

The Coes wanted their bar to be welcoming, they said. They staff security and cater to law enforcement, first responders and corrections officers in part so people made skittish by the space's old reputation will feel safe coming to Whiskey Boots. So far, so good: The bar doesn't see much of Fat Boys' clientele, Jeanie said, but some of the Rockin' Robin's regulars have returned.

"We always say it was the old Rockin' Robin," she said. "It was more of a dance club, and it wasn't a lot of trouble."

Jeanie manages the bar full-time. In addition to the stock of beers and whiskeys, she commissioned her staff to concoct six specialty drinks: Among them are the Sassy Saddle (Absolut Citron, Three Olives grape vodka, sour mix and a splash of soda) and the Georgia Peach (Jack Daniels, peach schnapps, sour mix and Sprite).

Completing the country western theme of Whiskey Boots are its Wednesday night line dancing lessons, Thursday ladies' nights and Friday live bands like Chris Taylor and Country Swag. The Coes plan to install a kitchen within the next month or two, they said, and will add a Tuesday comedy night beginning Feb. 21.

Otherwise, the new business owners are taking Whiskey Boots, like the line dancing they host, one step at a time.

"I think a lot of people are coming to check it out," Jeanie said. "We want people to come and have fun."
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As Sabine Ward walked toward the gravestone of her husband, Clay Ward, she carried in her arms an evergreen wreath adorned by a red ribbon.

All around Ward, more than 4,000 family members and volunteers laid down more wreaths as they walked among the solemn white gravestones of Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Saturday.

The ceremony this year in San Antonio was the largest in years, with 35,951 wreaths donated in order to honor the headstones of buried veterans.

This year is very special ... 35,951 wreaths. I'm so excited, I can't stand it! said Judy Carlile, taskmaster for the San Antonio chapter of the national program.

More Information Number of wreaths donated 2009: 794 2010: 2,611 2011: 6,904 2012: 9,910 2013: 16,070 2014: 17,568 2015: 19,197 2016: 35,951 - Judy Carlile See More Collapse

Carlile, who heard about the program after the 2008 death of her husband, said she has been fundraising since March to bring as many wreaths to San Antonio as possible.

The goal is to place as many wreaths on as many of the 113,000 headstones at Fort Sam Houston as possible.

Carlile recalled that in 2009, only 794 wreaths came to San Antonio. This years total of 35,951 wreaths almost doubles last years total of 19,197, Carlile said. A last-minute influx of wreaths from Houston bumped the total up by 5,000, Carlile added.

Wreaths Across America began in 1992 by a single man at the National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Volunteers began assembling the wreaths last March.

On Sunday, truck drivers like Laurie and Mike McPherson left Columbia Falls, Maine, on Sunday with a load filled with 4,500 wreaths. They fought bad weather and arrived Friday at Fort Sam Houston.

Carlile said when the supply of wreaths runs out, they asked volunteers to place pennies on the remaining gravestones.

Its that solemn feeling that someone cares, said Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Alfred Valenzuela, one of the ceremonys speakers. Someone is willing to lay down a wreath, and God willing, someday well have enough wreaths to lay one out for every gravesite in America.
Dear Toni,

A few weeks ago, you wrote about the increases in Medicare's 2017 Medicare Part B and D premiums, but you did not explain how to lower your Medicare premiums if one's retirement income has lowered.

Our joint MAGI (Modified Adjusted Gross Income) in 2013, 2014, and 2015 was approximately $250,000 each year. Once I explained to the local SS office that I was no longer earning the $250K because I had retired, they suggested that we file a Social Security Life Changing Event form.

Wham! Our IRMAA was reset to zero. My wife and I refile this form yearly to keep our IRMAA at zero because our income now is $75K.

Many have income exceeding the IRMAA threshold long after enrolling in Medicare and then their income amount lowers. It would be unfortunate if your readers had no idea that they could pay a lesser IRMAA amount by simply filing a form at their local Social Security office.

Your column has helped me understand my Medicare options and I would like to bring help to those that need it. Please explain Social Security's Life Changing Event form.

Signed,

Another Steve with an IRMAA problem

Thank you, Steve,

You are so right, you can file form SSA-44 titled "Medicare Part B Income-Related Premium - Life-Changing Event" to appeal your Part B/D premium increase if you think your income is lower or not correct. Social Security uses your tax information from two (2) years prior (2015) to establish your 2017 Part B and D IRMAA premiums.

If your income was more than $85,000 for an individual or $170,000 for a couple, then your Part B/D premiums will be higher than $134 for 2017.

Once Social Security is satisfied with the evidence, it will update its records and correct Part B/D premiums to what your current income is. Keep filing the Life-Changing Event form yearly until your income lowers to the basic amount.

Don't forget a onetime increase in your income such as property that is sold, cashing in your IRA, or even winning the lottery can change your monthly adjusted gross income (MAGI) that may cause you to pay a higher Part B or Part D premiums.

A life-changing event that can change your income can be:

you have gotten married or divorced, or your spouse has died;

you or your spouse have stopped working or have reduced your hours;

you have lost property that you were making money from due to a disaster or other event beyond your control; or

you or your spouse's benefits from an insured pension plan stopped or went down

Life Changing Event documents to show why your income changed are listed below:

You must give the original or a certified copy documents with form SSA-44.

If you filed a tax return for the year in which the income-changing event took place, provide a signed copy of your tax return. If you have not yet filed a tax return, you can submit an estimate of the change in your income.

If your marital status has changed, provide a marriage or death certificate.

If your employment status has changed, provide a letter from your employer about your retirement.

If you have lost income from a property, provide an insurance claim for property damage.

Visit Tonisays.com to receive your copy of the 2017 Medicare costs and to sign up for the latest Toni Says newsletter.

Toni King, author of the new Medicare Survival Guide offers a "Thank You, Houston" $5 discount available for Houston Chronicle/HCN readers at http://tonisays.com/reader-special Medicare consultations are available at the Toni Says office or email questions to info@tonisays.com or call 832/519-TONI (8664).
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Serving six years in the Michigan House has its challenges. But, when youre Speaker of the House the last two years, those challenges escalate. So it was for Kevin Cotter, who represented the 99th House District, and was the first ever House Speaker from Isabella County.

It has been incredible. Its been an awesome honor and opportunity, said Cotter.

FIRST TWO TERMS AS STATE REPRESENTATIVE

An attorney by trade, Cotter served on the appropriations committee during his first term, 2011-2012. The 2013-2014 term saw his committee assignments expand to elections and ethics, where he served as vice chair; insurance; Michigan competitiveness; tax policy; along with being chair of judiciary.

There were so many challenges coming in, looking at the state and where it was and what were we going to do to bring jobs back so people could come back and stay, Cotter said. That first budget was a tremendous challenge. The budget process of 2011, which was the 2011-2012 budget, we started the process off with a shortfall of $1.5 billion. Even though some very difficult decisions were made, the way we truly balanced that budget set us up for a lot of the things we were able to do in the years that followed.

Eliminating burdensome regulations was also on the priority list for the Republican caucus, which held a majority all six years of Cotters tenure.

There were literally thousands of regulations. Its not just about tax policy. Its also about the regulatory side of things. Not only have we gone to 4.7 percent unemployment (in October), but we have for the first time in a long, long time, gone below the national average (4.9 percent in October), said Cotter.

SERVING AS SPEAKER

In his last term, Cotters fellow Republicans voted for him to be Speaker of the House.

I believe at the state level, our priorities should be education, public safety and infrastructure, he said.

Eight months into his term as speaker, Cotter faced the enormous challenge of a possible expulsion of two House Republicans: Todd Courser of Lapeer and Cindy Gamrat of Plainwell. The two engaged in an affair and attempted a cover-up, resulting in felony charges.

It is very difficult when you look at expelling two members. What you are doing is taking out of office two people that were elected by their constituencies. However, the Constitution gives us broad authority to police our members. The decision was made that the negative impact their actions had on the institution had to be addressed, Cotter said.

Preparations for becoming Speaker meant a more thorough and in-depth study of both the House rules and Michigan Constitution. However, member expulsion was one area that didnt get the in-depth study.

When I was going through the Constitution and came across Article 4, Section 16, which deals with expulsion, I remember telling myself, I can breeze through this one. I dont need to worry about this. Unfortunately, that didnt prove true, Cotter said.

Ultimately, Courser resigned and Gamrats expulsion made her the fourth lawmaker in the history of the state to be expelled.

It was a very challenging chapter to say the least, Cotter said.

Being Speaker also brought challenges in the area of education.

While we continually face arguments to the contrary, school funding is up. It seems like each cycle we face that criticism. Well the numbers dont lie, Cotter stated.

Also not on his original agenda was the issue of a financially strapped Detroit Public Schools system.

In this job you dont always set the agenda, sometimes you respond to challenges that percolate to the surface, Cotter said. As Detroit continued to lose population over the years, school leaders did not adjust.

Unfortunately, the decisions were not made at the local level to rightsize spending to the population shift, Cotter said. There is no bankruptcy for school districts, so it is very clear the state is on the hook for school districts.

Bailing out Detroit Public Schools with state funds would mean less money for all the other school districts in the state.

That was going to take money out of the classrooms of Midland, Isabella and other counties in the state. Inaction was not an option any longer. We made the right choice because we protected other districts, and I think that Detroit as a city is rebounding. I think a critical element, for any city regardless of size, is the ability to provide quality, public education.

Road funding was a long-term problem that bubbled to the surface.

Something that has been a problem long before I was elected and the problem was only getting worse. The question was, What will the solution look like? Cotter said.

Although there was a lot of pressure to solve the problem with all new taxes and fee increases, the final solution was a combination of belt tightening, new taxes and fees.

What we did first was say, Lansing is going to tighten its belt. Were going to take half of the money, $600 million, from the general fund. The reason I was so steadfast in that is that we have to get our priorities straight when it comes to spending, Cotter said.

FUTURE PLANS

What challenges will Cotter face in the future?

I look forward to spending more time on deciding after the lame duck is over, he said. For me, I would say that I dont have aspirations for further elected office.

Now with term limits quickly approaching, its time to pass the mantle. Tom Leonard, R-Dewitt, will take over as House Speaker.

He will do a fantastic job. He and I have been friends and colleagues now for four years. The caucus, the body, the state is going to be in good hands, Cotter said.

Representing the 99th District will be Roger Hauck.

I am very excited about Roger Hauck. I think the people of Isabella County will be very well served by Roger Hauck. He is a very intelligent, hardworking guy. I dont know that there is anybody out there that worked harder on the campaign trail than Roger, Cotter said.
Applications for Community Development Block Grant funding are now available for the 2017-2018 program year.

CDBG is a federally funded program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each year, the City of Midland receives CDBG funds to support activities that further the objectives of the federal program. Goals are to provide decent housing, establish and maintain a suitable living environment and expand economic opportunities, all primarily benefiting low- and very low-income residents of the city.
For the second year the American Legion Post unit 618 honored the service and sacrifice of veterans laid to rest at the Willis Cemetery.

U.S. Rep Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, joined the Post, Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack, Precinct 1 Constable-elect Philip Cash, C-S, Ministries Pastor Gary Buckaloo and about 40 attendees at the annual Wreaths Across Willis event to lay more than 300 handmade wreaths on the local veterans' headstones.

Each of the speakers praised the post and shared pride in the country's patriots, willing to sign their name on the dotted line to protect their country. This year the program included a special moment to place a wreath for those who are Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.

"We have to think today we wouldn't have our freedom if it wasn't for their sacrifice," said ALA Chaplain Hazel Broyles.

While the ceremony, which included posting of colors and singing, honored the veterans who have been killed in action or have died since serving-it also took a moment to reflect on the struggles of returning veterans.

Buckaloo and Mack reminded the attendees of the challenges veterans are facing returning home from combat, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide, and substance abuse. They commended Brady for his efforts to help veterans, including by championing the expansion of the Conroe VA Clinic which celebrated its one year anniversary on Friday. He received a standing ovation at the Post.

Mack said he has responded to between 5 to 8 veteran suicides in Montgomery County within the last year and has an "uptick" of suicides after the holidays for unknown reasons. He encouraged families to know the signs of PTSD and veterans to seek available resources to get the help they need. He hopes the event provides "comfort and reassurance."

"This says the community is here for them and they can get the help they need," Mack said.

Following the program, the speakers and attendees walked together through the Willis cemetery to place the wreaths, once again starting with the late Johnny Carl Lawson, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War.

Brady spoke a few words as he knelt at Lawson's gave.

"Johnny we're back," Brady said. "We're here on our Lord's birthday to tell you we love you and still remember you. The community cherishes your memory and your loved ones do as well.

"We are here to honor you and let you know that we will never forget you and your memory forever."
NORWALK  After Superintendent of Schools Steven Adamowski presented his goal of obtaining an extra roughly $15 million dollars from the city for the 2016-17 school year earlier this month, a Board of Education member has stepped up with an idea as to where all that extra cash could come from.

Bryan Meek, chair of the boards Finance Committee, believes the city should use what he calls a $15 million surplus in its rainy day fund to cover the costs  a seemingly simple solution.

However, Norwalk Director of Finance Robert Barron says that move would go against the citys policy of keeping its rainy day fund at the median of other AAA-rated municipalities in the state, putting the city at risk of losing its AAA bond rating and all of the benefits that come with it.

Meek argues that the $15 million reduction wont affect the citys AAA bond rating and says that taxpayers money should be invested in the schools to improve local property values instead of allowing it to sit idly in an account.

Our city's unassigned fund balance reserve is $15 million higher than it needs to be and might be even higher than that pending the annual report due out in a few weeks, Meek said. You've already paid these taxes into the system. Let's put them to good work and lift this school system to greatness and along with it our property values.

Barron, in an email statement, said Norwalks rainy day fund balance came in at 12.1 percent of the citys total revenues. The median percentage for AAA-rated Connecticut communities is 11.5 percent, according to Moody's, a bond credit rating agency.

The Citys Fund Balance Policy states that the citys objective is to maintain its rainy day balance at the median of other AAA-rated municipalities in the State of Connecticut.

Mr. Meek is entitled to his opinion Barron said, but I couldnt disagree more  I believe that the draw that he proposes on the citys fund balance would have a significant negative impact on the citys bond rating.

The citys policy seeks to maintain a minimum unassigned fund balance of at least 7.5 percent of total revenues and, if the fund balance falls below this 7.5 percent the city will take affirmative steps to restore it as soon as practical.

The loss of $15 million from the fund would leave the city at 7.8 percent, Barron said.

Meek called the city's cash management overly conservative and said leaving the money to sit in its account and not investing it in the school system would be irresponsible.

Bond rating implications?

There are some in the city who might say that would be irresponsible and jeopardize our city's cherished AAA bond rating, Meek said. That is hogwash.

The need for an extra $15 million total for next school year comes from Adamowskis goal for a 7.8 percent school budget increase along with a $2.5 million appropriation to cover the districts expenses due to enrollment growth.

The extra cash would be used to cover the tab for everything from increased teacher salaries to program support for the districts intradistrict magnet schools.

Last years school budget was increased 3.9 percent.

The bulk of the proposed budget increase next year would go toward covering increased health insurance costs, which Adamowski referred to as the wild card in his list of goals.

Roughly 4.7 percent of the increase would go toward those costs, which is essentially a reserve to pay for employees health care costs, such as doctor's visits.

Meek said the amount needed for the reserve is determined through actuaries.

We self insure, Meek said. Hopefully those claims aren't more than what we anticipate.

But, this year has been a bad year, he said, with claims higher than the district forecasted.

Do we have to (put more money into the reserve)? We dont have to, he said. We can continue to roll the dice and hope people dont get sick, but that's the not a really good way to run a $170 million enterprise  $180 (million) after this year.

Board of Education Chairman Mike Lyons said those costs alone were up about 30 percent from last year.

Other costs make up the additional 3.1 percent increase.

An estimated extra 1.7 percent of the budget increase would go toward covering increased salaries, based on collective bargaining agreements with the districts unions.

A 0.7 percent increase, or roughly $1.2 million, would go toward $1,000-per-student support at the districts intradistrict magnet schools. Dishing out that extra $1,000 each for all of those students would cost the district too much, though, Adamowski said.

He proposed the extra funding for K-1 students at Silvermine Elementary, grade 4-5 students at Jefferson Science Magnet School , K-6 students at Columbus Magnet School, grade 9-12 students at the Norwalk Early College Academy, grade 9-10 students at the Medical Academy and anticipated international baccalaureate students at Brien McMahon High School.

Adamowski also proposed increasing per-student spending at the high school level to make it equal to that of the districts middle schools. That would require a 0.3 percent increase in the budget  an estimated $579,315.

Roughly $715,374, or an additional 0.4 percent budget increase, would go toward moving payment of the remaining K-3 teacher salaries and security guard salaries from a state priority school district grant to the districts operating budget.

Adamowskis plan would use the grant money to pay for expanded summer learning opportunities for students in the fourth, fifth and 12th grades.

He said he would also seek capital budget funding for the first phase of the school building program, which would include a new school in South Norwalk and the expansion and alteration of Ponus Ridge Middle School into a pre-K-8 magnet school.

Adamowski said all of his budgetary goals are aligned to the districts current strategic operating plan.

A draft of the school districts budget will be presented to the board in early January, with a vote slated for later in the month.

The budget will then be sent to the city in February.

KSchultz@thehour.com; 203- 354-1049; @kevinedschultz
BRIDGEPORT  Within the course of a single hour, two people were pistol whipped and robbed Saturday night on Park Avenue and North Avenue, police said.

The first robbery occurred at about 9:11 p.m. when a man said he was robbed while at the Wave Gas Station at 1235 Park Avenue by three Black males dressed in black. One of those males had a gun and pistol whipped the victim, police said.
AAUW Midland Branch is offering scholarship assistance to two current female college students to attend the 2017 National Conference of College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL) scheduled for May 31 to June 3 on the University of Maryland campus in College Park, Maryland. This is the eighth time scholarships for this event have been offered in this area.

Two scholarships will be awarded. An applicant may attend a local college/university or be an area female college student who attends college/university elsewhere. Other scholarship criteria include a minimum 3.0 GPA, an application and essay to be returned by Jan. 14, a recommendation from a college/university official or faculty member directly to Carol Hoerneman-Plaush at the address below, and a list of college and current community activities noting any leadership roles held. The organization requests the selected students make a brief oral report on their conference experience to AAUW members at a 2017-2018 Midland branch meeting.
There are very few people in the world who do not have a smart phone. There are even fewer people of that number who...
Two Houston police officers were hit Saturday night by a truck that ran a red light, authorities said.

The wreck, which happened around 9:45 p.m., occurred when an HPD car headed south on Hempstead Highway following a green light, according to HPD Sgt. Isaac Duplechain. As it crossed over to West Tidwell Road, a white pickup truck ran a red light and turned in front of the officer.

"They collided and as you can see the HPD vehicle is totaled," Duplechain said, referencing a department vehicle nearby.

The car's grille and bumper are either crushed in or hanging off, with the hood bent upwards like an upside down "V," debris scattered in front of the headlights.

The pickup truck's driver attempted to flee, striking another car on its way out according to Duplechain.

Too damaged to give chase, the officer radioed a nearby unit which spotted the pickup truck and attempted to stop it before giving pursuit for a short period and stopping the driver about two miles from site of the initial accident.

The man, who had a 7-year-old boy with him in the truck, was found to be intoxicated and tried to get away on foot but was brought into custody. Neither he nor the boy were injured.

No officers sustained injury.

The driver faces felony DWI with a child in the car charges and felony evading.
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Wearing a brown reindeer costume over his black and white coat, King, an energetic pit bull mix, looked strong enough to pull Santas sleigh.

But the look was all for show.

Led by owner Sammie Conrad Vaughn, 13, King was one of a handful of participants in the first holiday pet parade at Hardberger Park on Saturday morning.

Presented by Alamo Area Texas Master Naturalists, the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy and San Antonio Parks & Recreation, the event drew a small, but tail-waggingly enthusiastic slate of participants who defied the dreary mid-morning weather in festive holiday gear.

We just thought it would be a fun thing to do with people and their pets, said Denise Gross, associate director of communications and development at the conservancy. We do the annual Pooch Parade in the spring, so we thought it would be fun to try it out with holiday attire in December.

Coordinator Eileen Egan, a member of the master naturalists, did her best to pad the ranks by pulling in passers-by.

In all, nine dogs  including a pair of Great Danes  strutted their stuff for a panel of judges who awarded prizes including items donated by PAWSitively Sweet Bakery and Camp Bow Wow in various categories. The parade route  about 100 yards in all  took participants past a row of tents where representatives from different groups including Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation and the City of San Antonios Remember the River program passed out freebies and information.

Kim Henrichs, a pediatrician, lucked into the event while out for walk with her dog Hazel. She called her husband who quickly drove to the park with one of the boxer mixs Christmas sweaters.

I had planned to participate and forgotten but fate had it that we were here at the right time, Henrichs said.

For Nola Staszak, 6, the event was a special occasion. She and her mother, Elaine Staszak, brought Posie, a terrier mix, to the parade to mark the pups birthday earlier this month.

We didnt have time to celebrate it, so I wanted to celebrate it today by taking her here, Nola said.

Clad in a pink harness decorated with candy cane and polar bear squeaky toys, Posie nabbed the prize for cutest critter. Meanwhile King won best over-all pet costume.

As it turns out, King was not dressed as just any of Santas reindeer. He was Prancer because he prances, Vaughn explained.

Egan said the plan is to make the holiday parade an annual event.

I think the people all had fun, she said. That was the whole point  to get people out to the park to have fun.
Thirty years ago, between Jan. 12 to Jan. 13, a huge snowstorm covered San Antonio and surrounding areas with as much as 13.5 inches of snow.

Readers sent us their photos of the snowfall to share with our audience. Here's a look at how your fellow residents spent S.A.'s Historic Snow Day.
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CORPUS CHRISTI  Thirty samples from the Corpus Christi water system have been sent to Houston for testing, Mayor Dan McQueen said at a press conference Saturday afternoon.

The Environmental Protection Agency is conducting the tests, and results are expected sometime on Sunday. The agency had to develop a test to analyze the samples, McQueen said. Until the results are assessed, two zones of the city are in its third day of restricted water use, including the downtown area.

It is currently unknown whether or not Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. ever breached the citys water system, he added.

RELATED: Corpus Christi residents use memes to find humor in water crisis

The risk is from zero to infinity, McQueen said. The risk is unidentified right now.

Meanwhile, the city has finished flushing half of the city's water mains, said assistant city manager Mark Van Vleck. City officials are also working on reviewing their processes and developing new plans and procedures for the future.

We need to look at our relationship and contract with the industry, McQueen said. We are going to be analyzing the entire city.

City officials also clarified the timeline of when city and state officials received reports about problems with the water. On Dec. 1 and 7, the city received complaints of discolored water, similar to when water color changes from rusty pipes. On Dec. 12, the city received reports of a change in the waters smell and appearance, Van Vleck said.

On Saturday afternoon, four water distribution sites remained open, with one closing early due to a prescheduled event. Four sites will remain open until 8 p.m. despite reports from the National Weather Service of rapidly dropping temperatures overnight in Texas, said city manager Margie Rose.

The city issued 23,000 cases of water to residents on Saturday.

McQueen declined to provide further information on four unconfirmed reports of adverse health effects consistent with exposure to Indulin AA-86, the chemical suspected of contaminating the citys water supply.

RELATED: Corpus Christi water crisis closes schools, social media photos show long lines at stores

In a Saturday press release, the EPA referenced the cases of possible exposure in the past day.

Within the last 24 hours, there have been four unconfirmed reports of possibly related symptoms from prohibited water use by people living in Corpus Christi, the EPA said in the release. The Texas Department of State Health Services recommends that citizens with health questions should contact their local healthcare professional.

According to the San Antonio Water Systems, its crews wrapped up work Saturday assisting Corpus Christi in flushing its water system at more than 20 sites and checking water quality. SAWS also provided water to Driscoll Childrens hospital.

We are proud of our employees technical skills. They have extensive training and engage in these kinds of activities each day across our system. We stand ready to help and are pleased to be able to assist in Corpus Christi, said Robert R. Puente, SAWS CEO and president, in a statement.

lcaruba@express-news.net
A body was discovered Sunday morning on the North Side in Olmos Park Basin according to San Antonio police and media reports.

News4SA reports the body of a jogger was found near Olmos Park about 8 a.m. in the 600 block of Devine Road.
SAN ANTONIO -- As a party with about 60 people in attendance took place at an empty home on the East Side Sunday morning, a fight broke out when several unknown men showed up with guns and knives according to witness statements to San Antonio police.

Police say they found two males, who say they fled from the party, in their vehicle with stab wounds near the intersection of Potranco and Ingram roads around 4 a.m.
One of the great privileges of serving as land commissioner is serving our veterans. Every day, in ways large and small, our office provides help and hope to our heroes. And were grateful weve been tasked with this work. Its our way of making a small payment on a debt we can never fully repay.

The story of the General Land Office honoring veterans is a story that has been written by many hands over many years. And it started with founding of the Republic of Texas. Nearly 200 years ago, the republic began writing down the names of heroes who fought for Texas so they could be awarded land grants. Today, that book of lists has grown, but our states obligation to them remains the same; we honor our veterans not by what we say about them but by how we treat them.

In 2015, I spent Veterans Day at VFW Post 6873 in Abilene, having coffee with a group of about 20 veterans, including a gentleman named Gary Webb. Now, Webb is like most all of the veterans Ive met in my time as land commissioner. Hardworking, dedicated and uncompromisingly straightforward about what he has to say.

Webb served in the Air Force for more than 20 years. He grew up in California and spent most of his life in New Mexico. But when he left the Air Force, he knew what he was looking for: a state to call home that would honor his service. And thats how Webb ended up here in the great state of Texas. Because here in Texas, we provide the services and honor our veterans are due. We offer a set of earned benefits second to none, and we do it efficiently. Our commitment to those benefits is what motivates a good man like Webb to move his family to an unfamiliar place.

I left that VFW hall reminded of how important our work at the GLO is as one part of a vast network that cares for Texas veterans. Webb didnt know it then, but thats why this became the Year of the Veteran.

At the start of the year, our data said less than 20 percent of Texas veterans knew about the benefits theyve earned, and it was past time for that to change. We set out to raise awareness by touring the state of Texas on the way to 100 meetings with statewide veterans advocates; and tours of VFW posts and military installations, VA medical centers, DAV and American Legion conventions, and businesses that have made it part of their mission to hire and serve our former soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen.

From my own experience in the military, I have seen selfless displays of bravery from the men and women I was privileged to serve with. In the face of rising danger, I have seen the quiet courage and iron hands of brave young Americans.

This year, Ive had the chance to meet some of these men and women while traveling the state, and Ive been inspired by what I have seen and heard from them.

In my travels to San Antonio, Ive had the opportunity to tour several cutting-edge facilities leading the way for treating our servicemen and -women and veterans, including the Cohen Veterans Network Facilities, Brooke Army Medical Center, Center for the Intrepid and Audie L. Murphy Memorial VA Hospital. These facilities are advancing the latest science and technology in the fields of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, combat trauma training, spinal cord injury, substance abuse, burns and amputee adaptation.

These are the folks were going to keep fighting for everyday at the GLO and Veterans Land Board. Even though the Year of the Veteran may be ending, every year is dedicated to our veterans here at the GLO and in our great state.

On Memorial Day, I had the chance to speak to veterans, active-duty military, Gold Star Families and Texans of all stripes at our Coastal Bend Veterans Cemetery in Corpus Christi. About halfway through, it started to rain  hard. When I finished my remarks, I was amazed to see that not one person had left. Everyone stayed in the pouring rain to honor the men and women who have paid the ultimate price and made the ultimate sacrifice.

My fellow veterans, we are with you and we are for you. Rain or shine.

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush is chairman of the Texas Veterans Land Board and served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan as an officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
ATHEIESTS IRKED

With the holiday season upon us, it's time for the annual tradition of denying the Orange County Atheists representation on city property.

This year the city decided to spend $20,000 on a display, but still leave the atheists out in the cold. It was a risky move for the city. Although they attracted praise from the religious who wanted their nativity scene back, they drew ire from fiscal conservatives.

Of course, the city could have saved that money and put the atheist banner up with the nativity like the atheists had requested originally, but equality was not the city's goal.

Fortunately, the atheists request allowed the city to look at their treasured nativity scene and realize that it was cheap and broken, something no one had seemed to notice until now. And if there is one thing that Jesus would have wanted, it would have been to spend an obscene amount of money on a graven image and likeness of him.

With all that said and done, one thing was made very clear this year, there is no price too high for the City Council when it comes to finding ways to make sure that atheists do not receive equal representation during the holiday season.

Happy Holidays.

Joshua Hammers, Orange

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

WORKERS SHAFTED

President-elect Trump's Department of Labor nominee is a man whose beliefs and actions demonstrate contempt for the basics working people need to lead a decent life. As the head of the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's fast-food restaurants, Andrew Puzder has repeatedly argued against increases to the minimum wage or overtime pay for the women and men who make his chains so successful.

The millionaire fast-food giant even has complained about the need for providing rest breaks and meal breaks in the workplace. And the Labor Department found him guilty of at least one wage-and-hour violation in 60 percent of their investigations at his restaurants.

How can the American people trust that the textbook definition of a bad boss will safeguard their rights and enforce labor laws at the helm of the Department of Labor? We can't.

Terrie Williams, Vidor

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BANNON BASHED

Congress cannot let a white supremacist, anti-Semite and domestic abuser become the White Houses's chief strategist. The division of our country post-election gets wider with each appointment, and as a female of color living in Texas, I have come to live in fear for not only my safety, but the safety of this entire nation.

I moved to Texas from a much more liberal part of the country because I believe in the communities here, and until recently, I believed that Texas was entirely misunderstood by the rest of our country. Not every county voted for this president and we must take every step to express our opposition to his administration.

The power of your voice is essential in this moment. You have the chance to stop Steve Bannon from reaching the White House and I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. Please represent our diverse communities and denounce Donald Trump's appointment of known white supremacist and domestic abuser, Steve Bannon.

Pia Agrawal, Houston

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

Do you have something to say? Email us a letter to the editor at opinions@beaumontenterprise.com Make sure to include your name, mailing address and phone number so we can contact you to verify the letter, but only your name and city of residence will be published. You can also mail letters to The Enterprise, P.O. Box 3071, Beaumont, TX, 77704. The limit on letters is 200 words.
Lambert here: I never yell at the TV. I dont have one. It does seem to me that Leopold confuses the pointing finger (stock buybacks) with the moon (the power of the 1%). But the contrast Leopold draws between the United States and Germany is instructive.

By Les Leopold, the director of the Labor Institute, who is currently working with unions and community organizations to build the educational infrastructure for a new anti-Wall Street movement Originally published at Alternet.

Honestly, I dont usually talk back to the TV. But I couldnt contain myself during Poppy Harlows December 10 interview with John Feltner, the United Steelworkers vice president of the Rexnord local union where 300 jobs are moving from Indianapolis to Mexico.

In discussing the move, Harlow twice resorted to the much repeated trope that the loss of American manufacturing jobs is really about automation and technology.

HARLOW: What is the number-one thing you would like to see the incoming administration do that you think will help people in your situation? Because, you know, Donald Trump points to global trade as being the reason that your jobs are going away. Thats not all of it. A lot of it is, as you know well, automation and technology.

FELTNER: These companies are leaving to exploit cheap labor. Thats plain and simple. If he can change those trade policies to keep those jobs here in America, thats what we need. We need American jobs, not just union jobs.

HARLOW: But you agree it wont save all of them, because of automation, because of technology.

Please Poppy, come off it! Feltner is right. Offshoring is about the rush to cheap labor, not about automation and new technology. The move to cheaper labor in Mexico, in fact, allows corporations to avoid investing in new technologies. Rexnord and Carrier are moving the same old technologies to Mexico, piece by piece.

Ever Hear of Germany?

Instead of regurgitating meaningless economic platitudes, newscasters and pundits should confront some facts about Germanys extensive manufacturing sector.

Fact #1: Germany uses the most advanced technologies in the world.

Fact #2: Manufacturing workers in Germany earn much more than their U.S. counterparts: 44.7% more in textiles, 44.6% more in chemicals, 34.2% more in machine tools, and 66.9% more in the automobile industry.

Fact #3: Manufacturing jobs make up 22% of the German workforce and account for 21% of the GDP. U.S. manufacturing jobs make up only 11% of our workforce and only 13% of our GDP.

Fact #4: The economic gods either speak German or the Germans are doing things differently from their U.S counterparts.

Rather than divine intervention, German manufacturing depends on producing high-quality products that are so good people the world over are willing to pay a premium for them. The most sought-after, high-end motor vehicles (Mercedes, BMW, Audi) and kitchen appliances (Bosch, Miele) are produced by German companies using highly trained, well-paid workers and the most advanced technologies.

The German manufacturing juggernaut depends on vast investments in innovation (by their government), in research and development (by their firms), and in worker education and training (by both the government and the firms).

U.S. Addicted to Stock Buybacks

American manufacturers have chosen a different path. Their CEOs grow wealthy by financially strip-mining their own companies, aided and abetted by elite financiers who have only one goal: extracting as much wealth as possible from the company while putting back as little as possible into production and workers.

The heroin driving their addiction is stock buybacksa company using its own profits (or borrowed money) to buy back the companys own shares. This directly adds more wealth to the super-rich because stock buybacks inevitably increase the value of the shares owned by top executives and rich investors. Since top executives receive the vast majority of their income (often up to 95%) through stock incentives, stock buybacks are pure gold. The stock price goes up and the CEOs get richer. In this they are in harmony with top Wall Street private equity/hedge fund investors who incessantly clamor for more stock buybacks, impatient for their next fix.

For the few, this addiction is the path to vast riches. It also is the path to annihilating the manufacturing sector. (For a definitive yet accessible account see Profits without Prosperity by William Lazonick in the Harvard Business Review.)

Wait, wait, isnt this stock manipulation? Well, before the Reagan administration deregulated them in 1982, stock buybacks indeed were considered stock manipulation and one of the causes of the 1929 crash. Now they are so ubiquitous that upwards of 75% of all corporate profits go to stock buybacks. Over the last year, 37 companies in the S&P 500 actually spent more on buybacks than they generated in profits, according to Buyback Quarterly.

Little wonder that stock buybacks are a major driver of runaway inequality. In 1980 before the stock buyback era, the ratio of compensation between the top 100 CEOs and the average worker was 45 to 1. Today it is a whopping 844 to 1. (The German CEO gap is closer to 150 to 1.)

Germany holds down its wage gap, in part, by discouraging stock buybacks. Through its system of co-determination, workers and their unions have seats on the boards of directors and make sure profits are used to invest in productive employment. As a result, in Germany stock buybacks account for a much smaller percentage of corporate profits.

Between 2000 and 2015, 419 U.S. companies (on the S&P 500 index) spent a total of $4.7 trillion on stock buybacks (annual average of $701 million per firm). During the same period, only 33 German firms in the S&P350 Europe index conducted buybacks for a total of $111 billion (annual average of $211 million per firm). (Many thanks to Mustafa Erdem Sakinc from the Academic-Industry Research Network for providing this excellent data.)

Lets do the math: U.S. firms as a whole spent 42 times more on stock buybacks than German firms!

Little wonder that our manufacturing sector is a withering appendage of Wall Street, while German manufacturing leads the global economy.

So why does the media consistently use automation/technology to explain the loss of well-paying manufacturing jobs?

To be fair, Poppy is not alone. Virtually every elite broadcaster, journalist, pundit and columnist claims that the loss of good-paying, blue-collar jobs is somehow connected to new technologies. How can they ignore the fact that in Germany advanced technologies and good-paying jobs go hand in hand?

Part of the answer is that it is reassuring for elites to believe that job loss stems from complex forces of production that are far removed from human control. The inevitability of broad economic trends makes a pundit sound more sophisticated than the unschooled factory worker who thinks the company is moving to Mexico just because labor costs one-tenth as much.

Technological inevitability also fits neatly into the idea that runaway inequality in our economy is akin to an act of God, that globalization and technology move forward and no one can stop the process from anointing winners and losers. The winnersthe richest of the richare those who have the skills needed to succeed in the international technological race. The losersmost of the rest of us without the new skillssee our jobs vaporized by technology and automation.

Too bad. Nothing to be done about it. Stop whining. Move on.

In other words, rising inequality cant be fundamentally altered.

Sinclairs Law of Human Nature

Or maybe theres another explanation suggested by Upton Sinclairs famous adage: It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.

The newscasters, the pundits, the top columnists and recidivist TV commentatorsnearly all of them are doing very well. They may not be billionaires, but they live in a rarefied world far removed form the worries felt by Mr. Feltner and his brothers and sisters at Rexnord. From their elite vantage point, the status quo may have problems, but it is treating them remarkably well. So quite naturally they are drawn to narratives that justify their elite positions; that altering runaway inequality and its privileges would be futile at best and even harmful to society as a whole. How convenient.

Then again, American media firms are no strangers to stock buybacks. Time Warner, which owns CNN, Poppys employer, instituted a $5 billion stock buyback in 2016. Thats $5 billion that, for example, didnt go to news investigations about the perils of stock buybacks. We dont know if Poppy Harlow receives stock incentives, but her top bosses certainly do.

What about NBC/MSNBC? Comcast is the parent company which also instituted a $5 billion stock buyback in 2016.

Brother Feltner is right. Corporations are moving offshore to cut their wage bills. But they are not using that money to reinvest in their companies to improve the product and train the workforce. Instead, they are offshoring to gain cash flow to finance their fix. They want more stock buybacks which in turn enrich top executives and Wall Street investors. Automation and technology have nothing to do with this perilous addiction.

So, Ill stop yelling at Poppy, once she starts covering stock buybacks.
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Above - Pat English and Elizabeth Walsh with service users of RehabCare in Knocklofty, whose short film 'Cromwell's Siege of Clonmel' was screened at the Together! Disability Film Festival in London last weekend. Copies of the film are still on sale at Clonmel Tourist Office at the Main Guard, with proceeds going to Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin.

A film that had its premiere at this year's Busking Festival in Clonmel was screened at a festival in London last weekend.

The main cast for the film, 'Cromwell's Siege of Clonmel' included service users of RehabCare in Knocklofty.

They starred in this 23-minute long production, depicting the story of a town under siege from Cromwell's forces in 1650.

All involved in the film were delighted to learn that it received an official selection for the Together! Disability Film Festival and was shown at the Old Town Hall at The Broadway in Stratford, East London.

The Together! event is a festival for all film lovers, as well as for those who want to see disabled peoples lives represented within the moving image, and/or learn more about diverse communities and individuals.

The festival brings together films of all budgets, lengths and genres from across the world that are either made by a disabled filmmaker or feature a significant disabled character.

The festival includes films by and about people with learning difficulties, people with mobility or sensory impairments, those with mental health difficulties and people with long-term health conditions.

Together! began in 2012 as a free Disability Arts and Human Rights festival, organised by the UK Disabled Peoples Council (UKDPC) in the main host Borough of Newham to celebrate the Paralympics and Disability History Month.

For anyone who has not seen this short film, copies of 'Cromwell's Siege of Clonmel' are still available at Clonmel Tourist Office at the Main Guard, with all proceeds going to Our Lady's Childrens Hospital in Crumlin.
One of Irelands leading educationalists Professor Tom Collins posed the question; Why are so many teachers unhappy when speaking at the launch of a highly acclaimed publication at LIT-Thurles recently. The publication arising from a doctoral study by LIT lecturer Dr. Michael Ryan, is an investigation into the professional lives of second level teachers in Ireland.

The book entitled: The Teaching Triangle: Pedagogy, Professionalism and Vocationalism was highly commended by Professor Tom Collins (Education Policy Analyst) and Professor Sarah Moore (Chairperson of the National Forum for Teaching and Learning), for the rigorous manner in which it explored educational practice at second level in Ireland.

Among the themes highlighted in the book, is the backwash effect of the points system on teaching and learning. Teachers interviewed for the study, described teaching and learning as an increasingly intense process of rote learning, where time for critical thinking is largely absent. Teachers also report that the teacher-student relationship dimension is being squeezed in time-pressured classrooms, where covering content is paramount. The pressure on teachers to deliver results is sometimes oppressive in school climates where: league tables, school accountability regimes, parental expectations and grind schools may be compromising the development of the whole person. Professor Collins and the author Dr. Michael Ryan both positioned this market driven approach as an unrelenting and negative influence within the educational process.

On a more positive note however, the study also highlighted the resilience of many teachers who remain committed to: extra-curricular activity, ongoing professional development and courageous engagement with the vocational dimension of the teachers role. Professor Sarah Moore described the publication as truly inspirational and a significant study for policy makers in Irish education.

The publication also referenced the changing nature of teacher professionalism in Ireland since the 1990s and the challenges of motivating large and diverse groups of teenagers in increasingly complex youth cultures. The influence of social media, mental health issues and disengagement from traditional family cultures, are significant factors. The publication also reports that some teachers have lost confidence in the capacity of Teacher Unions or the media to accurately represent the teaching profession or engage the public in a meaningful dialogue about education.

The book launch was part of an LIT event within the Department of Applied Social Sciences, where The Engage Research group was also launched. This new research group aims to engage with the policy-practice domain of: education, youth-work and community development. The event was expertly facilitated by Ms. Cathy Jones Head of Department and was attended by members of the educational research community, lecturing staff, students from LIT and friends and family of the author.

The book Pedagogy, Professionalism and Vocationalism can be purchased online from global academic publisher Morebooks, or at Bookwork Thurles, or by contacting the author directly at michaelfrancis.ryan@lit.ie
Sunday, December 18, 2016 by: usafeaturesmedia Tags: Constitution , Electoral College , Freedom.news , Leftists This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) (Freedom.news) Left-wing malcontents and their Democratic enablers have been going all-out to steal the presidency from its rightful recipient, Donald J. Trump, by attacking a fundamental element of our republic: The Electoral College.

Suddenly, liberals who normally have nothing but contempt for the Constitution and our nations founding principles and institutions have become constitutional experts, shouting from the rooftops that there is no provision in our bedrock governing document that requires electors to the Electoral College to actually cast a ballot for the candidate who won their state. Thats true.

Liberals are also screaming that Alexander Hamilton and many of the other founding fathers did not really trust the will of the people to select a president, so thats why they devised the Electoral College in the first place. That is only partially true; the EC was also a way to ensure that small states had equal weight in choosing the president as larger states.

But their protestations are nothing but partisan noise designed to do one thing: De-legitimize Trumps rightful victory. Had their anointed candidate, two-time loser Hillary Clinton, had won enough electoral votes to become president, wed all be spared this hysterical civics lesson.

Worse than that, however, it is a naked attempt to undermine our system of government. Never mind Russia hackers; we have more to lose from unhinged liberalism than anything else.

Since the 1880s, every state except Maine and Nebraska have awarded electors based on a winner take all system. To that end, electors are duty bound to the people of their state to cast their electoral ballot for the candidate who wins their state. To the Left, the ends justify the means, which is why the Democratic Party is bereft of honor, integrity and any semblance of decencyhence the call now that Clinton has been vanquished again for electors to forego their oath and vote to install her instead of Trump.

Electors should do their duty and vote for Trump. That is their obligation and that is the promise they have made.

As for the Electoral College, that is the system we were bequeathed. Should Leftists ever succeed in vanquishing it, let them be warned: Changing the system means no more battleground stateswhich means a populist/conservative like Trump can go into populous states like California and New York and actually win enough votes to win outright majorities rather than focus merely on Electoral College votes.

If that happens, then what will unhinged liberals complain about when they lose?

More:

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Sunday, December 18, 2016 by: JD Heyes Tags: compassion , fine , homeless , liberals , prosecution This article may contain statements that reflect the opinion of the author

(Natural News) Left-wing Democrats claim to have cornered the market on compassion, regularly accusing conservatives and Republicans of being mean-spirited, lacking in compassion and selfish.

The reality is just the opposite, however: It is liberals who are devoid of true compassion. They only hand it out in metered doses and only to favored people.

That much is apparent in Democrat-run cities that are now banning residents from helping the homeless, and then fining them if they do anyway.

Religious institutions have traditionally offered a helping hand to those most in need, and that of course includes the homeless. Food, shelter, a place to sleep and clothing are all part of what churches have traditionally offered for people who needed a leg up.

Fine would ruin church for good

But, as reported by DC Clothesline, officials in a Maryland community have now criminalized offering help to the homeless. One church in the town of Dundalk may now have to shut down, after being fined $12,000 for assisting the homeless  which is more like a Christian duty, actually.

The Patapsco United Methodist Church offered safe haven for the homeless, until a disgruntled Grinch of a neighbor decided that the churchs aid to the homeless was hurting his business.

I showed up [one recent morning] to find a citation on the door that said were going to be fined $12,000 and have a court date because we have unhoused homeless people sleeping outside the church at night, Rev. Katie Grover of the church told a local ABC affiliate.

The churchs court date has been set for Dec. 21  just days before Christmas, ironically enough  for violating city code, which involves homeless men, women and children sleeping outside church doors because they feel safe there and have nowhere else to go.

The citation from city bureaucrats was for operating a non-permitted rooming and boarding house. However, Grover rejected that, saying that the rule did not apply because she was not being paid any rent and the church was not receiving any compensation at all for the right to stay.

Grover said that after she spoke with a code enforcement officer she was told that the fine would be waived if she started complying with the rule. But if the church is somehow forced to pay it, that likely would mean it could no longer continue a program to feed the hungry, and may even have to shut down all operations.

The reverend said compassion comes first  or should  and that she believes it is a core Christian function to offer a safe haven to all who need it.

Convenient compassion only

We feel we here as a church that its scriptural mandate that its an imperative to care for the least, the last, the lost, the poor, the hungry, she told the local ABC affiliate.

Chester Bartko, the neighbor who turned the church in to authorities, doesnt see it that way. He says the churchs actions are harming his business.

We have a greenhouse and we sell flowers and shrubbery, and the homeless started camping right next to our retail sales area, he said, adding that one homeless person killed a tree after urinating on it. So he called county code enforcement officials to complain.

They dump gallons of urine on it, he said, demanding that they be forced to move on. He said that the county and the state of Maryland have facilities for those who are homeless. They shouldnt be here living like this.

The county and state may indeed have facilities for the homeless, but if they are like similar facilities in other states, they are chronically under-funded and always full. Plus, as Rev. Grover said, taking care of the poor and homeless is a core church function. And, there is this: Bartko may also be right in that people should not be living like that, but he isnt helping to alleviate the problem  just making it worse, in fact.

But thats what counts as compassion in deep blue cities and states these days.

Sources:

DCClothesline.com

ABC2News.com
A man from San Diegos North County was arrested Friday after hurting several people in five separate hit-and-runs  all in one night  and leading deputies on a pursuit.

The San Diego County Sheriffs Department (SDSO) said Michael Dorman, 26, was taken into custody on Driftwood Way in Oceanside on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol after a bizarre series of hit-and-runs that happened within less than two hours.

According to the SDSO, it all began around 5 p.m. when Dorman struck a pedestrian in the parking lot of an Albertsons grocery store at 1301 E. Vista Way in Vista. Dorman fled after the collision; the victim in that first incident suffered shoulder and hip pain and was taken to a local hospital.

As deputies investigated the hit-and-run at the Albertsons parking lot, they received two additional calls of hit-and-run within five minutes in that same area, on Arcadia Avenue. The SDSO said those calls included another pedestrian hit by a car. That victim suffered head and leg injuries and was airlifted to Palomar Medical Center. The third hit-and-run involved the suspect colliding with another driver.

In all three hit-and-runs, the suspect was driving a white Ford Explorer, officials said.

Moments later, deputies were called to yet another hit-and-run at 500 Hacienda Dr. This time, two pedestrians were hit  again by a driver in a white Ford Explorer. Those victims suffered minor injuries and were taken to local hospitals.

NBC 7 San Diego

There, deputies learned that the suspect in all of the incidents was Dorman. Witnesses told deputies that Dorman appeared to be intentionally swerving to hit those two pedestrians in the Hacienda Drive incident. Dorman had also allegedly sideswiped another car on purpose on Vista Village Drive and was speeding, witnesses told investigators.

Soon, a fifth hit-and-run collision was reported in the 700 block of East Bobier, just blocks away. Again, Dorman was the suspect.

At this point, deputies tracked down Dorman and tried to pull him over on Anza Drive and Ishihara Road on Vista.

He fled, and a pursuit ensued, lasting for about 15 minutes as Dorman sped through Vista and Oceanside. Deputies said Dorman hit at least two other cars and a tree as he tried to escape.

Finally, just before 6:40 p.m., deputies were able to stop and arrest Dorman in Oceanside. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility on nearly a dozen charges, including DUI, driving while on probation and attempted murder.

Jail booking records indicate he was driving with a blood-alcohol content of nearly twice the legal limit. Dorman is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case can call Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
A man who was hiding from police after officers opened fire was found dead in a trash bin, the Los Angeles Police Department said Sunday.

Police approached three men at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Lake Street in the Westlake area at 7:15 p.m. Saturday night.

A man in the group ran from police down Lake Street and was seen with a semi-automatic handgun, police said. Police opened fire and the man continued running, the LAPD said. It wasn't clear at that point if the man was injured.

The man was seen going into an apartment building in the 2100 block of James M. Wood Boulevard, and police set up a perimeter in search of the man.

The man, apparently hiding in a trash bin, was found dead, police said.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused his death, police said. An autopsy would be performed to determine if he died by police gunfire.
All a cute, curly haired 10-year-old girl named Gayla Peevey wanted for Christmas in 1953 was a hippopotamus.

And amazingly enough, after "I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" became the biggest hit song of that holiday season, she actually got one, a 700-pound baby named Matilda. She promptly donated it to the Oklahoma City Zoo, where it lived to be nearly 50, a ripe old age for hippos.

As for Peevey's song, it may never die.

"That one just really took off, and it's still going strong, stronger than ever. Sixty-three years later! Hard to believe," Peevey, an ebullient woman of 73, says during a recent phone interview from her San Diego-area home.

So much so that it's used as a cellphone ringtone these days, included on holiday ornaments and Christmas cards, available for download on iTunes. It's even featured in a U.S. Postal Service commercial in which the post office boasts it ships more online gifts, hippopotamuses included, than anybody.

Some people will tell you it's an annoying ear worm, a tune with such silly lyrics and a melody so maddeningly memorable that it will play endlessly in your head every holiday season until New Year's Day.

But that's part of its charm, says Tim Moore, iHeart Radio's New Hampshire programming director who over the decades has played it plenty of times.

"It's got the sound of an old-time recording," Moore says. "It sounds dated. It sounds a little corny. But that's the thing about it. Also, not to be discounted is its effect on children."

Yes, definitely don't discount that.

For years, Peevey has been hearing from schoolteachers around the world who tell her their students perform the song and can't get enough of it.

"Over 15 years now we've done it, and I don't think we're stopping," laughs Dana Caro, who directs the second-grade Christmas music program at a suburban Southern California school.

Other songs come and go, says Caro, but "Hippo" stays in the mix every year at Arcadia's Longley Way Elementary School.

"Even in class today, we weren't in rehearsal yet when one kid started singing it, and then they were all singing it," added the teacher, who says it has a bounce and a cheeriness that kids love.

And who knows, singing it may actually get a kid a hippo. Unlikely, perhaps, but it did get one for Peevey.

Her hometown zoo, hippoless at the time, teamed with the local newspaper to encourage people to send in enough money to buy her one after she debuted the song on television's "The Ed Sullivan Show."

Three thousand dollars later, Matilda arrived on Christmas Eve, a fitting gift for someone who would so enthusiastically declare, "No crocodiles, no rhinoceroses. I only like hippopotamuses. And hippopotamuses like me too."

Soon after, however, Peevey left her hippopotamus behind, moving to California.

She had been singing professionally for two years before recording "Hippo," moving up from local watermelon festivals to radio shows and then a spot on television's "Saturday Night Revue" hosted by Hoagy Carmichael.

But her hippo fame caught her off guard, and for months afterward she couldn't move around Oklahoma City without being mobbed by fans. Her parents figured she'd blend in as just another "normal kid" in California while recording a few more songs.

None would have the impact of that first one, written by John Rox and personally selected for Peevey by Columbia Records' legendary producer and A&R man Mitch Miller, who backed her with his orchestra.

She did resurface briefly in 1959 with "My Little Marine," an aching teen ballad she'd written about her first crush. She recorded it under the name Jamie Horton, her manager not wanting people to dismiss it as another hippo song. It peaked at No. 84 on Billboard's Hot 100.

"A hit but not a big hit," she says now. "Certainly not a hit as big as the hippopotamus song."

Soon after, she was off to college, then marriage and motherhood. Eventually she founded her own advertising agency, keeping her hand in music writing commercial jingles.

Retired and married for 53 years now, she still sings regularly in church.

"But not the hippo song," Peevey says, laughing. "It's not really a church song."
Volunteers made history Saturday while helping lay wreaths on thousands of graves at the Golden Gate National Cemetery following a moment of silence to mark National Wreaths Across America Day.

The annual wreath-laying at more than 1,000 cemeteries around the nation is meant to remember veterans who have died as well as those who currently serve.

This year, the Avenue of Flags Committee in support of the Golden Gate National Cemetary was able to reach 10,800 wreaths, making it the largest Wreaths Across America observance the cemetery has held.

J. Kevin Graves, a Gold Star father who lost his son in Baghdad, said that the Walmart Foundation committed a significant amount to the number of wreaths this year.

Rebecca Greenway

When he and his wife, Leanne Graves, first began placing wreaths at the cemetery, they calculated it would take 82 years before getting enough wreaths for every grave, so Graves said he is thankful for the support.

Volunteering and support for the annual observance has grown in recent years.

"I'm expecting a big, big, big crowd," Carolyn Livengood, President of the Avenue of Flags Committee, said the evening before.

Rebecca Greenway

After beginning with a short ceremony and somber moment of silence at 9 a.m., when Graves addressed the crowd, volunteers began laying the wreaths.

Wreaths Across America was founded by Morrill Worcester, owner of the Worcester Wreath Company, who donated his surplus of wreaths at the end of the holiday season to the Arlington National Cemetery.
Sheriff's officials in Santa Cruz County are asking parents and residents to be aware of a rise of LSD use in the area, after several recent incidents involving the drug have occurred.

In the latest incident, a teen was hospitalized Wednesday after she ingested liquid LSD which had been placed on a popsicle, Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials said.

Prior to that, on Monday, a Watsonville man was arrested after assaulting two California Highway Patrol officers while allegedly under the influence of LSD, according to CHP officials.

The suspect, later identified as Marko Manojlovic, 29, allegedly drove into a construction zone on state Highway 17, south of Sugarloaf Road.

When officers tried to stop him on Laurel Road just east of Highway 17, Manojlovic drove into a metal fence, got out of the car, jumped over the fence and fled on foot, CHP officers said.

The officers ran after Manojlovic and caught him, but he assaulted them, kicking one officer several times.

Manojlovic was taken to Dominican Hospital, where he was medically cleared, and then booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading arrest, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. The officer was treated for minor injuries, according to the CHP.

In November, a 15-year-old boy allegedly took LSD before he stabbed his father and uncle and was fatally shot by a Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputy just outside of Watsonville.

Luke Smith took the drug with a friend before he used a 9-inch knife on his father and uncle just before 3 a.m. on Nov. 19 at a home in the 800 block of Amesti Road, sheriff's officials said.

After receiving a 911 call, deputies responded to the area and located Smith armed with a knife near the scene on Pioneer Road.

Law enforcement officers spent 13 minutes talking to Smith, persuading him to drop the knife and surrender. After deploying 40mm foam rounds, Taser stun guns and a K9 unit that bit him, Smith continued to threaten deputies. A deputy, identified as Chris Vigil, then fired a single shot that killed the 15-year-old boy, according to sheriff's officials.

Deputies later arrested four people for allegedly selling the drug to Smith. The suspects were identified as Taylor Filson, 28, Bradley Hodge, 24, Thomas Negron, 20, and Nathaniel Trecaso, 28, sheriff's officials said.

In light of the recent incidents involving LSD, the sheriff's office is asking resident to be extra vigilant to what the drugs look like and signs and symptoms of their use. They're also encouraging parents to have conversations with their children and young adults about drug use.

"We want to work together as a community to stop this. It has already claimed one life and has the potential to hurt so many more," Sheriff Jim Hart said in a statement.

For more information about drug prevention and treatment, residents can visit www.recoverywave.com.
A 37-year-old man was arrested early Sunday morning in connection with the shooting death of a woman Saturday night in Vallejo, according to police.

Officers in Antioch arrested Ishmeal Zeno of Vallejo on suspicion of murder. He was then booked into the Solano County Jail, Lt. Herman Robinson said.

Officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound at around 11:35 p.m., after responding to a report of a suspicious circumstance at a home in the 100 block of Myrtlewood Court, police said.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. She has been identified as 35-year-old Vallejo resident Melissa Owens, Robinson said.

Police were able to identify Zeno as the suspect and located him in Antioch, where he fled to after the shooting, according to Robinson.
A San Francisco man was arrested at a Target store in San Bruno on Wednesday after he allegedly stole over $950 of merchandise, police said.

At around 2:15 p.m., officers responded to a report of theft at the Target store, located at the Shops at Tanforan at 1150 El Camino Real, according to police.

Upon arrival, officers learned a man later identified as Jacob Fournier, 29, tried to leave the store with stolen merchandise. When employees confronted Fournier he assaulted them before fleeing, police said.

Officers were able to locate Fournier and arrested him on suspicion of grand theft and robbery. He was then booked into the San Mateo County Main Jail, according to police.
Four men and two women have been arrested in Saratoga and Cupertino this December on suspicion of stealing packages, Santa Clara County sheriff's officials said Friday.

Deputies said that 34-year-old Boulder Creek resident James Maybin and an accomplice broke into a UPS storage facility in Cupertino, stole a number of packages and loaded them into a stolen vehicle.

Deputies arrested Maybin after he allegedly fled from the car full of stolen packages. The packages were returned to UPS for delivery.

San Jose resident Jordan DelCampo, 21, was arrested in Saratoga after deputies say they found him with stolen diamond earrings, tickets for a Disney Christmas vacation and children's DVDs.

A license plate number captured on security footage at a Cupertino home led deputies to arrest San Jose residents Ronald Martinez, 44 and Dolores Mestaz, 43.

Deputies say they found the two with about 10 packages, mostly children's books and clothing. Martinez and Mestaz were arrested and are under investigation for other local thefts.

San Jose resident Amanda Matsuo, 23, and Sacramento resident Marcos Cruz, 26, were allegedly found with stolen packages including women's clothing and construction equipment.

Deputies are also looking for two men caught on security footage stealing packages from San Jose homes.

On Wednesday, a man stole a package containing Nutcracker dolls from a home on Porter Lane, sheriff's officials said.

On Thursday, sheriff's officials said a man had stolen a package containing cat food from a home on Esther Drive.

Anyone with information about these incidents can call sheriff's investigators at (408) 299-2311.
At least 38 people were shot  nine of them fatally  across the city between Friday afternoon and Monday morning, according to Chicago Police, as Chicago contended with some of the coldest temperatures of the season.



Shootings are down year-over-year for December, according to News Affairs, though "the lethality of those shootings is greater this year." Chicago saw the same number of shootings this past weekend as the third weekend of December in 2015.



A 34-year-old man was killed early Sunday in the weekends latest fatal shooting. Joel Planas was fighting with another male at 12:52 a.m. on the sidewalk in the 3100 block of West Irving Park Road, when the person he was fighting with pulled out a gun and fired shots, according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office. Planas, who lived in the 2100 block of North Stave Street, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the abdomen, where he was pronounced dead at 5:59 a.m.



On Saturday afternoon, four people were shot to death and a fifth person was wounded in the Fernwood neighborhood on the Far South Side. Officers were called at 12:39 p.m. to the shooting scene at a 1 1/2-story home in the 100 block of West 105th Street, police said. Four people were found dead with gunshot wounds  a 41-year-old woman, a 19-year-old woman, a 36-year-old man and a 45-year-old man. Three were found inside the home, and one of the women was found outside. A fifth victim, an 18-year-old woman who was also found outside, was taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Also in the house was a 2-year-old boy who was unharmed. He was taken to Roseland Community Hospital for observation. Police said the incident may be the result of a home invasion or robbery and appeared to be an isolated event. Neighbors said all of those shot are related to each other and lived at that address.



About 10 p.m. Friday, 28-year-old Crispin Coliz got into an argument with two males inside a convenience store in the Belmont Heights neighborhood on the Northwest Side, authorities said. When Coliz got into a vehicle and started driving away, the two other people followed in a light-colored SUV. They pulled alongside him in the 7200 block of West Grace and opened fire, hitting him in the side of the head. Coliz, who lived in the 4800 block of Rotary Road in Cherry Hill, was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was pronounced dead at 10:39 p.m.



Less than two hours earlier, a man was shot to death during a robbery in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Officers found the 52-year-old man at 8:30 p.m. dead with a gunshot wound to the head in a car in the 5100 block of South Long, police said. Someone walked up to him with a gun as he was getting into his car and opened fire as he tried to drive away. His identity has not been released.



Two people were killed and two more wounded in a 3:30 p.m. Friday shooting in the Brighton Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side. A 47-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and two 17-year-old boys were walking down the street in the 4300 block of South Rockwell, when two people got out of a silver vehicle parked at the mouth of an alley and opened fired. One of the 17-year-old boys, identified as Daniel H. Torres of the 4200 block of South Fairfield, was shot multiple times and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:06 p.m., authorities said. The 47-year-old man suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead on the scene. His identity has not been released. The other two victims were taken to Mount Sinai, where the older was in serious condition and the younger in critical.



The weekends latest nonfatal shooting happened early Monday in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. A 26-year-old man was found with a gunshot wound to his left foot at 12:18 a.m. inside a home in the 7800 block of South Ingleside, police said. He was taken to Jackson Park Hospital and Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized.



At least 25 more people were wounded in shootings across the city between 3:30 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday.
A 24-year-old man was shot and killed in the 200 block of West Montana Avenue on Saturday afternoon, Dallas police say.

Police have asked the public for help finding any possible suspects connected to the shooting. Police identified the victim as Bobby L. Wilson.

Few other details were made available about the shooting.

Police are asking anyone with information to call Detective Shelton at 214-671-3612. Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.

On Sunday, Wilson's aunt spoke to NBC 5 News and said he was a college graduate who spent most of his time working.

"For someone to take his life like that, it's not fair," Ashley Davis said. "My sister is without her son because somone wanted to be childish and selfish; we are hurting."
A Fort Worth man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing an ambulance last year and later crashing it.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that 31-year-old Kenneth Golightly was convicted last week of aggravated robbery.

Authorities say Golightly took the ambulance at knifepoint in March 2015 from a crew that was finishing paperwork after completing a call at a hospital.

Golightly then drove off, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph through city streets before he crashed the ambulance through a fence about a mile from the hospital.

Cameras onboard the ambulance captured Golightly's joyride. He then fled on foot but was later arrested by police.

The ambulance, valued at $50,000, was totaled in the crash.
A person has been questioned and released after two people were found with gunshot wounds in a Fort Worth home Saturday afternoon.

Police found the two victims in an upstairs bedroom at 9000 Gainsborough Court, according to a Fort Worth police spokesperson.

The victims, identified by the medical examiner as 21-year-old Casey-Don Wilson and 20-year-old Kaylin Wilson, later died at a nearby hospital, police said.

Both victims lived at the home where the shooting occurred, according to the medical examiner.

The person is related to the two victims, but police declined to release any other details about the suspect.

The details surrounding the shooting are still under investigation, police said.
The famed heavy metal band known as Metallica hit the stage at Oakland's Fox Theater Saturday night, but there was a twist.

Instead of pocketing ticket earnings, the group handed over all of the show's proceeds and canned goods donated by fans to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.

Drummer Lars Ulrich, who calls the Bay Area "the coolest place to be in the world," says the band is taking on a more vocal role when it comes to giving back to those in need.

"Especially this time of year, there is a tremendous amount of people that are not as fortunate as most of the people in this building," Ulrich said before the show. "We're encouraging everybody to help. It's very rewarding."

Ulrich said that the Bay Area is the coolest place to be in the world.

Rewarding it is, according to food bank spokesperson Michael Altfest. Noting a down year in fundraising, he said this show will do wonders for its stock and name.

"It's right in the holiday season for us which is a super critical time for food banks nationwide," he said.

Fans flocked to the theater as early as 7 p.m. Friday night clutching bags of goodies, waiting in anticipation to catch a glimpse of the band with Bay Area ties and listen to a new album dubbed "Hardwired...to Self-Destruct."

"We all love Metallica so much that we're here to stay in line," Kevin Louvelle from Los Angeles said before the show. "I'll do anything for this band. It's a lifestyle. It runs through our veins."

The band may be a bunch of old-timers by today's standards, but that fact isn't stopping their beloved followers from showering the group with love.

"Thirty-five years into a career, the fact that people not only still care, but the outpouring of support and love for this new record has been completely overwhelming," Ulrich said.

Aside from Saturday's night food drive and money donation to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, the musical collective is also reaching out to assist in the Oakland warehouse fire relief effort.

"We're trying to do anything we can to help in the wake of the horrible and tragic events in Oakland," he said.
Police are searching for a man who broke into a Bay Terrace home twice within the same week.

Officers are seeking Julian Zorilla for questioning in connection with a robbery and a break-in that took place the week of Nov. 6, police said.

The 49-year-old broke into a private home near 26th Avenue and 210th Street between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Nov. 6, authorities said. He entered through the back door and stole a $4,200 Louis Vuitton wallet and purse, three Swarovski bracelets, a $250 Tory Burch purse, $1,240 in cash and a credit card.

Police said the 49-year-old victim reported the incident at 5 p.m. after she discovered her home was broken into and her belongings were missing. Nobody was in the house at the time of the incident.

Zorilla returned to the house on Nov. 11 and rang the doorbell at 10:14 a.m., police said. Unbeknownst to him, the family installed a doorbell that contained a home security feature that records video of anyone who approaches the front door.

The system sent a text alert to a 24-year-old woman living in the home, who then called 911.

Authorities said Zorilla and an unknown accomplice managed to break into the home through an unlocked window at the side of the house, but the men exited a side door and fled before the police were called. No property was taken, despite nobody being home at the time of the incident.

The NYPD asks anyone with information regarding the incident to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
A deadly high-rise fire claimed the life of a woman in the Bronx Saturday morning.

Firefighters were on the scene at 2111 Southern Boulevard trying to quell the fire at 9:26 a.m., fire officials said. The fire engulfed an apartment on the 11th floor of the 31-story high-rise tower near East 180th Street

A 52-year-old woman was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with critical injuries, where she was pronounced dead on arrival, police said. The victim was discovered inside a bedroom of the 11th floor apartment.

There are no other victims at this time. The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

Authorities said fire marshals will determine the cause of the fire.
China said Saturday that its military seized a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea to ensure the "safe navigation of passing ships," in one of the most serious incidents between the two militaries in years.

The Chinese navy on Thursday seized the drone, which the Pentagon said was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research. The U.S. said it issued a formal diplomatic complaint over the seizure and demanded the drone's return.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun issued a statement late Saturday saying that a Chinese navy lifeboat discovered an unknown device in the South China Sea on Thursday. "In order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the safe navigation of passing ships and personnel, the Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device," Yang said.

The statement said that after verifying that the device was an American unmanned submerged device, "China decided to transfer it to the U.S. through appropriate means."

The statement also accused the U.S. of long deploying ships "in China's presence" to conduct "military surveying."

"China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the U.S. stop such activities," it said. "China will continue to maintain vigilance against the relevant U.S. activities and will take necessary measures to deal with them."

Earlier Saturday, China's foreign ministry said the country's military was in contact with its American counterparts on "appropriately handling" the incident, though it offered no details on what discussions were underway.

The drone was seized while collecting unclassified scientific data about 92 kilometers (57 miles) northwest of Subic Bay near the Philippines in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Friday.

"It is ours. It's clearly marked as ours. We would like it back, and we would like this not to happen again," Davis told reporters. He said the drone costs about $150,000 and is largely commercial, off-the-shelf technology.

The USNS Bowditch, which is not a combat ship, was stopped in international waters Thursday afternoon and recovering two of the gliders when the Chinese ship approached, Davis said. The two vessels were within about 450 meters (500 yards) of each other. He said that the USNS Bowditch carries some small arms, but that no shots were fired.

According to the Pentagon, as the Chinese ship left with the drone, which is about 3 meters (10 feet) long, its only radio response to the U.S. vessel was, "We are returning to normal operations."

President-elect Donald Trump blasted the seizure. Apparently misspelling "unprecedented," he tweeted Saturday: "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act."

He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling to "unprecedented."

Last weekend, Trump was criticized on social media for bad spelling in a tweet in which he accused CNN of reporting "rediculous" fake news. Hours later, he put out a fresh tweet correcting the spelling to "ridiculous."

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the seizure of the glider occurred inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, not China, and appeared to be a violation of international law.

China delineates its South China Sea claims with a roughly drawn sea border known as the "nine-dash line" that runs along the west coast of the Philippines. However, it hasn't explicitly said whether it considers those waters as sovereign territory, and says it doesn't disrupt the passage of other nations' shipping through the area. The U.S. doesn't take a position on sovereignty claims, but insists on freedom of navigation, including the right of its naval vessels to conduct training and other operations in the sea.

Davis said that the incident could be the first time in recent history that China has taken a U.S. naval vessel. Some observers have called it the most significant dispute between the sides' militaries since the April 2001 mid-air collision between a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet about 110 kilometers (70 miles) from China's Hainan island that led to the death of a Chinese pilot.

Whatever the outcome, the incident is likely to fray the already tense relations between U.S. and China. Beijing was angered by Trump's decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2, and by his later comments that he did not feel "bound by a one-China policy" regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China. China considers the self-governing island its own territory to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.

There also have been increased tensions over Beijing's ongoing military buildup in the South China Sea, mainly the development and militarization of man-made shoals and islands aimed at extending China's reach in the strategically vital area, through which about $5 trillion in global trade passes annually.

In one of the few reports in state media about the drone's seizure, a newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party cited an unidentified military official as saying that a "smooth resolution" to the matter is expected.

A Chinese navy ship discovered an "unidentified device" Thursday and was checking on it for the sake of maritime safety, the Global Times quoted the official as saying.

"China has received the U.S. request to return the device, communication is open between the relevant departments of the two sides and I believe this matter will obtain a smooth resolution," the official was quoted as saying.

In a separate report, the paper quoted retired Chinese admiral Yang Yi as saying China considered itself well within its rights to seize the drone.

"If China needs to take it, we'll take it. (America) can't block us," Yang was quoted as saying.

Yang said he was unsure of the purpose of seizing the drone, but didn't think the matter qualified as a "military conflict." However, he added that the chances of a confrontation had risen following Trump's recent comments, which were seen as testing China's bottom line on Taiwan and other sensitive issues.

"It's natural for us to take possession of and research for a bit these types of things that America sends to our doorstep," Yang said. "The louder they shout, the more their protests ring hollow."
The nation's vice president and a retired Marine Corps general were among the dignitaries, family members and other mourners who choked up Saturday during a memorial tribute to the late space hero John Glenn.

Roughly 2,500 people gathered at Mershon Auditorium on the Ohio State University campus for "a celebration of life" for the former fighter pilot, history-making astronaut and longtime Democratic U.S. senator from small-town Ohio. He was remembered not only for bravery, but for his thoughtful consideration for others, his integrity and his patriotic optimism.

"I think John defined what it meant to be an American, what we were about, just by how we acted," said Vice President Joe Biden, a former colleague of Glenn's in the U.S. Senate. "It was always about the promise. We were a country of possibility, opportunity, always a belief in tomorrow."

Retired USMC Gen. John Dailey said Glenn was "never in it for himself," but always acted for the nation's greater good. Like many others, he recalled Glenn's humility and basic kindness.

"We had John for 95 great years and it still wasn't enough," Dailey said.

Glenn died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and then in 1998 became the oldest person in space at 77.

Thousands of people, including Democratic U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, visited the Ohio Statehouse on Friday as Glenn lay in honor. A solemn funeral procession through the center of the capital city carried his casket past more mourners willing to withstand cold and ice.

Ethel Kennedy, widow of close Glenn ally Robert F. Kennedy, and their son Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were among the mourners present, along with Ohio political leaders including Gov. John Kasich and former Govs. Ted Strickland and Richard Celeste.

The service was preceded by recordings of hymns, arias and popular songs. Some  including Nat King Cole's "Smile" and Susan Boyle's version of "Impossible Dream"  nodded to Glenn's trademark optimism. Others, including "You Are My Sunshine," ''Moon River" and Shirley Jones singing "Goodnight, My Someone"  recalled Glenn's long love affair with wife, Annie, who survives him.

Their marriage was cited frequently as a source of Glenn's strength and an inspiration to those who have known and watched the couple for 73 years.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, a fellow Democrat who first met Glenn when he was a teenage Eagle Scout, called Glenn "an FDR Democrat" who believed in the power of government and the importance of public service  through his military and space career and his tenure in the Senate.

"He was a work horse, never a show horse," Brown said. "He labored over the details of non-proliferation and environmental cleanup of nuclear disposal sites, grunt work to some, but John was content to spend his time not on collecting instant headlines but achieving lasting results that would leave the world better than he had found it."

Brown's wife, journalist Connie Schultz, recalled his tenderness when their grandson was curious about how astronauts urinate in space. She saw it as example for the nation.

"If American icon John Glenn could take the time to treat a child with such respect, surely we can find the time to listen to one another," she said.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden Jr. said the U.S. space program remains indebted to Glenn.

"It was courage, grace and humility John displayed throughout his life that lifted him above the stars," Bolden said. "As the current head of NASA, I can say unequivocally that we are standing on John Glenn's shoulders as we pursue a human journey to Mars, a journey that would not be possible without his bravery and selfless dedication."

Glenn's son, David, said his father let him find himself and make his own mistakes  even when he came home with long hair and wearing bell bottom pants. "He might have blinked twice, or his face twitched or something like that. But that was it," he said.

Daughter Lyn said she wanted an "atta girl" for some good grades she brought home at age 8, to which Glenn replied, "Yes, but what have you done for your country today?"

She said Glenn refused a deal worth as much as $5 million to have his photo placed on a Wheaties box because he saw it as making money from government service.

She ended a touching recollection with a simple farewell, "Godspeed, Dad."

Taps was played as Glenn was carried from the auditorium. He'll be buried at Arlington Cemetery near Washington, D.C., in a private ceremony this spring.
This weeks "Saturday Night Live" cold open welcomes back Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump, the prolific tweeter and president-elect who is fuming over a bad restaurant review in "Vanity Fair."

Kate McKinnons Hillary Clinton also returns to the show in a romantic Love Actually-inspired sketch in which she attempts to persuade an elector to cast her ballot for "literally anyone" but Trump" Dec. 19. "John Kasich," she suggests. "Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rocka rock."

The Christmas-themed episode begins with a clatter in Donald Trump's chimney.

Santa?

No. Someone else.

Vladimir, what are you doing here? Trump asks as a shirtless Putin (Beck Bennett) bearing a Santa sack emerges from the hearth.

Oh, I was just in town, you knowhiding in the walls, he explains.

He also wants to discuss reports that Russian hacking that likely influenced the results of the U.S. election.

"Your CIA is trying to say that Russians helped you win the election," he complains.

Lies, made up by some bitter people, Trump affirms.

So, you trust me more than your CIA? Putin asks, unable to mask his excitement.

I just dont really care, Trump says.

"Wow, this guy is blowing my mind," Putin replies. "I want to state officially that we in Russia are so happy that you are U.S. president. We think you are the best candidate

Sure, Trump agrees.

the smartest candidate

No doubt.

the Manchurian candidate.

I dont know what that is," Trump asserts, "but it sounds tremendous.

Putin also hands him a giftan Elf on the Shelf he's instructed to keep next to his internet router "all year."

Trump apologizes that he doesn't have a gift to offer him in return.

"Please Mr. Trump," he replies. "You are the gift."

PEOTUS starts to feel a little left out, though, when his Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson drops by and is delighted to reunite with his good friend Putin. Real-life Tillerson, the CEO of ExxonMobil, is known for his friendly relationship with Russia.

The two men share a secret handshake and quickly begin talking strategy.

Trumps attempts to chime in are waved off as the other two make plans for Russias oil resources.

"Then we can destroy 'Vanity Fair,' right?" Trump interjects. "They're really a terrible publication, really just terrible" he says, echoing his real life criticism of the magazine after it published a negative review of his Trump Grill steakhouse earlier in the week.

Yeah, thats cool, buddy, they tell him. Sure, sure.

In a later sketch, Kate McKinnon, reprising her role as Hillary Clinton, appears with a stack of note cards at the door of an elector in a last-ditch effort to keep Trump from the White House.

In a scene inspired by "Love Actually," in which Mark expresses his love to Juliet in a series of giant note cards, Clinton greets the elector with her own. "I know you're an elector," she begins. "And on December 19th you're supposed to vote for Donald Trump."

"But bish...he cray."

'SNL' host Casey Affleck welcomed Kenan Thompsons Black Santa to the stage during his opening monologue.

You know, you can just say Santa, Thompson says.

Affleck, a Massachusetts native, later appeared in a sketch that poked fun at coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts.

"This is the face of Dunkin' Donuts right here," Affleck said in the sketch while holding a lit cigarette out of a Dunkin' Donuts' front door.

Thompson later joined musical guest Chance the Rapper in an original music video dedicated to Obamas last Christmas as president.

Weekend Update covered Russia as well, welcoming two of Putins best friends growing up to comment on the Russian leaders character.

And another guest commentator reminded us how bad 2016  year of Zika, Harambe and Ken Bone  sucked.[[407277265, C]]

Chance the Rapper performed "Same Drugs."
The owner of a Philadelphia auto repair shop opened fire on a robbery suspect Saturday night, according to police.

Police say a 30-year-old man entered an auto repair shop on the 6800 block of Paschall Avenue at 6:32 p.m. and tried to rob the business. The owner of the shop, who was armed, opened fire, striking the suspect once in the chest, once in the right shoulder and once in the right buttock, according to officials.

The suspect was taken to Presbyterian Hospital by police. Officials have not yet revealed his condition.
For the second time in one night, a would-be victim turned the tables on a robber in Philadelphia, according to police. Officials say a pizza deliveryman shot a suspect who was trying to rob him in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday night.

The deliveryman was on the 1400 block of Wellington Street at 9:24 p.m. when he was approached by a 19-year-old man who tried to rob him, police said. The deliveryman, who was armed, opened fire, striking the suspect once in the right lower leg and once in the left lower leg.

The suspect was taken to the hospital where he is currently in stable condition, police said. They have not yet released his identity.

The shooting was the second incident in Philadelphia Saturday night in which a robber was shot by his intended victim, according to investigators. Police say the owner of an auto repair shop shot a man who was trying to rob his business.
Authorities said two people were killed and more than a dozen were injured when a gas tanker skidded off a highway in Baltimore and exploded. Police said a third person died in a separate incident.

Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said the tanker fell over the jersey wall on Interstate 95 and burst into flames early Saturday. WBAL-TV in Baltimore received a graphic video from a viewer who captured the crash on his cell phone.

At least 15 people were injured in a 55-vehicle pile up. Clark said it's unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was a result of the debris from the explosion.

Scores of traffic accidents were reported across the region due to slick roads. Maryland State Police said troopers responded to 330 crashes across the state in a 24-hour period.

Clark said the roads were very icy, but it was too early to say what caused the tanker to careen off the highway.

The Maryland Transportation Authority said southbound I-95 reopened around 1:30 p.m. Traffic was detoured off northbound I-95 onto I-695. Crash investigation and cleanup continued on the northbound lanes. It was not clear when those lanes would be reopened.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a statement after the crash.

I strongly urge all Marylanders to use common sense and put their safety first by heeding all travel warnings from state and local authorities. Road conditions in many areas of the state are still extremely dangerous, and all those who can avoid travel should stay off the roads until conditions have improved.

The First Lady and I send our deepest condolences and prayers to the families and loved ones of the individuals who lost their lives early this morning as a result of fatal accidents. Our states entire emergency management, transportation, and law enforcement resources are fully engaged in managing this situation and are working closely with local jurisdictions to provide needed support. I offer my sincerest gratitude to the state and local first responders who are working diligently at the scene of these incidents and who will continue to do so until the roadways are clear.

MdTA police Lt. Kevin Ayd said the other incident occurred around 5 a.m. near Exit 59 along I-95. A driver, who was involved in a fender bender, stepped out to assess the damage and was accidentally struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle.

Baltimore County emergency officials said dozens of vehicles collided on the Beltway in the Rosedale area, and six people were taken to a hospital, according to WBAL-TV.
San Diego acts release a wealth of musical material every year, and 2016 was definitely no different. While there was a multitude of excellent rock/pop records that came out of our scene this year, we look back on 12 albums (EPs and LPs) that memorably moved the needle in our frigid hearts. We don't presume to say that these are the only ones worth mentioning -- merely ones we enjoyed quite a bit. If you have an album (or a bunch) in mind that we didn't mention here, drop some knowledge on us in the comments.

Alive & Well, "From Basements to Beaches" (released June 3): Pop-punk kids, eat your hearts out. On their four-song From Basements to Beaches EP, Alive & Well mine the genre deeper than most of their peers -- delivering songs that are deceptively complex and unassumingly heart-wrenching -- all with hooks that are far tastier than anything Ive heard in recent memory. Highly anticipating their 2017 follow-up thats reportedly in the works. [Listen/buy it here] -- Dustin Lothspeich

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://aliveandwellmusic.bandcamp.com/album/from-basements-to-beaches" mce_href="http://aliveandwellmusic.bandcamp.com/album/from-basements-to-beaches"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;From Basements To Beaches by Alive &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Well&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Creepseed, "The Undertone" (released Dec. 7): As the beach goth phenomenon grows, more bands join the ranks, including Joshua Kmaks relatively new project, Creepseed. Kmak first made a name for himself in the San Diego scene with the manic-garage-spook-rock of the Shady Francos. Since the Francos have taken a break from live shows to record a new album, Creepseed has managed to creep its way onto the web and into the dark tropics of our consciousness. All that is not to say that Creepseed is actually scary in sound. The Undertone -- with its slightly distorted acoustic guitars, occasionally phased-out vocals, theatrically emphasized syllables and beefy lead guitars -- has more of a T. Rex glam flavor than anything else. Weird? Maybe, but not in a creepy way. Like Bowie, [the album] is melodic and catchy as hell, and its very well produced, too. At some points, I forgot that I was even listening to a local band. Featuring guitar solos by Pat Beers and Brian Reilly of the Schizophonics, The Undertone demonstrates Kmaks viability outside of the Shady Francos and outside of the merely local. [Listen/buy the album here] -- Rutger Rosenborg

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://creepseed1.bandcamp.com/album/the-undertone" mce_href="http://creepseed1.bandcamp.com/album/the-undertone"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;The Undertone by Creepseed&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Donkeys, "Midnight Palms" EP (released Feb. 12): Guys, let's be real -- 2016 was the year of the Donkeys. They came out kickin' with the February release of their first-ever EP, "Midnight Palms," which blurred the lines of aural sobriety (yes, ears can get drunk too) across five buzzy, warm tracks that swaddled me in a sea of chill. Fast forward a few months to December and their single "Down the Line" [watch the video] even made it onto a road-trip playlist in "National Geographic Traveler" -- sure, I created said playlist, but there was some serious competition. And yeah, it doesn't hurt that they're like the nicest dudes you could hope to stumble across poolside at Harrah's (you know what I'm talking about, SoundDiego Summer Splash party goers). That's all to say, hell yeah, Donkeys. I'll stay up until midnight with you anytime. Keep on with that bad style. [Listen/buy the EP here] -- Hannah Lott-Schwartz

The Frights, "You Are Going to Hate This" (released Feb. 12): The Frights? Yeah, those fools are liars. Dont believe s--- they say. Especially when it comes to this new record of theirs. Its all in the title: You Are Going to Hate This. Right. Rarely have I heard anything more misleading. Because this new record? Youre going to f---ing love it. You Are Going to Hate This was produced by FIDLAR frontman Zac Carper, and appropriately so. Both bands share that infectious onstage energy, and with this album, the Frights dip into a FIDLAR-esque debaucherous party-rock sound. But theres still the doo-wop wa-was that fans of the Frights older material can keep pace with. Maybe its reverse psychology or something, but Im pumped AF on the album and on the Frights in general. [Listen/buy the album here] -- Hannah Lott-Schwartz

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://dafrights.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-going-to-hate-this" mce_href="http://dafrights.bandcamp.com/album/you-are-going-to-hate-this"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;You Are Going To Hate This by The Frights&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Le Chateau, Brutalism EP (released Oct. 28): The second EP by this electro/pop trio features six more tracks of what endeared us to them on their 2015 debut -- namely Laura Levenhagens soaring vocals, grinding beats, washed-out atmospherics galore and a pendulum-like swing between contentment and despair. No sophomore slump for Le Chateau here. [Listen/buy the EP here] -- Dustin Lothspeich

The Lulls, "Island of Daughters" (released Nov. 25): Let's get this out of the way: I'm mandated to say each time I mention the Lulls on SoundDiego that the band's frontman, Rutger Rosenborg, is also my colleague and fellow SoundDiego associate editor. Nepotism at its worst, you might be thinking. It's OK, I'd think that too. And I guess you'd be right if after just one listen to this eight-song collection of experimental indie-pop you didn't agree that the songs are simply incredible. There ain't a bad track in the bunch and it's impressive how the band moves from hypnotic lullers (lolz) like "Calafia" to bubbly toe-tappers ("Paris") and washed-out, minor-key psych dirges ("Tyrant"). Deliciously captivating -- and on repeat. [Buy the album here] -- Dustin Lothspeich

&amp;lt;a href="http://thelullsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/island-of-daughters" mce_href="http://thelullsofficial.bandcamp.com/album/island-of-daughters"&amp;gt;Island Of Daughters by The Lulls&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

The Midnight Pine, self-titled (released Oct. 7): I am not a fan of indie-folk -- at least, not the way its popularly done. The big folksters all follow the same trope: lots of woahs, ohs, heys, recycled melodies and trite lyricism. Meanwhile, thoughtful, lyrical songstresses like Jessica Pratt are labeled freak-folk and pushed to the margins of a rich tradition that they should rightfully inherit. The folk well has become rather tainted as of late, which is why I am so grateful that a band like the Midnight Pine exists in San Diego, reminding me that all is not lost in the genre. On Oct. 7, the Midnight Pine released their new self-titled album via Redwoods Music, following up their critically-acclaimed 2014 album, Buried. The album includes just as much attention to emotive storytelling and just as much of Shelbi Bennetts atmospheric boom-crooning but with the added benefit of occasional horns and -- dare I say -- a danceable groove. When you do get the album, I guarantee you "Vice" will be one of your favorite tracks. This is what popular folk should be today -- not an ouroboros of woah-hey-hos and mind-numbing platitudes. [Listen/buy the album here] -- Rutger Rosenborg

Small Culture, self-titled EP (released June 2): Small Cultures music is infused with both the tropics of Hawaii and the commerciality of Southern California -- electro-pop meets post-rock meets alternative. Its accessible, its well produced and, most importantly, its interesting. Frontman Jerik Centeno has surrounded himself with some of the most relevant musicians in the San Diego scene right now, and as he grows with his music, so will his appeal to Los Angeles record labels and national press. Hes got the sound, hes got the charm -- lets just hope hes got the stamina. [Listen/buy the EP here] -- Rutger Rosenborg

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://smallculture.bandcamp.com/album/small-culture-ep" mce_href="http://smallculture.bandcamp.com/album/small-culture-ep"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Small Culture EP by Small Culture&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Soft Lions, "XOXO" (released Oct. 28): Soft Lions came off of a West Coast tour last month, and we're glad they're back, because this EP is the (big) cat's pajamas. Channeling riot grrrlers like Sleater-Kinney, Soft Lions' "XOXO" delivers raw, noisey pop/rock that starts you in the packed garage of a raucous house show and leads you into the warmer recesses of the less-crowded living room -- it's there that frontwoman Megan Liscomb really shines. "Freeway" is a fun single, but "Run in Dreams" is the gem of the 6-track endeavor. [Listen/buy the EP here] -- Rutger Rosenborg

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://softlions.bandcamp.com/album/xoxo" mce_href="http://softlions.bandcamp.com/album/xoxo"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;XOXO by Soft Lions&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Taken by Canadians, we eat you like a person (released June 2): This North County quartets latest oddly-named album cemented them as one of San Diego's favorite rock 'n' roll groups. Evolving (as great bands always do) over the course of the last few years, the new album serves up slightly less alt-country licks than we're used to hearing from them amid a greater infusion of psychedelic indie-rock vibes instead -- and a hearty helping of "Hell yea!" Dig in. [Listen/buy the album here] -- Dustin Lothspeich

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://takenbycanadians.bandcamp.com/album/we-eat-you-like-a-person" mce_href="http://takenbycanadians.bandcamp.com/album/we-eat-you-like-a-person"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;we eat you like a person by Taken By Canadians&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Trouble in the Wind, "Lefty" (released April 26): Its almost hard to believe how great this record is. Shades of pop, alt-country, folk and good ol fashioned rock 'n' roll burst out of this 13-song masterpiece by these North County lads, where each song is more delectably tasty than the next. Sweeping back-porch ballads hang alongside buzzing barnyard rompers with ease, alternating quite nicely between "Harvest"-era Neil Young love letters and old-school Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers-esque power-pop gems. I thought the band's 2014 album, Slide Rock, was good -- turns out it was just an appetizer. [Listen/buy it here] -- Dustin Lothspeich

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://troubleinthewind.bandcamp.com/album/lefty" mce_href="http://troubleinthewind.bandcamp.com/album/lefty"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Lefty by Trouble in the Wind&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Verigolds, "For Margaret" (released March 26): Recently awarded Album of the Year in our 2016 SoundDiego Music Awards, all I can say is the accolade is well-deserved, and the impact this band is making locally just further proves how undisputably good their music is. As I wrote back in July: "On 'For Margaret,' the band takes majestic strides across blissed-out psychedelic soundscapes -- in turn fusing the best parts of rock, pop, chillwave and subtle electro together for a Technicolor journey that's nearly impossible not to get lost in." [Listen/buy it here] -- Dustin Lothspeich
A non-profit organization broke ground Saturday on an adaptive home for a Marine veteran who was severely injured in Afghanistan.

Homes for Our Troops, an organization that specializes in building homes designed specifically for veterans with life-altering injuries, is building retired Marine Private First Class Issac Blunt a home of his own in Fallbrook.

PFC Blunt has had a tough road to recovery since losing his legs, an eye and several fingers in an IED explosion in 2011 when he was just 20 years old.

His new four-bedroom, mortgage-paid home will have lowered countertops, widened doorways for easier wheelchair access and a roll-in shower, but the features of the home arent what he and his partner Cammie look forward to the most.

What Cammie and I are looking forward to the most is being able to have enough rooms for when my daughter comes out here, Blunt said. This way shell have her own room and a home to go to.

Blunt says that his daughter Isabel, 6, is currently in Wisconsin and will be making her first trip to San Diego for Christmas.

Although starting construction on the Blunt families dream home was the main event, Saturdays itinerary included much more than ceremoniously putting shovels to dirt.

PFC Blunt rode to an introductory press conference in a fire engine escorted by police. He was met by cheering community members and supporting veterans, and entered the building under an awning of American Flags.

The Fallbrook community showed lots of love to retired Marine veteran Issac Blunt as he arrived at an introductory press conference Saturday.

At the conference, Blunt was introduced to his new neighbors and later personally thanked all those involved in the construction of his new home.

You guys make it possible for us to come home to these homes and be able to live our lives without having to worry about a mortgage, Blunt said. Its greatly appreciated.
A middle school student from Coronado is striking a chord and gaining a huge following on social media as she lip-syncs popular songs on an app, all while interpreting the lyrics in American Sign Language (ASL).

Skye Vanderlinden, 13, currently has 63,000 followers and counting on the social media app, Musical.ly, a platform popular with her peers that is used to create and share short music video, heavily focused on lip-syncing.

The teenager uses her hands  a lot  while making her own music videos on the app. For the last 18 months, shes been consistently covering ASL versions of popular hits  trying to make a difference in the lives of other kids.

I try to make them [the videos] every single day but sometimes I have way too much homework, the teen told NBC 7 on Saturday. But on the weekends, Ill make six videos per weekend.

Vanderlinden first began learning American Sign Language to communicate with a young friend who is deaf. Today, her ASL skills are still a work in progress, but a growing, hands-on part of who she is.

NBC 7 San Diego

I want to be an ASL interpreter, for sure. I love ASL  thats what I want to do, Vanderlinden explained.

The teens videos on Musical.ly are now getting attention worldwide. Her followers on the app grow by the hour.

She said the most difficult songs to sign are the faster, upbeat tunes, like Avril Lavigne's peppy hit, "Girlfriend," but she makes it happen.

And heres where things get interesting. Apparently, with a huge following on the app, fans start to give you little icons, which represent real money.

This is a Dabriel  5,000 gift points gives you $30, said Vanderlinden.

As the gifts pile on, Vanderlinden has chosen to hand off what shes making on the app to others.

People would give me a few dollars and then I was like, I dont want to keep this money, so Im going to donate all of it and when I said Im donating all of it, a lot of people started sending me more money, she said.

The teens parents, Debbie and Kim Vanderlinden, admit they still dont completely grasp their daughters reach on the social media platform, but told NBC 7 theyre happy with their daughters decision to donate the money.

Vanderlinden Family

Recently, Vanderlinden delivered her first donation  a $560 check  to the Monarch School to help kids impacted by homelessness.

And, along with raising awareness about sign language, her videos also seem to help people in other ways.

Some of the comments [on Skyes vidoes] were very touching, [by] kids bullied or with social problems or something. For many of them, they said it almost changed their life. Why? I think she was just so positive and happy, said Kim.

A real life passion - and an online niche - turning this teenager into an unlikely modern day philanthropist.
Firefighters battled a two alarm fire in a three-family home in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

The fire happened around 7:20 pm Saturday on 91 Payson Street according to the Fitchburg Fire Department.

When the crew arrived they found the second floor fully involved. The fire then extended to the attic and through the roof.

There were two dogs in the house that were rescued.

One officer was treated for smoke inhalation.
Christmas is right around the corner and one organization is fighting to make sure kids in need who live in Boston can still have a happy holiday.

Christmas in the City gives over 10,000 gifts to families in Boston who are living in homeless shelters or transitional housing. The non-profit organization has been servicing the Boston area for nearly thirty years and is 100% volunteer based.

The Boston Convention Center was transfored on Sunday for the organization's annual Winter Wonderland holiday party.

Additionally, residents in Boston dropped off toys and cash donations on Saturday at the Seaport Hotel to make sure the organization is able to help as many children as possible.

Anyone interested in contributing to Christmas in the City can make a donation on the organizations website.
A New Hampshire man is facing charges after allegedly breaking into a house and then being caught by the homeowner.

Goffstown police say Jonatahn Patella was arrested after officers responded to a burglary in progress call at a home on Edmond Street Saturday.

The homeowner had managed to detain Patella, police say.

Patella was charged with burglary and possession of burglary tools and was ordered to be held on $50,000 cash bail at Hillsborough County House of Correction. His arraignment is scheduled for Monday.

It's unclear if he has an attorney.
A nine year old girl is in the hospital suffering from serious injuries after she was hit by a car Saturday evening.

The accident occured on 174 Sandwich Road just before 4 p.m. in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

A nine year old girl from Bourne, Mass. was crossing the street with an adult when she struck by another vehicle, according to police. The driver was an 89 year old man from Falmouth.

The girl had multiple injuries and was transported to Falmouth Hospital. A medical helicopter was requested but was unable to fly due to the weather.

She has since been transported to Tufts Medical Center. The adult pedestrian was not injured.

Officials say the driver stopped to help the victim, but the Falmouth Police and Falmouth Fire Rescue Department are investigating the accident.

The victim is currently in the hospital with serious, although not-life threatening, injuries.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday widened wriggle space for the government by hinting that not all of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore worth of currency junked will be remonetised through issuance of new notes. This gap, he pointed out, will be filled by digital currency.

Calling the scrapping of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes as a courageous step, he said the government could do it as India today has the capacity to take such decisions and experiment boldly.

The move will create a new Indian normal as the one that existed for the past seven decades is unacceptable, he said, adding that demonetisation will help rid the economy of high cash circulation that had led to tax evasion, blackmoney and currency being used for crime.

One of the efforts of this exercise has to be that even though a reduced cash currency could remain, our conscious effort... (is) to supplement the rest with a digital currency, he said while addressing annual general meeting of industry chamber FICCI.

The whole process of remonetisation is not going to take very long time and Im sure very soon the Reserve Bank by injecting currency daily into the banking and postal system will be able to complete that, he added.

Also, the push to use the digital mode to make payments has been gaining ground. The manner it has taken place in the last five weeks is indeed commendable. Only a section of Parliament seems unaware of what is happening, he said.

Once the remonetisation process is complete, it will mark the creation of a new Indian normal because the normal that existed for 70 years is an unacceptable normal, he added.

The 70-year normal had become a way of life for almost every Indian. It was not merely a fact that you had a lot more cash currency, far larger cash currency as part of your GDP... the economic and social consequences of that are extremely adverse. Jailtey also added that dealing in that cash had led to a lot of aberrations in terms of tax non-compliance.

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday widened wriggle space for the government by hinting that not all of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore worth of currency junked will be remonetised through issuance of new notes. This gap, he pointed out, will be filled by digital currency. Calling the scrapping of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes as a courageous step, he said the government could do it as India today has the capacity to take such decisions and experiment boldly. The move will create a new Indian normal as the one that existed for the past seven decades is unacceptable, he said, adding that demonetisation will help rid the economy of high cash circulation that had led to tax evasion, blackmoney and currency being used for crime. One of the efforts of this exercise has to be that even though a reduced cash currency could remain, our conscious effort... (is) to supplement the rest with a digital currency, he said while addressing annual general meeting of industry chamber FICCI. The whole process of remonetisation is not going to take very long time and Im sure very soon the Reserve Bank by injecting currency daily into the banking and postal system will be able to complete that, he added. Also, the push to use the digital mode to make payments has been gaining ground. The manner it has taken place in the last five weeks is indeed commendable. Only a section of Parliament seems unaware of what is happening, he said. Once the remonetisation process is complete, it will mark the creation of a new Indian normal because the normal that existed for 70 years is an unacceptable normal, he added. The 70-year normal had become a way of life for almost every Indian. It was not merely a fact that you had a lot more cash currency, far larger cash currency as part of your GDP... the economic and social consequences of that are extremely adverse. Jailtey also added that dealing in that cash had led to a lot of aberrations in terms of tax non-compliance.
By Express News Service

Post demonetisation, attention has shifted to cashless payments. Payment apps and mobile wallets have become the in-thing. While private operators and mobile wallets like PayTm are hogging the limelight, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India has also brought in a wide range of products for cashless payments like the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS), Rupay cards and others. Here, we take a look at how NPCIs initiatives are faring post demonetisation.

Unified Payment Interface (UPI)

UPI is a mobile app ecosystem with banking features to facilitate payments that NPCI introduced in August, 2016.

It primarily enables quick and convenient fund transfer from one account to another and for payment to merchants during shopping.

21 banks like State Bank of India (SBI), Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank have UPI apps which can be downloaded from Google Playstore. Transactions to the tune of Rs 1 lakh can be done through UPI.

Payment through UPI can be made even if the bank with which he has an account, does not have UPI app.

NPCI claims that UPI usage has doubled post demonetisation.

But lack of awareness about UPI is hindering its progress. Many do not know about UPI.

Instead of separate UPI app for each bank, users say it will be convenient if only one UPI app is brought in

RuPay Cards

RuPay Cards have seen good growth post demonetisation as usage at PoS terminals, retail outlets and e-commerce sites, increased by more than 100 percent

Number of RuPay Cards in circulation : 300 million.

4 lakh transactions daily before demonetisation.

10 lakh transactions daily after demonetisation.

To encourage RuPay transactions, many banks pre-emptively waived Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on transactions till December 30.

However RuPay cards can only be used to pay for transactions in India

USSD (*99#) & AEPS

Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a mobile banking service feature which enables users to transfer money through mobile without internet.

A person has to register with his bank for mobile banking to use USSD banking

Offers balance checking, mini statement and other services besides fund transfer

Transfers can be executed by dialing *99#.

Drawback is that there is a limit of H5000 for each transaction.

Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) can be considered the next level of online payment solutions, where payments are made swift and transparent by linking Aadhar details with users bank account.

RBI, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), NPCI and Institute of Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) are working together to introduce AEPS successfully.

NPCI has successfully integrated Aadhar details with banks accounts and tested transferring of funds from one bank account to other through PoS (Micro ATM). AEFS may soon be launched.

While Aadhar Payment Bridge System is already used to transfer benefits, feel that it will help financial inclusion, enhance transparency and control black money.

Can check balance, withdraw, deposit and transfer at micro ATMs.

Post demonetisation, attention has shifted to cashless payments. Payment apps and mobile wallets have become the in-thing. While private operators and mobile wallets like PayTm are hogging the limelight, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an umbrella organisation for all retail payments system in India has also brought in a wide range of products for cashless payments like the Unified Payment Interface (UPI), Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS), Rupay cards and others. Here, we take a look at how NPCIs initiatives are faring post demonetisation. Unified Payment Interface (UPI) UPI is a mobile app ecosystem with banking features to facilitate payments that NPCI introduced in August, 2016. It primarily enables quick and convenient fund transfer from one account to another and for payment to merchants during shopping. 21 banks like State Bank of India (SBI), Union Bank of India, Andhra Bank have UPI apps which can be downloaded from Google Playstore. Transactions to the tune of Rs 1 lakh can be done through UPI. Payment through UPI can be made even if the bank with which he has an account, does not have UPI app. NPCI claims that UPI usage has doubled post demonetisation. But lack of awareness about UPI is hindering its progress. Many do not know about UPI. Instead of separate UPI app for each bank, users say it will be convenient if only one UPI app is brought in RuPay Cards RuPay Cards have seen good growth post demonetisation as usage at PoS terminals, retail outlets and e-commerce sites, increased by more than 100 percent Number of RuPay Cards in circulation : 300 million. 4 lakh transactions daily before demonetisation. 10 lakh transactions daily after demonetisation. To encourage RuPay transactions, many banks pre-emptively waived Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on transactions till December 30. However RuPay cards can only be used to pay for transactions in India USSD (*99#) & AEPS Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a mobile banking service feature which enables users to transfer money through mobile without internet. A person has to register with his bank for mobile banking to use USSD banking Offers balance checking, mini statement and other services besides fund transfer Transfers can be executed by dialing *99#. Drawback is that there is a limit of H5000 for each transaction. Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) can be considered the next level of online payment solutions, where payments are made swift and transparent by linking Aadhar details with users bank account. RBI, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), NPCI and Institute of Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) are working together to introduce AEPS successfully. NPCI has successfully integrated Aadhar details with banks accounts and tested transferring of funds from one bank account to other through PoS (Micro ATM). AEFS may soon be launched. While Aadhar Payment Bridge System is already used to transfer benefits, feel that it will help financial inclusion, enhance transparency and control black money. Can check balance, withdraw, deposit and transfer at micro ATMs.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: In full public view, a 25-year-old woman advocate was stabbed to death by an unidentified youth in Mahalakshmi Layout on Saturday evening. The reason for the murder is yet to be ascertained.

The deceased is Jyothi, a native of Kanakapura, who was staying in a paying gues accommodation near Rajajinagar. She started practising law with an senior advocate from September.

Police said the incident occurred at 6.45pm when she was walking towards a bus stop to get back to her PG accommodation after work. A man followed her and stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and neck with a knife. The public tried to catch the accused but he escaped. Locals rushed Jyothi to a hospital nearby where she was declared brought dead.

Police are speaking to the family to ascertain if she was in a relationship with anyone and the possible motive for the murder.

Ravi, an eyewitness, said, The woman was speaking to a man when she was attacked. He ran away.

Police sources said Jyothis friend Madhu was in touch with her. They have detained one person and are questioning him. Jyothis sister is studying in the city while he parents live in Kanakapura.

BENGALURU: In full public view, a 25-year-old woman advocate was stabbed to death by an unidentified youth in Mahalakshmi Layout on Saturday evening. The reason for the murder is yet to be ascertained. The deceased is Jyothi, a native of Kanakapura, who was staying in a paying gues accommodation near Rajajinagar. She started practising law with an senior advocate from September. Police said the incident occurred at 6.45pm when she was walking towards a bus stop to get back to her PG accommodation after work. A man followed her and stabbed her repeatedly in the chest and neck with a knife. The public tried to catch the accused but he escaped. Locals rushed Jyothi to a hospital nearby where she was declared brought dead. Police are speaking to the family to ascertain if she was in a relationship with anyone and the possible motive for the murder. Ravi, an eyewitness, said, The woman was speaking to a man when she was attacked. He ran away. Police sources said Jyothis friend Madhu was in touch with her. They have detained one person and are questioning him. Jyothis sister is studying in the city while he parents live in Kanakapura.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: In yet another incident, a driver escaped with cash worth Rs 20 lakh along with a logistic vehicle belonging to a private agency on Saturday. Later, the cash was found abandoned at Yemaluru Lake near HSR Layout, while the vehicle was found near Madiwala.



According to the police, 25-year-old Hussain, a native of Assam along with three staff and a gunman had gone to Murageshapalya on Old Airport road to fill cash at an ATM of the State Bank of Mysore on Saturday evening.

When the staff went inside the ATM, Hussain took advantage of the opportunity and drove away. The staff alerted the Airport police and the police rushed to his room in Koramangala where he lives by himself. On not finding him there they alerted the city police who searched for the vehicle.

On Sunday afternoon the vehicle was found abandoned near Madiwala. Then the residents who found the cash box at Yemaluru lake alerted HSR Layout police who recovered it.

Based on CCTV footage police are looking out for the accused driver Hussain, who had joined the logistic company five months ago.



It may be recalled November 23, Domnic, the driver of a private logistics had escaped with Rs 1.37 crore along with the vehicle and eight days later he was arrested.

BENGALURU: In yet another incident, a driver escaped with cash worth Rs 20 lakh along with a logistic vehicle belonging to a private agency on Saturday. Later, the cash was found abandoned at Yemaluru Lake near HSR Layout, while the vehicle was found near Madiwala. According to the police, 25-year-old Hussain, a native of Assam along with three staff and a gunman had gone to Murageshapalya on Old Airport road to fill cash at an ATM of the State Bank of Mysore on Saturday evening. When the staff went inside the ATM, Hussain took advantage of the opportunity and drove away. The staff alerted the Airport police and the police rushed to his room in Koramangala where he lives by himself. On not finding him there they alerted the city police who searched for the vehicle. On Sunday afternoon the vehicle was found abandoned near Madiwala. Then the residents who found the cash box at Yemaluru lake alerted HSR Layout police who recovered it. Based on CCTV footage police are looking out for the accused driver Hussain, who had joined the logistic company five months ago. It may be recalled November 23, Domnic, the driver of a private logistics had escaped with Rs 1.37 crore along with the vehicle and eight days later he was arrested.
Sanjib Kumar Roy By

Express News Service

PORT BLAIR: The Income Tax (I-T) unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Saturday began investigation into the seizure Rs 16 lakh cash from a priest, at Port Blair airport.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) team deputed at Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair on Friday seized huge amount of cash from the priest, a Chennai-bound passenger.

As per reports, the person, identified as G Gopal Krishnan, was heading towards Chennai via Indigo Airlines with cash of Rs 16,00,000.

During the X-Ray baggage checking, upon noticing something suspicious in his bag, the Central Industrial Security Force personnel immediately opened and checked the bag.

Sources said that while checking, the CISF unit found around seven and a half bundles of new Rs 2,000 notes and some notes of new Rs 500 kept in two different bags. Sources added that the man was also carrying Rs 1,00,000 in old currency notes.

The CISF personnel immediately informed the matter to the Income Tax department unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, after which a team of officials reached the spot and took the man for interrogation. The officials also took the cash in their custody.

After interrogation, on Saturday, the I-T officials found that out of the seized amount, Rs 15 lakh belonged to a jewellery shop owner based out of Andaman.

Subsequently, a team of Income Tax officials, along with a police, interrogated the businessman.

Speaking to Express, a senior police officer said, Our men went with Income Tax sleuths to the jewellery shop, from where the person is said to have received such huge cash. I cant give more details about this matter at this moment.

The entire episode has raised many questions as to how the man managed to collect the new Rs 2,000 denomination notes in such large numbers and which bank had issued the amount. This seizure is part of a massive crackdown against black money in Andaman and Nicobar Islands since demonetisation.

PORT BLAIR: The Income Tax (I-T) unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Saturday began investigation into the seizure Rs 16 lakh cash from a priest, at Port Blair airport. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) team deputed at Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair on Friday seized huge amount of cash from the priest, a Chennai-bound passenger. As per reports, the person, identified as G Gopal Krishnan, was heading towards Chennai via Indigo Airlines with cash of Rs 16,00,000. During the X-Ray baggage checking, upon noticing something suspicious in his bag, the Central Industrial Security Force personnel immediately opened and checked the bag. Sources said that while checking, the CISF unit found around seven and a half bundles of new Rs 2,000 notes and some notes of new Rs 500 kept in two different bags. Sources added that the man was also carrying Rs 1,00,000 in old currency notes. The CISF personnel immediately informed the matter to the Income Tax department unit of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, after which a team of officials reached the spot and took the man for interrogation. The officials also took the cash in their custody. After interrogation, on Saturday, the I-T officials found that out of the seized amount, Rs 15 lakh belonged to a jewellery shop owner based out of Andaman. Subsequently, a team of Income Tax officials, along with a police, interrogated the businessman. Speaking to Express, a senior police officer said, Our men went with Income Tax sleuths to the jewellery shop, from where the person is said to have received such huge cash. I cant give more details about this matter at this moment. The entire episode has raised many questions as to how the man managed to collect the new Rs 2,000 denomination notes in such large numbers and which bank had issued the amount. This seizure is part of a massive crackdown against black money in Andaman and Nicobar Islands since demonetisation.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The trial in the case related to seizure of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from Manjeri in 2012 will begin at the NIA Court here on January 3. The court posted the case for trial after charges were framed against the West Bengal natives accused in the case.

The accused in the case are Masidur Rahaman alias Muhammed Masuideen; Mojammel Hoque alias Bablu; Farman Ali; Masud Alam; Shish Muhammed; and Mojibur Rahaman alias Mujeeb. Meanwhile, Harishchandrapur-native Mohammed Inshan Ali turned approver in the case.

It was on September 17, 2012, that the Manjeri Police arrested Masidur Rahaman, based on a complaint that he paid a fake currency note of 1000 denomination at a mobile phone shop. Later, 45 more fake notes were seized from his residence.

In addition, the police recovered three counterfeit currency notes of 1000 denomination from Mojammil Haq, four from Farman Ali and Masud Alam each, five from Shish Muhammad and one from Mujibur Rahaman. Fake currencies worth a total of `61,000 were recovered from the accused.

Considering the high technology used in printing the currencies, the case was handed over to the NIA, which found that the currency notes were printed in Pakistan and smuggled into India through the West Bengal-Bangladesh border.

KOCHI: The trial in the case related to seizure of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from Manjeri in 2012 will begin at the NIA Court here on January 3. The court posted the case for trial after charges were framed against the West Bengal natives accused in the case. The accused in the case are Masidur Rahaman alias Muhammed Masuideen; Mojammel Hoque alias Bablu; Farman Ali; Masud Alam; Shish Muhammed; and Mojibur Rahaman alias Mujeeb. Meanwhile, Harishchandrapur-native Mohammed Inshan Ali turned approver in the case. It was on September 17, 2012, that the Manjeri Police arrested Masidur Rahaman, based on a complaint that he paid a fake currency note of 1000 denomination at a mobile phone shop. Later, 45 more fake notes were seized from his residence. In addition, the police recovered three counterfeit currency notes of 1000 denomination from Mojammil Haq, four from Farman Ali and Masud Alam each, five from Shish Muhammad and one from Mujibur Rahaman. Fake currencies worth a total of `61,000 were recovered from the accused. Considering the high technology used in printing the currencies, the case was handed over to the NIA, which found that the currency notes were printed in Pakistan and smuggled into India through the West Bengal-Bangladesh border.
By Express News Service

Britisher Laurie Baker, who made India his home after meeting Mahatma Gandhi at Mumbais Birla Bhawan in 1945, is known as the master creator of symphonies in brick, a series of buildings he designed and constructed in Kerala. His 33-year-old grandson Vineet Radhakrishnan, who lives in Bengaluru, has just made a documentary film on Baker, which sheds light on his remarkable life.

As time passes, the relevance of something or someone diminishes. I thought his ideas of respecting the environment, conserving scarce resources, energy efficiency, rediscovering pride in our cultural heritage and the idea that architecture and we as a people do not exist in a social vacuum are more relevant today than ever before, says Vineet, the master architects grandson who made the 107-minute long documentary, Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker.

Filmed over three-and-a-half years, the film examines Bakers pioneering, socially and environmentally relevant building philosophies, while making use of radical and innovative ideas that redefined the role that the architect and his architecture chose to play in society. Baker died on April 1, 2007, at the age of 90.

Delhi-based architect Gautam Bhatia, who authored Laurie Baker: Life, Work and Writings, says in the documentary that Bakers engineering background helped him use ordinary material in extraordinary ways.

Ever open to experimentation, Baker was always coming up with something new in each of his designs. Age did not deter him from climbing a scaffold or two to show workers how bricks needed to be lined up to achieve the design he had visualised. I wanted to make a movie as it translated well as a contemporary and engaging medium to tell Bakers multi-layered story and convey the visual elements of his work to a large young global audience, says Vineet.

Laurie Baker

The documentary showcases how the ace architect incorporated Gandhian ideals into his structures, combining aesthetic appeal with comfort and cost-effectiveness. Baker designed over 1,500 constructions, including houses for the Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop, Muttom Tourist Resort, Loyola Buildings at Sreekaryam, Centre for Development Studies at Ulloor, St. Johns Cathedral Thiruvalla, Nalanda State Institute of Languages, Chitralekha Film Studio, Mary Roys Pallikoodam in Kottayam, Poonthura Fishing Village, Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram and Chengalchoola Slum Dwelling Units.

He was a thorough professional, so committed to his work that he never had any worries over Intellectual Property Rights. Anyone could use his creations. I have never seen this generous streak in anybody else, says Kerala Chief Secretary

S M Vijayanand about Baker. To know of film screening schedules and purchase options, visit lauriebaker.net.

Britisher Laurie Baker, who made India his home after meeting Mahatma Gandhi at Mumbais Birla Bhawan in 1945, is known as the master creator of symphonies in brick, a series of buildings he designed and constructed in Kerala. His 33-year-old grandson Vineet Radhakrishnan, who lives in Bengaluru, has just made a documentary film on Baker, which sheds light on his remarkable life. As time passes, the relevance of something or someone diminishes. I thought his ideas of respecting the environment, conserving scarce resources, energy efficiency, rediscovering pride in our cultural heritage and the idea that architecture and we as a people do not exist in a social vacuum are more relevant today than ever before, says Vineet, the master architects grandson who made the 107-minute long documentary, Uncommon Sense: The Life and Architecture of Laurie Baker. Filmed over three-and-a-half years, the film examines Bakers pioneering, socially and environmentally relevant building philosophies, while making use of radical and innovative ideas that redefined the role that the architect and his architecture chose to play in society. Baker died on April 1, 2007, at the age of 90. Delhi-based architect Gautam Bhatia, who authored Laurie Baker: Life, Work and Writings, says in the documentary that Bakers engineering background helped him use ordinary material in extraordinary ways. Ever open to experimentation, Baker was always coming up with something new in each of his designs. Age did not deter him from climbing a scaffold or two to show workers how bricks needed to be lined up to achieve the design he had visualised. I wanted to make a movie as it translated well as a contemporary and engaging medium to tell Bakers multi-layered story and convey the visual elements of his work to a large young global audience, says Vineet. Laurie BakerThe documentary showcases how the ace architect incorporated Gandhian ideals into his structures, combining aesthetic appeal with comfort and cost-effectiveness. Baker designed over 1,500 constructions, including houses for the Thiruvananthapuram Archbishop, Muttom Tourist Resort, Loyola Buildings at Sreekaryam, Centre for Development Studies at Ulloor, St. Johns Cathedral Thiruvalla, Nalanda State Institute of Languages, Chitralekha Film Studio, Mary Roys Pallikoodam in Kottayam, Poonthura Fishing Village, Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram and Chengalchoola Slum Dwelling Units. He was a thorough professional, so committed to his work that he never had any worries over Intellectual Property Rights. Anyone could use his creations. I have never seen this generous streak in anybody else, says Kerala Chief Secretary S M Vijayanand about Baker. To know of film screening schedules and purchase options, visit lauriebaker.net.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: After furore over the clarifications of the revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia that the political parties continue to be exempted from income tax provisions while depositing the denotified currencies, the Election Commission has sought a bar on the anonymous donations to them above Rs 2000 in a bid to ensure that the political outfits dont become conduits for black money.

The Election Commission has sent a draft amendment legislative proposal, which is currently lying with the Ministry of Law, wherein it has asked the government ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2000 and above made to political parties. Incidentally, the existing law -- The Representation of the People Act, 1951  does not bar the political parties from accepting anonymous donations. However, the political parties as per the Section 29C of the RPA Act makes it mandatory to divulge details of donations above Rs 20,000.

The EC in a missive to the government has sought to make the law more stringent by lowering the ceiling from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000.

The EC has further sought that exemption of income tax should only be extended to political parties which contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or Assembly polls. Incidentally, the EC has noted that out of 1900 registered political parties only 400 contested polls between 2005 and 2015.

NEW DELHI: After furore over the clarifications of the revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia that the political parties continue to be exempted from income tax provisions while depositing the denotified currencies, the Election Commission has sought a bar on the anonymous donations to them above Rs 2000 in a bid to ensure that the political outfits dont become conduits for black money. The Election Commission has sent a draft amendment legislative proposal, which is currently lying with the Ministry of Law, wherein it has asked the government ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2000 and above made to political parties. Incidentally, the existing law -- The Representation of the People Act, 1951  does not bar the political parties from accepting anonymous donations. However, the political parties as per the Section 29C of the RPA Act makes it mandatory to divulge details of donations above Rs 20,000. The EC in a missive to the government has sought to make the law more stringent by lowering the ceiling from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000. The EC has further sought that exemption of income tax should only be extended to political parties which contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or Assembly polls. Incidentally, the EC has noted that out of 1900 registered political parties only 400 contested polls between 2005 and 2015.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Violence broke out in restive Manipur again on Sunday with the protestors torching and damaging over 20 vehicles, carrying mostly the Nagas (tribesmen), even as the authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Imphal East district and suspended mobile Internet services in Imphal West district.

The violence was the fallout of an indefinite economic blockade enforced on two national highways  lifelines of Manipur  since November 1 by Manipurs apex social organisation of the Nagas United Naga Council (UNC) in protest against the Okram Ibobi Singh governments decision in October to upgrade Sadar Hills and Jiribam to full-fledged districts. Subsequently, the government had taken a decision earlier this month to create five more districts.

EPS

Officials did not take calls but sources said three buses were torched and at least 18 small vehicles were damaged. Escorted by policemen, some hundreds of people were travelling in a convoy of vehicles to Ukhrul, which is one of the four Naga-majority districts of Manipur, from state capital Imphal. The vehicles were targeted at Lamlong, around 5km away, in the Imphal valley.

After the violent attack, while some people managed to flee, around 300 others were taken away to a nearby community hall by the authorities. Later, they were shifted to the 1st Manipur Rifles battalion headquarters for their safety.

The state Cabinet on Saturday night decided to suspend Internet services in Imphal West district with immediate effect. Subsequently, the District Magistrate issued an order directing telecom operators to suspend the services until further orders.

The decision was made as rumours were being circulated through social networking sites in the wake of a series of violent incidents, including the triple blasts on Friday evening and the attack on Manipurs biggest church in Imphal on Saturday. Most areas of Imphal fall under Imphal West district. Sources said the situation was very tense but under control.



GUWAHATI: Violence broke out in restive Manipur again on Sunday with the protestors torching and damaging over 20 vehicles, carrying mostly the Nagas (tribesmen), even as the authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in Imphal East district and suspended mobile Internet services in Imphal West district. The violence was the fallout of an indefinite economic blockade enforced on two national highways  lifelines of Manipur  since November 1 by Manipurs apex social organisation of the Nagas United Naga Council (UNC) in protest against the Okram Ibobi Singh governments decision in October to upgrade Sadar Hills and Jiribam to full-fledged districts. Subsequently, the government had taken a decision earlier this month to create five more districts. EPSOfficials did not take calls but sources said three buses were torched and at least 18 small vehicles were damaged. Escorted by policemen, some hundreds of people were travelling in a convoy of vehicles to Ukhrul, which is one of the four Naga-majority districts of Manipur, from state capital Imphal. The vehicles were targeted at Lamlong, around 5km away, in the Imphal valley. After the violent attack, while some people managed to flee, around 300 others were taken away to a nearby community hall by the authorities. Later, they were shifted to the 1st Manipur Rifles battalion headquarters for their safety. The state Cabinet on Saturday night decided to suspend Internet services in Imphal West district with immediate effect. Subsequently, the District Magistrate issued an order directing telecom operators to suspend the services until further orders. The decision was made as rumours were being circulated through social networking sites in the wake of a series of violent incidents, including the triple blasts on Friday evening and the attack on Manipurs biggest church in Imphal on Saturday. Most areas of Imphal fall under Imphal West district. Sources said the situation was very tense but under control.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: At a conclave in Lucknow on Thursday, when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was asked about his ongoing game of one-upmanship with his uncle Shivpal Yadav and whether they would present a united front during elections, his reply was: Chacha mere saath ho ya na ho, janata mere saath hai (Doesnt matter whether I get the backing of my uncle or not, people of UP are with me).



The comment, though made in jest, reflected the state of affair in UPs ruling party just before a make-or-break state polls. After a relative calm following a tumultuous September and October, the ticket distribution has once again exposed the fault lines in SPs first family.

While one of the key demands of Akhilesh during the recent tussle was that he should be given a say in ticket distribution, Shivpal, in capacity of the state chief, is openly exercising his discretion. The first sign of it came last week when he fielded mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad from Kanpur Cantonment, reportedly without even consulting Akhilesh.

At a party function in Allahabad last month, Akhilesh pushed Atiq out of the stage when the latter tried to get closer to him. Giving ticket to Atiq was much against Akhileshs known stand of keeping the tainted and criminal elements at bay in these elections. Besides, Shivpal is announcing candidates by defying the norms of getting it vetted through the Central Parliamentary Board, says a member of Team Akhilesh.

Soon after, however, Akhilesh retaliated by appointing his key aide Javed Abdi as an adviser to the irrigation department. Abdi was pushed out of stage by Shivpal during the SPs silver jubilee programme in Lucknow. By giving him MoS rank in the irrigation department  held by Shivpal before he was removed -- Akhilesh sent out a strong message to his rivals in the party.

Sigbatullah Ansari, the Qaumi Ekta Dal leader and brother of another strongman Mukhtar Ansari, was also among 23 candidates announced by Shivpal last week and so was Brij Kishore Singh, the brother of sacked minister Raj Kishore Singh. After being sacked along with Gayatri Prajapati in September, Raj Kishore had spoken openly against Akhilesh.

Later, though Prajapati was reinstated, Raj Kishore is still out of ministry. Although party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, assuming the role of a peacemaker, said that the tickets were distributed after seeking Mulayams consent, Akhileshs statement that ticket distribution is a continuous process during elections. Tickets can be changed and candidates can be reviewed even after the announcement of poll dates, is being taken in the political circles as a clear indication of his intentions.

A number of lists may be out and candidates decided but the decision taken by partys top brass after the announcement of poll dates will stand, says a senior party leader close to Akhilesh. Moreover, the chief minister has made it amply clear that he will not campaign for the party candidates with criminal credentials. He is reportedly charting out his own campaign course with the third leg of his Vikas se Vijay ki Ore Rath Yatra in Bundelkhand. Akhilesh has also conspicuously kept away from two rallies addressed by party chief Mulayam Sigh Yadav in Ghazipur and Bareilly so far. Both the rallies were organised by State SP chief Shivpal Yadav.

LUCKNOW: At a conclave in Lucknow on Thursday, when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was asked about his ongoing game of one-upmanship with his uncle Shivpal Yadav and whether they would present a united front during elections, his reply was: Chacha mere saath ho ya na ho, janata mere saath hai (Doesnt matter whether I get the backing of my uncle or not, people of UP are with me). The comment, though made in jest, reflected the state of affair in UPs ruling party just before a make-or-break state polls. After a relative calm following a tumultuous September and October, the ticket distribution has once again exposed the fault lines in SPs first family. While one of the key demands of Akhilesh during the recent tussle was that he should be given a say in ticket distribution, Shivpal, in capacity of the state chief, is openly exercising his discretion. The first sign of it came last week when he fielded mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad from Kanpur Cantonment, reportedly without even consulting Akhilesh. At a party function in Allahabad last month, Akhilesh pushed Atiq out of the stage when the latter tried to get closer to him. Giving ticket to Atiq was much against Akhileshs known stand of keeping the tainted and criminal elements at bay in these elections. Besides, Shivpal is announcing candidates by defying the norms of getting it vetted through the Central Parliamentary Board, says a member of Team Akhilesh. Soon after, however, Akhilesh retaliated by appointing his key aide Javed Abdi as an adviser to the irrigation department. Abdi was pushed out of stage by Shivpal during the SPs silver jubilee programme in Lucknow. By giving him MoS rank in the irrigation department  held by Shivpal before he was removed -- Akhilesh sent out a strong message to his rivals in the party. Sigbatullah Ansari, the Qaumi Ekta Dal leader and brother of another strongman Mukhtar Ansari, was also among 23 candidates announced by Shivpal last week and so was Brij Kishore Singh, the brother of sacked minister Raj Kishore Singh. After being sacked along with Gayatri Prajapati in September, Raj Kishore had spoken openly against Akhilesh. Later, though Prajapati was reinstated, Raj Kishore is still out of ministry. Although party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav, assuming the role of a peacemaker, said that the tickets were distributed after seeking Mulayams consent, Akhileshs statement that ticket distribution is a continuous process during elections. Tickets can be changed and candidates can be reviewed even after the announcement of poll dates, is being taken in the political circles as a clear indication of his intentions. A number of lists may be out and candidates decided but the decision taken by partys top brass after the announcement of poll dates will stand, says a senior party leader close to Akhilesh. Moreover, the chief minister has made it amply clear that he will not campaign for the party candidates with criminal credentials. He is reportedly charting out his own campaign course with the third leg of his Vikas se Vijay ki Ore Rath Yatra in Bundelkhand. Akhilesh has also conspicuously kept away from two rallies addressed by party chief Mulayam Sigh Yadav in Ghazipur and Bareilly so far. Both the rallies were organised by State SP chief Shivpal Yadav.
The rollout of the Think. Make. Happen. initiative at the Future Wisconsin Summit is the latest effort to pitch Wisconsin as a place for young workers to find opportunity, to put down roots and to balance life and career.

That three-word bumper sticker is shorthand for think big, make your mark and anything can happen in Wisconsin. Its an ambitious initiative that will focus on young people already here as well as those who live elsewhere  in hopes they will check out what Wisconsin has to offer.

Wisconsin has a demographics problem. Economists and other experts have warned about a looming shortage of workers for years, and the crunch has finally hit home. Many companies cant find enough young workers to replace retiring baby boomers. Even if those employers can find workers, they dont always come with the skills required for the job.

The core problem is raw numbers. Assuming current trends continue, Wisconsin will have more retired workers than active workers within 15 years. Part of the problem is tied to a lower birth rate, part is brain drain or out-migration and part is a low attraction rate for workers who live elsewhere  whether thats Indiana, India or many places in between.

Solving Wisconsins workforce puzzle will require keeping more students and young people at home by exposing them to overlooked opportunities in industries such as manufacturing, building trades, health care and tech.

It will also require persuading people outside the Badger State that life here has more to offer than beer, cheese and the Green Bay Packers.

It will involve fully engaging people who might otherwise fall outside the workforce  the disabled, people getting out of the corrections system, people who can be weaned off social aid programs and people who didnt succeed in their initial run through the schools.

It will also require a rational approach to immigration law, something many Wisconsin business leaders believe is crucial.

The role of Think. Make. Happen. in solving this problem is to carry out a bottom-up story-telling campaign that builds on values consistent with Wisconsins entrepreneurial history and reiterated in surveys of people inside and outside Wisconsin.

Among them was the Wisconsin Perception Survey in late 2015, which was completed by 2,000 people across a mix of online formats.

Roughly 1,300 people from Wisconsin took the survey, which was coordinated by the Wisconsin Technology Council, along with 700 people from 47 other states.

The in-state group was older, slightly more male and decidedly angrier than the out-of-state group, which was younger, more female and much less likely to harbor negative perceptions of Wisconsin  beyond a few mental shivers over cold winters.

Common to both the in-state and out-of-state groups was limited recognition of career opportunities in Wisconsin beyond the stereotypical cheese, milk and more cheese.

Imbedded in the Perception Survey data and a later, larger survey by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. was a sense of values that matter to millennials. Some examples:

Young people are often motivated first by selecting where they want to live, then finding a job. Millennials value the elusive life-work balance.

That balance is often defined by a diverse nightlife, creative activities and a sense of community that includes them, not just older generations.

The outdoors is important to most millennials. Parks and proximity to green space and recreational areas are a strong draw.

The right digital connections are a must. Communities without fast, reliable broadband connections might as well be located in Siberia. Young people wont move to places that lack broadband and they certainly wont start businesses there.

Millennials want to live where there are other millennials, who often share similar values and social tolerances. They shy away from places they perceive arent welcoming.

We know that drawing attention to available jobs in the state is not enough to motivate the next generation of workers to pursue opportunities here, said Tricia Braun, deputy secretary of WEDC.

We need to celebrate the positive experiences that Wisconsin offers, and the social connections being developed among people committed to our states economic future. There is a strong desire among young people to make a contribution to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

As Think. Make. Happen. unfolds, look for WEDC and others to paint a richer picture of what Wisconsin offers in terms of education, careers, community and quality of life.
By PTI

JAMMU: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that if Rahul Gandhi would have been allowed to speak in Parliament, the Prime Minister would have been "exposed".

"Well he (Rahul Gandhi) was not given the opportunity as he wanted to say something on the floor of the House. Had he been given the opportunity to speak in the Parliament, he (Prime Minister) would have been exposed," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha told reporters here.

Azad said that if there was nothing to hide, then why the government and the MPs of the ruling party did not allow Rahul Gandhi to speak.

"(It was) because they did not want him (Prime Minister) to be exposed (by Rahul Gandhi)," Azad said.

Azad, who is also the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, blamed the BJP for the five-month long unrest in the Valley, stating that BJP being part of the government did not go well with the people of the state.

"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned we had warned the Prime Minister earlier that BJP government will not go well with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The situation which prevailed in Kashmir in the past five to six months, the main reason was the BJP forming the government in the state," Azad said.

On the issue of Robert Vadra's Bikaner land row, Azad said that the BJP government, in order to hide its own failures, was "befooling" the people of the country by raking up the "non-issues".

"Let me tell you whenever there has been an attack on the BJP or its corruption or misdoing (is exposed) they will try to divert the attention by saying this has happened and that has happened," he said.

On the Augusta Westland issue, Azad said, "Sometimes they raise Augusta. Same Augusta thing which was discussed for six hours in the Parliament and we had said about Augusta there was nothing and whatever deal was struck it was not concluded the government came to the conclusion that there was something fishy and it was the UPA government which initiated the CBI enquiry."

On the allegations levelled by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that political parties were exempted from the limit of cash deposits after the Congress delegation met the Prime Minister, Azad said that Kejriwal was fond of levelling allegations.

"Kejriwal in a day levels 100 allegations, we met the prime minister to submit a memorandum on behalf of over two crore farmers of Uttar Pradesh where congress vice president along with other party leaders had undertaken a Kissan yatra," he said.

He said that over two crore farmers in Uttar Pradesh had filled the forms given to them by the Congress demanding the waiving of their farm loans.

JAMMU: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that if Rahul Gandhi would have been allowed to speak in Parliament, the Prime Minister would have been "exposed". "Well he (Rahul Gandhi) was not given the opportunity as he wanted to say something on the floor of the House. Had he been given the opportunity to speak in the Parliament, he (Prime Minister) would have been exposed," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha told reporters here. Azad said that if there was nothing to hide, then why the government and the MPs of the ruling party did not allow Rahul Gandhi to speak. "(It was) because they did not want him (Prime Minister) to be exposed (by Rahul Gandhi)," Azad said. Azad, who is also the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, blamed the BJP for the five-month long unrest in the Valley, stating that BJP being part of the government did not go well with the people of the state. "As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned we had warned the Prime Minister earlier that BJP government will not go well with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The situation which prevailed in Kashmir in the past five to six months, the main reason was the BJP forming the government in the state," Azad said. On the issue of Robert Vadra's Bikaner land row, Azad said that the BJP government, in order to hide its own failures, was "befooling" the people of the country by raking up the "non-issues". "Let me tell you whenever there has been an attack on the BJP or its corruption or misdoing (is exposed) they will try to divert the attention by saying this has happened and that has happened," he said. On the Augusta Westland issue, Azad said, "Sometimes they raise Augusta. Same Augusta thing which was discussed for six hours in the Parliament and we had said about Augusta there was nothing and whatever deal was struck it was not concluded the government came to the conclusion that there was something fishy and it was the UPA government which initiated the CBI enquiry." On the allegations levelled by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that political parties were exempted from the limit of cash deposits after the Congress delegation met the Prime Minister, Azad said that Kejriwal was fond of levelling allegations. "Kejriwal in a day levels 100 allegations, we met the prime minister to submit a memorandum on behalf of over two crore farmers of Uttar Pradesh where congress vice president along with other party leaders had undertaken a Kissan yatra," he said. He said that over two crore farmers in Uttar Pradesh had filled the forms given to them by the Congress demanding the waiving of their farm loans.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: In a major development, the Centre has decided to accelerate solutions to inter-state river water disputes by setting up a single, permanent tribunal to hear all such cases. Besides the tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.

There will be only one permanent Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolved, Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said. The Cabinet has already cleared it and the Bill will be introduced in next Parliament session.

Water management experts and activists in Tamil Nadu have slammed the move as they feel the Centre has scuttled the efforts of the Supreme Court to form the Cauvery Management Board as mandated by the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT).

According to A Veerappan, retired Special Chief Engineer, TN PWD, The Centres efforts to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate inter-state water disputes will undermine the principles of federalism and will make things more complicated instead of resolving them.

Meanwhile, Mannargudi S Ranganathan, one of the original petitioners in the Cauvery dispute says, centralised tribunal would not yield the desired results and would only further delay the implementation of final awards of existing tribunals.

Water management experts say this could cause long legal battles. It would result in an enormous legal battle, says Dr S Janakarajan, attached to the Madras Institute of Development Studies.

When even the independent tribunals could not deliver in time, how can you expect a single tribunal to deliver in three years? All awards, even if delivered in time, would land up in the Supreme Court. Most important, it is unjustifiable to include all existing disputes in the new scheme, he said.



(With inputs from T Muruganantham, R Sivakumar, S Deepak Karthik and Nirupama Viswanathan)

NEW DELHI/CHENNAI: In a major development, the Centre has decided to accelerate solutions to inter-state river water disputes by setting up a single, permanent tribunal to hear all such cases. Besides the tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required. Unlike the Tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved. There will be only one permanent Tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolved, Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said. The Cabinet has already cleared it and the Bill will be introduced in next Parliament session. Water management experts and activists in Tamil Nadu have slammed the move as they feel the Centre has scuttled the efforts of the Supreme Court to form the Cauvery Management Board as mandated by the Cauvery River Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT). According to A Veerappan, retired Special Chief Engineer, TN PWD, The Centres efforts to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate inter-state water disputes will undermine the principles of federalism and will make things more complicated instead of resolving them. Meanwhile, Mannargudi S Ranganathan, one of the original petitioners in the Cauvery dispute says, centralised tribunal would not yield the desired results and would only further delay the implementation of final awards of existing tribunals. Water management experts say this could cause long legal battles. It would result in an enormous legal battle, says Dr S Janakarajan, attached to the Madras Institute of Development Studies. When even the independent tribunals could not deliver in time, how can you expect a single tribunal to deliver in three years? All awards, even if delivered in time, would land up in the Supreme Court. Most important, it is unjustifiable to include all existing disputes in the new scheme, he said. (With inputs from T Muruganantham, R Sivakumar, S Deepak Karthik and Nirupama Viswanathan)
Ravi Shankar By

Bluff is the backbone of populist politics. Calling the bluff is its spine. Rahul Gandhi claims he has got the goods on Narendra Modi. He even promised an earthquake, but so far it has registered only Zero on the Richter scale. It is puzzling why the Congress Vice President is not backing up his accusations with proof if he is really in possession of them. Maybe he has none. With the Uttar Pradesh poll campaign stoking up the Fahrenheit, Rahul perhaps thinks his tall talk will help his party, which seeks 100 seats in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party.

Modi has called his bluff by just ignoring Gandhis hyperbole.

History has showed that allegations of corruption, if politically managed, can wreak havoc on a mass leader. Modi has no intention of falling into such a trap. Rahuls father Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister with the largest ever majority around the same age as his son is today. He had charisma, but lost it because he didnt call the Oppositions bluff. He just didnt know how to. Hence, he lost the elections, too.

Narendra Modi is an astute politician, who has defeated his enemies in backroom battlefields as well as in electoral combat across hinterland India. In spite of popular distress over demonetisation, the difference between Rajiv and Modi is the strength of conviction. Rajiv never seemed fully convinced about his own leadership; the massive mandate was a vote for his mothers martyrdom rather than his skills as a leader. The incorruptible Modi, on the other hand, is a man of destiny, willing to take huge risks in the belief that he can cleanse corruption in public life, unmindful of consequences.

Rahul knows how important UP is to all parties. But training guns on a powerful opponent sans gunpower will backfire. Both Robert Vadras land deals and the National Herald case may prove costly for the Gandhis.

The trick of winning mass acceptability is to adapt your political strategy to your personality. Modis aggressive and authoritative energy has won him the reputation of a prime minister who doesnt pull his punches.

Atal Bihari Vajpayees gentle, yet steely personality precluded histrionics; he was effective as a paterfamilial disciplinarianiron-handed but with a velvet glove, bringing unruly family members of a coalition into line. Rahul needs a political style that suits his disposition. Aggression and allegations are not his strong pointshis phonetic manner and irregular forays into political actions reveal a pleasant young man pushed into a career not of his choosing. He sounds extremely unconvincing when he tries to street fight his formidable opponent.

Hence, Rahuls charges of corruption against Prime Minister Modi makes his position vulnerable. Its time Mummy insisted he develops a team, which has both youth and experience; delegate responsibility and evolve a cadre-friendly style if he wants to get anything done. Unlike his father and grandmother, he lacks personal charisma.

Sonia converted her poor mass connect into a Sphinx-like advantage which leaves everyone guessing. Rahul needs substance, and not raspberry rhetoric to win at least 10 out of the 100 seats he wants in UP. Or else, the allegations against him from both within and outside the Congress of being a whimsical and inconsistent leader will be established beyond bluff.

Ravi Shankar

ravi@newindianexpress.com

Bluff is the backbone of populist politics. Calling the bluff is its spine. Rahul Gandhi claims he has got the goods on Narendra Modi. He even promised an earthquake, but so far it has registered only Zero on the Richter scale. It is puzzling why the Congress Vice President is not backing up his accusations with proof if he is really in possession of them. Maybe he has none. With the Uttar Pradesh poll campaign stoking up the Fahrenheit, Rahul perhaps thinks his tall talk will help his party, which seeks 100 seats in an alliance with the Samajwadi Party. Modi has called his bluff by just ignoring Gandhis hyperbole. History has showed that allegations of corruption, if politically managed, can wreak havoc on a mass leader. Modi has no intention of falling into such a trap. Rahuls father Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister with the largest ever majority around the same age as his son is today. He had charisma, but lost it because he didnt call the Oppositions bluff. He just didnt know how to. Hence, he lost the elections, too. Narendra Modi is an astute politician, who has defeated his enemies in backroom battlefields as well as in electoral combat across hinterland India. In spite of popular distress over demonetisation, the difference between Rajiv and Modi is the strength of conviction. Rajiv never seemed fully convinced about his own leadership; the massive mandate was a vote for his mothers martyrdom rather than his skills as a leader. The incorruptible Modi, on the other hand, is a man of destiny, willing to take huge risks in the belief that he can cleanse corruption in public life, unmindful of consequences. Rahul knows how important UP is to all parties. But training guns on a powerful opponent sans gunpower will backfire. Both Robert Vadras land deals and the National Herald case may prove costly for the Gandhis. The trick of winning mass acceptability is to adapt your political strategy to your personality. Modis aggressive and authoritative energy has won him the reputation of a prime minister who doesnt pull his punches. Atal Bihari Vajpayees gentle, yet steely personality precluded histrionics; he was effective as a paterfamilial disciplinarianiron-handed but with a velvet glove, bringing unruly family members of a coalition into line. Rahul needs a political style that suits his disposition. Aggression and allegations are not his strong pointshis phonetic manner and irregular forays into political actions reveal a pleasant young man pushed into a career not of his choosing. He sounds extremely unconvincing when he tries to street fight his formidable opponent. Hence, Rahuls charges of corruption against Prime Minister Modi makes his position vulnerable. Its time Mummy insisted he develops a team, which has both youth and experience; delegate responsibility and evolve a cadre-friendly style if he wants to get anything done. Unlike his father and grandmother, he lacks personal charisma. Sonia converted her poor mass connect into a Sphinx-like advantage which leaves everyone guessing. Rahul needs substance, and not raspberry rhetoric to win at least 10 out of the 100 seats he wants in UP. Or else, the allegations against him from both within and outside the Congress of being a whimsical and inconsistent leader will be established beyond bluff. Ravi Shankar ravi@newindianexpress.com
Soli J Sorabjee By

The wash-out of the winter session of Parliament is distressing. Debate and discussion are sine qua non in a democracy. Our Parliament is from its very nature and composition a vital forum for debates before enacting the legislation or taking important policy decisions. Any piece of legislation before it is ultimately enacted as a statute needs to be vigorously debated, in the course of which some unfair or oppressive provisions may be pointed out and sharply criticised.

A responsible and responsive government would, or should, pay heed to the criticisms and make suitable amendments. That is what democracy is all about. Otherwise, democracy ceases to be the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It becomes bludgeoning of the people by a few to the detriment of the people.



On account of the rowdy behaviour of some MPs, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are constrained to adjourn the House because of their unwillingness or inability to discipline them. This tarnishes the image of our Parliament. The average Indian citizen loses respect for the Houses when their representatives behave in a shoddy manner with impunity.



The recent remarks of President Pranab Mukherjee on this issue, For Gods sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business in Parliament. Disruption of Parliament is not acceptable at all are significant.



Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Hamid Ansari, expressed his dismay over regular and continuous disruptions which characterised the winter session. In memorable words, he said the symbolism of dignified protest so essential for orderly conduct of parliamentary proceedings was abandoned. This deprived members of the opportunity to seek accountability of the executive through questions and discussions on matters of public interest.



Ansari was pained that the prohibition in the rules about shouting slogans, displaying posters and obstructing proceedings by leaving their assigned places was consistently ignored by all sections of the House. He urged that all sections of the House need to introspect on the distinction between dissent, disruption and agitation.



If the sentiments expressed by our President and Vice-President Hamid Ansari as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not heeded, there will be terrible deficit in democracy, and consequently our democracy will be under siege. Is it too much to hope that good sense will prevail, and the disruptions which we witnessed were just an aberration? Or is that an Utopian dream? May be. But remember that a country, which does not have Utopia on its map, is not worth living in and progress is the realisation of Utopia.

Commendable stand of US Attorney General

It is regrettable that a blanket ban has been imposed in the US on the entry of people on the basis of faith. Attorney General of US Loretta Lynch criticised the action on the ground that to impose a blanket stereotype on all members of any faith because of the actions of those who pervert that faith is to go backwards in our thinking and our discourse, and to repudiate the founding ideals of this country.

Lynch made the statement in an inter-faith address at a mosque in Greater Washington Area of Virginia, which was attended by Indian Americans of different faiths. Lynch said the Department of Justice and the entire Obama administration regard hate crimes with utmost seriousness, whenever they target individuals because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. She went on to say that Muslim Americans are our friends and family members, our doctors and nurses, our police officers and firefighters. They own businesses and teach in classrooms.

Thousands of them have fought for the American flag and died defending it. And yet too often, especially in the last year following a number of tragic terrorist incidents, and amidst an increase in divisive and fearful rhetoric we have seen Muslim Americans targeted and demonised simply because of their faith.



The US Attorney General declared: Muslim Americans, Sikh Americans

and Hindu Americans, all practitioners of all faiths, You are friends, You are family members. This laudable stand taken by Lynch should be emulated in other democracies.

solisorabjee@gmail.com

The wash-out of the winter session of Parliament is distressing. Debate and discussion are sine qua non in a democracy. Our Parliament is from its very nature and composition a vital forum for debates before enacting the legislation or taking important policy decisions. Any piece of legislation before it is ultimately enacted as a statute needs to be vigorously debated, in the course of which some unfair or oppressive provisions may be pointed out and sharply criticised. A responsible and responsive government would, or should, pay heed to the criticisms and make suitable amendments. That is what democracy is all about. Otherwise, democracy ceases to be the government of the people, by the people and for the people. It becomes bludgeoning of the people by a few to the detriment of the people. On account of the rowdy behaviour of some MPs, the presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are constrained to adjourn the House because of their unwillingness or inability to discipline them. This tarnishes the image of our Parliament. The average Indian citizen loses respect for the Houses when their representatives behave in a shoddy manner with impunity. The recent remarks of President Pranab Mukherjee on this issue, For Gods sake, do your job. You are meant to transact business in Parliament. Disruption of Parliament is not acceptable at all are significant. Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Hamid Ansari, expressed his dismay over regular and continuous disruptions which characterised the winter session. In memorable words, he said the symbolism of dignified protest so essential for orderly conduct of parliamentary proceedings was abandoned. This deprived members of the opportunity to seek accountability of the executive through questions and discussions on matters of public interest. Ansari was pained that the prohibition in the rules about shouting slogans, displaying posters and obstructing proceedings by leaving their assigned places was consistently ignored by all sections of the House. He urged that all sections of the House need to introspect on the distinction between dissent, disruption and agitation. If the sentiments expressed by our President and Vice-President Hamid Ansari as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not heeded, there will be terrible deficit in democracy, and consequently our democracy will be under siege. Is it too much to hope that good sense will prevail, and the disruptions which we witnessed were just an aberration? Or is that an Utopian dream? May be. But remember that a country, which does not have Utopia on its map, is not worth living in and progress is the realisation of Utopia. Commendable stand of US Attorney General It is regrettable that a blanket ban has been imposed in the US on the entry of people on the basis of faith. Attorney General of US Loretta Lynch criticised the action on the ground that to impose a blanket stereotype on all members of any faith because of the actions of those who pervert that faith is to go backwards in our thinking and our discourse, and to repudiate the founding ideals of this country. Lynch made the statement in an inter-faith address at a mosque in Greater Washington Area of Virginia, which was attended by Indian Americans of different faiths. Lynch said the Department of Justice and the entire Obama administration regard hate crimes with utmost seriousness, whenever they target individuals because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. She went on to say that Muslim Americans are our friends and family members, our doctors and nurses, our police officers and firefighters. They own businesses and teach in classrooms. Thousands of them have fought for the American flag and died defending it. And yet too often, especially in the last year following a number of tragic terrorist incidents, and amidst an increase in divisive and fearful rhetoric we have seen Muslim Americans targeted and demonised simply because of their faith. The US Attorney General declared: Muslim Americans, Sikh Americans and Hindu Americans, all practitioners of all faiths, You are friends, You are family members. This laudable stand taken by Lynch should be emulated in other democracies. solisorabjee@gmail.com
T J S George By

The country yearns for a national leadership that can shore up unity imperilled by burgeoning identity politics. Dangerously, identity politics is the politics of division that undermines the shared awareness that we are one nation. It erodes solidarity and tolerance, the essential spirit we need to keep the countrys integrity. It breeds distrust, suspicion and animosity that can easily erupt into conflicts. When it comes to achieving the common wellbeing, people of all stripesmajority and minority alikewill have to fall and rise together. Bigots who reduce politics to such identities as ethnicity, race and religion are sowing the seeds of division that can spell doom for the nation...

Strong words against the politics of polarisation and intolerance. Timely, too, when people are encouraged to turn against people in the name of religion and ethnicity. Who is putting it so bluntlyand boldly? I had to pinch myself to remember that I was in a foreign land, reading a local newspaper, The Jakarta Post. Nor was the local columnist, Pandaya, writing about India.

The columnists concern was his own country. After half a century of multicultural peace, Indonesia is in the thick of sectarian politics similar to Indias: Ultras in the majority community are asserting themselves against religious and ethnic minorities.

This is a throwback to the early years of Indonesian independence. Despite the universalism of nationalist leaders like Sukarno and Hatta, political Islam was strong enough to enforce a code under which one had to have a religion to gain citizenship rights and only monotheistic religions were officially recognised.

In 1952, the Ministry of Religion declared Bali, the home of an indigenous version of Hinduism, as in need of an Islamic conversion campaign. Balis local government resisted the move so strongly that constitutional provisions were changed. In 1962, five religions became legal. Today, Indonesia recognises Islam (87 per cent of the population according to 2010 census), Christianity (10 per cent), Hinduism (two per cent), Buddhism (one per cent) and Confucianism (0.05 per cent).

As columnist Pandaya reminded his readers, under dictator Suhartos iron fist, we rarely heard of regional elections marred by debates on the candidates ethnicity or religion. After Suharto, there had been no iron fist. Current President Joko Widodo is too soft and gentlemanly to have a fist at all. So political Islam is polishing up its steel fist. Its target: Jakarta Governor Ahok Parnama who is standing for re-election.

Ahok is a double minority: Chinese and Christian.

He has been charged with an offence unforgivable in Islam: blasphemy. What is interpreted as blasphemy is a statement by Ahok that some people had been deceived (by other people) using Al-Maidah 51 of the Koran. As his supporters point out, he was not blaming the Koranic verse but those who used it to deceive others.

But his opponents wanted immediate action under blasphemy laws, namely, imprisonment of Ahok and punishment. Violent rallies have been held by Muslim groups under umbrella organisations like the National Movement to Save Indonesia. To diffuse the tension, President Jokowi let the police question Ahok as a suspect. His trial began last week, Ahok pleasing his with testimony by seven witnesses and 14 experts. The Human Rights Watch has asked President Jokowi to change blasphemy and other laws that are being used to persecute religious minorities.

Ironically, Muslims were persecuted by Christian Army Generals during the Suharto years. Determined to suppress political Islam, religious Muslims were denied promotion and even prevented from using the Islamic greeting Salam-Alaikum. Some Generals even insulted the Koran. Suharto, a staunch Muslim, encouraged all that because he saw political Islam as a threat to his authority.

Suharto is gone and political Islam is back with a bang. Ahoks record in public life is immaculate and even his enemies concede that he is a great administrator. But religious sentiments have been aroused to such an extent that it is doubtful whether he will win the gubernatorial election next month. His defeat could cast shadows on the presidentship of Jokowi himself.

Communal sentiments are easy to arouse in Indonesia with political Islam remaining strong despite Suharto governments efforts to suppress it. Following the brouhaha over Ahoks blasphemy, there were reports of a possible coup which the Presidents office had to publicly deny. The country is safe, very safe, said Jokowi. As if to prove it, he travelled to Delhi last week. Was his confidence justified? We will know next month.

The country yearns for a national leadership that can shore up unity imperilled by burgeoning identity politics. Dangerously, identity politics is the politics of division that undermines the shared awareness that we are one nation. It erodes solidarity and tolerance, the essential spirit we need to keep the countrys integrity. It breeds distrust, suspicion and animosity that can easily erupt into conflicts. When it comes to achieving the common wellbeing, people of all stripesmajority and minority alikewill have to fall and rise together. Bigots who reduce politics to such identities as ethnicity, race and religion are sowing the seeds of division that can spell doom for the nation... Strong words against the politics of polarisation and intolerance. Timely, too, when people are encouraged to turn against people in the name of religion and ethnicity. Who is putting it so bluntlyand boldly? I had to pinch myself to remember that I was in a foreign land, reading a local newspaper, The Jakarta Post. Nor was the local columnist, Pandaya, writing about India. The columnists concern was his own country. After half a century of multicultural peace, Indonesia is in the thick of sectarian politics similar to Indias: Ultras in the majority community are asserting themselves against religious and ethnic minorities. This is a throwback to the early years of Indonesian independence. Despite the universalism of nationalist leaders like Sukarno and Hatta, political Islam was strong enough to enforce a code under which one had to have a religion to gain citizenship rights and only monotheistic religions were officially recognised. In 1952, the Ministry of Religion declared Bali, the home of an indigenous version of Hinduism, as in need of an Islamic conversion campaign. Balis local government resisted the move so strongly that constitutional provisions were changed. In 1962, five religions became legal. Today, Indonesia recognises Islam (87 per cent of the population according to 2010 census), Christianity (10 per cent), Hinduism (two per cent), Buddhism (one per cent) and Confucianism (0.05 per cent). As columnist Pandaya reminded his readers, under dictator Suhartos iron fist, we rarely heard of regional elections marred by debates on the candidates ethnicity or religion. After Suharto, there had been no iron fist. Current President Joko Widodo is too soft and gentlemanly to have a fist at all. So political Islam is polishing up its steel fist. Its target: Jakarta Governor Ahok Parnama who is standing for re-election. Ahok is a double minority: Chinese and Christian. He has been charged with an offence unforgivable in Islam: blasphemy. What is interpreted as blasphemy is a statement by Ahok that some people had been deceived (by other people) using Al-Maidah 51 of the Koran. As his supporters point out, he was not blaming the Koranic verse but those who used it to deceive others. But his opponents wanted immediate action under blasphemy laws, namely, imprisonment of Ahok and punishment. Violent rallies have been held by Muslim groups under umbrella organisations like the National Movement to Save Indonesia. To diffuse the tension, President Jokowi let the police question Ahok as a suspect. His trial began last week, Ahok pleasing his with testimony by seven witnesses and 14 experts. The Human Rights Watch has asked President Jokowi to change blasphemy and other laws that are being used to persecute religious minorities. Ironically, Muslims were persecuted by Christian Army Generals during the Suharto years. Determined to suppress political Islam, religious Muslims were denied promotion and even prevented from using the Islamic greeting Salam-Alaikum. Some Generals even insulted the Koran. Suharto, a staunch Muslim, encouraged all that because he saw political Islam as a threat to his authority. Suharto is gone and political Islam is back with a bang. Ahoks record in public life is immaculate and even his enemies concede that he is a great administrator. But religious sentiments have been aroused to such an extent that it is doubtful whether he will win the gubernatorial election next month. His defeat could cast shadows on the presidentship of Jokowi himself. Communal sentiments are easy to arouse in Indonesia with political Islam remaining strong despite Suharto governments efforts to suppress it. Following the brouhaha over Ahoks blasphemy, there were reports of a possible coup which the Presidents office had to publicly deny. The country is safe, very safe, said Jokowi. As if to prove it, he travelled to Delhi last week. Was his confidence justified? We will know next month.
Prabhu Chawla By

Money makes the mare go, but the nightmare of black money doesnt go away from politics. Perceptively, there is nothing white in raj neeti. Nobody in India believes our leaders fight elections with white money. Unaccounted pelf mostly finances their ostentatious lifestyles and plush offices in gigantic modern buildings and restored Lutyens edifices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the eradication of black money his mission.

He has played the biggest gamble of his political life by demonetising over 85 percent of Indian currency. If it succeeds, history will hail him as an invincible reformer. Its failure will erode his hard earned political capital. On the very first day of the last Parliament session, he invited all political parties to discuss the mode of collecting money. But his passionate plea for fund reform fell on the deaf ears of all political parties, including his own.

For the past seven weeks, many government agencies have been hounding black money operators, raiding and arresting them. Their ill gotten assets are being frozen. Modis decisive coup against black money got him the endorsement of 70 per cent Indians. Both his admirers and adversaries were under the belief that his actions were meant to prevent parties from using dubious dosh in the coming Assembly polls. In the midst of his tirade against tainted lucre came a dampener from the Finance Ministry.

In a routine press conference, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia clarified that all the registered political parties can deposit old currency in their accounts, without inviting taxes or punitive action. He was legally right. Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, grants tax exemption to political parties in respect of income from house property, capital gains and other legitimate sources. Currently, no party is expected by law to disclose the names of donors who made contributions less than Rs 20,000. This provision is misused by all of them without exception. They dont keep records of such donations.

Only amounts above Rs 20,000 are reported to the Election Commission. According to analysis of political funding done by various non-governmental organisations, over 75 per cent of the total donations to all parties fell into the below Rs 20,000 mark. According to a Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, 79.68 per cent of the income of the five national political parties came from unknown sources in 2012-13. It was also revealed that 57 per cent of their total income in 2013-14 was from the sale of coupons which did not bear the names of the purchasers.

All political parties have been printing an unknown quantity of such coupons of various denominations for the past few decades and showing them as a major source of income in their returns filed with the Election Commission. The poll body has been raising the spectre of black money in elections for the past few years. But parties have always ignored the call for electoral reform, because it would destroy the source of income of many important political heavy hitters. Political parties are the most profitable parking lots for illicit money.

During the past few years, the growth of new political outfits in the country has outpaced the growth of middle and medium manufacturing units and even the GDP. According to a study, parties have grown by 20 per cent since 2004 as against the GDP growth of less than 5 per cent at constant prices. While the number of national parties is almost stagnant at 6, the count of registered but unrecognised parties has risen from 1,094 in 2005 to 1,866 in 2015. Interestingly, 239 new political organisations were registered within a span of 16 months from March 2014 to July 2015. For wannabe netas, it makes more business sense to float a party than running a genuine business enterprise because it insulates them from scrutiny or punishment under income tax laws, which are applicable to the rest of the country.

The elephant in the room is the black money spent by a spectrum of candidates and political parties in Panchayat polls to Lok Sabha elections. While the Election Commission has fixed a limit on expenses for each election, almost all the candidates end up spending much more. According to conservative estimates, both collectively spend over Rs 80,000 crore every five years. For example, on an average, there are at least four serious candidates who contest each of the 542 Lok Sabha seats. Though some even splurge over Rs 10 crore as against the limit of Rs 70 lakh per seat, the average expenditure comes to about Rs 5 crore per constituency. This amounts to over Rs 11,000 crore spent just standing for the Lok Sabha; a sum which includes the money spent by their respective parties.

There are 4,125 Assembly seats in India, each of which are contested by four serious candidates. Each party and candidate spends about Rs 1 crore per seat taking the total expenditure up to Rs 16,500 crore. Hold on. The Indian political superstructure comprises over half-a-million local bodies like Panchayat Samitis, Zila Parsihads, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations. Even one Panchayat election costs over Rs 1 lakh.

To contest a corporation seat in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, a candidate spends almost Rs 25-Rs 50 lakh. Over Rs 50,000 crore is spent on local body elections all over the country. Political parties dish out an additional Rs 100 crore plus annually on chartered planes, helicopters and administrative expenses. But the Election Commission has never received accounts for more than Rs 2,000 crore from all the parties put together. Since black money is generated from unknown sources, the battle should be extended to strike at the cynical substratum of political party funding, which is resisting even RTI purview. The war against black money cannot be won completely unless money minting political entrepreneurs are targeted with equal vengeance and verve.

Prabhu Chawla

prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com

Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla

Money makes the mare go, but the nightmare of black money doesnt go away from politics. Perceptively, there is nothing white in raj neeti. Nobody in India believes our leaders fight elections with white money. Unaccounted pelf mostly finances their ostentatious lifestyles and plush offices in gigantic modern buildings and restored Lutyens edifices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the eradication of black money his mission. He has played the biggest gamble of his political life by demonetising over 85 percent of Indian currency. If it succeeds, history will hail him as an invincible reformer. Its failure will erode his hard earned political capital. On the very first day of the last Parliament session, he invited all political parties to discuss the mode of collecting money. But his passionate plea for fund reform fell on the deaf ears of all political parties, including his own. For the past seven weeks, many government agencies have been hounding black money operators, raiding and arresting them. Their ill gotten assets are being frozen. Modis decisive coup against black money got him the endorsement of 70 per cent Indians. Both his admirers and adversaries were under the belief that his actions were meant to prevent parties from using dubious dosh in the coming Assembly polls. In the midst of his tirade against tainted lucre came a dampener from the Finance Ministry. In a routine press conference, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia clarified that all the registered political parties can deposit old currency in their accounts, without inviting taxes or punitive action. He was legally right. Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, grants tax exemption to political parties in respect of income from house property, capital gains and other legitimate sources. Currently, no party is expected by law to disclose the names of donors who made contributions less than Rs 20,000. This provision is misused by all of them without exception. They dont keep records of such donations. Only amounts above Rs 20,000 are reported to the Election Commission. According to analysis of political funding done by various non-governmental organisations, over 75 per cent of the total donations to all parties fell into the below Rs 20,000 mark. According to a Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report, 79.68 per cent of the income of the five national political parties came from unknown sources in 2012-13. It was also revealed that 57 per cent of their total income in 2013-14 was from the sale of coupons which did not bear the names of the purchasers. All political parties have been printing an unknown quantity of such coupons of various denominations for the past few decades and showing them as a major source of income in their returns filed with the Election Commission. The poll body has been raising the spectre of black money in elections for the past few years. But parties have always ignored the call for electoral reform, because it would destroy the source of income of many important political heavy hitters. Political parties are the most profitable parking lots for illicit money. During the past few years, the growth of new political outfits in the country has outpaced the growth of middle and medium manufacturing units and even the GDP. According to a study, parties have grown by 20 per cent since 2004 as against the GDP growth of less than 5 per cent at constant prices. While the number of national parties is almost stagnant at 6, the count of registered but unrecognised parties has risen from 1,094 in 2005 to 1,866 in 2015. Interestingly, 239 new political organisations were registered within a span of 16 months from March 2014 to July 2015. For wannabe netas, it makes more business sense to float a party than running a genuine business enterprise because it insulates them from scrutiny or punishment under income tax laws, which are applicable to the rest of the country. The elephant in the room is the black money spent by a spectrum of candidates and political parties in Panchayat polls to Lok Sabha elections. While the Election Commission has fixed a limit on expenses for each election, almost all the candidates end up spending much more. According to conservative estimates, both collectively spend over Rs 80,000 crore every five years. For example, on an average, there are at least four serious candidates who contest each of the 542 Lok Sabha seats. Though some even splurge over Rs 10 crore as against the limit of Rs 70 lakh per seat, the average expenditure comes to about Rs 5 crore per constituency. This amounts to over Rs 11,000 crore spent just standing for the Lok Sabha; a sum which includes the money spent by their respective parties. There are 4,125 Assembly seats in India, each of which are contested by four serious candidates. Each party and candidate spends about Rs 1 crore per seat taking the total expenditure up to Rs 16,500 crore. Hold on. The Indian political superstructure comprises over half-a-million local bodies like Panchayat Samitis, Zila Parsihads, Municipal Councils and Municipal Corporations. Even one Panchayat election costs over Rs 1 lakh. To contest a corporation seat in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai, a candidate spends almost Rs 25-Rs 50 lakh. Over Rs 50,000 crore is spent on local body elections all over the country. Political parties dish out an additional Rs 100 crore plus annually on chartered planes, helicopters and administrative expenses. But the Election Commission has never received accounts for more than Rs 2,000 crore from all the parties put together. Since black money is generated from unknown sources, the battle should be extended to strike at the cynical substratum of political party funding, which is resisting even RTI purview. The war against black money cannot be won completely unless money minting political entrepreneurs are targeted with equal vengeance and verve. Prabhu Chawla prabhuchawla@ newindianexpress.com Follow him on Twitter @PrabhuChawla
By Express News Service

VIZIANAGARAM: Nine persons who were all set to exchange new currency to old ones for a high commission, were arrested by the One Town police of Vizianagaram on Sunday. Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, a majority of which in new Rs 2,000 denomination notes and rest in Rs 100 denomination notes were recovered after the cops raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction of One Town police station limits in the wee hours of Sunday.

Among the nine, six persons are residents of Vizianagaram, while three hail from Visakhapatnam city. According to preliminary information, the accused have arranged the new currency to facilitate an exchange with another gang for a commission.

After receiving credible information, the police raided the area and nabbed the accused. More details are yet to be ascertained.

VIZIANAGARAM: Nine persons who were all set to exchange new currency to old ones for a high commission, were arrested by the One Town police of Vizianagaram on Sunday. Cash worth Rs 18.7 lakh, a majority of which in new Rs 2,000 denomination notes and rest in Rs 100 denomination notes were recovered after the cops raided a house near Palanuru at Duppada junction of One Town police station limits in the wee hours of Sunday. Among the nine, six persons are residents of Vizianagaram, while three hail from Visakhapatnam city. According to preliminary information, the accused have arranged the new currency to facilitate an exchange with another gang for a commission. After receiving credible information, the police raided the area and nabbed the accused. More details are yet to be ascertained.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Public verdict on NDA governments decision with regard to demonetisation of higher value currency will be out after two and half years, that is at the end of the tenure of the current government, said BJP MP from Visakhapatnam and party State chief K Haribabu.

When asked to comment on apprehensions among people on the Union governments move, he said, Government took the decision to address the issue of black money, corruption in the larger interest of people. If people have apprehensions, they will make it clear while giving their mandate after two and half years. We have to wait and watch.

Haribabu, who felt that it is one opportunity for improving financial inclusion in rural areas, which had not happened even after 70 years of Independence, claimed people are supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision. Even the opposition parties are not opposing the decision. It is rather unfortunate that they stalled the Parliament not allowing discussion on the various issues pertaining to implementation of demonetisation, he said.

Expressing confidence of the situation with regard to cash situation in the State and other parts of the country becoming normal by January, BJP State chief said people should avail the cash incentives announced by the government to popularise cashless transactions. He said traders and companies should not worry about taxman as any transactions with regard to ESI and EPF before November 8 will not be inquired into.

Asked for his reaction on recent tweets of Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, he said, the actor-politician had only expressed his opinions. BJPs stance on Gosamrakshana has not changed. It is what it has always been. With regard to Rohith Vemula, neither BJP government not BJP party had intervened. It was university management, which dealt the issue. Also, government had nothing to do with the issue regarding national anthem and it was the verdict of the apex court, he said.

VIJAYAWADA: Public verdict on NDA governments decision with regard to demonetisation of higher value currency will be out after two and half years, that is at the end of the tenure of the current government, said BJP MP from Visakhapatnam and party State chief K Haribabu. When asked to comment on apprehensions among people on the Union governments move, he said, Government took the decision to address the issue of black money, corruption in the larger interest of people. If people have apprehensions, they will make it clear while giving their mandate after two and half years. We have to wait and watch. Haribabu, who felt that it is one opportunity for improving financial inclusion in rural areas, which had not happened even after 70 years of Independence, claimed people are supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision. Even the opposition parties are not opposing the decision. It is rather unfortunate that they stalled the Parliament not allowing discussion on the various issues pertaining to implementation of demonetisation, he said. Expressing confidence of the situation with regard to cash situation in the State and other parts of the country becoming normal by January, BJP State chief said people should avail the cash incentives announced by the government to popularise cashless transactions. He said traders and companies should not worry about taxman as any transactions with regard to ESI and EPF before November 8 will not be inquired into. Asked for his reaction on recent tweets of Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, he said, the actor-politician had only expressed his opinions. BJPs stance on Gosamrakshana has not changed. It is what it has always been. With regard to Rohith Vemula, neither BJP government not BJP party had intervened. It was university management, which dealt the issue. Also, government had nothing to do with the issue regarding national anthem and it was the verdict of the apex court, he said.
Marx Tejaswi By

Express News Service

BALLARI: Demonetisation couldn't have come at a worse time for farmers in Ballari district. November is when they harvest the kharif crop and sow for rabi. Even as they were coming to terms with the carryover effects of drought and low prices, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled a fast one on them.

Lepakshi Naidu, a farmer of Hosapete taluk, says demonetization left him with no cash to buy pesticide for the chilli crop he had sown. He got by by borrowing from someone he knew. His own money is in the bank but it allows him to withdraw only Rs 2,000 per day, He cant pay his workers and for the other inputs.

Its a familiar story in Ballari, the granary of Karnataka, irrigated by the Tungabhadra.

So what about rabi then? Naidu said water has not been released from the Tungabhadra dam anyway, so he had not bothered to sow a postrainy season crop. My worry is now the chilli crop. I sowed 30 acres, and I hope it survives. I need pesticides urgently but I have no cash, Naidu said.

Years of drought have rendered the farmers of Ballari a stoic lot. So the anger does not burst forth from the likes of Lepakshi Naidu but it takes a lot of smothering of temper to accept the possible loss of 30 acres of chilli for the lack of a few thousand rupees.

The pesticide shops in Ballari is a good place to sense the the distress of farmers. The owner of one, Chandrashekhar, told New Indian Express that rabi sowing had indeed dwindled due to the water shortage but the cash crunch made it worse. But what has kept farm operations going despite these twin blights has been the age-old informal coping systems policymakers make light of. Chandrasekhar sells his pesticide bottles on credit. But for how many farmers will I be able to do so? he asked.

The pesticide bottle evokes a particularly morbid image in southern Indias farmscape, drinking monocrotophos mixed with Coca Cola being a preferred method of committing suicide by farmers.

At Kolagallu village, about 8 km from Ballari, the demonetization debate among farmers has moved onto its effects on market prices for produce. Will the price crash below last years? Will it soar miraculously? Will produce be sold at all? Yerriswamy, a farmer, cited paddy as an instance. It fell. He grew sona masoori rice on his five acre patch and the harvest is in progress. But news from the market is not good, as it rarely is even in a normal year. But then this is the new normal, a memorable post-demonetisation coinage by the eloquent Arun Jaitley. The mills are not buying paddy owing to shortage of cash.

Sowing target 2,04,000 hectares Actually Sown 33,421 hectares Unsown 80%

Last year, Yerriswamy sold his paddy for Rs 2,100 a quintal. This year, ahead of harvest, he is ready to sell for Rs 1,800 per quintal  if they would only buy.

Right now, his priority is his harvest. He has no money for the harvester, which costs Rs 2000 a day to hire. The rich farmers may manage but what about farmers like me? he asked.

He revealed that he has a loan of Rs 3 lakh to clear. And before long, the dreaded quote drops from his lips: We are left with no choice but to consume poison.

In the same village of Kollagallu we move on to cotton, a notorious source suicide stories in the past. Honnur Swamy has apportioned all his three acres to cotton this year and is now caught without an exit option. He has no money to pay to labourers. The banks dont understand the plight of farmers. They dont allow us to withdraw more than Rs 2,000. And we have to pay commission to some people to get Rs 100 notes.

CROP TARGET ACTUAL Cereals 37,245 7,427 Pulses 1,04,630 22,230 Oilseeds 54,340 3,434 Commercial 7,785 330

Farming isnt only about inputs and labour. There are incidental costs too. For instance, drinking water has to be bought for the farm workers. We met Kumar, a young small farmer, as he was serving food to workers on his farm under the shade of a tree. He has an arrangement with the shopkeeper. He makes the payment in one go at the end of the month. But theres the rent to pay for the harvester.

I have money in my bank but it allows me to withdraw only Rs 2,000 after waiting from morning to evening. And then what good is a Rs 2,000 split between eight farm workers?"

I dont know whats going to happen. Where are the currency notes?" he asked.

BALLARI: Demonetisation couldn't have come at a worse time for farmers in Ballari district. November is when they harvest the kharif crop and sow for rabi. Even as they were coming to terms with the carryover effects of drought and low prices, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled a fast one on them. Lepakshi Naidu, a farmer of Hosapete taluk, says demonetization left him with no cash to buy pesticide for the chilli crop he had sown. He got by by borrowing from someone he knew. His own money is in the bank but it allows him to withdraw only Rs 2,000 per day, He cant pay his workers and for the other inputs. Its a familiar story in Ballari, the granary of Karnataka, irrigated by the Tungabhadra. So what about rabi then? Naidu said water has not been released from the Tungabhadra dam anyway, so he had not bothered to sow a postrainy season crop. My worry is now the chilli crop. I sowed 30 acres, and I hope it survives. I need pesticides urgently but I have no cash, Naidu said. Years of drought have rendered the farmers of Ballari a stoic lot. So the anger does not burst forth from the likes of Lepakshi Naidu but it takes a lot of smothering of temper to accept the possible loss of 30 acres of chilli for the lack of a few thousand rupees. The pesticide shops in Ballari is a good place to sense the the distress of farmers. The owner of one, Chandrashekhar, told New Indian Express that rabi sowing had indeed dwindled due to the water shortage but the cash crunch made it worse. But what has kept farm operations going despite these twin blights has been the age-old informal coping systems policymakers make light of. Chandrasekhar sells his pesticide bottles on credit. But for how many farmers will I be able to do so? he asked. The pesticide bottle evokes a particularly morbid image in southern Indias farmscape, drinking monocrotophos mixed with Coca Cola being a preferred method of committing suicide by farmers. At Kolagallu village, about 8 km from Ballari, the demonetization debate among farmers has moved onto its effects on market prices for produce. Will the price crash below last years? Will it soar miraculously? Will produce be sold at all? Yerriswamy, a farmer, cited paddy as an instance. It fell. He grew sona masoori rice on his five acre patch and the harvest is in progress. But news from the market is not good, as it rarely is even in a normal year. But then this is the new normal, a memorable post-demonetisation coinage by the eloquent Arun Jaitley. The mills are not buying paddy owing to shortage of cash. Sowing target 2,04,000 hectares Actually Sown 33,421 hectares Unsown 80% Last year, Yerriswamy sold his paddy for Rs 2,100 a quintal. This year, ahead of harvest, he is ready to sell for Rs 1,800 per quintal  if they would only buy. Right now, his priority is his harvest. He has no money for the harvester, which costs Rs 2000 a day to hire. The rich farmers may manage but what about farmers like me? he asked. He revealed that he has a loan of Rs 3 lakh to clear. And before long, the dreaded quote drops from his lips: We are left with no choice but to consume poison. In the same village of Kollagallu we move on to cotton, a notorious source suicide stories in the past. Honnur Swamy has apportioned all his three acres to cotton this year and is now caught without an exit option. He has no money to pay to labourers. The banks dont understand the plight of farmers. They dont allow us to withdraw more than Rs 2,000. And we have to pay commission to some people to get Rs 100 notes. CROP TARGET ACTUAL Cereals 37,245 7,427 Pulses 1,04,630 22,230 Oilseeds 54,340 3,434 Commercial 7,785 330 Farming isnt only about inputs and labour. There are incidental costs too. For instance, drinking water has to be bought for the farm workers. We met Kumar, a young small farmer, as he was serving food to workers on his farm under the shade of a tree. He has an arrangement with the shopkeeper. He makes the payment in one go at the end of the month. But theres the rent to pay for the harvester. I have money in my bank but it allows me to withdraw only Rs 2,000 after waiting from morning to evening. And then what good is a Rs 2,000 split between eight farm workers?" I dont know whats going to happen. Where are the currency notes?" he asked.
By Express News Service

TUMAKURU: A man had allegedly raped his foster daughter at Chikkanayakanahalli town and the incident came to light after the girl conceived.

Jayarama (46) had repeatedly raped the 17-year-old in an inebriated condition when his wife was away from home. Now the girl is five months pregnant. The incident came to light when his wife had beaten her up. Following which the victim had informed one of her teachers at the government school and the block education officer has lodged a complaint with the police.

The victim who was a distant relative of the accused used to live in his house at Banashankari Badavane area and her education too was stopped often as she was studying in class VI, police said.

The police have arrested the accused and booked him under POCSO.

The medical tests at the government hospital revealed the victim was five months pregnant. She has been rehabilitated at the observation home here.

In another similar case in Kalaburgi, a case of kidnap and rape of a minor girl was registered at Mudhol police station of Sedam taluk on Friday, police sources said here on Saturday.

Sources said the minor girl, who hailed from Kanagadda village, was studying in Imperial College of Gurmitkal for PUC second year. Two months ago, the girl complained to her parents that one Navesh Olam, from the same village, would harass her on the way to the college.

Her father complained about Navesh to his parents but in vain. On November 2, Navesh allegedly kidnapped the girl and took her to Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, Navesh took her to his friends house and allegedly raped her on November 3.

TUMAKURU: A man had allegedly raped his foster daughter at Chikkanayakanahalli town and the incident came to light after the girl conceived. Jayarama (46) had repeatedly raped the 17-year-old in an inebriated condition when his wife was away from home. Now the girl is five months pregnant. The incident came to light when his wife had beaten her up. Following which the victim had informed one of her teachers at the government school and the block education officer has lodged a complaint with the police. The victim who was a distant relative of the accused used to live in his house at Banashankari Badavane area and her education too was stopped often as she was studying in class VI, police said. The police have arrested the accused and booked him under POCSO. The medical tests at the government hospital revealed the victim was five months pregnant. She has been rehabilitated at the observation home here. In another similar case in Kalaburgi, a case of kidnap and rape of a minor girl was registered at Mudhol police station of Sedam taluk on Friday, police sources said here on Saturday. Sources said the minor girl, who hailed from Kanagadda village, was studying in Imperial College of Gurmitkal for PUC second year. Two months ago, the girl complained to her parents that one Navesh Olam, from the same village, would harass her on the way to the college. Her father complained about Navesh to his parents but in vain. On November 2, Navesh allegedly kidnapped the girl and took her to Bengaluru. In Bengaluru, Navesh took her to his friends house and allegedly raped her on November 3.
A 6-year-old and a baby survived a two-vehicle crash in Seneca County Saturday that killed their mother. Several other people were injured.

The Seneca County Sheriff's Office said that Marie L. Perez, 41, of Route 96 Romulus, was northbound on Route 89 in the town of Covert at about noon Saturday when she lost control of her car on a curve and slid into the path of a pickup truck coming the other way.

Police said that the Ford Focus being driven by Perez was "demolished" by the passenger-side impact with the pickup and that Perez was pronounced dead at the scene. Her children, Jasmine I. Uresti, 6, and Elaina ML Carlsen, 5 months, were both in the rear seat in child restraints.

Jasmine Uresti was treated at the scene and transported by Trumansburg Ambulance to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse where she was being treated for head and arm injuries. Elaina Carlsen was transported to Upstate hospital to be checked over, police said.

The driver of the truck, Jonathan C, Cupp, 44, of 6799 Elm Beach, Romulus, was transported by Bangs Ambulance to Upstate,where he was being checked over Saturday. His son Braeden Cupp, 13, the front seat passenger in the truck, was transported by Bangs Ambulance to Upstate where he was being treated for contusions and abrasions.

The rear seat passenger in the truck, Gage Halsey, 13, of 1395 Prospect St., Willard, was also transported by Bangs Ambulance to Upstate, where he was being treated for a head laceration.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Trumansburg Fire Department and and the New York State Police. The road was closed for nearly four hours while the sheriff's office accident reconstruction unit investigated the accident and the scene was cleaned up. Police said that the investigation is continuing.
More than three decades ago, a group of conservative aspiring lawyers launched a new legal movement to counter their perceptions of law schools and the judiciary as liberal leaning.

Now, The Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studys Wisconsin chapter is poised to reshape courtrooms throughout the state with the help of Gov. Scott Walker.

Each of the two justices Walker appointed to the state Supreme Court, Rebecca Bradley and Daniel Kelly, were past presidents of the Milwaukee Federalist Society chapter.

Walker also has appointed at least a handful of lawyers with philosophies aligned to the Federalist Society to appeals court and circuit court judgeships, judicial observers say.

And Michael Brennan, a Milwaukee lawyer who created the Milwaukee chapter more than two decades ago, heads Walkers judicial advisory selection committee.

I think the governor is very interested in knowing what a candidates judicial philosophy is and I think he is more inclined to appoint people who are textualists and originalists and that point of view is associated with the Federalist Society, said Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty president and general counsel Rick Esenberg.

That means Walker has shown he looks for lawyers and judges who use an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that relies on the literal meaning of words rather than interpreting a laws intention.

I have had applicants for judicial appointments tell me of their plans to tout their active membership in that organization to the governor as one of their qualifications for appointment, said Ed Fallone, a Marquette University Law School professor and former Supreme Court candidate.

Tom Evenson, spokesman for Walker, said in filling judicial vacancies, Walker looks for someone who is an outstanding attorney, has integrity, and understands the proper role of a judge.

The governor looks for applicants who will adhere to the rule of law and have a commitment to a textualist, and originalist, judicial philosophy, Evenson said.

Societys growth

The nonprofit Federalist Society was created in the early 1980s by college students who believed law schools were controlled by professors who taught that a judges role was to help shape public policy instead of to apply a strict interpretation of law and the U.S. and state Constitutions.

It now describes itself as a conservative and libertarian intellectual network with influence in all areas of law and focused on reordering priorities within the legal system to place a premium on individual liberty, traditional values and the rule of law.

The groups national website notes the organization has more than 60,000 members and is committed to the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.

It does not take policy positions or give money to candidates, it says.

Liberal lawyers acknowledged the groups effectiveness, and expressed mixed views.

Their own website says they have redefined the terms of legal debate and I think thats indisputable, said Jeff Mandell, a Madison lawyer who is president of the citys chapter of the liberal-leaning American Constitution Society for Law and Policy. Not in any way that is improper  they promote and popularize ideas by networking and holding events where they can share and refine new thoughts and ideas. We now see many of those ideas that either are products of or were popularized by the society percolating through policymakers on the bench.

But Craig Mastantuono, president of the American Constitution Society for Law and Policys Milwaukee chapter, said Federalist Society claims that it is an answer to activist liberal judges are baloney.

The Federalist Society is the developmental league for the takeover of the conservative movement in the judiciary in the United States and theyve been quite effective in getting the far right into positions of power in disproportionate numbers in the state and federal judiciaries, Mastantuono said. Its an activist movement. Its an organized takeover. The effect is that big business and the wealthy will continue to control the outcome of decision making in our courts.

Jenni Dye, research director of the liberal group One Wisconsin Now, said Walkers approach of appointing judges who are Federalist Society members or align with the groups principles goes beyond endorsing judges who interpret law as it is written.

The conservatives have one goal: Attaining power in the courts to actively rewrite the laws to fit their corporate and radical social agendas, Dye said.

She pointed to $4.8 million sent to the national Federalist Society since 2005 from the conservative Bradley Foundation, which was recently headed by Michael Grebe, former campaign chairman for Walker.

The Bradley Foundation in 2009 also gave the organization one of its four annual highly coveted $250,000 prizes.

Principles

used in campaign

The debate over judicial philosophy was key to the 2016 Supreme Court race between Bradley, who had already been appointed by Walker to fill a vacancy, and state Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg.

Kloppenburg often criticized Bradley for her tenure as president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Federalist Society, characterizing the organization as a group that promotes and pushes a conservative agenda. Kloppenburg declined through a spokeswoman to comment.

Bradley, who won, said in an interview she has been a member of the Federalist Society since she was in law school at UW-Madison in the early 1990s.

My interest in it stemmed from the judicial philosophy and the organizing principles of the organization because in a lot of law schools for decades, law students were taught that there was a role to play in the judiciary in creating or initiating social and political change ... if a Legislature doesnt act on something, then the judiciary can take it into its own hands, said Bradley.

Bradley made these principles a focal point of her campaign. She often cited the 1989 Texas v. Johnson case on the campaign trail, in which the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalias joined the majority in the courts decision to uphold a citizens right to burn the American flag, despite being personally opposed by doing so, illustrating the judicial philosophy of relying on set law in making judicial decisions.

Mastantuono said Federalist Society members and their supporters have created a false debate about judicial philosophy.

This activist versus strict constructionist battle thats been put into the public consciousness is a false battle, said Mastantuono. Its naive to think theres one side, that wants to do nothing ... and one that wants to take over the world. Of course theres two sides to that spectrum that want to accomplish (their) goals.

Rob Driscoll, president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Federalist Society, said the organization seeks to foster discussions about legal issues and applying a strict originalist interpretation of the law.

Were not a partisan organization  we dont endorse candidates. We dont lobby legislation. Its really a debating society, said Driscoll.

Driscoll said the practical impact of having more judges holding this philosophy means fewer judges will decide on what they feel is best for the state, or the country.

Kelly, who was president of the Milwaukee chapter of the Federalist Society when he was appointed to the high court, also rejected any suggestion that the organization is politically motivated.

Ive heard that before and I never understood why they perceive it that way, said Kelly. Its a group of like-minded folks who get together and talk about what they care about.

Mastantuono said the impact of the Federalist Societys influence is judges who will side with conservative interests, such as loosening regulations of businesses and ruling against the interests of labor unions.

Walkers role

Ryan Owens, a UW-Madison political science professor who specializes in judicial issues, said the effect of Walkers preference of appointing judges with Federalist Society ties only signals a commitment to a more conservative judicial principles.

Fallone, who was backed by liberal-leaning groups when he unsuccessfully ran against Chief Justice Patience Roggensack in 2013, said if any legal society has become a funnel for judicial appointments, it could contribute to an already worrisome lack of philosophical and career diversity on the bench.

Fallone said if membership in the organization has become a de facto qualification for appointment to the state judiciary, then the fault lies with our governor and not with the Federalist Society.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of causing miseries to the people through his disastrous decision to withdraw high-value currency notes, Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the people had lost faith in the Indian banking system.

Addressing mediapersons here on Sunday, the former Union Minister said the Prime Minister had insulted people of the country through the currency reform. Indian banks had remained resilient and trustworthy even after the global economic crisis of 2008-09, reinforcing peoples faith in the countrys banking system. Also, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) used to have a formidable reputation. Of late, however, peoples faith in the banking system has been shattered and the RBI lost its reputation, he said.

While the ATMs are running dry, crores and crores of newly-printed currency notes are finding their way out of the system through the backdoor. In such a scenario, how can the people trust the banks, asked Anand.

The Prime Minister and the BJP Government should be held responsible for creating such a huge upheaval in peoples lives; causing sufferings; destroying the economy; and for the 111 deaths linked to the cash crunch. The Prime Minister has misled the nation and its people, he said, and alleged that Modi had tarnished the countrys image in the global arena by creating an impression that the Indian economy had been ruled by corruption and black money. Snatching peoples hard-earned money in the name of curbing black money is the biggest insult to those who earn a living through hard work. It is the Constitutional duty of the government and the Prime Minister to protect peoples money and property, said the Congress leader, and pointed out that the Prime Ministers claims with regard to the demonetisation drive - fighting black money, corruption and counterfeiting of Indian currencies - proved to be wrong.

According to Sharma, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley himself had said in the Parliament, citing RBI records, that counterfeit currency notes accounted for only 0.02 percent of the total currency in circulation. The Prime Ministers claims are wrong and misleading.

After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the BJP formulated a national scheme for corruption and money laundering, alleged Sharma, adding that it would be a distant dream to turn the Indian economy into a cashless one as 95 per cent of the financial transactions are done in cash in the country. Besides, as much 43 per cent of Indians do not have bank account. For them, doing credit/debit card transactions is out of question, he said, terming the talks about cashless economy absurd.

KPCC vice-president V D Satheesan, former MP P C Chacko and DCC president T J Vinod were also present.

KOCHI: Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of causing miseries to the people through his disastrous decision to withdraw high-value currency notes, Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said the people had lost faith in the Indian banking system. Addressing mediapersons here on Sunday, the former Union Minister said the Prime Minister had insulted people of the country through the currency reform. Indian banks had remained resilient and trustworthy even after the global economic crisis of 2008-09, reinforcing peoples faith in the countrys banking system. Also, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) used to have a formidable reputation. Of late, however, peoples faith in the banking system has been shattered and the RBI lost its reputation, he said. While the ATMs are running dry, crores and crores of newly-printed currency notes are finding their way out of the system through the backdoor. In such a scenario, how can the people trust the banks, asked Anand. The Prime Minister and the BJP Government should be held responsible for creating such a huge upheaval in peoples lives; causing sufferings; destroying the economy; and for the 111 deaths linked to the cash crunch. The Prime Minister has misled the nation and its people, he said, and alleged that Modi had tarnished the countrys image in the global arena by creating an impression that the Indian economy had been ruled by corruption and black money. Snatching peoples hard-earned money in the name of curbing black money is the biggest insult to those who earn a living through hard work. It is the Constitutional duty of the government and the Prime Minister to protect peoples money and property, said the Congress leader, and pointed out that the Prime Ministers claims with regard to the demonetisation drive - fighting black money, corruption and counterfeiting of Indian currencies - proved to be wrong. According to Sharma, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley himself had said in the Parliament, citing RBI records, that counterfeit currency notes accounted for only 0.02 percent of the total currency in circulation. The Prime Ministers claims are wrong and misleading. After Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, the BJP formulated a national scheme for corruption and money laundering, alleged Sharma, adding that it would be a distant dream to turn the Indian economy into a cashless one as 95 per cent of the financial transactions are done in cash in the country. Besides, as much 43 per cent of Indians do not have bank account. For them, doing credit/debit card transactions is out of question, he said, terming the talks about cashless economy absurd. KPCC vice-president V D Satheesan, former MP P C Chacko and DCC president T J Vinod were also present.
Ratan K Pani By

Express News Service

BARGARH: The Barahguda market lies on NH 6 on the outskirts of Bargarh town. An auction takes place there. Traders from a wide area come to pick up huge volumes of vegetables. Its a unique market. The bids begin past midnight and the deals last through the wee hours. Prahallad Sahu hasnt been there in more than a week. Its 10 km from his village of Kalangapali but whats the point?

There have been good years for Prahallad there but 2016 has been different. Tomato was going for a measly Rs 2 a kg, so he decided not to hire labour and made his family harvest the crop. Some of this seasons produce was picked up for that paltry price but the traders came to the village to pick it up. The rest is rotting in field.

Vegetables had been a fetching crop for farmers in Bargarh block in previous years. This year too the yields had been bumper but then demonetisation drove the traders away. The only traders turning up in the market are those who had buy-back deals with farmers and had paid in advance. They got by the challenge of procuring fertilizers and seedlings by arranging credit, but paying for labour has no such solution. Many of the farmers have money in the bank but there are limits on how much you can withdraw.

Winter is when vegetable prices soar. So theres hope when this demonetisation thing ends on Dec 30. When this crisis is over and we can sell vegetables for some profit again, said Uddhaba Deep, a farmer in Jamurda village. No one in Bargarh has read Shaktikanta Dass latest time horizon for that.

Farmers who had already sold their produce before Narendra Modis bombshell on Nov. 8 ought to be happier, but they arent. Bipin Biswal is a cabbage farmer who sold his harvest before Nov. 8 and put his money in the bank. Now its locked and he cant pay his labourers. Really, the only lucky ones have been those who engaged local labourers. Villagers here have revived an age-old to cope with demonetization: they pay them in rice and vegetables. Farmers who employed migrant workers dont the luxury or barter.

Bidyadhar Pradhan owes his labour contractor Rs 43,000. He can withdraw a maximum of Rs 24,000 per week from the bank. If he chooses to pay off the labourers as they are breathing down his neck, he has to forego preparing his field for the rabi rice. Hes got some tight management to do: he feeds his labourers twice a day and plies them with tea so they will a bit longer. Or, if the stars will it, his kharif crop will be sold and there will be money to pay them off.

Some farmers said the heck with it and sold to any trader who will pay them in cash at whatever price, profit or loss, throwaway or handsome. Vegetable grower Shatrughan Mallick got rid of his entire lot of ladies fingers at one go. At least I got some money, he said.

Take away the gnawing demonetization worries, villages in Bargarh have been sent back in time to days when apparently -- like in the Desh ki Dharti movies of the 1950s and 1960s -- kind neighbours helped out in each others fields and sang songs when the rain came. Since everybody is in the same boat, the merchants and traders of Bargarh are being sympathetic to the farmers, offering fertilizer and pesticides on credit.

The villagers are ignorant but they never cheat and are very conscious of their prestige in the village. So they repay immediately after receiving the proceeds of their harvest, said a local merchant.

Funny how the cashless economy has put rural India in the warm embrace of feudal practices.

BARGARH: The Barahguda market lies on NH 6 on the outskirts of Bargarh town. An auction takes place there. Traders from a wide area come to pick up huge volumes of vegetables. Its a unique market. The bids begin past midnight and the deals last through the wee hours. Prahallad Sahu hasnt been there in more than a week. Its 10 km from his village of Kalangapali but whats the point? There have been good years for Prahallad there but 2016 has been different. Tomato was going for a measly Rs 2 a kg, so he decided not to hire labour and made his family harvest the crop. Some of this seasons produce was picked up for that paltry price but the traders came to the village to pick it up. The rest is rotting in field. Vegetables had been a fetching crop for farmers in Bargarh block in previous years. This year too the yields had been bumper but then demonetisation drove the traders away. The only traders turning up in the market are those who had buy-back deals with farmers and had paid in advance. They got by the challenge of procuring fertilizers and seedlings by arranging credit, but paying for labour has no such solution. Many of the farmers have money in the bank but there are limits on how much you can withdraw. Winter is when vegetable prices soar. So theres hope when this demonetisation thing ends on Dec 30. When this crisis is over and we can sell vegetables for some profit again, said Uddhaba Deep, a farmer in Jamurda village. No one in Bargarh has read Shaktikanta Dass latest time horizon for that. Farmers who had already sold their produce before Narendra Modis bombshell on Nov. 8 ought to be happier, but they arent. Bipin Biswal is a cabbage farmer who sold his harvest before Nov. 8 and put his money in the bank. Now its locked and he cant pay his labourers. Really, the only lucky ones have been those who engaged local labourers. Villagers here have revived an age-old to cope with demonetization: they pay them in rice and vegetables. Farmers who employed migrant workers dont the luxury or barter. Bidyadhar Pradhan owes his labour contractor Rs 43,000. He can withdraw a maximum of Rs 24,000 per week from the bank. If he chooses to pay off the labourers as they are breathing down his neck, he has to forego preparing his field for the rabi rice. Hes got some tight management to do: he feeds his labourers twice a day and plies them with tea so they will a bit longer. Or, if the stars will it, his kharif crop will be sold and there will be money to pay them off. Some farmers said the heck with it and sold to any trader who will pay them in cash at whatever price, profit or loss, throwaway or handsome. Vegetable grower Shatrughan Mallick got rid of his entire lot of ladies fingers at one go. At least I got some money, he said. Take away the gnawing demonetization worries, villages in Bargarh have been sent back in time to days when apparently -- like in the Desh ki Dharti movies of the 1950s and 1960s -- kind neighbours helped out in each others fields and sang songs when the rain came. Since everybody is in the same boat, the merchants and traders of Bargarh are being sympathetic to the farmers, offering fertilizer and pesticides on credit. The villagers are ignorant but they never cheat and are very conscious of their prestige in the village. So they repay immediately after receiving the proceeds of their harvest, said a local merchant. Funny how the cashless economy has put rural India in the warm embrace of feudal practices.
By Express News Service

SALEM: For the second day on Sunday, hundreds of police personnel were deployed at Elampillai locality, where public attacked police officials after a youth, trying to escape from police vehicle check, was killed in an accident.



According to Magudanchavadi police, T Saravanan (22), of Koneripatty near Elampillai, ran a small power loom unit. On Saturday evening, he was on his way to Elampillai to buy some equipment for his power loom, on his bike. Near Karikadaimedu, wanting to avoid a police vehicle check, he stopped in the middle of road suddenly and tried to turn away, but was hit by a mini lorry that was behind him.



He sustained fatal injuries and died on the spot. Irked over this, public gathered in large numbers and quarrelled with the police personnel engaged in vehicle check. On information, Magudanchavadi police inspector Rajaranaveeran, along with more police personnel, came to the spot to rescue the police.



Then, the public started to attack the police. In the attack, inspector Rajaranaveeran, SSI Palanisamy and SI Rajendran sustained injuries and were admitted at Edappadi GH and a private hospital.



The public staged a road roko with the body of the deceased and did not allow police to touch the body. They also burnt two police bikes.



Following this, heavy police force was deployed on the spot and tear gas and latticharge was used to control the crowd. Public responded by throwing stones at the police and their vehicles. In the attack, a few police personnel sustained minor injuries and windshields of three police vehicles were damaged.



Later, District Superintendent of Police (SP) P Rajan and Revenue officials came to the spot and talked to the public. Following talks, the police sent the body to Salem Government Hospital for postmortem around 10 p.m.



But, public gathered in the locality and tension prevailed for the whole night. Then, Inspector General of Police (IG, West Zone) A Pari, Salem range DIG P Nagarajan came to the spot to monitor the situation. On Sunday morning, the SP talked with the deceased youth's father Thangaraj and assured action against police personnel if they were found guilty. After the assurance, the doctors conducted postmortem and handed over the body to Saravanan's parents.



Police personnel were also deployed at Salem GH to avert any untoward incident. PMK functionaries, including former MLA A Tamilarasu, and DMK functionary V Kavery visited Salem GH and consoled the parents and relatives of the deceased.



Later, around 11 am, the body was taken to the village and cremated amid heavy police protection. Shops were shut down in the Elampillai locality and more than 500 police personnel were engaged in protection duty.



Speaking to media persons, IG Pari said that the situation was now under control and they had started identifying the people who attacked the police with the help of some video evidence. He went to say that conducting vehicle check was a duty of the police. In the incident, the mistake was on the part of deceased youth Saravanan. He was hit by the vehicle when he tried to avoid the vehicle check, he added.

SALEM: For the second day on Sunday, hundreds of police personnel were deployed at Elampillai locality, where public attacked police officials after a youth, trying to escape from police vehicle check, was killed in an accident. According to Magudanchavadi police, T Saravanan (22), of Koneripatty near Elampillai, ran a small power loom unit. On Saturday evening, he was on his way to Elampillai to buy some equipment for his power loom, on his bike. Near Karikadaimedu, wanting to avoid a police vehicle check, he stopped in the middle of road suddenly and tried to turn away, but was hit by a mini lorry that was behind him. He sustained fatal injuries and died on the spot. Irked over this, public gathered in large numbers and quarrelled with the police personnel engaged in vehicle check. On information, Magudanchavadi police inspector Rajaranaveeran, along with more police personnel, came to the spot to rescue the police. Then, the public started to attack the police. In the attack, inspector Rajaranaveeran, SSI Palanisamy and SI Rajendran sustained injuries and were admitted at Edappadi GH and a private hospital. The public staged a road roko with the body of the deceased and did not allow police to touch the body. They also burnt two police bikes. Following this, heavy police force was deployed on the spot and tear gas and latticharge was used to control the crowd. Public responded by throwing stones at the police and their vehicles. In the attack, a few police personnel sustained minor injuries and windshields of three police vehicles were damaged. Later, District Superintendent of Police (SP) P Rajan and Revenue officials came to the spot and talked to the public. Following talks, the police sent the body to Salem Government Hospital for postmortem around 10 p.m. But, public gathered in the locality and tension prevailed for the whole night. Then, Inspector General of Police (IG, West Zone) A Pari, Salem range DIG P Nagarajan came to the spot to monitor the situation. On Sunday morning, the SP talked with the deceased youth's father Thangaraj and assured action against police personnel if they were found guilty. After the assurance, the doctors conducted postmortem and handed over the body to Saravanan's parents. Police personnel were also deployed at Salem GH to avert any untoward incident. PMK functionaries, including former MLA A Tamilarasu, and DMK functionary V Kavery visited Salem GH and consoled the parents and relatives of the deceased. Later, around 11 am, the body was taken to the village and cremated amid heavy police protection. Shops were shut down in the Elampillai locality and more than 500 police personnel were engaged in protection duty. Speaking to media persons, IG Pari said that the situation was now under control and they had started identifying the people who attacked the police with the help of some video evidence. He went to say that conducting vehicle check was a duty of the police. In the incident, the mistake was on the part of deceased youth Saravanan. He was hit by the vehicle when he tried to avoid the vehicle check, he added.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow at Delhi and reiterate the request of Tamil Nadu Cabinet that former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa should be honoured with Bharat Ratna.

During the first meeting of the Council of Ministers headed by Panneerselvam held on December 10, a resolution recommending Bharat Ratna award was adopted. A decision was also taken to urge the Centre to unveil Jayalalithaa's life-size bronze statue at Parliament complex.

During his first visit to Delhi after taking over as Chief Minister, Panneerselvam would also submit a memorandum detailing the various demands of Tamil Nadu including the financial assistance for undertaking restoration works in the districts affected by cyclone Vardah. The Chief Minister will be returning to Chennai on the same day.



CHENNAI: Chief Minister O Panneerselvam will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow at Delhi and reiterate the request of Tamil Nadu Cabinet that former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa should be honoured with Bharat Ratna. During the first meeting of the Council of Ministers headed by Panneerselvam held on December 10, a resolution recommending Bharat Ratna award was adopted. A decision was also taken to urge the Centre to unveil Jayalalithaa's life-size bronze statue at Parliament complex. During his first visit to Delhi after taking over as Chief Minister, Panneerselvam would also submit a memorandum detailing the various demands of Tamil Nadu including the financial assistance for undertaking restoration works in the districts affected by cyclone Vardah. The Chief Minister will be returning to Chennai on the same day.
M Sabari By

Express News Service

NAMAKKAL: After cancelling the proposed visit to Namakkal because of his father and DMK president M Karunanidhis illness, party treasurer MK Stalin finally came by road on Saturday evening to take part in the competition for students to mark the 108th birth anniversary of former chief minister CN Annadurai. He stayed in Namakkal to distribute prizes to the winners on Sunday.

The DMK president M Karunanidhi is fine and recovering well, said Stalin. Marking Annadurais 108th birthday, the DMK youth wing had organised oratorical, essay writing and poetry competitions for students in every district for the past two months. The State-level finals were held on Saturday in Namakkal and more than 200 students participated. At first the DMK high command announced that Stalin would inaugurate the finals on Saturday and distribute the prizes on Sunday. But because Karunanidhi was admitted to hospital on Thursday, the DMK treasurer of Namakkal unit said Stalins two-day visit was cancelled.

After good signs of recovery of his father, Stalin came to Namakkal from Chennai by road on Saturday evening. Speaking to students and cadre, Stalin said, As the DMK chief was admitted to hospital, I could not come on Friday. But I instructed the party officials to conduct the competitions as per schedule. The district party officials urged me to participate in the prize distribution. The doctors told me that the DMK chief was fine and recovering well. So I came to this function.

Stalin said every year on behalf of the youth wing competitions for school students were organised to mark Annadurais birth anniversary. The winners get `25,000, `15,000 and `10,000 for the first three places, respectively. Till date, DMK spent `6.70 crore in prizes to 17,961 students who took part in competitions to mark Annadurais and DMK chief Karunanidhis birthdays.

Actors, Narayanasamy visit MK at hospital

Chennai: Several leaders and prominent persons continued to visit the Kauvery Hospital on Sunday to inquire about the health condition of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Vishal, actor and general secretary of South Indian Artistes Association, and comedian Vadivel visited the hospital and inquired about the health of the DMK leader. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, accompanied by some of his Cabinet colleagues, also visited the DMK leader. Speaking to reporters, Narayansamy said, I was told he is improving well and return home in a couple of days.

NAMAKKAL: After cancelling the proposed visit to Namakkal because of his father and DMK president M Karunanidhis illness, party treasurer MK Stalin finally came by road on Saturday evening to take part in the competition for students to mark the 108th birth anniversary of former chief minister CN Annadurai. He stayed in Namakkal to distribute prizes to the winners on Sunday. The DMK president M Karunanidhi is fine and recovering well, said Stalin. Marking Annadurais 108th birthday, the DMK youth wing had organised oratorical, essay writing and poetry competitions for students in every district for the past two months. The State-level finals were held on Saturday in Namakkal and more than 200 students participated. At first the DMK high command announced that Stalin would inaugurate the finals on Saturday and distribute the prizes on Sunday. But because Karunanidhi was admitted to hospital on Thursday, the DMK treasurer of Namakkal unit said Stalins two-day visit was cancelled. After good signs of recovery of his father, Stalin came to Namakkal from Chennai by road on Saturday evening. Speaking to students and cadre, Stalin said, As the DMK chief was admitted to hospital, I could not come on Friday. But I instructed the party officials to conduct the competitions as per schedule. The district party officials urged me to participate in the prize distribution. The doctors told me that the DMK chief was fine and recovering well. So I came to this function. Stalin said every year on behalf of the youth wing competitions for school students were organised to mark Annadurais birth anniversary. The winners get `25,000, `15,000 and `10,000 for the first three places, respectively. Till date, DMK spent `6.70 crore in prizes to 17,961 students who took part in competitions to mark Annadurais and DMK chief Karunanidhis birthdays. Actors, Narayanasamy visit MK at hospital Chennai: Several leaders and prominent persons continued to visit the Kauvery Hospital on Sunday to inquire about the health condition of DMK chief M Karunanidhi. Vishal, actor and general secretary of South Indian Artistes Association, and comedian Vadivel visited the hospital and inquired about the health of the DMK leader. Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, accompanied by some of his Cabinet colleagues, also visited the DMK leader. Speaking to reporters, Narayansamy said, I was told he is improving well and return home in a couple of days.
NEW DELHI: The new chief of Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Naveed Mukhtar is the Pakistan Army veteran who provided safe hideouts to al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Talibans boss Mullah Omar during his tenure in the counter-terror cell of the snoop agency.



A resident of Nankana Sahib in Pakistans Punjab, the new ISI boss has extensive linkages in the Sikh community there and might revive Khalistan movement in India.



Mukhtar had joined the Pakistan Army in 1983 when Islamabad-sponsored Sikh extremism was as its peak in India. While in Army, he was involved in the Sikh insurgency operations. He continues to enjoy good rapport with the fugitive Khalistani extremists, revealed Intelligence sources. Between 2010 and 2014, Mukhtar worked as a brigadier with the counter-terror cell of the ISI. He led the team of the spy agency that deceived the Western agencies and concealed hideouts of the top terrorists, the sources said.



Mukhtar had revealed about Osamas Abottabad hideout to his then boss DG of ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who in turn passed on the information to the Americans, who later killed Osama.



In 2013, Omar died due to illness in Karachi. However, he had allowed safe hideouts to other Talibani cadres, sources said. When Omar died, other Taliban cadres taking refuge in Karachi became leaderless. Mukhtar, however, started eliminating political rivals of Nawaz Sharifs party in Sindh and Karachi by branding them as RAW agents. He had also targeted a number of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Balochistan Liberation Army. This is one of the major reasons why has been appointed as the ISI chief, an official said.



As per Intelligence assessments, Mukhtar is said to be deeply influenced by Pak President Zia ul Haqs doctrine of bleeding India with a thousand cuts. Inputs further suggest Mukhtar could seek to destabilise the pro-India government in Afghanistan and re-establish the Taliban regime there. The new Army chief of Pakistan General Qamar Javed Bajwa is already a favourite of the Haqqani network.



Both Laden and Umar were assets for Mukhtar and now that both are dead, the new ISI boss could seek to shift operations from Dubai to the eastern countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka.

Mukhtar had deceived the Americans in the counter-terror operations in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Now that Pakistan has a significant number of Chinese people, particularly due to the investments in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), there is every possibility that he will deceive them in one manner or the other, a top Intelligence official said, adding that radical Muslims could be pushed into China through CPEC or Mukhtars agents could hit cargo movement in the corridor to seek more Chinese funds.

NEW DELHI: The new chief of Pakistans spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Naveed Mukhtar is the Pakistan Army veteran who provided safe hideouts to al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and Talibans boss Mullah Omar during his tenure in the counter-terror cell of the snoop agency. A resident of Nankana Sahib in Pakistans Punjab, the new ISI boss has extensive linkages in the Sikh community there and might revive Khalistan movement in India. Mukhtar had joined the Pakistan Army in 1983 when Islamabad-sponsored Sikh extremism was as its peak in India. While in Army, he was involved in the Sikh insurgency operations. He continues to enjoy good rapport with the fugitive Khalistani extremists, revealed Intelligence sources. Between 2010 and 2014, Mukhtar worked as a brigadier with the counter-terror cell of the ISI. He led the team of the spy agency that deceived the Western agencies and concealed hideouts of the top terrorists, the sources said. Mukhtar had revealed about Osamas Abottabad hideout to his then boss DG of ISI Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who in turn passed on the information to the Americans, who later killed Osama. In 2013, Omar died due to illness in Karachi. However, he had allowed safe hideouts to other Talibani cadres, sources said. When Omar died, other Taliban cadres taking refuge in Karachi became leaderless. Mukhtar, however, started eliminating political rivals of Nawaz Sharifs party in Sindh and Karachi by branding them as RAW agents. He had also targeted a number of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Balochistan Liberation Army. This is one of the major reasons why has been appointed as the ISI chief, an official said. As per Intelligence assessments, Mukhtar is said to be deeply influenced by Pak President Zia ul Haqs doctrine of bleeding India with a thousand cuts. Inputs further suggest Mukhtar could seek to destabilise the pro-India government in Afghanistan and re-establish the Taliban regime there. The new Army chief of Pakistan General Qamar Javed Bajwa is already a favourite of the Haqqani network. Both Laden and Umar were assets for Mukhtar and now that both are dead, the new ISI boss could seek to shift operations from Dubai to the eastern countries like Myanmar, Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Mukhtar had deceived the Americans in the counter-terror operations in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. Now that Pakistan has a significant number of Chinese people, particularly due to the investments in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), there is every possibility that he will deceive them in one manner or the other, a top Intelligence official said, adding that radical Muslims could be pushed into China through CPEC or Mukhtars agents could hit cargo movement in the corridor to seek more Chinese funds.
Yatish Yadav By

NEW DELHI:The war on black money has provoked a vicious counter-war against Indias net security. Between December 9 and 12, at least 80,000 cyber attacks targeted Indian networks, exposing the risks faced by the governments cashless campaign.

According to top intelligence sources, till November 28, the average of two lakh vulnerabilities per day increased to five lakh, climbing to six lakh by the first week of December. The threat from online guerilla outfit Legionwhich claims to have accessed over 40,000 servers in Indiato paralyse the banking system has prompted a 360 degree security audit of all information infrastructure including the financial networks.

Between November 22 and 26, we observed 3,35,000 attacks on Indian networks by the cyber hackers from China, Pakistan, Singapore, the US, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Dubai and Sweden, intel sources said. These have originated from lesser-known groups like Suckfly, Lazarus, Odinaff and Danti. Interestingly, an intelligence note reviewed by The Sunday Standard warns against the technical vulnerability of mobile phones, too.

They are equally vulnerable to malware attacks and data leakages as ordinary Internet connected computers. Android and iOS platform-based smart phones are known to have multiple vulnerabilities which are being widely exploited by the attackers and adversaries, said the note.

According to cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab, India ranks seven among the top 10 countries attacked by mobile malware. Mobile banking Trojans like ZeuS are the most common malware used by hackers to steal money from bank accounts.

Earlier, criminals used to crack banks. But its too expensive, complicated and risky. Now, they defraud Internet users by stealing money from them and unfortunately they are very successful in doing that, said the lab report.

Sources said the Indian cyber security apparatus is focused on countering unstructured enemies like individuals, un-targeted malicious software and human error. There is very little protection against structured adversaries like big hacker groups and cyber warriors sponsored by state actors like China, which increasingly target computers and smart phones. A former officer of the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), V K Mittal, said the existing Internet security architecture is inadequate to completely shift to digital economy.

The existing phones provide software based security and not the hardware which simply means that they can be easily exploited. For the digital economy, the infrastructure must be strengthened by the agencies, Mittal said.

A report from cyber security firm Symantec reveals that India is heavily affected by cyber threats and figures among the top 10 affected countries. The note said the cyber criminals could be located anywhere in the world and they can target a particular user system or a particular service It is extremely difficult to prove whether the cyber criminal is an individual a gang, a group of state actors or a nation state.

NEW DELHI:The war on black money has provoked a vicious counter-war against Indias net security. Between December 9 and 12, at least 80,000 cyber attacks targeted Indian networks, exposing the risks faced by the governments cashless campaign. According to top intelligence sources, till November 28, the average of two lakh vulnerabilities per day increased to five lakh, climbing to six lakh by the first week of December. The threat from online guerilla outfit Legionwhich claims to have accessed over 40,000 servers in Indiato paralyse the banking system has prompted a 360 degree security audit of all information infrastructure including the financial networks. Between November 22 and 26, we observed 3,35,000 attacks on Indian networks by the cyber hackers from China, Pakistan, Singapore, the US, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Dubai and Sweden, intel sources said. These have originated from lesser-known groups like Suckfly, Lazarus, Odinaff and Danti. Interestingly, an intelligence note reviewed by The Sunday Standard warns against the technical vulnerability of mobile phones, too. They are equally vulnerable to malware attacks and data leakages as ordinary Internet connected computers. Android and iOS platform-based smart phones are known to have multiple vulnerabilities which are being widely exploited by the attackers and adversaries, said the note. According to cyber security firm Kaspersky Lab, India ranks seven among the top 10 countries attacked by mobile malware. Mobile banking Trojans like ZeuS are the most common malware used by hackers to steal money from bank accounts. Earlier, criminals used to crack banks. But its too expensive, complicated and risky. Now, they defraud Internet users by stealing money from them and unfortunately they are very successful in doing that, said the lab report. Sources said the Indian cyber security apparatus is focused on countering unstructured enemies like individuals, un-targeted malicious software and human error. There is very little protection against structured adversaries like big hacker groups and cyber warriors sponsored by state actors like China, which increasingly target computers and smart phones. A former officer of the National Technical Research Organization (NTRO), V K Mittal, said the existing Internet security architecture is inadequate to completely shift to digital economy. The existing phones provide software based security and not the hardware which simply means that they can be easily exploited. For the digital economy, the infrastructure must be strengthened by the agencies, Mittal said. A report from cyber security firm Symantec reveals that India is heavily affected by cyber threats and figures among the top 10 affected countries. The note said the cyber criminals could be located anywhere in the world and they can target a particular user system or a particular service It is extremely difficult to prove whether the cyber criminal is an individual a gang, a group of state actors or a nation state.
Express News Service By

CHENNAI: Nalini Sriharan is one of the longest serving women prisoners in the world. Accused of hosting two female suicide bombers, Suba and Dhanu from Sri Lanka, along with her husband Sriharan alias Murugan, another convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini has been languishing in Vellore jail for 25 years now.



In a recently released book, Rajiv Kolai: Maraikkapatta Unmaigalum, Priyanka-Nalini Santhippum (Rajiv assassination: Suppressed facts and Priyanka-Nalini meeting), compiled by journalist Ekalaivan, Nalini opens up on what transpired in the meeting between her and the slain prime ministers daughter. The book includes three chapters on how Sriharan became his own counsel.

The excerpts

Nalini Sriharan being taken away by the police



We were the only family who were accused in this case. The CBI arrested six of usmy husband, mother, younger sister, brother and maternal uncle. Advocates visited other accused, but none came for us or those from Sri Lanka.



Around May 19, 1992, four of them from the Saidapet camp were added as accused in the case. Only after that did the court bother to look if we had an advocate. Two years later, we received in writing from the courts that we can appoint an advocate for us. Senior advocate Duraisamy agreed to be my counsel. Sriharan, however, declined to seek a counsel.

Cross-examination

An advocate, Chandrasekaran, lent two law books to my husband. He started poring over the books, sometimes over 18 hours a day. It was around the beginning of 1995, I think. First witness was Sriperumbudur Police Inspector Madhuram, the officer who had filed the FIR.



My husband got a chance only after nine advocates finished cross-examining the police inspector. He got up and prepared. There was an important thing to be cross-examined with the Inspector. Armys Major Sabarwal, an explosives expert, had filed a report on the Sriperumbudur blast. The major in his report had mentioned that the site where the explosion happened had a Tigers training camp, adding, This is one of the reasons why I conclude they are behind the bombings.



My husbands cross-examination with Madhuram began. He asked, Have you ever sent a report to your higher-ups about the presence of a terror organisation within your range? No, said the inspector.

But there were reports that a Tigers training camp functioned in Sriperumbudur?

The inspector said, There is nothing of that sort. If anyone says so, it is nothing but a rumour. There is no truth to it.



Dealing with witnesses

Badrinath, Avadi Manoharan, Prabhakaranthe CBI witnesses in the case deposed before the court that the CBI kept us at Malligai building for so many days and trained us on what to tell before the judge.



The state produced another witness, Selvam. Their report claimed that my husband was staying at Selvams house and that police had recovered his photo ID from the home, according to Selvams statement.



Selvam was well prepared by the CBI. My husband began his cross-examination.

Did you go through the list of items seized from your house and signed under it, he asked.

Yes

Did you see me at your house? Are you sure it was me?

Yes

The CBI or police, they showed a photograph of me and told to say that the man in this photograph is Murugan. Is that right, my husband asked.

Nothing like that sir. I have seen you in my house, Selvam said.

You are an illiterate. You signed under what was given

to you by the CBI. Am I right? my husband shot the next question.



No, I can read and write. I read and signed under it, replied Selvam.

You did not notice any photograph of mine in the house of yours. Did you?

Yes, I did not.

In that case, you are also declining that they (police) told you to identify me from a photograph of mine?

Yes, I decline, Selvam said.

Sir, but you have signed under the statement that police found a photo ID of mine in your house and that they confirmed it was me by showing the photo ID. Now, did you sign under a false statement? My husband had him locked. Selvam was lost for words. Those in the court hall laughed.

CHENNAI: Nalini Sriharan is one of the longest serving women prisoners in the world. Accused of hosting two female suicide bombers, Suba and Dhanu from Sri Lanka, along with her husband Sriharan alias Murugan, another convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Nalini has been languishing in Vellore jail for 25 years now. In a recently released book, Rajiv Kolai: Maraikkapatta Unmaigalum, Priyanka-Nalini Santhippum (Rajiv assassination: Suppressed facts and Priyanka-Nalini meeting), compiled by journalist Ekalaivan, Nalini opens up on what transpired in the meeting between her and the slain prime ministers daughter. The book includes three chapters on how Sriharan became his own counsel. The excerpts Nalini Sriharan being taken away by the police We were the only family who were accused in this case. The CBI arrested six of usmy husband, mother, younger sister, brother and maternal uncle. Advocates visited other accused, but none came for us or those from Sri Lanka. Around May 19, 1992, four of them from the Saidapet camp were added as accused in the case. Only after that did the court bother to look if we had an advocate. Two years later, we received in writing from the courts that we can appoint an advocate for us. Senior advocate Duraisamy agreed to be my counsel. Sriharan, however, declined to seek a counsel. Cross-examination An advocate, Chandrasekaran, lent two law books to my husband. He started poring over the books, sometimes over 18 hours a day. It was around the beginning of 1995, I think. First witness was Sriperumbudur Police Inspector Madhuram, the officer who had filed the FIR. My husband got a chance only after nine advocates finished cross-examining the police inspector. He got up and prepared. There was an important thing to be cross-examined with the Inspector. Armys Major Sabarwal, an explosives expert, had filed a report on the Sriperumbudur blast. The major in his report had mentioned that the site where the explosion happened had a Tigers training camp, adding, This is one of the reasons why I conclude they are behind the bombings. My husbands cross-examination with Madhuram began. He asked, Have you ever sent a report to your higher-ups about the presence of a terror organisation within your range? No, said the inspector. But there were reports that a Tigers training camp functioned in Sriperumbudur? The inspector said, There is nothing of that sort. If anyone says so, it is nothing but a rumour. There is no truth to it. Dealing with witnesses Badrinath, Avadi Manoharan, Prabhakaranthe CBI witnesses in the case deposed before the court that the CBI kept us at Malligai building for so many days and trained us on what to tell before the judge. The state produced another witness, Selvam. Their report claimed that my husband was staying at Selvams house and that police had recovered his photo ID from the home, according to Selvams statement. Selvam was well prepared by the CBI. My husband began his cross-examination. Did you go through the list of items seized from your house and signed under it, he asked. Yes Did you see me at your house? Are you sure it was me? Yes The CBI or police, they showed a photograph of me and told to say that the man in this photograph is Murugan. Is that right, my husband asked. Nothing like that sir. I have seen you in my house, Selvam said. You are an illiterate. You signed under what was given to you by the CBI. Am I right? my husband shot the next question. No, I can read and write. I read and signed under it, replied Selvam. You did not notice any photograph of mine in the house of yours. Did you? Yes, I did not. In that case, you are also declining that they (police) told you to identify me from a photograph of mine? Yes, I decline, Selvam said. Sir, but you have signed under the statement that police found a photo ID of mine in your house and that they confirmed it was me by showing the photo ID. Now, did you sign under a false statement? My husband had him locked. Selvam was lost for words. Those in the court hall laughed.
Gayathri Mani By

NEW DELHI:The Delhi Traffic Police and civic agencies have been at loggerheads over the implementation of the high court order directing removal of unauthorised speed breakers constructed across the city within four weeks.

While the civic agencies were directed to follow the order in May this year, the high court in a November order stated: The Delhi Traffic Police shall also ensure that each of the speed breakers, whether authorised or unauthorised, form part of their database with the exact location through GPS.

Sources from the high court said the police have identified 89 illegal and 59 authorised speed breakers, which according to the Indian Road Congress (IRC) were faultily designed. All the three municipal corporations, including Delhi Development Authority, in Delhi have submitted their status report claiming removal of illegal speed breakers from their specific areas.

Joint Commissioner, Delhi Traffic Police, Garima Bhatnagar said, In our status report, we have mentioned about the number of illegal speed breakers identified in the city.

A victim of administrative lapse by Delhi Traffic Police and North DMC, Mohit Kumar Gupta, a resident of west Delhi, said, Despite lodging a number of complaints on Delhi Traffic Polices WhatsApp group since July this year, no action was initiated by them.

The road conditions in west Delhi continue to remain bad.

On the courts direction to traffic police to submit a detailed report on January 25, DCP Traffic in-charge central Delhi Amrinder Kumar said, I dont have any information about it.

NEW DELHI:The Delhi Traffic Police and civic agencies have been at loggerheads over the implementation of the high court order directing removal of unauthorised speed breakers constructed across the city within four weeks. While the civic agencies were directed to follow the order in May this year, the high court in a November order stated: The Delhi Traffic Police shall also ensure that each of the speed breakers, whether authorised or unauthorised, form part of their database with the exact location through GPS. Sources from the high court said the police have identified 89 illegal and 59 authorised speed breakers, which according to the Indian Road Congress (IRC) were faultily designed. All the three municipal corporations, including Delhi Development Authority, in Delhi have submitted their status report claiming removal of illegal speed breakers from their specific areas. Joint Commissioner, Delhi Traffic Police, Garima Bhatnagar said, In our status report, we have mentioned about the number of illegal speed breakers identified in the city. A victim of administrative lapse by Delhi Traffic Police and North DMC, Mohit Kumar Gupta, a resident of west Delhi, said, Despite lodging a number of complaints on Delhi Traffic Polices WhatsApp group since July this year, no action was initiated by them. The road conditions in west Delhi continue to remain bad. On the courts direction to traffic police to submit a detailed report on January 25, DCP Traffic in-charge central Delhi Amrinder Kumar said, I dont have any information about it.
By PTI

ISTANBUL: Nationalist protesters stormed the local headquarters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the central Turkish city of Kayseri and several other Turkish cities after an attack that left 14 soldiers dead.

With the government pointing the finger at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the attack earlier in Kayseri, the protesters yesterday took out their anger on the HDP in a string of revenge attacks. In Kayseri, protesters broke into the building where the HDP office is located, scattering papers and furniture on the street and removing the HDP sign from the entrance, images taken by the Dogan news agency showed.

A group then ascended to the top of the building, setting off a fire and draping from the top a giant red flag with three crescent moons, the insignia of right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The HDP said similar attacks also took place on its offices in seven districts in Istanbul as well as branches in the cities of Erzincan, Ankara and Canakkale, and the town of Darica east of Istanbul.

Pictures showed chaos in its offices in the Kartal district on the Asian side of Istanbul, with furniture and papers strewn on the floor. Meanwhile reports said there was an explosion at HDP offices in the Beylikduzu district of Istanbul, although there were no casualties. In a statement, the HDP accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to the attacks. "Those who fail to take measures to prevent these attacks give an opportunity for provocations," it said, while urging caution from its own supporters.

The government has said the outlawed PKK, which is fighting a bitter insurgency against the Turkish security forces in the southeast, was likely behind the attack earlier that left 14 Turkish soldiers dead. The HDP denies any links to the PKK but the government accuses the party of being the political front of the militants.

Several HDP MPs including its co-leaders are currently under arrest over alleged links to the PKK. The HDP earlier condemned the attack on the soldiers "in the strongest possible terms". But it added: "We have long passed the stage of settling with messages of condemnation. We all must stand together for peace, democracy, justice and freedom against violence, to end this pain." Turkish media said that yesterday's protesters in Kayseri were supporters of the Grey Wolves, a militant wing of the MHP who were hugely prominent in the 1980s and 1990s.

Kayseri is seen as one of the strongholds of the nationalist party in Turkey, although the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made inroads there in recent years. Meanwhile, angry right-wing protesters also attacked an outdoor meeting of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in central Kayseri, the Hurriyet daily said.

ISTANBUL: Nationalist protesters stormed the local headquarters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the central Turkish city of Kayseri and several other Turkish cities after an attack that left 14 soldiers dead. With the government pointing the finger at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the attack earlier in Kayseri, the protesters yesterday took out their anger on the HDP in a string of revenge attacks. In Kayseri, protesters broke into the building where the HDP office is located, scattering papers and furniture on the street and removing the HDP sign from the entrance, images taken by the Dogan news agency showed. A group then ascended to the top of the building, setting off a fire and draping from the top a giant red flag with three crescent moons, the insignia of right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The HDP said similar attacks also took place on its offices in seven districts in Istanbul as well as branches in the cities of Erzincan, Ankara and Canakkale, and the town of Darica east of Istanbul. Pictures showed chaos in its offices in the Kartal district on the Asian side of Istanbul, with furniture and papers strewn on the floor. Meanwhile reports said there was an explosion at HDP offices in the Beylikduzu district of Istanbul, although there were no casualties. In a statement, the HDP accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to the attacks. "Those who fail to take measures to prevent these attacks give an opportunity for provocations," it said, while urging caution from its own supporters. The government has said the outlawed PKK, which is fighting a bitter insurgency against the Turkish security forces in the southeast, was likely behind the attack earlier that left 14 Turkish soldiers dead. The HDP denies any links to the PKK but the government accuses the party of being the political front of the militants. Several HDP MPs including its co-leaders are currently under arrest over alleged links to the PKK. The HDP earlier condemned the attack on the soldiers "in the strongest possible terms". But it added: "We have long passed the stage of settling with messages of condemnation. We all must stand together for peace, democracy, justice and freedom against violence, to end this pain." Turkish media said that yesterday's protesters in Kayseri were supporters of the Grey Wolves, a militant wing of the MHP who were hugely prominent in the 1980s and 1990s. Kayseri is seen as one of the strongholds of the nationalist party in Turkey, although the ruling Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) has made inroads there in recent years. Meanwhile, angry right-wing protesters also attacked an outdoor meeting of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in central Kayseri, the Hurriyet daily said.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett understands the value of having cameras on his citys police officers.

The Milwaukee County district attorney last week charged a patrol officer with first-degree reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of Sylville Smith. Video captured by cameras on the patrolmans and his partners uniforms was key to the investigation, the mayor said.

If this case had occurred 10 years ago, or 15 years ago, we would not have that evidence, Barrett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Similarly, if the case had occurred in Madison  not decades ago, but today  video evidence from cop cameras wouldnt exist, and the officer almost certainly would not be charged. Thats because, unlike Milwaukee and so many other cities, Madison continues to resist even a small test of cameras on police uniforms.

Madisons finance committee favored $75,000 to buy cameras for officers on the North Side in October. But the full City Council rejected that modest proposal last month, claiming the devices lacked public support and could lead to the deportation of undocumented immigrants.

In reality, surveys suggest the public overwhelmingly supports cameras on officers because theyve been shown to improve the behavior of police and the public. And if government officials really want to find people who are living in the U.S. without permission, using grainy images from uniform cameras would be an odd and ineffective way to go about it.

Other cities have adopted clear policies on how and when cop cameras will be used to allay legitimate privacy concerns.

The Madison City Council should learn from Milwaukees experience. Milwaukee has been equipping all of its patrol officers with body-worn cameras since last year. And when Officer Dominique Heaggan-Brown, 24, shot Smith, 23, as Smith ran from a traffic stop, uniform cameras showed Smith was carrying a gun, turned toward the officer and raised the weapon.

But after Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm watched footage from the encounter, he saw something else. The officers first shot hit Smiths arm, and the gun Smith was carrying went over a fence, according to the criminal complaint. The officers second and fatal shot hit Smith in the chest while Smith was unarmed.

The officer said he fired a second time because he thought Smith was reaching for his waistband and possibly another weapon. But according to the criminal complaint: A review of the body camera footage shows that at no time after the shooting did Heaggan-Brown or any other officer search Smith for a second firearm. In fact, when Smith demonstrably reaches for his waistband after being shot the second time, Heaggan-Brown does not discharge his weapon, but moves Smiths hand away with his own hand.

That doesnt mean Heaggan-Brown is guilty of a crime. As Milwaukees police chief has noted, the officer had to think quickly under a lot of stress. The second shot came less than 2 seconds after the first, the video shows.

Ultimately, a jury may decide the officers fate. And if it does, it will be able to watch for itself  along with the public  what happened.

Thats about the strongest evidence possible. And cameras on police officers made it possible.
By PTI

ABUJA: Regional West African leaders said The Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh must step down next month when his term runs out, just over a week after he challenged the result of an election in which he had already conceded defeat.

The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued its call in a statement at the end of a summit in Nigeria. "The Authority calls on President Yahya Jammeh to accept the result of the polls and refrain from any act likely to compromise the transition and peaceful transfer of power to the president-elect," they said.

The summit vowed "to take all necessary action to enforce the results" of the December 1 poll, without spelling out what the measures would be. Opposition leader Adama Barrow was declared the winner of the presidential ballot and Jammeh initially conceded defeat, only to reverse his decision a week later, condemning "unacceptable errors" by election authorities and calling for a new vote.

The summit in Abuja was attended by 11 heads of state but without the leaders of four members including The Gambia. Earlier, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is also ECOWAS chairwoman, said Jammeh's reversal "threatened peace", calling on him in a statement on December 10 "do the right thing and take actions to facilitate a smooth and peaceful transition in The Gambia." Gambian security forces seized the country's Independent Electoral Commission earlier this week, drawing international condemnation. Yesterday Johnson-Sirleaf said a prompt resolution of the crisis was essential.

"It is now important that the Authority, at this summit, considers recommended measures to bring this matter to successful conclusion before January 19, the constituted date when the mandate of the incumbent president expires," she told the summit. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the UN top envoy for West Africa, said the global body would support efforts to resolve the election logjam. "The UN remains concerned by some of the worrisome developments that occurred during the post election period in The Gambia," Chambas said after the opening of the summit.

These included "in particular, the seizure of the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission by the Gambian military," he added. The summit also appointed Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to mediate in the dispute and report back to the regional grouping. On Tuesday, Sirleaf led a heavyweight delegation to The Gambia to seek to broker a deal, meeting both Jammeh and Barrow but Sirleaf announced at the end of the talks there was no deal.

The situation has been further complicated by Jammeh's political party filing a legal challenge against the result at the Supreme Court. The African Union, the UN, local and international rights groups have asked Jammeh -- who has been in power for 22 years -- to step down.

ABUJA: Regional West African leaders said The Gambia's president Yahya Jammeh must step down next month when his term runs out, just over a week after he challenged the result of an election in which he had already conceded defeat. The 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued its call in a statement at the end of a summit in Nigeria. "The Authority calls on President Yahya Jammeh to accept the result of the polls and refrain from any act likely to compromise the transition and peaceful transfer of power to the president-elect," they said. The summit vowed "to take all necessary action to enforce the results" of the December 1 poll, without spelling out what the measures would be. Opposition leader Adama Barrow was declared the winner of the presidential ballot and Jammeh initially conceded defeat, only to reverse his decision a week later, condemning "unacceptable errors" by election authorities and calling for a new vote. The summit in Abuja was attended by 11 heads of state but without the leaders of four members including The Gambia. Earlier, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is also ECOWAS chairwoman, said Jammeh's reversal "threatened peace", calling on him in a statement on December 10 "do the right thing and take actions to facilitate a smooth and peaceful transition in The Gambia." Gambian security forces seized the country's Independent Electoral Commission earlier this week, drawing international condemnation. Yesterday Johnson-Sirleaf said a prompt resolution of the crisis was essential. "It is now important that the Authority, at this summit, considers recommended measures to bring this matter to successful conclusion before January 19, the constituted date when the mandate of the incumbent president expires," she told the summit. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the UN top envoy for West Africa, said the global body would support efforts to resolve the election logjam. "The UN remains concerned by some of the worrisome developments that occurred during the post election period in The Gambia," Chambas said after the opening of the summit. These included "in particular, the seizure of the headquarters of the Independent Electoral Commission by the Gambian military," he added. The summit also appointed Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama to mediate in the dispute and report back to the regional grouping. On Tuesday, Sirleaf led a heavyweight delegation to The Gambia to seek to broker a deal, meeting both Jammeh and Barrow but Sirleaf announced at the end of the talks there was no deal. The situation has been further complicated by Jammeh's political party filing a legal challenge against the result at the Supreme Court. The African Union, the UN, local and international rights groups have asked Jammeh -- who has been in power for 22 years -- to step down.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 73F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 58F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.
Champaign firefighters worked through cold temperatures and icing conditions to put out a two-alarm fire at an apartment house at 611 South State Street on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016. The fire was reported at 8:52 p.m. and was struck at 10:28 p.m. No injuries were reported, but several pets were missing.
An interest in solving complex problems, friends training to be medical doctors and his father having a stroke helped put John Asiruwa on the path to becoming a biomedical engineer.

That journey began in Benin City, Nigeria, when Asiruwa earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Benin. After working as a process engineer for a year, he decided to pursue a master's degree. His uncle Christopher Igbinedion, who earned his master's degree in civil engineering in 1993 from South Dakota State University, recommended his alma mater.

Then Asiruwa did his homeworkhis search led to associate professor Stephen Gent, who is modeling blood flow through stent grafts. "I had a basic knowledge of pipe flow because I had been a process engineer, so why not apply these principles to the human body?" Asiruwa thought. When he arrived at SDSU in fall 2015, his first stop was Gent's office.

"I want to learn," Asiruwa recalled telling Gent. "I want to be able to think outside the box, to be involved in something that can make life better for others."

Learning the Ropes

Asiruwa began by taking a new special topics course, Engineering Mechanics in Biomedical Applications in fall 2015, which Gent developed as an extension of his biomedical research and as part of the biomedical engineering minor. "I was scared," Asiruwa admitted. "It was my first graduate class in a different country, but it was new to everyone."

When Gent talked about his research with Sanford Health modeling blood flow through stents, Asiruwa was hooked. Gent described aneurysms and how stent grafts could improve outcomes for patients, he recalled. 'I knew a brain aneurysm rupture was the cause of my father's stroke in 2012."

Gent has been collaborating with Sanford Health vascular surgeon Dr. Pat Kelly and biomedical engineer Tyler Remund, who is part of Kelly's product development team, to evaluate blood flow through stent grafts since 2014. The results of their work have been published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery. The data from Gent's computational fluid dynamics simulations support Sanford Health's efforts to commercialize these life-saving devices.

Asiruwa began his graduate work as a teaching assistant, grading homework assignments, first, for a fluid mechanics class and then thermodynamics. "That helped me refresh my memory," explained Asiruwa. In spring 2016, he took two more graduate classes, one in computational fluid dynamics and another in advanced fluid mechanics.

In addition, he met weekly with Gent to discuss papers on blood flow modeling and stent graft designs .As Asiruwa began learning the computational fluid dynamics software, he became what he called "the post-processing guy" for the stent graft modeling team, eventually transitioning to a research assistantship.

Gent said, "I have been quite impressed with John's enthusiasm and abilities. He has proven to be an asset for our research group."

Modeling coronary arteries

Working with Gent and students modeling stent grafts for the summer National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program gave Asiruwa an idea for his own research.

"A stent is difficult to deploy in a coronary artery," he explained, noting the critical role that blood pressure and flow dynamics play in this part of the body.

Asiruwa is using CFD modeling to evaluate how the angle at which the coronary artery branches affects the blood flow and, therefore, the likelihood of clotting and plaque buildup known as atherosclerosis. This information is vital when carrying out coronary bypass surgeries and placing stents.

"The takeoff angle of the left coronary artery makes a difference," he pointed out. Based on these analyses, he hopes to identify which angles are associated with an increased likelihood of blockages reoccurring. The results will give surgeons data to make decisions that will affect patient outcomes.

"Understanding the flow dynamics in coronary stenting and its complexity will help those designing biostents and tissue-engineered degradable stent grafts for more complex aneurysm-prone regions with delicate arterial networks," explained Asiruwa. He hopes one day to do research on stents used for brain aneurysms.

Asiruwa credits Gent and his work with Sanford for igniting his passion for biomedical engineering. Once he completes his master's degree, he wants to pursue a doctorate in biomedical engineering at the University of South Dakota and continue doing research on Sanford Health projects.

"I come from an area of the world where minimally invasive medical techniques are not common," he explained. Through working on this research, Asiruwa said, "I feel I am in the right place. I can see what I am doing can be life changing for patients."
Ribociclib significantly improves progression-free survival in Asian women with advanced breast cancer, according to a sub-analysis of the MONALEESA-2 trial presented at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.

"Breast cancer is a significant health burden in Asia, with 24% of cases worldwide diagnosed in this region alone," said lead author Dr Yoon-Sim Yap, Senior Consultant, Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore. "A higher proportion of patients have advanced disease at diagnosis in certain regions within Asia, with potential differences in tumour biology."

Endocrine therapy is the backbone of treatment for hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer but efficacy is often limited by de novo or acquired resistance. Disease progression eventually occurs in most patients receiving endocrine therapy. The CDK4/6 pathway is implicated in endocrine therapy resistance, and therefore, combined endocrine and CDK4/6-targeted therapy may prolong treatment benefit and delay the use of chemotherapy.

MONALEESA-2 is a phase 3 randomised trial of ribociclib (a CDK4/6 inhibitor) plus letrozole (endocrine therapy) versus placebo plus letrozole for the first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. A total of 668 patients were enrolled (334 in each treatment arm). Tumour assessments were performed at screening, every eight weeks during the first 18 months, and every 12 weeks thereafter. The primary endpoint was locally assessed progression-free survival (PFS). The pre-planned interim analysis was conducted after 243 PFS events had occurred in the full population.

Today researchers presented the findings of a pre-defined subgroup analysis in Asian patients by geographic region (68 patients) and race (51 patients). As previously reported, the addition of ribociclib to letrozole significantly increased PFS by 44% in the full population. This improvement was also observed in Asian patients, regardless of categorisation by geographic region (70% increase in PFS) or by self-reported race (61% increase in PFS). Combined ribociclib and letrozole treatment was well tolerated in Asian patients, with a similar safety profile as that observed in the full population.

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Dr Yap said: "First-line ribociclib and letrozole significantly prolonged PFS compared to placebo plus letrozole with an acceptable safety profile in postmenopausal Asian women with HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. This trial shows that the combination of ribociclib and letrozole is an effective first-line therapy for HR-positive advanced breast cancer, including for the Asian patient population."

Commenting on the findings, Dr Sing-Huang Tan, senior consultant, Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), said: "Breast cancer incidence has increased in several East and Southeast Asian countries the past two decades. Ethnic differences in relation to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics are well known for certain drugs. There is consequently a need to evaluate the utility and safety of new breast cancer drugs in Asian patients, who often form a small proportion of the study population in international trials."

She continued: "This predefined subgroup analysis reaffirms the data obtained in the Western population and provides further evidence that ribociclib in combination with letrozole also demonstrates efficacy in Asians. It highlights another alternative to the various therapies already available, and may serve as an additional combination therapeutic option to those with a higher burden of disease for which endocrine therapy is still deemed appropriate."

Dr Tan concluded: "The use of this combination could change our practice, although costs and drug availability may be prohibitive especially in certain parts of Asia, and evidence for specific biomarkers which could enhance patient selection would be useful. Research is also needed on its utility with other targeted agents, possible mechanisms of resistance to CDK4/6 inhibitors, and the role of this group of drugs in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer, in both Asian and Western populations."
Cancer patients are ending up in debt because they have to cover the costs of treatment as well as other care related expenses, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.

Previous studies have demonstrated that cancer patients face financial difficulties even in countries where the national public health system covers most of the expense. The economic hardship experienced by patients and survivors is often refered to as the "financial toxicity" of cancer. Research presented at ESMO Asia 2016 shows new aspects of the burden of cancer care on patients.

A study from Malaysia has found that more than half of cancer survivors spend at least a third of their yearly household income on treatment, as well as on costs such as transport to hospital and childcare. They have to pay for cancer drugs because many are not funded by the government despite the availabilty of free healthcare.

Lead author Nirmala Bhoo Pathy, a clinical epidemiologist at the Faculty of Medicine, University Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said: "The scope of cancer care and drugs offered free through the public health services is limited in Malysia.

"The current system of funding for cancer healthcare needs to be reviewed. The government must increase financial risk protection especially for the poor. Early cancer detection must also be improved through policy changes."

The findings were based on 1,662 men and women who participated in the 2012-2014 ASEAN Costs in Oncology Study. More than half (51%) of those still alive (n=1,215) a year after diagnosis were suffering financial difficulties.

Low-income, a lack of health insurance and not having surgery were among the factors associated with patients having money issues. The risk was lower for those who did not undergo chemotherapy.

Commenting on the study, Professor Nathan Cherny, lead investigator for the ESMO International Consortium Study on the Availability of Anti-neoplastic Medicines, said: "Unfortunately this situation is not limited to Malaysia. Data from the soon-to-be published ESMO International Consortium Study on the Availability of Anti-neoplastic Medicines, indicates that the burden of out-of- pocket expenses for drugs that are not on the World Health Organisation (WHO) essential medicines list, is substantial in most upper-middle income countries like Malaysia.

"The problems are even more severe in low-middle and low income countries where patients often need to cover costs themselves, even for essential anticancer treatments."

Cancer patients report loss of jobs and income

The financial burden of cancer care is also highlighted in a separate pilot study to be presented at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress. It includes data from patients (n=14) aged 37 to 77 currently being treated at a hospital outpatient department in Australia.

All participants completed a questionnaire covering issues including income and employment history, as well as health insurance status.

Preliminary results found nearly three quarters (n=10) reported a reduction in household income after their cancer diagnosis. Of the twelve patients who did have a job, ten highlighted changes in employment conditions such as decreased hours (n=6), others were no longer working (n=3) and one had retired.

"The loss of work, a carer's income and early retirement can all contribute to the financial burden on the household," said lead author Anupriya Agarwal, research fellow, Concord Cancer Center, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Sydney, Australia.

"Our study aims to provide insight into these costs and assist policymakers in finding ways of reducing this burden on patients."

Doctors favour expensive drugs if life-prolonging

Another study included in the programme investigated why cancer doctors recommend costly cancer drugs.

Oncologists were asked to complete an online experiment. They were presented with several scenarios involving a fictional patient with advanced cancer, and then had to state the cancer drug (A or B) they would recommend.

The results based on 101 responses found that healthcare professionals were more likely to advise the use of drugs that allow patients to live longer and have a higher chance of improving their symptoms.

They were less likely to recommend drugs with an increased chance of side-effects and that cost patients more, because they are not subsidised by the government. However, doctors would favour expensive treatments if they increased a person's survival time by two months or more over the standard care available. They would take this approach even when the out-of-pocket cost could expose patients with advanced cancer to extreme financial difficulty or 'toxicity'.

Lead author Deme Karikios, PhD candidate, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, said: "Australian oncologists are willing to expose their patients to financial toxicity when recommending expensive unfunded anticancer drugs. They will only do this though in cases where the survival benefit is above that of standard care.

"Cancer doctors need to help patients understand the potential benefits, harms and costs of drugs not subsidised by the government. Then patients can make an informed decision about these treatment options."

Commenting on the findings, Cherny said: "Tools like the ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) can help clinicians better inform patients on how extensive the potential benefit is from a treatment option being considered.

"Using a very objective tool such as the ESMO-MCBS helps put the evidence into perspective, mitigates against optimism bias and can lead to shared decision-making that is better informed."
The first data on rare sarcomas in Asian patients is presented in three studies today at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore. Just half of patients with advanced angiosarcoma received chemotherapy even though it improved overall survival. CIC-rearranged sarcomas are shown to have a much worse prognosis than BCOR-rearranged sarcomas and clinical features are identified to aid accurate diagnoses.

Angiosarcoma is the focus of two studies conducted by the newly formed Asian Sarcoma Consortium (ASC). This heterogeneous cancer has two distinct subtypes: elderly patients with scalp/cutaneous disease and a younger cohort with visceral disease typically in the liver, vascular systems, and breast. Treatment is challenging since the disease tends to be infiltrative, making surgery with clear margins difficult, while radiation is a poor option for tumours on the scalp and face. Chemotherapy has demonstrated activity in angiosarcoma but long term remission is rare.

Both studies retrospectively included patients attending eight sites in six countries during 1990 to 2016. The first study outlines the epidemiology, real world treatment and clinical outcomes of angiosarcoma in Asia. The median age of the 423 patients was 67 years, about 60% had cutaneous angiosarcoma (they were more likely to be older, male, and have localised disease), while 40% had visceral angiosarcoma.

In the localised setting, only about 60% of patients underwent surgery, but this was significantly lower in the cutaneous (55%) than visceral (75%) cohort. In those who underwent surgery, negative margins were only achieved in approximately 70% of cases. Close to half of patients who underwent surgery relapsed. Median relapse free survival was just 12.3 months with no statistical difference between the cutaneous (12.9 months) versus visceral (9.5 months) groups. Patients were more likely to relapse if they were more than 65 years old or had positive surgical margins.

In the advanced setting, only about half of patients received chemotherapy. Median overall survival was 9.5 months with no significant difference between cutaneous (11.5 months) and visceral (8.3 months) groups. ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status was an independent predictor of survival. However, after adjusting for ECOG performance status, overall survival was significantly better in patients who received chemotherapy than those who did not.

"This is one of the largest studies in angiosarcoma and we found that overall prognosis was poor," said lead author Professor Richard Quek, deputy head and senior consultant, National Cancer Centre Singapore. "In patients with localised disease, negative surgical margin was prognostic for relapse free survival yet it was only achieved in 70% of patients. Neoadjuvant (pre-operative) treatment, be it chemotherapy or radiation, might enhance resectability of these tumours and thereby improve survival outcomes."

Quek continued: "In patients with advanced disease we demonstrated that after adjusting for ECOG performance status, chemotherapy was associated with improved overall survival. But only half of our patients actually received chemotherapy, hence it would be important to understand the reasons behind this low treatment rate. Could these be physician-related factors? And if so, is more sarcoma-related continuing medical education needed to enhance care for our patients?"

The second angiosarcoma study outlined the clinical characteristics and treatment of 277 patients with advanced metastatic or unresectable disease. The median age was 64 years. The predictors of better prognosis were younger age, female sex, and cutaneous (rather than visceral) disease. Use of chemotherapy gradually increased over the 20-year period, with a preference for paclitaxel and liposomal doxorubicin over other treatments. Progression-free survival in patients receiving at least one line of chemotherapy was 3.8 months. Overall survival was 8.3 months but was significantly higher in patients who received at least one line of palliative chemotherapy (11.5 months) than those who did not (4.4 months).

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"It's the first time we have data on expected survival for Asian patients with advanced metastatic or unresectable angiosarcoma," said lead author Dr Tom Chen, attending physician, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. "This data will help us to develop clinical trials and new treatments for Asian angiosarcoma patients."

The third study focused on Ewing sarcoma-like small round cell sarcomas. Ewing sarcoma is molecularly characterised by a EWSR1 gene alteration or FUS rearrangement. Small round cell sarcomas without these molecular characteristics are designated "Ewing sarcoma-like" disease. Recent molecular genetic studies have identified CIC-rearranged sarcoma (CIC-DUX4, CIC-DUX4L, CIC-FOXO4) and BCOR-rearranged sarcoma (BCOR-CCNB3, BCOR-MAML3, ZC3H7B-BCOR) among these Ewing sarcoma-like small round cell sarcomas. The study presented today describes the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of these two sarcomas.

The study included 17 patients with CIC sarcoma, of whom 12 were male. Median age was 22 years, all cases were soft tissue tumours, and 59% of patients had local pain. The seven BCOR sarcoma patients were all male. Median age was 14 years and cases included bone and soft tissue tumours.

The five-year overall survival rate was 28.2% for CIC sarcoma and 100% for BCOR sarcoma. Metastases were present in 71% of CIC patients at the initial visit and none of the BCOR patients. Only 29% of CIC patients responded to chemotherapy compared to 75% of BCOR patients.

"CIC-rearranged sarcomas have a much worse prognosis than BCOR-rearranged sarcomas," said lead author Dr Makoto Endo, attending physician, National Cancer Centre, Tokyo, Japan. "CIC and BCOR sarcomas were previously classified as the same tumour. Our research will help us to make a precise diagnosis and should improve the management of these patients."

Commenting on the studies, Professor Thomas Brodowicz, programme director, Bone and Soft Tissue-Sarcoma Unit, Medical University Vienna, Austria, said: "The two studies on angiosarcoma show that immediate progression-free survival and overall survival are low, which reflects the aggressiveness of this disease. It would be useful to have a more detailed breakdown of the patients - for example, the treatment and outcomes of primary angiosarcoma versus secondary, which forms at the site of radiation treatment for a previous cancer. It would also be helpful to know whether paclitaxel is more effective when taken every three weeks or weekly, which has an antiangiogenic effect that could be beneficial in angiosarcoma."

He continued: "The study by Dr Endo provides practice-changing information. It shows that Ewing sarcoma-like small round cell sarcomas can be further categorised by their specific mutations, which have a strong prognostic impact. This should help us to tailor treatment."
Cancer has a major impact on mental and physical wellbeing, researchers report at the ESMO Asia 2016 Congress in Singapore.

Results from a Malaysian study of 1,362 patients found more than four in five survivors were suffering from anxiety and a similar number had depression a year after diagnosis.

Lead author Shridevi Subramaniam, a research officer at the National Clinical Research Center, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said: "We urgently need new ways of supporting cancer survivors and addressing wider aspects of wellbeing.

"Instead of just focusing on clinical outcome, doctors must focus equally on quality of life for cancer patients especially psychologically, financially and socially."

Researchers included Malaysian patients from the ACTION study (ASEAN Cost in Oncology Study) and nearly a third (33%) had breast cancer. They filled in questionnaires to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Anxiety and depression levels were also included in the survey.

A patient's satisfaction with their physical health and mental wellbeing- or health-related quality of life -- is an important end result in cancer care. But the study showed that patients' mental and physical wellbeing was low overall 12 months after diagnosis. The more advanced the cancer, the lower the HRQoL.

The type of cancer was also a factor because disease severity differs. Women with reproductive system cancers, for example, had higher wellbeing scores than lymphoma patients. This could be explained by the fact that lymphoma is often aggressive and progresses quickly while reproductive system cancers, such as cervical, can spread slowly over a number of years. "The key message is to focus more on supporting patients throughout their whole cancer 'journey' especially in their lives after treatment," added Subramanian.

Young pay high mental and social 'cost' for cancer diagnosis

Cancer also has a significant impact on the lives and wellbeing of adolescents and young adults, as reported in a separate ongoing study.

Researchers set out to identify the extent of wellbeing issues and other problems in this group who not only are at major milestones in their lives but also do not expect to develop the disease. The study included patients who were newly diagnosed with cancer (n=56) and with an average age of 28. They completed a survey including questions on occupation and lifestyle, and were also asked about problems around physical symptoms, mental wellbeing and financial issues

Results showed more than a third (37%) were suffering distress at diagnosis of cancer. Nearly half identified the top cause as treatment decisions, followed by family health issues, sleep and worry.

Senior author Associate Professor Alexandre Chan, Department of Pharmacy, National University of Singapore and Specialist Pharmacist, National Cancer Center, Singapore, said: "The young differ from older people because they don't expect to be ill, and certainly not with cancer. They're also at a stage when they're facing many social responsibilities and family burdens. "That's why they need effective supportive care and help in managing the physical, psychological and emotional side-effects that come with both cancer diagnosis and treatment."

Commenting on these studies, Ravindran Kanesvaran, assistant professor, Duke-NUS Medical School, and Consultant Medical Oncologist, National Cancer Center, Singapore, said: "There is a critical need to find ways of addressing the high levels of distress among cancer survivors in general as highlighted by the Malaysian study.

"The psycho-social impact of cancer on adolescents and young adults also clearly needs further evaluation. This is to assess the impact on quality of life at the time of diagnosis as well as throughout and after treatment.

"What's required are specific interventions to meet the needs of this age group, as well as specially tailored survivorship programmes and supportive care.

"While it's not surprising that the young adult cancer population has a higher risk of suicide, conducting studies like this help us find new ways to address this issue effectively."
Have you ever collected coins, cards, toy trains, stuffed animals? Did you feel the need to complete the set? If so, then you may be a completist. A completist will go to great lengths to acquire a complete set of something.

Scientists can also be completists who are inspired to identify and catalog every object in a particular field to further our understanding of it. For example, a comprehensive parts list of the human bodyand of other organisms that are important in biomedical researchcould aid in the development of novel treatments for diseases in the same way that a parts list for a car enables auto mechanics to build or repair a vehicle.

More than 15 years ago, scientists figured out how to catalog every gene in the human body. In the years since, rapid advances in technology and computational tools have allowed researchers to begin to categorize numerous aspects of the biological world. There's actually a special way to name these collections: Add "ome" to the end of the class of objects being compiled. So, the complete set of genes in the body is called the "genome," and the complete set of proteins is called the "proteome."

Below are three -omes that NIH-funded scientists work with to understand human health.

Genome

The genome is the original -ome. In 1976, Belgium scientists identified all 3,569 DNA basesthe As, Cs, Gs and Ts that make up DNA's codein the genes of bacteriophage MS2, immortalizing this bacteria-infecting virus as possessing the first fully sequenced genome.

Over the next two decades, a small handful of additional genomes from other microorganisms followed. The first animal genome was completed in 1998. Just 5 years later, scientists identified all 3.2 billion DNA bases in the human genome, representing the work of more than 1,000 researchers from six countries over a period of 13 years.

As more individuals' genomes have been sequenced, scientists have found that humans share 99.5% of their genome with each other. However, small differences can be quite important. As the cost of sequencing genomes has plummeted from an initial $3 billion to the current $1,000, scientists are sequencing the genomes of individuals as well as those of additional organisms used to investigate biological questions.

And all the effort has started to pay off. Genomics is beginning to reveal many of the basic components of cells and their interactions. Already, researchers are linking the presence of certain genes in the genome to specific diseases. Furthering our understanding of the genome will have a profound impact on the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Also, comparing the genomes of related and disparate species can shed light on how species evolve over time.

Lipidome

The lipidome is the collection of all the lipids, or fat molecules, within a cell. Cells use lipids to form a continuous lipid membrane around themselves and to separate their inner organelles from each other. These cellular membranes aren't simply for protection. They're also highly organized and dynamic work zones, seeded with proteins that help regulate the way cells attach to other cells, talk to each other, collect nutrients and grow.

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The lipid membranes inside the cell can similarly act as points of contact between cellular compartments, and they're involved in nearly every aspect of cellular physiology and function. Recent experiments have revealed hundreds of distinct types of lipids produced by cells. The lipidome has also been found to be remarkably flexible. It's capable of rapid, large- and small-scale rearrangements in response to different situations, including early development and disease. In the case of development, lipids within the membrane reorganize as a cell grows. In the case of disease, viruses delivering their infectious payloads can slam into and rupture the lipid membrane of human cells, causing localized reshuffling.

Disturbances to the lipid components of cellular membranes are associated with diverse diseases, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmunity, osteoporosis, neurological disorders and cancer. Experiments investigating the lipidome of specific cells with known roles in particular diseases could help researchers identify novel treatments.

Glycome

The glycome is the complete set of glycans, also known as carbohydrates or sugars, that cells produce. Many of these glycans are linked to proteins and lipids on cell surfaces, where they can interact with molecules on other cells. Single sugars can also act as signaling molecules inside cells, altering gene editing, protein folding and other cellular functions.

A recent study of 650 different species suggests that about 5% of an organism's DNA codes for the proteins that synthesize, degrade and/or recognize and bind to carbohydrates. Mutations in these genes can result in the dysfunction of many organs, underscoring the importance of carbohydrates to human health. In addition, changes in the patterns of glycans in a person's cells can be an indication of a range of diseases, including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular disease. One day, scientists may use imaging techniques to rapidly identify a cell's glycome to diagnose specific kinds of cancer, for example.

Cells also use the glycans on their outer surface, commonly referred to as "carbohydrate coats," to recognize one another (watch "Laura Kiessling: Carbohydrate Scientist" to learn more about carbohydrate coats). Likewise, viruses can recognize and bind to carbohydrate coats. By analyzing the carbohydrate binding properties of the flu virus, researchers have been able to design antiviral drugs that interfere with the virus' ability to infect our cells.
For those suffering depression or anxiety, using cannabis for relief may not be the long-term answer.

That's according to new research from a team at Colorado State University seeking scientific clarity on how cannabis - particularly chronic, heavy use - affects neurological activity, including the processing of emotions.

Researchers led by Lucy Troup, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, have published a study in PeerJ describing their findings from an in-depth, questionnaire-based analysis of 178 college-aged, legal users of cannabis. Recreational cannabis became legal in Colorado in 2014. Since then, seven other states have enacted legalization for recreational use, while many others allow medical use.

"One thing we wanted to focus on was the significance of Colorado, the first state to legalize recreational cannabis, and its own unique population and use that occurs here," Troup said.

Through the study, which was based solely upon self-reported use of the drug, the researchers sought to draw correlations between depressive or anxious symptoms and cannabis consumption.

They found that those respondents categorized with subclinical depression, who reported using the drug to treat their depressive symptoms, scored lower on their anxiety symptoms than on their depressive symptoms - so, they were actually more depressed than they were anxious. The same was true for self-reported anxiety sufferers: they were found to be more anxious than they were depressed.

In other words, "if they were using cannabis for self-medication, it wasn't doing what they thought it was doing," explained co-author Jacob Braunwalder, a recently graduated student researcher in Troup's lab.

Study co-author Jeremy Andrzejewski led the development of the questionnaire, called R-CUE (Recreational Cannabis Use Evaluation), that took a deep dive into users' habits, including questions about whether users smoked the drug, or consumed stronger products like hash oils or edibles. The researchers are particularly motivated to study biochemical and neurological reactions from higher-tetrahydracannabinol (THC) products available in the legal market, which can be up to 80-90 percent THC.

The researchers are quick to point out that their analysis does not say that cannabis causes depression or anxiety, nor that it cures it. But it underscores the need for further study around how the brain is affected by the drug, in light of legalization, and by some accounts, more widespread use in Colorado since legalization.

For example, said Andrzejewski, "there is a common perception that cannabis relieves anxiety." Yet research has yet to support this claim fully, he said.

Graduate student and co-author Robert Torrence pointed to past research that shows that chronic use reduces naturally occurring endocannabinoids in the brain, which are known to play a role physiological processes including mood and memory.

"There is research to suggest that cannabis can help with anxiety and depression in the beginning, but it has the reverse effect later on," said Torrence, a U.S. Army veteran who is especially interested in studying cannabis' effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorders.

Due to the federal government's stringent regulations around researching cannabis, which is a schedule I drug, the general public's perception of how it affects the brain is often based in "mythos," Braunwalder said. "We want to add more information to the entire body of research."

There are currently no CSU research labs that administer cannabis to study participants, as administration of the drug for research would require special licensing and security.

Moving forward, the researchers want to refine their results and concentrate on respondents' level and length of exposure to legally available high-THC products like concentrates and hash oils, around which there has been little scientific inquiry.

"It is important not to demonize cannabis, but also not to glorify it," Troup said. "What we want to do is study it, and understand what it does. That's what drives us."
Mental health awareness and French vanilla ice cream are two passions of senior television-radio major Michayla Savitt, creator and host of "The Scoop on Mental Health," a podcast where Savitt and guests discuss mental health issues over ice cream.

Her weekly podcast began in October as part of an independent project in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Friends, professors, motivational speakers and even Savitt's mother have taken part in the discussions. Each 20-minute episode features both a different flavor of ice cream and mental health topic. So far, topics have included handling anxiety in college, self-worth, the effect of mental health stigma on society, and learning to accept your own mental health.

Ice cream flavors have included chocolate chip and Cherry Garcia.

When people listen to her podcast, Savitt hopes that they will understand how important mental well being is, especially for college students.

"We're at this point in our lives where we're starting to become adults," Savitt said. "Not everyone takes the time to slow down and collect their thoughts."

Savitt was reminded of that herself over the summer. Faced with frequent questions about her post-college plans, she was uncertain of her future, and began to feel depressed. Savitt has struggled with depression and anxiety since she was 12-years-old, and now hopes to use her experiences to help others.

"The Scoop" provides Savitt with a platform where she can discuss mental health while breaking the stigma surrounding it. "I thought this would be a great way to help other people and spread the message on caring for your mental well being, because it's not something that people ever talk about," she said.

As a television-radio major and DJ and talent coordinator for student radio station WICB, the podcast also allows Savitt to put her media production experience to use. Her involvement at WICB, where she has worked since her freshman year, has been key.

"Getting that experience and level of comfort on air and talking to people has been a huge help," Savitt said.

Savitt pitched "The Scoop" at the 2016 Park Tank competition, winning second place and taking home $300 to use to produce the podcast.

Next semester, Savitt hopes to continue her podcast for her senior thesis by talking with more people from outside of campus  therapists, local mental health advocates and other professionals  in longer episodes centered on a specific theme. She hopes that by continuing the podcast she can further break the stigma surrounding mental health and help others in accepting their own struggles.

"It's okay to feel  we're human, we're imperfect, we all have the ability to help each other and it starts by listening and accepting," Savitt said.
Police in Cayuga County on Saturday were looking for two men that may have been involved in an armed robbery in the town of Genoa.

According to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, the robbery took place just after midnight Saturday on Route 90, when burglars forced their way into a home and confronted someone inside. Police said that one of the suspects was believed to have been armed with a handgun.

Jahree Cathcart, 17, of 32 Mahl Loop, was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and resisting arrest. He was arraigned by the Moravia Village Court and remanded to the Cayuga County Jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail or $400,000 bond.

Area police agencies were asked Saturday evening to be on the lookout for two other teenagers wanted for questioning. Police were alerted that the pair may be armed.

Police were looking for Christian A. Reynolds, 19, with a last known address of 36 Aurora St., Moravia; and Dylan J. Krause, 17, also with a last known address of 36 Aurora St., Moravia.

Anyone with information is asked to contact detective Lt. Brian Schenck at (315) 253-3545 or contact detectives through the website www.cayugacounty.us/cayugacrime/Crime-Tips.

Police said that tipsters may remain anonymous.
Srinagar: A village in central Kashmir's Budgam district has become the first village in the state to go 'cashless'.



Lanura village, about 30 kms from the summer capital here, has become the first village in Jammu and Kashmir to go cashless, an official spokesman said here on Sunday.



He said at least one member of each household in the village has been trained to use Electronic Payment System (EPS).



So far, 150 persons have been provided training to use EPS at Lanura which falls in Panchayat Bugroo-B in block Khansahab of the district.



The spokesman said the feat has become possible through rigorous efforts by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited and National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the objective of Digital Financial Inclusion.



The government has been pushing for digital transactions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing people to move to a cashless economy.
Srinagar: Army on Sunday paid floral tributes to the three soldiers killed in a militant attack on an army convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.



"In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment here, many senior officials from security agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, BSF and SSB, joined General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation," an army official said.



Many officials from the civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmed Khan were also present on the occasion.



Three soldiers were yesterday killed, while two others jawans were injured in the attack at a place crowded with civilians in Pampore of Jammu and Kashmir.



"Martyr Naik (Gnr) Ratheesh C (35) had joined army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and is survived by his wife and a son," the official said.



He said 33-year-old Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar of Bhekrai Nagar village in Pune of Maharasthra had donned the uniform in 2004 and is survived by his wife and twin daughters.



Gunner Shashikant Pandey (24) had four years of service and was on his way to join his unit in the Valley.



Hailing from Zharian area of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, he is survived by his parents, the official said.



The mortal remains of the martyrs would be flown for last rites to their native places where they would be laid to rest with full military honours, he said.



In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their needs and wellbeing, the official said.


Watch: Young Girl Teaches Pet Cat How To Use Treadmill In Adorable Video
New Delhi: The Centre has decided to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes subsuming existing tribunals, a step which is aimed at resolving grievances of states in a speedy manner.



Besides the tribunal, the government has also proposed to float some benches by amending the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956 to look into disputes as and when required.



Unlike the tribunal, the benches will cease to exist once the disputes are resolved.



A decision to approve an amendment to the Act was taken at the Union Cabinet's meeting held earlier this week. The amendment is likely to be introduced in Parliament in its next session.



"There will be only one permanent tribunal with retired Supreme Court judge as its chairperson. There will be benches formed as and when required. The benches though will be wound up once a dispute is resolve," Water Resources Ministry secretary Shashi Shekhar said.



Earlier, Shekhar said, water tribunals "took ages" to deliver final awards into disputes, whereas the proposed tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict during a span of three years.



Along with the tribunal, the amendment proposes to set up Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC). The DRC, comprising experts and policy-makers, is proposed to handle disputes prior to the Tribunal.



"...whenever a state will request, the Centre will set up a DRC. We expect, most disputes will get resolved at the DRC's level itself. But if a state is not satisfied, it can approach the tribunal," he added.



In order to give more teeth to the tribunal, it is proposed that whenever it gives order, the verdict gets notified automatically. Until now, the government required to notify the awards, causing delay in its implementation.



As per the current provisions of the 1956 Act, a tribunal can be formed after a state government approaches Union Government with such request and the Centre is convinced of the need to form the tribunal.



At present, there are eight tribunals, including those on Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi and Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers.



The present year saw party states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (Cauvery basin), Goa-Karnataka-Maharashtra (Mahadayi) and also Odisha and Chhattisgarh (Mahanadi) sparring over sharing river water.




Jamshedpur: Amid criticism from certain quarters on demonetisation, the central government's move on Sunday found supporters in a chaat-shop owner and eunuchs in the district who campaigned to raise awareness about the benefits of a cashless society.



After taking part in Christmas celebration event with inmates of Cheshire home at Sundernagar in Jamshedpur, 49-year-old Pappu Sardar accompanied by a group of eunuchs distributed pamphlets in the busy Sakchi market highlighting the advantages of the decision.



Supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision and push for cashless society, Sardar, who is famous in the region as a die-hard fan of Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit, claimed the move would secure the future of upcoming generations.



He said one should not expect PM Modi alone to eradicate corruption. "But it is the responsibility of every individual to discharge their responsibility to achieve the goal (of rooting out corruption)," he told reporters.



"The intention of the government is good and the people from across the society are supporting it whole-heartedly," he said when asked about the impact on small traders and farmers.



Sardar and the eunuchs also campaigned in support of demonetisation near Tatanagar station in Jamshedpur.



Earlier at Chesire Home, Sardar distributed sweets among the inmates during the Christmas gathering that was organised by Tata Motors.
New Delhi: The capital town of Imphal is engulfed in violence once again, with over 20 vehicles torched and traffic movement disrupted.



Curfew has been imposed in Imphal and mobile internet has been stopped to curtail violence and rumour mongering.



The violence began when protesters angry with the ongoing economic blockade in the state took to protesting on the streets and attacking vehicles coming from the Naga dominated hill districts. Several vehicles have been set on fire and vandalised. One bus was pushed into a river. So far there has been no report of any casualty



Imphal has been suffering from the economic blockade imposed by some of the Naga tribal groups since November. Prices of essential commodities have gone up, including fuel and medicines to the state.



The attack comes on the day when a dawn-to-dusk shutdown has been called by civil society groups of the city, against the economic blockade.



There has been a rise in attacks by the suspected Naga terror groups, leading to the Manipur government writing to the centre and asking them to revoke ceasefire with NSCN(IM) atleast in Manipur. The Chief Minister of Manipur has also asked for significant reinforcement of para military troops.



The economic blockade and the terror strikes are seen as a response to the government's decision to carve out seven new districts in the state. The Naga groups allege the new districts encroach on their ancestral land. This comes at a time when the NSCN(IM) leadership claims a solution on the lines of Greater Nagalim is on the cards.



A group of around 70 suspected Naga terrorists attacked a police camp and stole nine automatic weapons from the reserve battalion of Manipur police. There have been atleast three attacks on the Manipur police, which the Manipur government claims have been conducted by NSCN(IM) cadres.



If this situation isn't checked, then there could be another Manipur election ( due early next year) under the shadow of total polarisation between valley and the hill populace.


New Delhi: "Embarrassed and upset" over the conduct of a handful of employees bringing the organisation into disrepute, Axis Bank MD and CEO Shikha Sharma on Sunday said the bank has hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit for enhanced due diligence and building more safeguards.



Assuring that the fundamentals of the bank is on a "solid footing', Sharma said in a letter to Axis Bank customers that the bank is tracking sudden surge in account activity and have 'proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts".



"The recent media reports about the conduct of a few of our employees have left me embarrassed and upset. We have fallen short of your expectations because a handful of people did not follow our fully compliant and robust processes. We have taken the toughest action against such employees and we will do so in every case of divergence from our Code of Conduct.



"I regret that the misdeeds of a few people have eroded the hard work of 55,000+ employees, who have been at the front end beyond working hours, displaying extraordinary patience and commitment to their responsibilities," she said in the letter.



The Income Tax Department had last week conducted a raid at an Axis Bank branch in Noida and unearthed Rs 60 crore from the accounts of 20 shell companies.



Sharma said the bank has proactively identified suspicious accounts and has given inputs to regulatory authorities for further investigation.



"I would like to reassure you that the bank has always been committed to the highest standards of operational control and continues to fully cooperate with the authorities. We have been tracking sudden surges in account activity and have proactively identified potentially suspicious accounts.



"This proactive identification has been one of the inputs in an investigation by the regulatory authorities, who are visiting some of our branches to seek out information.



Further, we have hired KPMG to conduct a forensic audit for enhanced due diligence and building more safeguards," she said.



Thanking customers for the support and understanding since the demonetisation initiative, Sharma said it has been a challenging time and the bank has tried its "level best" to make it easier for customers.



"We have made every effort to ease the transition by making special arrangements for senior citizens and differently abled people at our branches, using micro-ATMs to deliver cash to BSF personnel, ensuring salary disbursement to government and corporate employees across the length and breadth of our country," Sharma wrote.



"I assure you that the fundamentals of the bank, built painstakingly over the last 22 years, focused on serving its retail and corporate customers are on a solid footing... We will always safeguard your interests because your trust matters the most. I look forward to your continued confidence in making us a safe, strong bank that is always focused on you," she said in the letter.
Kochi: Congress on Sunday targeted RBI and banks in the country, saying people have "lost faith" in the "banking system" after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "disastrous movement" to demonetise the high-value currency notes.



Senior Congress leader and party's chief spokesperson Anand Sharma alleged that "crores and crores and crores of newly-printed currency (notes) are going out" from the "back doors" of the banks while common people were denied their right to withdraw their hard earned money they have deposited in these banks.



"People had faith in Indian banking system. After the financial crisis and after the economic crisis of 2008-09, Indian banks showed their resilience and their trustworthiness.



"The Reserve Bank of India had a formidable reputation.



Today, people's trust in the Indian banks is shattered and the reputation of the RBI is dented," Sharma told reporters in Kochi.



The ex-Union Minister for Commerce said, "I am telling you why. People who toil hard have small small savings. You put your money in the bank and you have the assurance that the money is safe. When I need it, I can go to the bank and withdraw it."



"But the bank is not giving that money. Because cash is not available and the cash which is available is not coming from board or the counter", he said.



"ATMs are running dry. And from the back doors crores and crores and crores of newly-printed currency is going out. So how can people have trust..." he asked.



He said it will take a long time for the Indian banks to rebuild their trust.



"What ethics are there and correctness is there when your own money is snatched. You will say that your money is there, don't worry. It is safe. But it is safe with me as a government. I will use it the way I want and I won't give it to you. That is where the trust is gone. It will take a longtime to rebuild the trust in the banking system," he said.



Sharma, who is also the Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, attacked Prime Minister for the "sufferings" of the people through the "disastrous movement".



"Prime Minister must be held to account and the BJP government for creating the huge upheaval in the lives of the

citizens for afflicting the sufferings, for destroying the economy and for over 111 deaths. He has misled the nation and its people," he said.
Why has Seniority not been respected in Aptt.of Army Chief?Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

2/2 Why has third senior most officerLt Gen Bipin Rawat with due respects to his professionalism superseded other two in a herarichal force?  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

3/3 correctionGen Rawat is not third but fourth senior most. Even Lt Gen BS Negi Army commander Central Command is senior to him ? Why Mr PM  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

4/4 and I only hope& pray it is untrue that this supersession in the Army is not a precursor to suppressions in other institutions Like SC??  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

A political row erupted over the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the Army chief with opposition parties asking the government why other senior officers were ignored.Lt Gen Rawat, an infantry soldier, superseded army commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, who headed the Eastern Command and was next in line to succeed General Dalbir Singh Suhag, besides Southern Command Chief PM Hariz.The nation should be convinced how the judgement on selection is not controversial I do not know what is going to be the reaction of superseded officers. The Defence Ministry should explain how they justify the appointments. Now it has come to the public domain as controversy, said CPI leader D Raja.Hours later, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari addressed a press conference, where he questioned whether the appointment was "whimsical cherry-picking".It is the responsibility of the government to tell the public why such a decision was taken We are not against General Rawat... We are only questioning the break from tradition, Tewari said.He also questioned the appointment of an interim CBI director instead of a full-time chief and the delay in the appointment of a new Chief Justice of India who will succeed Justice TS Thakur.on Saturday, Tewari had in a series of tweets claimed that Lt Gen Rawat was fourth in the rank of seniority.Government sources said Lt Gen Rawat was found best suited among the contenders to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.They said Lt Gen Rawat has tremendous hands-on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East.Supersession in the army is not new though there has not been any such instance in the recent past. In 1983, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had appointed Lt Gen AS Vaidya as army chief superseding Lt Gen SK Sinha, who resigned in protest.Earlier in 1972, the Gandhi government side-stepped the very popular Lt General PS Bhagat, one of the handful of Indian Victoria Cross awardees from World War II, who was in line to succeed General (later Field Marshal) Sam Manekshaw.This was done by giving his junior, General GG Bewoor a year's extension, during which time Bhagat retired. Bewoor, thus, succeeded Manekshaw.(With PTI inputs)
Kanpur: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled address in the city on Monday, a rally hoarding was set ablaze by unidentified miscreants in Sarvodaynagar area in the district.



An FIR has been registered following the incident that took place on Saturday night, after BJP leaders in the district took up the matter with senior district and police officials.



BJP district president Surendra Maithani said party men had rushed to the spot were the hoarding was set ablaze and informed Kanpur SSP Akash Kulhari who directed Kakadev police station to file the FIR.



Maithani said they have apprised the Chief Minister's Office and the Prime Minister's Office of the incident.



Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing at Nirala Nagar Railway ground where Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address the Parivartan Rally at noon tomorrow. The Special Protection Group and district administration are overseeing security arrangements.



A skill development exhibition will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister ahead of his rally, preparations for which are being overseen by Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday.



Congress meanwhile staged a demonstration in Kanpur against the Prime Minister opposing the demonetisation measure.



Congress district president Harprakash Agnihotri said the party would strongly oppose the rally.
New Delhi: Facing attack from opposition parties, Government on Sunday justified the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as army chief superseding two commanders, insisting that his operational experience and "general dynamism" tipped the scales in the officer's favour.



The Defence Ministry sources also asserted that selection of Army chief is the sole prerogative of the government and it is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged.



The "outstanding" track record of Lt Gen Rawat, an Infantry officer, as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his familiarity with the functioning of the Army Headquarters and MoD were cited by the Ministry as the reasons for his selection for the top position.



The Ministry sources said all officers in the panel of officers in the rank of army commanders are competent and the most suitable is selected. "However, it must be emphasised that the prerogative of selecting the most eligible from the panel is that of the government," sources said.



The government of the day takes the final decision choosing the most suitable officer based on various aspects of the security situation in the country and the future scenario, they said, adding in the current environment, counter terrorism and counter insurgency are key issues.



"Therefore the background and operational experience of the officers on the panel were considered in depth while selecting the next COAS.



"Lt Gen Bipin Rawat fulfills this criteria by virtue of his operational assignments as Commanding Officer of 19 Division in J&K and his outstanding track record, his familiarity with the functioning of the Army HQ & MoD in his capacity as Vice Chief and his general dynamism has also played a role in tipping the scales in his favour," the sources said.



A political slugfest today broke out over the new army chief's appointment with Congress and the Left asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to spell out the "compelling reasons" for superseding the senior officers even as BJP hit back saying they should not politicise an issue related to defence forces.



The Ministry maintained "that the selection is based purely on merit, irrespective of the Corps to which the officer originally belonged".



While Lt Gen Rawat is from the Infantry, Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, the senior most army commander who was superseded, is from the Armoured Corps.
Seeking to stem the flow of black money in polls, the Election Commission has urged the government to amend laws to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2,000 and above made to political parties.There is no constitutional or statutory prohibition on receipt of anonymous donations by political parties. But there is an "indirect partial ban" on anonymous donations through the requirement of declaration of donations under section 29C of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.But, such declarations are mandated only for contributions above Rs 20,000.As per the proposed amendment, sent by the Commission to the government, and made part of its compendium on proposed electoral reforms, "anonymous contributions above or equal to the amount of Rs two thousand should be prohibited."On Saturday, the government had said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts will be exempt from income tax provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the government is not tinkering with the tax exemption available to political parties and they are free to deposit old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their bank accounts. But these deposits will, however, be subject to the condition that individual donations taken in cash do not exceed Rs 20,000 and are properly documented with full identity of the donor.The Commission has also proposed that exemption of Income Tax should only be extended to political parties that contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or assembly polls.Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 confers tax exemption to political parties for income from house property, income by way of voluntary contributions, income from capital gains and income from other sources.Only income under the head 'salaries and income from business or profession' are chargeable to tax in the hands of political parties in India.The Commission said, "There could be cases where political parties could be formed merely for availing of provisions of income tax exemption if the facility, that are at the expense of the public exchequer, is provided to all political parties."In yet another recommendation to check black money, the EC has asked the Law Ministry to ensure that political parties are made to register details of donors for coupons of all amounts on the basis of a Supreme Court order of 1996.Coupons are one of the ways devised by the political parties for collecting donations and hence are printed by the party itself. There is no cap or limit as to how many coupons can be printed or its total quantum.Currently, the details of donors is not required for coupons with small amounts such as for Rs 10 or 20. "These smaller sums aggregate into a bigger amount and hence, they need to be accounted for, to ensure transparency," the Commission said.
"And we should not forget Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji too ... who put forth India Shining slogan. Of course, India was shining at economic front, but he could not win the election and number of seats were reduced to half," the BJP leader added.

BJP MP Subramanian Swamy on Saturday said mere development of the society or nation was not enough to win the election and BJP can never win an election until it pushes forward Hindutva as its core agenda.Addressing a gathering at Ruia College here, he said, "People often say that the governments should focus on developmental works, which should be, but our history says something else. It says that whichever government focused on only development in India could never win the election."Swamy was here to release a book, titled Sachchai, written by Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut."Be it Narasimha Rao who abolished licence raj, Rajiv Gandhi who introduced industrial revolution in the country, Morarji Desai who brought down the prices of rations or N Chandrababu Naidu, the reformer of Andhra Pradesh... All these people lost in subsequent elections," Swamy added."And this is why I emphasise that developmental works for a government are necessary but not everything," Swamy said."We won 2014 election on two basis. Putting forth the Gujarat model of governance and people set aside their caste perception, rose above it and voted for Hindutva. This is why I always moot Hindutva as a core issue to address and govern our country which is predominantly Hindu," he added.
New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday announced that the state government would work on ensuring free pilgrimage of Sikhs to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib in Pakistan, if the ruling SAD-BJP alliance is re-elected.



Speaking at an event here to mark the 350th birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh, Badal asked the people to follow the philosophy of the tenth guru for overall well-being of the mankind.



The unprecedented sacrifice made by the 10th Sikh Guru would go a long way in the annals of world history for galvanising the hapless people to fight against tyranny, oppression and injustice unleashed by the mighty Mughals, he said.



"...SAD-BJP alliance would make all out efforts to ensure free pilgrimage to devotees to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib, the sikh shrines in Pakistan, if the alliance is voted to power again in Punjab," Badal said.



Inviting people to attend the 350th birth anniversary celebrations in Patna in January next year, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said people should reach the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh to make it a memorable event.



On the occasion, the chief minister and his deputy unveiled a huge statue of the legendary Sikh warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur installed at the Punjab government's estate Nabha House.



Targeting the AAP dispensation in Delhi, Sukhbir said he was constrained to note that the Delhi government denied permission for installation of this statue in the city and thus the Punjab government decided to get it installed at itsestate in the national capital.
Jammu: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said that if Rahul Gandhi would have been allowed to speak in Parliament, the Prime Minister would have been "exposed".



"Well, he (Rahul Gandhi) was not given the opportunity as he wanted to say something on the floor of the House. Had he been given the opportunity to speak in the Parliament, he (Prime Minister) would have been exposed," the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha told reporters.



Azad said that if there was nothing to hide, then why the government and the MPs of the ruling party did not allow Rahul Gandhi to speak.



"(It was) because they did not want him (Prime Minister) to be exposed (by Rahul Gandhi)," Azad said.



Azad, who is also the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, blamed the BJP for the five-month long unrest in the Valley, stating that BJP being part of the government did not go well with the people of the state.



"As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned we had warned the Prime Minister earlier that BJP government will not go well with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The situation which prevailed in Kashmir in the past five to six months, the main reason was the BJP forming the government in the state," Azad said.



On the issue of Robert Vadra's Bikaner land row, Azad said that the BJP government, in order to hide its own failures, was "befooling" the people of the country by taking up "non issues".



"Let me tell you whenever there has been an attack on the BJP or its corruption or misdoing (is exposed) they will try to divert the attention by saying this has happened and that has happened," he said.



On the Augusta Westland issue, Azad said, "Sometimes they raise Augusta. Same Augusta thing which was discussed for six hours in the Parliament and we had said about Augusta there was nothing and whatever deal was struck it was not concluded the government came to the conclusion that there was something fishy and it was the UPA government which initiated the CBI enquiry."



On the allegations levelled by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal that political parties were exempted from the limit of cash deposits after the Congress delegation met the Prime Minister, Azad said that Kejriwal was fond of leveling allegations.



"Kejriwal in a day level 100 allegations, we met the prime minister to submit a memorandum on behalf of over two crore farmers of Uttar Pradesh where congress vice president along with other party leaders had undertaken a Kissan yatra," he said.



He said that over two crore farmers in Uttar Pradesh had filled the forms given to them by the Congress demanding the waiving of their farm loans.


Mumbai: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that no change has been made in tax laws to bar income tax returns of registered political parties being scrutinised with regard to deposit of demonetised currency notes and the law is fully equipped to inspect their accounts.



"In the last two and a half years that the government has been in power, the legal and taxation regime with regard to political parties remains absolutely same to what it existed for the last 15-20 years. There is not a single change that has been brought about, nor is there any change that is contemplated," Jaitley said in Mumbai.



"Under the current system, if any political party allows itself to be misused for conversion of black money into white, then there are already sufficient provisions in the law to take action against the political party and the individual.



"Therefore law is fully equipped, and I am cautioning anyone who misuses these provisions that strong action will be taken against them," he said.



His comments came in wake of some news reports that income tax returns of political parties registered with Election Commission cannot be scrutinised with regard to deposit of demonetised currency notes.



Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia also decried reports on the alleged privilege to political parties, saying that they were false and misleading.



"Post demonetisation, no political party can accept donations in Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes since they were rendered illegal tender. If there is any discrepancy, political parties are as liable to be questioned by IT authorities as is anyone else. They enjoy no immunity," Adhia said in a tweet.



"Political parties have not been granted any exemption or privilege, post demonetisation and introduction of Taxation Amendment Act, 2016," Adhia added in another tweet.



Income and donations of political parties fall in the purview of Section 13A of the Income Tax Act 1961 which is more than 35 years old and there is no change in the provision, the Revenue Secretary said.



Earlier, the Finance Ministry, in a statement, also said: "There are enough provisions in the Income Tax Act to scrutinise the accounts of the political parties and these political parties are also subject to other provisions of Income Tax, including filing of returns."



According to the ministry, the exemption from Income Tax is given to only registered political parties subject to conditions like maintenance of books and other documents to enable the assessing officer to deduce the their income.



Political parties have to maintain record of voluntary contributions made by persons in excess of Rs 20,000 including the names and addresses of the donors.



The political parties have to submit a report to Election Commission about donations received within the prescribed timeframe.



The accounts of each such political party is to be audited by a chartered accountant, the ministry said.
Riyadh: US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the hope in Saudi Arabia today that a new ceasefire in the Yemen conflict could be agreed within two weeks.



On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the US will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.



The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.



"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.



Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.



The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.



Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.



The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.



Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.



Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.



Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.



The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.



Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.



Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.



Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.
Tripoli: Libya's unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj has officially announced the end of military operations in Sirte, after the liberation from Islamic State group forces of what was the last significant territory they held in the country.



However, Prime Minister-designate Sarraj warned that the battle against the Islamic rebels was not over.



Eight months after the start of the operations against IS in the coastal town of Sirte "I officially announce the end of military operations and the liberation of the town", Sarraj said in a televised speech on Saturday, two weeks after the announcement that the area was in control of forces loyal to the government.



The capture of Sirte, first announced on December 5, boosts the authority of Sarraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which was launched in Tripoli in March but whose legitimacy is contested by a rival administration based in eastern Libya.



The country descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.



The infighting and lawlessness allowed extremist groups such as IS to seize several coastal regions, giving the jihadists a toehold on Europe's doorstep.



The fall of Sirte - Kadhafi's home town located 450 km east of Tripoli - is a major setback for IS, which has also faced a series of military defeats in Syria and Iraq.



Sarraj made the announcement on Sirte on the first anniversary of the signing of a peace agreement in Morocco. "The battle for Sirte is over but the war against terrorism in Libya is not finished," he warned, stressing the need to unify the various military forces into "one single army".



The GNA is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem the upsurge of jihadism in Libya, as well as to halt people trafficking across the Mediterranean that has led to thousands of drownings.



But the unity government headed by Sarraj has struggled to replace the two rival administrations.
Kolkata: Assuring Bangladesh's support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says Pakistan needs to be isolated for "harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts".



He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.



"Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists.



We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country," Kamal told PTI in an interview.



While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.



On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, "Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistan's involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop."



Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased "cross-border" attacks.



Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.



On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty, Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries don't depend on this single treaty.



"Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later," he says.



Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesn't depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.



"The bilateral relationship won't depend on this treaty.



It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries," he says.


Sanna (Yemen): A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday, killing at least 52 soldiers, a security official said.



The Islamic State group's Yemen-based affiliate claimed responsibility.



Abdel-Rahman al-Naqeeb told The Associated Press that 63 people were also injured in the blast.



Security officials said that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosives-laden vest.



The attack took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.



The IS affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on IS-run Aamaq news agency. It identified the bomber as Abu Hashim al-Radfani and published a photo of him smiling and wearing a white vest as he stood next to the group's black flag.



It also posted photos it said were of the blast that it claimed killed nearly 70. It was not possible to immediately verify the claim.



The bombing was the latest to underscore how militants have been able to exploit Yemen's conflict to stage large-scale attacks and expand their reach, particularly in the south.



Today's blast took place at the same military base that was also struck by a suicide bomber on December 10, killing 57 soldiers. The IS Yemeni affiliate also claimed responsibility for that attack.



In August, another IS-claimed suicide bombing in Aden left 72 people killed when the attacker detonated his pick-up truck among dozens of pro-government recruits.



In addition to IS, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous of the international extremist group.



Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally-recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups.



They are battling Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, whoseized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept across much of northern Yemen. Aden serves as the temporary capital for the internationally-recognized government.



The Houthi's advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen in early 2015, launching a punishing air campaign against the Houthis and their allies.



Today's bombing came as US Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi King Salman and others to discuss the war in Yemen.




Washington: The United States on Friday more than doubled its previous reward for information on Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, offering $25 million for information that would help locate, arrest or convict the head of the jihadist group.



The US State Department's Rewards for Justice program previously offered $10 million for information on Baghdadi, announced in October 2011. The increase was announced in a statement on Friday.



Baghdadi, an Iraqi whose real name is Ibrahim al-Samarrai, declared himself the caliph of a huge swath of Iraq and Syria two years ago.



His exact location is not clear. Reports have said he may be in the Islamic State-held city of Mosul, Iraq, or in Islamic State-held territory to the west of the city, close to the border with Syria.



Kurdish officials believe that growing pressure resulting from a coalition military assault on Mosul is causing Baghdadi and his top lieutenants to move around and try to hide themselves.
Manila: The United States on Sunday said it will work with the Philippine president to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows US troops to visit the Philippines.



President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a US government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.



Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte on Saturday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the US to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement."



He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises. The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.



"You know, tit for tat ... if you can do this, so (can) we. It ain't a one-way traffic," Duterte said, adding tauntingly, "Bye-bye America."



The US Embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have. It did not elaborate.



While calling Americans "sons of bitches" and "hypocrites," Duterte yesterday praised China as having "the kindest soul of all" for offering what he said was significant financial assistance. "So, what do I need America for?" he asked.



He also said Russia can be a very important ally. "They do not insult people, they do not interfere," he said. The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.



The US government, along with EU and UN officials, has raised concerns about Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gunbattles with police.



More than 3,000 other deaths are being investigated to determine if they were linked to illegal drugs. In a news conference, Duterte was pointedly asked how many crime suspects he has killed in the past when he was still a crime-busting city mayor amid his vague and contradicting accounts of his exploits.



"Maybe one, two three ... I'm saying, maybe my bullets hit them, maybe not, but after the burumbumbumbum, they're all dead," Duterte said.



He asked God for forgiveness in advance, saying he may not have time to pray if he's assassinated. "God, forgive me for killing these idiots," Duterte said, then blamed God for the presence of criminals. "You create a human monster so if you are God, why do you have to create these idiots? That's why they die."




Haan main bacha hoon. Main Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto ka bacha hoon. Daro, Ganja League, Daro. #GoNawazGO  BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 18, 2016

My parents should be celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. Terrorists & their facilitators robbed us of this but we won't back down. pic.twitter.com/Hbu8viVLLX  BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) December 18, 2016

: "Haan main bachha hoon" (Yes, I am a kid) was Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's retort to those taking jibes at his age as he cautioned the ruling PML-N against taking him lightly."Haan main bacha hoon. Main Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto ka bacha hoon. Daro... (Yes, I am a kid. The kid of martyred Benazir Bhutto. Be scared of me)," Bilawal, 28, tweeted on Sunday.The University of Oxford educated young leader attacked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif-led PML-(N) in a series of tweets on the occasion of his parents' 29th marriage anniversary.His retort came after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar called Bilawal a "non-serious child" who only knew how to ridicule others.Bilawal has often been the victim of jibes at his young age and political opponents regularly shun him aside for being "a child", Express Tribune reported.However, the young PPP chairman, Bilawal, is becoming increasingly vocal and articulate.He is reorganising his party, leading public rallies, touring cities outside his party's powerhouse, and firing broadsides at political rivals every now and then.Earlier today, Bilawal also tweeted a picture of his parent's wedding with the caption, "My parents should be celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. Terrorists and their facilitators robbed us of this but we won't back down."Benazir Bhutto, the twice-serving prime minister, was assassinated on December 27, 2007 as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi.
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Donald Trumps election to the presidency, while welcomed by some, was devastating news for a great many people. It would be useful, I believe, for Trump voters to understand why.

Weve all experienced being on the losing side in one election or another. But for many, this election feels entirely different. Weeks after the election, deep suffering over this outcome is still the dominant reality of their lives.

Recently, I asked several dozen people I know, who clearly wanted a different outcome, to describe the impact the 2016 election result has had on them, and to indicate how the impact of this election compared with that of other big-world events in their lifetimes. About half of those people indicated that this election hit them harder than any previous traumatic big-world event (more traumatic, they said, than the attacks of 9/11 or the assassination of JFK).

Clearly, they perceived something in this election that goes deeper than the usual level of liberal-vs.-conservative politics.

Those usual kinds of elections divide people who disagree about what direction they want our nation to move. But this time, what many on the losing side fear is that the nation will change in ways that hardly anyone  including those now celebrating  want.

What people fear is that the spirit of America will now become something fundamentally different, and profoundly darker, than that of the America we have always known.

Here are some of the fears that have made the election just past devastating for some:

 Will America move decisively away from the spirit of Love thy neighbor and toward greater hostility between different groups of Americans?

 Will America lose its allegiance to any ethic of fairness and give freer rein to unlimited greed, widening the already troubling inequalities of wealth and power?

 Will America surrender the values of our founders  for democracy and the rights of the individual  in favor of more authoritarian rule from the top, as in Vladimir Putins Russia?

 Will the long-standing American practice of pragmatic decision-making based on hard-won real-world knowledge be abandoned in favor of charting our course on the basis of ideology, or prejudice, or ignorance, or mere whim?

 Will the American values of kindness and compassion be pushed aside by impulses of anger and cruelty?

 Will what the Declaration of Independence called a decent respect for the opinion of mankind be replaced by an overweening national arrogance?

 Will a respect for the truth be drowned in a tide of power-serving lies?

 Will America slough off its role the guarantor of the peace and become the nation that picks needless fights?

These pairs of opposing values reveal the fundamental truth about why this election has had so deep an impact on so many: The fundamental issue raised by this election arises at the level of the spirit.

This becomes clear if we assemble these pairs into their two opposing groups.

The more benign options in each pair add up to a coherent picture of a beautiful spirit: love and justice and compassion and peace and regard for the human spirit. It is a spirit that should be familiar to anyone with an awareness of biblical morality.

When put together, the other parts of these pairs also present a coherent picture  a picture of the spirit of darkness.

Time will tell whether the fears felt by many today, in the aftermath of the 2016 election, are needless, or whether they are well-founded. But as I think we can assume that few Americans want to move in that dark direction, and a great many Americans  who are not fools  see that shadow hanging over our future, it behooves all of us to monitor where this election takes this nation.

There was a time when we understood better that We are all Americans, and the time to revive that understanding may soon be upon us.

If the fears of those who feel devastated prove valid, it behooves us to be ready to join forces to protect the better kind of America that almost all Americans presumably want.

In this season that celebrates peace on Earth, and good will toward men, it is a fitting task to take on.

Schmookler  who was the Democratic nominee for Congress in Virginias Sixth District in 2012  is the author, most recently, of What Were Up Against: The Destructive Force at Work in Our World and How We Can Defeat It. He writes an occasional column for The News & Advance.
Roget heads OWTU for 4th term

All twelve members of Rogets team were also nominated and subsequently elected unopposed signalling a victory for the OWTUs long standing Rebel Movement.

The newly elected members will serve from January 2017 to January 2020.

Nomination Day was December 15 and the positions up for grabs were- President General, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer, First- Vice President, Second-Vice President, three Vice Presidents, and three Executive Trustees while elections were scheduled for January 16, 2017. In his closing remarks Roget thanked retiring vice presidents Gregory Marchan and Sylvester Virgil for their years of committed service to the Union and to workers. Ricky Benny of the Petrotrin/Pointe-a-Pierre Branch and Marcus Cordner of the T&TEC, Scarborough Branch are the two new additions to the national executive.

The unions National Executive for the period January 2017 to January 2020 are as follows:

1. Ancel Roget, Trinmar - President General

2. Richard Lee, Petrotrin Fyzabad/Palo Seco - General Secretary

3. Jennifer Charles, National Canners - Assistant General Secretary

4. Chandrasain Ramsingh, Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) - Treasurer

5. Carlton Gibson, Trinmar - First-Vice President

6. Sati Gadajhar-Inniss, Powergen Penal - Second- Vice President

7. Ricky Benny, Petrotrin Pointe-a-Pierre - Vice President

8. Marcus Cordner, T&TEC Tobago - Vice President

9. Peter Burke, T&TEC Port-of Spain - Vice President

10. Lawrence Renaud, Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) - Executive Trustee

11. Himraj Basdeo, Petrotrin Fyzabad/Palo Seco - Executive Trustee

12. Ozzi Warwick, OWTU Central Office - Executive Trustee
'I Seem to Have Gotten Under a

Certain Billionaire's Skin': AOC
(Newser)  Centuries ago, coastal Irish communities discovered that they could harvest carraigin moss, a type of seaweed, from the rocky waters at Carrigan Head and cook it with milk to produce a thickener. Named after the area, carrageenanthe soluble fiber derived from seaweedhas since gained global popularity as an emulsifier in a wide range of foods, including ice creams, infant formulas, meats, and more, reports Food Safety Magazine. But since a handful of studies suggested that the ingredient may cause intestinal inflammation in lab animals, hundreds of people blame it as the source of their health woes that range from digestive problems to migraines. Now a committee that proposes rules for the organic food industry has voted to ban it from organic foods, reports NPR.

The Cornucopia Institute, which has been calling for carrageenan's ban, says the National Organic Standards Board's vote is a "big win for consumers" who want to remove the "dangerous additive." Meanwhile other scientists have come forward to say they cannot replicate the lab results being cited, while the World Health Organization, FDA, and European Commission all say they still believe carrageenan to be safe. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization notes that global carrageenan production jumped five-fold between 2000 and 2010, while NPR reports that the "carrageenan backlash" in the US is already being felt by producers. If the US Department of Agriculture adopts the recommendation, the ban on carrageenan in organic foods in the US could be in place within two years. (Some research suggests organic foods aren't more nutritious.)
(Newser)  Robert Durst in November pleaded not guilty to the 2000 murder of best friend Susan Berman, a plea that came more than a year and a half after HBO's The Jinx aired him muttering, "killed them all" into a hot mic. Now, new claims about that comment, which led to his 2015 arrest in New Orleans, and more comments about the death of Berman and the presumed death of Durst's missing first wife. The revelations stem from a transcript of an hours-long jailhouse interview Durst gave to Los Angeles prosecutors after that arrest; the document was released Friday and reported on by the Los Angeles Times. In it, the now 73-year-old said he was "on meth the whole time" the documentary was being filmed. "It should have been obvious."

The Times reports LA County Deputy Dist. Atty. John Lewin asked the real-estate heir point-blank: "If you had killed Susan, would you tell me?" Durst's reply: "No." NBC News zeroes in on other points in Durst's interview with Lewin. "You'd like some details from me about if I knew where Kathie [Durst]'s body is. And about what happened with Susan." When Lewin replied in the affirmative, Durst responded, "If I tell you those things, I'm pleading guilty." When Lewin expressed surprise that Durst didn't try to get out of the country before The Jinx aired, Durst cited "inertia" and said "being a fugitive was not something I did well. I was the worst fugitive the world has ever met." (The documentary spurred Kathie Durst's family to action.)
(Newser)  A 3-year-old Arkansas boy on a shopping trip is dead after another driver decided that the boy's grandmother "wasn't moving fast enough at a stop sign," got out of his car, and opened fire in an apparent fit of road rage, reports the AP. The boy and his grandmother were at the stop sign in southwest Little Rock on Saturday evening when the other driver opened fire, police said. The boy was struck by gunfire at least once. The grandmother, who wasn't struck, drove away and called police from a shopping center. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly after. "This is about as frustrated as you can be," Police Chief Kenton Buckner tells NBC News.

Police Lt. Steve McClanahan said investigators believe the boy and his grandmother "were completely innocent" and have no relationship with Saturday's shooter, who was being sought. McClanahan said the grandmother simply was "driving the car and was taking her grandson shopping when the incident occurred." Police said they were looking for an older black Chevrolet Impala that was being driven by a tall black man; there was no further description. Last month, a 2-year-old girl was killed when a car drove by and someone fired into her vehicle; the shooter in that case hasn't been captured. Buckner said the young victims were "very innocent" and "can do very little to protect themselves." "We cannot have a community to where the least protected among us, being infants, who are dying these senseless crimes in our city," Buckner said. (Read more road rage stories.)
(Newser)  Police say a woman stole baby Jesus from a Nativity scene in Bethlehem, Pa., and dropped the figurine off at a hospital with a note explaining that the baby had been "neglected" by his parents, "Joseph and Mary Christ," reports the AP. "I did it. I took the statue. It was a joke, a prank. I took it to the hospital and dropped it off. I left a note," 49-year-old Jacqueline Ross told the court, per the Morning Call. Police aren't laughing. She was identified from surveillance video and is jailed on charges of theft and institutional vandalism; bail was set at $30,000.

Police say she went to the hospital early on Dec. 4 just minutes after stealing the $2,700 figurine from Payrow Plaza. Police say she left a note with the porcelain baby that read, "Child has a broken right foot which has been neglected. Parents Joseph and Mary Christ got a warning. Apparently sheep has a baby toe nibbling fetish. Child has been taken to Anderson St. Luke's Hospital for evaluation repair." Ross doesn't yet have an attorney. (Read more Nativity scene stories.)
(Newser)  A northern Kentucky man bothered by a rattle in a car he'd recently bought at an Ohio auto auction has found 2 poundsor about $130,000of heroin in a secret compartment inside the vehicle, reports the AP. "We went out to dinner one night and the car started making a strange noise inside the passenger seat," the man, who's asking to remain anonymous, tells WCPO. In fact, he drove the Volkswagen Jetta for several weeks before discovering the heroin beneath the front passenger seat.

Investigators found more than 6.5 pounds of heroin in the car eight months ago after the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested a former Mexican law enforcement officer who said a drug cartel forced him to drive the drugs across the country. A Highway Patrol spokesman says the car was thoroughly searched before it was released to the auction. Apparently not thoroughly enoughthough a Cincinnati DEA official tells WCPO that "its actually probably more common that law enforcement does miss cash or drugs in vehicles just based on the way things are hidden," he said. "The only person that may know exactly how to operate the trap or where the trap is is the person who built it." The auction company has agreed to take the car back. (Read more heroin stories.)
(Newser)  "One day, as I was walking toward the Hudson, I turned north off Christopher St. onto one-block Weehawken St., the shortest street in Manhattan. I saw that No. 6 was for sale. Like a long-lost wanderer in the desert, I had discovered my oasis." So wrote Jean-Louis Goldwater Bourgeois for the Villager in October 2006 of 6 Weehawken St., which he bought with the help of his famed mother, sculptor Louise Bourgeois, that year for $2.2 million. It's now worth $4 million, and the New York Post reports he's giving the 3-floor West Village home away. Or, more specifically, giving it backto the Lenape tribe, the Native Americans who originally occupied Manhattanby transferring the deed to a nonprofit under the tribe's control.

"I have been generally appalled that the land that the city is on has been taken by whites," he tells the Post. "This building is the trophy from major theft. It disgusts me ... The right thing to do is to return it." In the Villager article, Bourgeois indicated his plan was to morph the structure into both a home and a museum honoring water. But the Post explains a 2011 meeting with a Cree Indian from Manitoba during the Occupy Wall Street protests led to an intro to Anthony Jay Van Dunk, a chief of the Ramapough Indians who make up part of the Lenape Nation. Van Dunk had the idea of turning 6 Weehawken into a "patahmaniikan, or a prayer house," and Bourgeois was on board. What will still remain: Mother Louise's Chelsea townhouse, which eases NYC's relative dearth of artist's house museums, as the New York Times reported in January. (A dam's removal helps Mohawks reclaim their fishing grounds.)
A group of scientists gathered at the American Geophysical Union summit together with the researchers from NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center and Los Alamos National Laboratory. These scientists were discussing how to keep the human race in case of a deadly asteroids shower. These people came up with two brilliant ideas.

One of the ideas is to shoot the asteroids to shove into a trajectory away from the Earth. The nuclear missile will blow the threatening space rocks into pieces. Dr. Joseph Nuth of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said that Earth is vulnerable to large space rocks crashing into Earth. The biggest dilemma is basically people do not care about the proposed situation. The implausible scene would define as Armageddon.

These rouge space rocks are threatening to crash a course with Earth. Bennu is one of the asteroids circling the sun inside the orbit of planet Mars. This space rock is occasionally crossing Earth's orbital path. Scientists are making a research of understanding its composition. In this form, researchers could figure out how to deflect other rocky materials that may hit the orbital course with Earth.

It was stated that 50 to 60 million years apart, the large horde of strong dinosaur were killed because of an asteroid impact. Dr. Nuth said that somewhat planet Earth had a close encounter in 1996 when a comet flew into Jupiter and in 2014 when another comet passed within the cosmic orbital spitting distance of Mars.

The team of scientists led by Dr. Cathy Plesko of Los Alamos National Laboratory recommended using a technique of deflection. Dr. Plesko explained that the method is equated to a giant cannonball. She revealed that cannonball technology is a brilliant way of intercepting an object at high speed actually ends up being more effective than high explosives and it would be a rocket power of saving the humanity from any unwanted space rocks visitors.
NASA in collaboration with schools is to host a live Q&A session between the youthful minds of Nantucket New School in Massachusetts and Shane Kimbrough. The latter is a NASA astronaut who is currently onboard the International Space Station.

The Q&A event between Nantucket New School and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough took place on Thursday, Dec. 15. The 20-minute long earth-to-space call is broadcasted live on NASA Television featuring the renowned astronaut catering to the curious minds of students ranging from kindergarten to eighth grade.

Apparently, Shane Kimbrough and NASA hope to significantly broaden space science awareness and to nurture the healthy curiosity students have towards the endless possibilities of space exploration. The Q&A event that was recently held is not the only step NASA has taken to reach out to the youth. NASA also has the HUNCH Program (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware Program).

According to NASA Hunch, the program aims to train students in creating hardware for space missions. The latter certainly sounds cool to youngsters who have an undying love for science partnered with an insatiable curiosity for the great beyond. Students from Platt Technical High School are filled with pride as they participate and make the most out of this opportunity.

Furthermore, the said program has blossomed since it was founded in and now collaborates with schools in more than 25 states. Students are trained to create hardware for space missions through the guidance of NASA. The training ranges from creating hardware to even culinary arts. The official website for HUNCH even showcases the various projects students take part in, some even end up being chosen and used in the International Space Station.

NASA's HUNCH Program is definitely a great first step for those who dream of pursuing a career in NASA. Stay tuned to News Everyday for more updates.
"How I Met Your Mother" spinoff is reportedly in the works and the team behind "This is Us" is apparently leading the project. This time, the show will be told in a female's perspective. Thus, the new "HIMYM" spin-off is titled "How I Met Your Father."

As per E! News, "This is Us" co-executive producers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger will take on the project as the series writers. "HIMYM" creators Carter Bays and Craig Thomas will also be part of the new show as executive producers. However, Bays and Thomas may not be involved directly to "How I Met Your Father" as the duo are still currently engaged to Sony TV and several shows, Deadline reported.

"How I Met Your Father" is said to have a new approach to the original story of "HIMYM" with new characters and cast. Fans of "How I Met Your Mother" may not be too excited to see new actors play the roles but it's too early to tell whether or not the spin-off is worth watching. As it seems, the network will not disappoint viewers especially with the involvement of the writers of "This is Us" which is another well-celebrated TV drama.

Meanwhile, there are still no reports that confirm if "How I Met Your Mother" original stars would make an appearance. It could be interesting to see Alyson Hannigan, Josh Radnor, Cobie Smulders, Jason Segel, and Neil Patrick Harris make a cameo. The script of "How I Met Your Father" is still being written at 20th TV so fans may just need to wait for more updates in the coming weeks.

"How I Met Your Mother" is a sitcom where Ted Mosby, a character portrayed by actor Radnor, tells his kids the story on how he met their mother. The original series aired on CBS but the spin-off "How I Met Your Father" might not air on the same network as per Hollywood Reporter. In the meantime, tell us what you think of "HIMYM" spin-off in our comments section below.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Snow this morning will diminish to a few snow showers this afternoon. High 14F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. Low 8F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
New Delhi:

Major fire broke out at slum in Premnagar area of Mumbai on Sunday. 8 fire tenders was rushed to the spot.

Reportedly, the fire has been doused by the fire tenders and there has been no casualty so far. There is no information on the reasons of fire as of now.

The slum in Premnagar area is very densely populated. Mumbai also houses one of the largest slums in the world.

Any fire mishap tends to cause casualty in areas such as this. More details are awaited on this.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

An 80 year old farmer, who was also a heart patient died inside a bank in Uttar Pradesh after an argument with authorities regarding withdrawal of money, his family said on Friday.

The farmer Baladeen and his son Rajesh Kumar had been travelling to Allahabad bank in Mahoba district for four days but werent able to withdraw money due to long queues.

His son has alleged that the bank gave him less than half the money required for his treatment.

He claimed that although they had filled a withdrawal slip of Rs 14,000 they were provided only Rs 6,000.

The bank employees asked Baladeen to return next week for further withdrawals and an argument erupted amongst both sides.

Also Read: Retired cashier of State Bank of India commits suicide, blames demonetisation for extreme step



During the argument, Baladeen complained of severe pain in the chest and died on the spot.

The people inside the bank were highly enraged after the incident and demanded arrest of the bank employees.

As the situation got out of control, the police reached the bank and dispersed the crowd.

Also Read: 16 deaths reported in 5 days after demonetisation

The dead body has been sent for post mortem and Mahoba SP, Gaurav Singh has claimed that police is investigating the complaint.

It's the latest in a series of deaths since demonetisation took place and old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 were scrapped.

PM Narendra Modi's move has been severely criticised by the opposition parties as they have claimed that India's poor have been severely hit by the concept of a cashless economy.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Twitter is buzzing with News alerts from India and rest of the world.A

Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners are likely to end a self-imposed ban on screening of Indian films on Monday that was put in place amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the Uri terror attack.

TN CM O Paneerselvam will also handover letter to PM to give Bharat Ratna to #jayalalithaa and for construction of her bronze statue in parliament.

A penalty corner turned into a goal in the final crucial moments of the match made possible for Belgium to score in the match. India also become the first host nation to win the Junior Hockey World Cup.

Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll -

# 7:50 PM

Jammu and Kashmir: DGP chaired a high level meet to review the security of National Highway in view of Pampore attack in which 3 soldiers lost their lives



# 7: 40 PMA

India defeats Belgium 2-1 to win Junior Hockey World Cup- ANI



#6:53 PM

Kerala: Nadakkavu Police detains blogger Kamal C Chavara for allegedly insulting National Anthem via FB post; Blogger under surveillance (ANI)



#6: 50 PM

Delhi: Passenger detained for possession of 326 silver coins weighing approx 6.15 kg at Security Holding Area of IGI airport. Probe underway (ANI)

#6:22 PM

Uttarakhand: Two-hour break to be given to the state govt employees from Muslim community for Friday prayers (ANI)



#5:50 PMA

Manipur: Curfew imposed in parts of #Imphal East district

# 5:20 PM

India vs England 5th test, day 3: At stumps India 391/4, trail by 86 runs



# 4:50 PMA

Manipur: Curfew imposed from Lamlong Bazar to Yaingangpokpi in Imphal East in view of protest against NSCN-IM and UNC economic blockade- ANI



# 4:30 PM

Madhya Pradesh: Police arrest 2 people in Shahdol for printing fake Rs 2000 new currency notes. Printer and scanner seized. Enquiry underway-ANI



# 4:11 PM

Senior officials from Home Ministry will visit TN next week to take stock of situation after #CycloneVardah made a landfall, few days back-ANI



# 3: 50 PM

US Prez-elect Donald Trump says let China keep American Navy's underwater drone it seized in the disputed South China Sea



# 3:40 PM

A US ups bounty for information leading to capture of #ISISChief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi by more than double to USD 25 million- PTI



# 3:20 PM

A bank manager working for KBS Bank was injured in the firing in Masab Tank area; shifted to hospital. Police team at the spot- ANI



# 3:00 PM

IT raids at Surat's Financer Kishore Bhajiawala's premises continues: Over 250 property docs, 2 KG gold and 40-50 kg silver seized: Sources - ANI



# 2:56 PM

Srinagar experiences coldest night of the season at minus 4.9 degrees C resulting in freezing of water supply lines and water bodies - PTI



# 2:50 PMA

Special court confirms ED seizure order of assets worth Rs 749 cr against YSR Cong chief Jagan Reddy, his wife in Money Laundering Case - PTI

# 2:30 PM

To check Black Money in polls, EC asks Centre to amend laws to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2,000 & above made to political parties - PTI

# 2:00 PM

Kerala: Student hospitalised after being allegedly ragged by seniors in Govt Polytechnic college in Kottayam - ANI

# 1:20 PM

Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam to meet PM Narendra Modi tomorrow, to discuss the damage caused by cyclone vardah - ANI

# 1:10 PM

Nearly 3,000 Tamil Nadu fishermanA chased away by Sri Lankan Navy off KatchatheevuA islet, fishing nets snapped - PTI

# 12:53 PM

New currency worth Rs 12 lakhs, old currency worth Rs 3 lakhs and 600 gm heroin seized in Amritsar by counter intelligence unit -PTI

# 12: 45 PM

Chhattisgarh: A Maoist has been killed in exchange of fire with CRPF personnel in Bijapur - ANI



# 11: 58 AM

Pakistani cinema owners to lift the self-imposed ban on Indian films, screening of films to start from Dec 19: Pak media



# 11:10 AM

Income tax dept seizes Rs 10.50 cr assets, including Rs 1.05 cr in new notes, from 'chaiwala' turned financier in Surat - PTI

# 10:58 AM

UP ATS & IT dept seizes Rs 18 lakh in new notes, arrest 3 people in Noida's Sector-57 - ANI

# 10:50 AM

Metro train on Noida-Vaishali route delayed since 7.20 am due to track circuit glitch on Yamuna Bank station - ANI



#A 10:10 AM

Manipur blockade: Mobile data services have been banned in Imphal West - ANI



# 8:50 AM

Earthquake of magnitude 3.8 struck Upper Siang in Arunachal Pradesh - ANI



# 8:40 AM

Lt. Gen Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas,and at various functional levels over last 3 decades:MoD Sources - ANI



# 7: 35 AM

Delhi: 26 trains delayed and 9 rescheduled due to poor visibility due to fog - ANI

#A 7:05 AM

Fire breaks out in a slum in Mumbai's Premnagar. 8 Fire tenders at the spot - ANI

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Pakistan:

Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners are likely to end a self-imposed ban on screening of Indian films on Monday that was put in place amid escalating tensions between the two countries following the Uri terror attack.

Zoraish Lashari, Chairman of the Film Exhibitors Association, told reporters that after thorough discussions with parties concerned, it has been decided screening of Indian films would resume from December 19.

"The cinema owners and other stakeholders in the industry have been hit by the decision to impose a temporary suspension on screening of Indian films. A lot of investment has been made into upgrading or building new cineplexes and multiplexes and the business at this time is dependent on screening of latest Indian films," he said.

Lashari said the cinema owners and exhibitors had only taken a self-imposed suspension of screening of Indian films and that it was not a ban.

The Pakistan Film Exhibitors and Distributors Association, which includes most owners of cineplexes, multiplexes and single screen cinemas in the country, had announced to "temporarily" stop screening Indian films soon after tensions escalated between Pakistan and India over cross border firing incidents in late September.

The exhibitors and cinema owners had taken the decision voluntarily after the Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) announced a ban on Pakistani artistes and technicians working in India.

Sources in the industry told PTI that most of the cinema owners, exhibitors and importers of Indian films had got panicky after Pakistani films including old and fresh releases and even latest Hollywood movies failed to fill up the halls.

"Plus in recent weeks several Indian films have been released while everyone is eagerly anticipating the release of Aamir Khan's "Dangal"," a source said.One source, however, said some cinema owners were still apprehensive of any backlash from religious parities or groups once they resumed screening of Indian films and have asked for protection if required. "A private media group is presently trying to import and release "Dangal" in Pakistan," the source added.

Lashari said that first unreleased Indian films would be screened after which they would have negotiations with Indian distributors to continue the import of movies into Pakistan.

Pakistan's leading English newspaper "Dawn" had in a editorial last month termed the ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistani cinemas as "damaging" and said Pakistani cinema houses were losing money because of the move.

"Political concerns are indeed genuine, but they should not come at the cost of cultural exchanges that bring benefits to both sides of the border," the editorial had said.

The Media and Marketing Manager of a major chain of cineplexes, Sabina Islam, said 75 per cent of the revenues generated in the industry came from screening of Indian films. Pakistan is considered as the third largest market for Indian films.

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New Delhi:

In a sensational case, a girl has been arrested in Noida for duping rich bachelors on the pretext of marriage. TV serial Looteri Dulhan and the film Dolly ki Doli have already shown characters who fooled rich boys and ran away with their cash and jewellery.

Kerala police arrested a girl fooling rich bachelors with the help of Noida police from Amrapali Zodiac society, Phase 3 of Noida Sector 123.

Further, the girls sister and brother in law have also been arrested along with her.Investigations have revealed that the girl has married 11 times and duped grooms of nearly 11 lakh rupees till date.

They have duped people in Kerala, Mumbai, Pune, Rajasthan and other places.The police claims that the accused Megha Bhargav (26) had been staying in Noida Sector 120s flat no. 1104, Z tower with her sister Prachi Bhargav and brother in law Devendra Sharma.

The accused are originally from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh and the Kerala police were searching for them regarding cases of fraud.

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Guwahati:

A Buddhist woman priest was stabbed to death allegedly by unidentified persons at Buddha Vihar in Amingaon area here, police said on Saturday.

The blood-stained body of the woman, identified as C S Lama, was found near her room at Buddha Vihar in North Guwahatis Amingaon area this morning.

Police suspect that Lama, who was staying there for the last 25 years, was stabbed to death last night.

Sniffer dogs were pressed into service.

The dogs led the police to three persons living in the nearby village and they have been taken into custody. Further investigations are on, police added.

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New Delhi:

The government on Saturday appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army chief.

Lt General Bipin Rawat has been appointed the new Indian Army chief and he will take over from current Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag on January 1, 2017. General Dalbir Singh is set to retire from service on Dec 31.

Here are ten major facts about Lt Gen Rawat's long and illustrious military career:

1. He is an alumnus of St Edwards School, Shimla and attended the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

2. Regiment: He was commissioned in the 5th Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978, from IMA, Dehradun.

3. Military Legacy: Lt Gen Rawat's father Lt Gen Laxman Rawat who also belonged to the 11 Gorkha Rifles, retired as the Vice Chief of the Indian Army.

4. Courses: Lt Gen Rawat is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command (Fort Leavenworth, USA) and National Defence College.

5. Formation Commands: He commanded an Infantry battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles along the Line of Actual Control in the Eastern sector and an Infantry Division in the Kashmir Valley. He commanded 3 Corps based at Dimapur and served as GOC-in-C of the Southern Army Command based out of Pune.

6. Staff appointments: Lt Gen Rawat has held staff assignments which include an instructional tenure at IMA, Dehradun; General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the Military Operations Directorate; logistics staff officer of a RAPID in central India; Colonel Military Secretary and Deputy Military Secretary in the Military Secretarys Branch and Senior Instructor in the Junior Command Wing.

7. UN Assignment at Congo: The officer commanded a Multinational Brigade in a Chapter VII mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was twice awarded the Force Commander's Commendation while serving with the United Nations.

8. Awards and Decorations: During hist career span of 37 years, he has been awarded for gallantry and distinguished service with the UYSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, VSM, COAS Commendation on two occasions and the Army Commanders Commendation.

9. Gorkha Rifles: He is second consecutive chief from the Gorkha Rifles. The current Army Chief, Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag was commissioned into 4/5 Gorkha Rifles.

10. Expertise in High altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations: The General Officer has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations, having handled various operational responsibilities in areas along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the North-East.

Also Read: Lt Gen Bipin Rawat appointed new Army Chief, BS Dhanoa to be new chief of Air Staff

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United Nations:

The UN Security Council is set to vote on Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the Syrian city of Aleppo in order to monitor evacuations and report on civilians protection, diplomats said.

The council will meet at 10:00 am (2030 IST) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syrias ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member.France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is alarmed by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants are in need of aid and evacuation.

Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday , a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

Also Read: Syrian rebels, government forces reach deal to resume Aleppo evacuations

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence prevents Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations, Delattre told AFP.

The draft resolution would request that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo, according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.

Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers.The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war.

Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, but the Damascus government made no announcements.The draft resolution would seek to ensure the voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable.

It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo.The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.

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Kolkata:

Assuring Bangladeshs support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says Pakistan needs to be isolated for harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts.

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists. We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country, Kamal told PTI in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistans involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop.

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased cross-border attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty,?Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries dont depend on this single treaty.

Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later, he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesnt depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

The bilateral relationship wont depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries, he says.

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Aleppo:

Trapped civilians and rebels waited desperately today for evacuations to resume from an opposition-held enclave in Aleppo, as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on sending observers to the flashpoint Syrian city.

A rebel representative told AFP an agreement had been reached to allow more people to leave the city which has been ravaged by some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.But there was no confirmation from President Bashar al-Assad's regime or its staunch allies Russia and Iran, which are under mounting international pressure to end what US President Barack Obama denounced as the "horror" in Aleppo.

The UN Security Council was set to meet at 11:00 am (local time) to vote on French proposals to dispatch monitors to oversee evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, but faced resistance from veto-wielding Russia.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said an international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars."Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre told AFP.

Families spent the night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppo's Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations before they were halted on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported.

Abu Omar said that after waiting outside in the cold for nine hours the previous day, he had returned yesterday only to be told the buses were not coming."There's no more food or drinking water, and the situation is getting worse by the day," he said, adding that his four children were sick because of the cold.

Dozens of trucks with humanitarian aid crossed the Turkish border Saturday into Syria, piling supplies in a buffer zone.The government blamed rebels for the suspension of the evacuation which began on Thursday, saying they had tried to smuggle out heavier weapons and hostages.

The opposition accused the government of halting the operation to try to secure the evacuation of residents from Fuaa and Kafraya, two villages under rebel siege in northwestern Syria. In return, the rebels want the evacuation of the towns of Madaya and Zabadani in Damascus province which are besieged by the regime.

Al-Farook Abu Bakr, of the hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, said a deal had been reached for evacuations to resume."There will be evacuations from Fuaa and Kafraya, as well as Madaya and Zabadani, and all the residents of Aleppo and the fighters will leave," he said.But the government did not announce any deal.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters remained in Aleppo's rebel enclave.

A Turkish official said 90 wounded from Aleppo have crossed into Turkey for treatment since Thursday.

Before evacuations were suspended around 8,500 people, including some 3,000 fighters, left for rebel-held territory elsewhere in the north, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

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Beirut:

US-led coalition air strikes killed at least 38 Islamic State group fighters this week near Syrias ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor said on Saturday.

The jihadists retook Palmyra in central Syria on December 11, just eight months after the army backed by Russia drove them out.On Thursday, US-led coalition aircraft destroyed heavy weaponry seized by the jihadists when they retook the city, the coalition said.

A statement on Friday said the strikes destroyed an air defence artillery system, 14 tanks, three artillery systems, two IS-held buildings and two tactical vehicles.

Among the Russian weaponry IS captured around Palmyra were thought to be modern surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, giving jihadists the potential capability to shoot down aircraft, a coalition official told AFP.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain, said that at least 38 IS members were killed in the air strikes.

Also Read: US-led coalition air strikes near Palymra killed 38 jihadists: monitor

The strikes, near the Tiyas military air base northeast of Palmyra, helped regime forces gain some ground west of the fabled city, said the Observatory.

Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its recapture by IS gave the jihadists a propaganda boost as they face assaults on two of their key strongholdsRaqa in Syria and Iraqs second city Mosul.

Also Read: UN Security Council set to vote on Aleppo observers today

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Berlin:

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday defended the alliances decision to refrain from stepping into the war in Syria, saying doing so would only make matters worse.

All 28 NATO members belong to the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group but they are not directly involved in the Syrian conflict.

We are experiencing in Syria a horrible human catastrophe. Sometimes it is right to deploy militarily such as in Afghanistan, Stoltenberg told Bild am Sonntag.

But sometimes the costs of a military operation is higher than its benefit. Looking at Syria, NATO partners came to the conclusion that a military deployment would only make a terrible situation worse, he said.

We would risk turning it into a bigger regional conflict. Or more innocent people could die. A military deployment is not always the solution, he warned.

The West has come under fire from some quarters over its failure to halt the carnage in Syria.

Trapped civilians and rebels in besieged Aleppo were today waiting desperately for evacuations to resume, as the UN Security Council was due to vote on sending observers to the flashpoint city.

France is pushing for the monitors, arguing that an international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

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Hyderabad:

Superstar Aamir Khan on Sunday came out in support of the demonetisation drive of the Union Government, saying it would help the country in the long run.

I feel it is something that we should support... it is something that our government is trying to do which is meant for improving the situation that we have in the country and we must all certainly support any attempt to do that. There may be difficulties along the way but in the long run... I think we should look at the long run, he told reporters at a press conference to promote his upcoming film Dangal.

Earlier, during a promotional event in Mumbai, the 51-year-old actor had supported the cash recall exercise dubbing it as a good move by the government to curb black money and appealed to all citizens to support the move.

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Hyderabad:

An official of a private bank was on Sunday shot at and injured allegedly by an unidentified person at his residence here, police said.

The accused went to the flat of Manmadh Dalai, the private bank official, at Shanti Nagar this afternoon and had a word with him before firing, a police official said.

The banker sustained injury in the leg and he was rushed to a hospital. The victim is out of danger, said the official.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said the accused would be soon nabbed.

... He (accused) spoke in Telugu, English and broken Hindi. He ran away after he (victim) sustained injury in the leg. The way he spoke to the watchman, with the wife of the (victim) on intercom and the owner, we cannot come to a decision... It could be robbery, Reddy told reporters.

We will definitely detect the case soon by taking into consideration whether he (accused) came in connection with bank transactions or whether he was completely an unknown person or he came through employees of the bank, he added.

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New Delhi:

Accusing Congress and BJP of getting most of their donations from undisclosed sources, the AAP on Sunday demanded that the parties come clean on their funds and reveal the names of donors.

In a letter to both the parties, AAP national treasurer Raghav Chadha demanded to know the money deposited by them in old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes in their respective bank accounts, after the Centres demonetisation announcement.

The Modi government had recently said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts will be exempt from income tax, provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.

However, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had on Saturday said that the parties cannot accept donations in old notes since these bills were junked last month, and clarified that there was no new exemption granted.

The conditional tax exemptions historically given to income of registered political parties continue and no new concession or exemption has been granted either post November 8 demonetisation announcement or in the last two-and-a-half years, he said.

Chadha alleged that political parties have become a tool to convert black money into legal currency.

They (parties) do not give report of donors who pay less than Rs 20,000. Interestingly, your parties are one of those who receive their maximum donation in this form. We demand that names of these donors be made public, he said, adding that the two parties (Congress, BJP) have also been avoiding to come under the RTI.

The AAP leader said at a time when the common man has been under the scrutiny over the funds deposited in his bank account, the political parties are going scot-free.

Chadha also demanded that the two parties get their accounts of over five years scrutinised.

AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Saturday demanded formation of a commission to probe the donations received by political parties.

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SKANEATELES  When Saddam Hussein was the leader of Iraq, Zubaidah Hamzah Al Khazraji said, it was his way or you would be killed.

She was 13 years old when the American forces invaded her city of Baghdad in March 2003. One year later, she married Ashraf Aboalsbah, a longtime family friend.

This is their story of continual strife through post-war Iraq and beyond that leads them to be part of America's growing refugee population. The real terror starts after Aboalsbah goes to work with the American forces in Iraq and his family is threatened and must leave their home and belongings behind.

Eventually, it is clear they must leave their country in order to save their lives and those of their four children. Landing in Syracuse, they also find themselves in dire circumstances trying to make a new home on Syracuse's north side, until making new friends who offer them shelter in Skaneateles.

That shelter includes a chance for their children to garner an education that might lead to a brighter future.

Americans invade Iraq

Aboalsbah was living and working in Baghdad as a well known, accomplished photographer, a self-made man. This was so appreciated by Al Khazraji's father, a successful engineer and builder, that he paid for the wedding, which in Iraqi tradition is normally the husbands responsibility.

It was Aboalsbahs talents that grew his portrait studio. Through his work in the Iraqi Society of Photographers, one of his photographs was picked by the Nobel Commission to be in a group of eight pictures representing the work of the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization Doctors without Borders.

After Saddam Hussein was removed from power, the country became lawless. Before this, just he could kill people, Al Khazraji said. Now, anyone can kill you. If you have gun, you can go kill people.

Being out in Baghdad was dangerous. Aboalsbah survived several bombings after the invasion. One was from a gas truck that was driven into a police station  his nearby car was ripped apart. Shards of glass had to be extracted from his head, and he suffered a head injury with severe hearing loss and post-traumatic stress that still haunts him.

The enemies now came from everywhere, often neighbors turning on neighbors for petty offenses. After the invasion, Al Khazraji said, one of Aboalsbah's former classmates killed another classmate for having stolen his school lunch when they were children.

They didn't threaten us directly, but girls would be raped in front of us, Al Khazraji said. It was constant intimidation.

By 2011, the couple had four children. Al Khazraji was studying English to be an educator. With hope for a better future, they decided, he would take a second job working at a fueling station with the American forces in the "green" or "safe" city of Baghdad.

The job interview required an underground agent that had to be paid $1,400. It was worth it because he could make $1,000 a month, but it had to be done in secret as he could be killed for any alignment with the Americans.

Al Khazraji said they realized later that the Americans didnt know this agent was taking money for lining up Iraqi workers.

Aboalsbah said  through Al Khazraji interpreting  that he knew this was dangerous, as many of their neighbors were followers of the Mahdi Army, a group similar to the Islamic State that practiced religion in name only to control people.

But, he thought by keeping silent, plus their history of growing up together and his work as a prestigious photographer, his family would be all right.

We didnt tell anyone he was working with the U.S. Army, Al Khazraji said. They (Army) were good to us. They loved my husband.

Aboalsbah would get up early before dawn and leave their neighborhood, but eventually he was followed and found out by an informant.

In 2012, representatives of the Mahdi came to their home and demanded Aboalsbah leave his job with the Americans and the family leave their home and belongings or they would all be killed.

We left everything, including my husband's entire photography studio, Al Khazraji said. We had to leave with only the clothes on our backs.

The family moved to her mothers house and tried to start over, but they continued to be harassed.

Early on, they learned they could apply to leave the country through the Americans. Still, this could take up to three years, so they applied as a precaution in 2011, not really wanting to leave their country.

The threats ramped up in 2013, so much that in October during another interview with the Americans, we asked to speed up the process, Al Khazraji said.

They were given a tentative yes but still had to wait until another appointment on Jan. 29, 2014 when they were told they needed to leave immediately. The couple and their two girls, ages 6 and 7, and 4-year-old twin boys traveled for three days, first to Jordan and then to New York City, finally landing Feb. 1 in 4 feet of snow on Syracuse's north side.

Landing in Syracuse

"Surprised, is all Al Khazraji could say of their reaction to seeing where they had arrived in the United States.

Syracuses north side is a haunting shadow of its former well-cared-for neighborhoods, where mostly Italian and German immigrants made their homes upon arriving in central New York.

Supported by their communities in this new country, people moved up and out to an even better life. Over time, with suburban sprawl, the neighborhoods went down and out, hosting crack houses, prostitution and gang activity. Many didnt want to leave, but the street crime was becoming unbearable.

The housing lost its value, making it affordable for organizations to use for refugee resettlement. But, it wasnt exactly how some refugees had pictured America.

Al Khazraji and her husband had no idea that the living conditions in their new home, the United States of America, would be so dire.

We were constantly being taken advantage of, she said. It was terrible. At the time, I thought Id rather die in Iraq than live here.

They were brought to Syracuse through Catholic Charities, which is funded by the State Department. The Catholic Youth Organization on North Salina Street was their contact point. Al Khazraji said people at the CYO were not helpful, and she even felt disrespected.

For the Iraqi refugees especially, the expectations they brought regarding life in American were not met," said Felicia Castricone, the CYO program director of refugee resettlement services in Syracuse.

Castricone said many gave up fairly prosperous careers. Its not easy to take such a step down and to try and become self-reliant while overcoming the obstacles of language and culture.

I am sure that they feel lost, out of place and powerless," she said. "Its not easy, and we can understand their frustration.

Al Khazraji said her contact at the CYO told her point blank,I dont care.

Who will care? Al Khazraji wondered.

Those who cared

It turns out many would care, starting with a good Samaritan.

This family of six lived at 525 North State St., then Lilac Street. It was frightening. They often did everything together, afraid to be separated.

We were constantly lost, Al Khazraji said.

While trudging through the snow one March day, a car stopped. Amelia DJesus leaned out the window and told the family that on the first Wednesday of every month, the Assembly Church on the corner of Lodi and Townsend streets gives away food.

This, too, frightened Al Khazraji, but they became fast friends.

She was the first person who changed my mind about American people," Al Khazraji said. "My first neighbors gave me a bad picture.

There was a lot of activity on the streets where they lived with people up all night, gangs moving around, drinking and drugs.

I got support more from friends than any organizations, Al Khazraji said.

Although, she said, she discovered Interfaith and found that organization to be helpful.

Four times a year, missionaries John and Leanne Tumino, of My Fathers Kitchen, ran a giveaway fair where there were clothing and housewares for anyone interested. This was where Al Khazraji met John, whose main mission was to look after the homeless and the refugee population on the north side where he grew up.

John was a well-known restaurateur who opened Asti on North Salina Street with his brothers. After a calling from God, he left the restaurant to his brothers and started the mission. While assisting Al Khazraji, he discovered it was her birthday. He told her to wait and returned with an extravagant cake.

It was an amazing day," Al Khazraji said. "We celebrated with him. He is an amazing person, she said.

Typically, in the Iraqi culture, John would only mingle with the men, but he said Al Khazraji crosses lines rather than keeping with the old world, especially because of her command of English.

John said Aboalsbah calls him, Habebe, which means beloved. He is frustrated by the bureaucracy that is in charge of the refugee population.

It's the mentality of keeping people in poverty, John said. If they make one little move to better themselves, they lose.

As Al Khazraji inched forward, she also started to pay it forward by helping other refugees as an interpreter. People without English are preyed upon even more, she said.

Through John, she met Tracy , who was another resourceful woman. She helped the kids get help with their homework. In turn, Al Khazraji helped Brandenburg with cleaning, while Aboalsbah did yard work.

Brandenburgs husband is a friend of Skaneateles Michele Tarnow, who was aiding a group of Syrian refugees that Al Khazraji was also assisting.

Tarnow observed firsthand Al Khazraji's struggle and learned of the family's beginnings in Baghdad. She couldnt believe they were paying $750 to rent a hovel that was infested with bed bugs.

We wouldn't let anyone live in that neighborhood, Tarnow said. We created the abuse targeted at them  then bring them here and treat them terribly.

In the citys school system, the family found the teachers and the staff amazing but the students were difficult  especially the girls.

This was hurting me as a mom," Al Khazraji said. "I blamed myself for bringing them to the United States  subjecting them to this mean spirited, desperate behavior."

Refuge in Skaneateles

Tarnow owns a house on a quiet, lakeside street in Skaneateles. Her husband, Wojtek Bulatowicz, works for Hill Rom, who named him chief operating officer responsible for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa and headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Tarnow knew her house would be empty when her family moved to Dubai with her husband's job, so she worked with Al Khazraji through the proper channels in Syracuses agencies to allow the family to rent her house.

Tarnow sent a letter to all her neighbors introducing her tenants, who would be moving in at the start of the school year. Al Khazraji was nervous at first but has been welcomed by several of her neighbors as well as other members of the community.

The kids are loving school in Skaneateles, Tarnow said. The school district has been phenomenal in making this an easy transition.

Abo Alsbah was working at the Atonement Lutheran Church in Syracuse and was considering picking up a camera again. He was asked to take some pictures at a recent event with a borrowed camera, and Al Khazraji saw a light come back into his eyes.

He said  through Al Khazraji  that he has mixed feelings about photography now.

Sometimes, he feels so happy when he picks up a camera, she said. And then it reminds him of everything he has lost.

At this point, he still cant afford to replace the Nikon equipment he left behind in his Baghdad studio.

With the election of Donald Trump and the recent assault in Mosul, Iraq, the family has been immersed back in fear. They wonder  does Trump's government mean to cause them harm or to send them back to Iraq?

Through their new friendships in Syracuse and the warm welcome in Skaneateles, they have been reassured that there are people in America who do care about their plight.

But, also, Aboalsbah recently learned that his adopted little brother was killed in Mosul. After hearing this, the family has had to step back from life once again and deal with their grief.

Al Khazraji continues to work at getting her family settled while helping collect and distribute goods and services to other refugee families.

Even with our problems, we try to help other people, Al Khazraji said. I know how difficult it is for a family to leave their country. I don't want people to go through what I did if I can help it.

In October, she went to speak to her daughter's fourth-grade class about the Iraqi culture. She found she was warmly received by the students and their teacher. Al Khazraji mentioned that she was collecting goods for other refugee families, and she said she was inundated with people dropping off furniture and other items to help out.

It really warmed her heart. Through the kindness and action of strangers, Al Khazraji is finding her way in the United States. She and Tarnow wish that each refugee family could have one American family mentor them throughout the resettlement process.

"If you have someone as a friend that you can ask when you need help, then you can see the life that is possible through them," Al Khazraji said.

Ultimately, Al Khazraji and Aboalsbah are hoping for what many refugees and immigrants coming to America have desired  a better life for their children.
DANBURY - Police arrested a Danbury woman Friday morning after an investigation into checks stolen from a home care business.

Police say Theresa James, 49, stole checks from Connecticut Home Care Services, forged them and then cashed them at Michaels One Stop.

Police received a complaint about the stolen checks in August, investigated and then received a warrant to arrest James. James was not charged immediately because she was at the York Correctional Institution for another arrest, according to police.

James was charged with larceny in the fourth degree and forgery in the second degree.
India, Tajikistan to work on anti-terror fight, trade links: Modi

Delhi,National,Terrorism,Diplomacy,Business/Economy, Sat, 17 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) India and Tajikistan will cooperate in the fight against terrorism and work closely on developing trade and transport links through the Chabahar Port in Iran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

In a joint address to the media after delegation-level talks headed by him and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon here, Modi said: "India and Tajikistan live in an extended neighbourhood that continues to face multiple security challenges and threats."

"The threat from terrorism endangers not just our two countries, it casts a long shadow of violence and instability over the entire region," the Prime Minister said without naming Pakistan, which India has charged with sponsoring terrorism.

"Combating terrorism has, therefore, been an important area of our cooperative engagement. We appreciate Tajikistan's role in the Central Asian region as a mainstay against forces of extremism, radicalism and terrorism.

"President Rahmon and I agreed today to strengthen action on this front based on mutually agreed priorities."

Modi said that this would be done on multiple levels -- by reinforcing overall bilateral security cooperation, through greater training, capacity building and information exchange, and through active coordination in regional and multilateral contexts.

Modi and Rahmon also agreed on the need to increase the scope and scale of the two nations' economic engagement, especially trade and investment traffic.

"In this context, hydel power, information technology, pharmaceuticals and healthcare would be areas of priority action," he stated.

"We agreed that enhanced surface connectivity is crucial to realise the promise of our economic partnership for the benefit of our countries."

The Prime Minister said that India supports initiatives to develop the existing port and transport infrastructure and connecting it through road and rail network with Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia.

"In this respect, we will work to build trade and transit links through Chabahar port in Iran," he said.

Earlier this year, India, Iran and Afghanistan signed a trilateral agreement on developing the Chabahar port to boost connectivity between South and Central Asia.

"India is also engaged in facilitating the International North South Transport Corridor with other members, including Tajikistan," Modi said.

"Our planned accession to the Ashgabat Agreement (a multi-modal transport agreement between Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Pakistan) will further help in linking us with Tajikistan and Central Asia.

"India and Tajikistan enjoy a rewarding partnership in capacity and institution building, including under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation training programme."

Following Saturday's talks, India and Tajikistan signed four agreements related to cooperation in the exchange of financial intelligence related to money laundering, related crimes and financing of terrorism; amending avoidance of double taxation pact and prevention of fiscal evasion; cooperation on broadcasting in exchange of audio-visual programmes; and on bilateral investment.

This is the sixth visit of President Rahmon to India.

Earlier on Saturday, he was accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

--IANS

ab/nir/bg
UAE signs open skies agreement with Sweden

Togo,Diplomacy,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Abu Dhabi, Dec 18 (IANS/WAM) The UAE has signed an open skies agreement with Sweden to boost investment and tourism in the country.

The agreement was signed by Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the General Civil Aviation Authority, and Jan Thesleff, Sweden Ambassador to the UAE, at a ceremony here.

"Conducting air transport agreements with other countries helps boost investment and tourism and strengthens business ties with countries across the globe," Al Suwaidi said.

The agreement enables both parties full flexibility on routes, capacity, frequency and types of aircraft.

--IANS/WAM

soni/py/dg
Scared Nepal rhino spooks UP villagers, officials hope it isn't poached

Uttar Pradesh,National,Environment/Wildlife, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

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Lakhimpur-Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), Dec 18 (IANS) A lost, scared, lone rhinoceros from Nepal, wandering around near this district town the past eight months, attacked villagers on Saturday night after being cornered and forest officials are now preparing to tranquilise it.

The forest officials, who have tracked the animal since last week and hoped that it finds its way back home to Bardiya National Park in Nepal, have now decided on action, following uproar from local people, since there is the worry that it might kill someone.

There is also the fear that further exposure also risks its poaching.

"We had approved the tranquilisation... We, however, still prefer the safe way that it finds its way back to Nepal," Conservator of Forests of Lucknow Division Eva Sharma told IANS.

Now spooked, the rhino on Saturday attacked a few villagers near the district centre and charged at two forest rangers in Laharpur Forest Range in nearby Sitapur district. Due to its mobility, officials haven't been able to gather much information on the age and sex of the animal.

A rhino had killed a man in Lakhimpur-Kheri district in 2006 in an ugly turn to the man-animal conflict. It was finally caught from Meerut district and shifted to Kanpur Zoo.

The forest officials have now kept the tranquillization experts and veterinarian from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) on stand-by.

First spotted in May this year, the rhino has been living in its natural habitat of the Terai region in Lakhimpur Kheri, ranging from the grasslands near Dudhwa National Park to the agriculture fields a few kilometres from the city. A naturally shy animal, the rhino had been living off the people's notice until it was spotted at agricultural fields near here, alarming the farmers.

Some experts, however, believe this is the rhino that was spotted in December 2015 wandering near Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary under Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

The rhinos of Nepal, unlike rhinos in Dudhwa, are free-ranging, which means that they are not confined to any area. They often cross the border through two active green corridors -- Kataraniaghat along the Sharda and Ghaghra rivers in Bahraich and Lakhimpur Kheri districts, and the second from Lagga Bagha in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.

The rhinos either manage to move back or are caught and sent to the Rhino Rehabilitation Centre in Saklukhhapur in Dudhwa.

"We had been tracking the rhino for the last two weeks. It is changing its location very swiftly and at present is wandering between Kheri and Sitapur. An official from WTI was here for inspection... we will call the experts for tranquilising once the animal is localised," Divisional Forest Officer, South-Kheri, Akhilesh Pandey told IANS.

Once localised to a particular area, the WTI experts would give two to three days' slot to tranquilise the rhino.

Pandey, who had been tracking the animal, said they are trying to route the rhino towards Sharda river so that it can find its way back to Nepal through tha corridor along Dudhwa via grasslands of Ghaghra river. The present location of the animal is about 25 km from the corridor.

"If it doesn't go back, we will have no other option but to make attempts to tranquilise it," he added.

Mayuk Chatterjee, a rhino expert from the Wildlife Trust of India, said that the Forest Department has been advised to keep track of the animal.

"Unlike a tiger or leopard, it's not an easy task to locate and tranquilise a rhino. Its skin is hard, so you only have specific spots where you can tranquilise it. Besides, there are always risks of mortality," Chatterjee told IANS.

He added that while rhinos are not a threat to humans, the panicked people is what scares them.

"Animals know their way around... it is the people who might do something that would make the rhino attack them. Department should talk to people and avoid crowd formation," Chatterjee said.

(Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)

--IANS

kd/vd/vt

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IS claims Yemen suicide attack

Yemen,Terrorism, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Aden, Dec 18 (IANS) The Islamic State (IS) terror group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that targeted government forces in Yemen's Aden city on Sunday, leaving at least 49 soldiers killed.

An online statement by the IS revealed on Twitter said that "more than 70 apostates were killed in the jihadist attack launched by our martyr against soldiers in Aden", Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement identified the suicide bomber who carried out the terrorist operation as Abu Hashim Radfani.

One of the group's suicide bombers detonated his explosives-belt in a crowd of government forces who had gathered to receive their salaries in Aden's neighbourhood of Khormaksar.

Ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the dead and wounded to hospitals.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group frequently targets military bases in the country.

The assault comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the IS struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 soldiers dead and 40 injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several assassinations and attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in 2015.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of attacks against the country's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

--IANS

vgu/dg
Santos in talks to renew Lucas Lima contract

Brazil,Sports,Football, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Rio de Janeiro, Dec 18 (IANS) Santos have begun talks aimed at renewing the contract of Brazil international midfielder Lucas Lima, according to the club's president.

Lima's current deal with Santos expires at the end of 2017 and his agent claimed during the week that the 26-year-old was close to joining an unnamed Chinese club, reports Xinhua news agency.

But Santos President Modesta Roma said he was confident of keeping Lima after meeting with businessman Edson Khodor, who owns 10 percent of the player's economic rights.

"We talked about a renewal and not about selling," Modesto was quoted as saying by Uol Esporte.

Lima's agent Wagner Ribeiro said on Wednesday that Lima and Santos received an offer that was "impossible to refuse" from China.

Modesto also said that Santos are negotiating a new contract for 36-year-old former Brazil striker Ricardo Oliveira.

--IANs

ajb/vt
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is betting on a $21 billion Chinese-backed splurge on energy projects to boost the economyand his re-election bid.

More than 10,000 Chinese workers are now building at least 10 partly Beijing-financed energy projects across Pakistan that are set to grow the countrys energy output by 60% within two years in the first major boost to supply in two decades.Mr. Sharifs government plans to inaugurate a nuclear plant this month and a pipeline network in January that will carry large-scale gas imports upcountry.

Mr. Sharifs promise to solve the electricity crisis propelled him to office at a time when the energy deficit was knocking some 2 percentage points off growth, economists say, stifling industry and leaving school children to study by candlelight.

Pakistans economic growth has risen to almost 5% annually under Mr. Sharif and his government set a 7% target for the years ahead. That, his government hopes, will boost the moribund private sector, reduce unemployment and provide youth with more alternatives to extremism.

Mr. Sharifs plan depends heavily on China, which is translating its long-term strategic ties with Pakistan into an economic partnership, part of a broader infrastructure push across Eurasia. China is financing many plants as commercial investments. But to expedite projects, the Pakistani government is funding some power stations in the run up to the election, including three gas-fired plants in Mr. Sharifs home province of Punjab. The eventual aim is to more than double Pakistans current output of around 16,000 megawatts.

Washingtons multibillion-dollar civilian aid program for Pakistan has been far less ambitious, adding 1,000 megawatts to the countrys power generation in recent years by enhancing existing power stations.
The US Missile Defense Agency and sailors aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), an Aegis baseline 9.C1 equipped destroyer, successfully fired a salvo of two SM-6 Dual I missiles against a complex medium-range ballistic missile target, demonstrating the Sea Based Terminal endo-atmospheric defensive capability and meeting the tests primary objective.

The test was conducted off the coast of Hawaii just after midnight on Dec. 14.

This test demonstrated the capabilities MDA and the Navy are delivering to our fleet commanders, said MDA Director Vice Adm. Jim Syring. The SM-6 missile and the Aegis Weapon System continue to prove that they are critical components of our nations multilayered, robust ballistic missile defense system.

The SM-6 missile uses an explosive warhead to defeat ballistic missile threats, differing from other missile defense interceptors, such as the Standard Missile-3, which use non-explosive hit-to-kill technology.

The target missile was representative of a maneuvering incoming warhead similar to the ones mounted on the Chinese DF-21D or DF-26 anti-ship ballistic missiles.

If MDA test was indeed representative of a DF-21D or DF-26 type threat, it would help to explain why the U.S. Navy is so confident of its ability to operate inside those weapons threat rings.

In an actual conflict China would fire multiple missiles to overwhelm defense systems.
In 2016, Russia has twice tested a hypersonic glider meant to replace traditional warheads for new generations of intercontinental ballistic missiles, including the heavy Sarmat ICBM.

Military expert Boris Litovkin said that after entering the atmosphere the ultra-maneuverable hypersonic reentry vehicles are able to shift their targets in flight thus making them extremely hard to intercept.

Russia and China are only able to maneuver the hypersonic missiles at short ranges. The hypersonic missiles are delivered by conventional rockets, fighters or other vehicles before separating and going the last few hundred miles to the target.

China had hypersonic missile successes in 2016 including an air to air missile

A Chinese J-16 strike fighter test-fired the giant missile in November, 2016 and successfully destroying the target drone at a very long range

US started earlier with hypersonic missiles but has had inconsistent funding and testing

The U.S. Army and Navy are teaming up to test a hypersonic glide vehicle in 2017, according to an Army official. The offensive weapon technology is part of the Department of Defenses Conventional Prompt Global Strike demonstration.

Conventional prompt global strike (CPGS) weapons would allow the United States to strike targets anywhere on Earth in as little as an hour. This capability may bolster U.S. efforts to deter and defeat adversaries by allowing the United States to attack high-value targets or fleeting targets at the start of or during a conflict. Congress has generally supported the PGS mission, but it has restricted funding and suggested some changes in funding for specific programs.

The Air Force and Navy have both considered deploying conventional warheads on their long range ballistic missiles. The Navy sought to deploy conventional warheads on a small number of Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that the invasion of the state by security agents during the December 10 legislative rerun...

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said that the invasion of the state by security agents during the December 10 legislative rerun was an indication that the 2019 general election will be a Tsunami of sort.Wike said Nigerians should expect fighter jets to be used during the next general elections, wondering why the military, 28,000 policemen and gunboats should be used for an ordinary legislative rerun.The governor, who addressed journalists on Thursday night, observed that even Divisional Police Officers in the state were transferred a day before the rerun.He said, If you can have an invasion by the military, police, DSS and INEC for an ordinary legislative rerun election, then if you have presidential and governorship election, it will be a Tsunami.There will be fighter jets; they will locate peoples houses and bomb them because that is the only thing remaining. That is why I said anybody who is thinking about 2019 is wasting his time.28,000 policemen, three gunboats and others; even DPOs were transferred a day to the election. Some of the security agents had charms in their vehicles for the legislative rerun. They must bomb everybody who does not agree with them, he added.On the audio clip alleging that he threatened officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Wike described the material (audio clip) as contrived, adding that it was sponsored by the All Progressives Congress.He said, When you look at certain things, you just laugh. At no time did I speak to any electoral officer, let alone issue threats to any electoral officer. There is nowhere I spoke to an electoral officer, threatening him or her as the case maybe.It is totally not correct. The major issue is: did the police participate in rigging election? Did the army participate in rigging the election? Did INEC compromise?Let them face the reality and stop chasing shadows. What is audio clip? What cant this government do? I dont have an orderly; I dont have a chief security officer, I dont have camp commandant. All were taken away before the election.The governor said rather than bring the SARS Commander, Mr. Akin Fakorede, to justice for the roles he played during the rerun, as captured on video, the police authorities arrested the policemen who accompanied him (Wike) to stop the commander from swapping Rivers East Senatorial District results sheet.He said, They have now arrested and detained the policemen, who accompanied me to the collation centre to stop him. Even Akin Fakorede, who was caught on video, has been released so that police can bungle it. What kind of country is this?But the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, said Wike was caught pants down and had nowhere to hide.Finebone said, It is important to state that the APC have on several occasions in the past been brought under scrutiny by Sahara Reporters to the amusement of Wike and the PDP. But today, they have found it convenient to associate the APC with Sahara Reporters.That is absolute falsehood coming from him. Governor Wike should think of a better response, which we doubt he has because the audio recording is clear to everyone that it is the voice of the governor threatening to kill people.
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has pledged not to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party in spite of the crisis currently rocking the...

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has pledged not to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party in spite of the crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.Umahi made the pledge on Sunday during a Christmas Get-Together he organised for the State Working Committee of the PDP including its local and zonal committee members.The governor spoke against the backdrop of fears in the state that he would soon dump the party due to the crisis and to secure his second-term bid.According to him, the current challenges confronting the party will not lead to its demise as it will soon fizzle out with the commitment of its dedicated members.Anybody who believes that I would leave PDP for the All Progressives Congress or any other party is sleeping and should be woken from sleep.APC and other parties cannot win election in this state because PDP has performed marvelously and cannot be arm-twisted, he said.
A suspected notorious militant identified as General Eagle, has been arrested by the troops of Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta...

A suspected notorious militant identified as General Eagle, has been arrested by the troops of Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS).The kingpin, who was arrested by troops of ODS after months of being on the wanted list of security agencies in the Niger Delta region, was said to be the leader of a gang of militants, who serially attacked pipelines in Delta and Bayelsa states.Confirming the development at the weekend, the Commander, ODS, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, said the hoodlum was arrested at his hideout along Captain Ayeni Road, Kpansia, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, alongside three other suspects.Narrating how the troops apprehended the suspected kingpin, he said: The tenacity and resilience of Operation Delta Safe troop and personnel led to his arrest.After gathering actionable intelligence, troops carried out surgical military operations at his hideout at Captain Ayeni Road, Kpansia Yenagoa.He was arrested with three other suspects. Items recovered from his hideout include seven mobiles phones, 15 identity cards, one First Bank ATM card and a jack knife. Suspects are being interrogated for further actions.Apochi explained that the suspect and his gang at various times masterminded the destruction of oil facilities to sabotage the operations of oil companies and the economy.He said the suspect, who already confessed to some of the criminal activities, also engaged in the abduction of high-profile individuals in the region.Apochi said: The criminal and his group have at various times masterminded the destruction of oil infrastructures in order to sabotage the operation of the companies and the economy of the nation, engaged in illegal oil bunkering and kidnap of high profile victims.The self-acclaimed General Eagle recently organised and blew one of the oil companys risers at Golubokiri along Obama Brass pipeline in Bayelsa State. He claimed responsibility for the heinous crime.The criminal was involved on the planting of explosives devices and threatened Tobie oil facilities at Golubokiri, Mansonkiri and others in the general area.The text that accompanied one of his blasts indicated that the criminal had severally threatened oil companies and their staff and thereafter owned up to the sabotage with further threats to carry out more attacks. It would interest you to know that he has been on the watch list of security agencies for some time now.Also, the commander further said following some tips, the troops raided a lodge and arrested one Mr. Funebi, whom he described as a henchman in charge of arms and one of the allies of a notorious militant popularly known as VIP.Funebi was said to be known in the creeks as a pirate, pipeline bleeding expert, responsible for destruction of oil facilitiesApochi said that since his assumption of duty in November, he had maintained and improved the existing tempo in ODS by evolving result-oriented strategies to stop criminality in the region.He reinstated the commitment of the ODS to ensure peace and economic stability in the region and asked aggrieved persons in the region to take advantage of windows of opportunity provided by the Federal Government to amicably resolve their problems.Rather than engage in heinous crimes for self-help, they should seize the opportunity and embrace peace or face full wrath of the law. No criminal would go free, wherever they are, be rest assured we will root them out and ensure they face justice.He assured law abiding citizens to go about their normal businesses, adding that they would be adequately protected.
There were strong indications yesterday that the presidency is weighing options on the alleged report of the Department of State Securit...

There were strong indications yesterday that the presidency is weighing options on the alleged report of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) on the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.As part of the resolution of the issues at stake, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo met with Magu and other stakeholders at the weekend.It was learnt that attempts were made by some forces to prevail on the presidency to ask the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to query Magu on the allegations raised by the DSS.Other stakeholders, however, opposed the suggestion because it would have amounted to pronouncing Magu guilty as charged.The larger stakeholders wanted the government to seek a second opinion through independent source on the allegations in the DSS report.Based on the advice of most stakeholders, Magu was asked to continue to perform his duties as the Acting EFCC chairman until President Muhammadu Buhari decides on whether or not to re-nominate and recommend him to the Senate for a fresh confirmation process.But in the midst of the suspense, it was gathered that some forces are also pushing for the engagement of Zakari Biu, a retired Commissioner of Police, as a possible replacement for Magu.For the plum job, Biu is now listed alongside the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hamid Ali (rtd), a former Chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Amodu Ali who investigated the $180million Halliburton bribery scandal.Investigation revealed that the Vice President met with Magu and other stakeholders on the DSS report and the aftermath of the resolution of the Senate to reject his nomination.It was learnt that a lot of issues came up at the session for and against the EFCC chairman.But new facts were made available to the presidency at the session.One of the new issues borders on the fact that Magu had never flown in any private jet with the Managing Director of a bank to Maiduguri.Also, there was no time the Acting EFCC chairman benefitted in any form from the alleged N43million spent to furnish his official apartment.The furnishing was solely effected by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.A reliable source, who spoke in confidence said: At the end of the day, some forces wanted Magu to be queried by the Attorney-General of the Federation.Other stakeholders disagreed because such a query will lead to a conclusion that the DSS report was water-tight. The affected stakeholders, who suspected that some people were desperate to ease out Magu to rubbish Buharis anti-corruption war, sought for a second independent opinion.At the end of the day, it was resolved that Magu should continue to carry out his functions as the Acting EFCC chairman till the Presidency might have weighed all options.Findings confirmed the options as follows:*Are the allegations against Magu fool-proof? Did he, in all sincerity, commit any infractions against his oath of office?* Should the President re-nominate him to the Senate as allowed by the 1999 Constitution?*Is there any need to effect a change in the leadership of the EFCC? Why should Magu, a hardworking officer, be disgraced out of office?*Will Magus exit not whittle down or slow down the anti-corruption agenda of Buhari administration?* What are the implications of sacking Magu on the international profile of Buhari?*Is there no basis for the government to be circumspect that some corrupt forces are acting as fifth columnists to derail Buhari administration?* Should the government seek a second opinion on the DSS report from another security agency?* Assuming that the allegations are true, should the presidency gloss over it because it affects the Acting EFCC chairman?Another source added: There is no single evidence of fraud against Magu. It is unfortunate that he has to pay a price for a rented apartment he had no hand in.They are raising a 2008 incident after which the Police Service Commission (PSC) has promoted Magu twice.As at press time, those opposed to the retention of Magu have increased their shopping list by closing in on Biu, a retired Commissioner of Police.Biu is now listed alongside the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Col. Hamid Ali (rtd), a former Chairman of EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Amodu Ali who investigated the $180million Halliburton bribery scandal.A third source said: Some forces are pushing for Biu so that Borno State will not feel short changed that it has lost a plum job.The list is growing but many people are asking the government to watch its back
The UN has condemned move by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to block social media networks from Sunday eve...

The UN has condemned move by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to block social media networks from Sunday evening, ahead of the end of President Joseph Kabilas two-term tenure.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Al Hussein Zeid, while raising the alarm on Saturday, also condemned what he termed a continuing ban on demonstrations by civil society and the opposition.According to him, the DRC Government has asked internet providers and phone operators to block social media networks from Sunday evening.Such disruption is generally disproportionate and risks heightening tensions and fears, as it follows recent increased restrictions on independent media and on political debate.I urge the authorities to reverse this order and to guarantee the right to freedom of expression and to access information, in line with the Congolese constitution, Zeid said.The UN rights chief regretted that to date, no one has been held accountable for the violent repression of demonstrations by the opposition.We are especially concerned as Monday also marks three months since 54 people died in Kinshasa, when defence and security forces used excessive force against people calling for constitutional deadlines to be respected and for President Kabila to step down at the end of his second and final mandate.Intimidating and targeting opponents and civil society is not the answer.Silencing their views and stopping them from protesting is not the solution, and in fact is more likely to push them to resort to violence, Zeid added.He noted that since the beginning of December, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC documented at least 45 arrests of people trying to exercise their right to peaceful assembly.Of these, at least 16 people were detained in Bunia, Kinshasa, the capital, and Goma in the context of the Bye Bye Kabila campaign organised by the Filimbi and Lucha youth movements.A further 26 people were reportedly arrested for their political links or because they belong to citizen movements.The rights chief called on the Government, and especially its security forces, to take all necessary measures to guarantee the rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly.NAN
The economic recession in Nigeria ushered in different Ponzi schemes into the country like MMM, NNN and Ultimate Cycler. However, while fe...

Below are some tips you should follow, in order to be safe of these Ponzi scamsGreed shuts your ability to think properly, any scheme that promises ridiculous returns is doomed to fail, also don't invest amounts that you cannot afford to lose. Remember, a thin line exists between business risks and plain stupidity.Theres no guarantee that theyve done their homework about an investment. Furthermore, if the seller is part of that group, its likely everyone trusts this person and wont have checked into his past or his investments. Many folks who run Ponzi schemes target people who go to their church or belong to their country club. Yes, you can take the referrals of people you know, but you have to research the referrals. Find out why your friends like the seller, what their financial plan is and how they are paid their dividends. Check with professional organisations for information about the seller. Because the money isnt really invested as its purported to be, the scheme requires new investors to keep it going. But those new investors, if no one else invests after them, wont get their money back. Their money has either gone to previous investors or has gone to fund a lavish lifestyle on the part of the person in charge of the scheme.According to www.lawyersandsettlements.com, if something sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Many Ponzi schemes offer ridiculously (and sometimes impossibly) high return rates that seem to operate independent of market conditions. If someone promises you returns of 35 per cent when everyone else is getting three or four per cent, somethings not right.You might not be a seasoned investor but you should be able to understand where your money is going and how it will make money for you. Ask questions and dont let the seller dismiss your concerns. Make sure you understand exactly whats happening to your money. If the seller doesnt have decent answers or you dont understand the investment, walk away.If you invest with two people, not only are you diversifying your investments, youre reducing the likelihood that youll lose all your money. Yes, it takes time and effort, but if you invest everything with one person and that person is a con artist, youve just lost everything.If youre excited about the investment, take some time to go over the details and ensure they make sense. Dont believe sellers who say youll be part of an elite group when you invest your moneythe only elite group youll be part of is the group of people desperate to get their money back when they find out theyve invested in a Ponzi scheme. When you get emotional about an investment, youre less likely to ensure youre protected.Learn about finances. Ask questions and demand sensible answers. Dont let anyone tell you that you shouldnt get caught up in the detailsbecause the details are important. Demand to see the paperworkthe prospectus or disclosure statementbefore investing. You dont have to be an expert about all aspects of investing, but make sure you understand the basics, so you can tell when something doesnt seem right.If the seller gives the names of various companies that you would be investing in, look those companies up to ensure they really exist. Check with the Securities and Exchange Commission to ensure the investment is registered. Check to ensure the seller is licensed.Make sure your financial seller respects that style and your risk tolerance. The SEC lists five questions every investor should ask when considering the next investment opportunity: Is the seller licensed? Is the investment registered? How do the risks compare with the potential rewards? Do you understand the investment? and where can you turn to for help?
most wanted cumberland.jpg

Lasha L. Brown, left, and Melissa A. Fields are wanted by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office, officials say. (Cumberland County Sheriff's Office)

BRIDGETON -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in finding two of its most-wanted fugitives.

Lasha L. Brown, 38, is being sought on one Superior Court of New Jersey Family Court warrant for failing to pay $47,027.90 in child support payments, officials say. Brown is described as a black female, 5 feet11inches tall, 301 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. Her last known address was West Red Bank Avenue in West Deptford.

Mellissa A. Fields, 35, is being sought on one Superior Court of New Jersey Family Court warrant for failing to pay $12,319.05 in child support payments. Fields is described as a white female, 5 feet 1 inch tall, 140 pounds, with green eyes and brown hair. She has a tattoo on her right wrist "WAYNE" and a tattoo on her right ankle of stars and the moon. Her last known address was Shoemaker Lane in Fairfield Township.

Sheriff Robert A. Austino asks anyone who comes in contact with these individuals to call the police immediately. You should contact state or local police, or the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department TIP-LINE at 856-451-0625.

If you know the whereabouts of this individual, share this information anonymously by downloading the CCPOTIP App at the Android or iPhone Store and choosing Cumberland County Sheriff's Department, submitting an anonymous tip via text to 847411 with CCSONJ and your tip in the message line or going to the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Facebook page and clicking "submit a tip" and submitting a tip to the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department.

Citizens are reminded by the sheriff to not approach, confront, or attempt to detain these fugitives.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
-- What caused the sudden deaths of scores of red-wing blackbirds last month remains a mystery, state officials say.

What caused the death of blackbirds in Stow Creek remains a mystery. (Wikipedia)

Tests on the estimated 200 of birds found around Frank Davis Road in late November "are inconclusive," said Larry Hajna, spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Hajna said the

DEP'

s Division of Fish and Wildlife reviewed necropsy and other test results, but the exact cause of the birds' deaths could not be pinpointed.

"We cannot rule out some sort of pesticide poisoning because of the highly localized nature of the mortalities, but we have determined that if this were the case, the deaths were not caused by pesticides commonly known to be toxic to wildlife," Hajna said on Friday.

He also said that the birds' deaths were not likely caused by the compounds used to treat wheat seed planted in fields near where the dead birds were found.

"We also determined the deaths were not likely the result of infectious disease," Hajna added.

The large number of dead birds were discovered on Nov. 22 in a rural area of the Cumberland County township. Their bodies were scattered across roadways and in fields and wooded areas.

It was the same area where 12 to 18 dead red-wing blackbirds were found two weeks earlier.

Hajna said the necropsies -- animal autopsies --performed at the Department of Agriculture's Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory found internal bleeding and trauma from the birds hitting the ground, "but no obvious evidence of chemical poisoning."

"Toxicology tests looked for a large array of pesticides, including those used to control nuisance birds, and did not detect any in the birds examined," he said.

Hajna said histopathology tests performed by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture found no evidence of cellular changes that would occur as the result of disease or chronic exposure to a toxin. However, since histopathology tests would not normally detect an acute exposure, Hajna said, pesticide poisoning cannot be ruled out.

Wheat seed from a farmer's field in an area where the birds were found was also tested at the University of Pennsylvania, Hajna said, and no chemical compounds were detected.

The farmer, who was not identified by officials, told the

DEP'

s Bureau of Pesticides that the seed had been treated with the fungicides Difenoconazole, Mefenoxam and Sedaxane and the insecticide Imidacloprid.

These fungicides and the insecticide are not considered to be very toxic to birds and likely did not cause the deaths, according to Hajna.

The Cumberland County Department of Health was alerted about the bird kills and in turn contacted the

DEP

for help in finding the cause.
NEWARK -- One person was killed when the vehicle they were driving crashed into a building on Sherman Avenue in the city early Sunday, authorities said.

Shortly after 3 a.m., city police saw a silver vehicle speeding on Frelinghuysen Avenue, acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said in a statement.

She said police turned on the emergency lights on the police cruiser, but shortly thereafter turned off the lights because of the weather and the road conditions.

Moments later police found the vehicle after it crashed into a building on the 300 block of Sherman Avenue, Murray said.

The driver was found unconscious in the vehicle, and was later pronounced dead at the scene, the prosecutor said.

The name of the driver was withheld pending formal identification and notification of the next of kin, Murray said.

The prosecutor's Critical Incident Response Team is still investigating the crash. No information was released on the extent of damage to the building.

Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Accused killer due in court on second murder charge

Sarah Butler (Submitted photo)



NEWARK -- The man charged with murder in the strangulation of a Montclair college student is now accused of killing another woman, whose body was found in an Orange house, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray told NJ Advance Media Sunday.



Khalil Wheeler-Weaver, 20, of Orange, was charged with murder in the death of Joanne Brown, 33, after he was previously accused in the slaying of New Jersey City University student Sarah Butler, Murray said an interview. He was also accused of disturbing or desecrating human remains.

Wheeler-Weaver was charged with the additional offenses Friday and ordered held in lieu of $5 million bail, according to Murray.

While the prosecutor's office investigation led to charges in two murders, Murray said the probe remained active and urged anyone with information to come forward.

"We are looking for anyone who has additional information to call the tips line," the prosecutor added.

The two slayings shared similarities, including how authorities say the women were killed. Both Brown and Butler were reported missing and later discovered strangled. Murray said Brown was last seen Oct. 22 in Orange and reported missing later that month.

A work crew found Brown's body Dec. 5 at a vacant house on the 300 block of Highland Avenue, according to the prosecutor. Brown was apparently killed at the house.

"The connection between the defendant and the victim remains under investigation," Murray added.

Prosecutor's office homicide detectives first arrested Wheeler-Weaver for Butler's murder on Dec. 6, six days after her remains were found in the approximately 400-acre Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange underneath leaves and other debris, according to authorities.

Butler, who was remembered as a beloved friend and talented dancer, was home from college in Montclair for Thanksgiving break when she was killed.

The grim discovery came after family members reported her missing to Montclair police Nov. 23. In an earlier news conference, Murray said Butler encountered her killer Nov. 22 in Orange and the two were at several locations in the city.

There was a "slight acquaintanceship" between Butler, 20, and Wheeler-Weaver, according to Murray, who has declined to elaborate beyond that there was no indication the two were romantically involved.

Butler's loved ones were left devastated by the slaying, family friend Pluchet Alexander told NJ Advance Media in a previous interview.

"This is a family's worst nightmare. She never did anything to hurt anyone and was loved by all," Alexander added.

At a funeral Friday for Butler, members of Montclair's Premiere Dance Theatre, where Butler attended, danced through tears to honor the former student. Crowds gathered for the services and at an earlier vigil outside the family home.

Wheeler-Weaver, whose family members could not be reached for comment, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of murder and disturbing human remains in Butler's death. He is expected to be arraigned on the latest charges next week.

Prosecutors would not discuss a motive in the murders.

The prosecutor's office tip line can be reached at 877-TIPS-4-EC (877-847-7432).

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The NIA special court will be pronouncing sentences to convicts in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blast on Monday. The court had found all the five members of Indian Mujahideen, including its co-founder Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal, guilty.

By Ashish Pandey: The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court at Central prison Cherlapally in Hyderabad is very likely to pronounce quantum of sentence in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar twin blast case on Monday.

The court found all the five members of Indian Mujahideen including its co-founder Mohammed Ahmed Siddibappa alias Yasin Bhatkal guilty on November 13 and convicted them on December 7.

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At least 17 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed and 131 injured in the twin blasts in Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar area on February 21, 2013.

The first bomb went off at Anand Tiffins, located opposite Konark Theatre at around 7.02 pm while the second bomb went off at 7.06 pm between Venkatadri theatre and Dilsukhnagar bus stand.

During the investigation, the NIA named six Indian Mujahideen operatives for carrying out the deadly blasts.

The alleged key conspirator Riyaz Bhatkal, believed to be operating from Karachi, Pakistan is still at large while the five other accused namely Asadullah Akthar of Uttar Pradesh, Zia-ur-Rahman of Pakistan, Tahseen Akhthar of Bihar, Yasin Bhatkal of Karnataka and Aizaz Shaik of Maharashtra were arrested and lodged in Cherlapally central prison in Hyderabad.

ALSO READ | IM cadres convicted for 2013 Dilsukhnagar blasts by NIA court

THE CHARGES

The convicts were tried under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and other relevant acts including IPC.

In its charge sheet, NIA said that Riyaz Bhatkal arranged supply of explosive substances and money while Asadullah Akhtar and Waqas received the explosives and the money. The chargesheet read that with the help of Tahseen Akhtar, the accused prepared two IEDs and carried out the blasts.

Trial in the case had begun on August 24, 2015 and the final arguments in the case of terror attack were concluded on December. A total of 157 witnesses and over 500 documents were cited during the hearing.

ALSO READ | Four days before Hyderabad blasts, Dilsukhnagar CCTV cameras were sabotaged; death toll rises to 16

SECURITY BEEFED UP AT JAIL

In wake of the recent Bhopal Central Jail break, the Telangana prison department has beefed up security at the Cherlapally Central Prison.

Of around half a dozen trials launched against the Indian Mujahideen's top operative Yasin Bhatkal in different state, the Hyderabad blast case is the first to reach the judgment stage.

Meanwhile, the family members of the blast victims have demanded death sentence for the Indian Mujahideen members.

ALSO READ | Judgement in Dilsukhnagar twin blasts case on Dec 13

--- ENDS ---

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Only 1 private citizen can legally carry a stun gun in New Orleans, for now
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
By PTI: Jaipur, Dec 18 (PTI) Three engineering students were allegedly shot and seriously injured by a security guard following an argument over taking selfies outside a farmhouse in Kho Nagoriyan area.

The incident took place late last night. Rohit, Shailendra and Devendra were returning to their hostel after having dinner at a roadside eatery. They stopped outside the farmhouse of a private university owner and started taking selfies, police said.

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The security guard, Zor Singh, tried to stop them and an altercation ensued. Flying into a rage, Singh opened fire at them with his 12-bore gun. They suffered bullet injuries in their brain, eye and chest and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Rohits condition is critical, police said.

A case has been registered against Singh under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC. PTI AG GVS

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Dipankar Mukherjee

Madrid, Dec 18 (PTI) Tickling the tastebuds of Spaniards, 30 restaurants dedicated to Indian cuisine are attracting food lovers in Madrid, the culinary capital of southern Europe.

The city with a population of over 33 lakh has welcomed Indian food wholeheartedly as the number of Indian restaurants are a proof of the popularity of the cuisine.

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When London-based Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to earn a Michelin star, opened his outpost of Benares restaurant in Madrid in September last year, it indicated the rising demand for Indian cuisine in this south European country.

Chef Ranjit at the restaurant told PTI that they are serving a four-course Indian meal to Spaniards which has been well received.

He said the menu is same as that of the Benares restaurant, London, with additional use of local ingredients while maintaining the authenticity of Indian cuisine.

The Indian restaurants have a good business scope in Madrid as tourists from all over the world have a liking for the cuisine, Ranjit SAID.

Located near the Popular party headquarters in the upmarket street of Zurbano, the restaurants specialities are Dal Makhani, Coorgi Meen kari, Tandoori Murg and Atuls Signature Curry -- Lamb Rogan Josh.

When Spaniards crave for some spicy they opt for the Tandoori Station, considered to be the top Indian restaurant in the city.

Located in Barrio Salamanca here, the restaurant is themed on Indian railways and serves authentic Indian cuisine.

Popularity of its food among the Spaniards is such that it is considered among the top 50 restaurants of the city.

Chef Nadeem Siraj, who hails from Pakistan and did his engineering from Australia, had opened Tandoori Station after working in countries like Malaysia, Thailand and South Africa.

Siraj feels there is lot of scope for South Asian cuisine in southern Europe and with increasing tourists from India it will further boost the business. MORE PTI DIP DV ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
Winter weather drops snow, rain, ice across Plains, East Coast

A winter storm of snow, freezing rain and bone-chilling temperatures socked the nations mid-section and East Coast on Saturday, causing hundreds of accidents on icy roads and putting a crimp on Christmas shopping.

At least nine deaths were blamed on the slick roads and authorities were investigating a few other traffic fatalities as possibly weather-related. Perhaps the biggest accident happened in Baltimore, when a tanker carrying gasoline skidded off a highway and exploded, authorities said.

Two people died in the nearly 70-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95, authorities said. Hospital officials said nearly two dozen people were treated for injuries including broken bones and head trauma.

Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.

It was unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was caused by it. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed while crews cleaned up the mess.

Winter weather advisories were posted from Denver to Bangor, Maine. Airports reported hundreds of flight delays or cancellations, interstates and toll roads reduced speed limits and authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution.

The nasty weather put a damper on holiday plans for Luke Perez, who was hoping to make it home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a family party. Perezs flight out of D.C., where he is in graduate school, was canceled, so he said hes going to try again Sunday or Monday.

My family has a Christmas party ... and I was hoping to make it to that tonight, but thats not going to happen anymore, the 23-year-old said.

There were dozens of crashes in Indiana  two of them involving fatalities  due to freezing rain and ice, officials said. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed. The roads were so slick that authorities had to move motorists stranded on an overpass with a ladder.

In Ohio, a Columbus woman died Saturday when her car skidded off a slick road, authorities said. In another accident in Baltimore, six people were taken to the hospital after a crash on I-695 involving 15 to 20 vehicles, Baltimore County tweeted. In Nebraska, Douglas County Sheriffs deputies said one person was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames.

Temperatures plummeted and people braced for the cold. Temperatures in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were expected to drop to minus-20 degrees overnight. People were advised to stay indoors for the weekend. The low temperature was expected to reach 4 degrees in Chicago on Sunday.

Portions of six states, from Missouri to Mississippi, were under the threat of tornadoes or severe thunderstorms.

In Virginia, a Fairfax County fire truck slid off an icy road while responding to a crash, local news media reported. No one was injured.

Meanwhile, more than three dozen crashes and a fatality were reported in the northern part of the state, authorities said. Police said a man was found dead on the side of I-495, about a mile from a 23-vehicle crash. It appears the man was involved in the crash and had walked away from disabled vehicle. It wasnt immediately clear how the man died.
On Tuesday, the delegates to the Electoral College will vote to elect the next president of the United States. As of right now, that will be Donald Trump; however, the delegates can step up and become true American heroes by the way they cast their vote.

First, let me say that, yes, I am a Democrat and, yes, I voted for Hillary Clinton, but I am not asking the delegates to commit what many of them would consider political suicide by voting for her. I am simply asking that they do not cast their vote. This would deny both candidates the necessary 270 votes and would force the election to the House of Representatives. This would allow time for a true investigation into the Russian involvement in our election and what we need to do to ensure that a fair and untainted process is in place.

What I am asking them to do is vote for America and not their political party. By not casting their vote, they would be sending a clear message that the outcome of an election cannot be determined by hacking of the system, rumors and innuendo and threats of getting even with those who disagree with your views.

In the past, true Americans have stood up when they knew something was wrong. Many even gave their lives defending what they believed was right and the best for this country. Right now, there are too many unanswered questions that affect the way the majority of Americans feel about the election for all of us, both Republicans and Democrats, to support the presidential election process. Now is the time for all of us to say we want our election free of influence from outside forces. The electoral delegates should be the first to show that our country is more than political parties and that their responsibility is to our country first.

Michael Cook

North Platte
Officer K L Bhaskar's properties, houses of his friends, family and his agents were searched.

By Ashish Pandey: Anti-Corruption Bureau of Andhra Pradesh raided the house of an additional excise commissioner along with his 11 relatives' houses and unearthed property worth Rs 50 crore.

Acting on a tip off, the sleuths carried the raid on Saturday across the state and in Hyderabad. Officer K L Bhaskar's properties, houses of his friends, family and his agents were searched.

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ACB conducted raids at 11 places in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, West Godavari and Hyderabad.

During the search, the sleuths found two flats, ten house sites, 4.5 acres of agriculture land in his name along with over Rs 9 lakh in cash, 3 kg gold,15 kg silver and 29 foreign liquor bottles.

His shares and investments amount to Rs 23 lakh, apart from a LIC policy of Rs 3 lakh.

Also read: Black money saga gets weirder: IT department raids crorepati tea seller, tailor

Also read: Income tax raids are surgical strikes against black money: Government

--- ENDS ---
Its important to reflect on our blessings, and one of the things I am blessed to have in my life is a great diverse client base comprised of some really smart people. As any experienced investment advisor knows, our job is very much part teacher, and the subject matter is huge and ever changing. So it makes me thankful when our clients become the teachers, imparting information we can use to help other families with similar situations.

Ive gained two informative nuggets from clients over the past few weeks I thought I would share. The first concerns Indianas College Choice Education Savings Plan and comes from Walt in Valparaiso and is a good tip for all you grandparents out there.

In a recent Indiana State of Indiana Income Tax bulletin dated November 2016 the State provided some clarification regarding the tax credit associated with the Indiana CollegeChoice 529 plan. The State offers a compelling benefit to Indiana taxpayers in the form of a 20 percent income tax credit on contributions to this plan. The credit for any individual contributors maxes out at $1,000 per year, based on a $5,000 contribution to a CollegeChoice 529.

A tax credit is the most compelling type of tax benefit as a credit reduces tax liability on a dollar for dollar basis, literally acting like a tax payment. The recent guidance provided by the state clears up a question Ive always had and provides a great opportunity for families saving for college.

In simple terms the recent guidance provides that a tax credit is available for any Indiana taxpayer who contributes to a CollegeChoice account regardless of who is the ultimate owner and beneficiary of the plan. This means I can put $5,000 in for my kids, claiming a $1,000 credit, and my parents could also contribute $5,000 to the same account (owned by me) claiming a $1,000 credit for themselves. In my opinion, this is one of the best education tax benefits available nationwide and with just a little creativity its easy to surmise ways to maximize the tax saving possibilities and really accelerate preparing for college.

To claim the credit for this year contributions must be postmarked by December 31, so now is the time to bring this up around the dinner table.

The second tip comes from my dear client Jackie in Crown Point, and concerns burial planning for veterans.

The VA maintains the national cemetery program which provides, at no cost to a veterans family, a cemetery plot in a national cemetery, headstone, burial (grave services) and memorial US flag.

The VA also provides cash burial benefits based on eligibility to veterans not choosing internment in a national cemetery.

The tip provided was that the VA allows for a pre-need eligibility process that allows veterans or their families to satisfy documentation requirements before the eligible veteran passes, which helps with funeral planning and can ease the burden during the actual time of loss.

As with any federal benefit there is a learning process and documentation required, but knowing this pre-certification process is available can encourage families to put this piece of planning in place now, easing the burden on others later.
Lakeshore Public Media, the Merrillville-based PBS affiliate, has decided to stop broadcasting its Lakeshore Kids Channel locally after six years because PBS is rolling out its own national PBS KIDS channel next month.

PBS will start providing its kids channel to local stations on January 16.

We made the decision back in 2010 to use the opportunities that the digital transition brought us to use this great programming and create our own dedicated childrens channel to serve our community, Vice President of TV Operations Matt Franklin said. PBS is synonymous with educational childrens programming, and its done with the highest quality."

WTTW Chicago Public Media will broadcast PBS KIDS in Northwest Indiana and across the rest of the Chicago market on over-the-air channel 11-4, Comcast digital channel 368, and RCN channel 39 starting on January 16, 2017.

Lakeshore Public Media doesn't want to have a redundant channel, Director of Programming and Membership Carrie Kuck said. Chicagoland's three PBS stations  Lakeshore, WTTW and WYCC  all try to differentiate programming so there's no overlap.

Lakeshore Public Television will continue airing some childrens shows on its Channel 56, which is over the air and free to everyone. The local station also airs on Comcast on 17 or 21 or HD Channel 239, on RCN Cable on 44, on Dish Network at HD Channel 6320, on AT&T U-verse at HD Channel 1056 and on DirecTV on 56.

Lakeshore strives to bring programming and outreach events that engage our audience  especially those in Northwest Indiana  where we were created to serve, Lakeshore Public Media President and CEO James Muhammad said.
A store can be both national and local. It might be part of a large, corporate chain, but the retailer is staffed with local people who care about their community. These national chains reach out and touch the communities around their stores, and they are great examples of how big can still be small.

Macys Believes in Magic

When you think of Macys, you usually think of the spectacular Thanksgiving Day parade. But the retailers charitable efforts are much greater than an annual parade.

The Chicagoland Macys stores have partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to host children from the Chicago Commons head start program for a morning of holiday cheer.

The children will all write a letter to Santa, explains Andrea Schwartz, vice president of media relations and cause marketing. The letters will help make wishes come true for children that have life-threatening medical conditions. This is part of our Macys Believe campaign.

During the holiday season, local children write letters to Santa and drop them in the big red mailbox at Macys stores in Merrillville and Calumet City. For every letter Santa gets, Macys will donate one dollar, up to $1 million, to the Make-A-Wish foundation.

Macys and Clothes4Souls have partnered again for the annual Buy One & Well Donate One campaign. Macys donates one new coat, up to 35,000 coats, to Clothes4Souls, for every coat purchased in the mens, womens, juniors and childrens outerwear departments at Macys stores and macys.com.

Macys also participates in charitable events such as Red Dress pins that benefit womens heart research.

We are always open to helping the local communities we serve, Schwartz says. They are part of our family.

Kohls Cares

Kohls Cares is an annual event where every purchase helps children. One hundred percent of the profits from the sales of Kohls Cares items are donated to childrens health and education initiatives nationwide. This year, Paddington and Curious George will be doing their part to help children.

Mark Wusik, store manager of the Kohls in Valparaiso, explains that local stores also reach out to the community and help those in need.

We have a group of employees who will volunteer to come out and help a charity when they have an event, Wusik explains. For every hour one of our employees works for that charity, we will donate money to the cause. We write checks between $500 and $1,500 for each event.

So far this year, the Valparaiso store has donated $23,000 to local charities such as Methodist Hospitals, Kappa Kappa Kappa, the Diocese of Gary, and the Flint Lake Elementary PTO.

All Kohls stores are open to helping the community, Wusik says. If you are part of a 501c3, contact your local store. Kohls Cares is more than a catchy phrase. Its how we get involved.

A 'Penneys' Worth of Care

JC Penney believes in building strong, vibrant communities by supporting what matters to them most. They invest time, money and effort in causes and charities that help support families and communities. They team with and support organizations that provide resources for families through the volunteer efforts of passionate and engaged employees.

It is worth every penny.

Locally, we work quite a lot with the United Way and the Salvation Army, explains David Juday, store manager of JC Penney in Valparaiso. We conduct many fundraisers to local food banks that come to us through the United Way. We also create and distribute Senior Care Kits that contain toiletries for seniors. Many of them have trouble getting out in the winter, so we supply them with the necessities to help them.

JC Penney conducts numerous Round Ups during the year. Customers round up to the nearest dollar, and JC Penney donates the money to the American Cancer Society and the local Boys and Girls Clubs.

We always have some sort of charitable event going on, Juday says. And I say that with a lot of pride. Our employees live and work in this community, and they are always on the lookout for someone who needs our help.

Jewel-Osco Feeds the Hungry

The Jewel-Osco Foundation works hand-in-hand with local nonprofit organizations to serve people in local neighborhoods.

Tanya Young is the store director for all 19 Jewel-Osco stores in the Indiana/Illinois area.

Our stores work with local charities all year round, Young says. Each store reaches out to the organizations in their area. For example, the Chesterton store is currently working to provide Thanksgiving turkeys to the Westchester food bank.

Young says that all of the stores also participate in Hunger Is, a program dedicated to eradicating hunger in America. In many of the local neighborhoods, one out of every five children does not know where his or her next meal is coming from. Jewel is working to eliminate the problem.

Our employees volunteer to work on several events that will help feed local people, she says. In addition to working at charity events, our dedicated employees host fundraisers, such as Bowling for Charity events throughout the Region.

Young explains that the work they do locally fits into Jewels corporate philosophy of giving back to the local communities.

Its important that our customers know that we are right there with them, working on our local issues together.

Mattress Firm

Mattress Firm supports local foster children with their annual Foster Kids program. This year, the Secret Santa Toy Drive is dedicated to collecting toys for foster children nationwide, including local foster care communities.

World champion gymnast Simone Biles is the spokesperson and leader of the 2016 toy drive. She is working with Mattress Firm in an effort to break their record for most toys collected.

Local Mattress Firm stores participate in the event, so area residents can stop by at any Mattress Firm and donate toys to the Secret Santa drive through Dec. 18.

Mattress Firm believes all children should experience the joy and excitement of the holidays. But for foster children who have been separated from family, friends and familiar faces, the holidays can be an especially difficult and lonely time. Something as simple as a special gift that shows someone cares can make a world of difference.

Mattress Firm encourages everyone to bring a donation of new and unwrapped gifts to a location near you, and help keep the holiday spirit alive for local foster children.

National chain does not mean that locals are forgottenquite the opposite. The people who work in those local stores are neighbors, friends and family, and they do everything they can to help out right where we all live.
Northwest Indiana has had some success luring companies from Illinois, but it's hardly a stampede and nothing like one would expect given the government dysfunction and fiscal problems in the Land of Lincoln.

The state of Illinois has no budget, a projected deficit of $7.8 billion, a $111 billion unfunded pension liability, and a mounting pile of unpaid bills. Social services are getting slashed. Professors are being laid off. Downstate mass transit is shutting down.

Right next door to Northwest Indiana, Chicago just approved $755 million in new taxes. Illinois already has the fifth highest property tax burden in the country, and the 13th highest unemployment taxes.

Hoist Liftruck, which earlier this year relocated manufacturing operations to East Chicago from Bedford Park, saves an estimated $3 million a year from workers' compensation insurance alone, President Vincent Flaska said.

"Indiana is an overall better state to manufacture in, and just a few of the advantages are taxes, workers' comp reform, and a better labor pool," he said.

"With Cook County just raising minimum wages to $13 by 2020, I can assure you a large amount of businesses will either leave the state or go out of business by then," he added.

But in 2016, only a few businesses followed Hoist Liftruck's lead and skipped across the state line to Northwest Indiana.

Outstanding Tradeshow Exhibit Services, which designs and makes trade show exhibits, announced it would move to North Judson from Romeoville. American Stair Corp. is jilting Romeoville for Hammond, where it plans eventually to employ 180 workers. AMKUS Rescue Systems moved production of rescue tools to Valparaiso from Downers Grove after being bought by Valpo-based Task Force Tips.

But that's almost it. In some years, far fewer jobs have moved across the border, and the expected flood has been more like a trickle.

Where businesses go

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning did a recent report on business churn in the Chicago area that found out-of-state business relocations are relatively rare and typically involve smaller companies. More than 70 percent of the businesses that moved in or out of Chicago metro had fewer than five employees; most just had one.

The CMAP report found that, between 2001 and 2012, Indiana gained a net total of 69 businesses from the Chicago metro area  about six per year. And some of those moved to Indianapolis or other areas of the state and not Northwest Indiana.

More companies moved to downstate Illinois, which netted 89 Chicago metro companies, and Florida, which picked up 104 during that period. Despite the Indiana Economic Development Corp.'s expensive "Illinoyed" ad campaign, Indiana barely beat out Texas in poaching Illinois companies during that period.

And despite all the political talk, companies are still investing heavily in Illinois. Amazon has built distribution centers employing 1,000 or more in Joliet, Edwardsville and Romeoville and not in Northwest Indiana. It just announced it will build another in Monee.

A few years ago, Amazon was thought to be interested in a site near Lowell and Interstate 65 for such a distribution center, but nothing came of it.

Despite Indiana's much-vaunted business climate, less than 1 percent of the new industrial construction in the Chicago metro area took place in Northwest Indiana earlier this year. Indiana even lost the Whole Foods Distribution Center to Chicago's Pullman neighborhood, where the trendy grocery purveyor will move 150 jobs to serve new Whole Foods supermarkets on the city's South Side.

In all, more than 17.3 million square feet of industrial space was under construction in the Chicago metro area in the second quarter of 2016, and almost all of it was in Illinois, according to an NAI Hiffman market report.

Ridgeline Property Group started construction this spring on a 157,500-square-foot speculative building in Buffalo Grove, while five different construction projects were underway along Interstate 90 in the northwest suburbs.

Wisconsin also luring companies

In the second quarter, only 40,000 square feet of industrial space was under construction in the Northwest Indiana submarket, while Southeast Wisconsin, also part of the Chicago metro area, had 1.8 million square feet under construction, according to NAI Hiffman.

Northwest Indiana has about 441 industrial buildings with 36.6 million square feet of space, while Southeast Wisconsin has 547 with 51.8 million square feet. And developers are doing huge projects right now in the corner of the Badger state tucked up against Chicago's north suburbs. First Industrial, for instance, constructed a 601,491-square-foot facility in Somers.

Since 2012, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has lured 15 Illinois companies to Wisconsin, where they have pledged to hire 3,458 workers and invest more than $287 million. Packaging and shipping supply distributor ULINE, for instance, moved its corporate headquarters from Waukegan to Pleasant Prairie in Kenosha County, where it invested $200 million and employs 2,000. Kenall Manufacturing, which makes LED lights, expects to hire 600 in the Business Park of Kenosha after leaving Gurnee.

A large portion of the companies, and the attached jobs, moving to Wisconsin from Illinois ended up in Southeast Wisconsin, an area very like Northwest Indiana in its close proximity to Chicago and its prime assets such as O'Hare International Airport.

"With respect to companies that consider relocating to or expanding into Wisconsin, our most recognized competitive advantages include Wisconsins strong economic assets, powerful industry capabilities, talented workforce, centric geographic location and pro-business policies, such as our Manufacturing & Ag Tax Credit, which virtually eliminates tax on income from manufacturing activity in the state," WEDC spokesman Mark Maley said.

The WEDC doesn't run billboards or ads like Indiana's "Stillinnoyed" or "A State that Works." Instead, the agency cultivates relationships with site selection specialists and business executives, Maley said.

"The attraction team also proactively recruits targeted companies by identifying their unique needs, delivering solid data supporting the decision to locate in Wisconsin and developing a competitive incentive package," Maley said.

Wisconsin doesn't need to do ad campaigns because its benefits of lower taxes and workers' compensation costs are already well known by business decision-makers near the border, said Kenosha Area Business Alliance President Todd Battle. One analysis found companies can save 30 percent on taxes from being in Pleasant Prairie instead of Illinois.

"The vast majority of relocations are within a reasonable commuting distance," Battle said.

"The business may be changing the address and the state they do business in, but they retain their workforce. In the last three to five years, it's probably been a pretty steady stream."

Marketing along state borders

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. has a marketing budget of $7.41 million over two years that it's spent targeting businesses from out of state, including neighboring Illinois.

"I dont have specifics regarding what has been spent on Illinois-focused campaigns over the years, but I would say that a majority of our advertising dollars are allocated toward promoting our business climate outside Indiana and attracting new jobs for Hoosiers," IEDC spokeswoman Abby Gras said.

"This also includes our efforts in other high-tax states, including California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York, as well as campaigns to target national and international job creators."

Indiana currently is running a marketing campaign along its borders with Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio that includes billboards and mobile ads.

"This is part of our ongoing 'A State That Works' campaign and includes positive messages about Indianas pro-growth business climate such as our triple-A bond rating, declining corporate taxes and balanced state budget," she said.

Since 2007, 54 Illinois-based companies have moved all or part of their operations to Indiana, according to the IEDC. They've pledged $650 million in investment and 5,323 jobs.

To put those numbers in context, the Chicago metro area alone has a gross metro product of $630.3 billion and added 47,000 new jobs last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

The workforce issue

Northwest Indiana hasn't lured more Illinois businesses partly because of its own reputation for political dysfunction and a lack of attention from the state government, said Micah Pollak, Indiana University Northwest assistant professor for economics.

"While Indianas slogan may be 'A State that Works,' this doesnt necessarily mean that it always works well," he said.

"Northwest Indiana is a region that has historically struggled with dysfunction, in part because of the major economic challenges weve faced since the 1970s, and in part because our geographic location is distant from state government and wedged up against Chicago."

Indiana does have an attractive business climate, such as an "A" in tax climate, global reach and logistics and manufacturing industry health in the 2016 Conexus Indiana Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card. But low taxes aren't the only thing businesses look at when deciding where to invest, Pollak said.

Companies also need a ready supply of qualified workers.

"We can have the best tax climate in the United States, but it wont attract new businesses if we cant meet their demands for a trained, educated and healthy workforce," he said.

"While we are making gains in education, the percent of the population in Northwest Indiana with at least a college degree is about 15 percent lower than the state of Indiana overall and 30 percent lower than the U.S. average."
A California-based television network dedicated to Native Americans has arrived in the Albuquerque area, New Mexico PBS announced Wednesday

New Mexico PBS said First Nations Experience now is live on KNME-TV, HD Channel 5.3, in the Albuquerque market, and features programs focusing on Native American and indigenous people around the world.

"Educators, students and viewers will find a variety of American Indian, Pacific Islander and other indigenous people's stories and voices via this service," New Mexico PBS General Manager and CEO Franz Joachim said. "Those viewers familiar with certain tribal stories may find something new in other nations' achievements, creativity and experiences."

New Mexico PBS officials say the station will be pushing for Albuquerque-area cable and satellite providers to carry the American Indian network.

KENW-TV, the regional PBS-TV affiliate in Portales, New Mexico, also is airing the First Nations Experience network throughout the KENW viewing area across New Mexico and West Texas, according to KENW Director of Broadcasting Duane Ryan.

"We're thrilled to be able to provide a fourth channel of public television broadcasting at KENW-TV, especially designed for Native American audiences," Ryan said.

Launched in September 2011, the public TV network known as FNX is a partnership of the San Manuel band of Mission Indians and KVCR-PBS in San Bernardino, California.

FNX can already be seen by 11 million people in several states, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska, Minnesota and Illinois.

The network is scheduled to air Disney-Pixar's "Finding Nemo" in Navajo with English subtitles on Christmas Day.

Among the other shows on FNX are "Forging Bonds: Pow Wow Stories from California" and "Back in the Day"  a television series about six First Nations people from downtown Vancouver discovering the wilds of British Columbia.

FNX expands as more networks focusing on minorities try to come on air or through streaming services.

Red Nation Television Network, for example, streams movies, original series, documentaries and children programs that focus on Native Americans.

And kweliTV is a streaming service that showcases movies and documentaries about African Americans.
NPR's "Fresh Air" TV critic David Bianculli has been a reviewer for more than 40 years, and he's crafted a wonderful overview of the history of television with "The Platinum Age of Television: From I Love Lucy to The Walking Dead, How TV Became Terrific."

Bianculli loves the medium, and it shows. Rather than taking a year-by-year approach to showcase the best of television, he breaks it down by genre, including animation, Westerns, spy dramas, medical shows and crime. He breaks down sitcoms into categories such as family and workplace comedies. Each section chronicles the history while also showcasing those shows that Bianculli considers groundbreakers that have established the genre. Among the shows he considers the best for the legal category: "Perry Mason," ''L.A. Law" and "Boston Legal."

What makes this book so much more than an examination of the history of TV is the personal touch that Bianculli adds when he recounts why he fell in love with particular shows or how he was influenced by what he saw on the screen. He also interviews the creators behind the shows he considers the best of the best, and getting insight from legends such as Carl Reiner, Norman Lear and Steven Bochco truly captures why television continues to be the place where quality writing and imagination can reside.

The way we watch television might be changing, and there might be so many choices that nobody can watch everything. Bianculli reassures with his examination of the history of the medium that there will always be quality and groundbreaking storytelling. There was a golden age of television, and he believes that we are now living in the platinum age.

This book is a must for anyone who has been enthralled by the images and stories on television.
Since Venezuelan President announced scrapping of 100-bolivar note, thousands of shops have been closed due to cash shortage and protest against the move led to looting.

By India Today Web Desk: After India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who announced demonetisation.

Venezuela's most widely used 100-bolivar note was recently pulled out of circulation but in a recent change of events, President Maduro has delayed the withdrawal until January 2.

Also read: After India, Venezuela demonetises its largest currency note

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In a national broadcast, the President said his country was a victim of international sabotage as it prevented the arrival of new 500-bolivar currency notes in time.

After demonetisation was announced, thousands of shops were closed due to cash shortage and protest against the the move led to looting in parts of the country.

Photo: Reuters

Shops were attacked and protesters blocked the roads, the public has been forced to use the digital mode of payment.

Photo: Reuters Photo: Reuters

Also read: Why are millions of protesters on Venezuela streets against president Nicolas Maduro? All you need to know

Similar to the situation in India, many Venezuelans stood in long queues trying to hand over or swap the old notes. However, now the 100-boliar notes can be used for some more days.

According to the government, pulling out 100-bolivar note was important to prevent smuggling and tackle gangs which hoard the currency in foreign lands.

Also read: Will President Maduro's demonetisation drive save the Venezuela's sinking economy?

The value of Venezuelan currency has fallen so badly that if one is going out for a coffee, a sack of cash needs to be taken along, reported BBC .

Even the economic experts have felt that little positive effect will come out of the scrapping of 100-bolivar note.

(With inputs from IANS)

--- ENDS ---
Its that time of year again when the calendar is filled with holiday gatherings, all of which usually have one thing in commoncheese trays. These plates of assorted flavors and textures often are expected at parties, but theres plenty that hosts can do to ensure their cheese trays are anything but ordinary.

Make it Memorable

There are important points to remember when building a cheese board, says Valerie Gonzalez of Charcuterie, a gourmet deli and grocery store in Griffith.

Choose three to five cheeses, depending on the number of guests and what you would like to showcase, she says. More than five can be overwhelming. Progress from the soft, milder cheeses to hard and nutty options, and finish with the super-powerful and funky stuff, Gonzalez says. While every cheese doesnt need to match perfectly together, by including a range of cheese styles, youll improve the chances of finding a combination that your guests will love.

To make an interesting cheese board, Megan Marolf of Old World Market, a gourmet grocery store in Valparaiso, says she always encourages her customers to use a variety of milks (such as cow, goat, sheep or water buffalo) and textures (such as soft, crumbly and firm). Its an added bonus for guests if the host labels the cheeseswe sell little flags designated for that purposeso they can remember any they fall in love with, Marolf says.

The general rule of thumb is to provide two ounces of cheese per guest, Gonzalez says. This is based on your cheese selection being served with a lovely variety of accompaniments and crackers or nice hearty bread such a French baguette, she says.

Marolf suggests bringing the cheeses out of the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Cold cheese is not nearly as tasty as it is at room temperature, she explains.

Make it Worldly

Themed trays are a great way to ensure a cheese board is harmonious, and the options are unlimited. You can showcase American artisan cheese, international, regional or by milk type, Gonzalez says.

An Italian cheese board, for example, might include Pecorino Romano, a soft Taleggio and a sweet and nutty Piave.

The American artisanal cheese community is exploding these days, providing a variety of milk types and styles to create a memorable cheese board, Gonzalez says. For example, try combining Tulip Tree triple cream from Indiana, Cottonwood River aged cheddar from Kansas, Sequatchie Cove Bellamy Blue from Tennessee and Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog from California.

Combine cheeses from multiple countries to create a taste the world tray, Marolf suggests. Some of my favorite cheeses right now are from Spain, and they offer wonderful accompaniments such as quince paste and marcona almonds, she says.

Make it Compatible

When pairing, there are two general approaches: contrasting, or like with like, Marolf says.

For example, Blue Stilton, a crumbly blue cheese from England, and Port, a sweet fortified wine from Portugal, are a classic pairing, she says. The sweetness of the wine contrasts and balances the salty, peppery blue cheese.

On the other hand, pairing a buttery Chardonnay with a creamy Brie, or a lush, red blend with a rich, aged Gouda, creates perfect matches as well.

Cheese and wines from the same region also typically go well together, while cheese with a high fat content pairs nicely with smooth, oily wine, Gonzalez says.

Cheese with high acidity works well with sweet wine, she says. Salty cheese pairs nicely with a higher acidic wine.

Introducing sweets like jam, honey and dried or fresh fruits contrasts the savory cheeses, Marolf says. Crunchy nuts break things up, too, she says.

When introducing artisanal meats, use a variety of textures and flavor profiles, Gonzalez advises. Dont overthink it too much, she says. By providing a variety of cheeses and meats, your guests are sure to encounter some amazing flavor combinations.

Though meat and crackers are most often found on cheese trays, Gonzalez suggests using other accompaniments to create different flavor profiles, such as cornichons, olives, quince, honey comb and nuts. She says, This will give your guests a chance to experiment and find unexpected and beautiful combinations.
EAST CHICAGO  The city's new emergency management consultant listened Friday to residents' concerns about the USS Lead Superfund site and public housing and assured them the city wants to support them.

Herbie Cruz, who retired several years ago as the city's emergency management director, returned to city work a couple of weeks ago. He patiently listened to residents concerns' during a community strategy group meeting, asked questions and took notes.

"More than likely, if they see all of us united, we can accomplish a lot," he told residents at the start of the meeting.

Cruz began by urging all residents to have their blood tested for lead.

"Be proactive. This is your health. This is your future," he said.

Cruz acknowledged concerns about residents not being notified by the city about testing results. He said after the meeting that the city on Monday will start being more proactive about notifying residents when results are in.

"We'll call contact numbers to let them know. We'll send postcards," he said.

However, the city Health Department will not be releasing blood testing results over the phone, he said. He cited a federal health information privacy law, but also said the city wants face time with residents to educate them.

"They will be asked to come into the health department to pick up their results and receive education on what results may mean," he said.

The group presented a long list of questions to Cruz, who answered some and said he would have to check with Mayor Anthony Copeland and the city's legal team before addressing others.

Cruz said the city is still considering a program to assist residents in paying for water filters and service line replacement.

EPA recently said drinking water at 18 out of 43 homes it tested in the Superfund site tested above allowable limits for lead. The results are not tied to the lead and arsenic in the area's soil, but rather aging lead service lines and equipment.

EPA conducted the testing to address concerns about excavation possibly causing lead particles to break free from service lines and enter the water supply. Superfund residents, including Sara Jimenez, said they're also concerned trains and snowplows may cause lead lines to deteriorate because those activities shake the ground with great force, too.

Jimenez said after the meeting she was excited to hear Cruz signal the city might be willing to seek resources to address residents' demands for a voluntary buyout of their homes at pre-crisis prices.

Cruz also heard concerns from residents of the West Calumet Housing Complex and Nicosia Senior Building.
CROWN POINT  At the beginning of the year, things were looking up for the proposed Galleria Center along 109th Avenue just west of Interstate 65.

Hawk Development Vice President Todd Kleven in January said construction of the development's acceleration and deceleration lanes on 109th, the roads within the development, along with a bike path and sewers, would begin as soon as the weather allowed.

A hotel also was reported as expected to be built, possibly as soon as summer.

Just shy of one year later, the "coming soon" signs promoting Galleria Center remain along 109th, and Kleven is no longer involved in the project.

Because he is no longer involved, Kleven deferred all questions about the project to the owners of Hawk Development, whom The Times attempted to contact several times.

Plans for the $100 million Galleria Center were announced in June 2014. They included extending Delaware Parkway south from 109th to 107th avenues, and eventually to 101st. That has yet to happen, although the topic of extending it came up again with the announced plans for a new hospital to be built near 101st Avenue and Broadway.

With a prediction of construction on the hotel to start in the spring of 2016, Kleven told the Plan Commission in November 2015 that the lifestyle shopping center portion of Galleria planned for the north side of 109th between Delaware and Interstate 65 would have to wait for the widening of 109th and extension of Delaware. It was reported than that the widening of 109th might not begin until 2018.

Crown Point Planning Administrator Anthony Schlueter recently said plans to widen 109th are still going through the process.

The Indiana Department of Transportation in October held a public meeting in Crown Point regarding its project to widen Interstate 65 in south Lake County.

At that meeting Schlueter read a statement asking INDOT to incorporate the citys plans for 109th Avenue into its plans for the interstate. Crown Point intends to widen 109th to five lanes between Broadway and I-65, he said, and asked developers to the east for right of way that would allow a similar expansion.

Schlueter said the I-65 bridge over 109th would cause a bottleneck" because its limited to three lanes. He asked the state to consider addressing that as part of this project.

Project Manager Michael Ready said he would take the request to his bosses at INDOT.

INDOT spokesman Doug Moats in November told The Times there there are no plans in the current scope of the I-65 project to widen the 109th Avenue bridge.

"At this point, it is too early to know if this idea will be given consideration," he said.
GARY  The city is working on an agreement with its financially troubled school district that may provide it with some much-needed revenue.

The proposal could provide perhaps $200,000 to $300,000 of tax increment financing money to the Gary Community School Corp. The arrangement with the city also could provide money for the district through the sale of some vacant, or unused, school district property.

Gary voters last month narrowly turned down a request to increase taxes to provide about $8.7 million annually to the school district over the next seven years.

"The city of Gary and the school corporation are working together to make sure we have a viable district," School Board President Antuwan Clemons said Thursday.

Joe Van Dyk, executive director of planning and development for the city, anticipates the Redevelopment Commission can begin providing money to the school corporation by February.

Both Clemons and Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson believe the initiative will help in garnering support from legislators in Indianapolis.

"It shows that we are working together," Freeman-Wilson said.

Last month, state Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, spoke of the need to get the district out of debt and for the school district to reach stability in terms of programming and its long-term direction.

"We are hoping the mayor will be willing to help us in developing a plan to get them back on their feet," Kenley said at the time.

According Van Dyk, under the plan, the school corporation will receive 40 percent of tax increment revenue from all its tax increment financing districts after bonds and existing obligations are taken into account.

"That number will likely fall between $200,000 and $300,000," he said.

In addition, Van Dyk said the district will receive 15 percent of the gross of new tax increment money from new districts. These include the East Lakefront district created for the Miller transit oriented development area last year and the Northwest Indiana Industrial Complex district just approved by the City Council.

In addition to the pledge of these revenues, Van Dyk said a memorandum of understanding is being finalized that would allow the Redevelopment Commission to market and sell vacant school properties on the school corporation's behalf. The commission would receive a 1 percent administrative fee under the proposed arrangement.

"The goal is to get vacant GCSC properties back to productive use and back on the tax rolls, to our mutual benefit," Van Dyk said.

Clemons said it also would allow the city and school corporation to get rid of some of the vacant buildings that have become eyesores. Freeman-Wilson said there has to be an assessment of the buildings to see which ones should be kept or knocked down.

The Franklin Elementary School site at 600 E. 35th Avenue was seen as a potential area for new development in a study done in conjunction with development of a plan for the University Park East section of Gary.

According to the market study by SB Friedman Development Advisors, an affordable senior housing building of 80 to 100 units could potentially be part of a redevelopment program from the former Franklin school property.

Gary's state-hired financial consultant Jack Martin previously said the school district is nearly $100 million in debt, with the most critical being $25 million in the operating budget.
Methodist Hospitals employees from both campuses joined together once again in the spirit of the holidays to provide gifts to children in need.

Employees teamed up with the Salvation Army to donate 250 Angels for their Angel Tree Program, 100 more angels than were donated last year.

This was significant this year as the Salvation Army lost a major sponsor and was in need of additional angels. Each angel represents one child.

This program collects and donates gifts to families with children who would be unable to receive presents on Christmas morning. Hospital staff members received an Angel Child, and donated gifts for him or her. The gifts were distributed to the families by the Salvation Army located in Gary.
MICHIGAN CITY  A park along Trail Creek in Michigan City is becoming a learning center for students, especially for those considering science as a career.

The first steps in the transformation of Winding Creek Cove Park were taken this year by preserving the observation deck, stabilizing a 175-foot stretch of the creek bank and controlling erosion, said Shannon Eason, assistant superintendent of the Michigan City Park Department.

During a Thursday night presentation sponsored by the Northwest Indiana Green Drinks organization, Eason revealed three additional phases of improvements all scheduled to be completed in 2017 are on the drawing board for the six-acre park on East 8th Street.

That work includes stabilizing more of the bank with native plants, enhancing erosion control by ripping existing trees out of the ground and dropping them into the creek to slow down water flows, which also will create more fish habitat.

"I can't wait until that happens," said Eason, who spoke to about 30 people at Shoreline Brewery, a sponsor of the monthly presentations started five years ago by Green Drinks, an environmental advocacy group.

Limestome slabs will be placed along the park's 1,200 foot long bank for people fishing to stand on to further stabilize the ground running along the edge of the creek.

Another end result will be cleaner storm water running into the creek and a restored kayak launch.

Eason said the park will become a learning center for students in the new environmental sciences curriculum still being developed at Michigan City High School.

Among the various hands-on projects for students will testing the creek's water quality to determine if measures taken to cleanse storm runoff are actually working, she said.

"This is going to be turned into an outdoor classroom," said Eason, who believes it will also be helpful in drawing more visitors into the city.

Eason said measures to cleanse stormwater at the park are in addition to the major improvements already taken in the handling and treatment of wastewater that are paying huge dividends for the quality of the water in Trail Creek and Lake Michigan.

For the second consecutive year, there were no beach closures because of high e-coil bacteria levels.

Closing the beaches occurred regularly in previous years, she said.

"If the Great Lakes are a body of water, the rivers are the arteries. That's why they're so critical to the Great Lakes. It's really good what you're doing," said Dave McGowan, of Chicago, one of the audience members.

Eason said 62 percent of the work is being funded by $185,000 in grants while the balance is being paid by the city.
VALPARAISO  Lindsey White felt uncomfortable Saturday morning at the Toys for Tots distribution at the Porter County Expo Center.

I dont feel right doing this  I wish I didnt have to, said White, as she signed her name on the sheet of people who would receive toys. We dont take help unless we absolutely need it.

Yet after White and her husband, who serves with the Indiana National Guard, and their sons, Joseph, 5, and Aaron, 7, found themselves evicted from their rental home on Thanksgiving Day, they didnt know where to turn.

Having missed the deadline for military assistance, the Whites scrambled to find a place to live in the middle of the holidays.

After finally finding a mobile home to rent in LaPorte, Whites next order of business was figuring out how to give her sons a decent Christmas.

White was among 800 families who, thanks to the Porter County Toys for Tots program, could give their kids a more than decent Christmas in 2016.

Jim Atkinson, of the Marine Corps Leagues Dunes Leathernecks unit that oversees the Toys for Tots program in Porter, Jasper and Stark counties, said families were lined up outside the Expo Center at 3:45 a.m. to receive toys at the event.

Pre-registered families could get up to five toys per child, as well as a puzzle and a book, while 72 bikes were given away in a raffle. More than 2,700 children would receive toys for Christmas, thanks to the program.

Filling bags with toys for waiting families were nearly 100 volunteers, including the Valparaiso High School cheerleaders, Portage High School Junior ROTC members, area Marine Corps recruiters, Cub and Boy scouts, and the Indiana National Guard Reserve from Lafayette, Indiana.

Deanna Davis has volunteered for the event for eight years.

Its humbling, said Davis, of Valparaiso. We have so much, and they have so little.

Davis said its also gratifying to see toy recipients come full circle. Last year, she met a woman who donated a doll house to the program.

She said three years ago, she had nothing and got toys from the program, and now shes giving back, Davis said.

Joshua Ivey, 18, who will head off to Marine Corps boot camp in June, filled bags with toys as part of his Junior ROTC duties.

This makes you think differently, said Ivey, of Valparaiso. You feel good because you can imagine the childs face when they open up their presents.

Amanda Bogard, of Portage, was thankful for the program so she could give her daughter, Serenity, 4, toys for Christmas.

Bogard, a single mom who loves her job as a home health worker, has not been released by her doctors to go back to work after a June car accident left her with a bulging disk in her neck.

I bought my daughter a used toy online, said Bogard, of Portage. She wouldnt care if it was new or used. Its all new to her.

Lindsey White, who said she normally donates a toy to Toys for Tots each Christmas, never thought shed find herself being helped by the program.

My son said Mommy, I dont care if I get any presents. I just want a home to put our tree in, said White. Hes seven years old  he shouldnt have to worry about that.
After a lengthy birthday party, the elation can start slipping away like air from a month-old balloon.

Im talking about Indianas bicentennial celebration, which ended with the 200th anniversary of statehood last Sunday, Dec. 11.

It would be easy to compare the 200th anniversary with the 100th anniversary and say the centennial was better. After all, Indianas state parks system was created in 1916. And there was a movie, Indiana, made for the states centennial. Those are impressive accomplishments as birthday gifts for the states future.

Region's contributions

But there was a lot accomplished for Indianas bicentennial, too.

The Indiana Bicentennial Commission hoped for 200 bicentennial legacy projects across the states 92 counties. Hoosiers, being overachievers when given a challenge, had some 1,600 projects given the commissions official endorsement.

One of those was digitization of The Times microfilm. Youll find a link to what has been accomplished at nwi.com/history. Just click on the Hoosier State Chronicles link.

While youre there, youll see a website built for Indianas bicentennial with a special focus on Northwest Indiana. Theres a lot of history to celebrate, and you can spend hours looking at it through the nwi.com/history website.

That website will continue. Were adding more content to it in the future, feeding the appetite for knowledge of the Region and its role in state and world events.

Over the bicentennial celebration, The Times partnered with local historical societies to produce two pictorial history books. We produced a special section on historic front pages last February, and there were four special sections in March devoted to Then & Now, looking at the Regions history and how it has shaped the present and will influence the future.

We also partnered with historical societies and Valparaiso Universitys Center for Civic Reflection to host a series of discussions about the Regions past and future. Well continue to talk about the future and the past as well.

Statewide celebration

At the state level, bicentennial coordinator Perry Hammock and his staff worked hard to set an example of how to celebrate a states 200th birthday. Illinois, which turns 200 in 2018, would do well to follow this lead.

One of the lasting legacies for Indiana is the Bicentennial Plaza at the Statehouse, something envisioned for Indianas centennial but not accomplished until 100 years later.

The Statehouse Education Center will improve visits to the Statehouse. More than 50,000 people in groups visit the Statehouse each year, and 80 percent of them are children. The center will give them more information about the Statehouse and Hoosier history.

The Indiana State Archives will get a new building in downtown Indianapolis to house Indianas most important documents.

The Bicentennial Nature Trust has expanded the state park system created in 1916. The goal is to have public land available within 20 miles of every Hoosier, and Hammock said last weekend that has been nearly accomplished.

The Bicentennial Torch Relay took 21st century torches, designed by Purdue University, throughout all 92 counties. More than 4,000 Hoosiers were nominated to be torchbearers.

A herd of about 170 bison  the bisontennial  was created for the states largest public art project. The artistic interpretations on these sculptures have been inspiring.

A bicentennial visioning project invited forward-thinking Hoosier leaders to identify significant goals for Indiana to accomplish over the next 50 years.

I could go on and on about what was done locally and statewide in honor of the bicentennial. Suffice it to say there has been quite a legacy created.

What's next

But now that the bicentennial has been celebrated, whats next?

As the Indiana Bicentennial Commission winds down during the next few months, its challenge is to write a large report to recap the bicentennial like the one done for Indianas centennial. Hammock brought in a professional writer to help with that.

If I do that, it will be a slipcased six-volume edition like 'War and Peace' because theres so much more activity, he said. There are so many more big projects.

There will be written records, there will be visual records, Hammock said.

One of the things were facing is how do you archive something that has been primarily electronic. We keep all our email traffic.

I gave him special sections from The Times to include in the states archives.

I wont be around for the states 250th anniversary in 2066, but Im glad my heirs will know the bicentennial was celebrated in a big way  and that we in 2016 cared about the states future as well.
Marc Chase Editor Marc Chase is a veteran investigative reporter, columnist and editor of more than two decades. He currently leads The Times news staff as local news editor. He can be reached at 219-933-3327. Follow Marc Chase Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Lake County government sustained the most violent of black eyes recently, with sitting County Councilman Jamal Washington pleading guilty to battering his wife.

It's not the sort of thing one would expect anyone to celebrate.

Yet a day after the guilty plea, multiple Lake County officials say they were contacted by Washington to join him for drinks at a Merrillville restaurant to "celebrate" the reduction of his charges from felony to misdemeanor.

At least two of those officials told me they thought better of attending the gathering, noting it wasn't appropriate to raise a glass to an admission of domestic battery.

It's important to note Washington's plea to misdemeanor battery spared him a trial on felony strangulation and invasion of privacy charges. Under Indiana law, a felony conviction would have automatically removed Washington from public office.

Admitting to misdemeanor battery against his wife allowed him to hold on to his elected seat on Lake County government's fiscal body.

Washington told me the "informal" gathering wasn't to celebrate his guilty plea to lesser charges.

He said he viewed the gathering as "personal time" with a group of friends who were there for him during "the most difficult year" of his life as he faced the domestic violence charges.

Washington confirmed his criminal defense attorney Paul Stracci, Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay and Region building and trades union official Randy Palmateer were all in attendance.

I watched all of those men head into the Merrillville gathering Dec. 9, a week ago Friday evening.

Washington pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor battery charge Dec. 8.

It's impossible to know exactly how Washington cast this gathering as he invited friends to attend. I surely wasn't invited.

Palmateer said he invited other friends and business and political acquaintances. As far as he was concerned, the gathering had nothing to do with Washington's court case.

"It was a holiday gathering of 20 to 30 people," Palmateer said.

Washington was not the center of it, Palmateer stressed to me on the phone Friday.

Repay, who is one of three elected commissioners in Lake County's executive branch, did not return calls seeking comment about the gathering.

But three other officials said they were told the gathering was to toast Washington's reduction of charges. One of those officials even used the phrase "victory party."

Regardless of the gathering's true purpose, Washington should get used to this type of controversy following him around, perhaps for the remainder of his elected term and into the 2018 campaign if he opts to run for re-election.

A man can't stand in open court and admit to battering his wife without repercussions  both social and judicial.

In Washington's case, he can add potential political repercussions to the mix.

In a large way, this is why I  and other members of The Times Editorial Board  have implored Washington to resign.

The law gives him every right to hold on to his political office.

In doing so, however, he'll continue to drag the name of Lake County government and all "friends" around him through the proverbial mud by association.

And what of the example his guilty plea presents to others, especially young aspiring leaders?

A week ago, the example at the very least was plead guilty to battering your wife on Thursday and head out for holiday cocktails with your friends on Friday, with no loss of political stature.

Is this really what the voters of Lake County want or deserve?

Is it really something with which Jamal Washington's political "friends" want to be associated?

Perhaps it's time to ask Indiana legislators not so close to the matter to consider new laws allowing voters to recall leaders who do damage to their political stature  and sacrifice the faith of constituents  in such a manner.

Until then, as was stated in a previous Times editorial, county residents can and should be calling the Lake County Council office in Crown Point at (219) 755-3280 to voice their displeasure.

Even if Washington refuses to do the right thing, it's incumbent on anyone  who believes admitting to battering one's wife is a quality in contradiction of leadership  to demand it.
A history of public corruption paved the way to East Chicago's lead contamination crisis, and now real lives are on the line.

Northwest Indiana is no stranger to kickbacks, bribes and political corruption convictions.

More than 60 public officials or their allies and preferred contractors have been convicted of various corruption charges in U.S. District Court in Hammond since the 1980s.

Right now, Lake County Sheriff John Buncich and Portage Mayor James Snyder face federal charges for bribery in separate towing schemes. Many more have been convicted of other public corruption crimes over the years.

In most of these cases, the crimes impacted taxpayers' wallets, often including the misuse of public funds or property for the personal gain of others.

Those elements were present in spades during the creation of East Chicago's West Calumet Housing Complex during the 1970s, as shown by the reporting of Times reporters Sarah Reese and Lauren Cross last week.

Resulting court testimony revealed the authority's director took more than $100,000 in kickbacks for helping steer various contracts related to the low-income housing project to friends and associates.

One of the alleged bribes was for demolishing a shuttered lead factory at the site.

It's unclear whether the bad actors associated with the complex's creation knew of the potential health risks.

But the stark reality in 2016, more than 40 years later, is a low-income housing complex that has exposed hundreds of residents, many of them children, to unsafe lead levels for decades.

The crisis has been well documented in The Times dating back to summer months.

The area is now seen as an imminent health emergency. More than 1,000 residents are being relocated, and untold health damage already has been done.

The history of the West Calumet neighborhood's creation through the fire and anvil of corruption reminds us all of an unacceptable price tag connected to unscrupulous, political greed.

The U.S. attorney's office in Hammond must continue to hunt down and weed out such elements that persist in today's political landscape.

Voters must demand, with a new and unified voice, the resignation of all who are implicated in such schemes.

Tax dollars and public resources aren't the only things at risk. Human well-being can hang in the balance.
The members of the Scipio Volunteer Fire Department would like to thank the community for their support during the recent election of fire commissioners for the Scipio, Venice, Ledyard Fire District.

The Board of Fire Commissioners plays an important role as the governing body over the Scipio, Long Hill and Poplar Ridge Fire Departments. These individuals are given the authority to decide how your fire tax is spent, establish by-laws and enforce the rules and regulations of New York state. The board members for the SVL Fire District play a vital role within all of three fire departments.

We appreciate your continued support, and look forward to seeing everyone at our annual pancake breakfast on Super Bowl Sunday.

Wayne Pettit

Scipio Center

Pettit is chief of the Scipio Volunteer Fire Department
Minister for Revenue RB Udhayakumar submitted a resolution to Sasikala to take over the reigns of the party during a meeting of the Peravai.

By Pramod Madhav: While AIADMK is urging VK Sasikala to become AIADMK's General Secretary, ministers from the party are now also pushing her to contest the bypolls and become the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

Minister for Revenue, RB Udhayakumar submitted a resolution to Sasikala to take over the reigns of the party during a meeting of the Peravai at the burial ground of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, where the 13th day rituals were underway. He also urged Sasikala to contest the bypolls and become the chief minister of the state.

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With Jayalalithaa's demise, RB Nagar, the constituency she won from will be in order for a bypoll and the AIADMK leaders want Sasikala to contest from there.

While posters supporting Jayalalithaa's aide Sasikala Natarajan describe her as 'Chinnamma', work is at full swing to make her the party's general secretary.

Also read: After general secretary, Sasikala may contest as chief ministerial candidate for AIADMK

Expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa had on Friday moved the Madras High Court stating VK Sasikala is not fit to be made the party general secretary as she has not completed the term of 5 years in the party. However, the spokesperson for AIADMK, C Ponnaiyan said that change in the rule book would be made to make her the general secretary of the party, if needed.

Udhayakumar also delivered a strong message by saying that VK Sasikala was the future of the AIADMK. "In addition to guiding the AIADMK, Chinnamma (as Sasikala is referred to by party workers) should fight the RK Nagar bypoll and assume responsibility as the chief minister. She should lead Amma's government," he said.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to request the relief fund to repair damages caused by cyclone Vardah and more importantly, to request the Centre to bestow Jayalalithaa with Bharat Ratna.

Also read: Tamil Nadu cabinet to recommend Jayalalithaa's name for Bharat Ratna

--- ENDS ---
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul said one of the first things that needs to be done is to lower taxes on corporations. We have the highest taxes in the world on corporations. The 35 percent taxes were imposed on them to drive them out of the United States.
An 8-year-old boy is in a medically-induced coma after fracturing his head at his Queens school, according to police and the child's mother.

The mother told investigators that her son was injured Wednesday morning at P.S. 253 in Far Rockaway.

The boy was taken to a local hospital and was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.

Sources said he suffered the injury during gym glass, but it is not clear how.

The city's education department is looking into the incident and called it "extremely troubling."
Donald Trump's incoming chief of staff denies the campaign was ever in contact with the Russians leading up to the election.

Reince Priebus says the president-elect won't accept allegations that Russia hacked emails to tip the election in his favor, unless intelligence agencies come out and say it expressly.

This comes after the CIA Director John Brennan released a statement last week that there is strong consensus regarding the scope and intent of Russia's hacking.



The FBI and CIA have agreed that Moscow was behind cyber-attacks against top Democratic officials, including Hillary Clinton's campaign manager.

Leaders in both parties are calling for a new bipartisan committee to look into the hackings."I think he would accept the conclusion if these intelligence professionals would get together, put out a report, show the American people they're actually on the same page as opposed to third parties through the Washington Post," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday."

"There's no doubt they were interfering, and there's no doubt there was a cyberattack," Arizona Sen. John McCain said on CNN's "State of the Union." "The question now is how much, and what damage, and what should the United States of America do?"

McCain is calling for a new select committee to investigate.



President Obama also said the White House will release a report on the cyber-attacks, and other election year hackings, before he leaves office.


Dreams and reality, however, do not go hand in hand that easily.

By mid-1973, Allendes government was under siege and was threatened with the increasing likelihood of a coup. When Fernando Flores, a member of the presidents staff, asked me to serve as his cultural and press adviser, I did not hesitate. One of my most urgent responsibilities was to sleep once every four nights at La Moneda, the presidential palace in Santiago, keeping watch so that I could communicate any emergency immediately to Allende. The other nights rotated among three other advisers, one of whom was Claudio Jimeno.

When I discovered I was slated to spend the night of Monday, Sept. 10, at La Moneda, it was the most natural thing in the world to exchange shifts with my old buddy. Claudio offered to take my turn and give me his stint on Sunday, the 9th, so that I could show my 6-year-old son, Rodrigo, the gallery displaying the portraits of the presidents of Chile and allow him, before his mother came to pick him up, to experience the palace as night fell, the magic of a thousand lights coming on.

Claudios kindness did not surprise me. In those perilous times, we watched our kids playing without being sure wed see them again the next day, so each hour with them was priceless. Claudio looked forward to some quiet time at home with Chabela and their two children that Sunday.

And thus it was that Claudio Jimeno would be the one to answer the phone at dawn on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 1973, and learn that a military coup headed by Gen. Augusto Pinochet was in progress. And it would be Claudio who called Allende, and Claudio who fought by his side at La Moneda. It was Claudio who was taken prisoner and then tortured and then became one of Chiles first desaparecidos, never to be seen again. I woke up that morning next to my beloved Angelica and tried to but could not make it to La Moneda, and now four decades later, I find myself here, commemorating my friend and what was lost and what was learned, recalling, because Claudio cannot, how we kept hope alive in the dark. Here I am, unable to visit Claudio Jimenos grave because, to this day, his executioners refuse to reveal where they buried his shattered body.
Benjamin A. Gilman, a New York congressman for 30 years and a leading Republican critic of the Clinton administrations foreign policy initiatives, died on Saturday in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. He was 94.

His death, at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was confirmed by his wife, Georgia Gilman, who said he had been hospitalized for more than three years after hip surgery.

First elected to the House of Representatives in 1972, Mr. Gilman was a moderate Republican who focused on foreign affairs throughout most of his years in Washington.

From 1995 to 2000, he was chairman of the International Relations Committee, as the House Foreign Affairs Committee was then known. He was named to lead the panel after the Republicans won control of the House in 1994.
The programs big historical event was the revival of Tracer, the last of the Taylor-Rauschenberg collaborations, unseen onstage since 1964 and, after no more than 10 performances back then, remembered by few. Its reconstruction by the dance scholar Kim Jones, assisted by Thomas Patrick and other former Taylor dancers, has involved instinct and imagination as well as research; but Mr. Taylor has given it his approval, letting it stand as part of his history. It first reached the stage on Sept. 30 at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.

You have to smile about its Rauschenberg decor: It consists of an upended bicycle wheel, which spins by remote control now and then. This is Rauschenberg acting as an heir to Marcel Duchamp, creator of the early ready-made Bicycle Wheel in 1913, showing the anti-utilitarian aspects of the quotidian. Wheels became a Rauschenberg motif. (I assume he was also joking about originality: Have I invented the wheel?) Tracer opens with one dancer curled in a ball beside the wheel, but almost all the movement that follows carries on regardless of it. Its an austere and experimental piece.

Because that wheel is attributed to Rauschenberg, it became the most valuable element of Tracer  and until this reconstruction, almost the only part to survive. A few years ago, Mr. Taylor sold the original for $437,000, to endow his new American Modern Dance endeavor. Taylor 2 uses instead a super-right replica by Jeff Crawford. The Rauschenberg costumes  patterned tights  were rediscovered by Ms. Jones and are the basis for those worn here.

The score (played here on tape) is by James Tenney. The cast consists of one man (Lee Duveneck) and three women (Alana Allende, Rei Akazawa, Amanda Stevenson), who dance all four pieces. They make an admirable case for Tracer; I hope this revival has a longer life. They show how uncompromising the Tracer choreography still is  poses and movement sometimes alternate  and how Mr. Taylor was deliberately trying different ways both of responding to music and showing independence from it. Some images prefigure later Taylor choreography, as in the way the man cradles one woman in his arms. A pattern for the three women, hopping around one another in a figure of eight, already shows Mr. Taylors felicity of design.
LENS, France  Trying to make the old look young is one of the abiding fixations of our times. Not only have human beings become disinclined to age gracefully  60 has become the new 50 (or is it 40?)  but our material culture is continually being given a face-lift to remain relevant.

Take the Louvre in Lens, for example. This branch of the museum, which opened in 2012 in a former coal mining town in northern France, takes a radically different approach to the presentation of historic artifacts.

The Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa have created a vast silver-walled Gallery of Time in which visitors meander through a chronological display of free-standing objects and paintings from the Louvres collection, ranging from a fourth millennium B.C. Syrian terra cotta idol to Jean-Pierre Franques monumental 1810 painting, Allegory of the State of France Before Napoleons Return From Egypt.

The display in a lighter, minimalist setting works fantastically well, said Bob Haboldt, a dealer in old master pictures with premises in Paris, New York and Amsterdam, who visited the Louvre in Lens over the summer. Its not like the red or green velvet of an art fair where you walk into a cave to pay your respects to an old master.
The setup is warm and fuzzy. Girls, I got yall some gifts, says Steven Howard, presenting his two young daughters with prettily wrapped packages, which they eagerly rip into. The cameras then reveal whats inside: the distinctive pointed hoods of the Ku Klux Klan.

Giving my girls my legacy, Mr. Howard says as he helps place them on their heads.

Its a chilling introduction to Generation KKK, an eight-part documentary series, beginning Jan. 10 on A&E, that burrows in with high-ranking Klan members and their families. The series also takes A&E, best known for long-running favorites like Hoarders and Intervention, into programming waters more complicated  and politically charged  than anything it has shown before.

That meant finding a delicate balance between winning the trust of the Klan members and ensuring the show didnt propagate views the networks executives abhor. We certainly didnt want the show to be seen as a platform for the views of the KKK, said Rob Sharenow, general manager of A&E. The only political agenda is that we really do stand against hate.

Generation KKK began taking shape a year and a half ago  not long before the divisive election campaign emboldened Klan members and other nationalist groups in their belief that they were battling a white genocide  when the filmmaker Aengus James sent crews into the South. The goal: to show the Klan at the unvarnished grass-roots level.
Though there is still a week until Christmas, Saturday Night Live has already seized the opportunity to leave a lump of coal in the stocking of President-elect Donald J. Trump.

In its final episode of 2016, S.N.L., the sketch series and enduring thorn in Mr. Trumps side, began with a cold open on Saturday that went hard at some sensitive spots for the president-elect: his relationship to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, his courtship of Melania Trump, and some of his recent gaffes and cabinet nominations. The show all but dared Mr. Trump to respond on his Twitter account, but he did not immediately do so.

The opening sketch once again featured Alec Baldwin as Mr. Trump and Kate McKinnon as his senior adviser Kellyanne Conway. It began with him revealing that he had chosen Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, to be secretary of energy after seeing him on Dancing With the Stars.
Once he began debriefing Hussein, though, Mr. Nixon realized that much of what he thought he knew about him was wrong.

His most astonishing discovery was that by the time of the United States-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hussein had turned over the day-to-day running of the Iraqi government to his aides and was spending most of his time writing a novel. Hussein described himself to Mr. Nixon as both president of Iraq and a writer, and complained to Mr. Nixon that the United States military had taken away his writing materials, preventing him from finishing his book. Hussein was certainly a brutal dictator, but the man described by Mr. Nixon was not on a mission to blow up the world, as George W. Bushs administration had claimed to justify the invasion.

Was Saddam worth removing from power? Mr. Nixon asks. I can speak only for myself when I say that the answer must be no. Saddam was busy writing novels in 2003. He was no longer running the government. Strikingly, Mr. Nixon says that the C.I.A. had some evidence that this was the case before the invasion, but that it was never relayed to policy makers and emerged only after the war. By 2003, Mr. Nixon writes, Husseins disengagement meant that he appeared to be as clueless about what was happening inside Iraq as his British and American enemies were.

With Hussein increasingly detached, Mr. Nixon says that by 2003 Iraqi foreign policy decision-making had fallen to his lieutenants, led by the unimaginative and combative Iraqi vice president, Taha Yassin Ramadan, who repeatedly missed opportunities to break Iraqs international isolation.

Regarding Iraqs supposed weapons of mass destruction, the justification for the 2003 invasion, Hussein admits to Mr. Nixon that it was a mistake for him not to make clear before the war that he had long since gotten rid of them. Saddam turned philosophical when asked how America got it so wrong about weapons of mass destruction, Mr. Nixon writes. He quotes him as saying that the spirit of listening and understanding was not there  I dont exclude myself from this blame.

Hussein never understood the United States, and Mr. Nixon describes him as repeatedly mystified by American intentions in the Middle East. After the Sept. 11 attacks, Hussein fatally misread how America would react. He thought the attacks would bring the United States and Iraq closer together to jointly combat Islamic extremists.
"Star child craves for normalcy because they are always surrounded by chaos. I've had a lovely childhood except for the parts when I was thrown into the limelight unexpectedly or given more attention than I craved for," said Sonakshi, who had the limelight glare constantly thrown on her, growing up as Shatrughan Sinha's daughter.

By Mail Today: The occasion was the grand launch of Aishwarya Dhanush's debut book, but Sonakshi Sinha hijacked most of the limelight cutting a picture of cutesy casual chic.

Tamil superstar Rajinikanth's daughter Aishwarya has authored her first book-a memoir named 'Standing On An Apple Box'- and present at the event along with Sonakshi was also filmmaker Karan Johar.

Looking pretty in a chequered micro mini teamed with a simple white shirt, ankle boots and minimal make-up, Sonakshi had the shutterbugs working overtime from the moment she entered the venue.

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It was perhaps the mad rush that erupted around her that Sonakshi was referring to while talking to the media later, when she said that most star kids long for regular life and space.

Also Read: Aishwaryaa R Dhanush appointed UN Goodwill Ambassador

"Star child craves for normalcy because they are always surrounded by chaos. I've had a lovely childhood except for the parts when I was thrown into the limelight unexpectedly or given more attention than I craved for," said Sonakshi, who had the limelight glare constantly thrown on her, growing up as Shatrughan Sinha's daughter.

Aishwarya arrived at the venue looking resplendent in bright red, with minimum jewellery and beige footwear augmenting the impact of her designer ensemble.

She pointed out that her attempt as an author was to present her life story in the form of personal extracts taken from one's diary. She wanted the overall effort to seem simplistic, a reason why she chose to publish to the first draft of her effort, she added.

Sonakshi's presence at Aishwarya's book launch would seem apt. Being Rajini's daughter meant Aishwarya, too, grew up amid the dazzle of media hype.

Also Read: Aishwaryaa R Dhanush on Rajinikanth: Father goes over-the-top in some films

Aishwarya, who is married to Shamitabh actor Dhanush, is a trained Bharanatyam dancer and terms writing as a passion in her life. She was recently appointed United Nations' ambassador for gender equality and women's empowerment in India. Aishwarya is also a Tamil filmmaker and has sung in few occasional films, too.

In 'Sitting On An Apple Box,' she has tried looking at life as a person who constantly battles to fight for privacy amid the fame that comes with donning so many hats. Incidentally, the foreword of Aishwarya's book has been penned by Shweta Bachchan, another superstar kid. In her note at the start of the book, Shweta has noted the good and bad personal experiences of growing up as Amitabh Bachchan's child.

After this debut stint as author, Aishwarya will co-direct a new film with sister Soundarya. Sonakshi will next be seen essaying the title role in Sunhil Sippy's Noor while Johar spoke of how the fifth season of his talk show Koffee With Karan has been an enjoyable experience.

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6. The slow burn of climate change is driving West Africans to cross the Sahara, risking their lives, to find a new place where they can earn a living  away from the droughts and heat that have blighted land where crops once grew.

Nearly half of Nigers young children are malnourished. The continent is growing hotter, wreaking havoc on food supplies, but those who try to leave have nowhere to go. As wary nations close their borders to migrants, policy makers see little chance that refugee protections will be expanded to cover the climates casualties.

_____

Image Credit... Gene Arias/NBC, via Getty Images

7. Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, the inventor of an antichoking technique that has saved an estimated 100,000 lives, died Saturday at age 96, after a heart attack.

Just seven months ago, Dr. Heimlich used his maneuver to save an 87-year-old woman at the senior residence in Cincinnati where he lived.

An avid popularizer, he became a celebrity through his medical advocacy.

I can do more toward saving lives in three minutes on television, he once said, than I could do all my life in the operating room.
MONDAY PUZZLE  The winter holidays are a week away and, like Santas arrival at the end of the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, we welcome his arrival to The New York Times Crossword.

Jason Mueller is back, and today he reminds us about St. Nicks portrayal in celluloid.

Todays Theme

We have five Santa Clauses (Santas Claus?) in Mr. Muellers theme, all portrayed by different actors in different films. My favorite is still EDMUND GWENN from Miracle on 34th Street, although TIM ALLENs 1994 portrayal was both funny and poignant.

That leaves you three additional Santas to discover on your own, and dont forget to send your LETTERs to Santa early; that right jolly OLD elf gets very busy this time of year.

Tricky Clues

 21A: This type of clue confused me the first time I saw it, so I thought Id highlight it here. The Ford Explorer and Cadillac Escalade are both sport utility vehicles, or SUVS.
Genevieve Munroe Haverstick, a daughter of Jessica Whalen Haverstick and S. Alexander Haverstick II of Short Hills, N.J., was married Dec. 17 to James William Fraser, a son of Valerie Jean Fraser of Tewksbury, N.J., and the late R. Bruce Fraser. The Rev. Jacob A. Smith, an Episcopal priest, performed the ceremony at the Chapel of St. Georges Church in New York.

Mrs. Fraser, 27, is an associate at Heidrick & Struggles, an executive search firm in New York, where she specializes in conducting executive searches within the investment banking industry. She graduated from Yale. The brides father is a senior wealth adviser at the Bessemer Trust Company, the New York private wealth management firm.

Mr. Fraser, 38, works at Citigroup in New York, where he is a managing director specializing in risk management within the companys institutional clients group. He graduated from Connecticut College. The grooms mother is a real estate agent at Turpin Realtors in Tewksbury. His father founded Nova Growth Associates, a consultant to the dairy processing industry in Lebanon, N.J.

Although the couple met in 2008 at the wedding of the brides eldest sister and the grooms closest friend, they did not connect until January 2015, when they crossed paths in Central Park while walking their dogs.
It is an astonishing time capsule, linking the muscular, hard-edge New York subway with the voluptuous, snow-white world that the architect Santiago Calatrava conjured in the World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

Our theme is respecting and remembering the past, and including it in a sophisticated way, said Steven Plate, the chief of major capital projects at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which restored the passageway as part of the $4 billion transportation hub and shopping mall.

Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the authority was required, as a condition of receiving federal financing for the hub, to salvage, preserve or document remnants and artifacts of the trade center. This includes what is called the E Subway Entrance, since the passageway leads to and from the Chambers Street terminus on the E line.

The authority agreed to incorporate original elements of the passageway  travertine flooring, handrails, steps and ramp, doors and overhead signs  into the new transportation hub. Explanatory signs have been placed on the walls of the passageway and on the door with the MATF 1 marking.
He remembers the observation car  the great town common, where everyone gathered and where, in the evening, there was a movie. He remembers the food as decent. Steak two nights in a row, he said. The wine wasnt expensive but wasnt lighter fluid, either.

He also remembers a lot of strategizing and rehearsing along the way. Meeting the parents for the first time, it gave us four days to go over how to present ourselves, he said.

He married the girlfriend two years later, and two years ago they had a daughter. Once, on babysitting duty, he took her to the historical society, at 170 Central Park West at 77th Street, where a holiday display of model trains that he curated chugs and clickety-clacks along.

He knew that she would see trains everywhere  circling a track suspended from the ceiling, lumbering in and out of tunnels in display cases, zipping across tall video monitors.

He also knew that she would want to look out from the clear plastic dome in one display, out beyond a station labeled Grand Central that does not look like the one on 42nd Street. Beneath the display are passageways that lead to the dome. There is just enough room for a child to stand up once he or she crawls in under the dome, or for an adult who stays on his or her knees. The view of trains barreling by can be mesmerizing.

The dome was one of my suggestions from the get-go, Mr. Thornton said. I thought of those prairie-dog pop-ups at the Bronx Zoo, where kids can immerse themselves in what theyre seeing. So we took a cue from the zoo.
Stuffed inside cookie tins and between the pages of books in Diane Fieldss kitchen are multitudes of recipes. Ms. Fields has clipped them from newspapers and kept them for years, intent on preparing and sampling them all.

But for the past year, a cancer diagnosis has cast those aspirations in doubt.

I wont have the chance to cook my recipes, said Ms. Fields, 69, who received the diagnosis in late 2015. These are the things that come to mind when you go through something like this.

The first sign that something was wrong came in November last year with painful stomach cramps. Doctors told Ms. Fields that she had pancreatic cancer, the same cancer that claimed the lives of one of her grandmothers in 2004 and a brother in 2010.

Ms. Fields was already saddled with health problems, including heart disease, osteoporosis and a torn meniscus that forced her to retire in 2009 as a senior case manager at a maternity shelter.
As the nations chief law enforcement officer, Mr. Sessions might be less sympathetic to pursuing investigations involving the rights of Muslims. There are now 13 open land-use investigations under the law, though a spokesman for the department declined to say how many of those involved mosques.

Image A rendering of the proposed mosque. Credit... Karsten Moran for The New York Times

Ross K. Baker, a distinguished professor of political science at Rutgers who has studied the federal law, said it was entirely possible Mr. Sessions could choose to dial back on the investigations. It is within the province of the attorney general-designate to decide whether to proceed with a lawsuit, he said.

Another recent case brought by the department involved a proposed mosque in Virginia. The lawsuit argued that Culpeper County violated the religious land-use law in denying a sewage permit application. The complaint noted that since 1992, the county had considered 26 applications and never before denied such a permit to either a commercial or religious group.

In a speech this month at a Virginia mosque, Loretta E. Lynch, United States the attorney general, talked about the departments response to a surge in hate crimes, highlighting enforcement of the land-use law. Members of the Civil Rights Division have heard repeatedly about more overt discrimination in both the tone and framing of objections to planned religious institutions, especially mosques and Islamic centers, said Ms. Lynch, who sent a letter to state and local officials on Thursday reminding them of the law and their obligation to respect religious freedom.

In the case of Bernards Township, the Islamic Society bought land that was in a zone that permitted a house of worship. Raising money from various sources, Mr. Chaudry oversaw the purchase of four acres, aware that the zoning code required at least three acres for a house of worship.

The society hired an architect who took pains to design a mosque that would blend in with the neighborhood, where a fire station stands across the street from the site. The 4,400-square-foot mosque, the size of a large house, would forgo the traditional dome and would include minarets that mimic the chimneys on neighboring houses.

The mosque proposal met with vociferous public opposition, the Justice Department wrote in its recent complaint. Fliers, social media and websites denounced the mosque and were filled with anti-Muslim bigotry and references to terrorism and the 9/11 attacks.
Mr. Leungs unraveling is all the more surprising because it seems to be happening when his career was at a high point. Most recently, he spearheaded an effort to disqualify two rookie legislators-elect who advocate full independence for Hong Kong. That move has paved the way for sidelining other more or less radical legislators in the opposition.

But Mr. Leung himself is seen as having set a spark to the firewood of separatism, after having laid that out, unwittingly. He has called for fusing the two systems of the city and the mainland () and unifying Hong Kong and Shenzhen, a major city right across the border ()  in other words, chipping away at Hong Kongs distinctiveness. In what may have been a warning, President Xi Jinping of China last year acknowledged new developments in Hong Kong, but cautioned that, one must see to it that there be no deformation, no change in shape, in one country, two systems. 

Still, Mr. Leung overshot. His administration tried to change school curriculums to add history and civic-education classes extolling the Chinese Communist Party. It has appointed power-hungry loyalists to run Hong Kongs universities. It has funded militant or Communist youth league-type organizations. It has facilitated the immigration and integration of people from the mainland, which many Hong Kongers see as a form of creeping colonization. The governments official think tank is headed by ultra-Maoists-turned-ultra-nationalists.

Many people here, including the politically neutral, object to such measures. When they dont want more autonomy for Hong Kong, they want the one country, two systems principle applied as it was originally conceived in the 1980s  not Mr. Leungs version. By going against the wishes of the majority and triggering a powerful backlash, Mr. Leung has committed, in the parlance of Chinese communism, the sin of ultra-leftism. Even his extraordinary efforts to remove the separatists from the local legislature could not redeem him and his associates in the eyes of Beijing.

When he unexpectedly attacked separatist sentiments in a speech in early 2015, Mr. Leung only popularized them: He turned what had been the chatter of small intellectual circles into a widely known ideology. Now, some 40 percent of Hong Kongers ages 15 to 24 sympathize with such views. In the September election for LegCo, Hong Kongs 70-member legislative body, the separatists won six of the 30 seats that were open to a direct popular vote.

The leadership in China cannot abide the idea of independence for Hong Kong; Mr. Leung was correct about that. But neither does Beijing want Hong Kong to become more like China, and he failed to understand that. Hong Kong is far more useful to the Chinese government as it is today than if it became a glorified version of Shenzhen or Shanghai.

Hong Kongs special legal status has allowed it to develop a sound regulatory framework, top-notch courts, a truly cosmopolitan professional class and a remarkably stable financial market. It remains a leading financial center, and Beijing needs the world to see China through that window. This is especially the case these days, now that Beijings efforts to turn the renminbi into a fully convertible international currency are stalling and the U.S. government and other Western states have refused to formally recognize China as a market economy. In the end, Mr. Leung was done in by his failure to appreciate one simple thing: China still needs Hong Kong more than Hong Kong needs it.
Todays competition between Turkey and Iran is the latest iteration of an old power game: a struggle their progenitors, the Byzantine and Persian empires, started over the control of Mesopotamia  todays Iraq and Syria. While the rivalry outlived their transformation from empires to nation-states, they have managed to keep the peace between themselves for nearly 200 years.

Yet Turkey and Iran are now on a collision course, mostly because of their involvement as the regions major Sunni and Shiite powers in the deepening sectarian conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Their inability to accommodate each other has the potential to undermine or even undo the strong ties they have developed over the past two decades, as their economies became increasingly intertwined.

How the two countries choose to deploy their power and whether they can overcome their differences are vitally important to determining the future of the Middle East. Left unchecked, the present dynamics point toward greater bloodshed, growing instability and greater risks of direct  even if inadvertent  military confrontation.

Turkeys military involvement in Syria and Iraq is partly a response to the perception that Iran is increasingly encroaching on its historic sphere of influence, especially in and around the Aleppo and Mosul battlefields close to its southern border. It is also an effort to prevent the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, or P.Y.D., which is affiliated with Turkeys archnemesis the Kurdistan Workers Party, or P.K.K., to gain more territory.
Ms. Ross worked in New York City in the mid-1970s and never dreamed that one of the citys insurance companies had tried to profit from her ancestors enslavement. I think it was pathetic that they used the labor, the hard work, blood, sweat and tears of the slaves to help their business, she said.

Even so, she considers herself lucky. Her great-great grandfather survived his time as an enslaved miner. After the Civil War, Mr. York continued digging for coal and earned enough money to buy land and cattle. He helped to establish a school for newly freed slaves and became the patriarch of a sprawling family.

Others were less fortunate. The stone ruins of the Grove Shaft building, the remains of the Midlothian Coal Mining Company, are only a short drive from Ms. Rosss home. Whenever she visits, she prays for the enslaved miners who never made it home.

Godfrey, a 50-year-old slave who was also insured by New York Life, died in a fire in Midlothian on Nov. 20, 1847.

Burned to death, reads the entry in the companys accounting of the dead.

The insurance clerks on Wall Street did not record Godfreys last name or the location of his burial place. But they described what happened next: Mr. Mills, Godfreys owner, filed a claim with New York Life for the loss of his human property.

Within three months, the company delivered, paying him $337.
While the Congress and Left continue to raise questions over the appointment of Army chief, the government today justified its decision by saying that General Rawat was best suited for the position.

By Indo-Asian News Service: The Defence Ministry insisted on Sunday that Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, named the next Army Chief overlooking the generally followed seniority norm, was "best suited" for the job.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat has ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service.

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Lt. Gen Bakshi was also not appointed the Vice Chief when the post fell vacant in September and Lt. Gen. Rawat was brought in from the Southern Command.

"He was found the best suited among the Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the northeast," a source in the ministry said.

LINE OF SUCCESSION DECIDED BY PEOPLE

On Friday, asked if the line of succession will be broken, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had cryptically remarked: "Line of succession is decided by the people."

Lt. Gen. Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978 from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

Also read: Congress questions Lt General Bipin Rawat's appointment as Army Chief

He has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley.

He also has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter insurgency operations.

"Lt. Gen. Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades," said the source who did not want to be named.

"He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC (Line of Control) with Pakistan, LAC with China and in the northeast," the source said.

KNOWN FOR HIS BALANCED APPROACH

"He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and connect with civil society. His experience as GOC-in-C (general officer commanding-in-chief) Southern Army Command in Mechanised Warfare has been focused towards the western borders, in coordination with the other two services," the source added.

Soon after the appointment was announced, the Congress questioned the government decision.

Also read: Why General Rawat made the cut which General Bakshi failed to

Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted: "Why has seniority not been respected in appointment of Army Chief? Why have Lt. Gen. Pravin Bakshi and Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded, Mr PM (Narendra Modi)?"

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The Defence Ministry on Saturday night announced the names of the next chiefs of Army and Indian Air Force, 13 days before General Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha are to retire.

THE NEXT CHIEF OF AIF

Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa will be the next chief of IAF.

Commissioned into the IAF's fighter stream in June 1978, Dhanoa, who has flown various types of fighter aircraft and is a qualified Flying Instructor, commanded a fighter squadron during the Kargil Operations and flew numerous night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

He has also held a number of important operational appointments including commanding a fighter base and leading the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan.

He has also served as Chief Instructor (Air) at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Intelligence) and Senior Air Staff Officer (Chief of Staff) of two operational commands.

Also read: Lt Gen Bipin Rawat appointed new Army chief, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa as new Air Force chief

--- ENDS ---

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 Four senators, including Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham, called for a select committee to investigate Russian hacking of the American election process.

 Robert Gates said the Russian hacking was designed to hurt Hillary Clinton.

 John Podesta said the F.B.I. had contacted him only once about the hacking of his emails.

 President-elect Donald J. Trump has defied many conventions. But he will keep one: staying at Blair House.
They will then prepare what is called a certificate of vote with the results, which is then mailed or delivered via courier to the National Archives, where it becomes part of the nations official records, and to Congress.

Do electors have to vote according to popular vote results in their states?

Not necessarily. At least one elector has said he will buck his party and not vote for Mr. Trump. Nothing in the Constitution, or in federal law, binds electors to vote a particular way. There are some state laws that bind them to vote according to the popular vote outcome in that state; others are bound by more informal pledges to their party.

Under some state laws, so-called faithless electors who vote against their states results may be fined or even disqualified and replaced. No elector has been prosecuted for doing so, but then again, almost every elector has voted with his or her states results in the past. The Supreme Court has not weighed in on whether pledges and the related penalties are constitutional.

Who counts the electoral votes?

On Friday, Jan. 6, at 1 p.m., members of the House and Senate will meet in the House chamber to count those votes. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., as the departing president of the Senate, is expected to preside over the count, during which every states vote is opened and announced in alphabetical order.

Mr. Biden will then declare the winner based on who has the majority of votes  at least 270. (That has led, three times, to an awkward moment when the sitting vice president has announced his own defeat, according to the House historians office. That happened most recently in 2001, to Al Gore.)

And thats it?

Not quite. At that point, Mr. Biden will ask if there are any objections, and lawmakers can then challenge either individual electoral votes or state results as a whole. If an elector has chosen to vote against state results, that is the moment when lawmakers can petition to throw that vote out.
We only had one, said Laura Strimple, Nebraskas assistant secretary of state. It hasnt been confirmed.

We havent received any complaints to our office or any word of suspicious activity, and we would definitely hear it, said Matt Roberts, the spokesman for Arizonas secretary of state.

Some state officials qualified their estimates, saying they had not yet reviewed all questionable ballots, or that voter fraud was a local matter that was usually  but not always  reported to them. Ohio officials declined to offer totals, saying they were still assessing complaints; Pennsylvania and Mississippi officials said they did not track fraud cases.

Many Republicans insist significant problems persist, and that much fraud goes undetected. The conservative Heritage Foundation has published online what it calls an incomplete list of voter fraud and other election-law violations dating to 1982, roughly 450 cases involving both voters and public officials. Properly written, laws requiring voters to display IDs could increase the fairness of the election process for everyone, regardless of party, Hans von Spakovsky, the manager of the foundations Election Law Reform Initiative, said.

Voting-rights advocates note that the current system caught those violations  and that the numbers, less than one per state per year  constitute a tiny sliver of the millions of votes cast in any election cycle.

No one doubts that election fraud has occurred and needs to be monitored. Election outcomes have been changed by officials who altered vote tallies, and in theory hackers could pick winners by playing havoc with voter rolls, voting machines or electronic reporting networks. But voter fraud, in which someone deliberately casts an invalid ballot or a ballot under someone elses name, is exceedingly rare.

Its prevalence is at the heart of the debate on restrictions like voter ID. Critics say that cracking down on abuses that barely exist can cost hundreds of thousands of people or more  often the poor and minorities  their ability to vote.
JAKARTA, Indonesia  Like many college students, Abdul Hamid is not thinking too much about life after graduation.

After all, Mr. Hamid, 20, is only in his sophomore year at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, outside Jakarta, the Indonesian capital. He spends his days at the universitys Faculty of Islamic Theology, where he majors in comparative religious studies, and his evenings hanging out with friends and listening to music.

Pressed about his postcollege plans, Mr. Hamid shrugged and smiled. Inshallah, teaching, he said, using the Arabic word for God willing. Most students in my field go on to teach young people at Islamic boarding schools.

But while that may be an honorable vocation in the worlds most populous Muslim-majority nation, more religion teachers are not what Indonesia needs, say education experts, economists and business leaders here.
BEIJING  Only a day before a small Chinese boat sidled up to a United States Navy research vessel in waters off the Philippines and audaciously seized an underwater drone from American sailors, the commander of United States military operations in the region told an audience in Australia that America had a winning military formula.

Capability times resolve times signaling equals deterrence, Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr. told a blue-chip crowd of diplomats and analysts at the prestigious Lowy Institute in Sydney, the leading city in Americas closest ally in the region.

In the eyes of Americas friends in Asia, the brazen maneuver to launch an operation against an American Navy vessel in international waters in the South China Sea about 50 miles from the Philippines, another close American ally, has raised questions about one of the admirals crucial words. It was also seen by some as a taunt to President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has challenged the One China policy on Taiwan and has vowed to deal forcefully with Beijing in trade and other issues.

The weak link is the resolve, and the Chinese are testing that, as well as baiting Trump, said Euan Graham, the director of international security at the Lowy Institute. Capability, yes. Signaling, yes, with sending F-22 fighter jets to Australia. But the very muted response means the equation falls down on resolve.
UNITED NATIONS  Russia said on Sunday morning that it would block an effort to deploy United Nations observers in Syria to witness the evacuation of thousands of men, women and children from eastern Aleppo, or what the United Nations chief, Ban Ki-moon, has described as a synonym for hell.

The showdown inside the Security Council came after senior United Nations officials pleaded for access to the evacuation process, in an attempt to verify a steady stream of reports of atrocities and dead bodies on the streets.

Last week, the United Nations top envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said that he had repeatedly asked the Syrian government for permission to allow United Nations staff members to witness the evacuation of civilians and fighters  but that no permission had been received.

On Sunday, his humanitarian adviser, Jan Egeland, repeated that call. It is important that there are third parties present to witness and assist, Mr. Egeland said in an email.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  The removal of residents from besieged communities in Syria bogged down again on Sunday after rebels opposed to the agreement set fire to buses that were supposed to carry evacuees, while Security Council diplomats signaled that they had reached a compromise deal to send United Nations monitors to oversee the evacuations.

The feuding in Syria and at the United Nations underlined the complexity of the war in Syria, where coalitions of forces on the ground receive support from a range of opposing backers whose agendas often clash.

Turkey and Russia brokered the initial deal to remove civilians and fighters from the last rebel-held districts of eastern Aleppo, but its implementation has been hampered by parties who opposed the deal and wanted to have residents of other besieged communities evacuated as well.

At the United Nations, Russia had threatened to block a Security Council resolution, drafted by France, that called for sending international observers to Aleppo. But after more than three hours of closed-door negotiations on Sunday, diplomats emerged from the Council chambers saying that they had reached a compromise and that they would vote on it Monday morning.
CAIRO  Egypts highest appeals court on Sunday suspended the prison sentence of Ahmed Naji, a prominent writer who had been convicted on charges of obscenity, in a decision that paved the way for his release, his lawyer said.

Mr. Naji, 31, was charged last year with violating public morality with references to sex and drug use in his novel The Use of Life. He was sentenced in February to two years in prison and fined over $1,200, spurring outrage among human rights defenders and artists across the world.

In May, over 120 prominent writers and artists, including Woody Allen, signed a letter demanding Mr. Najis release. The letter was sent by PEN America, a group that promotes freedom of expression, which this year awarded Mr. Naji its annual Freedom to Write prize in absentia.

Mr. Najis lawyer, Mahmoud Othman, said he expected his client to be released from jail on Monday. The appeals court will review Mr. Najis suspended sentence in January.
AL MUKALLA, Yemen  A suicide bomber disguised as a disabled man blew himself up at a gathering of Yemeni security officers in the southern port of Aden on Sunday, killing 48 people and wounding dozens of others, Yemeni officials said.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, naming the attacker and publishing a photograph of him smiling with a rifle at his side and wearing an explosive vest.

The attack was the second this month to kill scores of security forces near a military base in Aden, highlighting the failure of the Yemeni government and its allies to ensure basic security in the areas they control.
A flagship of the settler enterprise, Amona, established 20 years ago, is testing how far Israels right-wing government is willing to go to protect the 100 or so outposts that were built without authorization across the West Bank. The case of Amona has also stretched the countrys democratic system, with right-wing politicians pushing to flout the 2014 Israeli Supreme Court order to demolish the outpost, and advancing contentious legislation in an effort to reverse the judgment.

While Israel allows settlement on public, not private, land, most of the world considers the West Bank to be occupied territory and views all settlement there as an obstacle to the establishment of a Palestinian state and a violation of international law. The Obama administration has vehemently condemned Israels continued settlement activities and its efforts to relocate the residents of Amona to another contentious site.

The vote in favor of the deal may have mitigated the prospect of an imminent clash, but it is hardly likely to put an end to the yearslong legal and political wrangling over the outpost. It was ordered removed by Dec. 25 because it was constructed on privately owned Palestinian land. Under the new arrangement, more than 20 of the outposts mobile homes are to be relocated to nearby property that, according to Israel, has been abandoned by absentee Palestinian owners. The settlers will be offered temporary but renewable leases for use of the land.

Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization that represented the Palestinian landowners in the case that led to the 2014 ruling, said on Sunday that it had made contact with a Palestinian claiming ownership of the supposedly abandoned lot to be handed to the settlers. The group did not identify the claimant.
By PTI: Srinagar, Dec 18 (PTI) Army today paid floral tributes to the three soldiers killed in a militant attack on an army convoy at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

"In a solemn ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment here, many senior officials from security agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, BSF and SSB, joined General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu and all ranks in paying homage to the martyrs on behalf of a proud nation," an army official said.

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Many officials from the civil administration, including Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmed Khan were also present on the occasion.

Three soldiers were yesterday killed, while two others jawans were injured in the attack at a place crowded with civilians in Pampore of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Martyr Naik (Gnr) Ratheesh C (35) had joined army in 2001 and hailed from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and is survived by his wife and a son," the official said.

He said 33-year-old Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar of Bhekrai Nagar village in Pune of Maharasthra had donned the uniform in 2004 and is survived by his wife and twin daughters.

Gunner Shashikant Pandey (24) had four years of service and was on his way to join his unit in the Valley.

Hailing from Zharian area of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand, he is survived by his parents, the official said.

The mortal remains of the martyrs would be flown for last rites to their native places where they would be laid to rest with full military honours, he said.

In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their needs and wellbeing, the official said. PTI SSB DIP

--- ENDS ---
AMMAN, Jordan  Seven Jordanian security officers, a Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed by gunmen in the southern city of Karak on Sunday, according to a joint statement from the Public Security Department and the Jordanian armed forces.

The security forces later captured and killed four of the gunmen, the statement said. It did not specify the total number of what security officials called terrorist outlaws involved in the attacks, or suggest a motive. Officials were also investigating whether the gunmen had ties to any terrorist organization.

The violence began when a patrol was sent to check on reports of a house on fire. When security officers arrived on the scene, they were met with a barrage of gunfire from inside the home, injuring two officers. The gunmen fled, according to the statement.

Gunmen then attacked a police station in the city.

Later in the day, the police were informed that gunmen were hiding inside the Karak Crusader castle, a prominent tourist attraction on a hilltop. The gunmen fired at several police officers from the castle, security officials said.
Electoral vote 46th out of 58 elections Trump 57% Popular vote margin 47th in the last 49 elections Trump 2.1% The popular vote was not officially reported before the 1824 election.

Mr. Trump won 30 states, gathering 306 of 538 electoral votes. There have been 45 presidential elections in which the winning candidate won a larger share of the electoral vote.

Percent of electoral vote won

1. George Washington (1789) George Washington (1792) 3. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936) 4. James Monroe (1820) 5. Ronald Reagan (1984) 6. Richard Nixon (1972) 7. Thomas Jefferson (1804) 8. Abraham Lincoln (1864) 9. Ronald Reagan (1980) 10. Lyndon B. Johnson (1964) 11. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932) 12. Dwight Eisenhower (1956) 13. Franklin Pierce (1852) 14. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1940) 15. James Monroe (1816) 16. Herbert Hoover (1928) 17. Dwight Eisenhower (1952) 18. Woodrow Wilson (1912) 19. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1944) 20. Ulysses Grant (1872) 21. William H. Harrison (1840) 22. George Bush (1988) 23. Warren G. Harding (1920) 24. Andrew Jackson (1832) 25. Ulysses Grant (1868) 26. Calvin Coolidge (1924) 27. Theodore Roosevelt (1904) 28. Bill Clinton (1996) 29. James Madison (1808) 30. Bill Clinton (1992) 31. Andrew Jackson (1828) 32. Barack Obama (2008) 33. William Taft (1908) 34. William McKinley (1900) 35. Grover Cleveland (1892) 36. James K. Polk (1844) 37. Barack Obama (2012) 38. William McKinley (1896) 39. Abraham Lincoln (1860) 40. James Madison (1812) 41. James Buchanan (1856) 42. Benjamin Harrison (1888) 43. James Garfield (1880) 44. Martin Van Buren (1836) 45. Harry Truman (1948) 46. Donald J. Trump (2016) 47. John F. Kennedy (1960) 48. Zachary Taylor (1848) 49. Richard Nixon (1968) 50. Jimmy Carter (1976) 51. Grover Cleveland (1884) 52. George W. Bush (2004) 53. Thomas Jefferson (1800) 54. Woodrow Wilson (1916) 55. John Adams (1796) 56. George W. Bush (2000) 57. Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) 58. John Quincy Adams (1824)* 100% 100% 98.5% 98.3% 97.6% 96.7% 92.0% 91.0% 90.9% 90.3% 88.9% 86.1% 85.8% 84.6% 84.3% 83.6% 83.2% 81.9% 81.4% 81.3% 79.6% 79.2% 76.1% 76.0% 72.8% 71.9% 70.6% 70.4% 69.7% 68.8% 68.2% 67.8% 66.5% 65.3% 62.4% 61.8% 61.7% 60.6% 59.4% 59.0% 58.8% 58.1% 58.0% 57.8% 57.1% 56.9% 56.4% 56.2% 55.9% 55.2% 54.6% 53.2% 52.9% 52.2% 51.4% 50.4% 50.1% 32.2% 1. G. Washington (1789) G. Washington (1792) 3. F. D. Roosevelt (1936) 4. J. Monroe (1820) 5. R. Reagan (1984) 6. R. Nixon (1972) 7. T. Jefferson (1804) 8. A. Lincoln (1864) 9. R. Reagan (1980) 10. L. Johnson (1964) 11. F. D. Roosevelt (1932) 12. D. Eisenhower (1956) 13. F. Pierce (1852) 14. F. D. Roosevelt (1940) 15. J. Monroe (1816) 16. H. Hoover (1928) 17. D. Eisenhower (1952) 18. W. Wilson (1912) 19. F. D. Roosevelt (1944) 20. U. Grant (1872) 21. W. H. Harrison (1840) 22. G. Bush (1988) 23. W. Harding (1920) 24. A. Jackson (1832) 25. U. Grant (1868) 26. C. Coolidge (1924) 27. T. Roosevelt (1904) 28. B. Clinton (1996) 29. J. Madison (1808) 30. B. Clinton (1992) 31. A. Jackson (1828) 32. B. Obama (2008) 33. W. Taft (1908) 34. W McKinley (1900) 35. G. Cleveland (1892) 36. J. K. Polk (1844) 37. B. Obama (2012) 38. W. McKinley (1896) 39. A. Lincoln (1860) 40. J. Madison (1812) 41. J. Buchanan (1856) 42. B Harrison (1888) 43. J. Garfield (1880) 44. M. V. Buren (1836) 45. H. Truman (1948) 46. D. J. Trump (2016) 47. J. F. Kennedy (1960) 48. Z. Taylor (1848) 49. R. Nixon (1968) 50. J. Carter (1976) 51. G. Cleveland (1884) 52. G. W. Bush (2004) 53. T. Jefferson (1800) 54. W. Wilson (1916) 55. J. Adams (1796) 56. G. W. Bush (2000) 57. R. Hayes (1876) 58. J. Q. Adams (1824) 100% 100% 98.5% 98.3% 97.6% 96.7% 92.0% 91.0% 90.9% 90.3% 88.9% 86.1% 85.8% 84.6% 84.3% 83.6% 83.2% 81.9% 81.4% 81.3% 79.6% 79.2% 76.1% 76.0% 72.8% 71.9% 70.6% 70.4% 69.7% 68.8% 68.2% 67.8% 66.5% 65.3% 62.4% 61.8% 61.7% 60.6% 59.4% 59.0% 58.8% 58.1% 58.0% 57.8% 57.1% 56.9% 56.4% 56.2% 55.9% 55.2% 54.6% 53.2% 52.9% 52.2% 51.4% 50.4% 50.1% 32.2%

Mr. Trump trails in the popular vote by over 2.5 million votes as states continue to report final results. His deficit gives him the third-worst vote margin among winning candidates since 1824.

Popular vote margin

1. Warren G. Harding (1920) 2. Calvin Coolidge (1924) 3. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936) 4. Richard Nixon (1972) 5. Lyndon B. Johnson (1964) 6. Theodore Roosevelt (1904) 7. Ronald Reagan (1984) 8. Andrew Jackson (1832) 9. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1932) 10. Herbert Hoover (1928) 11. Dwight Eisenhower (1956) 12. Woodrow Wilson (1912) 13. Martin Van Buren (1836) 14. Andrew Jackson (1828) 15. James Buchanan (1856) 16. Ulysses Grant (1872) 17. Dwight Eisenhower (1952) 18. Abraham Lincoln (1860) 19. Abraham Lincoln (1864) 20. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1940) 21. Ronald Reagan (1980) 22. William Taft (1908) 23. Bill Clinton (1996) 24. George H.W. Bush (1988) 25. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1944) 26. Barack Obama (2008) 27. Franklin Pierce (1852) 28. William McKinley (1900) 29. William H. Harrison (1840) 30. Bill Clinton (1992) 31. Ulysses Grant (1868) 32. Zachary Taylor (1848) 33. Harry Truman (1948) 34. William McKinley (1896) 35. Barack Obama (2012) 36. Woodrow Wilson (1916) 37. Grover Cleveland (1892) 38. George W. Bush (2004) 39. Jimmy Carter (1976) 40. James K. Polk (1844) 41. Richard Nixon (1968) 42. Grover Cleveland (1884) 43. John F. Kennedy (1960) 44. James Garfield (1880) 45. George W. Bush (2000) 46. Benjamin Harrison (1888) 47. Donald J. Trump (2016) 48. Rutherford B. Hayes (1876) 49. John Quincy Adams (1824)* +26.2% +25.2% +24.3% +23.1% +22.6% +18.8% +18.2% +17.8% +17.8% +17.4% +15.4% +14.4% +14.2% +12.3% +12.2% +11.8% +10.9% +10.1% +10.1% +9.9% +9.7% +8.5% +8.5% +7.7% +7.5% +7.3% +6.9% +6.2% +6.0% +5.6% +5.3% +4.8% +4.5% +4.3% +3.9% +3.1% +3.0% +2.5% +2.1% +1.5% +0.7% +0.6% +0.2% +0.1% -0.5% -0.8% -2.1% -3.0% -10.4% 1. J. Q. Adams (1824) 2. R. Hayes (1876) 3. D. J. Trump (2016) 4. B Harrison (1888) 5. G. W. Bush (2000) 6. J. Garfield (1880) 7. J. F. Kennedy (1960) 8. G. Cleveland (1884) 9. R. Nixon (1968) 10. J. K. Polk (1844) 11. J. Carter (1976) 12. G. W. Bush (2004) 13. G. Cleveland (1892) 14. W. Wilson (1916) 15. B. Obama (2012) 16. W. McKinley (1896) 17. H. Truman (1948) 18. Z. Taylor (1848) 19. U. Grant (1868) 20. B. Clinton (1992) 21. W. H. Harrison (1840) 22. W McKinley (1900) 23. F. Pierce (1852) 24. B. Obama (2008) 25. F. D. Roosevelt (1944) 26. G. Bush (1988) 27. B. Clinton (1996) 28. W. Taft (1908) 29. R. Reagan (1980) 30. F. D. Roosevelt (1940) 31. A. Lincoln (1864) 32. A. Lincoln (1860) 33. D. Eisenhower (1952) 34. U. Grant (1872) 35. J. Buchanan (1856) 36. A. Jackson (1828) 37. M. V. Buren (1836) 38. W. Wilson (1912) 39. D. Eisenhower (1956) 40. H. Hoover (1928) 41. F. D. Roosevelt (1932) 42. A. Jackson (1832) 43. R. Reagan (1984) 44. T. Roosevelt (1904) 45. L. Johnson (1964) 46. R. Nixon (1972) 47. F. D. Roosevelt (1936) 48. C. Coolidge (1924) 49. W. Harding (1920) -10.4% -3.0% -2.1% -0.8% -0.5% +0.1% +0.2% +0.6% +0.7% +1.5% +2.1% +2.5% +3.0% +3.1% +3.9% +4.3% +4.5% +4.8% +5.3% +5.6% +6.0% +6.2% +6.9% +7.3% +7.5% +7.7% +8.5% +8.5% +9.7% +9.9% +10.1% +10.1% +10.9% +11.8% +12.2% +12.3% +14.2% +14.4% +15.4% +17.4% +17.8% +17.8% +18.2% +18.8% +22.6% +23.1% +24.3% +25.2% +26.2%
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not rule out a vote on the issue in near future.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said that Australia may turn republic but only after Queen Elizabeth II's reign ends, reports said today.

Speaking at the Australian Republican Movement's (ARM) 25th anniversary dinner overnight, Turnbull said Australians were unlikely to back the republican push while the Queen was still ruling.

He, however, did not rule out a vote in the near future, Xinhua news reported.

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Turnbull headed the republican movement from 1993 to 1999, including the group's failed vote in 1999.

ALSO READ: UK's historic EU referendum on knife-edge as millions vote

ANY PUSH WILL BE A SLOW BURN

"I do not believe Australia would welcome, let alone support, another public referendum during her (Queen Elizabeth II's) reign," Turnbull said on Saturday night.

He said any push for Australia to formally become a republic would be a "slow burn", which must be thought out and embraced by all Australians regardless of how they vote.

"We would need to have an advisory plebiscite which would offer a choice between two republican models, presumably direct election and parliamentary appointment," he said.

Turnbull's comments came a day after the current head of the ARM, Peter FitzSimons, said for the first time, there was majority support in parliament for an Australian republic.

ALSO READ: British PM David Cameron signs Scotland referendum deal

WE ARE CLIMBING THE HILL

Following Turnbull's cautious approach to the subject on Saturday night, FitzSimons acknowledged the challenge ahead for the group.

"He's the prime minister - he's experienced in this field and he's saying make no mistake you have a long hill to climb," FitzSimons said.

"The point that I'm about to make in return is ... we are climbing that hill, we've got extraordinary enthusiasm."

The plan has also received backing from the nation's opposition leader, Bill Shorten. Shorten posted on social media: "My offer still stands - let's work together to deliver an Australian head of state."

In 1999, Australia narrowly voted against leaving the British monarchy to become a republic.

ALSO READ: Britain votes to exit EU in historic referendum

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
New Zealand racing mourns the loss of Rebecca Black

It is with great sadness that New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing confirms the death of Southland jockey Rebecca Black following a race fall at Gore on Sunday.

Black died after her mount, Point Proven, was one of two horses to fall in race eight at the Tapanui Racing Club meeting.

Black, 40, who was based at Riverton, was the mother of three children. She rode her first winner in the 1993-94 season and had a career tally of more than 100 wins.

The Racing Integrity Unit has opened an inquiry into the incident. The police, who were in attendance, have also begun preparing a report and WorkSafe has been notified.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Chief Executive Greg Purcell said that the death would be felt by the close-knit racing community throughout New Zealand. All our thoughts are with Rebeccas family and friends at this dreadful time.

New Zealand Jockeys Association president Dave Taylor said that he and Blacks colleagues were deeply saddened by the tragedy.

Counselling has been made available to Blacks colleagues and friends.

Black is the second jockey to be fatally injured in a race fall in the past 10 years. Ashlee Mundy died following a fall at Kurow in December 2012.
The Round House, a downtown Opelika headquarters for startup businesses and touting itself as an innovation center seeking investment capital and high-tech enterprises, closed last week as an operating entity.

Its owner, meanwhile, has become the target of misconduct allegations revolving around unpaid debts, and an in-depth investigation into his background revealed that he has a criminal record as a convicted felon for previous business misdeeds.

The allegations regarding Round House owner Kyle Sandler surfaced publicly after multiple sources alerted the Opelika-Auburn News during the week.

We had it shut down last Wednesday because we ran out of money. The business simply ran out of money, owner Sandler confirmed in an interview Friday evening.

When asked if he alerted employees ahead of time that the business was running out of money, Sandler replied no comment.

Sandler said John Sweatman is the interim director of Round House operations, although it remains unclear what duties that role includes.

The Opelika-Auburn News received tips from several sources stating employees were not paid for their services at Round House. One source who asked not to be identified claimed to have worked at the business for weeks without receiving any payment.

James Mayo said he was hired 4-5 months ago at Round House to handle legal matters for the company.

I was being groomed to be a general counselor for Round House, he said. Ive actually had my paycheck bounced. I was promised a new salary. He owes me over $1,250.

A background check on Sandler conducted by the OA News revealed that on March 1, 2010, Sandler was convicted of felony forgery and uttering forged papers, according to documents from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

The offenses occurred in June 2009 and June 2008. Sandler was given probation.

Sandler said the offenses occurred because he had issues with a DJ company he owned.

Memphis exit

Later, Danielle Inez , who owns a Memphis communications firm, was hired in 2013 to help Sandler and his then-company Nibletz.com kick off the EverywhereElse.co The Startup Conference.

The first thing that came up was he didnt pay me on schedule. On the day of the event, he was supposed to pay me half of what he owed me, Inez said. His stories always shifted.

More promises of timely payment to her and others came and went, Inez said.

In a March 18, 2013, email exchange between Sandler and Inez, Sandler stated he paid Inez $250 toward the $1,500 he owed. He also stated he paid $250 toward the $2,000 he owed Inezs graphic designer.

In the email, Sandler stated: Danielle I apologize for not paying you yet and for lying to you in regards to payment. I am embarrassed by the fact that we are currently $10,000+ behind with our vendors for a variety of reasons. I am looking to rectify this situation as quickly as possible and will continue to pay down the debt to you and Lindsey via paypal whenever I canI am not sure when I will be able to make the next payment however as soon as I possibly can I will.

During his interview with the OA News, Sandler said We were slow paying, but everybody did get paid.

She (Inez) knew at the time what was going on.

Inez confirmed that she and her graphic designer received all of their payments within 4-6 months.

Also, Inez said she received calls from sponsors and vendors stating things had not fallen through. Sponsors and vendors were told they needed to provide personal information to collect prizes, she said.

According to an April 12, 2013, edition of Memphis newspaper The Commercial Appeal, financial fallout from mismanagement of the conference resulted in a leadership shake-up at the organization that sponsored the event and more than $60,000 in unpaid prize money and fees to contestants and vendors.

Google misdirection

Articles from various publications have stated Sandler previously was employed by Google. The OA News confirmed, however, that Sandler never worked for Google.

Sandler suggested the claim was a misunderstanding.

A May 2015 Business Alabama article titled From Google to One-Gig Opelika, stated: He landed a job in marketing at Google and worked with Marissa Mayer, who became Googles president of products and is now president and CEO of Yahoo.

A July 2, 2015, Ignite Alabama article stated: Kyle ended up taking a job in marketing with Google as employee #240 and the rest, as they say, is history. After cashing out of Google, Kyle founded The Droid Guy and eventually sold that website for 7-figures. Kyles next big start-up was Nibletz, which he eventually sold, as well.

Sandler said he worked with Google through the Droid Guy. He said he didnt claim to work for them.

I had a partnership through thedroidguy.com, he said.

A spokesman from Google, however, told the OA News the company had no records of Sandler.

Sandler said in his interview with the OA News that he apologizes to the Opelika community.

Im sorry for what happened to Opelika and Round House, he said. I lost control, and we ended where were at.

The Round House building is located at 216 8th St. in the heart of downtown Opelika. Uncertainty surrounds the independent businesses associated with the business incubator.

Meanwhile, two unidentified workers were seen Friday removing the Round House logo from the front of the building.
SACRAMENTO  California is installing nearly 1,000 sophisticated metal detectors, scanners and secret security cameras at its prisons in its latest attempt to thwart the smuggling of cellphones, thousands of which continue to flood the prisons despite previous efforts.

Officials say the phones can be used to coordinate everything from attacks in prison to crimes on the street, yet they have thus far been unable to prevent even high-security inmates like cult killer Charles Manson from repeatedly getting the devices that are illegal behind bars.

Corrections officials told The Associated Press a year ago that they were halting the expansion of a now 5-year-old program designed to make unauthorized cellphones useless by capturing their signals before calls are connected. Officials fear the call-intercepting devices may not be able to keep up with increasingly sophisticated cellphones.

So Virginia-based Global Tel-Link, the nations largest prison phone company, is heading a new approach funded by a projected $17 million a year from California inmates and their families who use landlines to make phone calls that are monitored for security reasons. Those range from 10 cents per minute for local calls to 25 cents per minute for collect interstate calls, in keeping with rates set by the Federal Communications Commission.

GTL has been accused by inmates and their families of charging exorbitant rates for phone calls, prompting some to join a class-action lawsuit against the company.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is installing 272 more metal detectors, 68 X-ray machines to scan packages, 103 low-dose X-ray scanners, 170 hidden surveillance cameras, 34 devices to decrypt and analyze cellphones, and 272 scanners that detect magnetic signals.

Removing illegal cellphones can force inmates to use the prisons phone system, said Jim Viscardi, vice president of global security for Illinois-based Metrasens, which is providing the magnetic-signal detectors. The sensitive scanners can detect tiny metal objects even if they are inside a body cavity, a common way of smuggling phones and weapons inside prisons.

The latest crackdown is unlikely to deter inmates who want to conduct illegal activities using an unmonitored cellphone, said Mitch Volkart, a Global Tel-Link product manager.

There is no magic bullet, he said. You cant try to address the demand because the demand is always going to be there.

So its better to control the supply, Volkart said, not only by capturing illicit phones but analyzing their calls and contents. That analysis has at times led to investigators uncovering weapons or drugs within prisons, he said.

The company has similar programs with other states including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma, he said.

Smugglers are getting trickier: In April, they attempted to use a drone to fly two cellphones into Ironwood State Prison, 130 miles east of Los Angeles, though the drone crashed before it could deliver the goods.

And all the states previous efforts havent prevented Manson, the 82-year-old cult leader, from being caught with cellphones three times  most recently in February, but also in 2009 and 2011. Authorities say a visitor was thwarted in 2013 when he was caught trying to bring Manson a phone concealed in a boot heel.

The new detection devices are expected to be used on inmates, visitors and employees in all 35 adult prisons and three juvenile facilities by July.

Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said it is too soon to say if the scanners will replace body cavity searches or a controversial process known as contraband surveillance watches  or more informally, potty watches. Inmates suspected of swallowing or concealing contraband in body cavities are isolated and their hands restrained for several days or until they complete at least three bowel movements.

Why cant they do X-rays or something  like the airports do to us now? asked Irma Cooper, who had to leave her bra in the car when she went to visit her son because it contained metal. I just think thats ridiculous in this day and age, when they can do those scans.

She was further dismayed when her son told her he had to undergo a digital rectal exam each time he left the visiting room at High Desert State Prison, to make sure he wasnt smuggling contraband. Waters said inmates are strip-searched and scanned with metal detectors, but are not routinely subjected to rectal exams.

Were concerned that more and more barriers are being thrown up for visitors that arent getting us anywhere, as far as we can tell, said Laura Magnani, an advocate with the American Friends Service Committee.

Cellphone signal-capturing devices previously installed at 18 prisons interrupted an average of more than 350,000 calls and text messages each week this year, more than double last years rate.

The number of seized cellphones had been dropping since California began using the call-intercepting devices, from 15,000 phones in 2011 to fewer than 8,000 last year.

But the number is growing again this year, with nearly 8,000 found just through August.
Everybody loves to eat. And you probably have a couple of coffee-addicted moms and maybe a grandma who swears by her cup of tea. Here are a few options for those eaters and drinkers.

SPLURGE ITEMS

JACK STACK BBQ SAMPLER:If you live in Southern California but grew up elsewhere  and lets face it, most of us did  you really miss your barbecue. Jack Stack in Kansas City, Mo., has U.S. regional favorites in sampler packs, making an ideal gift for a festive gathering. The BBQ Super Sampler rounds up a slab of pork spare ribs, a pound of pork burnt ends, a pound each of chopped beef brisket and Fire-Kissed Chicken Wings as well as an 18-ounce bottle of its special barbecue sauce. Great for game days and family gatherings.

Cost: $114.95

Available: jackstackbbq.com

TEA FORTE WARMING JOY COLLECTION: Its the ultimate gift for that very special tea sipper in your life. Tea Fortes Warming Joy Collection in sophisticated black and white packaging has it all. A presentation box ($55) is filled with 40 infusers in delicious herbal varieties such as fruity spiced ginger plum and caffeinated blends like rum raisin biscotti. Add the matching Kati 12-ounce steeping cup for the office ($20) and the signature pyramid-shaped gold infuser ($30) to enjoy loose teas at home.

Cost: $105

Available: teaforte.com

MEDIUM PRICED ITEMS

BABY VEGETABLE BASKET: Give a gift thats healthful and delectable. Melissas Produce offers a sturdy woven basket filled to bursting with adorable baby vegetables in season: peewee versions of zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, potatoes and more arranged in a colorful display. Serve freshly washed with dips on an appetizer tray or dream up delicious side dishes for holiday dinners.

Cost: $57

Available: melissas.com

ETHEL M CHOCOLATES:It seems everythings more decadent in Las Vegas, so if you havent tasted Ethel M, Sin Citys premier chocolates, holiday season is the perfect occasion. Theyre shipped straight from the factory in Henderson, and each bonbon comes thickly cloaked in velvety chocolate. The white chocolate pumpkin spice is creamy as cheesecake, with a coffee-colored, earthy filling. The dark chocolate eggnog has a good pop of nutmeg that sings through, and the white chocolate peppermint delivers a wintry mint aroma before you even take a bite. Holiday tins start at $30 for a small size or $35 if you want to select your own assortment. Youll need to order early for the DIY deal, so check the website for Hanukkah and Christmas delivery deadlines.

Cost: $35

Available: ethelm.com

DAVIDS TEA AND PARTY CRACKERS: Start your holiday dinner with a bang when you set party crackers on the table filled with Davids Tea, a filter, paper crown and a joke ($15). After the meal, indulge in Coffee Cake black tea blend, filled with dried cherries, pineapple and spices, or Apple Cider, an herbal tisane that packs a fresh fruit punch ($8.98 for two ounces of either).

Cost: $32

Available: davidstea.com

BLUE BOTTLE PERFECTLY GROUND COFFEE: Could you face the day better knowing an exquisite cup of coffee awaits each morning? One of Northern Californias premier roasters recently released perfectly ground, a product packaged immediately after roasting. Specify your brewing method; they will grind for an automatic coffee maker, French press, pour over or aeropress. Honduras Santa Elena Catracha tastes of rhubarb and citrus; bold Ethiopia Hambela Estate Buku has a silky finish.

Cost: $35 for two boxes

Available: Blue Bottle shops in Los Angeles County

STOCKING STUFFERS

B. TOFFEE:Buttery, crunchy, nutty and chocolatey  if candy came in food groups, B. Toffee would be a balanced meal. Made in Newport Beach, this luxury item can be ordered online in small bites starting at $4 so Santa can pop them into every stocking. And hell definitely want a 9-ounce canister ($17) to hoard all for himself.

Cost: $4

Available: btoffee.com

BEAUS BLEND COFFEE: Who doesnt love a soothing cup of decaf after dinner? The rich aromas of Beaus Blend stream from the cup, and the flavors delight the palate. For those who can drink caffeinated java in the evening, theres Bittys Blend. Either makes a thoughtful hostess gift with a back story: The company was started by a mother of special-needs children to provide jobs for workers with disabilities.

Cost: $14.30 for either blend

Available: bittyandbeauscoffee.com
Across the country, white voters placed Donald Trump in office by a margin of 21 points over Clinton. Their backing helped the GOP gain control of a vast swath of local offices nationwide. But in California, racial politics are pushing our general politics the other direction, way to the left.

Some of this reflects Californias fast track toward a minority-majority state. Along with a few other states  Hawaii, Texas and New Mexico  California is there now, with minorities accounting for 62 percent of the population, compared to 43 percent in 1990. The shift in the electorate has been slower but still powerful. In 1994, registered Democrats held a 12 percentage-point margin over Republicans. By 2016, the margin had widened to 19 points.

The racial shift does much to explain why Trump lost some largely affluent suburban areas like Orange County, where 53 percent the population is Latino or Asian, up from 45 percent in 2000. Perhaps most emblematic of potential GOP problems was Trumps  and the GOPs  loss in Irvine, a prosperous Orange County municipality that is roughly 40 percent Asian.

Californias unique racial politics

Ideology plays a critical role in Californias emerging politics of race. Hispanic and Asian voters outside California  for example, in Texas  have tended to vote less heavily for Democrats. In 2014, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott won 44 percent of Texas Latinos. Floridas Gov. Rick Scott garnered 38 percent of the Latino vote in his successful re-election campaign. In contrast, that same year, Neel Kashkari, Jerry Browns Republican opponent, won only 27 percent of the Latino vote in California. Only 17 percent of California Asians voted for Trump, nearly 40 percent lower than the national rate (27 percent).

These differences, ironically, have become more evident as California has become relatively less attractive to immigrants. Since the 1980s and 1990s, as Californias economy has become increasingly deindustrialized, the immigration flood has slowed, particularly among Hispanics. By the 2010s, other cities  notably Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston  were emerging as bigger magnets for newcomers.

These areas, with lower costs, generally work better for less-skilled immigrants. Latinos in Texas, particularly, do better than their counterparts in California  as measured by homeownership, marriage rates and incomes  and also tend to vote more conservatively.

Part of this reflects different political attitudes among minority leaders in the two states. Were not going to do it with welfare, were not going to do it with income maintenance, were not going to do it remaining contentious and divided, notes Democrat Henry Cisneros, San Antonios first Hispanic mayor and later U.S. secretary of housing and urban development. Were going to do it if we come around a single theme: jobs.

In contrast, Californias racial politics focuses more on serving an increasingly stranded population of poor people with limited opportunities for advancement. Indeed, a stunning United Way study found that half of all Latinos, and some 40 percent of African Americans, have incomes below the cost of necessities (the Real Cost Measure). Among non-citizens, 60 percent of households have incomes below the Real Cost Measure, a figure that deteriorates to 80 percent among Latinos.

Building a sanctuary for poverty

Zealous boosters of diversity, California progressives also embrace policies  in fields like energy, housing and workplace regulation  that place strong barriers to upward mobility. They have undermined whats left of the industrial economy, and also opposed the production of new single-family houses. Jason Furman, the chairman of President Obamas Council of Economic Advisers, has shown that the single-family house, on average, contributes 2.5 times as much to the gross domestic product as a multi-family unit.

Instead, todays new-style progressives  who are primarily concerned with wealth redistribution, racial redress and climate change  have done little to address the ramifications of an increasingly deindustrialized economy that has cut into blue-collar opportunities. Rather than pushing growth, they have placed their emphasis on ever-increasing subsidies for the poor, including those working in expanding low-wage service industries.

To break this pattern, we need a different set of policies, whether they come from moderate, pro-business Democrats or what is left of the California Republican Party. The primary need is to replace welfarism with a strong, pro-growth agenda. This, critically, would include the expansion of single-family housing, something the American Interests Walter Russell Mead suggests could spark a new economic expansion. Since 2000, more than 95 percent of the minority growth in the 52 largest metropolitan areas has been in suburban and exurban areas.

If President-elect Trump succeeds in promoting policies that unlock growth, in part, by sweeping away the worst anti-economic growth regulations, it could create a new wave of opportunity for minority Americans. It would be a tragedy of historic proportions if California, long the object of so many immigrants dreams, ends up choosing dependency over opportunity.

Joel Kotkin is the R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University in Orange and executive director of the Houston-based Center for Opportunity Urbanism (www.opportunityurbanism.org). Wendell Cox is principal of Demographia, a St. Louis-based public policy firm, and was appointed to three terms on the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission.
Police have sought more details on accounts of shell companies from Axis bank.

By Press Trust of India: Police have sought transaction details of two accounts and CCTV footage from Axis Bank here in connection with a raid carried out at the bank branch by the Income Tax Department which had unearthed Rs 60 crore from the accounts of 20 shell companies.

Police has sought the details after an FIR was lodged on the complaint of Delhi resident, Nandu Paswan, who claimed that someone had opened a current account in the name of a company in which he was named as a proprietor and a saving account in his name.

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He had lodged the complaint after Income Tax Department detected the fake accounts and interrogated him.

"Paswan claimed that someone with an intention to commit fraud had opened a current account in the name of Himani International showing him as proprietor and a saving account in his name," Inspector Bijendra Bhadana said.

Also read: Axis Bank's Noida branch raided, Rs 60 crore in accounts of 20 fake companies found

Also read: Axis Bank calls reports of regulatory action against it false, malafide

"Bank management has promised to provide CCTV footage and the complete transaction details of the account on Monday," he said.

"Account opening documents and signature verifications by writing experts and CCTV footage of deposit of cash and other transactions will reveal the truth," he said.

Also read: Axis Bank raid: Former minister, other Delhi netas under scanner after 44 fake accounts found

The Income Tax Department on December 15 had unearthed Rs 60 crore from the accounts of 20 shell companies in a raid at the Axis bank branch here.

Enforcement Department is conducting the investigation at Axis Bank.

--- ENDS ---
INGLEWOOD  Bernard Hopkins on Saturday stepped into the ring for the final time of his long and glorious career. Along the way he made a record 20 middleweight title defenses, establishing himself as one of the all-time greats in that division.

But at 51 years of age  hell be 52 next month  it was finally time for Hopkins to hang up his splendid gloves.

His competition was Joe Smith Jr., a young buck with 18 knockouts in 23 fights. It figured the way for Hopkins to emerge victorious would be for him to fight defensively and have just enough offense to steal rounds.

Hopkins tried to do just that and he was having some mild success. But in the eighth round Smith caught him on the ropes, pummeled him and knocked him through the ropes and out of the ring, Smith winning by knockout in the light heavyweight main event in front of 6,513 at The Forum.

Smith jumped onto the ropes in celebration as fans rooting for Hopkins booed him.

A five-punch combination was what did in Hopkins, who landed on his back on the floor outside the ring.

Smith, ranked as high as No. 2 in the world, is 23-1 with 19 knockouts, this one coming 53 seconds into the round. The ring announcer said Hopkins could not continue because of injury, which was an ankle. By rule, Hopkins had 20 seconds to get back into the ring. He could not.

Hopkins finished his career 55-8-2. Judges Thomas Taylor and Tim Cheatham had Smith ahead by respective scores of 69-64 and 67-66. Pat Russell had Hopkins ahead 67-66.

Smith was overjoyed.

Its the best feeling in the world to accomplish something I set out for and wanted to do, said Smith, who was the first to stop Hopkins inside the distance.

Smith, 27, talked about the final seconds.

I had seen him every time I threw the right hand, he was throwing the left, he said. I had seen him fall, and I kept hitting him until I saw him go out, and I landed that left hook until he went out.  I knew he was a true champion, and if he didnt get injured hed be back here.

I came here to do my job; this is my coming-out party, too. I had to finish him.

Smith appeared to be winning most of the rounds until the fateful moment that saw the legendary Hopkins go out in a way most would have preferred he didnt.

Hopkins immediately afterward didnt seem to know what really happened, based on his comments.

I was throwing the right hand and a combination and then using the rope as an offensive as Im known for, and making a mess, Hopkins said. He got frustrated, and I might have gotten glazed with a left hook and next thing I know he was throwing me out of the ring. I injured myself and hit my head first and hurt my ankle.

I knew of the 20 seconds, but couldnt stand up on my feet because my ankle was injured. I said I could walk but I couldnt box.

I had a choice to make, but I guess the referee made it for me. I know if I hadnt made a mess and gotten knocked out of the ring, I wouldve come back like Im known for and wouldve had my chin.

Hopkins reiterated he is done.

This is my last fight, I promised it would be and you come to that point in life where it is final and Im happy with my retirement, he said. I know the fans will know I went out as a solider, fighting the toughest, baddest opponents. Im not saying I agree, Im not in denial  Joe was a tough, heavy-hitting fighter.

Every once in a while, Hopkins would open up and a good exchange would follow. In the fifth, not long after one of those, Smith cracked Hopkins with a big right cross. Smith also landed a big left jab in the round.

Hopkins countered Smith a few times, like in the second round when he put a snapping right cross on the head of Smith.

Hopkins walked into the ring for the final time to the tune of a version of My Way made for him. He had not fought since losing to Sergey Kovalev in a light heavyweight title-unification bout in November 2014.

Joseph Diaz Jr. of South El Monte entered his bout ranked as high as No. 3 in the world, meaning he needed a victory over Horacio Garcia of Mexico in order to retain his hopes for a world-title shot in 2017.

Diaz held serve, pounding out a 10-round unanimous decision in the semi-main event.

Diaz (23-0) won by scores of 100-90, 100-90 and 100-90. The hard-fighting Garcia appeared to win a round or two, but the judges thought otherwise.

There were no knockdowns. Both fighters landed their share of punches, but not only did Diaz land more, he picked off quite a few of Garcias with his gloves. Diaz did his best work to the head while Garcia (30-2-1) was solid to the body of Diaz.

Diaz is a 2012 U.S. Olympian.

I knew I was facing a tough, experienced opponent, so my plan was to go in there and get him using my jabs, angles and everything I worked on in my training camp, Diaz said. I came in and got what I wanted and Im very happy with the outcome.

Cruiserweight champion Aleksandr Usyk of Ukraine was touted as someone who might bring some mean intentions into his first defense against Thabiso Mchunu of South Africa.

Usyk (11-0, 10 KOs) eventually stopped McHunu (17-3) at 1:53 of the ninth round after decking him twice in the round. Usyk also floored McHunu in the sixth. But he did little but tick off the fans the other seven rounds, so it would be difficult to rate his showing as highly successful, his victory notwithstanding.

Boos could be heard throughout most of the bout. Still, Usyk was cool with his work.

Im very happy with my performance, he said. He was awkward, but Im glad I was able to win by knockout. Once I was able to find my range and throw combinations, my power was too much for him.

McHunu gave all the credit to Usyk.

All I can say is now we have to go back to square one, McHunu said.
CAMP PENDLETON  Col. Anthony M. Henderson relinquished command of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to Col. Chandler S. Nelms in a ceremony at the seaside base on Friday.

Henderson took command of the 13th MEU in December 2014. Under his command, the MEU trained, equipped and deployed more than 2,500 Marines for Western Pacific deployments. The unit trained with partner nations in multiple exercises, including in South Korea and Jordan.

He also led the 13th MEU through Exercise Iron Fist 2015, an annual security cooperation exercise with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force held at Camp Pendleton.

Henderson leaves Camp Pendleton for an assignment with Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington, D.C. Henderson has served in the Marine Corps for 27 years. He deployed twice to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2003 and 2004, where he worked in counterinsurgency and reconstruction efforts along the Iraqi-Syrian border. He deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines from Camp Lejeune, N.C.

He returned to Camp Pendleton and the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in 2013 and was assigned as assistant chief of operation to Afghanistan, where he served as the Southwest Operations Officer and completed the final withdrawal of Marines and coalition forces from Helmand province in October 2014.

Nelms is scheduled to assume command of the 13th MEU after serving as the I Marine Expeditionary Force G-3 section director.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@scng.com Twitter:@lagunaini
Age: 47

Role: President and chief visionary officer of Naugles Corp. in Huntington Beach

Bio: Growing up in Fountain Valley, he developed a zeal for Mexican food when his father took him to taquerias throughout Los Angeles. He was always adventurous about trying new foods, and that rubbed off on me, says Ziebarth, who lives in Tustin. A few years ago, the website developer decided to blend work and pleasure. In 2005, he began chronicling his Mexican dining experiences on a blog: Orange County Mexican Restaurants. In 2008, Ziebarth caught the attention of Del Taco, which owned the rights to the Naugles name but had let the fast-food brand disappear. Ziebarth suggested Del Taco revive some of the Naugles foods fans craved. People have not forgotten about them.

Why he is an influencer: After Del Taco ignored him, Ziebarth launched a Naugles comeback in 2009. He started a website and created a Twitter account. Del Taco tried to stop him, which led to a trademark lawsuit. Ziebarth, the underdog fighting a corporate giant, prevailed. He shored up investors, secured Naugles recipes and opened a test kitchen in 2015 to throngs of fans. This year, the momentum continued: A seasonal Naugles food stand in Huntington Beach served thousands of beach goers over the summer. The Fountain Valley restaurant is now open daily instead of weekends only. Ziebarth is working with a franchise firm to grow the brand to 1,000 locations.

Biggest challenge: Impatient fans. Everyone thinks we can instantly open 100 restaurants.

Inspiration: Naugles fans

Cant live without: My wonderful new bride who believes in me.

Whats next: The first round of franchise restaurants will open next year.
While political observers wait to see whether President-elect Donald Trump will fulfill his promise to drain the swamp in Washington, Anaheims new council majority is ready to do something similar in Orange Countys largest city  flush the outsized influence of the Walt Disney Co. and other business boosters from City Hall.

Most people here love the Happiest Place on Earth and respect Disneys deep roots in Orange County. Theres no questioning the benefits the company brings the countys largest city. But whats good for Disney isnt always good for Anaheim. Its 350,000 residents have priorities that arent centered in the Resort District, and until now, its been hard to get them heard.

In the run-up to the Nov. 8 election, The parent company of Disneyland [funneled] more than $900,000 into a complicated network of groups supporting Disney-friendly candidates in four council races and attacking their opponents, according to a VoiceofOC analysis, which noted Disney broke its spending record. A Disney spokesperson told the publication that the political action committees that receive funding are involved in many Orange County races and not just those in Anaheim.

But an unusual coalition loyal to Republican Mayor Tom Tait won the day. Conservative Republican Denise Barnes won District 1 over Disney-backed candidate Steve Chavez Lodge. Progressive Democrat Jose Moreno won District 3 over Disney-backed incumbent Jordan Brandman. Disney candidates, incumbent Lucille Kring and newcomer Stephen Faessell, won District 4 and District 5 over Tait-backed candidates, but Tait now has a majority. (Incumbent James Vanderbilt also is an ally.)

The reason for the big spending?

The local business community is committed to a continuing train of resort subsidies. Subsidies for myriad hotel deals top a half-billion dollars. There was the ARTIC train stop that critics call the $185 million train station to nowhere. The council tried to lease the city-owned Angels parking lot for $1 a year to the ballclub, which would have been quite a giveaway for a $225-million asset. It wanted to build the costliest per-mile streetcar system in the nations history. And then theres the excessively pricey convention center expansion.

The catalyst for electoral change came in 2014, after the city settled a voting-rights lawsuit by agreeing to place two charter amendments on the ballot. One changed the citys at-large election system to a system of districts. The other expanded the council from four seats (plus the mayor) to six seats. All of the sudden, council candidates no longer needed a fortune to have a shot at winning.

Its the first time weve been elected by district, Tait told me. It brought City Hall closer to the people and the neighborhoods. Were fortunate to have the Resort District, but the purpose of the city is to serve the people. In at-large races, each council candidate has to run a citywide race. That takes a lot of money, so organized groups  developers, labor unions, etc.  have excessive influence. And a bigger council is better than a smaller one, because each member represents fewer people and should be more accessible to residents.

You dont have to really court anyone except the voter, newly elected Councilman Jose Moreno told me. He ran in 2014 while the city still had an at-large system, and said the difference was night and day. Tait told him, You dont need a lot of money. You just need enough money. Indeed, Moreno estimates the Tait slate was outspent by overwhelming margins, yet managed to grab two of the four seats.

Nobody likes crony capitalism, except for the people who profit from it or get invited to the VIP events, he said. Despite the wide-ranging ideologies on the Tait team, Moreno said they all agree on core issues: Its really a clean, open-government platform.

Unions backed the Disney candidates, of course. The crony capitalist approach is all about bringing Big Labor and Big Business together to divvy up the taxpayers spoils. Its been a long slide for the city. In 2006, Anaheim touted itself as a freedom friendly city that reduced fees, deregulated land uses in some areas and focused on treating all businesses  not just big political players  in a fair manner.

Its main advocates were then-Mayor Curt Pringle and Tait. Since then, the two have had a falling out, with Tait still championing the same, ennobling ideas. Pringle, now a lobbyist, is seen by some reformers as the Darth-Vader-like presence on the deal-making side of things. Tait still understands the huge chasm between being pro-business and pro-freedom. Giving privileges to specific businesses certainly is pro-business, but being pro-freedom is about letting all businesses compete fairly.

Morenos final victory was by a few dozen votes, so well see if such a slim majority can drain Anaheims swamp, or at least shift power from Space Mountain to Anaheims real-world neighborhoods. Time will tell, but I suspect that, with an expanded council and district elections, the old, fetid way of doing business is history.

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. He was a Register editorial writer from 1998-2009. Write to him at sgreenhut@rstreet.org.
Age: 32

Role: Stand-up comedian/podcaster

Bio: Williams lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Fullerton and attended Sunny Hills High School, where he was a drama nerd. He got his first break in stand-up after comedian Carlos Mencia caught one of his sets at a club, took him out on tour and had him star on his Comedy Central TV series, Mind of Mencia.

Why he is an influencer: Born with achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism, Williams has often talked about his condition and made light of his stature and the struggles that come with it in his stand-up, which includes two one-hour Showtime specials, Fun Size in 2015 and Daddy Issues in May. Williams headlines comedy clubs and theaters, he performs at festivals across the country, and he co-hosts a popular podcast, About Last Night, alongside fellow comedian Adam Ray, with guests such as comics Dana Carvey and Bob Saget, actress Susan Sarandon and R&B star Jason Derulo.

Biggest challenge: Ive had two one-hour specials in two years, and people, when they come see me, want to see new stuff, so just making sure that the show is always new for the audience and making sure its always good.

Thoughts on comedy writing: We, as comics, had a great run where we could write one hour of material and that could last us 15 years. And then stupid Louis C.K. comes out and has a brilliant hour every year, and we go, All right, we have to step up our game now.

Inspiration: Robin Williams, because when I met him he called me Prozac with a head, which is one of the nicest compliments Ive ever received.

Cant live without besides my phone: My iPad.  I fly so much that I need stuff to do on the flights, so lately Ive been playing this simple game called Toy Blast on my iPad.

Whats next: Williams is getting married in 2017 and will continue touring and doing his podcast. Hell be at the Irvine Improv for two sets Friday.
Should Orange County students be publicly shamed by their professor and forced to disclose their political beliefs?

This month, College Republicans at Orange Coast College raised that question by posting video of psychology professor Olga Perez Stable Cox in an extended post-election tirade attacking Donald Trump, Mike Pence and Orange County.

We have been assaulted; its an act of terrorism, Cox said of Trumps election, who she considers a white supremacist.

If Coxs political commentary seems out-of-place in a human sexuality course, just wait for her assessment of the community that pays her $162,000 every year in taxpayer-funded salary and benefits.

Living in Orange County is scary when you know youre surrounded by so many people that are so hateful, Cox told her captive audience of psychology students.

Her extremist statements unrelated to the course material, coupled with her disdain for our community, are reason enough for concern. But, its what happened next that clearly crossed the line from offensive to inexcusable.

After her political rant against Trump and Orange County, students say that Cox demanded Trump supporters stand and publicly identify themselves.

She tried to get everyone who voted for Donald Trump to stand up and show the rest of the class who to watch out for and protect yourself from, Tanner Webb, a 21-year-old student from Huntington Beach told the Register.

Such behavior is inexcusable. Professors have a responsibility to present controversial topics on their subject matters and inspire critical thinking within a classroom. That cant happen when a professor spews hateful rhetoric and bullies students into disclosing their political affiliations. By isolating a group of students as threats, Cox jeopardized the safety of the Trump supporters. Lets not forget that professors are in positions of power  with the ability to determine a students grade and, in turn, academic future.

In response to the incident, Coxs labor union  the Coast Federation of Educators, AFT Local 1911  attacked the student for making an unauthorized recording in a classroom. Citing an obscure Education Code, the union has led the charge for disciplining the student  with talk of possible expulsion.

Only in the morally fluid, post-modern world of modern academia can a student be bullied by their professor, then threatened with expulsion for recording the incident.

Todays college students have a weapon the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s never had: the ability to record. Those recordings of professorial intimidation and indoctrination have the power to break what Register contributor and Chapman University professor Joel Kotkin describes as progressive social control and the consolidation of a cognitively determined world order.

Thankfully, Orange Coast College students are resisting this academic intimidation. College Republicans have used social media to share their videos.

If there are to be substantial reforms for advancing free speech and intellectual diversity, those changes should begin at Orange Coast College. Its time that our community  yes, the same people who Perez Stable Cox finds so scary  join their effort to resist the daily indoctrination by far-left extremists.

Bullies have no place in the classroom, especially at the front of the class.

Shawn Steel, a former chairman of the California Republican Party, is the California national committeeman on the Republican National Committee and an attorney who is representing Orange Coast College Republicans.
The New Year will usher in sweeping changes to the information that California provides about its public schools. Unfortunately, the State Board of Educations new system will make it harder to compare schools on academic achievement and wont provide any additional information on how districts spend the funding they receive.

The good news is that parents will get access to an online dashboard of metrics highlighting 10 performance areas at schools.

The new accountability system provides parents, educators and community members with a wealth of information, allowing them to dig deep into a variety of areas that affect student performance and more effectively hold their districts accountable, said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson. It will also help educators more easily identify and assist schools and districts in need of help.

But thats not actually the case. The new dashboard will replace Californias Academic Performance Index, which showed how a schools students performed on standardized tests in English and math. Many education officials complained the API was too simplistic. As a result, the new dashboard features feel good measures like parent engagement and gives them the same weight as test scores.

Some of these metrics are important, no doubt, but not as important as academic achievement. If educators wanted to provide a wider scope of key information to parents they shouldve started with how school districts spend taxpayer money.

Right now, Californias financial reporting system provides few clues as to how the nearly $72 billion in annual K-12 funding is spent, even though school districts are required to report expenditures on priority areas in their Local Control and Accountability Plans.

Research has shown that school districts frequently send some schools  often those serving low-income students  significantly fewer resources than other schools. These funding discrepancies should be easy for parents to find. But without granular data on how education funding is allocated by districts, its difficult to even know that this problem exists let alone hold officials accountable.

Parents can get some financial data from School Accountability Report Cards, which include a few key metrics such as per-pupil expenditures and average teacher salaries.

Other states, like Texas, provide detailed spending data on every school in the state. Stakeholders in Texas can see exactly what a school spends on various functions (instruction, school leadership and guidance counseling, for example) along with spending on programs like special education and bilingual instruction in aggregate and per-pupil terms.

Ultimately, parents and taxpayers deserve to know how education dollars are spent at the classroom level across grade levels and subject areas in per-pupil terms. This would help them ensure that school spending is aligned with priorities. But sadly, this information is so hidden, and the bureaucratic path that funding takes is so complicated, that many school district officials and principals dont even know how all the money is spent.

If the state wants to improve accountability and transparency it should make it simple for parents to find academic achievement statistics and detailed spending numbers that are easily comparable across schools and districts.

California taxpayers deserve to know if students are making academic progress and how education dollars are spent. Modernizing, and making public, the states financial reporting system is where it can start.

Aaron Garth Smith is an education policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
Im starting to worry that I might be a Russian spy.

Now that the CIA has secretly concluded from secret evidence that there was a Russian plot to publicize secret emails, I fear that some sort of secret Russian mind-meld may have led me to write columns that were inexplicably critical of Hillary Clinton and wildly fair to Donald Trump.

At the time, I thought I was simply reporting on Clintons decision to evade the Freedom of Information Act by hiding her official State Department correspondence on a private email server in her house. I thought I was interviewing Trump supporters at his rallies and reporting on why they were so happy he was running for president.

But now, with the benefit of the CIAs hindsight, I see that I was a Russian spy the whole time.

I should have seen it earlier. There were so many clues.

Vladimir Putin was photographed on a horse in Siberia. I was photographed next to a horse in Agoura Hills. (Im the one in the shirt.)

My late father, who was an actor, once played a Russian diplomat on an episode of The Jeffersons. I went to the studio personally to watch the taping of the sitcom. My name was on the list.

This is so troubling. And theres more.

Whenever there was a free Rocky and Bullwinkle toy in a box of cereal, I always got Natasha.

My grandfather was born in Russia and came to the United States as a child. At the time, it had been just a few months since the Cubs won the World Series.

Thats just how long its been for me!

Its all so clear now. I have a globe from the 1980s that still shows the map of the old Soviet Union. I could have thrown it out. Why didnt I? Why?

Because it belonged to my father! A Russian diplomat on The Jeffersons!

Wait. Wait. Calm. Must be calm. Must think clearly.

California didnt go for Trump. No matter what the CIA says, my columns for the Southern California News Group couldnt have been responsible for Hillary Clinton losing the election.

The Russians obviously recruited the Clinton campaign scheduler who told her to go to Texas and Arizona and not to bother with Wisconsin.

Putins spies somehow lulled Clinton into leaving the campaign trail for long stretches of time while hypnotizing Trump into taking roughly three days off in 17 months.

A Russian hit man must have held a knife to the throat of the staffer who talked into Clintons earpiece and told her to call millions of American voters a basket of deplorables.

Hey, at least its an explanation.

I suppose the innocents among us might believe that the American people freely elected an outsider after years of telling pollsters they were sick of politics as usual.

Foolish innocents! So gullible!

Obviously, this was a foreign conspiracy of epic proportion, spanning continents and controlling the media, forcing hundreds of thousands of helpless people to print out their own tickets and stand in line for six hours to hear a guy in a suit give a speech in front of a flag.

And I played my part. Just a small cog in the mechanism of espionage and deceit.

I know exactly when they targeted me. It was that night at Jerrys deli in Encino when I ordered a turkey sandwich with mayonnaise and they brought me one with Russian dressing.

And I didnt send it back.

Susan Shelley is a columnist for the Southern California News Group. Reach her at Susan@SusanShelley.com and follow her on Twitter: @Susan_Shelley.
Anaheim Union High School District and Anaheim Elementary School District apparently know no bounds when it comes to their utter aversion to parental choice. Now the two districts are suing the Orange County Department of Education over its approval of Epic Charter School, a new online charter school and the latest charter to draw the districts ire.

The lawsuit says the Orange County Board of Education violated the Charter Schools Act when it approved the schools charter petition last year despite a staff report recommending the petition be denied because it was educationally unsound, the Register wrote.

Bad charter schools exist, and some, deservedly, close, but the two Anaheim districts are quickly proving themselves to be the boy who cried wolf on any educational opportunity that they cannot control.

It was only in September that the two districts complained to the county Board of Education that it should rethink its approval, throwing around a number of politically charged claims, such as that charter engaged in predatory marking practices, because, as Register opinion columnist Steven Greenhut noted, it offers students $1,500 worth of school supplies and payments for extracurricular activities. How awful.

AUHSD and AESD have proven to be unabashedly anti-charter. AUHSD has called for a statewide moratorium on charter schools, and hosted a private screening of a controversial documentary critical of charter schools that attempts to tie some of them to a Turkish religious group, seemingly attempting to insert a xenophobic fear of the other into the charter school debate.

AESD, on the other hand, has fought against parents at Palm Lane Elementary School who wished to turn the school into a charter school under the states parent trigger law.

The reasoning is clear, as the Register noted of Epic: Since late June, when it opened locally, Epic Charter has enrolled 85 students from Southern California. The school hopes to have 300 students in its first year and 850 students by 2021.

More students equals more state funding and more classrooms, which equals more union members  which equals more power for the entrenched educational interests holding kids back.
WASHINGTON  It was frightening, but not surprising, when a troubled young man with an AR-15 arrived here from North Carolina to investigate whether a popular pizza parlor was a front for a child pedophilia ring being operated by Hillary Clinton allies. That loopy theory had been pushed online by far-right conspiracy buffs until it found a taker.

It was also inevitable that a news organization with global reach would root around in the Internets fever swamps to find someone who would attach his name to the vilest imaginable insult of Melania Trump  that she had once been a prostitute. The blogger, a left-wing conspiratorialist who likes to compare Donald Trump to Hitler, and the news outlet  the Daily Mail  retracted the slur, but Mrs. Trump sued for libel anyway.

Meanwhile, journalism is confronting a Frankenstein of our own making that no one knows how to kill. Like Lucifer, this monster is not new, takes many different forms, and goes by many names. The latest is fake news.

While the definition is vague, the phrase is being used promiscuously. Take the recent appearance of liberal Newsweek contributor Kurt Eichenwald on conservative Tucker Carlsons Fox News program. Eichenwald implied in tweets that The Donald was once a mental patient. Afterwards, the predictable flame war ensued on Twitter. Newsweek was accused of being a purveyor of fake news, while the Daily Caller, which Carlson edits, was called a fake news site.

Several Twitter denizens noted that Eichenwald in the flesh (or at least on television) is heavier, older, and balder than in his Twitter picture. His critics called this an example of fake news. Considering the photo that accompanies my articles, this seemed a good place to devise a working definition of fake news. Its not an easy undertaking. I came up with various categories:

Misunderstood satire

In 1998, the New York Times pulled from the Internet a series of absurdly literal Chinese translations of actual Hollywood movies. The Crying Game became Oh No! My Girlfriend Has a Penis! Babe was The Happy Dumpling-To-Be Who Talks and Solves Agricultural Problems. That sort of thing.

If Times editors had checked they would have learned that the translations came from a website that billed itself as offering dangerously original humor. Dangerously turned out to be the right modifier, because even after the Times issued a red-faced correction, the translations kept showing up in other media outlets.

Deliberate hoaxes

After the 2016 presidential campaign ended, The Washington Post located a peddler of disinformation named Paul Horner, who said, I think Trump is in the White House because of me. How so? Because Horner produced invented stories, such as one about Clinton bribing people to protest Trump; these were passed around on Facebook by Trump supporters.

If this seems odd, considering that Horner detests Trump, his motivation is an ancient one: boosting profits by pumping up readership. In 1835, Benjamin H. Day, founder of the New York Sun, published a six-part series detailing the discovery of life on the moon. Long before clicks were a thing, this hoax worked: The Suns circulation shot up.

Reporters hoaxes

Sometimes, editors arent in on the joke. This leads to firings, shame, recrimination and returned Pulitzers, which is what happened to The Washington Post in 1981 with Jimmys World  Janet Cookes story of an 8-year-old heroin addict who proved to be fictional. In the ensuring 35 years, Stephen Glass (The New Republic), Jayson Blair (New York Times), and Jack Kelley (USA Today) were also caught defrauding their bosses and, more importantly, their readers, with invented stories.

Repeating the lies of others

In the early 1930s, while 25,000 Ukrainians a day were dying because of Kremlin-ordered food shortages, the New York Times Moscow correspondent assured his readers everything was fine. There is no famine or actual starvation nor is there likely to be, Walter Duranty wrote in 1931. In 1933, when other news outlets were starting to cover the story, Duranty claimed, Any report of a famine in Russia is today an exaggeration or malignant propaganda.

Russia was in the news during the 2016 presidential campaign. Did the Kremlin influence the election in Trumps favor? So says the CIA, at least according to The Times and The Post. Peter King, a Republican congressman from New York, noted that the CIA leaked this story line to reporters before presenting it to Congress. Its almost as if people in the intelligence community are carrying out a disinformation campaign against the president-elect of the United States, King said. In his end-of-year press conference Friday, President Obama said that the congressional leadership has now been briefed, and predicted that eventually both parties will agree that Russia was behind the WikiLeaks-revealed hacks of the DNC, which he characterized as Internet propaganda.

A post-fact environment

Whether Trump is speaking at a rally, giving television interviews, tweeting, or issuing statements through his campaign, hes not what youd call a stickler for accuracy. Just last week, he claimed, We had a massive landslide victory. Days later, the incoming presidents press office released a written statement: The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history.

This is ludicrous. Lets look at the past 30 U.S. presidential elections. In only five (1916, 1960, 1976, 2000, and 2004) was the Electoral College margin smaller. In three elections (1936, 1972, and 1984) the losing candidate carried just two states, if you count Washington, D.C. I dont know if fake news is the phrase for this kind of bloviating, but a president-elect shouldnt do it.

Partisan animus

Was the mainstream media unfair to Trump in this campaign? I think so, and have written that. I believe the bias against him continues, most conspicuously in the presss willingness to regurgitate almost any slander against his Cabinet choices, regardless of the source. News organizations  Im thinking of The Washington Post  should know that when they publish articles about fake news efforts to help Trump, they should be extra careful with their sourcing, not extra trusting.

Another issue is opinion writers. When newspapers are accused of bias, they fall back on the old saw that columnists are free to express their views, and only the news staff must operate in a factual world. Thats a dodge. Where is it written that opinion writers are allowed to pass along partisan talking points as facts? And dont get me started on talk radio.

How can those of us in the Fourth Estate can restore our missing trust? By resorting to first principles  the stuff we learned in J-school. Use original sourcing. Be skeptical, even when quoting those you agree with. And, yes, try to be objective. Pure objectivity may be impossible, but try. Here are three other steps that might stave off the fake news zombies, and they are as applicable to network anchors as to your Facebook friends.

 Never invoke Hitler. The Third Reich murdered 6 million people, most of them Jews, while starting a war that took 10 times that many lives. If you compare any contemporary U.S. political figure to Nazis, you are conceding that you have no confidence in the facts, while advertising that you are a nasty person, quite possibly a nut, who shouldnt be taken seriously.

 When characterizing the argument of someone you disagree with, make sure they recognize it as their argument. Otherwise, youre knocking down straw men.

 Finally, when ascribing motives to other people, use this thought experiment: Would you condemn someone on your own side of the political divide with that level of evidence? Its the Golden Rule, really, and this is a fitting time of year to try it out.

Carl M. Cannon is executive editor and Washington Bureau chief of RealClearPolitics.

Editors note: One of the many lessons of 2016 is that the news media industry is at a crossroads. Public trust and confidence in media are incredibly low, and for good reason. What makes matters worse is the propagation of a so-called fake news industry. As a profession, there is much to do to win back the trust of readers  and its incredibly important that we do so. Discerning between credible, fair and factual news and fake news is critical to a thriving free society. In the coming days and weeks we plan to further dive into the issue of fake news, its dangers and call out those who are engaging in faux journalism.
Mouni Roy refused to enter the Bigg Boss house because of her former lover, Gaurav Chopra.

By India Today Web Desk: Last night Bigg Boss 10 saw a host of TV celebs on the reality show, among them were Naagin stars Karanvir Bohra and Adaa Khan. But where was Shivangi aka Mouni Roy? As the viewers already know, Mouni didn't enter the house, but performed with host Salman Khan on stage.

Also read: Bigg Boss 10 Day 60: Om Swami on a hunger strike; Gaurav apologises to Bani

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But why didn't Mouni Roy enter the house, especially when her co-stars did?

Well, according to recent reports, Mouni had told the makers that she would not go inside the house because of one celeb contestant.

Yes, we are talking about Gaurav Chopra. Mouni and Gaurav were in a relationship a few years ago, but things didn't quite work out for them, and so they parted ways, but not on cordial terms, it seems.

"Mouni had a performance with Salman Khan, but she wasn't interested in entering the house, as Gaurav is one of the participants," The Times of India quoted a source as saying.

But Gaurav was happy that he didn't have to face his former flame.

"Gaurav told fellow inmate Bani that he was happy that Mouni didn't enter the house with the rest of the Naagin cast. He added that he can't help it if she doesn't wish to have a cordial relationship," the source added.

Mouni Roy is currently seeing TV actor Mohit Raina.

--- ENDS ---
Things are not looking good for BB10 contestant Gaurav Chopra.

By India Today Web Desk: Tonight's episode of Bigg Boss is going to be dhamakedaar.

Here is what will happen on the show tonight:

Mouni Roy takes the stage with host Salman Khan

Yes, your very own 'Naagin' Mouni will give a super-entertaining performance with Bollywood star Salman Khan. The two will dance on a number of catchy and romantic songs, and wow the audience with their performance.

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Also read: Bigg Boss 10: I am not scared of Salman Khan; I don't want to do a film with him, says Priyanka Jagga

Salman will become a TV actor

The host will enact a scene from a serial, and will make the viewers laugh their hearts out with his unique act.

Soap stars Karanvir Bohra, Rubina Dilaik, and Mouni Roy will also be a part of the performance.

The balloon task

Bigg Boss and Salman Khan will present another challenge in front of the contestants of the show in the form of balloon task.

A contestant is required to sit in the chamber as other contestants answer the question involving him/her by putting up a board that reads 'No' and 'Yes.' The said contestant will get attacked by water-filled balloons if he/she manages to secure maximum number of 'Yes' and 'No.'

Gaurav Chopra is selected to sit in the chamber, and when asked by Salman whether his friendship with Bani is just for the sake of convenience, housemates (barring Rohan Mehra and Rahul Dev) put up a 'Yes' sign.

To know how the entire thing unfolds, tune into Bigg Boss Season 10 tonight at 9 pm.

--- ENDS ---
Dennis and Diana Dunning

50 YEARS

Dennis and Diana (Martinelli) Dunning were united in marriage on December 17, 1966, at Christ the King Catholic Church in Omaha.

The couple spent their honeymoon in the Bahamas and will return to Nassau, Bahamas to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

A celebration dinner was held with their three children and seven grandchildren on December 17th. Later this spring they will host an open house.
NORTH PLATTE, NEB.  After a leukemia diagnosis in February 2015, treatment in Omaha and remission, Skylar Nicolas life has been, to say the least, busy.

Skylar, her parents and five younger siblings will soon take a vacation away from their busy lives. On Tuesday night, two volunteers arrived at their home with news that Skylar will travel to Disney World. The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted her wish.

It means the world to us, said the 11-year-olds mother, Linsey

On her trip from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, Skylar said she hopes to meet Anna and Elsa from the Disney movie Frozen, and go on Disney Worlds rides.

The family came in contact with the foundation during trips to Childrens Hospital & Medical Center in Omaha for Skylars treatment. Skylar has Philadelphia chromosome positive B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her mom said the vacation will bring Skylar relaxation after her cancer and ease the mind.

Its something that without the help of them, we would never be able to do, she said.

Skylar, a fourth-grader at Eisenhower Elementary School, had a simple reason for choosing a Disney World trip.

I havent been there and I want to go there, she said.

Wish recipients choose two wishes, in case a doctors restriction  for instance, avoiding high altitude  rules out their first choice, said Cathy Brittenham, a volunteer and wish granter with the foundation. She and Jami Mendenhall announced the news to Skylar.

The volunteers told the family not to be afraid to ask questions while at Disney World and to expect royal treatment on their trip.
ERICSON, Neb.  Its a beautiful, sunny Sunday in the Nebraska Sandhills. The parking lot and dirt road alongside St. Theresas Catholic Church is beginning to fill.

Inside the small, white church  located just south of the Ericson livestock barn  the Rev. James Murphy has started preparations for the second Sunday in Advent. Baby Cohen Wright will be baptized during Mass that day.

The 90-year-old man has been a priest for more than 61 years. Murphy handles the smallest of details for the days service with ease, in between giving hugs to incoming parishioners.

Loved and admired by all in the community and beyond, Murphy is known for his deep faith, quick wit and, when he smiles, his Irish eyes.

Born on Feb. 17, 1926, at Spalding to Emmet and Margaret (OBrien) Murphy, he grew up on the family farm in rural Greeley County, along with four brothers and two sisters. He graduated from Spalding Academy in 1943.

The priesthood was not immediately on his mind following graduation. Instead, Murphy tried his hand at farming, the hotel business and even worked for the railroad. He joined the Army and served his country from 1945-47.

But none of these jobs brought him the happiness that he was seeking.

Calling

It was then that Murphy was called to serve through the priesthood. He attended St. Johns Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated in 1955. Murphys first Mass was said in his hometown of Spalding, Nebraska, surrounded by his family and friends in St. Michaels Church.

He began his service as a priest in the Grand Island diocese, as pastor of St. James parish in Kearney. In 1961, he was appointed pastor of St. Theresa parish in Mitchell and St. Anns in Morrill. Murphy has also served Nebraska parishes in Alliance, Scottsbluff, Lyman and Bayard.

This was followed by appointments for Catholic churches in Ainsworth and Springview, in north-central Nebraska. He served as shepherd of the flocks at Sts. Peter & Paul in St. Paul and St. Josephs in Wolbach.

Our Lady of Guadalupe in Scottsbluff stands out as a highlight for me," he said. "The parish had a tremendous youth group, and I so enjoyed the traditional Mexican music and food.

Murphy also did some moonlighting, including working as chaplain for the Newman Club, Columbian Squires, Tuberculosis Hospital (in Kearney), Knights of Columbus, Catholic Daughters, Legion of Mary, Boys Training School (also in Kearney) and State American Legion.

He wore the hat of counselor at a chemical dependency unit in Scottsbluff.

He served as co-director of the Cursillo Movement in the Grand Island diocese, and was instrumental in the first youth camp at OConnor in rural Greeley County. The camp went on to become Outward Bound.

Murphy retired back home to the family farm in 1993 and has been serving the parishioners at St. Theresas Catholic church in Ericson for the last 23 years.

Theyre a very close knit, faith-filled community, he said. So many of them are involved in one way or another in several aspects of parish life.

He currently assists St. Theresas pastor Anthony Thekkekara. Among his many duties as a priest, Murphy co-teaches RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) classes at St. Theresas and the Sacred Heart parish in Greeley.

'Taught us how to love'

Sharon Swett, fondly describes Murphys efforts. His warm, caring personality draws people to him and the church, Swett said. He has welcomed many new Catholics into our parish.

When I think of what Murphy means to me, the first thing that comes to mind is love, added Swett, a native of Ericson who returned to the parish in 1991. He shares his love. He has taught all of us how to love and showed us what it feels like to be loved.

When he greets you at church with a warm hug, you feel his genuine love.

Swetts family has been touched by the services and works of the tireless priest.

Both our daughters have been blessed to have received the sacraments of first communion and confirmation from Murphy, she said. Hes also performed the marriage ceremony for one of our daughters and baptized our grandson.

When you have the same priest involved in so many special occasions over so many years, he becomes part of the family. All of here at St. Theresas parish appreciate Murphy and love him more than he probably knows.

Love of travel, too

Not only does Murphy love his job and his parishioners, he enjoys traveling. Hes been on trips to Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C., and Alaska. Abroad, his travels have taken him to the windmills of Holland, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Swiss Alps and a river cruise down the Rhine River, to name a few. Hes also traveled to New Zealand, Egypt and Australia.

In London in 1997, Murphy sat with siblings Noreen and Clete, waiting for Princess Dianas funeral procession to pass by.

Ive been to all the continents except for Antarctica and every major river except for the Amazon, Murphy said. Its been a great run.

Murphy has traveled five times to his beloved Ireland. In 2013, he and Don Buhrman were tour guides on the Pubs and Pews trip to the Emerald Isle.

And even though hes full-blood Irish, Murphy is passionate for Mexican food and music, as well as polkas. He and brother, Clete, who passed away in 2012, enjoyed a 20-year tradition of attending the annual Polka Fest at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Murphy celebrated Mass for several years at the event.

He fondly recalled:

One year, someones cell phone rang during Mass. I replied, If its God, tell him Im busy! Gods had a pretty tough job keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Not slowing down

At 90, Murphy shows few signs of slowing down in his service for the Lord, despite recent health setbacks.

Bishop Joseph Hanefeldt, eighth bishop of the Grand Island diocese, said he admires Murphy for his dedication.

Father Murphy is a blessing to our diocese, Hanefeldt said. He truly has a priestly heart for people. Always interested in others, his age and his health never seem to limit his participation in a variety of events in the life of the church.

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch Cafe in Ericson, its noon and that means its the Catholics turn to enjoy the lunchtime buffet. The Protestant service was out earlier, and the popular dining spot is busy with guests.

However, a table is reserved for Murphy and his entourage. Many lunch guests, Catholic and Protestant alike, stop by to say hello.

As the lunch hour proceeds, rumor has it that the coveted, homemade sticky buns are all gone. But Murphys not worried. The server has set the last one aside for him, as always, and she delivers it to him, nicely warmed up, complete with a pat of butter, melting and dripping down the side.

After all his years of service to others, James Murphy has earned his just desserts.
Almost 10 years ago, Omahans Bill and Evonne Williams began flying aging veterans to Washington, D.C., for Honor Flight tours of patriotic monuments in the nations capital.

Now they are adding one more plane to next springs Vietnam Veterans Flight, which they have promised will be their biggest  and their last.

Bill Williams said their nonprofit, Patriotic Productions, has decided to send four jets on the flight scheduled for May 1. They will carry 620 Vietnam veterans along with 100 Guardian chaperones and news media members.

The last flight, on June 6, involved three planes and took 502 Vietnam combat veterans to Washington. They arrived home that night and were greeted by more than 5,000 people at Eppley Airfield who cheered and waved flags at the veterans.

It was some deal, Williams said.

As on previous flights, the group will visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Marine Corps (Iwo Jima) Memorial, and the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery.

Some veterans who took part in the June 6 flight said it was a life-changing experience for them.

Our return to Eppley was the final and best healing process of this whole experience, said Gus Moreno, of Ithaca, Nebraska, a Marine Corps combat infantryman from 1966-68, in an email. For the first time in nearly half a century I felt that we were finally and really being welcomed home.

Although Moreno is 100 percent disabled from wounds suffered in combat and post-traumatic stress, he has rarely discussed his time in combat, even with his wife, Linda.

But Moreno said he felt at home once he took his seat on the plane, with men he had never met before but shared a common bond.

We began to talk like it was 50 years ago, freely, using language and terms we all understood and remembered, Moreno said. Suddenly we were all transported back to the youth we had lost.

The trip was so cathartic, Moreno said, that after returning he was able to sleep peacefully at night for the first time in 50 years.

Williams said the response to the last flight, from veterans and the public, was even greater than for the nine Honor Flights for World War II and Korean War veterans that he and Evonne organized between 2008 and 2014.

About 650 veterans already have applied for spots on this final flight, he said. A pair of Vietnam veterans, lawyers James Martin Davis of Omaha and Jim Cada of Lincoln, are sifting through applications to choose the most deserving vets.

Combat veterans will get top priority, followed by those who served in non-combat roles in Vietnam. The flight wont include Vietnam-era veterans who served tours stateside or in other theaters outside the war zone, Williams said.

One new wrinkle for the final flight is that, while it will leave from Omaha, the planes will return home to Lincoln Airport. That way, a new group of Nebraskans can greet the veterans upon their return.

Williams said Patriotic Productions has raised about one-fourth of the $500,000 cost of the flight. Most of the cost comes from chartering the four aircraft for $86,000 apiece. The largest contribution so far is from Sandhills Publishing Co. in Lincoln, which is underwriting the cost of one of the four flights.

In the past, Williams said, corporations or charitable foundations in Omaha and Lincoln have paid most of the cost of the flights. This time, residents of some of Nebraskas smaller cities and towns are helping to raise funds. For example:

 A group of Vietnam veterans on the June veterans flight raised $35,800 through a soup supper and auction in Spencer.

 West Point Central Catholic High School raised $5,500 through a walk-a-thon.

 Jeannette Korth of Lindsay  a town of just 255 people  led a fundraising drive that raised $3,325.

Weve got a ways to go, Williams said. But Im not worried. It always seems to happen.

******

HOW TO APPLY

Vietnam veterans interested in applying for the trip, or anyone interested in donating, may visit patrioticproductions.org, email info@patrioticproductions.org., or call 402-612-0210.
Income Tx raids across various parts of India have brought to light some weird cases. Income Tax department unearthed money and gold from a tea seller and a tailor.

About Rs30 lakh in cash and 2.5 kg gold were recovered from the premises of a tailor in Chandigarh.

By Mail Today: From a 'crorepati' bhujia seller in Surat to a tailor with Rs30 lakh illegal cash and 2.5 kg gold in Chandigarh; the black money saga is getting weirder by the day.

In a shocking expose, the Income Tax (I-T) department unearthed Kishore Bhajiawala, a Surat-based tea-seller-turnedfinancier, having wealth worth Rs 250 crore.

Bhajiawala, who used to sell bhujia and tea about 30 years ago, came under the I-T scanner after he made a deposit of Rs1.5 crore in one of his bank accounts after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move on November 8.

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After being found with so much money, the I-T sleuths conducted raids at his residence, offices and bank lockers. During the investigation, they recovered property documents, details about 16 bank lockers and 27 accounts. Out of these 16 lockers, eight have already been searched wherein 13 kg of gold, one kg of silver and one kg of diamondstudded jewellery have been found.

Also Read: Income tax raids are surgical strikes against black money: Government

"Today Bhajiawala is a crorepati financier with huge investments in gold and silver and several properties across the city. He owns properties in the city whose market value is several hundred crores of rupees," a senior I-T official said.

TAILOR GOES ROGUEMeanwhile, in Chandigarh, the Enforcement Directorate recovered about Rs30 lakh cash and 2.5 kg gold from the premises of a tailor. The seizure came three days after ED officials recovered Rs2.19 crore cash from a cloth merchant here.

Acting on tip off, the ED sleuths swooped down on the premises of Maharaja Tailor in Mohali, Punjab, and at Sector 22 in Chandigarh. The seizure included Rs18 lakh in Rs2,000 denomination and while the rest was in Rs100 and Rs50 denominations, ED official said.

Also Read: Centre wants your help in tracking black money, shares e-mail address to report corruption

The ED sleuths said that they were verifying how the notes were exchanged and from whom, the owners of the shop bought the gold.

Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Police had arrested a senior bank employee of a private bank in Mohali for allegedly providing new currency to cloth merchant Inderpal Mahajan on commission basis.

ED seized Rs2.19 crore including Rs17.74 lakh in Rs 2,000 denomination, Rs 12,500 in Rs 500 denomination Mahajan's house on December 14.Also Read: Caught on camera: Politicians offer to convert black money into white for 40% commission. An India Today expose

--- ENDS ---
A hardy group braved howling winds and plummeting temperatures Saturday to honor fallen Nebraska veterans.

The collection of 250 people, in the midst of a bitterly cold winter storm, gathered at Omaha National Cemetery to adorn the graves of veterans with wreaths.

Of the 11 years that a Wreaths Across America event has been held locally, its local coordinator said, this year took the cake for worst weather.

The Friday-Saturday storm system brought to the metro region ice, snow, bone-chilling temperatures and event cancellations.

Extraordinarily low wind chill values of 20 to 25 degrees below zero were forecast for early today.

The high on Saturday in the city was 21 degrees, recorded at Eppley Airfield just after midnight. Temperatures then fell all day. The top wind gust was 38 miles per hour, recorded about 1 p.m.

Between 8 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday, 1.3 inches of snow fell at Eppley, the National Weather Service said.

The unpleasant, troublesome weather did not stop the Wreaths Across America group, which stayed outside nearly an hour.

Nebraska Lt. Gov. Mike Foley spoke as part of the event that featured attendees placing wreaths on each of the 214 gravestones in the cemetery. The decor will remain until Jan. 21.

It was just tremendous, said the local coordinator, Mary Blodgett.

The event gives people the opportunity to participate, she said. Most people cant go all the way to Arlington for events like this.

Wreaths Across America began at Arlington National Cemetery in 1992. It has since grown into a national effort at 1,000 locations.

During Omahas event, temperatures were dropping, and by noon had hit 5 degrees.

Several flights were canceled or delayed out of Eppley Airfield on Friday night and Saturday morning. A few that were to arrive in Omaha were also delayed or canceled, according to the airports website.

The Salvation Army, which operates warming stations for the homeless during particularly cold days, did not open stations Saturday night. The organization does not have the disaster relief staff to open warming stations on weekends, Salvation Army spokeswoman Susan Eustice said.

Traffic accidents tapered off Saturday. By midday, the heavy stream of calls that inundated authorities Friday night had slowed. Omaha dispatchers said police were responding to all vehicle crashes and collisions.

Friday had been so busy that authorities in Omaha and Lincoln stopped responding to all but the most serious accidents.

No life-threatening accidents were reported Saturday in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area or surrounding counties. On Friday night, a person died in a crash near 186th and State Streets, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said. The car was burned so severely that the make and model were unrecognizable. Deputies will likely need to check dental records to make a positive identification, the Sheriffs Office said.

Clear skies and slightly higher temperatures, no higher than 15 degrees, are expected today. Emphasis on the word slightly,  said David Pearson, a weather service meteorologist in Valley.

Temperatures are to climb Monday into the 30s.

That should feel a lot warmer, Pearson said.

Fundraising for next years Wreaths Across America event has already begun. Anyone interested in donating can make checks to Wreaths Across America and mail them to 21768 Poppleton Ave., Elkhorn, NE 68022.
GRAND ISLAND  Hoping to avoid disasters such as the Dec. 2 warehouse fire in Oakland, California, the Grand Island Fire Department is reminding people to keep an eye out for signs of possible danger.

Fire Chief Cory Schmidt said safety should always be considered in places of public assembly.

Firefighters dont have the right to go into a private home. But in public places, people should be aware of anything that looks a little out of the ordinary.

If you feel uneasy about it, get hold of the Fire Department and get out of that situation, Schmidt said.

Oftentimes, members of the public see a potential safety issue before firefighters do. Wed love to hear about it so we can do a follow-up, he said.

Schmidts wife teases him because everywhere they go, hes mindful of emergency lights, exits and other safety concerns  things that the average person probably doesnt notice.

But he hopes more people think about safety. If they visit a place with which theyre not familiar, they should identify the exits just in case, because it can really mean the difference between life and death, Schmidt said.

When the Fire Department receives an email or a phone call from a concerned citizen, We try and follow up with those as quickly as we can, he said.

The Fire Department tries to inspect all commercial properties at least once every three years. Depending on the type of business, inspections might be once a year.

But, were very limited in our workforce and we could use those extra eyes out there, Schmidt said.

The department likes to be proactive.

In order for us to get into a building, we have to ask for the manager or owner to allow us in. We normally encourage them to come with us. And as we walk around, well talk about the things were seeing, he said.

Inspections are about code enforcement. But a bigger concern is education. If firefighters can educate people about not storing things that could be flammable or combustible, it makes our job a lot easier, Schmidt said.

Educating people seems to go a lot better and has a longer-lasting effect, Schmidt said.

Police also encourage people to pay attention to exits. When flight attendants give safety instructions before a flight, theyre not trying to scare you, said Capt. Jim Duering of the Grand Island Police Department.

Theyre doing that to make you aware, and those things that they ask you to do on a flight are exactly what you should do when you enter any building  especially buildings where there are going to be lots of people, Duering said.

Shootings are very much in the news in recent years.

But really evacuation is no different whether its an armed subject, a fire, a storm, a chemical disaster, any of those things, he said.

Police visit businesses to teach people how to react in times of trouble. If something bad happens, move away from the danger and know where you can move to and how you can get out, Duering said.

Police tell business employees not to reinvent the wheel.

You have fire emergency routes, you have storm emergency routes, Duering said.

Employees should go over those policies. If a threat comes in the door, people should know where they can find safe haven.

And it really doesnt matter whether thats a human threat or a natural threat, he said.

*************

Safety tips

Ask yourself these questions: Does the building appear to be in a condition that makes you feel comfortable? Is the main entrance wide and does it open outward to allow easy exit? Is the outside area clear of materials stored against the building or blocking the exits?

Have a communication plan. Identify a relative or friend to contact in case of emergency and if you are separated from family or friends.

Plan a meeting place. Pick a meeting place outside to meet family or friends.

Take a good look. Locate exits immediately. Are the exits clearly marked and well-lit? Be prepared to use the closest exit, as the main exit may not be available.

Check for clear paths. Make sure aisles are wide enough and not obstructed by chairs or furniture. Make sure the exit door is not chained or blocked. If there are not at least two exits or exit paths are blocked, report the violation to management and call the local fire marshal to register a complaint.

Do you feel safe? Does the building appear to be overcrowded? Are there fire sources such as candles, cigarettes and cigars burning? Are there pyrotechnics or other heat sources that make you feel unsafe? Are there safety systems in place such as alternative exits, sprinklers and smoke alarms? Ask the management for clarification on your concerns. If you do not feel safe in the building, leave immediately.

National Fire Protection Association and the Grand Island Fire Department.
BAYARD, Neb.  American pioneers relied on Chimney Rock as a 300-foot landmark that told them they were still on the right trail to Oregon, California and points west.

For decades, modern-day travelers have been able to view the luminous specter of the spire at night while passing by on the modern-day version of the Oregon Trail. Now, the City of Bayard, which pays the electric bill for the rock, is asking for help keeping the lights on.

The project is expected to cost $12,200 to create a brighter, less expensive view of the formation.

If you look at the lights when they come on, theyre quite dim, said City Clerk Nate Heffron. The banks are getting older and just replacing the lights doesnt seem to do the trick.

The lights consume hundreds of kilowatt-hours of power per bank. The city hopes to cut the cost of lighting the rock by installing modern light-emitting diode technology. The more efficient lighting will save the city about 400 kilowatt-hours of electricity over the present set-up.

Theyll be brighter and cleaner and reflect off the monument more clearly, Heffron said. We want people driving by to be able to see the rock from a distance. Thats the whole purpose of keeping it lit up.

City crews will provide labor for the renovation. Heffron has received pledges of $4,000 from Western States Bank and is seeking financial assistance from the Morrill and Scotts Bluff County tourism offices, because of the rocks significance as a regional visitor attraction. The Scotts Bluff Area Visitors Bureau gave tentative approval to the request Wednesday. Any leftover funding will be used to acquire filters that will allow the city to change the colors of the lighting for special occasions, such as adding red and blue for Independence Day.

Heffron said he hopes the effort will give the rock the respect it deserves as an icon of Nebraskan and American history and will inspire visitors to come back for a better look during daylight hours. He says the city is fortunate to be able to replace the aging lights, which are grandfathered in for the National Historic Site, regulated by the National Park Service and operated by the Nebraska State Historical Society.

We have to be respectful that its a historic location. There arent many similar places where youd be able to do this, he said. Theres more barriers to that now because of regulations. Because we already have it, we want to do our best to display one of the best-known features of western Nebraska and the Oregon Trail.
The writer, an Omaha neurosurgeon, is a member of the clinical faculty for the neurosurgery section at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Consider this scenario: A 65-year-old father of three and grandfather of two, married for 30 years, was diagnosed with an incurable, malignant brain tumor.

Surgery, followed by radiation therapy, followed by chemotherapy has held the tumor at bay, but the inevitable has occurred: The tumor is back, no further treatment is available and he has only a few months to live.

In a final act of self-determination, the patient expresses a desire to end his life on his own terms, avoiding what he anticipates as unnecessary suffering as death approaches. In what is thought to be an act of mercy and compassion, a physician prescribes a lethal dose of a barbiturate. Surrounded by family and friends, the man takes the medication, drifts off to sleep and dies.

This is the narrative that proponents of physician-assisted suicide want us to believe. With each election cycle, additional states legalize physician-assisted suicide, most recently our neighbors to the west in Colorado.

With each cycle, a flurry of emotional debates ensues, but otherwise the issue is mostly ignored, save for the voices of a few passionate advocates.

Some organization might attempt to put this on future ballots in Nebraska and Iowa, so it is important we educate ourselves and understand the truth about physician-assisted suicide.

Myth: Physician-assisted suicide is universally successful, painless and peaceful.

Truth: In a New England Journal of Medicine study from the Netherlands, significant numbers of patients attempting physician-assisted suicide experienced complications, including vomiting, inability to finish the medication, longer than expected time to death, failure to induce coma and awakening from coma.

In many of these patients, the attending physician then administered a lethal medication to complete the job.

Myth: Patients who die by physician-assisted suicide are properly screened to rule out and treat psychiatric illnesses.

Truth: In a study published in the British Medical Journal, one in four Oregon patients requesting physician aid in dying had clinical depression. Of those who ultimately died by lethal ingestion, one in three met criteria for depression and should have been excluded by the Oregon Death with Dignity Act.

Myth: Adequate oversight exists to prevent assisted suicide abuses.

Truth: A letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association documents cases of doctor shopping to circumvent safeguards, economic pressures and coercion, lethal medications administered by someone other than the requesting patient and lethal medications given without a doctors prescription.

Myth: Physician-assisted suicide is available only for terminally ill patients.

Truth: The slippery slope of assisted suicide is demonstrated in the Netherlands, where physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia for unbearable suffering were legalized in 2002. Over time, the definition of unbearable suffering has been broadened, leading to the use of assisted suicide or euthanasia in a growing number of patients without a terminal disease.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, more than 25 percent of patients who were tired of living were granted their request for physician-assisted suicide or euthanasia. Almost 50 percent of those whose requests were granted characterized part of their suffering as loneliness.

More than 50 percent of granted requests were for people over 80 years old, raising additional red flags.

The dark truth of physician-assisted suicide is far from the tranquil picture painted by death with dignity advocates. Whether it is botched suicide attempts or lack of compliance with established safeguards, history has shown that physician-assisted suicide is problematic at multiple levels.

Advocates would like you to believe that assisted suicide is no different than withdrawing care. The distinction is clear: It is the difference between killing and allowing to die.

True death with dignity cannot occur when someone is killed. True death with dignity occurs with compassionate care that attends to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the terminally ill patient and having the courage and compassion to stay in a relationship with someone in their final days.
Dont balance budget on counties backs

One of the most critical topics the Legislature will face is the states projected budget deficit.

As a former mayor of Gretna and current member of the Sarpy County Board, I caution our legislative leaders when looking at a one-size-fits-all solution. They need to remember that when local subdivisions levy property taxes, these decisions are made by local elected officials who receive input from constituents and have the best interests of their taxpaying residents in mind.

In Sarpy County, we are in an envious position of rapid growth and contain several of the fastest-growing communities in the state. It has been a challenge to provide the basic services that our citizens expect from the county, cities and school districts.

Unfortunately, these basic services compete with requirements driven by burdensome, unfunded federal and state mandates, many driven by nonessential or outdated policies or statutes.

It at times appears the state is balancing its budget on the backs of local property taxpayers.

Sarpy County has worked with Douglas and Lancaster Counties, as well as the Nebraska Association of County Officials, to point out many unfunded mandates and outdated policies. While weve had some success in addressing the tax burden, these successes are often met with new unfunded or underfunded mandates.

If the Legislature wants true property tax reform, it should start by requiring the state to fund existing and future unfunded mandates. My experience has shown that the best solutions are local solutions decided by local government officials.

Jim Warren, Gretna

District 5, Sarpy County Board

Kintner should continue to serve

I understand that State Sen. Bill Kintner of Papillion has gotten a lot of bad press lately (Cass County GOP calls for Kintner to resign, Dec. 14 World-Herald). I dont defend what he did, but I do want him to stay in the Legislature. In fact, I want him to stay and then run again.

His policy positions are spot on. I could not be happier with his votes and actions.

I understand the concerns that some folks have about him, but he has contritely apologized and I accept his apology. At least he admitted to his actions and has said that they were wrong. Very simply, people sometimes do bad things.

Our Legislature attempted to abolish the states death penalty without consent of the governed. Kintner opposed that. He has been consistently for smaller government and lower taxes.

That cannot be said about many of the Cass County Republican opposition that he faces.

Rich Dreesman, Plattsmouth, Neb.

Where was the empathy?

I am distressed by the lack of concern and empathy about the well-being of the technician who was injured in the fire in the Sprint building (Sprint building fire injures worker, disrupts service, Dec. 14 World-Herald). Many were seemingly more worried about the temporary disruption of their cellular phone service.

I certainly understand how vital communi-cations networks are for businesses and individuals. However, I am far more concerned about the injured worker. I hope he makes a full recovery.

Keith Brothers, Clarinda, Iowa

Nothing harmless about it

I agree completely with Westside teachers union president Michael Frydas statement, What happened at Westside High School was not a harmless prank (School weighs action after disturbing incident  Dec. 13 World-Herald).

Anyone who has taken exposure control training to learn how to handle blood and other bodily fluids safely knows that semen is a potentially infectious material. The youths involved in the incident deliberately exposed staff members to any number of potential biohazards in their excretions.

They should be charged with reckless endangerment or assault, at the very least.

Donald Johns, Omaha

Tillerson a bad pick for State

The U.S. Senate should reject the nomination of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

Tillerson has no experience in government but a lifetime of experience promoting the interests of the U.S.s largest oil company. Nebraskans who fear big government should fear big oil more. Tillerson will, if confirmed, do what he has always single-mindedly done: secure the profits of Exxon Mobil.

How can this possibly be good for Nebraska, not to mention our country?

Tillersons most recent deal with Russia, stopped only by sanctions following Russias annexation of Crimea, was worth tens of billions of dollars. He was given an award by Russia and is close to Putin.

This should not be who we want shaping U.S. participation in the Paris Agreement on climate change or negotiating matters of war and peace with oil-producing nations.

Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse has shown his courage in opposing the poor qualifications and conflicts of interest of Donald Trump. He will have the support of wise Nebraskans if he says no to Tillerson.

Frances Mendenhall, Omaha

Hacking should affect electors vote

I am a lifelong Nebraskan. I am profoundly shocked and disgusted at the recent reports of Russian hacking and interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Not only is Donald Trump unqualified and too morally bankrupt to hold the highest office in our great country, but, with overwhelming evidence that foreign interference played a role in his Electoral College victory, the legitimacy of his future presidency can hardly be taken for granted.

Our democratic republic cannot be hijacked. For this reason, I am asking that Nebraska U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse stand up to Trump and join the bipartisan effort to investigate the role that foreign hacking played in the 2016 presidential election.

Who knew about the hacking? When was it first discovered? Was the information intentionally kept secret from the American people?

These are questions that must be answered, and preferably before the electors of the Electoral College cast their votes for what could quite possibly end up being one of the biggest mistakes in our nations history.

In order for our great country to survive the tests of the 21st century, our citizens must be able to believe that ours is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

Paul Gedbaw, Omaha

The rich now own Washington

The super rich are smarter than I thought. They have been buying politicians left and right.

Donald Trump will be the president. Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil, is his nominee for secretary of state. Other appointments and nominees are former Goldman Sachs employees and other very wealthy people.

The rich will be cutting out the middle man. It is cheaper and more efficient for them to run the government themselves.

Betty Conley Connolly, Omaha

Burning the flag in public is wrong

When I was young, I heard of countries whose citizens were protesting their government by burning their countrys flag. People were shot or jailed.

I was proud to live in a country with a free, representative, constitutional government where this was not happening to our citizens, and I believed it could not happen to them.

I love my country and I honor her flag, but it is governments job to protect the rights of the people of this great country, not its symbol. We will honor and glorify our flag because our rights are protected.

I think we may need a law against public desecration of the flag, not to protect the flag but to protect the citizens who honor that flag. Punishment for breaking this law would be more in line for public nudity or disturbing the peace.

If some demented idiot buys his own flag and defiles it in a private place where others arent aware of what is to take place, then we shouldnt have a law to prevent him from committing that act.

Our best defense against the few who would crawl so low as to burn an American flag is for the rest of us to fly that flag a little higher and more often.

Sharon Craichy, Burwell, Neb.

Smell yourself a Merry Christmas

During these holidays, please be thoughtful of others with health issues. So many people have breathing difficulties, cardiac problems and sensitive sinuses.

Please do not burn scented candles and drench the air with holiday smells in public areas. Also, if you smoke, please refrain from smoking before going into a crowded room.

We want to have a happy and healthy holiday, too!

Thank you to all the thoughtful and con-siderate people who truly care about others. We thank you.

Marti Rasmussen, Omaha
UPDATE (5:30 a.m.)

*Following bitterly low temperatures over the weekend, considerably warmer weather is expected across the region through the work week.

A cold front will bring gusty northwest winds to the Omaha area Wednesday, forecasters said, with cooler conditions possible for the holiday weekend.

*Latest Omaha-area forecast, according to the National Weather Service office in Valley:

Today  Sunny with a high around 30.

Tonight  Increasing clouds with a low in the upper teens.

Tuesday  Mostly sunny with a high around 40.

Tuesday night  Mostly cloudy with a low in the mid-20s.

Wednesday  Partly sunny with a high in the lower 40s and northwest winds gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday night  Partly cloudy with a low in the lower 20s.

Thursday  Sunny with a high in the lower 40s.

Thursday night  Partly cloudy with a low in the mid-20s.

Friday  Partly sunny with a high around 40.

Friday night  Mostly cloudy with a low in the mid-20s.

Saturday  Mostly cloudy with a high in the mid-30s.

Saturday night  A chance of snow with a low in the mid-20s.

Sunday  A chance of snow with a high in the lower 30s.

* * *

After a wave of record cold, the region gets an early holiday gift this week as warmer weather returns to the Midlands, and maybe  just maybe  a fresh blanket of snow arrives in time for Christmas.

Over the weekend, the northern Plains, including portions of Nebraska, were among the coldest places in the lower 48 states, according to the National Weather Service. Cities in the Plains setting records included Norfolk, North Platte, Hastings and Grand Island in Nebraska.

In Valentine, the temperature dropped to a stunning 31 degrees below zero, erasing the citys record for Dec. 18 of minus 28 set in 1983. The wind chill there dropped to 52 below zero.

Omahas low dropped to a frigid 11 below Sunday, but that was well shy of its record for Dec. 18 of minus 18. It was, however, the lowest temperature Omaha has seen since January 2014  nearly three years.

This weeks coming mild weather should ease worries for those traveling in advance of the Christmas holiday, said Jack Boston, meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc., The World-Heralds weather consultant.

The travel weather in general across the country looks mostly ideal, especially considering the time of year, Boston said.

Sundays high peaked at 12 degrees in Omaha, said Scott Dergan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service. The bitter cold and slick conditions caused some churches to cancel morning services and kept police officers busy for a time.

In the afternoon, the cold cut into attendance at the Conagra Brands Ice Skating Rink at 10th Street and Capitol Avenue. Still, it didnt stop Dineris and Arleth Ramos from trying skating for the first time. The youngsters, ages 9 and 5 respectively, skated hand in hand during the early afternoon when they had almost had the entire skating rink to themselves.

A quick change in temperatures is coming, though, said Audra Moore, a KMTV meteorologist. A gradual warm-up is expected to push daytime highs up to around 40 degrees this week.

The warm-up will be welcomed by law enforcement agencies. Many responded to vehicle crashes Sunday morning because of slick roads in subzero temperatures. Two people were taken to Creighton University Medical Center in critical condition after a two-vehicle wreck about 7:30 a.m. at the top of the 10th Street entrance ramp to Interstate 480.

The Pacific Northwest is the primary area likely to see storms this week, said Accuweathers Boston.

As the Christmas weekend arrives, a storm is expected to spin out of the Rockies and into the Plains, he said. That system could affect travel on Saturday. It is also the storm that could bring Omaha snow on Christmas Day, he said.

However, to get a sense of how uncertain forecasters are about that systems track and potency, one needs only to consider where it was Sunday  near the coast of northern Russia. In other words, thousands of miles away.

A lot could change, Moore said. Its a week away.

Bryon Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the weekends back-to-back plunge in temperatures and then this weeks quick rise isnt unusual for this time of year. Conditions came together perfectly over the weekend to allow temperatures to plummet, he said.

First, fresh snow  some places in the Dakotas saw a record daily amount  acted to chill the landscape.

Second, an Arctic high pressure system settled over the area. That means that winds died down and skies cleared. When that happens at night, lingering daytime warmth radiates away from Earth and the Arctic air that has surged into the area can concentrate at ground level.

Just as quickly as it arrived, the cold is being pushed out by a shift to southerly winds. This weekends snow is likely to melt, Moore said, aiding the quick bounce-back in temperatures.

And theres good news: Winter starts at 4:44 a.m. Wednesday with the occurrence of the solstice. Once that happens, daylight will start lengthening.

World-Herald staff writers Chris Nigrin and Christian Rush contributed to this report.

*******

Weekend lows in Nebraska

Location, temperature

Valentine airport -31

Springview area -28

Whiteclay area -27

Butte -24

Ainsworth airport -23

Dunning -23

Ellsworth -22

Chambers -21

O'Neill airport -23

Thedford airport -21

Broken Bow airport -19

North Platte airport -17

Ogallala airport -16

Crescent Lake -16

Stapleton -14

Imperial airport -14

Ogallala -13

Big Springs area-12

Wind chill reports

Location, temperature

Valentine airport -52

Ainsworth airport -41

O'Neill airport -38

Thedford airport -35

Broken Bow airport -31

Chambers -31

Ogallala airport -31

Valentine area -31

North Platte airport -30

Imperial airport -29

Crescent Lake -26

Butte -24

Dunning -23

Ogallala -20

Observations are collected from a variety of sources with varying equipment and exposures. Not all data listed are considered official.
Her con gang included her sister and brother-in-law who would make all the wedding arrangements.

By Tanseem Haider: Not one but this bride conned 11 men. On Saturday, she was arrested from Uttar Pradesh's Noida area.

Her targets were divorced and differently-abled men. She would first marry them and then rob them off their valuables.

She was caught just when she was on the lookout for her 12th victim.

PARTNERS IN CRIME

The accused Megha would scan matrimonial websites and send marriage proposals to her targets. Her pleasant demeanour won her instant approval from prospective grooms.

The accused, Megha.

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ALSO READ: Con-bride, father loot over Rs 4 lakh and jewelleries from groom in Rajasthan

Megha's con gang included her sister and brother-in-law who would make all the wedding arrangements. A few days after the wedding, the accused would feed the groom and family milk or tea laced with sedatives, and then flee with cash and jewellery.

ALSO WATCH

She would hand over the loot to her sister and brother-in-law and leave the city in search of her next target.

ALSO READ: Hyderabad: This Ricky Bahl duped women after marriage, had 350 girlfriends

A PHONE CALL LED TO ARREST

A native of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Megha had duped men in Rajasthan, Kerala, and Pune and Mumbai in Maharashtra.

Among her targets was Loren Justin of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on whose complaint Megha and her two accomplices were arrested.

On the lookout for her next target, Megha and her two accomplices started staying at Amrapali's Zodiac apartment in Sector-120 of Noida.

Tracing one of her calls to Noida, the Kerala Police, in a joint operation with the Noida Police, finally arrested Megha, her sister Prachi and brother-in-law Devendra.

ALSO READ: Dolly ki Doli plan goes wrong, runaway bride caught sleeping in train's AC coach

--- ENDS ---
111-year-old Bulkley market in Gujarat is 'country's oldest mall'

India

oi-PTI

Kutch, Dec 17: Nestled in the dusty alleys of Kharaghoda village in Gujarat, a 111-year-old covered market set up by the British and called the "country's oldest mall" by locals, has been catering to the needs of the villagers besides acting as their meeting point.

The Bulkley market, located in Surendranagar district, was built in 1905 by Hindustan Salts Limited, a company engaged in salt manufacturing. The company was run by the Britishers before Independence and like the market, it had developed the entire village in a planned manner. It had also built a hospital in the area which remains functional to this day.

The small market complex houses 8-10 shops under one roof. The shops are lined neatly along a passageway and the shopkeepers sit on elevated platforms, where they also display their wares. The market caters to the villagers of Kharghoda, most of whom work in a salt factory nearby.

This nucleus of shops stocks items ranging from daily necessities like groceries, vegetables, clothes to bicycle tyres. The shopping area also serves as a meeting point of the village where the locals gather daily to talk and exchange news. The locals express a sense of pride in the market and most consider it a heritage.

Most shopkeepers have owned the shops in the complex for over 25-30 years and the rest say the shops have been in their families as long as they can remember.

Poonamchand Jain owns a 75-year-old shop in the market. Jain, who traces his roots to Rajasthan, says, "This shop has been in my family for over 75 years now. We sell almost everything here. It's difficult to run a business in such a poor village but we would never want this market place to shut down as this is our heritage."

Habib Khatri, who owns a tailoring shop, in the market, says, "My forefathers started stitching garments in this small shop and I continue to do what they began. I make clothes for men and boys only as women in the village mostly stitch their own outfits."

Another shopkeeper Mohandas says the shop had always been in his family and most villagers depend on this market to buy items to daily necessities. The villagers claim that the market has never been renovated.

They say the thatching on the rooftop has been replaced over time but its basic structure remains the same as when it was built a century ago. According to an inscription on the facade of the complex, the market was "named after Mr Bulkley who was for many years assistant collector of salt revenue in-charge of Kharaghoda and interested himself greatly in the welfare of the village".

PTI
Amit Shah chairs Gujarat BJP's 'chintan shibir'

India

oi-PTI

Ahmedabad, Dec 18 BJP president Amit Shah has chaired the state BJP's 'chintan shibir' or brainstorming session, seen as the party's exercise to chalk out road-map for 2017 Assembly polls, which began today.

On the first day of the two-day session, Shah held discussions on various issues with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, deputy CM Nitin Patel, state unit BJP president Jitubhai Vaghani and several other key leaders and ministers, stated a release issued by the state BJP unit. Shah is on three-day visit to his home state. Before proceeding to the event, being held at a club on Bavla-Rajkot Highway near the city, Patel told reporters the discussions would mainly revolve around strengthening the coordination between the BJP and the government.

"We will discuss prevalent social as well as political situation in the shibir. We will also discuss the ways to take pro-people schemes to beneficiaries by establishing better coordination between party and government. As the Budget session of state Assembly is approaching, we will brainstorm about new schemes which can be floated during that session," said Patel.

The deputy CM said the people of Gujarat have always supported the 'development-oriented' policies of the BJP and will re-elect the party to office next year as well. Other leaders who attended the session included former CM Anandiben Patel, Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, Union minister Parshottam Rupala and state BJP in-charge Dinesh Sharma.

PTI
Anil Madhav Dave asks forest officers to emphasise on cashless transaction

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Dec 18 In the backdrop of demonetisation, Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave asks young forest officers to emphasise on cashless transaction and push towards making all activities digital to root out corruption. He said this at the Induction Training Programme for 2016-2018 batch officers of Indian Forest Service at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) in Dehradun yesterday.

"The minister emphasised that in order to make the system corruption free, financial transactions should be cashless, or less cash should be used to the extent possible," an official statement said. Dave is on his first official visit to Uttarakhand and had reached Dehradun on a four-day visit on Friday.

Later, during his visit to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), he said focus should be on research, through which livelihood and economic status of people living around forest areas are enhanced and they get motivated to plant more trees. A presentation highlighting the achievements and future road map of the council was made.

Dave also visited museums that displayed forest products, non-wood forest products and entomology museums of FRI and its Xylarium, which is an international, scientific collection of woods. The minister expressed satisfaction on the status of upkeep of museums.

He was impressed with the collection of specimens and specially the massive collection of blocks of timber of plant species native to various countries, the statement said. Dave stressed on the need to make these museums more interactive so that visitors can learn more about this collection and its significance in the promotion of forestry science.

PTI
Bengaluru man with ISIS links arrested in Kullu

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Bengaluru, Dec 18: A 23-year-old resident of Bengaluru with suspected links to the ISIS has been arrested at Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. The man identified as Abeed Khan was picked up by the police and is currently being interrogated by sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau.

Director General of Police, Sanjay Kumar while confirming the arrest said that he was staying in Kullu with a fake identity. His name had cropped up during the interrogation of other operatives of the ISIS.

Intelligence Bureau officials who are questioning him say that his role is still not clear. He is alleged to be part of the same module that was busted earlier this year by the National Investigation Agency. He is likely to be questioned by the NIA today.

During the course of the probe, Khan is alleged to have told his interrogators that he was influenced by the ideology of the ISIS. The police suspect that he was part of the module that was operating in New Delhi. The NIA had recently conducted a nation wide raid in which several members of the ISIS had been arrested.

OneIndia News
Bihar: When asked to take off hijab to check for bluetooth device, Muslim student leaves exam centre

Central team roped in as dengue cases in Bihar rise to over 5000

Bihar's Gopalganj by-poll to see a tough fight between BJP and RJD

Bihar gears up for 'Prakash Parv'

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Patna, Dec 18 With less than a fortnight to go for the 350th birth anniversary celeberations of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took stock of the preparations here on Sunday.

He directed the officials to complete all work within a week for the 'Prakash utsava' as the celebrations are popularly called, officials said.

"Nitish Kumar visited venues, including Takht Sri Harmindir Saheb, the main shrine linked to the 'Utsav', to personally inspect the preparations," Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said.

The Chief Minister has assigned top officials to monitor preparations for the mega event, and wants the work completed by December 25, Agrawal said.

Niitish Kumar also offered prayers at Takht Shri Harminder Saheb and met members of its management committee. He assured them that everything would be in place by the end of December.

According to district police officials, Nitish Kumar visited Kangan Ghat, Leela Gurudwara, Patna Saheb station, Patna Ghat railway station and inspected the ongoing work there.

Three tent cities are being constructed over 62 acres at the sprawling Gandhi Maidan, 12 acres at Kangaan Ghat, and over 65 acres at Malaichak Bypass here by the state.

The district officials estimated that more than 50,000 devotees would be provided accommodation in these tent cities.

The Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary celebrations would start from the last week of December and would end on January 7, 2017.

The main function would be held on January 5, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would participate along with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and several other Sikh dignitaries from India and abroad.

Earlier, Bihar had announced a three-day holiday during the 'Prakash-Parv' at Takht Harmandir Sahib, the birthplace of the 10th Sikh Guru.

The gurudwara management committee was also undertaking huge constructions on its campus.

An old guest house complex was demolished and a new structure was coming up in its place, which would include parking provisions to accommodate the expected massive rush in January.

Takht Sri Harmandirji Sahib, widely known as Patna Sahib, was about 10 km from Patna and was built in the 1950s over the remains of a structure erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666 to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru and Mata Gujri. He was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at the age of nine, becoming the last of the living Sikh Gurus.

IANS
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

Congress questions new Army Chief's appointment

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

New Delhi, Dec 18: Taking a strong exception to Lt.Gen. Bipin Rawat's appointment as the new Army Chief, the Congress has questioned the government's move. Congress leader Manish Tewari asked as to why the seniority was not been taken into account during the appointment.

Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa, presently the Vice Chiefs of their respective services, will take over on December 31, when incumbents Gen. Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha demit office on retirement from service.

Photo Credit:

Tewari took to micro-blogging site wtitter to question the PM over this. In a series of tweets, he asked why the other seniors in the uniform were overlooked.

Why has Seniority not been respected in Aptt.of Army Chief?Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

2/2 Why has third senior most officerLt Gen Bipin Rawat with due respects to his professionalism superseded other two in a herarichal force?  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

3/3 correctionGen Rawat is not third but fourth senior most. Even Lt Gen BS Negi Army commander Central Command is senior to him ? Why Mr PM  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

4/4 and I only hope& pray it is untrue that this supersession in the Army is not a precursor to suppressions in other institutions Like SC??  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) December 17, 2016

Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat would be the new Army Chief and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa the new chief of Indian Air Force, the Defence Ministry announced on Saturday.

The Left, too, questioned Rawat's appointment. CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim said: "Generally, we never comment on issues related to the armed forces. But it seems that the government is trying to change the traditions and norms of India's major institutions."

Lt Gen. Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa, presently the Vice Chiefs of their respective services, will take over on December 31, when incumbents Gen. Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha demit office on retirement from service.

Rawat will be the second consecutive chief from the Gorkha Rifles. He will succeed Gen Dalbir Singh who was commissioned into 4/5 Gorkha Rifles

(with IANS inputs)
Cabinet approves MoU between India, Denmark in field of Water Resources Development and Management

For beneficiaries of EWS flat a gift from PM Modi like none other

PM Modi hands over keys of 3024 EWS flats to beneficiaries under slum rehab plan

Don't vote for BJP, Arvind Kejriwal says in Lucknow

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Lucknow, Dec 18 Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged people in Uttar Pradesh not to vote for the BJP.

Towards the end of his half hour speech here, Kejriwal told a huge gathering to "teach him (Modi) a lesson" for making them stand in queues for hours to withdraw their own money from banks and ATMs.

"You made Modiji the Prime Minister. Had Uttar Pradesh not given him 73 out of 80 seats, he would never have become the Prime Minister of India," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said.

"Now it is your duty to teach him a lesson as well. The whole nation is looking up to you," he said.

The BJP won a whopping 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. An ally bagged two seats, leaving only seven seats to a battered opposition.

Uttar Pradesh will see assembly elections early next year.

Kejriwal said that even the staunchest supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had turned against the party due to the note ban.

"I met a person who had been voting for BJP for the last 30 years. He told me that he had told his family to vote for anyone but the BJP in the coming election," Kejriwal said and urged people to do the same.

The AAP leader also attacked Modi on the government's move to exempt political parties from income tax regulations while depositing demonetised currency notes in their bank accounts.

He demanded an independent commission to probe the bank accounts of all the political parties over the last five years.

"Seventy per cent of the donations received by the BJP are in cash. I want to ask Modiji to first tell his party workers to take donations through cheques. Then we will also go cashless."

He also accused Modi of receiving bribes from corporates while he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.

The AAP leader has been campaigning against the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes that has led to an unprecedented cash crunch all over the country.

IANS
Former Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri passes away

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Former Planning Commission member Saumitra Chaudhuri passed away in Sir Ganga Ram hospital of the National Capital early on Sunday morning. He was admitted to Sir Gangaram Hospital due to ill health earlier.

"Chaudhuri passed away today morning at 8 am. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. He was admitted in Ganga Ram hospital and his condition had deteriorated in the last three weeks," PTI quoted his nephew Abheek.

Chaudhuri, a noted economist, joined the Planning Commission as Member in June 2009. Prior to that from January 2005 he was a Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. Before joining government he was with ICRA Limited, a full service credit rating agency for sixteen years and editor of research publication Money and Finance.

He began his career in the Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices (BICP), Ministry of Industry (1981-83) and later was senior economist in the Joint Plant Committee, Department of Steel (1983-85). Subsequently he was associated with Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and State Bank of India (SBI) (1986-91), besides for short durations with World Bank and UNIDO over the two decades.

He has a basic degree education in Science and studied economics at the Centre for Economic Studies & Planning, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

According to reports, Chaudhuri had said that bfull replacement of banned currency can only be completed by May 2017.

(With PTI inputs)

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, December 18, 2016, 12:35 [IST]
India's Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba begins Japan visit

News

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Tokyo, Dec 18: The Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, PVSM, AVSM, ADC is on an official visit to Japan commencing 19 December 2016. The visit aims to consolidate existing Maritime Cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues, mentions a Press Information Bureau release.

During the visit, Admiral Sunil Lanba is scheduled to hold discussions with Chief of Staff, JMSDF, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff besides other Senior Dignitaries and Naval Officers.

At the start of the visit Admiral Sunil Lanba called on Sujan R Chinoy Ambassador to Japan in Tokyo.

India-Japan ties:

The friendship between India and Japan has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilisational ties. India's earliest documented direct contact with Japan was with the Todaiji Temple in Nara, where the consecration or eye-opening of the towering statue of Lord Buddha was performed by an Indian monk, Bodhisena, in 752 AD. In contemporary times, among prominent Indians associated with Japan were Swami Vivekananda, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, JRD Tata, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Judge Radha Binod Pal. The Japan-India Association was set up in 1903, and is today the oldest international friendship body in Japan.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan:

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is robust and is primarily focused towards Maritime Cooperation. Our defence cooperation was institutionalised with commencement of the India-Japan Comprehensive Security Dialogue which was initiated in 2001.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has participated in the MALABAR exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior being included as a regular member in the exercise since 2015. JMSDF participated in MALABAR 15 and 16 held in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific respectively.

In 2014, Japan has also been included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a Maritime Cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008.

Both navies also engage in Navy to Navy Staff Talks which commenced in 2008. The 7th Navy to Navy Staff Talks are scheduled to be held in 2017. JDS Matsuyuki participated in the International Fleet Review 2016 held at Visakhapatnam. The Chief of Staff of the JMSDF, Admiral Tomihisa Takei also attended the Review. Indian Navy too participated in the International Fleet Review conducted by the JMSDF in Oct 15 at Sagami Bay, Yokosuka, Japan.

JMSDF for the first time participated in the Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta conducted by the Indian Navy in 2016 at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala from 05 to 11 Dec 16. Warships of both countries regularly visit each other's ports.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive EEZ, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, wherein both navies have opportunities to learn from each other's experiences. In addition, common ground exists for cooperation on a number of issues common to both navies.

(With agency inputs)

OneIndia News
Indian Army pays tribute to Pampore attack martyrs

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Indian Army on Friday paid befitting tributes to three martyrs who lost their lives in a dastardly terrorist action on an army convoy in Pampore on Saturday.

The soldiers were killed after an army convoy was attacked by terrorists in Pampore on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway

Many senior officials from the civil administration including the Divisional Commissioner Baseer Ahmed Khan and other security agencies including JKP, CRPF, BSF and SSB joined Chinar Corps Commander Lt Gen JS Sandhu in paying homage to the martyrs at a ceremony in Srinagar.

The attack came just a few weeks after the Hizbul Mujahideen formed a so-called 'highway squad', which was formed with the intention of attacking army convoys on the highways. Terrorists look to target a convoy on the move as it is considered to be most vulnerable at that time.

The martyrs - Gunner Naik Ratheesh C, 35, Gunner Farate Sourabh Nandkumar, 33, and Gunner Shashikant Pandey, 24, hailed from Kerala, Maharashtra and Jharkhand respectively.

The mortal remains of the martyrs will be flown for last rites to their native places where they will be laid to rest with full military honours.

"In this hour of grief, the Army stands in solidarity with the bereaved families of the martyrs and remains committed to their needs and wellbeing," an army statement said,

Reports said at least two more soldiers were injured in the attack that took place around 20 km from Srinagar. The group of terrorists came on a motorcycle and fired indiscriminately at the convoy.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, December 18, 2016, 16:03 [IST]
Please! I grew up during the depression and World War II  and myself and so many others who grew up through those really difficult times know very well that because we came through that experience that America proved that we are the greatest country in the world!

Therefore, I don't agree with Mr. Trump that we need to make America great again  because we already are!

However, there are some things that need to be done to make our country even greater! And that we can do by making improvements to what needs to be made more correct  for example: our legal system, prison system, etcetera!

What should be a big wake up call though to everyone is the news that emerged this past summer by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that after months of analysis they determined that the Russian hacking was intended to favor Donald Trump.

According to Admiral Michael Rogers, the director of the National Security Agency and commander of the United States Cyber Command, This was a conscious effort by a nation-state to attempt to achieve a specific effect.

According to the New York Times (Dec. 15, 2016) After the C.I.A. provided classified briefings for Congress and the White House, members of both political parties were also convinced. (Please note that both political parties were convinced! And that happens rarely!)

And of course  Mr. Trump doesn't agree! And, that will always be his response  if anyone disputes what he says and/or believes! In other words, "you have a right to your own opinion as long as it agrees with his!"

He repeatedly calls himself a smart person and yet avoids presidential intelligence briefings because he says, they repeat what he already knows. (Wow! He must have one amazing crystal ball!) Or is it that he believes that he's God's greatest gift to mankind?

Oh well, in time we'll all come to know that he's proving himself to be one very gifted charlatan!

And, although some of us are already awake  it's time that all Americans wake up to the writing  now spilling onto the floor!

I so-o-o hope I'm wrong!

Anyway, guess whose naughty list I'm now on?

Joyce Hackett Smith-Moore

Auburn
By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Coal imports, which dropped by 16 per cent to 14 million tonnes (MT) in November, are likely to decline this month as well due to factors like demonetisation and higher prices in global markets.

Import of coal (all types) in November 2016 stood at 14.11 MT (provisional) against 16.87 MT in November 2015, said mjunction services, an online procurement and sales platform floated jointly by SAIL and Tata Steel.

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"We expect that the continued firmness in international coal prices in November, which might have impacted overseas deals, coupled with higher availability of domestic coal and severe liquidity crunch due to demonetisation might lead to lower imports in December as well," mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma told PTI.

Varma said a sharp increase in coal prices coupled with restricted availability appears to have impacted November 2016 coal imports as buyers opted to act cautiously, waiting for prices to soften.

Of the 14.11 MT coal imported last month, 9.3 MT was non coking coal, followed by coking coal (2.87 MT), pet coke (0.96 MT), anthracite coal (0.16 MT), PCI coal (0.40 MT) and met coke (0.38 MT), mjunction said.

Expressing concern over import of coal despite surplus domestic availability, the government had said in October that Coal India, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production, has set a target to replace about 15 MT of imported coal with indigenous fuel in the next six months.

Helped by a record production by the worlds largest coal miner -- Coal India -- the country reduced its import bill of the dry fuel by more than Rs 28,000 crore in the last fiscal. PTI SID ABM JM

--- ENDS ---
All about the nation: Next Army Chiefs son serves in the Air Force

Pakistan govt likely to take decision on next Army chief's appointment by mid-September

Lt. Gen Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas: MoD

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Dec 18: The government on Saturday announced Lt General Bipin Rawat would be the new Army Chief, superseding two seniormost Lt Generals, Praveen Bakshi and P M Hariz. The government also announced that Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa will be the 22nd Chief of the Air Force, replacing Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha who retires at the end of the year.

According to Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources, Lt. Gen Rawat has tremendous hands on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels over last 3 decades. He was found the best suited among the Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges.

While the Former Union minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday slammed the Centre over the appoitment of new Army chief. He said there is no doubt on Lt Gen Rawat's ability, but Government must answer why three seniors were superseded in appointing next Army chief.

"Why has Seniority not been respected in Appoitment of Army Chief? Why have Lt Gen Pravin Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?" questioned former Union minister and Congress leader Manish Tewari on Twitter.

Usually, the names of the new chiefs are announced two to three months in advance. But this time, the names were announced barely two weeks before the current army chief retires.

Lt Gen. Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa, presently the Vice Chiefs of their respective services, will take over on December 31, when incumbents Gen. Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha demit office on retirement from service.

Commissioned in the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978, Rawat has commanded an infantry battalion, along the Line of Actual Control, a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley, and has vast experience in high-altitude warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

Commissioned into the IAF's fighter stream in June 1978, Dhanoa, who has flown various types of fighter aircraft and is a qualified Flying Instructor, commanded a fighter squadron during the Kargil Operations and flew numerous night strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

OneIndia News (with IANS inputs)

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Story first published: Sunday, December 18, 2016, 10:44 [IST]
Top US commander suggests steps to de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Dec 18: A top US commander has said - ending militarisation, maintaining transparency of intention and following the rule of law - can greatly can de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea. The issue is currently a major source for a raging dispute between Beijing and the littoral countries of the region.

"We have been very transparent, we would appreciate all countries being transparent with their intentions in the South China sea; that would help a lot," Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, the commander of the US 7th Fleet who was on a visit to India, told a select group of journalists here.

When asked if the tensions could provoke an armed conflict, he replied, "We certainly don't want that."

"Exercising our rights under international laws to travel to the South China Sea, I do not see that as provoking something into a war. For over 70 years we have been sailing in those waters through the Indian Ocean, to ensure this major sea lane of communication remains open," Aucoin said in response to a question by IANS.

The Seventh Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, has been patrolling Asia's waters since World War II. Its coverage area extends from Japan to India.

China has blamed the US for militarising the area with its increasing presence, while the US has blamed China for this.

Aucoin stressed that the need of the hour is "to stop militarising, and state what their intentions are and then peacefully settle their territorial claims in a court of a law. That would tremendously de-escalate the angst that is now in the South China sea."

Tension has been escalating in the South China Sea with China claiming more than 80 percent of the area. The other major claimants to the area include Vietnam and the Philippines.

In recent years, China has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres in the waters that see trade worth $5 trillion annually.

Satellite images have shown that China has deployed surface-to-air missile launchers on an island in the South China Sea. Of late, it has also increased reliance on non-naval ships to assert its claims in the sea as per reports.

China also rejected a recent decision by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Attribution (PCA) over strategic reefs and atolls that Beijing claims would give it control over the South China Sea. The judgment was in favour of the Philippines.

Aucoin, in the past, has called for patrolling of the South China Sea by multiple nations.

Asked what role he expected India to play in the South China Sea, he said that was for the country's leadership to decide.

He, however, added that India has set an example by abiding by the international order when it accepted a decision of a UN tribunal on its maritime boundary with Bangladesh.

"I look at India as an example, the country that does it the right way. There was a claim between India and Bangladesh. India agreed to take that to court. That would be a terrific path forward in South China Sea that they take it to court and then following the ruling the countries would heed to the ruling," Aucoin said.

At the same time, he said that communication with the Chinese PLA Navy had improved, and a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) is now in place.

"We interact with the Chinese Navy quite a bit. We talk about the South China Sea, we talk about a number of things and there is good progress in some areas like CUES," Aucoin said.

"China has adopted that and has really eliminated a lot of uncertainty."

The Vice Admiral added that India and the US, being two major democracies in the world, need to act together to encourage other countries to follow the rule of law.

"I think as big democracies, we need to act together to encourage following the rule of law because this demand on resources is only going to be more exacerbated in coming years. I very much look forward to working closely with the Indian Navy and the example they set for the world stage," he said.

IANS
Court holds writ by Hindu petitioners in Gyanvapi case maintainable: What does this mean

On camera: Varanasi folks in panic as 'ghost in white' goes for a walk on rooftops

Varanasi to light up for Deep Deepavali, a festival of lights that is not Diwali

Stink and development go hand-in-hand in PM's constituency Varanasi

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Varanasi, Dec 18: In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi, development and stink literally go hand-in-hand -- the latter in spite of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan being launched here more than two years ago.

As you walk down the markets and bathing stairways of this temple-dotted city along the Ganges, a river revered by Hindus, the garbage strewn all around raises an almighty stink. A cluster of cows and bulls squatting in the middle of roads poses a threat to passersby and commuters.

"Benaras (as Varanasi was earlier known) has a rich, grand cultural heritage but it's literally stinking. You can see garbage even in the city's upscale areas," Smith Williams, a tourist from the US, told IANS.



He said vehicular and industrial pollution is alarmingly high. "It's amazing to see the people here are literally gasping for breath."

His wife Emily said stray animals, especially cows and dogs, were a nuisance in the city's lanes -- and pointed to a herd of cows standing around aimlessly.

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, rightly described by historian Mark Twain as being older than history, older than tradition and older than even legend, attracts a significant number of foreign tourists, apart from those within the country.

They are mainly from China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam who travel to cover the Sarnath-Gaya-Varanasi Buddhist circuit. The Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, about 15 km from here.

Another area of concern is toxic particulate pollution that has resulted in an eight-fold increase in respiratory diseases among children in the past decade, according to a new report, "Varanasi Chokes". Corroborating observations from private doctors, it blames abnormally high air pollution levels -- that spiked five times higher than the average this winter for several days -- for the rise in asthma cases.

On the flip side, local taxi operator Suresh Dubey echoed many citizens in saying that Modi has contributed a lot in developing the city's basic infrastructure like the ongoing construction of a four-lane highway, linking this city with the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

"The Lucknow-Varanasi highway, with an almost four-km-long flyover at the entrance of this city will definitely help ease the traffic chaos," added Dubey, who has been driving a taxi in Varanasi for over two decades.

Locals see a major jump in central funding for developing and improving the city's infrastructure with Modi being elected as a Lok Sabha member from here.

"With the initiatives of Prime Minister Modi-ji, the basic amenities will start shaping up in the years to come," auto rickshaw driver Chand Seth said. He said it is also the duty of the local civic body and the state government to develop basic amenities in Varanasi.

A team led by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation Mayor visited Kyoto in April last year to make Varanasi a smart city on the pattern of the Japanese city, but deterioration persists. "There is need for strong political will to improve things," said pediatrician Pradeep Jindal, who is based in the Sigra area.

Octogenarian Tripti Devi, who was born and brought up in this city, said Modi normally walked straight to Dashashwamedh ghat during his visits.

"Dashashwamedh ghat and its adjoining Sheetla and Rajendra Prasad ghats are one of the cleanest places. Modi should visit other ghats too so that the deteriorating conditions would improve there too," she said.

Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe witnessed the Ganga "aarti" at Dashashwamedh ghat on December 12 last year.

As part of the Project Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits Scheme, Rs 18.23 crore has been sanctioned by the central government for basic amenities for the tourists at the ghats.

IANS


Nationwide conviction rate for crime against women stood at 21%

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Dec 18: Conviction rate of people accused of crime against women in the country stood at a dismal 21.7 per cent last year and 35 per cent in Delhi, often dubbed as the rape capital.

According to the National Crime Record Bureau data, no one was convicted in Arunachal Pradesh while most number of accused were convicted in Mizoram in 2015 in cases of crime against women.

In Delhi, the conviction rate in cases of crime against women was merely 35 per cent, despite one fast track court in all 11 districts of the national capital. These courts were set up following the gangrape of a 23-year-old para-medical student in a moving bus in December 2012 that shook the nation.

Last year, in Arunachal Pradesh, 384 cases of crime against women were reported and 408 people arrested, of which 303 were named in charge sheet in 259 cases. However, none was convicted. Single-digit conviction rate was reported from Gujarat (2.7 per cent), Jammu and Kashmir (4.7), Karnataka (4.9), West Bengal (5), Odisha (8.3), Andhra Pradesh (8.4), Telangana (8.6) and Assam (9.4 per cent).

Mizoram had the best conviction rate of 77.4 per cent for the cases of crime against women and also in the cases of crime against children (88.7 per cent) in 2015. It was followed by Nagaland, where accused in 76.7 per cent cases were convicted in cases of crime against women while 63.6 per cent in cases of crime against children.

Delhi had registered just 38 per cent conviction rate in cases of crime against children in 2015, the data said. A total of 9,489 cases of crime against children were registered in the national capital. A total of 3,016 people were listed in charge sheets in 2,524 cases of which 404 people were convicted.

PTI
Coalition strikes near Palmyra killed 38 jihadists: monitor

International

oi-PTI

Beirut, Dec 17: At least 38 Islamic State group fighters have been killed in US-led coalition air strikes this week near Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor said on Saturday. The jihadists retook Palmyra in central Syria on December 11, just eight months after the army backed by Russia drove them out.

On Thursday, US-led coalition aircraft destroyed heavy weaponry seized by the jihadists when they retook the city, the coalition said. A statement yesterday said the strikes destroyed an air defence artillery system, 14 tanks, three artillery systems, two IS-held buildings and two tactical vehicles.

Among the Russian weaponry IS captured around Palmyra were thought to be modern surface-to-air missiles, or SAMs, giving jihadists the potential capability to shoot down aircraft, a coalition official told AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in Britain, said that "at least 38 IS members were killed in the air strikes".

The strikes, near the Tiyas military air base northeast of Palmyra, helped regime forces gain some ground west of the fabled city, said the Observatory. Palmyra is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its recapture by IS gave the jihadists a propaganda boost as they face assaults on two of their key strongholds -- Raqa in Syria and Iraq's second city Mosul.

AFP
Japan: 210,000 birds culled to curb spreading avian flu

International

oi-PTI

Tokyo, Dec 18: Japan has begun slaughtering about 210,000 farm birds in northern Hokkaido to contain another outbreak of a highly contagious strain of avian flu, an official said on Sunday. It is the fifth mass cull this winter in Japan.

Hundreds of officials working to prevent the spread of the virulent H5 strain, which has been detected at several farms across the country. Just weeks earlier, outbreaks led to a cull of 550,000 chickens in the central city of Niigata and 23,000 ducks in the Aomori prefecture south of Hokkaido.

Authorities have also banned the transport of poultry and poultry products in areas close to the affected farms, while sterilising main roads leading to them. But progress has been slow this time with just 32,310 chickens at the farm in Shimzu town in northern Hokkaido culled by Saturday evening, local officials said in a statement.

"We continue to cull the chickens today but the work is difficult as the air temperature falls to some -20 degree Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) at night" in addition to fallen snow that is another obstacle, an official told AFP. Before the current outbreaks, Japan's last confirmed case of avian flu at a farm was in January 2015.

Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection spread from bird to bird. Currently, a particularly deadly strain of bird flu -- H5N1 -- continues to spread among poultry in Egypt and in certain parts of Asia.

According to reports, Bird flus are intensely monitored and there has not been a single reported case of H5N8 infecting people anywhere in the world.

PTI
CPI asks Centre to rescue Indian workers forced into bonded labour in Myanmar

Kachin militants' stronghold captured by Myanmar forces

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Yangon, Dec 18: Myanmar forces have occupied Gidon outpost, a stronghold of the rebel Kachin Independence Army (KIA), in a clearance attack, Myanmar media reported on Sunday.

The government troops managed to take over the outpost and the headquarters on Saturday amid fierce resistance from the KIA, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the crossfire, both sides suffered heavy casualties, the report said, adding that the government troops were still carrying out area clearance operations.

Meanwhile, two explosions hit Kyaukme district police headquarters in northern Shan, blowing away window panes of the office but causing no injuries.

Conflicts erupted in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan province on November 20 after rebels' three armed groups launched attacks on military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai towns and the border trade zone.

Sporadic clashes between the government troops and the three armed groups -- Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) --continue.

IANS
WHO clinics in Sudan war zones facing lack of funds

International

oi-PTI

Khartoum, Dec 18: Dozens of health facilities supported by the World Health Organisation in strife-torn areas of Sudan risk closure due to a lack of funds, exposing one million people to likely epidemics.

Eleven clinics have already been shut in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan where years of fighting between government troops and black African rebels has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. As an acute cash crunch worsens and with the world's eyes focused on other conflicts such as Syria, another 49 facilities in these regions are also at risk, the WHO head in Sudan, Naeema al-Gasseer, told AFP.

"We don't have enough funds to continue supporting clinics in remote areas that provide people with health services," Gasseer said.

"About 11 clinics have already been closed and another 49 are facing closure. We are talking about a million people who can be affected. The closures could impact immunisation services, while some 323,000 women of child-bearing age and children under five will lack access to health care," she said.

"A heightened risk of epidemics is likely... with people having to travel long distances to access available health care services," Gasseer said.

WHO, a United Nations agency, needs about $7 million to operate these clinics over the next year, but is having trouble sourcing the funds. More than half of these facilities are in Darfur, a vast region the size of France where heavy fighting erupted in 2003. Violence broke out when ethnic minority rebels rose up against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Similar fighting has also plagued Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with tens of thousands of people killed or displaced in these three areas in more than a decade. Funding for Sudan's health care sector has fallen in the past two or three years.

The cash crunch faced by WHO and other NGOs is so severe that many clinics have no money even to buy medicines or to pay staff wages.

"Sudan is like a forgotten emergency," said Adil al-Mahi from Save the Children Sweden, which operates health facilities for children in the conflict zones.

"We don't have funds... to maintain the equipment or for food for malnourished children." Save the Children Sweden is phasing out health and nutrition services in 20 centres in South Kordofan, affecting about 200,000 people who it has supported.

PTI
Comedian Atul Khatri's joke on seatbelt becomes one on him as Mumbai Police responds

Massive fire breaks out at Mumbai's Premnagar slum

Mumbai

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Mumbai, Dec 18: Massive fire broke out in a slum in Mumbai's Premnagar on Sunday early morning. According to ANI reports, Eight fire tenders have been sent to the spot to bring the blaze under control. The fire reportedly broke out during wee hours of the day.

The cause of fire and extent of damages is yet to be ascertained.

On Dec 8, Two people, including a child, were killed and at least 11 others injured after a massive fire broke out at the Damu Nagar slums in Kandivli (East). The blaze, which spread across 12 acres, gutted around 2,000 shanties, leaving nearly 10,000 people homeless.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Sunday, December 18, 2016, 8:10 [IST]
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By PTI: others

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) A special anti-money laundering court here has confirmed an attachment of assets order worth over Rs 749 crore issued by the ED against YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, his wife and others in a money laundering case.

The agency had attached the said assets in June this year as part of its probe against Jagan under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

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"On a thorough perusal of the Provisional Attachment Order (PAO), relied upon documents, the investigations conducted by the ED and the statements recorded....and on careful consideration of the arguments advanced on behalf of the complainant (ED) and defendants (Jagan and others) undersigned comes to the prima facie conclusion that the defendants have committed the scheduled offences, generated proceeds of crime and laundered them.

"No doubt, the properties attached are proceeds of crime or value there of and are involved in money laundering. Undersigned therefore orders confirmation of the above PAO," an order issued by a three-member bench of the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA here said.

The bench comprised Authority Chairperson Mukesh Kumar, Member (Law) Tushar V Shah and Member (Administration) Devendra Singhai.

The order added that the defendants "are in possession of proceeds of crime within the meaning of provisions of PMLA..."

The Enforcement Directorate, while issuing the order in June, had said its investigations found that Jagan laundered the proceeds of crime through his group companies Ms Sandur Power Company Pvt Ltd, Ms Classic Realty Pvt Ltd, Ms Silicon Builders Pvt Ltd, Ms Saraswati Power and Industries Pvt Ltd and 10 other firms in the form of investments, purchase of movable and immovable properties, third party payments among others.

Apart from it, the agency had said, Ms Bharathi Cement Corporation Pvt Ltd has received the proceeds of crime in the form of limestone mined from the mines allotted illegally to them in Kadapa district by then Andhra Pradesh government. The value of limestone works out to be more than Rs 152 crore during the relevant period, it had said.

"During investigations under PMLA, the proceeds of crime involved in money laundering were identified in the form of movable (Rs 404,72,32,182) and immovable properties (Rs 344,38,10,378) totally valued at Rs 749.10 crore," the ED order had said.

These attached properties are spread across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. PTI NES AAR

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The accused person had opened bank accounts on the basis of fake identities for deposition of money received from the victims.

By Anuj Mishra: The Delhi Crime Branch busted a gang of cheats, involved in a fake insurance scam, with the arrest of main accused Atul Sharma. Sharma had cheated many innocent people all over India on the pretext of providing huge dividends on existing insurance policy.

The accused person had opened bank accounts on the basis of fake identities for deposition of money received from the victims. They used to withdraw the cheated amount from different ATMs. With the arrest of the accused, one case at Police Station Shimla East, Himachal Pradesh has been worked out and other victims are being probed through CDRs and bank account details of the accused person.

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The crime branch has been receiving a large number of complaints regarding cheats, who run fake call centers and cheat innocent people all over India on the pretext of providing huge bonus amount on insurance policies.

Also read: Mumbai: CBI registers FIR against top railway official for converting black money into white

During this exercise, a tip regarding a gang involved in cheating by way of making phone calls to insurance policy holders was developed by the Delhi Crime Branch and it was found that some Delhi and NCR based cheats are duping people.

SENIOR CITIZEN DUPED

In the present case, Saran Dass Sharma from Shimla, a senior citizen was duped of Rs 8.50 lakhs approximately. In July 2016, the senior citizen was contacted telephonically by one Narender Pal Singh, impersonating as a zonal head of IMGSN, Hyderabad and informed that Saran Dass Sharma had got a handsome amount of bonus Rs 42,00,000 on his existing life insurance policies. He asked him to deposit some service fees. On his inducement, Saran Dass Sharma deposited Rs 16,000 and 49,000 in PNB bank account.

Once the victim deposited the amount, he started receiving telephonic calls continuously from Singh and Atul Sharma. The victim was always asked to deposit certain amount in the name of different service charges for clearance of bonus amount. Under the influence of above persons, the complainant deposited Rs 8.50 lakhs approximately in different bank accounts provided by them. At some stage, the victime realised that he had been duped and then approached Shimla East Police Station.

The South Eastern Range of Crime Branch received information that a racket indulged in cheating several innocent persons on the pretext of providing huge bonus on existing insurance policy is active in Delhi and NCR. The mobile numbers were analysed and sources were deployed.

Also read: All you need to know about the Rs 450-crore scam that put MoS Kiren Rijiju in a spot

The team got a tip regarding presence of accused persons in the area of Khoda Colony, Ghaziabad, UP. A trap was laid and search of Atul Sharma was started. Finally, December 13, Atul Sharma was nabbed by the crime branch team.

During investigation, it was also revealed that Atul Sharma along with his associate Tarun Sharma, conspired to cheat innocent persons. All the bank accounts in which the cheated amount was transferred by the victims were opened on fake identities. SIM cards were also procured on fake identities for the purpose of cheating. The other accused Tarun Sharma is still at large.

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--- ENDS ---
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Technical snag on blue line and maintenance work on the violet line have slowed down Delhi Metro on Sunday causing inconvenience to commuters.

By India Today Web Desk: Sunday brought some inconvenience and delays for commuters of the Delhi Metro on certain routes. Metro trains were running behind their schedules due to some technical snag developed in the operation of the services.

The trains stopped for longer than the average stoppage time at most of the stations between Rajeev Chowk and Noida City Centre on the blue line. Announcements were made to calm the nerves of the travelers.

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READ| Woman enters Delhi Metro carrying axe, tries to strike fellow passenger over seat

Delhi Metro informed the passengers that 'trains were running late due some technical problems'.

The Delhi Metro is carrying out some maintenance work between Badarpur Border and Mohan Estate stations on the violet line. The services will be affected for four hours between 12 noon and 4 pm.

The Delhi Metro issued an advisory on Saturday that trains on Line 6- from ITO to Escorts Mujesar would operate on the single side.

READ| Delhi Metro to start trial run on new Janakpuri West to IGI airport line

The frequency of trains will be lower than the usual. Different schedules have been prepared for various stretches on the violet line:

- From ITO to Mandi House trains will be available at a gap of every 14.50 minutes.

- From Mandhi House and Central Secretariat, trains will be available every 7.03 minutes.

- From Central Secretariat to Sarita Vihar trains will be available every 4.50 minutes

- From Sarita Vihar to Escorts Mujesar trains' frequency will be 11.30 minutes.

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Delhi BJP chief takes Metro ride, promotes digital transaction

--- ENDS ---
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Hurry Up and Wait: Japan Legalises Gambling, but Operation Remains Far Off

Published December 18, 2016 by Lee R

Operators will have to wait to enter the market until well after the Tokyo Games.

Intriguing Japan has perfected its own version of regulation last Thursday, though it will be years before legalised gambling actually takes place.

The IR Legislation

Passing with the joint approval Prime Minister Shinzo Abe along with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the Casino Bill maps the integration of so-called large-scale integrated resorts (IRs) combining casinos with hotel, shopping and conference facilities.

Heaven Must Wait

Casinos cannot actually open in Japan until at least 2022, well after the Tokyo 2020 games, pending further legislation for regulation, tax rates and safe gambling procedures and requirements.

Landing Spots

The first IR locations identified so far in Japan include an artificial island in Osaka Bay called Yumeshima; Sasebo; Yokohama; and Hokkaido. Las Vegas Sands Corp, Wynn Resorts and MGM are among the first casinos looking into opening operations in the country.

Environmental Context

The only gambling previously permitted in Japan was betting on horse, boat and bicycle races through government-backed bookmakers. Up to this point, it was illegal for land-based casinos to operate in the third largest economy in the world, whose casino industry value has reached $40 billion by some expert estimates.

Joint Ventures

International Casino Institute CEO Takashi Kiso disclosed that operating enterprises were likely to take place in the form of joint ventures between international gambling groups and Japanese companies, with MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands having already expressed interest and MGMs CEO telling Reuters already in October that his organisation was preparing up to $10 billion for Japanese casino investment.

Opposition Stance

Longstanding opposition stems from concerns regarding gambling addiction, money laundering, and the potentially negative impact of casinos on local neighbourhoods.

Public Opinion

A public broad poll by Japans NHK revealed minimal support from the Japanese public, with 44% of the Japanese public opposed casinos and just 12% in favour, and 34% undecided.

Addiction Issue

Public opposition is based mainly on addiction concerns. A 2014 study Japan Health Ministry revealed that approximately 5 million people, or some 5 percent of the adult population, were addicted to gambling, substantially higher than 1 percent median rate found in other countries.

Positive Outcomes Promised

Pro-casino lawmakers promised measures to combat addiction and money laundering, as did prospective operators, with both groups assuring the casino plan will create jobs and make Japan a more alluring tourism destination.

Implications for iGaming

The wave of optimism and promises notwithstanding, the ramifications for iGaming look far off. Japan certainly has appeal as a lucrative iGaming market, but with so much more red tape to get through before even bringing land-based gambling into effect, it will be a long time before iGaming operators have a realistic opportunity there.
From Counterpunch

The neocon-driven propaganda campaign to prevent president-elect Donald Trump from taking office took an unexpected turn on Thursday when CBS posted an article claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the alleged hacking of the DNC. According to the report:

"American intelligence officials say they are convinced that Russian hacking of our presidential election was approved by President Vladimir Putin. Sources confirm to CBS News they believe Putin was aware of attacks that began in July of last year. "An official investigation is still going on. But this is the first time the hacking that plagued the Democratic National Committee until Election Day has been linked to Putin, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues. "The hacks were so widespread and sustained over such a long period of time that U.S. Intelligence sources say it could not have been carried out without the knowledge of senior levels of the Kremlin. CBS News has learned that investigators believe the initial cyberattack involved thousands of malicious emails aimed at the U.S. government, military and political organizations." ("Vladimir Putin likely gave go-ahead for U.S. cyberattack, intelligence officials say," CBS News)

As is true with earlier reports on the same topic, CBS fails to provide the names of any of its "U.S. intelligence sources," any corroborating evidence to support its allegations, or any proof that its speculative stitching together of isolated facts produce an accurate account of what actually took place. No where in the entire hysterical narrative, do the authors mention the fact that neither the DNC nor the Podesta emails were "hacked" by a hostile foreign power, but "leaked" from within the DNC itself or by agents operating at the NSA.

The most probable explanation for the alleged cyber intrusion is that the emails were given to WikiLeaks by a disgruntled employee operating in the Hillary campaign who was so sickened by the lies and corruption that he decided to blow the whistle. Is that so hard to believe?

Needless to say, this logical storyline doesn't jibe with the CIA-MSM-Podesta version of events which requires a charge of foreign espionage to overturn the election and implement its treasonous plan for regime change in Washington.

According to the Daily Mail, Craig Murray, who is the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan and associate of Julian Assange...

"flew to Washington, D.C. for emails...He claims he had a clandestine hand-off ... near American University with one of the email sources. Murray said the leakers' motivation was 'disgust at the corruption of the Clinton Foundation and the 'tilting of the primary election playing field against Bernie Sanders' "Murray says: 'The source had legal access to the information. The documents came from inside leaks, not hacks. Regardless of whether the Russians hacked into the DNC, the documents Wikileaks published did not come from that,' Murray insists.'... "Murray said he was speaking out due to claims from intelligence officials that Wikileaks was given the documents by Russian hackers as part of an effort to help Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election.

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From Reader Supported News

With the CIA, the FBI, and the NSA in unilateral agreement with a "high degree of confidence" that the November 8, 2016, U.S. presidential election was influenced by a foreign actor, specifically Russia, can the Electoral College vote even proceed?

Should the electors ratify Donald Trump's victory knowing what they now know, they would -- at the very least -- be accepting a foreign hand in choosing the President of the United States.

This is a historic moment politically and constitutionally for the country. These are conclusive statements by all major U.S. national security agencies. This is specifically what the Electoral College was created to detect and prevent.

Alexander Hamilton, in creating the foundation for the college, addressed the question directly in his Federalist Paper 68:

"Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one quarter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union? -- Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Paper 68, 1788

Cast in that light, the current situation is completely unprecedented in the entire scope of American history. Never before have the Electoral College electors been so informed, in such direct and unequivocal terms, that the hand of a foreign actor is influencing the outcome of the election for the highest office in the land.

It is the constitutional duty of all 538 electors to take into urgent consideration the implications of the joint findings of all federal National Security and law enforcement agencies.

Should Donald Trump be denied an Electoral College victory, he is not disqualified from becoming president, it simply remands the matter to the House of Representatives. House members certainly have both public and classified avenues to discovery of the facts. Something the electors do not have.

No presidential election in history compares even remotely to the one now upon the nation. The electors are duty-bound, constitutionally, to take into full account the extraordinary statements made by the joint National Security and law enforcement agencies.

It is of grave importance to the nation that the Electoral College electors put the security and integrity of Office of the President above political obligation.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.


(Image by Official White House photo) Details DMCA



Jim Himes, a Congressional leader in the oversight of the National Security Agency and US cybersecurity, has just torpedoed Obama's case against Russia.



Obama has revealed his intentions to attack Russia in retaliation for alleged hacking of Democratic Party and Clinton campaign emails. He's offered no substantiation for his accusations. The evidence he and others have cited does not check out. What's more, the allegations have never been addressed by the UN or any other competent international-security agency.



But the lack of substantiation is actually beside the point. The primary issue is that countries covertly gathering information from other countries is nothing new, and is certainly not unique to Russia.





Himes' torpedo of Obama's case against Putin came this morning when he was interviewed on MSNBC about the Russian hacking. Himes clearly asserted, "We're better than them in hacking into networks." Bingo. There's the admission. Let me repeat what he said, "We're better than them in hacking into networks."






Copyrighted Image? DMCA



"In the beginning there was the Word and Word was with God and the Word was God... And The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:1-14.

In broad historical terms, the election of Donald Trump by those who call themselves Christians may not stand out as one of Christianity's greatest sins. But it may. For someone like me, flawed, weak and sinful as I am, but who looks to Jesus Christ as the full revelation of God, this was still stunning. When I saw the iconic photo of the sign, amid throngs of ravenously cheering white faces, reading, "Thank you Lord Jesus for President Trump," I became physically nauseous. It was like a wind-taking punch to the gut; a final confirmation of what I had only heretofore suspected, that white American Christianity had abandoned Jesus Christ altogether.

The name Jesus rolls off the tongues of these self-described Christians so very easily and frequently, but is rarely associated with the Jesus one comes to know in the Gospels. To associate His name with Donald Trump, however, is unthinkable. Never has a major candidate so brazenly inflamed the dark passions of fear and hatred for "the other" (aka our neighbors) as did Donald Trump. It seems self-evident that anyone familiar with the Gospel Jesus would easily recognize that one could not find His more opposite number than in the likes of Donald J Trump.

Only a church blinded by idolatry could do this. I am not speaking metaphorically here. I am speaking literally. I'm talking old-school, blatant, easily recognizable idolatry; obvious in its naked imagery as well as in its intent.

On television screens and in churches across America the scene is repeated thousands of times a week. A well-dressed or colorfully robed man or a woman stands in front of a congregation, television camera or both holding an object above his or her head and proclaiming that object to be God. That man or woman then goes on to forcefully influence his or her audience with a power that can only be attained by visibly holding and audibly manipulating and controlling "God" so completely.

The object held high and idolized as God is a bound copy of 66 books known collectively as The Bible.

In those 66 books one can find justification for almost any ideological or selfish purpose. In those 66 books one can justify almost any reach for power or wealth. In Jesus' life and teachings, by contrast, one finds absolutely nothing upon which to build worldly power or wealth.

Recognition of this idolatry is not new. The term most commonly used to describe this sin is "bibliolatry." I prefer the root word idolatry because it most plainly defines the spiritual sin at work. I will make some reference here to the theological grounding of my assertion, but will focus primarily on the fruits of this wholesale spiritual sin because, as Jesus told us, that is how we shall know them, not by their hermeneutics, but by their fruits.

I will note, however, that it is the theologian among the Gospel writers who lets us know that the Word of God is Jesus Christ and that, consequently, the collection of scriptures written before the ultimate revelation of that Word and those written as post-scripts (as inspired and as revered as some may be), are not the Word of God. The result of burying the Word Made Flesh in this tomb of tomes is that those who wish to sincerely know Jesus are led astray. Like the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus time, the promulgators of this idolatry today commit sin against the spirit in their use of religion to gather prestige and wealth for themselves while misleading those who trust them away from God.

In the wards of this idolatry, the Bread of Life is not fully taken up as the nourishment for which it was given. Instead the Bread of Life is dissolved into a vast, boiling cauldron of a million words of men, leaving those who seek Christ slurping hungrily at a weak and bitter broth that bloats the ego and emaciates the soul.

How else does one explain the state of white Christianity in America? How else can it be looking so intently away from Jesus Christ and seeking validation from principalities and popular culture rather than in the Good News of Our Lord Jesus Christ?

How can those who call themselves followers of this God who explicitly taught us not to pray in public as the Pharisees (hypocrites) do, but to do so in private where "our Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:5), demand that the State sanction its public prayer on properties owned by the State?

How can chest-thumping adrenaline junkies calling themselves by Jesus' name agitate for deadly war against Islam and do so in the name of a God who instructed them to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39)?

How can the followers of a God who rebuked the offer of secular power over all of the kingdoms of the world as a temptation from Satan (Luke 4:5), self-righteously demand secular power (both cultural and political) for themselves and stomp their collective feet in entitled fits of rage when their fellow citizens are granted secular rights to which these "people of god" believe them unworthy?

How else does one explain white, Christian America's rejection of science? A science that claims no answers to questions of who created the universe or why, but only provides insights into the how and when of creation poses no threat to the faith that Jesus challenges us to embrace. Yet, these "Christians" contend that faith in Jesus demands a rejection of the very faculties God gave us in favor of stories told in humanity's childhood. They go on to demand that our representatives in government reject science as well.

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I try my best to be an informed about what is, and has happened, in Syria. When I watch mainstream media's coverage I am horrified at their "fake news". For example, Lester Holt of NBC nightly news recently referred to Bashar Assad as the "brutal dictator". Does Lester know that in 2014 there was a multiparty election in Syria? Does he know that Assad won the election with 88% of the vote? Critics might say, but it was not a fair election! Was ours?

Most of the coverage has centered around Aleppo, and the mainstream Aleppo narrative has been, it was besieged by the brutal dictator, who wanted to slaughter all the residents of Aleppo. The fact is, Aleppo is divided into two parts and has been for four years. West Aleppo is controlled by the Syrian government, and East Aleppo was captured, and has been held by terrorists and thugs for the past four years. Residents of East Aleppo have not been allowed to leave, and have been shot in the streets for trying. The jihadists who control East Aleppo, these would be the same "moderates" and "rebels" that beheaded the 11-year-old boy, and showed the beheading to the world, have also controlled the hospitals in east Aleppo and have used them to treat their own, and to launch artillery barrages into west Aleppo, killing innocents every day for the past four years.

Finally, with the help of the Russians and others, the Syrian government liberated East Aleppo and rescued its residents from the terrorists. This is a completely different narrative from what one gets watching mainstream news, which gets its news from "anonymous" twitter accounts, "unnamed activists", and the White Helmets. That fake organization is funded by the US, France, and other western nations to the tune of $100 million, and is nothing more than a propaganda tool for the west. It has been completely exposed and thoroughly discredited, except by mainstream media, which uses its propaganda as if it were factual. The US had no actual reporters anywhere near Aleppo. There are, however, reporters from other countries who were in and out of Aleppo daily, like Vanessa Beeley and Canadian journalist Eva Bartlett, who fully understand what has happened and report it accordingly. If your goal is trying to defeat the terrorist and jihadists forces in Syria, the liberation of east Aleppo is a major victory. If, on the other hand, you support terrorists, or have as your goal, prolonging the war to weaken Assad, then the taking of Aleppo represents a tragedy. According to mainstream media, the retaking of Aleppo by government forces and defeating the terrorist is a tragedy.

One of the best journalists in the world, when it comes to the middle east, is Patrick Cockburn. You probably never heard of him if you rely on mainstream "fake" media, because his voice is not allowed. He is, however, recognized as one of the best sources in the world on Syria and the Middle East, but his voice and work cannot get by the censors of mainstream media. Cockburn's most recent article, "There's More Propaganda Than News Coming Out of Aleppo This Week", argues that jihadists early on killed or captured western journalists, and gained the narrative using fake sources, twitter accounts and the like. When is the last time you heard Noam Chomsky on mainstream media? He is one of the best minds in the country, but he cannot get by the censors. Other great foreign-policy journalists such as Eric Margolis, Pepe Escobar, the great Glenn Greenwald, and Jeremy Scahill, are not tolerated by mainstream "fake" media.

It is interesting to see mainstream media shed crocodile tears for the civilians of Aleppo, yet when the US besieged the city of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004, the "fake" news folks were cheerleaders. This was a city of 300,000, which was basically leveled by the US-led forces. The US claimed Fallujah was held by terrorists and proceeded to level the city to save the city. No one knows, nor will ever know, how many civilians were killed in a brutal assault on a civilian city. The point here is, mainstream "fake" news acted as cheerleaders, and never once worried about civilians being slaughtered, nor did they shed any tears during the "Shock and Awe" destruction of Baghdad. Funny how they can just turn around and shed crocodile tears for the civilians of Aleppo, but cheer when we kill civilians.

In no way am I a champion of Bashar Assad, but I respect the right of the Syrian people to pick their own leader. How many times have you heard Obama and officials in the administration, along with crazies like John McCain and Lindsey Graham, chant in unison: "Assad must go"? None of the crazies ever tried to explain what gives the US government the legal right to decide who should lead the Syrian people. Then again, what is the law, when you have power. Still, it is interesting to see how upset and angry these same folks are, when Russia is falsely accused of trying to hack into our elections. Julian Assange and Craig Murray claim them never got anything from Russia, and they know who leaked the e-mails. Former ambassador Craig Murray even claims to have met the individual, and insists the individual is an insider. William Binney, the man who designed the NSA's surveillance system, has come forward and vehemently argued if anyone hacked those e-mails, the NSA would instantly know who hacked, when, where, and whether those e-mails were passed on to another party. Binney, the foremost expert in the world, is banned from mainstream "fake" media, as are Murray and Assange. They cannot get over the wall of censors who wish always to control the narrative.

If you really are curious about world events, you must work at it, and find good alternative sources. You are ignorant of world events if you only rely on mainstream "fake" media.
From Senator Warren Website

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MASS) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that Senate Democrats have launched a new website inviting Americans to share their personal stories of being impacted by the foreclosure practices of Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary nominee, foreclosure king Steve Mnuchin.

"Donald Trump's choice of Mnuchin is not only a fundamental betrayal of his promise to stand up to Wall Street-it is a punch in the gut to the thousands of American families who were thrown out of their homes by Mnuchin's bank," said Senator Merkley. "The voices of these Americans should be heard loud and clear as the Senate examines his record and considers his nomination."

"After years peddling the kind of dangerous" mortgage-backed securities that eventually blew up the economy, Mnuchin swooped in after the crash to take a second bite out of families by aggressively -- and sometimes illegally -- foreclosing on their homes," said Senator Warren. "This man has engaged in the worst kinds of practices on Wall Street and directly hurt thousands of working families -- and now, Donald Trump wants to literally hand him the keys to the Treasury where he can make big banks even richer at the expense of America's families."

"During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump told the American people that he was going to change Washington by taking on Wall Street. But now that the election is over, Donald Trump's choice for Treasury Secretary is the same old, same old Wall Street insider who made a fortune during the financial crisis as millions lost their homes," said Senator Sanders. "If confirmed, Steve Mnuchin would be the third Treasury Secretary to come from Goldman Sachs in the last 17 years. That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington -- that is hypocrisy at its worst. The last thing we need is another Treasury Secretary from Goldman Sachs and another broken promise from Donald Trump."

As the CEO and owner of OneWest Bank, Mnuchin oversaw an operation that was called a "foreclosure machine," repossessing the homes of tens of thousands of American families between 2009 and 2015 and intensifying the economic pain of the Great Recession. Despite the fact that there were programs available specifically to help banks like OneWest work with families to modify their mortgages and keep them in their homes, OneWest instead pursued an aggressive strategy of foreclosing on families to rack up profits. OneWest executed 39% of all foreclosures on federally-insured reverse mortgages from April 2009 through April 2016, despite servicing approximately 17% of the market.

OneWest used illegal tactics like "robo-signing" -- falsifying key documents -- to create a wave of foreclosures that kicked more than 36,000 families out of their homes. In one case in Florida, OneWest foreclosed on a 90-year-old woman over a 27-cent payment error. In another case in Minnesota, a homeowner in a foreclosure dispute with OneWest came home in the middle of a blizzard to find that the locks on her house had been changed.

View the new website here.
Has Hyderabad suddenly developed strong infatuation for gold after demonetisation was announced on November 8?

By Ashish Pandey: On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the existing notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 would no longer be valid currencies. Some relaxations were also announced for the use of discontinued notes. Buying gold was one of the options.

Now, records obtained by Enforcement Directorate show that Hyderabad madly went after the yellow metal.

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ED investigations have revealed that gold biscuits worth Rs 2,700 crore were bought in the City of Nizams between November 8 and 30. All payments were done in cash with demonetised or discontinued currency notes.

READ| Huge cash and gold recovered since demonetisation

ED also suspects that the people, who made the purchases, went underground after the buying spree. The agency is trying hard to locate those buyers of gold biscuits.

There was a sharp spike in the import of gold into Hyderabad during the same period. Approximately 8,000 kg of gold was imported into the city after demonetisation, ED sources said.

WATCH:

Interestingly, there was a fresh import of about 1,500 kg of gold between December 1 and 10, the ED sources said.

These revelations follow an Income Tax department raid on a famous jeweller in Hyderabad. The IT department sent its report to ED for further examination and investigation.

ALSO READ:

Post-demonetisation: Hyderabad post offices become centres of corruption

--- ENDS ---
On Monday, 10 bipartisan Electors sent an urgent l etter the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. In the letter, the Electors ask him to reveal any investigations taking place regarding the Russian government's involvement in our U.S. elections. By Tuesday there were over 50 Elector signature." Today, there are 54 and growing, including some Republicans.

As of Saturday, The FBI just announced that they agree with CIA findings that cyberattacks by the Russian government were intended to help elect Donald Trump as President of the United States.

And now over 70 Electoral College members across the nation are demanding that U.S. intelligence officials brief Electors on any possible investigations into Russian government connections to Donald Trump BEFORE they vote next Monday.

Last night, the office of Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said he still was not planning to brief Electors before they vote Monday - It is worth remembering that Clapper committed high crimes by lying to Congress. "At the tail end of a rare open session of the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 12, 2013, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked National Intelligence Director James Clapper whether intelligence officials collect data on Americans.

Clapper responded "No, sir," and, "Not wittingly."In the following months, a series of news stories fueled by leaks from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that wasn't the case. Reports showed the government was collecting and storing bulk metadata of American phone records, and had methods for capturing a vast amount of email and Internet data as well."

Short version: Clapper lied to Congress and the American People and now, while admitting Russia intervened for Trump in the election, he is refusing to brief the electors to allow them to make an informed choice.

If his first lie was treason, this new decision is treason on steroids.

Note that small conservative states have 3 1/3 times more votes, per voters, than where most people live. Minority rule = dictatorship. This is the only way tthat losers in the general election can be declared the winner: it is a model of tyranny, designed as such by the slave owning oligarchs who invented the Electoral College.

If Clapper is able to present compelling evidence of the links between Trump and Russia, it will overturn the planned overturn by the Electoral College of the actual results of the recent election, which Trump lost by nearly 3 million. Now he and his supporters, fearing that his coup will be derailed, are saying that accusations of Russian intervention is a lie...but one he invited. The counter-evidence is that Trump asked Russia publicly to intervene and the FBI and CIA now both admit that Russia did intervene to help Trump....but No! Clapper won't brief the Electoral College because.......Trump hasn't been sworn in yet!

Let's begin with Trump's original crime: "

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wafertech.JPG

Camas-Washougal Fire Department firefighters, with help from the Vancouver Fire Department, extinguished the fire about 50 minutes after arriving and dousing the tank with cooling water. (Camas-Washougal Fire Department)

Chip industry accidents in the Silicon Forest

Here's a list of some chip industry accidents in the region.

Semiconductor manufacturers employ a variety of hazardous materials in their production process as they add materials to the chips and remove layers of metals. The region's chip industry has had a handful of accidents. Here are some:

Intel, early 1980s (Aloha): Company officials report a leak of solvents from a pipe leading to an underground tank. In the '90s, the company built pumps and treated water to prevent the solvents from seeping into groundwater under nearby homes.

Intel, Oct. 7, 1984 (Aloha): Seventeen workers are hospitalized after they reported breathing problems. Intel evacuates the factory again later in the week after chlorine fumes leaked from an exhaust system.

Intel, Nov. 11, 1986 (Aloha): A pyrophoric gas silane cylinder leaks through a valve and catches fire. Sprinklers confine the blaze.

Fujitsu Microelectronics, July 20, 1995 (Gresham): Eighteen people are taken to the hospital after an ammonia leak.

Intel, Nov. 18, 1996 (Hillsboro): An employee cleaning out an acid tank encounters a small puff of steam as the tank was heated. Emergency workers took him to the hospital for observation.

Maxim Integrated Products, June 7, 2001 (Beaverton): Seventeen people are taken to the hospital complaining of labored breathing and headaches after a leak of chlorine and hydrogen bromide. Employees are treated, released and returned to work the same night.

WaferTech, July 2, 2007 (Camas, Wash.): A tanker truck spills a gallon of sulfuric acid onto Lake Road in Camas. The acid, a byproduct of chip manufacturing, was to be sold to others. Firefighters and WaferTech clean up the spill.

Microchip Technology, June 21, 2010 (Gresham): A 55-gallon drum containing a solvent leaks into a containment trench. Gresham firefighters respond.

ON Semiconductor, July 20, 2010 (Gresham): Two workers are taken to the hospital for minor injuries after being exposed to ammonia in a production area. The facility is evacuated for three hours.

-- Mike Rogoway

A 3,000-gallon tank containing hydrogen caught fire Saturday at the WaferTech campus in Camas, Washington and company officials are not sure how it started.

Camas-Washougal Fire Department firefighters, with help from the Vancouver Fire Department, extinguished the fire about 50 minutes after arriving and dousing the tank with cooling water, Camas-Washougal Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said.

Swinhart said the tank eventually vented, releasing a large cloud of hydrogen vapor.

"The cloud did not catch on fire," he said. "The tank vented completely," relieving pressure in the tank.

WaferTech safety and hazardous materials technicians were on scene to direct and assist emergency responders, a fire department news release says.

Roads were closed near WaferTech, including Lake Road, during the incident which was reported shortly before 2 p.m.

There were no injuries. A WaferTech official there was no danger to people who live in close proximity to the campus and thus no need to issue a warning to the community. About 20 WaferTech employees moved to another part of the campus until the fire was brought under control.

"We're still assessing how the fire started," company spokesperson Christa Hammack said.

Hydrogen is extremely flammable and can cause symptoms including headaches, ringing in ears, dizziness and nausea when inhaled.

WaferTech, which is owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and opened its Camas location in 1997, makes integrated circuits that go on silicon wafers.

Hydrogen is used in the production of the circuits, Hammack said, declining to further describe the process.

The company employs 1,000 workers and about 200 of them were on the campus Saturday, she said.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman
PUTIN.JPG

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Tokyo, last Friday.

(AP Photo)

STOP WHINING, MEDIA: Very interesting that federal, state and local governments promised that there was no potential of any voter fraud in the elections, yet now they are saying the Russians intervened. And now the media, which backed up their promises, is spouting off about it, because their candidate did not win.

Get over it! Your candidates did not win, because voters were tired of the lying and tired of the biased news reporting, which continues.

Gordon Grochau, Portland
Coffee Creek Correctional Institution 201661070

The inmate population at Coffee Creek Correctional Institution has grown steadily, and Oregon Department of Correc- tions officials will be going before the legislature hoping to expand the women's facility, which they say is over capacity.

(Beth Nakamura / staff)

John S. Foote

Christine Culver looks like a grandmother. But at age 63, she is actually a career criminal. Going as far back as 1978, she has repeatedly defrauded and embezzled money from innocent victims, including $225,000 from the City of Molalla in 1997 and now, $73,000 from her own church. At her most recent sentencing she claimed that she herself was a victim. The judge disagreed and sent her to prison for three years -- she will serve two years with earned time and transitional leave.

Serious and repeated property crime by female offenders is a real and growing problem. We read about it every day. But there are well-funded advocates who want us to believe that these criminals are really victims. However, for most of us, there is still right and wrong. When a felony is committed, there is the person who broke the law (the criminal) and the person who was injured by the acts of the criminal (the victim). While each criminal has their own personal story, that doesn't make them a victim when they hurt others. Pro-offender advocacy has drowned out the voice of the real victims of these crimes.

In Oregon, it takes a lot of property crimes to send a criminal to prison. You don't go for your first felony conviction. Or the second. In Clackamas County, for example, the last 58 female offenders who went to prison had accumulated 457 prior convictions. That is almost eight prior convictions per criminal. Measure 57 was passed by the voters in 2007 because property crime was high and there were no real consequences for serious repeat offenders. Today, under Measure 57, those offenders go to prison for moderate sentences -- there are no mandatory minimum sentences for property crimes under the measure. In turn, Oregon's property crime rates have dropped. But, anti-Measure 57 advocates want to turn back the clock.

Some of these advocates seem to want a double standard for repeat property offenders: one standard for male offenders and another, more lenient one for females. Measure 57 is gender neutral, so for those that believe in equality, Measure 57 provides it.

Finally, there is simply no crisis involving Oregon's female prison population. We know this because every six months there is a new ten-year forecast for the state's prison population, published by the impartial Oregon Office of Economic Forecasters. As professional forecasters, their report is not about ideology, only facts and figures.

The most recent October 2016 forecast estimated that Oregon's prison population will grow at a glacial pace - 4 percent over the next 10 years, compared to 12 percent for Oregon's population. They predict Oregon's incarceration rate is actually going to drop almost 8 percent.

The projected growth of Oregon's female prison population is even less. Far less. They estimate Oregon will add a grand total of 16 additional female inmates over the next 10 years -- a growth rate of 1.2 percent.

There are almost 1,300 female prison beds currently in operation. The Department of Corrections wants to open the old and currently vacant women's prison. Rather than spending money to do that, one hopes that over the next 10 years they can find room for an additional 16 beds in the current facilities.

John S. Foote is the Clackamas County District Attorney and former deputy director and inspector general of the Oregon Department of Corrections.
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Mayor Charlie Hales, pictured here in September 2016 photo, argued for appealing a judge's order that calls for the city to report back on progress made in revamping the Community Oversight Advisory Board.

(Mike Zacchino/Staff)

Portland Mayor Charlie Hales has had many opportunities this year to show his commitment to the police reforms settlement between the city and the federal justice department.

He could have regularly attended meetings of the Community Oversight Advisory Board, the citizens' group that has struggled with fulfilling its charge to assess compliance with the settlement. He could have developed a new police complaint process when public outcry tanked the city's first proposal. And he could have modeled accountability and honesty by putting his then-police chief Larry O'Dea on leave the moment he learned O'Dea accidentally shot a friend.

http://media.oregonlive.com/opinion_impact/photo/agenda-2013jpg-da8a3522a991b9c6.jpg

Editorial Agenda 2016



Get Oregon centered

Better leadership in education

Make Portland a city that works

Build Oregon prosperity

Protect and expand personal freedom

Get pot right

_______________________________

Hales did none of these. Rather, Hales is squandering his remaining time as Portland's one-term mayor by leading an ego-fueled challenge to the authority of the federal judge overseeing the settlement. As The Oregonian/OregonLive's Maxine Bernstein reported, Hales and the rest of the council

from U.S. District Judge Michael Simon that requires the city to report next month on progress it has made toward revamping the community oversight board.

As judge's orders go, that's not particularly onerous. In fact, it's a smart idea considering the city failed to take action sooner to shore up the oversight board, whose members have long complained of a lack of support, resources, training and even interest by top city leaders. As former state senator Avel Gordly, a member of the oversight committee, told The Oregonian Editorial Board in June, "There's nothing that signals this work is a priority for the mayor and the chief."

Yet, Hales and company bristle at the notion that the judge is requiring an update on fixes to a portion of the settlement that the city had previously crowed about. They argue that calling a hearing outside of annual status conferences is beyond his authority in overseeing a settlement between two parties.

However, the city's legal tantrum will likely gain nothing for Portland. The justice department, for one thing, supports requiring the city to report back. And a previous order by Simon - that the city agreed to - plainly references his authority to call annual status conferences "or otherwise as may be directed by the Court." The justice department even italicized that phrase in a filing stating that the judge has the authority to do exactly what he is doing.

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are Laura Gunderson, John Maher, Helen Jung, Mark Katches and Len Reed.

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There seems to be a personal motivation to the legal challenge that is entirely inappropriate for public action. Hales noted that Simon was the same judge who struck down his unconstitutional practice of excluding members of the public from council meetings for month-long stretches based on past disruptions. In addition, Hales and other commissioners believe Simon should have sanctioned a man who made insensitive comments about one of the city's attorneys in the annual hearing in October.

Simon, Hales declared at the council meeting, "has lost credibility and standing in terms of being an impartial body."

It was a classic Hales moment: Imperious and clueless, all at the same time.

When it comes to "lost credibility," Hales owns the title. Hales, the police commissioner, did nothing after O'Dea told him he was under criminal investigation for shooting his friend. Rather than place his chief on administrative leave or notify the Independent Police Review division so investigators could conduct their own personnel inquiry, Hales sat on the information until confronted by reporters four weeks later. Even then, as O'Dea retired, he decried the media for "smearing" the chief.

Hales never got what police reform meant. But it's disappointing to see the others, including Commissioner Amanda Fritz who has been the most involved in the community oversight board, support Hales' hysterics. While they made noises about just wanting to clarify the rules, they fail to see the message that such a pointless action sends to the community: The vanity of Portland leaders comes first.

"There's a bigger picture here," Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes, who has long worked for police reform in Portland, said at the council meeting. "We're in critical times and dangerous times. And the city of Portland needs confidence that the city leadership is not stalling on implementing the settlement agreement."

Unfortunately, his message was lost on the City Council, which seems more bent on trying to show Simon who's boss. The commissioners should try to remember that the answer to that question is the public.

- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
The container scheduled to leave for Andaman on December 12 was delayed for almost a week, due to the strike of the employee union in the dock area.

By Manogya Loiwal : While millions of people in the country are queuing up in front of ATMs and banks to withdraw cash after demonetisation, people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands do not even have this option.

A passenger ship with a container full of new currency notes scheduled to leave for Andaman and Nicobar Islands was delayed for almost a week, leaving thousands of residents cashless, quite literally.

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Andaman and Nicobar Islands are connected with the mainland by sea or by air. Air travel takes a minimum of two hours from Chennai or Kolkata and is expensive too while the sea route is cheaper but takes 2-3 days. However, the sea route is best suited for cargo and industrial transportation.

The container scheduled to leave for Andaman on December 12 was delayed for almost a week, due to demonitisation and the strike of the employee union in the dock area.

More than a thousand union members of Forward Seamens Union of India were protesting against violations of the circulars regarding safe manning which delayed the ship.

The members alleged that the International Labour Organization rules of Marine labour Act were not being followed, despite being signed by the Shipping Corporation of India.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh: ACB raids additional excise commissioner's premises, recovers cash, gold

Sumit Singha, an executive committee member of Forward Seamens Union of India explained, "We are letting the ship sail because lot of currency is getting transferred to Andaman. We don't want to go against India as our fight is against the management of the ship. After the money is transferred to Andaman, we will agitate there. As India is going through an economic crisi, we are letting the ship sail. We are letting the ship sail only for the people, but our fight will go on. We don't want Andaman people to face any sort of problem."

The ship finally left on Sunday on the condition that this would be the last one to sail out of the docks for the benefit of the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Also read: Demonetisation in Hyderabad: Gold worth Rs 2,700 crore bought with banned notes

--- ENDS ---
A few days ago, LEGOLAND Florida celebrated Tampa Electrics completion of a solar canopy over portions of the parking lot thats now producing electricity (and shade) for guests. These solar panels can produce enough electricity to power more than 200 homes and enough shade for more than 600 cars. Its Tampa Electrics second large-scale photovoltaic (PV) array to be installed in the communities it serves, and its first large-scale array in Polk County.

Tampa Electric owns the PV array, and the electricity it produces goes to the grid, benefiting the companys 730,000 customers, including LEGOLAND Florida Resort. The panels can generate enough electricity from the sun to power the resorts 152-room LEGOLAND Hotel.





The new system joins a smaller PV installation already in the theme park. In 2014, the company installed some solar panels atop Imagination Zone, a large, indoor attraction filled with hands-on science and engineering-based activities for kids. So far, Tampa Electric has installed nine community-based solar PV arrays that offer the public an opportunity to see solar up close and to learn about the technology.





Fun facts
The SBI colony in Navi Mumbai has gone digital and doing cashless transactions for everything they buy.

By Mayuresh Ganapatye: As a common man struggles to deal with the cash crunch after demonetisation was announced on November 8, the SBI colony in Nerul area of Navi Mumbai have no confusion as to how to pay for daily expenses.

The whole SBI colony has gone digital and doing cashless transactions for everything they buy. The residents are not paying cash to even their vegetable vendors, laundry or for regular grocery.

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"It was simple for us. When the SBI introduced the 'Buddy App', we started telling our local vendors to download it and use it. With the help of other colony members, we educated these vendors how to use this app and now our colony has become the first ever cashless colony," said Mrityunjay Mahapatra, DMD and CIO, SBI.

Shadab is a local bread and egg seller in Sector 13 of Nerul. He has lot of regular customers in the SBI colony. Since past one week, the SBI colony has gone completely cashless and Shadab is pretty much happy with it as he is getting his payment immediately online.

Also read: Govt announces awards, cashbacks worth Rs 340 crore to push digital payments

"Earlier, if the bill was of Rs 34, people use to pay Rs 30 or 35, in which many times I never used to get full payment. I had to keep track of how much do I have to pay back to a customer. But due to this cashless payment via SBI Buddy, I am getting full payment immediately," says Shadab.

With the help of this app, vendors and users can easily make transactions without having to worry about the cash. The uniqueness of this app is if u load some amount in it and want it back, then u can get your money back in your account back via net banking or via SBI ATM.

The SBI is planning to take this app to other residential colonies and make them go cashless too. They have even identified two villages in Raigad district where they will introduce this app and within span of 1 month, they will transform these places into digital village, where only cashless transaction will take place.

Also read: Demonetisation: No exemption for political parties, says Arun Jaitley

--- ENDS ---
A Breckenridge student recently was selected to attend the prestigious World Food Prize Global Youth Institute.

Nathan Laurenz traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, which drew 1,500 people from more than 60 countries to discuss the worlds hunger and food security issues.

The World Food Prize was founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug to recognize and inspire great achievements in improving the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world.

This years Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium focused on the theme Let Food Be Thy Medicine and gave special emphasis on issues such as: the crucial role of nutrition in global food security, leadership, biofortification, conflict and infrastructure. Global Youth Institute students and teachers had the opportunity to take part in symposium sessions with the top minds and foremost leaders in global agriculture, food and development.

At the Institute, Laurenz and 200 other high school students from across the U.S. and abroad, researched global food security issues in the developing country of their choice and then submitted papers on those critical topics, which they also presented to a diverse group of internationally renowned World Food Prize Laureates and other distinguished experts and scientists.

Laurenz presented a paper on the theme Feeding Innovation, Fighting Hunger and took part in roundtable discussions with experts in industry, science, academia and policy hosted by DuPont Pioneer. During the Institute, participants also helped with a hands-on service project packaging meals for Outreach, Inc., a hunger-fighting organization that serves people in the United States and internationally, toured innovative research and industrial facilities in the area along with taking part in an interactive Oxfam Hunger Banquet that brought to life the realities of hunger and poverty.

Created by Borlaug and Iowa businessman John Ruan in 1994, the Global Youth Institute was developed to challenge and inspire participating student-teacher teams to identify ways of alleviating hunger, and to expose the students to opportunities and careers in food, agriculture and natural resource disciplines. Of the students who complete the program, about 92 percent go on to pursue college degrees in agriculture and science and 77 percent choose careers in agriculture, STEM and other fields critical to the fight against hunger.

Visit www.worldfoodprize.org/youth for information about the 2017 Global Youth Institute.
The endorsement of a new accrediting agency will provide Saginaw Valley State University graduates with a resume boost when they seek jobs in an expanding K-12 education workforce.

The SVSU College of Education recently earned accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for a seven-year period. SVSU is one of the early adopters of the relatively new agency, said Craig Douglas, dean of the SVSU College of Education.

The reason we decided to pursue this accreditation was because we embrace the idea of continuous improvement, he said. Education is changing so fast, and in order to prepare teacher candidates, colleges of education have to be able to change too, and to improve with the changes.

Douglas, who spent nearly 40 years working in public education before joining SVSU in 2014, said the accreditation is a powerful endorsement of the support students receive from SVSU faculty, and for SVSU graduates as they enter a work force ripe for qualified candidates  in Michigan, especially.

After years of decline, openings for K-12 teachers in the state have swelled. For example, there were 546 K-12 teaching openings reported in 2012 compared to 849 openings in 2015, according to SVSU Career Services, which tracks job opportunities for students and alumni. Thats a 35.6 percent hike in opportunities within a three year span, and districts have been active posting jobs this year, too.

Some education experts estimate nearly one-third of the teaching jobs in Michigan will turn over in the next few years.

This accreditation breeds confidence in our students abilities, Douglas said. For schools looking for candidates, this means they can be assured our students meet the expectations of an accrediting body. Once you attain accreditation, you have achieved a benchmark that is of value and importance to your students and employers that will hire them one day.
Technology is a fast-paced beast. Look at how far society has come in just a little over a century.

On December 17, 1903, the first plane carrying one man flew for just 59 seconds for a short 852 feet thanks to the engineering of the Wright brothers. Now, mankind easily transports dozens of passengers halfway across the world.

From that single plane, the famous Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, propelled the invention of the aircraft that would change the face of history forever. From passenger planes that cram people in like sardines to million-dollar bombers used by the United States military, the industry of the aircraft has flourished across the world.

BIGGEST EVER: World's largest airplane lands at Bush airport

Though the Wright brothers are the first to successfully fly a man through the air, they were by no means the first to fly. The earliest account of mankind trying to mimic birds comes from a Greek mythology about Daedalus and his son, Icarus, who fell from the sky to his death after the sun melted his feathered wings.

Even Leonardo da Vinci designed winged inventions for men to fly like birds flapping their mechanical arms, though he was never successful. Although gliders had successfully been made before the Wright brothers took off (some of which killed their inventor), there was never a machine that independently flew on its own.

MADE NEW: Donald Trump knocks Lockheed's expensive F-35 Lighting II

The lighter-than-air design of the Wright brothers started the path towards the massive 29,000 pound A-10 Thunderbolt II by Northrop Grumman ISER and others. Airplanes have transformed and performed so much over the past century, but all started 113 years ago when the first plane took off on December 17, 1903.

Click through the gallery to see photos of early airplane inventions and iconic U.S. military bombers through the years.

BABY'S FIRST FLIGHT: Woman gives birth while on airplane


Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis remained closeted indoors the entire day on November 28, even as the BJP was emerging the big winner in the state municipal council elections. The party tripled its seats, from 298 in 2011 to 893, and indeed it seemed a referendum on Fadnavis's performance in the past two years. He was delighted, of course; he had proved his mettle and also outmanoeuvred detractors at a time when even party president Amit Shah was said to be gunning for him.

Out of 147 municipal council president seats, the BJP won 51, with the Shiv Sena (25) and others way behind. The BJP also emerged on top in the 3,727 council seats, bagging 893 (the Congress, in second place, got 727 seats).

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The results came as a huge relief for Fadnavis. In September, after the massive Maratha protests demanding reservation, the CM had made a statement: "A conspiracy has been hatched to remove me. Kahi lokanna vahatya ganget haat dhuvaayache aahet (Some people are looking to take advantage of the situation)." Now it emerges the reference was to his own people, and not the Opposition.

A couple of senior BJP leaders confirmed the news that party chief Shah did moot the idea of replacing Fadnavis with revenue minister Chandrakant Patil in September. Getting wind of it, Fadnavis rushed to his godfather, PM Narendra Modi, and managed to ward off the threat. The BJP leaders (who do not wish to be identified) say it was all part of Shah's big plan to end the BJP's 'dependence' on the Shiv Sena, vis-a-vis the coalition government. He had already established contact with at least 20 Sena legislators with offers, asking if they wished to join the BJP. Fadnavis, who enjoys a cordial relationship with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, was kept in the dark. He got to know about it from a Sena legislator whom Shah had contacted.

With 123 members in the assembly, the BJP is 25 seats short of a simple majority. Shah wanted to send the Sena a message that its 'double role', playing a ruling party member as well as the Opposition at the same time will not be tolerated anymore. "Amitbhai hates the Sena. And he certainly doesn't approve of the CM's ties with Uddhav," says one of the BJP leaders. "The plan was to instal Patil in Fadnavis's place since he's a Maratha...the community had strong reservations against him as he's a Brahmin."

The grapevine has it that Shah is unhappy with Fadnavis because the CM had defied several of his 'orders' pertaining to areas of his interest. Also Patil, who comes from Kolhapur, where Shah's in-laws stay, shares an excellent rapport with the BJP chief. Sources say it was also the reason Fadnavis had to make Patil No. 2 in the cabinet, bypassing other senior leaders like finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, agriculture minister Pandurang Phundkar and education minister Vinod Tawde.

The CM had made the local body polls a personal battle, addressing rallies in 40 cities (the BJP won in 33 of them). The victory has helped Fadnavis in many ways. It has helped cut down two major rivals, rural development minister Pankaja Munde and state BJP president Raosaheb Danve. The two were left red-faced after reverses in their respective fiefs, Parali in Beed and Bhokardan in Jalna. The BJP has done extremely well in the Vidarbha region, from where the CM comes. It has topped in north Maharashtra where two of his trusted lieutenants, water resources minister Girish Mahajan and tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal, control party affairs. In an unprecedented result, the BJP also surpassed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in its western Maharashtra stronghold (Fadnavis had concentrated on the region more than any other). The CM even used the results to score brownie points with the PM, announcing publicly that it was a mandate for Modi's demonetisation move.

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So improved is Fadnavis's situation today that he has even told close aides that "the party has authorised me to take a call on the alliance (with the Sena)". The statement assumes significance in the backdrop of Shah's animosity towards the party-he is the only BJP president to not have visited the Thackerays at their home, Matoshree, in Mumbai's plush suburb Bandra. On the contrary, Fadnavis has made every attempt to keep Uddhav on his side though he has not accepted a few recommendations made by the latter. The message is clear. Against Shah's wishes, Fadnavis will try to convince Modi about joining hands with the Sena for the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections due in February 2017.

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But for all the turn in fortunes, Fadnavis is not doing too well at the party level. His move to run an organisation, 'Anulom', parallel to the BJP, has upset many. Anulom has paid 'volunteers' (Rs 27,000 a month salary) in all 288 assembly constituencies, working to improve the CM's image among the people. They have the task of taking the state's development schemes to the people using a mobile application. The volunteers work directly under Fadnavis's OSD Shrikant Bharatiya, and don't report to even state president Danve.

The parallel system has led to a lot of heartburn. A BJP official in Pune says, "We work for free. The leaders expect us to get voters to the polling stations but when it comes to the benefits of power, we are never considered." He says the government is yet to appoint a BJP worker to any position. "Even ceremonial positions, like a special executive officer, are lying vacant. The mohalla committees are full of Congress and NCP workers."

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Fadnavis's critics say the bureaucrats have him under their thumb, but some of them are grumbling too. A senior IAS official known for his no-nonsense personality, says the CM only likes "yes men". "If someone tries to explain to him another side of a decision, he is branded as anti-government and a roadblock to development," he says. For now, Fadnavis's star is burning bright, but it will be interesting to see what Shah's next move is, whether he'll remain a mute spectator.

Follow the writer on Twitter @kirantare

--- ENDS ---
NORMAL  A week after Rivian Automotive revealed it wants to buy the former Mitsubishi plant in Normal and make electric cars there, all the pieces are falling in place for the company to get the tax breaks necessary to make it happen.

Of 10 taxing bodies affected, six have approved five-year performance-based property tax abatements for Rivian, with one more on tap and three still in negotiations.

Rivian must employ 500 workers and invest $40.5 million in the plant by the end of 2021 to get the tax breaks.

The company also is negotiating with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity for state incentives. Once that deal is complete, the company plans to buy the plant from Maynards Industries, the asset liquidation company that bought it from Mitsubishi in June.

While each taxing body specified how much it received from the site last year, those figures are unlikely to represent how much each could expect to receive going forward.

If Rivian succeeds, the value of the plant property will increase, and the abatements will become more valuable.

If a deal had not been made, the plant would have been demolished, the property value would have plummeted, and property tax revenues would have dropped.

McLean County Unit 5

Normal-based McLean County Unit 5 schools, which receive nearly 60 percent of property taxes paid on the plant, approved the abatement on Wednesday, though some school board members voiced concerns about the financial impact.

The district received a total of $390,000 in property taxes last year related to the plant.

Superintendent Mark Daniel said the agreement could mean financial hardships for the district, but Im drooling in regards of the educational possibilities."

Town of Normal

The Normal City Council was the first major taxing body to approve the abatement Monday. Normal also will give a $1 million grant if Rivian buys the plant and invests $20 million in the site.

The town received about $72,000 in property taxes from the plant last year, said town Communications Director Dan Irvin, though that includes a 595-acre area rather than the 484 acres to be used by Rivian.

"There's so much to gain, and, from our perspective, not much to lose," said council member R.C. McBride of the deal.

McLean County

The McLean County Board will consider the abatement when it meets Tuesday morning. It passed the board's executive committee on Tuesday.

The county received about $71,000 in property taxes from the site last year.

"When you're accepting most of the risk, that's a no-brainer for me," board member Erik Rankin said on Tuesday. "This is a great story that I think makes people feel good about our community."

Heartland Community College

Heartland Community College's Board of Trustees approved the deal Tuesday.

The college district received $42,000 from the most recent property tax payment from the Mitsubishi property.

President Rob Widmer said money lost from the tax abatement would be taken into account when budgeting, but he sees the agreement as a long-term gain.

Normal Public Library

Though Normal Public Library taxes the plant separately from the town  nearly $35,000 last year  "the town of Normal is the levying entity for the library, so there is no separate agreement that requires approval," said Irvin.

Dry Grove Township

Dry Grove Township hasn't approved any abatement for Rivian from its three levies  and won't, at least in the short term.

We dont have a lot of room inside of (our budget) to abate taxes, said Township Supervisor Jim Phillips. "Were working with (EDC) to come up with something that would be satisfactory for us and also Rivian.

In Dry Grove, there are three taxing bodies involved: the road district; the township; and the Dry Grove-White Oak multi-township assessment district. Together, the three received about $38,000 from the plant last year of a $320,000 budget, Phillips said.

It might take us a month before we come up with something, he said. Theres not a big rush. If the sale goes through, we'll be working after that to see what incentives we can give.

CEO Kyle Ham confirmed the EDC is working with Dry Grove on an abatement deal, and it won't hold up Rivian buying the plant.

"Theyve been supportive in concept of the project, Ham said of the township. "We'll work with them to find a way for them to participate.

B-N Water Reclamation District

Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District approved an abatement deal on Thursday, said Executive Director Randy Stein.

The district received about $12,000 in property taxes from the two parcels of the plant it taxes  far less than the $115,000 in user fees it received from the facility when it was producing cars.

A lot of that $115,000 helps offset our fixed costs, Stein said. "We're very excited to support this."

B-N Airport Authority

Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority approved an abatement Monday, said Executive Director Carl Olson.
SPRINGFIELD  On a tour of the Pontiac Correctional Center shortly after he was hired to lead Illinois' prison system, John Baldwin met an inmate whose story convinced him that some reform measures demanded immediate action.

The prisoner told Baldwin during the October 2015 prison walk-through that he had 22 years left to serve in administrative segregation.

"When I asked him why he was there he said, 'I don't know,'" said Baldwin in a Pantagraph interview last week that also included IDOC chief of psychiatry, Dr. Michael Dempsey, and Dr. Melvin Hinton, chief of the agency's Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

Baldwin learned that "tons of low-level tickets" had landed the inmate in segregation for more than two decades  an example of the type of disciplinary policy Baldwin has vowed to review since taking over the Department of Corrections.

"Part of this was his problem, but part of it is ours," said Baldwin.

The serious issues related to mental health treatment for IDOC inmates also quickly became a priority for Baldwin.

The state was in its eighth year of a federal lawsuit filed by Pontiac inmate Ashoor Rasho and later joined by 11,000 other mentally ill prisoners when Baldwin was hired away from the Iowa Department of Corrections.

The lawsuit is now settled with an agreement by the state to essentially build a new mental health system. Staff training, new residential treatment units and agreements with hospitals to provide care to inmates whose needs exceed those available at a prison are key components of the settlement that could cost $100 million to fully implement.

Last week, the state wrapped up two-day mental health training for 13,000 IDOC employees. Security, non-security and contract staff participated in the program developed under a partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

At Thursday's training session in Springfield, IDOC trainer Brad Hill focused on the medications used to properly treat mentally ill inmates.

Comments from a parole officer about whether mental illness is a matter of genetics or choice are illustrative of the challenge IDOC faces in its efforts to change the culture of a prison system that houses about 44,000 inmates. The trainer's explanation of how mental illness is diagnosed did not erase the officer's skepticism.

Workers who see inmates every day play a critical role in keeping mentally ill inmates stable, said Dempsey.

"What we're asking people to do is identify, not diagnose or treat mental illness. It's about patterns" and documenting changes in an inmate's behavior so issues can be addressed earlier, he said.

The state also is moving forward on its obligation to open four residential treatment units for seriously mentally ill inmates.

According to Baldwin, work was completed Thursday on renovating a former youth facility in Joliet that will provide 360 beds for mental health care when it opens early next year. Work also is finished on a mental health treatment area at the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, and bids have been accepted for a second unit there.

Bids are expected in early 2017 for units at the Dixon and Pontiac prisons.

A remaining challenge for IDOC is employing about 400 new staff needed for the expanded mental health system, said Hinton.

"It's very difficult," said Hinton, noting that Illinois is not unique in its shortage of mental health professionals. As part of its search for future staff, the state has opened a dialogue with the University of Illinois.

The same philosophical shift the IDOC has undertaken with its workers toward mental health applies equally to mental health workers who may have crossed the prison system off their list of potential employers, said Hinton.

"We want them to understand that the folks we treat are the same people they treated in the community. It's the same person," said Hinton.

Last summer, the union representing prison workers expressed concerns that IDOC was moving too fast with some of its mental health reforms. Moving inmates from segregation back into the general population before they were ready could expose correctional officers to violence, said the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Beyond the mandate that staff have a safe working environment is the state's obligation to make sure workers have resources to help them deal with their high-stress jobs, said Baldwin. New programs to address those issues will be coming in 2017, he said.

Improvements in treating the state's mentally ill inmates could have long-term benefits throughout Illinois. About the same number of inmates that enter IDOC also are released each year  most of them returning to the counties where they were convicted. Sending offenders home in better condition increases their chances for success, prison officials agreed.

A waiver of federal Medicaid rules filed by Illinois this year also could allow the state more flexibility in its use of federal dollars. The collaboration between 13 state agencies calls for boosts in mental health services, an area the state has cut in recent years. Part of that funding would be used to expand the link between prison and community services, said Hinton.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Sometime before Thanksgiving, a 2-year-old, gray-white cat named Lazarus disappeared from a small town in southern Illinois -- failing, inexplicably, to show up for dinner.

A few weeks later, neighbors in Raleigh noticed a scruffy feline stranger poking around their yards, eager for a head scratch.

Then the outrageous truth emerged, thanks to a microchip. This vagabond cat was Lazarus, who had mysteriously strayed 722 miles from home. After a phone call from a strange area code, Roy Finley drove 24 hours into a different time zone, over the Smoky Mountains and down Interstate 40 to collect his furry wanderer.

"The main question I've been asked 100 times so far," said Finley, a father of three from Fairfield, "is how does a cat get to North Carolina. We asked him questions about what happened. Every so often, we get a meow out of him."

There is, of course, precedent for domestic animals covering vast territory in search of their owners -- most famously "The Incredible Journey," a Walt Disney heartstring-tugger that follows a bull terrier, a Labrador retriever and a Siamese cat across 300 miles of Canada.

The sketchier pages of the Internet offer dozens of globe-trotting cat stories. A Persian named Sugar reportedly crossed 1,500 miles from California to Oklahoma at the rate of 100 miles a day -- a feat the Weekly World News reports drew the attention of the famous paranormal researcher J.B. Rhine, formerly of Duke University.

But most tales of fantastic cat wandering involve animals tragically separated from their owners -- Sugar, for example, jumped out a car window in Sacramento, Calif. -- who are then reunited after a four-legged odyssey. Lazarus managed to cross six states while moving away from home, and for all we know, he wasn't finished. Given another week, he might have made it to Charleston and pushed his kitty odometer into four digits.

But here is Finley's theory:

His family lives near some land that gets leased for hunting. Not long ago, some Tar Heel hunters came through hoping to bag Illinois trophy bucks. Lazarus must have found his way inside one of their vehicles and dozed all the way to Raleigh, where the road-weary outdoorsmen either shooed him away or missed him hopping out over the luggage.

"I don't think hunters came clear from North Carolina to steal my cat," he said.

A domestic cat can sprint up to 30 mph, so it is technically possible for Lazarus to reach Raleigh in 24 days if he ran the entire route at maximum speed.

Either way, Finley got a call last week from Annetta Hoggard, a mother of two in Raleigh who toted Lazarus to the vet for microchip inspection. By the time she picked him up, he had already gathered three nicknames around Wayland Heights: Rhonda, Randy and Squeak.

The vet told Hoggard that Lazarus hailed from Wayne County in Illinois.

Finley couldn't afford to fly Lazarus back to Illinois. But his mother, who lives nearby, was particularly attached. So he loaded two of three children inside a Dodge Ram and drove straight through on Sunday night, documenting the trip through Facebook photos.

After a grateful meeting with the neighbors, a roughly hour-long stop during which time Lazarus got packed into his crate for his return to the Midwest, the Finleys turned around to reflect on the courtesy of strangers.
Happy or not, it seems almost everyone has something to say about the outcome of the presidential election.

During the campaign, the fashion community didn't skimp on its support for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Vogue editor Anna Wintour held a fundraiser for her during New York Fashion Week, while designers such as Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Public School's Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow created "Made for History" merchandise for her online store. For his fall collection, Iranian-Israeli designer Elie Tahari even featured a female president in his advertisements. It's no surprise, then, that their relationship with Donald and Melania Trump has gotten off to a rocky start.

Despite her model roots, don't expect to see designers enthusiastically jockeying to dress the incoming first lady. French designer Sophie Theallet, who's outfitted Michelle Obama, shared an open letter on social media stating she will not "participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next first lady" -- and she's encouraging others to do the same. Humberto Leon, one of the founders and designers behind Opening Ceremony and Kenzo, has echoed her sentiments on his Facebook page: "If she buys your clothes, tell people you don't support it." (A number of other designers have declined to comment or have responded with vague answers when asked for their take on the topic.)

Don't be too quick to call this sore-loser syndrome. For many fashion insiders -- an industry largely comprised of women, minorities, immigrants and members of the LGBTQ community -- a Clinton loss cuts deeply. Just as the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton" used the theater to deliver a message of concern and hope to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, designers' apparel and accessories are their platform to push their plea.

"The rhetoric of racism, sexism and xenophobia unleashed by her husband's presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by," wrote Theallet, who came to America to pursue her career.

Even some prominent fashion media sites are weighing in.

"Trump and/or his Vice President-elect Mike Pence have been openly hostile regarding LGBTQ equality, same-sex marriage, female reproductive rights, immigration reform and international trade (just to scratch the surface) -- stances that not only alienate a good portion of the fashion community, but the nation as a whole. And this is why we plan on having no part in normalizing the Trump family, particularly when it comes to cataloging the first lady's fashion choices," Fashionista.com explained in an editorial published last month. The piece went on to say that the website will reserve coverage of Mrs. Trump's fashions for "strictly newsworthy occasions."

During the Obama administration, fashion's who's who have gotten pretty friendly with the first family. Mrs. Obama welcomed students from across the country to the White House for a fashion workshop as part of her Reach Higher education initiative. They got the chance to hear advice for making it in the industry from the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu and Tracy Reese. She also encouraged diversity, entrepreneurship and American-made brands through her wardrobe picks and helped to skyrocket the careers of emerging talents like Wu, who designed the gowns she wore to inaugural balls in 2009 and 2013.

Then there's what's come to be known as "the Michelle Obama effect." For 189 public appearances she made between November 2008 and December 2009, she generated about $2.7 billion in value for the companies whose pieces she sported, according to a study by David Yermack, professor of finance at the New York University Stern School of Business.

So far, Melania Trump has opted for off-the-rack outfits by Ralph Lauren (who's outfitted Clinton for decades), Gucci and Fendi, to name a few. A Trump spokesperson told Women's Wear Daily after the Republican National Convention that she wasn't working one-on-one with any designers. While it's unknown if that will change, her clothes already have been sparking sales. For instance, the white fitted dress with bell sleeves by London-based designer Roksanda Ilincic that she wore to give her convention speech swiftly sold out after her appearance. It retailed for $2,190 at net-a-porter.com.
BLOOMINGTON  Charlie Wilcox carried three ice-encrusted wreaths across the frozen ground at Miller Park on Saturday.

Wilcox, a U.S. Navy veteran who served in Korea from 1952 to 1956, was the only person at Wreaths Across America event at the Korea and Vietnam Memorial.

Weve never had no one show up, said Wilcox, 82, of Tremont, who has helped with the event for nearly 10 years. Im sure it was because of the weather, but thats not something you can control.

In fact, the event was cancelled because of the weather.

Freezing rain and dropping temperatures across Central Illinois resulted in canceled school trips, flight delays and accidents on slick roads. No power outages were reported. A list of cancellations can be found at www.pantagraph.com.

A winter weather advisory ended at 6 a.m. Sunday, but the freezing air will stick around. The National Weather Service's wind chill advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m. Monday, with wind chills ranging from 15 to 25 degrees below zero Sunday.

"Sunday will have a high of 3 degrees. It will be a very cold period of weather, said Matt Barnes, a meteorologist with the weather service in Lincoln.

The temperate was 1 degree at 7 a.m. Sunday in the Twin Cities.

On Saturday, Normal and Bloomington police confirmed weather-related accidents.

In town, the roads arent horrible but they arent good. The secondary streets definitely arent as good as the primary streets. Crews are out salting now and are staying on top of the weather as much as they can, said Bill Deutsch, Normal police service representative.

The McLean County Sheriffs Department said state police responded to numerous accidents Friday night and Saturday. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, most interstate highways in Central Illinois had patches of ice and snow.

"The weather is causing some havoc for us," said Fran Strebing, spokeswoman for the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington. "Unlike roads, which can be salted, we cannot use that on the airfield; it's corrosive to aircraft."

Strebing said CIRA canceled some flights Friday and Saturday.

For drivers on Sunday, the roads will still stay pretty slick and hazardous, especially untreated surfaces. With such low temperatures, there wont be a whole lot of melting, said Barnes.

Barnes said Sunday night will see a low temperature of minus-6 degrees. Mondays high will be 16 and Tuesdays high will reach the low 30s.

But on Saturday, ice-covered ground didn't keep Wilcox from honoring fallen Twin City soldiers. The wreath-laying ceremony mirrors the same gesture carried out at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where wreaths are placed at graves each year.

"Somebody's gotta do it," said Wilcox. "I hope people see the wreaths and think of what these guys gave up so the rest of us could be free."
The wealth of information available today is mind-boggling. The internet allows us to find out almost anything at anytime.

But there is an emerging down side  in this case, the alarming issue of fake news. By now, most have heard about the rash of fake presidential election stories  many of which received a much larger audience than election stories from legitimate news sources.

Nathan Carpenter, assistant director of convergent media at Illinois State University, calls it a "cyber propaganda war.

James Plath, an English professor who teaches journalism at Illinois Wesleyan University, says, "There's an old Wendy's commercial that asked, 'Where's the beef?' It's time (for) consumers ... to start asking that again.

They're right.

People need to become better-informed consumers of news and information, but they're not.

According to a new Pew Research report, 64 percent of Americans, including a majority in both political parties, say that fake news causes a "great deal" of confusion about the basic facts of current events.

And while some call all the attention to fake news unwarranted, even nonsense, it's hard to ignore the fact that fake news stories are being repeatedly shared by millions of people on social media.

Probably the most egregious example is what recently happened to a popular pizza restaurant in Washington, D.C. Several months ago, the owner began receiving death threats on his Instagram feed that exploded via texts, Facebook and Twitter.

All of it was based on a false internet story about a child sex ring supposedly led by Hillary Clinton and other top Democrats that operated out of the restaurant. It led to a North Carolina man firing a weapon inside the business, presumably to rescue the children. He was arrested and now faces federal weapons charges.

The Pew study found that 42 percent of adults surveyed think social networking sites like Facebook and search engines like Google have a "great deal of responsibility" in preventing made-up news from getting traction.

Carpenter says Facebook lends itself to this kind of deception because every single story looks the same. It looks legitimate until you go to the website.

Last week, The Associated Press said it will work with Facebook to help identify and debunk trending false news stories being shared online.

The irony is that the immediate availability of news requires that responsible consumers spend more time to determine if what they are reading is actually true.

Legitimate news sources  yes, like local newspapers, TV news and radio stations that have deep roots in their communities  are easily identifiable.

You may disagree with the editorial views of The Pantagraph, question why a story was covered or why one wasn't, but no one can dispute that the newspaper and its website is a legitimate news source  and is viewed that way by print and online readers.

Social media experts offer tips to distinguish real stories found online from the fake and satirical. Here are a few:

 Don't just read the headline. Go to the original website and look for other stories and evaluate them.

 Check whether more than one source is reporting on a topic or event.

 Beware of websites ending in .com.co that might mimic real news sources.

Consider this: If a story seems too outlandish to be true, it probably isn't. It's simple  and fast: Check before you share.
The techniques and execution of the Affordable Care Act was largely affected by a decline of insured people back in 2013. The decline of uninsured individuals suggests that the Affordable Care Act is conducive to the betterment of health in the population.

However, there is still a lot of effort to be done by the end of 2015. Above 28 million people were still to be insured in the United States. The nurses of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) suggested access to excellent health care are considered as a fundamental human right.

According to The Huffington Post, one thing is evident that the lack of insurance aid directly affects the access to basic health care services. People who are uninsured are having a bigger threat of being on an adverse health risk as compared to people who are insured.

Researchers have shown and proved this fact as well as that those people who are uninsured go through some hardships because they don't have access to the health care units and they are less probable to take advantage of preventive, recommended, and follow-up caretaking in a notice the prescriptions, according to HHS.

These factors can have fatal consequences. This gives us the idea that people who are uninsured will have bad health conditions compared to people with an insurance policy. Private insurances are just one reason there are institutional and cultural difficulties that prevent access to care.

Some further factors include the unavailability of medical heath care for lawfully present immigrants, people with difference in language, religion, and customs as well as discrimination in sexual orientation and sexual category, mental and behavioral fitness problems, race, background, and livelihood in rural areas.

It will surely take a lot of effort to overcome such barriers, and nurses have the potential to do so if they do it by keeping in mind the barriers as well as by putting all the effort in a legal way and by staying in their limits.
Conservative House Freedom Caucus suggested Trump some rules that he should eradicate for improvements. There are 228 rules and regulations that they hope Trump will eliminate.

According to The Huffington Post, thirty-two of the submissions will improve the health, reduce air pollution as well as water pollution. If the proposals are not taken back, they will stop some organizations from doing their jobs, as their job is to protect the environment, take care of the health of citizens and make the environment pure and less contaminated.

The other 43 proposals concentrated on preventing America from advancing in clean energy, climatic changes and renewable energy resources. They are pushing America to be more reliable on fossil fuels than nuclear power.

They are also eliminating the Department of Energy efficiency that prevents the citizens from paying electricity bills and lessen the amount of pollution and contamination. According to the EWG Organization, Environment Defence Fund posted copies of the proposals online which showed that some of them produced health, environment safety and pollution drawbacks.

These proposals were clearly highlighted. The main thing to focus on now is who Trump will choose from his cabinet to improve the conditions. However, the majority of them are for fossil fuel power production that may prove to be harmful in the future.

Donald Trump is thinking of trusting Mr. Scott Pruitt with managing EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) which is not going to help things either. EPA's work is to protect the families living in America from toxic chemicals, air pollution, environmental pollution and water pollution, etc.

Mr. Scott has relations with the fossil fuel organizations and will sue EPA to prevent them from controlling the ruined up conditions of the state. Donald Trump needs to know about this and must act wisely for the

improvement of the State.
Donal Trump's dislike for the adults might want to give every dollar of the budget of presents into the schemed parenting. If a person is willing to do it, they should go for it.

But here, let's recall that the characteristic of generosity is something every parent wants their child to inherit. So, what every parent should do is to perform minimum one thing on the list of things given below in order to make the youngsters admirably generous and to gift them the golden ability of giving.

Suggested by The Newyork Times, given below are some of the suggestions for parents or guardians to help them begin. Nowadays children always ask the reason for doing a specific act. So what is they ask their mom or dad why they should be giving?

The best reply to this would be by giving them an example of any member of the family who had been helped and how beneficial it proved to be. This might include receiving aids, getting the perfect medical treatment, etc.

These narratives interest the listeners, and they implement on the morals too. The kids should be taught during discussions how the donation budgets are distributed between the two parents. Some organizations etc. must be given some charity. Questions like how much is donated might arise as the questions are common to the children having less or no knowledge about the distributions.

The child should be taught why the act os is giving is important. For this reason, "tours" were suggested by Annie Hernandez who is the director of a foundation called C. Fox. But these expeditions aren't to the places where poverty rates are higher.

Instead, local foundations should be contacted for the purpose of looking for an expert. The advice and tips are given by them should be followed and even if they fail at it, they would suggest some other organizations run locally that can be compatible with the parents.

The school-based funds are believed to be a great way too, according to The Acumen. One of the well-known and well-structured funding programs ever is in Brandeis school situated in San Francisco. The activity is done in a unique way.

What the pupils and parents do is take the cash they would have used up, make a huge pile of it and enable to the youngsters to grant it. However, so many schools do not have the ability to give away actual money so what the parents do, is do this act outside the classrooms.

Sharing is a tremendous way too, especially during the 12th month of the year. The platforms must be used to share the reasons and causes for individuals. By sharing, other people especially friends will do it to.
This process has been supported by MPs and peers, it was approved and is scientifically prepared. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will finally confirm it. If the go-ahead is given, the first baby could be born by the end of 2017.

According to The BBC News, the infant will mainly inherit from his sire and mother; the donor woman will not have a dominant effect on the child's outcome. This technique was invented to erase the deadly mitochondrial disease. Mitochondria are small structures in every body cell that transform food into helpful energy.

It affects one in about 200 infants. In serious cases the child will be unable to breathe properly, sustaining the brain or moving muscles. Mitochondria is passed on from the motherly only; a second egg donor is required to create a normal child.

However, it has its own genetic code, so the DNA is from three people. 0.1% from the second woman, something that would pass down to generations. This method was to be approved by Commons and the Lords in 2015.

Reports concluded by some councils called it to be ethical. The final safety checks revealed that they would be risking one out of eight pregnancies when HFEA's advisors ordered it was time to begin. Prof Robin Lovell-Badge, one of the many advisors, claimed to The Age Times, that there is no reason this process should be prohibited, but there's no denying that it's precarious.

A woman named Sharon Bernardi lost all her seven children, her eldest who successfully entered adulthood was aged 21 when his untimely demise occurred. The United Kingdom was the first country to legalize this process. University of Newcastle's researchers played a huge part in the explaining the process. A couple of Jordan tried this method, and their baby is healthy so far.

There are two methods, egg repair, and embryo repair. These are chosen considering the situations. Robert Meadowcroft, head of Muscular Dystrophy UK, declares that the final decision would be life changing for many.

He explains that women all over the world suffering from the mitochondrial conditions will have a chance at having their unaffected children. However, Dr. David King from campaign group Human Genetics opposes this and warns people of the outcome.
Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu to team up with director Vamshi Paidipally for an upcoming Telugu film, which will also mark the former's 25th film.

By India Today Web Desk: Filmmaker Vamshi Paidipally, who is known for his works like Yevadu and Oopiri, will collaborate with Tollywood superstar Mahesh Babu for the first time for an yet-untitled Telugu project.

Interestingly, the film will also mark prince Mahesh Babu's 25th film.

ALSO READ: Rajinikanth's Kabali to Mohanlal's Pulimurugan: 10 blockbuster films of 2016

SEE PIC: Dhanush, Kajol, Soundarya Rajinikanth's selfie

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An excited Vamshi, took to Twitter and wrote, "It's my pleasure to announce my next film with the superstar Mahesh Babu."

It's my pleasure to announce my next film with The Superstar @urstrulyMahesh. #MB25 Vamshi Paidipally (@directorvamshi) December 17, 2016

Minutes after the surprise announcement, twitterati started trending the hashtag #MB25.

Vamshi further added that the project will be jointly produced by Ashwini Dutt and Dil Raju.

.This film will be produced by Aswani Dutt garu and Dil Raju garu. #MB25. Vamshi Paidipally (@directorvamshi) December 17, 2016

Mahesh Babu, who was last seen in Brahmotsavam, is currently working on his upcoming film with director AR Murugadoss. Despite maintaining secrecy, it has been confirmed that Mahesh Babu is playing a stylish police office in the film.

While SJ Suryah has been roped in to play the bad guy, the film will also feature actor Bharath playing a negative character. Also, the film, popularly known as Sambhavami, will be Mahesh's first Tamil film.

Rakul Preet Singh plays the female lead after Bollywood actor Parineeti Chopra turned down the offer.

Music director Harris Jayaraj, a frequent collaborator with Murugadoss will compose the film's music.

Mahesh is expected to commence work on this project in the second half of 2017.

--- ENDS ---
The three-parent approach is officially accepted by the government of Britain on December 15. The country finally released a licensed approving in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for people three people who would like to be a part of creating a child.

Based on Scientific American's report, Britain is now the first country to give a license for three parents for IVF. This would benefit those who would like to go under this kind of treatment in order to procreate. It took years before the Britain's Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) finally decided to approve of this IVF treatment called the mitochondrial transfer. Doctors even believe that it could help in the prevention of possible diseases that are still incurable.

However, not everyone is happy about this new progress in the reproduction industry. Reuters said that there are critics who are scared that this progress could lead to having genetically modified designer babies. Mark Walport, Britain's chief scientific adviser was confident enough to believe that the HFEA did a careful and considered analysis of the matter. This is the reason why he praised the institution and was proud of them for making Britain a leader of medical advances in this era.

The IVF treatment would get in the way of the usual process of fertilization, which would then eliminates the mitochondria, the energy source inside the cells. The advantage of its removal lower the risk of having fatal heart issues, blindness, mental illness, liver failure and even muscular dystrophy.

For the skeptics, this process aims to help people with diseases that involve the mitochondria and other diseases that could be passed on through the mother's genes. People would be surprised to know that one in about 6,500 kids around the world suffer from this issue and hopefully this new IVF treatment would put an end to it.
On the early January 2017, Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center will open its clinic in the Nursing Sciences Building at the University Park Campus to make the access to health care for employees available, cost-effective and high-quality in a convenient setting.

The Center is the University's goal to improve the employees' health despite on increasing health care cost. This is one of the priorities of the 2016-2020 strategic plan which is a collaboration between the Penn State and the Penn State Health. According to David Grey, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business in a Penn State News the Penn State Employee Health and Wellness Center is one of many plan features and programs that will promote a healthy community, advocate healthy choices and activities, and support the consistent and efficient management of health risks. Also, the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Susan M. Basso stated in a Penn State News that "The center is part of an overall strategy and linked to comprehensive services the University is providing to faculty and staff to encourage a culture of health" as cited on Campus Health.

The plan also helps the College of Nursing's mission to develop qualified nurse leaders at all levels of practice through integrated programs of nursing education, research, scholarship, and outreach. "The goal of the Penn State Health and Wellness Center is to help employees get timely assistance for minor illnesses in the most convenient way," said College of Nursing Dean Paula Milone-Nuzzo in a Penn State News. She also added that through helping people avoid major illnesses, we could improve the health of the community.

The center will only give basic care, life-threatening emergency situations and work-related injuries will be handled by Penn State's Occupational Medicine Practice in Suite 310 of the Medical Science Building directly in front of Mount Nittany Medical Center according to an article on Sutter Health.

The schedule for operation starting in the New Year is from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This will be managed by three nurse practitioners, with a Penn State Health physician two days a week.

The fee will be based on Medical Insurance coverage while for those who have no insurance coverage will visit the Center to discuss the process of payments. Graduate and Undergraduate students should receive their care from the Student Health Center through University Health Services. Employees are required to bring their Penn State id+ card for the verification of the employment status and also their medical insurance cards, regardless of whether they are covered by Penn State's Medical Plan.

The opening in January 2017 will be preceded with a great start for another expansion of the center's features its medical services.


A study revealed more evidence that the Zika virus could lead to birth defects such as neurological issues and microcephaly or a baby born with a small head. However, Dr. Simon Cauchemez, co-author of the study, said they have yet to find out if the study results apply in the same way to other countries other than those in French Polynesia which is the subject of the study based on the country's Zika virus outbreak from 2013 to 2014.

As reported by CBS News, more than 31,000 infections were reported and eight microcephaly cases reported as a result of the outbreak.Arnaud Fontanet of the Institut Pasteur in France, who is also the co-author of Cauchemez in the study, said that with the outbreak already over, data from the outbreak in French Polynesia has never been more important.

NPR said one of the most important question that needs to be answered now is the gravity of the risk of the Zika virus in the United States. While birth defects were initially believed to affect only babies who were born in some areas of Brazil, the new study shows that 6% or 26 of the 442 pregnant women who got exposed in others countries but who came to the United States to complete their pregnancies have experienced defects in their newborns which were linked to the virus.

"It's not specific to one geographic location," Margaret Honein of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "This really helps make the point that Zika virus infection poses a major risk to pregnant women and their fetuses."

Latinos Health said a report published by the Emerging Infectious Diseases shows that the reproductive process of the virus does not stop when the baby is born but continues even after that leading to possible brain damage.The New England Journal of Medicine also stated that out of 125 pregnant women infected in Brazil, 46% experienced birth complication such as birth defects and miscarriage.


The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) exposed an issuance last week, under CAA's new guidelines, to urge airports to provide better support for passengers with "hidden disabilities," especially the airports in Britain. In a bid to aid in stress reduction and anxiety for passengers with conditions including dementia, autism, mental health problems, visual impairment, hearing loss, and mobility issues when traveling through an airport or onboard an aircraft, this new guidance was developed in collaboration with various disability organizations, such as the Network Autism Organization.

The Network Autism Organization is an autism-friendly organization, alongside their community website, supports the reinforcement of the new guidelines to be implemented by the CAA to the largest airports in Britain and other UK airports. Also, the Network Autism also assists people with hidden disabilities through their online services, including setting up of discussions and support groups.

The CAA highlighted key measures to the include the provision of designated "routes and areas" that bypass the retail shopping areas to ensure the airport experience to be less confusing and convenient. They also stressed the importance of the communication flow of information to be clear, in a form audio messages and images; and in assisting travelers to locate essential public utilities such as toilets, assistance points, and quiet areas.

The CAA also included these basic guidelines, as issued last week, by the new CAA airport guidelines for travelers with hidden disabilities - airport staff, including security staff, should undergo hidden disability awareness training, as well as conducts to cover communication techniques. Airports should provide detailed and precise information to help with overall familiarization of the airport environment and ease anxiety and stress, particularly on passengers with hidden disabilities.

The CAA also added the following guidelines to ensure the comfort of these travelers - wearing a lanyard, bracelet or other suitably designed aid provided by the airport should be an option to people with hidden disabilities, to ensure they are easily identified and get the needed assistance. Provision of quiet areas to wait for flights, and quiet routes through the airport, should be provided to ease stress and disorientation particularly those with sensory impairments.

According to the CAA, airports are also being urged in the provision of accessible media, videos, and photos, rendering airport processes and allow for "open days" when travelers with disabilities can visit before their time of travel, that is to aid the familiarization with the airport setting and before arrival procedures. Airport staff is stirred to undertake hidden disability awareness and communication skills training, and security staff should elaborate what screening will be held and conduct necessary adjustments before beginning their searches, while travelers with disabilities must not be separated from their companion during a security search, as stated by the new guidelines.

Heathrow, a major airport in England, is said to be already working with the Department of Health and the Alzheimer's Society, one of the various disability groups, and is also challenged to implement the new guidelines, alongside thirty of Britain's largest airports. The thirty airports have been welcomed by various disability groups and the United Kingdom airports to reinforce the changes strongly.

In an interview with Telegraph Travel last week, the spokesperson of Heathrow Airport stated that one of the significant investments the Heathrow Airport is making this year, for example, is training all the customer-facing colleagues that work at the Heathrow Airport to be dementia-aware as part of the training efforts to be the world's first dementia-friendly airport. Heathrow Airport already held other initiatives such as the development of Senior Trained Additional Assistance Role (STAAR) teams who have been trained to assist travelers with hidden disabilities, specializing with autism, dementia, deaf and blind passengers.

Omniserv, a company that provides assistance to passengers with special requirements, and security personnel to develop training programs to help reduce anxiety for travelers, is said to be already working Heathrow Airport. Next year will be the publication of reports of improvements made across all of the airports.

Richard Moriarty, the director of the CAA's market and consumer group, said in a statement that the staff is pleased with the support UK airports and disability groups have provided to help them develop the new guidelines. To add to the report, Moriarty expressed that the implementation of the new guidelines is just the start, and they expect airports to make renovations to the services and assistance they provide in treating passengers with hidden disabilities, for over the next six months.

Chris Grayling, the Secretary of State for Transport, stated that the department welcomes the CAA's tailored guidance which provides a great opportunity for all UK airports to meet the necessities of people with hidden disabilities better. Daniel Cadey, National Autistic Society's Autism Access Development Manager, also noted that people on the autism spectrum and families want the opportunity to travel and go on a holiday but many rely on routine and find the often busy, unpredictable and loud environment of airports disorienting and overwhelming.

Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Society, declared that the new guidance from the CAA would provide clear guidelines to help UK airports become more dementia-friendly and transform the air travel experience for people with dementia and their carers.

Passengers with disabilities are legally entitled to free special assistance during air travel, under current EU legislation, which includes going through an airport as well as disembarking or boarding a flight. Travelers should inform their airline of the particular type of assistance needed forty-eight hours before travel, as advised by the CAA.

About 2.7 million passengers of the more than 254 million who went through UK airports were reported to be people with reduced mobility or disability, according to the figures recorded by the CAA last year. Back in 2014, hotels and tourist attractions in Britain were urged to do more to cater for Britain's nearly 11 million travelers with disabilities, following the Department for Work and Pensions' research on that year, which suggested that two-thirds of top attractions of Britain were not fully accessible to wheelchair users.


On Friday Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple to Begin iPhone Sales in the Republic of Indonesia in 2017," wherein we noted that Samsung's 26% market share in Indonesia would be challenged by Apple next year. Then later on Friday a new report by IDC was published which indicated that Samsung's market share had actually climbed to 32% in Q3 with Oppo quickly gaining ground with 16.7% market share as noted below.





It's the Middle Class Stupid

In May of this year Patently Apple posted a report titled "As India's Middle Class Grows, Apple's Brand is Gaining Traction in a Country Swimming in Cheap Phones." I noted in the report that at present, the middle class in India is only about 22% - so there's a lot of growth in the middle class. It's the middle class that like to own brand names and so as their middle class grows, Apple will do better.

Days earlier Tim Cook told Jim Cramer in an interview that "the expansion of middle class occurring in China is unlike anything that has ever occurred in the history of the world, thus he remains optimistic in that region."

This is the key to Apple moving into any new market. If the middle class is on the rise, Apple will make the investment to enter that particular market.

So where is Indonesia's middle class within the top emerging markets? As noted below Indonesia ranks third behind China and India but ahead of the Philippines and Nigeria.

According to a major report published last year, Indonesia has the world's fourth largest middle class with 17.3 million households as of 2014, behind the USA at 25.3 million, India at 74 million, and China at 112 million. The report further forcasted that Indonesia's middle class would rapidly grow to 20 million by 2030.

At present, the current smartphone players in the top five chart are seemingly focused on the lower to mid-end of the market with prices in the $250-$300 and the $100-$200 tiers, none of which Apple participates in. Smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy J7 ($230), Oppo F1s ($235) and the ASUS Zenphone Selfie ($315 aprox) are the hot sellers. All three of these smartphones offer a 5.5" 1080p display at prices lower than Apple's entry 4" iPhone SE which starts at $400 with half the storage.

Whether Apple will sit and cherry pick the very high end of the market or decide to aim a little lower at the beginning when they enter these emerging markets to build good will and strengthen their brand is unknown at this time.

One thing to keep in mind is that the median income in the US is $31,000, $29,500 in Canada, with the UK at $21,000 and Russia at $11,000. By 2030 both India and Indonesia will have their median income climb to $11,300 up from $6,300 in 2014.

So even though Indonesia will have a huge middle class by 2030 that will be in that nice sweet spot for Apple's higher end models, Apple is entering this market next year and may need to deliver a smartphone that's a little more competitive than it is today to make their mark. Will Apple try to close the price and feature gap in their 2017 smartphone line-up? Only time will tell.

About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.
Theres a huge amount of vitriol, on various alt-right and/or Trumpist sites, against Mitt Romney. They hate him. (Of course, in fairness, some of them appear to hate just about everybody. They seem to have perpetually high blood pressure.)

One of the charges against him is that hes a pathetic loser.

I get something of a bleak kick out of this claim, because it seems to me that, in order to credibly level such an accusation, the accuser would have to have a resume thats more impressive than Mr. Romneys  which, in the overwhelming majority of cases, seems quite improbable .

After all, Mitt Romney has had a stable marriage for decades to an impressive woman. He has five impressive sons, as well as a Harvard law degree and a Harvard MBA. He speaks both English and French, founded and led a legendary financial firm, made many millions in business, served as a bishop and a stake president, led and saved the 2002 Winter Olympics, served as governor of Massachusetts, was nominated for the presidency of the United States by one of Americas two major political parties, and came reasonably close to occupying the White House. Rather few of the anonymous folks who hurl insults at him on the internet, I suspect, have resumes that are more impressive.

Of course, he did lose the 2012 presidential race to Barack Obama. And Mr. Donald J. Trump won the presidential race in 2016. That makes Mr. Trump a winner, obviously, and, in the strict sense of the word, it makes Governor Romney a loser.

But the difference needs to be kept in perspective.

Mr. Trump, after all, lost the national popular vote by nearly three million. Against Hillary Clinton, of all people  one of the least popular major-party presidential candidates in American history. And, whereas Mr. Trump received 45.98% of that popular vote, Governor Romney received 47.2%.

Which is, Ill bet, considerably more than any of his anonymous online mockers have ever received.

Posted from Richmond, Virginia
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Ayatollah Khamenei Criticizes British PM For Saying Iran Poses Regional Threat

12/11/16

Source: RFE/RL

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has harshly criticized Britain in a response to Prime Minister Theresa May's claim that Iran poses a threat to the region.



Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (center)

(source: Tehran Times daily)



"The British were the root of all evil in the region over the last two centuries, now in barefaced fashion they accuse Iran of all countries of being a threat," Khamenei said in remarks published on his website on December 17.



Britain has attempted throughout history to assert its interests through intrigue, Khamenei said.



Earlier this month, May said at a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Bahrain that she was "clear-eyed about the threat that Iran poses to the Gulf and the wider Middle East."



May said the Gulf countries must all, "work together to push back against Iran's aggressive regional actions, whether in Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, or in the Gulf itself."







Britain in a response to Prime Minister Theresa May

(source: front page of Iranian daily Sobhe No)



The Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran summonned the British ambassador following May's comments, saying such remarks could seriously harm relations.



After a five-year freeze in diplomatic relations, Britain and Iran only recently reopened their respective embassies.

Based on reporting by dpa, AP, Khamenei.ir

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
SAN DIEGO  Sunday figures to be the perfect storm of dismay for fans of the Chargers, and it has already begun hours before game time.

First, the traditional game day post from CBS Sports Jason LaCanfora predicting a move to Los Angeles. In this one, he quotes ownership sources, among them one from another club with strong ties to (Dean) Spanos, as saying the Chargers have no viable options remaining in San Diego, and a decision to move to L.A. before the Jan. 15 deadline to exercise their option is increasingly likely.

For instance:

Its over, another ownership source said. Theyre going to Los Angeles. Its just a matter of announcing it. There arent any miracles here.

Meanwhile, the Raider Diasporas takeover of Qualcomm Stadium for todays game has already begun.

And its likely that the composition of todays crowd  which could be as much as 70-30 Raiders fans  will be used as a arguing point for a Chargers move, by Spanos apologists if not explicitly by the owner himself. Considering that the crowd composition if the Chargers ever played a home game against the Raiders in L.A. might be more like 80-20 or 90-10 Raiders, that argument will require a lot of gall.

The parking lot opened at 9, and there were reports that Raider fans were lined up at 5 a.m. to get in. And, well, this is what it looks like 

Lived in San Diego my entire life. Have never seen a parking lot like this one pic.twitter.com/WwDKKiFcbB  Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) December 18, 2016

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Firefighters responded Saturday evening, Dec. 17, to a natural gas leak in the street of a Rancho Mirage neighborhood.

A Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department crew went to the 71000 block of Estellita Drive at 5:30 p.m. after getting a report of a natural gas smell, authorities said.

Firefighters stayed at the scene until the Southern California Gas Company dealt with the problem, according to a Cal Fire news release.

No injuries were reported.
By Pramod Madhav: As DMK leader Karunanidhi was admitted at Kauvery hospital once again on Thursday, many leaders have paid a visit to the hospital to inquire about his health.The hospital management announced that a tracheostomy was done to Karunanidhi on Friday.

On Saturday, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi met Karunanidhi at the hospital to ask about his health. It was the first time Rahul Gandhi met Karunanidhi after their alliance in 2014 and though he has visited TamilNadu many a times, they didn't make time for a meeting.

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Around 7.30pm on Saturday, it was informed that MDMK leader Vaiko would visit Kay very hospital to meet Karunanidhi.

As Vaiko's car approached the hospital, DMK party men who were standing outside waiting for their leader to recover didn't let him enter the hospital. The situation went out of hand when they started pelting stones, and threw slippers at him.

EMBARRASSMENT FOR VAIKO

Embarrassed Vaiko, decided to leave the place with meeting Karunanidhi and waved his hands towards the DMK crowd stating that he's leaving. The angry crowd chased his car for a small distance.

Later, Vaiko met the press at MDMK head quarters and stated that he went to meet Karunanidhi out of genuine concern about his health and that he had already informed 'Kamimozi' about it.

Also read: DMK chief Karunanidhi undergoes tracheostomy; doctors say he is now stable

'I've grown up under the shadow of Karunanidhi for 29 years. I have no anger or remorse upon anyone for what happened", he explained.

DMK party men lost their temper since Vaiko has been blaming DMK and their leader for the unsolved Cauvery water issue and Sri Lankan Tamils massacre for a very long period.

PAST STINT

Vaiko, who was once the future of DMK was suddenly expelled from the party by Karunanidhi in the 90s stating that Vaiko had made a plan to kill Karunanidhi using LTTE.

Vaiko, who couldn't bare the allegation began his own party and since then had become a thorn in law of a lion called Karunanidhi.

Also read: Baasha: DMK chief Karunanidhi watches Rajinikanth's classic in hospital

--- ENDS ---
In the weeks since Donald Trumps presidential victory, Sandra Dimas has struggled with a heightened mix of anxiety and anger over how and when the president-elect will follow through on a central promise of his campaign: cracking down on illegal immigration.

A lot of people are scared, said the 42-year-old mother of three. Like most immigrants living illegally in California, she has been in the United States for more than a decade. I have kids. We live here, she said, her voice rising. Were not criminals.

Deportation hadnt been a major concern. But now Dimas is surrounded by fear. Some of her neighbors are talking about returning to Mexico, she said. Others already have left. At the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center where she finds work, new fliers outline steps immigrants can take to avoid deportation and offer tips on how to explain the postelection era to young children.

The fear has always been there, said Benjamin Wood, an organizer at the day labor center. But now it feels more real.

The anxiety is compounded by confusion over what policies Trump plans to pursue once he takes office. Any policy changes are likely to have an outsized impact in California, which is home to about a quarter of the nations estimated 11.4 million residents here illegally. About half of those immigrants live in Southern California, including 815,000 in Los Angeles County, 250,000 in Orange County, 124,000 in Riverside County and 118,000 in San Bernardino County, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

We dont know what to expect under a Trump presidency, so people are bracing for the worst, said Shiu-Ming Cheer, a senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center in Los Angeles. Even people who havent been targeted for immigration in the past are worried that now there might be a knock on the door.

Immigration experts say cultivating uncertainty among those living here illegally may be one of Trumps goals.

The idea is that people get scared, said Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which supports enforcing immigration law. Right now, people have the message that there are no consequences unless you are a serious felon.

Increasing the fear of deportation among those here illegally is a strategy embraced by key Trump immigration advisers, including U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., his expected nominee for attorney general. If confirmed, Sessions will oversee the federal governments interpretation of immigration laws.

DACA in danger

And the strategy extends to Trumps promise to repeal President Barack Obamas executive orders on immigration, including the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has granted deportation relief to 728,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children, about a third of whom live in California.

Trump also is expected to remove Obamas policy of prosecutorial discretion, which discourages the deportation of certain groups of immigrants, particularly those who have lived in the country for several years or have children who are U.S. citizens.

I think its pretty clear hes going to repeal all of the priorities that were implemented under Obama, said Jennie Pasquarella, director of immigrants rights for the American Civil Liberties Union of California. That implies the Trump administration will impose a kind of dragnet policy where anyone they find, wherever they find them, is going to be put into deportation proceedings.

Trump has sent inconsistent signals about how many immigrants his administration would target for deportation. During the campaign, he called for the removal of all immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Since winning the election, though, he seems to have softened that stance, telling 60 Minutes that he would prioritize deporting criminals.

We will get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers. We have a lot of these people, probably 2 million. It could be even 3 million, Trump said. We are getting them out of the country or we are going to incarcerate. But were getting them out of the country. Theyre here illegally.

Who would fall in that category  and make up the kind of deportation numbers cited by Trump  isnt clear.

The Department of Homeland Security has said there are 1.9 million removable criminal aliens living in the U.S. That figure includes immigrants who are in the country legally. A 2015 report from the Migration Policy Institute estimated that only about 820,000 of the criminal aliens in the DHS count are here illegally.

To get to Trumps 3 million estimate, immigration experts said, his administration would have to widen its net to include migrants who have been charged but not yet convicted of crimes, as well as alleged gang members and people charged with lower-level misdemeanors. Trump also has said he will crack down on people charged with immigration violations, including illegal re-entry and overstaying visas.

People could be deported because they are living here unlawfully, not because they are arrested, said Stephen Legomsky, a former chief counsel for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and professor of immigration law at Washington University in St. Louis. That, I think, is whats creating such fear in the community.

Many deported under Obama

Trumps strategy bears some similarities to the current administrations policy of prioritizing deportations of immigrants convicted of crimes. Obama set deportation records during his first term, removing roughly 400,000 people each year and 2.9 million people overall. Thats more than any other president, a distinction that has drawn the ire of immigration advocates and earned him the nickname deporter in chief.

Deportations have fallen off in Obamas second term, thanks to DHS policies that have limited deportations to those with serious criminal records. But immigration experts say it would be relatively easy for Trumps administration to ramp it back up to 400,000 annually and even exceed that number by reallocating federal resources toward immigration enforcement.

He can do a lot without getting any more funding from Congress, said Stephen Yale-Loehr, a professor of immigration law at Cornell Law School.

Depending on how fast and far-reaching his moves are, Trump could run into obstacles quickly, including limited detention space and a backlogged immigration court system. Nationally, the average deportation case takes nearly 20 months to process, according to a Syracuse University database. In the Los Angeles immigration court, whose jurisdiction includes Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties, the wait is more than two years.

They are going to have to plan for where they are going to detain people that they take into custody, and figure out whether they have the infrastructure in place to do significantly more deportations, said John Torres, a former senior official at the Department of Homeland Security who served as director of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in 2008 and 2009.

Torres noted that Trump could get around the backlog by using legal processes such as judicial orders and expedited removals, which allow the government to deport aliens without having them go before an immigration judge. But civil liberties groups and immigrant advocates likely would challenge those tactics as a violation of due-process rights.

In the end, Torres added, Trump likely will need additional funding and manpower for any substantial increase in removals.

Without the resources to actually deport millions of immigrants, the Trump administration may rely on small policy changes that create ripples of uncertainty among immigrant communities.

The idea is to make life as uncertain and fearful as possible that people decide to leave anyway, said David Bier, an immigration policy analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute. Theyre going to be chaotic policy changes intended to cause chaos and panic among immigrants.

But there are signs the strategy wont work, he added. Immigrants will figure out ways to work around it.

There was some evidence of that last week at the Pomona day labor center.

I dont have papers, but Im not scared, Rafael Pablo said as he waited to pick up a job. If I get deported, Ill leave. But Ill come back. This is the United States. This is the country I love.
Democrat denial

Seems the Democrats and liberals are concerned  no, they are fanatical  over the possibility of Russia influencing the 2016 presidential election. Notice I used the word possibility.

I would ask these Democrats and liberals to provide specific instances where Russians were found to be hacking voting machines, disrupting vote counting activities or interfering with voters going to the polls.

They cant do it. Russia had nothing to do with Hillary not campaigning in Michigan or Wisconsin. Russia had nothing to do with Hillary lying about Benghazi, lying about her email scandal and lying about lying.

They cant accept that the voters rejected Hillary because the majority of the states did not want her as president. The screaming about Russia and the election is sour grapes, an attempt to taint the election results and classic fake news.

 Dan Comerford, Banning

Investigate the hacking

Russian hacking and interference in our election process should be a huge concern for the American people. Russian sponsoring of legions of fake news reports set to undermine Americans confidence in our government and candidates should not, and cannot, be tolerated. The American people deserve to know the real truth, need real reporting of facts. Questions need to be raised and the answers followed up on. We cannot let this slip by as just another news item in a forest of stories.

 Jimmy Dean Dawson, Temecula

Balanced the odds

I dont know if Russia hacked emails and passed them on to WikiLeaks to favor Trump, but if they did, it only leveled the playing field. The media was so stacked against Trump and dug up so much garbage against him. They relished exploiting every aspect of his life, while they minimized the horrific things Clinton had done. He needed some help in balancing the odds.

 Sharon Waitman, Beaumont

Thanks, Russia

I have seen no evidence or claims that the Russians entered or modified ballots. The only claims I have seen are that they leaked Democratic Party emails. I see that this performed the service that the U.S. media failed to do, and it saved America from a disaster. They should be applauded.

 Ken Wolfe, Hemet

CIA has been wrong before

The primary question is not whether Russian interference in the election is a big deal, but whether this statement has any credibility at all. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence supposedly doesnt agree with a CIA assertion of high confidence that Russia tried to influence the election. The CIAs high confidence label is suspect anyway because of its clearly wrong assessments in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Libya, just to name a recent few.

It is ironic that the Democrats and the left-leaning mainstream media have tried to run with this alleged interference after laughing at the incoming presidents assertions before Nov. 8 of a potentially rigged election. The claim by liberals then was that there was no way for the election to be rigged because of the literally thousands of methods of voting in the states and Washington, D.C. The only thing that apparently has changed is that their expected outcome didnt happen, so this is just another elaborate example of poor losing.

Using the fundamentals of critical thinking, let the American people have all of the supposed information from the CIA laid out for all to see and judge the facts for themselves. There seems to be no reason to hide them or to allow just a chosen few in Congress to have access at this point.

 William R. Liesman, Temecula

We do it, too

Arent all spy agencies in the business of getting intelligence, disseminating propaganda and influencing foreign governments for the betterment of their own government? Didnt the U.S. spy and hack its own allies? Can we assume, therefore, that they spy and hack on non-allies? U.S. history is full of our involvement in influencing and overthrowing other governments, the latest being Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, etc.

Trumps dismissal of the CIA assessment is based on facts. Its a bloated agency with agents and bureaucrats recruited from Ivy League institutions living in their little elitist bubble. Its analysis of the USSRs booming economy in the 80s and 90s, in my opinion, was such a gargantuan misdiagnosis that I am surprised it is still in existence. I am sure when things become declassified in 30 years we will see its rich incompetence and fingerprints all over the Middle East debacle. Even if the current CIAs assessment could be believed, which historys blaring voice says is doubtful, so what if hacks of the Democratic National Committee allows the public a revealing look at the political maneuverings of the elitists and their media partners?

If it was the Russians, I say thank you, I prefer my facts unfiltered.

 Bruce Rogers, Woodcrest

Russia should know better

Re: Officials: Putin behind hacking. [News, Dec. 16]: I cannot believe that a Russian intelligence agency was so inept to leave a trail leading back to them, knowing that there would repercussions. Also, saying that Donald Trump knew about it is crazy. He found out when the rest of us found out about how the head of the Democratic National Committee gave Hillary Clinton the questions that were going to be asked at a televised debate, and how the DNC was downsizing Bernie Sanders campaign. If Russia was involved in this election by releasing information that the Democratic National Committee didnt want released, maybe it should be regarded as a whistleblower. Why didnt the federal government do something about this hacking years ago, when it first came to light? Is it because Democrats lost the election, and now they want to make a stand? Just my opinion, mind you.

 Edward J. Gersich, Murrieta

Lets set differences aside for the holidays

Its extremely concerning that many families are divided this holiday season due to the recent presidential election.

Family unity is the glue that holds our nation together. It is the foundation of the American Dream, and our children look to family for the definition of love, which encompasses everything our nation stands for.

If we are to heal our countrys deep divisions, we must come together first within our own families.

 Jane Kirst, Rialto

Put resources into improving education

Re How should California Democrats use their supermajority? [Opinion, Dec. 5]: I strongly believe that our state Legislature should pour its resources into improving our education platforms, insurance options, financial aid and other party priorities that will drastically improve the current state of our country.

Foremost, I want our Legislature to improve our education platform, as the cost for attending universities and colleges is too high.

Many students challenge and push themselves for an education, only to realize they cant pursue their studies due to the high costs of education. Countless students are in debt as a result of taking on too much in student loans.

 Kevin Tran, Montclair

Methane bill will drive dairy industry out of state

Re California to cows: Quit passing gas [Opinion, Dec. 3]: Senate Bill 1383 finally makes it official: Gov. Jerry Brown and his band of green lunatics now have declared themselves smarter than Mother Nature, and, by assumption, smarter than God.

The egomaniacs in Sacramento have now come out against motherhood, apple pie and the American way. They now want to regulate the amount and quality of methane gas coming out of the rear end of bovines that reside in California. There is a definition for this, its called BS.

Its time California voters take the reins, as was done in more than 30 states in the presidential election; 2018 is just a short time away.

Now the dairy industry, like many others, will be driven out of California by the regulatory costs of doing business here. Dont worry, when the new BS takes effect the price of dairy products will remind us.

 Henry VanderLeest, San Bernardino
Nothing and everything changed for the Inland congressional delegation last month.

Voters re-elected all seven incumbents  four Democrats and three Republicans  who represent the Inland Empire in the House of Representatives. California still will have two Democratic U.S. senators after Kamala Harris won the race to succeed the retiring Barbara Boxer.

But Republicans will control the White House along with the Senate and House. Donald Trumps presidency brings opportunity or alarm to Inland lawmakers depending on their party.

When it comes to many specific issues involving the Inland Empire  water policy, agriculture, transportation  (Trump) is mostly a blank slate, said Jack Pitney, a professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College. Therefore, much will depend on the people that he appoints to Cabinet and sub-Cabinet positions.

If he appoints former GOP members of Congress, or people with close ties to the region, then local Republicans will have sympathetic ears in the administration. Right now, however, much is up in the air.

Forrest Lucas, co-founder of Corona-based Lucas Oil, was a rumored candidate for secretary of the interior. But that post went to Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana.

House Democrats will have a tougher time in the 115th Congress, Pitney said.

Because House procedures give such power to the majority, members of the minority party are largely spectators when it comes to major legislation, he said. Perhaps they can build coalitions with area Republicans on certain regional issues, but when it comes to major national concerns, they will be voices in the wilderness.

Pete Aguilar

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands, said he intends to keep an open mind. Anytime I can represent the Inland Empire, Im going to do it with a smile on my face and Im going to work as hard as I can for the Inland Empire, he said.

If I can continue to meet and work with elected officials on either side of the aisle to deliver projects important to the region, if I can help residents (through constituent services), if I can continue to do these things with constituent meetings  then honestly Im doing the work of the Inland Empire and I will view that as successful.

Aguilar sees potential for helping the Inland Empire in Trumps desire to rebuild the nations infrastructure. But the congressman said hes troubled by Trumps campaign rhetoric, including his description of Mexican immigrants as drug traffickers and rapists and his mocking of a disabled reporter.

If that continues, Im going to be an advocate and stand with my community, said Aguilar, who was recently elected whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Ken Calvert

As a Republican and the regions longest-serving congressman, Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, could have the most influence in the Inland delegation. As chairman of a House appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Interior Department and Environmental Protection Agency, Calvert could play a role in Trumps stated desire to cut federal regulations.

We have a lot of work to do, he said. A lot of damage has been done, I think, in the last eight years. Were going to work overtime to make sure we repair that and get this economy moving again. These are exciting times.

Obamacare should be repealed and replaced with something that works for the American people, Calvert said. He also wants mandated use of E-Verify, the electronic employment verification system created through Calverts legislation, to make sure Inland jobs go to people who are here legally, he said.

Corporate tax reform could free up billions of dollars to replenish the highway trust fund to build infrastructure, Calvert said. Calvert also wants to slash the militarys civilian workforce  You need more uniform jobs and less bureaucrats, he said.

Paul Cook

Rep. Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley, could not be reached for comment.

This summer, he said Trump tapped into the discontent and frustration pent up over the last eight years, and he represents an alternative to the normal political channels that have turned off so many Americans.

I will support Donald Trump just as I have supported every Republican presidential nominee, he said.

Duncan Hunter

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, was one of the first congressmen to endorse Trump.

He has been rumored for a Trump administration job. But the Marine Corps veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan said: Were going to focus on Congress right now.  I think theres a lot of things to do and if you get put in a Cabinet position (or in the executive branch), youre going to be limited in terms of the things you can affect and that you want to work on.

Hunter, who represents most of Temecula, said congressional Republicans already have written legislation to accomplish Trumps goals, including his bill to deny federal funding to sanctuary cities, or cities with policies to shield undocumented immigrants from deportation.

While Trump doesnt take office until January, Hunter said he has already seen a difference in Washington.

Hes putting people in charge who understand the world from my perspective, Hunter said. When you see eye to eye with folks in the administration, that gives me not only access to the administration, it allows them to help me with things Id like to get done.

Hunter enters the new Congress facing scrutiny and possible action from the House Ethics Committee regarding his campaign spending. He has repaid his campaign $49,000 for expenses deemed to be personal in nature or erroneously charged.

Raul Ruiz

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-La Quinta, said hes approaching this session with a heightened sense of being on call to defend and protect my constituents from poisonous policies that will harm our seniors, veterans, middle class and working families.

For Ruiz, an emergency room physician, this means fighting efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and privatize Medicare and veterans health care.

I will extend my hand to anyone who wants to invest heavily in building our infrastructure, improving our economy and transportation system and our ability to capture and reuse and store water during (Californias) drought, Ruiz added.

Ruiz said hes proud of having several bills he sponsored make their way to the presidents desk, including measures to help the Department of Veterans Affairs recruit doctors, speed up veterans appeal reviews and expedite benefits for veterans widows.

Mark Takano

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, describes his approach to the Trump White House as trying to find common ground where we can and standing our ground where we must.

Protecting Medicare is a top priority, said Takano, who said the GOP has been spreading misinformation about the senior health care programs finances. House Speaker Paul Ryan supports turning Medicare into a voucher-based system.

Donald Trump does not have a mandate to harm seniors by eviscerating Medicare or strip health care from 20 million Americans (by repealing Obamacare or privatizing VA health care, Takano said.

On veterans issues, Takano could have a louder voice if he retains his ranking minority member status on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Takano also criticized Trumps pick of Steve Mnuchin as treasury secretary. Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker, has a history of profiting off bankruptcies, Takano said. Trump also should have spoken out against a federal judges ruling that struck down the expansion of overtime to millions of American workers, the congressman said.

Norma Torres

Rep. Norma Torres, D-Pomona, hopes to find common ground with the new administration, especially on infrastructure funding.

I dont see myself toeing the line that the Republicans did with President Obama, she said. There were a lot of missed opportunities (Republicans) refused to work on simply because they didnt want to give President Obama a win on anything.

Torres is concerned about what will happen to the Affordable Care Act, which she said helped young entrepreneurs start businesses because they could stay on their parents insurance until they turned 26 and could not be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Many families in her district, Torres said, are a mix of citizens and undocumented immigrants. My job is going to be a bit tougher on that front, she said. Ensuring that No. 1, folks send their kids to school and go about life as it is.

Torres is confident she can work with Republicans to get things done, noting her work with a GOP congressman from Georgia to pass cybersecurity legislation and her work with Calvert to help Ontario International Airport transfer ownership from the city of Los Angeles to an Inland authority.

Staff writer Beau Yarbrough contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9547 or jhorseman@scng.com
A grouping in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Girls Girls for Nana Addo, has urged the President-elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to actively support people with disabilities to help improve their lives.



Maame Yaa Dufie, Ashanti Regional Coordinator of the group, said, It is our hope that Nana Akufo-Addo administration will establish a training institution and scholarship scheme for persons living with disabilities.



She also implored the Nana Akufo-Addo government to introduce policies and programmes to tackle discrimination against people, who are living with disabilities.



Maame Dufie disclosed this while speaking at a press conference to officially congratulate Nana Akufo-Addo on his electoral victory.



Established by NPP National Womens Organizer, Afisa Otiko Djaba, the Girls Girls for Nana Addo, made up of pretty ladies, campaigned vigorously in various homes, churches, mosques, market places and schools, among others.



Maame Dufie accused the outgoing National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, led by President Mahama, of doing absolutely nothing to improve the livelihood of disabled people in the country.



She was of the conviction that the country would experience massive transformation if all the citizenry, including people living with disabilities, are trained and resourced to contribute their quota to Ghanas development.



Maame Dufie also urged the incoming NPP administration to abolish all taxes that the NDC government imposed on head porters, also known as Kayayie, which made life unbearable for them.



She also appealed to Nana Akufo-addo and his incoming government to introduce new programmes and policies that would make life comfortable for the head porters who were suppressed by the NDC government.



Explaining further, she said, It is our sincere hope that the president-elects tenure of office will be marked by economic empowerment, unity, security and prosperity to the people.



Maame Dufie, on behalf of Girls Girls for Nana Addo in the country, congratulated Nana Akufo-Addo for winning the just-ended polls.

Source: Daily Guide









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THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF GHANA IS 188 YEARS TODAY



Exactly 188 years ago today, 18th December, 1828, the first batch of missionaries of the Basel Evangelical Society in Basel Switzerland arrived in the Gold Coast with the main aim of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.



They toiled and labored to establish what has now become the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG).



188 years after, the PCG can boast of twenty one Presbyteries, both home and abroad which include Asante, Akuapem, Kwahu, Dangme- Tongu, Ga, Ga West, Asante South, Central, Western, Brong Ahafo, West Brong, Sefwi, Sekyere, Akyem Abuakwa, West Akyem, Volta, Upper, Northern, North American /Australia, Europe and Asante Akyem.



The PCG has grown to well over 5000 Congregations and Preaching Points and still counting with over I million membership.



The PCG over the years has contributed immensely to socio- economic development to Ghana through education at all levels from creche to university, health care delivery agriculture, business, entrepreneurship and many more.

The PCG now has more than 60 health facilities across the country making it the third largest provider of health services in Ghana.



On Education the PCG currently has two Universities, the Presbyterian University College Ghana, at Abetifi with satellite campuses at Asante Akyem Agogo, Tema,Kumasi, and Akropong Akuapem, the Akrofi-Christaller Institute at Akropong Akuapem, 5 Colleges of Education, 31 Senior High Schools, 714 Nursery and Kindergarten, 1,109 Primary Schools and 575 Junior High Schools.



The Presbyterian Church of Ghana would continue to live up to its mandate as a true bible-believing and practicing Church with a vision to spread the Word of God to the ends of the earth.



On this occasion of 188 birth day of the Church, the Moderator of the General Assembly, Right Reverend Prof. Cephas Narh Omenyo, the Clerk of General Assembly, Reverend Dr Samuel Ayete-Nyampong, and the General Assembly Council with all members of the Church ayekoo for their contributions.



The leadership of the Church also takes this opportunity to pay tribute to all gallant men and women who sacrificed their lives, processions and money to bring the church this far.



As we celebrate Christmas the leadership of PCG wishes the entire membership of the Church a special Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Happy New Year.



ASOMDWEI NKA MO NYINAA.AMEN



Rev Ezekiel George Larbi

Public Relations Officer

Presbyterian Church of Ghana





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The First Vice Chair of the outgoing National Democratic Congress (NDC), Madam Anita Disoso has slammed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for raising an alarm over the recruitment and award of contracts to individuals by government.



Former finance minister, Osafo Marfo in the erstwhile Kufour administration and representative on the transitional team for president-elect, Nana Akufo-Addo has raised an alarm that government was awarding last minute contracts and recruiting people into service institutions nationwide.



We have heard of ongoing recruitment into the security services now which we hope is not true. We have heard of the conversion of temporary staff of political assistants and some of the staff we took on into permanent public servants.



We have heard of the awarding of new contracts after the election results were announced on December 9. Weve heard of the procurement of sales and national assets also after the results, the former finance Minister added. He said, We need to be cautious, we need to be transparent, we need to be candid and we need to be factual. We are therefore appealing to our colleagues that within this period, if there is anything that needs to be done, consultation needs to be brought on board.



However, Madam Anita Disoso has lambasted the NPP stating that government programs cannot grant to a halt because the NPP has won an election. She quizzed whether the NPP were the ones that constructed the various hospitals and schools for them to come and recruit staff into them. She said, "we [NDC] constructed these facilities and so we will recruit staff to work in them before the NPP takes over office."



Speaking in an interview with Rainbow Radios Kwame Tutu, Madam Anita Disoso said, "The EC declared you winners of the election, we did not complain But you are now crying over the recruitment of staff into various service sectors of the country. Why are you complaining? Have you constructed any school for you to come and recruit teachers into them? Have you constructed any hospital for you to come and recruit nurses into them? They should shut up. They did the same thing to us when they were leaving office in 2008. They signed the single spine pay policy before leaving office. Should we wait for them to come and recruit staff into our various projects? They should wait until 7, January, 2017 to take over and stop complaining."



Anita Disoso emphasized that President Mahama was next to Nkrumah regarding projects and infrastructure but was overthrown through the ballot just like Ghanas first president.



When asked why the party has waited until elections are over before recruiting people she said, the recruitment went through processes hence the NPP have no basis to raise any false alarm. On the recruitment into the security services she said, the recruitment were done before the election. On the issue of contracts, she indicated that they went through various processes before approval.



She quizzed, "should Ghana come to a halt because Nana Addo has won an election? It is impossible. President Mahama is still the President and until 7, January, 2017, he cannot be questioned for discharging his duties as the leader of the country."

Source: rainbowradioonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The President-Elect of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has thanked the Chiefs and peoples of the Volta Region for their unprecedented support and help for him and the New Patriotic Party in the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections.



Addressing a ceremony at Ho, on Saturday, December 17, 2016, to celebrate the election of Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, as President of the National House of Chiefs, Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that, even though the results from the region fell short of the expectations of the party, the NPP did far better in 2016 than it did in 2012.



We even have a parliamentary seat and the votes of the NPP presidential candidate went up to almost 18% of the votes cast in this region. This is unprecedented and I thank the people of Volta for their support, he said.



The President-Elect, in his brief remarks, recalled the statement made by Togbe Afede, during the formers visit to the region, on October 28, 2016, where the Agbogbomefia indicated that the Volta Region was not a loyal housewife, waiting for a husband who only came home when he was hungry.



You said the Volta Region was a beautiful bride, awaiting an appropriate suitor. The NPP has taken Togbe at his word and we shall continue to woo the Volta Region until we marry the bride. I am particularly pleased that the Volta Region has been part of the clear message that the people of Ghana gave on December 7. I promise you that I as President will never forget that message, he added.



President-Elect Akufo-Addo assured the people of the Volta Region that his government will always remember that the people of Ghana expect the quality of their lives to improve. We shall always remember that Ghanaians want to be treated with dignity.



We shall always remember that the Ghanaian people will punish impunity and corruption. We shall always remember that the Ghanaian people want the rule of law to be upheld, and strict respect for due process to be observed.



To this end, Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated his commitment to fulfilling the pledges made to the people of the region during the electioneering campaign, stressing that an election is a compact between those who vote and those they vote for. I promise you, we shall keep our side of the compact. We shall keep our promises.



The President-Elect, with the permission of the Agbogbomefia, used the occasion to say a special thank you to the NPP members and supporters in the Volta Region. You have worked hard and we appreciate your dedication. It is not an easy task to operate in the stronghold of your opponents. We are proud of you and we thank you.



Nana Akufo-Addo also saluted the peaceful and dignified manner the Ghanaian people exercised their sovereign power on December 7, explaining that it has enhanced the image of our nation.



He concluded that the future of our country is bright and encouraged all Ghanaians, from every part of the country to put our shoulders to the wheel as a united people, work hard and we will achieve the prosperity that we all want. We can do it. Let us do it together.



To the new President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede XIV, Nana Akufo-Addo noted that you are in a great position to help in the modernisation of this institution. You come to the position with great credentials and I am sure you will get the support of other like-minded chiefs to help you.



He added, For my part, I intend to work with you at all levels  traditional councils, regional houses of chiefs and national houses of chiefs to enhance the governance of our nation, especially since my recent installation as Togbe Dunenyo Dzigbordi I, I am one of you.



A representative of Torgbui Agorkoli, Paramount Chief of Notsie in Togo, who was also present at the ceremony, congratulated President-Elect Akufo-Addo on his victory. He invited Nana Akufo-Addo to the celebration of the Hogbetsotso festival in the coming year.



Nana Akufo-Addo, who spoke in French, thanked Torgbui Agorkoli for his kind gesture, and assured that he would do his best to be present at the festival. He also sent, through the Notsie Chief, fraternal greetings to Togolese President, His Excellency Faure Gnassingbe.

Source: Peacefmonline.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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In a tweet that shouldnt surprise anyone given her previous outlandish claims, conservative hate speech jockey Ann Coulter defended Russia and Vladamir Putin on Twitter yesterday arguing it was actually Bernie Sanders (or someone connected to him) who obtained and leaked emails to Wikileaks. Naming two unnamed sources Coulter claims her information is more factual than that of both the entire U.S. as well as the global intelligence community.

Two sources claim it was Sanders-supporting Dems who leaked to Wikileaks not Russia. So it was communists who leaked, not former communists, she said in the tweet.

At the heart of Coulters claims is the accusation that Bernie Sanders or someone connected to him illegally hacked into the Democratic National Committee to steal and leak emails to Wikileaks in order to harm Hillary Clintons chances of winning the election. This flies in the face not only of Sanders lifelong political beliefs but also his ardent support for Clinton following the primaries.

Moreover, Sanders is not a Communist; rather, hes a specific type of socialist. While Coulter cant be faulted for misunderstanding the difference between the two (shes never bothered to fact check herself before spreading fake news in the past), Sanders socialism is often misunderstood in political circles outside his immediate base of supporters.

Sanders can best be described as a Democratic Socialist. That is, he does not subscribe to Marxist-Leninist Communist theory (and has explained that on enough occasions that Coulter knows better when she labels him a Communist).

In Democratic Socialism: A Global Survey, author Donald F. Busky explained the beliefs behind Sanders ideology:

Democratic socialism is the wing of the socialist movement that combines a belief in a socially owned economy with that of political democracy. Sometimes simply called socialism, more often than not, the adjective democratic is added by democratic socialists to distinguish themselves from Communists who also call themselves socialistsdemocratic socialists wish to emphasize by their name that they disagree strongly with the Marxist-Leninist brand of socialism.

No evidence exists that Sanders either subscribes to Communist beliefs or that he had anything to do with hacking the DNC, stealing emails and disseminating them through Wikileaks. All evidence from literally every American intelligence agency as well as technology experts are in agreement that Russia was not only behind the hacks but did so with an explicit purpose.

While the attestation of every trusted intelligence agency in the nation may not sway those who support Trump, it should concern every patriotic citizen that Russia succeeded in at least one of their primary goals in interfering in our elections: breaking down confidence and sowing doubt in American institutions ranging from independent journalism to the very concepts of democracy and patriotism. After all, its not democracies that place partisanship and power above country; thats fascist and authoritarian regimes like Russia.

Previously:

Related:

Peacock Panache readers:

Tim Peacock is the Managing Editor and founder of Peacock Panache and has worked as a civil rights advocate for over twenty years. During that time hes worn several hats including leading on campus LGBTQ advocacy in the University of Missouri campus system, interning with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, and volunteering at advocacy organizations. You can learn more about him at his personal website.

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Pauline Hanson and One Nation may be the Australian representation of a great lurch to the anti-immigration Right across the world, but unlike in the case of Trump and Brexit, weve already seen this one play out. Paulines got her finger on the pulse of the electorate, but one thing is holding her back: like in the 90s, shes just not that good at actually doing politics.

Case in point: were barely six months into this Parliament, and shes already lost a Senator. Outspoken West Australian senator Rod Culleton  who is known for his possible court case which could render him ineligible as a parliamentarian  has ditched the party and will sit as an independent.

Since my election to the Senate, I have consistently remained committed to all of the policies and pre-election promises, however my PHON Senate colleagues public record shows they have not, he said in a statement on Sunday night.

Policy decisions have been run in morning media, with no consultation, discussion or agreement from the party room and personal attacks and undermining, un-Australian behaviour towards myself and my team, has been ongoing and terms dictated to the team.

Lets face it  when the first One Nation senator inevitably defected, un-Australian behaviour was absolutely going to be one of the reasons cited for the split. It was foretold.

Despite the loss of Culleton, One Nation are looking like solid contenders for the next Queensland election, with the party polling in the double digits. Theyre fielding 36 candidates, which Hanson says have been closely vetted.

Were coming after you (the major parties) and your jobs because I dont feel you need to be there, she said in Brisbane on Sunday. You have not listened to grassroots Australians.

One Nations support has always been strongest in Queensland, where they picked up 11 state seats back in 1998, before the party ultimately cratered. Historys repeating itself, by the looks of it.

Source: News.com.au.

Photo: Getty Images / Lisa Maree Williams.
Inquiries by RTI activist Lokesh Batra reveal that the PMO has paid Air India for only five of the PM's 27 foreign trips.

Flying on empty

The Prime Minister's Office seems to be finding new meaning for the cashless revolution idea, including non-clearance of the PM's overseas travel bills. Inquiries by RTI activist Lokesh Batra reveal that the PMO has paid Air India for only five of the PM's 27 foreign trips. Of the bill for 17 trips, eight are listed as 'under process' and nine as 'not received', alluding to red tape involving three agencies-MEA, PMO and the ailing national carrier. The total outstanding now is Rs 134 crore, which may go a long way in cutting operational losses of over Rs 247 crore a quarter, say AI officials.

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Notebandi vs sharab-bandi

Nitish Kumar must be hoping his sharab-bandi (prohibition) will create as big a splash as the PM's notebandi. Come January 21 and the Bihar CM will join efforts to create a 2,700 km long human chain involving 20 million people to create prohibition awareness. It will be a world record if it happens, beating the 1,155 km human chain in Nepal in 2015.

Bombay calling

The Shiv Sena is known for its 'Mumbai' fixation but the diktat seems to exclude Matoshree, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's residence. When independent MLA Bachchu Kadu called on Thackeray, a calender with 'Bombay' written on it was found on the latter's table. Change in policy?

Hanging up

Aspurned Mamata Banerjee has vowed in public never ever to call up any CPI(M) leader again in the future. The Bengal chief minister's SOS call to CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury became a subject of ridicule in the state assembly with Marxist leader Sujan Chakrabarty taking stabs at it, saying it showed the level of her desperation in the face of the demonetisation move. Which is when a hurt and angry Mamata took her vow.

A knockout

Assam's all-powerful minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's saffron agenda is clear-citizenship to only Hindu Bangladeshi immigrants, warnings to state-aided madrassas against closing their schools on Friday, and now a plan to bar people with more than two children from state jobs.

Black tweets

Sanjay Singh Masani, brother-in-law of MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has sent a legal notice to Vyapam scam whistleblower Anand Rai, demanding an apology for allegations made by him. On November 26, actor Akshay Kumar and director R. Balki had met Chouhan, prompting a series of tweets by Rai in which he alleged that Masani was investing black money in films shot in MP. Rai now says his Twitter account was hacked.

That joke isn't funny

Remember how six inmates, including a prized Khalistani catch, busted out of the high security jail in Nabha in Punjab? While most of them have since been apprehended, the Aam Aadmi Party has sniffed a political opportunity in the whole sordid affair. Their Sangrur MP, Bhagwant Mann (now in the dock for compromising Lok Sabha security), claims that Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal was behind the jailbreak. Mann, whose was an above-average comedian in his previous avatar, insists Sukhbir wanted to use the escaped prisoners to "kill me and Arvind Kejriwal". Really?

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Bash with no cash

Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal had been planning a grand celebration for party patriarch Parkash Singh Badal's 90th birthday months ahead of the event on December 8. But then PM Narendra Modi's demonetisation move on November 8 put the proverbial spanner in the works. The SAD went ahead with its Rs 5 crore birthday party nevertheless, which included renting a 200 acre venue in Moga district. The party event simply turned into a state function.

Spare the cross

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, speaking at an International Anti-Corruption Day function, requested vigilance officials not to crucify people in the public eye when investigations are on, since "even honest officials may face a probe". Was it a warning to high-profile vigilance director Jacob Thomas whose department leaked details of a probe against additional chief Secretary K.M. Abraham?

Full circle

When the Maharashtra legislature passed the University Bill unanimously-with a provision to restart college elections, which have been banned since 1993-education minister Vinod Tawde must have felt things have come full circle. He was an ABVP leader when Owen D'Souza of the NSUI was killed during the 1992 elections at Mumbai's Mithibai College, which led to the ban. BJP legislator Parag Alavani, then an ABVP member and a former accused in the case (the courts acquitted him), was seen thumping the desk as the bill was passed.

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Pay in Chinese

Swadeshi Jagran Manch's Ashwani Mahajan has expressed concerns about Vijay S. Sharma's e-wallet firm Paytm-now part-owned by the Chinese-taking customer information (and profits) out of India.

The week in VIP travel snags

Pranab Mukherjee

The President's IAF jet developed a technical snag en route to Chennai for the late CM Jayalalithaa's funeral

Narendra Modi

Fog prevented the PM's helicopter from landing in Bahraich, UP. He later addressed the rally via mobile phone

Naveen Patnaik

His state aircraft developed a technical snag and had to be physically pushed off the runway by airport staff in Rourkela

--- ENDS ---
Daniel Craig appears to be having an absolutely marvellous time driving the producers of the James Bond series into fits of pure rage, because hey, if you could get away with that, why wouldnt you?

It all began after Spectre wrapped, when Craig casually started telling media that he would rather break glass and slash his wrists than return to the role of James Bond for another go-around.

MGMs CEO reportedly hit the ceiling and called the actor personally, and soon after, a rumour surfaced that he had been offered a staggering $US 150 million to come back for two more films.

A few months back, during an appearance at the New Yorker Festival, Craig appeared to walk back his previous comments, saying that Bonds a good gig, and that hed be willing to go back as long as he gets a kick out of it.

Since then, however, it seems like there has been very little action, with sources claiming that Craig and MGM remain at a stalemate, and its causing major headaches for the studio.

Per reports in The Mirror, Craig is more or less off the grid, and hasnt negotiated any deals as yet:

They have offered a bigger wage deal, and asked about his filming availability to his reps in 2017, but as yet they have not spoken to Daniel. They want Bond 25 out in October 2018, but currently they have no Bond, film dates or knowledge of when that will change. Daniels commitment is also a key part of whether Sony Pictures will come in to co-finance the film. So much is hanging in the air  and no one knows.

A number of other actors have been suggested for the part of Bond, including Tom Hiddleston and Luke Evans, but Craig is a guaranteed money-earner, with Spectre pulling in more than $US 880 million worldwide.

Admittedly, in Craigs position, it would be a lot of fun to have the power to toy with money men like this, although it would also be nice to know that theres another Bond in the pipeline at some point.

Source: The Mirror.

Photo: VCG / Getty.
Justina Pena.png

Justina Pena

(Provided photo)

Lancaster City police said Saturday that they have arrested a 48-year-old city woman for the gunpoint robbery of a convenience store.

Justina Pena was charged with one count of robbery after her arrest Friday in her apartment in the 400 block of East King Street, police said.

The charge stems from the Dec. 5 robbery of the A and M Grocery in the first block of New Dorwart Street. Investigators said the robber, who wore a face scarf, a puffy black coat, blue jeans and white, gray and pink sneakers pulled a pistol on a clerk around 2 p.m., demanded money, then fled in a pickup truck.
TRUMP TALKING ART.jpg

Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. listens at left as then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a national security meeting with advisers at Trump Tower in New York in October. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, 2016)

By Tony May

Uncle John had an old Model T Ford up in his barn that was cut off in the back and rigged with a flat bed made of two-by-fours.

Democratic strategist Tony May (PennLive file)

It sat there and gathered dust most of the year until harvest time when he would roll it out and use it to haul drinking water and lunch for people bringing in the crops - at least it did when it didn't break down.

Which it did quite often being an old and decrepit contraption used as something it wasn't designed for to begin with.

Each year, he would tow it back to the barn and remind himself to fix or replace it when he got some spare time - but he never did.

The Model T didn't have a name but it could have been called Electoral College, because like its namesake it was ill-conceived, patched up and limping around almost from the start and basically more trouble than it was worth - except for the sentimental value.

We still have the Electoral College mostly because of the mistaken belief that the architects of the Constitution were divinely led and infallible in their judgment.

They were not and they built a Constitution with an amendment process; one that was used from the get-go to add ten key amendments (the Bill of Rights) in order to attract enough votes to ratify it.

The Electoral College never worked smoothly and after just three runs around the block it was clear that the original concept wasn't working.

In 1796, the Electoral College chose John Adams, a Federalist, for President, and Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican for Vice President.

The original concept of the top vote getter serving as President and the second place finisher serving as Vice President hadn't anticipated the power or even existence of political parties. After the 1800 vote ended in a tie, the XII Amendment was formulated, requiring electors to vote for a slate - President and VP - simultaneously.

Even with the new formula, things went into the dumper again in 1824 when none of four candidates amassed a majority of electoral votes and was punted to the Congress.

There, John Quincy Adams, who had received only 84 electoral votes, was selected by the House of Representatives over Andrew Jackson, who had received 99 electoral votes, because the Constitution requires Congressmen to caucus and cast a single vote per state (and Adams had 13 states on his side out of the 24 then in existence).

Since then, a sea change in the voting franchise as taken place. Voting was extended first to African-Americans and then to women. By 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court had whittled the franchise down to the simple concept of "one person one vote."

All voting districts - except for President - must be drawn so as to balance their population to honor the equation of one person, one vote.

This applied at the state legislative as well as Congressional level.

But states of unequal population were allowed to stand leading to the circumstance where a person could be elected President without receiving a majority or even a plurality of the popular vote.

That's what happened this year, just as it did in 2000 and on several occasions in the past.

It leaves us with the less than fair reality that members of Congress are elected on a more equitable basis than the President.

The late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Earl Warren, put it this way in the majority opinion in one of the landmark voting rights cases, Reynolds v. Sims, in 1964: "Legislators represent people, not trees or acres. Legislators are elected by voters, not farms or cities or economic interests."

People - lots of them - are disenfranchised as their votes are diluted.

Thirteen states have less population than the City of Philadelphia (1.6 million) yet they each get two bonus electoral votes by virtue of being a state, even if they're small ones.

Allegheny County, with 1.2 million population, has more residents - and voters - than nine states. Montgomery County (812,000 population) has more voters than six states. Or, bringing it close to home, Lancaster County (530,000) has population equal to Wyoming, which has three electoral votes.

The six smallest states in population -- Montana, Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming - each have three electoral votes for a total of 18. They each get two bonus electoral votes for their two senators each meaning that on a one person, one vote basis, each small state vote is equal to three from Pennsylvania.

Planning for the future - just like repairing Uncle John's Model T before the next harvest - there is a "fix" that would not require a Constitutional amendment, would not disappear the Electoral College and which could be in place by 2020.

It's called the National Popular Vote Compact (NPV) and it has been working its way through legislatures around the country for more than a decade. State Sen. Daylin Leach (Philadelphia-Montgomery) already has announced that he is introducing NPV in the new legislative session. The plan already has been approved by a handful of state legislatures.

The compact would be effective if and only enough states to equal a majority of the votes in the Electoral College (half of 538) adopt it.

The crux of the plan is the Constitutional language now governing the operation of the Electoral College in each state: "Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature may direct, a number of electors ..." Currently, Pennsylvania electors cast ballots for the candidate receiving the most votes in our states. A total of 48 of the 50 states do it that way.

Two award votes to the winners by Congressional district. NPV would require state legislatures to instruct electors to cast ballots for the winner of the national popular vote, thereby insuring that the Electoral College winner and the popular vote winner is one in the same and that each person's vote across the nation is counted equally.

Earl Warren would be pleased.
TRUMP CLINTON COLLAGE.jpg

(File photos)

By Charlie Gerow

On Monday, the 2016 Electoral College will meet to cast the ballots electing Donald J. Trump as the 45th President of the United States.

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

Under the provisions of Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution the presidential electors meet on the first Monday following the second Wednesday of December every four years.

How they came up with the formula for determining the date to convene the Electoral College is beyond me. This year it's on the latest possible date.

There will be little fanfare--there aren't any cheerleaders in the Electoral College--but a lot of ceremony when the electors gather in the various state capitols around the nation.

There will be some added drama this year because of the concerted effort by some on the Left to convince Trump electors not to vote for him.

The anti-Trump campaign has shifted their arguments along the way, but they've focused on two: "Russian hacking" and the fact that Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

There have only been four other occasions when a candidate won the popular vote but lost the presidency. The first was in 1824, perhaps the craziest of American presidential elections.

In fact, it wasn't until 1824 that the popular vote was even counted. Half-a-dozen states had electors chosen by the state legislatures (a quarter of the states at the time).

It was the only time in American history where a candidate won BOTH the popular and electoral vote yet failed to win the presidency.

That happened because neither Andrew Jackson, who won both, or John Q. Adams received the majority of electors necessary. As a result, the election was thrown into the House of Representatives, which elected Adams.

It was the only time that Congress elected a president. We can only imagine the acrimony surrounding what Jackson called a "corrupt bargain."

A half-century passed before another president took office without winning the popular vote. The famed "Centennial Election" of 1876 gave Rutherford B. Hayes The White House despite losing the popular vote to Samuel Tilden.

Hayes gained the presidency through a deal that gave him all 20 previously contested electors and a single electoral vote victory, thus avoiding a congressional vote.

A few years later, in 1888, Benjamin Harrison was bested by Grover Cleveland in the popular vote but won in the Electoral College. Cleveland beat Harrison four years later, allowing him to be the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.

It was more than a century until George Bush and Al Gore kept the nation on its toes awaiting an outcome, ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in 2000.

The 2016 cycle provided much less drama, although no less bitterness.

Clinton's 2.5 million vote victory in the popular vote eclipsed the previous largest margin in an election where the popular vote winner didn't prevail by 400 percent. By contrast, the margin back in 1824 was only 35,000.

Despite her popular vote "victory" she got swept in the Electoral College, losing to Donald Trump 306 to 232.

Monday, those 306 electors will solemnly cast their ballots for Donald J. Trump. Certificates of their votes will be transmitted to Congress and the National Archives.

On Jan. 6, those votes will be publicly read by Vice President Joe Biden before a joint session of congress. He will then announce the election of Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

The notion that some surge among the electors will occur over the weekend causing them to abandon Trump makes a fun game for academics, but in reality is far less likely than winning Powerball.

The "faithless elector" dilemma--where an elector casts their ballot for a candidate other than the one to whom they were bound--makes for interesting conversation, not much more.

While there have been a few occasions through our more than two centuries of presidential elections where it's occurred, they've usually been symbolic or protest votes and never made more difference than spitting in the Atlantic. Electors have voted for their candidate more than 99.9% of the time.

Most recently a Minnesota Democrat voted for John Edwards, John Kerry's 2004 running mate, rather than for Kerry himself. Some think it was merely an honest mistake.

In 1988, a West Virginia elector voted in reverse order as a protest. Ronald Reagan got an electoral vote in 1976 that was pledged to fellow Republican Gerald Ford.

The last time an elector voted for someone outside of their party was in 1968 when a North Carolina Nixon elector cast his vote for George Wallace. Even then he said that if his vote had been decisive, he'd have cast it for Nixon.

Aside from the scattered instances of such disloyalty, the biggest bloc of votes ever to go other than where they were directed was in 1832 when the entire Electoral College from -- where else than the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania -- refused to case their votes for Vice Presidential candidate Martin Van Buren.

The fact that the presidency can be won without winning the popular vote and that electors sometimes stray from their commitment has led some to criticize the Electoral College system and call for its abolition or drastic amendment.

But the wisdom of The Founders in setting up the safeguards of the Electoral College has been affirmed again and again.

They crafted a system not based on a unitary vote (just as they did with the House of Representatives) but on 51 individual elections, the District of Columbia included. Donald Trump carried 60 percent of those elections and an electoral landslide.

Were that system not in place Donald Trump wouldn't have been in Hershey or Hillary Clinton in Harrisburg. Big population centers would have dominated the campaign. Most of the nation would have been "flyover" states.

The Electoral College ain't perfect, but it works and it will once again do its work, faithfully, this week.
The Trudeau Liberals have told the provinces and territories exactly how much more money in federal transfers they will receive next year to pay for health care, and the extra cash falls short of what premiers want. Minister of Finance Bill Morneau responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa in a December 6, 2016, file photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Boyne City Splash Pad construction continues, to open next year

The project is being funded by the sale of the Boyne City Community Building.
OPEC'S supply deal and the looks of the global oil flows



IEA Sees OPEC Deal Causing Oil-Supply Deficit in 2017

RIO DE JANEIRO

Petroleumworld.com 12 19 2016

OPEC's quest to end a global crude glut already snapped a two-year slump in oil prices. Now attention is turning to how the group's surprise decision to cut output will transform international trade flows of the world's most important commodity.

The early signs are that Middle East suppliers will prioritize Asia, pushing competitors in Africa and the Americas to keep cargoes in the Atlantic region. Saudi Arabia has indicated it will initially maintain most flows to fast-growing Asia, while draining more heavily oversupplied Western regions. Kuwait is doing much the same.

They want to keep their market share to Asia, Olivier Jakob, managing director at Petromatrix GmbH in Zug, Switzerland, said of Middle East suppliers. The routes they will restrict the oil flow most will be to the U.S. and Europe.

Understanding how and where oil flows matters to almost everyone in the supply chain. Crude traders need to know as they exploit regional price gaps, tanker owners depend on the cargoes being transported over long distances, while many refineries are configured to run most effectively using specific varieties of crude.

Prioritizing Asia

If Middle East producers do indeed fight to keep their Asian market share, then higher proportion of crude pumped in West Africa, the North Sea, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean could stay within that region, according to Erik Nikolai Stavseth, a shipping analyst at Arctic Securities AS in Oslo.

The Saudis' prioritizing growing Asian nations and leaving Western buyers more to themselves is an obvious negative for crude tankers, since it would imply shorter-distance shipping and fewer cargoes, said Stavseth. Supertankers are already bracing for their worst year since 2013.

Still, there are many moving parts that dictate where barrels flow. Demand for tankers would take a hit if fewer cargoes were moved between from the Atlantic to Asia, a long-distance route. Cheaper shipping could then make such deliveries financially attractive. If one region gets a bigger cut than another, prices adjust, pulling cargoes from one area to another. Much will also depend on the grades the producers cut.

Right Grades

Much of the Middle East's reductions will be heavy grades that are cheaper,says Eugene Lindell, a senior analyst at Vienna-based JBC Energy GmbH. If correct, then Venezuela and other Latin American suppliers could make up the shortfall, he said. By contrast, Sadad al-Husseini, an independent Dhahran-based analyst and former official at Saudi Arabia's oil company, said he expects the bulk of Saudi cuts to be Arab Light because demand for Heavy is high.

Through the first nine months of this year, Saudi Arabia shipped about 3.1 million barrels a day to key Asian nations including China, Japan and South Korea, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Flows to the OECD Americas measured 1.2 million barrels a day, and 826,000 daily barrels to Europe.

OPEC pledged on Nov. 30 to cut supply by 1.2 million barrels a day, overcoming skepticism it would do a deal. Non-member nations said Dec. 10 they would curb 558,000 barrels a day. Brent crude has surged more than $8.50 to $55 a barrel since Nov. 29. West Texas Intermediate has rallied $6.40, making the U.S. grade potentially more attractive in international markets.

Cuts Underway

Nations participating in the curbs have begun to notify refiners of their plans for January deliveries, indicating trade routes that will be hit. Saudi Arabian Oil Co. , the state oil company known as Saudi Aramco, plans to keep its full contractual supplies to at least five Asian refineries, according to officials at those facilities. Kuwait is also prioritizing Asia, according to an official from the state oil company.

While Saudi Aramco did curb January sales to parts of Southeast Asia, the nation also sold full volumes under long-term contracts for next month to North Asian nations including China and Japan -- key demand areas -- according to people familiar with the decisions. Keeping up supplies to China matters to the world's biggest crude exporter, which has seen shipments from rival Russia growing steadily.

Meanwhile, Aramco has started to inform customers that it will begin to curb shipments to Europe and North America. One European refiner will see its portion of Saudi crude decline by 20 percent next month, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Consultants PIRA Energy Group and Energy Aspects Ltd. told clients the government in Riyadh has begun reducing the amount refineries receive under long-term contracts. Saudi Arabia's initial approach is to keep crude that's produced in the Atlantic Basin within that region, preventing it from flowing to Asia, according to a Gulf official familiar with the matter.

Visible Markets

OPEC is aware of high inventories in visible markets like the U.S., which is another reason why it will target cuts there, according to Petromatrix's Jakob.

Crude oil inventories in the U.S. impact prices more than any other part of the world, he said. If OPEC members want to have a price impact, I think they will target lower flows to the U.S.






One of the most popular art hubs of Gurgaon, Epicentre, will shut shop on January 16, next year.

By India Today Web Desk: Gurgaon's most popular cultural centre, Epicentre, will soon shut shop.

Yes, it is really happening.

Also see: This miniature street art in a Swedish city is catering to the local population (of mice, apparently)

The centre's lease will expire on January 16, next year. However, before the inevitable happens, there are already a ton of events lined up at the centre, which includes Lohri celebrations and performances based on poet Mirza Ghalib's life, featuring actor Tom Alter.

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The centre has seen many performances by actors like Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah, and Kalki Koechlin over the years.

"I will miss the Epicentre. It was a brilliant theatre and had a great crowd. I hope an alternative space comes up," The Times of India quoted Kalki as saying.

Musicians perform at Gurgaon's Epicentre. Picture courtesy: YouTube Musicians perform at Gurgaon's Epicentre. Picture courtesy: YouTube

Epicentre is run by Old World Hospitality (OWH) that is also responsible for the functioning of Indian Habitat Centre, Delhi. One of the officials from Apprael Export Promotion Council (AEPC), from where the OWH primarily operates told The Times of India, "The centre will continue to function till January 15. After that, the government will take steps which will be for the welfare of the people."

Also read: Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen was the #BadAss woman we all aim to be today

"Our contract is not getting renewed and unfortunately we have to shut down operations. Quite naturally, there is a sense of disappointment among art lovers," The Times of India quoted Corporate head, marketing, OWH, Mukta Kapoor.

Many film actors and theatre artists have come forward and expressed their sadness at the news.

"That was Gurgaon's best auditorium...It is my request to the Textile Ministry to allow it to continue functioning. It meant a lot to the theatre artists in Gurgaon, and artists from outside the place who wanted to perform there," actor Yashpal Sharma told The Times of India.

Chak De! actress Shilpa Shukla also lamented the loss of the art hub and said, "Artists who perform at Delhi always look forward to performing at the Epicentre. It is the one point where people can communicate through their art. I can understand shutting it down if it is not doing well. But why do this when it is doing well? It is quite a shock for me."

--- ENDS ---
From explorations in space, nuclear and defence technology to inventions that have improved everyday life, a few milestones in India's scientific and technological progress in four decades.

1975

Aryabhata

Once an astronomer, then a satellite

India launched its first satellite into space on April 19, 1975. Named after the ancient Indian astronomer, Aryabhata was constructed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and rode into space aboard a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle from Kapustin Yar, the then Soviet Union's rocket launch and development site. It was constructed with the aim of gaining experience in building and operating satellites, but was also equipped with a suite of instruments to conduct experiments in x-ray astronomy and solar physics, among others. Aryabhata was designed as a 26-sided polyhedron, with a diameter of just over four-and-a-half feet, and was powered by solar panels, which were laid over 24 of the 26 sides of the satellite. Unfortunately, Aryabhata's mission was shortlived-a power failure caused the mission to end after four days, after the satellite had completed just 60 orbits of the Earth.

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Villagers watching a site programme SITE TV sets being assembled NASA's ATS-6 Satellite; A UHF Antenna used to receive signal

1975

Satellite TV

A SITE for sore eyes

The Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) began on August 1 in that year. For the first time, 2,400 black-and-white community TV sets came alive in as many villages, clustered in six states across the country. This was long before urban India, including the metros, experienced television. The project, undertaken by ISRO, was designed and implemented in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States. This was one of the largest experiments of its kind, with the aim of demonstrating the potential of satellite technology as an effective medium of mass communication for a developing country. Educational programmes made in India were beamed by the Application Technology Satellite (ATS-6) of the US. The year-long SITE project established that the extension of communications infrastructure to remote areas was not only feasible, but that it could also make a contribution to promoting national development.

The Petridish in which the embryo was fertilised Doctors Subhash Mukhopadhyay, SK Bhattacharjee and Sunit Mukherje Baby Durga

1978

Test tube baby

The birth of Durga

The first test tube baby in India-and the second one in the world-was born in Calcutta on October 3, 1978. At that time, Dr Subhash Mukhopadhyay claimed that Durga, the test-tube baby born under his care to Ms Bela Agrawal, at Belle View Nursing Home at 11:14 am was the first baby conceived via in-vitro fertilisation. This was just 67 days after the world's first test-tube baby, Marie Louise Brown, was born in the UK. Unfortunately, Dr Mukhopadhyay's claims were not believed by the scientific community, and he was subjected to both ridicule and institutional setbacks. After repeated failed attempts to convince his colleagues of his achievement, Dr Mukhopadhyay hanged himself on June 19, 1981. His story was later immortalised, in the 1991 film Ek Doctor Ki Maut. It was only in 2005 that his acheivement and contributions to science were recognised. Then, Durga-now known as Kanupriya Agarwal-exclaimed: "I am not a trophy but proud to be the living example of the work of a genius. Justice has been done to my scientific dad."

A MARK-II handpump in Rangpuri Pahadi, Haryana. Photo: Reuben Singh A MARK-II handpump in Rangpuri Pahadi, Haryana. Photo: Reuben Singh

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1978

Mark-II Pumps

Water, water, everywhere

At a time when electricity had not quite reached the far-flung villages of India, the only way to access water-especially in times of drought-was to source it manually from wells. At first, wells were dug by hand; later, as powerful drill machines were developed, bore wells became the norm. To tap groundwater sources effectively, the Government of India joined hands with UNICEF to develop a more efficient manual handpump than the one in existence. After several rounds of trials, the government decided to adopt widespread installation of the 'Mark-II' pump. UNICEF agreed, spreading the technology to many other developing countries as well. The Mark II was based on the 'Sholapur pump', the most durable of its time, designed initially by a self-taught Indian mechanic. By the mid-1990s, five million pumps had been manufactured and installed. An improvement, the Mark III was also developed; these manual pumps are now exported to about 40 countries. Technological innovation has led to further upgrades as well, transforming the manual pump into a solar-powered thermal siphon pump in many places where piped water supply to homes is still a distant dream.

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Dakshin Gangotri was constructed in Antarctica in 1983

1983

Antarctic research

Gangotri at the South Pole

In 1983, India's first scientific base station in Antarctica was established, about 2,500 kilometres from the South Pole. Named Dakshin Gangotri, it was constructed during the third Indian expedition to Antarctica. The station was built in record time-eight weeks-by an 81-member team, and was powered by solar energy. It was abandoned in 1988-89, after it was submerged in ice. Before it was shut down, the base hosted an automatic weather recording station, and was also used to perform scientific tests on radio transmission. It also served as a hub for experiments in physical oceanography, chemical analyses of freshwater lakes in the area, as well as geology, glaciology and geomagnetism. After the base was rendered inoperable, a new research station, Maitri-which also served as India's first permanent station at the South Pole-was constructed about 90 km away, in 1988. It serves as a base for front-ranking research and developments in basic and environmental sciences.

Rakesh Sharma with the Russian cosmonauts

1984

Rakesh sharma

Our man in space

Saare jahan se acchha" is how Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian space traveler (and the only one so far), described how India looked from space. The squadron leader and test pilot with the Indian Air Force was speaking at the time to then prime minister Indira Gandhi, after spending eight days aboard the Salyut 7 space station along with two Soviet cosmonauts. They had departed on April 2, in a Soyuz T-11 spacecraft. The joint ISRO-Soviet Intercosmos space programme had reached a new high with this manned space mission. During the flight, Sharma performed multi-spectral photography of northern India, in anticipation of the construction of hydro-electric power stations in the Himalayas. Sharma spent almost eight days in space, during which time he carried out scientific and technical studies, mostly in the fields of biomedicine and remote sensing. On his return, Sharma and the two Russian cosmonauts were conferred the Ashoka Chakra-the highest gallantry award during peace time-as well as being honoured with the Hero of Soviet Union award.

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Dr APJ Abdul Kalam speaking about the Agni missile at a conference in 1994; the missile at its 1989 launch. Photo: Bhawan Singh

1989

Agni-1

The Radiant, Fiery Weapon of the Gods

The Agni missile was not India's first ballistic missile. That distinction belonged to the Prithvi short-range ballistic missile first tested in 1988. But over the years, the Agni, now the name for a family of missiles of various ranges, has come to be the mainstay of India's strategic arsenal, capable of carrying nuclear warheads to targets over 5,000 kilometres away. The missile was first test-fired on May 22, 1989. An 18 metre long, 7 tonne Agni missile with a range of 2,500 km was successfully launched into the Bay of Bengal from the interim test range in Chandipur, Orissa, in 1983. It was one of the Indigenous Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) missiles. Since 1995, five variants of the Agni missile family have been deployed and can be carried on road and rail mobile launchers. Key breakthroughs made in the programme include an all-carbon composite heat shield to deal with the temperatures of re-entry, solid rocket fuel, manoeuvrable thrusters as well as a guidance system.

A scientist at the centre for DNA fingerprinting and diagnostics in Hyderabad. Photo: A. Prabhakar Rao

1991

DNA Finger Printing

A new kind of identfication

The science of DNA 'fingerprinting'-that is, identifying people based on specific characteristics of their DNA-is a relatively new one. In India, the development of this technology owes a great deal to a single man, Dr Lalji Singh. In the 1970s, while studying the evolution of sex chromosomes in a particular species of snake-the banded Krait-Dr Singh and his colleagues observed and recorded a specific pattern in the DNA sequences, which they named the 'Bkm sequences'. Between 1978 and 1988, while working at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Dr Singh established that these sequences, and the methods of studying them could be used to generate DNA 'fingerprints' even for human beings. In 1991, Dr Singh made use of this technology to provide evidence in a court case over disputed paternity. This techonogy was then used in a number of other cases as well, including the infamous murder of Naina Sahni in 1995-popularly known as the 'Tandoor murder'-as well as in the murder of Priyadarshini Mattoo. Cases such as these established the science as a robust and reliable one, and ensconced Dr Lalji Singh as the 'Father of DNA fingerprinting' in India.

The Param Supercomputer. Photo: Hemant Pithwa

1991

Param

A home-made, super-duper supercomputer

The PARAM supercomputer began its life as a result of a technology embargo that had been placed on India. As the story goes, in 1987, during a high-technology meet between India and the US, the then US president Ronald Reagan refused to sell to then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi the latest CRAY supercomputers being developed in America. Instead, the Indian premier was offered an outdated machine, and also warned against its use for any purposes other than weather forecasting. This was not without good reason-supercomputers are an essential step toward modern weapons systems. For example, the calculations required to construct an intercontinental ballistic missile cannot be performed on an ordinary computer; it would take far too long. In 1988, for the purposes of developing self-sufficiency in such matters, India established the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, or C-DAC, with Dr Vijay Bhatkar as director. With a deadline of three years, and a budget of around Rs 30 crore, PARAM 8000 was born in 1991.

Every tiger has a unique pattern of stripes. Photo: Image courtesy Ullas Karanth/WCS - Kalyan Varma

1995

Tiger tracking

Counting the big cats,one photo at a time

How do you count the number of tigers in a jungle? Before 1995, the accepted method was for trackers and gamekeepers to enter the forest, and count the number of unique pug-marks that could be found. Aside from being imprecise and difficult to verify, such methods also put those who undertook such studies at great risk. In 1995, a Karnataka-based conservation zoologist, K. Ullas Karanth, suggested that instead of the laborious, once-every-five-years 'headcount' undertaken by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, camera traps and statistical models should be used. A camera trap is essentially a camera equipped with a motion sensor. After a network of such cameras has been installed in the forest, the data gathered is then put through a rigorous statistical analysis to produce an estimate of the tiger population.

The control room of the Kalpakkam Atomic Centre. Photo: AP

1998

Kalpakkam plant

Waste not, want not

Nuclear power is a complicated science. It's an even harder discipline in practice, not least because of how difficult it is to obtain and refine nuclear fuels. This difficulty is so great that often 'spent' nuclear fuel-that is, radioactive material such as uranium, which is no longer suitable for use in power plants-is 'reprocessed' so that it can be used in related activities (for example, in constructing a nuclear weapon). With that in mind, Kalpakkam, about 80 km south of Chennai, is home to a comprehensive nuclear power plant, including facilities for power production and waste treatment-and in 1998, a fuel reprocessing Plant was commissioned at that site. Currently, the Kalpakkam Atomic Reprocessing Plant is one of three major nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities in the country. With a 100 tonne per annum capacity, the plant uses spent fuel from two pressurised heavy water reactors at the Madras Atomic Power Station, as well as from the fast breeder test reactor on site. The plant makes use of a plutonium-uranium extraction process known as PUREX, and is also capable of processing laboratory-scale amounts of plutonium-uranium carbide fuel. The plutonium that is reprocessed is then used either in India's other atomic facilities, or in constructing nuclear weapons.

One of the five atomic weapons that were tested on May 11, 1998, being lowered into the test shaft

1998

Pokhran-II

Building up a nuclear muscle

On May 13, 1998, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee announced India's new status as the world's sixth nuclear weapons armed power. Two days before the prime minister's announcement, on May 11, 'Operation Shakti' had been initiated. India had stunned-and somewhat alarmed-the world community with a series of five nuclear weapons tests. The weapons were of three different kinds-one fusion or thermonuclear weapon, two fission devices and two sub-kiloton devices-which indicated the flexibility and range of India's nuclear arsenal, slowly built up over the years. Pokhran-II was the first Indian test of a nuclear weapon since 1974. Post-1974, bomb technology had been placed on the backburner, until Pakistan came close to acquiring a nuclear weapon with Chinese assistance. Faced with the twin threats of a Chinese and Pakistani nuclear weapons arsenal and a closing global window-the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was opened for signatures in 1996-the strategic community was left with no other option but to hit the test button.

Infosys employees at kaup rural BPO unit, near Mangalore. Photo: Badusha PT

2000

BPO

Backroom Badshahs

As more and more universities began producing graduates for what was a relatively small job market till the 1990s, the arrival of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) led to a louder hum of India's economic engine. With offshore companies handing out their backroom jobs to newly created 'offshore' subsidiaries, services such as these were in high demand. This spawned enterprises like GE Capital International Services-now a distinct entity called Genpact-and many others as well, and offered the burgeoning Indian middle class the kind of secure and aspirational jobs for which they had once relied on the government. The industry has grown rapidly, also leading to the growth of BPO training and recruitment agencies, as well as ancillary service providers such as security and facilities management companies. In recent years, most Indian BPOs, including small- and mid-sized players have been setting up 'onshore' presences in the markets they serve too. The global BPO industry is estimated to be worth about $150 billion, of which the offshore BPO industry is estimated to be some $11.4 billion. Though India has only about a six per cent share of the total industry, it has a commanding 63 per cent share of the offshore component.

The chandrayaan-1 spacecraft at the ISRO centre, Bengaluru, in 2008. Photo: AP

2008

Chandrayaan-1

To put a man on the moon

India's space programme came of age in 2008, with the first unmanned space mission, Chandrayaan-1, reaching the moon. It included a lunar orbiter and an impactor, and was launched by a modified version of the PSLV on October 22, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, the spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It attained lunar orbit on November 8. The goals of the mission included high-resolution mapping of the moon in visible, near infrared, low energy X-ray and high-energy X-ray spectra, and the preparation of a three-dimensional atlas of regions of scientific interest. For this, Chandrayaan-1 carried six indigenous Indian scientific instruments, as well as two from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), three instruments from the European Space Agency and another from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. This mission gave momentum to plans for a modified GSLV for India's proposed manned mission.

INS Arihant at the shipbuilding centre in Visakhapatnam

2009

INS Arihant

Wolves of the sea

On July 26, 2009, India formally launched its first indigenously designed and constructed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), the INS Arihant, the culmination of a project that began in the 1960s. The long gestation period could be explained by the fact that SSBNs are among the most complex military platforms ever developed. They call for a simultaneous mastery of technologies spanning the ocean depths and space-underwater nuclear propulsion, sea-launched ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. This is the reason why only the P5 countries have fielded SSBNs. The INS Arihant's nuclear reactor, developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, gives it almost indefinite underwater endurance. Its four indigenously 'K-4' nuclear-tipped submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) have a range of over 3,000 km making it the third and most lethal leg of the triad declared in India's nuclear doctrine of 2003.

A Man helping his polio-afflicted son wear Orthopaedic supports at a rehabilitation centre in Delhi. Photo: AP

2014

Polio-free India

Striding into the future

On March 27, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared India free from polio, which Bill Gates described as "the greatest global health achievement that I have witnessed". The war was declared as won as the last reported case of 'wild poliovirus' in India was in January 2011. This was a leap forward for what was once known as the largest 'endemic reservoir of polio' in the world, registering between 50,000 and 100,000 cases of paralytic polio every year. It marked the culmination of a decades-long campaign: In India, large-scale polio vaccination began in 1978, with the Expanded Program on Immunisation, which by 1984 had covered about 40 per cent of the infants in the country. In 1985, with the launch of the Universal Immunisation Program, the cover was extended. The success of these two programmes was that reported cases decline from 28,000 in 1987 to 3,200 in 1995. Saturated coverage sustained by a multi-media blitzkrieg against polio with the launch of the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in 1995 contributed to its success.

The GSLV-D5 launch vehicle taking off

2014

GSLV-D5

This is rocket science

Rocket science poses extraordinary challenges. An example is that it took exactly 25 years for India, after developing a rocket that could lob a satellite successfully into orbit, to develop an indigenous cryogenic engine. On January 5, the GSLV-D 5 rocket, which launched the GSAT-14 communications satellite, was powered for the first time by an Indian-made liquid fuelled cryogenic engine. It is a rocket engine that uses a cryogenic, or super-cooled, fuel or oxidiser, which are gases liquefied and stored at very low temperatures. These are super-cooled, comparatively lighter engines than those which use solid fuel propellant, allowing heavier payloads to be delivered into high geostationary orbits or farther into space. In fact, engines such as these were one of the main factors in NASA's success in reaching moon on the Saturn V rocket. When it comes to India, ISRO scientists and engineers, after beginning work at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu, spent more than two decades developing cryogenic engineering technology.

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An aerial view of the Ligo Observatory in Louisiana, US

2016

LIGO-INDIA

Edge of the Earth

To foster cutting-edge research, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory in India (LIGO-India) project is setting up a state-of-the-art gravitational wave observatory in collaboration with the LIGO Laboratory in the US, run by Caltech and MIT. The Department of Atomic Energy has identified Aundha, in Hingoli district of Maharasthra, as the preferred site. Topographical, seismological and geotechnical assessments are vital, as the location must be one of low seismic disturbance. The science is fascinating: almost 100 years after Albert Einstein first predicted them, researchers detected gravitational waves-ripples in the fabric of space-time that had radiated out from the merging of two black holes. While this confirms Einstein's general theory of relativity, it also provided evidence that the theory breaks down at the 'event horizon' of black holes. The first research operations will begin only in 2024, for which the DAE and Department of Science and Technology have reached an agreement with the US's National Science Foundation.

Photo research by Prabhakar Tiwari and Saloni Vaid

--- ENDS ---
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By Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  President Barack Obama strongly suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the computer hacks of Democratic Party emails that American intelligence officials say were aimed at helping Republican Donald Trump win the Nov. 8 election.

But with only a month left in office, during a somber press conference before leaving for a family holiday in Hawaii, Obama spoke despairingly about the nasty state of U.S. politics, saying the chasm between Democrats and Republicans has made it possible for Russia to cause mischief.

Obama said he has great confidence in intelligence reports he has seen showing that Russians hacked into emails belonging to the Democratic National Committee and to John Podesta, who was campaign chairman for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

The leaked emails revealed details of paid speeches Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from top aides to Clinton who were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while secretary of state.

The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign. Obama, who campaigned vigorously for Clinton, said she was treated unfairly and found the media coverage of her troubling.

This happened at the highest levels of the Russian government, Obama said when asked whether Putin was personally involved in the hacks. He added that not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin.

Obama said he warned Putin in September to stop meddling in American political campaigns, telling his Russian counterpart to cut it out during a face-to-face encounter in China at a Group of 20 meeting. Obama said he did not believe that U.S. electronic voting systems were tampered with.

Obama, however, stopped short of directly blaming Putin and said he also wanted to give U.S. intelligence officials more time to produce a report that is due before he leaves office on Jan. 20 and Trump is sworn in as his successor.

RETALIATION FOR CYBER ATTACKS

Obama called Russia a smaller and weaker country than the United States that does not produce anything that others want to buy, except oil and gas and arms.

The comments underscored what Obama called the sadly deteriorated relationship between Washington and Moscow, which are also at odds over Russias role in Syrias civil war and its aggressive actions in Ukraine.

Russia has denied U.S. accusations that it was behind the hacks. Two senior government officials told Reuters that the Federal Bureau of Investigation backs the CIAs view that Russia indeed intervened to help Trump win the presidential election.

Trump has maintained that he won the election fairly and has bristled at suggestions that Moscow influenced the outcome. But at one point during the heated presidential campaign, he publicly encouraged Russia to hack Clintons emails.

Trump spoke glowingly in the campaign about Putin, and since winning the election he has named top aides who have ties to Russia, including his nominee for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil Corp Chief Executive Rex Tillerson.

Obama left open the door to U.S. retaliation against Russia to discourage further cyber attacks  countermeasures that may be up to Trump to implement.

Obama said he has had cordial discussions with Trump since the election and has stressed that he would do everything he can to ensure a smooth transition. But the outgoing president also criticized Trumps fellow Republicans broadly.

Referencing polls showing that more than one-third of Republicans approve of Putin, who used to lead the KGB spy agency, Obama said that conservative icon Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave.

In some cases, you have voters and elected officials who have more confidence and faith in a foreign adversary than they have in their neighbors, Obama said.

CHINA AND SYRIA

Adding to the gloomy tone of Obamas remarks, he addressed two other difficult foreign policy issues that will outlast his time in the White House.

Obama warned about the economic and geopolitical consequences of any breakdown in the U.S.-China relationship, and said Trump should think carefully about the diplomatic repercussions if he decides to upend longstanding U.S. diplomatic norms.

Trump angered China earlier this month when he took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwans president, Tsai Ing-wen  the first call of its kind since 1979 when President Jimmy Carter acknowledged Taiwan as part of one China.

Obama also condemned attacks on Syrian civilians trying to flee the city of Aleppo, blaming President Bashar al-Assad and his allies in Russia and Iran for atrocities.

Obama defended his decision to keep U.S. troops out of Syria and avoid military intervention, although he acknowledged the protracted anguish has weighed on him.

Everything else was tempting because we wanted to do something and it sounded like the right thing to do, but it was going to be impossible to do this on the cheap, he said.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton, Jeff Mason and Julia Harte; Writing by Richard Cowan and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Alistair Bell and Leslie Adler)
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By Dustin Volz

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  The U.S. intelligence community will soon disclose an estimate of the number of Americans whose electronic communications have been caught in the crosshairs of online surveillance programs intended for foreigners, U.S. lawmakers said in a letter seen by Reuters on Friday.

The estimate, requested by members of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, is expected to be made public as early as next month, the letter said.

Its disclosure would come as Congress is expected to begin debate in the coming months over whether to reauthorize or reform the so-called surveillance authority, known as Section 702, a provision that was added to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act in 2008.

The timely production of this information is incredibly important to informed debate on Section 702 in the next Congress and, without it, even those of us inclined to support reauthorization would have reason for concern, said the letter signed by 11 lawmakers, all members of the House Judiciary Committee.

The letter was sent on Friday to National Intelligence Director James Clapper. It said his office and National Security Agency (NSA) officials had already briefed congressional staff about how the intelligence community intends to comply with the disclosure request.

Clappers office confirmed the letter had been received but declined further comment.

The lawmakers termed their letter an effort to memorialize our understanding of the intelligence communitys plan to provide an estimate in real numbers, not percentages, as soon as January that can be shared with the public.

The government has long held that calculating the number of Americans subject to Section 702 surveillance might be technically impossible and would require privacy intrusions exceeding those raised by the actual surveillance programs, which were originally intended to counter foreign espionage.

Intelligence officials have said that online data about Americans is incidentally collected under Section 702, due to a range of technical and practical reasons. Critics have assailed such collection as back-door surveillance of Americans without a warrant.

Section 702 will expire on Dec. 31, 2017, absent congressional action. It enables two internet surveillance programs called Prism and Upstream that were revealed in a series of leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden more than three years ago.

Prism gathers messaging data from Alphabet Incs Google, Facebook , Microsoft, Apple and other major tech companies that is sent to and from a foreign target under surveillance. Upstream allows the NSA to copy web traffic flowing along the internet backbone located inside the United States and search that data for certain terms associated with a target.

Clapper, who is stepping down next month, suggested in April that providing an estimate of Americans surveilled under Section 702, a figure some have said could tally in the millions, might be possible, while defending the law as a prolific producer of critical intelligence.

Republicans James Sensenbrenner, Darrell Issa, Ted Poe and Jason Chaffetz signed the letter, in addition to Democrats John Conyers, Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hank Johnson, Ted Deutch, Suzan DelBene and David Cicilline.

(Reporting by Dustin Volz; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn and Tom Brown)
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By Mark Hosenball

Republican members of Congress are complaining that U.S. intelligence agencies are refusing to brief them widely on a classified CIA report that concluded Russia hacked Democratic Party data in an effort to help Donald Trump win the presidency.

The Republicans said Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has refused their requests for full briefings of Congress two intelligence committees. U.S. government officials said the leaders of Congress and the chairmen of the two intelligence committees, known as the Gang of Eight, have been briefed on the Central Intelligence Agencys conclusion.

Nevertheless, Representative Devin Nunes, the California Republican who chairs the House Intelligence Committee and is a member of President-elect Trumps transition team as well as the Gang of Eight, has called for a briefing for his entire committee on the CIA assessment.

The committee is vigorously looking into reports of cyber-attacks during the election campaign, and in particular we want to clarify press reports that the CIA has a new assessment that it has not shared with us, Nunes said.Representative Ron Johnson, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said his panel also has asked for a briefing but the CIA refused.

It is disappointing that the CIA would provide information on this issue to the Washington Post and NBC but will not provide information to elected members of Congress, Johnson said in a statement on Friday.

Three U.S. government sources, who all asked for anonymity to discuss classified information, told Reuters that while the full congressional committees have not been briefed, the congressional leadership has, which is the standard procedure for briefing Congress on sensitive intelligence.

The sources said that Nunes was personally briefed on the CIA finding. A congressional official denied Nunes was briefed, however.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a statement that because President Barack Obama last week ordered the intelligence community to conduct a full-scale review of foreign efforts to influence recent presidential elections  from 2008 to the present, the agencies would not comment further until the study is completed.

BRIEFING TO FOLLOW

ODNI, which oversees all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, said that when the review is complete, the U.S. intelligence community stands ready to brief Congress.

The office said it also would make the study available to the public consistent with protecting intelligence sources and methods.

The CIA based its conclusion about Russia hacking to influence the election not on irrefutable evidence but largely on its analysis of the fact that the Russians hacked both political parties while only publicizing information damaging to Democrats and their presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, said a U.S. official familiar with the agencys work, who also requested anonymity.

Two of the government sources said on Friday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation now backs the CIA assessment that the Russian hacks were aimed at helping Trump win. The ODNI also agrees with the assessment, all three government sources said.

There was no immediate comment from the FBI.

The FBI, which has responsibility for counterintelligence investigations inside the United States, initially did not endorse the CIAs finding because it did not meet the standards of evidence necessary to win a conviction in a U.S. court or identify individuals whose hacking violated American law, one source said.The debate over Russian hacking also is opening a rift between Trump and some Republican members of Congress.

The president-elect continues to dismiss the intelligence agencies conclusion that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed the hacking.

On Friday, Senator Richard Burr, Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, announced his committee will conduct a review in the new year of U.S. intelligence on Russian activities and its cyber activity more broadly.

The review will include questioning of both Obama and Trump officials, including the issuance of subpoenas if necessary to compel testimony, Burr said in a statement.

(Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Warren Strobel, John Walcott and Tom Brown)
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On the eve of Electoral College electors gathering to vote, acting DNC Chair Donna Brazille said that the Russian hacks against the Democratic Party were even worse than previously reported.

Video:



ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Transcript via ABCs This Week:



DONNA BRAZILE, INTERIM DNC CHAIR: Well, first of all, Im gratified that after seven months, when it was confirmed by our side with security experts, as well as the FBI, that everyone is now taking it seriously.

This was a very intrusive process. The presidents party was hacked. Not the Democratic Party  the president  he is a Democrat. His party was hacked. The e-mails were weaponized. The release of stolen, hacked e-mails caused a lot of confusion and of course it disrupted our daily campaign life.

.

RADDATZ: President Obama also said Friday that the cyber attacks stopped after he warned Putin at an international conference in September. Youve been briefed on the partys computer system. Is that right? They stopped?

BRAZILE: No, they did not stop. They  they came after us absolutely every day until the end of the election. They tried to hack into our system repeatedly. We put up the very best cyber security  what I call infrastructure to stop them, but they constantly 

RADDATZ: So why do you think the president would say that?

BRAZILE: Look, I think the president is right to call for a full investigation. Every federal agency involved should be  should put everything on the table, and the Democratic Party will put everything on the table. They came after us daily. Hourly. And there were times when we thought they would penetrate us and we would have another breach, but we had a great 

Any organization that has been subjected to a serious cyber attack can verify that Brazilles description was accurate. The attacks dont stop. They are a combination of automated and human activity, and they are relentless.

Braziles claim that the attacks continued through election day suggests that the Russians werent only out to hack the Democratic Party for information that would help Trump. A foreign government was also attempting to disrupt a major US political party in the middle of a presidential election.

What happened during the 2016 election was the most serious cyber crime ever to be committed against democracy in the United States. It cant be swept under the rug. The president-elects dismissal of the cyber attacks makes it look like he is hiding something. The point of any investigation should be to find out exactly what Donald Trump and his incoming administration do not want the public to know.
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The following post, written by The Rev. Robert A. Franek, is a part of Politicus Policy Discussion, in which writers draw connections between real lives and public policy.

By all measures, Hillary Clinton should have been the President-elect. She not only has the popular vote by a record margin, but the policies and plans this country and its people need to move forward towards a stronger and more equitable and just future for women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and all the vulnerable of this world from seniors to children to refugees.

There are plenty of reasons why this did not happen including Russian interference going to the highest levels and a partisan ploy by FBI Director James Comey. There is also the unfair media coverage of Hillary Clintons faux email scandal which nearly wiped out any mention of her comprehensive policy plans ranging from clean energy and raising the minimum wage to making college tuition and healthcare coverage more accessible and affordable.

The medias fawning over Donald Trump for ratings and revenue and also to assure continued access to the campaign, even giving his empty podium unprecedented air time, captivated the attention of the nation. While he soiled the airwaves with racism, sexism, misogyny, xenophobia, Islamophobia, and bigotry, crowds cheered and the rest of the country wept in shock, disbelief, and fear for what it would mean for them and their friends and family. Still others shed tears out of a common concern for the constitution and the basic human rights it affords to all people of this country.

Some of the Trump voters say they voted for change and believed the con the Trump campaign sold to them. He will drain the swamp, they said. Though the swamp that actually needs draining is not in President Barack Obamas administration, but in Congress. The people who need to go are the Republicans who have been derelict in their duty to govern by not addressing climate change, not holding hearings for Supreme Court Justice Nominee Judge Merrick Garland, not addressing wage inequality and a stagnant minimum wage, and putting corporate interests and those of the wealthiest one percent ahead of the needs of the majority of the citizens of this country, especially those who are poor.

These Republicans have also proved their unfitness for office by failing to adequately address gun violence and rape culture in our society today, preferring instead multiple investigations into Hillary Clintons involvement in the Benghazi tragedy and her emails while also making time to take pointless votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And when it came time to pass needed legislation like Zika virus funding, it was held up over issues regarding the Confederate flag.

Never mind evidence, reality, or facts, Trump voters voted on their feelings. It didnt matter how extreme Trumps rhetoric became or how evident his threats to First Amendment rights were, they gave him a pass because hes not a traditional politician. And though he lied pathologically, Hillary Clinton was the one perceived as untrustworthy despite being the most honest politician in recent history, thanks, media.

Watching Trump fill his cabinet and other key leadership positions is nothing less than a horror show for anyone who cares about the safety of this country and its people, world affairs, or the health of the planet. Education, Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency like every other position are all being led by people who are not only unfit for the job but also ideologically opposed to the very work they are being charged with doing.

The fight for democracy and the dignity of all begins as we take stock of the very real ramifications Donald Trumps administration and the Republican-controlled Congress will have on our neighbors near and far. President Barack Obama is assuring the nation of a peaceful transfer of power in the month to come, but where will the peace be after that?

We cannot take anything for granted or underestimate the gravity of what President-elect Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress will do following January 20, 2017.

The lives of American citizens and countless others around the world are in danger as is the health of the planet and all living things. It is the moral responsibility of all who care for people and the natural world to fight against the dangerous policies of the incoming administration.

As Hillary Clintons campaign made clear we are stronger together. The fight for our democracy and the dignity of all will take the efforts of the global village coming together in defense of the principles and policies that make us strong. The common good of the country and welfare of all depend on our not giving up.

Darker days are likely to come, but that does not mean all hope is lost. For it is often in the darkest hour that the light comes and shatters the darkness even if only with a small but stubborn flickering flame. And when this light is shared the darkness dissipates, a new day dawns.
Three jawans were martyred when an army convoy was attacked by militants on Saturday afternoon on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

By Ashraf Wani: The Indian Army today paid tributes to three of its men who laid their lives during the Pampore highway attack on Saturday.

Three jawans were martyred when an army convoy was attacked by militants on Saturday afternoon on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

CRPF said the army could not retaliate as it was a civilian area.

(L-R) Nandkumar, Pandey, Ratheesh

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The martyred have been identified as Naik Gunner Ratheesh C, Gunner Sourabh Nandkumar and Gunner Shashikant Pandey.

Gunner Ratheesh C, 35-years-old was from Kotolipram, Kannur district in Kerala and was survived by his wife and son.

Gunner Nandkumar, 33-years-old hailed from Maharashtra, Bhekari Nagar village in Pune, was survived by his wife and twin daughters.

Whereas, Gunner Pandey was 24-years-old and had joined service four years back only.

Mortal remains of the martyrs will be flown for last rites to their native places, where they will be laid to rest will full military honours.

Also read: Kashmir: 3 jawans martyred in Pampore after militants attack Army convoy along Srinagar-Jammu highway

--- ENDS ---
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During an interview on Fox News Sunday, incoming Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus refused to deny that Trump coordinated or communicated with Russia during the campaign. Instead of a denial, Priebus tried to turn Russian election interference into a partisan issue.

Video:

https://youtu.be/oryZtIDvSZU

Transcript via Fox News Sunday:

WALLACE: Two questions. One, do you flatly deny any contact, any coordination between Mr. Trump, his campaign, his associates and the Russians in interfering?

PRIEBUS: Even this question is insane. Of course, we didnt interface with the Russians. I mean, this whole thing is a spin job. And I think what the Democrats ought to do is look in the mirror and face the reality that they lost the election. And they lost the election because theyre so and completely out of touch with the American people that theyre so shell-shocked and they cant believe it.

And what is their response? Recounts, Russians, leaked CIA reports, and now the press secretary of the president saying that the reason Hillary Clinton lost wasnt because she blew it in Benghazi, she blew it with Russia, she blew it as secretary of state, she ignored the entire Midwest, and people didnt like the product. Thats why Hillary Clinton lost.

What Trumps incoming chief of staff offered up was a dodge, the question is absurd, and a non-answer, Hillary Clinton blew it. Nowhere in Priebuss dodge does he flatly deny that Trump coordinated or had contact with Russia during the campaign. The idea of the Trump campaign coordinating with Russia is more difficult to prove, but the idea of a US presidential candidate being in contact with a hostile foreign actor during the campaign needs to be investigated.

Priebuss non-answer should give any member of Congress who is considering investigating the Trump/Russia connection cause for pause. Priebus could have easily said that the question was absurd. Of course, Donald Trump didnt coordinate or communicate with the Russians. What Trumps chief of staff did was something very different. He tried to delegitimize concerns about Russian election interference by turning it into a partisan political issue.

Those who examine Reince Priebuss answer closely will see an attempt to redirect instead of a denial.
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Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called for a bipartisan select committee to investigate Russian hacks on Sunday during CNNs State of the Union. A joint select committee would be bad news for Trump because it guarantees that the Russian hack story will not go away.

Video of McCain on CNNs State Of The Union:

McCain said, We need a select committee. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to find out exactly what was done, and what the implications of the attack were, especially if they had an effect on our election. Theres no doubt they were interfering, and no doubt there was a cyber attack. The question now is how much, and what damage, and what should the United States of America do.

Tapper asked about his call for the Select Committee and pointed out that while McCain is critical of Obamas policy towards Russia, Trump has never criticized Russia. McCain admitted that he has never had a conversation with Trump about his praise for Russia. McCain also expressed his Obama bashing opinion that the post-WWII order is unraveling because America hasnt been leading.

Tapper came back to Trump never criticizing Putin and McCain said, No. I have never heard Trump criticize Putin. The Senator from Arizona hoped that the people around Trump would educate him on Russia, but he expressed the need for a bipartisan select committee to investigate all Russian hacking activities.

What should worry Trump most was McCains statement on why a select joint committee is needed, The responsibilities for cyber run over about four different committees in the Senate and each doing their own thing, frankly, is not going to be the most efficient way of arriving at a conclusion. This is serious business. If they are able to harm the electoral process, then they destroy democracy, which is based on free and fair elections.

The joint select committee would be bad news for Trump because one big joint committee is always going to get more media attention and scrutiny than four smaller committees. It would be much more difficult for Trump supporting Republicans in Congress to bury the Russian hacking if the investigation is centralized and not spread out over four committees that could drag out their investigations for years and never release any findings.

A joint committee is also more likely to have agreed upon rules and include the participation of Democratic foreign and intelligence heavyweights in Congress.

The biggest reason why a select committee is bad news for Trump is that the story will stay alive and continue to be a dark shadow that hangs over his administration. An investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee is not enough. A joint select committee is needed to handle an issue so vital to our democracy, and to make sure that the American people get the answers that they deserve.
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By David Morgan and Julia Harte

WASHINGTON (Reuters)  U.S. Republican and Democratic senators on Sunday called for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russias alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

Charles Schumer, who will be the Senate Democratic leader in the new U.S. Congress in January, and John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said separately on Sunday that a select committee was needed to ensure effective congressional focus on the hacking of Democratic Party emails during the campaign.

The fact that theyre hacking our political system and trying to influence the outcome, as it seems to be, that is serious, serious stuff, Schumer of New York told a news conference in New York. He said the panel should also examine hacking by other countries including China and Iran.

Two other senators, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, joined Schumer and McCain of Arizona in sending a letter to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell requesting the panel, Schumer said.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia tried to influence the election by hacking individuals and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies.

The matter has angered President-elect Donald Trump, who says he won the Nov. 8 vote fairly.

Russian officials have denied accusations of interfering in the Nov. 8 U.S. election.

On Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the Democratic Party email hacks.

McCain told CNNs State of the Union program that the U.S. response to the Russian attacks has been totally paralyzed and said cyber warfare is perhaps the only area where our adversaries have an advantage over us.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

John Podesta, Hillary Clintons presidential campaign chairman, also said on Sunday that it was an open question whether Trumps advisers colluded with Russia to hack into Democratic Party emails to try to sway election outcome.

Leaked emails had revealed details of paid speeches that Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from Clinton top aides who said they were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while U.S. secretary of state.

The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign.

Podesta said there was evidence that Trump associates had contact with a Russian intelligence official and the website Wikileaks before U.S. intelligence agencies accused Russia of being behind computer attacks of Democratic emails, including Podestas. But he did not specify what the evidence was.

Its very much unknown whether there was collusion. I think Russian diplomats have said post-election that they were talking to the Trump campaign, he told NBCs Meet the Press program.

Not what Mr. Trump knew, but what did Trump Inc know and when did they know it? Were they in touch with the Russians? I think those are still open questions, he added.

Asked if it was a free and fair election, Podesta replied: I think it was distorted by the Russian intervention, lets put it that way.

In a separate interview, Trumps incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, rejected the notion that Trump or his associates were aware of and in touch with the Russians during the hack attack.

Even this question is insane, Priebus told Fox News Sunday. Of course we dont interface with the Russians.

The controversy, which includes a formal U.S. Justice Department probe, has intensified interest in a crucial Monday vote by the Electoral College, which determines the outcome of U.S. presidential elections.

Trump won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote.

Electoral College members will meet in every state to cast the ballots that will officially declare winners of the presidential and vice presidential contests.

The voting is usually a formality. Podesta has called for the electors to be briefed about the hacking before they vote.

(Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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Our country is under attack by the Russians and Donald Trump wont even say its wrong.

CNNs Van Jones blasted President-elect Donald Trump this morning on State of the Union, saying what everyone but Trump Republicans will admit, Cyber war is real war! So you have an active attack on our country and you have the president-elect cannot find it in himself to say this is wrong.

Watch here via CNN:

.@VanJones68 says Trump's approach to Russia "is baffling to anybody with a functioning brain stem" #CNNSOTU https://t.co/UDnOVji3Qc  CNN (@CNN) December 18, 2016

This is baffling to anybody with a functioning brain stem. Yes other presidents tried to say nice things about the Russians not in the face of an active attack on the country, the CNN commentator said.

Cyber war is real war! So you have an active attack on our country and you have the president-elect cannot find it in himself to say this is wrong and it needs to stop, Van Jones continued.

Van Jones raised an excellent point that for someone as thin-skinned as Trump who responds to even perceived personal slights, its unacceptable that he cant find it in himself to even be mildly upset about an attack of war on our country, You can respond personally to an attack, you can respond as a partisan to an attack, but he cant respond as a patriot to an attack?

This is an attack on our country! This is not normal and its dangerous, Van Jones said, putting the cherry on his burst of truth that seems to be falling on deaf ears in the Republican Party, save for Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain.

The fact of the matter is Russia attacked this country in an effort to put into place the candidate of their choosing. This act of war benefited Republicans, and so many of them are pretending this is no big deal. Our President-elect is pretending he knows more than all of our intelligence communities, which is not only impossible since he doesnt attend intel briefings and so how could he possibly compare what they know to what he thinks he knows, but its also not possible because intelligence is not Donald Trumps expertise.

Republicans should be outraged as patriots, but the party that co-opted the flag seems bereft of patriotism right now. Van Jones was right, this was an act of war and it should be treated as one, immediately.

Patriots will define Russias hacking into our election as an act of war, because that is what it is.

Image: screep cap of Van Jones on State of the Union via CNN
David Slade is a senior Post and Courier reporter. His work has been honored nationally by Society of Professional Journalists, American Society of Newspaper Editors, Scripps foundation and others. Reach him at 843-937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com
Though the clock is falling back, fun is still springing up all around the Lowcountry. Immerse yourself in Scottish heritage at the Charleston Scottish Games and Highland Gathering, head to Summerville for the Timrod Library's 125th birthday, or spend a night with friends celebrating Charleston Beer Week. Read moreMy Charleston Weekend: Beer, Bagpipes, and a Birthday Bash
The victim, Manmath Dalai, suffered bullet injuries on the leg when the accused opened fire at him after a heated argument.

By Ashish Pandey: An unidentified man opened fire at the CEO and MD of Krishna Bhima Samruddhi (KBS) Bank, leaving him injured at his residence in Shantinagar area of Hyderabad on Sunday. The victim, Manmath Dalai, has suffered bullet injuries on the leg and is hospitalised now.

The accused shot two rounds and one of the bullets hit the 60-year-old's leg.

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"An unidentified person had come to meet Dalai at his residence on Sunday afternoon. The watchman took him to the apartment where after a heated argument, the man opened fired at Dalai. He shot two rounds at him. One of the bullets hit the CEO's leg while the other missed target. Dalai is out of danger now," DCP West Zone, Venkateswara Rao said while speaking to India Today.

Also read: Hyderabad: 3 arrested for attacking a bank manager in Nayapul

Panic hit the locality after the firing and the police officials immediately rushed to the spot and started investigation. Police have launched a manhunt to arrest the accused.

KBS bank operates in six districts of three states including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It has 19 branches operational in the districts.

Also read: Bathinda dancer's murder: Owner of gun used by accused arrested

--- ENDS ---
While some longtime locals have moved away  frustrated by traffic, cut-down trees, more parking  a surprising number of residents say Bluffton is managing to preserve the funky, laid-back vibe that drew so many people to it in the first place. Read moreDespite enormous growth, Bluffton is trying to hang on to its small-town charm
If youve been unfortunate enough to endure a flood caused by nature or human error, but fortunate enough that your home survived, its at the top of your list of worries: mold. Its why you have to act immediately to haul out all the contents, rip out carpets and even walls: to prevent the  Read moreEditorial: The simple first step to solving the insidious problem of mold in SC colleges
There are five candidates vying for three open seats on Clemson City Council. We asked the two incumbents and three newcomers what they think is most important for Clemson's residents and council. Read moreMeet the candidates: 5 vying for 3 seats on Clemson City Council
London's 157-year-old Big Ben will be closed for visitors for nearly three years. Know why.

By India Today Web Desk: Britain's most famous clock tower, Big Ben, will go silent for the first time since 2007 for a renovation project which will cost more than $40 million.

The doors of the 157-year-old Elizabeth Tower will be closed for visitors for nearly three years, however no official date has been announced yet.

The restoration work will begin next year and will involve repairing of the clock hands, its mechanism and pendulum.

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Also read: Big Ben Kolkata: The London clock tower replica is not a Durga Puja marquee

From the tower's fabric to the mechanism of the clock, British Parliament officials are concerned about the condition of the clock. Since more than 30 years the tower has not seen any conservation work.

A lift will also be installed and make it easier for disabled people who are unable to climb the tower's 334 steps.

While the work will be in progress, clock faces would be covered with sheets, although one clock face will still be visible.

Also read: India to soon flaunt world's tallest clock tower built by Infosys

--- ENDS ---
In other words

In the summer of 1858, Abraham Lincoln stood before his state convention and warned, "a house divided against itself cannot stand." The apt re Read moreThe danger of an island divided
Indonesian C-130 Crash

A Indonesian Air Force C-130H has crashed near Wamena today at around 06:05 CET.The former RAAF transport plane had crashed into terrain with 12 on board.The plane was on the approach to land at Wamena and the pilots last contact with the control tower was at 06:02. It was scheduled to land at 06:13.It was the first of five ex-RAAF C-130Hs that was sold by Australia to Indonesia at a discounted rate. The aircraft was transferred to Indonesia at the ceremony at RAAF Base Richmond on Feb. 8.
Top-level sources told India Today that Lt General Bipin Rawat was best suited to counter India's main security challenge in the form of terrorism. He has 10 years of experience in counter-insurgency operations and even led the surgical strikes in Myanmar.

By Manjeet Negi: With over ten years experience in counter-insurgency operations along the Line of Control, including leading the surgical strikes in Myanmar, the government chose Lt General Bipin Rawat to be the next Army chief and succeed General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

The Centre said Rawat was chosen as he was the best suited man to counter India's main security challenge in form of terrorism.

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"Rawat has 10 years of experience in counter-insurgency operations and was also posted on the Line of Control. He was involved in 1986 operations in Eastern Sector facing China and was also posted in Pulhama in the 19 Division," senior government sources told India Today.

"In the current situation, we need a person with experience in the relevant area, that is operational experience," the sources said.

ALSO READ | Congress questions Lt General Bipin Rawat's appointment as Army Chief

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT LT GENERAL RAWAT

In his career spanning over 38 years, Lt General Rawat has had "tremendous hands-on experience of serving in the combat areas, and at various functional levels in the Army".

LT General Rawat has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China, and in the north-east.

According to Army officials known to him, Rawat is considered to have a balanced approach towards soldiering, and has compassion and connect with the civil society.

His experience as General Officer Commandng (GOC-in-C) Southern Army Command in Mechanised Warfare has focused towards the western borders, in coordination with the other two services.

"He was found the best suited among the Lt Generals to deal with the emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the north-east," the sources said.

WATCH :

Also Read:

Why General Rawat made the cut which General Bakshi failed to

Lt Gen Bipin Rawat appointed new Army chief, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa as new Air Force chief

--- ENDS ---
Members of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, would begin a three-day nationwide warning strike by January 9, 2017, against what they termed the anti-labour practice of International Oil Companies (IOCs).

The south-west chairman of the union, Tokunbo Korodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the warning strike was inevitable because all other options had failed.

According to Mr. Korodo, We are not gaining anything by going on strike because it is not a joyful thing but as a union, we have to protect and fight for the welfare of our members.

We have sensitised the public and also seek the intervention of the Federal Government over the anti-labour activities of the IOCs on our members but we are not getting results.

Our members that put in their best within the duration of time they worked were not paid their severance packages by their employers when they sacked them.

This is a big slap and it will not be allowed.

What they are practising here in Nigeria, they cannot practise in their countries, so that is why we say enough is enough.

We will take the bull by the horn, he said.

The chairman said that what led to the planned warning strike was inherited by the present administration, while some occurred during the same government.

Two hundred and fifty members of our union were affected by the divestment by Chevron Nigeria Ltd., in the South-East.

And this is giving us a serious concern because they cannot feed their families.

The Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, asked all parties to maintain the status-quo ante and we complied because we respect the authority.

But the IOCs seem to be above the law or more powerful than the government; they failed to maintain the status-quo ante being amicably agreed to both parties.

Chevron had to tell our 250 members that their contract with it was no more binding on it because it cannot trace the company that employed them as contract workers for it.

The minister said that Chevron had to pay the sacked workers but its management refused to comply.

It got to a time when Senator Ngige called for a meeting in Abuja to mediate; at times its representatives would not show up.

We would risk our lives and resources to Abuja, no IOCs member would come.

Even when their representatives came, they would be those without a mandate to represent the organization just to frustrate the discussion, he said.

He alleged that all other IOCs in the country were involved in these anti-labour practices.

We do not want the public to see the strike as if we are unnecessarily punishing Nigerians.

Thats why we are using this period to protest by asking tanker drivers to hang green leaves on their trucks and our members to wear red cloth.

By next year, if our grievances are not addressed within this period, we will proceed on a three-day warning strike.

If the government and people concerned are not able to apprehend and resolve it, we may be forced to turn the strike into an indefinite one, he said.

(NAN)
The armed wing of the Hamas movement blamed Israel on Sunday for the death of aviation expert, Mohamed Zawari, vowing that his assassination will not stop the group from developing drones.

What the enemy doesnt know is that it wasnt only Zawari who helped to build pilotless drones, we had built up a structure with a large team, said al-Qassam Brigades.

Zawari was fatally shot in the Tunisian industrial city of Sfax last week, which Hamas blames on Israels Mossad Intelligence Agency.

The group said on Saturday that Zawari had been recruited as a member of the movement a decade ago and had come to the Gaza Strip several times to train others on how to build drones.

During the Gaza war in 2014, Hamas sent unmanned aircraft into Israeli airspace that were afterwards shot down.

Israel fears that the radical Islamist organisation, in charge of Gaza since 2007, has obtained several drones and could use them for terrorist attacks.

(dpa/NAN)
At least 49 Yemeni soldiers were killed on Sunday in a suicide attack claimed by the Islamic State extremist militia in the southern city of Aden, local medical officials said.

Dozens were also injured in the attack that took place outside the Solban army base in Adens north-eastern area of Khor Maksar, the officials added on condition of anonymity.

A suicide bomber blew himself up amid the soldiers, who had gathered to receive their salaries, security officials said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement.

The al-Qaeda splinter group estimated that 70 renegade soldiers were killed and dozens others injured.

Forty-eight people were killed outside the same base on December 10 in a suicide attack also claimed by Islamic State.

Aden is the provisional capital of Yemens Saudi-backed government, which has been locked in a devastating civil war with the Iran-allied Houthi rebels for more than two years.

The rebels still control the capital Sanaa and other territory in Yemen.

In recent months, Aden has seen a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces. Islamic State has taken credit for most of the attacks.

Yemens conflict has intensified since March 2015 when the Houthis first advanced on Aden, prompting Saudi Arabia and Sunni allies to start an air campaign against the Shiite group.

Repeated bids by the United Nations have since failed to resolve the conflict.

US Secretary of State John Kerry Sunday arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh and met with King Salman for discussion on the Yemeni crisis, Saudi media reported.

The top US diplomat was also to discuss the issue with foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

Saudis fear that the rebels will give its regional rival, Shiite Iran, a strategic foothold on the Arabian Peninsula.

(dpa/NAN)
STRESS CAN LEAD TO MENTAL ILLNESS

Nigerians have been warned not to put themselves under undue stress which can lead to mental illness.

A consultant psychiatrist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Alfred Makanjuola, gave the advice at the 2016 Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) held in Ilorin, Kwara.

Mr. Makanjuola said there has been a steady rise in cases of mental illness due to the dwindling economy of the country.

He said Nigerians are faced with problems emanating from genetic, environmental, economic and societal factors, adding that these could cause mental illness if not managed.

1,477 MIDWIVES DEPLOYED

1,477 midwives have been deployed to rural communities in the northern part of Nigeria for their one year mandatory midwives service scheme.

The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency disclosed this at the flag-off orientation and documentation of basic midwives in Kaduna.

It said the aim of the deployment was to reduce maternal and child death rates in the areas.

According to official statistics, 33,000 mothers die in Nigeria each year, with three quarters of the deaths said to be preventable.

946,000 children under the age of five and 241 newborns also die yearly.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Health unions have appealed to the federal government to pay attention to issues of universal health coverage in Nigeria.

They made the appeal at a march in Abuja to mark the 2016 Universal Health Coverage Day.

The unions asked for the government to increase health budget from the current 4.5 percent of national budget to 15 percent adopted by the African Union 15 years ago.

Also, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Akinkunmi Afolabi, on Wednesday called for the adoption of the World Health Organizations 15 per cent budgetary allocation to the sector, to enable Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

The federal government had earmarked N221.7 billion naira out of the N6.08 trillion to fund the health sector in 2016.

Participants in the march however alleged that the reality in the sector was a far cry from what government claimed to have spent.

STIGMATIZATION OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, has appealed for a stop to the stigmatisation of people living with HIV/AIDS so as to be able to curb the epidemic.

The organisation made the appeal on Monday, December 11 while commemorating the 2016 Human Right Day.

Warning that the world would never achieve an end to AIDS unless bold actions were taken to advance human rights, especially for stigmatised people, UNAID vowed to stand up for the protection and promotion of the rights of the stigmatised members of the society.

HIGH RATE OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV

The Director-General of the National Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Sani Aliyu, has voiced concern over the rate of mother to child transmission of HIV in Nigeria.

Speaking in Abuja at the Annual Health Correspondents Dinner last week, Mr. Aliyu said Nigeria is among countries with slow reduction in mother-to-child transmission.

Mr. Aliyu, who took office in July, said the agency under his leadership would give priority to curbing mother-to-child transmission of the virus. He said anyone who is pregnant should have an HIV test.

Recently, a UNICEF HIV specialist had disclosed that Nigeria accounted for one third of new HIV cases.

The Director-General said the agency was collaborating with other health agencies towards solving the HIV problems in Nigeria.

GLOBAL FUND TO INVEST N1 BILLION IN NIGERIA

Global Fund, an international financing organization, has arranged to invest about N1 billion in the Nigerian health sector over the next three years.

Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, disclosed the Funds plan for Nigeria during the National Supply Chain Integration Project (NSCIP) retreat, held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The minister said the organization, which as at July had disbursed $30 billion to countries and communities in need across the globe, has the aim of attracting and disbursing resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

He said accurate data and health commodities were essential for an effect health facility management.

Mr. Adewole said health facilities and data available on the effectiveness of the facilities, rather than buildings and the human resources, make the health system.

He said data help harmonize the procurement and effective distribution of drugs on HIV/AIDS, malaria among others and also help donor agencies and development partners to keep records of stocks.

According to the minister, the retreat, under the theme Ownership and Sustainability, was part of the move by the Federal Government to address the constraints and inefficiencies in the countrys supply chain.
The embattled high court judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, who is facing a 30-count charge of bribery and money laundering, was treated to lavish foreign trips by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, while presiding over cases where the agency was either a party or had interest, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively reveal.

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia held so much sway over NIMASA under the leadership of Patrick Akpobolokemi that the agency flouted its own employment policy simply to grant the judges daughter, who is an employee of the agency, a curious extended study leave.

Mr Akpolobokemi, alongside other officials of NIMASA, is currently being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for laundering N1.2 billion.

In four of the charges against Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, the EFCC alleged that she received a bribe of N5 million from senior lawyer, Godwin Obla, around May 21, 2015 with the aim of perverting the course of justice in respect of suit number FHC/L/C/482C/10.

That you, Hon. Justice Rita Ngozi Ofili-Ajumogobia, between the 10th and 30th day of May 2013, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being a judge of the Federal High Court, enriched yourself with a total sum of $130,000 through your account (0032091183) domiciled in Diamond Bank Plc, so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain in relation to you your lawful income, one of the charges against the duo read.

In the suit FHC/L/C/482C/10, a former director-general of NIMASA, Raymond Omatseye, was charged for N1.5 billion fraud involving bid rigging and contract splitting. The case was handed over to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia in November 2012 after the original judge in charge, Binta Nyako, was transferred to Makurdi, Benue State.

On May 21, 2016, Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia, sentenced Mr. Omatseye to five years in jail after finding him guilty of 24 of the 27 counts. She specifically ruled that Mr Omatseye awarded contracts above stipulated threshold.

Mr. Omatseye insisted he was innocent and has since approached the Appeal Court for a review of the judgment.

Mr. Obla, who is now facing corruption charges alongside Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, was counsel for the EFCC, which prosecuted Mr. Omatseye.

The EFCC has now claimed that Mr. Obla offered Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia a bribe of N5 million to declare Mr. Omatseye guilty.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the senior lawyer transferred the alleged bribe from the account of his company, Obla and Company Limited with United Bank for Africa, to Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia through the bank account of Nigel and Colive Limited in Diamond Bank.

The EFCC said the judge and Mr. Obla acted contrary to sections 64 (1) and 97 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No. 11, 2011.

Mr. Omatseye, who was placed on suspension while he was facing trial, alleged that forces within NIMISA did not want him back to his post and were ready to do anything to, including securing a bogus conviction, to keep him permanently away from the agency.

NIMASA LARGESSE FOR OFILI-AJUMOGOBIA

PREMIUM TIMES investigations have revealed a clear conflict of interest on the part of Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia while presiding over the controversial case.

Apart from the case involving Mr. Omatseye, further investigations show that the controversial judge got other largesse from NIMASA while presiding over cases involving the maritime agency.

Documents, including official internal memos of NIMASA and travel documents, seen by this reporter revealed that the judge, who is also on the blacklist of the National Judicial Council for professional misconduct, accepted curious lavish favours from NIMASA while presiding over a $400 million suit between the maritime agency and the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).

NIMASA had sued the management of the NLNG, claiming the gas company ought to pay two per cent cabotage and three per cent freight levies worth $400 million for shipping by Bonny Gas Limited, a subsidiary of NLNG.

At the time, Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia was adjudicating the suit between the two agencies, her daughter secured a job at NIMASA.

The judge also stood as her daughters guarantor so that she could be granted an undeserved study leave to pursue a medical degree in South America, in clear violation of the agencys recruitment policy.

NIMASA also included the judge in its delegation that attended two workshops, which are of no relevance to judicial officials, in the United States in 2013 and 2014.

PLUMP JOB AND DUBIOUS STUDY LEAVE

On February 7, 2013, just before the judge began entertaining arguments from the prosecution and the accused  having adjourned hearing a couple of times from November 2012 when she was handed the case  Aribim, her daughter, secured a job as Medical Services Officer II at NIMASA.

According to NIMASAs employment policy, a confirmed member of staff may only apply and be granted study leave with pay after he or she has spent at least two years of continuous service at the agency and maximum period of the leave should not be more than two years.

Similarly, an employee may be granted up to four years of study leave without pay if he or she has put in at least two years of continuous service at the agency.

Worried about the large number of employees applying for study leave, the management of the agency decided to place additional hurdles before applicants.

In an internal memo, NIMASA/APD/I.1, dated August 11, 2014, and signed by M.O Thomas on behalf of the director of administration and personnel services, the agency resolved to only grant study leave with pay to only confirmed employees that have put in five years of continuous service at the agency. Staff with less number of years of study could from then only apply for study leave without pay.

But in a shocking twist just over a month later, on September 24, 2014, the management of the agency, for yet unclear reason at the time, sent out another memo that not only overruled the requirement for embarking on study leave, stipulated in the August 11, 2014 memo, but further loosened the agencys original requirements for employees going on study leaves.

Further to our memo Reference NIMASA/APD/I.1 dated August 11th 2014 on the above subject matter, I have been directed to inform you that unconfirmed staff with Third (3rd) Class and ordinary Pass degrees willing to embark on Masters degree programmes are free to do so without recourse to the minimum requirement of five years of continuous service in the agency as earlier stipulated in the memo under reference.

But two letters written by the judges daughter and addressed to NIMASAs department of administration and personnel services seen by this reporter soon revealed why the management of the agency had strangely overruled itself just a month after tightening its requirements for study leave.

On August 15, 2014, less than two years after she resumed work at NIMASA, Aribim wrote to the management of NIMASA informing it that she has secured admission into the Direct MD programme (MBBS) at Texila American University, Georgetown, Guyana, a tiny South American country that shares borders with Brazil and Venezuela.

She further requested to be allowed to embark of a study leave.

It is not clear if she was aware of the directive sent out just four days earlier, which effectively precluded staff members with less than five years of service from going on study leave; but it is believed that she was aware of the agencys original rule allowing only confirmed staff who have put in up to years of service to take study leaves.

Examine in line with current policy, please, read a handwritten note on her letter signed on August 20, 2014, by the deputy director of the human resources department.

Apparently, Aribims request was rejected. But soon after the memo of September 24, 2014 was published, she submitted another application for study leave. In her letter, which was wrongly dated 21st July, 2014, she revealed that she graduated with a Third Class Bachelor of Science degree.

But this time, she did not only request study leave with pay for 48 months, she also requested that the agency pay her tuition fees.

With reference to the memo from the AD (Training), Reference NIMASA/I.1 dated September 24th 2014 on REVIEW OF THE CRITERIA FOR STUDY LEAVE WITH PAY AND STUDY LEAVE WITHOUT PAY, I would like to apply for study leave with pay to enable me improve on my current qualification of Bachelor of Science with honours, Third (3rd) class degree, she wrote.

I recently secured admission to study the Direct MD Masters Programme (MBBS) at Texila American University, Georgetown, Guyana.

Sent along with the said letter was a statement of fee, with the first year tuition fee being Nine Thousand Eight Hundred USD ($9,800) and accommodation fee being Seven Thousand Two Hundred USD ($7,200).

I would be grateful if you would kindly approve my study leave with pay for the attendant period at Texila American University (a). If (a) above is approved, also consider favourably, approval of disbursing my tuition and accommodation fees to the institution, she added.

Contrary to Aribims description of the course of study as a Masters degree programme, PREMIUM TIMES investigations show that it is actually a Bachelors Doctor of Medicine degree.

On its website, Texila American University described the course as follows: Doctor of Medicine degree programme is a four-year course that provides students the opportunity to learn medicine in a state-of-the-art MD school in the Caribbean.

On November 21, 2014 Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, who was her daughters guarantor, signed a bond promising that her daughter will attend the course for which she was granted the leave of study and return to the employment of NIMASA after the completion of her studies in September, 2018.

Lami Tumaka, head, corporate communications of NIMASA, said she was not aware of the study leave granted Ms. Ofili-Ajumogobia but added that if her case was true, the agency would investigate it.

I am not aware of the case you mentioned about Aribim Ajumogobia. However, I can say with all sense of responsibility that all staff of NIMASA are guided by the Agencys Conditions of Service and the Public Service Rules (PSR) which have specified length of time staff must have been in the employ of the Agency before long term study leave will be granted. If the case of Abirim Ajumogobia is different, then it is an exception and not the rule. This will be investigated.

Lavish Foreign Trips

Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia did not only draw lavish favours for her daughter from NIMASA, she enjoyed some herself.

In 2013, the Federal Ministry of Transport approved some officials of NIMASA, three of its own officials and a Godfrey Bivbere, journalist with the Vanguard, to attend the Offshore Technology Conference, OTC, in Houston, Texas, United States.

However, Mr. Akpolobokemi, without clearance from the ministry, gave a verbal directive for the inclusion of five people, including Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia, to be included as part of the NIMASA delegation with lavish travel arrangements and estacode.

Recall your verbal directives for the inclusion of other stakeholders for the participation in the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2013 holding from May 6-9, 2013 in Houston, Texas, USA, read a letter from the deputy director public relation department to Mr. Akpolobokemi as the director-general of the agency.

The additional list of stakeholders include: 1. R. Ajumogobia (Mrs.), 2. Mohammed Shittu Abubakar, 3. Binta F.M Nyako (Mrs), 4. Chief Mrs. R. Chris-Garuba, 5. Mrs. Mary Madu Hamman

Interestingly, the first three names on the list are federal judges with Mrs. Nyako being the judge who initially handled Mr. Omatseyes case.

Of the others, Rita Chris-Garuba is wife of the former military governor of Bauchi State, Chris Garuba. She and her husband were implicated in the notorious Halliburton bribery scandal. Mary Hamman is the chief shipping development officer at NIMASA.

An estacode of at least $6,369.00 was approved for each of the additional persons. Travel documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES revealed that Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia flew to the conference on a British Airway business class flight.

Again in 2014, the judge was included in a contingent that included NIMASA officials, federal lawmakers, journalists and two other federal judges, Elizabeth Osoka and Shittu Abubakar to attend the Advance Programme on Implementation and Protection of Maritime infrastructure workshop in Washington DC, US.

It was an all-expense paid trip. Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia also she received $5,400 estacode for attending.

While no reason was given for the inclusion of the judges to attend the 2013 conference in Houston, an internal memo written on April 16, 2014 gave reason for inclusion of the judges as part of the contingent to the 2014 workshop.

Given the importance of this workshop and the high powered nature of the participants, it is the recommendation of the undersigned that some eminent jurists also be included on the trip to provide them insight into the workings of the Agency and the subject of international ship and port facility security (ISPS) code.

The NIMASA spokesperson defended the sponsorship of judges for conferences by the commission despite the inherent conflict of interest contained therein. Mrs. Tumaka said it is not unusual for the agency to sponsor judges, journalists and lawmakers to seminars and workshops overseas to assist them come to full grasp with the workings of the sector.

She, however, did not say whether it was ethical for the agency to include Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia at the time she was presiding over two cases the agency had interest in.

She said while it is sometimes normal to Verbally communicate instructions, approvals such as the inclusion of Mrs. Ofili-Ajumogobia on the trip to Houston Texas are usually done in writing.

ALLEGATION OF VICTIMISATION

During his trial for the N1.5 billion contract scam, Mr. Omatseye said in court that he was being persecuted by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Bello Adoke, for declining Mr. Adokes request to discontinue the NIMASA suit filed against the NLNG.

Mr. Omatseye said, In December of 2010, I was approached by a gentleman, who at that time was the Executive Director of the Cabotage Service of NIMASA, in the name of Ibrahim Zailani.

Zailani told me that he had been in a meeting with the AGF and that the AGF had directed him to tell me to withdraw a case between NIMASA and NLNG.

I told him I could not do so because that was the decision of the board.

Exactly on November 14, 2010, between noon and 1.00 p.m., in my office, I received a call from a gentleman called Tunde Ayeni.

He said hello, hold on for your caller and then handed the phone over to a man who said he was Adoke.

The man said, I sent Zailani to you to withdraw the NLNG case and you have refused-

He said, Mr. President has called me twice on this matter to instruct you to withdraw this case.

I responded to him, My AGF sir, either you please send me a memo to that effect or please send a message through my minister to direct me accordingly.

I am not in a position to unilaterally withdraw the case.

He said I am the chief law officer of the Federal Republic and I replied, Sir, please help me to do as I have requested.

He asked if I was aware that there was a directive from his office that no government institution can sue another government institution without his permission.

I told him that the NLNG is majority-owned by foreigners and, therefore, cannot be considered as a government parastatal or agency.

At that point, he said to me, I have given an instruction and you have refused to obey.

This will be your waterloo.

Mr. Omatseye added that 10 days after his tense telephone chat with the former minister, three officers of the EFCC arrested him for interrogation, flew him to Abuja and confronted him with a petition against him from the minister of transportation.

Mr. Omatseye claimed the contract approval threshold for NIMASA was N2.5m for supply and N5m for goods and services. He added that these thresholds were not stipulated as at the time he approved the contracts.

He argued that the contracts he was convicted for awarding were approved between December 2009 and February 2010, but the threshold for NIMASA was only put in place by the Bureau of Public Procurement in November 2011.
At the end of their 50th ordinary session, leaders of West African countries, ECOWAS, took decisions on member countries including Gambia, Mali, and Guinea Bissau.

In the communique released after their meeting in Abuja, the leaders called on Gambian leader, Yahya Jammeh, to ensure the president-elect is sworn-in on January 18 in conformity with the Gambian constitution.

On Boko Haram, the West African leaders supported the efforts of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to combat terrorism and agreed to set up a special fund.

The Authority decides to create a special solidarity fund for the victims of terrorism and calls on the international community to support the implementation of the Buhari Plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of North-East Nigeria, the communique states.

Read the full communique below.

FIFTIETH ORDINARY SESSION OF THE ECOWAS AUTHORITY OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT 17 December 2016, Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria FINAL COMMUNIQUE

1. The Fiftieth Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was convened on 17 December 2016 in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the chairmanship of H. E. Mrs Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, President of the Republic of Liberia and current Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

2. The session was attended by the under-listed Heads of State and Government or their duly mandated representatives: H. E. Mr Alassane OUATTARA, President of the Republic of Cote dIvoire H.E. Mr John Dramani MAHAMA, President of the Republic of Ghana; H.E. Prof. Alpha CONDE, President of the Republic of Guinea and H.E. Mr Jose Mario Vaz, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau.

Others are H. E. Mrs Ellen JOHNSON-SIRLEAF, President of the Republic of Liberia; H.E. Mr Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA, President of the Republic of Mali; H. E. Mr Mahamadou ISSOUFOU, President of the Republic of Niger; H.E. Mr Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; H. E. Mr Macky SALL, President of the Republic of Senegal; H. E. Mr Ernest Bai KOROMA, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; H.E. Mr Faure Essozimna GNASSINGBE, President of the Togolese Republic; H. E. Aurelien A. AGBENONCI, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Benin

ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES

H. E. Alpha BARRY, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Burkinabe Abroad of Burkina Faso H. E. Cesar MONTEIRO, Ambassador of Cabo Verde in Senegal Hon. Bala GARBA-JAHUMPA, Minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure of The Gambia

3. The Summit was also attended by the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative for West Africa, Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and the special representative of the UN Secretary General for Guinea Bissau and Head of UNIOGBIS, Mr. Brahim Modibo Toure, as well as representatives of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) as observers.

4. During their session, the Heads of State and Government took note of the 2016 Annual Report of the President of the Commission and the Reports of the 77th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers and of the 37th Meeting of the Mediation and Security Council.

5. The Heads of State and Government welcomed the quality of the reports submitted by the Council of Ministers, as well as the relevant recommendations contained therein. They also commended the excellent work accomplished by Community Institutions for the consolidation of the achievements of West Africas integration and reaffirmed their firm commitment to the attainment of regional integration goals, in an environment of sustainable peace, security and good governance.

6. The Authority warmly congratulated His Excellency Jorge Carlos de Almeida FONSECA, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde on his re-election as President of the Republic of Cabo Verde and wished him success in his second term. It equally congratulated His Excellency Nana Addo Akufo-Addo on his election as the President-elect of the Republic of Ghana and paid glowing tributes to H.E. John Dramani Mahama for demonstrating a great spirit of statesmanship by accepting the outcome of the elections.

7. The Heads of State and Government recalled that presidential and parliamentary elections would be held in 2017 in the Republic of Liberia and directed the ECOWAS Commission to provide the necessary assistance to Liberia in conformity with the relevant provisions of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.

8. Reaffirming their commitment to deepening the integration process in West Africa, the Heads of State and Government, after deliberations, endorsed the main recommendations contained in the different reports, and then considered the following specific issues:

ON WEST AFRICAN ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE

9. The Authority welcomed the progress made in some Member States, nearing double-digit growth rates, but expressed concern about the regions poor performance due mainly to the combined negative effects of the fall in oil prices since 2014 on the fiscal balance of oil-exporting countries, particularly Nigeria, deteriorating prices of other commodities, especially mineral ores as well as the fragile political situation in some countries.

10. In this respect, it urged Member States to initiate the necessary structural reforms and take appropriate economic and financial stimulus measures in order to be less vulnerable to commodity price fluctuations and improve their economies resilience to exogenous shocks.

ON REGIONAL INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT MATTERS Concerning free movement of persons and goods

11. The Authority is concerned about the continuing obstacles to free movement of persons and goods in the Community.

12. The Heads of State and Government invite Member States to take all the necessary measures to strictly implement all the provisions of the Protocol on free movement of persons and goods, right of residence and establishment.

13. The Authority welcomes the setting up of the Presidential Task Force on free movement, and urges the Task Force to recommend as soon as possible innovative and effective measures to curb the scourge.

14. It directs the Commission to intensify awareness creation for the Community citizenry and regularly organise joint sensitisation meetings between border security services and the local populations.

CONCERNING AGRICULTURE AND WATER RESOURCES

15. The Authority took note of two key initiatives underway, namely the finalisation of the 2nd phase of the National Agricultural Investment Programmes (NAIPs) in Member States and the fostering of cooperation between the State of Israel in the areas of agriculture and rural development. The Authority approves the participation of the Prime Minister of Israel, H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu as an Observer in the next ECOWAS Summit where he would make a presentation on the experience of his country in the Agricultural sector

16. The Authority further endorsed the approval of the Council of Ministers regarding the decision of the African Union to transfer the Regional Integrated Development Support Programme for the Fouta Djallon Highlands to ECOWAS, given its importance for the Community as the watershed for most of the major rivers within the Community.

ON INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

17. The Authority emphasised the need to develop road, railway, air and maritime infrastructure necessary for boosting intra-Community trade, to enhance development prospects and to assist in the fight against poverty. In this regard, it urged Member States to pursue efforts aimed at encouraging the structural transformation of the regions economies and infrastructure development.

CONCERNING THE HOLDING OF THE ROUNDTABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (CDP),

18. The Authority took note of the high-level consultations undertaken by the Commission, culminating, on the one hand, in the Ivorian Authorities decision to hold the CDP roundtable by the end of March 2017, and on the other hand, in the acceptance of the African Development Bank to lead and mobilise effective participation of other partners in the process.

ON INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

Concerning the ongoing institutional reforms

19. The Authority took note of ongoing institutional reforms in the Commission and other ECOWAS Institutions. It stressed the need for the reforms to take account of the economic and financial situation within our region thus paving the way for the establishment of cost effective, efficient and sustainable structures for the Community.

20. The Authority commends the President of the Commission for the cost containment measures adopted for running the affairs of the community and encouraged him to continue in his efforts at controlling community expenses.

21. The Heads of State and Government adopted the Supplementary Act on the enhancement of powers of the ECOWAS Parliament to enable the Parliament, on a gradual basis to perform the traditional roles of a Parliament. The Supplementary Act empowers the Parliament to have mandatory referrals on a number of Community policies and programmes as well as mandatory assent or opinion on the matters referred to it.

AS REGARDS RESOURCE MOBILISATION FOR FUNDING COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES

22. The Authority commends the Commission for its efforts at embarking on other innovative methods of mobilising resources for Community activities through the expansion of its partnerships.

23. Member States have been urged to quickly pay their call-up capital and support EBID in the mobilisation of concessional resources from financial partners to fund infrastructure projects.

ON ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) AND COMMON EXTERNAL TARIFF (CET) CONCERNING THE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA)

24. The Authority took note of the ratification of the Interim EPAs by Ghana and Cote dIvoire in order to continue to preserve preferential access to the European market beyond 1 October 2016. The Authority urges Member States that have not signed the EPA yet, to do so, in order to eliminate the existence of multiple trade regimes in the region with a view to consolidating our regional integration agenda.

REGARDING THE COMMON EXTERNAL TARIFF (CET)

25. The Authority welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the CET, especially the validation of regulations aimed at facilitating its implementation. To this end, it urges Member States that are yet to do so, to fast-track the implementation of the CET, and directs the Commission to provide them with the needed support.

ON PEACE, SECURITY AND DEMOCRACY

26. The Authority reaffirms the importance of peace, security and stability in ECOWAS for the economic development of the region.

27. The Authority expresses deep indignation at the terrorist attacks of Friday, 16 December 2016 against a detachment of the Groupement des Forces Anti-terroristes de lArmee (GFAT) which resulted in the death of twelve people whilst many others sustained injuries. The Authority strongly condemns this latest attack and expresses its sympathy and full solidarity with the people, Army and Government of Burkina Faso.

28. The Authority honours the memory of the victims of the attacks, presents its condolences to the bereaved families and wishes the wounded persons prompt recovery.

29. It reaffirms its determination to relentlessly pursue the fight against terrorism and lauds the efforts by Member States to prevent and address this scourge. It commends the activities of the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram, as well as the clear results obtained by the Force in spite of the difficulties encountered.

30. The Authority recalls that the fight against terrorism is the collective responsibility of the international community and thereby calls on development partners to support Member States of the region and the Multinational Joint Force against Boko Haram in the fight against terrorism.

31. The Authority expresses concern over the serious humanitarian situation occasioned by Boko Haram attacks in North-East Nigeria, affecting 14 million people, 7 million of which require humanitarian aid, the majority being children. It regrets the high number of displaced people and refugees in Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. The Authority commends the Governments of Nigeria and Niger, as well as other countries who are taking in refugees as well as partners, for their efforts at resolving the humanitarian crisis. The Authority decides to create a special solidarity Fund for the victims of terrorism and calls on the international community to support the implementation of the Buhari Plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of North-East Nigeria.

32. In order to promote human rights and inclusive governance mainly with regards to women and youths, the Authority decides to set aside the 16th January of every year as the ECOWAS Human Rights day. This day is symbolic in the region as it marks the ascension to power of Her Excellency Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as President of the Republic of Liberia and the first African Woman Head of State.

ON THE SITUATION IN THE GAMBIA

33. The Authority has considered the worrying political situation in The Gambia arising from the decision of His Excellency President Yahya Jammeh to reject the results of the presidential election of 1st December 2016 which had resulted in the election of Mr Adama Barrow as the president-elect of The Gambia.

34. The Authority notes that His Excellency President Yahya Jammeh had initially accepted the results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission on 2 December 2016 and congratulated the new President-elect before changing his mind based on corrections to the initial results by the Electoral Commission which however did not alter the outcome of the election.

35. It commends H. E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government for the efficiency with which she managed the situation in The Gambia and the firm position taken on behalf of the Authority.

36. The Authority lauds the initiative that fielded a high-level mission of Heads of State comprising Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Chairperson of the Authority, H.E. Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria, H.E. Ernest Koroma, President of Sierra Leone, and H.E. John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, to Banjul on 13 December 2016 to review the political situation with all stakeholders.

37. The Authority calls on President Yahya Jammeh to accept the result of the polls and refrain from any action likely to compromise the transition and peaceful transfer of power to the President-elect.

38. The Head of States and Government further agreed on the following:

a) To uphold the result of 1st December 2016 election in the Republic of The Gambia.

b) Guarantee the Safety and protection of the President-elect Mr. Adama Barrow.

c) That all Head of States will attend the inauguration of the President-elect Adama Barrow who must be sworn in on 19th

January 2017 in conformity with the Gambian constitution.

d) Call on the Government and the Coalition Parties to show restraint in order to preserve national unity.

e) To respect the will of the Gambian people as expressed by the Presidential election results of 1st December 2016;

f) That His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, President and Commander in chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will serve as the Mediator in the Gambia and His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana as the Co-chair. The mediation process shall be conducted on the basis of terms agreed by the Authority of Heads of State and Government;

g) Requests the endorsement of the AU and the UN on all decisions taken on the matter of The Gambia and also requests their support for the mediation efforts of ECOWAS including the provision of technical assistance where required;

h) The Authority shall take all necessary actions to enforce the results of 1st December 2016 elections;

39. The Authority encourages all stakeholders, within and outside The Gambia, to exercise restraint, respect the rule of law and ensure the peaceful transfer of power. It calls on the Gambian defence and security forces to perform their role in a nationalistic manner and protect lives and property.

ON THE SITUATION IN GUINEA-BISSAU

40. The Authority reaffirms its deep concern over the protracted political and institutional crisis in Guinea Bissau due to the inability of political stakeholders to reach a lasting and consensual solution. It stresses that the crisis undermines the implementation of commitments made by development partners since March 2015, to support the economic and social reconstruction of the country.

41. The Authority commends H.E. Professor Alpha Conde, President of Guinea and ECOWAS Mediator, for Guinea Bissau, H.E. Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, President of Sierra Leone, H.E. Mrs Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia and Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government for their efforts which, on 6 September 2016 in Bissau, led to the adoption by the stakeholders, of a 6-point roadmap to end the current crisis in the country.

42. The Authority commends H.E. Professor Alpha Conde, for the excellent mediation efforts which led to the signing of the Conakry Accord by the political parties on 14 October 2016 in Conakry that is aimed at finding a lasting solution to the protracted political crisis in that country. The Authority reaffirmed that the Conakry Accord remains the only framework for the attainment of a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Guinea Bissau.

43. The Authority salutes the leadership demonstrated by H.E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Chairperson of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, for her active involvement in the process to find a solution to the crisis.

44. The Authority urges the President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau to comply with the provisions of the Conakry Accord and calls on all parties to strictly respect and comply with the tenets of the Accord. 45. The Authority directs the Commission to provide the necessary technical support required for the implementation of Conakry Accord.

46. The Authority once again commends the non-interference of the Army in the political crisis and strongly urges it to continue in like manner.

47. The Authority reiterates the withdrawal of ECOMIB on 30 June 2017 and directs the Commission to commence operations for the gradual withdrawal starting in the first quarter of 2017.

ON THE SITUATION IN MALI

48. The Authority notes that in spite of progress made, there are still challenges to the full and effective implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, including insecurity, lack of commitment by some armed group signatories to the Agreement and inadequate financial resources, despite pledges made by the international community.

49. The Authority strongly condemns the recent terrorist attacks on civilian populations, humanitarian workers, the Malian Defence and Security Forces, and MINUSMA. It reaffirms its strong attachment to the unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Mali. It equally reiterates support for the peace process and urges all stakeholders to comply with it.

50. The Authority calls on group signatories to the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement to show good faith, sincerity and goodwill in the commitments with regard to the agreement following the adoption of measures by Government to facilitate their integration into the institutional arrangement.

51. It welcomes the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2295 (2016) and calls for the gradual redeployment of the Malian Defence and Security Forces to enable them play their sovereign role of protecting the Malian nation but also as first line of defence for the populations and their property.

52. The Authority urges signatory movements to desist from any attempt to undermine the restoration of State authority throughout the country.

53. It calls on partners to provide the necessary support to the Government of Mali for the effective implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement and enhance the capacities of the Malian Defence and Security Forces to enable them execute their mandate all over the national territory.

54. The Authority directs the President of the Commission to take the necessary steps to organise, as soon as possible, an international conference on the security situation in Mali, in conjunction with the AU and United Nations, with a view to assessing the most appropriate means of intervention likely to enhance the efficiency of the actions underway in order to preserve Malis territorial integrity.

ON THE SITUATION IN BURKINA FASO

55. The Authority expressed satisfaction over the return to constitutional order and restoring of political stability in Burkina, since the 2015 presidential elections, and urged the Burkinabe authorities to expedite the implementation of institutional and security sector reforms.

56. The Authority congratulated the Government of Burkina Faso for the successful organisation of the donors conference to support the National Plan for Economic and Social Development (PNDES) held in Paris on 7 and 8 December 2016. The Authority hereby calls on development partners to honour the commitments made to support Burkinas economic rebuilding efforts by providing the funds pledged at the Paris conference as soon as possible.

ON THE PRESIDENTIAL AND LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS IN CABO VERDE AND GHANA

57. The Authority commended the smooth conduct of the presidential elections successfully held in Cabo Verde and Ghana, an evidence of growing democracy in the region.

58. The Authority congratulated President Jorge Carlos Fonseca on his re-election and the President-elect of Ghana, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

59. The Authority hailed the gracious gesture by H.E. John Dramani Mahama who, in conceding defeat and congratulating the winner, demonstrated his commitment to democracy and great statesmanship. The Authority subsequently paid him glowing tribute for his significant contribution to the entrenchment of democracy in the region and the management of crises in Burkina Faso, Togo and The Gambia.

ON MARITIME SAFETY AND SECURITY

60. The Authority congratulated the Togolese government on the success of the extraordinary summit of the African Union on maritime safety, security and development, as well as the efforts undertaken towards the Summits adoption of an African Charter.

61. The Authority requests that the African Union Commission to finalise discussions on (the processes leading to )the drafting and adoption of the annexes to the African Charter on maritime security, safety and development, within the time-frame stipulated by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

62. The Authority instructs the ECOWAS Commission to actively participate in the drafting process of the annexes to the African Charter on maritime security, safety and development, so as to ensure that sub-regional concerns set out in the ECOWAS Maritime Security Strategy document are taken into account.

63. The Authority takes note of the progress achieved in the establishment of the maritime security architecture in the Gulf of Guinea and encourages the ECOWAS Commission to speed up and support the operationalisation of the Maritime Centre established in that regard.

OTHER ISSUES

64. Authority endorses the candidature of H. E. Alpha CONDE, President of the Republic of Guinea, as the Chairman of the African Union

65. The Authority commends the President of the Republic of Liberia, and current Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, H. E. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, for her exemplary leadership and remarkable commitment in steering the affairs of the region.

66. The Heads of State and Government express sincere appreciation to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria H.E Muhammadu Buhari, and the government and people of Nigeria, for the authentic African hospitality accorded them during their stay in Abuja, and the level of organisation of this session, which has greatly contributed to its success.

67. The Heads of State and Government decide to hold their next Ordinary Session in Monrovia, Republic of Liberia, in May 2017.

(NAN)
A coalition of Northern group has described as unrealistic the call by the Senate on Babachir Lawal, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, to resign and face prosecution.

The coalition tagged Northern Emancipation Network in a statement by its Secretary, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, on Saturday in Minna also said that the call was unacceptable to it.

It said that it disagreed with the suspicious motive of the Shehu Sani committee which did not consult or invite the SGF to give his own side of the story. Mr. Sani and the Senate have since clarified that Mr. Lawal was invited but chose to send a representative instead.

According to the statement, the National Assembly has stripped itself of such moral rights by openly shielding its leaders accused of corrupt practices.

We challenge the moral authority of the Senate to call for the SGFs resignation after trooping behind the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to shield him from prosecution for obvious misconduct.

Likewise, the House of Representatives has no moral justification to seek anybodys sack over alleged official misdemeanour after collectively protecting its Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, from answering the serious integrity questions raised by its own member, Abdulmumin Jibrin, the groups said.

It insisted that before the National Assembly can reclaim whatever moral right to sanction any official from the executive, it must first surrender its leadership for proper sanction.

Specifically, we call on Senate President Bukola Saraki to resign and face his pending trial before the Senate can claim the right to call for the SGFs resignation and prosecution.

We also call on the House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and other officers accused by Jibrin to vacate their offices to allow unhindered investigations as they have no right  legal or moral  to stand as judges in their own case, it said.

We wish to categorically state that this coalition and many other groups in the North will never cooperate with any planned protest being sponsored by the NASS to press for the SGFs resignation.

(NAN)
The President of the Nigeria Union in South Africa, Ikechukwu Anyene, says three Nigerians in that country are willing to return following the groups campaign against drugs and prostitution.

Mr. Anyene told the News Agency of Nigeria on telephone from Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday that the union had commenced street campaigns against drugs and prostitution.

He said that after the successful launch of the campaign in October at Kimberly, Northern Cape Province of South Africa, the union embarked on street sensitisation.

Mr. Anyene stated that during campaigns at Krugersdorp, Sunnyside and Hillsborough in Gauteng Province, three Nigerians involved in crime indicated interest to return home.

One of them said he had a return ticket and the union will facilitate the journey, he said.

The president said the union found out during the campaign that some Nigerians were deceived to come to South Africa after paying huge sums of money.

He said on arrival, such Nigerians were left on their own while they resorted to crime to survive.

According to him, the campaign made them to meet victims, suspected culprits and make them change their ways.

We use the opportunity to go to where Nigerians live to preach against crimes like drugs and prostitution.

We also discovered that most of our people come to South Africa on false promises of jobs and when they arrive, they resort to crime.

One Nigerian said he had potentials to do well at home and will return. We will facilitate the journey and ensure that he returns safely, he said.

Mr. Anyene also said the union was making arrangements with some companies to train Nigerians on skills like barbing, tiling, panel beating and auto-repair.

The aim is that if they have skills, they will be busy and stay away from crime.

They will also be self employed. Many Nigerians are self employed and doing well in South Africa, he said.

(NAN)
End the Fundand Frolic

The premise that electoral reforms will plug the fount of black money misses the human aspect of administrative power in our country (Now Nail the Netas). Election funding is just a process; the bottomline is the embedded belief that public money is the 'behti Ganga'. It will be stolen even if not needed for elections. Personal enrichment is seen as a perk of office. The belief is apparently shared by the public, which is why politicians jailed for corruption retain their constituencies and hop back into public life unscathed. The remedy is to visit unbearable costs on those who make use of illicit money, and to shunt the offender out of public life.

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Bishan Sahai, via e-mail

The story is incomplete without a concrete suggestion of how to strike at the root of black money. Be it netas, tax evaders or black marketeers, they will keep generating and hoarding black money with impunity. So far, they were doing so with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes-now they will do the same with the new Rs 2,000 note. Will the government keep demonetising the currency on a regular basis? The only answer is a total overhaul of the personal tax structure. Raising the exemption limit to Rs 20 lakh and drastically cutting the tax rate will take away the incentive of unaccounted money generation.

Dr Dilip Joshi, Pune

If India can make elections cashless, and fully account for all the funds that are spent on them, the majority of corruption and black money will disappear. After Anna Hazare's India Against Corruption movement, Delhi's CM Arvind Kejriwal demonstrated that elections can be won with minimum cash and in a transparent manner. For such a thing to happen across the country, the arduous task of electoral reforms needs to be undertaken sooner rather than later for demonetisation to have an impact. Not only will the waste of money on elections be reduced but people will elect and get honest politicians.

Sanjiv Gupta, Perth

My compliments for the forthright and hard-hitting cover story by Kaushik Deka. Modi has indeed taken an unprecedented, brave and bold decision-at great risk to the BJP in the forthcoming state elections, and his own chances of victory in 2019. His government's follow-up actions seem to be sincerely aimed at mitigating the great inconvenience to people and plugging loopholes used by evaders. However, despite their proactive steps, the government may well find itself in a difficult situation if people's patience runs out. More care in planning might have avoided a great deal of pain.

Krishan Kalra, via e-mail

The Election Commission should direct political parties to disclose all their wealth and its sources, including the bank account numbers of those who contributed. The registrations of political parties that have not contested elections in the last three years should be cancelled, and their accounts should be audited. It is unbelievable that a rich political party like the BSP can claim to have received no single contribution greater than Rs 20,000-the amount below which no disclosures are required.

Subhash C. Agrawal, Delhi

Masters of the business

Indeed, "there is a lot to be said for the power of consistency" (Managing India). To that extent, I salute the venerable IIMs, as well as others in the top ten. Having said that, the rankings reflect poorly on the hordes of new private institutions mushrooming all over the country. Are we going back to the dark era of the 1990s, when AICTE approved scores of new institutes virtually every month, only to legitimise their objective of cheating gullible students? History is witness that many of these MBAs couldn't even get Rs 5,000 a month jobs. Perhaps surveys like yours will inspire some of the private B-schools to pull up their socks.

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Harsh Kalra, via e-mail

Chief among Equals

Pakistan is perhaps the only country in the region where the appointment of an army chief evokes more curiosity and interest than a new civilian government (A Soldier's General). Bajwa, an infantry officer, has commanded the 10 Corps, responsible for guarding the area along the LoC with India. We must remain alert-Pakistan's new army chief could choose to have an adventure along the LoC, to make his mark. Even though the former Indian army chief, General Bikram Singh, under whom Bajwa has worked in the UN operations in Congo, has described him a 'professional', the conduct of a military officer is always different at home, where he serves the country's national interests.

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J.S. Acharya, Hyderabad

Pakistan's new army chief Bajwa was not even in the reckoning for the top post when he surprisingly superseded three other contenders. This apparently happened because Nawaz Sharif found his commitment to democratic values, his animosity towards religious extremism and his tactful middle-of-the-road approach to tackle crises a safer bet than his seniors at a time when his own position has been threatened by the Panama Papers leak and his apparent stand-off with the former army chief Raheel Sharif. As Gen Bajwa is known to consider extremism in Pakistan to be a bigger threat than India, there is a ray of hope that he might rein in terror groups of all hues, including the India-centric ones.

Nalini Vijayaraghavan, Thiruvananthapuram

The elevation of Qamar Bajwa as the Pakistan army chief comes at a time when India is giving an appropriate response to Pakistan-sponsored infiltration into Kashmir. Bajwa has many challenges ahead of him, chief among them being the Kashmir problem and the terror groups that threaten to tear Pakistan apart. What worked in his favour is that he is seen as shunning the limelight, and his focus towards the basics that the army needs to secure its borders. More importantly, it is probably the first time in Indo-Pak relations that a retired Indian army chief, General Bikram Singh, has commended an incoming Pakistan army chief.

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Akshay Viswanathan, Thiruvananthapuram

Castro's fidelity

Our generation was fortunate to have lived in the time of great leaders-who combined idealism with action and changed the world they inherited (The Last Revolutionary). For those who mourn his death, Fidel Castro stood for something very basic: the will to stand up to a force infinitely larger and more powerful than himself. Churchill's praise for RAF pilots in WWII could be rephrased here: never in the field of human conflict and contemporary history have so many owed so much to one country and one man.

KS Padmanabha, Chennai

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A Tumultuous Turning Point

The last 10 years have been a roller-coaster ride for the country, fast-moving, exhilarating, scary, always gripping, with barely a moment's pause. Editing a magazine in this period has been as exciting and as demanding as the decade itself: to stay levelheaded through the slow climb to newspeaks, as in the case of build-up of the Assam agitation and Operation Bluestar, and not allow blood to rush to the head through the fast downhill stretches, like the disintegration of the Janata government or the assassination of Mrs Gandhi. It has been a period of unprecedented action: an internal emergency, four prime ministers, three general elections, sharp swings in the popular mood, the myriad tensions of nation-building. People tend to react with surprise when told that india today is 10 years old. For all the action that has been packed into the last decade, it seems a short time since the magazine made its modest foray into journalism in December 1975. Since then, we have been dubbed anti-national (by Mrs Indira Gandhi), pro-establishment (vis-a-vis Rajiv Gandhi), practitioners of hovercraft journalism (skimming along the surface of issues), much too serious, and overly political, There have been the bouquets too, for india today has won increasing reader acceptance and the circulation graph has climbed from 5,000 in December 1975 to 370,000 this issue, with another 23,000 on the international edition that was launched in 1982.

by Aroon Purie

--- ENDS ---
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has hailed the appointment of Amina Mohammed as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Mr. El-Rufai in a congratulatory message via his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan, described her appointment as an excellent choice.

In the congratulatory message issued on Sunday in Kaduna, Mr. El-Rufai commended Ms. Mohammed for her honourable service to Nigeria and her substantial contribution to efforts to empower people and safeguard the planet.

Just one year as Environment Minister, she has put environmental issues on the front burner of Nigerias political discourse.

She has undoubtedly earned the trust and respect of not just Nigerians but environmentalists the world over.

At the core of Aminas work and passion is the welfare and right of citizens to peace and security wherever they may be.

She addressed those challenges while serving in the government of President Obasanjo, then as Special Adviser to UN Secretary-General, Ban ki Moon and recently as Minister under President Buhari.

As a global ambassador, she now gets to display her phenomenal skills on a world stage. Nigerias temporary loss is the worlds gain.

President Buhari has made a great sacrifice in releasing Amina from the federal cabinet for service at the global level.

Her appointment is a tribute to the Presidents judgment in recruiting such a globally-respected personality.

Mr. El-Rufai urged Ms. Mohammed to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in her new role.

Her tenacity and the passion she applied to secure global agreement on the SDGs will be required to get them implemented, he added.

The governor said that he has no doubt that Amina Mohammed will continue to make Nigeria proud at the global level.

(NAN)
The Bank of Agriculture, BOA, has disbursed more than N21.5 billion to farmers nationwide in an empowerment initiative involving no fewer than 107,200 households.

Idiat Folorunsho, the Zonal Manager, South West Region, Bank of Agriculture, BOA, made the disclosure at the Ooni Ogunwusi Agric-empowerment Programme in Ile-Ife.

Mrs. Folorunsho said that dwindling oil revenue had forced a rethink in strategy in favour of agribusiness

She noted that BOA had taken necessary steps through deliberate policies and special programmes to galvanise the agriculture sector and engender the development of agribusinesses.

She also stressed that the bank was always ready to produce young farmer entrepreneurs to assist in food production and to make the nation be self-reliant in all agricultural products.

She also said N40 billion had been set aside as a special purpose vehicle to ensure proper implementation of the programme to farmers nationwide.

Mrs. Folorunsho said the banks Anchor Borrowers Programme (ABP) involves the anchor providing some degree of support through the supply of inputs and technical advice to farmers.

She equally noted that all projects were being adequately taken care of with supplies of inputs to farmers after training.

She expressed the belief that a vibrant agro-industrial value chain in the agriculture sector would serve as a springboard for the growth of the manufacturing sector.

Agribusiness, she said, was expected to serve as a rallying point for rejuvenation while ABP was intended to create an ecosystem to link out-growers (small holder farmers) to local processors.

She stated further that this would increase banks financing to the sector, increase capacity of anchor companies involved in rice production and increase the productivity and incomes of out-growers.

The epoch making event witnessed the presentation of cheques to the representatives of the hundreds of youth who were the beneficiaries of Ooni Ogunwusi Agric-empowerment programme.

The programme was being held in partnership with BOA, which was represented at the forum, by its Deputy Managing Director, Adebayo Jemileyin.

(NAN)
Five months after the brutal murder of a 42-year-old female preacher in Kubwa, a suburb of Nigerias federal capital city, the police are still to name the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

Eunice Elisha, an indigene of Ekiti State and a pastor with the Redeemed Christians Church of God, Kubwa, was murdered by suspected Muslim fanatics, residents around her neighbourhood said. Her megaphone and mobile phone were found close to her body.

Shortly after the body was discovered, on a Saturday, the police said they had arrested some suspects and had commenced investigation on the matter.

The spokesperson for the Abuja police command, Manzah Anjuguri, said the arrested suspects would help in completing ongoing investigations on the matter.

Mr. Anjuguri said the Commissioner of Police, Alkali Usman, had directed the homicide section to take over the investigation.

We have made some arrests and they are helping in our investigation.

The commissioner of police has ordered the homicide section of the command to take over the investigation of the case, he said.

The spokesman, however, did not mention the number of suspects arrested, or their names.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr. Anjuguri weeks after the incident in July, the commands spokesperson said it was too early to name the suspects.

Investigations have commenced and arrests have been made. But its early to name the suspects now. Once the investigation reaches a conclusive stage; we will let the world know the suspects, he said.

Five months after, Mr. Anjuguri maintains that it is still too early to disclose the identities of the suspects.

All I can say to you is that investigations are still ongoing, he said when contacted by our reporter.
The Federal Government on Sunday said it had rebuilt and renovated no fewer than 25 police stations and 25 schools destroyed by the Boko Haram sect in Adamawa.

Babachir Lawal, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, disclosed this at the Christmas Carol Service held at St. Theresas Cathedral, Jimeta, Yola.

Mr. Lawal said that one of the cardinal priorities of the present administration was ensuring security of lives and property in order to promote economic development.

So far, the Federal Government has renovated and rebuilt not less than 25 schools destroyed by Boko Haram in seven local government areas of Adamawa.

Similarly, we were able to rebuild the same number of police stations in the affected areas,  Mr. Lawal said.

On the 2017 budget, the SGF said the core objective of the fiscal proposal was economic and human development.

He explained that President Muhammadu Buhari had also approved reconstruction of four federal roads in the budget.

Mr. Lawal listed them as Yola-Mubi, Mararaba Mubi-Gwoza, Numan- Cham (Gombe) and Numan- Jalingo.

Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, advocated synergy between all arms of government in order to move the country forward.

Mr. Dogara also urged Nigerians to support government irrespective of political and regional affiliation.

Dami Mamza, a bishop of St Theresa Cathedral, Jimeta, advised clerics to always preach peace and tolerance among the diverse people of the country.

Among the dignitaries at the service were representatives of the governors of Taraba and Plateau, senators and members of the House of Representatives.

(NAN)
A 22 year-old suspect arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command has said he duped over 33 men while pretending to be a lady on Instagram.

Israel Falope, a Year One part time student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Lagos, was arrested when officials of the RRS decoy team, who had been monitoring him for some weeks, trailed him to a popular club in Ikeja City Mall on Thursday evening before arresting him.

The officers monitored him and those that he was interacting with at the club before arresting him and a colleague late in the night, the police said in a statement on Sunday.

It was gathered that the suspect recently celebrated his birthday at Hard & Rock, Lekki, Lagos, before his arrest, where he lavished over N500,000 on foods and drinks.

The suspect, who confessed committing the crime, said he has been in the business for more than two years.

The Police revealed that Mr. Falopes activities on Instagram were placed under investigations when it received a complaint about an Instagram handle @blackberbiedoll, used for criminal activities, which was later traced to him.

Apart from @blackberbiedoll, which he prominently used for fraudulent activities, he maintained @froshwhite007 and @froshwhite separately for same purpose.

A victim, who identified himself as Bernard, told police investigators that he got a friend request from @blackberbiedoll.

Apparently, the picture on the account was that of a lady, the victim said.

The lady in question messaged me on BBM. Honestly, I thought I was chatting with a woman who claimed to be in Nigeria at the time.

She lied to me that her father was a Nigerian and her mum, a Kenyan, and so we got talking. At a point, she lied that she was building a beauty outfit in Ikota Shopping Mall, VGC and that she was in need of some money to complete the mall.

Mr. Bernard said he only found out the account was a fake after he transferred N1 million to her.

Weeks later, I grew suspicious of the account name Olawole Israel Oluwaseun Falope. I ran a search on Google, and then discovered it was all scam, he said.

Immediately, I reported the incident to Instagram and that account was blocked and later suspended to prevent others from falling victim.

Another victim, who did not want his identity disclosed, said he paid N100,000 into her account to support her bogus fashion outfit.

Admitting the allegation, the suspect noted that since he started the act about 2 years ago, he had duped more than 33 men pretending to be a lady on Instagram and that the least amount he received from any of them was N80,000.

When I started, much as I pretended to be a lady on phone, some men on the other side didnt believe me, he said.

I then downloaded an app on Google which transformed my voice into that of a lady whenever I am having conversation.

I got several pictures of Shayla, a pretty United States based lady, on my profile. Since then, men have been disturbing me and calling to request for a date.

What I do is that I assess people based on their appearance on Instagram, add them and thereafter open up conversations with them before I start bringing up all manners of stories in order to dupe them.

At a point, I lied to most of them that I had an accident and I lost my ATM. I told them that I need some money. Some of them were generous enough to drop money into my account.

Mr. Falope said he also told lies about putting up a boutique and saloon at Ikota, VGC and Lekki and that he needed money to finish setting them up.

I know I made a mistake downloading Shaylas pictures and used them for fraudulent purposes, he said.

I am telling you the truth, those that I have collected money from cant be more than 33.

Police said investigations revealed that the owner of the profile pictures the suspect used, @Shayla, had complained to Instagram that some Nigerians were using her profile pictures to scam unsuspecting members of the public.

It was also disclosed that the suspect claimed to be a friend of Toke Makinwa, Tonto Dike, Don Jazzy, Peter Okoye, Toyin Aihmaku, Tee Y Mix, Oristsefemi, Timaya, Sean Tizzle, Dami Adenuga, Femi Otedola, Mike Adenuga Jnr, Ramsey Noah, and other celebrities.

I know all of them, the suspect said.

I attend a lot of shows, I meet them, take photographs with them, even exchange numbers. Like sister Toke Makinwa, Tonto Dike, Uncle Ramsey Noah, these are the kind of celebrities I look up to and I want to be like them.

But RRS investigators confirmed that he was following a lot of Nigerian celebrities on Instagram but they could not confirm if any of them fell prey to Mr. Falopes antics, as many of his Instagram chats with them got no response.

They added that a Ghanaian business-man who Mr. Falope claimed to have met at a popular club in Nigeria, rebuffed his request to engage him in a chat.

They also noted that Mr. Falope claims of being a half-caste, fashion designer, stylist, cosmetologist, and model were all part his fraud to make people fall for him.

He was never a trainee or a specialist in any of this, the police added.

Our source added that he is not an half cast as he claimed to be, rather he bleached his skin, the police said.

He didnt deny this claim. He admitted bleaching his skin to escape the taunting of girls that he was a very ugly guy.

The police said items recovered from the suspect included, an iphone 6, 1 Samsung Galaxy A5, an Apple tablet, hand and neck chains, some money and a handbag.

Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, warned Nigerians to be careful on the internet because scammers are on the prowl worldwide.

The suspect has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, for further investigations.
Worried by incessant attacks that have claimed many lives and displaced thousands of rural dwellers, communities in Southern Kaduna at the weekend met with Fulani herdsmen toward halting the trend.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, convened by Emmanuel Jekada, and held at St. Thadeus Science Academy, Madakiya, near Kafanchan, had representatives from the 87 wards of the eight local governments that constitute the Kaduna South Senatorial Zone.

In a keynote address at the meeting that also featured representatives of Hausa, Ibo, Yoruba communities and youth groups, Mr. Jekada said that the gesture was part of his little contribution to the efforts by the Kaduna State Government toward ending the attacks in the area.

As a concerned citizen, I am trying to support the peace moves of the Kaduna State authorities; and as a military man, I want the youth to understand that war does not lead to peace. It only leads to more wars as it is currently being experienced in Southern Sudan and the Middle East, he said.

The meeting was divided into eight groups according to respective local governments, with each of them given posers and questions on the possible causes of violence in their specific areas, and how best to address them.

According to the presentations by the groups, the causes of the violence included poverty, unemployment, drug abuse, religious and tribal sentiments, as well as perceived injustices.

Other identified causes included abandonment of culture and tradition, bad leadership, intolerance, bad teachings by some religious leaders, political manipulations and rumour peddling.

Other factors included the destruction of farm produce and the killing of cattle, unprovoked attacks and insincerity by government and its agents.

NAN quotes the participants as particularly calling for more fairness on the part of security personnel deployed to restore law and order, while also insisting that suspects arrested in connection with the attacks should be prosecuted to deter others from fomenting trouble.

Individual Fulani contributors, during the group discussions, however, exonerated the resident herdsmen from the attacks, which they blamed on foreign herdsmen that usually attack the local communities and flee.

They, however, regretted that they were always left to face the consequences of the attacks, and alleged that the native communities had always pounced on them each time there was an attack.

The Fulani recalled that they had always lived in peace with the local communities, and called for more dialogue and avenues of interaction to boost mutual understanding and curb the violence.

On their part, the natives alleged that the state government was being misinformed on the true nature and causes of the crises, and advised government to always insist on hearing from all sides so as to be well guided into taking informed decisions.

They also advised the Fulani communities to help the security personnel and the state government by reporting the movement of strangers among them so as to prove that they had no link with the attackers.

The local communities also wondered why security men, who were always quick to arrest locals for possessing even dane guns used for hunting, had not been able to arrest the attackers that wield very sophisticated weapons.

Mr. Jekada, who spoke with NAN after the meeting, said that the resolutions would be forwarded to the Kaduna State Government to help its efforts toward ending the bloodshed.

He advised the media to be more security conscious in their reportage, and cautioned against sentiments that could worsen the already bad situation.

The primary purpose of government is to provide security of lives and property. Everyone should positively contribute to this task because without peace, no other endeavour can prosper, he pointed out.

The retired military officer advised security men tasked with restoring peace to the area, to be professional in their conduct, and avoid actions that could give the impressions that they were either incompetent, poorly trained or just out to complicate the situation.

(NAN)
Residents of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa have appealed to the state government to repair the Otuoke-Onuebum road which has been in a deplorable condition.

Otuoke is the hometown of former President Goodluck Jonathan who led Nigeria for five years (2000  2015) after he had served as deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa for eight years.

Bad and non-motorable roads are not limited to Otuoke or Bayelsa, but present in every part of Nigeria.

The residents made the appeal in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Otuoke on Sunday.

Ologi Damiete told NAN that the condition of the road had become worse since the last rainy season as vehicles now found it difficult to pass through.

Mr. Damiete, a staff of the Federal University, Otuoke, FUO, appealed to the state government to come to the aid of the residents by fixing the road.

The condition of this road has become worse since the flood that submerged the whole community and there has not been any preventive measure to forestall future occurrence.

We are expecting the government to put necessary measures in place to guard against future occurrence.

Students of FUO have resumed for the new semester and they have been finding it difficult moving in and out of the community.

I am calling on all the relevant authorities to look into the matter because we has become unbearable. Our vehicles have been damaged because of the road, he said.

Another resident, Oweifa Debekeme, urged the state government to make more efforts toward checking flooding in the state, pointing out that flood had destroyed many roads in the state.

He said that the people were suffering and government had the responsibility to alleviate their agony by providing roads and other infrastructure for them.

A taxi driver plying the road, Babatunde Adeola, said the road was already in a bad shape before the flood destroyed it completely.

Mr. Adeola called on the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, to also help repair the road to alleviate the plight of the people.

He implored the Bayelsa Government to come to the aid of the people of Otuoke and Onuebum communities as well as students and staff of the university.

He said the youth in the communities now help by sand-filling the bad portions on regular basis, adding that commercial drivers now pay them for that.

(NAN)
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Udaipur : The national winners of the ninth edition of Tata Building India School Essay Competition 201415 got an opportunity to meet the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi as part of their felicitation.Launched in 2006, the Tata Building India School Essay Competition is Indias largest national school essay competition that has provided a platform for students from class 6to12to express their views and ideas on nation building and pertinent issues.The 2014-15 edition was held in 11 different languages - English, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Telugu, Punjabi, Assamese and Malayalam across 7000+ schools in over 200+ cities. In this edition 3 million studentspenned their thoughts onthe theme of Clean India with the topic being Describe your views on how cleanliness impacts national development and health and how you can encourage your locality and city to adopt cleanliness and promote healthy livingThe national winners of year 2014-15 edition were also felicitated by the Tata group at a function held on the same day at the Ghalib Auditorium in New Delhi.Mr. Ranjeet Goswami, Country Manager, Corporate Affairs, Tata Consultancy Services who was the chief guest at the event, gave away the prizes to the young achievers which included the Tata Building India trophy and a laptop.Speaking at the occasion, the chief guest, Mr. Goswamisaid, I would like to congratulate the winners and all the participants of the Tata Building India School Essay Competition. The entries submitted by the students are a clear indication of their thoughts and excellent ideas and it showcases the talent of these young minds. In todays day and time, Clean India as a subject has received national attention from the Prime Minister himself and the topic for the competition is commendable to create awareness among the youngsters, as they play an active role in bringing social and national change.Expressing her happiness on being one of the winners, Mitali Agarwal from Bharatpur (senior category winner for the English language TBI essay competition from the 2014-15 edition), said I feel extremely proud to be a part of this remarkable journey. This has instilled in me greater confidence to come up with solutions for the betterment of our society and country at large, and has inspired me to be a responsible citizen. I would urge the people of India to take a step forward towards making our country clean.
Pilloried for their role in the epidemic of prescription painkiller abuse, drugmakers are aggressively pushing their remedy to the problem: a new generation of harder-to-manipulate opioids that have racked up billions in sales, even though theres little proof they reduce rates of overdoses or deaths.

More than prescriptions are at stake. Critics worry the campaign is distracting from more productive solutions and delaying efforts to steer physicians away from prescription opioids  medications involved in the deaths of more than 165,000 Americans since 2000.

If weve learned one lesson from the last 20 years on opioids, its that these products have very, very high inherent risks, said Dr. Caleb Alexander, co-director of Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness.

The latest drugs  known as abuse-deterrent formulations, or ADFs  are generally harder to crush or dissolve, making them difficult to snort or inject. But they still are vulnerable to manipulation and potentially addictive when swallowed.

Stop the Heroin founders open sober living home in memory of son PLEASANTVILLE  Andrew Loesser says he would be dead if he hadnt gotten into a sober home a

Pharmaceutical companies are making an under-the-radar push for bills benefiting the reformulated opioids in statehouses and in Congress, where proposed legislation would require the Food and Drug Administration to replace older opioids with the new drugs.

The lobbying push features industry-funded advocacy groups and physicians, along with grieving family members, who rarely disclosed the drugmakers ties during their testimony in support of the drugs.

Making painkillers harder to abuse is a common-sense step, but its also a multibillion-dollar sales opportunity, allowing drugmakers to corner the market with their newly patented, higher-priced versions.

Abuse-deterrent painkillers represented less than 5 percent of all opioids prescribed last year, but they generated more than $2.4 billion in sales, or roughly a quarter of the nearly $10 billion U.S. market, according to IMS Health. The field is dominated by Purdue Pharmas OxyContin, patent-protected until 2030.

Opioids with abuse-deterrent properties wont stop all prescription drug abuse, but they are an important part of the comprehensive approach needed to address this public health issue, Purdue spokesman Robert Josephson said in a statement.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a handful of the reformulated drugs but has not yet concluded that any reduce rates of abuse or death, and the evidence gap has led to diverging views among health authorities.

Whereas FDA regulators emphasize the potential promise of reformulated painkillers, other government officials stress that they contain the same heroin-like ingredients as traditional opioids. An estimated 78 Americans die from heroin and prescription opioid overdoses every day.

N.J. overdose deaths rise with more synthetic drugs being used Drug overdose deaths continued to rise in New Jersey in 2015, spurred by a powerful syntheti

Abuse-deterrent sounds to people sometimes like Oh, maybe its not addictive. But its no less addictive, said Dr. Tom Frieden, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Survey results published this year in the Clinical Journal of Pain showed nearly half of U.S. physicians incorrectly believed that reformulated opioids are less addictive than their predecessors.

The CDC did not recommend ADFs in its landmark opioid guidelines this year, the first-ever federal recommendations for doctors prescribing the drugs.

The current industry campaign draws on the same 50-state lobbying strategy that painkiller manufacturers have successfully deployed for at least a decade.

In September, The Associated Press and Center for Public Integrity detailed their playbook, reporting that opioid drugmakers and the nonprofits they help fund spent more than $880 million on lobbying and political contributions at the state and federal level over the past decade, eight times what the gun lobby reported for the same period. The money represents the drugmakers spending on all their legislative interests, including opioids.

Two years after the overdose that killed her 21-year-old son, Terri Bartlett traveled to Illinois state capital to champion an unlikely cause  the revamped painkillers.

Bartletts son Michael died after becoming hooked on Vicodin and later graduating to heroin. She didnt know then that she had been recruited into a wide-ranging lobbying campaign when she urged lawmakers last year to support a bill that would prioritize the new harder-to-crush pills. A public relations firm hired by OxyContin-maker Purdue had helped recruit her to support the measure, along with local sheriffs and fire chiefs.

The pharmaceutical industrys fingerprints are easy to spot. Of more than 100 bills dealing with the drugs introduced in 35 states in 2015 and 2016, at least 49 feature nearly identical language requiring insurers to cover abuse-deterrent drugs, according to an analysis of data from Quorum, a legislative tracking service. Several of the bill sponsors said they received the wording from pharmaceutical lobbyists.

Since 2012, at least 21 bills related to the drugs have become law, including five that require insurers to cover the more expensive drugs.

But drugmakers face fierce opposition from insurers and employers who would be on the hook for the far-more-expensive opioid variations. And federal health officials also have pushed back against mandates for the drugs, citing the staggering costs.

Mazzeo calling on all local police officers to carry anti-overdose drug In the face of a deadly heroin epidemic, a state lawmaker is calling on all law-enforcement 

For example, a 30-day supply of abuse-deterrent Embeda, a combination drug containing morphine, costs $268, while a 30-day supply of a generic morphine costs roughly $38, according to data compiled by Truven Health Analytics, a company that tracks drug prices set by manufacturers.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Dr. Bernie Good, who helps oversee medication safety, estimates that converting that health system to the new reformulations would increase opioid spending more than tenfold, to over $1.6 billion annually.

Would the excess money to pay for abuse-deterrent products  mostly to pay for it in cases where it wouldnt be necessary  be better spent for drug treatment centers? he asked at a recent federal meeting on the drugs.

Federal estimates say at least 2.2 million Americans are addicted to prescription opioids or heroin, yet only one in five actually receives treatment, according to a Surgeon Generals report published last month.

Meanwhile, the makers of abuse-deterrent drugs have spent more than $20 million on lobbying efforts that include support of a bill that would require the FDA to gradually replace current opioids with harder-to-abuse versions as they become available.

Though the bill has not received a vote in Congress, the FDA already has begun mapping out a process for removing older opioids from the market when newer versions are shown to be more effective at thwarting abuse.

The FDA has walked a careful line on the new drugs, promoting them as a promising approach to discouraging abuse while acknowledging their real-world benefits are still largely theoretical.

The agency has not yet concluded that any of the products have a real-world impact on measures like overdose deaths, according to Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, an agency deputy director. But he and other regulators predict that the reformulations will eventually translate into public health results.

We stand by those predictions, Throckmorton said at a recent federal meeting.

Regulators acknowledge, however, that abusers continue to find ways around even the reformulated pills.

David Rook, a 40-year-old Henrico, Virginia, resident who now operates a recovery facility, was among them. Before entering treatment, he said, he would break down abuse-resistant pills using water, lemon juice and a microwave.

The truth is an addict can find a way to abuse a medication one way or the other, he said.
Update  Both bills were pulled during the Dec. 19 legislative session.

A controversial bill that would allow government agencies to post legal notices on their websites instead of in newspapers appears to have stalled.

On Monday, the state Assembly and Legislature both did not have enough votes to pass the bill, according to legislative sources.

The bill, which opponents claim would limit government transparency, is set for a vote Monday in the state Assembly and Senate.

If Christie signs the bill into law, New Jersey would be the first state to remove the requirement that government legal notices be published in newspapers.

The legislation provides the option of posting notices online and citizens will be allowed to take advantage of modern technologies that are already in use by the vast majority of the people in our state, Christie said in a statement Sunday. It also saves money.

Some state lawmakers have claimed the bill is part of a vendetta against the media for its coverage of the Bridgegate scandal.

The Governors Office said the bill would save taxpayers $80 million. The New Jersey Press Association, however, said municipalities pay a total of $4 million per year for legal notices.

Opponents of the bill claim only a small group of insiders would know about the actions of government. Politicians also could use public notices to reward newspapers that give them favorable coverage and punish those that dont, opponents said. Representatives of the states newspapers say the bill would cripple an already struggling industry and lead to the loss of about 300 jobs and the closing of some small newspapers.

If it passes, readers of newspapers in the state would no longer find notices of sheriffs sales, planning board notices, municipal budgets and other information they have long been accustomed to in their papers.
With no other political leader raring to go against Modi, Mamata sensed an opportunity to plunge into the national scene and maybe emerge as a pan-India saviour of the common man.

It was prime time on the night of November 8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a long televised appearance, proclaiming sudden death for Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes, leaving the nation stunned and many questions regarding his black money purge unanswered. Elsewhere, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien, who was disembarking from a plane, got a text message from his boss, Mamata Banerjee. O'Brien, who handles Mamata's Twitter account, worriedly sat down on his aircraft seat and immersed himself in a phone frenzy. Soon, a Mamata tweet flashed: "Withdraw this draconian decision." Seven more followed, directing her ire at the "heartless and ill-conceived" demonetisation, empathising with the "poorest brothers and sisters, who earned their wages in 500 rupee notes", and worrying about how they would buy daily need items.

That was the start. Over the past one month, a name that has consistently grabbed headlines along with Modi and his demonetisation drive is Mamata's. Since the currency ban, she has wasted no time in lunging at any opportunity to project herself as the most vocal critic of the move among Opposition leaders, and at playing messiah to the masses. Mamata was quick to get on social media and demand a rollback of demonetisation-even as the likes of Nitish Kumar and Mulayam Singh Yadav reserved comment initially and the Congress and the Left floundered for the 'right' response. By November 12, Mamata had hit the streets-a surprise visit to an ATM on Kolkata's Hazra Road to gauge the public mood, followed by rounds to the city's RBI office and Burrabazar.

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As the demonetisation demon played havoc, with the queues at ATMs growing longer, daily wagers losing jobs and chaos gripping the countryside, Mamata sought to assume the proverbial role of its slayer. In her bid to make common cause with diehard Modi-baiters such as Arvind Kejriwal and even political rivals-she dialled the CPI(M)'s Sitaram Yechury for a joint protest against demonetisation-many see an attempt to cobble together divergent forces in the Opposition and build an alternative national anti-BJP platform. "Who else is there (to do it)?" asks TMC MP Sukhendu Shekhar Ray. "Jayalalithaa is no more. Mulayam Singh Yadav's house is divided. Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar are fighting among themselves. Naveen Patnaik is not interested in anything outside Odisha."

Mamata's equation with Modi has almost always been hostile-except for a few months in 2015, when the CBI was breathing down her neck in the Saradha scam probe and she retreated-and both have used some choice words to describe the other (see box: War of Words). For her, demonetisation was fresh ammo against an old adversary; her tirade against Modi and demonetisation was also in sync with her party's grassroots positioning of ma, maati, manush (mother, motherland and the people). "Taking up this issue will resonate all over the country, across regional sentiments," says a TMC minister from Bengal, requesting anonymity. "With no other political leader raring to go against Modi, Mamata sensed a big opportunity to plunge into the national scene and maybe emerge as a pan-India saviour of the common man."

Mamata had once said she wouldn't mind a bigger role in politics if her Opposition colleagues so desired. In May 2016, after a landslide return to a second term in office in Bengal, she had invited regional party leaders to her swearing-in ceremony and pitched for an alternative secular front. Now, in her Bharat Yatra and rallies in Bihar and Lucknow against the currency ban, Mamata comes across as a politician ready to spread her wings. "Mamata is known to be fiercely ambitious and she has a streak of [desiring] upward political mobility," says Biswanath Chakraborty, associate professor, psephological studies, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. "Now that she stands unchallenged in state politics, she seems to harbour national aspirations and is perhaps eyeing the topmost post."

Sovanlal Dutta Gupta, professor of political science, Calcutta University, adds: "In the long run, TMC is going to reap political dividends because none of the national players, such as Lalu, Nitish, Mulayam and Mayawati, has the grit to take on Modi. She has larger designs behind taking up this issue, and touring states."

Of late, Mamata has had other bones to pick with the Modi government. On November 30, when her plane had to hover over Kolkata airport before landing, the Trinamool Congress dubbed it a "conspiracy to eliminate Mamata" for raising her voice against demonetisation. The party stalled Parliament. The next day, Mamata raised a furore over the army's presence in parts of Bengal, screaming "military coup".

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BJP leader Samik Bhattacharya dismisses her latest manoeuvres as mere "desperation to oppose Modi", because, he says, the demonetisation move jeopardised her party's illegal cash pile acquired via the Saradha scam. But Mamata appears nowhere close to laying down her sword. Going by her words at a Kolkata rally on November 28, her task is cut out: "Today, I'm taking a pledge. Whether I die or live, I'll remove PM Modi from Indian politics."

--- ENDS ---
A former Miss New Jersey was killed in a crash on Route 55 this year. So was a prison inmate being transported in a van. Earlier this month, a Philadelphia resident collided with a state trooper, a double-fatal that rocked the law-enforcement community.

State Police records show fatalities on the highway increased almost annually from 2012, when no deaths were reported, to 11 so far this year.

Yet the numbers for the four-lane highway that heads through Cumberland, Salem and Gloucester counties seem contradictory, too.

State Department of Transportation records indicate Route 55 crash rates from 2005 to 2014 are among the lowest of the roads for which DOT keeps records.

Only once, in 2014, the last year for which full statistics were available, did the crash rate exceed 1 crash for every million vehicle miles. The crash rates for some other roads are two and three times higher.

Officials with the State Police, DOT and state Division of Highway Traffic Safety all declined to say what might be a significant cause of the accidents on Route 55.

But Rudy Danna, who owns Rulyns Towing in Bridgeton, believes he has an explanation. Danna has towed cars involved in fatal and nonfatal accidents on Route 55 since its first section opened in 1969.

My opinion is that 90 percent of it is speed, said Danna, who said he based that opinion on the condition of the accident vehicles hes towed. The speed limit is 55. The (drivers) run 85 mph like its nothing.

Danna isnt alone in reaching that conclusion for the relatively straight highway. The road just may be built for speed, they said.

Unlike other roadways (in the region), youre talking about a much higher speed of traffic along Route 55, said Jennifer Marandino, acting executive director of the South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization. When you do have a crash, its more likely to be catastrophic because of how fast vehicles are traveling.

Over 1,000 come to Boardwalk Hall to say goodbye to a "special man" New Jersey state trooper Frankie Williams will be remembered during funeral services at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Monday.

The organization promotes safety measures on roads throughout South Jersey.

Jenna Chernitz of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, which also promotes roadway safety, said while the organization doesnt monitor motor vehicle traffic, Route 55s design likely encourages speeding.

The only way to really determine a common thread for accidents along Route 55 would likely involve a comprehensive study of years worth of accident reports, she said.

Route 55 has seen some violent crashes over the years.

 On Dec. 5., 61-year-old Philadelphia resident Lloyd Rudleys car crossed the median and collided head-on at milepost 22.2 with a State Police patrol vehicle driven by State Trooper Frankie Williams. Williams, 31, of Egg Harbor Township, and Rudley both died in a crash one veteran Millville police officer called one of the most horrific collisions hes ever seen. The cause is under investigation.

 In January, a Bayside State Prison inmate died after the state Department of Corrections van in which he was being transported struck the back of a flatbed truck that was carrying a commercial vehicle near milepost 25. Excessive speed was considered a possible reason for the accident.

 Cara McCollum, 24, Miss New Jersey 2013 and a South Jersey radio and television personality, died from injuries suffered Feb. 15 when her Ford Mustang spun off the side of the northbound lanes in Salem County and hit several trees.

Not all the serious accidents on Route 55 involved fatalities.

In July 2014, six people were injured when a tractor-trailer heading south and carrying an amusement ride to the Cumberland County Fair overturned as it pulled onto Sherman Avenue in Vineland at Exit 29.

Route 55 was originally proposed as a toll road that would run from the Walt Whitman Bridge in Gloucester City, Camden County, to Cape May. But the road was never extended into Cape May County. It ends at Route 47 in Port Elizabeth in Maurice River Township.
LINWOOD  When South Jersey developer Gerry Bird traveled to the New York and Washington, D.C., areas, he found he liked going to places that cluster a collection of different-style restaurants around a common bar.

The Ocean City resident happened upon a trend he couldnt find locally, so he started building them himself.

He has one under construction in Linwood, which hasnt had a place where customers could buy a drink since three restaurants with the towns first liquor license opened and then closed in the Cornerstone Commerce Center from 2005 to 2008.

Birds bar, and the independent restaurants around it, will be on the first floor of a two-story, 17,000-square-foot building on Route 9, just north of the Somers Point border. He hopes to find professional and medical offices as tenants upstairs.

He also owns the South Jersey model for his plan, a food hall called The Exchange on Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway Township. The Exchange combines four food groups under one roof, although with no bar.

There, Greens and Grains features vegan food and smoothies; Vagabond, the popular spot that started in Atlantic City, brought a burger-based menu to Galloway; El Coyote, whose main home is in Egg Harbor Township, sells Mexican specialties; and Roots is a coffee and tea place.

The name of his Linwood bar and the identities of the restaurants arent final yet for a project Bird hopes to open by mid-2017. Workers were still putting up the bricks on the outside last week.

But the owners of four local Greens and Grains locations know they want to be in the 100-seat food hall. Nicole Jacoby said theyre already in two of Birds buildings, one in Northfield along with The Exchange.

How much are homes selling for near you? Transactions are from county property records. Settlement dates are listed; deed filings may be delayed. Location may reflect address of selle

Jacoby said her place and the others stay busy in Galloway, and she knows the same setup can work in Linwood.

Its hip, its fresh. Were bringing a little piece of the city here and making it accessible to South Jersey without pricing people out, she said, although she added that her newest restaurant wont share a name with the others.

Instead, it will be called Banzo  short for garbanzo, or chickpeas, a favorite and flexible protein source for vegetarians in many parts of the world.

Its 100 percent plant-based. Well have a falafel-and-hummus bar, loaded fries  creative and indulgent bar food, with a healthy approach, she said.

But Bird said the other restaurants in the place will cater to entirely different tastes, probably pizza to barbecue and beyond. Hes the sole owner of the 20-seat bar, which he calls a good amenity for the food hall. He didnt even think about running a bar until a friend mentioned Linwood had a liquor license that was never used.

Super Wawa under construction in Pomona GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Construction continues at the new Super Wawa at Route 30 and Pomona Road

Mayor Rick DePamphilis said the town has had an open license since before that first bar opened, 10-plus years ago. Linwood tried to sell it a few times, starting at $300,000 and then dropping the minimum bid, but couldnt find any takers until Bird bought it this fall for $250,000, the mayor said.

The future food hall was never a developed spot before, but De-Pamphilis said the city did approve an office building there in about 2008  just before the recession stopped many projects around the region and the country.

He said the new idea in town could be a hit. Our thought was if somebody wanted to take their family out for dinner, they wouldnt be limited to one type of food. One person could get Italian and another could get Mexican, or whatever they have there, DePamphilis said.

Thats the food recipe the future operators hope people will follow, too. And while Bird is eager to try running his own little bar in the midst of all those different-flavored foods, Were not building it to be a bar, he said. We see it as more of a complement to the food hall.
What should be done when a beneficial service or product is in such demand that many who want or need it cant get it?

In business, the answer is obvious: Increase supply to satisfy all of the demand.

Not so in government, in this case the New Jersey public education establishment. Its answer to more parents and students seeking to use the states school choice program is to limit statewide participation to about 5,000 students a year, maybe indefinitely.

Family interest in children attending a public grade school or high school other than one in the district where they reside is high enough that the program could be serving perhaps twice as many students.

New Jersey began allowing school choice in 1999 with a pilot program of 10 schools accepting students from other districts. Folsom School was among them, and it attracted students from throughout Atlantic County.

In 2010, a bill passed and signed into law established the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, making school choice permanent and theoretically opening it to any district that wished to participate. Students also were allowed to cross county lines to attend a school of their choice.

This has made it possible for families to arrange specialized instruction for children that isnt available in their home districts. Parents who think another public school would provide a better education can make the effort to have their child attend it.

But for many, the choice has become illusory.

An information session on choosing to attend Ocean City High School drew 160 people, but the school has only 49 openings. Applications far exceed the openings in Folsom and at Lower Cape May Regional High School.

The problem is the state has provided additional aid to districts with choice students and when the cost of aid increased faster than expected, the state four years ago capped choice students at then-existing levels.

School-choice advocates say the aid formula is flawed, allowing for multiple payments for a single student. They also say the residential districts whose students go elsewhere havent had their aid reduced by the amount going to the chosen district, as specified in the school-choice legislation.

It doesnt make sense that providing an education to the same number of students overall should cost a lot more just because theres a small shift in enrollments from some districts to others. Some of the districts losing students by their choice spend much more per pupil.

We suspect the educational establishment  state officials, administrations, teacher unions  feels threatened by letting parents and students choose public schools they believe are better. Perhaps theyre more interested in securing an additional revenue source than helping school choice succeed.

But parent and student school preferences create pressure to improve public education, another big benefit of New Jerseys school choice program. State officials need to give more families the liberty to pursue the education they think is best, and schools another reason to strive for excellence.
An angry and vindictive governor is planning to exact revenge on the press with your cooperation and the complicity of your leadership.

Mondays vote is a vote of conscious.

The motivation and lies that surround this bill make it a sickening display of politics at its worse by initiators and supporters of these bills.

SAVINGS  There are no cost savings to municipalities. The average municipality spends $7,100 per year on public notices, according to the League of Municipalities. That figure comes from a survey of 147 towns done at the request of the governor. The governor refused to reveal that figure and instead put out a figure of $80 million. Factoring in personnel to handle private public notices and system requirements, costs will far outweigh any savings.

COMPROMISE  Newspapers have offered to cut the current public notice rate in half, reducing the average cost for towns to $3,550 per year. The governor has rejected the compromise out of hand.

INTERNET  The claim that everyone is on or uses the Internet is not true, since 1.8 million or 22 percent of New Jerseyans choose not to access the internet. New Jersey daily newspapers sell 1 million copies per day. Weeklies sell 1.3 million copies per week. The perception that no one reads newspapers is wrong. All of the states public notices are online on one website. That site is searchable and translatable into multiple languages. All notices are in one place for residents instead of spread out over hundreds of websites.

PERMISSIVENESS  A towns ability to now decide whether to continue using newspapers or not would provide unscrupulous public officials the opportunity to threaten to withdraw advertising if favorable coverage werent provided or negative coverage werent withheld from publication. Does the state want to open the door to this policy?

STUDY  No study has been done to determine the cost to taxpayers of these bills. Neither the Office of Legislative Services nor the state comptroller have been asked to study the impact. The last time this bill was introduced, OLS stated the cost to towns was indeterminate. Instead, the bill was fast-tracked going from introduction to a vote in eight days.

DEAL  It is known to many of you that both the Democratic and Republican leadership have agreed to this bill in exchange for the governors signature on some important, necessary bills. Caught between the need for their bills and the governors desire to hurt newspapers, the leadership made a deal.

GOOD GOVERNMENT  Right now, public notices are read by both the print audience through the states newspapers and the online audience through NJpublicnotices.com. As municipal costs increase, government transparency decreases.

CLOSURES  In addition, some, maybe a good percentage of the states 240 weeklies would have to close. Owner-operator in most instances, these publications operate on very thin profit margins as do the states dailies.

THE HUMAN COST  The New Jersey Press Association estimates that up to 300 jobs would be lost.

We call this a vote of conscious because you have been lied to by the governor, because the justification that it will save money is wrong, because a significant number of residents will be cut off from access to public information, because local officials have been given the power to bargain their advertising for favorable coverage, because no homework has been done on this bill, and because some residents will lose their local news as papers closed.

The tragedy of this bill is the 300 people who will lose their jobs and livelihood solely because of a governors vendetta and the worst kind of political deal. Those people will be sacrificed because legislators became complicit to this deal. At this point only you can say no to this.

Rich Vezza is publisher and editor of The Star-Ledger newspaper in Newark.
For over 100 years, governments and businesses in the U.S. have been required to inform the public about vital matters like government contract bids, variance applications, sub-division variance applications, foreclosures, sales of government property, government contract bids and municipal tax sales.

But this week, Gov. Chris Christie and a group of legislators in Trenton fast-tracked a bill to move public notifications to seldom-visited government agency websites instead; sites for transactions, not for visiting to be notified of anything.

If the bill passes, New Jersey would be the first state in U.S. history to allow governments to hide this vital information on their own websites.

But dont be fooled into thinking the simple idea of we can just post them on the governments websites is innovative. Many others states have studied public notice laws in recent years including Ohio, Illinois, Florida and Wisconsin. Each state concluded there are principled reasons that public notices must continue to be published in newspapers and on the web.

Note: Gov. Christie claims the bill doesnt force local governments to stop using newspapers as the independent, third-party providers that common-sense requires. They can just do so whenever theyre ready, he and others are saying. Exactly the problem. Unlike current law, the absurd permissive aspect of this horribly-flawed bill may be worst of all.

Why? For the first time in the states history, elected officials will have the power to threaten newsrooms and journalists with economic harm should they not provide favorable coverage of whoever happens to be in power, in your town, township, county etc. Even the perception this could be happening should send a constitutional chill through everyone.

Note: They claim its about taking advantage of the internet, but thats nonsense. Since 2003, all notices have been uploaded to www.NJpublicnotices.com  which is fully searchable by date, town, type-of-notice etc. They are archived and secure. They are translatable to over 100 world languages instantly.

If the bill passes, it requires governments to take over the ad placements for all individuals, businesses and law firms for free. They have no clue that the business of providing public notice requires much more than a simple upload. Municipalities apparently have no idea what theyre in for.

Neither Christie nor the Legislature have studied the operational impacts, nor calculated the increased costs governments would incur for taking over this important business that would now be borne by taxpayers.

Christie talks about the declining circulation of newspapers, but doesnt reference the higher audiences also reading newspapers online. He talks about the internet covering the state, but ignores that the meager web traffic of government websites is for transactional reasons, not at all about the necessary notification.

You just need to look to Michigan to see what will happen. Just last month, the same environmental agency behind the Flint, Michigan, water crisis found itself embroiled in another controversy because it posted on its website a legal notice about a private water grab that nobody saw for 42 days until a local newspaper reported about it.

Please, call your legislators to let them know that government secrecy is always wrong, and that A4429/S2855 is a bad bill on which they must vote no on Monday.

George White is executive director of the New Jersey Press Association.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Following chaos in West Imphal, the Manipur government has suspended internet services in the region.

By Manogya Loiwal : With the continuous chaos spreading in Manipur, especially West Imphal, the government had decided to stop internet services in the region.

Sensing more trouble due to spreading of wrong information or communal messages on social media like WhatsApp and Facebook the Deputy Commissioner of West Imphal has issued an order to stop the internet services with immediate effect.

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There might be possibility of any untoward incident in the region. Vehicles were torched at various places. A church was set ablaze in the locality after the local tribals protested against Christians over differences.

NOTICES POSTED ON CHURCHES

Trucks were also attacked. Notices have been posted on a few Churches that the entry has been restricted.

On December 15, there were attacks on police personnel where three personnel were killed. Manipur Baptist Church too is closed despite being a Sunday, which is a prayer day.

The situation is being continuously monitored by higher officials in the area. The order is issued in public interest to ensure law and order prevails in the state.

Also read:

Manipur: Women vendors hold bandh to protest against NSCN attack in Imphal

IED blast in Manipur, no casualty reported

Manipur: Triple blast in Imphal, no injuries reported

--- ENDS ---
ABU DHABI and DUBAI, UAE, December 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Pegasus will provide Dubai Police with advanced analytic capabilities in solving and preventing crime

DarkMatter, an international cyber security firm headquartered in the UAE, announces that Pegasus, a DarkMatter company, has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dubai Police to provide a comprehensive Big Data platform on which custom analytic solutions will be developed to help solve and prevent crime and make citizens safer.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/450625/Faisal_Al_Bannai.jpg )



DarkMatter had previously been working with Dubai Police in this area under the Dubai Future Accelerators initiative, and the MoU signals the formalisation of the scope of this interaction. The firm will formally assist Dubai Police in the development and management of Big Data capabilities in a bid to assist Dubai Police to investigate and fight crime in both the physical and virtual worlds.

Given the highly interconnected nature of modern digital environments, the amount of data being generated and exchanged among individuals, devices, systems and other entities is growing exponentially. The ability to organise, interpret and utilise this data is fundamental to being able to make qualified and timely real-life decisions.

Pegasus Big Data Platform is capable of processing billions of data points per day to power a variety of analytic solutions that generate critical insights in near real-time. In relation to the MoU with Dubai Police, Pegasus will assist Police authorities to maintain safety and security by applying both technology tools and professional services to create a holistic ecosystem for producing high-value and high-impact information to drive decision-making.

Commenting on the collaboration with Dubai Police, Faisal Al Bannai, DarkMatter Founder and Chief Executive Officer said, "This agreement is an enormous endorsement of DarkMatter's technical capabilities, and we are looking forward to partnering with Dubai Police in developing and utilising innovative big data and analytic tools to create a safer living environment for all citizens."

Faisal Al Bannai continued, "We applaud Dubai Police's proactive adoption of cutting-edge technology, and we see huge benefit from leveraging timely and actionable information to help solve and prevent crime. We are proud to be a UAE-headquartered technology specialist that is able to provide the authorities with this level of fundamental capabilities."

Peng Xiao, Pegasus Chief Executive Officer, said, "We live in an era of data explosion. While it is overwhelming many organisations, Dubai Police has seized it as an opportunity to develop a competitive advantage in its fight for public good. We are honoured that Pegasus Big Data Platform can be leveraged by Dubai Police in its mission to improve safety and security."

"It was only 150 days ago that this programme was a mere idea and we wondered whether we could turn Dubai into a testbed for innovation," said H.E. Saif Al-Aleeli, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation. "In September we opened our doors to the world's most innovative companies to work side-by-side with leading government departments to solve future civic challenges. The results these companies have achieved over the 12 weeks of the programme have been remarkable. We have signed commercial agreements with nineteen out of 30 companies, totalling US$33.5 million. At the Dubai Future Accelerators we are committed to work with the world's best and brightest to address global challenges."

About DarkMatter

DarkMatter is transforming the cyber security landscape. Headquartered in the UAE and operating globally, we're the region's first and only fully integrated digital defence and cyber security consultancy and implementation firm. Our elite team of global experts deliver advanced, next-generation solutions to governments and enterprises across the cyber security spectrum.

We help clients simplify the enormous complexity of today's ever-evolving cyber threats. Our vision is to secure the future by protecting its technologies. Innovation and Research are cornerstones to our development and the activities in these areas underpin our entire range offerings, including Secure Communications, Public Key Infrastructure and Big Data & Analytics products.

They also extend to our activities in Governance, Risk & Compliance, Cyber Network Defence, Managed Security Services, Infrastructure & System Integration, Test & Validation Labs, and Smart Solutions.

About Pegasus

Pegasus - a DarkMatter company - is a UAE-based software technology and professional services firm with a global presence. We offer an all-source Big Data platform with advanced analytic and machine learning capabilities. Our platform provides comprehensive and customisable technology solutions for collecting, processing, managing, analysing and visualising data to support rapid and collaborative decision making. In addition to our cutting-edge technical expertise, we work hand-in-hand with our clients to address the people and process aspects of their operating environment and create the optimal Big Data ecosystem unique to their needs.

For further details, visit http://www.darkmatter.ae

About Dubai Future Accelerators

Dubai Future Accelerators is the world's largest government-supported accelerator, launched by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Future Foundation. The programme is in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and identifies ground breaking companies from around the world, offering them the opportunity to find and test new solutions to real-life challenges. To learn more about the Dubai Future Accelerators programme, visit: https://dubaifutureaccelerators.com/en



SOURCE DarkMatter
LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Key findings

Business Intelligence (BI) is the processes, technologies, and tools needed to turn data into information, information into knowledge, and knowledge into plans that drive profitable business action. Business intelligence encompasses data warehousing, business analytic tools, and content/knowledge management.The global business intelligence market is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 9.50 % during the forecast period of 2017-2024 and is likely to generate more revenue by 2024. Business Intelligence (BI) is a process of analyzing large volumes of data to enhance business performance by providing end users such as corporate executives and business managers to take more informed business decisions.

Market Insights

The market drivers for Business Intelligence Market are rapid changes in business environments, the integration of information and stakeholder's demands for better performance management. Other factors like need customer analytics, rapid growth of enterprise resource planning (erp) and predictive analytics market increasing efficiency also drives the Business Intelligence Market growth.The market restraints for Business Intelligence Market are cost of Implementation, resistance of adaptation and lack of organizational capabilities. The Global Business Intelligence Market is predicted to grow during the forecast period of 2017-2024.

Regional Insights

North America holds the largest market share i.e. approx. 45% in the total global business intelligence market. High adoption rate of cloud based Business intelligence and existence of key market players in the region are the major reasons for this large market share.

Asia Pacific is likely to grow with the highest CAGR of above 11% owing to rising infrastructure and GDP growth in most of its countries. Exponential growth in big data generation in the region is also boosting the growth in the market. The table below explains the market of business intelligence in top regions around the world.

Competitive Insights

The key players contributing to the growth of Business Intelligence Market are Alteryx, Birst, Fair Issac Corporation (Fico), Good Data, Information Builders and Microsoft among others.

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LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The global soy-based chemicals market is driven by worldwide concern over environmental consequence and consumer preference towards industrial ecology, eco efficiency and demand for green chemicals. The urgency to develop noble bio-degradable product and renewable source of energy from algae and soy is also influenced by fluctuations in price of crude oil, combined with geo-political uncertainty in Middle East. All these factors have lead to the development and engineering of advanced organic compound based chemicals that have performance characteristics and undergo decomposition to prevent environmental pollution. For these reasons, the production of bio-degradable materials from renewable agricultural feedstock has attracted attention from different market segments in recent years.

The agricultural products, such as starch and protein are bio-degradable and environmentally friendly. Soybean is a good source for producing a large number of chemicals including bio-degradable plastics, since it is abundantly available and inexpensive.

The most widespread soybean derivatives include soy-milk and soy-oil. These are extensively used in food and beverage industry, owing to their high nutrient content. Soy-protein concentrate, flakes and isolates can be compounded with synthetic plastics, such as poly lactic acid; and polycaprolactone to extract chemicals, such as polyols, methyl soyate, waxes, thermoset plastics, elastomer, plasticiser, rubber compounds, isoflavones and other oleochemicals that are utilized to make edible films or moulded products, such as bio-degradable plastics, shopping bags, and soaps.

Another main factor contributing to the growth of the global soy-based chemicals market is the advancement and technological improvement in bio-technology sector. Due to innovative extraction procedures, more quantity of soy protein can be economically extracted, which could lead to greater manufacturing of various soy-based chemicals and widespread applications.

These soy-based chemicals find their use across various industries, such as food and beverage, plastic and polymers, cosmetics, paints and coatings, hydrogels and adhesive. Other industries include soy-based lubricant, soy ink, soy crayon and biodiesel.

The development of modern oil-seed production, vegetable oil refining, processing and animal feed industries during modern times has been a major factor shaping the soy-based chemical market in many ways. After World War-2, the soybean production reached its peak; however, after 1979 soybean planting decreased dramatically because of various factors, such as increased competition for land, in order to cultivate other crops and counterproductive farm policies. The method of procurement and manufacturing of green chemicals changes with consumer's willingness to pay more for that product. Therefore, the end-use industries are preventing to include soy-based chemicals in their offerings, till widespread adoption of bio-degradable products has been implemented.

The demand for soy-based proteins and derivatives is likely to increase significantly in the coming years. The market penetration of these chemicals is expected to increase with hike in petrochemical prices and enhanced performance of soy chemicals over petroleum-based chemicals. For this reason, the existing global companies are introducing new products in their product mix to address the market's demand. In addition, the use of these products in candles and food processing, toiletries and cosmetic industries are expected to grow further.

The traditional food industry is expected to be the main contributor to this development and will also play a noteworthy role to affect the supply of same for the production of chemicals, thus acting as barrier in the growth of the soy-based chemicals market.

The global soy-based chemicals market was valued at $11,688.7 million in 2015, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.5% during 2016-2022. North America was the largest regional market, followed by Asia-Pacific in 2015. The developing countries in South America are also expected to make serious progress in the global soy-based chemical market. The Asian countries, such as Korea, Singapore and China are investing heavily in the renewable chemical sector. Other promising markets include Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Some of the major companies operating in the global soy-based chemical market includeThe Dow Chemical Company, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Soy Technologies LLC, BioBased Technologies LLC, Bunge Ltd., Cargill Inc., VertecBioSolvents Inc., Cara Plastics Inc., Elevance Renewable Sciences Inc., and Soyaworld Inc.

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LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- DelveInsight's, "Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors-Pipeline Insights, 2016", report provides in depth insights on the pipeline drugs and their development activities around the Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors. The DelveInsight's Report covers the product profiles in various stages of development including Discovery, Pre-clinical, IND, Phase I, Phase II, Phase III and Preregistration. Report covers the product clinical trials information and other development activities including technology, licensing, collaborations, acquisitions, fundings, patent and USFDA & EMA designations details. DelveInsight's Report also provides detailed information on the discontinued and dormant drugs that have gone inactive over the years for Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors. DelveInsight's Report also assesses the Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors therapeutics by Monotherapy, Combination products, Molecule type and Route of Administration.

Please note: This report requires certain updates. We have all the information available but require 3 business days to complete the process and ensure it is as up-to-date as possible. Certain sections in the report may be removed or altered based on the availability and relevance of data for the indicated indication.

Scope

- The report provides competitive pipeline landscape of Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors- The report provides pipeline products under drug profile section which includes product description, MOA, licensors & collaborators, development partner and chemical information- Coverage of the Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors pipeline on the basis of target, MOA, route of administration, technology involved and molecule type- The report reviews key players involved in the therapeutics development for Insulin Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) Inhibitors and also provide company profiling- The report also gives the information of dormant and discontinued pipeline projects - Pipeline products coverage based on various stages of development ranging from preregistration till discovery and undisclosed stages - Provides pipeline assessment by monotherapy and combination therapy products, stage of development and molecule type

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About ReportbuyerReportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishershttp://www.reportbuyer.com

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DALLAS, Dec. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Continuing his lifelong dedication to providing critical help to less fortunate individuals and communities, Texas property developer, Marcus Hiles has donated 200 new Dell computers to state's inner city children. Hiles' generous gift, valued at over $100,000, will be used to help young students enhance their education, pursue future goals, and remain focused on personal growth.

A graduate of Pepperdine and Rice Universities, Marcus Hiles is deeply committed to education and believes that each and every child has a right to be educated regardless of their financial status or level of privilege. This conviction has also led to his insistence that properties developed by Western Rim are located near schools, ensuring access to education for both children and their parents. Marcus Hiles has donated personally over $2.5 million to public and private K-12 initiatives, after school programs, university career services, and job placement programs. Having come from humble beginnings as the son of an inner city minister, he has completely funded the construction of two large churches in Texas and his home state of Massachusetts.

Founder and CEO of Western Rim Property Services, Marcus Hiles is a renowned real estate investor and developer who has spent more than three decades creating properties that embody his vision of affordable luxury living. Hiles' dedication to the concept of community-building extends to his company's business practices. The corporate culture at Western Rim Property Services is one of rewarding mentorship and nurturing professional development. Hiles commits to his employees' long-term security by promoting from within and, in return, enjoys exceptional loyalty and work ethic from his team members leading to the continued growth and success of the company. Since 2012, Western Rim Services has been awarded a Top 5 company score for residential communities for four consecutive years by SatisFact, the industry standard in resident survey-based quality ratings.

Marcus Hiles - Chairman & CEO of Western Rim Property Services: http://www.MarcusHiles-News.com

Western Rim Property Services- Marcus Hiles - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Western-Rim-Property-Services-Marcus-Hiles-1013270532051763/

Marcus Hiles (@marcus_hiles) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/marcus_hiles

Marcus Hiles - The Mansions on the Park - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce1ez9C8XsA

SOURCE Marcus Hiles

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LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2015, the world market for cable assemblies was over $133 billion dollars. For several years, it appeared China would "take it all." However, it now appears that the worldwide market share for cable assemblies is beginning to stabilize. One factor impacting this change is that China already has a significant share of cable assemblies in the computer market, which has slowed, leaving little room for China to gain substantial market share. Additionally, many cable assembly types, due to their nature, will ultimately stay where the final products are being assembled. The report also examines which types of cable assemblies will remain where final assembly occurs and how this will change as the markets for cable assemblies grow and expand.



The 2016 World Cable Assembly Market report offers an in-depth analysis of this growing and thriving industry. This 17-chapter, 230-page report provides a detailed analysis in US dollars for the years 2015 through 2021, by region, end-use equipment sector, and cable assembly type. Our analysis is provided numerically and graphically, allowing the reader to easily view and understand upcoming trends.

The 2016 World Cable Assembly Market report includes analyses of important factors impacting the worldwide cable assembly market, as well as the economic trends and technology affecting each market sector within individual regions.

Benefits realized from this report include:

A better understanding of the size of the cable assembly market by region, market sector, and product type in US dollars.Insight into five-year growth rates by region, market sector, and product type, allowing the reader to adjust, or realign, current business strategies to maximize future sales potential.A greater appreciation for the underlying economic elements that are driving and shaping the various market sectors.

What are the growth markets and regions forcable assemblies in the next five years?

Which regions, markets, and cable assembly types have the highest growth prospects?

What technical and economic trends are affecting the cable assembly industry?

What cable assembly types are being used by market sector and region?

Where should business investments be focused?

2016 World Cable Assembly Market, a new research report from industry leader Bishop & Associates, addresses these questions and many more. This 17-chapter, 230-page report provides a detailed analysis in US dollars for the years 2015 through 2021, by region, end-use equipment sector, and cable assembly type. Our analysis is provided numerically and graphically, allowing the reader to easily view and understand upcoming trends.

Constantly evolving technology is having a profound effect on the design and implementation of cable assemblies. Discover which cable assemblies will benefit most from this evolution and where to focus investments. Order your copy of 2016 World Cable Assembly Market now.

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With 2016 winding out its last weeks, this time of year brings reflection of all sorts. For us in the arts and culture department at the Daily Sun, we are reminded of all the events, artists and scores that graced local venues in the ways of music, literature and more.

The canon of ovation-earners grows each year with the creativity too immense to pack into a single, year-end retrospective. And so, we present the first of a three-part series that chronicles a breakdown that is by no means exhaustive.

First on deck is a look at the visual arts component highlighting a handful of the best that dazzled audiences since January.

Notable exhibitions

A number of exceptional exhibitions landed in Flagstaff including The Road Ahead, presented jointly at Coconino Center for the Arts and the Hozhoni Foundation Art Gallery and Composition for Forests at NAU as well as a photography exhibit marking a landmark in American history.

The Road Ahead had been traveling nationally for one year between participating artists home programs before arriving in Flagstaff in August. Illuminating fearless aesthetic and thematic approaches, The Road Ahead exhibited Hozhoni Foundation artists and others with disabilities, though their marks are those of people free of labels.

Another collection commemorated 15 years since the September 11 attacks. NAU professor Eric OConnells first-person photographs, taken at Ground Zero as the Twin Towers crumbled around him. The haunting images capture moments of chaos that indelibly altered the days since. The exhibit is up for viewing until Dec. 21 in Riles on NAUs north campus.

Composition for Forests, though, doesnt exactly fall into any perfect description. Equal parts installation-based, conceptual sculpture and piano performance, this September collaboration between conceptual artist Shawn Skabelund and NAU professor of piano and concert pianist Janice Chen-Ju Chiang challenged audiences.

Surrounded by charred timber poles, they were challenged to see the beauty in a burnt forest while listening to the nature-themed music from Chiang.

New and revived entities

Though sporadic in its set-up, Museum of Contemporary Art Flagstaff is a constant crowd-pleaser. For its collection of quality work from artists of all contemporaneous walks, the entity known as MOCAF gathers fans with every impromptu gathering.

In November, MOCAF convened again at a downtown home  true to its pop-up nature  where hundreds of visitors filtered in and out, engaging with artists in person and in work, including curators and contributors William Ambrose and Jacques Seronde plus participants Theodosia Green, Travis Iurato and Sharon Jonas in her first exhibition outside of the Hozhoni Foundation banner.

With clementine oranges and cocktails in hand, visitors were treated to a gallery-style time in a comfortable, friendly setting.

Northern Arizona experienced a surge, too, in the way of a brand new collective, Art35N. Named for the latitudinal coordinate that runs right through Flagstaff, Art35 has amassed a diverse collective of visual artists channeling fine art photography, painting, textiles and sculpture.

The group saw its first exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts with A New Latitude, which highlighted a sampling of these Colorado Plateau artists most compelling work.

Interesting ideas

A year of innovative thinking capped 2016, too. Decades ago, illustrator David Christiana visited the Wupatki-Sunset Crater Loop. At a time of familial struggle, all he could do was draw  and never stopped.

Christiana teaches at the University of Arizona in Tucson, splitting his time between the southern Arizona city and Flagstaffs mountainous landscape.

Envisioning the land as a character in this still-developing story, Christiana created a series of paintings and drawings that gathered quite a buzz this summer at the Museum of Northern Arizona, called Portraits of Petrichor for the smell of earth after rain.

And though he hasnt stopped drawing, the artist said he feels contented to rest the Loop work for now, picking up again well into the Painted Desert.

Another long-standing project in the works started in the dead of last winter, but truly sparked long before.

Four years ago, artist Julie Comnick gathered a pile of violins and burned them at her then-home in Prescott  for artistic purposes, of course, and to offer commentary in performance, paint and video of the breakdown of classical appreciation and culture in tandem.

Then, after a snowstorm last Christmas, Comnick launched the second part of Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra. This time, she gathered an entire symphony in a field staring at Kendrick Peak, and documented the snow blanketing the pile moment by moment.

In the coming months, we toward Comnicks continuation of the second movement.
Amid economic blockade by United Naga Council, violence erupted in Manipur as protesters burn down vehicles after Friday's triple blast in Imphal.

By India Today Web Desk: Widespread violence has erupted in and around Manipur capital Imphal as protesters burnt down several vehicles heading to Ukhrul, a district dominated by Naga tribal people.

The protesters were angry over continued economic blockade, imposed by several Naga tribal groups, of the landlocked northeastern state and a series of terrorist attacks in recent weeks.

Following the incidents of violence curfew was imposed on Sunday in some parts of Imphal East district. The district administration said that the curfew will continue till situation improves in the region.

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READ| Manipur: Internet services suspended in West Imphal following chaos

Earlier, the government had shut down internet services in the state after Friday's triple blast, which, however, caused no injuries. But, the government said that internet services were withdrawn to check spreading of rumours through social media.

Violence in Manipur.

The Naga groups, under United Naga Council (UNC) have imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways passing through Manipur. These highways are the economic lifeline of the state.

The UNC is protesting government's decision to create seven new districts, four of which have already been inaugurated.

READ| Manipur: Triple blast in Imphal, no injuries reported

Amid blockade and growing tension, suspected militants have carried out several attacks in Manipur leaving three policemen dead and 14 others injured in last few days.

The last of the attacks was carried out on Friday, when three bomb explosions took place at Nagaram in Imphal West district.

In another incident about 70 militants attacked an outpost of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Nungkaoin Tamenglong district of Manipur. The militants snatched service weapons of the jawans and fled the spot.

ALSO READ|

Manipur: Women vendors hold bandh to protest against NSCN attack in Imphal

--- ENDS ---
Shimla, Dec 15 : It was another sunny day in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday although the minimum temperature in most areas remained either close to or below the freezing point, the weather official said.

However, the state would continue to remain deficit of rainfall and snowfall till December 20.

Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest in the state with the minimum temperature recorded at minus 5.1 degrees Celsius.

Picturesque tourist resort Manali in Kullu district recorded a low of zero degree Celsius, while it was one degree in Kalpa in Kinnaur district, 4.5 degrees in Mandi and 11.6 degrees in Dharamsala.

The state capital registered a low of 5.6 degrees. It saw the maximum temperature at 14.3 degrees on Wednesday.

The prolonged dry spell for over two months was causing anxiety among the farmers as they apprehend it would hit the crop badly.

According to the weather department in Shimla, the deficiency in rainfall was almost 100 per cent from October 1 till date. Hamirpur, Kangra and Una were among the worst affected districts.

Meteorological office Director Manmohan Singh told IANS that dry conditions would continue across the state till December 20.
New Delhi, Dec 15 : Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who made his Bollywood debut with the 2016 film "Sanam Teri Kasam", says he is very happy to be offered a Russian film right after his first Hindi movie.

"I can only say that there is some kind of guardian angel who is looking after me because I truly did not expect it. I am right now very happy about the fact that I have been offered a Russian film," Harshvardhan told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The 32-year-old actor, who made his acting debut in 2010 with the Telugu film "Thakita Thakita", says he never "expected to get a chance to work in films".

"Then I thought only people in south will only know me and no one will recognise me in India. Then I got a chance to work in Bollywood... And now a Russian film has been offered to me. It is like a blessing," he said.

Asked about the status of the Russian film, Harshvardhan said: "I have to sit down with my team and discuss it as it is a big step. I am just happy right now. It is not a decision I can take just like that and without thinking."

The actor, who was seen sharing screen space with Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane in "Sanam Teri Kasam", says that he has to make the most of this opportunity.

"This is not that time of a cinema where you get 10 to 15 chances. You only get two to three chances and if you do something nice in that, then it is great. Otherwise, people are very unforgiving. So I want to make the most out of this chance and opportunity that I have got," he said and added that he wants to be careful with the next choice.
United Nations, Dec 18 : The UN Security Council on Sunday will vote on a French draft resolution to monitor the evacuation process of civilians and rebel fighters from the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Diplomatic sources said that the vote was scheduled for 10 a.m. in New York, Efe news reported.

The initiative required UN staff to coordinate and observe the departure of inhabitants of eastern Aleppo.

Thousands were evacuated from the former opposition stronghold, recaptured almost in its entirety by pro-government forces.

The process, however, was stopped on Friday and people were now waiting for the resumption of the agreement between the parties.

Western countries have denounced the alleged abuses against some of the evacuees and considered it fundamental to have international observers present during the process.

Russia has expressed skepticism about the possibility of the UN monitoring the evacuations and said that deploying observers would take weeks.

French authorities, however, believe that the mission could be carried out with UN personnel already in the area.

Both France and the US warned Moscow that if it blocks the adoption of the resolution, they would convene a special session of the UN General Assembly to put pressure on Damascus and its allies.

So far in the conflict in Syria, the Russian delegation has used its veto power six times to paralyze initiatives on war in the Security Council.
Varanasi, Dec 18 : In this ancient city that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, development and stink literally go hand-in-hand -- the latter in spite of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, having been launched here more than two years ago.

As you walk down the markets and bathing stairways of this temple-dotted city along the Ganges, a river revered by Hindus, the garbage strewn all around raises an almighty stink. A cluster of cows and bulls squatting in the middle of roads poses a threat to passersby and commuters.

"Benaras (as Varanasi was earlier known) has a rich, grand cultural heritage but it's literally stinking. You can see garbage even in the city's upscale areas," Smith Williams, a tourist from the US, told IANS.

He said vehicular and industrial pollution is alarmingly high. "It's amazing to see the people here are literally gasping for breath."

His wife Emily said stray animals, especially cows and dogs, were a nuisance in the city's lanes -- and pointed to a herd of cows standing around aimlessly.

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, rightly described by historian Mark Twain as being older than history, older than tradition and older than even legend, attracts a significant number of foreign tourists, apart from those within the country.

They are mainly from China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam who travel to cover the Sarnath-Gaya-Varanasi Buddhist circuit. The Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, about 15 km from here.

Another area of concern is toxic particulate pollution that has resulted in an eight-fold increase in respiratory diseases among children in the past decade, according to a new report, "Varanasi Chokes". Corroborating observations from private doctors, it blames abnormally high air pollution levels -- that spiked five times higher than the average this winter for several days -- for the rise in asthma cases.

On the flip side, local taxi operator Suresh Dubey echoed many citizens in saying that Modi has contributed a lot in developing the city's basic infrastructure like the ongoing construction of a four-lane highway, linking this city with the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

"The Lucknow-Varanasi highway, with an almost four-km-long flyover at the entrance of this city will definitely help ease the traffic chaos," added Dubey, who has been driving a taxi in Varanasi for over two decades.

Locals see a major jump in central funding for developing and improving the city's infrastructure with Modi being elected as a Lok Sabha member from here.

"With the initiatives of Prime Minister Modi-ji, the basic amenities will start shaping up in the years to come," auto rickshaw driver Chand Seth said. He said it is also the duty of the local civic body and the state government to develop basic amenities in Varanasi.

A team led by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation Mayor visited Kyoto in April last year to make Varanasi a smart city on the pattern of the Japanese city, but deterioration persists. "There is need for strong political will to improve things," said pediatrician Pradeep Jindal, who is based in the Sigra area.

Octogenarian Tripti Devi, who was born and brought up in this city, said Modi normally walked straight to Dashashwamedh ghat during his visits.

"Dashashwamedh ghat and its adjoining Sheetla and Rajendra Prasad ghats are one of the cleanest places. Modi should visit other ghats too so that the deteriorating conditions would improve there too," she said.

Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe witnessed the Ganga "aarti" at Dashashwamedh ghat on December 12 last year.

As part of the Project Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits Scheme, Rs 18.23 crore has been sanctioned by the central government for basic amenities for the tourists at the ghats.

(Vishal Gulati was in Varanasi at the invitation of IndiaSpend. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Yangon, Dec 18 : Myanmar is preparing to hold a national political dialogue in the coming months, state media reported on Sunday.

The dialogue would follow the regional dialogues that would come up within a week, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee said preliminary meetings for the national dialogue would be held in December-January.

The government was working with the Kayin National Union (KNU), Kayin National Liberated Area (KNLA) and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) for the dialogue.

The outcome of the talks would be submitted to the Second Panglong Peace Conference in February 2017, in accordance with the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA).

The concession was aimed at paving the way for non-signatory armed groups to join the NCA.

However, the outbreak of military conflict in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan province on November 20 has delayed the peace process.
New Delhi, Dec 18 : The Defence Ministry on Sunday maintained that Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat, named the next Army Chief ingoring the generally followed seniority norm, was "best suited" for the job.

The appointment has ignored seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have a longer service.

"The process of selection is based on a process that commences four-to-five months in advance with the Ministry of Defence seeking personal data and professional profile of all eligible Lt Generals from amongst the Vice Chief of Army Staff and General Officers Commanding in Chief of the various Commands," said a source in the Ministry.

"The service headquarter forwards data of the eligible candidates, including their professional exposure, achievements and operational experience. These are processed by the Ministry and forwarded through the Defence Minister for consideration and selection to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet," said the source, who did not want to be named.

According to the source, the cabinet panel made the final selection "based upon the inputs provided by the Service HQ, Ministry, as well as any other additional information that may assist in the selection of the service chiefs, for the assignment that involves strategic management of national security".

"He (Rawat) was found the best suited among the Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the northeast," the source said.

Generally, the government had appointed the senior-most army commander as the Vice Chief before appointing them as the army Chief so as to familiaries them with the working at top levels.

Bakshi was also not appointed the Vice Chief when the post fell vacant in September and Rawat was brought in from the Southern Command.

On Friday, when asked if the line of succession will be broken, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had cryptically remarked: "Line of succession is decided by the people."

Commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978 from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour', Rawat has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley.

"Lt. Gen. Rawat has tremendous hands-on experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

"He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, LAC with China and in the northeast," the source said.

"He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and connect with civil society. His experience as GOC-in-C, Southern Army Command, in mechanised warfare has been focused towards the western borders, in coordination with the other two services," the source added.

Soon after the appointment was announced, the Congress questioned the decision.

Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted: "Why has seniority not been respected in appointment of Army Chief? Why have Lt. Gen. Pravin Bakshi and Lt. Gen. Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded, Mr PM (Narendra Modi)?"

The Defence Ministry on Saturday night announced the names of the next chiefs of Army and Indian Air Force, 13 days before General Dalbir Singh and Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha are to retire.

Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa will be the next chief of IAF.
London, Dec 18 : A group of international academics has condemned the UN convention banning child labour as "harmful", saying the policy ignores benefits and reflects Western prejudice.

In a letter to The Observer newspaper, they argued that allowing young children to work could have positive effects which were not being taken into account, the Guardian reported on Sunday.

The researchers, who work in the fields of child development or human rights, said the UN committee has ignored available evidence in favour of "outdated and ill-informed Western prejudices".

They said the UN policies could have a negative impact on the ground.

One of the signatories, Dorte Thorsen of the school of global studies at the University of Sussex, said: "Banning children from work doesn't bring them back into school.

"In fact, it might do the opposite if they were working to pay their school fees," the Guardian quoted him as saying.

He pointed at India and Africa nations and said: "We are seeing collectivization movements of child workers, a unionization where they are trying to participate in politics, be heard, as opposed to this being a story of victimization and oppression."

Richard Carothers, a Toronto-based child development expert at the International Child Protection Network, called the UN policy "hard-headed attitude of the big bureaucratic international agencies".

"Children need to be protected from nasty situations, and there is a debate about whether the percentage of working children in nasty situations is a small percentage or a very small percentage," Carothers said.

Thorsen also criticized Britain's Department for International Development Minister Priti Patel for pressuring British companies to scrutinize their supply chains for evidence of child labour.

The experts also pointed at children, who were forced into hazardous, dangerous or illegal work because more regulated employment became closed to them.

Around 193 countries have committed to ending child labour by 2025 under the UN's sustainable development goals.

The academics want the existing minimum age (15 in some countries, 18 in others), to be abandoned, arguing that "age-appropriate" work could be beneficial for children in both the developing and the developed worlds.
Los Angeles, Dec 18 : Hollywood star Brad Pitt will only be allowed a four-hour long visit to his children on the Christmas Day.

His estranged wife Angelina Jolie has agreed he can deliver gifts in the morning and early afternoon, reports dailystar.co.uk.

"She doesn't have the heart to refuse to let him see the children over the holidays and they would probably never forgive her if she did. But Brad is going to have to use every ounce of his acting skill when he arrives with their presents and put on a brave face to mask the torment he's going through over spending so little time with them," said a source close to the warring pair.

Jolie, 41, is living in a rented beachfront mansion in Malibu with Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. She is locked in a legal tussle over the custody of their children with Pitt, 52.

Jolie had filed for divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" and is demanding sole physical custody of the kids with visitation rights only for Pitt, whose lawyers have filed a counter-claim.

As part of the Family Services probe, he was ordered to undergo anger management counselling and submit to random drug tests prior to agreed visits with the children.

The source told Daily Star: "He bit his tongue and suffered through all of that in the hope Angelina would allow him more time with their kids. But he was really choked when he didn't get to spend a single moment with them at Thanksgiving last month."

"And although he can't wait to see them at Christmas, he's dreading how hard it will be for him to leave them again after four hours."

Last year, the family had spent Christmas Day together in a 10-bedroom rented villa in Phuket, Thailand.
New York, Dec 18 : Apple customers, who pre-ordered the tech giant's wireless earphones AirPods, have started receiving a pair of the product after the sales went live recently, a media report said.

Customers received a word that their orders had been shipped and were scheduled to arrive as promised on December 21, a report on AppleInsider said.

Apple announced its first branded wireless headphones with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September 2016 and the product went up for sale on December 13.

AirPods are priced at Rs 15,400 in India.

According to the report, AirPods were regarded as a highly anticipated item and the initial supply was quickly depleted, pushing back shipment estimates to four weeks mere hours after release.

Alongside pre-order shipments, AirPods are rumoured to land in Apple retail stores, as well as mobile carrier outlets and authorised Apple resellers by as early as next week.

AirPods are automatically on and always connected. They can sense when they are in ears and pause when taken out.

They are driven by the custom-designed Apple W1 chip for efficient wireless connection and improved sound. The W1 chip manages battery life which lets the product deliver five hours of listening time on a single charge.

Just 15 minutes of charging can give three hours of listening time. To check the battery, user can hold the AirPods next to an iPhone or ask Siri "How's the battery on my AirPods?"
In a first-of-its-kind order, the Supreme Court has held guilty of contempt the owner of a prestigious Privat hospital in Gurugram and its Medical Director for providing medical shelter for a whopping 527 days to a former Indian National Lok Dal MLA from Meham, facing trial for murder.

By Harish V Nair: Hospitals which provide "medical asylum" to people to evade court process or jail will not go scot-free any longer. Hospital owners and even doctors could be punished for contempt and imprisoned if found to have colluded with the accused.

In a first-of-its-kind order, the Supreme Court has held guilty of contempt the owner of a prestigious Privat hospital in Gurugram and its Medical Director for providing medical shelter for a whopping 527 days to a former Indian National Lok Dal MLA from Meham, facing trial for murder.

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The "influential" accused, Balbir Singh aka Bali Pahalwan, had got himself admitted to 'Private' hospital soon after the apex court asked him to surrender after cancelling his bail on October 24, 2013 following apprehension that he was threatening witnesses. Balbir is an accused in an indiscriminate firing incident at Kalanaur grain market that left one person dead and eight injured on May 5, 2013.WHAT HAPPENED

The hospital's 76-year-old managing director KS Sachdev and 68-year-old medical director Munish Prabhakar have been asked to be present in the SC on January 2, 2017 "to present their view on the point of punishment".

"We hold the respondent (Balbir) guilty of having violated the order dated 24.10.2013 passed by this court and for having obstructed administration of justice. We also hold Dr. Munish Prabhakar and Dr. KS Sachdev guilty for having helped the respondent in his attempts and thereby obstructing administration of justice," a bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justices R Banumathi and UU Lalit said.

"They extended medical asylum to the respondent without there being any reason or medical condition justifying prolonged admission of the respondent as an indoor patient as a cover to defeat the orders passed by this court and the trial court, as stated above and thereby aided and assisted the respondent in violating the order of this court. By such conduct these medical professionals have obstructed administration of justice," said the judges.

The court was pronouncing its order on a petition filed by one Sita Ram, the brother-in-law of the deceased Vishnu through his advocate Rishi Malhotra.

"The refusal of the accused to surrender despite the order of the highest court of the land was a willful and blatant violation and amounted to contempt. It was a clear attempt to hoodwink the Supreme Court," Malhotra argued.

The shocking fact of the nearly a year-and-a-half long medical asylum was revealed after an SC-ordered CBI probe.

"Singh, who claimed to be a heart patient, did not give his consent for Angiography as suggested by the doctors during his admission in the said hospital, and requested for conservative treatment through medicines which was agreed to by the doctors. Accused Balbir Singh was not required to remain admitted in the said hospital for such a long period for the conservative treatment which he was given in said hospital as confirmed by Dr. Munish Prabhakar, the consultant physician of the said hospital," said the CBI report.

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DEFENCE

Defending themselves, Sachdev and Prabhakar contended that Balbir "trapped the hospital and by non-payment of the bills kept prolonging his stay". But SC said the argument did not inspire confidence at all.

"If the hospital was really a victim of the machinations of the respondent, at the first opportunity i.e. when requisition was made by the police on 13.02.2015, the hospital would have responded immediately. The requisition dated 13.02.2015 had informed the hospital that respondent was a proclaimed offender and that his custody was required. This requisition was close on the heels of the medical certificate dated 07.02.2015 and if that certificate was a correct one, the time was ripe for discharge of the respondent," said the court.

"However, as stated by Shashank Anand in his affidavit dated 02.07.2015, the hospital refused to discharge the respondent. The theory that the hospital was trapped by the designs of the respondent is a mere eyewash", it added.

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Kabul, Dec 18 : At least 14 persons were killed and 41 injured in an accident in Afghanistan's Farah province on Sunday, police said.

"A bus travelling from Herat province to Kabul crashed into a parked cargo truck in Gulshan district," Xinhua news agency quoted a police official as saying.

A total of 57 persons were aboard the vehicle.

The police have detained the driver of the truck and launched an investigation into the incident.
New Delhi, Dec 18 : Designer Anita Dongre, who featured in Googles official list of top searches of the year 2016, says though her brand always had global presence, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's decision to wear her creation generated a lot of buzz around the world.

Kate Middleton wore an Anita Dongre ensemble for one of her outings in India back in April.

"We've always had a global presence via e-commerce. But of course, Kate Middleton wearing an Anita Dongre dress got us a lot of global headlines. She is an iconic personality whose style is talked about and admired by women all over the world," Dongre told IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.

The designer, who is not only a celebrated name in the Indian fashion industry but also a successful entrepreneur courtesy her brand AND Design India Pvt Ltd, sums up 2016 on the work front as wonderful.

"It's been a wonderful year. All of us at the House Of Anita Dongre work hard and put in our best. It's lovely when the year ends with such great news," she added.

For the year to come, Dongre says she will continue to walk down the same path.

"I'm working like I do. With five brands from the House of Anita Dongre, there is always a lot to do. News... well, it just happens. And we're glad that, for us, it has always been good news. We're already geared up to start the new year with some great news that I can't wait to share," she said.

Dongre, who is known as much for her pret lines as for her couture creations -- which are a blend of traditional and contemporary, is currently busy with the campaign shoot of the Summer'17 collection. She says the line is shaping up "beautifully".

So what are the trends that will rule in 2017?

"I think organic and sustainable clothing is the need of the hour and as a designer who strongly believes in this, reviving our handcrafted tradition is now getting larger and more focused and a movement," she said.
Panaji, Dec 18 : Increase in tourism has put the coastal state's resources under stress and care needs to be taken to ensure that Goa does not lose its identity because of excessive tourism, Governor Mridula Sinha said on Sunday.

"Due to an increase in terms of tourists in the state, there has been a stress on the resources and land. Tourism, without doubt, is the cornerstone of our economic progress. To make the tourism sector strong, it is desirable to improve the basic requirements of this sector," Sinha said in a speech on the eve of Goa Liberation Day on Monday.

Goa, a former Portuguese colony, was liberated by the Indian armed forces on December 19, 1961.

"We have to be very careful to see that, in the name of development of tourism, we do not lose our identity and cultural values," she added.

Goa is one of the top beach and nightlife tourism hubs in the country and attracts over four million tourists every year.

The Goa Governor also said that despite recent attacks on the country's borders, the spirit of unity and nationalism was evident across the country.

"The nation expects from all its responsible citizens to prevent any anti-national activities in our country. The recent attacks on our boundaries are an issue of great concern. But in spite of all the upheavals, we can see unity and nationalism throughout our country," she said.

Sinha also said that despite economic progress, there was a deterioration in social morality, adding that there is erosion of love, honesty, dedication and accountability in our society.

"The lure of money has made people forget about our moral values. It is unfortunate that our youth today is moving away from the moral values set by our ancestors. We are slowly forgetting the moral values and principles given by our ancestors," she said.
New Delhi, Dec 18 : The appointment of Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief came under attack on Sunday with the opposition parties criticising the move for the generally followed seniority norm having been ignored while the government defended the decision, saying he was "best suited" for the job.

The Congress and the CPI questioned Rawat's appointment and termed it "unprecedented".

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supersession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, was not respected," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told a press conference here.

"Is it that these officers who have been superseded were unqualified in any manner or is it whimsical cherry-picking which has been done by the BJP-led government," he asked.

The government, however, insisted that Rawat was "best suited" for the job.

"He was found the best suited among the Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the northeast," a source in the Defence Ministry said.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat has ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service.

Tewari said: "Not only is this supersession unprecedented, probably this has happened for the first time that three senior Generals (Commanding different armies) have been superseded".

"It is not the first time this government has done this. The appointment or the non-appointment of a full-time Enforcement Director, the ad-hoc appointment in the CBI, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court, is an extremely serious matter which shows this government has scant regard for institutional integrity," the Congress leader said.

"Why is there a delay in the notification for the next Chief Justice of India," he asked.

Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is retiring on January 3. The government is yet to announce the next Chief Justice.

Similarly, the Communist Party of India also accused the Narendra Modi government of creating controversies over appointments on the top posts and advised that army should not be dragged into "controversies".

"This has become controversial and all these are in public domain... it is unfortunate. The Army should not be drawn into controversy," party leader D. Raja told IANS.

The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the Congress and the CPI for questioning the appointment, saying armed forces should not be dragged into political debate for political gains.

"We condemn the Congress's repeated attempts at dragging the armed forces into political debate to suit its narrow political ends," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told IANS.

"There are some red lines that Congress and Left parties should not cross in national interest which is supreme. But the Congress has been guilty of doing it repeatedly for political purposes," he said.

Lt. Gen. Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978 from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

He has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley.

He also has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter-insurgency operations.
Baghdad, Dec 18 : At least five people were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday in separate bomb attacks which mainly targeted Iraqi security forces, security sources said.

In one attack, a booby-trapped car detonated near a fuel station in Halabsa area, just west of the city of Fallujah, about 50 km from the capital city of Baghdad, leaving two persons killed and nine wounded, Xinhua news agency reported.

The massive blast destroyed several civilian cars and badly damaged nearby buildings, the source said.

The second blast was a roadside bomb explosion near a vehicle in Yankja village in province of Salahudin, which killed two policemen and wounded another three.

Another roadside bomb which struck a vehicle in the town of Abu-Saida in province Diyala, claimed the life of one person and wounded two others.

Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 2,885 Iraqis and wounded 1,380 others in November across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out IS militants from their last major stronghold in and around Mosul.
In their latest article in The Legal Intelligencer, Partner David Stern and Associate Susan Nanes discuss insurance companies abuse of the Temporary Notice of Compensation Payable (TNCP) in workers compensation cases. TNCPs were originally devised to allow insurance carriers an additional 90-day period to investigate less-than-certain claims. While conceived as a compromise between the rights of the claimant and the needs of the insurance company, in reality it is used by insurers to delay benefits to injured workers as a matter of course.

Sadly, this piece of legislation that had good intentions is being grossly abused by the insurance industry. Since the law is not policed nor its abuse penalized, why wouldnt they take advantage? the article explains. The thinking is, why buy the claim under any scenario? Always issue a TNCP since it gives an out for 90 days. That is unequivocally the approach of the insurance industry at this point.

Since a TNCP does not require an insurer to accept liability for an injury while they investigate, they are given a 90-day grace period before they are required to pay full benefits to the injured worker. While intended to be a way of insuring the law works for everyone, it has instead been used to tip the scales in favor of insurance companies.

The article "Further Investigation Unnecessary in Many Workers' Comp Cases" originally appeared in The Legal Intelligencer on 12/9/16: http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/columns/id=1202774367086?slreturn=20161116104741.
All schools in Noida, Greater Noida to hold classes online up to Class 8 till Nov 8 in view of increasing pollution in NCR: Official order.
By PTI: London, Dec 18 (PTI) Some unidentified vandals have spray painted a mosque in Scotland with anti-Muslim slogans, prompting police to probe the incident as a "hate crime".

The disturbing graffiti was scrawled on the Cumbernauld mosque situated at Craighalbert Way in Glasgow, Scotland.

The photos of the mosque with racist graffiti on its walls were shared in a series of tweets by Amjid Bashir, who identifies himself as a social media and marketing expert, Community campaigner and Entrepreneur in the UK.

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"Cumbernauld Mosque has been vandalised with #Islamophobia #graffiti on the walls," he said in a tweet.

His tweet was retweeted by anti-Islamophobia organisation Tell Mama.

On one wall of the mosque, vandals spray painted "SARACEN GO HOME", while next to it "DEUS VULT", Metro.co.uk reported.

"Deus vult" is classical Latin for "God wills it", and was a term people used after Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade ? primarily as a rallying cry to defend the Byzantine empire from the Seljuk Turks. Saracen was another term used in the Crusades, referring to Muslims, the report it said.

Meanwhile, Tell Mama said, "Given the language and the imagery being conjured up, we believe that the individual who did this is ideologically driven and may well be radicalised by extremist far-right rhetoric, which regularly plays on imagery and text from the Crusades, as though there is a clash of civilisations taking place".

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said that the vandalism is being treated as a hate crime, the report said.

"I can confirm that an investigation is underway following an act of vandalism. Inquiries are continuing. This incident is being treated as a hate crime and hate crime remains a priority for Police Scotland.

"We work closely with our criminal justice partners to do everything in our power to protect all communities and eradicate all forms of hatred," the spokesman said. PTI CPS AKJ CPS

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By PTI: New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to Japan during which he will explore new avenues of cooperation with the country which has emerged as a close partner of India in recent years, both on the nuclear energy front as well as military.

The visit also comes at a time when India, Japan and the US are preparing for their next edition of the Malabar exercise which will focus on submarine hunting amid increasing forays by the Chinese underwater vessels in the Indian Ocean.

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"The visit aims to consolidate existing maritime cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues," a statement by the Navy said.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive Exclusive Economic Zone, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, wherein both navies have opportunities to learn from each others experiences, it added.

In addition, common ground exists for cooperation on a number of issues for the navies.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is robust and is primarily focused towards maritime cooperation. Bilateral defence cooperation was institutionalised with commencement of the India-Japan Comprehensive Security Dialogue which was initiated in 2001.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has participated in the Malabar exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior being included as a regular member in the exercise since 2015.

JMSDF participated in Malabar 15 and 16 held in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific respectively.

In 2014, Japan has also been included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a maritime cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008.

Both navies also engage in navy to navy staff talks which commenced in 2008. The 7th such talks are scheduled to be held in 2017.

JDS Matsuyuki participated in the International Fleet Review 2016 held at Visakhapatnam. The Chief of Staff of the JMSDF, Admiral Tomihisa Takei also attended the Review.

Indian Navy too participated in the International Fleet Review conducted by the JMSDF in October 15 at Sagami Bay, Yokosuka, Japan.

JMSDF for the first time participated in the Admirals Cup Sailing Regatta conducted by the Indian Navy in 2016 at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala from December 5 to 11 this year.

Warships of both countries regularly visit each others ports.

During the visit, Admiral Lanba is scheduled to hold discussions with Chief of Staff, JMSDF, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff besides other senior dignitaries and naval officers. PTI SAP AAR

--- ENDS ---

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DAVENPORT -- Police are investigating a late Friday night shooting that sent one man to the hospital.

According to Davenport Police, officers were called at 11:19 p.m. Friday to the area of 100 East 5th Street for a disturbance involving shots being fired.

A 24-year-old male was transported to Genesis Medical Center by private vehicle for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. The man was treated and released; his name was not released.

Preliminary investigation indicates several people were arguing and fighting before the shots were fired, police said. Detectives are conducting follow-up on the incident.

Police said anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to do what's right" and call them at 563-326-6125 or submit an anonymous tip via their mobile app, CityConnect Davenport, IA."
By PTI: Karachi, Dec 18 (PTI) Police in Pakistans Sindh province have warned 13 lawmakers and a bureaucrat, who were part of the recently-passed Minorities Bill which criminalises forced conversions in the Muslim-majority country, that religious parties and defunct organisations could "harm" them.

The Sindh Assemblys secretariat has asked the provincial police chief and the home department after a threat alert to provide security to 13 lawmakers, including three ministers, and a bureaucrat who were part of the team which drafted the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill, 2015.

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Sindh Polices special branch issued a threat alert, saying after the passage of the bill, the situation was quite tense and there was a threat to the life of Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPA)s, particularly the members of the Standing Committee on minorities affairs who considered the private bill, Dawn reported.

They warned that "religious parties and defunct organisations" could "harm" the members of the standing committee concerned, the report said.

The Sindh Assembly last month adopted the bill against forced religious conversions and recommended a five-year jail term for perpetrators and facilitators of forced religious conversions will be handed a three-year sentence.

Under the bill, forcibly converting a minor is also a punishable offence. Adults will be given 21 days to consider their decision to convert.

The special branch also warned that the Chief Minister House or the Sindh Assembly building might be besieged by certain organisations "if this bill may not be abolished by the Sindh government".

Yesterday, Sindh province said it will amend the bill, weeks after two hard-line Islamic parties opposed the law by claiming it was part of a conspiracy to make Pakistan a liberal and secular country.

Jammat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed opposed the bill on December 5 and threatened to launch a movement against the law.

"We will take other political and religious organisations on board in our movement against this anti-Islam law. We will not remain silent on this controversial law and launch a countrywide movement to force the Sindh government to withdraw this anti-Islam law," Saeed had said.

Civil society, including the minorities rights organisations, had celebrated the passage of the bill.

Cases of forced conversions have regularly been reported from different parts of Sindh including Jacobabad, Tharparkar, Mithi, Umerkot, Kashmore, Kandhkot, Ghotki, Sukkur and Larkana.

According to the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK), at least 1,000 girls mostly Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam in Pakistan every year. PTI CPS AKJ CPS

--- ENDS ---

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CHICAGO (AP)  A Chicago agency that investigates police shootings has determined that an officer was justified in fatally shooting a black man in the back two years ago.

The Independent Police Review Authority announced its findings Friday night that Officer George Hernandez was justified in shooting 25-year-old Ronald Johnson III in October 2014 because Johnson "wielded a firearm" as he fled from police.

A gun was found near Johnson. Attorneys for Johnson's family have alleged officers planted the gun and have filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Video of the shooting was made public late last year about the same time as video of the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald by a white officer. But while prosecutors charged Officer Jason Van Dyke with first-degree murder, they announced they wouldn't charge Hernandez.
ROCK ISLAND -- Augustana College is launching a new summer theater program in 2017, with three shows planned at the new Brunner Theatre Center, 3750 7th Ave.

Auditions for the new Mississippi Bend Players are open to the public and are scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, or by appointment. The scheduled plays will be:

-- "Zombie Prom" (July 7-9, 14-16). Directed by Phil McKinley, who led its 1993 off-Broadway premiere, "Zombie Prom" is a 1950s horror comic book brought to life as a musical comedy. It's billed as a "campy, rollicking, romp through America's Atomic Age and the Golden Age of horror comic books."

-- "Wait Until Dark" (July 21-23, 28-30). Directed by Jeff Coussens, this 1966 thriller concerns a blind Greenwich Village housewife who becomes the target of three con men searching for heroin hidden in a doll. The suspenseful drama "builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping final scene," according to a press release from Augustana.

-- "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (Aug. 4-6, 11-13). Directed by Cory Johnson, Neil Simon's 1983 semi-autobiographical portrait of an American family is seen through the eyes of 15-year-old, Eugene Morris Jerome. The first of a trilogy, the comedy is set in post-Depression Brooklyn, N.Y.

The mission of Augie's new summer company is to offer excellence in theater by producing both commercial proven works and original musical and dramatic material. Mr. Coussens, the college's theater department chairman, said it's important to the campus and greater Quad-Cities community for several reasons.

"While lots of great opportunities are available in the region, we wanted to create a fresh community summer theater experience that can bring together community artists, students, and professionals in a collaborative effort," he said recently by email.

"For students who will be involved as interns, this is a terrific opportunity to learn all of the crafts that are a part of producing theater in a summer stock calendar, alongside more seasoned theater artists," Mr. Coussens said.

"Our audiences will also really enjoy seeing great theater in the new Brunner Theatre Center," which debuted this fall, he said. The summer experience is inspired by the Pitchfork Players model established by Augustana faculty -- including Denny Hitchcock, owner/producer of Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, Rock Island -- in the 1970s.

"As an Augustana student, I was in the company for two summer seasons in the late '70s, and the experience really helped me in my preparation for graduate school and in my subsequent career as a college teacher," Mr. Coussens said. "It is our hope that we can pass this rewarding experience on to our students as well."

The Pitchfork Players, which lasted through 1979, performed three shows per summer, at Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline and the Viola Opera House. Mr. Hitchcock has fond memories of directing Mr. McKinley when he was an Augie student.

"Phil jumped in on one or two days' notice to play Li'l Abner," Mr. Hitchcock recalled. "He was wonderful as always."

Of Mississippi Bend Players, which he's serving as executive artistic director, Mr. McKinley said: "We're hoping to do this so it will become a mainstage summer event for the Quad-Cities. We're excited about it being an inaugural season. The goal is to re-establish the Pitchfork Players, where I got my beginning.

"I remember having really good audiences," he said. "We're hoping to involve the entire community."

On Broadway, Mr. McKinley has directed "The Boy From Oz," which earned him a 2004 Tony Award, and "Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark," the $75 million musical that was the most expensive in Broadway history. He also has directed more productions of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus than anyone else since it began in 1919.

Another Augie alum is heading a new children's theater camp coming to Brunner Theatre next June. Jackie McCall, education director for Old Creamery Theatre in Amana, Iowa, heads up its Camp Creamery, which will be on the Augustana campus June 19-25 for "A Mystery at Mimsley Manor," a weeklong workshop for children ages 7 through 14, capped with two public performances.

This is a new musical filled with suspicion and intrigue, according to the college. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 60 actors, and everyone who signs up will be cast in the show. Three professional actors from Old Creamery will perform with the students.
COAL VALLEY -- On a bitterly cold morning this past week, a Niabi Zoo snow leopard spotted a visitor and came bounding out of its indoor enclosure to interact -- to crouch, stalk, jump and paw at a glass barrier, seemingly fascinated by the sound of a camera shutter.

Prey or play? The barrier left that question unanswered.

Visitors are thin during the winter when the zoo is closed. Animals are still fed and cared for, of course, and some -- such as lorikeets and giraffes -- are moved indoors to stay warm.

The tawny, shaggy snow leopards have both indoor and outdoor enclosures. It takes worse than 5-degree temperatures to rattle them.

"They're from the Himalayan regions of Pakistan, Nepal, northern India," said zoo director Lee Jackson. "They see worse, where they're from."

Nearby, other hardy species were outdoors -- barbary sheep, elk and a camel.

As Mr. Jackson guided the tour, he pointed out not only what's there but what he hopes to see in the future. That includes another large cat exhibit, as well as African penguins, a favorite of zoo visitors wherever they're housed. With a strong captive population, there is no need to take them from the wild, Mr. Jackson said.

"Penguins are extremely popular, and the African penguins are critically endangered," he said. "They are a species that could be extinct in the wild in our lifetime. It's something we should focus on."

Focus on, as in learn more and educate about, and possibly preserve for re-introduction into the wild where decreasing habitat -- the biggest driver of animal loss -- can be reversed.

"Also, having these animals here builds awareness," Mr. Jackson said. "You don't think about an African penguin unless you are exposed to them."

Troubled treasure

For generations of Quad-Citians, Niabi Zoo off U.S. 6 in Coal Valley has been a treasured place, providing encounters for kids of all ages with elephants, lions and other animals not otherwise seen in these parts. The zoo also hosts special events and provides educational activities and outreach, including lesson plans for schools.

Over the years, Niabi has been dogged by occasional perceptions of mismanagement and poor maintenance. In 2012, it lost its accreditation from the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums after several exhibits were found to be substandard, including the space that formerly housed the zoo's two elephants. Those elephants now live at a zoo in Little Rock, Ark.

Last year the Rock Island County Forest Preserve Commission -- the zoo's governing body that has the same membership as the county board -- decided to seek a new direction for zoo management. An oversight committee now is working on a public-private partnership model that, according to a commissioned study, would greatly enhance the ability of the Niabi Zoological Society to raise donations to help take Niabi to the next level.

Part of that new direction was hiring Mr. Jackson last spring. His salary is higher than his predecessor's was -- more than $100,000.

He has a long background with other institutions. Before Niabi, Mr. Jackson was a curator at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., overseeing many exhibits and managing staff. He also spent more than 11 years as the director of living collections at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. His career also includes positions at the St. Louis Zoo, the Indianapolis Zoo, Chicago's Shedd Aquarium and the Brookfield Zoo near Chicago.

"I would not have signed on if I didn't think that the zoo didn't have such tremendous potential," he said. "And it's already a nice zoo. It can be a great little zoo."

County officials have expressed confidence in Mr. Jackson's leadership.

"He has the skill set to make Niabi a premier science education center," said Kai Swanson, president of the Forest Preserve Commission. "That's a game changer.

"In order for the zoo to thrive, three critical components need to be in alignment and functioning at a high level," Mr. Swanson said. "The most important of these is management, and Lee has brought considerable experience and professional competency to the directorship.

"In short, he knows what he's doing and he knows where we need to go," Mr. Swanson said. "He also sets a high bar for the other two legs of the stool -- governance and philanthropic support -- to measure up."

The St. Louis native is one of those people who's doing what he wanted to do as a kid.

"Ever since I was about 7 years old, I wanted to be a zookeeper," Mr. Jackson said. "I love animals and am fascinated by them. Like a lot of little boys, I was fascinated by dinosaurs. Somebody told me I couldn't have a dinosaur."

His Niabi expansion plans for the coming season include a new oceans exhibit featuring deep-sea and near-shore habitats, such as coral reefs and a Pacific giant octopus.

"It's going to give the guests a very broad swath of the diversity of the world's oceans, and we'll talk about the threats the oceans face and some of the things people can do to make a difference," Mr. Jackson said.

Improvements underway

In October, he outlined other improvements underway at the zoo, such as upgrading and modernizing existing exhibits and enclosures.

"The zoo has a lot of potential," Mr. Jackson said. "We have a lot to do, and it's more than just putting in new exhibits. We have infrastructure that we have to take care of."

An immediate concern is improving the zoo's water quality, currently unreliable and sometimes not potable, Mr. Jackson said. The zoo is seeking bids to replace the tanks that hold well water for treatment. Although the zoo's water system passed a state Department of Health inspection as recently as last March, the long-delayed upgrade -- which will cost about $150,000 -- is an immediate priority, he said.

While in Dubuque, he helped the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium become accredited by the AZA. He has a plan to win back that accreditation for Niabi.

The zoo's finances also are rebounding, Mr. Jackson told the Forest Preserve Commission in October.

An audit for the fiscal year that ended June 30 posted on the Forest Preserve District's website states the zoo took in $2.7 million in revenues -- including $1.28 million in fees and charges, $922,922 from property taxes and $280,000 from hotel/motel taxes.

That was enough for a decent surplus on the year.

Donations amounted to $72,140. About half went toward buying and developing a habitat for two 150-pound tortoises that will be introduced new season.

Increasing donations will help take the zoo to the next level. A study commissioned by the zoological society has determined those donations would increase greatly if the zoo wasn't under county management.

"I think a lot of that has to do with the history of the relationship with the people of the area and the county, and the fact that most people everywhere don't want to give money to the government," Mr. Jackson has said.

Though challenges lie ahead, Mr. Jackson is sold on the potential.

He also said he takes the zoo's conservation mission very seriously. Niabi has begun a partnership with the Metro Toronto Zoo to study small fish in Malaysian peat swamps, an endangered rain forest habitat.

He said he also hopes to get Western Illinois University researchers involved.
ROCK ISLAND -- For Brig. Gen. Richard B. Dix, Saturday's Wreaths Across America ceremony

at the Rock Island Arsenal was important for a number of reasons.

Speaking at Rock Island National Cemetery, Brig. Gen. Dix thanked the hearty souls who braved the cold and snow to participate and volunteer locally along with others at nearly 1,000 locations across the country and overseas in the remembrance ceremonies.

"Every wreath we place is a visible symbol of our sacred promise to remember our veterans," he told the small crowd. He said he wanted to, "honor their memories and to pay them back in some small way for the sacrifices they have made for us.

"We place these wreaths in the spirit of rememberance and spirit of sympathy and condolence to those who grieve the loss of deceased veterans at a time of year when these losses may feel especially poignant," he said. "Thank you very much. It shows all of us how important this ceremony really is to America."

Certificates and pins also were given to those in attendance who served their country from 1955 to 1975. He highlighted the Vietnam War era veterans.

"When you returned to America from your service in southeast Asia, many of you were not honored in the way in which we should honor those who serve our country," he said.

About 32,000 people are buried at Rock Island National Cemetery, according to cemetery director Sue Jehlen. She said the Wreaths Across America program started in 1992 at Arlington National Cemetery to honor deceased veterans.

Each has a story, she said. Her father, a World War II veteran, is buried along with her mother, in Bath National Cemetery in New York.

Harold Hansen, of Davenport, was one of the volunteers at the Rock Island National Cemetery on Saturday. He served in the Army from 1963 to 1967, including nine months in Phu Bai, Vietnam.

"We were in the middle of nowhere," he said. "It was quite an education for a 20-year-old.

"There's always times that something comes back and triggers some memory," he said. "You never know when it's going to happen."

Mr. Hansen said he arrived in Vietnam the day before the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which escalated America's involvement in the war.

"This is the least we can do," he said of Saturday's ceremony. "You know, it's something you have to do. There's no, 'Gee, I wonder if I should or not.' You just go do it."

Carol Najdowski, of Chicago -- along with Milissa Najdowski and Eric Overby, of Addison -- traveled to the Quad-Cities to lay wreaths. The women's father, Robert Najdowski, a World War II Army veteran of the European Theatre, is buried at the cemetery. So is their grandfather and World War I veteran George Salwasser.

They told how their family lived near O'Hare International Airport but traveled to Rock Island each year to remember those who served.

"When we were little, we'd come here every summer and bring grandma," Carol Najdowski said. "And then, when our father passed away, now we come every year to bring Mom down to see Dad.

"Coming here was important to our dad," they said. "He used to walk the rows of graves and pay his respects. He was very proud of all the veterans."

The sisters said they never learned much about their father's own story. After his death in 1993, his daughters went through his items, and they learned more about his service.

"He was awarded the Purple Heart," Carol Najdowski said. "I didn't know about it until he was gone. I was going through a box and found it. He never told us."

The Najdowski sisters also put a wreath at the headstone of a Vietnam veteran buried here.

"We don't know him," Carol Najdowski said.

"When my sister was little, she would always take a flower from our grandfather's grave and place it on his grave,"she said. "So, we actually make sure we buy a wreath for him as well so he's remembered."

On Saturday, wreaths representing each branch of the military and POW/MIA were placed at the main flag pole in the cemetery.

Tom Nielsen, group commander of the Civil Air Patrol Illinois Wing, was the site coordinator for Saturday's event. His cadets helped place 247 wreaths at headstones throughout the cemetery.

The former East Moline police officer served in the Marine Corps and the Air Force Reserve.

"I have friends here. It's very personal," he said. "When you see a veteran on active duty, a member of our armed forces, say thank you."

Col. Kenneth Tauke, commander of the U.S. Army Garrison, participated in the wreath laying ceremony. The 34-year Army member has served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Qatar.

"This is another opportunity for remembrance," he said. "Most of these (volunteers) here are not active duty folks but associated with the military. They continue to do great work for us and everyone else."
Perhaps you saw the small item in our paper recently announcing that the Rock Island Arsenal Museum Gift Shop was closing. The gift shop was privately operated and separate from the museum, yet its closing seems to strike an ominous tone.

Over recent years, funding for the museum and its staffing levels, have been dwindling. The fact that it is located in the middle of the military base with visitors having to pass through security has been seen by some as a deterrent to attracting more visitors.

The museum is a Quad-Cities treasure that needs to have a spotlight on it.

The Ordnance Museum at Rock Island Arsenal opened July 4, 1905. It is the second oldest U.S. Army Museum. The West Point Museum was opened in 1857 at the U.S. Military Academy.

In 1919, the Ordnance Museum designation was given to a new museum at Aberdeen Proving Ground. The Rock Island museum was stored during World War II. When it reopened in May 1948, it was housed in Building 60, its present-day location.

The museum was renamed the John M. Browning Memorial Museum on Nov. 4, 1959, in recognition of Mr. Brownings contributions to ordnance technology and the armed forces. In 1962, all U.S. Army Museums were placed under the U.S. Army Center of Military History. On July 1, 1986, the museum was renamed the Rock Island Arsenal Museum.

Last February, it was announced that 3,200 artifacts in the Arsenal museum's 13,000-piece collection would be moved to Anniston Army Depot in Alabama, where the center has a storage facility. In April, Charles Bowery, head of the U.S. Army Center of Military History, said he would be recommending that the Rock Island Arsenal Museum be kept open, while others might close.

Fortunately, the Arsenal Museum also has a private support organization that could provide a vehicle to better spotlight this local treasure. Established in 1972, the Rock Island Arsenal Historical Societys goal is to support the programs of the museum and the museums mission to illustrate Arsenal Island history; its local and national contributions and impacts; and its activities in war and peace, according to its web site.

Back in February 2013, Joe Taylor, president of the Quad-Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, raised the issue of finding a home for the museum off the island. He used the Airborne and Special Operations Museum near Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., home of the 82nd Airborne, as an example.

There the Department of Defense and Fayetteville worked together to raise money to build a museum close to, but outside, the base. It draws 200,000 visitors a year while the Arsenal Museum hosts about 25,000.

The private Rock Island Arsenal Historical Society would seem to be a perfect vehicle for enhancing exposure for the museum. But at that time, president Jim Jochum said the group had not been presented with any statistics that would make it want to move off the island. He noted that museum visitors can walk out of the building and see the National Cemetery they learned about inside, or visit the site of the former Civil War prisoner of war camp. If the museum was off-site, visitors would have to leave the museum and drive to the Arsenal if they want to see such things, Mr. Jochum said.

Like most museums, only 3-5 percent of the Arsenal's artifacts can be displayed at one time. "The question becomes how can we enlarge the museum, make it better so it tells our story. The Arsenal is a national treasure," Mr. Taylor said back in 2013. "I not only see it as a tourist treasure but a way to engage a national audience in our role in national defense."

Having a conversation involving DOD/Army, the base, the museum, Center of Military History, local senators and congressmen, CVB, the Arsenal historical society and the community, would be prudent. It was encouraging that during a post-election editorial board senator-elect Tammy Duckworth expressed interest in the museum's future. Perhaps she and other members of Congress can be enlisted in the cause.

Even if no location change is made, perhaps a road map for increasing exposure, attendance and funding could be drawn.

If elements continue to close and hours are further reduced, eventually the only alternative will be locking the doors. Wouldnt that be a shame? Lets make a discussion about the Rock Island Arsenal Museum a priority for 2017.
By PTI: From Pradipta Tapadar

Kolkata, Dec 18 (PTI) Assuring Bangladeshs support to India on the issue of tackling terror, its Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal says Pakistan needs to be isolated for "harbouring terrorists and supporting terror acts".

He was also of the opinion that the delay in the Teesta water sharing treaty with India is giving scope to Opposition parties and fundamentalist organisations like Jamat in flaring up anti-India passions in Bangladesh.

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"Pakistan has always harboured and supported terrorists. We feel those who support terrorism should be discouraged and isolated. We should do everything to discourage and condemn such attacks. Such kind of terror attacks should not be carried out against any country," Kamal told PTI in an interview.

While sharing the agony and pain of India being one of the most affected countries of cross-border terrorism, he says Bangladesh stands by India in its fight against terrorism.

On terror attacks both in India and Bangladesh having roots in Pakistan, he says, "Both India and Bangladesh have the same stand on the issue of terrorism. We have noticed in recent past, how Pakistans involvement in various terror attacks has come out in open. This has to stop."

Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 jawans were killed, India had announced its decision of pulling out of the SARRC Summit citing increased "cross-border" attacks.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also pulled out of the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in November, indirectly blaming Pakistan for creating an environment which was not right for successful holding of the meet, resulting in its collapse.

On the deadlock over Teesta water sharing treaty,Kamal says he is hopeful that the pact will be a reality in future but maintained relations between both countries dont depend on this single treaty.

"Any treaty is done on the basis of mutual interests of both the countries. A treaty cannot be signed by neglecting the interests of a country which is party to it. We feel that Teesta treaty will happen in future. The way the bilateral relations are moving forward, we are hopeful that Teesta treaty will happen sooner or later," he says.

Although Kamal notes that the future of the Indo-Bangla relations doesnt depend on Teesta treaty, he says Opposition and fundamentalist forces are using it to flare up anti-India sentiments in Bangladesh.

"The bilateral relationship wont depend on this treaty. It is true that Bangladesh is facing some problems. Water is essential for both the countries," he says. PTI PNT ZMN DIP

--- ENDS ---
Notwithstanding this era of fake news, there remain stories you just cannot make upinstances where truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction.

For railroaders, the better examples most always involve federally owned Amtrak, perennially counted upon to perform a seamless theater of the absurd that began with its inaugural run 45 years ago, on May Daya date long celebrated by international communists; and, no doubt, inspiring Republican Congressman John Micas frequent depiction of Amtrak as a Soviet style railroad.

In debating Amtraks creation, its supporters called it Railpax, a term soberer heads feared would be corrupted to Railpox. A second naming attempt, Amtrax, was equally troublesome, as Washington wags started pronouncing it Anthrax.

Shortly following choosing the less problematic name Amtrak, a new logo was unveileda blunted arrow in red, white and blue that immediately created another public relations crisis. To its detractors, Amtrak became The route of the pointless arrow.

Above the ruckus of banjo players and self-congratulating politicians on hand for Amtraks initial run north from Washingtons Union Station, May 1, 1971, Transportation Secretary John Volpe shouted, This is an act of profound public responsibility.

But by the time the 127 mostly male and soused honored guests exited the train at Manhattans Penn Station, fewer than half chose Amtrak for the return trip. Blame the sudden loss of interest not on a less-than-well-stocked bar car, but fake news trending in official Washington at the timethat scantily clad Playboy bunnies were to be aboard the inaugural run.

In future years, successive Amtrak Presidents Tom Downs and George Warrington created and perpetuated a fiction of Amtraks glide path to self-sufficiency, with Warrington resigning in 2002 after Amtraks inspector general confessed that Amtrak had just lost the most money in its history and its debt had more than tripled.

Another president, David Gunn, responded to a perennial toilet problem aboard Amtrak trains by declaring at a news conference, Youd think that after 170 years of railroading, you could have a crapper door that works. Gunn earlier had questioned a swollen headquarters staff, including a multitude of vice presidents he inherited post-Warrington: What are we, a bank?

Then there was Amtraks Acela Express, heralded as Amtraks deus ex machina (god from the machine), notwithstanding that the decaying Northeast Corridor infrastructure limits the Acelas average speed, Washington-to-Boston, to roughly 65 mph and seven hours.

The Italian News Agency called us some 16 years ago upon receiving Amtraks giddy first press release announcing Acela Express, confounded that Acela closely resembles the Italian word ascella, translated to English as armpit. They wondered if the new Amtrak train being promoted to Italian travel agencies was really to be named Armpit. We responded, Its complicated, like the Italian Parliament. They understood.

So, when the call came last week, we werent surprised that, following our hello, our fellow journalist barked with some glee, I see Amtrak is still as complicated as the Italian parliament! In his accented but flawless English, he went on that the name of Amtraks chosen successor trainsets to Acela Express, Avelia Liberty, has as part of its name a word, Avelia, strikingly similar to the Italian word avello, translated to English as tomb. Is Amtrak, he asked, seriously trying to sell Italian tourists on riding a train named The Tomb?

Following an animated discussion on the merits of a Starbucks double-shot espresso, he related that his ex-spouse, who translates from the Latin for the Holy See in Rome, had emailed him that Avelia sounds much like the Latin word avellere, which translates to separate by force, take away, wrest, tear off, pluck or wrench awayhardly a comforting thought at even an average speed of 65 mph. Arrivederci, he chuckled in signing off. Even our Prime Minister Renzis resignation, or not, is less complicated than your Amtrak. Capisci?

Note to Amtraks newest president, Wick Moorman:

Yes, dollars are scarce, and Amtraks overhead likely is bloated, but maybejust maybethere could be room at Amtrak for a Vice President of Linguistics? Forget, for a moment, about the unfortunately named Acela and Avelia. Consider that when the Trump-reinforced Scrooge-on-steroids Republican congressional majority summons you to discuss your budget requestespecially the semantics within seemingly creative footnotes in Amtraks financial statementsit may be too late to place the help-wanted advertisement.

Editors Note: Why not simply revert to the tried-and-true, timeless Metroliner name? If it looks and feels and acts and sounds like a train, shouldnt it at least be named like a train?William C. Vantuono
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By PTI: From Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Dec 18 (PTI) For the second year in a row, Pakistan has retained its "notorious status" of being the "third most prolific executioner" in the world, executing 419 people in two years, a rights group said today.

Sarah Belal, Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), said in a statement that it has been two years since the tragic terrorist attack on the students of the army- run school in Peshawar in 2014 that killed 154 people, mostly students, prompting Pakistan to lift the six-year moratorium on death sentences.

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She said that so far Pakistan has executed 419 death row prisoners convicted for terrorism and other crimes since re-starting executions.

"Pakistan has retained its notorious status of being the third most prolific executioner in the world, two years in a row," she said.

According to Amnesty International, at least 1,634 people were executed in 25 countries in 2015.

Out of these, most of the executions took place in China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the USA ? in that order, it said.

Belal said that "no amount of commiseration or time can ever mitigate the horror" of the Peshawar attack but executions may not be the right way to deal with it.

"An analysis of the 419 executions that have occurred so far reveals significant flaws in that narrative," she said.

"According to data collected by Justice Project Pakistan, only 16 per cent of the executions carried out since December 2014 were related to terrorism charges," she said, adding that the remainder included several cases of wrongful execution such as juveniles, the mentally ill and the physically disabled, all of which are expressly forbidden in light of Pakistans international legal obligations.

Belal said this figure is even more problematic when considering that in as many as 88 per cent of "terrorism" cases, there was no link to a terrorist organisation or anything that can reasonably be defined as terrorism.

"It is a dishonour to the memory of the attack victims for the state to take lives in their name, when they have no bearing on curbing the menace that caused their deaths," she said.

She said that under Pakistani law, 27 crimes carry the death sentence and an average of 258 death sentences have been imposed yearly from 2007 to 2015, explaining why the country has the highest number of death row convicts in the world.

Given these statistics, it is clear that Pakistan does not reserve the death penalty for the most serious crimes as required by the international law, she said.

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Belal urged authorities to revamp and reform Pakistans criminal justice system to make it more transparent. PTI SH SUA AKJ SUA

--- ENDS ---
The government has sent a strong signal that only merit and suitability will count in occupying posts in the higher echelons of the military, notes Nitin Gokhale, founder, BharatShakti.in

Thirty-three years ago Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to bypass the seniority principle and appointed an armoured corps officer, Lieutenant General A S Vaidya as the Chief of Army staff superseding his senior Lieutenant General S K Sinha, a Gorkha regiment officer, leading to General Sinha's quiet and dignified exit.

Ironically, the tables have turned this time. Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, appointed as the next army chief by the government on Saturday, is a Gorkha regiment officer who has superseded two of his seniors -- Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi and Lieutenant General P M Hariz.

General Bakshi, the Eastern Army Commander, belongs to the Armoured Corps while General Hariz, the Pune-based Southern Army Commander, is a Mechanised Infantry officer.

According to old timers, Indira Gandhi had asked the then outgoing chief General K V Krishna Rao who she thought deserved the top spot.

Apparently, General Krishna Rao, ever the correct military professional, is said to have told Indira Gandhi: 'General Vaidya is a great operational man on the field (he won two Mahavir Chakras in the 1965 and 1971 wars) while General Sinha is an outstanding staff officer. However, the choice for the top post is entirely yours.'

For Indira Gandhi, a COAS, in her judgement, should be an excellent field commander to head the Indian Army.

In General Rawat's case too his greater field experience may have titled the scales in his favour.

The government came to a conclusion it could work with General Rawat, with his wide ranging experience better than the other two generals in the running.

General Rawat commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Sector as a brigadier and the Baramulla-based 19 Division as a major general during intense counter-insurgency days in Jammu and Kashmir besides a tenure in the United Nations.

He was also the commanding officer of the 5/11 Gorkha Rifles in Op Falcon against the Chinese in Tawang in 1986-1987. As a lieutenant general he commanded the Dimapur-based 3 Corps before taking over as the Southern Army Commander and then for the last six months was the vice chief of army staff in Delhi.

General Bakshi, an upright and professionally competent officer on the other hand, commanded his brigade and division in the Rajasthan desert and spent very little time in the north-east or J&K until he became a three-star officer simply because Armoured Corps officers do not get too many opportunities to go beyond their general area of deployment.

There is no doubt that General Bakshi would have made an equally effective COAS had he been elevated, but the government thought it could utilise General Rawat's greater experience in J&K since the challenge of proxy war from Pakistan is unlikely to go away in the near future.

General Rawat will take over on December 31 succeeding General Dalbir Singh Suhag.

General Rawat's elevation has expectedly created a stir with Opposition parties and some veterans questioning the government's decision.

The government is well within its right to choose from a panel of names that the defence ministry sends to the prime minister's office and to the Cabinet Appointments Committee.

In this case, the government in its wisdom chose to select General Rawat to the top post. His appointment should in no way be seen as a poor reflection on the abilities of the other two contenders.

In any case, there have been earlier precedents (apart from the Generals Vaidya-Sinha episode) both in the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force of senior officers being overlooked.

In 2014, the United Progressive Alliance government appointed Admiral Robin Dhowan as the navy chief bypassing his senior Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha.

In the 1980s, the IAF witnessed at least two instances of supersession.

General Rawat's appointment also breaks the element of predictability that has set in the higher leadership of the Indian military of late where officers in the rank of one-star (brigadier and equivalent) above exactly know who is likely to become a two- and a three-star officer and who will be the chief six years down the line based on a combination of date of birth and seniority.

As a result, those in the higher merit have started becoming 'safe' players, unwilling to take any decision that would affect their prospects and becoming timid in their day to day functioning.

Another category of officers start looking for 'godfathers' to further their own chances affecting the quality of leadership and decision making.

By jettisoning the seniority principle, the government has sent a strong signal that only merit and suitability will count in occupying posts in the higher echelons of the military.

This should rattle many 'safety-first' players from their stupor and perhaps lead to a much wanted shake up.

Further, 'merit' in this rank is not to be based on confidential reports, course grading or awards.

Merit, at the highest level basically means 'relative ease of doing business' with the political leadership in the prevailing security environment.

It is the sum of personality factors viz, risk taking profile, decisiveness, tolerance of complexity, tolerance of ambiguity, and synergy of thought with other stakeholders in national strategic security issues.

Incidentally, the seniority principle is not followed for the top job in most professional armies, whether in the United States, France, Germany, China and or even in Pakistan. There is no reason why India cannot experiment with this model.
The infant saved his elder sister's life, who was suffering from a rare disease in which bone marrow produces some abnormal cells which eat up the normal ones.

By Nolan Pinto: An 8-month-old boy Rayan, native of Pakistan, has become the youngest bone marrow donor in India after donating bone marrow cells to his elder sister Zeenia. He saved the girl's life, who was suffering from Hemaphagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare disease in which bone marrow produces some abnormal cells which eat up the normal cells.

The disorder was resulting in high fever, low blood count and enlargement of spleen as well as liver. The only option to save 2-year-old Zeenia's life was to go for bone marrow transplant. Doctors in Pakistan were a bit wary whether to consider Rayan as the donor even though he was a complete match.

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While searching for a cure to treat her and after a lot of research, Zeenia's parents learnt about Narayana Health City, Bengaluru. The family came down to Bengaluru all the way from Sahiwal in Pakistan in August and contacted Dr Sunil Bhat, senior consultant and head of pediatric hematology, oncology and bone marrow transplant. Doctors at Narayana found Rayan fit and perfect to be the donor.

Also read: Blood cancer girl gets 50 pc matched bone marrow transplant

According to Dr Bhat, Rayan was full of life and very active but he was too young and doctors had to take precautions while extracting bone marrow. "We could not take the entire lot at once as we wanted the process to be safe for the donor as well. So we took the bone marrow cells twice, at an interval of 6 weeks," Dr Bhat said.

YOUNGEST BONE MARROW DONOR IN INDIA

Narayana health centre has completed more than 650 cell transplants till date but this was a different one. In this case, the donor was just seven-and-half month old. Dr Bhat told India Today that he has conducted over 1000 bone marrow transplants across the world but in his experience, Rayan is the youngest donor and possibly, the youngest in India as well. There are cases of transplants conducted on babies but they are patients while in this case, Rayan was a donor.

While conducting the procedure, doctors had to keep in mind certain complications that could have occurred. They wanted to make sure the patient was in good shape since she was suffering from fever for a couple of months and also had some infections. Secondly, it was a challenge for them since the donor was so young. "We did some changes in the transplantation process itself and modified the supportive care to suit her," Dr Bhat added.

PARENTS RELIEVED AND ELATED

Zeenia's father Zia Ulla is all smiles as after months of tension, he can now head back home to Pakistan with peace of mind. When they first came to the city, they did not know if the transplant would be successful and whether their daughter would survive. "After five months of treatment, we are now relived. She is in good condition. The team of doctors at Narayana Health have been very kind and professional all throughout," an emotional Zia said.

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Zeenia will have to undergo check up in Pakistan for some time now. Normally in case of bone marrow transplants, the first two months are highly crucial. But now with the two months post surgery having gone right, it appears that they have nothing to fear.

"The team of doctors in Pakistan is amazing. They do fantastic work since they are also involved in dealing many such cases as well. It is a wonderful unit where they are going back to. There is a treatment plan that has been shared with Zeenia's parents, which they need to follow up with the doctors in Pakistan for the next few months," Dr Bhat informed.

--- ENDS ---
The DGP asked all the officers involved in the security of the National Highway to put in additional efforts for greater coordination and cooperation.

Pampore: Army soldiers examining the scene following a militant attack on Army convoy at Kadalbal Pampore on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. (PTI Photo)

By Shuja-ul-Haq : In the wake of terror attack on army convoy yesterday, security of the forces during their movement on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was today reviewed at a high level meeting chaired by state police chief K Rajendra Kumar who pressed for devising foolproof mechanism.

As per a statement sent by the police headquarters, the DGP while addressing the meeting directed the officers to devise foolproof plan for safe and secure movement of the people and the security forces on the national highway.

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READ| Kashmir: 3 jawans martyred in Pampore after militants attack Army convoy along Srinagar-Jammu highway

"The DGP asked all the officers involved in the security of the National Highway to put in additional efforts for greater coordination and cooperation. He emphasised upon the Army authorities to strengthen the corridor protection. He also emphasised upon the CRPF to fine tune the ROPs along the National Highway," read the statement.

While highlighting the need of tackling the militancy effectively, the DGP said surgical operations with minimum collateral damages should be conducted.

In their respective briefs, the officers gave details of the security arrangements made by their organisations for the national highway.

READ| Number of casualties spike in 2016, is situation in Kashmir worsening?

Earlier, IGP Kashmir Zone, SJM Gillani briefed about the security situation of south Kashmir and also highlighted recent operations conducted against the militants. He also briefed the meeting about the law and order situation and measures taken by the police to investigate and solve the recent bank robberies.

Also read:

Army pays tribute to martyrs of Pampore highway attack

Exclusive: Meet the new face of Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir

--- ENDS ---
Dan Conway, Don Lipps discuss challenges at MSD of Martinsville

For the Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, there are two open seats for the school board in Tuesday's election.
Martyr Sourabh Nandkumar Farate, who lost his life in Pampore attack on Saturday, had called his twin daughters on Saturday morning before the attacks. He had said that following few days would be tough but he was used to such life where one always had the risk of losing one's life for protecting the nation.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Sourabh Nandkumar Farate is one of the three soldiers who was martyred on Saturday after militants attacked an Army convoy that was moving from Jammu towards Srinagar.

The 32-year-old was serving the Indian Army for the last 11 years. He left behind his parents, wife, twin daughters and younger brother who is also in the Indian Army.

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Huge hoardings have been put up in the Bhekrai Nagar in Phursungi area on the outskirts of Pune, where Farate lived.

Friends, relatives and others have started gathering around his house after hearing the sad news about his demise.

Although grieved by the loss of their loved one, the family members said that they were very proud of Sourabh who served in the Indian Army and laid down his life for the nation.

ALSO READ | Army pays tribute to martyrs of Pampore highway attack

HE WAS TO COME TO PUNE FOR HIS TWIN DAUGHTER'S 1st BIRTHDAY

Farate's father-in-law, who has also served in the Indian Army, said "Buzdil pichhe se waar karte hai, agar himmat hai toh mere damaand par saamne se ladkar dikhana, to pata chalta kitani goliya attankwadiyo ke aarpaar ki hoti" Cowards attack from behind the back. If they have any courage, have a fight with my son-in-law and then he would have showed).

Farate's father, Nandkumar Farate, told India Today that Sourabh was to come to Pune on two-months leave to celebrate his twin daughters first birthday.

"On Saturday morning, he had made a video call from Jammu to see both of his sweet heart daughters, as he was missing them. Sourabh also had discussion with his wife and other family members."

He said Sourabh had told his family that the following few days would be tough but he was used to such life where one always had the risk of losing one's life for protecting the nation.

ALSO READ | 3 jawans martyred in Pampore after militants attack Army convoy along Srinagar-Jammu highway

SOURABH WAS TO BUY A HOME

Sourabh's and his brother Rohit Farate's childhood friend Sachin Harpale said both the brothers right from their teens always showed their eagerness to join the Indian Army.

Sourabh, aged 32 and Rohit, aged 31 had joined the Army in a gap of four years. Although Rohit got recruited while he was just in 11th standard, Sourabh had cleared the written exam in his third attempt.

Harpale said both the brothers had planned to buy a house.

"Sourabh had already completed all of the bank formalities, Rohit was going to complete when he was going to come on vacation. But destiny had a different story, " he said.

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Sourabh's father has made an appeal to the government to take concrete steps to bring militancy under control.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar paid a visit to Saurabh's house and consoled his parents and relatives.

The mortal remains of the martyr would be flown to Pune late in the night and the last rites will take place on Monday morning with full state honours.

--- ENDS ---
Protesters clashed again with security forces on October 28 in Zahedan, a city in southeastern Iran that has seen weeks of unrest since a wave of demonstrations broke out following the death of a 22-year-old woman detained by the country's morality police.

Dozens of people were killed in clashes in Zahedan four weeks ago during anti-government protests, and the Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights said people in Zahedan once again gathered after Friday Prayers on October 28 and chanted against the government.

Activists posted videos on social media showing protesters in the city calling for the death of "dictator" Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Basij militia, which has played a major role in a crackdown on the demonstrations.

Iran Human Rights said security forces opened fire and that deaths were reported, including a 12-year-old boy.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) said earlier on Twitter that security forces had fired on protesters.

The state-run IRNA news agency said "unknown people opened fire," killing one person and wounding 14 others, including security forces.

It was not possible to verify the claims or the authenticity of the videos.

Amnesty International said the crackdown on the protests by security forces in the city on September 30 killed at least 66 people.

At the same time as the protest rally in Zahedan, reports and videos indicate that other protest rallies were held in some other cities of Sistan-Baluchistan Province at noon on October 28 and after Friday Prayers.

Reports also indicate that a large gathering was held on October 27 in Makki Mosque in Zahedan in support of influential Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid Ismaeelzah.



Last week during his Friday Prayers sermon, the cleric, who is known across the country as Molavi Abdolhamid, said senior officials, including Khamenei, were "responsible" for the killings on September 30.



Molavi Abdolhamid published excerpts of his speech on Instagram on October 27 in which he again asks the authorities to condemn the September 30 massacre and punish the perpetrators.

Videos posted on social media on October 27 showed people in the Chitgar neighborhood chanting, "No to hijab. No to oppression. Freedom and equality," and also, "Death to the dictator," a reference to Khamenei.

Protesters have continued to take to the streets of Tehran despite the threat of a further crackdown on the unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979.

Rights groups say at least 215 people have been killed during protests since Mahsa Amini, 22, died on September 16 while in police custody for allegedly wearing a hijab, or head scarf, improperly.

The UN human rights office on October 28 voiced concern at Iran's treatment of detained protesters and said authorities refused to release some of the bodies of those killed.

"We've seen a lot of ill treatment...but also harassment of the families of protesters," Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told a press briefing in Geneva.

"Of particular concern is information that authorities have been moving injured protesters from hospitals to detention facilities and refusing to release the bodies of those killed to their families," she said.

The body of the late RFE/RL journalist Reza Haghighatnejad was reportedly seized by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) upon being repatriated, drawing a sharp response from the U.S. State Department, which said it was disgusted by the treatment of Haghighatnejads body.

Haghighatnejad died on October 17 of cancer in Berlin.

In the city of Arak, RFE/RLs Radio Farda reported that a 19-year-old man was killed by security forces on October 26.



Mehrshad Shahidinejad was assaulted by security forces in Arak and was killed due to multiple baton blows to his head, according to his relatives and friends on social media.

Shahidinejad was a talented chef and was popular in his home city of Arak.

With reporting by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, as well as AFP, Reuters, and dpa
Reports of fighting on the streets of Grozny during the night of December 17-18 are fragmentary and contradictory.

The Chechen authorities claim to have killed in a shoot-out in central Grozny late on December 17 six people who had appropriated a police vehicle and run down a police officer who sought to stop them. City residents, however, say several exchanges of fire took place in different locations.

Initially, Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov said four people who had stolen a police vehicle in Grozny's Oktyabr district had been killed in a shoot-out, and two others wounded and hospitalized. He said a young woman was with them. Police, however, later said six people were killed after barricading themselves into a house on Grozny's central Lorsanov Street.

Three of the dead have been identified as Islam Altemirov, Said-Ibragim Ismailov, and Magomed Ilyasov. Their relatives and close friends have been detained for questioning. Police have also launched a search for three more young men, Ibragim Mazhayev, 20, and Istamul Mamayev, 18, and Khamatkhan Mintayev, 18, who are said to have taken part in "an attack on police," RFE/RL's North Caucasus Service reported.

According to the Russian website Life.ru, Mazhayev and Mamayev had joined "an illegal armed formation" (when is not clear) and pledged allegiance to the extremist group Islamic State.

The news portal Caucasian Knot quoted Grozny residents as saying that there were at least two intensive exchanges of machine-gun fire during the hour before midnight local time between security personnel and armed attackers, including one on March 8 Street and another close to the Vaynakh Telecom building. The agency also quoted city residents as saying that police "were in a state of panic," which implies there were more than just six attackers.

Fighters from the now moribund Imarat Kavkaz (Caucasus Emirate) killed at least 14 police and security personnel and wounded a further 36 in multiple nighttime attacks on Grozny in early December 2014.

On the other hand, Grozny residents reportedly said armed men were going to the homes of police officers and threatening to kill them unless they surrendered their handguns. Such incidents were reported at two separate locations (the northern Staropromyslov district and Stary Posyolok).That suggests that the young men involved had only limited access to weaponry, which would not be the case if they were aligned with either the Caucasus Emirate or IS.

It is thus conceivable that they were angry, desperate, and unwilling to tolerate Kadyrov's vindictive and heavy-handed rule any longer, and were either seeking to augment their arsenal in preparation for a large-scale assault, or simply targeted police as the most vulnerable of Kadyrov's forces.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL
The leader of Russia's troubled Chechnya region says security forces have killed 11 suspected militants in two clashes near the capital, Grozny.



Gunbattles, like the ones announced by Ramzan Kadyrov, used to be commonplace in the war-ravaged Russian region, but have become rare under Kadyrov's rule.



Kadyrov said in a post on the social-media network Instagram on December 18 that during the overnight clash, gunmen fired at police who tried to stop their vehicle. Police killed four gunmen and captured two others, who were hospitalized.



Later on December 18, he said, security forces tracked down other gunmen on the outskirts of Grozny and killed seven of them. Another four suspected militants have been captured, three of whom have been hospitalized, Kadyrov said.



A police officer was also wounded in the clash.



Kadyrov denied media reports claiming that there were more clashes and an explosion in Grozny itself, saying that security forces only engaged the militants only outside the city. He posted a video showing his troops firing their weapons and bodies of the militants lying in snowy fields and wooded areas following the clash.



"None of these devils will get out alive if they enter Grozny with weapons," Kadyrov wrote.

But video footage purportedly of the shoot-out was posted late on December 17 on YouTube, showing police firing automatic weapons on a blockaded thoroughfare in Grozny. That appeared to refute Kadyrovs assertion that the clashes only took place outside the city.

Backed by generous financial support from the Kremlin and security forces known for rampant rights abuses, Kadyrov has largely succeeded in stabilizing Chechnya after two separatist wars fought in the 1990s and early 2000s.



He has also overseen a glamorous rebuilding of Grozny, a city of around 270,000 people, with high-rise skyscrapers now dotting the skyline, along with neatly manicured boulevards, and one of Europes largest mosques.

Any attack by militants that succeeded in penetrating the citys security would be an embarrassment to Kadyrov.



While rampant violence and outright warfare has all but disappeared from Chechnya in recent years, other nearby North Caucasus regions continue to suffer from militant threats and terrorism.



And Chechen fighters are among the largest, and most potent, militant group fighting alongside Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria and Iraq.

Many analysts fear that as IS loses its clout, battle-hardened, Russian-speaking fighters could return to the North Caucasus and stoke new conflict.

With reporting by Ekho Mosvky and TASS
The Biju Janata Dal MP Baijayant Jay Panda has decided to write a letter to the Lok Sabha Secretariat stating that he would return 85 per cent of his salary.

By Shalini Lobo: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda became a Twitter sensation overnight after he took to the social media site to announce that he would be return a portion of his salary proportionate to the time lost in the recently-concluded Winter Session of the Parliament.

This decision has drawn appreciation from many, who say Panda is taking an ethical stand and setting an example which others should follow. It also created a stir in the political and many leaders said that he is well-off and can afford to do so.

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"I have been doing this for over four years now; I don't know why people are suddenly harping on this. I can afford to do this; I am doing it to clear my conscience. However, I don't expect the same from anyone else. But yes, I appeal to others to help reform the Parliament rules," said Panda.

The Lok Sabha worked for only 19 hours and the Rajya Sabha worked for 22 hours both losing out on around 90 hours each.

Also read: Parliament's winter session headed for washout

Speaking exclusively to India Today, Jay Panda said, "The data issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat states that 85 per cent time has been lost and this time, the Parliament was a washout except for the Disabilities Bill".

The MP has decided to write a letter to the Lok Sabha Secretariat stating that he would return 85 per cent of his salary and the Parliament allowance for the Winter Session.

Panda has been trying to put forward a proposal for the reformation of the Parliament rules. "The Parliament functions on 19th century rules, which needs to be changed. Now it works on consensus but we have to move towards numbers like the UK and the US; only then can a debate take place," he said. This month we saw a complete washout of the Parliament due to the demonetisation debate. The ruling government wanted a non-voting discussion while the Opposition wanted a voting discussion.

"If the Parliament rules are not renewed, washouts will probably continue," the BJD MP said.

Also read: Govt should work in tandem with private schols, says Panda

--- ENDS ---
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev has offered to host fresh peace talks between the warring sides in the Syria conflict as part of a plan floated by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Nazarbaev's press service said in a December 17 statement that he informed Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in telephone conversations that he is prepared to host the talks in Astana, the capital of the former Soviet republic in Central Asia.

Putin said a day earlier during a visit to Japan that he and Erdogan were working on organizing new peace negotiations between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government and the opposition. Putin said the talks could take place in Astana.

Russia and Turkey had brokered a cease-fire deal allowing the evacuation of civilians and rebel fighters from remaining rebel-held territory in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Assad's forces have conducted an offensive that has been sharply criticized by the UN and Western governments.

Thousands were evacuated under the effort before it was halted on December 16 -- a day after it started -- amid conflicting allegations of cease-fire violations.

There were reports on December 17, however, that a deal had been struck to allow the evacuation to resume.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP
The Central Asian states marked 25 years of independence this year. Kazakhstan was the last of the five countries to celebrate its 25th anniversary as an independent country on December 16.

There have been some good articles already published looking at a quarter-century of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

The Majlis, RFE/RL's weekly podcast about Central Asia, wanted to do its part to mark the anniversary also, and to mark it in a unique way.

So, with RFE/RL Media Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderating, the Majlis brought in two of the legends of Central Asian studies: Gregory Gleason, currently at the Germany-based Marshall Center for Security Studies, and Nick Megoran, professor at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.

Gleason and Megoran, besides contributing a voluminous amount of material on Central Asia, have been watching the region since the first days of independence. They remember what was happening in the early years of independence, they were there, and they continue to follow events in the region.

On a personal note, I will add that Gleason and Megoran were among the first Western scholars writing about Central Asia in the era of independence. I knew their names in the early 1990s, and I benefited greatly from their articles.

So they were exactly the guests the Majlis needed to provide some insight about where Central Asia is today and how it got to this point.

I have a few decades of experience with Central Asia myself, so I was happy to take a place around the campfire, reminisce, and talk about some of the things that shaped the course of a region.

The topic -- Central Asia's 25 years of independence -- is a thick subject. This is a longer Majlis than usual and therefore we decided to break it up into two parts.

The guests explain how they came to be involved in Central Asian studies, and recall the situation in the early days. For example, Megoran lived in the Uzbek section of the Ferghana Valley in the mid-1990s. Commenting on the border situation, Megoran says, "When I first went there 20 years ago, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan were more theoretical than realities...."

That border is very different today, a sign of the disintegration of Central Asia that has characterized the region for most of the last quarter-century. The panel notes that Uzbekistan played a large role in preventing regional unity and looks at how that affected the evolution of Central Asia.

The first contacts with the West are also discussed. Megoran recalls that "NATO had formed some partnership agreements, so I would occasionally meet NATO soldiers in Ferghana."

These soldiers were visiting Central Asia as part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. Turkmenistan was the first country to join the program in May 1994 and Tajikistan the last in 2002.

And Gleason explains the West's understanding of Central Asia in those early years was "a kind of unjustified...unchallenged assumption that the countries were in what was called 'transition.'" This misperception would often lead to complications in relations.

The Central Asian states generally welcomed ties with the West in those early days. Relations with Washington and European countries provided a counterweight to the former colonial master, Moscow.

But as Gleason points out, not long after Central Asia's independence, Moscow would make clear that Central Asia would never stray too far from Russia's orbit. "In explicit form in 1993, [Russia's very first Foreign Minister] Andrei Kozyrev talked about the border of the Soviet Union being the limit of Russia's sphere of influence."

That, and much more are in the first part of the Majlis.

Part 2 of the Majlis looks at the systems of government that developed in Central Asia and explores some of the possible reasons for these evolutions.

The panel delves deeper into the relations between the West and Central Asia, particularly in the post-9/11 era and obviously with special attention to the United States' role, the souring of those ties in recent years, and what the West's expectations for ties with Central Asia look like in the future.

And the Majlis also looks at the arrival of China, and Russia's reinvigorated efforts to assert influence in the region through Russian-dominated organizations such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.

We couldn't get everything in, but much ground was covered, and the opinions being expressed represent about 100 years, combined, of experience with Central Asia. Here is the full audio recording of the discussion, in two parts:

Listen to or download the Majlis podcast above or subscribe to Majlis on iTunes.
Salom Yunusov lost two sons to entirely different battles. One died a government soldier while fighting a rebel group on Tajik soil in 2001. The other died a militant, thousands of kilometers away in Syria's ongoing civil war.

"My eldest son's death was a tragedy," says the 76-year-old father, breaking into tears. "The other son's death was a disgrace."

Once a popular community leader in his native village of Turdiev in southern Tajikistan, Yunusov hasn't left his house since he heard last year that the younger son, Saidbek, had gone to Syria. "I can't face the villagers," he says. "I'm too ashamed. He tarnished my name."

Yunusov's son Isomiddin joined Tajikistan's national army in 2001, when it was still engaged in conflicts with armed groups that refused to accept a peace treaty following the country's 1992-97 civil war.

He was killed in a military operation against a rebel group led by notorious warlord Rahmon Sanginov, who has been accused of killings, kidnappings, and armed robbery.

The young soldier's death left the family devastated, but the father notes that "at least everything was clear in that war."

The family takes some consolation from the knowledge that their son died while serving his country, explains Yunusov, a former collective-farm head, who was once an elected member of the Soviet-era Supreme Council of Tajikistan.

Yunusov has spent most of his life working as a farmer in Turdiev. The village's close proximity to Tajikistan's border with Afghanistan has made it part of the lucrative transit route for drug smugglers bringing opium and heroin from Afghanistan.

After Yunusov's sons had grown up and finished school, he encouraged them to get out -- to head to Russia for seasonal jobs. "I was afraid that my sons would be lured into drug smuggling if they stayed in the village unemployed," says Yunusov, the father of 13 children.

A Family Unravels

Jobs are hard to come by in Tajikistan, one of the most impoverished states in Central Asia. Hundreds of thousands of Tajiks depend on Russia for their livelihood, taking jobs there as migrant laborers at construction sites, factories, and in the agriculture sector.

Saidbek took his wife and three children to Russia, where he was engaged in different seasonal jobs for at least seven years before Yunusov heard that they had all gone to Syria in the spring of 2015.

A few months later, a neighbor told Yunusov that the 32-year-old Saidbek was killed while fighting with the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. The fate of his wife and their children remains unknown.

"I don't know what's going to happen to my grandchildren and my daughter-in-law," Yunusov says, sobbing. "She is a simple village girl. How can she find a way to return home?"

Yunusov has heard that IS militants often force the widowed wives of slain fighters to remarry other militants. He fears that his daughter-in-law might face a similar fate.

Another blow came to Yunusov's family in 2015, when his daughter's husband, a doctor from the same village, took her and their four children to Syria. Yunusov says he has no contact with his daughter.

In 2014, just a year before his family's ordinary life began to unravel, Yunusov's wife died.

It has all been too much to bear. Yunusov fell ill earlier this year and was diagnosed with a heart condition.

Yunusov says he has experienced the pain of losing loved ones. It's the burden of shame that Yunusov says he finds hard to cope with.

Yunusov says he will never know how his son ended up in Syria, how he was recruited, and the circumstances of his death.

The father regrets encouraging his son to go to Russia, a decision he believes ultimately led to Saidbek's death and his young family's plight in Syria.

WATCH: A video report by RFE/RL's Tajik Service abour Salom Yunusov (in Tajik, with family photos)

Tajik authorities say more than 1,100 Tajik nationals have left for Syria and Iraq to join IS militants. At least 300 of them were reported killed there, while about 60 have returned home voluntarily and been pardoned by the authorities under a blanket amnesty.

The government in Dushanbe says the majority of the Tajiks who joined IS were recruited in Russia.

Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL's Tajik Service correspondent Mahmudjon Rahmatov
Ukraine says five of its troops have been killed in clashes with pro-Russia separatists in some of the worst fighting to hit the eastern Donbas region in months.



The headquarters for the country's Antiterrorism Operations said six soldiers were wounded in the battle near Svitlodarsk, which appeared to be aimed at controlling the strategic town of Debaltseve.



In a post to its Facebook page, the agency's press center said around 20 insurgent fighters had been killed in the clashes, which erupted before dawn on December 18 and lasted around two hours.

Fighting included heavy artillery and large-caliber weaponry.



It said fighting was reported near the village of Kalynivka, closer to Debaltseve, and shelling also took place near Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov coast.



Russian and local news agencies affiliated with the separatist group known as the "Luhansk People's Republic" reported similarly heavy fighting, but said losses among Ukrainian government troops were much higher.



Home to a strategic railway junction, Debaltseve was the scene of major fighting in early 2015, ending in February when thousands of Ukrainian troops withdrew.



The battle gave way to cease-fire accords signed in February 2015, known as the Minsk accords.



Signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, they were meant to end one of Europe's bloodiest conflicts in decades.



But the cease-fire has been repeatedly broken by both sides and low-level fighting has pushed the death toll to nearly 10,000, according to United Nations figures.

With reporting by Interfax and TASS
The European Union has praised Ukraine's leadership for its decision to nationalize the country's biggest bank, calling it a "bold and courageous" move and a key component of broader reforms that the West is pressing Kyiv to carry out.

EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini spoke a day after President Petro Poroshenko's cabinet said it would nationaize PrivatBank in an effort to avoid a financial collapse in the former Soviet republic.

"Let me use this occasion to commend...the prime minister's, the president's, the government's efforts in these hours to restore confidence in the financial sector as we have seen through a bold and courageous decision to nationalize Privatbank," Mogherini said at a December 19 meeting of an EU-Ukraine Council in Brussels.

"This step should help ensure that all banks in Ukraine are held to the same prudential regulatory standards, making the banking sector stronger and more resilient," she said. "It is also a vital component of larger reform efforts that the European Union together with the international partners supports strongly."

Poroshenko's cabinet said in a statement late on December 18 that the government had decided to take 100 percent control of PrivatBank, founded by a billionaire former governor, Ihor Kolomoyskiy.

The move follows months of rumors that the bank was troubled by bad debt.

The statement by the cabinet said the takeover would rescue both PrivatBank and Ukraine's "entire banking system."

On December 19, Poroshenko said that in the past few hours "the State Security and Defense Council, the National Bank, the cabinet, and the Finance Ministry have adopted all [necessary] legal and formal decisions in order to transfer PrivatBank under the full state ownership."

"The situation is under control," National Bank chief Valeriya Hontareva said at a news conferemce with Poroshenko. She said the central bank would take steps to "ensure uninterrupted services" to PrivatBank depositors, and added: "We do not expect a sizeable outflow of deposits from PrivatBank and we do not envisage it [will] make a substantial impact on the currency market or the level of inflation."

The government said the transaction was agreed upon with Kolomoyskiy and PrivatBanks other main owner, Henadiy Boholyubov, who control assets in a broad range of sectors, including media, oil, and chemicals.

But Kolomoyskiy took to Facebook to lash out at the government following the statement. "This is not a nationalization. It's a classic illegal takeover," Kolomoyskiy wrote.



He added that clients should not panic, and that "everything would be fine" with their money.

"Only the shareholders have suffered. And the investment climate in the country. Which, by the way, doesn't exist anymore," Kolomoyskiy wrote, promising that there would be more details later on December 19.

Kolomoyskiy, one of Ukraine's richest men, served briefly as head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast and was credited with preventing the spread of separatist sentiment in the region following Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea territory and backing of armed separatists in the east of the country.

But Poroshenko dismissed him in 2015, accusing him of setting up a private militia and trying to take over a state-affiliated oil company.

The region Kolomoyskiy governed, which is now called Dnipro Oblast, borders the Donesk Oblast -- one of two regions held in part by Russia-backed separatists whose conflict with Kyiv's forces has killed more than 9,750 people since April 2014 and continues despite a European-brokered agreement to end the fighting and resolve the conflict.

The move was also praised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has loaned Ukraine billions to help prop up its battered economy. IMF chief Christine Lagarde called it "a major step forward in the authorities' efforts to rehabilitate the banking system and safeguard financial stability."

"I also assured him that the IMF will continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to maintain macroeconomic stability and advance reforms to achieve strong and sustainable economic growth," she said in a statement.

With reporting by AFP, the Financial Times, and the Kyiv Post
Syrian activists say at least five buses assigned to evacuate wounded and sick people in two northern villages have been burnt, threatening a wider deal to ship out thousands of civilians and rebel fighters still trapped in east Aleppo.

The UN Security Council, meanwhile, was set to vote on a French-drafted proposal to send monitors to Aleppo to observe evacuations from besieged areas.

Disagreements over the evacuation of thousands of civilians and the remaining rebels in eastern Aleppo had caused delays.

But Syrian state media said on December 18 that buses entered eastern Aleppo under the supervision of the International Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to begin the evacuations.

Some 1,200 people were to be taken out of the rebel enclave in return for a similar number taken out of Foah and Kefraya -- two villages in Idlib Province that have been besieged by the armed opposition.

However, several buses en route to evacuate ill and injured people from the two villages were attacked and burned, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syrian state media later reported.

The group blamed Al-Qaeda-affiliated miliants.

The Security Council was set to convene early on December 18 to decide on the draft proposal despite resistance from Russia, which holds veto power and is backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the war.

The text of the draft resolution asks UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "redeploy the United Nations humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation, and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo."

The proposal would also seek to ensure the "voluntary, safe, and dignified passage of all civilians" from Aleppo and other areas subject to UN monitoring, with the wounded and most vulnerable given priority.

It also asks Ban to report back to the council on the resolution's implementation within five days after it is adopted.

Thousands of civilians and the remaining rebels in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on December 17, a day after the Syrian government suspended an evacuation operation brokered by Russia and Turkey amid conflicting allegations of cease-fire violations.

Earlier on December 17, Syria's state television said that the evacuation was still suspended until rebels allowed residents of two besieged Shi'ite villages -- Fua and Kfarya -- to leave to government-controlled areas.

Assad's forces made a push this week to establish full control over the eastern part of Aleppo, which the opposition had held since 2012, with an offensive that has been harshly criticized by the UN and Western governments.

Late on December 16, France circulated a draft text of its proposed resolution stating that the Security Council was "alarmed" by the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and due to the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" require aid and evacuation.

It was not immediately clear whether Russia, Assad's key supporter in the war, would back the proposal.

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the UN, said that some aspects of the French proposal were "questionable," including the prospect of quickly redeploying the monitors.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
An influential Republican senator has called for a single, unified committee to investigate the depth of possible Russian hacking during the U.S. election campaign.



Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona) told CNN on December 18 that having multiple inquiries probing the alleged hacking would be inefficient. He called for a single, select committee comprised of both House and Senate members.



"This is serious business," he said.



McCain is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is set to begin investigating the extent of Russian hacking in January. Also taking up the probe will be the Senate's Intelligence and the Foreign Relations committees.



The Senate's leader, Mitch McConnell (Republican-Kentucky), has dismissed calls for a select committee, which would underscore the seriousness of the allegations.



McCain's call was echoed by the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer (Democrat-New York), who said on December 18 that he, and two other members of the Senate Armed Services Committee -- Jack Reed (Democrat-Rhode Island) and Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina) -- also supported the effort.



The U.S. intelligence community has concluded that Russian government-backed hackers intruded into Democratic Party servers and e-mail accounts.



Later news reports said Republican servers had also been breached.

And last week, The Washington Post reported the FBI shared the CIA's conclusions that Russian hackers intervened to help Republican Donald Trump win the presidential election.



President Barack Obama has defended his administration's response to the alleged Russian hacking, including his refusal to ascribe motive to the meddling.



Obama told reporters on December 16 that he confronted Putin at a summit in China in September, telling the former KGB chief to "cut it out." Intelligence agencies then detected a halt in intrusions.



The Kremlin has dismissed the allegations.



Meanwhile, Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Pribus, pushed back on the growing consensus on Russian hacking. He said Democrats were using the allegations as a "spin job" to distract from the election outcome.



"I think what the Democrats ought to do is look in the mirror and face the reality that they lost the election," he told Fox News Sunday.

With reporting by CNN, Fox, and The Washington Post
By PTI: Panaji, Dec 17 (PTI) Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said two Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) leaders were inducted in the Goa Cabinet to fulfill the promise made by BJP during pre-poll alliance with that party.

"We (BJP) had 21 legislators (after 2012 Assembly election) but despite that we inducted two MGP legislators in our Cabinet," he said addressing BJPs Vijay Sankalp rally in Poriem constituency in North Goa.

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He said BJP, which had pre-poll alliance with MGP, had "given the word" that their MLAs would be inducted in the Cabinet.

"We kept our word. But these people (MGP leaders) did not respect that. They started talking against the Chief Minister," Parrikar said.

"The BJP-led governments Chief Minister is supposed to be decided by the party (BJP). Our 21 legislators chose their leader," he said referring to the outburst against Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar by MGP leaders.

Former MGP ministers ? Sudin Dhavalikar and Dipak Dhavalikar ? had accused Parsekar of taking Goa ten years backward during his two-and-half year long rule.

"If you cannot adjust with Chief Minister, you should move out. It is like coming to our house and fighting against the main person. The House is ours," the Defence Minister said.

On December 12, the Chief Minister had dropped the Dhavalikar brothers from his Cabinet following their outburst against the BJP-led government. PTI RPS NRB SRY

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By Dave Brat

When President Reagan came into office, the country was suffering like it is now: Our economy was in shambles, foreign policy was weak, and Americans were dispirited. With Reagan, OK was not good enough, so, once in office, he went big, bold and confident. Right now thats what the American people are looking for. Theres an unmistakable feeling that real progress is truly possible and within reach. Real change, not incremental tweaks around the edges of bad policy, has been my focus since I was elected to office. That was my promise. Meaningful change improves the lives of my constituents.

When you say no to bad policy, you open up a window to say yes to good policy and this big, bold vision. For example, we stood against the bad budget deal that blew the budget caps last spring, and now we can push for next years budget to repeal Obamacare, and contain a $1 trillion cut in taxes and spending reductions. We now have a new chance to get it right this year under a Republican president.

I believed, rightly, that we could negotiate a better deal with a new president. After leadership failed to hold a vote on the budget in the spring, many of us demanded and got a long-term continuing resolution to avoid negotiating with Obama in a lame duck session.

Opposition to the bad budget deal was not based on partisanship or personalities, but based solely on principle. The federal budget deficit is projected to balloon to $590 billion in 2016; and if Congress continues on its current path of spending, the deficit will surpass $1 trillion a year by 2022 and every year thereafter. We have a moral obligation to address this failure. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to put this nation on a solid, sustainable and permanent course toward eliminating deficit spending and reducing the national debt.

Principled opposition from members in the House Freedom Caucus kept comprehensive immigration reform off the House floor. We asked for a pause on incoming refugees until they can be properly vetted, opposed the Iran nuclear deal, protected the First and Fourth Amendment rights of all Americans, asked for a return to regular order and rules reforms in the House, and played a pivotal role in changes to House leadership.

We were also able to halt a flawed education reform bill. We halted funding for the crony capitalist Export-Import Bank for nearly six months. All this  and more  is possible when we in Congress decide to hold the line and demand that this body represent the desires of the American people.

When the 115th Congress convenes next year, the House will be able to work on passing a budget resolution that outlines a pro-growth, conservative agenda. The House and Senate can pass a budget resolution that assumes the repeal of Obamacare, and put legislation on the presidents desk that will do just that. Also, we will now have reconciliation next year under a Republican president.

The reconciliation bill will likely hit tax reform, lowering tax rates, making our firms competitive around the world, and bringing a trillion back in repatriation to pay for lowering the national debt and needed updates to infrastructure. This is a huge opportunity and great news for all. Saying no last year led to this opportunity.

Congress will also have time to get rid of bad laws like the Overtime Rule. This rule, created by the Department of Labor, would be a disastrous, job-killing regulation for small businesses, colleges and nonprofits if implemented. Juanita Duggan, president of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), was invited to address the House Freedom Caucus about the detrimental consequences of this regulation. Following her lead, we are fairly confident that Congress will put an end to the Overtime Rule this year. Again, good policy for all. Small businesses create approximately 70 percent of all new jobs. This will help your kids in the job market.

We will also re-introduce good legislation. Several good bills came this year from my fellow Virginian, Bob Goodlatte, and the Judiciary Committee he chairs, including five bills that address our immigration crisis as well as reforms of the visa and refugee resettlement programs. Many other bills will help to reduce the regulatory burden on small business.

The free-market and Republican principles championed by Adam Smith and James Madison, whose home is in my district, are values that stand the test of time. These are the principles that made our nation the greatest on earth and we need to keep it that way. Saying no to King George was not easy. But it led to a giant yes for We, the people. Today, we have new kings that rule from the top down and dictate policy and party patronage. This is not the American way. Every policy should put the American people front and center.

It is wonderful to see leadership in Washington, D.C., beginning to acknowledge the forgotten men and women who have been pummeled by poor policies and a stagnant economy  and we continue to fight for you there. The goal is to get to yes on good policy.
On the morning of November 20th, I was in St. Peters Square at the Vatican. Our pilgrimage group of 45 people was there to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist with Pope Francis.

As we waited for Mass to start, I watched as people gathered from all over the world in St. Peters Square. To my left, there was a group from China. Three rows behind them was a group from South Korea. To my right, there were Russians sitting two rows in front of people from Ukraine.

Behind us there were people from Mexico and Africa. In front of us were were pilgrims from Germany and Vietnam. The wonderfully diverse crowd grew to about 150,000 people.

At 9:30, there was an announcement inviting us to take our seats in preparation for Mass  150,000 people sat down. In an instant, we were silent.

It was so peaceful!

As we celebrated the Eucharist, there were times when all 150,000 of us joined our voices in song. Then, the peaceful silence washed over the crowd again.

***

I was grateful to share in that celebration. But when I got back to the hotel, I made the mistake of turning on the TV.

The only English TV channel was CNN. And on November 20th, CNN was full of images of angry crowds back home.

In Philadelphia, a crowd of angry people shouting, Hes not my president. In California, a large crowd of people burning cars and smashing windows in response to the election.

According to CNN, America was full of crowds shouting words of division and discord.

But in Rome, 150,000 people from all over the world were prayerful and peaceful.

The Chinese pilgrims sat near the Koreans. There are tensions between China and South Korea right now  but there were no tensions in St. Peters Square.

I thought of the Russians and the Ukrainians.

There is violence raging between those countries. But not in St. Peters Square.

At the Vatican that morning, there were people from every continent. Imagine the great diversity of life experiences, family situations and political convictions represented in that large crowd!

And yet ... we were not divided or divisive.

In a world where division seems so pervasive, how could this crowd be so peaceful?

How? Because, at the center of that crowd in St. Peters Square was one person ... Jesus Christ. Despite our differences, we held one thing in common. We all believed that Jesus is Lord.

When Jesus is the center of attention, the things that divide us get put into proper perspective.

***

During Advent, many Christians read the inspiring words of the Prophet Isaiah. In Isaiahs 11th chapter, the prophet looks forward to that day when God will send the messiah into the world. Isaiah is preaching centuries before Christ, but he looks forward to what God will do on that day, when the savior comes.

Isaiah says, On that day, the wolf will be the guest of the lamb. Think about that for a moment. Wolves and lambs are natural enemies. The wolf is the predator  the lamb is lunch!

But Isaiah says that when the savior comes, these natural enemies will be friends. There will be no more predator or victim. The savior will be the center  and there will be peace.

Isaiah continues: The leopard will lie down with the goat, the young lion and the calf will eat grass together. Ordinarily, the lion would eat the calf! But the divisions are healed. The savior is the center.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Isaiah predicted what would happen. Thousands of years before that Mass in St. Peters Square, Isaiah predicted what would happen.

When the savior is the center of attention, the Chinese and the South Koreans will pray together.

The Russians and Ukrainians will share holy communion. The communist and the capitalist will shake hands.

***

Sometimes, I experience division and discord right inside of me. In my own heart, at times, I feel divided. If I want peace in my heart I have to stay focused on the Jesus who can make me whole.

There are times when our families are divided. Married people are at odds. Parents and children get distanced. Friendships become frayed. We get torn apart.

This may always happen unless we strive to keep Jesus at the center of every relationship and every family. We find peace in him.

If you watch TV, you know that many Americans are very skilled at yelling about our political differences.

Fewer of us have learned how to disagree with someones ideas without denigrating the other person.

But if I look for Christ in you, I will try to understand your point of view. If I look for Christ in you, I can respect you even when we disagree.

If Christ is the center, then I can no longer shout insulting names at you. Name-calling always focuses on our dividing differences.

So lets speak the truth: not everyone who voted for Donald Trump is a sexist, bigoted homophobe. Yet that is the divisive language we hear. That kind of name calling is dishonest and intellectually lazy. It is unChristian.

Similarly, not everyone who voted for Hillary Clinton is a communist, tree-hugging whacko. Yet that is the divisive language we hear. That kind of name calling is dishonest and intellectually lazy. It is unChristian.

Not every immigrant is a lawbreaking drug dealer. Not every southerner is a racist red neck. Not every liberal is an unemployed welfare moocher. Not every conservative wants to destroy the environment.

Still, the TV commentators are shouting what divides us.

But we Christians have an Advent obligation to stop focusing on what divides us so that we can focus on the One who overcomes our differences and unites us in peace.

On that day, Isaiah said, our differences fade away because the Child is in our midst. On that day, enemies live in peace because the prince of peace is here. The savior is the center of attention.

Christians believe that the day Isaiah dreamed about has already happened. The baby was born in Bethlehem. The savior has come.

Wherever Christian people stay focused on him, the lion and the lamb, the different and divided, become united and healed.

I saw it happen at Saint Peters several weeks ago. I hope to see it in Richmond this week.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
While Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Maulana Masood Azhar, will be named as the mastermind of the attack, the agency will also discuss about the number of terrorists involved in the attack.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: National Investigation Agency (NIA) will in all likelihood file it's first chargesheet on the Pathankot airbase terror attack on Monday.

The chargesheet will name Paksitan's Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Rauf Asghar, and key terrorist handlers, Qashif Jan and Shaid Latif.

While Azhar will be named as the mastermind of the attack, the agency will also discuss about the number of terrorists involved in the attack.

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It will state that "JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar planned the attack on IAF base in Pathankot in first week of January 2016 with an intention to kill IAF personnel and destroy assets".

NIA has given a clean chit to Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, a witness to the attack, who along with two others were abducted by terrorists.

Phone conversations of the four terrorists who stormed the base, their addresses, details of family members, financial details of Al-Rehmat Trust (financial arm of JeM), and their voice samples will be included in the chargesheet.

It will help strengthen the legal evidence against Azhar, who India hopes to brand as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in January 2017.

Also watch the video here

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Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has severely chastised the Home Ministry for as laxity in security preparedness despite having credible intelligence inputs about Pathankot terror attack.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The National Investigation Agency, probing the Pathankot terror attack, is ready with the chargesheet.

But, while the NIA prepares to file the chargesheet on Monday in Mohali, there is a tussle going on between Parliamentary Committee and the home ministry.

India Today is in possession of the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which has made severe remarks against the Home Ministry over alleged security lapses despite actionable the intelligence inputs.

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READ| NIA to file chargesheet on Pathankot airbase terror attack

Mentioning the matter in the Chapter Six of the report, the Parliamentary Committee has questioned the 'security preparedness' to prevent Pathankot terror attack.

The report asked the home ministry as to how the terrorists managed to breach the high security air base despite terror alert having been sounded well in advance.

WATCH:

'INTELLIGENCE INPUTS NOT FOLLOWED UP'

"Despite concrete and credible intelligence inputs received from abducted and released Pathankot Superintendent of Police and his friend, and through interception of communication between terrorists and their handlers, that they were planning an attack on defence establishment, the security agencies were so ill- prepared to anticipate the threats in time and counter them swiftly and decisively," the report remarked.

The home ministry rejected the suggestion of the Parliamentary Committee that there was a security lapse.

Parliamentary Committee report on Pathankot terror attack.

MHA replied, "On the basis of the intelligence, a meeting of senior officers was held by the Central Government, immediately. Consequent to the meeting, the Army Units were mobilised, Air Force Commando Guards were flown along with Air Officer Commander in Chief, Western Command and NSG was airlifted to the most possible target of terror attack, the Air Force Station, Pathankot, by the evening of 1st January, 2016."

READ| Suspicious car abandoned close to Pak border near Pathankot

The government further said, "As a precautionary measure, high value air assets were moved away from the Airbase. Subsequently, Army also inducted Special Forces (1 Para) Bomb Disposal Units and other specialised equipment."

WATCH:

'COUNTER-TERROR SECURITY LACKING'

At another place, the committee has tersely observed that "something is seriously wrong with our counter-terror security establishment. Despite the fencing, floodlighting and patrolling by BSF Personnel, Pakistani terrorists managed to sneak into India from across the border."

In response, the MHA called it "premature to point fingers at any individual or force at this stage."

ROLE OF PATHANKOT SP

The committee and the NIA differ about the role of the then Pathankot SP Salwinder Singh. While the NIA, India Today has learnt, is all set to give clean chit to the Punjab Police officer, the Parliamentary Committee found his role 'very questionable and suspicious'.

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The committee also expressed surprised at Pakistani joint-investigation team visiting Pathankot to inspect the spot of terror attack.

'WHY WAS PAKISTANI JIT INVITED'

"What made the Government of India to seek help of Pakistan into investigation of this terror attack and invite a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan to India," asked the committee.

Responding to the question, MHA informed the committee that "the interaction with JIT was held in accordance with Terms of Reference mutually agreed on the basis of reciprocity."

READ| Pathankot: Now, government says 4 militants attacked airbase

It further said that the JIT collected "admissible evidence outside Pakistan" that will "legally enable them to use the evidence in prosecution".

"The Pakistan JIT shared with NIA, the results of investigation carried out by them in Pakistan," the home ministry informed the Parliamentary Committee.

The 99-page report shows how the government and the Rajya Sabha committee on home affairs differ on the same facts obtained by the NIA during investigation of the Pathankot terror attack. Four terrorists were killed while two armymen were martyred during the attack on January 2 this year.

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BP plc (BP.L,BP_UN.TO,BP) said that it signed an agreement with the Supreme Petroleum Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC that grants BP a 10% interest in Abu Dhabi's ADCO onshore oil concession, which has a life of 40 years.

In addition to the interest in the ADCO concession, BP becomes a 10% shareholder in ADCO, the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Petroleum Operations Limited, which operates the concession. The agreement includes BP becoming asset leader for the Bab asset group within the concession.

In connection with the transaction, BP p.l.c. has agreed to issue new ordinary shares representing approximately 2% of BP's issued share capital (excluding treasury shares), to be held on behalf of the Abu Dhabi Government. The issuance of the new ordinary shares is subject to certain listing requirements and is expected to be completed shortly.

BP becomes a 10% shareholder of ADCO and the concession alongside Total of France, INPEX Corporation of Japan, and GS Energy of South Korea who hold interests of 10%, 5% and 3% respectively. ADNOC continues to look for partners to take up the remaining 12% stake of the 40% earmarked for foreign partners.

The ADCO concession, including the Bab, Bu Hasa, Shah and Asab fields, has total resources of between 20-30 billion barrels of oil equivalent over the term of the concession. The overall production in 2016 is expected to average around 1.66 million barrels of oil per day (bpd). The concession, put in place in January 2015, is valid until the end of 2054.

In support of its interest in the ADCO concession and asset leadership of the Bab assets, BP expects to second up to 50 technical staff to ADCO, bringing , expertise and experience to support the ongoing efficient operation and development of the assets.

BP announced that it has been awarded a 10% working interest in the concession for Abu Dhabi's onshore oil interests. The consideration for the transaction is intended to be satisfied through the issuance by BP p.l.c. of 392.92 million new ordinary shares, par value US$0.25 each, to be held on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi.

As at 16 December 2016, the issued share capital of BP p.l.c. comprised 19.08 billion ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) par value US$0.25 per share, each with one vote and 12.71 billion preference shares par value 1 per share with two votes for every 5 in nominal capital held.

The ordinary shares to be issued in connection with this transaction will be issued at a price of 4.47 per ordinary share1, which price was determined by reference to an agreed prior pricing period for BP's ordinary shares.

The issuance of the new ordinary shares in connection with this transaction is subject to an application for the admission of those shares to the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the main market for listed securities of the London Stock Exchange plc. It is expected that Admission will occur within 5 days.

Following Admission, the issued share capital of BP p.l.c. will comprise 19.47 bilion ordinary shares (excluding treasury shares) par value US$0.25 per share, each with one vote and 12.71 million preference shares par value 1 per share with two votes for every 5 in nominal capital held and the total number of voting rights in BP p.l.c. will be 19.48 billion.

These new ordinary shares will, when issued, be credited as fully paid and will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of US$0.25 each in BP p.l.c., including the right to receive dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on or in respect of such shares after the date of issue.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
By PTI: Nagpur, Dec 17 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tonight informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be laying foundation stone for the proposed world class Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial project in Arabian Sea on December 24.

Modi will also be visiting Mumbai and Pune for the stone laying ceremony of Metro Rail Project on the same day, Fadnavis told a post Assembly Session press conference here in Vidhan Bhavan.

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The Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial project will be taken up in two phases and an approximately Rs 2,300 crores will be spent in the first phase.

Expressing his satisfaction on the smooth functioning of Winter Session here, Fadnavis said a record number of 27 bills were taken up for discussion and 23 of them were passed.

He said the issues concerning Vidarbha region were given appropriate time. Fadnavis appealed to all the party legislators from Vidarbha to come together and join hands in development of the region.

On the issue of Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway which is known as Samruddhi Marg, he appealed to the legislators from Wardha and Amravati district to come across the table to sort out differences.

"We should learn to forget differences and join together like leaders in western Maharashtra and Konkan to make it (Vidarbha region) a prosperous region," Fadnavis said.

The State government has drawn a roadmap for development of the region, he said.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe- Patil criticised the state government for not waiving off loans of farmer and not compensating farmers who have suffered huge losses due to the fall in prices following demonetisation.

The prices of agriculture products have sharply dropped after the scrapping of old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, he said. PTI JOE RMT SRE

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In the wake of a bomb attack on Saturday that killed 13 Turkish soldiers traveling on weekend leave and injured dozens of others, U.S. defense officials expressed condolences and reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to Turkey and the battle against terrorism.

Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook issued a statement on behalf of Defense Secretary Ash Carter and the Defense Department.

"We wish to express our deepest condolences to our NATO ally Turkey after today's bus bombing in Kayseri," Cook said. "The attack targeted off-duty soldiers, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and those injured. We remain united with Turkey in the ongoing fight against terrorism, and those responsible for this cowardly act should be held accountable."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Toyota Motor (TYT.L,TM) and U.S. chipmaker Qualcomm are among the 27 companies forming a global consortium to bring self-driving onto the road, Nikkei Asian Review reported.

The group aims to lead a private-sector push to establish safety standards and other rules for varying degrees of autonomous driving. The World Economic Forum, which formed a working committee in May to discuss the future of self-driving cars, had called for such an initiative.

The report said that the auto industry represents 12 of the participants, including Toyota, Nissan Motor, General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, Hyundai Motor and Volvo Car. Insurers include Liberty Mutual Group and Japan's Sompo Holdings, with Qualcomm and Sweden's Ericsson among the information technology companies. Uber Technologies, the company behind the ride-hailing app, and U.S. logistics giant UPS are also taking part.

The consortium members will be involved in road tests that begin this month in the U.S. city of Boston, overseen by Renault and nuTonomy -- a startup sprung from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to sharing data on safety and traffic congestion, they will discuss the impact on rail and other transit systems, as well as the implications for such sectors as casualty insurance. The group will convene every two months and report its findings at the forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the report said.

However, companies such as U.S. electric car maker Tesla Motors are not part of the consortium. And with Google and Ford Motor teaming up in the self-driving arena, the battle will only intensify for gaining an upper hand in developing the technology and crafting the rules, the report noted.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Japan will on Monday release November figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

In October, imports were down 16.5 percent on year and exports fell 10.3 percent for a trade surplus of 496.2 billion yen.

New Zealand will see December data for the confidence and activity outlook surveys from ANZ. In November, their scores were 20.5 and 37.6, respectively.

The Philippines will release November numbers for balance of payments; in October, the balance was a deficit of $183 million.

Hong Kong will see November figures for unemployment; in October, the jobless rate was 3.4 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
The total number of new building permits issued in New Zealand spiked a seasonally adjusted 2.6 percent on month in October, Statistics New Zealand said on Monday - coming in at 2,575.

That follows the 0.2 percent increase in September.

Individually, permits were issued for 1,802 houses; 370 townhouses, flats, and units; 229 apartments; and 174 retirement village units.

"One-third of the homes consented over the past year were in Auckland. That's almost 10,000, compared with 9,000 in the previous year," indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said.

"Canterbury and Waikato also feature quite prominently in these statistics, although in Christchurch the post-quake residential rebuild is slowly winding down."

Including alterations, the value of building work consented in October was NZ$1.7 billion, including NZ$1.1 billion of residential work and NZ$526 million of non-residential work.

In the year ended October, 30,161 new dwellings were consented - up 14 percent on year.

The annual number of homes consented has passed 30,000 for the first time in 11 years, the bureau noted.

However, this latest number is 10,000 less than the all-time high of 40,000 reached in early 1974, the bureau added.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
By PTI: Reminiscing the role played by India during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, the senior Awami league MP and a Mukti Joddha (liberation war fighter) himself, feels Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit last year and signing of the LBA have strengthened bilateral relationship.

Lauding intelligence sharing mechanism between India and Bangladesh in combating terrorism, he says, "We are continuously sharing intelligence and information with India and vice-versa. Whatever information we have received from the Indian intelligence agencies we have taken stern action on it and have worked on it. NIA and Bangladesh agencies are working closely. We have zero tolerance on the issue of terrorism and will not allow the our territory for terror activities." Bangladeshi police and intel agencies have already sealed and tapped the transit point in Bangladesh that Pakistan used to use for channelising fake notes into India, he says.

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On the issue of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar who have crossed the border into Bangladesh to flee violence that has escalated over the past two months, Kamal remained non-committal on completely opening up the border for them.

"Is this is a solution that whenever they will be attacked and killed we will open our border? This thing (genocide) has been going on systematically in an continuous process. An international opinion should be emerge against it. But those who are coming we are giving them shelter, food. Actually, Myanmar itself has created a inner circle within their borders to stop them from entering into Bangladesh," he says. PTI PNT ZMN DIP

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By SA Commercial Prop News

MARC WAINER says Redefine has decided not to invest further in areas where experience has shown the local authorities are dysfunctional, inefficient or adopt dubious business practices.



Property group Redefine Properties has made significant progress in the implementation of its strategy of restructuring and improving the quality of its core property portfolio.

The company currently has about R4-billion in acquisitions and developments in the pipeline, says Redefine CEO Marc Wainer, adding that the company is now in acquisition mode, with over R2-billion in cash and bank funding comfortably available.

The restructure aims to reposition over R27-billion in assets, while ensuring growth. The restructuring strategy will see the number of its South African properties decline from 358 to about 260, while the average property value increases from R50-million to R80-million. The total portfolio value is expected to increase to some R20-billion.

Wainer reports that Redefine has bought three properties valued at R733-million, with a lettable area of 42 243 m2, during the past year. Further, the company bought another two buildings for a combined price of R940-million and has agreed to buy seven office and industrial properties from the Zenprop group for R979.4-million.

Redefine points out that it is also actively and aggressively pursuing the distribution warehouse market, which is expected to make up between R2-billion and R3-billion of the companys portfolio value.

Meanwhile, the property group reports a number of property disposals during the past year, including the sale of 39 properties for a collective consideration of R938-million.

Last month, Redefine-linked unit holders approved the unbundling of subsidiary Arrowheads properties and, in the process, disposed of 98 properties. The company also concluded an agreement with Arrow Creek Investments for the disposal of a further 12 properties, says Wainer.

Meanwhile, Redefine has decided not to invest further in areas where experience has shown the local authorities are dysfunctional, inefficient or adopt dubious business practices.

We are fed up with the rates and taxes of properties increasing at astronomical rates, while service delivery . . . deteriorates, or is nonexistent, so Redefine has opted to vote with its cheque book and will not, under any circumstances, invest in these regions, he explains.

While investments into these regions give attractive initial yields, the company must ensure it obtains the required internal rate of return over a given period and properties in many of these areas will decline in value or experience a low growth.

Local authorities are businesses and we are their customers; however, many of them take that [to mean] they can charge what they like as customers do not have the luxury of using an alternative service provider, he says.

Further, proposed developments and alterations are deliberately delayed and obstructed with a view to receiving bribes to expedite the process. Redefine will not take part in dubious practices and is no longer prepared to invest the time or money in trying to improve these situations, Wainer avows.
A first-of-its-kind journey along India and Pakistan border

What binds the two most talked about nations - India and Pakistan together? What makes the
By Vidya : Actor Salman khan met Mumbai municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta on Saturday and accepted BMC's (Bombay Municipal Corporation) proposal to become their brand ambassador against open defecation. Salman has also decided to donate five state-of-the art mobile toilets for the campaign.

"Having a large fan following and being a popular actor, Salman's support in terms of offering five mobile toilets across city would help us reducing the cases of open defecation," said Mehta.

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Salman said that he was happy to be a part of the civic body's campaign through his Being Human foundation and would try to sensitise and educate people of Mumbai about the menace of open defecation.

ALSO READ | Here's how Salman is shaping rumoured ladylove Iulia Vantur's Bollywood career

ALSO READ | Salman has become the new face of campaign against open defecation

"In a mega-city like Mumbai, this looks really awkward to find people defecating in open. I will try my best to tell them to do away with this practice," he said.

A senior BMC official said that in the coming days the civic body will be shooting some audio-visual presentations which would be aired through different media to educate people about the menace of open defecation.

"People will be told that Salman bhai has donated toilets for them to use. These will be promoted as Bhai ke Toilets. And with this we are hoping people will start using them," a senior officer of the BMC was quoted as saying.

According to an estimate of the BMC, there were over 117 major open defecation spots in city, mainly located across the plots owned by government departments and agencies, which have been reduced to 21 in the last two years following its extensive drive against the menace.

"Currently, major open deification spots are in Colaba, Bhandup, Chembur, Malad, Kurla and Andheri," the officer said, adding that BMC has a plan in place to eradicate "this social evil" by building toilets.

Earlier, BMC had declared 12 out of Mumbai's 24 wards ODF (Open-defecation free) and chalked out an action plan for other wards, which it aims to make ODF by the end of the year.

ALSO WATCH | Is Rajini a bigger star than Salman Khan?

--- ENDS ---
Fiber optic network by Bluebird now live for businesses in Salina
The posters supporting Sasikala describe her as Chinnamma, as she is called by party workers, and request her to take up the leadership of AIADMK and guide the party.

By Pramod Madhav: AIADMK is in the need of a new leader and there is a growing chorus within the party supporting Sasikala, former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa' aide, to take over the mantle of AIADMK in Tamil Nadu.

The posters supporting Sasikala describe her as "Chinnamma", as she is called by party workers, and request her to take up the leadership of AIADMK and guide the party.

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In Tiruchirapalli, AIADMK district functionaries had organised an indefinite fast, demanding that Sasikala take over the party.

READ| Singer Chinmayi Sripada rubbishes Whatsapp rumour about Jayalalithaa's 'illegitimate' daughter

After the demise of Jayalalithaa on December 5, top party leaders, including party presidium chairman E Madusudanan, party treasurer and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai had urged her take on the top post of party General Secretary and lead the party.

To emphasise on the matter, more and more creative posters have started to sprout across the city. Sasikala in her new avatar as 'Chinnamma' is considered as the savior of the party by the 'secondary leaders' and they insist the cadres to accept the fact.

And what better a way to instill it than using the AIADMK's most trusted poster culture!

READ| Sasikala to succeed Jayalalithaa as AIADMK General Secretary

These posters now give more space for Sasikala than Jayalalithaa and of which, one such interesting poster was carrying a potrait of Sasikala wearing a white saree with AIADMK flag as border and surprisingly wearing the same style bindi as Jayalalithaa.

The posters don't fail to carry the verses calling Chinnamma as the a boon received by Amma's penance and that the two crore AIADMK cadres should follow her.

READ| Traffic Ramaswamy files PIL seeking Jayalalithaa's body to be dug out for post-mortem

Sasikala, 60, had been a close aide of Jayalalithaa for three decades and was always seen as a power centre in AIADMK.

State ministers had also expressed support to Sasikala in interviews to Jaya TV, a pro AIADMK Tamil TV channel, and had urged her to lead AIADMK and scotch "rumours" at this critical juncture.

On December 14, party functionaries from six districts had called on Sasikala and urged her to guide AIADMK.

It is interesting to note that AIADMK with its fierce poster culture did not raise a single banner on the day Jayalalithaa was buried and instead it was DMK which raised one in her praise.

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WATCH VDIEO

Also Read:

Traffic Ramaswamy, who filed PIL seeking information on Jayalalithaa's health, booked for spreading rumours

With Jayalalithaa no more, Sasikala's husband is back with a bang

Jayalalithaa's roller-coaster relationship with two Sasikalas

--- ENDS ---
Farmers criticize CARP, calls for genuine agrarian reform

By SAGUPA-SB

November 5, 2016

TACLOBAN CITY  Farmers all over Region 8 led by SAGUPA, a region-wide peasant organization held talks with the new DAR secretary Rafael Ka Paeng Mariano to present their grievances over the slow and faulty implementation of CARP.

Nestor Lebico, Secretary General of SAGUPA-SB revealed that CARP and its extension CARPER proved to be pro-landlord and anti-peasant. He said that the loopholes within the program caters to the landlords and its system of amortization is a burden to the farmers, in fact the sluggish and defective implementation in Region 8 is a testament to its futility. He cited four cases in Leyte to be presented in the dialogue: the slow execution of the case in Palo, the snaillike pace of CLOA distribution in Hacienda MAIC in San Isidro, land conversion by Cali Realty Co. in Tacloban City, and Ching Velosos land grabbing cases in Alang-alang, San Miguel and Tacloban City.

Lebico disclosed that most of these land reform cases are decades old where farmers have been tilling the land as early as 1960s. In some of the usual cases surrounding CARP, a land covered by CARP was exempted by virtue of land conversion, as is the case in Suhi, Tacloban City.

The Department of Agrarian Reform in Region 8 claims to have distributed 430,115 hectares to 193,032 beneficiaries or is equivalent to 86.96 percent of their total target. In this region, the majority of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries came from Leyte.

DARs report on the implementation of CARP is dubious as these figures are often bloated by different kinds of bogus land distribution. It may include lands with registered certificates of land ownership award (CLOAs) but not yet turned over to tenants who havent paid their amortization in full. Double counting also happens wherein the mother or collective CLOAs and the individual CLOAs are both counted. The most infuriating cases are when CLOA holders are still not occupying the land because of landlord resistance, Lebico exclaimed.

Lebico pointed out that the pro-landlord and anti-peasant nature of CARP will never solve the landlessness of peasants in the Philippines as these landlords will only find loopholes and technicalities to exempt them from CARP. A genuine agrarian reform could only be the answer to this problem the peasants endure since GARB has wider coverage and offers the land freely to the farmers involved. It doesnt grant exemptions nor does it allow the land to be converted. Also, support will be given to the farmer-beneficiaries.
Usually when you get a rare opportunity to achieve great things in life we always feel overwhelmed and humble.

Ask Niuafolau Dionne Fonoti from Apia and she will be happy to tell you.

Niuafolau, a Samoan anthropologist, historian and filmmaker is a member of the Oceanic Story Trust who were brought together by the Disney corporation five years ago to do research for the making of the Disney film, Moana.

Speaking to the Sunday Samoan, Niuafolau said humbling would be the best word to describe her whole experience in the making of the film.

I mean I am just one person, there are a lot of Samoans out there and a lot of Islanders out there who couldve done what I did for this movie but to be chosen as one of the 20-30 people that make up the Trust and to be asked to contribute to this film is extremely humbling.

Its an opportunity that I knew that I just couldnt ignore. So humbling in that sense, but also humbling in seeing how collaboration with these filmmakers in making this film changes them. I mean we are all learning from these things. This has been a learning experience not only for me but also for the directors and producers and everyone involved.

And I got to see the movie evolve over the years and how the characters evolved all throughout the project, and being part of that is just extremely humbling for me. And now that it seems like its a huge success around the world and that too is humbling. And I have been getting messages and emails from people around the world and people I dont even know, thanking me for my contribution to the movie.

What was her contribution to the movie?

I was lucky enough to be part of the Oceanic Story Trust, a group of individuals who were brought together by the filmmakers and by the Disney Corporation at the beginning of the research period basically of this film.

So about five years ago, we all met for the first time and they travelled around the Pacific like youve heard and they met various people who are experts in this area.

I am a visual anthropologist and film-maker and I have a background in history and culture studies as well. And because this is film based on the Pacific and about the Pacific culture, there are a few things that I can contribute , so I was asked to do that over the past five years.

Niuafolau admits that when she was first asked to work with the filmmakers of Moana, she was a bit worried and concerned.

To be honest it was a little bit scary, said Niualofau.

Like I said, I am a filmmaker, and I study filmmaking and the representation of the Pacific islanders in films for a long time and it hasnt always been positive.

And Disney hasnt always has the best records of how they represent people of colors and the different ethnicities from all around the world, so obviously I was aware of that history. So when they said they wanted to do something like this in the Pacific, I was a little bit worried. I mean I always knew someone was going to do something like in our region because it is so attractive to a lot of people, because its a beautiful place, wonderful people and amazing culture and I think that we probably have one of the sexiest cultures in the world. So I knew it was just a matter of time.

So when they first asked me, I was a little bit concerned. And I guess a lot of people would feel the same way too because like many people, you worry about how you are going to be shown in the film when you have little control over it. Thats a normal concern for people to have.

So I was concerned at first, but what impressed me was that, from what I know, this is the first time that a major studio from Hollywood, has actually come to a community and asked them to collaborate in the making of a film. Now we have had a number of outsiders who have come to our region and cultures and they would come and tell the story, bring in their crew, do whatever they want and then leave.

And they tell the story, or write the book, they write the play or publish the pictures, and we dont really get to be part of it, contribute or express an opinion. So this is the first partnership of this kind to my knowledge.

However, she said she saw this as a great opportunity for her to use her knowledge and understanding and contribute to the making of the film.

So once I realized that this was an opportunity to be a collaborator, whether its a good or bad thing, on a personal level, I thought that this was a good thing for me.

Because I thought to myself, if Disney wants to make a film about our culture and involving the Samoan culture, I wanted Samoa to watch the film and recognize themselves. I didnt want to leave it to people who have little knowledge and no understanding of who we are, our culture and history and the way we live today.

I mean I knew Disney; they are monsters and its a big industry. So you know they make good movies, you know their animators are extremely talented and gifted, just amazing you know, they make dreams come true.

So for me, it was a good opportunity for me to partner up with extremely talented and gifted story-tellers in telling a story that really is their story but told with respect to our cultures and which borrows from our culture. There is no mistaking the fact that the story was borrowed from our cultures and borrowing doesnt always go well. But I think there are ways for us to facilitate the borrowing so thats its something that will benefit us as well, and something that is respectful of us as well.

Ask for the success of Moana since its premiere, Niuafolau said, The last time I heard I think its been three weeks now in the top spot in the US, so if its the number one film in the United States, I think that probably makes it the number one film in the world.

I also spoke to the people at Apollo Cinemas last week, and they said that Moana is breaking all their records. So its a success on the world stage and so far its been a huge success here in Samoa and I heard people are going three to four times to watch it at the cinema, which is great.

I mean making money is great, and its nice.

However, she said that the biggest success for her is that people are enjoying the movie and that there has been positive feedback about the movie so far.

But I think the biggest satisfaction for me and I am sure its the same for the filmmakers , is to actually make a film that people actually want to see. I mean you can make any film you want, but the reality is if you want people to hear your message, you have to get people to see your film.

And the more people who want to see your film, well that is more money, but I think the best thing is that it shows that people get the message and they hear and agree with your message and they love it.

The greatest success is when people learn from the film and love the message and understand the whole idea of the film. So I think its a success on many levels. I am most proud of the fact that Samoans like it. As we all know, Samoans are hard to please but the fact that Samoans like to watch it over and over again and see parts of our culture in it, I think thats a good thing.

I mean people can be offended by things and not like things but I think its good that people recognized the effort that has gone into it. And its not always going to be perfect, and its going to make everybody happy, but you cant deny the effort and the five long years of work for these people who worked extremely hard to get to this point.

And the fact that they worked in partnership with Pacific Islanders all throughout this project to make sure that they understood our cultures is one of the greatest things about this movie. And now we finally have a movie that our children will get to watch that has elements of our culture over and over again.

I mean I wish I grew up watching a Disney film like Moana. I grew up with Snow White and other movies with Palagi heroes in them. But its a wonderful thing to know that from this year forward, our children will get to know that there was this incredibly smart and brave young girl from our region, who loves her parents, is respected and loved by her grandmother and who went out to try and help her people.

Finally, Niuafolau said that working with Disney in making this film was a big bonus for her.

It never occurred to me that I would end up doing something like this.

I mean I am not into animated films. I mean I dont have kids, so I dont watch animated movies. I never ever ever thought in my whole life that I would work on a Disney film. I got into filmmaking because I love story telling and I was trained in documentary film which is very different from this, but I got into filmmaking when I was doing degree when I realized that I could actually make a career out of telling the stories of Samoa.

And I was raised with myths like many other Samoans, and when I moved to Samoa seven years ago, I just wanted to come and make Samoan movies and tell Samoan stories and make stuff for Samoan TV. So Ive done that and it has been very gratifying but I never thought that I would be working or contributing to a Disney movie.

So this is a nice bonus as far as a life experiences go as it was something I never ever thought would happen, but its not something that I regret at all. It hasnt been easy but I can tell you that it was all worth it.
Dear Editor

I absolutely agree with the Attorney General Lemalu. H. Retzlaffs decision to appeal this case based on the Independent Prosecutors strong view and recommendation.

I do not understand the District Courts Judge Fepuleai Ameperosa Romas ruling on this case  somethings just not right here.

Remember what PM Tuilaepa said about the National Prosecution Office (N.P.O) Director Mauga Precious Chang  she was his daughter. Youd have to be a dumb and stupid judge to make a ruling like this.

Mauga is the Director of the National Prosecution Office and she shouldve known better. She breached her duty of care by not stopping at the crime scene to check if anyone was injured. It was also her moral duty and obligation to report the incident immediately to the police whether she was in the right or in the wrong  however she didnt.

When Police Commissioner Fuiavailiili Egon Keil asked her to attend the police station for the usual questioning and to make a statement in regards to the incident, she didnt attend but sent him a letter instead.

This indicated how arrogant and ignorant she was and disrespected the P.C.s orders  this gave P.C. Egon and the police every right to arrest her according to the law.

The suspended Directors actions also indicated the mentality of one who has abused the power of her position, considered herself to be above the law hence breaking the law, and her refusal to uphold the law. (This too goes for the Assistant Director, Muriel Lui)

We are talking here about a woman who is in charge of the office that prosecutes people in court for committing all sorts of crimes including the very crimes she herself committed. In my eyes, shes not fit to work as a lawyer, be a Director of the N.P.O or hold any position to represent or prosecute anyone in court.

All the lawyers that are working in N.P.O right now should be removed

and be replaced with good, trustworthy, law abiding local and overseas lawyers if we are to have a fair judiciary system.

The people of Samoa do not trust this current judiciary system where certain groups of people are getting away with murder and all sorts while the sick, the poor and the weak of our society are locked up for minor offences. This only happens in a country where corruption thrives wildly from the top/govt and cascades all the way down.

The question is, how can we have someone who is irresponsible and has no respect for the law be a lawyer let alone head N.P.O.

Mebahel Raguel
Dear Editor

I anticipate more airlines flying into Samoa. It wont be as many as Fiji because Fiji is just a much larger market and has more first class hotels than Samoa, but it will be sufficient for Samoas growth in tourism.

Youre living off one interview for 60 minutes, but the increasing tourism numbers in the past 12 months shows that some real ground work has been done. Further groundwork is going to be done into the future and part of that is to take the competition to the monopolistic crooks at Air New Zealand.

The 40% that Qantas owns of Fiji Airways is a carryover from the Air Pacific days. That is a good model to follow. Samoa also has shares in Fiji Airways as another carryover of the Air Pacific days.

Any resurrection of Polynesian Airlines should follow a model where a foreign airline owns a large percentage of it to share costs (preferably a direct competitor to Air New Zealand).

PS Jeffery
Yesterday was a very special day for Samoa.

A different vibe was in the atmosphere as the country welcomed back the son of Samoa, W.B.O. champion, Lupesoliai Joseph Parker.

This excitement was shared by 57-year-old Penani Safua from the village of Fusi, Safata.

Samoans have been waiting for our champ to arrive, said Penani.

I know New Zealand cheered for him as well, but he is Samoan and he represented us too.

And so today, is just a special day for us as Samoans, to see one of our sons return back home after a successful fight.

To me, as a Samoan, I think Lupesoliai did a really good job in representing us and our country.

He is only 24-years-old but he has achieved big so far. This is why were all proud of him and his work.

And I am sure the rest of the country will join me in congratulating Parker for winning the title.

He went on to say that even though this is a Sunday, people are still waiting for him and want to meet him.

Nevertheless, he believes that this is not the end for Parker.

I know he will continue on with his successful career. We will be cheering and praying for him all the way.

The other good thing about him coming to Samoa is that he can motivate the younger generations of Samoa to go out and do great things.

They can learn so much from Parker and he is a role model and kids look up to him.

One thing they can learn from him is to never give up. In life, you need to keep fighting and you need to fight on your own and stand on your own feet to fight any challenge you may face along the way.

Life is never going to be easy, but if you persevere, and work hard, you will achieve good things and go further in life.

Moreover, he also said that we should continue to pray for Lupesoliai and give him our 100percent support.
With Bluesky Samoa already in the process of selling to the Fiji-government owned company, Amalgamated Telecom Holdings Ltd (A.T.H) through their first $182million deposit earlier this month, Digicel Samoa remains unfazed.

During an earlier interview with Bluesky Samoa Country Manager, Alex Abraham, he told the Samoa Observer that the sale process is continuing but he does not know when the transaction is likely to be completed.

I understand that a deposit has been made by A.T.H. to the parent company in Spain, Mr. Abraham told the Samoa Observer.

There is a regulatory process to go through and at this process I understand its progressing. There is no official update of when the transition will be done but everyone is looking forward to the change.

On the other hand, Digicel Chief Executive Officer, Rory Condon, says that they welcome the competition and they remain unfazed.

During a phone interview with Mr. Condon, he assured the public that it will benefit the consumers.

For Digicel, its business as usual, he told the Samoa Observer.

We welcome the competition. It is overwhelmingly a good thing for the consumer and its strong right now in Samoa as you can see through the types of promotions that are out in the market.

All in all, Digicel will remain steadfast in facing their new competitors.

With the A.G.H. group taking over Bluesky we can expect that the market will get more and more competitive, Mr. Condon said. Its in the best interests of the consumer so we welcome it.
The number of students to enrol at the National University of Samoa next year is expected to drop with the plan to increase the entry marks for several courses.

The changes, apply to Foundation courses and they also affect programmes in Technical and Vocational Training (T.V.E.T). and were revealed at a press conference held in the N.U.S. conference room on Friday.

Most significant, is the requirement for the first time that intending teachers have a 50% pass rate in English. Previously, they could enter the Faculty of Education as students with 40% in that subject  a below average grade.

The impact of this decision, may see fewer Education students enrolling and subsequently fewer teachers in the years to come although an improvement in teaching standards will be a plus for students and parents.

Vice Chancellor Fui Leapai Asofou Soo said the change in criteria for entering the university is to ensure higher qualifications are offered for students.

He pointed out once students receive these higher qualifications, it makes it easier for them to obtain employment.

We expect the number of students entering these programmes to drop, said Fui.

How much that drop will be, we cannot tell at this stagebut we also anticipate the rise in entering criteria for Foundation programmes and there will be a lot more students and quality students enrolled in TVET programmes.

For most of the changes the entry for Foundation courses require a higher demand of English varying from 50 to 60% for different courses.

The demand for English has also gone up for different T.V.E.T. programmes.

According to Vice Chancellor the high demand in English was one of the recommendations from government ministries and companies raising concerns about the level of English from graduates.

He explained in Certificate of Arts now requires an English pass of 60% as do the Foundation Certificates in Commerce and General.

As opposed to last year, the requirement for English in the courses was a 50% pass mark.

There are a lot of programs like journalism that needs to have a higher level of English to deliver message clearly and accurately, he said.

Students who aim to become lawyers also need to be fluent in English and lecturers feel students need to have a certain level of English. Students are good in Mathematics and auditing but are weak in writing reports. The report is well written in Samoan but when its written in English, its not the same.

But another reason that triggered the change is the reality at the university of having 100 students enrolled in a course but with only 35 graduating at the end of the year.

Fui pointed out this is another reason the decision was made to lift the entry criteria.

It would be unfair for the students to take in students and expect them to achieve this higher level once they are in, he said.

The end result is only 35 students passed and the rest failed. But increasing the entry pass mark means that we will take in those who have a better chance of passing.

When asked whether it was fair on the students who sat the exams for the university to make the announcement later rather than sooner Fui said there is no guarantee that given this information at the beginning of the year, it would make any difference.

You could look at it that way. But from the University point of view, this is a response to an overwhelming whisper that we raise our entry criteria from workplaces and the Ministry of Education, he said.

We had a lot of conversations about this issue as well as with the Public Service Commission. The pressure has been on us for quite sometimes and we now have made the deliberate decision to go that waywe have been very reserved in the way we handled this issue in the past exactly for those reasons.

As to what will happen to the rest of the students that do not make it in through the higher entry criteria, the Vice Chancellor said there are other options.

There are different levels of programmes and if you cant make the top level of programme and cant do the diploma you can do a certificate, he said.

There is a new reality ion the horizon. We are seriously thinking of expanding the Oloamanu services in terms of offering bridging course programmes for students who might still want to end up in the Foundation programmes.

Its an alternative to going back to colleges and repeating. If they do not allow students to repeat or if students do not want to go back to school, they can go back and do bridging level programmes through Oloamanu.

One of the programmes that has made some major changes in its entry criteria is the Faculty of Education.

In the past years, students needed a pass mark of 160% in their best three subjects plus English.

It has now changed to a total pass mark of 200% with 50% for English.

According to the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Tofilau Dr. Faguele Suaalii, the higher requirement is a response to the call for quality teachers.
Homeless children by the dozens listened intently late Saturday morning as the Three Wise Men told them of the miracle of Christmas, then paused to take a group selfie of their costumed selves.

Adorned in robes and crowns, the wise men in real life were El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells, El Cajon Police Chief Jeff Davis and St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral Deacon Keith Esshaki, who had come to the East County Transitional Living Centers annual Christmas party in El Cajon.

Roughly five dozen children listened to the stories, sang along to carols, ate cake and ice cream and received donated gifts of clothing. In the audience some of their parents watched and gave thanks for the center, which has given them a temporary home in a converted motel on East Main Street and is offering them the tools to transition to a more normal, sustainable life.

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Many of the women held infants, including Melissa Mulligan, 29, whose daughter Aliana was born just five days earlier.

I like it here because obviously theyve given me a place to live, Mulligan said. I have friends here and they really help me out a lot. Im learning a lot about Jesus.

Five-year-old Samul Howard enjoys his cake, ice cream and cookie before the children open their gifts at the East County Transitional Living Center. (Nancee E. Lewis/Nancy Lewis Photography )

Her friend, Shashann Cono, 27, said shes been living at the center for the past 18 months with her 5-year-old son.

When they first got to the center she said neither had any clothing, which the center provided. They feed us three meals a day, Im taking a GED class and I go to church Wednesdays and Sundays, she said.

This place has changed my life for the better, and my son, hell ask if he can say hi to that person and I say No, hes a stranger.

Can I tell him God bless you? he asks, and I tell him Of course you can. So its definitely changing our lives.

The party was held for the 42 families and 70 children participating in programs offered by the center.

Children attending the party are living at ECTLC while their parents participate in the life-transforming programs, said Harold Brown, chief executive officer of the center. The programs here guide homeless families and individuals into becoming self-reliant, productive citizens  breaking the patterns of generational poverty.

Its a Christian-based program but participants arent required to do any biblical counseling or classes.

Mayor Wells said he thinks the center has been the most successful homeless program in the county, Yet very few people know about it. Theyve got about an 80 percent success rate, he said.

Wells said the party provides him an opportunity to interact with the kids at a time of year children have great need.

Its just a feel good thing for everybody, he said.

Chief Davis also praised the center, saying that with the mounting homeless problem throughout the county, programs need to address a problem that isnt going to go away.

We should remember there is a population within our region that may not have such traditional support systems available to them. The holiday season has a different meaning to those who are homeless, and in particular, the children.

At one point during the party many of the children were asked to play various roles during a reading of Luke 2. They even had a real infant play Jesus.

Harmony Jennings, 13, portrayed an angel who  with great gusto  yelled out several times, Do not be afraid! I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

That was really fun, she said later, in between bites of vanilla ice cream. I really like acting stuff out and I really like ice cream.

jharry.jones@sduniontribune.com; 760/529-4931; Twitter: @jharryjones
It all began in 1992, when Morrill Worcester stared at the 5,000 surplus wreaths at his Maine factory.

Instead of tossing them, he thought they should garland the graves of the men and women in the rarely visited sections of Arlington National Cemetery, a quiet but fitting Christmas gift to those who served their country in war and should never be forgotten back home.

During a Saturday morning ceremony nearly a quarter-century later and on the other side of the country, Rex Kern stood before more than 1,000 Wreaths Across America volunteers who soon would decorate more than six times as many graves sprawling across San Diegos Miramar National Cemetery.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs director of the resting grounds at Miramar and Fort Rosecrans urged them to read the names of the dead aloud before resting a wreath beside their markers, an act of dignity that will let them live on for another day in the memory of a grateful nation.

Theyre not just headstones, said Kern. Theyre people who made a difference in the world.

More than 700,000 Wreaths Across America volunteers spread out across nearly 1,200 graveyards nationwide on Saturday  except at Montanas Yellowstone National Cemetery.

With temperatures well below zero and the markers submerged in snow drifts, organizers cancelled it for the safety of the volunteers.

Theres no more room for new graves at Fort Rosecrans, but the VA plans on families burying 260,000 more veterans and their spouses at Miramar.

Marine Col. Jason G. Woodworth, commander of the nearby air station, called it an incredible, hallowed place. Echoing both the words of Kern and the mission of Wreaths Across America, he asked the volunteers to honor the dead by learning about why they served their nation.

Dens of Cub Scouts took his call to heart. Their sneakers sinking into earth softened and still sopping from Fridays showers, they fanned out across the cemetery grounds with their arms hooped in wreaths.

Cub Scout Trey Pavlik of Cub Scout Pack 616 in Scripps Ranch, left, along with a fellow scout, salutes after placing a holiday wreath on one of the graves at Miramar National Cemetery. (Howard Lipin/U-T )

Dylan DUlisse, a 9-year-old Webelo and a student at Poways Canyon View Elementary School, stopped and propped one against a marker. He carefully recited the mans name  Presker Knowles  and noted the chief petty officer deployed to wars in Korea and Vietnam before he died in 2014 at the age of 79.

Then he rendered a crisp scout salute to the grave of the Chula Vista man and whispered, Thank you.

It just felt like the right thing to do, DUlisse said, rushing between the rows to find a few more wreaths, past two women searching for the graves of their husbands.

Widow Rita Potter was looking for Harold, a Marine radioman and one of the Frozen Chosin survivors from the brutal Korean War battle. She wanted to put a piece of Christmas candy on his tombstone.

The Massachusetts man always had a sweet tooth. Before he died in 2014, kids would cold call him on the phone, asking if Harry Potter could come out and play  and that tickled him, too.

He never talked about Korea until just before the end. He talked a little about it then, she said.

Hal Potter left the Marines a sergeant, married his high school sweetheart Rita, parlayed the GI Bill into an engineering degree at University of Southern California and raised six kids in the north hills of San Diego.

One of them, Susie, still lives five doors down from her mom in Rancho Bernardo.

And she was a few rows behind her on Saturday, gently brushing a twig off the grave of her husband  Keith Bristow, a former Army medic from South Carolina who everyone called Dave.

Potter and the 57-year-old Bristow died three weeks apart and randomly ended up in the same section at Miramar. Their wives will be buried next to them when they pass. They wouldve loved to have known that they were going to be near each other. We were married to them in life and well be married forever afterwards, said Susie Bristow. Thats pretty special.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
Confidential health data or personal information of more than 750,000 people may have been accessed in a cyberattack on Los Angeles County employees in May that led to charges this week against a Nigerian national, officials have disclosed.

The May 13 attack targeted 1,000 county employees from several departments with a phishing email. The message tricked 108 employees into providing usernames and passwords to their accounts, some of which contained confidential patient or client information, officials said.

Most of the 756,000 people whose information may have been accessed had contact with the Department of Health Services, according to the county. A smaller amount of confidential information from more than a dozen other county departments also was compromised.

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Among the data potentially accessed were names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, financial information and medical records  including diagnoses and treatment history  of clients, patients or others who received services from county departments.

Officials said there is no evidence that confidential information has been circulated, sold or released.

The county learned of the attack the day after it happened, and officials said they responded with security measures and a criminal investigation. But the county waited more than seven months to inform the public, citing an exemption under state law that allows delayed notification to protect ongoing investigations.

Cyber investigators with the L.A. County district attorneys office traced the attack to Nigeria. Prosecutors issued an arrest warrant Thursday, accusing Austin Kelvin Onaghinor, 37, of launching the attack and charged him with nine felony counts, including unauthorized computer access and identity theft.

Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said in a statement, My office will work aggressively to bring this criminal hacker and others to Los Angeles County where they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

These kinds of phishing attacks are on the rise throughout society  and the County has not been immune from that trend.  Joel Sappell, L.A. County spokesman

Once charges were filed, county officials began mailing notices Thursday to people whose information may have been accessed.

The countys Chief Executive Office said it delayed public notification of the attack at the request of the district attorneys office to protect the confidentiality of the sensitive, ongoing investigation and prevent broader public harm.

Notifying the public of the attack earlier may have hindered the investigation, the county said in a notice about the data breach Friday.

In response to the attack, officials said they have strengthened security measures on county email accounts and enhanced employee training to guard against a growing number of cyber intrusions.

These kinds of phishing attacks are on the rise throughout society  and the county has not been immune from that trend, county spokesman Joel Sappell said in a statement.

In February, officials disclosed that the Department of Health Services had been targeted in a smaller-scale ransomware attack, a type of malware that cuts off users access to files or threatens to destroy them unless a ransom is paid.

The district attorneys office said in a news release Friday that its cyber investigation team has protected the county from prior attacks, has investigated 85 cases, involving hundreds of thousands of potential victims and has resulted in several successful prosecutions and restitution totaling nearly $4 million.

The county is offering a year of free credit and identity-theft monitoring for people affected by the May phishing attack and has set up a website and call center for those seeking information: (855) 330-6368.

tony.barboza@latimes.com

Twitter: @tonybarboza

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By PTI: Madrid-based food blogger Janis said Indian food is

Madrid-based food blogger Janis said Indian food is popular among the locals who frequent calle LavapiAs, a street which is lined with Indian restaurants.

As many Indian restaurants operate from the street, its also called as "curry row".

The street has its own dedicated line of customers which include locals and people visiting the city from other parts of Spain.

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Tandoori delicacies, naan, rogan josh, butter chicken, samosas and mango lassi are among the most sought after dishes served by Indian restaurants, she said.

Many Spaniards who have been to India and Nepal for trekking also turn up at the restaurants to revive memories of their stay in the two south Asian countries, she added.

Ishwar Shari, who ran an electronics business in Spain for over a decade, said his friends and neigbours love Indian food and frequented the restaurants or Indian households for it.

However, the Spaniards would love if the restaurants make the food less spicy, he added.

Besides the Spaniards, the Indians settled in Spain are also loving the availability of desi food.

As per the Embassy of India in Spain, there are around 35,000 Indian residents in the country. PTI DIP DV ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
When Californians voted last month to legalize recreational use of marijuana, they may not have realized they were also allowing retroactive changes that could turn a felony pot conviction into a misdemeanor.

Under Proposition 64, people who have been found guilty of possession, transportation or cultivation of marijuana can now ask the Superior Court to reduce those felony convictions to misdemeanors, as long as there are no disqualifying factors in their criminal histories.

For defendants dogged by a felony conviction, even one handed down decades ago, the ballot measure could be a life changer if they are resentenced or the charges are dismissed.

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It really helps, said Jane Gilbert, a supervising attorney in the San Diego County Public Defenders Office. (A felony conviction) really impacts peoples ability to obtain employment, licensing, security clearances, even student loans.

Proposition 64, which passed with 57 percent of the vote, expanded Californias existing medical marijuana laws by making it legal for adults 21 and older to use, possess, purchase and grow marijuana within defined limits.

Under the law, adults over 21 can buy or possess up to 28.5 grams of marijuana, or grow up to six plants on the grounds of a private residence at any one time.

It remains illegal for anyone under that age to possess the drug for non-medical use. A person under 18 who is caught with a small amount of marijuana could be guilty of an infraction, punishable by completing community service and drug education classes.

Deputy District Attorney Rachel Solov said the measure also changed the maximum penalty for people who sell, transport or grow marijuana  outside what is now allowed by law  to a misdemeanor, the penalty for which would be up to 180 days in county jail.

So you could be driving with 5,000 pounds of dope in your van and get pulled over near Del Mar, its a misdemeanor, Solov said. (The crime would graduate to a felony, she said, if the defendant is a registered sex offender, has a history of convictions for drug sales or a previous conviction for certain felonies known as super strikes.)

Transporting marijuana across state lines or into the U.S. through an international border are still felonies.

Before voters even went to the polls in November, representatives from the Public Defenders Office, District Attorneys Office and the San Diego Superior Court had begun working together to identify people who might be affected by Proposition 64.

The first step was to figure out who was serving time in county jail or state prison for possessing, transporting or growing marijuana in certain amounts.

They found 65 people, all of whom were brought before Criminal Supervising Judge David Danielsen within three weeks of the measure passing.

There were some that were serving a 16-month sentence, some a few years, some up to 18 years, Solov said. In very few cases did it actually result in their release from state prison.

She estimated that about 20 people who had been convicted in San Diego County were let out of prison or jail early as a direct result of Proposition 64.

The next step, which is ongoing, is to process requests from people who are not in custody, including those on probation or parole, who have a qualifying marijuana-related conviction.

Gilbert said the Public Defenders Office has pledged to file petitions on behalf of anyone who asks, regardless of whether he or she was previously represented by the office.

We will do it for free, she said. We are doing it as a public service.

On Dec. 5, the office filed 63 petitions with the court and another 50 on Dec. 12, Gilbert said. The plan is to complete about 50 filings a week.

The District Attorneys Office reviews each of the cases to determine whether any information in the records would disqualify a defendant. If not, the matter is usually resolved without the defendant having to come to court.

Were trying to limit the court hearings to just the ones that really need them, Solov said.

So far, the process seems to be running smoothly, most likely because the district attorney, public defender and court had already faced similar challenges  on a much larger scale  after the passage of Proposition 47 two years ago.

That proposition allowed people convicted of certain low-level felonies, including simple drug possession and some property crimes, to ask for their crimes to be reduced to misdemeanors, no matter when they were committed.

Once it was voted into law, attorneys began working with the court to process a flood of petitions, work that continues today.

We learned from a lot of mistakes after Prop. 47, said Gilbert, who explained that the Public Defenders Office filed too many petitions all at once after November 2014 without first determining which cases should be given priority.

We overwhelmed everybody, she said.

Gilbert said working with the District Attorneys Office and the court also taught all parties to be more trusting of one another.

This is not as adversarial as trying to prove someone guilty or not guilty, she said. This is pretty straightforward. Either theyre eligible or theyre not.

Although its not clear exactly how many people with marijuana convictions on their records will be affected by Proposition 64, Gilbert and Solov said the number is far lower than those affected by Proposition 47.

The sheer quantity is a fraction of what was there with Prop. 47, said Solov, who said her office has reviewed more than 30,400 petitions submitted under that ballot measure.

So far, under Proposition 47, more than 20,500 reductions have been granted by the Superior Court in San Diego County.

RELATED

Landlords are worried, with the passage of Proposition 64 that legalized possession of recreational use of marijuana by adults 21, whether or not they can still prohibit pot among their tenants.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Computers in automobiles may mean more convenience and a better ride for motorists, but researchers have shown they provide the potential for hackers to take over the vehicles by remote.

A team led by UC San Diego professor Stefan Savage has demonstrated how a device plugged into a dashboard port could be hacked to work a Corvettes windshield wipers and brakes  with a smartphone.

It was just the latest demonstration of how hackers can take over a vehicles functions. Other cyber experts have had such success at taking control of a vehicle that the auto manufacturers have not only taken notice, but in one case, launched a massive recall to address the concern.

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Savage, a professor in the computer science and engineering department, made his presentation at the Usenix security conference in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 11. In an interview, he said there has never been a reported case of somebody hacking into a car to maliciously take over its controls, though there been many cases of people stealing or breaking into cars by remotely unlocking doors.

But he expects that to change.

Whether theyre terrorists or someone whos disaffected who thinks itd be really funny to take all the BMWs in the Bay Area and turn them into bricks so theyll never start again, he said.

At the Usenix conference, Savage and a team of researchers demonstrated how they can hack into a vehicle through the onboard diagnostic port  more commonly called the OBD2  needed for emissions testing and for mechanics to check a vehicles performance.

The team found they could access the computers that control the car by sending an update command to a telematics control unit, also known as a dongle, that plugs into the port. The device is used by some insurance companies, rental companies and fleet operators to track vehicles location, speed and mileage.

In a video they posted on YouTube, the team demonstrated how they were able to use a smartphone to connect to a Corvette and control its windshield wipers and brakes.

The key for Savage and his team  masters student Ian Foster, postdoctoral student Karl Koscher and masters student Andrew Prudhomme  was to look inside a dongle and find the phone number to connect to the device within a string of numbers to many other dangles.

In an earlier interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune, he said he doesnt see much motivation for such cyber attacks, since they dont cause serious long-term damage and are less sensational than physical attacks.

But logic often doesnt play a role in mischief, as was clear in 2008 when a 14-year-old boy in Poland hacked a TV remote control to cause a tram to switch tracks, derailing four cars and injuring 12 people.

Already theres a move in Congress to address car-hacking concerns.

A Washington-based lobbying group that represents a dozen car companies doesnt support legislation to create new standards, but its spokesman said it is taking steps to make cars more secure.

Cybersecurity is a serious issue for every industry, including autos, said Dan Gage, communications director for the Alliance of Automotive Manufacturers, which represents the BMW Group, Fiat-Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota and other car companies.

Gage said the auto industry is following a privacy by design approach of reducing risk and adding protection of data and privacy in the earliest stages of product development.

At the same time, the industry also is attempting to balance the extra security with consumer demands for the conveniences that come with interactive devices on vehicles, he said.

A big push over last year has been to educate consumers, he said. A lot of that data can be useful for providing consumer services. Consumers, being increasingly savvy, want to be increasingly connected.

Manufacturers have adopted an industrywide set of privacy principles and are working to establish a voluntary forum for collecting and sharing information about existing or potential cyber-related threats and vulnerabilities in cars.

Many manufacturers also are organizing an Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center, which will begin by the end of the year, he said.

How it can happen

To understand how a hacker can remotely operate a car, first consider how almost all functions in a car are connected with a controller area network. The network, first used in BMWs in 1988, allows devices to communication with each other without a host computer.

A modern car today is entirely computerized, UCSDs Savage said. Everything you think is mechanical, pretty much is not. You step on the gas, and youre telling a computer that you want to go faster.

A typical sedan has more than 30 interconnected computers, he said.

Theres pretty strong evidence that once you get into the network in the car, you can do just about everything, he said.

As an example, a luxury cars radio is connected to the drive train to adjust the volume at faster speed. The radio also may be connected to the alarm system, which is connected to the horn, which is connected to a system of devices that triggers actions after a crash, including unlocking doors and shutting off the engine.

Among the companies that use the dangles is the San Francisco-based company Metromile, which uses them to offer by-the-mile insurance to customers.

Savage said that Metromile was very responsive to his teams report, and announced patches to their dangles to address security issues. Metromile invited the researchers to speak to the company.

Sometimes you come to companies and tell them they have an issue, and they lawyer up, he said. That wasnt the situation at all.

Mobile Devices, a France-based company that makes the telematics control units hacked by Savages team, also announced a security pack would be issued to its dangles soon after the Usenix security conference.

Automakers responsibility?

Savage doesnt fault car manufacturers, which are required by law to have OBD2 ports. The ports are not defective, he said, but are working as intended.

That doesnt mean there isnt room for improvement. For instance, Savage said manufacturers of components within vehicles could require update commands to be digitally signed to ensure they are legitimate.

That idea was included in a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

The bill also would require National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Trade Commission to set standards that isolate critical software systems from the rest of a cars internal network, among other steps.

Gage, the car manufacturers spokesman, said legislation isnt the answer.

What automakers need now is not a new regulatory scheme with 18-month notices and multiyear reviews that suppresses innovation and hinders nimble efforts to stay steps ahead of malicious hacks, he said. In fact, several of the bills proposed requirements could provide consumers with a false sense of security in an ever-changing, data-driven tech world.

Gage said auto manufacturers already are being cooperative and working together to protect cars from cyber attacks.

Savage questioned whether automakers can be nimble.

The automotive industry is not agile, Savage said. It moves slowly. They have been moving toward doing a number of these things. But it does not turn on a dime.

More research hacking

Savage said his research may have been the first to remotely hack into a car using a dongle, but other people also are looking into cybersecurity in vehicles.

In July, cybersecurity experts Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek demonstrated how they could take control of a Wi-Fi equipped Jeep, causing it to slide into a ditch after disabling its brakes. The demonstration resulted in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recalling 1.4 million vehicles.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency within the Department of Defense also has demonstrated how a laptop can take over a vehicle. DARPA has funded research by Miller and Valasek.

Since 2012, the nonprofit research and development organization Battelle has hosted the annual Battelle CyberAuto Challenge in Troy, Mich. At this years conference, a 14-year-old boy used $15 in supplies from Radio Shack to build a device that wirelessly communicated with a cars controller area network to turn on the headlights and windshield wipers, honk the horn, unlock the doors and even start the engine.

Savage first researched potential cyber attacks on cars in 2010. On a hunch, he and other UC San Diego researchers looked into vulnerabilities in the growing number of external communications devices in cars such OnStar, Bluetooth capability on stereo systems, remote keyless entry and even tire-pressure sensors.

We found a flaw in a CD player in our car, he said. You could pick a song and code it in a way that if you played on your PC itll play fine, but if you play it in your car, itll take it over.

Savage said the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and original equipment manufacturers reacted positively to his research in 2011. The agency created a new test center and efforts were made to create new standards, among other steps.
For graduate archaeology student Tom Holm, an iconic childrens story linked a cryptic chapter in Californias past with a modern-day Indian tribe in San Diego County.

A decision by the Navy last week validated a cultural connection between the historic Nicoleno Tribe of San Nicolas Island  the most remote of the Channel Islands  and the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. The determination gives the tribe jurisdiction over hundreds of human remains and burial objects.

We are pleased with the affirmation by the federal government of our cultural affiliation between Pechanga and the human remains and associated funerary objects from San Nicolas Island, tribal Chairman Mark Macarro said in a statement Friday.

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Holm also hopes the Navys announcement will shed more light on the Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island, a mysterious historical figure memorialized in the childrens novel Island of the Blue Dolphins, by author Scott ODell.

The novel is a fictionalized account of a real woman known as Juana Maria, or the Lone Woman, who lived by herself on San Nicolas Island for 18 years after her tribe was massacred by otter hunters and the remaining tribal members were moved to the mainland in 1835.

Through some mishap during that evacuation, the Lone Woman was left behind. She was eventually discovered and transported to Santa Barbara Mission in 1853, then died just seven weeks later.

The book inspired by her tale has been a mainstay of elementary school literature for millions of California students, and has gripped readers with its account of one girls tenacity through years of tragedy and solitude.

Holm, now a graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, read the story with his own daughter in 2007, and became inspired to pursue a masters degree in archaeology to sleuth out her story.

She is unique and fascinating, and incredibly important in that she was the last living Indian of the Southern California islands, Holm said. Something about the Lone Woman has captured our imagination, and it is especially captivating to young women. She was strong. She was a survivor.

As Holm worked to document artifacts on San Nicolas Island, he began exploring possible links between the Lone Womans family and modern tribes including the Pechanga.

I was taken with the idea that the woman was taken to Santa Barbara, but none of the Indians could speak her language, so she died without being able to tell her story, he said.

Interest in the Lone Woman surged five years ago, after archaeologist Jon Erlandson and colleagues discovered a pair of redwood boxes on the island containing a mix of artifacts of Nicoleno, Native Alaskan, and European origin.

Along with animal bones and teeth boxes included knives with redwood handles and stone blades, stone projectiles, ornaments and effigies, carved shell fishhooks, a carved stone pipe and bird bone whistles, along with glass blades, a brass button and other European objects.

The cache, represents a remarkable time capsule from a nineteenth- century clash of cultures that was created by European exploration and the development of globalized economies, Erlandson stated in a 2013 paper about the finding in the The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology.

Even more intriguing, the time-stamp created by the unique objects dated the cache to the decades between 1814 and 1853, Erlandson wrote, establishing that the items were likely used either by the Lone Woman or by one of her fellow band members before they left the island in 1835.

Shortly after that discovery, in 2011 Holm began photographing artifacts found on the island as part of his Masters work, with an eye toward linking the Lone Woman with any surviving relatives of the Nicoleno.

One of my priorities was trying to find her family, he said.

Although the Lone Woman was unable to communicate to people at Mission Santa Barbara, written records documented four of her words. Based on an analysis of those words, UCLA linguist Pamela Munro concluded the Nicoleno language was similar to Luiseno, along with the Juaneno, Cupeno and Cahuilla languages of other Southern California tribes.

With Munros research in mind, Holm approached the Pechanga band to share his own findings on the islands. At first, he said, tribal members were reluctant to meet with him. But as he showed them the artifacts he was documenting, the items struck a chord with tribal elders, and they began sharing ancestral recollections of the island dwellers.

Every time Id go, theyd bring out documents, new songs, and talked about grandparents talking about the islands, Holm said. My physical evidence was affirming their songs and their stories.

When several tribal officials later visited San Nicolas Island, they expressed deep concerns about the way human remains and other objects were being handled in excavations there.

They began discussions with the Navy to stake a cultural claim to the Nicoleno relics under a federal law that provides a process for museums and Federal agencies to return certain Native American items including human remains, funerary objects and other sacred objects to descendants and culturally affiliated tribes.

On Thursday, the Navy affirmed that connection, agreeing to repatriate 469 human remains and 436 burial objects to the Pechanga. Those items are now contained in five collections on the mainland and one on the island. Through that agreement, the tribe will have greater authority over the handling of those items, which tribal officials view as sacred.

What todays decision means is that nearly 500 human remains, and hundreds of burial and sacred items will finally be afforded the respect and dignity they have long deserved under federal law, Macarro said in the statement. The staggering amount of remains and sacred items involved stands as a testament to the need for stronger laws that respect Native heritage throughout the United States.

While the Pechanga are the only tribe to step forward to claim a connection to the Nicoleno, there may be other Southern California tribes that also share that affiliation, officials said.

The agreement doesnt cover other sets of artifacts, and doesnt include the recently discovered redwood boxes, said Joseph Montoya, an environmental planning and conservation branch manager for Naval Base Ventura County.

Although the agreement doesnt govern items associated with the Lone Woman, it could be a step toward reclaiming her legacy, said Richard Norris, a professor of paleobiology at Scripps, and Holms thesis advisor.

Heres somebody who was lost to time, Norris said. To connect that to living people on land enriches the story much more. Particularly when you have living people who can tell us what those artifacts were.
El Cajon police arrested a man who grabbed a knife at a restaurant, scared away employees and refused to come out for an hour on Saturday.

When he finally walked outside, an officer fired a less-lethal round at him and he was taken into custody, police said.

The standoff occurred at El Cilantro Fresh Mexican Grill on East Madison Avenue, near North Second Street.

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Security video obtained at the restaurant by NBC 7 San Diego news station shows the man walking through the lobby and kitchen, and two employees slipping out the door, about 6:45 a.m. The man, in a bright orange T-shirt, brandishes a long kitchen knife.

Police said they negotiated with him for about an hour before he came out of the restaurant. He was taken to jail on a variety of charges.
San Diego police are looking for a man who robbed a clerk at gunpoint at a liquor store in the Mount Hope neighborhood Saturday night.

Police said the gunman walked into the Party Time Liquor 2 store near Market and 41st streets around 9:15 p.m., pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money and alcohol.

The man left the store with an unknown amount of money and got into a black sedan.

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Police described the robber as black, in his 30s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and thin. He was wearing a gray hoodie pulled over his head and black and gray jeans.
Regarding Electoral College could block Trump (Dec. 8): Does anybody on the editorial board give any realistic credence to the plea/whine by a sociology professor of all things, to subvert the Electoral College? It is apparent that his bizarre philosophy is one of the reasons the Electoral College was made to exist.

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Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191.

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Should we allow the residents of Los Angeles County (of all places) to elect the next president of the United States?

Clintons popular vote margin nationwide is greater than 2 million. Her margin in California is greater than 4 million. Her margin in Los Angeles County is about 1.3 million. Do I or we want the residents of La La Land choosing anything for us, much less the next president of the United States? This is another reason that the Electoral College exists.

Dave Hodgens

La Jolla

* * *

I have not heard one commentary that correctly states why the Electoral College was created.

When people mention Alexander Hamilton, the only thing in which they are correct is that he was the Federalist who pushed the Electoral College concept. The reason was to prevent the common man and the popular vote from prevailing in a victory. They did not trust the uneducated, popular, one man/one vote concept. That included Thomas Jefferson, who was in opposition to most of Hamiltons views.

If you would like verification of this, read the Federalist Papers. It is clear, they never intended to let the common man make this decision.

William Gammon

Point Loma

Navarrette tells the truth about Trump

Kudos to Ruben Navarrette for the positive, sensible content of his last two columns.

Last week, he said we should accept the election results, be patient and give Donald Trump a chance. This week, he explained the Dreamers predicament: If you listen to Trump, he does not want to disrupt families, but he does want to deport criminals, drug dealers and gang leaders. Makes sense to me.

Walt Bratten

Oceanside

Trump should grow up before taking office

It was recently reported that Trump communicates at a fourth-grade education level. Its like he is the playground bully at Eddie Haskell Elementary.

He uses baseless personal insults and attacks designed to make the bully (Trump) feel good about himself by putting others down.

A recent example is Trumps tweet about the union leader in Indiana who had the nerve to correct The Donald on the number of Carrier jobs that were saved. This unleashed Trumps wrath by calling him a terrible union leader who could not do his job.

Reminded me of the ultimate put-down when I went to grade school: Your mother wears combat boots, neener neener neener. Where are the adults in this administration? I think we should edit Trumps campaign slogan to Make America Mature Again! What an embarrassment he is as the leader of America.

Suzanne Mack

Del Cerro

Trump could set an example for other firms

How is it that Donald Trump can make an issue of U.S. companies moving jobs to foreign countries? All his line of clothes are made in numerous foreign countries and sold here.

If he would put his manufacturing in America, wouldnt it help our American workers? Why is this never mentioned when he rants about other businesses?

James T. Nelson

Escondido

Our supervisors must justify their pay raise

Regarding Shame on supervisors for pension spiking (Dec. 15): I would like to know what justification the supervisors provided for giving themselves a raise.

Population growth, more complex matters coming before them, larger workload? Has the job changed in scope or does it require additional education or training?

If the only justification is that they have been doing it for so many years, would they give all county of San Diego employees a raise for doing the same job over the same number of years? Just asking.

Janet A. Frazer

El Cajon

World should focus efforts on birth control

In response to Bill Shannons letter (Nothing offensive about model mini-message, Dec. 14): Limited access to birth control and family planning education options results in unwanted and unsupportable pregnancies.

Shannon may wish that, with a flourish of verbal challenge, women can achieve the control that they want. Instead, he should spend his energy supporting efforts to increase birth control options and education. This is a very important agenda.

According to current world population growth rates, the current population of 7.3 billion will grow to 19 billion by 2100, causing serious problems in food availability, pollution, energy shortages and availability of minerals and other resources.

Bill Brophy

San Diego

Departed city attorney offers thanks to many

Leaving office as San Diego city attorney, I want to express my appreciation to San Diegans for their support and confidence. It was an honor to serve in various elected public offices over the years.

Thanks to the 150 deputy attorneys and 350 employees of the City Attorneys Office. Together, we established a culture of a professional law office  not a political office  performing quality work based upon the law, not politics. That culture helped to achieve solid results. Just last month, our office was recognized by a respected national organization as one of the finest municipal law offices in the nation.

Also, I thank council members, virtually all mayors and staff for respecting our different roles, allowing us to practice law. We worked together well.

Finally, I wish my successor, former Chief Deputy Mara Elliott, the very best. She is well-prepared to be city attorney and I leave office knowing that the city of San Diego is in good hands.

Jan Goldsmith

Former San Diego City Attorney

More to worry about than word Christmas

Regarding Debate over December celebrations goes on (Dec. 11): There is something definitely wrong with Americans. Why are they against the word Christmas and all that goes on with it? I grew up in a Muslim country where Christians, Muslims and Jews alike all celebrated Christmas.

They considered it a festive season, with Christmas trees and nativity scenes in public places. Have you nothing else to worry about, like hunger in the world, murders all over the country, health issues, education, child pornography, global warming, hackers, war in the Middle East? This country is becoming a scary place to live in.

Peggy Hinaekian

La Jolla

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Regarding S.D. police cite homeless choir members for sleeping outside their church (Dec. 6): Police officers have a difficult job.

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy.

E-mail letters@sduniontribune.com

Mail: Andrew Kleske, Reader Outreach Editor San Diego Union-Tribune P.O. Box 120191 San Diego, CA 92112-0191.

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Choosing which legislation to enforce is not, and should not be, part of their job description.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) works collaboratively to strive towards compassionate action among every member of San Diegos community.

Through the Homeless Outreach Team, Psychiatric Emergency Response Team and Serial Inebriate Program, SDPD officers are on the streets every single day, working to build relationships with homeless individuals and to connect them with available services.

No one should have to sleep on the street.

We are working with leaders and communities to find both short-term and long-term solutions to homeless and housing issues in San Diego.

The Downtown Partnership will continue to support SDPD officers in their endeavors to connect homeless individuals with services, as well as in their efforts to enforce the law in San Diego.

I hope all of our community members will do the same.

Kris Michell

President & CEO

Downtown San Diego

Partnership

San Diego is losing its home-grown flavor

Regarding Brigantine gets final OK (Dec. 13): As a second-generation San Diego native, it makes me sad to watch San Diego sell its soul for money and progress.

It appears the goal is to look like every other port city, so that each is indistinguishable from the next. Its happening all over, but lately to Seaport Village and now Anthonys.

My family grew up with the Ghios. Were losing a great family restaurant that has served San Diego with love and loyalty for decades to a chain that cares nothing about our city except money and profit. Its not personal. Its business.

Mary Kay Jackson

Alpine

U.S. cannot condone the hacking by Russia

John W. Konecki (Debating Russian influence on the election, Dec. 13) states no matter who gains access to the e-mails, as if this breach in our national security is of no importance when Russia hacked our election.

Apparently the point is being missed, badly, that being, an opportunity to take the content and use it to install a Putin puppet as president. To those who liken this to a wet bed, please pull those covers all the way off and see how soiled and utterly dangerous this issue is.

L. Marlene Evans

San Marcos

Cartoons should also stick to the facts

Fake news and false information was a major factor in Trumps victory. The comic strip Mallard Fillmore has fake and false information in support of Trump every day.

Douglas Smithdeal

San Diego

Trump already showing troubling judgment

So the president-elect said the CIAs conclusion that Russia interfered with the 2016 election was ridiculous and said I dont believe it.

And the president-elect said, You know, Im like, a smart person. I dont have to be told the same thing and the same words every single day in response to not attending the daily briefings.

This is a man who will be the leader of our country and who will have to decide if the CIA findings of an immediate threat from Russia, China or North Korea are also ridiculous.

Makes me very nervous.

Deborah Checkwood

Oceanside

Russia just doing what U.S. has long done

Really, how can any American feign to be shocked that Russia may have influenced our election? Even if they did, news flash, the U.S. has been doing exactly that in other countries for decades.

Only ignorant, blind idealists could think otherwise. The elections are over, thank God. Get over it, stop the bellyaching theatrics and move forward.

K. Potter

Tierrasanta

Address the basics before working on 5G

Regarding San Diego should be a Smart City leader (Dec. 12): Instead of focusing on 5G internet speeds and being a smart city, shouldnt our civic leaders be focused on making us a more humane and livable city for all? If we are so smart, why havent we solved the homeless, housing and job problems in our fair city?

Before we worry about improving download speeds for our movies, how about helping our community college students find affordable housing? They are more important to San Diegos future than all the talk about high tech and stadiums and convention space. Or do you want them to pitch a tent on the sidewalk like our homeless do?

Verna Price

Point Loma

Students should try time-honored remedy

Regarding Schools ease students fears (Dec. 6): As we get older, we come to moments where we say, well, Ive now seen it all. I had one of those moments one morning when I came upon the photo of a therapy dog at UC San Diego.

The dog apparently was there to help students de-stress from finals week. What a gross misuse of these wonderful animals. They are sorely needed elsewhere. If finals are so stressful for these students, why dont they do what my generation did when we were in college? Im sure they are aware of partying.

Greg Pharis

Spring Valley

Just appearance of impropriety is wrong

Regarding Falconer donor top program utilizer (Dec. 13): Ethical behavior versus unethical behavior is often a matter of appearance.

Once again, you have a well-connected individual Tim Golba,with insider knowledge, a Sustainable Energy Advisory Board Member and planning commissioner, using the unintended benefits of a program for his wealthy clients. Maybe San Diego, Americas Finest City, still has some Enron City By The Sea in its soul.

Mary Helen Ish

La Jolla

Sufferin succotash, toon was spectacular

The Steve Breen cartoon (Donald Trump and Sylvester, Dec. 14) nailed it. Cartoon of the year.

Rosemary Asmus

San Marcos

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With Hillary Clinton winning the votes of nearly 3 million more Americans than Donald Trump, there is a sense of outrage on the left that the candidate who was the most popular wont be the one elected.

If we really subscribe to the notion that majority rules, then why do we deny the majority their chosen candidate? former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, D-Michigan, asked. Others were not so diplomatic.

Expect more anger to flare up Monday as members of the Electoral College gather in each of the 50 states to ratify Trumps election. They have never been in a spotlight like this. Last month, Trump tweeted that the Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Just four years ago, he tweeted that the Electoral College is a disaster for democracy.

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That sentiment has only intensified. But any Democrat who thinks electors might break their vows and vote against Trump is kidding themselves. Thats doubly true for any Democrat who thinks the Electoral College might be abolished after seeing their popular victory thwarted by some odd 18-century bureaucratic relic twice in 16 years.

To be blunt, that cause is a waste of time on a par with the Calexit movement. The very reason the Electoral College produces results different than the popular vote is why it will never be abolished: It gives less populated states disproportionate power in picking the president.

Each state gets electors equivalent to its members in Congress; while House seats are divided proportionally, all states have two senators each. This means Wyoming, with a population under 600,000, gets three electors, and California, with a population of 38 million, gets 55 electors. Were electors proportionate to population, California would get more than 60 times the delegates of Wyoming, not 18 times. To change this corner of the Constitution would require approval of two-thirds of both the House and Senate and three-quarters (38) of state legislatures.

This is certainly possible in theory; polling shows the Electoral College is unpopular. But it also requires lawmakers in small states to act to reduce their states relevance in deciding who wins the White House and thus make it far more likely theyll be ignored in presidential elections. Thats not how most politicians think. Its also not how most people think  yeah, Ill give away part of my influence for the abstract greater good.

It is for these reasons that The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board encourages Democrats to stop whining about the Electoral College and start wondering how  despite pronounced demographic advantages  their party lost 32 of 50 states.

Republicans will soon have control of the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. But they also have two out of three governorships and unified control of state government in half the states. By comparison, there are only five states with both a Democratic governor and a Democratic state legislature. Notably, 27 of the 38 governors races in 2017 and 2018 have Republican incumbents.

Those races will set the stage for the 2020 presidential election, when it will again be clear that middle America has more power than New York or California  and the Electoral College is here to stay.

RELATED

 There have been a total of 157 faithless voters to date, according to FairVote.org, a nonprofit that advocates for national popular-vote elections for president.

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The Army is moving a classified proposal worth around Rs 300 crore to buy new assault rifles, sniper rifles, general pupose machine guns and light weight rocket launchers and night vision devices at a key Defence Ministry meeting planned next week, senior Army sources told Mail Today

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: Next time when Indian Special Forces would enter Pakistan or any other country for a surgical strike, Government is working towards making sure that they have the required weapons and equipment to carry out their mission more effectively and smoothly.

In this direction, the Army is moving a classified proposal worth around Rs300 crore to buy new assault rifles, sniper rifles, general pupose machine guns and light weight rocket launchers and night vision devices at a key Defence Ministry meeting planned next week, senior Army sources told Mail Today here.

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WHAT IS THE PROPOSAL

As part of the effort to equip and arm the nine Para (Special Forces) battalions, the government is also likely to adopt the Foreign Military Sales route to import more M4A1 automatic rifles from the US.

The proposal for equipping the Special Forces and doing away with the shortages faced by the units, the proposal has been prepared by the Additional Director General (Special Forces) in the Military Operations directorate which deals with the units closely at the times of operations.

Also Read: Surgical strikes in PoK: How Indian para commandos killed 50 terrorists, hit 7 camps

"The old units like the 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10 and 21 Para (SF) have adequate rifles and equipment for performing their tasks but the new raisings such as the 11 and 12 Para (SF) are facing shortages of assault rifles and other equipment. The older units had to dig deep into their reserve equipment to help the new ones," the sources informed.

As per the sources, the Army has plans of buying around 10,000 free-fall parachutes, 1100 personal automatic rifles, 30-each sniper rifles, and automatic General Purpose Machine Guns, 24 lightweight rocketlaunchers, 20 shotguns and 500 pistols.

"The GPMGs are a must and its requirement was deeply felt in both the surgical strikes in Myanmar and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir for effect. Special Forces are using the Russian Pika Machine Guns which have mostly been captured from terrorists who got them from Afghanistan as the leftovers of the Russian forces there in the 1980s," the sources informed.

The Special Forces are also keen on getting new assault rifles as the Israeli Tavors are good but the firepower of the 5.56mm bullets is not that effective and in Indian conditions with the hardcore terrorists operating here, bullets which can cause fatal hits are required.Also read: Lt Gen Bipin Rawat appointed new Army chief, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa as new Air Force chief

In the presentations to the Government, the Special Forces have even cited examples where the terrorist could manage to escape after being hit by the 5.56mm bullets of security forces.

The rocket launchers sought by the Special Forces are light weight and will be easier to carry inside enemy territory, in case of future strikes against terrorist launchpads.

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The troops are at present using the Carl Gustaf rocket launchers which were procured long time back by the Army.

The Automatic grenade launchers are also required by the Special Forces for taking down a group of terrorists or their hideouts during operations by the forces.

The Special Forces presently have an outdated version of this equipment which is quite heavy.

The Defence Ministry has asked the Army to process the procurement of the equipment for the forces under the fast-track procedure which is provided for in the defence procurement procedure.

Under this procedure, the services can bypass several procedures and have to work with the integrated financial advisors for processing their procurement cases after approval from the Defence Ministry at the apex level.

After the September 28 surgical strikes, the defence Ministry has given a go ahead to the three services with a purse of Rs2,000 crore to buy the equipment and weapon systems which are short in their inventory.

The SF operatives belonging to the 4 and 9 Para (SF) deployed in the valley carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).

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Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) asked for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's help in bringing back the body of a man who died in Japan. She has offered to bear all the expenses and will do it without delay.

By India Today Web Desk: A kidney transplant did not stop External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj from working and continuing her Twitter diplomacy.

When Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) sought her intervention in bringing back the body of man who died in Japan, she offered her full support.

Radha Debi, resident of Ambedkar Nagar, approached DCW saying she is financially weak and cannot bear the expenses of bringing back the body of her 48-year-old husband Gopal Ram.

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Also read: Sushma Swaraj is back: Seeks immediate report on Indian man who walked 1000 km in Dubai for justice

Radha, mother of three, said her only source of income is a room she had rented out and that's why cannot arrange the exorbitant amount required to get her husband's body home.

She sought assistance for getting Gopal's body back for performing the last rites.

DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal wrote a letter to Sushma Swaraj informing her about the situation and also wishing a speedy recovery.

Also read: Sushma Swaraj's husband's witty reply to a tweet proves he's just as cool as her

The minister tweeted assuring that she will help the woman to get back the body. "We will bear all the expenses and do this without delay," the tweet read.

We will bear all the expenses and do this without delay.@htTweets https://t.co/SXVVsI5qaP Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 18, 2016

Gopal Ram, the deceased, left for Tokyo in September 2015 to become a cook and passed away from a cardiac arrest on December 10.

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Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 is among the most anticipated smartphones of 2017, and several spec updates are being leaked every day. The latest rumor suggests that iPhone 8 spec will include a foldable OLED display. Reports also indicate that Google, Microsoft, and even Apple may get into partnership with LG to acquire the foldable displays.

Apple Explores Bendable OLED For iPhone 8

The Cupertino tech giant is rumored to be working on a bendable display for the upcoming iPhone 8. Although Apple iPhone 8 may not be the first smartphone in the market to sport a curved display, it is certainly an inspiration for other smartphone manufacturers who follow the top brand, as reported by BGR news.

Google, Microsoft & Apple Are Looking for OLED Partners

Recent reports from Korea indicate that Apple, Google, and Microsoft are planning to work with LG for OLED panels that not only allows for curved displays but a foldable one.

Samsung Display is presently the prime OLED screens supplier for the curved display rumored to be featured in the iPhone 8. However, looks like there is going to be a bit of competition between LG and Samsung for Apple iPhone 8 OLED display orders in the coming years. Apple is expected, to begin with, mass-production of foldable OLED screens. This will allow Apple to come up with iPhones and iPads featuring curved or foldable displays.

Users can expect Bendable Pixel and Surface Phones

LG Display is working on a mass-production of foldable OLED displays for Apple and other giant players such as Google and Microsoft. If these rumors turn out to be true, users can expect a Pixel or a Surface phone with bendable display phone shortly, as reported by iDropnews.

The Microsoft Surface Phone release date and spec have seen a lot of speculation and rumors over past few months. The rumors of Microsoft foldable phone cannot be brushed aside.

LG & Samsung May Compete Each Other

However, it is not yet known when and if these companies will launch their devices featuring curved or foldable screens. In either case, LG is going to face some stiff competition for Samsung to capture the iPhone 8 foldable screen market.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates on Apple iPhone 8 specs, release date, and price.
This is a great news for all Samsung and virtual reality fans. Samsung Electronics, as has been hinted, is working on two different virtual reality and augmented digital reality systems. The first one will be an upgrade to the original Samsung Gear VR headset, while the second one will be a mixed reality gadget almost similar to Microsoft HoloLens or Magic Leap.

According to the Verge, a new Samsung Gear VR apparently "will be presented in a short time." The Samsung Electronic vice president Sung-Hoon Hong has recently made an appearance in the Virtual Reality Summit in California. In the summit talk titled "Future of Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality and Samsung's New Challenge", Hong said that Samsung is working on a "light field engine" that can produce "really, really realistic" holograms.

"It looks really touchable," he said. It was also his belief that augmented reality has a better market potential and technical advancement scope, as compared to the virtual reality segment. The technology should apparently appear at the 2017 Mobile World Congress in February. These words were also similar to the statement made by Tim Cook in February this year.

It is also important to note that Samsung has previously been able to successfully patent a holographic TV. However, Hong is much more interested in advancing in the wearable gadget series. Samsung is probably going to work with other companies to actually make these plans a reality.

Hong also mentioned about the Florida startup called Magic Leap that works on mixed reality, however, no concrete announcements have been made by the companies yet. The original Samsung Gear VR was developed by Samsung in partnership with the virtual reality company Oculus.

We are awaiting the time when commercial augmented reality will exist in a full-fledged manner. it currently has limited and specialized uses only. Slowly, we expect that there will be headsets developed which actually produce holograms in a life-like manner. The continuous advancements may also be able to help with the heavy price tag and help the headsets ergonomically.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates on Samsung Gear VR specs, price and release date.
Ajith Kumar plays an interpol officer in the upcoming yet-untitled film, which is directed by Siruthai Siva.

By India Today Web Desk: It's a well-known fact that Ajith Kumar has left no stone unturned when it comes to stunts, be it bike or car.

While the Yennai Arindhaal star is currently shooting for the upcoming yet-untitled flick in Bulgaria, a picture of Ajith Kumar doing a bike stunt is doing rounds online.

SEE PIC: Dhanush, Kajol, Soundarya Rajinikanth's selfie

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WATCH: Baasha Trailer

Notably, Hollywood stuntman Jorian Ponomareff, who has previously worked in films like Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, took to Facebook and heaped praise on Thala. Impressed by his stunts, the French stunt rider said he was floored by Ajith Kumar's simplicity.

Rajasekar, an industry insider took to Twitter and shared the picture.

Wow #Thala57, the only Tamil actor who can effortlessly perform such risky stunts with great elan ????????? #Bulgaria pic.twitter.com/YWuBBJJSbP Rajasekar (@sekartweets) December 18, 2016

Tipped to be a spy thriller, the film will see Ajith Kumar as an Interpol officer, who is in charge of a crime investigation that happens in Chennai. The subsequent investigation leads him to the European nations where 70 per cent of the film is currently being shot.

The makers have roped in Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi to play the antagonist in the film.

Directed by Siruthai Siva, the film stars Kajal Aggarwal and Akshara Haasan in pivotal roles.

With Anirudh Ravichander composing the music, Thala 57 is expected to release next year.

Here's the video:

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If there is Uber, there must be rumors and controversies. In a recent act of defiance against public authorities, Uber is refusing to take off its self-driving cars off the roads of San Francisco. Uber has been reported told that the Uber self-driving cars are illegal but it is refusing to comply with the directions.

In recent news, Uber had started to pick up passengers in specially-modified Volvo self-driving cars on the streets of California. The testing had started this Monday itself. However, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the DMV, redirected Uber to first get the necessary permits for such ventures. Uber, however, stated that it did not need to get any permit for the reason that a safety driver is always sitting at the wheel. They have continuously ignored the demands of the authorities. "It is illegal for the company to operate its self-driving vehicles on public roads until it receives an autonomous vehicle testing permit," addressed Brian Soublet, an authority from California DMV in a letter to Uber.

The California Attorney General, who is the most senior lawyer representing the government, has told the taxi company that it must cease the operations of the Uber self-driving cars or it is likely to face serious legal actions. The spokesperson on behalf of the Attorney General's office did not specify what exactly this action would be like, but is suffices to presume that it should be a binding court order. The court order would direct Uber to carry out the state demand.

Why are Uber Self-Driving Cars illegal?

Other companies testing the self-driving technology, such as tech giant Google, have applied and received the necessary permit. The permit costs about $150 for 10 vehicles and additional 10 vehicles are going to cost $50 per vehicle.

However, it does not seem like Uber is taking any of these warnings seriously. Uber's VP, Anthony Levandowski was not at all ruffled by these demands and stated his "respect" for the officials in a recent conference with media. However, he reiterated that the regulations were not even applicable on Uber self-driving cars.

According to Anthony, the permit only applies to cars that could operate "without the active physical control or monitoring of a human operator". Uber's cars need a human, he said - although the company still intends to refer to the vehicles as "self-driving cars."

Levandowski also referred to the case of Tesla's autopilot mode in their cars which makes the artificial intelligence take control of the vehicle and drive around. He compared Uber's situation to this technology saying that if autopilot does not require a permit, Uber's technique is not vastly different and hence, does not demand a permit either. Uber has requested DMV to clarify on this issue after taking note of this argument. It should be noted that Google cars have a human driver behind the wheel at all times.
It is a good day for the people who propagate equality and secularism. The digital giants have finally broken their mum and have taken a positive stance. When asked if they would help to build a Muslim database or registry if demanded by the upcoming administration under President Donald Trump, they have specified that they will decline any such requests.

These confirmations have been reported by BuzzFeed. In a statement issued on December 17, an Apple spokesperson said, "We think people should be treated the same no matter how they worship, what they look like, who they love. We haven't been asked and we would oppose such an effort." Similar stances have also been taken by other companies including Google and Uber. Earlier in the day, Google issued a statement saying, "In relation to the hypothetical of whether we would ever help build a 'Muslim registry' - we haven't been asked, of course, we wouldn't do this and we are glad - from all that we've read - that the proposal doesn't seem to be on the table." Meanwhile, Uber responded to BuzzFeed with a terse "no" in response to a similar inquiry.

These companies are some of the most influential ones in the world and make it to the list which also has other high profile companies. These corporations have put on record their declination to build a database to profile Muslim, after targeting them as a separate religion. The pressure to take a side first started when The Intercept had first asked the companies about this topic. Only Twitter had said it would never participate in something like this. Facebook also had initially tried to remain silent on the issue, but a PR fiasco had forced them into making a proper statement. They stated they have not been asked, and neither would they help build a registry of this sorts.

Microsoft PR head Frank X. Shaw told BuzzFeed that, "We oppose discrimination and we wouldn't do any work to build a registry of Muslim Americans." Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Alphabet chief Larry Page attended a summit with President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday, as did Apple CEO Tim Cook and Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. We had previously reported Automattic signing an online pledge to never participate in the creation of such a registry- a list that is growing steadily each day.
In junior high I asked the librarian for a Florence history. Unfortunately, she said, there was no book on the history of Florence, but she produced a bunch of newspaper clippings, and I devoured them.

Although there was no formal history, she said Florence and its county were relatively new, and histories would appear. Some have since, including those by Wayne King and Nick Zeigler.

Unknown then to me, learning about the city and county was Henry E. Davis, a longtime Florence lawyer who was compiling local history and had the fascination of many older Florentines with the railroads. There was no way then of knowing that he would produce a local history that would appear in late 2016.

Davis was a kid in the late 19th century in Williamsburg County, living near the old North Eastern Railroad between Florence and Charleston. He heard whistles of NERR steam engines as well as whistles of steamboats on the nearby Santee River. Its been some time now since either has been heard.

Besides his fascination with history, Davis felt that it should be preserved. He collected Florence facts that over years have been studied by students, historians and journalists, and his writings spent decades before last weeks publication in typed form in the Drs. Bruce & Lee Foundation Library Zeigler S.C. History Room.

A History of Florence City and County and of Portions of the Pee Dee Valley, South Carolina, a mouthful, is the title of Davis book, which was completed about 1965 and finally published last week, a half-century later.

Margaret Collar, Zeigler Room librarian, was a key figure in preparing the manuscript finally for publication. It was done by her, library workers and volunteers. We made a good team, she understated in the preface.

Much of Davis attention went to exchanges of property on downtown streets in Florence, and during his detailed description of downtown streets, he states that John L. Barringer should be considered a Florence hero because he was alarmed at retail development along Front (now Baroody) Street.

Barringer feared that Florence would develop like railroad towns with the main business street lined with stores bordering tracks. When his hotel on Front Street burned, he built a new one on East Evans, encouraging development on that street removed from the Wilmington, Columbia and Augusta tracks.

His rebuilt hotel was the Central, which in one of the great fires of the 1890s burned but was rebuilt, again on Evans. Veteran Florentines likely remember it as the Sanborn. It also helped make Evans and Dargan the main business corner in town instead of Dargan and Front.

There are many little goodies in the book for us who have memories of the downtown decades ago. One was the number of livery stables and blacksmith shops along Evans and Dargan streets. Western Union once had a surprisingly imposing entrance, which I learned previously was the entrance to a bank. He writes that Florences first theater was on North Dargan.

There is much about Florence experiences in the Civil War as well as economic history, background of local schools and other institutions and development of the highways and railroads. The Modern Period he speaks of ends in 1965 when his writing ended.

During the Depression, local banks failed and in the 1940s and early 50s there were only two banks in town. Now there are so many that I doubt that any local banker knows how many branches we have around town now. Are there more than convenience stores? Or drug stores?

He devotes much attention to the development of Florence from a railroad hamlet to town to city to county seat, including the political fight to create the county. Development of the countys economy gets much of his attention.

It was good to see that Davis credited Horace Rudisill with providing much information that helped with Davis project. Rudisill was a vigorous researcher who sought answers to questions about Florence. During my early days at the Morning News, Rudisill often was in the newsroom late nights searching microfilm for information on Florences past. In his final years, he led the Darlington County Historical Society.

Where a community has been is a good navigator to help it face the future. Its good that we now have histories.

Thom Anderson is a former editor of the Morning News. Email him at thidbit@aol.com.
By PTI: From Subhashis Mittra

Lucknow, Dec 18 (PTI) High octane sound and fury in ruling Samajwadi Party with crucial Assembly polls round the corner dominated the political spectrum in Uttar Pradesh in 2016 which also witnessed one of the countrys worst train tragedies in recent times that left 150 dead in Kanpur.

Mulayam Singh Yadav virtually grappled with an unprecedented family feud that threatened to split SP ahead of the key elections, prompting major Opposition parties BJP and BSP to rework their caste arithmetic in the poll-bound state.

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Cracks in the Yadav clan came to the fore around mid-year when senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav announced merger of Quami Ekta Dal (QED) of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, much to the chagrin of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

Within three days of the announcement, SP parliamentary board called it off under pressure from the chief minister, setting off a chain of unsavoury events that shook the ruling party and the government for days till a fragile peace was brokered by Mulayam.

With Assembly elections weighing heavily on his mind, the chief minister in an effort to project himself as "Mr Clean", axed two ministers, including tainted Mines Minister Gayatri Prajapati, triggering tremors in the party that saw an angry Mulayam strip his son Akhilesh of the post of state SP chief and install his uncle Shivpal in his place.

In a tit-for-tat action, Akhilesh took away key portfolios of his uncle, leaving him fuming so much so that he sacked a number of pro-chief minister youth leaders who headed various front organisations.

Mulayams cousin Ramgopal Yadav also bore the brunt of the raging storm in the party as he was not only sacked from key posts, but expelled from SP for six years for backing Akhilesh and opposing Rajya Sabha colleague Amar Singh, the "outsider" tarred as a villain of the piece in the entire episode.

As the noise within SP proved to be music to Opposition ears, Mulayam feared the ugly developments might hamper SPs poll prospects. He revoked all expulsions and made the fighting leaders bury their hatchet to send the message that all-is-well in the party. (MORE) PTI SMI ZMN DIP

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The increased bounty on ISIS chief, USD 25 million, is the same as what was offered for Osama bin Laden in 2011.

By PTI: The US has more than doubled the reward for information leading to the capture of dreaded Islamic State chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi to USD 25 million.

The Department of State released a statement announcing the USD 25 million reward for the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The new bounty, USD 25 million, is the same amount offered for Osama bin Laden in 2011, but no one ever cashed in after the al-Qaeda leader was killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs in May of that year.

Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. (Photo: AP)

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THREAT HAS INCREASED

"Protecting the homeland and the American people is our top counter-terrorism priority, and just as we have intensified our efforts against ISIS, we are increasing the means available to us to gain information on their leadership and bring them to justice," the State Department said in a statement.

ALSO READ: ISIS leader Al-Baghdadi killed in US-led air strike

"The threat that Al-Baghdadi poses has increased significantly since the Department of State's initial USD 10 million reward offer for information leading to his location, arrest, or conviction was announced in 2011," the department's Rewards for Justice Programme said on its website.

"Under Baghdadi, ISIS has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States," it said.

"Al-Baghdadi has taken credit for numerous terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, killing thousands of his fellow Iraqi citizens," it added.

ALSO READ: Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, top 3 commanders poisoned?

THE ELUSIVE BAGHDADI

Baghdadi is designated by the Department of State as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee.

US officials have long described Baghdadi as enemy No. 1 in the fight against the militant group and speculation has swirled over his whereabouts.

Though Baghdadi has been elusive, he has spoken out occasionally in videos and audio messages.

In October 2015, Iraq's military claimed its air force had struck a convoy in western Anbar province that included a vehicle carrying Baghdadi. For weeks, reports circulated that he was seriously injured in the airstrike.

Those reports have since been disputed by US officials.

ALSO READ: Terrorist or a cat? 5 times ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was reported dead

ALSO WATCH

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December 11 was meant to be a perfect Sunday, falling between the third anniversary of Vasundhara Raje's record-breaking victory in Rajasthan (December 8, 2013) and the day her second government in the state assumed office (December 13, 2013). But the chief minister appeared to be in an awful mood over the media's coverage of her cabinet reshuffle held a day before. Predictably, the media had analysed the reshuffle-who were promoted, who were shown their place, and why. "How can one cut a minister to size and waste a berth?" Raje retorted when asked if she had downgraded Rajendra Rathore by moving him from the health and medical education portfolio to rural development and panchayati raj.

Since Rathore, like Raje, is a Rajput, the reshuffle was a subject of intense speculation. By increasing the number of Jat ministers in the cabinet to five from four, was she trying to strengthen the BJP's OBC base-at the cost of Brahmins "This is more bullshit," the chief minister said. "I only induct those who can deliver for the good of the people, the government and the party."

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Whether or not it is acknowledged, caste plays a significant role in Rajasthan's politics. On December 9, one such caste-influenced move made by the Raje government in 2015 ran into rough weather in the Rajasthan High Court. The court struck down the government's decision to provide a separate 5 per cent quota to Gurjars and five other communities under reservation for Special Backward Classes. The court asked why the government had made room for the special quota from the quantum of reservation for the general category instead of the Jat and Mali castes, which have cornered most of the OBC quota (Jats, 30 per cent; Malis, Kumars and Yadavs, another 30. Jats have been a strong vote-bank for Raje, and the cabinet reshuffle only confirms the speculation that she won't risk unsettling the community.

A day after the reshuffle, Gurjar leader Kirori Singh Bainsla held a closed-door meeting with Hardik Patel, leader of the Patidar community's quota agitation in Gujarat. The meeting could add to Raje's worries. Both Bainsla and Patel have spearheaded aggressive, violent quota agitations. Bainsla led a Gurjar quota movement during Raje's first term in office from 2003 to 2008-one that ended in 77 fatalities and damage to property worth hundreds of crores. But Bainsla maintained peace during the Congress regime that followed. Bainsla shares his caste with Sachin Pilot, Congress's president in Rajasthan. Gurjars make up around 7 per cent of the state electorate and can swing the verdict in about half a dozen of the 200 assembly seats.

Though elections in Rajasthan are slated for December 2018, the recent developments explain why Raje has already started her re-election campaign. In the past three months, she has held meetings with top BJP leaders, including president Amit Shah and the organisational secretaries representing the RSS. The focus was on reorganising the party in the state, and reshuffling ministers (the last such exercise was in October 2014). Now, the BJP's focus is on the rural, SC/ST and OBC voters, evident from the fact that their representatives cornered a majority of the appointments in the expansion of the cabinet to 30 ministers and five more parliamentary secretaries. Raje has also filled political vacancies in the state's boards and corporations.

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Many think Raje has been a slow decision-maker in her second term. The chief minister, however, blames the perceived slow pace of governance on the crippling debt inherited by the exchequer from the previous Congress government. This includes a debt of Rs 80,000 crore in the power sector and a yearly Rs 5,000 crore accumulating from the old age pension norms relaxed by the previous government in 2013.

Raje says she has been pushing for reforms, such as enhancing the role of the private sector in development and making prudent use of resources on the basis of recommendations from experts inducted in her advisory council. "This is about removing deep-rooted flaws and incorporating lasting changes across a very large canvas," she says. "I am keeping these [initiatives] low profile so that everyone takes notice of the results achieved and not of token publicity." Raje adds that a shake-up of the bureaucracy will follow.

Her rival Pilot is far from convinced. "There will be no improvement in governance from such reshuffles," he says. Pilot claims the portfolios of most ministers were changed because their aides were implicated in anti-corruption investigations. "She has bought their silence by shifting them. She should have dropped them," he says. He has a point. Raje won accolades when, last year, she let the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) go after corrupt senior officials. Later, she is said to have buckled under pressure from bureaucrats and ministers. Many efficient officials were shifted out of the ACB. With several posts still vacant, the ACB is nearly defunct.

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Ashok Parnami, the BJP's Rajasthan president, says the government has fulfilled more than 70 per cent of its promises. Yet, apprehensive of anti-incumbency, the BJP has started its public outreach two years before the polls. After a big rally in Bikaner on December 13, Raje intends to adopt a more low-key approach and focus on the tasks at hand. "There won't be any new announcements and I will first consolidate what I have started," she says.

"I allot portfolios in the best interest of governance, and the party"

Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje sounds confident about her government's work and the BJP's fortunes in the 2018 elections. Excerpts from a conversation...

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Q. What is your agenda for the next two years?

A.This is the completion round. We are heading for elections and will focus on delivering what we had begun with and promised.

Q. Is there a perception that you are inaccessible and a weak administrator compared to the last tenure?

A. I do keep my distance from some, including armchair intellectuals. But the way I have been travelling to districts, getting panchayat and revenue camps organised, monitoring basic health, education and infrastructure through direct feedback is what matters, not who doesn't get to see me in my already stretched working hours, for whatever reasons.

Q. What will you pitch as your successes when you go to polls?

A. We will have the largest network of national highways, a kilometre-long stretch of access roads in most villages, the Bhamashah scheme which, besides health insurance, ensures direct transfer of subsidies. Certain other measures that add to the happiness quotient have made a strong start- such as providing sanitary napkins in schools, creating a network of libraries and toy and cloth banks, keeping cities reasonably clean, and holding art and culture festivals.

Q. How will you handle the high court's decision striking down the special quota for Gurjars?

A. The quota was a unanimous decision of the state assembly. We will defend it and do everything to implement it.

Q. Was the cabinet reshuffle meant to cut some ministers down to size?

A. I don't waste my limited cabinet berths in making a minister weak. That I do by not inducting those I do not want. I allot portfolios in the best interest of governance, as per the party's focus.

Follow the writer on Twitter @rohitO

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When finished, it's expected to be the world's hottest borehole, a shaft more than three miles deep, drilled into the rifted margin of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Here, two of the planet's main tectonic plates, the North American and Eurasian, are tearing apart as deep molten rock pushes up from beneath. This is Iceland, the land of volcanoes and geysers, a steamy hotbed of unlimited geothermal energy that the country already taps to produce electricity for its residents.

But the Iceland Deep Drilling Project represents a step up from conventional geothermal energy sources because it aims to tap 900-degree F "supercritical" steam - steam so hot and so pressurized, it's neither gas nor liquid. But its power potential is ten times that of steam from conventional geothermal wells. This one could generate 45 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 50,000 homes.

"If this works, in the future we would need to drill fewer wells to produce the same amount of energy, meaning we would touch less surface, which means less environmental impact and hopefully lower costs," the project's CEO Asgeir Margeirsson told the BBC.

And a successful project in Iceland could mean improved geothermal power techniques for other countries with volcanic regions, like the United States. According to a recent assessment by the US Geological Survey of our country's geothermal resources, the electric power potential of known sites is more than 9,000 MW, and 30,000 MW from yet undiscovered sources.

The Icelandic borehole, dryly named IDDP-2, is the country's second attempt to access supercritical steam. The first attempt occurred in 2009 with the IDDP-1 well drilled in the Krafla volcanic region to Iceland's north. The shaft reached only 1.3 miles before striking a reservoir of magma.

WATCH VIDEO: Which Countries Run On 100% Renewable Energy?
Bam: Free college tuition fee bill expected to be passed next year

Sen. Bam Aquino is optimistic that measures pushing for free tuition fees in state colleges and universities will be enacted into law next year.

"We're hoping we can pass this by February or March in time for June school year at para libre na ang college tuition every school year," said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, during a media interview in Tuguegarao City.

"Masaya rin tayo na maraming senador ang sumusuporta sa panukalang ito na ng libreng tuition fee ang mga mahihirap na estudyante sa ating SUCs," added Sen. Bam, who filed Senate Bill No. 177 or the Free Higher Education for All Act giving free tuition fee to all students in SUCs.

Aside from Sen. Bam's bill, five other similar measures were filed in the Senate during the 17th Congress.

While P8 billion was already earmarked for free tuition fees in SUCs in next year's budget, Sen. Bam stressed that a law is needed to make it a regular item in succeeding national budgets.

"Malaking bagay po ang dagdag na budget na ito but hopefully, by next year, we can do the accompanying law na maglalaan ng regular na pondo para rito bawat taon," Sen. Bam said.

During his visit to several state colleges in Cagayan and Isabela recently, Sen. Bam also held a dialogue with students, informing them about the education-related bills he has filed in the 17th Congress.

Among them is the Senate Bill No. 1278 or Trabaho Centers in Schools Act, which recently hurdled the committee level and will be discussed in plenary next year.

Sen. Bam also wants to give out of school youth (OSY) in the country access to education through his Senate Bill No. 171 or the Abot Alam Bill, which seeks to institutionalize alternative learning system (ALS).
Press Release

December 18, 2016 Legarda: Free Irrigation for Farmers in 2017 Nat'l Budget Senator Loren Legarda today said that another important highlight of the 2017 national budget is the government subsidy on the irrigation service fees (ISF) being paid by farmers to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). The P2 billion additional allocation for NIA under the proposed 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA) is intended to cover the ISF collected by the agency from farmers' associations. An accompanying Special Provision for this purpose specifies that the P2 billion allocation will be used to cover the operating requirements of NIA and the maintenance of existing irrigation facilities which were previously funded out of the collections from ISF. "Our farmers, who feed the nation, are among the poorest of the poor who urgently need government support and intervention. At present, they need to pay the irrigation service fee for NIA to irrigate their farms when, in fact, what we need to pursue is the lowering of production costs so we can achieve food security, encourage more citizens to engage in or go back to farming, and improve the income of our small farmers," said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance. The NIA is authorized to collect the ISF pursuant to Republic Act No. 3601, but Legarda said it is time to amend the said law. "This intervention in the budget is only the first step to free our small farmers from the added burden of having to pay for irrigation fees. What we really intend is to make it a policy of government," she explained. Legarda is the co-author of the proposed Free Irrigation Reform and Restructuring Act, which seeks to remove from NIA the functions of maintaining irrigation projects and collecting irrigation services and other fees. Under the said measure, fees being collected by NIA from its irrigation beneficiaries will be discontinued and the management and maintenance of irrigation facilities will be turned over to the beneficiaries and will be provided with professional management support. "The free irrigation for farmers under the 2017 national budget will be a big boost for the agriculture sector and we will continue to support improvements in the sector through various measures and policies, including the immediate passage of the proposed Free Irrigation Act," Legarda concluded.
Press Release

December 18, 2016 Senate hikes by P1 B DSWD budget for free daycare meals The Senate had added P1 billion to the children's feeding budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, raising the amount to P4.427 billion, to enable the agency to serve one hot meal daily to 1.74 million 2 to 4 year olds for 120 days next year. Although he was the one who introduced the amendment, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto credited the hike to the "united stand" of senators to boost funding for anti-child malnutrition activities. "During the floor debates, the push for a higher budget was incessant. Senator Grace Poe was relentless in her questioning. And the chair, Senator Loren Legarda, was receptive to the proposals made," he said. Recto had questioned the small allocation for nutrition services, child feeding specially, even before the 2017 national budget was submitted to Congress. To drive home the point on how money to combat child stunting was inadequate, he revealed that the P13 cost of meal served in schools and daycares was lower than the meal budget of prisoners. "Preso value meals are in fact slightly costlier than school lunches," Recto said, adding that "anyone who can whip up a nutritious meal on P13 should win the Magsaysay Award in kitchenomics." As a result of Recto's amendment, the per meal budget will be increased to P20. However, his other amendment to increase the allocation for the "school feeding" program of the Department of Education was not adopted, as the DepEd itself cited "fund absorption" issues that might lead to unutilized additional funds. Despite this, Recto still claimed victory because "in legislation, it is better to win a half-a-loaf of bread than go home with an empty bread basket." He defended the P1 billion increase, which he described as "a speck compared to the estimated P328 billion annual economic losses caused by childhood malnutrition." The government's feeding program for children runs on two parallel tracks: DSWD takes care of "severely wasted and underweight" children ages 2 to 4 who are in daycares or neighborhood play groups, while DepEd is in charge of enrolled children ages 5 to 11 or those in Kindergarten to Grade 6. In their appearance before the Senate to defend their 2017 proposed budgets, officials of both DepEd and DSWD admitted that current funding levels for feeding programs are not enough to reverse the ravages of malnutrition. When Recto broached the idea of a higher feeding project during the recent plenary debates on the national budget, he made sure to elicit the assurance from DepEd and DSWD officials that they will spend the money in full and on time. The minority leader said funding should be contingent on the two agencies' prompt use of feeding funds "because of the bad way it was utilized last year, which bordered on criminal neglect." Citing official audit and fund utilization reports, Recto said DepEd delayed the release of P1.4 billion out of last year's P2.4 billion in school feeding funds, transferring it to the regions only in Nov. 13, or when 2015 was about to end, thus defeating the program's aim of a 120-day feeding schedule.
"The Pakistani army went on a rampage and did things against humanity. That led ultimately to their downfall," said retd General VK Singh.

By Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today: General (Retd) VK Singh, now the minister of state for external affairs, was a young officer in the Indian army when the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War broke out. Many of the memories of that time may have become clouded by time, but he remembers the horrors of the war vividly, especially the atrocities committed by the Pakistani army.

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At a commemoration event of the war, held at the Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) on December 16, Singh said, "The world has forgotten the atrocities committed in Bangladesh. I do not think the people of Bangladesh of that period have forgotten, but the coming generations, probably have found it easier to put it somewhere in the corner," said Singh.

"Those who have probably read some of those accounts (atrocities) know that they defy or belittle what the Nazis did. I remember there being a race improvement camp (in Bangladesh)," said the former General.

Also Read: General vs General: Army Chief Dalbir Singh says VK Singh banned him illegally, tried to block promotion

He wondered how a professional army, which was till 1947 a part of British Indian army, could turn around in such a manner. "The Pakistani army went on a rampage and did things against humanity. That led ultimately to their downfall."

"I was in Meghalaya with my Unit," he added. "I saw the plight of the refugees and the administrative nightmare at the camp. If one sits down and thinks about it now, their mind will boggle. I recall visits by Jagjivan Ram (then Defence Minister) and Indira Gandhi (then Prime Minister) to these camps."

Of the two political figures he recalled, one was represented by Meira Kumar. The former Lok Sabha Speaker, daughter of Jagjivan Ram, shared her own memories of the war and also gave an insight into her father's actions.

"After my father took charge of the defence ministry, the toughest challenge was to boost morale. Soldiers are trained to make the supreme sacrifice for their own motherland. But here, they were fighting for another land. My father went around the country - to every border post - and said that we as a nation would never attack. But if we war was imposed upon us, then we would not back down."

Also Read: Journalists should focus more on accuracy than speed: VK Singh

Bangladesh's Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, who was awarded 'Bir Bikram' for his role in the war and is now the minister of disaster and relief management thanked the citizens as well as the government of India for the help they provided 45 years ago. The event, organised by India Foundation, was also marked by the presence of India's President Pranab Mukherjee (via pre-recorded video) as well as several veterans of the war.

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For those who were unable to witness the speeches on December 16, a week-long exhibition on the 1971 war is available for viewing at the NMML Library Building.

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Sandra Quirozs new apartment, in the Casa de Vilarrasa affordable senior housing complex in Benicia, is modest: Its walls are bone-white and beige, its shelves are strewn with family photographs, and its windows look out to a sun-dappled courtyard.

But compared with the mobile home where Quiroz has lived for the past 15 years, its grand.

There are so many cupboards  there are cupboards that I dont even use, she exclaimed, eyes twinkling as she bent over the arm of her wheelchair and pointed at her small kitchenette.

Just a few months ago, the 62-year-old retired X-ray technician was making do in a 30-foot trailer that she parked in a nearby lot. Quiroz, who suffers from debilitating kidney failure and gets dialysis treatments three times a week, was unable to keep up with repairs. Brittle winters, she speculated, had caused the locks on her trailer doors to contract and break. Worse yet, the shower had a ledge that blocked her wheelchair, so for two years Quiroz was forced to sponge-bathe in the sink.

I felt vulnerable in the trailer, and I kept getting sicker and sicker, she said.

Two years ago, the owner of the trailer park announced plans to develop the lot and bring in an Ace Hardware store. He gave his 27 tenants until June of next year to move out.

Quiroz suddenly found herself facing homelessness. Strained by complex health problems and a fixed Social Security income of $1,100 a month, she had limited housing options. And sleepy Benicia was starting to feel the squeeze of a hot Bay Area real estate market: In April, median rents for a one-bedroom apartment rose to $1,465 a month  a steep climb from $987 a month in April 2011, according to the real estate website Zillow.

Its been very hard to locate any affordable housing here in Benicia, said Roberta Cooper, Quirozs case worker at the Benicia Community Action Council, a nonprofit group that provides food, housing, and job services for the poor.

It seems like these big rent increases have occurred in just the past two years, Cooper said, and all the cheaper options have been soaked up.

Quiroz sought help from the Community Action Council in April, and the group was able to find her an apartment in Casa de Vilarrasa, a large, Spanish-style building on a quiet, tree-lined street. The Chronicles Season of Sharing fund helped cover the security deposit and one month of rent.

Within days of filing her paperwork, Quiroz opened the door of her new apartment and rolled her wheelchair along the kitchens smooth linoleum floors. She hung a cat calendar on one wall and tacked pictures of her two daughters and five grandchildren on the refrigerator. She bought a new bed with money she earned selling the old mobile home. She hung cups over the counters and began cooking on the electric stove, which was a huge improvement over the tiny propane oven she used in the trailer.

And she began meeting her neighbors, some of whom had emerged from similarly precarious situations.

We get together and celebrate birthdays and have potlucks, Quiroz said. Theres a large community room where you can put tables end to end.

She said she has no intention of ever leaving.

I lived in that trailer for 15 years, and to come into this ...  She paused mid-sentence and shook her head, giggling. This to me was like, Whoah.

A couple days after moving in, Quiroz got a special chair for her shower and sat under the hot water for what must have been 20 minutes. It was her first shower in two years.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@rachel swan

ABOUT THE FUND

For the past 30 years, the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund has helped more than 100,000 Bay Area individuals and families facing an unexpected life crisis. The idea of neighbors helping neighbors was introduced to The Chronicle by the late Walter A. Haas Jr. and Ira Hirschfield, president of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, in 1986. Since then, the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund has distributed $113 million to help those living in the Bay Area.

Each year, the fund provides temporary assistance to approximately 4,500 families, allocating most of its grants for housing needs, as well as paying for other critical necessities such as essential furniture for families recovering from a fire in their home or helping to purchase a wheelchair. Grants are paid directly to the supplier of services, such as a landlord. Individuals do not receive direct grants from the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

The fund, which also distributes more than $1 million each year to local food banks, relies on donations from readers. The money is distributed year-round.

Every penny of your donation goes to help those who need it most. All expenses are covered by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund and The San Francisco Chronicle. We are proud to say that since its inception, 100 percent of the money raised for the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund has gone directly to help the families and communities we serve.

For more information, visit www.seasonofsharing.org.
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The Emeryville warehouse known as Midsummer Studios has long hosted weddings and concerts, childrens camps and fundraisers, mostly without city-required permits.

That never seemed to be a problem until now. A Saturday night film screening expected to draw about 200 people to the 3,000-square-foot studio space was called off, organizers say, because the city said events like it need approval.

The event is the latest casualty of what many say is a magnifying glass on not only artist spaces, but also their activities  in the name of safety. After the Dec. 2 fire at Oaklands Ghost Ship warehouse, where 36 died at an unpermitted music show, many events lacking approval have been shuttered in California and across the country.

In Moss Beach, a holiday fair in a warehouse got the ax last week, along with a concert planned in Oakland. And an underground bar in Yakima, Wash., announced on Facebook a moratorium on shows until it meets city demands.

The organizers of the Midsummer Studios screening officially called their event off Thursday.

This isnt some shack, and its not the Ghost Ship, either, said Rebekah Fergusson, a co-founder of Backyard Films, the Bay Area film collective that had planned Saturdays screening. Were not heating water out of propane tanks. This isnt something that deserved to get shut down.

The problems for the warehouse started when Midsummer Studios scheduled a fundraiser for the family members of the Ghost Ship victims. The event attracted the attention of Emeryville officials, organizers say, through a Facebook page where more than 1,000 said they would attend. The benefit was moved to Oakland, but the scrutiny culminated in at least two meetings between studio and city representatives.

The outcome, according to those at Midsummer Studios: Get permits or no more events.

If this is just some difference of opinion between our little space and the city of Emeryville, thats fine. said Pete Lee, 35, a co-founder of the filmmaking space. Thats easy to resolve, but whats really unfortunate is its happening across the board, and there just seems to be a hit out on these kind of situations and creative spaces.

The mayor of Emeryville, Scott Donahue, said that though he wasnt aware of the studios situation, there was no city crackdown at play, just standard safety practices.

The warehouse had been inspected by the city and found to be compliant with code, said Ben Fee, a co-founder of Midsummer Studios, adding that city officials even once inquired whether they could host an event there. But to city officials, thats not the issue, because even buildings up to code need a permit for special events.

The space is zoned for commercial use, and having 50 or more people at an event requires a permit with 30 days notice, according to the city.

Essentially, (city officials are) saying anything that theyre aware of on Facebook, theyre going to come and shut down, Lee said.

A video producer based in Emeryville who had planned to attend the screening, Winnie Wong, said she was obviously bummed out but added that it may show that Emeryville is trying to get a head start on accountability after the Oakland fire.

I can understand where the city is coming from, but I also think there are ways to work with people to find alternatives, Wong said.

Another filmmaker, Sean Wells, who lives in Oakland close enough to the Ghost Ship fire that he smelled the smoke, said artists have started to hold back on hosting events because now is not a good time to be in the limelight.

Hopefully, we find a way to approach it in a preventative way that the city is OK with and does make things safer, but it cant just be canceling everything left and right, Wells said. Theres got to be a better way.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley
Just days after being sworn in as San Franciscos newest member of the Recreation and Park Commission, longtime City Hall insider Jason Chan quietly resigned rather than face an embarrassing vote at the Board of Supervisors.

Chan, a onetime aide to Mayor Gavin Newsom and former campaign worker for Mayor Ed Lee, also happens to be a housemate of Francis Tsang, the mayors commission appointment secretary  who vets candidates for city panels and recommends a winner to Lee.

So maybe it wasnt surprising that Chan landed the coveted appointment. And since the assignment didnt require Board of Supervisors confirmation, Supervisor Mark Farrell, standing in last week as acting mayor while Lee was out of the country, promptly swore in Chan during a City Hall ceremony.

Board President London Breed and the majority of her colleagues, however, werent given a heads-up and only learned about the swearing-in from a Facebook posting.

They were livid, and they let the mayors office know it  particularly since Chan had also neglected to file an economic interest statement with the board clerk as required.

Soon the scramble was on for a vote to undue the appointment, which the board has to right do within 30 days.

Seeing the humiliating fate that awaited him, Chan bowed out  submitting a face-saving resignation letter that said his busy work schedule would keep him from attending Rec and Park meetings for the next few months.

We get hundreds of emails around issues involving the parks, and we have got to have competent people who understand these issues and can make hard decisions, Breed said. I dont think this (planned rejection vote) was motivated by politics or fighting with the mayor.

The mayors office has been silent  including Tsang. And Chan did not return our call seeking comment.
Emails of the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee were hacked and leaked. Was Vladimir Putin behind it all? Sounds like it.

It was embarrassing for Clinton. But lets be honest  the leaks didnt get her defeated.

Joe Six-Pack did not vote for Donald Trump on the basis of whether Donna Brazile fed CNN questions for a primary-season debate to Camp Clinton. Hillary did not lose Wisconsin because John Podestas unguarded opinion of Bernie Sanders was aired to the world.

The Russians didnt lose the election for Clinton. It was our own overconfidence and belief that Trump couldnt possibly win that lost the race.

I dont know why anyone would be surprised that the Russians were behind the hacking. For years, people in the business world have been telling me the former Soviet republics are the bargain basement for computer technology.

You can either pay big bucks for expert tech advice and analysis here, or you can go to Ukraine and for $5 some teenager will have you an answer in five minutes.

Monday is the day the Electoral College meets in state capitals across the U.S. to make Donald Trumps election official. Pipe dreams entertained by some Democrats that enough Trump electors could be persuaded to jump ship will be shown to be just that.

As for California, maybe we can form a government in exile.

Denzel Washington was a true star at the opening of his Fences the other night at the newly renovated Curran Theatre. He gave interview after interview, posed for selfies  he was the complete crowd-pleaser.

He also shared stories of his days long ago, as an acting student at the American Conservatory Theater. He lived in a tiny apartment at Bush and Powell and paid $150 a month in rent. Hard to imagine getting so much as a place in the doorway for that price these days.

The apartment had a Murphy bed and a bathroom that doubled as the closet. It was so close to the building next door that Washington could stick his arm out the window and touch the wall.

His goal was to be on the stage at the Curran. He left town almost four decades ago and, since then, hes won two Oscars, three Golden Globes and a Tony. But he never made it to the Curran  until now.

The only star that shined as brightly as Denzel at the Fences opening was the theater itself. Man, is it beautiful. Carole Shorenstein Hays must have put more money into the makeover than Trump put into Trump Tower.

Whatever the price, it was worth it.

Word on the chatter line is that former San Francisco first lady Kimberly Guilfoyle is on the short list to head Donald Trumps White House press operation.

Having once been married to Gavin Newsom, she should know firsthand about political imaging, including major hair management issues.

And having worked at Fox News, she will see things the same way as her boss in the Oval Office.

Speaking of Gavin Newsom, I keep running into him at holiday parties, and try as I might, I cant help but give him a tweak or two about his campaign for governor.

The other night, for example, I half-kiddingly said, Gavin, theres only one person I think could give you a run for your money in 2018.

I let it hang there for a second, then said, Kamala Harris.

You should have seen his eyes.

Dont put it past her, though. Shes going to find out pretty quickly in the Senate that the seniority system is more like the senility system  you have to be in office for 12 years before anyone pays attention to you.

I had the honor of working with the Goodwill in preparation for its Donate-a-thon. I would like to urge every woman this holiday season to give a pantsuit to Goodwill. Your donation just might give someone in need of the right look to land a job.

And as we say in Texas, that would do Hillary Clinton proud.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com
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Steve Stevenson started working at a record store in 1997, a time when the compact disc was king and sales of vinyl LPs were nosediving, kept alive by a small but dedicated core of digital-audio refuseniks.

He always wanted to run a record shop of his own, and in 2008, against steep odds, he got the chance to do so in Oakland. With bad credit, $4,000, 160 square feet of space and his own record collection, Stevenson opened 1-2-3-4 Go Records and hasnt looked back since.

Every year weve been open weve had an increase in business, he said.

You might credit Stevensons record-picking savvy for that  but the real story is that anyone whos been in the LP business over the past decade has had some wind in their sails. Revenue from vinyl hit a 28-year high last year, rising 32 percent to $416 million, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. A resurgent market for vinyl records in the Bay Area matches trends elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe.

Eric Mueller founded Pirates Press in San Francisco in 2004 and said his company, which brokers vinyl-record manufacturing mostly for independent musicians and record labels, has grown exponentially every year since. Last year, the company moved to a 40,000-square-foot office and warehouse in Emeryville to accommodate the swelling volume.

The first year, we made somewhere around half a million records, and were making somewhere in the 5 million range per year right now, Mueller said. We hope that in 2017, well be making up to 7 million records.

The mediums unlikely resurrection over the past decade has prompted some artfully-groomed-goatee-stroking among industry observers about how long the vinyl revival might last.

But to talk with members of the Bay Areas tight-knit community of record stores, vinyl pressers and distributors, the regional industry appears to remain vibrant, growing and increasingly innovative.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

The trend has not fallen out of its groove this year. Sales of vinyl LPs are up 12 percent compared with 2015, according to data from Nielsen. Independent record stores accounted for 43 percent of vinyl sales, a 2 percent gain.

The most surprising thing for those who long ago dropped vinyl for cassettes, CDs, MP3s, and Pandora and Spotify might be that its not just collectibles and rarities. New tracks are still being laid down pretty much the same way they have been for the past 86 years  by putting plastic pellets in between the jaws of a record press and applying heat.

And people are playing those old-fashioned albums on newly bought equipment. Tony Green, product manager for Amoeba Musics San Francisco store, said that hes also seen double-digit growth in sales of turntables.

You would be amazed at the general imbalance of youth versus people of my generation buying them, Green said Its a young persons thing, and young people, even school-age kids, are talking about it, and I definitely see it expanding.

Those newly pressed albums sell well, thanks to contemporary musicians embrace of vinyl. Despite his punk-rock roots, Stevenson is not averse to stocking the new Taylor Swift album. Over the years, Stevenson has moved his flagship store into progressively larger spaces. Today, 1-2-3-4 Gos Oakland location occupies more than 1,500 square feet. And last year, Stevenson opened a second location in San Franciscos Mission District.

All of that expansion is only done on the back of what Ive been able to bring in through the stores, he said. Ive never had financial backers, I never got a loan. Its all been through the stores.

Between the two stores, Stevenson employs six workers and will collectively pay out $150,000 in payroll this year. The floor here is $15 an hour, he said.

The industry continues to inspire new entrants as well. Zane Howard quit his job at a meat company in July to focus on his new venture, Second Line Vinyl, a state-of-the-art record-pressing facility in Oakland.

Howard had been searching for a way into the music industry and considered opportunities in music streaming. But he quickly decided the space had become too crowded, and he noticed a surprising trend.

When streaming was taking off in 2010, thats when vinyl started coming back. I saw that this is more than a fad, this is a trend. Maybe I can create a small business and support local artists with vinyl pressing.

After teaming up with an industry veteran, Howard decided to build all-new record presses, replete with advanced diagnostics and Internet connectivity, rather than rely on decades-old machines.

The goal, Howard said, is to create a new industry standard for quality in record pressing, and to accelerate the pressing process. Demand is outpacing supply right now. When theres a six-month rate for a vinyl order, thats a problem, he said.

Howard is raising money for his business and hopes to start pressing records by next fall.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Howards approach of stamping records locally makes him something of an outlier. Muellers Pirates Press outsources the stamping of records to a facility in the Czech Republic. 16kHz in Oakland sends its work to Southern California.

And then theres the album itself  all the artwork and other pieces that surround the vinyl. Mark Calabro, the owner of 16kHz, says vinyls status as a collectors item is a big reason behind the mediums sustained success. Advances in printing technology have opened up a world of possibilities for bands to create something alluring or provocative  something beyond what record buyers might have seen in vinyls heyday a half-century ago.

Theres definitely a lot more emphasis on creating custom options, whether its making something unique about the jacket or a custom color record, he said. Whats more, with collectors in mind, many independent bands and record labels are willing to spring for a vinyl pressing before embarking on a tour, Calabro said.

These days, people know what the collectors market wants, so they hold back less on the bells and whistles, he said. If you have a flashy-looking jacket on the shelf, people are going to gravitate toward that.

Stevenson of 1-2-3-4 Go remembered when people questioned his sanity for entering the vinyl business and signing yearlong leases on stores.

For the first three years when I started the business, I would tell people what I was doing, and the response was always, Why are you doing that? That doesnt make sense, he said.

Now its kind of crazy. Ill meet different people who dont know me, and Im introduced as the guy who owns that record store, and they already know about it.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa
Three presidents, three juicy stories.

The Chronicles front page from Dec. 18, 1975, covers a number of stories focused on U.S. presidents, including the pardoning of Richard M. Nixon by Gerald Ford, the sentencing of a would-be Ford assassin, and a mysterious woman tied to John F. Kennedy.

From Washington, D.C.: President Ford, in apparent contradiction of his public statements, granted a pardon to Richard M. Nixon after hearing urgent pleas from the former presidents top aides that he be spared the threat of criminal prosecution, according to reliable sources, reported the Washington Posts Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

From Sacramento: Lynette Fromme was carried shrieking from a federal courtroom yesterday after being sentenced to life in prison for attempting to assassinate President Ford, Chronicle correspondent Rob Haeseler reported.

From San Diego: A dark-haired mystery woman linked to John F. Kennedy and two Mafia figures said yesterday her relationship with the late president was of a close, personal nature. Under intensive questioning during a 35-minute press conference, Judith Campbell Exner, 41, refused to comment when asked if she had been Kennedys lover.

Oh, and by the way, Fords pick for the Supreme Court, John Paul Stevens, was confirmed 98-0 to become a justice after less than five minutes of debate.

Top O the Top of the News: For Santas with unlimited means, a local designer suggested some money-is-no-object gifts for the home. Page 27. What? Plural Santas? We all know theres only one Santa and he lives in the North Pole.

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 highlighting one classic Chronicle newspaper page from our archive every day for 366 days. Library director Bill Van Niekerken and producers Kimberly Chua, Alexandra Irving and Jillian Sullivan contributed to the project. Tim ORourke is the executive producer and editor of SFChronicle.com. Email: torourke@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TimothyORourke

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One person is dead after a fire tore through a two-story town house Sunday morning in Castro Valley, firefighters said.

The one-alarm fire broke out in a duplex on the 20000 block of San Miguel Avenue around 6:15 a.m., Alameda County fire officials said.
Joseph and Mary, the parents of Jesus, had to register too. Thats why they were forced to make the grueling 90-mile journey from their home in Nazareth through the Judean wilderness to Bethlehem, despite the fact that Mary was about to give birth to her extraordinary child. By the order of Caesar Augustus, the Roman ruler who needed more tax revenue to vastly expand his empire, all imperial subjects had to register in their ancestral towns. And so the baby Jesus came into the world in a cave used for sheltering donkeys and sheep, the only place the family could find to bed down.

Now, another autocratic ruler considers issuing a decree that would compel a vast number of our population to register. But theres good news for Americas 3.3 million Muslims. Because of the wonders of modern technology, its now easy to be enrolled. They wont have to leave their homes or mosques to be signed up by the U.S. government. In fact, in most cases, they wont even know their names and personal information have been entered into a federal data bank.

In typical Donald Trump fashion, he has played it slippery when it comes to whether he will actually compel Muslims to be registered. But the post-election signals from the Trump camp have not been reassuring.

After the November election, a member of the Trump transition team was photographed carrying a first-year plan that included a Muslim registration program as one of the new administrations top priorities. And on Thursday, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.  the scourge of all terrorists, unless they happen to be Irish bombers  huddled with Trump in the president-elects gilded Manhattan tower to urge him to embrace the Orwellian, anti-Muslim surveillance measures adopted by the New York City Police Department after 9/11.

The NYPD surveillance program has been embroiled in court for years, with a federal judge calling in October for stricter supervision of the Police Departments covert activities. But after his meeting with Trump, King brushed aside all civil liberties concerns. We cant worry about political correctness, he told reporters, a chillingly breezy statement that echoed Trumps own statements, as well as the alarming remarks of top administration appointees like Stephen Bannon and Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who have declared that Islam itself is the enemy.

Of course, if the Trump administration does proceed with its unconstitutional plans, it will require the cooperation of the tech industry. Certainly that bastion of libertarian values will refuse to participate, right? Dont be so sure.

The day before Trump met with King, he convened a roundtable of tech titans, which turned out to be a surprisingly cuddly affair considering all the Twitter missiles lobbed back and forth between the Trump camp and Silicon Valley during the presidential race.

On Wednesday, Amazons Jeff Bezos  who had called Trump unfit to be president and whose newspaper, the Washington Post, unleashed relentless attacks on the GOP candidate  was full of superlatives, gushing that he was now super excited about the possibility that this can be the innovations administration. Trump lavished extravagant praise on the tech roundtable (Theres nobody like you in the world) and dazzled them with visions of all the new riches his administration would bestow on them.

Meanwhile, the Trump transition team announced it was adding Ubers Travis Kalanick and Tesla founder Elon Musk to its business advisory team, where they will join tech billionaire Peter Thiel, who was once Trumps only Silicon Valley hood ornament.

But what about the fate of Muslim citizens? Did the tech moguls condemn the shocking indecency of the registry proposal as they exited the Trump Tower? Certainly Apple CEO Tim Cook  who has invoked Martin Luther King Jr. as an inspiration and has talked as a gay man about the brutalities of discrimination  would have something defiant to say about this assault on human rights. But not a word was uttered as the tech executives left Trumps headquarters, flashing smiles and giving thumbs-up signs to the press.

The moral blankness of the tech industry elite is simply stunning to witness. Only two out of nine major tech companies  Twitter and Facebook  recently surveyed by the investigative publication the Intercept stated they would not participate in the creation of such a registry.

Alarmingly, some of these companies, like Palantir  the mysterious data-mining firm co-founded by Thiel  already have been collecting vast amounts of personal information about people, under lucrative contracts with the federal government.

With the Silicon Valley executive class already accommodating itself to the reign of Trump, its up to the tech rank and file to resist. A growing number of engineers and managers who work for tech companies  including even Palantir  have signed an open letter, posted at Neveragain.tech, declaring they will not help Trump build a registry.

These tech resisters know their history. Their letter notes that many companies have collaborated in past nightmares and calls out IBM for helping Hitlers Third Reich catalog Jews and other undesirables.

We have educated ourselves on the history of threats like these, and on the roles that technology and technologists played in carrying them out. This dark history made it particularly dismaying when IBM CEO Ginni Rometty quickly signaled her companys eagerness to cooperate with the incoming administration.

The fact that were even having this conversation is very disturbing, said Geoffrey King, when I phoned him for a comment. King is a constitutional lawyer and a fellow at Stanford Law Schools Center for Internet and Society. The idea of a registry contravenes everything that Americans have literally bled and died for. Any decent human being who works in the technology industry, or anywhere else, should be fundamentally opposed to this kind of discriminatory proposal. The United States is not Nazi Germany. We fought and defeated Nazi Germany to free people from tyranny and genocide. Any president who tries to impose such a registration system should be impeached and removed from office.

It would have been deeply reassuring to hear even just one of our tech giants say something like this on Wednesday.

UPDATE: As the Chronicle went to press, it was reported that Google, Apple and Uber also stated they would not help build a Muslim registry. This was good news, and if Silicon Valley's conscience continues to grow, hopefully it will isolate those companies, like Palantir, that are firmly in the Trump camp on national security issues.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist David Talbot appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Email: dtalbot@sfchronicle.com
By PTI: Mumbai, Dec 18 (PTI) She is already an established name in the television industry, but when superstar Aamir Khan called Sakshi Tanwar to be a part of his upcoming movie Dangal, the actress couldnt believe it was happening.

Initially, casting director Mukesh Chhabras agency got in touch with Sakshi, best known for her portrayal of Parvati Agarwal in the soap opera Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii.

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The role she was approached for ? and which she eventually bagged ? was to play Aamirs wife in the biographical-drama.

It was, however, when Sakshi got a call from the 51-year-old actor that she experienced a whirlpool of emotions.

"When I got a call from Aamir sir, I went blank. I was like Oh, okay, well. I didnt know what to do after that. Moments later after the call, I was excited, happy and probably also overwhelmed. There was a mix of emotions in me," Sakshi told PTI.

Dangal is based on the life of ace wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and the journey of his daughters Geeta and Babita Phogat.

Once on board, the 43-year-old Bade Achche Lagte Hain star quickly cancelled her trip to Bhutan to accommodate dates for the film and began prepping for the role.

Though the "PK" star had managed to make Sakshi star-struck in the phone conversation, when the duo started shooting the film, there was no intimidation.

"The first scene that I shot with him was when his character realises that a gold medal is a gold medal, whether a girl brings it or a boy. But it wasnt intimidating at all. I was very comfortable with him," she said.

"We all had met earlier for reading sessions. So we knew how things will go. With actors generally you know how things will pan out on the set and with Aamir it was an extremely comfortable experience," the actress added.

It wasnt that the feeling of shooting a film with Aamir had sunk in from day one for Sakshi. The actress says there were two defining moments when it hit her that she has acted alongside the 51-year-old actor.

"One was when the trailer got released and I saw myself in it. The other was, when we had screening of the rough cut and I saw my name in the credits. These were the moments where I felt yes I am in this. Before that everybody used to tell me Oh my God youre in Dangal and while I knew that very well, it wasnt sinking in," said Sakshi.

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Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Dangal is slated to release on December 23. PTI JUR RMT

--- ENDS ---
Efrain Salazar, looking tired and down, sat in the waiting room of a drop-in immigration clinic on a recent afternoon because he couldnt wait any longer.

His sister, a U.S. citizen, applied for permanent residency for Salazar, an immigrant from Mexico living in San Francisco illegally, in the late 1990s. Hes moved around a lot since then and taken a lot of different jobs, and he never bothered to find out where he was in the line for a green card. Until now.

Im wondering where I am in the process, said the 63-year-old Potrero Hill resident, who works as a prep cook in a Marina neighborhood restaurant.

One person prompted Salazars sudden interest: President-elect Donald Trump. Salazar is one of many immigrants without documentation who are anxious about their fates under the Trump administration and are turning to drop-in immigration clinics for legal advice.

The way he acts is not the way a president should act, Salazar said as he waited. Hes heartless. Like the others interviewed at the clinic, he spoke in Spanish through an interpreter. We came here to work, were paying rent, were contributing. Why is he discriminating so much against us?

There are at least two dozen legal organizations that offer immigration assistance in San Francisco, and many of them run drop-in clinics in which a lawyer or an immigration counselor sits ready to help whoever walks in the door at little to no cost. Anecdotally, the clinics report more clients and a big increase in fear and anxiety since Trumps election.

That was certainly the case at the nondescript offices of Catholic Charities at Eddy and Gough streets the other day. Salazar and 14 other immigrants showed up in the morning and scored the 15 available slots for the weekly clinic, while others were turned away. The lucky ones were told to come back that afternoon to wait for time with Beltrand Arellano, an immigration counselor and the only person offering legal guidance at the clinic that day.

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Even people here legally are anxious  asking, Well, can they take it away? Arellano said. I wasnt getting those questions before Trump was elected.

Nothing yet has changed about the countrys confusing immigration system, but the fear level certainly has.

Trump has pledged to immediately deport 2 million to 3 million immigrants whove had contact with the criminal justice system, to strip all federal funding from sanctuary cities that shield immigrants who lack documentation, and to build a wall along the Mexican border and compel Mexico to pay for it.

Already, drop-in clinics, including Catholic Charities, have quit processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, created by President Obama to protect immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Trump is widely expected to kill the program, and the application process cannot be completed before his inauguration next month.

If the immigrants who visit the clinic have some other case for obtaining legal residency, theyll be advised on how to proceed. If theres no legal way for them to remain in the country, theyre told that too. In that case, its like the meeting never happened, with no records kept and no notification to federal authorities.

Angela Chan is the policy director and a senior staff attorney at Asian Law Caucus, which runs a twice-a-month immigration clinic that attracts people from all over Northern California, some of whom drive hours for advice. She said their lawyers are telling immigrants to know their rights, including their right to remain silent if Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents try to speak to them and the right to refuse a search unless the agent has a warrant.

Were not going to tell them to self-deport, nothing like that, Chan said. It really is a time for communities to fight back and resist as much as possible.

Back in the Catholic Charities waiting room, Milka Quiroga said shes worried that all immigrants without documentation will be targeted by the Trump administration, even those like her, a 35-year-old Santa Rosa mother of two. She works as a nurse in a convalescent hospital.

She arrived from Bolivia legally with a student visa years ago, but it has long since expired. Her husband was granted political asylum and has since become a U.S. citizen. She visited the clinic to find out how to apply for citizenship through marriage. She said earning her citizenship is essential because her children are U.S. citizens by birth and she fears the family could be split up.

I want to become a citizen right now, she said. Im afraid with the new government, we dont know whats going to change. (Trump) says he will start with people who have criminal charges, but he could keep on going.

Katherine Medina is a 29-year-old immigrant from Colombia whos perfectly legal  shes here on a tourist visa. Its good for six months, and she said she refuses to overstay it. Medinas husband is a legal U.S. resident, and she was finding out what her options were to remain here legally, too.

Unlike many others in the clinic waiting room, she was optimistic about Trump.

American people have explained to me that hes not racist, he just cant talk or express himself, she said. I have faith that hes going to be a good president because hes a businessman.

Finally, Salazar, the cook whos been waiting for his green card for decades, was called to Arellanos office. Arellano was able to determine that Mexicans whose U.S. citizen siblings had petitioned for their green cards on or before May 8, 1997, have been notified theyre eligible for a green card.

That includes Salazar, whose sister applied before then and who was sent a letter notifying him he qualifies for a green card. He never received the letter, but now his wait can end.

Heather Knight is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
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The vibrancy of Mexican and Latin American cultures has long been part of San Franciscos human tapestry. From the influence of historic Mission Dolores to the rich exchange of ideas from Spanish-speaking immigrants, Californias history and aesthetic hallmarks have long been tied to these forebears.

Theres a certain energy to these cultures, says fashion stylist and textile installation artist Rachel Znerold. The music, the food, the color: Theres a spiritualism embedded in every element of life. During the holiday season, the textures, flavor and lushness of these communities bloom especially bright: Aztec bronze, Navajo turquoise, marigold and poinsettia red flower in lace and pattern.

While many Mexican fashion signatures  think peasant skirts and blouses  have been trending on runways in recent seasons, for this shoot, Znerold featured clothes by Mexican and Latin American designers who employ fair-trade artisans from villages and pueblos.

Whether were looking at hand embroidery from Chiapas or the backstrap loom weaving technique from Oaxaca, these are techniques truly specific to the indigenous peoples of the region, she says.

One resource for authentic indigenous fashion is the Fridas Closet in the Mission District, a San Francisco retailer that Znerold says supports more than 300 families in Mexico through the garments and crafts they sell in San Francisco. The multicolored skirt used in this shoot, for example, took over four months to construct entirely by hand.

As our model moved through the fabric set created by Znerold, she embodied the warmth and inner radiance of the traditions. What could be more appropriate for a California holiday?

 Tony Bravo, tbravo@sfchronicle.com

Sephora

Metallic lips make holidays shine

A touch of gold elevates any look this time of year. For an extra wow factor at holiday parties, try adding a swipe of gilt to your lips with the Pat McGrath Labs Metalmorphosis 005 kit ($165, www.sephora.com), used on model Jennifer Roberts in the preceding pages.

Makeup artist Erika Taniguchi recommends a MAC #228 brush for the application: First dip brush into the Copper creme in kit, then apply to the lip line for definition. Using the same brush, fill in the lip, then use the matching copper pigment to press onto the creme for a pyrodynamic brilliance.

Not up for the whole kit? Taniguchi says you can get a similar effect using MAC cosmetics lipmix (available at Pro Stores, such as 45 Powell St.) with Pigment in Copper, or Colourpop Ultra Metallic Lip in DM.

Its not just a good look on you  its a good look on whoever you kiss under the mistletoe.

T.B.

Credits

Styling & set design: Rachel Znerold

Makeup: Erika Taniguchi, www.beautybyerika.com

Hair: Corinna Hernandez / Pony Salon

Model: Jennifer Roberts / Look Model Agency

Styling assistants: Tony Bravo and Julienne Poblete

Additional photography: Stan Pechner
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Naming a clothing store 45R, after the rotational speed of the classic 7-inch vinyl single, might seem like an odd choice. But to the Japanese, who boast the second-largest music market in the world, it makes perfect sense  or, in this case, dollars.

The record is a product that back in the day was selling well, says San Francisco store manager Ryo Mizuno. So its a symbol for us. We wanted our products to be a hot commodity, too.

Thats certainly proven true at the brands 49 locations in Japan, New York City and Honolulu, so why should the newly opened 1,200-square-foot store on upper Fillmore Street be any different?

Much has changed since the brand launched in 1978. Today, Americans mostly stream music, and 80 percent of Japan purchases albums on CD. But one thing thats remained constant is 45Rs fixation on Western, particularly West Coast style.

Although most Japanese designers, who turned to the U.S. for inspiration in the late 1970s, tended to borrow more heavily from East Coast Ivy League style, 45R broke ranks by incorporating a West Coast aesthetic. That look is still evident in the casual, comfortable, vintage-inspired clothing designed by Yasumi Inoue, under the 45R moniker, that fills the Fillmore Street location, accented by natural Japanese pine, cedar and cherry wood.

While the majority of items  from the intricately patterned silk bandanas, wool felt beanies and silky soft cotton T-shirts, to the flannel plaid button-down shirts, denim gauze skirts, plant-patterned cotton dresses and monochromatic nylon and flannel coats  look deceptively simple, they belie age-old, artisanal production techniques. In some cases, the yarns are handspun and the garments are hand-woven.

Thats why prices range from $72 to $120 for bandanas and up to $2,000 for two-tone tweed coats, depending on the fabric, dye and print technique employed.

Liz Hafalia/The Chronicle

One of the most coveted items is 45Rs signature hand-dyed Ai-indigo denim jeans. If the $928 price tag seems excessive, know that the rare indigo plant, which produces the dye, is only cultivated in small batches by a handful of growers. Also, unlike most manufacturers who dye their jeans all at once, 45R hand-dyes each skein (or bunch) of yarn individually 28 times to achieve a deeper color with less fading.

Our price point is high, but our style is casual everyday wear, Mizuno says. Its geared toward someone who loves denim and fashion and appreciates the craftsmanship, sensibility and whole philosophy behind our clothing. Also, our clothing lasts a long time.

In honor of the San Francisco store opening, the company even introduced an exclusive stretch knit top that has the feel of a denim fabric.

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.

Because a lot of people here love denim, we wanted to bring something new to them, Mizuno says. The stretch is for comfort.

This all must be music to the ears of San Franciscans, who tend to value natural, well-crafted, comfortable products with great backstories. With the popularity of urban hiking fashion in the city, youll surely see 45Rs styles paraded down a sidewalk near you.

I want customers to be wowed by the quality, Mizuno says. Everything here is imported from Japan. I just want them to enjoy looking at, feeling and trying on the products and just be immersed in the high quality that we bring.

Josh Rotter is a San Francisco freelance writer. Email: style@sfchronicle.com

Shop 1905 Fillmore St., San Francisco. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday thru Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. (415) 359-0045. www.rby45rpm.com.
Union Station Hotel Nashville

The Grand Ole Opry isnt the only grand old institution in Nashville. Witness the beautifully restored and redeveloped Union Station Hotel, the citys former railway station, built in 1900 of Kentucky limestone. While the recent $15.5 million renovation kept gems such as the 65-foot barrel-vaulted stained glass ceiling and bas-reliefs, it also added elements reflecting Music Citys colorful blend of rustic and urban style. No two of its 125 rooms and suites are identical, but the views of Nashvilles city lights are uniformly mesmerizing.

Setting: In downtown Nashville, its central to everything. Temptingly close are the Johnny Cash Museum and the Corsair Distillery; the former includes a cafe and the latter offers tours and a taproom.
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If you missed it ...

In a week in which the DMV and Mayor Ed Lee tried to run Ubers self-driving cars off the road and the president-elect met with a bunch of tech titans in New York, we also noticed:

Stephen Colbert tweeting this witticism about Donald Trumps techfest Wednesday: Trump met with Apple CEO Tim Cook today. Trump and Apple have a lot in common, mostly that they both put i before everything. He has a point: Trump-branded bottled water was served at the event in Trump Tower.

John Zimmer, president and co-founder of Lyft, telling Business Insider that cities could start banning those pesky, dangerous human drivers by 2021 as self-driving vehicles take over the roads. Hopefully, San Francisco will have unbanned robot cars by then.

Instagram crowing that its grown to more than 600 million users, with more than 100 million added in the last six months. It did not say how many of those users it had copied from Snapchat.

California pot delivery service Eaze changing CEOs. Keith McCarty stepped down and will be replaced by the companys chief product and technology officer, Jim Patterson. McCarty will remain on the board. The reasons for the swap are hazy.

The Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. See more items and links at www.sfgate.com. Twitter: @techbriefing
Saturday, Dec. 17, marked the 124th anniversary of the premiere of Nutcracker in St. Petersburg, Russia. The czar and his party, reportedly, loved it; the critics were cool. But audiences have had the last word, and the youthful crowd at the Paramount Theatre on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 17, expressed their pleasure with the Oakland Ballets staging with cheers and, alas, chatter.

The weekend marked the sixth holiday season for Artistic Director Graham Lustigs Nutcracker, and the production has become a part of the Bay Area holiday schedule. There are reasons. Like its Oakland Ballet predecessor (by Ronn Guidi), the newcomer is viewer friendly to a degree. The ballet seems about real people dealing with real vexations and pleasures. That affability often compensates for a variable caliber of dancing.

Lustig goes his own way setting the first act in pre-World War 1 Vienna, made concrete with Zack Browns appealing Secession-era designs and costumes. Were at a family skating party, and the guest list includes Mr. and Mrs. Kokoshka, who, unfortunately, brought no paintings along. Heroine Marie stands on the threshold of maturity and gets to dance a bit. Uncle Drosselmeyer is no old geezer, but a genial young Viennese metrosexual (Scott McMahon) who fancies a walk on stilts (his green formal wear is a mistake).

Theres a battle with the mice, but these rodents are too adorable to exterminate, and, in fact, Marie establishes her humanity by saving one from the knife. Lustig makes his own choices, and you succumb to the charms, even if, like the air balloon, youd feel churlish for resisting.

Nevertheless, a few lapses bring you back to reality. The transformation from toy to human nutcracker (behind a curtain) lacks magic, while Lustig never quite synchronizes the growing Christmas tree with its corresponding place in the Tchaikovsky score.

The journey to Confiturembourg (Land of the Sweets) goes smoothly, but the divertissements are blandly plotted and danced competently, and only Vincent Chavezs Spanish dancer brought intensity to the job. One inescapable fact: This second act, much like the frozen forest at the end of Act 1, looks underpopulated. The Oakland Ballet lists only 20 dancers, and they are not enough, especially in the waltz of the flowers, to make the intended effect.

The Oakland Nutcracker stands halfway between a professional performance and a community celebration. Lustig recruited 40 young Bay Area dancers who appear as everything from peppermints to snowballs, and they all seemed disciplined. Among the professionals, Megan Terrys sugarplum fairy (warm and supple) and her cavalier, Jesse Campbell (good partnering), commanded attention in the grand pas de deux. Except for intermittent balance problems, Seyong Kim was a worthy squire to Ramona Kelleys Marie.

Again Saturday, the Mount Edens Women Ensemble supplied the wordless chorus in the snow scene (most companies settle for a recording). Again, Michael Morgan conducted the Oakland East Bay Symphony in the Tchaikovsky. The pacing was measured, the sound luxuriant. Morgan seems to have figured out how dancers breathe, and there was something organic about his splendid performance. He has become indispensable to this annual ritual.

Allan Ulrich is The San Francisco Chronicles dance correspondent.

Oakland Ballet Company: Graham Lustigs Nutcracker. 2pm, Sunday, Jan. 18, Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland. $23-$90. 800-745-3000

For a preview, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV3V8zfZJNk
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Will President Donald Trump return to Trump Tower upon his departure from the White House?

Historically, most U.S. presidents head back to their hometowns after their terms in the Oval Office, although Barack Obama bucked the trend of leaving Washington, D.C.

The Obamas opted to stay in D.C. for a few years, until youngest daughter Sasha finishes high school.

According to DCist, the first family will be the first president to remain in D.C. post-presidency since Woodrow Wilson left office in 1921.

>>Take a look at where presidents have lived before and after the White House in the gallery above.

The Obamas leased a stately 1928 home in the Kalorma neighborhood of D.C. With a 10-car garage and nine bedrooms, the home seems well suited for the Secret Service. Their monthly rent has not been disclosed, but the home most recently sold for $5,295,000 in May 2014.

PHOTOS: White House Christmas decorations 2016

When George W. Bush left the White House, he and his wife, Laura, moved to Dallas' prestigious Preston Hollow neighborhood. According to the New York Times, he has a "man cave" that contains "mementos and pictures from his time in power." (Story continues below.)

TEXAS' WHITE HOUSE, Y'ALL: White House replica, former Texas governor's mansion going to auction

His father, George H.W. Bush, returned to Houston when he left office in 1994. He and his wife, Barbara, settled into a red-brick home on West Oak Drive South in Tanglewood.

"We are living in our new house, built on our famous tiny lot, and it is perfect for us," the Massachusetts-born former president told a New York Times reporter via fax.

"They really are very nice neighbors," their neighbor told the Times in 1994. "They are just trying so hard to have normal, quiet life."

THE GOLD STANDARD? Will Donald Trump's White House be as opulent as his Manhattan penthouse?

As for Trump, he's already spent a lot of time in his "Winter White House," Mar-a-Lago. Although his primary home is his Manhattan penthouse, where he was rumored to spend most of his personal downtime.

An article once stated that Trump is "a homebody who often flew several hours late at night during the campaign so he could wake up in his own bed in Trump Tower."
FORT BRAGG, N.C.  Prosecutors were rebuffed from harnessing the most contentious issue surrounding the court martial of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl when a judge ruled out any evidence that soldiers were wounded while searching for him.

The judge, Army Col. Jeffery Nance, decided late Friday to disallow any such evidence because, he said, the risk is too great that military jurors would act on emotion rather than logic, creating an unfair bias against the defendant.

Nance wrote that theres ample other evidence supporting the argument that Bergdahls comrades undertook dangerous search missions in Afghanistan that brought them into contact with the enemy.

Bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy; the latter could put him in prison for life. Bergdahl has said he walked off his post in 2009 to alert higher-ups to what he felt were problems with his unit.

Questions about whether soldiers were injured or killed searching for Bergdahl have long surrounded the case. President-elect Donald Trump is among the critics who repeated claims that lives were lost.

However, a general who investigated Bergdahls disappearance has testified that he found no evidence that service members died searching for him.

Prosecutors have focused on two soldiers wounded during a firefight in 2009 involving a half-dozen U.S. service members , about a week after Bergdahl left his post.

U.S. Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Mark Allen was shot in the head, and prosecutors say he uses a wheelchair and is unable to communicate. Another soldier had hand injuries because of a rocket-propelled grenade.

Bergdahl, who was swiftly captured after walking off his post and held captive for five years by the Taliban and its allies, hasnt decided whether to have a trial by jury or judge alone.
Yuvraj Singh and Hazel returned from their honeymoon at a secret location to India on Saturday.

By India Today Web Desk: After honeymooning at an undisclosed location, newlyweds Yuvraj Singh and Hazel Keech returned to India on Saturday. The two were clicked at the Mumbai international airport, looking tired but happy.

Yuvraj and Hazel got hitched on November 30 and they recently shared pictures from their honeymoon a few days back.

Enjoying my bday with my partner in crime ! @hazelkeechofficial thank you all for your love and wishes ????? A photo posted by Yuvraj Singh (@yuvisofficial) on Dec 12, 2016 at 5:53am PST

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While Yuvraj was all about the Balle Balle, wife Hazel shared a picture of lazying around on a hammock during her vacation.

Just laying on a hammock over the ocean. No big deal.... #paradise #honeymoon @yuvisofficial A photo posted by HazelKeechOfficial (@hazelkeechofficial) on Dec 12, 2016 at 11:35pm PST

Though the location of their honeymoon destination has not been disclosed, the place is obviously a sea-side spot as can be seen from the pictures. In an interview to Harper's Bazaar this year, Yuvraj and Hazel revealed that they might go to Hawaii or Maldives for the honeymoon. Hazel had said, "I want to go to Hawaii and surf, and Yuvi wants to go anywhere with a nice beach to be a bum--either Bora Bora or Maldives, and such."

Speaking of sea-side spots, it was in Bali where Yuvraj asked for Hazel's hand in marriage. Their wedding ceremony was attended by their close friends and family.

SEE PICS | Yuvraj and Hazel enjoy at their beach-side honeymoon

SEE PICS | Newlyweds Yuvraj-Hazel celebrate like king and queen at lavish party in Delhi

ALSO WATCH | Yuvraj and Hazel's mesmerising dance wins hearts

--- ENDS ---
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas  A top Corpus Christi official says there were three reports of dirty water before the public was told this week of a chemical leak into the water system that affected 300,000 people.

Assistant City Manager Mark Van Vleck said Saturday that the city first received a dirty water report Dec. 1 from the oil refiner Valero-owned administration building at the asphalt plant leased to Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions. City workers flushed the pipe.
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A storm of snow, freezing rain and bone-chilling temperatures socked the nations midsection and East Coast on Saturday, causing hundreds of accidents on icy roads and putting a crimp on Christmas shopping.

At least nine deaths were blamed on the slick roads and authorities were investigating a few other traffic fatalities as possibly weather-related. Perhaps the biggest crash happened in Baltimore, when a tanker carrying gasoline skidded off a highway and exploded, authorities said.

Two people died in the 70-vehicle pileup on Interstate 95, Baltimore City Fire Chief Roman Clark said. Hospital officials said nearly two dozen people were treated for injuries including broken bones and head trauma.

Clark said it was too early to determine the cause of the crash.

We have nothing but sheets of ice throughout the city, sidewalks, he said.

It was unclear whether the pileup started before the tanker crash or was caused by it. The northbound lanes of I-95 were closed while crews cleaned up the mess.

Weather advisories were posted from Denver to Bangor, Maine. Airports reported hundreds of flight delays or cancellations, interstates and toll roads reduced speed limits and authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution.

The nasty weather put a damper on holiday plans for Luke Perez, who was hoping to make it home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a family party. Perezs flight out of D.C., where he is in graduate school, was canceled, so he said hes going to try again Sunday or Monday.

My family has a Christmas party ... and I was hoping to make it to that tonight, but thats not going to happen anymore, the 23-year-old said.

There were dozens of crashes in Indiana  two of them involving fatalities  due to freezing rain and ice, officials said. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed. The roads were so slick that authorities had to move motorists stranded on an overpass with a ladder.

In Ohio, a Columbus woman died Saturday when her car skidded off a slick road, authorities said. In another collision in Baltimore, six people were taken to the hospital after a crash on I-695 involving 15 to 20 vehicles, Baltimore County tweeted. In Nebraska, Douglas County Sheriffs deputies said one person was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames.

Temperatures in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were expected to drop to minus-20 degrees overnight. People were advised to stay indoors for the weekend. The low temperature was expected to reach 4 degrees in Chicago on Sunday.
Sheriff's officials in Santa Cruz County are asking parents and residents to be aware of a rise of LSD use in the area, after several recent incidents involving the drug have occurred.

In the latest incident, a teen was hospitalized Wednesday after she ingested liquid LSD which had been placed on a popsicle, Santa Cruz County sheriff's officials said.

Prior to that, on Monday, a Watsonville man was arrested after assaulting two California Highway Patrol officers while allegedly under the influence of LSD, according to CHP officials.

The suspect, later identified as Marko Manojlovic, 29, allegedly drove into a construction zone on state Highway 17, south of Sugarloaf Road. When officers tried to stop him on Laurel Road just east of Highway 17, Manojlovic drove into a metal fence, got out of the car, jumped over the fence and fled on foot, CHP officers said.

The officers ran after Manojlovic and caught him, but he assaulted them, kicking one officer several times.

Manojlovic was taken to Dominican Hospital, where he was medically cleared, and then booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail on suspicion of driving under the influence, evading arrest, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer. The officer was treated for minor injuries, according to the CHP.

In November, a 15-year-old boy allegedly took LSD before he stabbed his father and uncle and was fatally shot by a Santa Cruz County sheriff's deputy just outside of Watsonville.

Luke Smith took the drug with a friend before he used a 9-inch knife on his father and uncle just before 3 a.m. on Nov. 19 at a home in the 800 block of Amesti Road, sheriff's officials said.

After receiving a 911 call, deputies responded to the area and located Smith armed with a knife near the scene on Pioneer Road.

Law enforcement officers spent 13 minutes talking to Smith, persuading him to drop the knife and surrender. After deploying 40mm foam rounds, Taser stun guns and a K9 unit that bit him, Smith continued to threaten deputies. A deputy, identified as Chris Vigil, then fired a single shot that killed the 15-year-old boy, according to sheriff's officials.

Deputies later arrested four people for allegedly selling the drug to Smith. The suspects were identified as Taylor Filson, 28, Bradley Hodge, 24, Thomas Negron, 20, and Nathaniel Trecaso, 28, sheriff's officials said.

In light of the recent incidents involving LSD, the sheriff's office is asking resident to be extra vigilant to what the drugs look like and signs and symptoms of their use. They're also encouraging parents to have conversations with their children and young adults about drug use.

"We want to work together as a community to stop this. It has already claimed one life and has the potential to hurt so many more," Sheriff Jim Hart said in a statement.

For more information about drug prevention and treatment, residents can visit www.recoverywave.com.
About Me

I'm a patent lawyer located in central New Jersey. I have a J.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Stanford University, where I studied graphite intercalation compounds at the Center for Materials Research. I worked at Exxon Corporate Research in areas ranging from engine deposits through coal and petroleum to fullerenes. An article that I wrote in The Trademark Reporter, 1994, 84, 379-407 on color trademarks was cited by Supreme Court in Qualitex v. Jacobson, 514 US 159 (1995) and the methodology was adopted in the Capri case in N.D. Ill. An article that I wrote on DNA profiling was cited by the Colorado Supreme Court (Shreck case) and a Florida appellate court (Brim case). I was interviewed by NHK-TV about the Jan-Hendrik Schon affair. I am developing ipABC, an entity that combines rigorous IP analytics with study of business models, to optimize utilization of intellectual property. I can be reached at C8AsF5 at yahoo.com.

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PHOENIX -- Saying the American flag is a special symbol, a Republican lawmaker wants to make it automatically a felony to steal one that is on display.

The proposal by Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, would carve an exception into existing law that generally determines the severity of a theft by the value of what is taken. That law says it's a misdemeanor to steal anything worth less than $1,000, punishable by six months in the county jail and a $2,500 fine.

SB 1009 would boost the penalty to a year in state prison, regardless of the value of the flag. And felonies allow a judge to impose a fine of up to $150,000. Kavanagh said the enhanced penalty is justified.

"You are not only stealing the flag, which is a venerable object to begin with,'' he said.

"You are also stealing the expression of the person who is displaying the flag, perhaps in mourning for someone who is deceased, perhaps as an act of patriotism, perhaps as an act of protest,'' Kavanagh explained. "It is the First Amendment right of the person displaying it.''

But Kavanagh's measure does not extend that same special protection to someone's right of expression to other flags or banners. So it would remain a misdemeanor to steal a state flag, the flag of the University of Arizona or someone's rainbow flag displayed to support gay rights.

"You have to draw the line somewhere,'' he said. "And the flag of our nation, which has a special place in the hearts of its citizens -- and in law -- is the one that I think is most appropriate.''

The legislation comes amid renewed interest nationally in whether the flag should have special protections.

"Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag -- if they do, there must be consequences -- perhaps loss of citizenship or a year in jail,'' President-elect Donald Trump tweeted last month.

Only thing is there are two separate rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court specifically protecting flag burning as a constitutional right of expression. And while the concept of a flag-burning law has some popular support, even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., issued a statement in response suggesting that while the act is "unpleasing speech,'' the president-elect is legally off base, citing the high court rulings.

"In this country we have a long tradition of respecting unpleasant speech,'' McConnell said. "I happen to support the Supreme Court's decision on that matter.''

Attorney Will Gaona of the Arizona chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said what Kavanagh is proposing does not rise to the same level as what Trump is suggesting. And Gaona said he knows of no court ruling that would say it's illegal to provide an enhanced penalty for the theft of a U.S. flag while not covering other banners.

Kavanagh also pointed out that to trigger the law one has to first commit a crime -- in this case, stealing a flag -- before the felony provision would apply. And theft, he said, is hardly a constitutionally protected right of expression.

Still, Kavanagh left the door open to having the measure challenged if it becomes law. And he's ready with a response.

"If pressed by court decision to expand it to other flags, I would be open to that,'' he said.

Not every flag theft would become a felony.

The legislation covers only those flags that are on display by the resident or business. But it would remain a misdemeanor to steal a flag being shown or flown solely to sell it.
Reports state that Iran was behind the previous attacks and is also behind the current ones. The US Department of Defense issued a statement on Thursday warning contractors about the threat.

It read: Between 2 and 7 December 2016, DSS was given information from another government agency regarding Indicators of Compromise (IOC) associated with a Shamoon malware variant and may be used in computer network exploitation attempts.

Contractors received the alert to warn them about threats posed by FIEs (foreign intelligence entities) including information about the techniques and procedures used as well as tactics, infrastructure, and of course malware.

The statement also stated: This information is being shared by DSS in order to enable potential targets of possible espionage activity to detect, disrupt or deny FIEs exploitation of cleared contractor information systems, networks or personnel.

In 2012, the Cutting Sword of Justice, a suspected Iranian hacking group, used Shamoon to wipe tens of thousands of computers belonging to Saudi Arabia state-owned oil company Aramco. At that time Armaco had to act quickly to take everything offline. This included emails and phones. The Register reported that the hackers had put a picture of a burning American flag into emails and documents.

Security company Symantec has said that the latest hackings have a picture of Alan Kurdi  the 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece.
On Thursday, over 3,000 people were removed from Aleppo. However, approximately 800 were turned back on Friday ending the evacuation attempts. Witnesses said that four people were killed and others were attacked and had their money taken from them.

It has been reported that a new ceasefire deal has been agreed so that more people could be evacuated.

On Saturday, civilians trapped in the city waited in desperation to be rescued. The Red Cross also called for evacuations to start again so that thousands more lives could be saved.

The head of the political wing of the Ahrar al-Sham rebel group who was part of the negotiations claimed that Iran wanted two rebel-besieged Shia villages in northwest Syria to be evacuated before letting civilians in Aleppo leave. He said that Russia was struggling to restrain Iran. He said: Iran and its sectarian proxies are using the humanitarian situation of our people in besieged Aleppo and preventing civilians from leaving until the evacuation of their groups in al-Foua and Kefraya.

He added that Iranian-backed fighters were responsible for holding back hundreds of people who were trying to leave on Friday. These sectarian militias are responsible, but we warn them the safety of our people in Aleppo is the priority and all options are open towards achieving that goal.

Russia has emphasised that the majority of civilians have now left Aleppo showing that it is trying to neglect its responsibility. Russia has failed to restrain the sectarian Shia militias in Aleppo to complete the deal and Moscow should abide by its commitments. There are still civilians in Aleppo who need to be evacuated in harsh weather conditions and Russian statements that besieged Aleppo is empty is absolving itself from following up on the agreement.

Those who were trying to flee Aleppo described the terrible conditions they had to endure in freezing temperatures in the al-Amiriyah area (the departure point). They said that there was no food or drink and things are getting worse and worse.
The estate of Tom Perkins, a venture capitalist and Silicon Valley pioneer, is selling one of his homes for $16.5 million. Perkins, who died in June at the age of 84, was a founder of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and was worth an estimated $8 billion.

The late billionaires French-style mansion, designed by architects Julia Morgan and George Kelham, is located in the affluent Marin County enclave of Belvedere, about 17 miles north of San Francisco. The six-bedroom, 7.5-bath home features postcard-worthy views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.
Adalberto Roque / AFP / Getty Images

Cuban authorities have given two more American mainstream cruise companies  Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings  approval to sail to Havana. Three things to know if youre planning to book a cruise to Cuba :

None of these new offerings departs until March, and even then, only a handful of cruises have been planned.
You may recognize it as Kings Landing from Game of Thrones or for its supporting role in the upcoming Star Wars film, but Dubrovnik does not need any help from Hollywood to seem like one of the most magical places on the planet.

Surrounded by 80-foot-high medieval walls on the shimmering Adriatic Sea, its pedestrian streets clad in white limestone and its restaurants serving just-pulled-from-the-sea fish, this Dalmatian Coast spot should be on every travelers radar.

Or worthy of another visit. The Croatian city has been upping its attraction factor lately with new restaurants, hotels and a new scooter sharing service  the full roll-out happens next year  allowing visitors to motor up and down the stunning shoreline.

Whether youre traveling along the Dalmatian coast or sailing the Adriatic on a cruise ship, Dubrovnik offers plenty of fun diversions, both new and old. Heres what to do in one day.

 David Farley, travel@sfchronicle.com

Morning

Check into the citys newest hotel, the four-star Hotel Kompas, which flipped on its lights in fall 2015, and then hit the beach. The new Coral Beach Club in the Babin Kuk part of town is perfectly situated to watch the mammoth cruise ships pass by. Plop down on a cozy beach chair, nurse a pint of beer or a glass of rakia, the robust brandy made all over the Balkans, and soak up the Dalmatian rays.

Midday

Stroll around Stari Grad, the walled Old Town. Perhaps walk atop the thick stone ramparts that encircle the town or wander the limestone-blanketed pedestrian lanes. And if all that aimless exploring builds up an appetite, settle in at Portrait, the citys newest restaurant for elevated Dalmatian cuisine. Well-known Maltese chef Jeffrey Vella cooks up Adriatic bonito drizzled with veal jus, risotto studded with locally caught shrimp, and truffle-spiked zucchini flowers.

After lunch, take a front-row seat on the terrace at 19th century Gradska Kavana  City Coffeehouse  and sip espresso while watching the passersby on the nearby Stradun, the wide street where tourists and locals amble under the Dalmatian sun.

Afternoon

For the best view of the city and its surroundings, hop on the cable car to Mount Srd. The cable car, which was rebuilt in 2011 after it was destroyed in the Serbian shelling of the city in the early 1990s, transports visitors 1,350 feet up to the top, from which the walled city looks like a scale model and the islands sprinkled in the Adriatic appear to be lost worlds. The Napoleonic fort at the top is worth looking at, if only for the exhibition on the Balkan conflict of the first half of the 1990s.

And if you just cant get enough of the history of the war, stop into the fascinating War Photo Limited, a photo gallery started by erstwhile New Zealand-born war photographer Wade Goddard. Located in Old Town, the gallerys permanent exhibit is a fascinating glance into the Balkan conflict that made daily headlines more than 20 years ago.

Evening

Feeling peckish before dinner? One cannot visit the Pearl of the Adriatic without sampling the famed oysters from the nearby town of Ston, a spot so famous for its mollusks that even Roman emperors used to have them delivered. Slurp them up at Bota Sare in Old Town, run by a family of longtime oyster farmers from Ston.

Toast to Dubrovnik at Victoria, the posh terrace restaurant overlooking the Old Town that has recently brought Peruvian chef Roberto Chavez across the Atlantic to create a Dalmatian-Peruvian fusion menu, one of the few restaurants in town that is deviating from the Mediterranean.

If you go

Hotel Kompas, Ul. kardinala Stepinca 21, www.adriaticluxuryhotels.com/en/hotel-kompas-dubrovnik

Coral Beach Club, Ul. Ivana, www.coral-beach-club.com

Portrait, Ul. od Puca 8, www.portrait.hr/en/restaurant

Gradska Kavana, Ul. Pred Dvorom 1

Dubrovnik Cable Car, Ul. kralja Petra Kresimira IV, www.dubrovnikcablecar.com

War Photo Limited, Antuninska 6, www.warphotoltd.com

Bota Sare, Ul. od Pustijerne, http://bota-sare.hr

Victoria Restaurant, Ul. Frana Supila 14, www.adriaticluxuryhotels.com/en/villa-orsula/restaurants-and-bars
TENOSIQUE, Mexico  Carlos Mejia sleeps on a bare mattress in an otherwise unfurnished room with his girlfriend and spreads a sheet on the cool tile for their two young children, a small respite from the sweltering heat. Their neighbors on both sides are Hondurans like them.

He earns $8 a day working 12 hours slicing plastic bottles to put into a compactor, enough to pay the electricity and water and buy some food. But the U.N. refugee agency picks up the rent and that of a growing number of immigrant families in this Mexican city of 32,000 people near the Guatemalan border.

Mejia is among more than 8,000 immigrants expected to seek asylum this year from Mexico, the majority fleeing gang violence in Honduras and El Salvador and to a lesser extent Guatemala. The exodus is turning southern Mexico towns like Tenosique as well as Palenque and Tapachula in neighboring Chiapas state into informal refugee camps.

The decision to settle in Mexico and not continue to the United States is tied to increased recognition of the risks of crossing Mexico and more recently the hostile rhetoric of President-elect Donald Trump, the immigrants and their advocates say.

The number of those seeking asylum in Mexico this year is more than double the 3,423 applicants last year  itself a 65 percent increase from 2014. Applications have risen by about 9 percent each month this year, says the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, or UNHCR.

According to the Mexican Commission for Refugee Aid, about 4,000 of the 6,898 applications it received through October this year made it to the end of the process and of those, 2,162 applicants got refugee status. Another 414 applicants who did not qualify as refugees received other kinds of government protection and escaped deportation.

More migrants are seeking asylum as information about the possibility spreads, said Rafael Zavala, director of the UNHCR office that opened here a year ago as the number of Central Americans seeking protection rose.

We expect this years trend of people seeking protection here in Mexico to continue, he said.

Mejia,27, said he never considered going to the United States.

Its hard to go to the U.S., he said sitting on the stoop outside his room. You risk a lot of violence, so much crime along the way.

There is no sign Central Americas current violence is letting up. El Salvadors homicide rate last year was 103 killings for every 100,000 residents, making it the most deadly country not at open war.

Honduras had 64 killings per 100,000 people in 2015. Two of Mejias brothers were killed last year in a robbery and he received threats in their homeland.
BEIRUT  Rebel and government forces agreed Saturday to allow humanitarian cases to leave two besieged government-held Shiite villages in northwestern Syria, a step that would allow the resumption of civilian and rebel evacuations from eastern Aleppo which were suspended a day earlier, Hezbollahs media arm and a monitoring group said.

The oppositions Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the evacuation of some 4,000 people, including wounded, from the villages of Foua and Kfarya was expected to start Saturday. It later reported that 29 buses were heading toward the two villages to start the evacuation process, adding that insurgents in the area rejected allowing 4,000 people to leave and saying they will only allow 400 people to be evacuated.

The Syrian army said another 25 buses left later Saturday heading to the two villages.

It was not immediately clear whether the alleged evacuation limits set by the insurgents in the two villages would undermine evacuation efforts in Aleppo.

Hezbollah fighters have joined the Syrian war fighting along with President Bashar Assads forces. Opposition activists blamed the Lebanese group for blocking the main road south of Aleppo and blocking evacuations from rebel-held eastern neighborhoods of the city.

The Aleppo evacuation was suspended Friday after a report of shooting at a crossing point into the enclave by both sides of the conflict. Thousands were evacuated before the process was suspended.

An amateur video posted online by opposition activists Friday showed scores of men, women and children running away from a crossing point for fear of being shot at.

The Syrian government has said that the village evacuations and the one in eastern Aleppo must be done simultaneously, but the rebels say theres no connection.

Hezbollahs Military Media said the new deal also includes the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani near the border with Lebanon where tens of thousands of people are trapped under siege by government forces and the Lebanese group.

A Syrian state TV correspondent, speaking from Aleppo, said Saturday that the main condition for the Aleppo evacuation to resume is for residents of Foua and Kfarya to be allowed to leave.

Reports differed on how many people remain in the Aleppo enclave, ranging from 15,000 to 40,000 civilians, along with an estimated 6,000 fighters.
1 South Korea protests: Supporters of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye clashed with anti-Park protesters Saturday, as large crowds of demonstrators again gathered in Seoul to demand the scandal-ridden leaders immediate ouster. The historically large weekend protests over an explosive corruption scandal pushed South Koreas opposition-controlled parliament to vote this month to impeach Park. The impeachment suspended Parks powers until the Constitutional Court decides whether she should permanently step down or be reinstated.

2 Papua New Guinea quake: A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Saturday, generating a small tsunami and knocking out power in parts of the Pacific island nation. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The magnitude-7.9 quake struck 29 miles east of Taron in Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake was deep, at 61 miles. Deeper earthquakes tend to cause less damage than shallow ones.
RIO DE JANEIRO  Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns, one of the Catholic Churchs most prominent pro-democracy voices in Latin America, died in Brazil on Dec. 14 after a long struggle with lung and kidney problems. He was 95.

Cardinal Arns death was confirmed by the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, where he served from 1970 to 1998. The cardinal became famous for challenging leaders of the brutal military dictatorship of 1964-1985 and for his fight against torture in Latin America.

Cardinal Arns often talked about democratic values during Mass, protected activists in his churches and led a national antitorture initiative. He also threatened to excommunicate police investigators who refused to provide information on political prisoners.

Let us praise God for the Franciscan life of Dom Paulo and for his courageous engagement in the defense of human dignity and inalienable rights of each person, Sao Paulo Archbishop Odilo Scherer said in a statement.

Cardinal Arns will be buried in Sao Paulos central cathedral, where in 1975 he organized one of the most open acts of defiance of Brazils dictatorship, praying with other religious leaders and blaming the regime for the assassination of journalist Vladimir Herzog, who had been taken as a political prisoner shortly before.

Officials said Herzog had committed suicide in jail, but Cardinal Arns rejected that version during Mass, despite the pressure made by tanks and soldiers outside his church.

Conservative members of the church and the military leaders regarded him as a troublemaker.

He recalled a conversation with Gen. Emilio Medici, who told him, You take care of your church and I will take care of the country.

Cardinal Arns also helped victims of political persecution and torture in the rest of South America.

Cardinal Arns political links led Pope John Paul II to intervene in his archdiocese, the second biggest in the world after Mexico City, to split his powers.

He lived his last years in silence on the outskirts of Sao Paulo.
MASVINGO, Zimbabwe  Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who turns 93 in February, was endorsed on Saturday as the ruling partys candidate in a national election scheduled for 2018.

The ruling ZANU-PF party announced its support in the southeast town of Masvingo, where the partys youth wing even proposed that Mugabe should rule for life with broad powers.

Opposition groups have described such adulation as a sign that Mugabe and his loyalists are out of touch with the desperation of a nation that is suffering massive unemployment, cash shortages and company closures.

Despite the praise, Mugabe has acknowledged that some people within the ruling party have wanted him to quit.

Let us stop fighting each other, he said, referring to the succession fights that have engulfed his party.

Mugabe has been in power since the southern African nations independence from white minority rule in 1980. But a deteriorating economy has increased the pressure on him, and he has faced opposition protests in the past year.

Even so, the ZANU-PF party rallied around Mugabe at its annual conference. Most delegates wore the partys colors of red, green, black and yellow, as well as Mugabes portrait. Speaker after speaker extolled his virtues.

One Cabinet minister named Supa Mandiwanzira did so by making a pun about his own first name.

I am not super, Mr. President. It is you who is super, he said, introducing the president.

Kudzai Chipanga, leader of the partys youth wing, suggested that Mugabes ID and birth certificate should be changed to read President Robert Mugabe.

Mugabe, who won the 2013 election that was marred by allegations of voting irregularities, says he wants to live to 100.
Christchurch's High Court has approved a second attempt by a group of Southern Response Earthquake Services policyholders to bring a representative action against the Crown-owned insurance company for breach of contract.

In February this year, the High Court rejected the initial attempt by 46 individuals, who had similar insurance policies and were in dispute with Southern Response over damage caused to their homes in the Canterbury earthquakes, saying their claims were too varied.

A second attempt to proceed with the class action was launched in October, with 40 individuals saying Southern Response consistently delayed house repairs and underestimated claims. A court-sanctioned opt-in order means other Southern Response policyholders have until April 16 next year to join the class action.

Southern Response was established following the quake on Feb. 22 2011, when insurance company AMI considered it did not have sufficient reserve funds or reinsurance to cover its liability. The Crown injected $500 million and provided access to further funding, AMI was restructured, and its day-to-day insurance business sold to Australian insurance group IAG. Its liability from the Canterbury earthquakes transferred to Southern Response.

In a statement, Grant Cameron, a partner at GCA Lawyers which is representing the policyholders, said the group was looking forward to early progress.

Cameron said Justice David Gendall had been satisfied that the common interest pleaded by the plaintiffs - which is that Southern Response engaged in a deliberate strategy to deceive policyholders and delay claims in order to reduce financial liability - was sufficient for a representative action.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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The New Zealand Superannuation Fund will invest as much as $260 million over the coming decade in small-scale local enterprises through three new mandates with Kiwi private equity firms.

NZ Super will invest up to $90 million in Direct Capital's V fund, up to $120 million in Pioneer Capital's III fund, and up to $50 million in Movac's IV fund over the next five to 10 years, it said in a statement. Each fund is expected to invest in eight to 15 separate companies.

"New Zealand continues to provide attractive investment opportunities in small to medium-sized companies, which are high growth, typically internationally focused, and able to benefit from the expertise that these managers can provide," NZ Super chief investment officer Matt Whineray said in a statement. "External managers are a logical and efficient way for the fund to get access to the growth opportunities in the sector."

The sovereign wealth fund had assets of about $31.9 billion at Nov. 30, of which about $4.9 billion is invested locally. The fund's manager has existing relationships with Direct Capital and Pioneer Capital, though the Movac mandate is a new one.

NZ Super said the Direct Capital fund will operate at the larger end of market, while Pioneer will chase mid-market companies looking at international growth and the Movac fund will focus on early-stage, high growth technology companies. All three funds are new offerings.

Direct Capital's V fund is a new fund, which closed last Friday with $375 million, which director Gavin Lonergan said will focus on the 850 private companies with an enterprise value of between $50 million and $350 million. Pioneer Capital's fund is also new, and while the Super Fund's investment will be the biggest holding, managing director Randall Barrett said that fund should probably end up at about $260 million.

Last month Movac raised $105 million for its IV fund, including $75 million from institutional investors such as Ngai Tahu Holdings and the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund.

NZ Super's Whineray said previous investments of this type have delivered annual net returns of about 15 percent for the fund in the past, though investment advice typically holds the caveat that past performance isn't a guarantee of future returns.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Liberty Tavern got a jump on the Irish festivities Saturday during its "3/4 Way to St. Patrick's Day" party.

The West Brighton bar played Celtic tunes and served Irish dishes like Shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage. Green beer was on the menu as well.

"Our half way to St. Patrick's Day event was such a hit, we figured we'd keep it going," said bar manager Kevin Brody. "It's a fun event to get people to come out."

Local group Band of Rogues entertained the crowd with live Irish music throughout the evening.

"Being that this is an Irish community and it's a Saturday night, we figured we'd give people something to do," said bar manager Amber Rhodes.
Forest Ave and Decker Ave

(Google Maps)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Two people suffered serious injuries in a two-car crash on Forest Avenue and Decker Avenue in Port Richmond on Sunday afternoon.

The crash occurred near Forest Avenue Plaza at around 12:43 p.m.

Three patients were sent to

Richmond University

Medical Center with non-serious injuries, an FDNY spokesman said.

Two other patients were transported to the same hospital with serious injuries, the spokesman said.
[December 16, 2016] Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) Market Worth 811.5 Million USD by 2022

PUNE, India, December 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) Market by Operating Principle (OTDR, OFDR), Fiber Type (Single-Mode, Multi-Mode), Application (Oil & Gas, Power Cable Monitoring, Fire Detection, Process & Pipeline Monitoring) and Geography - Global Forecasts to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets, was valued at USD 484.7 Million in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 811.5 Million by 2022, at a CAGR of 7.66% between 2016 and 2022. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )



Browse 81 market data Tables and 63 Figures spread through 159 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) Market"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/distributed-temperature-sensing-system-market-116007783.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The major factors driving the growth of this market include the increasing demand for DTS systems for monitoring purposes in hostile working conditions wherein humans cannot reach, high reliability of DTS systems as they can be deployed over long distances, and increasing need for improved safety systems. "Market for optical time domain Reflectometry (OTDR) operating principle-based DTS systems expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period" OTDR is the most widely used technology and has been in use since the inception of DTS systems. OTDR-based DTS systems help in providing a robust measurement and are less susceptible to issues such as reflections and bends in the fiber and accessories. The technology utilizes the time of flight principle to measure the backscattered light during the Rayleigh scattering and Fresnel reflecting in the optical transmission generated by a narrow laser pulse. The market for OTDR-based DTS systems is expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period. "Oil & gas applications to hold the highest size of the DTS market between 2016 and 2022" The DTS technology has become an integral part of the oil & gas industry. It helps in continuous, real-time downhole monitoring to optimize the operational and economic performances of the assets. This enables the reservoir engineers to gain a better understanding of the injection and production dynamics and accordingly optimize the production and improve recovery leading to improved profits. Hence, there is an increasing focus on adopting the technology for improving th productivity of brownfield operations. The analysis of the data collected by the DTS system can provide additional information on the behavior of the wells such as the flow volume within a particular section of the wells.



Buy Now @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Purchase/purchase_report1.asp?id=116007783 "DTS market in APAC expected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period"

APAC is expected to be the fastest-growing market for DTS systems. The Distributed Temperature Sensing Market in this region has been segmented into India, China, South Korea, and Rest of APAC. APAC is a major market for DTS systems for various applications such as oil & gas and power cable monitoring. The increased demand for DTS systems in the oil & gas and power transmission sectors and the presence of major players in this region are the two crucial factors driving the market growth in APAC. The Greenfield projects in the oil & gas industry are also expected to drive the adoption of the DTS technology in this region. Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=116007783 The major companies that develop DTS systems include Halliburton Company (U.S.), Sensornet Ltd. (U.K.), Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd (Japan), Schlumberger N.V. (U.S.), Omnisens SA (Switzerland), Yokogawa Electric Corp. (Japan), Weatherford International PLC (Switzerland), Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (Japan), Omicron Electronics GmbH (Austria), Tendeka B.V. (U.K.), AP Sensing GmbH (Germany), GESO (Germany), LIOS Technology GmbH (Germany), and Bandweaver Technologies (China), among others. Browse Related Reports Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) Market by Fiber Type (Single Mode, Multimode), by Vertical (Military, Oil & Gas (Oilfield Services and Pipeline Integrity), Infrastructure, Transportation) & by Geography - Global Forecast to 2015 - 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/distributed-acoustic-sensing-market-31300369.html IoT Sensors Market by Type (Pressure, Temperature, Humidity, Magnetometer, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Inertial, Image), Network Technology (Wired & Wireless), Vertical (Consumer IoT, Commercial IoT, Industrial IoT), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/sensors-iot-market-26520972.html Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact:

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[December 16, 2016] CyberX Names Cybersecurity Veteran Phil Neray as Vice President of Marketing

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Dec. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberX, creator of the world's most widely-deployed industrial cybersecurity platform, today announced that cybersecurity marketing veteran Phil Neray has joined the company's leadership team as vice-president of marketing. The CyberX platform secures the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for critical infrastructure industries such as energy, manufacturing, oil & gas, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, water and transportation, enabling organizations to detect and respond faster to risk in their industrial networks. "Phil brings a wealth of successful experience, creativity, passion and deep domain expertise in all areas of cybersecurity marketing," said Omer Schneider, CyberX CEO and Co-Founder. "Given our explosive growth in 2016 and Phil's track record of driving market share and industry recognition, he'll be invaluable to our continuing success in 2017 and beyond." With a track record of scaling revenue and brand awareness for both start-ups and larger organizations, Neray has held executive marketing positions at numerous enterprise security leaders including Veracode, IBM Security/Q1 Labs, Guardium and Symantec. Neray Joined CyberX from Veracode, the cloud-based application security company, where his corporate re-branding strategy supported bookings growth of nearly 100% in 2 years. Prior to Veracode, Neray was at IBM Security, where he led global marketing for Security Intelligence and the Q1 Labs SIEM platform (QRadar). He joined IBM via its acquisition of Guardium, the database security company, where he led global marketing and helped grow revenue from $4M to $40M+ in 4 years.



Recognized by Gartner as a "Cool Vendor," CyberX is the only industrial cybersecurity vendor selected for the SINET16 Innovator Award sponsored by the US DHS and DoD. Unique in the industry, CyberX combines continuous monitoring and deep network forensics with non-invasive risk assessments, leveraging proprietary threat intelligence for Industrial Control Systems (ICS) with patent-pending, M2M behavioral analytics. "Amazingly, most industrial organizations still rely on perimeter firewalls and other legacy controls that weren't designed to address targeted threats, zero-day exploits, and careless or malicious insiders," said Phil Neray. "Industrial networks are now further exposed due to Smart Manufacturing, Smart Grids, and other IIoT initiatives. CyberX has developed a purpose-built platform for continuous ICS risk mitigation that's innovative, practical, and validated by enterprises and cyber experts worldwide. I'm looking forward to helping CISOs and operational leaders securely implement IIoT initiatives that enhance their competitive advantage."

Based in the company's worldwide headquarters outside Boston, Neray is responsible for CyberX's global marketing including product marketing, branding, demand creation, media and analyst relations, sales enablement, and channel marketing. Neray graduated "With Distinction" from McGill University with a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours Electrical) degree, followed by graduate-level coursework at the Boston University School of Management. He began his career as an engineer on oil rigs in South America and later as a software product manager. Neray is certified in cloud security (CCSK) and industry analyst relations (CIARP), and holds a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. About CyberX

Founded by IDF veterans responsible for securing their country's national critical infrastructure, CyberX has created the world's most widely-deployed industrial cybersecurity platform. The company has been recognized by the International Society of Automation (ISA) for Excellence in Corporate Technical Innovation, and is the only industrial cybersecurity company chosen by the Israel Cybersecurity Consortium to protect the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan. A member of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) and the ICS-ISAC, CyberX regularly contributes zero-day vulnerability discoveries to both the US DHS and industrial vendors such as GE, Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation. Learn more at CyberX-Labs.com. Contact:

Phil Neray

657-229-2370

[email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cyberx-names-cybersecurity-veteran-phil-neray-as-vice-president-of-marketing-300379778.html SOURCE CyberX

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A 13-year-old girl was seriously injured on Saturday after a car hit her and then fled the scene without stopping, police say.

Police are calling for the driver of the car to come forward, as well as any witnesses who may have seen the incident.

A 13-year-old girl was seriously injured in a hit-and-run on Saturday.

The girl was walking along Kreft Street, Florey at around 6pm when the silver Toyota Corolla allegedly knocked her to the ground.

Paramedics took the 13-year-old to The Canberra Hospital where she remained in a stable condition on Sunday.
Australia Post refuses to reveal how many millions of dollars its managing director earned last year, despite a freedom of information request from Fairfax Media.

Ahmed Fahour's last published salary was $4.8 million in 2014, but the government-owned corporation stopped publishing executive remuneration details last year.

A request for his 2015-16 salary was refused because it "relates to the commercial activities of the corporation" and "would involve the unreasonable disclosure of personal information".

"It is my view that there is no public interest in the disclosure of personal information pertaining to officers of Australia Post," the company's FOI officer wrote.
Since almost all of us have lived in a market economy all our lives, you'd expect the effects of supply and demand on price would be well understood, particularly by anyone who managed to get themselves into Parliament.

In fact, however, our politicians on both sides have terrible trouble working out how supply works. Sometimes they tell us increasing supply will put downward pressure on price and sometimes they tell us it won't.

The Santos Fairview Gas Processing Hub near Roma, west of Brisbane. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Turns out they're wrong on both counts.

When it comes to natural gas, Industry Minister Greg Hunt  like his predecessors Ian Macfarlane and Martin Ferguson who, purely by chance, have since gone on to jobs lobbying for the mining and gas industries  tells us the solution to the high price and looming "shortages" is for the Victorian and NSW governments to give gas companies free rein to do their fracking wherever they choose on the states' farmland.
Seven West Media has admitted that its chief executive Tim Worner had an inappropriate relationship with a 35-year-old personal assistant after the affair became public following the breakdown of legal negotiations.

Amber Harrison, a former executive assistant at Seven, has detailed claims about a consensual sexual relationship with Mr Worner for two years from 2012.

When the affair began, Ms Harrison was the executive assistant to Nick Chan, then CEO of Seven West's magazine division Pacific Magazines. Ms Harrison's statement contained salacious allegations about the affair with Mr Worner and detailed their time together on corporate retreats.

"The affair began the month after the [November 2012] board meeting at Pacific Magazines. We started flirting and soon after Tim began texting and emailing me for sex," Ms Harrison said.
Vale SA is betting on the world's biggest iron ore project as a way to become more competitive with its largest rivals. For Brazil, the $US14 billion S11D mine is a rare bright spot amid the country's longest recession on record.

"This is a confident affirmation that yes, Brazil will return to growth," Minister of Mines & Energy Fernando Coelho Filho said on Saturday at a ceremony opening the complex in Para state in northern Brazil.

The Companhia Siderurgica Nacional SA (CSN) Tecar iron ore and coal port in Sepetiba bay in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit:Dado Galdieri

Superlatives define Vale's effort. S11D is one of the largest private investments undertaken in Brazil, which is mired in a slump that has sent unemployment soaring, shrunk exports and cut factory output. That made the ribbon-cutting event a potent symbol, with President Michel Temer scheduled to be the featured speaker until bad weather kept him from reaching the site in the Amazon rainforest.

Mr Temer, who succeeded the impeached Dilma Rousseff, is leading Brazil's sputtering turnaround effort. This week he outlined a number of measures aiming to boost productivity and investment, including reductions in red tape, simplifying taxation and streamlining import and export procedures.
Christmas falling on a Sunday has had a mixed impact on Canberra's retailers.

Impact Comics co-owner Mal Briggs has spotted many new faces coming into his Garema Place shop in the past fortnight in search of the perfect present for a loved one.

Impact Comics owner Mal Briggs inside the store in Garema Place. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Star Wars, Pokemon and Deadpool-branded items were ranking particularly well, he said, with fans (and their parents and grandparents) having shop workers scramble to import recently-requested titles.

"We see a lot of new faces coming in to buy a gift for the people who are in here throughout the week," Mr Briggs said.
Powerful senator Nick Xenophon has predicted 2017 will be a "very unhappy year for the gambling industry" as he pledges to haul retail giant Woolworths and pokie machine makers to a Senate inquiry to explain their opposition to limiting pokie bets to $1.

The pokie machine manufacturing industry has hit back, saying limiting pokie bets would be time-consuming, ineffective and cost it more than $3 billion. Machines can currently swallow up to $10 a spin.

The Alliance for Gambling Reform's Rev. Tim Costello (r) with Senator Nick Xenophon (C) and Andrew Wilkie MP. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Fairfax Media revealed on Monday that supermarket giant Coles had sought to introduce bet limits on its 3,069 machines but five major poker machine manufacturers - Aristocrat, IGT, Konami, SG Gaming and Ainsworth Game Technology - refused. Close to $200 million a year is lost on Coles pokies, anti-pokies MP Andrew Wilkie said.

Legislation stops anyone but manufacturers from altering how gambling machines work, meaning the manufacturers can easily block Coles' request.
When Bunnings department manager Bruce Johnson refused to sack members of his team he believed were doing a good job, he was warned his own job was at risk and that a manager known as "the terminator" would replace him.

After 30 years of an otherwise successful management career in various businesses, including four years at Bunnings, Mr Johnson was sacked after lodging a complaint of bullying against his supervisor.

Mr Johnson made the complaint after his workload at the Belrose, NSW, store, where he was employed from 2012 until 2016, dramatically increased to up to 60 hours a week.

A statement of claim lodged in the Federal Circuit Court alleges that a manager assigned urgent tasks to Mr Johnson near the conclusion of his shifts. It meant Mr Johnson had to start work at 5.30am and leave as late as 9.30pm a few nights a week to get the extra work done  for no extra pay.
TAFE NSW spent more than $10 million to discover it had understated its revenue from skills training by $138 million, the auditor general has reported.

Long-running problems with the TAFE NSW computer system which records enrolments meant the auditor general was unable last year to provide an unqualified estimate of 2014-2015 TAFE revenue.

NSW Opposition spokeswoman for Skills Prue Car. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Fairfax Media recently revealed that documents released under freedom of information showed NSW Treasury clawed back $210 million in cash from TAFE at a time when the public vocational educator was struggling with the disastrous enrolment system and making hundreds of jobs redundant. TAFE was unable to accurately report its revenues because of the IT problems.

NSW Opposition spokeswoman for Skills Prue Car said the Baird government's "incompetence has meant TAFE teachers have been forced to spend their time scrambling to try and fix a broken enrolment system". She said millions of taxpayers' dollars had been spent finding lost enrolments and missing fees.
A mobile phone retail chain has been hit with more than $20,000 in penalties for the exploitation and underpayment of its migrant staff.

A Korean employee, who was in Australia on a temporary graduate visa, was found to have been underpaid more than $4000 in six months while working at Phone Collection's express repair kiosk at the Bayside Shopping Centre in southern Melbourne.

A migrant worker was paid just $13 an hour while working at Phone Collection's express repair kiosk at the Bayside Shopping Centre in southern Melbourne. Credit:Yasinguneysu

He was paid just $13 an hour, when he should have been earning a minimum of about $18 an hour for ordinary work, $20 an hour in the evening and $37 an hour on Sundays.

His work included repairing mobile phone screens and internal components and selling mobile phone accessories.
"Having conducted a quick survey I've concluded the general consensus is that watching Mr Obeid sitting in his jail cell would be infinitely preferable to the current choice on free-to-air television. Eddie-cam: taxpayers would be grateful. Anonymous of Bellevue Hill.

Jenny Byrne of St Ives asks: "Why is it when conducting my pre-Christmas pantry clear-out duties I find to my bemusement the wretched pantry moths have feasted on all manner of standard flour-based products (like pasta), while eschewing the gluten-free options? Perhaps they are yet to learn of the so-called health benefits of GF."

I agree with John Swanton (C8) about shop assistants hearing the same music all day. When I finished the Leaving Certificate in 1956 I worked in a Coles store. The song promoted by the music department was Que Sera Sera sung by Doris Day which was played almost continuously. I have waited in vain for a trivia quiz which asks when this song was on the Hit Parade." David Linfoot of Castle Hill.

"With all the Christmas jollity floating around, isn't it wonderfully appropriate that George M. comes from MANGERton?" Alastair Wilson of Balmain.

Seen in Bondi Jungle Eastgate Cheap-Shop:Christmas things on display - Auld Lang Syne playing for NYE tattoos and flags ready for Australia Day. I couldn't find the Easter eggs. Maybe next week? Peter West of Bondi Junction.
United States president-elect Donald Trump begat another controversy over the weekend, displaying his erratic approach to foreign affairs. When news broke that a Chinese warship had captured a US marine drone in international waters, Mr Trump wrote via Twitter: "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented [sic] act." Bizarrely, he later tweeted: The Chinese defence ministry later said the two nations had already been in contact about the drone, and that Mr Trump's "inappropriate and unhelpful" intervention had "unilaterally hyped up the issue". The Chinese navy had merely "adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device". Boeing's Echo Voyager, a 15-metre underwater drone, can stay at sea for months. Credit:Boeing Putting aside the diplomatic ruffles, the more interesting aspect of this incident is the drone itself.

Air power played a critical role in 20th-century warfare, and sophisticated aerial drones have become a prominent military tool of the 21st century, used both to gather intelligence and to attack targets. However, little public attention has been given to the role marine drones (or unmanned underwater vehicles) are likely to play in future naval warfare. The Pentagon says the small glider captured by China's navy was collecting unclassified data "such as salinity, water temperature and sound speed". Regardless of whether this is true, the US Navy is also developing marine drones for military purposes, including surveillance, hunting other ships and firing weapons. The advantages are clear: these vehicles won't require crew and life-support systems, will be quieter and will have a longer range. This raises questions about what Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called "the largest and most complex defence acquisition Australia has ever undertaken": the government's decision to build 12 submarines, at a cost of about $50 billion. These submarines may begin to enter service in two decades' time, though their construction will not be completed until the 2040s. And that's assuming the project runs to schedule, which, given the Australian Defence Force's record, is a bold assumption. The ADF is, of course, aware of the looming changes in marine warfare. Its latest white paper notes that some Asian nations will, even before Australia's new submarines are built, acquire "more autonomous systems, such as unmanned combat vehicles", including for underwater operations.
I think Prince Charles and his son could carry the monarchy forward for two generations with great distinction! Surely our Prime Minister cannot be serious in delaying the inevitable replacing of the monarchy with our own head of state. We are not asking for the guillotine. Bill McMahon Lennox Head Give it a rest, Malcolm Turnbull. Look at the polls. You may still be enthusiastic but unlike the same-sex marriage issue this one needs a majority of all Australians and a majority of voters in a majority of states. Last time you couldn't even muster 50 per cent of Australians and the mood was the strongest ever in 1999. Your last plea involved a single reason: it's time Australia grew up. I agree 100 per cent. It's time those clamouring for a political environment like the US, that has just produced Donald Trump as President, did grow up.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Gary Bigelow Oatlands As with so many issues, Malcolm Turnbull's speech to the ARM is a sad disappointment to those who want him to lead on the things he believes. Instead, his speech was an apologia for why a republic won't happen sooner rather than later. He talks of the need for grassroots support, but does nothing to try to draw out and shape that support. On top of this, he reintroduces the bogey of "the model", which destroyed the previous referendum. Is it really not possible to have one referendum to ask one question "Do you want an Australian head of state?" with an understanding of a follow-up referendum to choose from three model options? Can he not create a task group to recommend three possible models for this purpose?

There would be no threat of a backbench revolt if the Prime Minister pursued an agenda he really believes in. The polls would improve, and the backbenchers love their seats more than they love their pet causes. Peter Leonard Tweed Heads South I know the word "republican" has a different meaning in the US, but I still urge anyone who wants to replace our monarchy with a president to have a look at that country. Ed Matzenik Maitland What will the republican movement be celebrating in another 25 years? Malcolm Turnbull's presidency?

Carolyn Wills Cremorne The real stars of our education system Speaking of weight, here's a way to end the fractious debate about school funding ("HSC results 2016: The schools punching above their weight", December 17-18). One look at the graph accompanying this story confirms that "socio-educational (economic) advantage strongly predicts success in the HSC." So those students who also achieve high HSC results yet come from disadvantaged backgrounds are really the stars of our education system and should be rewarded accordingly. So why not weight the HSC results by their school's ICSEA measure of socioeconomic background to give a final ATAR ranking for tertiary education? The lower the ICSEA the higher the ATAR for the same HSC result. It shouldn't be more difficult than the complex weightings already applied to students' HSC results

This way wealthy schools can keep their money because socio-economic advantage would not have such a distorting effect on gaining university access. Brenton White Mosman My daughter's HSC marks averaged 76 per cent (including 76 for English and 84 for Visual Arts, with no science or maths units). Her ATAR was 62 (ie 14 points lower) which precludes her from the two courses she would like to attend, neither of which involves science or maths. I feel the weighting given to these two subjects in calculating the ATAR is prejudicial. While appreciating the challenges involved, a more finely measured system must be found. Name withheld Supply not the problem with housing

You could never satirically  or even just tragically  concoct up the reality of an Australia where an official federal inquiry into housing affordability can report that nothing much needs doing or can be done  other than cynically place the ball vaguely in the court of supply (''No problems with housing affordability", December 17-18). Looking at you, states and territories, you nasty obstacles to progress, land availability and total deregulation. Is there a Nobel for disingenuousness?



It means nothing to this august "committee" that we have had such a red-hot and accelerating huge-profits-driven production of housing for the last 20 years as to completely outstrip the trades-skill pool available to do a decent job, as an ACT analysis a few years ago found, and as every new or near-new-apartment buyer this century will attest. And is anybody calling the developer-funded, developer-infatuated NSW and ACT governments development-unfriendly? Come on, come out if you think that  I want to see the whites of your eyes.



Housing is already being knocked together too quickly and shoddily as it is, so supply cannot be blamed.



Rein in the outlandish pyramid scheme supporting today's Australia  an unfettered paying-migration and foreign house-buying Ponzi bonanza  and the prevailing canon of getting people richer, quicker in great disproportion to their wealth? Certainly not!



Alex Mattea Kingston (ACT) Dutton given an F Peter Dutton has had a performance review  and the Federal Court handed him an "F" (for "failure", not "fantastic") ("Dutton wrong on refugees: court", December 18). Had he been in ordinary employment, Dutton's employers would have put the skids under him and he'd have been ushered out  but as an MP, he can only be ushered out if the electors of Dickson vote him out at the next election. Hopefully by then they won't have forgotten his abject failure as a minister. David Gordon Emu Plains

Taking charge Some of Donald Trump's appointments are controversial such as the nomination of the boss of ExxonMobil as Secretary of State as well as three ex-generals into highly important roles ("All the president's men (and women)", December 17-18). However, this does not mean they aren't qualified. The Trump cabinet will take a hard look at the efficiency of the departments they are heading and will be expected to roll back the increasing concentration of power in Washington, which is the main reason Trump was elected. Michael Clarey Pyrmont The caption for a photo of the proposed ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley described her as a "Native American". Not so  her parents were Sikh, not Sioux, She is an Indian-American but not an American-Indian.



John Connor Milsons Point The collective noun for Donald Trump and his appointees must surely be a "smirk".



Robyn Bransby Northbridge

Reading through Donald Trump's new administration, I noted one glaring omission, that being Transylvanian Prince Vlad III the Impaler in charge of the American Association of Blood Banks.

George Manojlovic Mangerton Camps retreat a win Just in case you thought the Baird privatisation steamroller was unstoppable take heart from this great news ("Baird government drop plans to sell off school camps", smh.com.au, December 18). The campaign to stop this penny-pinching, ill-considered and plain stupid proposal was a clear demonstration of collective action through community activism, member and union campaigning and concerted pressure on members of Parliament in marginal seats.

A brilliant outcome for the people of NSW, users of centres and the communities that rely on them and especially for the public sector workers that strive to provide fantastic programs and services.

This battle appears to be won; now on to win the war.



Tony Heathwood Kiama Downs Whip move flawed Once the sensible citizenry became aware of the impacts of the greyhound ban, Premier Baird was forced to use that uncommon political ingredient, common sense ("Champion hoop Hall opens up about his battle with alcohol", December 17-18).



Now, a new rule has been brought in, almost silently, for harness racing, and it decrees drivers won't be able to use the whip after September next. Trotting drivers have to manage large and unwieldy gigs behind strong, unpredictable horses, and just how they'll manage this minus the use of a persuader to keep the horses' minds on the job, seems to be inviting dangerous outcomes.



If the population at large can't see the insidious moves to eventually ban all of our now glorious animal-involving sports, particularly in regard to horses, then they're slow out of the barriers.



Rosemary O'Brien Georges Hall

Ominous future In the early 1980s, I started to get a real sense that things in the world in general were not heading in the right direction. When I expressed these fears then, the majority of people replied that "it was ever thus". There's always been wars and troubles and shocking behaviour. It'll be all right. Recently, however, I've noticed that the explosion of discussion about things not heading in the right direction is not being lightly batted off by anybody at all. Does anyone out there believe that everything is going to be all right anymore? Janet Cadet Milton From hard cell to soft sell for the Obeids

Just wondering how long it will be before the Obeid Family Trust wins the catering contract at Long Bay ("Obeid family's sale nets $10 million pay day", December 17-18)?



Kevin Johnston Forster I now understand the correlation between "sell" and "cell". The matriarch needs to sell, as the patriarch is in a cell and the kingdom's modest lifestyle needs to be maintained. Bill Carpenter Bowral Rough conditions Perhaps James Packer should trim his big sail at Barangaroo and build a smaller monument to money ("Crown steps up Macau exit", December 17-18). Or, not build it at all.

Pat Turner Macquarie Park God helpful, but not all-accommodating Graham Lum (Letters, December 18), perhaps "millions of prayers" don't go unanswered. Decades ago, my Anglican minister told me God responded to all prayers, but quite often the answer was "no". Geoff Linn Gilead Teacher quality
A program that parachutes "career changers" and high-achieving university graduates without teaching degrees into disadvantaged high schools will continue for at least another four years thanks to a funding boost from the Turnbull government.

The government will announce in Monday's mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (MYEFO) that it will spend $20.5 million to fund another two cohorts of the Teach for Australia program.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham will also go to India. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Launched by the Gillard government in 2009, the highly competitive program provides non-teachers with 13 weeks of intensive training before they begin a two-year classroom placement at a regional or low-socio-economic school. While teaching, the participants work towards a master's of teaching degree.

The program has proved controversial since its inception with teachers' unions decrying it as an "expensive distraction" that undermines the teaching profession. Victoria, Western Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory have signed on to the program but NSW, the state with the country's biggest teaching workforce, has steadfastly refused to join.
In the days after the presidential election, Jessa Blades, an herbalist and makeup artist in New York City who supported Hillary Clinton, was devastated. "All I could think to do was blend a tea to control my stress," she said.

Blades, 37, mixed 3 pounds of lemon balm, nettle, chamomile, rose and oats together "for soothing the nervous system, calming, giving the right amount of boundaries and opening the heart" and put it in brown paper bags with "love for you and the world" written on the front. She gave them out to friends with instructions to use the combination for self-care.

In recent weeks, self-care has often been invoked as a way of dealing with open-ended anxiety. Credit:Stocksy

The term self-care has, over the past few years, become part of the vernacular. But what does it mean? "I always say it's a daily practice," she said. "It can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be: making sure you get enough sleep and drink enough water, monthly facials, fermented foods, a meditation app for your phone or packing healthy snacks for the plane."

In recent weeks, though, self-care has often been invoked as a way of dealing with open-ended anxiety.
Three months ago, Tala Afshak* was labouring through VCE without parents, a visa, or a faint hope that she could afford university fees.

The Iranian refugee, who was in community detention when she spoke to Fairfax Media in October, shared the horror of losing her mother at sea on her journey to Australia in 2013.

Tala Afshak*, an asylum seeker who lost her mother at sea on a boat to Australia, has just been offered a scholarship at La Trobe University. Credit:Justin McManus

In the story featured on the front page of The Sunday Age Tala said that she wanted to be a nurse so she could "help people to survive".

The article triggered an avalanche of support for Tala as dozens of readers contacted Fairfax Media offering donations, accommodation and mentorship.
A woman who was caught allegedly threatening her drug lord husband's co-accused as well as laundering the proceeds of his crimes has claimed she will lose her job with the Department of Family and Community Services if she does not get bail.

In 2014 Kristen Moukhallaletti's husband Sam, the head of a major drug syndicate, was arrested as he was about to board a cruise ship to Vanuatu. He was travelling under the alias Sam Bridges.

Kristen Moukhallaletti. Credit:Facebook

The quantities of the drugs ice and ecstasy seized by police were so large that Sam Moukhallaletti was facing the prospect of life in jail if convicted.

His other charges included directing the activities of a criminal group and dealing with the suspected proceeds of crime.
Hours after Katrina Ploy was last seen alive, and not long before her belongings were found at a notorious suicide spot, she paid a visit to a tattoo parlour owned by an ex-bikie.

Further details emerged about the final hours of the 25-year-old's life as police announced on Monday a $100,000 reward in the Sydney murder case.

Katrina Ploy's clothes, handbag and car were found on December 18, 2006.

Ms Ploy spent December 17, 2006, with her sister and mother at a race meeting in Hawkesbury before leaving her parents house in Seven Hills that night at 5pm.

At 10.40pm her car was recorded travelling through the Cross City Tunnel in the city's east.
2016 has a memorable year for Queenslanders.

From the Dreamworld tragedy to the death of a Brisbane bus driver who was set alight, the past 12 months have been tough for Queenslanders.

But this year hasn't been all bad - we have witnessed some amazing moments in nature and have debated about a range of issues that challenge the way we see our world.

Let's take a look at the most-read Brisbane Times stories for 2016.
Five people have died and three others have been hospitalised with significant injuries as another tragic weekend on Queensland roads unfolds.

Three of the fatalities occurred in a single-vehicle crash just outside Bundaberg on Saturday night.

Seasoned crash investigator Sergeant Steve Webb said the three men, aged 22 and 25 from Gin Gin and 33 from Bundaberg, were seen at a local pub earlier.

The bodies of the men were found inside the mangled wreckage of their car at Bucca after the accident about 7pm on Saturday night.
Police will boost night patrols in Tarneit, in Melbourne's west, in response to increasing anger among residents who are alarmed at the noise and disruption caused by large numbers of youths using a local McDonalds as a meeting point.

Residents are angry and say they feel intimated by the sheer number of youths who have met up and brawled in the suburb in recent weeks.

On Sunday night, there was a brawl at a McDonald's in Derrimut Road, in Tarneit, between a group of about 100 to 150 youths. Investigators were called to nearby Pistachia Drive about 9.40pm on Sunday where they were able to break up the group.

Police are now investigating the second incident in as many weeks at the same McDonalds outlet - the first one involved 40 youths harassing staff and attacking customers.
If the jolly red man doesn't arrive with the goods, there's always the weather gods: Melburnians are set to celebrate Christmas with a 30-degree day.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Rod Dickson said the warm day was above average for Melbourne.

"We are looking at mostly sunny conditions with a top temperature of 30 degrees, which is five degrees above average," Mr Dickson said.

Mr Dickson said there might be a southerly wind during the afternoon, with a sea breeze.
Beirut: Armed men burnt five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria on Sunday, stalling a deal to allow thousands to depart the last rebel pocket in Aleppo, where evacuees crammed into buses for hours, waiting to move.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the evacuation of the villages had been postponed as a result, and that meant the evacuation of east Aleppo was also likely to be postponed.

In return for the evacuation of fighters, their families and other civilians from Aleppo, the mostly Sunni insurgents had agreed that people in the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Shiite villages that they have besieged near Idlib, should also be allowed to leave.

Videos posted on social media showed bearded men with guns cheering and shouting "God is great" after torching the green buses before they were able to reach the villages.
Jerusalem: Thousands of children are at risk of freezing to death on the ruined streets of Aleppo, aid agencies have warned, as the evacuation of civilians from the city stalled amid an argument over the fate of two nearby villages.

Families huddled on the street and in the remains of bombed-out flats in sub-zero temperatures, burning rubbish and wrapping their children in blankets as they weighed an agonising decision: to stay in the cold and keep their place in the queue for a bus or leave to seek shelter and risk not being able to make it out.

"You basically have to choose one or the other and either way it's a very tragic decision," said Melodie Schindler, of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"This winter will be a killer for thousands of families lacking the basic protection of a roof over their heads," said the Norwegian Refugee Council, adding that it was "a race against time to ensure the safe evacuation of people who wish to leave".
Less than a week before members of the Electoral College vote to certify the new president of the United States, 40 of those members  39 Democrats and one Republican  have requested an intelligence briefing on reports of Russian meddling in the presidential election.

In case youre unaware, an intelligence briefing is something President-elect Donald Trump has been regularly turning away because, as he said recently: Im, like, really smart.

Apparently these Electoral College voters arent smart enough to ignore information from Americas highly trained intelligence agents and are stubbornly insistent on having all available information on why a country led by a former KGB agent might have favored Trump.

Youd almost think its the job of the Electoral College to ensure that voters arent putting a wholly unqualified person with intentionally murky financial conflicts of interest and questionable ties to a foreign power into office. Where would anybody get that idea?

Some suggest it came from Alexander Hamiltons explanation of the Electoral Colleges purpose in The Federalist Papers: Nothing was more to be desired than that every practicable obstacle should be opposed to cabal, intrigue, and corruption. These most deadly adversaries of republican government might naturally have been expected to make their approaches from more than one quarter, but chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. How could they better gratify this, than by raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union?

Anyhoo, whos got time to read all those words? Besides, if the Founding Fathers were so smart, why are they all dead? Open your eyes, people.

Another reason this unprecedented interference in our electoral system by a hostile foreign government is much ado about nothing is because Trump said it might not be true. And, as previously mentioned, hes really smart.

After the president-elect suggested its not true, fake news website Breitbart swiftly listed 10 reasons why the whole Russian interference thing is a bunch of fake news cooked up by the damn liberals.

That fake news from a fake news website was then transformed into real news when Sean Hannity, who has fake integrity, repeated it on his radio show, calling the CIAs assessment a liberal media fake news story.

From Trumps mouth to Breitbarts home page to Hannitys mouth to your ears. Who can argue with such an infallible stream of truth?

The so-called real news source that first reported this Russian news was the Washington Post:

The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.

The Posts reporting sounds dodgy to me. Especially when the only things Trump has done that suggest he might be Russia-curious are:

 Failed to condemn the Russian hacks of the Democratic National Committee.

 Mocked American intelligence operations rather than express outrage at the possibility of Russian meddling.

 Spoken fawningly of Russian President Vladimir Putin who, by all reasonable measures, is a very bad person.

 Appointed retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, a noted Putin fanboy with close ties to Russia, as his national security advisor.

 Appointed Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state, even though Tillerson is so tight with Russia that Putin awarded him the Order of Friendship, one of the highest honors Russia can give a foreign citizen.

 Generated headlines like Russia Is Reportedly Delighted at Donald Trumps Cabinet Picks and garnered praise from people like Putin aide Sergei Markov, who told Bloomberg: These are people Russia can do business with.

You know the old saying: Where theres smoke, there is almost definitely not fire, now move along and stop staring.

And why should we worry about Russia anyway?

I mean, whos worried about those guys, aside from a bipartisan group of senators who have called for a probe, writing that recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American.

Every American except the current president-elect, who doesnt appear to give a whip about U.S intelligence on Russian cyber-warfare and stealth propaganda and, in fact, seems almost as if he owes Putin something.

I could suggest that Trump has financial interests in Russia or that he owes money to Russian banks, but that cant be proven because Trump still hasnt released his tax returns.

If only there was some kind of body, put in place by the wise people who founded our democracy, that might feel compelled to more carefully screen the person picked to lead our country.

If such a body existed, one might expect it to do due diligence in examining all aspects of Trumps personal and financial ties to Russia to make sure our enemies arent raising a creature of their own to the chief magistracy of the Union.

If such a body existed, I would tell its members this: Please do your job.
Amman: A Canadian tourist, two Jordanian civilians and seven Jordanian security personnel, were shot and killed when around six "terrorists" holed up in a Crusader-era castle in the southern city of Karak engaged in a shootout with security forces, the Jordanian government said on Sunday.

The BBC reported about 10 am (AEDT) that Jordanian security forces said they had killed four gunmen after flushing them out of the castle.

Police said suicide belts and weapons had been seized at a hideout used by the "terrorist outlaws".

However, it was not clear if the men belonged to any militant group.
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Claim: The U.S. government assigns Social Security numbers on the basis of race. Rating: About this rating False

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The Social Security "middle digit" rumor is yet another Big Brother conspiracy theory, this one purporting that the federal government and its policies help promote racism. We're told the fifth digit of Social Security numbers denotes race, thus identifying blacks and minorities to mortgage lenders, university admissions officers, employers, and others in application processes that should be color blind. Armed with the foreknowledge of who is black and who is white, perhaps the resumes and applications of African Americans are being shuffled to the bottom of the pile.

It's a chilling thought because we know in our heart of hearts if an exploitable resource did exist for pegging sight unseen what color any of us was, there are bigots out there who would not hesitate to use it. Thankfully, it doesn't. The e-mailed warnings quoted above are bunk; none of the digits in a Social Security number has anything to do with race. The only information 'hidden' in an SSN is where and when it was issued.

Each SSN is composed of nine digits, commonly written as three fields separated by hyphens: AAA-GG-SSSS. The first three-digit field is the area number and indicates what state was listed in the applicant's mailing address when the number was issued. Someone with a mailing address in Oregon, for instance, would have a SSN beginning with 540 to 544, while the SSN of someone with a mailing address in Alabama would begin with 416 to 424.

The second set of numbers (a grouping of two, which includes the supposed infamous 'race' digit) shows when the SSN was issued, not to whom. Note that it does not directly correspond to the year of issue: a 42 in this field does not indicate this particular SSN was handed out in 1942. Different states go through this two-digit code at different rates. Moreover, when a state is done with a particular group number, the next one it begins using comes off the line according to a numbering system which makes perfect sense to the government, but to no one else. (Even so, we're going to attempt to explain it here.)

Before 1965, only half of the potential group numbers were used: odd numbers below ten and even numbers above nine. In 1965, the system was changed so that assignments continued with the low even numbers and the high odd numbers. Therefore, group numbers for each area number are exhausted in the following order:



Odd numbers, 01 to 09



Even numbers, 10 to 98



Even numbers, 02 to 08



Odd numbers, 11 to 99



The last four digits on an SSN are unique to the individual and are known as the series numbers. They are handed out in chronological order within each area and group number. Simply put, if two people living in the same area apply for a SSN during the same year, the first five digits of both numbers will be identical. If their applications hit the desk at the SSA at the same time, there will be a one-number difference, say, 3456 vs. 3457.

Getting back to the 'race' digit possessed of a better understanding of how the SSA assigns that number, we find that prior to 1965, a bushelful of SSNs with even numbers in this position were generated (45) as compared to a mere handful of odd (5). The more densely populated the area, the greater the amount of group numbers exhausted, resulting in SSNs in highly-populated areas more closely patterning themselves to the pre-1965 nine-to-one optimal result for this field. In less populated areas, however, the discrepancy between odd and even is less noticeable, because the five odd numbers are used up first (e.g., if in Alaska only twenty group numbers have been used up, then five are odd and fifteen even, resulting in a three-to-1 ratio.)

From 1965 on, group numbers continue to be assigned on the above basis, but now with the second set of potential codes (49 only this time; there is no 00) being called into service when the first fifty are used up. Consequently, group codes have to achieve a ten-to-one even-to-odd imbalance before the numbers begin resetting themselves towards parity.

So how does this impact the rumor?

At the wildest point of the numbering swing, the odds are 10-to-1 any given person's SSN group code is an even number. Therefore, the claim that "I polled 35 African-Americans, 34 had an EVEN fifth digit in their SS#, the 35th person was White/Puerto Rican," isn't all that surprising. Especially when you consider that the five odd group numbers were handed out first, it's almost a leadpipe cinch that the SSNs of most of the people you meet will contain an even group code.

All of the foregoing can be summed up thusly: The first five digits of an SSN say nothing about who the number is assigned to  they merely reflect the state and year of issue. The last four digits are particular to the individual subscriber, but they're handed out randomly, with the sole determining factor being when the paperwork is processed. Other than his state of residence at the time of application, nothing about the SSN-holder's identity is coded into the number assigned to him.

Let's face it, many of us don't trust the government. Any random tidbit that seems to confirm the rightness of that stance will be seized upon by those who already believe the worst of Uncle Sam. In this case, because Social Security numbers are constructed to conform with certain arcane and almost incomprehensible numbering schemes, it's not that far of a stretch to conclude that some of the 'secret information' encoded into them could be used against us. We already harbor mistrust over being identified by a number, and the revelation that secret stuff is going on with how the numbers are handed out only serves to heighten that anxiety.

White, black, or green, no one likes being reduced to a number; it smacks too much of governmental impersonalization, and its Orwellian overtones disturb us. In the case of African-Americans, this more general unease is further enhanced because of how their government treated them in the past, as Patricia Turner, a University of California-Davis African-American and African Studies professor noted in her book, I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African-American Culture:

There is no denying that African Americans have suffered unduly at the hands of the government. The Social Security number theory's got that sort of element of the government wanting to track Black people. It's a theory typical of a suspicion or mistrust of the government that also exists in the non-Black community. Segments of the white community initially resisted implementation of the Social Security card system because they didn't like the idea of Big Brother government nationally numbering people"

Additional information:
The International Chamber of Commerce (I.C.C.) has been officially granted Observer Status by the United Nations General Assembly.

The Samoa Chamber of Commerce is a full I.C.C. member.

Samoa Chamber President Tuala Pat Leota said the Observer status is a step in the right direction.

I applaud our worldwide family of Chambers in jointly lobbying our country leaders to attain this status. Its been a long process and this is the power of a unified private sector under the Chamber of Commerce banner, he said.

The decision was taken by the 193 members of the U.N. General Assembly during its on-going 71st session in New York.

This is an historic achievement for I.C.C. and one which provides a unique platform for the world business organisation to represent our members in the worlds greatest international forum. I.C.C. is the only private-sector organisation to have been granted Observer Status at the General Assembly in the history of the United Nations. The list of UN observers is highly restricted and features principally intergovernmental organisations.

I.C.C.s new status could not have come at a more important time: not only does the United Nations 2030 Agenda place an unprecedented focus on the private sector to drive sustainable development; but we must also do more to counter growing populist and protectionist forces within the global economy. Obtaining Observer Status willfor the first timeprovide a direct voice for business in the UN system to promote policies that foster sustainable & inclusive growth, job creation and economic cooperation.

We are a unified worldwide family working together for the betterment of our countries. The World Chambers Congress will be held in Sydney Australia in September 2017 and I anticipate that one important matter of discussion will be determining a platform which the private sector through their Chambers of Commerce can utilise this great opportunity to accelerate the contribution of our private sectors to achieving sustainable and inclusive social and economic development goals that have been set by the U.N. and our respective Governments.

Commenting on the decision, I.C.C. Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said: This is huge recognition of the role that business can play in contributing to a better and peaceful world. Granting Observer Status to I.C.C. sends a powerful signal that the UN recognizes business as a vital partner. We stand ready to ensure that the private sector plays a full role in meeting the ambition of the 2030 agenda.

We look forward to working with you in the coming months to utilize this new platform to deepen our engagement with the United Nations on areas of critical importance such as trade, sustainable development, mass migration and the digital economy.

BACKGROUND

The 1st World Chambers Congress was held in Marseille, France, 30th September 1999. The event commemorated the 400th anniversary of the oldest chamber in the world, the Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The first ever World Chambers Congress marked a truly unprecedented event, with chambers from 91 countries attending. As globalization continued apace and further revolutionary developments in communications appeared at a giddying rate, this first Congress provided a unique opportunity for chambers worldwide to discuss about their future together.

Samoa Chamber, Fiji Chamber & Solomon Islands Chamber had the only representation from the Pacific Islands, joining New Zealand and Australia at the Congress. The Vice President, Vaatuitui Apete Meredith of the Samoa Chamber of Commerce & Industry Inc was the Samoa delegate. He can be seen above with Claude Cardelle, the President of Marseille-Provence Chamber of Commerce (worlds oldest Chamber); and pointing out Samoa on the map.
A guide to voter rights in Indiana. What you need to know before you cast a ballot
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The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the EchoStar 19 satellite is rolled out to the launchpad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ahead of its Dec. 18, 2016 launch into orbit.

An unmanned Atlas V rocket will launch a powerful new broadband internet satellite into orbit from Florida today (Dec 18) and you can watch the action live online.

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will launch the EchoStar XIX (or EchoStar 19) from a pad at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 1:27 p.m. EST (1827 GMT). ULA will provide a live launch webcast via YouTube, beginning at 1:07 p.m. EST (1807 GMT). You'll also be able to watch the rocket launch here, courtesy of ULA.

Built for satellite operator Hughes, EchoStar 19 (also known as Jupiter 2) is being touted as the company's most powerful internet communications satellite to date.

"EchoStar XIX will be the world's highest capacity broadband satellite in orbit, dramatically increasing capacity for HughesNet high-speed satellite Internet service to homes and businesses in North America," ULA representatives wrote in a mission description. The large satellite features multiple Ka-band spot beams to support customers across North America, and will be stationed in a geosynchronous orbit over 97.1 West longitude to reach Hughes customers.

Hughes representatives said in a statement that EchoStar 19 "will be able to will provide significantly more capacity than EchoStar XVII (EchoStar 17), which was also built by SSL and launched in 2012."

Current weather forecasts predict a 70 percent chance of favorable conditions for today's Atlas V launch. ULA's launch window for the mission extends from 1:27 p.m. EST to 3:27 p.m. EST (1827-2027 GMT).

ULA will mark its 12th and final launch of 2016 with EchoStar 19. It will be the 115th flight in the company's 10-year history.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the EchoStar 19 communications satellite into orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Dec. 18, 2016.

A powerful new communications satellite, touted as the world's highest-capacity broadband satellite for space-based internet service, launched into space Sunday (Dec. 18) to serve millions of customers across North America.

The EchoStar XIX satellite (or EchoStar 19) launched into space atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, which soared into space at 2:13 p.m. EST (1913 GMT) from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Built by Space Systems Loral, EchoStar 19 will provide high-speed internet service to customers of HughesNet across North America. You can see more photos from the launch here.

"Boy, it's good to see this launch go off really well," said David Pidgeon, vice president of EchoStar opersations at SSL. "This satellite will provide high-bandwidth capability to millions of HughesNet customers."

Pidgeon said the EchoStar 19's internet service works much like dish-based satellite television service.

"From the home, you will have an antenna on the roof, jus tlike you would with Dish network satellite TV, but in this case it would be connected to a router, and then to your laptop or computer," Pidgeon said.

EchoStar 19, also called Jupiter 2 by Hughes, is now the "highest capacity broadband satelltie in orbit." It is equipped with multiple Ka-band spot beams to support customers across North America, and will be stationed in a geosynchronous orbit over 97.1 West longitude to serve Hughes customers.

The launch occured after a short delay due to an avionics issue that cropped up one minute before a launch try at 1:37 p.m. EST (1837 GMT). It marked the 12th and final launch of 2016 for the United Launch Alliance, and was the 115th launch in the company's decade-long history.

Email Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com or follow him @tariqjmalik and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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STAMFORD  Police seized nearly seven ounces of marijuana from a Glenbrook apartment and arrested a city man for operating a drug factory and his teenage customer.

Around 5 p.m. Saturday, detectives from the departments Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit were staking out the area near 17 Hope St. and 236 Glenbrook Road when they saw a 17-year-old male arrive and approach Juany Colon, 19 of Stamford, who was outside of 17 Hope St., according to Stamford Police Captain Richard Conklin.
Amanda Tinklin knew all too well that Waverly could benefit from another child care center. The town's population increase -- about a thousand-person rise in the past decade of available U.S. Census stats -- certainly suggested it. A private Facebook group of which shes a member, Waverly Parents, regularly features posts from parents in search of day care recommendations and options. And Tinklin also had far more direct knowledge on the subject.

Up until earlier this month, she was an assistant director at one of the two child care centers in town, and was often tasked with telling parents who called the office phone number to see if there was space available that their kid would be going on a waiting list at best.

But when Tinklin, who has an associates degree in early childhood development and a bachelors in management, wanted to open up a center with her husband, Cory, who has a masters degree of his own in management, they found themselves in something of a Catch-22 when seeking out bank loans for their startup business venture.

The 22-page business plan Cory Tinklin presented to prospective lenders drew praise, he said, but the Tinklins were often asked to provide two years of business tax returns as proof of income. They hadnt started their business yet, so they had none.

You know its going to be successful -- you know it, Amanda Tinklin said. But you have to prove it.

Furthermore, the Tinklins also wanted to lease the space that would become their startup day care center, and Cory Tinklin said most loan officers he spoke to suggested that they own the real estate that would house the center. A tangible asset for the bank was a $400,000 or so investment for the Tinklins, and Cory, 32, and Amanda, 30, werent looking to do that yet. Recommendations to apply for a smaller loan for an at-home center were no good, either. The Tinklin family has a Great Dane-black lab mix, Jax, who acts a little too much like a 2-pound puppy.

Eventually, they moved on from seeking loans from banks and sought advice from the Nebraska Enterprise Fund and Nebraska Business Development Center. It was through people at those agencies that the Tinklins first heard about a program at a Nebraska nonprofit, the Center for Rural Affairs, that works with rural entrepreneurs like them. They applied online for a Rural Enterprise Assistance Program loan.

A few emails and phone calls later, the Tinklins set up a meeting with Janelle Moran, REAPs Southeast Nebraska loan specialist.

Our first real sit-down conversation with Janelle, we had at our house actually, Cory Tinklin said. It was super comfortable.

It was really easy at that point because they looked at my business plan and said, Wow, this is really good. and pushed it through pretty quickly.

This fall, the Tinklins received approval for a $50,000 loan through REAP, one of 123 loans issued to startups and existing small businesses through the program this past fiscal year -- a record amount of lending since it began in 1990.

Its kind of the sign of the times, said REAP director Jeff Reynolds, who lives in Plymouth. Small-business lending continues to shrink, which makes our programs continue to increase. Were the largest rural program of our kind in the nation. It makes sense in Nebraska -- were in a very rural state.

REAP ranked ninth nationwide in the 2016 fiscal year in the number of loans that used Small Business Administration dollars, according to a biannual report issued earlier this month. Over the past fiscal year, REAP loans totaled roughly $1.7 million, ranging from $1,000 to $100,000, and were provided to entrepreneurs throughout rural Nebraska communities -- everywhere but Lincoln and Omaha -- Reynolds said.

Though Lincoln (and Omaha) business owners are excluded from applying for REAP loans, there have been several entrepreneurs in nearby towns to qualify for help -- a small manufacturing operation in Emerald, a coffee shop in Hickman, a mobile power-washing business in Ithaca. Of the loans issued in Nebraska the past fiscal year, 36 percent were provided to Latino business owners -- We embrace the new immigrants who come (to Nebraska); many are entrepreneurial, he said. Approximately 66 percent of the clients served in 2016 were female.

Historically, about 97 percent of the loans provided through REAP have been repaid, Reynolds said, and loan officers work with their clients throughout the course of the loan to keep them from defaulting. For instance, Moran said that, if a business is having a lean month -- January and February are rough in Nebraska in her decades experience with REAP -- a payment can be deferred.

We can get very creative in trying to help the client to the finish line, Reynolds said. Its not the banks fault. They have to follow certain regulations.

Reynolds said REAP loan officers reviewed about 200 to 225 applications last year. In some cases, the programs loan specialists offer business basic training to those in search of a kick start. (REAP has centers for female and Latino business owners and provides training both online and in-person for entrepreneurs throughout the state.)

Other times, as was the case with the Tinklins, the prospective lenders come in with a mapped-out business plan.

Its a much-needed day care for the community, Reynolds said. Theyre a perfect example of someone whos supposed to use our program.

Moran, who worked directly with the Tinklins, credited their thought-out business plan, which highlighted Waverlys low number of child care centers and in-home options for parents in the growing bedroom community. Moran said she learned that many Waverly parents who live and work there have to drive their kids to daycare facilities in Lincoln.

They did their homework in looking to see the need, Moran said.

The drywall is not yet up at 10920 N 144th St., Suite B -- thats supposed to happen next week -- and the Tinklins already have 12 applications from interested families.

We actually are completely full in our baby room already, Amanda Tinklin said.

On Friday, the Tinklins took their latest look inside Waverly Child Development Center (facebook.com/waverlycdc). The gear that makes a center for children ages 6 weeks through preschool -- toys, books, cubbies, high chairs -- is still in the Tinklins Waverly home basement. The staff positions have been filled, and the Tinklins even found business partners -- another Waverly couple, Jailyn and Donovan McNealy. The goal is to be moved in and ready to open in January.

Hopefully well be full with kids of all ages, Amanda Tinklin said. Itll be pretty awesome seeing it come together.

For that, they thanked Moran, and REAP.

Its something wed recommend, Cory Tinklin said. Its good that theres another option for startups.

For more information about the program, go to cfra.org/reap.
A man has been arrested following an 11-hour stand-off with police in south London.

The Met Police were called at 6.20am on Sunday after a man was "seen to be in possession of what looked like a firearm".

Armed officers rushed to the scene, however, were later stood down as specially trained officers attempted to talk to the man.

Footage from the scene showed a string of police cars filing down the road just outside the cordon.

Residents of Dumbarton Road, close to Brixton Prison, were forced to take shelter in Brixton police station while police dealt with the incident, witnesses said.

Stand-off: Armed officers in Brixton / PA

Homes were evacuated as a precaution.

Neighbour Claudio Coluna, 32, told the Standard many residents had been taken to Brixton police station for shelter.

He said: I tried to get back into my flat but police said it was not safe.

Many people were taken to Brixton police station in a van because they had nowhere to go.

Residents said those who were allowed to stay were being quickly ushered back inside their homes by police over fears for their safety.

At around 2.30pm, one resident reported seeing a woman with a pram being let through the cordon and escorted towards the property.

Scene: Scores of police cars on Brixton Hill / PA

A resident of nearby Felsberg Road said scores of police had swarmed the road early on Sunday morning, cordoning off her street as well.

She said: "I thought we were short of police but I've never seen so many of them.

Police siege in Brixton

"Every where's cordoned off, you can't get in or out of anywhere.

"It's caused so much chaos. But police won't tell us anything at all."

A man, in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence around 5.15pm, Scotland Yard said.

He is being held at a south London police station.

A Met Police spokesman added: "Officers, including armed officers, attended the address and spoke with the man.

"An imitation firearm has been recovered by police.

"As a precaution, residents of two blocks of flats on Brixton Hill were evacuated with the assistance of staff from the London Borough of Lambeth.

"Temporary cordons have now been lifted and local residents are returning home."
A rmed police have descended on a residential street in south London following reports that a man with a gun is inside one of the houses.

The Met Police were called at 6.20am on Sunday to Brixton where a man was "seen to be in possession of what looked like a firearm".

Officers were talking to the man inside the property on Dumbarton Road on Sunday morning, Scotland Yard said.

Footage from the scene showed a string of police cars filing down the road just outside the cordon, near Brixton Prison.

Stand-off: Armed officers in Brixton / PA

A spokesman for Scotland Yard confirmed armed officers had also been sent to the road.

Some homes were evacuated as a precaution.

Residents said those who were allowed to stay were being quickly ushered back inside their homes by police over fears for their safety.

At around 2.30pm, one resident reported seeing a woman with a pram being let through the cordon and escorted towards the property.

Scene: Scores of police cars on Brixton Hill / PA

Neighbour Claudio Coluna, 32, told the Standard: We got a knock on the door and a police officer told us we needed to get out because they had reports a man was hanging out of his window with a gun.

Im not sure how much police was there but it was a lot with a few vans and officers on the roof."

Police siege in Brixton

Other residents in our block of flats were told to leave and we havent been informed when we can return," he said.

I was quite glad to be told I could go so Im out of danger.

"It is the first time anything like this has happened to me.

A resident of nearby Felsberg Road said scores of police had swarmed the road early on Sunday morning, cordoning off her street as well.

She said: "I thought we were short of police but I've never seen so many of them.

"Everywhere's cordoned off, you can't get in or out of anywhere.

"It's caused so much chaos. But police won't tell us anything at all."

A cordon remains in place along the road while the situation is ongoing, police said.
J eremy Paxman has revealed he was rushed into intensive care after a blood clot was found in his lungs after a routine operation.

The ex-Newsnight presenter went through his ordeal last week while at a London hospital for a knee problem, which he blamed on jogging.

But he said things quickly became more serious when surgeons made the discovery of a potentially deadly clot.

Revealing the shocking discovery in a column for the Financial Times, he said: "A scan detected a postoperative bloodclot in my lungs.

"I was wheeled into the intensive care unit and prescribed more drugs. The care in intensive care is, well, intensive."

The University Challenge quizmaster revealed he was given morphine which gave him strange dreams about Nazis taking over the hospital.

He wrote: "Like all first-time users, I greatly enjoyed the woozy world into which I now had admission.

"My dreams that night were of wrestling the Queen Mother for occupancy of the coveted hospital bed. Another dream had the Nazis taking over the hospital, around which I was riding a bicycle.

"On waking I asked a nurse Are you German? It turned out she came from Croydon."

The veteran news anchor was spotted out about on crutches in Notting Hill, still recovering from his hospital trip.


A gay couple who were subjected to a vile tirade of homophobic abuse on two consecutive nights on public transport across the capital said: This is London in 2016, it just did not make sense.

Tower Hamlets councillor Chris Chapman and his partner Jonathon Carter told of how they were branded disgusting as they shared a kiss on a Jubilee Line Tube train on Friday.

The councillor for Blackwall and Cubitt Town said he and Mr Carter, who works as a marketing manager for Centaur Media, were told people do not want to see that here after they kissed on the train between London Bridge and Bermondsey on Friday.

Cllr Chapman told the Standard: He told us that if we wanted to have physical contact then we should get off of the train as it was disgusting.

My boyfriend pointed out that kissing was entirely acceptable and that he should be quiet.

He then continued to verbally abuse us before his friend then proceeded to make animal noises at us, drawing the attention of most of the carriage.

The pair said they were left shaken and upset as the thugs left the train at North Greenwich.

However, as they comforted each other in the street, the couple were subjected to further abuse as a woman walked past and said: Go and get a room, [thats] disgusting.

The horrific incident came just a day after the couple suffered abuse on a DLR train travelling between Bank and Woolwich Arsenal.

Cllr Chapman explained how they were threatened with a torrent of homophobic slurs from two young women.

He said: We became aware that two girls were discussing the fact that I had my arm around him.

One expressed disgust for this whilst the other pointed out that living in London she was used to having to see it.

As the women left the train at Westferry they were said to have laughed and hurled more abuse at the couple.

Cllr Chapman said the abuse had affected the way he and his partner behave and claimed they were left feeling uncomfortable holding hands as they walked to a local shop.

He added: As we approached holding hands we heard a group of rowdy men ahead of us.

We both flinched and hesitated before letting go of one another's hand.

It dawned on us that the abuse we had suffered has altered the way in which we behave, the way in which two people demonstrate their love for one another.

Of all the elements of the two nights, this was the one that hurt us the most.

He said that he had been left in a state of disbelief: Neither of us were at fault but knowing the other was feeling the same way, we couldn't help but say sorry.

This is not to be interpreted as being apologists for the fact that we are gay, but rather an expression of real sorrow that being gay is still something that elicits such hatred.

The incidents come just weeks after the manager of iconic gay nightclub Heaven called on Londoners to report hate crime.

Both were reported to the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police.

A spokesman for the Met said BTP were investigating.

BTP have been contacted for a comment.
A Canadian woman and nine people have been shot dead by armed men at a medieval castle in Jordan.

Other tourists were believed to be trapped inside a fortress in the south of the country, police and security sources said.

Four police officers were killed when the gunmen went on a shooting spree in the mountainous city of Karak, 27 others have been injured.

They then fled in a car before taking refuge in its Crusader-era castle, police said.

The gunmen continued to fire at police from the castle, a popular tourist spot, as special forces rushed to the scene from surrounding areas.

Prime Minister Hani al Mulki told parliament "a number of security personnel" had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle.

Police said gunmen shot at officers patrolling the city before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill.

The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear.

Jordan is one of the few Arab states that have taken part in a US-led air campaign against Islamic State militants holding territory in Syria.

But many Jordanians oppose their country's involvement, saying it had killed fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan.
J udges and stars of Strictly Come Dancing paid tribute to Len Goodman as he bid farewell to the show after 12 years.

The panels head judge, who had been an integral part of the show since its inception in 2004, said an emotional goodbye to viewers during Saturday nights live final.

Notable past contestants including Jill Halfpenny, Susanna Reid and Caroline Flack thanked the dance instructor in a moving VT.

You want all the judges to like you, but you want Len to love you, said Reid.

Winner: Ore Oduba is crowned the winner of Strictly 2016 / BBC

Flack added: Getting a ten from Len is what the whole thing is all about.

Fellow judge Craig Revel Horwood said: When you consider how long weve been judging, its unbelievable that were here now.

Hes made not only a fantastic colleague but a really, really good friend.

After a standing ovation from the crowd, Goodman said: I will miss everything about the show, I promise. Ill miss just showing up and the anticipation of what is going to occur.

Ill miss what I consider to be the best three judges in television.

Strictly Come Dancing 2016 1 /58 Strictly Come Dancing 2016 Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Saturday October 8, 2016 Guy Levy/BBC host Tess Daly with Tameka Empson and her dance partner Gorka Marquez after she was voted off Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Judge Robert Rinder with his dance partner Oksana Platero during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Fragapane with her dance partner AJ Pritchard during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones during Saturday's live edition of the BBC1 show, Strictly Come Dancing Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton during a dress rehearsal Guy Levy/BBC Tameka Empson with her dance partner Gorka Marquez Guy Levy/BBC Danny Mac with his dance partner Oti Mabuse during a dress rehearsal Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Fragapane with her dance partner AJ Pritchard Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph with her dance partner Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev Guy Levy/BBC Danny Mac with his dance partner Oti Mabuse Guy Levy/BBC Daisy Lowe with her dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Louise Redknapp Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with dance partner Katya Jones Guy Levy/BBC Melvin Odoom and Janette Manrara leaving the competition, during the results show Guy Levy/BBC Anastacia with her dance partner Brendan Cole Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Daisy Lowe with dance partner Aljaz Skorjanec Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev during a dress rehearsa Guy Levy/BBC Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly Guy Levy/BBC Louise Redknapp with her dance partner Kevin Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty with her dance partner Pasha Kovalev Guy Levy/BBC Will Young with his dance partner Karen Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph with her dance partner Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Judge Robert Rinder with his dance partner Oksana Platero Guy Levy/BBC Pasha Kovalev (right) and Naga Munchetty Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph (left) and Anton Du Beke Guy Levy/BBC Natalie Lowe (left) and Greg Rutherford Guy Levy/BBC Ed Balls with his dance partner Katya Jones Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba with his dance partner Joanne Clifton Guy Levy/BBC Greg Rutherford with his dance partner Natalie Lowe Guy Levy/BBC Anastacia with her dance partner Brendan Cole Guy Levy/BBC Robert Rinder Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero dance the cha cha Guy Levy/BBC Greg Rutherford Natalie Lowe and Greg Rutherford dance the jive Guy Levy/BBC Ore Oduba Joanne Clifton and Ore Oduba dance the tango Guy Levy/BBC Naga Munchetty Pasha Kovalev and Naga Munchetty dance the waltz Guy Levy/BBC Laura Whitmore Laura Whitmore and Giovanni Pernice dance the Cha Cha Guy Levy/BBC Lesley Joseph Lesley Joseph and Anton Du Beke dance the waltz Guy Levy/BBC

Its like a big machine with cogs, youd miss any one of the cogs as thats what makes Strictly into Strictly.

"lll miss it all.

Goodman announced that he would be stepping down from the show in July this year, much to the surprise of fans.

In a statement, he said: In 2004, I was asked to take part in a brand new BBC Saturday night show and who would have thought me, old Len Goodman, would still be part of this amazing series more than 10 years on.

This adventure began when I was 60 and now that Ive reached my 70s, Ive decided after this year its time to hand the role of Head Judge to someone else.

It is an honour being part of the wonderful Strictly Come Dancing family and Im looking forward to my last series very much and to whatever comes next.

While Goodman is leaving Strictly, it is thought that he will be taking a the head judge role on US series Dancing With the Stars in the future.
Just two weeks remain to see one of the best shows ever at the Sheldon Museum of Art.

That exhibition is Uncommon Likeness: Identity in Flux, which uses 18 works to explore, as the title indicates, questions of what is identity and how is it represented in art.

The show doesnt answer those questions, which is why it continues to resonate long after it has been seen. But it provides some guidance as it looks at ethnicity, the assumption of multiple identities and roles and observations from history in multiple media. It incorporates three-dimensional objects along with paintings and photographs.

The objects, which include Nick Caves Soundsuit, a Santeria-influenced abstract painting, a creepy Cindy Sherman photographic self portrait and a Francisco de Goya etching, dont fit together in any formal manner.

But each has a powerful impact and, taken as a whole, they make up a fine show of contemporary art that looks at portraiture and identity in unforgettable fashion.

Uncommon Likeness will close Dec. 31 as will Ron Jude: Lago, Saya Woolfalk: Chima TEK: Kaleidoscopic Camouflage and Strange Bodies: Hybrid, Text and the Human Form.

It will be replaced by Conflict and Consequence: Photographing War and Its Aftermath, an exhibition of more than 70 photographs from 12 international photographers who work as journalists, documentarians and artists depicting the consequences of armed conflict.

Also opening on Jan. 18 will be An-My Le: 29 Palms, an exhibition of black-and-white photographs of Marines in battle training and 15 Photographs, 15 Curators, a show selected by 15 members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community taken from the museums permanent collection.

Those shows will run through May 7 as Sheldon continues its academic calendar-based programming that has shows opening at the start of each semester and in the summer.

Already on view is a rehanging of the permanent collection galleries.

The new installations for the first half of 2017 include:

* A gallery of American Impressionism that features the little-seen December Blizzard on Fifth Avenue by Guy Carleton Wiggins

* Works by Native American painter Fritz Scholder

* A group of small ceramic sculptures by artists like Robert Arneson

* Some of the museums most iconic photographs, along with a new acquisition by William Eggleston, taken from a 1976 series commissioned by Rolling Stone magazine

* Highlights from Works on Paper from the Collection of the Sheldon Museum of Art, including a few never-before-shown pieces from a Josef Albers portfolio of color screen prints

* A Mickey Mouse pairing that is dramatic, to say the least.

The permanent collection re-installation will be on view through July 30 -- and will be open during the 18 days when the museums remaining galleries are closed to install the Jan. 18 shows.

Sheldon will be closed Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 1-2. The museum store will close Saturday and will be closed until Jan. 3.
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Hunting enthusiasts still have the chance to purchase lifetime permits and stamps before new pricing goes into effect Jan. 1.

The permits and stamps eliminate the need to purchase annual hunting (small game) and fishing permits. Lifetime permit options include hunt, fish, hunt/fish combination, and fur harvest; stamps include habitat and migratory waterfowl. They are available to residents and, except for fur harvest permits, to nonresidents as well.

Funds from sales will support fish and wildlife conservation in Nebraska. Permits may be purchased at Nebraska Game and Parks Commission permitting offices, at OutdoorNebraska.org, or via mailed application form.

Muzzleloader season starting

Iowas late muzzleloader deer season begins Monday, which is the final season that any-deer licenses are available.

Nearly 30,000 hunters participated in the late muzzleloader season in 2015, and the DNR expects similar numbers again this year. Archery season also reopens Monday, so bow hunters with unfilled tags will likely be heading back to their tree stands as well.

Hunters are required to wear blaze orange during the late muzzleloader season, but party hunting is not allowed.

Iowas second shotgun season ends Sunday.

If hunters are seeing fewer deer where they hunt, they may want to refrain from harvesting extra does. Hunters should check with landowners to see if deer numbers are at an acceptable level and tailor their harvest accordingly.

Hunters are reminded to report their harvest within 24 hours of recovering their deer.

Calendar

SUNDAY

 Christmas at the Codys through Thursday, Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park, North Platte, 5-8 p.m., 308-535-8035

MONDAY

 Christmas Bird Count for Families, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., 402-471-6141

 Christmas Bird Count Hike, Indian Cave SP, Shubert, 8 a.m., 402-883-2575

 Christmas at the Bowring, Bowring Ranch State Historical Park, Merriman, 6 p.m., 308-684-3428

 DeSoto December Muzzleloader deer season

WEDNESDAY

 Roger G. Sykes Outdoor Heritage Education Complex open to public, Platte River SP, Louisville, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 402-471-5547. Also Dec. 26-30.

THURSDAY

 Duck and coot hunting season in Zone 1 closes

FRIDAY

 Discovery Day, Nebraska Game and Parks Outdoor Education Center, Lincoln, noon-4 p.m., 402-471-6141. Also Dec. 28, 29, 30

SUNDAY

 Christmas Day, Game and Parks offices closed
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Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to a natural gas smell at a state building at 501 S. 14th St. Saturday afternoon.

A couple of maintenance workers called LFR when they smelt the odor while working on a boiler in the Administrative Services State Building Division right across from the Capitol around 12:30 p.m., said Lincoln Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Jim Bopp.

Bopp said they evacuated the building while inspecting the building, but only for a few minutes. LFR didn't find reason for concern and no one requested medical attention.
Ninety-three percent of police officers employed by the City of Statesville are white.

The Statesville Police Department is whiter than both the Mooresville Police Department and the Iredell County Sheriffs Office (about 89 percent white at both). Its also whiter than the forces in Salisbury (50 percent) and Hickory (70 percent).

A larger discrepancy emerges when these numbers are compared to demographic data from the 2010 Census. White populations in most Iredell municipalities make up around three-quarters or more of the total, which is not far from the racial makeup of the police force in these communities.

But in Statesville, half of citizens are racial minorities.

To reflect the community, 33 of SPDs 72 officers would need to be nonwhite. Instead, five are.

FAILURE TO APPLY

Its just getting qualified applicants to apply and be certified that seems to be the roadblock, Joseph Barone, SPD Chief of Police, wrote in a six-page analysis on the hardships of recruiting diverse officers.

He said many applicants dont make it through the background checks to be hired. Officers are required to be a U.S. citizen with a North Carolina drivers license, pass medical and psychological examinations, pass a drug test and complete basic law enforcement training.

Past felony and some misdemeanor convictions will disqualify an applicant.

Barone said he and his officers have made efforts to reach out to the community through schools, the media and community functions and invite citizens to apply to be officers.

But minorities remain stubbornly absent, he said. This might be in part because of high-profile police-involved killings of African-Americans that hinder recruitment of new officers, he said.

Most who apply and graduate from public safety classes are white males, Barone said. It is hard to properly represent ones diverse community when qualified local applicants fail to apply.

CREATING POSITIVE INTERACTIONS

Anthony Turman, president of the Statesville branch of the NAACP, said he believed police departments are partially to blame for keeping minority applicants away. He pointed to disproportionate likelihoods that African-Americans will be charged, convicted and sentenced when committing the same crimes as white people.

Once convicted, he pointed out, that person would be disqualified from becoming a cop.

His words were echoed by Troy Johnson, who joined SPD in the 1980s and later spent almost two decades working as a sergeant for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department after he felt his some of his Statesville supervisors treated him differently because of his race.

Johnson, who is black, claimed the SPD and other departments had a history of over-policing black communities to increase the number of tickets issued and suspects arrested.

These things look good on paper ... but youre flooding the court with what I call chicken crap cases, Johnson said. He noted these cases, for things such as possession of a single joint, tie officers up in court, keeping them off the streets, and unnecessarily punish many young people with permanent criminal records.

Instead, he would often give warnings when he patrolled Statesville in the late 80s and encouraged teens to turn their lives around. He said he helped out with the high school wrestling team, talked in classrooms, and met teens at the Statesville Christian Outreach center. He earned a reputation as a stern but fair cop, he said.

As a result, he said he showed black teenagers that being a cop wasnt just possible  it was worthwhile. I feel this is really going to do some good because those cops they are coming into contact with, they are going to say about them well, they are really trying to help me, Johnson said.

These days, Johnson said he is working with three or so young black men who are interested in careers in law enforcement. Hes also working with Police and Communities Together (PACT), a local group that aims to address challenges of community policing.

Johnson praised the work of Barone and other SPD leaders in their recent efforts to eliminate overly aggressive policing of minorities. He said small actions, such as having officers wear professional uniforms rather than tactical body armor and encouraging younger officers to roll down their windows and wave to locals in their yards, make a big difference.

Creating positive interactions, both Turman and Johnson said, is key.

I would support community officers before minority officers, Turman said. We need more community-oriented policing.

THE GENDER GAP

One area where SPD seems to be doing better than other agencies is in its hiring of women. More than 16 percent of Statesville officers are female  higher than in Troutman, Mooresville and Hickory. But even the Iredell Sheriffs Office, where a quarter of deputies are women, falls short of equality.

The barrier to entry for women, said Capt. Julie Gibson, supervisor of the Iredell Sheriffs special victims unit, is culture.

I think back when I first began that I wouldnt say it wasnt open to women, Gibson said. Women just didnt get into it. I dont think moms and dads want to see their little girls get into law enforcement. Little girls dont play cops and robbers. They play with their dolls and dont think about going into law enforcement. Its not pushed.

She said she was motivated to become an officer to challenge herself and break into the mens club.

Chief Deputy Marty Byers said he has seen a threefold increase in the number of female officers in his 30 years in law enforcement. He speculated the cause might be that public safety is not viewed as a mans job as much as it used to be.

Both Gibson and Byers said women tend to be better than men at certain policing tasks, such as talking with children and deescalating a situation.

Gibson encouraged every girl to consider becoming a law enforcement officer.

All the women I know in law enforcement are overachievers, she said. If (women) are the least bit interested, they should try. I didnt know I was suited for this until I tried.

KEEP EXPECTATIONS HIGH

Iredell Sheriff Darren Campbell agreed with Barone that finding qualified applicants has been difficult recently. His deputies are 10 percent black and 2 percent Latino, close but still shy of the 12 and 7 percent, respectively, throughout the county as a whole.

Campbell said he hasnt used any initiatives or programs that targeted minorities or women to encourage them to apply. Instead the biggest thing I have is my officers. They are my best recruiting tool.

He tells his deputies to visit community breakfasts and assist with distressed citizens. These interactions encourage people to apply, he said.

Salisbury, which has similar demographics to Statesville, but whose police force is half white, chalked its success up to internships. Lt. Lee Walker said the city targets students at Livingstone College, Catawba College, Phifer College and Winston-Salem State, which has paid off pretty good so far.

Chief Barone is correct when he said most graduates from basic training are white males. The class of 10 that graduated Monday from Mitchell Community College had no African Americans, two ethnic minorities and one woman.

As we get more folks certified and then through training and into jobs maybe their kids will think about these careers as a choice, said David Bullins, director of the public safety department at Mitchell.

In the meantime, Bullins said the colleges goal is to provide resources to disadvantaged students who may need help getting through training  such as free tutoring to students who fail certain tests. These initiatives, he said, could reduce barriers to entry.

Statesville has its own plan: a new recruitment program that began last month. Qualified applicants will be hired by SPD before going through basic training, and the city will pay those accepted into the program a living wage while they go through training at Mitchell. The idea is to attract new officers who would not otherwise be able to afford to apply, including minorities.

The city council also has approved a number of new incentives, Barone said, including allowing officers to take home their vehicles and increasing starting pay.

It remains to be seen if these initiatives will add 30 minority officers to SPDs ranks.

We have to keep demanding, Turman said. We have to keep our expectations high and say this is what we expect from law enforcement.
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The back area of a house at 3101 S. 47th street caught fire Saturday morning a little after 9.

Battalion Chief Jim Bopp said firefighters put the fire out quickly and the residents were evacuated safely. However, one firefighter slipped on the ice and was injured.

Icy streets and sidewalks posed hurdles for Lincoln Fire and Rescue as the fire engine had a hard time getting to the address because of the ice.

"We had a lot of slipping and sliding," said Bopp. "That was our challenge."

A safety crew arrived with the engines and trucks to put ice melt on the ground to help the firefighters with traction.

Fire Inspector Don Gross said the cause of the fire was a cigarette butt in the backyard.

The damage was primarily contained to the structure of the house, costing roughly $10,000 in damage to the outside and $1,000 to the content of the house.

The residents will be displaced for a couple days while repairs are made and they will be assisted by Red Cross.
Tim Leach was an English major but not a good student. He dropped out of Washington University and volunteered for the draft. It was 1965. With the Vietnam War beginning to heat up, he understood what the loss of a student deferment meant. Might as well get it over with, he thought.

So he was drafted. In basic training, he was offered a chance to go to Officer Candidate School, but he did not care to become a first lieutenant even if somebody were to put his picture on her piano. Hed rather just do his two years. He was sent to Vietnam. He was in the artillery. He helped plot coordinates for the guns. An English major was doing a math majors job, but he remained an English major in his down time.

He wrote poems and sent them to the literary magazine at Washington University.

When his two-year hitch was up, he went back to Washington University. He was talking with a friend when a female student stopped to chat. The friend introduced them. It turned out that the female student  her name was JoAnne and she was from New Jersey  was also an English major and recognized Tims name from the poems in the literary journal.

Within weeks, they were engaged.

JoAnne graduated first and got a job as a teacher at Vashon High School. When Tim graduated, he was hired as a reporter at the Globe-Democrat.

A couple of years later, they moved to Australia. Tim went to work for a mens magazine that was owned by Rupert Murdoch. Tim wrote a health column that he remembers as more soft porn than medical advice. Vitamin C as a sexual stimulant. That sort of thing. Every column was illustrated with the drawing of a naked woman.

It was fun but not fulfilling. His words kept coming back to him in shades of mediocrity, and before long, the couple was homeward bound. Back in St. Louis, JoAnne returned to teaching. Tim did advertising and public relations.

In 1974, they had a son, Nick. He had Down syndrome. JoAnne quit teaching. She took care of her son and became involved in disability issues.

Years went by.

Tim and JoAnne are retired. Nick lives with a roommate in a supported apartment. That is, there is always somebody there to help. The apartment is not far from the Leaches home in University City. They see their son often.

A couple of years ago, Tim and JoAnne decided to go to Memphis. Tim was already north of 70 and wasnt sure about making the drive, but soon they were following the river down the highway through the cradle of the Civil War. They were going to Graceland.

They didnt make it. Tim ran off the road. Fortunately, they were not hurt.

But people of a certain age cant listen to Paul Simons Graceland without wanting to make the pilgrimage. So a couple of weeks ago, they adopted another Simon song. They boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh. Actually, they boarded it in St. Louis. There was no man in a gabardine suit, so Joanne couldnt say he was a spy and Tim could not suggest that his bow tie was really a camera, but the moon did rise over an open field.

They got to Graceland. It was great.

They left Memphis on a Friday night. If things went well, theyd count the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike and be home by morning.

Instead, they stopped in Sikeston to pick up a passenger in a wheelchair. The wheelchair lift was lowered but would not lift. The would-be passenger eventually left, but the bus remained, the lift unliftable.

Finally, the driver announced that St. Louis would be sending a replacement bus as soon as an available driver was found.

Tim was feeling empty and aching and didnt know why. So he complained to the driver and guard. He said he had heart disease and didnt handle stress well. The guard looked at him. So why are you taking the bus? he asked, not unkindly. A good question. Why would Tim take the bus? To look for America, of course.

And to save a couple of bucks. Tim and JoAnne could have flown, but they dont have diamonds on the soles of their shoes. Im sure everybody knows exactly what Im talking about.

After a long, sleepless night, the replacement bus arrived. Tim and JoAnne were homeward bound.

In retrospect, it wasnt all that bad. But theyre not sure theyre gong to take a bus for their next trip  and there will be a next trip. They are not going to sit on a park bench quietly, thinking how terribly strange it is to be 70.

We might take a train, JoAnne told me. We enjoy the train.

I was taken aback. I enjoy the train myself, and even took it to New Orleans once, but thats from the Steve Goodman songbook, isnt it? Then I thought about it a little more.

Everybody likes the sound of a train in the distance. Everybody thinks its true.
A woman was killed Saturday afternoon when she lost control of her vehicle and crossed into oncoming traffic on Interstate 255 in Madison County.

A little after 3 p.m. Saturday, a woman driving an Isuzu southbound on I-255 near Interstate 270 lost control of her vehicle, crossed the center median into northbound lanes near and hit a Dodge Ram truck. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital and did not have life-threatening injuries, authorities said. The accident is being investigated by the Illinois State Police.
Monday, December 19, 2016, the Electoral College will meet in each state of the Union and vote for President of the United States of America. According to today's article, " Experts: Electoral College revolt unlikely" ( Daily Sun , A3, 12/17/16), the chances of the vote electing anyone except Trump for President are low.

However, the reason that the College exists is in case there are outside influences, Russian illegal activity, that lead to someone like Trump being the winner.

There was foreign interference in our election process. Private emails from Democrats were obtained illegally by a Russian hack and released amongst other emails that were blatantly false. President Obama outlined the evidence deliberately and effectively in a press conference yesterday (12/16/16). He pointed the finger at Putin as the culprit. There is also other evidence that Trump and his campaign were complicit with these actions.

It is this fact that makes the best case for the members of the Electoral College to change their vote. All the Electors of the College need to take these newly revealed facts into account as they vote for President of the United States of America.

I would encourage a revolt by the members of the Electoral College and request the 11 members of the Arizona delegation vote for Hillary Clinton. She would have been the clear winner if not for undue outside influence. As it is, she beat Trump by accumulating 2.5 million more votes in the popular count. Her 2.3 percent margin of victory nationally is amazing given the amount of Russian lies that permeated the airwaves the last three weeks of the election.

GREGORY JARRIN, M.D.

Winslow
Two armed suspects opened an unlocked door to a residence at N. 25th St. to attempt a robbery where they found two residents in the house Friday evening at 6:56.

Both of the robbers had handguns. One of the residents pulled out their pocket knife and the victims and suspects had an altercation, said Lincoln Police Capt. Don Scheinost.

While they were quarreling, a round discharged from one of the suspect's guns and hit a pan in the kitchen. That's when the suspects left the house without taking anything, said Scheinost.

Police are trying to identify the suspects and their motive.
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii  The only U.S. ship capable of breaking through Antarcticas thick ice is getting scrubbed down, fixed up and loaded with goods in balmy Hawaii as it prepares to head to the frigid south.

The upcoming voyage by Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star comes as the U.S. looks to replace and expand its aging fleet of polar icebreakers so it can maintain a presence in the most remote corners of the world. The demand for icebreaking ships is expected to grow as climate change melts sea ice and lures more traffic to northern Arctic waters.

The specter in the future is more marine use in the Arctic, more shipping, more offshore development, more tourism, said Lawson Brigham, a professor of geography and Arctic policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The Coast Guard needs to be able to enforce U.S. laws as well as search for and rescue people in the Arctic like in other waters, Brigham said. Though sea ice is melting faster than before, the Arctic is fully or partially covered by ice for about three-quarters of the year.

The ship, based in Seattle, stopped in Pearl Harbor to stock up on food and fuel. It was scheduled to leave Monday to carve a channel through 30 miles of ice in Antarctica so ships can resupply a U.S. research center, but it was delayed by repairs.

The Polar Star specializes in the Antarctic mission because it can handle thicker ice, leaving jobs in the Arctic to a medium icebreaker, the Cutter Healy.

The 40-year-old Polar Star was built to last only three decades of grinding through thick ice. It forces its way through by riding up on ice and crushing it. When it cant break through, it backs up and rams the ice.

Brigham, a retired Coast Guard captain who commanded a heavy icebreaker in the Arctic and Antarctic in the 1990s, said policymakers had debated boosting the icebreaker fleet for decades. Climate change adds a new element to the discussion.

More cargo ships already have been taking Arctic routes as the planet warms. Last summer, a luxury cruise liner sailed to Nome, Alaska, then farther north to become the largest ship to ever traverse the Northwest Passage. Melting ice also will attract those seeking to extract oil, metals and other natural resources.

The Coast Guard has only one other heavy icebreaker, the Polar Sea, that also was built in the 1970s and isnt operational. The agency is using some of its parts to keep the Polar Star running.

The Coast Guard has said it needs three total heavy icebreakers, which can burst through ice 6 feet thick. It also wants three other icebreakers, such as the Healy, that can break slightly thinner ice, up to 4 feet thick.

On the Polar Stars upcoming journey to Antarctica, 14 months worth of food will be aboard in case the ship gets stuck and it needs to wait until next years thaw to get out. If that happens, some of the crew would be flown off the ship, while others would stay behind until the vessel is able to break its way out.
So my question is, if the department is defunded, and low pay continues, what will happen the next time the police are desperately needed and only a handful of them are available?
CEDAR MESA, Utah  Hiking Owl Canyon in southeastern Utah, I reach a dry waterfall too steep to descend, forcing me to explore both sides of the canyon in search of a path down. I find a route that funnels me back into the canyon, which quickly becomes crowded with boulders, blocking my progress again.

Anxious to clear the obstacles, I nearly miss the ruins tucked into an alcove to my right. I climb a large rock and hop down about 10 feet, landing in front of the ruins.

Around 1,000 years old, the three masonry structures are well preserved. A circular building with a small entryway sits in front of two smaller buildings, one of which has a real-life corn cob on it, suggesting it was a granary.

The ruins are all the more remarkable for being unexpected, and they fill me with a sense of discovery. Cedar Mesa, public land supervised by the federal Bureau of Land Management, contains hundreds of similar sites that give visitors the opportunity to see the architectural remains of the Anasazi, ancestors of the modern Pueblo Indians. Some people argue that this is the best way to learn about one of the countrys first civilizations, away from the crowds and interpretative displays found at museums or national parks.

Greater Cedar Mesa is an iconic area in North American archeology, according to the lead story in a 2014 edition of Archaeology Southwest Magazine dedicated to the region.

Unfortunately, largely unfettered access to the ruins has also allowed for vandalism and looting, which is why a coalition of five Indian tribes has asked President Barack Obama to turn 1.9 million acres into a national monument. The proposed Bears Ears National Monument, named after a pair of buttes in the area, would be between other federal land  Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Canyonlands National Park  and incorporate existing federal land, including Natural Bridges National Monument and Cedar Mesa.

Worried about mining proposals as well as vandalism and theft, the tribes say monument status will help save Americas most significant unprotected cultural landscape.

The proposal has ignited a virulent debate in Utah focusing on the conflict among the tribes, their supporters and some Utah politicians and residents who want to use some of the land for economic development.

Another question has received less attention: How would the area be protected as a monument? The answer has not come in any detail. While protection of the ruins and the areas tremendous natural beauty may sound like a great idea, some residents and Cedar Mesa enthusiasts worry about what the change would mean for access. The tribes say a management plan would be completed after the monument is designated.

I visited Cedar Mesa just two years ago but wanted to return before any changes are made. Seeing the ruins, the huge Goosenecks  a succession of curved canyons in the San Juan River  and the remarkable rock formations in the Valley of the Gods, I became convinced the area was worthy of protection. But at what cost?

Despite its location near three national parks  Zion, Bryce and Canyonlands  this swath of canyon country has never attracted huge crowds, creating less need for protection. It was in the last blank spot on the map until John Wesley Powell led his expeditions of the Colorado River in 1869 and 1871. While following Powells footsteps nearly a century later, author Wallace Stegner wrote that starting a trip there is to start off into empty space from the end of the world.

The rugged, arid land has deterred population growth, and only a few thousand people live in the towns on the edges of the proposed monument, with the exception of growing Moab on the far eastern end.

Still, interest in the area has increased. Some people, like me, were drawn to Cedar Mesa by a pair of books by best-selling adventure writer David Roberts, In Search of the Old Ones and The Lost World of the Old Ones. Roberts focuses heavily on Cedar Mesa in the books, advancing the idea of former Bureau of Land Management ranger Fred Blackburn that its an outdoor museum where people can understand how geography influenced life there. Blackburn believed that finding the ruins in their natural settings forged a strong connection to the past.

Websites and books have published the GPS coordinates of many of the best-known sites in Cedar Mesa, which has brought challenges such as more than a dozen serious looting cases reported between May 2014 and April 2015, according to the Bears Ears Coalition website.

But looting seems less of a problem than vandalism and other forms of destruction, if only because theres little left to steal. People have been taking pots, jewelry and other items from the ruins since white people found them in the late 1800s. Many of the treasures ended up in museums, while others have been sold on the black market.

On my recent trip, I was horrified to see graffiti scrawled all over the Sand Island petroglyphs, one of the most important rock art sites in the Southwest. On a long panel, pictures of Kokopelli, the humpbacked flute player, and animals stand next to modern markings such as John, 1963 and Custer died for your sins.

High interest in the Moon House ruin forced the Bureau of Land Management to restrict access to 20 people a day through a permit process, even though the site sits on a cliff in a remote and steep canyon. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited Moon House during a trip to meet with leaders about the Bears Ears proposal earlier this year.

What I have seen on this trip and especially here is this incredible treasure trove of cultural resources, she said, according to the Deseret News. Its beyond imagination. I am also shocked at the lack of protection for many of these assets.

The Bears Ears proposal calls for the monument to be run by the tribes and federal government. The Bears Ears Coalition website, which includes the proposal given to Obama, does not provide specifics, saying the collaborative management envisioned by this proposal will involve details that are too specific to be covered. The website says visitors will be able to continue to visit the ruins. Messages left with Bears Ears representatives for this story were not returned.

The Anasazi built small villages in the alcoves of canyon walls, now called cliff dwellings. Moon House is unique in Southwest archaeology because it has a masonry facade, behind which stand a number of rooms. Some of them are decorated with pictographs, such as the one with a partial moon giving the place its name. The enormous size and well-preserved condition of Moon House make it a national treasure. When I got my permit to see Moon House, a Bureau of Land Management ranger asked me not to enter the rooms, which he said contained electronic sensors to alert authorities.

Most ruins in Cedar Mesa have no protection whatsoever, except for small signs asking people not to enter the rooms. Visitors are allowed to enter one of the rooms, Perfect Kiva, a ruin in Cedar Mesas Bullet Canyon, where visitors can climb into the main building.

Even though I had GPS coordinates for the site and directions from a ranger, finding Perfect Kiva was no easy task, as is often the case when looking for ruins in Cedar Mesa. The search, however, heightens the reward when finding them.

A top challenge is the rugged terrain of steep canyons with primitive trails. The ruins are also often built in elevated, inconspicuous places, which might have been the intent of inhabitants trying to avoid detection. While most of the Ancestral Puebloans did not live in cliff dwellings, such settings became increasingly common and defense seems to be the only logical explanation for site placement, Stephen Plog writes in his book Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest.

Climbing down the ladder into Perfect Kiva, I noticed the hole and felt a little uneasy. Maybe I was breaching a spiritual code. I also wasnt used to having this kind of access to a ruin. I felt a sense of awe. The kiva can be entered because it was restored by the Bureau of Land Management in the 1970s.

Perfect Kiva is unusual in that it has its original roof. A short distance away sits another well-preserved site, Jailhouse Ruin, so named because of the pieces of wood placed over a window that mimic the bars of a cell. Jailhouse Ruin and Perfect Kiva are two of the best-known ruins in Cedar Mesa, and they have remained intact despite many visits. Theyre especially valuable cultural resources because they can be experienced up close, not from behind a fence.

If Bears Ears is approved, I hope that doesnt change. As a writer in Archaeology Southwest Magazine put it, the challenge is to powerfully protect that (archaeological) record, while continuing to provide meaningful opportunities for discovery and reflection.

For more information

The Bears Ears Coalition  bearsearscoalition.org
Veteran and program leader Ralph Bierman didnt expect to have a full house at the Rudge Chapel on Saturday morning with freezing winds and slick roads.

But come 11 a.m., about 150 people bundled up and shuffled into the chapel for the Wreaths Across America ceremony. Packed in the pews, shoulder to shoulder, Lincoln families braved the weather to honor the brave -- the veterans who have died in service.

Families gathered to lay nearly 1,600 holiday wreaths on military graves in the three Soldiers Circles at Wyuka Cemetery. The wreaths are meant to pay tribute to fallen members, honor those who have served and teach children the value of freedom. Wreaths Across America happens every December in more than a thousand locations.

Members of the 155th Nebraska Wing Civil Air Patrol, the Lincoln AFJROTC squadron and an active military representative brought special wreaths for each military branch to the front of the building. Jesse Harvey with Youth Trumpet and Taps Corps performed a solo as a salute to service. And the crowd stood silent as Gold Star Mother Joyce Peck spoke.

Peck was the mother of Staff Sgt. Patrick Hamburger, killed in action in Afghanistan. She said his name out loud with pride.

This years theme for Wreaths Across America is Say Their Names, Peck said. Today, as you lay the wreath, please say their name. They say that a person dies twice -- once when they take their final breath and later, the last time their name is spoken.

Please dont let this be the last time their name is spoken. Say their names, she continued.

Bierman fought in Vietnam from 1969-1970. Tears came to his eyes when he reflected on what laying the wreaths meant for him.

Its tough on me, he said, choked up.

The day is not to dwell on veterans deaths, but to remember their lives. But for families like Grayson Robinsons, a Wreaths Across America Committee member, keeping their heads high is easier said than done.

Grayson Robinson brother, Larry Robinson, is still missing in action in Laos from commanding in 1970.

Something as simple as placing a wreath on a grave goes a long way for heavy hearts during the holidays, even after 8 years of doing so, he said.

Its sentimental, Robinson said. It means something for the people that are down there, looking up. It means something that we still remember those who fought to give us the right to lay the wreaths. A lot of places you cant do that.

Robinson agreed that without saying the names of the fallen, the tribute means less.

You can take a wreath here and lay it there, but that dont mean much if you dont say who its for, he said. It personifies it. It gives it meaning. It gets to the heart of it.

While its not the same as placing a present under the Christmas tree, Robinson said laying the wreaths gives families an opportunity to cherish them all the same.

Everybody else gets a wreath or a gift, he said. I get all of my kids and grandkids something at Christmas time. We also have to think about the ones that arent here. They deserve it.
MONTEVIDEO (Reuters) - A former Guantanamo prisoner who was resettled in Uruguay but has asked to leave was denied entry to South Africa by that country's migration authorities, a Uruguayan official said.

Jihad Diyab, a Syrian national who had planned to travel to South Africa as a tourist, will return to Uruguay on Saturday, said assistant secretary to the president Juan Andres Roballo.

Diyab had left Uruguay on Thursday and paid his own way to Johannesburg and would have had to either return to Uruguay in 90 days or find another country to give him residency.

Diyab was held for 12 years in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without being charged. He was released along with five other prisoners to Uruguay in 2014 to reduce the number of detainees.

Earlier this year, he traveled through Brazil and Venezuela, and was held briefly after arriving in Caracas in July. While there a lawyer said he asked the Uruguayan consulate to help him travel to Turkey, where he wanted to reunite with his family.

He was deported back to Uruguay and went on a hunger strike for 68 days in Montevideo, demanding to be resettled.

Uruguay has agreed to extend financial assistance to the former detainees in the country for another year.

(Reporting by Matias Larramendi; Writing by Luc Cohen; Editing by Chris Reese)
Army patrols are seen on a street near the site of a suicide bombing in the southern port city of Aden, Yemen December 18, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer

ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 49 soldiers gathered to receive their monthly pay in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Sunday, officials said, as Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials said at least 60 other troops were wounded in the attack, which occurred near al-Sawlaban military base in Aden's Khor Maksar district, where another Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up a week ago killing 50 soldiers.

Aden is the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognized government in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It has been battling the armed Iran-aligned Houthi movement since 2014.

Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited the war to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government.

In a statement posted via its Amaq news agency, IS said Sunday's attacker, who it identified as Abu Hashem al-Radfani, detonated an explosive vest amid a crowd of soldiers.

It posted what it said were pictures of the attack, one showing young man wearing a white vest as he stood next to the black and white Islamic State flag.

The jihadist group put the death toll at more than 70.

Saudi Arabia and its allies in a mostly Gulf Arab military coalition have been bombing the Houthi movement in parts of the country under its control since it drove the government from power in March 2015. They have failed to dislodge the group from the capital, Sanaa.

(Reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf and Omar Fahmy, Writing By Noah Browning and Sami Aboudi, Editing by Paul Tait and John Stonestreet)
By Laila Kearney

(Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway.

Residents of the Gulf of Mexico city were told on Wednesday to stop using tap water for drinking, food preparation and bathing. About 85 percent of Corpus Christi, with a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions.

An investigation of the leak of up to 24 gallons (91 liters) of an asphalt emulsifier determined the water was safe to use again, Mayor Dan McQueen said at a news conference.

It was not clear if the water supply was ever contaminated by the spill.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the city investigated.

"The entire city of Corpus Christi water system is in full use," McQueen said.

Federal and state environmental agencies tested 30 water samples taken from the city on Saturday and found no traces of harmful chemicals, McQueen said.

Even so, a "plume of contaminate" may still exist somewhere in the water system, so the agencies will run more tests, McQueen said.

The chemical, called Indulin AA-86, can cause eye and skin burns, respiratory tract irritation and damage to the digestive systems. But it is not known to be carcinogenic, according to safety data.

The city has said the chemical may have entered Corpus Christi water in what was described as a "back-flow incident" in the city's industrial district.

Valero Energy Corp (NYSE: VLO), which operates an asphalt terminal in the area, said it believed the backflow came from third-party operations near its facility.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby and Grant McCool)
(Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in a speech in Berlin to a congress of European leftist parties on Saturday that it was time for his country's creditors to understand that the Greek people have made enough sacrifices.

Tsipras also said that Greece would not surrender to those who want Greece to permanently maintain austerity policies.

"Our creditors need to keep in mind that the Greek people have made enough sacrifices and now it's time for them to fulfill their obligations," he said. "We are decisive that we will never surrender our people to the 'yes men' who want Greece in the straight jacket of austerity for many years ahead."

"We have delivered on our obligations and our creditors need to do their part," he said. "I'm optimistic that Greece will achieve its goals. But we will never accept the logic of 'eternal austerity' that destroys Greek society."

(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; editing by Sabine Siebold)
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Maryam Aurangzeb on Sunday reacted to statement of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari saying that Bilawal must demonstrate political maturity while making public statements.

She said that the PPP chairman must know that Panama Papers contain the name of Bhutto family and there was no mention of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs name in these revelations.

She said that the statement of Bilawal had brought even a bad name to Oxford University where he had studied.

She added that there was no restriction on organizing political and public gatherings in the country during the incumbent government tenure, adding that provision of conducive environment for political activities was a big achievement of the Pakistan Muslim League-N government.

The state minister said PPP was afraid of holding public rallies in its own government, but now everyone is free to organize public meetings.

She said PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris should demonstrate political maturity, while making public statements. She said the PPP Chief must know that Panama Papers contain the name of Bhutto family and there is no mention of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs name in these revelations.

It is to be mentioned here that Bilawal while hitting back at those targeting him for being too young has tweeted that Yes, I am a child. I am the child of Benazir Bhutti, Ganja Leage should be sacred of me.
Just like cars losing traction on Lincolns ice-covered streets, area temperatures have entered a tailspin.

From a peak of 21 at midnight Friday, temperatures tumbled to 6 degrees around 10 a.m. Saturday. And the free-fall was to continue as temperatures were expected bottom out at minus 10 overnight Sunday, forecasters said.

Light snow was predicted to continue through 2 p.m. Sunday -- 1 to 2 inches are possible -- but it's the combination of frigid temperatures and gusty winds bringing the most concern.

The number of city accidents declined after a flurry on Friday. Lincoln police responded to 101 accidents on Friday. They had been called out for 40 crashes between midnight and 6 p.m. Saturday.

One man was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames, according to what Douglas County Sheriff's deputies told The Associated Press. That was the only reported fatality due to the storm.

Meanwhile, Lincolns hospitals reported theyve been kept busy treating people injured by slips.

Primarily its people falling, and then theyll have an injury from the fracture, said Jami Blair of CHI St. Elizabeth, who added that around 50 people had been treated there for weather-related injuries as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

Bryan Health Center spokesman Edgar Bumanis said its emergency personnel treated around 40 people for falls, with roughly half suffering serious trauma.

As temperatures drop overnight, streets are likely to refreeze and turn hazardous again.

Lincoln crews continued to apply granular salt and brine on emergency snow and bus routes Saturday.

A wind chill advisory is still in effect. Wind chills in Lincoln had dipped to minus 15 by 10 a.m. Saturday, and could reach minus 24 overnight.

"Keep in mind, the cold isn't just cold," meteorologist Barbara Mayes of the National Weather Service in Valley told the Omaha World-Herald. "It's dangerously cold."

It could be worse. In northwest Nebraska, where snow of 6 to 8 inches were reported in the Rushville, Chadron and Crawford areas, wind chills could fall into the minus 40 range.

Norfolk could see its coldest air temperature ever on Dec. 18, with Sunday morning lows forecast to reach minus 17.

Warmer temperatures are on the way, with highs in Lincoln expected to reach 14 on Sunday, 32 on Monday and 44 on Tuesday.

An AP wire report attributes the bone-chilling temperatures to an arctic blast hitting the U.S. from the Rockies to the East Coast.
Weather Eye

with John Maunder

In the bleak mid-winter,

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone,

Snow had fallen,

Snow on snow, Snow on snow,

In the bleak mid-winter,

Long ago.

These words, from the first verse of the well-known carol, were written by the English poet Christina Rossetti in 1872 in response to a request from the magazine Scribner's Monthly' for a Christmas poem.

It was published posthumously in Rossetti's Poetic Works' in 1904.

The poem became a Christmas carol after it appeared in The English Hymnal' in 1906.

The text of this Christmas poem has been set to music many times; the most famous settings being composed by Gustav Holst and Harold Edwin Darke in the early 20th Century.

The version by Darke is favoured by cathedral choirs, and is the one usually heard performed on the radio broadcasts of Nine Lessons and Carols' by the King's College choir.

The carol featured in the Queen's Christmas TV message a few years ago. Of some significance is that three years ago on December 15, 2013, the Mail Online' (UK) had the following headlines relating to a severe snow storm, which hit the Holy City  and at the same time Cairo experienced its first snowfall in more than 100 years. Perhaps a reminder that Christmas carols do come alive?

A Christmas card come to Life: Jerusalem hit by worst snowstorm for 20 years, as eight inches fall across Holy City.

- Unusually heavy snowfall, as temperatures dip below freezing.

- Dome of the Rock and Western Wall bathed in white blanket.

- Prime Minister Natanyahu gets in on the fun with family snowball fight.

As all my readers will be aware, the weather is always with us; and although we may all hope that the weather this Christmas and in 2017 will be to our liking, it is perhaps important to remember that in the Southern Hemisphere where the carol In the Bleak Mid-Winter' may seem unusual, there have been two significant and tragic events.

The first was on Christmas Eve in New Zealand, in 1953, when the Tangiwai rail disaster occurred with loss of 151 lives, caused by a volcanic lahar from the crater lake on Mount Ruapehu.

The second was in Darwin, in Australia on Christmas Day 1974, when Tropical Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people and destroyed 80 per cent of the city's houses.

I take this opportunity of wishing all my readers a very happy Christmas and I will be back in 2017 with some more WeatherEyes.
The cause of the house fire that forced a family of five from their home after midnight is under investigation today.

The family noticed the fire in their Te Hono Street home about 12.30am, when a fire in the garage spread into the main building.

The garage is destroyed, Theres a reasonable amount of structural damage to the house, maybe 20 per cent, but we kept the house reasonably smoke free, says Tauranga Senior Station Officer Mark Keller today.

The owner of the house woke up and realised there was a fire down in the garage and then saw the fire was actually spreading towards the house and filling the house up with smoke. The garage was detached but close enough to spread into the house, says Mark.

We had three trucks initially but the fire was spreading rapidly through the roof void I was running out of BA crews pretty quickly, so we made it a second alarm so we ended up with six trucks there.

Four crews, eight men working in BA were able to stop the fire in the roof void, because we were able to make entry though the house and hold the fire from spreading from the garage.

Then the worst bit was because it was going everywhere. It was a two storey place, the lower section of roof went right round the structure and the fire was breaking out through the interior walls upstairs. So we had a crew upstairs, and we had a crew at the garage and then two crews working the roof area.

So it was pretty busy there for a while but we were able to stop it pretty much  apart from the damage in the roof  we were able to stop it pretty much where it was when we got there, so thats always a plus.

The cause is unknown. There was no real indicator to fire crews about how it started.

There was a scene guard on the house overnight and a fire investigator was at the house this morning.

The house today. Photo: Tim Follett.
Last nights tsunami warning for the Bay of Plenty wasnt needed, says Emergency Management Bay of Plenty Director Clinton Naude today.

Its important not to cry wolf, says Clinton.

"We dont want people to become complacent about text alerts due to too many false alarms. Rest assured that we will send text alerts in the event of an emergency.

Large earthquakes similar to the 7.9 New Guinea earthquake today, occur quite often in the Pacific, and its common for a tsunami threat to be issued as soon as Ministry for Civil Defence and Emergency Management are notified about an earthquake.

Thats a trigger for us to check the situation and take appropriate action, says Clinton.

In this instance, based on the location and nature of the earthquake and our experience, we assessed that there was no immediate threat to Bay of Plenty residents. A premature text alert was likely to prompt some people to self-evacuate unnecessarily.

Our assessment was confirmed to be correct when the Ministrys warning was cancelled very shortly after it was first issued."

The first threat notice was emailed by the Pacific Tsunami Warning centre at 12.07am. The Ministry of Civic Defence issued a tsunami warning for the New Zealand coast at 12.26am.

The BOP Civil Defence Emergency Management Groups websites emergency status was updated to reflect the warning at 12.56am.

That was followed by the Ministrys request at 1.02am to radio stations for the broadcast of an emergency announcement.

And then at 1.22am the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management cancelled the tsunami warning in place for all New Zealand coastal areas including the Chatham Islands.

Today residents of the Bay of Plenty are voicing complaints and concerns about the warning system.

A boatie anchored at Whalers Bay at Great Mercury last night says while the warning was sent by email, the lifting of the warning wasnt.

I stumbled upon the email from Bay of Plenty Civil Defence saying there was an alert, says Brian Rogers.

He found it at about 2am by chance and was thinking he better pack up and get ready to move the boat. He checked news websites and found the alert had been cancelled.

They never put out a follow-up email to say its been cancelled. I was checking the phone for text alerts and there was nothing there to say it was a goer from the start.

I had this email direct from Bay of Plenty Civil Defence and nothing to cancel it. And I found that it had been cancelled on another news site. If you put it out on one source you have to cancel it through that same channel.

Tauranga City Councillor and coastal resident Leanne Brown says there no need for people to be upset about the way the system operates.

I have an app, there wasnt a text but there was an email.

They didnt need to send a text because there wasnt a warning. They only send a text if there is a warning and there wasnt one, says Leanne.

The app stated the earthquake was in New Guinea, she checked the civil defence website, saw there was no tsunami threat and went back to bed.

I just quickly told a couple of the other Facebook pages to make sure nobody was distressed and went back to sleep - well, I tried to go back to sleep.

Theres an earthquake, they investigate, they make a decision, done.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck 157 km east of Rabaul, at Midnight on Saturday (NZ time), the US Geological Survey reported.

The quake sparked tsunami warnings in the surrounding islands and people living along Papua New Guineas coastline fled to higher ground.

"Widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in a message following the quake, which struck the New Ireland region of Papua New Guinea at a depth of 103.2 km.

The tsunami threat was extended to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Nauru, Kosrae and Vanuatu.

A question was been sent in to the Rise Up Tauranga and Papamoa Facebook pages: "How and where does the Ministry of Civil Defence & Emergency Management (MCDEM) issue tsunami warnings for all of New Zealand coastal areas, including the Chatham Islands?"

One way appears to be through Twitter. The national headquarters for the ministry has an official Twitter account (@NZcivildefence) with 51,371 followers, and according to their Twitter feed at 12.35am posted "We are issueing an official tsunami warning for NZ following the mag 8 earthquake in Papua New Guinea #eqnz"

One person commented "Honestly thought this was some kind of parody or joke tweet with the massive typo sticking out like a sore thumb"

At 1.00am MCDEM tweeted: "Further assessment is underway in regards to the tsunami warning for NZ. Please stand by for more information."

At 1.04am MCDEM tweeted: "No evacuations are necessary at this stage. However, please stay out of the water and off the beaches following this evenings tsunami threat."

The BOP Civil Defence Twitter account (@BOPCivilDefence) which has 842 followers, hasnt tweeted anything since December 10 when they wrote that thered been an earthquake in the Solomon Islands, but there was no tsunami alert for New Zealand from it.

Last nights warning, if sent to BOP Civil Defence by the national office, doesnt appear to have been passed on to the community by text or Facebook post. However, the local office did post at 1.14am on their Facebook page "Tsunami marine warning has been cancelled by the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. NO TSUNAMI"

For those of us following the page who hadnt heard about it, the cancellation was our first warning.

The post was shared 43 times.

Rebecca Taepa wrote: Where were the texts?? Woken up, seen the news and the fact there was an official warning from MCDEM and yet again BOPCD have dropped the ball. The only thing that these events are showing me, is how unprepared, untimely and unreliable the information out of BOPCD is.

Dawn Headley wrote under the post Bay of Plenty Civil Defence, you really need to up your game and develop CLEARER communication rules. Its simply ridiculous to post that a warning has been cancelled when you hadnt posted one in the first place!! I for one am starting to lose confidence in your ability to help keep us safe and Im pretty sure Im not alone. This is your raison detre. Do it well or dont do it at all ... please!

Emily Mathus wrote: I received only one email at 1.05 am issuing a National warning of a tsunami threat. I am wondering a few things BOPCD: 1 Why not explain what caused the warning. 2. When I clicked on the link to find out the emergency status it said there was no emergency situation. 3. I am still waiting to receive a cancelled tsunami warning communication 4. Although I have subscribed to receive text alerts I didnt receive any for this event. I look forward to you improving your systems for these emergencies.

This morning at 8.04am BOP Civil Defence posted on their Facebook page:

You will no doubt be wondering...where was my text? BOP CDEM Group assessed the situation and based on experience believed a text was unnecessary and would cause some people to self evacuate.

This brought further outcries.

Ann Mitchell wrote: I got an email so went to the website and no updates since 9th December. Very confusing.

Dibs Mackay Corr wrote: I have defended you guys until this morning, and now I have no faith whatsoever which is a real shame. Also the email didnt say "threat" - it said "warning" - which weve been educated to believe we must take more seriously. And you felt it wasnt necessary to text us? Yet every other time youve texted us, when there wasnt even an actual "warning" last time but instead WAS just a "threat". Honestly, who is behind the scenes running this? Someone seriously incapable is making big calls when they shouldnt be! I would LOVE to hear you justify to us why you didnt feel there was a need to send a text, yet you felt there was reason to send an email? For a real deal warning? The mind boggles! Someone needs to answer this for our communities.

Bay of Plenty Civil Defence have responded: Thanks everyone for your feedback...we are aware a cancellation email was not sent and we are investigating why this did not occur.
WASHINGTON -- Democrats spent the first two decades of the post-Cold War era rather relaxed about Russian provocations and revanchism. President Obama famously mocked Mitt Romney in 2012 for suggesting that Russia was our principal geopolitical adversary. Yet today the Dems are in high dudgeon over the closeness of secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, to Vladimir Putin.

Hypocrisy aside, it is true that, as head of Exxon Mobil, Tillerson made major deals with Russia, received Russia's Order of Friendship and opposed U.S. sanctions. That's troubling but not necessarily disqualifying. At the time, after all, Tillerson was acting as an agent of Exxon Mobil, whose interest it is to extract oil and make money.

These interests do not necessarily overlap with those of the United States. The relevant question is whether and how Tillerson distinguishes between the two and whether as agent of the United States he would adopt a tougher Russia policy than he did as agent of Exxon Mobil.

We don't know. We shall soon find out. That's what confirmation hearings are for.

The left has been in equally high dudgeon that other Cabinet picks appear not to share the mission of the agency which they have been nominated to head. The horror! As if these agency missions are somehow divinely ordained. Why, they aren't even constitutionally ordained. The Department of Education, for example, was created by President Carter in 1979 as a payoff to the teachers' unions for their political support.

Now, teachers are wonderful. But teachers' unions are there to protect benefits and privileges, not necessarily to improve schooling. Which is why they zealously defend tenure, protect their public-school monopoly and reflexively oppose school choice.

Conservatives have the odd view that the purpose of schooling -- and therefore of the Department of Education -- is to provide students with the best possible education. Hence Trump's nominee, Betsy DeVos, a longtime and passionate proponent of school choice, under whom the department will no longer be an arm of the teachers' unions.

She is also less likely to allow the department's Office for Civil Rights to continue appropriating to itself the role of arbiter of social justice, micromanaging everything from campus sexual mores to the proper bathroom assignment for transgender students. If the mission of this department has been to dictate policy best left to the states and localities, it's about time the mission was changed.

The most incendiary nomination by far, however, is Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency. As attorney general of Oklahoma, he has joined or led a series of lawsuits to curtail EPA power. And has been upheld more than once by the courts.

Pruitt has been deemed unfit to serve because he fails liberalism's modern-day religious test: belief in anthropogenic climate change. They would love to turn his confirmation hearing into a Scopes monkey trial. Republicans should decline the invitation. It doesn't matter whether the man believes the moon is made of green cheese. The challenges to EPA actions are based not on meteorology or theology, but on the Constitution. The issue is that the EPA has egregiously exceeded its authority and acted as a rogue agency unilaterally creating rules unmoored from legislation.

Pruitt's is the most important nomination because it is a direct attack on the insidious growth of the administrative state. We have reached the point where EPA bureaucrats interpret the Waters of the United States rule -- meant to protect American waterways -- to mean that when a hard rain leaves behind a pond on your property, the feds may take over and tell you what you can and cannot do with it. (The final rule excluded puddles -- magnanimity from the Leviathan.)

On a larger scale, Obama's Clean Power Plan essentially federalizes power generation and regulation, not coincidentally killing coal along the way. This is the administration's end run around Congress' rejection of Obama's proposed 2009-2010 cap-and-trade legislation. And that was a Democratic Congress, mind you.

Pruitt's nomination is a dramatic test of the proposition that agencies administer the law, they don't create it. That the legislative power resides exclusively with Congress and not with a metastasizing administrative bureaucracy.

For some, this reassertion of basic constitutionalism seems extreme. If so, the Obama administration has only itself to blame. Such are the wages of eight years of liberal overreach. Some legislation, like Obamacare, will be repealed. Some executive orders will be canceled. But most important will be the bonfire of the agencies. We may soon be secure not just in our puddles but our ponds.
If you been meaning to get along to the Historic Villages inaugural 12 Days of Christmas Festival  its not too late to join in.

There are across-festival events continuing next week, says festival coordinator and village tenant Jen Murray. And a whole bunch of special day events.

Continuing attractions include the Vintage Christmas Grotto, where you can take free fun family photos, the Christmas Light Trail, Village Radio Carols, and putiputi flax flower classes at Eves Shop.

The special events kick off tomorrow, December 10, with an International Christmas Market by Multicultural Tauranga from 11am-3pm in the Village Hall. All their networks have been working hard to create a genuine cultural market.

Little Sweethearts Montessori is running fun free family games from 11am-noon, and at 12.30pm the Decorate a Wheel Barrow Parade is on, with spot prizes for the best dressed barrows.

Theres an opportunity to learn how to make felt Christmas decorations in workshops for kids at Robyns Cottage tomorrow, December 10, and Sunday, December 11, from 11am-noon and 2pm-3pm. Please bring a gold coin donation, with all proceeds going to charity.

The regular Bethlehem Lions Club Historic Village Markets are on Sunday, December 18, from 8am-noon, and Jen says this close to Christmas, its sure to be a big one.

Anyone who missed out earlier in the festival on attending Christmas Stories with Kim @ Detour Theatre has two chances to catch them next week  on Monday, December 19, and Thursday, December 22, from 11am. Wear your Christmas clothes.

On Tuesday, December 20, theres a chance to burn off pre-Christmas calories at the free Community Fit Club at NZ Health Now from 9.30am  and maybe get in shape for Wednesday, December 21.

Thats our big day  we have a 12-hour Danceathon Day from 9am-9pm in the Village Hall. Come along and have a go  well be teaching a different dance style every hour. Its a free community event, with lots of different dance groups and instructors involved. Styles include highland, jazz, tap, and rock n roll.

And Friday, December 23, has a Christmas Variety Show in the Village Square from 7pm-9pm. Bring along a chair and a picnic, or buy food from one of the stalls or cafe, join in with Carols by Candlelight, and be entertained by the Tina Peet School of Dance and Zenith Performing Arts.

The 12 Days of Christmas Festival finishes with a special Lions Club market on Saturday, December 24, from 8am. Officially, it runs till noon, but the village tenants are open to 3pm, so the Lions Club is encouraging stall-holders to stick around as well. Its an additional Christmas Eve market for that last-minute shopping.

Jen says to add to Christmas Eve fun theyre inviting the public to come wearing angel wings. Well have spot prizes for the best wings.

For more information, and wet weather alternatives, look for The Historic Village People on Facebook.
A Jet Ski and its rider stranded on a sandbar, sparked an emergency rescue near Matakana Island.

Tauranga Coastguards amphibious vessel SeaLegs was deployed around 7pm to assist a jet-ski and its rider from Hunters Creek.

Sergeant Craig Madden of the Police Search & Rescue says a 33-year-old man from Mount Maunganui called police shortly before 7pm, informing them he had hit a sandbar and was stranded near Matakana Island.

Subsequent enquires revealed the man was at the very northern tip of Hunters Creek.

The Jet-ski was not fitted with navigational lights and he had no other lighting source as the rider not expecting be to out at night.

Craig says the rider was not experienced and had no navigational aids and was not sure where he was when he contacted police.

It goes to show how quickly a simple trip can turn to custard. Whenever you are out in a water vessel make sure you have two forms of communication, tell someone your trip intentions and if unexperienced attend a Day Skippers course at the very least.
A 35-year-old man sustained serious injuries after falling several metres down a cliff.

The Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter was dispatched to Omaio, a small settlement on the East Cape, at 6.30pm.

Pilot Todd Dunham says a 35-year-old man was climbing on the rocks and slipped.

He fell several metres and sustained a serious leg injury.

Due to no phone coverage, he lay on the rocks for about three hours before someone found him.

The helicopter landed on a flat area on the rocks near the patient, where he was stabilised by St John paramedics.

He was flown to Tauranga hospital for further treatment. The helicopter was called due to the remote location and distance from the required hospital.
The Crystal Symphony made an unscheduled overnight stop in Tauranga, arriving early Sunday morning.

A cyclone warning for Fiji resulted in the decision to leave Nukualofa and spend two days in the Port of Tauranga.

Jon and Gloria Thurston, cruise ship passengers from Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada, loved their first day here.

"We are thrilled! Its been a fabulous time, says Gloria.

The people are so friendly and so amazing. The staff at the Mount Brewery company are just adorable. We wanted to pack them up and take them home with us. Because the stopover was a surprise it has turned out better than expected.

We were here fifteen years ago, says Jon.

So, we didnt go to Rotorua or Hobbiton today, just enjoyed walking around the Mount and our day here.

Mount resident John Minton went down to see the cruise ship in the evening.

He has sailed on eight cruise ships, with his favourite trip being up to Tahiti.

I first started coming to New Zealand in 1953, from the Gold Coast, says John.

I helped build the Kawerau Paper Mill. Then I lived here in the 70s and moved back here from Australia 12 years ago.

The Crystal Symphony is due to leave for Auckland at 6.15pm this evening.

John Minton.
If Trump stands athwart progress on climate change, he'll be in for a fight

WASHINGTON -- The incoming Trump administration will face passionate and hostile resistance if it tries to deny the reality of human-induced climate change. We can already hear the drums of war.

-- The Department of Energy flatly denied a demand from the Trump transition team to supply the names of employees or contractors who have participated in international climate change negotiations in the last five years. Also rejected was a request for names of staff who helped calculate the "social cost" of carbon emissions. The obvious concern is that these workers would be labeled as unreliable, and perhaps shoved aside, by political appointees determined to pretend that climate change does not exist.

-- Scientists have begun a frantic effort to archive decades' worth of climate data, copying it onto servers that are beyond the U.S. government's reach. The voluminous data sets, compiled by agencies including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, help form the basis for the consensus view that the atmosphere and the oceans are rapidly warming due to heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions. There has been no threat from the Trump camp to do anything untoward regarding the data, but the researchers are taking no chances.

-- California Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that if President-elect Donald Trump tries to impede his state's vigorous efforts against climate change, "We've got the scientists, we've got the lawyers and we're ready to fight. We're ready to defend." Speaking in San Francisco at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Brown warned that rumored budget cuts might end a NASA program that uses satellites to take measurements of the earth, including temperature. "If Trump turns off the satellites," Brown declared, "California will launch its own damn satellite."

All of this is just the beginning. Trump, who has repeatedly described climate change as a "hoax," will try to reverse the Obama administration's progress in limiting carbon emissions. Assuming he follows through, he'll have a real fight on his hands.

At one of his strongman-style victory rallies this past Tuesday night, Trump said that "we will cancel the restrictions on the production of American energy, including shale, oil, natural gas, and clean, beautiful coal."

Apparently, Trump never met a fossil fuel he didn't like. And he has announced his intention to appoint the most prominent oil man he could find -- Rex Tillerson, chief executive of Exxon Mobil, the largest non-government oil company in the world -- as secretary of state.

Trump may renounce the historic Paris agreement, in which the world's biggest carbon emitters -- China, the United States and India -- all pledged curbs. He can also eliminate regulations limiting carbon emissions by power plants; encourage more drilling for oil and natural gas; and try his best to revive the moribund coal mining industry, though its decline is due more to market forces than to anything the government has done.

These threatened actions come near the end of what will almost surely be the warmest year on record. Continuing what scientists see as an indisputable trend, 2016 was an absolute scorcher. And yes, I realize that right now it's cold outside in much of the country; some scientists believe that rapid warming at the North Pole has destabilized air flow patterns and perhaps made these "polar vortex" cold snaps more common. In any event, the key measurement is the global temperature average, not the local wind chill.

Trump is being advised by a number of vocal climate-change deniers. The data that scientists are rushing to preserve clearly refutes those who say there is no warming -- hence the urgency to protect the information. Some deniers acknowledge the fact of warming but say it is due to some unfathomable natural cycle. But Occam's razor argues persuasively for the simpler explanation: Since the Industrial Revolution, we have increased the atmosphere's concentration of carbon dioxide -- known to trap heat -- by an incredible 40 percent.

Much of the rest of the world understands the need to move toward clean energy. The technology isn't quite there yet, so some breakthroughs will be required. Smart government policy would be to invest in research to make it more likely that these advances are made in Berkeley rather than Bangalore or Beijing.

Dumb policy would be to fire up the smokestacks, stop collecting all that annoying climate data and marginalize federal employees who best understand global warming. This is the direction Trump appears to be headed.

The president-elect threatens to make the United States a second-rate player in the coming clean-energy economy. I guess that's his idea of greatness, but it's not mine.
Update: Cayuga County break-in, robbery victim was targeted, deputies say; 2 more arrested



GENOA, N.Y. -- Deputies in Cayuga County arrested one teenager and are searching for two more after a home was broken into and a resident was robbed, according to the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies received a call shortly after midnight on Saturday about a burglary at a home along Route 90 in Genoa.

Multiple people had forced their way into the occupied home, a resident told authorities. When the resident confronted them, one of the burglars tried to assault the resident, deputies said.

Authorities believe three people were involved in the incident and think one may have been carrying a gun, deputies said.

Jahree Cathcart

Jahree Cathcart, 17, of 32 Mahl Loop, Moravia, was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and first-degree robbery, both felonies. He was also charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor.

He was arraigned in Moravia Village Court and is being held in the Cayuga County Jail on $200,000 bail or $400,000 bond.

Deputies are searching for two other people of interest in the case: Christian A. Reynolds, 19, and Dylan J. Krause, 17. Their last known address is 36 Aurora St., Moravia, deputies said.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information on the incident or the two teenagers to call Detective Lieutenant Brian Schenck at (315) 253-3545. Tips can also be submitted via their online crime tips page.



Reporter Kira Maddox covers crime and safety for Syracuse.com. She can be reached anytime: Email | Facebook | Twitter
LENOX, N.Y. -- A Madison County woman is accused of not providing proper food and shelter for a dog at her home, the New York State Police said.

Jalene D. Scribner

Jalene D. Scribner, 31, of 9081 Arthur Jenkins Road, Lenox, was charged with cruelty to animals under the state Agriculture and Markets Law, a misdemeanor.

On Dec. 10 the Lenox animal control officer went to Scribner's home for a report of a dog left outside without proper food, shelter and water. State police said Scribner, the homeowner, was advised by the animal control officer of the laws concerning animal welfare and given a warning about the dog.

Authorities later conducted several checks at the residence.

On Tuesday the animal control officer and state troopers found the dog, a 4-year-old Pit bull/Beagle mix, chained up on the back porch without any food, water, or shelter, state police said. Authorities seized the dog and took it to Wanderers Rest Humane Association.

Scribner was arrested Thursday. She was issued an appearance ticket for Lenox Town Court on Tuesday.
Blog_2016-06-14-dl-bluffs16.JPG

Waves and rocks at Chimney Bluffs State Park near Wolcott on the shore of Lake Ontario, Tuesday, June 14, 2016.

(David Lassman / The Post-Standard)

It took 16 years, $20 million in studies and a treaty between the United States and Canada. But at last there is a new plan in place to regulate Lake Ontario water levels.

On Dec. 8, 2016, the International Joint Commission announced final approval of Plan 2014, a plan endorsed by the editorial board in 2014.

The plan updates a water management strategy that has been in place since 1958, when the Moses-Saunders Dam was built on the St. Lawrence River at Ogdensburg. The goal then was to moderate water levels that naturally varied as much as 8 feet over the span of a year, to facilitate shipping and hydropower production. Shoreline property owners also benefited from more predictable water levels.

However, the cost to the environment was steep. Over the years, the absence of naturally occurring highs and lows killed many native plants in the lake's 64,000 acres of coastal wetlands. This created cattail fields that inhibit the natural cleansing effect of wetlands, and also harmed fisheries and wildlife. That's why sportsmen were among the loudest proponents of Plan 2014.

Shoreline property owners are not happy. So now it's up to the IJC to be responsive to them in times of extremely high or low water levels. Plan 2014 includes "triggers" that give the agency emergency powers to let more (or less) water pass through the dam in response to weather conditions.



On balance, we believe Plan 2014 will, as we said two years ago, "make one of the Great Lakes even greater."




Given how infantilising the bedder-spying, porter-guarding, school-dinner fed Cambridge world is, it shouldnt be surprising that we arent allowed jobs whilst were here. The difference is that financial issues have more of a pragmatic significance than the slight annoyance of forgetting to put a bin outside before going to bed. It seems like financial security is assumed  and if it isnt, the solution is not to solve it by getting a job and working. Whilst other universities assume a level of autonomy amongst its students, ours asserts control over even the most personal decisions, including our bank account figures.

As someone who doesnt receive the maximum bursary, but also am not totally funded by my parents, not being able to work whilst in Cambridge is a significant problem. Before coming to university, I worked hard at weekends and in the holidays to earn for myself. As a teenager this was emancipating; no longer was I reliant on someone else for financial help. It definitely gave me a better work ethic than anything I learnt at school: certainly, those hurried essays scribbled the lunchtime before a lesson were indicative of doing the bare minimum, and largely getting away with it. Working in an adult environment, where the responsibility for not performing well was a great deal more tangible, I simply had to do my best.

Its astonishing, then, that our university believes academia alone will foster this same attitude. It reveals a great deal about its priorities: we arent supposed to consider the world beyond the bubble; reading esoteric medieval texts is meant to sustain us. Of course, this is just another example of assumed privilege. We are meant to be able to afford Cambridge, and indeed our lives afterwards, with no need to exist in the working world. It isnt valued or prioritised, aside from in reference to internships and summer schemes, or other bastions of nepotism and success. Spending eight hours in a coffee shop to stay above the overdraft line just isnt valued  ambition and education, the university seems to suggest, lifts us beyond these unskilled, but often necessary, occupations.

The university would also cite the need to spend as much time as possible on our degrees. This is a whole problem in itself, leading to perfectionism, anxiety, and answering every enquiry into our wellbeing in terms of where we are with work. But essentially this argument is unjustified: a Saturday morning in a cafe; a weekday evening in a bar, takes much less time than an extracurricular. Whilst the benefits might be less fun, financial security is infinitely comforting, and the time management skills learnt would not equate to missed deadlines, but almost certainly a more efficient working routine.

If the University is serious about Access, it should allow us to choose to work for our money. Not only will this give individuals the choice of alleviating financial worries, it will allow students to integrate with people in Cambridge who are not somehow associated with academia. The snobbery of the bubble is part of the Access problem, and so to normalise a relationship with the city that is not based in privilege, but shared concerns, would surely alleviate the outward image of Cambridge. As adults, it seems ludicrous that our occupational concerns are made for us. It seems much more realistic to allow us to make this choice for ourselves: and I genuinely feel the rewards would transform the Cambridge experience.
Six new species of marine animals have been discovered on the sea floor of Indian Ocean, living close to a bunch of hot springs.

In a robot led survey, scientists from the Southampton University, Natural History Museum in London and University of Newcastle explored hydrothermal vents in the seabed. Their expedition in November 2011 yielded valuable data and led to the discovery of new organisms living on the ocean floor.

For the research, the scientists explored an area of the Southwest Indian Ridge, which bisects the sea between Antarctica and Africa.

Longqi, the name by which the hot geysers are known, etymologically means "Dragon's Breath." It is located 1,240 miles southeast of Madagascar at 1.7 miles depth below the Indian Ocean's surface.

The area was already licensed for seabed mineral exploration.

The following new creatures were discovered by the expedition with the help of a remote-operated underwater robot.

Hoff crab

Giant peltospirid snail

Whelk-like snail

Limpet

Scaleworm

Polychaete worm

Migration From Other Regions

"We can be certain that the new species we've found also live elsewhere in the southwest Indian Ocean, as they will have migrated here from other sites, but at the moment no one really knows where, or how well-connected their populations are with those at Longqi," said lead researcher Jon Copley, a scientist at the University of Southampton.

Copley and his colleagues shared their discoveries in Scientific Reports.

According to experts, hydrothermal vents are essentially a junction where seawater meets magma and attracts an array of organisms previously unknown to science.

Importance Of Hydrothermal Vents

Already, hydrothermal vents have added more than 400 new animal species. Copley explained that hydrothermal vents are vital as a network of marine life and the one discovered in the Indian Ocean was a single node of the network.

As for the rising concentration of seabed organisms near hot springs, experts see it as a migration of deep sea creatures to warmer regions seeking the warmth from mineral spires surging to big heights.

In addition to the new species, researchers also noted the presence of other marine animals including scale worms found in Antarctic vents.

Threat From Seabed Mining

According to Copley, the results highlight that it is imperative to explore other hydrothermal vents in the southwest Indian Ocean to know the connection of these marine populations before assessing impacts of mineral exploration and deep-sea mining on them.

There is a huge economic value attached to the spires as they are rich in copper and gold and deep sea mining players are interested in them.

Concerns are high about the upcoming plans for seabed mining as that may damage the hot springs and wipe out these rare organisms.

Seabed mining is emerging as a sunrise industry and growth area. Already, contracts have been issued for seabed exploration in high seas by the International Seabed Authority led by the United Nations.

According to reports, more than one million square km of the ocean floor (400,000 square miles) in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans has been earmarked for exploration by 16 countries.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Google Home just got more conversation actions, gaining new tricks that now allow users to order pizza, search WebMD for matters of the health, get the latest news and more.

This follows the Netflix and Photos integration from earlier this month, adding to the versatility of Google Home and allowing users to handle more tasks with voice commands.

Conversation actions for Google Home are somewhat similar to the Alexa skills of Amazon Echo, but urge users to converse with Google Home to get things done.

New Google Home Conversation Actions

More than 30 companies and startups including Product Hunt, Food Network, WebMD, Domino's Pizza and others have now launched new Google Home actions, marking the largest actions rollout since the device went on sale back in October. Google Home now has 35 conversation actions from third parties, and 32 of them launched on Dec. 15.

"Conversation Actions from early access partners will begin rolling out over the coming weeks  starting today. We're excited to see what developers build!" Jason Douglas, the product lead of Google Assistant, stated in an email to VentureBeat.

What You Get

Users will be able to tap WebMD for health-related questions (careful with misdiagnosis, WebMD is no substitute for a real doctor), get recipes from the Food Network, get tech insights from Product Hunt, meditate with Headspace, dream of going places with Lonely Planet, discover new cocktails with Tender, get book recommendations from Itcher, Netflix recommendations from And Chill, and a lot more.

When it comes to staying informed, Google Home can get you the latest news from HuffPost, NBC News, NPR One, CNBC and The Wall Street Journal. Games include 21-questions game Akinator, 21 Blackjack, Trivia Blast and SongPop trivia, so you can have fun with Google Home too.

It's worth pointing out that for some apps such as Todoist you'll need to link your account to issue voice commands, but most actions will work without requiring account linking or some other enabling.

To start using the slew of new conversation actions for Google Home, access the Settings menu of the Google Home app for Android and iOS and head over to the Services section.

More conversation actions should join the party soon, allowing users to do more things with Google Home. Mercedes Benz, for instance, plans to equip its cars with Google Assistant and preview the experience at CES 2017 next month.

Have you tried the new Google Home conversation actions? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Housing First is a recovery oriented approach to ending homelessness that centers on quickly moving people experiencing homelessness into independent permanent housing and then providing additional services as needed.

Housing First is not a new program model, its been done in large urban areas since the late 90s and early 2000s. It was started here in Lincoln, by CenterPointe. Now, with new funding, programs at Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach and Region V Systems have begun using this model. Housing First has been researched extensively and shown to be effective and economical in the United States and other countries. In Denver for example, this approach saved $15,733 per person for public costs of shelter, criminal justice, health care, emergency room and behavioral health care costs. The savings were enough to offset the cost of housing ($13,400) and still save taxpayers $2,373.

The inability to tend to basic healthcare needs, results in people on the streets ending up in emergency rooms and in-patient hospitalizations. One night in the hospital can cost an entire months rent in many places. Expenses like emergency room visits and jail stays, which come out of the publics wallet, far outweigh the costs to provide a home and social services.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness permanent supportive housing is more effective than shelters and transitional housing systems at housing the hardest to serve individuals, who often struggle with complex and overlapping health, mental health, and substance use disorders. This group is referred to as chronically homeless having been homeless over a long period of time or multiple times. These are the folks Matt Talbot will house through our new Housing First Program called First HOPE. The good news is that chronic homelessness is declining in Lincoln and throughout the country.

As good as this sounds there are still citizens with grave concerns about this approach. It doesnt require sobriety, abstinence, compliance or readiness. This approach runs in contrast to traditional housing programs whereby people experiencing homelessness are placed in emergency services and must address certain issues such as addiction and mental health prior to be deemed ready for housing.

I get their concerns. Matt Talbot has a Transitional Housing Program currently that is more stringent in terms of guidelines and expectations from participants. Those individuals must be substance free and employed within four months and meet other criteria.

The individuals suited to a Housing First approach are disabled mostly through mental illness or addiction. They are the hardest to serve and most have not been successful with traditional programs. One approach does not fit all. We have to be creative and open to trying new things. We have to think from a place of compassion and justice. That is why Matt Talbot is committed to this new approach in our efforts to help defeat homelessness in Lincoln.

Housing First is a rights based intervention rooted in the philosophy that all people deserve housing which is a precondition for recovery. How can someone recover without a safe place to rest at night? It seems so obvious and yet for years weve tried to fit people into a neat little package using the same criteria. Homelessness doesnt allow for this.

There is something really dehumanizing about living on the streets. What it must do to a persons self-worth I can only imagine. But what Ive seen firsthand is once someone becomes housed there is an immediate physical transformation. Theyre almost unrecognizable from their former selves.

How can we not think Housing First is a viable option for those most vulnerable with outcomes like that? According to the National Coalition for the Homeless and local experts, once a person becomes stable they typically want to work on what got them homeless in the first place. They now have hope.

In this season of giving, especially as the weather turns cold and the nights are longer, I am grateful that we are a community that offers tangible support and compassion to the homeless through a variety of wonderful programs. But we can do more. Join us as we continue to work toward our vision of defeating hunger and homelessness and restoring hope. Learn more at mtko.org.
Macri-controlled judges released the "Federal Revolution" members arguing that "there are no procedural risks" that would allow them to be kept in prison. | Read More
When consumers are vulnerable, a licensure system protects them not only from predators, but from the dangerously ignorant. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, when issued a cease-and-desist Connie Young, proprietor of an illegal reflexology business, said, "That just seemed crazy," and moved her business to Iowa ("Occupational licensing discussed," Dec. 14).

Young's objection wouldn't be to the actual licensing fee; if she charged as little as $20 per session, sixteen client-visits per year would cover licensing fees, including all continuing education requirements. No, Young's objection would be because she doesn't have the training to qualify for a license. Reflexology falls under Nebraska's definition of massage therapy, which requires 1,000 hours of schooling.

If you think doing massages doesn't require training, ask yourself if you want to be touched by someone who doesn't know what's safe from what might dislodge a blood clot into blocking your pulmonary artery. It is indeed "difficult for many Nebraskans to start businesses" in certain areas but when those areas involve actual danger to consumers, reducing requirements is not the way to go.

Caitlin Smith, Lincoln
LSU history professor Jonathan Earle knows that most students take a course and soon forget it. But if they're lucky, he says, they'll attend 
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Former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Saturday he believes President-elect Donald Trump is "on the right track" in seeking development of a new working relationship with Russia, but he expressed some concern about Trump's choice of national security adviser.

Recognizing that the United States and Russia share some common interests, Hagel said, "We've got to find a way to anchor a new relationship" rather than continue down "a dangerous path that could lead to serious confrontation."

During a coffee shop interview following his commencement address to University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduates at Pinnacle Bank Arena, Hagel praised Trump's selection of Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as secretary of state and provided an assessment of three generals whom Trump has appointed to key positions.

Hagel knows the generals well after two years as secretary of defense in the Obama administration; he was a two-term U.S. senator from Nebraska before that.

Retired Gen. John Kelly is "an excellent pick" to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Hagel said.

Retired Gen. James Mattis, whom Trump has nominated to be secretary of defense, is "a consummate general's general who would provide strong leadership," Hagel said, but "two issues do concern me."

The Mattis nomination runs counter to the established practice of civilian leadership of the Pentagon, Hagel noted, and he questions whether that might "undermine the authority of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," who acts as the senior military adviser to the president and the secretary of defense.

The president-elect's choice of retired Gen. Michael Flynn as his national security adviser is "more troublesome," Hagel said.

Flynn has been sharply critical of Islam and the Muslim faith, Hagel noted, and he's staffing the National Security Council with "very, very conservative officials when the NSC should be staffed by people with balanced perspectives on world affairs."

Flynn's appointment does not require Senate confirmation, Hagel noted.

And, as Hagel knows well from his own experience, the post of national security adviser is "one of the two most critical jobs" in the administration, the other being the president's chief-of-staff.

"All policy is made in the White House," Hagel said. "The cabinet carries out that policy. Those positions are the fountains out of which flow the president's policy."

But, Hagel noted, "I'm willing to give this president and his cabinet a chance to govern. This probably is the first president with no governing philosophy. Let Trump have his opportunity."

Hagel said he believes engagement with both Russia and China is critical.

"Engagement is not surrender or appeasement," he said. "Secure leaders engage; great powers engage. I like what Trump is saying about engaging with Russia. Let's reach out and see if we can put this relationship on a whole new footing."

The alternative could be a slide toward "a showdown somewhere, a confrontation" that could be very dangerous.

Nevertheless, Hagel said, it is appropriate that Congress conduct hearings on the issue of Russian cyber interference in the U.S. presidential election.

The world is too dangerous now not to engage, Hagel said.

In Syria, "all these big powers are rumbling around with boots on the ground and aircraft in the air," Hagel said, and "something's going to happen" if a settlement or cooperative agreement isn't reached.

There's "no possibility for stability in the Middle East" without multinational engagement, he said.

Hagel said the two most important policy planks for the United States are strong alliances and global trade.

"Tilllerson understands this, I think, in terms of world experience in an economic way," he said.
Nearly half a million dollars has been spent wining and dining state legislators this year  roughly $3,300 in lobbyist spending per lawmaker  as the Louisiana Legislature spent a record-setting 19 weeks in session sorting through the state's fiscal woes.

The Advocate's review of disclosure data shows that the $476,019.20 tab that lobbyists have run up wooing state lawmakers in 2016 far outpaced the amount spent in any of the eight years since the state began requiring more detailed expenditure reporting. The records reflect amounts spent between January and October, which is the most recent data available because of reporting schedules.

"Every interest pretty much has a lobbyist in Baton Rouge," said Pearson Cross, a political science professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

At least 593 registered lobbyists  the equivalent of four for each state legislator  pushed for or against legislation as it made its way through the State Capitol this year, according to the ethics disclosure data collected by the Louisiana Ethics Administration.

They represented dozens of industries, causes and special interest groups when lawmakers considered legislation affecting them.

While deeply ingrained in American politics, the lobbying industry is often criticized as influence peddling for those who can afford it and at the expense of those who can't.

Lobbyists routinely rank at the bottom of Gallup's annual national poll on views of honesty and ethical standards in various professions. Just 7 percent of people surveyed in 2015  the most recent survey that has been released  said they viewed lobbyists as trustworthy. That's one percentage point lower than members of Congress received.

Cross said that in the age of term limits the role lobbyists play has grown more valuable as the turnover rate for lawmakers rises. Members of the Louisiana Legislature can only serve three consecutive four-year terms in each chamber.

State revenue forecasting panel delays action on deficit until January The panel that gauges the state budget outlook refused to acknowledge Tuesday the deficit Lo

"I think in some sense lobbyists now provide a crucial form of continuity for the Legislature," Cross said. "They have been representing these interests, many times, for quite a long time. They are having to educate all the new representatives."

State law places a $60 cap on how much can be spent on lobbying a legislator per event or meal. Cross said he questions whether the amount allowed is really enough to change a vote. "If you can buy a legislator for $60, good luck to you," he said.

But lawmakers aren't forced to rely on free dinners in order to keep the lights on or be fed each day.

Legislators receive a $157 per diem from the state for each day that they travel to the Capitol or elsewhere for legislative work. That's on top of the annual $16,800 base salary they make, plus other office and travel expenses. The per diem is meant to cover food and lodging while they perform their legislative duties.

The disclosure records show that lobbyists, acting on behalf of special interest groups, are frequently willing to pick up the check for dinners at Baton Rouge restaurants like Sullivan's Steakhouse, Ruffino's and Galatoire's, or have lunch catered to the State Capitol when committee meetings run long.

Ryan Haynie, the immediate past president of the Association of Louisiana Lobbyists, said it's natural that with lawmakers putting in overtime during two special sessions, lobbyists were also putting in extra hours.

We had a record long three sessions in a row lasting almost six months. Its not a surprise that lobbying spending is up as the amount of work and time has been up," Haynie said. "When the state government is in budget crisis and tax changes are being debated, advocacy is even more important for citizens, trade associations and individual companies."

With the state facing a $2 billion shortfall in covering promised spending for the budget year that began July 1, Gov. John Bel Edwards called lawmakers into two special sessions this year that bookended the three-month regular session.

Based on the days lawmakers spent in session, the per diem came out at around $14,000 per legislator this year, but it was even higher for lawmakers on influential committees that had more meetings outside of the session dates.

In many cases, the details of individual expenses and the interest group being represented are not included in disclosure reports that are posted online.

The $60 cap is generally applied to the number of people invited  not necessarily the number who attended. Many of the reports show that the entire Legislature was invited to dinners or all members of the House or the Senate, the Republican or Democratic delegations, and caucuses or regional delegations.

Attendance records are not generally reported. In theory, a lobbyist could invite 80 lawmakers to an event  allowing a group to spend $4,800 on a reception that only 40 lawmakers attend.

Though the current disclosures may leave holes in information, ethics laws were strengthened in 2009 to require more details. Prior to that, lobbyists didn't have to itemize their expenditures if they claimed that they spent less than $250 per legislator during each half of the year. The reports were filed twice yearly instead of monthly and were not filed electronically, which obfuscated the total amount spent in each reporting period.

The bulk of the money reported this year went toward receptions  large-scale events to which all state lawmakers or specific caucus groups were invited and where no record was kept of who actually attended.

The largest single lobbying expenditure reported this year was $21,118 for the Louisiana Right to Life organization's "Bowties for Babies" reception held May 10, records show.

The next largest was a reported $17,500 for a reception at the Old Governor's Mansion on Jan. 13, two days after inauguration day, that was paid for by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

That was followed by the $12,913.72 that was reported as spent on the Louisiana Municipal Association's crawfish boil in April.

"There's no doubt that lobbyists have access and they represent their interests," Cross said. "That's how the process works."
As 2016 ends, we should reflect upon the blessings we have received during the year. I am grateful that my wife, who has lived 45 years with t
The employees have so much to be proud of at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. Not only do we work each day on mainta
N.O. surgeon accused of rape files second lawsuit against driver in fatal Lamborghini crash

N.O. surgeon accused of rape files second lawsuit against driver in fatal Lamborghini crash
I am deeply disturbed that "Circus Bacchus: A Naught Night" is being performed at Orpheum Theater. Having lived in Flagstaff for 27 years, I know that many of its citizens self-identify as Christian, as I do. Because Flagstaff is a tolerant and openhearted city, not to mention kind and generous, I would guess that most of its citizens encourage respect for followers of all religions whether or not they are religious themselves.
1876: Lincoln High School students received an unexpected vacation when school closed because the janitor was ill.

1886: Nebraska Wesleyan University was located at its current site in northeast Lincoln by the Methodist convention.

1896: H.W. Hardy called a meeting of Lincoln citizens to demand freedom for Cuba, which was in revolt against Spain at the time.

The Dairy School Building was dedicated on the University of Nebraska Ag campus.

1906: Lincoln Gas Co. requested that the City Council not enforce a new ordinance reducing the price of gas to $1 per thousand cubic feet.

State Land Commissioner H.M. Eaton added $500 to his departmental budget request, explaining that the public apparently wanted his employees to pay for their train tickets instead of receiving passes from the railroads.

1916: Large areas of northern Nebraska already suffering from a coal shortage now reported food shortages.

A Sunday morning fire ruined two floors of the Folsom block in downtown Lincoln.

1926: Gov. Adam McMullen recommended that a 60-by-20-foot room intended for the Department of Agriculture be reserved for the Nebraska Senate in the new Capitol. Nebraska had a two-house Legislature at the time.

1936: Camilla Warner of Los Angeles was reunited with her son, R.D. Foster of Scottsbluff, whom she had not seen for 41 years.

1946: Peru lost its only fire truck when a fire swept the building in which the truck and other equipment were kept.

A fire destroyed the Scottsbluff Country Club.

1956: University of Nebraska authorities were trying to prevent an increase in tuition, which stood at $90 per semester. A 2.5 percent increase in the university budget was approved by Gov. Victor Anderson.

Fred Waggoner, a state senator from Lincoln, said he had been asked to introduce legislation calling for a sales and income tax.

1966: Hundreds paid a final tribute to Lincoln Police Detective Frank Soukup, who was fatally shot while questioning some motel tenants in connection with check forgeries. Two of the motel tenants were killed in the exchange of gunshots.

1976: Jo Ann Maxey, a member of the Lincoln School Board, was selected by Gov. Jim Exon to fill the legislative seat being vacated by Sen. Harold Simpson, who was elected to the Public Service Commission in November.

1986: Nurse's aide Diana Bray carried an elderly woman to safety as flames engulfed a portion of her south Lincoln home. Lois Mallory, 83, and her husband, Bob, were hospitalized with unspecified injuries after the incident.

1996: An unmanned Union Pacific train rambled across western Nebraska for nearly 50 miles, from Cozad to about 16 miles east of North Platte. Authorities believed motorists upset over a 10-minute highway blockage may have uncoupled the remote-controlled rear engine and 55 cars from the lead engines and 49 more railcars.

2006: A judge this week approved the State Patrols firing of trooper Robert Henderson for belonging to a group affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan.

Sartor Hamanns store at Westfield Gateway mall is closing after the holidays. The stores downtown and at SouthPointe Pavilions will remain open.

Lincoln City Council voted down a proposal to raise the mayors salary. Currently the mayor earns less than her cabinet members. The mayors paycheck hasnt changed since 1998 and the salary can be changed only every four years.
Haydn's Passion. Australian Haydn Ensemble. University House, ANU. Thursday, December 15, 2016, 7pm.

Thursday evening's concert by the Australian Haydn Ensemble (AHE) was an early treat for those of us who like to celebrate Beethoven's birthday on December 16. The two met in Bonn on December 26, 1790, when Haydn was on route to England and Beethoven was afterwards invited to have lessons with the older composer. Later in life Beethoven allegedly remarked peevishly, "I never learned anything from Haydn" but the record of his music tells us otherwise, as the Piano Sonatas, Opus 2 were dedicated to Haydn. With Beethoven in mind, I enjoyed listening to the AHE's performance of Haydn's Symphony No.49, "La Passione", experiencing the strong contrasts of tempo and dynamics, which create the "Sturm und Drang" style. Beethoven would of course take these ingredients to magnificent new heights as a mature composer.

Australian Haydn Ensemble artistic director and violinist Skye McIntosh, left,and early music expert and keyboard player Erin Helyard. Credit:Helen White

Erin Helyard as guest director renewed his long-established partnership with artistic director and leader of the ensemble, Skye McIntosh for this final concert in the 2016 series. The two share a deep musical sympathy and like-minded approach to the repertoire, ensuring that the overall sound recreates the essence of Haydn's era. Gut, wood, horsehair, brass and mellow reeds combined to add warmth and texture to an 18th-century program guaranteed to restore emotional equilibrium in the madness of the pre-Christmas rush.

C.P.E Bach's Sinfonia WQ 178 was a welcome opening work for the evening. Short and sharp in duration, the ensemble responded with delightfully elasticated speed and perfect unison playing in the first movement, Allegro di molto. The Andante had a pleasing "pastorale" flavor, with nicely positioned string and woodwind voicing. In the ultimate Prestissimo the horns added a subtle rhythmic urgency leading to a virtuosic finale.
The casting of Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Marvel's Doctor Strange was mired in controversy and seen by critics as another example of Hollywood "whitewashing" roles specifically designed for minorities.

In the comic books from which Doctor Strange is based, The Ancient One is portrayed as a Tibetan man.

Historically, Hollywood has been a frequent offender in casting white actors in minority roles, including recent fare like Aloha, Gods of Egypt and the upcoming Japanese sci-fi flick Ghost in the Shell, headlined by Scarlett Johansson.

So in response to heat rising on Doctor Strange, Swinton reached out to a vocal critic, comedian and actress Margaret Cho.
Rescue crews have responded to almost 200 calls for help as trees and powerlines came crashing down, roofs were blown off and thousands of homes were without power after a wild storm swept across Brisbane and neighbouring Ipswich.

The storm, described by authorities as very dangerous, twice forced play in the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Gabba to be stopped.

Some flights at Brisbane Airport were also delayed until the storm passed.

There were 36,000 lightning strikes and 10,000 southeast Queensland homes and businesses were left without power, according to energy company Energex.
The Morwell River could be diverted for at least seven years under a plan to create a "pit lake" in the disused Hazelwood coal mine containing more water than Sydney Harbour.

The state government insists the cost of rehabilitating the mine will be borne by its owners, but the owners' estimate at this stage is only $73 million, a fraction of the amount market analysts, government insiders and environment groups say will be needed.

The government is unable to say where the 740 billion litres of water needed to half-fill the mine pit  costing as much as $440 million according to some estimates  will be sourced, with a range of options being considered.

The mine's majority owner, Engie, recently released an artist's impression of a proposed lake, including picnic facilities, bird watching areas, walking tracks and even an "artesian health spa".
It's 11am on a Saturday and 45 strangers are planning to race around Melbourne, completing puzzles, searching for clues to their next destination, turning reality television into reality.

They are here to take part in Urban Quest, a game inspired by the popular international program Amazing Race.

Dave Eastham and his team take off for their Amazing Race-style Urban Quest competition on La Trobe Street. Credit:Josh Robenstone

Among the crowd is Yarra Valley's David Eastham. He is here with his girlfriend Imelda Walsh, an Irish native.

But they are on opposing teams today.
Anna Speedie remembers rushing into meetings as a first-term councillor still learning the ropes, young child in tow, to discuss urgent council business.

Finding childcare without much notice was challenging, and her daughter became familiar with the workings of council. So much so, that when the local newspaper published photos of the council line-up, the youngster asked: "Where am I mum?"

Women in charge in regional Victoria: mayors (from left) Margaret O'Rourke, Pam Clarke, Samantha McIntosh, Anna Speedie and Kylie Gaston. Credit:Simon Schluter

She recalls: "We had a couple of urgent meetings for commercial reasons on Christmas Eve, and I remember my daughter sitting at the table colouring in.

"The first 11 years on council I worked full-time, When I first got onto council my daughter wasn't quite three, so the juggle of full-time work, 20-plus hours of council a week, and managing a family  and for a lot of that time I was a single mum  well, you find a lot of hours in the day," she says.
Baltimore: Two people died in a pileup involving as many as 67 vehicles on Interstate 95 in Baltimore after a tanker carrying petrol skidded off a highway and exploded, authorities said.

At least four other people have been killed on icy roads as a winter storm blasts the US east coast.

A police officer works on a crashed car in Eugene, Oregon, on Thursday. Winter storms have hit traffic across the US. Credit:AP

Hospital officials in Baltimore said nearly two dozen people were treated for injuries including broken bones and head trauma after the I-95 pileup, which at first was reported to have involved 55 vehicles.
Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...


Matthew Litchfield, PhillipCapital

BUY RECOMMENDATIONS

Carsales.com (CAR)



The company has fallen into our buy zone due to an underperforming car finance business cutting the share price. The core business continues to perform well with good growth plans offshore. The stock also offers shareholders a decent dividend yield, recently around 3.5 per cent fully franked. Despite the short term challenges, we believe value is emerging. Santos (STO)



Despite the recent announcement CEO Jamie Odell is stepping down, I believe Aristocrat is a quality business. Profit after tax increased by 88 per cent to $350.5 million in 2016. The gaming machine company is in strong financial health and management expects strong growth to continue in its Americas segment and digital division.

Ardent Leisure (AAD)



While ramifications from the Dreamworld tragedy will linger for some time, we view Ardent Leisures assets as well balanced and enjoying a good position in each market they operate. Management is aiming to progress its value based strategy to the Main Event business in the US. Selling its marinas business at a premium to book value will improve the balance sheet capability of the group.

SELL RECOMMENDATIONS Woolworths (WOW)



The recent sharp fall in the share price, which followed the gold price lower, provides an attractive entry point. Saracen offers leverage as a pure gold exposure, with significant production growth ahead generating strong free cash flow. During fiscal year 2017, we expect Saracen to generate about $82 million of free cash flow, adding to its net cash and bullion position of $40 million at the end of fiscal year 2016. HOLD RECOMMENDATIONS

Select Harvests (SHV)



The almond price appears to have found a base following a recent correction. While this is undoubtedly a positive for this almond producer, we have also noticed an increase in the cost of production, mostly due to higher lease costs. We believe costs will come down, but it will take time. As such, we see the shares as fully priced and likely to track sideways in the near term. Transurban Group (TCL)



The sharp fall in the Transurban share price in recent months can be attributed to falls in global government bonds. We expect the Australian 10 year bond yield will rise from 2.8 per cent to 3 per cent over the medium term. The risk is the yield moves higher over time. Against this backdrop, the toll road operator appears to be fairly valued. Despite recent weakness, we retain a hold recommendation. SELL RECOMMENDATIONS

Iluka Resources (ILU)



Iluka has announced the acquisition of Sierra Rutile for $A455 million. Iluka is proposing several operational changes, which could boost production to more than 240,000 tonnes of rutile a year, while lowering unit costs to below US$500 a tonne. However, even after factoring in these improvements, we estimate the deal is only value neutral at our long run rutile price of $US1000 a tonne (versus the spot price of $US750 a tonne). We expect ILU to spend more than $US200 million on expanding production as the acquisition will probably be cash flow negative until 2020. Metcash (MTS)



Were concerned about the impact the Aldi rollout in South Australia and Western Australia will have on the Metcash food and grocery business. We also believe Woolworths is starting to become more competitive, placing further pressure on margins. Given the difficult trading environment, we retain a sell recommendation.



Gavin Wendt, MineLife

BUY RECOMMENDATIONS

Metalicity (MCT)



Two of the most important commodities at the moment are zinc and lithium and Metalicity offers investors prime exposure to both. Its advanced Admiral Bay zinc project is one of the worlds largest undeveloped zinc deposits at a time when zinc prices have skyrocketed by almost 90 per cent during calendar 2016. Also, it offers exposure to high quality lithium acreage within the Pilbara region of WA, right next door to Pilbara Minerals Pilgangoora project.

Anova Metals (AWV)



The stars set to align in a major way early in the New Year for its Big Springs gold project in the US state of Nevada. Firstly, the company has announced a series of impressive drilling results from recent programs, which are likely to boost the overall JORC resource base during the first quarter of calendar 2017. Secondly, the company is anticipating final environmental approvals during the first quarter, which will clear the way for pre-mining activity to start.

HOLD RECOMMENDATIONS

St George Mining (SGQ)



The company attracted solid market interest during 2016 with respect to its Mt Alexander nickel sulphide project in WA. Drilling is taking place at its Cathedrals, Stricklands and Investigators prospects, where encouraging results have emerged from testing of highly prospective, massive nickel-copper sulphide targets over a strike length of 3.5 km. Drilling has revealed an under explored nickel?copper system, which is growing with every completed drilling program.

Emmerson Resources (ERM)



The company has enjoyed a top 2016 and theres no reason why the positive momentum wont continue into 2017. The company has successfully used high tech modern exploration techniques in evaluating the gold potential of its Tennant Creek Mineral Field. The focus is on near term, high grade mining opportunities, such as its Edna Beryl deposit. It has returned outstanding drill results of 5 metres at 251 grams a tonne gold, 2 metres at 613 grams a tonne gold and 1 metre at 1043 grams a tonne gold.

SELL RECOMMENDATIONS

Legend Mining (LEG)



LEG sold its Cameroon metal assets for $17.5 million in 2015. In conjunction with successful prospector Mark Creasy, the company has now refocused its exploration and appraisal activity on its priority Fraser Range nickel acreage in WA. The stock has enjoyed a great run, so consider taking profits.

BHP Billiton (BHP)



The mining behemoth has recovered from below $15  its lowest levels since the GFC  to trade at $25.96 on December 14. The biggest contributing factor has been the major iron ore price rally during 2016 to levels around $US80 a tonne, although I believe this is unsustainable. The company has its fortunes heavily leveraged to this one commodity, which accounts for about 50 per cent of its earnings. Some investors might want to consider taking profits around these strong price levels.

>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter

Please note that TheBull.com.au simply publishes broker recommendations on this page. The publication of these recommendations does not in any way constitute a recommendation on the part of TheBull.com.au. You should seek professional advice before making any investment decisions.
Saturday, Chinas Defense Ministry said it would hand back to the U.S. Navy an underwater drone one of its boats had seized Thursday in the South China Sea. The return, it said, would be made in an appropriate manner.

The release of the drone, whenever it occurs, should not be the end of the saga. Washington must impose costs on Beijing for what constituted an act of piracyand an act of war.

Chinese spokesman Yang Yujun said, in the words of the official Xinhua News Agency, that one of its navys lifeboats located an unidentified device and retrieved it to prevent the device from causing harm to the safety of navigation and personnel of passing vessels. The Chinese claimed to have examined the device in a professional and responsible manner.

In fact, Chinas ships had long tailed the USNS Bowditch, an unarmed reconnaissance vessel. The crew of the Bowditch, who at the time were trying to retrieve the drone, repeatedly hailed by radio the Chinese sailors, who ignored their calls and, within 500 yards of the American craft, went into the water in a small boat to seize the drone, called a Littoral Battlespace Sensing glider. The Chinese by radio told the Bowditch they were keeping the drone.

The intentional taking of what the Defense Department later termed a sovereign immune vessel of the United States was an act of war. The size of the object for this purpose is not relevant. Whether drone or aircraft carrier, the principle is the same.

The seizure is only the latest act in a course of belligerent conduct spanning this century. The most notorious incident involved the clipping of the wing of a U.S. Navy EP-3 over the South China Sea on April 1, 2001 by a reckless Chinese pilot. After the stricken American plane landed on the Chinese island of Hainan, Beijing imprisoned the crew for 11 days and stripped the plane of its sensitive electronic equipment. Chinese leaders, for no apparent reason, required the craft to be chopped up so that it could not be flown away.

In September 2002, Chinas media claimed a Chinese fishing boat intentionally rammed the Bowditch in the Yellow Sea to disable its sonar. The incidentthere may have been no ramming but there was dangerous harassment of the Bowditchoccurred in international water.

In March 2009, Chinese craft tried to sever the towed sonar array from the USNS Impeccable in international water in the South China Sea. The Victorious, Impeccables sister ship, was subject to extreme harassment in March and May 2009.

There have been numerous Chinese intercepts of U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force planes and vessels since then, including a near collision in December 2013 involving the USS Cowpens, a missile cruiser, in the South China Sea.

This conduct continues because the U.S. does not exact costs on China. Worse, American administrations have rewarded Beijing for unjustifiable actions.

The Bush White House, for instance, essentially apologized to China and, on top of that, paid what was effectively a ransom to free the aviators of the EP-3. The amount was characterized as a payment for room and board, but the agreement to compensate China, regardless of terminology, was one of the lowest points in Americas history.

The Obama administration, unfortunately, adopted the Bush playbook. One month after the Impeccable and Victorious incidents in March 2009, the White House sent the chief of naval operations and a missile destroyer, the Fitzgerald, to China to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese navy. One month after that gesture of friendship to Beijing, the Chinese harassed the Victorious again.

Today, President Obama cannot even talk about Chinese aggression. He did not, for example, mention it in his opening statement at his press conference Friday and did not address it when answering Mark Landler of the New York Times, who raised the drone seizure in his question.

Many, most notably Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, have ridiculed Donald Trump for the misspelling in his Saturday morning tweet on the subjectthe president-elect meant unprecedented but instead created the word unpresidentedbut at least he is addressing critical issues. Thats important, even if at times Trump misfires, as he did in his Saturday evening tweet suggesting the Chinese could keep the drone.

Trump, even when making mistakes, understands one thing. It is wrong for American leaders to pursue policies that ensure Beijing will put Americas men and women in harms way in Chinas peripheral waters.

And those incidents will get worse. The site of Thursdays drone seizure, about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay, is critical.

Beijing maintains it has sovereignty over 85 percent of the South China Sea with its infamous nine-dash line claim, which was rejected by a July 12 arbitral ruling in The Hague, and it has continued to complain of American surveillance activity inside that now-invalidated perimeter.

Yet the drone incident took place so close to the Philippine shore that it was beyond Chinas claimed area. In short, there was absolutely no justification for the Chinese navy to grab the drone.

This brazen act suggests two things. First, China has become completely lawless. That means Washingtons efforts of more than four decades to enmesh that country into the international systems network of treaties, laws, rules, and conventions has completely failed.

Second, Beijing now thinks it can, with impunity, do whatever it wants wherever it wants. If it had the power, China would undoubtedly interfere with American shipping as it now does with American military vessels and aircraft.

The goal of Washington policy, therefore, should be to prevent China from ever obtaining that power. And the first step to doing that is start imposing severe diplomatic and economic costs on Beijing for, among other things, interfering with Americas right to sail and fly through the global commons.

Aggressors always urge calm after taking provocative actions, as China is now trying to do. This time, Washington should keep the temperature up.
John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, refused to say on Sunday that the 2016 presidential election was free and fair, citing Russian hacks into his personal email account and the Democratic National Committee as evidence that the outcome was distorted.

It came during a surreal hour of television on NBCs Meet the Press, where Podesta twice refused to answer questions from host Chuck Todd about whether the election was legitimate. Then, a few minutes after Podestas interview concluded, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates suggested that Podesta might have said just what the Russians wanted to hear: that the American electoral process is corrupt, and that the U.S. has no business telling other nations what it means to be a democracy.

Gates said the Russians intended for the hacks to communicate that American elections are corrupt, incompetent, rigged, whatever and therefore no more honest than anybody elses in the world including theirs.

Podestas accusations of FBI malfeasance certainly fit with that theme. And it all indicates that scrutiny about the legitimacy of the 2016 electionat least from Clintons campmay not dissipate anytime soon.

On MTP, Podesta also suggested that FBI Director James Comey gave more attention to Hillary Clintons use of a private email server than to the Russian hacks of the DNC and his own emailsreiterating an argument he made in a Washington Post op-ed published Dec. 15: that something is deeply broken at the FBI.

On CNN, though, Attorney General Loretta Lynch dismissed that suggestion and defended the FBIs handling of the hacking probe, which is ongoing.

I can tell you that this investigation was taken seriously from the beginning, Lynch told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union. This is an incredibly serious issue. I cant comment on Mr. Podestas sources or where he gets his information, or why he has that view. But what I can say is that hes not involved in the ongoing investigation so he wouldnt be privy to everything that would have been done or said to that.

Some Trump-allied Republicans have been quick to dismiss concerns over Russias influence on the race, suggesting that Democrats such as Podesta are acting like sore losers to cover for their flawed candidate and campaign strategyand, in the process, trying to delegitimize Donald Trumps Electoral College victory. On the left, Clinton critics make the same argument: that Clintons loss is her fault, and no one elses.

She blew it in Benghazi, she blew it with Russia, she blew it as secretary of state, she ignored the entire Midwest, and people didnt like the productthats why Hillary Clinton lost, Trumps soon-to-be chief of staff Reince Priebus said on Fox News Sunday.

On Friday, President Obama hinted that Russia carried out the cyberattacks to help Trump, and he pleaded with Americans to pay attention to what our intelligence agencies say with regard to the countrys hacking. He also indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin orderedor at least signed off onthe cyberattacks.

The president-elect himself has denied that there is a consensus about Russias intent, even as The Washington Post reported on Friday that the FBI agrees with the CIAs findings about Russias desire to influence the outcome of the election. Priebus said Trump would accept this conclusion only if intelligence officials from these agencies state publicly that there is broad agreement.

I dont think theyve been clear about it. I think that its been all over the map, Priebus said, adding that the embarrassing revelations from Podestas emails did not change the elections outcome.

Others, like Arizona Sen. John McCain, accept the possibility that Russia acted in the name of propping up Trump. McCain has called for a joint congressional investigation into the Russian hacking, and on Sunday he attributed the cyberattacks to President Obamas foreign policy.

The president has no strategy and no policy as to what to do about these various cyberattacks that have possibly disrupted an American election, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee said on CNNs State of the Union.

This is a sign of a possible unraveling of the world order that was established after World War II, which has made one of the most peaceful periods in the history of the world, he added, attributing it to an absolute failure of American leadership.

McCain connected Obamas shortcomings on Russia with other conflicts, namely the tragedy in Aleppo, Syria, and the ongoing civil war in that country.

When America doesnt lead, a lot of other bad people do, he said.
I feel like Trumps been stalking me my whole life.

This is 29-year-old Fatima Ahmed, whos been in the U.S. for 28 years. Shes a New Yorker through and through, and now an undocumented Muslim immigrant in Trumps America.

Ahmed came here with her mother from Bangladesh when she was just over one year old. After a short stint in Queens as a toddler, she moved to Absecon, a suburb of Atlantic City, where her mother found a job at one of Trumps casinos. Growing up, she was just another regular suburban kid, almost. Heres her story in her own words:

Im from Queens, hes from Queens. We went to just outside Atlantic City, he went to Atlantic City. My mom worked as a slot machine attendant in a Trump casino in Atlantic City for almost 15 years. Its crazy, he talks about getting rid of undocumented people and Muslims and Im like Hey! Weve been here the whole time. Weve been working for you. Theres this common misconception of what a Muslim or an undocumented immigrant looks like or does.

We are all being labeled as criminals, as a threat, as people who have no regard for the law and thats not true. Ive been here since I was a baby and have followed the law to try and get legal status my entire life. Ive always paid federal taxes. I work in a niche field as a textile specialist. I really dont see how Im stealing jobs or how Im a danger to this country.

Growing up, I was really lucky. I went to good schools that were really diverse and my environment was very diverse, so although I always understood that I was an immigrant, it wasnt a really big deal. I never really thought of myself as different. My parents were able to get work visas because of the Reagan/Bush Amnesty plan, so they always had legal work. And they both spoke English fluently. They came from very wealthy families back in Bangladesh and were highly educated.

Back in Bangladesh, my father was an art dealer with a masters in Asian history. But when he got here, he just took whatever work he could get. For most of my adult life he was a cab driver but when I was a kid he worked in some sort of production for low-end fashion companies, like t-shirts, in the garment district. I think thats what first got me interesting in the business side of fashion.

I think there mightve been a bit of culture shock for them, from not having their wealth and lifestyle. I mean, they grew up in large houses with maids and stuff like that. My mom never made a bed before she got here and then she was sharing a winter coat with my older sister. I dont think she realized how hard it would be. She went from that to taking jobs at a Pathmark, a Dunkin Donuts and then at a Trump Casino.

My home as a kid was a sort-of conservative Muslim household. My parents were conservative but we never wore the hijab or anything. Some clothing items were off-limits, in a nuanced sort of way, shorts and tank tops could be ok, but not if a visitor was also Muslim. In those situations, we were expected to dress more conservatively, it was a nuanced dress code.

I remember when I was a teenager getting into a fight with my mom about being able to wear a bathing suit. I mean we lived in a beach town! A high-school friend who also came from a Muslim family and I banded together to convince our parents we should be able to wear bathing suits. Our argument was that we were attracting more attention being on the beach and not wearing bathing suits than we would if we were wearing bathing suits. It was true, if we were wearing bathing suits no one we wouldve noticed us we wouldve just blended in. Being on the beach in t-shirts and stuff just really made us stick out and people would stare. Eventually we persevered, and were allowed to wear bathing suits. I think they just realized that our reasoning was right.

Its sort of strange, because I was never really religious but now I feel I need to connect more with that part of my life because that is definitely a part of who I am. I know what is being said about it is wrong. I mean, whenever something bad happens involving a Muslim person, its like being Muslim negates everything else about that person. The Orlando nightclub shooter for example. He was seriously mentally ill and was a closeted gay man that was homophobic. I know he pledged to ISIS or whoever before the attack but that wasnt all that was going on there. When Dylann Roof shot all those people for the good of white people, we didnt blame all white people, nobody asked all white people to come out and condemn it. It was just assumed that anyone who wasnt disturbed condemned the act.

When 9/11 happened, it literally changed everything, almost immediately. I mean, legislatively speaking, there was a lot of progress on immigration reform and that all stalled. Aside from all the overwhelming emotions and feeling of loss and worry and collective grieving, especially since I had friends and family living in New York at the time. There was this entire other change as well. I guess it was the first time I became hyper-aware of my identity and all the ramifications of that.

I was 14 then, so obviously I was in high school, and I remember other kids talking about how they were worried about going to the grocery store because Muslims were going to blow it up,it just hit me so hard when I realized that it was literally me and my family that they were talking about being afraid of or angry at.

There were other things, toomy mom always just sort of banked on her work visas being renewed annually, and that became a huge stress for our family. Flying was nearly impossible. I mean, my name is Fatima Ahmed, how much more identifiable could it get? And I had to use my Bangladeshi passport, I had no American identification. Also at that point all travel from Muslim countries stopped, so my step-sister was not allowed to come visit, which meant that she wasnt able to see her father, my step-father, for eight years.

And I was undocumented, too, which I think just because of getting older became something that I was more aware of. Like lots of other high-school kids, I was looking at college options, but because of my immigration status I couldnt get any scholarships, not even private ones, no student loans, I couldnt even get in-state tuition. I had the greatest guidance counselor and he tried so hard to find me any financial help and it just wasnt there, because of my status. Even though I had really good grades, I had to just start looking at schools that I could afford. Id say being undocumented definitely has shaped my opportunities in life and eliminated some of them.

There were also other things small things, like I always had an attorney, all growing up. I mean what sort of kid has an attorney? But at the same time, you know, I was lucky and privileged enough to have an immigration attorney.

My status has also really shaped who I am, in a good way. Ive always had to work full-time, even through college, and its forced me to have a really strong work ethic and an ethos of striving to achieve. And at the end of the day I got to go to school. There were little things that made it hard, finding work and not being able to get a bank account or a drivers license, or rent an apartment its made it so that Ive always had to rely on the help of others.

Then in 2012, Obama passed DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. That changed everything for me. It was like the world opened up. I could get a state ID, I could apply for any job I wanted and I did, and I got a really great job at a high-end architectural firm. I launched a textile company with a close friend from grad school. Things have gotten a lot better. I mean I still dont have a drivers license, but now thats because I dont know how to drive.

But I worry now, that under Trump, DACA will be repealed and I will have to look for under-the-table work, you know, its nuts. I have a masters degree, I run my own textile company, and yet I might not be able to find a job or have an ID. Im married now, I want to start a family, I dont know what Id do.

There are also other freedoms Id like to have, especially travel, Id really like to travel. Ive never left the United StatesI cant. I barely even leave New York. I havent been able to see my father in 15 years. He left, went back to Bangladesh in 2005 after I graduated high school. Its been hard on him here, and he is getting old and driving a cab takes a toll, physically, I think it was just too much and we were grown up. But things like, I got married and he couldnt come, hes never met my husband. Id just really like to be able to see him.

Its this crazy thing, that Ive been here almost my entire life and Im married to a white guy from Kansas, and its been two years since weve been married and I still dont have even a green card. Its another one of the obstacles of being undocumented. Even though I come from a position of relative privilege, its justall our savings, instead of going to our future, like other people, is going to pay for immigration attorneys, to file paperwork, its really expensive.

And its sort of ironic, the problems with my immigration status all stem from me coming here so young, you know before I had a choice in it. U.S. immigration cant find a record of me entering the country, you know, because I was so young, and thats been a major obstacle.

The rest of my family, now has citizenship or legal status, but there are problems with my status, even after being here basically my entire life and even though Im married to a U.S. citizen. It would be comical, if it wasnt this huge looming thing in my life.

As told to Sarah Shears. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Of all of the miracles recorded in the New Testament, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ garners the most cynical attention. Upon learning that I teach at the University of Notre Dame, almost every atheist I meet will make a crack about Marys sexual history. Its an interesting phenomenon: People rarely tell me that they think the disciples lied about the Resurrection. But when it comes to the doctrine that Mary conceived the Son of God without having sex , no teaching is as closely protected or as broadly scorned.

The idea that Jesus mother was named Mary is uncontroversial in scholarly circles. But whether or not she was a virgin has been questioned since the second century. The pagan writer Celsus, a well-known critic of Christianity, wrote that Jesus biological father was a Roman soldier named Pantera. He wasnt alone in his opinion; writing in the Talmud, rabbinic authors describe Jesus as Yeshu ben Panterameaning Jesus son of Panther, which was a relatively common name for Roman soldiers. The implication here is that Mary was a collaborator who got knocked up by a hated occupier and decided to concoct a story in which Jesus was the product of a sexless encounter with God.

In 1859, excavations on a railroad in Bingerbruck, Germany, unearthed the tombstone of a Roman soldier called Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera. Pantera was a standard bearer in the Cohors I Sagittariorum, a unit that served in Judea before it move to Germany. Some romantic historians tried to hypothesize that this was the real father of Jesus. The gravestone is now on display in the Romerhalle museum in Germany, but it offers nothing other than circumstantial evidence.

The rumor that Jesus was the son of a Roman soldier didnt emerge for more than a century after his birth. Conspiracy theorists may love it, but heres no historical evidence to suggest that Jesus was the son of a Roman soldier. Given the strict moral guidelines governing womens conduct, any pregnancy outside of wedlock would have been scandalous enough to destroy her. If you want to naturalize Jesus birth, theres no need to bring the Romans into it. And theres no reason to accuse Mary of lying. After all, we dont have any statements from the woman herself.

By the second century, there were cynical non-Christians questioning the story of the virgin birth, but there were also fierce defenders of Marys honor. An apocryphal text written in the 140s and known as the Infancy Gospel of James contains a biography of the young Mary. In it, a young woman named Salome refuses to believe that Mary is a virgin (by which she means has her hymen intact) even after having given birth to Jesus. She says to the midwife that examined Mary, unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts, I will not believe that a virgin has brought forth. The scene is written to parallel the doubting Thomas story, in which Thomas states that he will not believe that Jesus was resurrected unless he places his hand in Jesus side.

We will never learn if Thomas touched the risen Jesus, but Salome is considerably bolder. She goes to Mary and physically examines her. This turns out to be a bad idea: Not only is Mary still a virgin, but for daring to probe the Virgin Mary, her hand begins to drop off as if it was being burned with fire. Fortunately for Salome, when she holds the baby Jesus she is cured, but the general thrust of the story is that Mary is above reproach.

Salome is a fictional character, but real human beings have also paid a price for questioning the details of the nativity story or the status of Mary. In the fifth century, Nestorius, the archbishop of Constantinople, argued that Mary should be called mother of Christ rather than mother of God. Nestoriuss argument was grounded in a combination of philosophical, biblical, and scientific arguments about how it was that Jesus was both God and Man. Nestorius didnt intend to denigrate the Virgin Mary, but the slight against her perceived by his theological opponents helped contribute to his condemnation and excommunication from the church. But Nestorius did not go down without a fight: His followers continued to flourish in small numbers in Iraq until the beginning of the most recent Iraq War.

Controversy surrounding the nativity story persisted for centuries, to the extent that scholars were not allowed to question any of the details. In an article on the birth of Jesus, Prof. Stephen Carlson tells the story of Francisco Sanchez de las Brozas, a philologist who taught at Spains University of Salamanca in the 16th century. In 1586, El Brocense, as he was known, was reported to the Inquisition by his students because he argued that Jesus was not born in a stable and that his parents were not rejected by an innkeeper. El Brocense gave a cogent defense of his position and was exonerated, but in his own day the dissemination of his ideas was hindered by the experience.

All of which is to suggest that it comes to Christian theology, as it does with yo mamma, Mary is both the most criticized and the most defended.
David Friedman, Donald Trumps close confidante and ambassador-designate to Israel, is not a right-winger. To be on the right wing implies that one is on a continuum from liberal to conservative. But Friedman  together with around 15% of the Israeli Jewish population  inhabits a different world entirely. His appointment would represent a total realignment of American policy in the Middle East, with the biggest winner being (surprise) Vladimir Putin.

The normal continuum runs as follows. The consensus of the international community, the Israeli government, and every American government for a generation is that that there must be a state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel. Of course, within that consensus, there are hawks and doves, right-wingers and left. Some are willing to take more risks for peace, some are more mistrustful of the people they call the Arabs and want any peace process to be slow and gradual. But all agree that its not feasible to create an apartheid regime in which 7 million Jews rule over 10 million non-Jews.

But in the world of Friedman, the Zionist Organization of America, the settler wing of the Israeli Right, and some parts of the American Jewish community, the path forward is one state  Israel  led by Jews, favoring Jews legally, and running from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. It is an apartheid state, meaning a state wherein one population has civil rights that another does not; where one has freedom of movement and another does not; where one has the entire apparatus of the state in its control, and the other either cannot vote or is guaranteed a permanent minority.

In the 2015 Israeli election, parties holding this view  Jewish Home, Israel Our Home, and the Ultra-Orthodox bloc  won 16.8% of the vote. All three are part of the Likud-led government, but, so far at least, the Likud has maintained that such a future for Israel would be untenable, immoral, and impossible to maintain. So has AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and every American administration.

But Friedman is not simply one of those American Jews who supports the far-right Zionist Organization of America and thinks that J Street  a Zionist organization  is worse than kapos. He is one of that communitys most effective leaders. He is president of an organization that raised around $2 million annually for an extremist settlement in the West Bank, and president of an affiliated organization that runs one Arutz Sheva (Channel 7), the Breitbart.com of Israel.

This is what outside observers often miss: the Israeli Far Right is actually an American-Israeli Far Right, bought and paid for by the David Friedmans and Sheldon Adelsons of the world (Adelson also has a right-wing Israeli rag, but not as far-right as Friedmans), undermining Israeli democracy far more than any left-wing NGO could dream of doing. The settlements and the entire nationalistic culture around them are built with American Jewish and Christian Zionist money.

Not only is this world ideologically separate from the normal right-to-left continuum, it is often factually separate as well, not unlike the American alt-right, where fake news is real and real news is fake.

For example, consider the question of Palestinian population. Friedman has said many times that Israel can easily annex the West Bank because there actually arent that many Palestinians out there. In fact, this is a common claim on the far right, but it only works if you twist the numbers. Israels population is around 8.2 million, 1.7 million of whom are Arabs. Palestinians in the West Bank are around 3 million. So, 6.5 mil to 4.7mil  no problem.

But that math omits the 1.7 million Palestinians in Gaza (stateless, and periodically bombed to smithereens by Israel) and the 4 million Palestinians living in refugee camps in the region. If you add those in, youve already got more Palestinians than Israeli Jews today  and given birth rates, more will soon be living within the borders of Greater Israel itself.

Thats why Israeli right-wingers like Ehud Olmert, Yair Lapid, and even, sometimes, Benjamin Netanyahu, have all insisted on the two-state solution  not because theyre so magnanimous, but because its the only way for a non-apartheid Jewish state to endure. One must be literally deluded to imagine another alternative  either mathematically or, as is often the case, religiously, with Christian Zionists and Jewish Settler-Zealots competing for who gets to bring the messianic age first.

Again, there have always been hawks and doves on Israel/Palestine. But Friedman isnt a hawk, hes an ostrich.

Ironically, the appointment of one of the leaders of the Israeli settlement project in the West Bank (ruled illegal by the International Criminal Court and opposed by every American administration since Nixon), and an extreme Jewish nationalist may, in the end, be a catastrophe for Israel.

First, Americas role as honest broker in the region will be immediately lost. To the extent Friedman is representative of U.S. policy  and remember, hes only an ambassador  that policy will shift on January 20 from broker to advocate. And not just advocate for Israel  but advocate of a view far to the right of Israels right-wing government.

Its hard to see Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, and even Saudi Arabia continuing to engage with the United States under such circumstances. Never in American history has there been an ambassador who has personally built settlements and spread extreme propaganda for the Israeli Far Right, the same community that valorizes the assassin of Yitzhak Rabin, does nothing to curtail its hilltop youth from assaulting Palestinians and destroying their olive trees, and expropriates land from its rightful owners. How can Arab regimes possibly align themselves with such policies?

All eyes must then turn to Putins Russia. Russia already effectively controls Syria. Will other Arab countries turn to Russian patronage, as they did in the 1950s and 1960s? Will Putin, in fact, be the primary beneficiary of the American-Israel realignment? Obviously, it wouldnt be the only time he benefits from the Trump presidency.

Then theres what the realignment would mean for Israel internally. Already, Israels hard right has led to an uptick in emigration among the liberal Israelis who are powering the countrys economy. Loyalty oaths, crackdowns against civil rights organizations, censorship, flag-waving jingoism, tolerance for racism  Israel in the last decade has become a country its longtime inhabitants barely recognize. With carte blanche from the United States, these forces will be strengthened, and more liberal Israelis will leave for Los Angeles.

And, at some point, it seems inevitable that the world will turn against apartheid Israel the same as it turned against apartheid South Africa. Perhaps, with Europe also turning rightward, this wont happen for a while, but its hard to believe it will never happen at all. And in the meantime, Israel will become like LePens France or the America of Trumps alt-right supporters: an ethno-nationalist state where civil liberties are subordinated to ethno-religious identity.

Of course, while liberal Israelis will suffer because of a Trump-Friedman America, Palestinians will suffer far more. An America that unequivocally backs permanent Israeli occupation is a human rights disaster in the short term, and a moral disaster in the long term. Palestinians will certainly revolt, leading to more military crackdowns. The nascent Palestinian normalcy weve seen in Ramallah, where cafes are open and businessmen are making money, will disappear. Many, many people will die.

And with the peace process finally abandoned, Palestinian moderates will collapse, to be replaced by militants of one form or another. This will fulfill the dreams of people like Friedman, because at last there wont be a Palestinian partner for peace  only an implacable enemy bent on violence.

Thats how the David Friedmans of the world see Palestinians already, after all, and the sooner it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, the better. Then the U.S. and Russia can go back to their proxy wars in the Middle East, each sides conservatives thriving on the struggle.

With 17 million Israelis and Palestinians caught in the crossfire.
A Little Rock, Arkansas, 3-year-old was shot and killed Saturday evening, after an irate driver opened fire on the childs grandmother, police say.

The young boys grandmother, Kim King-Macon, 47, had taken him out for holiday shopping, when she slowed for a stop sign in southwest Little Rock. But a nearby driver decided the woman was moving too slowly at the stop sign. In what police describe as a road-rage incident, the driver pulled a gun and fired on the car, striking and killing the 3-year-old.

The shooting was senseless and unprovoked, police said in a press conference. The boys grandmother, who survived the shooting unscathed, had never met the man who allegedly began honking at her when she stopped at the sign around 6:30 p.m. The grandmother, who had stopped legally at the sign, honked back, according to an initial report released by Little Rock police.

Already angry, the other driver allegedly grew violent. He stepped out of his car and fired one shot on the grandmothers vehicle.

The grandmother didnt know where the bullet landed. She fled her assailant and drove to the parking lot of the nearby JC Penney where she had planned to take her grandson, according to the police report. But when she stopped the car and looked in the backseat, she realized the child had been shot.

Nearby shoppers rushed to treat the wounded boy. But emergency responders were too late to save him. He was transported to a nearby childrens hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

The hunt for the childs killer is in its early stages, Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner told reporters Saturday night. Police have not yet identified a suspect, but have described the alleged shooter as a tall black man driving an older black Chevrolet Impala. The grandmothers car has been impounded for a full forensic investigation.

Police said the unidentified child and grandmother were completely innocent in the shooting.

When it involves children, especially kids that are this age, theyre very innocent, Buckner said, calling for peace from the Little Rock community. They can do very little to protect themselves. You would hope that as a community that wed do everything we can to protect them.

The childs death is a particularly painful subject for many in Little Rock, who have seen two similar incidents within a month of each other.

This is the second time in less than a month that a child has been shot while traveling in a vehicle in our city, Buckner said, referring to a Nov. 22 shooting that claimed the life of a 2-year-old girl.

The unnamed toddler had been riding in the backseat of a car, in her mothers arms, when a passing vehicle allegedly opened fire on them, riddling the car with bullets. The girls mother and the cars other passengers survived, but told police they were unable to spot the passengers in the other vehicle. The case remains open.

Buckner said the pair of senseless shootings on the citys children -- both without suspects -- are among the most frustrating experiences for law enforcement.

This is about as frustrated as you can be as a public safety official, or just a plain citizen whos sitting and watching this tonight, to think that these kind of things are occurring in our city streets, he said.
It makes perfect sense that Martin Scorsese, whos been obsessed with Shusaku Endos 1966 novel Silence since a clergyman gave him a copy over two decades ago, should have spent the next quarter century trying to bring the Japanese Catholic authors richly complex spiritual inquisition to the screen. And why not? On the heels of 2013s Wolf of Wall Street, Scorseses long-gestating passion project follows the thematic lineage of his Last Temptation of Christ and Kundun, making it plainly essential viewing for the Scorsese faithful and those who share his keen interest in matters of personal faith.

But for skeptics and non-believers, the 161-minute tale of the spiritual struggle quietly raging within one white savior out of water in feudal Japan is a frustrating journey to takeand an ardent story about cultural imperialism and Western arrogance that doesnt recognize its own.

The Portuguese first arrived in Japan in the middle of the 16th century, bringing guns and God along with them. Bearing gifts and preaching the gospel, the Jesuit Francis Xavier was the first European to succeed in spreading the germ of Christianity into a Buddhist and Shinto land. But when ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu reversed Japans stance on missionaries half a century later in order to protect the empire from encroaching Western cultural influence, the widespread eviction of foreign evangelicals and persecution of Japanese Christians forced practitioners into hiding under pain of torture or worse, birthing the Kakure Kirishitansthe Hidden Christians.

Its against this brutal climate of feudal control and religious oppression that Silence takes place, as seen through the kindly agonizing eyes of Sebastiao Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield), a young but devoted 17th century Portuguese priest. Sent from Lisbon with his fellow Jesuit Francisco Garrpe (Adam Driver) to investigate the unknown fate of their former teacher, Father Cristovao Ferreira (Liam Neeson), the Churchs army of two sets off on a harrowing journey into the heart of a hostile Japan, buoyed by their devotion and the unshakeable conceit that theyre on a mission from God to bring their truth to a country of naive converts in need.

Adapting Endos celebrated novel with repeat collaborator Jay Cocks (The Age of Innocence, Gangs of New York), Scorsese traces its linear narrative at a languid pace that allows Garfields sensitive portrayal to emerge in long sections of quietude, narrating Rodriguess written letters back to Portugal over stunning scenes of the craggy and verdant Japanese coastline. The natural landscape of Japan comes alive through Rodrigo Prietos lensing as Rodrigues and Garrpe make their way onto the closed-off islands of Japan from Macau with the help of a shifty drunkard named Kichijiro (Yosuke Kubozuka), whose own crises of faith will become recurring provocations for Rodriguess spiritual evolution.

At first the frightened but determined priests find the land and poor villagers of Japan foreboding in their foreignness, and they cling to one another as they hide in dank squalor to elude discovery. They find gratification of purpose when theyre taken in and harbored by local Japanese Christians who, desperate for the ministrations of padres long gone, have adapted to worshipping in secret: carving their own icons from wood, clumsily reciting prayers learned from long-absent padres. All the while, they tell the duo, theyve been longing for the return of the priests who can deliver Christian absolution, forgive their sins, and lead them to a paradise free of the worldly suffering they endure under the rule of a cruel and brutal Japanese overclass.

Scorseses restrained imagery immediately evokes the inherent contradictions in this interlopers condescension, one validated by the extreme cruelties and horrors inflicted upon Japanese bodies so that they may be witnessed by the Portuguese. (He cast a Spider-Man, a Jedi, and Kylo Ren as his trio of padres and filmed in English, making the call to portray his Portuguese characters as noble Caucasian saviors with wildly differing accents but bankable faces.) The film opens on a stunningly photographed inlet of steaming hot springs in winter: Neesons Ferreira watches helplessly as Japanese Christians are stripped down and burned with ladles of boiling water. Their screams pierce the air, but its Ferreiras agony we are meant to feelthe agony of his inability to stop the torture, the suffering of his helplessness.

Another scene of torture is also one of Silences most virtuosic sequences, in which a trio of Japanese villagers, having refused to renounce their faithto apostatizeare crucified in the rising tide of the Pacific until they expire from exhaustion. Its one of the films most soul-stirring moments thanks to fine work from Japanese actor Shinya Tsukamoto, who plays the unflaggingly devout Mokichi. And yet here again, the pain is twofold: Mokichis dying gasps, loyal to God to the end, are validated by Rodrigues, watching helplessly from afar as he hides from the local lords enforcers.

Later, Rodrigues is imprisoned by authorities and pressured to renounce God by trampling on a likeness of Christ. He refuses, and suffers. But he is to discover there are harsher punishments than those that might be physically inflicted upon his own body. Catholic guilt gets a workout for nearly three hours onscreen in Silence, as Rodrigues and the more rigid Garrpe struggle to resolve the austerity of the teachings theyre imparting to a desperate flock with the grim suspicion that it all might be for naught.

Throughout Silence those silent agonies flash across Garfields distressed baby face, which Scorsese alternately smudges with grime to blend in with his dirt-covered parishioners, or frames in long voluminous Jesus curls to juxtapose his Christ-like glow with the wretched, imploring Japanese Christians. Its not the plight of the Japanese that Scorsese is interested in, nor is that what the prideful Rodrigues worries over, as he longs to serve his righteous way to the Lord or die a glorious martyrs death. As a result, Silence is a frequently dragging and exhausting meditation on spiritual fidelity that has little time for the non-white people on either side of this unholy reign of terror.

Like Rodrigues, Scorseses sense of purpose and his own self-interest lead him down a narrow path that mostly preaches to the lapsed and likeminded. A nonbeliever, on the other hand, might find Scorseses dogmatic obsession so taxing that it seems perfectly reasonable when the Japanese take strategic measures to expel these interlopers from their countryyes, sure, even if it means hanging innocents by the feet until the torture drives them mad or worse. If you suffer from the affliction of not caring about the soul of Silences hero, you too might find yourself dreadfully uninterested in the crisis hes brought upon himself, wishing hed just go home to Portugal and leave Japan alone.

Alas, along the way Rodrigues finds himself lifted and spurred on by the devotion of the secret Christians he meets, who happily sacrifice themselves to torture and death if it means earning their Jesus stripes. But ultimately his journey becomes more defined by a trio of Japanese foils who become the biggest thorns in his side: Kichijiro, the Judas to his Christ; The Interpreter, an enigmatic court-appointed translator trying to convince him to renounce his faith (Tadanobu Asano); and Inquisitor Inouye (Issei Ogata), the feudal lord in charge of the persecution of Christians whose off-putting demeanor masks a ruthlessness reflected in the name Scorsese gave hima reminder that the Catholics themselves werent so innocent elsewhere in the world around the same time.

The combined excellence of this Japanese trio is maddening, because they bring Silences most provocative characters to life only to ultimately and thanklessly be used as props for Rodriguess own self-absorbed journey of spiritual self-discovery. Ogata, a gifted comedian, infuses Inoue with a mesmerizing duality that combats Rodriguess youthful egotism; hes more deserving of a supporting actor awards push than, say, Neeson, whose presence in the film is laughably scant by comparison. Asano, one of the best Japanese actors of his generation, shines with a deceptive charm as he works his master manipulations on the stubbornly resistant priest. Kubozuka lends the traitorous Kichijiro a pitiable relatability and turns Rodrigues own personal Judas into a compellingly illustrative figure of questioning and utterly human faith.

Scorseses very Catholic interest in Endos Silence lies in the question of whether or not God forgives those who renounce Himand how the devoted deal with the psychological torment of His silence. But he seems only to care how those questions impact his light-skinned protagonist. To that end, he stakes more investment in the spiritual agonies of his priest than he does in the native peasants who are literally dying to protect the foreign padres, without granting the Japanese Christians or their tormentors the full breadth of context and complexity that Endo wrote into his novel. Absent from the film, for example, is any exploration of the socioeconomic power structure that turned so many poor Japanese peasants toward Christian teachings that promised paradise and salvationescape from their miserable earthly lives. Silence ignores the economics of why Western faith found a berth in Japan to begin with and breezes over the underlying cultural clash that, one untrustworthy character argues, makes it impossible for Christianity to take root in the swamp of Japan.

In his pursuit of his protagonists prerogative, Scorsese in effect reduces Japan to gorgeous, exotic, unforgiving scenery. (He shot it in Taiwan, where he also received partial financing.) Its people exist to serve Rodriguess reckoning with his own faith. The difference is crucial: Endo may have written a Western male protagonist and plopped him smack dab in the middle of a tumultuous time in Japan, but he also kept enough distance from his priest to illuminate his flaws against the bigger picture. Those nuances are seeded throughout Endos novel, which he himself co-adapted into a 1971 film and later, an opera. The author, both a conflicted Japanese and a conflicted Catholic, painted a portrait of a bygone Japan in flux, where missionaries found themselves in the position of reconciling their own strict doctrine with a culture they did not understand.

Scorsese is almost single-mindedly concerned with the salvation of Rodriguess soul. Is he, then, in the same rickety boat as his protagonist?

Compare his embellishments of the source material to the novel itself and the first film to be adapted from it, by Double Suicide filmmaker Masahiro Shinoda, five years after the books release. Co-written by Endo, 1971s Chinmoku (Silence) ends with a controversial bang that leaves little ambiguity to Shinodas harsh view of the outsider Rodrigues, and the metaphorical consequences missionaries brought to Japan in the guise of spreading salvation. Endo, who passed away in 1996, reportedly hated the directors ending, which hammers home its point by holding a gruesome freeze-frame on Rodriguess gnarled face. (For those interested, the 1971 film is available on the streaming platform FilmStruck.)

By comparison, Silence treats Endos protagonist with kid gloves as it ignores the cultural exploration that accompanies the religious one in Endos bookand in doing so embraces the white male perspective Scorsese brings with him. He spares Rodrigues the ignominy of Chinmokus ending, prizing the priests spiritual purity over all else, and in doing so turns Garfields earnestness into tedious, endless self-absorption. He also takes the liberty of giving Rodrigues a final act of grace that Endo never wrote. Is Scorsese playing God with Endos material, gifting Rodrigues with this last bit of ham-fisted redemption? At best its an indulgent affirmation that, like the whole of Silence, serves only the faithful and the questioning. At worst its an emotionally manipulative flourish that sends Silence off as a requiem for Rodrigues, true believer, noble victim of the cruel Japanese.

Its no coincidence that Endo wrote his novel in 1966 inspired by his countrys own history and the life of the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Chiara, a generation removed from the sharp and forced end to Japans own imperialist efforts. Hed converted to Catholicism at age 10 for his mother and during WWII found himself a lonely practitioner of the religion of Japans enemiesan outsider in his own country. Later he moved to France seeking something closer to acceptance, only to find himself the target of European racism. His book, from this thornily conflicted Japanese Catholic perspective, reflects a much richer, and much more complicated interrogation into the collision of forces that converged upon and within Japan, yielding universal questions from such a specific life.

By filtering Endos complex moral conflict into a work of spiritual tourism Scorsese selfishly works out his own questions of faith, using Endos text to do itwhile ignoring the cultural context that makes his Japanese-ness matter. Thats far too fine a line between self-serving cinema and cinema that serves the complex crises of religion and clashing cultures that Endo wrote of. In Silence, the padre Rodrigues agonizes over the silence of a God that wont reply to him and by extension, validate his faith and suffering. Scorsese does more than enough of that for the both of them.
A modern day heartwarming Christmas classic meets a modern day heartbreaking cultural tragedy when Saturday Night Live spoofed the iconic Love Actually scene where the guy from The Walking Dead with the sexy chunky sweater game (*googles*: Andrew Lincoln) confesses his love to Keira Knightley.

In the scene from the 2003 film that everyone is obsessed withI myself cry annually along with Emma Thompson and Joni MitchellMark shows up at the door of his recently married friend, Juliet, with a stack of white poster boards with his love letter written on it phrase by phrase. You know the scene. Because its Christmas, one reads, as he shrugs his shoulder, eventually inducing the nation into a mass swoon as, shivering in the cold, he reveals the clincher: To me, you are perfect.

Its so goddamn charming.

On this weeks Saturday Night Live, it was Kate McKinnons Hillary Clintons turn to desperately turn up on the door step of the girl who got away: an elector.

Let me just say, one poster reads. Because its Christmas And at Christmas you tell the truth I know youre an elector And on December 19th Youre supposed to vote for Donald Trump.

Then comes Act Two of SNLs joke.

But bish the next card reads, He cray

The following cards detail his cray: a refusal to attend security briefings, provoking China, grievances against his cabinet picks so long that the card unfolds accordion-style.

Clinton then implores her beloved to vote for literally anyone else, not even necessarily her: Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rock, a rock Then she starts quoting The Help: You is kind, you is smart, you is important, before admitting that shes confusing the classic scenes because shes never seen a movie. (An oldie but goodie: mocking Clinton for being out of touch with culture.)

The whole thing ends with Clinton warning that if the elector doesnt, Trump will kill us all.

How sweet.

In truth, its a hilarious holiday-themed punch at Trumps post-election hubris and Clintons own sheepishness.

SNL is notorious for balking at the suggestion that any of their political comedy is partisan, but the last few weeks have been a definitively anti-Trump, Clinton mourning period. The Democratic popular vote winner hasnt really had her campaign bungles spoofed, but, as this weeks cold open proved, the show is eager to tick-tock every ludicrous and dangerous move the Trump administration has made, going so far as to suggest, albeit cheekily, that he will actually kill us.

Is it delayed guilt for any part the show or NBC played in the rise of Trump, be it by giving him a hosting stint or a cozy platform on The Tonight Showand still yet, a producer credit on The Apprentice?

Well, because its Christmas and on Christmas you tell the truth its all funny and admirable even but wed have done what Keira Knightley shouldve done if she was sane in that silly movie: shut the door in the kooks face.

Is now too little, too late?
If this past election year has taught us anything, it doesnt matter if youve been naughty or nice, youre still going to get what you want. Donald Trump got his presidency. We got one last turn from Alec Baldwin as the never-dull president-elect.

For Saturday Night Lives final episode before the holiday break, it wasnt Santa who came down the chimney for some final comedy gifts of 2016. Its the man who keeps inserting himself into our personal business in horrifying ways: Vladimir Putin.

From How the Putin Stole the Election to How the Putin Stole Christmas.

Beck Bennetts shirtless Russian president crashes a conversation between Baldwins Trump, Cecily Strongs Melania Trump, and Kate McKinnons Kellyanne Conway. (If we no longer have occasion to see McKinnons iconic take on Clinton, well take her weary, beleaguered-brilliant spin on Trumps puppetmaster and master spinner instead.)

Their conversations are a sprint through all the recent truth-is-stranger-than-fiction (and, in the case of SNL, funnier) news concerning Trump and his planned administration. Theres his choice of Rick Perry as energy secretary. I saw him on Dancing With the Stars, Baldwins Trump says. He has so much energy. Heh.

His presumed lack of work ethicthe decision not to attend intelligence briefings, for exampletook a jab with Baldwins Trump pleading with Conway to only be president three times a week, like Howard Stern. Then there was McKinnons Conway handing the list of artists willing to perform at the inaugurationa roster of names that fit on a post-it note. I love both of them, Baldwins Trump says.

But nothing cut to the face-palm exhaustion of the past weeks news cycle more than the shows giddy spoofing of Putins reported influence on the election, which has now been confirmed by the FBI and CIA, and condemned by President Obama.

I was just in town, you know, hiding in the walls, Bennetts Putin laughs, flexing his pectorals as he and Baldwins Trumps dance around their close ties to each other. We think you are the best candidate, the smartest candidate, the Manchurian candidate Bennett's Putin tells him, as he places an Elf on the Shelf on Trumps mantle, next to the internet router.

And if Putin sliding down the chimney was one cold open surprise, the entrance of John Goodman as Trumps Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson was another. Like Baldwin, Goodmans in the SNL Hall of Fame of frequent, favorite hosts, making him a delightfully random choice to play someone whos going to be a major player in the Trump administration.

(Though we expect the show will suffer the same issue its now in with Baldwin, who never expected to have to play the president-elect on a weekly basis when he agreed to a handful of fall cameos as Trump seemed certain to lose the election.)

Pooty! Goodmans Tillerson greets Bennetts Putin. And Putin: Oh my god! Rexy baby! They have a secret handshake. They start going over plans to scratch each others back, and when Baldwins Trump asks what theyre up to he gets promptly dismissed: Dont worry about it!

When the conversation turns to oil, his Trump attempts to interject, Speaking of black and crude, I know Kanye! And then, with a fleeting mention to the past weeks childish Vanity Fair controversy, you have Trump News Bingo.

The allusions to all things Trumps were clever, with the added sweetness of Bennetts take on Putin and an impressively thin John Goodman stopping by.

But the ticking off news items seemed a little rote and obligatory, maybe even joylessas if the devious pleasure the shows writers took in taking the wind out of Trumps sails during the election is gone now that Trumps wind shows no sign of dying down. Its one thing to write biting takedowns of a ludicrous hypothetical. Its another to attempt doing so amid a dejecting reality.

Thats why a later sketch, a music video featuring Kenan Thompson and musical guest Chance the Rapper titled Last Christmas with Barack Still Here, seemed to be more buoyant, with the pair encouraging friends and families to savor current holiday luxuries, such as getting married, celebrating with your immigrant neighbors, or opening presents instead of bombs from Iran. Even Jesus showed up to get down.

Mocking nostalgia, it turns out, is more fun that finding humor in dread.

Its fitting that host Casey Affleck showed up to so perfectly set up the town. No Hollywood curmudgeon has ever been so thirsty for an Oscar, which explains why the self-proclaimed introvert agreed to stand on the stage of a live comedy show surrounded by a ridiculous amount of poinsettias to emcee the storied (and typically heartwarming) holiday episode.

The running joke was that he claimed to love Christmas, but each time a music cue started up to get him singing about it, he put the kibosh on such frivolity. Feigned excitement and strained joy: not only the joke of Afflecks opening monologue, but a foreshadowing of SNLs take on Trump in the months to come.
On an an early January night in 1959, Benjamin Creme first connected with the entity he now calls the Master. That chance encounter set in motion a movement that has spanned decades, based on the idea that Creme receives telepathic communications from beyond.

His followers belong to an organization called Share International, a little-known but passionate organization that believes in the impending appearance of the World Teacher, who they call Maitreya. Their core beliefs include housing and food rights, healthcare and education, and a universal truth spanning all faiths. In short: sharing is caring, they say.

Creme died Oct. 24, at age 93, after decades of leading his small but devoted following. With him died the telepathic communications they believe connected him to Maitreya, a being who encompasses Christ, the Mahdi, Krishna, and the Messiah in one, according to believers. There is no apparent heir to his other-worldly transmissions, and its unclear who will lead his followers as they await Maitreya.

Creme said that after that initial encounter in 1959, the Master told him about the forthcoming "Reappearance of Maitreya, the Christ, head of our planetary hierarchy," and his role in the plan. But, Creme said, he put those ideas to the side for over a decade.

In the 1970s, Creme said he began communicating with the Master again, sometimes undergoing telepathic transmissions for as many as 20 hours a day. "He forged in this period an instrument through whom he could work, and which would be responsive to his slightest impression," Creme wrote in his online biography. Despite this linkage, he insisted there was no infringement on his free will. Creme founded his first transmission meditation group in 1974 and built a glass and wood tetrahedron to use as a "transmitter-transformer instrument" that same year, as well as a "spiritual energy battery."

He soon began lecturing publicly and delivering the good news.

"When the Christ returns, he will not at first reveal his Presence, nor will the Masters who preceded him; but gradually, steps will be taken which will reveal to men that their lives among them now a man of outstanding, extraordinary potency, capacity for love and service, and with a breadth of view, far beyond the ordinary, the Master told Creme to say. Those who can respond to his presence and his teaching will find themselves somewhat reflecting this love, this potency, this breadth of vision, and will go into the world and spread abroad the fact that the Christ is in the world, and that men should look to that country from which a certain teaching is emanating. This will take place in a very, relatively, short period of time, and will lead to conclusive evidence that the Christ is in our midst.

That Christ-figure, Maitreya, created his human bodythat of a South Asian malein London in 1977. He moves among us but we dont know who he is, according to Share International followers.

Preferring to be known simply as the Teacher, Maitreya has not come as a religious leader, but as an educator in the broadest sense  pointing the way out of humanity's most critical problems, the website states. Maitreya does not intend to build a new religion around himself, nor to create followers, but to teach humanity the art of Self-realization.

Share International followers say Maitreya is the promised figure in every faith: the Messiah, Christ, and the Mahdi, to name a few.

But the very corporeal description of Maitreya has led to a number of sightings over the years. Followers widely believe that he appeared in 1988 at a church in Nairobi, wearing white robes at a gathering for prayer and healing.

"We are nearing the time for the reign of heaven. But before that I shall come back and bring a bucketful of blessings for all of you," the man reportedly said.

The appearances kept coming.

When a Share International representative sidled up to this Daily Beast reporter at a conference earlier this year, he excitedly proclaimed that he had been in the presence of Maitreya. He knew the speaker hed heard a few years ago was the figure touted by Creme by the ideas the man espoused, he said.

But the yearning for Maitreya has also turned into headaches for the group and those misidentified.

The groups adherents mistakenly identified a man as Maitreya just a few years ago. Raj Patel, an economist and food activist, was surprised to one day find followers of the belief system approaching him after public appearances.

He eventually had to write a post on his blogand in The Guardiandisavowing any link to the figure known as Maitreya.

I always wanted to be a Prince of Something. But when opportunity comes knocking, it turns out its to get me to sign for a package for some other dude, Patel wrote. "Sadly, Im not the Messiah. Im just a very naughty boy.

Creme disavowed the Patel incident as a case of followers gone rogue. "I would like to make clear that we at Share International have absolutely nothing to do with this mistaken identity and we regret the inconvenience caused," he wrote in the Guardian. He cited Patel's politicsa commitment to "sharing, fraternity, justice, and co-operation"as "part of the reason for this stilly misidentification."

The Share International website lists 239 appearances by Maitreya between 1988 and 2002. But that year, Maitreyas appearances were halted temporarily. The appearances happened before Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists, according to the site.

Yet, for all of Share Internationals science fiction-like ideology, an overzealous thirst to identify Maitreya may be the worst of its sins. Tax forms for Share International USA obtained by The Daily Beast identify a small budgetand, as a non-religiously-exempt organization, are readily available. Its U.S. headquarters are on the West Coast, along with a Benjamin Creme art museum.

In its membership magazines, Share International writes about food justice, environmental issues, and other progressive causes. The November 2016 issue included an interview with anti-fracking filmmaker and activist Josh Fox, and another proclaiming a global family by citing a viral video about DNA.

Creme, the founder of the movement and communicator with the Masters, died in October. But Todd Lorentz, the groups USA spokesman, told The Daily Beast that his passing wouldnt change their mission.

Very little will change in terms of the immediate work going forward and the various groups worldwide will continue undeterred in their ongoing efforts, Lorentz said. In fact, the events unfolding worldwide at this time demonstrate, in no uncertain terms, the conditions foretold on countless occasions to precede the emergence of Maitreya and His subsequent Day of Declaration.

And while they await Maitreyas emergence, followers have one last message sent from him to Creme in March 2016, by a process of mental telepathy.

Judge for yourselves, My brothers, how close you are to My expectations of a new world, Maitreya said through Creme. This will be a world in which all men are one, in which all men fulfil the joy of creation, and fulfil with love their capacity to show the way to their brothers in simplicity and truth.
The blurry cellphone photographs snapped by a passerby of Prince Harry sauntering down Piccadilly with his new girlfriend Meghan Markle on Wednesday evening were a breath of fresh, winter air.

Looking like any other couple, wrapped up in winter coats, the two laughed and gesticulated as they made their wayat a fair clip it must be saidthrough some of the most crowded shopping streets in central London, with nothing more than woolly hats for disguises.

Both were grinning, and in their wake can be seen groups of pedestrians casting them a glance and carrying on their way.

We know from Harrys letter that this relationship is serious, but its striking just how differently he is conducting it to any romance that has gone before.

Its hard to believe that just over two years ago Harry was in an intensely paranoid relationship with British aristocrat Cressida Bonas.

Harrys relationship with Cressida was marked by what at first was nothing more than a charming desire on his part to protect her from the attentions of the press. The strategy worked for as long as the secret was kept, but once their relationship became public knowledge, the romance fell apart under the strain with shocking alacrity.

It was just days after Cressida made her first public appearance by Harrys side, that the two broke up.

It turns out that a secret relationship lived exclusively behind the closed doors of a tiny circle of friends houses wasnt the best preparation for the reality of dating the worlds most eligible bachelor.

What a difference a bit of star power makes.

Unlike Cressida Bonas, Chelsy Davy or any other of Harrys girlfriends, Meghan Markle has actively sought fame, not simply for its own sake, of course, but as a necessary coefficient in her choice of career.

You cant be a big actor without being famous these days.

Admittedly, dating Harry is her biggest part yet, by a long way.

And being Harrys girl has multiplied Meghans name recognition by an exponential factor; its not her part in Suits, which attracts a mere two million viewers per episode or so, that has made her the most Googled actress of 2016.

And while there is some nervousness among many observers that Harry should be dating, as one puts it, a publicity seeking sort with millions of followers on Instagram, Harry has often talked about finding the right person for the role.

Inadvertently, subconsciously perhaps, Harrys choice of words reveals that being his wife is indeed a part to be played, and who better to play it than someone who he loves who also embraces fame, rather than a privacy-obsessive who fears and loathes public attention?

As Harrys biographer Penny Junor tells the Daily Beast: Meghan is used to being in the limelight which neither Chelsy or Cressida were. Also they were younger and were intimidated by the media intrusion; they didnt want a future in a goldfish bowl. For a US celebrity that media attention is the oxygen they need and rely upon and crave. I just hope that Meghan is being genuine here and not using Harry to further her career.

Junor adds that another important factor in the confidence with which the couple are going out in public is that, Harry is more confident these days. Hes out there supporting good causes, making things happen and people like him and are on his side.

It is quite plain that the apparent ease and lack of stress the couple showed as they strolled through Londons Theatreland district (on the Monday, they popped out to purchase a Christmas tree from a local vendor) stems at least in part from Meghans familiarity and relaxed attitude to the world of flashbulbs and publicity.

It is believed that Meghan, 35, flew to the UK from her Toronto home early on Monday and has been staying with Harry, 32, at his two-bedroom Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace.

Meghan is believed to have visited the UK four times in the past three months, and last weekend Harry raised eyebrows when, contrary to strict royal protocol which prohibits mixing business trips with pleasure, he diverted 1,700 miles on his way back from his royal tour of the Caribbean to see her.

There have been rumors that Harry and Meghan are planning a foreign vacation after Christmas, but it is unlikely they will spend Christmas together on the Queens country estate, Sandringham, when Harry will join other senior royals for traditional celebrations.

Kate Middleton didnt go to Sandringham for Christmas until 2011, after she married William, despite having dated him for several years.

Royal writer Robert Lacey told The Daily Beast via email that Harry's new openness should be seen on the context of evolving royal mores: "If you look back at history, the story of royal love matches is a matter of slow battles to catch up with the manners of a changing world  from Edward VIII having to abdicate in 1936 in order to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorcee, to the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005, less than seventy years later, a scandal-rid divorcee marrying a scandal-rid divorcee, without Charles having to give up his right to the throne. Harrys attitude seems to reflect his bolder character, the lessons he has drawn from his previous courtships, and the indifference he shares with his brother towards conventional media relations - and the professional media as a whole."
Our cover features Mike Gerdes (left), Silverhawk Aviation president, and Schuyler Risk, business development director, by a charter jet. The local aviation company is celebrating its 25th anniversary and introducing mid-size jets and a new jet card.

To facilitate its expanded charter jet fleet, Silverhawk plans to build a dual-purpose storage and maintenance hangar in the spring  a development that will more than double its current hangar space.

In addition to flying charter planes, Silverhawk provides extensive avionics maintenance, repair and upgrades. With its central U.S. location, it is also a popular refueling station.

See more about Silverhawks 25-year history, expansion plans, services, managers and jet card in my cover story in this website's Features section. Shane & Sunny Portrait Artists contributed this months cover photo.

Nebraskas sesquicentennial celebration begins!

Nebraska will celebrate 150 years of statehood in 2017  the perfect year to travel to destinations across the state. For ideas, see Gretchen Garrisons story highlighting places worth seeing in each region of Nebraska in this website's Features section.

Many of those destinations have been creatively photographed in the new statewide sesquicentennial traveling photo exhibit Bridges: Sharing Our Past to Enrich the Future. Endorsed by the Nebraska 150 Commission as a signature event, Bridges features 93 photographs, one from each county, proudly representing a cross section of Nebraska. As the exhibit makes its yearlong journey across the state, its first stop will be our own Great Plains Art Museum at 1155 Q St. in Lincoln. The premiere reception is Friday, Jan. 6, from 5-7 p.m., and Bridges will continue to be displayed at the museum through March 25. For more details, see this website's Features section.

Around town

My son John liked having rodent pets as a kid  gerbils, guinea pigs, etc.  so photographing the Extreme Rat Challenge at Nebraska Wesleyan University was a special treat. Students enrolled in a psychology class learned basic learning principles while training rats to perform tasks like climbing a rope and a carpeted wall, walking a tightrope, pressing a lever, gliding down a slide, jumping horizontally, and running hurdles and a warrior dash. In its 41 years, the event has been featured nationally in magazines and on TV. See details and photos in this website's Around Town section.

The day after Lincolns first snow, on Dec. 4, John and my wife ReNae joined me in covering Christmas on 84th Street, a tour of beautifully decorated homes that benefited St. Michael Parish. See details and photos in this website's Around Town section.

I appreciate your ideas

Id like to know what kinds of stories you want to see and any other suggestions you have for L Magazine. Please email these to mark.schwaninger@lee.net or call me at 402-473-2644. As always, I appreciate your Likes and comments on the L Magazine Facebook page as well.
Hires, appointments and promotions: Andrew Hovestol has joined the law firm of Jeffrey Leavell S.C. Hovestol is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Defense Counsel, and the Southwest Chapter of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. He also was a member and associate editor of the Marquette Law Review.

Honors and Awards: Wisconsin Pet Care received the WISN Best of Milwaukee A-List Best Pet Sitters 2016, WISN Best of Milwaukee A-List Best Dog Walkers 2016, and the Angies List Super Service 2016 awards.

Compiled by Sharon Knox

The Journal Times welcomes news about promotions, appointments, professional organization elections, certifications, and professional honors. There is no charge for this service.

Because of space constraints, we reserve the right to edit for length or clarity. The deadline for Names and Faces items is 3 p.m. Thursday of each week. Photos may accompany notices of new hires and promotions. Send your items to Sharon Knox at: sknox@journaltimes.com or by mail: Names and Faces, The Journal Times, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403.

Business anniversaries

Is your business celebrating an anniversary? The Journal Times publishes short news items of 10th, 25th, 50th and greater multiples of 25 years of Racine County-based companies.

We ask you to provide us with the basic information: when the business started; the founder; its location then and now; the original name if different than todays; and what the business did in the beginning and now.

We will include these in the Names and Faces column or use them as stand-alone news items in our Sunday Money section.
Enjoy music, art and more this weekend in Southeast Iowa

Your guide to getting off the couch and out the door this weekend in Southeast Iowa.
Since 1974, Societys Assets has challenged the community to look beyond a persons disability to see a fellow human being with gifts and talents that could be assets to the community. Societys Assets has three offices  Racine, Kenosha and Elkhorn  and offers services that include independent living assessments and coordination, in-home care and skilled nursing.

Award-winning caregivers

Two caregivers from Societys Assets have received awards this fall from The Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance. The Alliance is a coalition of public and private organizations who recognize the critical and indispensable role direct care workers play in meeting the daily living needs of older adults and people of all ages with disabilities. Paulette Hill and Eleanore Kurpis join 19 Societys Assets award winners in our Aide Hall of Fame that dates back to 2005.

Hill joined the agencys Racine office in 1998 after training to be a certified nursing assistant. She works seven days a week, having cared for some consumers more than 13 years. Her consumers praise her for being dependable, caring, and willing to do whatever needs to be done. Why does Hill work as many as 60 hours every week? Paulette said, I love it. I like taking care of people. Hill received the Spotlight Award from The Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance.

Kurpis is the mother and caregiver of our consumer Phillip. He was critically injured when he was hit by a truck while crossing the street. He battled for his life for three months in the hospital. He endured additional hospitalizations and rehab stays. Kurpis and her family battled for Phillips right to come home.

Almost one year after the accident, Phillip came home and immediately started improving, gained weight, became more alert, and just seemed happier overall. Kurpis makes sure that Phillips frequent appointments and the schedules of other aides who assist with his care are coordinated. Eleanore said she wakes up every day grateful for another day to spend caring for her son. Kurpis received the Heart of Family/Friend Caregiving Award from The Wisconsin Long Term Care Workforce Alliance.

Questions about benefits

There are many myths when it comes to working and receiving benefits like Social Security Disability Income (SSDI), Medicaid, and other programs. The most common myth is that you cant work and continue to get benefits. Most benefit programs encourage working and have extra incentives for those who are working to protect their benefits.

If you are looking for answers to questions about your situation, a benefit analysis is the best way to find them. Arrange for a benefits analysis through your Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselor. Benefits analyses are written by trained Benefits Specialists. You will know how working affects your current benefits and be prepared for any changes in the future. Even if you dont want a full benefits analysis, the Benefit Specialists at Societys Assets can answer your questions. Call 262-637-9128.

Book Worm Club starts in January

Like to read? The Independent Living Department at Societys Assets will host the first meeting of the Book Worm Club from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26. Our office at 5200 Washington Ave., Suite 225 is accessible, and large print or audio format is available (upon prior request).

Titles to be explored include Still Alice, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and The Fault in Our Stars. Books may contain adult content. Copies will be available for loan at the first meeting. All abilities are welcome. Call 262-637-9128 for information.
MOUNT PLEASANT  After almost a year of deliberation, the Racine County Board appears set to approve on Tuesday the sale of the Ridgewood Care Center nursing home to a private operator.

That prospective buyer, Illinois-based Villa Healthcare, has 22 other nursing homes rated both highly and lowly, according to a review of Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services ratings.

Based on a one- to five-star rating system, the average and median ratings for Villa Healthcare nursing homes are at or near three stars  the same rating assigned to Ridgewood, 3205 Wood Road, Mount Pleasant.

The company has as many one-star facilities  three  as five-star facilities.

They do have a lot of one- and two-star facilities. But they have a lot of one- or two-star facilities because they inherit troubled nursing homes and try to turn them around, County Executive Jonathan Delagrave said at a County Board Executive Committee meeting Wednesday. Those are just the facts. They have a lot of three- and four-star facilities in other states.

The Illinois-based company, which did not respond to requests for comment, has facilities in Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin, including the Villa at Lincoln Park, 1700 C.A. Becker Drive, Racine.

The Racine nursing home could count as a troubled nursing home at the time Villa Healthcare bought it, as it followed the bankruptcy of Lincoln Lutheran. Villa at Lincoln Park is rated one star, though officials argue that rating largely predates Villas ownership.

They also warned that ratings tell only part of the story of a nursing home. The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services assigns ratings based on health inspections, staffing and quality measures, which are derived from clinical data reported by the nursing home.

Villa Healthcare also has a history of investing in upgrades at the nursing homes it purchases, and county supervisors say they expect the same at Ridgewood. At Villa at Lincoln Park, the company has a $2.3 million renovation and expansion under way.

Final vote set

The board has heard objections to privatizing Ridgewood over the last several months at public meetings. Robert Nyberg, who said his mother lives at Ridgewood, told the countys Executive Committee Wednesday he fears staffing cuts and a drop in quality under private ownership.

You guys need to go back to the drawing board and at least review it one more time, he told the committee. Start looking for other suitors who are much better rated ... I feel like you guys are just dumping it off and just dont want to deal with it.

The county began looking into the sale of Ridgewood amid financial struggles, with rising costs and flat Medicaid reimbursements. Delagrave, who declined to comment for this story, acknowledged at the meeting Wednesday theres no guarantee Ridgewood will get better under private ownership.

But he added: We dont know if its going to get better if the county continues to own it.

County Supervisor Janet Bernberg of Wind Point, who supports the sale, said she toured two Villa Healthcare facilities and found nursing homes in good shape with happy staff members.

People are equating private with bad and county with good, as if the county can do no wrong and private companies arent going to do as well as the county, she said in an interview. I dont accept that.

The Racine County Board is scheduled to cast a final vote on selling the Ridgewood Care Center nursing home at its 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting at Ives Grove Office Complex, 14200 Washington Ave., Yorkville. Comments from the public will be taken before the vote.
BRIDGEPORT - Bridgeport has pulled the plug on its police officers appearing on the A&E series Live PD.

On Saturday, Av Harris, Bridgeport spokesman, confirmed that Bridgeport police will not be participating in future segments of Live PD, a weekly show that films in near real time and is largely unedited.

In a statement, Harris said: Mayor Joe Ganim felt that the show certainly had its merits and showed the true heroism and professionalism of the men and women of the Bridgeport Police Department carrying out a very challenging job in the true interest of public service. And it also showed that Bridgeport Police are an example to the nation for doing their duties with dignity and respect for the community they are sworn to protect. And the mayor was proud to have the Bridgeport police be nationally featured and let the viewers into their lives for a few hours every week.

However, Mayor Ganim had serious concerns that were echoed by several important voices in our community that despite its merits, the program was giving Bridgeport an inaccurate national reputation; inflating the prevalence of crime in the Park City in a way that can deter potential investors and people from living or doing business here. We don't want the first impression of Bridgeport from a national audience to be unfairly associated with crime and miss the whole picture of beauty, industriousness and vitality that we represent. A community should be defined and judged by the best it has to offer, and not by its worst moments

Posts on social media questioned whether the decision was made because of a Dec. 2 show that included the death of an infant child.

In that episode, Bridgeport police Sgt. Chris Robinson responded to the call while on duty with embedded video journalists, and his reaction to the tragedy was broadcast nationally.

Unfortunately it doesnt look like the baby survived, Robinson told a Live PD producer after the incident, in a cold, official tone. It was kind of lifeless upon arrival at the hospital. Its um ...

Neither the hosts nor the viewers are likely to have anticipated that Robinson would show his softer side.

Its a heartbreaking scene, Robinson said, wiping his eyes as his voice cracked. These are the calls that just... they get to you.

Earlier in the show, Robinson told producers about another child fatality that had occurred on his first day as a sargent. Trying to hold back tears, he spoke generally about the tragedies he and his fellow officers witness. Its horrible... its right around Christmas, and these kids lose their sibling and the parents they lose their baby. And you know, the medics are trying to do everything they can.

Harris said that incident did not weigh in the decision to pull the plug on the show.

It was not because of Sgt. Robinson's reaction to the death of the one year old baby. On the contrary, Sgt. Robinson's reaction is a very strong example of the character and humanity of the true public servants who are the men and women of the Bridgeport police department. That very sad and poignant moment touched people nationally and made us all proud.

Bridgeport was one of six law enforcement agencies from coast-to-coast  Walton County Sheriff in Floridas Panhandle; the Richland County Sheriff, South Carolina; the Tulsa Police Department; the Arizona Department of Public Safety; and the Utah Highway Patrol  will be seen on live cameras.

In-studio host, ABC's Dan Abrams, alongside Dallas Police Department detectives Rich Emberlin and Kevin Jackson, will guide viewers through the night, giving insight to what audiences are seeing in real time, bouncing minute-by-minute between the featured police departments and offering an inside look at each live incident.

The show premiered on Oct. 28 on A&E, which is owned by Hearst and Disney. Hearst also owns Hearst Connecticut Media, including the Connecticut Post. The first season of the show ran for eight weeks.

While its unclear if there will be another season of Live PD, one is certain: Bridgeports police officers - and its residents - wont be in front of the camera.
WESTPORT  A 2005 Staples High School graduate was among at least 36 people killed in a warehouse fire that broke out Friday in Oakland, Calif.

The death of 29-year-old musician Riley Fritz was confirmed Dec. 5.

I received a phone call last night from the coroners office and I provided information to them that would help identify Riley, said Bruce Fritz, Rileys father.

Riley was not his daughters given name, but upon high school graduation in 2005, she told her parents thats how she would be known. She also used the name Feral Pines.

She identified as a woman, and I considered her my sister and always will, said stepbrother Ben Fritz, 39, a Los Angeles journalist. As is true of all trans people, life was hard for her, but she was very brave in following a path that is true to herself.

Riley, a Westport native, was a member of Boy Scout Troop 36 and achieved a top leadership position of senior patrol leader, as well as Scoutings highest rank, Eagle Scout, in 2005. While living in Westport Fritz was known as Justin.

She joined Troop 36 in sixth grade and exemplified values of scouting, looked to among the group for helping younger scouts learn and develop, said Jared Mittleman, assistant scout master of the troop for the last three years Fritz was involved.

As part of the senior patrol leader team, she worked with other members to plan meetings, but she was always particularly able to understand others perspectives and how younger scouts might perceive an activity or plan.

Riley could recognize that there was a different perspective in the room and be their representative even if [she] wasnt in that position any longer, Mittleman said.

While it has been 12 years since she was involved with the troop, Fritz is among the scouts that have made a mark in his mind, Mittleman added.

Riley saw the world differently, he said. She looked at things from how they were going to impact the world.

She graduated from the School for the Visual Arts in Manhattan in 2010. After living in North Carolina and Indiana, Fritz moved to Oakland in September to be part of the trans community where she was more comfortable, her stepbrother said.

She worked odd jobs and had plans to start a new band.

When I saw her at Thanksgiving, she was the happiest I had seen her in a while, he said.

She had been attending an electronic music show and party at the former warehouse, an artists collective known as the Ghost Ship, the family said. Although some artists lived in the building, Fritz did not.

Witnesses described a tangled and makeshift interior that turned exit routes into a deadly, confusing maze as the flames spread Friday night.

Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton, of the Oakland Fire Department, said Monday workers using excavators and other heavy equipment had combed through 35 to 40 percent of the building, and were finding bodies spread throughout the debris. She described an arduous  and emotionally difficult  process.

Officials said it would be days before the entire disaster scene could be searched, and they expected the number of dead to rise. Bruce Fritz said he would fly to Oakland on Monday, where he would be joined by Ben Fritz. Fritz also has a 36-year-old sister, Amanda.

As to whether there would be a funeral or memorial service in Westport, We just dont know yet, Bruce Fritz said.

Riley, a garage-band bass player who was always trailed by a rescue dog, was (a) very soft, sensitive, caring person, her father said. A very gentle soul. Never had a bad word to say about other people.

At the time of her death, she was living with friends while raising a rescue dog named Grimma, her father said.

Always loved animals, said Bruce Fritz, who noted that for her Eagle Scout project, Riley built bird houses and placed them around Westport to lure back the native kestrel, a member of the falcon family.

Sure enough, the birds returned.

They were trying to help the population recover, her father said. Its always nice to see that it works.

At Staples High, Fritz hosted a radio show on the campus station, introducing ska to student listeners. She took up the bass, played in several bands, and often had a jam going in the garage.

In the 2005 Stapleite yearbook, she quoted the opening lines to the Dead Kennedys Holiday in Cambodia alongside her senior portrait.

Sam Whiting of the San Francisco Chronicle and staff writer Laura Weiss contributed to this report.
RACINE  Jason Mateer, 37, of Racine, was found without his dog after he died during a car crash in Indiana Friday morning.

Mateers Ford van spun, left the roadway, and then vaulted, passenger-side first, into another vehicle at around 9:10 a.m. in Orland, Indiana, according to a release from the Indiana State Police. Mateer was pronounced dead at the scene.

This was the same van that Mateer had spent years in, traveling around the country making deliveries. This was the same van he would park in his brother-in-law Jordan Johnsons driveway in Racine, where they became best friends over the last six years.

Hed park the van waiting for his next delivery so wed hang out and talk and catch up, Jordan said. Its just a life taken too soon and too short.

Mateer loved traveling, loved his adopted and biological families and loved his dog, Velcro. Velcro, a pitbull, and Mateer traveled everywhere together for every delivery or journey.

Police told the family the dog was not found, although they found the dogs bowl and other canine items in the vehicle.

Before he was trained, the dog would sit on (Mateers) lap while he was driving, said Desiree Johnson, Mateers biological sister. We believe thats what might have caused the accident. Police said it was a freak accident.

Jordan said that weather may have been the factor. But regardless of the reason, he said everyone who knows Mateer is devastated.

It hurt us all. Its a tragedy, Jordan said. Hell forever be embedded in our minds and hearts because he definitely planted his seed.

Too soon

Mateer was given up for adoption soon after he was born. For 30 years he had not seen his mother, Tina Murray of Racine, while he moved around Wisconsin with his adopted family as he was growing up.

For Thanksgiving 2011, Mateer and Murray reunited for the first time. Mateer had found her on Facebook and the two agreed to meet that day that Murray called, the best Thanksgiving present I could ever have.

The joy in my heart, Murray said. I was never more excited in my life.

There was much catching up to do after that. Mateer became close with the family and made a home in Racine despite his constant travels.

Between deliveries, though, he made a mark with his family and others. Desiree said that he always looked to help others.

He was such a free spirit, Desiree said. He was always helping everybody. When I was short on my rent, hed help. Hed help with handy work. He helped an elderly woman with housekeeping. He was always a helping hand.

Murray said that she was thrilled to know her first-born son after decades apart, and she will never forget him like when they were apart before.

I still cant comprehend this, Murray said. I just cant.

Funeral arrangements have not been set. Both Mateers adopted family and biological family are working to do a combined service.

We are all coming together in his honor, said Teri Mateer, Jasons aunt.  We are meeting with his adopted mom, (Nancy Pecha) and well be having a service together. We are coming together in love to honor him.
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SEEN: Train ride with Santa in Danbury 2016
Shortly before his death, Hans Urs von Balthasar addressed the question posed by many of those disconcerted by the large number of his books: Where must one start to understand him?

Tragedy Under Grace: Reinhold Schneider on the Experience of the West, by Hans Urs von Balthasar, (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997)

Hans Urs von Balthasar died twenty-eight years ago, just three days before he was to be inducted into the College of Cardinals, the vindication of his nearly sixty years of prodigiousand often controversialscholarship. Perhaps Providence decided that the Sacred College needed no more distinguished members. Perhaps Balthasar needed no other honors.

His achievements as a systematic theologian, patristics scholar, spiritual writer, apologist, and translator of the highest rank place him in unique class among twentieth-century scholars. While his voluminous theological works, including some eighty books and hundreds of articles, have, in the years following his death, been taken up in earnest by numerous theologians, his profound excursions into other fields, especially letters, have largely been ignored. And where they have been noted, these texts have, more often than not, not been fully appreciated.

Yet, as T.S. Eliot once noted, In my beginning is my end. And readers of Balthasar the theologian need to recall that his 1929 doctoral dissertation, which had as a subject the idea of the end of the world in modern German literature from Gotthold Lessing to Ernst Bloch, was in Language and Culture. Judging from his citations, throughout his career Balthasar continued to regard playwrights, poets, and novelists as theological sources as important as the Fathers or the Schoolmen. He was well-read in the literature of half a dozen languagesnumbering among his friends men of letters like Albert Beguin, Georges Bernanos, and Reinhold Schneiderand has been called the most cultivated man of his age. Shortly before his death, ever the meticulous scholar, Balthasar addressed the question posed by many of those disconcerted by the large number of his books: Where must one start to understand him? While he advised starting with the trilogy of the Aesthetics (7 volumes), the Theodramatics (5 volumes), and the Theologic (3 volumes), he was quick to warn of the too many betrayals which would result if consideration was not given to his works on spirituality and the literary-philosophical works, among which he singled out his writings on Reinhold Schneider whom he lauded for his genuine prophetic quality. It is therefore of great fortune to readers in the English world that Ignatius Press has made available for the first time Balthasars Tragedy Under Grace: Reinhold Schneider on the Experience of the West, which the author prepared just before his death in 1988.

As he does frequently in his writings, Balthasar uses the occasion to discuss another author to expound on some of his own reflections, in this case the tragic figure of the twentieth-century German man of letters Reinhold Schneider, whom he single-handedly rescues from obscurity. In his book, following the outlines of Schneiders literary and dramatic career, Balthasar weaves three circles, each consisting of three forms. The first contains the origins, whose characteristic is to be the most tenaciously retained and most passionately superseded, for the first book of a poet and thinker always remains his destiny. Schneiders (and Balthasars) path began with Camoess Portugal to which the Spain of Philip II bespeaks the antithesis. On the basis of both of these is the question raised of the relationship between spiritual and worldly power, between the Prussia of Fichte and that of Frederick II. The second circle opens, spiraling above the first: Englands antithetical form is laid upon Portugals formlessness, permitting the discernment of guilt as a moving force in history. The answer to this is the mystical form of Russia. It is only in the third circle, then, that the form of the supernatural power that sets its mark on history is explicitly brought out. In this circle, the Church is initially displayed as the place of saints, that is, according to Balthasar, of absolute persons who express most fully what human nature is (Joan of Arc is the representative here) and is then described in the crossroads of her earthly existence between power and renunciation, conquest of the world and decline. The place for this is Rome. Finally, Balthasars eye is turned to that form of Christian existence that was the goal of Schneiders categories from the outset: The holy man of a supernatural form, the religious knight at the border fortress of Marienburg looking toward the East, clearing the earth in the humility of his Christian mission so that it can bear culture. And this, concludes Balthasar, is no longer utopia and contradiction, a sin the first of the circlesbut the summons of the hour to some individuals who dare confront it without a safety net.

While to go into detail concerning this argument is, to cite an image which first occurs in the legends surrounding Saint Augustine, something like trying to put the Mediterranean into a pail, it would perhaps suffice to outline just one of Balthasars lyrical arguments in Tragedy Under Grace. He notes that the decisive word that must be uttered here is tradition, stating that it is obvious that research cannot abolish faith. Thus, Christian tradition means something quite different from traditionalism. In fact, it means its exact opposite. He argues that It is clear that what is commanded in history is something impossible, but it must be done; grace makes the impossible possible. Out of this relationship to the world, the knightly spirit forms itself for a resistance that will demand more than everything. Thus, tradition is the handing on of the gospel and of the fundamental attitude of Christ and of those who follow him vis-a-vis the earthly power that overwhelms them.

One can also interpret this deepest meaning of tradition, as Schneider understood it and bequeathed it, in another way. Subject to so many stimuli, the Christian tradition became the catalyzing unification that provided a criterion for evaluation and discrimination. Herein, according to Balthasar, lies the nobilitychivalry is the word preferred by Schneiderthat shines throughout the work and life of his friend Schneider, and perhaps it is the reason why his works find almost no readers today. It was Schneiders (and Balthasars) belief that There is no republic without an aristocracy. This is not meant absolutely as a social caste so much as a spirit. Both Schneider and his commentator Balthasar concerned themselves only with noble souls since it is not possible for the masses to become a people. It is typical, Tragedy Under Grace concludes, for the modern period to do nothing for nobility and that its concept of people remains revolutionary-proletarian: a mass of equal persons who allow themselves to be ruled. In reality, a people is an articulated organism with a natural summit. Where the instinct for the nobility has been extinguished, we no longer find the instinct for order and for the great laws of life.

It is perhaps the finest tribute to Hans Urs von Balthasar that, thanks to his solitary efforts, the literary and philosophical genius of his friend Reinhold Schneider continues to shine forth and that, despite the travails of modern life, the quest for a nobility of spirit continues to embolden the hearts of men.

No Monuments Are Safe

Today no monuments are safe.

Stone basalt marble

impervious once to all but Time

for such legends of our saints our martyrs our heroes

what haven now?

For we have trapped and harnessed

the lightning-bolts.

What if, some innocent day

they tear loose again?

Oh then

stumbling among our shattered icons

we may find

some shards

some charred fragments of pottery

an ancient seal

or a carved stele bearing symbols

we can no longer read.

A montage of messages from a wiser world.

We have heard of Dr. Faustus

who it was reported

died

and was dragged screaming

down to Hell.

And of Oxymandias

That great King of Kings

three thousand years ago

whose trunkless legs

stand near his shattered still-arrogant face

half-buried beneath the eternal desert sands.

Louise Dauner

Republished with gracious permission from Modern Age (Summer 1999).

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

The featured image is a photograph of Hans Urs von Balthasar at a conference. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
WASHINGTON  Indianas Thomas R. Marshall, who was Americas vice president 100 years ago, voiced  he plucked it from a Hoosier humorist  one of the few long-remembered utterances to issue from that office: What this country needs is a good 5-cent cigar, which would be $1.11 in todays currency. A century later, what the country needs is a $12 twelve-ounce cup of coffee.

Or so Howard Schultz thinks. Betting against the man who built Starbucks to a market capitalization of $86 billion is imprudent.

Today, you cannot swing a dead cat without hitting a Starbucks store. There are 25,000 in 75 countries, with another 12,000 due by 2021, so Starbucks is not an elusive or exclusive experience. This poses a problem peculiar to affluent societies, and an opportunity. Seattle, where the original Starbucks was opened in 1971, now has a Starbucks Roastery where customers can turn a cup of small-batch coffee into an experience  Starbucks sells experiences as much as coffee  of both conspicuous consumption and conspicuous connoisseurship. Bloomberg reports that for a pittance, aka $10, skinflints will be able to buy a cold-brew coffee, which presumably is an excellent thing, infused with nitrogen gas, which sounds like an acquired taste.

Many existing Starbucks are located to capture foot traffic in malls and shopping centers, which have been losing customers to online shopping. The original 30 Roasteries  Reuters says they will be ultra-premium, not mere tacky premium  will be destinations where people will go to linger. So, by 2021, when there will be more normal Starbucks than McDonalds, the few Starbucks Roasteries scattered from New York to Shanghai will be Starbucks entry into the positional economy.

Very pricey coffee is just a fresh-brewed variation on the familiar phenomenon of positional goods. They are necessarily, inherently enjoyments for the few. They exist because, particularly in the upper reaches of affluent societies, it is not love that makes the world go round, it is a compound of envy and pretentiousness.

Four decades ago, the economist Fred Hirsch distinguished between the material economy and the positional economy. Once a society has satisfied basic material needs (food, shelter, clothing), it turns yesterdays luxuries (cars, air conditioning, college educations) into necessities. Because these are mass-market commodities, such material prosperity is a leveling, egalitarian force. Positional competition is emphatically not.

In the competition for an elite education or an exclusive vacation spot, one persons success is necessarily a loss for many other persons because positional goods cannot be expanded indefinitely. Of course, Starbucks Roasteries could be expanded by the thousands, but this would make the experience banal and drain the stores of their positional power.

After elementary needs  food, shelter, clothing  are satisfied, consumption nevertheless continues, indeed it intensifies because desires are potentially infinite. People compare themselves to their neighbors, envy their neighbors advantages, and strive to vault ahead in the envy-ostentation sweepstakes.

The political equality of democratic societies leaves ample room for, and incites, social inequalities, which are coveted because they counter the leveling forces of mass affluence. Furthermore, as inherited privilege has been replaced by social rationality  Napoleons careers open to talents, a meritocracy based on skills and education  there is a residual human urge for irrational distinction. Such as savoring a $12 cup not just for the  let us stipulate  divine flavor but for the sheer fun of showing that you can and that your palate is so refined that merely very good coffee would be excruciating.

In any American city large enough to sustain a social ecosystem of snobbery, there is a magazine to guide fastidious consumers to the five best craft breweries or the five best artisanal cheese shops. Heaven forefend that anyone should have to settle for the sixth best. For discerning tipplers, there are artisanal ice cubes. In San Francisco, The Mill, a cafe and bakery, offers artisanal toast for $4 a slice. It is to die for, say the cognoscenti.

Where will the positional economy end? It wont. Stanford professor Francis Fukuyama notes that it is a peculiarity of human beings that they desire some things not for themselves but because they are desired by other human beings. Hamsters have more sense. This characteristic of our species  the quest for recognition by distinguishing oneself from others  provides limitless marketing possibilities because for many wealthy people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches. So wrote Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations, published in the resonant year of 1776.
WASHINGTON  Democrats spent the first two decades of the post-Cold War era rather relaxed about Russian provocations and revanchism. President Obama famously mocked Mitt Romney in 2012 for suggesting that Russia was our principal geopolitical adversary. Yet today the Dems are in high dudgeon over the closeness of secretary of state nominee, Rex Tillerson, to Vladimir Putin.

Hypocrisy aside, it is true that, as head of Exxon Mobil, Tillerson made major deals with Russia, received Russias Order of Friendship and opposed U.S. sanctions. Thats troubling but not necessarily disqualifying. At the time, after all, Tillerson was acting as an agent of Exxon Mobil, whose interest it is to extract oil and make money.

These interests do not necessarily overlap with those of the United States. The relevant question is whether and how Tillerson distinguishes between the two and whether as agent of the United States he would adopt a tougher Russia policy than he did as agent of Exxon Mobil.

We dont know. We shall soon find out. Thats what confirmation hearings are for.

The left has been in equally high dudgeon that other Cabinet picks appear not to share the mission of the agency which they have been nominated to head. The horror! As if these agency missions are somehow divinely ordained. Why, they arent even constitutionally ordained. The Department of Education, for example, was created by President Carter in 1979 as a payoff to the teachers unions for their political support.

Now, teachers are wonderful. But teachers unions are there to protect benefits and privileges, not necessarily to improve schooling. Which is why they zealously defend tenure, protect their public-school monopoly and reflexively oppose school choice.

Conservatives have the odd view that the purpose of schooling  and therefore of the Department of Education  is to provide students with the best possible education. Hence Trumps nominee, Betsy DeVos, a longtime and passionate proponent of school choice, under whom the department will no longer be an arm of the teachers unions.

She is also less likely to allow the departments Office for Civil Rights to continue appropriating to itself the role of arbiter of social justice, micromanaging everything from campus sexual mores to the proper bathroom assignment for transgender students. If the mission of this department has been to dictate policy best left to the states and localities, its about time the mission was changed.

The most incendiary nomination by far, however, is Scott Pruitt to head the Environmental Protection Agency. As attorney general of Oklahoma, he has joined or led a series of lawsuits to curtail EPA power. And has been upheld more than once by the courts.

Pruitt has been deemed unfit to serve because he fails liberalisms modern-day religious test: belief in anthropogenic climate change. They would love to turn his confirmation hearing into a Scopes monkey trial. Republicans should decline the invitation. It doesnt matter whether the man believes the moon is made of green cheese. The challenges to EPA actions are based not on meteorology or theology, but on the Constitution. The issue is that the EPA has egregiously exceeded its authority and acted as a rogue agency unilaterally creating rules unmoored from legislation.

Pruitts is the most important nomination because it is a direct attack on the insidious growth of the administrative state. We have reached the point where EPA bureaucrats interpret the Waters of the United States rule  meant to protect American waterways  to mean that when a hard rain leaves behind a pond on your property, the feds may take over and tell you what you can and cannot do with it. (The final rule excluded puddles  magnanimity from the Leviathan.)

On a larger scale, Obamas Clean Power Plan essentially federalizes power generation and regulation, not coincidentally killing coal along the way. This is the administrations end run around Congress rejection of Obamas proposed 2009-2010 cap-and-trade legislation. And that was a Democratic Congress, mind you.

Pruitts nomination is a dramatic test of the proposition that agencies administer the law, they dont create it. That the legislative power resides exclusively with Congress and not with a metastasizing administrative bureaucracy.

For some, this reassertion of basic constitutionalism seems extreme. If so, the Obama administration has only itself to blame. Such are the wages of eight years of liberal overreach. Some legislation, like Obamacare, will be repealed. Some executive orders will be canceled. But most important will be the bonfire of the agencies. We may soon be secure not just in our puddles but our ponds.
The County Board will vote on an important issue on Dec. 20  the sale of Ridgewood Care Center. I have spent the past year carefully weighing this decision with a focus on what is in all of our best interests. My two predominant concerns have always been these:

Can the county continue to absorb the increasing costs and liabilities of owning Ridgewood?

If sold, can we ensure the same quality of care to our most vulnerable citizens?

Like all nursing homes, Ridgewood faces significant challenges, including escalating operational costs, low levels of reimbursement through Medicaid, declining census, increasing incentives for in-home care and uncertainty regarding the future state of Medicare and Medicaid.

The bottom line is that while the financial condition of Ridgewood continues to worsen, it faces projected annual operating losses of $2 million  the burden on taxpayers has grown too great. Continued county-operation and ownership of Ridgewood threatens to sacrifice the quality of mandated services such as child protective and mental health services, road maintenance, workforce solutions, law enforcement and public assistance programs. Facing these realities, it is my firm recommendation that Racine County sell Ridgewood to Villa Healthcare.

As a former Ridgewood administrator, I know firsthand the abundant goodwill toward, and support for, Ridgewood. I am particularly sensitive to concerns that private ownership may erode quality of care. Several residents have voiced concerns that current staff will be left jobless and speculated about closure of Ridgewood.

The success of sale hinges on who buys Ridgewood and under what conditions. The Ridgewood Taskforce recommended that we engage an experienced broker who would take all of our concerns to heart and make them a priority for sale. After the broker Marcus & Millichap was hired, they identified a number of potential buyers, and the executive and Health and Human Development Committees narrowed the list to three. Ultimately, Villa Healthcare emerged as the candidate most committed to ensuring high quality of care for residents, continuing a presence in the community and maintaining employment for county employees.

Villa Healthcare currently owns and operates 22 skilled nursing facilities and one assisted living facility across four states, with four located in Wisconsin. Villa is committed to Racine County. It is pouring $2.3 million into the formerly bankrupt Lincoln Lutheran facility, Villa at Lincoln Park, and along with its offer to purchase Ridgewood for $10.5 million, has pledged $1.5 million in capital improvements to Ridgewood within 24 months of closing.

The proposed sale to Villa is conditioned upon a contractual commitment to taking responsible steps to operate Ridgewood for a minimum of 10 years and to offer the current county employees the opportunity to stay. There are also rigorous state regulations that all nursing homes  whether operated by a county or for-profit company  must satisfy. In short, the proposed sale to Villa creates a path for Ridgewood to continue proving high-quality service and remaining a positive community asset.

I commend each person who has devoted time to the study of Ridgewoods future. This vote represents more than a mere line-item in the budget. It directly impacts all those who have benefited from the wonderful care that Ridgewood provides. County officials have done their due diligence in considering whether or not to sell Ridgewood, and if so, to whom and under what conditions.

As your county executive, you elected me to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars while ensuring sustainable services to those in need. The sale of Ridgewood to Villa Healthcare will allow the county to improve delivery of mandated services while meeting community needs for a well-run nursing home.
Donald Trumps warped war on facts continues.

The Central Intelligence Agency has concluded with high confidence that Russia tried to influence the presidential election in Trumps favor by hacking into Democratic computers. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, the president-elect dismissed the finding as ridiculous and added, I think its just another excuse, I dont believe it. ... No, I dont believe it at all.

His close adviser Kellyanne Conway called the CIAs report laughable, and Trump demeaned the agencys credibility with a snarky statement: These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

Heres a hard truth that Trump and his team refuse to recognize: Just because the president-elect believes something does not make it true. Faith is not fact. Theology is no basis for governing.

This is getting really dangerous. It is one thing, as a candidate, to spin a fantasy world of outright lies (Muslims in New Jersey did not celebrate the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11) and false promises (most manufacturing jobs are not coming back to the industrial Midwest).

But when a president denies reality, especially in critical areas of national intelligence and security, the stakes are much higher.

Michael V. Hayden, director of the CIA under President Bush 43, told The New York Times: To have the president-elect of the United States simply reject the fact-based narrative that the intelligence community puts together because it conflicts with his a priori assumptions

 wow.

Trumps attacks on the intelligence agency are part of a clear and disturbing pattern: He demeans any person or institution that criticizes his worldview or contradicts his assumptions.

Chuck Jones, a union leader at the Carrier Corp., told The Washington Post that Trump was actually saving only 730 jobs in Indiana, not the 1,100 he claimed when he visited the plant recently. Trump refused to admit the discrepancy and instead assailed Jones on Twitter for doing a terrible job representing workers.

Asked about climate change on Fox, Trump said nobody really knows what causes global warming. But thats not true. As the Post pointed out, There is a broad scientific consensus that human activity is the cause. Trump, however, feels no obligation to support his claims with evidence. His assertions are sufficient. This is Peter Pan-style politics: Clap if you believe in fairies.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly assailed journalists in a deliberate and cynical campaign to undermine their credibility as critics. Now hes doing the same thing with scientists and intelligence analysts.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trumps attack on the CIA appears to be a unique historical event, according to scholars. Current and former intelligence officers said they were stunned by Mr. Trumps remarks, which indicated that he not only distrusts the CIAs analysts but may view the agency as aligned against him.

Paul Pillar, former deputy director of the CIAs Counterterrorism Center, told the Post: Given his proclivity for revenge combined with his notorious thin skin, this threatens to result in a lasting relationship of distrust and ill-will between the president and the intelligence community. That distrust is already apparent, since Trump often declines to attend the agencys daily intelligence briefing because hes such a smart person.

Now, the CIA is certainly not infallible, and its flawed reports on Saddam Husseins arsenal were a huge and costly error. But this is a president-elect who has zero experience in foreign policy and security issues. A smart person would welcome those briefings and admit what he doesnt know. Not Trump. His ignorance is only exceeded by his arrogance.

Fortunately, a number of Republicans are deeply alarmed at Trumps cavalier dismissal of the CIAs report. Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina joined senior Democrats in issuing a statement that read, Democrats and Republicans must work together, and across the jurisdictional lines of the Congress, to examine these recent incidents thoroughly and devise comprehensive solutions to deter and defend against further cyber-

attacks.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, endorsed a Congressional investigation, and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said such a probe would be useful toward achieving an objective accounting of any alleged meddling by foreign adversaries. Sen. Ron Johnson said his Homeland Security Committee would continue to hold hearings based on fact  not innuendo  for the purpose of informing effective policy.

Objective accounting. Hearings based on fact. Apparently these are radical notions in Trumps alternative universe. But they are absolutely essential to the national interest.
To the victor go the spoils ... which this time includes the plug to the swamp, the Washington morass Donald Trump famously declared he would drain.

The problem is the swamp thing is stopped up with a branch office of Goldman Sachs.

So Team Trump is keeping the branch open, the potential for swamp gas be damned.

Former Goldman partner Steven Mnuchin is Trumps treasury secretary nominee, Goldman President Gary Cohn is the new director of Trumps National Economic Council and former Goldman executive Steve Bannon is the president-elects closest White House adviser.

Who knew the Wall Street behemoth and TARP bailout recipient would be among an array of fascinating and frankly confusing things found doing laps in Washingtons fetid fen, Trumps metaphor for politics as usual?

Certainly not those who thought Team Trump was going to take on the patina of a cabinet too far, a posse of plain-speaking, telling-it-like-it-is anti-establishment leaders ready to make us great again.

Which may mean parking our apple cart with the wheels up.

For the record (Yes, somebody still keeps a record, thankfully. Its called a newspaper.), thats the same Goldman Sachs Trump used to cudgel former primary rival Ted Cruz, whose wife worked there, and Hillary Clinton, who took tidy fees from the bank for speeches.

But Goldman  nicknamed Government Sachs  is part of the Beltway bog we were told needed draining. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama all used Goldman honchos as top advisers. Two former Goldman execs, Hank Paulsen and Robert Rubin, were U.S. treasury secretaries.

50 million children

The Goldman conundrum is one of the realities Trumps team has offered us as the swamp has receded. But its his team and its his swamp ... to drain or fish in. Thats what the winner gets.

Still, the names and faces surfacing could indicate a new, potentially curious way of doing the governments business.

- The pick for national security adviser has retweeted patently false news stories. We probably all have passed on nonsense, but then none of us are the presidents numero uno when it comes to national security, where, I assume, good, accurate intel is our-way-of-life sustaining.

- Speaking of intel, the president-elect took a hard pass on daily intelligence briefings. In a world beset with war and terrorism, can that end well?

 Trumps choice for secretary of education appears to have no affinity for public schools, but champions for-profit charter schools, which drain resources from local districts. Im pretty sure her likes and dislikes will come up during her confirmation hearing. Senators might ask, too, whether she will be setting the departments GPS for privatizing public schools because 50 million children deserve to know.

 A former primary rival and Texas governor, Rick Perry, was chosen to lead the Department of Energy. He would be the first non-scientist in some time to run the place, a department whose name Perry once forgot during a debate when he was trying to remember the agencies he said he would close as president. Now that would put him out of a job.

Working with Congress

There are more head scratchers than I have space for, including  and especially  how Trumps potential conflicts of interest are going to be resolved.

As Trump puts his team together, hell also need to plan how hell be working with Congress, where hell have the advantage of both houses being in GOP control.

To date, Republicans, a good number of whom did not support candidate Trump, have generally fallen in step behind the president-elect, another perk, I suppose, of winning.

A well-warranted bit of nastiness, however, is brewing on both sides of the aisle over a CIA report this past week that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election.

The report, which Trump called ridiculous, doesnt speculate whether the results would have been any different.

Nevertheless, a bipartisan group in the Senate is understandably unhappy with the smell of Borscht and vodka wafting around Americas process for changing leaders.

Nebraskas senators provide a telling barometer of independent thought.

Three days after Deb Fischer was disgusted from Trumps behavior on an audiotape and urged him to withdraw from the presidential race, she announced she was still voting for him.

Ben Sasse, a charter member of the Never Trump movement, was true to his word, telling us he wrote in Mike Pence for president. Thats hardly a protest. He might as well have written in Yogi Berra or Uncle Tonoose, or you.

A political swamp is a tricky thing to navigate, considering its swirls of danger and eddies of detail.

Perhaps most risky is not what you find and remove when you drain it, but what you decide to leave after you do.

George Ayoub can be reached at ayoubcolumns@gmail.com or via Twitter @georgeayoub
I haven't been impressed or pleased by any of President-elect Trump's nominations for his staff or Cabinet, but I am particularly alarmed by his choice for Secretary of State.

Rex Tillerson's deep ties to Russia and his background and experience at Exxon Mobil Oil present an extreme conflict of interest for United States security. Steve Coll's book, "Private Empire," presents Tillerson's background and philosophy as being quite contrary to our country's goals of promoting and aiding democracy and independence in our foreign relations.

In light of FBI proof of Russia's interference in the US election process, I consider Rex Tillerson to be a very dangerous choice for Secretary of State. I am contacting our Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, asking them not to confirm his nomination.

SALLIE KLADNIK

Flagstaff
25th anniversary of BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation marked

The Embassy of India in Kathmandu on Saturday celebrated the 25th anniversary of the establishment of BP Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, showcasing the historical and cultural bond shared by the two countries.
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Linkedin Muhammad Faiz Aziz (The Conversation) Jakarta  Sun, December 18, 2016

To improve Indonesias economy, President Joko Widodo has made infrastructure development  the building of roads, ports, power plants and other public utility services  his main agenda item since being elected two years ago.

From Aceh to Papua, infrastructure projects in the Indonesian archipelago are being accelerated.

Economists support Widodos infrastructure agenda. But amid the flurry of land acquisition, ground-breaking and construction, the people who have to give up the land they occupy to make way for the projects have very little power to ensure their livelihoods are secure.

Human cost

Land acquisition is the most-challenging phase of infrastructure development. Those who have to relocate are often poorly compensated. In some cases they dont receive any compensation at all.

These people may have to move to places far from public services and economic centres. They lose sources of livelihood and struggle to adapt in new social environments.

Studies have revealed that forced land acquisitions in Indonesia have led to conflicts and loss of income of displaced persons.

In one project implemented under Suhartos New Order regime, displaced persons lost around 50% of their income even after receiving cash compensation. In todays post-Suharto era, the situation is almost unchanged.

Take it or leave it

Indonesia does have laws and regulations that are intended to protect people affected by land acquisitions.

But these laws and regulations do not ensure transparency in land-acquisition processes. Under these laws, affected people also have very little room to negotiate for fair compensation.

Developers are required to hold meetings with affected communities. But these forums have become a mere formality. Affected persons often cannot negotiate for their preferred compensation in these meetings because developers have set the type and amount of compensation from the start.

The law on land acquisition and related regulations require developers to disclose certain information in their land-acquisition plan. They must disclose the purpose of the project, the location, the duration of the land-acquisition process and sequence of activities.

But developers are not required to disclose their proposed options for compensation and resettlement. This information is actually very important for affected persons to consider when accepting or rejecting a land-acquisition plan.

Affected persons are not given a chance to propose alternative solutions. For example, a community living by the Ciliwung River in Kampung Pulo, Jakarta, had proposed, with the assistance of urban activists and architects, to build an elevated village. This would have allowed them to live by the river and the government to continue with its plan to widen the river to accommodate stormwater.

The Jakarta administration rejected the proposal. To mitigate flooding in the Indonesian capital, the administration went ahead with clearing riverside slums and relocating residents to low-cost apartments in East Jakarta.

The take it or leave it principle has made the forums a place where affected people can only passively respond to proposed compensation decided by developers for them.

To challenge a developers decision, affected persons have to go to the district court. For members of poor affected communities who have little legal knowledge, this can be an intimidating and costly endeavour.

Transparency and participation

Indonesia should have better regulations to ensure transparency and participation of affected people in every stage of the land-acquisition process.

Affected persons should have the chance to review the amount of compensation in meetings with developers. Project developers must also discuss resettlement plans with affected persons.

Involving affected communities would mean a longer process. But mutual discussion can provide better solutions, meaning projects have positive outcomes for both project developers and affected persons.

Muhammad Faiz Aziz, Researcher, Indonesian Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK)

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
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Linkedin Masajeng Rahmiasri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 18, 2016

When we hear the term "womens empowerment", what may come to mind is training sessions, lectures or other educational programs. Diansyah Putri Handayani, however, decided to lead by example, and try to empower women through her love for mountaineering.

The graduate of the University of Indonesias school of civil engineering and University of Pittsburghs business administration master program has recently raised the Indonesian flag on the summit of Mt. Ama Dablam in the Himalayas, which, according to records, makes her the first Indonesian woman to do so.

Speaking about her experience, Putri, whose interest in mountaineering was initially sparked during junior high school in Medan said she would not use the word conquer to describe her achievements.

I dont think that it is the right term because I really struggled, she said. You are actually reminded that you are nothing, that it (nature) could take away your life at any time.

(Read also: Putu Oka Sukanta wins Human Rights Education award)

Putri raises the Indonesian flag at the Carstenz Pyramid or Mt. Puncak Jaya (Jayawijaya), Papua, in August.(Diansyah Putri Handayani/File)

The journey to Ama Dablam is actually only one part of Putris preparation to top summits all around the world. In fact, she is in now involved in several mountaineering-related projects slated to commence next year. The projects, named Calyx-365 and Calyx-777, will be run by the Calyx Foundationan organization under the architectural firm Canadian Super Igloos (CSI) Domes in which Putri is the vice president and a co-founder.

Calyx-365 has the objective of building 365 schools or classrooms a year for around 70-200 students in mountainous rural areas around the world. Meanwhile, Calyx-777 is a mountain climbing program to ascend the seven highest summits in the world, such as the Carstenz Pyramid in Indonesia, Mt. Everest on the border of Nepal and China and Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina, with the objective of fundraising educational campaigns, womens empowerment and school building in remote mountain areas.

Putri with residents of Papua.(Diansyah Putri Handayani/File)

Putri explained that Calyx-777 would be carried out by seven women from seven continents, but will be spearheaded by herself.

(Read also: Former Miss Indonesia wants to resign from US army)

After leaving an established position in a prestigious oil company in Dubai, Putri is aware that there will be a lot of challenges in bringing the project to fruition. Its just like in the mountains, its challenging but Im sure that it will be rewarding, she said.

This is my way of empowering women. It is my way to say that women too, can succeed in a field that is not traditionally filled by women, she said, noting that the field did not necessarily have to be mountaineering.

You have to dream big. No matter what the struggle or the challenge is, or the hard work that you have to do, you are going to get there if you want to. You just need to work hard and have determination, Putri said, saying that she chose mountaineering because it was her passion. (asw)

__________

Editors update:

The Calyx-365 and Calyx-777 are projects by the Calyx Foundation, which is an organization under the architectural firm Canadian Super Igloos (CSI). Putris role is the vice president and co-founder of the Calyx Foundation.

The Calyx-777 was initially intended to be carried out by 7 women from 7 continents, however, due to several reasons, Putri spearheaded the project herself.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, December 17 2016

Nobody expected the young man whose childhood was plagued by breathing problems to grow up to become an illustrator.

I found it hard to inhale when I was crying as a child and only my family members could help me, Atreyu Moniaga said.

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Linkedin Corry Elyda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 17 2016

Jakarta will soon see the construction of an intermediate treatment facility (ITF) for garbage in Sunter, North Jakarta, after city-owned developer PT Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) on Thursday signed a deal together with Finnish energy company Fortum for the facilitys construction and operation.

Jakpro president director Satya Heragandhi said after the signing ceremony on Friday that Fortum was the winner out of 140 companies that took part in the tender.

We hope the groundbreaking ceremony can be conducted soon and operations can start by 2019, he said, adding that the projects investment costs totaled approximately Rp 3 trillion (US$225 million).

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Bogor  Sat, December 17 2016

A young man in Bogor, West Java, has been attacked by the father of a girl whose hand in marriage he had unsuccessfully sought.

The incident took place on Thursday at 5.30 p.m., when the 25-year-old victim, identified only as AS, met his girlfriend, WW, in a rented house in West Bogor.

The girls father, AG, 45, arrived at the premises and AS subsequently asked AG for permission to marry his daughter, said West Bogor Police chief Comr. Indrianingtyas.

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Seven dead, one missing in Sunkoshi jeep plunge

Seven people were killed when a jeep swerved off the road and plunged into Sunkoshi River at Ratnawati-3 in Sindhuli district on Sunday.
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Linkedin Moses Ompusunggu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 17 2016

Only days after a group of hard-liners mobbed a Christmas service in Bandung, West Java, tainting the image of the police and the city, National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has replaced the provinces police chief, Insp. Gen. Bambang Waskito.

On Friday, the new West Java Police chief, Insp. Gen. Anton Charliyan, was installed by Tito at the National Police headquarters in Jakarta, along with five other new provincial police chiefs.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, December 17 2016

If he had to choose, Okky Budi Permana, 23, said he would rather pay a traffic police officer a Rp 50,000 (US$3.73) bribe to get out of a ticket than be a law-abiding citizen by appearing at a court to pay the actual fine for his wrongdoings.

Okky, who lives in Pondok Gede in Bekasi, West Java, admitted he had committed traffic violations at least five different times and on most of the occasions he had paid traffic police officers bribes to avoid court proceedings, which he said were too complicated and time consuming.

According to law, traffic regulation violators have to attend court proceedings, or if they dont want to follow the procedure they can pay a maximum fine of up to Rp 1 million. Many traffic violators opt to take shortcuts, mainly by bribing the police officers who caught them breaking the traffic regulations.

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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Sat, December 17 2016

North Sumatra is welcoming Christmas and New Years Eve on high alert after a string of incidents that have posed serious threats to the provinces security.

Police have been seen guarding churches, one of which had been attacked by a terrorist in August, to ensure peaceful celebrations and the safety of Christmas congregations.

Two police officers were seen guarding the Indonesian Protestant Christian Church (GKPI) in Central Tapanuli on Friday.

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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura, Papua  Sun, December 18, 2016

Twelve Air Force personnel and a radar technician died in a Hercules plane crash on Sunday in Jayawijaya, Papua.

The 13 fatalities were confirmed after a joint team from the Air Force and a search and rescue group arrived at the crash site. The plane was heavily damaged and seemed to have been razed by fire. All 13 people inside the plane died, said Rasbuhani Umar, head of Wamena Airport, which is situated only 30 minutes from the accident location.

Wreckage is seen after an Air Force Hercules aircraft crashed on Dec. 18, killing 12 personnel and a radar technician in Wamena, Papua.(Courtesy of Wamena Airport/File)

The Hercules C-130 with flight number A-1334 Navex 32 en route from Timika to Wamena was piloted by Maj. Marlon, with 12 crew. The plane was undertaking navigation training while transporting cement and sacks of rice to people in the Tengah Mountains. The total cargo weighed 12 metric tons. Before the wreckage was found, the plane lost contact with air traffic control at 6:09 a.m. local time.

The plane took off from Moses Kilangin Airport in Timika, Mimika, at 5:35 a.m. and was scheduled to land at Wamena Airport in Jayawijaya at 6:09 a.m.

The conditions in Wamena at the time of accident were foggy with visibility of 2 kilometers. Two planes were scheduled to land in Wamena on Sunday morning but because of the low visibility, an aircraft that took off from Sentani in Jayapura decided to return to Sentani, Rasbuhani said. (evi)
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Linkedin Christopher Bodeen (Associated Press) Beijing  Sun, December 18, 2016

China said Saturday its military seized a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea but it would give the drone back. But President-elect Donald Trump tweeted later that the Chinese government should be told "we don't want the drone they stole back" and "let them keep it!"

This comes after United States officials had confirmed that they "secured an understanding" for the return of the device. Trump's evening tweet may extend one of the most serious incidents between the American and the Chinese militaries in years.

The Chinese navy on Thursday seized the drone, which the Pentagon said was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research. The U.S. lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun issued a statement late Saturday saying that a Chinese navy lifeboat discovered an unknown device in the South China Sea on Thursday.

"In order to prevent this device from posing a danger to the safe navigation of passing ships and personnel, the Chinese lifeboat adopted a professional and responsible attitude in investigating and verifying the device," Yang said.

The statement said that after verifying that the device was an American unmanned submerged device, "China decided to transfer it to the U.S. through appropriate means."

The U.S. said that "through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return" the unmanned underwater vehicle, according to a statement from Peter Cook, spokesman for U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter.

But Trump, after holding a rally to thank supporters for his election, took to Twitter to criticize the deal. "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" the president-elect tweeted Saturday evening.

He earlier in the day had blasted the seizure.

Misspelling "unprecedented," he tweeted: "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act." He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

The U.S. said China's "unlawful seizure" came in international waters. Yet China pointedly accused the U.S. of long sending ships "in China's presence" to conduct "military surveying."

"China is resolutely opposed to this and requests the U.S. stop such activities," it said. "China will continue to maintain vigilance against the relevant U.S. activities and will take necessary measures to deal with them."

Earlier Saturday, China's foreign ministry said the country's military was in contact with its American counterparts on "appropriately handling" the incident, though it offered no details on what discussions were underway.

The drone was seized while collecting unclassified scientific data about 92 kilometers (57 miles) northwest of Subic Bay near the Philippines in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said Friday.

"It is ours. It's clearly marked as ours. We would like it back, and we would like this not to happen again," Davis told reporters. He said the drone costs about $150,000 and is largely commercial, off-the-shelf technology.

The USNS Bowditch, which is not a combat ship, was stopped in international waters Thursday afternoon and recovering two of the gliders when the Chinese ship approached, Davis said. The two vessels were within about 450 meters (500 yards) of each other. He said the USNS Bowditch carries some small arms, but that no shots were fired.

According to the Pentagon, as the Chinese ship left with the drone, which is about 3 meters (10 feet) long, its only radio response to the U.S. vessel was, "We are returning to normal operations."

Bonnie Glaser, senior adviser for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the seizure of the glider occurred inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, not China, and appeared to be a violation of international law.

China delineates its South China Sea claims with a roughly drawn sea border known as the "nine-dash line" that runs along the west coast of the Philippines. However, it hasn't explicitly said whether it considers those waters as sovereign territory, and says it doesn't disrupt the passage of other nations' shipping through the area. The U.S. doesn't take a position on sovereignty claims, but insists on freedom of navigation, including the right of its naval vessels to conduct training and other operations in the sea.

Davis said that the incident could be the first time in recent history that China has taken a U.S. naval vessel. Some observers have called it the most significant dispute between the sides' militaries since the April 2001 midair collision between a U.S. Navy surveillance aircraft and a Chinese fighter jet about 110 kilometers (70 miles) from China's Hainan island that led to the death of a Chinese pilot.

The drone seizure seemed likely to fray the already tense relations between U.S. and China. Beijing was angered by Trump's decision to talk by phone with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Dec. 2, and by his later comments that he did not feel "bound by a one-China policy" regarding the status of Taiwan, unless the U.S. could gain trade or other benefits from China. China considers the self-governing island its own territory to be recovered by force if it deems necessary.

There also have been increased tensions over Beijing's ongoing military buildup in the South China Sea, mainly the development and militarization of man-made shoals and islands aimed at extending China's reach in the strategically vital area, through which about $5 trillion in global trade passes annually.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, December 18, 2016

The government and the House of Representatives will soon deliberate a bill on the protection of Indonesian workers abroad to better advocate for those facing issues and to increase their skills and competencies.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said on Friday that the bill would also serve as an assurance and provide protection for the workers, who many consider to be neglected by the country.

This law will regulate supervision on migrant workers, information distribution, standards for labor institution accreditation and advocacy for troubled workers abroad, he said at a discussion commemorating International Migrant Day, which falls on Dec. 18.

Hanif said the bill would complement the countrys existing regulation on workers abroad with more detailed rules. In 2012, the government adopted the 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families in Law No. 6/2012.

The move may appease workers and activists, who have urged the government for some time to immediately table the bill. Workers rights organization Migrant Care previously said the government had been very slow in responding to the bill.

They have to deliberate the bill immediately. The vulnerability and oppression of Indonesian migrant workers will remain and even get worse if the government does not enforce migrant worker protection, the organization said in a statement. (adt/evi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Sun, December 18, 2016

The Surabaya Police escorted Islam Defenders Front (FPI) members on Sunday as they raided shopping malls in the East Java capital to check whether outlets had ordered employees to wear Christmas attire such as Santa hats.

For promotional purposes, many companies ask their employees to wear holiday season paraphernalia, including Santa hats, when serving customers ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations. Recently, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict banning companies from forcing staff to wear such items, deeming it haram.

Hundreds of officers from the Surabaya Police and East Java Police's Mobile Brigade escorted the Surabaya FPI members during their raid on the malls, tribunnews.com reported Sunday.

Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. M. Iqbal was seen leading the operation. (evi)
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Linkedin Jim Gomez (Associated Press) Manila  Sun, December 18, 2016

The United States said Sunday it will work with the Philippine president to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines.

President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a U.S. government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead.

Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte on Saturday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the U.S. to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement."

He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises. The pact has helped the Philippines contain a violent Muslim insurgency in the south and train and equip Filipino forces facing an assertive China in disputed South China Sea waters.

"You know, tit for tat ... if you can do this, so (can) we. It ain't a one-way traffic," Duterte said, adding tauntingly, "Bye-bye America."

The U.S. Embassy in Manila said in a statement overnight that Washington will work closely with the Duterte administration to address any concerns it may have. It did not elaborate.

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but spokesman Josh Earnest has said previously that the White House would not react publicly each time Duterte made an offhand remark.

The 71-year-old Duterte, who describes himself as a left-wing politician, has made similar threats before and after taking office in June, but he and his officials have walked back on many of his public statements, causing confusion.

While calling Americans "sons of bitches" and "hypocrites," Duterte on Saturday praised China as having "the kindest soul of all" for offering what he said was significant financial assistance. "So, what do I need America for?" he asked.

He also said Russia can be a very important ally. "They do not insult people, they do not interfere," he said.

The Philippines had been slated for another aid package after its previous five-year, $434 million poverty reduction program was successfully completed in May under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

A spokeswoman for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Laura Allen, said Thursday that it would continue to monitor events in the Philippines before the next board review in March 2017.

The U.S. decision is among the first signs of how concerns about the rule of law and human rights under Duterte could entail economic costs.

The U.S. government, along with European Union and U.N. officials, has raised concerns about Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, which has left more than 2,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead in purported gunbattles with police. More than 3,000 other deaths are being investigated to determine if they were linked to illegal drugs.

In a news conference in his southern hometown of Davao, Duterte was pointedly asked how many crime suspects he has killed in the past when he was still a crime-busting city mayor amid his vague and contradicting accounts of his exploits. The former government prosecutor again gave contrasting replies.

"Maybe one, two three ... I'm saying, maybe my bullets hit them, maybe not, but after the burumbumbumbum, they're all dead," Duterte said.

Replying to another question, he said that he indeed has killed, but did not provide details and tried to justify his act. "When I tell you now that I killed, do not term them as suspects because all of them died while they were fighting government people."

He asked God for forgiveness in advance, saying he may not have time to pray if he's assassinated. "God, forgive me for killing these idiots," Duterte said, then blamed God for the presence of criminals. "You create a human monster so if you are God, why do you have to create these idiots? That's why they die."
Those who were hoping Hillary Clinton would win the election, still have one last hope.

December 20th is the deadline for the electors to change their minds and vote for the other party. Electors have a constitutional right to vote for the other party, so if enough electors change their mind, Clinton could still become the president  though its a longshot.

Electors who change their votes, are called Faithless Electors.

Trump won 306 of the 538 electoral college votes, while Clinton won 232. Clinton, however, did win the popular vote by over 2 million votes.



What is the Electoral College, and how does the process work?

The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.

The Electoral College process consists of the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. Your states entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. Read more about the allocation of electoral votes.

Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state for purposes of the Electoral College. For this reason, in the following discussion, the word state also refers to the District of Columbia.

Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidates political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are. Read more about the qualifications of the Electors and restrictions on who the Electors may vote for.

The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You help choose your states electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidates electors.

Most states have a winner-take-all system that awards all electors to the winning presidential candidate. However, Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of proportional representation. Read more about the allocation of Electors among the states and try to predict the outcome of the Electoral College vote.

After the presidential election, your governor prepares a Certificate of Ascertainment listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your states Certificates of Ascertainments are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials, the Office of the Federal Register and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

The meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your states electors votes are recorded on a Certificate of Vote, which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your states Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the roles and responsibilities of state officials and the Congress in the Electoral College process.

Each states electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. See the key dates for the 2016 election and information about the role and responsibilities of Congress in the Electoral College process.

The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States.

The President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.

[TLS]
Ansari announces new political party

Former State Minister for Home Affairs Rijwan Ansari announced a new party called Nepal Sanghiya Samajbadi Party on Saturday.
Captain Hannah Winterbourne (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Captain Hannah Winterbourne, who joined the Army as a man, came out as transgender and started transitioning three years ago after a tour to Afghanistan. Since then, the 29-year-old from Cardiff has received incredible support from her contemporaries and has praised the force for its really strong diversity policies Capt Winterbourne, now living in Tidworth, Wiltshire, said: Support Ive had has been incredible. The Army is a people-based organisation and looking after people is one of its key tenets, and that filters down through the entire ranks. Ive served in several regiments now since transitioning and genuinely theyve been fantastic. She said she had been pretty much treated the same since she started transitioning.She is the Armys transgender representative and a nominee in the Suns Inspiring Others category for its annual military awards, the Millies which takes place tonight and celebrates the bravest and best figures from the Royal Navy, Army and the Royal Air Force. Private Jake Farr, who features in the video above too, is also up for an award for brining a new-born baby back to life twice while off-duty.Asked if she thinks sharing her positive experience will encourage others to be open, Capt Winterbourne said: I really hope so. I think that most transgender people to begin with live in fear of losing their friends, their family, their colleagues, their job etc, and thats quite a difficult place to be. If by other people hearing about my story it changes their minds and they are able to change their lives thats a really positive thing. She said she wanted to extend a huge thank you to all the transgender veterans and those already serving who have really paved the way for me to be here. Im very conscious that I live in a blessed time because before me there were many people who were in the same position but didnt get benefits that Id had. So I wouldnt be here without them.
So whats it like to be Father Christmas  the most famous person in the world?

Is it just about wearing a fake beard and red costume, putting the boots on and shouting HO HO HO at the top of your voice?

Or is there more to it than that?

James Lovell (James Lovell/The Ministry of Fun)

The Ministry of Fun James Lovell, founder of which runs a professional Santa training school  tells us what its like to play the part of a jolly man who brings happiness to so many children around the world.

And believe it or not, its not as easy as you think (not that were trying to spoil the magic or anything). James dishes out the secrets on being Father Christmas.

1. You need to look like youre the real deal

(Fiona Hanson/PA)

Costume is very important and you need it to be very good. Nothing annoys me more than people standing on street corners in their trainers, wearing terrible Santa costumes with their beards hanging over their necks.

If you are wearing a red and white suit like Father Christmas, you need to look magnificently wonderful  like an elegantly turned-out gentleman.

All our costumes are handmade, which cost about 800, and we use realistic beards. It has to look convincing.

2. You need to know how to act with your eyes

(Michael Stephens/PA)

This is because the only part the children can see of you is your eyes. Everything else is beard and costume.

So you have to be able to do a lot with your eyes  listen with your eyes, smile with your eyes, and even be surprised with your eyes.

Theres a lot of subtle eye acting going on.

3. You have to know the names of your reindeer

(Anthony Devlin/PA)

Santa knows the names of ALL his reindeer.

Rudolph may be the most popular one but youve got eight others and they get very upset if they are not mentioned  Donner and Dasher, Cupid and Vixen, Dancer and Prancer, Comet and Blitzen.

And they have individual personalities. For example, Vixens very naughty.

4. You need to know that Santa is real

(Zak Hussein/PA)

Yes, real Santa does exist. We (at the school) are only helping him out in those extremely rare occasions where he cant be in two places at once.

You have one chance to make those few minutes with the child as magical as possible and it has to be memorable.

5. Your HO HO HO needs to be nailed to perfection

(James Lovell/The Ministry of Fun)

One of the most important parts of the job is getting that perfect HO HO HO.

The laugh should come from the diaphragm  Santa should have the jolliest laugh known to man.

For added effect, we sometimes throw our head back and rock on our heels.

6. You never ask a child what their name is or what they want for Christmas

(Julien Behal/PA)

You are Father Christmas. You already know their name, you know how old they are and you know whats on their list.

So when a child comes into a grotto, you obviously need to be reminded about these things. And you never ask them about their letter because you have already received their letter.

There are certain tricks of the trade we use to get the information we need, so it appears that you know the child. It all has to be done seamlessly.

7. Your job is to make meeting Santa a memorable experience

(PA)

Well, this is a big deal. Children often travel across the country to experience something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

We treat Santa just like any other acting role, and if the actors are doing it with conviction and a great sense of performance, it will work.

If you are funny and charming, people will enjoy it and remember it.

8. You need to be well-versed in the current pop culture and the latest toys

(John Stillwell/PA)

Presents change every year and so does pop music.

Santa needs to know what the children are going to be playing with and what music they are going to be listening to.

Theres no point in talking about Furbies if no one knows what they are.

9. You have to be prepared for difficult questions

(David Cheskin/PA)

Sometimes we get thrown a few tricky questions  like for example, when a child asks for a pony or a puppy for Christmas.

You cant say no, but you see the parents going white with terror as their child describes what they want as presents.

So the important thing is that Santa never promises anything. He listens and says Oh that would be nice  I will see what I can do. Of course we will occasionally get help from the parents.

And sometimes we get questions which are tough to answer like Will Daddy come back?. It can be quite sad.

10. You learn to say Happy Christmas in several languages

(Neil Munns/PA)

As a patron saint of children all over the world, Santa is well-versed in all the languages. So when he is flying in his sleigh over Paris, he says Joyeux Noel.

Or if he is flying over the Colosseum, he likes to lean over the sleigh and say Buon Natale. And if he happens to chance upon a group of Welsh people, he will greet them with Nadolig Llawen.

Its one of those things that makes Santa so special. At Santa school, we teach Father Christmases to say Happy Christmas in 12 languages.

11. You need to be fit (so you can get down the chimney, obviously!)

The hours are quite long for Santa, so you need to be physically fit.

We start work early in the morning and finish quite late in the evening.

We have to be mentally quite active as well, making sure we remember the names of all the children we see and the presents they want for Christmas.

12. You rely on elves to help you out

(James Lovell/The Ministry of Fun)

Elves are important. They are very helpful in finding out more about the children who are waiting to see Santa and relaying all that to him subtly as they are ushered in.

The elves also keep the children entertained while they are waiting by performing magic tricks and balloon modelling.

13. The pay is actually pretty decent

(David Cheskin/PA)

Lets put it this way, you earn more being Father Christmas than you would being in a pantomime.

You can earn several hundred pounds for six weeks of work and, more importantly, you can have a great time doing it.

People come to our training school because they want to play the role of Father Christmas and create a memorable, magical experience for children.
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Bill will be tabled on Monday, says PM

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said on Saturday that the government would table the constitution amendment bill in Parliament on Monday.
Call for booking culprit behind the murder of Pariyar

People from different walks of life including literati and media-persons have demanded action against the culprit in the incident involving the alleged murder of one Laxmi Pariyar from Kavre.
Dining with a view at Sunset Grill

If you are one of those gourmands who prefer to dine with a view, then Sunset Grill is a must-visit place.



By Anton Makhrov

Sunday 18 December 2016, 12:00PM

The name tells you pretty much all you need to know: the view is breathtaking and the food is delicious. Frankly, that's the bottom line and I should stop right here, but would you trust me then?

Located at the Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort in Kamala, Sunset Grill can boast one of the best panoramic views of the Andaman sunset in Phuket. The restaurant nests high on the hill, towering above the resort and the surroundings. Don't hesitate to take a shuttle from the lobby, because an ascent on your own feet would be a challenging affair.

The prize that awaits you at the top is well worth the effort though. With an open kitchen on the left and a seascape view on the right, Sunset Grill enchants you from the very moment you walk in. Coming by 6pm really is a must so you can get a drink and enjoy the beautiful orange and fiery red hues of a stunning sunset while picking your preferred treats from the menu.

The person in charge of the kitchen is Alessandro Martinelli, an Italian chef with over 15 years of experience at top level venues in Europe and Asia alike. The chef treats his guests to the best open-air grilled seafood, meat and vegetables plus some resort-style comfort food, signature Western desserts and local Thai specialities. While waiting for the food, guests can either watch the kitchen team at work or enjoy the panoramic view of the Andaman sea, both are enthralling.

For the start I took one of the most simple yet incredibly delicious Mediterranean appetisers: tomatoes with anchovy, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Cube-shaped peeled tomatoes soon arrived, together with a compliment of fresh baked bread, which in the traditional Italian way, you dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Each time I try something like this it amazes me how such a simple combination of ingredients can result in such a perfect combination of flavours.

I barely finished my starter when the second course arrived: an open-air grilled Australian rack of lamb with shallots and a sweet tangy sauce. I ordered my lamb cooked up to medium so it was juicy and just mouth-watering. Barbecue marinated pork ribs also rank high on the list of Sunset Grill's signature dishes, but lamb is something you don't come across often enough in Phuket, so I just couldn't help ordering it. The meat was packed with its natural flavour and the very first bite brought me back to my childhood when on special occasions we would eat exactly the same style of rack of lamb.

Sweet and smokey shallots turned out to be a perfect side-dish as well as grilled local asparagus with Parmesan cheese and mashed potatoes with garlic chips. I must admit that the Sunset Grill is one of those venues where side-dishes are not looked down on by the chef. Alessandro and his team must be paying equal attention to lobsters on the one hand and mashed potatoes on the other. This results in even the most simple things tasting Michelin quality or close.

It would have been a crime not to try any seafood at a sea-view venue, so my third choice was the Sunset Grill's signature seafood platter. The plate arrived loaded with all of the best the Andaman Sea has to offer: mussels, squid, octopus, fish and even a lobster. I was lucky indeed to have a companion to cope with this gorgeous treat. Complete with a choice of European and Thai sauces, the platter was a real protein feast.

What struck me most though, was the distinct smokey flavour of the seafood and fish. Being a fast-cooking ingredient, seafoods often don't spend enough time on the grill get this aroma, but chef Alessandro managed to solve this issue somehow. Every bite was infused with the distinct smell of food cooked on open fire. Hats off to the chef and his team.

As for desserts, two options are strongly recommended. First is the Chiang Mai rhubarb and raspberry crumble with vanilla ice cream. Last time I had rhubarb was over 20 years ago and the person to cook it (and to grow it actually) was my great-grand mother, so please let me know if there is another place in Phuket serving rhubarb! Second is the mango ice cream which not only tastes and smells like mango (which is obvious) but also looks like a real mango fruit. A really nice redesign of mother-nature's creation.





Sunset Grill is open from 12 to 3pm every day except Tuesdays and Sundays and from 6pm till 10pm every day except Tuesdays. For more information, please call 076 231 234 or email: phuket.regency@hyatt.com
Myanmars heavy metal scene finally crashes into the open

MYANMAR: Moshing and sweating, the crowd of headbangers scream their angst into the sultry Rangoon night, a rare glimpse of a defiant musical subculture now crashing into the open  though sex, drugs and religion remain off the song sheet.



By AFP

Sunday 18 December 2016, 11:00AM

A crowd of young Myanmar music fans at a heavy metal gig in Yangon. Photo: Romeo Gacad/AFP

Half a century of repressive military rule virtually silenced Myanmars heavy metal scene and today its musicians are still shunned by most people in the conservative Buddhist country.

But a growing coterie of die-hard metal-heads say the aggressive, rasping music gives them a unique release in a nation still struggling to come to terms with its own dark history.

Listening to metal is the best feeling. It is like freedom, its good for the soul, 21-year-old mobile phone repairman Thaw Di Yoo said at a recent gig.

Its different from other music, thats why I am only a fan of metal, he said, showing a tattoo depicting the logo of his local heroes  Nightmare Metal Band  on his arm.

For A Phyu Yaung, a 30-year-old marketing manager, metal helps her escape everyday life.

I mostly listen to metal songs when I feel stressed, she said. It can help chill me out when Im feeling like that.

For years metal bands were muzzled by strict censorship laws and dissident musicians were jailed and often tortured for supporting the opposition.

Banned music was smuggled in on tapes and CDs and an underground scene of punks and headbangers began to grow up out of sight of Myanmars notorious police in the 90s.

Today the arts are flourishing, but metal music is still sidelined in a country where most prefer sickly sweet pop, crooning love songs or Burmese covers of Western hip hop tracks.

Like repressive socialist regimes in Eastern Europe and Russia, Myanmars junta feared the anarchist energy of heavy metal music.

Censors banned anything they thought could prove a spark for revolution  from too much red or black in artworks to the mention of roses in songs, seen as a reference to democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

While underground metal musicians managed to stay out of jails, their jarring sound and brooding political lyrics were publicly silenced.

Metal is not the type of music that goes on about how much I love you and how much I miss you, guitar instructor Myo Min Thu said in his teaching room, plastered with posters of US bands like Iron Cross and Metallica.

We could not criticize Christianity or be anti-Buddhist. Politics was the worst at that time and we faced a lot of difficulties about lyrics.

Myanmar officially abolished censorship in 2012, the year after the junta handed power to a quasi-civilian regime.

Freedom of expression blossomed and many musicians came out in support of Suu Kyis NLD party as it campaigned for last years election, the first free vote in a generation.

Today Myanmars heavy metal bands are still too coy to touch on topics like sex and death considered taboo in conservative Myanmar  in stark contrast to their peers in the West.

Instead, they are using their new-found freedom to push for social and political change.

In our new album, we mostly write about politics and the situation in the country, said Last Days of Beethoven guitarist Phoe Zaw, 32.

We write against... violence against Muslim people and Buddhist people in Rakhine state, violence against ethnic people in (other) states.

Still, hardcore metal remains a niche genre.

While the number of bands has grown since the end of junta rule, there are still only a few dozen in Rangoon and a handful in the rest of the country of more than 50 million.

Not many venues will put on metal gigs and bands struggle to find sponsors who will pay for the high-level sound systems they need, while few shops stock the rare albums that make it onto labels.

There are only a few shows here. I can count on my fingers the number of shows in a year, said Phoe Zaw.

Very few people (organisers) want to hold underground shows, metal shows.

But bands say the explosion of social media over the past few years has helped to bring them into the limelight.

Now they post their music online instead of handing out CDs in teashops and on the street, and fans can share songs without having to wait for them to be formally released.

For musicians who have struggled for years to be heard, the online revolution is offering a new hope.

I think metal music is becoming more popular in Myanmar now, said Aung Myo Linn, from Nightmare Metal Band.

Technology and the Internet is helping as we can share songs through social media like Facebook, YouTube and others, even if we cannot produce albums.
Phuket Highways Chief calls for patience as Chalong Underpass construction begins

PHUKET: Excavation to install the retaining walls for the Chalong Underpass began last Friday (Dec 9), marking the beginning of at least two years of major traffic tailbacks at one of the busiest intersections on the island.

transportconstructiontourism

By Tanyaluk Sakoot

Sunday 18 December 2016, 09:00AM

The alternative routes around the Chlaong Underpass construction site will help, but not alleviate the traffic jams entirely. Map: Phuket Highways Dept

Traffic tailbacks at the Chalong Underpass construction site last weekend already stretched back more than a kilometre long. Photo: Mango Tanyaluk Sakoot

Phuket Highway Department Chief Papiwetwoottisak Sookkii asked drivers to be patient while the construction continues.

Remember, the idea of this underpass is to solve the problem of traffic jams at Chalong Circle, he said.

The construction contract  assigning Civil Engineering Co Ltd a budget of B546 million to complete the underpass  officially began on July 28, 2015, but an oversight saw work on moving the power lines, utility poles and water pipes not beginning until March this year.

The seven-month late start means that the scheduled completion date of September 14, 2017 is unlikely to be realised.

Tailbacks more than a kilometre long were already evident on the south side of Chalong Circle last weekend.

This project is the hardest Ive ever had because of the narrow roads and the volume of traffic, said Somkiet Yimpong, the Phuket Highways Department engineer tasked with overseeing the project.

This is more like Bangkok traffic; other areas in Phuket are much easier for a project like this than Chalong Circle, he added.

Mr Somkiet is already tasked with overseeing the construction of two underpasses in Phuket: the Bang Khu Underpass; and the new underpass at the Thepkrasattri Rd turnoff to the airport.

Mr Somkiet urged motorists to use the designated alternative routes around Chalong Circle, but admitted that this would not alleviate the traffic jams at the site entirely.

Phuket Highways Chief Mr Papiwetwoottisak had worse news  not all the land required for the project has been acquired. Some of the land is ready for construction, but other parcels are not, he said.

Mr Somkiet explained, The expropriated land is a major barrier for this project, and I have no idea when the whole project will be finished if this issue is not resolved.

The Land Acquisition division of the Department of Highways are working on this now, he added.

In the meantime, work will continue on the tunnel.

After the retaining walls are in place, tunnel excavation will begin, with the excavation starting from the Chalong side and continuing to the Rawai side, Mr Somkiet said.

I understand how much traffic jams there are. We apologise for this inconvenience. Please, be patient for this project. It is made to resolve traffic jams, Mr Papiwetwoottisak added.

As a New Years gift to people driving through the area, Mr Papiwetwoottisak said that plans were afoot to pause construction from Dec 29 to Jan 4.

We plan to halt construction at all sites in Phuket over the New Year holiday period so we can make as much road space available to motorists as possible, he said.
Tourists driving in Phuket: get legal, or get fined - or worse

Tourists from all over the world come to Phuket and rent a car or motorbike during their holiday, but are they allowed to use their license from their home country to drive a rental vehicle on the island?

tourismtransportcrimeaccidents

By The Phuket News

Sunday 18 December 2016, 10:00AM

No matter which country you hail from, police say that you must have a Thai license or an International Driving Permit in order to drive legally in Phuket. Photo: Tony Webster

QUESTION

I have been staying in Phuket a while but I am still not clear about whether or not foreigners can drive in Phuket using a drivers license issued in their home country. Everyone knows at least one foreigner who has been caught out with this, regardless whether the foreigner has moved here or is just a tourist.

So, can foreigners use their license from home here in Phuket? Also, what if my license is already issued in English?

And to be clear, exactly what are the penalties if I am caught driving without a Thai license, and what happens if I am in an accident?

 Tilde Chimbote, Chalong

ANSWER

Foreigners wanting to drive in Thailand  but do not yet have a Thai drivers license  must hold an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in their home country.

Please note that the IDP is technically not a license, it is a translated version of a license issued by a country that signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (!968), which replaced the Convention on Road Traffic (1949).

Under the Convention notes that countries that signed the Convention recognise any domestic drivers licence drawn up in their national language or in one of their national languages, or, if not drawn up in such a language, accompanied by a certified translation.

That means any person wanting to drive in Thailand by using a drivers license not issued in Thailand  and especially those not issued in English -- must have BOTH a valid license issued in their home country AND an IDP in order to legally drive in Thailand.

This applies to foreigners staying in the country long-term and to tourists driving motorbikes or cars rented for their short holiday here.

Having a valid license is critical, not just to avoid being fined by police for breaking the law, but especially in case you are involved in an accident.

If you do not have a valid license and an IDP, you can be held fully responsible for any accident you are involved in and any insurance coverage may automatically become void as you were driving illegally.

 Chutinan Jindachuea, Chief, License Division, Phuket Provincial Transport Office.





If you are stopped by the police and you cannot present a valid license issued in your home country and an IDP so we can check it in English, you will be fined.

The fine is usually between B200 and B500. You can pay the fine on the spot or police can seize your license until you come to the police station and pay the fine, and then get your license back.

If you refuse to pay the fine, then we will have to proceed with legal action, which being presenting your case in court.

In short, if you dont want to be fined for driving illegally while on holiday here, get an IDP from your home country before getting on the plane.

 Lt Surapong Phuhgrom, Inspector, Kathu Traffic Police.
China Book Centre opens

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After 20 years as the Codington County auditor, Cindy Brugman retires

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Civil servants, teachers join protest in Arghakhanchi against province split

Civil servants and teachers in Argakhanchi district have joined protest against the proposal to split province number 5.
CJ Karki for inclusive system on judge appointments

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DPM Mahara returns

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara returned home on Saturday after a four-day visit to Malaysia.
LETTER: Instead of dropping 'The Ode,' find another way to honour Labrador

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DPM Nidhi assures govt help to fire victims

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Chareidi parties in Knesset remain adamant in their opposition to an egalitarian prayer area near the Kosel, having stated more than once this is a deal-breaker that could topple the coalition.

A bill backed by Yahadut Hatorah, Shas and MKs from Bayit Yehudi and Likud seeks to grant exclusive authority to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel to codify regulations for the holy site to bring an end to those in the non-Orthodox camp who constantly challenge the long-standing religious status quo at the location.

The bill seeks to set firm regulations into place to government activities and behavior at the site as the state is going to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Kosel. Shas has initiated the bill, explaining there is no doubt the wording of the bill represents the majority of Israelis and the bill is intended to restore the Kosels honor and dignity. Actually, the bill began with the Chief Rabbis and then to Minister of Religious Affairs (Shas) David Azoulai and now in the form of a Knesset bill to the coalition.

The bill prohibits chilul Shabbos anywhere in the Kosel Plaza as well as prohibiting any kind of religious ceremony not approved by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. The new regulations also address attire (lack of modesty), as well as prohibiting one from providing any religious services not approved by the Kosel Chief Rabbi. Delivering speeches and holding placards, signs, playing musical instruments or music or singing without the approval of the Chief Rabbi of the Kosel would be banned as well.

Men are prohibited from entering the ezras noshim and vis versa. Persons not complying with regulation face a fine up to NIS 10,000 and up to six months imprisonment.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
[COMMUNICATED CONTENT]

Sara Leah is an adorable, smiling toddler. At one and a half years old, she loves to do the things that most babies do: play with toys, scribble with a crayon, explore her surroundings on little feet that have just discovered the miracle of walking About two weeks ago, instead of exploring in her familys makeshift apartment, she learned to explore the hallways of the hospital.

CLICK HERE to help this family

Sara Leah lives with her parents Peretz and Zelda R., and her three older siblings in a Jerusalem home that would not be considered average by any definition. The place they call home is actually just an underground storage room, and the family of six has gotten used to living in the shabby, cramped, freezing cold space, as this is the most they can afford.

To try and get an idea of what their home is like, see if you can picture the following: Zelda has no oven, so heats up whatever food she can in a toaster oven they received years ago. When the children want to see whats going on outside, they take turns looking out the one window that was hastily installed at some point. When the rain leaks in, Peretz does his best to creatively devise ways to keep it out. But despite his efforts, the frigid water gets through, drenching the floor and saturating the walls and ceiling. The mold is everywhere, and the result is a mildewy, dark, wet and arctic home in which to raise a family.

Even though the R. family has accepted their living quarters as livable they have never been acceptable by any means (the conditions would shock most people) and for Sara Leah the home is now life- threatening. Just two weeks ago she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma (a cancer occurring most often in infants and young children) and any form of mold or germ is a lethal danger to this very sick child. The doctors made the startling diagnosis after a month of Sara Leahs recurring high fevers and other symptoms. Until that point Peretz and Zelda found themselves constantly dropping their other children off at their grandparents home at a moments notice, in order to rush Sara Leah to the hospital to get some care for their sick baby.

By the time the disease was detected, it had already spread to multiple locations throughout her little body, so five sessions of aggressive chemotherapy were scheduled to begin right away. Each round lasts 3 days, during which Peretz and Zelda take turns staying with Sara Leah in the hospital. This is in addition to the spontaneous hospitalizations and antibiotics she needs the minute her temperature rises above 100 degrees. A port was surgically inserted into her chest in order to administer medications. Zelda and Peretz themselves have become experts at doing this too, as they are required to give Sara Leah separate injections of antibiotics twice a week and an immune system booster.

One must try to imagine the chaos this situation has thrown the family into. Despite their ambitious efforts to support themselves (Zelda has a part time job and Peretz gets whatever work he can, including tutoring and washing the shul floors) the R. family was already severely struggling, financially. But now there is no home life at all, as it has turned into a whirlwind of appointments and hospitalizations. Neither parent has been able to go back to work. The living space, already run down, is in worse condition than ever. The older children rarely see their parents or baby sister. If they are lucky to get a day or two together, the minute someone coughs or sneezes, they must separate immediately.

CLICK HERE to help this family

Doctors do not know what Sara Leahs prognosis will be. They hope the chemotherapy treatments will attack the main mass of the cancer, and subsequent surgeries will remove the roots. They dont yet know if her bone marrow has been affected but if it were (G-d forbid), a transplant would be required.

This is a heartbreaking story on several levels so we are turning to you with a request for your urgent, generous help. Getting the R. family out of their terrible apartment is paramount, and though we have found an appropriate place for them to move to, we cant get them out until we raise the funds for moving expenses. With $10,000 we will cover costs of the move, the difference in monthly rental fees for a year, and basic appliances for the home. Their high transportation costs and last minute taxis to emergency hospital visits are overwhelming the family, so money raised will help with that, too. With your donation, we can take care of all of these, doing our best to save this childs life.

There is one more thing, an additional request: Please say a tefilla for the family of Zelda and Peretz, and of course, for sweet Sara Leah bat Zelda.

CLICK HERE to help this family

Milkas Fund, founded and managed by Yad Eliezer is a safe and secure way of donating money to help individuals with compassion and enable them to live a life with their problems solved.
The residents of Amona, whose eviction is imminent, must decide if they will accept the latest and possibly final arrangement that will permit many of them to remain on the hilltop. This latest plan was devised by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Bayit Yehudi party Minister Naftali Bennett.

The two met with others present, including Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, Rav of Amona Rabbi Yair Frank, and Shomron Regional Council leader Yossi Dagan among others.

According to the new plan, 24 families will be permitted to remain on Plot 38, which is now being dubbed Amona North. This plan doubles the amount of families permitted from the original plan of 12. If approved, work to ready Plot 38 would begin immediately, as clearly, the government is seeking to avoid taking families off the hilltop by force.

Residents on Sunday morning 18 Kislev received the new offer and they must make a decision. They are also aware the High Court of Justice has rejected the governments request to delay the expulsion deadline for another month. Hence, they will have to be removed from their current location by 25 December 2016, the first day of Chanukah.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Five years after entering prison to begin serving a seven-year term, former President Moshe Katsav made a third request to a parole board for early release. This third request was approved on Sunday,18 Kislev.

Restrictions will accompany his release, including a ban on leaving Israel, a ban on moving to another address without prior approval and a commitment to attend therapy for at least six months and he must attend shiurei Torah in a beis medrash in Kiryat Malachi.

The former president will not be permitted to grant a press interview, and he may not hold any job in which his direct subordinates are women. It is yet to be determined if the prosecutor will appeal the early-release decision.

In the past, the state objected to the early release because Katsav has never admitted to his guilt or expressed remorse. Today however, with his willingness to attend Torah classes and meet with psychologists and social workers, the state believes he will learn the error of his ways and become a rehabilitate prisoner.

Undoubtedly womens rights organizations will decry the decision and a petition challenging it is likely to be seen filed with the High Court of Justice. Many Israelis simply feel that such a high-ranking public official convicted of assaulting women must serve his entire sentence, in part as a deterrence and in part as a punishment for betraying the law and the public by his actions.

The Prison Authority has agreed to place a one-week hold on Mr. Katsavs release pending a possible appeal by the state.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
3:36PM IL: Residents of Amona on motzei Shabbos were presented with a final offer by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett. The residents have spent the day reviewing the offer, which was approved during the afternoon hours. They will relocated a few dozen meters away to Plot 38, an area on the same hilltop. 45 residents who took part in the vote approved the deal while 25 opposed and 2 residents abstained.

The new arrangement will provide a solution permitting 24 of the 40 families to remain on the hilltop with the government promising to begin work immediately. Most believe this is absolutely the best offer the residents could receive, aware of the fact in this case the governments hands are tied by the High Court of Justice.

The decision to expel residents and dismantle the community is not the governments but the High Courts ruling in a case challenging the ownership of the land, presented on behalf of PA (Palestinian Authority) residents. The court ruled Amona is situated on privately-owned Arab land and set a deadline of December 25, 2016 for the eviction of residents and removal of the community.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Responding to rumors that Givati Brigade soldiers were compelled to be mechalel Shabbos in preparing to head to the Amona area in Shomron ahead of an eviction, IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Karim stated no such thing occurred.

The rav of Givati released a message to the media explaining that the reports are simply baseless loshon hora, explaining that the soldiers moved to the area in question were actually involved in operational activities that have nothing to do with Amona. He stated there was no unjustifiable chilul Shabbos whatsoever.

His statements were backed by IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Eyal Karim, stating he received many phone calls after Shabbos including from military rabbonim. Rabbi Karim explained the accusations were made without anyone probing and he did check into it and verified them as being untrue. He explained there was a limited alert which compelled moving the troops to the area on Shabbos so it was assumed this was related to a possible Amona eviction but the rabbi insists this was not the case.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Hundreds of men from all over the world are getting ready for a life changing experience in Eretz Yisroel, taking a break from their everyday routine to spend five incredible days completely immersed in the world of Torah at Agudahs 17th annual Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah.

The Agudah Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah was founded during the very sad period of the first Intifada in the year 2000. The askonim of Agudah were looking for a way to show solidarity and support with the embattled Yidden in Eretz Yisroel. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman was asked the best way to do so. His advice was based on the Chazal that says Torah magna umatzla, Torah is a shield and saves. He advised bringing a group of people to Eretz Yisroel who would devote a week to intensive Torah learning in the avira dmachkim of Eretz Yisroel. Following the advice of this revered Gadol BYisroel, Agudahs Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah was born. It continues in this sacred mission to this day.

Rav Shteinman made it clear that those who come should participate in a full learning program, gaining chizuk for themselves and giving chizuk to others, said Rabbi Eliyahu Simcha Bamberger, Director, AIAs Daf Yomi Commission and one of the Yarchei Kallah organizers.

In its inaugural year, between 30 and 40 people attended the Yarchei Kallah which took place in the shul of the Ramada Yerushalayim. Over the years, the program outgrew its initial home and moved into one of the large ballrooms of the hotel. Eventually a second ballroom was added to accommodate the large overflow. More than 300 participants are expected to take part in this years five day event being held from Sunday, January 15th through Thursday, January 19th. While in its early years most participants hailed from the east coast of the United States, the Yarchei Kallah has grown and now attracts bnei Torah from Canada, Mexico, Europe and Eretz Yisroel, in addition to the United States.

We have a full cross section of people, from all walks of life: professionals, business people and klei kodesh, noted Rabbi Avrohom Nisan Perl, Director, AIAs Torah Projects Commission. We have many fathers and sons  we even have some families coming with three generations to grow in learning together!

Although the program takes place in January, many participants begin reviewing the material several months in advance as soon as the sugya being studied is announced. Sources listed on the Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah website and preparatory shiurim given both live and by teleconference help participants gain mastery over the material to further enhance their learning during the Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah.

The unique YYK experience:

Traveling overseas can be daunting to some, but holding the Yarchei Kallah in Yerushalayim has numerous advantages.

Of course going to Eretz Yisroel is always appealing but one of the biggest attractions is that, because of the time difference, until 4 PM there is no office or other business activities to distract participants from their learning. The complete immersion of the participants in their Torah learning is admirable. Two of the attendees were once overheard in conversation; the first inquired as to how the stock market was doing that day. The answer immediately came, My goal here is to concentrate on my learning. I dont even want to know!

Another advantage to being in Yerushalayim is having access to a wealth of prominent gedolei Torah, roshei yeshivah, poskim and magidei shiur. Renowned rabbonim have been a crucial part of the Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah from the very beginning. Among those who are already confirmed for this year are Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Rabbi Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, Rabbi Pinchos Friedman, Rabbi Boruch Dov Povarsky, Rabbi Asher Weiss and Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein.

The program is modeled after the typical yeshiva schedule, with a full day of learning and shiurim. In addition, a comprehensive English program is offered, making the Yarchei Kallah accessible to an ever larger amount of people.

When you walk into the room you see hundreds of people sitting and learning, said Rabbi Labish Becker, Executive Director of Agudas Yisroel. The atmosphere is electric. One can feel the rischa dOraysa and the true joy of learning in the full sense of the word.

Another important aspect of the Yarchei Kallah is the womens program, which features touring of many important historical sights and attractions. In addition, there is a vibrant lecture and shiurim program featuring prominent speakers and mechanchos.

The Yarchei Kallah, every year, like a good wine, gets better and better, said Aaron Herzog of Montreal after attending last years Yarchei Kallah, his eighth.

Marty Mayer of Passaic, who has attended more than ten Agudah Yarchei Kallah, described the 2016 program as a tremendous chizuk for the whole year.

This years Yarchei Kallah will delve into the fascinating sugya of Lulav Hagazul, and deal with various issues relating to the daled minim. An original audio-visual presentation clarifying many of the important issues being studied will be a highlight of the program.

A prime mission of the Torah Projects Commission of Agudas Yisroel is to ensure that those who are now in the working world have opportunities to thrive in their limud haTorah. That is why, said Rabbi Perl, both the Daf Yomi and Yarchei Kallah are such an important part of the work of Agudas Yisroel.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Eight bridges swept away in Mustang

Upper Mustang has been cut off from other parts of the district after a heavy flood on Saturday night swept away eight wooden bridges along the Jomsom-Lomanthang-Korala road stretch.
A showdown in Congress is looming over expanding sanctions against Russia, possibly pitting lawmakers once again against President-elect Donald J. Trump and his secretary of state nominee who previously has opposed them.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., an outspoken Trump critic, is the latest lawmaker to join the fray, stating that his goal in a series of investigations next year is to put on President Trumps desk crippling sanctions against Russia, he wrote on Twitter. They need to pay a price.

The list of lawmakers who have called for expanded Russia sanctions includes Republicans and Democrats, Trump critics and members who supported the Republicans White House bid. Their reasons are many, including anger over Moscows alleged role in a series of election-related hacks to revulsion at the Kremlins support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad torturing his own people.

But even if Congress censures Russia with its strongest brand of sanctions, there is no guarantee that the Trump administration will actually implement them.

Its certainly possible Trump might not implement them, but there is overwhelming bipartisan consensus in Congress that sanctions have worked on Russia for other issues, and will work again in the future, said a Senate Democratic aide who was not authorized to speak publicly. Were hopeful the Trump team and the president-elect himself will come to understand this.

The United States has imposed sanctions against Russia since 2014 in response to the annexation of Crimea and Moscows support of separatists in eastern Ukraine. The measures, which restrict Russias financial, energy and defense sectors, depend largely on cooperation from the European Union, which voted this week to extend Ukraine sanctions against Russia for six months.

Trumps new pick for secretary of state, Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, publicly opposed those sanctions, which Exxon estimates cost them over $1 billion in lost business.

We do not support sanctions, generally, because we dont find them to be effective unless they are very well implemented comprehensibly and thats a very hard thing to do, Tillerson told an annual meeting of Exxon executives in 2014.

It is unclear if Tillerson will continue to oppose sanctions if he is confirmed as secretary of state. The Trump transition team did not respond to an emailed question on the subject.

Sanctions have emerged as a popular, relatively bloodless tool for the GOP-led Congress to address intractable international conflicts and threatening foreign regimes. In the last year alone, lawmakers passed congressional sanctions against North Korea and extended a comprehensive range of measures against Iran to preserve the option to reimpose sanctions if Tehran violates last years nuclear deal.

President Barack Obama allowed the 10-year extension of the Iran Sanctions Act to become law last week without his signature, under apparent pressure from Iranian leaders and others who argued renewing the energy, trade, defense and banking sector restrictions would jeopardize the nuclear pact. The administration believed the president already had authority to sanction Iran in the event of any nuclear deal violations.

All of this occurred even before the CIAs assessment that Russia meddled in the U.S. elections in order to boost Trump  a conclusion Trump has called ridiculous. Senior lawmakers and foreign policy leaders have vowed to aggressively investigate those claims and others regarding Russia in a series of probes in the new Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., have indicated a preference to conduct any election-related probes in their intelligence committees, where leaders are able to wield influence over what information is ultimately released to the public.

Obama suggested Friday that he was unlikely to answer calls from several top congressional Democrats to declassify all information pertaining to alleged Russian hacks before he leaves office.

We will provide evidence that we can safely provide that does not compromise sources and methods. But Ill be honest with you, when youre talking about cyber security a lot of it is classified, Obama said.

Efforts to investigate Russias alleged election interference and impose expanded sanctions against the Kremlin may run into resistance from the Trump administration.

During his campaign, Trump took a decidedly softer stance toward the Kremlin, encouraging closer relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and hiring a team of advisers on the same wavelength.

The Trump team even worked behind the scenes at the Republican National Convention to maneuver the party platform away from language that would have called for maintaining or increasing sanctions against Russia over its meddling in Ukraine.

But the clamor for more punitive measures has rising in Congress from corners of both parties.

Lawmakers have pointed to the Iran and North Korea measures as a potential blueprint for Russia sanctions. And theyve already made opening attempts to tighten the screws on Moscow.

The House passed one measure this year that would come down on the Kremlin for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in a bill sanctioning entities that provide Syrias government with financial, material or technological support. The effort is to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people.

Though the bill mentions Russia by name only once, there is little doubt that the Russian and Iranian regimes would be primarily impacted by it. Prior to the vote, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., said there was unanimity of opinion about the need for the sanctions, regardless of peoples perception about a given regime, or how we approach the conundrum of Syria.

In the Senate, top Foreign Relations Committee Democrat Ben Cardin, D-Md., has promised a bill to impose sanctions, plus more than that against Russia over cyber hacking activities, Ukraine involvement and bombing campaigns in Syria, which Secretary of State John Kerry has suggested amount to war crimes.We expect it to be bipartisan, Cardin said this month.

The top House Intelligence Committee Democrat, Adam Schiff, Calif., has suggested the president should start considering options to use the authority he already has to sanction Russia over its alleged election-related hacking.

But some powerful Republicans say the administration must do a better job restricting Putin with tools they already have.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., says there has been selective enforcement of sanctions imposed on Russia.

(c) 2016, The Washington Post  Karoun Demirjian
Fifty years of partnership

Despite all the good intentions, declarations and efforts, the last 50 years of the history of the world show a remarkably disappointing capacity to achieve economic growth while addressing inequalities and social inclusion.
Governing parties in bid to allay Morcha concerns

The governing parties on Saturday tried to allay the concerns of the agitating Madhes-based parties, saying the constitution amendment bill will be moved forward.
Philippianss 2 verse 3  4: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.



I recall finding myself listening to one of Africas leaders, trading as President Yuweri Museveni, the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda in one of the SMART Partnership dialogues a few years ago.



He was explaining that his father once asked him, when he was still a freedom fighter, why they wanted to get rid of the white men in Uganda.

After giving the old man what he regarded as a satisfactory response, his father warned him that he must make sure they would be able to run the country well, to avoid embarrassment to the Museveni family.



Museveni told us that the old man further asked him if they had any Ugandan who could manufacture lighting matches currently being produced by the white men in the country? The old man was worried that his son will chase the colonialists and plunge the country into darkness as they would fail even to produce basic things like matches! He doubted their ability to do things.



At the time, the president addressed us, no Ugandan was making matches. This is calling for us as we move towards 2022 to be realistic and focused. Last week, I was invited by an honourable Member of Parliament to meet a group of elderly peoples business association.

They want to form a Colonel Sanders club. Remember Colonel Sanders who started the famous Kentucky Fried Chicken brand when he was 65 years old?



He became a billionaire from simply frying and selling chickens.

All his youth, the chickens and the eaters were there but he missed the skelem until he was 65 years young!

So, back to my Swazi colonels at the inkhundla.
SITEKI  Andile Groening (nee Dube), the St Johns Primary School teacher who lost her life in a horror car accident at Extension 3, Mbabane, last week, had premonitions of her death.



Of late, she had reportedly doubled her efforts in all the good things she was doing for the family, church and school.

Her marital family said her Christian walk in life gave them confidence that she had been called up for a prominent position in Gods personal army.

Andile is the teacher whose car reportedly lost control while she was following her husband Muzi Groening, who was in another vehicle.

The car she was driving accidentally veered off the road and crashed onto a house. She died on the spot.



Media reports suggested that her husband was with a female passenger. However, the relationship between the two was never made clear.

Andile had apparently received a call from a friend of hers, notifying her that she had seen her husband somewhere. Andile reportedly jumped onto her car and drove to where the friend had directed her.



Andile was laid to rest yesterday morning in Maphungwane, Siteki. Matsanjeni North MP Phila Buthelezi joined the approximately 1 000 people who paid their last respect to the English teacher who was also a former pupil of Evelyn Baring High School in Nhlangano.



The vigil and funeral were not punctuated by wailing and emotions as many people managed to contain themselves.

However, facial expressions told a story that it was a sad day for the Groening and Dube families, alongside close friends and relatives.

It was explained during the vigil that Andile, for two years in succession, produced pupils who excelled in her specialised subjects, English and Religious studies.
MBABANE  It may be a tall order for the country to regain African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) benefits  at least anytime soon.



This is because the federation that successfully advised President Barack Obama to remove Swaziland from this tax-free trade privilege is now critical of each and every word the Swazi Government includes in the amended laws.



The loss of AGOA trade benefits resulted in various textile companies closing down and reterenching staff.

Tex Ray in Matsapha had to let go of about 1 400 of its workers two years ago, when this economic nightmare hit Swaziland.

The laws being amended to comply with international standards are the Suppression of the Terrorism Act, 2008, Public Services Bill and Correctional Services Bill.



However, amendment of the Suppression of the Terrorism Act (STA) is being thoroughly scrutinised by the Americans because of perception that government uses it to suppress freedom of association and the right to bargain collectively.

In its analysis of the amendment of the STA, the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisations (AFL-CIO) is worried the Swazi Government included the words by violent means in its definition of terrorism.



The Bills are now before Senate, after passing through the House of Assembly.

The AFL-CIO is a national trade union centre and the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 12 million active and retired workers.
Govt revenue jumps by 81.5pc in first 4 months

The governments revenue surged by 81.5 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year, as rise in imports and consumption led to higher tax collection.
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By Patrick Donachie

A handful of public school science and mathematics teachers were honored by receiving Sloan Awards for Excellence in teaching Science and Mathematics last week, bestowed by the Fund for the City of New York. The seven winners included three Queens educators.

The honorees were celebrated at a ceremony held at the Great Hall at the Cooper Union in Manhattan Dec. 7. The awards honor city public high school teachers who help instill a love and passion for science and math in their students and often encourage them to pursue jobs in those fields.

Dr. Margaret Savitzky, one of the honorees, teaches medical assisting, biology and chemistry at the Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School in Jamaica. Savitzky was previously a chiropractor, and after an injury in 2001, she moved into teaching. She said the experience led to her finding her calling in education, where her background in health care informed her approach to teaching. She said Thomas Edisons status as a Career and Technical Education school enables her to promote hands-on learning.

There is book learning; they have to understand the steps and procedures. It helps to be a CTE program where I can say, OK, lets get the books off the table. Lets practice taking blood pressure, she said.

In 2012, Savitzky crafted a medical assisting program that offers students coursework, lab work training and practical experience. Savitzky detailed a lesson plan that involves using a fake arm with tubes in it to help students practice putting in an IV. Savitzky even had to purchase fake blood to make the exercise as close to reality for her students as possible.

Savitzky estimated that the overwhelming majority of her students continue on to college, and many visit years later to tell her they are embarking on careers as doctors, pharmacists or physical therapists.

The other Queens educators honored included Maria Elizabeth Dela Cruz, a mathematics teacher at Newtown High School in Elmhurst, and Manjot Singh, a mathematics teacher at John Bowne High School in Flushing. Each teacher was awarded a $5,000 prize and their schools benefitted from a $2,500 award to help strengthen their science and mathematics departments.

The Fund for the City of New York was established in 1968 to help improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and has administered the Sloan Awards since 1985. The awards are named after Alfred P. Sloan, a former chairman and CEO for General Motors. The foundation in his name was established in 1934.
Polish protesters staged a third day of mass anti-government demonstrations on Sunday as President Andrzej Duda embarked on mediation talks to try to end the seething political crisis.

Opposition lawmakers were also continuing to occupy parliament in a defiant show of anger against the rightwing Law and Justice party (Pis) over the budget plans to introduce new restrictions on the media.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets since Friday in Warsaw and other parts of the country in the latest popular action against moves deemed anti-democratic by the PiS since it took office after October 2015 elections.

In an unprecedented night of unrest on Friday, dozens of opposition MPs seized parliament\s main chamber and protesters blocked the exits to the building.

Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and influential PiS party chief Jaroslaw Kaczynski only managed to leave the building by forcing their vehicles through the crowd with the help of police.

Since taking office, the PiS has come under fire over a string of controversial measures including tightening the abortion law, a crackdown on the media and changes to the constitutional court which led to a standoff with the European Union.

Demonstrators were back out on Sunday, gathering outside the court in a show of support for its outgoing president Andrzej Rzeplinski, a symbol of resistance to the government.

The controversial changes to the court\s decision-making rules alarmed the EU, which demanded the government reverse the measures or face sanctions.

Rzeplinski\s mandate ends on Monday and the question of his successor has become another bone of contention between the court and the PiS-dominated parliament.

The opposition has also voiced objections to the adoption of the 2017 budget which it claims was done illegally when the vote was held in another area of parliament after the opposition takeover of the main chamber.

Duda\s spokesman Marek Magierowski said the president began meetings Sunday with opposition party chiefs to try to ease the escalating tensions.

Emerging from a long silence, Duda had on Saturday called for calm, expressing his "worry" over the turmoil and offering to mediate.

"I think a deal of some kind is necessary because it is impossible to function in a system where the parliament cannot debate," his spokesman told news channel TVN24.

The prime minister\s spokeswoman has denounced the occupation of parliament as a "a violation of the law".

Duda is due to meet Kaczynski on Monday, according to PiS spokeswoman Beata Mazurek, quoted by the PAP news agency.

The latest opposition outcry was triggered by PiS plans to grant access to the parliament\s press gallery to only two journalists for every media outlet, and ban them from shooting still pictures or video.

The moves prevent the media from recording images of lawmakers when they break the rules, for example by voting for an absent colleague.

The PiS has defended the measure, saying it was seeking to ensure a comfortable working environment for both lawmakers and journalists.

SOURCE. AFP
Gunmen killed 10 people including a Canadian tourist and police officers on Sunday in southern Jordan where security forces were hunting down the unidentified attackers.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres (70 miles) south of the capital Amman.

Jordan\s general security department said seven policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings.

It said that 27 others, including policemen and civilians, were wounded.

A separate police statement said that "a number of outlaws who committed ugly crimes this afternoon" had been killed and that security forces were combing the Crusader castle for more gunmen.

The first attack took place when a police patrol went to check on a fire that had broken out in a house in Karak, the general security department said.

"As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car," it said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

"Shortly afterwards, gunmen opened fire on another patrol without causing any casualties," it added.

At the same time, gunmen in the Crusader castle opened fire on the Karak police station, "wounding several policemen and passers-by" who were rushed to hospital.

"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen," the statement said, adding that the search was still under way.

A senior security source said some people were trapped in a lower floor of the citadel when the gunmen took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.

"There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower floor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces," said the source who did not wish to be identified.

He said that the gunmen were on a higher level inside the fortress.

The Jordan Tourism Board described the Karak citadel, which dates back to the 12th century and has withstood many sieges, as a "maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways".

The general security department statement said "five or six gunmen" were thought to be involved in the shootings.

However, Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the shootings, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel".

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings, but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting IS, and also hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbeh\s home town.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to Islamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, and an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.

SOURCE: AFP
Beaver County preparing for robust Election Day turnout

As the Nov. 8 midterm election approaches, nearly 114,000 people are registered to vote in Beaver County.
Beijing

The Pentagon on Saturday said Beijing had agreed to return a U.S. underwater drone seized by China in international waters in an unusual incident that risked sharpening tensions between the nations.

"Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States," said Peter Cook, the Pentagon press secretary, using initials to refer to the Navy's unmanned underwater vehicle.

The deal was reached, Cook said, after the United States "registered our objection to China's unlawful seizure of a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle operating in international waters in the South China Sea."

China earlier Saturday warned the episode would not be resolved easily.

In a statement late Saturday, the Chinese Defense Ministry said it was in talks with the United States but criticized Washington for what it called an "inappropriate" exaggeration of the dispute. The U.S. reaction, it said, is "not conducive to solving the problem smoothly."

President-elect Donald Trump entered the fray Saturday, accusing China on Twitter of acting improperly. "China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act," he said.

The overseas edition of The People's Daily, the Communist Party's newspaper, said on its social media account Saturday night that the Chinese capture of the drone was legal because rules about drone activities had not been clearly written.

The seizure came two weeks after Trump angered Beijing by speaking by phone to the leader of Taiwan, and almost a week after he criticized China for building military bastions in the South China Sea. U.S. officials were trying to determine whether the seizure was a response to Trump or whether it was an escalatory step in China's plan to try to push the U.S. Navy out of the South China Sea.

The Pentagon said the drone had been carrying out scientific research.
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Raleigh, N.C.

Protesters say the North Carolina legislature's actions limiting the next governor's influence before he even takes office were unconstitutional power grabs by GOP legislators unhappy their candidate didn't win re-election.

"We voted for a new governor and they're choosing to come and ... take away the power," said Caren Parker of Carrboro, among the crowd who demonstrated this week against the Republican-controlled General Assembly, leading to more than 50 arrests.

So what's next for Gov.-elect Roy Cooper and other fellow Democrats now that a special session is over that passed laws designed to weaken them?

Lawsuits and more demonstrations are likely, although it's unclear how effective those will be.

"Once more, the courts will have to clean up the mess the legislature made, but it won't stop us from moving North Carolina forward," Cooper said in a statement after the legislature adjourned an extraordinary three-day special session Friday.

McCrory, who lost to Cooper by about 10,000 votes in November, quickly signed into law a bill that merges the State Board of Elections and State Ethics Commission into one board composed equally of Democrats and Republicans. The previous state elections board law would have allowed Cooper to put a majority of Democrats on the panel.

The law would also make elections for appellate court judgeships officially partisan again, which could favor Republicans. A Democrat's win last month in an officially nonpartisan Supreme Court race will give the party its first majority on the court in almost 20 years.

Another bill that received final legislative approval would subject Cooper's Cabinet choices to Senate confirmation and would allow Cooper to designate only up to 425 state employees as his political appointees, compared with a cap of 1,500 for McCrory.

Republicans will continue holding veto-proof majorities in 2017.

Republicans call their approval of legislation reasonable actions to rebalance state government before a new administration takes office. The North Carolina governor's powers have expanded since the state gave the veto to its executive in 1997.

House Democrats are convinced any new laws also will be thrown out. They formally protested all three days because they said the method by which Republicans called themselves in  minutes after an earlier special session McCrory announced for disaster relief legislation ended  wasn't initiated properly. The issue involves the collecting the signatures from enough House and Senate members.
Information Minister Karki's property detail made public

Personal property details of Minister for Information and Communications Surendra Kumar Karki has been made public.
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Beirut

Rebel and government forces agreed Saturday to allow "humanitarian cases" to leave two besieged government-held Shiite villages in northwestern Syria, a step that would allow the resumption of civilian and rebel evacuations from eastern Aleppo which were suspended a day earlier, Hezbollah's media arm and a monitoring group said.

The opposition's Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the evacuation of some 4,000 people, including wounded, from the villages of Foua and Kfarya was expected to start Saturday. It later reported that 29 buses were heading toward the two villages to start the evacuation process, adding that insurgents in the area rejected allowing 4,000 people to leave and saying they will only allow 400 people to be evacuated.

The Syrian army said another 25 buses left later Saturday heading to the two villages.

It was not immediately clear whether the alleged evacuation limits set by the insurgents in the two villages would undermine evacuation efforts in Aleppo.

Hezbollah fighters have joined the Syrian war fighting along with President Bashar Assad's forces. Opposition activists blamed the Lebanese group for blocking the main road south of Aleppo and blocking evacuations from rebel-held eastern neighborhoods of the city.

The Aleppo evacuation was suspended Friday after a report of shooting at a crossing point into the enclave by both sides of the conflict. Thousands were evacuated before the process was suspended.

An amateur video posted online by opposition activists Friday showed scores of men, women and children running away from a crossing point for fear of being shot at. The video appeared genuine and corresponded to other reporting of the events by The Associated Press.

The Syrian government has said the village evacuations and the one in eastern Aleppo must be done simultaneously, but the rebels say there's no connection.

Hezbollah's Military Media said the new deal also includes the rebel-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani near the border with Lebanon where tens of thousands of people are trapped under siege by government forces and the Lebanese group.

A Syrian state TV correspondent, speaking from Aleppo, said the main condition for the evacuation to resume is for Foua and Kfarya residents to be allowed to leave.
As if the ocean isn't terrifying enough already, a bizarre-looking fish known as the ghost shark or "chimaera" has been filmed alive by scientist for the first time.

Known for a retractable sex organ on its head, the ghost shark lives deep in the ocean. Little is known about the odd creature, but recent footage by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute hopes to change that.
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Colonie

Voters in the North Colonie school district didn't shock the world, but they surprised our little corner of it.

Residents of a relatively affluent suburb, where schools are the pride and joy, rejected money for school construction and expansion?

It hardly ever happens.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

But in North Colonie on Thursday, the vote wasn't even that close. More than 54 percent of voters said no to borrowing $196.4 million for work on the district's schools.

So what were voters rejecting?

The answer, I think, is more complex than many assume.

Some voters, of course, were angry at the handling of the election. As I wrote last Sunday, the district's decision to hold the vote 10 days before Christmas and with a single, inconvenient polling place exemplifies much of what is wrong with school referendums.

The rejection was also, of course, about the remarkable cost of the planned construction and frustration with what county Comptroller Mike Conners calls the "education industrial complex."

Conners is right when he says the money being spent on consultants, architects, lawyers and contractors ultimately saps funding that could be spent on teachers and actual learning.

Do schools really need to be showplaces? Do kids learn more in fancy buildings?

And while taxes in Colonie are low relative to much of New York, many homeowners are tapped. They feel they already pay enough, and Thursday's vote reflected that.

"Perhaps the price tag was concerning to some voters, and I completely understand," Superintendant Joseph Corr told me Friday, when the shock of the vote was still fresh. "I'm aware of the sacrifice a taxpayer has to make."

Corr said the district intends to return to voters with another proposal. It will need to be meaningfully less expensive to win over skeptical voters.

But Thursday's vote, I'm convinced, was also about something the district can't control: Colonie's rapid pace of growth, especially in northern sections of town.

The district says it needs bigger buildings because more students are entering its schools  an enrollment surge largely resulting from the new subdivisions gobbling up the town's remaining open space.

Certainly, Colonie and neighboring Halfmoon are the region's sweet spots for new housing.

From 2013 to 2015, there were 401 building permits issued just for single-family homes in Colonie, and 465 in Halfmoon. No other municipality even comes close, and the pace of building has only accelerated this year.

The construction certainly reflects the desirability of the towns and their school districts. But rapid growth is also angering residents who feel that the changes are harming their quality of life.

Again, that isn't the school district's fault. Nevertheless, the vote Thursday was the first time residents were really asked to pay for growth they resent. For some, it became a referendum on how Colonie is changing.

That was the case for Jerry Bissell, who has lived along Schermerhorn Road for 32 years.

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Bissell told me he voted against the school spending in part because he was angered by district decisions that seemed to disrespect voters, including having the lone polling location at the administrative office on obscure Fiddlers Lane.

"I had difficulty finding that place," he said.

But Bissell also said there are about a dozen new housing developments in his section of town, and his frustration with traffic and other impacts was largely what his no vote was about. Growth in North Colonie is simply out of control, he said.

Meanwhile, Suzanne Maloney of Save Colonie told me the school construction proposal led to significantly more interest in her group, which is critical of the town's haphazard growth. The size of the proposed borrowing made the impact of all the new construction glaringly obvious, she said.

Maloney added that frustration with the district's handling of the vote mirrors how people feel about the town's planning processes. True outreach has been lacking in both cases.

Still, Maloney said she and other members of Save Colonie were stunned by the vote result. It felt like a sea change, since residents are typically so proud and supportive of their schools.

Yet in North Colonie, as elsewhere, voter turnout for school referendums has long been embarrassingly low.

In fact, I had to smirk when district officials touted Thursday's turnout as record breaking. I mean, just 4,000 ballots were cast in a district with more than 40,000 residents.

"If that's a record turnout, then the system has been broken for a long time," said Todd Drake, a county legislator from Latham who questioned the timing and other aspects of the referendum.

School districts everywhere need to encourage more participation, or they'll continue to face cynicism about their motives.

Meanwhile, officials in Colonie had better start listening to the frustration with growth being expressed by so many residents. Otherwise, Thursday's vote will not be the last surprise.
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If a knee joint replacement costs $20,000 at Hospital A and $35,000 at Hospital B, what does that whopping 75 percent difference tell you about the likely results of surgery at each place?

Unfortunately, nothing.

Certainly not that Hospital B does a better job at knee replacements. Nor that hospital B has patients with more complex problems, provides more advanced care or is making up low government payments by upcharging your insurance company.

All the price difference tells you  if you can actually get hospital prices you can compare  is that Hospital B had less competition in its market, giving it more negotiating clout with health insurers, according to a report scheduled for release on Monday.

More Information A complicated pricing system The study examined a dozen hospitals in the Albany region, stretching north to the Canadian border and west to Gloversville. Here's a sample of how those hospitals were grouped by price, according to the claims from one of nine insurers studied: Lowest Price Adirondack Medical Center, Saranac Lake Albany Memorial Hospital Samaritan Hospital, Troy St. Mary's Hospital, Troy* Mid-priced Ellis Hospital, Schenectady Saratoga Hospital St. Mary's Healthcare, Amsterdam St. Peter's Hospital, Albany Highest-priced Albany Medical Center Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Glens Falls Hospital Nathan Littauer Hospital *The data is from 2014, when St. Mary's Hospital was still an acute care facility. It is now primarily a center for outpatient services, with its sister Samaritan Hospital serving as Troy's sole institution for inpatient care. Source: New York State Health Foundation See More Collapse

"There's not an association between prices and quality," said David Sandman, chief executive of the New York State Health Foundation, noting that would come as little surprise. "But there is a strong one between market power and price."

In other words, a hospital has the power to demand higher prices if an insurance company needs a hospital in its network because it's the only acute care facility in town, or because it's part of a larger health system that it must contract with. That means, for instance, that in the northeastern New York region including Albany, hospitals considered rural, which operate as virtual monopolies with no nearby competition, are pricier than urban ones.

The health foundation, a nonprofit whose goal is improving health care for New Yorkers, commissioned the report, "Why Are Hospital Prices Different? An Examination of New York Hospital Reimbursement," as rising insurance premiums and growth in high-deductible policies drive up consumers' out-of-pocket health costs. Reducing prices for hospital services, among the costliest of medical care, is also a primary goal of state and federal health reforms after decades of health care spending increases.

In addition to finding that market leverage was the biggest determinant of price, the report came to another unsurprising conclusion: hospital pricing is complicated. But here's what's not so obvious: It's really, really complicated. Not just for average New Yorkers but for experts, too. So complicated that you need something akin to a team of actuaries or economists to analyze pricing.

"Contracts are unbelievably complex," Sandman said, "to the point that it's not always certain that the payers themselves"  the health insurers  "always understand what they are paying."

Yes, there is information readily available on a state website on what hospitals charge. But those charges do not reflect prices actually paid, which are the result of negotiations between government and private insurance companies and the hospitals or their parent companies.

Researchers further found that certain contract provisions demanded by hospitals hinder competition, the ability to compare prices and efforts to contain costs. These include gag clauses that prohibit insurers from posting hospitals' prices on members-only websites and termination clauses that allow a hospital to get out of a contract if an insurance company attempts to steer members to lower-priced facilities.

Consumer advocates and health insurers, groups often at odds with each other, were both pleased to learn the foundation's findings would soon be released.

"This report is a call for a close review by state legislators and government regulators to see if they can help make our hospital pricing system more rational," said Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of health initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York, an advocate for low-income New Yorkers.

Health insurers "support providing more information on prices and costs as important and necessary tools to helping consumers make better decisions about their health care coverage," said Leslie Moran, a spokeswoman for the New York Health Plan Association, an insurance industry group.

Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, a hospital trade group, acknowledged that hospital pricing is complex.

"It is not like typical products and services," she said.

HANYS has published a 22-page consumer guide to help patients compare prices and manage out-of-pocket costs. Among reasons the guide gives for price variations are hospital size, the populations served and the services provided.

But according to the health foundation's report, none of these correlate with higher price.

The hospital pricing report does not provide comparisons of the charges for individual procedures from one hospital to another. Nor did it consider the more than 300 hospitals in the state.

Rather, it sought to get a representative sample of hospital types and locations by looking at 107 hospitals in three diverse markets  downstate, Albany and Buffalo  to shed light on price variations and obstacles to market competition.

Researchers led by Bela Gorman of Massachusetts-based Gorman Actuarial Inc. looked at claims data from nine insurance companies in 2014. Hospitals were not classified as higher- or lower-priced based on individual procedures, but on a method that involved blending the inpatient and outpatient prices at each hospital and then comparing the average price to others in its region.

Compared to downstate and Buffalo, researchers found less hospital price variation in the Albany market, which included a dozen hospitals extending north to Plattsburgh and west to Gloversville.

What they did find in Albany, however, was a significant difference between the average prices of urban hospitals and rural ones, as defined by the federal Medicare program, which considers the county served rather than whether a hospital is in a city or country setting. Average prices at rural hospitals were 130 percent of the average prices of their urban counterparts.

The 300-bed Champlain Valley Physicians' Hospital in Plattsburgh and 74-bed Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, both considered rural, were among the priciest of the dozen studied.

A trend seen downstate and in Buffalo, but not in Albany, was that hospitals that were part of a larger system with greater market share had higher prices, regardless of their own size or market share. (Gorman said continuing affiliations in the Albany area may have changed that by now; the analyzed insurance claims were from 2014.) In some regions of the state, academic medical centers with no competition were able to command the highest price, regardless of market share.

The study's examination of downstate markets turned one widely held belief about pricing on its head. Researchers found that hospitals with a large concentration of Medicare and Medicaid patients were not able to make up low reimbursements from the government by negotiating higher prices with private insurance companies. In fact, these hospitals had lower prices from private payers.

That finding did not surprise Richard Gottfried, chair of the state Assembly Health Committee. He recalled the 2010 closure of St. Vincent's Hospital Manhattan. It served a large percentage of Medicare and Medicaid patients, but couldn't bargain for good fees from private insurers because it didn't have the leverage of hospitals with more market share, like Mount Sinai and NYU Langone Medical Center.

"For hospitals that serve low-income neighborhoods, they would love to make up for the Medicaid losses by charging insurance companies more, but insurance companies won't pay it," Gottfried said. "They have to settle for what they can get."

The ability of hospitals with more market power to command higher prices was something a few people predicted 20 years ago, Gottfried said, when New York ended its practice of setting hospital rates. Perhaps ironically, the argument toward eliminating state rate setting was to reduce costs by nurturing competition.

Benjamin, of the Community Service Society, called it a cautionary tale.

"We now have a true understanding of what happens when you go to a full, unfettered, deregulated, no-price-setting system," Benjamin said. "Certain hospitals with market share will prevail. That's problematic."

The health foundation does not advocate a return to state rate setting, Sandman said. The report's suggestions include simplifying hospital payment methods, barring certain contract language and looking east to Massachusetts as a model for reform.

A study by the Massachusetts attorney general on health care price variations led to the creation of two state agencies charged with understanding and reducing costs.

The state's Health Policy Commission monitors how hospital affiliations and other proposals will affect competition and pricing, whether or not that effect rises to the level of an antitrust violation.

Price transparency is a primary goal. Consumers in Massachusetts can now look up a hospitals' relative pricing, compared to others, based on the hospitals' contracts with their insurers.

chughes@timesunion.com  518-454-5417 
[December 17, 2016] Cellular/Mobile Telephone Services Global Market Briefing 2017

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The cellular/mobile telephone services market comprises on establishments providing communications via wireless distribution networking. Such services providers acquire and operate under spectrum licenses that are geography specific. The market is further classified by service type into voice, SMS, and MMS. The Americas was the x largest geographic region in the cellular/mobile telephone services market in 2016, accounting for $x billion or x% of the global market. Asia was the x largest geographic market, accounting for $x billion or x% of the global market. Europe was the x largest geographic market, accounting for $x billion or x% of the global market. The Middle East and Africa accounted for x% and $x billion, while Oceania accounted for x% of the global cellular/mobile telephone services market. Fifth-Generation Mobile Networks The bigget forthcoming change in the wireless telecommunication industry is the emergence of fifth-generation mobile networks (5G). 5G is expected to be much quicker than the present 4G. It will be some years before this technology becomes commercially available. The new generation mobile network is likely to provide the capacity needed to support the IoT(Internet Of Things) revolution. Low latency is another important feature expected from 5G.



Since 5G networks offer high-speed internet connectivity, companies have to fast-track deploying 5G technology to enhance customer satisfaction and increase their subscriber base. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04442298-summary/view-report.html About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. http://www.reportlinker.com

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[December 17, 2016] China OLED Market By Type, By Application, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011 - 2021

LONDON, Dec. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Growing demand for OLEDs in China can be attributed to increasing adoption in various end user applications such as smartphones, televisions, automotive, commercial, industrial, etc. In addition, rising investments in OLED research and development, coupled with increasing focus of manufacturers to boost production of various OLED display panels and lighting products is anticipated to boost China OLED market over the next five years. Moreover, increasing technological advancements and governmental support to OLED manufacturers is further contributing to the growth of the country's OLED market. During 2016 - 2021, rising integration of OLED displays in various consumer electronic devices is expected to significantly increase demand for OLEDs in China. According to "China OLED Market By Type, By Application, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011  2021", the OLED market in China is projected to grow at a CAGR over 38% during 2016 - 2021. OLED displays accounted for the majority share in China's OLED market, on account of their rising adoption in smartphones, tablets, MP3/MP4 players, automotive applications and defense sector. Light weight, better color performance, less power consumption, high brightness, etc., are few of the advantages driving increase in penetration of these OLED displays in China. In 2015, East China was the largest regional market for OLED in the country, due to presence of a large consumer base in the region. Few of the leading players oerating in China OLED market include Samsung Display, LG Display, BOE Technology and Visionox, among others.



"China OLED Market By Type, By Application, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011  2021" discusses the following aspects of OLED market in China: - China OLED Market Size, Share & Forecast

- Segmental Analysis: By Type (Displays and Lighting), By End User (Smartphones, Tablets & Notebooks, Televisions Commercial, Residential, Automotive, Industrial and Others) & By Region

- Policy & Regulatory Landscape

- Changing Market Trends & Emerging Opportunities

- Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations

Why You Should Buy This Report? - To gain an in-depth understanding of China OLED market

- To identify the on-going trends, and anticipated growth over the next five years

- To help industry consultants, OLED manufacturers and distributors align their market-centric strategies

- To obtain research-based business decisions and add weight to presentations and marketing material

- To gain competitive knowledge of leading market players

- To avail 10% customization in the report without any extra charges and get research data or trends added in the report as per the buyer's specific needs Report Methodology The information contained in this report is based upon both primary and secondary sources. Primary research included interviews with the OLED manufacturers and suppliers in China. Secondary research included an exhaustive search of relevant publications like company annual reports, financial reports and other proprietary databases. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3703391/ About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-oled-market-by-type-by-application-competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011--2021-300380461.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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Japan firm shows interest in building Tamakoshi III hydro

A Japanese company has expressed interest in developing the Tamakoshi III Hydropower Project, which has been in limbo after Norways Statkraft pulled itself out of the project in January.
[December 18, 2016] Mobile Phone Accessories Market by Product Type, Distribution Chanel, Price Range - Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014 - 2022

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile phone accessories include software or hardware components that are not vital to the operation of a cellular telephone. Nowadays, phones have multiple functions including accessing internet, taking pictures, listening to music, storage devices, and others. People even beautify and add value to their mobile phones with the help of various mobile accessories. These include protective cases, headphones, USB cables, power banks, chargers, portable speakers, memory cards, and selfie stick. These accessories enhance the functionality of the equipment and also provide protection. The major factor affecting the market is the increase in adoption of smartphones, owing to features such as providing effective connectivity to the digital world. In addition, Bluetooth wireless headphones offer numerous advantages over wired devices such as portability, convenience, cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility. These factors cumulatively drive the market growth and have generated a revenue of $61,370 million in 2014. The market is expected to reach $107,629 million by 2022 with a promising CAGR of 7.6% during the forecast period. The mobile phone accessories market is driven by the rise in demand for wireless accessories owing to changing customer preferences to listen to music on portable devices, such as smartphones and tablets, through music streaming platforms like YouTube and sound cloud. The demand for mobile accessories has increased due to upsurge in disposable income and rise in popularity of social networking sites in urban areas. In addition, increasing Internet penetration has boosted the online retailing platform. However, excessive use of headphones affects the hearing ability of users, thus restricting the market growth. Rapid technological advancement including implementation of noise canceling technology, Bluetooth/NFC speakers, and built-in fan and light in selfie sticks are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for growth. The market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel, price range, and geography. On the basis of product type, it is categorized into battery, headphones, portable speakers, charger, memory card, power bank, and oters (USB cable & selfie stick). Protective case accounted for maximum revenue share in 2014 and is anticipated to consolidate its dominant position during the forecast period, owing to its benefits such as protection from wear & tear, scratches, and other damage.



Distribution channel wise, it is bifurcated into offline (multi-brand and single-brand store) and online segment. The online retail store is expected to grow with a highest growth rate due to increase in Internet penetration and popularity of social networking websites. By price range, it is segmented into premium price, mid-price, and low price. The market is analyzed on the basis of four regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA, along with their prominent respective countries. Asia-Pacific dominated the market in 2014 and is projected to continue to consolidate its position, owing to rise in disposable income, large population, and rapid growth of smartphone adoption.

Key players operating in the world mobile accessories market are Panasonic Corporation, Senheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG, Sony Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Apple Inc., Bose Corporation, BYD company Limited, Plantronics, Inc., Energizer Holdings, Inc., and JVC Kenwood Corporation. KEY BENEFITS The report includes an in-depth analysis of the world mobile accessories market, including current trends, drivers, restraints, and growth opportunities.Porter's Five Forces model illustrates the potency of buyers & sellers, which is estimated to assist the market players to adopt effective strategies.Value chain analysis provides a clear understanding of the roles of different stakeholders involved. Key market players are profiled to gain an understanding of the strategies adopted by them.This report provides a detailed analysis of the current trends and future estimations from 2016 to 2022, which facilitate in identifying the prevailing market opportunities. MARKET SEGMENTATION By Product Type Battery Headphones Portable Speakers Charger Memory Card Power Bank Others (USB Cable & Selfie Stick) By Distribution Channel Online Offline Multi-Brand Store Single-Brand Store By Price Range Premium Mid Low By Geography North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France UK Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Latin America Middle East Africa Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4230416/ About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mobile-phone-accessories-market-by-product-type-distribution-chanel-price-range---opportunity-analysis-and-industry-forecast-2014---2022-300380576.html SOURCE ReportBuyer

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[December 18, 2016]

LAMEA Encryption Software Market (2016 - 2022)

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Encryption is among the fastest emerging data security solutions used to protect data from unauthorized users. Organizations are increasingly looking at adoption of encryption, as data security is achieved easily with the technology. Encryption is used to protect the data stored in files/folders and disks and data travelling over wireless networks.

Increasing cybercrimes has compelled the governments to make data security as a mandatory measure in organizations. With stringent regulations, organizations are compelled to formulate effective data security strategies. Securing sensitive data or the personally identifiable data (PII) pertaining to customers, employees and the company needs to be protect by the law of land; therefore, companies are now focusing on implementing security strategies.Based on the Application type, the Encryption Software market is segmented into Disk Encryption, File/Folder Encryption, Database Encryption, Communication Encryption and Cloud Encryption. Based on Organization Size, the market is segmented into Small & Medium Sized Enterprises and Large Enterprises. Based on deployment Tpe, the market is segmented into cloud based and On-premise. The Verticals highlighted in this report include BFSI, Healthcare, Government & Public Utilities, Telecom, Retail, Aerospace & Defence and Others.Based on Country, LAMEA Encryption Software market is segmented into Brazil, Argentina, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria and Rest of LAMEA. Brazil remained the dominant Country in the LAMEA Encryption Software market in 2015. UAE and South Africa would witness promising CAGR during the forecast period (2016-2022).The report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the Encryption Software market.







Key companies profiled in the report include

Symantec Corporation, Check Point Software Technologies, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Intel Corporation, HP Enterprise Company, FireEye, Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, AT&T Inc. and Dell Inc. (SonicWall Inc.).

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4437680/

About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lamea-encryption-software-market-2016---2022-300380632.html

SOURCE ReportBuyer
[December 18, 2016]

LAMEA Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) Market (2016 - 2022)

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The LAMEA UCaaS market size is would grow at a CAGR of 13.6% during the forecast period. Over the years, the demand for VoIP and IP telephony in BFSI, telecom & IT, logistic & transportation, and travel & hospitality industries have been witnessed, which are the major factors driving the growth of telephony in the UCaaS market. The adoption of UCaaS technology would be largely witnessed in the consumer goods and retail verticals, as streamlining business processes would be quick, and also real-time services and faster transaction closures could be achieved seamlessly.

The report highlights the adoption of UCaaS (Unified Communication-as-a-Service) market in LAMEA region. Based on the component, the UCaaS market is segmented into Telephony, Unified messaging, Conferencing and Others Robotics. Based on the Deployment, the market is segmented across On-Premise, Cloud Based segments. The repot further segments the market based on the End User Organization Size as Small & Medium Enterprises and Large enterprises. Industry vertical wise the market is bifurcated as Consumer goods and retail, Telecom and IT, BFSI, Healthcare, Public sector and utilities, Logistics and transportation, Travel and hospitality and Others. The countries included in the report are Brazil, Argentina, UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Nigeria and Rest of LAMEA.







Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4437670/

About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lamea-unified-communication-as-a-service-ucaas-market-2016---2022-300380638.html

SOURCE ReportBuyer
[December 18, 2016]

Asia-Pacific Encryption Software Market (2016 - 2022)

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The need for encryption is not merely the number of incidences, but also the complexity of threats. The organizations need to deploy more comprehensive, secure and reliable security technologies. In the initial days, the attacks were primarily on the enterprises; however, today the modus operandi is to hack personal computers and gain access to personal data.

Data theft can be conducted either by physically stealing devices or hacking into the personal system or a network. Amongst the many known causes of data breaches, hacking and malware have been identified as the most common today, and also are majorly used methods to steal data. Regulatory frame work set by the governments about data privacy and compliance demands tighter security measures. With stringent regulations, the need for effective data security technologies is vital.

Based on the Application type, the Encryption Software market is segmented into Disk Encryption, File/Folder Encryption, Database Encryption, Communication Encryption and Cloud Encryption. Based on Organization Size, the market is segmented into Small & Medium Sized Enterprises and Large Enterprises. Based on deployment Type, themarket is segmented into cloud based and On-premise. The Verticals highlighted in this report include BFSI, Healthcare, Government & Public Utilities, Telecom, Retail, Aerospace & Defence and Others.







Based on Country, Asia-Pacific Encryption Software market is segmented into China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Rest of Asia-Pacific. China remained the dominant Country in the Asia-Pacific Encryption Software market in 2015. India and South Korea would witness promising CAGR during the forecast period (2016-2022).

The report covers the analysis of key stake holders of the Encryption Software market.

Key companies profiled in the report include

Symantec Corporation, Check Point Software Technologies, IBM Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., Intel Corporation, HP Enterprise Company, FireEye, Inc., Infineon Technologies AG, AT&T Inc. and Dell Inc. (SonicWall Inc.).

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4437679/

About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asia-pacific-encryption-software-market-2016---2022-300380643.html

SOURCE ReportBuyer
Five candidates in race for NLCS District 3 board seat

Five candidates are seeking election to the district three NLCS board seat: Tony (Rock) Fleetwood, Tye Hooten, Scott King, Rob Payne and Autumn Ray.
Judgment day

Is it just me or do you also feel that Kathmandu is getting increasingly congested with both people and automobiles? Recently, during a lecture at the University of Cambridge, world renowned physicist Stephen Hawking warned that humanity probably has about 1,000 years left on earth,
Kantipur journo Thapa awarded

Senior journalist Hari Bahadur Thapa, the news editor of Kantipur daily, has been conferred with this years Dadhiraj Subedi Journalism.
While it is almost impossible to say a single nations schools are the best in the world, one country that consistently performs extremely well on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams for math, reading and science, may come as a surprise to many. Finland, a tiny nation of 5.5 million people, consistently makes the top 5 performers across those categories, making it the top educational performer in Europe and one of the strongest in the world. (Singapore, Japan, and South Korea are also strong performers, and China did not submit consolidated results for the most recent test.) Finland?! What?!

This strong performance led many educators to examine Finlands schools to try to discern the secret sauce. One article highlights the surprise, interest, and, yes, envy many around the world felt toward Finnish students strong performance, asking, Why is a country the size of New Mexico beating the U.S. in academic performance? Below, we list the top ten reasons why the Finnish school system produces such excellent results.

10. Kids get a Strong Start

One of the reasons why Finnish schools are able to perform so strongly is that kids in Finland come to school with a strong foundation. The Finnish government has numerous supports in place to help families, starting with its famous baby box containing clothing, books, and other infant supplies for the first year, which is provided free of charge to every expectant mother in Finland. New parents are given ample opportunity to bond with their babies; mothers receive 4 months of paid maternity leave, and there is an additional 6-month period of leave available to either mothers or fathers, also with full pay.

If parents choose to use day care, the government subsidizes facilities with highly-trained staff (lead day-care teachers have bachelors degrees) with income-based assistance for families; the maximum cost per child is $4,000 per year. Full-day preschool is free and high-quality, and utilized by the majority of Finnish parents, meaning that when children begin school at age 7, they are coming in with a consistent foundation. Explains one Finnish education official, We see it as the right of every child to have daycare and preschool. Its not a place where you dump your child while youre working. Its a place for your child to play and learn and make friends.

9. Top-Notch Teachers with Extensive Training

In Finland, teaching is seen as a very desirable career; teachers are viewed on par with other professionals, such as lawyers and doctors. A research-based masters degree (fully paid for by the Finnish government) is a prerequisite for a teaching position, and competition for acceptance into the top teaching programs can be fierce. One professor reports that in 2012, the University of Helsinki received over 2,300 applications for the 120 places in its primary school teacher education program.

The requirement of a masters degree means that Finnish teachers generally have between 5 and 7.5 years of educational preparation for their roles before they are responsible for leading their own classroom. Because teachers have undertaken extensive training for their roles, they are more likely to view teaching as a lifelong profession, and Finnish society accords teachers a position of respect and prestige, which in turn enables them to do their jobs even more effectively.

8. High Levels of Teacher Autonomy

Having a teaching force comprised of the best and the brightest, extensively educated for their roles, makes it easy for Finnish government (and society) to accord teachers a great deal of autonomy in their classrooms. Teachers are given a great deal of latitude to test innovative approaches to instruction, like developing an outdoor math curriculum or to partner with other teachers to employ a team-based teaching structure.

Compared with teachers in other countries, such as the United States, Finnish teachers generally spend less time in the classroom than their foreign counterparts, While a middle school teacher in the US might spend 1,080 hours teaching over the course of a 180-day school year, a Finnish middle school teacher would spend around 600 hours teaching over the same period. This extra time gives Finnish teachers more time to develop new teaching strategies and to individually assess, and respond to, the learning needs of their pupils.

While Finland has a national education framework, it is notably brief: the national math goals for grades 1-9 take up only 10 pages. The majority of curriculum decisions are made locally, by teachers and principals, and teachers and students are evaluated holistically, by their peers and principals. Finnish teachers are generally accorded more latitude in the content of their instruction, and the way they deliver it, than most other teachers around the world.

7. Ample Funds to Help Weak Students Catch Up

Some critics of the broad applicability of Finlands educational strategies point to Finlands relatively homogenous population and the lack of other problems students in its schools contend with. In some ways they are right; Finlands generous safety net means that even Finlands poorest children are not subject to some of the constraints of povertyalmost all Finnish children have access to adequate food, housing, and health care. However, Finlands population is increasingly diverse (4% foreign born as of 2011), with some schools comprised of more than 50% immigrant children, and Finlands schools outperform those of its Nordic neighbors with similar population demographics.

One of the factors that helps Finnish schools perform so well is the nationwide focus on achieving equalityboth among schools and among students. When students struggle, the state is quick to provide resources to help them catch up, a goal that teachers embrace. As one Finnish teacher whose school serves predominantly immigrant students puts it, Children from wealthy families with lots of education can be taught by stupid teachers. We try to catch the weak students. Its deep in our thinking.

Almost 30% of Finnish children will get some sort of extra help before high school. Schools that serve high-needs populations (such as many ESL students) are accorded extra positive discrimination funds for additional teachers and counselors. The goal is to educate all children, even those with special needs, in the same mainstream classrooms (some ESL students may initially be taught in temporary language immersion classes, and exceptionally disabled students may receive education outside of mainstream classrooms).

Classrooms are not tracked, or sorted by ability level, ensuring that standards and expectations for students are high across all classrooms and that all teachers are prepared to work to help struggling students catch up to their classmates. This emphasis on equality pays off; a recent study found that Finland had the smallest difference between its weakest students and its strongest students of any country in the world.

6. Teachers Dont Teach to the Test (Because There Isnt a Test)

Despite the fact that Finnish children routinely achieve top scores on international math and reading tests, standardized testing isnt part of the Finnish educational system. The only mandated standardized test for Finnish students comes at the end of the senior year of high school. Prior to that, there may be optional district-level tests, but the results arent made public and they are not emphasized by teachers, schools, parents or the media.

The lack of emphasis on standardized tests means that Finnish teachers have a great deal of flexibility in how they structure their lessons (i.e. an elementary school teacher can focus primarily on science one week, if the children seem especially engaged in the topics at hand) and the freedom to evaluate the progress of their students using more individualized metrics. When discussing American-style testing regimes and the idea of using standardized test results to evaluate teachers, one Finnish principal describes how this idea is anathema to Finnish educational culture, adding, If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect. An official with the Ministry of Education even downplays Finlands students success on international tests, saying, We are not much interested [in the test results]. Its not what we are about.

5. Kids Start School Late

This one may seem counterintuitivehow can less school produce better educational results? Finland proves it is possiblechildren in Finland do not start school till age 7 (though near-universal preschool begins at age 6).

Clearly the high-quality subsidized daycare and preschool options mean that even though Finnish kids start school late, they start informally learning and preparing for school much earlier. However, before age 7, the emphasis is on experiential learning, through play and movement. Unless children show interest and willingness, they are not expected to learn to read in kindergarten, an approach backed up with research showing a lack of long-term benefits for kids who are taught to read in kindergarten.

One Finnish principal asserts that this relaxed approach to learning is a better match for the needs and abilities of his youngest students, saying, We have no hurry. Children learn better when they are ready. Why stress them out? The kids are happier, and because all Finnish schools share this philosophy, Finnish parents arent worried that their children are falling behind their peers in terms of skill acquisition.

4. Joy and Play are Part of the Curriculum

Arja-Sisko Holappa, a counselor for the Finnish National Board of Education, highlights the importance that Finnish schools place on childrens enjoyment of learning, pointing out, Theres an old Finnish saying. Those things you learn without joy you will forget easily. In keeping with that philosophy, every Finnish school has a welfare team dedicated to advancing child happiness in school. In addition to standard classes in language, math, and science, kids attend a broad array of additional classes in second languages, PE, arts & crafts, ethics, and music. In between classes, kids are sent outside for 15 minutes of free-play, as many as four times a day, regardless of weather. Finnish teachers and parents view these unstructured jaunts as a necessary part of the learning process.

The focus on joy extends beyond the classroom. While homework varies by teacher, Finnish children generally complete less homework than their peers in other developed countries, giving them more time for playand joywhen they get home from school as well.

3. Everyone Attends Public School

One of the most unusual, and some would say, most overlooked, aspects of the Finnish school system is the near-universal attendance of public schools. There are very few independent schools in Finland, and even those are publically financed and barred from charging tuition. Pasi Sahlberg, a Finnish Education Ministry offical and author of Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? points to this factor, as well as the Finnish cultural tendency to value cooperation over competition, as one of the reasons why Finlands schools are so strong.

In Finland, everyone is invested in the success and quality of the nations public schools. Something that works well at one school is quickly shared with others, so that best practices can reach every student, because schools do not see themselves as competing for students or test scores. Practically, theres no way to truly opt out of the public school system in Finland, so everyone is equally invested in the quality of the schools (unlike in many developed countries, where public schools compete with private schools for students, teachers and funding).

2. Finnish Kids Have Bright Futures, Tailored to Their Strengths and Interests

The Finnish school system is exceptionally good at ensuring students complete high school; 93% of Finnish students graduate from a vocational or academic high school, a rate that is significantly higher than that of many other developed countries. At age 16, Finnish kids, who have been in the same comprehensive schools since age 7, are given the option of continuing on to vocational education programs, which prepare them for work in construction, health care, restaurants, and offices as well as entry into a polytechnic institute, or of pursuing an academic program, which will prepare them for university. About 43% of students choose the vocational route.

Finnish students who complete high school know that the state will pay for all of their post-graduate education at one of Finlands 8 national universities (or a polytechnic institute for vocational graduates). 66% of Finns continue on to higher education, one of the highest rates in the EU.

1. Equality Amongst Schools

As this list has shown, the concept of equality, long important in the Finnish culture, is one of the central reasons its schools are so successful. But the idea of equality within the Finnish school system goes well beyond making sure all kids have a good start in life and working aggressively to help weaker students catch up. It means not only minimizing differences amongst students, but also means minimizing the differences among schools, making sure that all the schools in Finland are equally strong.

Why is it important that Finnish schools offer such similar educational outcomes and resources? It prevents school shoppingwhen parents, administrators, and teachers to concentrate at high-performing schools, drawing resources to good schools, and creating a death spiral for weaker schools, who lose resources, including students, as parents seek better options for their kids and the best teachers flee to better-resourced programs. One expert in Finnish education compares school choice in the US to that in Finland, saying that in the US, schools are, the same idea of a marketplaceSchools are a shop and parents can buy what ever they want. In Finland, the parents can also choose. But the options are all the same.

Because of this idea of equality, everyone is incentivized to promote across-the-board improvements in the educational system, rather than seeing school improvement as a zero sum game, where schools compete to be the best. It also means that even in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, where schools in many other countries are weaker, Finlands schools serve their students just as well as those in the countrys wealthiest areas.

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Eide is set to brief on January 23 the Security Council members on the progress of the Cyprus talks during a closed meeting

Eide is set to brief on January 23 the Security Council members on the progress of the Cyprus talks during a closed meeting, instead of submitting a report, according to CNA.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to convene on January 23 to adopt a resolution on the renewal of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) mandate. The Secretary General's report on the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) will be communicated to the Council members before January 8. According to diplomatic sources, there will be no separate report on the good offices missions, due to the ongoing negotiations and the forthcoming Geneva talks on Cyprus.

President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci decided on December 1 to meet in Geneva on January 9 next year. On January 11 they will present their respective maps on the territorial chapter of the problem and on January 12 a Conference on Cyprus will be convened with the additional participation of the guarantor powers, while other relevant parties shall be invited as needed.

The UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus will also inform Antonio Guterres, who assumes his duties as UN Secretary General on January 1, on developments in the Cyprus problem, during the coming days, probably in Lisbon. Guterres is the one who will send the invitations for the Conference on Cyprus in Geneva.

Source: CNA

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The European Commission (EC) warned that the recent announcements by Greek PM Alexis Tsipras to allocate part of the GDP surplus to low income pensioners, which resulted in a heated exchange of rhetoric between the Greek side, EU officials and the IMF, would delay the second review of the fiscal adjustment program. The vice-president the EC, Valdis Dombrovskis, noted that the social provisions announced by the Greek PM led to an unnecessary and useless situation in negotiations between Athens and the institutions, in an interview to Kathimerinis Sunday edition. The EC vice-president added that even though talks would continue and that the Greek program was generally on course, the unilateral decision by Mr. Tsipras made talks more tumultuous, estimating that a deal on the second review, which appeared to be close would now be pushed back weeks or even months.

Mr. Dombrovskiss views echoed those of the managing director of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), Klaus Regling, who in an interview to Spanish El Mundo claimed that the announcements had hurt efforts to restore trust between Greece and its creditors, although the provisions themselves were not expected to substantially impact the fiscal targets of the Greek program.

The EC vice-president underlined that based on the terms of the bailout program Greece could not make social provisions without prior deliberation with the institutions, and reminded that according to the first assessment of the announcements there was some concern voiced. He went on to say that despite the difference of opinion between the IMF and the European creditors on the primary surplus and the fiscal measures necessary to achieve it, the gap between the two was in reality not as wide as had appeared in the press.

Meanwhile, think-tank Stratfor warned in a report that any delays in the completion of the second review of the Greek program would affect the inclusion of Greek bonds in the ECBs quantitative easing scheme, as the European Central Bank has made it clear that it would not purchase Greek state bonds if no reassurances were present regarding the sustainability of the Greek debt.

On its part, Citigroup estimates that the unwillingness of Greeces lenders, and especially Germany, to make any concessions to Greece would lead to rising tensions between the two sides over the next months, even tough its analysts estimate that these tensions would not lead to a complete breakdown in talks.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that she is not responsible to take any decisions on Greeces bailout program or debt

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday told Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras that she is not responsible to take any decisions on Greeces bailout program or debt.

This is not the place for decisions to be taken. That is in good hands with the three institutions and the Eurogroup, Merkel said during a joint press conference before their talks.

The Greek prime minister went to Berlin hoping that he would get political support from the German chancellor to unblock the bailout program negotiations. Athens had failed to close the program review at the December 5 meeting of euro zone finance ministers.

Furthermore, Greeces creditors froze the short-term debt relief measures they agreed on after Tsipras decided to give out Christmas bonuses to low-income pensioners without asking for creditors consent. The Greek prime minister also needed Merkels intervention on that as well.

The two leaders were also to discuss the refugee crisis, on which Merkel commented that, Greece has been burdened enormously. We support a fair distribution of refugees in the EU and we cannot abandon Greece to its fate.

On the deal between Turkey and the European Union about refugee flows, Merkel said, We will look for ways to maintain and have a better implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement and the difficulties in relations with Turkey that have become tense after the heinous coup.

On the Cyprus issue, the Greek prime minister said, Our position is clear on Cyprus. We support a just and sustainable solution without guarantees and an occupying army. An independent united Republic of Cyprus.

Read more here.

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Kashmir tension: Pakistan ends ban on Bollywood films

Major cinemas in Pakistan have agreed to end a ban on Indian films imposed when relations between the two countries deteriorated in September.
Private sector investors are showing new interest in Saudi Arabias solar energy market, after the nations leadership included plans to add 9.5 GW of renewables to the energy supply as part of Saudi Vision 2030 along with opening the way to greater private sector and international investment, said experts ahead of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week which kicks off in January.



Announced in April, the Vision 2030 strategy sets 9.5 GW as an initial target to help build the renewables sector, noting that energy consumption will triple in the next 14 years, they stated.



The government has since confirmed that it aims to achieve that target by 2023, a rapid increase from the nations 25 MW of installed renewable energy capacity at the end of 2015.



Its plans are being supported by a comprehensive restructuring of government departments responsible for energy, they added.

Vision 2030 also promises a complete review of the legal and regulatory framework to allow the private sector to buy and invest in the renewable energy sector, said the experts.



The projects that will flow from Saudi Arabias renewable energy plan create a landmark opportunity for technology manufacturers, developers and investors in solar energy, setting out a very real, very achievable ambition, remarked Roberto de Diego Arozamena, the CEO of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, the largest GCC-based solar photovoltaic developer.



With a pipeline of 5 GW in its worldwide solar energy portfolio, Abdul Latif Jameel Energy is promoting the industrys growth by sponsoring the World Future Energy Summit and Solar Expo, to be held in Abu Dhabi in January 2017.



Given that prices for solar, which is the most practical renewable energy source in the region, continue to fall, it is actually likely that Saudi Arabia could achieve more than 9.5 GW in this time period, said de Diego Arozamena.



Private companies can play a vital role in unlocking Saudi Arabias potential for green energy, enabling technology transfer through international partnerships, and establish the nation as a global leader in renewables, particularly solar, he noted.



Analysis by Frost and Sullivan for the WFES Solar Expo scores Saudi Arabia highly for solar energys potential demand and investor attractiveness, but not so strongly for solar-related policy, as assessed before Vision 2030s announcement.



The Frost and Sullivan / Solar Expo Advancing Solar Energy Solutions: Market Outlook report also gives the Kingdom low scores for not pricing electricity to reflect the cost of production.



WFES, which is the Mena and South Asia regions leading commercial event for the renewable energy industry, is expected to see strong interest in Saudi business opportunities when the next event is held as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January, 2017.-TradeArabia News Service
June 23, 2016, will forever live in European history as it was the exact date when Great Britain decided to sever its ties with the European Union. The event has since been referred to as "Brexit" and has met with plenty of polarized reactions.

It has now been nearly six months since the referendum was made and the number of Brits trying to apply for Swedish citizenship has doubled, according to a report by The Independent. The exact number of Brits who were looking to become Swedes from June to November is approximately 1,122. In the preceding six months there were only 443 Brits applying for Swedish citizenship.

The highest number of applications took place during June, the same month of the Brexit referendum, with 311 applications that are roughly seven times more than the monthly average from 2015. July saw 233 applications made while August collected 167 applications. Current figures for 2016 are showing that the total number of applicants will be three times more than last year's numbers, according to the Swedish migration agency.

There are around 25,000 Swedes living in the United Kingdom, while there are about 18,000 Brits who have migrated to Sweden. In order to become a Swedish citizen, the applicant must have lived in the country for at least five years and secure a permit for a permanent residence. Showing good conduct will also be important as committing a crime will increase the waiting period by up to 10 years.

While Brits living in Sweden have a pretty good chance of acquiring citizenship, those who are looking to do the same in Belgium might not be so lucky. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel says British citizens living in Belgium with special ID cards will not be promised citizenship if they have UK passports post-Brexit, according to a report by The Express.

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KU registrar to be acting VC

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in his capacity as the chancellor of Kathmandu University, has asked KU Registrar Dr Bhola Thapa to work as the acting vice-chancellor after a search committee chaired by the education minister failed to recommend names for the top post.
Man held with fake notes

Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in possession of counterfeit bills with a face value of Rs 44,000 from Besisahar Municipality-4 in Lamjung district.
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 17

City dentist Amanish Singh, who is also the Principal of Adesh Dental College, Adesh University, has been chosen for the Fellowship of the International College of Dentists. The convocation ceremony for the same will be held on December 17-18 in Chennai. He is the first dentist from Punjab to have been chosen for this honour. The fellowship will be conferred on him for his contribution to dental education and clinical dentistry.

Dr Amanish Singh has been teaching dentistry and clinical dentistry for 17 years. He is known for his proactive approach for dental education and revolutionary ideas in the field. Dr Singh has travelled to various universities across the globe, including prestigious Boston University, the University of Chicago, Seattle University in the USA, the University of Toronto, the University of Valencia in Spain and the University of Istanbul, Turkey.

He shall be presenting yet another research paper on "Innovations and use of technology in dental education" before the convocation ceremony of the International College of Dentists.

The president and secretary of the Indian Dental Association of Bathinda, Dr Mohit Gargi and Dr Rajnish Kansal, have expressed happiness over the achievement of one of the members of their body.

Dr HS Gill, Chancellor, and Dr GPI Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Adesh University, have congratulated Dr Amanish Singh for this achievement.
Chandigarh, December 18

Around 51 per cent voters on Sunday exercised their franchise for 26 wards of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation the polling to which passed off peacefully.

"Around 51 per cent voters have exercised their franchise. The polling was peaceful," Tarseem Lal, an election office spokesman said here after conclusion of polls quoting initial estimates of polling percentage.

The total number of voters is 5,07,627, including 2,37,374 female voters.

800 EVMs were used at 445 polling booths and over 4,000 cops were deployed for smooth conduct of polling process.

A total of 122 candidates, including 67 Independents, are in the fray for the civic polls.

The results will be declared on December 20.

Both Congress and BJP are contesting from all 26 wards, while BSP also has put up candidates in 17 wards.

The Municipal Corporation has 36 members, of which 26 are elected, nine are nominated councillors and one is an MP (ex-officio member of the House).

At present, BJP has 15 councillors, Congress has nine, BSP has one, and one is Independent.

While the BJP is trying to cash in on demonetisation, Congress has made "great hardships" to people a major issue with its city unit leaders saying the move was implemented without any "application of mind."

Post demonetisation, the election to 26 wards of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is a litmus test for both BJP and Congress.

In 2011, the polling percentage to the MC was 59.37.  PTI
Amit Sharma

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

In a rare case of snatching, a man riding a cycle fled after snatching a gold earring from an 80-year-old woman at the road separating Sector 23 and 22 on Saturday afternoon. The elderly woman received minor injuries during the incident.

The incident was an unusual one as snatchers are usually motorcycle-borne. But the snatcher riding a bicycle to commit the crime came as a surprise even for the policemen.

The victim, identified as Jaswinder Kaur, a resident of Sector 35, was on her way to Sector 22 on a rickshaw when the accused snatched one of her earrings. The rickshaw was on the cycle track when the incident took place.

The cyclist who was wearing a red shirt then sped towards the Sector 23 market.

Sources said the woman didnt panic and asked the rickshaw-puller to follow the accused. However, the accused managed to flee from the spot.

The victim was heading towards her shop in Sector 22, when the incident took place.

The police rushed to the spot after being informed. The victims statements have been recorded and an investigation has been initiated by the Sector 17 police station. The police said the CCTV footage near the spot will be scrutinised.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

The UT police today arrested the accused in the gang-rape of a 21-year-old call centre employee.

Identified as Wasim Malik (28), a local resident, sources said he drives a passenger as well as a commercial auto-rickshaw. It was the passenger auto in which the girl was ferried before being allegedly gang-raped.

However, the police have not yet been able to recover the auto involved in the crime. We are trying to trace it as he might have dumped it somewhere after the incident, said a police official. The police are also trying to trace the accomplice in the case.

The victim was gang-raped while returning home from work by an auto driver and his accomplice at knifepoint in a forest area in Sector 29 on December 12. She had hired the auto from the road separating Sector 34 and 21 on the Dakshin Marg to go to Hallo Majra around 8 pm.

Sources said the arrested accused resembled the sketch prepared on the basis of the description given by the victim.

Wasim was rounded up on the basis of the dump data of mobile phones analysed by the police. The sources further added he was being questioned so that the vehicle involved in the crime and his accomplice could be traced. Investigating officials said they would soon trace the two.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

Chandigarh will elect its new Municipal Corporation on Sunday. The top brass of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiromani Akali Dal (BJP-SAD) combine and the main Opposition, the Congress, are taking personal interest in these elections. Because of this, the stakes are high with political heavyweights of both the parties having participated in canvassing to ensure a clean sweep.

The top leaders of the BJP, including its national president Amit Shah, have closely been monitoring the election-related activities.

In the fray are 122 candidates from 26 wards. The total number of voters is 5,07,627, including 2,70,240 male and 2,37,374 female voters. With the BJP, SAD, Congress and the BSP openly contesting on their respective party symbols, rebels and Independents, including those owing allegiance to the Left, are using different symbols from all wards.

Though the BJP-SAD combine and the Congress say the results of these elections will have no effect on their popularity in the city, the election strategies speak otherwise.

After reaching a feverish pitch, the campaigning ended at 5 pm today with Congress heavyweight and former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, and BJP city president Sanjay Tandon, along with their respective local leaders, walking down the narrow lanes to muster support for their respective nominees.

Meanwhile, the final rehearsal by the election staff was held at B.Ed College in Sector 20, Chandigarh, this morning, which was followed by the distribution of election material and

dispatch of polling parties to their respective destinations.

For the first time, city residents will have the option of NOTA (None of the above) candidates while pressing the button of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to elect the municipal councillors.

A total of 3,500 employees of different government departments will man 445 polling booths in the city on Sunday during the elections.

There are three election observers, seven returning officers and three expenditure observers for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections.

Each returning officer has two assistant returning officers each.

The reserve group of polling officials has also been kept as an alternate arrangement in case of an emergency during the elections on Sunday.

Returning Officers claimed that foolproof arrangements have been made for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections to ensure a free, fair and peaceful polling and then counting.

A first

n City residents will have the option of NOTA (None of the above) while pressing the button of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to elect municipal councillors

City residents will have the option of NOTA (None of the above) while pressing the button of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to elect municipal councillors n Photos of candidates will be displayed along with symbol on the EVMs

The big fight
Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, December 17

Widow of Major Sanjeev Lathar from Bhiwani, who was killed in the Army helicopter crash at Sukna military base in West Bengal on November 30, would be given special relaxation in the age limit to join the Army.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar gave this assurance to Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda when the latter called on him in New Delhi yesterday to submit his charter of demands.

The MP also sought martyr status and Shaurya Chakra for Major Lathar, speedy execution of projects like the National Defence University in Gurugram and Sainik School in Jhajjars Matanhail village.

The Defence Minister has accepted the demand for special relaxation to Major Lathars wife in the age limit for joining the Army. Parrikar assured me to consider other demands sympathetically, said Deepender.

He added that he reiterated his demand of martyr status for all 29 persons on board the missing AN-32 aircraft of the Air Force which disappeared after taking off for Port Blair from Chennai on July 22.

The MP demanded that Army recruitment should be done on the basis of national merit instead of population of the state concerned.

The youth of Haryana are not getting adequate chance in the Army due to the state population formula. Recruitment should be done on the basis of national merit by scrapping the population formula, he said.

Meanwhile, talking to mediapersons in Bahadurgarh today, he accused the BJP government of playing vendetta politics with the intention of maligning the image of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Commenting on the transfer of the AJL plot case to the CBI, the MP said the BJP government was frightened by the growing popularity of Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The government did nothing except playing vendetta politics and shifting the officers during past two years, he claimed.
Sumedha Sharma

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, December 18

A 26-year-old youth has died in Mewat for want of cash to get medical aid. His family had to seek donations to perform the last rites.

The family of Sagar Singh, a resident of Harijan Colony in Punhana, could not arrange Rs 4,000 in time to get him an oxygen cylinder at a local hospital after he collapsed in a bank queue.

The family said Sagar was the sole breadwinner who worked on daily wages and was part of a local band. Ever since demonetisation, he had not been able to earn and was not keeping well.

He had been going with his mother to a bank for the last few days for her pension, but to no avail. After standing in queue for a few hours yesterday, he complained of acute stomach ache and collapsed.

He was rushed to a nearby hospital, from where he was referred to a Delhi hospital. The family were asked to buy an oxygen cylinder during the ambulance journey to Delhi. The family did not have cash and it took them over an hour to arrange the amount. An oxygen cylinder was provided, but Sagar breathed his last near Rajiv Chowk. Colony residents had to pool in money to conduct Sagars last rites. Deceaseds uncle Hukum Singh said demonetisation killed his nephew.

For the past many weeks, the only thing that bothered the family was cash. They lived on meagre earnings of Rs 100 a day and had no benefit scheme card. His mother was entitled to pension, but there was no money in the bank, he said.

He was not well, but we had no money to see a doctor. When he was panting, we were asked to pay Rs 4,000 for an oxygen cylinder. We could not arrange it and the delay probably killed him. His mother, who literally had to beg, is inconsolable, he added.
Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Pehowa (Kurukshetra), Dec 17

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said the appointments in government jobs would be transparent without any fear of electoral backlash.

Speaking at a public rally here, Khattar urged support from the people to reduce corruption in public sector services.

The CM said, A government official remains in job for more than 30 years. If a non-deserving candidate is appointed, he is bound to ruin the public service system.

Khattar accused previous governments of biased regional development and making appointments on the basis of caste.

He said, Previous government did not make even a single regular appointment during the last five years. We are in the process of filling nearly 50,000 vacancies in different departments. But limited number of government jobs cannot end unemployment. Therefore, the government is promoting skill development programs for youth.

He said cashless economy would be effective in curbing corruption. Khattar claimed about 4,000 development projects announced this year would be completed by the end of 2017. The BJP parliamentarian Raj Kumar Saini blamed the Opposition for not allowing both Houses of the Parliament to function during the winter session.
Ambala, December 17

The National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) has sought a complete ban on political rallies in the country. In a letter, the alliance requested President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put a ban on political rallies and give directions to the political parties to opt for digitisation to address the public.

Kulbhushan Sharma, president, NISA, said: We welcome the move of digitisation, but no thought is being given towards the practice of holding political rallies in the country. Every year, thousands of crores get wasted by the political parties in organising rallies.

Private schools are forced to send their buses to transport public to the rally sties. As per the rules, the buses cant go beyond their regular routes, but schools are forced to violate the rules. In case the bus meets with an accident, the school cant claim compensation from the insurance company as it was not on its permitted route, he said.

The NISA president said the private schools had decided not to provide buses for the political rallies and urged the governments also, but to no avail. Hence, we have requested the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India and Chief Election Commissioner to put a ban on political rallies, he added.  TNS
London, December 17

Structure talk therapy alone can help treat people with social anxiety disorders, rather than taking medications like the famous happy pill, a new study has found.

Researchers from Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)and the University of Manchester in the UK examined the effects of structured talk therapy and medication on patients with social anxiety disorders.

Until now, a combination of cognitive therapy and medication was thought to be the most effective treatment for these patients.

The findings show that cognitive therapy on its own has a much better effect over the long term than just drugs or a combination of the two.

Weve set a new world record in effectively treating social anxiety disorders, said Hans M Nordahl, professor at NTNU.

Nearly 85 per cent of the study participants significantly improved or became completely healthy using only cognitive therapy.

Social anxiety is not a diagnosis, but a symptom that a lot of people struggle with, researchers said.

For example, talking or being funny on command in front of a large audience can trigger this symptom.

On the other hand, social anxiety disorder - or social phobia - is a diagnosis for individuals who find it hard to function socially and anyone with this diagnosis has high social anxiety.

Medications, talk therapy or a combination of these are the most common ways to treat patients with this diagnosis.

NTNU researchers set out to examine which of these approaches is most effective.

A lot of doctors and hospitals combine medications - like the famous happy pill - with talk therapy when they treat this patient group, said Nordahl.

It works well in patients with depressive disorders, but it actually has the opposite effect in individuals with social anxiety disorders, he said.

Happy pills, like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), may have strong physical side effects.

When patients have been on medications for some time and want to reduce them, the bodily feelings associated with social phobia, like shivering, flushing and dizziness in social situations tend to return. Patients often end up in a state of acute social anxiety again.

Patients often rely more on the medication and dont place as much importance on therapy, said Nordahl.

They think its the drugs that will make them healthier, and they become dependent on something external rather than learning to regulate themselves, he said.

So the medication camouflages a very important patient discovery: that by learning effective techniques, they have the ability to handle their anxiety themselves, he added.  PTI
Migrant workers to receive work permit online from today

The online system through which aspiring migrant workers will obtain work permit has come into operation from today as Minister for Labour and Employment Surya Man Gurung inaugurated the system amid a programme in the Capital on Sunday.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 17

The Kullu police today arrested an alleged IS sympathiser, identified as Abid Khan. He had been residing in Sinduwa area of Banjar in Kullu district for the past six months.The 23-year-old youth, hailing from Bangalore, had been posing as a missionary under the assumed name of Paul C Neo.

His passport, cellphone and laptop have been seized. Booked under Section 419 of the IPC and Sections 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he will be handed over to central intelligence agencies for interrogation. CM Virbhadra Singh said a watch was being kept on the state's hydro projects.

Kullu SP Padam Chand said the suspect, who had visited Sri Lanka recently, was being questioned for his suspected links with militant organisations.

The arrest has alarmed the Himachal Police. While there have been instances of Kashmiri militants or their sympathisers using Himachal Pradesh as a safe haven, it is for the first time that an alleged IS sympathiser has been nabbed in the state, say sources.

Himachal Pradesh shares a 260 km border with strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. As many as 35 labourers were gunned down by Pakistan-trained terrorists in Kalaban-Satrundi area of Chamba on August 3, 1998.
Suhail A Shah

Tribune News Service

Anantnag, December 17

Three soldiers were killed after militants targeted an Army convoy in Pampore town along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, some 15 km south of Srinagar, this afternoon.

Army spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalai said a search operation was on to try and corner the attackers. He added that the identities of the martyred Army men will be revealed only after their next of kin have been informed.

The attack took place at the busy Kadlabal Chowk of Pampore town in Pulwama district around 3.30 pm.

Police sources said the militants, believed to be riding a motorbike, appeared from a bylane and opened indiscriminate fire at the Army convoy, which was moving slowly amid the traffic.

The militants are believed to have been two to three in number. We have cordoned off certain localities and efforts to locate the militants are on, a senior police official from the area said.

Panic gripped the entire Kadlabal area and traffic on the national highway came to a standstill as gunshots were fired in the air.

People ran for safety into the narrow bylanes and alleys as intense firing was heard. Shopkeepers downed shutters and took refuge in their shops to wait out the exchange of fire, an eyewitness told The Tribune.

No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the attack even as police sources reveal there were prior intelligence inputs regarding the planning of such an attack.

There were some inputs with the security agencies and the security along the national highway had been heightened. Random stoppages and searches were being carried out on the Srinagar-Anantnag stretch of the highway. The militants, however, chose a busy place with heavy civilian movement for the attack, a police source said.

This is the second major militant attack to have been carried out in the Pampore area in less than six months.

On June 25, militants from Lashkar-e-Toiba attacked a CRPF convoy, killing at least eight men and injuring 20 less than a kilometre north of todays attack site. Two militants were also killed. The cordon and search operations, meanwhile, were continuing in Pampore town.
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, December 17

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and did not enjoy sovereign status, either under its constitution or that of India. The states constitution was subordinate to the Indian Constitution and its permanent residents were Indian citizens.

A Bench comprising Justices Kurian Joseph and RF Nariman made the clarification while holding that the Central law empowering banks to recover their loans from borrowers was applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had ruled on July 16, 2015, that the law, known as Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, was not valid in respect of the permanent residents of the state. In its judgment, the HC had repeatedly referred to the sovereignty of the state. The State Bank of India and other affected banks had come to the apex court in appeal.

Setting aside the HC verdict, the apex court said: It is rather disturbing to note that various parts of the HC judgment speak of the absolute sovereign power of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It is necessary to reiterate that Section 3 of the constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, which was framed by a constituent assembly elected on the basis of universal adult franchise, makes a ringing declaration that the state of Jammu and Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of the Union of India. And this provision is beyond the pale of amendment.

The apex court clarified that the preamble to the Jammu and Kashmirs constitution did not talk about sovereignty of citizens of the state.

It is thus clear that the state of Jammu and Kashmir has no vestige of sovereignty outside the Constitution of India and its own constitution, which is subordinate to the Constitution of India. It is therefore wholly incorrect to describe it as being sovereign in the sense of its residents constituting a separate and distinct class in themselves. The residents of Jammu & Kashmir, we need to remind the High Court, are first and foremost citizens of India, the SC clarified.
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 17

Normal life remained paralysed for the second consecutive day of shutdown across Kashmir today. All shops and business establishments remained closed and public transport plied partially in parts of the Valley.

Meanwhile, the Valley is gearing up for the longest five-day relaxation in the separatist shutdown from tomorrow.

The separatist leaders, who have been jointly issuing weekly protest calendars over the past nearly six months of unrest in the Valley, have for the first time scaled down the shutdown by giving relaxation for five days at a stretch.

While the overall situation remained peaceful, protests were held in Sopore town of Baramulla district today after a nine-year-old boy, Mursaleen Azad, was injured during clashes between protesters and the police on Friday.

Mursaleen was hit by a stone and received injuries in his head during clashes at Bada Bazaar in Sopore after the Friday prayers. The boy has been shifted to the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura in Srinagar for specialised treatment.

As shops remained closed, rows of vendors were seen particularly along the TRC crossing-Lal Chowk-Batamaloo axis here. There was heavy vehicular movement in some areas of the city, leading to congestion at many places, including the commercial hub of Lal Chowk inSrinagar city.

Meanwhile, the government has ordered closure of the schools up to Class VIII from this weekend, while other educational institutions are being closed for the winter vacation from next weekend. The schools have been shut since the current unrest began in July.
Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 17

The killing of three soldiers in an ambush by militants in Pampore, near Srinagar, on Saturday among other things is the result of pro-militancy and violence narrative by Kashmiri political leaders and the BJPs inability to take a stand against these elements.

All the energies for the next couple of days would be channelised in determining how and why of the terror attack at Pampore, which has become a favourite spot of the militants to attack the convoys of security forces, but the fact that how this overall atmosphere has turned in favour of such attacks would remain unaddressed.

The political leaders like Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and her predecessors Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah have created a halo around Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8. So far, none of these leaders and those from other parties like the Congress and CPM has been critical of Burhan. If separatists and Pakistan hailed him as a martyr, these leaders and parties have silently endorsed that aura-filled profile.

The Army is made to defend its own acts of omission and commission. There are high-profile visits, which have become rather more frequent after the September 18th attack at the Army base at Uri in which 20 soldiers lost their lives. November 29  exactly two months after the surgical strikes at the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (September 29th), the political narrative in the Valley has been accusatory toward the Army.

Mehbooba, Omar and Farooq Abdullah have adopted a single line that the dialogue with Pakistan should be started. Omar says the need for the dialogue with Pakistan and other stakeholders is unquestionable. Mehbooba asserts that there is no other option available except to talk to Islamabad. Farooq claims that no solution would come forth unless the talks are held with Pakistan leadership. Except for some appeal to Pakistan not to allow its soil to be used for disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir by Mehbooba Mufti, all other leaders speak as if the whole fault lay with India for making talking terror-first as a starting point of bilateral talks with Pakistan.

The home-schooling in Kashmir is encouraging hate-India campaign. This is generating a atmosphere conducive for terrorists and their actions. In this atmosphere, it is neither the first, nor the last attack.
New Delhi, December 18

Opposition parties on Sunday questioned the central governments decision to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat by superseding two senior officers.

The development came a day after the government appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new army chief superseding his two senior officers.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari demanded to know why two senior officers  Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Command chief Lt Gen PM Hariz  were superseded.

"With all due respect to Gen Rawat's professionalism and no personal animus towards anybody, there is a legitimate question that why has that supersession taken place," he said, calling the central government's defence that the grand old party had made similar decisions in the 80s and that latest decision was not unprecedented "complete nonsense".

"Every situation has its own context and, therefore nothing can be extrapolated out of context in order to justify a supersession. So, therefore the government needs to answer this legitimate question as to why these senior army commanders were superseded," he said.

"Did the government have anything against them? Was their professionalism in question? What was the reason and I guess the army being a public institution the country deserves those answers," Tewari said.

CPI leader D Raja also questioned the government's move.

"Appointments in the army have become controversial, the appointments in the judiciary are already controversial, the appointments of CVCs, CBI director and to Central Information Commission, all these top-level appointments are becoming very controversial," he said.

Also read:



Bipin Rawat to be Army Chief, Dhanoa to head IAF



Govt names new IB, RAW chiefs

Calling the development "very unfortunate", Raja said it was not in the interest of democracy and the country.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said although such appointments were the central governments prerogative, the ruling dispensation cannot brush aside considerations such seniority, competence and integrity.

NCP leader Majeed Memon said: The Army Chief's appointment is a prerogative of the government, but you cannot just brush aside all considerations like seniority, competence, integrity and the degree, services and performances that are expected from a man who is incumbent.

The Army chief, RAW chief, CBI chief, these are all vitally important positions where we expect the service to the nation and Indian society must be up to the mark, otherwise we suffer either externally or internally.

'Politics'



The BJP has criticised the Congress for questioning its decision and politicising the issue.

BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh said it was extremely unfortunate that the Congress looks to politicise everything.

Therefore, the Congress spokesperson (Manish Tewari) should resist about it because the chief of the Army has been appointed and this is not the first time that the supersession have been done, Singh said.

There are other cases in the Indian Air Force, Indian Navyalso the same thing has happened. So, let's not politicise each and everything and particularly when it comes to the Indian armed forces. It's very sad that the Congress is trying to politicise this appointment, he added.

Meanwhile, Ministry of Defence (MoD) sources have stated that Lt. General. Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed as the next Chief of Army Staff, was found best suited among current batch of candidates of Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.

Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Indian Army's Eastern Command at Kolkata, and the senior most General to succeed Dalbir Singh, was superseded in the appointment.

And Air Marshal Dhanoa was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons, and in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters.  Agencies
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The government tonight appointed Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the next Chief of Army Staff, superseding two seniormost commanders  Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt Gen PM Hariz.

The last time an Army commander was superseded was in 1983 when General AS Vaidya was appointed Army Chief. In protest, his senior Lt Gen SK Sinha had quit.

The government tonight also appointed Air Marshal BS Dhanoa, the Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force, as the next Chief. Air Marshal Dhanoa is a fighter pilot who commanded a fighter squadron during the Kargil conflict and himself flew night-strike missions in the mountainous terrain.

He has served as Senior Air Staff Officer of two operational Commands and commanded the South Western Air Command. Son of a former Punjab Chief Secretary, SS Dhanoa, he is the third officer from the Sikh community to be elevated to the highest rank, the other two being Marshal of the IAF Arjan Singh and Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh (1981 to 1984).

Lt Gen Rawat and Air Marshal Dhanoa will take over in the afternoon of December 31.
Lucknow, December 17

Responding to a PIL, the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court today asked the Election Commission to inform it about the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha election schedule.

The Division Bench has fixed December 22 as the next date for hearing the PIL seeking directions for the holding of assembly elections in April-May, 2017.

The PIL filed by advocate Pratibha Pandey cited the extreme cold conditions during January and February when the nomination and campaigning is likely to be conducted as causing convenience to the voters. He also sought clarity on the term of the present 16th Vidhan Sabha. The court has asked the counsel for Election Commission Manish Mathur to furnish a reply on December 22.  TNS
Imphal, December 18

Curfew was imposed on Sunday in certain parts of Imphal East district of Manipur in view of continued violence in the region following Friday's triple blasts.

The curfew comes into force from this noon and covers Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district and will continue till further directions, an order issued by the District Magistrate said.

The government's decision to clamp the curfew follows the shutting down of mobile internet services in Imphal West district to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites.

The landlocked state has been experiencing severe hardship in supply of essential items since November 1 after United Naga Council (UNC) imposed an indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways that serve as lifeline for the state.

The blockade was imposed following the state government's announcement of formation of seven new districts, four of which have been formally inaugurated.

Tension in the state heightened after suspected militants continued their violent attacks on Manipur Police and other state forces in the last few days that left three policemen dead and 14 others injured last Thursday.

The attack was followed by triple bomb blasts at Nagaram area in Imphal West district allegedly by Manipur Naga People's Front on Friday.

In another incident, suspected militants overpowered a small outpost of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) at Nungkao area yesterday in Tamenglong district and fled with nine service weapons.  PTI
Rome, December 17

Italy's highest court has suspended a sentence handed earlier this year to the former boss of aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica, Giuseppe Orsi, for false accounting and corruption in connection with the sale of 12 luxury helicopters to India, the Italian media reported.

The decision came yesterday after both the defence and the prosecution requested a suspension on the plea that the Milan appeals court's sentence in April differed too vastly from an earlier ruling.

in April , Orsi was sentenced to four-a-half-years in jail for false accounting and corruption. The court handed a four-year jail term on the same charges to Bruno Spagnolini, former head of AgustaWestland, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica.

The court of cassation has referred the case back to the appeals tribunal. The Italian media believes that the case will be closed when the statute of limitation expires in March 2017. The case against Orsi and Spagnolini resulted from an investigation launched in 2012 into the sale of 12 luxury helicopters to India.

Orsi was arrested in 2014. He resigned as chief executive of the aerospace group a short while later. India cancelled the deal with AgustaWestland in January 2014 amid allegations that the company had paid bribes to win the 556-million-euro (USD 753 million) contract.The aborted deal was a severe setback for Finmeccanica already hammered by the global financial crisis.  AFP

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Tyagi in jail till Dec 30

New Delhi: Former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi was on Saturday sent to judicial custody till December 30 after the CBI said he was not required for further custodial interrogation in the AgustaWestland chopper scam. Special CBI judge Arvind Kumar also sent Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan, the two co-accused, to jail after the probe agency did not seek their further custody. The three have moved their bail applications which will be heard on December 21. Tyagi's counsel submitted that the Italian top court had ordered retrial of ex-Finmeccanica executives in the chopper scam case, which made the CBI's stand weak.The court said it would take up the matter on the next date of hearing. PTI
Nepal and Qatar sign Activation Plan of MoU on Migration

Nepal Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) of Qatar have signed the 11-point Activation Plan of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on migration amid a programme here Sunday.
New Delhi, December 17

The Centre today clarified that there were provisions in the Income Tax Act to scrutinise the accounts of political parties.

Referring to reports that income-tax returns of political parties registered with the Election Commission cannot be scrutinised with regard to deposit of demonetised notes, the Finance Ministry said: There are enough provisions in the Income Tax Act to scrutinise the accounts of the political parties and these are also subject to other provisions, including filing of returns.

It said the exemption from income tax is given to only registered political parties subject to conditions like maintenance of books and other documents to enable the assessing officer to deduce their income.

Political parties have to maintain records of voluntary contributions in excess of Rs 20,000, including the names and addresses of the donors. The accounts of each such party are to be audited by a chartered accountant, the ministry said. TNS

Probe party accounts

We demand setting up of an independent commission to probe into bank account details of political parties over the past five years, to investigate their sources of funding. Arvind Kejriwal, AAP convener

Why spare some

#DeMonetisation means it is #DeMonetisation for all. Same rules for everyone. If 500/1000 are illegal tender, how are they trying to show that there is a division btwn common people & political parties? Mamata Banerjee, Trinamool Congress chief

Wheres the quake?

MPs were scared and worried how they would get out of Parliament after the quake. But since there was no earthquake, there is a feeling that we can sleep peacefully. Sharad Pawar, NCP chief

WONDER WHY NO PROTESTS

It is a disaster. Wonder why people arent venting ire. Possibly, they do not want to squander their lifetime wealth and are desperate to take it to their respective bank accounts. Sharad Yadav, JD-U leader
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The government today cleared the names of senior IPS officers Rajiv Jain and Anil Dhasmana to head Indias internal (IB) and external (RAW) intelligence agencies, respectively. Both will have two years fixed tenure from the date they take charge of their offices.

Rajiv Jain, a Jharkhand-cadre officer of 1980 batch, who is currently serving in the Intelligence Bureau as Special Director, will take over the office on January 1, when incumbent Dineshwar Sharma will complete his two-year tenure on December 31.

Earlier, it was learnt that the government had offered Sharma an extension, but he declined the offer. He is considered to be close to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, as Sharma had served under him when he was the IB chief and was handpicked in 2015 by superseding two of his senior colleagues at that time.

Jain has served in various departments of the IB, including the sensitive Kashmir desk. He was adviser to the previous NDA governments interlocutor on Kashmir KC Pant when talks were held with separatist leaders like Shahbir Shah.

Dhasmana will take over the reins of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) from Rajinder Khanna, who also completes his tenure this year-end.

A Madhya Pradesh-cadre officer of 1981 batch, Dhasmana has been with RAW for 23 years during which he has served on important desks, including Pakistan. His name for the post started doing the rounds in May itself. Earlier, he headed the Aviation Research Centre in RAW.

Experts believe his knowledge about Balochistan became a crucial factor that contributed to his elevation to the top position.
Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

India and Tajikistan today came together on two important issues  cooperation in countering terrorism and enhancing connectivity via the strategic Chabahar Port. This was announced at the end of talks between visiting Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today.

Modi said he and Rahmon discussed defence and security ties as the threat from terrorism endangers not just our two countries. It casts a long shadow of instability over the entire region. The PM added Indias membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would be a valuable platform to work closely on regional security and counter-terrorism efforts with Tajikistan.

He pitched for increasing connectivity via the Chabahar Port and said: India supports initiatives to develop the port and transport infrastructure and connecting it through road and rail network to Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia.
Imphal, December 18

Manipur Government has ordered immediate suspension of internet services in Imphal West district two days after three blasts rocked the city.

Imphal Wests district magistrate has asked telecom operators to suspend mobile data service until further orders. Security has also been heightened across the district.

Major areas of the state capital fall in Imphal West district, where the three blasts occurred within a period of an hour on Friday evening.

The Cabinet decision came after analysis of the prevailing law and order situation and to halt spreading of rumours through social networking sites, officials said.

The district witnessed a shutdown on Saturday to protest militant attacks on Manipur Police in different parts of the state in the past few days. Three policemen were killed and 14 others wounded in the attacks.  PTI
Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, December 17

The multi-millionaire tea and snacks vendor of Gujarat, Kishore Bhajiyawala, currently on the radar of the Income Tax department, maintained close links with many top BJP leaders in the state.

Fond of taking selfies, Kishore had clicked many of his and his son Jitendras photographs with some senior BJP leaders and several of them have found their way to the social media. Among the BJP leaders are Union Minister Purshottam Rupala, former CM Anandiben Patel, BJP national vice-president Om Mathur and Vishwa Hindu Parishad president Pravin Togadiya. In several of the pictures, he and his son were seen wearing BJP scarf as active members of the ruling party.

Rupala has issued a statement denying he knew the vendor, who ran a stall at Udhana in Surat and had also turned a money-launderer over the past few years.

The latest assessment said the vendor was not worth Rs 250 crore, but over Rs 400 crore with the seizure today of more gold, silver bars, diamond jewellery, property and other assets. He and his family members were found to holding 42 bank accounts and many still undisclosed bank lockers.
Bijay Sankar Bora

Around 855 persons laid down their lives while participating in Assam agitation (1979-85) against illegal migrants. However, it was only on December 10, which is observed as Swahid Divas, that the state government officially paid tributes to these persons. CM Sarbananda Sonowal of the BJP-led government led people of Assam in paying tributes to the 855 martyrs who were his comrades in arms during the largest and the longest non-violent mass agitation in independent India.

The state government handed over Rs 5 lakh each as token financial assistance to the next of kin of these persons besides making an announcement to set up a memorial to them. The first martyr of Assam Agitation, Khargeswar Talukdar, laid down his life on December 10, 1979. Sonowal, who was a leader of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) that led the agitation, said, The supreme sacrifice made by the martyrs of Assam Agitation will be well complemented only when the indigenous people of Assam, irrespective of caste, creed and religion remained united in the process of building a strong and resourceful state of Assam within India.

Constitutional safeguards

A round table initiated by the Assam Government in coordination with non-government think tanks on Friday in presence of civil society leaders explored ways to provide constitutional safeguards to the rights of the indigenous people in the face of onslaught of illegal migrants from Bangladesh as well as the Centres move to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, especially Bengali Hindus refugees from Bangladesh.

Participating in the deliberation, Assams health, education, finance etc., minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said, About 2.8 lakh foreigners who re-entered Assam during 1971 after being expelled in 1965-67 had multiplied into about 30 lakh, and all other citizens of the state should stand united against the aggression of these infiltrators.

Diktat for madrassas

Amid vociferous protests by Muslim bodies all over the state, the Education Department has issued an order asking all madrassas to do away with the practice of remaining closed every Friday. The order said the madrassas at all level in the state must remain open on Fridays like any other government-run educational institutions in the state.

1st carbon-neutral district

The Assam Government has initiated a project to make the river island district of Majuli the first carbon-neutral district in the country. To achieve the goal, the Department of Environment and Forest has launched a project for sustainable action for climate resilient development in majuli river island.
Lucknow, December 18

Terming demonetisation as a "conspiracy" of BJP and the Prime Minister, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said people of Uttar Pradesh, "who made Narendra Modi the PM", will now teach BJP a lesson for the "anti-people" step.

"The step is aimed at depositing money of ordinary people in banks to improve their financial condition and to waive loans of people like Vijay Mallya. It has been done to help big industrialists, who have taken loans of over Rs 8 lakh crore from banks...," the AAP leader alleged at a rally here.

Calling the note ban as "anti-people", Kejriwal said, "People of UP, from where BJP got 73 (out of 80) Lok Sabha seats (including two of ally Apna Dal) will now teach BJP a lesson for the conspiracy."

After demonetisation, he alleged, "record corruption" was done in the country and added that "not only the step and intentions but execution was also bad".

Questioning claims of Modi that demonetisation was a step to curb black money, Kejriwal asked why not a single person was jailed when the government had a list of people who had stashed away money in foreign banks.

"If he sends two or four such persons to jail, corruption will end in the country," he said.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hinted that not all of the Rs 15.44 lakh crore worth of currency junked will be remonetised through issuance of new notes as he said digital currency will fill the gap.

Calling the scrapping of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes as a courageous step, he said the government could do it as India today had the capacity to take such decisions and experiment boldly.

Addressing the 89th annual general meeting of industry body FICCI, Jaitley called for reduced use of cash as the downside of a cash-heavy economy were tax non-compliance, escaping the tax net and use of cash for illegal purpose. One of the efforts of this exercise has to be that even though a reduced cash currency could remain, our conscious effort is to supplement the rest with digital currency, he said.

The Minister said demonetisation would create a new Indian normal as the one that existed for the past seven decades was unacceptable. He said over the past five weeks, there had been a significant increase in the usage of digital modes of payments and a majority of people had supported the move. He said the transformation would have to be taken to its logical conclusion. To take bold decisions, one needs to have clarity of direction, courage and stamina to sustain the reforms process and government is determined for this, he said.

Jaitley said global economy was moving along a slower pace than seen earlier and there was a growing wave of cynicism, protectionism and people are relying on unconventional solutions. As these global trends are not particularly helpful for any country, thus each nation has to find its own course, he added.

Once the remonetisation process was complete, it would mark the creation of a new Indian normal because the normal that existed for 70 years is an unacceptable normal, he said. (With PTI inputs)
Amritsar, December 18

Three persons have been arrested with 600 gram of heroin and Rs 12 lakh in new currency in Punjab's Amritsar district, police said on Sunday.

The three were arrested outside a Suvidha centre in Pataka market on Chamrang road before they could deliver the heroin.

The counter-intelligence unit arrested Karaj Singh, Malkeet Singh and Jaswinder Singh  all residents of Ghulamiwala village in Ferozepur district  following a tip-off, said Inspector General of Police M F Farooqui.

Police said a total of Rs 15.49 lakh was seized from them, and out of that Rs 12 lakh were in the new high-value notes.

On Thursday, Punjab police arrested Gurnam Singh and recovered 5 kg of heroin from his possession. The police said the contraband was smuggled into India from Pakistan.

Gurnam has sold a part of the heroin to the three persons arrested today, police said, adding that the three had come here to deliver the heroin to someone in Amritsar.

The accused have been booked under relevant sections of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.  PTI
Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 17

It was on the advice of three key departments of the Punjab Government that Governor VP Singh Badnore decided against signing an ordinance regularising the services of 27,059 ad hoc/ temporary/contractual employees in Punjab.

The states Finance Department, Personnel Department and Legal Remembrancer gave a plethora of reasons why the state could ill-afford to regularise such a large number of employees, while raising concerns about the procedures being followed when these employees were first appointed.

Even though the office of the Advocate General, Punjab, gave the go-ahead to the Punjab Employees Welfare Bill 2016, the office of the Governor was apprehensive of giving the ordinance its stamp of approval.

It appears the Governor chose not to ignore the strong objections raised by the three departments.

The Finance Department warned against burdening the future generations of Punjab with liability in perpetuity. It also said fresh recruitment of 1.13 lakh employees would entail an additional burden of Rs 86,579 crore in the next 25 years. It listed the additional liabilities, post the signing of UDAY scheme and the budgetary provisions for food procurement (Rs 1,100 crore per annum).

The Legal Remembrancer expressed reservations that the proposed legislation could mean a backdoor entry for employees.  There is no barometer to determine who was validly appointed, it said, while pointing out that the clause keeping the legislation out of the ambit of court scrutiny may not be legally tenable.

The Personnel Department wanted to know what would be the future of the employees being regularised under Central and state-sponsored schemes once these schemes expired.

When no assessment has been done on the redundancy of certain schemes/projects, should such sweeping laws be enacted? The salaries are fixed based on the total grant received under the sponsored schemes. Who will bear the additional burden once these persons are on the rolls of the government? it asked.

The department noted that no proper record was available on the procedure having been followed during recruitment. It also said it would not be advisable to have people in the dying cadres regularised.

The Akali-BJP government has now called a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on Monday to pass Bills in place of the proposed ordinances regarding staff regularisation. It remains to be seen whether the Governor signs the Bills ahead of the code of conduct.
NRA forwards proposal to revise technicians incentives

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has forwarded a proposal to the government on raising incentives and facilities for technical human resources mobilised in 11 earthquake affected districts
Cong responsible for agri crisis: Sampla

Chandigarh:Union Minister and state BJP president Vijay Sampla has said that the people are aware of the politics played by the Congress over agricultural issues. He said the policies of successive Congress governments during the past seven decades were responsible for the agricultural crisis in the country. In a statement issued on Saturday, Sampla said the Congress leaders could have discussed this important issue during the winter session of Parliament, but they chose otherwise and disrupted the House proceedings. Now, they were playing politics, he said. tns
Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 17

Carrying cash in the state will soon be monitored by various agencies as the Election Commission (EC) wants to ensure a check on the misuse of cash in the poll-bound state.

In the backdrop of the demonetisation drive, the EC fears that political outfits could use money power to woo voters during elections and have passed strict guidelines to district-level polling officials to ensure compliance. The EC wants that cash under Rs 10 lakh be probed for its source while income tax officials be informed if the cash seized is above this figure.

Though sources say that the use of cash would be minimal in these elections as no one would be able to accumulate the new currency in quick time, however, we cannot take chances, said a senior official.

The recent guidelines are stricter than EC instructions issued during Assembly elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry in early 2016 where cash seizures had crossed Rs 113 crore.

Sources said that the EC, as part of its measures to curb black money in elections, has planned to deploy expenditure observers.

The poll panel has also asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Financial Intelligence Unit to keep a strict vigil on movement of unaccounted cash.

A high-level coordination meeting of Punjab and Haryana police officers was held in Patiala on Friday to discuss the issue. The officers discussed in detail how to seal borders to check cash and drugs intrusion.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 17

Former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu may contest the Assembly elections from Amritsar East on Congress ticket, instead of his wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu.

This was indicated by Congress leaders who arrived here today after the announcement of the partys first list of candidates. The leaders included PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh.

While Dr Sidhu has already joined the Congress along with Olympian Pargat Singh, it is being speculated that Sidhu may follow the suit soon.

Talking to The Tribune recently, she had stated that both of them intended to work only in the state. The Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha pertains to a different arena with more responsibilities. If you need direct intervention in the state affairs and the Vidhan Sabha is an ideal platform. We both have a clear focus  to work for the welfare of Punjab with Amritsar on a priority, Dr Sidhu had said.
Jasmine Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 18

Recognising the whole human race as one, it is this teaching of the guru that forms the basis of the International NGO Khalsa Aid, founded by Ravinder Singh from UK.

To serve this belief, the volunteers of the organisation are ready to travel to any place of calamity to save those caught in a dire situation.

Khalsa Aid has undertaken numerous missions in India and across the world. Its current engagement in northern Iraq has been noticed worldwide.

Ravinder Singh with a grey flowing beard, a dastar, and armed with a smile, is currently in Syria carrying on his humanitarian work.

He has been raising voice for the Aleppo. Their suffering has gone on for far too long. We urge the British Government and the rest of the world to act fast and save the lives of lakhs of civilians at risk in Aleppo. The civilians must be protected by all parties, especially the children, adds the man whose charity has been widely thanked for its selflessness on social media.

Apart from this, Khalsa Aid has also helped to rehabilitate and rescue women from the ISIS.

Their relief team has been supporting Yezidi and Khalsa Aid has been supporting Yazidi and Assyrian refugees in Iraq since 2014.

In January 2016 we initiated a food and water project for 350 refugee families in northern Iraq. The food (langar) provided by Khalsa Aid is the only hope for these families who are living in isolated locations.

This is exactly where langar (free food) is needed, says Amarpreet Singh, managing director of Khalsa Aid in India, who shares how the organisation and its volunteers have initiated various rescue missions.

We provide relief to the victims and this doesnt fall in a stipulated time frame, sometimes the relief mission can go on for a long time.

It is one such mission that has been much talked about in India and abroad, the case of 39 missing Indians in Iraq. Amarpreet happened to be in the place when the incident happened. Khalsa Aid did try their best to get information on the missing Indians.

We got their partners in touch with Kurdish people and the police, but in vain. There has been no information on them so far, no video, no pictures, nothing. With ISIS around one has to carry the relief work with some caution. We are concerned about the safety but we have no information on them yet.

The organisation is trying to get information on the missing Indians from those who are fleeing from the ISIS clutches in Mosul.
Sarika Sharma

For long, Bhai Ram Singh was presumed to be just another helper with the British architects. Even the footnotes in history books bore no mention of his name or work. A century after his death, he still lies forgotten in the very cities that he defined with his landmark creations. The year that went by marked his death centenary. Not one commemoration, on either side of the Border.

Ram Singh was a child prodigy. Legend has it that when the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar failed to get his wifes piano repaired, someone told him about this magical son of a carpenter from Rasulpur village near Batala. The officer was not let down.

It is said that, by 16, Bhai Ram Singh had mastered his craft. Soon, he joined the Lahore School of Carpentry and then the Mayo School of Art (now National College of Art) under the tutelage of John Lockwood Kipling, a painter and sculptor, also father of writer Rudyard Kipling. He went on to create what are considered architecture marvels today: Khalsa College, Amritsar, The Lahore Museum, Punjab University Library, Lahore, and the pulpit of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study at Shimla among them. His reputation spread far and wide, far enough for Queen Victoria to invite him to design an Indian room in one of her palaces.

This came to be known as the Durbar Room at Osborne House in the UK. The British gentry then were in awe of Queen Victorias secret Indian architect. Today too, visitors at the Osborne House are particularly interested in the man, tells Michael Hunter, curator of Osborne, English Heritage.

They want to know more about him. Who was he? Where did he come from? What other work did he do apart from that at Osborne and Bagshot Park? Hunter says. Despite all the interest, he feels Bhai Ram Singh remains a bit of a shadowy figure and more research needs to be done to bring the focus on him.

Earlier this year, an exhibition was organised on Bhai Ram Singh and the Durbar Room by students from the University of Southampton under Ian Talbot, professor of Modern British History. He says that the exhibition held outside Durbar Room attracted numerous people. The linkage between Victoria and India is well-known and helps explain the Durbar Room architecture.

He says Bhai Ram Singh was the star pupil at the Mayo School of Arts in Lahore and was, therefore, chosen by its principal John Lockwood Kipling when the commission was made by Victoria.

As it was on the itinerary of visits to Lahore, Mayo was well known to the British aristocracy and royals. Kipling was also well known and had undertaken a commission for the Duke and Duchess of Connaught in which Bhai Ram Singh was involved for providing wood carvings for a billiard room in Indian style at their Bagshot Park, country retreat in Surrey. Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Queen Victorias 3rd son, had earlier visited Mayo School of Arts. So, it all fits together and resulted in Bhai Ram Singh going to Osborne. He, in fact, spent some time in London while overseeing the work, travelling down to Osborne from time to time. While in London, he was feted in the high society as Queen Victorias Indian architect.

However, both history and hearsay failed Bhai Ram Singh. Lahore-based educationist and architect-planner Sajida Vandal realised this when she occupied the very chair that was once occupied by Bhai Ram Singh as principal of the erstwhile Mayo School of Arts, now the National College of Arts. The popular narrative before our research was that the college buildings were designed by Kipling. It was rather difficult to believe this colonial construct as he was a sculptor and the intricate architecture and brick detailing required a person with good knowledge of architecture, says Vandal. She, along with her husband Pervaiz Vandal, understood this and that led to the unravelling of the great works and life of Bhai Ram Singh. They penned their seminal work on the master: The Raj, Lahore and Bhai Ram Singh in 2006.

Rawal Singh Aulakh, assistant professor at Guru Nanak Dev University, says Bhai Ram Singhs designs were more inspired from folk architecture. The proportions, scale, rhythmical fenestrations, series of horizontal bands, flanking tower-like minarets... They were not a copy of any specific architectural vocabulary, but were a result of an abstraction of existing designs. He says it is quite possible that the designers from this region could have been more like the writers of folk architecture. He says that while we dont respect Bhai Ram Singh or the importance of his works, they speak volumes of the architectural field today also. The exemplary play of shade and shadow, the orientation of buildings, the mass-space relationships A lot could be learnt from his designs.

However, our skewed sense of history fails us. When the Vandals had penned the book, they had hoped that their effort would lead to search for other architects of the colonial period. That did not happen. We have also tried that the archival material on Bhai Ram Singh, lying with his family and other places, is collected to properly honour a great son of the soil and an archives is set up. Sadly, this too did not happen, she says.

The book incidentally is out of print, but Sajida hopes any word on Bhai Ram Singh will raise interest in the genius. Why cant an exhibition of his works be organised to invite attention of a native architect? she asks. If only there was a coherent answer to this query!

Indian designs in Britain

Michael Hunter, the curator at Osborne House, says the Indian style architecture was popular In Britain for a brief period, towards the end of the nineteenth century. It was used in the 1880s for the billiard room at Bagshot Park near Windsor, the home of the Duke of Connaught, one of Queen Victorias sons. Its interior was designed by Bhai Ram Singh under the supervision of Lockwood Kipling. In 1890, Kipling was asked to submit an Indian design for Osborne and, the following year, he arrived with Bhai Ram Singh to discuss the scheme with Queen Victoria and her daughter, Princess Louise, herself an accomplished sculptress. Temporary Indian cotton hangings covered the bare walls until the decoration was completed in 1893. The deeply coffered panelled ceiling is composed of fibrous plaster by G. Jackson & Sons of London, taken from moulds produced under the supervision of Bhai Ram Singh. The walls are enriched with plaster and carton pierre, a type of papier mache common in the late nineteenth century. Every surface is richly embellished from the ceiling to the white walls, which are enlivened by teak framing. The decoration includes the symbols of Lord Ganesha and a peacock over the chimney piece. Jacksons had 26 craftsmen working on the chimney piece and over the mantel. Over 500 hours were spent producing the peacock alone, which was equivalent to one man working solidly for 10 weeks.
Shonali Prakash

December 12, 2016: A 21-year-old call centre employee is gangraped in the busiest area of Chandigarh. She had hired an autorickshaw at the time which would not be termed as late night. It was just 8.30 pm. The incident, which occurred around the fourth anniversary of the gruesome Nirbhaya case, is a grim reminder of how nothing has changed, and how we are still struggling to define womens safety...

The latest figures of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) indicate that even four years after the incident, which apparently shook the countrys soul and saw many people out on the streets against the heinous crime, the safety of women is an issue that remains unaddressed.

The crime against women continues to go unabated. The NCRB statistics revealed that in 2015, out of the 3.27 lakh reported cases of crime against women, nearly 35,000 were those of rape and more than 2,000 of gangrape and 8,600 of assault or use of criminal force with the intent to disrobe the woman. The domestic crime graph is said to have hit a new low following reports of rape videos costing between Rs 20 and Rs 200 being sold in various towns of Uttar Pradesh.

These facts are not very surprising or shocking, says Dr Sunitha Krishnan, chief functionary of Prajwala, an anti-human trafficking organisation. If you go through the content of various pornographic websites on the internet over the past few years, you will find there is a separate genre for rape videos. While it was already going on commercially at the international level, it has now reached the masses in India.

Krishnan, a gangrape survivor herself, started Shame the Rapist campaign last year. She edited the two WhatsApp rape videos that she had received, blurred the images of the victim completely, highlighted the faces of the rapists and posted these on YouTube. Her hard-hitting campaign that knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court through a public interest litigation (PIL). The judgment, to be announced shortly, will be based on her recommendations for a detailed sex-offenders register, among others.

In January this year, a 40-year-old ASHA worker, allegedly raped by a 20-year-old in Muzaffarnagar, committed suicide after a video of the gruesome offence was circulated on WhatsApp by the accused.

It is a dead-end situation for the victim because once the video is shot, there is no closure for her for a lifetime even if she wins the caseand the perpetrators are punished, says Krishnan. Once the video is out, it cannot be blocked or deleted. The severe psychological impact of the recorded rape, on the victim, is of no concern to her perverse abusers, who treat her like a sex toy in a (grotesque) game to be enjoyed.

A survivors diary

The survivors require much more attention from the society, feels Anirban Guhathakurta, counsel for Kolkatas 2012 Park Street gangrape victim, Suzette Jordan. Helping her get back to normalcy may make things much easier. A survivor is not only attacked physically but also tormented mentally after such an incident. So there is a need for enormous emotional support for her to combat such a situation.

Moreover, protecting the abuser and attacking the character of the victim is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken for justice to prevail and for the rapist to receive the ostracism and punishment he deserves.

Suzette waived her right to anonymity a year after the incident to support other victims of sexual abuse. Besides the crime she endured, what was probably equally traumatic was the manner in which she was publicly disbelieved, mocked at and harassed.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee even allegedly described her case as a fabricated incident. Yet the pressure didnt deter Suzette from turning into an anti-rape campaigner and womens rights activist. Finally, three of the five accused were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment each in December 2015. Posthumously victorious, Suzette passed away in March last year.

Justice will come only when every person decides to stand up for the victim and says we are not going to tolerate any rapist among us. If that person is ostracised, shamed and isolated the way victims are harassed, then the rapist will fear the outcome of his actions, concludes Krishnan.

POLITICALLY INCORRECT

Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party leader, Maharashtra: Any woman, whether married or unmarried, goes along with a man, with or without her consent, should be hanged. Both should be hanged. It shouldnt be allowed, even if a woman goes by consent.

Satyadev Katare, Congress leader, MP: No man will harass a woman till she looks at him in a suggestive manner.

Botsa Satyanarayana, former president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee: Just because India achieved freedom at midnight does not mean that women can venture out after dark.

Anirban Guhathakurta: Counsel for Suzette Jordan

I have never seen someone as courageous as Suzette. The counsel for the (then) accused tried to humiliate her many times but could not do so because of her very courage. Unfortunately in our society a (rape) survivor is also questioned as to what she was doing outside her house at late hours. One day when Suzette was severely humiliated in court in the name of cross examination, I had a big argument with the other sides counsel. To my utter surprise Suzette was shivering in pain and trauma. She was repeatedly asking Why does a girl always face questions about her chastity when she is raped? If a girl attends a party and makes friends there, does that give them a license to rape her? I will never forget her questions.
Rachna Khaira in Jalandhar

Gurnoor (name changed) is sitting, lost in her kaccha house in Rama Mandi area of the city. She has quietly kept aside her wedding suit brought by her mother a few months back. The colour of henna on her hands has started fading as she nervously clutches at her dupatta. Shrill, she calls out her mother. She had married an unknown boy with whom she traveled all the way to some place in Australia.

I did well in my college and wanted to study architecture. But my family asked me to clear the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Exam to increase my matrimonial value. I was told if I got above 6 Band, I would have easily fetched Rs 22-25 lakh for my family. Also, I could get my younger brother settled abroad, says Gurnoor.

The marriage was solemnized at a gurdwara in Mohali through an agent. He had hired a few people to act as relatives. We took only one phera around the Holy Guru Granth Sahib, says the girl as she bursts into tears.

She took the boy to Australia as promised by her family, but returned after going through hell. He (fake husband) was into drugs. Though we had a contract marriage, he began to beat me up often out of fear that I might ditch him, making him ineligible for a permanent residence status. He tried to burn me alive once. Scared to my bones, I took the next available flight home without informing anyone, says Gurnoor. The girl with the help of an NGO is recovering from her traumatic memories. Yet her parents have begun looking for another fake husband who would again fetch some quick bucks.

The story of 32-year-old Gagandeep (name changed) is somewhat different. She is from Hoshiarpur. Speaking over the phone from Australia, she said she arrived there after a sham marriage in India around six years ago. The marriage was organized by a Mohali-based agent in a local gurudwara. The granthi, though opened the holy book, did not recite any hymn, said Gagandeep. She works as a nurse in a hospital in Australia and the boy too has got a permanent residence status.

Misleading ads

Dozens of sham marriage advertisements appear in vernacular dailies, clearly revealing a business of illegal immigration in Punjab. The ads marked Vyay Kaccha or Court marriage only invite expressions of interest especially from girls parents whose daughters score good grades in IELTS exam (above 6 points) and have dreams to travel to foreign shores. Mobile numbers are marked in bold fonts in such ads, making a mockery of laws and enforcement agencies monitoring.

For instance, a call made to a Sangrur-based family revealed that their daughter is a graduate in airlines and tourism management and needs a boy who can take her to Canada. What will she do here? She has got a 6.5 Band in IELTS and can easily settle abroad. After a few years, she can take her younger brother too there, said Paramjit Kaur, the mother. But what about the fake marriage? Will her daughter be safe?

Yes she will be fine. She herself wants to go abroad and can find a good match there. Nowadays it is difficult to find educated boys with permanent jobs in Punjab, said the mother.

Dangerous collusion

A call to a number mentioned in the ad is forwarded to an immigration consultant firm located at Sector 70 in Mohali. The ad reads: Jatt Sikh girl IELTS 6 band, Australia jaan wastey kharcha karan waale ladke di lor hai. Vyah kaccha (Jatt Sikh girl needs a boy who can bear her expenses to settle in Australia. Marriage would be a fake one).

A woman, identifying herself as Mannat, picks up the phone and says she is from an immigration consultancy. We have to spend Rs 2 lakh additionally for the event (marriage). Now, we have to show embassy people that your brother genuinely got married. We will arrange a traditional marriage (Lawan-Phere) and will even arrange a gathering by hiring around 100 people, said Mannat. She said if we manage some people from our side, the cost can be reduced a bit.

Another call takes this reporter to an immigration consultant opposite city bus stand in Jalandhar. Though he posed himself as the boys relative over the phone, he later introduced himself as an advocate.

She would study, he would work. You do not have to pay any dowry. She can do a course of her choice abroad. The deal is mutually beneficial, said the advocate, adding he recently got such a marriage done two days ago.

Family rift, unemployment

The division of family holdings, including agricultural land, has fuelled an obsession to seek fortunes abroad. Prof Lakhbir Singh, chairperson of Pahal NGO, has done a survey on the literacy patterns in Hoshiarpur. His findings: not only boys but girls too are obsessed with settling abroad. Continuing with ones academic studies is an easy excuse to achieve the objective.

They can travel abroad only on a study visa if they have uninterrupted study. This is also a reason why Hoshiarpur records a better sex ratio and the highest literacy rate in the state, says Singh. Girls are made to study as an investment for securing a fortune for the family, he says.

The temptation is so strong that many girls enter into sham matrimony more than once by taking divorce. Rakesh Aggarwal, Regional Passport Officer in Chandigarh, says it is difficult to check the authenticity of such cases. Scrutinizing each application of a divorced applicant may cause harassment to genuine individuals, he said.

Authorities indifferent, almost

Kirpal Singh Badhungar, chief, Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), accepts that the matter is serious. I will discuss it with the state government to initiate criminal action against those who post such ads in papers, said Badhungar.

Punjab State Women Commission chairperson Paramjit Kaur Landran initially termed the problem as personal matter of families. Later she said she would look into it. Such a marriage is a mockery of our sacred religious practices and can be termed sacrilege. Also, it is a violation of the Hindu Marriage Act and can invite criminal action. I will ensure speedy action against people who publish such ads, said Landran.
Vijay C Roy in Chandigarh

Lets test-drive a thought; lets drive a Royal Enfield, the Bullet. Lets ride through our love of roads or no roads: a gentle idling of the bike is thought-provoking enough. Like any other love, there is passion, sensuousness, a tactile closeness and a feel for the unsaid. Off we go, like a bullet traversing the air, the sound, a sputter, so familial, so conjuring. This is no machine, its a companion, says Balvinder Singh Oberoi (63).

Being managing director of the oldest functional Royal Enfield dealer in India, Oberoi knows the journey he and his family have travelled since 1957. For us it is not simply putting iron and steel together. Oberoi is the third generation entrepreneur, whose predilection for RE, as he calls it, surpasses everything else, perhaps more than his life. Even when Bullet was banned in Punjab during terrorism days, he kept himself afloat through a few contracts with the police and Air Force. His dealership Manmohan Auto Stores  headquartered in Chandigarhs Sector 27  came into existence in 1957, two years after Royal Enfield started an assembling unit in Madras (Chennai). (See Bullet history).

My late grandfather, Sardar Khajaan Singh, got dealership in Ambala. Then my father joined in. I was handed over the baton in 1983 after my graduation. My son is equally passionate about it. He will join me after his studies, says Oberoi, his eyes aglow.

In 1972, the Oberois shifted to Chandigarh handing over Ambala dealership to a relative. We sold around 120 bikes a year in 1981, says Balvinder. In 1983, he joined his father. Sales in those years were on a decline after terrorism hit Punjab and pillion riding was banned in Chandigarh. In the first year after I joined, we sold only 31 units. I was upset; the sale was too low to sustain ourselves. So we had to sell our Ambassador car. We had only one mechanic and a helper. The familys financial position went downhill.

We took up a contract of repairing 120 motorcycles of Chandigarh Police to make a living. I was available 24x7 even if that meant repairing a bike at midnight, recalls Balvinder. The contract later extended to the Air Force, leading to a mild financial recovery.

Those days were very frustrating. Once I told my father that we take up dealership of other new bikes. My father told me plainly that if I wanted to diversify, I could, but without using his name anywhere. I revolted, resisted, but finally gave up. My focus eventually became our own dealership, Oberoi said.

Sales started picking up in 1987. They sold over 100 bikes a year. We bought a car and started repaying our debts. From 1996 to 2006, I was judged number one dealer across India by registering highest sales, says Balvinder. In 2015-16, he sold around 4,000 bikes and this year, the sales are expected to register 4,800 units.

How about other high-end bicycles like Harley Davidson, Triump, DSK Benelli etc? He says rather patronizingly: They have expanded the market.

Our companys customers are more loyal than most other brands. They will always drive a RE. If they replace their old motorcycle, they will upgrade. They also act as our brand ambassadors.

An RE owner will bring others to his showroom. Driving a Bullet is like addiction. I have been riding it since 1968-69. I am 64 years old but I feel young while driving, says JS Cheema, a retired DSP from Chandigarh Police.

Sanjeev Kumar Sharma (52) is another passionate RE rider. My father bought me a Bullet in 1976, the heavy metal. Then I bought my own in 1986 and then 1991. I bought two Bullets in 2016 and gifted to my two sons.

Demonetization has had little impact on Enfield, the two-wheeler division of Eicher Motors. It reported 41% jump in total sales at 57,313 units in November. The manufacturer had sold 40,769 units in November 2015. Sales in the domestic market stood at 55,843 units as against 40,312 units in the same month last year, up 39%. Exports during the month jumped 222% to 1,470 units compared with 457 units in November. In 2015-16, Royal Enfield sold 498,791 motorcycles in the domestic market, 53% more than the previous years sale of 324,055 bikes.
Vandana Shukla in Chandigarh

Art has to find a space of its own, like a river flowing on with its own rhythm, its own subtle pauses over a vast expanse of familiarity. That way, there is much more life beyond art hubs in Delhi and Mumbai  as far down south as Kochi. First a small anecdote: Two Mumbai-based artistes, Bose Krishnamachari and Riyas Komu, wanted art to shift from Mumbai-Delhi galleries. They chose Kochi-Muziris Biennale, in spaces across Kochi, a city of layered history with its surrounding islands, including the mythical port of Muziris.

The first international non-commercial exhibition of contemporary art in India, KMB, began in 2012. When the Ministry of Tourism, Kerala, failed to live up to its promised support, the organizers relied on sponsorships and crows funding. The new model of managing an international art event  by peoples involvement  succeeded. Visitors grew from 1 lakh in 2012 to 5 lakh for the second biennale, held in 2014.

The KMB art shows are held in halls and site-specific installations in public spaces, heritage buildings and disused structures such as the abandoned spice godowns.

The Kochi Muziris Foundation offers lectures on art, conducts workshops, film shows and performance art shows through the year. Among many things, it focuses on developing educational outreach to promote contemporary art practices in the state-funded art colleges across India. The students biennale was introduced in 2014.

The first students' biennale was unimpressive. The only enduring image from the show was of a display by the students from Srinagar, of mud-smeared childrens footwear and school bags retrieved from the floods. While Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) showcases the best in contemporary art and curatorial practices, this exception stood out like a sore thumb.

The syllabus-based art education practised in India is frustrating at times. The lack of inter-disciplinary interface in art institutions is another hurdle. As we work in our respective departments  painting, sculpture and print  we dont know how to conceive an idea and project it differently. That would mean assimilating other forms such as performing arts, audio visual, narration and text to communicate at different levels simultaneously. We are used to working in compartments, says Shivdas, a student from BK College of Arts and Crafts, Bhubaneshwar, a participant at KM Students Biennale. He has undergone transformative processes in the last one year to put skills acquired at his college in a larger frame that offers multiple perspectives.

This year, about 400 students are participating for close to 110 projects/artworks that constitute part of students biennale, most of these are collaborative works. The projects have brought the students out of their syllabus-exam-degree cocoon. Unlike the first students biennale, when we got only three months, this time, preparations started in a well organized manner a year in advance, says Vivek Chockalingam, one of the 15 curators, working on students projects.

The curators spent significant time on researching the institutions, that included art syllabi and in engaging with the students. All the curators conducted workshops and seminars as a part of the process, the outcome of these processes could be geared towards an exhibit, or towards knowledge and process building. The year-long exercise paid dividends; unlike the previous year, instead of just one venue, the students biennale is spread over seven venues this year, across Bazar road in Mattancherry, Kochi.

The curators were selected through an open application process by a selection committee that comprised Kochi Biennale Foundation president, Bose Krishnamachari, director of programmes, Riyas Komu, education consultant, Meena Vari, and director of the foundation of Indian Contemporary Art (FICA) Vidya Shivadas. The participating students were selected by the curators by holding workshops and observing their potential to produce collaborative art work.

Each of the 15 curators took up three to four art colleges across India. Each followed ones own method of selection as well as the processes to conduct workshops. For example, I had a workshop Antique vs Me with students from three different institutions from Kerala. This was in an antique store connected to one of the venues (heritage arts). The workshop was based on creating an intervention in this space; trying to look at how these nostalgic objects could connect us to the present day. This eventually became a part of the final exhibition display, says Vivek.

For Aasma, from Ambedkar University, Delhi, the major experience of going through workshops was not to prepare a project for display. It was more about learning at every stage the responsibility to put images and visuals  works of art together  to develop on an idea.
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, December 18

Three youths from Uttarakhand, who had gone to work in Oman, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, are reportedly stuck there with their visas and other related documents being confiscated by their employers.

Dobra Pul Banao and Pratap Nagar Pichhda Kshetra Sangharsh Samiti chief coordinator Rajeshwar Prasad Painuli said Ranvir Singh, Dhanbeer Singh and Ravinder Singh had contacted him through telephone and sought help in getting them out of the countries where they have been stuck from the past several months.

Ranvir Singh from Doiwala, Dehradun, had gone to Oman to work in a restaurant. He has been stuck there with his valid travel documents confiscated by the restaurant owners. He has not received any salary from the past five months.

Dhanbeer Singh, son of Sunder Singh from Kyari village in Makhlogi Patti of Tehri Garhwal district, is stuck in Riyadh city of Saudi Arabia. He went to work in a company named Sharz Contracting- Est and has been convicted for not having the valid travel documents in his possession. Despite being jailed, he has not been deported and is working for pittance hiding away from authority. Painuli said in such cases the Indian Embassy could provide a transit visa to Dhanvir but he could only board a plane home after receiving a migration certificate from his employer or the Labour Court, which is out of his reach. The language barrier is also a big hindrance, Painuli said.

The third youth, Ravinder Singh, a resident of Makhet village in the Mayali development block of Rudraprayag district, went to work at Crystal Crown Hotel, Patling Zaya, in Malaysia as a chef on visitor visa, with an assurance that he would be provided regular work visa after a few days but he did not receive any such document and was sent to jail for breaking the local laws. Ravinders father has died and his mother is suffering of various ailments. Painuli said he has written to the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard and has demanded that the youths be brought back as soon as possible.

Earlier, people from South India and Punjab were heard of being stuck due to fraudulent activities of touts and illegal travel agents but with the increase in migration from the hills, many youths from the hill state are being reported to have fallen in the trap. The state government should look into the matter seriously and run an awareness campaign via its local intelligence units against such fraudulent agents and companies, Painuli said.

He was contemplating writing to the International Human Rights Council and Labour Court for helping youths stranded in foreign cities due to no fault of theirs, Painuli added.

When contacted, Chief Minister Harish Rawats media in charge Surendra Kumar said the Ministry of External Affairs was responsible for all citizens who had gone to work in foreign countries and the state government had little role to play in case of citizens landing in trouble.

He said he agents providing work to people of the country were registered under MEA and the onus lied on the Union Government to stop recurrence of such incidents. He appealed to residents not to use illegal touts and only apply through trusted and genuine channels while applying for jobs abroad.

Meanwhile, family members of the three youths have sought help from both state and Union Government in bringing back their wards.
Oli is on frontline to abort federalism: Bhattarai

Coordinator of Naya Shakti Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, has remarked that plans are afoot to forcefully abort the agenda of federalism.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 17

Hamara Uttarakhand Jan Manch (HUM) workers staged a demonstration at the recently inaugurated Balliwala flyover here today.

The party workers, led by Anoop Nautiyal, HUM patron and an independent candidate from the Dehradun Cantt Assembly seat, staged a protest carrying placards against the state government and the local MLA. They held them responsible for the poor condition of the flyover and the surrounding roads.

Nautiyal said the approach roads to the flyover have big potholes. It seems the state government was in a hurry to inaugurate the Balliwala flyover and that was the reason most of the approach roads have not even been repaired, he said questioning the intention of the government.
Tribune News Service

Mussoorie, December 17

Commercial Tax Department officials at a workshop organised by the Traders Association of Mussoorie held at a hotel here appealed to shopkeepers to get their units registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system till December 30.

Manish Mishra, Additional Commissioner, Commercial Tax, while addressing the traders, said no extra fee would be charged form traders who were already registered under VAT.

He added that from the next financial year the government was planning to introduce GST in the country for a better tax regime and such workshops were being organsied by the department to create awareness about the system. Traders having sales up to Rs 10 lakh have been excluded from the GST and will not have to register for it, he said.

He said there were some difficulty in connectivity with the online tax system but they were making arrangements in such a way that the traders did not have to face inconvenience. A system of compounding for traders who come under the ambit of Rs 50 lakh limit had been introduced under the GST.

Mishra said in cases of more than Rs 10 lakh sales the tax system would be online and for lesser sales it would be done manually. Traders should maintain their records and buy products form distributors with integrity. Mussoorie Traders Association president Rajat Aggarwal said traders with little knowledge of computers would face difficulty in assessing the GST system. In Uttar Pradesh traders doing business of Rs 20 lakh have been kept out of the ambit of the GST but in Uttarakhand the limit is Rs 10 lakh, he added. He demanded a Uttara Pradesh type criteria for traders in Uttarakhand.

Uttarakhand Hotel Association president Sandeep Sahni said the government decision to introduce GST was welcomed and most of the hoteliers had registered themselves under the system. Several traders cleared their doubts on the occasion. Assistant Commissioner, Commercial Tax, Sashikant Dubey, commercial tax official Lalit Mohan Dimri and trader Javed Khan were present on the occasion.
Aleppo, December 17

Thousands of trapped civilians and rebels waited desperately today for evacuations to resume from the last opposition-held areas of Aleppo after the operation was suspended by the Syrian regime.

A rebel representative said an agreement had been reached to allow more evacuations from the city, which has been ravaged by some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

But there was no confirmation from President Bashar al-Assads regime or its staunch allies Russia and Iran, which are under mounting international pressure to end what US President Barack Obama denounced as the horror in Aleppo.

Obama called yesterday for impartial observers to monitor efforts to evacuate civilians from the devastated city and warned Assad that he would not be able to slaughter his way to legitimacy.

Families spent the night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Al-Amiriyah district, which was the departure point for evacuations before they were halted on Friday, an AFP correspondent reported.

Many had not had a proper meal in days and were surviving on just a few dates.

A lot of people had burned all possessions they could not carry with them, determined not to allow them to be looted by government troops and militia who have recaptured almost the entire city.

The government blamed rebels for the suspension of the evacuation operation which had begun on Thursday, saying they had tried to smuggle out heavy weapons and hostages.

The opposition accused the government of halting the operation in a bid to secure the evacuation of residents from Fuaa and Kafraya, two villages under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

In return the rebels want the evacuation of the towns of Madaya and Zabadani in Damascus province which are besieged by the regime.

We are working on a resumption of the operations today (Saturday), said Al-Farook Abu Bakr, a representative of the hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham.

The precise number of people still trapped in the last rebel-held pocket southwest of central Aleppo is unclear.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday there were around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters in the rebel enclave but the world body has since acknowledged there is uncertainty about the figures.  AFP

Syria, Russia and Iran have blood on hands

Bashar al-Assads Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian backers have blood on their hands, US President Barack Obama has said while pitching for an impartial international observer force in Aleppo to coordinate an orderly evacuation through safe corridors

Around the world as well, there are hotspots where disputes have been intractable, conflicts have flared up, and people, innocent people are suffering as result, and nowhere is this more terribly true than in the city of Aleppo, he said

The world, he said, is united in horror at the savage assaults by the Syrian regime and its Russian and Iranian allies on the city of Aleppo

New agreement to allow humanitarian cases
OKLAHOMA CITY  A law firm representing law enforcement agencies across the state has issued advice to at least several of the agencies that they have the right to withhold many records from public view, including agency budgets, payroll, contracts and inventory.

An attorney for Oklahoma City-based Collins, Zorn & Wagner cited as a basis for refusing to release such records, as well as case documents, a portion of the state Open Records Act that lists law enforcement records subject to public disclosure. Attorney Ammon Brisolara said if a document is not specifically listed in the statute, the law enforcement agency doesnt have to make it public.

Collins, Zorn & Wagner has represented dozens of county and city law enforcement agencies in civil litigation and is sometimes used by those agencies to respond to Open Records Act requests. The firm represents counties and county agencies that are members of the Association of County Commissioners of Oklahomas Self-Insurance Group.

Brisolara, who recently left the firm, cited that section of the law in counseling at least four agencies that they could withhold records requested by Oklahoma Watch or a private individual. The agencies included the McCurtain County Sheriffs Office, the McCurtain County Jail Trust, the Choctaw County Sheriffs Office, and the Haileyville Police Department. Its unclear whether the law firm has given the same advice to other law enforcement clients.

If its not in that list (in the law), its something that would be kept confidential, Brisolara said in an interview. But it would depend on who has it. If the record is maintained by the county clerk, then it would be (available from the county clerk). Even then, the law enforcement agency itself would not have to release the document, he said.

The list of records under the law enforcement section of the Open Records Act is increasingly being cited by agencies to deny requests for public records, said Joey Senat, a journalism professor at Oklahoma State University and a board member of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, which advocates for transparency in government. Oklahoma Watch is a member.

As a public agency we dont have to show you anything unless its listed in there? That would be nonsense, Senat said. The list in the statute delineates investigative records that law enforcement agencies must provide. But it seems its being misused more and more frequently. Now were getting to a point where a public agency is saying we dont have to give you our budget, Senat said.

Court rulings and attorney general opinions have held that several other types of records not included on the list are public records, Senat said. The Open Records Act language allows agencies to make broad interpretations of what can be released.

This particular statute is the next thing the Legislature needs to fix because of the way its written, Senat said.

The disclosure issue arose in Oklahoma Watchs reporting of a story about the 2015 death of a Valliant man, Corey Carter, after a struggle with jailers in the McCurtain County Jail. The publication submitted open records requests to the McCurtain County Sheriffs Office and the McCurtain County Jail Trust.

The requests were for a jail video, a Taser video and audio, and jail register documents for the time period leading up to Carters death; incident reports or findings related to Carters death, and a copy of the McCurtain County Jails policies and procedure.

A month passed with no response. Then a McCurtain County commission referred the request to Collins, Zorn & Wagner.

The law firm was also representing McCurtain County in a lawsuit filed in federal court by Carters mother, Veda Carter. The suit was settled last month.

The law firm, acting on behalf of the McCurtain County Jail Trust and Sheriffs Office, released a booking sheet, the jail register and a probable-cause affidavit related to Carters arrest. But attorneys refused to turn over other requested records from the sheriffs office and the jail trust, citing the Open Records Act section.

All of the records listed in that section as public deal with arrests and jail bookings and are the only records law enforcement must allow the public to see, Brisolara said. Releasing the records could present a security threat to the jail or violate individuals rights, he said.

Beyond security, Brisolara said the state law also allows law enforcement agencies to withhold administrative records, such as budget documents, purchase and inventory records, contracts and payroll. Such records also arent listed in the Open Records Act section. However, other portions of state law indicate those records and others are public.

In late 2015, then Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz was charged by the Tulsa County District Attorneys Office with refusing to perform his official duty, a misdemeanor under the Open Records Act, for refusing to release internal investigation documents related to former Reserve Deputy Robert Bates. Bates was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the 2015 shooting death of Eric Harris, who was unarmed. The report was released after the shooting.

In court documents, Glanzs attorney argued that the internal investigation documents were not open to the public since they were not listed in the law enforcement section of the Open Records Act. In a subsequent filing, the district attorneys office said while the documents were not listed in that section, that did not exempt the record from being a public document.

Glanz pleaded no contest to the charge in July.

State law also raises the question of whether the McCurtain County Jail Trust is a law enforcement agency.

The states public jail trust law states that nothing in that statute grants any peace-officer power to any public trust or private owner or management entity that by contract operates or manages any jail facility, holding facility or detention center.

The jail trust is not listed as an accredited law enforcement agency that can sponsor officer or jailer training by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, according to CLEET.

Brisolara maintained that the Jail Trust falls under the law enforcement section of the Open Records Act because it has a kind of dual status as a public trust and law enforcement entity.

You can look at it like that (having dual status), Brisolara said. I dont know if theyre technically a dual status. There are records that are most definitely confidential. Even if they are a public trust, they have a duty not only to the inmates they house over there, but their family and estate, to keep confidential.

He added he did not know if any court rulings or attorney general opinions granted jail trusts such a dual status.
Partisan rift as search for new Nefin leadership begins

Ethnic organisations are divided into two camps as the search for new leadership begins at the ninth general convention of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities that kicked off in Chitwan on Saturday.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Oklahoma Republican electors are getting a lot of requests to dump President-elect Donald Trump.

The seven will meet at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Capitol to join electors from across the country in casting their votes for the Electoral College.

The requests do not seem to be swaying the electors to turn away from the GOP candidate and go against an oath they signed when they took on the job.

Rep. Bobby Cleveland, R-Slaughterville, is among the states electors. He has been wearing a red Make America Great Again hat around the Capitol and toting a three-ring binder full of letters, emails and postcards seeking him to cast a vote for someone other than Trump.

Please do not put this man in the White House, said one writer.

I think it is more of harassment than pressure, Cleveland said. I wouldnt switch my vote no matter what people are telling me.

Some have taken to quoting the Bible in an effort to get Cleveland to change his vote, he said. Others bring up the point that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, he said.

The bulk of the writers appear to be using a form letter, Cleveland said.

Likewise, Charles W. Potts, an elector from Oklahoma City, is getting a lot of communications about his vote, he said. He has no plans to vote for anyone other than Trump, he said.

David Oldham of Tulsa is another elector.

I wouldnt call it pressure, but a lot of requests, Oldham said.

He has no plans to vote for anyone other than Trump, he said.

Pam Pollard, Oklahoma Republican Party chairman, said the electors agreed when they took the job to follow the wishes of the states voters.

They signed an oath when they ran to be elected to this office that they would abide by and honor the outcome of the election for the state of Oklahoma, Pollard said. Then they reaffirmed that oath when we submitted the official paperwork in August, and their names are on the ballot supporting a particular candidate.

Failure to support the candidate is a misdemeanor and carries a fine of up to $1,000, she said.

Cleveland said some of his writers have offered to pay his attorney fees and fine.

Our state law also allows that if any elector does not vote according to the way they have sworn their oath that that electors position is immediately declared vacant and the electors present select a replacement from those attending the electoral college meeting, Pollard said.

Pollard said it is her third presidential election to serve in party leadership.

Electors are routinely contacted to vote for someone other than the way the state voted, she said.

The intensity has increased this year, but this happens every presidential election year, Pollard said.

Congress is scheduled to meet in joint session Jan. 6 to count the electoral votes.

In the Nov. 8 general election, Trump garnered 65.3 percent of Oklahomas vote to Clintons 28.9 percent and Libertarian Gary Johnsons 5.8 percent.

Overall, Trump earned 306 electoral votes to 232 for Clinton.


Journalist and Insiders regular Andrew Probyn is joining 7:30 as their Political Correspondent, replacing Sabra Lane.

I am tremendously excited at the prospect of contributing to one of Australias most influential television programs, he said.

7.30 plays a very important role in helping explain and analyse the curious and complex world of politics that has long enthralled me.

Director of News Gaven Morris said: Andrew is one of Australias best political journalists and news-breakers. He is highly regarded by his peers and on both sides of politics for his original reporting and insightful analysis.

The role of 7.30 Political Correspondent is one of the toughest and best jobs in Australian political journalism. Andrew is a terrific addition to the 7.30 team.

Sabra Lane is headed to ABC Radio.

Probyn has been Federal Political Editor for The West Australian newspaper since 2005. In that role he has been named Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery Journalist of the Year for the past two years. In October he was named WA Journalist of the Year for 2016. He is also a winner of the Gold Quill in the Melbourne Press Club Awards.

Probyn is already a regular guest on the ABCs Insiders program. Before joining The West he spent two years with the ABC in Tasmania as State Political Reporter from 2003-2005. Previously he worked at News Corporations Herald Sun for nine years in Melbourne and in Canberra.

His recent award-winning stories include a series of reports exposing the secrecy over asylum-seeker boat arrivals and his coverage of the Governments plans to privatise the Medicare payments system, which became one of the main issues of the federal election.
PM urges opposition parties to follow parliamentary process

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday urged the opposition parties to follow the parliamentary process to find a way out of the current political deadlock.
Prepare work schedule within 3 days: Minister

Energy Minister Janardan Sharma has directed the chief of Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project to prepare the projects work schedule within three days after the promoter, contactor and consultant came up with contradictory project completion dates.
Rebels burn Syria evacuation buses

Several buses en route to evacuate the sick and injured from two government-held villages in Syria's Idlib province have been burned by rebels.
Safe, regular and orderly migration

Nepal needs dedicated policies and investment in preparing its nationals for overseas work
Chinas defense ministry says it has engaged in talks with the U.S. about returning a U.S. underwater drone that the Chinese Navy stole out of the South China Sea on Thursday, an act that has escalated tensions between the two superpowers over the vast expanse of international water that Beijing claims as its own.

The Chinese defense ministry issued a statement on Saturday night saying it will return the underwater drone hours after President-elect Donald Trump waded into the diplomatic row with a tweet condemning its theft by a Chinese Navy vessel that was shadowing a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship some 50 miles west of the Philippines, reported Fairfax Media.

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The brightly colored 10-foot-long ocean glider drone was unlawfully taken as the U.S. vessel  the Bowditch  was attempting to retrieve it, says Bloomberg, quoting a U.S. Defense Department statement.

Requests from the Bowditch for the Chinese to desist from taking the underwater drone were ignored, said the report.

The Pentagon has stated the drone was clearly marked.

The seizing of the drone was one of the most brazen actions that the PLA Navy has taken against U.S. Navy for a very long time, said Ashley Townshend, a research fellow at the U.S. studies center at the University of Sydney, according to Bloomberg.

Against a background of rising tensions in the South China Sea and Trumps increasingly hawkish comments on China policy, this incident will be a serious test for U.S.-China relations, said Townshend.

Watch this report from Newsy on the underwater drone theft:

The theft occurred in the same week as reports of Beijing further militarizing some of its man-made islands in the contested area and their flying of a nuclear-capable bomber around Taiwan, not long after President-elect Trump took a call from Taiwans leader, an act that infuriated Beijing.

Over the past several years, Beijing has been busy turning atolls and rocky outcrops into maritime outposts, says the Pentagon. Around 3,000 acres of new territory have been built on seven reefs.

The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan also have contesting claims in the South China Sea, but what Beijing is doing, and its military buildup, dwarfs all of their efforts combined.

In response to its acts in the South China Sea, the Americans have sent their navy into the region on four freedom of navigation patrols in the past year, with the last one being done in October, says Reuters.

Watch this video about Chinas militarizing of all seven of its outposts in the Spratly Islands in this video from TomoNews US:

Seizing US underwater drone an act of war

China expert and author Gordon Chang likened Beijings actions in seizing the underwater drone as an act of war.

Whether you seize a drone or an aircraft carrier, the principle is just the same. This is an act of piracy, this is an act of war against the United States, Chang told Fox Business.

Chang criticized the Obama administrations handling the South China Sea issue over the past several years, describing it as ineffective. If nothing is done, then it is just going to get worse, Chang said.

The Chinese are not going to get serious until we show them that we are, he said. We cannot allow for foreign countrys taking U.S. assets in international waters.

U.S. Army veteran Gen. Jack Keane agreed that the response by the Obama administration regarding Chinas actions in the South China Sea has been ineffective.

Keane told Fox Business that now the U.S. is in a position that it wont be able to avoid confrontation in the South China Sea if this is how Beijing is going to behave. America, he said, must deal with this reality.

My response to this provocation, this confrontation, would be to park some warships out there in the South China Sea, not just pass through there  but just park them there, Keane said.

Let them know we intend to be in that area, this is international waters, this is a global common, and we have a right to be there and make it understood, in no uncertain terms, that we are going to support our allies in the region, he said.

Beijing ignored the results of a tribunal with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in July that ruled against Chinas claims to virtually the entire 1.4-million-square-mile chunk of the South China Sea.

See more commentary from retired U.S. Army General Jack Keane in this Fox News video:

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Bolivias ruling socialist party defied the results of a February referendum and backed President Evo Morales to run for a fourth term in 2019.

Movement for Socialism (MAS) approved Morales candidacy unanimously in its congress held in the eastern city of Montero.

Later, Morales said if the people say lets go with Evo, then lets continue defeating the right and continue with our process, adding so many times we have defeated the right.

Morales, Bolivias first president with an indigenous background, was first elected in 2005, then re-elected in 2009 and 2014.

He narrowly lost a referendum earlier this year on whether the constitution should be revised to allow him to run again in 2019. His current term expires January 22, 2020.

Bolivias constitution only allows two consecutive presidential terms. He had sought to raise it to three straight terms.

While this next election would be for his fourth, the Constitutional Tribunal has ruled that his first term in office did not count since Morales did not complete the full five-year term due to constitutional changes in 2009 making Bolivia a pluri-national state instead of a republic.

MAS is considering several ways to circumvent the referendum results to allow Morales to serve another term as president.

The opposition said that any Morales re-election bid would be unconstitutional because of the referendum.
Monday brought more evacuations from the last rebel-held areas of Aleppo, Syria, and a pair of villages under rebel siege.

Activists and local officials said about 20 buses filled with evacuees went from eastern Aleppo to opposition-held areas as part of an operation that began last week.



Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted Monday that 20,000 people have been evacuated so far "to the area under control of the opposition".

Thousands of people remain in eastern Aleppo, where rebels seized control in 2012, but have lost nearly all of their territory during an offensive by government troops.

WATCH: Some Aleppo Refugees Arrive in Turkey



In exchange for the Aleppo evacuations, the government has demanded thousands of sick and injured civilians be allowed to leave Foua and Kefraya in northwest Idlib province. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 10 buses left those villages on Monday carrying evacuees.

On Sunday, al-Qaida-aligned rebel fighters attacked and burned buses bound for Foua and Kefraya, drawing a strong rebuke from U.N. humanitarian adviser for Syria Jan Egeland.

Reckless armed men burning buses for Foua and Kefraya undermine evacuation and relief for all civilians in besieged areas in Syria, Egeland complained in a Twitter post. The Syrian Observatory said Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, was behind the bus burnings.

Security Council

The U.N. Security Council is due to vote Monday on whether to send observers to Aleppo and to help provide protection for the civilians who remain.

The Security Council will consider a French proposal that expresses alarm at the worsening humanitarian crisis, and for the "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" in need of evacuation. But Western diplomats told VOA they hold out little hope that the proposal will be approved by Russia, an ally of Syria's president and a veto wielding member of the council. Moscow has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in 2011.

Evacuations were suspend from eastern Aleppo Friday by the government in Damascus as rebel groups, international organizations and the Assad regime traded accusations about who was to blame.

Russia said the operation to evacuate civilians and insurgents from eastern Aleppo was complete, but opposition leaders said thousands still want to flee and accused Iranian militias and Hezbollah of executing several men in the last convoy to leave the city.



According to Syrian opposition leaders, the convoy carrying 800 people, including rebel fighters, was stopped by Iranian commanded militiamen in the Jisr al-Haj district. They forcibly disarmed the insurgents in breach of an agreement and seized a team of civil defense workers overseeing the convoy evacuation, killing three of them.

"Militias forced everyone to get off the buses, confiscated all individual weapons, forced men to get undressed to their underwear, killed three men and wounded seven others, then forced the convoy to go back to the besieged area of Aleppo city, and some buses are still missing, said a witness, Ahmad Abo Al-Nour.

On Saturday, civilians and rebel fighters waiting for buses to evacuate them were shot at by Iranian-led militias loyal to Assad, according to activists.

An agreement struck Saturday was to give safe passage to those loyal to Assad's regime, including Iranian militia groups, from areas held or besieged by rebels, the Aleppo Media Center activist group said.

It was a new demand in exchange for the evacuation of civilians, rebels and others loyal to the opposition from eastern Aleppo, now almost entirely in government control.

Abdulkafi al-Hamdo, a teacher trapped in eastern Aleppo said he has no choice but to try to leave with a young daughter. The weather is so cold, he said. The children are hungry they are crying. They are freezing. He said people are afraid they will not be able to get out.
An Indonesian military plane crashed into a mountain near Wamena, Papua, Sunday, killing all 13 people on board.

The statement from the Indonesian Air Force sent to VOA said that the Hercules C-130 plane was carrying 12 tons of food supplies from Timika to Wamena, a distance of about 200 kilometers (125 miles), and some other areas (Jayapura, Merauke, Biak) when it crashed.

The plane left Timika around 5:45 a.m. local time and was to arrive in Wamena around 6:15 a.m. local time. Just before it landed, the control tower lost contact with the plane. The plane was carrying three pilots and 10 other personnel.

The crash site on Lisuwa Mountain had been found and the bodies of the victims were being brought back to Wamena, said Ivan Ahmad Riski Titus, operational director of Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency.

Bad weather and low clouds in Wamena, the capital of the mountainous district of Jayawijaya, were believed to be factors in the crash, deputy air force chief of staff Hadiyan Sumintaatmadja told a news conference.

An investigation was underway. Sumintaatmadja said the aircraft, purchased from Australia, where it was first used in the 1980s, had more than 60 hours left until its next routine maintenance.

It was the third serious air accident in Indonesia in less than a month.

On Nov. 24, a Bell 412 EP helicopter from the Indonesian army crashed in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, killing three. A week later, a police plane with 13 people aboard crashed into the sea on the way to the island of Batam, near Singapore.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 250 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings.

The military, which suffers from low funding, has also regularly suffered airplane and helicopter crashes.

In July last year, an air force Hercules crashed into a neighborhood of Medan, Indonesias third largest city, killing more than 140 people including military personnel, family members traveling with them and people on the ground.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iran is asking the International Atomic Energy Agency for advice and assistance in developing a fleet of nuclear-powered ships, according to reports Sunday on Iranian government websites.

The websites say the request was made during a visit to Tehran by IAEA Director General Yukiyo Amano to monitor Iran's compliance with a landmark agreement curtailing its nuclear weapons in exchange for easing international sanctions.

The websites said President Hassan Rouhani told Amano he hoped Iran and the IAEA "can have good technical cooperation on the production of nuclear propellants for maritime transport," AFP reported.

Iran last week announced plans to develop a nuclear propulsion system for ships in apparent retaliation for U.S. Congressional action to authorize the renewal of Iran sanctions if Iran breaks the nuclear agreement.

Each side insists its actions do not violate the agreement. But the nuclear propulsion system proposed by Iran could require the enrichment of uranium beyond the limits permitted under the agreement.

In public remarks Sunday, Amano stressed the importance of full compliance with the terms of the agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA.

"Full implementation by Iran on this commitment is very important for the future of the JCPOA. The IAEA agrees that JCPOA is a net gain from the verification point of view."

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic energy organization, maintained at the same news conference the U.N. nuclear agency must not allow itself to be swayed by any parties.

"We have always insisted that the IAEA must act as a neutral authority and not allow the influence of others to be reflected in its reports."

The Iranian news agency IRNA quoted Amano as saying Iran has fulfilled its commitments under the JCPOA.
When Iraqi forces closed in, IS (Islamic State) militants told us Shia soldiers would murder us and rape our women, said Fatehi Mohammad, a 64-year-old farmer in a remote desert village in Iraqs northwestern Nineveh province.



Before IS took over his village of Bashmana, there were neither military forces nor minority citizens of any kind in the tiny Sunni enclave, so the villagers had no reason to doubt the IS warnings. But we told them, we would stay in our home or die, Mohammad said.



Some families retreated with the militants, but most remained as IS fled to another, more militarized village, he added.



The first day we were liberated, the Iraqi Army brought biscuits and water to the children, Mohammad continued, describing the re-capture of his village by Iraqi forces nearly two months ago. The next day the Hashd Shaabi came in with food and cooking oil.





Hashd Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units, is the local term for Iraqs Shia militias, a label soldiers often resent, saying they are neither informal militias nor solely Shia. The units were established as an official government entity last month and have Sunnis, Christians and other minorities making up more than 30 percent of their ranks, according to Ammar Almusawee, a Hashd Shaabi spokesperson.



Stay in your homes

Hashd Shaabi officials also insist they are firmly allied with the Iraqi Army, Kurdish peshmerga forces and the international coalition against IS militants. In the past two months, Hashd Shaabi forces have recaptured more than 80 villages and cut IS' main supply and escape routes, according to commanders.



We believe in what we are doing, added Almusawee, who said IS wants us to go back to sectarian violence.





Despite their initial defiance, Mohammad said, the IS warnings preyed on the minds of some of the villagers, who told the Hashd Shaabi militiamen they wanted to leave the village.

Hashd Shaabi soldiers told us, Its okay, stay in your homes and then provided us with food and medicine, he said.



Nearly two months later, Hashd Shaabi flags flutter at the entrance to Bashmana while, on the main road nearby, small groups of children wave and flash victory signs at passing Hashd Shaabi vehicles.



Task ahead



Winning over villagers' hearts, however, is a small task compared to the next challenge for the Hashd Shaabi forces. They have been tasked to lead the charge toward Tal Afar, a northwestern city strategically located between Mosul and the Syrian border, where IS is expected to put up fierce resistance.



The Tal Afar airport is already held by Hashd Shaabi, and fighters have gradually closed in on the city since the operation to re-take Mosul began in mid-October.





Tal Afar is between Mosul and Syria, said Sheikh Kareem al-Kharkani, a Hashd Shaabi brigade commander. The liberation of Tal Afar will mean Islamic State in Mosul is finished.



But the battle for Tal Afar may be long and arduous as local families and civilians forced to retreat with the militants are expected to be used as human shields, says al-Kharkani.



We, as Iraq forces, use airplanes and mortars, explains al-Kharkani. Because IS in Tal Afar uses civilians as shields we cant use our heavy weapons. We are asking civilians to flee the city any way they can.



Winter delays



In recent days, some operations on the Western front have halted as forces contend with winter in the desert, where the dusty terrain has turned into vast fields of cold mud.

However the weather has not deterred the extremists from attacking their lines with munitions-laden cars. Several soldiers were wounded in the past week in attacks involving at least eight car bombs.





We fought with them and the militants ran away, said 25-year-old Mohaned, a Hashd Shaabi soldier stationed on top of an earthen berm that extends out of eyesight.



Witnesses say the battle lasted for hours, with heavy fire coming from both sides. But this fight, soldiers say, was small compared to the battles behind and in front of them.



Im willing to sacrifice anything, said Morthana, another soldier outside a Hashd Shaabi base. Not just for Shia, but for everyone.
Southern bully

I am talking about Indias bullying of Nepal and the Nepali people. It happens at several levelspersonal, communal and state. State-level bullying was exemplified by last years blockade.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has met with Saudi King Salman in what likely will be his last visit as America's top diplomat.



Kerry met with the king and other royalty Sunday at a palace in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.



WATCH: Secretary of State Kerry on US-Saudi Relations





The state-run Saudi Press Agency said the two discussed regional issues. Ahead of the trip, the State Department said Kerry would discuss the war in Yemen and stalled peace efforts to end the conflict.



WATCH: Kerry on Finding Path to Peace in Yemen





Yemen's war began when Shiite rebels and their allies seized Yemen's capital, Sana'a, in September 2014.



A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf Arab nations launched a campaign in March 2015 against the rebels. Their offensive has included punishing airstrikes that have caused civilian casualties, leading to the Obama administration halting some arm sales.
Mali's National Assembly has voted to drop treason charges against exiled former President Amadou Toumani Toure, who was deposed in a coup in March 2012.

National Assembly spokesman Youssouf Toure said Saturday that the vote not to pursue charges had passed 104-5.

"I confirm the abandonment of the charges against him was adopted by the majority of deputies," said Mamadou Diarrassouba of the ruling RPM party.

Amadou Toumani Toure has been in exile in Senegal. The vote should allow him to return to Mali, unless other governmental action takes place.

Toure came to power in a revolution in 1991, when he was an army colonel, but he is credited with restoring democracy in Mali. He stepped down as military ruler after ushering in the landlocked country's first multiparty elections. He later resigned from the military and entered politics as a civilian, winning elections in 2002 and 2007.

The former president was overthrown shortly before he was due to leave power in 2012. Mali was becoming increasingly unstable at the time as a result of advances by separatists and Islamist militants who held most northern parts of the Saharan country.

Islamic extremists in Mali's far north implemented a strict interpretation of Islamic law in the largest towns, carrying out harsh punishments for minor infractions, but a French-led military operation broke their grip on power in 2013. Extremist remnants still remain in the north, however, and have staged occasional attacks on U.N. and Malian troops.

Treason charges against Toure stemmed from accusations that he had left the military in such a state of disarray that it could not defend Mali against foreign jihadists.

Late last month, Amadou Haya Sanogo, the 2012 coup leader, went on trial with 17 co-defendants, accused of kidnapping and killing members of the presidential guard, whose remains were later found in a mass grave.

Sanogo could face the death penalty if convicted. He was arrested three years ago, following discovery of the 21 corpses.
Polish President Andrzej Duda sat down with opposition party leaders Sunday to try to resolve a political crisis that has brought thousands of people into the streets and led to a sitdown strike in parliament.

Opposition legislators seized the parliament's main chamber Friday to protest new measures restricting the ability of news media to cover the lawmakers. Anti-government protests in support of the legislators were continuing for a third day.

Under the measures, no more than two journalists from each news organization would be permitted into the parliament press gallery at one time. Reporters would also be barred from shooting video or taking photos.

The government says the steps are needed to ensure a comfortable working environment, but critics say they will make it harder for the media to serve as a check on official misconduct.

President Duda was quoted on Saturday saying he believes some kind of deal is necessary so parliament can continue to do its work.
Smooth, rocky or in between, relationships between the leader in the White House and the House speaker on Capitol Hill can be the most important and defining in a presidency. Donald Trump and Paul Ryan were hardly pals during the campaign, but they appear to be moving together now.

Here are some of the significant president-speaker pairings in recent years:
Somali officials are accusing African Union peacekeepers of killing 11 civilians in two separate incidents over the weekend.

The governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ibrahim Aden Najah, told VOA that an armored vehicle belonging to the AU ran over some homes late Sunday after a landmine blast hit an AU convoy at El-Wareegow village near Marka. He said a mother, three children and a baby were killed in the incident. And he called on the AU mission to launch an investigation.

The deceased children were between 6 months and 14 years old, the governor said.

On Saturday, AU troops opened fire on a minibus near the town of Qoryooley, killing six civilians, Najah said. "AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) told me their troops were on patrol when they encountered the minibus. They suspected it as a car loaded with explosives, so they opened fire on it, killing all those on board, the governor told VOA.

AMISOM could not be reached for comment.

African Union troops are in Somalia to provide security, train Somali security forces, and aid local forces against Islamist al-Shabab militants.
Tensions were high as supporters of impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye and opponents of Park, who had gathered in much larger numbers, rallied in Seoul on Saturday.

Supporters of Park, who was impeached December 9, rallied for her reinstatement, while opponents gathered for an eighth week to repeat their demands that the leader impeached over a corruption scandal step down immediately.

Despite a heavy police presence separating the two groups, there were reports of some yelling and shoving among the protesters. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Parks supporters last held a major rally in mid-November. Organizers estimated more than 300,000 anti-Park protesters were at the rally.

Park, 64, is accused of colluding with her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil to force Korean conglomerates to donate nearly $65 million to two dubious foundations. Choi is also being investigated for funneling foundation funds and lucrative side contracts to herself and her friends.

Parks lawyers argued Friday the impeachment had no legal basis, which motivated some protesters Saturday.

I cant stand Park for even another day. Nobody wants her, but shes stubbornly sticking around, using taxpayer money like its her money, Kim Eun-young, who participated in her third weekend protest, told the Associated Press on Saturday.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn assumed the role as government caretaker after Park was impeached.

The Constitutional Court is reviewing the impeachment motion, a process that can take up to six months. If the court affirms, a new presidential election will be scheduled within two months of the ruling.
A suicide bomber killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers Sunday in the southern port city of Aden, as top Arab and Western diplomats met in neighboring Saudi Arabia to discuss the conflict in Yemen.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid the turmoil of a civil conflict that has turned into an air campaign led by Riyadh. The extremist group had earlier said it carried out a similar explosion in Aden a week ago that killed at least 45 soldiers and wounded dozens more.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Saudi Arabia meeting King Salman as well as with foreign ministers gathered to discuss the war in Yemen with U.N. Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.



WATCH: Kerry on Finding Path to Peace in Yemen



Repeated international attempts to mediate a peace agreement between Houthi rebels, who overran the Yemen capital in late 2014 and pushed the country's president into exile in Riyadh, and pro-government forces, have failed.

Saudi Arabia heads a coalition that is fighting against the Houthis, primarily through an air campaign and naval blockade.

Kerry's visit to the Gulf comes at a strained time for the relationship between Riyadh and Washington.



WATCH: Secretary of State Kerry on US-Saudi relations

The White House said last week it would block the sale of some military equipment to Saudi Arabia.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest said last Tuesday the Obama administration has "long expressed some pretty significant concerns about the high rate of civilian casualties in Yemen," adding that "many of those casualties have been as a result of operations carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in the region."

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Sunday denied reports about the U.S. limiting military support over Yemen.
A month from his inauguration, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump says the United States has "tremendous hope ... promise and ... potential," rejecting the notion offered by first lady Michelle Obama that his election has left the politically divided country feeling hopeless.

"We are going to be so successful as a country again," Trump told a rally Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. "We are going to be amazing."

The first lady, in an interview with talkshow host Oprah Winfrey to be aired Monday, said after the contentious presidential election, "We feel the difference now."

"See, now we're feeling what not having hope feels like," she said. "You know? Hope is necessary. It's a necessary concept. What do you give your kids if you can't give them hope?"

Trump, the 70-year-old real estate mogul turned politician, shrugged off the comment and told supporters at the rally that the first lady "must have been talking about the past."

He praised her and President Barack Obama for graciously receiving him when he visited the White House shortly after last month's election, even as the crowd booed his mention of the Obamas.

'Thank you tour'

Trump spoke at the last stop on his "thank you tour," campaign rallies he's staged in recent days in a number of states the Republican Trump won over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the November election.

He recounted his path to victory and a four-year term in the White House as the country's 45th president, but also renewed some of his favorite campaign vows.

He promised to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart the flow of illegal immigration into the United States and rebuild what he says is a badly depleted U.S. military force.

"But we will be smart about how we spend our money," Trump declared.

The president-elect pledged create more jobs in the expanding U.S. economy, already the world's largest, spend money on repairing the country's crumbling roads and bridges and expand airports, cut the tax rate on U.S. businesses to 15 percent, re-do trade deals and institute "extreme vetting" of immigrants entering the U.S. in a bid to keep out would-be terrorists.

In addition, he said, "My administration will follow two very simple rules: Buy American and hire Americans."



WATCH: President-elect Donald Trump at rally

He told the crowd, "You, the American people, will now be in charge. You will never be forgotten again."

From Alabama, Trump flew to Florida to rejoin his family, who arrived there Friday for an extended Christmas holiday. Aides said the president-elect likely will spend the next week at his Mar-a-Lago mansion along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline, hosting meetings and relaxing with his family.
Syrian state news agency SANA says evacuation buses under the supervision of the Red Crescent and The International Committee of the Red Cross began entering several neighborhoods in war-torn Aleppo Sunday to work on evacuating the remaining civilians and rebels.

Tens of thousands of trapped and frantic Syrian civilians and rebels have been waiting for evacuations to resume.

Earlier Sunday, Elodie Schindler, an ICRC spokeswoman, held out hope for them when she said her organization is "ready to resume the evacuation of people from eastern Aleppo, hopefully this morning."

The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote Sunday on whether to send monitors to the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo to oversee evacuations and to help provide protection for civilians who remain.

The council will consider a French draft proposal that voices alarm at the worsening humanitarian crisis in and near the city, and for the "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" in need of evacuation.

Sunday's vote, like a half dozen truce proposals considered by the council this year, is expected to draw fire from Syria's principal ally, Russia, which has vetoed earlier cease-fire proposals.

Monitors say as many as 40,000 civilians and the last remaining rebel fighters waited in vain for evacuation operations to resume Saturday, after the exodus was suspended Friday by the Damascus government. The suspension came after pro-government forces demanded the evacuation of two Shi'ite villages currently under siege by rebels.

Syria's government also said the rebels broke the evacuation agreement by trying to smuggle heavy weapons and hostages out of Aleppo. The rebels said it was the government side that shattered the truce.

Contrary to earlier reports that evacuations would resume Saturday, monitors from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they had seen no such activity by early Sunday. The observatory had expected 4,000 people to be evacuated from the two Shi'ite villages in a convoy of buses.

Western news agencies quoted families who spent the night Saturday in bombed-out apartment blocks, located near departure points announced earlier by the government, as saying no buses ever appeared.

The conflict in Syria, which began nearly six years ago as a protest against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, has killed nearly 400,000 people, according to U.N. estimates. Millions more have fled their homeland, many of them for presumed safety and hospitality in European countries that are reluctant to receive them.

In Washington Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry described events in Aleppo as "indiscriminate slaughter" and a "cynical [government] policy of terrorizing civilians."

Kerry has repeatedly vowed that the United States would work to save lives and continue pushing all parties in Syria toward a resolution that allows humanitarian groups full access to the country.
Washington continues to speak with a cacophony of voices on Russian meddling in last months U.S. presidential election, displaying a lack of consensus during the ongoing presidential transition period that could impact how America ultimately responds to the cyberattacks.

Reaction continued one week after President-elect Donald Trump publicly disputed U.S. intelligence assessments of Russias cyber activities, something the current White House occupant indicated he finds perplexing.

Unless the American people genuinely think that the professionals in the CIA, the FBI, our entire intelligence infrastructure, many of whom by the way served in previous administrations and who are Republicans, are less trustworthy than the Russians, then people should pay attention to what our intelligence agencies have to say, President Barack Obama said at a news conference Friday.

Some advising Trump said the case against Russia is not cut-and-dry.

The Chinese are good. And one of the things you do in cyber is try to look like somebody else, said former CIA director James Woolsey on ABCs This Week program. To have your hacking look like somebody elses hacking.

Plausible doubts or cover for Moscow?

But what the Trump camp sees as plausible doubts about the hacking attacks strikes others as providing cover for Moscow.

For the president-elect to continue to give the Russians deniability is deeply damaging to the country, said Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of California, also on This Week.

Democrats note that Trump will have to rely on intelligence agencies when he becomes commander-in-chief.

He is doing damage to himself and to his ability to lead the country when he becomes president. We are going to have a national security crisis at some point, Schiff said.

But some Republican lawmakers complain the Obama administration has pointed the finger at Russia while providing no proof.

I think Putin is evil, I think the Russians are guilty of incredibly evil hacking around the world, Republican Congressman Peter King of New York said on This Week. If they have evidence, show it. They have not shown it yet.

We will provide evidence that we can safely provide that does not compromise sources and methods, Obama said Friday. But I will be honest with you, when you are talking about cyber security, a lot of it is classified.
Valley may land on Heritage in Danger list

In its annual meeting in June, the World Heritage Committee (WHC) of Unesco sought to put Kathmandu Valley on the UN cultural organisations World Heritage in Danger list
Often misunderstood and frequently maligned, the U.S. Electoral College is typically an institution that goes about its work every four years with little fanfare and even less scrutiny.

Not this year.

The college, a group of 538 people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., will formally elect the 45th president of the United States on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, as laid out by U.S. law.

That meeting this year will be Monday (December 19), and the expectation is the man they will choose will be Republican Donald Trump.

But in a reflection of the unconventional election campaign that Trump waged against against his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, the Electoral Colleges meeting this year is turning into something less than conventional, facing scrutiny not seen in generations -- if ever.

Popular vote

Thats due in large part because Clinton won the overall popular vote in the November 8 election. Most recent tallies show Clinton ahead of Trump by close to 3 million votes, one of the largest vote leads in many years.

The wrinkle in this, however, is that under the U.S. Constitution, the Electoral College is the institution that chooses the president, not the popular vote. And because Trump won more votes than Clinton in specific states -- Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania in particular -- Trump has garnered more Electoral College votes than Clinton, 306 to 232.

Adding to the anxiety is the conclusion by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russian government-backed hackers accessed political party computer servers during the campaign.

Reports in The Washington Post and The New York Times last week deepened concern, citing unidentified CIA officials as saying that Russian hackers may have specifically sought to bolster Trumps campaign -- allegations Trump himself has derided.

Claire Ayer, a Democratic state senator in Vermont who served as an Electoral College elector in 2012, said she remembers similar anxiety in 2000, when Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote, but Republican George W. Bush ended up with more Electoral College votes. But this year, she said, it seems much worse.

Its gotten the kind of attention it has because people are very worried about Donald Trump. We didnt have that same sort of anxiety about Bush and Gore, she said.

State capital ceremonies

The actual event of casting the Electoral College votes in 2012, when Barack Obama won the popular vote and the Electoral College, lacked much ceremony, she said. She and the states other two electors showed up in the Vermont capital, Montpelier, got a pep talk from the [Vermont] secretary of state and signed a few papers.

Similar ceremonies will be held in other state capitals on Monday.

Electoral College electors are allocated according to state populations, and selected by political parties in each state. Neither the constitution nor federal law have contain provision requiring them to follow the results of the popular vote in their states.

In a handful of states, state law requires them to cast their votes according to popular vote. In other places they are bound by pledges to the political parties that selected them.

Those who defy their states rules, or the popular vote, are often called faithless electors. This year, another title has emerged -- Hamilton electors.

Thats a reference to Alexander Hamilton, the first treasury secretary and co-author of an influential set of papers published in 1787-1788 arguing for the ratification of the constitution. One of the papers argues that the Electoral Colleges main goal is to thwart any desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils.

Possible block to election

One such group has taken that very name, arguing that electors should vote not for Trump, but for another Republican. If Trumps opponents gather enough support to persuade at least 37 electors to not back him, that would block his election and send the final decision to the House of Representatives, under rules that are explicitly laid out in the constitution.

The Founding Fathers intended the Electoral College to stop an unfit man from becoming president. The constitution they crafted gives us this tool. Conscience demands that we use it, the group said.

The group did not immediately respond to e-mails seeking further information about the effort.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed by Trump.

His campaign intervened in a legal bid by two electors in Colorado -- where Trump lost the popular vote -- to unbind them from the state requirement to choose the states popular vote winner. A federal judge there on December 12 rejected the attempt, calling it a political stunt.

"Your vote should count when you vote for president, Chris Murray, an attorney representing Trump and the campaign, was quoted by The Denver Post as saying.

Intelligence briefings

Other electors, meanwhile, have requested an intelligence briefing to get more information about the Russian hacking reports, out of concerns over potential undue foreign influence in Trumps election.

The electors require to know from the intelligence community whether there are ongoing investigations into ties between Donald Trump, his campaign or associates, and Russian government interference in the election, the scope of those investigations, how far those investigations may have reached, and who was involved in those investigations, said one group of 10 members in an open letter published December 12.

It wasnt immediately clear that had ever happened before, or if there had even been such a request. But Ayer, the state senator from Vermont, said she didnt think much of that idea.

It seems sort of silly, she said. One little briefing from one sort of people doesnt give you the authority to overturn the constitution.
West African leaders are continuing to push for Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh to accept his defeat in the December 1 elections.

Eleven West African heads of state met Saturday in Abuja, Nigeria, for the 50th summit of the West African community bloc known as ECOWAS to call for a speedy resolution of the political impasse in Gambia.

ECOWAS Chairperson and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said delegates needed to recommend measures to conclude the matter before January 19. That's when the Gambian president is constitutionally mandated to hand over power.

She and the presidents of Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone met Jammeh in Gambia during the week, but that meeting failed to produce any resolution to end the standoff between him and the winner of the election, Adama Barrow.

Jammeh has ruled the country since seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1994. His rule has long been tainted with accusations of gross human rights abuses. He was expected to stay in power, but this year, many young Gambians were determined to rule him out.

Barrow won a majority of the votes, and Jammeh congratulated him. But he later rescinded his support and refused to accept his defeat.

Since then, Jammeh has faced international condemnation. The United Nations, African Union and Amnesty International have all demanded Jammeh step down. There's even a hashtag trending on social media, #JammehMustGo.

ECOWAS has not detailed what measures it would take against Gambia, but they could include sanctions. That would be a big blow. Gambia is one of the poorest countries in Africa and relies on tourism for revenue. It also relies on its border with Senegal for imports, but Senegal has been open in condemning Gambia. And sanctions could result in closed borders.

Jammeh is still making moves to hold on to power. His political party has filed a legal challenge to the election loss with the Supreme Court of the Gambia.
Don't Drink and Drive

Governments Drug & Alcohol Awareness Services has launched a public information advert warning of the dangers of drink driving. This forms part of the Christmas drink & drugs awareness campaign that the Government and RGP are undertaking in partnership.

The 47 second film clip is to be broadcast on GBC Television throughout the festive period.

The week leading up to Christmas will see the largest number of social Christmas gatherings and it is easy to fall into the trap of driving home after having consumed too much alcohol. Intoxicated drivers pose a risk to themselves and others. The RGP will implement Operation Roadwatch, and this years innovation following recent legislative changes means that can also they undertake roadside breathalysers and drugs testing.

The Night Bus is a safe and affordable transport option on Friday and Saturday nights from 21:00 to 02:00am. Night Bus routes will also run on the 23rd, 24th, 30th and 31st of December in support of the awareness campaign.

Minister with responsibility for Drugs and Alcohol abuse awareness, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, commented: As in other years, my team has been running a campaign on the dangers of drug abuse and awareness of safe drinking levels, and this of course runs parallel to the RGPs Drive Safe Campaign. We want to remind everyone of the dangers of drink and drugs driving. Unfortunately it just takes a split second and you could find yourself in a disastrous situation that you will regret for the rest of your life. I think that this advert is very moving, particularly because the actors are actual staff from Gibraltars essential services. They are the ones who will come together and attend the scene to assist and save lives when regrettable incidents do happen. There is no excuse for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and these accidents are entirely avoidable by taking a safe alternative mode of transport such as taxis or the Night Bus service. Lets enjoy Christmas without any terrible incidents occurring.
Oral Evidence of Rt Hon David Davis: Commons Brexit Select Committee

Her Majestys Government of Gibraltar has released the text of all the references to Gibraltar in the evidence of The Rt Hon David Davis MP on Thursday before the House of Commons Select Committee on Exiting the European Union. The oral evidence session was on the subject of 'the UK's negotiating objectives for its withdrawal from the EU'.

In the course of his evidence the Secretary of State was asked three questions about Gibraltar. The full text of the questions and his replies is as follows:

"Q442 Mr Carmichael: On a similar but different topic, there is the question of the Government of Gibraltar, who have made known their concerns. What engagement have you had with the Government of Gibraltar on this?

Mr Davis: The Chief Minister came to see me some time ago and my junior Ministers have been in touch on several occasions. The primary issue with Gibraltarnot the only issue, but the primary issueis sovereignty and the argument with Spain over sovereignty. We have made it very plain that we will always respect the wishes of the people of Gibraltar. I used to be Gibraltar Minister; it is written into my blood.

Q455 Joanna Cherry: We have talked about Northern Ireland in particular, and its desire not to have a hard border, and Mr Carmichael has raised some of the Government of Gibraltars concerns. Is it possible to conceive of a settlement that doesnt differentiate in some way in relation to the particular cases of Gibraltar and Northern Irelandfor them to have a slightly different deal from the rest of the United Kingdom because of their particular circumstances?

Mr Davis: I would be loath to go down that route. It is very important for the people of Northern Ireland to see themselves as part of the United Kingdom, until they choose otherwise. Similarly, the Gibraltarians see themselves in those terms, and they expressed that very forcibly in a referendumnot the one on the European Union, but the one on their own sovereigntysome years ago, with 90-something per cent. It was a positively Soviet result. So I dont think it would be a good idea to go down that route. Look, we are looking at all options that we can conceive of that should look to have any practical application. We are not ruling anything out. Sorry to say I am not ruling anything out againfor using that phrasebut we are looking at all options. The more difficult the problem, the more options well look at, but at the moment I dont see one that meets what you have described.

Q456 Chair: On that last point, can you confirm that Gibraltar already has a differentiated status because it is not part of the customs union?

Mr Davis: Yes, as do, in other ways, places like the Isle of Man and Jersey, so there are distinctions."

The Chief Minister of Her Majestys Government of Gibraltar, the Hon Fabian Picardo QC MP, said: "I was delighted, as all of Gibraltar will have been, to read the statements from Secretary of State Davis which are entirely in keeping with the views put by the Government of Gibraltar to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for Exiting the European Union. In particular, Mr Davis was clear in recognising the distinctive status of Gibraltar within the EU and not ruling out the potential for a differentiated status for Gibraltar if necessary. For that reason, Mr Davis' evidence before this Commons Committee and mine before the House of Lords' Select Committee has put the same material and ideas in substance before two of the most relevant arms of the Westminster Parliament at this important time in our history and in the decision making before the commencement of the Brexit negotiations and the triggering of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Of particular importance was the statement from Mr Davis to the effect that the continued British Sovereignty of Gibraltar is "written in [his] blood". That is as clear and unequivocal a statement of support as we have ever heard from a UK Minister and its explicit nature is particularly welcome at this time and in this context and should serve to dissuade any third parties from thinking that there might be any prospect of a change of view or any "wobble" in London in respect of full, undiluted and enduring British Sovereignty over Gibraltar."
Convent Receptions

His Excellency the Governor Lt General Edward Davis and Mrs Lorraine Davis will be hosting a series of receptions in December and January with the aim of inviting a wider cross-section of society. Invitations will be sent to different local organisations that are constantly serving, assisting and supporting the Community in Gibraltar.

During the month of December, there will be two receptions: one for members of the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service and Her Majestys Customs and a second one for the Officers and Soldiers of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

These receptions will run throughout the Christmas Period until January 2017 when members of the Gibraltar Health Authority, Department of the Environment, Royal Gibraltar Police, Gibraltar Defence Police, Gibraltar Airport Fire and Rescue Service, Borders and Coastguards Agency and the Gibraltar Air Terminal Ltd will be invited. This will give the opportunity to His Excellency and Mrs Davis to meet with a wider cross section of the community.

For the December Reception, the acclaimed Gibraltar Youth Choir directed by Mr Christian Santos will be performing for invited guests.
the inside game

The Most Important Senate Race Is Also the Most Ignored

The Most Important Senate Race Is Also the Most Ignored
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Several business leaders have come together to host A Christmas Feast in the East this week with free meals and a little Christmas spirit.

The event is open to anyone to attend from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Waco Multipurpose Center at the historic Paul Quinn Campus, 1020 Elm Ave.

Organizers are seeking donations to ensure theres more food than needed for people who need it.

The event started with a Facebook post.

Rocky Miller, who was born and grew up in East Waco, said he put up a post inquiring about doing something for his hometown to provide hope.

Numerous comments and correspondence later, a movement was born.

Were going to do as much as we can with what we have, Miller said. The more we have, the more we do. The goal was to provide a meal for 500 people and hats, gloves, scarves, jackets, coats for those in need. Its not just for the people who live in East Waco. Its anyone in need in the Waco area.

The importance of past and future will come together as the community breaks bread together, said Rachel E. Pate, assistant to the president at the Cen-Tex African-American Chamber of Commerce.

The Paul Quinn Campus is an important place in the areas history, Pate said. Before Paul Quinn College left Waco in the 1990s, the area was booming with educated blacks, and the campus regularly brought in influential speakers, she said.

As the college left Waco, that cultural center left with it, and since the reopening and re-establishment of the campus as a charter school, a home to the chamber and a multipurpose center, the location has once again become the gathering place and heart of East Waco, said Pate, who also owns Red Aisle Events.

The location is sacred ground for East Waco, she said.

Pate said she hopes the event brings a sense of gathering and bounty to the area.

A lot of events that happen in Waco are, of course, open to the public just like this, but they are usually across the bridge or on the other side of town, she said.

Hosting the event at an accessible location to East Waco residents will allow people without transportation to attend.

Born and raised in Waco, Pate said she has watched the city transition over the years, and one of her biggest goals is to ensure progress is carried throughout the city and not limited by geography or money.

That everyone sees their ship rise when the tide rises: Its more than just a meal, Pate said. Its empowering the neighborhood.

Anyone interested in donating to the event or volunteering can go to gofundme.com/achristmasfeastintheeast or contact Miller at 315-6233.

Short of goal

Miller said the campaign is at almost $2,500 of its $10,000 goal, but hes not discouraged. He said hes an eternal optimist.

I just believe that the people of our community will donate and be charitable, and well have an abundance of items to give those people in need, he said. If 1,000 people donate $10, we can do so much. We have a lot of time for people to make a $10 sacrifice.

Miller, who owns Prosperity Tax Service and Prosperity Travel Group with his wife, said he often passes by East Waco and recalls fond memories.

I realize that neighborhood had a stigma, too negative a stigma, he said. I always tell people it was one of the best places to grow up in the world.

Neighbors knew one another growing up, he said. Increased poverty for some in the area has led to the neighborhoods stigma, he said.

Its a really special place, he said. Im proud to be from East Waco.

Menu for event

Guests will enjoy a meal of barbecue, brisket, smoked hams, turkey breasts, green beans, baked beans, dressing and potato salad, said Bobby Touchstone, owner of Eatery, 821 Clifton St.

For the past four years, Touchstone has hosted an event to feed veterans during the holidays. This year hes teaming up with Miller and others to help make the Feast in the East a success. Touchstone started offering free meals to veterans in 2012, which attracted 45 people, and last years event peaked at 96 individuals, he said.

Touchstone, who has lived in Waco most of his life, said hes blessed to be a little more fortunate than others and he believes in giving back.

I believe in paying it forward, he said.

Miller said charity is something he wants to be part of and something he wants to pass on to his family. His college-age children, wife and 13-year-old will be on hand Thursday to help with the festivities.
In a county with more than its share of pedestrian deaths, one town stands out.

At least 15 people have died while walking in Bellmead during the past seven years  a number regional transportation officials said is alarmingly high. The city of about 10,000 has 4 percent of the countys population but 33 percent of its 45 pedestrian deaths. Most of those were along a deadly triangle of Bellmead highways: Loop 340, Interstate 35 and Bellmead Drive, or Highway 84.

Thats no surprise to Tanya Moore. Moores 14-year-old son, Jourdon, died on a dark Bellmead road five years ago in a hit-and-run collision with an underage driver.

The experience has sensitized her to dangers all over Bellmead, where she said lighting and sidewalk accessibility are poor and pedestrians are unpredictable.

It makes you more aware of pedestrians, Moore said. If it could happen to him it could happen to anyone. . . . every time it happens to someone else, I feel like, Here it is again. 

A Texas Department of Transportation database shows McLennan County had 45 pedestrian deaths in the seven-year period. That puts it sixth among Texas 40 most populous counties in pedestrian deaths per capita, according to the database.

The fatality number is unacceptable, and if we accomplish nothing else, getting that number to decrease is an important goal of ours, said Chris Evilia, director of the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The agency, which plans transportation for Greater Waco, is starting to analyze data on pedestrian deaths so it can consider solutions, especially in Bellmead.

An interactive mapping system TxDOT put online this fall shows Bellmead has an unusually dense cluster of deaths, mostly along Bellmead Drive, Loop 340 and I-35. The map system is available at https://cris.dot.state.tx.us/public/Query/.

The Bellmead fatalities include two in 2016. Clifton Williams, 69, of Bellmead, was struck about 8:40 p.m. Jan. 9 in the 100 block of Loop 340, near Bellmead Drive.

Herbert Kenneth Grinder, 71, was struck and killed in the 3600 block of Bellmead Drive about 7:40 p.m. Nov. 21 while trying to cross the road to a business, police say.

Evilia said in the coming year, the MPO could seek TxDOT safety funding for pedestrian improvements in Bellmead. Officials with the city of Bellmead and TxDOTs Waco district office said they are interested in partnering with the MPO to seek solutions.

Evilia said Bellmead was developed in the mid-20th century, when sidewalks were out of fashion.

There are not a lot of pedestrian facilities in Bellmead, whereas in Waco, its still far short of what we think we need, but at least in the center part of Waco we have some sidewalks, he said.

What you probably see more in Bellmead is more people walking in the street. . . . If you have no sidewalks, you have nothing to guide people to where they ought to be crossing. People are inclined to follow the path of least resistance.

Bellmead City Manager Bo Thomas said the towns layout presents some inherent pedestrian safety risks.

I think what you have in Bellmead is a very condensed smaller city with a substantial amount of state roads and highways that come together in our community, Thomas said. Thats a bit unique to our community. Also a bit unique is the fact that many of our commercial establishments border those streets.

You have a lot of people at various times trying to get to those locations. We have a substantial amount of pedestrian traffic in our community, and thats very socioeconomically related. . . . When you drive around the community and look at the number of shopping carts on private property, that gives you an idea of how much pedestrian activity there is here.

He said lighting is also an issue on some Bellmead roads, though the city has made some progress on that front.

All but one of the 15 Bellmead fatalities occurred at night. Six were along I-35, and five involved alcohol use by the pedestrian.

Bellmead police Sgt. Kory Martin said speeding traffic is also a factor. Martin said police are now using a new speed trailer that shows motorists their speed and collects data on traffic speeds.

But he said pedestrian behavior is a more difficult factor to control.

A lot of what Ive witnessed is people crossing away from the intersections, Martin said. Theyll cross right in the middle of main roadways.

Moore said her sons death happened on a rural stretch of Williams Drive, but she mostly worries about the major roads.

She said she tenses up when driving on Bellmead Drive near the Loop 340 overpass, especially when its growing dark. She said pedestrians often cross the busy road to get to convenience stores.

It happens a lot by Eagle Crest Apartments on Highway 84, Moore said. You see kids and adults alike crossing through there, and its not well-lit.

Evilia said Bellmead seems to be an example of the correlation that national studies have made between pedestrian collisions and a communitys low rates of income and car ownership. Bellmeads poverty rate is almost 30 percent, compared with 20 percent for the county, and about 10 percent of residents lack cars, according to U.S. Census data. The middle-class suburbs of Hewitt and Woodway had no pedestrian deaths during the seven-year period, and Robinson had one death.

A search of Texas 40 largest counties with the TxDOT data tool shows a similar correlation. In seven years, the 10 counties with the highest poverty rates had an average of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 residents  twice the rate of the 10 counties with the lowest poverty rates.

The counties with fewer than five deaths per 100,000  Collin, Williamson, Denton and Fort Bend  are all booming suburban counties with a poverty rate below 10 percent.

Evilia said that correlation may reflect the fact that few people in those suburban counties are walking, at least along busy roads.

But that doesnt mean walking in suburban areas is safer than walking in the inner city, he said. In fact it appears that when pedestrians in the suburban counties are hit, the fatality rate is higher because of higher road speeds, Evilia said.

Of the 40 counties, the average death rate over seven years was 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people. The death rate was 18 per 100,000 for McLennan County and a startling 150 per 100,000 for Bellmead.

Moore, who still lives in Bellmead, said the lack of sidewalks and lighting could have been a factor in the crash that killed her son. But mostly, she considers it a tragedy caused by a distracted 14-year-old driver.

Police later arrested the driver, who was sentenced to two years in a juvenile facility for the wreck.

That night, Jourdon had been walking home after visiting a friend. Moore tried to call him before finishing at her job in the radiology department but couldnt reach him on his phone.

Just before she left work, she heard about an auto-pedestrian collision in Bellmead, but the victim was thought to be 25 years old.

Still, the possibility that it was Jourdon was in her mind as she drove around Bellmead looking for her son. When she found the accident scene, her worst fears were confirmed.

Moore said she hasnt seen the girl who struck her son since she was sentenced for the crime.

She asked to speak to us after the trial and apologized for what happened, Moore said. She was very remorseful. It was something she has to live with the rest of her life.

Moore said Jourdon, who would have graduated from La Vega High School this year, is fondly remembered by friends. The boy stood 6 feet 1 inch, and loved marine biology.

He was a gentle giant, said Moore, who has one other grown child. Everyone liked him. . . . The year he passed in eighth grade, they dedicated the yearbook to him.

Moore still tends a roadside memorial she created for Jourdon, refreshing the decorations for various holidays.

We didnt bury him, so theres not a cemetery plot where I can go. I drive by the memorial every day. I could go around it, but I dont, she said. I think the hardest part of ever leaving the house is having to drive past it.

Moore said she is reminded while driving around Bellmead how quickly a car can end a human life.

My reaction is that (motorists) really need to pay attention, she said. All it takes is one instance of someone not paying attention, reaching down to pick up the phone or to change a radio station.
As a journalist of my acquaintance joked on Twitter this week, Im so old that I remember when it was dangerous and unpatriotic to question the validity of election results. Ah, yes. Those halcyon days, back when Hillary Clinton said that to not accept the results of an election was a direct threat to our democracy. In the modern political era, thats a lifetime ago. Six weeks ago.

In the course of that lifetime, Clinton lost an election she had been widely expected to win. And a week ago, The Washington Post broke the news that a secret CIA assessment had concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Yes, these conclusions were initially contested within the intelligence community, but that didnt stop social media from lighting up with calls for the Electoral College to overturn the results of the election. Most of this was probably the sort of idle chatter that used to fill barrooms instead of newsfeeds after elections, but I saw some sober, serious people I respect arguing that this completely delegitimized Trumps presidency, and at least one person say Trump hadnt really won. Now John Podesta, former chairman of the Clinton campaign, has joined electors urging that the Electoral College be given an intelligence briefing before they vote.

Sorry. Democrats were right the first time. It is dangerous and unpatriotic to suggest that you wont abide by the results of an election, either by lobbying to overturn the vote through some procedural trick, or by declaring that the victor has no real right to execute the functions of the office.

Im no fan of Trump, so its not self-interest when I say he should receive the Electoral Colleges support Monday and become president.

And Im troubled by the allegations that Russia is working to destabilize or sway U.S. elections, so its not that I see these latest allegations as no big deal. Theyre a big deal. But they dont undermine the outcome of the election.

If it became known, for example, that Russia had tampered with the voting machines so as to make them record phantom votes for Trump, I would support throwing out the results and calling another election. If the intelligence community had hard evidence that the Trump campaign had conspired with Russia to hack the Democratic National Committee, then I would be the first to call for indictments of those involved  or for impeachment and removal of the president-elect, if he knew.

But thats not what is being alleged, so far as I can tell. What is alleged is that Russia hacked the DNC and released information intended to make Clinton look bad. Thats a criminal act and we should prosecute anyone we can get onto U.S. soil. On the other hand, its poor grounds for invalidating an election. The American voter had too much information about the Democrats is not a ringing slogan with which to argue that their party should really have won.

Short of invalidating the election outcome, what can be done? I share the horror at the thought of Russian meddling, and I too would like something to be done. But its rarely constructive policy to set out to just do something in reaction to a horrifying event; you have to do a specific thing, ideally with good reasoning behind that specific thing. And you need to take care that that specific thing does not create problems even worse than the one it was meant to address.

For example, at a panel last week, I was asked what we should do about fake news. Much of the audience was unhappy with my answer: Nothing. Im not too happy with it either. But this sort of news is often hosted outside the United States and it propagates through multiple channels  websites, email, social media. Imagine the government apparatus youd have to create, and the powers youd have to give it, to prohibit people from sharing links to those websites with one another. Then imagine what could be done with those sorts of powers. By someone like Trump. Better to do nothing about the problem of fake news than to create an even worse problem.

So it is with this election result. Theres good reason that weve never let faithless electors nullify an election. The democratic nation-state is not a natural institution. It takes a lot of work, and a fair amount of magical thinking, to get 300 million people to the point where (most of the time) they will abide by sweeping decisions made by far-away people theyve never personally met.

That magical thinking is a mix of what Bloomberg View columnist Virginia Postrel would call glamour and what social psychologist Jonathan Haidt would call sacred values, which bind us and blind us. One of those sacred values is that once an election is over, its over, and whoever won by the rules that were written at the time gets to hold office. Kennedy was really president no matter what happened with those Cook County votes, and Reagan was really president even if the ayatollahs foot-dragging the resolution of the Iran hostage crisis helped him win that office.

The value of this is rarely much appreciated by the losing side, but it is the same emotional logic that guides the legal doctrine of stare decisis, which is to say that stuff that already got decided stays decided, even if the decision wasnt necessarily very good. Sometimes we get stuck with some real stinkers of election results and judicial decisions. But the alternative is even worse: a nation in which no one can ever plan or move forward, because nothing is ever final.

While a mutable past may seem splendid at the moment when your opposition controls the immediate future based on that decision, wise citizens know that not long from now, there will come a moment when your party gets to run the future for a while  and if you wont accept the results of the elections you lose, then your opponents wont either. When a country reaches this state, things get pretty bleak, pretty fast.

Our sacred norm has already been tested in recent years, from the left-wingers who called Bush the President Select to the conservatives who said that Obama was not my president. But this is minor grumbling compared to what youd see if the Electoral College went into a secret intelligence briefing and came out with a president other than the one who won the vote.

If the intelligence community has serious evidence that election machines were tampered with, or that the Trump campaign actively conspired with Russia to commit a felony, than that information should certainly be given to the Electoral College. But it should also be given to the rest of the American public, so that we can debate whether these circumstances rise to the extraordinary level required to invalidate an election, either through the Electoral College or through impeachment.

However, if all they have is information that was widely available to the American public before the election  that someone, probably Russia, hacked the DNC and released stolen emails  combined with the speculation that Russia really, really wanted Trump to be president, then the electors should stick with Trump. And Democrats should say He is my president  even if they have to say it through gritted teeth.

American voters had their chance to disagree with Russia and didnt take it. Maybe the deciding votes in Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania were swayed by those DNC emails. Maybe not. Regardless, their vote is sacred. And if we dont keep it that way, then the gates of political hell yawn wide indeed.

Megan McArdle is a Bloomberg View columnist.
While Waco Police Department rank and file might be better equipped to debate the comparative merits of local assistant chiefs Robert Lanning and Ryan Holt, the Waco City Council is all but sure to approve City Halls decision that Holt, a 20-year veteran, serve as our next police chief. Judging by his impressive credentials, Holt was always a strong contender. His background includes work as a hostage negotiator and SWAT supervisor plus graduation from the FBI National Academy.

In approving Holt, the City Council should encourage him to continue predecessor Brent Stromans strong community outreach. During a Texas Tribune Festival session on law enforcement and community policing in September, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said he viewed his job as a community liaison as much as heading a department of some 2,300 sworn law enforcement and support personnel. Thats an indication of how critical community policing is during an age when political forces on both the left and right have agitated racial and ethnic sensibilities.

Police administration is not only about allocating way-too-thin resources to keep Wacoans and visitors safe  with a priority on prompt crime prevention and detection  but ensuring the confidence of our community. That means battling the default attitude of them-against-us that can sometimes isolate police officers and contribute to tragic misunderstanding. The past several years weve all seen where this tortured mindset can ultimately lead.

Our congratulations to Holt as he strives to meet the high standards of his predecessors while demonstrating his own savvy and smarts in all that 21st-century policing demands.
A true pro-life belief respects life from the unborn to the grave, regardless of age, race, gender or nationality.

Maurine Frost

Evangelicals & Trump

My heartfelt thanks to the Waco Trib, staff writer J.B. Smith and local attorney Robert Callahan for that timely, very well-written article of Nov. 20, Clash of votes, values. Callahan did a marvelous job of expressing just how marginalized he, as a conservative Republican, an American and black man with a mixed-race family, feels when it was older evangelical Christians whose votes were largely responsible for the election of our president-elect.

I had always thought of myself as an evangelical Christian but now I question this description. I do not believe that true evangelists should, in the words of Mr. Callahan, pair ourselves with immorality to try to achieve morality. The evangelicals overlooked one of the most important teachings that Jesus left us when, after 40 days in the wilderness, he rejected the offer of Satan to give him all the kingdoms of the world if only he would follow him. Jesus instead chose to worship and serve God, even though it meant rejection, suffering, crucifixion and death. Jesus wanted even more than do evangelicals for people to love and follow him, but he refused the lure of political power to achieve his goal.

Along with Mr. Callahan, I feel totally disrespected. I am white, but an older woman with limited vision and mobility. Those who voted for the president-elect make me feel that denigrating language aimed at minorities, the disabled, immigrants and women who do not possess a perfect body is all acceptable. And yet a true pro-life belief respects life from the unborn to the grave, regardless of age, race, gender or nationality.

Maurine Frost, Hewitt

Putting profs on watchlist

According to the website of a non-profit organization, it has a mission to identify, educate, train and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government. The organization is a 24/7, 365-day activist organization. The staff and students travel to campuses in all 50 states to identify young conservatives, connect them with local chapters and resources and advertise conservative values.

A project of this organization allows students and others to: Submit a tip, help us expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom. If you are aware of professors who belong on the watchlist, use the form below to submit a tip. This watchlist has identified college professors it claims hold radical liberal beliefs. It has identified one faculty member as a prominent Marxist economist, another as a leader of anti-campus carry efforts.

This social media site is encouraging students to send tips about professors advancing leftist propaganda. These are many of the same students and citizens who did not vote and use Twitter, Facebook and Wikipedia as their primary sources of information.

The watchlist may be an indication of the impact of the anti-media and anti-liberalism of the next administration that will be led by the next White House chief of staff who is a white supremacist and controls a significant portion of social media. Are we really to become a country of Americans spying on Americans and reporting those who do not agree with a particular viewpoint?

Our Constitution and laws should be strong enough to stop such making of false and damaging statements about someone. Professors must continue to teach all students that we agree to disagree, listen to different ideas and verify the source and validity before accepting information as factual  and stop attacking others.

Jim Igleheart, Waco

God & gays

I have followed with much prayer and interest the recent developments within the Baptist General Convention of Texas regarding congregations that welcome and affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. I was deeply heartened to learn of Wacos own Lake Shore Baptist Church and its decision to adopt a welcoming and affirming statement.

My own religious tradition, the Episcopal Church, has been discerning its way into an inclusive Christian witness since 1976 when the decision-making body, the General Convention, passed a resolution affirming the pastoral needs of gays and lesbians. In summer 2015, I was present when that discernment resulted in two decisive votes to make marriage rites available to same-sex couples, votes that came serendipitously enough only days after the Supreme Court decision establishing civil marriage equality as a fundamental right.

The morning of that ruling, friends and I were gathering for the daily worship that takes place during General Convention when it was announced that a change to the musical prelude would let us mark with dance and celebration the good news from the Supreme Court. There was clapping and dancing with joy in the aisles and rows. I sang, We are marching in the light of God with many others. That secular, civil courts affirmation of marriage equality provoked a profoundly sacred and joyous experience among several participants in a Christian community preparing for worship. I look forward to the day when such occurrences are more common within evangelical traditions.

In the meantime, in response to Lake Shores decision and their pastors eloquent Tribune-Herald column about the surrounding issues, I say a word Christians are known to utter from time to time, Halleluia. I hear choirs of angels with the saints and the great cloud of witnesses and all the company of heaven rejoicing.

TJ Geiger, Waco

n n n

I have been reading about the Baptist church and divisions over the gay and lesbian issue and same-sex marriage. It doesnt matter what a pastor, priest or pope says about whether we can live the way we are and be OK with God. Im not judging. The only way we have to be OK with how we are living is God.

If a pastor says, Live how you want and its OK  well, they dont have the authority to say that anymore than anyone else. We can get everyone in the world to agree with us but that doesnt do us any good. Its still between you and God.

Some of these churches say God is a god of love and that is true. But they stop there. When we get to heaven, we will have to face God. No one will be there with us. We cant then say, Well, this person said it was OK. Its just God looking at our life and now that god of love becomes the Supreme Judge. If we live the life we should, we will live with him for eternity. If not, God will say, Depart from me.

Jerry Willett, Lorena

No banana republic!

In his letter, Maurice Labens states, In a democracy such as ours, the peoples choice should prevail. If that were indeed the case, then there would be no equality, only the will of the majority. The majority of our citizens were not in favor of integrating public schools, but the rule of law prevailed. Given a vote on the matter, a majority of our citizens would not approve same-sex marriage. If you gave the citizens the opportunity, would they vote for a national health-care system?

The Electoral College represents the states of the United States, not the citizens. The citizens are represented by their congressmen and senators. A majority of the states wanted Donald Trump to be the next president. Matter of fact, when you take in consideration all the ballots cast, 4.4 million more people wanted someone other than Ms. Clinton to be the next president. Plus the Electoral College saves the time and the expense of a run-off election between the two candidates who received the most votes.

Its my belief that the Electoral College is what separates the election process of the United States from that of a third-world banana republic.

William Smith, China Spring

EDITORS NOTE: Just for claritys sake, at last count some 2.8 million more people voted for vanquished Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton than victor Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 general election. The Electoral College votes Monday.

No criticism, please

When Mr. Trump is sworn in as president, I know many of us cannot wait to hear criticism from the former president. I guess Mr. Obama has not listened to the news where most of his issues were defeated.

We hope that he and Hillary will fade into the hills where they can run, rest and play without being criticized.

Mercer Buchanan, Waco
On December 15th, 2016, the CAF Dixie Wings Beechcraft T-34B Mentor took to the skies for the first time after a meticulous restoration by unit volunteers. General George Harrison and Jack Van Ness took off around 2:30pm from Atlanta Regional Airport and flew around the patch for about an hour. During the flight, they followed strict engine break-in protocol and tested the various aircraft systems.

Van Ness described the first flight stating, Today, almost two years after arriving at the Dixie Wing, the T-34 restoration crew and sponsors have reason to feel proud of the results of their outstanding efforts. The flight went well, with only a few squawks. The cold weather provided an excellent performance environment for both engine and wings, as she climbed like a homesick angel, eager to be free from captivity and to fly once again. While this is a Dixie Wing project, it was through the generosity of the 2015 Planes of Christmas Fund, and the CAF Headquarters Matching Grant Program, that we were able to have our tired old engine overhauled. THANK YOU to all who have been supportive and involved with this project!

The Dixie Wings T-34B joined the US Navy as Bu.140687 in August, 1955, which makes it one of the earliest Mentors to enter naval service. From 1955 until April, 1976, she trained many US Navy and Marine Corps pilots at Whiting Field and Saufely Field in Florida as well as NAS Corpus Christy in Texas. Following these postings, she briefly went into storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, before transfer in 1977 to the Fuerza Aerea de Republica Dominicana (FAD), or Dominican Air Force. A civilian company specializing in T-34s put the airframe through a full overhaul for the FAD and upgraded her with a more powerful IO-520 285hp engine prior to her move to the Caribbean island nation. She began her second military career in 1979 at the Escuela de Aviacion Militar, Dominicas military aviation school, training pilots for the FAD which still had P-51D Mustangs on strength at the time! After serving the FAD faithfully for the next two decades, Bu.140687 finally retired from military operations. Norman Earle bought the T-34 in 2001, along with several other surplus Dominican examples, and moved them back to his companys facility in Hastings, Florida. Earle placed the Mentor on the US civilian registry as N687HV soon after, and she received her American airworthiness certificate in May, 2002. By the time the Commemorative Air Force received her as a donation in 2014, the T-34 had sat idle for several years, and although hangared for most of her time in the USA, her previous life outdoors in the humid and salt-laden tropical air of the Dominican Republic had begun to catch up with the venerable trainer. Fortunately for N687HV, the CAF Dixie Wing took the aircraft on strength and quickly got to work restoring the T-34 back to her former glory.

Bob Heath, the Dixie Wings Maintenance Office remarked on their recent accomplishment stating, The Dixie Wing T-34B is an important addition to the Dixie Wings line up of historic aircraft as it represents the militarys transition from the WWII era to modern, all-metal and jet aircraft. The T-34 will continue in its educational role by providing Living History Flight Experience rides with other aircraft in the Dixie Wing fleet.

After the initial post-restoration flight on December 15th, and following a few ground adjustments, the T-34 made her second flight the following day, this time heading to Delta Airlines overhaul facility in Atlanta for repainting. She will then become an active member of the Dixie Wing fleet who hope to operate the T-34 in their rides program and as a photo-ship. They also plan to use her as a recruiting tool for new members and for pilots who dont have a tailwheel endorsement.
All eyes will be on Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria next year for the House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture exhibition.

However, as is the way with most great things, like avocado toast and voting in a Premier that can backflip better than Simone Biles, Sydney did it first.

Model Bella Hadid at a Dior event in New York. Credit:Getty Images

Sydney was the first city to which Christian Dior entrusted his collections back in 1948, where the first Dior show outside of Paris was held at David Jones, in the famous "On Seven". The grand event space on the seventh floor of the Elizabeth Street was referred to as "The Great Restaurant" when a state banquet was held for the Queen during her visit in 1954. The refurbished venue is now better known for the biannual fashion launches and parade of Jesinta Campbell's abs.

Back in 1948 Dior shipped out more than 50 original garments to the department store via a Lancastrian plane. The dresses and accessories were modelled for society ladies by local "mannequins", including etiquette expert June Dally-Watkins, after they "proved that their waists were around the 20 inch [50 centimetre] mark," the Herald reported at the time.
Arguments over costs have also delayed Australia's website blocking regime, but the judge has finally decreed that ISPs must abide by court orders to block piracy websites. The rightsholders will be forced to foot the bill, paying $50 per blocked domain as well as the ISPs' legal costs.

The Dallas Buyers Club case was thrown out because the rightsholders failed to convince the judge that extortion tactics were off the table. Meanwhile the three-strikes rule , threatening to hand over the contact details of repeat offenders, withered on the vine because the movie studios expected Australia's ISPs to pick up the bill.

After arguing about online piracy for years, Australia has finally reached the point where internet service providers such as Telstra, Optus and TPG will be forced to block access to BitTorrent search engines like The Pirate Bay and illegal streaming sites like SolarMovie. It's taken this long because, while Australian copyright holders are always quick to complain about piracy, they shoot themselves in the foot whenever they're given the opportunity to do something about it.

Australia's ISPs now have until the end of the month to block these sites and redirect users to a landing page notifying them of the court's decision. So was it worth all the trouble? Not really.

Just as with the abandoned Great Australian Firewall, it will be ludicrously easy for Australians to beat the new piracy block. For evidence you need look no further than the UK where they've had piracy website filtering in place for five years.

When Top Gear hosts Clarkson, Hammond and May defected from the BBC to Amazon, to start The Grand Tour, UK viewers followed  but not all of them did the right thing and signed up for Amazon Prime Video. Claims that The Grand Tour is the most pirated show ever are wrong, it's more like the most pirated British show, but of the millions of people who downloaded the show it seems 13.7 per cent of them were located the UK  although the percentage is probably higher considering that some Brits would be masking their location.

So how can the Brits download the The Grand Tour when British ISPs block access to BitTorrent search engines like The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents? They use tricks so simple that primary school children already employ them to access Facebook in the classroom.

Beating Australia's piracy filter will probably be as simple as visiting one of countless proxy websites and using that site as the middleman to access The Pirate Bay. The judge won't sign off on blocking every proxy site on the web, and even if they did new sites pop up faster than you can whack them.
They perform their Christmas work without a Santa suit, toys or a sled. But these two Victorian farmers have, for decades, contributed to the Christmas celebrations of tens of thousands of families across Australia.

The fruit of their labour ends up in living rooms across Melbourne, country Victoria, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, covered in tinsel, baubles and often a star or an angel on top. Just days ago they supplied a shipment destined for the Maldives.

Business partners Neil Cranston and Neale Drury are big players in the Christmas tree market, growing tens of thousands of trees on tidy farms on Melbourne's south-eastern fringe, just beyond the rapidly advancing housing estates that, presumably, house some of their customers.

The Maldives might only represent a small order, this year just three trees, but it is a regular destination. "Every year we have a few go over there," Mr Cranston says, while standing between two perfectly manicured rows.
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.
Healthcare Trust of America, Inc. (NYSE: HTA) is the largest dedicated owner and operator of MOBs in the United States, comprising approximately 25.1 million square feet of GLA, with $7.4 billion invested primarily in MOBs. HTA provides real estate infrastructure for the integrated delivery of healthcare services in highly-desirable locations. Investments are targeted to build critical mass in 20 to 25 leading gateway markets that generally have leading university and medical institutions, which translates to superior demographics, high-quality graduates, intellectual talent and job growth. The strategic markets HTA invests in support a strong, long-term demand for quality medical office space. HTA utilizes an integrated asset management platform consisting of on-site leasing, property management, engineering and building services, and development capabilities to create complete, state of the art facilities in each market. This drives efficiencies, strong tenant and health system relationships, and strategic partnerships that result in high levels of tenant retention, rental growth and long-term value creation. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, HTA has developed a national brand with dedicated relationships at the local level. Founded in 2006 and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2012, HTA has produced attractive returns for its stockholders that have outperformed the US REIT index.
National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. The Personal and Commercial segment offers personal banking services, including transaction solutions, mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit, consumer loans, payment solutions, and savings and investment solutions; various insurance products; and commercial banking services comprise credit, and deposit and investment solutions, as well as international trade, foreign exchange transactions, payroll, cash management, insurance, electronic transactions, and complimentary services. The Wealth Management segment comprises investment solutions, trust services, banking services, lending services, and other wealth management solutions. The Financial Markets segment offers corporate banking, advisory, and capital markets services; and project financing, debt, and equity underwriting; advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, and financing. The U.S. Specialty Finance and International segment provides specialty finance products; financial products and services to individuals and businesses in Cambodia; and investment solutions, guaranteed investment certificates, mutual funds, notes, structured products, and monetization. It provides its services through a network of 384 branches and 927 banking machines. National Bank of Canada was founded in 1859 and is based in Montreal, Canada.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Dec. 18, 2016 | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 18, 2016 | 02:19 PM | GRAVES COUNTY, KY

Three people were arrested on drug charges Saturday, after deputies say they found a meth lab inside a Graves County home.



Graves County Sheriff Dewayne Redmon said deputies went to a home on KY 1241 at around 1:45 pm to attempt to serve an arrest warrant on 28-year-old Danielle Turner. Upon arrival, deputies saw 28-year-old Steven Davis on the front porch. Deputies said Davis fled when they arrived and they detained him. Deputies also found 29-year-old Steven Holmes inside.



Deputies said they found methamphetamine during a search of the home, and a meth lab in the kitchen. The McCracken County Sheriffs Office was notified and responded to the scene to clean up the lab.



Turner, Davis, and Holmes were taken to Jackson Purchase Medical Center to be decontaminated and medically cleared before they were booked into the Graves County Jail. A deputy who was exposed to the lab was also treated and released.



All three suspects are charged with five counts of wanton endangerment 1st degree, manufacturing methamphetamine 1st offense, possession of a controlled substance 1st degree and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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By The Associated Press

Dec. 18, 2016 | BEIRUT, LEBANON

By The Associated Press Dec. 18, 2016 | 11:22 AM | BEIRUT, LEBANON

Russia says it will veto a French-drafted U.N. resolution demanding immediate access to besieged areas of Aleppo and "neutral monitoring" of the evacuation of civilians.



Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters before Security Council consultations on the draft resolution Sunday that Moscow has no problem with any kind of monitoring.



But he said the idea that monitors "should be told to go to wander around the ruins of eastern Aleppo without proper preparation and without informing everybody about what is going to happen  it has disaster written all over it."



He says Russia has "some very simple ideas"  which he refused to disclose  to put to council members, and that if they agree a resolution could be adopted Sunday.



But France's U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre said he intends to put the draft to a vote immediately after consultations and indicated he wouldn't accept any changes.



Activists say militants have burned at least five buses assigned to evacuate wounded and sick people from two villages in northern Syria. The incident could scuttle a wider deal that encompasses the evacuation of thousands of trapped rebel fighters and civilians from the last opposition foothold in east Aleppo.
Gov-elect takes umbrage at moves in General Assembly to limit his power



Gov.-elect Roy Cooper, at Thursday's press conference. (Screen shot from WRAL News video)

Gov.-elect Roy Cooper held a news conference Thursday morning in response to a slew of bills from lawmakers filed in a special session of the General Assembly.Lawmakers on Wednesday filed 28 bills, including measures that would require Cabinet officials appointed by the governor to receive approval from the Senate, reconfigure the State Board of Elections to remove partisanship, and make future Supreme Court and Court of Appeals races partisan.The bills would take power from the governor, which, in January, will be Cooper.he said.Cooper called the process a "back-handed way" to take money from public schools for private vouchers, to weaken protections on air and water, to inhibit initiatives focusing on renewable energy and Medicaid expansion, and make it easier to approve "big" corporate tax breaks.Wednesday's bills included no clear or direct reference to the aforementioned talking points.He called the legislature's action "unprecedented" and thwarted questions about similar tactics previously employed by Democrats. For example, in 1989 the Democrat-dominated General Assembly removed newly elected Republican Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner's power to assemble committees and assign bills, a power reassigned to the Democratic leadership in the Senate. The Democratic-run General Assembly also limited some of then-Gov. Jim Martin's authority during the Republican's two terms in office.Cooper took issue with the moves from the Republican-controlled legislature and hinted at legal action.Carolina Journal attempted to cover the news conference but was denied access. Cooper spokeswoman Noelle Talley did not immediately respond for a request for an explanation.Cooper said, including the courts.In referring to potential appointees, Cooper accused Republicans of stomping on the idea that North Carolina is a state that works for everyone. He made clear he will focus on education and repealing House Bill 2, thein an effort to restoreCooper intimated he was ready to "compromise," and even mentioned reaching out to Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, on an incentive package to keep the Ball Corporation plant and its 150 workers in Reidsville, which is in Berger's district.A couple of times, Cooper talked about lawmakers working deep into the night to file legislation, even though all the bills were filed before 8 p.m. Wednesday. He also said he hasn't read all of the proposed legislation.He said many of the issues brought forth in the bills should be addressed in during the regular session, as opposed to"We don't want another disaster like House Bill 2," he added. "It's time for them to go home."
WASHINGTON  For eight years, many of President Barack Obamas critics denounced what they saw as excessive caution in dealing with foreign governments.

No need to worry about that anymore.

President-elect Donald Trump has already begun obliterating the current administrations no drama approach. He sees unpredictability as a valuable tool, which keeps adversaries off guard, softening them up to cut good deals.

Many foreign affairs veterans from across party lines see danger ahead.

Trumps view is born of his disdain for Washingtons expert class and his career in real estate, where a psychological edge can be worth millions of dollars by weakening an opponent.

There is even some precedent in foreign affairs for what President Richard Nixon dubbed the madman theory, one of several tools he used in hopes of negotiating an end to the Vietnam War.

But even Nixon  who believed that if others thought him volatile, they would be more likely to back down  never employed the tactic as a blunt instrument.

Among foreign policy experts, there is deep concern that Trumps behavior during his transition  highlighted by moves that angered China  indicates that he lacks the broader strategy, nuance and careful planning needed to successfully pull off the strategy.

Trump looks as if hes got the madman, but not the theory, said one such critic, Charles A. Stevenson, associate director of the American Foreign Policy Program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a former Democratic Senate aide.

Experts say unpredictability can work in specific circumstances: when the goals are narrowly targeted and known in advance, used against relatively weak opponents; where the threat of radical action is credible and when the president understands what hes risking if the other side calls his bluff.

The comments that he has made about foreign policy do not seem to be consistent or coherent, said Richard Lugar, a former Republican senator from Indiana who led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and continues to be active in efforts aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear weapons.

Im not certain whether on some occasions hes given a lot of thought to it and is hoping to get a reaction, or on other occasions, its simply from the top of the head, or anger or simple misunderstanding, he said.

Trump argued in his campaign that America has suffered from its predictability, particularly in military endeavors.

We must, as a nation, be more unpredictable, Trump declared during a major foreign policy address in April. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. Were sending troops: We tell them. Were sending something else: We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable. And we have to be unpredictable starting now.

As a campaign tool, the sense that Trump would do, say or tweet anything helped him immensely, diverting from controversies and persuading voters that he would set Washington ablaze. It fit in well with the celebrity persona that he honed in reality television, where suspense and drama build an audience.

People are tired of the blow-dried, poll-tested position of every single politician, Jason Miller, Trumps communications director, said in an interview.

Miller said that Trumps style had served him his entire life and remains crucial to his success in negotiating with foreign leaders.

That desire to be unpredictable doesnt contradict making sure that our allies know that we stand with them, and our adversaries know that we stand against them, he said.

But many allies have been concerned with just that, given that Trump has courted Russia, a foe, while questioning longtime alliances in Asia and Europe, calling treaties obsolete and demanding more money to offset the United States military budget.

Stephen Krasner, director of policy and planning at the State department under President George W. Bush, said the uncertainty could prompt South Korea, a major trading partner and military ally, to move closer to Chinas orbit or trigger discussions in Japan about building nuclear weapons.

Its unclear to many observers which of Trumps comments and actions are motivated by deeply held convictions and which are spontaneous. He has participated only intermittently in security briefings and has spoken with many foreign leaders without consulting the State Department.

After winning election, Trump conducted calls with several foreign leaders that seemed to shake delicate balances long in the making. He praised Pakistans prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and told him hed love to visit, a move that rattled archrival India, a U.S. ally. He had a warm conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has spoken profanely about Obama and waged a deadly anti-drug war against his own citizens.

Most significantly, Trump antagonized China by holding a phone conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The call broke with decades of U.S practice. It came without warning, digging at a core tenet of Chinas definition of its sovereignty, which holds Beijing as the one and only capital of all of China, including Taiwan.

Trump did not stop there, casting the call as a deliberate negotiating ploy during an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

I fully understand the one China policy, but I dont know why we have to be bound by a one China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade, Trump said.

That prompted further recriminations from the Chinese, as well as from Taiwan, which didnt like being cast as a pawn.

Policy experts are doubtful that China would allow their governments legitimacy to be used as a bargaining chip in discussions over their currency and trade barriers. They note that even if the relationship is complicated, its one the U.S. needs to take seriously, given mutual interests in containing North Koreas nuclear capacity, maintaining global economic stability and combating climate change.

China may not want a trade war. But if its forced into one, both countries would be likely to suffer.

He thinks hes somehow upping the ante to get a better deal, said R. Nicholas Burns, who has served in top diplomatic posts for both parties and advised Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. They will shut down the relationship if they think we are deviating from the one China policy.
As an increasingly geriatric Democratic leadership licks its 2016 wounds and mulls the future, who would have thought its first prominent figure to speculate about a 2020 presidential bid would be one of its most senior figures, outgoing Vice President Joe Biden?

Biden, who would be nearing 78 by the next election, did so very publicly, telling reporters he was leaving open the possibility of a third presidential run in 2020. He may or may not be serious. But hes not the only surprising prospect making moves that could point to a 2020 bid.

Next Tuesday in Iowa, likely to remain the first caucus state, the liberal group Progress Iowa is having its annual Christmas Party, and its featured speaker will be Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander.

Jason who? Hes the Afghanistan War veteran who ran a much admired though ultimately losing Senate race last month, losing to incumbent Republican Sen. Roy Blunt by just 3 percent while getting 228,000 more votes than Hillary Clinton.

Kander is just 35. Hes Jewish. And hardly anyone outside Missouri has heard of him. But given the fact Democrats showed almost as much disdain in 2016 for their traditional establishment as did Republicans, their 2020 race might be ripe for a political outsider.

Besides, Missouris increasingly red hue may force ambitious Democrats like Kander to look elsewhere. The states top Democrat, Sen. Claire McCaskill, faces a tough 2018 re-election race.

And though Kanders resume includes just eight years as a state representative and Missouris secretary of state, Americans have shown a preference of late for the less experienced candidate. Besides, Missouri is just south of Iowa, geographical contiguity that helped former Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt win the latters caucuses in a 1988 bid that later fizzled.

The relatively inexperienced Kander and the very experienced Biden, a six-term senator before his 2008 election as vice president, represent two potential 2020 extremes. The likelihood is neither will ultimately be the nominee.

And they are not the only Democrats jolted by Hillary Clintons unexpected defeat into considering a White House bid sooner than expected.

The possible cast includes two women senators, Minnesotas Amy Klobuchar, 56, and New Yorks Kirsten Gillibrand, 50; two prominent African-Americans, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, 47, and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, 60; and New Yorks Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 59, who may face a difficult 2018 primary challenge.

Clinton had barely conceded when The New York Post reported Gillibrand was reaching out to the 2016 nominees financial supporters. In recent years, the Dartmouth grad has often visited New Hampshire, the first presidential primary state, as has Klobuchar.

And at the last two Democratic conventions, the Minnesota senator got positive receptions from speeches to delegates of her neighboring state of Iowa.

Given Bernie Sanders strong 2016 showing, the 2020 field will surely include someone from the partys populist wing. Most mentioned now, besides Sanders, who will be 79 by then, are Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 67, and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, 64, who hails from the region where Democrats need to regain support.

One unknowable factor is the degree to which the 2020 field will include minority hopefuls. Since the Democratic electorate is about 40 percent black, Hispanic and Asian-American, more than half of that African-American, its a safe bet the next race wont resemble the last one, which pitted a 68-year-old white woman against a 74-year-old white man.

Besides Booker and Patrick, that could include one or more lesser known, younger Democrats: Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, 42, of Texas; freshman California Sen. Kamala Harris, 52; newly named California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 58; and Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, 55, of Maryland, a potential candidate for Democratic National Chairman.

Sanders is not the only 2016 also-ran who has never stopped campaigning. On Sunday, former Maryland Gov. Martin OMalley, 53, is making his seventh visit to Iowa since the 2016 caucuses. Competent but bland, he could be the anti-Trump voters may want.

And others may emerge, including someone not now in major office. After all, who would have fingered Donald Trump as even a contender four years ago?

Its a presidential race few Democrats expected, and will take some time to sort out. But early New Hampshire and Iowa visits, like Kanders and OMalleys, are always one early indicator.
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Ltd., Emerson Ventures Inc., Emerson Vulcan Holding LLC, Emerson Xi'an Engineering Center, Emersub 1 LLC, Emersub 10 LLC, Emersub 11 LLC, Emersub 12 LLC, Emersub 14 LLC, Emersub 15 LLC, Emersub 16 LLC, Emersub 3 LLC, Emersub 4 LLC, Emersub 5 LLC, Emersub 7 LLC, Emersub 8 LLC, Emersub 9 LLC, Emersub CII Inc., Emersub CV Inc., Emersub Italia S.R.L., Emersub LXXXIV Inc., Emersub LXXXVI Inc., Emersub Mexico Inc., Emersub Treasury Ireland Unlimited Company, Emersub XLVI Inc., Emersub XXXVI Inc., Emirates Techno Casting FZE, Emirates Techno Casting Holding Limited, Emirates Techno Casting LLC, Enardo, Endura-Greenlee Tools, Energy Solutions International (India) Private Limited, Energy Solutions International GP LLC, Energy Solutions International Ltd., Energy Solutions International SAS, Energy Solutions International Sub LLC, F-R Tecnologias de Flujo S.A. de C.V., FC QSF LLC, FMC Technologies, Fiberconn Assemblies Morocco Sarl, Fincor Holding LLC, Fire & Safety Group.Com Ltd., Fisher Controles de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Fisher Controls International LLC, Fisher Jeon Gas Equipment (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Fisher Regulators (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Sanmar Limited, Fisher-Rosemount Systems Inc., Flow Control Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Flow Control Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Flow Control US Holding Corporation, Francel SAS, Fromex S.A. de C.V., Fusite B.V., Fusite Corporation, Fusite Land Company, GSEG LLC, General Equipment and Manufacturing Company Inc., Generale de Robinetterie Industrielle et de Sytemes de Surete, GeoFields, GeoFields Inc., Greenex Ltd., Greenfield (UK) Limited, Greenlee, Greenlee Communications, Greenlee Tools Inc., Gulf Valve FZE, Gustav Klauke GmbH, H.T.E. Engineering Limited, HD Electric Company, HTE Engineering Services Limited, Hindle Cockburns Limited, Hiross India Private Limited, Hiter Industria e Comercia de Controles Termo-Hidraulicos Ltda., Humboldt Hermetic Motor Corp., Hytork International Ltd., I Solutions Inc., ICC Intelligent Platforms GmbH, ISE-MagTech, Industrial Controls Canada ULC, Industrial Group Metran JSC, Instrument & Valve Services Company, Intelligent Platforms LLC, Intellution, International Gas Distribution SA, Intrinsic Safety Equipment of Texas Inc., JCF Fluid Flow India Private Limited, JSC Metran-Export, Joucomatic S.A., K Controls Limited, Keystone Germany Holdings Corp., Keystone Valve (Korea) LLC, Keystone Valve (U.K.) Limited, Klauke, Klauke (Jiangsu) Electrical Connection Technology Co Ltd., Klauke France SARL, Klauke Handelsgesellschaft mbH, Klauke Iberia S.L., Klauke Polska Sp. z.o.o., Klauke Slovakia s.r.o., Klauke UK Ltd., Knurr, Liebert, Liebert Swindon Limited, Locus Solutions LLC, Locus Traxx Worldwide, Locus Traxx Worldwide Europe BVBA, MDC Technology Limited, MDC Technology Trustees Limited, METCO Services Limited, MYNAH Technologies, Management Resources Group Inc., Mecafrance (Deutschland) GmbH, Metallurgical Services Laboratories Limited, Metaserv Limited, Metco Services Venezuela C.A., Micro Motion Inc., Mobrey Group Limited, Motores Hermeticos del Sur S.A. de C.V., NetworkPower Ecuador S.A., Nippon Fisher Co. Ltd., Novel Environmental Technologies Ltd., Novel Extinguishing Agent Technology Ltd., Numatics Incorporated, Nutsteel DHC B.V., Nutsteel Industria Metalurgica Ltda, O.M.T. Officina Meccanica Tartarini S.r.l., Open Systems International, P I Components Corp., PT Emerson Solutions Indonesia, PT. Emerson Indonesia, PT. Paradigm Geophysical Indonesia, Pactrol Controls Limited, PakSense, PakSense Inc., Paradigm, Paradigm (UK) Holding Limited, Paradigm B.V., Paradigm France S.A., Paradigm Geophysical (India) Private Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (KL) Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical (Nigeria) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical (U.K.) Limited, Paradigm Geophysical B.V., Paradigm Geophysical Corp., Paradigm Geophysical Italy SRL, Paradigm Geophysical LLC, Paradigm Geophysical Limited, Paradigm Geophysical Pty Ltd, Paradigm Geophysical S.A., Paradigm Geophysical Sdn. Bhd., Paradigm Geophysical Spain S.L., Paradigm Geophysical de Venezuela C.A., Paradigm Geophysical do Brasil Ltda., Paradigm Geoservices Canada Ltd., Paradigm Geotechnology (Egypt) S.A.E., Paradigm Kazakhstan LLP, Paradigm Middle East FZ-LLC, Paradigm Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Parex Industries Limited, Pentair Valves & Controls, Pentair Valves and Controls India Private Limited, Permasense, Permasense Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, Permasense Limited, ProSys, ProTeam Inc., Progea, RAC Technologies (Israel) Ltd., RIDGID Inc., RPP Europe GmbH, RPP LLC, Rey-Lam S. de R.L. de C.V., Ridge Tool (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Ridge Tool Company, Ridge Tool Europe NV, Ridge Tool GmbH, Ridge Tool GmbH & Co. OHG, Ridge Tool Manufacturing Company, Ridge Tool Pattern Company, Ridgid France SAS, Ridgid Italia S.R.L., Ridgid Online Inc., Ridgid Scandinavia A/S, Ridgid Werkzeuge AG, Rosemount China Inc., Rosemount Inc., Rosemount Measurement Limited, Rosemount Nuclear Instruments Inc., Rosemount Specialty Products LLC, Rosemount Tank Gauging India Pvt. Ltd., Rosemount Tank Gauging Middle East SPC, Rosemount Tank Gauging North America Inc., Rosemount Tank Radar AB, Rosemount Tank Radar Properties AB, Roxar, Roxar AS, Roxar Flow Measurement AS, Roxar Flow Measurement Sdn Bhd, Roxar Limited, Roxar Maximum Reservoir Performance W.L.L., Roxar Saudi Co., Roxar Services AS, Roxar Services OOO, Roxar Software Solutions AS, Roxar Technologies AS, Roxar Vietnam Company Ltd., Roxar de Venezuela C.A., Rutherfurd Acquisitions Limited, S.F.T. Group Ltd., SABO-Armaturen Service GmbH, Safety Systems UK Pte. Ltd., Sakhi-Raimondi Valve (India) Limited, Scroll Compressors LLC, Scroll Mexico LLC, Sempell GmbH, Shanghai Virgo Valves Technology Consulting Co. Ltd., Sherman + Reilly, Soluciones 0925 C.A., Spectra-Tek Holdings Limited, Spectra-Tek International Limited, Spectra-Tek UK Limited, Spectrex, Spectrex Inc., Spectronix Ltd., Spensall Engineering Limited, Steel Support Systems Limited, Stratos Lightwave, System Plast International B.V., System Plast Ltda, System Plast USA de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TDM-avtomatizatsiya, TV&C GP Holding LLC, Taiwan Valve Co. Ltd., TechnipFMC, Termocontroles de Juarez S.A. de C.V., Tescom Corporation, Tescom Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Tescom Europe Management GmbH, The Automation Group Inc., The J.R. Clarkson Company LLC, Therm-O-Disc Europe B.V., Therm-O-Disc Incorporated, Thunderline Z Inc., TopWorx UK Limited, Tranmet Holdings B.V., Tranmet Holdings Limited, Verdant Environmental Technologies, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, Virgo Valves & Controls (ME) FZE, Virgo Valves and Controls Sdn Bhd, Von Arx AG, Vulsub 1 Limited, Vulsub Brasil Holding, Vulsub Brasil Ltda., Vulsub Chile SpA, Vulsub Gulf Holding Limited, Vulsub Holding III (Denmark) ApS, Vulsub Holding Ltd, Vulsub Holdings A LLC, Vulsub Holdings B LLC, Vulsub Holdings C LLC, Vulsub Holdings D LLC, Vulsub Italia S.r.l., Vulsub Middle East Holdings LLC, Vulsub Peru S.A.C., Vulsub Property Holding LLC, Vulsub Property Limited, Vulsub S.A., Vulsub South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Vulsub VZ C.A., Westinghouse Electric Pvt. Limited, Westlock Controls Limited, Westlock Equipamentos de Controle Ltda., Woodstock Land Company LLC, epro GmbH, iSolera Inc., iSolutions Private Limited, and intelliSAW.

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OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy and energy services provider that offers physical delivery and related services for electricity, natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy. It provides retail electric service to approximately 879,000 customers, which covers a service area of approximately 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and owns and operates coal-fired, natural gas-fired, wind-powered, and solar-powered generating assets. As of December 31, 2021, the company owned and operated interconnected electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems, including 16 generating stations with an aggregate capability of 7,207 megawatts; and transmission systems comprising 54 substations and 5,122 structure miles of lines in Oklahoma, and 7 substations and 277 structure miles of lines in Arkansas. Its distribution systems included 350 substations; 29,494 structure miles of overhead lines; 3,365 miles of underground conduit; and 11,125 miles of underground conductors in Oklahoma, as well as 29 substations, 2,795 structure miles of overhead lines, 349 miles of underground conduit, and 662 miles of underground conductors in Arkansas. The company was founded in 1902 and is based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Motorola Solutions, Inc. provides mission critical communications and analytics in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation, and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Its land mobile radio communications and video security and access control devices include two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras, and accessories; radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters; and video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions. The Software and Services segment provides repair, technical support, and hardware maintenance services. This segment also offers monitoring, software updates, and cybersecurity services; and public safety and enterprise command center software, unified communications applications, and video software solutions through on-premise and as a service. It serves government, public safety, and commercial customers. The company was formerly known as Motorola, Inc. and changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. in January 2011. Motorola Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. The Consumer Banking and Lending segment offers diversified financial products and services for consumers and small businesses. Its financial products and services include checking and savings accounts, and credit and debit cards, as well as home, auto, personal, and small business lending services. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial solutions to private, family owned, and certain public companies. Its products and services include banking and credit products across various industry sectors and municipalities, secured lending and lease products, and treasury management services. The Corporate and Investment Banking segment offers a suite of capital markets, banking, and financial products and services to corporate, commercial real estate, government, and institutional clients. Its products and services comprise corporate banking, investment banking, treasury management, commercial real estate lending and servicing, equity, and fixed income solutions, as well as sales, trading, and research capabilities services. The Wealth and Investment Management segment provides personalized wealth management, brokerage, financial planning, lending, private banking, and trust and fiduciary products and services to affluent, high-net worth, and ultra-high-net worth clients. It also operates through financial advisors. Wells Fargo & Company was founded in 1852 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Johnson & Johnson: 3Dintegrated ApS, ALZA Corporation, AMO (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Beijing Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd Guangzhou Branch, AMO (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., AMO ASIA LIMITED, AMO Asia Limited (Korea Branch), AMO Asia Limited Taiwan Branch (Hong Kong), AMO Australia Pty Limited, AMO Australia Pty Limited (New Zealand Branch), AMO Canada Company, AMO Denmark ApS, AMO Development LLC, AMO France, AMO Germany GmbH, AMO Groningen B.V., AMO International Holdings Unlimited Company, AMO Ireland, AMO Ireland Ireland Branch, AMO Italy SRL, AMO Japan K.K., AMO Manufacturing USA LLC, AMO Netherlands BV, AMO Nominee Holdings LLC, AMO Norway AS, AMO Puerto Rico Manufacturing Inc., AMO Sales and Service Inc., AMO Singapore Pte. Ltd., AMO Spain Holdings LLC, AMO Switzerland GmbH, AMO U.K. Holdings LLC, AMO United Kingdom Ltd., AMO Uppsala AB, AUB Holdings LLC, Abott Medical Optics, Acclarent Inc., Actelion Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Actelion Pharmaceuticals US Inc., Actelion Treasury Unlimited Company, Akros Medical Inc., Albany Street LLC, Alios BioPharma, Alza Land Management Inc., Anakuria Therapeutics Inc., Animas Diabetes Care LLC, Animas LLC, Animas Technologies LLC, AorTx Inc., Apsis, Aragon Pharmaceuticals, Aragon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Asia Pacific Holdings LLC, Atrionix Inc., Auris Health, Auris Health Inc., Backsvalan 2 Aktiebolag, Backsvalan 6 Handelsbolag, Beijing Dabao Cosmetics Co. Ltd., BeneVir BioPharm Inc., Berna Rhein B.V., BioMedical Enterprises Inc., Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd., Biosense Webster Inc., Branch of Johnson & Johnson LLC (RU) in Kazakhstan, C Consumer Products Denmark ApS, CSATS Inc., Calibra Medical LLC, Campus-Foyer Apotheke GmbH, Carlo Erba OTC S.r.l., Centocor Biologics LLC, Centocor Research & Development Inc., Cerenovus Inc., ChromaGenics B.V., Ci:Labo Customer Marketing Co. Ltd., Ci:Labo USA Inc., Ci:z Holdings, Ci:z. Labo Co. Ltd., Cilag AG, Cilag GmbH International, Cilag Holding AG, Cilag Holding Treasury Unlimited Company, Cilag-Biotech S.L., CoTherix Inc., Coherex Medical Inc., ColBar LifeScience Ltd., Company Store.com Inc., Conor MedSystems, Cordis International Corporation, Cordis de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Corimmun GmbH, DePuy Hellas SA, DePuy International Limited, DePuy Ireland Unlimited Company, DePuy Mexico S.A. de C.V., DePuy Mitek LLC, DePuy Orthopaedics Inc., DePuy Products Inc., DePuy Spine LLC, DePuy Synthes Gorgan Limited, DePuy Synthes Inc., DePuy Synthes Institute LLC, DePuy Synthes Leto SARL, DePuy Synthes Products Inc., DePuy Synthes Sales Inc., Debs-Vogue Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, Dutch Holding LLC, ECL7 LLC, EES Holdings de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., EES S.A. de C.V., EIT Emerging Implant Technologies GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery (Europe) GmbH, Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery LLC, Ethicon Inc., Ethicon LLC, Ethicon PR Holdings Unlimited Company, Ethicon Sarl, Ethicon US LLC, Ethicon Women's Health & Urology Sarl, Ethnor (Proprietary) Limited, Ethnor Farmaceutica S.A., Ethnor del Istmo S.A., FMS Future Medical System SA, Finsbury (Development) Limited, Finsbury (Instruments) Limited, Finsbury Medical Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics International Limited, Finsbury Orthopaedics Limited, GH Biotech Holdings Limited, GMED Healthcare BV, GMED Healthcare BV (Branch), Global Investment Participation B.V., Guangzhou Bioseal Biotech Co. Ltd., Hansen Medical Deutschland GmbH, Hansen Medical Inc., Hansen Medical International Inc., Hansen Medical UK Limited, Healthcare Services (Shanghai) Ltd., Hickory Merger Sub Inc., I.D. Acquisition Corp., Innomedic Gesellschaft fur innovative Medizintechnik und Informatik mbH, Innovative Surgical Solutions LLC, J & J Company West Africa Limited, J&J Pension Trustees Limited, J-C Health Care Ltd., J.C. General Services BV, JJ Surgical Vision Spain S.L., JJC Acquisition Company B.V., JJHC LLC, JJSV Belgium BV, JJSV Manufacturing Malaysia SDN. BHD., JJSV Norden AB, JJSV Produtos Oticos Ltda., JNJ Global Business Services s.r.o., JNJ Holding EMEA B.V., JNJ International Investment LLC, JOM Pharmaceutical Services Inc., Janssen Alzheimer Immunotherapy (Holding) Limited, Janssen BioPharma LLC, Janssen Biologics (Ireland) Limited, Janssen Biologics B.V., Janssen Biotech Inc., Janssen Cilag C.A., Janssen Cilag Farmaceutica S.A., Janssen Cilag S.p.A., Janssen Cilag SPA, Janssen Development Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Diagnostics LLC, Janssen Egypt LLC, Janssen Farmaceutica Portugal Lda, Janssen Global Services LLC, Janssen Holding GmbH, Janssen Inc., Janssen Irish Finance Unlimited Company, Janssen Korea Ltd., Janssen Oncology Inc., Janssen Ortho LLC, Janssen Pharmaceutica (Proprietary) Limited, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Janssen Pharmaceutica S.A., Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Janssen Pharmaceutical Sciences Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceutical Unlimited Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. Japan Branch, Janssen Products LP, Janssen R&D Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Research & Development LLC, Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company, Janssen Scientific Affairs LLC, Janssen Supply Group LLC, Janssen Vaccines & Prevention B.V., Janssen Vaccines Branch of Cilag GmbH International, Janssen Vaccines Corp., Janssen-Cilag, Janssen-Cilag (New Zealand) Limited, Janssen-Cilag A/S, Janssen-Cilag AG, Janssen-Cilag AS, Janssen-Cilag Aktiebolag, Janssen-Cilag B.V., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Lda., Janssen-Cilag Farmaceutica Ltda., Janssen-Cilag GmbH, Janssen-Cilag International NV, Janssen-Cilag Kft., Janssen-Cilag Kft. Branch Office, Janssen-Cilag Limited, Janssen-Cilag Manufacturing LLC, Janssen-Cilag NV, Janssen-Cilag OY, Janssen-Cilag Pharma GmbH, Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceutical S.A.C.I., Janssen-Cilag Polska Sp. z o.o., Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd, Janssen-Cilag Pty Ltd (Branch), Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A., Janssen-Cilag S.A. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Janssen-Cilag s.r.o., Janssen-Pharma S.L., Jevco Holding Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Johnson & Johnson (Angola) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (China) Investment Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson (Egypt) S.A.E., Johnson & Johnson (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Ireland) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Jamaica) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Kenya) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (DHCC Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. (JAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Middle East) Inc. Service Center (DAFZA Branch), Johnson & Johnson (Mozambique) Limitada, Johnson & Johnson (Namibia) (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (New Zealand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc., Johnson & Johnson (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Thailand) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson (Trinidad) Limited, Johnson & Johnson (Vietnam) Co. Ltd, Johnson & Johnson - Societa' Per Azioni, Johnson & Johnson AB, Johnson & Johnson AB Eesti filiaal (Branch), Johnson & Johnson AG, Johnson & Johnson AG (Zuchwil Branch), Johnson & Johnson Belgium Finance Company BV, Johnson & Johnson Bulgaria EOOD, Johnson & Johnson China Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Hong Kong) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer (Thailand) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer B.V., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health Care Switzerland Branch of Janssen-Cilag AG, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Holdings France, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc., Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Dominican Republic Branch), Johnson & Johnson Consumer NV, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Services EAME Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Del Paraguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson Dominicana S.A.S., Johnson & Johnson Enterprise Innovation Inc., Johnson & Johnson European Treasury Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson Finance Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Finance Limited, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Financial Services GmbH (Branch Office), Johnson & Johnson Gateway LLC, Johnson & Johnson Gesellschaft m.b.H., Johnson & Johnson GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Guatemala S.A., Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems Inc., Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions Inc., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Commercial and Industrial S.A., Johnson & Johnson Hellas Consumer Products Commercial Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson Hemisferica S.A., Johnson & Johnson Holding GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Inc., Johnson & Johnson Industrial Ltda., Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC Inc., Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, Johnson & Johnson Innovation Limited, Johnson & Johnson International, Johnson & Johnson International (Belgian Branch) (European Logistics Center), Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (Branch), Johnson & Johnson International Financial Services Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson K.K., Johnson & Johnson Kft., Johnson & Johnson Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Korea Selling & Distribution LLC, Johnson & Johnson LLC, Johnson & Johnson Lda, Johnson & Johnson Limited, Johnson & Johnson Limited (Sri Lanka Branch), Johnson & Johnson Luxembourg Finance Company Sarl, Johnson & Johnson Management Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical (China) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Proprietary) Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical (Shanghai) Ltd. Beijing Branch, Johnson & Johnson Medical (Suzhou) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical B.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group - Latin America L.L.C., Johnson & Johnson Medical GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Korea Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medical Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson Medical NV, Johnson & Johnson Medical Products GmbH, Johnson & Johnson Medical Pty Ltd, Johnson & Johnson Medical S.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.C.S., Johnson & Johnson Medical S.p.A., Johnson & Johnson Medical SAS, Johnson & Johnson Medical Saudi Arabia Limited, Johnson & Johnson Medical Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Ankara Branch), Johnson & Johnson Medikal Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi (Izmir Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East - Scientific Office, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ - LLC (Lebanese Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC, Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Ghana Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC (Kenya Branch), Johnson & Johnson Middle East FZ-LLC Branch (TSO) (Saudi Arabia Branch), Johnson & Johnson Morocco Societe Anonyme, Johnson & Johnson NCB (Belgian Branch), Johnson & Johnson Nordic AB, Johnson & Johnson Pacific Pty Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pakistan (Private) Limited, Johnson & Johnson Panama S.A., Johnson & Johnson Personal Care (Chile) S.A., Johnson & Johnson Poland Sp. z o.o., Johnson & Johnson Poland sp. z o.o. oddzial w Warszawie "Consumer", Johnson & Johnson Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Pte. Ltd. Korea Branch, Johnson & Johnson Pty. Limited, Johnson & Johnson Romania S.R.L., Johnson & Johnson S.A., Johnson & Johnson S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson S.E. Inc., Johnson & Johnson S.E. d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson SDN. BHD., Johnson & Johnson Sante Beaute France, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision Inc., Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision India Private Limited, Johnson & Johnson Taiwan Ltd., Johnson & Johnson UK Treasury Company Limited, Johnson & Johnson Ukraine LLC, Johnson & Johnson Urban Renewal Associates, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care (Shanghai) Ltd., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland Unlimited Company, Johnson & Johnson d.o.o., Johnson & Johnson de Argentina S.A.C. e. I., Johnson & Johnson de Chile Limitada, Johnson & Johnson de Chile S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Colombia S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Johnson & Johnson de Uruguay S.A., Johnson & Johnson de Venezuela S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Ecuador S.A., Johnson & Johnson del Peru S.A., Johnson & Johnson do Brasil Industria E Comercio de Produtos Para Saude Ltda., Johnson & Johnson for Export and Import LLC, Johnson & Johnson s.r.o., Johnson Y Johnson de Costa Rica S.A., Johnson and Johnson (Proprietary) Limited, Johnson and Johnson Sihhi Malzeme Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, LTL Management LLC, La Concha Land Investment Corporation, Latam International Investment Company Unlimited Company, Legal Entity Name, MDS Co. Ltd., McNEIL MMP LLC, McNeil AB, McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals Co., McNeil Denmark ApS, McNeil Healthcare (Ireland) Limited, McNeil Healthcare (UK) Limited, McNeil Healthcare LLC, McNeil Iberica S.L.U., McNeil LA LLC, McNeil Nutritionals LLC, McNeil Panama LLC, McNeil Products Limited, McNeil Sweden AB, Medical Device Business Services Inc., Medical Devices & Diagnostics Global Services LLC, Medical Devices International LLC, Medos International Sarl, Medos International Sarl succursale de Neuchatel (Branch), Medos Sarl, MegaDyne Medical Products Inc., Menlo Care De Mexico S.A. de C.V., Mentor B.V., Mentor Deutschland GmbH, Mentor Medical Systems B.V., Mentor Partnership Holding Company I LLC, Mentor Texas GP LLC, Mentor Texas L.P., Mentor Worldwide LLC, Micrus Endovascular LLC, Middlesex Assurance Company Limited, Momenta Ireland Limited, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc., NeoStrata Company Inc., NeoStrata UG (haftungsbeschrankt), Netherlands Holding Company, NeuWave Medical Inc., Neuravi Limited, Novira Therapeutics, Novira Therapeutics LLC, NuVera Medical Inc., OBTECH Medical Sarl, OGX Beauty Limited, OMJ Holding GmbH, OMJ Ireland Unlimited Company, OMJ Pharmaceuticals Inc., Obtech Medical Mexico S.A. de C.V., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Omrix Biopharmaceuticals NV, Ortho Biologics LLC, Ortho Biotech Holding LLC, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical LLC, Orthospin Ltd., Orthotaxy, PT Integrated Healthcare Indonesia, PT. Johnson & Johnson Indonesia, Patriot Pharmaceuticals LLC, Peninsula Pharmaceuticals LLC, Pharmadirect Ltd., Pharmedica Laboratories (Proprietary) Limited, Princeton Laboratories Inc., Productos de Cuidado Personal y de La Salud de Bolivia S.R.L., Proleader S.A., Pulsar Vascular Inc., Regency Urban Renewal Associates, RespiVert Ltd., RoC International, Royalty A&M LLC, Rutan Realty LLC, SYNTHES Medical Immobilien GmbH, Scios LLC, Sedona Singapore International Pte. Ltd., Sedona Thai International Co. Ltd., Serhum S.A. de C.V., Shanghai Elsker For Mother & Baby Co. Ltd, Shanghai Elsker Mother & Baby Co. Ltd Minghang Branch, Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Shanghai Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Sightbox LLC, Sodiac ESV, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Company, Spectrum Vision Limited Liability Partnership, SterilMed, SterilMed Inc., Surgical Process Institute Deutschland GmbH, Synthes Costa Rica S.C.R. Limitada, Synthes GmbH, Synthes Holding AG, Synthes Holding Limited, Synthes Inc., Synthes Medical Surgical Equipment & Instruments Trading LLC, Synthes Produktions GmbH, Synthes Proprietary Limited, Synthes S.M.P. S. de R.L. de C.V., Synthes Tuttlingen GmbH, Synthes USA LLC, Synthes USA Products LLC, TARIS Biomedical, TARIS Biomedical LLC, TearScience Inc., The Anspach Effort LLC, The Vision Care Institute LLC, Tibotec LLC, Torax Medical Inc., UAB "Johnson & Johnson", UAB Johnson & Johnson Eesti Filiaal (Estonian Branch), Vania Expansion, Verb Surgical, Verb Surgical Inc., Vision Care Finance Unlimited Company, Vogue International, Vogue International LLC, Vogue International Trading Inc., WH4110 Development Company L.L.C., XO1, XO1 Limited, Xian Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd., Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Beijing Branch Office, Xian-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd. Shanghai Branch Office, Zarbee's Inc., and Zarbee's Naturals.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Pfizer: AH Robins LLC, AHP Holdings B.V., AHP Manufacturing B.V., Agouron Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alacer, Alpharma Holdings LLC, Alpharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, Alpharma Specialty Pharma LLC, Alpharma USHP LLC, American Food Industries LLC, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Anacor Pharmaceuticals Inc., Angiosyn, Array BioPharma, Ayerst-Wyeth Pharmaceuticals LLC, BIND Therapeutics Inc., BINESA 2002 S.L., Bamboo Therapeutics, Bamboo Therapeutics Inc., Baxter International - Marketed Vaccines, BioRexis, Bioren, Bioren LLC, Blue Whale Re Ltd., C.E. Commercial Holdings C.V., C.E. Commercial Investments C.V., C.P. Pharmaceuticals International C.V., CICL Corporation, COC I Corporation, Catapult Genetics, Coley Pharmaceutical GmbH, Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Coley Pharmaceutical Group Inc., Continental Pharma Inc., Covx, Covx Technologies Ireland Limited, Cyanamid Inter-American Corporation, Cyanamid de Argentina S.A., Cyanamid de Colombia S.A., Distribuidora Mercantil Centro Americana S.A., Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc., Esperion LUV Development Inc., Esperion Therapeutics, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals, Excaliard Pharmaceuticals Inc., Farminova Produtos Farmaceuticos de Inovacao Lda., Farmogene Productos Farmaceuticos Lda, Ferrosan A/S, Ferrosan International A/S, Ferrosan S.R.L., FoldRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Foldrx Pharmaceuticals, Fort Dodge Manufatura Ltda., G. D. Searle & Co. Limited, G. D. Searle International Capital LLC, G. D. Searle LLC, GI Europe Inc., GI Japan Inc., GenTrac Inc., Genetics Institute LLC, Greenstone LLC, Haptogen Limited, Hospira, Hospira (China) Enterprise Management Co. Ltd., Hospira Adelaide Pty Ltd, Hospira Aseptic Services Limited, Hospira Australia Pty Ltd, Hospira Benelux BVBA, Hospira Chile Limitada, Hospira Deutschland GmbH, Hospira Enterprises B.V., Hospira France SAS, Hospira Healthcare B.V., Hospira Healthcare Corporation, Hospira Healthcare India Private Limited, Hospira Holdings (S.A.) Pty Ltd, Hospira Inc., Hospira Invicta S.A., Hospira Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, Hospira Ireland Sales Limited, Hospira Japan G.K., Hospira Limited, Hospira Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Hospira NZ Limited, Hospira Nordic AB, Hospira Philippines Inc., Hospira Portugal LDA, Hospira Produtos Hospitalares Ltda., Hospira Pte. 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Carnival Corporation & plc is a leisure travel company operating a fleet of cruise ships, hotels, and resorts with international destinations. Brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella include Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America, P&O Cruises, Seaborn, Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and Cunard. The companys goal is to provide extraordinary vacations at an exceptional value. As of 2022, the company laid claim to nearly half of the global cruising market share with several new ships in the works.

Carnival Cruise Line was launched in 1972 with one second-hand ship and a tank of fuel. The first port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico, but soon more were added. The original growth strategy included a festive atmosphere, features and amenities unlike any other cruise line at the time. Slow to start, the growth strategy shifted into overdrive in 1980 when Carnival shocked the world by building its own ship. The Tropicale became an iconic name in the cruising industry and sparked a wave of shipbuilding that is still underway.

The companys growth hit a new stride in 1987 following the IPO which floated 20% of the company on the open market. The proceeds from the IPO allowed the company to embark on a voyage of acquisition and now Carnival is the worlds largest travel and leisure business.

Today, Carnival Corporations 87 ships visit approximately 700 ports worldwide and employ more than 120,000 people while serving more than 13 million guests annually for a total of 85 million passenger cruise days per year. Net revenue, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, peaked out at over $6.5 billion annually.

Carnival Cruise Line is the companys largest brand serving guests on all coasts of North America. The brand's 22 ships make 1500 voyages per year with trips ranging from 2 days to 3 weeks and ports of call from the Caribbean to Alaska. The company's largest ship is named Panorama and can accommodate more than 4,000 passengers.

Carnivals 9 brands provide access to a wide range of cruising styles and destinations including the Caribbean, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, England, and ports in Asia. The company is headquartered in Miami, Florida and has offices around the world. The company also has the distinction of being the only company included in both the S&P 500 and FTSE 250 indices.
Regions Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers. It operates through three segments: Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank, and Wealth Management. The Corporate Bank segment offers commercial banking services, such as commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and investor real estate lending; equipment lease financing; deposit products; and securities underwriting and placement, loan syndication and placement, foreign exchange, derivatives, merger and acquisition, and other advisory services. It serves corporate, middle market, and commercial real estate developers and investors. The Consumer Bank segment provides consumer banking products and services related to residential first mortgages, home equity lines and loans, consumer credit cards, and other consumer loans, as well as deposits. The Wealth Management segment offers credit related products, and retirement and savings solutions; and trust and investment management, asset management, and estate planning services to individuals, businesses, governmental institutions, and non-profit entities. The company also provides investment and insurance products; low-income housing tax credit corporate fund syndication services; and other specialty financing services. As of March 01, 2022, it operated through a network of 1,300 banking offices and 2,000 automated teller machines across the South, Midwest, and Texas. Regions Financial Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.




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TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) -- On Monday, Florida's 29 electors will vote for president and vice-president. Dozens rallied in Tallahassee Saturday to get them to "flip" their vote.

"They know what is America is based upon," said demonstrator Beth White. "It's their duty. I hope it makes a difference."

They chanted, waved signs and encouraged vehicles to honk as they drove by the rally outside the Historic Old Capitol. They voiced concern about President-Elect Donald Trump and his administration.

"The divisiveness and the ulterior motive to take what is public good and turn into private interest," said demonstrator Vicki Tauxe.

"People are going to lose a lot of benefits," said demonstrator Jermaine Miller. "Obamacare, food stamps, medicaid and jobs."

Across the street, Gary Snow had a different message. With a speaker looping the sound of a baby's cry, he said protesters were whining for a lost cause.

"Get over it. You lost," he said. "Sorry, it's not gonna happen."

A peaceful protest turned into a war of words when Snow crossed the street and got closer to the demonstrators, turning up his speaker and disrupting the event. Some protesters confronted Snow, getting in his face with signs and yelling back at him.

Within minutes, police warned both sides not to antagonize, saying they both had rights to express opinion.

The electors will meet Monday at 2 p.m. in the Florida Senate Chamber. Another demonstration is set for earlier that day.
Some Eastern Kentuckians are making their way back home after a terrifying bus crash in Maryland.

It happened early Saturday morning on I-95.

According to Katrina Conley, who was on the bus at the time of the crash, they were headed to New York City on a tour bus with Destination Tours. She said they left Hazard on Friday night and were expected to arrive in New York City around 9 on Saturday morning.

Just one mile ahead of a more than 60 car pile-up on the interstate, Conley said their bus slid on ice and crashed into a box truck that had previously stopped after sliding into other vehicles.

"We went through a tunnel and it was raining really hard but when we came out of the tunnel it was ice, said Conley. We could tell it was ice hitting our windows. We went probably a couple of miles and that's when we came to the overpass and there were two box trucks and a car that had slid into each other. I don't know if our driver hit the brakesbut we started sliding and we slid into the back of one of the box trucks and that was our first impact. Then we slid around and hit the concrete median and then we spun around and landed against the barrier...the outer barrier of the overpass. We did like a 360. We were facing the oncoming traffic on I-95 North. A car slid into the front of the bus. Then we were sitting there and here come two semis toward us, but luckily they just slid past us.

Christopher Fugate, who was also on the tour bus, said the accident was terrifying.

Actually when the initial wreck first took place, I was asleep, said Fugate. I woke up to people screaming and the bus was spinning around and we hit a bridge.

Fugate said officials told him the bus hit black ice.

Following the crash, Conley said they had to wait a few hours before ambulances could take them off of the bus.

We had to sit on the bus for like three hours because the fire department got to us but they couldn't get any ambulances to us, said Conley. They said they had like 60 ambulances out, and I guess at the time the other wreck had happened about a mile behind us, and I guess they had more serious injuries there...so most of the ambulances went there."

She said it appeared there were only minor injuries on the bus and 14-15 people went to the Emergency Room to get checked out.

My eye is bruised, I have bruises on my leg, my ankle was sore but there was no serious injuries on our bus."

Conley said another tour bus was with them but was not involved in the crash.

She tells WYMT some of the people involved in the crash are heading home on another bus. However, she said she opted out and decided to fly home. She is now traveling back to Knott County from Louisville.

Fugate also decided to fly home. He said he is just thankful to be alive.

"We are truly blessed to be living, to be honest, said Fugate. I know the Lord was watching over us, there is no other way to put it."

It is unclear exactly how many people were on the tour bus that crashed.

We reached out to Destination Tours for a comment. They said they cannot release any additional information at this time. However, they did say it only appeared there were minor injuries on the bus.
The biggest threat to a business owner in Jerusalem is the revocation of the business kashrut certificate. In a city where 80 percent of Jews define themselves as ultra-Orthodox, religious, or traditional, a business without a certificate is doomed. There is no wonder, therefore, that many of Jerusalems business owners were afraid to talk to us. Forget it, I dont want to get in trouble was the common response.

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Nevertheless, there were a few who agreed to talk, and their stories raise a troubling image: Alleged extortion by supervisors demanding black money; a curious demand to purchase products only from certain suppliers; and an incessant effort to put pressure on them to pay more, as well as to give in to the most radical Jewish denominations.

Kashrut certificate. 'It's like dealing with a criminal organization' (Photo: Shutterstock)

One such story happened to Hotel Yehuda in Jerusalem last Passover. Several dozen guests, mostly moderate religious Jews, gathered at the dining hall of the hotel for a Passover Seder. Around tables filled with food, they listened to the story of the Haggadah from the rabbi and used, at the guests consent, a Shabbat-friendly loudspeakera sound system developed by the Zomet Institute that does not desecrate the Jewish day of rest and holidays.

Several days later, a senior inspector from the Jerusalem Religious Councils kashrut department showed up at the hotel, moved the regular kashrut supervisor out of his way and took a thorough tour of the place.

They were angry at me for approving the loudspeaker, so they sent the inspector to search for problems, the supervisor said later on. He entered the kitchen and started looking underground. The hotel does everything according to the Halacha, but not the way the Religious Council wants things to be done. Its about honor.

The story did not end here. Shortly afterwards, Rabbi Shmuel Burstein, deputy head of the Religious Councils kashrut department, called an urgent meeting with the hotels general manager. He made it clear that while he was aware of the fact that the council was not authorized to revoke the hotels kashrut certificate over the loudspeaker, there are other ways it can get its way.

The High Court can tell me, Dont intervene in the loudspeaker affair, the rabbi said, but by the book I can take away your certificate over every mixing of spoons (for meat and dairy). Later in the conversation the rabbi blurted, At the end of the day, its better to be friends than to be enemies.

They wanted to bring me down, says the general manager, Yishay Barnea, who left the conversation feeling threatened. One of the interests of the council is to create fear. Their world view includes an approach that once business owners are afraid, they will be scared to do things (the council) doesnt approve of.

The Rabbinates long arm

Israels kashrut procedures are determined by the Chief Rabbinate, but they are enforced on the ground by the local religious councils. Each council is responsible for the businesses in its jurisdiction area, which are completely at its mercy.

The city rabbis and the regional rabbis essentially serve as the long arm of the Chief Rabbinate, the Rabbinates website states. In practice, however, each local religious council does as it pleases, setting its own kashrut laws, sometimes in complete contradiction of the Chief Rabbinate's definitions. The use of a Shabbat loudspeaker, for example, is permitted in Tel Aviv but forbidden in Jerusalem.

While the Chief Rabbinate is trying to tighten its hold on the local councils, the local rabbis are refusing to give up the major power they have been given. The councils have power and can do whatever they want with it, says Knesset Member Rachel Azaria (Kulanu). There is no supervision, there are no rules. Its a complete monopoly, and they do what they want. The business owners are a captive audience.

MK Azaria. No supervision, no rules, an absolute monopoly (Photo: Rotem Sela)

The most difficult religious council is probably the one in Jerusalem. Barnea, the only hotel manager in the city who agreed to talk openly, knows a thing or two about kashrut. He is a religious Jew who was born in Bnei Brak and ran one of the Haredi sectors biggest banquet halls in the city for years. In addition, as chairman of the Jerusalem Hotel Association, he has often received complaints about the local religious council overstepping its authority.

Not so long ago, I received an appeal from a large chain that has a hotel in the city with a playground in it. On Saturdays, the guests children engage in crafts, using scissors, among other things. The supervisor ordered them to stop because it is forbidden to cut on Shabbat. What does that have to do with the kashrut of the food? They are ignoring the fact that a considerable part of our target audience is made up of foreign tourists, gentiles and, yes, even seculars.

The monopoly corrupts, adds Israel Hotel Association Director-General Noaz Bar-Nir, and creates a lot of negative phenomena.

Only last July, Jerusalem Police investigators raided the religious council offices in the city, arresting five employees on suspicion of abusing their power and received bribes from supervised bodies. About a year ago, it was reported that the family members of the councils chairman serve as supervisors against the orders of the Ministry of Religious Services.

A 2009 State Comptroller report also criticized supervisor employment methods, as well as the way they are inspected and trained. A source in the religious council itself told us that even today, supervisors visit businesses once every two months, instead of every 10 days. Such claims were also raised by business owners who agreed to be interviewed anonymously.

In addition, the state comptroller was irritated by the fact that some employees provide private bodies with kashrut supervision services while working at the religious council. This finding, by the way, did not stop Rabbi Burstein himself from providing private kashrut services to the Caesar Premier Hotel in Tiberias, as well as to other hotels in the Dead Sea.

Another common phenomenon in Jerusalem, according to some business owners, is paying supervisors under the table. When I first opened the restaurant, we were visited by a kashrut supervisor who suggested that we pay him under the table, says the owner of Jerusalems Topolino restaurant, who recently moved his business to Tel Aviv. He said that was the acceptable way. We said that was not the way we worked. Not paying him under the table made the payment more expensive of course, but we were unwilling to take the chance, both legally and ethically.

Were you surprised by his offer?

No, not at all. The entire system works that way. We were unusual in this case.

Another business owner confirms the story, saying that he also received a demand to pay a kashrut supervisor under the table, otherwise he would be forced to pay more.

Thats how it works in the city, he says. Everyone knows it, but everyone is afraid to go against the Rabbinate, which could revoke your kashrut certificate and terminate your business, so you just grin and bear it.

Another claim, made by several business owners in Jerusalem, has to do with the wholesalers that they are allowed to purchase goods from. Ask the business owners if they were able to change their supplier, says a business owner in the market. There will be someone who will make it clear to you that you must only buy from a specific supplier, or else.

Why?

Figure it out on your own.

Yeshayahu Yishai, head of the Jerusalem Religious Council, recently got into trouble when it turned out that he also works as a private slaughterer for commercial companies that import meat. As part of that job, he can say to a restaurant or a hotel in Jerusalem: Listen, from now on you can only use the meat imported by the company I work for, says a well-informed source. It creates a conflict of interest.

About three weeks ago, the Chief Rabbinates legal adviser sent a warning letter to Yishai, making it clear that because of this conflict of interest, he must stop working privately or at least publicly declare that he is precluded from dealing with kashrut matters within Jerusalem. Yishai has yet to read the letter. He was in South America, on a business trip, when it was sent.

Doing business like in the underworld

On the eve of Passover, a moment before the high season for Jerusalem businesses, a kashrut supervisor paid a visit to several businesses in the city center that he is charged of. Pay me under the table, he demanded.

Im sorry, we work in an organized manner, the business owner replied. We only pay against an invoice or a pay slip.

The supervisor left and the next day, the business owners and their workers received a visit from the same supervisors inspector, one of the most senior officials at the Jerusalem Religious Council. He entered the kitchen and started screaming and running wild. You wont get a kashrut certificate for Passover, he roared, adding: If you dont settle the issue with the supervisor, your certificate will be taken away.

We cant work that way, its illegal, the business owner replied. Come to my office for a meeting tomorrow, the inspector said before leaving.

Another day went by, and the businss owners arrived to the inspector's office at the Jerusalem Religious Council. The senior inspector closed the door and put the supervisor on the line so he could "mediate between the parties. You have to understand, the inspector told them, the supervisor "has no way of receiving a pay slip. He is unfortunate.

What exactly are you asking us to do? one of the business owners wondered. We cant work that way.

Thats the way it is, the inspector explained. Thats the way he works. Pay him, or youll be left without a Passover kashrut certificate, and without any kashrut certificate at all.

A kashrut supervisor in Petah Tikva (Photo: Gil Lerner)

The business owners were in a bind. They realized that without a kashrut certificate at such busy period, their business will suffer a critical blow. Any way you look at it, its blackmail.

I felt like this was an arbitration in the underworld, one of the business owners says in retrospect. I assume that the story in this case, like in many other cases, is that the supervisor is registered as a yeshiva student or as unemployed and he wants to have the best of both worlds. We business owners are left with no other choiceif we refuse to cooperate with these criminals, our businesses will collapse. Its time to clean rid the system of this poison.

We heard similar stories from other business owners in Jerusalem. Apart from the blackmail issue, think about the economic issue: This is tax fraud for all intents and purposes, one of them says. The state loses tens to hundreds of millions of shekels here every year, due to money under the table, which goes to people that the state forces us to work with. Its absurd. The supervisors have the legitimacy to extort us and demand high sums, sometimes backed by the Rabbinate, and these costs are eventually charged from the customer because we have no other choice.

The inspector in question denies the allegations against him. There was no such thing, he says. I never approved payments under the table, so I dont understand what this is about. The day after tomorrow there is going to be a bid for head of the marriage department, so there may be good friends who want to speak ill of me. I know there are areas where these things (money under the table) are discussed, but I never approved such a thing.

Selective enforcement

When it comes to the Haredi sector, the Rabbinate monopoly is actually not as threatening. The kashrut institution that controls Jerusalems Mea Shearim neighborhood is the Badatz Eda Haredita private kashrut body for communities that wont settle for the Rabbinates kashrut rules. According to the Law Against Kashrut Fraud, a Badatz certificate can only be presented if the business already has a kashrut certificate from the Rabbinate, and both certificates must be presented openly.

Every year, Rabbinate inspectors hand out some 800 fines over violations of the law across the country, but it seems that none of them has ever visited Mea Shearim. A tour of the Haredi neighborhood revealed that many businesses present themselves as kosher using a Badatz Eda Haredit certificate only. We were unable to find a single kashrut certificate from the Chief Rabbinate.

I have never seen Rabbinate inspectors here, we were told by a worker in one of the cafes at the entrance to the neighborhood. Legally, I know that we need a Rabbinate certificate, but we dont have one.

In other areas, however, kashrut inspectors are working in full force.

Yehonatan Vadai is the owner of Carousela Cafe in central Jerusalem. Upon opening his business in 2009, he too was shocked when the kashrut supervisor demanded to receive his payment under the table. After agreeing for lack of any other option, he was even more surprised to see the supervisor arrive just once a week. I didnt understand what I was paying for. Just for the certificate? It was like a protection racket, he says.

Vadai decided to break off contact with the Religious Council and began presenting his business as kosher without a certificate. The initiative was joined by other restaurants in the area, which were all slapped with a NIS 1,000 ($265) fine by the Religious Council.

Following the incident, and with the encouragement of MK Azaria, Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz introduced the private supervision initiative, which provides private kashrut certificates in a communal spirit. The Rabbinate was unimpressed and kept fining the restaurants with the alternative certificate, prompting Vadai to petition the High Court of Justice. The court rejected his appeal, but the three-judge panel did criticize the Rabbinate.

Kosher restaurant without a certificate (Archive photo: Ruchama Weiss)

Almost everyone agrees that the problems stem from lack of transparency and supervision. Under the law, the council members are elected based on an agreement between the local authority, the local rabbinate, and the religious services minister. The problem is that these bodies often fail to reach an agreement, and in such a case the law states that the council members will be appointed by the religious services minister.

When that happens, the council members loyalty is to the minister who appointed them rather than to the residents they are supposed to serve. Only recently, for example, Shas leader Aryeh Deri, whose party controls the Ministry of Religious Services, announced a major salary increase for religious councils heads. About half of the 131 people enjoying this benefit were directly appointed by the minister. (Officials at the Ministry of Religious Services explained that the move was aimed at fixing a decades-long injustice).

The Neemanei Torah VaAvodah movement, which works to advance liberal Jewish values, is trying to change this situation. The religious councils inadequate function in the area of kashrut and in other areas stems, among other things, from the structural problems of the religious council, explains Tani Frank, the movements religion and state projects coordinator. The main problem is that in most councils there is no public supervision on what is going on, and so cases of corruption frequently develop unhindered.

The movement teamed up with MK Aliza Lavi of Yesh Atid, who recently submitted a bill limiting religious council heads term to five years (at the moment, their term is unlimited), thereby giving the local authority more power in the selection process of religious council members.

The bill will create a situation that each religious council will be selected by public representatives in the local authority, who will supervise what takes place in the council, she says.

Supervisor raises his own salary

Several weeks ago, the kashrut supervisor of the Tamara butcher shop in Ramla showed up and informed the owners that his monthly wage was going up from NIS 500 ($132) to NIS 750 ($198), and that there was no point in arguing. Moti Suleimanov, the shop manager, was amazed. Its unjustified, and I have no intention of paying that amount, he says. The supervisor only comes here occasionally as it is, sits here for two minutes and leaves. He doesnt do anything!

At the same time, more and more business owners in Ramla have been receiving demands, out of the blue, to double and even triple their kashrut supervisors monthly salaries. It feels like were dealing with a criminal organization, one of them says.

The owner of a restaurant in the city says that his kashrut supervisor recently demanded a raise from NIS 600 ($156) to NIS 1,500 ($390) a month. I cant afford to pay such a sum, he says. The supervisor arrives from time to time, drinks a glass of coke and leaves. He doesnt even check the place, he doesnt look. Only after being threatened that his kashrut certificate would be revoked, and following long negotiations, the restaurant owner managed to reduce the supervisor's monthly wage to NIS 1,000 ($260).

The problem lies in the fact that the kashrut supervisors are funded and inspected by the Chief Rabbinate and the local religious councils, but their wageNIS 37 ($9.63) per hour by lawis paid directly by the businesses. Beyond the built-in conflict of interestthe supervisor is employed by the supervised bodythe system creates fertile ground for blackmail attempts on the part of the supervisors, who can decide how many monthly hours to put in, and as a result determining their monthly own salary. And there is nothing the business owners can do about it.

The head of the kashrut system in Hadera was recently replaced, leading to a meteoric leap in the fee some of the citys businesses have been paying for kashrut supervision. For example, the fee of a local bakery jumped from NIS 800 ($208) to NIS 2,120 ($551.56) in one fell swoop.

The prices are increasing for no apparent reason in Netanya as well. The supervisor comes over and makes you an offer, and then you argue with him and he settles things with you, says Menachem Iluz, chairman of the business owners and independent workers association in Netanya. Its like a jungle.

In Herzliya, sources in the municipality say that supervisors have come up with an original way to set their prices: Today, the prices are determined by how close they (the business owners) are to the religious council people, one of the council members wrote in a letter to the city comptroller about a year ago. There are no set prices for businesses in the city.

When there is no set price, everything goes. From conversations with business owners and a review of audit reports, it seems that in almost every city in Israel, the kashrut market is like a law unto itself. Those who refuse to pay are forced to deal with the threat that their kashrut certificate will be revoked, a move that could serve as a deadly financial blow to a business in Israel.

They feel that they are immune and can do whatever they want, a restaurant owner says. They have you, and if you dont give in to all their demands, they cause trouble for you.

Shaming a business for complaining

The lack of uniformity is reflected in the kashrut rules as well. Two and a half years ago, ahead of Passover, a supervisor paid a visit to a veteran business in Netanya and informed the owner that after 38 years, following the arrival of a new rabbi, the procedures had changed. In order for his business to be approved as kosher for Passover, he would not be able to settle for thoroughly cleaning the oven, but would have to purchase a new oven for NIS 20,000 ($5,200). Why? Good question.

Such a small business cannot survive this, says the owner, who rejected the demand and publicly took on the religious council. In response, he says, the council published ads in local newspapers clarifying that his business is not kosher, and even sent over a kashrut supervisor who approached the diners and warned them that the food sold at the business was non-kosher. Having no other choice, the owner was forced to give up the Rabbinates kashrut certificate and turn to alternative kashrut.

The religious council is refusing to allow another business, a slaughterhouse operating outside Netanya, to sell meat to local restaurants, even though it has a kashrut certificate from other religious councils and even from Badatz Beit Yosef, which is considered strict. The slaughterhouse owner filed a complaint with the Chief Rabbinate, and its legal adviser reprimanded the city rabbi, but to no avail. More than six months have passed and the slaughterhouse owner says nothing has changed. He is looking for all kinds of instance in which customer allegedly sent products back, he says, and Netanyas residents are paying the price with the absence of fair competition.

The local authority spokesman said in response: The supervisors receive a fixed payment, according to the instructions of the Ministry for Religious Services director-general. As for the slaughterhouse, I dont know what youre talking about. I am unaware of anyone plotting against someone who is entitled to a kashrut certificate and is not being given one.

In Zikhron Yaakov, a new religious council worker was amazed to discover what was going on behind the scenes in the council. She sent a letter to the Ministry for Religious Services, saying that the religious council is being managed like a private estate, without transparency, without committees and intentionally ignoring my legitimate requests to receive information as a religious council member Many meeting minutes are written in a distorted, false manner, which does not properly reflect the council meeting. She also complained of nepotism and cronyism in the citys kashrut system.

Religious council officials were unmoved by the letter. The transparency at the Zikhron Yaakov Religious Council is a model unto others, the council chairman responded.

So far, all the attempts to fix the violations in this area have hit a solid wall, as religious council officials have no interest in giving up their major power and the goose that lays them golden eggs, and they definitely have no interest in transparency, precisely because of testimonies like the ones published here. In such a situation, in which the supervisors are unsupervised and the religious council has no control over what is taking place on the ground, the kashrut certificate granted to businesses is likely just a frame one can hang on the wall.

That was also the conclusion reached by the comptroller of the local council of Katzrin, who was amazed to discover that the kashrut supervisors work in the council was basically unsupervised. In the current situation, its impossible to know whether any supervision work is done and what is its nature, he wrote. In fact, even if there is no kashrut supervision at all across the local council, the religious council management has no way of knowing about it.

The testimonies in the story have been verified through recordings and documents. The inevitable conclusion from these stories is that there is something very rotten in Israels religious services system, and that the state is turning a blind eye to the situation due to political interests. When there is a lack in transparency, each person does what he wants.

MK Azaria is planning to call an urgent discussion at the Knessets Economic Committee. We knew that the kashrut area was breached, but this is apparently taking place at a very large scale, she says. I have asked MK Eitan Cabel, chairman of the Economic Committee, to hold a discussion on the issue. We will demand that the Chief Rabbinate and the Tax Authority conduct a comprehensive examination into the kashrut system.

Its unthinkable that there is an authority here which is subject to state laws but is still doing whatever it wants. Millions of shekels are being handed out in unreported 'under the table' money. They have basically created a state within a state, and we must put an end to the chaos in this area. The people of Israel want kashrut, but they wont accept a corrupt monopoly.

Reactions

Rabbi Shmuel Burstein offered the following response to this report: The inspectors visit to Hotel Yehuda was part of the regular supervision and had nothing to do with the use of a loudspeaker on Shabbat. During the visit, there was no need to search for failures underground, because the kashrut failures were clearly found on the ground. The meeting with Mr. Barnea was pleasant, and I am surprised by his feelings as revealed in the report. As for the terrorization claims, I would like to note that I am only responsible for the kashrut system of hotels in Jerusalem, and not for the entire kashrut system. I would like to receive a few examples of how I terrorize people while I work because, as you know, that is not my way. As for hotels kashrut during Passover, it is conducted several days a year and is not at the expense of the working days at the Rabbinate.

The Jerusalem Religious Council said in response: The kashrut supervisors are employed by the business owners. The business owners are clearly subject to the law, and so accepting a supervisors demand to be paid under the table is in violation of the law. We are unaware of any complaint submitted by business owners of such a demand made by a supervisor. The Jerusalem Rabbinate has signed a contract with a manpower company, and from now on the supervisors will be employed by this company that won a Ministry for Religious Services bid. In addition, the Rabbinate requires a certain kashrut level from the businesses it supervises. Accordingly, the demands also apply to the components making up the final product that is produced and sold to the consumer. It is therefore reasonable for the Rabbinate to force business owner to purchase products from certain suppliers who have the required kashrut level.

The Ministry for Religious Services offered the following response: Assuming that what has been reported is true, the ministry sees such cases as extremely severe and is working on a plan to regulate the work of kashrut supervisors while severing the affiliation between them and the business owners. As for the claims regarding the religious council, the Law Against Kashrut Fraud will require all kashrut-providing rabbis to act according to the Chief Rabbinate's procedures only.

The Chief Rabbinate offered the following response: Different elements have decided to raise issues that have been discussed by the media in the past, in an attempt to blacken and undermine the position of the chief and local rabbinate. The issues in the kashrut area are complicated and are therefore used to attack kashrut supervisors, the vast majority of whom sacrifice themselves so that the public will receive properly kosher food.

A special committee examining the kashrut system in Israel, which has been appointed by Chief Rabbi David Lau, is working to look into all the matters related to the kashrut-providing issue, including the desire to sever the affiliation between the supervisor and the supervised body, unified kashrut procedures, the prevention of conflicts of interest and more, in order to recommend the required amendments or changes accordingly. The issues raised in the letter are being discussed by the committee among other issues. It should be mentioned that a bill has been submitted to the Knesset to obligate religious councils to act according to unified standards set by the Chief Rabbinate.
An Israeli advocacy group on Thursday asked a US federal court to block aerospace giant Boeing Co.'s planned $16.6 billion deal with Iran Air, saying the Tehran government must first pay off billions of dollars in damages to families of people killed or wounded by Iranian-backed militant groups.

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In papers filed in the Northern District of Illinois court, the Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Center organization said it was seeking a lien against Boeing until the damages against Iran are recovered.

"We are going to seize all 100 airplanes," said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the group's director. "If Boeing thinks it will simply sell to Iran Air, which is 60 percent owned by the Iranian government, and pretend it is providing some sort of humanitarian civilian aid to a non-governmental entity, we will reveal the truth."

Boeing aircraft being sold to Iran

Boeing did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Darshan-Leitner has represented attack victims in dozens of lawsuits in American courts. She said 10 rulings in her favor have ordered Iran to pay victims some $2 billion in compensation.

Thus far, she says she has been able to collect about $200 million in seized Iranian bank accounts and assets on American soil.

Her organization represents families who are relatives of Americans victims of attacks perpetrated from 1995 to 2006 by Iran-backed groups like the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Last year the group filed to block the release of $100 billion in frozen Iranian assets in the United States following the US-led nuclear deal with Tehran.

Shurat HaDin is known for suing states such as Iran and Syria, as well as the Palestinians, on behalf of attack victims' families, aiming to cause these governments bad publicity even if it can't get them to pay.

Matthew Levitt, director of the counterterrorism program at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said "these cases can be very impactful, both in terms of creating a legal record of

Iran's support for terrorism and in terms of providing closure and financial compensation to the victims and their families."

"Collection can be challenging," he added. "But law firms have had much success in finding Iranian assets and making claims on them."

Iran Air's deal for 80 jetliners is the biggest agreement Iran has struck with an American company since the 1979 revolution and US Embassy takeover.

Last September, Washington granted permission to Boeing and the European consortium Airbus to sell billions of dollars' worth of aircraft to Iran. Airbus needed US approval because at least 10 percent of its planes' components are of American origin.

Boeing said it worked closely with the US government throughout the deal-making process and will continue to "follow all license requirements" stating that the Iran Air deal "will support tens of thousands of US jobs."

"If an American company like Boeing is going to profit from multi-billion dollar business ventures with Iran, at least the terror victims will seize whatever Iranian assets are produced as a byproduct of the deal," said Darshan-Leitner, saying there are almost $43 billion in unsatisfied American judgments against Iran overall. "Iran should not get the benefit of any new aircraft or airplane parts while the victims of its horrible crimes are forgotten."
A new agreement was reached early Sunday between the Israeli government and the residents of Amona that would see 24 families remain on the mountain in a nearby plottwice as many as the previous plan that was rejected by the outpost residents.

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This will require the state to ask the High Court of Justice for a one-month extension to the evacuation deadline, set for December 25, to allow for time to build the new structures.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff Yoav Horowitz met with Amona residents and Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan at the home of a close associate of Dagan's on Saturday night. After reaching an agreement, the sides went to Jerusalem to meet with Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett at the Prime Minister's Office.





One of the activists in Amona on Sunday morning (Photo: Ido Erez)

"We understand that this really is the best we could get, but it would be hard to convince the residents. It's not going to be simple at all," said one of the Amona residents who attended the meeting.

Minister Yoav Galant visits Amona on Sunday morning (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

Over a thousand people flooded the outpost over the weekend and were warmly received by Amona's residents. Many of the activists were pressuring the residents not to accept the new agreement.

Meanwhile, rumors spread among the residents that the evacuation was drawing near and the young activists were preparing to fight against it.

Teens arriving in Amona over the weekend (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The Amona residents' leader, Avichai Buaron, spoke to the young activists who arrived at the outpostmany of them teenagers. Buaron explained to them that the latest plan is better than what has been offered before and is the best that can be achieved in the current conditions.

"He stressed that we must not raise our hands against police officers and soldiers, but he said we definitely have to resist. There are a lot of groups of teens here. We prepared a lot of surprises to the forces," said Eitan, one of the teens who spent the Shabbat in Amona.

Activists in Amona over the weekend (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

"There are going to be formidable fortifications with a lot of obstacles. This isn't Gush Katif," Eitan added. "We're here to burn into the collective memory harsh images of the expulsion of Jews. We won't let this pass quietly."

The activists prepared fortifications on the roof of the outpost's water tower and around the different trailers that make up Amona. They also closed-off the area, including the outpost's access road, with barbed wire, tires and spikes. A massive water barrel was placed at the entry-point to the outpost, ready to block it. Finally, lookouts have been stationed on the roofs of the houses to alert the activists on the arrival of the forces.

Amona's rabbi, Yair Frank, also spoke to the teenagers. "Our goal is to delay the evacuation as much as possible: For it to not be a matter of hours, but days, and for it to remain in the collective memory. However, we must not turn to violence because this will weaken us and our struggle."

Graffiti in Amona declaring: 'The whole Land of Israel is ours; Absentee lands = concession' (Photo: Ido Erez)

Yesh Din, a legal NGO that represents the Palestinian land owners, said in response to the new plan that "The different land theft planswhich are based in taking over private Palestinian lands as a 'solution' for criminals the High Court has ordered to evacuate from privately-owned Palestinian lands that they took overcontradict the law, morality and common sense. We are confident the court will not allow this miscarriage of justice, exactly as it ordered an end this injustice that has lasted for over 20 yearsthe outpost of Amona."

The evacuation is expected in the coming days and security forces are prepared to execute it. IDF reinforcement units have been deployed to the area, but they will not take part in the actual evacuationmerely provide security.

Graffiti in Amona declaring: 'You don't make agreements on the Land of Israel; the Land of Israel is not for sale' (Photo: Ido Erez)

Soldiers serving in the Judea and Samaria Division were ordered by their commanders not to talk about the evacuation so as to not reveal information to the resisting activists.

Meanwhile, ten Givati Brigade soldiers who were deployed to the area to help secure the evacuation have left their base in protest, but returned on Saturday night.

They were convinced to return by their commanders after receiving assurances that they will not take part in the actual evacuationwhich will be done by police and Border Police.

While the IDF has yet to decide whether to court martial the soldiers, officials in the military stressed the soldiers will not be tried for refusing an order.
Chief Hamas drone engineer Mohammad al-Zawahri was allegedly working on building remote-controlled submarines for the Islamic terror group before he was killed in Tunisia , his brother Radwan al-Zawahri claimed in an interview with Al-Jazeera.

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Radwan said that his brother was working on a doctorate in engineering and was in the process of designing a submarine that could be steered remotely.

"He was very quiet about it," Radwan said. "I was able to get him to tell me a little about it, but he wouldn't tell me much."

Mohammad al-Zawahri

The drone engineer's wife, Majdah Khaled Salah, told Al-Jazeera about his alleged assassination, which has been attributed to the Israeli Mossad.

"At approximately 1:50am we heard gunshots. I got out the door and started to run, I thought at first it was a gas explosion. But when I ran outside, I saw my husband's car smashed in from the back. I ran around to the other side of the car, and I found my husband. I called out to my husband, calling him by his other name 'Murad.' I said 'Murad, answer me!' I put my hand on his heart and his clothes were full of blood. His phone fell into my hand. The bullet hit his heart. It was one bullet to the heart and another to the throat," she recounted.

AL-Zahwar's wife being interviewed in Sfax

She was asked whether she thought a foreign intelligence agency was behind her husband's assassination, and said "No, I didn't think about that."

Al-Zahwahri's car in Sfax

She also denied knowledge of her husband's connection to armed groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, saying "My husband was very quiet. Even if we were sitting together for an hour or two, he would barely utter a word. He was very quiet."

Security camera footage erased

Meanwhile, Tunisian radio station Shams FM, which also reported the Hamas operative's death, reported that the security camera around his house in Sfax were disabled shortly before his death and that footage at the house was tampered with.

According to the report, during the time of the alleged assassination, the security cameras showed footage from different cameras in a different part of the city.

Investigators said that those behind the assassination had a vast technical background, and were very professional in what they did.

Official Spokesman for the Sfax municipal court, Murad al-Turki, said that there "is nothing in the case" to suggest a connection between Israel and the Mossad and the assassination of the Hamas engineer.

Hamas drone expert Mohammad al-Zawahri

He added that the court is treating the case as a murder and not an assassination, and said that eight people have already been arrested in response to the killing. They were drivers of four cars that are suspected to have been used in the killing, along with the owner of the rental company where the cars were rented. A reporter and a cameraman were arrested as well.

Authorities are currently searching for suspects of Tunisian and mixed Moroccan-Belgian origin in connection to the killing.

The journalist is of Hungarian origin and was trying to interview Mohammad al-Zawahri. Guns and silencers were found in one of the vehicles rented in her name.
Dozens of young protesters attacked the car of Housing and Construction Minister Yoav Galant during his visit to the Amona outpost on Sunday morning ahead of its planned evacuation.

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The young protesters kicked and shook the car and hurled eggs at it while calling out "traitor" and "filthy leftist" at the minister.

Protesters set upon Galant's car (:  )

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Galant (Kulanu) arrived in Amona with MK Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) and the head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, Avi Roeh. He first visited the local synagogue and then, while flanked by security guards, headed towards the outpost's houses.

Galant surrounded by activists in Amona (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

An angry mob surrounded the minister, shouting statements at him such as "The Land of Israel is not for sale," "Let's see you evacuate Bedouin the way you evacuate here," and "Enough with the High Court's rule."

Activists surround Galant's car, refusing to let it through (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

Galant himself later dismissed the incident, telling Ynet "We've been through harder things."

Activists surround Galant's car, refusing to let it through (Photo: AFP)

"I felt that there was a handful of peoplemostly teens aged 12-16who didn't have anything to do or someone just didn't take them to school, so they were making some noise," Galant said.

Activists surround Galant's car, refusing to let it through (Photo: AFP)

"Those who attacked the car were a handful from Lehava (an anti-assimilation radical right-wing group). It wasn't the residents of Amona who attacked the housing and construction minister," he added. "And even that was a minor attack, nothing serious."

Galant with attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, who the minister said led the group of protesters (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Galant said he came to Amona to speak to the settlers. "I wanted to tell them some difficult things," he said. "Primarilywe have to maintain the unity of the state and the nation. The second thing was that the State of Israel is a law-abiding country and the decisions of the court must be executed. The third thing was that any friction and violent confrontation with IDF soldiers will be harmful to the IDF, to the State of Israel, and to you, the residents. The last thing I wanted to say was that we are on the path to building a newer, stronger Amonaeven if it's in a nearby placeand we will continue protecting the settlement enterprise."

Galant surrounded by activists in Amona (Photo: AFP)

Avi Roeh, the head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, said: "We welcome the minister who came despite the fact there are young people here who are frustrated about the fact a 20-year-old town is going to be evacuated. At the same time, we're trying to keep the townhere or nearby. Our goal is to dismantle the left-wing's plot to take down the settlements. We will try to stop this slippery slope of evacuationsthis is the government's duty. At the end of the day, the residents here feel they are on a mission."
SANAA- A suspected suicide bomber blew himself up outside a military camp in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Sunday morning, killing at least 30 soldiers, Yemeni officials said.

The officials told The Associated Press that preliminary investigations showed the blast was the work of a bomber wearing an explosive vest. At least 50 people were injured in the attack that took place as soldiers lined up to collect their salaries, they said. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

The camp where the explosion took place is the same military base that was struck by another suicide bomber on Dec. 10, killing 57 soldiers.

No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. However, the Islamic State group's Yemeni affiliate claimed responsibility for the Dec. 10 bombing. In addition to IS, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of al-Qaida, widely regarded as the most dangerous affiliate of the international extremist group.
The former mayor of Or Yehuda, David Yosef, was sentenced to two years in prison and slapped with a fine of NIS 30,000 after being convicted of corruption and sexual offenses.

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The indictment filed against him primarily dealt with his sexual offenses, with 10 different women coming out against him. He was also convicted of using his political position for wrongdoing and breach of trust, amongst other corruption charges.

Judge David Rosen noted that "this is a defendant who was convicted of a long list of crimes. There have been dozens of instances whereby the former mayor stole public money. He handed out scholarships using the money from the public account to buy the hearts of his constituents, not out of a desire to give charity but to advance his own personal interests."

Former Mayor David Yosef

"The accused is also guilty of sexual assaults and sexual misconduct," the judge continued. "He sexually assaulted women who arrived at his office either by chance or not ... even worse than this assault on the body and the soul, (Yosef) took advantage of the victims by forcing them to acquiesce to his sexual desires under threat that they would be fired should they refuse to do so."

The judge also said that "the women were unable to refuse, as they needed the work. The accused was full of lust and even more than that enjoyed lording his position of power over the women."

Regarding the corruption charges, the judge wrote that "these are terrible and serious actions derived from extraneous interests. The accused named a street after a woman he was in love with while he was serving on the city council. The defendant exceeded the rules of basic integrity. The accused also used his power to infringe upon the rights of his subordinates."

Yosef served two terms as mayor from 2007-2015 and was considered a menace amongst the municipality workers. He demanded employees to obey his orders unconditionally, and those who went against him saw their budgets cut, projects terminated, and some were even terminated from their positions.

The former mayor also named a street after his mistress. Bali alley in the city is named after a nickname he gave her.
IRBIL- A militia backed by the Iraqi government killed suspected Islamic State fighters captured during the operation to retake Mosul, Human Rights Watch said Sunday.

The Hashed al-Jabour militia, made up of Sunni tribal fighters, killed four men it had captured in a village north of Mosul in November, according to a report published by the New York-based group. The report cited witnesses who said the men were shot in the presence of Iraqi security forces without any judicial proceedings.

The militia is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a group of mainly Shiite militias sanctioned by the government which have been accused of abuses during past campaigns against IS, a Sunni extremist group.

Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said authorities were unaware of the incident, but were committed to arresting and trying anyone suspected of human rights violations.
European fears of possible Russian action have led to huge business deals with Israeli security providers, with the Czech Republic purchasing MMR radars from the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

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The radar is the same one used by both the Iron Dome and David's Sling anti-missile defense systems. It is used to identify and locate incoming rockets but is also able to identify other aerial targets within a 250km radius.

Iron Dome in action (Photo: Rafael Spokesperson)

The Israeli artillery corps also uses the radar system.

The Czech republic will reportedly be buying eight radar systems to the tune of $100 million to replace the Soviet era systems still in use in the country.

The eight systems will arrive in the Czech Republic after construction in Israel sometime between 2019-2021.

Czech Minister of Defense Martin Stropnicky told AP that the radars will be used for air defense, with the ability to detect anything flying between 100 meters and three kilometers above the Czech Republic, such as low flying aircraft violating Czech airspace.

According to Israel Aerospace Industries, the radar can track up to 1,100 targets simultaneously.

The Czech acquisition of Israeli radar systems is complemented by the fact that the central European nation is also looking into acquiring Patriot missile batteries. These batteries are able to fire missiles suitable for the David's Sling system.
Former president Moshe Katsav, who was convicted of rape and indecent acts committed against women working under him, will soon become a free man after the parole board accepted his early release request on Sunday. He broke out in tears when he heard his request had been granted.

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Katsav has already served five years, more than two thirds of his seven-year sentence, and was expected to be immediately released from prison, but the parole board decided to postpone his release in a week to allow for appeals against the decision.

"After board members examined all of the arguments made before them, all of the documents submitted to them and all of the meetings and decision concerning the prisoner, the conclusion was reached that it is time to order the prisoner's release," the parole board said in a statement.

Katsav going on furlough (Photo: Gadi Kabalo)

"The prisoner's rehabilitation plan cannot nullify the danger he poses and must be seen as a continuation of the treatment he underwent in prison. The decision was made after the board members were impressed by the honesty of the prisoner's words and after he met the expectations set by board members in their previous decision."

The parole board also addressed Katsav's victims, saying the issue "was given an expression and was taken under considerationduring the trial, in the verdict, and in previous decisions made by the parole board. The court had its say and the prisoner was given punishment and is serving his sentence. The decision to release him or not does not take away from the contempt the board feels in light of his actions and from the grave manner in which it sees theses actions.

"Nonetheless, the board members were impressed that the prisoner has come a long way since the first board meeting, took up the gauntlet, and accepted the hand offered him by the prison's treatment officials. The prisoner now understands the meaning of his actions and the hurt he caused the women, and regrets this."

The Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority has prepared a detailed rehabilitation plan for Katsav to follow upon his release, which includes attending daily Torah lessons in Kiryat Malachi; attending weekly meetings of a religious treatment group; and attending weekly meetings with a psychosocial therapist.

In addition, Katsav will have to refrain from defaming his victims. He will not be allowed to give interviews to the medianor will anyone else be allowed to be interviewed on Katsav's behalf.

The former president will also be barred from working in any position in which women serve as his subordinates.

Similar to other felons, additional conditions were imposed on Katsav, including the requirement to present himself to the police station near his home within 48 hours of his release and then once a month.

Katsav will be not be allowed to leave his home between 10pm-6am every day. He will also not he allowed to leave the country without approval from the parole boardand even that not before December 6, 2018.

Restrictions were also put on his place of residence. Katsav would only be able to move within Kiryat Malachi and only with the approval of the Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority. He could move out of Kiryat Malachi with the approval of the parole board and is required to inform the police station near his home and the Israel Prison Service of any change in address.

The Prisoner Rehabilitation Authority will supervise Katsav to ensure he meets all of the terms of his release, reporting any violation to the parole board. The authority will submit a report on Katsav every nine months for the duration of the rehabilitation period.

The State Attorney's Office was opposed to early release, saying Katsav has yet to accept responsibility for his criminal actions and was not going through the common rehabilitation process. Instead, he is participating in a workshop the Israel Prison Service created for "prisoners who deny guilt."

In such a treatment, the treating professionals try to help the prisoner internalize the meaning of his conviction, even though he still denies his crimes and claims to be innocent. This is done in an effort to create awareness and recognition for the prisoners actions.

In his third request for early release, the 72-year-old felon asked for forgiveness from anyone who was hurt by him and said he understood his victims' feelings, falling short of taking responsibility for his actions.
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Amona residents have voted 45 to 29 to accept a new government deal, whereby 24 families would remain on the mountain upon which Amona is situated, but on a nearby plot of land.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff Yoav Horowitz met with Amona residents and Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan at the home of a close associate of Dagan's on Saturday night.

After reaching an agreement, the sides went to Jerusalem to meet with Netanyahu and Education Minister and Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett at the Prime Minister's Office. "I'm afraid of 'price tag' attacks as a result of a forced evacuation," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Amona represents. "And it's more convinient for me to do this when (US President-elect) Trump is in the White Housenot (outgoing US President) Obama."

View from Amona (Photo: Ido Erez)

Following the vote, the Amona residents released a statement, saying "ever since the sentence to demolish our homes was passed, we have been on a Sisyphean task to try and save our homes and our settlement.

"After 20 years of pioneering settlements, and against all odds, and after two years of struggle, we have decided to suspend our struggle, take the government's offer to build 52 houses and public buildings in new Amonabuildings which will be used by the community and by the residents. We have decided to take a chance on this offer to build our houses and our lives in new Amona."

The residents further states their intention to "continue to be vigilant and determine whether or not the State will stand by its word to build New Amona, including the new public buildings. We wish to thank the thousands of supportersyouths and familieswho came to Amona over the last few days, and the tens of thousands more who supported us from home. We love you and appreciate you."

With that being said, the residents clarified, saying "if the State doesnt stand by its commitments, we will not hesitate to re-start the struggle, and we will fight harder than before. We will fight for our settlement and for the entirety of the land of IsraelAmona will not fall again."

Activists leaving Amona (Photo: Elisha Ben Kimon)

Rabbi Yair Frank, the Rabbi of Amona, was quoted as saying after the adoption of the government deal that "we began our fight two years ago to preserve Jewish settlement. We took our foot off the gas pedal, and we are letting the State stand by its commitment to rebuild Amona for its residents (in a different location)."

Should the State not follow through on its commitments, Rabbi Frank said that "we will not hesitate to renew the fight. This is what we've decided, and we ask the public to support us. We have no doubts that we'll return to the whole mountain."

Head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council Yossi Dagan was quoted as saying "it's a difficult and sad day for the residents of Amona. What happened to them would never have happened to the Bedouin (who live in illegal structures and villages) in the Negev or any other population."

"This is the correct decision," he continued. "It is the lesser of two evils. All eyes are on the prim ministr now. We believe and hope that the prime minister will stand by and fulfill his part of the agreement."

The plan includes the construction of 24 home that will be 180sqm in size and able to house two families on Hill 38, located at the entrance of the outpost. Civl Administration engineers will arrive to the outpost on Monday to start planning the project.

Concurrently, the government will begin unfreezing lands on Hill 30 that belong to absentee owners so more homes could be built there. A project manager selected by the Amona residents will accompany the legal process.

The plan is to have a "door-to-door" evacuation in which each of the 41 families could move from their current homes in Amona directly to their new homes in "Amona North." Families whose housing won't be ready on time will temporarily move to the nearby settlement of Ofra.

Eventually, the goal is to unite the different plots into one town.

The plan, which has the attorney general's support, is conditioned upon the High Court of Justice granting the state a 30-day extension on the evacuation deadline, set for December 25.

The evacuation is going to be pricey. Providing assistance to the residents of Amona, building alternative public structures and handling security and the evacuees' move will cost the tax payer some NIS 150 million, according to estimates made by the Treasury.

The Treasury will make an immediate transfer of NIS 40 million to the Interior Ministry to be allocated to the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council for a one-time aid package for Amona's permanent residents and for the residents of the nine illegal structures due for demolition in the nearby Ofra settlement.

In addition, the Treasury will transfer an additional NIS 9 million by the end of the month meant to fund the construction of infrastructure and temporary public buildings.

The Defense Ministry, meanwhile, will allocate NIS 3.5 million to rent housing for the evacued families for a month and a half interim period.

NIS 15 million will go to building and renovating public structures used to house the Amona residents in nearby settlements and tens of millions of shekels will be allocated to cover the costs of infrastructure, roads and security.

The government approved the plan but had to also a prove a NIS 1.2 billion cut to ministries across the board to help pay for the Amona evacuation, as well as ultra-Orthodox education and keeping the old Israel Broadcasting Authority on air until the end of April 2017.
BERLIN- Germany's Foreign Office has expressed irritation over a ban on Christmas celebrations and songs at a German high school in Turkey.

The German news agency dpa reported that the Foreign Office said Sunday it "didn't understand the surprising decision by the school's administration."

Dpa reported that the Turkish administrators of the Istanbul Lisesi, a German high school that was established more than 100 years ago, announced that Christmas traditions and the singing of carols would no longer be part of the curriculum.

The Foreign Office called the decision "regrettable" and said it would seek dialogue with its Turkish partners over the incident.
AMMAN - At least five people were killed and several wounded during an attack on Sunday by armed gunmen in the southern Jordanian city of Karak, security sources said.

They said security forces were laying siege to a Crusader-era castle in the mountainous city where the gunmen had taken refuge and were firing at police, who had sent reinforcements from surrounding areas.

The identity of the assailants was not immediately clear.
Gunmen carried out a series of attacks in central Jordan on Sunday, including at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing four members of the Jordanian security forces and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said. Four other people were killed in the shoot-out.

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The shootings were the latest in a series of attacks that have challenged the pro-Western kingdom's claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the town of Karak.

The chain of events began when a police patrol received reports of a house fire in the town of Qatraneh in the Karak district, said a statement by Jordan's Public Security Directorate.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two policemen were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol in Karak, causing no injuries, the statement said.

Armed men also opened fire on a police station in Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of the security forces. The statement said five or six gunmen were believed to be holed up inside the castle.

Their fate was not immediately known, and it was not clear if the standoff was still going on after nightfall Sunday. Local news websites said in unconfirmed reports that hostages had been taken.

In all, four members of the security forces and a female tourist from Canada were killed in the shootings, though it was not clear if all five were killed at the castle.

Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key US ally, and a member of a US-led military coalition fighting IS.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected IS sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three US military members were killed in a shooting outside an air base in southern Jordan in November. The three were in Jordan on a training mission, and came under fire while driving into the base.
Rabbi David Harrison has been charged with a dozen counts of sodomy, rape, indecent assault and threatening behavior for acts he committed while serving as rabbi of a religious girls' school in Jerusalem.

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According to an indictment filed Sunday morning in the Jerusalem District Court, the acts attributed to him occurred two to four times a week.

Rabbi David Harrison in court (Photo: Yoav Davidkovich)

Esther Bar-Zion, who is representing Harrison, said, "From our point of view, nothing has been attributed to my client."

The court decided to release Harrison to house arrest, where he will remain with his son in Petah Tikva.

Harrison, aged 58 from Jerusalem, worked at Ulpanat Beit Shlomit between the years 2007-2010. He is accused of committing serious sexual offenses against teenage girlsincluding rapewhile he was working at the school.

According to the indictment, in 2009 while serving as a substitute teacher, Harrison met a 14-year-old student who eventually filed a report with the police when she was 20. According to the victim, he would ask her to perform tasks in class, such as handing out papers, and touch her each time to judge gauge her response.

Harrison with his lawyer (Photo: Yoav Davidkovich)

Eventually, Harrison asked her to meet him alone in a teacher's lounge where he attacked her for the first time. Afterward, he would tell her to meet him again every week in the teacher's lounge or another area of the school where he would perform dozens of acts of rape, sodomy and indecent assault.

The indictment also alleges that Harrison threatened the girl and told her he would hurt her and tell everyone she was a prostitute. Harrison also threatened the girl that she would be kicked out of school and no other school would accept her. Additionally, he also threatened to tell her parents and others that she acted inappropriately with him.

According to the indictment, on one particular occasion, Harrison even forced the girl to take the "morning after" pill.

Harrison denied the allegations, saying "When I was arrested, I was told I'm suspected of rape. I went into questioning smug and didn't ask for a lawyer because I was sure this was a complete mistake. There isn't even a hint of an offense. I didn't touch (her). I ask to be allowed to undergo a polygraph test and to be confronted with the girl ... The school was full of people; I didn't even have a private office there."
MK Nissan Slomiansky (Bayit Yehudi) announced Sunday his decision to vacate his post as director of the Constitutional, Law and Justice Committee over allegations of sexual harassment

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I am aware of the weight of responsibility entailed in the job, but more importantly, I think the right thing to do is to allow a fair check into all the claims that have been made, Slomiansky said.

This morning, I approached the leader of the party, Naftali Bennett and informed the Knessets Legal Advisor Eyal Yanun of my decision to cease to direct the committee for the time being, out of respect for the job, for the members of the committee and the public.

MK Nissan Slomiansky (Photo: Yair Sagi)

I sincerely regret if any conduct on my part was misinterpreted, and if I knew who (we were talking about) I would personally and fully apologize to them, he continued.

Accusations of sexual assault against Slomiansky surfaced following a Facebook post two weeks ago by Hagit Moriah-Gibor urging women to come forward and report any incidents in which the MK sexually assaulted them.

Shortly thereafter, Slomiansky made clear his intention not to step down from his post.

"MK Nissan Slomiansky has never harassed women. After a meeting with several rabbis, he understood that his warmhearted behavior, which is the same toward everyone, is sometimes interpreted in a different way, and for that he is sorry. MK Slomiansky has been serving the public for 40 years, including time in the Knesset, and he will continue to do so," said an official on his behalf.

Continuing the apology, the statement went on to say that he hugged and shook hands or held an elbow without any sexual intention.

Despite protesting his innocence, a police investigation was launched against Slomiansky at the behest of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit.

Following Slomianskys meeting with Bennett, the Bayit Yehudi leader issued a statement encouraging all those who may have been affected to come forth and file a complaint.
A number of women's groups came out Sunday expressing their disapproval of the decision to release former President and convicted rapist Moshe Katsav.

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"The parole board made an unfortunate decision that tells women in Israel that we live in Sodom and there is no limit to the disgrace," said Odelia Carmon in response to the decision.

Carmon had previously worked under Katsav when he served as Minister of Transportation and testified to having been sexually harassed by him. She added, "The early release of a convicted rapist, who refuses to acknowledge his crimes, on the same day in which an IDF officer, rabbi, mayor and MK are accused of sexual violence is indicative of the low moral values in the society we live in."

Moshe Katsav upon his release (Photo: Avi Moalem)

Orit Sulitzeanu, the Director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, also blasted the decision to release Katsav early, saying, "the decision is outrageous and infuriating and is a slap in the face to the victims of Katsav and all victims of sexual violence."

However, while women's groups and activists across Israel are blasting the decision, Katsav's family is celebrating the decision. Lior Katsav, brother of the former President and convicted rapist, said, "We are thrilled with the decision. Thanks be to god and to everyone for their blessings and support. We appreciate it very much."

Katsav served five years of a seven year sentence after being convicted of a variety of sex-related crimes including rape.
Joint List MK Basel Ghattas is set to be summoned for questioning by the Shin Bet and Israel Police after information surfaced that he has been smuggling cell phones to Palestinian security prisoners to which he has access.

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Ghattas, of the Balad Party, responded to the summons for questioning, saying, "it is clear to us that the police have marked Balad and want to harm it politically. Balad has nothing to hide and neither do I, and as such, I will appear for questioning. Such attempts at intimidation will not break the spirit of Balad."

Basel Ghattas (Photo: Balad)

Balad attacked the police, saying, "as part of ongoing political persecution against Balad, its members and leaders, the police have investigated Nibin Abu Rahmon and Basel Ghattas and will set a date for questioning.

"Balad sees the continuation of the investigations, their character and conduct as part of political persecution and a campaign to de-legitimize the activities of the party and damage its imagine in the Arab public. This has been the case with investigations into financial irregularities by the State Comptroller in which the police cruelly arrested 60 members of Balad, including the president and MK Jamal Zahalka and Hanin Zoabi. Remember that everyone was released from detention after being brought to court."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statament on the matter. "If these suspicions against MK Ghattas are true, then this constitutes a serious offense against the security of the state and citizens of Israel. Whoever harms state security will be severely punished and will not be allowed to serve in the Knesset."

Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman also commented on allegations against MK Basel Ghattas, saying, "Just more proof that the Joint List is a list of spies and traitors. From Azmi Bishara to Basel Ghattas to the Marmara representative Hanin Zoabi and the rest of their friendswe will continue to act so that not only are they no longer part of the Knesset, but so they are not citizens of the State of Israel."

Ghattas has made headlines in the past for joining a Gaza-bound flotilla from Sweden and more recently, for inflammatory comments made after Shimon Peres' death. "Let us remember in his death his true essence as a tyrant," Ghattas said. "He was directly responsible for various atrocities and war crimes which he committed against usHe is completely covered with our blood."
Alexander Lapshin, an Israeli blogger with Russian citizenship, was arrested last week by authorities in Belarus following a request made by Azerbaijan for reasons relating to "homeland security."

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Lapshin, a 40-year-old Haifa resident, recently visited the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region and later openly supported its independence. Soon after, Azerbaijan issued a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of espionage.

Alexander Lapshin

Upon reaching Belarus, Lapshin was arrested as per the request of Azerbaijan, which is seeking to have him extradited. Israeli officials worry that if Lapshin is transferred to Azerbaijan, he will be tried for espionage and will face a heavy prison sentence.

Israeli officials were quick to contact Belarus and request that they not extradite Lapshin before they hear from Israel. Simultaneously, the Foreign Ministry has turned to the Israeli embassy in Baku to contact Azerbaijani authorities to prevent the extradition and avoid harming Lapshin.

The diplomatic incident comes after a highly publicized visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where security deals worth $5 billion were signed. Despite the warm reception offered to Netanyahu, Jerusalem fears that Lapshin's arrest could endanger relations with Azerbaijan, but at the same time, is unable to sanction harming a citizen for expressing his opinion on a blog.
JERUSALEM -- US President-elect Donald Trump donated $10,000 for a Jewish settlement in the West Bank in 2003.

According to a tax filing, the Donald J. Trump Foundation made the donation to a US nonprofit group that raises funds for the Beit El settlement's seminary, a news organization affiliated with the settler movement and other activities in the settlement.

Trump's pick for ambassador to Israel, lawyer David Friedman, is the nonprofit's president.

Beit El founder Yaakov Katz revealed Trump's donation to Israeli settler radio Sunday.
Hyperbole is alive and well in Raleigh.The superlatives, at one point this week, were flying.Tuesday, lawmakers unanimously approved a $200.9 million disaster relief package for North Carolinians whose lives were uprooted this fall by Hurricane Matthew and western wildfires.The package, as we reported, includes $20 million to the Housing Trust Fund for people or families affected by the hurricane or wildfires and $9 million to the Division of Emergency Management for short-term housing needs.A $1.6 billion state reserve, part of a "rainy day" fund , helped pay for the disaster relief, thus easing the burden on taxpayers.Gov. Pat McCrory, who address the General Assembly, praised the state's residents for their collective will and determination.McCrory told lawmakers,As he finished addressing lawmakers Tuesday, Democrats rose to their feet and applauded the outgoing governor.God bless every one of you, said McCrory, who also lauded state workers and emergency responders, whom he credited with saving cities and villages throughout the state.Life was good.Lawmakers recessed but later returned to dump a Santa-sized sack of legislation on the floors of the House and Senate. Democrats again rose, but they weren't clapping. Ban the Republican Grinch, they cried.So much for goodwill.What's lost in the flurry of activity Wednesday and Thursday is McCrory's incessant efforts to lead North Carolinians through a time of historic disaster and a statewide angst. Forests burned and towns flooded, yet McCrory, waist deep in an election campaign, didn't waver in his commitment to residents.he told lawmakers in referring to Matthew. The hurricane struck coastal North Carolina in October and caused, according to some estimates, $2 billion in damage and 28 deaths. This placed Matthew among the worst natural disasters in state history.It was bad, for sure, although those who remember Hazel, Fran, and Floyd have grounds to debate McCrory's worst-ever proclamation.Doesn't matter, really. The fact that McCrory took charges does. The governor and his disaster team visited several communities, including places in Edgecombe County, Fayetteville, Kinston, and Lumberton, which was hit especially hard.Some 88,000 homes were damaged with a total loss of more than $967 million, according to the disaster bill. Of these, 4,424 homes were destroyed. More than 62,000 total acres burned in the western part of the state, including more than 25,000 acres protected by the state. More than 2,400 emergency responders responded to the wildfires and related 31 events, and firefighters from 40 states joined North Carolina firefighters.McCrory talked about a sense of urgency in government addressing the disaster and about developing long-term plans to help local entity deal with the next one.he said.McCrory's words should resonate among North Carolinians, regardless of what happened in the General Assembly after his address.The hurricane bill represented government at its most efficient. At its bipartisan best.But that was a few days ago.
Tunisia has issued an official statement attributing the assassination of Mohammad al-Zawahri , a Hamas flight engineer who specialized in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to foreign elements.

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Shortly after Thursdays hit on al-Zawahari, reports poured out alleging that the MossadIsrael's national intelligence agencywas behind the murder.

Hamas holds memorial rally for al-Zawahri (Photo: AFP)

The state is obligated to pursue the criminals involved in the assassination of Mohammad al-Zawahri, whether it is on home or foreign soil, using all legal methods and in accordance with international conventions, the statement read, signalling a warning to whoever was behind taking out al-Zawahri, irrespective of their location.

Demonstration blaming Israel for murder in Tunisia

The statement, which was issued shortly after the Tunisian government convened on Sunday to discuss, inter alia, the ignominy of the assassination to the regime, added that the government is monitoring the progress of the investigation of the assassination. The investigations reveal the involvement of foreign elements.

Despite going public with their apparent findings, Israel was not explicitly mentioned in the statement.

A demonstration took place in Tunisia on Sunday opposite the Municipal Theater in protest against al-Zawahri's liquidation during which the protesters stamped on Israeli flags as they vented their anger.

Moreover, members of the Hamas military wing in Gaza held a memorial rally for al-Zawahri.

Hamas memorial rally (Photo: AFP)

The target's brother claimed in an interview with a Hamas magazine that The Israeli Mossad had an interest in his assassination. Recently he received threats against his life.

He added that his brothers Russian wife and his mother witnessed his murder. He worked quietly and there was no sign whatsoever that he was involved in activities of the Palestinian resistance, he insisted.
Jakarta: At least 13 persons were killed when a military plane crashed in eastern part of the country on Sunday, officials said.

Hercules C-130 plane operated by the Indonesian Air Force went down in Papua, killing everyone an board, Xinhua news agency quoted air force spokesman Jemi Trisonjaya as saying.

Three pilots and 10 military personnel died, BBC quoted an official as saying.

According to Indonesian Air force chief Agus Supriatna, bad weather suspectedly caused the accident.

The Hercules was carrying food supplies from Timika to Wamena when it came down in mountainous terrain near its destination.

Indonesia has a poor air safety record.

In June 2015, the same type of plane of the country`s air force crashed near a residential neighbourhood shortly after taking off from Medan.

All 12 crew and 109 passengers on board were killed, along with 22 people on the ground.
New Delhi: Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba is on a five-day visit to Japan during which he will explore new avenues of cooperation with the country which has emerged as a close partner of India in recent years, both on the nuclear energy front as well as military.

The visit also comes at a time when India, Japan and the US are preparing for their next edition of the Malabar exercise which will focus on submarine hunting amid increasing forays by the Chinese underwater vessels in the Indian Ocean.

"The visit aims to consolidate existing maritime cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues," a statement by the Navy said.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive Exclusive Economic Zone, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, wherein both navies have opportunities to learn from each other's experiences, it added.

In addition, common ground exists for cooperation on a number of issues for the navies.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is robust and is primarily focused towards maritime cooperation.

Bilateral defence cooperation was institutionalised with commencement of the India-Japan Comprehensive Security Dialogue which was initiated in 2001.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) has participated in the Malabar exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior being included as a regular member in the exercise since 2015.

JMSDF participated in Malabar 15 and 16 held in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific respectively.

In 2014, Japan has also been included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a maritime cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008.

Both navies also engage in navy to navy staff talks which commenced in 2008. The 7th such talks are scheduled to be held in 2017.

JDS Matsuyuki participated in the International Fleet Review 2016 held at Visakhapatnam.

The Chief of Staff of the JMSDF, Admiral Tomihisa Takei also attended the Review.

Indian Navy too participated in the International Fleet Review conducted by the JMSDF in October 15 at Sagami Bay, Yokosuka, Japan.

JMSDF for the first time participated in the Admiral's Cup Sailing Regatta conducted by the Indian Navy in 2016 at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala from December 5 to 11 this year.

Warships of both countries regularly visit each other's ports.

During the visit, Admiral Lanba is scheduled to hold discussions with Chief of Staff, JMSDF, Minister of State for Defence, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff besides other senior dignitaries and naval officers.
New Delhi: The Election Commission has urged the government to amend laws to ban anonymous contributions of Rs 2000 and above made to political parties.

As per the proposed amendment by the EC, "anonymous contributions above or equal to the amount of Rs two thousand should be prohibited."

Only yesterday, the government had said that political parties depositing old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in their accounts would be exempt from income tax provided the donations taken are below Rs 20,000 per individual and properly documented.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia had said that the government was not tinkering with the tax exemption available to political parties and they were free to deposit old 500 and 1000 rupee notes in their bank accounts.

But these deposits would, however, be subject to the condition that individual donations taken in cash do not exceed Rs 20,000 and were properly documented with full identity of the donor.

On the other hand, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said yesterday that political parties could not accept donations in old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes since these bills were junked last month and had clarified that there was no new exemption granted.

He had said that conditional tax exemptions historically given to income of registered political parties continued and no new concession or exemption had been granted either post November 8 demonetisation announcement or in the last two-and-a-half years.

"Post demonetisation, no political party can accept donations in 500 and 1,000 rupee notes since they were rendered illegal tenders. Any party doing so would be in violation of law," he had said.

Jaitley had added that just like anyone else, political parties could also deposit their cash held in the old currency in banks till December 30 "provided they can satisfactorily explain the source of income and their books of accounts reflect the entries prior to November 8. If there is any discrepancy in the books or records of political parties, they are as liable to be questioned by the Income Tax authorities as is anyone else. They enjoy no immunity whatsoever. There is no question of sparing anyone, and the political class is no exception."

The EC has also proposed that exemption of Income Tax should only be extended to political parties that contest elections and win seats in Lok Sabha or Assembly polls, as per PTI.

Also Read - Demonetisation: Enough provisions to scrutinise a/cs of political parties, says govt

The commission said, "There could be cases where political parties could be formed merely for availing of provisions of income tax exemption if the facility, that are at the expense of the public exchequer, is provided to all political parties."

In yet another recommendation to check black money, the EC has asked the Law Ministry to ensure that political parties are made to register details of donors for coupons of all amounts on the basis of a Supreme Court order of 1996.

Coupons are one of the ways devised by the political parties for collecting donations and hence are printed by the party itself. There is no cap or limit as to how many coupons can be printed or its total quantum.

Currently, the details of donors is not required for coupons with small amounts such as for Rs 10 or 20. "These smaller sums aggregate into a bigger amount and hence, they need to be accounted for, to ensure transparency," the Commission said.

Section 13A of the Income-tax Act, 1961 confers tax exemption to political parties for income from house property, income by way of voluntary contributions, income from capital gains and income from other sources.

Only income under the head 'salaries and income from business or profession' are chargeable to tax in the hands of political parties in India.

There is no constitutional or statutory prohibition on receipt of anonymous donations by political parties. But there is an "indirect partial ban" on anonymous donations through the requirement of declaration of donations under section 29C of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

But, such declarations are mandated only for contributions above Rs 20,000.

(With PTI inputs)
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When former Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel said that she had quit state's top post because she was approaching the age of 75, no many believed her. After all, she was chosen by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi to succeed him when he moved from Gandhinagar to Delhi in 2014.

The reason for disbelieving her was simple  During her term one crisis after another had gripped BJP's citadel and the party's top brass probably feared that Anandiben was fast losing grip over things. To be noted is the fact that she offered to step down on the day Ahmedabad saw massive protests by Dalits. The images of Dalits being flogged by a group of so-called cow vigilantes in Una village of Gir Somnath and the ensuing bandhs and arson that followed was denting the image of the saffron party so much that PM Modi had to issue a statement himself and say that before attacking his Dalit brothers, people should shoot him first.

There have been other incidents too. As per a leading Daily, crime against Dalits rose to 19 percent in Gujarat in 2014. To be noted is the fact that Dalits had formed a formidable coalition which had helped BJP's successive electoral wins in the state. They are said to be nearly seven percent of Gujarat's population. Earlier they used to be Congress supporters but shifted towards the BJP in the 90s. So, when it became crystal clear that things were not as smooth in PM Modi's state as he had left them, the party had to act fast. After all, apart from the Congress, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party were knocking at the door.

Before Una, Gujarat also saw the Hardik Patel-led Patidar agitation. It was said then too that Anandiben had failed to tackle the situation properly, giving BJP's rivals in the state enough ammunition to attack the party. Also to be noted is the fact that Patidars have been crucial to the BJP vote bank in Gujarat and have helped the party to chip away at the traditional KHAM alliance of the Congress.

Thus, some may say that Assembly elections are still many months away but nonetheless, incumbent CM Vijay Rupani has the arduous task of getting the BJP back on track if it had somewhat meandered before Gujarat goes to the polls at the end of 2017. Needless to say any setback in Gujarat will be a personal setback for PM Modi and he wouldn't want that going into the 2019 General Elections.
New Delhi: India and Tajikistan are committed to helping Afghanistan in its peace process, President Pranab Mukherjee has said.

"We are committed to assist our mutual friend and neighbour Afghanistan to realise the goals and aspirations of its people, through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process," Mukherjee said.

He made the comments while hosting a banquet in honour of his Tajikistan counterpart Emomali Rahmon at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.

Rahmon`s visit to India comes on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of India-Tajikistan diplomatic relations.

In his banquet speech, the Indian President said Rahmon`s visit bore testimony to the abiding friendship between the two nations.

Both countries desired to strengthen the defence and security co-operation in order to effectively address various concerns, he said.

"The world, and particularly our region, is, today, faced by the growing threat of terrorism.

"Both India and Tajikistan are opposed to this menace in all its forms and manifestations... For us, development and progress of our nations is of utmost importance.

"India recognises President Rahmon`s role in ensuring peace and stability in Tajikistan which has a similar salutary effect in the region," Mukherjee said.

The President said India was grateful to Tajikistan for supporting its rightful claim to a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and its membership of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation.

India was among first countries to recognise emergence of Tajikistan on dissolution of the former Soviet Union.

Rahmon arrived here on Friday after visiting Kochi. The visiting dignitary is on a five-day visit to India from December 14.
Imphal: At least 22 cars, buses and other vehicles were torched in some places in Manipur's Imphal East district on Sunday by residents protesting against the Naga economic blockade even as curfew was imposed there after a militant attack.

However the arsonists did not target the vehicle drivers and passengers. As fire tenders could not reach the spot, the vehicles could not be salvaged.

In wake of the attack, heavily-armed police and paramilitary personnel were patrolling the trouble-prone areas after dispersing the unruly mob by firing tear gas canisters.

Expressing the people`s resentment against the blockade, activist A. Rajen said: "Since the central government is pampering the United Naga Council (UNC) and the militant outfit underpinning it, the situation is getting worse day by day. The centre is a silent spectator to the indefinite economic blockade imposed against Manipur since November 1."

Women who called the 24-hour general strike had threatened with more agitations after they ended it on Saturday night.

In Sagolband area of Imphal West district, women stopped and set alight several items including consumer goods which were being transported to the tribal areas.

Nirmala, a housewife, said: "No consumer item is available in the market. Baby foods, life saving medicines, chicken, fish, eggs had vanished. We are resorting to counter blockade against some tribal areas since they should also suffer like us."

Another woman activist called the UNC a frontal organisation of a militant outfit and said it should be outlawed.

Meanwhile, curfew was imposed in a stretch of Imphal East earlier on Sunday after tribal militants opened fire in Bongyang village along the Imphal-Ukhrul road. Since most of the villagers were inside the church for Sunday prayers, there was no casualty.

In response, Collector Ningthoujam Geofrey clamped curfew in the area from Lamlong market to Yaingangpokpi, with the restrictions extending to 300 metres on either side of the state highway.

"The authority has reason to believe that it will be difficult to protect lives and properties of the people," he said.

Bongyang is a Kuki-dominated village, where last week, three policemen were killed and 14 others injured in an ambush.

Meanwhile, villagers and staff of Vijaya Bank took out a procession on Sunday at Saikul, also a Kuki area, condemning the robbery of Rs 6 lakh on December 15 by two masked men.

Autonomous District Council member T. Guite said: "The money belongs to the poor people and not the rich and influential businessmen. The common people are hit hard by the closure of the bank branch."

While condemning the heist, elected representatives and village elders urged the bank to reopen the branch there.

Police circles and civil organisations fear a communal flare up as the central government has not stepped in to restrain the Naga groups. Police sources fear that this may be the beginning of a repeat of ethnic cleansing witnessed in the 1990s which left over 1,500 dead and dozens of villages destroyed.
Aden: A suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers in Aden on Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the country's second city.

Military officials and medics said dozens more were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

"The number of those killed has risen to 48, while 84 others were wounded," Aden health chief Abdel Nasser al-Wali told AFP.

Wali had initially given a toll of 40 dead, warning that the number was likely to increase due to "critical cases."

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber "took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them".

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a "martyrdom seeker" had gotten through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoid "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up two days of talks on Friday, with numerous economic deals but no big breakthrough on a territorial row that has over-shadowed ties since World War Two.

Putin was heading home with promises of economic cooperation after appearing to achieve what experts said was a key objective - easing international isolation when Russia faces Western condemnation over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assads forces.

Abe and Putin agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on disputed islands at the centre of the territorial row as a step toward concluding a peace treaty formally ending World War Two, the two sides said in a joint statement.

The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two and 17,000 Japanese residents were forced to flee.

The dispute over their sovereignty has prevented the two countries signing a peace treaty.

Abe said he and Putin had taken "an important step" toward a peace treaty but concluding one would not be easy.

"The issue wont be solved if each of us just make their own case," Abe said at a news conference with Putin.

"We need to make efforts toward a breakthrough so that we dont disappoint the next generation. We need to set aside the past and create a win-win solution for both of us."

Putin dismissed the notion that he was only interested in getting economic benefits from Japan.

"If anyone thinks were interested only in developing economic links and a peace deal is of secondary importance, thats not the case," he told the same news conference.

"For me, the most important thing is to sign a peace agreement because that would create the conditions for long-term co-operation."

"PUTIN GO HOME"

As the two leaders held their second round of talks on Friday, right-wing activists in trucks mounted with loudspeakers circled the streets not far from the prime ministers` office, blaring "Return the islands" and "Putin Go Home".

Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute in the hope of leaving a significant diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China.

He had hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia`s economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for significant progress on the dispute.

Putin, however, would risk tarnishing his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty by compromising.

Japanese opposition politicians were quick to criticise the talks.

"How is this economic cooperation and these joint economic activities going to lead to a settlement of the islands issue?" said Ren Ho, head of the main opposition Democratic Party.

"Concerns that economic cooperation will bilk Japan remain, and that no concrete way to make progress on the islands issue was found is really too bad," she added in a statement.

Russian officials said the two sides had signed a total of 80 documents, including 68 on commercial matters, during Putin`s visit, including private-sector deals.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Russian Direct Investment Fund signed an agreement to set up a $1 billion investment fund to promote economic cooperation between the two countries.

But there was less than met the eye in some of the deals.

Despite strong pressure from the Abe administration, companies remain wary of the risk of doing business in Russia, said a Japanese official involved in summit preparations.

"Hence many of the agreements being announced are vague memorandums of understanding," he said.

The two leaders agreed on Thursday, in talks at a hot spring resort in southwest Japan, on the importance of resuming security dialogue, a Japanese official said.

Ministerial level security talks were halted after Russia annexed Ukraine`s Crimea region in 2014, and Western countries imposed sanctions in response.

Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed.

But there have been signs it has been rethinking its stance, perhaps by reviving a formula called "two-plus-alpha", based partly on a 1956 joint declaration in which the Soviet Union agreed it would hand over the two smaller islands after a peace treaty.

Putin, a judo expert, wrapped up his visit with a stop at the Kodokan Institute, the global judo headquarters, where he and Abe watched a judo performance by two men dressed in what looked like samurai armour.
Washington: Continuing to take jabs at China, President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday said the US should let China keep the Navy's underwater drone after Beijing agreed to give back the unmanned glider that it seized in the disputed South China Sea.

"We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back - let them keep it!" Trump tweeted, hours after Pentagon announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the drone.

The Pentagon had alleged that the drone was unlawfully seized by China on December 15 in the SCS while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.

The US lodged a formal diplomatic complaint and demanded the drone back.

China yesterday slammed the US for "making a fuss" over the seizure of its underwater drone and said it will return the device in an "appropriate manner".

Defence Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting that China seized the underwater glider to ensure the safe navigation of passing ships.

Trump's latest tweet was the second time the President-elect blasted China for the seizure.

Earlier, he accused China of stealing American drone.

"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented (sic) act," Trump tweeted, misspelling unprecedented.

He later reissued the tweet, correcting the spelling.

Trump has repeatedly infuriated China in recent weeks, questioning decades-old US policy on Taiwan, making phone call to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and calling Beijing a currency manipulator.
Hassan Sham Camp: Iraqi civilians displaced by the battle to recapture Mosul long to return home but bombs left by jihadists and ongoing fighting makes going back now a dangerous proposition.

More than 100,000 Iraqis have fled their homes since the massive operation to recapture Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) group was launched on October 17, and the battle is far from over.

Hisham, in his 20s, cannot stand life in the Hassan Sham camp anymore.

"I am not asking anything from anyone, just let me leave this camp and go home," Hisham says.

He waves his arms, brandishing his identity card proving he is from a village that was recently retaken from IS.

"I was searched, my identity was checked and then I was recorded. Now my name is on the list of displaced and I cannot move," he says, adding that he had tried to leave the camp several times but was prevented from doing so.

Nearby, a teenager shivering in the cold is angered that he cannot return to his nearby house, rather than have to live squeezed into a tent in the camp alongside his father, mother and four siblings.

"Our house is in the village of Hassan Sham and we are in the camp of Hassan Sham," says the teenager, who declined to give his name."At least we would have a real roof. Here, there is hardly anything to eat," while outside, his father could have found work to support the family.

From inside the fences surrounding camps for displaced people in northern Iraq, life outside may seem much better. But waiting to make sure of stability and that bombs have been removed is the safer course.

"Often we see places being announced retaken and safe for return very quickly," said Becky Bakr Abdulla of the Norwegian Refuge Council aid group.

But in reality, people may be "risking their lives to return home, because it`s not safe or secure," Abdulla said.

"Before people return, they need to have all the information necessary to make an informed decision," she said, noting that there may not be "enough aid, not enough service infrastructure (and) they feel forced to leave."

In and around the city of Mosul, things are far from safe or secure.

Iraqi soldiers and police say IS jihadists rigged many everyday household items with explosives before they left, such as a phone, a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, and even a teddy bear.

And while fighting is still ongoing, civilians are not always welcome because the security forces fear that jihadists may seek to use them or infiltrate them.

Even after an area is retaken and secured, it may not be fit for habitation: infrastructure may be damaged, businesses shuttered, and people left reliant on humanitarian aid.

Aid organisations say they are hesitant to distribute relief supplies in some areas lest a crowd of civilians become a target for IS.

"The majority of internally displaced persons seem keen to return home, motivated by a desire to return to normality and the need to control and safeguard their property," said Jenny sparks of the International Organisation for Migration.

But "the scale and speed of returns can pose a particular challenge, especially to communities already made politically and economically fragile as a result of the recent occupation by IS and military operations," Sparks said.

Abdulla noted that in Fallujah, a city west of Baghdad that was recaptured from IS nearly six months ago, only around 10 percent of homes are fit for habitation.

"For a sustainable solution and stabilisation effort, we`re looking at years, and a lot more funding," she said.
Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English unveiled a new-look cabinet on Sunday, marking his first major move since taking over the country`s top job six days ago.

There were few surprises in the fine-tuning with only one minister who intends to stand in next year`s general election dropped completely, while others had their roles adjusted.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who has announced he would not be seeking re-election, will retain his role until a replacement is appointed in May.

English, 54, was unanimously elected by the ruling centre-right National Party as the new leader after the popular Key resigned for family reasons after eight years as prime minister.

"This refreshed ministerial team builds on that success and provides a mix of new people, alongside experienced ministers either continuing their roles or taking up new challenges," English said.

"This new ministry is focused on providing prosperity, opportunity and security for all Kiwis, including the most vulnerable in our communities."

Judith Collins, who briefly challenged English for the leadership, lost the police portfolio and was dropped two places on the cabinet list.

Jonathan Coleman, who also stood for the leadership until it became clear English had the numbers to win, remained as health minister and stayed on the frontbench.

New Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett took over as police minister while Simon Bridges -- seen as a high-flyer in the National Party ranks -- moved into the top five in cabinet.

He replaced Steven Joyce as economic development minister, with Joyce taking over the finance portfolio.

Four-term MP Jo Goodhew, who was minister for food safety, was dropped from the cabinet. Two other former cabinet members Sam Lotu-Iiga and Craig Foss announced their resignations before the reshuffle.
London: Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage said on Sunday he wanted to be a bridge between the British government and the new U.S. administration.

Last month U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said Farage - the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) - would be great as Britain`s envoy to Washington, but the British government dismissed the suggestion.

"I can help to be a bridge between the government in this country, the new trade department in this country, and not just Donald Trump but his team, his administration, and I would like to do that," Farage told BBC Radio.

"If you wanted to get business from the biggest company in the world and there was someone there that had the contacts and connections, the first thing you would do is to employ that person because that is how the world works."

Farage, who said he did not think he would get a role in the U.S. administration because he had a British passport, said Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May had banned members of her senior team of ministers from speaking to him.

However, trade secretary Liam Fox said he had received no such instruction.

"We have long-standing understandings of how we deal with incoming administrations ... We don`t need anything as an adjunct to what the government already does and has successfully done in the past," he told BBC TV. "We have got a perfectly good ambassador in Washington at the present time."

Farage spent decades campaigning for Britain to leave the European Union and helped to force the then Prime Minister David Cameron to call the June referendum that brought the Brexit vote.

He spoke at a Trump rally during the U.S. presidential campaign and has met the president-elect since his victory.
ap

Master brewer Jiri Kratochvil looks into a beer kettle at a brewery located inside a 12th century complex of the Zeliv monastery in Zeliv, Czech Republic. Once badly decimated by the former Communist regime, the Catholic church in the Czech Republic has been taking steps to become self-sufficient following a grand restitution deal.
Warsaw: Polish President Andrzej Duda was holding talks Sunday to try to end a seething political crisis which has seen mass anti-government protests across the country and Parliamentary blockade.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets this weekend in protest at the governing rightwing Law and Justice party (Pis) and proposed measures including restrictions on media coverage of Parliament.

Opposition anger boiled over on Friday with dozens of MPs seizing Parliament`s main chamber over the media restrictions, and the sit-in by lawmakers was continuing on Sunday.

The Pis plans to grant access to the parliament`s press gallery to only two journalists for every media outlet, and ban them from shooting still pictures or video.

The moves prevent the media from recording images of lawmakers when they break the rules, for example by voting for an absent colleague.

The PiS has defended the measure, saying it was seeking to ensure a comfortable working environment for both lawmakers and journalists.

Duda`s spokesman Marek Magierowski said the president began meetings Sunday with opposition party chiefs, but a date for talks with Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the influential PiS leader, has yet to be set.

Emerging from a long silence, Duda had on Saturday called for calm, expressing his "worry" over the turmoil and offering to mediate.

"I think a deal of some kind deal is necessary because it is impossible to function in a system where the parliament cannot debate," his spokesman told news channel TVN24.

The government which came to power about as year ago has come under fire for a string of controversial measures including tightening the abortion law to changes to Poland`s constitutional court`s decision-making rules.
Aden: Just a week after an attack by the Islamic State group that killed 50 troops in Yemen's Aden, another suicide bombing on Sunday killed at least 30 Yemeni soldiers and wounded several in the southern part of the city, military officials and medics said.

The attacker detonated his explosives at a gathering in the southern city of Aden, targetting a crowd of soldiers who had gathered to collected their salaries at a base in northeastern Aden, the sources said.

The attacker immersed himself among the soldiers at Al-Solban base, in Al-Arish district, a military official said.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing in Aden claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have for months pressed a campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the war-torn country.

Islamic State and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen`s Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen`s second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoids "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Arab coalition intervened after Huthi rebels allied with troops loyal to Yemen`s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.

(With inputs from AFP)
Washington/Beijing: The US unmanned underwater drone seized by the Chinese navy is similar to commercial units that have been deployed by oil companies for underwater exploration and by emergency services for search and rescue, reports say.

The US Navy had used a Bluefin-21 to search for wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, descending to 5,000 feet to scour the Indian Ocean floor.

The underwater drone is commercially available and they retail for about USD 150,000, NBC News reported.

These types of gliders are generally used for environmental collection to help the Navy better understand the oceans and how sonar works. They are also used to help the Navy better conduct anti-submarine warfare, it said.

The seized glider belongs to the US Military Sealift Command and was not conducting surveillance, the report said.

The Pentagon has said that USNS Bowditch and the UUV -- an unclassified "ocean glider" system used around the world to gather military oceanographic data such as salinity, water temperature, and sound speed - were conducting "routine operations" in the South China Sea on December 15 when the Chinese navy seized the drone.

The Pentagon said the Chinese navy seized the unmanned underwater drone while it was being recovered by a US Navy oceanographic survey ship.

The ship and the drone were conducting routine operations in accordance with international law when a Chinese Navy PRC DALANG III-Class ship launched a small boat and retrieved the UUV, it said.

The Chinese Defence Ministry has said it had taken the drone for verification and accused the US of "making a fuss" over the incident after US President-elect Donald Trump accused China of "stealing" the US Navy research drone.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Senior Colonel Yang Yujun dismissed the US allegations, insisting China had been "professional and responsible" to take the drone.

"We had to examine and verify the device in a bid to avoid any harm it might cause to the safety of navigation and personnel," he said in a statement.
Washington: The US has more than doubled the reward for information leading to the capture of dreaded Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to USD 25 million.

The Department of State released a statement announcing the USD 25 million reward for the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The new bounty, USD 25 million, is the same amount offered for Osama bin Laden in 2011, but no one ever cashed in after the al Qaeda leader was killed in Pakistan by a team of Navy SEALs in May of that year.

"Protecting the homeland and the American people is our top counter-terrorism priority, and just as we have intensified our efforts against ISIL (another name for ISIS), we are increasing the means available to us to gain information on their leadership and bring them to justice," the State Department said in a statement.

"The threat that al-Baghdadi poses has increased significantly since the Department of State's initial USD 10 million reward offer for information leading to his location, arrest, or conviction was announced in 2011," the department's Rewards for Justice Programme said on its website.

"Under Baghdadi, ISIL has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians in the Middle East, including the brutal murder of numerous civilian hostages from Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States," it said.

"Al-Baghdadi has taken credit for numerous terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, killing thousands of his fellow Iraqi citizens," it added.

Baghdadi is designated by the Department of State as a 'Specially Designated Global Terrorist'. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council sanctions committee.

US officials have long described Baghdadi as enemy No. 1 in the fight against the militant group and speculation has swirled over his whereabouts.

Though Baghdadi has been elusive, he has spoken out occasionally in videos and audio messages.

In October 2015, Iraq's military claimed its air force had struck a convoy in western Anbar province that included a vehicle carrying Baghdadi. For weeks, reports circulated that he was seriously injured in the airstrike.

Those reports have since been disputed by US officials.
US Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson, pictured in 2015, has agreed to sever all ties with Exxon Mobil, the company he headed until last week says

Rex Tillerson, who sealed big oil deals and developed close ties with foreign leaders around the globe as head of ExxonMobil, will have to firmly change course to serve as America's top diplomat.

Tillerson, 64, has been chief executive of the world's biggest publicly-traded oil company since 2006, and spent a career going where the hydrocarbons are. That has often meant negotiating with autocrats, and navigating in politically unstable countries or those with poor human rights records.

Tillerson's level of comfort with foreign leaders is a major source of his appeal to President-elect Donald Trump, but it is certain to draw scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing.

"I have a very close relationship with President Vladimir Putin," Tillerson said in February at the University of Texas at Austin.

"I don't agree with everything he is doing, but he understands that I'm a businessman. My company invested a lot of money in Russia very successfully."

But Tillerson has criticized western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Crimea, with support from the Obama administration.

Asked in a year-end press conference Friday about having a secretary of state with close ties to Russia, President Barack Obama said there will be opportunities to raise questions on Trump's appointments in the confirmation process.

"There will be plenty of time for members of the Senate to go through the record of all of his appointees and determine whether or not they're appropriate for the job," Obama told reporters.

- 'I am a businessman' -

An engineer by training, Tillerson has represented ExxonMobil in a myriad of other politically-challenging countries like Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

When abroad, Tillerson often employed the mantra "I am a businessman" to describe his mission.

"One of the things that I learned early on when I began to work overseas in foreign assignments... is to make sure that the host governments, whether it is Russia, Yemen or the Middle East, making sure that they understand I am not the US government," Tillerson said.

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"I am not here to represent the US government interests. I am not here to defend it, nor am I here to criticize it. I am a businessman."

Tillerson's record includes a decision in 2006 to keep pumping oil in Chad despite criticism from the World Bank that President Idriss Deby used petroleum earnings to finance military activities rather than for the population.

In 2009, ExxonMobil won a contract for three key oilfields in Nigeria despite offering just $1.5 billion, compared with $3.75 billion bid by Chinese rival CNOOC.

That contract coup came after Tillerson personally intervened with then-president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, a person familiar with the matter told AFP. ExxonMobil declined to comment.

In contrast, ExxonMobil took a tough line in Venezuela, opting in 2007 to exit the South American country rather than cave to demands from then-president Hugo Chavez, who re-nationalized the few oilfields that had allowed private participation in the state-controlled industry.

ExxonMobil also has boasted of access to US presidents, according to a person familiar with African petroleum interests.

Tillerson himself has said there were two instances when he communicated with the White House based on foreign contacts.

"I did it because it was a matter of national security and they did not know how to get the message to the White House," Tillerson said at the Austin gathering.

- Climate change concerns -

But non-governmental organizations have pointed to a host of concerns with Tillerson's new role, ranging from ExxonMobil's controversial legacy on climate change to skepticism on whether he can shift from representing a big private oil company to the broader mandate of representing the US interests on the world stage.

"What's good for Exxon is not necessarily good for America," said Zorka Milin, senior legal advisor at Global Witness.

"Oil companies don't really take public interest into account," she said. "Do we want this kind of experience as a public official? Do we trust they will put public interest first?"

And Patricia Daly, executive director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, cautioned that with Tillerson, "If you don't agree with him, end of story."

Daly, a Dominican nun who has been lobbying Exxon on climate change for many years, told AFP, "It's always his way."
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Lorie Line will get a much friendlier welcome in La Crosse than she has been getting in her hometown when she takes to the stage with her Merry Little Christmas show at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Weber Center for the Performing Arts.

Line, a perennially popular draw in La Crosse, will present what is described as one of the most intimate concerts in her 27-year touring history in the centers Lyche Theatre. The show will include favorite traditional Christmas carols, as well as a cast of characters, including Santa Claus, and a special featured vocalist.

Line has been getting the bums rush of sorts in recent weeks for hosting piano recitals in her multimillion-dollar home in Orono, Minn., overlooking a secluded bay on Lake Minnetonka, according to the Minneapolis StarTribune.

For her part, the piano prodigy blames the kerfuffle on one irascible neighbor and a very turbulent, dysfunctional city council in the exclusive city of 7,400 where many prominent CEOs live.

In a nutshell, Orono officials are reviewing the citys events policy because of the brouhaha that arose when Line and her husband, Tim, hosted paid performances in their home. When the city denied permits, they shifted to free parties.

Its just one bad neighbor who got on the phone to a commissioner, Line said during a phone interview with the La Crosse Tribune on Monday.

In an effort to defuse complaints about traffic and parking, which Line said did not present problems anyway, the couple had people park in a designated area and shuttled them to their home.

Line insisted that her parties are no different from large gatherings that CEOs and other residents of the wealthy community routinely host as part of their businesses.

Line, a native of Reno, Nev., who has lived in Orono with her husband for three decades, also applied for 15 permits for next year, expecting a dozen to be approved. Those plans are on hold, she said.

Meanwhile, shes looking forward to the La Crosse show, her final appearance of her holiday tour, capping her 27th year of touring. The show will feature favorite traditional carols, as well as her cast of characters, including Santa and a special featured vocalist.

Line hit her first ivories at the age of 5.

I was in kindergarten, and I loved the piano, she recalled. I didnt want to go out for recess.  I was playing by ear, and my kindergarten teacher told my parents I was pretty good.

Not long after that, she was at church and drawn to an upright piano, where the pianist invited her to play.

I played a cute little tune, and thats the way I knew I would be a pianist, Line said.

Her career path led through what then were Daytons department stores in the Twin Cities  in downtown Minneapolis, as well as in Rosedale and Southdale shopping centers  where she played 28 hours a week.

These days, Line plays a concert grand piano she has had for 20 years and takes on tour  even to the memorial for the late Minnesota megastar Prince in May just a few miles from her home.

Although the piano tips the scales of a different sort at 1,450 pounds, it has a case that acts as a fulcrum to lighten the heavy lifting.

You just take the legs off and it rolls out in the case, Line said, noting that she and Tim  her business partner who doubles as Santa Claus during the Christmas shows  sometimes move it by themselves.

Not that she doesnt have an entourage  Lines elaborate set travels on a semi, which logs thousands of miles a year en route to 80 concerts annually. Touring for 27 years, Line has performed on more than 2,000 stages.

Lines appearances are known not only for their intricate staging and orchestrated arrangements but also for her spontaneous spin, when she takes requests from the audience to play songs from memory  or by ear.

Its a medley, when I take shout-outs and play snippets of 25 to 30 tunes ranging from Adele songs to Star Wars music, she said. We write them on a pad, and I play them one after another.

An empty-nester mother of two, Line has her own recording label, having recorded 49 CDs and sold 6 million albums. She has published 46 books of music and has 800,000 Lorie Line Radio listeners on Pandora.

With all that, Line acknowledges that she misses those halcyon hours playing the baby grands at the Dayton stores.

I miss the simplicity, and talking to people, with an uncluttered mind and her thoughts roaming among everyday topics, without the distractions she now encounters as an entrepreneurial and musical powerhouse.

But it was not just the reflection, she said. I miss the store itself  it was so glamorous.


Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean Cocteau
The SABC sent a team of 15 journalists and technicians to Cuba following the death of Fidel Castro for what was meant to be a scoop for the public broadcaster. Instead, it turned into a Caribbean holiday for staff, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

The report stated that the SABC  which sent three teams to Havana  was set to cover, among other things, President Jacob Zumas speech dedicated to Castro in Cuba.

The trips reportedly cost the SABC R1 million, but most of the journalists did little more than tour the Cuban capital, taking pictures and posting them on social media.

First on the SABCs agenda was Zumas speech, which was not covered as the three-person reporting team responsible missed their connecting flight in New York.

According to the report, their SAA flight to New York was delayed. When the team arrived in Cuba, Zuma flew back to South Africa.

Second team

The SABC then decided to send in a second team, led by head of TV news Nothando Maseko, acting political editor Sophie Mokoena, and director of live broadcasts Paul Molefe.

This team was set to cover Castros funeral.

When they landed in Cuba, their equipment to conduct live broadcasts had gone missing. SABC staff also questioned why Maseko and Mokoena were there, as they hardly did any work.

The SABCs problems were compounded when the Cuban government limited access to their Internet connectivity, affecting their ability to send broadcasts back to South Africa.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said the broadcaster was happy with the work it did in Cuba, as it produced at least three stories a day.

Among these stories were interviews with Zuma and former president Thabo Mbeki  both of which were recorded in South Africa.

Kganyago denied the trip cost R1 million, but declined to provide the correct figure.

The full report is in the Sunday Times of 18 December 2016.
Ford is facing a class action lawsuit from 20 Kuga owners, due to an alleged fault where the vehicle bursts into flames. This is according to a report in the Sunday Independent.

Ford South Africa told the newspaper that investigations into the alleged incidents are underway.

This follows BusinessTechs recent report that Ford South Africa is investigating multiple incidents of Kuga models catching fire.

One of the groups reportedly involved in the lawsuit is the family of Reshall Jimmy, who died in December 2015 after his Kuga caught alight with him trapped inside.

The Jimmy family believes that a mechanical or electrical fault with the Kuga was to blame for the fire.

A recent incident in Cape Town mirrored that of Jimmys, when Vivienne Jordan said her Kuga caught fire while she was driving it on 17 November.

Jordan said she was driving when she noticed smoke coming from her dashboard. Her brakes then stopped working, before the front of her car burst into flames.

She managed to grab her bag and laptop and run from the vehicle before it was destroyed. Jordans case is due in court soon, after Ford refused to take responsibility for the fire.

I had been negotiating with Ford for three weeks. I bought my car brand new. They are refusing to take responsibility, she said.

Kuga recall

The report stated that a fire investigation by Fire Wise Consultants in the US found that 139,917 Ford Kugas (2014 model) were at risk of overheating of the cylinder head, which could lead to an oil leak and fire.

This was out of 150,000 Kuga vehicles which were recalled in the States

The full report is in the Sunday Independent of 18 December 2016.

Now read: Ford Kuga sudden fires investigation
Transfer attorneys in South Africa have increasingly become the victims of online scammers in the real estate sector, stated Rapport.

Victims suffer losses worth millions of rand because insurers no longer provide cover for such scams.

The Attorneys Insurance Indemnity Fund (AIIF) said that in the past two years there has been a significant increase in cyber-crime-related claims.

Established in 1993, the AIIF is a non-profit short-term indemnity insurance provider for attorneys.

Before 2016, the fund had paid out R21.08 million in claims. During the first quarter of the year, this rose to R30 million.

The transfer scam, according to the report, involves the use of false banking and identity information by a swindler pretending to be the attorneys client.

One type of attack involves the client telling the attorney from a spoofed email address that their banking details have changed. They provide the attorney with new banking details, including new bank statements as proof.

Scammers tend to target property transfer transactions where profits from the sale must be paid to clients.

The subsequent investigation reveals that the lawyer was tricked into transferring the money into the wrong bank account and the rightful beneficiary then puts in a claim against the attorney.

After what the AIIF said was an exhaustive process, it decided to no longer cover cyber crimes from 1 July 2016.

South African transfer attorneys are not the only victims of such crimes, said the AIIF.

Earlier this year, MyBroadband reported on ongoing real estate scams where criminals targeted buyers, rather than attorneys.

The full report is available in the Rapport of 18 December 2016.

Now read: Tito Mboweni falls victim to ATM scam
We blame the internet for a lot of things, and now the list has grown to include our politics.

In a turbulent year marked by the U.K.s decision to leave the European Union and the election of Donald Trump, some have started to wonder to what extent the recent events have to do with the technology that most defines our age.

In the aftermath of Trumps victory, commentators accused Facebook of being indirectly responsible for his election.

Specifically, they point to the role of social media in spreading virulent political propaganda and fake news.

The internet has been increasingly presented as a possible cause for the post-truth culture that allegedly characterizes contemporary democracies.

These reactions are a reminder that new technologies often stimulate both hopes and fears about their impact on society and culture.

The internet has been seen as both the harbinger of political participation and the main culprit for the decline of democracy.

The network of networks is now more than a mere vehicle of political communication: It has become a powerful rhetorical symbol people are using to achieve political goals.

This is currently visible in Europe, where movements such as the Pirate Parties and the Italian Five Star Movement, which we have studied, build their political messages around the internet.

To them, the internet is a catalyst for radical and democratic change that channels growing dissatisfaction with traditional political parties.

Web utopias and dystopias

The emergence of political enthusiasm for the internet owes much to U.S. culture in the 1990s.

Internet connectivity was spreading from universities and corporations to an increasingly large portion of the population.

During the Clinton administration, Vice President Al Gore made the Information Superhighway a flagship concept.

He linked the development of a high-speed digital telecommunication network to a new era of enlightened market democracy.

The enthusiasm for information technology and free-market economics spread from Silicon Valley and was dubbed Californian Ideology.

It inspired a generation of digital entrepreneurs, technologists, politicians and activists in Silicon Valley and beyond. The 2000 dot-com crash only temporarily curbed the hype.

In the 2000s, the rise of sharing platforms and social media  often labeled as Web 2.0  supported the idea of a new era of increased participation of common citizens in the production of cultural content, software development and even political revolutions against authoritarian regimes.

The promise of the unrestrained flow of information also engendered deep fears.

In 1990s, the web was already seen by critics as a vehicle for poor-quality information, hate speech and extreme pornography.

We knew then that the Information Superhighways dark side was worryingly difficult to regulate.

Paradoxically, the promise of decentralization has resulted in few massive advertising empires like Facebook and Google, employing sophisticated mass surveillance techniques.

Web-based companies like Uber and Airbnb bring new efficient services to millions of customers, but are also seen as potential monopolists that threaten local economies and squeeze profits out of impoverished communities.

The publics views on digital media are rapidly shifting.

In less than 10 years, the stories we tell about the internet have moved from praising its democratic potential to imagining it as a dangerous source of extreme politics, polarized echo chambers and a hive of misogynist and racist trolls.

Cyber-optimism in Europe

While cyber-utopian views have lost appeal in the U.S., the idea of the internet as a promise of radical reorganization of society has survived.

In fact, it has become a defining element of political movements that thrive in Western Europe.

In Italy, an anti-establishment party know as the Five Star Movement became the second most-voted for party in Italy in the 2013 national elections.

According to some polls, it might soon even win general elections in Italy.

In our research, we analyzed how the Italian Five Star Movement uses a mythical idea of the internet as a catalyst for its political message.

In the partys rhetoric, declining and corrupt mainstream parties are allied with newspapers and television.

By contrast, the movement claims to harness the power of the web to kill old politics and bring about direct democracy, efficiency and transparency in governance.

Similarly in Iceland, the Pirate Party is now poised to lead a coalition government.

Throughout the few last years, other Pirate Parties have emerged and have been at times quite successful in other European countries, including Germany and Sweden.

While they differ in many ways from the Five Star Movement, their leaders also insist that the internet will help enable new forms of democratic participation.

Their success was made possible by the powerful vision of a new direct democracy facilitated by online technologies.

A vision of change

Many politicians all over the world run campaigns on the promise of change, communicating a positive message to potential voters.

The rise of forces such as the Five Star Movement and the Pirate Parties in Europe is an example of how the rhetoric of political change and the rhetoric of the digital revolution can interact with each other, merging into a unique, coherent discourse.

In thinking about the impact of the internet in politics, we usually consider how social media, websites and other online resources are used as a vehicle of political communication.

Yet, its impact as a symbol and a powerful narrative is equally strong.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
There isnt much on your wish list this year.

Like last year, theres nothing you need. Clothes, maybe a sweater. Gewgaws for your hobbies, perhaps, or the start of a new project. Gift cards or money, both are nice, but you mostly want to be with the ones you love. And in the book A Gift from Bob by James Bowen, that includes those with fur and four feet.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Just hearing that noise put James Bowen in a foul mood. Those noises indicated that he was running out of pay-by-the-minute electricity and gas in his London flat. That wasnt good on any winter day, but Christmas 2010 was approaching. Bowen knew hed have to hustle to make money, before commuters went home for the holidays.

As he usually did most days, Bowens cat, Bob, went out with him. It had been six years since hed found Bob lying in the hallway, injured and alone, and nursed the ginger cat back to health. Bobs love was unconditional; he never cared that Bowen had once slept on the sidewalk and in shelters, or that Bowen had been addicted to drugs.

Quickly calculating how much money hed need to get by, Bowen grabbed his guitar, his wallet, his scarlet vest, and a pile of newspapers meant for the homeless to sell, and he headed for the nearby Tube depot. At the end of a very nonproductive day, he returned home to a cold flat with not much in his pocket, ready to try again.

While the days to come werent all rosy  Bowen fell on the ice, broke his guitar, and lost a valuable gift for his best friend  he slowly began to see that life wasnt as bleak as he thought that first beep-filled morning. Friends he knew on the street included him in an impromptu party. Old customers stopped by to say hello, and many of them left small gifts. Bowen even handed out Christmas cards, but the true meaning of his holiday sat on a nearby box in a miniature Santa suit.

Much as you love the holidays, would you admit to moments of crabbiness at this time of year? Author James Bowen has, but, in A Gift from Bob, he tells how it all turned out purrfect.

With an abundance of Christmas books on the shelves now, it may take something special to grab your attention, and Bowens tale of nearly living on the streets of London and being semi-homeless seems to resonate a little stronger at a time when were in a giving mood.

And yet, this isnt a sympathy-wringer. Instead, inside a little grumping, theres gratitude and hope and a bit of humor, which makes this book a holiday joy to read.

Of course, cat aficionados and Bobs fans will want this book, now out in paperback. You dont even have to be cat-crazy to love it, but theres this: if you want a quick read with a warm holiday message, A Gift from Bob should be on your wish list.

Bonus cat reads:

There are a lot of books new this fall and winter that will make cat fans happy. Oliver: The Cat Who Saved Christmas by Sheila Norton is the holiday story of a cat and his girl, as told by Oliver, who overcomes homelessness to find a family. For the new cat owner looking for advice, Catwise by Pam Johnson-Bennett will answer those hard-to-know things about Fluffy, including why Kitty wants to tear apart the Christmas tree. And for the scientist who wants the perfect book this winter, look for The Lion in the Living Room by Abigail Tucker, a book about how cats came to own us like they do.
solar farm

SR

Africas population is exploding.

By the United Nations estimate, the continent will see its current population of 1.2 billion double by the year 2050. Thats an expected growth of 42 million people  basically a brand-new Argentina  every year.

A number of important infrastructure projects are underway to make room for all those people, including railways, dams, and clean energy solutions such as solar arrays.

Here are some of the largest projects coming to Africa in the next several decades.

In 2009, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa began work on the North South Corridor  a series of roadways and railways spanning more than 6,000 miles across seven countries. Its total cost is approximately $1 billion.

Tanzanias Bagamoyo Port will become Africas largest port, capable of handling 20 million containers per year. With an estimated cost of $11 billion, a Chinese government construction firm expects to complete the port by 2045.

In 2013, Chinese development firm Zendai Property Limited announced it was building an $8 billion city outside Johannesburg, called Modderfontein New City. It will become a hub for Chinese firms investing in African infrastructure.

Not to be outdone, Kenya is getting Konza Technology City, a $14.5-billion software hub outside Nairobi. The government is calling it where African silicon savannah begins.

In 2013, Morocco launched a $420-million urban development project in the Bouregreg Valley. Building up the area will link Rabat and Sale, two of Moroccos most vibrant towns currently split by the valley.

Earlier this July, China and Nigeria agreed to a $11-billion contract to build the Lagos-Calabar coastal railway. Itll stretch for 871 miles and is expected to open in 2018.

At a cost of $4.8 billion, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will provide hydroelectric power to Ethiopia and nearby countries. There is some criticism, however, that the dam forces the relocation of nearly 20,000 people.

At an average output of 39,000 MW per year, the Grand Inga Dam will become the largest energy-generating body in the world. Its total development cost is an estimated $100 billion. Developers expect to finish the project by 2025.

Source: Bloomberg

Story continues

Opened in South Africa in 2014, the Jasper solar farm produces roughly 180,000 megawatt-hours per year, capable of powering 80,000 homes. It is the largest solar power project on the continent.

Construction began on an extension to the existing Suez Canal in 2014. The New Suez Canal adds 22 miles in a new shipping lane beside the original 102-mile canal and is expected to double annual revenue with the room for added ships.

Dangote Cement, Africas largest cement producer, signed contracts worth $4.3 billion in 2015 with a Chinese engineering firm to increase its capacity to 100 million tons across 15 countries by 2020. The deal will enable the construction of many other projects around the continent.

The post 11 giant infrastructure projects that are reshaping Africa appeared first on Business Insider.
China said Saturday it would return a US naval probe seized in international waters, as it slammed the "hyping" of the incident as "inappropriate and unhelpful". The unmanned underwater vehicle was taken around 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines late on Thursday, according to the Pentagon, which called the capture unlawful and demanded its immediate return. The incident comes amid escalating tensions between China and the United States, with President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly infuriating Beijing by questioning longstanding US policy on Taiwan, calling Beijing a currency manipulator and threatening Chinese imports with punitive tariffs. China's defence ministry said it would give back the device "in an appropriate manner", without providing details of the handover. "The hyping up from the American side is inappropriate and unhelpful to the swift resolution of the problem," the ministry said. China said it "strongly opposed" US reconnaissance activities and had asked Washington to stop them. "The Chinese side will take the necessary steps in response," the statement added. The Pentagon said it had registered its objection to the probe's seizure. "Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States," spokesman Peter Cook said Saturday. There are broader tensions in the South China Sea, where China has moved to fortify its claims to the region by building out tiny reefs and islets into much larger artificial islands. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have competing claims in the South China Sea, which is laced with the world's most heavily travelled international trade routes. While the US takes no position on sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, it has repeatedly stressed all maritime claims must comply with international law. Its military has conducted several "freedom of navigation" operations in which ships and planes have passed close to the sites Beijing claims.
ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Voters in Ivory Coast cast their ballots in parliamentary polls on Sunday as the main opposition party sought to break President Alassane Ouattara's near monopoly of the legislature in the West African nation. The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), the largest opposition party, has largely boycotted politics since a 2011 war which saw then President Laurent Gbagbo, its founder, ousted and many of its leaders jailed. "We are confident that after this legislative vote, the FPI will make a remarkable and important return with a parliamentary majority," FPI President Pascal Affi N'Guessan told Reuters. The FPI is fielding 186 candidates for the 255 parliament seats and is expected to make a strong showing. Ouattara's supporters hold about 85 percent of seats in the outgoing National Assembly. Outtara said he expected Ivory Coast to have a "diversified parliament" after the polls and called for candidates to remain calm and respect results, due by Monday. Despite five years of peace, Ivorians remain deeply divided along political and ethnic faultlines. And both they and the investors who are now flooding in crave the stability that will allow the world's top cocoa grower to cement its status as the continent's rising star. Dozens of people gathered outside polling stations early on Sunday in steady drizzle in the opposition stronghold of Yopougon in the commercial capital of Abidjan. "Our candidate needs to get in," said 32-year old Jean Adepo. There were no signs of tensions. More than 3,000 people were killed in the brief 2011 civil war that followed Gbagbo's refusal to accept his defeat to Outtara in elections. Since then, the French-speaking nation has lured back investors and the economy is set to grow by 8 percent this year. Ouattara's coalition RHDP, which is suffering from some internal divisions, is promising to deliver more growth. N'Guessan's FPI argues, however, that economic expansion is simply papering over cracks left over from the crisis years, and that without a strong counterweight to Ouattara's power there can be no long-term stability. N'Guessan, like most FPI leaders, was jailed after the war. He was released in 2013, but many opposition supporters remain in prison. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly and Ange Aboa; Writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle/Keith Weir)
WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Police removed several protesters blocking a prominent Polish governing party member's car Sunday in a southern city as the president met in the capital with opposition leaders to help solve a growing political crisis.

The demonstrators sat in a street in Krakow trying to prevent Law and Justice party member Ryszard Terlecki from entering Wawel Castle. He was joining party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was on a private visit to the tomb of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski.

Police officers dragged the protesters away and ensured safe passage. Later, people chanted "Shame! Shame!" at the car that was carrying Kaczynski out of the castle.

Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to lawmakers in parliament. The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing sweeping reforms.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Poland's democracy and rule of law are threatened.

On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the Constitutional Tribunal. They were supportive of its outgoing head, Andrzej Rzeplinski, for having opposed changes that critics say are against the rule of law. The appointment of Rzeplinski's successor is expected to create further tension in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to parliament, where Poland's most serious political crisis in years began Friday. Some protesters were still there late Sunday.

"We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing," 56-year-old economist Ewa Cisowska said.

Former President Lech Walesa said that there was no easy way out of the crisis unless the Law and Justice party resigns from power.

Story continues

But the government has remained defiant. Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski told a huge crowd of supporters in front of the Presidential Palace that the government was defending democracy.

President Andrzej Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with four opposition leaders Sunday. He will meet Kaczynski on Monday.

The ruling party has increased welfare spending and still remains popular with many Poles, particularly those outside of the cities and on modest incomes. But its declarations that some social groups have been unjustly privileged under previous governments have angered many, especially after government backers started chanting "thieves," in reference to the opposition.
By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Armed men burned five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria on Sunday, holding up a deal to allow thousands to depart the last rebel pocket in Aleppo, where evacuees crammed into buses for hours, waiting to move. In return for the evacuation of fighters, their families and other civilians from Aleppo, mostly Sunni insurgents have agreed that people in the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Shi'ite villages they have besieged near Idlib, should also be allowed to leave. Videos posted on social media showed bearded men with guns cheering and shouting "God is great" after torching the green buses before they were able to reach the villages and pick up the evacuees. State media said "armed terrorists", a term it uses for all groups fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, carried out the attack. Pro-Damascus Mayadeen television blamed the rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front. Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government "operatives", was responsible. Hours after the incident, as the Aleppo evacuees waited on their buses, it was still unclear what impact the bus burning near Idlib would have on the wider agreement. The commander of forces allied to Assad said on Sunday there was still a chance for states with influence over rebel groups to find a solution to evacuate civilians safely. In a statement carried by a military news outlet run by Damascus's ally, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, the allied forces leadership said responsibility for the delay in the evacuation falls with "terrorists and their state sponsors". Some 40 km (26 miles) to the northeast, hundreds of fighters and their families in Aleppo sat or stood in buses after a deal on Sunday to resume evacuations after a three-day hiatus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was no sign the buses had left Aleppo or the villages, and a passenger on one told Reuters he had been on the bus for four hours and was still in the city's rebel enclave. Syrian state television, citing its correspondent in the city, said buses had started to leave east Aleppo where over 15,000 people had gathered in a square to wait. Many had spent the night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures. Some buses and Red Crescent vehicles arrived at the entrance to al-Foua and Kefraya shortly after the deal was announced, according to al-Manar television, a broadcaster affiliated with Hezbollah. Soon afterwards, reports that some of them had been burned began to circulate. Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes, forcing the insurgents out of most of the rebel-held territory within a matter of weeks. "EVERYONE IS WAITING" According to Syria's al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages. A document cited by al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the entire deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in two batches, in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo in two corresponding batches. Following this, another 1,500 would leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Lebanon, which are besieged by pro-government forces. Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya, al-Ikhbariya TV reported. In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, organizers gave every family a number to allow them on buses. "Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother. Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Assad. They were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo. Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north. UNITED NATIONS VOTE The chaos surrounding the evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on all sides. The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor the evacuations from Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain. The draft U.N. text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes." However, Russia said it would veto the draft resolution. "We cannot support it, we cannot allow it to pass because this is a disaster. But there could be another thing which could be adopted today by the Security Council which would accomplish the same goals," Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters. He circulated a rival Russian text to council members during a closed-door meeting on Sunday ahead of a planned vote on the French draft. Russia, which has provided military backing to Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions. A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed. (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Angus McDowall in Beirut and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Anna Willard; Editing by John Stonestreet and Robin Pomeroy)
DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, a powerful supporter of the Syrian rebels, called on Saturday for an immediate end to what it said were war crimes being committed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad as they retake rebel-held parts of Aleppo. "It is by far the worst humanitarian tragedy of the beginning of the 21st century unfolding before the international community's eyes," state news agency SPA quoted a foreign ministry official as saying. "The horrific massacres perpetrated in Aleppo ... have amounted to war crimes against humanity," the official said. The city had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-old civil war, but an advance by the Syrian army and its allies that began in mid-November deprived the insurgents of most of their territory in a matter of weeks. An operation to evacuate fighters and civilians from the last opposition-held area was suspended on Friday, its second day, after pro-government militias demanded that wounded people also be brought out of villages where they are under siege from the rebels. Officials from both sides said on Saturday that a new deal was being negotiated to complete the evacuation. Saudi Arabia accuses regional rival Iran of meddling in the affairs of other states, including Syria, to expand its influence in the Arab world. The Saudi source said Riyadh was in contact with regional and international powers "emphasising the importance of taking immediate action to stop the carnage" in Aleppo. (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Sami Aboudi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
A Turkish national charged with murdering three female Kurdish rebels in Paris died Saturday, a French judicial source said, before his case came to trial. Omer Guney died at a hospital in the French capital following a battle with a serious brain illness, the source said. He was the only suspect sent for trial, scheduled to start next month, on charges of "murder in relation to a terrorist enterprise" over the killings of the three women, including Sakine Cansiz. Cansiz -- one of the founders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) -- was murdered along with Fidan Dogan, 28, and 24-year-old Leyla Soylemez. The women's bodies were found in the early hours of January 10, 2013 at a Kurdish information centre. They had been shot in the head and neck. Guney denied involvement in the killings, though investigators said they had surveillance footage of him entering the crime scene and one of the victim's DNA was allegedly found on his coat. Lawyers for the victims' families spoke of their anger at being "denied a public trial which they had been waiting for almost four years". They expressed their "consternation at seeing France, one again, incapable of judging a political crime committed on French territory by foreign secret services". Guney had been described by relatives as a Turkish ultranationalist who infiltrated the PKK in order to spy on it, with one source saying he was tasked with "eliminating PKK cadres". In January 2014 the Turkish intelligence services officially denied any role in the killings. French investigators had concluded that members of the Turkish national intelligence agency MIT were "implicated" in the triple murder, according to an informed source. However, the investigators had been unable to establish whether the service sponsored the hit or whether agents were acting on their own initiative. The PKK launched its insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although it now focuses on greater autonomy and rights for the country's largest ethnic minority.
Ukraine said five of its troops were killed Sunday by pro-Russian insurgents in the bloodiest clash in the war-scarred ex-Soviet republic in months. Kiev military spokesman Leonid Matyukhin told AFP that another six soldiers were wounded in the battle for control of the strategic city of Debaltseve. The railroad hub on the edge of the war zone in January 2015 was the scene of one of the deadliest confrontation in the 31-month war. "Today, the rebels staged a massive attack on our positions in the Debaltseve region," Matyukhin told AFP by telephone. He said the firefight lasted for two hours and involved artillery and large-calibre grenade launchers. "Unfortunately, five of our fighters were killed and six injured," the Ukrainian military spokesman said. The January 2015 Debaltseve battle was won by the separatists and led to peace talks the following month that drew in the leaders of Germany and France. The February 2015 deal that was also signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russia's Vladimir Putin was meant to end one of Europes bloodiest conflicts in decades by the end of that year. But the so-called Minsk Agreements have been repeatedly broken by both sides and low-scale warfare continues in the European Union's backyard in a conflict that has claimed some 10,000 lives. A sudden military flare-up in Ukraine would add headaches to EU leaders who are already grappling with Britain's decision to leave the bloc and Donald Trump's unexpected election as president of the United States. Matyukhin said that 20 insurgents were killed and 30 wounded in Sunday's battle. But both sides often exaggerate the others' losses and rebel spokesman Eduard Basurin said the number of his fighters killed remained unknown. Basurin accused Kiev's forces of trying to win back positions they lost nearly two years ago. "We beat them back," Basurin told AFP. "I have no information about how many casualties we suffered." Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of taking an active part in the war in retaliation for Kiev's February 2014 ouster of a Moscow-backed president and tilt toward the West. Russia flatly denies the charges and calls any of its soldiers killed or captured in the war zone volunteers. But both the United States and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions for Russia's actions in Ukraine and the March 2014 annexation of the Crimea peninsula. The Kremlin responded by banning the import of most Western food. That step has proven to be unpopular with some European farmers in nations such as Italy and Spain. But the EU on Thursday extended its economic punishment on Russia by another six months.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (TNS)  Driven by a stiff wind, fire spread swiftly through the fertilizer plant in West, Texas, on that spring evening in 2013.

By the time the first volunteer fire companies arrived, flames engulfed the seed room and threatened storage bins laden with 60 tons of ammonium nitrate.

Gonna blow! a former firefighter whod driven to the scene warned Wests chief.

But as crews dragged hoses toward flames licking at stores of the same chemical Timothy McVeigh used to destroy the Oklahoma City federal building, a fire captain who worked at the plant was reassuring.

Itll never get hot enough to blow up, he said.

Moments later, an orange fireball flashed. The explosion obliterated the West Fertilizer Co. plant, killing 15 people, 10 of them firefighters. It was the deadliest day since 9/11 for the American fire service.

The state fire marshals office laid much of the blame for the April 17, 2013, disaster on the fire departments failure to follow safety standards.

Yet not a single firefighting regulation was broken.

That same year, a Dallas fire commander sent Stan Wilson and his crew into an unoccupied building that was in danger of collapsing. Minutes later, the ceiling caved in, killing Wilson.

Once again, multiple investigations found blatant safety errors. But when Wilsons family considered holding the fire department accountable by filing a lawsuit, they were surprised to learn it couldnt be done because fire departments generally have immunity from such suits.

Youre a public employee and you die on the job due to gross negligence, and its tough luck, Charlie, said Wilsons brother, Ken. We have no recourse to hold anyone accountable for this.

Tough luck sums it up well on both the regulatory and legal fronts, The Kansas City Star found in an investigation of shortcomings in firefighter safety. In most occupations, there are rules to follow and legal consequences for flouting them.

Not necessarily with firefighters.

Because local fire departments are subject to no federal workplace safety rules and scant state regulation in much of the country, firefighters cannot count on government to help correct unsafe practices.

OSHA cannot come in and do nothing for us, because we are not under OSHA, Waycross, Ga., firefighter Bill Jordan said.

And because the survivors of fallen firefighters generally cannot file wrongful-death lawsuits against fire departments in Missouri, Kansas and most other states, the fear of shelling out big damage awards wont spur departments to exercise more caution.

That lack of accountability, especially on the regulatory front, officials inside and outside government say, hampers efforts to prevent injuries and line-of-duty deaths.

Thats kind of the problem with the fire service, said Columbus, Ohio, battalion chief David Bernzweig, who is active in developing voluntary safety standards through a fire-service industry association, the National Fire Protection Association. We dont fall under any federal regs.

Small advances on the regulatory front offer a glimmer of hope for firefighter safety advocates. But only a glimmer, because it could be years before the rules take effect  if at all  and then in only half the states.

The bottom line, according to the co-leaders of an OSHA committee working on new proposed regulations: The nation has a moral obligation to protect those who protect our communities.



Federal officials and industry groups saw the West disaster as horrific proof that when safety standards are voluntary, they are insufficient to reduce injuries and fatalities.

Under those standards, the fire department should have planned for a hazardous materials emergency at the fertilizer plant, but hadnt done so.

Someone at the scene should have assumed command and directed operations, but not even the fire chief took charge.

Nor did anyone perform a risk assessment, as those standards encourage, to decide whether it would have made more sense to concentrate on evacuating the area rather than trying to put out a raging fire.

The strategy and tactics utilized by the West Volunteer Fire Department, the Texas state fire marshals report said, were not appropriate for the rapidly developing and extremely volatile situation and exposed the firefighters to extreme risks.

Many in the fire service said the West disaster demonstrated the need for tougher regulations nationwide.

The consideration of a comprehensive rule designed to protect (emergency) responders is tremendously important, the International Association of Fire Chiefs said, because it seeks to address a conspicuous absence of safety-centric regulations over an industry widely regarded as one of the most hazardous.

In late 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration appointed representatives of groups with stakes in improving firefighter safety to an advisory committee charged with drafting proposed new regulations.

Come up with a standard that will actually be fully protective of emergency responders in this country, deputy OSHA director Jordan Barab told the committee.

The resulting 42-page draft, published two months ago, is the first rewrite of OSHA regulations governing firefighter safety in decades.

The proposed federal rules would update minimum standards already on the books for oxygen masks and fire-resistant clothing. More important, fire departments would be required to adopt many of the voluntary standards formulated over the years by the privately funded National Fire Protection Association.

Standards, in other words, that focus on firefighters safety at emergency scenes.

The proposed new rules would, for example, oblige fire commanders to weigh risks before sending firefighters into burning buildings. Provisions set out conditions for when to establish exclusion zones to keep firefighters out of danger when no civilian lives are at stake.

Under the proposed rules, firefighters would undergo annual physical examinations. For decades, heart attacks have accounted for half of the 81 line-of-duty fatalities that occur on average every year. Yet at many departments today, the only time a firefighters health is evaluated is when he or she is hired.

Other provisions address the growing cancer risk from toxins by setting out requirements for cleaning sooty protective clothing and gear.

The rules would save lives, supporters say.

But theres no telling when, or whether, the rules might take effect.

The rule-making process could take years, the fire chiefs association says, and the proposed regulations could be watered down along the line. Plus, no one knows whether they will have the backing of the Trump administration. During the campaign, the now president-elect promised to rein in rather than expand federal regulations.

Even if the proposed emergency responder regulations are approved, they would apply only in the 26 states that have set federal OSHA regulations as their minimum standards. Missouri and Kansas are not among those states.

The reason: When Congress created OSHA 45 years ago, federal, state and local governments were exempt from following workplace safety rules imposed on private employers.

The safety rules would apply only in states that accept federal money to run their own OSHA programs. These OSHA-plan states must use the federal rules as their minimum standards for public employees.

Even then, enforcement varies from state to state. A Kansas City Star analysis of Labor Department records found wide disparities.

In some states, fines can be ridiculously low even in incidents resulting in high death tolls. For instance, the fire department in Charleston, S.C., was fined $3,160 for violations that contributed to the deaths of nine firefighters in 2007.

New Jersey, on the other hand, conducted 2,244 inspections from August 2014 to January 2016 and assessed $1.8 million in fines.

Efforts to extend federal OSHA protection to all public employees have been stymied time after time.

President Barack Obama backed legislation that would add protections throughout his two terms, failing to get much traction even when Democrats controlled Congress his first two years. Most recently, a bill sponsored by Democrats Al Franken of Minnesota in the Senate and Joe Courtney of Connecticut in the House failed to get a hearing in Congress.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Spokesmen for Franken and Courtney did not respond to The Stars requests for comment. But Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, said there is little hope the proposal will go anywhere in the next session, either.

Claire is always anxious to protect firefighters and first responders, McCaskill spokeswoman Sarah Feldman said, but given the current political realities in Washington, this is one thats best addressed at the state and local level.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver said he, too, is concerned about the safety of firefighters, but the Kansas City Democrat stopped short of endorsing more government regulation without knowing how firefighters and fire departments in his district feel about that.

As a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, my number one concern is the safety of the firefighters who risk their lives to save others and the property of others, he said. I want them to have the most efficient equipment and the most current training they need to perform such an arduous calling.

However, I am cautious about unintended consequences without specific engagement and review by the men and women in my district most impacted.

The union representing career firefighters, the International Association of Fire Fighters, has been working for years to include all firefighters under federal OSHA protection, supporting national standards for safe apparatus, equipment and practices, according to the unions website.

At a meeting in February, Pat Morrison, the unions representative on the OSHA rule-writing committee, advocated applying the new emergency responder rules to all states.

He declined to discuss how that might be achieved in the current political climate when a Star reporter tried to interview him at the Labor Department this summer.

Morrison said he needed permission from the union-affiliated local in Kansas City before commenting, and the local had not allowed it. Reached later, Local 42 President William Galvin said the union was displeased with The Stars coverage of the deaths of two Kansas City firefighters in 2015 and refused to comment further.

Others in the fire service wish the federal government would go beyond a rule rewrite and give enforcement powers to the federal agency that already investigates firefighter fatalities, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH.

Thatd be great if we had something that would connect NIOSH and OSHA, said lawyer Curt Varone, a retired firefighter who has written books on firefighting law and runs the Fire Law blog.

But that would require greater federal funding, as NIOSH is currently unable to investigate nearly two-thirds of firefighter fatalities. Plus, Varones opinion is not shared by others in the fire service, who say the institutes role as a research organization would be undermined if it had police powers.

None of the three largest organizations representing firefighters  the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the firefighters union and the National Volunteer Fire Council  has lobbied to give the institute teeth.

Indeed, some within the fire service worry that any kind of increased regulation, be it through the safety institute or OSHA, would weigh heavily on small volunteer departments. They might lose volunteers or disband if forced to comply with expensive new restrictions.

I dont think that heavy hand is the answer, said volunteer fire council chairman Kevin Quinn.



Mayday! Mayday! Collapse! Truck 53s captain barked into the radio mic. I have two men missing!

Dallas firefighters charged into the blazing apartment building and quickly rescued one of their trapped comrades on that day in May 2013. But it would be hours before they found 51-year-old Stan Wilson under 4 feet of broken drywall, soggy carpet and splintered lumber.

According to the autopsy report, the 28-year veteran of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department suffocated when the ceiling fell on him. But a contributing cause of death, authorities would later determine, was a commanders decision to send Wilson and his crew into a building that was in danger of collapse.

People screwed up, his widow, Jenny Wilson, told The Star. Stan wasnt supposed to die.

Yet when Wilson and her husbands siblings considered suing, they learned what the families of other fallen firefighters across the country have discovered: Its next to impossible.

Cities and fire departments are immune because of workers compensation laws. They are designed to limit employers exposure to big damage awards while guaranteeing at least some help for a family after the loss of a breadwinner.

The amount varies. In Missouri, the surviving spouse of a firefighter, like any other worker killed on the job, receives two-thirds of the deceaseds salary for life, or until he or she remarries. In Kansas, the death benefit is a flat $300,000.

Survivors must leap over high hurdles to have any hope of collecting damages beyond workers comp. To win in court, said Kansas City lawyer Mitchell Burgess, the error must have been so far beyond the pale as to seem intentional.

Thats the foundation for a pending lawsuit in Connecticut.

Kevin Bell, a 48-year-old Hartford, Conn., firefighter, died in 2014 when he and another firefighter became separated while fighting a residential blaze. A lawsuit alleges that Bells partner left him behind to die and that the commander on the scene made a conscious and deliberate decision to delay sending in a rescue team. It also alleges that the fire department outfitted Bell and other firefighters with faulty oxygen tanks.

Our world crashed that day, Bells widow, Wayatte Statham-Bell, said when the suit was filed last year. Our lives have never been the same.

Fire department officers deny the allegations, but Connecticuts state office of occupational safety cited the Hartford Fire Department for several serious violations, including failure to properly test firefighters breathing equipment.

In Georgia, a trial judge recently dismissed a similar lawsuit brought by the widow of firefighter Jeff Little against the city of Waycross and Fire Chief David Eddins. Lawyers for Dianne Little are trying to get the suit reinstated by the state court of appeals.

Littles lawsuit alleges that Eddins ordered firefighters inside a vacant and condemned house long after it was safe because he had a grudge against one of the firefighters. The suit contends that Little, fearing for his job, went inside and died when part of the building collapsed.

Its not about the money, Dianne Little said. I want the answers. I want to know why.

The city said it was shielded by workers comp. Eddins declined to comment when a Star reporter paid him a visit, but in a YouTube video said he was unsure why Little and the others had entered the building.

Dianne Littles lawyer, Sean Simmons, predicted from the start that the case would be an uphill battle, but he thought it was worth pursuing.

If somebody doesnt take cases like this, nothing will ever change, he said.

In the rare instances where firefighters lawsuits have been successful, theyve led to safety improvements.

In Baltimore, 29-year-old Racheal Wilson and other recruits were sent into a live burn training exercise in 2007. The National Fire Protection Association has recommended standards for such exercises. An independent investigation later found the Baltimore fire department violated 50 of them.

Wilson, who was trapped on the third floor, died of burns and asphyxia. A lawsuit sought more than $10 million. Baltimore settled the case for $200,000. But the director of the training academy was fired, as was the safety officer, and the longtime fire chief resigned after votes of no confidence by the firefighters and fire officers unions.

Also successful in bringing safety improvements was a case this year in New York, where firefighters have a court precedent that lets them seek damages regarding safety equipment.

In 2005, six New York City firefighters were trapped on the fourth floor of a burning tenement in the Bronx. Fire management had stopped issuing safety ropes  because they added 3 pounds to firefighters 30 pounds of gear  so their choice was to wait to die or jump into the alley below.

Jeff Cool lived to tell about it, in part, because he had brought his own safety rope.

I shattered both my shoulders, Cool told The Star outside a fire station in midtown Manhattan. Titanium screws hold his fractured pelvis together. Without transfusions, he said, he would have bled to death 10 times over.

My body right now, he said, is basically held together with Krazy Glue and duct tape.

Like Cool, firefighters Gene Stolowski and Brendan Cawley still deal with pain nearly a dozen years later. Less fortunate were Lt. Curtis Meyran and firefighter John Bellew, who died on impact. Cools friend, firefighter Joseph DiBernardo, died six years later from an overdose of the painkillers he took to cope with severe injuries.

The department began issuing ropes again soon after the fire but claimed immunity from legal claims. Nearly a decade later, a jury disagreed and said the city owed $146 million. Rather than risk losing on appeal, the plaintiffs settled for $29.5 million this fall.

Stan Wilsons family had hoped a lawsuit would compel the Dallas fire department to accept responsibility for his death and improve safety for other firefighters. Above all, Jenny Wilson wanted Dallas Fire-Rescue to begin recording its firefighter-to-firefighter radio channel, as virtually every other major metropolitan fire department has done for years.

Had a recording system been in operation the day her husband died, Wilson said, it might explain how his crew came to be inside an empty building that was in danger of collapsing. The incident commander denied issuing the order, although the surviving crew members claimed otherwise.

It was never in my heart to file a lawsuit, Wilson said. The only reason I would have, if I could have, is to shake things up. Make things happen.

Ultimately, the department did address a number of safety concerns without a court order. This fall the recording equipment Wilson wanted was installed as well.

Still, the inability to file a lawsuit nags at Ken Wilson. A court action, he said, might have forced the fire department to own up to its mistakes.

This year, on the anniversary, Wilson and a few friends stood outside Dallas City Hall with signs that said, Three Years, No Accountability.

Wilson said he would make it an annual tradition until the department takes responsibility.

Thats been the saddest thing, he said. They wont man up.

That lack of accountability, especially on the regulatory front, officials inside and outside government say, hampers efforts to prevent injuries and line-of-duty deaths.
If you recently formed a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or incorporated, you have taken an important step toward setting the legal foundation for your business and protecting your personal assets. While you may have had several questions leading up to the decision to form an LLC, you probably have even more on what to do after.

Is creating an LLC enough to let you legally open your doors for business? Not exactly. Here are 10 things to consider before youre ready to do business.

What You Need To Do After Forming An LLC

1. Obtain Any Necessary Business Licenses and Permits

Many new business owners think that forming an LLC or corporation is the same as getting a business license. Then unfortunately, some realize this isnt the case when they are fined for operating without a license. Think of it this way: getting an LLC is the first step and creates a legal foundation for the business. A business license gives you the right to operate.

Depending on what kind of business you have and where you live, you may need to get business licenses from your state, county, or town. Examples include: zoning permit, permit from the health department, professional licenses, a general business operation license, and home occupation permits. Most licenses are relatively inexpensive and getting one upfront will save you money and keep your business legit. Check with your local board of equalization offices, or find a service to determine which permits your business needs to legally operate.

2. Get a Sellers Permit

Many states require what is called a sellers permit (or a similar name). This permit is required for sole proprietors, LLCs, partnerships, and corporations that sell taxable goods and services. For example, in California, a sellers permit must be obtained by any business that sells or leases property thats subject to the states retail sales tax. Make sure you get this permit before you start selling.

3. Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

An EIN, also known as a federal tax ID number, is a way for the IRS to identify your business and track its transactions. Think of an EIN like a social security number for companies. If you plan on having employees, an EIN is mandatory. However, getting an EIN is good practice even without employees. Thats because you can give the EIN, instead of your personal social security number to clients and vendors.

4. Apply for S Corporation S Treatment (If Applicable)

An LLC has pass-through tax treatment, meaning that the business profits and losses are passed along and reported on the business owners tax return. As the owner of an LLC, you must report all profits (or losses) of the business on a Schedule C with your personal tax return. LLC owners who are active in the business must also pay self-employment tax on the profits.

In some cases, it may benefit you to elect S Corporation status. This enables you to split your business profits into salary and distributions. Youll pay self-employment tax (or Medicare/social security tax) on the salary portion, but not on the distributions. To elect S Corporation status, you need to file form 2553 with the IRS (its free) within 75 days since forming the LLC, or 75 days from the start of the current tax year.

5. Open a Business Bank Account

Once you have established your LLC, you can open a business bank account under the LLC. This will allow you to accept checks made out to your business name. In addition, owners of corporations and LLCs are legally obligated to keep their personal and business finances separate  so having a dedicated business bank account is a must.

6. Apply for a Business Credit Card

In addition to opening a separate bank account, using a business credit card is a smart idea. By putting all your business expenses on the business card, youve got an instant audit trail of your years expenses when tax time rolls around. In addition, having a business-specific credit card will help you maintain your corporate veilthats what protects your personal assets.

7. Insure Your Business

While forming an LLC or incorporating does help protect your personal assets from any liability of the company, it doesnt protect the business itself from losses. Thats why you should consider getting a general liability insurance or a Business Owners Policy (BOP). These policies will broadly cover your business against accidents, injuries, and negligence claims. In addition, if youre selling a product, youll need product liability insurance. And, if you provide a professional service (i.e. lawyers, accountants, notaries, real estate agents, insurance agents, hair salons, consultants), youll need to take out a professional liability policy.

8. Foreign Qualify in Other States (If Applicable)

If your LLC will be doing business in a state other than the state where you formed the LLC, you will need to register in the new state(s). Examples of doing business can include: Opening an office or store in another state, when a significant portion of your companys revenue comes from another state; when you have employees working in another state; and when you frequently conduct in-person meetings in a state.

9. Get a Doing Business As (DBA)

If like most businesses you are going to be operating under any variation of your official company name (i.e. Company vs. Company.com vs. Company, Inc), you will need to file a Doing Business As (DBA) for each of the variations. You should have your LLC file the DBAs so they operate underneath the LLC.

10. Make a Plan to Keep Your LLC Compliant

Once you become a corporation or LLC, youve got to operate your business at a higher administrative level than youve been used to as a sole proprietor. Both LLCs and corporations often need to file an annual report with their state, as well as keep up with their quarterly tax payments. Mark these important dates on a calendar ahead of time, or sign up for a service that will automatically send you alerts ahead of key state and federal filing deadlines.

Working from Home Photo via Shutterstock

CorpNet offers business formations, filings, state tax registrations, and corporate compliance services in all 50 states. Express and 24 hour rush filing services available upon request. Click here to learn more.
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Uber is on a collision course with regulators in California after vowing that its self-driving cars will continue transporting passengers around San Francisco.

State prosecutors have responded by threatening to haul the ride-hailing company before a judge unless the service is suspended immediately.

In a sharply-worded letter, lawyers with California's Department of Justice demanded that Uber obtain a special state permit if it wants to continue.

If not, "the attorney general will seek injunctive and other appropriate relief", the letter said.

Though there was no deadline given in the letter, Melissa Figueroa, spokeswoman for California transport regulators, said the state would take action "early next week" if Uber did not comply.

Uber began the pilot project on Wednesday with a number of Volvo SUVs fitted with sensors allowing them to steer, brake and accelerate. A person sits behind the wheel just in case.

Uber bosses and state officials have talked several times this week after California's Department of Motor Vehicles issued a similar legal threat.

Anthony Levandowski, who heads the company's self-driving programme, described the talks as "frank conversations" which left him unswayed.

State lawyers insist Uber's cars are "autonomous vehicles" which need the permit to operate on public roads.

But Mr Levandowski disagrees, arguing Uber does not need the permit that 20 other companies testing the technology in California have obtained, because the Volvos have back-up drivers behind the wheel monitoring the vehicles.

That means the cars are not "autonomous vehicles" under the state's definition, he argues.

Mr Levandowski likened the Volvos' abilities to those of Tesla cars that have the Autopilot feature which allows them to steer without a person touching the wheel and to brake and accelerate without a person touching the pedals.

He queried why the Tesla vehicles on California's roads did not need a permit if Uber's cars did.

Story continues

The mayor of San Francisco has sided with the state and a consumer advocacy group has suggested California should do more than force Uber to stop.

"We believe their activity is a criminal offence under the motor vehicle code, punishable with up to six months in jail," John Simpson of the Consumer Watchdog group said.

"(Uber) CEO Travis Kalanick should be arrested immediately."

But in a sign of the level of interest in the technology, the mayor of Beverly Hills has voiced his support for Uber testing without a state permit.
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Measure removes 1,200 political jobs, requires Senate confirmation of Cabinet heads, and ends gubernatorial appointments to UNC campus trustees



A member of the General Assembly's police force observes protesters demonstrating Thursday at the legislative building. The protesters disrupted sessions in the House and Senate. (CJ photo by Don Carrington)

A move to rein in the appointment powers of Democratic Gov.-elect Roy Cooper moved swiftly through the GOP-controlled House on Thursday with almost no debate in committee before it reached the full House for approval. House Bill 17 would invoke a constitutional power to require Senate confirmation of all the governor's Cabinet secretaries. It would reduce from 1,500 to 300 the number of state employees exempt from the North Carolina Human Resources Act - in other words, slashing the number of political appointees Cooper could place in executive branch agencies. It would strip the governor of the authority to appoint members of the board of trustees in the UNC system, giving them instead to legislative leaders. Finally, it would realign powers and duties among the superintendent of public instruction and the State Board of Education. (See related story here .)Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, the sponsor of the bill, told the House.The move follows the Nov. 8 election in which Cooper defeated incumbent GOP Gov. Pat McCrory. Also in November, Republican Mark Johnson defeated incumbent Democratic Superintendent June Atkinson. The governor also appoints most members of the State Board of Education.House debate on the bill was stalled for more than a half hour when protesters in the gallery began shouting. After protesters failed to heed a request from House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, to remain orderly, the gallery was cleared.Republicans insisted the goal of the bill is to beef up powers that have drifted over the years from the legislative branch of government to the executive branch.Lewis pointed to a recent lawsuit McCrory filed and won against the General Assembly challenging the makeup of a commission to oversee cleanup from coal ash ponds. The governor's victory fundamentally changed the way the legislative and executive branches in government work together, Lewis said.Lewis said.Democrats, however, argued that the changes were being made by the Republican legislature because their party lost the governor's race to Democrat Cooper.said Rep. Darren Jackson, D-Wake.Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, said the new Democratic governor should retain the authority that outgoing governor enjoyed.Michaux said.Rep. Billy Richardson, D-Cumberland, said he'd consider supporting a lot of provisions contained in the bill if it hadn't been pushed through so quickly.Richardson said.Rep. Nelson Dollar, R-Wake, countered that it was appropriate to make the changes detailed in the bill now, especially since a new superintendent of public instruction will be taking office in January.Dollar said.Earlier in the day, when the bill was taken up in the House Rules Committee, Democrats offered little resistance.Jackson said Democratic members already had been briefed by the General Assembly's nonpartisan staff on the details in the bill, and there was no need to repeat those details in committee. He said Democrats would make the political and policy arguments during floor debate.Jackson acknowledged that the provision requiring Senate confirmation of the governor's Cabinet appointees was already in the N.C. Constitution.Jackson said.The bill passed the House on a 70-36 vote. It is expected to be taken up Friday in committee and on the floor in the Senate.
When the Moxy Hotel opens in San Diego next year, the rooms will be stocked with the usual amenities alarm clocks, hair dryers, writing desks and televisions.

But you wont find Bibles in the bedside nightstands.

Marriott International, the worlds largest hotel company, supplies a Bible and the Book of Mormon in the rooms of every other hotel in the franchise. But the company recently decided that no religious materials should be offered at two of its newest millennial-oriented hotel brands, Moxy and Edition hotels.

Its because the religious books dont fit the personality of the brands, said Marriott spokeswoman Felicia Farrar McLemore.

Marriotts decision mirrors others in the industry that are phasing out the long-held tradition of providing religious material in hotel rooms.

It is difficult to measure how many of the countrys 53,000 hotels still put Bibles in the rooms because most major hotel franchise companies let individual hotel owners and managers decide whether to make the books standard amenities.

But a recent survey by STR, a hospitality analytics company, found that the percentage of hotels that offer religious materials in rooms has dropped significantly over the past decade, from 95 percent of hotels in 2006 to 48 percent this year.

Among the reasons for the change, according to industry experts, is a need to appeal to younger American travelers who are less devout than their parents or grandparents, and to avoid offending international travelers such as Muslims or Buddhists.

And then there is this practical issue: Many newer hotel brands install shelves rather than nightstands with drawers next to the bed, making it difficult to be discreet about offering Bibles. A Bible on a bedside shelf makes a more pronounced statement than a Bible slipped into a drawer.

In an era of not offending anyone, I think hotels have a conundrum, said Carl Winston, director of San Diego State Universitys L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management program.

Hotels also have been under pressure lately from atheist groups.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote to 15 major hotel companies last year, asking them to keep Bibles out of hotel rooms.

The group succeeded in the last year in getting hotels operated by Arizona State University and Northern Illinois University to remove all Bibles from their rooms.

The foundation also created a sticker that reads: Warning: Literal belief in this book may endanger your health and life. The group has encouraged its supporters to affix the stickers on any hotel room Bible they find.

We are trying to educate the hotel industry that a quarter of our population is not religious, said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the group.

STR officials cautioned about reading too much into its survey, noting that managers representing only 2,600 of the more than 8,000 hotels responding to the survey answered the question about religious material in rooms. Still, industry experts say the changing demographics in America and the surge of international travelers in the U.S. are creating more reasons to keep religious materials out of hotel rooms.

A lot of international hotels are trying to reach a very diverse group of travelers, and religion now has become a really sensitive topic, said Linchi Kwok, an assistant professor at the Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona.

Bibles started to become a hotel standard in the late 1800s when three traveling businessmen founded Gideons International with a plan by placing Bibles in hotel rooms across the country.

The nonprofit group now has about 270,000 members in 200 countries. In its latest fiscal year, Gideon International spent about $100 million to distribute Bibles to hotels, prisons, hospitals and other locations, about the same amount as in 2015, according to the groups financial statements.

Jeff Pack, Gideons Internationals director of communications, said he isnt sure why the STR survey shows a decline in religious materials in hotel rooms, considering that the distribution of Bibles by his group hasnt dropped.

The decline of religious materials in hotels, as cited in the survey, is reflective of increasing secularism and independence in the world, he said. This has resulted in an erosion of spiritual awareness.

Two years ago, Travelodge hotels in Britain removed Bibles from their rooms in order not to discriminate against any religion, the company said. Still, the hotels kept copies at the front desk where guests could borrow them.

The parent company of Travelodge, the Wyndham Hotel Group, said the company does not require Bibles in any of its 15 hotel brands worldwide.

Marriott International, which was founded by a devout Mormon, decided this year to keep the Bible and the Book of Mormon out of four new brands, AC, Moxy, Protea and Edition hotels, said McLemore, the spokeswoman.. But company executives reconsidered, she said, and instead moved to keep religious materials out of only the Moxy and Edition hotels because the AC and Protea hotels are geared toward more traditional travelers.

Marriott has opened nine Moxy hotels, with at least 40 more hotels under construction or in the planning phase. Four Edition hotels are open and nine others are set to open in the future.

Intercontinental Hotel Group, the British company that operates the Holiday Inn brand, among others, doesnt require managers of its more than 5,000 hotels in nearly 100 countries to put Bibles in each room.

Our hotels have the flexibility to offer religious materials to their guests if they choose to do so, spokeswoman Caroline Huston said.
Emily Zilliox understands how precious family is  she lost her mother Gretchen Platz-Zilliox when she was just 4 years old.

An only child, Emily, 17, and her father Jeff Zilliox, owner of Marineland Pet Center in Onalaska, had to learn how to fill the void and move on together. As a result, Emily is close to many in her extended family, especially her mothers parents and her cousins.

Her grandparents helped develop a passion for politics and social justice in Emily, which she hopes to turn into a successful career. Described as a strong leader and confident in her own skin by teachers at Aquinas High School, Emily is this years Extra Effort nominee.

She is very goal-oriented, Aquinas math teacher Gretchen Harkness said. She knows what she wants to do and what she has to do to get it.

Emily lives in Onalaska with her dad, Uncle Andrew and dogs Berkley and Bailey. Emilys mother was a scuba diving instructor at Marineland until she died from complications from a pituitary tumor in 2004.

Because she died when Emily was so young, she had to learn a lot about her mother from family and friends. Emily said she remembers that her mother was a lot of fun and people would tell Emily her mother was the life of the party.

Emilys grandparents on Gretchens side started Marineland, and Emilys family took over the business after them. Emily has worked with her father at the family business since she was 13.

The loss was difficult for her and her dad. It was hard being asked by classmates questions about her mom and the awkward silence when they find out she is dead. It was also hard not having her mom as a female role model growing up, Emily said, but her dad has always been supportive as has his girlfriend of nine years, Tamaime Nimmo.

Nimmo said Emily has been a wonderful kid who is good-natured, fun and devoted to her family, especially her grandparents. She has always had a creative side, Nimmo added, and when she was a kid, Emily would write and draw pages that a family friend would laminate into books.

Shes just Emily, Nimmo said. She is a very open book. She loves to give back and help people.

Emily is a very positive person, Aquinas English teacher Amy Lawrynk said. She doesnt let things get her down or lash out about the things she cant control.

She gets along with all of her peers, both teachers said. She has a few close friends, they said, but everyone likes her, even though she stands her ground on her opinions and beliefs.

She will always tell you what she thinks, Harkness said. But she has a way of standing by those beliefs without offending someone.

Emily said she plans on attending the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay next year. She said she hopes to someday be a political reporter in New York or Washington, D.C. and that her dream job would be a commentator on the Weekend Edition skits of Saturday Night Live.

Her grandparents have always been interested and involved in politics, she said, which helped spur her interest. Shes attracted to social justice issues, she said, and enjoys fighting for the underdog.
The spotlight was on, the ensemble was ready, but the conductors stand was empty.

It was the opening song of the recent Christmas concert at Lakeland University in Sheboygan, but Chris Werner wasnt there to conduct.

His musicians played through tears with passion and precision, as Chris would have expected.

But Lakelands director of bands had died the day before after a long ordeal with cancer.

He was just 40 years old.

You probably remember Chris as director of bands for eight years at Central High School in La Crosse. If you didnt see him at Central, you likely saw him conducting the La Crosse Concert Band at Riverside Park during the summer.

He loved music.

He loved conducting it. He loved teaching it. He loved performing so beautifully on the clarinet.

Thankfully, his passion for music will live on in the student performers he inspired.

He received his bachelors degree from the UW-L in 1999 and his masters degree from UW-Milwaukee in 2002.

He received his doctorate at the University of Nebraska in 2005, and we often shared tales of our years with the Cornhusker Marching Band. All of our conversations ended the same: Go Big Red!

In fact, thats how my email conversation began with Carolyn Barber, director of bands at the University of Nebraska and a friend because of Chris.

Chris impact was huge, far greater than one might expect of a mere 40-year-old, she writes. Im sitting in McCormick Place in Chicago right now, attending the Midwest Clinic. Its only the first day and Ive already bumped into a dozen people with inspirational connections to Chris. His humor, energy and passion made an instant impact on anyone he met.

Chris was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2014 but managed to continue teaching at Lakeland for much of the time while fighting through chemotherapy. He fell gravely ill this fall just days before he was to return to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to be honored as a distinguished alumnus.

Tammy Fisher, who leads the Screaming Eagles Marching Band at UW-L with such spirit, says teaching came naturally to her dear friend.

She said he was passionate about education and very effective at motivating students.

His students knew if they listened and followed his lead, good things would happen. He was demanding, but the students respected him and responded to his high level of expectation.

He didnt merely work to assure his music students played well with others. He cared about them as individuals, too.

Branden Steinmetz, now a band director in Woodbury, Minn., came to UW-L from Tomah to study music, and he became a student teacher under Werner at Central.

Next fall, hell be attending Michigan State to work on his doctorate in conducting  all because of Werners influence and mentorship.

Hes the reason Im doing everything Im doing right now, Steinmetz said. The first time I saw him conduct, I told myself, I want to be him. I want to do what he does. He had a captivating style.

Werners bands at Central did innovative work with several contemporary composers, including Kimberly Archer, associate professor of composition at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

She came to Central for 10 days in 2008 as Werners band premiered her Symphony No. 3  an amazing, challenging collaboration that the students still talk about.

Chris was a force of nature  a black hole whose sheer gravitational force dragged out every ounce of effort and musicianship from his band, Archer writes in a moving tribute. He railed and shouted and sweated buckets from the podium, practically calling down the lightning, as if he could elicit their sound from his own body. He stormed and praised in equal intensity. He scared me, even! He was terrifying. He was amazing.

Peers and administrators agree that Chris was fearlessly innovative.

Over those years and our work together, Chris developed a new model for building a band program in high schools, for training student teachers, and for bringing an entire school district into sync for fostering true, independent artistry, Archer said. Kids can do so much more than most educators think, he insisted, and some of this plan hinged on the collaboration between a conductor and composer.

Archer and other friends who sat watch at his hospice bedside insist that the music was still moving Chris during his final, painful days.

As Chris dozed off, Archer writes, He began conducting. I couldnt believe thats what I was seeing, but I know his gestures so well: the pointing cue, the curl of his fingers, the interplay of his hands. He was humming a faint note now and then, his emaciated face rising and falling with dream music. I dont know how long that went on, but I was stunned, devastated, fascinated  and most of all, grateful to have witnessed something important even though I didnt understand.

Maybe its not so difficult to understand.

Music doesnt magically come from a written score. It doesnt come from a beautiful instrument or a sonorous voice, either.

Music comes from the heart.

As long as Chris Werners heart was still beating, he was still conducting.

Thanks to his students and friends, his passion for music lives on.
Poland's president Andrzej Duda has met separately with opposition party leaders to help solve a political crisis, as anti-government and pro-government rallies were held on a third day of unrest.

Political tension is rising between Poland's conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling party's plan to restrict journalists' access to politicians in parliament.

The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing fast-paced, sweeping changes in many areas including the legislative sector, the media and education.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Poland's democracy and rule of law are threatened.

On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the Constitutional Tribunal, to thank its outgoing head Andrzej Rzeplinski for having opposed changes that, opponents say, are against the rule of law. The appointment of Mr Rzeplinski's successor is expected to open a new area of conflict in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to the parliament building, where Poland's most serious political crisis in years began on Friday.

"We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing," said Ewa Cisowska, 56, an economist.

Many protesters bitterly said the ruling team is not listening to the people and is not consulting on the steps it is taking. Protests were also held in Gdansk, in the north, and in Krakow, a city in the south, where the powerful ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski was expected on a private visit.

Former president and democracy champion Lech Walesa said there is no easy way out of the crisis unless the ruling Law and Justice party resigns from power.

Meanwhile, a huge crowd of government supporters waving white and red national flags staged a noisy rally in front of the Presidential Palace to show their approval for the current policy and to encourage President Duda in his mediation.

Deputy PM Piotr Glinski told the rally the government is defending democracy and drew its authority from the electoral vote.

Mr Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with three opposition leaders on Sunday. He will meet Mr Kaczynski on Monday.

The first meeting was held with Ryszard Petru, leader of the Modern party, who said they discussed the media regulations and controversies around an irregular budget vote that was taken on Friday, when the conflict began. The opposition is demanding a repeat of the vote.

"We are still in a stalemate," Mr Petru said on TVN24.

European Council President Donald Tusk, Poland's former prime minister, appealed on Saturday for the ruling party to respect the people and the constitution. Prime Minister Beata Szydlo has blamed the opposition and appealed for calm and dialogue.

Polish Interior Minister accused opposition of 'trying to seize power' as 1,000s protest https://t.co/KlHHPBZXWQ pic.twitter.com/NEUhUhzsF2  RT (@RT_com) December 17, 2016

AP




Haiti - Justice : Temporary suspension of mass releases of detainees





As part of the fight against prolonged pre-trial detention, following the announcement of the release Thursday of 500 new prisoners, after the 250 already released Monday 12 December https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19508-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html and face the concern expressed by human rights organizations, the Port-au-Prince Government Commissioner, Jean Danton Leger, has agreed to suspend temporarily the announced releases.



He pointed out that this temporary suspension was in the interests of transparency, in order to allow these organizations to see the files, to ensure that there were no dangerous criminals on the list and to eliminate all traces of suspicion before their release.



Recall that since Danton Leger assumes the charge of the Prosecution, more than 2,000 prisoners have already regained their freedom... https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19253-icihaiti-justice-more-than-2-000-prisoners-released.html



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19508-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19483-haiti-news-zapping-politics.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19253-icihaiti-justice-more-than-2-000-prisoners-released.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















BURLINGTON  Tuesday was a day of elation mixed with sorrow for Burlingtons Nathan Libbey.

Libbey saw eating disorders legislation he championed pass the U.S. Senate as part of a wide-ranging health care bill which now goes to President Barack Obama.

Libbey began advocating for the bill after the death of his wife, Jennifer, who suffered from bulimia. She always wanted to shout from the rooftop once she beat the disorder, Libbey said. While she wasnt able to do that, Libbey said, hes excited others may benefit.

Jennifer and I frequently discussed the power her voice would have once she defeated her eating disorder, Libbey said. There is an adage that negative voices always play the loudest. Unfortunately, her voice resonated with lawmakers from the grave and not from a pedestal of triumph.

Today, however, she is triumphant, our children are triumphant and individuals with eating disorders in Wisconsin and throughout our great nation are triumphant.

Insurance change key

Jennifer Libbey taught kindergarten in the Burlington Area School District until her death on Aug. 14, 2014.

After she died, Nathan Libbey contacted the Eating Disorders Coalition and traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby legislators on the bill. Its named the Anna Westin Act, after a Minnesota woman who struggled with anorexia and committed suicide at age 21.

Among other things, the measure clarifies law to improve health insurance coverage for eating disorders and residential treatment. Thats a big deal, Libbey said, noting residential care could otherwise cost almost $100,000.

The legislation also provides resources for training for health professionals as well as education and prevention help for the public.

The bill, which advocates say is the first legislation on eating disorders passed by Congress, was co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.

I have heard from far too many Wisconsin families like the Libbeys who have struggled to find the quality eating disorder care and treatment that they need, Baldwin said in a statement to The Journal Times. The passage of the Anna Westin Act will take critical steps to improve health coverage and enhance prevention, treatment, and early diagnosis to better support the 192,000 Wisconsinites who are battling an eating disorder.

The Anna Westin Act was part of the 21st Century Cures and Mental Health Reform Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House 392-26 and the Senate 94-5. Obama has said he will sign the bill.

Besides eating disorders, the $6.3 billion package allocates money toward efforts such as cancer research and battling drug addiction. Most notably, the legislation invests $1 billion to fight the opioid epidemic.




Haiti - Social : TOYP 2016, lists of the 10 Outstanding Young Person





The Junior Chamber International Haiti (JCI Haiti), with the support of the American Embassy, the Embassy of Canada and other partners, has the immense pleasure to announce the final result of the contest the Ten Outstanding Young Person 2016.



Launched in August 2016 throughout the country under the theme "Young Leaders Haitians for the Sustainable Development Objectives (SDO)" https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18706-haiti-notice-registration-opens-for-the-competition-young-leaders-2016.html the process of identifying these ten young models of Haitian society for the year 2016 has been long.



JCI Haiti reiterates its warmest congratulations to the various candidates who submitted their files. There is no doubt that they are very numerous throughout the country, these remarkable young Haitians who positively influence each community in various fields.



After interviewing the applicants and verifying all the information provided, it is with pleasure that the JCI Haiti TOYP Committee publishes the results of the final report of the Jury composed of Gerald Oriol Junior, Former Secretary of State for the Integration of People with Disabilities, D'jimy Malval Director of Alternative Networks at SOGEBANK, Yves Bernard Remarais, Former President of JCI Haiti, Marie Alice Theard and Indran Amirthanayagam of the U.S. Embassy.



Final result of TOYP JCI HAITI :



Fortil Romel : Achievement in business, economy, or business ;



Salomon Jean Marie-Junior : Political, legal and / or governmental affairs ;



Andre Rock : Leadership and / or Academic Achievement ;



Senadin Anned-Linz : Leadership and / or Academic Achievement ;



Jean Jean Roosvelt : Cultural Realization ;



Leandre Marc Nahum : Moral and / or environmental leadership ;



Joseph Walter : Contribution to the rights of children, world peace and / or human rights ;



Cincir Amos : Humanitarian and / or Voluntary Leadership ;



Baptiste Skason : Personal development and / or personal achievement ;



Pierre Samuel : Medical innovation.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18706-haiti-notice-registration-opens-for-the-competition-young-leaders-2016.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping politics...





FLASH: Rejection of requests for disqualification of advisers to the BCEN

The Provisional Electoral Council announced that requests for disqualification of electoral advisers from the National Electoral Disputes Bureau (BCEN) requested by the various parties were rejected https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19527-haiti-flash-publication-of-final-results-possible-delay.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19518-haiti-flash-bcen-hearings-postponed-sine-die.html



Great Children's Festival at the Palais National

This Saturday morning from 9:00 am started at the National Palace, the big annual celebration organized by the presidency for children...



Privert asks the CEP to be responsible

The de facto President of the Republic, Jocelerme Privert, asked the CEP to take responsibility for the completion of the electoral process so that "the country could be endowed with legitimate authorities on 7 February 2017" to avoid "[...] a real chaos and anarchy, with the dysfunction of all the republican institutions." In addition, Privert denounces protest movements in streets that are violent during the period of challenge, specifying that the police must do their work while specifying that "The Constitution recognizes the Right to the people to express their concerns about the elections, through the peaceful way but witout broken."



Large reforestation campaign

Friday morning "Food For The Poor" has begun a major reforestation campaign at Grand'Anse. The convoy carries about 2,000 seedlings of avocado, 1 tonne of local maize seed, 1 tonne of local black bean seed, a quarter of a tonne of pea stump and half a tonne of vegetable seed (tomatoes, okra, aubergines, lettuces , Cabbage, carrots, etc...)



Canada, community evening at the Embassy of Haiti

467/5000

A community evening was held Thursday at the Canadian Embassy in Haiti. The Ambassador of Haiti to Canada, Frantz Liautaud and the Embassy staff have given a warm welcome to members of the Haitian community. Very friendly atmosphere and good humor can summarize this evening which testifies of the will of the Chef de mission to maintain privileged relations with the Haitian community of the region of Ottawa and its great region.



The Department of Vienne on mission to the country

The Department of Vienne, France, has been engaged for several years in a decentralized cooperation in the fields of health and education with the city of Marigot, in the southeast of Haiti. Bruno Belin, the President of the Department, is currently carrying out a mission with the members of the Association Vienne Haiti Solidarite. They went to the lycee Henri Christophe where a university scholarship program was set up, as well as to Macary (10km from Marigot), whose health center is supported by the French Department.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Atul Brahmachari | HENB | Dhaka : Goutam Sarkar (21), a minority Hindu College student had abducted on 13th Dec and thereafter murdered for ransom. His dead body was found on Saturday morning from a pond near Mahadebnagar village under Ghona Union of Satkhira Sadar Sub-District in Islamic Bangladesh.

Goutam was a brilliant student in BA, Political Science Department of Satkhira Shimanta Adarsha College and only son of Ghona Union Parishad (Ward no 8) member Ganesh Sarkar.

Police arrested five jihadis viz. Nazmul Hasan, Sahadat Modal and Manirul sana of Bharkhali vill, Saju Sheikh of Mahadebnagar and Saon Molla of Surighata village.

After the recovery of the dead body of Goutam, the agitated local villagers tried to put fire in the houses of the perpetrators, but restrained by the police.

Police told, the perpetrators called Goutam through mobile on Tuesday evening and claimed to his father BD Taka 10,00,000 (US $ 12605) as a ransom on Wednesday morning.

Father of the abducted Hindu student tried to keep the ransom money in different places as per directions of the perpetrators, but failed to free his son.

The Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Firoz Hossain Molla conveyed HENB that from a reliable interception police arrested Nazmul Hasan from Bharkhali village who confessed the murder of Goutam in a ransom trail.

From the statement of Nazmul, Police traced out the dead body of Goutam from a pond in Mahadebnagar village and arrested other culprits afterwards. Goutams dead body was found in an almost decomposed condition and immediately sent for post-mortem.

Police initiated P.S. Case No.31 dated 16.12.2016 under section 364/34 of BD penal code. As per complaint of the father of murdered student and considering the vicious nature of the murder, police may add Sec 302 in addition.

Police is trying to reconstruct the whole incident with the arrested culprits now under police remand.

Hindus of the locality demanded execution of the culprits under proper law enforcement.

Hindus and other minorities in Islamic Bangladesh are now being ruthlessly persecuted even under so called secular Awami League regime.

Source : Hindu Existence
Up to 1,750 ISIS jihadists have returned to Europe with orders to carry out attacks, an EU report has warned.

About 5,000 European fanatics have travelled to Syria and Iraq with between 15 to 20 per cent dying on the battlefield.

Up to 35 percent have returned  some with specific missions  and 50 percent remain in the battle theatre, which amounted to between 2,000 and 2,500 Europeans.

Belgium expressed concern last month that jihadists were increasingly returning to Europe as US-backed coalition forces drive ISIS from territory in the terror-groups self-declared caliphate across Syria and Iraq.

As many as 1,750 may have returned, based on the percentages listed in the report which EU counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove will present to EU interior ministers on Friday.

The report said there were two types of foreign terrorist fighters returning.

Those in the majority that will drift back, and those who will be sent back on specific missions, which are of most concern, the report warned.

It said even some European women and children born or raised in the so-called caliphate declared by ISIS in Iraq and Syria could pose a security threat as they may have been radicalised.

Without giving figures, it said some returnees have been convicted and serving prison sentences, while others are being monitored and some are free in their communities.

It recalled that foreign fighters who have returned to Europe have staged both foiled and successful attacks, including the slaughter in Paris in November last year and this years bombings in Brussels in March.

Both sets of attacks were claimed by ISIS, which is also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh.

There is also a significant foreign terrorist fighter contingent with Daesh in Libya which might attempt to use their nationality or family connections to return to Europe, the report said.

It said returnees were keeping in touch with Daesh in the Middle East via social media and increasingly turning from mainstream Twitter to the encrypted one-to-one messaging service Telegram.

Source : Express UK
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is using the group photos he takes on his field inspections to show off his hold on power, Pyongyang watchers in Seoul said Sunday.



The observation was made by checking the North's media and related data collected by Seoul's unification ministry, which revealed Kim taking pictures on 20 of the 25 publicized visits he has made since Sept. 30.



This is a departure from his usual practice of engaging in group picture sessions only on key ruling party gatherings or after the successful launches of ballistic missiles and nuclear tests.



"In effect the number of times Kim took photos with people being inspected has doubled particularly in the last two months to around 10 times a month," a North Korean watcher said.



He added that when the leader visited a special forces battalion last Sunday and a civilian-military power generation station Tuesday, there was even a change in the usual protocol.



In the photo taken with troops, soldiers were armed with assault rifles, which are generally prohibited in his presence due to security reasons, while the picture taken at the power plant revealed Kim standing at the center of the last row, instead of front and center of the group, which is his usual position.



"Kim's interest in group photos seems to be aimed at highlighting that he is firmly in control of the country and to show he is a leader that thinks of his people," said Yang Moo-jin, a political science professor at the University of North Korean Studies.



Others said that Kim's surprise visit to a garrison on Kali Islet in the Yellow Sea, just 4.5 kilometers northwest of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, last week is an extension of the leader's desire to make a point that he is confident in his control over the country.



The islet is located just north of the tense sea demarcation line between the two countries. In November 2010, the North shelled Yeonpyeong leaving four people dead. The provocation marked the first time that the North directly conducted an artillery attack on South Korean soil after the Korean War (1950-53). (Yonhap)




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Bisa Kdei

18.12.2016 LISTEN

This year has been a roller coaster of performances, videos drops and studio sessions for Ghana's VGMA highlife Artiste of the Year Award winner Bisa K Dei.

Undoubtedly taking major strides in taking Ghanaian highlife music beyond borders his Europe fan Base has been consistently demanding Bisa Kdei to pay a visit.

Earlier this year, lots of business discussions had been underway to get Bisa KDei to perform in Europe and there is no perfect time than the Christmas season for Bisa KDei to rock Europe.

The tour kick-started in Amsterdam as he jammed the audience with a thrilling performance. The #amazingamsterdam trended with live images of Bisa KDei.

The story gets better with a total shutdown of Belgium. Fans waited patiently into the wee hours of the morning to catch a glimpse of Bisa KDei's performance.

Bisa Kdei and his manager, Jay Foley will be in Paris tonight as their next stop. However, series of events in Ghana are booked for the Life crooner and will have to continue the tour after December.

Word from the camp says, January to March 2017 will see Bisa K Dei in Canada, USA and and Ghana with 3 huge concerts.

Bisa Kdei has proven himself to Ghana and beyond in terms of good music that motivates, inspires and will also move you to the dancing floor.

He shared a video of his recent performance in Amsterdam and I must say High Life music is Magic... If you are in Europe, expect Bisa Kdei in your city any time from now...

Watch his music video with Nigeria's Patoranking below...
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudanese opposition groups and activists on Sunday pressed on with plans to hold a "sit-at-home" strike against fuel subsidy cuts, despite a warning from President Omar al-Bashir that anti-regime protests would be crushed.

Activists called for workers to stay at home Monday as part of a "civil disobedience movement", the second such initiative after a similar three-day strike last month which had a mixed response.

Groups of protesters have staged rallies in Khartoum and some other cities since the authorities announced a 30-percent hike in petrol and diesel prices in November that has led to a sharp rise in the cost of other goods, including medicines.

"We are backing the Sudanese people to observe civil disobedience on December 19," said the opposition Umma party in a statement, while the Communist Party also offered its support.

Groups of activists, actors, journalists, lawyers, teachers and pharmacists have taken to social media to offer support and launched a signature campaign backing the "sit-at-home" strike.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N), which is fighting government troops in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states, also urged its members to support the strike.

A previous round of fuel subsidy cuts in 2013 sparked serious unrest that was only suppressed by a deadly crackdown that drew international condemnation.

The government is determined to avoid any repetition of that kind of unrest and has rounded up several opposition leaders to prevent widespread protests.

On December 12, Bashir vowed to crush any new anti-regime protests as the authorities did three years ago.

Rights groups say about 200 lives were lost in clashes with security forces in the 2013 crackdown on street protests, while the government puts the death toll at less than 100.

Khartoum has been forced to progressively reduce fuel subsidies since 2011 when South Sudan seceded and took with it nearly three-quarters of the formerly united country's oil reserves.
Kinshasa (AFP) - Still relatively young after 16 years leading the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila is a secretive president at the centre of a political crisis in his vast, conflict-ravaged nation.

Tuesday marks the end of the second and constitutionally-mandated final term for the 45-year-old, who inherited the presidency after the 2001 assassination of his father.

But he has shown no intention of stepping aside from the job that he began without much fanfare.

"With his timid voice and youth, he gave the impression at the start of being bland," wrote Belgian historian David Van Reybrouck in a landmark book on the country.

It all started so abruptly: DR Congo was riven by "Africa's Great War", in which up to five million people would die, when Kabila's father -- longtime rebel commander and president Laurent Kabila -- was killed by a bodyguard.

His son, then a general, was summoned to take up the reins of the nation, and on January 26, 2001, aged just 29, was sworn in as Africa's youngest leader.

The young man spoke English and Swahili, but had trouble in French -- the country's official language -- and a poor knowledge of lingala, spoken in the capital Kinshasa.

His linguistic shortcomings, his birth in the east of the country and childhood in Tanzania left him appearing to many in Kinshasa a "man of the east" or even simply "a foreigner".

That image was not helped by his small stature as well as a fine and always impeccably trimmed moustache.

Meanwhile, Kabila and his family in the Democratic Republic of Congo have created a personal economic empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the Bloomberg News agency reported Thursday.

'Surrounded by hardliners'

But taking charge of a country half the size of western Europe, plagued by the worst war in modern African history and weakened by decades of ineffective governance, Kabila embraced international moves to end the conflicts that had brought at least six foreign armies onto Congolese soil since 1998.

Alongside deals for the withdrawal of foreign troops, an agreement was signed in December 2002 among rival Congolese parties that launched a transition process towards democracy in the former Belgian colony, once known as Zaire.

Profile of DRC President Joseph Kabila

But while a large UN mission helped prepare for free elections, the outgoing British ambassador, James Atkinson, alleged in a leaked 2004 diplomatic cable that "Kabila is surrounded by hardliners using him as a front...(and) serves the interests of those who (probably) killed his father."

A series of peace accords kept Kabila in power until he was voted into office in the 2006 general election -- the country's first free ballot in 41 years.

Kabila was born on June 4, 1971 in the Fizi territory of South Kivu province in the east of the country, where his father based his rebellion to topple dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

When the family was pursued by Mobutu's forces, the young Joseph went into exile in Tanzania at the age of five, and in 1996 took part in his father's Rwandan-backed military offensive against Mobutu.

After his father took power, Kabila was sent to China for further military training, but was called home after a new rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda broke out in 1998. He was given the rank of general.

Since assuming the presidency after his father's death, Kabila has proved a stern and steely leader, but he seldom seems at ease during official events.

Both his presidential election victories, in 2006 and 2011, led to unrest and cries of electoral fraud, and foes have also accused him of running a "parallel government" -- allegations his many supporters refute.

'He loves discretion'

During his decade and a half in power Kabila has cultivated an air of mystery about himself. In rare interviews, he comes across as a soft-spoken leader who modestly tries to govern a war-scarred and under-developed state.

"He has an introverted personality, he's disciplined and he loves discretion," according to a member of his inner circle.

Rebutting charges that he has given foreign mining firms juicy contracts to exploit vast mineral resources at the cost of stable development plans, Kabila insists he has acted for the good of Congo's 70 million people, who were bled dry during the 1965-97 reign of Mobutu.

Kabila, an Anglican, is married to Marie Olive Lembe Kabila, and they have a 16-year-old daughter Sifa, and a son Laurent-Desire Junior, aged eight.
While in Ghana, I was approached by several people who alerted me to the secret dealings of the outgoing President Mahama/Arthur-Amissah NDC-led government. These dealings were the causes of why most NDC people became fanatics, lawless and outspoken in defence of whatever nonsense and corrupt practices that emanated from the government and the NDC party gurus.

Simply put, most people were on government payroll; drawing monthly salaries while in practice, and like the notorious Ghanaian swindler of the 21st Century, Alfred Agbesi Woyome, they were doing no work for the government or the community.

In Kumawu, I was told most of the people from the Kumawu Zongo are on the District Assemblys payroll. They are paid monthly salaries but they DO NO work, and go there only at the end of the month to draw their salaries.

I am sure this deplorable attitude by President Mahamas administration is not only limited to the Kumawu District but also, across the entire district assemblies in the country. This goes to explain why some people are diehard NDCs who were ready to die for their party.

Does this not go to explain why those of the northern extraction were all always voting massively for NDC and were, or are, continually vociferous in their defence of the NDC policies even when such policies are obviously damaging and nonsensical?

Back in year 2012 when I went to Ghana to campaign for Nana Akufo Addo and the NPP, this very malpractice was brought to my attention and I even questioned why only the Zongo elderly persons but not the Ashantis were on the District Councils payroll?

On assumption of power by President Mahama, he ensured that most of the Zongo people or those of the northern extraction and other NDC guys were enrolled onto the District Councils payroll without them actually doing any work for the districts or the government. They were just idling about or sitting home but drawing monthly salaries.

The government of the incoming President Nana Akufo Addo should please investigate these malpractices. I have got the names of some of the people who had been on the public payroll drawing monthly salaries without working. I shall not hesitate to publish them but I will prefer to pass them on to the would-be independent public prosecutor when he/she assumes duty.

All those whose names are being rushed through for recruitment are the very people who had been drawing monthly pay without actually working. President Mahama and his party think they are smart. We shall outsmart them, they should wait and see. They want to cover up their tracks but we shall expose them big time.

I had while in Ghana advised many people to volunteer information that could lead to exposing the secret malpractices by the NDC government. I told them without their help, the administration of Nana Akufo Addo may encounter some problems in executing all the manifesto promises made.

It is when we make information leading to arresting such economic saboteurs and criminals available to the authority that the government can get enough money to carry out vital developments that will alleviate Ghanaians of their economic hardships.

One Akosua Nyarko who was in charge of the Kumawu Anglican Primary Schools School Feeding Programme has since Monday 12 December 2016, not been cooking for the pupils. From reliable information reaching me, as soon as Nana Akufo Addo was declared the President-elect of Ghana on 9 December 2016, Akosua Nyarko went and removed all the food items meant for feeding the pupils from storage to where only God knows.

I have also been made aware of similar ongoing malpractices by the NDC people in Effiduase in the Ashanti region. I shall discuss them in my future publications and talk about how some people have overly but illegally, enriched themselves selling the supposedly free mass cocoa spraying products and pocketing the money. They were or are all NDC activists.

Could the drawing of free salaries without shedding any sweat not explain why the Kumawu Zongo yobs are beating the NPP supporters as explained in my previous publication? They are scared their parents will soon forfeit the salary freebies they have been enjoying until now.

More revelations will follow. President Incorruptible Nana Akufo Addo and his NPP government can only succeed when we volunteer information that will enable them plug the loose financial holes and then prosecute the perpetrators of such malpractices.

Finally, most of the NDC people awarded contracts did not do them at all but collected full payments. The driver of a taxi I took from Effiduase Ashanti to Ejisu when in Ghana mentioned a name of a rich man who doubles as an NDC guy and a contractor. He collected full payment for erecting a wall around a school which he did not actually do. As soon as Nana Akufo Addo was elected, he immediately arranged excavators/diggers and about thousand bags of cement to begin to build the wall, the taxi driver said.

The award of the contracts to NDC people and contractors at their usual inflated cost/price may be abrogated when thoroughly scrutinized later by the incoming government. When that happens, the affected persons and contractors may turn against the NPP government. They will start to accuse the government of their usual, but stupid and easy to make witch hunting excuses on the grounds of being NDC people.

These plans and tricks to discredit the government of President Nana Akufo Addo will not stick. They should know that their rush actions to recruit and to award contracts are totally preposterous.

Rockson Adofo
17.12.2016 LISTEN

I was sold a two-hundred acre of farmland at Woraponso in the Ashanti region by the late Kumawuhene Barima Asumadu Sakyi II and the Kumawu Traditional Council many years ago.

I have never had any peace of mind but problems upon problems emanating from law suits over the ownership of the land.

Some people at both Yawso in the Asante Akyem area and Okaikrom, a village in the Asante Asokore area had been battling me in High Courts claiming ownership of the land.

In the end, a Kumasi High Court judge has pronounced judgment in their favour. In the ruling, the judge in part claimed the land belongs to the Yawso stool but not Kumawuhene.

When a copy of the ruling with a cover letter from me was taken to the Kumawu Traditional Council (KTC) via the registrar of KTC, he accepted the letter but refused to sign the attached acknowledgment of receipt note that could have been posted back to me in London to confirm that the KTC have received the copy of the ruling taken to them by my representative in Ghana.

The registrar and other sub-chiefs who were present when the letter or the copy of the court ruling was taken to the KTC said, how could Kumawuhene Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua offer me any help since I am his avid critic as Kumawuhene.

The document/letter was addressed to the KTC via the registrar but not Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua. Even though he is the president of the KTC, the document/letter was addressed to the council so the question of whether I hate him or not, does not come in.

I do not hate him as a person but his illegal enstoolment and his ineligibility as Kumawu royal.

The fact that I am against the illegal enstoolment of Dr. Yaw Sarfo as Kumawuhene who goes by the stool name Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua does not justify their reason to let go a parcel of land that belongs to Kumawuman.

In their quest to punish me; to show me where the power lies as we used to say when we were growing up and on occasions when we wanted to prove how powerful we were, they will let the Yawso and Okaikrom families take the land as belonging to the Yawso stool but not the Kumawu Kodua stool.

This mentality is very childish. This attitude tells the quality and mentality of people claiming to be the traditional leaders of Kumawu.

Let it be known to them that I have nothing to lose as I shall soon be suing the Kumawu Traditional Council. I had already notified you about what I have lost as a result of the courts verdict.

As at writing, today, Friday 16 December 2016, a bailiff, two policemen and a number of the family members from Yawso and Okaikrom have gone to the land to serve a notice of eviction on my representative in Ghana.

I care but I am not perturbed since I shall sue the KTC to recuperate all the millions of Ghana Cedis I have so far invested in the project.

I have prioritized my needs and when the time comes to take on the KTC, they will regret their folly as until now displayed. How on earth do they expect me to respect them if they display such attitudes of little-mindedness?

He does not support Dr. Yaw Sarfo so let him lose his property to teach him a lesson. Losing my property, Kumawuman loses her land. They dont care as long as Rockson Adofo, their archenemy loses his investment.

I am not materialistic but as long as God lives to protect and grant me long life, all shall soon be well with me when I hold them to account.

Rockson Adofo
17.12.2016 LISTEN

From the hard work and creativity of an innovative Ghanaian, a powerful Social Media Platform called KalahSocial has been born.

A visit to this platform depicts Kalahsocial as the first Social Media Platform with a focus on promoting Socialization and Businesses within the Black and Minority groups around the globe.

A platform giving individuals the avenue to invite friends, post views and comments, make unlimited video and audio calls, Instant chat and organize events.

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A tour to this Social Media Network will make one very happy. Going further, Kalahsocial is designed for everyone.

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Logging on to kalahsocial helps you to share memorable stories with friends. Adding a location, uploading UNLIMITED photos and creating unlimited albums, sharing and posting comments on all updates and more is absolutely perfect.

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Users can also connect with people in a language they find it much more easier to use and understand.

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Confidently, I confirm that Kalahsocial is one of the powerful Social Media Websites in the world. Dont just read, but Lets tell the World about KALAHSOCIAL introduced by our own Hardworking Ghanaian.

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Lets Support our own - Inform your friends and family about KALAHSOCIAL, developed and introduced by our own Ghanaian.

Connect with Friends, Family, Class mates, CoWorkers, and Business associates on KALAHSOCIAL - The biggest Social Media Network made for everyone.

>> Chat with friends and Family.

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Tell your friends and family to join Kalahsocial - Developed and introduced by our own Ghanaian.

I urge all DJs, Radio And Tv Presenters, Bloggers, Media Houses, Celebrities, those in High Offices and anyone reading this post to get connected on Kalahsocial, share activities and updates and also invite friends and family as well.

Lets support and use our own innovative and #Kalahful Ghanaian Social Media Network as well.

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Written by:

Nambe Patrick,

Ghana Institute Of Journalism, Accra.

0245875125.
Tripoli (AFP) - Libya's unity government leader Fayez al-Sarraj on Saturday officially announced the end of military operations in Sirte, after the liberation from Islamic State group forces of what was the last significant territory they held in the country.

However prime minister-designate Sarraj warned that the battle against the Islamic State group rebels was not over.

Eight months after the start of the operations against IS in the coastal town of Sirte "I officially announce the end of military operations and the liberation of the town", Sarraj said in a televised speech two weeks after the announcement that the area was in control of forces loyal to the government.

The capture of Sirte, first announced on December 5, boosts the authority of Sarraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which was launched in Tripoli in March but whose legitimacy is contested by a rival administration based in eastern Libya.

The country descended into chaos following the NATO-backed ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with rival administrations emerging and well-armed militias vying for control of its vast oil wealth.

The infighting and lawlessness allowed extremist groups such as IS to seize several coastal regions, giving the jihadists a toehold on Europe's doorstep.

The fall of Sirte -- Kadhafi's home town located 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced a series of military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

Sarraj made the announcement on Sirte on the first anniversary of the signing of a peace agreement in Morocco.

"The battle for Sirte is over but the war against terrorism in Libya is not finished," he warned, stressing the need to unify the various military forces into "one single army".

The GNA is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem the upsurge of jihadism in Libya, as well as to halt people trafficking across the Mediterranean that has led to thousands of drownings.

But the unity government headed by Sarraj has struggled to replace the two rival administrations.
18.12.2016 LISTEN

We the friends of the Rawlingses have monitored with shock the avalanche of comments and utterances coming from members of our party explaining and putting blame upon blame on our party founder, His Excellency Jerry John Rawlings for causing our defeat in the just ended elections.

We wish to caution such shallow-thinking personalities in the party who lorded their positions over the ordinary supporters of the party and showed extreme disrespect to the founder to desist from casting further abuse at him. The founders only crime was to state the obvious, that the party was copying the NPPs corrupt tendencies and campaigning on the same level as the NPP. Instead of selling the ideals of the NDC during the four-year period, we rather left the party in the hands of a few who decided to feed fat and do little to enhance the quality of life of the ordinary Ghanaian.

After the embarrassing electoral loss on December 7, 2016 many silent voices in the past have are also suddenly clamouring for the reuniting of former President Rawlings and the leadership of the NDC. The feigned zeal and alacrity with which this fake reconciliation is being pursued is what baffles us most and by extension exposes the lust, greed and anger in the NDC.

We all know the magic former President Rawlings can do to resuscitate the sunken spirits of grassroot supporters of the NDC who have been disenchanted by the leadership ineptitude and administrative somersault in the President Mahama government, precipitated by the repudiation of the fundamental principles on which the party was embedded.

But in all sincerity, is that really necessary? We were shocked to bone a few days to the general election when we heard the wide mouthed NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia on some radio stations suddenly saying Former President Rawlings is old and can't campaign, when in actual fact no hand was extended to him to campaign.

Surprisingly, when the hopes of many in the NDC remained a mirage almost years down the lane of power these people did not see anything wrong with it. When things changed drastically, giving credence to the political thought that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, these people did not see anything wrong with it! When individual characters changed and the values of the party also changed dramatically from all men are equal to the fewer the merrier, these people did not see anything wrong with it! When majority of our gallant men who gambled with their lives and exposed their families to precarious circumstances just to bring the NDC back to power were treated as outcasts and persona non-grata and avoided in all circles of power these people did not see anything wrong with it! When very few people were enjoying the power many laboured for while the rest of Ghanaians were starving, these people did not see anything wrong with it! The Greedy Bastards" seem to have forgotten the core promises and covenants the NDC made to Ghanaians and the foot soldiers of our party during our campaigns in the 2008 and 2012 elections. These sacrifices of the foot soldiers were fueled and motivated by the bedrock on which the NDC was built on; Probity and Accountability and the partys conventional values that all men are equal and would be treated as such in the distribution of fortunes of power.

When, did the likes of Ade Coker and his connoisseurs in government realize the need to accord former President Jerry John Rawlings the respect he deserves as the founder of the NDC party?

Lead us not to temptation is always a wiser prayer in politics than deliver us from evil. President Mahama and the NDC leadership had spurned numerous chances and time offered them to restore peace and harmony in the NDC. The acts and omissions of some party leaders and government officials clearly pointed to a well-orchestrated political agenda to intimidate, humiliate and vilify former President Jerry John Rawlings and as well impugn his credibility and relevance in the NDC. They demonized the iconic figure in the party whose individual efforts and instrumentality won late President Mills and President Mahama the power that clouded their consciousness like a drug and caused them to rubbish the cardinal principles of probity and accountability. Now that the power is out of our hands, we shall see. President Mahama and his boot lickers obviously misconstrued the insistence of former President Jerry John Rawlings on the need to respect these values on whose track record the NDC rode to power.

The true party loyalists whose competence and contributions could undoubtedly propel the Better Ghana Agenda were sidelined by the greedy bastards who hijacked the government machinery and party structures to satisfy their own parochial interests and those of their cronies.

Regrettably, President Mahama succumbed to the whims of those greedy people against the persistent outcry and condemnation of the partys founder Jerry John Rawlings and party foot soldiers. Arrogance, mediocrity, anger and worst of all massive corruption which the NDC are now the bane of this government that was supposed to be executing a Better Ghana Agenda. That is not to suggest that all in the current cabinet are incompetent. The NDC still has more competent and experienced men who excelled in various portfolios and it is about time the party made use of them if any hope of winning the next general elections is harboured.

All is not lost anyway, but if well meaning NDC party faithful can take swift measures to reconcile with the NDC founder and the aggrieved party footsoldiers and restructure the party and work diligently to restore the dwindling fortunes of the party ahead of 2020 we can be very sure of returning to power.

The party and certain individuals who made unguided comments must also apologise to the former first couple for all the insults and ridicule they have suffered from party and government officials in the past and by extension harness both experience and criticisms of former President Rawlings to save the NDC from defeat in 2020.

Ibrahim Hardi,

convener/spokesperson,

contact 0208235615,

email;[email protected]
Soamahamanina (Madagascar) (AFP) - The mine had not yet opened, but Madagascans were already seething with rage and the Chinese management finally quit Soamahamanina, leaving behind empty tents and cigarette butts.

For months, this small city in central Madagascar was engulfed by protests targeted at a Chinese gold mining company, Jiuxing.

Every Thursday, city residents would take to the streets in downtown Soamahamanina to demonstrate against Jiuxing, which had secured a 40-year gold mining licence on a 7,500-hectare (18,500-acre) piece of land.

For the protesters, the mining operation risked ruining their farms -- one element of a nationwide aversion to the new wave of Chinese investors on the large Indian Ocean island.

Not just in Soamahamanina, but across the country Madagascans have openly expressed their hostility towards the growing presence of China, the country's largest trading partner.

China's Jiuxing had secured a 40-year gold mining licence on a 7,500-hectare (18,500-acre) piece of land near Soamahamanina, central Madagascar

Anti-Chinese sentiment is on the rise in Africa as Beijing increases its business presence on the continent for natural resources while flooding the markets with Made in China goods.

"Madagascar belongs to the Madagascans, not the Chinese or any other foreigners," Fenohasina, a local student, told AFP.

"Forty years of operation -- that is called selling the country," said Marise-Edine, a street vendor.

Many farmers who were eager to take advantage of the windfall and had agreed to sell their land to the Chinese miner, are now regretting it.

"Our compatriots are angry with us and accuse us of selling away the country," said farmer Perline Razafiarisoa.

But a local worker at Jiuxing blames the hostilities on politics.

"It's people from outside who are encouraging people here to dislike the Chinese," said Chrysostome Rakotondrazafy, a Jiuxing Mines foreman.

"There is political manipulation behind all this."

Buckling under the weight of the relentless protests, the Chinese mining workers had little choice but to pack up their bags and leave in October.

"As a company we think we have the right to stay, but for the sake of social appeasement, we chose to withdraw," Stella Andriamamonjy, the mine's spokeswoman, said.

"We hope to return under new terms, (and) repair past mistakes."

How soon that will be, she could not say.

Xenophobic tensions

For the locals in Soamahamanina, the return of the Chinese would not be welcome.

"I would like to tell our leaders that the big powers in this world are only turning us against each other to destroy our country," warned resident Marie Rasoloson.

With more that 800 companies now on the island, China has rapidly established itself as Madagascar's largest trading partner.

In a country where 90 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, such investment has given an unexpected boost to infrastructure development.

But, as elsewhere on the African continent, the mass arrival of Chinese investors has created tensions.

In 2011, police stepped in to prevent riots in the Chinatown section of the capital Antananarivo after an Asian trader beat up his two Madagascan employees.

Three years later, clashes over wage demands left six people dead at a "Chinese" sugar factory in western Morondava town.

The Chinese embassy has warned the authorities in Madagascar against tarnishing its image as an investment destination.

The government is concerned at the growing hostilities towards its powerful partner.

"It is essential to prevent this from degenerating into xenophobia," said the ruling HVM party leader Rivo Rakotovao.

Officially launching a Chinese-built road recently, President Hery Rajaonarimampianina praised Beijing's "helping hand".

Chinese ambassador Yang Xiaorong promised to strengthen the "win-win cooperation" between the two countries.

"Chinese companies are well integrated into the local community," said the embassy, adding that 90 percent of the 17,000 jobs created so far are occupied by locals.

Hit by the bitter competition from Chinese outfits, many Madagascans remain sceptical.

"We only pick up the crumbs," Daniel Rafanomezantsoa, a craftsman, told AFP.
Ouinhi (BAnin) (AFP) - Daniel Aboko proudly shows off the 11 hectares (27 acres) of paddy fields he shares with other farmers -- a small spread that produces a bounty of food thanks to smart irrigation and a hardy strain of rice.

In just four years, small farmers in Ouinhi, southeastern Benin, have seen their harvest double from three to six tonnes of rice per hectare (1.2 to 2.4 tonnes per acre).

They produce so much, in fact, that they have created an unusual problem for West Africa: a local glut.

"People come here to ask us questions and they invite me to their fields to train them," beamed Aboko, after parking his motorbike.

"It's quite common in Ouinhi," he said.

Some 500 rice growers work in 20 paddy fields in the town of 40,000 people in the hilly, rural department of Zou.

They accepted an invitation from the Africa Rice Centre, or AfricaRice -- a not-for-profit research and training centre -- to change their irrigation system, and it's worked wonders.

"Smart Valleys's" representative Dominique Hounton inspects a ricefield in Ouinhi, south-eastern Benin

"In 2013, there was a drought but the producers on the pilot sites had rice, while the others didn't," said Sander Zwart, a researcher at AfricaRice.

Specialists in rice breeding and irrigation, AfricaRice has devised a system called Smart-Valleys, in which humid inland valleys -- natural catchment areas for rainfall -- are scouted out for rice-growing potential.

The project's team then work with local farmers, explaining the benefits of an irrigation system that is cheap and sustainable -- provided it is built in the right areas, and used at the right times.

But for the change to happen, it needs the farmers' extensive knowledge of the terrain and characteristics of the soil.

'The plant gives back'

The work has entailed moving some paddy fields into moist valleys, which are flooded at key times, and tossing out concrete aquaducts, replaced them with earthen embankments forming rows of ditches.

"Rice needs water, but not all the time," explained Aboko, who is president of the Ouinhi cooperative.

Sander Zwart, a researcher at AfricaRice, specialists in rice breeding and irrigation

"With this system, when the time comes to give water, we do so -- if we shouldn't, we drain it away.

"What you give to the plant, it will give that back to you!"

The aim of the project -- also being trialled in neighbouring Togo -- is not only to fight against drought but also to better use rainwater, which is often the only source of local irrigation for paddy fields.

"Before, people would choose somewhere and cultivate without thought," said Zwart. "And when there was no water, they couldn't do anything."

Local farmers are involved at every step.

"We clear the vegetation with them and they are the ones who design the layout according to the lanes of running water, the slope of the terrain and the size of plots," said Zwart.

No matter how little it rains, the new system allows farmers to produce crops.

But another part of the success story is due to the rice strain -- a hybrid of African and Asian cultivars called Nerica, which is shorthand for New Rice for Africa.

It brings together genes from high-yield Asian strains and an ancient African strain that is low-yield but resistant to drought and less thirsty than its Asian cousin.

The strain was created by AfricaRice, which gave producers their first seeds. Growers have since then bought more from their own profits.

Sales problems

Guaranteeing a consistent harvest does not mean the farmers' troubles are completely solved.

"The growers don't always manage to sell their produce because they have multiplied their yield in a short space of time," said Felix Gbaguidi, a director at the ministry of agriculture.

"They hadn't always anticipated that aspect. But some organisations are being set up to look after processing the rice, and marketing."

Even so, Aboko wants to increase his yearly harvest from one to three.

And there is room for Benin to increase its production.

Back in 2009 the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) envisaged Benin becoming self-sufficient in rice by 2011.

Yet last year, France's agriculture ministry said the west African country was still bringing in 50,000 tonnes of rice from abroad.

With surplus yields it is perhaps marketing and sales development that Benin needs to take its rice industry to the next level.

One hurdle is consumer resistance, for many people prefer the aromatic imported rice from Asia to the hardy, nutty local grain.
Mbau (DR Congo) (AFP) - Antoine Kakule Kihumuledi longs for a car to transport his cocoa crop and, like fellow residents in the Beni region in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he wants peace so he can pursue his dreams.

Kakule, 51, is a pioneer in cultivating cocoa in this area of Nord Kivu province, which has been ravaged by war and violence for two decades.

He began planting in the middle of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) and had his first harvest sometime around 2007.

With the help of a sickle mounted at the end of a long shaft, the father of six children cuts the yellow and orange pods from the cocoa trees which grow on his plantation in Mbau, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) to the north of the town of Beni.

But for the past two years the region has been afflicted with waves of massacres that have killed 700 civilians, mostly hacked to death.

Congolese officials have blamed the attacks on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group of rebels dominated by puritanical Ugandan Muslims, but several expert reports have suggested that other groups, including elements within the Congolese army, took part in some killings.

The insecurity in the region is hindering the potential for cocoa cultivation to open a way for "an agricultural middle class to emerge," said Jacques Matumo, administrator for ESCO Kivu, a local cocoa company.

"We lost a lot of growers" in the massacres, he said.

Some who survived "abandoned their fields" and their crops rotted, if they weren't stolen first, he added.

Coffee substitute

Farmer Antoine Kakule Kihumuledi, like fellow residents in the Beni region in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, wants peace to pursue his dreams

Kakule says he feels safe as the Congolese army is stationed nearby, but admits he doesn't dare venture further than their outpost.

In a country where the UN estimates nearly nine out of 10 people are living on less than $1.25 per day, Kakule considers himself fortunate.

He feeds his family with cassava and vegetables grown on his farm, and the cocoa is a cash crop.

After the cocoa pods are cut open, the pulp is left to ferment, during which it liquefies and drains away to expose the beans that are then dried under the sun. The dried beans are sold and eventually exported.

"The money allows me to school my children, pay for their medical care and undertake projects, such as building a new house," Kakule said.

He is particularly proud of his daughter, who has just received her teaching degree.

Like much of the other natural resources and crops in DR Congo, one of the least developed nations on the planet, cocoa is not processed inside the country.

In 2015, Kakule sold 1,200 kilos of cocoa beans at a price above $2.00 per kilo. But world cocoa prices have fallen this year, and farmers are now selling their beans for between $1.60 and $2.00 per kilo depending on the quality.

That Kakule can today set his sights on buying a car to transport his crop is something of a dream come true, and due to a chance encounter with the ESCO Kivu company.

In 1998 the firm, which had long been present in Beni, decided to experiment with cocoa cultivation.

The original idea was to find a replacement to two crops which had traditionally been grown in the region for export: quinine bark and coffee. Demand for the bark used to make the anti-malarial drug quinine was dropping while coffee output was hit by a fungus outbreak.

The experiment was a success: the soil in the Beni region was suitable for cocoa trees and the dry season wasn't too long.

Without any local demand for cocoa beans, the company "created the market" by providing farmers with a guarantee their crop would be purchased, said Matumo.

ESCO does not farm itself. Instead it provides independent farmers with technical support, including the help of agronomists, and then buys their cocoa beans to sell to Europe and the United States.

Economic revival

ESCO employs around 200 people and works in partnership with some 29,000 growers. One executive at its factory, who asked not to be named, said he made around $700 a month.

Its product is certified UTZ, a label guaranteeing a mode of production that is sustainable and mindful of the well-being of the local population and the preservation of the natural environment.

Today ESCO has a handful of small competitors following in its footsteps.

For Cleophas Paluku Kahongya, president of the Business Federation of Congo (FEC) in Beni, "cocoa has contributed greatly to the revival of the local economy".

But another major problem is tax evasion. In 2015, about 9,000 tonnes out of an estimated total of 20,000 tonnes were exported secretly to Uganda to avoid Congolese taxes, Paluku said.

"It's as if we are producing for the neighbouring country," Matumo said.

In spite of the difficulties, ESCO Kivu remains confident. It has increased its exports and is ready to install a new line for sorting beans.

A pioneer in organic and fair trade chocolate confection in the United States, Theo Chocolate group said in an email to AFP that it is buying "a significant amount of cocoa" from the Kivu region through ESCO.

On its website, the chocolatier describes cocoa from the Kivu region as having "deep chocolate flavors with subtle nutty undertones" that complement the floral and citrus notes of cocoa beans from South America.
Ouagadougou (AFP) - Mali's president said Sunday he could let Burkina Faso forces pursue jihadist fighters when they flee across the border into his country, days after militants massacred 12 Burkinabe soldiers.

Around 40 fighters attacked a base some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Burkina-Mali border on Friday in what local authorities called the biggest ever jihadist attack on the army.

It was the second direct strike against the Burkina army since jihadist militants surfaced in the country in early 2015, mostly staging attacks in the north near the borders of Mali and Niger.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar KeAta stopped off in Ouagadougou on his way home from a summit in Nigeria to show his support for Burkina Faso after Friday's attack.

"There can be no question of people coming to kill with impunity in Burkina and then finding safe refuge in Mali -- certainly not," Keita told reporters as he stood alongside Burkina President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

"So this will be one of the things we will look at in the coming days."

Mali's vast arid north is home to Al-Qaeda-linked groups who seized control of several towns before being dispersed by an international intervention in 2013.

The Islamists were never defeated, only displaced, and they continue to mount regular attacks, with large areas of northern Mali outside of government control.

"Their ability to move across borders is clear and we will do whatever we can to even things up," Keita said of the jihadists.

In January this year, 30 people were killed when fighters from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacked a hotel and cafe popular with Westerners in the heart of Ouagadougou.
Detailed MRI scans should be offered to some women in pregnancy to help spot brain defects in the developing baby, say researchers.

Ultrasounds are already used to look inside the womb and check that the baby is growing properly.

However, the study on 570 women published in the Lancet showed doctors were able to make a much better diagnosis using MRI scans.

Experts called for the scans to become routine practice.

Pregnant women are offered an ultrasound scan at about 20 weeks that can spot abnormalities in the brain.

They are detected in three in every 1,000 pregnancies.

If the brain fails to develop properly it can result in miscarriage or still birth. Couples are generally offered counselling and some choose to have an abortion

More certainty

The study, carried out across 16 centres in the UK, analysed the impact of using MRI scans  which use magnetic fields and radio waves to image the body  to confirm any diagnoses.

Overall, it showed ultrasound gave the correct diagnosis 68% of the time.

But combining that with MRI increased the accuracy to 93%.

The detailed picture of the developing babys brain revealed by MRI

The extra tests were most useful in borderline cases where doctors were uncertain of the outcome.

The number of pregnant women who were given an unknown diagnosis was more than halved by the extra scans, increasing the confidence that the developing babys brain was healthy or not.

Prof Paul Griffiths, from the University of Sheffield, said: Based on our findings, we propose that an MRI scan should be given in any pregnancy where the foetus may have a suspect brain abnormality.

About 95% of mothers-to-be said the scan was helpful and would have it again if there were concerns on the ultrasound.

The number of abortions increased from 25% with just the ultrasound to make the decision to 36% with the extra scan.

Dr Cara Mooney, one of the researchers at the University of Sheffield, told the BBC News website: There may be some people who think its controversial, but this is really about informing pregnant women and their families to ensure they have the correct information when theyre going through what can be a traumatic time.

Commenting on the findings, Prof Rod Scott, from the University of Vermont, said: Accurate diagnosis of significant brain abnormalities has important implications.

This trial strongly supports the view that in utero MRI is an excellent technique and it should be incorporated into clinical practice as soon as possible.


A former Foreign Affairs Minister of The Gambia, Dr. Sedat Jobe, has recommended a military intervention to oust the country's president of 22 years, Yahya Jammeh if dialogue fails.

Mr. Jammeh, who conceded defeat in the country's presidential elections held on December 1, 2016, did a turnaround recently, calling for a re-run.

He subsequently filed a petition at the country's apex court after some four West African leaders, led by Liberia President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, failed to broker a deal with Jammeh to accept the election results.

An ongoing 50th Ordinary Session of the Authority of the Economic Commission of West African States  ECOWAS in Abuja, Nigeria, is expected to among others, discuss the Gambia's political situation.

But ahead of the ECOWAS decisions, Dr. Jobe, who served under Jammeh between 1998 and 2001, believes the option of removing him by force is definitely an option of getting the iron-fist ruler to leave the presidency.

It has happened in Liberia, it has happened in Cote d' voire ; a very sharp rapid intervention to remove him and those who surround him will definitely give a lot of courage to the Gambian army who are ready to fight, but they do not know how to push him without bloodshed, he told journalists at a protest march organized in Senegal on Saturday, December 17, 2016.

The march, attended by several Gambians living in exile in neighboring Senegal, coincided with the ECOWAS session in Nigeria.

Despite proposing force, Dr. Jobe remains hopeful the West African Heads of State would be able to impress on the no-nonsense leader to hand over peacefully, saying, it will be to his credit.

It is unclear now what the fate of the president-elect, Adama Barrow is, as the January 18, 2017 handing over day, gradually draws to a close. Security forces have already seized control of the country's Independent Electoral Commission headquarters, further heightening tension in the small West African country.

Dr. Jobe fears a slow-paced resolution will plunge the country into irreversible calamity, welcoming all interventions to immediately reverse the looming crisis.

Our problem in Africa is that, we are too slow to take decisions. This is so fragile that any rapid intervention from any state around who is doing it with the spirit of the UN and also the directive of the ECOWAS is mostly welcomed in the Gambia. If we stay discussing whether this is legitimate or not, we are wasting time. Jammeh has to be removed and we count on all those who will legitimately take a decision to remove him with force if he refuses to leave. Because he is an illegitimate rebel occupying a state, he stated.

Meanwhile, Yahyah Drabo, the Vice President of the Gambian Refugees Association in Senegal, also supports moves for forced overthrow if all peaceful means fail.

Even though he conceded that would have some fatal consequences, he said that is necessary if Gambians should be freed.

A peaceful process is everybody's response; but the options are there and we will not mind to go further to the next option, which is getting military relief. The bad side is that, we will lose our properties, lives and a lot of confusion, but notwithstanding that, if he won't go peacefully, the military is invited and we will suffer for two days then we get our freedom for the rest of our lives.



Photos: Sanna Camara

By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Abidjan (AFP) - Ivory Coast voted Sunday in elections that President Alassane Ouattara hopes will strengthen his hold in parliament in order to help keep the world's top cocoa producer in the economic fast lane.

The authorities ordered some 30,000 security personnel into the streets for the vote in the wake of scattered incidents in recent months, including attacks on police posts.

But Ouattara said after casting his vote in Abidjan: "The election is taking place in a peaceful manner across the country."

The ruling coalition is seeking an absolute majority in the face of numerous dissidents and opposition candidates in the country, which was rocked by deadly unrest after the 2010 presidential election that saw Ouattara oust then leader Laurent Gbagbo.

Electoral poster for Cisse Bacongo, the chief candidate of the Ivory Coast presidential coalition, the Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP)

The opposition, which boycotted the 2011 legislative election, is hoping to make a return to parliament on Sunday.

Provisional results could start being released on Sunday night but the definitive outcome is not expected to be known until Wednesday, according to an official from the independent election commission.

Former prime minister Pascal Affi Nguessan, who leads Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), called for the people to "reestablish the political balance".

Ivory Coast was long the star economic performer in the region until hitting years of political strife but is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund has said the west African state will be the continent's fastest-growing economy this year.

"Give me a strong majority to enable me to speed up the work that I have set as an objective in the four years to come," Ouattara said in a TV broadcast, playing up his economic achievements to win support among the 6.2 million eligible voters.

The presidential coalition -- named the Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) in tribute to the country's founding president -- is aiming for an absolute majority in the 255-seat National Assembly.

'Change and development'

Most observers and even some in the opposition acknowledge the economic benefits of Ouattara's rule, but find less convincing the political record of the man known to Ivorians by his initials "ADO".

National reconciliation remains unfinished, the judiciary is under fire, and the opposition shunned a referendum in October on a divisive new constitution.

"I voted for change and development of my neighbourhood," said Fousseni Diabate, a 25-year-old shopkeeper after voting at a primary school in Abidjan.

"I want a deputy at the (national) assembly who is close to the people, because I don't even know the name of the outgoing one for my commune."

In the country's second city Bouake, 300 kilometres (200 miles) north of Abidjan, polling stations also opened late.

"I voted to allow the Ivory Coast's president to win a majority in the national assembly, so that he can implement his plan to develop the country," said Karim Ouattara, a 63-year-old retiree.

The president's predecessor refused to accept defeat in a long-delayed poll in November 2010, sparking conflict that claimed 3,000 lives before Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011.

Gbagbo is being tried by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

His wife Simone Gbagbo is also on trial in Abidjan on similar charges over the post-2010 election violence.

No fewer than 1,337 candidates are standing in the single-round poll, in which winner takes all in each constituency.

The electoral system has forced Ouattara's own Rally of Republicans party to find common ground with other parties in the RHDP coalition, particularly its main allies in the Ivory Coast Democratic Party.
By Benjamin Mensah, GNA

Accra, Dec 18, GNA - Mrs Helen Annan, the Chief Executive Officer of Brand Ghana, has underscored the need for the nation to intensify its branding efforts to enhance its competitiveness on the global arena.

She said: 'The process of branding our nation is now, and we call on everyone to be a brand ambassador in promoting our dear nation Ghana and support the Brand Ghana Office in its endeavour.'

Mrs Annan made the call at a workshop in Accra, organised by the Brand Ghana Office to sensitise participants, drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the Ghana Visual Identity project.

She defined a national brand as a nation's identity that had been proactively distilled, interpreted, internailsed among the citizens, and projected for international recognition to construct a favourable national image and enhance the nation's competitiveness.

'A nation's brand must be distinctive in order to provide a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive world. In essence, countries need to brand themselves because it provides recognition, identification and preference,' the Brand Ghana CEO said.

She underlined the need to create and control a positive image of the nation, adding that, 'Once you start the process, it allows you greater control over its outcome.'

The Government of Ghana's branding and design guidelines have been developed to direct the proper use and application of the State's identity system.

The purpose of the Identity System is to present a unified and consistent image to the public; and easy recognition of all work programmes and communication of the Government to the Ghanaian public and the world, at large, is an essential part of the Ghana's visual image.

Mrs Annan identified Singapore, Malaysia, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Kenya as some countries outside the Western world that had successfully branded themselves.

She announced that Brand Ghana was developing a package which would include a compact disc (CD), a book on guidelines and 1`0extar pen drives, and other samples materials, for distribution to each of the MDAs.

GNA
18.12.2016 LISTEN

Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - Nii Ako Nortei IV, the Osu Mankralo, has congratulated Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President-Elect for his success in the December 7 Presidential Election.

Nii Ako Nortei, who delivered his message through the Ghana News Agency, wished Nana Addo well in his administration towards improving the lives of Ghanaians.

He said the President-elect had promised a lot for the nation, and reminded him not to forget the one for the Ga-Dangme people of the Greater Accra Region, especially concerning lands acquired by State.

'These lands were taken over by Governments so many years ago and no royalties or compensation are being paid and has thus rendered the traditional authorities inactive in their development initiatives.'

He appealed to the incoming government to look at the issue and resolve it once and for all to end the agitation among the chiefs and the people.

Nii Ako Nortei, also the Vice President of the Osu Traditional Council, called for the creation of a Municipal Assembly for the area to mobilise resources to improve the living standard of the residents.

He urged the people, especially the inhabitants of Osu, to sustain the prevailing peace for development to thrive in the area.

GNA
Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, the Osu Mantse and the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, has called for the creation of space for chiefs in the governance system.

He said: 'A time has come for the recognition of chiefs as major players in the democratic dispensation and the development of the country and as such should be given access to governance and this does not mean being political.'

Nii Kinka Dowuona, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said: 'I believe that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, being a royal, will involve chiefs in his incoming government.'

For instance, he said, matters of chieftaincy disputes should be left for the councils to handle rather than the judicial courts, to give recognition to Ghanaian customs.

He said the era where Municipal and District Chief Executives carried out development projects without the consent of the traditional authorities, which had caused a break in the chain of the decentralisation system in the decision-making process, should end.

Nii Kinka Dowuona, therefore, called for the strengthening of the chieftaincy institution and its structures to function efficiently.

'We have the traditional, regional and national houses of chiefs and it is prudent these institutions and their councils are respected and allowed to carry out their mandate without political interferences,' the Chief said.

He appealed to the Police not to issue out letters of permission and protection for the installation of perceived chiefs without the approval of the councils to forestall disputes and to bring sanity into the chieftaincy institution.

GNA
Kinshasa (AFP) - Tensions have intensified in the Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of the constitutional end of President Joseph Kabila's second and final term on Tuesday.

No elections have been organised and the opposition accuses him of seeking to retain power.

Here is a timeline of the crisis in the vast country of 70 million people:

Draft law inflames tensions

On January 17, 2015, parliament adopts a bill that would enable Kabila, who has been in power for 14 years, to extend his term beyond 2016.

Kabila's opponents believe he wants to prolong his mandate by making the presidential and parliamentary elections contingent on a new electoral roll, after a census that was set to begin in 2015 but has yet to take place.

From January 19-22 clashes between police and anti-Kabila demonstrators erupt in Kinshasa and several other towns. They degenerate into riots and looting, with police using live fire and tear gas. Dozens of people are killed.

Speaking from Belgium, opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi calls on the Congolese people to force a "dying regime" from power.

On January 25, parliament votes in favour of a new election law which still leaves doubts over the timetable for fresh polls.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila (C) has been in power for 14 years

In December, the United Nations expresses concern over a government crackdown on opponents, pointing to "arbitrary arrests and detentions, in particular of political opponents, civil society activists or demonstrators".

Katumbi declares candidacy

On May 4, 2016, opposition leader Moise Katumbi declares he will stand in the presidential election and is seen as the leading challenger to Kabila.

A former Kabila ally, the wealthy businessman joined the opposition in September 2015 after stepping down as governor of mineral-rich Katanga province.

Later in May, he leaves for South Africa, ostensibly for medical treatment, after appearing in court twice over alleged use of foreign mercenaries.

He is sentenced in June to three years in jail over a separate real estate dispute, effectively making him ineligible to stand.

Kabila allowed to stay

On May 11, 2016, the Constitutional Court says Kabila can remain in office when his mandate expires, even without being re-elected.

On June 10, at a Brussels meeting organised by Tshisekedi, the mainstream opposition decides to set up a new coalition.

Tshisekedi returns to Kinshasa in July after two years in Belgium. Speaking before tens of thousands of supporters, he demands the election be held by year's end and the departure of Kabila.

Deadly unrest

In September, the opposition coalition calls for demonstrations to signal notice to Kabila, three months before his term expires.

50 years of independence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Violence erupts in Kinshasa on September 19-20 between security forces and youths, leaving several dozen people killed.

On December 12 the United States and the European Union impose sanctions on top Congolese officials over the bloodshed.

Election put off

On October 17 the parliamentary majority and an opposition fringe minority sign an accord pushing the election back to April 2018 and keeping Kabila in place until his predecessor takes over. The mainstream opposition continues to demand the departure of Kabila at the end of his mandate.

Last-ditch mediation

On December 8 Congo's episcopal conference CENCO launches talks aimed at a deal on setting up a transition authority until a presidential election can be held. It sets a December 16 deadline.

But that deadline came and went -- and on December 17 Catholic church negotiators announced the talks would resume only a day after Kabila's term ends.

"There is no deal," said Jean-Marc Kabund, secretary general of Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).

"The ruling majority is sitting on its positions and refuses to offer any concessions on matters that require a political response."
President of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIMG) has urged businesses to focus more on adequately meeting the needs of their customers if they want to stay in business.

Kojo Mattah says this is crucial considering the myriad of options currently available to customers especially as the New Year approaches.

Speaking at the 27th Presidents Ball in Accra last Saturday, he cited the just-ended elections which saw the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Presidential candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo emerging as the winner, stressing ignoring the critical needs of a customer could come with dire consequences.

The event saw some key members including inducted as fellows of the institute.

The event was under the theme: Forging Stronger Customer Relationships in Multi-Channel Environment: the Marketing Connectivity Factor.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com |Kuuku Abban |Joy Business
WASHINGTON (TNS)  House conservatives have a message for President-elect Donald Trump: Use your first 100 days to scrap regulations on everything from catfish to ceiling fans to the Export-Import Bank.

The House Freedom Caucus wish list, sent by chairman Mark Meadows to Trumps transition team, includes 228 federal regulations to examine or revoke. Its designed to hold Trump to his campaign promise to use his presidential pen to loosen rules on businesses. Its also certain to trigger partisan fights in Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is also on board. The president-elect has made it clear hes going to move on as many regulatory changes as he can make as soon as he takes office, McConnell said at a news conference this week.

High on the Freedom Caucuss agenda are ending President Barack Obamas executive actions protecting undocumented immigrants who arrived as children and ending the Export-Import Bank, of which Boeing Co. is the biggest beneficiary. The list also calls for undoing the 1905 law that created the Overseas Private Investment Corp. which helps U.S. businesses gain a foothold in emerging markets.

The list also targets first lady Michelle Obamas initiative against childhood obesity, rules requiring for-profit colleges to teach employable skills, regulations intended to make ceiling fans and washing machines more energy efficient. Net neutrality rules that benefit internet content providers over broadband providers also make the list.

The caucus also included Southern lawmaker-authored protections for the domestic catfish growers and alcohol transport regulations that hit the kombucha tea industry. It wants the federal rule barring the transport of drinks with more than 0.5 percent alcohol to be raised, in order to support the growing kombucha industry.

For Wall Street, the group has targeted the new fiduciary rule for advisers on retirement plans as well as Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission rules for swaps dealers.

The caucus wants paid sick leave and minimum wage increases for federal contractors to be reversed, along with Obamas increase in the threshold for overtime pay nationwide.

In the area of agriculture, the group would weaken National School Lunch Program standards that require low salt, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, arguing that schools are throwing food away that students are not eating. The change could help processed food companies such as Pepsi Co Inc., Kellogg Co. and Hormel Foods Corp.

To the benefit of the tobacco industry, the group would end recent rules requiring new per-market approval for cigars and restricting smoking in public housing.

The list included for elimination a spate of regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency, ranging from pollution standards for power plants to ozone reduction requirements estimated to cost billions of dollars a year.

In addition the list proposed the elimination of the renewable fuel standard, the EPA program that requires refiners such as Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. to use billions of gallons of ethanol and other biofuels. Revoking the rules would hurt ethanol makers like Green Plains Inc.

A slew of Energy Department rules requiring household products use less electricity would be voided, including new standards for ceiling fans that have been opposed by companies such as Lowes Cos. Inc. and Home Depot Inc., which have expressed concerns the requirements could more than double the price of some fans.

The once mundane efficiency requirements have come to be seen by the tea party and others as a symbol of government overreach and intrusion. Appliance makers Whirlpool Corp., General Electric Co. and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. could see their business plans affected.

The caucus also takes aim at an Energy Department program that encourages businesses to use alternative vehicles in their fleets. Billions of dollars have been sunk into this program for years, the document said.  The report cites subsidies that Tesla Motors Inc. Chairman Elon Musk received for his electric car.

Trumps transition team didnt respond to a request for comment on the list, which is illustrated with a photograph of a Depression-era free-soup line.

Meadows, elected this month to succeed Jim Jordan as House Freedom Caucus chairman, assumed his new role last week in part on a platform of going after regulations aggressively.

For us it is looking at the whole regulatory reform issue, Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, said in a recent interview. How do we re-balance that regulatory process where we actually allow the legislative branch determine policy.

The Freedom Caucus will look to back up Trumps regulatory pen with a bill next year to change the regulatory review process to require stricter analysis of the costs of regulations, he said. The group also wants legislation to limit future administrations from stretching the intent of the law when writing follow-up regulations, something Republicans allege Obama did in regulating greenhouse gases.

While some of the executive orders Obama issued can be quickly reversed, others will need to undergo the time consuming federal rule-making process. Congress can reverse the most recent regulations with simple majority votes in the House and Senate using the Congressional Review Act.

Democrats are already vowing to fight the Freedom Caucus effort.

These efforts to end contraceptive coverage, deport DREAMers, decrease paychecks, and make our air and water dirtier are not new. House Appropriations Committee Democratic spokesman Matt Dennis said in an email. Democrats will fight tooth and nail any efforts to walk back progress that we have made for American families. The Freedom Caucus listed as one of its objectives removing the rule designed to guarantee that doctors and insurers cant cite the conscience clause as a reason to deny patients contraceptives.
Maybe the economic downturn currently being experienced in Ghana is informing your decision to migrate to a foreign country to seek a greener pasture.

Canada is one of the beautiful countries in the world that you may be considering migrating to start a new life therefore following procedure to get your visa to enter the country.

But have you find out about the weather situation in the country, weather seasons before going? You need to be informed that despite the beautiful sceneries, democracy, education, port and multiculturalism the winter and the summer weather can be crazy at times.

During winter seasons, predicted snow storms hit the area and can continue for hours before taping off after dumping white powder or flurries on the ground that makes the roads slippery and difficult for driving.

Usually when the white powder falls vehicles get slithering and sliding which throws cars into ditches that makes all to look for possible eventualities or casualties and provide the needed assistance victims will need to survive the scare.

Really one will need assistance to survive this scare of snow storm that hammers Toronto and other parts of the country especially having return from humid tropical weather in Africa and come to meet continuous snow fall.

It is a honorable thing to do, it is more rewarding thing to do by remitting family members and friends back home in Africa but it is more God blessing thing to do by praying for your love ones in countries like Canada looking at what they go through to make earns meet.

Please check the video on the weather on YouTube HEAPS OF SNOW IN TORONTO AND THIS VERY ONE FOR YOURSELF.
The 2016 electioneering campaign was characterized by lots of drama. This was epitomized by a legion of Nigerian film actors who were important into the country to engage in repugnant propaganda stunts. NDC was the main culprit in this shameful behavior because the government has so mismanaged the economy and it was obvious they had been rejected by the good people of Ghana.

The insipid propagandists of erstwhile ndc government persistently shouted from the roof-tops that they have transformed Ghana into the status of Dubai by way of physical infrastructure with actualization of numerous Bharj Khalilahs, with personnel of our police service going on patrol duties in helicopters and Ferraris.

But these astounding developments which they claimed to have built, Ghanaians never were enthused. This therefore angered the outgoing president John Mahama to brand Ghanaians ungrateful characters, whose suffer from short memory and therefore not being appreciative of his self-acclaim magic performance.

Foreign Legion

So realizing that Ghanaians have made up their minds to reject them at the polls, John Mahama then decided to seek refuge in comic acumen of Nigerian actors whose careers are on a serious downward spiral; these Nigerian actors were imported into Ghana. They were airlifted in many trips of hired private jets, accommodated in posh hotels, fed on exquisite meals and choicest wines, with the task of throwing rocks into the eyes of Ghanaian taxpayers.

They were obviously paid huge sums of cash for their services; and the only task given them was to take casual tours around some edifices and peddled total falsehood to unsuspecting public.

For example, the renovated Ridge Hospital was portrayed as a 5-star hotel by Osofia. And I ask; the project was undertaken with taxes of Ghanaians and does it have to take a Nigerian to come and throw rocks into our eyes for the reward of huge sums of cash?

Now, Mr. ex-president John Mahama, why do you think it had to take others to convince your own people of how wonderful your tenure of office had been?

Again, if your own do not believe in you, who will? Or you thought it had to take the propaganda-stunts of these Nigerian gold-diggers to make your own people conscious of their Dubai-like socioeconomic well-being under your tenure? Now, Mr. ex-president, if your own do not believe in you, who will?

One therefore wonders why some of our Nigerian brothers [Mamudou Dele, Osofia etc.] were under the illusion that they could influence the thought-processes of Ghanaians, is-a-vis decision-making in just-ended 7th December, 2016 general elections, when we had independence 6 clear years earlier, and therefore are far matured and well-advanced, than them, in democratic experience.

Obviously, these Nigerians have succeeded in pulling their characteristic 419 swindle on John Mahama, ran away with millions of dollars which could have been scooped from our national kitty. Indeed, while Osofia is walking majestically to the bank with a broad smile, ndc FOOLED-soldiers are licking their wounds and confronted with prospects of eternal life in opposition.

Gerrymandering

With just a month to 2012 elections, the EC, under tacit influence of ndc, spread the map of Ghana on a chopping-board, and with a huge meat cleaver, created 45 new constituencies, which were deliberately carved in a way that created Swiss-cheese-holes of safe enclaves for the ndc, with some of these constituencies having less than 10,000 registered voters.

That wicked act of gerrymandering greatly worked to the advantage of ndc; and that explained why eventhough ndc had majority in parliament, the total votes of those parliamentarians was nearly 500,000 less than that garnered by NPP minority.

With that kind of scheme put in-place by ndc,i had absolutely no inclination that there was ever going to be a time when NPP,emerging from opposition, and without the support of other minority parties in the form of alliance, could ever defeat incumbent ndc in a first round of voting with a massive 1.2million votes difference, and 171 outright parliamentary majority.

This indeed tells me, and for that matter, all players of contemporary Ghanaian politics,that,the good people of this country have become so conscious of deceptive nation-wreckers masquerading as politicians, who steal their way into corridors of power, with sole purpose of looting state coffers to enrich themselves, families and close collaborators.

The purpose of ndc naked gerrymandering in creating those 45 new constituencies at the eleventh-hour of election-2012 has now been totally shattered; and this should serve as a guiding-principle to all successive governments.

Indeed, what used to be the 8-year convention for every government/leader has now been made complete nonsense of in election-2016, and we must all learn from it and never take Ghanaians for a ride.

Sycophantic chiefs

Institution of chieftaincy, in our Ghanaians cultural setting, is a highly revered institution.it is actually recognized by law and its powers are engraved in our fourth republican constitution. Chiefs are members of Ghanaian society and therefore have every right to make their voice heard on issues bordering on the welfare of ordinary people. This therefore makes it difficult to reconcile the aspect of our constitution which bares chiefs from engaging in partisan politics.

It has been argued that chiefs have subjects under them who are of different political persuasions and therefore engaging in open partisan politics will compromise their authority over his/her people. But we tend to forget that, the president who presides over the entire nation is elected on a ticket of a political party; so for me, the aspect of our constitution barring chiefs from partisan politics is a bit problematic.

This notwithstanding, this is what the law says and we are therefore bound by it. So for some of our chiefs, who incidentally, are lawyers and therefore very much aware of the fact that they are not to be engaging in partisan politicking, to brazenly going against the law, is to say that least, extremely repugnant.

Our democracy is based on universal adult suffrage where everyone has only one vote, which is also cast in a secret ballot so why would a chief be under the illusion that his V8-induced sycophantically sycophantic sycophancy can sway a disgruntled people?

Arrogance of power

I was deeply involved in the campaign to make Nana Addo's electoral success a reality, and i can vouch that qualities that made him the toast of Ghanaians are: DECENCY and HUMILITY, not only in his public utterances, but deeply engrained in his personality.

This is why Nana Addo constantly addressed ex-president John Mahama as 'Y'ewura Mahama, Oman Panyin Mahama" or "President Mahama, while they [ndc assigns], referred to him as 'Opana'.

Also, I did extensive grassroots mobilization of support for Nana Addo, and it is evident that reckless pronouncements motivated by arrogance of power is what resulted in ndc massive defeat.

Arrogance of power and disrespectful diatribe are therefore the least Ghanaians expect from operatives of the incoming Nana Addo administration. We must be extremely measured and highly civil with our public utterances, as a result. The good people of this nation have entrusted their future in our hands for the next four years, and as to whether we shall have our mandate renewed, thereafter, shall be dependent on how we perform, and to large extent, the respect and humility we exhibit, as agents of government/party, in our respective areas of responsibility

Ghanaians kicked out ndc in a historic electoral tsunami ever witnessed anywhere on this planet for their total disregard to the plight of ordinary Ghanaians, reckless display of arrogance, wicked dissipation of national resources and repugnant display of opulence. And should we fail to be guided by what has befallen ndc and repeat the same mistakes, then, we must be prepared to be administered the same bitter medicine at the polls, in the next elections.

But in all, I have great faith in the leadership qualities of the man Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He is a man of integrity and therefore will have the testicular fortitude to keep in-check any of his appointees who might be overwhelmed by the power of office and therefore might stray into unapproved waters.

Justice Abeeku Newton-Offei

Email: [email protected]
By Ken Sackey, GNA

Accra, Dec. 18, GNA - President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday joined the Muslim congregation at the Abossey Okai Central Mosque in Accra to offer special thanksgiving to Allah for his victory in the December 7 elections.

Joined by his Vice President-elect, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and many other party chieftains, including former Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng, Nana Addo prayed for guidance as he takes over the reins of governance to fulfill his wishes for the country.

The President-Elect, after the prayers (Jumaah) led by National Chief Imam, Sheikh Nuhu Sharabutu, thanked the Muslim community for the support he was given during his campaigns and subsequent victory at the polls.

He thanked the Chief Imam for his unwavering support and consistent prayers, which saw the New Patriotic Party (NPP) win resoundingly.

Nana Addo prayed for unity between Christians and Muslims, calling on the ardent of both faiths to join their prayers to enable him to succeed in the job given him by Ghanaians.

He assured the Muslim congregation that he would deliver on his promise to bring development to the Zongo Communities nationwide.

Dr Bawumia, for his part, also assured that the NPP Government that would be sworn in on January 7, 2017, would live by its promises and would work arduously to fulfil every commitment it made to the Ghanaian electorate.

He re- echoed Nana Akufo Addo's pledge to unite the country, saying, "He will be the President for all.".

'The people of Ghana prayed to God to bestow upon us an appropriate president who would steer the affairs of the country in a manner that ensures prosperity,' he recalled. 'That has come to pass with the victory of Nana Akufo-Addo and myself as President and Vice President, respectively...it is God who installs kings."

Nana Addo and his entourage were given a rousing welcome by supporters of the Party and the many Muslim faithful, who had thronged the Central Mosque, with many waving party paraphernalia and showering praises on the national leaders in waiting.

GNA
The Member of Parliament-elect for the Subin Constituency, Mr. Eugene Boakye Antwi, has identified creation of job opportunities and empowerment of youths in his constituency as the two major priorities as he takes over as an MP for the constituency.

The MP-elect says he would liaise with the private sector and relevant institutions within his locality in pursuance of employable skills and opportunities for the teeming youths in his constituency.

Speaking to journalists after a Thanksgiving Service at St. Peter's Basilica Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Church in Kumasi, Mr. Boakye Antwi also pledged to open his doors for everyone as well as engage stakeholders in order to advance the cause of the new government.

He further pledged that the Nana Akufo Addo-led government will do well to fulfill all its campaign promises, significant of which include the One District, One Factory, One Village One Dam and stabilization of the economy.

"We are fully aware of the daunting challenges ahead of us as a new government and Nana Addo will remain committed to fulfilling them," he said.

Meanwhile, the MP-elect has asked for God's wisdom and humility for the President, Nana Akufo Addo and his vice, Dr. Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, as they seek to assemble the best team of ministers and officials to run the affairs of this country for the next four years.

According to Mr. Boakye Antwi, the battle is not only physical but also spiritual, stressing that churches and religious leaders must play pivotal role in ensuring that our leaders are endowed with the spirit of humility and wisdom akin to that of Prophet Solomon to steer the affairs of this country.
Sometime after January 7 2017, my two and a half years tour of duty as Ghanas High Commissioner to Namibia and Botswana would come to an end and I will head back to my homeland Ghana to pursue the other chapters of my life. Kweku Baako, speaking on Randy Abbeys programme on Metro TV recently, in illustrating the posts that would be up for grabs for members and supporters of the incoming administration mentioned specifically our Namibia and South Africa missions as examples.

By the Presidential Transition Act 2012, all political appointees, including non-career Ambassadors and High Commissioners like myself, will have their appointments terminated as soon as a new administration is sworn in. It is a rather neat way of doing things and represents another high point of our maturing democracy.

To set the records straight, when President Mahama proposed me, he did not predicate it on NDC membership, neither did the top hierarchy of the party demand a party card from me before okaying the Presidents nomination. Similarly at the Council of State, I was not subjected to any party yardstick before approval was given. My marching orders were unequivocal: Service to Country. And because of the Diaspora Engagement policy of our Foreign Policy, there is very little room for any Ghanaian Head of Mission to engage in open partisan politics with compatriots abroad

I arrived in Windhoek on a cold July 2014 morning. Though I had been warned to expect very low temperatures, it being winter in southern Africa, I had completely underrated the warning and so was hit hard in the face by a chill that nearly flew me back to Accra! There was no frost but the dry cold I felt was more biting than many of the winters I had experienced before in freezing Europe. This was Africa and yet the temperature was telling me a different story.

With diplomatic efficiency, the staff from the Mission whisked me through the airport formalities and in no time, I was on my way to take up residence in Windhoek on Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, to represent the interests of my country and the voice of my Head of State.

It all seemed so unreal. A few hours earlier, I had been in Accra, another ordinary Ghanaian citizen and here I was, now representing the honour and dignity of my country, and being accorded all the privileges reserved for very important people, representing my President.

I squirmed inwardly, not finding the words to exactly describe my emotions: fright and pride jostling for supremacy within me all the while. But the vast expanses of hills and open fields soon engaged my interest and I spent much of the drive enjoying the un-spoilt landscape of the outskirts of Windhoek

Many people do not know that there are rules to the conduct of diplomatic representation, which have to be strictly observed to the letter. I remember when President Mahamas nominations became public and my name was included in the list, many people kept asking me when I would be leaving. Very little is known of the Vienna Conventions, the international agreements regulating diplomatic relations among states parties. From the time of a governments nomination of an envoy, to the time that envoy assumes office it can take anything from two to twelve months! I had to wait for about three months for my clearance to take up residence in Windhoek. In fact the host country can turn down a nominee.

My presentation of the Letters of Commission was preceded by meetings with the Namibian Chief of Protocol, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs followed by rehearsals for the presentation. Before the presentation, one is not recognized. You cannot drive about with your countrys flag on the car, and neither can you attend official functions. The meeting with the Foreign Minister is meant to lighten some of these restrictions with the presentation of your Open Letters. With that you can be reporting to your own Mission and work in the office, but nothing more; and that is why an early presentation is most desirable. Propitiously for me, I arrived on the 20th of July and on the 23rd, the presentation ceremony took place.

State ceremonies are often very solemn and dignified affairs and none more so than the Presentation of Credentials or Commissions. One may note the slight difference between the two here: An envoy from a Commonwealth country accredited to another Commonwealth country is a High Commissioner and presents Letters of Commission, whereas the rest are Ambassadors and present Letters of Credentials. I therefore went with my Letters of Commission, duly signed by President John Dramani Mahama and presented them to his Namibian counterpart, President Hifikepunye Pohamba. Another important document is the Letter of Recall, which officially terminates the tour of a predecessor  in my case, H.E. Major General S.A. Odotei.

Six other envoys were presenting their letters that day: from The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, The Kingdom of Thailand, The Kingdom of Lesotho, The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, The Republic of Sudan and the Republic of Burkina Faso. These were all seasoned diplomats with residence in Pretoria, South Africa, but it fell on me, the novice, to present my letters first and also respond to the Presidents remarks/toast  again, another manifestation of the rules Because I am resident, I take precedence over the others, no matter how senior they are to me in diplomatic practice.

The presentation went very well, without any hitch but as I approached him with my Letters of Commission and my predecessors Letter of Recall, President Pohamba looked at me and said Akwaaba. I was so taken by surprise that my tongue could not come up with the correct Twi Akan response and all I could manage was Medaase!

Diplomatic postings, even for career diplomats, are fairly transient. What is of permanence is the service delivered and the knowledge, the experience and networking gained during the posting. Within the two and half years of my arrival in Windhoek over ten Heads of Mission had completed their tours of duty and left for home; one left to stand elections as an MP and won her seat and so is now serving in her countrys legislature and one, like me, was recalled when the President who appointed him lost an election. The role of a Head of Mission is no joking matter to be glossed over flippantly on radio or television. It is serious and whether at the bilateral or multilateral level, you are carrying the interest, honour and dignity of your country; it is backbreaking business. I thank President Mahama for giving me the opportunity to serve and I am very privileged to have served my country in the capacity I did these past two and a half yearsI return home with pride knowing I stood well by God and Country.

PS

And oh this little post script: Non-career diplomats with media backgrounds have left their footprints in Ghanas Foreign Service. Ambassador Kabral Blay Amihere served with distinction under President Kufuor, I am about to wind up my little bit under President Mahama. Before that our senior, Ambassador David Anaglate (GBC) served in Togo during the final administration of President Rawlings and even much earlier on, Ambassador Nicholas Alando (The Mirror) was in Saudi Arabia

By A Harruna Attah. P.O. Box CT 4910. Cantonments, Accra. [email protected] December 2016
The Osun state government under the leadership of governor Rauf Aregbesola, has produced 170 millionaires in the last six years through the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme, Legit.ng has learnt.

Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle), Chairman of TUNS Farms, Alhaji Khamis Olatunde Badmus (2nd right) during the official presentation of national egg productions scheme to the governor

This was disclosed during the week when a leading Nigerian agriculture investor and Chairman TUNS Farms Nigeria Limited, Chief Olatunde Badmus, led other management staffers of the company to the office of the governor in Osogbo for a presentation on the National Egg Production (NEGSPRO) scheme.

Chief Badmus stated that due to the successes his company has achieved in the state through the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme (OBOPS) an initiative of governor Aregbesola, TUNS farm has been empowered and engaged to handle a Federal Government Project tagged National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO).

READ ALSO: Rivers govt attacks APC, Sahara Reporters, says "they are inmates in the prison of their own lies

He said Osun has made many millionaires through various agricultural intervention programmes.

Tuns Farm which anchors the Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme (OBOPS), produces day old chicks for citizens and residents of Osun accepted into the programme to raise and nurture for few weeks, after which the farm buys back from the participants.

Aside guaranteed buy-backs, Tuns Farm also support participants who are mainly small holder farmers with skills & knowledge necessary to nurture the chicks to maturity, provide feeds and sensitize them on international best practices in raising broiler chickens.

Still speaking on the OBOPS programme, Alhaji Badmus stated that Tuns Farm staffers regularly visit farms of participants across the state to ensure quality and standards are met.

Alhaji Badmus also said the universal agricultural model technique being adopted by the state has been the major factor behind the successes made in the broiler and egg production in the state, making Osun the third largest producer of broiler meats after Oyo and Ogun states in Nigeria.

He also lauded the state government for being at the forefront of socio-economic and agricultural developments in the country, noting the agricultural policies of the state had brought about huge participation of youth in farming activities.

Badmus gave an insight into the successes recorded by the state in the agricultural sector, saying efforts are underway to maximise the agricultural potentials of the state and make Osun the highest producer of eggs in the country.

According to him, We are here today to tell the world that the agricultural policy of Mr. Governor has yielded positive results. Over 170 millonaires have been made so far since the state introduced Osun Broiler Outgrowers Production Scheme which has been the hallmarks of major successes recorded in poultry production in the state.

Osun is the largest producer of chicken, the state has also geared up efforts to be the highest producer of egg in Nigeria as the states school feeding programme remained the supportive element to this feat.

We have been to about ten states and everywhere we go, they give us warmth reception because they know that Osun is the model in agriculture sector as most of the state agricultural intervention programmes have been adopted nationally and internationally.

This programme is an imitation of governor Aregbesolas initiatives that has been accepted nationwide. We were appointed for this job because of the achievements we recorded in Osun.

We are happy that today, out of all the commodities in Nigeria as regards school feeding programme, it is chickens and eggs that were specifically mentioned and Osun has been doing well on the two commodities in Nigeria that is why we are happy selling the school feeding model of Osun across the nation.

Governor of Osun, Ogben Rauf Aregbesola in his remarks reiterated his government commitment to ensuring all round development in the state in spite of the global economic downturn.

He said his government would not renege on any of its electioneering promises made to the people of the state at ensuring that Osun becomes a model in all aspects of the economy.

Aregbesola said the state has recorded huge successes in all its programmes in the last six years most especially in the education, security and agricultural sectors as most of the states policies are designed to enhance both human and capital developments.

He held that his government having adopted value-chain policies in all sectors, has achieved tremendous change in the areas of education, agriculture, security and social intervention and empowerment programmes.

The Governor said the initiation of Osun School Feeding and Health Programme (OMEAL) which has been the pacesetter and a national school feeding model, had since introduction created employment opportunities for thousands of the state residents.

He stated that the OMEAL Scheme has a positive influence on agriculture as pupils who are the direct beneficiaries of the initiative are being fed with locally source farm produce like yams, cocoyams, fruits, vegetables, egg, fish, chicken among others.

Aregbesola said the scheme also provided employment to thousands of able women who were engaged by the state as food vendors.

He put up agriculture as the only sustainable and profitable alternative to crude oil, saying no efforts must be spared at revamping the agriculture in the country.

With 2013 adverse experience on crude oil, one must surely know that the era of crude oil has gone. Oil can no longer sustain us. It can no longer viable for our survival as a nation.

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Oil is volatile. We must go back to drawing board and map out people-oriented strategies that will support agriculture and make life more abundant, meaningful and worthwhile for ourselves.

Agriculture is the only dependable, sustainable and productive sector that can rescue our dear country out of recession.

We must be aggressive in agricultural production and no stone must be left unturned to achieve all these laudable feats because productivity is the heart of the economy, the governor stressed.

Source: Legit.ng
Jasper Meijer van Putten Leads PokerStars EPT Prague Main Event With 18 Left

December 17, 2016 Mo Nuwwarah Editor

All eyes were on David Peters as he came into Day 4 of PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague Main Event with a massive chip lead, but it was Jasper Meijer van Putten (photo) who stole the show and surpassed Peters to bag the lead with 18 players left. Meijer van Putten has already locked up his best career cash but has his eyes on much more as he heads to Day 5 with 3,770,000 in chips.

Peters still has a nice stack, finishing with 2,985,000, good for third place. Marius Gierse (3,370,000) and Marton Czuczor (2,935,000) were the other contenders for the chip lead.

Meijer van Putten won a huge flip in Level 24 (15,000/30,000/5,000) when he opened for 65,000 under the gun and Anton Afanasyev on his left made it 165,000 to go. Meijer van Putten shoved all in for a little over 1 million effective and Afanasyev called it off after a moment's thought with ace-king. Meijer Van Putten flopped a set to suck the drama out of the hand and turned his opponent dead.

Just a little before bagging time, Meijer van Putten played a huge pot against fellow big stack Andrew Hulme in a big blind versus button battle. Meijer van Putten had defended and then checked a flop. Hulme bet 95,000 and Meijer van Putten raised to 270,000. Hulme called and then called another barrel of 380,000 on the turn. The river was a and Van Putten fired a third barrel for 555,000. Hulme asked to see his stack but folded after a minute or so.

One other player making headlines was Martin Kabrhel, who ended the day as the second shortest stack with 640,000. His tanking seemed to be wearing thin with his tablemates, and he came into a hostile environment when he moved from the feature to an outer table after a late elimination.

The tournament director warned Kabrhel that his tanking could result in a permanent clock

On one of the first hands he played, Kabrhel was tanking in the big blind after an under-the-gun open from Kiryl Radzivonau and a call from Stefan Fabian. Radzivonau called the clock and told Kabrhel he wasn't going to be afraid to call the clock every hand.

Fabian also said if Kabrhel was going to tank this long, he had better be calling or raising and not folding. Kabrhel did eventually call after the clock was put on him and then he thought awhile again after the flop. Radzivonau called the clock again after about 30 seconds. The tournament director declined to start it just yet but did warn Kabrhel that his tanking could result in a permanent clock if it kept up.

Kabrhel took exception to this, and after he bet most of his stack and won the pot, he had an animated discussion with the tournament staff. He insisted he had big decisions every time he was cutting down his chips and was thinking things over with a short stack that meant his tournament life could be on the line at any moment. Day 5 will commence with Kabrhel under the watchful eye of his tablemates and the tournament staff.

Martin Kabrhel and two Tournament Directors

Another notable heading to Day 5 is PokerStars Team Pro Felipe Ramos, though he's the shortest stack and will have just over 10 big blinds when play resumes.

Some players falling on Day 3 included Pablo Gordillo, Maxim Lykov, Fabrice Soulier, Simon Charette, Matas Cimbolas, Benjamin Pollak and Salvatore Bonavena. The latter was the last EPT champ left in the field and busted in 24th.

The tournament resumes with Level 26 (25,000/50,000/5,000) at noon local time on Sunday.

Table Seat Name Country Chip Count 1 1 Martin Kabrhel Czech Republic 640,000 1 2 Kiryl Radzivonau Belarus 2,590,000 1 3 David Lopez Llacer Spain 2,200,000 1 4 Jukka Paloniemi Finland 1,100,000 1 5 Stefan Fabian Romania 2,635,000 1 8 Sam Cohen United States 2,065,000 2 1 Marton Czuczor Hungary 2,935,000 2 3 Cristinel Dumitru Romania 1,400,000 2 5 Janos Kurtosi Hungary 1,635,000 2 6 Andrew Hulme United Kingdom 2,205,000 2 7 Apostolos Bechrakis Greece 1,515,000 2 8 Jasper Meijer Van Putten Netherlands 3,770,000 3 1 Marius Gierse Germany 3,375,000 3 3 Sergei Petrushevskii Russia 1,945,000 3 4 Josip Vidovic Croatia 705,000 3 5 Felipe Ramos Brazil 525,000 3 6 Gang Wang China 1,500,000 3 7 David Peters United States 2,985,000

Felipe Ramos is the last PokerStars Team Pro in contention for the last-ever EPT title
WASHINGTON (TNS)  For eight years, many of President Barack Obamas critics denounced what they saw as excessive caution in dealing with foreign governments.

No need to worry about that anymore.

President-elect Donald Trump has already begun obliterating the current administrations no drama approach. He sees unpredictability as a valuable tool, which keeps adversaries off guard, softening them up to cut good deals.

Many foreign affairs veterans from across party lines see danger ahead.

Trumps view is born of his disdain for Washingtons expert class and his career in real estate, where a psychological edge can be worth millions of dollars by weakening an opponent.

There is even some precedent in foreign affairs for what President Richard Nixon dubbed the madman theory, one of several tools he used in hopes of negotiating an end to the Vietnam War.

But even Nixon  who believed that if others thought him volatile, they would be more likely to back down  never employed the tactic as a blunt instrument.

Among foreign policy experts, there is deep concern that Trumps behavior during his transition  highlighted by moves that angered China  indicates that he lacks the broader strategy, nuance and careful planning needed to successfully pull off the strategy.

Trump looks as if hes got the madman, but not the theory, said one such critic, Charles A. Stevenson, associate director of the American Foreign Policy Program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a former Democratic Senate aide.

Experts say unpredictability can work in specific circumstances: when the goals are narrowly targeted and known in advance, used against relatively weak opponents; where the threat of radical action is credible and when the president understands what hes risking if the other side calls his bluff.

The comments that he has made about foreign policy do not seem to be consistent or coherent, said Richard Lugar, a former Republican senator from Indiana who led the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and continues to be active in efforts aimed at reducing the threat of nuclear weapons.

Im not certain whether on some occasions hes given a lot of thought to it and is hoping to get a reaction, or on other occasions, its simply from the top of the head, or anger or simple misunderstanding, he said.

Trump argued in his campaign that America has suffered from its predictability, particularly in military endeavors.

We must, as a nation, be more unpredictable, Trump declared during a major foreign policy address in April. We are totally predictable. We tell everything. Were sending troops: We tell them. Were sending something else: We have a news conference. We have to be unpredictable. And we have to be unpredictable starting now.

As a campaign tool, the sense that Trump would do, say or tweet anything helped him immensely, diverting from controversies and persuading voters that he would set Washington ablaze. It fit in well with the celebrity persona that he honed in reality television, where suspense and drama build an audience.

People are tired of the blow-dried, poll-tested position of every single politician, Jason Miller, Trumps communications director, said in an interview.

Miller said that Trumps style had served him his entire life and remains crucial to his success in negotiating with foreign leaders.

That desire to be unpredictable doesnt contradict making sure that our allies know that we stand with them, and our adversaries know that we stand against them, he said.

But many allies have been concerned with just that, given that Trump has courted Russia, a foe, while questioning longtime alliances in Asia and Europe, calling treaties obsolete and demanding more money to offset the United States military budget.

Stephen Krasner, director of policy and planning at the State department under President George W. Bush, said the uncertainty could prompt South Korea, a major trading partner and military ally, to move closer to Chinas orbit or trigger discussions in Japan about building nuclear weapons.

Its unclear to many observers which of Trumps comments and actions are motivated by deeply held convictions and which are spontaneous. He has participated only intermittently in security briefings and has spoken with many foreign leaders without consulting the State Department.

After winning election, Trump conducted calls with several foreign leaders that seemed to shake delicate balances long in the making. He praised Pakistans prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and told him hed love to visit, a move that rattled archrival India, a U.S. ally. He had a warm conversation with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has spoken profanely about Obama and waged a deadly anti-drug war against his own citizens.

Most significantly, Trump antagonized China by holding a phone conversation with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The call broke with decades of U.S practice. It came without warning, digging at a core tenet of Chinas definition of its sovereignty, which holds Beijing as the one and only capital of all of China, including Taiwan.

Trump did not stop there, casting the call as a deliberate negotiating ploy during an interview with Fox News on Sunday.

I fully understand the one China policy, but I dont know why we have to be bound by a one China policy unless we make a deal with China having to do with other things, including trade, Trump said.

That prompted further recriminations from the Chinese, as well as from Taiwan, which didnt like being cast as a pawn.

Policy experts are doubtful that China would allow their governments legitimacy to be used as a bargaining chip in discussions over their currency and trade barriers. They note that even if the relationship is complicated, its one the U.S. needs to take seriously, given mutual interests in containing North Koreas nuclear capacity, maintaining global economic stability and combating climate change.

China may not want a trade war. But if its forced into one, both countries would be likely to suffer.

He thinks hes somehow upping the ante to get a better deal, said R. Nicholas Burns, who has served in top diplomatic posts for both parties and advised Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. They will shut down the relationship if they think we are deviating from the one China policy.
Deputy PM, UN Representative discuss Saudi economic blockade on Yemen





SANA'A, Dec. 17 (Saba) - Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Hussein al-Maqboli met here on Saturday with United Nations Resident Representative Jamie McGoldrick to discuss the suffering of the Yemeni people from the ongoing Saudi aggression and its all-out economic blockade on Yemen.



During the meeting, al-Maqboli demanded the United Nations to do its role to end the aggression war, lift the unjust blockade imposed by Saudi regime and to protect civilian facilities and infrastructures from Saudi indiscriminate aerial bombardment.



The deputy premier also called on the United Nations to do its part to protect civilians and facilitate legal measures of providing liquidity for paying salaries to the state employees in accordance with the Geneva Convention.



For his part, UN Resident Representative McGoldrick expressed deep regret for being more than a million of Yemeni employees have not received their salaries for the past months.



"We are working directly to contact with the World Bank and some countries to provide liquidity, but there were difficulties and pressures imposed by the other side in Riyadh, McGoldrick said.



He also stressed on the UN ongoing efforts to end the aggression war on Yemen and lift blockade on Sanaa international airport.







MS/ZaK

Saba

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[18/December/2016]
Whether water freezes to ice, iron is demagnetized or a material becomes superconducting -- for physicists there is always a phase transition behind it. They endeavour to understand these different phenomena by searching for universal properties. Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt and Technische Universitat Dresden have now made a pioneering discovery during their study of a phase transition from an electrical conductor to an insulator (Mott metal-insulator transition).

According to Sir Nevill Francis Mott's prediction in 1937, the mutual repulsion of charged electrons, which are responsible for carrying electrical current, can cause a metal-insulator transition. Yet, contrary to common textbook opinion, according to which the phase transition is determined solely by the electrons, it is the interaction of the electrons with the atomic lattice of the solid which is the determinant factor. The researchers have reported this in the latest issue of the "Science Advances" journal.

The research group, led by Professor Michael Lang of the Physics Institute at Goethe University Frankfurt, succeeded in making the discovery with the help of a homemade apparatus which is unique worldwide. It allows the measurement of length changes at low temperatures under variable external pressure with extremely high resolution. In this way, it was possible to prove experimentally for the first time that it is not just the electrons which play a significant role in the phase transition but also the atomic lattice -- the solid's scaffold.

"These experimental results will herald in a paradigm shift in our understanding of one of the key phenomena of current condensed matter research," says Professor Lang. The Mott metal-insulator transition is namely linked to unusual phenomena, such as high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxide-based materials. These offer tremendous potential for future technical applications.

The theoretical analysis of the experimental findings is based on the fundamental notion that the many particles in a system close to a phase transition not only interact with their immediate neighbours but also "communicate" over long distances with all other particles. As a consequence, only overarching aspects are important, such as the system's symmetry. The identification of such universal properties is thus the key to understanding phase transitions.

"These new insights open up a whole new perspective on the Mott metal-insulator transition and permit more sophisticated theoretical modelling of the phase transition," explains Dr. Markus Garst, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of Technische Universitat Dresden.

The research work was funded by the German Research Foundation in the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio "Condensed Matter Systems with Variable Many-Body Interactions" led by Professor Michael Lang.
If theres one thing Canadian Muslim women have in common, its  well, not really anything, other than being Canadian Muslim women. Theres a vast diversity, as evident in The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth: Personal Stories by Canadian Muslim Women.

This anthology, edited by Saima S. Hussain of Mississauga, includes 21 first-person accounts of experiences as a Muslimah, or Muslim woman. The contributors are variously brown, white and black, born in the Middle East, Indonesia, England, Brazil, East Africa and Canada, wives and singles, mothers and childless, straight and gay, devout and indifferent and conflicted.

One of the most delightful chapters is Muslim Me by the jeans-and-buzz-cut-wearing Maria Cruz, who is blind and uses a wheelchair. Sometimes Im glad people dont know Im Muslim, she writes. I cuss way too much.

Equally enlightening is No Suitable Boy, in which Ashi Munirs parents parade one potential suitor after another for her approval, each woefully unsuitable. Now in her 30s, shes still single.

Standing My Ground is by Muslim convert and feminist Kirstin Sabrina Dane of Toronto, who went from trying to be the perfect Muslimah to challenging the mosques practice of segregating male and female worshippers.

In For Better or For Worse, York University student Ghazia Sirtaj tells a wrenching tale of violent abuse from her ex-husband.

Several women write about the strength they draw from their faith, despite sectarian divisions. Kenyan-born Azmina Kassam, a Shia Ismaili who doesnt cover her head, tells of her discomfort working with fully veiled Afghan women.

Near the books end we finally hear from Zunera Ishaq, the woman who successfully challenged Canadas niqab ban while taking the citizenship oath. When Ishaq started wearing the face covering in Grade 11 in Pakistan, her large family, appalled, tried to talk her out of it. As a niqab-wearing woman, I have found more acceptance in Canada than in my country of origin, she writes. A telling observation indeed.

There are half a million Muslim women in Canada today, a number expected to double by 2030. The candid and authentic voices in The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth add much to what is becoming an increasingly important conversation.

Journalist Marcia Kaye (marciakaye.com) is a frequent contributor to these pages.

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Riders of the 506 Carlton line are the TTCs worst fare evaders, while those on the 511 Bathurst are the networks most law-abiding.

Thats according to new numbers from the TTC that tracked fare evasion rates on streetcar lines during the first six months of the year.

A report going before the transit commissions board on Tuesday shows that evasion rates across eight streetcar routes were relatively consistent, ranging from 2 per cent to just under 4 per cent. The TTC targets a rate of about 2 per cent.

Carlton topped the list with a rate of 3.79 per cent, followed closely by the 505 Dundas (3.73) and the TTCs busiest streetcar route, the 504 King (2.93). The 511 Bathurst car had the lowest rate, with just 2.01 per cent.

Brad Ross, a TTC spokesperson, said the agency has no explanation for discrepancies between fare evasion rates on different routes. But he noted that the TTC only switched to a proof-of-payment (POP) system on all its streetcar lines in December 2015, and customers are still getting used to it.

I think theres still education happening out there amongst some riders so I wouldnt want to speculate why some lines are higher, some lines are lower, he said.

The POP system lets riders board through the rear doors of cars as long as theyre able, if asked, to produce evidence that theyve paid, such as a transfer, pass or Presto card.

Ross also noted that the way in which fare inspectors are deployed can have an effect on evasion numbers.

The report, released Wednesday, documents the first half of a year-long pilot project the TTC board requested to determine the most effective model of fare inspection.

Its results could set the TTC on a kinder, gentler course to fighting fare evasion. The fine for refusing to pay TTC fare is $235.

The current iteration of the fare inspection program was launched in 2014. Under it, inspectors were allowed to carry handcuffs and batons and wear dark, police-like uniforms.

Some board members were concerned about the inspectors carrying weapons, however, and launched the pilot to test out another model.

For the pilot, the inspectors were divided into two groups  one of 17 inspectors who wore the conventional public safety style grey uniforms and were equipped with batons and handcuffs, and another of 35 officers that wore modified customer friendly white uniforms and did not carry batons or cuffs.

Last weeks report favoured the latter model after determining that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the evasion rates they recorded or incidences of assault against inspectors.

(The streetcar-route evasion rates cited above are taken from the white-uniformed group, which was the larger of the two. The lines ranked differently according to the grey-uniformed group.)

Councillor Joe Mihevc, who sits on the TTC board, said he agreed with the recommendation to disarm the fare inspectors and lighten their uniforms.

The choice before the commission was, Do you look more like a police officer or more like a customer service representative?  he said. He said the report shows you dont have to look like a big tough burly guy to do security. You can look like youre customer friendly and do an even better job.

Over the course of the pilot, the inspectors checked 1.1 million people, or about 3 per cent of total ridership. The industry standard is inspecting 4 per cent to 5 per cent of ridership.

They identified 30,800 violations, a rate of 2.7 per cent. Of those, most people, 82 per cent, got a verbal warning, while 12.7 per cent were issued a provincial-offences ticket.

Ross said the TTC is moving toward issuing more tickets as customers become familiar with the POP system.

The TTC has estimated that fare evasion costs about $20 million a year in lost revenue. The agency has an approved a complement of 69 inspectors, plus 11 employees in supervisory or administrative roles.

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As part of what Andy Byford has called the most protracted, toughest budget process of his four-year tenure, the TTC CEO will go before the citys budget committee on Monday to outline the transit agencys 2017 financial plans.

According to the preliminary budget for the TTC, the outlook for next year is this: passengers will pay higher fares for transit service that is the same or slightly worse than this year, even as the city invests more to cover the agencys growing costs.

And though the plan before the committee would push the TTCs annual operating budget to almost $2 billion in 2017, the funding strategies employed to get it there will do little to ensure the transit systems long-term stability.

According to TTC chair Josh Colle, the agency has done a stellar job of trying to contain costs but its clear Toronto needs more dependable, reliable funding for public transit.

Council is expected to vote on the budget for all city departments in February.

Heres a look at some of the big questions the TTC is facing headed into next year.

Has the TTC met Mayor John Tory and city councils request to cut its net operating budget by 2.6 per cent?

No. Although this summer Tory threatened to call in a task force to comb the TTCs books for savings, officials at the transit agency and in mayors office privately conceded months ago that the TTC wouldnt be able to meet the 2.6-per-cent target without politically unpalatable service cuts.

Thats because reducing its operating budget would have required the TTC to absorb more than $200 million in additional costs its facing next year, including mandatory expenditures, labour outlays written into the agencys collective agreement, and the opening of the Spadina subway extension in late 2017.

To reduce its financial pressure the transit agency found about $137 million in savings and new revenue next year, including savings on items like overtime and employee health benefits, and a 10-cent fare increase that will raise an estimated $28.7 million.

In addition, the TTC employed one-time bridging strategies like exhausting a $14.4-million reserve fund, saving on the delayed implementation of the Presto system, and a $5-million unallocated cut the source of which has yet to be identified.

In an interview, Byford said that the agency had preformed a minor miracle to reduce its shortfall, but warned that the one-time strategies are not sustainable.

We have turned over every stone. Just about all discretionary spending has been eliminated. Were scraping the barrel, he said.

Is the TTC budget balanced?

Not yet. Even with the savings and additional revenue, the TTC still has a projected shortfall of $77.4 million, revised from an earlier estimate of $61 million. That accounts for most of the citys 2017 budget gap, the most recent estimate for which is $91 million.

Last week, Tory and council backed a suite a revenue tools that could cover the gap. But Councillor Gord Perks, a frequent critic of the mayor, cautioned that with other departments also making demands new revenue streams, the mayor is a very long road away to be able to square and balance this budget.

If Im a TTC rider I should be aware that my service is still at risk.

Is the city investing more in the TTC?

Yes. If approved, the preliminary budget would increase the size of the operating budget for the TTC and Wheel-Trans by 5 per cent, bringing it to $1.95 billion. More than half of that would be paid for through fares.

The operating subsidy the city gives the TTC would also increase. Instead of the 2.6-per-cent cut requested by the mayor and council, it would jump by 12.7 per cent, from $610.3 million to $687.7 million.

Measured in terms of subsidy per rider, the citys contribution to TTC conventional service would rise substantially, from 90 cents per customer to roughly $1 per customer.

Thats largely because the TTC is expecting the current trend of sluggish ridership growth to continue, and plans to carry only 544 million riders next year. Thats a nominal increase to the 540 million trips expected in 2016.

Although at $1 the TTCs per-rider subsidy would be the highest its been since at least 2010, it would still be lower than that of many other transit agencies.

At the end of the day were still a long way from where transit riders and where the TTC needs to be, said Jessica Bell, executive director of advocacy group TTCriders.

How will service change next year?

The preliminary budget doesnt include any funding for increased service, but doesnt propose significant service reductions either.

That doesnt mean service wont suffer. A dozen bus routes will have service reduced early next year, a change the TTC attributes to needing to redeploy buses on streetcar lines because of delays to the Bombardier streetcar order.

Bell argued that the TTC should be adding service, especially because a quarter of bus and streetcar routes are regularly operating above crowding standards.

Weve still got overcrowding, weve still got major delays . . . Weve still got a lot of really poor service, especially in the outer suburbs, she said. Transit users will be paying too much for service that isnt good enough in 2017.

Byford rejected the idea that riders are being asked to pay more for worse transit. He noted that the agency is rolling out the state-of-the-art Presto fare card system, has purchased new buses and streetcars, and will open the Spadina subway extension next year.

I get the frustration if they feel that the day-to-day service might not have changed, he said, but progressively the TTC is being completely modernized.

Is anything in the TTC budget unfunded?

There are $5.8 million worth of new and enhanced services that the TTC board approved but that city staff omitted from the preliminary budget.

The unfunded items include a controversial plan for random drug testing of employees, track safety and subway reliability programs, and retraining subway fare collectors to become customer service agents as the TTC switches to the Presto system.

Colle, the TTC chair, said none of the programs are frivolous and he hoped they will be added back into the budget before the final vote.

What is the outlook for 2018?

The city is already projecting a $284.7-million shortfall for the TTC in 2018, largely attributable to the full-year cost of operating the Spadina subway extension, the TTCs station renovation program, and rising labour costs.

The TTC board has approved a fare freeze for 2018, but that is non-binding.

Byford says that in future years the TTC will realize mouth-watering savings through initiatives like eliminating the guard position on its subways and transferring some Wheel-Trans customers to the conventional system.

Some of those measures will take years to bear fruit however, and Byford admits the agency will again be forced to make tough choices in 2018. It will be painful, he predicted.

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Its a bright morning in November and Bonnie Crombie is meeting a seniors group in a historic Mississauga inn. The mood seems light as shes handing out hugs and posing for pictures.

But a major news story is weighing on her. She learned  only the day before and only from the newspaper  that a City of Toronto staff report suggestedMississauga and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority should pay $470 million toward building the Eglinton West LRT into Mississauga and to Pearson.

The incident epitomized the challenge of living in the shadow of big brother Toronto, and the total absence of consultation put her off.

Thats not how you do business, she tells the audience, not in Mississauga.

This is, after all, Bonnie Crombies Mississauga.

Forty years ago it was farmland and trees as far as the eye could see.

Canadas sixth-largest city plans to build a $1.4-billion LRT along its main downtown street, Hurontario, by 2022. Business is booming with 86,000 firms, among them more than 70 Fortune 500 companies and 1,400 multinationals. Plans include a $1.5-billion, 10-tower development by the Rogers family; a $56-million R&D centre headed by a Brazilian pharmaceutical firm; and the massive Inspiration Lakeview project that envisions housing for 20,000 residents, trails, restaurants and boardwalks, all on reclaimed Lakeshore-area industrial property.

The city of 766,000, especially its downtown, now has a sense of hustle and bustle, with heavy traffic approaching Toronto-like levels.

Some say Crombie, 56, a former Liberal MP and Mississauga councillor two years into her rookie term as mayor, is the fresh face the changing city needed.

In terms of speaking to the future technology, the incubators that are the right industries for the third millennium, Bonnie gets it, and thats why shes so marvelous as the face of the city, says Nando Iannicca, a 26-year veteran city councillor.

Dare I say, and this may sound like heresy, but two years in and you start to hear the whispers of Hazel who? 

Iannicca believes Crombies predecessor, Hazel McCallion, has been replaced by someone far more urbane who will embody change.

McCallion, 95, was the tough-minded mayor who ran Mississauga, at times with an iron fist, for nearly 36 years. Crombie says shes grateful for the huge role McCallion played mentoring her.

While Iannicca credits McCallion and past councils for steering Mississauga from the amalgamation of a handful of small towns in 1974 into one great small town, he believes Crombie understands we should aspire to be a great small city.

Crombies vision is for a complete city, where professionals can find good jobs or launch businesses, where a night out means staying in town, where the waterfront is beautiful, transit is seamless, and residents celebrate and share their cultures.

Today, more than 50 per cent of those residents were born abroad.

But the cultural makeup of her city would also lead to Crombies first major controversies as mayor.

Fight gets personal

Community fears over a planned mosque have caused tensions in Crombies first two years.

The mosque was slated to be built on Winston Churchill Blvd. in the Meadowvale area. Opponents cited worries about parking and traffic, and concerns that the mosque wouldnt suit the neighbourhoods character.

During a 2014 mayoral debate, Crombie said anybody who says (the mosque) doesnt fit the character of the neighbourhood is a racist.

To the consternation of many in Meadowvale, the mosque was approved last year by Crombie and all but one councillor, Pat Saito, whose ward covers the area.

The bad feelings havent died down. Saito says the conflict has caused a rift between her and the mayor, arguing Crombie implied opposition to the mosque was based on racism.

I had asked her to apologize to me and my community and she refused, Saito says.

The accusation of racism  that really did not get us off on a good foot, she says, later adding: we have not had good relations since then.

In a later interview, after Saito and Crombie spoke further, Saito says shes still upset about the debate remarks, but wants to put it behind us.

Crombie refused to back down at stormy council meetings where residents shouted at her for backing the mosque.

Looking back, Crombie says: I dont think I did or said anything that warranted an apology.

In October, Crombie laid a hate-crimes complaint with Peel police after an obscure website, the Mississauga Gazette, carried a nonsensical story claiming she was trying to convert the city to Islam so they can kill her son just for being gay. (Last month the police told her the article didnt meet the threshold.)

Crombie, who has spoken publicly of her son Jonathan, is a PFlag parent, a charity that supports the well-being of members of the LGBTQ community and their families.

Im so proud of Jonathan, she says. Hes a great human rights advocate, an advocate for gay rights, and just an all-round civil rights advocate for anyone maligned in any way, Crombie says of her middle child, who is studying law in Wales.

She says her son has a thick skin and has faced insults about his orientation before. But she believes her family should be off limits for public attacks.

She was also offended that the article targeted Muslims.

Nobody should be able to attack any one group, she says, whether its the Muslim population, black population, the Jewish population. Thats why I stood up against carding as well.

Carding, the police practice of stopping people and collecting information, has been found to disproportionately affect black and brown males. Police in Ontario say its a useful investigative tool.

Crombie and Brampton Mayor Linda Jeffrey have clashed with Peel Region Police Chief Jennifer Evans on the issue. In September 2015, led by Crombie and Jeffrey, the Peel police services board passed a resolution calling for carding to be suspended pending a closer board review. Evans declared the practice would continue.

(In March, the province announced regulations effective Jan. 1 that say police cant try to gather identifying information based on skin colour or neighbourhood.)

Tom Urbaniak, a political scientist, author of a book on McCallion and expert on Mississauga, says the carding and mosque issues indicate Crombie has shown some sensitivity and a desire to be aware of what diversity means for governance.

Not that long ago, Mississauga city council saw itself as somewhat apart from questions about cultural diversity, he says. An issue would come before council where there were public concerns based on cultural grounds, and councillors would say were dealing with planning issues, not cultural issues  as if theres a distinction.

I dont think youll hear that in Mississauga (anymore). Theres now an understanding that (culture) is core to the nature of the city.

Bonnie ways

The tensions with Saito appear more of an exception in Crombies term.

The mayor has faced a fractious council and by God, Bonnie has managed to manage all of us, says Iannicca, the councillor.

She just wants everybody in the tent. She really believes in collaboration, listening to what everybody has to say.

Crombie even seems to be getting along with Councillor Carolyn Parrish, a former electoral rival. In a recent tweet, Crombie sent good-luck wishes to her and Peel school board chair Janet McDougald as they presented what Crombie called a visionary plan for the future of the Britannia Farm, green space owned by the board.

Urbaniak says Crombies governing style echoes Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus sunny ways approach.

She has a friendly demeanour, and that helps.

Though observers say Crombies collaborative style is a marked departure from her predecessor, it was McCallion who encouraged Crombie along the way.

By 2011, Crombie had already served three years in Ottawa as a Liberal MP (Mississauga-Streetsville). In that years federal election, Crombie lost by nearly 3,500 votes as the Tories dominated the GTA.

McCallion showed up at Crombies election-night gathering and told her a spot on city council was open because Ward 5 councillor Eve Adams just won a federal seat.

Crombie initially had doubts about the role, which seemed less glamorous than that of an MP, but accepted the challenge.

The byelection ballot had 27 names, including Parrish, who had decades of experience in Mississauga as trustee, school board chair, councillor and MP.

On Sept 19, 2011, Crombie squeaked by Parrish.

I only won by 240 votes ... I couldnt believe it.

As Ward 5 councillor, Crombie was a loyal soldier for the mayor. She stood by her as McCallion faced a major probe into her promotion of a failed land deal that would have earned her son millions.

The October 2011 inquiry report looking into the project, a major hotel-convention centre in Mississaugas downtown, concluded McCallion broke common-law principles, but not the letter of Ontarios narrow conflict-of-interest law.

As some councillors, led by Parrish, ripped McCallion after the report, the mayor denied wrongdoing, saying she backed the deal for the good of the city. At the time, Crombie called the inquiry a waste, and said the land deal would have added to McCallions legacy.

Fast forward to 2013 when McCallion posed a question to Crombie that would alter the trajectory of her political career.

In 2013 Crombie received a phone call that McCallion wanted to see her, and so she went to the mayors office.

McCallion, whod already celebrated her 91st birthday and ruled for 35 years, said she was thinking of retiring, and praised Crombies work on council.

She told me, you know, you should really think of putting your name on the ballot. That was a turning point. If she thought I was somebody who had those qualities to step in for her, who knew what it took to be mayor and run the city, then there was no choice. There was no going back to Ottawa as an MP, Crombie recalls.

(McCallion did not reply to an interview request.)

The mayoral race cast Steve Mahoney, the former Liberal MP and MPP in Mississauga, as Crombies main foe. And things got nasty.

Weeks before the October 2014 vote McCallion showed up at a Crombie fundraiser and endorsed her.

Meanwhile, during that weekend Mahoneys mother died. Crombie went to the funeral out of respect for her rival, a fellow Liberal who had helped her raise money when she ran for Parliament.

But Crombie didnt know Mahoney and his wife were steamed about McCallions endorsement. When Crombie and her husband, Brian, showed up at the funeral home they were stopped at the doorway to the receiving room and escorted to the exit by Mahoneys wife, Katie, who served with Crombie on Mississauga council.

We left quickly, says Crombie, who was mortified.

Matt Mahoney, who took over in his mother Katies ward in that election, says the episode has been smoothed over.

Theres absolutely no tension at all, Matt Mahoney says, explaining that soon after the 2014 election he and Crombie met, congratulated each other and discussed the incident. Mahoney says they now work well together.

Residents seem to appreciate Crombies style.

At the seniors meeting, Darrel Davidson, 74, a retired nuclear manager who voted for Crombie for mayor, calls her a breath of fresh air, adding McCallion was past her prime.

Ravneet Kaur, who helps lead a day program for seniors, says Crombie comes across as frank, gentle and sincere.

The married mother of three, for her part, says she learned the value of hard work during a childhood that had moments of heartbreak brought on by alcoholism.

Rough spots amid happiness

Crombie, who was born in Toronto, credits her family and Polish heritage as a major source of inspiration.

Her maternal grandparents, Josef Sega and his wife, Eva, were farmers in southeast Poland, where Crombies mother, Veronica, was born in 1936. Josef found work on a farm in Mortcerf, France, and in 1939 brought his wife and daughter there. When war broke out that year, Josef joined a Polish division in the French army. During Germanys invasion he was captured, sent to a labour camp, and later billeted out for work on a farm.

Towards the end of the war, Josef and another prisoner made a run for it. They ended up in the hands of U.S. forces.

Josef, his wife and daughter settled in Canada in 1948. He would end up working as a janitor in downtown Toronto for 40 years.

Veronica married Ed Stack, also of Polish heritage, and gave birth to Bonnie, their only child, in Toronto in 1960. When Bonnie was 3 her mother left Stack, moving with her daughter to Eve and Josefs large High Park home.

I had a father who was extremely charismatic but had a serious drinking problem, Crombie says. That affected his ability to find gainful employment, and that was one of the reasons for their breakup.

Despite the separation Crombie recalls a mostly happy childhood, picking cherries and making sauerkraut with her grandfather. She did see her biological father sometimes.

Occasionally hed pick me up after school. Wed go for a milkshake and hamburger. Hed look at my report card, analyze it, tell me to keep my grades up, and tell me when I got older to only marry a Polish boy, Crombie recalls, smiling.

But some memories hurt.

Mom would dress me up for an outing and I would be on the front steps of our home  and there were times when he didnt make it, Crombie says. He worked in real estate, but his drinking kept him from holding down jobs.

When Bonnie was 9 her mother married Michael Sawarna, a real estate broker, who would adopt Bonnie. The youngster took his name.

Crombie describes her late stepfather as a solid, hard-working, decent, honest man, and a churchgoer. We became very close. He was my father.

The family moved to a tiny community in Etobicoke. A short time later Veronica quit her job as an executive secretary to become a full-time homemaker.

Crombie attended a Catholic elementary school, and later Michael Power  St Joseph Catholic secondary school in Etobicoke. While keeping up her grades, she always landed part-time jobs during her teens: a cashier at Woolworths, and sales clerk at Pant City, Thriftys jeans and Bowring.

I always worked and always had to have my own money, she says. I think thats pretty fundamental to my character. Work hard to prove yourself.

I had a mother who I needed to please, Eastern European.

After high school Crombie enrolled at U of T (St. Michaels College), graduating in 1982 with a bachelor of arts, and it was during these studies that Stack  who she hadnt seen in years  appeared one day, as she and a female friend were walking downtown.

I saw my father. He was living downtown. I grabbed my girlfriend while she was chatting, I grabbed her arm, and she asked whats wrong. I said nothing, lets go quickly. He was looking at me. When we turned the corner she said you look like youve seen a ghost. I explained to her who he was. She asked why I didnt say hello.

I was a bit overwhelmed.

The next time she saw her father, his world had gone off the rails.

It was around 1998 and Crombie got a call from Seaton House, a homeless shelter in downtown Toronto, where hed been living.

I dont know how much of his life hed spent there, but when they reached out to me  he was failing. He had asked that he see me.

She visited him twice that spring and he told her he had a son, Doug. Hes 10 years younger and has three children.

That summer Ed Stack, 66, died of thyroid cancer and Crombie helped organize his funeral. Doug contacted her a short time later and theyve kept in touch since.

Wins, losses and a new arena

Crombie was drawn to politics at a young age.

Attracted to the dynamism of Pierre Trudeau, she door-knocked for Toronto politicians at age 17.

While in her fourth year at U of T she attended a Young Liberals convention where she met Brian Crombie. She was attracted to his energy and they had similar political leanings. He had served as the youth chair for David Petersons Ontario leadership campaign in 1982.

After a degree in political science and international relations she moved to Paris to study French at the Sorbonne. Brian remained in Canada.

They got engaged in Vancouver in 1983, married in 1984, and the following year moved back to Toronto. Brians education and his work in the corporate and finance world would take the couple to U.S. and Canadian cities, including Mississauga from the late 80s to the late 2000s. Bonnie moved with him and landed work including corporate sales with McDonalds in Boston and communications management for Disney in L.A.

Along the way she earned her MBA from Yorks Schulich School of Business in 1992. Alexander was born in 1989, Jonathan in 1993 and Natasha in 1996.

Crombies forays into politics included campaign manager for John Nunziatas Toronto mayoral run in 2003, and co-campaign manager in the GTA for federal Liberal leadership candidate Michael Ignatieff in 2006.

Her path to becoming an MP was paved in 2007, after Wajid Khan, the Liberal MP for Mississauga-Streetsville, crossed the floor to the Conservatives. Crombie won the nomination and captured the seat in the 2008 federal election, won by Stephen Harpers Conservatives.

In opposition, her role required a lot of travel, including trips to Brussels and Warsaw as a member of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association.

Crombie normally spent three weeks in Ottawa, one week in Mississauga doing constituency work. The family home was a house in Mississaugas Erindale community.

I wasnt around too much at home, she says, adding her husband was working in Mississauga and picked up the household slack.

It was a difficult period for the family for other reasons as well. Brian was chief financial officer of Biovail Corp., a Canadian pharmaceutical company. The U.S. Securities Exchange Commission filed a civil enforcement action against him in 2008 for breaching federal securities laws.

He and other executives overstated earnings and hid losses to deceive investors, the SEC said.

Brian later agreed to a civil penalty of $100,000 (U.S.) and a five-year ban on serving as an officer or director of a public company. The Ontario Securities Commission also ordered him to pay a $250,000 fine and $50,000 for the cost of an OSC hearing.

Crombie says she has complete confidence in Brian, now a venture capitalist, and doesnt believe he did anything wrong. She says he settled the case because the family couldnt afford the costs and strains of a drawn-out fight.

Keeping a personal touch

Years later, Crombie juggles a busy daily schedule that on a given day can include a council meeting, briefings with city staff, the groundbreaking for a new development, community events or discussions with other mayors, the premier or prime minister.

Mary Kancer, 59, marvels at how much Crombie, her close friend, accomplishes in her personal life now that shes mayor.

She calls Crombie the consummate host and a superb cook.

She will do multiple (official) events, then at the end come flying home, go straight into the kitchen and prepare a phenomenal meal, Kancer says, adding that Crombie makes the best Caesar salad.

Kancer says shes in awe of the woman she likens to the Energizer Bunny.

One other thing that everyone will observe is Bonnie always looks fabulous, Kancer adds. Whether its a council meeting or grocery shopping, Bonnie will always look phenomenal, no matter what.

Crombies daughter Natasha, 20, a third-year political science student at Western, describes her mother as a shoulder to cry on, fun, and someone who encourages her children to debate important issues at dinner.

Meanwhile at city hall, Crombie feels she still has much work to do filling McCallions shoes.

Only halfway through one term, she says residents often ask: Do you plan to stick around as mayor as long as Hazel did?

I will certainly run for re-election, absolutely. Theres a lot I want to see completed.

With a chuckle, she leaves the door open  a sliver. But Im not going to commit to 36 years at this time.

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SACRAMENTO, CALIF.California is installing nearly 1,000 sophisticated metal detectors, scanners and secret security cameras at its prisons in its latest attempt to thwart the smuggling of cellphones, thousands of which continue to flood the prisons despite previous efforts.

Officials say the phones can be used to co-ordinate everything from attacks in prison to crimes on the street, yet they have thus far been unable to prevent even high-security inmates like cult killer Charles Manson from repeatedly getting the devices that are illegal behind bars.

Corrections officials told The Associated Press a year ago that they were halting the expansion of a now 5-year-old program designed to make unauthorized cellphones useless by capturing their signals before calls are connected. Officials fear the call-intercepting devices may not be able to keep up with increasingly sophisticated cellphones.

So Virginia-based Global Tel-Link, the nations largest prison phone company, is heading a new approach funded by a projected $17 million (U.S.) a year from California inmates and their families who use land lines to make phone calls that are monitored for security reasons. Those range from 10 cents per minute for local calls to 25 cents per minute for collect interstate calls, in keeping with rates set by the Federal Communications Commission.

GTL has been accused by inmates and their families of charging exorbitant rates for phone calls, prompting some to join a class-action lawsuit against the company.

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is installing 272 more metal detectors, 68 X-ray machines to scan packages, 103 low-dose X-ray scanners, 170 hidden surveillance cameras, 34 devices to decrypt and analyze cellphones, and 272 scanners that detect magnetic signals.

Removing illegal cellphones can force inmates to use the prisons phone system, said Jim Viscardi, vice-president of global security for Illinois-based Metrasens, which is providing the magnetic-signal detectors. The sensitive scanners can detect tiny metal objects even if they are inside a body cavity, a common way of smuggling phones and weapons inside prisons.

The latest crackdown is unlikely to deter inmates who want to conduct illegal activities using an unmonitored cellphone, said Mitch Volkart, a Global Tel-Link product manager.

There is no magic bullet, he said. You cant try to address the demand because the demand is always going to be there.

So its better to control the supply, Volkart said, not only by capturing illicit phones but analyzing their calls and contents. That analysis has at times led to investigators uncovering weapons or drugs within prisons, he said.

The company has similar programs with other states including Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Oklahoma, he said.

Smugglers are getting trickier: In April, they attempted to use a drone to fly two cellphones into Ironwood State Prison, 130 miles (209 kilometres) east of Los Angeles, though the drone crashed before it could deliver the goods.

And all the states previous efforts havent prevented Manson, the 82-year-old cult leader, from being caught with cellphones three times  most recently in February, but also in 2009 and 2011. Authorities say a visitor was thwarted in 2013 when he was caught trying to bring Manson a phone concealed in a boot heel.

The new detection devices are expected to be used on inmates, visitors and employees in all 35 adult prisons and three juvenile facilities by July.

Corrections department spokeswoman Vicky Waters said it is too soon to say if the scanners will replace body cavity searches or a controversial process known as contraband surveillance watches  or more informally, potty watches. Inmates suspected of swallowing or concealing contraband in body cavities are isolated and their hands restrained for several days or until they complete at least three bowel movements.

Why cant they do X-rays or something ... like the airports do to us now? asked Irma Cooper, who had to leave her bra in the car when she went to visit her son because it contained metal. I just think thats ridiculous in this day and age, when they can do those scans.

She was further dismayed when her son told her he had to undergo a digital rectal exam each time he left the visiting room at High Desert State Prison, to make sure he wasnt smuggling contraband. Waters said inmates are strip-searched and scanned with metal detectors, but are not routinely subjected to rectal exams.

Were concerned that more and more barriers are being thrown up for visitors that arent getting us anywhere, as far as we can tell, said Laura Magnani, an advocate with the American Friends Service Committee.

Cellphone signal-capturing devices previously installed at 18 prisons interrupted an average of more than 350,000 calls and text messages each week this year, more than double last years rate.

The number of seized cellphones had been dropping since California began using the call-intercepting devices, from 15,000 phones in 2011 to fewer than 8,000 last year.

But the number is growing again this year, with nearly 8,000 found just through August.

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A Canadian woman killed Sunday during a shooting ambush in Jordan is being remembered as a giving and caring person by neighbours, who call news of her death an absolute shock to their community.

Linda Vatcher, a 62-year-old retired teacher who lived in Corner Brook, N.L., was the sole foreigner among 10 people  the rest being seven Jordanian officers and two civilians  slain after gunmen ambushed Jordanian police in a series of attacks in the southern city of Karak. One such ambush was at a Crusader castle popular with tourists, officials said.

Another 34 people, including Vatchers son, were injured in the shooting.

Were flabbergasted, said Vatchers neighbour Errol Flynn. When you see its your next door neighbour who youre looking at every day as you pass by . . . to just look online and see her face and the headlines, it just freaks you right out.

Especially this time of the year.

Neighbours say Vatcher, who was born in the small Newfoundland town of Burgeo, had travelled to Jordan to visit her son, Christopher, for Christmas. Christopher Vatchers LinkedIn page lists him as a Grade 9 teacher for the Abu Dhabi Grammar School in the United Arab Emirates.

Flynn remembers his neighbour of 23 years as a lovely person, whom he would often help with her garden. He last spoke with her while clearing out snow only a few days ago.

Another neighbour, Julian Edwards, said he helped clear out Vatchers driveway just two days ago, after she returned from a trip to China with her friends.

My head is still spinning, Edwards said, calling Vatcher totally a loving and caring individual and her death an absolute shock.

The sheer fact that something so extreme and so far away has happened is disastrous. Im sure the entire community will be in shock.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion offered the Canadian governments condolences to victims families.

The attack is one of the bloodiest in Jordan in recent memory, but only the latest of violent incidents that have challenged this pro-Western kingdoms claim to be an oasis of calm in a region threatened by Islamic extremists.

The killing of a Canadian tourist could further hurt Jordans embattled tourism sector, which has declined sharply since Daesh, also known as the Islamic State, seized large parts of neighbouring Syria and Iraq two years ago.

After the attack, the Canadian embassy in Jordan tweeted a warning to Canadians, advising them against all travel to Karak until further notice.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks in and near the central town of Karak, about 140 km south of the capital, Amman.

The chain of events began when police received reports of a house fire, said a statement by Jordans Public Security Directorate.

The officers responding to the call came under fire from inside the house, the statement said. Two police officers were wounded and the assailants fled in a car, it said.

Several gunmen also opened fire on a police station in Karak Castle, a Crusader fort, wounding members of the security forces. In another attack, gunmen fired on a security patrol, causing no injuries, the statement said.

Jordan faces homegrown extremism, with hundreds of Jordanians fighting alongside other Daesh militants in Iraq and Syria and several thousand more supporting the extremist group in the kingdom. Jordan is a key U.S. ally, and a member of a U.S.-led military coalition fighting Daesh.

Over the past year, gunmen have carried out several attacks on members of the Jordanian security forces and foreign trainers. Earlier this year, Jordanian security forces engaged in a deadly shootout with suspected Daesh sympathizers in a northern Jordanian town.

In the most recent incident, three U.S. military members were killed in a shooting outside an airbase in southern Jordan in November.

Don Pelletier, a travel agent from Aldpar Travel in Toronto, which specializes in travel to Turkey and Jordan, says that the shootings could mean trouble for what he says is a brilliant tourist destination.

Jordan is my favourite place in the Middle East, says Pelletier. Ive already had to cancel a lot of tours to Turkey, and now Im thinking Im going to have to cancel a lot of tours for Jordan.

Petellier says that Karak is only an hour and a half away from the nations capital, Amman. The proximity means that despite the tourist attractions in the city, Pelletier wont be trying to convince any uneasy travellers to go ahead with their plans.

Karak is always on the tours, everybody goes.

With files from Salmaan Farooqui, The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

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WARSAW, POLANDPolice removed several protesters blocking a prominent Polish governing party members car Sunday in a southern city as the president met in the capital with opposition leaders to help solve a growing political crisis.

The demonstrators sat in a street in Krakow trying to prevent Law and Justice party member Ryszard Terlecki from entering Wawel Castle. He was joining party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who was on a private visit to the tomb of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski.

Police officers dragged the protesters away and ensured safe passage. Later, people chanted Shame! Shame! at the car that was carrying Kaczynski out of the castle.

Political tension is rising between Polands conservative government and the pro-European Union opposition over the ruling partys plan to restrict journalists access to lawmakers in parliament. The wider conflict started building last year after the Law and Justice party took power and began introducing sweeping reforms.

The steps that the government has taken to gain influence over a top court have also put it at odds with EU leaders, who say Polands democracy and rule of law are threatened.

On Sunday, a few thousand Warsaw residents rallied in front of the court, the constitutional Tribunal. They were supportive of its outgoing head, Andrzej Rzeplinski, for having opposed changes that critics say are against the rule of law. The appointment of Rzeplinskis successor is expected to create further tension in the coming days.

Carrying Polish and EU flags, the crowd then marched to parliament, where Polands most serious political crisis in years began Friday. Some protesters were still there late Sunday.

We have lost confidence in the government and only the media can watch the government, the lawmakers and tell us what they are really doing, 56-year-old economist Ewa Cisowska said.

Former President Lech Walesa said that there was no easy way out of the crisis unless the Law and Justice party resigns from power.

But the government has remained defiant. Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski told a huge crowd of supporters in front of the Presidential Palace that the government was defending democracy.

President Andrzej Duda, aligned with the ruling party, expressed deep concern over the crisis and held talks with four opposition leaders Sunday. He will meet Kaczynski on Monday.

The ruling party has increased welfare spending and still remains popular with many Poles, particularly those outside of the cities and on modest incomes. But its declarations that some social groups have been unjustly privileged under previous governments have angered many, especially after government backers started chanting thieves, in reference to the opposition.

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WASHINGTONOne of President-elect Donald Trumps first, and defining, acts next year could come on Republican legislation to cut off taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood.

Trump sent mixed signals during the campaign about the 100-year-old organization, which provides birth control, abortions and various womens health services. He said millions of women are helped by Planned Parenthood, but he also endorsed efforts to defund it.

Trump once described himself as very pro-choice. Now hes in the anti-abortion camp.

Still, the Republican has been steadfast in calling for repeal of President Barack Obamas health care law, and the GOP-led Congress is eager to comply. One of the first pieces of legislation will be a repeal measure thats paired with cutting off money for Planned Parenthood. While the GOP may delay the impact of scuttling the law for almost four years, denying Planned Parenthood roughly $400 million (U.S.) in Medicaid funds would take effect immediately.

Weve already shown what we believe with respect to funding of Planned Parenthood, House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters last month. Our position has not changed.

Legislation to both repeal the law and cut Planned Parenthood funds for services to low-income women moved through Congress along party lines last year. Obama vetoed it; Trumps win removes any obstacle.

Cutting off Planned Parenthood from taxpayer money is a long-sought dream of social conservatives, but its a loser in the minds of some GOP strategists. Planned Parenthood is loathed by anti-abortion activists who are the backbone of the GOP coalition. Polls, however, show that the group is favourably viewed by a sizable majority of Americans  59 per cent in a Gallup survey last year, including more than one-third of Republicans.

Defunding Planned Parenthood as one of their first acts in the New Year would be devastating for millions of families and a huge mistake by Republicans, said incoming Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Democrats pledge to defend the group, and they point to the issue of birth control and womens health as helping them win Senate races in New Hampshire and Nevada this year. They argue that Trump would be leading off with a political loser. But if he were to have second thoughts and if the Planned Parenthood provision were to be dropped from the health law repeal, then social conservatives probably would erupt.

They may well be able to succeed, but the women of America are going to know what that means, said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., citing reduced access to services Planned Parenthood clinics provide. And were going to call Republicans on the carpet for that.

At least one Republican senator, Susan Collins of Maine, may oppose the effort. Collins has defended Planned Parenthood, saying it provides important family planning, cancer screening, and basic preventive health care services to millions of women across the country. She voted against the health overhaul repeal last year as a result.

Continued opposition from Collins, which appears likely, would put the repeal measure on a knifes edge in the Senate, where Republicans will have a 52-48 majority next year. Senate GOP leaders could afford to lose just one other Republican.

Anti-abortion conservatives have long tried to cut Planned Parenthood funds, arguing that reimbursements for nonabortion services such as gynecological exams help subsidize abortions. Though Planned Parenthood says it performed 324,000 abortions in 2014, the most recent year tallied, the vast majority of women seek out contraception, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases, and other services including cancer screenings.

The drive against Planned Parenthood picked up steam in 2015 after an anti-abortion group called the Center for Medical Progress released secretly-recorded videos that it claimed showed Planned Parenthood officials profiting from sales of fetal tissue for medical research. The measure, however, would strip Planned Parenthoods Medicaid funding for only a year, a step taken to give time for continued investigations of Planned Parenthoods activities. A House panel is still active, but investigations by 13 states have been concluded without charges of wrongdoing.

Planned Parenthood strongly denied the allegations and no wrongdoing was proved, but the group announced in October that it will no longer accept reimbursement for the costs involved in providing fetal tissue to researchers.

The defunding measure would take away roughly $400 million in Medicaid money from the group in the year after enactment, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, and would result in roughly 400,000 women losing access to care. One factor is that being enrolled in Medicaid doesnt guarantee access to a doctor, so women denied Medicaid services from Planned Parenthood may not be able to find replacement care.

Planned Parenthood says private contributions are way up since the election, but that they are not a permanent replacement for federal reimbursements. Were going to fight like hell to make sure our doors stay open, said Planned Parenthood spokeswoman Erica Sackin.

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WASHINGTONDonald Trumps top aides on Sunday said the president-elect isnt ready to accept the finding by intelligence officials that Moscow hacked Democratic emails in a bid to elevate Trump. And even if its true, they said, Trump still won the White House fair and square.

The pushback came a day before members of the Electoral College are scheduled to formally cast votes for Trump as the 45th president. While Democrats likely are powerless to stop it, they suggested Trumps victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton would forever be tainted by Russian meddling.

This whole thing is a spin job, said Trumps incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus. And I think what the Democrats ought to do is look in the mirror and face the reality that they lost the election.

The partisan swipes mostly ignored warnings by foreign policy experts that part of Russias calculation also was likely payback for years of U.S. criticism of its own elections and a desire to portray America as a flawed champion of democracy  potentially weakening U.S. power on the world stage. Russia has vehemently denied the accusation.

Many lawmakers, including some leading Republicans, say voters may not have been swayed by the release of tens of thousands of private emails. But the fact that a foreign power tried to intervene in U.S. democracy and exploit divisions in American politics is cause for alarm, they say.

Still, Trumps transition team and loyalists on Capitol Hill werent buying it, at least not on the eve of the Electoral College vote.

Wheres the evidence? asked Kellyanne Conway, another close Trump adviser.

Asked about President Barack Obamas vow to retaliate against the Russians, Conway said: It seems like the president is under pressure from Team Hillary, who cant accept the election results.

Democrats say its unlikely the public will ever hear detailed evidence because doing so would disclose classified sources and methods. But with last weeks declaration by CIA director John Brennan that there was strong consensus that Russia hacked Democrats to try to sway the election, lawmakers are stepping up demands for closed-door briefings and a separate congressional investigation.

California Rep. Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said an unclassified intelligence review could be released within the next two weeks or three weeks.

As president-elect, Trump would have access to high-level intelligence on the matter, although its unclear what hes been told. Trump has previously called the intelligence finding of Russian involvement ridiculous. On Sunday, Conway said she wasnt privy to the same intelligence briefings as the president-elect and couldnt say what he knows.

Donna Brazile, interim head of the Democratic National Committee, said the DNC was no match for a sophisticated foreign power in cyberspace that weaponized private emails to sow misinformation and to sow discord between Clinton and her primary rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Also on Sunday:

Brazile said the cyberattacks against the DNC occurred every day through the end of the election. The comment seemed to contradict Obama assertion that they stopped after he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin in September.

Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer and Republican Sen. John McCain called for creation of a special Senate investigative committee focused on Russia, China and Iran potentially trying to interfere in U.S. elections through high-tech meddling.

Priebus said he was 100 per cent confident that the Senate would confirm Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson as Trumps secretary of state. The oil company oil executive has deep ties to Russia and no government experience.

Priebus said the naming of lawyer David Friedman as Trumps ambassador to Israel doesnt mean that Trump rejects the notion of a two-state solution in the Middle East. Friedman has suggested Trump would support Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank, effectively eliminating the possibility of a Palestinian state.

Theres going to be things that individually people may believe in their hearts or in their mind, Priebus said of Trumps nominees to top posts. But ultimately, its their job to represent the president-elect of the United States and his foreign policy.

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KINSHASA, CONGOMonday was meant to be the last day of Joseph Kabilas 15-year presidency. Instead, as the leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo refuses to step down, the largest country in sub-Saharan African is lurching towards a bloody political crisis.

In the capital, many are bracing for a violent clash between Kabilas opponents and security forces. In September, when the last major demonstrations were held, about 50 people were killed. This time, experts worry, could be worse.

Over the last week, Catholic bishops mediated talks between Kabilas supporters and a patchwork of the regimes political opponents. But on Saturday, participants announced that no agreement had been reached, emboldening the mostly young men who have begun referring to Monday as D-Day, and say they will take to the streets en masse.

Kabila is among a growing number of African leaders who have angled to extend their terms by either changing the constitution, delaying elections, or holding elections marred by allegations of rigging. Angolas Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74, has ruled for 37 years. Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe, 92, has been in power for 30 years. More recently, the presidents of Burundi and the neighbouring Republic of Congo both announced plans to extend power, igniting domestic crises in each country.

But the stakes are particularly high in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which saw a brutal civil war that killed about 5 million people between 1997 and 2003. Fighting continues in much of eastern Congo, and the country remains the site of the largest United Nations peacekeeping mission in the world, with about 20,000 troops.

There is a grave risk that Congo could descend into widespread violence and chaos in the coming days, with potentially volatile repercussions across the region, said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch.

Peacekeepers will be on high alert this week, according to U.N. spokesman Charles Bambara, who said that the mission is preparing for the worst case scenario. The government has said it will shut down access to social networks which protesters use to mobilize.

On the streets of Lemba, a frenetic neighbourhood in Kinshasa, local opposition leader Jean Claude Mwamba was getting ready to confront the regime, in spite of the violent reaction he anticipated. Mwamba led a small protest on Saturday, with young men holding signs that read Farewell, Kabila. By Monday or Tuesday, he said, that protest would grow larger, pouring into the streets, demanding Kabilas resignation.

Theres no security, no jobs, no respect of the constitution, he said. For us, there is only one option  that Kabila leaves.

A huge number of Congolese agree that Kabila has failed to improve lives for the countrys average citizens, even as he and his family appear to have grown fabulously wealthy. A Bloomberg investigation last week linked 70 companies, many in DRCs lucrative mining industry, to the family. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of the countrys 77 million people earn less than $1.90 per day.

The constitutional discussion will soon be overshadowed by the struggle to remove Kabila through protests in the streets and repression by the security forces, said Jason Stearns, a longtime expert on DRC and the head of the Congo Research Group.

Leaving power would ostensibly endanger Kabilas large investments, particularly as his coalition has not yet put forth a viable successor. Kabila and his political allies have suggested that he must stay in power until at least 2018  which they say is the soonest elections could be held in a vast country where polling would be expensive and logistically complicated.

But that explanation doesnt carry any weight with experts or Kabilas political opponents. The United States had originally encouraged elections to be held this year. Earlier this month, with that prospect diminished, Washington and the European Union announced sanctions against nine senior Kabila officials who they said were involved in repression.

For now, the sanctions dont appear to have reduced the likelihood of violent demonstrations. The Congolese government has emphasized the strength and loyalty of security forces, which have already been deployed across much of Kinshasa.

We have the police, the army and the intelligence services working for us, said a spokesman for the ruling coalition, Andre-Alain Atundu. Maybe there will be turmoil for two or three days, but eventually the (protesters) will get hungry.

Kabila, 45, took power in 2001, after his father, president Laurent-Desire Kabila, was assassinated. The Democratic Republic of Congo, which achieved its independence from Belgium in 1960, still hasnt had a peaceful handover of power.

As the son of a rebel, Joseph Kabila grew up in far-flung parts of DRC and Tanzania, an experience that defines him, according to those close to him.

He was born and grew up in the bush, said Aubin Minaku, president of the national assembly and a senior figure in Kabilas coalition. He knows what it means to struggle.

But even Kabilas political allies are not sure what will come next for the country. Kabila has said he doesnt intend to change the constitution  which he would have to in order to run for another term, whenever elections are finally held. But will he stay true to that pledge?

In reality, no one can answer that question, said Minaku.

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The alarm bells about asbestos started sounding in the 1970s. By 1987, when the World Health Organization declared the mineral, used in thousands of products from insulation to brake pads, to be a human carcinogen, they had become deafening.

But even in the face of a mounting death toll from asbestos-related lung diseases, and while it was spending millions to remove the substance from federal buildings, Canada refused to ban the import or export of the toxic mineral.

In fact, until as recently as 2011 Canada shamefully mined asbestos and exported it to unwary Third World countries. And to this day millions of dollars worth of asbestos-laden products are imported into Canada each year, endangering Canadian lives, even though 55 other countries have banned it.

That willful blindness finally came to an end last week when Science Minister Kirsty Duncan announced the government will ban the import and export of asbestos to this country by 2018. The comprehensive ban cant come soon enough.

Studies by the Canadian Cancer Society have found asbestos exposure kills more than 2,000 people in Canada each year. And the Canadian Labour Congress estimates 150,000 Canadian workers are regularly exposed to asbestos through jobs in construction, waste management, auto maintenance and ship building.

That doesnt include people who are inadvertently exposed to it when they renovate older homes or simply drill into the walls of old apartment buildings.

Worse, it can take 40 years for asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer to surface, meaning people will continue to die of exposure to it long after the ban comes into full force.

Yet until last Thursday Canada officially ignored the mounting medical evidence of its dangers and the insistent lobbying by organizations such as the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Cancer Society to ban it.

Indeed, it was only in 2015 that the Harper government, going into an election, quietly changed Health Canadas website to acknowledge that asbestos, if inhaled, can cause cancer and other diseases. It had earlier said it was dangerous when inhaled in significant quantities.

Why? There were votes to be trolled for in rural Quebec. Disturbingly, as late as 2012, former Quebec premier Jean Charest was trying to score political points by offering a $58-million loan to a mine in Asbestos, Que., so it could renovate, reopen and continue to sell its toxic product. Thankfully, Quebecs asbestos industry has now essentially disappeared because of the collapse in world demand.

Its not just at home that Canada has behaved shamefully. Despite an international consensus that asbestos should be added to the United Nations list of hazardous substances, known as the Rotterdam Convention, Canada has been among the few countries to oppose the move.

Ottawa has now agreed it will update its position at next years meeting of the Rotterdam Convention.

Further, in addition to banning asbestos, Ottawa will:

Establish new workplace health and safety rules to drastically limit the risk of people coming into contact with it on the job.

Work with the provinces and territories to prohibit the use of asbestos in new construction and renovation projects.

Raise awareness of the health impacts of asbestos to help reduce the incidence of lung cancer and other asbestos-related diseases.

Theres a lot more work to be done to safely remove asbestos from buildings, but at last Ottawa has finally made a start.

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The lovely December moon has risen over the field, supper is cooked and I am in another session of gift wrapping. I am watching "Holiday Affair", another old black and white film. There is coffee in a china cup on my "morning table" and on my frequent breaks, I write- and so for me all is well in my world.I make a Christmas list and tack it on the door of my Christmas closet. The closet is actually an old wardrobe. I buy through out the year and so must keep an account of things bought as I find them. Flowers may be blooming or corn growing, when I find something that suits someone on my list, but such conditions do not hinder my Christmas spirit- besides, this habit keeps Christmas a bit less complicated and keeps me from becoming desperate-a state I deplore. I have never once, made a good decision in desperation.One year, a long while back, I did not have presents to wrap. The children were all young and while I knew my family would make sure the children had gifts-I just could not shake the despair I felt. At last, I sat them all down to tell them the dire news. They were as quiet as "little church mice" while I assured them that things were bound to improve . My oldest son, Brant spoke up and said "mom, could you just get something for the little boys?" Jenny and Tres loved the idea and were chiming in, in full agreement. Brant was maybe eleven. Jenny was nine and Tres almost eight years old. My heart was touched so that, their goodness caused me to believe that surely my children were as pure as the driven snow. Gratitude spilled out in tears . . .and then Kyle around four, piped in and said "I think that could work!" Oh, "pride does often go before a fall." We all laughed about it then and we still do now.A dear friend, Julie, gave me an artificial tree that same year. I put it together, but the thing had the habit of just toppling over at any given moment. It fell one time too many to suit me and when it did, I picked the whole tree up and threw it out the front door, ornaments and all. It was poor behavior and the memory shames me. An hour or so later, Julie came in with the tree and "spoke not a word, but went straight to her work". She corrected my assembly mishaps and the little tree stood upright and steadfast as any "tin soldier ".Not always does Christmas come with the best circumstances- This year , as I wrap sweet little tokens and place them under the tree I remember that Christmas. It offered more than broken ornaments . Family and friends reminded us ,that prosperity reveals itself in more than one form. Things did improve, after all-and I have never since had the notion to throw a Christmas tree out the front door.
General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and country music entertainment experiences. The Company's core holdings* include a network of five of the top 10 largest non-gaming convention center hotels in the United States based on total indoor meeting space. These convention center resorts operate under the Gaylord Hotels brand and are managed by Marriott International. The Company also owns two adjacent ancillary hotels and a small number of attractions managed by Marriott International for a combined total of 10,110 rooms and more than 2.7 million square feet of total indoor and outdoor meeting space in top convention and leisure destinations across the country. The Company's Entertainment segment includes a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry; Ryman Auditorium, WSM 650 AM; Ole Red and Circle, a country lifestyle media network the Company owns in a joint-venture with Gray Television. The Company operates its Entertainment segment as part of a taxable REIT subsidiary. * The Company is the sole owner of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center; and Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is the majority owner and managing member of the joint venture that owns the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center.
AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases. The company's marketed products also comprise Synagis for respiratory syncytial virus; Fluenz Tetra/FluMist Quadrivalent for Influenza; Seroquel IR/Seroquel XR for schizophrenia bipolar disease; Nexium, and Losec/Prilosec for gastroenterology; and Vaxzevria and Evusheld for covid-19. The company serves primary care and specialty care physicians through distributors and local representative offices in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. It has a collaboration agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to research, develop, and commercialize small molecule medicines for obesity; Neurimmune AG to develop and commercialize NI006; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to develop eplontersen, a liver-targeted antisense therapy in Phase III development for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis; Proteros Biostructures GmbH to jointly discover novel small molecules for the treatment of hematological cancers; Sierra Oncology, Inc. to develop and commercialize AZD5153. The company was formerly known as Zeneca Group PLC and changed its name to AstraZeneca PLC in April 1999. AstraZeneca PLC was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., a telecommunications company, provides communications services in the United States. It operates through two segments: UScellular and TDS Telecom. The company offers wireless solutions to consumers and business and government customers, including a suite of connected Internet of things (IoT) solutions, and software applications for monitor and control, business automation/operations, communication, fleet and asset management, smart water solutions, private cellular networks and custom, and end-to-end IoT solutions; wireless priority services and quality priority and preemption options; smartphones and other handsets, tablets, wearables, mobile hotspots, routers, and IoT devices; and accessories, such as cases, screen protectors, chargers, and memory cards, as well as consumer electronics, including audio, home automation and networking products. It also provides replace and repair services; Trade-In program through which it buys customers' used equipment; internet connections and all-home WI-FI services; TDS TV+, an integrated cloud television platform that offers video content; local and long-distance telephone service, VoIP, and enhanced services; and broadband, IP-based services, and hosted voice and video collaboration services. The company sells its products through retail sales, direct and indirect sales, third-party retailers, and independent agents, as well as through ecommerce and telesales. As of December 31, 2021, it offers its services to customers 5 million wireless connections, and 1.2 million wireline and cable connections. The company was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
The following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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Militants launched 52 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the ATO in Donbas over the past day, the ATO headquarters reports.

In Mariupol direction, terrorists used 152mm artillery systems to shell the Ukrainian positions in Talakivka and 122mm artillery systems to fire at Shyrokyne, Krasnohorivka, Lebedynske, and Vodiane. Also, the enemy used mortars, grenade launchers and small arms.

In Luhansk direction, the terrorists used 152mm artillery systems to fire at Troitske and Novozvnivka, and grenade launchers and small arms to fire at Stanytsia Luhanska, Popasna, Novooleksandrivka.

In Donetsk direction, Ukrainian positions came under grenade launchers, mortars and small arms fire near Avdiivka and Luhanske, and 122mm artillery systems were used to shell Nevelske.

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A Wonewoc man faces charges of intent to use paraphernalia to prepare methamphetamine after being arrested Nov. 9.

Robert M. Nachtigal, 34, was also arrested for possession of THC (second and subsequent offense), after an investigation by the Juneau County Sheriffs Office. Nachtigal, who was under probation through the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, had his probation placed on hold as the investigation unfolded.

On Nov. 9, Juneau County officers went to Nachtigals residence in the town of Summit. While knocking on his door, officers could hear a toilet flush inside the home before Nachtigal came to answer. Two other adults were present in the house.

Upon contact, a detective told Nachtigal he suspected him of making meth and could conduct a search of his home under the authority of Act 79. Nachtigal was cooperative with police, stating there was a bag of marijuana in his bedroom, along with a number of hypodermic needles in a garbage can.

As officers investigated, they also found multiple glass pipes that carried the smell of marijuana. Nachtigal admitted that all the paraphernalia belonged to him.

After conducting a criminal history check, the detective discovered Nachtigal had multiple drug related offenses. In 2002, a 20-year-old Nachtigal was found guilty of manufacturing meth in Missouri.

In 2011, he was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia in Sauk County. Hes also allegedly been arrested for stealing anhydrous ammonium which is used to make meth.
Todd Stottlemyer is chief executive of Inova Center for Personalized Health. (Courtesy of Inova Center for Personalized Health)

Inova Health System, the giant nonprofit hospital network serving Northern Virginia, is creating a new start-up incubator and investment program focusing on personalized medicine innovations.

Executives say they plan to invest at least $100 million over the next three to five years making $2 million to $5 million bets on promising young companies with products that have gained some traction in the marketplace.

We want to create an environment that makes health sciences a new destination, a new economic engine for the region, said Peter Jobse, who was named managing partner of the new venture.

The incubator aims to focus on innovations that can better predict and prevent disease. Rather than concentrate on drug development, which can cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars and take decades, the program will look to develop medical devices and analytical platforms.

The program is to be part of Inovas new Center for Personalized Health taking shape on the former ExxonMobil campus in Fairfax County. Todd Stottlemyer, chief executive for the center, said the incubator would look to accelerate and commercialize technologies already being pioneered at Inova and elsewhere.

Promising options could include sensor-based devices that help doctors track patients health on a continuous basis. Other start-ups could apply newfound tools in big-data analysis to track health trends and, in some cases, predict individuals susceptibility to certain diseases. A crowded field of start-ups mining Medicare clinical and claims data has seen success recently.

Inova executives cited the example of a company called Truven, which monitors live-streaming data to provide warnings about adverse events within hospitals. Truven's services showed enough promise that the company was recently acquired by IBM.

Analytics is foundational to everything that were doing as a health-care system, Stottlemyer said.

In building the incubator, Inova is borrowing a page from Virginias Mach37 cybersecurity incubator. In just a few years since its founding, Mach37 has seen early success in nurturing new cybersecurity businesses in Northern Virginia, many of them launched by former government computer specialists and engineers.

Mach37 took form out of the states Center for Innovative Technology in Herndon, and Inova hired two of its former executives as managing partners, including Jobse and Hooks Johnston, who formerly served as chief executive and vice chairman at CIT.

Just as Mach37 became a meeting place for former government cyberwarriors learning the ropes of business, the goal of Inovas accelerator will be to bring like-minded innovators together.

[Heres how Maryland and Virginia are luring cyber start-ups to the region]

Each start-up that enters the program will benefit from a $75,000 seed investment and an educational and networking program drawn from the hospitals institutional resources. Those successful enough to raise private capital of their own will have a shot at another $250,000 of runway, a model not unlike Marylands Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) start-up program.

The objective of all of this is to have better clinical outcomes, higher quality, lower health-care costs and sometimes new discoveries, Stottlemyer said. Its not just creating new companies, but the opportunity to take these new devices to ultimately improve care.

Inova, with more than 10,000 doctors and nurses supporting about 400,000 emergency room visits a year, could serve as an immediate market for these start-ups technology.

The hospital system has embarked on an ambitious effort to pursue personalized medicine, recruiting top doctors and researchers from across the country to transform care. Personalized medicine, in which patients receive treatment tailored to their genetic makeup, lifestyle and medical history, is considered a critical opportunity both to fight cancer and advance the commonwealths economy.

Beyond the Center for Personalized Medicine, the hospital system has established institutes focusing on various health issues and it is employing other strategies as well.

A novel partnership with insurance giant Aetna is designed to better align the incentives of those who provide health care and those who pay for it. Following a nationwide trend toward home-based care, the system actually served more home care visits last year than inpatient admissions.

Inova also recently announced it had formed a comprehensive partnership with the University of Virginia, one that could one day lead to a regional medical school campus.
UNNATURAL CAUSES | SICK AND DYING IN SMALL-TOWN AMERICA: Since the turn of this century, death rates have risen for whites in midlife, particularly women. In this series, The Washington Post is exploring this trend and the forces driving it.



Zaine Pulliam, 17, and his sisters Arianna, 13, and Zoie, 10, live with their grandmother in South Charleston, W.Va., in the house where their parents died of heroin overdoses in April 2015. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

The midmorning sun came in through the curtains, and Zaine Pulliam awoke to the debris of a weekend party. There were blankets strewn across the floor and half-finished plates of food on the couch. Zaine, 17, picked his way around a sleeping teenager and walked into the kitchen, where his grandmother was already drinking coffee. Look at you, she said. Long night?

Madie Clark had allowed her three grandchildren to host a sleepover for friends the night before, and it had begun with pizza, Sunkist and board games. But eventually she had gone to bed, and now she could see a few beer cans and nicotine vaporizers scattered around the house. On the other side of the wall, in the bathroom, it sounded like a teenager was throwing up.

You were being good last night, right? she asked Zaine. Nobody was driving? Nobody was acting stupid?

Of course not, he said. We were fine. Everything was fine.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes. Yeah, okay, Bubby, she said. I trust you. But youre walking right up to that line.

Nearly everyone in Zaines life had been anxiously monitoring that line for the past year and a half, ever since both of his parents died of heroin overdoses in April 2015. His parents had become two of the record 33,091 people to die of opioid overdoses that year in a national crisis that has been worst of all in rural West Virginia, where health officials estimate that overdose rates are now eight to 10 times higher than the national average. Middle-aged white men in this part of the country have lost a full year of life expectancy during the past two decades. Middle-aged white women have lost more than two years. The opiate epidemic has essentially wiped out an entire generation of health advances, and now West Virginia has begun to focus more of its resources on prevention and preservation among the next generation entering into the void.

These children are sometimes referred to by health officials here as opiate orphans, and three of the most recent ones live in a small house in South Charleston: Zoie, 10, who believed that her parents had died in their sleep; Arianna, 13, who was just starting to wear her mothers old makeup; and Zaine, 17, who had been the one to discover his parents that morning on their bedroom floor, and whose grades had begun to drop ever since.

Now Zaine started to clean up the house, carrying plates from the living room into the kitchen. Every wall was decorated with pictures of his parents, Austin and Amanda. They had started dating during their freshman year of high school and stayed together for nearly 20 years, spending most of that time in this house. Their clothes were in the closet, and their old fish tank was still in the living room. Zaine dumped some fish food into the tank, and his grandmother tapped her hand against the glass to make sure a fish was alive. Wake up, buddy, she said.

Madie, 53, had retired from her maintenance job at the public schools and moved into the house to help take care of the children after the overdoses. Mah-maw, they called her, and she told salty jokes, cooked their breakfast and slept in Zoies bedroom when the girl had nightmares.

But, on some nights, it was Madie who couldnt sleep, when neither her doctor-prescribed antidepressants nor her occasional swallows of Fireball whiskey could quiet her grief or her rising anxiety. She had once struggled with addiction herself before getting clean. She had raised a daughter who had become an addict. Now she was responsible for three more children in a place where that same disease had officially been classified as a widespread, progressive and fatal epidemic.

Whats to keep these kids from getting over on me? she sometimes wondered. How do I know they wont go the wrong way?

Now one of Zaines friends was calling his phone. He answered and spoke in a whisper. He hugged Madie, told her he loved her and then said he needed to go.

Go where? she asked.

Ill be back, he said. He started walking toward the door and grabbed her car keys.

Dont you take my car, she said.

Love you, he said, as he got into her car.

When will you be back?

So many questions, he said, and then he smiled and waved to her as he drove away.

***



Madie Clark looks in on her granddaughter Zoie Pulliam, 10, and a visiting relative at their home in South Charleston. Clark moved into the bedroom where her daughter Amanda Pulliam and son-in-law Austin Pulliam died of heroin overdoses. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

The most pressing question of all in the days after the overdoses was one that so many people here had begun to ask: What would happen to the kids? How could a generation of children in West Virginia overcome two decades of decay and despair?

The Kanawha Family Court, which lately had dealt with addiction and its impacts in about 80 percent of its cases, had begun considering some of the options available to the Pulliam children soon after the death of their parents. There was a great-aunt with whom the children had sometimes stayed during the summer, but she was already letting a few recovering addicts live in her basement. There was a grandfather in Georgia who thought he could help, so the court had sent the children to go for a trial visit, but they had gotten homesick and returned within the week.

So eventually it was decided that the best place for the Pulliams was where they had always been: in West Virginia, where overdoses were continuing to rise; and in Kanawha County, which had more overdoses than anywhere else in the state; and in a three-bedroom house where two of those overdoses had happened in the back room. Madie had moved into her daughters old bed. The Pulliam childrens other grandmother had become their legal guardian, paying their bills and inviting Zaine to live with her during the school week.

Theirs was a big, loyal family that had persevered for five generations in West Virginia. Seemingly every relative wanted to help, and each had a different idea of what the children might need. Maybe more toys and video games to provide distraction. Maybe occasional drug tests for Zaine to make sure he stayed clean. Maybe a strict 11 p.m. curfew. Maybe therapy and counseling. Maybe more hugs and constant affection. Maybe weekend hunting trips. Maybe a military-style boarding academy across the state. Maybe helping to spread information about the danger of addiction, and so now one of Zaines relatives was pulling up to the house and telling him to get dressed.

I want you to see the place that saved my life, said Scott Hudson. He was taking Zaine to a weekly meeting of about 100 addicts at a rehab facility in Huntington, an hour down the highway. These guys have stories you should hear, and they should hear from you, too, Scott said.

Thats good if somehow I can help them, but its not like I need to be scared straight, Zaine said. Ive already seen what happens. I would never put a needle in my arm.

I know, buddy, Scott said. Thats exactly what I said. Thats what everyone says.



Zaine Pulliam, 17, attends church with his paternal grandmother Belinda Crookshanks, and sister Zoie, 10. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

One of the Pulliam childrens relatives, Scott Hudson, is a former drug addict and drug dealer. He was arrested 34 times before he found his way to recovery -- he has been clean for almost five years. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

They drove to Huntington down a winding road known to some locals as the heroin highway, passing chemical plants and coal towns where opioid pain pills had first become popular as a salve for workers enduring long days in the mines. But, during the past decade alone, 65,000 of those mining jobs had disappeared from the West Virginia economy, and now there was so much more poverty, pain and hopelessness to chase away. Drug companies had bombarded West Virginias rural towns with record numbers of narcotics, according to court records: 300,000 tablets of hydrocodone to the mom-and-pop pharmacy in the town of War, population 808; half a million oxycodone pills to Kermit, population 400. During a five-year period ending in 2013, a single drug company had shipped more than 60 million doses of hydrocodone into a state with fewer than 1 million working-age adults.

Though hydrocodone was essentially the same drug as heroin, heroin was stronger and also cheaper to buy on the street. Now the heroin highway had billboards advertising rehab programs, suicide hotlines, clean needle exchanges and budget funeral homes.

Its the West Virginia disease, Scott said as he drove. You dont even know youve started and youre already spiraling down.

Scott often talked about his own spiral, which had continued for much of his adult life, from meth to pills to heroin. Only after his 34th arrest had he finally ended up at Recovery Point, a rehab facility run by former addicts in a converted elementary school. He had stayed for a year and remained clean for more than four years since.

Now he led Zaine into the meeting a few minutes late. The room was packed, so they grabbed extra chairs and squeezed in near the back. A recovering addict was telling a story about begging for money in his coal miner clothing. I promised myself I wouldnt ever use a needle, he said. He finished his speech, and then Scott walked to the front of the room. Everyone already knew who he was. After he had gotten clean, he had walked around South Charleston in a shirt that read Neighborhood Hope Dealer and persuaded dozens of addicts to enter treatment. He had spoken at these meetings several times. I lit myself on fire twice while I was high and kept using, he said. I lost my kid. I got high around her. I thought shed be better off without me. How many people have lost their kids to this?

About half of the people in the room raised their hands.

Come on. Dont lie to yourselves, Scott said, and another 20 hands lifted into the air.

Theres someone here who can tell you about what that does to a kid, Scott said, and then he pointed to Zaine. Come on up here, Bud, Scott said, but Zaine shook his head. Come on, Scott said again, but instead Zaine stood and walked out into the hallway to go to the bathroom. He could hear Scott stalling at the front of the room, telling the group about Zaines parents and how they had been high-functioning addicts. Austin had run the kitchen at a restaurant; Amanda had sometimes worked as a nurse aide and taught her daughters to play volleyball. They had been trying to get clean  always trying to get clean  and they had both gone away to detox early that April with plans to quit for good. But they couldnt afford to miss very many days of work, and they couldnt stand being apart from the kids, so they had come home early and then overdosed a few days later.

Zaine tried to slip back into the room. Scott noticed and pointed at him again. Lets hear it for Zaine, he said, and when everyone started to applaud, Zaine walked to the front.

Its a pretty normal story around here, he said, and then he started to tell them about Easter morning in 2015. It had been so quiet in his parents room that morning, even though his father always snored. He had knocked on the door and gotten no answer. He had sent his sisters to wait in the car and then walked around the back of the house to look through a window into his parents room. They were both lying on the floor. He thought they were passed out. He opened the window and leaned into the room to push over a fan, but his parents still didnt startle. He ran back into the house, called 911 and slammed into the locked door. He knew CPR. Maybe he could save them. He busted through the lock and fell into the room, landing on his father, whose body felt cold.

It was a shock, but then again I always knew what theyd been doing, so it kind of wasnt, he said.

If you dont think your kids know whats going on, theyre smarter than you think, he said. We might not be able to put words to it, but we feel it.

It sucks. I know Im trying to be positive, but Im just telling you the truth. Its kind of hard to explain, he said.

***



(Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

There was one place where he did feel understood, so one Saturday night he rode out of town and up into the hills alongside the Big Coal River. He crossed an unsigned railroad track and turned down a dirt road that led to a small house guarded by a Rottweiler. His uncle, Zach, was standing outside near an aluminum garage, holding a saw in one hand and a nicotine vaporizer in the other.

Hand me my drill, will ya? he said, when Zaine got out of the car.

Where is it? Zaine said, kicking through a pile of tools on the garage floor.

He found the drill and then sat in a plastic chair to watch his uncle work. The garage was cold and dark except for the sparks flying off the drill. There was poor cellphone service, nothing to eat other than a few hot dogs and nothing to do except help his uncle repair old cars. But Zaine had been coming here almost every weekend since his parents deaths. Out here nobody was asking him to spread hope or pass drug tests or be responsible for his sisters. There werent so many questions, and he could sit with another relative who seemed as grief-stricken and uncertain as he sometimes was.

Zach had been two years sober and earning a good salary as a highly regarded mechanic until his only brother, Austin, died of an overdose. Now he said he was up and down, surviving on odd jobs and managing his way through addiction with a doctor-prescribed opioid called Suboxone. It dulled the cravings but didnt do much for the anger or the guilt. How many times had he gotten high with Austin and Amanda in that same bedroom? He had saved his brother in that room once after another overdose, giving him CPR until the paramedics came to revive him with an opiate antidote called Narcan. Now he wondered: Why couldnt he have been there to help again?

Zach set down the drill and lit a fire for warmth. The garage filled with smoke, but they stayed there anyway.

Ive been thinking about my worst memories with all of this, Zach said. A lot involve you.

Like what? Zaine said.

Mostly all those times youd be sitting outside their bedroom and the door would be locked. We could hear you out there making noise.

I was listening to make sure everybody was breathing, Zaine said.

I hate myself for that, Zach said. How early did you figure out what was going on?

Probably when I was 10. Maybe 11, Zaine said.

What kind of childhood is that?

It was mostly okay, Zaine said, because he had lots of good memories, too. His mother had made it to almost every school event, taken the children shopping for nice clothes and planned their annual summer vacation to the beach. His father had taught him jokes, introduced him to music, hired him at the restaurant and showed him how to cook. But, by the time Zaine was 12, he was also beginning to notice how his parents would sometimes nod off at the dinner table, and how his fathers hands were bruising around the veins. Sometimes, when the refrigerator started to get empty, Zaine would ask neighbors for eggs, cook breakfast for his sisters and then walk them to the school bus so that they didnt suspect anything was wrong.



Arianna and Zoie Pulliam play on the trampoline at their home in South Charleston. Their older brother, Zaine, took care of them even before their parents died last year. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

He was used to assuming responsibility for his sisters, so that Easter morning he had tried to take control, too. He had made sure his sisters stayed in the car. He had sat with his parents for six minutes while he waited for the paramedics to come, counting out his breaths and telling himself not to cry. He already knew they were dead, and he already knew what some people in South Charleston would say. Just addicts. Just a couple more overdoses. Nobodys fault but their own. So, while he waited for the medics, he had cleaned the drug residue off the bedroom counter and hid his parents used needles in his shoe, hoping the police might mistake it for carbon-monoxide poisoning.

Soon after Zach learned of his brothers death, he had gone out to buy a pistol. He wanted revenge, but first he had to figure out whom to blame. Was it the dealers who were bringing heroin and pain pills to South Charleston? Or the rural doctors who had first prescribed those pain pills at record rates? Or the small-town pharmacies that had profited off extra-strength oxycodone and fentanyl lollipops? Or the drug companies that had increased sales of their opioids by marketing pain as the fifth vital sign? Or the politicians who had been slow to recognize a crisis and slower still to allocate adequate funding for treatment?

Eventually Zach had become so frightened by his own rage that he had given the gun to his mother. He had two daughters of his own, and he didnt want to spend his life in prison.

As far as most people are concerned, drugs are just killing off the lower class, he said now. Whos going to fix that? What do they care?

As soon as youre on drugs, its like everything is your fault, Zaine said. People think youre trash.

Youre a damn druggie. Youre nothing.

Zaine wanted to be a welder. He was tall, muscular and congenial like his father, and he had always liked hard work. He had done some basic welding in high school and found that he was good at it. He wanted a union job that paid $20 an hour so he could buy his own house nearby. Maybe his sisters could come live with him. Maybe he could help take care of them as they finished high school. He was already beginning to worry that Arianna was withdrawing little by little to spend more time with her friends.

Its on me to make sure nothing goes bad for them, he said.

Theyll be okay, Zach said. The garage was almost entirely filled with smoke now. He stood up to douse the fire. Theyre smart and tough.

Theyre Pulliams, Zaine said.

***



Madie Clark, right, here with Zaine and friend Jewels Hudson, moved in with her grandchildren after her daughter  their mom  died of an overdose. Clark is a former addict. Whats to keep these kids from getting over on me? she wonders. How do I know they wont go the wrong way? (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

Maybe the only way for a generation of children to recover from a drug epidemic was gradually, by making one good decision at a time: a Saturday night. Another party at a friends house. The parents were out of town and somebody had already gotten the beer. Zaines girlfriend was on her way there, and she wanted him to meet her.

Youre going to be safe and smart tonight, right? Madie asked him.

Yes. Of course. You dont even need to ask that, Zaine said.

Youre a good kid, so make good decisions, Madie said, as she watched him grab his vaporizer.

Youre a good kid, she said again, as he stuffed a blanket into his backpack in case he decided to spend the night.

He hugged her goodbye and went out the door, and then the house was quiet. Arianna, the 13-year-old, was away at a sleepover of her own. Zoie, the 10-year-old, was finishing a board game. Madie walked into her bedroom, where sometimes she still thought she could see the imprint of her daughter and her son-in-law on the floor. She had moved the bed and switched around some of the furniture to make the room feel different. She never locked the door and always left it open.

Zoie came in and tugged at her leg. Lets watch a movie, she said, and Madie sat down next to her on the couch. She pulled a blanket over her legs. She thought about Zaine at his house party and what it was like to be on the verge of adulthood at 17. She thought about everything that adulthood had come to mean in rural West Virginia.

They started a movie and watched it for a few minutes, until she saw headlights pulling into the driveway. Zaine got out of a car and came back into the house with his backpack. He had only been gone for half an hour. What are you doing back here so quick? Madie asked, and so he told her about the party. Too many people had come. A few of his friends had gotten into a fight. It had felt out of control and like a bad place to be.

Id rather just hang out here and watch TV, Zaine said, squeezing in next to them on the couch.

He reached for the remote and grabbed some of his sisters candy. He noticed that Madie was still staring at him. What? he said.

Nothing. Just glad youre doing good, she said.

Im fine, he said. What were you worried about?
Barack Obamas watershed 2008 election and the presidency that followed profoundly altered the aesthetics of American democracy, transforming the Founding Fathers narrow vision of politics and citizenship into something more expansive and more elegant. The American presidency suddenly looked very different, and for a moment America felt different, too.

The Obama victory helped fulfill one of the great ambitions of the civil rights struggle by showcasing the ability of extraordinarily talented black Americans to lead and excel in all facets of American life. First lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia, extended this reimagining of black American life by providing a conspicuous vision of a healthy, loving and thriving African American family that defies still-prevalent racist stereotypes.

But some interpreted Obamas triumph as much more.



Members of the crowd in Gary, Ind., seek to shake the candidate's hand or touch his head as he thanks them for their support in October 2008. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

The victory was heralded as the arrival of a post-racial America, one in which the nations original sin of racial slavery and post-Reconstruction Jim Crow discrimination had finally been absolved by the election of a black man as commander in chief. For a while, the nation basked in a racially harmonious afterglow.

A black president would influence generations of young children to embrace a new vision of American citizenship. The Obama Coalition of African American, white, Latino, Asian American and Native American voters had helped usher in an era in which institutional racism and pervasive inequality would fade as Americans embraced the nations multicultural promise.

From the archives Obama makes history Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was elected the nations 44th president yesterday, riding a message of hope and change to become the first African American to ascend to the White House.

Seven years later, such profound optimism seems misplaced. Almost immediately, the Obama presidency unleashed racial furies that have only multiplied over time. From the tea partys racially tinged attacks on the presidents policy agenda to the birther movements more overtly racist fantasies asserting that Obama was not even an American citizen, the national racial climate grew more, and not less, fraught.



President Obama is feted in Chicago on Nov. 6, 2012, the night he is elected to his second term as commander in chief. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

If racial conflict, in the form of birthers, tea partyers and gnawing resentments, implicitly shadowed Obamas first term, it erupted into open warfare during much of his second. The Supreme Courts 2013 decision in the Shelby v. Holder case gutted Voting Rights Act enforcement, throwing into question the signal achievement of the civil rights movements heroic period.

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Beginning with the 2012 shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida, the nation reopened an intense debate on the continued horror of institutional racism evidenced by a string of high-profile deaths of black men, women, boys and girls at the hands of law enforcement.

The organized demonstrations, protests and outrage of a new generation of civil rights activists turned the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter into the clarion call for a new social justice movement. Black Lives Matter activists have forcefully argued that the U.S. criminal justice system represents a gateway to racial oppression, one marked by a drug war that disproportionately targets, punishes and warehouses young men and women of color. In her bestselling book The New Jim Crow, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argued that mass incarceration represents a racial caste system that echoes the pervasive, structural inequality of a system of racial apartheid that persists.



A supporter hugs President Obama as he works the rope line following a rally in Denver in October 2012. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Obamas first-term caution on race matters was punctured by his controversial remarks that police acted stupidly in the mistaken identity arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard Universitys prominent African American studies professor, in 2009. Four years later he entered the breach once more by proclaiming that if he had a son, hed look like Trayvon.

In the aftermath of racial unrest in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, and a racially motivated massacre in Charleston, S.C., Obama went further. In 2015, Obama found his voice in a series of stirring speeches in Selma, Ala., and Charleston, where he acknowledged Americas long and continuous history of racial injustice.

Policy-wise Obama has launched a private philanthropic effort, My Brothers Keeper, designed to assist low-income black boys, and became the first president to visit a federal prison in a call for prison reform that foreshadowed the administrations efforts to release federal inmates facing long sentences on relatively minor drug charges.

Despite these efforts, many of Obamas African American supporters have expressed profound disappointment over the presidents refusal to forcefully pursue racial and economic justice policies for his most loyal political constituency.

From this perspective, the Obama presidency has played out as a cruel joke on members of the African American community who, despite providing indispensable votes, critical support and unstinting loyalty, find themselves largely shut out from the nations post-Great Recession economic recovery. Blacks have, critics suggested, traded away substantive policy demands for the largely symbolic psychological and emotional victory of having a black president and first family in the White House for eight years.

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From the archives Obama struggles to balance African Americans hopes with countrys as a whole Well before he became the nations first black president, he was already weighing that identity in his mind.

Others find that assessment harsh, noting that Obamas most impressive policy achievements have received scant promotion from the White House or acknowledgment in the mainstream media.

History will decide the full measure of the importance, success, failures and shortcomings of the Obama presidency. With regard to race, Obamas historical significance is ensured; only his impact and legacy are up for debate. In retrospect, the burden of transforming Americas tortured racial history in two four-year presidential terms proved impossible, even as its promise helped to catapult Obama to the nations highest office.



President Obama wraps up his campaign with a final stop in downtown Des Moines on Nov. 5, 2012. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Obamas presidency elides important aspects of the civil rights struggle, especially the teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. King, for a time, served as the racial justice consciousness for two presidents  John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Many who hoped Obama might be able to serve both roles  as president and racial justice advocate  have been disappointed. Yet there is a revelatory clarity in that disappointment, proving that Obama is not King or Frederick Douglass, but Abraham Lincoln, Kennedy and Johnson. Even a black president, perhaps especially a black president, could not untangle racisms Gordian knot on the body politic. Yet in acknowledging the limitations of Obamas presidency on healing racial divisions and the shortcomings of his policies in uplifting black America, we may reach a newfound political maturity that recognizes that no one person  no matter how powerful  can single-handedly rectify structures of inequality constructed over centuries.

Peniel Joseph is professor of history and director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy and the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
President-elect Donald Trump spoke to supporters at a rally in Hershey, Pa., on Thursday. He continues to trash the media, as he did throughout his campaign. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

With Donald Trumps presidency at hand, the news-media landscape is unlike anything weve seen before.

Consider:

Breitbart News, which championed Trump as it catered to its white-nationalist readers, is expanding into France and Germany, even as its former chairman, Steve Bannon, has the future presidents ear as his chief strategist.

Americas newspapers are reeling from suddenly steeper declines in the print advertising that keeps them afloat. Journalistic talent is oozing out of newsroom doors as companies cut expenses.

Cable TV, so important to Trumps rise, seems torn between two personalities: one driven by ratings and profit, the other by its responsibility to inform the public.

Traditional powerhouses including the New York Times and The Washington Post are beefing up their White House and government coverage, as if girding for battle, while one of the best of the digital investigative outfits, ProPublica, expands into the Midwest.

Trump is still trashing the media, as he did throughout his campaign. And his hard-core supporters, whom he described recently as vicious, violent, screaming, see the mainstream media as villains.



What can we expect in the months ahead? As Marty Baron, The Posts executive editor, aptly noted in a commencement speech last week, predictions are not journalists strong suit.

Nevertheless, with the help of some expert observers, here are a few.

1. Unprecedented conflict between the administration and the media.

Jay Rosen, a leading media thinker, sees big trouble ahead. Describing himself as very gloomy, he said he believes that not only will media rights be under siege but the end of our democracy is possible.

Trump converts press coverage of his falsehoods into fuel in the culture war, he said in an interview. This casts the press in the role of Trumps antagonist and encourages his supporters to shout down honest reporting.

He forecast in a 20-part Twitter thread what might happen when a major journalistic investigation infuriates the new president: A leak investigation will follow and, in turn, journalists could find themselves prosecuted for the crime of reporting the news.

2. Journalism that follows the money  but may not hit home.

Carl Bernstein, the author and Watergate reporter, believes that news organizations will provide great journalism, zeroing in on Trumps financial conflicts of interest and connections to Russia.

If Hillary Clinton or Richard Nixon had had these kinds of conflicts, there would be a Congressional investigation starting on January 21, Bernstein said. But Trump has a perverse genius that keeps him eight steps away from every sheriff.

Just as when he and fellow Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward were doing their Watergate investigation in the 1970s, follow the money is still the key. Not with the intention of bringing down a president, he emphasized, but in order to give citizens and their elected representatives the information needed to make decisions.

There has been one crucial  and undeniable  change since the Watergate days, though: Fewer and fewer people are open to the best obtainable version of the truth.

3. The weakening of journalism in the heartland.

Money troubles are eating away at one of the few ties that bind us: regional and local newspapers. A few months ago, newspapers saw a sudden acceleration of losses in print advertising.

Warren Buffett, whose company Berkshire Hathaway owns dozens of newspapers (and who was once my boss), told me that those losses are closely correlated with unending circulation declines: The trends are very clear.

Nothing will reverse this, and digital ad revenue simply doesnt pay for the heavy costs of newsgathering, production and distribution. Papers have long been looking for an Internet-age strategy, but nobody has found it, Buffett said. Meanwhile, papers cut costs by slashing staff in endless rounds of buyouts and layoffs.



Richard Tofel, president of ProPublica, the investigative journalism nonprofit, said that these shrunken papers are less able to carry out the core mission of accountability journalism.

The biggest lie is that newsrooms can do more with less, he said.

ProPublica is expanding into Illinois with a 10-person editorial team  laudable, to be sure, but it cant begin to make up for vibrant local papers with dozens of beat reporters, statehouse bureaus and investigative teams. Journalism, more and more, is concentrated in New York City, Washington and California  the very places that many Trump supporters find so suspect.

4. More pressure than ever on dominant news organizations.

Some of the best watchdog reporting in recent months came from what Bernstein calls the often-maligned, old-school press, notably The Post and the New York Times, along with the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Politico.

Its not surprising, then, that Trump blacklisted The Post and Politico during the campaign, and threatened to sue the Times. And BuzzFeed, which also did strong investigative work during the presidential campaign, also had its Trump media credentials revoked.

Rosen believes that news organizations must rebuild relationships of trust with citizens, including with Trumps supporters.

If people want serious, fact-based journalism, they are going to have to choose it, he said. They may come to realize what they value.

Even the best watchdog journalism wont preserve democracy as the Founders intended without engaged citizens and responsible elected officials, all living in the same truth-based reality.

At this strange moment, that seems like a high bar to clear  but clear it we must.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
the district

Nursing home nishes sale to Sidwell Friends

A nursing home in Northwest Washington has finalized the sale of its building and land to Sidwell Friends School, capping a year-long controversy over the displacement of the homes poor and elderly residents.

Washington Home residents and their families said they were blindsided by the sale and could not find arrangements for comparable care elsewhere.

Several sought to block the $32.5 million sale, arguing it violated a D.C. law requiring landlords to offer tenants the right of first refusal before a sale. A judge rejected that argument in October, ruling that nursing homes are fundamentally different from other housing accommodations.

 Emma Brown
Scores on Virginias Standards of Learning math tests have gone up three years straight at Fairfax Countys J.E.B. Stuart High School. The improvement stems mostly from better teaching and more time for instruction, but a little-noticed part of this process deserves special mention.

Bill Horkan, a veteran math teacher at Stuart, says an innovation has been added involving a fact of human nature not usually taught in education schools. All of us, including teenagers, compare ourselves to others and get a jolt of confidence when we realize some of our high-performing classmates arent any smarter than we are.

Like many Washington-area high schools that offer the International Baccalaureate program, Stuart has a course called IB math studies.

Math studies is basically a college algebra or college business class, Horkan said, noting that it is one that most non-math or non-science majors will take as a required general education math class in college.

[This high school was struggling, but a community was able to turn it around]

It is the lowest level of IB math, but Horkan says it is the most important because it draws students who, like me at that age, try to avoid the more difficult science and math classes. (I dropped high school physics midyear and fulfilled my science requirement my senior year of college with a notorious navigation course that had no homework and no real exams.)

People of my ilk avoid IB math studies because it requires students to take an independently written and graded IB final exam, much more demanding than the usual high school final. They also have to write a 2,000-word paper on a subject related to math. The response to such demands is usually some version of Are you kidding me?

Stuart High, full of crafty educators, decided a few years ago to weaken student resistance with a version of the course that eliminated the IB final exam and the paper. It was a risky move. School district curriculum supervisors often come down hard on such imaginative experiments.

But non-IB math studies have produced pleasant surprises. The students know it is just like the IB course except for the paper and the IB final. Seeing such requirements up close, some come to realize they are not as hard as they thought. Some move over to the IB version of the class. Students who dont make the switch still find when they get to college that they are well prepared for its required math class and are looked on as smart, which they find pleasantly unsettling.

Horkan admits it takes a special type of teacher to handle such a class. The co-conspirators who devised non-IB math studies have to make sure the school doesnt assign a newer or weaker teacher just because the course has no SOL or IB test that might reflect on the school. The course contains students who dont want to do extra work or think they cant, Horkan said. But success breeds success, and once students see that they can succeed, they often do.

I have seen this sneaky approach elsewhere. Jack Esformes at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria for many years taught government classes that every student had to take to graduate. He put in each classroom seven students who were taking the more challenging Advanced Placement version of the course. The AP and regular students had different homework, but they participated in the same class discussions and exercises. When some of the regular students discovered the AP students were no smarter in class than they were, they moved to the AP side.

Horkan has found that even if students absorb just 40 percent to 50 percent of an AP or IB class, when they retake the equivalent introductory course in college they are much further ahead than they would be otherwise. His high school has found ways to nudge many surprised students in that direction, something other schools should try.
One night in 1991, the phone rang and Ted Kennedy answered it. On the other end of the line was a rather drunk woman asking for help for her brother, who was having all this trouble with the government.

This is when I took my name out of the phone book, said Ted Kennedy.

Thats because he isnt that Ted Kennedy. He was just a guy in Arlington, Va., who shares a name with someone else.

Most of us share a name with someone else. I do, as I recounted in a column last week about all the congratulations I got when Donald Trump said he wanted John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security.

[Twitter wants to know: Will the real John Kelly please stand up?]

Ann Richards can relate. Her first curious call came in the middle of the night from an inebriated woman. Ann wasnt sure what the woman wanted, but when the caller mentioned Lloyd Bentsen, a onetime senator from Texas, Ann realized she was looking for the former governor of the Lone Star State.

I apologized and told her I couldnt help her, Ann wrote. The calls kept coming, letters too, including one in 1999 from a Florida couple who had seen the other Ann Richards on C-Span and wanted her to run for president.

I sat down and wrote the other Ann Richards a note telling her I had been awakened in the middle of the night, told my name sounded familiar any number of times but no one had every asked me to run for president, Ann said.

A few days later, Ann received a note handwritten in beautiful cursive script. It began: Dear Ann Richards, I am so sorry that you bear the burden of my name and get none of the benefits.

Ann framed the letter, which hangs in her kitchen. I will always cherish it and wish that I had had the opportunity to meet her!

When Christopher Hitchens, the English contrarian author, moved to Washington in the 1980s, it complicated the life of Christopher Hitchens, the Gaithersburg, Md., lawyer. Filmmakers called him. Editors wrote him.

Its hard not to open mail with your name on it, Christopher wrote.

He contacted the Nation, for which Hitchens wrote, and was put in touch with the author.

We had some laughs as we greeted each other mutually on the telephone: Ah, Mr. Hitchens? . . .   Yes, Mr. Hitchens? 

They even had dinner together at the authors home on Capitol Hill.

I felt energized for days, Christopher wrote.

People were sometimes disappointed when Gaithersburgs Christopher Hitchens showed up places that were hoping for the other Christopher Hitchens, such as at the Kennedy Center will-call ticket office.

After the authors death in 2011, Christopher had the odd experience of seeing his name in the obituaries. I was glad to be the other Christopher Hitchens then, he wrote.

Last week, Christopher was at a routine hearing at the district court in Rockville, Md. When the hearing ended, the judge looked at him and asked whether his name was really Christopher Hitchens.

Wrote Christopher: Then he held forth on how whether you agreed with him or not, what a marvelous thinker and speaker he had been. Its usually good to agree with the judge, and I did.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Katherine Graham was a poor, unmarried graduate student living in Glover Park. She began to get messages about her maid forgetting to sign the check at Safeway and how her hairdresser was running a little late.

The highlight was when I received a message on my answering machine that Nelson Mandela had to change our meeting time, wrote Katherine Graham, who is now married and goes by Katie Ryan. Knowing that one was important, I called The Washington Post, who immediately put me through to Mrs. Grahams personal secretary. I never did get to meet the other Katharine Graham.

John Kelly of Reston, Va., said hes only had two brush with fame moments. The first was when David Caruso played a character named John Kelly on NYPD Blue.

My friends would give me grief about how sensitive he was, John wrote. The second is any time you write a funny column  they remind me that you are way wittier than me!

John said he takes comfort in the fact that he has absolutely no social-media presence.

No one will ever find me beneath the 100,000 other John Kellys! he wrote.

Ill have more cases of mistaken identity in a future column.

Extending a Helping Hand

Theres no mistaking this: With three weeks left in this years Washington Post Helping Hand campaign, were about a third of the way to our goal of $225,000.

Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Homestretch and Community of Hope all work with homeless families and youths in our area. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift by Jan. 6 to help these nonprofit groups to assist more clients.

For more information or to donate online, visit posthelpinghand.com.

Twitter: @johnkelly

For previous columns, visit washingtonpost.com/johnkelly.
Federal transit officials have determined that Metros safety problems and declining ridership would not have a significant enough impact on Marylands planned light-rail Purple Line to warrant updating the projects environmental study, according to a court filing late Friday.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon is expected to consider the filing in deciding whether to dismiss a lawsuit that Purple Line opponents filed against the project on environmental grounds. Major construction on the 16-mile light-rail line between Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, which had been scheduled for late October, cannot begin until the lawsuit is resolved.

Leon ruled in August that, as the plaintiffs had argued, the FTA erred in not considering Metros declining ridership when it approved the Purple Lines environmental study in 2014. Leon ordered that the projects review be redone  a process that would have added months of delay.

However, after the FTA and the Maryland Transit Administration objected, the judge backed off that decision in November. The FTA had to consider any impacts of Metros decline, the judge said, and then determine if it warranted a supplemental environmental analysis.

[How a court ruling put $900 million for the Purple Line off limits]

The Purple Line would be operated separately from Metro, but four of the light-rail lines highest-ridership stops would be at Metro stations on the Red, Orange and Green lines.

Because 27 percent of a Purple Lines ridership is expected to come from people transferring to or from Metro, opponents said Metros declining ridership called the Purple Lines ridership forecasts into question. The state relied on those forecasts in its environmental study when it chose a light-rail line over a less expensive rapid bus option.

Metro ridership has fallen 12 percent since 2010, with 100,000 fewer trips per day.

In the filing late Friday, the FTA said the areas population, employment and traffic congestion in 2005 would have supplied enough demand for a Purple Line to reach 80 percent of the 69,299 trips that the Purple Line is projected to reach on average each weekday in 2040.

[A judge says Metros extraordinary problems could affect the Purple Line]

If Metro ridership rebounded in 2018  after the rail systems SafeTrack repair program is expected to be completed  and grew at the rate initially projected, the Purple Lines ridership would reach about 66,766 per weekday  about 3.6 percent less than initially estimated, the FTA said. Under the most pessimistic scenario  one in which Metro suffered a long-term, sustained decline in ridership  the Purple Line would have 13 percent fewer riders than projected, or about 9,000 fewer trips daily.

Even if the Purple Line had no Metro riders  removing Metros problems completely from the Purple Line ridership analysis  the light-rail line would have about 50,000 weekday riders in 2040, the FTA said.

With 50,000 riders under that most extreme scenario, the FTA said, the Purple Line would still be one of the most robust light-rail systems funded by the FTA in recent years.

Because the lines construction footprint would not change, the FTA said, reduced ridership would not affect its environmental impacts. The line also would continue to meet its stated purpose of improving east-west transit in the Maryland suburbs, the agency said.
Annie Glenn touches the casket of her husband, John Glenn, as he lies in honor in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday. The nation began saying goodbye to the ex-fighter pilot, famed astronaut and longtime U.S. senator who died last week at age 95. (John Minchillo/AP)

WEATHER

Winter storms spark accidents, deaths

Winter storms packing snow, freezing rain and bone-chilling cold socked the nations West, midsection and East Coast on Saturday, causing hundreds of accidents on icy roads and putting a crimp on Christmas shopping.

Winter weather advisories were posted from New Mexico to Denver to Bangor, Maine. Airports reported hundreds of flight delays or cancellations, interstates and toll roads reduced speed limits, and authorities urged drivers to use extreme caution.

There were dozens of crashes in Indiana  two of them involving fatalities  because of freezing rain and ice, officials said. It was not immediately clear how many people were killed. In Ohio, a Columbus woman died Saturday when her car skidded off a slick road, authorities said. In Nebraska, Douglas County sheriffs deputies said one person was killed Friday night when his car slid off an icy road north of Omaha, hit a tree and burst into flames.

In Colorado, up to a foot of snow fell in places, snarling traffic. In North Carolina, police and emergency workers reported more than 100 crashes overnight in Raleigh and Charlotte as the drizzle combined with temperatures below freezing to create dangerous icy patches.

Multiple crashes occurred on a snow- and ice-covered stretch of westbound Interstate 40 in northeastern New Mexico after a Pacific storm swept across the region, closing 38 miles of the highway, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths.

1 of 24 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Ohio and the nation say goodbye to John Glenn View Photos People gathered to celebrate the life of former fighter pilot, beloved astronaut and U.S. senator John Glenn after a public viewing of his flag-draped casket inside the Ohio Statehouse rotunda. Caption People gathered to celebrate the life of former fighter pilot, beloved astronaut and U.S. senator John Glenn after a public viewing of his flag-draped casket inside the Ohio Statehouse rotunda. Dec. 17, 2016 Marines carry the casket of John Glenn out of the Ohio Statehouse for the funeral procession in Columbus. John Minchillo/AP Wait 1 second to continue.

 Associated Press

DELAWARE

Man gets life in psychiatrists stabbing

A Delaware man who pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the fatal stabbing of a psychiatrist who once treated him was sentenced to life in prison Friday.

Christopher Frick apologized for killing Caroline Ekong, the Wilmington News-Journal reported. Ekong, 55, was found dead in her home in October 2015 shortly before Frick called 911 from his parents home to report that he had killed her.

Judge Ferris W. Wharton sentenced Frick to life in prison plus 25 years. Fricks plea means he will receive psychiatric treatment while incarcerated.

 Associated Press

Border Patrol agent shoots man during struggle: The Border Patrol said an agent shot and wounded a man suspected of entering the country illegally Friday when the man fought with the agent and got control of the agents baton. The shooting occurred near Douglas in southeastern Arizona. The agent was unhurt.

 From news services
ANY ORGANIZATION is bound to have a few bad apples in its workforce. But the revelation that nearly half of the employees who inspect Metros tracks were lackadaisical, even negligent, about their critical work suggests a department that is rotten to the core. So it is about time that officials took aggressive action to stamp out malfeasance that places the publics safety in jeopardy.

Investigation into the July derailment of a Silver Line train revealed what officials characterized as a pattern of fabrication and negligence by nearly half of the agencys 60-person track inspection department. Six employees were fired, six more will be subject to pending terminations or suspensions, and a total of 28 workers received disciplinary action. The misconduct went back as far as three years and extended beyond the rank and file to supervisors.

There were thankfully only minor injuries when a train derailed at the start of the morning rush on July 29, but it snarled service for much of the day and closed the East Falls Church station for days. Repairs cost about $860,000. That inspectors, as was determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, knew about flaws in the tracks for as long as a year before the derailment is damning and frightening. So too is the response of the head of Metros largest union, who offered weak excuses. There are a lot of nuances here, said Jackie Jeter, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, who, according to Adam Tuss of NBC Washington, also said the union will probably fight the disciplinary action.

There is nothing nuanced about the sad state of the Metro system or the part played by a poorly motivated labor force and lax management. If there is an encouraging sign, it is in the forthright actions taken by General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld, who took over Metro leadership about a year ago. By firing the workers, referring the matter to federal prosecutors for possible legal action and laying it all out for the public, he is doing what his predecessors failed to do. Instead of just giving lip service to safety, he is taking it seriously and sending a message about the urgent need for a cultural change.
Pressure on members of the electoral college to select someone other than Donald Trump has grown dramatically  and noisily  in recent weeks, causing some to waver but yielding little evidence that Trump will fall short when electors convene in most state capitals Monday to cast their votes.

Carole Joyce of Arizona expected her role as a GOP elector to be pretty simple: She would meet the others in Phoenix and carry out a vote for Trump, who won the most votes in her state and whom she personally supported.

But then came the mail and the emails and the phone calls  first hundreds, then thousands of voters worrying that Trumps impulsive nature would lead the country into another war.

Honestly, it had an impact, said Joyce, a 72-year-old Republican state committee member. Ive seen enough funerals. Im tired of hearing bagpipes. . . . But I signed a loyalty pledge. And that matters.

Such is the life these days for many of the 538 men and women who are scheduled to meet Monday across the country to carry out what has traditionally been a perfunctory vote after most every presidential election.

(McKenna Ewen,Whitney Shefte,Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post)

The role of elector has intensified this year, in the wake of a bitter election in which Trump lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton by a margin of nearly 3 million votes and the revelation of a secret CIA assessment that Russia interfered to help Trump get elected.

Amid the uncertainty caused by Russian influence, 10 electors  nine Democrats and one Republican  asked for an intelligence briefing to get more information about Moscows role. Their request was endorsed by John Podesta, Clintons campaign manager.

The administration should brief members of the electoral college on the extent and manner of Russias interference in our election before they vote on Dec. 19, Podesta wrote Thursday in a Washington Post op-ed.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Friday evening that it would not brief the electors, because it is engaged in a presidentially ordered review of the Russian interference. Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the intelligence community stands ready to brief Congress and may release findings, the ODNI said in a statement posted to its website.

Meanwhile, Joyce and the other 305 Republican electors who are supposed to cast their votes for Trump have been subject to intense campaigns orchestrated by anti-Trump forces to convince them that they alone can block the reality-television star from the White House.

Others have targeted Democratic electors, who are supposed to cast votes for Clinton, to persuade them to switch to a more conventional Republican who could also draw enough support from GOP electors to swoop into office.

While there is little sign the efforts will prove successful, the push has unleashed intense pressure on individual electors, who have now been thrust into a sometimes uncomfortable spotlight.

Washington state elector Levi Guerra, center, at a Nov. 30 news conference calls for members of the electoral college to vote for a Republican consensus candidate rather than Donald Trump. (Steve Bloom/AP)

Joyce has received emails from Benjamin Franklin and John Jay  and a Christmas card that read: Please, in the name of God, dont vote for Trump.

The rancor about the role of electors started early in the campaign. In August, Baoky Vu, a GOP activist in Atlanta, said he planned to resign from the job because he was so morally opposed to Trump. He planned to defer his voting responsibility to someone more willing  an alternate who would be put in place Monday.

After the election, Vu started getting phone calls and emails asking him not to resign. He was asked instead to consider joining a coalition of electors hoping to vote against Trump. He declined.

I dont think we should drag this election out any longer, Vu said. And can you imagine if the electors overturned the results? If we attempt to change them in any way, youve got these far-right elements that are just going to go haywire.

Mark Hersch, a 60-year-old Chicago-based marketing strategist, joined a group known as the Hamilton Electors, who have been organizing efforts to contact electors and change their minds. Before the election, Hersch said, the most political activism he had ever undertaken was planting a yard sign.

He said he believes the goal to deny Trump seems reachable if not probable. Rather than persuade an entire country, he and his allies must find 37 Republicans willing to vote for someone else, a tipping point at which the responsibility of picking the president would shift to the U.S. House of Representatives. No one knows for sure how many are considering alternate votes; estimates vary from one to 25.

The GOP-controlled House could vote for Trump anyway, but those trying to flip voters say there is still value in taking a stand. Hersch said he was inspired to continue to flip electors by the movie 300, which depicts an ancient Spartan armys stand against a Persian force that outnumbered it 1,000 to 1.

I would like to think we would be successful, but if not, we need to do all we could to prevent this man from being president, he said. Then he modified a line from the movie: Prepare your breakfast, and eat hearty, for tonight, we will go to battle. This isnt 300, but 538.

That battle has intensified as electors draw closer to their convening Monday. Joyce was getting 15 letters a day and 300 emails in the days after Nov. 8, but those numbers quickly increased to 50 and 3,000. Some of them have been form letters, others handwritten.

The letters came from Washington state and from China, stuffed with copies of the U.S. Constitution or Alexander Hamiltons writing in Federalist Paper No. 68, which states that the meeting of the electoral college affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications.

On Thursday, Joyce received so many letters that the letter carrier just gave her a U.S. Postal Service bucket filled to the brim.

Im sorry this is happening to you, Joyce recalled the letter carrier saying. While some electors have complained of harassment, Joyce shrugged off the mail and placed it all on a sofa decorated with American flag pillows.

This is America, she said in a phone interview. People have a right to say what they want. She said most of the messages were thoughtful.

On Friday, she said, her emails became more positive. The messages were from Republicans, thanking her for taking Trump to the finish line of an arduous process.

How refreshing! she said.

Although some Democrats (who have in the past five presidential elections lost twoin which they won the popular vote) and even Trump himself have questioned the necessity of the electoral college, many opposing Trump have said this election proves just how important it is.

Norman Eisen, a former ambassador to the Czech Republic who has served as legal counsel to the Obama administration, began calling electors to explain that their job is not necessarily to certify the results but to have a reasonable discussion over whether the public made the right decision.

For instance, Eisen, who focused on government ethics in Obamas White House, noted that Trump could be violating a clause in the Constitution that prevents presidents from receiving gifts and funds from foreign governments; it is unclear whether his businesses do because he has not publicly disclosed his tax returns.

In Massachusetts, Republican operative and attorney R.J. Lyman said he didnt want to harass anyone, so he used his connections to find electors who were willing to chat about the lessons he learned in American history class and at the dinner table. He became one of the few people in the country more willing to talk about Hamilton the man than about Hamilton: An American Musical.



The electoral college, he said he tells them, was not intended to be a rubber stamp. Otherwise, he said, the Founding Fathers would have tasked the responsibility to a clerk or simply used the popular vote as a way of choosing a president.

Im reminding them of their duty to think about their choice in a way thats consistent with their conscience and the Constitution, Lyman said.

So far, Lyman said, he has identified 20 electors who might be willing to vote other than their party pledge. He couldnt name more than one publicly but insisted that more were out there.

Earlier this month, Chris Suprun of Texas became the first Republican elector in a red state that voted for Trump to declare, in a Dec. 5 New York Times column, that he would not cast his electoral vote for Trump. Suprun voted for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the primary and said he left behind his wallet on Election Day and thus did not vote in the general.

Nonetheless, Suprun said, he was willing to vote for Trump in the electoral college until the candidate claimed with no evidence that millions of Clinton supporters voted illegally.

Supruns public stance has elicited death threats and hate mail, he said.

As of yesterday, people are calling to say, Get your ass together, or were coming for you,  said Suprun, who was the sole Republican elector to ask for an intelligence briefing on Russia. They are doing it with their own phone number, not even blocking the number. Thats not been surprising  look at what Trump says himself.

Vinz Koller, a Democratic elector from Monterey County, Calif., said he read Supruns column and started thinking about his own role in the college. It inspired him to support a new theory: If he could persuade other Democrats to abandon their Clinton votes, perhaps he and Republicans could agree on a more conventional choice  a la Ohio governor and failed GOP candidate John Kasich  to vote for instead of Trump.

The plan seemed unlikely, he said, but Trumps candidacy unsettled him so much that he felt he needed to try anything. California is one of 29 states that mandate electors vote for the candidate who won the state, so Koller sued to continue his plan.

Frankly, this is hard and not something I do lightly, he said. Ive been working in partisan politics a long time, and I dont like voting against my candidate, but I never thought that the country might be unstable until now.

On Thursday evening, he found himself in the Library of Congress. Strolling through its stacks, Koller sought a librarian with one request: Can I see the original Federalist Papers?

He looked to see Federalist No. 68, written by Hamilton to describe the need for the electoral college.

We have been getting a civic lesson we werent prepared to get, Koller said. They gave us the fail-safe emergency brake, in case the people got it wrong. And here we are, 200 years later. Its the last shot we have.

Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.

Correct: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said that Norman Eisen served as legal counsel to the Bush administration. He has served in that capacity for the Obama administration.
President-elect Donald Trump waves as he is greeted by Azalea Trail Maids on his way to a thank you tour event in Mobile, Ala.

Dec. 17, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump waves as he is greeted by Azalea Trail Maids on his way to a thank you tour event in Mobile, Ala. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post

The president-elect has gone to Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina and Ohio and saluted workers at an Indiana plant where he says he saved more than 1,000 jobs.

The president-elect has gone to Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina and Ohio and saluted workers at an Indiana plant where he says he saved more than 1,000 jobs.

He strode out on a catwalk at a football stadium here to Lynyrd Skynyrds Sweet Home Alabama. A 50-foot cedar tree, which aides installed behind his stage with a crane, was decorated with Christmas ornaments larger than human heads. His crowd, thousands deep, held up familiar signs (Make America Great Again) and reprised signature chants (Lock her up!).

This is where it all began, President-elect Donald Trump exhorted, basking in the adulation of the Alabamians who had come to see him Saturday afternoon in the same stadium where 16 months earlier he staged the first electric mega-rally of his improbable campaign.

This city in the nations Bible Belt was the symbolic last stop in Trumps journey to the White House  the conclusion of a nine-city pre-inaugural roadshow.

Rather than projecting inclusiveness and striving to heal the wounds from the bitter election, as past presidents-elect have done, Trump has traveled on his USA Thank You Tour only to states he turned red on election night. He has whipped up his massive crowds, and they in turn have displayed their allegiance  a powerful reminder to members of Congress that it could be politically dangerous to cross him.

Its a movement, Trump declared in Mobile. Dont forget, they didnt know you existed until Election Day  and then they said, Where the hell did all those people come from? 

(McKenna Ewen,Whitney Shefte,Dalton Bennett/The Washington Post)

As Trump assembles his administration and prepares to govern, he has continued the divisive rhetoric and showmanship of his campaign. He has mocked his opponents, sneered at the media and trumpeted his electoral feats. To the nearly 54 percent of voters who cast ballots for someone else, Trumps message has been, in short: Get on board or get left behind.

Trumps tone in the run-up to his Jan. 20 inauguration poses a challenge as he seeks to govern a deeply divided nation and build popular support for his policies. And as he tries to pivot from a rollicking campaign, Trump is struggling to tame the army of passionate followers he has playfully called wild beasts.

Trumps thank you rallies have been an extension of those he held as a candidate, from the soundtrack (Elton John and Rolling Stones classics) to the vows from the lectern (We will build a great wall!).

Lately, Trumps stages have been set with Christmas trees  16 of them at the Orlando stop  as a sparkling reminder that as president he would say Merry Christmas, not simply Happy holidays. He has made no mention of Hanukkah or acknowledged other faiths. And in Mobile, he was introduced by evangelist Franklin Graham, who said Trump was elected by a spiritual force: I believe it was God.

When Trump swooped into Orlando for a Friday night rally, it had been 38 days since he had had to worry about Hillary Clinton. But his crowd was fixated on her. They chanted, Lock her up! Lock her up! To them, this was still a campaign, and Clinton was the enemy.

Trump told them that in the buildup to the election, You people were vicious, violent, screaming, Wheres the wall? We want the wall! Screaming, Prison! Prison! Lock her up! I mean, you were going crazy. You were nasty and mean and vicious.

[Trump tries to calm his vicious, violent, screaming supporters]

But the campaign is now over, he said. Victory is in hand. The inauguration is a month away. And Trump tried to imagine for his fans how they ought to behave: Now youre laid-back, youre cool, youre mellow, right?

Wrong.

Trump himself has hardly been a model of mellowness. He has used his tour stops to settle scores  with Evan McMullin, the Republican who waged an independent campaign against him in Utah; Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who resisted Trumps candidacy; CNNs John King, who in nightly pre-election analyses on the magic wall predicted that Trump would not reach 270 electoral votes; and the media generally, which Trump faulted for dishonest polls.

Even as Trumps supporters have delighted in the president-elects stump routine, they have confessed in interviews that they wish he would adopt a more serious demeanor as he readies to enter the White House.

Sometimes, during this campaign, he was a little lippy on the mouth. I think it would be better if he toned it down, and I think he will, said Craig Harrison, 45, a construction worker who showed up at Trumps first tour stop in Cincinnati with a flag draped around his shoulders that was emblazoned with Trumps slogan. Harrison said his friends called him Super Trump.

Trumps pre-inaugural posture is unlike any previous president-elect, historians said.

Ive never seen a president that continues to campaign instead of reaching out to voters that didnt like him, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. Hes shunning Hillary Clintons supporters and almost acting like they dont matter. . . . I think he sees himself as a revolutionary figure, and youre either going to join the Trump revolution or youre not.

Trumps supporters hope he continues campaign-style rallies as president.

He has to keep an open line to the people, said Sue Ann Balch, 61, an immigration lawyer in Alabama. I know how it is. You catch Potomac fever and forget everything.

Trump agrees.

Theyre saying, As president, he shouldnt be doing rallies. But I think we should, right? Weve done everything else the opposite. This is the way you get an honest word out, he said in Mobile.

Trumps Cabinet picks have tilted heavily conservative, and so far he has eschewed a tradition of tapping a member of the opposing party for a key post. He continues to use Twitter to whip up his base, with tweets opposing flag burning and suggesting, without evidence, that Clinton benefited from illegal votes.

All nine of the stops on Trumps thank you tour have been in states he won  some of them unexpectedly. The crowds have been overwhelmingly white and, by all accounts, mostly people who voted for him. Folks have come wearing Trump hats and T-shirts. Women have been given pink Women for Trump signs to wave. And when speakers have asked for a show of hands of who had been to a Trump rally before, it has seemed as though every hand were in the air.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who ran unsuccessfully for president this year as a Democrat, said, Mr. Trump has every right in the world to thank his supporters in those states in which he won, but as the president-elect, he also has the responsibility to assure all Americans that he is listening to their concerns.

To be sure, Trump is making other moves to reach out to non-supporters. The eclectic group of people who have paraded through Trump Tower in New York to meet with the president-elect have included some prominent Democrats, including former vice president Al Gore, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio. A group of technology company executives met with Trump and his top advisers last week, even though Silicon Valley was considered especially hostile to his candidacy.

[The biggest names in tech just made nice with Trump]

Trumps approach, different as it may be from his predecessors, appears to be no less strategic. Republicans have the majority in both chambers of Congress, and by keeping his base of supporters aroused, Trump is reminding them that there are risks should they vote against his nominees or his agenda.

He wants these voters to be heard loud and clear by Congress, said Mary Anne Marsh, a Democratic consultant. This is less of a thank-you tour and more of a be-ready-to-fight tour.

Seeking to build momentum for Trumps agenda, the president-elect and his advisers boast of a historic electoral college landslide. But Trumps winning total ranks just 46th out of 58 electoral college results, and a shift of some 40,000 votes in three states would have cost him the presidency. He lost the popular vote to Clinton by more than 2.8 million.

Although Trumps favorability ratings have improved since last months election, he has not yet experienced the honeymoon of popularity enjoyed by other presidents-elect.

Americans are evenly split on Trumps transition so far, with 48 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving, according to a Gallup poll last week. The public displayed overwhelmingly positive attitudes toward the presidential transitions of Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, as recorded in past Gallup surveys.

At a time when Trump is holding no news conferences, the rallies have allowed him to communicate directly with the public, bypassing the media  something many of his supporters say is important.

I know they lie, said Freddie Killian, 60, an administrative assistant who cheered on Trump in Alabama. You want to hear the truth? Come out here and listen to him.

Don Huyvaert, a retired federal government financial analyst, said he showed up at the Wisconsin stop to let Trump know he has the president-elects back.

Hes going to have his hands full draining the swamp, but this tells him there are a lot of people out here behind him, said Huyvaert, 66, a resident of Mount Pleasant, Wis.

At the end of his speeches  after the teasing and taunting, after the Christmas greetings, after the cries in the crowd to jail Clinton  Trump has looked ahead to life as the president and tried to cast himself as a unifying figure.

His crowds may have been the white voters of red America, but the president-elect has declared, as he did Thursday night in Hershey, Pa., that his message is for Americans from all parties, all beliefs, all walks of life.

Whether you are African American, Hispanic American or Asian American or whatever the hell you are, remember that we are all Americans and we are all united by one shared destiny, Trump said. So Im asking everyone to join this incredible movement.

Rucker reported from Mobile and Orlando; Wagner reported from Cincinnati, West Allis, Wis., and Hershey, Pa. Scott Clement in Washington contributed to this report.
In this photo from June, Congolese President Joseph Kabila waves as he and others celebrate the holiday marking the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (AP Photo/John Bompengo, File) (John Bompengo/AP)

Monday was supposed to be the last day of Joseph Kabilas 15-year presidency. Instead, as the leader of Congo refuses to step down, the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa is lurching toward a bloody political crisis.

In the capital, many are bracing for a violent clash between Kabilas opponents and security forces. In September, when the last major demonstrations were held, about 50 people were killed. This time could be worse, experts worry.

Over the past week, Catholic bishops mediated talks between Kabilas supporters and a patchwork of the regimes political opponents. But on Saturday, participants announced that no agreement had been reached, emboldening the mostly young men who have begun referring to Monday as D-Day, and say they will take to the streets en masse.

Kabila is among a growing number of African leaders who have angled to extend their terms by either changing the constitution, delaying elections, or holding elections marred by allegations of rigging. Angolas Jose Eduardo dos Santos, 74, has ruled for 37 years. Zimbabwes Robert Mugabe, 92, has been in power for 30 years. More recently, the presidents of Burundi and the neighboring Congo Republic both announced plans to extend power, igniting domestic crises in each country.

But the stakes are particularly high in Congo, which saw a brutal civil war that killed about 5 million people between 1997 and 2003. Fighting continues in much of eastern Congo, and the country remains the site of the largest United Nations peacekeeping mission in the world, with about 20,000 troops.

There is a grave risk that Congo could descend into widespread violence and chaos in the coming days, with potentially volatile repercussions across the region, said Kenneth Roth , executive director of Human Rights Watch.

Peacekeepers will be on high alert this week, according to U.N. spokesman Charles Bambara, who said that the mission is preparing for the worst-case scenario. The government has said it will shut down access to social networks, which protesters use to mobilize.

On the streets of Lemba, a frenetic neighborhood in Kinshasa, local opposition leader Jean Claude Mwamba was preparing to confront the regime despite the violent reaction he anticipated. Mwamba led a small protest on Saturday, with young men holding signs that read Farewell, Kabila. By Monday or Tuesday, he said, that protest would grow larger, pouring into the streets and demanding Kabilas resignation.

Theres no security, no jobs, no respect of the constitution, he said. For us, there is only one option  that Kabila leaves.

Many Congolese agree that Kabila has failed to improve lives for the countrys average citizens, even as he and his family appear to have grown fabulously wealthy. A recent Bloomberg investigation linked 70 companies, many in Congos mining industry, to the family. Meanwhile, about two-thirds of the countrys 77 million people earn less than $1.90 per day .

The constitutional discussion will soon be overshadowed by the struggle to remove Kabila through protests in the streets and repression by the security forces, said Jason Stearns, a Congo expert and the head of the Congo Research Group.

Leaving power would ostensibly endanger Kabilas large investments, particularly as his coalition has not yet put forth a viable successor. Kabila and his political allies have suggested that he must stay in power until at least 2018  which they say is the soonest elections could be held in a vast country where polling would be expensive and logistically complicated.

But that explanation doesnt carry weight with experts or Kabilas political opponents. The United States had originally encouraged elections to be held this year. Earlier this month, with that prospect diminished, Washington and the European Union announced sanctions against nine senior Kabila officials who they said were involved in repression.

For now, the sanctions dont appear to have reduced the likelihood of violent demonstrations. The Congolese government has emphasized the strength and loyalty of security forces, which have been deployed across much of Kinshasa.

We have the police, the army and the intelligence services working for us, said a spokesman for the ruling coalition, Andre-Alain Atundu. Maybe there will be turmoil for two or three days, but eventually the [protesters] will get hungry.

Kabila, 45, took power in 2001, after his father, president Laurent-Desire Kabila, was assassinated. Congo, which achieved its independence from Belgium in 1960, still hasnt had a peaceful handover of power.

As the son of a rebel, Joseph Kabila grew up in far-flung parts of Congo and Tanzania, an experience that defines him, according to those close to him.

He was born and grew up in the bush, said Aubin Minaku, president of the national assembly and a senior figure in Kabilas coalition. He knows what it means to struggle.

But even Kabilas political allies are not sure what will come next for the country. Kabila has said he doesnt intend to change the constitution  which he would have to do to run for another term, whenever elections are held. But will he stay true to that pledge?

In reality, no one can answer that question, Minaku said.

Read more

Many want Gambias leader to step down  including his ambassador to U.S.

Obamas push for democracy in Africa runs up against presidents for life

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Seven police officers, two Jordanian civilians and one Canadian tourist were killed Sunday when gunmen staged a series of attacks on police patrols and a historic castle in the heart of the southern city of Karak. Four gunmen were also killed.

According to Jordanian police, at least 28 others were injured, and security sources confirmed that as many as 14 people, mainly foreign tourists, were held hostage by the gunmen.

By evening, according to local media reports, Jordanian special forces had freed them after a five-hour standoff.

During the attacks, as many as 10 gunmen holed themselves up in the Karak Crusader castle, a major tourist attraction and one of the most complete Crusader castles in the world.

Mosques loudspeakers across the city called on residents to flee as security operations intensified.

Eyewitnesses reported chaos as thousands fled businesses and homes to the surrounding countryside.

Jordans security forces announced late Sunday an end to the showdown. Jordanian authorities said security forces arrested four gunmen and are completing final sweeps of the historic castle.

In addition to the death toll, authorities said 11 Jordanian police officers were injured in the 10-hour attack, as well as 17 civilians, among them several foreign tourists.

An investigation into a rented apartment 25 miles east of Karak used by the gunmen, who are believed to be part of an Islamic militant sleeper cell, revealed dozens of automatic weapons, explosives and suicide bomber vests, authorities said in the statement.

Security officials said that the gunmen were a mix of non-Jordanian Arab nationals and Jordanians.

No group has claimed responsibility.

The U.S. Embassy in Amman issued a statement to citizens warning of an active shooter in Karak, 80 miles south of the capital, and urged citizens to avoid that area for the time being.

Jordan has long been hailed as an oasis of stability and security in the violence-plagued Middle East, with wars and terrorist havens near its borders with Syria to the north and Iraq to the east.

But the image of stability is being eroded. Sundays attack marked the fourth deadly targeting of Jordanian security and army personnel this year.

In March, a cell of Islamist militants linked with the Islamic State engaged in a shootout with police in the northern city of Irbid, leaving one police officer and seven gunmen dead. A gunman killed five General Intelligence Department officers in Baqaa refugee camp, a few miles north of the capital, in June. Later in June, Islamic State militants executed a truck-bombing, killing seven Jordanian soldiers stationed near a makeshift refugee camp along the Jordan-Syria border.

In November, a Jordanian officer opened fire and killed three U.S. military trainers at an air base near Jafr used for training Syrian rebels  although the motives behind the shooting are still unclear.

Although the Islamic State has not announced a branch in Jordan, the group has a force of 1,400 known as the Khalid ibn al-Walid Army a few miles away from the Jordan-Syria border near the city of Deraa.

Security officials privately said the Islamic State likely has at least a sleeper cell in the country.

Although Jordan is a major ally in the war on the Islamic State, 3,000 Jordanians fight under its banner, experts said, making up one of the largest foreign contingents in the extremist group.

Jordanian officials have repeatedly expressed their concerns of the threats to the kingdom should these fighters return home.

Read more:

3 U.S. military trainers killed in gunfire by security units at Jordan base

Jordan to use cranes to send aid to 75,000 Syrian refugees across border

Reinvention of Jordans Muslim Brotherhood involves women  and Christians

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Activists said militants have burned at least five buses assigned to evacuate wounded and sick people from two villages in northern Syria. (Syrian Arab News Agency via AP)

Evacuation efforts in Syria were on the verge of fresh collapse Sunday, with thousands of people trapped inside the shattered rebel enclave of Aleppo after gunmen burned a rescue convoy bound for government areas in a neighboring province.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said evacuations were postponed for an unknown period, deepening abject suffering inside eastern Aleppo as the United Nations thrashed out ways to resolve the crisis.

After more than three hours of closed consultations, France and Russia said Sunday that they had agreed on a U.N. Security Council resolution to deploy international monitors to eastern Aleppo to ensure safe evacuations and immediate delivery of humanitarian aid.

Negotiations to revive a complicated exit deal for civilians and fighters in Aleppo have broken down repeatedly since forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad forced the rebels effective surrender there last week, amid abuses by government and rebel loyalists along the evacuation routes.

And Sunday, hours after the International Committee of the Red Cross said it was hopeful that evacuations could resume, a fresh hurdle emerged: Video footage from the northwestern province of Idlib showed smoke and fire billowing from a convoy of repurposed school buses bound for Fouaa and Kefraya, Shiite villages besieged by rebels that have taken on great symbolic importance for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Iranian backers. Islamist fighters had set fire to the buses, which were sent to evacuate hundreds of wounded people from those government-held villages.

Iran, a Shiite power, had demanded that the area be evacuated as part of the broader deal allowing thousands of people to leave what remains of the rebel-held eastern areas of Aleppo.

You pigs are here to help Shiites. You wont leave alive, a man is heard saying off camera in one of the video clips. Although the identity of the attackers is not clear, reports suggest that they had the backing of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, an al-Qaeda-linked Sunni group with significant influence in Idlib.

[Modern tragedies play out in ancient Aleppo and Iraqs Mosul]

Cowardly terrorist attack on civilian buses & killing driver must not end evacuations, Jan Egeland, a humanitarian adviser to the United Nations, said Sunday in a tweet.

In another video, the militants appeared on camera, chanting that the attack had restored the dignity of Aleppos besieged people.

But inside the rebel enclave in Aleppo, desperate residents said it only brought more misery, with thousands awaiting evacuation in freezing temperatures as night fell.

The enclave has been reduced to a pinprick of territory after government forces swept in earlier this month, backed by heavy bombing raids.

[Aleppos endgame, explained]

The compromise struck Sunday between Russia, an Assad ally that is helping him with troops and weapons, and France offers hope to the beleaguered residents of eastern Aleppo, many of whom are wary of leaving the area unless international observers monitor the evacuations. On Friday, a bus carrying hundreds of evacuees was held up by pro-government militia fighters who were later accused of ordering dozens of people off the bus and then stripping, robbing and reportedly killing several in the group.

Tell me, what do we do, what choices do we have? said Ahmed al-Mashadi, an engineer in eastern Aleppo. If we leave, we risk death or humiliation in front of the people we love. But if we stay here? That is death, too.

The United Nations also accused Syrian government troops and a Shiite militia from Iraq last week of carrying out house-to-house executions as they swept through the area.

Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters Sunday that there had been many, many reports of people being pulled off buses and disappeared, whether into conscription or into torture chambers or killed outright.

After earlier disagreements, France and Russia said Sunday that they had agreed to the text of a draft Security Council resolution that would allow about 100 U.N. observers to deploy quickly to the area. A vote was expected Monday.

Francois Delattre, Frances ambassador to the United Nations, said the resolution, if formally approved, could prevent mass atrocities.

The announcement followed a statement last week from Jean-Marc Ayrault, Frances foreign minister, who decried the situation in Syria as an affront to the human conscience.

There is, now more than ever, an urgent need to put an end to the hostilities in Aleppo, Ayrault said. The regimes supporters, starting with Russia, cannot let this happen and accept a strategy based on revenge and systematic terror without running the risk of becoming accomplices to the crimes.

When rebels seized eastern Aleppo from the government in 2012, they had hoped to create a seat of power to rival the Syrian capital, Damascus. Four years on, Aleppos recapture by government forces has accelerated the demise of the armed opposition, which will now be boxed inside Idlib without any strategic urban centers under its control.

James McCauley in Paris contributed to this report.

Read more:

Aleppo evacuation thrown into chaos with thousands still stranded

In shattered Aleppo, buses carry the defeated and devastated from last rebel zones

In Syrias Aleppo, Shiite militias point to Irans unparalleled influence

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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A woman standing outside her home watches Iraqi special forces in Mosuls Mishraq neighborhood. The area was recently retaken from Islamic State militants. (Hadi Mizban/AP)

Hundreds of thousands of people who remain in this northern Iraqi city are struggling to find food and safe drinking water as the protracted offensive against Islamic State militants batters their neighborhoods.

When the battle began seven weeks ago, aid agencies feared that an exodus from the city would overwhelm already crowded camps. Instead, most people heeded government advice to stay in their homes as security forces advanced.

Now many of those residents lack even basic services, with water supplies cut by the fighting, and U.N. and government aid distributions unable to reach all of those in need. Some residents are moving from neighborhood to neighborhood in search of food or to escape the bombardment.

Meanwhile, in areas still controlled by the Islamic State, a siege by security forces is slowly tightening, pushing up food prices and causing shortages while the militants prevent people from leaving.

Iraq is struggling to meet the needs of 3.2 million people displaced over the past three years during fighting against the Islamic State. To limit the displacement from Mosul, the government airdropped leaflets over the city telling civilians to stay put.

But few commanders expect the battle to finish anytime soon, and the misery unfolding in Mosul is expected to worsen as winter sets in.

Reaching people inside the city is risky for humanitarian agencies, which also say they do not have enough aid to meet the need.

This month, Iraqi counterterrorism forces escorted a truck carrying bottled water into the neighborhood of Zuhoor, which had been retaken two days earlier. People quickly crowded around to grab whatever they could.

Is there any food? they clamored. We dont have any food.

[The mounting death toll in Mosul forces questions about the battle plan]

Because of the shortages, some residents have decided to leave the recently reclaimed neighborhoods and move to others on the citys edge that are better supplied.

Only people who end up in the camps are included among the official number of displaced  100,000 people  and the United Nations says it has no way to gauge how many internally displaced are in the city.

Jassim al-Attiyah, Iraqs deputy minister for migration and displacement, estimated that more than 150,000 are displaced within the city and that hundreds of thousands of others remain in their homes but still need aid.

There is some aid, but its a big battle, he said.

On the far eastern outskirts of the city, Haitham Mazin, 40, his wife and three children are living with a relative in Gogjali, where water and food are distributed more frequently, and some medical assistance is available.

Mazin had wanted his family to stay in their home in the Zahra neighborhood after the area was retaken by Iraqi security forces, but the food and fuel he had stockpiled ran out. He said that aid distributions were haphazard and that while some people with connections to security forces had received enough assistance to even sell some, other families, including his, had gone without.

Dependent on well water, which is not safe to drink, residents had fought when water supplies arrived, he said.

We became like beggars, he said. The government at the beginning told us to stay home, but they didnt provide anything for us.

Half the direct assistance provided by the United Nations since the beginning of the operation for Mosul has been distributed to those in the city, said Lise Grande, the organizations humanitarian coordinator for Iraq.

We are very worried that we are going to run out of supplies, she said. We only have limited amounts of stocks, and if everyone near and inside Mosul requires help, we wont have enough  not by a long shot.

[Iraq has never seen this kind of fighting in its battles with ISIS]

The United Nations and its partners are providing food parcels to sustain families for a month  after which the governments food-distribution system is supposed to take over. Were hoping this happens, because in many locations the first month is nearly over, she said.

Younes Sabri, 30, left the recaptured neighborhood of Bakr this month with his mother and two children. There was no food, water or electricity, he said, and the mortar shells were still falling.

At first he had walked an hour each day to Gogjali in search of supplies to take back to his family, but then he had decided to move into the house of a friend in the neighborhood who had left for a camp when the area was engulfed in fighting.

The humanitarian situation there was very bad. Even the basics were not available, he said of his neighborhood.

But like others, he is wary of the camps, because once people are there, they are not allowed to leave, not even if their neighborhood has been retaken.

People of Mosul have only two options, he said. Either stay inside and die because of the bombing or hunger, or go to the camps  to the prison. Either way, its a slow death.

Attiyah, the government minister, cited security reasons for restricting the movement of those in the camps.

The governments decision to try to keep people in their homes has slowed the battle, limiting the use of heavy artillery and airstrikes. Commanders are urging Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to allow them to move families out of their neighborhoods temporarily to quicken the battle, but that could add to the humanitarian burden.

For the moment, people are being given the choice of whether to stay or leave.

Attiyah said he expects the situation to worsen. Security forces have retaken neighborhoods on the eastern side of the Tigris River, which carves the city in half, but have not yet entered areas on the other side.

The situation in those Islamic State-held areas is also a tragedy, Attiyah said. There is no water, no electricity, and a lot of the doctors have left.

Instead of heading to the camps, some people have fled to western Mosul. When the fighting starts there, he said, they will have nowhere to run.

Read more:

One mans escape from an Islamic State mass execution

Islamic State has unleashed over 600 car bombs in Mosul battle

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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The Israeli settlement of Beit El is near the West Bank city of Ramallah. (Nasser Nasser/Associated Press)

In 2003, President-elect Donald Trump donated $10,000 to institutions in one of Israels oldest and most steadfast West Bank settlements, one of the communitys founders told an Israeli radio station on Sunday.

Yaakov Katzele Katz, one of the original settlers of Beit El, said on the radio that Trump had made the donation in honor of his good friend and Jewish adviser David Friedman, now Trumps pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman, a New York lawyer, serves as president of the American Friends of Bet El Institutions.

Katz told the radio station that more than a decade ago, the settlement honored Friedman at a gala dinner in New York. It was then that Trump made his donation.

If I would have known he would be elected president, I would have saved the check, Katz said. He said that Friedman was like a brother to him. The two have been friends for 40 years.

[Israel says no U.S. ambassador has been as right-wing as Trumps pick]

Friedmans nomination as ambassador was warmly welcomed by many Israelis, especially those living in some 300 Jewish communities in the West Bank. But it also drew sharp criticism because Friedman is an outspoken supporter of the settlements, which the Obama administration has often said are the main impediment to achieving a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians.

[Israel rejects latest U.S. criticism of settlement policy]

Katz, a former member of the Israeli parliament, did not comment further on Trumps donation but said the money was used for the settlements yeshivas, or Jewish learning institutions. Trump has donated money to many yeshivas in Israel and the United States.

The Jerusalem Post published an article Sunday showing a 2003 U.S. tax form from the Trump Foundation, which listed a $10,000 donation to American Friends of Bet El.

The groups website also shows that financial support for the settlement came from the family of Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law. The website shows that his parents, Charles and Seryl Kushner, are on the fundraising organizations founding board of trustees. The group recently held its gala fundraising event in New York.

Beit El was established in 1977 on a hill on the outskirts of the de facto Palestinian capital of Ramallah. Today, about 1,300 families live in the settlement. As well as the yeshiva, the settlers there also run a pre-military academy and house one of Israels most right-wing media outlets, Arutz Sheva.

Read more

1 of 62 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump continues his post-election thank you tour View Photos The president-elect has visited Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana, where he toured the Carrier factory. Caption The president-elect has visited Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Ohio and Indiana, where he toured the Carrier factory. Dec. 17, 2016 President-elect Donald Trump waves as he is greeted by Azalea Trail Maids on his way to a thank you tour event in Mobile, Ala. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

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The Chinese government said Saturday it will return a U.S. naval drone seized last week in the South China Sea, a step toward defusing maritime tensions between the two Pacific powers.

President-elect Donald Trump reacted to the news by telling them he doesnt want it back. We should tell China that we dont want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it! he tweeted Saturday evening.

The comment could prolong one of the most serious incidents between the U.S. and Chinese militaries in recent memory, potentially complicating ties ahead of Trumps inauguration.

The latest spike in U.S.-Chinese maritime tensions occurred Thursday, when a Chinese submarine rescue ship close to the USNS Bowditch, an oceanographic survey vessel operating about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines, took possession of the U.S. drone.

The incident occurred within sight of the Bowditch, which tracks the drone as it collects unclassified data on water temperature, salinity and other factors that may affect U.S. naval operations. According to U.S. officials, the Chinese ship refused initial requests from the Bowditch to return the drone.

(Jason Aldag,Julie Vitkovskaya/The Washington Post / Satellite photos courtesy of CSIS)

We have registered our objection to Chinas unlawful seizure of a U.S. unmanned underwater vehicle operating in international waters in the South China Sea, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.

Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the [drone] to the United States, he said.

[Pentagon: Chinese naval ship seized a U.S. underwater drone in South China Sea]

Chinas Ministry of Defense on Saturday said they had decided to return the drone in an appropriate manner, but did not specify what that meant.

Yang Yujun, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, said in a statement that the Chinese took the U.S. drone in order to prevent the device from harming the navigation safety and personnel safety of the ship.

The U.S. military has frequently dispatched naval vessels to carry out reconnaissance and military measurements in Chinas water. China resolutely opposes this and urges the U.S. side to stop such activities, he said.

The statement, which was published before Trumps keep it tweet, called the U.S. response to the drones seizure hype that is inappropriate and unhelpful for settling the problem. Beijing has yet to respond to the president-elects latest comment.





Song Zhongping, an expert on Chinese military affairs who works as a commenter for Hong Kongs Phoenix TV, said the statement was an effort to warn the United States to not deploy this type of vessel in the South China Sea, Otherwise, we will keep on picking them up whenever we see them, he said.

Despite sharp words on both sides, official statements from Washington and Beijing suggest that the two governments are eager to avoid further intensifying tensions at a moment of deep uncertainty in U.S.-Chinese relations after Trumps election.

Even as China asserts a right to areas of the South and East China seas also claimed by some of its neighbors, it has embarked on an ambitious program of constructing artificial islands, some of which appear to be intended as military outposts.

The U.S. military has conducted repeated shows of force, sailing ships or conducting surveillance flights near disputed areas, while seeking to avoid any serious military escalation with a key commercial partner.

Speaking after the Pentagon announced that the drone would be returned, a U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to comment freely, said that the Obama administration was glad to get it back and put this behind us.

Its somewhat reassuring that senior leadership in Beijing agreed that this was something that should be returned, regardless of the individual actions of their people at sea, the official said. It is not clear who authorized the seizure of the drone.

[Photos: Chinas rapid island-building continues]

The flap over the drone comes as Trumps election generates concern among Chinese authorities, with the president-elect questioning long-standing U.S. policy on China and continuing his sharp criticism of Beijings trade and monetary policies.

Trump angered Chinese officials when he spoke by phone with the president of Taiwan, a thriving democracy that Beijing considers a breakaway province.

While it is not clear how the Trump administration will handle efforts by China to assert itself in the South China Sea, his stance toward Beijing suggests a hard line.

On Saturday morning, Trump issued a tweet that said: China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters  rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act.

In Beijing on Sunday, the Global Times, a Communist Party-controlled newspaper known for its nationalist tone, poked fun at the mixed messages coming from the United States.

Before Trumps generous announcement that he didnt want the drone back, the Pentagon had already announced publicly that they have asked China to return the illegally seized [unmanned underwater vehicle] through appropriate governmental channels, the paper wrote. We dont know, after seeing Trumps new tweets, if the Pentagon should feel boggled.

Rauhala reported from Taipei and Luna Lin reported from Beijing.

Read more:

China puts new weapons on South China Sea islands, report says

Why people are making such a big deal about the Trump-Taiwan call

Chinas scary lesson to the world: Censoring the Internet works
President-elect Donald Trump and President Obama meet in the Oval Office on Nov. 10. The status of the Presidential Daily Briefing as Washingtons most indispensable meeting could be coming to an end. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

For eight years, it has been the most exclusive, and arguably most important, daily meeting in Washington. Each morning, President Obama gathers his inner circle for the Presidential Daily Briefing, a run-through of the most important intelligence from around the world.

The rules under Obama have been strict and unyielding: No substitutes are permitted if one of the six regular attendees is out sick or traveling. No straphangers are allowed to linger in the Oval Office and watch.

Unlike just about every other meeting involving Washington officialdom, this one rarely, if ever, leaks.

Now it looks as if the PDBs status as Washingtons most indispensable briefing could be coming to an end. I get it when I need it, said President-elect Donald Trump, who so far is taking the PDB only a few times a week. Im, like, a smart person. I dont need to be told the same thing and the same words every single day for the next eight years.

Those remarks have set off fears that Trump could miss a critical piece of intelligence and raised bigger questions about the president-elects attention span and interest in foreign policy. Some Democrats have expressed alarm at Trumps decision not to sit through the PDB each morning with his staff members. I think it is totally irresponsible in a post-9/11 world, said Derek Chollet, a former senior official in the Obama administration. It is a kind of malpractice.

(Peter Stevenson/The Washington Post)

Some Republicans downplayed those concerns, noting that retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, Trumps pick for national security adviser, could summarize the intelligence for him. Thats a legitimate way to do it, said Stephen Hadley, who held the same position under President George W. Bush. It really depends on how the president likes to take information.

[Trumps pick for national security adviser brings experience and controversy]

This much is clear, however: Trumps decision to skip the morning briefing with his top staff members could upend how big foreign policy decisions are made in Washington and shift the balance of power in a city obsessed with access, influence and power.

Not all presidents have summoned their most trusted staff members to the Oval Office for the daily intelligence briefing. President John F. Kennedy received a daily Presidents Intelligence Checklist, known as the PICL or pickle, which he tucked into his suit jacket and consulted over the course of the day. Other commanders in chief, such as Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, depended on their national security advisers to slog through the PDB for them and fill them in on its contents. President Bill Clinton liked to mark his briefing up with questions and comments for his secretary of state and national security adviser.

Perhaps the best-known PDB arrived at the White House on Aug. 6, 2001, and warned Bin Ladin Determined To Strike U.S. That PDB was prepared in response to questions that Bush had asked his CIA briefer about whether any intelligence reports pointed to a possible al-Qaeda attack inside the United States.

Under Obama, who centralized foreign policy decision-making in the White House and loathed leaks, the PDB took on an even larger role. Typically, Obama will read his version of the PDB on his iPad before he sits down with staff members. The actual briefing takes about only 10 minutes each morning, followed by a longer discussion between the president and his immediate staff members.

[President-elect Donald Trump is about to learn the nations deep secrets]

A couple of dozen senior administration officials receive a hard copy of the PDB each morning that is also presented by a CIA briefer. When you are out of government and arent getting it, you feel like you are operating without oxygen, said Julie Smith, a former foreign policy adviser to Vice President Biden and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. You felt left out.

An even smaller group sits down with the president each morning to discuss the briefing and the administrations top foreign policy priorities.

For me personally, the most valuable insights I could get about the presidents priorities and views came out of that meeting, said Smith, who was never admitted to the meeting but would often get a readout from the vice president.

Senior White House officials described the daily briefing and the conversation that follows, which lasts about an hour, as a forcing function. Most of the issues that cross the presidents desk are domestic in nature. The morning briefing was a guaranteed block of time on Obamas calendar every day in which he was laser-focused on foreign affairs, said a senior administration official who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal practices.

The morning meeting under Obama was more than just an intelligence download. Over time, it became a way for the president to pull the levers of government in real time, the official said. Obama would use the briefing to ask questions of his senior staff members or press them for new approaches to the biggest problems of the day.

For those on the outside, including Obamas defense secretary and secretary of state, the morning meeting was also a source of grumbling. Upon leaving government, former defense secretary Robert Gates blasted the Obama White House as by far the most centralized and controlling in national security of any I had seen since Richard Nixon.

Some of that micromanaging no doubt originated with the morning PDB.

Over the past eight years, senior White House staff members have lobbied to get into the Oval Office for the PDB, almost always with no success.

So much of our time is wasted fighting for seats in meetings, said a former top White House official who never made it into the morning meeting. Thats the currency of our business. We dont have weapons. We cant deploy troops. Its words and seats in meetings. Thats how you determine your value, and if you dont make the cut it is soul crushing.

Before she lost the election, Hillary Clintons foreign policy team was talking about how she might want to restructure the PDB to suit her leadership style. Among the questions being debated by her team was whether she should include the secretaries of state and defense.

Now, a big question is how Trumps decision not to sit down every day for a top secret intelligence briefing will change the way foreign policy is run in Washington. The absence of a daily meeting will probably shift some power to Cabinet secretaries at the State Department and the Pentagon. The presidents input might not come until the end of the process after it has already been chewed up by the bureaucracy, said Bruce Riedel, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former CIA analyst.

Washington insiders have begun to wonder what the Trump equivalent to the prized meeting will be. Maybe it is a visit to his penthouse in New York for a meeting or maybe you get to fly with him? Smith wondered. Maybe people will be trying to get in Flynns office?

Others have speculated whether the CIA might adjust the PDB to better suit Trumps tastes. The CIA made short films to prepare Reagan, a former actor and well-known film buff, for his foreign trips and overseas summits.

Asked where he turned for military advice last year, Trump told Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, I watch the shows. Maybe the CIA could use Trumps love of cable news to better hold his attention, Chollet said.

They could do a Fox News-style PDB? he said. Maybe that would be more interesting for him.

Read more:

Heres what you need to know about the nuclear button. (There is no button.)

Amid a world of problems, Trumps policy prescriptions remain opaque.

Who will Trump be as commander in chief?
A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman detonated himself Sunday outside a military base in the southern port city of Aden, killing at least 52 soldiers and policemen waiting to collect their salaries, officials said.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing in a statement. The carnage comes a week after a nearby bombing by the extremist group killed more than 50 soldiers.

Sundays attack, which officials said injured 40, bore the hallmarks of other assaults by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Both groups have been carrying out bombings and assassinations with regular frequency, seizing advantage of the chaos from nearly two years of conflict that has fractured the country.

We expect the death toll to rise, said Ramzi Alfadhli, a spokesman for the Yemeni special forces in Aden.

Hundreds of soldiers and policemen, he said, had arrived about 5 a.m. to line up to collect their salaries in front of the residence of a special forces commander, about 500 feet from the Solaban military base, the site of last weeks bombing. About 1,200 were let in after guards frisked them for weapons, and the rest were told to return Monday.

A suicide bomber killed at least 52 Yemeni soldiers and police Dec. 18 outside a military base. (Saleh Al-Obeidi/Agence France-Presse via Getty Images)

But many soldiers and police officers remained outside, refusing to disperse in the hopes they would get paid, Alfadhli said. About 8 a.m., he said, the bomber walked into the group, wearing a cast on his leg and another on his arm. He was disguised in a traffic police uniform, Alfadhli said, and walked with the help of crutches.

The explosives were placed under the casts, and once he was inside the crowd, he blew himself up, Alfadhli said.

The war pits Shiite rebels known as Houthis against the internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who was driven out of the capital, Sanaa, last year. Since then, a regional coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been trying to restore Hadi to power.

Aden, where Hadi initially fled, is the de facto capital of his exiled government, but his administration has struggled to control the city where underground militant cells flourish. Hadi has spent many of the past months in Saudi Arabia, though he is now believed to be in Aden.

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Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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The American population is being subjected to a furious barrage of propaganda by the media and political establishment aimed at paving the way to war.

The campaign was sharply escalated this week, beginning with Wednesdays publication of a lead article in the New York Times. Based entirely on unnamed sources and flimsy and concocted evidence, it was presented as definitive proof of Russias hacking of Democratic Party emails and waging of cyberwar against the United States.

These allegations were followed Wednesday by a press briefing in which White House spokesman Josh Earnest declared that media outfits in the US, in reporting on the Democratic Party emails released by WikiLeaks, essentially became the arms of Russian intelligence.

On Thursday, Earnest declared that president-elect Trump had encouraged Russia to hack his opponent because he believed it would help his campaign. Later that day, President Obama threatened to retaliate against Russia, telling National Public Radio, I think there is no doubt that when any foreign government tries to impact the integrity of our elections, that we need to take action and we will.

These warmongering comments by the Obama administration were accompanied by editorials in leading US and international newspapers denouncing Trumps accommodative stance toward Russia and clamoring for a more aggressive response to the alleged hacking. News reports, based on unnamed intelligence officials, breathlessly proclaim that Russian President Vladimir Putin directly ordered and oversaw the hacking.

The Times followed up its inflammatory article with an editorial Thursday all but accusing the president-elect of acting as a Russian agent. There could be no more useful idiot, to use Lenins term of art, than an American president who doesnt know hes being played by a wily foreign power, the Times declared. The editorial further defined Russia as one of our oldest, most determined foreign adversaries, adding, Kremlin meddling in the 2016 election justifies retaliatory measures.

The declarations by the Times and other media outlets combine all of the noxious elements of 1950s McCarthyism, with capitalist Russia replacing the Soviet Union: hysterical denunciation of wily Russia, shameless lying and attacks on domestic opponents as spies, traitors and agents of foreign governments.

There are bitter and raging conflicts within the state, and a faction of the military-intelligence apparatus is determined that there be no retreat from an aggressive confrontation with Russia. This is connected to anger over the debacle of the CIA-led regime-change operation in Syria. Trump has packed his cabinet with generals and is planning a massive escalation of war, but he has also indicated a preference for greater accommodation with Russia.

Bound up with this internecine conflict within the ruling class, there is a concerted effort to politically bludgeon the American people into supporting further military escalation, both in the Middle East and against Russia itself.

The propaganda campaign alleging Russian interference in the US election parallels a related media blitzkrieg claiming that Syrian government troops, backed by Russia, are carrying out massacres as they retake the Syrian city of Aleppo.

The Times' lead editorial on Thursday, titled Aleppos Destroyers: Assad, Putin, Iran, declares: After calling on Mr. Assad to step aside in 2011, Mr. Obama was never able to make it happen, and it may never have been in his power to make it happen, at least at a cost acceptable to the American people. The front-page lead of Thursdays Times bemoans the fact that efforts to whip up public support for US military intervention in Syria have not resonated as much as previous propaganda campaigns.

The international press has joined in the hysteria. An op-ed in Germanys Der Spiegel bitterly complains that Obama sought a diplomatic, not a military solution to the crisis in Syria. It made him popular, both in the United States and here [in Germany], the piece states, but adds that such self-righteousness is wrong.

Such media propaganda campaigns are not new. Without exception, they have preceded every bloody military adventure: the attempts to blame Afghanistan for the September 11 terrorist attacks in the run-up to that countrys invasion in 2001; the lying claims about weapons of mass destruction before the 2003 invasion of Iraq; and the reports of an imminent massacre of civilians in Benghazi that preceded the US bombing and destruction of Libya in 2011.

The difference now, however, is that this campaign is directed not at a virtually defenseless and impoverished former colony, but at Russia, the worlds second-ranked nuclear power. None of the figures carrying out this campaign care to explain how a war against Russia should be fought, how many people will die, and how such a war could avoid a nuclear exchange leading to the destruction of human civilization.

Behind the banner headlines and vituperative editorials, real steps are being taken to prepare for warfare on a scale not seen for 60 years. Earlier this year, US Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley told the Association of the United States Army that the military must prepare for wars against great powers, which will be very highly lethal, unlike anything our Army has experienced since World War II.

The campaign that has developed over the past two weeks makes clear what the policy of a Clinton administration would have been. The Democratic Party and its allied media outlets have rooted their opposition to Trump not on the basis of his losing the popular vote by nearly three million ballots, or that he is appointing a cabinet dominated by right-wing, reactionary billionaires, bankers, business executives and generals, but on the charge that he is soft on Russia. That is, the Democratic Party has managed to attack Trump from the right.

Whatever the outcome of the conflict within the state, the American ruling class is preparing for war. The dissolution of the USSR 25 years ago was greeted with enraptured declarations of an era of perpetual peace, in which a world under the unrivaled hegemony of the United States would be free of the wars that plagued mankind in the 20th century. Now, after a quarter century of bloody regional conflicts, the blood-curdling declarations of the press make it clear that a new world war is in the making.

Among broad sections of workers and young people, there is deep skepticism toward government lies and hostility to war. However, this opposition can find no reflection within any faction of the political establishment. The building of a new anti-war movement, based on the international unity of the working class in opposition to capitalism and all the political parties of the ruling class, is the urgent task.
After Friday prayers this week, the East London Mosque held a food drive to help homeless people in London over the holidays, and organizers say the volunteers gathered more than 22,000 pounds of food. According to The Independent , the event attracted thousands of charitable people. An...

After Friday prayers this week, the East London Mosque held a food drive to help homeless people in London over the holidays, and organizers say the volunteers gathered more than 22,000 pounds of food.

According to The Independent, the event attracted thousands of charitable people. An estimated 7,500 people showed up to help donate and manage donations, which came from individuals as well as businesses and schools. The Muslim Aid UK charity says the food drive collected 10 tonnes, or more than 22,000 pounds of non-perishable food, including pasta, rice, cereal, and canned goods. Now that food will be distributed to homeless and hungry people in London.

Muslims are inspired by their faith towards helping others in need. It is a religious duty for Muslims to try to help others, irrespective of a person's faith or background, said East London Mosque Chief Imam Shaykh Abdul Qayum to The London Standard.

The food will be donated to the London homeless charity, Crisis, for distribution to people in need.
Obamas Ohana Vacation! The First Family Lands in Hawaii for Last Trip Before Leaving White House

President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha and Malia touched down at the Joint Base Pearl-Harbor Hickam in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Friday night for their final vacation before leaving the White House.

All four Obamas were seen descending the stairs on Air Force One, and were dressed down for their warm weather vacation in the Presidents home state. For the past eight years, the family has headed west for a Hawaiian holiday.

President Obama, 55, and his eldest daughter Malia, 18, held hands as they walked down the stairs. The commander-in-chief wore a blue button-down shirt and khaki pants, while Malia sported an off-the-shoulder black top and brown midi skirt.

Marco Garcia/AP

Following behind, 15-year-old Sasha wore a black dress and the First Lady, 52, rocked a red frock.

ECarolyn Kaster/AP

The president and Malia were all smiles as the family made their way down the steps, shortly before hopping in a car for their next destination.

RELATED VIDEO: WATCH: President Obama Serenades Daughter Malia For Her 18th Birthday During Last Fourth of July Party at the White House

Earlier this month, the Obamas shined in their annual holiday card, which went out to friends, supporters and members of the media.

The cards, paid for and posted by the Democratic National Committee, featured a photo of the First Family, which was taken at a March state dinner honoring Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.




Anti-abortion groups will no longer be able to use womens post-abortion mental health as an argument to support their stance against abortion as a result of a study indicating there was no significant difference in the mental health of women who had experienced abortions. The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday, tracked about 1,000 women who had abortions within a five-year period and found those who underwent the procedure did not experience more anxiety, depression, low self-esteem or dissatisfaction with life than women who were denied abortions.

In contrast, researchers found women who had been denied abortion access because they were too far along in their pregnancies actually had more psychological symptoms following the denial. However, after about six months, their mental health started to improve and became similar to the mental health of women who were able to have an abortion.

Although there have been studies comparing the psychological differences between women who had abortions and women who decided to keep their babies, the new research, named the Turnaway Study by University of California, San Franciscos Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health program, is the first to focus solely on the mental health of women close to or beyond the limit of when a clinic is legally able to perform an abortion. The study also examined the mental state women were in prior to having an abortion, which could impact their mental health following the procedure, something other studies have failed to do.

This is an incredibly powerful study, Dr. Roger Rochat, an Emory University professor of global health and epidemiology and former director of reproductive health at the Centers for Disease Control, told New York Times. States will continue to pass laws that restrict access to abortion services and they will do it in part based on mental health effects of abortion. But the evidence of this study says that just isnt true.

The study tracked the mental health of 452 women whose pregnancies were within two weeks of a clinics cut off and had received abortions and 231 women who were refused abortions because they were too far along. The study also examined 273 women who had abortions during their first trimester.

The research comes at an interesting time in the United States as President-elect Donald Trump has insinuated he would choose pro-life Supreme Court justices. Trumps transition team has hinted at 21 potential Supreme Court nominees under consideration, all of whom appear to be incredibly conservative in regard to abortion laws.

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Kabul (AFP) - Afghanistan has launched an investigation into allegations that the country's vice president sexually assaulted a rival, in the face of mounting criticism from Western allies and activists over a pervasive culture of impunity.

Abdul Rashid Dostum, a former warlord who has a catalogue of war crimes attached to his name, is accused of abducting Ahmad Ishchi last month during a traditional game of Buzkashi, or polo with an animal carcass, in northern Jowzjan province.

Dostum allegedly kept Ishchi hostage in his private compound for five days, where he was said to be tortured and sodomised.

"The attorney general's office has begun its impartial and transparent investigation regarding the incident," Afghanistan's top prosecutor said in a statement late Saturday.

"The investigation will be carried out neutrally and independently."

Officials are scrambling to gather evidence after the United States, European Union, Australia and Canada on Tuesday joined the chorus of calls for a thorough probe.

Ishchi has undergone a medical examination since his release earlier this month at the American air base in Bagram, north of Kabul, local media reported.

Dostum has denied the allegations, but his office said he would cooperate with any investigation. It added, however, that it prefers to "resolve" the matter by the traditional mediation of tribal elders rather than through conventional courts.

Observers are sceptical the government will sack or bring charges against Dostum, who has survived all previous allegations of abuse.

"He is too powerful to be sacked or tried in court," said Kabul-based analyst Ahmad Saeedi told AFP.

"The president is under pressure to take action, but he (Dostum) has a lot of support and influence, which the government cannot take lightly."

Despite his human rights record, Dostum was invited to join the National Unity Government in 2014 in a bid by President Ashraf Ghani to attract the support of his mostly ethnic Uzbek constituency.

The latest controversy has once again drawn attention to how Afghan warlords and strongmen operate with impunity, hobbling Western-backed efforts to restore peace and rebuild the nation after decades of conflict.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German airline Air Berlin's (AB1.DE) chief executive is to step down in the new year, to be replaced by a senior manager at Lufthansa (LHAG.DE) following a wide-ranging shake-up of the loss-making carrier.

Air Berlin, 29 percent owned by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, said on Sunday Stefan Pichler will step down on Feb. 1, two years after he took over, to be replaced by Thomas Winkelmann.

Air Berlin has announced a series of restructuring moves in recent weeks that will halve its fleet to around 75 aircraft. It is leasing 38 crewed aircraft to Lufthansa and spinning off its tourist routes as a new leisure airline joint venture with tour operator TUI's (TUIT.L) TUIFly unit, to focus on long-haul flights operated out of Berlin and Duesseldorf.

It is still loss-making, however, and has been hit this year by fierce competition on routes to Spain as tourists avoided eastern Mediterranean destinations due to security fears.

"Winkelmann will continue the restructuring of Air Berlin in order to ensure a sustainable and profitable future," the airline said in a statement.

Manager Magazin and Handelsblatt reported that Lufthansa had pushed for the Winkelmann appointment as a precursor to taking over Air Berlin's remaining operations and was seeking government approval to do so.

A spokesman for Lufthansa declined to comment on the reports on Sunday.

Winkelmann, 57, was previously head of Lufthansa budget carrier Germanwings and since late 2015 has been responsible for Lufthansa's hub at Munich.

Pichler, 59, has been in the job since February 2015 and was brought in to turn around the carrier after successfully restructuring Fiji Airways.

(Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Grant McCool)
BERLIN (Reuters) - German airline Air Berlin's chief executive is to step down in the new year, to be replaced by a senior manager at Lufthansa following a wide-ranging shake-up of the loss-making carrier. Air Berlin, 29 percent owned by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways, said on Sunday Stefan Pichler will step down on Feb. 1, two years after he took over, to be replaced by Thomas Winkelmann. Air Berlin has announced a series of restructuring moves in recent weeks that will halve its fleet to around 75 aircraft. It is leasing 38 crewed aircraft to Lufthansa and spinning off its tourist routes as a new leisure airline joint venture with tour operator TUI's TUIFly unit, to focus on long-haul flights operated out of Berlin and Duesseldorf. It is still loss-making, however, and has been hit this year by fierce competition on routes to Spain as tourists avoided eastern Mediterranean destinations due to security fears. "Winkelmann will continue the restructuring of Air Berlin in order to ensure a sustainable and profitable future," the airline said in a statement. Manager Magazin and Handelsblatt reported that Lufthansa had pushed for the Winkelmann appointment as a precursor to taking over Air Berlin's remaining operations and was seeking government approval to do so. A spokesman for Lufthansa declined to comment on the reports on Sunday. Winkelmann, 57, was previously head of Lufthansa budget carrier Germanwings and since late 2015 has been responsible for Lufthansa's hub at Munich. Pichler, 59, has been in the job since February 2015 and was brought in to turn around the carrier after successfully restructuring Fiji Airways. (Reporting by Victoria Bryan; Editing by Greg Mahlich and Grant McCool)
The Daily Beast

GettyRussia announced Wednesday that it views Norways work with other countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as provocative, warning that Norways efforts to bolster its military in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine this year will likely be the death knell for Oslo-Moscow relations moving forward.Oslo is now among the most active supporters of NATO's involvement in the Arctic, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Wednesday, according to TASS. We cons
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian security forces said they killed four "terrorist outlaws" after flushing them out of a castle in the southern city of Karak where they had holed up after a shoot-out that killed nine people. An official statement said the four assailants, who shot at police targets in the town before heading to the Crusader-era castle, carried automatic weapons. Large quantities of explosives, weapons and suicide belts were seized in a hideout, the statement said. It made no mention of their identity or whether they belonged to any militant group, raising speculation they could have been tribal outlaws with a vengeance against the state rather than Islamic State fighters, who control parts of neighboring Syria and Iraq. A Canadian woman, three other civilians and five police officers were among the nine killed during the exchange of gunfire between the assailants and security forces. At least 29 people were hospitalized, some with serious injuries. Earlier, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said a manhunt to "eliminate" the gunmen had entered its final phase. Jordan's position made it vulnerable to spillover of violence, Momani said. "When we are in a region engulfed with fire from every side you expect that such events happen," the official said. Witnesses said exchanges of fire continued for several hours between the gunmen and security forces. Police said earlier they had rescued 10 tourists and trapped inside the historic site when the gunmen went into the castle. A former government minister from Karak city, Sameeh Maaytah, said there were signs Islamist militants may have been behind the attack. "This was a group that was plotting certain operations inside Jordan," Maaytah told pan-Arab news channel al-Hadath. Video footage on social media showed security forces taking groups of young Asian tourists up the castle's steep steps to its main entrance as gunshots were heard overhead. The castle is one of Jordan's most popular tourist attractions. Prime Minister Hani al Mulki told parliament "a number of security personnel" had been killed and that security forces were laying siege to the castle. The Canadian government confirmed one of its nationals had been killed. Police and witnesses said gunmen had earlier gone on a shooting spree aimed at officers patrolling the town before entering the castle, perched on top of a hill. They used one of the castle's towers to fire at a nearby police station. Police said the gunmen had arrived from the desert town of Qatraneh nearly 30 km northeast of Karak city, a desert outpost known for smuggling, where many tribal residents are heavily armed and have long resisted state authority. They had fled to Karak after an exchange of fire with the police at a residential building, security forces said. Jordan is one of the few Arab states that have taken part in a U.S.-led air campaign against Islamic State in Syria. But many Jordanians oppose their country's involvement, saying it has led to the killing of fellow Muslims and raised security threats inside Jordan. Several incidents over the past year have jolted the Arab kingdom, which has been relatively unscathed by the uprisings, civil wars and Islamist militancy that have swept the Middle East since 2011. Last November three U.S. military trainers were shot dead when their car failed to stop at the gate of a military base and was fired on by a Jordanian army member in an incident which Washington did not rule out political motives. (Reporting by Suleiman al Khalidi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Grant McCool)
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has renewed his call for a republic, but only after Queen Elizabeth II's reign, as he outlined a road map for breaking away from the British monarchy.

Turnbull -- a staunch republican who led the cause before a failed referendum in 1999 -- said his support for an Australian head of state stemmed from patriotism.

"The cause of the Australian Republican Movement (ARM) is a cause for Australia," Turnbull said during a keynote address to the ARM on Saturday night.

"We do not diminish or disrespect the patriotism of those who take a different view, but we have no other motive, no other reason than love of country."

The British crown's power in Australia is seen as largely symbolic, and while the Queen is hugely popular Down Under, the monarchy is viewed by some as an anachronistic colonial relic.

Critics within Turnbull's own conservative Liberal Party earlier in the week said his support for a republic would be damaging to the government.

But Turnbull said there was no appetite among Australians for another referendum during Queen Elizabeth's reign.

"The less party political the republican movement is, the broader its base, the deeper its grassroots, the better positioned it will be when the issue becomes truly salient again," the Australian leader added.

Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten appeared to criticise Turnbull's lack of action on Twitter following the speech.

"Climate change, marriage equality, housing affordability, now Republic too hard for Turnbull. Time for the PM to lead his party, not follow," Shorten tweeted.

He also offered to "work together to deliver an Australian head of state".

Support for a republic has wavered over the years, with a Fairfax-Nielsen poll in 2014 finding that 51 percent of the 1,400 people surveyed favoured the status quo compared to 42 percent supporting a republic.

Turnbull said question marks about how an Australian head of state would be elected -- directly by the people or via a parliamentary appointment -- had weakened support for a republic during the 1999 referendum.

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He called for a two-stage voting process, with a plebiscite to determine the election model first before a referendum to decide on whether Australia should be a republic.

"We need to ensure that the Australian people feel they have chosen the model to be presented," Turnbull said.

"Of course every member of the parliament is elected, but we cannot be blind to the levels of cynicism about politics, parliaments and governments. If anything they are greater today than they were back in 1999."
By Wayne Cole

SYDNEY, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Australia's conservative government will on Monday give an update on the national budget that could trigger a downgrade in the country's prized triple A credit rating and push up borrowing costs on over a trillion dollars of debt.

Facing slowing economic growth and a seemingly intractable deficit, Treasurer Scott Morrison is expected to reaffirm a pledge to return to surplus by 2020/21 through a mixture of spending cuts and tax-raising measures.

Many of the most contentious measures, however, are blocked in the Senate while record low wages growth and lacklustre nominal growth have badly crimped the government's revenue take.

S&P Global Ratings put Australia on negative watch back in July and might even cut the rating a notch later Monday should Morrison's plans fail to inspire.

Australia is among a dozen countries with the top rating from all three credit agencies.

A downgrade would likely nudge up borrowing costs on the Federal government's A$465 billion in debt and on some of the states' A$327 billion of borrowings and lead to Australia's major banks being downgraded as well as their debt pile mounts to more than A$500 billion.

It would also be a political nightmare for the Liberal National government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, which has long sold itself as a competent economic manager that can be trusted to balance the books.

Morrison took to the airwaves early on Monday to essentially blame the opposition Labor Party for blocking budget savings measures in parliament, though many of the proposals are deeply unpopular with voters as well.

The budget update is due at midday and there are expectations that the A$37.1 billion deficit originally forecast for the year to June, 2017 could be revised to around A$40 billion.

"Australia's push back towards an underlying budget surplus has felt a bit like "groundhog day". It's there in the forecasts but continually recedes into the distance," says CBA chief economist Michael Blythe.

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The Treasurer will also have to revise down estimates for growth after the A$1.6 trillion economy surprisingly contracted by 0.5 percent in the September quarter, the first shrinkage since 2011.

However, one bright spot has been a recovery in prices for many of Australia's major commodity exports, with coal and iron ore surging in the past few months. If sustained, that will add billions to the tax take and could ease the pressure on the ratings.

And even if the country is downgraded, analysts said they doubted that it would have much of an impact on bond yields or investor confidence.

"Our feedback from clients across Asia is that they seem quite relaxed about the issue, with many noting that their mandates allow purchases of AA rated securities and any rise in yields would allow them to purchase AUD bonds at better levels," said Andrew Ticehurst, an economist at Japanese broker Nomura.

(Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Police in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Sunday stopped thousands of Islamists from marching to the border with Myanmar to protest at a crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority in that country.

The military campaign in Myanmar's western state of Rakhine has sent 27,000 Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh, with survivors recounting horrific stories of mass murder, gang rape and torture at the hands of troops.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar has long discriminated against the stateless Rohingya and the recent crisis has galvanised protests in Muslim countries around the region.

Thousands of Muslims belonging to the Islami Andolan Bangladesh party gathered in front of Dhaka's Baitul Mukarram national mosque, chanting slogans and carrying placards denouncing Myanmar's Nobel laureate and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Local police chief Rafiqul Islam told AFP that at least 6,000 people had arrived for the march towards the southeastern border.

"But it came to a halt as we mutually discussed the march would hamper public life," he said.

Party officials however accused the police of "forcefully" stopping and arresting them.

"They (police) stopped our activists and randomly arrested many of us. We strongly condemn such actions of the administration," party spokesman Atiqur Rahman said.

In the past two months Bangladesh has stepped up patrols and border guards have prevented hundreds of boats packed with Rohingya refugees from entering the country.

The Bangladesh government has come under pressure from Muslim groups and the opposition to open its border to the fleeing Rohingya.

More than 230,000 Rohingya are already living in Bangladesh, most of them illegally, although around 32,000 are formally registered as refugees.
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(2) Feb 17 (2) Feb 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 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(6) May 19 (4) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (6) May 14 (4) May 13 (9) May 12 (4) May 11 (5) May 10 (5) May 09 (4) May 08 (3) May 07 (5) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (5) May 03 (1) May 02 (5) May 01 (7) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (5) Apr 28 (4) Apr 27 (1) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (4) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (3) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (3) Apr 14 (4) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (6) Apr 10 (1) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (5) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (1) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (4) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (4) Mar 26 (2) Mar 25 (4) Mar 24 (6) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (6) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (4) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (4) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (5) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (5) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (2) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (4) Feb 23 (4) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (4) Feb 20 (4) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 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 17 (5) Nov 16 (4) Nov 15 (6) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (3) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (3) Nov 07 (2) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (4) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (2) Oct 31 (3) Oct 30 (4) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (3) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (2) Oct 24 (2) Oct 23 (2) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (2) Oct 20 (3) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (2) Oct 17 (2) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (2) Oct 14 (4) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (2) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (4) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (5) Oct 03 (3) Oct 02 (6) Oct 01 (6) Sep 30 (5) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (7) Sep 26 (4) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (5) Sep 23 (8) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (6) Sep 19 (3) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (5) Sep 16 (7) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (4) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (5) Sep 11 (5) Sep 10 (5) Sep 09 (7) Sep 08 (5) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (7) Sep 05 (4) Sep 04 (4) Sep 03 (2) Sep 02 (2) Sep 01 (2) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (3) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (4) Aug 25 (3) Aug 24 (3) Aug 23 (3) Aug 22 (4) Aug 21 (4) Aug 20 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21 (5) May 20 (4) May 19 (2) May 18 (3) May 17 (3) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (5) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (3) May 10 (4) May 09 (4) May 08 (4) May 07 (3) May 06 (2) May 05 (3) May 04 (4) May 03 (2) May 02 (3) May 01 (3) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (4) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (4) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (4) Apr 19 (5) Apr 18 (7) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (10) Apr 15 (5) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (4) Apr 12 (5) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (4) Apr 07 (7) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (7) Apr 04 (5) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (5) Apr 01 (5) Mar 31 (5) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (7) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (6) Mar 24 (5) Mar 23 (5) Mar 22 (5) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (6) Mar 18 (6) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (5) Mar 14 (4) Mar 13 (5) Mar 12 (5) Mar 11 (4) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (4) Mar 06 (3) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (6) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (4) Mar 01 (5) Feb 28 (6) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (4) Feb 25 (6) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (4) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (2) 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Ouinhi (Benin) (AFP) - Daniel Aboko proudly shows off the 11 hectares (27 acres) of paddy fields he shares with other farmers -- a small spread that produces a bounty of food thanks to smart irrigation and a hardy strain of rice.

In just four years, small farmers in Ouinhi, southeastern Benin, have seen their harvest double from three to six tonnes of rice per hectare (1.2 to 2.4 tonnes per acre).

They produce so much, in fact, that they have created an unusual problem for West Africa: a local glut.

"People come here to ask us questions and they invite me to their fields to train them," beamed Aboko, after parking his motorbike.

"It's quite common in Ouinhi," he said.

Some 500 rice growers work in 20 paddy fields in the town of 40,000 people in the hilly, rural department of Zou.

They accepted an invitation from the Africa Rice Centre, or AfricaRice -- a not-for-profit research and training centre -- to change their irrigation system, and it's worked wonders.

"In 2013, there was a drought but the producers on the pilot sites had rice, while the others didn't," said Sander Zwart, a researcher at AfricaRice.

Specialists in rice breeding and irrigation, AfricaRice has devised a system called Smart-Valleys, in which humid inland valleys -- natural catchment areas for rainfall -- are scouted out for rice-growing potential.

The project's team then work with local farmers, explaining the benefits of an irrigation system that is cheap and sustainable -- provided it is built in the right areas, and used at the right times.

But for the change to happen, it needs the farmers' extensive knowledge of the terrain and characteristics of the soil.

- 'The plant gives back' -

The work has entailed moving some paddy fields into moist valleys, which are flooded at key times, and tossing out concrete aquaducts, replaced them with earthen embankments forming rows of ditches.

"Rice needs water, but not all the time," explained Aboko, who is president of the Ouinhi cooperative.

Story continues

"With this system, when the time comes to give water, we do so -- if we shouldn't, we drain it away.

"What you give to the plant, it will give that back to you!"

The aim of the project -- also being trialled in neighbouring Togo -- is not only to fight against drought but also to better use rainwater, which is often the only source of local irrigation for paddy fields.

"Before, people would choose somewhere and cultivate without thought," said Zwart. "And when there was no water, they couldn't do anything."

Local farmers are involved at every step.

"We clear the vegetation with them and they are the ones who design the layout according to the lanes of running water, the slope of the terrain and the size of plots," said Zwart.

No matter how little it rains, the new system allows farmers to produce crops.

But another part of the success story is due to the rice strain -- a hybrid of African and Asian cultivars called Nerica, which is shorthand for New Rice for Africa.

It brings together genes from high-yield Asian strains and an ancient African strain that is low-yield but resistant to drought and less thirsty than its Asian cousin.

The strain was created by AfricaRice, which gave producers their first seeds. Growers have since then bought more from their own profits.

- Sales problems -

Guaranteeing a consistent harvest does not mean the farmers' troubles are completely solved.

"The growers don't always manage to sell their produce because they have multiplied their yield in a short space of time," said Felix Gbaguidi, a director at the ministry of agriculture.

"They hadn't always anticipated that aspect. But some organisations are being set up to look after processing the rice, and marketing."

Even so, Aboko wants to increase his yearly harvest from one to three.

And there is room for Benin to increase its production.

Back in 2009 the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) envisaged Benin becoming self-sufficient in rice by 2011.

Yet last year, France's agriculture ministry said the west African country was still bringing in 50,000 tonnes of rice from abroad.

With surplus yields it is perhaps marketing and sales development that Benin needs to take its rice industry to the next level.

One hurdle is consumer resistance, for many people prefer the aromatic imported rice from Asia to the hardy, nutty local grain.
Berlin (AFP) - Berlin voiced outrage Sunday over an alleged decision by a German-backed international school in Istanbul to scrap Christmas festivities, although the claim was swiftly denied in Turkey.

"We don't understand the surprising decision by the management of the Istanbul Lisesi," said the German foreign ministry.

"It is too bad that the good tradition of pre-Christmas intercultural exchanges at the school with a long German-Turkish tradition has been suspended," it said.

"We are of course taking this up with our Turkish partners."

Set up in 1884, Istanbul Lisesi is a Turkish-German bilingual state school but is partly backed by the German government.

The school denied any such ban.

"The reports in German media about restrictions on Christmas festivities of German teachers do not reflect reality," it said.

"A concert was cancelled by the German teachers in question without explanation and there is no question of the school or its management placing an obstacle in its way or prohibiting it."

Ruling AKP party MP Mustafa Yeneroglu also denied the claims, saying "such false reports do nothing for Turkey-Germany relations".

German politicians had reacted with fury over the reports.

Left party lawmaker Sevim Dagdelen told Tagesspiegel the government must "immediately summon the Turkish ambassador and send a note of protest to Ankara".

The Greens' education policy spokesman Ozcan Mutlu said the alleged ban is "simply shocking".

If the ban remains, then the question of whether German taxpayers should continue to fund the school must be examined urgently, he told the media group Redaktionsnetzwerk.

Andreas Scheuer, the general secretary of the CSU -- Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian allies, said the move was "new proof that (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan's Turkey is burning all bridges with Europe".

Christmas is part of Germany, and that applies too for a German school abroad, Scheuer told the Funke regional media group.

Relations between Ankara and Berlin have been strained in the wake of the July failed military coup, with Germany repeatedly expressing concern over the scope of a massive crackdown on Erdogan's opponents.

Developments in Turkey have a strong resonance in Germany, home to a three-million-strong ethnic Turkish population, the legacy of a massive "guest worker" programme in the 1960s and 1970s.
On a night that was to be Bernard Hopkins glorious swan song, he ended his final fight on his back, outside the ring after a barrage of punches by his opponent Joe Smith Jr. sent him through the ropes and onto the arena floor. Hopkins was every bit the 51-year-old fighter throughout the fight and Smith mercilessly put an end to his night and career in the 8th round of the fight.

Hopkins landed on his head and complained of an illegal push and said he felt a tingling in his legs afterward, but replays showed it was a series of clean punches that finished him off. Its an embarrassing end to a legendary, Hall of Fame career in which he became the oldest fighter to ever win a world championship at 46, a record he bested at ages 48 and 49. Before age became his claim to fame Hopkins notoriety grew when he defended the middleweight crown a record 20 straight times from 1994 until he lost two controversial decisions to Jermain Taylor in 2005.

At the time of the knockout Hopkins was actually up on one card, but his age finally showed in the ring as he was largely ineffective and eventually wilted under the pressure from Smith and his power. Hopkins said after the fight that he was unaware of the 20 seconds he had to get back in the ring, and doubled down on his claim that he was pushed out of the ring despite being told it was clean punches that did the damage. Hopkins did, however, reiterate that this was the final fight of career despite how upset he was with how it ended.

Check out the devastating knockout and end of Bernard Hopkins career from another angle below.
(The story corrects first paragraph to say Friday instead of Thursday) By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Katya Golubkova TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin wrapped up two days of talks on Friday, with numerous economic deals but no big breakthrough on a territorial row that has over-shadowed ties since World War Two. Putin was heading home with promises of economic cooperation after appearing to achieve what experts said was a key objective - easing international isolation when Russia faces Western condemnation over the destruction of eastern Aleppo in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assads forces. Abe and Putin agreed to launch talks on joint economic activities on disputed islands at the centre of the territorial row as a step toward concluding a peace treaty formally ending World War Two, the two sides said in a joint statement. The islands in the Western Pacific, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two and 17,000 Japanese residents were forced to flee. The dispute over their sovereignty has prevented the two countries signing a peace treaty. Abe said he and Putin had taken "an important step" toward a peace treaty but concluding one would not be easy. "The issue wont be solved if each of us just make their own case," Abe said at a news conference with Putin. "We need to make efforts toward a breakthrough so that we dont disappoint the next generation. We need to set aside the past and create a win-win solution for both of us." Putin dismissed the notion that he was only interested in getting economic benefits from Japan. "If anyone thinks were interested only in developing economic links and a peace deal is of secondary importance, thats not the case," he told the same news conference. "For me, the most important thing is to sign a peace agreement because that would create the conditions for long-term co-operation." "PUTIN GO HOME" As the two leaders held their second round of talks on Friday, right-wing activists in trucks mounted with loudspeakers circled the streets not far from the prime ministers' office, blaring "Return the islands" and "Putin Go Home". Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute in the hope of leaving a significant diplomatic legacy and building better ties with Russia to counter a rising China. He had hoped the lure of economic cooperation for Russia's economy, hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions, would pave the path for significant progress on the dispute. Putin, however, would risk tarnishing his domestic image as a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty by compromising. Japanese opposition politicians were quick to criticise the talks. "How is this economic cooperation and these joint economic activities going to lead to a settlement of the islands issue?" said Ren Ho, head of the main opposition Democratic Party. "Concerns that economic cooperation will bilk Japan remain, and that no concrete way to make progress on the islands issue was found is really too bad," she added in a statement. Russian officials said the two sides had signed a total of 80 documents, including 68 on commercial matters, during Putin's visit, including private-sector deals. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation and the Russian Direct Investment Fund signed an agreement to set up a $1 billion investment fund to promote economic cooperation between the two countries. But there was less than met the eye in some of the deals. Despite strong pressure from the Abe administration, companies remain wary of the risk of doing business in Russia, said a Japanese official involved in summit preparations. "Hence many of the agreements being announced are vague memorandums of understanding," he said. The two leaders agreed on Thursday, in talks at a hot spring resort in southwest Japan, on the importance of resuming security dialogue, a Japanese official said. Ministerial level security talks were halted after Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014, and Western countries imposed sanctions in response. Japan has long insisted its sovereignty over all four islands be confirmed before a peace treaty is signed. But there have been signs it has been rethinking its stance, perhaps by reviving a formula called "two-plus-alpha", based partly on a 1956 joint declaration in which the Soviet Union agreed it would hand over the two smaller islands after a peace treaty. Putin, a judo expert, wrapped up his visit with a stop at the Kodokan Institute, the global judo headquarters, where he and Abe watched a judo performance by two men dressed in what looked like samurai armour. (Writing by Linda Sieg; additional reporting by Elaine Lies, Ami Miyazaki, Nobuhiro Kubo, Minami Funakoshi, Leika Kihara and Aaron Sheldrick.; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel)
Aleppo (Syria) (AFP) - Some 350 people were able to leave a rebel-held pocket of east Aleppo on Sunday, a medical official said, despite the official postponement of evacuations of civilians and fighters from the devastated Syrian city.

Dozens of buses had entered Aleppo earlier in the day to resume evacuations, but plans were called off at the last minute after gunmen attacked vehicles for a similar operation from two rebel-besieged villages.

The development came as the UN Security Council prepared to vote on a resolution to deploy observers to the city, with Syria-allied Russia giving cautious backing to the measure.

"Five buses carrying the evacuees arrived from besieged parts of east Aleppo," said Ahmad al-Dbis, who heads a team of doctors and volunteers coordinating evacuations to rebel-held Khan al-Assal, from where they can travel on to other parts of Aleppo and Idlib provinces.

"They were in a terrible state," Dbis told AFP.

"They hadn't eaten, they had nothing to drink, the children had caught colds, they were not even able to go to the toilet," he added.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the 350 were able to be evacuated after Russia and Turkey urged the Syrian regime to allow the convoy of buses to pass its final control point.

Evacuations were suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of people had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

The main obstacle to a resumption had been a dispute over how many people would be evacuated in parallel from two Shiite villages, Fuaa and Kafraya, under rebel siege in northwestern Syria.

But just as a deal to go ahead with the evacuations was found and announced by both sides, gunmen attacked and torched buses sent to take people out of Fuaa and Kafraya, a monitor said.

- Bus driver killed -

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said one bus driver was killed in the attack and that security guarantees would be needed before evacuations could resume.

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Yasser al-Youssef of the Nureddin al-Zinki rebel group confirmed that "the evacuations have been momentarily suspended".

Buses would not leave the rebel areas of Aleppo until residents of Fuaa and Kafraya were also able to leave, the Observatory said.

A rebel representative had said that hundreds of people would also be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya, two regime-besieged rebel towns in Damascus province, as part of the deal.

Syrian state television said earlier Sunday that 100 buses would take people out of east Aleppo.

By early evening, more than 30 buses were packed with people awaiting evacuation, while thousands more stood in the cold for their turn to board other buses, an AFP reporter said.

Meanwhile the UN Security Council said it would vote Monday on sending observers to ensure "the well-being of civilians", along with the Syrian Red Crescent and International Committee of the Red Cross who are already supervising evacuations.

Russia had threatened to veto a draft resolution presented by France, but after nearly four hours of closed-door consultations a new proposal was agreed.

US Ambassador Samantha Power anticipated member states would vote "unanimously" at 9:00 am (1400 GMT) on Monday.

Iran's official news agency IRNA said the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Iran would meet Tuesday in Moscow to discuss the situation.

- Freezing temperatures -

Families have been sheltering at night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppo's Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations.

An AFP reporter visited a hospital in the rebel sector where patients lay on floors without food or water and almost no heating.

Aleppo has seen some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

A physiotherapist, Mahmud Zaazaa, said only "three doctors, a pharmacist and three nurses" remained in the area.

An official said more than half of Aleppo's buildings and infrastructure have been badly damaged or destroyed since violence erupted there in 2012.

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura estimated that as of Thursday around 40,000 civilians and perhaps as many as 5,000 opposition fighters remained in Aleppo's rebel enclave.

Before evacuations were suspended around 8,500 people, including some 3,000 fighters, left for rebel-held territory elsewhere in the north, said the Observatory.
PATERSON, N.J. (AP) -- A small businessman says New Jersey Transit owes him more than $1 million after the agency reneged on a promise to let him run a restaurant in Atlantic City's bus terminal.

Russell Graddy says NJ Transit compounded the indignity by continuing to charge him rent for space he wasn't able to use and failing to give him access to equipment removed from the restaurant in 2004 and put in storage.

Graddy currently runs Mr. G's diner in Paterson and says the long-running dispute has cost him millions of dollars in lost wages and other costs and forced him to sell some of his other properties just to pay his bills.

"I did everything right," Graddy told transit board members at their meeting last week. "It is unconscionable what they did to me."

Ten years ago, Graddy won an arbitrator's recommendation that he be paid $1.3 million. But he says he hasn't seen a dime since a state Superior Court judge ruled his agreement was with the Atlantic City Alliance and the Casino Redevelopment Authority and not directly with NJ Transit, which is owned by the state and operates buses and trains throughout New Jersey.

Graddy contends that amounts to legal doubletalk so NJ Transit can avoid paying him.

The agency once offered him $183,000 to settle the complaint but Graddy declined the offer.

An NJ Transit spokeswoman said Friday that Executive Director Steven Santoro would discuss the matter with the board.

"The board and the executive director have asked for a complete briefing on this matter, and as a result we will review all aspects of this issue," spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said.

Friends and supporters who spoke on his behalf at the NJ Transit meeting described the Georgia native as a revered figure in the black community.

"He is an American success story," said Stan Matthews, a business consultant who has become close to Graddy. "Very little education, coming to Paterson from the Deep South at a time when Jim Crow was the law of the land, buying his first house at 17, going into business for himself at 20. He's never been late on his taxes, never had a brush with the law.

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"The guy was a poster child for doing it the right way," Matthews continued. "This is what galls me. It is unnecessary, and that board has a chance to do the right thing by a good guy."

Graddy's diner in Paterson is within a few minutes' walk of two of Paterson's most famous addresses: the spot where three people were murdered in a bar in June 1966, leading to the conviction and, 20 years later, exoneration of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter; and the Community Baptist Church of Love, where Martin Luther King spoke in 1968, eight days before he was killed in Memphis. The 85-year-old Graddy said he played a key role in facilitating King's visit.

Graddy's dispute with NJTransit began in the late 1990s while he was operating a souvenir and snack shop in the old Atlantic City bus terminal, a 1930s-era art deco building owned by the city. Through a tangle of contracts, promises, an aborted remodeling and a takeover of the terminal by the state, Graddy says, NJ Transit eventually promised him it would relocate him in a new terminal it was building, as well as pay him for lost business for the estimated four months he would be inactive.

Graddy handed over his keys, and away went his equipment to storage  stoves, refrigerators, grills and the like, worth about $900,000, he estimated. It's the last time he has seen them. Worse, he said, NJ Transit billed him about $2,500 per month in rent for more than two years for the restaurant space at the terminal he couldn't use.

"They murdered me; I was a well-off man before this," Graddy said Thursday as he sipped coffee at Mr. G's. "This has cost me at least $5 million. They destroyed me."
Despite being fronted by the bland Casey Affleck, Saturday Night Live closed out 2016 with an episode that fired on nearly all cylinders.

RELATEDRogue Ones Felicity Jones to Host First SNL of 2017

The Manchester by the Sea actor made virtually no lasting impression during his hosting debut, save for a mildly amusing Dunkin Donuts commercial that came directly after the monologue. For the remainder of the evening, Affleck proved unremarkable in sketches where he was completely overshadowed by both repertory players and a bevy of special guests. Instead, the writing was where this episode excelled, at times flirting with a level not seen since Dave Chappelle lorded over Studio 8H in November.

The above-average affair relied heavily on Kate McKinnon, who not only put in a return appearance as alien-abduction survivor Ms. Rafferty, but reprised her role as Hillary Clinton in SNLs best post-election sketch. Meanwhile, the always-sublime John Goodman factored into the latest Donald Trump-centric cold open. Fred Armisen also stopped by, albeit in two segments barely worth mention, including Weekend Update.

RELATEDSNLs Anti-TV Host Bias: Insiders Try to Explain the Inexplicable

Lo and behold, my picks for best and worst sketches:

BEST: HILLARY ACTUALLY

The Internet is home to far too many Love Actually think pieces, but that wont stop the dozens of new ones thatll surface once bloggers feast their eyes on this brilliant SNL spoof. Parodying the iconic To me, you are perfect scene, Hillary turns up at the door of an elector and uses an absurd number of note cards to ask that she reconsider casting her vote for Trump on Monday. Among the alternatives she suggests to write in: John Kasich, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rock and a rock.

BEST: JINGLE BARACK

Kenan Thompson and musical guest Chance the Rapper fronted this top-notch music video about celebrating the last holiday before President Barack Obama leaves office. Throw in Run DMCs Darryl McDaniels, Leslie Jones giving off Salt-N-Pepa vibes and a breakdancing Jesus, and youve got yourself the best music video since 2013s Do It On My (Twin Bed).

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BEST: CHRISTMAS MIRACLE

Ms. Rafferty, the character that famously sent Ryan Gosling into a Fallon-esque giggle fit, was back in all her glory. In this similarly hilarious follow-up, the chain-smoking loon detailed her run-in with one of Santas lesser-known helpers  a nine-foot tall goat man by the name of Crinklemouse (sp?)  and a Gollum-looking elf named Shart.

VIDEOS2016 in Review: Best in Late Night  Adele Does Karaoke, Colbert Revival, Kimmels X-Files, Trump and More

HONORABLE MENTION: DONALD TRUMP CHRISTMAS COLD OPEN

There was nothing particularly special about Alec Baldwins latest turn as the president-elect. Most enjoyable was the casting of 12-time SNL host Goodman as Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson, who was especially funny during his interactions with Beck Bennetts Vladimir Putin.

WORST: ROBOT PRESENTATION

Oh goodie, more branded content! [Insert shrug emoji guy.] Remember that godawful Honda Robotics sketch from the Emily Blunt episode? Well this was pretty much the same thing, only now it was a Microsoft event and the robots were engineered to function as walking, talking, antiquated gay stereotypes.

WORST: NEW YORK NOW

Affleck, Strong and McKinnon played three Long Islanders being interviewed about the worlds worst nativity pageant. There was nothing particularly chuckle-worthy about the highlights, or Affleck reciting some of his favorite lines lifted directly from Austin Powers and Borat. (Watch it here.)

What were your favorite sketches of the night? And what missed the mark? Grade the episode via our poll, then hit the comments and make your picks.

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Khartoum (AFP) - Dozens of health facilities supported by the World Health Organization in strife-torn areas of Sudan risk closure due to a lack of funds, exposing one million people to likely epidemics.

Eleven clinics have already been shut in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan where years of fighting between government troops and black African rebels has forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

As an acute cash crunch worsens and with the world's eyes focused on other conflicts such as Syria, another 49 facilities in these regions are also at risk, the WHO head in Sudan, Naeema al-Gasseer, told AFP.

"We don't have enough funds to continue supporting clinics in remote areas that provide people with health services," Gasseer said.

"About 11 clinics have already been closed and another 49 are facing closure.

"We are talking about a million people who can be affected."

The closures could impact immunisation services, while some 323,000 women of child-bearing age and children under five will lack access to health care, she said.

"A heightened risk of epidemics is likely... with people having to travel long distances to access available health care services," Gasseer said.

WHO, a United Nations agency, needs about $7 million to operate these clinics over the next year, but is having trouble sourcing the funds.

More than half of these facilities are in Darfur, a vast region the size of France where heavy fighting erupted in 2003.

Violence broke out when ethnic minority rebels rose up against President Omar al-Bashir, accusing his Arab-dominated government of marginalising the region.

Similar fighting has also plagued Blue Nile and South Kordofan, with tens of thousands of people killed or displaced in these three areas in more than a decade.

- 'Forgotten emergency' -

Funding for Sudan's health care sector has fallen in the past two or three years.

The cash crunch faced by WHO and other NGOs is so severe that many clinics have no money even to buy medicines or to pay staff wages.

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"Sudan is like a forgotten emergency," said Adil al-Mahi from Save the Children Sweden, which operates health facilities for children in the conflict zones.

"We don't have funds... to maintain the equipment or for food for malnourished children."

Save the Children Sweden is phasing out health and nutrition services in 20 centres in South Kordofan, affecting about 200,000 people who it has supported.

UN officials insist Sudan still remains a priority for global donors.

The United Nations had launched a global appeal to raise raising $952 million to fund humanitarian needs in Sudan in 2016.

About 55 percent of that has been raised, which UN officials say is significant considering that donors had to meet other massive aid needs in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan.

"International donors have stayed the course over the last five years," said Samantha Newport, spokeswoman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA.

"They have donated more than $ 3.2 billion to humanitarian work in Sudan," she said.

But aid allocation to Sudan's health care sector has been meagre, even as the international appeal for the country remains one of the top 10 in terms of funding.

- Top priority is food -

UN officials had estimated $66 million as the requirement for Sudan's health care sector in 2016, but have received only $28 million.

Newport said the bulk of the aid had gone to provide food for vulnerable communities.

"This year, the humanitarian appeal for Sudan has received about $550 million and over $330 million have been to provide food aid to 4.6 million people," she said.

UN officials are now looking for funds from inside Sudan even as the country's economy remains battered by decades of trade sanctions imposed by Washington.

"We can not rely on foreign funding," said UNICEF's head in Sudan, Abdullah Fadil.

UNICEF has spent about $500 million in Sudan over the past five years, he said, but that kind of funding is no longer coming in from international donors.

"So, we have to find different alternatives. That means we have to find resources within Sudan."
Kaluga:

The second-largest freshwater fish, kaluga sturgeon is endangered in the wild but is being successfully farmed in China. Large and glossy grains range in color from dark gray to light golden green. Creamy, buttery, nutty, and mild in flavor. Latin name: Huso dauricus. It is crossbred for the U.S. market, and while it may be labeled as kaluga, it is usually a cross of Huso dauricus and Acipenser schrencki. ($210$325 per ounce)

Osetra:

Farmed in Europe, Israel, and Asia, this is a favorite of many experts and comes from one of the medium-sized species of sturgeon. It is also known as Russian caviar. True golden osetra is the rarer and most prized variety, produced by an albino fish. Its medium-sized, soft grains range in color from a light brown to a warm, rich brown. It typically has a nutty flavor with marine saline notes and an elegant, well-balanced finish. Latin name: Acipenser gueldenstaedtii. ($150$395 per ounce)

Siberian Sturgeon:

A smaller variety that is farmed all over the world. Soft, small- to medium-grain black beadsthe most similar in appearance to sevruga caviarhave a fresh taste of the sea with a velvety finish. It is less savory and more briny than other kinds. Latin name: Acipenser baerii. ($90$123 per ounce)

White Sturgeon:

Native to the United States and the third-largest freshwater fish, this species is farmed in California and Idaho, among other states, and is sometimes mislabeled as American osetra. It has a medium-sized, firm bead with lighter tones of warm brown to light green, sometimes even closer to black. Earthy notes, nutty and buttery in flavor. Latin name: Acipenser transmontanus. ($60$221 per ounce)

Other caviar of note is harvested from sturgeon hybrids, such as A. gueldenstaedtii/A. baerii and H. dauricus/A. schrencki, and marketed under brand-specific names such as platinum caviar or daurenki, depending on the supplier.

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* China to return seized U.S. drone in "appropriate manner"

* Pentagon: secured deal after "direct engagement" (Updates with new Trump tweet)

By Ben Blanchard and Steve Holland

BEIJING/WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec 17 (Reuters) - China will return an underwater U.S. drone seized by a naval vessel this week in the South China Sea, both countries said on Saturday, but Beijing complained that Washington had been "hyping up" the incident.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to take an aggressive approach in dealing with China over its economic and military policies, jumped on the unusual drone seizure with a pair of provocative tweets, accusing Beijing of stealing the equipment.

The drone, known as an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), was taken on Thursday, the first seizure of its kind in recent memory. The Pentagon went public with its complaint after the action and said on Saturday it had secured a deal to get the drone back.

"Through direct engagement with Chinese authorities, we have secured an understanding that the Chinese will return the UUV to the United States," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

The drone, which the Pentagon said was operating lawfully was collecting data about the salinity, temperature and clarity of the water about 50 nautical miles northwest of Subic Bay, off the Philippines.

It was seized just as the USNS Bowditch was about to retrieve it, U.S. officials said.

China's Defense Ministry said a Chinese naval vessel discovered a piece of "unidentified equipment" and checked it to prevent any navigational safety issues before discovering it was a U.S. drone.

"China decided to return it to the U.S. side in an appropriate manner, and China and the U.S. have all along been in communication about it," the ministry said on its website.

"During this process, the U.S. side's unilateral and open hyping up is inappropriate, and is not beneficial to the smooth resolution of this issue. We express regret at this," it added.

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'KEEP IT!'

Trump, a Republican who takes office on Jan. 20, waded into the dispute on Twitter early on Saturday from his seaside resort club Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he plans to spend the holidays.

"China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters - rips it out of water and takes it to China in unprecedented act," he said.

After China said it would return the drone, Jason Miller, a spokesman for Trump, tweeted a link to a news story, saying: "@realdonaldtrump gets it done."

There was, however, no evidence that Trump had played any role. U.S. officials said the negotiations took place in Beijing during the overnight hours in the United States. Miller did not respond to requests for comment.

Hours later, while riding in a motorcade back to his resort, Trump tweeted his second jab. "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back - let them keep it!" he said.

Trump has previously threatened to declare China a currency manipulator and force changes in U.S.-Chinese trade policy, which he says has led to the greatest theft of American jobs in history.

Trump has also raised questions about the most sensitive part of the U.S.-China relationship: whether Washington would stick to its nearly four-decades-old policy of recognizing that Taiwan is part of "one China."

After his Nov. 8 election victory, Trump accepted a congratulatory phone call from President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, prompting China to lodge a diplomatic protest.

President Barack Obama said on Friday it was fine for Trump to review Washington's policy toward Taiwan, but he cautioned that a shift could lead to significant consequences in the U.S. relationship with Beijing.

"There's probably no bilateral relationship that carries more significance and where there's also the potential, if that relationship breaks down or goes into a full-conflict mode, that everybody is worse off," Obama told reporters.

HEIGHTENED TENSIONS

The drone incident has raised fresh concerns about China's increased military presence and aggressive posture in the energy-rich South China Sea, through which about $5 trillion in trade is shipped every year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims to the waterway.

New satellite imagery shows China has installed weapons, including anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems, on all seven artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea, a U.S. research group said this week.

Without directly saying whether the U.S. drone was operating in waters Beijing considers its own, China's Defense Ministry said U.S. ships and aircraft have for a long period been carrying out surveillance and surveys in "the presence" of Chinese waters.

"China is resolutely opposed to this, and demands the U.S. stops this kind of activity," it said.

China will remain on alert for these sorts of activities and take necessary steps to deal with them, the ministry said without elaborating.

The Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, earlier cited an unidentified Chinese source as saying they believed the issue would be resolved smoothly.

(Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton and Jonathan Landay in Washington, Josephine Mason and Meng Meng in Beijing; Editing by G Crosse and Paul Simao)
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f321854%2f455b9c45-f664-4081-9cfc-657b94e61c48

U.S. climate scientists say they worry the incoming Trump administration might do more than cut off their research funding. Some also fear they could receive personal attacks and death threats simply for doing their jobs.

Michael Mann, a climate researcher at Penn State University, said he knows exactly what that's like.

Over the last decade, Mann has been singled out by Republican senators and Pennsylvania and Virginia officials, who falsely accused the scientist of distorting his data and perpetuating the "hoax" that human activities are causing climate change.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump's anti-climate science shakedown just started

"I've faced hostile investigations by politicians, demands for me to be fired from my job, threats against my life and even threats against my family," Mann said in a Sunday op-ed in the Washington Post.

Mann, who directs Penn State's Earth System Science Center, recalled the time in 2010 when he opened an envelope at his desk and white powder fell into his fingers, which at first he feared was anthrax. (It was cornstarch.) He used to get emails with warnings like "the public will come after you" or suggesting he'd find himself "six feet under."

Mann said those threats have diminished in recent years as more Americans have come to understand and accept the global scientific consensus on human-caused climate change  and as President Barack Obama accelerated efforts to fight greenhouse gas emissions and develop renewable energy.

But President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to undo many of Obama's gains on climate change.

Trump himself is a climate-denier who recently claimed, falsely, that "nobody really knows" what's happening to the planet. Many of his cabinet picks, including for Environmental Protection Agency administrator and Secretary of Energy, similarly reject the scientific conclusions shared by 97 percent of the world's climate scientists.

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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world's most authoritative group of climate experts, has said it is "extremely likely" that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have been the "dominant cause" of observed global warming trends since the mid-20th century.

Mann said that he and his colleagues are now "bracing for a renewed onslaught of intimidation, from inside and outside government," given the coming changes in Washington.

"I fear the chill that could descend," he wrote in the op-ed.

Trump's pick to head the EPA, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, calls himself a "leading advocate" against the agency's climate policies. In this picture, Pruitt arrives at Trump Tower in New York on Dec.7, 2016.

Image: Spencer platt/ Getty Images

Those fears aren't only based on past events.

The Trump transition team in early December sent an unusually detailed questionnaire to the Energy Department, which demanded the names of employees who attended U.N. climate talks in the last five years or assisted in other climate-related projects under Obama.

Trump's team later backed away from the questionnaire after the Energy Department issued a statement saying that the memo "left many in our workforce unsettled" and that the agency would not turn over the names of individuals.

At a rally last week in San Francisco, hundreds of climate scientists, including Mann, promised to "stand up for science" during the Trump administration.

"We're people with real fears, both as scientists and as citizens," Geoffrey Supran, a rally organizer and MIT and Harvard climate researcher, told Mashable.

"I see that as more reason for us to stand up for what we know to be true," he said.

BONUS: Gov. Jerry Brown says California will build its 'own damn satellite' under Trump
Rob Kardashian and Blac Chyna sent fans into a frenzy on Saturday night after they battled with each other on social media in an explosive fight.

Things kicked off when Chyna posted on Saturday afternoon that she had been hacked and the anonymous hacker began threatening to release DM and text conversations between Chyna and other men to prove that she was cheating on Kardashian, 29, and only using him for fame. After releasing a few conversations  which didnt show any signs of infidelity on Chynas part  the hacker directed fans to Kardashians Snapchat where he began posting from his empty home, claiming Chyna had taken her children and left him. (Chyna and Kardashian share newborn Dream and she also has son King Cairo with former fiance Tyga.)

Chyna then claimed in a since-deleted post that Kardashian was involved in the hack, that he was verbally abusive to her and that she was done with his shenanigans.

The back-and-forth drama that played out on social media provided plenty of gossip fodder for fans, but it may be hard to sort out exactly when everything had taken place. Keep reading for the complete timeline of the events referenced in the couples dramatic showdown.

Early December/late November

Kardashian and Chyna move into a new home, which he claims he bought for his family. However, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Chyna implies that the home in question is one of Kylie Jenners properties. The hacker claimed the home was worth $8 million and Kardashian had said that the two had been living there for two weeks before Chyna left.

Wednesday, December 7

The Kardashians lawyers file documents opposing Chynas efforts to trademark her presumed married name, Angela Renee Kardashian, claiming it would damage the Kardashian familys brand. Chynas lawyer told PEOPLE at the time that the filing was a shock.

That same day, Chyna allegedly texted with her lawyer, according to screengrabs posted by Chynas hacker. In the conversation, Chyna says she may just trademark her name when she gets married and asked if it was an easier process after the nuptials.

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Thursday, December 8

In an alleged conversation with her lawyer, Chyna asks him to change the caption until all this clears and that she doesnt want people think Im being shady. Chyna allegedly added until we win, referencing the trademark case. This date and the win comment appear to particularly anger her hacker, who notes the date and the comment in caps in the since-deleted post.

Sunday, December 11

Amid their ongoing legal drama, the Kardashian-Jenners and Chyna celebrate Dream Kardashians 1-month milestone. Chyna shares a series of videos on her social media. Kylie also visited Dream on Saturday, December 10.

Dream Kardashian/Instagram

Monday, December 12

Chyna reveals that she has given Kardashian a brand new Range Rover. Rob loves his new truck, Chyna told her followers in a video shared on Instagram. Kardashian also documented the gift on his Snapchat, writing, My girl got me a Range Rover.

Tuesday, December 13

In a since-deleted screen grab that was posted to her Instagram when she was hacked, Chyna texts with her friend Treasure, complaining that Kardashian is starting with her again. She doesnt give specifics about his behavior but claims he started treating her unfairly the day after she gifted him with his car.

However, she also shares a collage of photos of herself with Kardashian on Instagram, writing that she loves him.

Wednesday, December 14

In a series of videos posted on his Snapchat, Kardashian said Chyna is about to be so mad at me before going up to her and unexpectedly throwing a stack of $100 bills at her face.

At first, Chyna is visibly annoyed and confused, but she later starts taking Snapchats of her own with the wad of cash and kissing Kardashian.

E! also announced on the same day that they were picking up the couples reality series for a second season.

Saturday, December 17

Early Saturday morning, Chyna shared sweet videos of son King Cairo kissing and cuddling with Dream.

On Saturday afternoon, Chyna claimed that her Instagram account has been hacked and directed fans to follow an alternative account. The hacker then proceeded to claim that Chyna had taken Dream and King away from Kardashian and left him alone in his house one week ahead of Christmas. The hacker threatened to share DM and text conversations between Chyna and other men, including rapper Young Thug and Jaden Smith. However, the conversations, which Chyna verified were true, didnt show any signs of infidelity. The hacker also posted an alleged conversation Chyna had with her lawyer where they discussed her attempt to trademark her presumed married name and conversations with her friend, Treasure.

The hacker then directed fans to go to Kardashians Snapchat, where a visibly distressed Kardashian began posting videos of his empty home, claiming Chyna left him unexpectedly and took their furniture and food. In a since-deleted post, Chyna accused Kardashian of being involved in her hack, claims he was verbally abusive to her and says she is done with him unless he can get help.

Kardashian responded to Chynas post by sharing a series of memes made by fans but insisting that the social media drama wasnt a publicity stunt. He also said he has been upset for days, implying that Chyna may have left him before Saturday.

Sunday, December 18

Now regaining full control of her Instagram account, Chyna promoted her baby special, airing Sunday on E!, on social media. She deleted her alternate account, the hacked posts and Snapchats referencing her fight with Kardashian. However, Kardashian continued to post about the pairs ongoing drama, claiming that Chyna wont let him see their child and had blocked him.




Mbau (DR Congo) (AFP) - Antoine Kakule Kihumuledi longs for a car to transport his cocoa crop and, like fellow residents in the Beni region in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, he wants peace so he can pursue his dreams.

Kakule, 51, is a pioneer in cultivating cocoa in this area of Nord Kivu province, which has been ravaged by war and violence for two decades.

He began planting in the middle of the Second Congo War (1998-2003) and had his first harvest sometime around 2007.

With the help of a sickle mounted at the end of a long shaft, the father of six children cuts the yellow and orange pods from the cocoa trees which grow on his plantation in Mbau, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) to the north of the town of Beni.

But for the past two years the region has been afflicted with waves of massacres that have killed 700 civilians, mostly hacked to death.

Congolese officials have blamed the attacks on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group of rebels dominated by puritanical Ugandan Muslims, but several expert reports have suggested that other groups, including elements within the Congolese army, took part in some killings.

The insecurity in the region is hindering the potential for cocoa cultivation to open a way for "an agricultural middle class to emerge," said Jacques Matumo, administrator for ESCO Kivu, a local cocoa company.

"We lost a lot of growers" in the massacres, he said.

Some who survived "abandoned their fields" and their crops rotted, if they weren't stolen first, he added.

- Coffee substitute -

Kakule says he feels safe as the Congolese army is stationed nearby, but admits he doesn't dare venture further than their outpost.

In a country where the UN estimates nearly nine out of 10 people are living on less than $1.25 per day, Kakule considers himself fortunate.

He feeds his family with cassava and vegetables grown on his farm, and the cocoa is a cash crop.

After the cocoa pods are cut open, the pulp is left to ferment, during which it liquefies and drains away to expose the beans that are then dried under the sun. The dried beans are sold and eventually exported.

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"The money allows me to school my children, pay for their medical care and undertake projects, such as building a new house," Kakule said.

He is particularly proud of his daughter, who has just received her teaching degree.

Like much of the other natural resources and crops in DR Congo, one of the least developed nations on the planet, cocoa is not processed inside the country.

In 2015, Kakule sold 1,200 kilos of cocoa beans at a price above $2.00 per kilo. But world cocoa prices have fallen this year, and farmers are now selling their beans for between $1.60 and $2.00 per kilo depending on the quality.

That Kakule can today set his sights on buying a car to transport his crop is something of a dream come true, and due to a chance encounter with the ESCO Kivu company.

In 1998 the firm, which had long been present in Beni, decided to experiment with cocoa cultivation.

The original idea was to find a replacement to two crops which had traditionally been grown in the region for export: quinine bark and coffee. Demand for the bark used to make the anti-malarial drug quinine was dropping while coffee output was hit by a fungus outbreak.

The experiment was a success: the soil in the Beni region was suitable for cocoa trees and the dry season wasn't too long.

Without any local demand for cocoa beans, the company "created the market" by providing farmers with a guarantee their crop would be purchased, said Matumo.

ESCO does not farm itself. Instead it provides independent farmers with technical support, including the help of agronomists, and then buys their cocoa beans to sell to Europe and the United States.

- Economic revival -

ESCO employs around 200 people and works in partnership with some 29,000 growers. One executive at its factory, who asked not to be named, said he made around $700 a month.

Its product is certified UTZ, a label guaranteeing a mode of production that is sustainable and mindful of the well-being of the local population and the preservation of the natural environment.

Today ESCO has a handful of small competitors following in its footsteps.

For Cleophas Paluku Kahongya, president of the Business Federation of Congo (FEC) in Beni, "cocoa has contributed greatly to the revival of the local economy".

But another major problem is tax evasion. In 2015, about 9,000 tonnes out of an estimated total of 20,000 tonnes were exported secretly to Uganda to avoid Congolese taxes, Paluku said.

"It's as if we are producing for the neighbouring country," Matumo said.

In spite of the difficulties, ESCO Kivu remains confident. It has increased its exports and is ready to install a new line for sorting beans.

A pioneer in organic and fair trade chocolate confection in the United States, Theo Chocolate group said in an email to AFP that it is buying "a significant amount of cocoa" from the Kivu region through ESCO.

On its website, the chocolatier describes cocoa from the Kivu region as having "deep chocolate flavors with subtle nutty undertones" that complement the floral and citrus notes of cocoa beans from South America.
Danielle Brooks, aka Taystee from OITNB, has a message for media when it comes to plus size visibility

The Tony-Nominated Broadway star and actress in Orange is the New Black, Danielle Brooks is linking up with social media to discuss Americas Next Top Model and their lack of plus size models on the 24th cycle of the show. Danielle Brooks open-letter about plus size visibility needs to be heard. Her series of messages on Twitter and impactful posts on Instagram all address the fact the reality show which does not feature one single plus-size contestant, yet the plus-size supermodel Ashley Graham is a judge with host Rita Ora.

This 1% thing is real. The world really disregards plus size. Watched #ANTM and not one contestant was plus, hell, not even a size 6 or 8.  Danielle Brooks (@thedanieb) December 13, 2016

Whitney Thompson is still the shows sole plus-size winner, which she won in 2008. Ashley Graham commented on the shows lack of full figured models to E! News by saying, Unfortunately, it didnt happen for this round, but thats alright. For Danielle Brooks, this is totally NOT alright. She wrote:

A curvy judge but no curvy contestants? Out of all 24 girls not one was plus. You had an Asian, African, a red head, transgender, an androgynous sister, even twins(much love for that) but not 1 plus size woman-when 67 percent of women are plus in the US??

The actress continued writing, We are worth these incredible opportunities. We deserve to be seen. Brooks followers are incredibly supportive of her message towards Americas Next Top Model as well. One fan wrote, preach, girl. Thanks for using your voice/platform to generate awareness. Its time for all kinds of beauty to be showcased, which totally exemplifies the overwhelming power that social media for spreading positive messages.

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Queening --> now read my last post. A photo posted by Danielle Brooks (@daniebb3) on Dec 13, 2016 at 10:12am PST

And Brooks isnt the only one who is mad. Plus-size model, Liris Crosse, shared a few thoughts on Curvy Fashionista. Its a disappointment to have a plus model judge and no contestants that represent her field of expertise. How was that allowed to happen?! Who let that slide?! With all the major strides particularly made in the past five years with plus models, I dont see how the average woman is still not represented on a show like ANTM, she wrote.

More than half of women in the US wear a size bigger than a 12 and the majority of clothing brands do not cater to these sizes, leaving out a large part of our population. The fashion industry, which still largely markets and creates clothing for white, thin, cis women leaves out the very real, and very honest bodies that the majority of women have.

While the shows inclusion of Ashley Graham is a step towards positivity, host Rita Oras introduction of Graham on the show was incredibly problematic in terms of the stereotype that plus-size models are always brave in accepting their body. Ashley Graham is my sexy curvy model. Shes going to bring confidence to these girls. Shes gonna make them know that tits and a butt is okay, said Ora on ANTM.

The representation of all body types is essential to a show with such a large following and viewership. Danielle Brooks is voicing her anger, and rightfully so. To come one step further, only to revert one step back is not a good, fierce look for Americas Next Top Model. Keep talking, Danielle!

The post Danielle Brooks, aka Taystee from OITNB, has a message for media when it comes to plus size visibility appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Its Disneys crown jewel princess this holiday season, having racked up close to $250M worldwide since opening last month, along with six Annie Award nominations, and two Golden Globe nods for best animated film and original song How Far Ill Go. Moana is one of the studios three animated feature submissions this Oscar season along with Zootopia and Finding Dory, and even against the $150M-plus fierce domination of the studios own Rogue One: A Star Wars Stor this weekend, the Oceania lordess never slowed down at the B.O., just 32% off in her fourth weekend with $12.5M.

Since the introduction of the Oscar Animated Feature slot in 2001, Disney has won 11 times here, and in fact the last time its animation studio was in this corner of the globe with 2002s Lilo & Stitch (set in Hawaii), they notched an Oscar nom too in the category.

Here at Deadlines Contenders, Moana producer Osnat Shurer explains the studios inspiration to journey to Oceania as well as how they hooked multi-Tony award-winning Hamilton star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda to write seven songs for the pic.

It wasnt until we got there (Oceania) that we really,really understood the true beauty of the islands, which is the beauty of the people, says Shurer, We came back with a completely different story, but changed ourselves forever.

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Saturday Night Live skewered Donald Trumps relationship with Vladimir Putin following President Obamas warning to Russia over election hacking this week.

The cold open sketch for the shows final episode of 2016 featured Alec Baldwin returning to play Trump and Kate McKinnon as his senior adviser Kellyanne Conway, with the two discussing cabinet picks and the tiny list of people willing to play at Trumps inauguration. Soon, a shirtless Putin (played by Beck Bennett) barrels down the chimney Santa Claus-style, bearing a suspicious Elf on the Shelf toy he encourages the President-elect to put next to his Internet router.

You keep it there all year. Its fun, yes? Putin says.

When Trump apologizes for not having a present for the Russian president, Putin says, Please, Mr. Trump, you are the gift.

Trumps Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson, played by John Goodman, joins the two to have a joyous reunion with Putin, whom he refers to as Pootie, with a secret Russian handshake. Tillerson and Putin immediately work to make some quick oil deals, while a left-out Trump tries to join in.

And then we destroy Vanity Fair, right? he asks.

Sure, buddy, Tillerson says.

Watch it above.
It is that time, when bells are ringing and children are singing. It is the Christmas season, the most wonderful time of the year, many say. It is hard not to declare this a truth, when kitchens smell like cookies and twinkling lights wrap around porches like southern vines.Winter break begins on Wednesday, and until then, the rabbit patch corners are piled with presents to be wrapped, pretty paper and ribbons and possibly more lights. The "morning table" has a list beside the lamp, which is significant, as I never make a list for anything. . . unless it is Christmas.Moon Shine, has decided he is a proper house cat now. Maybe, Christmas is a factor. He is the worst thing to wrap presents with. Cash and Christopher Robin are content to nap or watch from a safe distance. Moon Shine is underfoot hoping a scrap of ribbon falls his way-he feels the same way about shiny paper. The scissors have been found in another room altogether because I took a coffee break. Apparently, he does not believe in Santa nor wonder if "reindeer really know how to fly". He is willing to take his chances, on that. Jenny says the same thing about Lyla.This morning, I am up early. The Christmas season at the rabbit patch is so far, foggy. The heavy mist with the bare trees gives a wintry picture out the window. If I glance in the direction of my neighbors, I see the glow of their strung lights and think what a lovely card it would make- otherwise, it looks like a scene from "Wuthering Heights".Tres and Kelsey are on the way to the rabbit patch, now. We will leave for Elizabeth City, shortly. Will and Jenny have been in their new home just a few months, but Jenny knew where the Christmas tree would be, long before she knew where the sofa and beds would be placed. Today, I will witness her decision and sing "Jingle bells" with Lyla. I look forward to showing Tres our familiar trek by the river and discussing Christmas secrets with Kelsey.At Christmas, I gather memories by taking great note of such occasions . I hoard them up like something precious, because to me, they are. They are the "stories in the making" that I will tell Lyla and the children to come, in our family. I will deliver them tenderly and with great honor, as in some sense, they are our own"gold, frankincense and myrrh" .
(Reuters) - Dozens of Cuban migrants landed in three separate boats in the Florida Keys on Sunday, days after more than 40 others arrived in the same area, local media reported.

Under an agreement with Cuba's communist government, the United States can force Cubans who are intercepted between the two nations to return home or go to a third country, though those who land on U.S. soil are usually allowed to stay.

The U.S. Coast Guard earlier this year said it was concerned about a possible surge in Cuban migrants eager to flee.

The concerns arose over peoples' fears that the warming relations between the Cuban government and Washington could jeopardize the special status enjoyed by Cubans for decades in gaining refugee status in the United States.

In addition, anti-immigration sentiment stirred up by Republican Donald Trump during the U.S. presidential campaign led to concerns he could clamp down on Cubans entering the United States legally if won the Nov. 8 election. Now that Trump is president-elect, it remains to be seen how he will handle immigration.

All 51 of the migrants who landed on Sunday were turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, WPLG TV reported.

Five days ago, 41 migrants from Cojimar, east of Havana, landed in the Florida Keys in a single boat, the Miami Herald reported.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney; editing by Frank McGurty and Grant McCool)
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's admission that he used a powerful painkiller has prompted concern about his health, with lawmakers urging him Sunday to undergo a medical examination and disclose the results.

Duterte on Monday revealed that he used to take fentanyl, often prescribed for cancer pain and other chronic ailments, because of a spinal injury from previous motorcycle accidents.

He however said his doctor made him stop using it on learning he was "abusing the drug" by using more than the prescribed patches.

The firebrand leader has attracted controversy over his war against suspected users of illegal drugs, which has claimed thousands of lives, and his incendiary language against the United States and the United Nations.

Lawmakers said Duterte's remarks revived speculation about his health, including rumours during the election campaign that he suffered from cancer -- a claim Duterte repeatedly denied.

"To end this speculation, it would be better if his physician explains how the president manages the pain that he suffers," Duterte ally congressman Carlos Zarate told AFP.

Zarate added that a medical bulletin would clarify the state of Duterte's health, as fentanyl became controversial after pop legend Prince died of an accidental overdose of the drug in April.

Fentanyl, highly potent and addictive, is estimated to be up to 100 times stronger than morphine.

An outspoken Duterte critic, Senator Leila de Lima, supported Zarate's call.

"It is not just the illness itself that we should be worried about, but also the impact or side effects that the medications he is taking may have, especially on his lucidity and ability to make decisions with a clear mind."

At 71, Duterte is the oldest president of the Philippines.

Related:

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He has said he suffers from daily migraine and ailments including Buerger's disease, a cardiovascular illness characterised by inflammation of blood vessels usually due to smoking.

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Duterte cited ill health as the reason for skipping events during summits abroad. In Cambodia last week he said he might not even finish his six-year term.

Another critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes, told AFP Duterte's admission that he took more than the prescribed fentanyl dosage showed he "qualified as a drug addict".

However Duterte on Saturday denied any addiction.

"When there's regularity, my friend, when you take it and when there's a monkey on your back, that's addiction," he told a BBC reporter.

Doctors said fentanyl was regulated in the Philippines, with physicians needing a licence from the drug agency to prescribe it.

"The ones using (fentanyl) are usually people with harrowing pain or terminal diseases. Doctor monitoring manages risks of addiction," said Leo Olarte, former president of the Philippine Medical Association.

"A medical bulletin is good so the public won't be rattled."
ABUJA (Reuters) - Gambia must ensure the safety of the president-elect, whose election victory is disputed by the current head of state, West African regional bloc ECOWAS said at the end of a special summit on Saturday. President Yahya Jammeh, who has led the country for 22 years, lost a Dec. 1 election to little-known challenger Adama Barrow and is due to step down on Jan. 18. Jammeh has called for a fresh vote and his party is challenging the result in Gambia's Supreme Court. (Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump's fiercest critics may be dreaming of a last-minute revolt, but the Electoral College, a peculiarly American institution, appears near-certain on Monday to select the 70-year-old real estate mogul as the 45th US president.

Its detractors -- and they are many -- have denounced an electoral system that flies in the face of the venerated "one man, one vote" principle, and which perversely encourages presidential candidates to campaign in only a few key states while ignoring whole swaths of the country.

But despite the torrent of criticism this method has faced for decades, no reform attempt has ever succeeded.

When American voters cast their ballots on November 8, they did not in fact directly elect the next occupant of the White House. Instead, they picked 538 "electors" charged with translating their wishes into reality.

Trump won a clear majority of those electors -- 306, with 270 needed for election -- despite dramatically losing the popular vote to his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

A similar scenario took place in 2000, when George W. Bush became president even though Democrat Al Gore won more popular votes.

However, the gap is far more dramatic in 2016, with Clinton scoring nearly three million extra votes over Trump.

Related:

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

This Monday, electors will convene in each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, to officially designate the next president and vice president.

Following an extraordinarily vitriolic campaign, this step in the electoral process -- normally little more than a formality -- has been thrust into the spotlight.

- 'Faithless electors' -

Historically, electors only rarely defy the expressed wishes of the majority of voters in their district. And never have the votes of these "faithless electors" changed the outcome of a presidential election.

Still, some Democrats -- who see a Trump presidency as presenting an existential danger to American democracy -- are clinging to the slender hope that a few dozen Republican electors might decide not to vote for their party's populist leader.

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Yet, should that happen, it would be up to the House of Representatives to designate the successor to Barack Obama. And Republicans hold a strong majority there.

An online petition calling on electors to reject Trump, has collected some five million supporters. Hollywood stars including Martin Sheen ("President Bartlet" on the popular television series "West Wing") recently released a video to goad electors to take that step.

"You have the position, the authority and the opportunity to go down in the books as an American hero who changed the course of history," the celebrities say, addressing electors who have been thrust overnight from the shadows into the spotlight.

But these efforts appear to have almost no chance of succeeding: There is no evidence that the requisite 37 Republican electors will decide to abandon Trump. To date, only one of them, Christopher Suprum of Texas, has publicly announced his intention to stage such a revolt.

The future White House chief of staff, Reince Preibus, told Fox News Sunday that the pressure on the electoral college not to elect Trump is "about Democrats that can't accept the outcome of the election. It's about delegitimizing the american system."

He added: "We're very confident that everything is going to be very smooth tomorrow."

The final result may not be known on Monday, as states are given several days to report their numbers. The Congress will, in any case, announce the name of the official winner on January 6, two weeks before the next president is to be inaugurated in a solemn and pomp-filled ceremony outside the Capitol.

- A 'disaster' or bit of 'genius'? -

Asked about it at his final news conference of the year before leaving for a Hawaiian vacation, Barack Obama acknowledged that the system was "a vestige, it's a carry-over from an earlier vision of how our federal government was going to work," and that it could disadvantage Democrats.

Still, the outgoing president urged his camp to draw needed lessons from their electoral failure and develop a strategy for the future rather than bemoaning the 2016 loss or trying to overturn it.

"The truth of the matter is that if we have a strong message, if we're speaking to what the American people care about, typically, the popular vote and the Electoral College vote will align," he said in a clear allusion to his own presidential victories in 2008 and 2012.

David Pozen, a professor at Columbia Law School, sees at least one silver lining to the intense focus on the Electoral College: it will draw attention to the urgent need for change.

"Either way, the renewed public interest in the Electoral College underscores the need to do away with this antiquated and fundamentally undemocratic institution," he said in an op-ed article in the New York Times.

In November 2000, Hillary Clinton, then the newly elected Democratic senator from New York, issued a clear call for an electoral reform that would result in direct, universal suffrage.

Trump, for his part, has radically changed his stance on the matter in just four years.

"The Electoral College is a disaster for a democracy," he tweeted in November 2012.

Last month, just days after a victory that seemed to stun even him, he sounded a rather different note: "The Electoral College is actually genius in that it brings all states, including the smaller ones, into play. Campaigning is much different!"
South Korea's presidential Blue House has been something of a family home for Park Geun-Hye, but the luxury residence has now become a place of solitary confinement for the impeached, isolated leader.

Park has twice called the Blue House home: first as the daughter of late military strongman Park Chung-Hee and then as president herself -- a cumulative period of 20 years.

Currently president in nothing but name and with no official duties to perform, Park faces a months-long empty schedule within the walls of the complex as she waits for the final act of her impeachment drama to play out.

The only regular encroachment from outside is the deafening chanting of hundreds of thousands of protestors who have taken to the streets of Seoul every Saturday for the past two months to demand Park either resign or be removed.

Ensnared by a corruption scandal involving an old friend, Park was impeached by parliament just over a week ago -- a move that stripped away all her substantial presidential powers and transferred them to her prime minister.

She is allowed to retain her title and stay at the Blue House while the Constitutional Court considers whether to validate the impeachment -- a process that could take up to six months.

- Restricted movement -

But her movements are restricted to the residential part of the 250,000-square-metre (62-acre) compound. Her offices, some 200 metres from her living quarters, are off limits.

A planned trilateral summit with the leaders of China and Japan that was supposed to be held this month in Tokyo has been indefinitely postponed.

Aides say Park spends her time resting and preparing her impeachment defence for the court, but otherwise there are scant details about her activities.

"She must feel like the whole world has turned its back on her," said Lee Jun-Han, a politics professor at Incheon University.

"I don't think she has the luxury of travelling outside the Blue House, or even resting in peace at home," Lee said.

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Park's father Park Chung-Hee ruled the country with an iron fist from 1961-79 and his eldest child enjoyed a pampered life, although in her memoirs she described her early days at the Blue House as "prison-like".

She never married and has no children, and critics say her sheltered upbringing left Park aloof and out of touch.

- 'Lonely life' -

In a televised apology she gave in early November as the corruption scandal snowballed, Park spoke of her "lonely life" as president and how it had led her to place too much trust in her long-time confidante, Choi Soon-Sil.

Park's impeachment focused on charges that she colluded with Choi in forcing a number of South Korean conglomerates to donate tens of millions of dollars to two dubious non-profit foundations that Choi controlled and allegedly plundered.

Park acknowledged letting her guard down with Choi, who had helped her through "difficult times" as a single female president who had lost both her parents to assassins and was estranged from her siblings.

In testimony to an ongoing parliamentary investigation into the Choi scandal, Park's aides cemented the image of her as a solitary figure who liked eating alone.

One former chief of staff who served Park for two years said he had often gone an entire week without meeting her at all -- an experience echoed by other senior policy advisors.

"Park was almost always in her residence, whether on Sundays or a weekday, unless there were public events like a cabinet meeting or a meeting with advisors," a former presidential chef said in a recent interview.

Park's staffers now report to the prime minister -- and acting president -- Hwang Kyo-Ahn, who is expected to give the annual year-end national presidential address.

For the Blue House press corps, Park's blank days have left them with similarly blank notebooks.

"The number of reporters in the pressroom has shrunk a lot -- maybe only a third are showing up," said the correspondent of one national newspaper who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"There are no more regular briefings by the spokesman. He only comes to the pressroom when there's a particular issue regarding the president," the correspondent said.
Athens (AFP) - Austerity-wracked Greece could strike a deal with its creditors by early next year, a senior EU official said Sunday, seeking to calm a recent row over surprise handouts announced by Athens.

European Commission vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis made the comments days after the EU suspended debt relief for bailed-out Greece after its maverick premier Alexis Tsipras hiked spending for pensioners, angering austerity champion Germany

"We think that with a constructive attitude on all sides, a technical level agreement will be found in the next few months," he told the Greek daily Kathimerini in an interview.

In that perspective a second examination of Greece's budget plan "will be concluded by the start of 2017," he added.

Tsipras sparked a new row with its European creditors last week after announcing handouts including a surprise one-off payout to 1.6 million low-income pensioners and a sales tax break for islands sheltering thousands of migrants.

On Wednesday EU finance ministers suspended debt relief for Athens, in a new setback in the Greek debt crisis as the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund battle over how far to push Athens on implementing more tough policy reforms.

But the standoff revealed divisions at the heart of the eurozone, with French President Francois Hollande defending Athens and saying it should be "treated with dignity" and not forced to make even more of an effort.

The handouts announced by Tsipras should not significantly change Greece's budget forecasts for 2017 or 2018, Athens' European creditor institutions said Thursday.

"We are not in an impasse," Dombrovskis told the Greek daily, while insisting that "the unilateral announcement by the Greek government of these benefits... complicated the situation".

"The measures trigger concerns by the (creditor) institutions in terms of the targets which Greece must meet according to its commitments," he said, while acknowledging that Athens had respected the required aims, namely a budget deficit of 0.5 percent this year and 1.75 percent in 2017.
UPDATED: 5:35 p.m. EST  U.N. officials said the evacuations from Aleppo resumed late Sunday after an attack that destroyed six buses to be used in the operation, the BBC reported. The U.N. said at least 350 people have been taken out of government-controlled areas that had been under rebel attack. Thousands reportedly are waiting for transportation.

UPDATE: 3:50 p.m. EST  Sundays Aleppo evacuation was suspended after six buses assigned to the operation were burned by an unidentified group as fears rose the incident would scuttle a wider operation. The buses were to transport 2,000 wounded and sick Syrians from Foua and Kfarya, the Associated Press reported.

Original story:

On Sunday, buses again began entering eastern Aleppo, Syria, under the supervision of the Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to "to bring the remaining terrorists and their families out," state media reported, referring to the rebels, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

ICRC said it hoped to resume evacuation of civilians Sunday from east Aleppo, the last holdout of rebels in the battered Syrian city. Thousands of people have been left in the lurch after the evacuation program fell through Friday, following a disagreement between the rebels and pro-government forces.

"We are getting ready to resume the evacuation of people from eastern Aleppo," ICRC spokeswoman Elodie Schindler told Reuters.

The evacuation will be carried out in two phases under a new agreement reached between the two sides, a rebel representative told AFP Sunday. The primary hurdle of the disagreement was the number of people to be evacuated from two Shiite villages, Fuaa and Kafraya.

"In a first step, half of the people besieged in Aleppo will leave, in parallel with the evacuation of 1,250 people from Fuaa," the rebel representative said on condition of anonymity. "In a second step, 1,250 people from Kafraya will leave in parallel with the evacuation of the remaining people in Aleppo," the representative said.

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Another 1,500 people will later leave Fuaa and Kafraya with the same number of people evacuating from Zabadani and Madaya, which are the rebel-held towns besieged by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.

Aleppo evacuation

Photo: REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail

On Saturday, ICRC urged rebels and pro-Assad forces to decide on a plan to provide "solid" safety guarantees for those evacuating the ancient city. About 8,000 people had successfully left Aleppo before Fridays evacuation process was stalled.

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By Guillermo Parra-Bernal

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Cia Energetica de Minas Gerais SA will announce the ouster of its chief executive officer and chief financial officer as early as Wednesday after the Brazilian utility's largest shareholder balked at the slow pace of a debt-reduction plan, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

The board of the company, also known as Cemig, could officially announce their replacements on the same day, the sources said. The state of Minas Gerais, Cemig's controlling shareholder, has picked former Anglo American Plc executive Paulo Castellari to replace CFO Fabiano Maia, one source said.

The sources declined to say who will replace CEO Mauro Borges, a former professor who Minas Gerais Governor Fernando Pimentel tapped to run Cemig less than two years ago. Reuters reported on Friday that tensions between Pimentel's team and both executives escalated over the course of the electricity utility's debt plan.

Under Borges and Maia, the company has reworked terms of some loans and sold a stake in Transmissao Alianca de Energia Eletrica SA. However, the sources said Minas Gerais officials reckoned they were too slow to proceed with the sale of Cia de Gas de Minas Gerais SA, a telecommunications subsidiary, and information technology firm Axxiom SA.

A representative for Belo Horizonte, Brazil-based Cemig did not have an immediate comment. Efforts to contact Borges, Maia and Castellari were not immediately successful.

The changes at the top underscore how Pimentel, who is facing a probe for alleged illegal campaign funding, wants to shore up a company hobbled by a legacy of underinvestment.

Analysts said Cemig's 16.3 billion reais ($4.8 billion) of debt is becoming harder to service, threatening investments and the utility's ability to generate revenue.

According to one source, Pimentel wants debt to be paid down faster to open the door for much-needed investments in power generation, transmission and distribution. Currently Cemig is carrying out a reorganization that includes centralizing purchases and other activities into a single platform to cut costs.

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Reuters reported on Nov. 18 that Cemig was trying to sell a 45 percent stake in the Alianca Geracao de Energia SA venture. Reuters reported on Sept. 16 that the company was looking for new partners for Light Energia SA.

Cemig has been the center of political and investor battles in the past. In 1999, former Minas Governor Itamar Franco wrested control of Cemig from AES Corp and Southern Co in courts by questioning the privatization process by which the firms took over the utility.

(Additional reporting by Brad Haynes in Sao Paulo; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
New York (AFP) - Rex Tillerson, who sealed big oil deals and developed close ties with foreign leaders around the globe as head of ExxonMobil, will have to firmly change course to serve as America's top diplomat.

Tillerson, 64, has been chief executive of the world's biggest publicly-traded oil company since 2006, and spent a career going where the hydrocarbons are. That has often meant negotiating with autocrats, and navigating in politically unstable countries or those with poor human rights records.

Tillerson's level of comfort with foreign leaders is a major source of his appeal to President-elect Donald Trump, but it is certain to draw scrutiny during his Senate confirmation hearing.

"I have a very close relationship with President Vladimir Putin," Tillerson said in February at the University of Texas at Austin.

"I don't agree with everything he is doing, but he understands that I'm a businessman. My company invested a lot of money in Russia very successfully."

But Tillerson has criticized western sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Crimea, with support from the Obama administration.

Asked in a year-end press conference Friday about having a secretary of state with close ties to Russia, President Barack Obama said there will be opportunities to raise questions on Trump's appointments in the confirmation process.

"There will be plenty of time for members of the Senate to go through the record of all of his appointees and determine whether or not they're appropriate for the job," Obama told reporters.

- 'I am a businessman' -

An engineer by training, Tillerson has represented ExxonMobil in a myriad of other politically-challenging countries like Angola, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

When abroad, Tillerson often employed the mantra "I am a businessman" to describe his mission.

"One of the things that I learned early on when I began to work overseas in foreign assignments... is to make sure that the host governments, whether it is Russia, Yemen or the Middle East, making sure that they understand I am not the US government," Tillerson said.

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"I am not here to represent the US government interests. I am not here to defend it, nor am I here to criticize it. I am a businessman."

Tillerson's record includes a decision in 2006 to keep pumping oil in Chad despite criticism from the World Bank that President Idriss Deby used petroleum earnings to finance military activities rather than for the population.

In 2009, ExxonMobil won a contract for three key oilfields in Nigeria despite offering just $1.5 billion, compared with $3.75 billion bid by Chinese rival CNOOC.

That contract coup came after Tillerson personally intervened with then-president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, a person familiar with the matter told AFP. ExxonMobil declined to comment.

In contrast, ExxonMobil took a tough line in Venezuela, opting in 2007 to exit the South American country rather than cave to demands from then-president Hugo Chavez, who re-nationalized the few oilfields that had allowed private participation in the state-controlled industry.

ExxonMobil also has boasted of access to US presidents, according to a person familiar with African petroleum interests.

Tillerson himself has said there were two instances when he communicated with the White House based on foreign contacts.

"I did it because it was a matter of national security and they did not know how to get the message to the White House," Tillerson said at the Austin gathering.

- Climate change concerns -

But non-governmental organizations have pointed to a host of concerns with Tillerson's new role, ranging from ExxonMobil's controversial legacy on climate change to skepticism on whether he can shift from representing a big private oil company to the broader mandate of representing the US interests on the world stage.

"What's good for Exxon is not necessarily good for America," said Zorka Milin, senior legal advisor at Global Witness.

"Oil companies don't really take public interest into account," she said. "Do we want this kind of experience as a public official? Do we trust they will put public interest first?"

And Patricia Daly, executive director of the Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, cautioned that with Tillerson, "If you don't agree with him, end of story."

Daly, a Dominican nun who has been lobbying Exxon on climate change for many years, told AFP, "It's always his way."
A so-called faithless elector was among those who spoke at a rally opposing Donald Trumps presidency on Saturday, December 17, two days before the Electoral College would cast its vote.

Chris Suprun, a Republican presidential elector, was greeted with cheers when he took the stage at the Washington rally. Suprun, who hails from Texas, wrote a New York Times editorial earlier this month about why he couldnt vote for Trump at the Electoral College.

A report from ABCs WFAA questions Supruns background, including whether he was a first-responder for the September 11 attack, as he claims.

Im not going to be a rubber stamp for the Kremlin, Suprun said at the rally.

The rally was sponsored by a group called Turnout, which detailed why it doesnt support Trump on the event page.

With control of the White House, Senate and House of Representative, the Republicans will now be able to easily pass all of the horrific legislation they have proposed, the Facebook event page says. GOP Senators have passionately and relentlessly said the will fight against green energy for the coal and oil companies, they promised to end healthcare for 20 million people, they promised they will reverse gay rights and outlaw abortion, they promise to defund the Department of Education and Environmental Protection Agency, they promise to carpet bomb the Middle East, they promise to fill the supreme court with a right-wing court justice, they promise to privatize social security and give those trillions of dollars to wall street, they promised to abolish the minimum wage, they promised to curtail voting rights. Credit: Facebook/John McGrane via Storyful
Kourtney Kardashian was absolutely furious this weekend.

On Saturday, the eldest sibling in the KarJenner family hosted a Fast and the Furious-themed party for her sons Mason, 7, and Reign Disick, 2, (who both celebrated thier birthdays on Wednesday, Dec. 14) at her home in Los Angeles.

Her daughter Penelope Disick and pals like hair stylist Jen Atkin and makeup artist Hrush Achemyan were in attendance for the festivities. And one notable guest was her sister Kim Kardashian West, who brought her children North and Saint to her nephews birthday party.

Kim spent several hours at the birthday party with her kids, a source tells PEOPLE. She looked very pretty and also seemed happy. Kanye was not with them. The source added that Kardashian West was wearing a plain gold band on her ring finger.

Kardashian Wests appearance at the party comes in the wake of a stressful few months for her family. West was hospitalized for exhaustion and has been working to conquer his mental health issues after what sources called a mental breakdown, while Kardashian West has remained out of the spotlight since she was held at gunpoint and robbed in her Paris hotel room on Oct. 3.

Kardashian, 37, rocked an American flag bandana and an oversized jean jacket for her party. But some of her friends didnt exactly understand the theme.

I didnt get the memo, Atkin, donning a glamorous cheetah-print coat, said in one video posted to Kardashians Snapchat and Instagram. I didnt realize was Fast & Furious meant. I thought it was fast and fabulous!

@jenatkinhair  A video posted by Kourtney Kardashian (@kourtneykardash) on Dec 18, 2016 at 8:24am PST

Meanwhile, Achemyan sported an oversized Army print jacket over a black bodycon skirt and crop top. In one Snapchat post, Kardashian captioned a photo of her makeup artist friend riding a scooter, THOT life.

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A photo posted by Kourtney's Snapchat (@kourtneysnapchat) on Dec 17, 2016 at 6:25pm PST

Kardashian also took to her Instagram account to share a selfie of the trio. Fast and furious, she wrote in the caption.

At one point during the night, Kardashians guests raced on their scooters, as seen in one of her Snapchat video posts.

A photo posted by Kourtney's Snapchat (@kourtneysnapchat) on Dec 18, 2016 at 11:05am PST

Clearly prepared for the holiday season, Kardashians trees were covered in white lights and she had an American flag pennant banner hanging inbetween them. And her backyard  usually featuring exercise equipment during her intense workouts with younger sister Khloe Kardashian  had a The Fast and The Furious balloon display, as well as several franchise-inspired games and activities.

A photo posted by Kourtney's Snapchat (@kourtneysnapchat) on Dec 18, 2016 at 5:17am PST

One family member who did not appear to be celebrating Mason and Reigns birthdays was Rob Kardashian. On Saturday, the reality star brother took to his Snapchat to claim Blac Chyna took the baby, took the whole nursery we built while sharing footage of empty rooms in the couples shared home. He also said Chyna wasnt letting him see their daughter.

She blocked me or else I would ask to see her and she has the guard gate not letting me in the gate either. I just miss baby Dream. In a since-deleted post, Chyna said Kardashian could come see Dream if he wanted to because he knows where we are and accused him of being involved in her headline-making Instagram hack earlier that day.
Amman (AFP) - Gunmen killed 10 people including a Canadian tourist and police officers on Sunday in southern Jordan, before security forces killed four attackers in a siege lasting several hours.

The shootings took place in Karak, a tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres (70 miles) south of the capital Amman.

Jordan's general security department said seven policemen, a female Canadian tourist and two Jordanian civilians were killed in a series of shootings.

It said that 27 others, including policemen and civilians, were wounded.

Four attackers who had taken refuge in the castle were killed later Sunday by security forces who had besieged them amid exchanges fire lasting several hours, a security source said.

The Canadian foreign ministry confirmed that one of its nationals had been killed in the attack and another injured in "the heinous attack."

Canadian officials in Amman are "actively working with local authorities to gather additional information and are providing consular assistance to Canadians at this difficult time," a foreign ministry official said.

"The government of Canada stands ready to assist Jordan in bringing the perpetrators of this attack to justice," a statement added.

- 'Five or six gunmen' -

Earlier, the prime minister said 10 gunmen were holed up in the fortress, while the general security department spoke of "five or six gunmen" who were thought to be involved in the shootings.

The first attack took place early in the afternoon when a police patrol went to check on a house fire in Karak, the department said in a statement carried by the official Petra news agency.

"As soon as they reached the area, unknown gunmen who were inside the house opened fire on the patrol, wounding a policeman, and then fled by car," the statement said.

Gunmen later fired on another patrol while more shots rang out from inside the Crusader castle, aimed at the Karak police station and "wounding several policemen and passersby," it said.

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"Police and security forces have surrounded the castle and its vicinity and launched an operation to hunt down the gunmen."

- People trapped -

A senior security source said some people had been trapped in part of the citadel when the gunmen took shelter there, but denied media reports that they were being held hostage.

"There are no hostages. But some people who were on a lower floor were afraid of leaving as the gunmen traded fire with the security forces," the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

He said that the gunmen were on a higher level inside the fortress.

The Jordan Tourism Board describes the Karak citadel, which dates back to the 12th century and has withstood many sieges, as a "maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways."

Prime Minister Hani al-Malki, who was addressing parliament at the time of the shootings, said that "special forces and policemen are surrounding 10 gunmen holed up inside the Karak citadel."

It was not immediately clear who was behind the shootings, but Jordan has been hit by Islamist attacks in the past.

Jordan is a leading member of the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.

It has carried out air strikes targeting IS, and also hosts coalition troops on its territory.

Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a Jordanian fighter pilot, was captured by the jihadists when his plane went down in Syria in December 2014, and he was later burned alive in a cage.

Karak is Kassasbeh's hometown.

In June, a suicide bombing claimed by IS killed seven border guards near the Syrian frontier.

According to sources close to Islamists, almost 4,000 Jordanians have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, and an estimated 420 have been killed since 2011.
The ceasefire protecting Aleppo evacuees was broken on Friday, December 16, according to reports from both state and pro-opposition media, as gunfire and violence at the al-Ramouseh checkpoint south of Aleppo city.

Syrian state media accused terrorists of breaching a ceasefire agreement, while pro-opposition groups said Syrian regime forces and supporting militias had opened fire over the evacuation route. Both sides said a convoy had been targeted.

This video was shared by a local activist in Aleppo and is described as showing regime militias violating ceasefire. The activist told Storyful that the shooting was on the evacuation convey in Amrya checkpoint near al-Ramouseh. The man in the video says that they arrested people and women and killed four.

Storyful was unable to independently verify the source of the gunfire. Credit: Facebook/ Haleem Kawa via Storyful
By Erik Kirschbaum

BERLIN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - German judges and state prosecutors need to crack down straight away on fake news disseminated through social media platforms such as Facebook , Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview published on Sunday.

Maas, a Social Democrat in conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition, has repeatedly warned the U.S. technology company to respect laws against defamation in Germany that are more rigid than in the United States. He told told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper the principle of free speech did not protect against slander.

"Defamation and malicious gossip are not covered under freedom of speech," Maas said, just days after other top government officials called for legislation to tackle "hate speech" and fake news on Facebook and other social media platforms.

"Justice authorities must prosecute that, even on the internet," he said, noting that offenders could face up to five years in jail. "Anyone who tries to manipulate the political discussion with lies needs to be aware (of the consequences)."

The issue of fake news has taken on new urgency after warnings by German and U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia has sought to influence elections and sway public opinion.

German government officials have expressed concern that fake news could influence the parliamentary election expected in September, in which Merkel will run for a fourth term.

Germany's strict libel and slander laws are meant to protect citizens by making it a crime to defame others. More than 218,000 cases involving insults were filed with prosecutors in 2015. But few internet cases were prosecuted.

Maas said he wants to change that: "We need to fully utilise all the legal authority at our disposal," he said.

Fears of fake news ahead of the election have increased after the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency, Hans-Georg Maassen, reported a rise in Russian propaganda and disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing German society.

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"Facebook is earning an awful lot of money with fake news," Maas told Bild am Sonntag. "A company that earns billions from the internet also has a social responsibility. Prosecutable defamation must be deleted immediately, once reported. It needs to be made easier for users to report fake news."

On Friday, the parliamentary floor leader for Merkel's conservatives, Volker Kauder, said the government wanted to introduce a law in early 2017 that would require social media firms to set up local offices to respond faster to complaints.

Facebook Inc FB.O said on Thursday it would take measures to prevent fake news spreading.

(Reporting by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Beirut (AFP) - Gunmen attacked buses sent to evacuate people from two pro-regime villages in northwest Syria on Sunday but a senior military source said the incident should not disrupt parallel evacuations from Aleppo.

Thousands of people were to leave the last rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo in exchange for residents leaving Fuaa and Kafraya, Shiite villages, in the neighbouring province of Idlib.

But two dozen armed men attacked buses on their way to the villages under rebel siege, an AFP reporter said.

They made the drivers get out, opened fire on the vehicles and set fire to the fuel tanks of at least 20 buses, the reporter said.

The attack came after five other buses had entered the villages.

The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear, but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said two member groups of a coalition of Islamist rebels controlling most of Idlib had disagreed over the evacuations.

Fateh al-Sham Front, which was formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front before renouncing ties with Al-Qaeda, disagreed with Ahrar al-Sham over the deal, the monitoring group said.

But the military source said the attack should not affect any of the evacuation operations.

"There's collective will for the deal to stay in place. There must be solutions for all obstacles," the source said.

Dozens of buses on Sunday began entering the last rebel-held parts of east Aleppo to resume the evacuation of thousands of increasingly desperate trapped civilians and rebels.

The operation was suspended on Friday, a day after convoys of evacuees had begun leaving the rebel sector under a deal allowing the regime to take full control of the battleground city.

In mid-November, forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad launched a blistering offensive to seize all of Aleppo, where rebel areas have been besieged by regime forces since July.

A senior Iranian official on Sunday complained of bias in attitudes towards civilians in east Aleppo and those of the two Shiite villages.

"While the Western-Hebrew-Arabic media have united to spread false information on the human losses in Aleppo, they remain silent on the need to evacuate the wounded and elderly from Fuaa and Kafraya," said Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Nigerian national has been charged in connection with a hack of Los Angeles County emails that might have exposed personal data from more than 750,000 people who had business with county departments, officials said.

Kelvin Onaghinor, 37, faces nine counts, including unauthorized computer access and identity theft, according to the Los Angeles County Chief Executive Office. He hasn't been arrested, and officials aren't sure if he is on U.S. soil.

Authorities were searching for more suspects in the hack, which occurred in May when a phishing email deceived 108 county employees into providing their usernames and passwords.

Some of those employees, according to officials, had "confidential client/patient information" in their email accounts through their county responsibilities.

A forensic examination found that about 756,000 individuals could have been affected through their contact with several departments, the Daily News reported Saturday (http://bit.ly/2hJ9f8E ).

There was no evidence as of Friday that any confidential information was released because of the breach. But on Thursday, officials began notifying people that their personal information was exposed and might have been compromised.

That information may have included first and last names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, driver's license or state identification numbers, payment card information, bank account information, home addresses, phone numbers, and/or medical information, such as Medi-Cal or insurance carrier identification numbers, diagnosis, treatment history or medical record numbers.

The day after the attack, county officials said they learned of the breach and put in place strict security measures.

Notification of potentially affected people was delayed to protect the confidentiality of the investigation and to "prevent further harm," officials said.

Deputy District Attorney Donn Hoffman of the office's Cyber Crime Division said it can take time to investigate such cases as the attacker's digital footprint must be tracked, and because third-parties such as internet service providers often hold essential evidence, which must be obtained through search warrants.

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"That's a time-consuming process," he said.

Hoffman said the case was still being investigated.

The county is offering free identity monitoring for those who may have been exposed, including credit monitoring, identity consultation and identity restoration.

Onaghinor faces 13 years in state prison if convicted.

___

Information from: (Los Angeles) Daily News, http://www.dailynews.com
GAZA (Reuters) - The Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza blamed Israel on Saturday for the killing in Tunisia this week of a Tunisian national it described as one of its drone experts, and threatened retaliation. Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said Mohammed Zawari, who was gunned down near the city of Sfax on Thursday, had been a member of the group for 10 years and had been supervising its drone programme. Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, did not offer any evidence to support its accusation. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. "Qassam Brigades mourns the martyr of Palestine, martyr of the Arab and Muslim nation, the Qassam leader, engineer and pilot Mohammad Zawari, who was assassinated by Zionist treacherous hands on Thursday in Sfax," a statement posted on the group's website said. "The enemy must know the blood of the leader Zawari will not go in vain," the statement said. The Tunisian interior ministry said Zawari was killed in his car by multiple gunshots in front of his house in El Ain, near Sfax, on Thursday. Four rental cars were used in the killing and two handguns and silencers were seized, the ministry said. Television footage aired on local media showed a black Volkswagen with its windows apparently shot out. A judicial spokesman from Sfax, Mourad Tourki, told Tunisian radio Shems FM eight Tunisian nationals had been arrested in connection with the killing. One of the suspects is a Tunisian journalist based in Hungary, arrested along with a cameraman. Two other suspects, one of them a Belgian of Moroccan origin, are still at large, Tourki said. Authorities have not commented on who is suspected of being behind the killing. Israeli Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, a confidant of Netanyahu, told Israeli Channel One on Friday: "I hope this issue will not be ascribed to us, that it is not connected to us and that none of those people arrested are our allies." Tunisian media said Zawari had returned to Tunisia in 2011 after spending two decades abroad, including in Syria. They gave his age as 49 and said he was a technical director in a private engineering firm and a model aircraft expert. Israel has in the past voiced concern that armed groups in Gaza and Lebanon would deploy drones carrying explosives inside its borders in a future war. Hamas and other Islamist militias have fired thousands of rockets at militarily superior Israel in previous conflicts, but have made scant use of drones. In September the Israeli army said it had intercepted a drone off the coast of Gaza. [nL8N1BW2L7] It was the first such incident reported since the 2014 Gaza war, when a U.S.-supplied Israeli Patriot missile destroyed an unmanned Hamas aircraft over the southern Israeli port city of Ashdod. Israel is itself a world leader in drone technologies and has used the vehicles extensively in combat. Israel's Mossad spy agency is widely believed to have been behind the assassination of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mahbouh in Dubai in 2010. Israel has never confirmed or denied involvement in the killing. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Tarek Amara in Tunis; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Catherine Evans)
Anti-Donald Trump forces held a slim hope Sunday 37 Republican members of the Electoral College would revolt and deny the president-elect the White House, but chances of that happening were slim.

The 538 electors meet Monday in their respective state capitals to vote for president, many of them with their hands tied by state law to cast their votes for the winner of the popular vote in their states.

State certified popular vote results show Trump leading Democrat Hillary Clinton 306 electoral votes to 232, though she won the popular vote, the result of large margins in California, New York and Illinois where major metropolitan areas overwhelmingly went for the former secretary of state. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to capture the presidency. Otherwise, the election goes to the House  and thats only happened once, in 1824 when the House voted John Quincy Adams into office, rejecting Andrew Jackson, who had received a plurality of the votes.

Since Clinton conceded Nov. 9, much speculation has swirled around whether electors are bound to follow the popular results or whether they can exercise discretion and choose another candidate. So-called Hamilton Electors  so named after Alexander Hamilton for his treatise on the role of electors in the Federalist Papers  have been urging Republican electors who do not support Trump to stand up and save this country.

The Electoral College was set up to prevent the tyranny of the majority and to prevent someone who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications from taking office. It also was set up to give smaller states a louder voice since each state gets votes for each of its senators as well as the number of members in its House delegation. If the election is thrown into the House, each state gets one vote. Trump won 30 of the 50 states.

The Hamilton Electors are led by a pair of Democrats. Bret Chiafalo of Washington state said the Electoral College should act as an emergency brake.

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If only 37 Republican electors change their vote, Donald Trump will not have the 270 electoral votes he needs to be president, Chiafalo said in a video explaining the purpose of the Electoral College. Thirty-seven patriots can save this country.

Among Chiafalos arguments is that the Electoral College is obligated to prevent a person with ties to foreign countries from taking office. The argument gains momentum amid an assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia actively tried to interfere with the election on Trumps behalf. The fact that Trump has refused to release his tax returns and has had nothing but fawning praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin also has lent weight to the movement.

However, intelligence officials have declined to brief the electors on the Russian mischief.

Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor helping to organize the stop-Trump movement, told reporters Thursday at least 20 electors were considering a revolt.

If its clear that it doesnt make any sense to come out and vote against Donald Trump, Im sure many of those people wont, he said. If its close to 37, or people believe that it is 37, then I think that will give people the courage they need to step up.

The Associated Press, however, reported the chances are just about nil.

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(Updates with report on vessels, Rouhani meeting)

DUBAI, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Iran has shown commitment to the deal on its nuclear programme agreed with world powers, the head of the United Nations atomic energy watchdog said on Sunday, following complaints by Tehran over what it calls a U.S. violation of the accord.

The White House said on Thursday that a bill extending U.S. sanctions against Iran for 10 years would become law without President Barack Obama's signature, adding this would not affect overall implementation of the nuclear agreement.

"We are satisfied with the implementation of the (agreement) and hope that this process will continue," IAEA director general Yukiya Amano was quoted as telling reporters in Tehran by the IRNA news agency.

"Iran has been committed to its engagement so far and this is important," Amano was quoted as saying after meeting Iran's nuclear energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi.

In response to the U.S. sanctions extension, Iran ordered its scientists last week to start developing systems for nuclear-powered marine vessels.

That action is expected to worsen tensions with Washington, already heightened by a promise by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's to scrap the deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met Amano on Sunday and "expressed hope Iran and the IAEA will be able to have good technical cooperation on nuclear propulsion for transports", the semi-official Fars news agency said.

Iran's nuclear energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, said he presented the nuclear propulsion project to Amano during their meeting, adding that Iran would provide details of it in three months, IRNA reported.

Nuclear experts have said that Iran's move, if carried out, would probably require Tehran to enrich uranium to a fissile purity above the maximum level set in the nuclear deal to allay fears of the country building an atomic bomb.

Salehi said the fuel used for nuclear propulsion could range between 5 and 90 percent in enrichment, but added: "We will certainly act within the framework of the (agreement)," IRNA reported.

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Under the 2015 deal, Iran curbed its nuclear fuel production activities in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. Tehran is not allowed to enrich uranium above a 3.67 percent purity for 15 years, a level unlikely to be enough to run such vessels, according to experts.

Iran on Saturday also requested a meeting of a commission comprising representatives of signatories to the accord that is overseeing its implementation.

(Reporting by Dubai newsroom; editing by Sami Aboudi and Raissa Kasolowsky)
Saturday Night Live took a cue from Love Actuallys iconic scene for a skit in which Kate McKinnons Hillary Clinton attempts to persuade a electoral college coter not to vote for President-elect Donald Trump.

In the sketch titled Hillary Actually, Clinton channels Andrew Lincolns character in the holiday classic as he tries to woo a woman played by Keira Knightley in an over-the-top romantic gesture. In this case, however, Clinton uses her giant note cards to send a message to an elector who is set to vote soon.

Let me just say, the sequence of posters read. Because its Christmas And at Christmas you tell the truth I know youre an elector And on December 19th Youre supposed to vote for Donald Trump.

The elector, played by Cecily Strong, solemnly nods.

But bish the next cards said, He cray.

Clinton then reveals a long list of reasons Trump shouldnt be in the White House, encouraging the elector to vote for literally anyone else. Clinton suggests John Kasich, Tom Hanks, Zendaya, The Rock or even an actual rock as better choices.

Clinton offers to pay any fines the elector acquires and continues by quoting The Help: You is kind, you is smart, you is important, before admitting that shes never seen a movie, explaining why shes confusing the famous movie scenes.

The skit ends with Clinton giving a subtle warning that if the elector doesnt comply, Trump will kill us all.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays (11:30 p.m. ET) on NBC.




By Andrew Cawthorne and Corina Pons CARACAS (Reuters) - Security forces have arrested more than 300 people during protests and lootings over the elimination of Venezuela's largest currency bill, President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday. The socialist leader pulled the 100 bolivar note this week before new bills were in circulation, creating a national cash shortage on top of the brutal economic crisis overshadowing Venezuelans' Christmas and New Year holidays. After two days of unrest over the measure - including one death and dozens of shops ransacked - Maduro on Saturday postponed the measure until Jan. 2. That helped stem violence, though there were still reports of more lootings in southern Ciudad Bolivar on Sunday. The detainees include leaders and members of the opposition Popular Will and Justice First parties, Maduro said on state TV, accusing them of following U.S. instructions to incite chaos. "Don't come and tell me they are political prisoners ... They are the two parties of the 'gringos' in Venezuela," he added, accusing President Barack Obama of wanting to engineer a coup against socialism in Venezuela before leaving office. From Venezuela's southern jungle and savannah to the Andean highlands in the west, groups of hundreds of protesters have been burning bolivar notes, cursing Maduro and decrying scarcities of food and medicines. The worst looting was on Friday and Saturday, especially in El Callao and Ciudad Bolivar in the southern state of Bolivar, and police have used teargas to control crowds in some places. Chinese-run shops have been particularly targeted, witnesses say, and a 14-year-old boy was shot dead in El Callao on Friday. The governor of Bolivar state said there were 262 arrests there, with lootings from food shops to science laboratories. The local business group said 350 businesses had been ransacked in Ciudad Bolivar, including 90 percent of food outlets. In Santa Elena de Uairen, near the border with Brazil, shopkeepers and inhabitants formed vigilante groups to join police and soldiers after six shops were ransacked on Saturday. "We're not lowering our guard, we're forming protection brigades," said local business group leader Gilmer Poma. Food prices were reduced in some establishments in Santa Elena as a way to defuse tensions. 'CRUEL JOKE' Maduro, a 54-year-old former bus driver and foreign minister who replaced Hugo Chavez in 2013, has seen his popularity plunge during a three-year recession. He justified the currency measure as a way of suffocating mafia on Venezuela's borders. But opponents say it is further evidence of disastrous economic policy in a nation reeling from runaway prices and shortages of basics. They want him to resign. "The only person guilty of the chaos and violence of recent days is Nicolas Maduro," the Justice First party said, accusing intelligence agents of taking advantage of the situation to frame opposition leaders with false evidence. With the 100 bolivar bill originally out of circulation from Friday, many Venezuelans had found themselves unable to purchase food or fill up cars in the busy run-up to Christmas. "As if we don't have enough to cope with anyway, now they inflict this craziness on us," said a grandmother in Caracas, Zoraida Gutierrez, 74, who spent a day lining up under the sun to deposit cash she had under her bed. "It's like a cruel joke." Despite Maduro's suspension of the measure on Saturday, some businesses were still refusing the notes on Sunday. Maduro has been urging Venezuelans to use electronic transactions instead of cash where possible, but 40 percent of the country's 30 million people are without bank accounts. State TV showed a plane arriving on Sunday afternoon with a first batch of new currency notes. Central Bank Vice President Jose Khan said they were 13.5 million 500 bolivar bills. The government is introducing larger bills of up to 20,000. With many people already skipping meals to get by and forced to sacrifice traditional Christmas food and presents, this week's confusion has further exasperated many. Maduro's popularity recently hit a record low of under 20 percent, according to local pollster Datanalisis. But Venezuelan authorities thwarted an opposition push this year for a referendum to remove him. That put Maduro on track to finish his term in early 2019 but increased the potential for social unrest due to the lack of an immediate electoral outlet. (Additional reporting by Maria Ramirez in Ciudad Bolivar; Editing by Mary Milliken)




United Artists

According to TMZ, Hungarian actress Zsa Zsa Gabor has died at the age of 99 after suffering a heart attack on Sunday. She was best known for her work in films such as John Hustons 1952 version of Moulin Rouge and her nine marriages. The most famous of the nine was her marriage to hotelier (and noted grandfather of Paris and Nicky) Conrad Hilton for five years in the mid-40s.

Born in Hungary, Zsa Zsa was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936 which kicked off her long career as an actress and socialite alongside her sister Eva. Moulin Rouge was one of her few leading roles but she acted in other movies and was once described as glamour personified by Merv Griffin. At times, both Gabor sisters were criticized and accused of being famous for nothing but its hard to deny that both Eva and Zsa Zsas style and grace far outpaced many other stars of their era  even if that was the primary basis for their fame rather than any measurable talents.



Gabor has experienced a number of health issues in recent years including partial paralyzation due to a car accident, a partial amputation of one leg due to infection, and multiple strokes. She would have been 100 years old in February.

(via TMZ)
BEIRUT (AP)  The battle for Aleppo has gripped the world, but it is hardly the only active front across war-torn Syria. One of the next targets for the forces of Syrian President Bashar Assad will probably be the heartland of rebel territory, the neighboring province of Idlib.

The province west of Aleppo is a stronghold of al-Qaida's Syria affiliate and is now also packed with tens of thousands of rebels, many of them evacuated from other parts of the country, making it likely to be an even more bloody theater than Aleppo.

Idlib has direct links to the Turkish border, and is located only a few kilometers north of Hama, a central province and key point for defending Assad's coastal strongholds and nearby Russian military bases.

Asked where he will turn to next, Assad has suggested his first priority, after fortifying the area around Aleppo city, would be Idlib.

"Identifying which city comes next depends on which city contains the largest number of terrorists and which city provides other countries with the opportunity to support them logistically," he told Russian media outlets in an interview in Damascus this week.

"Currently, there are direct links between Aleppo and Idlib because of the presence of Jabhat al-Nusra inside and on the outskirts of Aleppo and in Idlib," he said, a reference to the al-Qaida affiliate, formerly known as the Nusra Front, now the Fatah al-Sham Front. He added that the decision about what comes next will be made through discussions with his Russian and Iranian allies.

The government's loss of Jisr al-Shughour, in the westernmost corner of the province, and with it the whole of Idlib province, in the summer of 2015, was what prompted Russia to intervene to shore up Assad's forces, eventually turning the war's momentum back in his favor.

SYRIA'S KANDAHAR?

For the past two years, as Assad pursued a policy of siege and local truces to force surrenders, thousands of rebels and opposition supporters have been deported to Idlib  a forced exile that many see as a calculated attempt to gather the fighters in one location where they can later be eliminated.

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The province has welcomed thousands of Islamic militants  with varying degrees of extremist ideology  who have converged along with their families from the central city of Homs and the suburbs of Damascus, after capitulating to government forces.

It has become a common sight: Men receiving a hero's welcome as they step off the green buses in Idlib with guns slung over their shoulders, having been forced to leave besieged and bombarded towns and cities.

"The government wants to prepare people, psychologically, for the idea that Idlib is the Kandahar of Syria," said Ibrahim Hamidi, a journalist who covers Syrian affairs for the Saudi-owned newspaper Al Hayat.

He was referring to Kandahar province in Afghanistan, the base of the militant Taliban's 1996-2001 government. He said the presence of so many Islamic militants would make it easier for the government and its allies to later justify a massive assault.

The province has the most powerful concentration of rebels. According to the Institute for the Study of War, it boasts more than 50,000 fighters regrouped under the umbrella organization Jaish al-Fatah, or Army of Conquest, which is led by the al-Qaida affiliate.

Using Idlib as a launching pad, the group briefly broke the government's siege of eastern Aleppo in August.

OPEN LINES TO TURKEY

Idlib is one of the few regions in Syria where the Islamic State group and the government have no presence, save for two small government-controlled Shiite-majority villages. The province borders Turkey, a key sponsor of Syrian rebels, and the coastal province of Latakia, a government stronghold.

Access to the Turkish border means virtually everything is available in Idlib  including weapons and other supplies.

Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, said a major point in the Idlib battle will be the role that Turkey will play, since the opposition survives on continuous replenishment of supplies from Turkey.

He added that if Turkey decides for various reasons  perhaps as part of an understanding with Russia  to reduce that assistance, then the Turkish border with Idlib would become like the Jordanian border with Daraa, where the armed opposition has very little ability to take independent action or to survive in the long run.

AL-QAIDA STRONGHOLD

Members of the opposition fear that government and Russian warplanes will eventually carpet bomb Idlib under the pretext that it is a stronghold of al-Qaida-linked extremists. The Fatah al-Sham Front's leadership is based there, perhaps making western powers more inclined to turn a blind eye to a massive military campaign targeting the province.

Since July 2015, U.S. aircraft have killed some of al-Qaida's most senior figures in strikes on Idlib, including Kuwait-born Mohsen al-Fadli, Sanafi al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia and Ahmed Salama Mabrouk of Egypt, who was killed in early October. They belonged to what U.S. officials call the Khorasan group, which Washington describes as an internal branch of al-Qaida that plans attacks against Western interests.

"The regime wants Idlib to become another Raqqa," said Hassan al-Dughaim, a Turkey-based Syrian preacher and researcher from Idlib, who lived there for most of his life until last year. The Syrian city of Raqqa is the de facto capital of the IS group's self-styled caliphate. Idlib city serves a similar function for al-Qaida.

Al-Dughaim said the Syrian government hopes that the presence of so many militants from different groups will lead to infighting. But despite the steady flow of fighters such confrontations have been rare.

Faysal Itani, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, agrees. "By lumping the displaced hostile populations in with the extremists, you've basically confined the problem to one place," he said. "Once that is done, the regime will go after it hard and no one will be able to make much of a fuss internationally."
* India's ruling party and PM reach out to Muslim women

* Surprise overture welcomed by some, but many Muslims suspicious

* BJP to raise issue of Islamic divorce during election campaign

* Party wants to divide Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh state poll

By Rupam Jain and Tom Lasseter

DEOBAND, India, Dec 19 (Reuters) - When Narendra Modi stood before faithful followers in October, on a stage swathed in the saffron colours of his Hindu nationalist movement, the Indian leader made an unexpected overture.

"It is the responsibility of the government and people of the country to give justice to Muslim women," the prime minister declared.

Modi's public political career took off as chief minister of Gujarat state in 2001, just before rioters killed about 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, leading to accusations that he turned a blind eye to the murder and rape going on around him.

Modi denies involvement in the 2002 riots, but his rise to national power in 2014 was accompanied by groups of hardline Hindus attempting mass conversions of Muslims and cases of beating and whipping of Muslim men in broad daylight.

Now, his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is challenging an Islamic practice, known as "triple talaq", that allows a man to divorce his wife simply by uttering the word "talaq" three times.

The proposal is a bold ploy to win approval and votes from Muslim women and chip away at an important bloc of voters - there are around 170 million Muslims in India - that has thus far viewed Modi with suspicion.

The outreach could help decide the outcome of a bellwether state election early next year. Uttar Pradesh, with nearly 40 million Muslims out of 200 million people, is a key test of Modi's popularity as he prepares to seek a second term in 2019.

Some Muslim women there have said they support Modi's proposal, although they are less sure about him.

There is fierce opposition, meanwhile, from influential Muslim elders and teachers.

"They are using this tactic to attack Islam, to attack Muslims," said Abul Qasim Nomani, vice chancellor of the Darul Uloom Deoband madrassa, the largest Islamic seminary in India, located in Uttar Pradesh.

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"Muslim women are being used as showpieces to fight a battle against Islam," added the 70-year-old, his face framed by a white beard and prayer cap.

A madrassa official sitting beside him muttered: "This is like a wolf advocating for the rights of goats."

MIXED REACTIONS

Triple talaq is banned in some Muslim countries, including India's neighbour and rival Pakistan, but is allowed under Indian rules designed to protect religious communities.

The BJP and its ideological surrogates are betting that by confronting divisions within India's Muslim population about those traditional divorce practices, they can win in two ways.

The move will appeal to the Hindu majority, by emphasizing the need to counter Islamic influence in society, while at the same time splintering off Muslim voters.

That may help Modi curb electoral damage from another big political gambit - the recent abolition of high value banknotes that has led to cash shortages and dented key sectors of the economy.

It is difficult to tell on the streets of Uttar Pradesh, a poor state where water buffalos trudge through wheat fields and traffic alike, how much traction Modi and his Hindu supporters will get from the initiative.

His coalition won 10 percent of the Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh during 2014 national elections, according to a post-election survey by the non-partisan Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.

A separate survey covering 10 other states found last year that 92 percent of Muslim women supported a ban on the immediate triple talaq divorce, raising the possibility that some, in the moment of pushing a voting machine button, might defy their community and choose the space next to the BJP's lotus flower.

The chairwoman of the Muslim women's advocacy group that did the national survey, Zakia Soman, ran children's schools in the relief camps for victims of the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

"It is true that Muslims can't trust him (Modi) after the Gujarat riots, but triple talaq is a separate issue," Soman said in a telephone interview.

"Muslims will have to compartmentalize each issue for their own well being ... if the prime minister does the correct thing and thinks of (the) greater good, then it is natural for him to win votes from Muslim women."

"DON'T INTERFERE WITH KORAN"

The idea of expanding an existing article of the nation's constitution that calls for a "uniform civil code" to one that explicitly bans polygamy and the use of triple talaq in the Muslim community has been debated for decades.

As it stands now, that section of the constitution says a code should exist but does not describe its parameters.

Modi's government, though, has signalled that it wants to change the status quo.

A senior BJP leader in Uttar Pradesh said the party planned to highlight triple talaq during election campaigning there. The government filed a motion in support of a Supreme Court case this year in which a Muslim woman opposed triple talaq.

And in October, the nation's Law Commission issued a public statement inviting formal discussion on the uniform civil code.

Indresh Kumar, who heads a division dedicated to Muslim issues within the hardline Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which helped create the BJP, said he thinks women voters will respond to Modi's call for change.

"Our views are offending Muslim politicians and so-called secular political parties," he said, "because they did not have the courage to bring about a reform and improve lives of millions of Muslim women."

The high profile given to the subject has sparked accusations of hypocrisy, given what has happened in the Hindu-dominated country of 1.2 billion people since the BJP's victory.

Hindu activists have in recent years held what they call large "ghar wapsi's", or homecomings, to convert people to Hinduism. Groups of Hindu vigilantes have grabbed headlines for assaulting Muslims accused of harming cows, an animal held sacred in Hinduism.

At the same time, there have not been similar grassroots uproars about many issues that plague the Hindu community.

For instance, there are reports of Hindu women committing suicide because of pressures on families to deliver large dowry payments, in a system that echoes feudal customs. And about a third of child brides in the world live in India.

In interviews this month in Uttar Pradesh, many Muslims, men and women, said they were opposed to triple talaq, but voiced conflicted emotions about the prospect of Modi's involvement.

"If it's repealed, women will get more freedom," said Reshma Khatoon, a 27-year-old teacher at the Zainabya Girls Inter College in the city of Muzaffarnagar, scene of deadly communal riots in 2013 that left thousands of Muslims displaced.

"There's been a lot of discussion, it comes up when women sit together."

Wearing a black sweater and traditional Muslim hijab head covering, Khatoon glanced around a table where other teachers from the school were seated. She said: "I also believe in the Koran. Nobody should interfere with this." (Editing by Mike Collett-White)
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  An Indonesian military Hercules C-130 transport plane crashed Sunday in the easternmost province of Papua, killing all 13 people on board.

Air force chief of staff Agus Supriatna told MetroTV the plane was carrying 12 tons of food supplies and cement from Timika to Wamena, a distance of about 200 kilometers (125 miles), when it crashed just minutes before its scheduled landing.

He said bad weather was suspected to be the cause of the crash. The plane was carrying three pilots and 10 other personnel.

TV footage showed rescuers and locals had reached the wreckage of the plane and were bringing out the victims.

The plane took off from Timika at 5:35 a.m. and crashed about four minutes before it was scheduled to land in Wamena, the capital of the mountainous district of Jayawijaya.

It was the third serious air accident in Indonesia in less than a month. On Nov. 24, a Bell 412 EP helicopter from the Indonesian army crashed in the Indonesian part of Borneo island, killing three. A week later, a police plane with 13 people aboard crashed into the sea on the way to the island of Batam, near Singapore.

Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of more than 250 million people, has been plagued by transportation accidents in recent years, from plane and train crashes to ferry sinkings.

The military, which suffers from low funding, has also regularly suffered airplane and helicopter crashes.

In July last year, an air force Hercules crashed into a neighborhood of Medan, Indonesia's third largest city, killing more than 140 people including military personnel, family members traveling with them and people on the ground.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran discussed its plans for nuclear-powered ships with UN nuclear chief Yukiyo Amano on Sunday, saying it would present details within three months, local media reported.

Amano did not comment on Tehran's plans to produce nuclear-powered engines, but said Iran had so far met all of its commitments under last year's nuclear deal with world powers.

President Hassan Rouhani told Amano he hoped "Iran and the IAEA can have good technical cooperations on the production of nuclear propellants for maritime transport," the government's website reported.

In an earlier meeting, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said they "discussed the nuclear-powered engines in detail," adding that talking points included the most controversial one -- the level of uranium-enrichment required for the ships.

"This is not a simple matter that can be decided quickly. We have three months to review it," he told reporters.

"Normally, the enrichment for such engines is between five percent and 90 percent. It depends on the type of engine and the time and goal we want to reach," said Salehi.

Rouhani last week announced the plans for nuclear-powered ships in response to news that the United States was renewing sanctions legislation, which he said was a "clear violation" of the nuclear deal.

Under the deal, Iran is only allowed to enrich uranium to 3.67 percent, but that limit falls away after 15 years.

Tehran says Washington has breached the nuclear accord by renewing the Iran Sanctions Act, even though almost all of its measures remain suspended under the deal.

"We adhere to our commitments and we will not trigger the violation of commitments," Rouhani said after meeting with Amano, repeating that the renewal of sanctions "contradicts" the accord.

"As long as the other sides remain committed to their commitments in the (nuclear deal), the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to act on its commitments."
Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi pro-government tribal militiamen summarily executed four men suspected of being members of the Islamic State group in the country's north, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.

The rights group said that the killings took place on November 29 near the village of Shayalat al-Imam, located some 70 kilometres (40 miles) south of Mosul, the last IS-held Iraqi city that is the target of a massive military operation launched two months ago.

Iraqi security forces were present for at least one execution but did not attempt to intervene, HRW quoted residents as saying.

"The Iraqi government should make clear that government-backed militias don't have a green light to abuse or execute captives regardless of what they think they're guilty of," Lama Fakih, HRW's deputy Middle East director, said in a statement.

According to HRW, residents of Shayalat al-Imam said that the militiamen ordered them to assemble in an open area south of the village.

They saw militiamen kill a man named Ahmed, whose brother said he had briefly joined IS but then left the jihadist group and returned to his family.

Residents also said they saw the bodies of three more men who had been in the custody of the paramilitary group, but did not witness those executions, according to HRW.

The rights watchdog quoted a community leader as saying that the militiamen were from a group known as Hashed al-Jubur, meaning they were members of Iraq's Jubur tribe.

The Iraqi government turned to paramilitary groups that are now part of an umbrella organisation known as the Hashed al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilisation, in 2014 to combat a major offensive by IS that overran around a third of the country.

These forces -- the main units in which are Iranian-backed Shiite militias, but which also include Sunni Arab and Christian units -- played a major role in halting the jihadist drive and later in pushing them back.

But they have been repeatedly accused of carrying out abuses included summary executions, kidnappings and destruction of property in the course of the war against IS.
A British extremist who once worked as a bodyguard for radical cleric Anjem Choudary has been described as "the new Jihadi John" after he appeared in a new Islamic State group (also called ISIS) video showing the beheading of prisoners, according to reports. Mohammed Reza Haque was previously photographed acting as a bodyguard for Choudary at demonstrations in London.

The new ISIS video shows Haque beheading five Western prisoners in the same manner as the notorious murderer Mohammed Emwazi, a former London resident. The 14-minute video, released by ISIS's Amaq media wing, showed the prisoners apparently confessing to spying, followed by their executions, according to the Daily Mail.

"These apostates who kneel, disbelieved and fell into apostasy, and championed the Crusaders and helped them against Muslims," an unidentified jihadi reportedly says in the video, in a speech delivered in Arabic. "They thought they were safe, but God shamed them, and they will be slaughtered by this knife which will slaughter those like them."

In the video, Haque is seen dressed in black from head to foot and uses a serrated hunting knife to behead a prisoner against a desert backdrop  similar to the one featured in earlier beheading videos featuring "Jihadi John" Emwazi, the Sun reported.

Emwazi, 27, who was called "Jihadi John," was responsible for the deaths of Britons David Haines, 44, and Alan Henning, 47, as well as Americans James Foley, 40, Steven Sotloff, 31, and Peter Kassig, 26, before he was killed by a U.S. drone strike on Raqqa in November 2015.

Haque, who is now believed to be the "new Jihadi John," fled to Syria in early 2014. The 34-year-old, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall, is called The Giant due to his towering stature.

Earlier this year, Haque was reported to be among a group of masked executioners to feature in an ISIS execution video. He was believed to be the man standing next to Briton Siddhartha Dhar, an ISIS fighter also known as Abu Rumaysah. However, this is the first time that Haque appeared unmasked in a video.

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Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli parole board on Sunday ordered the release of former president Moshe Katsav after serving five years of a seven-year term for rape and other sexual offences, his lawyer said.

"It was a very long journey," Tzion Amir said in remarks broadcast on Israeli army radio. "Today that journey reached its end with a reasoned decision by the parole committee."

Justice officials could not be reached by AFP for further details, but media said Katsav's release would be frozen for seven days for prosecutors to decide whether to appeal the decision.

Commentators said the chances of an appeal against the decision were minimal, however.

Amir said the 70-year-old Katsav burst into tears on hearing the ruling.

Katsav began his sentence in December 2011 and had already been rejected twice by the parole board since he became eligible for the customary one-third reduction for good behaviour behind bars.

His previous applications were turned down in part because he had expressed no remorse over his crimes and undergone no rehabilitative process.

Women's rights groups had especially criticised his refusal to acknowledge the facts that led to his conviction and to express regrets.

Israeli media reported, however, that the parole board found Katsav had more recently "undergone a change".

"The prisoner was asked many questions by the committee members regarding the circumstances of the offence, the victims' positions, his attitude to the victims and his understanding of his acts and their consequences, and the committee members were impressed by the honesty of his intentions," Haaretz newspaper reported the parole board as saying.

- 'Dangerous message' -

Once released, Katsav will face restrictions on his movements including a ban on overseas travel and a requirement to be at home between 10 pm and 6 am.

Judiciary sources said he would also not be allowed to grant an interview for two years, the time he would have had to serve as the remainder of his sentence.

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The decision to free him was criticised by a group of opposition lawmakers including the leader of the Meretz party, Zehava Galon.

"This is a dangerous message that you can attack women and get away with it with the least punishment provided you are well-connected," they said in a statement.

Katsav had maintained his innocence despite being convicted in December 2010 on two counts of rape, sexual harassment, indecent acts and obstruction of justice.

The Iran-born bureaucrat, who rose from impoverished origins as a child immigrant to the nation's top ceremonial job, resigned in June 2007 and became an outcast of the political establishment.

A member of the right-wing Likud party, in 2000 he became Israel's first conservative president and the first born in an Islamic country.

For months he defied enormous public pressure to quit over the allegations before ultimately resigning as part of a plea bargain in 2007.

Katsav entered Ma'asiyahu prison near Tel Aviv on December 7, 2011, Israel's first president to be jailed since the state was created in 1948.

He was replaced as head of state by Nobel peace laureate and elder statesman Shimon Peres, his rival for the post in a 2000 vote, who died on September 28 this year.

One of eight children, Katsav was born in December 1945 and arrived in Israel three years after the 1948 war of independence.

He was the first Israeli head of state to visit Austria, once annexed by Adolf Hitler as part of Nazi Germany, and Croatia, where an estimated 75 percent of its 40,000 Jews were killed during the World War II Holocaust.
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian teenager early Sunday during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

Security officials said that troops entered the village of Beit Rima, near Ramallah, after midnight and were confronted by stone-throwing youths.

The Palestinian health ministry said that Ahmed Hazem Atta, 19, was killed in the ensuing army fire.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said that there was a "violent riot" at Beit Rima but could not confirm the death.

"Dozens of rioters hurled rocks at security forces injuring a border police soldier," she said.

"In order to prevent an escalation of violence forces responded with riot dispersal means, and fired toward main instigators," she added.

"We have reports of a rioter killed and another injured and they're being looked into," but were so far unverified, the spokeswoman told AFP.

Since October 2015, 244 Palestinians, 36 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

Many analysts say Palestinian frustration with the Israeli occupation and settlement-building in the West Bank, comatose peace efforts and their own fractured leadership have helped feed the unrest.

Israel says incitement by Palestinian leaders and media is a leading cause.
Haifa (Israel) (AFP) - An outburst of anti-Semitism linked to US president-elect Donald Trump supporters has deeply concerned American Jews, even as many Israelis place hopes on his pledge to boost support for the Jewish state.

A leading American rights organisation has called it the worst time for anti-Semitism in mainstream politics since the 1930s, with hate crimes reported in the United States in addition to a barrage of online harassment.

Ku Klux Klan members have supported Trump and the president-elect's incoming chief strategist Steve Bannon formerly ran Breitbart News, criticised as providing a platform for white supremacist and anti-Semitic views.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, usually a strong campaigner against anti-Semitism, has downplayed such fears, saying the phenomenon was more marginalised than being portrayed.

Israeli politicians, particularly on the right, have instead preferred to focus on Trump's vocal support for Israel.

Polls suggest many Israelis see Trump's election as positive for the country, with the billionaire businessman having pledged to recognise Jerusalem as its capital and refrain from pressuring it into deals with the Palestinians.

On Thursday, Trump named his new Israel ambassador as hardliner David Friedman, a man who has said Washington will not pressure Israel to curtail settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

Some in the Israeli government -- seen as the most rightwing in the country's history -- also view Trump's victory as an opportunity to expand settlements in the West Bank, Palestinian land occupied by Israel for nearly 50 years.

Education Minister Naftali Bennett said he hoped Trump's win would spell the end of the idea of a Palestinian state, the basis of years of peace negotiations.

- 'Of course it scares me' -

Haia Kaspy and Yaacov Walden, both Holocaust survivors, epitomise the wider debate in Israel about Trump.

The two, who live in the same retirement home in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, have contrasting opinions on what his victory means for Jews.

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"Of course it scares me," said 83-year-old Kaspy, who has photos in her room of her two brothers who died after Germany seized her native Romania during World War II.

"Anti-Semitism is there on a large scale. We might get into the same situation again."

But 87-year-old Walden's primary focus is on Israel and its security.

He sees Trump as a strong supporter of the Jewish state and thinks his more radical backers will not sway him.

In the 10 days after Trump's victory, 867 hate crime incidents were recorded in the United States, including 100 involving anti-Semitism, a report by a US-based organisation found.

Jewish journalists have also faced anti-Semitic attacks on social media.

Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the prominent US-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL), said in a recent speech: "The American Jewish community has not seen this level of anti-Semitism in mainstream political and public discourse since the 1930s."

Some Israelis have raised concerns publicly, such as Zehava Galon, head of Israel's leftwing Meretz Party.

"These actions of terror have made clear that Jews are not excluded and are now a clear target of violence," she told AFP in a statement.

But others, including Netanyahu, have downplayed the threat.

"You always have anti-Semitism at the ultras -- the ultra-left and the ultra-right," he told a recent conference.

"But I think it is a marginalised phenomena contrary to what people think."

In a recent poll, 55 percent of Jewish Israelis said fears that Trump's election will increase US anti-Semitism were "unwarranted".

Gershom Gorenberg, a historian and expert on US-Israel relations, said American Jews increasingly feel that Israel is not supporting them.

"Israel has always asked for the support of diaspora Jews on the level of solidarity and I don't think that can be one way," he said.

"Just as the Israeli government has responded to anti-Semitism in other countries in the world it should be publicly expressing some sort of response to this situation -- concern or protests."

- 'Celebratory moment' -

Bannon's appointment as Trump's chief strategist has added to concerns among American Jews, who overwhelmingly voted for Hillary Clinton, the loser of November's presidential election.

Before joining Trumps campaign, Bannon headed Breitbart News, a website known for sensationalist reporting popular with many on the so-called "alt-right", including white supremacists.

The ADL said it catered to a "loose-knit group of white nationalists and unabashed anti-Semites and racists".

Bannon's ex-wife also claimed he didn't want to send his children to a particular school due to the high number of Jewish children. He has denied the claim.

Aaron Klein, Jerusalem bureau chief for Breitbart, rejected the ADL statement as a "baseless, offensive smear".

"The allegation that Bannon is an anti-Semite would be laughable if it weren't so frustrating," he told AFP.

In Israel, concern over his appointment has been relatively muted.

"The more rightwing you go, the less concerned they are with these kinds of things," said Hadas Cohen, a visiting researcher in politics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

"For them it is a celebratory moment -- 'Now we can do away with the two-state solution.'"
LAS ARMAS DE CORONEL Ver tambien mi website: www.armasdecoronel.com para leer dos de mis libros, entrevistas, etc.
Rome (AFP) - Italy's former prime minister Matteo Renzi said Sunday he made a mistake by "politicising" a referendum on constitutional reform that saw him bundled out of office last week.

Renzi resigned after Italians overwhelmingly rejected a package of reforms in a December 4 ballot that became a vote on his own record.

"We lost, we ultra-lost," the 41-year-old Renzi told lawmakers from his centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

"I made the mistake of politicising the referendum: I didn't see it happening and I was wrong."

"We lost among young people, particularly the 30 to 40 year olds. We lost at home and that hurts."

Renzi's replacement as prime minister, Paolo Gentiloni, had his new government endorsed on Wednesday and hopes to guide Italy to elections in early 2018, but there are suggestions polls could come up to a year early.
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP)  Ivory Coast residents are voting Sunday in a parliamentary election that the president hopes will maintain his strong majority despite challenges from the opposition.

Voting for the more than 1,300 candidates for 255 seats was slow Sunday, while security was high.

President Alassane Ouattara's ruling coalition promises growth, hoping to seal its majority. The opposition Ivorian Popular Front, however, is participating in the vote in hopes of a more diversified parliament despite boycotting politics since 2011 after fighting saw its founder, ex-President Laurent Gbagbo, and others jailed. The party is putting up more than 180 candidates.

Violence after the 2010 election killed more than 3,000 people when Gbagbo refused to accept defeat to Ouattara.

Gbagbo's fringe opposition is boycotting elections. Gbagbo remains on trial at The Hague.
John Podesta (NBC/Meet the Press)

Former Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta says the Democratic nominee and her staff bear responsibility for the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. But so does FBI Director James Comey, whose decision to alert Congress about a review of newly discovered Clinton emails 11 days before the Nov. 8 vote, Podesta believes, was one of the daggers that took down Clinton.

I think he had a big effect on this election, Podesta said on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday in his first interview since Clintons loss.

Comey, Podesta argued, went to great lengths to investigate Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state but did little, by comparison, to investigate the Russian plot to sabotage Hillary Clintons campaign and elect Donald Trump.

The first time I was contacted by the FBI was two days after WikiLeaks started dropping my emails, Podesta said. The first thing the agent said to me was, I dont know if youre aware, but your email account mightve been hacked. I said, Yes, I was aware of that.'

According to Podesta, the FBI has not followed up with him since.

That was the first and last time I talked to the FBI, Podesta said.

Watch: John Podesta's first post-election interview on the FBI, Russia, and what went wrong for Clinton: https://t.co/XBqXFQpuVy  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 18, 2016

Podesta noted that WikiLeaks publication of emails, obtained through a hack of his email account and the Democratic National Committee, came one hour after the Washington Post published the 2005 Access Hollywood tape on which Donald Trump was heard bragging about assaulting women.

One could say those things might not have been a coincidence, Podesta said.

Podesta refused to say Trumps win was the result of a free and fair election.

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It was distorted by the Russian intervention, he said.

Still, Podesta did not publicly criticize President Obamas response to the Russian hacking, as others have.

The Obama administration is doing what it thinks is the right thing to do, he said.

But Podesta also said its very much unknown whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow during the election.

Last month, Russian officials said that they were in contact with members of the Trump campaign during the election.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to the Trump transition, said Team Trump was never in communication with the Kremlin.

Absolutely not, Conway said on CBSs Face the Nation Sunday. Those conversations never happened.

On Monday, 538 members of the Electoral College are scheduled to vote to officially elect the president, and Podesta says the electors have the right to know the extent and manner of Russias interference in our election before their votes are cast.

Last week, the office of the director of national Intelligence said that it would not brief the electors, citing the ongoing investigation that was ordered by Obama earlier this month.

Once the review is complete in the coming weeks, the intelligence community stands ready to brief Congress, the office said.

On Nov. 8, Trump collected 306 electoral votes, 36 more than the 270 needed to win the presidency.

Podesta didnt sound hopeful that there are 37 Republican electors willing to flip their votes away from Trump and send the election to the House of Representatives.

Regardless of the outcome, Podesta said he wants to see a separate, independent investigation so Americans can learn what actually happened.

Interim Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile does, too.

As Chair of the Democratic National Committee  one of the main victims of the Russian attacks  I ask that you support and provide any needed assistance to an independent, bipartisan investigation of the attacks that includes public hearings, Brazile wrote in a letter to Congress Sunday. What we do know is that these intrusions were not just hacks  they were attacks on the United States by a foreign power, and they must be treated as such.
AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan said on Sunday a security operation to deal with around six "terrorists" holed up in a Crusader-era castle in the southern city of Karak in a shoot-out that has so far killed at least nine people was approaching its end. Government minister and spokesman Mohammad al-Momani told state television the manhunt to "eliminate" the gunmen had entered the last phase. He did not elaborate. Witnesses said occasional gunfire was heard in the vicinity of the castle where earlier police said they had rescued tourists who were on a tour of the historic site. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Kinshasa (AFP) - Still relatively young after 16 years leading the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila is a secretive president at the centre of a political crisis in his vast, conflict-ravaged nation.

Tuesday marks the end of the second and constitutionally-mandated final term for the 45-year-old, who inherited the presidency after the 2001 assassination of his father.

But he has shown no intention of stepping aside from the job that he began without much fanfare.

"With his timid voice and youth, he gave the impression at the start of being bland," wrote Belgian historian David Van Reybrouck in a landmark book on the country.

It all started so abruptly: DR Congo was riven by "Africa's Great War", in which up to five million people would die, when Kabila's father -- longtime rebel commander and president Laurent Kabila -- was killed by a bodyguard.

His son, then a general, was summoned to take up the reins of the nation, and on January 26, 2001, aged just 29, was sworn in as Africa's youngest leader.

The young man spoke English and Swahili, but had trouble in French -- the country's official language -- and a poor knowledge of lingala, spoken in the capital Kinshasa.

His linguistic shortcomings, his birth in the east of the country and childhood in Tanzania left him appearing to many in Kinshasa a "man of the east" or even simply "a foreigner".

That image was not helped by his small stature as well as a fine and always impeccably trimmed moustache.

Meanwhile, Kabila and his family in the Democratic Republic of Congo have created a personal economic empire worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the Bloomberg News agency reported Thursday.

- 'Surrounded by hardliners' -

But taking charge of a country half the size of western Europe, plagued by the worst war in modern African history and weakened by decades of ineffective governance, Kabila embraced international moves to end the conflicts that had brought at least six foreign armies onto Congolese soil since 1998.

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Alongside deals for the withdrawal of foreign troops, an agreement was signed in December 2002 among rival Congolese parties that launched a transition process towards democracy in the former Belgian colony, once known as Zaire.

But while a large UN mission helped prepare for free elections, the outgoing British ambassador, James Atkinson, alleged in a leaked 2004 diplomatic cable that "Kabila is surrounded by hardliners using him as a front...(and) serves the interests of those who (probably) killed his father."

A series of peace accords kept Kabila in power until he was voted into office in the 2006 general election -- the country's first free ballot in 41 years.

Kabila was born on June 4, 1971 in the Fizi territory of South Kivu province in the east of the country, where his father based his rebellion to topple dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

When the family was pursued by Mobutu's forces, the young Joseph went into exile in Tanzania at the age of five, and in 1996 took part in his father's Rwandan-backed military offensive against Mobutu.

After his father took power, Kabila was sent to China for further military training, but was called home after a new rebellion backed by Rwanda and Uganda broke out in 1998. He was given the rank of general.

Since assuming the presidency after his father's death, Kabila has proved a stern and steely leader, but he seldom seems at ease during official events.

Both his presidential election victories, in 2006 and 2011, led to unrest and cries of electoral fraud, and foes have also accused him of running a "parallel government" -- allegations his many supporters refute.

- 'He loves discretion' -

During his decade and a half in power Kabila has cultivated an air of mystery about himself. In rare interviews, he comes across as a soft-spoken leader who modestly tries to govern a war-scarred and under-developed state.

"He has an introverted personality, he's disciplined and he loves discretion," according to a member of his inner circle.

Rebutting charges that he has given foreign mining firms juicy contracts to exploit vast mineral resources at the cost of stable development plans, Kabila insists he has acted for the good of Congo's 70 million people, who were bled dry during the 1965-97 reign of Mobutu.

Kabila, an Anglican, is married to Marie Olive Lembe Kabila, and they have a 16-year-old daughter Sifa, and a son Laurent-Desire Junior, aged eight.
Riyadh (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed the hope in Saudi Arabia on Sunday that a new ceasefire in the Yemen conflict could be agreed within two weeks.

On his last visit to the kingdom as secretary, Kerry said the United States will work with Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to achieve a new pause in the fighting, which would be the eighth ceasefire attempt since hostilities escalated early last year.

The group of four nations, formed previously to focus on Yemen, "hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve" a pause in fighting, Kerry told reporters at a joint news conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir.

"The failure to achieve a lasting cessation of hostilities is disturbing to all of us," Kerry said.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led an Arab coalition conducting air strikes against Huthi rebels and providing other assistance to local forces in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The coalition intervened after the Huthi rebels allied with elite members of security forces loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

Previous ceasefire attempts collapsed when new fighting broke out.

The group of four nations -- which also met Oman's foreign minister as well as UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed -- reaffirmed UN proposals for a peace "roadmap" made in October.

Sources have said the plan calls for agreement on naming a new vice president after the rebels withdraw from Sanaa and other cities, and hand over heavy weapons to a third party.

Hadi would then transfer power to the vice president who would appoint a new premier to form a government in which the north and south of Yemen would have equal representation.

-- 'Lame duck' --

Hadi, who has spent most of his time in Riyadh since early last year, rejects the plan, however, saying that he would only cede power to an "elected" leader.

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The rebels, in turn, in late November formed a 42-member government of "national salvation" in areas they control.

Ould Cheikh Ahmed called the rebels' move an obstacle to the peace process.

Riyadh and Washington accuse Iran of arming the Huthis, a charge Tehran denies.

Since early last year the war in Yemen has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians, while the humanitarian situation is "dire and deteriorating rapidly", according to Kerry.

Washington's top diplomat leaves office in January at the end of President Barack Obama's presidency.

But he said the US will "remain engaged" in the search for peace in Yemen.

"We think we've found a path that can move forward," Kerry said.

"And we invite the parties, President Hadi, the Huthis and their supporters, both sides, to take advantage of this moment".

He added that Iran has also indicated that it wants an end to the Yemen war, "and they believe that the key is for Huthis to be able to have some role within government".

Yemen's Tourism Minister Mohamed Qubaty told reporters that Kerry is a "lame duck" attempting "a shot from across 50 yards to score a goal at the last minute."

The Saudi-led coalition has faced repeated allegations of killing civilians during its air strikes in Yemen, and last week the United States blocked the transfer of precision-guided bomb kits to Saudi Arabia.

A senior US administration official said the move reflected "strong concerns with the flaws in the coalition's targeting practices" and its overall conduct of the Yemen air war.

At Sunday's news conference Jubeir dismissed such reports as "media propaganda" and said the Saudi-led coalition had not been contacted about a halt in shipments.
These kids rapping about math make the future seem not so bad

We all know teachers are worth way, way more than their salaries might suggest. But this one teacher deserves a huge raise after using rap to teach elementary school kids about math.

A recent video on Reddit shows a girl busting a move and then going through the steps of long division on the class white board while her classmates rap a seriously memorable song that helps her complete the problem. Heres how it goes: Divide, multiply, subtract, bring it on down and bring it on back. And just like that, shes easily solved 312 divided by 2 using long division.

That teacher is Florida fourth-grade instructor Nadine Ebri, who helped her class turn the lesson into a song. I hope that this video shows teachers the importance of relating to students, especially in an urban community, Ebri told The Huffington Post. There is a difference between being bad and simply being bored. Most students are bored with the traditional way of teaching, causing them to act out in class.

These kinds of memory devices are already proven to help us learn about things like history and pop culture, but its especially great to see them applied to STEM, an area where the U.S. struggles to encourage young people to pursue. We sure wish our teachers had used rapping and dancing to make math even marginally more fun.

The post These kids rapping about math make the future seem not so bad appeared first on HelloGiggles.
Saturday, December 17, 2016

The Wyoming State Bar has a Disciplinary Summary document that lists and describes the public and private attorney discipline imposed in the Cowboy State.

Among the more interesting summaries of private discipline

Attorney drafted an order that contained the words Circuit Court Witch under the signature line for the Circuit Court Judge. The order was drafted as a joke but was inadvertently printed by the attorney and submitted to the judge by mistake. The attorney did not discover the mistake until the judge reported the matter to the Wyoming State Bar. Attorney violated Rule 8.4(d). Discipline: Private Reprimand. Attorney required to pay costs of $50 and an administrative fee of $500.

Attorney made demeaning comments reflecting the attorneys personal and religious feelings against gay couples being foster parents in the presence of several individuals, including the foster parent and the attorneys client, the foster childs natural parent. In making these comments, the attorney was not speaking for the client, as the client did not share the views expressed by the attorney. Such conduct on the part of the attorney violated Rule 8.4(d). Other rule violated: Rule 4.4(a). Discipline: Private Reprimand. Attorney privately reprimanded and required to pay cost in the amount of $50 and an administrative fee of $500.

Prosecuting attorney met with several minors and their parents following an incident in which law enforcement personnel discovered the minors after hours on school property, mixing toilet bowl cleaner with balls of aluminum foil in plastic bottles, which led to a chemical reaction that caused the bottles to burst or explode, making a loud noise. The prosecutor told the minors and their parents that they could be charged with felonies or misdemeanors and perhaps federal charges and may be subject to incarceration. The minors cooperated fully with the prosecutor and freely admitted their involvement. School district officials were contacted but declined to pursue school district discipline actions. Attorney violated 3.8(b) when prosecutor interviewed the young men before giving them a reasonable opportunity to obtain counsel. Discipline: Private Reprimand. Attorney privately reprimanded and required to pay administrative fee of $500 and costs of $50.

Private reprimand issued to attorney whose law firm issued a press release reporting upon the results of a jury trial in which the attorney represented an injured plaintiff. The verdict apportioned comparative fault among the plaintiff and several other parties, including the defendants. The jury apportioned 95% of the fault to the plaintiff and two non-parties, and 5% to the defendants. The jury determined the plaintiffs total damages to exceed $5 million. Judgment was ultimately entered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants in the amount of 5% of the plaintiffs total damages. The press release reported the jurys finding of liability on the part of the defendants, reported the amount of the plaintiffs damages, but omitted any mention of the jurys apportionment of fault or the fact that the plaintiff would only recover 5% of his total damages from the defendants. Such conduct on the part of the attorney violated Rule 7.1 because the press release omitted facts necessary to make the statement, considered as a whole, not materially misleading, and because the press release was likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve. Discipline: Private Reprimand. Attorney privately reprimanded and required to pay costs in the amount of $50 and an administrative fee of $500.

The summaries are organized by the applicable rule violation and also contain the full text of each rule. (Mike Frisch)

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2016/12/the-wyoming-state-bar-has-a-document-that-lists-and-describes-public-and-private-discipline-imposed-one-summary-attorney-m.html


Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Here's further proof that the Wests don't play Christmas small.

While it's still not clear whether the Kardashian-Jenner clan will release a Christmas card this year, Kim Kardashian West has already geared up for the holidays in a big way with a massive, glitzy Christmas tree.

Although the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star has been mostly staying out of the public eye--and off of social media--since her Paris robbery, her BFF Jonathan Cheban gave fans a glimpse of the tree when he visited the couple's home Thursday evening.



Credit:

Cheban was in awe as he showed off the height of the frosted tree on Snapchat, saying in one clip, "Oh my god Kim, this tree is huge! It's literally Rockefeller Center in Bel Air!" Kardashian West stayed off-camera as Cheban snapped away at the tree covered in strings of lights, but could be heard saying in the background, "Just lights no ornaments".

RELATED: Kim Kardashian West Makes Rare Public Appearance at Christmas Party

As the mom of two continued to get into the holiday spirit, she couldn't resist heading to a holiday soiree. Kardashian West made her first public appearance since the robbery at a Christmas party at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Wednesday with her mom Kris Jenner.



Credit: Jonathan Cheban/Snapchat

The Christmas party wasn't enough to bring her back to social media, but a partygoer did share an Instagram photo of her there, which showed her flashing a smize with a fan.
After Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Rob Kardashian confirmed his split from fiancee Blac Chyna, Kylie Jenner took to Instagram and Snapchat to post about a friends engagement. The lip kit creator did not respond to her brothers breakup, even though Kardashian claimed Chyna left their house and took his 1-month-old daughter, Dream, with her.

Jenner sent her well wishes to her personal assistant Victoria Villarroel Gamero. Congrats Victoria & Marco on your engagement I'm so happy I was able to be apart of it. To forever, the makeup maven wrote Saturday. In a second post she wrote, Congratulations, angel.

While things are positive for her personal assiant, Kardashians life is in shambles. Sorry to be so open but I'm not feeling so good after seeing @blacchyna messages about me and what her plans were, he wrote Saturday. I have never been this heartbroken in my life.

Kardashian was shocked by Chynas betrayal. I don't play when it comes to Family and Chyna was my Family and thought we were getting married. I treated her as a Queen. My baby girl is 1 month old and Chyna took her and left this beautiful home that I just bought for us. Right before Christmas. Someone I have given my all too. I Loved every inch of that woman and loved everything that came with her. I truly loved Angela, the reality star penned. Didn't know I was just part of her plan. I really believed she was in love with me the way that I was with her and I am so hurt and never felt this before.

Kardashian asked his followers to check out his Snapchat page for more information. I am so broken. This is a woman I fought my entire family for, he wrote. I was in love with this woman to the fullest and I was none of that to her.

Kylie Jenner

Photo: Getty

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A massive complex of amusement parks in the southern desert of Dubai has celebrated its opening.

Organizers held the event Sunday for the Dubai Parks & Resorts project after it formally opened Friday.

The park includes a Legoland, a Bollywood-themed park, a movie-themed Motiongate park, a hotel and a shopping district. The park hopes to have a Six Flags by late 2019.

The project, estimated to be worth over $3 billion, sits along the dusty highway connecting Dubai to the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.

Dubai hopes to develop the previously empty expanse, which will host the 2020 World Expo, or world's fair. Dubai already has plans to one day handle over 200 million passengers a year at the nearby Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.
After taking an episode off to let wrestler John Cena impersonate the President-elect, Alec Baldwin returned to SNL to play Donald Trump, whos not going to be very happy about the cold open. Neither will Russia.

Beck Bennett drops by (through the chimney, naturally) as a shirtless Vladimir Putin to deliver presents to Trump, including an Elf on the Shelf. You just put it right here, next to your internet router, the Russian Santa suggests before endlessly flattering Mr. Trump. Later, Kate McKinnons Kellyanne Conway introduces Trumps secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, played by the always welcome John Goodman. He and Putty have a friendly relationship that would rise Trumps suspicions, if he wasnt so preoccupied with Vanity Fair.

Speaking of Trump being distracted

This was the last episode of SNL of the year, and, unfortunately (?), the last time Trump will be able to complain about SNL in 2016. It was a good show, but its not a good show anymore, said Trump on TODAY. Nothing to do with me  theres nothing funny about it. The skits are terrible. I mean, I like Alec, but his imitation of me is really mean-spirited and not very good. I dont think its good. I do like him, and I like him as an actor, but I dont think his imitation of me gets me at all. And its meant to be very mean-spirited, which is very biased. I dont like it. So I can tweet that out. Watch the clip above.
At least two people were killed after a fuel tanker veered off a Baltimore highway and exploded early Saturday, according to reports. The skidding of the tanker resulted in a pileup of more than 50 vehicles, local authorities said.

The crash on Interstate 95 near Eastern Avenue was blamed on icy conditions in the city. Freezing rain accumulated into an icy sheet on roads resulting in slippery streets.

Twenty-three people were taken to the University of Maryland Medical Center, according to the Baltimore Sun. Victims of the pileup sustained head trauma and broken bones, as well as lacerations, cuts and scrapes, the report added citing hospital officials.

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh offered condolences to people affected.

Todays icy road conditions remind us all that it is imperative to exercise extreme caution due to severe weather. I want to thank the emergency crews for their expedient response. They continue to work closely with City agencies to render aid and coordinate efforts to stabilize road conditions for motorists. For the latest updates and information, please follow the Baltimore City Department of Transportation. We ask that residents delay travel if possible, Pugh said in a statement.

Baltimore crash

Photo: Sage Hiller/Handout via REUTERS

The southbound I-95 traffic was diverted to I-295 and I-395 Saturday afternoon after southbound lanes were reopened. Northbound lanes on I-95 remained closed and the traffic was diverted to eastbound I-695 as cleanup efforts continued.

We do not know when I-95 will be reopened, Lieutenant Kevin Ayd, spokesman for the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, reportedly said.

Dip in temperatures and rainfall in most parts of the U.S. has led to fatal crashes in recent days. Indiana state police said Saturday over 380 property-damage crashes, more than 60 injury crashes and four fatal crashes were reported Friday.

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Also on Saturday, two people died in separate incidents in Charlotte, North Carolina, after their vehicles skidded off icy roads.

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Bukavu (DR Congo) (AFP) - At least 20 people were killed in a gold mine collapse in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local minister said on Sunday.

The deaths occurred overnight at a mine in South Kivu region in the east of the country, the province's mines minister Apollinaire Bulindi said.

The toll is likely to rise "because many people were working in a disorderly way in this quarry," Bulindi said, referring to "illegal miners".

The Makungu mine where the accident took place is located in the Fizi district of Sud Kivu near the border with the Tanganyika province.

"We (the provincial authorities) do not control this quarry, these are soldiers who are working there...," he said.

Mining accidents are common in mineral rich DR Congo.

Last year, 15 people have suffocated while digging in an illegal mine in southeast, where the problem of illicit mining is widespread.

Much of the gold mined in Sud Kivu is smuggled out of the country to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, and from there allegedly to Dubai, according to the OECD.

Rebel militia frequently use illicit gold trading as a source of financing.

President Joepeh Kabila in 2010 imposed a nine-month ban on illegal mining in three provinces including Sud Kivu.

It hit cassiterite and coltan mining but failed to have any impact on the gold mining there, OECD added.
Aden (AFP) - A suicide bomber from the Islamic State group killed at least 48 Yemeni soldiers in Aden Sunday, the latest in a string of deadly attacks against recruits in the country's second city.

Military officials and medics said dozens more were wounded in the attack that targeted a crowd of servicemen who had gathered to collect their salaries near a base in northeastern Aden.

"The number of those killed has risen to 48, while 84 others were wounded," Aden health chief Abdel Nasser al-Wali told AFP.

Wali had initially given a toll of 40 dead, warning that the number was likely to increase due to "critical cases."

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber who blended in among soldiers crowding outside the house of the head of special security forces in Aden, Colonel Nasser Sarea, in Al-Arish district, near Al-Sawlaban base.

Sarea said the bomber "took advantage of the gathering and detonated his explosives among them".

Images from the blast scene showed blood stains and scattered shoes across the sandy ground.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement that a "martyrdom seeker" had gotten through security checkpoints before blowing himself up.

The attack comes eight days after a similar bombing at Al-Sawlaban claimed by IS killed 48 soldiers and wounded 29 others.

Yemeni authorities have fought a months-long campaign against jihadists who remain active in the south and east of the impoverished Arabian peninsula country.

IS and its jihadist rival Al-Qaeda have taken advantage of a conflict between the government and Yemen's Huthi rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, to bolster their presence across much of the south.

The two extremist groups have carried out a spate of attacks in Aden, Yemen's second city and headquarters of the internationally recognised government whose forces retook the port city from the Huthis last year.

But Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the December 10 attack, claiming that it tends to avoid "the shedding of any Muslim blood" while focusing on fighting the "Americans and their allies."

Story continues

- Long-running conflict -

Al-Qaeda has long been the dominant jihadist force in Yemen, located next to oil-flush Saudi Arabia and key shipping lanes, but experts say IS is seeking to supplant its extremist rival.

Washington regards Al-Qaeda's Yemen-based branch as its most dangerous and has kept up a long-running drone war against its commanders.

In August an IS militant rammed his explosives-laden car into an army recruiting centre in Aden, killing 71 people in the deadliest jihadist attack on the city in over a year.

A Saudi-led coalition has since March 2015 supported loyalist forces fighting the Huthis.

The Arab coalition intervened after Huthi rebels allied with troops loyal to Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized the capital Sanaa and overran other parts of the country.

But the coalition later turned its firepower also at Sunni jihadists, supporting forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in their bid to flush extremists out of south Yemen.

The Yemen war has killed more than 7,000 people, about half of them civilians.
Beirut (AFP) - Lebanon acquired a new 30-minister government Sunday led by Saad Hariri, bringing together the entire political spectrum except for the Christian Phalangist party that rejected the portfolio it was offered.

"This is a government of entente," Hariri said of the new line-up formed six weeks after the election of President Michel Aoun.

New portfolios include an anti-corruption post and, for the first time, a minister of state for women's affairs.

Hariri said the Phalangist party had been offered a minister of state post but had turned it down.

The new government will have "at the top of its list of priorities to preserve security against the fires ravaging our region," Hariri told reporters.

He stressed that the government would act to "preserve our country from the negative consequences of the Syrian crisis".

On November 3, former premier Hariri was nominated to form Lebanon's next government, but the process was seen as likely to be hampered by deep differences with the powerful Hezbollah movement.

Hariri, 46, is anti-Syria and a fierce opponent of Lebanon's influential Shiite Hezbollah, members of which have been accused by an international court of involvement in his father's 2005 assassination.

But he was forced to throw his support behind Aoun, their candidate for the presidency, in order to secure his return to power as premier.

Hariri's government will have two ministers from Hezbollah.

His nomination and Aoun's election after a two-year vacuum have raised hopes that Lebanon can begin tackling challenges including a stagnant economy, a moribund political class and the influx of more than a million Syrian refugees.

Hariri also announced the establishment of a state secretariat for refugees, and called on the international community "to take responsibility for helping our country bear the burden".

Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2017, the first legislative vote in eight years.

Story continues

The current parliament -- elected in 2009 -- has extended its own mandate twice amid fierce disagreements over revamping Lebanon's electoral law.

"The government will also work on the preparation of a new electoral law," Hariri said on Sunday.

The thorny issue divides religious parties and communities in a country where politics is based on parity between Christians and Muslims.
By Stephen Kalin ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Seven-year-old Anas lies in a hospital bed in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil, his little body wrapped in bandages following four surgeries to remove shrapnel that shredded his intestines. He is considered lucky for being alive. Two of his brothers did not survive the Islamic State mortar attack three weeks ago on their family's home in Mosul. One boy died immediately, the other after reaching the emergency room. "I saw them and then I fell to the ground and fainted," Anas said in a strained whisper, sometimes wincing from pain. At the time of the attack, Anas and his family may well have believed they were finally safe after 2-1/2 years of deprivation and cruelty under the Islamists' hardline rule. Their house was in an eastern neighborhood the Iraqi government had declared "liberated" by its forces in their battle to recapture Mosul, Islamic State's last major stronghold in Iraq. But the military's advance has been slow and punishing, and nine weeks in they have retaken just a quarter of the city. When elite army troops arrived in their districts and the jihadists beat a retreat, many residents fled towards the relative safety of camps outside the city. But a growing number of civilians, like Anas and his brothers, are being dragged back into violence at the moment of their supposed deliverance. Iraqi authorities do not release statistics about those killed or wounded in the Mosul campaign in an apparent effort to maintain morale, but a month ago the United Nations warned that civilian casualties were overwhelming the capacity of the government and international aid groups operating in the area. Since then, the situation seems to have deteriorated. Iraqi security officials at the Erbil hospital where Anas is being treated say dozens of wounded people from the Mosul area arrive each day, and that the majority are civilians. A Kurdish medical official said military personnel make up the larger portion. Reuters could not verify either account but patients at the Emergency Medical Center hospital include both civilians and members of the armed forces. Relatively peaceful Erbil, just an hour's drive from the frontline, lies in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region. Its own peshmerga forces have pushed back Islamic State across the north, expanding its territory and becoming a haven for evacuees. SURVIVING ON PAINKILLERS Nour, a little girl with blonde hair, sits in a wheelchair at the far end of a ward for women and children. Her left lower leg, concealed by a blanket, is held together by metal pins that stick out several centimeters. Nour's aunt said her niece was hurt in an air strike two months ago on their village south of Mosul. Both the Iraqi military and a U.S.-led coalition backing Baghdad are bombarding Islamic State in the region. The international coalition, which is also bombing in Syria, has acknowledged killing 173 civilians since strikes started in 2014, significantly lower than estimates made by other groups. The doctors say Nour needs surgery abroad, but the cost is prohibitive so for now she subsists on painkillers. Her aunt was permitted to accompany her to the hospital, but her parents and siblings cannot visit because of restrictions on Arabs entering the Kurdish region, which has already accepted more than one million displaced people since Islamic State seized large swathes of the country's north and west in 2014. As soon as Nour's condition improves she will most likely have to go live in a government-run camp in the Kurdish region or return home despite the continued presence of Islamic State remnants there. As Nour and her aunt spoke to Reuters, a woman stretched out on a nearby bed began weeping. She was wounded in an explosion last month that killed her husband and blew the legs off her eldest son. "The army told us to go out to a safe place," she whispered amid sobs. "We hadn't moved even 100 meters and at the third house Daesh (Islamic State) had planted a mine next to the door." Iraqi security forces wounded in Mosul are stabilized at Erbil hospitals before being airlifted to Baghdad for further treatment. Many of their casualties come from snipers or suicide car bombs. One soldier from the elite counter-terrorism force was shot in both legs last week. Another was hit by a bomb released from an Islamic State drone, a relatively new addition to the jihadists' improvised arsenal, which took him by surprise. "'Where did that come from, the sky?'" he remembers thinking about the blast. (Reporting By Stephen Kalin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
north korea

WASHINGTON, DC  Upon taking the highest office in the land, President-elect Donald Trump will need to address the growing North Korean missile threat "almost immediately."

"More often than not, we measure the mettle of presidencies by the unexpected crises that they must deal with," said Victor Cha, a senior adviser and the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "For President Bush, this was clearly the terrorist attacks of 9/11, which completely changed every element of his presidency. For President-elect Trump, this crisis could very well come from North Korea."

Speaking on a panel at CSIS's Global Security Forum, Cha added that the North would "challenge the new administration almost immediately upon taking office."

North Korea experts explain what Kim Jong Un wants 

The normally aggressive regime has been exceptionally busy in 2016 with an increased tempo in testing. The North has launched 25 ballistic missiles this year and remains the only country to have detonated nuclear devices in this century.

"Every launch that he launches, he learns more. He gets more capability," retired US Army Gen. Walter "Skip" Sharp, a former commander of US Forces-Korea said during the panel.

"UN Security Council resolutions have been numerous that have told him he cannot do this, and I personally think it's time to start enforcing this," Sharp said.

A timeline of North Korea's missile tests so far in 2016 

The acceleration and frequency in testing shows not only the North's nuclear ambitions but also that the rogue nation has developed something of an arsenal.

The following graphic from CSIS's Missile Defense Project illustrates specifications and ranges of North Korea's ballistic-missile arsenal.

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k graphic





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The title of this post is the headline of this Boston Globe article, which gets started this way:

It was 1911. The New England Watch and Ward Society (nee the New England Society for the Suppression of Vice) was battling against drugs and other special evils. And in April of that year, the groups leaders successfully petitioned the Massachusetts Legislature to outlaw possession of several hypnotic drugs, including cannabis.

One hundred five years, seven months, and 16 days later  Thursday  marijuana became legal again in Massachusetts. The Governors Council, a Colonial-era body that vets judges and accepts election tabulations, on Wednesday formally certified the results of a ballot question that allows marijuana for recreational use.

The initiative passed last month with 1.8 million people voting for the measure, despite the opposition of top politicians, the Catholic Church, doctors and business groups, and an array of other civic leaders. About 1.5 million people voted against it.

Perhaps the loudest voices opposed to the measure came from law enforcement. But on Wednesday, police were learning how to enforce what one top public safety official called a complex web of rules for licensed and unlicensed sellers, for those who sell the drug for profit and those who give it away.

Even as pot remains illegal under federal law, possession, use, and home-growing are now allowed under state law for adults 21 and over. But public consumption of the drug remains forbidden in Massachusetts, as do several related activities, such as smoking weed anywhere tobacco smoking is prohibited. It will also be illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana, though there is no cannabis equivalent in the law to the 0.08 blood-alcohol limit.

Selling pot, too, remains outlawed until the state treasurer sets up a regulated marketplace and licenses retail stores. The law sets a January 2018 time frame for pot shops to open, creating a legal gray zone until then  buying up to an ounce of pot from a dealer is legal, but the dealer is breaking the law.

The Massachusetts measure is part of a national trend. Voters here were joined on Nov. 8 by those in Maine, California, and Nevada. The people of Colorado, Oregon, Washington state, Alaska, and the District of Columbia also voted to legalize marijuana in recent years.
Loretta Lynch (CNN)

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says she still regrets her impromptu meeting with former President Bill Clinton on her private plane before the Department of Justice concluded its investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private email server as secretary of state.

I do regret sitting down and having a conversation with him because it did give people concern, Lynch told CNNs Jake Tapper on State of the Union Sunday. My greatest concern has always been making sure that people understand that the Department of Justice works in a way that is independent and looks at everybody equally.

Lynch met with Clinton for a half-hour on the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on June 27, prompting calls from Republicans to completely recuse herself from the inquiry.

In response, Lynch  who maintained that their meeting was primarily social  said she would step back and accept whatever recommendations the FBI made in the case.

It was painful for me, and so I felt it was important to clarify it as quickly and as clearly and as cleanly as possible, Lynch said Sunday.

On July 5, FBI Director James Comey announced the bureaus recommendation that no charges be brought against Hillary Clinton or her aides  leading to more criticism from the GOP over Lynchs handling of the case.

I wish I had seen around that corner and not had that discussion with the former president, as innocuous as it was, because it did give people concern, Lynch told Tapper. It did make people wonder, Is it going to affect the investigation thats going on? And thats not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask.

Related: Podesta: FBI contacted me just once about hacked emails

Lynch pushed back on criticism from former Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta that the FBI did not take the Russian hacking of Democratic National Committee emails as seriously as the investigation into Clintons server.

I can tell you that this investigation was taken seriously from the beginning, Lynch said. This is an incredibly serious issue.

Story continues

Earlier this month, President Obama called on U.S. intelligence agencies to conduct a full review of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election  and to complete it before he leaves office.

It is an issue that people are concerned about and do need to have information about, Lynch said. Our goal is to provide them with the information. That is thoroughly investigated, fully vetted, and that we can provide in an open setting.
The Swiss agree on only one thing about womens watches: Beauty is nonnegotiable.

At the end of 2015, Faberges Lady Compliquee, a timepiece built with equal parts artistic whimsy and horological sophistication, took the prize in the ladies high-mechanical category at the prestigious Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve. Not only did the award vault Faberge into the rarefied realm of haute horlogerie, but it also helped substantiate a theory held by Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, the complication specialist who built the watchs mechanically unfurling peacock tail, about women and fine timepieces.

I had always been told that ladies need precious things with gold, diamonds, stones, and they are not interested in the mechanical part of the movementand I was sure that was wrong, he says.

Because when I showed a nice movement to women, starting with my wife, I could see they were interested.

Wiederrecht adds: Maybe they werent interested in the performance, the technical aspects, but they responded to the beauty of the technical. To provide something interesting for womenthat was an opportunity.

Poetry in Motion

Wiederrecht is far from being the only Swiss watchmaker excited by the prospect of makingand sellingmore high-end watches for women. Yet opinions in Switzerland diverge sharply about the shapes those watches should take. Some, like Wiederrecht, apply their considerable technical creativity toward themes they imagine will resonate with women. Others take a much more conservative line, maintaining that it will be the women who will come around to appreciating the values and designs Swiss watchmakers have proffered all along.

Christophe Claret, a longtime respected behind-the-scenes technical master, who has relatively recently sold watches under his own name, belongs firmly in the first camp. Inspired to make his first feminine watch in 2014, he created Margot, a 731-part, daisy-themed mechanical ode to the classic oracle game He loves me, he loves me not. (Later that year, it, too, won the GPHG award in the ladies high-mech category.)

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What motivates me the most is to create a watch with innovations that do not exist on the market, Claret says. And if the watch matches womens needs, I am more than satisfied.

Which begs the question: What are those needs? And the inevitable follow-up: Are the Swiss prepared to overcome years of male-dominated leadership to give women what they want in a timepiece?

Van Cleef & Arpels was one of the first brands to espouse a different school of thought in answer to such questions. Its concept of poetic complications subjugated the technical side of watchmaking to the storytelling capacity made possible by the mechanismsthe prevailing wisdom is that mechanics are important to women only insofar as they service the story.

The Cartier Pantheres et Colibri, unveiled in January at Genevas Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, is a prime example of such horological narrative: A diamond-set panther with spots of black lacquer lounges on the black diamond-studded dial. At the press of the winding crown, a baby panther lunges from behind its mothers paws to chase after a golden-winged hummingbird.

If you do it in a beautiful way, even if women are not sensitive to mechanics, they will be sensitive to refinement, beauty, and something reflecting their own personality, says Aurelie Picaud, the new timepiece director at Faberge.

Standing By the Classics

Over the past five years, a slew of Swiss firms typically associated with mens pieces, from Audemars Piguet to Zenith, have turned out a flurry of feminized wristwatches featuring time-honored complications such as the tourbillon and perpetual calendar. It might be tempting to attribute such conservatism to current economic uncertainty, but many brand executives insist they are simply meeting demand from women seeking traditional horology.

When it came time for us to imagine our choice of inspiration for a ladies line, says Jerome Lambert, CEO of Montblanc, we decided to have a classic watch because women are more and more in a business environment where they are dressed in an elegant and classical way.

As of this fall, the maker of pens and watches has expanded its 2-year-old Boheme collection of womens timepieces to include not only models featuring an automatic date, a perpetual calendar, and a day and night display, but also several versions of its patented, in-house Boheme ExoTourbillon, including a 110th-anniversary edition encased in 18-karat red gold and bearing a blue lacquered serpent coiled around the dial.

I know with my experience in fine watchmaking that a ladies watch always has to be more graphically sophisticated than a mens watch, Lambert explains.

Practical Matters Opinions

on what make a successful womens watch are sure to be sharpened by they current market, in which Swiss watch exports for the first six months of 2016 are down 10 percent worldwide, and high-end complications for women appear to be suffering even greater declines.

Fred Levin, president of NPD Luxury Practice, which tracks retail sales of fine watches in the United States, says that sales of womens timepieces retailing for more than $25,000 were down 22 percent from January to May of 2016, compared to the same period in 2015. Theyre getting destroyed, he says.

Even the venerable Patek Philippe may not be immune to the downturn. In 2009, the Geneva-based watchmaker embarked on a much-publicized campaign to promote a range of Ladies First complications that grew to include an ultrathin split-seconds chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendarsome bedecked with diamonds. But according to industry watchers, the brands entry-level, mostly quartz-powered Twenty-4 model is what is currently moving the needle among women at retail.

Czapek & Cie., a 2-year-old company founded on the legacy of the 19th-century watchmaker Francois Czapek, tackled the question of what women want holistically: The brand held a dinner for nearly 70 shareholders, a third of whom were women, at its Geneva offices in May and asked them to review about 20 designs for its first ladies model, the Quai des Bergues Lady, due out by the end of 2016.

Xavier de Roquemaurel, the CEO, says he was surprised to discover that women were drawn to an understated style, not necessarily that feminine.

They like to have a serious watch and serious doesnt necessarily need diamonds, he says. We are creating a design that we know some men will buy too.

His point about unisex appeal underscores an evolving trend, says Leon Adams, owner of Cellini Jewelers, the well-known high-end watch and jewelry boutique in New Yorks Waldorf Astoria. Women were wearing tiny watches youd probably need a magnifying glass to see. Now, they gravitate more toward bracelet styles, and watches that they can leave on for day and evening, sport and dress.

He cites Rolex as the prime beneficiary of this movement because of its practical, all-in-one allureadding that a growing trend of casualization combined with ludicrous prices have conspired to make it difficult for women to justify owning multiple timepieces.

Audemars Piguet, Adams adds, reacted smartly, by redesigning its flagship Royal Oak model in 2012 with new sizes geared to smaller wrists. Theyre really trying to capture the woman who wants that utilitarian watch but wants to stand out from the Rolex crowd, he says.

The Royal Oak may indeed be Audemars Piguets indisputable bread-and-butter product, but that has not stopped the watchmaker from doing its best to cultivate the next generation of female buyers. In 2015, the brand redesigned its decades-old Millenary collection (it now features an openwork dial) and began promoting it to women.

Gender Benders

Of course, watchmakers have been obsessed with beauty for centuries. Michael Friedman, a watchmaking historian at Audemars Piguet, notes that the earliest watches, for both men and women, were mechanical novelties with elaborate decorations and intriguing complications including moon phases and alarm mechanisms. They were also terrible at keeping time.

As horology improved in the 18th and 19th centuries, so, too, did the industrys attempt at marrying precision and beauty. The results, marketed to women of means, were as varied as they were whimsical, including fashionable chatelaine watches, unusual form watchesshaped like mandolins, baskets, strawberries, you name itand extravagant singing bird boxes that did double duty as timepieces.

Clearly, women have always appreciated an incredible breadth of timekeepers, and that appreciation continues to this day. For modern-day affirmation, simply look to the auction houses.

Women are buying online, says John Reardon, Christies international head of watches. And its not modern ladies pieces or quartz pieceswere talking about vintage mens watches that are perfectly sized to women. Women are buying them not only for an investment statement but also because they love them.

If theres anything to be gleaned from this mishmash of contemporary preferences, perhaps its that the watch business has officially entered the post-gender age. I dont think theres such a thing as a mans watch or a womans watch anymore, Friedman concludes. A woman can wear anything today.

Faberge, 646.416.1353, (faberge.com); Christophe Claret, +41.32.933.00.00, (claret.ch); Cartier, 800.227.8437, (cartier.com); Montblanc, 800.995.4810, (montblanc.com); Audemars Piguet, 212.688.6644, (audemarspiguet.com); Czapek & Cie, +41.76.815.1845, (czapek.com)

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Ouagadougou (AFP) - Mali's president said Sunday he could let Burkina Faso forces pursue jihadist fighters when they flee across the border into his country, days after militants massacred 12 Burkinabe soldiers.

Around 40 fighters attacked a base some 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the Burkina-Mali border on Friday in what local authorities called the biggest ever jihadist attack on the army.

It was the second direct strike against the Burkina army since jihadist militants surfaced in the country in early 2015, mostly staging attacks in the north near the borders of Mali and Niger.

Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita stopped off in Ouagadougou on his way home from a summit in Nigeria to show his support for Burkina Faso after Friday's attack.

"There can be no question of people coming to kill with impunity in Burkina and then finding safe refuge in Mali -- certainly not," Keita told reporters as he stood alongside Burkina President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

"So this will be one of the things we will look at in the coming days."

Mali's vast arid north is home to Al-Qaeda-linked groups who seized control of several towns before being dispersed by an international intervention in 2013.

The Islamists were never defeated, only displaced, and they continue to mount regular attacks, with large areas of northern Mali outside of government control.

"Their ability to move across borders is clear and we will do whatever we can to even things up," Keita said of the jihadists.

In January this year, 30 people were killed when fighters from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb attacked a hotel and cafe popular with Westerners in the heart of Ouagadougou.
A big problem facing nearly all marijuana businesses in states where medicinal or recreational use is legal remains getting a bank account. Because federal law still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I dangerous (and illegal) drug, more than 97% of federally regulated banks have denied banking services to marijuana-related businesses. In nearly every instance, pot is still a cash business.

Last Wednesday, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and nine other U.S. Senators, including Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, sent a letter to the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's acting director, Jamal El-Hindi, urging the regulator to issue further guidance to financial institutions on providing services specifically to businesses that "do nothing more than provide services to the state-sanctioned marijuana industry."

ALSO READ: Customer Service Hall of Shame

The impact affects even those businesses that have an indirect relationship to legal marijuana. The letter notes:

Most banks and credit unions have either closed accounts or simply refused to offer services to indirect and ancillary businesses that service the marijuana industry. A large number of professionals have been unable to access the financial system because they are doing business with marijuana growers and dispensaries. This long list of professionals includes chemists who have had their checking accounts closed due to their role in testing marijuana for the presence of harmful materials like arsenic; the security industry, which marijuana businesses heavily rely on due to the massive amounts of cash they handle; and lawyers offering legal services to marijuana businesses, who have reported banks denying applications for bank accounts and credit cards.

The Senators also warn that the banking restrictions are "an invitation to tax fraud, robberies, money laundering, and organized crime."

Even if the regulators make these changes, there is no guarantee that they would not be reversed under a new presidential administration.

Story continues

'Marijuana' or 'Marihuana'? It's All Weed to the DEA

The Drug Enforcement Administration published a rule in the Federal Register Wednesday clarifying that certain marijuana extracts  notably cannabidiol, or CBD  are indeed Schedule 1 controlled substances and just as illegal under federal law as whole-plant marijuana itself.

DEA spokesman Russell Baer says it is an administrative measure to help with record-keeping, but the rule drew attention for its use of the archaic spelling of "marihuana" -- with an "H" instead of a "J." The rule is entitled "Establishment of a New Code for Marihuana Extract," and uses the H spelling throughout.

ALSO READ: States With the Worst Roads

Some marijuana legalization advocates speculated that this spelling was used to be sneaky, "so the article wouldn't pop up under any searches for changes in marijuana policy." Others asked "when the DEA will step into the 21st century and stop using the archaic version of the word 'marihuana.'"

The spelling is freighted with historical significance. Traditionally, the plant and the drugs derived from it had been called "cannabis," the scientific word for the genus of the plant itself. "'Cannabis' is the botanical term for the plant, and the term for the drug in most of the world, explained drug policy expert Mark Kleiman of NYU in an email.

Read more at The Washington Post.

This Will Be the Next Marijuana Capital of the World

This year marked a turning point for marijuana, both as a cultural movement and as an industry. Polls show a record percentage of Americans now favor legalization, and most of us already live in a state with some form of legal cannabis. California, home to more than a tenth of the U.S. population and the sixth largest economy in the world, just approved recreational marijuana. In 2017, expect the momentum to grow with further mainstreaming of cannabis and the cementing of the industry.

Los Angeles will emerge as the marijuana capital of the world. The financial industry has Wall Street, the tech industry has Silicon Valley, and the cannabis industry will soon have Los Angeles. No disrespect to Denver, but Los Angeles is about to come out of the shadows and steal the spotlight.

ALSO READ: Cities Where You Don't Want to Get Sick

By some estimates Los Angeles's medical cannabis market is already worth close to $1 billion, larger than Colorado's entire recreational market. Unfortunately, most of that business operates in the shadows today. But that is about to change.

Read more at CNBC.

Hundreds of Patients Apply for Medical Marijuana After Court Ruling

Local medical marijuana providers and patients are celebrating a judge's decision to reopen dispensaries after voters in November passed an initiative restarting the statewide program.

"We're all pretty ecstatic, said Bob Devine, owner of Spark1 in Bozeman. In the end, the patients win out.

On Dec. 7, District Judge James Reynolds of Helena ruled that ballot initiative 182, approved last month by voters 58 to 42 percent, should take effect immediately.

"The folks that are maybe the most in need are the least able to provide, to grow their own," Reynolds was quoted as saying by the Associated Press. "I think speed is more important than niceties."

The initiative overrides a law passed by the Montana Legislature, which went into effect in August, limiting providers to three patients each. The law led to the closure of several dispensaries in Gallatin, Park and Madison counties  an area that accounts for a quarter of the state's medical marijuana patients  and left thousands of registered users without providers.

ALSO READ: The Worst Companies to Work For

Read more at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

The Marijuana Industry Needs to Stand Up to Jeff Sessions

On Election Day, California voted to become the world's largest legal marijuana market, and seven more states also voted yes on recreational or medical pot. Initially, President-elect Donald Trump's surprise win didn't seem to pose an immediate threat to the legal pot industry; Trump isn't popular in the cannabis world, but he's not seen as a committed prohibitionist either. At a post-election industry conference in Vegas, the largest controversy involved a nearly naked model covered in cold cuts.

That outlook changed after Trump picked Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, as his nominee for attorney general. While many conservatives have relaxed their views on both marijuana and criminal penalties for drug offenses, Sessions evidently has not. "We need grown-ups in charge in Washington saying marijuana is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized," he said at a hearing in April. "It is in fact a very real danger."

To liberals, the Sessions nomination is, as The New York Times editorialized, "an insult to justice." Sessions had been rejected for a federal judgeship in 1986 due to concerns that he's a racist. His nomination in 2016 to the far more powerful position of attorney general raised an immediate outcry from, among others, those concerned with treatment of undocumented immigrants, the rights of LGBTQ and Muslim Americans, and supporters of criminal justice reform and police accountability.

ALSO READ: America's Six-Figure Jobs

The legal marijuana industry, which is anticipated to top $6 billion in sales this year, also has reason to fear Sessions, but its response has been much more muted. The National Cannabis Industry Association, the industry's largest lobby, released a statement saying that it looked forward to working with Attorney General Sessions. They think it's safer to weather his tenure at the Justice Department than to fight it.

Read more at Slate.

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Masters of Sex star Michael Sheen is taking time to focus on politics and heres why thats important

The state of our world is something many people arent cool with, and for obvious good reason. While some people arent sure what to do to change it, others are taking action. Many reports have declared that Masters of Sex and Passengers star Michael Sheen is leaving acting to fight the far-right, because activism is where his heart is right now.

But Sheen wants everyone to know that hes not quitting acting, hes simply becoming more involved in community issues.

Sheens hometown of Port Talbot in Wales voted to leave the European Union in the United Kingdoms Brexit vote, according to The Telegraph. Sheen expressed his thoughts on Tumblr and laid out the facts about what he said and didnt say.

In the actual original interview I said I have become more involved with community issues back at home over the last few years and because of the political situation its something I would like to focus on more, Sheen explained.

WHAT I DID NOT SAY - I did one interview with The Times of London a few weeks ago, parts of which... https://t.co/e3o6NyziDB  michael sheen (@michaelsheen) December 18, 2016

When asked if his activism will get in the way of his career, he said that it might mean that hed be working less as an actor, and possibly even stop for a bit at some point. But right now, thats all up in the air.

The majority of people in the U.K., including my hometown of Port Talbot, voted for Brexit, he added. That is the will of the people and is to be respected. That is democracyWhat I think must be resisted is the re-emerging spectre of fascism in the West. Our democracy must be defended and each of us needs to decide how we can contribute to that effort.

"Freedom is never more than one generation from extinction....It must be fought for, protected, and handed on...." - Ronald Reagan  michael sheen (@michaelsheen) December 17, 2016

We completely respect Sheens determination to make things better. Its certainly a lot easier to sit back and watch destruction and problems happen from afar, but that wont affect any kind of positive change.

And its definitely good to know he wont be quitting acting.

The post Masters of Sex star Michael Sheen is taking time to focus on politics and heres why thats important appeared first on HelloGiggles.
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) -- Restaurants in Maui County would have to pack food in eco-friendly containers free of plastic foam under a measure that could be approved early next year.

Councilmembers decided at their last meeting in December to advance a measure that restricts the use and sale of plastic foam containers. It also bans the products at county events and facilities.

Some businesses are supportive, while others express concerns over the cost and quality of alternative containers.

The measure allows some exemptions.

"We put in the word 'hardships,' and they can come in and apply for exemptions," Councilman Michael Victorino said.

He said work on the bill began six years ago, when the county first banned plastic bags.

"This would be the next step in what I call environmental changes that are needed in our islands," he said. "More importantly, it's a move to protect and enhance our marine life, because this is what Hawaii is all about."

The restaurant Tin Roof almost exclusively uses compostable food packaging and is "phasing out our current 1 percent" that remains, owner Janice Simeon said.

Maui News reported the council approved an amendment covering food packaged outside the county.

The change raised questions about potential violations to rules regarding interstate commerce.

Vice Chairman Don Guzman proposed the amendment and said it levels the playing field.

The measure says plastic foam containers have "significant negative impacts on the environment, contributes to the potential death of marine animals and avian populations through ingestion and is a suspected human carcinogen."

Corporation Counsel Patrick Wong said it may be difficult to defend the county against any potential legal challenges given the scientific evidence officials had on hand.

A second reading is needed before councilmembers make a final decision on the proposal. Approval early next year would put the measure into effect by July 2018.

Maui County would not be the first U.S. location with such a ban.

Over the summer, San Francisco enacted what environmentalists called the country's broadest, most comprehensive ban on Styrofoam and other polystyrene foam products, including shipping peanuts, plates and cups, and pool toys.

Los Angeles has a ban on foam food containers in government buildings. And Portland, Oregon, approved a ban on such products in restaurants in 1989.
Arizona Senator John McCain said Sunday that Russian hacking during the 2016 election threatens to destroy democracy.

The Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee pushed for a special select committee to investigate the CIAs finding that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee and a top Hillary Clinton aide in an effort to help elect Donald Trump as President.

We need a select committee, McCain said on CNNs State of the Union. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to find out exactly what was done and what the implications of the attacks were, especially if they had an effect on our election.

McCain mocked President Obamas news conference on Friday, in which Obama said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin to cut it out.

Theres no doubt they were interfering and no doubt it was a cyberattack. The question now is how much and what damage and what should the United States of America do? And so far, weve been totally paralyzed, McCain said. Im sure that when Vladimir Putin was told quote cut it out unquote, Im sure that Vladimir Putin immediately stopped all cyberactivities. The truth is, they are hacking every single day.

McCains calls for investigation by a special committee into the cyberattacks have been rejected by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who want Senate and House committees already in existence to conduct the investigation.

Trump, meanwhile, has not accepted the CIAs finding, which was backed by the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence on Friday. Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming White House Chief of Staff, said on Fox News Sunday that the President-elect would acknowledge the conclusion when intelligence agencies release a report.

I think he would accept the conclusion if these intelligence professionals would get together, put out a report and show the American people theyre actually on the same page as opposed to third parties through the Washington Post, Priebus said. I think that these guys should be straight with the American people and come out and say it. I dont think theyre been clear about it.
This local article, headlined "Connecticut prepares for consequences of Massachusetts marijuana legalization," provides still more evidence for the reality that marijuana legalization in Massachusetts really means marijuana reform for much of New England. Here are excerpts from the article:

Police Chief Ricky Hayes of Putnam, Connecticut, is not too worried about Massachusetts legalizing marijuana -- yet. "I don't think we're that concerned right now," Hayes said. "Once they get into the dispensing and selling, we may have a lot of people traveling from Connecticut into Massachusetts to try to do some purchasing."

Recreational marijuana became legal in Massachusetts on Thursday, the result of a ballot vote in November. Residents can now grow a limited quantity of marijuana plants at home and can possess marijuana legally. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and transporting marijuana across state lines is a federal crime. But a state like neighboring Connecticut could still see an increase in people bringing marijuana across the border.

After Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, attorneys general in neighboring Nebraska and Oklahoma filed a lawsuit with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the law because their states were seeing an influx of marijuana coming from Colorado. The Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit. Some Connecticut law enforcement officials say the bigger impact of Massachusetts' legalization is likely to hit a year from now. Although marijuana was legal to possess as of Thursday, legal retail sales are not expected to be up and running for at least another year, since the state must develop regulations and a licensing process. So there is still no legal method for buying the drug in Massachusetts....

Some Connecticut lawmakers have been pushing for a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in that state. Although the bill did not pass in 2016, the Legislature is expected to consider it again, and it is possible Massachusetts' legalization could boost that effort....

Another question is what impact Massachusetts' legal marijuana will have on Connecticut's medical marijuana program. It is illegal under state law for a Connecticut medical marijuana patient to buy marijuana in Massachusetts or anywhere other than in a licensed dispensary in Connecticut. But that does not mean some patients, or potential patients, will not find it easier to bypass Connecticut's medical system and buy marijuana across the border.

Lora Rae Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the medical marijuana program, said she hopes patients have been satisfied enough with the medical marijuana system not to buy their marijuana in Massachusetts. "We want patients to have an experience that is medical, supported by doctors, that helps remedy their severe debilitating condition and is compliant with state law," Anderson said.

A medical marijuana patient in Connecticut must be certified by a doctor, then discuss their needs with a dispensary pharmacist. "We have a very highly regulated and specific medical model to our program here, so people here have a very different experience going to a dispensary facility, which is regulated like a pharmacy, than you would going into a store where you purchase medical marijuana," Anderson said. She added that the types of marijuana that are sold in dispensaries are different products from what a person would buy in a retail store. "It's a medication, not a drug," Anderson said.
Venezuelan security forces have arrested more than 300 people, including members of the opposition Popular Will and Justice First parties, in protests sparked by the elimination of the countrys most popular currency, the 100 bolivar note, before new notes were ready, President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday.

An economic crisis has engulfed Venezuela amid low oil prices and price controls that led to a three-year recession and shortages of food and medicine. The elimination of the 100 bolivar ($10.01) note, which produced a cash crunch, sparked two days of protests that left one dead and scores of businesses ransacked. More lootings were reported Sunday.

The decision to eliminate the 100 bolivar note led to long lines at banks as Venezuelans attempted to get rid of the bills last week before the ban took effect, the Associated Press reported.

A new batch of currency was due to arrive Sunday afternoon, including notes up to 20,000 bolivars ($2,001.99), but the planes were rerouted, teleSur reported.

Maduro accused the arrested members of the opposition of carrying out U.S. orders to create chaos in the country, and accused U.S. President Barack Obama of trying to incite a coup. He said the elimination of the 100 bolivar note was an effort to urge Venezuelans to use electronic transactions and curb organized crime. However, 40 percent of the population does not have a bank account.

venezuela

Photo: Carlos Eduardo Ramirez/Reuters

Maduro said the government has collected 4 billion bolivars ($400.4 million) from financial mafias that have been hoarding the 100 bolivar notes in what he described as an economic war against the country.

"The only person guilty of the chaos and violence of recent days is Nicolas Maduro," the Justice First party said.

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Protesters across the country burned bolivar notes and railed against Maduro, a former bus driver who has seen his popularity plunge to just 20 percent, according to pollster Datanalisis. Police used tear gas to control protesters and looters in the southern state of Bolivar where some of the worst looting has occurred.

The 100 bolivar note was taken out of circulation Friday, leaving Venezuelans unable to buy food or fill their gas tanks. Maduro then suspended the order Saturday, saying the bill would be valid through Jan. 2, but some businesses were still refusing to accept the notes, Reuters reported.

The opposition has been trying to force Maduro to resign. His term runs through early 2019.

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Myanmar's army has seized an important outpost from a powerful rebel faction during a bout of intense fighting, state media and insurgents confirmed Sunday, in the latest blow to peace efforts.

Fighting has blighted Myanmar's border regions for decades, pitting various ethnic minority groups seeking autonomy or independence against the notoriously abusive military.

The latest clashes erupted between the military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), based in the northern state of Kachin and one of the strongest rebel groups.

Troops backed by jets and artillery captured Gidon Outpost early Saturday, according to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

The report said both sides suffered losses but did not disclose figures.

Daung Kha, a spokesman for the KIA, confirmed the outpost's capture but said rebel troops were trying to retake it.

"We are fighting them to get it back, today there is still fighting," he told AFP.

The skirmish is significant because it is taking place close to the KIA's well-fortified headquarters in Laiza.

Since winning landmark elections a year ago, de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi has made the forging of a lasting peace deal a cornerstone of her administration.

But her time in office has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting in years between some rebel groups and the military, a force that under a junta-era constitution she has almost no control over.

In Shan state to the south of Kachin, renewed fighting has broken out in recent weeks between the military and an alliance of rebel factions, sending refugees streaming over the Chinese border and creating tensions with Beijing.

The KIA is one of the rebel groups involved in that fighting.

Analysts say the recent unrest in Shan threatens a second round of peace talks which Suu Kyi had scheduled for February.

The army has also been engaged in a bloody crackdown in the north of the western state of Rakhine that has sent more than 20,000 from the Muslim Rohingya minority fleeing to Bangladesh.

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KIA spokesman Daung Kha warned that the fresh fighting would only draw rebel groups closer into alliances.

"If the government cannot control the army not to fight, we will be forming an ethnic alliance armed group soon and will forcefully fight back," he said.

In the country's commercial hub Yangon on Sunday afternoon around 1,000 protesters gathered in support of the military operation.

"Myanmar's Tatmadaw is now fighting a fair war," Mar Mar, a female protester, said using the official name for the army.
When scientists collected acoustic data from an area around the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean in the fall of 2014 and spring of 2015, they couldnt identify a sound they heard with any known animal sounds. After analyzing the recording for over a year, they think the sound represents a previously unknown type of call made by baleen whales.

Between 2 and 4 second long, the complex sound is a five-part call that includes deep moans at frequencies as low as 38 hertz and a metallic finale that pushes as high as 8,000 hertz. Researchers from Oregon State University, who recorded and analyzed it, named it the Western Pacific Biotwang.

Sharon Nieukirk, senior faculty research assistant in marine bioacoustics at the university and lead author of a recently published research paper on the subject, said in a statement: Its very distinct, with all these crazy parts. The low-frequency moaning part is typical of baleen whales, and its that kind of twangy sound that makes it really unique. We dont find many new baleen whale calls.

Baleen whales are a large family of whales and include many subgroups, all of which feed by using baleen plates in their mouths to filter krill and small fish from the water, instead of teeth. The calls from Mariana Trench are thought to belong to minke whales, which are a kind of baleen whales. Nieukirk and her colleagues think so because the calls of minke whales have been studied widely and the new recording is most similar to Star Wars, the name given to a minke whale call off the northeast coast of Australia.

MinkeWhale

Photo: Len2040/Flickr

But scientists are not certain at all, since they are entirely unsure about the purpose of the call. Baleen whale calls are mostly related to mating, which is why they are mainly heard in the winter, but this call was recorded round the year.

If its a mating call, why are we getting it year round? Thats a mystery. We need to determine how often the call occurs in summer versus winter, and how widely this call is really distributed, Nieukirk said in the statement.

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The sounds were recorded using passive acoustic ocean gliders, which are largely autonomous instruments that can travel for months at a time and dive up to almost 3,300 feet (1 kilometer).

Mariana Trench is the deepest known place in the worlds oceans. At its lowest point of over 36,000 feet, it is more than 7,000 feet deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. It lies south of Japan and north of Australia in the western Pacific.

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North Korea has long-range nuclear warheads which can reach Britain, continental Europe and the United States, a South Korean government official reportedly said Saturday. The statement came amid reports that the military of the Kim Jong Un-ruled country is now capable of attaching nuclear warheads to missiles which can travel a few thousand miles.

Lee Sang-haw, director general of North Korean nuclear affairs bureau in South Korea, told the Daily Star Online in Seoul that Kim's nuclear arsenal is more dangerous than previously thought, and that Europe is also within range along with other countries of the NATO alliance.

According to reports, North Korea's KN-08 missile  which is under development  will have a range of more than 7,500 miles.

I am not able to share everything I know because much of the intelligence is classified and I dont want to go into precise details," a senior South Korean ministry source reportedly said. There are different assessments of North Koreas ballistic missile capabilities, but what is for sure is as they repeat tests, they learn something important.

Meanwhile, Yonhap reported Sunday, citing a local state-run think tank, that North Korea's ability to engage in special operational warfare has improved over the years. Pyongyang has continuously built up its nuclear and ballistic missile programs over the years.

"Every intelligence points toward a buildup of conventional arms," a source Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), who declined to be identified, said.

As a case in point, officials gave the example of the North creating a battalion-size unit specially tasked with attacking the Blue House  the office and official residence of South Korea's president  and assassinating key figures in Seoul's government. Kim reportedly visited this battalion Nov. 4 and the troops were assigned to participate in a mock attack on the Blue House early last week.

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North Korea faced criticism from the West and strong U.N. sanctions were imposed on it following its nuclear weapons tests and other ballistic missile launches.

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Credit: Noam Galai/WireImage

It's not very often that stars themselves get starstruck, but that was definitely the case when Octavia Spencer ran into POTUS at the White House yesterday.

The cast of Hidden Figures stopped by the First Family's home for a private screening of the upcoming film hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama, and Spencer, who plays a main role in the movie, couldn't contain her excitement when President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance. The White House shared an image from the event on its official Instagram account today, and in the snap, the actress has an extreme look of shock and excitement on her face.

"That face when the President drops by for a visit," the caption hilariously said. "Today, the cast of Hidden Figures visited the White House to highlight the stories of Americans who defied stereotypes and broke glass ceilings to advance human space flight, science, and innovation."

That face when the President drops by for a visit. Today, the cast of Hidden Figures visited the White House to highlight the stories of Americans who defied stereotypes and broke glass ceilings to advance human space flight, science, and innovation. A photo posted by The White House (@whitehouse) on Dec 15, 2016 at 6:06pm PST

VIDEO: Michelle Obama Caps Off 8 Years of Holiday Style in Green Gucci

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Spencer's co-stars Taraji P. Henson, Janelle Mon?e and Kevin Costner were also in attendance for the event, where they all spoke on a panel about the film, which tells the story of three black female NASA engineers and mathematicians who helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit. FLOTUS also spoke after the screening, and called the project both "remarkable" and "important."

RELATED: Michelle Obama Has a Powerful Message for All the Haters Out There

Talk about a true fangirl moment.
DELAWARE, Ohio (AP) -- At least eleven Ohio colleges and universities are standing up for immigrant students who could see their statuses change after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month.

Some advocates, lawyers and universities are concerned that Trump could cancel the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has allowed young immigrants to work and travel for humanitarian, educational or employment purposes.

Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio University in Athens, and Miami University in Oxford have joined schools nationwide in signing a statement urging for continuing and expanding of the program, The Columbus Dispatch reported (http://bit.ly/2gOtEFu ) Sunday.

Other Ohio signers include Columbus College of Art & Design, Denison University in Granville, Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio Dominican University in Columbus and Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware.

"We will vigorously oppose any effort to make it more difficult for students to come to the United States to pursue college degrees," Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones said in a statement to the newspaper.

He said Ohio Wesleyan will admit students in accordance with its nondiscrimination policies and won't disclose confidential student records "without permission or legal mandate."

Ohio Wesleyan also won't participate in a federal student registry based on national origin or other "protected characteristics," he said.

Online petitions urging institutions to become "sanctuary campuses" have also been circulating on many campuses, including Miami University, Oberlin College, Ohio State and Ohio University.

Local police in so-called "sanctuary cities" are generally barred from inquiring about a person's immigration status, reporting them to federal immigration officials or assisting with deportations.

___

Information from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com
By Valerie Volcovici

CANNON BALL, N.D. (Reuters) - Two weeks after a victory in their fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, most protesters have cleared out of the main protest camp in North Dakota - but about 1,000 are still there, and plan to remain through the winter.

These folks say they are dug in at the Oceti Sakowin Camp in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, despite the cold, for a few reasons. Most are Native Americans, and want to support the tribal sovereignty effort forcefully argued by the Standing Rock Sioux, whose land is adjacent to the pipeline being built.

Others say they worry that Energy Transfer Partners LP , the company building the $3.8 billion project, will resume construction without people on the ground, even though the tribes and the company are currently locked in a court battle.

Future decisions on the 1,172-mile (1,885-km) pipeline are likely to come through discussions with the incoming administration of Donald Trump, or in courtrooms.

Ive seen some of my friends leave but I will be here until the end and will stand up to Trump if he decides to approve the permit, said Victor Herrald, of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, who has been at the camp since August.

At one point the camp had about 10,000 people, including about 4,000 veterans who showed up in early December - just before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied a key easement needed to allow the Dakota Access Pipeline to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

After the Corps decision, Standing Rock chairman Dave Archambault asked protesters to go home. The camp's population now runs from 700 to 1,000, depending on the day, and many come from the nearby Standing Rock reservation where they live.

Those left say they are there to "show our strengths," as Bucky Harjo, 63, of the Paiute tribe, from Reno, Nevada, put it, while the tribe deals with the legal battle.

Logistics are key for those still at the camp, located on federal land. Theron Begay, a Navajo journeyman who is a certified construction worker and heavy machine operator, has been put in charge of winterizing the camp. He is training volunteers to build structures that can withstand sub-zero temperatures and bitter winds, as well as compost toilets.

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Some people at the camp have gotten pneumonia, and they and others went to an emergency shelter that was built three miles away to escape the cold.

Because the Oceti Sakowin camp is located on a flood plain, waste from the camp poses risks to the nearby Cannonball River. Tribal leaders have said the camp may need to move if it wants to remain active. Begay said the structures can be "disassembled like a puzzle in two hours and re-established on drier ground.

North Dakota's Governor Jack Dalrymple said in a Tuesday statement that he and Archambault recently met to discuss reducing tensions between the tribe and law enforcement. They are discussing reopening the nearby Backwater Bridge on state highway 1806, which has been blockaded since Oct. 27, when activists set vehicles on fire.

Harjo said he will leave "when I see the drill pad removed and DAPL out of here, and when they reopen 1806 and when we are free to go at our own will and not be targeted on the highway."

NEXT STEPS

Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and a constant presence in the camp, said the protest is transitioning "to the next level of our campaign" to stop the pipeline.

Some still at the camp worry that if they leave, Energy Transfer Partners will restart construction. ETP asked a federal judge on Dec. 9 to overrule the government's decision and grant the easement. The judge declined that request; the parties are due back in court in February. The Army Corps is considering alternatives, which could take months.

Trump, who owned ETP stock through at least mid-2016, according to financial disclosure forms, could order the Army Corps to grant the permit. His choice for U.S. Energy Secretary, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, is on ETP's board. Standing Rock Sioux representatives met with members of Trumps transition team this week to urge the incoming president to deny the easement.

Protesters who remain at the camp are still receiving donations of money and supplies from people across the United States. On a recent visit to the camp's emergency shelter it was filled with boxes delivered via Amazon.com.

Goldtooth said tribal leaders are talking about an exit plan for the camp. "We will continue to provide infrastructure support to those who stay here," he said. "We'll make sure they're safe and warm."

(Reporting By Valerie Volcovici in Cannon Ball, N.D., additional reporting by Andrew Cullen and Ernest Scheyder; Writing by David Gaffen; Editing by Andrew Hay)
This local article, headlined "Ohio medical marijuana dispensary, physician rules released," suggests that medical marijuana advocates might feel a bit warmer on a cold winter day in central Ohio due to the release of proposed details for the implementation of the state's medical marijuana law. Here are the basic details:

Up to 40 medical marijuana dispensaries would be licensed in Ohio under draft rules released Thursday morning. Would-be dispensary owners would have to pay a $5,000 application fee and an $80,000 license fee every other year. Applicants must show they have liquid assets totaling at least $250,000.

Dispensaries would have to hire a pharmacist, nurse, physician or physician's assistant to train employees, develop patient educational materials and be on-call or on the premises during operating hours. Dispensary employees would also have to, by law, report all medical marijuana purchases to the state controlled substances database, OARRS, within 5 minutes of dispensing a product.

A separate set of rules released Thursday requires doctors to take two hours of continuing education classes about medical marijuana as one of several requirements to become certified to recommend marijuana to patients. Certified physicians are barred from owning a dispensary or other medical marijuana business.

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will review the rules at its meeting Thursday. Public comment will be collected on both physician and dispensary rules until Jan. 13, 2017.

Ohio's medical marijuana law allows patients with 20 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a doctor. The law prohibits smoking and growing marijuana at home. The law left most of the regulatory details, including how to license growers and register patients, to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio State Board of Pharmacy and Ohio State Medical Board to decide over the next year.

The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy drafted the dispensary rules, and the medical board developed the guidelines for physicians.
Abidjan (AFP) - Ivory Coast voted Sunday in elections that President Alassane Ouattara hopes will strengthen his hold in parliament and keep the world's top cocoa producer in the economic fast lane.

The authorities ordered some 30,000 security personnel into the streets for the vote in the wake of scattered incidents in recent months, including attacks on police posts.

An election monitor told AFP that the "vote was carried out on the whole peacefully" -- though turnout was low -- with polls closing and the count beginning just after 6:00 pm (1800 GMT).

The ruling coalition is seeking an absolute majority in the face of numerous dissidents and opposition candidates in the country, which was rocked by deadly unrest after the 2010 presidential election that saw Ouattara oust then leader Laurent Gbagbo.

The opposition, which boycotted the 2011 legislative election, is hoping to make a return to parliament on Sunday.

Provisional results could start being released on Sunday night but the definitive outcome is not expected to be known until Wednesday, according to an official from the independent election commission.

Former prime minister Pascal Affi Nguessan, who leads Gbagbo's Ivorian Popular Front (FPI), called for the people to "reestablish the political balance".

Ivory Coast was long the star economic performer in the region until hitting years of political strife but is now back on the rails.

The International Monetary Fund has said the west African state will be the continent's fastest-growing economy this year.

"Give me a strong majority to enable me to speed up the work that I have set as an objective in the four years to come," Ouattara said in a TV broadcast, playing up his economic achievements to win support among the 6.2 million eligible voters.

The presidential coalition -- named the Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) in tribute to the country's founding president -- is aiming for an absolute majority in the 255-seat National Assembly.

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- 'Change and development' -

Most observers and even some in the opposition acknowledge the economic benefits of Ouattara's rule, but find less convincing the political record of the man known to Ivorians by his initials "ADO".

National reconciliation remains unfinished, the judiciary is under fire, and the opposition shunned a referendum in October on a divisive new constitution.

"I voted for change and development of my neighbourhood," said Fousseni Diabate, a 25-year-old shopkeeper after voting at a primary school in Abidjan.

"I want a deputy at the (national) assembly who is close to the people, because I don't even know the name of the outgoing one for my commune."

In the country's second city Bouake, 300 kilometres (200 miles) north of Abidjan, polling stations also opened late.

"I voted to allow the Ivory Coast's president to win a majority in the national assembly, so that he can implement his plan to develop the country," said Karim Ouattara, a 63-year-old retiree.

The president's predecessor refused to accept defeat in a long-delayed poll in November 2010, sparking conflict that claimed 3,000 lives before Gbagbo was arrested in April 2011.

Gbagbo is being tried by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.

His wife Simone Gbagbo is also on trial in Abidjan on similar charges over the post-2010 election violence.

No fewer than 1,337 candidates are standing in the single-round poll, in which winner takes all in each constituency.

The electoral system has forced Ouattara's own Rally of Republicans party to find common ground with other parties in the RHDP coalition, particularly its main allies in the Ivory Coast Democratic Party.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Palestinian police say a 19-year-old has been shot dead by Israeli forces during stone-throwing clashes in the West Bank.

Police say Ahmad Rimawi was shot in the chest Sunday after hurling stones at Israeli troops in Beit Rima, near Ramallah.

The Israeli military says dozens of rioters attacked security forces, injuring one border policeman. It said the forces responded with riot dispersal means.

Since last year, Palestinian attackers have killed 36 Israelis and two visiting Americans in a series of mostly stabbing attacks. During that time, 229 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were attackers while the rest died in clashes.

Israel says the violence is driven by Palestinian incitement. Palestinians say it's the result of nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  Philadelphia police say two would-be robbers became the victims when they were shot in separate incidents.

Police say a 30-year-old man who attempted to rob an auto repair shop was shot three times by the shop's owner. It happened around 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The man is being treated at a hospital for wounds to his chest, right shoulder and buttocks. His condition wasn't immediately known.

About three hours later, authorities say a pizza deliveryman shot a 19-year-old man who tried to rob him.

WCAU-TV reports that the deliveryman shot the suspect in his lower left and right legs. He's in stable condition at a hospital.

The names of the two men have not been released.
Associates of Donald Trump may have colluded with Russia during the election campaign, former Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta alleged Sunday, but Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne rejected the possibility.

Podesta, in his first interview since Democrat Hillary Clinton was defeated by the Republican president-elect, told NBCs Meet the Press he doesnt think Trump was involved but said electors have a right to know what happened before the Electoral College meets Monday.

"It's very much unknown whether there was collusion," Podesta said. "What did Trump Inc. know? When did they know it? Were they in touch with the Russians?"

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Russia was behind the hacking of email accounts belonging to Podesta and the Democratic National Committee to try to turn voter sentiment in Trumps favor. Trump has rejected the conclusion, ridiculing the idea.

"The Russians were trying to elect a lap dog," said Podesta, adding the FBI had contacted him only once about the hacking, two days after WikiLeaks started releasing his emails.

Conway told CBSs Face the Nation the idea that the campaign was colluding with Russia was ridiculous, calling it inaccurate and false  dangerous. And it does undermine our democracy."

A top Russian official told CBS last month there had been contact with the Trump campaign. President Barack Obama said last week it was likely Russian President Vladimir Putin was at least aware of the hacking, if not directly involved. And during the first presidential debate, Trump invited Russia to find the missing emails from Clintons private server. Later he said he was just kidding.

Conway called on the CIA to release evidence related to the hacking, something Obama said is unlikely to happen because it would expose how the U.S. tracks such attacks.

"If the CIA Director [John] Brennan and others at the top are serious about turning over evidence ... they should do that," she said. "They should not be leaking to the media, if there's evidence, let's see it."

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Former CIA Director James Woolsey told ABCs This Week it will be up to the National Security Agency to draw the final conclusions on the hacking.

This is really an NSA decision, and if  I think more than anything else. And if NSA is confident that its the Russians, then it almost certainly is. Depends on them, Woolsey said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., again called for a Senate select committee to be appointed to investigate Russias cyberactivities and the impact on the election, despite the rejection of such a panel by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. McCain told CNNs State of the Union there was no doubt about Russian interference.

The question is now, how much and what damage? And what should the United States of America do?" McCain said, adding, however, hes seen no evidence the Russian interference actually had a major impact on the election.

"We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to find out what was done."

Clinton has blamed her election loss on the Russians.

"And this is something every American should be worried about," Clinton said in remarks Thursday to campaign donors. "You know, we have to recognize that, as the latest reports made clear, Vladimir Putin himself directed the covert cyberattacks against our electoral system, against our democracy, apparently because he has a personal beef against me."

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Warsaw (AFP) - Polish President Andrzej Duda launched mediation talks Sunday to try to diffuse the nation's seething political crisis, as protesters staged a third day of mass anti-government demonstrations.

Opposition lawmakers were also continuing to occupy parliament in a defiant show of anger against the rightwing Law and Justice party (Pis) over the budget and plans to introduce new restrictions on the media.

Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets since Friday in Warsaw and other parts of the country in the latest popular action against moves deemed anti-democratic by the PiS since it took office after October 2015 elections.

In an unprecedented night of unrest on Friday, dozens of opposition MPs seized parliament's main chamber and protesters blocked the exits to the building.

Prime Minister Beata Szydlo and influential PiS party chief Jaroslaw Kaczynski only managed to leave the building after Friday's protest by forcing their vehicles through the crowd with the help of police.

After meeting with Duda on Sunday, opposition leaders told the press they had demanded the proposed media limits be dropped and called for a re-run of the parliament vote on next year's budget.

The opposition claims the spending plan was approved illegally when the vote was held in another area of parliament after the opposition takeover of the main chamber.

"The president has asked for a legal analysis relating to the part of the parliamentary session" dedicated to the budget vote, said his spokesman Marek Magierowski.

Duda is to meet on Monday with Kaczynski and Marek Kuchcinski, president of parliament's lower house.

Since taking office, the PiS has come under fire over a string of controversial measures including tightening the abortion law, a crackdown on the media and changes to the constitutional court which led to a standoff with the European Union.

- 'Impossible to function' -

Demonstrators were back out on Sunday, gathering outside the court in a show of support for its outgoing president Andrzej Rzeplinski, a symbol of resistance to the government.

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The controversial changes to the court's decision-making rules alarmed the EU, which demanded the government reverse the measures or face sanctions.

Rzeplinski's mandate ends on Monday and the question of his successor has become another bone of contention between the court and the PiS-dominated parliament.

Smaller protests were held in other parts of the country, including Krakow, where demonstrators attempted to prevent Szydlo and Kaczynski getting through to his twin brother's tomb.

A pro-government rally drew about 1,000 people outside the presidential palace in Warsaw.

Emerging from a long silence, Duda had on Saturday called for calm, expressing his "worry" over the turmoil and offering to mediate.

"I think a deal of some kind is necessary because it is impossible to function in a system where the parliament cannot debate," his spokesman told news channel TVN24.

The prime minister's spokeswoman has denounced the occupation of parliament as a "a violation of the law".

The latest opposition outcry was triggered by PiS plans to grant access to the parliament's press gallery to only two journalists for every media outlet, and ban them from shooting still pictures or video.

The moves prevent the media from recording images of lawmakers when they break the rules, for example by voting for an absent colleague.

The PiS has defended the measure, saying it was seeking to ensure a comfortable working environment for both lawmakers and journalists.
Rome (AFP) - Rome's Mayor Virginia Raggi has been stripped by her populist Five Star Movement (M5S) party of the power to make "important decisions" after a close advisor was arrested for suspected corruption.

M5S prides itself on being scrupulously ethical and having no links to what it sees as the sleazy ways of Italian politics, so the scandal has prompted a swift response.

"Starting today we change gears, we must fix the errors and leave no room for doubt," M5S leader Beppe Grillo wrote on his blog late Saturday.

"Rome will continue with Virginia Raggi, Five Star mayor. Mistakes were made, and Virginia Raggi has admitted them. She trusted the least trustworthy people in the world," he added.

Grillo had warned her the day before that "important decisions, like nominations" should now be endorsed by party leadership.

The arrest on Friday of Raffaele Marra, Rome city hall's head of personnel and seen as part of Raggi's inner circle, prompted a serious warning from Grillo.

Media reports on Sunday said he had even considered booting her from the party before reconsidering. Raggi also bowed to party pressure to force out two other advisors -- Daniele Frongia and Salvatore Romeo -- close to Marra.

Marra is suspected of accepting an illegal payment from a real estate developer in 2013 while he was head of housing policy under former Rome mayor Gianni Alemanno.

Between resignations and cancelled appointments, Raggi's team is still not complete six months after she was voted in, which has been seized on by rivals who say the lawyer is not up to the job.

She faces a tough task in trying to turn around a city grappling with the legacy of years of corruption and mismanagement: pot-holed roads, failing refuse services and inadequate public transport.

The Rome experience has also exposed what some see as Grillo's controlling role in the party he founded only five years ago.

The Democratic Party meanwhile suffered a setback of its own when its high-profile mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, stepped down temporarily after being informed he was under investigation in connection with his previous job as the organiser of the 2015 World Expo fair in the city.
Prince Harrys charity work affects many people, but him most of all.

The 32-year-old royal appears in an ITV documentary about his charity work in Lesotho, Africa, which features a heartwarming moment in which Harry reunites with an orphan named Mutsu, whom he first met 12 years ago during his gap year and kept in touch with through letters.

Mutsu, now 16, and the prince shared a warm hug when they saw each other again last November. Harry smiled as he lifted the teenager off the ground before they caught up. They crossed paths again earlier this year when Mutsu took his first overseas trip to London to perform at Kensington Palace during a fundraising concert headlined by Coldplay with a choir sponsored by Harrys charity.

The new documentary centers around Prince Harrys work with Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to improve conditions for those affected by HIV and Aids in the country.

ITV

Harry told ITV he has been drawn to Africa since he visited as a young boy.

I think anybody that Ive spoken to who has been to Africa, most of the people get it, and Africa gets them, he said. For me personally, its an escape. And now not only have I found that escape, but Ive found a way to try and use the name and the position for good.

The prince shared that anybody can make a difference.

If youre me, if youre your Average Joe, if whoever you are, if you cant affect politics and change the big things in the world then just do whatever you can do  whether its in your local community, your village, your local church  walking down the street, opening a door for an old lady, helping them cross the road. Whatever if it is, just do good. Why wouldnt you? he said.

He continued, The good stories are what make people tick every day, surely? Its fun to be good and its boring to be bad, but you can be naughty as well.

Prince Harry in Africa will air on Monday (9 p.m. London time) on ITV.




I have optimism that Roy Cooper will enact positive change for the State, and offer quality leadership.

I am unsure of how a Roy Cooper governance will impact North Carolina.

I am concerned with the direction which Roy Cooper will lead our State.

Who is Roy Cooper? Hillary told me to vote for Ray Cooper.

45 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?
Saturday, December 17, 2016

The question in the title of this post is my reaction to this recent Denver Post article headlined "Colorado researchers receive $2.35M to study marijuana use on driving, other impacts of legalization." Here are details:

In a groundbreaking effort to better understand what, exactly, happened after voters legalized recreational marijuana in Colorado, the states Health Department on Tuesday announced $2.35 million in grants to researchers who will help answer that question. Most of the money  $1.68 million  will go toward two studies that look at the impacts of marijuana use on driving. The first will compare driving impairment for heavy marijuana consumers versus occasional consumers. The other will study dabbing  the smoking of highly potent marijuana extracts  to determine its effects on driving and cognitive functioning. Other studies receiving grant funding will look at how long marijuana stays in the breast milk of nursing mothers, the adverse effects of edible cannabis products, the cardiovascular risks of marijuana use in people with heart problems, the impact of marijuana use on older adults and, lastly, an analysis of data from before and after implementation of recreational marijuana in Colorado, by a psychology professor specializing in addiction counseling at Colorado State University. This research will be invaluable in Colorado and across the country, Dr. Larry Wolk, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, said in a statement. The findings will inform our public education efforts and give people additional information they need to make decisions about marijuana use. The Health Department previously spent $9 million as part of a historic effort to fund the study of medical marijuana by a state government. Those research projects are still ongoing. Earlier this year, the state legislature approved funding for the new grants to study recreational marijuana. The Health Department received 58 preliminary applications, which were winnowed to a pool of 16 from which the final seven recipients were selected.

I am pleased to see that Colorado continues to invest substantial amounts into medical and recreational marijuana research, and the roughly $11.5 million spent to date is nothing to scoff at. Nevertheless, this article reports that Colorado "collected more than $135 million in marijuana taxes and fees in 2015," and increased sales data in 2016 would suggest that the state is on pace to collect at least another $165 million or more this year. Consequently, the tax monies raised in Colorado from marijuana reform in Colorado being "reinvested" in needed research is only about 4%.

Though my biases as a researcher is showing through, I think reinvesting only 4% of tax revenues into needed research is woefully inadequate given all the important and unanswered questions raised by marijuana reforms in Colorado. Though picking out numbers here, I think at this still-very-early stage of state-level marijuana reforms that states ought to be seriously considering putting 10% or more of revenues raised back into public health and public policy research on the impact of state-level reforms.

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/marijuana_law/2016/12/shouldnt-colorado-be-spending-even-more-money-researching-impact-of-marijuana-reform.html
New Zealands Marlborough District Council has released footage of efforts underway to clear through a massive land slip on Awatere Valley Road caused by the deadly November 14 Kaikoura earthquake.

This video, uploaded on December 16, shows a digger driver, chopper pilot and rope access supervisor discuss the continued challenges they face on the unstable slope. The 100-kilometre road has been impassable since the quake, shutting down its route from coastal Marlborough to Molesworth, New Zealands largest high-country station, and on to Hanmer Springs, according to the Marlborough District Council.

Marlborough Roads Steve Murrin elaborated on the problems workers face, which he said is because the slip is so unstable its a very dangerous site to work on.

For the first three weeks we have been removing unstable rocks by either sluicing them with monsoon buckets from helicopters, or blasting them with dynamite using abseilers.

Finally last Friday we got the site stable enough to start excavating with a remote-controlled digger. By Sunday evening we were able to get three quarters of the way across the slip.

However we had to pull back after loose material began falling from above. We called in helicopters to sluice again, which uncovered four huge boulders that were in a very dangerous position. We managed to dislodge two of these, but the other two are proving very difficult to move. They each weigh in excess of 15 tonnes.

These are the kind of challenges we are working with on this slip," said Murrin. Credit: YouTube/Marlborough District Council via Storyful
President-elect Donald Trump concluded his national thank you tour Saturday in Mobile, Alabama. Just days ahead of the Electoral College voting, scheduled for Dec. 19, Trump returned to the site of one of his biggest campaign crowds back in August 2015.

As part of the tour, Trump visited key swing states and expressed his gratitude for his win against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Called "USA Thank You Tour 2016," it began Dec. 1 with Ohio, and he made stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Florida before the last leg in Alabama.

Here are some quotes from Trump's rallies this month:

"I never appreciated it until now, how genius it was, what they had in mind, because at the time they didn't want everybody going to Boston and New York and everything else would be forgotten. It's genius, I'm telling you it's genius."  Trump said while praising the Electoral College at the Alabama rally.

"We did great with the African-American community. So good. Remember the famous line, because I talk about crime, I talk about lack of education, I talk about no jobs. And Id say, what the hell do you have to lose? Right? Its true. And theyre smart and they picked up on it like you wouldnt believe. And you know what else? They didnt come out to vote for Hillary. They didnt come out. And that was big. So thank you to the African-American community. Trump said this at a rally in Pennsylvania.

"Change is not going to be easy. I am going to need you to fight as hard for these proposals as you fought for this great campaign of ours. We are going to need our government and this movement to be more engaged and more vigilant than ever before to help us accomplish the reforms and overcome decades of stalemate and gridlock."  Trump said at his Ohio rally.

"I'm asking you to dream big again, and bold and daring things for your country will happen once again."  also said at the Ohio rally.

"We had fun fighting Hillary, didn't we? Screaming 'prison, prison, lock her up'. I mean you are going crazy... you were nasty and mean and vicious and you wanted to win, right?"  this was Trump remembering his rival during the rally in Orlando.

"You know I called it a scam but I wont say that because we want to be nice. Okay? So I refuse to say it was a scam tonight. All right? This way they cant report that I said it. And after all of this money was spent, by the Democrats, believe me, they were behind it, okay. And the Green Party. Wonderful party. She got less than 1 percent but she thought she was going to catch us."  he said at Wisconsin, referring to his claims that the election was rigged.

"Hey, in the great state of Ohio, we didn't have the upper echelon of politician either, did we? I will say this, it was very nice, your governor, John Kasich, called me after the election, he said congratulations, that was amazing."  he said in Ohio, while taking a dig at the governor, who has been a vocal Trump opponent.

The nation of China is responsible for almost half of Americas trade deficit. They havent played by the rules and I know its time theyre going to start.  Trump said in Iowa while talking about relations with China.

Thats ok I think theyre actually on our side, they just dont know it yet.  he said in Iowa as anti-Trump supporters interrupted him while he spoke.
Conservationists in northern Queensland were overcome with delight on December 18 when a male and female pair of endangered spotted-tailed quolls were captured on camera strolling about in their colony.

The Australian Quoll Conservancy, based in Smithfield, told Storyful the duo were part of the most isolated species of the spotted-tailed quoll in Australia, known as the gracilis race. This specific species is found only in North Queensland and less than 540 remain in the wild, according to conservation group.

The next breeding season kicks off in May 2017 and lasts until August. If the pair successfully mate, it would be the first time in the four years  when conservationists began monitoring the species with cameras.

Quolls are marsupial native cats, and the largest carnivorous marsupials on mainland Australia.

This video of the spotted-tailed quolls was taken on December 12 in a colony located between Cairns and Innisfail Hinterland, and analysed six days later. Credit: Australian Quoll Conservancy via Storyful
* Fighters and families board buses in Aleppo

* But buses headed to Shi'ite villages attacked en route

* Five buses allowed to leave Aleppo - UN official

* U.N. Security Council agrees on monitoring

By Lisa Barrington and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

BEIRUT/AMMAN, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Armed men burned five buses that were supposed to be used for an evacuation near Idlib in Syria on Sunday, stalling a deal to allow thousands to depart the last rebel pocket in Aleppo, where evacuees crammed into buses for hours before departing the city.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the evacuation of the villages near Idlib had been postponed as a result of the incident. Five buses leaving Aleppo were held, packed with evacuees, for hours before they could drive the 5 km (3 miles) to rebel-held territory outside.

In return for the evacuation of fighters, their families and other civilians from Aleppo, the mostly Sunni insurgents had agreed that people in the villages of al-Foua and Kefraya, Shi'ite villages that they have besieged near Idlib, should also be allowed to leave.

Videos posted on social media showed bearded men with guns cheering and shouting "God is great" after torching the green buses before they were able to reach the villages.

State media said "armed terrorists", a term it uses for all groups fighting President Bashar al-Assad, had carried out the attack. Pro-Damascus Mayadeen television and the Observatory blamed the rebel group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Rebel officials said an angry crowd of people, possibly alongside pro-government "operatives", was responsible.

Although the Aleppo evacuation convoy was eventually cleared to drive to rebel-held al-Rashideen, there was no official word on what impact the bus burning would have on the departure of more convoys from the city and the two villages.

While the Observatory said the convoy of five buses had reached al-Rashideen, a United Nations official in Syria said only that they had left east Aleppo, adding: "The evacuations are on".

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Robert Mardini, regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is at the forefront of the operation, tweeted that the buses and one ambulance of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent "just left dark & cold E #Aleppo", adding: "Hopeful operation will proceed smoothly."

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Assad's main foreign backer, and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, the rebels' main supporter, agreed by telephone on Sunday that the disruptions must be quickly overcome, sources in Erdogan's office said.

The commander of forces allied to Assad said there was still a chance for states with influence over rebel groups to find a way to evacuate civilians safely.

In a statement carried by a military news outlet run by Damascus's ally, the Lebanese group Hezbollah, the allied forces leadership said responsibility for the delay in the evacuation falls with "terrorists and their state sponsors".

Some 40 km (26 miles) to the northeast, hundreds of fighters and their families in Aleppo sat or stood in buses, hoping the evacuation would resume after a three-day hiatus.

Syrian state television, citing its correspondent in the city, said buses had started to leave east Aleppo where over 15,000 people had gathered in a square to wait, many after a night sleeping in the streets in freezing temperatures.

Aleppo had been divided between government and rebel areas in the nearly six-year-long war, but a lightning advance by the Syrian army and its allies began in mid-November following months of intense air strikes, forcing the insurgents out of most of the rebel-held territory within a matter of weeks.

"EVERYONE IS WAITING"

According to Syria's al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages.

A document cited by al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the entire deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in two batches, in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo in two corresponding batches.

Following this, another 1,500 would leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from the towns of Madaya and Zabadani near Lebanon, which are besieged by pro-government forces.

Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave, in return for subsequent batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya, al-Ikhbariya TV reported.

In the square in Aleppo's Sukari district, organizers gave every family a number to allow them on buses.

"Everyone is waiting until they are evacuated. They just want to escape," said Salah al Attar, a former teacher with his five children, wife and mother.

Thousands of people were evacuated on Thursday, the first to leave under a ceasefire deal that would end years of fighting for the city and mark a major victory for Assad.

They were taken to rebel-held districts of the countryside west of Aleppo. Turkey has said Aleppo evacuees could also be housed in a camp to be constructed near the Turkish border to the north.

UNITED NATIONS VOTE

The chaos surrounding the evacuation reflects the complexity of Syria's civil war, with an array of groups and foreign interests involved on all sides.

The United Nations Security Council agreed on Sunday on a compromise draft resolution on U.N. officials monitoring the evacuations from Aleppo. It will vote on the text on Monday.

Russia said it would veto an earlier draft by France but circulated an alternative version.

"We expect to vote unanimously for this text tomorrow at 9 a.m. (1400 GMT)," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, told reporters after more than three hours of negotiations.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said: "I think we have a good text, we agreed to vote tomorrow morning."

Russia, which has provided military backing to Assad, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.

A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed.

(Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Angus McDowall in Beirut, Tulay Karadeniz and Humeyra Pamuk in Istanbul and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Writing by Anna Willard; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Mary Milliken)
London (AFP) - Danny Rose capped Tottenham's comeback as they edged out Burnley 2-1 to keep alive their Champions League aspirations on Sunday.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were forced to come from behind after Ashley Barnes had opened the scoring for Burnley at White Hart Lane.

Normal service was resumed when Dele Alli almost instantly equalised, but Burnley, despite their struggles away from home, would not roll over and it took until the 71st minute until Rose won it.

Burnley were left frustrated, especially with Moussa Sissoko fortunate to escape a red card for a high challenge before he created the winning goal that moved Tottenham within one point of the top four.

It looked a different story early on as Tottenham should have been ahead within a minute.

Rose fed Harry Kane who in turn freed Alli but the midfielder was way off target as he bore down on Tom Heaton's goal.

Besides a point at Manchester United, thanks to Heaton's heroics, Burnley had been a soft touch.

They would need some luck on their side to keep Tottenham at bay. And so it proved early on as Kane dragged his shot wide and Christian Eriksen saw his volley deflected just over.

But Tottenham had looked sloppy at the back and they almost paid for an error in the 11th minute.

Kyle Walker gifted possession to Stephen Ward and the left-back where Andre Gray's low shot was kept out by the shins of Hugo Lloris.

It was a chance Burnley needed to take given they had set themselves up to defend deep and soak up the pressure from the home side.

Burnley didn't need asking again as Barnes slid them into a shock 21st minute lead. This was something of a collector's item; their first away goal scored in open play this season.

- Perfection -

When Tottenham's Mousa Dembele diverted George Boyd's pass into Barnes' path the striker could not miss as he stabbed him home from close-range.

The lead lasted just six minutes as Alli hauled Spurs level.

Story continues

Walker delivered a cross into the penalty area where Alli timed his run to perfection to slide home the equaliser.

Tottenham were bossing proceedings and Heaton was fortunate to see Kane's shot bounce off his legs and wide.

The second-half maintained the same pattern with Eriksen, fresh from scoring twice in the previous home match with Hull, seeing his long-range shot fly just over Heaton's crossbar.

Eriksen then should have done better than divert Rose's 53rd minute cross straight at Heaton.

Alli again came close but Tottenham were becoming increasingly frustrated as Eriksen's pile driver was palmed out by the busy Heaton and just out of Kane's path.

But Spurs would finally break down the stubborn visitors thanks to Rose's 71st minute strike.

A quick break led by substitute Sissoko found it's way to the England left-back in space to drive home.

It was painful for Burnley as, just moments earlier, Sissoko was relieved to receive just a yellow card rather than a second red of his short Tottenham career for a high challenge on Ward.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a French-drafted resolution to quickly deploy UN observers to Aleppo, with Russia, Syria's ally, giving cautious backing to the measure.

Russia had threatened to veto a first draft presented by France calling for observers to monitor evacuations from Aleppo and report on the protection of civilians in the besieged Syrian city.

But after nearly four hours of closed-door council consultations on Sunday, a new draft was agreed.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters: "We put in some good hours of work and I think we have a good text."

French Ambassador Francois Delattre declared that the council had reached "common ground," while US Ambassador Samantha Power anticipated the member states would vote "unanimously" at 9:00 am (1400 GMT).

"The resolution we have drafted came after intensive negotiations because our goal was to have a result -- not to obtain agreement necessarily on 100 percent of our text, but to reach goals we consider essential," French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told AFP in Haiti.

The vote, initially tabled for Sunday, was delayed until Monday to allow the Russian delegation to consult with Moscow on the final draft resolution that provides for UN and other international observers to be dispatched to eastern Aleppo.

The new draft calls on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to make arrangements, in consultation with Syrian authorities and the rebels, to allow UN monitoring of "the wellbeing of civilians."

Moscow had presented its own draft resolution that requested that the United Nations make "arrangements" to monitor the situation, but made no specific mention of sending observers to east Aleppo.

France and the United States said the new text, which took into account Russian proposals, resulted in minor changes.

"The text left standing includes all the core provisions to allow for UN monitoring, to get the 100-plus UN people ready to go to team up with the ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent," said Power.

Story continues

Evacuations of fighters and civilians from Aleppo were suspended on Sunday after gunmen attacked buses for a similar operation from two rebel-besieged villages.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

- Avoiding a new Srebrenica -

Russia, which has deployed forces in Syria to support President Bashar al-Assad's military, has vetoed six resolutions on Syria since the conflict began in March 2011.

Delattre said the international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces.

"If adopted, I believe it will be the first time the Security Council has been able to agree on a text in a long time," said Delattre.

"It will give us collectively the tools to try to avoid a new Srebrenica."

The draft resolution "demands that all parties allow complete, immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered access" for humanitarian aid to Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

It stressed that evacuations of civilians must be "voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuations and those who opt to remain in their homes."

It calls for the protection of doctors, medical workers and hospitals following reports that Syrian forces bombed all of the medical facilities in east Aleppo.

Ban is due to report to the council within five days of the adoption of the resolution on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN aid.

France hopes the draft resolution, if adopted, will give new momentum to efforts to reach a broader ceasefire and re-start political talks on ending the war.

Hundreds of civilians, including scores of children, have died in east Aleppo during the latest fighting. Nationwide, more than 310,000 people have been killed in the nearly six-year war.
Saturday Night Live took aim at Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in its cold opening.

Alec Baldwin was back in his now-regular role as the president-elect, while John Goodman made a surprise visit as Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobile executive who is Trumps pick for Secretary of State. Cecily Strong also made a brief appearance as Melania Trump.

The sketch referenced most of the Trump-related headlines from the past week, from the transition teams struggle to line up big-name talent for the inauguration to his feud with Vanity Fair magazine to the appointment of former Texas governor Rick Perry as Secretary of Energy  even Trumps mangling of the word unpresidented instead of unprecedented in a recent tweet. But the biggest target was the growing evidence that Russia directed hackers to target the U.S. in order to influence the outcome of the presidential election in favor of Trump.

The sketch opened with Trump and Kellyanne Conway (played by Kate McKinnon) inside Trump Tower, discussing his thank you tour as Conway tries to impress upon Trump his duties as commander-in-chief.

Cant I just do it three days a week like Howard Stern does, Trump asks. A shirtless Putin (played by Beck Bennett) slides down the chimney to present Trump with an Elf on the Shelf doll. You just place it right here next to your Internet router, Putin says, a reference to the hacking scandal.

Well, look who came down the chimney! #SNL pic.twitter.com/0R9o81HvlY  Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) December 18, 2016

Goodmans Tillerson bursts into the room to deliver a warm welcome to his old friend Puty. The two start talking business about oil drilling and ignore Trump, who is stewing instead about wanting to destroy Vanity Fair.

Story continues

Saturday Night Live has drawn Trumps ire  and critical tweets  for its spoofing of all things Trump, particularly Baldwins portrayal of him. Baldwin last week offered to stop doing the impersonation if Trump would release his tax returns.

Manchester By the Sea star Casey Affleck is hosting tonights installment. Chance the Rapper is the musical guest.

Related stories

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RIYADH, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir denied on Sunday reports that the United States had decided to limit military support, including a planned arms sale, to the kingdom.

U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties.

Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate."

(Reporting by Katie Paul and Sami Aboudi, Writing by William Maclean)
(Adds Yemen truce push, JASTA)

By Katie Paul

RIYADH, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the United States on Sunday played down media reports that Washington had decided to limit military support, including planned arms sales to the kingdom, over its war in Yemen.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that Riyadh had not been officially informed of such decisions, which he described as contradicting the reality, while visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested the issue related more to a long procurement process than restrictions on military support.

U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties.

Yemen's 20-month-old war has killed more than 10,000 people and triggered humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula.

Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate.

"The kingdom has received nothing official from the American government in this regard," he said in answer to a question on reported delays of U.S. weapons supplies.

Kerry appeared to play down the reports of delays to weapons supplies, suggesting procurement was often a slow process, and adding he had worked hard to move sales "forward".

YEMEN TRUCE

Kerry also said that he agreed in talks with Jubeir and other Gulf Arab foreign ministers to push for a "cessation of hostilities, which we all will work on in the next several days with hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve it ...".

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab coalition that has been fighting against Iran-aligned Houthis who forced Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power nearly two years ago. The conflict has displaced some three million people, according to the United Nations.

Story continues

"Our immediate priority is to end the bloodshed and that's why reestabilishing the ceasefire is so critical," Kerry told the news conference.

"We think we've found the path to move forward and invite the parties, President Hadi, the Houthis and the supporters of both sides to take advantage of this moment to try to come to the table and to try to frame an end," he added.

Saudi Arabia has been subjected to frequent cross-border raids and missile attacks by the Houthi movement.

Responding to a question on whether Saudi Arabia was reconsidering its investment strategy over risks in the United States related to Donald Trump's election and potential lawsuits under the U.S. Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA, Jubeir said:

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has tremendous investments in the United States and we review those investments on a regular basis. There are issues associated with risk, but our objective is to increase those investments. We won't decrease them."

Jubeir also said he had spent time in the United States recently to try to get to know the policies and positions of the next administration.

He also said he had dealt with Congress to press for amendments of the JASTA law, which grants an exception to the legal principle of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorism on U.S. soil, clearing the way for lawsuits seeking damages from the Saudi government.

(Reporting by Katie Paul, Sami Aboudi, and Ali Abdelati in Cairo; Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
By Katie Paul RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the United States on Sunday played down media reports that Washington had decided to limit military support, including planned arms sales to the kingdom, over its war in Yemen. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said that Riyadh had not been officially informed of such decisions, which he described as contradicting the reality, while visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested the issue related more to a long procurement process than restrictions on military support. U.S. officials have said Washington decided to curb backing for Saudi Arabia's campaign in Yemen, including halting the supply of some precision-guided munitions, because of concerns over widespread civilian casualties. Yemen's 20-month-old war has killed more than 10,000 people and triggered humanitarian crises, including chronic food shortages, in the poorest country in the Arabian peninsula. Jubeir, speaking in Arabic, told a joint news conference with Kerry: "This news that has been leaked contradicts reality. The reality is that converting regular bombs to smart bombs would be welcome because smart bombs are more accurate. "The kingdom has received nothing official from the American government in this regard," he said in answer to a question on reported delays of U.S. weapons supplies. Kerry appeared to play down the reports of delays to weapons supplies, suggesting procurement was often a slow process, and adding he had worked hard to move sales "forward". YEMEN TRUCE Kerry also said that he agreed in talks with Jubeir and other Gulf Arab foreign ministers to push for a "cessation of hostilities, which we all will work on in the next several days with hopes that within two weeks it might be possible to achieve it ...". Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab coalition that has been fighting against Iran-aligned Houthis who forced Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi from power nearly two years ago. The conflict has displaced some three million people, according to the United Nations. "Our immediate priority is to end the bloodshed and that's why reestabilishing the ceasefire is so critical," Kerry told the news conference. "We think we've found the path to move forward and invite the parties, President Hadi, the Houthis and the supporters of both sides to take advantage of this moment to try to come to the table and to try to frame an end," he added. Saudi Arabia has been subjected to frequent cross-border raids and missile attacks by the Houthi movement. Responding to a question on whether Saudi Arabia was reconsidering its investment strategy over risks in the United States related to Donald Trump's election and potential lawsuits under the U.S. Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, known as JASTA, Jubeir said: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has tremendous investments in the United States and we review those investments on a regular basis. There are issues associated with risk, but our objective is to increase those investments. We wont decrease them." Jubeir also said he had spent time in the United States recently to try to get to know the policies and positions of the next administration. He also said he had dealt with Congress to press for amendments of the JASTA law, which grants an exception to the legal principle of sovereign immunity in cases of terrorism on U.S. soil, clearing the way for lawsuits seeking damages from the Saudi government. (Reporting by Katie Paul, Sami Aboudi, and Ali Abdelati in Cairo; Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia's foreign minister has been lobbying US legislators to change a law allowing victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks to sue the kingdom, he said on Sunday.

Adel al-Jubeir told reporters he has just returned from an extended stay in the United States, which was partly "to try to persuade them that there needs to be an amendment of the law", the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA).

The US Congress voted overwhelmingly in September to override President Barack Obama's veto of the JASTA.

Fifteen of the 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers who carried out the 9/11 attacks were Saudi. But Riyadh denies any ties to the plotters who killed nearly 3,000 people.

JASTA allows attack survivors and relatives of terrorism victims to pursue cases against foreign governments in US federal court, and to demand compensation if those governments are proven to bear some responsibility for attacks on US soil.

"We believe the law, that curtails sovereign immunities, represents a grave danger to the international system," Jubeir said at a joint press conference with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry.

In opposing the law, Obama said it would harm US interests by opening up the United States to private lawsuits over its military missions abroad.

Saudi Arabia's Gulf allies have also expressed concern about erosion of sovereign immunity, a principle sacrosanct in international relations.

But the potential implications go far beyond the Gulf.

Some British, French and Dutch lawmakers have threatened retaliatory legislation to allow their courts to pursue US officials, threatening a global legal domino effect.

"The United States is, by eroding this principle, opening the door for other countries to take similar steps and then before you know it international order becomes governed by the law of the jungle," Jubeir said.

He added that the US itself would suffer most from the erosion of sovereign immunity.

"The question now becomes how do you go about amending the law", he said.

Kerry, whose visit was focused on the war in Yemen, at the press conference reiterated his government's concern over JASTA.
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco plans to commission its wind turbine pilot project, the first in the kingdom, next month, the state oil company said on Sunday, part of nationwide plans to diversify energy supplies and to meet an increase in demand.

The wind turbine, supplied by U.S. company General Electric (GE) will provide power to Saudi Aramco's bulk plant in Turaif, in northwest Saudi Arabia.

"The first electricity is expected to be supplied to the Saudi Aramco bulk plant once commissioning of the wind turbine is completed in January 2017," Aramco said in a statement.

The kingdom, the world's largest oil exporter, produces very little renewable energy, representing less than 1 percent of the total produced.

But it plans to generate 9.5 gigawatts of electricity from renewable energy as part of a reform plan known as Vision 2030.

The plan, a package of economic and social policies is designed to free the kingdom from dependence on oil exports.

Saudi Aramco's CEO told Reuters in May, Aramco was looking to play a major role in achieving that target.

"Renewables is on our radar ... and we are looking forward to play a major role in renewables in the near future," he said at the time.

Aramco said in the statement on Sunday Saudi Arabia's wind resource was "exceptional" based on a measurement programme it started in 2012.

The new wind turbine will generate 2.75 megawatts of power at its peak, enough to power around 250 Saudi households, the company said.

It will also reduce the burning of diesel for power generation by 18,600 barrels of oil equivalent per year (boepd).

(Reporting by Reem Shamseddine. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Sorry everyone, theres no plans for Taken 4 according to Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson may have a very particular set of skills, but none will be used in Taken 4.

While on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Friday, Neeson chatted about some delicious holiday plans (including a Southern fried turkey, yum!) and fatherhood.

But the big question on host Colberts mind? Will there be a fourth Taken movie.

Neeson replies with probably the most honest explanation for why not.

No, theres not. Theres only so many times your daughter can be taken, Neeson says. Actually if we do have another it will be, Please can you take my daughter?

We think we can manage with just three movies, Liam.

Now, as for that intense Taken monologue?

Neeson jokes hes heard it repeated many, many times by fans. Hes even used it himself to help his Taken daughter aka Maggie Grace prank an ex-boyfriend.

However, theres one very awkward place the monologue went down. A public restroom.

I was standing there doing my business and this other man was there doing his business, and you know, men we dont look at each other, you do your business, studying the tile, he says. I heard this guy quoting the line from Taken: I will find you. I thought, Here we go.

Neeson says he then made a grievous mistake. He turned to look at the fan who tried to shake his hand despite, well, where they were and what they were doing.

Surprisingly, he didnt go full-on angry Bryan Mills for the gross introduction!

Despite how scary Neeson can sound (even when reading a childrens book), he does have a pretty kind heart. During the interview, Neeson discussed an important trip he recently made to Jordan with UNICEF to visit Syrian refugee camps.

The Irish actor says despite seeing so much hardship and tragedy there, he also met many empowered young Muslim girls.

They want to be engineers, they want to be teachers, they want to be police inspectors, and they want to go back to Syria These girls are going to be a force to reckoned with.

Story continues

We applaud that!

Neeson can be seen in a few new films this holiday season  Silence and A Monster Calls, both opening in limited release starting December 23.

The post Sorry everyone, theres no plans for Taken 4 according to Liam Neeson appeared first on HelloGiggles.
ADEN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 49 soldiers gathered to receive their monthly pay in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden on Sunday, officials said, as Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. Officials said at least 60 other troops were wounded in the attack, which occurred near al-Sawlaban military base in Aden's Khor Maksar district, where another Islamic State suicide bomber blew himself up a week ago killing 50 soldiers. Aden is the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognized government in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. It has been battling the armed Iran-aligned Houthi movement since 2014. Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited the war to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government. In a statement posted via its Amaq news agency, IS said Sunday's attacker, who it identified as Abu Hashem al-Radfani, detonated an explosive vest amid a crowd of soldiers. It posted what it said were pictures of the attack, one showing young man wearing a white vest as he stood next to the black and white Islamic State flag. The jihadist group put the death toll at more than 70. Saudi Arabia and its allies in a mostly Gulf Arab military coalition have been bombing the Houthi movement in parts of the country under its control since it drove the government from power in March 2015. They have failed to dislodge the group from the capital, Sanaa. (Reporting by Mohammed Mukhashaf and Omar Fahmy, Writing By Noah Browning and Sami Aboudi, Editing by Paul Tait and John Stonestreet)
(Adds Zabadani town in the deal in par. 5)

BEIRUT, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Syrian state television reported on Sunday that there was a deal between the government and rebels to evacuate people from east Aleppo in return for the evacuation of people from al-Foua and Kefraya, two villages besieged by insurgents.

According to al-Ikhbariya TV news, about 1,200 civilians would initially be evacuated from east Aleppo and a similar number from the two villages in Idlib province.

Once evacuees from the villages have safely arrived in government areas, Aleppo fighters and more of their family members will be allowed to leave in return for other batches of people departing al-Foua and Kefraya.

A document cited by Lebanese group Hezbollah's al-Manar television and passed to Reuters by rebels and activists said the deal would see 2,500 citizens leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of people from east Aleppo.

Following this, another 1,500 will leave al-Foua and Kefraya in exchange for the evacuation of 1,500 from Madaya and neighbouring town Zabadani, which are besieged by pro-Syrian government forces.

(Reporting By Lisa Barrington and Angus McDowall; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)
Photo: Getty Images

A teen couple has been turning heads this week after posting a series of selfie photos online  something teenagers do quite often. But what makes this couple unique is that they look nearly identical to each other, and theyre going viral because of it.

Yamily Vazquez and Edgar Pareves, the cute couple in question, appear to be like your normal and fashionable teens with bright, ready smiles. But theres no denying that in some shots, Vazquez and Pareves could pass for twins to the untrained eye. A report from Buzzfeed took notice of the pairs looks and reached out to them to get more info.

Both teens are 17 years old and live in Massachusetts. They celebrated their four-month anniversary last week (aw!) with photos showing off their model-ready faces and the bliss that comes with young love. The high school sweethearts spoke with Buzzfeed and noted that it isnt the first time people have mistaken them for siblings.

We did think [the picture] was funny, but it was just like, Okay  people are going to say we look alike, but thats it, said Vazquez after posting the Snapchat photo to her Twitter account last Wednesday.

Paraves added, In the pictures we take together, people will say that. But usually in our day-to-day life, people have gotten used to it.

The chatter on Twitter has been good-natured, for the most part, with one user saying it was the best face swap of all time in response to Vazquezs tweet.

Paraves ended the interview stating he didnt think he and girlfriend look that much alike but conceded there are some similarities and insisted they are in no way related.

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Kinshasa (AFP) - Security forces patrolled the streets of Kinshasa on Sunday after the suspension of last-ditch talks seeking a peaceful end to a crisis sparked by the end of Congolese President Joseph Kabila's mandate.

Negotiations to agree on a way forward after December 20, when Kabila's second term finishes, were halted on Saturday with no significant progress made.

Fears of fresh political violence in mineral-rich but unstable Democratic Republic of Congo were running high, with no elections planned and Kabila showing no inclination to step down.

Talks are due to resume on Wednesday when Catholic bishops acting as mediators return from a long-planned trip to Rome -- a day after Kabila's term ends.

AFP reporters saw security forces posted in large numbers in opposition strongholds and other flashpoints around Kinshasa, the teeming capital of 10 million.

"We're waiting to see what happens. The politicians are okay, it's us, the little people, who suffer," a supervisor at a cleaning company told AFP.

"Things are not normal. We are very worried," said 25-year-old Atine Butela, a hair salon owner.

At the dilapidated Tata-Raphael stadium, which hosted the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman, the usual crowd of runners, football players and boxers, was noticeably small.

"Normally, there are 700 or 800 people. Today there must be fewer than 250," visitor Michel Kabamba said outside.

"Soldiers are criss-crossing the city, which creates a sense of fear... Some people have already made plans, foreigners have left ..."

In the run-up to Christmas, however, churches were as busy as ever in a country where Christians make up 80 percent of the population.

- 'Uncontrollable situation' -

Kabila, constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, has indicated he wants to stay in power until a successor is chosen, but some opposition figures want him to hand over to a transitional leadership while awaiting the vote.

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The 45-year-old has been in power since his father Laurent Kabila was assassinated in 2001. He was elected in 2006, and again in 2011, in polls decried as rigged by the opposition.

Last week's talks sponsored by the Congolese bishops' conference (CENCO) brought together the ruling party and fringe opposition groups, allied against a mainstream opposition coalition led by the 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi.

But despite three days of mediation they broke up on Saturday, with no progress made on the main issues that divide the two sides.

Kabila's opponents accuse him of delaying the vote in the hope of tweaking the constitution to extend his family's hold over a nation that is almost the size of western Europe.

Tshisekedi's opposition grouping had threatened to bring people into the streets from Monday if the talks failed.

Leaflets urging people to retake Kinshasa "street by street, district by district until we retake the whole of the DRC", have begun to circulate in the capital.

But so far the opposition has not given an order to mobilise, while the international community is urging calm on all sides.

Tensions were also running high elsewhere in the country, with security heightened notably in the towns of Lubumbashi, Goma and Kisangani.

- Stark prospect -

Church mediators have warned that failing to find a political settlement will lead to "an uncontrollable situation", a stark prospect in a country that barely two decades ago plunged into the deadliest conflict in modern African history.

Congo's two wars in the late 1990s and early 2000s dragged in at least six African armies and left more than three million dead.

The European Union urged the two sides to reach a deal for "transparent, credible" elections to be held as soon as possible.

The UN mission in DR Congo, MONUSCO, also appealed for calm, saying the political players had a "historic responsibility to reach a negotiated settlement on holding elections."

In Rome, Pope Francis urged worshippers to "pray that the dialogue in the Democratic Republic of Congo proceeds calmly, to avoid any violence and for the good of the whole country."

A democratic handover would break ground for Congo's 70 million people who since independence from Belgium in 1960 have never witnessed political change at the ballot box.
In an announcement Friday, Tesla Motors said it is imposing an idling fee to car owners who leave their fully charged vehicles at charging spots on its Supercharger network. The company said the move is purely about increasing customer happiness and we hope to never make any money from it.

The Supercharger idle fee is applicable to the entire fleet of Tesla cars, and will accrue at the rate of $0.40 (including tax) for every minute a fully charged vehicle occupies a charging station. However, if the car vacates the charging spot within 5 minutes, the idling fee (maximum $2 for 5 minutes) will be completely waived off.

We designed the Supercharger network to enable a seamless, enjoyable road trip experience. Therefore, we understand that it can be frustrating to arrive at a station only to discover fully charged Tesla cars occupying all the spots. To create a better experience for all owners, were introducing a fleet-wide idle fee that aims to increase Supercharger availability, the announcement read.

Tesla also said that in the future, it hopes fully charged cars will remove themselves from charging points so that others can use them. But for now, it said car owners are notified shortly before their vehicles finish charging, and once again when the charging completes. Another 5 minutes after that should be enough time to remove the vehicle from the charging point, freeing it up for other Tesla owners.

Customers who are charged idling fee will be notified through alerts, and will be billed whenever they next visit a service center. There is no upper limit to this fee and it will apply even if other Supercharger spots around are free.

The fee pricing for other countries can be seen here.

Supercharger

Photo: REUTERS/Sam Mircovich

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Military experts believe 2017 will be a difficult year for the American military in the Pacific area.

They note that China has become more aggressive in the area and that countries like the Philippines and North Korea are also a threat.

Michael OHanlon studies military issues at the Brookings Institution, a research group.

North Korea, President Obama has just said to Mr. Trump, that this is in fact perhaps the sort of least-appreciated danger out there.

Experts say North Korea is building up to six nuclear weapons each year. A senior U.S. military official says North Korea now has the ability to launch these weapons, although the warheads may not yet be able to hit a set target.

The Philippines has been an ally of the United States for many years. But Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought to limit ties with the U.S. since taking office earlier this year.

U.S. Navy and Marine officials have told VOA they will not take part in joint defense training exercises with the Philippine military. They will only train for disaster relief.

U.S. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Lanza says the Army may also change its planned training with the Philippine military next year -- from combat preparation to humanitarian assistance.

Were still working with the Philippines right now. We may have to make some adjustments based on operations in the Philippines, and were prepared to do that.

The U.S. still has a large military presence in the Pacific. The Navy has four aircraft carriers in the area. The Army is taking part in military exercises with South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and, for the first time, Cambodia.

Lanza says Vietnam has also asked to take part in the exercises.

You want to be there to deter. You want to be there to avoid conflict and, really, to avoid miscalculation. And I know our partners appreciate the fact that we are engaged with them in the Pacific.

Lanza says the militaries of many countries should work together to prepare for difficult times.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb reported this story. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted her report for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

relief  n. things (such as food, money, or medicine) that are given to help people who are victims of a war, earthquake, flood, etc.

adjustment  n. a small change that improves something or makes it work better

deter  v. to cause (someone) to decide not to do something

miscalculation  n. to make an error in judging a situation

engage with  phrasal verb to give serious attention to (someone or something)
(Adds quotes from mayor, details about investigation)

By Laila Kearney

Dec 18 (Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway.

Residents of the Gulf of Mexico city were told on Wednesday to stop using tap water for drinking, food preparation and bathing. About 85 percent of Corpus Christi, with a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions.

An investigation of the leak of up to 24 gallons (91 liters) of an asphalt emulsifier determined the water was safe to use again, Mayor Dan McQueen said at a news conference.

It was not clear if the water supply was ever contaminated by the spill.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the city investigated.

"The entire city of Corpus Christi water system is in full use," McQueen said.

Federal and state environmental agencies tested 30 water samples taken from the city on Saturday and found no traces of harmful chemicals, McQueen said.

Even so, a "plume of contaminate" may still exist somewhere in the water system, so the agencies will run more tests, McQueen said.

The chemical, called Indulin AA-86, can cause eye and skin burns, respiratory tract irritation and damage to the digestive systems. But it is not known to be carcinogenic, according to safety data.

The city has said the chemical may have entered Corpus Christi water in what was described as a "back-flow incident" in the city's industrial district.

Valero Energy Corp, which operates an asphalt terminal in the area, said it believed the backflow came from third-party operations near its facility.

(Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby and Grant McCool)
By Laila Kearney (Reuters) - Tap water in Corpus Christi is safe to drink, the mayor of the Texas city said on Sunday, lifting a four-day ban after a chemical spill that forced most of the Texas city's residents to rely on bottled water while tests were underway. Residents of the Gulf of Mexico city were told on Wednesday to stop using tap water for drinking, food preparation and bathing. About 85 percent of Corpus Christi, with a population of about 320,000, was under the restrictions. An investigation of the leak of up to 24 gallons (91 liters) of an asphalt emulsifier determined the water was safe to use again, Mayor Dan McQueen said at a news conference. It was not clear if the water supply was ever contaminated by the spill. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the city investigated. "The entire city of Corpus Christi water system is in full use," McQueen said. Federal and state environmental agencies tested 30 water samples taken from the city on Saturday and found no traces of harmful chemicals, McQueen said. Even so, a "plume of contaminate" may still exist somewhere in the water system, so the agencies will run more tests, McQueen said. The chemical, called Indulin AA-86, can cause eye and skin burns, respiratory tract irritation and damage to the digestive systems. But it is not known to be carcinogenic, according to safety data. The city has said the chemical may have entered Corpus Christi water in what was described as a "back-flow incident" in the city's industrial district. Valero Energy Corp , which operates an asphalt terminal in the area, said it believed the backflow came from third-party operations near its facility. (Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Alan Crosby and Grant McCool)
Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil chieftain nominated by Donald Trump to be Secretary of State, was a director of an offshore company in the Bahamas that is at the heart of Exxons close business dealings with Russia.

Tillerson was appointed in 1998 as a director of Exxon Neftegas, an ExxonMobil subsidiary involved in oil and gas operations in Russia, according to leaked documents from the Bahamas corporate registry received by the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung and shared with ICIJ.

Tillerson was named president of Exxon Neftegas in the same year, but his position on the board of the Bahamas-based company has not been previously reported. The Bahamas corporate tax rate is zero and it is known for financial secrecy, dubbed by The Economist this year as the holdout even among island havens for its reluctance to share tax data.

ExxonMobil said that it incorporates in the Bahamas because of the simplicity and predictability of the countrys laws for setting up companies.

Incorporation of a company in the Bahamas does not decrease ExxonMobils tax liability in the country where the entity generates its income, said Exxon spokesman Scott Silvestri.

The document highlights Tillersons business dealings with Russia, which have drawn new attention as he prepares to face confirmation hearings before the U.S. Senate. Under Tillersons leadership, Exxon Neftegas managed a major oil and gas project near the island of Sakhalin in Russias Far East. After Tillerson was promoted to CEO of ExxonMobil, the oil giant launched a partnership to search for new reserves in the Arctic with Rosneft, a Russian state-owned company.

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As Trump prepares for his presidential inauguration, the connections to Russia of people who will likely serve in his administration have come under scrutiny.

Story continues

In 2013, Vladimir Putin awarded Tillerson with the Order of Friendship, a state decoration for foreigners whose work improves their countries relations with Moscow.

"I dont know what Mr. Tillersons relationship with Vladimir Putin was, but Ill tell you it is a matter of concern to me, Sen. John McCain, a Republican who will cast an influential vote on Tillersons nomination, said last week.

The records also show Tillersons direct involvement in Exxons extensive network of companies based in the Bahamas. ExxonMobil created at least 67 companies based in the island tax haven, which were involved in operations spanning from Russia to Venezuela to Azerbaijan, according to ICIJs documents from the Bahamas corporate registry.

ExxonMobil is headquartered in Irving, Texas.

These far-flung corporate holdings raise questions about the scope of Tillersons financial interests. Federal ethics laws require cabinet officials to avoid conflicts of interest, traditionally by divesting their assets and resigning their positions in companies whose value could be affected by their actions in government.

If hes a director of corporate entities outside the U.S. including in jurisdictions that are more secretive, it could make it more difficult to ensure that he did divest fully, said Alexandra Gillies, a specialist on the oil and gas sector governance at the Natural Resource Governance Institute. It shows that theres going to have to be a lot of scrutiny on that divestment process.

Tillerson currently holds an estimated $228 million in Exxon stock, whose value stands to be affected by State Department policies on issues from climate change to sanctions against Russia.

Silvestri, the ExxonMobil spokesman, declined to comment on whether Tillerson would divest from his holdings with ExxonMobil. He noted that Tillerson is retiring from the company, but did not specify whether his retirement as ExxonMobils CEO also meant stepping down from board positions at ExxonMobil entities.

The Trump transition team did not respond to ICIJs inquiries about whether it was reviewing Tillersons offshore directorships and possible financial holdings, or whether it would require him to disclose and divest from these positions.

The document showing Tillersons directorship of Exxon Neftegas was among more than 12 million leaked files that were provided anonymously to Suddeutsche Zeitung and then shared with ICIJ, resulting in the Panama Papers and Bahamas Leaks investigations.

This story is part of Politics. Campaign donations, lobbying and influence in government and reports on the special interests that are funding elections and buying power. Click here to read more stories in this topic.

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Copyright 2016 The Center for Public Integrity. This story was published by The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative news organization in Washington, D.C.
A dark shelf cloud rolled into the shores of the Gold Coast, Queensland, early Sunday afternoon, December 18. Beachgoers and residents whipped out their phones to capture the ominous clouds barrelling across the region.

This timelapse video, taken by Clint Jones, is described as showing the shelf cloud rolling into Broadbeach, Gold Coast. Credit: Instagram/Clint Jones via Storyful
Barack Obama had almost made it. Closing in on the final month of his presidency, he had managed against considerable odds to maintain a public attitude of belief in the genuine goodwill of the American people.

Even when he was angrily denouncing the refusal of Congress to pass gun control laws in the wake of yet another school shooting. Or taking on the consoler-in-chief role after another unarmed black man was shot dead by a police officer. Or, more recently, trying to help bring the country together after a remarkably ugly election, his message was consistent: The United States is better than this.

Related: Russia to Obama: Put Up or Shut Up About Hacking the Election

Note the use of the present tense. Obamas message wasnt that the country could be better than what Americans saw on their TV screens every night, but that it truly already was.

Ta-Nehisi Coates, in a penetrating profile of Obama in the most recent edition of The Atlantic, describes the president as possessing an innate optimism and unwavering faith in the ultimate wisdom of the American people.

In a series of interviews before the presidential election, and a final one a week after it was over, Coates found that Obama remained convinced that the United States and its people are fundamentally decent and well-meaning, despite having endured years of racist abuse from detractors. That includes the current president-elect, who took point on the effort to delegitimize Obamas entire presidency by manufacturing proof that the president was born in Africa.

Obama, Coates writes, is unfailingly optimistic about the empathy and capabilities of the American people. His job necessitates this: At some level what the people want to feel is that the person leading them sees the best in them, he told me.

Related: Obamas Final Economic Report Adds Veiled Digs at Trump

Even a week after the election, when Republicans were gleefully planning the wholesale destruction of his legacy, Obama remained positive in their final interview:

Story continues

I asked him how his optimism was holding up, given Trumps victory. He confessed to being surprised at the outcome but said that it was tough to draw a grand theory from it because there were some very unusual circumstances. He pointed to both candidates high negatives, the media coverage, and a dispirited electorate. But he said that his general optimism about the shape of American history remained unchanged. To be optimistic about the long-term trends of the United States doesnt mean that everything is going to go in a smooth, direct, straight line, he said. It goes forward sometimes, sometimes it goes back, sometimes it goes sideways, sometimes it zigs and zags.

Obama clung to his positive vision for the future in the Economic Report of the President, published by the White House Council of Economic Advisers on Thursday, writing in an introduction, Over the past eight years, our country has come back from a once-in-a-lifetime economic crisis and emerged even stronger. For all the work that remains, a new foundation has been laid. A new future is ours to write. I have never been more optimistic about Americas future, and I am confident that this incredible journey that we are on as Americans will continue.

Thats what made his year-end televised press conference on Friday so remarkable. It was like watching the scales fall from a mans eyes in real time as the president confronted the possibility that he has always avoided in public: That maybe were not better than this, after all.

Related: Why the Deep Divisions Inside Trump Tower May Not Be Such a Bad Thing

The press conference took place just as news reports claimed that all U.S. intelligence agencies had agreed that not only had the Russian government sponsored computer hacking that interfered with the presidential election but that they did so with the intention to help Donald Trump and to hurt his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

What seemed to trouble the president more than the Russian hacking itself was the public response. In the world of Obamas speeches, Americans may have strong political differences, but they share a fundamental belief in the country and will always come together when it is threatened.

Surely, there couldnt be a better time for Americans to prove Obama right than when faced with a foreign government actively undermining the process of selecting a president?

But the American people did not prove Obama right. Quite the opposite. Lines were quickly drawn, but for a disconcertingly large share of the population, it wasnt Americans lining up against Russia, but Republicans lining up against Democrats.

Related: Obamacare Repeal Could Provide a Huge Tax Break to the One Percent

A poll released by The Economist and YouGov this week showed that in the months after Russias interference in the election was first reported, Vladimir Putins approval ratings among Republican voters underwent a remarkable improvement. The Russian strongman had a net approval rating of -66 just a few years ago among GOP voters. In recent post-election polling, his negatives were only -10, with 37 percent of Republican voters expressing a favorable view of him.

What I worry about more than anything, Obama said Friday, is the degree to which, because of the fierceness because of the partisan battle, you start to see certain folks in the Republican Party and Republican voters suddenly finding a government and individuals who stand contrary to everything that we stand for as being OK, because that's how much we dislike Democrats, he said.

Citing the Economist/YouGov poll, he said, Over a third of Republican voters approve of Vladimir Putin, the former head of the KGB. Ronald Reagan would roll over in his grave. And how did that happen? It happened in part because for too long, everything that happens in this town, everything that's said is seen through the lens of Does this help or hurt us relative to Democrats, or relative to President Obama? And unless that changes, we're going to continue to be vulnerable to foreign influence because we've lost track of what it is that we're about and what we stand for.

Obama kept returning to the issue, like a man itching at a scab. How, he asked finally, has the country moved away from the basic decency and goodness of the American people to become so polarized and so nasty that in some cases, you have voters and unelected officials who have more confidence and faith in a foreign adversary than they have in their neighbors?

Obama didnt offer an answer, and a few minutes later, he offered the Hawaiian Christmas greeting, Mele Kalikimaka, as he left the podium for the place that would get him as from the White House, Washington, and the bulk of the American electorate as he could be without actually leaving the country.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The jailed confidante of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-hye begins a trial Monday that will explore a scandal that led to Park's impeachment after millions took to the streets in protest. The trial of Choi Soon-sil, Park's friend of 40 years, is the biggest since the 2014 trial of the crew of a ferry that sank and killed more than 300 people, mostly teenagers. Ten others swept up in the scandal also face trial. Speculation about Choi dominated local news every day for months, but she is still a mystery. She last appeared in public on Oct.

WASHINGTON (AP)  President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday on Twitter the United States should let China keep the U.S. Navy's unmanned underwater glider that it seized in the South China Sea. "We should tell China that we don't want the drone they stole back.- let them keep it!" Trump tweeted a few hours after the U.S. military announced it had reached an understanding with China for the return of the underwater glider. According to the Pentagon, the drone was seized Thursday while collecting unclassified scientific data in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety. The U.S. demanded the drone back, calling it an "unlawful seizure" in international waters.

BEIJING (AP)  China says its military seized a U.S. Navy unmanned underwater glider in the South China Sea, but that it will give it back. President-elect Donald Trump, however, says the Chinese government should be told "we don't want the drone they stole back" and "let them keep it!" This comes after U.S. officials confirmed that they "secured an understanding" for the return of the device. Trump's tweet Saturday evening may extend one of the most serious incidents between the American and the Chinese militaries in years. The Chinese navy on Thursday seized the drone, which the Pentagon said was being operated by civilian contractors to conduct oceanic research.

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MANILA, Philippines (AP)  The United States said Sunday that it would work with the Philippine president to address any concerns after he threatened to terminate a pact that allows U.S. troops to visit the Philippines. President Rodrigo Duterte was enraged after a U.S. government aid agency deferred a vote on a renewal of a major development assistance package for the Philippines over concerns about extrajudicial killings in Duterte's war on illegal drugs, which has left thousands dead. Although no decision on the aid package has been taken, Duterte on Saturday launched an expletives-laden tirade, telling the U.S. to "prepare to leave the Philippines, prepare for the eventual repeal or the abrogation of the Visiting Forces Agreement." He was referring to a 1998 accord that governs American forces visiting the Philippines for joint combat exercises.

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian police have detained dozens of people ahead of a West Papua independence protest on Monday. At least 200 people were arrested in several cities in Papua and Java, said Veronica Koman, a lawyer for Papuan independence activist Filep Karma. Monday is the 55th anniversary of the official declaration of an Indonesian military campaign to take control of Papua from the Dutch. Koman said several people were arrested last week when they applied for demonstration permits. She said the headquarters of the pro-independence National Committee for West Papua in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, was vandalized during a police raid on Monday.

NEW DELHI (AP)  Nearly 600 people died in Indian police custody from 2009-2015, many after being tortured, a human rights group said Monday, urging India to implement a string of often-ignored regulations and prosecute officers involved in the mistreatment of prisoners. Human Rights Watch said in its report that police regularly disregard arrest procedures and torture suspects in custody to death. The police often blame such deaths on suicide or illness. While torture is illegal in India, and law enforcement agencies in many countries now say it does little to elicit accurate information, many Indian police are open about their use of the "third degree"  a term that can encompass anything from a couple slaps to a savage beating - to extract details or confessions.

TOKYO (AP)  Japan's Emperor canceled an annual year-end palace banquet on Monday because of a cold. The Imperial Household Agency said the decision was because Emperor Akihito had developed a fever last week and is still recovering. Akihito turns 83 years old on Friday. Plans for his birthday celebration have not been changed. Akihito had invited Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and other top officials for Monday's banquet. Akihito expressed an apparent wish to abdicate in a rare public address in August, citing concerns that his age and health conditions may start limiting his ability to fulfil official duties. A government-commissioned panel of experts is discussing a possibility of setting up a special law to accommodate his abdication, without touching more controversial issues, including a possibility of allowing a female emperor.

BANGKOK (AP)  A look at recent developments in the South China Sea, where China is pitted against smaller neighbors in multiple disputes over islands, coral reefs and lagoons in waters crucial for global commerce and rich in fish and potential oil and gas reserves: ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a weekly look at the latest key developments in the South China Sea, home to several territorial conflicts that have raised tensions in the region. ___ CHINA TESTS U.S. BY SNATCHING NAVY GLIDER OFF PHILIPPINES Just days after Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific forces, warned that the U.S. would not back down from challenging Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea, a Chinese warship snatched an underwater Navy glider that was collecting scientific data about 50 nautical miles (93 kilometers) northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines.

BANGKOK (AP)  The actions of Myanmar's military may constitute crimes against humanity, human rights group Amnesty International has warned, based on accounts of violence against the country's Muslim Rohingya minority. Myanmar has come under heavy criticism for its army's forceful treatment of the Rohingya, and international human rights groups such as Amnesty have accused the military of mass murder, looting and rape. "The Myanmar military has targeted Rohingya civilians in a callous and systematic campaign of violence," said Rafendi Djamin, Southeast Asia director for Amnesty International. "The deplorable actions of the military could be part of a widespread and systematic attack on a civilian population and may amount to crimes against humanity." Amnesty released a report Monday outlining its accusations.

WAMENA, Indonesia (AP)  An Indonesian military transport plane crashed in bad weather Sunday in the country's easternmost province of Papua, killing all 13 people on board, officials said. The Hercules C-130 plane was carrying 12 tons of food supplies and cement from Timika to Wamena, a distance of about 200 kilometers (125 miles), when it crashed just minutes before its scheduled landing, said air force chief of staff Agus Supriatna. Three pilots and 10 other personnel were aboard the plane. Bad weather and low clouds in Wamena, the capital of the mountainous district of Jayawijaya, were believed to be factors in the crash, deputy air force chief of staff Hadiyan Sumintaatmadja told a news conference.
donald trump

President-elect Donald Trump blasted a New York Times columnist on Saturday for suggesting Trump has an "incentive" to benefit from a terrorist attack similar to the circumstances surrounding those on September 11, 2001.

"They had a clown today in the failing New York Times saying I wanted to have another World Trade Center catastrophe because it was good for my base," Trump said at a rally in Mobile, Alabama.

"What kind of demented person would say that?" Trump added.

Although he didn't refer to the columnist by name, Trump appeared to have been directing his remarks at the columnist Paul Krugman, who was widely criticized for tweeting his speculation Friday.

"Thought: There was (rightly) a cloud of illegitimacy over Bush, dispelled (wrongly) by 9/11. Creates some interesting incentives for Trump," Krugman tweeted.

Trump said when he was first informed of the columnist's words, he believed them to be a typo.

"Thousands of people killed. They said I wanted to have another catastrophe like that because it is good for my base," Trump said.

"Anybody that says that  and this guy is demented. He is. He's a demented person. And this is why the Times is failing," he added.

Krugman expanded on his original tweet Saturday, noting that the events he alluded to "won't be a false-flag terrorist attack," as many observers had taken his comments to mean.

"It will either exploit a real terrorist attack  or involve a US version of Falklands War  picking a fight with foreign power to rally home base," Krugman tweeted.

He argued that Trump's invoking of patriotism after such an event could help "distract" Americans from questioning his legitimacy and criticizing the effects of his policies.

Read Krugman's tweets below:

Thought: There was (rightly) a cloud of illegitimacy over Bush, dispelled (wrongly) by 9/11. Creates some interesting incentives for Trump  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 16, 2016

At some point Trump will surely use patriotism card to distract from tainted election and effects of his anti-populist policies 1/  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 17, 2016

No, it won't be a false-flag terrorist attack -- too hard, and no need. It will either exploit a real terrorist attack 2/  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 17, 2016

or involve a US version of Falklands War -- picking a fight with foreign power to rally home base (Iraq had some elements of that) 3/  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 17, 2016

So anyone who thought they were voting against neocon policies was another kind of useful idiot 4/  Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) December 17, 2016

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In choosing Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) as the next White House budget director, President-elect Donald Trump has tapped a leading deficit hawk who once risked triggering the first-ever default on U.S. debt to make a point about the evils of excessive spending.

Mulvaney, 49, who holds degrees in international economics and law, was first elected to the House in 2010 on a wave of Tea Party support that thrust the GOP back in control of the House. Mulvaney went on to become a ringleader of the far right of his party and backed some of the Republicans most draconian budget blueprints, including calls for deep cuts in discretionary programs, overhauls of Medicare and Medicaid, and holding the line on defense spending.

Related: Here's What Could Scuttle Trumps Big Spending Plans

Trump described Mulvaney as a tremendous talent, especially when it comes to numbers and budgets, in announcing his choice to head the Office of Management and Budget on Friday. By choosing Mulvaney, Trump sought to tout his bonafides as a fiscal conservative concerned about wasteful spending and the mounting $19.9 trillion national debt.

Yet in many ways, Mulvaneys budget and economic views are the antithesis of Trumps who ran for election on a platform of major tax cuts, a historic rebuilding of the U.S. military, $1 trillion of new infrastructure spending to spur the economy, and a handful of costly social programs including generous paid family leave.

Mick Mulvaney

Independent analysts say many of Trumps plans  especially his massive tax cut for individuals and businesses -- are premised on overly optimistic supply-side economic forecasts and budgetary blue smoke.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget claims Trumps plan would slash federal revenue by $14.5 trillion over the coming two decades, offset by only $2.5 trillion in spending cuts. Trump would also add $3.8 billion in interest payments to cover the additional borrowing necessary to make up for lost tax revenue.

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Trump is counting on a robust economy to reduce that deficit. He expects growth of at least 4 percent, which some economists challenge. Others believe that Trumps promises of cutting unnecessary regulations and creating more jobs could fulfill that promise by increasing taxes and reducing government outlays.

Related: Congress Just Gave $619 Billion to the Pentagon that Wasted $125 Billion

Whether Mulvaney will have difficulty defending Trumps economic and spending plans and making the figures add up in his budget documents remains to be seen. There is little in his career in Congress to suggest that he is willing to play games with the budget. Whats more, in taking charge of the powerful OMB, Mulvaney will have to make the transition from his role as a sharp critic of the congressional budget process to a consensus builder charged with getting Trumps budget blueprint ratified by lawmakers.

Mulvaney, a founding member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, repeatedly fought over spending priorities with his GOP leaders, including former House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio -- who was forced into an early retirement by Mulvaney and others -- and Boehners successor, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

When a sorely divided Congress literally came within hours of allowing the government to default on its borrowing in August 2011, Mulvaney was one of several dozen House conservatives who refused to support a bipartisan deal worked out by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Vice President Joe Biden to raise the statutory debt ceiling and avert the crisis.

Furious that lawmakers had turned their backs on his plan geared towards slashing and then balancing the budget, Mulvaney declared, Some see the [compromise] bill tonight as a great deal. That may be true, but its not a solution. At the end of the day, Washingtons spending still has us sprinting towards a fiscal cliff.

Republicans Pull the Plug on Tax Loopholes for Special Interests

Earlier that year, the newly elected congressman said in an interview with Fox Business News, I dont know what the consequences would be of the government defaulting on its debt. Ive asked that question a lot. ... What does a catastrophic event mean, and no one seems to be able to answer the question. I think we would be guessing.

Raising the debt ceiling is one of the most politically onerous responsibilities of the party in power because of its political symbolism. Although Congress and the White House periodically must raise the Treasurys borrowing authority to make good on spending and borrowing previously authorized, the party in power invariably is criticized by the minority for allowing spending to get out of hand.

As a rank and file member of the House, Mulvaney could always deny raising the debt ceiling to make a political point. But as Trumps White House budget chief, he will have no choice but to press the GOP-controlled Congress to raise the debt ceiling again, likely by next fall.

Mulvaney, who was an early backer of Trumps, frequently took a hard line against the Affordable Care Act and Obamas budget policies, even when it threatened the orderly operation of government. He and his close colleagues became known as the Shutdown Caucus and were instrumental in triggering the 16-day partial government shutdown in October 2013.

Related: Whew! Congress Votes to Keep Government Open

At that time, the Democrats still controlled the Senate while the GOP was in charge of the House. Republican bomb-throwers in the Senate, including Ted Cruz of Texas, and many conservative Republicans in the House pressed for a measure to defund Obamacare, over the strong objections of President Obama and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill. When lawmakers reached an impasse, the government was forced to shut down, except for critically important services.

A bill to end the shutdown and resume funding the federal government was signed into law Oct. 17, but not before the economy suffered losses of $24 billion or more, according to Standard & Poors, the rating agency.

In April 2015, Mulvaney clashed with House and Senate GOP budget officials over defense spending. He argued that they were using the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) earmarked for financing U.S. fighting in the Middle East as a slush fund to circumvent spending limits on the Defense Departments base operations.

Related: Health Care Spending Spiked to $3.2 Trillion in 2015

The House and Senate budget conferees had quietly slipped $38 billion more into the OCO account than had been requested by President Obama, with the expectation of shifting those funds into the Pentagons base budget for personnel, defense contracting and other more routine activities.

Mulvaney teamed up with Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, then the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, to offer amendments to strike the extra OCO funds. Mulvaney argued during the floor debate that if Congress believed that the current defense funding caps were too low, it should change the Budget Control Act and increase the spending limits, instead of playing games by using OCO to circumvent the discretionary spending caps.

Mulvaney won kudos for his stand from government watchdogs and other deficit hawks, who were impressed with his efforts to preserve the integrity of the budget process. Edward Lorenzen, a senior adviser to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, said over the weekend that Mulvaney could be an important voice for applying discipline to all spending, including defense.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Washington (AFP) - During his unorthodox White House campaign, Donald Trump thoroughly shredded the rules of American politics, from his often coarse language to his intermittent disdain for basic concepts like freedom of the press.

Since defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton on November 8 to become the US president-elect, his title until he succeeds Barack Obama on January 20, he has made a mockery of those who said he would eventually fall in line.

While he admittedly followed protocol during his post-election visit to the White House, treating Obama with deference in the Oval Office, the Republican billionaire has otherwise blazed a new path in presidential transitions.

His style seems to indicate that the Manhattan property mogul will be a president like no other.

- Victory tour -

Candidate Trump thrived on the campaign trail at his large arena rallies. President-elect Trump has tried to recreate that atmosphere with his "thank you" tour through the swing states that propelled him to victory, wrapping up Saturday in Mobile, Alabama.

Hats with slogans, anti-Clinton chants and plenty of colorful signs? They're back.

"They are saying, as president he shouldn't be doing rallies but I think we should, right?" Trump told the cheering crowd in Mobile.

"We've done everything else the opposite. This is the way you get an honest word out because you can't give it to them because they are so dishonest," he added, slipping in one of his customary jabs at the media.

For Peter Kastor, a history professor at Washington University in St Louis, "the 'thank you' tour is unusual for presidents, but it is completely consistent with his campaign style."

"Every president has in some way constructed the trip to the national capital as a symbolic move, and Donald Trump is doing so in a way that is unlike all of his predecessors," he said.

- Press conferences? No, thanks -

Eight years ago, at this stage of the transition, Obama had held nearly a dozen press conferences, in the midst of an economic crisis.

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Trump has held... none.

The 70-year-old president-elect has given a handful of interviews, including three lengthy ones to CBS, The New York Times and Fox News.

When Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama wanted to make key cabinet nominations, they introduced their chosen ones to the press.

Trump sends statements, many of them either at 6:00 am or late at night, or simply posts news on Twitter.

And his incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus created a stir in the White House press corps by suggesting major changes could lie in store for the traditional daily media briefings.

- Reality show cabinet hunt -

The recruitment of his cabinet so far has more or less unfolded in the public eye, with most candidates forced to run the media gauntlet through the lobby of Trump Tower or at his resort properties in New Jersey or Florida.

Former Trump critic-turned-admirer Mitt Romney made the pilgrimage twice, only to be dumped as secretary of state-designate in favor of ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson... who Trump only met for the first time on December 6.

- Politics take back seat -

Usually, state governors and US senators are the most likely choices for cabinet posts. Not this time.

Trump has chosen an inner circle in his own image -- mainly white, mainly male industry titans and investors, many of them millionaires and a handful of them billionaires.

Obama's team included a Nobel physics laureate. Trump has chosen three former generals.

- Gender equality? -

Keeping the male-female divide even in politics has always been a challenge in the United States.

There were only six women given cabinet or cabinet-rank positions in Obama's first administration, but one of them was secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Trump has so far chosen four women, all for second-tier posts. The first 11 people in the order of presidential succession will be men.

And so far, he has named only one African-American -- Ben Carson -- and no Latinos.

- Melania in New York -

Incoming first lady Melania Trump and the couple's 10-year-old son Barron will not move into the White House on January 20 as is customary, instead remaining in New York at least until the school year ends.

For Kastor, this is a first.

"These are big cultural moments about the presidency -- the transition is often the story about how this family is going to move," he told AFP.

"There are all these stories about how they are packing up, and about what does it mean to move from a simple, private residence into this big, public one," Kastor added.

"So this is completely unusual."
The southwestern French city of Bordeaux is a center of the wine trade. But hundreds of years ago, it was the second-largest slave-trading port in France.

From the 17th to the 19th century, the city sent hundreds of ships carrying 130,000 slaves to America. The ships returned to Bordeaux with cotton, tobacco, sugar and rum, helping the city and its merchants grow rich.

Some former slave-trading cities have remembered that history with large public memorials. There is no such memorial in Bordeaux.

Karfa Diallo wants to change that. He immigrated to France from Dakar, Senegal, 20 years ago. Goree Island, near Dakar, was the place many slaves left Africa for the Americas.

Diallo is the director of the Memory and Sharing Association, which tells about Bordeauxs slave-trading past. He believes the city has not yet dealt with its history or admitted the benefits it received from slavery. He said after studying the citys history he realized it, in his words, enriched itself on the blood and sweat of my ancestors and did nothing to remember this.

His group offers travelers a two-hour trip through areas in the city where slave-trading activities took place.

The image of wine is very hard to reconcile with the image of slavery. That is why the town was very late in giving history the place it merited in public spaces and schools.

He explains that more than 12 city streets in Bordeaux are named after well-known slave traders.

Diallo had asked the city to consider renaming those streets. But now, he is asking officials to place signs near the streets explaining the history of their names.

Even people who live in the city do not know much about its role in the slave trade.

The city government has created a group to study Bordeauxs slave-trading history. It has asked people who live in the city what they believe the government should do to remember the citys history. Marik Fetouh is the deputy mayor of Bordeaux. He says the citys efforts need to be done, in his words, intelligently, without accusations.

Diallo agrees. He says his tours are not about shaming people. Instead, he aims to tell the story of the citys past in a way that is measured and thought out.

Im Caty Weaver.

Correspondent Lisa Bryant reported this story from Bordeaux. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

image  n. the idea that people have about someone or something

reconcile  v. to accept together; to compare with

merit  v. to deserve

shame  v. to cause (someone) to feel ashamed or disgraced

measured  adj. done with thought and care
donald trump alabama

President-elect Donald Trump wrapped up the last of his rowdy victory rallies in Mobile, Alabama, on Saturday, thanking his supporters and launching into lengthy rundowns of his Election Day successes.

Trump ran through a list of the states he had won, boasting about his improbable victory, criticizing the polls and pundits who had cast doubt on his chances, and repeating his usual criticisms of the "very dishonest" media that covered his campaign.

At one point, Trump noted that there were multiple points throughout his campaign when he "should've given up."

"I should've given up, but I never gave up. Never, ever give up. Never stop believing, and never, ever stop dreaming," he said.

Trump also praised the Electoral College system, which handed him a decisive victory over his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, despite her substantial lead in the nationwide popular vote.

"It's genius, I'm telling you. It's genius," Trump said.

Trump spent the latter part of his speech repeating some of his campaign promises on defeating ISIS, funding infrastructure, renegotiating trade deals, and creating jobs.

"My administration will follow two very simple rules: Buy American and hire American," he said to raucous cheers from the crowd.

Trump also addressed some of the negative response to his victory, bringing up recent comments made by first lady Michelle Obama about the aftermath of the election. In an interview that aired on CBS on Friday, Obama told Oprah Winfrey that "we're feeling what not having hope feels like."

The crowd at Trump's rally booed when he mentioned the first lady's name and referred to her comments, but Trump said he believed Obama had meant the statement "in a different way than it came out."

"I assume she was talking about the past, not the future, because I'm telling you, we have tremendous hope," he said.

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"This is truly an exciting time to be alive. The script is not yet written. We don't know what the page will read tomorrow," he added.

The rally was expected to be Trump's last public event before heading to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, for the holiday season.

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Tunis (AFP) - The Tunisian government on Sunday said that foreigners were behind the murder of a Tunisian engineer, after the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas said Israel was behind his death.

"The investigations concerning the assassination of Tunisian citizen Mohamed Zaouari and the latest findings have proven that foreign elements were involved," the government said on its Facebook page.

It did not give further details, but said it was "determined to protect all Tunisian citizens and to pursue those guilty of carrying out assassination inside and outside" the country.

Zaouari, a 49-year-old engineer, was murdered at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia's second city, Sfax, on Thursday.

He was buried on Saturday.

Al-Qassam Martyrs Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip, told AFP on Saturday Zaouari was a drone expert and was killed by "Zionist treachery", referring to Israel.

It said Zaouari had worked for the "resistance" for 10 years.

Israel has made no comment about the Hamas accusation.

The Tunisian deputy prosecutor general, Mourad Turki, has said that eight suspects have been arrested in connection with Zaouari's death and that all of them are Tunisian citizens.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish authorities on Sunday detained nine people suspected of involvement in a night of violence against offices of the main pro-Kurdish party in apparent reprisal for a deadly attack blamed on Kurdish militants.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said 20 of its offices across the country had been attacked after Saturday's suicide car bombing in the central city of Kayseri that left 14 soldiers dead.

It said several offices, including ones in Istanbul, were destroyed after being set on fire and ransacked by nationalist protesters while others were fired upon.

The raids sparked fears of further tensions in Turkey and even street fighting as the country is repeatedly hit by attacks blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its affiliates.

On Sunday, a policeman was killed in an accidental fall as protesters sought to raid the HDP office in the Umraniye district on the Asian side of Istanbul.

The officer fell after taking to a balcony of the building in a bid to persuade the protesters to stay away, police said in a statement.

HDP party spokesman Ayhan Bilgen accused the authorities of turning a blind eye to the attacks but said the HDP had urged supporters to resist provocations.

"An attempt is being made to create the conditions for conflict and a coup attempt in Turkey," he said in a statement.

All those detained are suspected of staging attacks on the party's buildings in Istanbul, the Dogan news agency said.

The government has said the outlawed PKK, which is fighting a bitter insurgency against Turkish security forces in the southeast, was likely behind the attack in Kayseri.

The HDP denies any links to the PKK but the government accuses the party of being the political front of the militants. Several HDP MPs including its co-leaders are currently under arrest over alleged links to the PKK.

The HDP condemned the Kayseri attack "in the strongest possible terms".

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In Kayseri, protesters had on Saturday broken into the building where the HDP office is located, scattering papers and furniture on the street and removing the HDP sign from the entrance.

A group then ascended to the top of the building, setting off a fire and displaying a giant red flag with three crescent moons, the insignia of the right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Turkish media said Saturday's protesters in Kayseri were supporters of the Grey Wolves, a militant wing of the MHP which was hugely prominent in the street fighting of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Eyewitness star Tyler Young turned a year older on Saturday, Dec. 17.

In a tweet confirming his birthday, Young shared that he was very much thrilled with all the birthday greetings he received from fans. He also asked his followers to do something kind for someone as a present to him.

In addition to his fans, Youngs Eyewitness costars also didnt forget to greet him on social media. James Paxton, who plays Lukas Waldenbeck on the USA Network series, gave Young a birthday shoutout on Twitter. He shared a photo of him with Young and expressed a little frustration over not being able to celebrate his birthday with him.

Meanwhile, Julianne Nicholson greeted Young a happy birthday with a behind-the-scenes photo she shared on Instagram. The snapshot, which shows Young, Paxton and Gil Bellows, was taken by the actress during their first weekend in Ontario, Canada, where they shot Eyewitness. The actress, who plays Helen Torrance on the series, also reminded fans that the shows Season 1 finale airs tonight.

Bellows also gave Young a birthday shoutout on Instagram. The Ally McBeal alum, who plays Gabe Caldwell on Eyewitness, wrote that hes honored to have gotten the chance to work with the birthday boy. Bellows also told Young that he deserves all the good things he has received this year.

Its unclear how exactly Young celebrated his birthday. But based on his latest Instagram post, he spent his special day with his longtime girlfriend, Iliana Raykovski, together with their pet dog Oliver.

According to Famous Birthdays, Young is already 26. But some fans think that he could be a lot younger.

Before landing the role of Philip Shea on Eyewitness, Young played J.P on the childrens show The Avatars, which he filmed in Spain. His other notableTV credits include FOXs Empire and NBCs Chicago Fire. He will be next seen in the upcoming ABC miniseries When We Rise and is set to star in the horror film The Mystery of Casa Matusita.

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Eyewitness Season 1, episode 10, titled Mothers Day, airs on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 10 p.m. EST on USA Network. Check out the synopsis and the trailer for the episode below:

Helen reels after learning the identity of the killer; when Lukas and Philip go missing, Helen races to find them.

Tyler Young

Photo: Christos Kalohoridis/USA Network

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By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 17 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor evacuations from besieged parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain.

The draft text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes."

A vote has been scheduled for Sunday morning, diplomats said.

The evacuation of rebel-held areas of east Aleppo ground to a halt on Friday after demands from pro-government forces that people also be moved out of two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents.

It was not immediately clear how Russia would vote on the French drafted U.N. resolution. Before the draft was circulated to the council, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Friday: "If it is a sensible initiative and we see it on paper, why not entertain this initiative?"

Russia, an ally of Damascus that has provided military backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions.

The draft resolution asks U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "redeploy the United Nations humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo."

It asks Ban to deploy further staff if needed and demands that all parties provide the monitors with safe, immediate and unimpeded access.

The draft also "demands that all parties allow complete, immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered access for the United Nations and its implementing partners" through the most direct route throughout Syria.

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It asks the U.N. secretary-general to report back to the council on implementation of the resolution within five days of adoption.

A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, editing by G Crosse)
By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is due to vote Sunday on a French-drafted resolution aimed at ensuring that U.N. officials can monitor evacuations from besieged parts of the Syrian city of Aleppo and the protection of civilians who remain. The draft text, seen by Reuters on Saturday, also "emphasizes that the evacuations of civilians must be voluntary and to final destinations of their choice, and protection must be provided to all civilians who choose or who have been forced to be evacuated and those who opt to remain in their homes." A vote has been scheduled for Sunday morning, diplomats said. The evacuation of rebel-held areas of east Aleppo ground to a halt on Friday after demands from pro-government forces that people also be moved out of two Shi'ite villages besieged by insurgents. It was not immediately clear how Russia would vote on the French drafted U.N. resolution. Before the draft was circulated to the council, Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said on Friday: "If it is a sensible initiative and we see it on paper, why not entertain this initiative?" Russia, an ally of Damascus that has provided military backing to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops, has vetoed six Security Council resolutions on Syria since the conflict started in 2011. China joined Moscow in vetoing five resolutions. The draft resolution asks U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to "redeploy the United Nations humanitarian staff already on the ground to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo." It asks Ban to deploy further staff if needed and demands that all parties provide the monitors with safe, immediate and unimpeded access. The draft also "demands that all parties allow complete, immediate, unconditional, safe and unhindered access for the United Nations and its implementing partners" through the most direct route throughout Syria. It asks the U.N. secretary-general to report back to the council on implementation of the resolution within five days of adoption. A crackdown by Assad on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war and Islamic State militants have used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq. Half of Syria's 22 million people have been uprooted and more than 400,000 killed. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols, editing by G Crosse)
Kiev (AFP) - Ukraine on Sunday nationalised the country's biggest bank in a bid to avert a financial meltdown in the war-scarred former Soviet state.

The government moved to take over PrivatBank after months of rumours that the lender was heavily burdened by bad debts.

PrivatBank controls one-third of the east European country's deposits and even has branches in the Baltic states.

The Ukrainian government said in a statement that it was now the "100 percent owner of PrivatBank and guarantees the uninterrupted functioning of this institution and the safety of its clients' money."

Kiev's decision falls in line with International Monetary Fund's demand for Ukraine to clean up and stabilise its murky financial sector in order to achieve sustainable growth.

It was owned by Igor Kolomoyskiy -- a politically powerful billionaire who became an early target of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's uphill fight against corruption.

The bank has also been the subject of local media reports suggesting it issued loans to select insiders that may never be repaid.

That talk alone saw the value of PrivatBank's bonds fall by nearly 50 percent in late November.

Ukraine's central bank had wanted Kolomoyskiy to refinance his bank with billions of dollars if he wanted to keep it.

But that money never emerged and Kiev's patience snapped on Sunday.

Oleksandr Savchenko, head of Kiev's International Institute of Business, told the Kyiv Post English-language weekly that Ukraine's banking system would have been left in tatters were PrivatBank to close.

"Other banks would not be getting their loans back from PrivatBank, a series of bankruptcies would begin, and there would be panic," Savchenko was quoted as saying.

"Re-launching the system would take around one or two months; the loss to GDP would be around two to three percent."

Dragon Capital economist Sergiy Fursa said that "80 to 90 percent of PrivatBank's loans were to institutions" controlled by Kolomoyskiy himself.

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"This was insider lending -- in other words, money was withdrawn by its owners from the bank."

PrivatBank itself called the government's decision a consequence of "media attacks" led by political insiders who opposed Kolomoyskiy.

"The decision to voluntarily and peacefully hand over the bank to the government was taken at the very moment that we understood that these media attacks -- which we could survive -- could endanger our clients," its IT director wrote on Facebook.

PrivatBank deputy CEO Oleg Gorokhovskiy said the most important thing was that Ukrainians' money was still safe.

"The bank will continue working, just as it did before."

Kolomoyskiy himself issued no immediate comment.

Yet he has fought furious battles with Poroshenko and could now possibly enter into formal opposition to the government of the politically-unstable state.
Donetsk (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukraine said five of its troops were killed Sunday by pro-Russian insurgents in the bloodiest clash in the war-scarred ex-Soviet republic in months.

Kiev military spokesman Leonid Matyukhin told AFP that another six soldiers were wounded in the battle for control of the strategic city of Debaltseve.

The railroad hub on the edge of the war zone in January 2015 was the scene of one of the deadliest confrontation in the 31-month war.

"Today, the rebels staged a massive attack on our positions in the Debaltseve region," Matyukhin told AFP by telephone.

He said the firefight lasted for two hours and involved artillery and large-calibre grenade launchers.

"Unfortunately, five of our fighters were killed and six injured," the Ukrainian military spokesman said.

The January 2015 Debaltseve battle was won by the separatists and led to peace talks the following month that drew in the leaders of Germany and France.

The February 2015 deal that was also signed by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russia's Vladimir Putin was meant to end one of Europes bloodiest conflicts in decades by the end of that year.

But the so-called Minsk Agreements have been repeatedly broken by both sides and low-scale warfare continues in the European Union's backyard in a conflict that has claimed some 10,000 lives.

A sudden military flare-up in Ukraine would add headaches to EU leaders who are already grappling with Britain's decision to leave the bloc and Donald Trump's unexpected election as president of the United States.

Matyukhin said that 20 insurgents were killed and 30 wounded in Sunday's battle.

But both sides often exaggerate the others' losses and rebel spokesman Eduard Basurin said the number of his fighters killed remained unknown.

Basurin accused Kiev's forces of trying to win back positions they lost nearly two years ago.

"We beat them back," Basurin told AFP. "I have no information about how many casualties we suffered."

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Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of taking an active part in the war in retaliation for Kiev's February 2014 ouster of a Moscow-backed president and tilt toward the West.

Russia flatly denies the charges and calls any of its soldiers killed or captured in the war zone volunteers.

But both the United States and the European Union have imposed economic sanctions for Russia's actions in Ukraine and the March 2014 annexation of the Crimea peninsula.

The Kremlin responded by banning the import of most Western food.

That step has proven to be unpopular with some European farmers in nations such as Italy and Spain.

But the EU on Thursday extended its economic punishment on Russia by another six months.
Tunis (AFP) - UN Libya envoy Martin Kobler on Sunday called for national reconciliation and a unified security service after pro-government forces retook the former Islamic State group bastion of Sirte.

"I call on Libyans to seize this opportunity to promote national reconciliation," he said, a day after the UN-backed unity government announced the end of the battle for the coastal city.

Kobler called for "the integration and rehabilitation of fighters" and the collection of weapons "to give way to a professional security apparatus with a unified command".

He stressed the need for mine clearing to ensure the safe return of displaced people after pro-government fighters expelled IS from the city.

Speaking from the Tunisian capital, the UN envoy called the recapture of Sirte "a major step forward in liberating Libya from terrorism", but warned "Libyans should remain vigilant".

The fall of Sirte -- 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli -- is a major setback for IS, which has also faced a series of military defeats in Syria and Iraq.

IS seized Sirte in June 2015 in the chaos that followed the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Accord is the centrepiece of Western hopes to stem an upsurge of jihadism in Libya, but it has failed to assert its authority across the country.

A rival authority based in the country's far east has refused to cede power, while its own armed forces led by Marshal Khalifa Haftar have been battling jihadists in second city Benghazi.

Haftar was in Algiers on Sunday, Algerian state media said, where the rival army chief met top officials to discuss "re-establishing stability and security" in Libya.
United Nations (United States) (AFP) - The UN Security Council will vote Sunday on a French proposal to send observers to the flashpoint Syrian city of Aleppo to monitor evacuations and report on the protection of civilians, diplomats said.

The council will meet at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) to decide on the draft resolution, despite resistance from Russia, Syria's ally and a veto-wielding Security Council member.

France circulated a draft text late Friday stating that the council is "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation.

Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

Syrian forces this week moved to assert full control over the east of the city, which had been held by opposition fighters since 2012.

French Ambassador Francois Delattre said the international presence would prevent Aleppo from turning into another Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian men and boys were massacred in 1995 when the town fell to Bosnian Serb forces during the Balkan wars.

"Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," Delattre told AFP.

The draft resolution would request that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon quickly redeploy UN humanitarian staff already in Syria to the city "to carry out adequate, neutral monitoring, direct observation and to report on evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo and protection of civilians inside Aleppo," according to a copy of the text obtained by AFP.

Ban would also ensure the deployment of further staff, according to the draft text, which demands that Syria grant access to the observers.

The UN chief would report to the council within five days on whether access has been granted by the Syrian government, which has repeatedly blocked UN access during the nearly six-year war.

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- Protecting hospitals -

Evacuations were expected to resume under a new deal that would allow civilians and fighters in other besieged towns to leave, according to rebel officials, according to rebel officials. The Damascus government made no announcements.

The draft resolution would seek to ensure the "voluntary, safe and dignified passage of all civilians" from Aleppo and other areas under UN monitoring and coordination, with priority given to the wounded and most vulnerable.

It demands the protection of all doctors, medical workers, hospitals and ambulances following reports that Syrian forces had bombed all of the medical facilities in Aleppo.

The text specifically mentions the need to protect the border hospitals of Atmeh, Darkoush, Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salamah, where many of the evacuees would be taken.

The council would also demand that urgent humanitarian aid reach Aleppo, which has been under siege since July.

US Ambassador Samantha Power said Friday that the observers on the ground would provide a "presence as protection."

But Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he found elements of the French proposal "questionable," including whether the observers could be quickly redeployed.

Ban has urged Syrian parties to resume the evacuation operation and allow civilians to leave safely, saying "Aleppo is now a synonym for hell."
With temperatures bouncing around 32 degrees, the mid-valley experienced everything from rain to freezing rain to snow.
drivers are delivering packages by pedal in Portland, Ore., through the companys new electronic delivery tricycles.

Used to bump up efficiency and allow UPS drivers to avoid traffic, the delivery tricycles carry one-tenth of what a normal truck carries.

With a full-size delivery vehicle, you cant get it into places that you would with an e-bike, Scott Phillippi, a UPS automative engineer, told Fast Company. Its part of an overall strategy to make an impact on the environment as well as become more efficient in doing so.

UPS launched a similar electronic tricycle delivery program in Hamburg, Germany in 2012, and tested the same system in Switzerland in 2015. Portland is the first city in the U.S. to test the program.

Instagram Photo

Instagram Photo

(Much better than their usual bike-lane blocking truck!)

UPS now using pedal-powered trike in #Portland https://t.co/yWsXS03NdR pic.twitter.com/K0SYcz97Hy  Taras Grescoe (@grescoe) December 9, 2016

The delivery program aims to help UPS save money by avoiding delays in congested cities and fight pollution. If successful, UPS may bring it to other cities in the U.S., Phillippi said.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
Baghdad (AFP) - Five years since the American military completed its withdrawal from Iraq, US forces are once again playing a major role in the country as part of the war against the Islamic State jihadist group.

Here a three key questions on the fifth anniversary of US troops leaving Iraq.

Why did US forces leave in 2011?

After a nearly nine-year presence, negotiations on the United States leaving a residual training force in Iraq after the end of 2011 broke down over the issue of American forces having legal immunity from Iraqi prosecution, which Washington demanded and Baghdad was reluctant to provide.

The US then announced that American forces would depart, an operation that was completed on December 18, 2011 when the last convoy of armoured vehicles crossed into neighbouring Kuwait.

The withdrawal brought political benefits to both Washington and Baghdad: US President Barack Obama wanted to end the Iraq war, which he had opposed, and the withdrawal also allowed then-premier Nuri al-Maliki's government to claim credit for ending the unpopular American presence in the country.

Some American military personnel and contractors did however remain in Iraq under US embassy authority as part of the Office of Security Cooperation - Iraq, which worked on training the country's forces and helping it field American military equipment.

What went wrong?

Prior to the withdrawal, American officials repeatedly stated that Iraqi forces were ready to handle internal security, but unrest worsened considerably in the years after their departure, culminating in the disastrous IS offensive in 2014.

One of the main reasons for the rising violence was widespread anger among Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, members of which complained of being marginalised and targeted by the Shiite-led government.

This anger -- which was stoked by military raids and detentions in Sunni areas, efforts to arrest several prominent Sunni politicians, and a sometimes heavy-handed response to anti-government protests -- increased sympathy for militant groups and made it easier for them to operate.

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According to the US, Iraqi forces did not carry out the necessary training to maintain their readiness after American forces left -- a view corroborated in an Iraqi parliamentary report on causes of the fall of second city Mosul to IS.

The civil war in neighbouring Syria, which broke out in 2011, also provided a key safe haven for jihadists to regroup, expand their ranks, train, and gain combat experience.

What are US forces doing in Iraq now?

American military forces are carrying out air and artillery strikes against IS in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition against the jihadists, and have provided training, advice and other assistance to Baghdad's forces.

American special forces personnel have also fought IS on the ground, and three members of the US military have been killed in the country.

There are about 5,000 American military personnel in Iraq, according to the coalition.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Saudi King Salman and others Sunday to discuss the war in Yemen, a visit to the kingdom that likely will be his last as America's top diplomat.

Kerry's trip, ahead of the inauguration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump, comes as diplomatic ties between the two longtime allies have been strained by the Iran nuclear deal championed by Democratic President Barack Obama and other issues.

Meanwhile, America has grown increasingly worried about civilian casualties caused by Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen to the point of cutting some arms sales to the kingdom last week.

The war in Yemen has also allowed extremist groups to flourish there, as the local affiliate of the Islamic State group claimed a suicide bombing Sunday in the southern port city of Aden that killed over 50 soldiers lined up to receive their pay.

Any tensions weren't immediately visible as Kerry held meetings with the king, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and other royalty in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

"In turbulent times, it's good to have solid friends," Kerry told journalists Sunday night. "That's why the United States' partnership with Saudi Arabia is rightly so valuable."

Kerry earlier joined diplomats from Britain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates to speak with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen.

The UAE is part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, while Oman has served as an interlocutor for them.

On Twitter, British Middle East Minister Tobias Ellwood said the meeting discussed a political process to end Yemen's war, something he described as "the only way to bring peace."

Kerry said he hoped to have parties involved "within two weeks" to agree to terms earlier set out by the U.N. But he and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir offered few specifics on how that would be accomplished, especially as the U.N. has proposed sidelining Saudi-backed President Abed-Rabbo Mansour Hadi and giving the rebels a share of power  concessions the kingdom strongly opposes.

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"You can see from the humanitarian situation, which is dire and deteriorating rapidly, that it is urgent that we try to bring this war to a close," he said. "But we also need to bring it to a close in a way that protects the security of Saudi Arabia."

Yemen's war began when the Houthis and their allies seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, expelling Hadi's government. A Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf Arab nations launched a campaign in March 2015 against the Iran-backed rebels.

The U.N. and rights groups estimate at least 9,000 people overall have died in the war, with the U.N. estimating at least 4,125 civilians have been killed since the airstrike campaign began. Saudi-led coalition airstrikes were responsible for 60 percent of the civilian deaths over a yearlong span starting in July last year, according to a U.N. report.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
By Deborah M. Todd

(Reuters) - Virtual assistants are set to pummel virtual reality headsets in the fight for consumer dollars this holiday season, while smartwatches drive wearable sales. Drones may fly under the radar, though.

Interviews with nearly two dozen analysts indicate high hopes for holiday electronics sales, but estimates of what will be the hit have changed.

VIRTUAL REALITY

After dubbing virtual reality as the "next mega tech theme" in a May 2015 industry report, brokerage Piper Jaffray will cut its 2016 estimate for sales of VR headsets by 65 percent to 2.2 million units in an as yet unpublished report.

Sales of high-end VR headsets including Facebook Inc's (FB.O) $599 Oculus Rift and Sony Corp's $399 PlayStation VR headset altogether will be about 300,000, reflecting supply constraints at Sony and the technological reality of Oculus and HTC Corp's (2498.TW) $799 Vive: only about 6 million to 7 million computers globally can run the software, said Paul Lee of Deloitte UK.

"With high-end VR for a family of four one might be looking at $10,000," said Lee.

Samsung Electronics Co's under $100 Gear VR headset, which turns a phone into a VR device, will be the volume winner, because it will be given away with phones.

VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS

Two years after Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) introduced the Echo, a $179.99 hands free speaker with AI-powered virtual assistant Alexa, the virtual home assistant category is poised to beat out virtual reality and possibly a few other high tech competitors, according to the Consumer Technology Association.

Oppenheimer analyst Andrew Uerkwitz estimated nearly 10 million to 12 million Amazon Echo and Google Home virtual assistants could sell during the holidays.

"Personal assistants are going to blow VR out of the water," he said.

Google launched its $129 Home assistant in time for the holidays, but the $39.99 price of the Echo Dot-a miniaturized version of the original- and a list of features two years in the making give the Echo the edge this year, said Tractica analyst Mark Beccue.

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"I saw one feature in a hackathon where you list items in the fridge then Alexa tells you here's what you can make for dinner tonight," he said.

WEARABLES

The Pebble smartwatch is folding and selling its intellectual property to market leader Fitbit Inc (FIT.N) -- which recently cut its holiday revenue forecast.

Still, the Consumer Technology Association forecasts 12.6 million wearables will be sold this holiday season, thanks largely to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) Watch, which the industry group expects to chalk up 5.5 million sales.

Fitness devices are losing ground, in market share terms, to multipurpose watches, said Forrester analyst Julie Ask.

DRONES

GoPro Inc (GPRO.O) recalled its highly anticipated Karma Drone in November, and industry sales for the year are expected to be 1.2 million, according to the CTA. That is more than double 2015, helped by a wide range of prices, but drones have not broken beyond being a niche product.

"There are plenty of drones that are $100, $150, that would be more in competition with virtual reality than anything else in terms of appeal for the same age groups," said Atherton Research analyst Jean Baptiste Su.

Oppenheimer's Uerkwitz put drones in the same basket as virtual reality, given price and limited use: "probably going to underperform" the competition.

(Reporting by Deborah M. Todd; editing by Peter Henderson and Lisa Shumaker)
The first footage from The Good Wife spinoff series, The Good Fight, is here -- and it looks like things are about to get brutal.

On Sunday afternoon, CBS premiered the 30-second teaser touting the anticipated drama ahead of its broadcast television debut during the winter finale of Madam Secretary.

"Practicing the law, you don't go on instinct," Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) opens in dramatic voiceover. "We wait and listen and watch. Eventually, everyone reveals themselves."

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About 'The Good Fight'

A montage of all the key players -- some returning and some new -- gives a glimpse into the intriguing drama that will consume the lawyers of The Good Fight.

The hourlong spinoff, which picks up one year after the events of the series finale of The Good Wife, an enormous financial scam has destroyed the reputation of a young lawyer, Maia Rindell (Rose Leslie), while simultaneously wiping out her mentor and godmother Diane Lockhart's savings. Forced out of Lockhart & Lee, they join Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at one of Chicago's preeminent law firms.

Some standout moments from the teaser include Maia in bed with another woman, a distraught Maia walking briskly through the halls of a law firm before breaking down in the bathroom, and a naked couple watching the news on TV.

"Things will get nasty," the promo promises.

RELATED: 'The Good Wife' Spinoff Debut Moved Up

If the teaser is any indication, Diane, Lucca and company aren't in Kansas anymore. Buckle up ladies, it's going to be a wild ride!

The series, from Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King, also stars Delroy Lindo, Sarah Steele, Justin Bartha, Erica Tazel, Paul Guilfoyle and Bernadette Peters.

The Kings spoke to ET earlier this year about why it was a "no-brainer" to do a spinoff focused on Baranski's character.

"[Diane Lockhart] was one of those characters, other than Will Gardner, that really seemed to pull audiences in," Robert told ET at the time. "There's a certain solidity to her and a certain sense that she commands a room , but also there's a sensitivity beneath it. So it was a no-brainer to bring her onto the spinoff."

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The Good Fight premieres Sunday, Feb. 19 on CBS before airing new episodes on CBS All Access.

For more on the origins of The Good Fight, check out ET's exclusive interview with the Kings below.

RELATED: 'Good Wife' Creators Explain Why a Spinoff Was a 'No-Brainer'

Related Articles
By Ulf Laessing and Paul Carsten ABUJA (Reuters) - The West African regional bloc said on Saturday it would take all necessary actions to uphold the result of a Dec. 1 election in Gambia, where veteran President Yahya Jammeh says he will not step down after losing to Adama Barrow. ECOWAS leaders said in a communique marking the end of a summit in the Nigerian capital that they would attend the Jan. 18 inauguration of Barrow, "who must be sworn in", and guarantee the safety of the president-elect. Barrow's surprise victory and Jammeh's initial decision to step down was seen across Africa as a moment of hope. Jammeh announced on Dec. 9 that he would reverse that position and called for a fresh vote. That move was widely condemned, including by ECOWAS leaders who say it violates the principle of democratic accountability. Jammeh's party is now challenging the result in Gambia's Supreme Court. ECOWAS agreed to "respect the will of the Gambian people" and said the group had nominated Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to mediate. "The authority (ECOWAS) shall undertake all necessary actions to enforce the result of the election," the group added, calling on all stakeholders inside and outside the country to show restraint. "(ECOWAS) calls on the Gambian defence and security to perform their role in a nationalistic manner and protect lives and property," the final communique said. A Gambian delegation led by Works Minister Bala Garba Jahumpa had arrived while the summit was already in progress to affirm Jammeh's stance, diplomats said. ECOWAS measures could include sanctions, which could hurt Gambia because ECOWAS member Senegal is the country's only neighbour. Jammeh's 22 years in power have been marked by allegations of human rights abuses and repression against perceived political opponents. ECOWAS chairwoman Ellen Johnson Sirleaf went to Gambia this week accompanied by the leaders of several West African countries including Nigeria and Ghana, whose President John Mahama lost a Dec. 7 election and said he would step down. (Additional reporting by Paul Carsten; Writing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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It's the end of the year, so we must have lists. Most-Googled lists, sad Facebook lists, lists of lists.

Kids, today we have Tinder's most swiped names list. The company has been so kind as to let us know which names were most popular on the dating app in Australia in 2016.

SEE ALSO: Tinder on TV is your new favourite party game

There must be something special about these particular boys and girls. Surely we can learn something from this, another end-of-2016 list?

Yes, thanks to an incredible abuse of power that took place when you were born, you had little say about your moniker. But no matter, the internet is an incredible place and if there is a spot of wisdom to be gleaned for the sake of your dating life, we will glean it.

Let's use science to find what's in a name. Google image search science.

First, the men:

1. Chris

Image: google

So, maybe Chris' do well on Tinder thanks to their impeccable Hollywood credentials. That stardust settles on you regulars, too.

You've got known handsome people  Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Chris Rock, plus Chris O'Donnell aka Robin in Batman Forever (where have you been!?)  and some other gents with various amounts of hair.

Then again, you've also got New Jersey Governor and Trump pin cushion, Chris Christie. Maybe the ladies love an air of quiet desperation?

2. Ollie

Image: google

This is a challenge, given none of these pictures are strictly of people. But judging by the results, the bad boy skater persona is alive and well. Try it out in 2017, but if you're over the age of 25, say farewell to your knees. Love is suffering.

If you're a rotund app-controlled racing robot, that's ok too. Everyone deserves affection.

3. Luke

Image: google

Seems like Lukes are white, white, lily white. If you're not a white man, or someone occasionally known as Mark Hamill, your prospects on Tinder in 2017 are not tops unless your name is Chris or Ollie. Sorry about that.

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Change your name?

Hope you learnt something there. Now, the women:

1. Samantha

Image: GOOGLE

So, these all appear to be the Indian star, Samantha Ruth Prabhu. 10/10 would swipe right, she's gorgeous, but what can we learn here? Very little, save the power of impeccable genetics.

Moving on.

2. Madison

Image: GOOGLE

It seems there are A LOT of aspiring actors called Madison. If you're a wannabe thespian named Madison on Tinder, things are looking good. Perhaps consider becoming one?

But who is that saucy gent third from the top right?

Turns out it's James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. Following his lead, maybe a slogan will help get you those right wipes. Try something like, the "Father of the Constitution." Can't help but give you an air of quiet authority.

3. Montana

Image: GOOGLE

On Tinder, you simply don't need to have human form. Judging by these pictures, some people like their women lush, green and about 630 miles-wide.

Or perhaps what we should learn here is, forget Paris, forget Barcelona, forget that time you visited Thailand's "Tiger Temple" (simply a scourge on Tinder, why?)  travelling to pretty basic middle-American states gets dates.

Who knows? Maybe it's the cowboys? Give it a go.

BONUS: 20 British sex terms to you can totally use in America
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. Albert Einstein
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  A New Zealand jockey has died after a two-horse fall at a race meeting on Sunday which was attended by two of her children.

Rebecca Black, a 39-year-old mother of three, was riding in the eighth race at the Tapanui Racing Club meeting at Gore when her mount, Point Proven, stumbled and fell. Another horse, Misscattlecreek, which was following closely behind Point Proven, also fell, but its rider was unhurt.

Police and paramedics who attended the incident said the jockey died at the scene from her injuries. A New Zealand Police spokesman told the Otago Daily Times that Black's death had been referred to the coroner for investigation.

In 2003, Black suffered neck and head injuries during a fall in trackwork. She returned to race riding in 2010 and had ridden 108 winners from 1,264 starts.
Wellington (AFP) - New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English unveiled a new-look cabinet on Sunday, marking his first major move since taking over the country's top job six days ago.

There were few surprises in the fine-tuning with only one minister who intends to stand in next year's general election dropped completely, while others had their roles adjusted.

Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully, who has announced he would not be seeking re-election, will retain his role until a replacement is appointed in May.

English, 54, was unanimously elected by the ruling centre-right National Party as the new leader after the popular Key resigned for family reasons after eight years as prime minister.

"This refreshed ministerial team builds on that success and provides a mix of new people, alongside experienced ministers either continuing their roles or taking up new challenges," English said.

"This new ministry is focused on providing prosperity, opportunity and security for all Kiwis, including the most vulnerable in our communities."

Judith Collins, who briefly challenged English for the leadership, lost the police portfolio and was dropped two places on the cabinet list.

Jonathan Coleman, who also stood for the leadership until it became clear English had the numbers to win, remained as health minister and stayed on the frontbench.

New Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett took over as police minister while Simon Bridges -- seen as a high-flyer in the National Party ranks -- moved into the top five in cabinet.

He replaced Steven Joyce as economic development minister, with Joyce taking over the finance portfolio.

Four-term MP Jo Goodhew, who was minister for food safety, was dropped from the cabinet. Two other former cabinet members Sam Lotu-Iiga and Craig Foss announced their resignations before the reshuffle.
Hungarian beauty Zsa Zsa Gabor, who amassed TV and film acting credits into her 80s, mostly playing herself, died Sunday of a heart attack. She was 99.

TMZ reported Gabor, who would have turned 100 in February, was pronounced dead after being rushed to a hospital.

Gabor was known as the original Kim Kardashian, Hollywood Life said. She and younger sister Eva were Beverly Hills, California, socialites for decades, and critics often made them the butt of jokes, saying they were famous for nothing. Gabor was married to Conrad Hilton from 1942-47.

Her serious acting credits were in Moulin Rouge, Lovely to Look at and Were Not Married in 1952 and Lili in 1953.

Gabor was known for her outlandish personality and extravagant lifestyle, the Hollywood Reporter said. Publicist Ed Lozzi told KCBS, Los Angeles, she died at her home Sunday afternoon.

Gabor broke a hip in 2010 when she fell out of bed. Her right leg later was amputated above the knee to prevent gangrene from spreading further.

The former Miss Hungary 1936 was married nine times, making a career from joking about her marriages, cultivating the image of an Old World golddigger and calling everyone dahlink.

I dont remember anybodys name, she once said. How do you think the dahlink thing got started?

The blonde diva wrote a how-to guide for golddiggers, How to Catch a Man, and was a popular guest on talk shows. Asked about her housekeeping skills by talk show host Merv Griffin, she quipped: I am a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I leave a man, I keep his house.

She was convicted in 1989 of slapping a Beverly Hills Police officer and sentenced to three days in jail and community service.

She was born Sari Gabor in Budapest, Hungary, but the date is uncertain. The generally accepted date is Feb. 6, 1917. She emigrated with her mother and sisters at the outbreak of World War II.

In addition to Hilton, she was married to George Sanders, who later married the third Gabor sister, Magda. Her last husband was Prince Frederic von Anhalt, who was not allowed in her bedroom in recent years because she was so ill.

Magda, who shunned the public eye, died in 1997 and Eva, whose most memorable role was in the 1965-71 CBS comedy Green Acres, in 1995.
Joel Rosenthal, wildlife activist. (Photo: YouTube)

In the mountains of West Virginia, Joel Rosenthal, 74, raises his bear cubs, five of them, on a wildlife refuge.

Rosenthal, a retired biologist, founded Point of View Farm in 2000 to get away from people. In interviews he admits to preferring four-legged animals to the two-legged variety.

Theres nobody that lives on my side of the river for miles, he told WVVA, When I run across the river, I run into these two-legged animals wearing clothes, and they make funny noises and they scare me.

Rosenthal cares for orphaned and injured wildlife until theyre ready to live on their own. The bear cubs, in particular, he protects during hunting season. The bears are raised in his own house, and Rosenthal spends his days napping with them, nursing them by hand, and hiking with them.

Its really special to be able to hike around with two or three bear cubs that are just following me, he told the New York Post. I really have to pinch myself all the time because I cant believe Im doing this  that I have this relationship with these animals.

His dream however was not so easily realized. Rosenthal took a case all the way to the Virginia State Supreme Court to assure his right to care for the animals.

In 2005, the Department of National Resources in Virginia had issued him a cease and desist order. After a four-year legal battle (Rosenthal represented himself), he won the right to care for the bears and other animals on his farm.

He admits there might be some danger in raising wild bears but throws out the received wisdom of avoiding the animals entirely. I consider bears to be very, very safe, but all the statistics bail that out, regardless of anything that I am prejudiced about, he told the Post. In North America over the last 100 years plus, I believe that there are 60 or 70 documented cases of black bears actually killing anybody.

Rosenthal has never been injured by a bear.
By David Morgan and Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican and Democratic senators called on Sunday for a special bipartisan panel to investigate cyber attacks against the United States by foreign countries with a focus on Russia's alleged efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election. Charles Schumer, who will be Senate Democratic leader in the new U.S. Congress in January, and Republican John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said separately on Sunday a select committee was needed to ensure effective congressional focus on the hacking of Democratic Party emails during the campaign. "The fact that they're hacking our political system and trying to influence the outcome, as it seems to be, that is serious, serious stuff," Schumer of New York told a news conference in New York. He said the panel should also examine hacking by other countries including China and Iran. Two other senators, Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Jack Reed of Rhode Island, joined Schumer and McCain of Arizona in sending a letter to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell requesting the panel. By having one dedicated committee on the subject, they said, the investigation could be targeted, while avoiding the jurisdictional overlap that would occur if multiple panels started conducting their own reviews. "Recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American," they wrote. "Cybersecurity is the ultimate cross-jurisdictional challenge, and we must take a comprehensive approach to meet this challenge effectively." A spokesman for McConnell's office said on Sunday he would review the letter from the four lawmakers. Last week, McConnell said he would support efforts to investigate Russian interference in the presidential election. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia tried to influence the Nov. 8 election by hacking individuals and institutions, including Democratic Party bodies. The matter has angered Republican President-elect Donald Trump, who says he won the vote fairly. Russian officials have denied accusations of interfering in the U.S. election. The U.S. Electoral College is expected to officially vote on Monday for Trump as the country's next president. At meetings scheduled in every state and the District of Columbia, the institution's 538 electors, generally chosen by state parties, will cast official ballots for president and vice president. Trump won a majority of Electoral College votes, while the popular vote went to Democrat Hillary Clinton. 'OPEN QUESTION' U.S. President Barack Obama suggested on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the Democratic Party email hacks. McCain told CNN's "State of the Union" program that the U.S. response to the Russian attacks had been "totally paralyzed" and said cyber warfare "is perhaps the only area where our adversaries have an advantage over us." The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment. John Podesta, Clinton's presidential campaign chairman, said on Sunday it was an "open question" whether Trump's advisers colluded with Russia to hack into Democratic Party emails to try to sway the election outcome. Leaked emails had revealed details of paid speeches that Clinton gave to Wall Street, party infighting and comments from Clinton top aides who said they were shocked about the extent of her use of a private server to send emails while U.S. secretary of state. The leaks led to embarrassing media coverage and prompted some party officials to resign. Podesta said there was evidence that Trump associates had contact with a Russian intelligence official and the website WikiLeaks before U.S. intelligence agencies accused Russia of being behind computer attacks of Democratic emails, including Podesta's. He did not specify what the evidence was. "It's very much unknown whether there was collusion. I think Russian diplomats have said post-election that they were talking to the Trump campaign," he told NBC's "Meet the Press" program. "Not what Mr. Trump knew, but what did 'Trump Inc' know and when did they know it? Were they in touch with the Russians? I think those are still open questions," he added. Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, Reince Priebus, rejected the notion that Trump or his associates were aware of and in touch with the Russians during the hack attack. "Even this question is insane," Priebus told "Fox News Sunday." "Of course we dont interface with the Russians. (Additional reporting by Julia Harte in Washington; Editing by Caren Bohan and Peter Cooney)
CASPER, Wyo.  When he was a boy, Layha Spoonhunters father told him that one day the five divisions of the Arapaho tribe, then scattered across the western United States, would come together again.

Spoonhunter grew up on the Wind River Reservation, a 2,000-acre swath of Wyoming land that lies in the shadow of the sharp teeth of the Wind River Mountain range, home to two tribes. His mother is Eastern Shoshone, his father Northern Arapaho. Layha heard a mix of the two tribes stories and languages in his home near Ethete, with his younger brother and older sister.

This summer, the 26-year-old decided to take a semester off studying political science at Idaho State University and focus on Native American advocacy. He wanted to help start youth programs, visit other reservations and speak at schools and universities. He had a plan.

Then, he saw a video of the Standing Rock protest on social media.

A gathering of tribes

The first seven teepees went up in North Dakota in April, when a group of Native Americans began a small protest miles from the construction site of the Dakota Access Pipeline north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The reservation, about 60 miles south of Bismarck, is home to more than 8,000 people.

As time went by, and construction crawled closer, news of a growing protest reached social media. Images of protesters clashing with police and armed security sparked outrage, and Native Americans from across the country started arriving to what would become the largest gathering of tribes in memory.

Then, on Dec. 4, the protest became a symbol of the power of peaceful resistance, when the Army Corps of Engineers denied an easement to dig under Lake Oahe and committed to further environmental impact studies.

According to Spoonhunter, who spent three months living at the camp, the protest changed a generation.

The $3.7 billion pipeline, owned by Energy Transfer Partners, was planned to take crude oil from the Bakken to processing facilities in Illinois. However, the planned path would take the pipeline under Lake Oahe, where much of the protest was focused in the fall and winter. Members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe feared the pipeline could spill into the Missouri River, imperiling their access to clean water. They also said construction damaged sacred sites and burial grounds. In a lawsuit filed in July against the Army Corps of Engineers, the government agency that permits construction on federal waterways, the tribes argued that the impact of the pipeline had not been adequately studied and that the Army Corps had violated statutes like the National Historic Protection Act.

By late summer, the seven teepees had spread into two large encampments. The number in the camps rose from the teens to the hundreds, and the protesters began calling themselves water protectors.

On Aug. 21, Spoonhunter joined a delegation of Shoshone that traveled to Standing Rock. They were meant to stay for two days, but Spoonhunter didnt want to go home.

He couldnt, he said.

Once you got in there, you saw how many camps were there, hearing songs at night and dances, seeing horseback riders, just taking in the beauty of what it was, what the camp represented, I couldnt leave. It was just too beautiful, he said.

Spoonhunter had been at Standing Rock for a few days when he saw something that changed him.

The Crow Nation arrived.

Traditionally the Crow of Montana and the tribes now settled in the Dakotas are enemies. The Crow arrived on horseback, and when they reached a crowd of joyous protesters, the tribal leaders of each nation embraced. They said they would no longer be enemies.

Spoonhunter wept.

Gaining traction

The first few months of the protest were largely ignored in national media.

Then word got out in the modern way -- on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Since the movement had a strong social media presence, those most familiar with the movement were often Spoonhunters age. They shared videos and live feeds on Facebook. Being able to broadcast live was an important tool, Spoonhunter said. It provided evidence to the world of what was happening at the camp.

Thats what was beautiful about Standing Rock. It was youth-driven, he said. A lot of decisions werent made unless [the elders] consulted with the youth council. I just seen a whole different style of leadership -- leaders consulting with youth before they make a decision that impacts them.

The news familiar to those on the outside -- of growing tension, clashes with armed guards and water cannons sprayed on protesters in subfreezing temperature -- is not the picture Spoonhunter describes. Those things happened, but they werent what made Standing Rock important.

Standing Rock became a mecca of sorts. It drew the descendants of Native American legends like Sitting Bull and members of Native American cultural movements like Ghost Dance. The most well-known Native American activists were drawn to Standing Rock, from leaders of the 1960s American Indian movement to those present at the takeover of Alcatraz in 1969.

Those movements are remnants of the past, but the story of Native American resistance continued at Standing Rock, proof of a long line of broken promises and disappointment from the federal government, Spoonhunter said.

As the protest grew in size and media attention swelled, some in power spoke in favor or against the movement. In mid-November, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders arrived.

He called on President Barack Obama to halt the pipeline.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming is the chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee. He couldnt be reached for an interview on this story, but in a recent statement, he chastised the current administration for inaction.

The Dakota Access Pipeline matter continues to be addressed in the administrative and judicial processes, and I want to allow those processes to conclude, he said. I am concerned that the inaction by the current administration has put peoples lives in jeopardy and has put a strain on tribal and state relationships. The best solutions are those that are discussed amicably instead of with the use of violence.

Called to act

Spoonhunter began thinking about Native American issues when he was still a teenager. Both his father and uncle are on the tribal council. They encouraged him to read books about Native American history and learn about the past to understand the present, he said.

But there was a tipping point for the teenager that grew out of disappointment.

In 2007, he and three other kids from Wind River went to the United Nations in New York. The U.N. was set to vote on the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As we got there, we saw all the different nations represented, and all the different tribal groups across the world that had issues just like ours, Spoonhunter recalled. Each of those groups got to meet with their ambassador. Except four kids from Wind River.

It turned out that the U.S. had already decided to vote against the declaration, along with Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The meeting with the ambassador was cancelled, and the kids, who saw themselves as representatives of the Native American tribes across the country, went home discouraged.

When Obama visited Standing Rock in 2014, many saw believed the president would bring change.

Suddenly, there was an opportunity to engage in a government that would listen to the tribes, Spoonhunter said.

However, Obama didnt speak about the Standing Rock protest for months. Some do not see the president's hand in the Army Corps of Engineers' decision to halt the pipeline's progress. In a plea to the president before the Dec. 4 decision, a youth video circulated on Facebook asking Obama to remember his promise to the young people of Standing Rock.

His failure to act, in a lot of protectors' eyes, has diminished his reputation in Indian Country, Spoonhunter said.

However, that disappointment is small in comparison to what the tribes accomplished. In a sense, it didnt matter, he said.

The experiences at Standing Rock didn't teach Spoonhunter to rely on change from outside Indian Country but from within it. The tribes had the power to come together and take a stand, he said.

Not just a camp

When the first snow fell in early September, many left the camp. Visitors from places like Texas and Hawaii were ill-equipped to deal with the cold.

The protest held on.

The leaders had been giving winter training sessions for weeks. When temperatures plummeted, members went from tent to tent to make sure the people were warm enough, moving some to better insulated lodgings.

Images of snow-covered encampments drew new protesters. Hundreds of veterans arrived to act as human shields between protesters and security guards.

On Dec. 4 the protest, which had grown to what Spoonhunter estimated to be 10,000 people, received the news that the pipeline permit under Lake Oahe would be denied pending further study.

Hopes are high that the courts will decide in favor of the Standing Rock tribe. Eight months after the first few protesters set up camp, about 1,000 people remain to hold the site through the winter.

The elders told people to go home if they can, Spoonhunter said.

However, many dont want to leave the spirit of the camp or lose the sense of community.

It was hard to leave that, Spoonhunter said sitting at a coffee shop in Casper on his way back to Ethete.

Some distrust the Army Corps' decision and fear relinquishing the camp should the government change its mind, he said.

But Spoonhunter is confident. Standing Rock wasnt just a camp. It was a movement.

People will bring the wisdom of Standing Rock back to their own reservations, and things can change for the better, he said.

Tribes now have that passion and that fire to say no to the United States government, he said. You have to consult us. This is our homeland. This is our people. This is our water.

The story of the black snake, as some have come to call the Dakota pipeline, is the fulfillment of a prophecy that the tribes would come together and defeat a giant snake or risk losing themselves, Spoonhunter said.

It was one of many prophecies that seemed to play out before his eyes at the campsite.

Old oral traditions, filled with imagery and poetry, came true.

One night, Spoonhunter noticed five camps grouped together. Some were Arapaho, some Cheyenne. He realized he was looking at the five divisions of the Arapaho Nation.

Spoonhunter took out his cellphone and dialed his father.




Particularly during my sojourns in South Africa, it may not be possible for me to perform the moderation function speedily. I regret the necessity of moderation but it has been rendered inevitable by the behaviour of a particular commentator whose contributions will always and without exception be rejected.





No correspondence will be entered into regarding moderation decisions.

Readers are invited to comment on blog posts. All comments require to be pre-moderated by me, and I shall reject all (a) that are not related to the Lockerbie disaster or (b) that fail to meet my -- perhaps idiosyncratic -- standards of courtesy towards other contributors. Comments will not be rejected simply because I disagree with them or because I, or other contributors, find them irritating. But comments will be rejected if they distort or misrepresent the evidence; are defamatory; or if they risk embroiling me, as publisher, in defamation proceedings. I am perfectly relaxed about being sued in respect of material which I personally have posted -- but not in respect of material that others wish to post as comments and which, in any case, I often strongly disagree with.
After a third chief medical examiner in little more than a year has left the post, Attorney General Tim Fox will ask the Legislature to revise the management structure of the state crime lab.

Crime Lab Administrator Phil Kinsey described the proposals as clarifications that result in a clearer command structure that should prevent the kinds of problems that led two consecutive medical examiners to resign last year amid questions about the work quality of an associate examiner.

A third examiner has taken a demotion just a year after accepting the states top post.

Another piece of the proposed agency bill would clarify statutes requiring autopsies whenever someone dies in the custody of or during pursuit by law enforcement.

When we first started the transition, having bumps at the medical examiners office, my bosses wanted to know who was in charge of the medical examiner, Kinsey said. I was new on the job. I had been in the lab a long time but had never seen a hierarchical structure regarding the medical examiners.

The Department of Justices Forensic Sciences Division, colloquially known as the state crime lab, provides an array of services to law enforcement officials and coroners statewide.

The state medical examiner, who conducts autopsies, and the crime lab administrator, who oversaw other functions such as drug testing, both are appointed and hired by the attorney general. It was not always clear how the two interconnected positions should function nor who had authority to hire and fire associate examiners.

Dr. Gary Dale had served as state medical examiner for decades and was joined by Dr. Walter Kemp as deputy state medical examiner about a decade ago. The two performed autopsies out of the state crime lab office in Missoula, primarily working for coroners in western Montana.

Death investigators in eastern Montana typically turned to private pathologists. Since 1998, that work had almost exclusively been done by Dr. Thomas Bennett of Billings, who was recognized by the state as an associate medical examiner. Dale directed him not to perform child autopsies because his work on some infant death cases in Iowa had been questioned or discredited by several authorities.

Bennett performed child autopsies anyway, according to previous reporting by Lee Newspapers based on an extensive review of state records. Confronted numerous times by Dale over several years, Bennett did not stop pediatric examinations. He argued he worked directly for the coroners and Dale had no authority over him.

Records show the issue came to a head in late 2014 and appears to have been a factor in Dales resignation in April 2015. Kemp was promoted to the role of state medical examiner but announced his own resignation a couple of weeks after taking the helm, citing the ongoing unworkable situation.

More than a month after Kemps announcement and just a few days before his departure July 1, Foxs staff informed Bennett that his appointment as an associate examiner would end and that the medical examiner's office would be restructured so all coroner-ordered autopsies would be performed by state employees. Despite that statement, the office has continued to contract out autopsies.

Fox said the dispute triggered a broader review of the state's system.

"We think the system was antiquated," he said of relying on contractors rather than state employees. "Back in the day it may have been more difficult given Montanas rural population and low population to attract lots of doctors that wanted to do medical examinations.

The changes to state law proposed by Fox are included in a bill to be carried by Rep. Kim Dudik, D-Missoula. The measure would make additional tweaks to clarify the definitions of a state, deputy and associate examiner. They would also give the state examiner explicit authority to hire and fire without having to seek intervention from the attorney general. The state medical examiner also would report to Kinsey.

We really need that cleared up, Kinsey said. There was no real clear line of who worked for who.

The proposal also would have the crime lab administrator take on some day-to-day duties of examiners such as communicating with coroners and managing the budget. That will leave the examiner to focus on medical functions of the post.

After Dale's departure in April 2015 and Kemp's in July 2015, the state struggled to fill three posts: one state medical examiner and a deputy to work from Missoula, and a third examiner to open a new Billings office.

In late August 2015, Dr. Jaime Oeberst started as the new state medical examiner after leading the largest county office in Kansas. Dr. Robert Kurtzman, who performed autopsies for several Colorado counties and had done contract work for Montana, started as a deputy medical examiner in December. Dr. Nikki Mourtzinos joined the Missoula office a month later after working at Childrens National Health System in Washington, D.C.

About a year after Oebersts arrival, she stepped down as chief examiner to become a deputy for personal reasons, Kinsey said. She is currently on leave, Fox said. Her workload involved coordinating with coroners and their deputies from 56 counties to perform autopsies as well as the administrative paperwork of the expanding office and an ongoing effort to secure national accreditation.

Kinsey said Oeberst had previously discussed those challenges with him, but declined to say whether they were why she stepped down.

Coroners interviewed for this story reported no complaints with Oeberst or the new crime lab structure. Montana Coroners Association President Greg Kirkwood said Kinsey notified them at an October board meeting about Oebersts changed title and that Kurtzman would be taking over as the chief examiner.

Citing work schedules or personal time off, both Oeberst and Kurtzman declined interview requests.

Foxs proposed changes also include changes to statute about when to require some autopsies and who will pay for them. Specifically, the statute will mandate an autopsy anytime someone dies in the custody of law enforcement or during an interaction with an officer, such as a traffic stop or chase. If the coroner should decide against an autopsy, the state would do one anyway and pick up the bill.

Thats just to make sure all the information in those investigations is available, Kinsey said. Given the current national conversations about deaths in police custody and shootings, we wanted to make sure everything is investigated that should be.
Mumbai: In what could prove to be a crucial week in the ongoing boardroom war between Tata Sons and its ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry, four listed firms of the group will vote on resolutions to remove him as director from their boards.

All eyes will be on the outcome of voting by shareholders of Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL), Tata Steel, Tata Motors and Tata Chemicals at their EGMs to be held on December 20-23. Besides deciding the fate of Mistry, shareholders of three companies  Tata Steel, Tata Motors and Tata Chemicals will also vote on similar resolutions moved by Tata Sons to remove independent director Nusli Wadia from their boards. Shareholders of IHCL will vote on removing Mistry as director.

Tata Sons holds 28.01 percent stake in the company. According to the information available on BSE, as on September 2016, promoter and promoter group together held 38.65 percent stake in IHCL. One of the key non-promoter shareholders, LIC, which had abstained in a similar voting in TCS, holds 8.76 percent.

Mistry on his own holds 1,28,625 shares in the company, as per IHCL's 2015-16 Annual Report. In Tata Steel, Tata Sons holds 29.75 percent while the total of promoter and promoter group holding is 31.35 per cent while non-promoter shareholder LIC holds 13.62 per cent. Tata Sons holds 26.51 percent stake in Tata Motors, while the overall promoter and promoter group holding is at 33 per cent, while that of LIC is at 5.11 percent.

Mistry holds 14,500 shares in his individual capacity. On the other hand, in Tata Chemicals, Tata Sons has 19.35 percent stake and the total of promoter and promoter group holding is at 30.80 percent, while that of LIC is 3.33 percent. Mistry's holding is 16,000 shares.

In the following week, on 26 December, shareholders of Tata Power will also vote on a similar resolution moved by Tata Sons to remove Mistry as director. Tata Sons holds 31.05 percent stake in the company, while the total of promoter and promoter group is at 33.02 percent and that of LIC is at 13.12 percent. Mistry owns 72,960 shares of the company. Already shareholders of three Tata firms  Tata Industries, TCS and Tata Teleservices  have voted to remove Mistry as director.

On December 13, Mistry was removed as director of Tata Group's crown jewel, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with 93.11 percent of shareholders present at an extra-ordinary general meeting voting for his ouster. Mistry had described the outcome as a foregone conclusion considering the overwhelming 73.33 percent stake of the promoters but insisted that the voting by minority shareholders of TCS sent "a strong signal that the need for governance reform at Tata group must not go unheeded".

Mistry was abruptly removed as Chairman of Tata Sons on 24 October but he continues to head several operating companies of the Group. His predecessor Ratan Tata, who replaced Mistry as the interim chairman, is trying to tighten his grip by seeking to removal Mistry from boards of the operating companies as well.
Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday dubbed ruling Samajwadi Party's observance of a 'Minority Rights Day' as symbolism and asked UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to come out of BJP's "clutches" to honestly work for the welfare of minorities.

"SP government in UP has snatched the rights of religious minorities, particularly Muslims, and merely symbolic observance of Minority Rights Day will do no good to these communities," she said, noting that the state has witnessed more than 400 incidents of communal violence, including the riots in Muzaffarnagar, during the past five years.

"The CM should come out of the clutches of BJP and work for their welfare, which he has not done during his tenure," she said in a statement.

Her strong comments came after Samajwadi Party held an event where the chief minister launched schemes for the minority community.

Mayawati said the Akhilesh Yadav government would be remembered in the same way as BJP is remembered for the 1992 Ayodhya demolition and Congress for communal riots in Moradabad, Hashimpura and Bhagalpur.

The BSP supremo said it was surprising that whenever SP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, BJP gained strength. "SP government owes an answer to the people on this country," she said, accusing both parties of complementing and supplementing each other.

She also asked why adequate compensation was not given to Muzaffarnagar riot victims and why jobs were not provided to those whose family members were killed in 2013.

Mayawati asserted that only during BSP rule, there was no major communal flare-up in the state.

She said the law and order situation in the state has hit its nadir and ridiculed the chief minister's "tall claims" on crime control.
A 72-year-old Hamilton woman died Friday in a Seattle hospital after suffering extensive burns from a fast moving house fire Thursday afternoon.

The womans name wasnt released pending notification of relatives.

The fire started in an upstairs apartment directly across the street from the Ravalli County Museum.

Hamilton Fire Chief Brad Mohn said the call came in at 3:50 p.m.

Mohn works across the street in the Ravalli County sheriffs office. He was on the scene just minutes after the call for help was received.

By the time he arrived, Hamilton Police Chief Ryan Oster and Detective Steve Snavely were already inside the apartment.

Oster said the apartment was fully engulfed when he got to the scene.

You could see smoke pouring out from under the eaves, Oster said. As soon as we opened the door, you could see the flames inside the apartment.

The woman was found on the floor. Oster, Snavely and Mohn carried her down the steps.

Mohn said the woman was apparently smoking in bed. She was on oxygen at the time.

It was an oxygen set fire, Mohn said. We were able to get her out of the building quickly.

Shortly after the woman was carried down the steps, the apartment flashed over, Mohn said.

The mattress and bedding put off a lot of gases, Mohn said. Those superheated gases build and build and build until it comes to the point that they ignite. It causes a quick flash  a miniature-type explosion  the blows out the windows.

The flash over would have killed her and anyone else in the apartment, he said.

The woman was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she died Friday morning, said Ravalli County Undersheriff Steve Holton.

A woman in the downstairs apartment fell as she attempting to get away from the building. Hamilton Police Officer Dan Altschwager helped get her inside the city courthouse. She was transported to Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for smoke inhalation.

Mohn said volunteer firefighters remained on the scene until about 5:30 p.m.

The fire was extinguished pretty quickly, he said.
New Delhi: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP Baijayant Jay Panda has said he will be returning part of his salary and daily allowance proportional to the time lost in the Lok Sabha due to disruptions as he had done in the past few years.

"I have been doing this for several years now, I think about four or five years. At the end of every session, I have been returning (part of) my salary and daily allowance in the same proportion as the time that has been lost in the Lok Sabha due to disruptions," he said, adding that it was his symbolic gesture.

He admitted that this is nothing compared to the huge amount of money that has been wasted.

"The country is losing lots of money because of the disruptions in Parliament. So, this is my symbolic gesture. Because conscience bothers me that we are all taking all these benefits and not doing the job which we are supposed to do," he said.

Panda asserted that he never disrupted Parliament. "I haven't disrupted Parliament even once in my last 16 years. It is a matter of my personal conscience," he said.
Kochi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's corruption charges against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not a "loose statement", senior party leader Anand Sharma said in Kochi on Sunday.

"Definitely there are issues. It is not a loose statement. That much I can say," he told reporters here when asked what was stopping Gandhi from revealing the "detailed information" on the "personal corruption" of Modi.

"Certain things must be placed on the table of the House under the rules. That is real. Outside, it can be debated, disputed or diluted. But once it is placed in Parliament, the Prime Minister or the Minister cannot escape accountability. That is the difference," Sharma said when asked whether the people will have to wait till next session of Parliament to know about the "corruption" charges against Modi.

The Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said it was for the Prime Minister to tell the country why he "directed the Ministers to disrupt" both the Houses and "not allow Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition leaders to speak."

"If there is nothing Prime Minister is worried about, why he (Rahul) was not allowed to speak?," Sharma asked.

After claiming that there will be an "earthquake" if he speaks, Rahul Gandhi on December 14 had alleged he has detailed information about "personal corruption" by the Prime Minister which he wants to present in Lok Sabha.

"But he was not allowed to do so by Prime Minister", Sharma alleged. Sharma also attacked Modi for his statement that Indira Gandhi paid no heed to the Wanchoo Committee's recommendation to demonetise high-value currency notes in 1971.

"Prime Minister must be condemned for tarnishing the image of a martyr Prime Minister, that too he chose 16 December when Vijay Diwas  The victory of India over Pakistani  is celebrated," he said.

The Prime Minister had cited a book to say that when the then Finance Minister Y B Chavan went to Indira Gandhi and supported the exercise, she asked "only one question. Are no elections to be fought by the Congress party?"

He also urged Modi to "stop insulting" former Prime Ministers. Sharma said the Wanchoo committee report was not only on demonetisation. "It was on the establishment of the tax settlement commission, which was accepted in 1976 and based on the recommendations Income Tax Commission's settlement was set up. And the demonetisation got implemented in 1978 was a disaster," he added.
New Delhi: Amid frosty relations with BJP, the Shiv Sena has said it has initiated talks with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party following the dropping of two of MGP's members from the Laxmikant Parsekar Cabinet.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said the party is in talks with BJP's estranged alliance partner to have an electoral agreement, but they are in "initial stages".

The party already has a pre-poll alliance with rebel RSS leader Subhash Velingkar's Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) for the upcoming polls.

On 13 December, Parsekar dropped two MGP ministers from his Cabinet to "prevent the BJP cadres from getting demoralised" by their outbursts in the poll-bound state, even as the ally chose to continue support to the government, citing "coalition dharma".

"Goa needs a change from the BJP-led government. We already have a pre-poll alliance with Velingkar. We are also in talks with the MGP and looking for a grand alliance in the state. Velingkar is also in talks with the MGP," Raut said.

Sources said the party is in the process of finalising the manifesto, along with GSM.

Interestingly, the Shiv Sena, despite having its bastion in Konkan, could never leave its footprints in neighbouring Goa in terms of winning seats. This was primarily because of the language issue. While the Shiv Sena bats for Marathi, Goa is primarily a Konkani state.

In 2012, the party contested on three seats and could poll only 210 votes together. In 2007, it contested on seven seats and polled 1,049 votes. Its performance was slightly better in 2002 where it contested 15 seats and bagged 4,946 votes.

In his rally on 22 October, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackarey took a jibe at BJP saying, the party made a mistake by letting and helping the saffron party grow in Goa, else it would have had its leader as chief minister long back.

Ever since BJP and the Shiv Sena severed their relations ahead of 2014 assembly polls, breaking their 25-year-old alliance, equations between the two parties have not been the same.

The Sena, now a junior partner in the BJP-led government in Maharashtra, is seen as an "opposition" rather than alliance member. It is also not happy with the portfolio alloted to it, despite being the second largest party in the NDA after BJP.

The party has already announced that it would be contest around 200 seats in Uttar Pradesh.
Aleppo: Desperation mounted on Sunday among thousands of hunger-stricken Syrian civilians trapped in the rebel enclave in Aleppo after their evacuation was delayed by a disagreement over the fate of other besieged areas. As international alarm grew over the plight of residents including women, children, the sick and wounded, the UN Security Council was to vote on whether to send observers to the battleground city.

An AFP correspondent who visited a hospital in the rebel sector saw appalling conditions with patients lying on the floor without food or water and almost no heating despite sub-zero temperatures at night. Thousands of civilians and rebels had begun leaving Aleppo on Thursday under an evacuation deal allowing Syria's regime to take full control of the divided city after years of fighting. But the operation was suspended the next day with both sides blaming each other.

The main obstacle to a resumption is a rift over the number of people to be evacuated in parallel from two Shiite villages, Fuaa and Kafraya, under rebel siege in northwestern Syria. Under an agreement reached between Turkey, which backs the rebels, and regime allies Russia and Iran, those evacuations would take place at the same time as the Aleppo operation.

But differences remain over the number of people to leave the villages  the rebels have agreed to 1,500 while Shiite Iran wants 4,000 people to be allowed out. Al-Farook Abu Bakr, of the hardline Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham, said a deal had been reached for the evacuations to resume and it was possible that they would happen today.

The UN Security Council was set to meet at 1600 GMT in New York to vote on French proposals to dispatch monitors to oversee evacuations and report on the protection of civilians. The draft text said the council was "alarmed" by the worsening humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and by the fact that "tens of thousands of besieged Aleppo inhabitants" are in need of aid and evacuation.

"Our goal through this resolution is to avoid another Srebrenica in this phase immediately following the military operations," French Ambassador Francois Delattre told AFP, referring to a 1995 Bosnian war massacre. But the proposals face resistance from veto-wielding Russia, a key backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Families have been sheltering during the night in freezing temperatures in bombed out apartment blocks in Aleppo's Al-Amiriyah district, the departure point for evacuations before they were halted.
A little-known, painful reaction to heavy use of potent marijuana is popping up in emergency departments, hospitals and clinics across the country.

Because the condition is often misdiagnosed, frequent users of large amounts of cannabis with high levels of the euphoria-inducing component THC find themselves in continuing agony and often receiving unneeded diagnostic testing and sometimes surgery exceeding $100,000.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome presents endless cycles of violent vomiting and abdominal pain.

Although first reported in medical journals in 2004, many physicians, pot sellers and users still dont know about it.

You can think of it as a new or emerging disease, said Dr. Eric Lavonas, chief of emergency medicine at Denver Health Medical Center.

Lavonas, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, cautions his colleagues to be careful not to trivialize it."

These folks are really suffering. They can get pretty sick. They vomit like crazy and make frequent emergency department visits because they just can't stop vomiting.

Obscure but serious

The average patient with the syndrome made five visits to stand-alone clinics, seven trips to emergency departments and was hospitalized three or more times, said Dr. Cecilia Sorensen, also an emergency medicine doctor at the Denver hospital. Colorado has become an epicenter for marijuana research, especially for the obscure cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, because it was the first in the country to legalize recreational pot.

But the cause continues to be missed by many.

Late last month, a young woman came to the emergency department at Missoulas Providence St. Patrick Hospital complaining of repeated vomiting that wouldnt stop, said Dr. Douglas Melzer, who treated her. She had a state-issued medical pot card for chronic pain and told him that shed been using pot for at least four or five years. But a week earlier, out of the blue, the violent, cyclical vomiting began.

Hot baths and hot showers provided some relief, but only for the moment, Melzer said. Many who have experienced the syndrome have learned that the pain can be alleviated by bathing in hot water.

A week earlier she went to another hospital where she was given a common anti-nausea drug in the emergency department and sent home. Soon, she was back, still vomiting and was admitted for two days and treated for severe electrolyte abnormalities caused by dehydration from the continuous vomiting.

Doctors at the first hospital had scheduled her for a series of tests including a colonoscopy, an endoscopy, a CT-scan and a few other studies, the woman told Melzer. But she said she left before the procedures began.

Cyclic vomiting can be caused by many things, but because Melzer had seen it before, and the patient willingly discussed her use of marijuana, he knew it was cannabinoid hyperemesis.

I treated her with Haldol, which is what we think is the best antiemetic for this, he said. The antipsychotic medication, called haloperidol, has many other off-label uses including for nausea, sedation and migraines.

Popping up everywhere

In Denver, Lavonas said he knows of 50 or so people at any given time being treated for cannabinoid hyperemesis.

This has become a very common problem for us. We see it all the time in several patients a week in our emergency department, and all the emergency departments around Denver, Lavonas said. It takes time for the medical community to learn about it and recognize it. But once you're familiar with the disease, you're not likely to misdiagnose it.

Emergency room personnel at San Francisco General Hospital, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., Harborview and University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle also report routinely seeing cases of cannabinoid hyperemesis, but none could provide numbers of patients with the diagnosis for any specific period.

It should be noted that these hospitals are in states where the recreational use of marijuana is legal or widely used. In 28 states and the District of Columbia, the use of marijuana is legal for medical purposes.

Nevertheless, obtaining accurate numbers of the cases of the syndrome borders on impossible.

Jon Ebelt, a spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, offered an explanation: cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome does not have an ICD Code (International Classification of Diseases Code), which is used for billing and for disease surveillance. Therefore, there is no way to track diagnosed cases, Ebelt said.

But pot is being used everywhere.

Like everybody else, we have a lot of marijuana use in Butte, said Dr. Alan Mayer, at St. James Healthcare. We all know what cyclic vomiting is, but in the past we didnt recognize that a lot of these people were chronic marijuana smokers.

He said hes concerned that there are probably more patients that have it that we havent identified yet.

The difficulty in diagnosing the syndrome is due in part to its paradoxical use, meaning that while marijuana is often used to ease nausea and vomiting, in hyperemesis cases it causes the symptoms it is supposed to treat.

While diagnostic and surgical intervention is often ultimately the wrong treatment, its often the most prudent course to protect a patients life when the cause is unknown. Several emergency medicine specialists said the symptoms can mimic life-threatening emergencies including arterial embolus, ruptured aortic aneurysm, bowel perforation, ectopic pregnancy, pancreatitis and many others.

Risk from wrong guesses

Lavonas and other emergency medicine practitioners said the greatest risk to the patient is from unnecessary diagnostic testing or surgery.

Repeated CT scans to determine the cause of severe abdominal pain present a risk from radiation or reaction to the contrast dye. With endoscopy, the passage of a flexible tube into either end of a persons digestive tract, presents the risk, albeit minimal, of reaction to sedation or anesthetic or a possible tearing of the walls of the tract, they said.

Sorensen practices at the Denver hospital, which has become known for its treatment of acute drug emergencies. She has also studied the financial cost of wrongly identifying the syndrome.

Sorensen's study, which followed marijuana users with the syndrome for two years, showed the accumulated medical charges for those patients ranged from $62,420 to more than $250,000 each.

Mayer, in Butte, said that a few years ago he wouldnt have even thought of testing for chronic marijuana use, but this is a very expensive problem.

He said one of his patients ended up with the $40,000-plus equivalent of an abdominal pacemaker.

They thought his stomach wasnt working and they implanted a stimulator, but he was one of the people who test positive for marijuana every time, Mayer said.

A profile of the afflicted

In Sorensen's research on 200 cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome patients she teamed with Dr. Andrew Monte, a professor at the University of Colorado Hospital and a toxicologist at Rocky Mountain Poison Center. The pair characterized the patients as having an average age of 28. Three out of four are male, and 75 percent have used cannabis for more than a year.

In Missoula, Melzer said the patients he has seen and diagnosed are people who use multiple times a day, and it's something that is a lifestyle agent for them, it's not just every so often they're using. So I think the doses are pretty high.

However, the physicians agree there is no indication the symptoms are caused by an overdose.

Those experienced with making the correct diagnosis said it's key to earn the patient's trust.

Taking a history about substance use requires the doctor to ask in a way that makes it possible for the patient to give an honest answer without feeling ashamed, and it requires people to be willing to give that honest answer. Until that happens you'll never make the diagnosis," Lavonas said.

"Weve got to make it clear to the patient that none of us are going to judge you if you smoke pot. We just want to help you medically. The best way to do that is for us to have all the information, he said.

At Billings Clinic, Montanas largest hospital system, Dr. Daniel Hurst said that often when people are asked whether they use drugs, or alcohol or marijuana, initially they say no.

But Ive found here in Montana at least that if confronted and you kind of explain why youre asking, people will give you an honest answer, and that makes the chance of an accurate diagnoses more likely, Hurst said.

He said when he sees a patient with the symptoms, he gives them information on the syndrome and suggest that they try to go weeks, if not months, without using to see if that controls the symptoms.

Education is everyones duty

Many factors affect the degree of kick or buzz from what people smoke or ingest. Government researchers have reported for years that the potency of marijuana is dependent on the product's concentration of THC. That is governed by what part and how much of specific portions of the plant producers use.

Flowers or trichomes on the mature female cannabis plant contain the highest concentration of THC. Plant stalks have about 100 times less potency. The blend will impact the money the seller makes and effect it has on the user.

But how is the pot user to know what theyre buying?

In some areas where marijuana use is legal for both medical and recreational use, storefront dispensaries with their green crosses dot the commercial landscape with the frequency of coffee shops. Some offer extensive labeling and signs to tell customers what they're getting.

Physicians who believe that marijuana will help their patients are forbidden by federal law from actually prescribing specific strains or amounts. To do so would allow the government to charge practitioners with aiding and abetting in a federal crime.

Almost all the medical personnel interviewed for this story said the pot users they had treated were not educated on the syndrome by either the physicians who initially recommended medical marijuana or the providers who sold it.

Thats not being done at all, Melzer said. There are very, very few people who come into an emergency department who have ever heard of this syndrome before. Providers don't know as much about it, and I think the public knows nothing about it.

Mayer said he believes that the physicians who suggest their patients use marijuana and those who sell it have the responsibility to educate the users of the risk.

Sorensen said she suspects that patients have a genetic predisposition to developing the syndrome but adds, there is no way to prove there is and no way to predict who will get it and how much cannabis use it takes before the syndrome appears.

It appears from the literature that once you have the syndrome, any future use of cannabis can trigger a relapse into a cyclic vomiting episode. It seems like a switch is flipped physiologically, she said.

Based on the hundreds of cases she and her colleague Monte have evaluated, the pair will soon be issuing guidelines and suggested protocols to give physicians and other emergency medical personnel the best chance of accurately diagnosing the syndrome.
BENGHAZI, Libya At least seven people were killed and eight wounded when a suicide bomber targeted forces loyal to Libya's eastern government in Benghazi on Sunday, medical and security officials said.Islamic State said it carried out the bombing, in the besieged district of Ganfouda. The area is one of the last pockets of resistance holding out against the Libyan National Army (LNA), a self-styled force loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar.Haftar has been waging a military campaign in Benghazi for more than two years against Islamists and other opponents. The fighting is part of a broader, low-intensity conflict in Libya, which splintered into multiple political and armed factions after the uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.This year the LNA has made major gains in Benghazi, though fighting and attacks have continued in parts of the city.

All those killed in Sunday's bombing were from the LNA, a medical source from Benghazi's main hospital said.The attack followed the latest advance on Saturday by the LNA, which said following heavy clashes that it had taken control of buildings along the seafront west of Ganfouda, encircling its opponents. At least six people were killed in Saturday's fighting, security and medical officials said.

Recently there have been efforts to evacuate civilians trapped by the fighting in Ganfouda but only small numbers of women and children and foreign workers have left the area.

Those fighting the LNA in Benghazi include the Benghazi Revolutionaries Shura Council (BRSC), a coalition of Islamists and self-proclaimed revolutionaries, as well as militants loyal to Islamic State. (Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Sanaa: An explosion on Sunday morning outside a military camp near the southern Yemeni city of Aden has killed at least 23 people, according to Yemeni officials.

The officials tell The Associated Press that the explosion is suspected of being the work of a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media.

The camp where the explosion took place is the same military base that was struck by another suicide bomber on 10 December, killing at least 45 soldiers and wounding at least 50.

No group has claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack. However, the Islamic State group's Yemeni affiliate claimed responsibility for the 10 December bombing. In addition to Islamic State, Yemen is the longtime home to an active branch of Al-Qaeda, widely regarded as the most dangerous affiliate of the international extremist group.

Aden is controlled by a loose coalition of troops loyal to the internationally recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, local militias and jihadi groups. They are battling Shiite rebels, who seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and later swept much of northern Yemen.

Their advances forced Hadi to flee the country and seek shelter in neighboring Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition, mostly consisting of Gulf Arab states, subsequently intervened in Yemen, launching a punishing air campaign against the rebels and their allies.
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A doctor hired by the Montana Department of Justice for occasional autopsy work had resigned from his previous job in Washington after years of complaints and two lawsuits about workplace conditions.

When the states two longtime medical examiners resigned in quick succession last year, the state struggled to fill their positions. The crime lab and the county coroners for which it worked turned to private pathologists to perform autopsies.

Dr. Norman Thiersch was among the contractors paid by the state to travel to Missoula for the work.

In September 2014, Thiersch resigned his post as Snohomish County Medical Examiner as part of a confidential separation agreement, according to The Daily Herald newspaper in Everett, Wash. He had held the job for 16 years but left as criticism of his management mounted and in the wake of two lawsuits.

Thiersch, reached by email, declined two interview requests, suggesting the reporter speak with Montana Department of Justice Spokesman Eric Sell.

Sell said Thiersch had to disclose the incidents in Washington when applying for his Montana medical license. Additionally, he said Crime Lab Administrator Phil Kinsey asked employees who had previously worked with Thiersch about whether they would have an issue working with him and they all said no.

There havent been any concerns with his work product, Sell said. No issues or concerns have been reported by crime lab employees.

In 2010, The Daily Herald reported that high turnover and low morale led county leaders to call for an independent investigation of Thierschs office. Two incidents involving employees were subject to criminal investigations, though no charges were filed, the newspaper reported.

In 2012, the newspaper reported that a city police department was upset that Thiersch refused to perform an autopsy on a 7-year-old boy who died of an apparent overdose of aspirin or similar medication. Police said they couldnt bring charges against the parents, in part, because they did not have evidence that might have been found during an autopsy.

Thiersch also was named in two related discrimination and retaliation lawsuits.

The first, filed by a former death investigator, alleged discrimination due to disability, sexual harassment and retaliation. In part, the suit alleged that after the death investigator confronted Thiersch about unprofessional conditions in the morgue, the pathologist forcefully ripped organs from a body then threw them back into the chest cavity so as to intentionally splash and splatter blood on the woman. The Herald reported that the case was settled in 2013 for $495,000 with a confidentiality clause that prevented the parties from speaking about the case. A second case with similar allegations was settled for $125,000 a year later, according to the Herald.

Since August 2015, Thiersch has been paid nearly $22,000 to travel to Missoula for autopsies, according to state financial records. Although most of that was last year, Kinsey confirmed Thiersch also had worked for the lab earlier this month but had yet to bill the state.

The state saw a spike in contracting costs last year as it struggled to fill three positions, two left vacant by the departure of the states longtime medical examiners and a third that was new.

In the last six months of 2015, 39 bodies were transported hundreds of miles to out-of-state labs, according to a report Kinsey presented to legislators in March. Three private pathologists, including Thiersch, secured Montana licenses and traveled to Missoula to perform another 113 autopsies under contract.

Records show those services, along with recruitment expenses, cost the state $570,000 more than was available in the FY 2016 budget. For comparison, the full annual salary of a deputy medical examiner is $201,000.

The Department of Justice requested in May that Budget Director Dan Villa shift spending authority from FY 2017 to 2016 to cover the shortfall. The department has previously said the difference would be made up by holding open vacant positions and reducing FTE as well as increased revenues from a raised autopsy fee paid by county coroners.

The result of the reduction will be delays in processing forensic evidence and timely resolution of cases, Central Services Administrator Christi Jacobsen wrote in June.

In 2016, the state also paid another $41,000 to a Minnesota-based pathologist to cover for absences by the Billings-based pathologist.

The March report from Kinsey notes that national guidelines recommend the state should hire another pathologist for the Billings office based on Montanas population, something many coroners also support. The Department of Justice did not request funding for an additional position as it put together a budget proposal earlier this fall. Given the states declining revenues, the creation of an additional position is unlikely.
TWIN FALLS  December 12, 2016  Handcrafted ornaments made by children from Perrine Elementary adorned the Zions Bank Christmas tree as part of an annual tradition supporting education and the spirit of giving.

Twenty-five first grade children decorated a tree inside the Canyon Park financial center on Tuesday. The students also sang for teachers, parents and Zions Bank employees who gathered in the lobby for the banks Lights On ceremony.

In appreciation, Zions Bank presented a contribution of $100 to the school. The decorated tree will be on display in the banks lobby through the holidays.

We cherish this annual tradition because it celebrates the giving spirit of the holiday season, said Renee Avram, manager of Zions Banks Canyon Park financial center. We love to show off the childrens ornaments and know the community will enjoy and appreciate them as much as we do.

Dozens of Idaho and Utah elementary schools will participate in Zions Banks Lights On holiday celebrations this year. In addition, a number of Zions Bank offices have invited students from special-needs classes and Title 1 schools to decorate the trees in their lobbies. Zions Bank has been inviting students to participate in this annual holiday event for 46 years.
BUHL  The Buhl Police Department is investigating allegations involving Buhl Middle School, and one mother says its about a group of boys assaulting classmates. Her son turned suicidal after the alleged attack.

Detective Kevin Hanners confirmed Friday an investigation began when police received a report last week. But he declined to say if it involves students or school employees because police are still investigating.

The mother of a Buhl Middle School student, however, told the Times-News a group of five middle school boys were tackling and assaulting classmates. She alleges the boys put sticks and sometimes fingers up their victims rectums through their pants.

She and other parents have consulted a lawyer.

The parents say the heard from police there may be as many as 20 middle school victims. She said perpetrators have been suspended until Jan. 9, pending the outcome of the police investigation.

My son was so humiliated that he told his friends he wanted to kill himself, said the woman, whose son was attacked Nov. 30.

The Times-News is withholding the womans name to protect her sons identity.

Buhl School District superintendent Ron Anthony wasnt available to comment Friday afternoon by phone or email. Buhl Middle School principal Suzanne Wilkin declined to comment, saying Anthony is the designated media spokesman for the district.

The mother said parents reported the attacks to the Buhl Police Department on Dec. 6. She said she was told by police that school officials are mandatory reporters  meaning, by law, they must report any incidents of sexual assault to police  but hadnt come forward with information.

The mother said she and three other parents met with an attorney Wednesday. And they plan to meet with the school board Monday during a private executive session.

The attacks happened for a couple of weeks, the mother said, but increased in severity.

She said the victims didnt talk to their parents about what happened. None of the boys wanted to say anything to anybody. If (the perpetrators) hadnt been caught, we probably still wouldnt know.

The mother said the first time boys were caught assaulting a classmate was during lunchtime Dec. 1.

Three boys were involved, she said, adding two of them held down the victim. Two school employees saw what was happening and pulled the boys apart, she said.

The three boys who assaulted a classmate wrote a statement and the incident was reported to the school principal, the mother said.

The same day, another boy told his mother hed been attacked and he didnt want to go to Buhl Middle School anymore, she said. The parent went to the school and filed a complaint Dec. 2.

The parents of the alleged victims say the attacks also have a racial component, with the attackers hollering different chants depending on the race of the victims.

Other boys came forward in the following days, the mother said.

When the mother picked up her son and her sons best friend from school Dec. 6, she saw one of the parents whose son was suspended.

It prompted the conversation about why they were suspended, she said.

Her son admitted to her that evening he had also been attacked.

Our boys dont understand what penetration is, she said, but complained about being sore the next day.

School officials started interviewing middle school boys, the mother said, but said parents werent notified. But she received a call from the school counselor saying her son was so humiliated he told friends he wanted to kill himself, and he wouldnt be released until she picked him up.

The police department started conducting interviews that evening, the mother said. She said she received a phone call asking to bring her son to the police station for an interview.

The mother said she only knew her son was attacked using fingers. But she said during the interview, her son responded admitted hed also been attacked with a stick.
GOODING  North Canyon Medical Center in Gooding is holding a ceremony Monday for its new medical plaza, the hospital announced.

Community members are invited to attend the ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Monday at 267 North Canyon Drive. Tours will follow from 3-7 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

The 30,000-square-foot expansion  funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Idaho Health Facilities Authority  will consolidate services into one location.

The plaza will house Gooding Family Physicians, general surgery, wound center and rehabilitation services.

Theres also space to expand the specialty clinic and to house business operations.

For more information, visit www.ncm-c.org.
Jean Glauner

HAGERMAN  Jean Glauner of Hagerman, graveside service at 2 p.m. Monday, December 19 at the Hagerman Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 3 until 4 p.m. Sunday, December 18, at Demaray Funeral ServiceGooding Chapel.

Charles Damele

SHOSHONE  Vigil Service will be held December 20th at 9:30 A.M. at St. Peter Parish 215 W. B Street in Shoshone, ID. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:00 a.m. at the Church with burial following at the Richfield Cemetery in Richfield, ID.

Forrest Hymas

KETCHUM  Forrest Pace Hymas, friends are invited for a Celebration of Life at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 20, 2016, at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, 100 Saddle Rd, Ketchum, Idaho. Arrangements provided by Wood River Chapel in Hailey.

John C. Merrill

BURLEY  John Churchill Merrill of Burley, funeral at 11 a.m. Friday, December 30, at the Rasmussen Funeral Home, 1350 E, 16th St., in Burley. Military honors will be provided by the Mini-Cassia Veterans Organization.
This appeared in the Idaho Press-Tribune:

As veteran members of the Idaho Legislature will say, there are two times when serving in the Statehouse is the most challenging: when the state is in an economic recession or when theres a fat surplus. Recessions leave no real options other than to cut spending, while a surplus opens the floodgates to ideas.

Gov. Butch Otter and Rep. Brent Crane of Nampa, the House assistant majority leader, have lived through the best and worst of times during their political careers. But there are distinct differences in how the two have responded to the ebb and flow of state revenues.

Otter has shown the ability to adjust his thought pattern according to the changing times; Crane has not. But as legislators ponder what to do with a projected $139 million revenue surplus, Otter and Crane are setting the stage for an interesting legislative session next year.

Crane told reporters last week that House Republicans are looking to tax cuts the first thing out of the box.

We feel like its time that we give some of the money back to the citizens that have been paying the bill, he said in an article written by the Spokesman-Reviews Betsy Russell. He talked about efforts to buy down the tax rate a tenth at a time, further cuts in the personal property tax which businesses pay for inventory and increasing the property tax exemption.

Otter has said tax cuts are not on his radar and that his primary focus would be in education  which in our view is the right priority. Still, there are some House members who think taxes should be reduced and no doubt welcome Cranes comments. Theyll be making plenty of noise about the issue, with encouragement from the conservative-based Idaho Freedom Foundation. So the political battle looms.

Otter and Crane came into their respective offices during the most trying of economic times  when the states economy was tanking and state revenues were falling. Otter, with the help of legislators such as Crane, did the best that could be done during those trying times. Funding for public schools was slashed, and higher education was hardly an after-thought. Some healthcare programs were cut drastically or eliminated entirely. Roads and bridges were crumbling before our eyes, and Otter couldnt even get through a 2-cent per gallon fuel tax to fund the roads.

But times have changed for the better, and Otter has adjusted accordingly  starting with a stronger commitment toward education. In his eyes, education holds the key to economic recovery and the filling of thousands of high-paying jobs that remain vacant because workers lack the skills that employers need.

Speaking at last weeks Nampa Chamber of Commerce legislative luncheon, Dwight Johnson, state administrator for career and technical education, said there will be an estimated 49,000-worker shortfall in skilled workers in Idaho.

At the same luncheon, House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, spoke philosophically about why you get what you get with a Republican-controlled Legislature: Conservative lawmakers, rather than just doling out money, look for the return on investment before committing to spending. When it comes to Cranes proposal to cut taxes, apparently simply for the sake of cutting taxes, we fail to see how he makes the argument for a return on investment.

If Crane really is serious about cutting taxes, we suggest he bolster state funding of public education and let our school districts wean themselves off supplemental levies. Statewide, school district taxpayers are taxing themselves about $188 million collectively. Taxpayers have agreed to those tax increases over the past several years because they recognized that the education funding coming from the state was not sufficient to provide an adequate return on investment. So before we start talking about modest tax cuts at the state level, lets work on getting rid of those supplemental levies.

As much progress that Otter has made in recent years, Idaho is at only the 2009 level of funding for education  which is hardly an impressive benchmark. A $139 million surplus wont push Idaho to 2017 levels, but it would help. And it could help give a needed boost to programs that were cut back during the recession.

It also could allow Idaho to put more money into reserve accounts  which was done, amid criticism, before the recession and ended up saving the state from a financial hurricane during the recession.

Bedke points out that Idaho was able to weather the recession at all because, in part, the state pulled out about $400 million in savings to patch holes in the budget.

Rather than cut taxes, we would rather see the state continue to bolster rainy-day funds in preparation for the next monsoon.

We havent even touched on the subject of transportation needs, which as well has been short-changed and could still use an infusion of well-placed government spending. Has Interstate 84 in Canyon County gotten better yet?

Studies, including those from the Idaho State Tax Commission, itself, show Idahos state and local tax burden among the lowest in the country, among the lowest in the West region and among the fairest in the country, meaning the combination of sales, property, income and corporate taxes doesnt burden any one taxpaying group disproportionately.

Further, Idaho has one of the fastest-growing economies  with the current tax structure.

We have to ask, with such high marks in terms of rate and fairness, why the push to fix what aint broke?

Ten years ago, Crane campaigned as a hardline fiscal conservative, and he has lived up to his end of the bargain  voting for the hard cuts that needed to be made during the recession. But he would be no less of a conservative by allowing the state to catch up a bit now that a more generous revenue picture is in place.

Conservatism is not a bad word in politics, especially Idaho politics. But as Otter and the likes of Bedke have shown, being conservative also means being practical and making smart investments that will yield a high rate of return. Areas such as education, transportation, workforce training and mental health clinics have a proven record of high rates of return. Now is not the time to starve them.
Special To The Washington Post

As innocent civilians continue to be slaughtered within the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, our greatest present-day humanitarian catastrophe can be largely attributed to the fact that the Muslim world has failed the people of Syria.

Even though many nations and organizations (especially the United States and the United Nations through inaction, and Russia through direct aggression) rightfully bear the majority of collective blame for their woeful treatment of Syria, it is important to acknowledge that 1.7 billion Muslims have also let the people of Syria down in several different ways.

Independent war-crimes investigators working for the Commission for International Justice & Accountability once smuggled out of Syria more than 600,000 official documents tracing the systematic torture and murder of tens of thousands of suspected members of the opposition, as reported in the New Yorker. According to these groups, these official documents were direct orders emanating from President Bashar al-Assads highest-level security committee and approved by President Assad himself.

The Syrian government and their Russian benefactors have been violating international law for several months by dropping incendiary bombs on areas populated by civilians, according to an August 2016 report by Human Rights Watch.

The Syrian government and Russia should immediately stop attacking civilian areas with incendiary weapons, Steve Goose, arms director at Human Rights Watch, said in the report. These weapons inflict horrible injuries and excruciating pain, so all countries should condemn their use in civilian areas.

And yet, despite the reckless destruction of so many Muslim lives, two supposedly Islamic countries  Iran and Saudi Arabia  are acting like petulant children, callously using Syria as the latest staging ground in their Sunni-Shiite proxy war for regional power. Both Iran and Saudi Arabia are funding their respective fighting forces, with the Syrian civilian population as the casualties of their endless crossfire.

Of course, the Sunni-Shiite framing of the ongoing Saudi Arabia-Iran proxy war is something of a misnomer: The fight is about political power, not theology, and both of these apparently Muslim countries should be ashamed of themselves for using innocent Syrian women and children as expendable pawns in their dastardly geopolitical chess game.

Meanwhile, international Muslim organizations like the Arab League and Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have also completely failed in mobilizing 57 Muslim-majority nations in adequately addressing the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Wealthy petro-monarch gulf Arab states have been cruelly remiss in accepting Syrian refugees, likely because it would trigger legal protections for the refugees under international law. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently over 2.764 million Syrian refugees living in tent cities in the neighboring country of Turkey, making theirs the largest refugee population since Afghan citizens began fleeing their conflict-ridden nation in the seventies.

As a Muslim, I am shocked and appalled at the complete abandonment by the Muslim world of the plight of their brothers and sisters in Syria, Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, told me during a recent interview. We always see massive protests [in the Muslim world] if an offensive cartoon is drawn against our prophet. ... But we have seen silence as genocidal massacres take place against Muslim women and children in Syria.

Moustafa added that not a single Muslim country has effectively intervened to help the Syrian people outside a failed effort at a cease-fire by the Turkish government.

Finally, our own American Muslim community of 7 million has also failed the Syrian people miserably by inadequately mobilizing to help them. We havent succeeded in lobbying the White House and Congress in any meaningful manner, nor have we managed to pressure our elected lawmakers to do away with no-fly zones or create humanitarian corridors which would allow civilian populations to escape widespread destruction.

Even though our American Muslim community raised millions of dollars for Syria aid efforts during fancy suburban fundraising banquets, we have been utterly unable to leverage our political capital to demand that the White House and Congress take decisive action in ending the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.

One of the few glimmers of hope are groups like the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) which provided essential medical services to over 2.3 million people inside Syria and 320,000 Syria refugees last year.

There is a very well-known verse from the Holy Koran which states that any person who saves the life of one person, it shall be as if they saved all humanity.

Even though our entire global community is collectively responsible for our tragically weak response to the continued carnage against the Syrian people, I must also own the fact that our global Muslim community bears much of the blame when it comes to the ongoing disaster in Syria. I pray that God forgives us for living our charmed lives while millions of other people are just trying to stay alive every day.
What should you know about Julie VanOrden, Idahos new House Education Committee chairman?

Shes fair, smart and well informed, say Republicans and Democrats who know her.

Shes a thinker, said Rep. Patrick McDonald, R-Boise, the committees new vice chair.

VanOrden, R-Pingree, was appointed chairwoman of the House Education Committee this fall after former Chairman Reed DeMourdant, an Eagle Republican, did not seek re-election.

VanOrden comes to the chair after serving in the Legislature since 2013 and serving as the Education Committee vice chairman for two years.

The committee structure in the Idaho Legislature is the prime conduit for legislation. Rarely do personal bills introduced by individual lawmakers get very far. So who chairs the committees largely determines what legislation gets even a hearing, much less a vote in committee and, from there, a trip to the floor of the House or Senate.

In Idaho, paying for education makes up 63 percent percent of the states $3.2 billion budget. Here are four more things to know about VanOrden, who will play a high-profile role in decisions about Idaho education.

1. Job one: Improve education

VanOrdens top goal: continue putting in place recommendations from Gov. Butch Otters 2013 task force for improving education.

Among those tasks: Put $57 million into boosting teacher salaries in the third year of the states career ladder aimed at attracting more teachers by raising teacher pay.

VanOrden works closely with Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, a former Bonneville School Board trustee who serves on the Legislatures budget committee, tracking dollars to make sure that we are funding things that need to be funded, VanOrden said.

2. Considering school choice

School choice is likely to get more visibility with the nomination of Besty DeVos as President-elect Donald Trumps Secretary of Education, who has been a big advocate for expanding private and charter school choices in Michigan and elsewhere.

VanOrden supports school choice, which has an ardent following in Idaho where there are more than 50 charter schools. Shes open to discussing creating education savings accounts, a form of voucher, that would allow parents to use state education dollars in a variety of ways: Whether it is services they need provided, tuition to a private school or even saving it up for college, she said. I think it is something we should investigate. I think there is interest in our state for it.

But first, the legislative committee studying ways to change the way public education is funded must be allowed to do its work, she said. Hopefully, in the end, we will have some tools to be able to offer those components on school choice.

3. Room for early childhood education?

Pre-school education is important, VanOrden says. But it must take its place in the priority line. And she espouses the long-established line set by many other Idaho legislators: We need funding for K-12 before we look into pre-K, she said.

4. Post-high school training

Idahos goal of making sure that 60 percent of residents ages 25 to 34 get a post-high school certificate or diploma by 2020 appears to be slipping away. I dont know if we are going to make it by then. Certainly we are going to keep moving toward that goal, VanOrden said.

She said the Legislature did pass a Pay For Success program a couple of years ago that could be used to help pay for early-childhood education programs or teacher education programs that demonstrate a proven record in the state for saving dollars or improving achievement.

Shes held conversations with lawmakers, noodling over an idea that would let pre-K students into public kindergarten. I dont know if it will happen this year, she said.

Fewer than half of the students graduating from Idaho high schools are going onto college the next fall, according to the State Board of Education. To try to boost that number, Idaho colleges are wooing students by sending out acceptance letters to graduating seniors even before they apply to a state college and university.

This year, lawmakers made $4,125 available per student in 7th through 12th grades for programs such as dual-credit enrollment, which gets them high school and college credit as they work on their high school diploma.

VanOrden thinks some of the most effective programs to boost post-high school attendance come when parents, students and businesses sit down together in local communities and talk about job availability and the education students need to get those positions.

In eastern Idaho, some businesses arranged days to come to the high schools to meet with teachers, students and parents. They had incredible turnout in small communities, said VanOrden. They said the biggest success was getting the parents out.
HELENA  While many are filling shopping carts full of presents for friends and relatives, one Helena family is stocking up for strangers.

Kathy Olson and her siblings Dawn Lopach, Suzi Watne, Cindy Little, David Sorensen and Bob Sorensen have made a tradition of shopping for Helena Food Share each Christmas. Last year, the family donated 2,300 pounds of food to families theyll likely never meet. Olsons mother, Marjorie Sorensen, started the tradition years ago.

It was important to mom that every family had a meal to share together on Thanksgiving and Christmas, Olson said. So, every Christmas, my mother, my five siblings and I go grocery shopping together.

After years of drawing names or exchanging white elephant gifts, Olson and her siblings happily decided to scrap traditional holiday giving and instead carry on their mothers tradition.

Think about the gifts youve received or bought for someone else during your life, Dawn Lopach said. Can you remember them? No. But we sure all remember this shopping (for Food Share).

There are no parameters on how much to spend during the shopping trip. Family members buy what they can afford each year. The alternative-giving project has trickled down from the six siblings to their children and grandchildren.

From a practical perspective its infinitely more easy than shopping for each other, Suzi Watne said. Even the kids like the hands-on experience. Everyone they hold dear is shopping together on one day. Its what builds memories.

Olson and her siblings say shopping together for others is a bonding experience. It brings a large family together to do something for the community. And it reminds the family of their own days of scraping by.

For all of us siblings, we remember a time when there wasnt a Food Share, Lopach said. Each of us have our own history of how am I going to make it stretch and digging through our pockets to see if we have a buck.

Growing up, the siblings remember their mother pinching pennies to feed her six children. Olson says she recalls times in her childhood when she wished she had more to eat. Marjorie is gone now, but her children remember her legacy of generosity each Christmas. They remember the stories of why she gave to her local food bank regularly.

Mom used to give money for fresh peaches, Olson said. Because when she was little, kids never got to have fresh peaches.
In a controversial election, Donald Trump has beaten off stiff competition from Netflix, vegan and deportation to be chosen as sign of the year by the Swiss Deaf Association.

The deciding factor was the signs simplicity, i.e. mimicking Trumps extraordinary thatch of hair, said Christian Gremaud, who led the organisations campaign. And also the fact that the sign has really established itself in just a short period of time across Switzerland.

It is the first time the Swiss Deaf Association has awarded a sign of the year.

The association explained that names or terms in the media are at first spelt out using a finger alphabet, but once the word establishes itself, deaf people come up with a sign for it. Like spoken words, if it proves popular or useful, it spreads.

Every year some 250 new signs are added to the deaf dictionary. These are decided by a commission of experts, which includes teachers, linguists and researchers.


"Lies are not and could not be eternal"

- Bashar Jaafari, Permanent Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations

Amb. Bashar Jaafari, Permanent Representative to the UN from the Syrian Republic





Beware of some of those so-called UN commissions. Must watch for the President, Philippine policy makers, legislators and all who care for the only country we live in.





The mask has fallen. Truth comes to light. UN scandals. UN as a place to demolish peace and security, destabilize societies, destroy countries. Ambassador Bashar shares his insights and firsthand account on how UN does it. Something mainstream media will never ever touch.





Consider all repercussions to the Philippines' biggest and most burning concerns today. Time to comprehend the message.

Exerpts:

...Too many people, too many ambassadors to the United Nations, come to me and say, You know, Bashar, you are right. Your government is right. We know the truth, but we cannot say it. You can  God bless you  but we cannot say it. So the mask has fallen. The truth is there. If you dig a little bit, you will find scandals that take place at the United Nations  scandals. Its not a place to maintain peace and security; it is a place to demolish peace and security, to destabilize societies. Its very easy, very easy at the United Nations, to destroy a country...

...This terrorist war against Syria is accompanied by policies of Western states  led by the United States administration and Britain  based on violating international law and the Charter of the United Nations, disrespecting the sovereignty of the country, and acting against the will and interests of the Syrian people...





(This 50-min video was published by the Schiller Institute 3 months ago. On the eve of both the 15th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and the convening of the UN General Assembly, the Schiller Institute hosted an extraordinary conference in midtown Manhattan. Speakers of the conference, titled "Securing World Peace Through Embracing the Common Aims of Mankind", included Helga Zepp-LaRouche, EIR's Jeffrey Steinberg, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Virginia State Senator Richard Black, Permanent Representative to the United Nations from the Syrian Republic, Bashar Jaafari and U.S. Congressman Walter Jones.)
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From: dukerose20

Hi Dear, My name is Ms. Rose. After seen your profile, I felt something special to be your friend. I have somethings very important to discuss with you. Please kindly reply back to (dukerose20@hotmail.com) to enable me tell you more about myself and send my pictures to you.

Regards. Ms. Rose













From: Rose Duke <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2016 10:10:50 +0000 Subject: I appreciate you written back to me

Hi Jon,

Good Day, I appreciate you written back to me. I hope you are doing alright this day? over here I am fine, i well as i accept each day just the way it comes, thanks for the effort in reaching me back. I hope that we both grow in our effort and desire to know each other more.

I sent you a message because I am interested in seeing us keep this line of friendship, I am seeking a relationship though, I want something far more than friends and I know that deep within the heart of a man and woman lies that world of love, that of understanding and that of caring. I feel that everyone has these qualities but just a few are willing to let others be part of them and experience the joy that comes from loving and been loved by others.

Like you may have already known, I am Rose Duke, I am single and never married before. I must as well say that I have been in a relationship before now, had some pains that lead me to been here online today and your profile interest me. I am open minded, I am the type that shows concern for the joy of my partner because I put his interest ahead of mine. I am 5ft 7 inches tall, I weigh 60kg, i am open minded girl that love sharing ideas affectionate words with others i am not hard to deal with.

These is the little i can say for now till i hear and read from you then we can move from there.thank you and have a nice day.

Sincerely Rose

From: Rose Duke <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2016 14:47:40 +0000 Subject: Details From Ms. Rose Duke

Hi Dearest

Thanks for your respond, like i told you, my name is Ms. Rose Duke, 24 years old girl, never married. I am from Cote Ivoire in west Africa but am residing here in Kaolack Senegal as a result of 2011 politicians war in my country Cote Ivoire. I am the only child of my late parents Chief Mr. Duke Kalou.

My late father Mr. Duke Kalou was chairman managing Director in one of the Cocoa reading company LTD Cote Ivoire, he was also the personal adviser to the former head of state president Laurence Gbagbo before the rebels attacked our house one Sunday early morning and killing my father in my present with a gun shot, my mother Mrs. Duke Memuna died five years ago before the war. You can read more about the war through this link below to confirm.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/9454492.stm

Please I need your urgent help to stand for me as my foreign beneficiary to make the claim of my inheritance from a bank in Germany where my later father made the deposit in my name as a family inheritance. I have been discussing with the bank manager on email and telephone, the bank required me to write a nomination latter in the name of my beneficiary attaching with your information to enable there bank recognize you as my foreign trustee to process the release and transfer of $5.7 Million into your bank account for investment under your management control.

However I will send to you the deposit certificates that cover the deposit including the bank contact details to enable you contact the bank direct on my behalf to confirm the deposit in my name and for further process to release the fund and transfer into your care for investment under your control. Please try to assist me on this issue, i am ready to give you 30% of the total $5.7Millions U.S Dollars after the bank the transaction into your bank account for investment under your control.

Kindly send your current pictures? Thanks and have a wonderful day.

Best regards Ms. Rose Duke

From: Rose Duke <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 16:21:52 +0000 Subject: CONTACT POST BANK FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Dearest !

How are you doing?

I have sent application letter in your name to Post bank. I also scan all the documents that cover the deposit in Post bank Berlin Germany for more proves and for confidential to assist me with all you heart over this matter of claiming of my inheritance from Post bank Germany and transfer into your bank account for investment. I attached all documents that cover the deposit for your confidential and to enable you contact Post bank after reading this message for further confirmation of the deposit in my name, also to enable you know possibilities to release the funds and transfer into your bank account for investment under your control in . The bank manager Mr. Miguel Morgan said he is ready to help us make the transaction smoothly and transferred of the fund within the week and after you contact them for the process.

Please kindly contact Post bank via there email address below / phone number to confirm the deposit of $5.7million U.S Dollars as my heritage and to know their requirement for transaction. Below is the contact details of Post bank to send them message.

The bank name is: International Post Bank (Postbank Berlin Germany). The name of the director is: Mr. Miguel Morgan. The bank E-mail: (dept.postban@post.com) Telephone: +4915145349324 Fax: +4915177633910 Berlin Germany.

I am looking forward to read from you as soon as you discuss with Post bank. I will be very happy and will equally make you too happy if you finally help me on these matter of my transaction. Please try send your picture after reading this message.

Thanks and have a nice day.

Rosemary Duke

From: Rose Duke <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2016 16:41:38 +0000 Subject: Dearest please call me

Further more, my dear please kindly try to call me on +221785319895 I would like talk to you. I tried to call you on the number you sent to me but i am unable to connect to your network.

Best regards. Rosemary

From: "Postbank Berlin" <dept.postban@post.com> Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:10:23 +0200 Cc: dukerose20@hotmail.com Subject: LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR $5.7M

{PostBank} 18 Oranienburger Strasse 13 Berlin B.P. 32310 Ponty, Berlin Germany Treasury Department. REF Nos: PBFCAM46117A: DATE: 12/07/2016

ATTN: MR.

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO YOUR REQUEST ALSO FROM MISS. ROSEMARY DUKE'S FOR RELEASE/TRANSFER OF {CHIEF MR.DUKE KALOU} DEPOSITED FUND IN OUR BANK. BASE ON THIS, AFTER RECEIVED ACCOUNT DEPOSITOR INFORMATION WITH OFFICIAL TRANSFER AUTHORIZATION LETTER FROM MISS. ROSEMARY DUKE, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH A DEEPER LENGTH TO VERIFY THE ACCOUNT. CHIEF. MR. DUKE KALOU'S ACCOUNT ARE AUTHENTICATION, ALL WAS SATISFACTORY BY OUR BANK. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE RECEIPT OF THE DEPOSIT INFORMATION IN RESPECT TO THE SAID INHERITED FUND DEPOSITED IN ESCROW ACCOUNT HERE IN POSTBANK GERMANY.

BASE ON YOUR'S REQUESTED, WE HAVE CROSS-CHECKED THE ACCOUNT INFORMATION THROUGH THE DEPOSITOR FILE BY OUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, THE DEPOSITOR ACCOUNT BALANCE IS, {$5.7MILLION ONLY} FIVE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATE DOLLARS. WE HEREBY TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR'S ENQUIRY HAVE BEEN NOTED AND FORWARD TO OUR TRANSFER UNIT FOR THE PAYMENT, YOU ARE REQUIRE TO PROVIDE PROVES CONFIRMING THE TRUE DEATH CERTIFICATE OF THE DEPOSITOR {CHIEF MR.DUKE KALOU} AND THE LEGALITY OF YOUR CLAIMS FROM THE SIDE OF THE NEXT OF KIN {MISS. ROSEMARY DUKE} TO AUTHENTICATE YOUR REQUEST AND TO ENABLE US PROCEED ON PROCESSING OF RELEASE AND WIRE THE FUND TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT WITHIN 48 HOURS AFTER RECEIVE THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS FROM YOU. YOU SHOULD PRESENT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS VIA OUR EMAIL ATTACHMENT, FOR THE CONTENTS TO BE VIEW PROPERLY BY POSTBANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

1.) YOU ARE REQUIRE TO DRAFT AN APPLICATION LETTER REQUESTING FOR THE CLOSURE AND TRANSFER OF THE FUNDS TO YOUR NOMINATED BANK ACCOUNT IN .

2.) YOU SHOULD PRESENT AN AUTHORITY LETTER {POWRE OF ATTORNEY AND A LETTER OF CONSENT} DULLY SIGNE BY BENEFICIARY LAWYER AS YOUR WITNESS AND MISS. ROSEMARY DUKE WITNESS, THAT WILL MANDATING YOU TO MAKE THIS CLAIMS AND TRANSFER ON {MISS. ROSEMARY DUKE} BEHALF.

3.) YOU SHOULD PRESENT ORIGINAL COPY OF {MR. DUKE KALOU} DEATH CERTIFICATE, ISSUE BY A PUBLIC/GENERAL HOSPITAL CONFIRMING HIS DEATH.

4.) YOU SHOULD PRESENT AN AFFIDAVIT OF OATH ISSUE IN FEDERAL HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE SENEGAL, AS THE NEXT OF KIN ARE RESIDING AT SENEGAL.

AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THE DOCUMENTS FROM YOU, WE SHALL FACILITATE ON THE PROCESS TO WIRE THE FUNDS TO YOUR ACCOUNT WITHIN 48HOURS AFTER RECEIVED THE LEGAL DOCUMENTS ISSUE IN HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE SENEGAL.

REGARDS. MRS. MERCY PASCAL. [SECRETARY] TO MR. MIGUEL MORGAN {DIRECTOR TREASURY DEPT POSTBANK} TEL: +4915145349324 FAX; +4915177633910 WEB: www.postbank.de Berlin Germany

From: "Postbank Berlin" <dept.postban@post.com> Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2016 12:48:19 +0200 Cc: dukerose20@hotmail.com Subject: ATTORNEY IN CHARGE OF YOUR LEGAL PROCESS

{PostBank} 18 Oranienburger Strasse 13 Berlin B.P. 32310 Ponty, Berlin Germany Treasury Department. REF Nos: PBFCAM46117A: DATE: 2/07/2016

Attn: Mr. Furthermore, we hereby introduce to you Miss. Rosemary Duke's representative lawyer (BARRISTER CHEIKH FALL / SOLICITORS AND ADVOCATES) Who is in legal right to process your legal documents in your name for release and transfer of the deposit to your bank account. We require you to contact Barrister Cheikh Fall at Federal High Court of Justice Senegal, who will process your legal mandates in your name for your claim and transfer into your bank account. Contact BARRISTER CHEIKH at Senegal with the following information below.

BARRISTER CHEIKH FALL, SOLICITORS AND ADVOCATES . C/O: BARRISTER CHEIKH FALL [ESQ.] EMAIL: barr-cheickfall@msn.com

We will process update of ownership title bond release in your name as a new acting beneficiary of the inherited deposit in our bank. To enable our bank pay the total $5.7 Million US Dollars to your bank account without further delay. The process required you to follow our banking rules and instruction to contact beneficiary attorney Barrister Cheikh Fall via his official email address above, to process your legal mandates. hence your legal authorization mandates and a letter of consent is been obtained from Federal High Court of Jutice Senegal and submit to our bank to complete the process, we shall facilitate on processing to enable our system generate your transfer pass code (OTP) to wire the funds direct to your bank account in as you requested. Go through attaching transfer form to fill all information required and resend back to us via email. Any further inquiry should be direct via this email / telephone call for urgent attention

REGARDS. MRS. MERCY PASCAL. [SECRETARY] TO MR. MIGUEL MORGAN {DIRECTOR TREASURY DEPT POSTBANK} TEL: +4915145349324 FAX; +4915177633-910 WEB: www.postbank.de Berlin Germany

From: BARRISTER CHEIKH FALL <barr-cheickfall@msn.com> CC: "dukerose20@hotmail.com" <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:26:49 +0000 Subject: Legacy Law Firms,Senegal

Attn: Dear Client,

Mr. In accordance to yours request and consultation, on the matter to help you procure a legal mandates in your name that are to give you legal right to make your claim on behalf of Miss. Duke Rose and transfer to your bank account. I'm highly honored and ready to assist and represent and guide both of you in all legal assistance and assignments to make claim of the money from Post bank Germany to your bank account.

Base on yours requested! An Affidavit will first be obtain from federal high court of justice here in Dakar Senegal which I will sworn in your favor and as soon as that is ready, I shall proceed immediately to draft Power of Attorney which will be dully signed by you and next of kin to the deposit Miss. Duke Rose and witness by me also notarized by Chief Justice of federal high court of Senegal. To process a legal mandates in your name, we need the following information of yours:

(1) Your full information as it will appear in the legal documents have been noted. (2) Your valid ID card or driving license scan copy required.

It's mandatory that you have to mobilize our honorable law firm with the require fees before we can carry on your services, to enable us pay tax at Ministry of Justice and the amount to pay at Chief Judge office for the signed and stamp approval of the documents after procurement. The total amount to issue both documents including our service fees is (2,550 Euro). Below is the terms:

(1) Consultation/Mobilization fees 350 Euro (2) Opening of File Case fees 100 Euro (3) Drafting of the Power of Attorney fees 1000 Euro (4) Swooning of Affidavit of Oath fees 100 Euro (5) Notarization and Endorsement fees 1000 Euro

Total amount 2,550 Euro

Note: Upon the receive of your payment, we shall proceed immediately on procuring of the legal requirement which will only take us two working days to be procured.

You have to make your payment through our contracted western union money transfer agent or money gram agent close to you. After your sending of the fees, we need the following western union or money gram transfer information to receive the money here in Senegal, as control numbers of the transfer, we advice you to use our information in this way, 1. Control Number of the transfer: digits number. 2. Test Question: legacy 3. Test Answer: firm. 4. Sender's name: 5. Receiver's name will be: Barr Philip Ndonta

With these information the money will be received. Faithfully Barrister Philip Ndonta Respected Senior Secretary To [JUDGE CHEIKH FALL] Legacy Law Firms,Senegal. Tel/ Fax +221784784347 OUR REF: JLC/01541/1978

From: Rose Duke <dukerose20@hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 09:51:27 +0000 Subject: GOOD NEWS DEAREST JON

Dearest ,

I'm happy to inform you about my success in getting my inheritance transferred under the cooperation of a new partner from India. Presently I am here in New Delhi India now for investment projects with my business partner. Meanwhile, I didn't forget your past efforts and attempts to assist me in transferring inheritance .

Now contact Barrister Cheikh Fall, his email address is: (barr-cheickfall@msn.com) and tell him to send you the total $100.000 USD which I kept for your compensation for your efforts and attempts to assist me during the claim of my inheritance from Post bank. I appreciated your efforts at that time very much. So feel free and get in touch immediately to Barrister Cheikh and advice him where and how to send the cheque draft to you, because I issue the amount in an international cheque for security reasons till it get to your care to cash it in any international bank in .

Please do let me know immediately you receive it so we can share the joy after all the suffering at that time. In the moment,I am very busy here since few days i arrived India for investment projects arrangement which me and my new partner are having at hand. Finally, I had forwarded instruction to Barrister on your behalf to send you the cheque draft soon as you contact him, so feel free to get in touch to him and he will send the amount to you without any delay.

Note, i issued the amount in a cheque draft and the cheque was issue in your name, so you are the only one who can cash the cheque in any international bank as soon as you receive the cheque.

Regards Miss Rose Duke Writing from India. If you received a similar letter, please ignore it. Do not answer it. If you do, you will end up on more of the mailing lists used by the criminals behind this fraud. Read more....
CASPER, Wyo.  Harry Buhler showed children how to run a model train around a track. Eliza Empey, 8, backed up the train and then raced it around the rails past a model train station with tiny people on benches.

Her cousin, Indigo Empey, 5, operated the controls of a train of cars filled with Santa and his friends circling a Christmas tree. She'd played with a wooden toy train before, but not one with a remote control, she said.

"It can do a lot of stuff, and you can stop it and turn it up and down," she said. "The elves do stuff to make the train go."

That's what the annual model railroad exhibition is about at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper. The show, hosted by the Central Wyoming Model Railroad Association, is a chance for people of all ages to see and even play with vintage to modern trains as they learn about Wyoming's railroad history, club member Buhler said.

This year's show, "Wyoming's Ghost Trains," features trains from the past and a painting by 14-year-old artist Mandy Blevins. The show is free and open to the public Thursdays through Fridays and features door prizes, items for sale and raffles for a portable layout with extra equipment and Blevin's original painting.

"It's education in the form of fun," Buhler said.

'Ghost Train' vision

Blevins procrastinated on her painting, she said. She also painted a piece for last year's show, but she was nervous about creating an artwork for public display for only the second time. A lot of thought and planning went into the piece, though the painting went fast once she started, said Blevins, who turns 15 in December.

"It's pretty cool," she said of seeing it framed on the wall at the museum for the first time.

Blevins has always loved art, and she's taking it even more seriously as time goes on. She may pursue a career as an art curator. Her favorite artists are her mother, Alicia, who's a professional artist, and Van Gogh, she said.

Her painting, "Ghost Train," depicts a moon rising over a silhouetted Devils Tower with a train engine facing the viewers, like it's coming at them. Blevins used spray paint and acrylic on the piece, coloring the sky a deep blue she remembers from visits to Devils Tower.

"I did the ghost train because the night sky inspired me to do something," Blevins said.

Glimpse into history

The exhibit also features ghosts from Wyoming's past in the train models and real historical display items from the club's collection, Buhler said. There are scale replicas of the steam locomotives and large diesel engines from the 1940s that no longer roll through the countryside.

Real items from the past include a lantern guessed to be from 1918, which conductors once used to signal engineers. Another historical highlight is the wooden sign from a Glenrock depot building constructed in 1920.

Visitors also will find a diorama layout of Casper in the late 1800s and running models, including a vintage locomotive that actually puffs steam and modern sets run by a cellphone app.

The show gives families something to do together that young and old enjoy just as much, said Jason Vlcan of the NHTIC. They can experience the trains hands-on and explore history in the exhibit as well as throughout the museum, he said.

Buhler and other Central Wyoming Model Railroad Association members will be on hand to answer questions, show people how to run the trains and maybe spark a deeper interest in model trains, Buhler said.

"I think it gets people interested in trains again," he noted. "And it brings families together."
For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page
Im ready to give the book the nine-lives prize. How many times has it been ruled obsolete? And yet, people are buying and enjoying print books more than ever.

Ive used an e-reader on occasion, but when it comes to the gift books featured below, theres nothing like the printed page for displaying their superior graphics, gorgeous illustrations and well-organized information. Theres something for everyone here, from the lighthearted (The Aloha Shirt) to the sublime (Fireflies). Browse this list like you would a library shelf  I hope you find something for a loved one, or for yourself.

Objects of our affection

Tugboats Illustrated: History, Technology, Seamanship by Paul Farrell (Norton, $49.95). Who doesnt love tugboats? These sturdy workhorses of the waterfront are a reminder of our maritime past and full-fledged participants in the present. Farrells authoritative text gets a boost from both photos and illustrations. Seattles Foss Maritime and the Seattle Tugboat Race get a nod  as well they should.

The Aloha Shirt: Spirit of the Islands by Dale Hope with Yvon Chouinard, foreword by Gerry Lopez (Pategonia, $60). This tribute to Hawaiis favorite shirt, written by a veteran of the Aloha shirt industry, is a perfect antidote to a gray December day, or the next best thing to hopping a plane for Hawaii for a round of aloha shirt shopping.

Vogue: The Shoe by Harriet Quick (Conran, $125). Nearly 100 years of fashionable footwear from the pages of Vogue magazine are documented in this elegant doorstop of a book (which comes, like shoes, in its own elegant box). Its an extravagance, but a delicious one, filled with shoes of every imaginable flavor; you might wish they could jump off the page onto your feet.

Literature

The Book: A Cover-To-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time by Keith Houston (Norton, $29.95). There are lots of books about books  this one stands out by virtue of its beautiful design, compact size and the authors erudition, wit and predilection for puns. A splendid, challenging mixture of information and fun, said Kirkus Reviews.

The Art of Beatrix Potter: Sketches, Paintings, and Illustrations, by Emily Zach (Chronicle Books, $40). Seattle author Zach got the plum assignment of pulling together the story of author and illustrator Beatrix Potter (its the 150th anniversary of her birth). Many paintings and illustrations showcase her exquisite art, including watercolor landscapes that eventually inspired The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other childrens books. Another book, A Celebration of Beatrix Potter (Frederick Warne, $25), collects the work of 30 contemporary childrens book illustrators as they riff on Potters stories. A delight for all ages.

History

The New York Times Book of the Dead: 320 Print and 10,000 Digital Obituaries of Extraordinary People, edited by William McDonald (Black Dog & Leventhal, $45). A black-and-white volume that captures the essence of The New York Times obituary: superbly researched pieces of history that retain the immediacy of it-just-happened. Obits range from the 1860s to the present day and revisit the passing of such eminences as nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who lived his life in the blinding light and the crepusculine shadow of the worlds first atomic explosion. Or skip over to Osama bin Laden. Or Nora Ephron. An enclosed key unlocks an exclusive website that archives 10,000 additional obituaries. A must for the history enthusiast.

The Secret History of World War II: Spies, Code Breakers & Covert Operations by Neil Kagan and Stephen G. Hyslop (National Geographic, $40). This volume combines stories of harrowing feats of espionage with historical artifacts, photos and ephemera. A photo of a Sten gun and a shattered Mercedes-Benz lend a documentary quality to the story of the assassination of loathsome Nazi Reinhard Heydrich by Czech patriots, as well as the grim aftermath  bodies of 200 murdered male villagers of the Czech village of Lidice, shot in retaliation, a fraction of the Czechs who would eventually be vengefully killed. If one antidote to living in a troubled time is to read about a REALLY troubled time, this book is the ticket.

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotosfsky (Ten Speed Press, $16.99). A lively volume that sums up the lives of 50 women of science through words and illustrations. Of course I had heard of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who helped save the Everglades, but not Maria Sibylla Merian, the German scientific illustrator with a passion for insects whose The Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname was a European hit in 1705. Physicists, mathematicians and volcanologists pack its pages  inspiration for any girl or young woman mad for the STEMs.

Art and art appreciation

Lessons in Classical Painting: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier by Juliette Aristides (Ten Speed Press, $29.99). I have heard good reports on Aristides previous books  shes the director of the Aristides Classical Atelier at Seattles Gage Academy of Art. This clear and well organized volume breaks down the art and craft of painting into numerous topics that will inform the intermediate artist interested in getting better.

Art in Detail: 100 Masterpieces by Susie Hodge (Thames & Hudson, $39.95). A richly detailed, pleasingly designed tour of art masterpieces throughout history. The author, a highly regarded British arts writer, takes 100 works of painting and sculpture and analyzes them in terms of subject matter, symbolism, painting technique, composition and other essentials of the form.

The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir Laws (Heyday Books, $35). Give your would-be nature artist this enthusiastic and detailed guide to how to keep a nature journal  tools, techniques and explicit how-tos on drawing animals, birds, trees, landscapes and more. For more on the author, go to johnmuirlaws.com.

Nature

Plant: Exploring the Botanical World, several authors (Phaedon, $59.95). A collection of 300 gorgeous images, from the earliest days of plant illustration to 21st-century digital photograph; from John James Audubon to Georgia OKeefe; from the Americas to Asia and beyond. (The book even has its own YouTube trailer.)

Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies by Sara Lewis (Princeton University Press, $29.95). One of my few regrets about moving to Seattle is that there are no fireflies, the most magical animal on earth (my opinion). Lewis, a biology professor at Tufts University, says she is a scientist working hard to stay susceptible to wonder, and she combines her sense of awe with her extensive knowledge of the nearly 2,000 species of fireflies worldwide, including one called a dark firefly that does live here but doesnt light up. No fair.

Baby Birds: An Artist Looks Into the Nest by Julie Zickefoose (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28). Zickefoose, a gifted artist and natural-history writer, charts the day-by-day development of 17 different species of wild birds through more than 400 watercolor paintings and prose. Irresistible.

Whats Really Happening to Our Planet? The Facts Simply Explained by Tony Juniper, foreword by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales (DK Publishing, $19.95). Does this sound like heavy-duty gift material? Well, these are heavy times. This book, through words, pictures and DK Publishings marvelous way with graphics, charts the progression of mans planetary predicaments, from deforestation to ocean acidification to terrorism, with a more upbeat final section on bending the curves, e.g., slowing and reversing the damage.

Coloring books

Edgar Allan Poe: An Adult Coloring Book by Odessa Begay (Lark Crafts, $14.99). If I had the time or patience for coloring books, I might dive into this eerily beautiful collection of images inspired by Poes chilling tales. On the brighter side, there is Color the Pacific Northwest by Zoe Keller (Timber Press, $12.95). From the Space Needle to the rhinoceros auklet  the symbols of our regions wild and civilized places. For kids, or kids at heart.
MCCALL, Idaho  Janell Carr first met Mr. Cinnamon when the black bear cub was eating out of her bird feeder in Cascade. She and her husband eventually startled the bear, who climbed 80 feet up a tree in their yard and took a nap.

Later that weekend, neighbors found Mr. Cinnamon in their kitchen sink. They left an upstairs window open  and the cub climbed the deck to get there.

Carr saw the bear again, walking through her yard while she was sitting on the deck.

I didnt know if I should feed him or pet him or be afraid, she said. He was a little guy. Everybody had seen and heard of him.

So the neighbors called Idaho Fish and Game, which trapped the bear and sent him to rehab  at the Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary outside McCall. Snowdon rehabs all kinds of animals and releases them back into the wild but has become known for its bear cubs.

The orphaned cubs  almost always less than a year old  are kept in a naturally forested, two-acre enclosure. Theyre fed dog food and produce, inspected to make sure theyre healthy, given preventative medicines and released into the wild following the fall or spring hunting season, depending on when they arrive and how big they are.

The enclosure, which has huckleberry bushes, allows them to practice the climbing and foraging skills they need in the wild.

Its really neat to see them come in as these tiny, little, cute fluffball things and then by the time we catch them again in the spring they look like wild, adult bears, said Maeghan Elliott, Snowdons executive director. Its really neat to be a part of that transformation and be able to help them and know that if they didnt have us, they might not be able to be back in the wild.

Snowdon rehabbed a facility-record 15 bears last winter, including Mr. Cinnamon, who turned out to be more than a year old but underweight when he was rolling through that Cascade neighborhood. The facility doesnt have any bears so far this winter.

Snowdon takes bears from all over the state and releases them in spots isolated from towns and campgrounds. It also has a one-acre enclosure that can be used to house out-of-state bears.

The bears are caught by Idaho Fish and Game  often after calls from concerned citizens, or hunters who inadvertently shot a mother  and delivered to Snowdon. Hunters arent allowed to shoot a female bear accompanied by young. Fish and Game usually wont pick up a cub based on an initial report; it asks people to monitor the bear for a couple days to make sure its orphaned.

Typically we see more cubs when we have a lot of fires in the area, said Regan Berkley, a regional wildlife manager for Idaho Fish and Game who is based in McCall. Mom and her cubs can get separated a little more easily.

Snowdon was founded by Linda DeEulis in the early 1980s. She was approached by Fish and Game about the possibility of keeping some young cougars in her yard, before she started the sanctuary, and declined. When she learned the cougars were euthanized, DeEulis decided to start a rehab facility.

She bought 35 acres off a dirt road and next to the Lake Fork River  an area blanketed with snow in the winter and where sounds from the human population are rare. Snowdon was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1989.

DeEulis died in 2012. Since then, the facility has been run by a volunteer board of directors. Elliott, a former college intern from Boise, was hired two years ago and is the only paid employee.

The board and Elliott have tried to maintain DeEulis vision, including the difficult task of staying open to a wide range of species.

It is a sanctuary, but its a short-term sanctuary, said Carolyn Walpole, the Snowdon board president. Our main mission is to get those animals back into the wild as soon as theyre fit ... and show people that wildlife should be respected.

***

Snowdon operates off donations and grants and uses its three resident birds  raptors that were unreleasable  for educational programs throughout the region. Businesses and residents in the McCall area often donate unused produce, Elliott said, which helps feed the bears.

Snowdons population varies throughout the year but has included bears, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, deer, bobcats, badgers, owls, eagles, hawks, falcons, many other birds  even a cougar and some wolf pups. The facility doesnt handle adult deer, adult predators or grizzly bears.

Raptors and bear cubs are the primary rehab animals statewide.

Deer and elk do not rehab well, Berkley said. Cougars do not rehab well. When you get those types of animals, you have to size up the situation on a case-by-case basis. ... Once wild animals are adults, they do not rehab well at all.

Snowdons goal is to release all of the animals it takes. The bear cubs are tagged and subject to a one-strike rule in the wild, Elliott said. If they became problem bears, they will be removed.

Only two Snowdon bears have resurfaced, Elliott and Walpole said. Both were shot by hunters, who reported finding the tags.

***

Elliott, who lives on-site, and other Snowdon crew members limit noise when they have bear cubs. The cubs are kept in a catch cage for a couple days when they arrive to monitor their health. Once theyre placed in the bear enclosure, theyre left alone except for twice-a-day feedings. The crew also checks trail cameras a few times a week to make sure all the bears are accounted for and seem healthy.

Perhaps Snowdons best-known visitor was Boo Boo, a black bear cub burned in a fire near Salmon in summer 2012 and released into the wild in May 2013.

They basically grow up being a wild bear, Elliott said. ... Every once in a while a cub will get curious (about the people). You can pick up a stick (a foot long) and theyll run. Theyre so terrified of us. Rarely do we have any cubs who are too interested in what were doing.

Cubs usually hibernate through their first winter with their mothers, which is why the orphans need a rehab facility. They likely would die on their own, Berkley said.

Theres a biological trigger that will make them hibernate, Elliott said. If they arent heavy enough, that wont happen. Theyll continue trying to find food in the winter and theyll freeze or starve to death.

At Snowdon, with food readily available, the cubs often nap for two or three days and then awake to eat, Elliott said. They sleep in trees, under rocks, buried in the snow or in two man-made shelters on the property.

Elliott is super, super hands-off with the bears  which can be difficult for someone who enjoys animals.

They are so cute, she said. But I always keep in mind, if I do that, we cant release them. So that makes it worth it for me.

One of Walpoles favorite Snowdon success stories occurred earlier this year. A young bobcat showed up at Elliotts door on the Snowdon property in January. The next day, the bobcat was curled up in the roof of one of the bird cages. Elliott and a caretaker lured the malnourished kitten into one of Snowdons cages, where it was fed for a couple of months and released.

It was almost like it knew where to go (for help), Walpole said. It really was amazing to all of us.
LIBBY  Joining its giant  and legitimate  brothers and sisters, Bob Hoseas little artificial Christmas tree is still sneaking deep into the forests of northwest Montana and waiting for the day to disappear.

As light fades toward the night, Hosea hooks a string of 100 Christmas lights on the tree, and a star atop it, to a 12-volt battery. The result, as darkness closes in, is almost as magical as Santa Claus himself.

Under the white star, the multi-colored bulbs on the tree cast a small glow of Christmas spirit onto landscapes sometimes cold, darkening and foreboding, and at other times  especially when he populates the scenes with snowmen hes built - whimsical.

Hosea, a one-time miner-turned-computer programmer, then photographs the tree.

Be it on a mountainside, in a meadow, on a river or creek side, next to a waterfall or in a lake, in a forest of giant cedars or under an icicle-covered cliff, the 5-foot tree is absolutely dwarfed by its surroundings, but still commands undivided attention.

People love the images. When they learn there is no Photoshop involved  Hosea has hiked up to five hours, one way, to reach his selected locations, hauling 50 pounds of gear including the unassembled artificial tree on his back, and hikes out in the black of night using a headlamp to light his way  they love them even more.

Since we first told you about Hosea and his tree a year ago, something else has happened. The forest is not the only place the artificial tree goes anymore.

Now, it occasionally and briefly brightens up cemeteries.

***

The first time someone who had seen Hoseas Spirit of Christmas series asked him if he would pose the tree next to the headstone of a loved one, he wasnt too keen on the idea.

I really did think that was pretty far left of where I was looking to go with it, Hosea says. I wasnt sure if I wanted to do it. A grave site was not my first thought of where Id be using the tree. I never imagined doing anything like that.

But, he did it.

And, the artificial tree does what the artificial tree does, when its not confined to a living room. It brought Christmas to an unexpected place.

It turned out very cool, Hosea says, but I was mostly tickled because it really seemed to help the grieving person who had asked for the picture.

It wasnt the only such request, just the first. In addition to a second graveyard shoot, Hosea also heard from a man in Coeur dAlene whose grandparents had homesteaded in the Bull River area in northwest Montana, and had often returned to visit the place where they had raised a family.

His grandmother had died, the man said, and his grandfather was heartbroken. Not only that, the man was too old to make any more trips to Montana.

Would Hosea take the artificial tree out to the old homestead, and make a picture for his grandfather?

Its nothing I ever anticipated doing after starting the Spirit of Christmas series, Hosea says, but knowing youre helping somebody, that makes it worth it.

***

Hosea doesnt publish or show other people the photographs of the tree that are meant to remember lost loved ones  permission was granted by the family to use the one that accompanies this story  but the images of the tree in natural settings have a following.

Its turned into a side business for Hosea, whose day job is as president of CMH Software.

Dont let the commercialization get to you too much. Hosea never set out to sell the images. All he wanted, he says, was a unique photograph to share with families and friends one Christmas.

He didnt even have the artificial tree in the beginning. The first time he made an image, Hosea carried the lights, star and 12-volt battery into Geiger Lake in the Cabinet Mountains, and found a scraggly little tree there to decorate.

Once people saw the first, they wanted more, and they wanted them in frames, or on Christmas cards. Hosea tried to keep up with the demand, but it grew to the point that he was spending more time producing, packaging and shipping than he was hiking and taking photographs.

So he turned to an online retailer, Fine Art America, to do the heavy lifting. Now people can get the images on everything from Christmas cards to shower curtains, and Hosea can concentrate on the fun part  the hiking, the scouting of locations, and the photography.

Apart from posting his nature photography and videos, including the Spirit of Christmas ones, to his website (www.thebobfactor.com) and Facebook page (of the same name), Hosea does little to promote his work commercially.

But in the age of social media, word of mouth takes on a whole new meaning.

***

Ive definitely noticed an increase, especially after the article came out last year, Hosea says.

Almost 5,500 people have liked the Facebook page, and the images on Christmas cards ordered through Fine Art America are more popular than ever.

Now that he doesnt have to worry about filling orders himself, Hosea happily heads into the forests in his spare time in December to create more of the shots.

Its more complicated than snapping a shutter, especially since he refuses to use Photoshop.

Each photograph is actually 10 to 14 images combined into one, using a photographic method called high dynamic range, or HDR. Each of the images captures one type of color in 30-second exposures.

The method allows people to not only see the brightly lit tree, but the remote surroundings, even with night setting in.

Since last year, Hosea has taken the artificial tree to several new spots  Lower Snowshoe Lake in the Cabinet Mountains, Parmenter Creek, Long Meadows in the Yaak, Libby Creek Falls, and to a spot near Bull Lake that locals call the reflection pond.

***

The trip to Libby Creek Falls was the first time Hosea was accompanied by anyone.

While there are people who would enjoy the hike in to some of the spots he takes the artificial tree, no one seems interested in hiking out in the middle of a winter night. But Hosea had scouted Libby Creek Falls.

There was a sheet of ice covering two to three feet of water where he would be out in the creek, in chest waders, setting up the tree and its lights.

The creek wasnt raging. It wasnt super high, Hosea says. But if something happened, I didnt want to get stuck under that sheet of ice. So I had a friend go with me.

The friend snapped a picture of Hosea in the creek, next to the tree hed posed out in the water, before the light began to fade and the real photo session began.

It was, Hosea says, more proof that he doesnt Photoshop the tree into images.

Its hard to convince people youre not doing that, Hosea says. They assume you have to plug the lights in somewhere. I still had someone tell me, I thought you superimposed the tree into the pictures till I saw the picture of you sitting by it next to the falls. 

Yes, the tree itself is fake  worried that he wouldnt find suitable live ones everywhere hes gone, Hosea opted for the artificial one  but everything else about the photographs is real.
Nearly a month after Big Sky High School students were subjected to a racial epithet by a substitute teacher, a student's family is frustrated by the ongoing silence surrounding the incident.

The morning of Tuesday, Nov. 22, students in a Big Sky sophomore English class had a substitute teacher for the day. Cipriano "CP" Gutierrez, 15, said their regular teacher had written on the board that the class was to do any work they had.

But Gutierrez said the substitute, a white man, began talking to the class about Star Wars, "and how it related to white supremacy and the KKK." He reportedly told the class they didn't have to talk about it if they didn't want to, so Gutierrez and his cousin, Manny Hernandez, stayed out of the conversation.

Gutierrez said the sub asked for fiction ideas, and wrote "Bible" on the board. Gutierrez erased it, and the sub wrote it again. Gutierrez, Hernandez and two other students got passes to go to the library.

After they left, the sub said Gutierrez and Hernandez "were acting like n------," according to a text Gutierrez received from a friend still in the class. When Gutierrez questioned the sub, he said the sub became angry.

Gutierrez went to the main office and he and Hernandez were asked to write down what happened. Gutierrez texted his mother, Mary Peters, asking her to come pick him up. Peters said she got a call from assistant principal Matt Clausen, too, informing her what had happened.

A day later, Missoula County Public Schools issued a news release vaguely describing the incident. It said the sub had been removed and Human Resources had launched an investigation. Because it is a personnel issue, the sub's name has not been released, nor have the results of the investigation.

Gutierrez said the sub would not tell the class his name, instead telling them to call him "Mr. C."

Peters said she hasn't heard anything since. She wants to know how the district screens and hires subs, and she wants to know the results of the investigation. She wants to know what happens now.

"I want to know the details so I can have peace of mind," she said. "I think they need to open up communication with parents more, and I'm an involved parent.

"I know he's not teaching in Missoula anymore, but I think he shouldn't be allowed to teach in Montana."

***

There are few requirements for substitute teachers in Montana, and in turn few ways to track or evaluate them.

"MCPS does not routinely conduct formal evaluations of substitute teachers," according to the substitute teacher's handbook, though teachers can fill out a form describing the sub's work.

State law says short-term subs don't need a current teaching license, though preference is often given to those who do. But just as there's a teacher shortage, there's a substitute shortage, said MEA-MFT board president Eric Feaver.

"Now, it is a fact in places like Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, that you will have qualified, licensed and endorsed teachers substituting because they want to or they're looking for a job," he said. "But as you get further out into Montana, it becomes an ever more difficult matter."

The man involved in the Big Sky incident was a short-term sub.

MCPS director of technology and communication Hatton Littman reaffirmed that he is no longer a sub with the district, but she did not know whether he had a teaching license.

MCPS director of human resources and labor relations David Rott was unavailable to comment on this incident, as well as the sub screening and hiring process, until Monday.

Feaver said the requirements to become a sub are "really just about if you can breathe in and out and have a high school diploma or GED and can pass a background check.''

"You could be employed, anybody could be employed, as a substitute teacher" after completing a minimum three-hour training, Feaver said.

Once a sub has taught in a classroom at least 35 consecutive days, they become a long-term sub  if they're licensed. At that point, the sub is "placed under contract on the first step of the teachers' salary schedule and will not receive insurance benefits from the district," according to the Missoula Education Association's collective bargaining agreement.

Substitute teachers need school board approval and they're placed on a call list.

According to an MCPS job posting, a substitute teacher makes $11.43 an hour and a four-year college degree is required.

"If we paid subs more, I think we would demand more," Feaver said.

Often, teachers develop working relationships with certain subs and create a preferred substitutes list. MCPS also has an option for teachers who never want certain subs in their classroom; in the absence management system, the teacher can select a sub's name and add them to an "excluded substitutes list."

"But they are at-will employees," Feaver said. "There's nothing that requires a school district under law to say anything but thank you for your service, and never hire them again. It's not the sort of thing that has just cause or due process. There's no organized substitute organization out there.

"Unless there's criminal activity, you're not going to know really anything about a sub going forward. If a teacher commits an egregious act and loses their license, it goes on the national registry and they're probably done forever in that profession. If a sub does that, if it's not a criminal matter or causes a civil lawsuit, it's pretty certain they could probably go anywhere they want."

If a sub's name is known, anyone can check the status of their teaching credentials online through the Office of Public Instruction. If they're not in this system, it doesn't necessarily mean the sub doesn't have a license. They could have one from another state but are working toward getting their Montana license.

"It should be somewhat comforting to know there are subs out there who do a good job," Feaver said. "But it's discomforting to know that we don't have a way to measure, over time, that instruction. It's a function of resource that should be obvious to everyone. Yet, we do need subs."

***

Gutierrez said the problems with racism at the school didn't start or end that day. He said he and his friends have been the subjects of other racist comments, and Gutierrez said he's endured bullying and racism in sports, as recently as last week.

"I don't want to go back," he said.

He's planning to switch to Sentinel High.

"I send my kids to school for a safe learning environment," Peters said. "And I hold educators at a higher level. This broke down that barrier of trust, in a sense, though I know not all teachers are like that.

"It just kind of knocked me off my feet to see that happen in Missoula."

Gutierrez was one of the Big Sky students to receive a Most Inspiring Student Award this spring. He said he struggled a bit in school this fall, but did extra work and got his grades up so he could participate in sports.

November is the anniversary of his father's death, a difficult time of year anyway. A few days later was the incident with the substitute teacher.

Peters said she appreciated that the sub was quickly removed, but was dismayed to learn more information from the Missoulian than from the school district.

She wants to see more anti-racism education at the school in an effort to combat what she, Gutierrez and their family see as an ongoing issue there.
Eli Hannon crouches next to a plywood crate that's almost as tall and twice as long as he is. He nails the seams together, and double-checks the seal. This crate is about to begin an 8,000-mile journey, via container ship, from Bonner to the other side of the world, so it needs to hold.

Inside the box is a pedicab  a bicycle taxi to the uninitiated. A pedicab looks a lot like a gigantic tricycle, but with a comfy love seat and canopy snuggled between the two rear wheels. This one will soon begin carting people through the streets of Wellington, New Zealand.

Twenty-nine-year-old Hannon helped make the pedal-powered vehicle from scratch, inside an old stone building off Montana Highway 200, a few miles east of Missoula. Hes the head assembly guy at Coaster Pedicab, a new manufacturing company that has made a home at the former Stimson lumber mill.

I come from the Pacific Northwest, which is like the land of defunct lumber mills, said Hannon. I dont think Ive ever seen this kind of [revival] happen before. Weve got just a ton of different companies on the site here.

Hannon is only exaggerating the number slightly. Coaster Pedicab is one of 13 businesses now occupying the 170-acre site, and theres room for a few more, says Mike Boehme, co-owner of the property.

***

Not very long ago, Bonner appeared destined to become just another timber ghost town when the Stimson mill, which began operating in 1886 to meet the demands of the mining boom and railroad expansion, shuttered its doors for good in 2008 after a slow, painful decline.

But these days, the opposite is happening. A manufacturing hub is rising from the ashes of the defunct lumber mill and the community is experiencing something of a revitalization.

I think it's been one of the best stories emerging out of the recession, not only for Missoula, but for Montana, says James Grunke, CEO of the Missoula Economic Partnership.

Unlike many other states, Montanas manufacturing employment has actually been growing for a number of years, at a rate double the national average. Missoula County has been at or near the front of the pack, and the new businesses taking shape in Bonner reflect that data.

There are now about 300 people working on site, which is the same number of jobs that were lost when Stimson closed.

Except, this time, the jobs arent all with one employer.

The more diversified, the greater the opportunity you have to maintain [jobs], said Boehme. We could lose a business, but we would still have 12 left. Diversity is a big part of it. Were not solely dependent on the lumber industry.

After Stimson closed, Boehme and his business partner, Steve Nelson, recognized that the mill had all the criteria that manufacturing businesses need and want: proximity to a skilled labor force, good transportation (with a rail link running through the property and the highway next door), flat ground and access to bigger markets.

Coaster Pedicab themselves landed there almost by accident. After coming to Montana to connect with a bike supplier in Darby, Coaster soon outgrew their capacity and started looking for a place to set up their own assembly shop.

Last summer, they were on the fence about relocating to Maine, the Bay area in California or staying in Montana. But the Bonner mill wasnt yet on their radar.

At that point, Coaster co-owner Justin Bruce gave Grunke a call. They had coffee. Grunke listened to what they were looking for. By that afternoon, the Coaster owners were in meetings with a bank president to secure financing, and with new mill owners, who saw their vision and made them an offer they couldnt refuse.

It was kind of that night that we were cheers-ing over a Kettlehouse beer, Bruce said. Everything was coming together. And it made sense to be here.

***

Manufacturing industries in Montana actually have a fairly small footprint, making up only about 7 percent of Montanas total economy, says Patrick Barkey, director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana.

But, advanced manufacturing businesses like Coaster do most of their business with the rest of the world, and bring in new sales and revenue from outside the state into the community. They are therefore not limited by the spending power of Montanans, and are what Barkey calls a net add.

But something else is happening in Bonner thats harder to show with a calculator.

One of the unique things about this site that we hadnt initially imagined was the synergy that exists, said Mike Boehme. For example, we have [Hellgate Forge], and he does a lot of work for Pedicab. And ALCOM, the trailer manufacturer, builds boxes for Pedicab. And of course, everyone drinks Cold Smoke.

Kettlehouse Brewing Company, the maker of Cold Smoke Scotch Ale, is opening its biggest brewery location yet, right across the way from Coaster Pedicab.

They got to talking with the guys at Coaster, and now theyre the proud owners of a custom-designed beer bike that is turning heads at brew fests and around town. Thanks to the bike, Kettlehouse is selling out of beer even faster than usual.

If you see a bike hauling a big trailer, the first thing that you think to yourself is that you hope its full of beer, said Zeb Harrington, the operations manager at Kettlehouse. This one actually is, which is awesome. I think thats why people are pumped about it.

For now, the 10-person team at Coaster is focusing their efforts on pedicab production, and designing more types of cargo bikes that offer a green method of transporting and delivering other desirables, such as ice cream and library books, all around town.

The company recently celebrated its first anniversary at the Bonner mill.
About 30 Missoulians braved below-zero weather Saturday morning to lay holiday wreaths on graves at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery for National Wreaths Across America Day.

It was among more than 1,100 wreath-laying ceremonies scheduled simultaneously across the United States in an effort to honor deceased veterans during the holiday season.

Wreaths Across America is coordinated by the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary branch of the Air Force that provides aerospace education search and rescue teams, all while raising money for holiday wreaths to be laid on veterans' graves, according to Deputy Commander Peter Graf.

Graf, who kept this years ceremony especially short, said that when Missoulas Civil Air Patrol branch first joined in Wreaths Across America in 2008, the branch used about 100 wreaths. This year, Graf said, Missoulas 20 cadets and 11 seniors laid nearly 600.

After a moment of silence and a Color Guard flag ceremony, Graf urged the audience to keep in mind, Freedom aint free. Graf also advised audience members to keep as dry as possible and take heated car breaks as needed.

We want to keep this as short as we can so we dont have to spend much time out here, Graf said, through a frozen-over mustache.

Following the ceremony, participants scattered to haul box after box from their cars to the graves, until each and every snow-covered headstone was topped with a simple pine wreath and red ribbon.

The wreaths arrived last Wednesday and were shipped by volunteer truckers, according to 2nd Lt. Kathy Armstrong. While in past years the wreaths were housed in expensive storage units before the ceremony, Armstrong said this year, various community members offered to keep the boxes in personal garages.

Its a huge, huge deal to remember these people, Armstrong said.

As cadets laid the last wreaths in the Veterans Cemetery, leftover boxes were loaded up and taken across the street to the Historic Fort Missoula cemetery, where many other veterans, including Indian warriors, are buried.

We have to put some on the Buffalo Soldiers' graves first thing, Armstrong yelled to a cadet, referring to a term once used for black soldiers, before getting into her car.

Dave Mihalic braved the morning cold with his daughter, Emily, to honor his veteran parents, Geraldine and John, who were buried side-by-side in the Veterans Cemetery.

Mihalic said his mother Geraldine was a cryptographer and John was in the Army Signal Corps, which tests and develops information systems support for the armed forces. Mihalic said John always joked that when the couple met in North Africa, Geraldine would call him to repair her rotor, but, oddly enough, he could never find any mechanical issues with the machine on his arrival.

Mihalic smiled as he remembered the story, and said its nice to live in Missoula, where his family is buried.

Its great to lay these wreaths on your own parents graves, Mihalic said, but the whole thing is many of these other veterans are completely forgotten. So its even better to be able to honor a grave no one visits, especially around the holidays.
Back in 1969, by a whopping vote of 33970, Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives united to pass legislation to do away with the Electoral College.

A companion bill, co-sponsored by Montana Sen. Mike Mansfield and supported by President Richard Nixon, carried the Senate by a strong vote of 5334. That, though, was short of the 2/3 majority necessary to pass the proposal on to the states for ratification as is required for amendments to the Constitution.

What drew the two parties together was the election of 1968 in which independent candidate George Wallace carried enough states to nearly keep either Democrat Hubert Humphrey or Republican Richard Nixon from receiving a majority of the electoral votes.

The minority of senators who killed the bill was made up significantly of southerners whose states had been won by Wallace.

Except for President Obama, Hillary Clinton just won more popular votes than any presidential candidate in history, but her opponent Donald Trump, will be the next President do to a solid win in the Electoral College. It is the fifth time that the Electoral College has overruled the vote of the people.

Our Constitution is acclaimed for its brevity and clarity, but perhaps its most arcane and troublesome contrivance is the Electoral College. When our nations founders came to an impasse over how our Congress should be structured, a compromise was reached which resulted in the House of Representatives to represent the people, and the Senate in which the states are represented equally.

The Electoral College resulted from that congressional compromise being used in electing the president. Each state is allotted as many electors as it has members of the House of Representatives and Senate combined. It is consistent in theory with the compromise that created our Congress.

Influenced by tradition, and also by the argument that the Electoral College benefits small states like Montana by not being based solely on population, Ive supported it.

Im beginning to have serious doubts. Within our constitutional framework, elections are how people give their consent to government. A government established without the consent of the governed inherently lacks the mandate of the people to govern. Through no fault of Trump or Clinton, but because of the Electoral College, that is where we find ourselves now.

Various ideas have surfaced for how we can reform our electoral system to make it more representative of the people. Most would do away with the winner-take-all approach in which the candidate who wins the popular vote of a state, even by a narrow margin, wins all the states electoral votes. This can be accomplished by awarding delegates on the basis of congressional districts, as Main and Nebraska do now, or by the percentage of the vote won by candidates within each state. Neither of these reforms would require a constitutional amendment, but they would require broad cooperation among the states.

By these approaches the electoral vote of the states would probably more accurately reflect the popular vote of the country. The small state advantage of including senators as well as representatives in determining states electors would be preserved. Presidential candidates would have an incentive to appeal to the people everywhere and not just in the big battleground states.

Maybe, though, the Electoral College is simply a complicated and irrelevant relic of the horse and buggy days as Montana Senator Mansfield referred to it back in the '60s. Maybe we should simply get rid of it, as he believed, and let the people decide by their equal votes who our presidents should be.
President-elect Donald Trumps cabinet picks so far have not been, to put it mildly, universally applauded.

Neither was the news that Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke graces the top of the list for secretary of the Interior welcomed in every corner of the state. But while critics are right to have some concerns, these worries are far outweighed by Zinkes numerous advantages  and his enormous potential to bring issues of importance to Montanans to the national stage.

On the balance, Zinke is clearly the best choice among the people Trump has considered for this post. We hope his nomination is soon made official  that is, mentioned in one of Trumps Twitter tweets  and that he is confirmed without undue delay or controversy.

Most importantly, we hope that Zinke keeps Montana foremost in his mind far into the future, and always remembers his stated commitment to our shared public lands.

The Interior Department is a powerful agency that packs particular punch in the West. This is why U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, in a recent meeting with the Missoulian editorial board, emphasized his hope that Trump would tap someone who understands western values to lead the agency.

"The Interior is all about public lands. It's about wildlife and national parks. This is very, very important," Daines told the Billings Gazette editorial board as news broke of Zinkes nomination last week. "I'm very pleased to see that it's a westerner and even more pleased to see that it's a Montanan. I gave strong opinion to the Trump administration, the transition team, that this needs to be a westerner. And by westerner, that doesn't mean Midwest. I'm talking about the West, someone who understands our way of life, understands the importance of our public lands."

Undoubtedly, public lands  their protection, maintenance and accessibility  are of key importance in Montana, which counts some 25 million acres of federal land, including part of Yellowstone National Park and all of Glacier National Park.

The U.S. Department of the Interior is the agency charged with managing these vast public lands. It employs 70,000 people, coordinates an even more expansive network of volunteers and is currently overseen by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. The department is comprised of various offices and nine distinct bureaus:

 Bureau of Indian Affairs

 Bureau of Land Management

 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

 Bureau of Reclamation

 Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

 National Park Service

 Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

 U.S. Geological Survey

On that last point, it is interesting to note that Zinke has a bachelors of science degree in geology, in addition to two masters degrees  one in business finance and one in global leadership. They were earned, of course, before he embarked on his career with the Navy SEALs, which spanned more than two decades, and before he was elected to the Montana Legislature.

Zinke was elected to represent Montana in the U.S. Congress in 2014, and reelected just last month. Prior to his re-election, this editorial board expressed strong concern with Zinkes tendency toward self-promotion, even at the risk of leaving Montana behind, and his unwavering support of Trump, even when Trumps statements clearly warranted wavering  or outright condemnation.

It appears that his loyalty to Trump will be rewarded; similarly, his wife, Lolita Zinke, an early and ardent Trump supporter, was asked to join the Veterans Administration landing team. Hopefully, his loyalty to Montana will prove even more enduring.

Nearly 30 percent of Montana is federal land, making the U.S. government the states largest landowner, on behalf of the American people. The right of the people to access their public lands must be protected, and on this point, Zinke would appear to strongly agree.

In an opinion piece published in this newspaper in April 2014, Zinke wrote: We chose to live in Montana and are blessed with clean air, water, and are fortunate to share in the fruits of having access and use of our public lands. Responsible development of our assets, to include resources on our public lands, will create economic prosperity and a better future in the Treasure State.

And shortly afterward, in January 2015, Zinke told the Montana Legislature, I will not tolerate selling our public lands.

Indeed, his official House website states that, as a fifth-generation Montanan, Zinke understands how important our public lands are to our local economies, communities, and more importantly, our very way of life. In Montana, our land IS our way of life. Our wealth of natural resources creates jobs, supports families, and promotes recreation. It is of utmost importance that we preserve the publics access to these lands.

A good portion of Zinkes legislation in Congress has focused on public lands matters, followed by energy and Native American legislation, according to the federal watchdog Govtrack. He has voted against bills that would trade increased timber production for public lands.

Most encouragingly, Zinke demonstrated his willingness to stand by these values when he opposed the Republican Partys platform calling for federal land transfer to the states. He went so far as to withdraw as a delegate to the Republican National Convention over the matter.

If he does become the nations secretary of the Interior, his commitment to public lands  and to Montana values  may be put to its greatest test yet. We have no fear he will do the right thing and stand by both, so long as he keeps one foot grounded in Montana.
A doctor hired by the Montana Department of Justice for occasional autopsy work had resigned from his previous job in Washington state after years of complaints and two lawsuits about workplace conditions.

When the states two longtime medical examiners resigned in quick succession last year, the state struggled to fill their positions. The crime lab and the county coroners for which it worked turned to private pathologists to perform autopsies.

Dr. Norman Thiersch was among the contractors paid by the state to travel to Missoula for the work.

In September 2014, Thiersch resigned his post as Snohomish County Medical Examiner as part of a confidential separation agreement, according to The Daily Herald newspaper in Everett, Wash. He had held the job he held for 16 years but left as criticism of his management mounted and in the wake of two lawsuits.

Thiersch, reached by email, declined two interview requests, suggesting the reporter speak with Montana Department of Justice Spokesman Eric Sell.

Sell said Thiersch had to disclose the incidents in Washington when applying for his Montana medical license. Additionally, he said Crime Lab Administrator Phil Kinsey asked employees who had previously worked with Thiersch about whether they would have an issue working with him and they all said no.

There havent been any concerns with his work product, Sell said. No issues or concerns have been reported by crime lab employees.

In 2010, The Daily Herald reported that high turnover and low morale led county leaders to call for an independent investigation of Thierschs office. Two incidents involving employees were subject to criminal investigations, though no charges were filed, reported the Herald.

In 2012, the newspaper reported that a city police department was upset that Thiersch refused to perform an autopsy on a 7-year-old boy who died of an apparent overdose of aspirin or similar medication. Police said they couldnt bring charges against the parents, in part, because they did not have evidence that might have been found during an autopsy.

Thiersch also was named in two related discrimination and retaliation lawsuits.

The first, filed by a former death investigator, alleged discrimination due to disability, sexual harassment and retaliation. In part, the suit alleged that after the death investigator confronted Thiersch about unprofessional conditions in the morgue, the pathologist forcefully ripped organs from a body then threw them back into the chest cavity so as to intentionally splash and splatter blood on the woman. The Herald reported that the case was settled in 2013 for $495,000 with a confidentiality clause that bars the parties from speaking about the case. A second case with similar allegations was settled for $125,000 a year later, according to the Herald.

Since August 2015, Thiersch has been paid nearly $22,000 to travel to Missoula and perform autopsies, according to state financial records. Although most of that was last year, Kinsey confirmed Thiersch also had worked for the lab earlier this month but had yet to bill the state.

The state saw a spike in contracting costs last year as it struggled to fill three positions, two left vacant by the departure of the states longtime medical examiners and a third that was new.

In the last six months of 2015, 39 bodies were transported hundreds of miles to out-of-state labs, according to a report Kinsey presented to legislators in March. Three private pathologists, including Thiersch, secured Montana licenses and traveled to Missoula to perform another 113 autopsies under contract.

Records show those services, along with recruitment expenses, cost the state $570,000 more than was available in the FY 2016 budget. For comparison, the full annual salary of a deputy medical examiner is $201,000.

The Department of Justice requested in May that Budget Director Dan Villa shift spending authority from FY 2017 to 2016 to cover the shortfall. The department has previously said the difference would be made up by holding open vacant positions and reducing FTE as well as increased revenues from a raised autopsy fee paid by county coroners.

The result of the reduction will be delays in processing forensic evidence and timely resolution of cases, Central Services Administrator Christi Jacobsen wrote in June.

This calendar year, the state also paid another $41,000 to a Minnesota-based pathologist to cover for absences by the Billings-based pathologist.

The March report from Kinsey notes that national guidelines recommend the state should hire another pathologist for the Billings office based on Montanas population, something many coroners also support. The Department of Justice did not request funding for an additional position as it put together a budget proposal earlier this fall. Given the states declining revenues, the creation of an additional position is unlikely.
HAZEN, N.D.  Dave Sebastian has had a passion for bison going on 30 years, and the genetic traits he's bred into some of his animals have created beautiful results. But for all that, it's the special bison species  familiar, yet distinctly unique  in an outer pasture that are most noteworthy to him.

In one corral are his white bison, their great hairy coats bordering on blonde as if they've been worked over with a giant batch of Clairol hair coloring. The color is consistent except on their heads, where natural oils collect during this colder time of year to create an orange hue. These are not albinos, but animals bred over successive generations with the gene for white hair.

As one named Oliver approaches the gate, it becomes clear that these animals are even more stunning close up. And yet they are not the greatest head-turners on the ranch. Over the next fence is a herd of black bison  bred the same way, but with the blackest hair genetically possible. These animals could disappear into the dark, their huge forms turning night into perfect camouflage. They're like vanguards to a darker, more dangerous dimension.

"Yeah," Sebastian agrees, "they're really something."

What impress him most are the females of that herd, whose fertility is extremely long-lived compared with beef cattle.

"I brought these out here 20 years ago, and the cows still standing here are just in the middle of their life," he said.

They will produce calves up to 10 years longer than a beef cow. That's just one of many reasons Sebastian prefers bison to beef cattle. He also notes their self-sufficiency and their ability to self-regulate protein intake for their own health.

Beyond the black-and-white counterpoints of specialty breeding, off in a pasture of their own, are what have become Sebastian's pride and joy in the relatively few years since he brought them here from a ranch in New Mexico. They are wisents, the European genetic ancestor to both the plains bison here in America and the woods bison still found in Canada.

These wisents were originally kept in zoos in San Diego and Winnipeg, Manitoba, where they were not reproducing  and where, if kept near other large animals, they displayed a bad temperament that resulted in the other animals' deaths.

Sebastian said he offered to buy one from the rescue rancher and ended up with all 18.

"He was having a hard time with them and not getting any offspring," he said.

Six years later, they are flourishing on the natural grass of the rural Hazen sand hills.

"It's been very good for them. Every cow here has a calf every year," said Sebastian, who now has about 100 wisents, the only breeding herd anywhere in North or South America. "I didn't realize that no one else in the country had one."

The wisent is considered a vulnerable species in Europe, where Sebastian said about 3,000 to 4,000 still exist, primarily in Poland and Belarus, the Bismarck Tribune reported. According to Wikipedia, two of its subspecies were eradicated by the 1700s.

There is a wisent registry in Poland, and Sebastian said he's made contact to have his animals listed. He said his success here  where the animals are thriving simply with naturally good grass and normal maintenance provided by his son, Coy Sebastian  may be of interest to those in Europe. Some countries there are attempting to "rewild" the species, which are now a woods-dwelling animal and the largest of any still on the continent.

No matter whether it's black, white, brown or wisent, whether it's in North Dakota or on his second ranch in Tennessee, Sebastian raises his animals for eventual slaughter and consumption. The wisent has one extra lumbar vertebra, which adds to the meat in their tenderloin and strip loin  not an insubstantial bonus with bison bringing $5 a pound these days.

"They are extremely slow growers," Sebastian said. "You cannot put fat on a wisent; they have an extremely slow metabolism and grow at a rate about twice as slow as a plains buffalo."

He doesn't have any particular plans for the herd at this point, other than enjoying their adaptation to the prairie sand hills of North Dakota and his unanticipated success with this diminished, but indomitable, cousin to the great American bison.

"They're here to stay. I'll keep growing the herd until I decide I'm going somewhere with them," he said.

If someone else is interested in them, with the intention of maintaining the species, he's willing to discuss it. For now, the animals are a pleasure unto themselves.

"I love bison. Any old cowpoke can raise them on good grass and if they keep the gate closed," he said.
LOLO  Its not a bad idea to keep your head on a swivel when walking anywhere near a herd of bison.

Theres a growing number of visitors to Yellowstone National Park who will attest to that.

Closer to Missoula, the owner of Bitterroot Bison has plenty of experience when it comes to the critters that reach upwards of 2,000 pounds of lightning-fast fury.

They can be a little unpredictable, said Troy Westre as he finished posing for a photo with the 2,000-pound former bottle baby bull he calls Dozer.

Westre said there are only three in his herd that he would walk up to and pet like Dozer. And one of those might still give him a run for his money if hes not on his toes.

Anyone who has spent some time around the brawny and powerful beasts knows that you can never been too careful.

Thats probably whats kept many in the cattle industry from converting their herds over to the animal native to this part of the world.

Its also why Westre doesnt worry at all about the current plunge in cattle prices.

When Westre bought his first five bison back in 2000, prices werent anything to brag about. Around 2006, the price for bison meat started moving upward and it hasnt stopped since then.

I can remember selling a bull for $1.20 a pound, he said. Now its $2.75 on the hoof. Over the last three years, the prices have really been banging upwards.

Westre credits media-mogul Ted Turner for creating the demand for bison burger.

He probably has about 60 percent of the bison market now, Westre siad. The National Bison Association has been doing a good job in marketing as well.

Bison remains a niche market and Westre predicts it will be for a long time to come.

They butcher about 173,000 cows a day, he said. We killed 60,000 bison last year. I think the prices will keep going up because the demand is so high for them right now.

That demand is being driven by people looking for a healthy alternative to red meat.

Westre knows from experience thats the case.

Every year, right after the general hunting season comes to a close, his phone lights up with calls from unsuccessful elk hunters hoping to fill their freezer with meat thats similar in fat content to elk and deer.

Westre raises his bison on a ranch just north of Lolo and on land adjacent to the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge between Florence and Stevensville.

This year he expanded his business with the purchase of a food truck where he sells bison burger, tacos, chili and breakfast burritos at locations around western Montana.

People always tell me its the best burger that theyve ever had, he said.

That favorable response has him considering franchising his food truck business with the hope that someday most of his Bitterroot Valley-raised meat would be sold through his own outlets.

Currently, people can sample bison burgers from Westres herd at the Lolo Peak Brewery, Broadway Bar and Lochsa Lodge.

The beauty of raising bison is that not much at all has to go to waste.

You can sell a bison hide for $1,000 and a beetle-bleached skull for $300, he said. Those are throwaway items on a cow.

Westre makes coats, caps and gloves from the hide, soap from the tallow from old calf-less cows, and drinking cups from the horns.

But bison arent for everyone.

You have to always remember that they can really move out, Westre said. They can go from zero to 35 mph right out of the chute. You better not be standing in the way when they get moving.

When they do escape from their pastures, it can be a challenge to get them back where they belong.

You dont try to push them, Westre said. That doesnt work at all. We try to pull them along with some feed.

Last summer, Westre found himself faced with a herd of 20 young bulls that found a hole in the fence on the property south of Florence.

It was late July when the calls started coming in.

The small herd walked across the refuge and swam the river on its way west.

They went right across Highway 93, Westre said. I had cops calling me every day. They would go in peoples horse pasture one way and go out another way.

He chased them for five days before finally catching up to them just before they ambled onto the Bitterroot National Forest.

Lacking any other options, Westre shot the lead bull.

The rest turned around and headed east. They stopped to rest on a three-mile-long island on the Bitterroot River that had grass up to Westres chest.

He decided that he was going to have to shoot them a couple at a time and haul them back across the river with a boat.

The next day  almost as if theyd been warned that their walk-about was about to come to a dramatic finish  the herd showed up at the ranch next to refuge at 5 a.m.

They had walked in the dark back to the ranch without anyone seeing them, Westre said, with a smile. They are pretty amazing animals.

To learn more about Bitterroot Bison, go to www.bitterrootbison.com
For over a year the Pour House Pub on Harrison Avenue in Butte has been supplying Mining City residents with growlers of over 20 craft beers.

But bar owner Kevin Everett says he wasnt always a craft-beer enthusiast.

In fact, at one time Everett was a Coors Light guy and industrial worker.

Local taproom makes the most of flourishing craft-beer industry As any microbrew aficionado will tell you, the craft beer industry in Montana is on the rise.

Everett said his interest in craft beer began when his two daughters got him started on microbrews. However, the path that would ultimately lead him toward launching the Pour House didnt start to take shape until an accident nearly claimed his life.

While at work, Everett said, he fell from a manlift and shattered a majority of his ribs.

I was basically DOA, said Everett. They used CPR on me and everything else.

Everett suffered another injury in 2010 and eventually had surgery to repair the damage.

Although the surgery repaired Everetts body, the operation limited his flexibility, making it difficult to continue in a job he had held for more than 17 years.

It ended a good career, Everett said. It was a very good job, and it all came to an abrupt end.

After retiring from his position, Everett took a couple of years off to regain his strength and find out what his next move would be.

During this time he spent a lot of time fishing, including on the Columbia River in Oregon, where his sister lives.

On one trip to Oregon, Everett said, his sister took him to a growler filling station in Portland that had more than 30 craft beers on tap.

At first Everett pictured a bar with traditional macrobrews, so when he arrived he was surprised to see a selection of beers from small breweries from throughout Oregon and the country.

It blew me away. I just thought this is such a great idea, said Everett.

As he drove the 12 hours home to the Mining City, Everett said, he couldnt stop thinking about the business model, which hadnt yet taken hold in Montana.

By the time he arrived in Butte he had a concrete vision for the Pour House.

Finally in November 2015 Everett opened the Pour House at 1815 Harrison Ave. at the former location of the Top Deck Lounge. Today it offers 24 rotating craft beers from Montana and Butte with a few out-of-state selections. The bar also offers 20 wines and a small selection of ciders.

Everett is also making the most of social media at his bar through a smart-phone application called Untapped where users can rate and keep track of the craft beers theyve tried and communicate with breweries and other devotees. Patrons interactions with the app can be seen in real time on a screen behind the bar at the Harrison Avenue establishment, which also illuminates the Pour House menu.

Everett said that core components of his business philosophy include creating a welcoming, pub-like atmosphere and paying attention to quality.

He said he changes the keg lines and pours himself a glass of every new beer that comes to the Pour House.
MISSOULA  District Court Judge Robert Dusty Deschamps kept the attorneys in the courtroom after the jury was excused for the weekend at the end of day three of the trial of Jordan Scott Bahr, accused of raping a Missoula woman in October 2015.

The judge wanted to discuss the topic of sexual consent.

Specifically, he referenced Montana law regarding the definition of the last two words in the "sexual intercourse without consent" charge Bahr faces. Deschamps said those could apply to this case in two ways: some sort of threat or the woman being physically helpless. So far, he said, he saw no evidence of the former in the prosecutions case.

Deschamps said he has been ruminating on a prior Missoula rape case that was eventually appealed to the Montana Supreme Court. That court overturned a conviction, ruling that "frozen fright" didn't constitute "physically helpless."

The woman Bahr is accused of assaulting said she froze during the incident.

On Thursday, a licensed clinical psychologist testified about the freezing phenomenon, telling the jury that it was a physiological, uncontrollable response to high levels of fear that causes someone to not be able to leave or fight back during a traumatic situation like rape.

The judge encouraged the prosecution and defense to consider the legal question of consent before trial resumes Monday.

Im willing to take another run at the Supreme Court with the record weve got, he said.

After meeting Bahr in a group of mutual friends at a bar in downtown Missoula on Oct. 12, 2015, the woman said they biked home together because he lived along the way and didnt have a light on his bicycle.

She went inside when she reached his house and, feeling drunk, decided to sleep on his couch instead of riding the rest of the way home.

Its two in the morning, Im alone. Im female. Im intoxicated, she said in court Friday near the end of her testimony.

Bahr allegedly offered twice to let her sleep in his bed, which she declined. He asked if he could lay on the couch with her and she said yes, testifying that it was something she commonly did with platonic friends. Almost immediately, the woman said Bahr began an escalating series of painful sexual assaults. She said she froze and couldnt fight back, eventually dressing and leaving after Bahr stopped.

Mary Pat Hansen, the clinical supervisor for the First Step Resource Center who conducted the forensic examination of the woman the afternoon after the incident, said she found evidence of abrasion to her genitals consistent with the womans description of events but said its not her role to decide whether that means the activity was consensual or nonconsensual.

Were not diagnosing sexual assault based on what we see, Hansen said. Consensual sexual activity can also result in injury.

Most of Friday was taken up by testimony from colleagues and friends of the woman, including her boyfriend, talking about how the incident has affected her.

Her sister, who visited from out of state months later, said she and the woman went to Big Dipper for ice cream but had to go home after she saw someone standing in the line wearing a similar item of clothing to what Bahr had worn. She said the woman spent more than an hour closed off in her room after they left.

While many of the details the womans friends report her telling them about the incident at Bahrs house are consistent, there are a few disagreements. Some said she reported telling Bahr she had a boyfriend, others just that she said she told him she didnt want to do anything with him that night. Some said she told them she fell asleep and woke up to Bahr attacking her, others that she said she never slept before the pair lay down.

One of the mutual friends who had been at the bar with them earlier in the evening said he saw Bahr several days later with Bahr telling him he and the woman had had wild sex and that she stepped out on her boyfriend with him.

The friend said Bahr told him he had asked the woman if she wanted to come in to have sex and she said no but also that what did she think was going to happen? when she came in to warm up, a statement the man said he found disturbing.
The U.S. Marshals Service on Friday apprehended the second of two convicted drug dealers who walked away from the Connections Corrections Program in Uptown Butte on Dec. 3, authorities said.

Bryant Thieman was arrested in Tacoma, Washington, and will be returned to Montana to face felony escape charges, according to an email from Connections Corrections. Details on his arrest were not released.

The other walk-away, Justin Koehler, 27, was arrested Dec. 13 during a traffic stop in Missoula. He also faces felony escape charges.

Koehler was sentenced on two counts of drug distribution in November 2015 to five years in prison and placed in Connections Corrections, a drug treatment program, on Nov. 16, 2016, according to the Montana Department of Corrections.

Thieman was sentenced to five years in prison in June 2016 after being caught at an Interstate 90 traffic stop with an ounce of meth and admitting to trafficking drugs frequently between Montana and Washington.
Butte area lawmakers are eyeing several initiatives heading into Montanas 2017 legislative session, from making health care more affordable to upgrading school buildings to staving off invasive mussels that threaten Montanas lakes and rivers.

And with backing from at least one Republican lawmaker from southwest Montana, Buttes delegation of Democrats will try once again to land funding for a long-sought retirement home for military veterans.

It was part of a final bonding and funding bill in 2015 that included $150 million for local infrastructure projects and state buildings but fell one vote short of passage in the final hours of the session.

We let our veterans down last time, said Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso, D-Butte.

Republican Jeff Welborn of Dillon, who was in the House last session but elected to the Senate in November, said he would support the project once again. It has been in the works for several years now, with money being the last remaining hurdle.

How do you put a price on their service to our country? Welborn said. I feel it is that important, and we need to get this thing done.

Republicans will drive much of the agenda again since they kept sizable majorities in both chambers in the Nov. 8 election. But Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock won re-election too, and his veto power gives him significant clout.

And outnumbered Democrats have managed to join with enough Republicans to get some major initiatives through, including an expansion of the Medicaid program last session. But declining tax revenues have eaten into the states reserves, leaving little extra cash to spend.

Democrat Jim Keane, who is moving from the Senate to the House, said hes hopeful an infrastructure package will pass. There is a better willingness to get that done, he said, because efforts failed in 2013 and 2015.

But before you get the discussion going on that, you have to discuss the budget, Keane said. There is no money. There is no excess money right now, and we will have to get our hands around that.

Keane said one issue that must be addressed is the potential spread of invasive aquatic mussels. Testing has confirmed larvae from mussels in the Tiber Reservoir, and suspected positive tests in Canyon Ferry Reservoir and parts of the Missouri River and Milk River are still being analyzed.

If we have mussels in the state of Montana, we have one major problem, Keane said. It would be devastating. We are going to have to figure out how to fund better programs and fund the continued analysis and testing for them.

Sesso is seeking changes to floodplain laws that unnecessarily restrict small environmental restoration projects, such as one for Blacktail Creek that would allow fish to swim into the Highlands.

He said he also is intrigued with the idea of allowing Montana cities with a resort tax to increase it if the money went to affordable housing programs for workers who provide tourism services in those communities.

And lawmakers  having expanded Medicaid to more Montanans last session  need to address another side of that issue, he said.

We have got to look at every mechanism we can to bring the costs of health care down, so I will personally be taking a keen interest in any legislation that seeks to do that, Sesso said.

Rep. Amanda Curtis, D-Butte, returns to the Legislature after two years away and is sponsoring a school infrastructure bill that came out of an interim committee on education funding. It would provide $10 million to help schools get new roofs or make other building upgrades.

I think it distributes the money in a fair way for students so small schools can still get enough money to get something done and give everyone a little slice of the pie, Curtis said.

Although Gov. Bullocks infrastructure package includes $16.8 million in bonding for a state veterans home in Butte, Rep. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, will carry another measure for the Butte delegation in a separate bill.

That bill would arrange a state loan of up to $10 million to build the home, to be combined with $5 million in previously committed state funds. The loan would be secured in part with a federal funding commitment and would be repaid in full when the U.S. Veterans Administration provides its share of the money.

Lynch got a hearing on a similar bill in 2015, and more than 20 veterans and those with veteran organizations spoke in favor of it. There are only two other state veterans homes in Montana  one in Columbia Falls 232 miles from Butte and one in Glendive 437 miles away.

We have been working with local veterans to get a little bit more organized this time, Lynch said.

Although enacting a solid, healthy budget was important, Lynch said, the veterans home was his top priority.

The session begins Jan. 2.
Rob Chaneys "Timber Wars" articles are well researched and give readers a glimpse at the bigger picture of the history and current condition of the timber industry in Montana. But readers deserve a chance to consider whats left out since those omissions skew views of what is at stake in the real world timber wars, including our life support system, our precious water supplies, native wildlife, and our own critical human habitat.

The "Timber Wars" series makes it clear that forests, not timber corporations, are losing the war. Sustainable logging is good in theory, but in practice, as the series points out, it is mostly wishful thinking and not the actual history of the logging industry in Montana.

The articles look at forest economics simply in terms of board feet and dollars, which reinforces a commodity view of complex living forests. It is a vital mistake to see a living forest primarily as a pile of lumber instead of an enormously complex ecosystem.

Actual environmental costs of logging are left vague and largely unmentioned. The articles do not suggest any appropriate measurements to gauge those real costs, which are accruing in our forests. One measurement would be the number of streams Montana has listed as impaired due to sediment from logging roads. Another, among many, would be the rate of extirpation of forest species. These and other costs accumulate out in the forests even when not acknowledged.

And there is no attempt to measure the monetary costs to the public to eventually remediate the damage done. These costs are "externalized" in the articles as well as in timber sale accounting systems, but not on the landscape.

A good case study would be Plum Creeks cut and run disaster at Gold Creek that was discussed in the articles. Plum Creek completely clearcut most of the drainage and then left the damage behind, including knapweed that perpetually sends seeds downstream to the Blackfoot River. Missoulians who frequent the Blackfoot can see that item of the unpaid bill continually accruing.

What will the monetary costs of restoring those impaired rivers eventually be, or the monetary costs to remediate extirpation of species like bull trout, lynx and grizzly bears?

The history of private corporations logging private forests resulted in wholesale "liquidation" of what they termed their timber assets. That was followed by conversion of land to real estate speculation as former timber companies became Real Estate Investment Trusts.

Then the private corporations turned to logging public forests and took the biggest, most profitable, cream-trees first. With most of the old growth gone, government forest managers began to give taxpayer subsidized sweeteners with cheap public trees to private industry.

Now, taxpayer money funds "fear-of-fire" timber sales that are offered to purportedly "restore" public forests damaged by historic management mistakes, but instead of paying money for the publicly owned trees, the timber industry cleans up some of the historical damage caused by logging in trade for even more logging on public forests. In essence private industry finds a perpetual money machine built with public trees at the expense of public forests and taxpayers.

With public forests nearly down to the real estate phase of exploitation for private profit, hand-in-glove collaboration with corporate hands in protective government gloves, is poised to finish the job.

Rather than disparage forest activists who are helping prevent more forest casualties in the "timber wars," we should be supporting them for acting as guardrails obstructing industry, collaborator groups, and government agencies blind leaps into the continuing bankruptcy of our natural economy.

-- Larry Campbell, of Darby, has worked in the woods hooking chokers, falling trees, guiding backpack trips and working as a mineral exploration geologist. For over 30 years he has worked as a forest activist, independently and in collaboration with Friends of the Bitterroot and other grassroots forest defense groups.
Attorneys are asking the North Dakota Supreme Court to allow out-of-state lawyers to represent some of the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters who have been arrested over the past several months.

The petition, filed by 10 North Dakota and Minnesota attorneys and organizations, comes in response to the large number of arrests since August. The petitioners claim the resulting strain on public defenders and private defense attorneys in North Dakota puts hundreds of protesters constitutional rights at risk.

Petitioners know of no other time in which comparable strain has been placed on a court system, relative to its size, by such a surge of arrests. While the total number of requests for indigent counsel cannot yet be determined, it is clear that there will be more requests for counsel than can be accommodated by present resources. Similarly, the demand for private counsel also exceeds the capacity of the local bar, the lawyers wrote in the petition filed Wednesday afternoon.

Absent the court granting the relief requested, indigent defendants Fifth Amendment right to representation by counsel and Sixth Amendment right to counsel of their choice may be put in jeopardy, the petition reads.

Over the course of four months, 571 people have been arrested in connection with the protests, according to the Morton County Sheriffs Department. Many were arrested as co-conspirators in the same case, creating conflicts for attorneys representing multiple people.

According to the petition, 79 North Dakota attorneys have been assigned as public defenders for 265 cases. An additional 264 people are listed without counsel.

The first jury trial is scheduled to begin in Morton County on Monday.

Jean Delaney, executive director of the North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents, said recently she was requesting an additional $670,000 in funding to cover the costs of more public defenders and contract attorneys recruited from all over the state. The commission temporarily suspended a rule prohibiting public defenders from representing co-defendants in order to ease the strain on lawyers.

The petition asserts that, even if defense attorneys step up, there will not be enough in North Dakota to adequately represent the protesters. There are about 1,800 lawyers who practice primarily in this state, and the state criminal defense bar has just 70 members. Some lawyers also have reportedly said they were not interested in defending protesters, or that they have personal or professional conflicts.

Defendants are being put to an impossible choice: go without an attorney, be represented by an attorney too burdened to provide effective assistance or forgo their right to a speedy trial by having to wait until such time an attorney becomes available. None of these choices are acceptable, according to the petition.

The attorneys are recommending that the high court allow out-of-state lawyers to practice in North Dakota temporarily if they become licensed in the federal court, which is apparently a simpler process than obtaining a state license. They are asking for a hearing on the issue.

Bill Tilton, a Minnesota attorney who represented people charged at Wounded Knee in the 1970s, is among the petitioners. He has been working on a temporary basis with Bismarck attorney Chad Nodland, another petitioner, to assist protesters with their cases. He expects 25 to 50 attorneys from other states would be willing to assist.

The question from the North Dakota courts is, will they be in the position of standing in the doorway of the courts or opening our courts to all these people, as unlikable as they may be to the people of Bismarck? he said. If they reject this petition, I guarantee there will be a multiplicity of motions to dismiss or overturn decisions based on inadequacy of counsel.

Other petitioners include Tim Purdon, former U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota, and the American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota.
The U.S. Forest Service recently decided to reroute a road in the Bridger Mountains near Bozeman rather than engage in a costly court battle with a landowner to obtain a prescriptive easement across his property. For many access advocates, that rational agreement represents a slippery slope because it could be cited in future disputes over public access across private land, to use the words of the Bozeman Chronicle.

The decision to negotiate rather than litigate stands in stark contrast to an access dispute between a small landowner on Indian Creek south of Ennis and the USFS. That dispute went to court, and in October, U.S. District Judge Sam Haddon issued an opinion in which the USFS prevailed with a finding that it has a prescriptive easement for a trail running through the front yard of the 80-acre property. Unfortunately, the landowner spent over a million dollars of their own money, and the USFS spent millions of taxpayer dollars on the litigation. This is the slippery slope that we should all be concerned about.

Consider the fact that the USFS had a letter of agreement from the landowner giving the USFS an easement across the property not by prescription, but by a grant from the landowner. The letter of agreement established a new trail location and required the landowner to pay for construction of the new trail and two new bridges. According to Madison District Ranger Mark Petroni (Feb. 10, 2006), They (the landowner) have offered to partner with us to acquire an easement across their property, assist with acquisition of an easement across their neighbor the CB Ranch and help fund NEPA (environmental review) and construction of a new trail location that avoids their lawn. This potential partnership is too good to pass up.

Despite the fact that the landowner maintained the trail and existing bridge, never once denied access to the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area, and never suggested that access would be denied in the future, the USFS ended its good neighbor policy on September 1, 2011 and pursued a prescriptive easement instead. It filed a statement of interest stating that The United States of America states that it has and claims an easement for the Indian Creek trail 328 over and across the private land. Based on that statement of interest, the landowner sought to clarify or quiet its title.

Establishing a prescriptive easement requires that the USFS must show open, notorious, exclusive, adverse, continuous and uninterrupted use by the public on private land without permission from the landowner. Historically that has been a high bar, but the judge lowered that bar in the Indian Creek case granting the prescriptive easement based on a USFS Trail Registers from 1969 and from 1970 showing only 30 users per year. Moreover, the Indian Creek landowner posted signs notifying trail users that they were crossing private property with gratuitous permission.

The message to all landowners is clear: If you allow even a few people to cross your property to access public land, you may find yourself in court spending millions on lawyers and losing control of your property. With that message, it is reasonable to expect that many landowners will stop allowing access.

To see how far the USFS is willing to push its interest in access across private property, consider the advice from District Ranger, Alex Sienkiewicz (Yellowstone Ranger District) posted on July 7, 2016, on the Facebook page of the Public Land/Water Access Association: NEVER ask permission to access the National Forest Service through a traditional route shown on our maps EVEN if that route crosses private land. NEVER ASK PERMISSION; NEVER SIGN IN (concerns  come see me)  Whatever past DRs (district rangers) or colleagues have said, I am making it clear, DO NOT ASK permission and DO NOT ADVISE publics to ask permission  By asking permission, one undermines public access rights and plays into their lawyers trap of establishing a history of permissive access. Landowners beware!

Access disputes will continue as a growing population pushes for more access across private lands. The dilemma facing public land management agencies is whether to pursue litigation or negotiation. Not only is litigation costly to landowners and the government, it tears at the social fabric of cooperation among landowners, federal and state agencies, and public land users that has been the tradition in Montana. Lets hope that the Forest Services decision in the Bridger Mountain case does set precedent.

-- Terry L. Anderson is a senior fellow at PERC in Bozeman and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Commissioner Clayton Christian has announced that Royce Engstrom will be stepping down as president of the University of Montana, effective Dec. 31. I read this news with sadness  sadness for the state of my alma mater and sadness for Royce and his wife Mary, who I hold as dear friends and mentors.

The Montana Kaimin called Engstroms legacy at Montanas flagship university complicated, a characterization I cannot refute. As Engstrom transitions out, there will be many opinions on his legacy/tenure, some complimentary to his leadership decisions, and others less so. Regardless, it is irrefutable that his presidency was marked with relentless obstacles, difficult decisions, numerous controversies, and fundamentally, a shifting economic landscape that has left many in the higher education community looking for new answers (or solutions). I write to share my perspective, as a young Montanan engaged in public service, on the leadership legacy that Royce and Mary Engstrom will leave behind them at the University of Montana.

I first met Royce as an undergraduate student senator at UM. He was in his first year as president, inheriting an institution ripe with opportunities as well as chronic issues. We worked through many of those opportunities and challenges in conjunction, as I led the student body during his third year, a time which brought a massive overhaul of his cabinet, controversies with the Legislature, and of course, the infamous NCAA, Department of Education and Department of Justice investigations. I watched closely as he deliberated during some of his most distressing and difficult times. I met with him one-on-one every week. Sometimes I agreed with his actions. More than once, I disagreed with his ultimate decisions. In almost every decision, I wrestled with the complicated dynamics at play.

Throughout the two years we spent working side-by-side, above all else I came to respect him for his integrity. He imparted a model of ethical leadership at UM that will have lasting impact. Unlike other academic or political leaders I have observed and worked alongside, I saw in Royce an openness to diverse viewpoints, and a commitment to democratic decision making. Royce created a model of leadership dependent on surrounding himself with people he respected and trusted. People who had different experiences than him, or had differing values or perspectives  people he could can learn from! Then, when faced with a controversy or difficult decision, he honestly and openly consulted with these trusted advisers. There were no yes men in the Engstrom cabinet. There were leaders and independent thinkers whom he trusted, listened to, and together, he made difficult decisions with his leadership team.

The other quality I consistently observed in Royce and Mary was a deep commitment to lifelong learning. Even as president, Royce remained the consummate educator. For example, he responded to pressure from Republican legislators to support the coal industry by reading everything he could get his hands on regarding the future of our energy economy. He traveled to eastern Montana to meet with coal miners and his critics. And back home, he held regular seminars in his office with Climate Change Studies students. He listened genuinely and consistently considered both sides of contentious issues.

Royce Engstrom led the University of Montana with integrity and grit. He dedicated his entire self to our university community, often at the expense of his own career advancement and professional reputation. After much reflection over recent days, I believe that the Engstroms are leaving the University of Montana better than they found it. For that  and for their grace, optimism, fortitude, and genuine good nature  Royce and Mary Engstrom have earned my deepest gratitude.

-- State Rep. Zach Brown, D-Bozeman, represents House District 63. He attended the University of Montana from 2009-2013 and served as president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana in 2012-13.
There is surely no shortage of things on President Obamas to-do list over the next month  a period that includes his last Presidential vacation to Hawaii. Indeed, as the country anticipates the presidency of Donald Trump, a variety of items, from the urgently needed to the downright loony, will be offered up to the President as he considers what final actions he should take at the end of his eight-year presidency.

Something that we believe belongs on that list: Yellowstone grizzly bears.

We believe they belong on the Presidents action list because they also belong on the endangered species list.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recommended delisting the Yellowstone grizzlies, which could open the bears of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem to being hunted. The National Wildlife Federation (and the Montana Wildlife Federation) supports delisting, citing the great increase in Greater Yellowstone grizzly populations. Others, however, arent so sure. Many wilderness and conservation groups are on the other side of the fence. The majority of bear experts, including Montanas own Doug Peacock and some very big-name scientists like E.O. Wilson, Jane Goodall and George Schaller, oppose delisting. They are concerned that until the Greater Yellowstone grizzlies are spread out enough to be able to mate in significant number with grizzlies from other ecosystems, the genetics of the group are vulnerable. And the effects of climate change are another concern. Many whitebark pine trees, a key food source for the Yellowstone ecosystem grizzlies, have fallen victim to insects - a change that many scientists believe is climate-related.

Nick Gevock, an articulate spokesman for the Montana Wildlife Federation who is well-known to Butte from his tenure as a reporter for this newspaper, applauds the delisting. Montanans should be incredibly proud of bringing back one of our most cherished native wildlife species, he wrote this year. They should also acknowledge that grizzles are no longer endangered. While Gevock acknowledges that delisting would put the Yellowstone grizzlies back under the management of Wyoming and Montana, and therefore could result in the animals being hunted, he says thats not a bad thing. Nearly every species of wildlife that hunters value has thrived in our country, and with sound scientific management, grizzlies can do the same, he added.

Gevock also wrote, The successful recovery of the Yellowstone grizzly is evidenced by the fact that the population has been stable for many years. At the same time, grizzlies continue to expand farther out from the park. Its a sign that the bears are re-inhabiting places where they were found historically.

Other scientists believe, though, that more bears are migrating outward in search of food. In addition to white bark pine nuts, cutthroat trout, elk and moths historically eaten by Yellowstone grizzlies are dropping in number in the ecosystem. And many grizzly experts are also worried about the potential effects of hunting.

Grizzlies were confirmed to have been sighted in the Big Hole Valley this year for the first time in a very long time. That is a profoundly welcome fact, even though it means strategies to manage human-grizzly interactions, including livestock management, need to be developed and implemented.

It is just one sign that grizzlies are indeed reclaiming territory once lost to them. We believe caution is warranted to make sure the progress that has been made is not reversed.

Grizzlies are a huge part of Montanas outdoor heritage and we are a far richer state with a healthy grizzly population than without it. We do not support the hunting of these magnificent animals at this point in the timeline of their recovery.

More than 800,000 people have signed petitions opposing the delisting, and polls show most Americans do not favor delisting the Yellowstone grizzly. Thursday was a national call-in day to the President on this issue, and that message was strongly delivered.

Even though a license to shoot a grizzly could bring in huge dollars  Wyoming authorities have suggested the pricetag would be $10,000 or more each  the cost to our outdoor economy of having the bears less prevalent is significant as well.

While President Trump and Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke will have the power to change policy, we urge President Obama to take a definitive and dramatic step to preserve and protect the greatest animal in our wilderness by directing the Fish and Wildlife Service to withdraw the proposed delisting of the Yellowstone grizzlies.
"Right now, based on what the shipping company has told us, we feel comfortable rescheduling for Sunday at 3 p.m.," said Lt. Col. Sean Johnson, chief of staff for the North Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. "Everything is tentative until you see a truck pull in, but they have been working very hard to get to us and thus we felt it was prudent to let everyone know what the new day and time was so they could be a part of this great event if they want to."
When the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in the frigid Cold War, we were sole proprietors of the atomic bomb. Then in 1949 the Soviets exploded one of their own. We were stunned. We had lost our leg up in case we met them in a showdown.

So we cast about for something that would restore our superiority. After several years of assessment, we hit upon a great idea. We amended the Pledge of Allegiance to include one nation under God.

It was a presumptive move. I mean the idea that we could be the one nation under God. They told me in Sunday school that there was only one God and all nations were under him. Maybe we thought we were relieving God of responsibility for all other nations.

To my knowledge, no one asked God to get his opinion about being made a pawn in the Cold War purely for own nationalistic reasons. No one confirmed that we had Gods approval.

We knew the Russians could not match this move because they didnt give God the time of day. All they had was Khrushchev and he would be no match for God. We really had those godless commies this time.

But what does it mean for a nation to be under God? Is it just a statement of fact or is it a pledge of national conduct?

The Bible says that God wants people to be righteous because he is righteous. Does our pledge of allegiance mean that our national policies must be righteous? Or is the whole thing a spoof to intimidate the Russians?

This raises another question. Were we not a nation under God before 1954? What was our status before 1954? Did we become more righteous after 1954? Does our polarized Congress consider righteousness when it passes laws?

Now if being one nation under God requires national righteousness, we may want to reconsider the claim because we cant fool an omniscient God about our righteousness or the lack thereof. He knows.

To be righteous, I suppose we must confess our national sins and repent. Repentance means that we must turn from unrighteous ways and not be a wicked nation.

We probably wont agree on a repentance list. Decades of slavery? Murdering Indians for their land? Stealing half of Mexico? Wall Street greed?

Then there was the recent presidential campaign when we heard more lies than truths and we discovered that the whole country was full of hatred and anger. It was a one nation under God shock and awe for the rest of the world to see.

Now if there is going to be a day of judgment for nations, will God gather everybody who ever lived in the United States and make us answer for the sins of the country?Would he go back to Plymouth Rock or only as far as 1954? If found guilty, would every citizen be sent to the outer darkness? Or just the president and Congress?

We hadnt answered these questions when Congress in 1955 added In God We Trust to our paper money.

The claim appeared on our coins in 1864, suggesting that our nation didnt trust in God before 1864.

Our military budget has grown steadily since we claimed to trust in God. Does this suggest that our trust in God is decreasing? President-elect Donald Trump is loading up on generals. What does that say about trust in God?

Someday, Switzerland will call us out for claiming to be one nation under God. It will be embarrassing, like when the kids were shouting the emperor has no clothes.

I think Id rather deal with God personally than leave it to the government.
LONDON  Security officers restored order Saturday at a prison in the central English city of Birmingham one day after an estimated 600 inmates seized control and launched a destructive rampage.

Authorities called Fridays 13-hour takeover of HMP Birmingham the worst prison uprising since the 1990 riot in Strangeways in Manchester, which lasted 25 days and left one prisoner dead.

No staff members were injured during the Birmingham unrest but one prisoner remained hospitalized Saturday with a suspected broken jaw and eye socket.

Trouble flared as prisoners rushed a guard and stole his keys, giving them eventual access to all four wings of the Victorian-era prison in Englands second-largest city. Inmates lit fires, set off fireworks, broke into guards offices to steal clubs and helmets, and smashed windows and toilet blocks.

A stream of security vans came and went Saturday from the prison. The Justice Ministry said at least 240 Birmingham inmates were being transferred to other prisons nationwide while more than 1,000 remaining would face greater restrictions on movement.

Justice Minister Liz Truss said the reasons for the security failure will be fully investigated, while those convicted of rioting will face longer sentences.

She said: Violence in our prisons will not be tolerated and those responsible will face the full force of the law.
Highway 121/Monticello Road, which was closed from Vichy Avenue to Wooden Valley Road, was reopen by 9:04 a.m., according to a Nixle released by the Napa County Sheriff's Office.

California Highway Patrol officials said on Friday that they were unsure of when the road, which serves 4,000 vehicles a day, was going to reopen. It could have been as late as Monday.
After spending the past several months examining Napas historic Franklin Station post office, developer Jim Keller announced that he plans to proceed with his purchase of the earthquake-damaged property.

The project is going forward, said Keller. Things are moving in the right direction.

It looks very positive that the sale will occur, said Augustine Gus Ruiz a USPS spokesman.

Keller said he plans to redevelop the building for either retail, residential or hospitality use.

We will work with the city to ensure that its a win-win for everybody, he said.

The buyer has given us an additional very large nonrefundable deposit, said Ruiz. The next step would be for us to close on the sale of the property in 90 days. That means the sale could close as soon as the first week of March.

Keller wouldnt say how much his deposit was, only that its a very strong good faith deposit. I think the USPS is probably very comfortable with my commitment. Ive shown a strong commitment to taking it across the finish line.

Keller also declined to state the purchase price. That figure will become public after the purchase is completed, he said.

The purchase price is inconsequential, said Keller. Its the rehab cost that sinks the whole project. Keller said that such expenses could range from $6 to $8 million, or more.

Its a risky proposition, he admitted.

If I didnt have a strong love of downtown Napa and that building, I probably wouldnt be involved in it. But Im young. Ive got some years left of taking on hard projects.

Keller, a Napa developer, also owns the Main Street Exchange building next to Napa Creek and the Young building at Third and Coombs streets in downtown.

A different buyer initially proposed buying the USPS building on Second Street in 2015, but that buyer dropped out during the due diligence process. Then, in October, Keller stepped forward.

Its exciting that Keller is committed to the purchase, said Napa architect, preservationist and city Councilwoman Juliana Inman.

Hes a local person with a good track record and the financial means to move a project forward. This is not a highly speculative outside developer-type situation. All of that is really good.

Inman said she was dismayed when the first buyer dropped out.

Fortunately, the post office said Well try again. And that opened the door for the current deal.

Napa Community Development Director Rick Tooker declined to comment on Kellers plans for the USPS building, referring all questions to Keller.

As of last week, a planning application for the post office had yet to be submitted to the city.

The earthquake-damaged post office, located at 1351 Second St., has been closed since the August 2014 quake which cracked the masonry walls.

The building has been for sale for an undisclosed price since July 2015.

The United States Postal Service originally moved to demolish the building, which was built in the Art Deco style in the 1930s. The agency said that it would cost $8 million to repair quake damage, while it would cost only $500,000 for demolition.

The Napa Franklin Station was built in 1933 with funding from the Public Works Administration. In 1985, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

After considerable public outcry, the agency decided to try selling it to a buyer who could repair the structure and preserve its architecture.
While most children were still asleep, about 100 children and their families waited outside in the cold at the South Napa Marketplace Target.

It was 6 a.m. and no, there wasnt a sale. This was Shop with a Cop  an opportunity for children in Napa, ages 5 to 14 who have a social or economic need, to buy Christmas presents for their family members with the help of uniformed police officers, deputies, and other law enforcement officials.

Nasia Nave, 11, was pushing a red shopping cart near the toy section while she and her shopping buddy, Napa Police Chief Steve Potter, discussed what she should buy for each of her seven siblings.

The two looked at dolls, action figures, Nerf guns and other toys. After picking a few things out, the duo went straight for the price scanner to see how they were doing with their budget  each child could spend $200.

We have to hide it so my sister doesnt see, Nasia said of one of the items that needed scanning. Nasias sister was also participating in Shop with a Cop so to assure shes surprised at her gift, Potter placed it on a shelf a few feet away from them.

After narrowing down their selections, everything went back into the cart  the present for Nasias sister hidden beneath gifts for her brothers.

Shop with a Cop is fun, Nasia said. Its just hard waking up really early.

Nasia was able to participate in Shop with a Cop four years ago, she said, but since then there have been two more additions to her family. With eight kids in the house, Nasia said that Christmas is both fun and crazy.

Somewhere else in the store, the constant sound of meowing and purring could be heard as Napa County Sheriffs Deputy Don Maiden and 8-year-old Xavier Cruz Villa scoured the store while a FurReal Friends toy cat bumped along in their shopping cart.

These are 11s, Maiden said, gesturing to a pair of womens boots.

Those are humongous, Xavier replied as he continued to look for something for his sister who wore a childrens size 11.

By 8 a.m. most of the children were in line, purchasing their finds and sending them to the gift wrapping station.

I bought something for my three brothers, my mom and my stepdad, said Luna Garcia, 11, who was standing in line smiling and chatting with Deputy District Attorney Taryn Hunter. Shopping with Hunter was awesome, said Luna.

In fact, she said, the whole experience was great.

Shopping with a cop is very cool, Luna said. It feels like a privilege because you dont usually get to shop like this a lot. Luna said that she really enjoys Christmas, especially since it is so close to her birthday, which is Dec. 31. This year she expects that her family will really appreciate the presents she picked out for them, she said.

They dont usually get giant stuff like this.

Standing at the front of the store near Starbucks was Omar Valdez who was waiting for his daughter Alicia, 7, to finish her shopping. This was Alicias first time participating in Shop with a Cop, he said.

Speaking in Spanish to a family member translating, Valdez  a vineyard worker  said he is happy that his family was able to benefit from the event and that he hopes it will continue to benefit many more local families in the future.

Christmas is taken seriously in the Valdez home. He loves everything about the holiday, he said, including all the lights and how all the family comes together. Valdez said that he was very thankful for the Shop with a Cop program.

According to Shop with a Cop organizer Toni McIntosh, youth services diversion program coordinator with the Napa Police, the department raised nearly $20,000 this year to support the program through the Heroes of the Valley Softball Tournament held in September and the agencys annual Casino Royale fundraiser.
YOUNTVILLE  Current military members, veterans and their families and friends gathered at the Veterans Memorial Grove Cemetery on Saturday to place wreaths against the headstones of fallen veterans as a way to honor and remember them.

The Veterans Home ceremony was just one of more than 1,100 wreath-laying ceremonies occurring around the world on Saturday  National Wreaths Across America Day.

Through this program, we seek to recognize veterans, active duty military and their families, said Wayne Wolfman Soltys, a Navy veteran with the Gateway Chapter of the Rough Riders Motorcycle Club of Napa/Solano counties. Our goal is to remind the public to remember the veterans, honor their service and teach children the value of freedom.

Ceremonial wreaths were placed in honor of the United States Navy, Marines, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and Prisoners of War/Missing in Action.

Following the ceremony, the nearly 100 people in attendance each grabbed wreaths to be placed at various headstones in the cemetery.

We are not here to decorate graves, Soltys said. Were here to remember not their deaths, but their life. Its a small act that goes a long way toward keeping the memory of our veterans alive, he said.

Two-hundred wreaths were placed in the 5,786-grave cemetery.

Its respect, said Richard Merlin Ryder of Rough Riders MC. People lay their lives for their county; its the least you could.

Airman Naomi Pippen, 21, of Travis Air Force Base was asked on Friday night if she would volunteer her time to attend the ceremony in Yountville. Although it was the first time she had participated in a Wreaths Across America ceremony, Pippen said she understands the importance of honoring veterans and their families.

Military service touches everybodys family, she said. Pippen said the event reminded her of her grandfather, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Marine Corps.

It means a lot to us to take care of our veterans, Soltys said.
Former Gov. Jack Dalrymple had some strong words for Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the Dakota Access Pipeline, before he left office.

He criticized the company because he feels it abdicated its responsibility to defend the project. He said the company should have made a stronger public case for the safety of the plans to bore under Lake Oahe/Missouri River. This, he pointed out, was part of a bigger problem, the inability of the state to match what he called the oppositions social media machine. In an early editorial, the Tribune warned the state was losing the public relations battle involving the pipeline.

Dalrymple and former Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley noted that the different groups involved in the protests were able to tap into public relations professionals to conduct a social media campaign against the project and the state. They said activists posted misleading news, even used fake news, to shape the national coverage of the protests. There were Facebook postings and videos that provided incorrect information about the situation in North Dakota. The Labor Day weekend clash between protesters and private security guards with dogs became distorted. Some truly believed that police had the dogs and they had raided the camps.

There was video posted that falsely implied that chemicals were being sprayed on the camps. There are innumerable examples of postings of false or misleading information. Dalrymple and Wrigley said protesters provoked law enforcement so they would look bad on video. Unfortunately, too many who read the postings or watched the videos believed them. Theres the wrong assumption that if its online it must be true. Not enough users question what they read and view.

The former governor acknowledged it will be a challenge in the future for state and local agencies to combat social media campaigns. The Morton County Sheriffs Department has been trying to counter what it considers misinformation. The department has been posting its own videos that provide law enforcements perspective.

Is this an indication that in the future small law enforcement agencies and other local and state entities will have public information departments with social media and video experts? Departments that wage online public information campaigns to sway opinion? These departments will require oversight to assure the public they arent being used to promote inappropriate agendas.

What, if any, responsibility does government have to respond to incorrect or misleading social media? Do companies like Energy Transfer Partners have a responsibility to issue a public response? What should be expected of mainstream media such as newspapers, radio and TV?

Lloyd Omdahl in his column last Sunday discussed the rumors swirling around the pipeline controversy. One rumor he mentioned involved BNSF Railway and he basically debunked it. However, BNSF was concerned the mention of the rumor just helped spread it. They offered an opinion piece last week to counter the column.

Again, how do we deal with incorrect information or fake news?

The majority of North Dakotans support the Dakota Access Pipeline and back law enforcements actions. On the national stage theres no doubt been some damage to North Dakotas image. How and who corrects false information and misconceptions remains to be seen.

Newspapers and other mainstream media have the responsibility to provide objective and fair reporting. We must cover all sides, providing everyone an opportunity to state their position. We have an obligation to provide accurate information and correct our mistakes. How we keep up with the growing social media presence becomes more challenging daily. Its an issue not only being faced by newspapers and other media, but by government, businesses and individuals. How we respond will go a long way in shaping society.
We interrupt this weeks regularly scheduled Dear Science to bring you a story.

A week ago, some friends and I went for a hike on Shenandoah National Parks Stony Man Mountain. It was a gorgeous morning, chilly and still. The only noise came from the frozen ground crunching beneath our feet.

Then I spotted something truly beautiful and strange.

Threads of ice, as thin and delicate as spun sugar, seemed to be growing out of the ground. All three of us bent close and marveled at the odd site. One friend plucked a piece of the ice up to examine it; the strands melted in his hand.

We spotted more of the mysterious ice as we continued along the trail. It sprung from the dirt in patches, like grass. And as we hiked, we speculated about the source of the phenomenon. It had rained earlier in the weekmaybe that had something to do with it? Did the ice crystallize on some other surface that had since been washed away? Our theories got stranger and stranger, until we left the realm of science entirely and started fantasizing that the ice was debris from a magical battle between the mountains fairy inhabitants and strip-mining trolls. (I am very weird. Luckily, my friends are, too.)

But I couldnt stop thinking about the ice. Where did it come from? Why have I never seen it before? I asked friends and colleagues about it, but none of them had answers.

And then I realizedexplaining stuff like this is literally what I do for a living. Who better to answer this question than Dear Science herself?

So, without further ado:

Q: What on Earth is this stuff?

A: Heres what science had to say:

Some preliminary online searching lead me to this news release from the European Geosciences Union about a study published last summer. Scientists in Germany and Switzerland had figured out that hair icewhich has the fine, silky appearance of candy flossoccurs when liquid water is squeezed out of pores on the surface of rotting wood, turning when it hits freezing air. Fungus on the surface of the wood gives structure to the ice formations, and an organic compound called lignin helps stabilize it.

The hair ice didnt look quite like what I had seen, so I emailed the lead author of the study, physicist Christian Matzler, with a few pictures.

Matzler is retired now, but he kindly took time to look at my photos and identify them.

What you saw is a relative of hair ice. It is called needle ice, he wrote back. The needles are much stronger, harder and thicker than the hairs of hair ice.

Matzler explained that, unlike hair ice, needle ice grows from pores in fine grained soil or pebbles. But he wasnt sure what exactly causes the structures.

That was okayMatzler had given me a name for the phenomenon. I thanked him and typed needle ice into my search engine, which led me to the website of James Carter. I called him up, and he introduced himself as an emeritus professor of geology and geography at Illinois State University.

That means Im old and retired, he said wryly.

Carter is the kind of source science reporters love to find: funny, insightful, delightfully enthusiastic about the minutiae of his field and full of entertaining anecdotes. He told me about his experiments creating ice formations in his freezer (more on that later) and the best way to find pebbles for growing it on.

I take a small pebble and put it on my tongue and if it really sticks to my tongue, then its a good one, he said. Im always going around tasting pebbles, hundreds of pebbles a year. Id say only 1 in 500 of them works.

I guess I should go around sticking rocks in my mouth? I joked.

You should! he replied, completely in earnest.

Carter was also exactly the person I needed to talk to. An atmospheric scientist and geographer, he specializes in phenomena that occur as a result of tiny fluctuations of temperature.

This is what is happening when needle ice forms, he explained. On cold nights at the beginning of winter, when temperatures just barely sink below freezing, the ground will stay slightly warmer than the air above. That means that any water in the groundlike the rain that had fallen a few days before my hikewill remain liquid.

In certain soils, though, water thats in the ground gets sucked upward rather than sinking down. This is a result of capillary action: the adhesion of water molecules to the walls of a very narrow tube will cause the liquid to be drawn upward despite the pull of gravity. (The U.S. Geological Survey has a solid explanation of why this happens.)

Soil like the kind I saw along the trail in Shenandoah, as well as very particular kinds of pebbles, contains pores that are just wide enough to allow capillary action to occur. Water in the ground is drawn upward through the pores, right until it hits the air. Then it freezes. As more water is drawn up, it freezes at the ice interface (a phenomenon called ice segregation) and pushes the newly formed needle of ice outward, kind of like the hair on one of those Play Doh toys you may have had as a kid.

Carter has also investigated flower ice, another unusual consequence of capillary action, ice segregation and temperatures that are just right. In these cases, liquid water is drawn upward through the thin veins of plants and squeezed out through cracks in the stems, freezing in curtains as it hits the air.

The ice flower phenomenon is probably the most famous of all the ice formations. It was first documented by scientist and mathematician J.F.W. Herschel, who in 1833 wrote about finding ice that seemed to emanate in a kind of riband- or frill-shaped wavy excrescence . . . presenting a glossy, silky surface.

Carter estimates that there are about 30 plants in the world that wick up water in just the right way to produce ice flowers. On the east coast, look for Verbesina virginica, or white crownbeard, and Cunila origanoides, also known as American dittany.

You can also try to grow ice structures yourself. Carter has had varying degrees of success growing ice on pebbles in a contraption he built from a cooler, packing peanuts, a light bulb and a lunch meat container full of damp soil.

He sticks the entire experiment in a freezer, and the light bulb keeps the soil warm from below. Over time, the pebbles grow a swatch of ice on their tops, like a bad toupee.

Ive learned a whole lot about this in my refrigerator, Carter said. His website has more detailed directions for anyone who would like to do the same.

I havent attempted to grow my own ice yetI have three housemates, and I doubt theyd take kindly to finding a tub full of dirt in our freezer. But I will keep my eyes open on all future winter hikes, searching for ice needles, hairs and flowers, and any other questions that might pop up along the way.
Six and a half million smiles and thank yous to the Beckstoffer family and the Napa Valley Vintners for their combined generous contributions to the expansion of Clinic Ole. These gifts are especially farsighted since millionaire speaker of the house, Paul Ryan, has plans to trash the Medicare system and hand it over to the insurance industry for its profit and our detriment. If this proposal is successful, many more people in our Napa Valley will need the services provided by Clinic Ole.


GoldSeek.com Radio: Louis Navellier And Arch Crawford, and your host Chris Waltzek





By: Chris Waltzek, GoldSeek.com Radio

-- Published: Sunday, 18 December 2016 | Print | Disqus Featured Guests Louis Navellier & Arch Crawford Show Highlights Louis Navellier of Navellier & Associates presents stocking stuffers to Goldseek.com Radio listeners in the form of stock candidates (Figure 1.1.).

The list stems from the free Navellier Portfolio Grader service - the host reviews 20 stocks advancing from the hold to the buy designation.

Topping the list, Honeywell (HON) impresses with strong projected sales and solid earnings, despite the recent erosion of multinational profits.

The largest oil company, Exxon (XOM) has solid sales / earnings due in part to the cold winter weather and the resulting boost in natural gas demand.

Energy company Cimarex Energy (XEC) has strong projected sales of 19% and earnings of 320% plus the Permian basin exposure.

Major delivery service, FedEx (FED) is benefiting from holiday sales and the enormous trend towards online retailing.

In an ironic twist, the top online retailer Amazon (AMZN) is making a push into the brick and mortar retail / grocery space.

Our guest highlights a favorite stock candidate, engineering firm MasTec (MTZ) and materials company Vulcan Materials (VMC) a concrete company.

Technology companies like Nvidia (NVDA) supports top level GPU / graphical user interface technology including the CUDA language.

Our guest expects the impending referendum vote in France to be the next economic shock, potentially revamping the PMs sector.

Arch Crawford, head of Crawford Perspectives notes the waning momentum in the US equities markets.

Although the technical picture is less appealing, a Santa Claus rally seems likely in the last half of this month.

The discussion includes the global theme of currency devaluation.

Our guest notes that the Indian currency event could be the most significant, current economic development.

Venezuela just followed India's lead, dropping the 100 Bolivar note from circulation this week, now that it is only worth two US cents.

Venezuelans had only 2 days to exchange their Bolivars.

Such methods only stem the economic tide in the near-term; the long-term ramifications include food shortages, economic slowdown and runaway inflation.

Arch notes that crude oil could continue to climb in 2017 in tandem with the CRB commodities index.

Fed officials fears of an overheating economy and inflation are viewed as a positive sign for the PMs sector.

The topic veers outside the box into a highly speculative yet intriguing discussion on the nature / implications of artificial post-human intellects. Show Host Chris Waltzek About Chris Contact Host: gsradio@frontier.com Guest Biographies Arch Crawford Stockmarket Cycles Arch Crawford cut his technical analysis teeth as first assistant to top Wall Street technician Robert Farrell at Merrill Lynch in the early 1960s. In 1977, following Archs extensive research into astrophysical phenomenon, astrology and its correlation to market performance, he edited and published the premiere issue of Crawford Perspectives market timing newsletter. Today, nearly 40 years later, Crawford Perspectives continues to bring readers one of the most highly regarded and consistently accurate market timing newsletters available. Website: click here. Louis Navellier The Little Book That Makes You Rich Chairman/CEO/CIO

Louis Navellier is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Navellier & Associates, Inc., located in Reno, Nevada. Mr. Navellier is also editor of four leading stock advisory newsletters: Emerging Growth, Quantum Growth, Blue Chip Growth, and Global Growth. A recognized expert in translating what had been purely academic techniques into real market applications, he believes that disciplined, quantitative analysis can select stocks that will significantly outperform the overall market.

Mr. Navellier employs a three-step, highly disciplined, bottom-up stock selection process, focusing on quantitative analysis, fundamental analysis, and optimization of the securities selected for the portfolio. In 1980, Mr. Navellier began publishing his research in his stock advisory newsletter, the MPT Review. Since 1987, he has been active in the management of individual portfolios, mutual funds, and institutional portfolios.

A charismatic figure with a reputation for solid leadership, Louis Navellier has been covered by a wide range of international media. In addition to appearing on CNBC, Bloomberg, The Nightly Business Report, and Wall Street Week, he has been featured in Barron's, Forbes, Fortune, Investor's Business Daily, Money, Smart Money, and The Wall Street Journal. Most recently he was profiled in Kenneth A. Stern's book Secrets of the Investment All-Stars in the interview "Louis Navellier, A Man Who Has Beat Them All." He is also featured in Alan R. Ackerman's Investing Under Fire: Winner Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered. To visit my website: click here.

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum took steps to separate himself from his various business interests ahead of taking office Thursday in an effort to avoid potential conflicts of interest, but the states highest officeholder said he will retain investments related to two firms he founded.

Burgum, a Fargo entrepreneur whose campaign largely was built on his business skills, wont have a role in the day-to-day operations of the Fargo real estate development firm Kilbourne Group. Likewise, he said he has resigned from the investment committee at Arthur Ventures, a Fargo-based venture capital firm.

But Burgum, a Republican, said as an investor in those investment funds, his capital will remain.

The key principle here is theres no conflict in me investing in North Dakota, he said in Friday interview. The issue here is to make sure that I have no conflict of interest relative to many state programs and decisions. What were trying to do is manage conflict of interest to zero, were not trying to manage my investment in North Dakota to zero.

Burgum said hell continue to own a residence in downtown Fargo  hell stay at the governors residence while in Bismarck  and hell keep his farm and ranch land in the state.

Im not trying to liquidate all of my North Dakota investments, he said.

Burgum also resigned from several company boards before taking office Thursday, he said. That included Atlassian, a publicly traded software company, and Seattle-based software firm Avalara. Burgum also recently stepped down from the board of Intelligent Insites, with which the Bank of North Dakota said has current loans or investments.

Burgum said he has not yet resigned from the board of Arthur Companies, which he described as the family agricultural business.

Ill be seeing my family at Christmas and having a discussion with them about that, he said.

Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford, said theres always the potential for conflicts of interest when someone starts working in state government, including legislators.

As far as the governor is concerned, I dont know how that will affect him, she said. But I certainly hope that he remembers the ethical procedures that we expect in the state of North Dakota. Hopefully, he will be plenty busy with the work of the state.

House Minority Leader Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, echoed that sentiment. He said hell introduce legislation this upcoming session requiring statement of interest forms, where North Dakota political candidates list their financial interests, to be posted online for easier public access.

So that way, if there are any concerns that elected officials are acting with a conflict of interest but not properly disclosing it, that the public can look at their documents, they can review their statements of interest and they can have that confidence restored, Mock said.

A good grasp

Burgum, who grew Great Plains Software as chairman and CEO before selling it to Microsoft in 2001 for $1.1 billion, said his moves were motivated by the full-time nature of the governors job and by an effort to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

Burgum pointed out there is a code of ethics in place for the North Dakota Industrial Commission, through which the governor helps oversee the Bank of North Dakota. Those rules say commission members should avoid any action that would result in or might create the appearance of using public office for private gain or giving preferential treatment to any business or person. State law also prevents the Bank of North Dakota from making loans to a member of the Industrial Commission during their term.

On top of the steps Burgum already has taken, he said its going to be important to continue to pay attention.

If there are decisions that are made or specific programs that might touch those organizations, I have to make sure on this end theres no conflict of interest, as well, he said.

Arthur Ventures, whose website lists Burgum as a founding partner, was part of some controversy over angel fund tax credits during his primary election battle with Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

Kilbourne Group, meanwhile, owns a variety of properties in Fargo and is a partner in an effort to build a new mixed-use tower in downtown Fargo, known as the Block 9 project. The Fargo City Commission narrowly approved more than $15 million in tax breaks for that project in May, a few months after Burgum jumped in the race for governor.

Burgum said the conflict of interest rules are much tougher for corporate officers of publicly traded companies than they are for the North Dakota legislators.

I have a good grasp of this stuff, and were going to work hard to make sure  theres no conflicts of interest, he said.

Meanwhile, Burgum said hes continuing to explore ways to refuse the governors pay after he pledged during the campaign to give his salary back to the taxpayers. He said the difficulty in making that happen is a poster child for some of the things that are wrong with government.

You would think that as governor that on the first day you could say, I refuse my salary, he said. But this thing is hard-wired into a bunch of different places. So weve still got lawyers looking at trying to figure out how to get this thing done.

Burgum raised the possibility that he would donate the $132,964 annual salary to charity, but he would like to refuse the money so it can go back to state coffers.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping in his congratulatory message to Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday said the grand chandelier will be a symbol of friendship between the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the China-Pakistan friendship benefits not only the fundamental interests of the two nations and peoples, but also peace and development in the region and the world at large.

In 1970, the Chinese government presented a crystal chandelier as a national gift to the Pakistani government, which became an often-quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two nations.

The new chandelier is a replica of the original, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology.

Mamnoon said the gift given by the Chinese government 46 years ago was a gesture that reflected the love of the people and leaders of China for the Pakistani people and the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

--IANS py/vt

( 192 Words)

2016-12-18-13:52:12 (IANS)
Diplomatic sources said that the vote was scheduled for 10 a.m. in New York, Efe news reported.

The initiative required UN staff to coordinate and observe the departure of inhabitants of eastern Aleppo.

Thousands were evacuated from the former opposition stronghold, recaptured almost in its entirety by pro-government forces.

The process, however, was stopped on Friday and people were now waiting for the resumption of the agreement between the parties.

Western countries have denounced the alleged abuses against some of the evacuees and considered it fundamental to have international observers present during the process.

Russia has expressed skepticism about the possibility of the UN monitoring the evacuations and said that deploying observers would take weeks.

French authorities, however, believe that the mission could be carried out with UN personnel already in the area.

Both France and the US warned Moscow that if it blocks the adoption of the resolution, they would convene a special session of the UN General Assembly to put pressure on Damascus and its allies.

So far in the conflict in Syria, the Russian delegation has used its veto power six times to paralyze initiatives on war in the Security Council.

--IANS in/

( 237 Words)

2016-12-18-08:54:12 (IANS)
Targeting the Finance Ministry once again, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy today said immediate course correction was needed to overcome the cash crunch faced by the common man following demonetisation. Demonetisation itself is not a bad move, and it had really dealt a death blow to terrorists' plans, but the way it had been implemented had led to a situation where some scrupulous elements were taking advantage of the situation, Dr Swamy told UNI. Dr Swamy's party is under attack for the withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 8 as part of his fight against black money. However, the Government had not been able to replace adequate cash in the banks leading to people across the country spending hours in serpentine queues to withdraw money in limited amounts. "I have already said the Finance Ministry should have handled it in a better way, and I hope that corrective measures would follow soon,'' Dr Swamy said. "A few days ago too, the Rajya Sabha MP had tweeted, "Note bandi assessed: 1. Desirable to do 2. Poor contingency planning by MoF, 3. Black money redistributed 75 to 25 4. Collateral damage huge.''UNI NAZ SW SNU 1530 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0091-1069454.Xml
The government on Saturday reiterated that it has not made any change in the existing Income Tax law that would exempt political parties from depositing old currency in banks. "It has been reported in some sections of the media as to the government has taken some decision with regards to any special treatment to be made to political parties, which receive donations for electoral purposes. There is not a single change which has not been brought about nor is any change contemplated," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Under Section 13 A of the Income Tax, political parties receiving donations are immune from attracting the scrutiny of tax officials. The Finance Minister's comment came after it was reported by a section of media that the political parties registered with the Election Commission depositing scrapped Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes will be free from scrutiny. Jaitley further said if any political party allows itself to be misused for converting black money into white, then stringent punishment would be awarded to them. "In the last two and a half years, this government has been in power, the legal and taxation regime with regard to political parties remain actually what is existed for the last 15-20 years. I am cautioning those who misuse these provisions that strong action which is available under current regime will be taken against them," he added. Jaitley said there are sufficient laws under the present tax regime which are equipped to take action again such unscrupulous methods. Earlier, the Central Board of Direct Taxes clarified that the political parties seeking exemptions have to follow certain restrictions. The exemption from Income-tax is given to only registered political parties subject to certain conditions, mentioned in Section 13A, which includes keeping and maintaining books of accounts and other documents as would enable the Assessing Officer to deduce its income there from; In respect of each voluntary contribution in excess of Rs.20000, the political party will have to maintain a record of such contributions along with the name and address of such person who has made such contribution; The accounts of each such political party is to be audited by a Chartered Accountant; and The political party has to submit a report to the Election Commission about the donations received within a timeframe prescribed. (ANI)
Lt. Gen. Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades.

He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, and in the North-East.

He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society.

According to sources, Lt. Gen. Rawat was found the best suited to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganized and restructured military force in the north; continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the North-East.

Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Indian Army's Eastern Command at Kolkata, and the senior most General to succeed Dalbir Singh, was superseded in the appointment.

And Air Marshal Dhanoa was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in June 1978. He has served in various squadrons, and in the Intelligence Directorate of Air Headquarters. (ANI)
MERCER COUNTY  Communities in the heart of Coal Country are moving forward with housing projects, despite political uncertainties in the countrys lignite-fueled energy future.

While they wont be ready in time for Christmas, these multi-million-dollar projects will, come spring and summer, add to the range of housing options available in Hazen and Beulah. And  particularly in the case of Hazen  theyll make good use of some prime real estate.

Beulahs project is first off the starting blocks with a 24-unit complex located on the northeast side where a mobile home court sprung up during the 80s coal boom and emptied afterward. Its in the final phases now with flooring and cabinet installation, and completion is scheduled for February.

Fargo-based Lutheran Social Services Housing Inc. is the developer and John Phillips, who directs real estate development for the nonprofit, also is a consultant for Beulahs economic development office. He was in position to steer the right project to the right land and said building a $3.8 million apartment complex in Beulah fits with the LSS model of building in communities not generally served by other developers.

He said a Coal Country housing study identified a need for more apartments and the complex will have a range of three-, two- and one-bedroom units. Some are earmarked for low-income earners, others for essential workers, such as school, health or local government employees, and still others for people who are handicapped or have special needs, Phillips said.

Phillips said the New Energy Apartments are an update from apartments developed three decades ago at the height of the coal boom. The two-story building has an elevator and detached garages, and the interiors have 9-foot ceilings, big windows, patio or balcony, plank vinyl flooring, granite countertops and open, roomy floor plans.

People now want more amenities and a place thats a little more upscale, he said.

While theres a fair number of single-family homes on the market with minimal new construction of that type going on now, Phillips said the apartments have a different target audience.

This renter is someone whos transient, coming in, and wants somewhere to live for two or three years while they settle into the area. Seniors will have another option if theyre downsizing and this could also open up some additional housing in town, Phillips said.

Hes planning tours and an open house closer to completion date. About one-third of the units are spoken for.

Hazen project

Hazens apartment development will come online late next summer and while it, too, will add some new living space in town, it has marked differences from the Beulah project.

The Hazen Pioneer Apartments is an 18-unit complex being developed for the 55 and older tenant and was designed to serve a population defined as senior, elderly or frail, says Hazens economic development coordinator Buster Langowski. The project was awarded a $2 million grant through the North Dakota Housing Finance Agencys tax incentive program that required local fundraising of tax credits, allowing all the units to be subsidized rentals. The remaining $2 million in bond financing will be repaid over 40 years.

The $4 million project was initially planned to be a remodel of an empty 50s- era hospital-turned-nursing-home at the end of Main Street. It switched lanes to new construction when the builder took a close look at the existing brick structure.

It turned out to be just as cheap to tear it down and build new, Langowski said.

The upside was that the interior rooms could be enlarged on the blueprints and the apartments more consistent without having to configure around the old hospital layout.

All but two of the units will be one-bedroom, four will be handicapped compliant and the complex will feature a community room for gathering.

The Main Street location near Hazen City Hall, the public library, a small park and within three blocks of medical facilities will keep the tenants in the thick of things.

The idea here is that people can be aging in place. We have letters of support from Custer District Health, Meals on Wheels, Hazen Busing and Krauses Market for grocery delivery, said Langowski, adding that 14 of the units are already spoken for.

Tim Williams Construction, of the Boston area, is the same builder developing Expedition Estates in Hazen, an all-market site with 45 platted lots for twin homes, multi-family and single-family homes on the far west end of town.

Langowski said he is pleased with the housing activity in the community, but especially with the one that will transform a key, but unused location in the community, into a vibrant center of activity.

Its our hope and wish to dedicate the Hazen Pioneer Apartments to Hazen residents and to stay as local as we can. We want to try to take care of our hometown folks first, Langowski said.
He will be accompanied by his spouse Raisa Atambaeva.

President Atambayev will be leading a high-level delegation comprising of Ministers, senior officials and business leaders during his visit.

The visit will be President Atambayev's first visit to India in his capacity as President. He will have official engagements on December 20.

President Pranab Mukherjee will receive President Atambayev and host a dinner banquet in his honour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also hold bilateral discussions with the visiting President and host a lunch for him.

During the visit, President Atambayev is expected to attend a Joint Business Forum.

The two countries share excellent relations marked by strong ties in all areas including Political and Defence, Economy and Commerce, Education and Human Resource Development, Culture and Tourism.

The visit comes right after a very successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgyzstan in July 2015, which will further cement the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two sides. (ANI)
As Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently said India needed to roll out the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill by September 16, the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday said it would wait and see whether that was going to happen because there were many issues that required to be settled. "The Finance Minister has been claiming that the GST will be rolled out by April 2017, but now he is saying anytime between April and September. We will wait and see whether it's going to happen, because there are many issues that need to be settled," CPI national secretary D. Raja told ANI. "Several state governments are raising objections to some of the issues, because they think it will encroach upon the financial autonomy of the state governments, and it will lead to imbalance in the Centre-State relations as far as finances and taxes are concerned. So, the (GST Council) committee is scrutinising some of the issues and this has to come before parliament, and during parliament debates what is going to happen, nobody is sure of the outcome," said the Rajya Sabha member. "Although Mr. Jaitley sounds confident that he will be able to rollout the GST anytime between April and September, there are issues which are not that easy to resolve in the given point of time," he added. Earlier, Jaitley had said the government was aiming to implement the new sales tax next April. Under a law passed by parliament for the tax's implementation, some of the existing levies would expire after September 16. Throwing light on one of the most important legislations of the year, Jaitley yesterday said there is only one small issue with regard to the GST Bill. "There is only one issue, which in the larger frame of things is really a very small issue - You have a pre-existing machinery at the Centre, you have a pre-existing machinery in the state. How is the burden of this assessment going to be shared between the Centre and the states? How we cross-empower the agencies of both, the Centre and the states? Though ideally, with a common taxation, it has to lead to a federal bureaucracy, but till such time, because it's still a far cry, how does this sharing take place? There are certain kinds of turf issues involved in it. We are trying to solve it," said Jaitley while speaking at FICCI's 89th general annual meeting on Saturday. "Having passed the Constitution Amendment, there are several decisions which the GST Council now has to take and these are of very vital interest to India's industry. There are about ten important decisions which have already been taken up unanimously, by consensus. The legislations which are to be passed now by the parliament under the Constitution Amendment and the state legislatures are currently in the process of being drafted. I don't see any major difficulty in those legislations being finally approved," he said. Jaitley also informed that as per a notification issued on September 16, 2016, the old taxation regime would continue for a period of one year i.e. till September 16, 2017, after which the curtains would be brought down on it. Being a transactional tax, GST can come into place at any time during a year. However, Jaitley opined that the sooner they would switch to a new system, the better it would be for the country. (ANI)
The Army veterans on Sunday came to the rescue of the government, which has been drawing flak post the decision to appoint Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief, and said that seniority was not the only aspect taken into consideration prior to making an appointment for such a coveted post. Defence Expert Colonel (Retd.) D.S. Grewal said the selection up to the Army Commander-level is strictly as per professional capability, while appointment as an Army Chief has to be on wider scale. "Hence to say that seniority only matters will not be correct. No more controversies are required especially in the appointment of Army Chief," he told ANI. Another defence expert Colonel (Retd.) Sunil Deshpande recalled the earlier instances of 1972 and 1983 when the Army Chiefs where appointed after superseding their senior officials and expressed his displeasure over the issue surrounding Lieutenant Rawat's appointment being blown out of proportion. "It is not compulsory. The people are unnecessarily discussing this issue and raising questions on the decision of government," he said. Earlier on Saturday, the government announced the name of Lieutenant General Rawat as the new Chief of Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff. Lieutenant General Rawat, who took over as the Army vice-chief in September 2016, bypassed Eastern Command chief Lieutenant General Praveen Bakshi (armoured corps) and Southern Army Command chief Lieutenant General PM Hariz (mechanised infantry). Lieutenant General Rawat has remarkable experience of serving in combat areas and at various functional levels in the Indian Army over the last three decades. He has handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and in the North-East. He is known for his balanced approach towards soldiering, compassion, and his connect with the civil society. (ANI)
Manipur government has asked all internet service providers to stop services immediately as public unrest may lead to a major crisis in the state following attacks by NSCN(IM) on police and indefinite blockade since October 31 last by United Naga Council. Manipur is passing through an unprecedented crisis in the wake of shortage of food, medicines, essential supplies , petroleum products due to indefinite blockade launched by UNC on the national highways since October 31 last coupled with non- availability of currency due to demonetization of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes. All major operations would be shortly affected as the supply of oxygen, life saving drugs and medicines have stopped for about 49 days. UNC supporters were seizing goods brought by passengers on the highways. All passengers were forced to leave behind their belongings which has caused a major concern. NSCN(IM) cadres also launched a series of attacks on police killing three policemen and attacked a unit of Indian Reserve Battalion and went away with arms and ammunition on Saturday. A strike called by womens' bodies on Saturday turned violent and large number of vehicles were damaged for defying the bandh. A Church was also attacked and four persons were injured in police firing. The situation was tense and to check occurrence of violence the state government decided to stop all internet services immediately. It was stated in the order that "this step has been taken up in order to diffuse the tense situation prevailing in Manipur where it is feared that the spreading of rumours through mobile data by using social media like facebook, whatsapp, hike, messenger and viber, etc will increase social tension among the public.'' The last blockade by UNC lasted 68 days and it has not yet announced calling off of the blockade. All the communities, Church organisations, Manipur government, Union Home Ministry had asked the UNC to lift the blockade as people were facing problems. The Home Ministry also declared the blockade as illegal.UNI NS KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1070499.Xml
In the wake of criticism from Congress and other political parties on the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief 'superseding' two senior generals, the ruling BJP today said transparency and established procedures were followed in taking the decision."Transparency and established procedures were followed in the appointment as Lt Gen Bipin Rawat was already the Vice Chief of Indian army," BJP National Secretary Siddharth Nath Singh told television channels.''Opposition parties, especially Congress wishes to politicise everything. It is unfortunate that even army chief's appointment is being politicised," he lamented, adding that the superseding bogey, as raised by the Opposition, is nothing new. "This (overlooking seniority) has not happened for the first time. In 1983, Lt Gen S K Sinha was ignored," he said."This only shows the Congress does not want to debate real issues, but pick up matters, which would give them space in the media," he said.Congress leader Manish Tewari last night questioned the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief. "Why has seniority not been respected in appointment of Army Chief? Why have Lt Gen PRAVIN Bakshi & Lt Gen Mohamed Ali Hariz been superseded Mr PM?," he had tweeted.CPI leader D Raja also said there was lack of transparency in the appointment order issued yesterday in naming Lt Gen Rawat as the new Army Chief.NCP leader Majeed Memon said while the government has the right to appoint the Army Chief, the privilege and authority given, however, did not allow whimsical decisions."By naming Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as next Chief of Army Staff, Modi Govt has broken 30+ years of convention by superseding Lt Gen Bakshi and Lt Gen Hariz," Congress MP Rajeev Satav said in a tweet.UNI DEVN RJ 1236 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0445-1070528.Xml
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvamtoday held crucial meeting with officials of various departments at theSecretariat ahead of his tomorrow's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek financial assistance for the State which wasravaged by the severe Cyclonic storm Vardah. This would be Mr Panneerselvam's maiden visit to the national capital after assuming office as Chief Minister following the demise of Ms J Jayalalithaa on December five. Official sources said that during his meeting with the Prime Minister,the Chief Minister would urge him to immediately sanction Rs 1,000 crore to the State to take up relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction works in the aftermath of the cyclone, which had left a trail of havoc and destruction while crossing the Chennai coast on Monday last. An official release here said that the Chief Minister during his meeting with Mr Modi would also urge the Centre to confer Bharat Ratna on former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and also install her brone statue in the Parliament complex. It may be recalled that Cyclone Vardah had caused heavy damages to Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. The impact of the cyclone was such that thousands of trees wereuprooted due to squally winds and power supply was disrupted for many days in these districts. Immediately after the Cyclone, the Chief Minister also dashed off a letter to Mr Modi seeking financial Rs 1,000 crore assistance to take up relief works, besides deputing a Central team to assess thedamages caused by the cyclonic storm. The State government ahd already released Rs 500 crore for reliefworks. Meanwhile, Mr Panneerselvam today held a meeting with government officials at the Secretariat during which the situation in Chennai, Thiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts post cyclone Vardah was discussed. A detailed report has been prepared which would be submitted to the Prime Minister. Mr Panneerselvam would be accompanied by senior officials of theState government during his visit to New Delhi.UNI GV 1440 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1070652.Xml
Come December 19, Uttar Pradesh will witness a great political battle of words over demonetisation, when both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his arch rival Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi will be in the state to address public meetings, probably at similar time intervals. Though the sheen of Opposition unity against the demonetisation move of the Centre received a crack following the meeting between the PM and Congress delegation led by Rahul Gandhi on Friday last, but still there would be no let off in the war-of-words between the duo in UP, which is going to witness a crucial Assembly elections in the next two months time. While PM will address the last Parivartan rally in Kanpur tomorrow afternoon, at the same time, Rahul Gandhi will attend the anti-demonetisation meeting called as 'Jan Akrosh maharally' at Jaunpur, about 300 km away. Mr Modi's Parivartan Rally in Kanpur will the sixth and the last one. His fifth rally in Bahraich on December 11, was cancelled after his helicopter could not land due to bad weather, due to which he delivered a speech over phone. UP BJP General Secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak, who is camping in Kanpur to oversee the arrangements, claims that the meeting would be historic and give a befitting reply to the Opposition, who are opposing the demonetisation move. It is expected that Mr Modi will sit on the same wooden chair, which he used during the launching of his campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls by addressing the first 'Vijay Sankhnad' rally in Kanpur on October 19, 2013. The rally was his first pre-poll election meeting in Uttar Pradesh as the BJP's PM candidate. Later, the BJP went on to win 71 out of 80 seats in the elections. This is the first time that Modiji will come to Kanpur as the PM. The workers believe that the chair is lucky for the party. When it was used by Modiji in the first 'Vijay Sakhnad' rally in UP, the party had recorded a thumping victory in the Lok Sabha elections. ''We believe that if the PM sits on the chair again at the 'Parivartan Yarta' rally, it will bring positive change for the party in 2017 elections and BJP will win the most number of seats." Party plans to gather a crowd of around five lakh for the rally, which will be held at the Railways Ground in Nirala Nagar. It plans to mobilise people from 14 Assembly segments of Kanpur and its adjoining districts. Meanwhile, preparation are afoot in Jaunpur, where Rahul Gandhi will continue his attack on the PM over demonetisation move. UP Congress vice-president and media incharge Satyadeo Tripathi said here today that party supporters from nearby Varanasi, Ghazipur, Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Chandauli and Azamgarh districtswill attend the rally. AICC General Secretary Gulam Nabi Azad and UP president Raj Babbar are also expected to participate in the Jan Akrosh Maharally to be held at the VRP Inter college ground in the city, confirmed Congress spokesperson and local MLA Nadeem Javed here today. Mr Gandhi had earlier held a road show in Jaunpur in September last, as part of his 'Kisan Yatra and Khat Sabha' from Deoria to Delhi. The Jaunpur rally of Rahul is supposed to be a significant one, particularly after his attack on the PM over demonetisation, alleging that he has 'information on corruption by the PM' who is 'terrified' and therefore, not allowing him to speak in Parliament. Mr Gandhi is expected to reach Varanasi by a special flight at 1305 hrs and from there, he will go to Jaunpur by road. After addressing the rally between 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs, the Congress Vice-President will take the same route to reach Varanasi to return to New Delhi. Surprisingly like December 19, after three days, the same situation could arise when Mr Modi and Mr Rahul would be in UP again. While PM would be in his Parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Rahul will be around 394 km away at Bahraich.UNI MB RJ 1350 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0196-1070487.Xml
Stating that people of the country welcomed the demonetisation anticipating that it will check corruption and black money, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said that all restrictions including on withdrawal of money would be lifted soon as new currency notes were being supplied to all states. Talking to media at Aatkur, near here today, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is reviewing the situation every two days and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is reviewing every day and taking steps to resolve the problems of people in withdrawing money from banks and ATMs. "The Centre has taken the initiative in the form of demonetisation of higher valued currency notes to contain black money and eradicate corruption. But the Opposition parties are not cooperating with the Centre. They stalled the Parliament on the issue" he charged. Claiming that the demonetisation would benefit crores of people, he said it would affect the people, who indulge in corruption and hold black money. The Minister explained that on November 8 after the announcement of demonetisation by the Prime Minister, some gold jewellery shops in Hyderabad did Rs.100 crore business within a couple of hours. The CCTV in the shops were switched off during the transaction, he said and added the government had full details on who purchased such a huge quantity of gold jewellery.MORE UNI DP CS 1511 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0275-1070688.Xml
The district administration has started preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will lay the foundation stone of Pune Metro rail project on December 24. The Union Cabinet had recently approved the proposal for Pune Metro. Thereafter, the local BJP unit had announced that the foundation stone would be laid by the Prime Minister despite the fact that the NCP-led Pune Municipal Corporation had passed a resolution that the NCP Chief Sharad Pawar would be laying the foundation stone of the project. The event is important as the Election Code of Conduct for PMC polls might come into force after that and the political parties do not want to miss a chance to claim credit for the project. The function is scheduled to be held at the SSPMS Ground. The implementing agency, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd has started preparing for the project and its Managing Director Brajesh Dixit visited the city to review the work plan. Pune Metro rail work will start without any further delay. The Metro team has undertaken the various requisite surveys before the actual start of work. The geo-technical survey would be taken up to ascertain the kind of soil, where the Metro route would be laid, said Mr Dixit. He added that the detailed project report of Pune Metro rail was ready, adding that the alignment would be changed, if necessary, to meet the technical specifications to lay the Metro track. ''We would also use social networking sites to reach out to citizens on the implementation of Metro rail in the city,'' he said. UNI SP NP RJ 1520 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0171-1070640.Xml
Upon graduating high school, Daniel Stenberg had wanted a career helping others cope with death as a funeral director. Now, hes hoping to help breathe life into McKenzie County communities.

Bringing more arts and recreation opportunities and other quality-of-life enhancements will be the focus of Stenbergs tenure as McKenzie Countys economic developer.

Stenberg will be stepping in as longtime economic development director Gene Veeder steps down. Under Veeders leadership, Watford City got a bypass, hospital expansion, new high school and an event center  some of the necessary infrastructure to serve the growing oilfield community.

Stenberg now wants to provide those opportunities that are going to make (McKenzie County) a place to live, not just a place to work.

Watford is in a pretty unique position, Stenberg said.

Its changed a lot from what he remembers growing up, an agriculture-driven community filled with similar lower middle-class working residents. He moved to a big city, met lots of different people, and now that hes moved back, he sees a new diversity in his once sleepy hometown of Watford City.

Its a small community but also kind of a big community, Stenberg said. Its a little bit more of a vibrant community  slightly faster paced but not crazy.

Now hes in a position to help make newcomers feel more at home with the types of amenities to which they are accustomed.

For example, Stenberg helped launch a farmers market over the summer that saw about 275 people weekly  newcomers mixed with lifelong residents.

Variety in a job is what had drawn Stenberg to the funeral industry, which boasts a bit of counseling, art and community interaction, along with a business aspect, so many years ago. He had planned on two years at the University of Jamestown for business then mortuary school.

But an internship with the U.S. Department of the Treasury would lead him into a more varied career.

Once I did that internship, I got hooked into government, said Stenberg, who soon found himself working on energy policy and rural poverty issues for the Midwestern Governors Association. Still working for the association, he returned to North Dakota in 2010, living in Bismarck.

I love (Washington) D.C. but after a while I figured out its a pace that isn't sustainable, in my mind, for the rest of my life, he said.

A chance happening upon some letters written by his grandfather would lead Stenberg to a detour, making a documentary, "6 Brothers," based on his grandfather's familys life as North Dakota homesteaders. That brush with local history turned into a job with the museum in Watford City.

Stenberg also spent some time with North Dakota Job Services Labor Market Information department, which he thinks will make him a little more number oriented in his new McKenzie County position. And his federal experience could give him a leg up in applying for grants.

Stenberg will still have Veeder, who Watford City pulled in from a brief retirement, to look to for help. He said he thinks the progress made by the county to date is a testament to the leadership and proactive approach of Veeder and former Mayor Brent Sanford.

Veeder said he cant speak for the city but feels officials asked him to come on after Sanford made the move to the lieutenant governors office to help ease the transition, as the former mayor had worked hard for the city alongside Veeder in the area of economic development.

Veeder said his past five years in the county were busy.

Its been pretty much a wild ride, said Veeder, adding he thinks keeping up with economic development in the area is more than a one-person job, leaving plenty for both he and Stenberg to do.

He thinks Stenbergs different skill set will bring a new perspective to the job, he said.

Its good to have a youthful, bright person, he said.

To kick off his quality-of-life goals, Stenberg points to Williston State College and the University of Mary potentially offering classes at the new event center as an area of opportunity.

It will make the community more nimble when people want to change jobs or make themselves more marketable, he said, pointing out that it opens potential for high school students to earn dual credit.

Were also trying to get an art foundation started here in town, said Stenberg, who noted Watford City already is host to local musicians, dancers and a cowboy poet.
A private doctor allegedly raped a tribal girl at Raghunath village under Jhajha police station in the district today. Police said here that the doctor, identified as K.K. Sethi, allegedly outraged the modesty of a 16-year old tribal girl when she had gone to his clinic for treatment. An FIR had been lodged at the police station concerned against the doctor on the statement of the victim. The minor girl has been sent to local Sadar Hospital for her medical examination. The doctor is absconding after locking his clinic. Raids are being conducted to nab the culprit, police added.UNI XC-DH KK -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0212-1070772.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the first ever Indian Institute of Skills in the country at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh tomorrow. In line with his vision of making India the Skill Capital of the World by empowering its youth to be more employable and self-sustainable, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate the Kaushal Pradarshini (Skill Exhibition) for the youth of Uttar Pradesh to showcase state-of-the-art vocational training practices across different sectors. The exhibition would be open for public view at the Railway Grounds, Kanpur between December 19th to 22nd. The institute has been conceptualised by Mr Modi during his visit to Singapore's Institute of Technical Education. Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore has decided to open an institute first ever of its kind in the country, the institute is inspired by the Singapore model of training and would adopt various best practices from the country. The Ministry has decided to have six such institutes Mr Modi will also launch an array of skill development initiatives for the youth of the country, including Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKKs) and Drivers' Training Institutes. The event would also witness strategic partnership with various industries that will train and employ approximate 4 lakh youth over the next 3 years. The event is being organised in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of Panchayati Raj, Uttar Pradesh Ram Govind Chaudhary and MPs Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Shri Bhole Singh. The event will also see the announcement of "National Apprentice Promotion Scheme" in the State where the state government has a major role in its successful implementation. There are only 23,000 private companies today that are engaging in apprenticeship across the country. More UNI SD AE SNU 1856 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0005-1070978.Xml
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said the Samajwadi Party will make development a key poll plank in the forthcoming Assembly elections. The UP CM said SP Government has done development works which were never done before. There is a huge network of roads in the state and project to connect every big city to the capital city of Lucknow is underway. Mr Yadav, here at Islamic Centre of India at in Aishbagh, distributed identity cards of Samajwadi Pension Yojana to 605 persons. He said 55-lakh families are getting benefit of Samajwadi Pension Yojana and more families will be connected to this scheme. Claiming that the SP will regain power after Assembly elections, Mr Yadav said UP is developing swiftly. Lucknow metro project was completed in record time. Highlighting UP Government's achievements, Mr Yadav said,"SP Government rolled development wheels in state. Metro service, Express way gives wings to development. To improve economical condition of the poor, help of Rs 3.5-lakh is being provided to them for Lohia Awas." He said with fine policies and strategies of UP Government state is forwarding towards prosperous state. Urban areas age getting 24 hours power supply while rural areas are getting 18 hours per supply in a day which will increase to 24 hours in a day soon. UP CM said workers, farmers and poor wants that SP Governments should come back in power once again. Both, development works and circumstances are with SP. He claimed that SP will form Government again with absolute majority. Criticising demonetisation move, Mr Yadav said the Central Government had not done any preparation before taking the decision which caused trouble for commoners. He said to hide deficiencies of demonetisation people are being misguided with terms like cashless economy. He said rural population is not ready for cashless economy but laptops and smartphones distributed by the SP Government will surely help economy to go cashless.UNI JDM MB PY SNU 1833 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1070928.Xml
President Atambayev, who is leading a high-level delegation, would hold bilateral discussions with Mr Modi on December 20.

He is accompanied by his spouse Raisa Atambaeva. President Pranab Mukherjee will receive his Kyrgz counterpart and host a dinner banquet in his honour.

The visit of President Atambayev is his first to India in his capacity as President.During the visit, the Kyrgz President is expected to attend a Joint Business Forum.

''India and Kyrgyz Republic share excellent relations marked by strong ties in all areas, including Political and Defence, Economy and Commerce, Education and Human Resource Development, Culture and Tourism.''

''The visit coming right after very successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyrgyzstan in July 2015 will further cement the traditionally cordial and close ties between the two countries,'' the Ministry of External Affairs said here.UNI NAZ AE RP

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Sources said Mr Chavra has been taken into custody on a case filed with Karunagapally police station by an activist of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, heading the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.

In his complaint the activist had alleged that that Kamal had insulted the national anthem through his Face Book post recently.

Kozhikode Assistant Commissioner of Police Prithviraj said the writer would be handed over to Karunagapally police station after completion of formalities.

Kamal, however, said he would approach court for anticipatory bail.UNI PCH CJ 2147

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Sources at SSB said that SSB jawans intercepted a motorcyclist, Mohammed Sajid Hussain and recovered 95 new currency notes in the demonation of Rs. 2000 worth Rs. 1.90 lakh near Indo-Nepal border. Other notes were in the demonation of Rs. 100 and Rs. 50.

An intensive interrogation of the suspect is on to get vital clues from him.UNI XC DH RD CJ SHK 2138

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The District Judge AN Karmarkar today said that the young and emerging advocates should follow the three As which are Attitude, Aptitude and Attention which will make them successful advocates in addition to putting lot of efforts. He was speaking as a chief guest at the Hegde Lecture series here organized by the Vidhi Foundation. Senior Counsel from Mumbai Adv. Vineet Naik, was the main speaker and who inaugurated the lecture series. Also present as another speaker was Adv. Anand Patwardhan. President of Vidhi Foundation Sanjay Mhatre welcomed the guests and also present were the Principal of the VPM TMC's Law College Srividya Jaikumar and President of the Thane District Courts Bar Association Prakash Bhosale. In his speech Mr. Karmarkar recalled his young days while he was practicing and said that he worked under the senior counsel hard when the present facilities were absent. The other qualities that one should posess include Honesty, Patience and self confidence which will drive them to success he said and added that concentration in the work they do and seriousness in the work they do will pay rich dividends. In his speech Mr. Mhatre said that the Vidi foundation has been working in various fields of legal work since the last 11 years and this was the seventh year the lecture series was organized in memory of Late Renown Advocate Prabhakar M Hegde. The foundation now now plans to hold the mock court in Marathi and also Judgement writing competition, also a new law college was planned he said. Mrs. Jaikumar in her address said that the law college was tieing up with the vidhi foundation for various legal activies for the law students and this pays rich dividends she said. On this occasion the 2017 legal calander was published at the hands of the guests. Adv. Rajaram Tarmale who made a hat trick by getting elected ot the Thane District Court Bar Association for third consequtive term was felicitated on this occasion. A senior advocate HC Bhatia who is in his 50th year of practice and who has been a guiding spirit for the advocates in Thane and surrounding areas was given the life time achievement award on this occasion. He was given a citation, shawl and srifal at the hands of the chief guest Naik. Bhatia who has been a Public Prosecutor successfully fought several cases in the Thane court which created history in the legal field. He was born in 1942 in Karachi and is an asset to the Thane bar it was stated. The other awards given on this occasion include, Vinayak Lende (Emeging Lawyer); Kalyani Gaikwad ( Best student in the TMC Law College); and two special awards have gone to Dr. Adv. Abhay Joglekar and Adv Mayuri Hatle. Also present for the function were Thane Consumer Forum Presidnet Sneha Mhatre and TDSA Secretary Durgaprasad Kher. UNI XR SM 2150 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-1071228.Xml
A suicide bomber killed at least 30 soldiers in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden today, officials there said, a week after an attack by the militant Islamic State group killed 50 troops nearby.The officials said the soldiers were queuing to collect salaries near a military base in the Khor Maksar district when the attacker blew himself up. Forty other troops were wounded, they said.Aden is the temporary capital of Yemen's internationally recognised government in exile in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The administration has struggled to establish its control in the city amid dozens of militant attacks against its forces.Al Qaeda and Islamic State have exploited nearly two years of war in the impoverished country to carry out assassinations and bombings, mostly in lawless southern Yemeni areas nominally controlled by the government.Saudi Arabia and its allies in a mostly Gulf Arab military coalition have been bombing Yemen's dominant Houthi movement since it drove the government from power in March 2015 but have failed to dislodge the group from the capital, Sanaa. REUTERS SHS RAI1209 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1070526.Xml
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian today, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, after entering a village in the occupied West Bank where, the Israeli military said, they were confronted by stone-throwers.A military spokeswoman said an Israeli paramilitary policeman was injured and that troops fired in the air to push back a crowd of about 50 people throwing rocks. She said the troops had been operating in the village, but gave no further details.The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli forces shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian in the encounter.At least 231 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip since October 2015. Israel says at least 156 of them were assailants in lone attacks often targeting security forces and using rudimentary weapons including kitchen knives.Others died during clashes and protests.The street assaults killed at least 33 Israelis and two visiting Americans over the same period.Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. The Palestinians want that territory, along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip for a future state. Peace talks between the sides broke down in 2014. REUTERS SHS PM1311 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-1070579.Xml
Courtesy Yvonne Hinojosa(AMARILLO, Texas) -- A Texas man who was battling leukemia promised his bride-to-be that he would give her the wedding of their dreams. On his deathbed, he made good on that promise, then passed away 36 hours later.



Raul Hinojosa and Yvonne Lamas became engaged back in 2006. Still, the couple was in no rush to wed and decided to wait until they could afford their dream wedding.



Then a diagnosis delayed their wedding even further -- Hinojosa was diagnosed with leukemia in 2012.



"He had been trying hard to save up [for the wedding,]" Lamas, 34, told ABC News. "He kept saying, 'I finally found the one for me. I finally found my princess, who deserves a fairy tale wedding.'"



But the couple focused on his treatment plan and recovery instead of wedding plans. That's when they hit a roadblock back in October as Hinojosa, who is known to family and friends as Tiny, was hospitalized.



"Things started getting worse," Lamas recalled. "It was just one thing after the other with his sickness."



And last week, doctors at Baptist St. Anthonys Hospital in Amarillo, Texas, told the couple that "they did everything they could," the bride said. The chaplain then asked Hinojosa if he had a final wish.



Lamas said that her fiance really wanted to go home to be with his family. Along with their 9-year-old son named Jovon, the couple also has four other children from previous relationships.



Doctors weren't sure if he'd even make it home alive due to his low oxygen level, so they asked him if he had one more wish.



"And he said, 'I want to marry her. I want her to be mine,'" Lamas recalled. "I turned around and he started laughing. I said, 'Me?' And he's like, 'Yeah, you!'"



Lamas, who works in retail, said she immediately started crying because Hinojosa didn't forget the promise he made to her -- to marry her.



The hospital kicked into high-gear to pull off a wedding fit for the couple. The hospital cafeteria created a wedding cake for the occasion and even their local judge waived the customary 72-hour waiting period so that Lamas could secure a marriage license.



Family members secured a dress and shoes for Lamas, and the director of the hospital's critical care unit gave the suit off his back -- down to his socks -- to Hinojosa.



Lamas called her wedding, held December 9 beside Hinojosa's hospital bed, "priceless."



Family and friends crowded into the dying man's hospital room to witness the wedding. Some even spilled out into the hallway, according to video obtained by ABC News.



Lamas said of her nuptials, "All I can say is this is more than a fairy tale wedding. This is God's blessing."



And just 36 hours after exchanging vows, Hinojosa passed away. He was 33.



"The first time I had to sign my [new] name was on his death certificate," Lamas, who changed her name to Yvonne Hinojosa after the ceremony, said.



She now hopes that he'll be remembered.



"I hope he's remembered for the loving person that he was," she said. "He loved to help people and he loved to spend time with his family. ... I was his angel here on earth and now hes my angel up in heaven."

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is considering creating a tribal utilities commission to regulate infrastructure projects on its land.

Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault II said the tribe has started the process since Standing Rock has been in a months-long fight against the 1,172-mile Dakota Access crude oil pipeline, which is proposed to cross the Missouri River just north of the reservation, over fears that a leak in the line would pollute the river and tribal water supply.

Archambault said the pipeline battle has shown light on flaws in state and federal law pertaining to tribal consultation and input on infrastructure projects  something he feels a tribal utilities commission could rectify.

I think its in everyones interest to have some kind of regulatory authority, he said.

The tribe will first need to create a regulatory code before forming a commission, according to Archambault, who said the new code, once written, has to be posted for 30 days to garner tribal member feedback.

The process takes time. Its not going to happen overnight, he said.

Archambault said the commission would have authority over all utilities infrastructure, from water lines to power lines. And despite the opposition to Dakota Access, the creation of a commission would not rule out the possibility of crude oil pipelines on the reservation.

Opposition and 2007 tribal council action to prevent crude oil pipelines from crossing tribal lands came from fears the industry was not regulated well enough, Archambault said. If the tribe were to be more the master of its fate, with direct input on projects through its regulatory authority, there would be less reluctance to allow their development.

And though the Dakota Access Pipeline would not cross the reservation, the chairman said he is hopeful a tribal utilities commission also could give the tribe more weight on the national stage should similar projects arise in the future.

Standing Rock is looking to the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota as a model for its proposed commission, according to Archambault.

The Rosebud Siouxs tribal utilities commission just celebrated its 22nd birthday and commissioner Ronald Neiss said it's one other tribes have looked to as a success story.

Neiss said he had a recent conversation with Archambault about the creation of a commission on Standing Rock. On the Rosebud Reservation, its existence has allowed the tribe to be an advocate for utilities consumers within tribal homelands.

There was some opposition at first, Neiss said of the commissions creation  mostly from utilities cooperatives, used to dealing with the state for permitting, questioning why the tribe was taking up regulating.

Most of the utility infrastructure on the Rosebud Reservation is operated by cooperatives. One thing that has helped bridge gaps is the election of two tribal members to a local cooperative board. Neiss said the tribe had previously been unrepresented on the cooperative board despite tribal members making up 80 percent of the cooperatives membership.

With that board presence, Neiss is confident the landscape will change. An annual utilities forum between cooperatives and the tribe is another way Rosebud has tried to develop relationships.

Over the past two decades, most of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Utilities Commission work has been on easements for telecommunications and electric lines, particularly fiber for high-speed Internet. The commission has been an advocate for renewables and energy-efficiency improvements, though there have been no major wind or solar farms developed on tribal lands that would have required permitting. Neiss said they recently completed a 50-year right-of-way with the Western Area Power Administration for a 115-kilovolt transmission line.

That was a big mission for us, he said.

The tribes next goal is creation of Rosebud Energy Services Company, which would be a tribal subsidiary developing infrastructure on the reservation for transmission of the tribes six-megawatt power allocation from WAPA.

Along with development of a utilities commission, Archambault said Standing Rock is talking with Rosebud about the possible establishment of an inter-tribal utilities commission.

Neiss said there has been interest from the Yankton and Ogala Sioux, too. And Rosebud has offered to share its Title 20 regulatory code with others. He said the benefit of an intertribal commission, or at least commissions with similar codes, would be a continuity of regulation across tribal homelands, making it easier for utilities companies to follow. There is also the opportunity for shared resources to save on cost and increase representation on the national scale.

The Rosebud Sioux are hosting a discussion of intertribal utilities regulation April 28-29 in Rapid City, S.D., Neiss said.

Though Neiss said it hasnt been a part of conversations between the Standing Rock and Rosebud Tribes to date, Archambault points to one more potential strength of an intertribal utilities commission. He said having a shared commission could help tribes breach conversations with state governments about the possibility of sharing jurisdiction on projects that cross tribal treaty lands.

Wed love to build those relationships with the states, Archambault said.

The tribe defines treaty lands as lands within tribal territories established in the middle of the 19th century by various treaties between tribes and the federal government. Many parts of the treaties, which laid out rules for interaction among the tribes and provided easements for westward expansion, remain in effect today.

Areas on the Dakota Access Pipeline route run through the 1851 treaty territories of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and the Yankton Sioux Tribe, as well as through the Great Sioux Reservation drawn up in the Treaty of Fort Laramie of 1868. While Congress forced the tribes on to smaller parcels of land, the treaties of 1851 and 1868 didnt go away.

Archambault said joint jurisdiction on these lands would give tribes the opportunity to have a say as more than just stakeholders on projects crossing them. Tribal opinion could go from being recognized by state and federal regulators to having authority alongside them.

Chris Nelson, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission chairman, said he has no experience to draw upon to weigh how tribal and state regulators may work together on utilities projects. In the Rosebud Tribal Utilities Commissions more than 20 years of existence, no applications for permitting of projects that cross both tribal and state lands have come up.

There isnt really any interaction between what we do and what they do, he said.

Nelson also declined to speculate on how tribes and states might share jurisdiction on treaty lands as its still a hypothetical proposal.
On a frigid day, three senior journalists from India, Japan and United States, quietly moved into a small room at an imposing center in Stockholm to steal a few moments with world-renowned economist Bengt Holmstorm, who along with a fellow economist, was awarded Nobel Prize for economics this year. Smartly dressed in a blue suit, the 67-year-old economist entered the room and walked toward a side table which had large mugs for steaming coffee and mineral water bottles. Sipping coffee, the unassuming personality seated himself into a chair and straight away asked for questions as many more newspersons and TV crews jostled outside the room for his bytes. Sveriges Rriksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel 2016 was awarded jointly to Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmstorm for their contributions to contract theory. In the lengthy interview, Holmstorm gave narrative of his thought process on various economic issues staring the fast changing global economic scenario. Asked about the raging issue of demonetisation in a huge Asian economy like India, he said,"You mean India removing large bills from circulation. The criminals can't any more trade in these bills.You can't transport a million in your body, if you swallow it. It becomes more difficult if the bills are smaller; But there is another side to it, a typical economist's way of thinking". ''Do you think that crime will stop? The water will flow around this some other way, may be much more damaging. It's like your house with a water leak. If you fix it badly, you can do even more damage because the water just leaks somewhere else. That's the unforeseen circumstance. ''There will surely be crime and there will surely be some other means. What it is going to be is very hard to forecast? But you are not stopping the whole system. I just don't believe you're stopping crime or this criminal activity. May be they do something much more horrible as a consequence. ''This is a familiar argument from prostitution and things like that. You try to stop it somewhere and it shows up in much more pernicious and especially for women, more dangerous forms.I can't say what will happen but something will happen that we didn't expect". The economist on his pet subject on contracts and incentives says It resonates with every person. ''You're trying to be a good person but also be perceived to be good, whatever you're working on. ''If you get more granular, finer measures, it's going to change. The danger is that you can see even more sharply something. "Let me take a political example, which speaks to the current situation. People have started being able to see much more what the politicians are doing. 'You [journalists] are writing about them. And the consequences are two. One of which is because they have been frustrated with their representatives, because globalisation has been bad for some people, they feel frustrated and they now blame their representatives. MORE UNI NB RP1547 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0298-1069481.Xml
An online statement by the IS revealed on Twitter said that "more than 70 apostates were killed in the jihadist attack launched by our martyr against soldiers in Aden", Xinhua news agency reported.

The statement identified the suicide bomber who carried out the terrorist operation as Abu Hashim Radfani.

One of the group's suicide bombers detonated his explosives-belt in a crowd of government forces who had gathered to receive their salaries in Aden's neighbourhood of Khormaksar.

Ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the dead and wounded to hospitals.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group frequently targets military bases in the country.

The assault comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the IS struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 soldiers dead and 40 injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several assassinations and attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in 2015.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of attacks against the country's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

--IANS vgu/dg

( 291 Words)

2016-12-18-20:14:13 (IANS)
Russian special forces shot dead at least four militants in Chechnya in southern Russia on Sunday after an attack on police officers the previous night, Russian news agencies reported.Moscow has fought two wars with separatists in the mainly Muslim internal republic in the Caucasus. Such shoot-outs are rare, but the wider region remains volatile with unemployment and corruption pushing some young men to embrace radical Islam.Agencies cited authorities as saying the militants had attacked a policeman on Saturday night, seized his car, and run over another policeman who tried to stop the vehicle.The Interfax agency said the militants had opened fired on police when confronted on Sunday. It said police had shot four of them dead and injured a further two. One policeman was killed in the shoot-out, the TASS agency and state Rossiya-24 TV channel reported. REUTERS CJ BL2126 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0400-1071268.Xml
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- With the announcement of his pick for secretary of state, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump again sparked division among the Republican Party.

Calling Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson "one of the truly great business leaders of the world," Trump announced Tuesday morning his pick for U.S. secretary of state, moving past 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a choice favored by the party establishment.

"The thing I like best about Rex Tillerson is that he has vast experience at dealing successfully with all types of foreign governments," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Tillerson, 64, is the Texas-based oil company's CEO since 2006. Like Trump, he has no government experience and so far little is known of Tillerson's views about foreign affairs.

However, as Exxon's CEO, Tillerson oversees business operations in over 50 countries and has known Russian President Vladimir Putin since 1990s when they first met.

Tillerson was awarded Russia's Order of Friendship in 2013, a state decoration to reward foreign nationals whose work is aimed at the betterment of relations with Moscow.

Some Republicans in the U.S. Congress immediately raised concerns about the close relations between Tillerson and the Russian government despite Trump's efforts to line up high-profile establishment Republicans, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, to back his pick.

"The next secretary of state must be someone who views the world with moral clarity, is free of potential conflicts of interest, has a clear sense of America's interests, and will be a forceful advocate for America's foreign policy goals to the president, within the administration, and on the world stage," said Senator Marco Rubio, one of Trump's rival in the GOP primary in a statement on Tuesday.

Though Rubio's remarks were more measured compared with his comments on Monday, when he wrote on Twitter that befriending Putin "is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState," it still signaled a potentially uphill battle for Tillerson to pass his nomination vote in the U.S. Senate early next year.

Rubio is one of the 10 Republicans sitting on the 19-member Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and for Tillerson to get a full Senate vote, he must first get the greenlight from the committee.

Even he passes the hearing by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Tillerson would need a simple majority in the full Senate vote, meaning that he could only lose up to three Republican votes if no Democrats vote for him.

So far, Senator John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham, both Republican leaders in the upper chamber, have expressed their concerns about Tillerson's tie to Putin.

"Based upon his extensive business dealings with the Putin government and his previous opposition to efforts to impose sanctions on thew Russian government, there are many questions which must be answered," said Graham in a statement after the announcement.

Despite reservations among some Republican lawmakers, Tillerson on Tuesday won endorsement from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.

"We need a full review of our national security policy, and I know Rex will face each problem head on with American interests and security as his top priority. I look forward to supporting his nomination," said McConnell in a statement.
BEIJING, Dec. 17 (Xinhua)-- Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Yang Yujun said late Saturday that China has decided to hand over the U.S. underwater drone it captured in its waters to the United States in an appropriate manner.

According Yang's statement on the website of the defense ministry, on the afternoon of December 15, a Chinese naval lifeboat located an unidentified device in the waters of the South China Sea. In order to prevent the device from causing harm to the safety of navigation and personnel of passing vessels, the Chinese naval lifeboat verified and examined the device in a professional and responsible manner.

Upon examination, Yang said, the device was identified as an underwater drone of the United States. The Chinese side has decided to hand over it to the U.S. in an appropriate manner. Both sides have been maintaining communication on the issue, Yang noted. The U.S. side's unilateral move to dramatize the issue in the process is inappropriate, and not conductive to its settlement. "We regret that," Yang added.

It is worth emphasizing that for a long time, the U.S. military has frequently dispatched vessels and aircraft to carry out close-in reconnaissance and military surveys within Chinese waters, Yang said. "China resolutely opposes these activities, and demands that the U.S. side should stop such activities. China will continue to be vigilant against the relevant activities on the U.S. side, and will take necessary measures in response," said the spokesperson.
LONDON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The doors to Britain's most famous clock tower, London's Big Ben, were closed to the public Saturday in preparation for a facelift costing more than 40 million U.S dollars.

The close of the 157-year-old Elizabeth Tower which houses the clock and Westminster chiming bells, will means the iconic hourly gong of the bells falling silent for the first time since 2007.

The project will see major work on the clock mechanism, including repairs to the clock's hands, mechanism and its pendulum. The hour hand is 2.7 meters long and the minute hand is 4.3 meters long. The whole restoration project will take three years to complete.

As part of restoration work, the famous bells will stay silent for a number of months, but no date for this part of the project has yet been announced.

Officials at the Palace of Westminster, home to the British parliament, have described the condition of the clock mechanism as being in a "chronic state". Concerns have also been expressed about the fabric of the tower which is close to reaching an "acute" condition.

When the work on the tower is finished, it will be easier for disabled people, thanks to a new elevator being installed as an alternative to using the 334 steps to ascend to the top.

While work is carried out on the clock faces they will be covered with sheeting, though at least one will remain visible at any time.

Although the Big Ben clock is one of the most photographed in the world, it is not the biggest. By about a meter's difference in diameter, the clock faces on the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool is the country's largest clock face.
Photo taken on April 27, 2016 shows a general view of the Big Ben in central London, Britain. London's famous Big Ben is to be given a 43-million-U.S.-dollar facelift, the British Parliament announced Tuesday. A three-year program of work will begin early in 2017. It will mean the clock being switched off and the bell silenced for a period of time while the work is carried out. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The doors to Britain's most famous clock tower, London's Big Ben, were closed to the public Saturday in preparation for a facelift costing more than 40 million U.S dollars.

The close of the 157-year-old Elizabeth Tower which houses the clock and Westminster chiming bells, will means the iconic hourly gong of the bells falling silent for the first time since 2007.

The project will see major work on the clock mechanism, including repairs to the clock's hands, mechanism and its pendulum. The hour hand is 2.7 meters long and the minute hand is 4.3 meters long. The whole restoration project will take three years to complete.

As part of restoration work, the famous bells will stay silent for a number of months, but no date for this part of the project has yet been announced.

Officials at the Palace of Westminster, home to the British parliament, have described the condition of the clock mechanism as being in a "chronic state". Concerns have also been expressed about the fabric of the tower which is close to reaching an "acute" condition.

When the work on the tower is finished, it will be easier for disabled people, thanks to a new elevator being installed as an alternative to using the 334 steps to ascend to the top.

While work is carried out on the clock faces they will be covered with sheeting, though at least one will remain visible at any time.

Although the Big Ben clock is one of the most photographed in the world, it is not the biggest. By about a meter's difference in diameter, the clock faces on the Royal Liver Building in Liverpool is the country's largest clock face.
PARIS, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Seven candidates will compete for the French left-wing primary in January to win the nomination for next year's presidential election, the organizers said on Saturday.

Four people from the ruling Socialist Party will run in the competition including ex-prime minister Manuel Valls and three former members of his executive staff ex-economy minister Arnaud Montebourg, Benoit Hamon and Vincent Peillon, both had managed education portfolio.

Two ecologists Francois de Rugy, vice president of the National Assembly and Jean-Luc Bennahmias, president of Democratic Movement appeared in the list of contenders vying for left ticket to take part in the race to the Elysee Palace.

Former housing minister Sylvia Pinel, head of the Radical Left Party, is the only female candidate in the two-round primary scheduled for Jan. 22 and 29.

The country's opinion polls predicted Valls to win the left primary. However, they said no candidate from the left-wing parties would garner enough public support to cruise to the second round.

The seven candidates will defend their bid and try to appease voters in three televised debates on Jan. 12,15 and 19.
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. researchers have taken inspiration from the human brain in creating a new "deep learning" method that enables computers to teach themselves about the visual world largely on their own, much as human babies do.

In test, the new image-processing system "deep rendering mixture model," developed by neuroscience and artificial intelligence experts from Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine, can learn largely on their own about how to distinguish handwritten digits using a standard dataset of 10,000 digits written by federal employees and high school students.

The study, presented this month at the Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) conference in Barcelona, Spain, was funded by the Director of National Intelligence's Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Science and Research, the Army Research Office and the Office of Naval Research.

In results, the researchers said they trained their algorithm by giving it just 10 correct examples of each handwritten digit between zero and nine and then presenting it with several thousand more examples that it used to further teach itself, Rice University reported on Friday.

Compared with almost all previous algorithms that were trained with thousands of correct examples of each digit, in tests, the semisupervised Rice-Baylor algorithm was more accurate at correctly distinguishing handwritten digits.

The semisupervised algorithm, "essentially a very simple visual cortex," is a "convolutional neural network," a piece of software made up of layers of artificial neurons whose design was inspired by biological neurons, researchers said.

In deep-learning parlance, the most successful technique called supervised learning, where the machine is trained with thousands of examples: This is a one. This is a two. But this new system uses a different method known as semisupervised learning, according to the researchers.

"Humans don't learn that way," lead researcher Ankit Patel said in a statement on Friday. "When babies learn to see during their first year, they get very little input about what things are. Parents may label a few things: 'Bottle. Chair. Momma.' But the baby can't even understand spoken words at that point. It's learning mostly unsupervised via some interaction with the world."
BRATISLAVA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian aid and evacuation of people are the main priorities in Syria at the moment, State Secretary for the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry Ivan Korcok said here on Saturday.

When it comes to real capabilities and determination to enter the process with something more than a call for humanitarian help -- that's a matter of the common foreign and security policy and the European Union's global position, said Korcok.

Slovakia now assumes the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Over 8,000 rebels and their families have been evacuated from their last strongholds in Syria's northern city of Aleppo since the announcement of truce on Thursday.

Nearly 15,000 people, including 4,000 rebels, were set to evacuate eastern Aleppo as part of a Russian-Turkish deal to end the presence of rebels in the city.

With the evacuation, the Syrian army will take over the whole Aleppo city, as it has already controlled 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in the eastern part of the city.

Once Syria's commercial hub, Aleppo has been divided roughly in two since 2012, with western parts under government control and eastern districts held by rebels.
FARGO  Plenty of parents happily oblige their pediatrician or family physicians recommendation for their children to receive vaccinations to stay healthy. After all, having the shots or showing proof of some kind of exemption from them is the law in every state.

The majority of those immunizations go just fine, with children bouncing back quickly after being fussy or feverish for a day or two.

But Dawn Herrmanns experience with her youngest son 15 years ago was quite different. The rural Dent, Minn., mother said her four other children had no trouble being vaccinated, so she wasnt overly concerned about getting then-toddler Wyatt caught up on his immunizations. But she was leery about the five or seven vaccines he received that day.

Within a few days thereafter, we had the projectile vomiting and it was like, the light in his eyes just went, Herrmann said. He wouldnt make eye contact anymore and then, slowly, he would just sit in rooms and stare off into space.

Wyatt was later diagnosed with autism. Herrmann said his case is severe; her son, who doesnt talk, can get aggressive and become almost violent at times.

Though medical studies have not shown a causal link between vaccines and autism, Herrmann is convinced, and experiences like hers account for some of the hesitancy thats driven down child vaccination rates. They may not, however, tell the whole story.

Barriers to vaccination

Dr. Paul Carson, professor of public health at North Dakota State University and director of infection prevention and control at Sanford Health in Fargo, said North Dakota is coming off a decade-long slide in vaccination rates.

In 2000, 95 percent of the states kindergartners were fully immunized. In 2014-2015, the number was 89 percent.

That put us amongst the five lowest states in the U.S., Carson said.

The state Department of Health asked NDSUs Center for Immunization Research and Education to consider all of the reasons why, and provide some answers in getting rates to swing back the other direction.

One reason for the lower number of fully vaccinated children can be attributed to an influx of people moving into the state. Nearly 7 percent of kindergartners were unaccounted for in the school immunization survey data during the last school year.

Lead researcher Kylie Hall said those children may have all, some or none of their vaccinations, but theres no record on file at their school.

Part of the oil boom, you have a lot of kids coming in from out of state, and its really hard for those parents to get their records from out of state, Hall said. Immunizations fall to the bottom of their priority list.

A smaller but growing area of concern to public health officials is the number of parents filing vaccination exemptions. In 2000, only 0.5 percent of kindergartners had an exemption on file. During the last school year, that number was 3 percent.

All states allow a medical exemption for children with compromised immune systems or allergies to vaccine ingredients. Most states allow for religious exemption, and 18 states  including North Dakota and Minnesota  allow parents to opt out for personal belief.

Carson said North Dakota makes it too easy to get those philosophic or moral exemptions.

In Minnesota, parents need a notarized statement, saying they have a conscientiously held belief not to vaccinate. In North Dakota, a parent or guardian simply signs a form. Carson said sometimes its done out of convenience.

That should not be easier than getting your child fully immunized, he said.

Another hurdle revealed in the study, through interviews with stakeholders, was misleading information about vaccinations being disseminated by some chiropractors in the state.

It states One chiropractor was holding seminars to inform people about vaccinations.

Brittany Ness, director of nursing at the Steele County Public Health Department, said most of the chiropractors in her area fall into that category.

There are a lot of naturalistic people out there who are anti-vaccinators, promoting not to vaccinate, Ness said.

The NDSU researchers sent a survey to chiropractors to gauge their beliefs and received 15 responses. They said that while the surveys showed a broad range of opinions on immunization practice and policy, the number of responses was too low to have any statistical significance.

Numerous chiropractors declined to comment, and the North Dakota Chiropractors Association president Jacob Holkup also declined comment regarding the assertion that some chiropractors are spreading misinformation about vaccines.

The NDCA does not have an official statement concerning procedures that fall outside our scope of practice, including vaccination, Holkup said in an email.

Schools a key link

There are school districts in the area that have some of the lowest vaccination rates in North Dakota and Minnesota.

For instance, in the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton school district in Minnesota, only 64 percent of kindergartners at the elementary school in Glyndon-Felton and 72 percent of them at the elementary school in Dilworth were fully immunized last year, state data shows.

The overall kindergarten vaccination rate in Clay County is around 88 percent, down from 93 percent five years ago.

Clay County Public Health has a contract with some schools, including the D-G-F district.

Director of nursing Jamie Hennen said the numbers in D-G-F arent low because of medical contraindications or conscientious objectors.

She said its more a matter of making parents aware that their children are missing doses.

It will be our plan to improve, Hennen said, adding thats what our focus will be for spring.

D-G-F superintendent Bryan Thygeson said the school boards recent approval of additional nursing staff will help, given an enrollment increase of 270 students over the past six years.

In the past, followup letters to parents were done sporadically at best, Thygeson said. I believe that will not be the case in the future.

In North Dakotas Steele County, while immunization appear low, Ness said thats somewhat misleading.

There are only 8 kindergarteners in all of Steele County and, if one has an exemption, the rates drop dramatically, she said.

At the Finley-Sharon school, there is one child each in kindergarten, first and second grades whose parents have filed an exemption, or three out of 22 students, giving them an 86 to 87 percent vaccination rate. The statewide rate is currently around 90 percent.

Ness said she meets with parents requesting exemptions so she can explain the risks and school exclusions, should a disease outbreak occur. She said one dad signed the form, despite not having a true reason.

His girlfriend was pretty insistent that his child not have any vaccinations, Ness said. He couldnt tell me why.

Hall said some schools are enforcing immunization requirements, telling parents they will exclude children who dont have their paperwork in, and some are not.

She said some schools decided to change their enforcement practices in the middle of the 2015-2016 school year, after superintendents attended a school law conference. There, it was reiterated that schools not enforcing the requirements could be held liable if an outbreak should occur.

In those districts that changed, rates rose to 97 percent, Hall said.

Crunch the numbers

Many parents are still convinced of a link between vaccines and autism, even though medical science has shown otherwise.

In 1989, British physician Andrew Wakefield published a small study of just a dozen children claiming a link between MMR vaccine and autism.

It has since been widely discredited, after it was determined he acted dishonestly and irresponsibly and eventually lost his medical license. Wakefield recently directed the documentary Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe.

Carson said multiple studies of 14 million children in different countries since have shown no association at all between vaccines and autism.

This is far, far more powerful data, but to try to scrub out that false association is extremely difficult, Carson said. What happens is  and this is one of the most frustrating things we face in public health  is that anecdotes will trump true data.

Sanford Health pediatrician, Dr. Rebecca Bakke, who has four children of her own ages 6 and under, said she often fields questions from skeptical parents.

What I have to always remind myself is, this is what I do, Bakke said. Ive looked at these studies, Ive read these studies, Ive been thinking about vaccines for a long time in my medical training and my practice.

She said nothing she does is more important than vaccinating kids

The thing I do that has the most impact is vaccines, really, Bakke added.

Carson said nothing in medicine is more studied or scrutinized for safety than vaccinations. The Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, or VAERS, is monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Food and Drug Administration, but anyone, from doctors, parents and attorneys can report adverse reactions. The federal agencies keep an eye out for any trends, and can issue recalls or advisories if necessary.

But you wont convince the Herrman family about the safety of vaccines.

Wyatt Herrmann has been through many alternative therapies for his autism, including homeopathy, essential oils, and applied behavior analysis. While theyve helped some, the effects havent stuck.

Wyatt is a freshman at Detroit Lakes (Minn.) public schools, where hes integrated into a regular classroom. The family hopes to continue having him live at home, but that will depend on whether his behaviors can be held in check.

In the meantime, his father would like to see a third party do more studies of vaccines and autism.

Crunch the numbers and look at the facts. Take it back to the universities, where they can sit and do it from a totally unbiased situation, and thats when you re going to find out what the reality is, Eric Herrmann said.
QUITO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador's President Rafael Correa named Patricio Rivera as the new Minister of Finance on Saturday, to replace Fausto Herrera, who stepped down for health reasons this week.

Rivera has already been Minister of Finance and recently made a name as Ecuador's coordinating minister of economic policy.

Correa hailed Herrera's contributions, calling him a "historic minister."

"He was the longest-lasting minister, almost four years, but had to step down for health reasons," said Correa at a press conference, adding his gratitude for the "extraordinary" work carried out by the former minister.

"He made the right choice, and I support him completely, to take some time off after years of intense work and especially hard recent months. However... we have come out largely ahead due to Fausto Herrera's ability and leadership," said the president.

As finance minister since May 2013, Herrera saw the country through multiple economic shocks, including the rise in value of the U.S. dollar, the devaluation of currencies from neighboring countries and the drop in the price of oil, Ecuador's main export.

In the rest of the economic reshuffle, the job of coordinating minister of economic policy will be taken over by the governor of the central bank, Diego Martinez, who will himself be replaced by Madelaine Abarca, until now the deputy minister of finance.

"The same economic team remains in place," concluded Correa.
NEW DELHI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- India and Tajikistan Saturday inked four pacts, including one on the sharing of financial intelligence, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon in the national capital.

Apart from the agreement on the sharing of financial intelligence to counter money laundering and financing of terrorism, the other pacts included one on broadcasting of audio visual programmes and protocol amending the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion.

"We assessed the broad progress achieved under different pillars of our bilateral engagement, including our partnership in defense and security," Modi said while addressing a joint media meet with the visiting Tajikistan president.

He added: "India and Tajikistan live in an extended neighbourhood that continues to face multiple security challenges and threats. The threat from terrorism endangers not just our two countries. It casts a long shadow of violence and instability over the entire region."

The relations between India and Tajikistan have developed considerably owing to both nations' co-operation on security and strategic issues.
YANGON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Border trade between Myanmar and Bangladesh at Maungtaw border trade point is likely to reopen as situation in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar starts to return to normal, official media reported Sunday.

However, the security needs to be tightened in the first phase of its reopening, Maungtaw Border Merchants Association was quoted as saying.

"Security would be tightened in the first phase for the unnecessary incidents. But we will relax the security rules step by step," the association chairman U Aung Myint Thein said.

The surprise coordinated attacks by violent armed men on three border posts on Oct. 9 in Maungtaw have prompted the closure of all border gates with Bangladesh for more than two months, resulting in financial hardship for local shrimp and prawn farmers and traders.

Local products such as dried fish and shrimp were traded via the state's capital Sittway, but export products of bamboo to Bangladesh came to a total halt.

Meanwhile, anxiety of local people in violent-hit areas of the Rakhine state has eased with signs of resumed stability, said Myanmar's Rakhine Violence Investigation Commission in its first release on Wednesday following its three-day inspection tour to the attacked areas in the state where the commission met with affected communities.

However, investigations are still underway to expose the armed attackers.

Schools in some villages in violence-torn areas have been reopened.

The Myanmar government formed a 13-member investigation commission on Dec. 1 to probe the Oct. 9 violent attacks by armed men on the three border posts in Maungtaw, in which five soldiers and eight policemen were killed.

The three border posts are Kyikanpyi in Maungtaw, Kotankauk in Buthedaung and Ngakhuya Office.

The commission is tasked to report to the president by Jan. 31, 2017.

A dusk-to-dawn curfew has been in place in Maungtaw since Oct. 10.
YANGON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's government forces have occupied Gidon Outpost, a stronghold of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), in a clearance attack on Saturday, the official paper Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

The government troops managed to take over the outpost at 2:05 a.m. local time (1935 GMT Friday) and the headquarters on Point 1103 Hill at 2:15 a.m. (1945 GMT) amid fierce resistance from the KIA, the report said.

During the crossfire, both sides suffered heavy casualties, it said, adding that the government troops were still carrying out area clearance operation nearby.

Meanwhile, two explosions hit Kyaukme District Police Headquarters in northern Shan State on Saturday afternoon, blowing out windows but causing no injuries.

Military conflicts erupted in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan State on Nov. 20 after an alliance of three armed groups launched attacks on government's military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai towns as well as a border trade zone.

Sporadic clashes between government troops and the three armed groups -- Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), have continued up to date.
CANBERRA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has again thrown his support behind the Australian Republican Movement (ARM), but has acknowledged it was unlikely to occur until after Queen Elizabeth II's reign.

Speaking at the group's 25th anniversary dinner overnight, Turnbull, who was head of the republican movement from 1993 to 1999 including the group's failed 1999 vote, said Australians would be unlikely to back the push while the Queen is still ruling, but did not rule out a vote in the near future.

"I do not believe Australia would welcome, let alone support, another public referendum during her (Queen Elizabeth II's) reign," Turnbull said on Saturday night.

He said any push for Australia to formally become a republic would be a "slow burn," which must be thought out and embraced by all Australians regardless of how they vote.

"We would need to have an advisory plebiscite which would offer a choice between two republican models, presumably direct election and parliamentary appointment," he said.

Turnbull's comments came a day after the current head of the ARM, Peter FitzSimons, said for the first time, there was majority support in the parliament for an Australian republic.

Following Turnbull's cautious approach to the subject on Saturday night, FitzSimons acknowledged the challenge ahead for the group.

"He's the prime minister - he's experienced in this field and he's saying make no mistake you have a long hill to climb," FitzSimons said.

"The point that I'm about to make in return is ... we are climbing that hill, we've got extraordinary enthusiasm."

The plan has also received backing from the nation's opposition leader, Bill Shorten.

He posted to social media: "My offer still stands - let's work together to deliver an Australian head of state."

In 1999, Australia narrowly voted against leaving the British monarchy to become a republic.
YANGON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is arranging to hold a national political dialogue in the coming months with regional dialogues to be launched first within a week, the official paper Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) said preliminary meetings for the national political dialogue will be held in December or January and they are working with the Kayin National Union (KNU), Kayin National Liberated Area (KNLA) and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) for the dialogue.

The outcome of the dialogue will be submitted to the Second Panglong Peace Conference next February in accordance with the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA).

The Myanmar government has agreed to four out of eight points demanded by non-ceasefire signatory armed groups, represented by the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), at a meeting in Yangon in October, leaving the remaining four points for further negotiation.

The concession was aimed at paving the way for non-signatory armed groups to join the NCA.

However, the outbreak of military conflicts in the border area of northern Myanmar's Shan State on Nov. 20 has delayed the peace process.

Regional dialogues between the government, armed groups and political parties are slated to be held in Kayin State, Tanintharyi Region and Nay Phi Taw Council, the report said.
RAMALLAH, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli gunfire early on Sunday near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

In an e-mailed press statement, the ministry said that 23-year-old Ahmed Rimawi was from the village of Beit Rima near Ramallah.

Witnesses said that Rimawi was killed during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers when Israeli forces stormed the village.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli side on the incident.

Since October last year, 345 Palestinians and 42 Israelis have been killed and hundreds of others injured in violent clashes between the two sides that happened on the Palestinian territories.
By Raul Menchaca

HAVANA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Although some progress has been made since Cuba and the United States began rapprochement two years ago, major obstacles still exist, particularly the U.S.-led trade embargo against Cuba.

On Dec. 17, 2014, Cuban President Raul Castro and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama jointly announced that the two countries started a process to restore diplomatic ties, after over half a century of enmity.

After that, three members of the Cuban Five, intelligence officers who were convicted by a U.S. court on charges of espionage and given long prison terms, were swiftly released from prison in the United States, where they had been incarcerated since 1998. Their two other comrades were released earlier.

A series of steps were then taken by the United States toward Cuba, such as removing the island from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In July 2015, diplomatic ties were restored and respective embassies were re-opened.

Progress continued when Obama visited Havana in March. He was the first sitting U.S. president to do so in 88 years. Alongside this, numerous high-level visits, technical meetings and common interest agreements between the two countries were held or signed.

However, the economic embargo imposed by Washington on Havana for over 50 years remains in place, with the Republican-held Congress showing no willingness to lift it.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly this year, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said: "Most of the executive orders and laws which established the blockade remain relevant and are being rigorously applied by U.S. government agencies."

Havana has made it very clear that relations with the United States will not be fully normalized as long as the embargo stays and the Guantanamo Naval Base is not returned to Cuban control.

The United States also continues to promote political interference, making human rights accusations against the Cuban government, among others. Cuba has expressed strong opposition.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened last month that he might "terminate" the thaw in the U.S.-Cuba relations initiated by Obama.

"If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal," he said.

During his presidential campaign, Trump derided Obama's new Cuba policy as "weak," saying he would pursue a "better deal" that benefits Washington.

Concerning Trump's stance, Josefina Vidal, head of U.S. affairs at the Cuban foreign ministry, said earlier this month she hoped that the new U.S. government would take into account the achievements that has been made since the historic announcement of Dec. 17, 2014.
SHIJIAZHUANG, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A fire broke out at four warehouses of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com in north China's Hebei Province early Sunday morning.

According to the company, the warehouses in Gu'an County, near Beijing, stored food and products for everyday use, and there were no flammable or explosive materials when the fire started at about 4 a.m.

The fire has been put under control by local firefighters and did not cause any casualties. An estimate of the burned area and an investigation into the cause of the fire are under way.

Public information shows that the warehouses were part of JD.com's largest and most advanced logistics park, which covers customers in Beijing and Tianjin as well as some northern and eastern provinces. More than 10 million types of products are currently stored in the park.
ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- About 32 pro-government soldiers were killed and several others injured when a suicide attacker struck their gathering in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Sunday morning, a military official told Xinhua.

"The suicide bomber detonated his explosives among scores of soldiers who gathered outside the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's district of KhorMaksar," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

"The suicide attack occurred while the soldiers were waiting in a long queue to receive their monthly salaries near the Anbouri's house," the local military official said.

All the dead soldiers were members of the newly-trained special security forces operating in Aden province, according to the official.

The suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Uber has no plan of ending a new test of its self-driving vehicles in San Francisco even though California regulators see the service was illegal, the BBC reported Saturday.

The company started testing the vehicles this week but the California regulator warned that the firm must have a test permit.

California's attorney general has threatened to act further if Uber does not cease the driving immediately.

The specific action is not clear but it is likely a court order compelling Uber to carry out the demand, according to the BBC.

California law defines autonomous vehicles as those that drive "without the active physical control or monitoring of a natural person," according the New York Times.

Uber said its modified, self-driving car requires human oversight, and therefore does not fit California's definition of an autonomous vehicle, the New York Times reported.

Other companies testing autonomous technology in California, such as Google, have applied for and obtained the permit which costs 150 U.S. dollars for 10 vehicles, the BBC reported.

For seven years Uber's stance on complying with regulations has been consistent: ask forgiveness, not permission, the New York Times said.
ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a suicide bombing that targeted on Sunday a gathering of pro-government troops in Yemen's southern port city of Aden reached 49 dead and more than 39 others injured, a medical official told Xinhua.

The medical source working at Aden's public hospital said in an exclusive phone call that "about 49 dead bodies arrived at our center and more than 39 are still receiving treatment from their injuries in the suicide attack."

An intelligence source said that a suicide attacker detonated his explosive belt at a crowd of pro-government forces who gathered to receive their salaries near the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar.

Earlier, a military source anonymously told Xinhua that an attacker dressed as a soldier sneaked into a gathering of pro-government troops and then blew him up causing a huge blast that left 32 soldiers killed.

Yemeni security forces sealed off the area and blocked the roads leading to the scene, while ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the killed and wounded people to the city hospitals, the Yemeni sources said.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the IS terrorist group has frequently targeted military bases where crowds of pro-government soldiers gather.

Sunday's suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
The file photo shows a Chinese project manager standing at a construction site in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, Feb. 2, 2016. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has inaugurated a hydroelectric power plant, dubbed Gibe III Hydropower Project, with a generating capacity of 1,870 MW and a total investment of 1.58 billion U.S dollars.

Located between Wolaita and Dawero zones of Southern Regional State of Ethiopia, about 450 km south-west of the capital Addis Ababa, the Gibe III project has been contracted by two international companies namely, Salini Impregilo of Italy for the civil works, and Dong Fang Electric Corp. of China for the electromechanical works.

The project, which raises Ethiopia's power generation capacity to more than 4,260 MW, has been carried out with the participation of 7,000 Ethiopian workers and 700 foreigners.

A loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) has financed 60 percent of the cost, while the balance has been covered by the government of Ethiopia.

Officially inaugurating the project on Saturday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn hailed the project's contribution to foreign currency earnings, social and environmental development as well as to cooperation among neighboring countries.

In addition to power generation, Hailemariam highlighted the project's contribution also to economical and social benefits for the local people.

The prime minister said the project would have significant contribution to ongoing industrialization and other development activities being carried out in the East African country.

In his remarks made at the inaugural ceremony, La Yifan, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, hailed the committed leadership of the Ethiopian government to development projects, which has enabled such landmark achievement.

Reiterating that the project is the result of hard work of Ethiopians and also fruitful cooperation among the different stakeholders, the ambassador said it would significantly contribute to Ethiopia's industrialization and attracting more foreign investments, thereby creating more jobs.

He said that China would continue its cooperation with Ethiopia in different areas.

Azeb Asnake, CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), noted that Gibe III Hydropower Project is a milestone in the power sector as it almost doubles the country's electric power generation.

Azeb Asnake, who is also Manager of the Gibe III Hydropower Project, reiterated the role it has played in technology transfer, thereby building local capacity in the sector.

The successful completion of Gibe III Hydropower project has made and continues to make positive and considerable contribution to the energy sector and to the country at large, according to the CEO.

With different sources, Ethiopia has targeted to boost up its electric power generation to 17,000 MW by the end of the country's second five-year growth and transformation plan (GTP II-2015/16-2019/20).
FARAH, Afghanistan, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and 41 others wounded in a traffic accident along a highway in Afghanistan's western Farah province on Sunday, police said.

"A long-distance bus was travelling from western Herat province en route for the capital of Kabul but the ill-fated vehicle crashed with a parked cargo truck roughly at midday in Gulistan district, Farah province," a local traffic police officer told Xinhua.

A total of 57 people were aboard the vehicle and two passengers remained unhurt after the crash in the province, 695 km west of Kabul, according to the source.

Police have detained the driver of the truck and the traffic police have launched an investigation into the incident, the source noted.

Reckless driving is mainly blamed for traffic incidents on congested roads and highways.

On Saturday evening, four travelers were killed and 32 others wounded in an accident involving a passenger bus in the neighboring Nimroz province.
YANGON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar government troops have clashed with an armed group in southern Shan state over the last two days, which was accused of trepassing into a government restricted area, Myanmar News Agency reported Sunday.

The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) or Shan State Army (SSA) is one of the eight signatories to the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA) signed with the government in October last year.

While conducting clearance operation in the east of Mongpying village in Hopon town, the government troops engaged with about 30 members of the RCSS/SSA on Friday with some injuries.

The military said it will raise the issue with the Ceasefire Monitoring Committee against the ceasefired armed group, according to the report.

Eight armed groups including the RCSS/SSA signed the NCA with the government on Oct. 15, 2015.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar government is preparing to hold national-level political dialogues with armed groups in December or January with regional dialogues to be launched first in Kayin state, Tanintharyi region and Nay Pyi Taw Councils which are deemed to be ready to host the dialogues.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) said they are working with the Kayin National Union (KNU), Kayin National Liberated Area (KNLA) and the Democratic Kayin Buddhist Army (DKBA) for the dialogues.

The outcome of the dialogues will be submitted to the Second Panglong Peace Conference in February 2017 under the NCA.
BUDAPEST, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Three people were killed and 31 injured when a bus overturned on the ice-crusted M3 motorway near northeastern city of Miskolc, about 133 km from Budapest, the Hungarian Police reported on its official website on Sunday.

Among the injured, 11 were in serious conditions, according to the police.

The accident happened just before midnight Saturday, when the bus with 81 people onboard returned from a visit to a Christmas fair in Vienna, Austria.

But the accident was later exacerbated when nine passenger cars and two vans, with Hungarian, Romanian, and Ukrainian license plates involved, skidded into the overturned bus.

The M3 motorway, part of the E71 European corridor, was iced over because of freezing rain, and was shut down for several hours following the accident.

This was one of several multi-car accidents triggered by the icy conditions.
ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) group on Sunday claimed responsibility for a suicide attack that struck a gathering of pro-government forces in Yemen's temporary capital of Aden, leaving about 49 soldiers killed.

An online statement by the IS revealed in twitter said that "more than 70 apostates were killed in the jihadist attack launched by our martyr against soldiers in Aden."

The suicide bomber who carried out the terrorist operation was identified as Abu Hashim Radfani, according to the statement.

One of the group's suicide bombers detonated his explosive belt at a crowd of pro-government forces who gathered to receive their salaries near the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri in Aden's neighborhood of KhorMaksar.

Earlier, a military source anonymously told Xinhua that an attacker dressed as a soldier sneaked into a gathering of pro-government troops and then blew him up causing a huge blast that left 49 and injured 39 others.

Yemeni security forces sealed off the area and blocked the roads leading to the scene, while ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the killed and wounded people to the city hospitals, the Yemeni sources said.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the IS terrorist group has frequently targeted military bases where crowds of pro-government soldiers gather.

Sunday's suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers killed and more than 40 others injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shiite Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in July 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armored vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs in Aden.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighboring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
MOGADISHU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The UN children's fund and its partners have kicked off mass measles vaccination drive, aiming to vaccinate 54,000 children under 10 in Kismayo, southern Somalia.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative for Somalia Jeremy Hopkins said in a statement received on Sunday that the vaccination drive follows a serious outbreak in southern Somalia.

"Measles is one of the most deadly vaccine-preventable diseases but sadly it is far from being the only one in Somalia," Hopkins said.

Hopkins said many of the children suspected to be suffering from measles are sleeping on the floor of Kismayo General Hospital. Most were not vaccinated against measles although there are 16 free vaccination posts in Kismayo.

"We are most grateful to our donors, but we need increased support to ensure we have nationwide immunization coverage and engagement with local communities to ensure every child is fully vaccinated," Hopkins said.

The UN agency has supported the swift delivery of 55,000 doses of measles vaccine to Kismayo along with Vitamin A supplementation to boost immunity. The vaccines are funded by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) and Japan.

According to UNICEF, measles is a key indicator of the strength of a country's immunization systems while Somalia has one of the lowest immunization rates in the world. It is a highly contagious viral disease and a leading cause of death among young children in Somalia.

It can cause pneumonia, diarrhea and encephalitis which lead to brain swelling and blindness and often attacks those with weak immunity resulting from malnutrition, Vitamin A deficiency and unhygienic living conditions.
TEHRAN, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said here Sunday that his talks with the visiting director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were focused on Tehran's programs to develop nuclear propulsion systems of boats announced recently.

IAEA Chief, Yukiya Amano, arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Sunday to discuss the implementation of Iranian nuclear deal, known as JCPOA, and the related issues with the senior Iranian officials.

Salehi said that his talks with Amano on Sunday revolved around Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's recent order for reaction to the U.S. "violation of the JCPOA," after the U.S. legislators passed a bill extending Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) for 10 more years.

The earlier vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to extend the ISA was endorsed by the Senate last week.

The White House said in a statement on Thursday that the bill renewing the ISA was becoming law without U.S. President Barack Obama's signature.

The White House said that an extension of the bill "is entirely consistent with" the U.S. commitments in the Iran nuclear deal reached in July 2015.

The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to sanction Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

In a letter to Salehi on Tuesday, Rouhani said that "The United States has not fully delivered its commitments in the JCPOA," asking Iranian nuclear scientists to start developing systems for nuclear-powered boats in marine transportation.

In the letter, he also demanded the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to plan for designing and manufacturing nuclear propeller to be used in marine transportation with the help of scientific and research centers.

Also, they need to conduct study and design production of fuel to be used by the nuclear propeller with the help of scientific and research centers, the letter read.

Enrichment of uranium to run the nuclear propellers may vary from a purity of 5 percent to 90 percent, depending on its type, the purpose and the time available, Salehi said, stressing that all such activities will be carried out in conformity with the Safeguard Agreements.

The Iranian nuclear chief also denied that Amano has passed on a message from the United States to the Iranians.

He also pointed out that the IAEA should remain an impartial and independent body without coming under the influence of any party.

Amano will also discuss Iran and IAEA cooperation in technical and safeguard aspects as well as the state of the implementation of the JCPOA.

This is the second visit by the head of IAEA to Tehran following the clinch of the nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers in July 2015 and its implementation in January.

The deal between Iran and six world major countries, namely the United States, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany, on the former's nuclear issue put Iran on the path of sanctions relief but more strict limits on its nuclear program.

The deal sets limits on Iran's nuclear activities and allows regular inspections of the facilities inside the Islamic republic.

In return, the U.S. and the European Union will suspend nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.
NAIROBI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Somalia plans to re-apply to join the six-member East African Community (EAC) bloc in 2017, the country's ambassador said Sunday.

Somali Ambassador to Kenya Gamal Hassan told journalists in Nairobi that its application in 2016 was postponed as it had not met all the requirements of admission.

"Hopefully our application to join the EAC will receive a positive response during the EAC summit in 2017," Hassan said during the Eastleigh Business Summit, which brought together business people from the Somali business community in Kenya.

EAC partner states include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan.

Hassan said Somalia's membership will help boost trade between Somalia and its EAC neighbors. "It will also help provide employment opportunities for youth in the region," he added.

The envoy also said his country was seeking to re-establish direct flights between Kenya's capital of Nairobi and Somalia's capital of Mogadishu.

Currently, flights have to stop over in Kenya's northeast city of Wajir.

Hassan also noted that the voluntary repatriation of Somalia refugees who are based in Kenya is proceeding smoothly. "Every month, we are recording thousands of refugees who are going back home," he added.
Mountain Brook board of education.JPG

Mtn. Brook Board of Education building

(David Sher)

ComebackTown is published by David Sher to begin a discussion on a better Birmingham.

David Sher is Co-Founder of AmSher Compassionate Collections and past Chairman of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, ONB, and CAP.

Let's turn Birmingham around. Click here to sign up for our newsletter. There's power in numbers. (Opt out at any time)

Fewer people are employed in our Birmingham-Hoover Metro Area today than in 2007.

Meanwhile cities like Nashville, Charlotte, and Austin are growing jobs exponentially.

What is wrong with us? Why can't we compete?

We have too many independent governments competing against one another. Other Southern cities work together as a region while we view our sister Jefferson County cities as the enemy.

Fear of losing our suburban schools is holding us back

My guess is that many people are afraid that if we alter our government structure we would have to give up our suburban schools.

I'm not a proponent of a unified school system.

If folks thought there was the slightest chance we would lose our neighborhood schools all progress in Birmingham would end.

Currently there are twelve separate school systems in Jefferson County:

Jefferson County

Bessemer

Birmingham

Fairfield

Homewood

Hoover

Leeds

Midfield

Mountain Brook

Tarrant

Trussville

Vestavia Hills

And Gardendale is the midst of a lawsuit to create an additional school system.

It's not realistic to assume that parents are going to allow these systems to go away.

Unified schools don't work

A unified school system would be a disaster.

Memphis' attempt to combine county and city schools recently was a train wreck.

Many of us envy the economic growth of Nashville, but we certainly don't want their school system.

The good news for Birmingham is that there are only about 25,000 students in Birmingham City Schools

There are about 86,000 students in the underperforming Nashville Public Schools.

And there are 128,000 students in poorly performing Duval County (Jacksonville, Florida) Public Schools.

The School Systems in the City of Birmingham, Nashville, and Jacksonville are rated about the same.

If we were to eliminate suburban schools, parents who had the financial means, would move their children into private schools and educational opportunities of the remaining students would diminish.

Government options that would not impact suburban schools

Here are examples of cities who are flourishing with diverse government structures:

Indianapolis combined county and city into one government, but schools were not consolidated.

Charlotte did a functional consolidation--County and City government divided its responsibilities to avoid duplication of services (one fire department; one police department, etc.).

Pittsburgh opted for a strong county government--it created an Executive Branch with a County Mayor (we in Jefferson County don't have three branches of government-a system that is prone to abuse and has led to the conviction of many of our County Commissioners).

Denver created broad geographical regions to tackle big projects like transportation and green space.

None of the above require meddling with schools.

Birmingham--the city of perpetual promise

Birmingham is called the city of 'perpetual promise.'

Let's find a reasonable solution that doesn't involve emasculating our schools and build a region that will propel us into the 21st Century.
CANCUN, Mexico, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held through Saturday here is obviously not the Western media's cup of tea.

"Do you come from China? There is only a few correspondents left on the meeting, and the experts are all willing to be interviewed," a conference volunteer said with a smile.

It was late Saturday night when participants from over 190 countries or regions were still locking in hot debates on details of the meeting's topics.

In contrast, few Western correspondents showed up during the conference, and news reports from them could be hardly found on the internet.

But the situation was quite different from those UN functions focusing on environment and climate changes.

At the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro of Brazil, participants from over 150 countries drew up the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They also signed the Convention on Biological Diversity.

However, both as events to promote sustainable development, the conferences on climate change had drawn much more enthusiasm than the latter from the West, with almost all heavyweights of media running flooded coverage.

Why so? Experts participating the conference gave some hints.

Moustafa Fouda, a biological diversity consultant of the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, told Xinhua that generally speaking, developing countries are rich in biological diversity resources that developed countries rely on. They do not focus on the topic because they would not like to pay more for their benefits.

Nermalie Lita, an official in the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources, echoed Fouda that the abundant natural resources in the developing countries have been excessively exploited which deteriorated the biological diversity there.

Lita stressed that developed countries need to compensate the developing countries and shoulder more responsibilities of environmental protection.

Luis Guzman, an analyst at the Reprogenetics said the biological environment belongs to all human beings rather than a specific nation. He underlined that the developed and the developing countries should share the responsibility to protect it and the Western media should pay more attention to reporting the conference.

Xu Jing, an expert in the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, pointed out that the number of the parties signed the Convention on Biological Diversity has exceeded 190, but the United States is not included.

Xu noted that to join the convention will increase the international burden of the United States. It is also not in the interest of some U.S. bio-technology enterprises, because the convention will limit the industry development and companies also need to share their benefits with others in exploiting the biological diversity resources.

The conference participants believed a harmonious biological environment is in the common interests of the 7 billion people on the globe. To raise the environmental protection awareness of everyone and for the benefits of the future generations, the world including the global media should make active efforts jointly.
ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of 75 busses entered eastern Aleppo city in northern Syria on Sunday to evacuate the remaining rebels, a day after the suspended evacuation was resumed, a military source said.

The busses entered the neighborhoods of Zibdiyeh, Salahuddien, Mashhad and Ansari in southeastern Aleppo to evacuate the remaining rebels and their families through the Ramouseh road toward rebel-held areas in the southwestern countryside of Aleppo, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, busses entered the Shiite towns of Kafraya and Foa in the countryside of the northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday evening to evacuate as many as 1,200 Shiites besieged by the rebels.

The Shiite people are set to leave Idlib simultaneously with the rebel evacuation from Aleppo on Sunday, as part of a Russian-Turkish deal.

The evacuation of rebels and their families from the last remaining strongholds in eastern Aleppo started on Thursday, and over 8,000 have already left toward the western countryside of Aleppo.

The evacuation came after the Syrian army succeeded to retake 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in Aleppo, following a major offensive.

As a result, over 80,000 people fled eastern Aleppo toward government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, while the rebels and their families were included in a deal between Russia and Turkey, as Moscow negotiated on behalf of the Syrian government, while Ankara negotiated for the rebels.

However, the evacuation process was suspended Friday, due to many reasons.

One of the main reasons is that the rebels in Idlib were stopped short of allowing civilians in both pro-government Shiite towns to leave in tandem with the evacuation of rebels from eastern Aleppo.

On Saturday, a military source said the resumption of the rebel evacuation from their last few strongholds in the eastern part Aleppo is expected to resume on soon, as the rebels agreed to abide by previous pledges to allow civilians out of the Shiite towns, among other conditions.

The deal was supposed to see the evacuation of 15,000 people, including 4,000 rebels.

With the last evacuation of the rebels from eastern Aleppo, the Syrian army will be on control of the entire city, a victory seen as a writing new chapter of history, as President Bashar al-Assad recently said.
ISTANBUL, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb hit Turkey's central Anatolian city of Kayseri on Saturday, killing at least 14 soldiers, just one week after twin bombing attacks left 44 dead in central Istanbul, prompting calls for steps to revamp the intelligence units and reduce polarization in society to better counter the scourge of terrorism.

As a matter of fact, the country has been shaken by around 30 bombing attacks over the past one and a half years, in which more than 400 people lost their lives.

Residents in big cities are now feeling more and more threatened by an increasing number of deadly attacks.

"A ministry in charge of home security should be established and the intelligence organizations should get united under one single authority," said Cahit Armagan Dilek, a security and foreign policy analyst.

In the opinion of Dilek, an advisor to the 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara-based think tank, Turkey should urgently develop a national strategy on counterterrorism.

Ankara has blamed the terror attacks on its soil mostly on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Islamic State (IS) wreaking havoc in neighboring Iraq and Syria.

An Undersecretariat of Public Order and Security was established in 2010 to develop strategies to cope with terrorism as well as coordinate the efforts of various security institutions involved in counterterrorism.

The body, however, seems to have failed so far to significantly contribute to Turkey's battle against terrorism.

"Lack of satisfactory intelligence is a chronic problem in Turkey's fight against terror. You can't fight terrorism unless you infiltrate into terrorist organizations," remarked Sait Yilmaz, another security and foreign policy analyst.

Press reports revealed that the National Police Department had issued warnings about a possible terrorist attack this month.

Ankara, the national capital, rather than Istanbul was reportedly indicated, in one of the warnings issued early this month, as the city where a bomb attack by the IS is expected.

"Our domestic intelligence is not satisfactory," Ismail Hakki Pekin, a retired general who headed the intelligence department of the Turkish General Staff, said on Halk TV on Wednesday.

In Pekin's view, Turkey's intelligence services need to be restructured. The domestic intelligence should be reorganized while the domestic and foreign intelligence units should be organized separately, he stated.

The twin suicide attacks in Istanbul came one day after the Turkish police conducted, with the participation of over 40,000 police officers, a countrywide general-purpose operation to maintain order.

Back in July, Turkey foiled a coup attempt which the government says was organized by sympathizers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric, within the armed forces.

Following the failed bid, the Turkish government imposed an emergency rule and has since dismissed tens of thousands of public servants for alleged links to the so-called Gulen movement.

A significant number of those dismissed are from the anti-terror and intelligence units of the police.

Turkey is also in the gripe of serious economic and political problems, but terrorism is widely seen as the country's number-one challenge, which is scaring away both tourists and investors.

In addition to streamlining the intelligence units, all analysts agree that Turkey could only manage to cope with terrorism by taking steps to eliminate polarization and highlight areas of convergence rather than divergence in society.

In the face of a growing terrorism threat and ongoing civil wars in the country's southern neighbors, in which Turkey is partly involved as well, Turkish leaders are making efforts to beef up national unity.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called lately for a national mobilization against all terrorist organizations, admitting that the country is faced with a life-and-death struggle as was the case during Turkey's war of independence decades before.

The leaders of two main opposition parties met last week with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in a show of solidarity against terrorism.

Despite a facade of unity, Turkey is deeply polarized along the secularist and Islamist fault lines and the Kurdish issue.

Many fear the ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) is planning to transform the country into a theocratic state and settle accounts with the secular republic.

The AKP has been in power since late 2002 and is expected to remain in power for some time to come.

The hard push by the AKP to replace the country's current parliamentary system with an executive presidency is yet another matter that has created division in society.

More than 10 deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), including the party's co-chairs, have been arrested over alleged links to the PKK.

The PKK has been waging a bloody war against Turkey since 1984 in its attempt to establish a Kurdistan in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast.

The fight against terrorism should not only be carried out at home, but leading PKK figures should also be targeted abroad, observed Yilmaz, who had lectured on terrorism and security at several Turkish universities.

Analysts noted that the PKK, having suffered considerable casualties in the operations launched by government forces since July last year, is trying to push the Turkish public to put pressure on the government to restart the peace process.

Top Turkish officials, however, have vowed to eradicate terrorism after a peace process with the PKK broke down last year.

President Erdogan said in the past week that as many as 9,500 PKK members have been killed in the operations at home and abroad.

Turkey is determined to deal a lethal blow to the PKK by next spring when it will be easier to launch operations in the mountainous rural areas in the country's southeast.

The PKK will face, after April, such a "massive destruction" that they can not even imagine, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu warned early this month.

Around 900 members of the security forces have been killed in terrorist attacks and clashes with the PKK, while the IS has used suicide bombers and mainly targeted civilians in its attacks.

Many are of the opinion that the peace talks had not only allowed the PKK to get stronger, but also granted it some sort of legitimacy.

Erdogan's call for mobilization is not seen as convincing, as the president has long been widely criticized by the opposition for his dismissive attitude toward the opposition parties, sometimes to a point of demonizing them, and for his growing authoritarianism and blatant violations of the Constitution.

The president's call does not make sense unless he stops polarizing the nation and respects the Constitution, Umit Kocasakal, a professor of law who until recently headed the Istanbul Bar Association, said on Ulusal TV on Thursday.

Erdogan, who headed the ruling AKP until being elected president in 2014, has been much criticized for pursuing a strategy of dividing the nation to remain in power.

"If the struggle to come to power turns into a fight for power, this would be to Turkey's detriment," Nevzat Tarhan, a psychiatrist, said on CNNTurk on Monday.

Tarhan, who is also the president of Istanbul's Uskudar University, added, "It is not strategically right for the presidential system to top the agenda in this period."

Leaders with a short vision are increasing the polarization in the nation, observed Pekin on Halk TV.

In a sign of mounting polarization, a person fired several shots at the HDP headquarters late Thursday, which was also set on fire by a mob in September last year.

The HDP is the third largest opposition with 59 seats in parliament.

Many analysts believe Western secret services are behind the latest terror attacks in Istanbul on the night of Dec. 10.

"This is a covert operation by foreign secret services," claimed Pekin on Halk TV, saying the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency may have plotted the attacks in cooperation with the British MI6 and Israel's Mossad.

Mustafa Caliskan, the head of the Istanbul Police Department, said last week that the explosives used in the twin attacks were machine-made rather than handmade.

"This is a sure indication that a state is behind (the attacks)," he added.

The explosives used in the bombing attacks were composed of RDX, PETN and TNT, Caliskan was quoted as saying by local press.

Yilmaz does not think either the PKK is capable of organizing such attacks on the grounds that they could be carried out without the help of big intelligence organizations.

The military operation Turkey has been conducting in Syria since August may well be, analysts argue, the reason why such attacks took place. It is widely believed that the U.S. unwillingly agreed to the Turkish intervention into Syria.

Turkey's military adventure is aiming to prevent Kurds from uniting their three autonomous cantons along Turkey's border as well as to establish a safe zone in northern Syria.

Turkey is concerned that the emergence of an independent Kurdish region near its border may whet the appetite of its own 20 million Kurds.

The U.S. sees the Kurdish militias in Syria as its ground force in the battle against the IS and hopes, as revealed by U.S. officials, for the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in the region.
PHNOM PENH, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 40th convention of the ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP)'s Central Committee concluded on Sunday, setting out a strategic plan to increase the party's popularity ahead of elections in upcoming years, said CPP spokesman Sok Eysan.

"Our strategy includes the acceleration in the development of villages and communes to win the people's hearts," CPP's spokesman Sok Eysan told reporters after the two-day congress.

"We have strong confidence that the CPP will continue to win in the commune election in 2017 and the national election in 2018," he said.

The CPP has ruled the country since 1979. Its Central Committee consists of 545 members.

The congress was presided over by CPP's president Samdech Techo Hun Sen, who is the prime minister of Cambodia.

According to a communique, the congress had defined important tasks to continue carrying out plans to achieve victory in upcoming elections.

"The convention instructs working teams, party committees at all levels, and all party officials to continue to stay with local levels -- either in villages, communes, ministries or in their own institutions -- to find out and to resolve hardships and requests of our people," the communique said.

It added that the convention would promote the tasks of keeping firm stability, security, public order, and social safety in order to ensure peaceful livelihoods of the people.

"The CPP fully supports campaigns to combat theft, murder, armed robbery, drug, illegal logging, land confiscation, fishing, mining, sand pumping business and checkpoints," the communique said. "Those who commit these offences must be brought to justice."

It said that the convention would continue to maintain economic growth within 7 percent in 2017, while further reducing poverty rate.

Cambodia is scheduled to hold the commune election in June 2017 and the national election in July 2018.

In the last commune election in June 2012, the CPP swept 1,592 of the kingdom's 1,633 commune chief seats, while in the last national election in 2013, the CPP won an absolute majority vote, receiving 68 parliamentary seats against 55 seats for the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party.
TOKYO, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The supporting rate for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet dropped from the previous month to 54.8 percent, as a result of controversial legislation to lift ban on casinos and failure to make breakthrough in sovereignty dispute during Abe-Putin summit, showed a latest poll on Sunday.

Disapproval rate for the prime minister's cabinet increased 3.7 percentage points from a month earlier to 34.1 percent, and the supporting rate was 60.7 percent in November, according to the two-day poll conducted nationwide by Japanese news agency Kyodo News at the weekend and released on Sunday.

As for the new casino law, 69.6 percent were opposed while only 24.6 percent showed support, said the survey.

Japan's ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed a controversial bill to legalize casino gambling in Japan in the upper house of parliament on Wednesday, believing the legislation will help enhance revenue from tourism.

However, most of the opposition parties and the public have been vehement about the casinos' potential negative effects on society, with gambling addiction often cited as a possible harmful byproduct, along with organized crime.

The survey also found that 54.3 percent of respondents gave a negative assessment to the result of this week's Japan-Russia summit.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a two-day summit in Japan ended Friday, failing again to make breakthrough in a long-held territorial dispute which has been a major stumbling block for bilateral relations.
RAMALLAH, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah said Sunday that the Palestinian side must not accept the continuation of status quo in the Palestinian territories because "it destroys the two state solution."

Al-Hamdallah said during a meeting with an Australian delegation headed by Australian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo in his office in the west Bank city of Ramallah that in case status quo continues "the situation will end in a one state with an Apartheid system," pointing out that "what is needed now is a genuine peace partner."

Al-Hamdallah called in an emailed press statement on the international community to intervene immediately and seriously to oblige Israel "to stop its violations and end the occupation."

He reiterated the commitment of the Palestinian leadership to the two states solution on the borders of 1967, highlighting that the Palestinian request to halt settlement construction in order to revive the peace process is "is not considered as pre conditions as Israel claims."

The issue of settlements is considered one of the most complicates issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and a reason for freezing peace talks between the two sides.

The Palestinian Prime Minister underscored that settlement activity is illegal under International Humanitarian Law and all relevant UN resolutions.

He also briefed the delegation on the "Israeli violations against Palestinians, especially the continuation of killings, arrests and settlement expansion," highlighting that Israel has "demolished nearly 1000 structures since the beginning of this year in areas classified as area (C), most of which are funded by international donors, besides banning Palestinians from utilizing those areas and keeping them under Israeli m military rule."

According to the interim Oslo Accords signed between The PLO and Israel in 1993, the West Bank is divided into three zones: A, B, and C, with Area (A) being under Palestinian control, (B) being under Israeli security control and Palestinian Administrative control, and (C) being under full Israeli control. Area (C) makes up more than 60 percent of the West Bank.
JERUSALEM, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli parole committee accepted Sunday a request to grant an early release to former president Moshe Katsav, who is jailed for rape and other sexual offenses.

A court spokesperson said in a statement that Katsav could walk free next week, after serving five years of his seven-year sentence.

Zion Amir, Katsav's attorney, told Israel's Ynet news site that Katsav burst into tears when he heard of the decision.

His release was postponed for a week to allow the State Attorney's Office, which objects the parole, to appeal against the decision.

Under the terms of his parole, Katsav would have to join a Prison Service rehabilitation program. He would also have to stay under house arrest every night, from 10 pm to 6 am, until the end of his parole period.

The committee also imposed restrictions on speaking to the media and forbid him to hold a job position in which he will have woman subordinates.

Katsav, 70, who served as Israel's seventh president between 2000 and 2007. In 2011, he was convicted of two counts of rape of women who worked for him, as well as sexual harassment of others, and obstruction of justice.

He was sentenced to seven years in the Ma'asiyahu Prison in central Israel.

He served approximately two-thirds of his sentence, making him eligible to apply for early release, but the parole committee has twice declined his requests because he failed to acknowledge his offenses or express any remorse.

Katsav also refused to enroll in a rehabilitation program for sex offenders inside the prison, a condition required for early release.

However, last week the parole committee said Katsav acknowledged for the first time the suffering of his victims, although he still did not admit committing any crime against them.

In its decision on Sunday, the committee noted that Katsav was willing to join a rehabilitation program of the Prison Service outside jail.

The decision triggered criticism.

Zehava Galon, the chairwoman of the Mertz left-wing party, said the decision was "frightening."

"Katsav used his political power to rape and now he is using his political power to get out early," she writes on Facebook. "The parole board ignored today the public interest and the terrible message they send to his victims, but also all victims of sexual violence: that you can rape women and get away easy, especially if you are well-connected."
A joint pic of Cuban President Raul Castro and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. (Xinhua)

By Raul Menchaca

HAVANA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Although some progress has been made since Cuba and the United States began rapprochement two years ago, major obstacles still exist, particularly the U.S.-led trade embargo against Cuba.

On Dec. 17, 2014, Cuban President Raul Castro and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama jointly announced that the two countries started a process to restore diplomatic ties, after over half a century of enmity.

After that, three members of the Cuban Five, intelligence officers who were convicted by a U.S. court on charges of espionage and given long prison terms, were swiftly released from prison in the United States, where they had been incarcerated since 1998. Their two other comrades were released earlier.

A series of steps were then taken by the United States toward Cuba, such as removing the island from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

In July 2015, diplomatic ties were restored and respective embassies were re-opened.

Progress continued when Obama visited Havana in March. He was the first sitting U.S. president to do so in 88 years. Alongside this, numerous high-level visits, technical meetings and common interest agreements between the two countries were held or signed.

However, the economic embargo imposed by Washington on Havana for over 50 years remains in place, with the Republican-held Congress showing no willingness to lift it.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly this year, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said: "Most of the executive orders and laws which established the blockade remain relevant and are being rigorously applied by U.S. government agencies."

Image taken on April 14, 2016 shows tourists visiting Old Havana, in Havana city, capital of Cuba. (Xinhua/Joaquin Hernandez)

Havana has made it very clear that relations with the United States will not be fully normalized as long as the embargo stays and the Guantanamo Naval Base is not returned to Cuban control.

The United States also continues to promote political interference, making human rights accusations against the Cuban government, among others. Cuba has expressed strong opposition.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened last month that he might "terminate" the thaw in the U.S.-Cuba relations initiated by Obama.

"If Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate deal," he said.

During his presidential campaign, Trump derided Obama's new Cuba policy as "weak," saying he would pursue a "better deal" that benefits Washington.

Concerning Trump's stance, Josefina Vidal, head of U.S. affairs at the Cuban foreign ministry, said earlier this month she hoped that the new U.S. government would take into account the achievements that has been made since the historic announcement of Dec. 17, 2014.
Photo taken on Dec. 18 shows the launching ceremony of the Nepali edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book "The Governance of China" in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital city. The highly-acclaimed book was released on sunday by Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Liu Qibao, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department, at the Presidential House Sheetal Niwas. (Xinhua/Zhou Shengping)

KATHMANDU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali edition of Chinese President Xi Jinping's book "The Governance of China" has been released on Sunday in Nepal's capital city Kathmandu.

The highly-acclaimed book was released by Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Liu Qibao, the visiting member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department at the Presidential House Sheetal Niwas.

The book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China" contains 79 speeches, talks, interviews, notes and letters of the Chinese leader between November 2012 to June 2014.

Releasing the book, Nepali President expressed belief that this book will help Nepali readers to better understand China and its development, foreign policies and social system.

"This book informs about the ruling system of China, dreams of Chinese leaders and deepens our world understanding. These sorts of publications help us to understand China from closer and boost our cultural relations," President Bhandari said in her speech.

Speaking highly of Xi as a visionary and committed leader for China's progress and prosperity, the Nepali President said that it's a matter of happiness to have a trustworthy friend like China, which has been supporting Nepal in its every development endeavor.

Distribution of the book, published in Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Japanese in September 2014, has exceeded 5.2 million copies in some 100 countries and regions, according to the China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration (CFLPA).

The latest Nepali edition is published by China Study Center (CSC), an organization based in Nepal to promote Nepal-China relations with a focus on academic and multi-dimensional policy dialogue level.

Madan Regmi, Chairman at China Study Center told Xinhua, "The book is a perfect medium for Nepali people and especially for policy makers to understand today's China correctly and learn from it. It has clearly embodied Chinese vision, strategy of governance and rule of law and its future roadmap that can be quite encouraging for a neighboring country like ours."

He was of view that Nepali leaders should learn China's development and reforms and try to implement similar at home. He further expressed confidence that the first Nepali edition of the book will hit the bookstores since it's an essential reading for all.

"The book shows a clear way how China's friends could be integrated with China's amazing development, reform and modernization. It analyses factors and relationships that promote national capability and the challenges the state leadership face and must accept in today's world", Dr Upendra Gautam, General Secretary at China Study Center told Xinhua.

Dr Gautam, also one of the team members of publication, shared that it took nearly one year to complete the translation, editing and quality assurance works of the Nepali edition.

The translation and publication work was held in close collaboration with the Embassy of China in Nepal, the State Council Information Office of China, CFLPA and the Information Office of People's Government of Yunnan Province of China.

According to a Chinese book store in Kathmandu, nearly 500 English copies were sold alone in a short instant of time. The book has been highly appreciated by the intellectuals, scholars, journalists and diplomats in the Himalayan nation.

Prem Kumari Pant, editor of a local newspaper The Weekly Mirror shared with Xinhua, "It is a comprehensive piece about China, its development and its presence in the world. It can be taken as a guideline for the policy reforms."
BAGHDAD, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A total of five people were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday in separate bomb attacks mainly targeting Iraqi security forces, security sources said.

In one attack, a booby-trapped car detonated near a fuel station in Halabsa area, just west of the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, leaving two people killed and nine others wounded, a local security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The massive blast destroyed several civilian cars and badly damaged nearby buildings, the source said.

In Iraq's northern central province of Salahudin, two policemen were killed and three others wounded in a roadside bomb explosion near their vehicle in the village of Yankja, just west of the town of Tuz-Khurmato, some 180 km north of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

In the eastern province of Diyala, a member of a government-backed paramilitary group, known as Hashd Shaabi, was killed and two others were wounded when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle while patrolling an orchard near the town of Abu-Saida in northeast of the provincial capital city of Baquba, which itself located some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, a provincial security source told Xinhua.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Islamic State (IS) militant group, in most cases, is responsible for targeting Iraqi security forces as well as crowded areas, including markets, cafes and mosques across the country.

Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 2,885 Iraqis and wounded 1,380 others in November across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out the IS militants from its last major stronghold in and around Mosul.

Many blame the current chronic instability, cycle of violence, and the emergence of extremist groups, such as the IS, on the U.S., which invaded and occupied Iraq in March 2003.
 A Puzzling Omission at Politico | Main | After Correction, ABC Repeats Error on Settlements 

December 18, 2016

AFP, MSNBC Also Err on 'Palestinian Land'

In addition to NPR, this weekend Agence France Presse and MSNBC also incorrectly identify the disputed West Bank as "Palestinian land."

Using partisan language, AFP today refers to some Israelis who "view Trump's victory as an opportunity to expand settlements in the West Bank, Palestinian land occupied by Israel for nearly 50 years" ("Israelis look past anti-Semitism after Trump win," emphasis added.)

On Dec. 16, NBC's Katy Tur, reporting on Andrea Mitchell Report, also tripped up on the tendentious claim that the disputed West Bank is "Palestinian land."

Just over four minutes into her report, Tur defines "settlers" for listeners as "Jews who are settling their homes in the West Bank which is, has been, Palestinian."

Identifying the land as "Palestinian" completely endorses one side's political claims over the other side's claims in what is, in reality, an unresolved dispute. (Given AFP's employment of reporter Nasser Abu Baker, who leads the boycott against Israeli journalists and recently ran for the Fatah Revolutionary Council, in a gross conflict of interest and violation of journalistic ethics, the agency's unabashed bias regarding the so-called "Palestinian land" is hardly surprising, though certainly not excusable.)

But as a 2014 Washington Post correction, prompted by CAMERA, noted, the "Israeli-occupied territories are disputed lands that Palestinians want for a future Palestinian state."

The West Bank's status is to be resolved by negotiations anticipated by U.N. Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), the 1995 Israeli-Palestinian interim accords, the 2003 international "road map" and related diplomatic efforts taking 242 and 338 as reference points. The co-authors of resolution 242, U.S. Under Secretary of State Eugene Rostow, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Arthur Goldberg, and British ambassador Lord Caradon made clear at the time and subsequently that Jews and Arabs both had claims in the territories, no national sovereignty over the territories had been recognized since the end of Ottoman rule and negotiations would be necessary to resolve competing claims.



If the West Bank were simply Israeli-occupied Palestinian land, in particular sovereign territory belonging to another state and acquired by aggression, then Israel would be required to withdraw and no negotiations would be necessary. But since Israel is the obligatory military occupational authority, having won the territories in a war of self-defense in 1967 and retained them in a similar conflict in 1973, and competing claims remain unresolved, the West Bank is land Palestinians want for a future state, and land at least some of which many Israelis claim for Israel. Significantly, in the past Palestinians have indicated willingness to relinquish claims on the land on which the vast majority of Israeli settlers reside.

Posted by TS at December 18, 2016 04:34 AM

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DHAKA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Remittance-reliant Bangladesh expects some 2 million overseas jobs for the country's skilled and semi-skilled workforce in the next five years, a senior official said here Sunday.

"We hope that some 2 million Bangladeshis will be able to go abroad with overseas employment in the next five years if the current trend continues," said Selim Reza, director general of Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).

Officials say the expectation comes after about 600,000 Bangladeshis found overseas jobs so far this year.

In 2015, the country's overseas employment was more than 500,000, the BMET record showed.

Speaking at a program marking the International Migrants Day in Dhaka's Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), also known as Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre, Reza said more steps are underway to create more overseas employment opportunities for Bangladeshis in the coming years.

The Bangladeshi government has long been pursuing to send more Bangladeshis abroad to keep inflow of remittances, major source of foreign currency for the country, undisturbed.

"The flow of inward remittances in the 2015-16 financial year (July 2015-June 2016) fell about 2.55 percent to 14.93 billion U.S. dollars,"a Bangladesh Bank (BB) official had earlier told Xinhua.

Sources said the decrease in total inflow of remittance were due mainly to sluggish overseas employment in some middle eastern Asian countries and devaluation of the currencies of the United Kingdom, Singapore and Malaysia against the U.S. dollars.

Although remittance inflows from nearly 9 million Bangladeshis, living and working in about 100 foreign countries, recorded a fall in the 2015-16 fiscal year, the growth rates in June, the final month of the last fiscal, showed an upward trend.

According to the BB official, non-resident Bangladeshis remitted home in June 1.46 billion U.S. dollars, up by 248.21 million U.S. dollars from the level of the previous month, for celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr festival that marks the Muslims holy month of Ramadan.

The bulk of remittances, which still contribute to around 11 percent of the GDP for Bangladesh, comes from Middle-Eastern Asian countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, followed by Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Italy, Britain and the United States.
NEW DELHI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Authorities Sunday imposed indefinite curfew in parts of India's northeastern state of Manipur and snapped mobile internet services in wake of violence, officials said.

The curfew was imposed in the afternoon in Porompat and Sawombung subdivisions of Imphal East district.

"Curfew will continue until further directions," reads an order issued by district magistrate.

The administration has also ordered the shutting down of mobile internet services in Imphal West.

According to the officials the step was taken to stop spreading of rumours through social networking sites.

An indefinite economic blockade on the two national highways (which serve as lifeline for the state) imposed by United Naga Council (UNC) has resulted in shortage of essential items in the landlocked state.

The blockade was imposed on Nov. 1 against local government's announcement regarding formation of seven new districts.

Violence erupted in Manipur's capital -- Imphal on Sunday afternoon when protesters attacked vehicles coming from the Naga-dominated hill districts.

Reports said several vehicles were set on fire and vandalised, while as a bus was pushed into a river. However, there were no reports of any casualties in the violence.

On Friday three blasts went off in Nagaram area of Imphal West, besides an alleged attack on a church.
TRIPOLI, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- As many as 740 Libyan government fighters were killed and more than 4,000 others wounded in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Sirte, a spokesman for the pro-government forces said on Sunday.

The wounded fighters are receiving medical care in Libya and abroad, Omar Bashir, who is also the health minister, told a press conference in the Libyan capital city of Tripoli.

He added that the government will grant monthly salaries to the amputees and paralyzed fighters.

On Saturday, Libyan Prime minister Fayez Serraj announced that the city of Sirte had been freed from IS after seven months of fighting.

However, Serraj warned that fight against terrorism in Libya "is not over yet."

The government of national accord, which was appointed on Dec. 17, 2015, launched a military operation in May against the IS militants in Sirte.

Sirte, located nearly 450 km east of Tripoli, had been controlled by the IS for almost one year. The terrorist group claimed responsibility for suicide bombings and killing of foreigners in Libya.
ATHENS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A Greek ferry on Sunday crashed into the pier of Kassos Island in the Aegean Sea with no injuries, and its captain was arrested, the Greek Coast Guard said.

The incident occurred during rough seas as the vessel, "Vintsentzos Kornaros" which was carrying 232 passengers and 63 crew members, was docking in the harbor, according to an official statement.

No injuries were reported, but the incident caused minor damage to the ballast tanks.

The ferry's captain, however, decided to continue the trip to the island of Karpathos with no prior green light from Kassos' Port Authority officials.

He was arrested when the ship arrived at Karpathos' port, for endangering the lives of passengers and crew, according to the statement.

The ferry will not set sail again until the damage is repaired, the Greek authorities said.

The shipping company was making arrangements so that travelers can reach their final destinations.
AMMAN, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Gunmen on Sunday killed four policemen and a female Canadian tourist in southern Jordan, the general security department said.

The gunmen, who were hiding inside Al Karak Castle, a famous tourism attraction in Karak city, opened fire at a police unit near the site, killing four policemen and a Canadian female tourist, the police said.

The police added they are currently surrounding the gunmen inside the castle.

The injured are currently receiving treatment.

Jordan is taking part in a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group in neighboring Iraq and Syria.
Photo taken on Dec. 19, 2016 shows a general view of the Karak Castel at Karak city, some 140 km south of Amman, Jordan. Four unidentified gunmen were killed in Jordan's southern Karak city on Sunday night, after they launched a series of attacks and killed 10 people, including a Canadian tourist. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)

AMMAN, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a shooting in Jordan on Sunday rose to 10, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Six policemen, three citizens and a Canadian tourist were killed in the shooting when a group of unidentified gunmen opened fire at a police patrol near the Karak Castle in the south of Jordan, the report quoted the Public Security Department.

The police said an operation to take down the gunmen who were hiding in the castle is underway.

"I was near the castle around 2:00 pm when I heard a heavy exchange of fire. It was scary," a tour guide who works in Karak told Xinhua.

"I was with a group of tourists when the shootout happened, people started running in panic," the guide said.
TIRANA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Vienna Philharmonic music and traditional Albanian sounds will land to Tirana for the first time in a concert to be held by noted Albanian-Kosovo violin virtuoso Shkelzen Doli, local media reported Sunday.

The famous Vienna Philharmonic concert is traditionally performed each year on Jan. 1 and is the world's most popular show of the classical music. Albanian audience will have the opportunity to enjoy it on Jan. 2.

Shkelzen Doli, 45, who has been part of the Vienna Philharmonic since 2009 as the second violin, will perform along with the Vienna ensemble some of the best global pieces and Albanian traditional music, media reported.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has described the concert as a dream come true for all Albanians.

One day after the Vienna Philharmonic concert in New York which is watched by more than a billion people worldwide, Doli and the Vienna Philharmonic ensemble will perform for the Albanian audience in a multi-dimensional show, Rama said on a social network.

He added that it was a unique concert and an extraordinary event enriching the Albanians art calendar.
ANKARA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Once Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has fully captured Aleppo, Turkey and Russia will try to seek a political solution to the war in Syria, local experts say.

Turkey is urging for a broader ceasefire between the government and rebel groups, and for a resumption of negotiations to reach a political agreement in Syria, local Hurriyet Daily News columnist Serkan Demirtas said, adding that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu recently said a ceasefire in Aleppo should be extended to the entire country.

According to Demirtas, Assad's control over Aleppo would change both the political and military balances in Syria to the advantage of the Damascus-Moscow-Tehran trio.

"It is rational for Turkey to press on these actors for a general cease-fire across the entire country so that political talks can take place, aiming to end years of unrest in its southern neighbor," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed to arrange a meeting between the Syrian opposition and the government at Kazakhstan's Astana rather than Geneva, in what Demirtas described as a new attempt by Moscow to exclude major Western powers from the Syria peace talks.

After the cooperation between Turkey and Russia on the evacuation of Aleppo, Bora Bayraktar, an international relations academic from Kultur University, said that the two countries will now focus on a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

As a prominent actor in Syrian civil war, Ankara has leverage over Syrian rebels because of its geographic proximity and the three million refugees it has hosted, he said.

Moscow has paved the way for the Turkish army to launch airstrikes on northern Syria as part of the "Operation Euphrates Shield", where Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters target the Islamic State (IS) and Syrian Kurdish militants, to return Ankara's favor of reining in the rebels, according to Bayraktar.

Turkey has used its influence on the Syrian rebels to broker their withdrawal from Aleppo, the expert explained.

A similar deal is likely to emerge for Idilib, where Syrian rebels concentrate after the Aleppo evacuation, he said.

Bayraktar does not believe that the jihadist-held Idlib, a city to the west of Aleppo and only 30 kilometers from the Turkish border, will be the next target of the Syrian government, as security in Aleppo would be at risk if the government and its supporters shift military resources to the province.

"Russia would prefer to solve the Idlib issue at the negotiation table, because it has already gained very important achievements. Therefore Moscow would not risk losing them, and also would not want to lose Turkey either," he added.

As a direct link to the Turkish border, Idlib has become a key gateway to the Syrian rebels' survival in the long run.
ANKARA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- At least 117 people evacuated from Aleppo in northern Syria have been transferred to hospitals in Turkey's southern Hatay province for treatment, local media reported on Sunday.

The seriously injured Aleppians were allowed into Turkey via Cilvegozu border crossing, Daily Sabah reported.

Under the coordination of the Prime Ministry Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Turkish medical teams waiting at the Cilvegozu border took the patients to different hospitals.

Among the 117 seriously wounded were 37 children and 25 women.

Before being sent to Turkey, the injured Aleppians were first brought to a safe zone in western Aleppo and then to Idlib.

More wounded from Aleppo are expected to be treated in Hatay, the report said.

At least 7,500 civilians have left Aleppo to safe areas in opposition-held Idlib since Syrian opposition forces and the regime forces reached a ceasefire deal to evacuate civilians from the city earlier this week.
Mourners carry the coffin of Turkish soldier Fehmi Barcin, killed the day before in an attack in Kayseri, during his funeral on December 18, 2016 in Istanbul. (AFP/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A car bomb hit Turkey's central Anatolian city of Kayseri on Saturday, killing at least 14 soldiers, just one week after twin bombing attacks left 44 dead in central Istanbul, prompting calls for steps to revamp the intelligence units and reduce polarization in society to better counter the scourge of terrorism.

As a matter of fact, the country has been shaken by around 30 bombing attacks over the past one and a half years, in which more than 400 people lost their lives.

Residents in big cities are now feeling more and more threatened by an increasing number of deadly attacks.

"A ministry in charge of home security should be established and the intelligence organizations should get united under one single authority," said Cahit Armagan Dilek, a security and foreign policy analyst.

In the opinion of Dilek, an advisor to the 21st Century Turkey Institute, an Ankara-based think tank, Turkey should urgently develop a national strategy on counterterrorism.

Ankara has blamed the terror attacks on its soil mostly on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Islamic State (IS) wreaking havoc in neighboring Iraq and Syria.

An Undersecretariat of Public Order and Security was established in 2010 to develop strategies to cope with terrorism as well as coordinate the efforts of various security institutions involved in counterterrorism.

The body, however, seems to have failed so far to significantly contribute to Turkey's battle against terrorism.

"Lack of satisfactory intelligence is a chronic problem in Turkey's fight against terror. You can't fight terrorism unless you infiltrate into terrorist organizations," remarked Sait Yilmaz, another security and foreign policy analyst.

Press reports revealed that the National Police Department had issued warnings about a possible terrorist attack this month.

Ankara, the national capital, rather than Istanbul was reportedly indicated, in one of the warnings issued early this month, as the city where a bomb attack by the IS is expected.

"Our domestic intelligence is not satisfactory," Ismail Hakki Pekin, a retired general who headed the intelligence department of the Turkish General Staff, said on Halk TV on Wednesday.

In Pekin's view, Turkey's intelligence services need to be restructured. The domestic intelligence should be reorganized while the domestic and foreign intelligence units should be organized separately, he stated.

The twin suicide attacks in Istanbul came one day after the Turkish police conducted, with the participation of over 40,000 police officers, a countrywide general-purpose operation to maintain order.

Back in July, Turkey foiled a coup attempt which the government says was organized by sympathizers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Turkish cleric, within the armed forces.

Following the failed bid, the Turkish government imposed an emergency rule and has since dismissed tens of thousands of public servants for alleged links to the so-called Gulen movement.

A significant number of those dismissed are from the anti-terror and intelligence units of the police.

Turkey is also in the gripe of serious economic and political problems, but terrorism is widely seen as the country's number-one challenge, which is scaring away both tourists and investors.

In addition to streamlining the intelligence units, all analysts agree that Turkey could only manage to cope with terrorism by taking steps to eliminate polarization and highlight areas of convergence rather than divergence in society.

In the face of a growing terrorism threat and ongoing civil wars in the country's southern neighbors, in which Turkey is partly involved as well, Turkish leaders are making efforts to beef up national unity.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called lately for a national mobilization against all terrorist organizations, admitting that the country is faced with a life-and-death struggle as was the case during Turkey's war of independence decades before.

The leaders of two main opposition parties met last week with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in a show of solidarity against terrorism.

Despite a facade of unity, Turkey is deeply polarized along the secularist and Islamist fault lines and the Kurdish issue.

Many fear the ruling Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) is planning to transform the country into a theocratic state and settle accounts with the secular republic.

The AKP has been in power since late 2002 and is expected to remain in power for some time to come.

The hard push by the AKP to replace the country's current parliamentary system with an executive presidency is yet another matter that has created division in society.

More than 10 deputies of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), including the party's co-chairs, have been arrested over alleged links to the PKK.

The PKK has been waging a bloody war against Turkey since 1984 in its attempt to establish a Kurdistan in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast.

The fight against terrorism should not only be carried out at home, but leading PKK figures should also be targeted abroad, observed Yilmaz, who had lectured on terrorism and security at several Turkish universities.

Analysts noted that the PKK, having suffered considerable casualties in the operations launched by government forces since July last year, is trying to push the Turkish public to put pressure on the government to restart the peace process.

Top Turkish officials, however, have vowed to eradicate terrorism after a peace process with the PKK broke down last year.

President Erdogan said in the past week that as many as 9,500 PKK members have been killed in the operations at home and abroad.

Turkey is determined to deal a lethal blow to the PKK by next spring when it will be easier to launch operations in the mountainous rural areas in the country's southeast.

The PKK will face, after April, such a "massive destruction" that they can not even imagine, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu warned early this month.

Around 900 members of the security forces have been killed in terrorist attacks and clashes with the PKK, while the IS has used suicide bombers and mainly targeted civilians in its attacks.

Many are of the opinion that the peace talks had not only allowed the PKK to get stronger, but also granted it some sort of legitimacy.

Erdogan's call for mobilization is not seen as convincing, as the president has long been widely criticized by the opposition for his dismissive attitude toward the opposition parties, sometimes to a point of demonizing them, and for his growing authoritarianism and blatant violations of the Constitution.

The president's call does not make sense unless he stops polarizing the nation and respects the Constitution, Umit Kocasakal, a professor of law who until recently headed the Istanbul Bar Association, said on Ulusal TV on Thursday.

Erdogan, who headed the ruling AKP until being elected president in 2014, has been much criticized for pursuing a strategy of dividing the nation to remain in power.

"If the struggle to come to power turns into a fight for power, this would be to Turkey's detriment," Nevzat Tarhan, a psychiatrist, said on CNNTurk on Monday.

Tarhan, who is also the president of Istanbul's Uskudar University, added, "It is not strategically right for the presidential system to top the agenda in this period."

Leaders with a short vision are increasing the polarization in the nation, observed Pekin on Halk TV.

In a sign of mounting polarization, a person fired several shots at the HDP headquarters late Thursday, which was also set on fire by a mob in September last year.

The HDP is the third largest opposition with 59 seats in parliament.

Many analysts believe Western secret services are behind the latest terror attacks in Istanbul on the night of Dec. 10.

"This is a covert operation by foreign secret services," claimed Pekin on Halk TV, saying the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency may have plotted the attacks in cooperation with the British MI6 and Israel's Mossad.

Mustafa Caliskan, the head of the Istanbul Police Department, said last week that the explosives used in the twin attacks were machine-made rather than handmade.

"This is a sure indication that a state is behind (the attacks)," he added.

The explosives used in the bombing attacks were composed of RDX, PETN and TNT, Caliskan was quoted as saying by local press.

Yilmaz does not think either the PKK is capable of organizing such attacks on the grounds that they could be carried out without the help of big intelligence organizations.

The military operation Turkey has been conducting in Syria since August may well be, analysts argue, the reason why such attacks took place. It is widely believed that the U.S. unwillingly agreed to the Turkish intervention into Syria.

Turkey's military adventure is aiming to prevent Kurds from uniting their three autonomous cantons along Turkey's border as well as to establish a safe zone in northern Syria.

Turkey is concerned that the emergence of an independent Kurdish region near its border may whet the appetite of its own 20 million Kurds.

The U.S. sees the Kurdish militias in Syria as its ground force in the battle against the IS and hopes, as revealed by U.S. officials, for the emergence of an independent Kurdish state in the region.
A bus drives through the Syrian government-controlled crossing of Ramoussa, on the southern outskirts of Aleppo, on December 18, 2016, during an evacuation operation of rebel fighters and civilians from rebel-held areas. (AFP/Xinhua)

ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Sunday's planned evacuation of rebels from their remaining strongholds in the northern city of Aleppo faced some snags, with the government accusing the rebels of breaching a deal for the second time, a military source told Xinhua.

A total of 75 buses entered eastern Aleppo on Sunday to evacuate the remaining rebels, a day after the suspended evacuation was resumed.

The buses entered the neighborhoods of Zibdiyeh, Salahuddien, Mashhad and Ansari in southeastern Aleppo to evacuate the remaining rebels and their families through the Ramouseh road toward rebel-held areas in the southwestern countryside of Aleppo, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, buses entered the Shiite towns of Kafraya and Foa in the countryside of the northwestern province of Idlib on Saturday evening to evacuate as many as 1,200 Shiites besieged by the rebels.

The Shiite people are set to leave Idlib simultaneously with the rebel evacuation from Aleppo on Sunday, as part of a Russian-Turkish deal.

However, the rebels' Ahrar al-Sham group, which is besieging the two Shiite towns, burnt five buses at the entrance of the two towns, allowing only four buses to get in. The incident is still murky.

The rebels in Idlib posted a video online showing the buses on fire outside the towns.

Military sources said the burning of the buses is another violation to the deal, which was struck by Russia and Turkey.

After the burning of the buses, the government dispatched another batch of buses instead of the ones set on fire, in what appeared to be a resolve to carrying on with the deal.

This has caused a delay as the rebels in Aleppo will have to evacuate simultaneously with the civilians in the Shiite towns, which could take several hours or even until Monday, till the buses enter the towns and evacuate the people.

The evacuation of rebels and their families from the last remaining strongholds in eastern Aleppo started on Thursday, and over 8,000 have already left toward the western countryside of Aleppo.

The evacuation came after the Syrian army succeeded to retake 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in Aleppo, following a major offensive.

As a result, over 80,000 people fled eastern Aleppo toward government-controlled areas in western Aleppo, while the rebels and their families were included in a deal between Russia and Turkey, as Moscow negotiated on behalf of the Syrian government, while Ankara negotiated for the rebels.

However, the evacuation process was suspended Friday, due to many reasons.

One of the main reasons is that the rebels in Idlib were stopped short of allowing civilians in both pro-government Shiite towns to leave in tandem with the evacuation of rebels from eastern Aleppo.

On Saturday, a military source said the resumption of the rebel evacuation from their last few strongholds in the eastern part of Aleppo is expected to resume on soon, as the rebels agreed to abide by previous pledges to allow civilians out of the Shiite towns, among other conditions.

The deal was supposed to see the evacuation of 15,000 people, including 4,000 rebels.

With the last evacuation of the rebels from eastern Aleppo, the Syrian army will be on control of the entire city, a victory seen as a writing new chapter of history, as President Bashar al-Assad recently said.
ARUSHA, Tanzania, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lightning killed at least two children from the same family and injured three others in Tanzania's central region of Dodoma, authorities said on Sunday.

Oreiness John, a Mlinduzi ward councilor in Mpwapwa District, said the incident occurred on Saturday evening in Chaludewa village when the two children were playing near their home.

He said while the youngsters were playing, a storm, which was accompanied with lightning, hit the village located 150km from Tanzania's capital Dodoma.

"There was no rain, but the storm was very strong to the extent that parents who were inside the house were forced to come out. When they came out they found the two children already dead," the local official said, adding that the injured were rushed to Chipogolo Health Centre for treatment.

Dodoma Regional Police Commander Lazaro Mambosasa confirmed the incident, pledging to provide more information on the matter on Monday.

Fatalities during lightning storms are common in Tanzania during its two rainy seasons, which typically occur between October and November as well as March and April.

Lightning is a sudden electrostatic discharge that occurs during an electrical storm. This discharge occurs between electrically charged regions of a cloud (called intra-cloud lightning or IC), between two clouds (CC lightning), or between a cloud and the ground (CG lightning).
BUJUMBURA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A stranded leopard Saturday injured five people before being killed at Giharo in Rutana province, 200km southeast of the Burundian capital Bujumbura, the administrator of Giharo district said on Sunday.

"It was yesterday (Saturday) morning when one of two men who were on their way to their farms was attacked by the leopard. The other person went back to seek intervention from other villagers who immediately came with dogs and spears. They managed to rescue the man who had been seriously injured on his head and arms," said Denise Bahendubona.

According to her, villagers failed to neutralize the leopard even though they injured it with spears.

Policemen and soldiers finally shot it dead, but before they could kill it, it slightly injured a policeman.

"In total, the leopard injured five persons including four villagers and one policeman," said Bahendubona.

Leopards are an endangered animal species in Burundi. A small number of them live in the east African country's Ruvubu National Park.
BEIRUT, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new Lebanese government, headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, was announced Sunday night.

Fouad Fleifel, secretary general of the council of ministers, read the decrees of the formation after the meeting that was held at the Presidential Palace between Aoun and Hariri in the presence of Speaker Nabih Berri.

Hariri, who was asked to form the first cabinet of the tenure of President Michel Aoun, faced many political obstacles before apparently reaching the consensus that led to the formation of the cabinet.
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 18 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council will vote on Monday a draft resolution on U.N. monitoring of Aleppo evacuation after it agrees the draft text, diplomatic sources said Sunday.

The vote will be at 9 a.m.(1400 GMT) on Monday, sources said.
PRAGUE, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- A paper mill with 100 employees burned down on Sunday in Zidlochovice near Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, local fire department said.

The estimated damage is about 40 to 50 million crowns (1.6 to 2 million U.S. dollars), said South Moravian firefighters spokeswoman Pavla Prazakova.

The fire was extinguished around 16:00 local time on Sunday, she said.

According to Prazakova, the fire might be caused by a heating gun. The 25-year old worker who worked with the heating gun was seriously injured and helicoptered to the hospital.

Kropackova said the young man was in serious condition and he suffered burns to his face and hands.

The police will investigate if all the safety rules were complied with.
British Prime Minister Theresa May switches on the Downing Street Christmas tree lights, with children nominated by UK charities and a local school choir in London, Britain on Dec. 8, 2016. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of Britain's biggest trade union and business organisation sent a joint letter on Sunday to British Prime Minister Theresa May, calling for a unilateral move to agree EU migrants' stay in the country after Brexit.

In the open letter signed by union chief Frances O'Grady of the Trade Union Congress and Adam Marshall, the director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, the two leaders called on May to end the uncertainty for businesses and millions of workers by confirming that the government will give current EU migrants a right to stay in Britain after Brexit.

In what was described as a "bold unilateral move," the commitment urged by the two leaders was explained as "both morally right and also in the interests of the British economy."

They also believe that it will send a signal of goodwill to the EU, which will benefit Britain's negotiating position.

"It's the right thing to do. But it's also about what is right for Britain too. Continued doubt about the status of workers from the rest of the EU is bad for business, and it puts services like the NHS at risk," said O'Grady.

Marshall holds similar worries, saying that "Business communities across the UK are deeply frustrated that ministers have declined to guarantee the residence rights of their EU employees and colleagues. Some firms are already losing key members of staff due to this avoidable uncertainty."

He also urged for a quick move to ease the anxiety.

"Such a move before the start of a complex Brexit negotiation would be bold, but it is the right thing to do for the individuals affected, for the businesses that employ them, and for the economy as a whole," said Marshall.

The two leaders urged the government in the letter to give an unequivocal commitment that EU citizens working in the country will have a permanent right to remain in the UK.

The publication of the letter coincides with International Migrants Day, which is marked on every anniversary of the UN's adoption of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families on Dec. 18, 1990.

But the government has so far refused to issue guarantees, saying what happens to EU nationals will depend on what happens to the millions of British people currently living or working in the other 27 EU member countries.

Meanwhile The Scottish government is preparing to publish on Tuesday its proposals for Scotland's future relationship with the EU after Brexit.

A paper titled "Scotland's place in Europe" will be published on Tuesday.

The Scottish government's Brexit minister Michael Russell unveiled on Sunday that "Scotland's place in Europe" will include plans to retain a place for Scotland in the single market and new devolved powers for the Holyrood parliament in Edinburgh.

In the June 23 referendum, although people across Britain voted 52-48 in favor of leaving, in Scotland the majority backed remaining in the EU with a margin of 62-38.

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has already said she would push for a second independence referendum for Scotland if the wishes of Scottish people are not adopted in the negotiations with Brussels.

Ahead of the report being formerly published, Russell said the government led by his Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP) would be for Scotland to become an independent EU member state.

He said the SNP had committed to putting forward "compromise proposals" to "mitigate the Brexit damage."

In media interviews Sunday, Russell said "At the heart of our plan is a framework to keep Scotland's place in the European single market. That is vital for jobs, investment and our long-term prosperity, which are all seriously threatened by the hard Brexit."
LOME, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The West African Health Organization (WAHO) will hold its eighth scientific congress of traditional and conventional medicine practitioners from Dec. 19 to 20 in the Togolese capital Lome, WAHO Focal Point in Togo told Xinhua on Sunday.

The meeting, under the theme "Pharmacopoeia as Tools of Essential Drugs Discovery for the Treatment of New Emerging Diseases", aims to promote collaboration between traditional medicine practitioners and conventional medicine practitioners in the fifteen countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

"Discussions will focus on sub-themes such as: from traditional knowledge to worldwide targeted products, herbal treatment of neglected tropical diseases, research and development for medicinal herbs, and intellectual property rights and the protection of endogenous knowledge," Sossah Remi, WAHO Focal Point in Togo, explained.

From WAHO's point of view, the discovery and the mass production of chemical synthetic drugs have considerably changed health care across the world over the last one hundred years.

The specialized institution responsible for health issues noted that broad segments of population, particularly in developing countries, still refer to traditional medicine practitioners and to herbal medicine for their primary health care.

The 8th scientific congress will hold at a time when herbs are largely resorted to by West African people for the treatment of acute or chronic diseases including cardiovascular disorders, prostate problems, depression, inflammation and compromised immunity.

The forum is designed to bring together senior officials from ministries of health, regional health experts, researchers and managers of training and research institutions, major local, regional and international NGOs, managers of private companies involved in the health sector, as well as partners in the region and elsewhere.
ANKARA, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people across Turkey on Sunday gathered in rallies condemning the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism in the wake of recent deadly attacks, local NTV reported.

The protests came after a suicide car bomb attack on Saturday left 14 soldiers dead and 55 others wounded in the central province of Kayseri.

One week ago, twin bombings claimed by the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), PKK's affiliated organization, killed 44 people in Istanbul.

In Diyarbakir, the largest city in the southeast, people demonstrated in the central Yenisehir district despite the cold weather and marched in the streets holding Turkish flags.

In Hakkari, around 3,000 people in Yuksekova district took to the streets to protest the PKK group.

Hundreds of people in Cukurca, another district of Hakkari, also condemned the attacks and chanted anti-PKK slogans.

Bordering Iraq, Cukurca district usually suffers from intense clashes between security forces and PKK terrorists since the latter use the region to cross the Turkish border from its camps in northern Iraq.

Another rally was held in the town of Cizre near Syria, where locals were joined by others from adjacent towns of Silopi, Idil and provincial center Sirnak.

Southeastern Sirnak, Mardin and Sanliurfa provinces saw local residents and NGOs gather at streets and squares to protest the PKK terrorism.

Thousands of others also gathered in eastern Elazig, Erzurum and Kars provinces to condemn the PKK's attacks on civilians, security forces and soldiers.

Meanwhile, at least 15 Turkish leading business organizations on Sunday strongly condemned and expressed sorrow in a joint statement over the deadly terror attack in Kayseri, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

"Our country is passing through a very critical process... All of the terrorist organizations are targeting our country at the same time," read the joint written statement.

"We are all united against terror attacks. We will not break apart, we will unite," the statement said.

Top representatives from 15 Turkish business organizations visited Kayseri to voice their condolences with local people, according to the statement.

Turkish Industry and Business Association said in a separate statement that the terror attacks aimed at destroying the peace of the Turkish people by creating a climate of fear in the country.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S., the EU and Turkey.
BEIRUT, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The members of the International Support Group (ISG) for Lebanon welcomed on Sunday the announcement of the formation of a new government, and congratulated Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his cabinet.

The members of the ISG said in a statement that this is a much-needed opportunity for the Lebanese leadership to reactivate state institutions and fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the Lebanese people by addressing the urgent challenges Lebanon faces.

The ISG, founded in September 2013, brought together the governments of China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, together with the European Union and the Arab League.

Its mission is to help mobilize support and assistance for Lebanon's stability, sovereignty and state institutions.
ALEPPO, Syria, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Normally, the word home simply means comfort, stability, safety and most importantly the storage of someone's memories.

But it's not the case anymore for the people of the old city of Aleppo, whose homes and shops still exist in their memories only.

After the rebels infiltrated the eastern part of Aleppo, including its ancient part, in 2012, battles started between them and the Syrian army, with both parties targeting one another, heavily.

Some people stayed, while others had left with the hope of returning one day.

The war dragged there for over four years, and the army backed by Russia and Shiite militias succeeded to wrest control over the city over a week ago, as part of a major offensive that has so far seen the military recapture of 99 percent of the rebel-held areas in eastern Aleppo, including the old city.

After leaving it for four years, civilians, who have initially fled the area, started returning to their homes and shops in the ancient part of Aleppo to check on their properties.

Unfortunately, the majority of those returning could barely recognize the location of their homes, due to the tremendous amount of destruction that has befallen the city.

Muhammad Ghazaleh, a retired 60-year-old man, fled his home in the old city along with his family years ago, seeking a place to live with one of his relatives in the government-controlled part west of the city, which was relatively calmer than the eastern one.

"We have fled our neighborhood in old Aleppo since three and a half years because we couldn't live with the rebels. What can I say, the house is damaged and may God sabotage their homes," Ghazaleh told Xinhua.

Walking amid the devastated streets and the collapsed building, Ghazaleh, cried while remembering what his home used to be five years ago.

"My home was my life, I had lived in it for 40 years of my life, It's my heritage and now it's gone. I feel like stuck in a nightmare here."

Still, Ghazaleh hoped the government could help him and the people there to fix their homes, even though entire buildings need to be rebuild from scratch.

While Ghazaleh only lost his home, Abu Hasan, a 40-year-old cobbler, lost both his house and shop in old Aleppo and moved to the city of Latakia, where he stayed there for four years. .

The man said he fled the old city when the rebels infiltrated the area.

He said his situation was very good, before he woke up one day and found that the walls in his neighborhood were filled with graffiti of the rebels.

"At the time we decided to flee and days passed and here we are five years later. We were told that our area had become safe, we returned today and we found it destroyed."

Youssef Bailuni, another resident of old Aleppo, was lucky to have found that his house wasn't destroyed. Still, he felt sorry for his neighbors.

"After four years I am finally here, I reached my home and thankfully I found the building still standing, unlike the surrounding ones, which are destroyed I pray God may help them."

Bailani was optimistic about the future.

"God willing I will return home to fix the things that need to be repaired. We, the people of Aleppo, are hard workers we love to work. We will be waiting no aid no help we will build our homes by our own hands and return to live here again. This is our home, this is our land and this is our honor."
BEIRUT, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- Secretary-General of Lebanon's Council of Ministers Fouad Fleifel announced Sunday night the decrees of the formation of the new cabinet headed by Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The new cabinet is the 73rd since the declaration of Lebanon's independence in 1943 and is composed of 30 ministers.

Hariri was asked on Nov. 3 to form the new government after obtaining during the binding parliamentary consultations the nomination of 112 members of the 126-seat parliament.

Hariri, who is the son of the late Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, served as prime minister between 2009 and 2011 and is currently member of the parliament.

Lebanon was in a political deadlock since the end of the six-year term of former President Michel Suleiman on May 25, 2014.

Hariri launched an initiative that led to the election of President Michel Aoun as the 13th president of Lebanon on Oct. 31, ending more than two and half years of vacuum.
Students robbed, one stabbed

According to a police report, at about 3 pm on Friday, Denesh Rampersad, 16, and Shastri Rampersad, 17,who attend Chaguanas North Secondary School and Penal Secondary School respectively, were at Saith Park in Chaguanas where two persons accosted them.

One the attackers, according to the report, was armed with a knife and snatched Shastris silver chain from around his neck and also took a cellular phone and $50 from him. During the ordeal a struggle ensured and Shastri was stabbed in the chest and back. The report also stated that the other man snatched Deneshs gold chain, however, he was not wounded. Both suspects fled the scene.

Police officers who were on patrol nearby responded and detained one of the suspects who, the report stated, is from Munroe Road in Cunupia. Shastri was taken to the Chaguanas Health Centre where he was treated and subsequently discharged.

Up to yesterday, police were searching for the other accomplice.
LAW ON PNM SIDE

And, a presiding officer has an original casting vote the Attorney General told the media in San Fernando.

Al-Rawi said the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) was engaged in grandcharge and what he described as shouting, over their objection to the elected Terry Rondon as chairman of the San Grande Regional Corporation (SGRC) where there is a four-four tie following the November 28 local government election.

At last Thursdays swearing-in ceremony for councillors, the UNC councillors walked out led by Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen with the party hitting back that Rondons decision to cast a second vote to break a deadlock over a presiding officer breached the law.

Al-Rawi commented, I am not confident that the UNC will go to court on this issue because the law is pellucidly clear... I really do not think they have the guts to go to court on this. And if they do, then cest la vie, (due process). That is what the courts are there for. We will meet them on the floor of the courts and we will beat them again. Al-Rawi spoke yesterday at a press conference at the San Fernando City Corporation at Harris Promenade held to announce a toy distribution drive.

Al Rawi said that according to the Municipal Corporation Act and the Standing Orders of the SGRC, as amended post-2013, that a presiding officer has an original and casting vote. He explained, The law is the outgoing mayor sits as mayor until a new mayor is elected. The outgoing mayor lawfully attends to the first meeting and the first order of business is the appointment of a presiding officer.

There is nothing in law that says the presiding officer must be the CEO. At Thursdays ceremony following the walkout by the four UNC members of council, Rondon was re-elected as chairman.

Al-Rawi said as an elected councillor, Rondon has an original vote and as the chairman at that point, had a casting vote.

So it went from 6-6 to 7-6. Once the presiding officer was appointed, you then put the question of a chairman, meaning the mayor, to vote. You would have gotten 6-6 but the presiding officer under the law, has an original and casting vote. This is the ABCs of the law, Al-Rawi said.

Apart from the hard-and-fast rule in the legal process, Al-Rawi said it was well known that the PNM won the popular vote in Sangre Grande.

But they were so busy rushing to try to make sure they attended to the ILP (Independent Labour Party), that they did not pass proper law. And, we did not support that law as amended. We spotted certain positions, saw it in gear. But this is what the UNC purchased for itself, Al-Rawi said referring to amendments made under the last Peoples Partnership administration.

He charged that the UNC cannot have it both hot and cold as well as approbate and reprobate at the same time.

UNC chairman David Lee on Friday disclosed Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who was attending a Commonwealth event in London, had been briefed on the developments. He said she may seek legal advice while in England.

However, Tabaquite MP Dr Suruj Rambachan, a former local government minister, again accused the PNM of disrespecting the law.

In a statement yesterday, Rambachan again argued the case for the CEO of a corporation to oversee elections on a council, citing the instance of the Siparia Regional Corporation.

In Siparia, the presiding officer, councillor Shankar Teelucksingh has indicated to me that he was told by the corporate secretary that he did not have either a vote as a councillor or a casting vote as the presiding officer. The minutes of the Siparia Regional Elections will, if accurately recorded, will reflect these matters, Rambachan stated.

In the case of Sangre Grande, Rambachan called on that corporations CEO to clarify the issue.

CEO are public servants and are not elected officials of regional corporations.

In the circumstances which prevailed what was the role of the CEO of the corporation and why was complete control apparently given to Mr Rondon despite what has always been accepted traditions and protocols in such elections, writes Rambachan. Was the CEO directed to behave in a certain way in this matter? The CEO needs to clarify this since the independence of public servants and their oath to act without fear or favour could come under question. Rambachan said the PNM missed an opportunity to unite Sangre Grande in a display of magnanimity and consensus, and referred to a letter Persad-Bissessar wrote to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley asking for a meeting to consider co-sharing the management of the council.
Boy, 15, shot dead by relative

According to police at about 5.30 pm on Friday, 15-year-old Josiah Martinez was at his home at light pole #55, Peaceville, Upper Seventh Street, Malick, Barataria when he got into an altercation with a 59 year-old male relative.

The male relative drew a firearm and shot Martinez repeatedly, hitting him several times about the body. Martinezs mother, 37-yearold Keisha Ettiene, witnessed the incident and physically struggled with the male relative but he was able to run away. Martinez was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital but died will undergoing treatment. The male relative, a retired employee of the Water and Sewerage Authority, remained on the run from the police up to news time. Police report that the altercation stemmed from a previous argument between the two on December 13.

When the media visited the home yesterday a relative said that Martinezs mother was too distraught to speak and no one else would be able to do so.

A male resident of the community who asked not to be named said he was surprised at the incident as the male relative loved children.

He said, however, that the man had went through too much pressure and that Martinez had repeatedly disrespected him. He also claimed the two had a physical altercation recently, which may be the previous incident referred to by the police. Another male resident said Martinez and the male relative have been having problems for years.

Homicide is continuing investigations.
Mom of slain boy, 14, wants answers

The service took place at the location on Brick Road, Oropouche, where Darians charred and dismembered remains were found among the ruins of a wooden house on March 20, 2015.

Christlyn shed tears for her son whom she described as a very helpful boy.

Pastor Winston Mahabir from the Jesus Deliverance Church conducted the service, and the small group of mourners, that one should not judge a person and say someone lived the life of a thief and died like a thief. He said, Jesus is the one who can judge us and at the last moment the soul can call on Jesus and he or she will be saved and they can enter unto paradise. He called on Jesus to look over the Nedd family and protect them from any evil that they come their way.

Linda Mahabir sung the hymns, Gods Not Dead and Ten Thousand Reasons. Linda said Darian used to attend the Sunday morning service at the Jesus Deliverance Church on Mon Desir Road, Oropouche.

At the funeral, there were several youths who wore pink and white T-shirts bearing the words, No Fear.

Shane Singh, who was among them, said Darian belonged to a team of young people who wanted to do the right things for their community.

No Fear means that we were fearless and we intend to see that everything goes the right way in the neighbourhood, he said. Darians sister, Christine Nedd, said her younger brother went into hiding as he was afraid of certain persons in his neighborhood. He returned to Red Brick Road, to prepare for end of term exams at the Siparia West Secondary School, Christine said.

The Nedd family lived in a squatting area at the end of Red Brick Road, at the back of SM Jaleel Factory.

Police investigators had reported that Darians right foot and left hand were missing. Christlyn who sells oysters at Otaheite Junction, was not at home when the fire started. The grieving mother had publicly criticised the refusal of officers from the Oropouche Police Station to respond to her reports that she believed her son was a target.

She reportedly said, I knew he was a target and I begged the police to help him but they did not listen to me, she said in 2015. She has since rebuilt the house with plyboards for her five other children.

The boys body had been kept at the Forensic Science Centre, St James ever since as an autopsy revealed that there was no conclusive cause of death.

A DNA sample was taken from Christlyn for tests to confirm Darians identity the results of which determined a positive match as was revealed over a week ago. The boys body was released to the family this past week. A neighbour has since been charged for Darians murder.
A parang love affair

Sunday Newsday recently spoke to vice captain of the band, Simmone Edwin, and the bands PRO, Lisette Khan, who said it felt good to win, not for bragging rights, but because it meant that all their hard work paid off.

It took a lot of energy, time, and effort out of us to prepare for the competition. I was just so glad we got everything right on the night of the competition that, by the time our performance was over, it didnt matter to me if we won, but of course, we were very glad that we did, said Khan.

Voces Jovenes has been a band for 19 years, but competing since 2002.

Edwin explained the band emerged from a carolling group founded by Aelsar Sealy, the current manager of the band, who organised the children in her Petit Valley community. They performed from house to house and at old folks homes in the area, the also sang some Parang songs.

However, when most of the children got to their teen years, they did not want to continue carolling and so the older children decided to form a parang band.

Voces Jovenes performed in seventh position with the Annunciation song, Maria, and the Nacimiento, Una Sola Voz.

Maria, was composed by Jennifer Mc Pherson in 2009, and Una Sola Voz was composed by Alicia Jaggasar for the competition.

The simple songs were then arranged by the bands musical director, Candice Corbie, who they described as a mad genius. I think everything just fit together on the night of the competition.

We started off with good material - it was correct, well written - and the execution of it matched the message we were transmitting, said Khan.

They said only a deep love for parang and the family atmosphere of the band could have kept them playing all these years.

You definitely have to have a love for it because the money is definitely not there, and the respect that we would like to see the rest of the country have for our artform is definitely not there so if you look to those things to get any kind of satisfaction you would probably not stick around for long, said Edwin.

Khan added that the bands motto was Keeping the Tradition Alive. She said the band members believe they have a responsibility to the tradition, and so have to present it as best as they can.

We have a responsibility to teach and to encourage young people around us to one day join and pick up an instrument, learn some songs and continue. Parang is a really beautiful thing that I would hate to see die, Edwin added.

To this end, members of the band visit two schools in the west helping school parang bands and teaching the students about Parang.

When it comes to youth, Khan and Edwin had nothing but praise for the band Voces de Promesa. The band, which tied for second place in the competition, is not only the youngest band on the NPATT circuit, but all its members are under 30. The level that they brought this year shocked us in a good way. It definitely gave us a new-found respect for them as a band, they said.

Khan noted that she remembered some of the members of the band from the Junior competitions and said she was impressed by the level of maturity they attained. In fact she stated that several bands on the senior circuit were from the junior competition, and that some of the younger members of older bands have young people who came out of the junior competition.

She therefore praised NPATT for its junior competition and encouraged the organisation to continue their work.

Edwin admitted that one of the most challenging aspect of the music is composing, especially since most of the members are not fluent in Spanish. However, the band still insists on proper Spanish lyrics which involves a lot of checking and rechecking.

With the format of our traditional parang song, we practised so long for the competition to get it perfected.

Not only in our diction and the musicality, but with the structure of the song, which, for the competition, has to be a certain way, Edwin explained.

Khan said the problem with some parang songs is that they are passed on to others who are not Spanish speakers.

These people are learning the songs according to how the words sound and, of course, over time, the song would change so what you may end up with is different from the original in terms of grammar and pronunciation and you get a lot of broken Spanish, she explained.

In addition to the bands insistence on proper Spanish, the band is also all acoustic.

Therefore, they do not use any recorded tracks, bass guitars, synthesisers, or drum machines - even when performing in non-competitive programmes.

Although they keep the music traditional, Khan and Edwin believe change is good, but that any change should add value and not detract from the artform.

Change is inevitable and necessary to ensure that the artform doesnt stagnate. I see certain innovations that I find admirable, things that bring a freshness to the way the artform is presented, Khan admitted.

However, she expressed disappointment that soca parang has been reduced mainly to sexual innuendoes. She also believes that there needs to be a strong distinction between parang and Latin music, although she did not mind if a parang band added contemporary Latin songs to their repertoire.

Edwin agreed saying that one of her pet peeves is what radio stations pass off as parang. You cant play a cuatro, a marac and a box bass, and throw in any lyrics and call it a parang. Its a very poor reflection of what we do and I think its a little bit on the disrespectful side because, with the wide audience that stations reach, they are making people think this is what parang is, she said.
AG: Why UNC jumpy about foreign accounts

It just does not make sense. Why are they so jumpy about foreign accounts ? That has go to be the sole question on the table because it is not only with the US we have this position, it is the entire global forum, Al-Rawi told reporters yesterday.

The Attorney Generals comments came in relation to the controversial Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which requires the Oppositions support to be approved. The Opposition walked out of Parliament twice on the Foreign Account legislation.

Speaking at a press conference held at the San Fernando City Corporation yesterday, Al-Rawi recalled that in her capacity as Prime Minister, Persad- Bissessar sat on the FATCA issue on four occasions in the Cabinet back in 2013.

Additionally this country was one of 116 countries which participated in 2011 in the Global Forum, a forum equivalent to foreign accounts throughout Europe and Asia pacific.

Al-Rawi accused Persad-Bissessar of doing nothing on this issue from 2012 to 2015. As a result of which in November 2016, the Global Forum said that Trinidad and Tobago was one of three countries in the entire forum that was non-complainant. The two others are Micronesia in the Asia Pacific and Honduras.

Mrs Persad-Bissessar refuses to give any support to that exchange of foreign accounts information to Europe and Asia Pacific.

Why? That Global Forum is likely to shut down this country as well. Fortunately we have approached it by engaging to sign a multilateral convention with the Global Forum which will take us out of default, Al-Rawi explained.

He added: But again, no explanation of the risks to shut down the economy, not only on the foreign account for US, but for the global forum.

Again, why are they so afraid of foreign accounts being known? On the issue of crime, Al-Rawi stated that it remains one of the number one issues on the priority list of Government. He noted that crime flourishes because there is profit in crime as it is a well established principle that nobody enters organised crime without profit.

We say our mission is to take away the profits from crime.

That is why in January, you will see the AGs office lay in Parliament a suite of legislation.

Many of those have been stripped down to not require special majority by the Opposition, Al-Rawi said.

With regards to the Bail Amendment and anti-gang legislation, the Attorney General said he is working on amendments in tandem, with the DPP, the criminal bar association and the Judiciary, among others.
Rambharat applauds Farm Fresh drive

This is a very important initiative, Rambharat said the distribution ceremony at Queens Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. He applauded Farm Foods saying their inaugural food drive was off to a good start. It signals that your management recognize the need to contribute to those who need our support, Rambharat said.

He commented on the emergence of new enterprises in the agricultural sector, including farmers and farm-to-table entrepreneurs, noting the growing number of farmers markets operational across the country. He extolled the advantages of the comfortable and safe environment that exists at all the Farmers Markets operated by NAMDEVCO.

He spoke of the launch of the Achiote Paste, from the Bush Bush line, a roucou-based product used as food colouring and flavouring, from the Biche community. He gave the commitment of working with rural producers and Farm Fresh Foods to allow for an additional marketing opportunity for their products.

Farm Fresh Foods owner, Crystal Maharaj, said the organization was birthed out of the desire to fill a need for persons who did not have the time to go to the markets themselves. She said that this is a marriage of technology with agriculture.

Farm Fresh Foods is an online market place that allows customers to buy their fresh fruit and vegetables via its website and have it delivered to their homes or offices.

Farm Fresh is an e-commerce store, the first of its kind in Trinidad and is growing rapidly by now supplying not only individuals but also restaurants and other service industry businesses. Recipients of the hampers were identified through the Rotary Clubs of St Augustine and Penal; with other recipients from the areas of Port-of-Spain, St Joseph and San Fernando.
New urban missions would continue to be the focus area in 2017: Naidu

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Union Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said the progress of implementation of new urban missions was encouraging in 2016 and will continue to be the focus area during the new year.

"On the whole, 2016, the first year of execution of new missions has been encouraging. We would like this momentum even to be further enhanced so that intended outcomes are realised within stipulated time frames," Urban Development Minister Naidu told reporters.

Naidu said decentralisation of project formulation, their appraisal and approval besides substantial hand holding by both the urban ministries resulted in speedy approvals.

"City governments were required to adopt new approaches in place of the earlier business as usual attitude. They rose to the occasion to a large extent and that is evident in the pace of implementation.

"The new-found spirit of competition among states and cities is giving positive results. Ease of doing business in urban areas is improving rapidly," he said.

Later, the Urban Development Ministry said in a statement that brisk execution of urban infrastructure projects, approval of smart city plans for 60 cities, credit rating of cities for resource mobilisation through municipal bonds, Swachh Bharat Mission picking up momentum in urban areas, enactment of Real Estate Act and notification of Real Estate Rules, made the year 2016 a new landmark in urban development.

"Under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), a total of 490 projects with an investment of Rs 6,571 crore have taken off the ground. And under Smart City Mission, that involved the complex task of converting city-wise Smart City Plans into projects warranting elaborate technical planning, 87 projects in 19 cities worth Rs 5,768 crore are under execution with seven of them already completed, even though the first batch of 20 smart cities was announced in January, 2016," the statement added.

According to the Ministry, Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas got close to half-way mark of mission targets in building toilets during 2016.

"As against the target of building over 66 lakh individual household toilets, 27,81,883 have already been built and construction of another 21,43,222 toilets is nearing completion as the mission gained momentum in 2016 while 5.08 lakh community and public toilet seats are required to be built by 2019," the government said.

--IANS

bns/sm/dg
Bihar gears up for 'Prakash Parv'

Bihar,National,Politics,Religion,Human Interest/Society, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Patna, Dec 18 (IANS) With less than a fortnight to go for the 350th birth anniversary celeberations of the 10th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took stock of the preparations here on Sunday.

He directed the officials to complete all work within a week for the 'Prakash utsava' as the celebrations are popularly called, officials said.

"Nitish Kumar visited venues, including Takht Sri Harmindir Saheb, the main shrine linked to the 'Utsav', to personally inspect the preparations," Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said.

The Chief Minister has assigned top officials to monitor preparations for the mega event, and wants the work completed by December 25, Agrawal said.

Niitish Kumar also offered prayers at Takht Shri Harminder Saheb and met members of its management committee. He assured them that everything would be in place by the end of December.

According to district police officials, Nitish Kumar visited Kangan Ghat, Leela Gurudwara, Patna Saheb station, Patna Ghat railway station and inspected the ongoing work there.

Three tent cities are being constructed over 62 acres at the sprawling Gandhi Maidan, 12 acres at Kangaan Ghat, and over 65 acres at Malaichak Bypass here by the state.

The district officials estimated that more than 50,000 devotees would be provided accommodation in these tent cities.

The Guru Gobind Singh birth anniversary celebrations would start from the last week of December and would end on January 7, 2017.

The main function would be held on January 5, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would participate along with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and several other Sikh dignitaries from India and abroad.

Earlier, Bihar had announced a three-day holiday during the 'Prakash-Parv' at Takht Harmandir Sahib, the birthplace of the 10th Sikh Guru.

The gurudwara management committee was also undertaking huge constructions on its campus.

An old guest house complex was demolished and a new structure was coming up in its place, which would include parking provisions to accommodate the expected massive rush in January.

Takht Sri Harmandirji Sahib, widely known as Patna Sahib, was about 10 km from Patna and was built in the 1950s over the remains of a structure erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Guru Gobind Singh was born in 1666 to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru and Mata Gujri. He was formally installed as the leader of the Sikhs at the age of nine, becoming the last of the living Sikh Gurus.

--IANS

ik/in/vt
Muslim Americans are the new black kids in America: Samuel L Jackson

United Arab Emirates,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Dubai, Dec 18 (IANS) Actor Samuel L. Jackson feels Muslim Americans are the "new black kids" in US. He says people perceive them as a threat before even saying hello.

The actor, who received the Lifetime Achievement honour at the Dubai International Film Festival recently, spoke about diversity in the film industry and in modern-day America, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

"Muslims are getting arrested like black kids get arrested; Muslim Americans are the new black kids in America. Suspect as we are for the dominant culture, people don't understand them. People perceive them as a threat before even saying hello," said Jackson.

He added: "But the Muslim community is present in our country. They are a vital part of our country and, interestingly enough, they have less crime, more education and their businesses thrive more so than any other group in the country. You tell people in the Rust Belt that, and they're like, 'Get out of here'."

He also commented on the awards season talk, by saying that "this time of year in Hollywood, is an interesting time of year".

"This year seems to be a bit different from the #OscarsSoWhite of last year. All of these films have people of colour in them. They are impactful and moving films," the "Pulp Fiction" star added.

--IANS

sug/rb/dg
Don't vote for BJP, Kejriwal says in Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Lucknow, Dec 18 (IANS) Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday urged people in Uttar Pradesh not to vote for the BJP.

Towards the end of his half hour speech here, Kejriwal told a huge gathering to "teach him (Modi) a lesson" for making them stand in queues for hours to withdraw their own money from banks and ATMs.

"You made Modiji the Prime Minister. Had Uttar Pradesh not given him 73 out of 80 seats, he would never have become the Prime Minister of India," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said.

"Now it is your duty to teach him a lesson as well. The whole nation is looking up to you," he said.

The BJP won a whopping 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. An ally bagged two seats, leaving only seven seats to a battered opposition.

Uttar Pradesh will see assembly elections early next year.

Kejriwal said that even the staunchest supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had turned against the party due to the note ban.

"I met a person who had been voting for BJP for the last 30 years. He told me that he had told his family to vote for anyone but the BJP in the coming election," Kejriwal said and urged people to do the same.

The AAP leader also attacked Modi on the government's move to exempt political parties from income tax regulations while depositing demonetised currency notes in their bank accounts.

He demanded an independent commission to probe the bank accounts of all the political parties over the last five years.

"Seventy per cent of the donations received by the BJP are in cash. I want to ask Modiji to first tell his party workers to take donations through cheques. Then we will also go cashless."

He also accused Modi of receiving bribes from corporates while he was the Gujarat Chief Minister.

The AAP leader has been campaigning against the demonetisation of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes that has led to an unprecedented cash crunch all over the country.

--IANS

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14 killed in Afghanistan accident

Israel,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Kabul, Dec 18 (IANS) At least 14 persons were killed and 41 injured in an accident in Afghanistan's Farah province on Sunday, police said.

"A bus travelling from Herat province to Kabul crashed into a parked cargo truck in Gulshan district," Xinhua news agency quoted a police official as saying.

A total of 57 persons were aboard the vehicle.

The police have detained the driver of the truck and launched an investigation into the incident.

--IANS

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Kate Middleton got us lot of global headlines: Anita Dongre

Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz,Lifestyle/Fashion, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Designer Anita Dongre, who featured in Googles official list of top searches of the year 2016, says though her brand always had global presence, Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's decision to wear her creation generated a lot of buzz around the world.

Kate Middleton wore an Anita Dongre ensemble for one of her outings in India back in April.

"We've always had a global presence via e-commerce. But of course, Kate Middleton wearing an Anita Dongre dress got us a lot of global headlines. She is an iconic personality whose style is talked about and admired by women all over the world," Dongre told IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.

The designer, who is not only a celebrated name in the Indian fashion industry but also a successful entrepreneur courtesy her brand AND Design India Pvt Ltd, sums up 2016 on the work front as wonderful.

"It's been a wonderful year. All of us at the House Of Anita Dongre work hard and put in our best. It's lovely when the year ends with such great news," she added.

For the year to come, Dongre says she will continue to walk down the same path.

"I'm working like I do. With five brands from the House of Anita Dongre, there is always a lot to do. News... well, it just happens. And we're glad that, for us, it has always been good news. We're already geared up to start the new year with some great news that I can't wait to share," she said.

Dongre, who is known as much for her pret lines as for her couture creations -- which are a blend of traditional and contemporary, is currently busy with the campaign shoot of the Summer'17 collection. She says the line is shaping up "beautifully".

So what are the trends that will rule in 2017?

"I think organic and sustainable clothing is the need of the hour and as a designer who strongly believes in this, reviving our handcrafted tradition is now getting larger and more focused and a movement," she said.

--IANS

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Winter session of Himachal assembly may be stormy

Himachal Pradesh,National,Politics, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Shimla, Dec 18 (IANS) A five-day winter session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly beginning on Monday in Dharamsala town is likely to be stormy as the opposition BJP is set to corner the ruling Congress over corruption charges against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and delay in execution of central projects.

The government, on the other hand, said it would highlight its achievements in the last four years.

"The issue of corruption charges and ongoing trial against the Chief Minister is an issue along with the deliberate delay in executing the central projects," BJP state president Satpal Satti told IANS.

He said the issues relating to the misdeeds of the government would be raised both within and outside the assembly.

The Chief Minister is facing cases by Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

"We are ready to discuss and debate on all issues in the assembly, provided the opposition follows parliamentary norms. We will highlight the achievements of the government that is going to complete four years in office on December 25," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Agnihotri told IANS.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said they would aggressively take up the issues in the assembly.

BJP legislator Suresh Bhardwaj said developmental works in the state, especially the central projects like setting up of the AIIMS-like institution, were almost grounded, and the condition of roads across the state has deteriorated.

"Issues related to road and health will be among the issues to be raised in the assembly," he added.

Speaker B.B.L. Butail said the proceedings in the assembly would see paperless work.

A total of five assembly sittings would be held in Dharamsala, for which the assembly would see 232 starred and 141 un-starred questions.

--IANS

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Protesters torch 22 vehicles in Manipur district, curfew imposed

Manipur,National,Politics,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Imphal, Dec 18 (IANS) At least 22 cars, buses and other vehicles were torched in some places in Manipur's Imphal East district on Sunday by residents protesting against the Naga economic blockade even as curfew was imposed there after a militant attack.

However the arsonists did not target the vehicle drivers and passengers. As fire tenders could not reach the spot, the vehicles could not be salvaged.

In wake of the attack, heavily-armed police and paramilitary personnel were patrolling the trouble-prone areas after dispersing the unruly mob by firing tear gas canisters.

Expressing the people's resentment against the blockade, activist A. Rajen said: "Since the central government is pampering the United Naga Council (UNC) and the militant outfit underpinning it, the situation is getting worse day by day. The centre is a silent spectator to the indefinite economic blockade imposed against Manipur since November 1."

Women who called the 24-hour general strike had threatened with more agitations after they ended it on Saturday night.

In Sagolband area of Imphal West district, women stopped and set alight several items including consumer goods which were being transported to the tribal areas.

Nirmala, a housewife, said: "No consumer item is available in the market. Baby foods, life saving medicines, chicken, fish, eggs had vanished. We are resorting to counter blockade against some tribal areas since they should also suffer like us."

Another woman activist called the UNC a frontal organisation of a militant outfit and said it should be outlawed.

Meanwhile, curfew was imposed in a stretch of Imphal East earlier on Sunday after tribal militants opened fire in Bongyang village along the Imphal-Ukhrul road. Since most of the villagers were inside the church for Sunday prayers, there was no casualty.

In response, Collector Ningthoujam Geofrey clamped curfew in the area from Lamlong market to Yaingangpokpi, with the restrictions extending to 300 metres on either side of the state highway.

"The authority has reason to believe that it will be difficult to protect lives and properties of the people," he said.

Bongyang is a Kuki-dominated village, where last week, three policemen were killed and 14 others injured in an ambush.

Meanwhile, villagers and staff of Vijaya Bank took out a procession on Sunday at Saikul, also a Kuki area, condemning the robbery of Rs 6 lakh on December 15 by two masked men.

Autonomous District Council member T. Guite said: "The money belongs to the poor people and not the rich and influential businessmen. The common people are hit hard by the closure of the bank branch."

While condemning the heist, elected representatives and village elders urged the bank to reopen the branch there.

Police circles and civil organisations fear a communal flare up as the central government has not stepped in to restrain the Naga groups. Police sources fear that this may be the beginning of a repeat of ethnic cleansing witnessed in the 1990s which left over 1,500 dead and dozens of villages destroyed.

--IANS

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BJP hits back at Congress, Left for questioning army chief's appointment

Delhi,National,Politics,Defence/Security, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Hitting back at Congress and the CPI for questioning appointment of Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as new Army Chief, the Bharatiya Janata Party said on Sunday that armed forces should not be dragged into political debate for political gains.

"We condemn the Congress's repeated attempts at dragging armed forces into political debate to suit its narrow political ends," BJP spokesperson G.V.L Narsimha Rao told IANS.

He urged the poltical parties not to politicise the maatter as it could have adverse impact of the morale of armed forces.

"There are some red lines that Congress and Left parties should not cross in national interest which is supreme. But the Congress has been guilty of doing it repeatedly for political purposes," he said.

As the appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service, the Congress asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the circumstances behind the appointment of Rawat while superseding seniors.

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supersession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, was not respected," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said at a press conference here.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) accused the government of creating controversies over appointments on the top posts and advised that Army should not be dragged into "controversies" everytime.

"This has become controversial and all these are in public domain..... it is unfortunate. The Army should not be drawn into controversy," CPI leader D. Raja told IANS.

--IANS

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Delhi launches 'Project Smile' for children with learning disabilities

Delhi,National,Immigration/Law/Rights,Education, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) After the "Every Child can Read" campaign, the Delhi government on Sunday announced it has decided to provide special assistance to children with learning disabilities through "Project Smile".

"The government has identified 35,000 such children who will be tested for learning disabilities and thereafter would be provided appropriate learning support," said a government statement.

The Delhi government had launched "Every Child can Read" campaign on Teachers' Day (September 5) this year which lasted till Children's Day (November 14).

According to the results of the campaign made public on Friday, around 5 per cent children could not go beyond identifying alphabets.

"These children will have to take screening tests by Special Education Teachers and Counsellors to identify if any of them have learning disabilities," the statement said.

"Based on the results of the screening tests, the Special Education Teachers and Counsellors will be allotted groups of children for specialised support based on their specific learning disability," it added.

Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said with special attention, these children will achieve success in school and in life.

"When we launched 'Every Child Can Read campaign', the government was serious about reaching every child in our schools. Project Smile will ensure that no child will be left behind as a result of their learning disability," he said.

According to the government, additional one lakh students learned to read "advance stories" (having an excerpt of about 100 words from the text book of Class 6) during the reading campaign.

--IANS

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Rise in tourism placing Goa's resources under stress: Governor

Goa,National,Politics, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Panaji, Dec 18 (IANS) Increase in tourism has put the coastal state's resources under stress and care needs to be taken to ensure that Goa does not lose its identity because of excessive tourism, Governor Mridula Sinha said on Sunday.

"Due to an increase in terms of tourists in the state, there has been a stress on the resources and land. Tourism, without doubt, is the cornerstone of our economic progress. To make the tourism sector strong, it is desirable to improve the basic requirements of this sector," Sinha said in a speech on the eve of Goa Liberation Day on Monday.

Goa, a former Portuguese colony, was liberated by the Indian armed forces on December 19, 1961.

"We have to be very careful to see that, in the name of development of tourism, we do not lose our identity and cultural values," she added.

Goa is one of the top beach and nightlife tourism hubs in the country and attracts over four million tourists every year.

The Goa Governor also said that despite recent attacks on the country's borders, the spirit of unity and nationalism was evident across the country.

"The nation expects from all its responsible citizens to prevent any anti-national activities in our country. The recent attacks on our boundaries are an issue of great concern. But in spite of all the upheavals, we can see unity and nationalism throughout our country," she said.

Sinha also said that despite economic progress, there was a deterioration in social morality, adding that there is erosion of love, honesty, dedication and accountability in our society.

"The lure of money has made people forget about our moral values. It is unfortunate that our youth today is moving away from the moral values set by our ancestors. We are slowly forgetting the moral values and principles given by our ancestors," she said.

--IANS

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AAP asks BJP, Congress to disclose source of unaccounted donations

Delhi,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) AAP national treasurer Raghav Chadha on Sunday wrote to his Congress and BJP counterparts asking them to disclose the source of unaccounted donations received by them.

Chadha, in his letters to Congress national treasurer Motilal Vora and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national treasurer Piyush Goyal, said the government's move to exempt demonetised currency deposited in banks by political parties raises questions about the actual intention behind the note-ban.

He urged them to express their willingness to get their party account details of the last five years probed by an independent panel.

"Political parties don't give account of the donations received by them. I request you to make public the details of all the donations received by your party.

"Also make public the names of those who gave donations below Rs 20,000," he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader further said that most of the donations received by the Congress and the BJP comes from undisclosed sources and asked them to make their details public as well.

He also asked both BJP and Congress to come clean on the amount of money they deposited in bank accounts in Rs 500 and 1000 notes after the November 8 demonetisation announcement.

"Political parties have become machines to convert black money into white. The amount of black money that the political parties have, I don't feel that much black money could be found anywhere else.

"AAP has always been accountable for every single penny received as donations by giving all details to Income Tax Department. Are other parties ready to do that?" Chadha asked.

He added if the BJP and Congress were serious about corruption and black money, then they should come clean about their donations as the "public had every right to know the truth".

"If you do not accept our demands, then public will have no choice but to believe that you and your party are not only standing with the corrupt and black money hoarders, but are actually partnering with them," he wrote.

--IANS

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Two arrested in Madhya Pradesh for printing fake Rs 2,000 notes

Madhya Pradesh,National,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Bhopal, Dec 18 (IANS) Two persons were arrested on Sunday for printing fake notes of Rs 2,000 denomination in Burhar town under Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, police said.

The accused, Ravi Gupta and Amit Rai, scanned the new Rs 2,000 notes and took out coloured photocopies.

"Gupta used the fake notes at a petrol pump. Upon suspicion, the petrol pump workers informed the police," Burhar police station in-charge Prafull Rai told IANS.

Rai added that the accused have been arrested and the photocopy machine has been confiscated.

During police interrogation, the two revealed that they had made only one photocopy.

--IANS

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Trump taps fiscal hawk to head budget office

United States,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Washington, Dec 18 (IANS) US President-elect Donald Trump said he will nominate Republican Mick Mulvaney, a fiscal conservative who has warned of rising budget deficits, to head the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Mulvaney's main responsibility as OMB head would be to assist the president in developing and implementing the federal budget.

"Right now we are nearly $20 trillion in debt, but Mick is a very high-energy leader with deep convictions for how to responsibly manage our nation's finances and save our country from drowning in red ink," Trump said in a statement on Saturday, Efe news reported.

The 49-year-old Republican, who represents a district in South Carolina, won a seat in Congress in 2010 by riding the Tea Party wave in that year's mid-term election.

He has been a member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of fiscally conservative GOP lawmakers who oppose any increase in government spending.

The head of the OMB must be confirmed by the Senate, where Mulvaney does not have many allies.

Mulvaney would be tasked with designing a budget that fulfils key Trump campaign promises, including plans to repeal President Obama's signature Affordable Care Act, informally known as Obamacare; overhaul key areas of the tax code; and carry out an infrastructure spending program.

--IANS

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Government will earn Rs 2-3 lakh crore in taxes: Parrikar on demonetisation

Goa,National,Politics,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Panaji, Dec 18 (IANS) Due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move, the Central government will earn at least Rs 2 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore in taxes, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Sunday.

"A minimum of Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh crore in taxes will be collected and once this tax comes to the government, it will help fulfil the needs of the common people and the poor. The Central government will utilise the money to give financial strength to these sections," Parrikar told a BJP party meeting at Quepem assembly constituency, in South Goa.

Parrikar also said that one of the key aims of the demonetisation move was to strengthen the Indian economy and that the decision had also resulted in huge caches of black money being unearthed.

"But the manner in which black money is coming out, even in trucks, is something else. Until now, Rs 700 to Rs 800 crore of black money was caught in currency notes. I do not have to say how many people who have deposited money in banks are going to be taxed," Parrikar said.

At the same time, Parrikar also conceded that some amount of hardship had been caused to people, especially in areas where there were fewer bank branches in operation.

"We can understand there was hardship. There was some hardship in Goa, but outside Goa, where there are lesser banks, some people may have been troubled more," he said.

--IANS

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Government faces flak over new army chief, defends decision (Roundup)

Delhi,National,Politics,Defence/Security, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The appointment of Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as the next Army Chief came under attack on Sunday with the opposition parties criticising the move for the generally followed seniority norm having been ignored while the government defended the decision, saying he was "best suited" for the job.

The Congress and the CPI questioned Rawat's appointment and termed it "unprecedented".

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supersession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, was not respected," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari told a press conference here.

"Is it that these officers who have been superseded were unqualified in any manner or is it whimsical cherry-picking which has been done by the BJP-led government," he asked.

The government, however, insisted that Rawat was "best suited" for the job.

"He was found the best suited among the Lt. Generals, to deal with emerging challenges, including a reorganised and restructured military force in the north, continuing terrorism and proxy war from the west, and the situation in the northeast," a source in the Defence Ministry said.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat has ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service.

Tewari said: "Not only is this supersession unprecedented, probably this has happened for the first time that three senior Generals (Commanding different armies) have been superseded".

"It is not the first time this government has done this. The appointment or the non-appointment of a full-time Enforcement Director, the ad-hoc appointment in the CBI, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court, is an extremely serious matter which shows this government has scant regard for institutional integrity," the Congress leader said.

"Why is there a delay in the notification for the next Chief Justice of India," he asked.

Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is retiring on January 3. The government is yet to announce the next Chief Justice.

Similarly, the Communist Party of India also accused the Narendra Modi government of creating controversies over appointments on the top posts and advised that army should not be dragged into "controversies".

"This has become controversial and all these are in public domain... it is unfortunate. The Army should not be drawn into controversy," party leader D. Raja told IANS.

The Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the Congress and the CPI for questioning the appointment, saying armed forces should not be dragged into political debate for political gains.

"We condemn the Congress's repeated attempts at dragging the armed forces into political debate to suit its narrow political ends," BJP spokesperson G.V.L. Narsimha Rao told IANS.

"There are some red lines that Congress and Left parties should not cross in national interest which is supreme. But the Congress has been guilty of doing it repeatedly for political purposes," he said.

Lt. Gen. Rawat was commissioned in the Fifth Battalion of the 11 Gorkha Rifles in December 1978 from the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, where he was awarded the 'Sword of Honour'.

He has commanded an infantry battalion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and an infantry division in the Kashmir Valley.

He also has vast experience in high altitude warfare and counter-insurgency operations.

--IANS

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Chris Pratt got a gun at 12

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Dec 18 (IANS) Actor Chris Pratt was just 12-years-old when he got his first gun.

"My cousin bought it for me, with my parents' permission (and it was) one I paid for with money I earned," Pratt told GQ magazine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

And the first toy the actor ever bought himself, after doing odd jobs around his local neighbourhood, was an air rifle.

He said: "I loved that BB gun. I must have shot it 10,000 times. It was my main toy. It was mine. I bought it - you know what I mean?"

The 37-year-old actor became a stripper when he was just 14 years old and charged $40 for his services.

"I put the word out there that I was going to start stripping. I marketed myself," said Pratt.

Pratt was first hired for a teenage girl's birthday party, but things didn't go according to plan.

Though he was initially "totally pulling it off", the girl's parents unexpectedly returned home, so he jumped out of the balcony, put his clothes back on, said hello to the couple who were then leaving again, and returned inside to finish his routine.

He said: "It was like something out of a John Hughes movie."

The former "Parks and Recreation" star then landed gigs at a 40th birthday party and a grandmother's birthday - which he described as "more funny than weird" but he quit stripping when he began to consider it as a full time career option and went for an audition at a local club, only to find one of the strippers sleeping outside.

"It just felt seedy and that I was moving into less innocent territory," he said.

--IANS

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Congress to hold march to highlight migrant workers' plight

Delhi,National,Politics,Immigration/Law/Rights, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) In a bid to highlight the plight of the migrant labourers, who are now returning back to their homes following demonetisation, the Congress on Sunday said that it will hold a march on December 24.

"Congress will hold a 'Palayan Rokho March' from Jantar Mantar to Parliament House on December 24 to highlight the plight of the migrant labour force due to faulty implementation of demonetisation," the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken told reporters here.

"The 48.63 lakh unorganised or informal workforce in Delhi consists of first-generation migrant labour and after the faulty implementation of demonetisation, reverse migration has begun in Delhi, and lakhs of labour have already returned to their homes.

"About 10,000 to 15,000 labourers are returning to their homes from Delhi every day, which is stalling development works in Delhi," he said.

The Congress leader emphasised that labour in the unorganised or informal sector is the real lifeline of Delhi, and who sustains and keeps the city going.

"They are the providers of affordable services and labour," he added.

Maken said he had written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on December 9, demanding he to take steps to stop the reverse migration of the informal work force and that unemployment allowance be given to such labourers, but to no avail.

Attacking the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, he said: "I have not received any reply from the Chief Minister, nor has the Delhi government taken any steps to implement my suggestion that Rs 5,000 be given to these workforce as monthly unemployment allowance (nearly 50 per cent of the minimum wages)."

Also hitting out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maken said that whenever it comes to power, migrants have to suffer many difficulties.

He recalled Union Ministers Jagmohan and Ananth Kumar, part of Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, had in 2002 "given orders for the demolition of unauthorised colonies, and factories were removed from Delhi".

"A large number of migrant workforce which used to work in these sectors, were the worst affected due to the BJP ministers' actions."

--IANS

aks/vd
5 killed, 14 wounded in Iraq bomb attacks

Iraq,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Baghdad, Dec 18 (IANS) At least five people were killed and 14 others injured on Sunday in separate bomb attacks which mainly targeted Iraqi security forces, security sources said.

In one attack, a booby-trapped car detonated near a fuel station in Halabsa area, just west of the city of Fallujah, about 50 km from the capital city of Baghdad, leaving two persons killed and nine wounded, Xinhua news agency reported.

The massive blast destroyed several civilian cars and badly damaged nearby buildings, the source said.

The second blast was a roadside bomb explosion near a vehicle in Yankja village in province of Salahudin, which killed two policemen and wounded another three.

Another roadside bomb which struck a vehicle in the town of Abu-Saida in province Diyala, claimed the life of one person and wounded two others.

Terrorist acts, violence and armed conflicts killed 2,885 Iraqis and wounded 1,380 others in November across Iraq, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq said.

The attacks came as the Iraqi security forces backed by anti-IS international coalition are carrying out a major offensive to drive out IS militants from their last major stronghold in and around Mosul.

--IANS

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Venezuela to delay demonetisation

Venezuela,Politics,Business/Economy,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Caracas, Dec 18 (IANS) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has delayed the withdrawal of the 100-bolivar banknote until January 2, reports said on Sunday.

The sudden change of policy came after days of economic crisis in the South American state, the BBC reported.

In a national broadcast, Maduro claimed his country was victim of international sabotage, which prevented new 500-bolivar currency notes arriving in time.

Many Venezuelans spent several days in long queues trying to hand in or swap the old notes.

Thousands of shops were closed because of the cash crunch, and the public were forced to rely on credit cards or bank transfers. Many were left without food.

Anger spilled over on to the streets and skirmishes were reported in six cities. Many were taken into custody.

In Caracas, people waved their 100-bolivar bills in the air and chanted "they're useless!" - then turned and ran as police in riot gear fired tear gas.

The government said the scrapping of the 100-bolivar note was necessary to prevent smuggling.

The president said the aim was to tackle gangs which hoard Venezuelan currency abroad, a move he previously described as part of the "economic war" being waged against his government.

--IANS

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Turkey blames Kurdish militants for bomb blast

Turkey,Politics,Defence/Security,Terrorism,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Ankara, Dec 18 (IANS) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed the militant Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) for the car bomb that killed 13 soldiers, reports said on Sunday.

The Saturday blast near university in Kayseri that targeted a public bus also wounded 55 other soldiers and civilians, the Guardian reported.

In a statement, Erdogan said the "separatist terrorist organisation" the PKK was responsible for Saturday's attack, linking it to developments in Iraq and Syria.

He said that Turkey was under "joint attack" by terrorist organisations.

After Erdogan's comments, nationalist protesters on Saturday ransacked the local headquarters of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic party (HDP) in Kayseri and several other cities.

The bomb had exploded at the entrance gate to Erciyes University and hit the bus that was carrying soldiers on leave and other passengers.

The explosion came a week after a similar attack had killed more than 30 police officers.

Television pictures showed the smouldering wreckage of the bus, as the wounded were taken to waiting ambulances.

Turkey faces multiple security threats, including spillover from the fight against the IS in northern Syria, where it is a member of the US-led coalition against the militant group.

It also faces regular attacks from Kurdish militants who were waging a three-decade insurgency for autonomy in largely Kurdish south-east Turkey.

--IANS

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Australia may turn republic once Queen's reign ends

Australia,Politics, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Canberra, Dec 18 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said Australia may turn republic but only after Queen Elizabeth II's reign ends, reports said on Sunday.

Speaking at Australian Republican Movement's (ARM) 25th anniversary dinner overnight, Turnbull said Australians were unlikely to back the republican push while the Queen was still ruling.

He, however, did not rule out a vote in the near future, Xinhua news reported.

Turnbull headed the republican movement from 1993 to 1999, including the group's failed vote in 1999.

"I do not believe Australia would welcome, let alone support, another public referendum during her (Queen Elizabeth II's) reign," Turnbull said on Saturday night.

He said any push for Australia to formally become a republic would be a "slow burn," which must be thought out and embraced by all Australians regardless of how they vote.

"We would need to have an advisory plebiscite which would offer a choice between two republican models, presumably direct election and parliamentary appointment," he said.

Turnbull's comments came a day after the current head of the ARM, Peter FitzSimons, said for the first time, there was majority support in the parliament for an Australian republic.

Following Turnbull's cautious approach to the subject on Saturday night, FitzSimons acknowledged the challenge ahead for the group.

"He's the prime minister - he's experienced in this field and he's saying make no mistake you have a long hill to climb," FitzSimons said.

"The point that I'm about to make in return is ... we are climbing that hill, we've got extraordinary enthusiasm."

The plan has also received backing from the nation's opposition leader, Bill Shorten.

Shorten posted on social media: "My offer still stands - let's work together to deliver an Australian head of state."

In 1999, Australia narrowly voted against leaving the British monarchy to become a republic.

--IANS

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13 killed in Indonesia plane crash

Indonesia,Crime/Disaster/Accident,Defence/Security, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Jakarta, Dec 18 (IANS) At least 13 persons were killed when an Indonesian military plane crashed in eastern part of the country on Sunday, officials said.

A Hercules plane operated by Indonesian air force crashed in Papua, BBC quoted a military official as saying.

--IANS

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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!)
PLCB

Wine buyer Steve Pollack said the PLCB is buying from all over Spain with one exception -- Priorat.

(Paul Vigna | pvigna@pennlive.com)

Shopping for affordable food-friendly red and white wines for your holiday meal or parties? One place to look is the large section with wines from Italy, said Steve Pollack, buyer for the PLCB's Chairman's Selection program.

"It's our second biggest market, besides California, believe it or not. We built that. . . . there's no better food wine in my opinion than Italian wines, they've got the acid, they've got the tannin structure, they've got the flavor profile, so Italy is one of our biggest markets, from Tuscany to Piedmont to Sicily and Sardinia," he said. "We've been really concentrating in the south of Italy right now, doing some nice Nero d'Alova and some native stuff that's been happening down there. I think they're stunning for the price.

"if you have a chance, get that Indigenous Selections, it's over in Lemoyne, it's Nero d'Avola 2014 vintage. It's just deliciously balanced. I was actually with the winemaker at Bucknell University, we did a wine class a couple weeks ago for the students there, and I brought in Giorgio Rivetti from La Spinetta winery, which we do a lot of business with. Just a farmer, still actually cultivates his own vineyards, I mean it was really nice, it was impressive to get him in front of the students at Bucknell and we tasted his wine there, and it's in the program now. A really impressive lineup. I'm really, really impressed with the renaissance that Italy is going through, having New World wines popping out like these Super Tuscans to, you know, your old guard in Barolo and Barbaresco and the field wines down in Sardinia and Sicily that are just stunning. So, I think it's great."

Here's a link to the list of La Spinetta wines that the Fine Wines & Good Spirits program carries.

Pollack, who took over the Chairman's program in 2008, spent time a couple weeks ago talking about that in addition to up-and-coming wine regions, grapes and trends. Here's the last of the four-part series, focusing on several of the world's bigger wine regions that sells to the PLCB.

On Argentina and the value of the wines they are producing.

"Argentina, I've really been disappointed lately. They give us a lot of Malbec opportunities and a lot of Cab opportunities and a lot of Chardonnay and whites, and to be honest, the ones I've tasted recently have just been dirty. [Editor's note: Pollack said Monday the term dirty refers to dirty, stagnant water aromas and flavor that he has tasted in some Argentinian and Chilean whites.] I don't know what going on, if it's just the region we're playing; this is from Maipo and Mendoza, I mean, the jury is out. And the reds tend to be lean. The Malbec, I don't know if they are overproducing it now, but it just tends to be black plum-scented, nothing really flashy, you're not getting that black olive any more . . . Sometimes when you're a country like Argentina and you build your name off a $10 Malbec, it might be hurting them right now because the ones I've tasted lately have been like plum water. I've been disappointed because I think Malbec has a lot of potential."

On what he's seeing out of France.

France is France. Out of all, we've taken on Bordeaux in the program. It's kind of lukewarm. I mean, we've taken on Left Banks . . . and some of the other regions and it just didn't pan out. You can sell a $39 Napa Cabernet that nobody knows from $70 faster than you can sell third growth Saint-Julien from a nice house at $29.99 for $50. It's all a matter of perception. . . . I believe it is a bit of the consumer not being too familiar with these regions, also, unlike 15-20 years ago the collectors or wine consumers that cellar wines like Bordeaux, Burgundy, have fallen off a bit. Baby Boomer wine consumer is shrinking, millennials becoming the next wine generation. Finally, California has had two back-to-back incredible vintages 2012-2013 that has the consumer craving these rich and ripe vintages.

"I think there's going to be much more opportunities for Bordeaux, based on the vintages I've been watching. '15 is going to be a good year but it's going to be a pretty volatile year, so we might be able to pick some higher fruit off the tree there that people want to move. Southern France is blowing up. The rose craze, where I kind of questioned it last year and I thought it would be a kind of a one-time windfall, it's even gotten [more popular]. We've never bought more rose than we bought this past fall ..i think we have about 20,000 cases of different SKUs of rose from all over France. I think that's something that's going to continue through the whole year. Like I said, some of the whites from southern France, like Languedoc is very exciting for me. . . . you get some of these Syrah-Grenache blends that are just warm and spicy at 8, 9 dollars a bottle that over-deliver for the price."

Finally, back to Spain, which he talked about several times during our conversation.

"Rioja is going through a renaissance. They're starting to get away from leaving it in American oak too long, they're starting to heat ferment and get the tannins a little softer. Bodegas Monticello, which we do a number of years in a row, they have the blue label and the red label and the green label depending on the time and wood. Excellent, $12 a bottle in the program right now from $24. [Overall], they're getting a lot more fruit out of those Rioja wines, which is nice." Pollack said he's pulling in wine from around the country, from regions such as La Mancha, Toro and Ribera del Duero. "The only place we don't play too much with is Priorat, because we tried them in the past and they're just very expensive. That region has really [priced] itself right out of the market."
GST, rupee likely to chart markets' direction (Market Outlook)

Maharashtra,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) The central government's efforts to build consensus on the countours of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), along with rupee fluctuations and volatility in global crude oil prices, are expected to set the course for the Indian equity markets in the upcoming week.

Besides, the direction of foreign funds and the impact of demonetisation on the growth of earnings will impact investors' sentiments.

"The markets would probably continue to be range bound as the holiday season approaches for global investors," Devendra Nevgi, Chief Executive of Zyfin Advisors, told IANS.

"The rise in the US dollar and crude oil would be a concern for global risk appetite towards emerging markets, especially net commodity importers. The markets are also adjusting to the US Fed rate hike (including the future path) and implications of the same."

According to Nevgi, the stock market's movement will also depend upon the impact of demonetisation as gauged by the investors.

"Stock specific news flows would continue the short term movements of individual stocks," Nevgi predicted.

"With major events of the year over, Indian markets should see volumes and volatility easing for the rest of December. It should mean the markets would also aim at positioning itself towards the budget announcement."

Further, investors are expected to read just "their rate cut expectations" after the release of Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meet's minutes.

On December 7, the RBI kept its key lending rates unchanged, citing global and local uncertainties and also lowered the country's growth forecast for 2016-17.

During that meet, all six members of the panel, chaired by the RBI Governor Urjit Patel, voted in favour of the monetary policy decisions -- the minutes of which will be released on December 21.

Another major theme for the week starting December 19 will be the government's efforts to build consensus over the GST framework.

"The GST meet scheduled for December 22 and 23 will be important as roll-out chances for April 2017 now looks bleak," Anand James, Chief Market Strategist, Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services, told IANS.

On December 17, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the GST regime needs to be implemented between April 1 and September 16, 2017, due to constitutional compulsions.

He elaborated that the GST Council was working towards resolving the deadlock.

"The range of timing when GST has to come into force is between April 1 and September 16, 2017 due to constitutional necessity. Nobody has the luxury of time," Jaitley said in his address at the 89th annual general meeting of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) here.

The Constitution (One Hundred and First Amendment) Act, 2016 was notified on September 16 for GST come into force within one year.

Jaitley said the crucial issue of dual control or who will exercise control over GST assessees -- the Centre or the states - still needs to be resolved in the GST Council, but assured that each assessee will be assessed only once.

Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls expected investors to closely follow global market sentiments and price movement of the Indian rupee against the US dollar.

"Indian equity markets are likely to be volatile due to profit booking and selling pressure at higher levels in coming sessions. Stock specific price movement can be seen in Indian equity markets next week," Desai explained.

Desai pointed out that the pace of FIIs' (Foreign Institutional Investors) fund inflow into equity segment will be a crucial determining factor for the movement of the key indices.

In terms of investments, provisional figures from the stock exchanges showed the week witnessed a massive outflow of foreign funds worth Rs 3,610.10 crore.

On the other hand, figures from the National Securities Depository (NSDL) disclosed that foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) were chiefly net sellers in the debt market. They sold equities and debt instruments worth Rs 2,341 crore, or $ 346.2 million from December 13-16.

On a technical-level, NSE Nifty is expected to correct further after last week's slide.

"Traders will need to watch if the Nifty can hold above the immediate supports of 8,127-8,105, else a further correction is likely early next week. A rally could emerge if the resistance of 8,226 is taken out," Deepak Jasani, Head - Retail Research, HDFC Securities, told IANS.

Last week, Indian equities markets ceded their initial gains to close on a negative note, as global cues, along with rupee's depreciation and the outflow of foreign funds, subdued investors' sentiments.

The barometer 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the BSE plunged by 257.62 points or 0.97 per cent to close the week's trade at 26,489.56 points.

Similarly, the wider 51-scrip Nifty of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) fell by 122.3 points or 1.48 per cent and closed at 8,139.45 points.

(Rohit Vaid can be contacted at rohit.v@ians.in)

--IANS

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Militarisation of South China Sea should end: US 7th Fleet Commander

Delhi,National,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) Ending militarisation, maintaining transparency of intention and following the rule of law can de-escalate tensions in the South China Sea, currently a hot dispute between Beijing and the littoral countries of the region, a top US commander has said.

"We have been very transparent, we would appreciate all countries being transparent with their intentions in the South China sea; that would help a lot," Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, the commander of the US 7th Fleet who was on a visit to India, told a select group of journalists here.

Could the tensions provoke an armed conflict? "We certainly don't want that," he replied.

"Exercising our rights under international laws to travel to the South China Sea, I do not see that as provoking something into a war. For over 70 years we have been sailing in those waters through the Indian Ocean, to ensure this major sea lane of communication remains open," Aucoin said in response to a question by IANS.

The Seventh Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, has been patrolling Asia's waters since World War II. Its coverage area extends from Japan to India.

China has blamed the US for militarising the area with its increasing presence, while the US has blamed China for this.

Aucoin stressed that the need of the hour is "to stop militarising, and state what their intentions are and then peacefully settle their territorial claims in a court of a law. That would tremendously de-escalate the angst that is now in the South China sea."

Tension has been escalating in the South China Sea with China claiming more than 80 percent of the area. The other major claimants to the area include Vietnam and the Philippines.

In recent years, China has reclaimed more than 3,000 acres in the waters that see trade worth $5 trillion annually.

Satellite images have shown that China has deployed surface-to-air missile launchers on an island in the South China Sea. Of late, it has also increased reliance on non-naval ships to assert its claims in the sea as per reports.

China also rejected a recent decision by the Hague-based Permanent Court of Attribution (PCA) over strategic reefs and atolls that Beijing claims would give it control over the South China Sea. The judgment was in favour of the Philippines.

Aucoin, in the past, has called for patrolling of the South China Sea by multiple nations.

Asked what role he expected India to play in the South China Sea, he said that was for the country's leadership to decide.

He, however, added that India has set an example by abiding by the international order when it accepted a decision of a UN tribunal on its maritime boundary with Bangladesh.

"I look at India as an example, the country that does it the right way. There was a claim between India and Bangladesh. India agreed to take that to court. That would be a terrific path forward in South China Sea that they take it to court and then following the ruling the countries would heed to the ruling," Aucoin said.

At the same time, he said that communication with the Chinese PLA Navy had improved, and a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) is now in place.

"We interact with the Chinese Navy quite a bit. We talk about the South China Sea, we talk about a number of things and there is good progress in some areas like CUES," Aucoin said.

"China has adopted that and has really eliminated a lot of uncertainty."

The Vice Admiral added that India and the US, being two major democracies in the world, need to act together to encourage other countries to follow the rule of law.

"I think as big democracies, we need to act together to encourage following the rule of law because this demand on resources is only going to be more exacerbated in coming years. I very much look forward to working closely with the Indian Navy and the example they set for the world stage," he said.

(Anjali Ojha can be contacted at anjali.o@ians.in)

--IANS

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'Collateral Beauty': Opposite of what nasty reviews say (Review)

Delhi,Cinema/Showbiz, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

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Film: "Collateral Beauty"; Director: David Frankel; Cast: Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Michael Pena; Rating: ****

"Collateral Beauty" has been dealt with by critics the world over with undeserved savagery. It has its deep flaws, yes. And the core premise of a satirical personification of Time, Death and Love, is hard to swallow.

But there is so much that is achingly beautiful in the film. New York is shot by Maryse Alberti, in the night light when the city seems most vibrant and during that time of the day when loneliness is most pronounced.

At its heart, this is a film that tells you to embrace death. It is a deeply melancholic meditation on bereavement and morality. There are characters who are either mourning the loss of a dead one or preparing themselves for inevitable death in their lives.

At one point in the storytelling, a dying middle-aged man tells an unlikely confidante that he never wanted to become an old shriveled-up prune. Now when he won't live to be that, he wants nothing more. Our hurting hero Howard, on the the other hand, wants nothing more than death.

Will Smith's portrayal of a man who has shut all systems down after bereavement is so scarily throbbing with rage and resentment that we tend to mistake his exterior quietude for something far less acrimonious than it actually is. This is a man who doesn't give a damn anymore about his dreams, friends, social conduct, food or sex. Or, anything that normal people consider to be Anourishing and nurturing.

Will Smith hardly speaks. His Howard is a ticking time-bomb. When he finally explodes, I heard sobs somewhere close to me. Turned out it was me.

"Collateral Beauty" is an impossibly ambitious look back in suppressed anger at the injustices of life that are shoveled on to the most undeserving victims of karmic brutality. It could be Howard whose loss is irreparable. Or his colleague Simon Scott (Michael Pena) who is hiding his impending death from his family. Or the feisty actress Bridgette who plays Death even as death plays her.

Every character in this gentle elegiac ode to mortality is unhappy, even the little girl (played with sobering brilliance by Kylie Rogers) who hates her father (Ed Norton) for divorcing her mother. And yet for its disgruntled characters, "Collateral Beauty" is not an unhappy film. It leaves us with a lingering affection for life's gifts big and small, and thankful for the presence of your loved ones.

The film is shot with a dose of slackened adrenaline. It makes the pulses race and hearts soar but it doesn't exhilarate the senses in the way great cinema is meant to be. This is Frank Capra's cinema where some of the wonderful life is lost in translation. And yet what remains is so precious and powerful that the losses in the narrative construction become bearable.

Finally what fuels the false feeling of failed film is the exceedingly streamlined structuring of the characterization. Every character is complemented by a counter-point character making the goings-on look much too planned and precise to convey the full heft of the intended emotional impact.

When three struggling actors are introduced in the plot as personifications of 'Love,' 'Time' and 'Death', each one befriends three principal characters close to the core of the drama. This is where the problems arise. Critics have laughed at what they see as a bogus premise for a spiritual sparring session on death and guilt. They are repulsed, some to the point of nausea by the film's arching homage to the spirit of mortal combat between happiness and yearning.

But the film saves up one final twist for the last, a twist that I never saw coming. And when it came, I was so thankful for it, and so grateful that life in the movies can still be swerved into a state of sublime redemption that I forgave all the all-too-obvious discrepancies in the plot.

The performances range from the terrifyingly tactile (Will Smith, Michael Pena), to the deliciously theatrical (Helen Mirrem, Keira Knightley). Kate Winslet, poor woman, has the most sketchily written part. She wolves on her meager part with the hunger of a dying soul grabbing on to the last shred of life.

That, my friend, is what "Collateral Beauty" means. See the film with a loved one. You will come out of the theatre clutching his or her hand for your dear life.

--IANS

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In PM Modi's Varanasi, stink and development go hand-in-hand

Uttar Pradesh,National,Politics,Human Interest/Society, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Varanasi, Dec 18 (IANS) In this ancient city that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, development and stink literally go hand-in-hand -- the latter in spite of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, having been launched here more than two years ago.

As you walk down the markets and bathing stairways of this temple-dotted city along the Ganges, a river revered by Hindus, the garbage strewn all around raises an almighty stink. A cluster of cows and bulls squatting in the middle of roads poses a threat to passersby and commuters.

"Benaras (as Varanasi was earlier known) has a rich, grand cultural heritage but it's literally stinking. You can see garbage even in the city's upscale areas," Smith Williams, a tourist from the US, told IANS.

He said vehicular and industrial pollution is alarmingly high. "It's amazing to see the people here are literally gasping for breath."

His wife Emily said stray animals, especially cows and dogs, were a nuisance in the city's lanes -- and pointed to a herd of cows standing around aimlessly.

Varanasi, also known as Kashi, rightly described by historian Mark Twain as being older than history, older than tradition and older than even legend, attracts a significant number of foreign tourists, apart from those within the country.

They are mainly from China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Myanmar, Taiwan and Vietnam who travel to cover the Sarnath-Gaya-Varanasi Buddhist circuit. The Buddha delivered his first sermon at Sarnath, about 15 km from here.

Another area of concern is toxic particulate pollution that has resulted in an eight-fold increase in respiratory diseases among children in the past decade, according to a new report, "Varanasi Chokes". Corroborating observations from private doctors, it blames abnormally high air pollution levels -- that spiked five times higher than the average this winter for several days -- for the rise in asthma cases.

On the flip side, local taxi operator Suresh Dubey echoed many citizens in saying that Modi has contributed a lot in developing the city's basic infrastructure like the ongoing construction of a four-lane highway, linking this city with the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow.

"The Lucknow-Varanasi highway, with an almost four-km-long flyover at the entrance of this city will definitely help ease the traffic chaos," added Dubey, who has been driving a taxi in Varanasi for over two decades.

Locals see a major jump in central funding for developing and improving the city's infrastructure with Modi being elected as a Lok Sabha member from here.

"With the initiatives of Prime Minister Modi-ji, the basic amenities will start shaping up in the years to come," auto rickshaw driver Chand Seth said. He said it is also the duty of the local civic body and the state government to develop basic amenities in Varanasi.

A team led by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation Mayor visited Kyoto in April last year to make Varanasi a smart city on the pattern of the Japanese city, but deterioration persists. "There is need for strong political will to improve things," said pediatrician Pradeep Jindal, who is based in the Sigra area.

Octogenarian Tripti Devi, who was born and brought up in this city, said Modi normally walked straight to Dashashwamedh ghat during his visits.

"Dashashwamedh ghat and its adjoining Sheetla and Rajendra Prasad ghats are one of the cleanest places. Modi should visit other ghats too so that the deteriorating conditions would improve there too," she said.

Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe witnessed the Ganga "aarti" at Dashashwamedh ghat on December 12 last year.

As part of the Project Infrastructure Development for Destination and Circuits Scheme, Rs 18.23 crore has been sanctioned by the central government for basic amenities for the tourists at the ghats.

(Vishal Gulati was in Varanasi at the invitation of IndiaSpend. He can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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Salman joins drive to end open defecation in Mumbai

Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) Superstar Salman Khan, known for pitching his support to several social issues, has now lent his support to work towards a campaign to make Mumbai free of open defecation, along with the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The actor tweeted to share a glimpse of his meeting with the BMC commissioner and officials. The "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" star also appreciated the workers.

"Met commissioner and officials at BMC office. Soon going to share info about the work, all of them do a thankless job, which is fab. Appreciate them," Salman tweeted on Saturday night.

It was Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena youth leader, who revealed the motive behind the meeting.

He posted: "Thank you Salman Khan ji for taking lead on open defecation free Mumbai along with the BMC from today! Nearly 30,000 people work on a daily basis to clean up the waste we create through various means -- nearly 10,000 metric tonnes a day."

Thackeray added: "If they can do their bit so well, and ensuring that there's always someone to clean when we litter, we can surely stop littering around. It was to support the 30k BMC staff who keep our city clean, that Salman Khan stepped up BMC's call for open defecation free Mumbai."

Overwhelmed with all the appreciation coming his way, Salman tweeted: "Aaditya Thackeray please don't embarrass me. You are the one who worked this out. Thank you."

On the professional front, the actor is seen on the small screen hosting "Bigg Boss" season 10, and is busy with the work of his next film "Tubelight".

--IANS

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32 die in suicide attack in Yemen

Yemen,Politics,Terrorism,Defence/Security, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Aden, Dec 18 (IANS) Thirty-two pro-government soldiers were killed and several injured when a suicide attacker struck their gathering in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Sunday, the military said.

"The suicide bomber detonated his explosives among scores of soldiers gathered outside the house of Brigadier Nasser Anbouri" in KhorMaksar area, Xinhua news agency quoted a military official as saying.

The attack occurred while the soldiers were in a long queue to receive their monthly salaries.

All the dead soldiers were members of the newly-trained special security forces operating in Aden province, according to the official.

The suicide attack comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State group struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers dead and more than 40 injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government.

Aden has witnessed several well-planned assassinations and armed attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out of the strategic city in 2015.

However, the newly-trained anti-terrorism troops supported by UAE armoured vehicles made substantial achievements in recent weeks, disabling several explosive material factories used by terrorists to manufacture car bombs.

In addition, several commanders of the Yemen-based Al Qaeda branch were captured in the successful raids conducted by the UAE-backed Yemeni forces in Aden and neighbouring provinces.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al Qaeda insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

--IANS

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Ashutosh Gowariker debuts on Twitter

Maharashtra,Cinema/Showbiz,Technology, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker has joined the Twitter bandwagon and is "getting accustomed to the world".

While Gowariker needs time to understand the nuances of the social medium, celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan welcomed him and asked Twitterati to shower him with love and support.

"First day on Twitter! Finally here. Getting accustomed to the world. Reading all the warm messages for 'Swades'! Thank you so much," Gowariker tweeted on Saturday.

Welcoming him into the Twitter universe, Priyanka -- who has worked with Gowariker in "What's Your Raashee?" -- posted: "From my director to my actor but always my friend... Welcome to twitter Ashutosh Gowariker! Show him some love twitterverse."

Abhishek posted: "Ladies and gents, please give a warm welcome to a dear friend and all-round nice guy Ashutosh Gowariker. Welcome to the chaos Ashu."

Shah Rukh, who had thanked Gowariker for helming "Swades" when it clocked 12 years of its existence earlier this week, tweeted: "Can't be a better day to welcome my friend who has given me one of my best films ever. Give him love."

Hrithik Roshan posted: "Please welcome the director who gave me two of my most memorable roles! Akbar n Sarman stay indebted to you Gowariker."

Karan Johar shared: "Welcome the man who has directed spectacular films and placed us proudly on the international map of cinema, Gowariker."

Actress Shabana Azmi asked him to be cautious about getting addicted to Twitter.

"Welcome Ashutosh to Twitter. It's quite addictive, beware," she posted.

--IANS

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A year of personal and political tragedy for Mehbooba Mufti, her party (2016 In Retrospect)

Jammu And Kashmir,National,2016 In Retrospect,Politics, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Jammu/Srinagar, Dec 18 (IANS) The year 2016 began on a politically ominous note for Jammu and Kashmir as Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed passed away after a brief illness in New Delhi on January 7.

Politics for the state, especially for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which Sayeed had so painstakingly created to provide people with a regional alternative to the National Conference (NC), has never been the same after his death.

Sayeed's daughter and the present Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, took three months to decide whether she should don her father's mantle and pick up the baton of governance in India's most troubled state.

Mehbooba was initially so reluctant to assume power that some confidantes of her father were reported to have started working on a Plan B. This plan was projected by erstwhile Sayeed loyalists as their last-ditch effort to save the party from slipping into political oblivion.

The party cannot afford to remain out of power when it has the people's mandate to rule for five years, the supporters of an alternative power centre within the PDP used to say in private conversations during the three months Mehbooba Mufti remained indecisive.

She finally began her governance innings on April 4. Political rivals called her "a reluctant Chief Minister" because she "wasted three months" to even decide whether to govern or not.

For a deeply devoted daughter, the year had begun on a tragic note. This was followed by disturbing events almost as measles chase new borns.

She faced an agitation over the alleged molestation of a girl student in Handwara town. And, tension erupted between local and non-local students in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in the summer capital Srinagar.

As the administration successfully battled the crises to ensure that they did not spoil the summer prospects of tourism and trade in the Kashmir Valley, a row began over alleged colonies being constructed for ex-servicemen and the migrant Pandits in the valley.

But, just when everybody believed Mehbooba Mufti's teething troubles were over, Burhan Wani, the Hizbul commander who had become the poster boy of militancy, was killed in a gunfight on July 8.

Nobody alleged that Burhan's death had been a custodial killing or that he had not been a militant commander, and yet Kashmir burst like a volcano that very day.

The government had to literally go into hiding. The only symbol of governance became the ubiquitous presence of the security forces who were battling a kind of public unrest the Kashmir Valley had not seen even though it had been reeling under insurgent violence for over 27 years.

Kashmir came to a grinding halt. Ninety-six protesters were killed and over 12,000 were injured, including security personnel.

But the worst that happened was that over 150 people hit by pellets fired from pump-action guns faced the prospect of permanent blindness. This tragedy will haunt not only the victims but will also remain as a scar on the state's political landscape for god knows how long.

The separatists have since been issuing weekly protest calendars. The Kashmir Valley has mostly remained shut during this period even though the intensity of the separatist campaign has broken as a function of time and because of the people's patience giving way with the logjam.

One of its senior leaders and Lok Sabha member, Tariq Hameed Karra, resigned from both Parliament and the party because of differences over the handling of the situation by the government.

The political rivals of the PDP-BJP government believed and hoped that the state government would be dismissed because of the law and order crisis. They were proved wrong as the Centre stood by Mehbooba Mufti, assuring her of full support in bringing the situation under control and assuring a healing of the wounds left by the bloody agitation.

Gradually the state government has been re-establishing its writ. Offices, banks, post offices and other semi-government organisations have now started working almost normally across the Kashmir Valley.

Class 10 and 12 examinations were successfully conducted by the state government with overwhelming participation of the students.

After remaining in oblivion for over four months, the ministers and the MLAs of the ruling coalition have started visiting their constituencies and holding developmental and administrative meetings.

The Chief Minister has been trying hard to make up for lost time. She is now visiting places and taking stock of people's problems on the ground.

The ruling coalition has four years of power before the next assembly election in 2020.

Whether or not Mehbooba Mufti and her party emerge stronger from the political crisis faced in 2016 would be proved in the early months of the next year.

It is not always the fortitude and tolerance of rulers and politicians that matter, they also need to be immensely lucky.

Would 2017 bring some good luck and opportunity for the first woman Chief Minister of India's only Muslim-majority state? We will not have to wait long to know the answer.

(Sheikh Qayoom can be contacted at sheikh.abdul@ians.in)

--IANS

sq/vm/ky/sac
China-gifted chandelier put up at Jinnah's mausoleum

Pakistan,Indo-Pak/Pakistan,Diplomacy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Islamabad, Dec 18 (IANS) A new chandelier representing China-Pakistan friendship has been installed at the Mazar-e-Quaid, the mausoleum of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Karachi to replace the one given by China 46 years ago.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in his congratulatory message to Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday said the grand chandelier will be a symbol of friendship between the two countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the China-Pakistan friendship benefits not only the fundamental interests of the two nations and peoples, but also peace and development in the region and the world at large.

In 1970, the Chinese government presented a crystal chandelier as a national gift to the Pakistani government, which became an often-quoted memory of friendly exchanges between the two nations.

The new chandelier is a replica of the original, created by using the most advanced 3D scanning technology.

Mamnoon said the gift given by the Chinese government 46 years ago was a gesture that reflected the love of the people and leaders of China for the Pakistani people and the country's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

--IANS

py/vt
Iran calls for meeting to consider US sanctions

Turkey,Politics,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Tehran, Dec 18 (IANS) Iran has called for a joint meeting with the six world powers to discuss the recent US extension of Iran Sanctions Act.

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday called for the meeting with the US, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany to discuss the sanctions, which Tehran said were a violation of the nuclear agreement, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran and the six world powers reached an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue on July 14 last year which puts Tehran on the path of sanctions relief but more strict limits on its nuclear programme.

Iran has remained committed to all of its obligations under the nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Zarif said in an official letter to the European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

"Maintaining the JCPOA integrity and coherence as well as its sustainability requires that all parties pay attention to (their commitments to) implement its provisions," Zarif said.

However, the foreign minister said the US kept reneging on its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

Zarif asked Mogherini to make necessary preparations for the JCPOA joint commission meeting to consider the extension of ISA.

The earlier vote by the US House of Representatives to extend the ISA was endorsed by the Senate last week.

The White House said the bill renewing the ISA was becoming law without President Barack Obama's signature.

An extension of the bill "is entirely consistent with" the US commitments in the Iran nuclear deal, it said.

The ISA was first adopted in 1996 to sanction Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

--IANS

py/vt
Many people believe that this "Seeing and Not Seei...
Navy chief to visit Japan

Delhi,National,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) To consolidate and expand the maritime relation between New Delhi and Tokyo, India's Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will visit Japan from December 19, a statement said on Sunday.

During the visit, Admiral Lanba will hold discussions with the Japanese Navy chief, the Defence Minister and the Chief of Joint Staff besides other senior officials and dignitaries.

Defence cooperation between India and Japan is primarily focused towards maritime cooperation, the statement said.

The Navy is waiting for the government's approval to purchase 12 US-2i amphibious aircraft from Japanese aircraft maker ShinMaywa for Rs 10,000 crore.

This will be the largest defence purchase from Japan after it ended its five decades old self-imposed embargo defence export. The deal is stuck since 2013.

Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force has participated in the Malabar naval exercise in 2007, 2009, 2014 prior to being included as a regular member in the exercise since last year.

The force participated in Malabar 15 and 16 held respectively in the Bay of Bengal and Western Pacific.

Japan was in 2014 included as an observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium, a maritime cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by the Indian Navy in 2008.

The aggressive posturing of the Chinese Navy in East Asia and South China sea has compelled both India and Japan to formulate a joint maritime strategy.

India and Japan share similar maritime challenges such as long coastline, extensive exclusive economic zone, coastal security, large coastal shipping and fishing fleet, and both navies have opportunities to learn from each other's experiences.

--IANS

rs/py/vt
Pitt can visit kids only for four hours on Christmas

United States,Cinema/Showbiz,Hollywood, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Los Angeles, Dec 18 (IANS) Hollywood star Brad Pitt will only be allowed a four-hour long visit to his children on the Christmas Day.

His estranged wife Angelina Jolie has agreed he can deliver gifts in the morning and early afternoon, reports dailystar.co.uk.

"She doesn't have the heart to refuse to let him see the children over the holidays and they would probably never forgive her if she did. But Brad is going to have to use every ounce of his acting skill when he arrives with their presents and put on a brave face to mask the torment he's going through over spending so little time with them," said a source close to the warring pair.

Jolie, 41, is living in a rented beachfront mansion in Malibu with Maddox, 15, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. She is locked in a legal tussle over the custody of their children with Pitt, 52.

Jolie had filed for divorce on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" and is demanding sole physical custody of the kids with visitation rights only for Pitt, whose lawyers have filed a counter-claim.

As part of the Family Services probe, he was ordered to undergo anger management counselling and submit to random drug tests prior to agreed visits with the children.

The source told Daily Star: "He bit his tongue and suffered through all of that in the hope Angelina would allow him more time with their kids. But he was really choked when he didn't get to spend a single moment with them at Thanksgiving last month."

"And although he can't wait to see them at Christmas, he's dreading how hard it will be for him to leave them again after four hours."

Last year, the family had spent Christmas Day together in a 10-bedroom rented villa in Phuket, Thailand.

--IANS

rb/vt
Apple starts shipping AirPods to customers

United States,Technology,Business/Economy, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New York, Dec 18 (IANS) Apple customers, who pre-ordered the tech giant's wireless earphones AirPods, have started receiving a pair of the product after the sales went live recently, a media report said.

Customers received a word that their orders had been shipped and were scheduled to arrive as promised on December 21, a report on AppleInsider said.

Apple announced its first branded wireless headphones with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September 2016 and the product went up for sale on December 13.

AirPods are priced at Rs 15,400 in India.

According to the report, AirPods were regarded as a highly anticipated item and the initial supply was quickly depleted, pushing back shipment estimates to four weeks mere hours after release.

Alongside pre-order shipments, AirPods are rumoured to land in Apple retail stores, as well as mobile carrier outlets and authorised Apple resellers by as early as next week.

AirPods are automatically on and always connected. They can sense when they are in ears and pause when taken out.

They are driven by the custom-designed Apple W1 chip for efficient wireless connection and improved sound. The W1 chip manages battery life which lets the product deliver five hours of listening time on a single charge.

Just 15 minutes of charging can give three hours of listening time. To check the battery, user can hold the AirPods next to an iPhone or ask Siri "How's the battery on my AirPods?"

--IANS

sku/vgu/vt
Dumped man asks Facebook to not remove his 'last' post

United Kingdom,Technology,Crime/Disaster/Accident, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

London, Dec 18 (IANS) Telling his ex-girlfriend where to find Christmas presents, a 20-year-old man left a last Facebook post hours before he was found dead. He requested the social media giant not to remove his message.

Kieran Lister from Leeds, Britain, posted the message apologising to his family and asking them to sell his belongings and give the money "to someone else that's in need", the Mirror reported.

Lister also requested Facebook not to remove his message in a hope it would be an "eye opener to the people that are looking for happiness".

"I don't know what to do anymore," he wrote in the post, clarifying to friends and family that he had recently split with his girlfriend but emphasising "this isn't her fault".

"Now we are separating I don't feel like I can cope without her full love any longer. She was and still is my everything. I don't think I will be able to get over this."

"I don't want to wait till I get over the situation because she's the only one that's ever made me truly happy," Lister said.

"This isn't (girlfriend's name) fault at all, we both just were not right for each other in the end. I did a lot of bad in the relationship that may have led up to this."

"From day one to the end, I should have cared the same as I did during happy times," Mirror cited his post as saying. "I guess people slowly move apart from each other and I would do anything to stop this."

"I know I'm being selfish considering I have my two families, my dog snoop, my reptiles and my princess (girlfriend's name)," the post read.

He posted the message on December 12, shortly after he was eported missing to police. The police found his body in the Cottingley area of Leeds on December 13.

--IANS

sku/in/vt
Congress attacks Modi over new Army Chief

Delhi,National,Politics,Defence/Security, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Congress on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to explain the circumstances behind the appointment of Lt. Gen. Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief overlooking seniors.

"We would like to ask the Prime Minister what was the compelling reason why this supercession has taken place. Why the principle of seniority, which has held now for almost two decades, not respected," Tewari told a press conference here.

"Is it that these officers who have been superseded were unqualified in any manner or is it whimsical cherry picking which has been done by the BJP-led government?

"Not only is this supercession unprecedented, probably this has happened for the first time that three senior Generals (Commanding different armies) have been superseded," he added.

The government on Saturday appointed Lt. Gen. Rawat as the new Army Chief and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new chief of the Indian Air Force.

The appointment of Lt. Gen. Rawat has ignored the seniority of Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Praveen Bakshi and Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. P.M. Hariz who have spent longer years in service.

"It is not the first time this government has done this. The appointment or the non-appointment of a full-time Enforcement Director, the ad-hoc appointment in the CBI, which has been questioned by the Supreme Court, is an extremely serious matter which shows this government has scant regard for institutional integrity.

"Why is there a delay in the notification for the next Chief Justice of India?"

Chief Justice T.S. Thakur is retiring on January 3. The government is yet to announce the next Chief Justice.

--IANS

rs/mr
Germany to fine Facebook 500,000 euros over fake posts

United Kingdom,Politics,Defence/Security,Technology, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

London, Dec 18 (IANS) A day after Facebook said it was stepping up efforts against fake news and hoaxes, Germany announced a new law that will empower it to fine the social media giant 500,000 euros ($522,575) for every problematic post that does not vanish within 24 hours.

"After years of asking, cajoling and threatening the US social network to work faster to tackle fake news and hate speech, Berlin made clear it is no longer interested in self-regulation," a report in Irish Times said on Sunday.

"Facebook did not use the chance to regulate complaint management properly," Thomas Oppermann, the Bundestag floor leader of Germany's ruling Social Democrats (SPD), was quoted as saying.

He said that after a "long and intensive effort to build bridges" with the company, the SPD and its coalition partner, chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), have agreed to present new legislation in the new year.

The law will oblige all dominant internet platforms operating in Germany to have a legal contact, operating round-the-clock, for victims of hate speech and fake news, the report said.

Currently, Facebook users in Germany complain to the platform's headquarters in Dublin -- with an unclear response and action time.

According to the law, the person affected by the fake news can demand a "correction with the same reach" as the original post.

Facebook was accused of allowing fake news to be posted during the US presidential election in November.

Facebook on Thursday it was stepping up efforts against fake news and hoaxes by testing several ways to make it easier to report a hoax if users see one on the social media network.

Facebook asked its users to flag fake news stories which will be verified by third party fact-checkers.

According to media reports, Facebook was going to work with five fact-checking agencies - ABC News, AP, FactCheck.org, Politifact and Snopes.

--IANS

sku/sm/mr
49 die in Yemen suicide attack

Yemen,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Sun, 18 Dec 2016 IANS

Aden, Dec 18 (IANS) At least 49 persons were killed and 39 injured in a suicide bombing that targeted government forces in Yemen's Aden city on Sunday, an official said.

According to an intelligence source, a suicide attacker detonated his explosive belt near the soldiers gathered to receive their salaries in KhorMaksar area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Ambulances and police vehicles evacuated the dead and wounded to hospitals.

The Yemen-based affiliate of the Islamic State terrorist group frequently targets military bases in the country.

The assault comes less than two weeks after a similar attack claimed by the Yemen-based affiliate of the IS struck an army base near Aden's international airport, leaving 50 soldiers dead and 40 injured.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen's internationally-backed President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government.

Aden witnessed several assassinations and attacks after Saudi-backed forces drove the Shia Houthi rebels out from the strategic city in 2015.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al Qaeda militancy in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) emerged in January 2009, claiming responsibility for a number of attacks against the country's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked terrorists took advantage of the security vacuum and ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

--IANS

py/mr
China issues guideline to improve work safety

China,Business/Economy,Human Interest/Society, Mon, 19 Dec 2016 IANS

Beijing, Dec 19 (IANS) China issued a guideline on improving work safety, seeking to plug the holes in its supervision mechanism, laws and safety standards to effectively prevent accidents.

The country vowed to optimize its supervision and management mechanism as well as laws and regulations to "significantly" reduce workplace accidents by 2020, according to the guideline, jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and State Council on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported.

China will not sacrifice safety for development, it said.

The guideline clarified the definition and division of responsibilities concerning workplace safety.

The country planned to amend its criminal law to include workplace malpractices that easily lead to major accidents, according to the guideline.

It noted the country would increase financial input to enhance workplace risk control and prevent work-related illness, while improving management and auditing to make sure the money would be wisely spent.

China's work safety has been improving, it said, but more efforts would be needed as many problems remain.

The guideline came after a series of deadly accidents, ranging from mining disasters to power plant collapse.

In one of the accidents, 74 people were killed last month when a platform for a cooling tower being constructed as part of a power plant collapsed in east Jiangxi Province.

--IANS

pgh/
Iran will remain committed to nuclear agreement: Rouhani

Turkey,Politics, Mon, 19 Dec 2016 IANS

Tehran, Dec 19 (IANS) Iranian President Hassan Rouhani stressed his country's commitment to the July 2015 nuclear agreement, insisting that Iran will continue to collaborate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

In a meeting with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, President Rouhani said that Iran has been loyal to its commitments to the nuclear agreement so far, Efe news reported on Sunday citing The Islamic Republic News Agency.

He emphasised that Iran will fulfill its obligations as long as the other parties do, per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The agreement with the P5+1 (the US, Britain, China, Russia, France and Germany) limited Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for lifting the international sanctions imposed against the country.

Rouhani claimed that the recent US measures, especially the extension of Iran's Sanctions Act, are incompatible with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The president also expressed his hopes that Iran and the IAEA could have good technical cooperation in the field of nuclear-powered engines for maritime transport.

Amano said that Iran has remained committed to its pledges under JCPOA since the implementation of the deal last January, and reassured the president that the agency will observe impartiality in providing technical reports about the Iranian nuclear program, IRNA reported.

During his visit to the Islamic Republic on Sunday, Amano also conferred with the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali-Akbar Salehi and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Amano's visit coincided with the rising tensions between Washington and Tehran following the extension of Iran's Sanctions Act for 10 more years.

--IANS

pgh/
 AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File FILE - In this Nov. 16, 2016 file photo, Hillary Clinton speaks in Washington. Clinton is blaming Russian interference for her defeat in the presidential race, casting her campaign as

Russias unprecedented intervention in the United States election came amid more than United States-Russia tension and Donald J. Trumps praise of Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president. It also coincided with a growing belief, in Moscow, that Russia faced an imminent threat in Hillary Clintons candidacy.

Mrs. Clinton is viewed in Moscow as innately hostile to Russia. Widely held conspiracy theories portray her as seeking to foment unrest that will return Russia to the chaos and depression of the 1990s. Even many government technocrats view her with suspicion that at times verges on paranoia.

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She referred to these views at an event on Thursday, telling donors that Mr. Putins personal beef with her had driven Russias intervention in the American election.

Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert at the Institute of International Relations, based in Prague, said the Kremlin was consumed by something more urgent than petty revenge: self-preservation.

Its not just they didnt like Clinton, but they actually thought that she represented a threat, he said, describing Russias actions as a matter of policy, not pique.

No one factor can fully explain Russias decision to hack and pass on Democratic emails, analysts say, and intelligence agencies appear divided on assessing Russian motives. But, in Moscow, fear of Mrs. Clinton has loomed as large or larger than any warmth for Mr. Trump.

Mr. Putin accused Mrs. Clinton of instigating protests against him in late 2011 .

She set the tone for some actors in our country and gave them a signal, he said, reflecting a widespread view in Moscow that Mrs. Clinton, then secretary of state, had sought to topple Russias government.

Mr. Putin returned to the presidency a few months later, appearing to believe that the United States had engineered the Middle Easts descent into chaos and was targeting his country to be next. He put Mrs. Clinton at the center of these plots.

Mrs. Clinton is indeed more hawkish than other Democrats, including toward Russia. In 2008, while a senator, she mocked President George W. Bushs claim that he had looked into Mr. Putins soul.

I could have told him  he was a K.G.B. agent. By definition, he doesnt have a soul , Mrs. Clinton joked. The line is still remembered in Moscow.

But the Kremlins views of Mrs. Clinton go beyond defining her as hawkish. They are also layered with a pre-existing Russian belief that promoting American democracy is a ploy to unseat unfriendly governments, that the United States remains bent on Russias destabilization or even destruction, and that there is an American hand behind nearly every Russian misfortune.

These suspicions go back decades. But, since Mrs. Clintons tenure as secretary of state, popular telling has cast her as the culprit responsible for Americas misdeeds and, therefore, Russias setbacks.

In the summer of 2015, when Russian hacking groups first infiltrated Democratic National Committee servers, I happened to be reporting in Moscow. The American name on everyones lips was not Mr. Trumps, who was already praising Mr. Putin, but rather Mrs. Clintons.

Fyodor Lukyanov , a prominent Russian foreign policy commentator, told me at the time that there was a widespread view in his countrys government that Mrs. Clinton, as president, would take a very hostile approach toward Russia.

Consensus in Moscow, Mr. Lukyanov said, was that Hillary is the worst option of any president, maybe worse than any Republican.

It was conventional wisdom, he added, that Mrs. Clinton considered her husbands efforts to reform Russia in the 1990s an unfinished project, and that she would seek to finish it by encouraging grass-roots efforts that would culminate with regime change.

This summer, when Russian hacking groups began releasing Democratic emails through third parties such as WikiLeaks, many Americans suspected an effort to help Mr. Trump, who had promised to realign the United States with Russia.

But Mr. Galeotti, the Russian expert, said that, in all his time in Moscow, I didnt speak to anyone who thought a Trump presidency was possible.

Rather, conversation there followed the same polls that dominated the discussion in America, and which all projected a landslide for Mrs. Clinton.

Even as Mr. Putin deemed Mr. Trump colorful and suggested they might get along, officials in Moscow were absolutely working from the assumption that Clinton was going to get it, Mr. Galeotti said.

This belief may have informed Russias actions during the campaign, which a number of analysts still suspect were aimed at weakening, rather then preventing, Mrs. Clintons presumedly imminent presidency.

But if Moscow does gain an ally in Mr. Trump, it will lose a foil in Mrs. Clinton  something that has been politically useful for Mr. Putin as his countrys economy has sank and its isolation deepened.
Electoral College voters are probably really looking forward to Tuesday, when most of the attention on them will have likely abated. Photo: Mark Makela/Getty Images

On the eve of Mondays meetings of the Electoral College to select Americas next president, the pressure on hundreds of Electoral College voters from pro and anti-Trump forces has only intensified. One Arizona elector told the Washington Post that she has been receiving 50 letters and 3,000 emails a day, mostly attempting to convince her to vote for anyone other than Trump on Monday. A Texas elector told Politico he has received more than 200,000 emails in total, while others have received harassing phone calls, hate mail, and even death threats after activists published their contact info online. While there is essentially no chance that the efforts to sway Electoral College voters away from Trump will be able to change the result of the election, that hasnt stopped the progressive activists and organizations that have committed themselves to the cause, nor has it stopped Trump supporters and Republican Party officials from contacting electors and making sure they are going to stick with Trump.

Progressive groups are reportedly set to protest at the various Electoral College meetings throughout the country on Monday, while this weekend, a group called Unite for America began addressing personalized videos to electors in which celebrities like Martin Sheen and Bob Odenkirk refer to the electors by name and ask them to vote their conscience and reject Trump.

Texan Chris Suprun, a Republican elector who wrote a New York Times op-ed announcing his decision to oppose Trump, has faced a barrage of criticism and vitriol from Republicans, and has even been accused by a Texas television station of making up his claim that he worked as a 9/11 first responder.

Suprun is also one of almost 80 electors, the rest of whom are all Democrats, to have requested an intelligence briefing on Russias alleged interference in the election, according to Politico. That request, which was supported by Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and former Clinton campaign manager John Podesta, was denied on Friday by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who said that the intelligence community is busy preparing the report that President Obama asked for regarding Russias involvement in the election. The consensus opinion among U.S. intelligence officials that Russia intervened in the election in order to help Trump win has only raised the stakes for those still working to oppose the real-estate moguls election.

Twenty-one states, comprising 236 electoral votes, do not have laws which forbid faithless electors from voting for candidates who did not win their respective states. Half of states do have such laws, though the repercussions vary. In Colorado, Republican secretary of State Wayne Williams says he has been authorized by a state court to remove any electors who cast their vote for anyone other than Colorado popular-vote winner Hillary Clinton, and he plans to ignore a federal-court ruling on Friday, which called his authority to do that into question. That ruling, by the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, suggested that any effort to remove an elector after voting has begun would likely violate the Twelfth Amendment of the Constitution. Lawyers supporting the faithless-elector movement celebrated that Tenth Circuit ruling as an indication that electors in other states are now free to vote for whomever they want on Monday as well, regardless of their states elector-binding laws.

Trump is set to receive 306 electoral votes on Monday, well over the 270 he needs to become president. It thus remains extremely unlikely that efforts to select a candidate other than Trump will be successful, particularly when you consider the fact that most electors are state political-party leaders or elected officials, and thus very, very unlikely, at least on the Republican side, to buck their partys president-elect. Because of this, most activists have been calling for a compromise candidate like Mitt Romney or John Kasich who might be palatable to such electors, rather than pushing for more votes for Clinton, who won the nationwide popular vote by nearly 3 million votes but lost the Electoral College. The most feasible anti-Trump efforts aim to sway nearly 40 Republican electoral voters who are bound to Trump, which would then throw the responsibility for selecting the next president to the U.S. House of Representatives (and that scenario would still overwhelming favor Trump becoming president).

Any other outcome, however unlikely, would also send the country and its democracy into unknown and unprecedented territory. One Electoral College voter, who was planning on having himself replaced on Monday since he refuses to vote for Trump, told the Post that he would not support efforts to elect another candidate either, insisting that I dont think we should drag this election out any longer. And can you imagine if the electors overturned the results? If we attempt to change them in any way, youve got these far-right elements that are just going to go haywire.

The 538 voters of the Electoral College will meet in their respective states on Monday to select the next president, but their votes will not be counted by members of the U.S. House and Senate until January 6. After that count, lawmakers will be able to make an objection to any individual vote or states results, and if so, lawmakers will be able to decide if they support that objection or not, with the possible-but-unlikely outcome of votes being thrown out as a result. Congress has never sustained an objection to an electoral vote, and its more than reasonable to assume that even if the Republican-controlled Congress was given the opportunity to select a new president, they would still select Trump.

However, while Donald Trump will almost certainly become Americas next president one way or the other, there will most likely be tumult of an unprecedented scale during the Electoral College meetings on Monday. That there is at least one final crazy day left to go in this crazy election shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone.
Mulvaney during a House Oversight Committee hearing in September. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP

President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Tea Party congressman Mick Mulvaney will be his nominee for director of the Office of Management and Budget. The 49-year-old Mulvaney, the co-founder of the notorious House Freedom Caucus and one of the biggest fiscal hawks in the Republican Party, is already vowing to use the position to restore budgetary and fiscal sanity back in Washington after eight years of an out-of-control, tax-and-spend financial agenda. Mulvaney, who would run the governments spending and regulatory infrastructure, is an anti-Washington, antiestablishment, conservative hard-liner whose views on spending cuts run to the extreme of most of his GOP colleagues, and who has been willing to see the U.S. default on its debts if that means him getting his way.

Mulvaneys greatest hits in Congress include being one of the biggest proponents of using government shutdowns in efforts to defund Obamacare, eliminate Planned Parenthood, or prevent the raising of the federal-debt ceiling. Remarked Mulvaney, speaking proudly of the shutdown threats during the last such fight in 2015, Ill play chicken with you every time. You think I am crazy, and I know you are not.

The South Carolina congressman has also pushed for a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget, allied with Democrats to push for major military spending cuts, and was one of the lawmakers who was instrumental in pushing former Speaker of the House John Boehner out of power in 2015. As Government Executive notes, Mulvaney is also an advocate for cutting the size of the federal workforce and privatizing some of the governments functions, and he even tried to eliminate transit benefits for federal employees as a way to pay for Hurricane Sandy relief  an emergency relief bill he almost scuttled in Congress because he wanted to fully offset the cost of the bill with spending cuts. (New Jersey governor and Hurricane Sandy poster-politician Chris Christie ended up shaming Mulvaney and his colleagues into submission on the bill.)

Spending isnt the only area that Mulvaney can influence, either. Kevin Drum at Mother Jones rings another warning bell regarding Mulvaney, considering how the congressman, if confirmed, would also be in charge of approving information collection and the governments statistical practices:

Mulvaney will be the patron saint of cost-benefit analysis of federal regulations  which, in Republican hands, normally means totting up the costs and ignoring the benefits. In particular, it means that environmental regulations, even those with immense benefits, will be scored into oblivion and never see the light of day.

Then again, while the congressmans desire to get rid of the Affordable Care Act is well-established (an outcome he will soon be in a position to help facilitate), its not at all clear how Trumps enormous $1 trillion infrastructure spending plan will flesh out with people like Mulvaney around to implement it. Same goes with Trumps notions of tax-code reform. Regardless, selecting Mulvaney is likely to calm conservative lawmakers who were worried that Trump might embrace big-government policies  especially when considering how at least one analysis indicated that Trumps various policy proposals, if implemented, could add as much as $5.3 trillion to the national debt (and that might be a conservative estimate). Meanwhile, for those worried the Trump administration will do everything it can to gut the government in every way possible, the Mulvaney pick is consistent with several other cabinet picks pointing in that direction.

Another consistency is that of the 22 people Trump has selected for his cabinet, Mulvaney is the 17th pick to be a white man. At the current pace, according to the Associated Press, the Trump White House will probably feature the least diverse cabinet in more than 25 years. As a point of comparison, President Obama started his first term in office with 13 cabinet members who were women or minorities, compared to Trumps total, thus far, of five. Furthermore, UC Berkeley School of Law professor Anne Joseph OConnell, who tracks these statistics, tells the AP that she expects even less diversity in the lower levels of government under Trump.

This shouldnt come as much of a surprise if you look at the the upper levels of the Trump Organization. During the campaign, an AP review found a very low representation of minorities among the companys executives. In addition, while Trumps inner circles may not reflect the diversity of Americas overall population  they certainly reflect his base: As many as nine in ten Trump voters were white, and a majority male, according to exit polls.
Edited at 2016-12-18 06:57 pm (UTC)

If anyone is interested in klan defense work, southerners on new ground is a great organization to get involved with or contribute to. You don't have to be a southerner to join too. We have members outside of he south who do fundraising work.It is truly scary how victories like the brexit and trump's win have emboldened nazis and white nationalists. It's time to fight back. I was scared about the KKK's march in my home state of NC but anti-racists literally chased the KKK from their home base of Pelham, NC and bordering Danville, VA. They had to make last minute changes and run away and do a lame motorcade in a neighboring town instead of a parade as planned.
melania memes crack me tf up. the one with the airhorn where she keeps interrupting with 'hello' and the other one with the close up of her face set to requiem for a dream music kill me

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Awww I haven't seen the second one. The hello one is hilarious AF, though.

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i cant watch these theyre too painful lmaooo

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lvjdflaksfjladksjf lmaoooo the slow claps im screaming

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Is this real? With the horns? Did she really start over with the speech? I began to laugh but then realized it was sad

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i feel like that trend has been going on for year but ia i need it to disappear

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*burns Calvin Klein coat*



Dw i just got two new aritzia coats, im good

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Omg aritzia is fuckin dangerous! I could blow my whole paycheck there lol

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Aritzia got me fucked up! I bought two coats Black Friday b/c i wasn't sure which would be better and one was really inexpensive and the other one was expensive as fuck. I returned the $300 coat and got a merchandise credit b/c they don't do refunds on sale items wtf. Well, at least i got a good everyday jacket, a flannel, and a cardigan \_()_/

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How has this nightmare not even fully started yet?



What the fuck. I feel like it's been 2 yrs since the election...

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D-Day is tomorrow. All those electors will be voting for Trump.

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If they still vote for him after all the shit that has come out then they will have blood on their hands

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Mte @ this whole comment

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mte



idk how i'm going to survive 4 years

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garbage people living on garbage island

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POS

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Fuck Rag & Bone too? Damn it I love their boots and purses.



Weirdly, DVF is a democrat and designed merch for both Obama's reelection campaign and Hillary's campaign so idk what the fuck she's doing.

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i was thinking the same thing....that one threw me off

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Her role at the CFDA probably requires her to be open to this sort of thing.

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It's not just about dressing a first lady, it's about dressing Eva fucking Braun.



YEP!

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This. I'm side eyeing my rag and bone stuff. I was so sooooo disappointed when I read he was "one of them".

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DVF signed that Polanski support petition so this doesn't surprise me. She's awful.

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Not Rag&Bone!!!!! What the fuck.



*cries in the corner*

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Damn Rag & Bone. Looks like I will buy my hats somewhere else.

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are you aware that calvin klein the brand and calvin klein the person are two separate things? klein is not involved with his eponymous brand anymore. raf simons took over the duties. calvin klein, the person is acting on his own here so you boycotting the brand wouldn't concern him in the slightest.

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lmao this gif is killing me

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i don't think melania is the one they want us to ~watch~ at events and such for fashion as they did for michelle and others... that'll be ivanka.

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Ivanka will be First Lady in all but name.





She's young and pretty and they can market her to suburban white moms who find her classy and smart.



Edited at 2016-12-18 07:21 pm (UTC)

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PZ0WUBC/ref=dra_a_rv_ff_fx_xx_P2000_1000?tag=dradisplay-20&ascsubtag=67ba84420b6c2825a94b5d753d2eb3a8_S as long as they stay away from the Q&A/reviews on amazon

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To be fair, First Lady is really just the woman who is closest to the president, so that is the least inappropriate thing about his presidency so far.

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LMAO

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mte....it takes forever for evil people to die. look at dick cheney.

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mte, even if he eats like shit!



my grandfather lived a long life despite drinking, smoking and generally having a poor diet.

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Yeah his dad lived into his 90s so we're pretty much fucked.

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I feel like he's going to live until he's 100 or some shit. I'm hoping his arteries get clogged from all that McDonalds.

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Ha I googled this a few ago too

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*burns all my CK lipsticks*

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i feel like throwing my mum's euphoria in trash now

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Oh Calvin. Escape will always be my first love though.

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The growing push to defeat Trump by any of the following means:

Taking the CIA's warmongering on faith and blaming Vladimir Putin for everything,

Accusing the FBI,

Pressing for majority rule despite the electoral college,

Protesting voters being stripped from the rolls,

Objecting to intimidation at the polls,

Trying to undo the blocking of votes by those lacking IDs,

Remedying broken and insufficient and unverifiable machines,

Counting paper ballots where they exist,

Threatening impeachment over Trump's unconstitutional presents and emoluments from foreign nations unless he sells his foreign businesses,

Arguing for disqualification on the ground of mental illness,

Praying and fantasizing,

would be far more energized and popular if the "defeated" candidate were Bernie Sanders, who -- judging by all existing polling (and theorizing what his general election campaign would have looked like) -- would almost certainly not have been defeated by any means in the first place.

It's worth thinking for a moment what could have been done differently. The corporate media could have not acted like the corporate media, of course. Democratic Party loyalists and super delegates and (most) labor unions could have not behaved like sold-out masochists. The DNC could have put the slightest effort into pretending to have a fair and open primary. People who wanted to overturn a corrupt system and imagined they saw the solution in Donald Trump could have switched their brains on. Women and men could have chosen substance over tokenism. Many African-Americans could have chosen substance over slime. People who can't be bothered could have gotten up off their butts. Old people could have demonstrated the wisdom of the young.

But what might Bernie Sanders, his staff, his volunteers, his supporters, or his critics have done differently? Despite the many things Bernie and his people did right, were there things that might have been done a bit better? Note that this is not identical to the question "Is Bernie Satan?" Note also that it is a question being asked by people who worked long days for Bernie.

If you read Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything by Becky Bond and Zack Exley who worked for the Bernie campaign you'll get one view. If you read Bernie & the Sandernistas: Field Notes From a Failed Revolution by Jeffrey St. Clair who threw tomatoes from the peanut gallery, you'll get another.

Here are some points on which I believe I largely agree with St. Clair:

1. Bernie should have opposed militarism. We now have Trump threatening increased military spending, not to mention xenophobia, bigotry, hateful violence, and a cabinet of warmongers. But we also have Trump proposing to end wars of overthrow and to de-fund boondoggles like the F-35, a pet Vermont pork project of Bernie Sanders. Bernie was hardly more convincing than Trump on ending wars, avoided mention of the military budget whenever he could, and proposed no truly peaceful agenda of transition to peaceful industries, investment in foreign aid and diplomacy, adherence to the rule of law, a halt to drone murders, an end to foreign arms sales and gifts -- including gifts to brutal governments. What if Bernie had appealed to those who oppose mass murder? What if peace lovers for Bernie had been added to Veterans for Bernie, Latinos for Bernie, and the dozens of other Bernie groups? (The word "peace" shows up randomly in a list in Exley's preface to his book but otherwise goes unmentioned.)

2. Bernie should have challenged the candidate he was supposedly challenging. Bond and Exley write that they had a policy of not criticizing She Who Must Not Be Named, nor even naming her. Trump won his primary by challenging his opponents. Every past candidate who has ever won any election, as far as I know, has challenged his or her opponent(s). If Hillary Clinton's record, just as it was, had belonged to a Republican, the critique of it that Bernie would have put forth would have been devastating. But she was a Democrat, so he largely let her go. Here was someone who had taken millions into her family foundation from foreign governments and weapons makers and then approved deadly weapons deals, who had pushed fracking on the world, who had backed coups as well as wars, who had pushed banking and media consolidation, welfare destruction, mass incarceration, police militarization, and just about every other bad policy during the Decline and Fall. Yet you had millions of people imagining that Hillary and Bernie basically shared an agenda. And you had millions of people who knew little about Bernie, whom the corporate media found less interesting than the creep from Fifth Avenue who pulled no punches. (Yes, corporate media opposed Bernie for substantive reasons, but the signs were clear that if he would only speak out against Clinton they would air his statements.)

3. Bernie should have vigorously challenged dubious outcomes in Iowa, Nevada, and elsewhere and made clear that he would fight for honest vote counting.

4. Bernie should have sued the DNC for fraud.

5. If denied the nomination, Bernie should have run as an independent, with Jill Stein or otherwise -- his commitment not to having been erased by the DNC's slanting of the primary.

Here are some points on which I believe I basically agree with Bond and Exley:

1. Bernie's campaign's strength lay in volunteers and secondarily in small donors, not in establishment support or big money or, for that matter, acceptance by big media. It showed that big money and big media can be challenged. (I probably go off the Bond-Exley rails in suggesting that this also shows an independent might make a real challenge from outside the two parties if there were general awareness of the fact.)

2. Bernie's campaign's strength in volunteers could have been much better utilized than it was. I base this in large part on Bond's and Exley's testimony, and with understanding that every presidential election campaign is always a chaotic disaster and that nonetheless much was well done.

3. At the core of Bond's and Exley's concept of "Big Organizing" is big policy -- that is, the practice of proposing major policy changes large enough to inspire people to work for them. Also part of it is big asks. Bond and Exley give the example of someone who had never signed an online petition but who responded as soon as he was asked to turn out and risk arrest to help end climate change (not an example from the Bernie campaign). I agree and would add that this could have gone farther. That is, Bernie's policies could have been bigger. And his asks could have been bigger. Apart from phone calls to potential voters, Bernie's volunteers could have been given bigger asks to behave as nonviolent activists on the issues they cared about -- which could have changed the topics of debates and news reports.

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2016/12/13 Tuesday - The Conscience of an American Citizen

The Infamous History of Electoral College

Even though the winner of this years presidential election has been declared more than a month ago, the actual counting of votes has not yet been completed. As it stands as of 12/13/2016, according to NYT http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president, Hillary Clinton has received 65.7 million or 48.1% of popular votes, 2.8 million more than Donald Trump who received 62.9 million or 46.0%.

As surprising as this may be, this was the second time in five elections in the last 16 years that the candidate who received the most popular votes ended up losing the election. In the 2000 election, Gore received over 540, 000 popular votes more than W. Bush, but Bush was declared winner of the presidency because of the Electoral College. Worse yet, such miscarriage of democracy in fact also occurred in three other elections, 1824, 1876 and 1888, when the winner of popular votes lost the presidency. Lets take a quick tour in history

The 1824 Election (Appendix A) was contested among four candidates of the same Democratic-Republican Party, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Crawford, and Henry. Because none of them received a majority of the electoral votes, the election was decided by the House of Representatives according to the 12th Amendment. The House handed the presidency to Adams even though he lost to Jackson in both electoral votes (84 vs. 99) and popular votes (108,740 vs. 153,544). Henry Clay, the Speaker of House Representative allegedly threw his support to Adams in exchange for later being appointed the Secretary of State. If this seemed to be political corruption to you, because it was, and the far worse was yet to come next.

The 1876 Election (Appendix A) was arguably the most bizarre and sinister in American history. In the final days of the campaign, the Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden of New York was widely regarded as the clear favorite to win. Tilden received 50.9% of the popular votes and 184 electoral votes, only 1 vote shy of a majority, while the Republican candidate Rutherford Hayes of Ohio collected only 47.9% and 165, respectively. A total of 20 electoral votes from four states were in dispute. One elector from Oregon was declared illegal for being an elected or appointed official, while both parties from the southern states, Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina declared their candidate won their states.

What followed was the informal, unwritten and malicious deal called the Compromise of 1877, one of the darkest chapters in American history. The Democrats, who already controlled the House of Representatives, were willing to allow the Republicans to continue its hold on the presidency since 1860 on the condition that Grant (the incumbent president) and Hayes (the incoming) agreed to end military occupation by federal troops in the South since the end of Civil War, thereby effectively ending the Reconstruction era, during which the Republican whites controlled many state governments, and even many blacks became elected officials in the South, thanks to the 15th Amendment (1870) that guaranteed the right to vote regardless of color or race.

Once its complete domination was restored in the South, the Democratic Party enacted many state laws that enforced racial segregation, perpetuated racial discrimination, and disenfranchised people of minorities in all southern states until the civil rights movement in the 1960sThe Electoral College system became a cynical means for partisans of both sides to achieve their respective disgraceful political purposes, holding on power for the Republicans and restoring racial injustice for the Democrats.

The 1888 Election between Grover Cleveland, a Democrat incumbent president, and Benjamin Harrison, a Republican senator (Appendix A), was otherwise regarded by some political observers as a rare presidential election that was conducted on both sides with gentlemen fashion of dignity and decency. Believing he should continue to focus on his duties as president, Cleveland made only one public appearance to accept the nomination, while Harrison confined his activity to carefully scripted speeches to visitors and supporters to his home in Indianapolis. Cleveland won the popular vote by more than 90,000 (0.8%), but lost the electoral votes by a 233-197 margin to Harrison.

The election was very closely fought in only four battleground states, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Indiana. Had Cleveland not lost his home state, New York (36 electoral votes) by a margin of only 14,373 votes or 1.09%, he could have flipped the electoral vote to 204-197 in his favor. On this occasion, there was neither public confrontation nor backroom dealing. Nevertheless, the national margin of over 90,000 votes was overruled by the margin of 14,373 in one state, hence the will of the majority of voters was suppressed for the third time because of the Electoral College. Yet again the far worse would come next. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1888

The 2000 Election (Appendix A) was arguably the most controversial and bitterly fought-out presidential election in American history. Early in the election evening of November 7, Al Gore, a Democrat incumbent Vice President had won the popular votes and led in electoral votes by 255-246 over George W. Bush, a Republican governor of Texas. All major news network initially called Gore the winner of the Floridas 25 electoral votes based on exit polls, then around 10 p.m. moved Florida back into the Undecided column, and around 2:30 a.m. called Bush, the winner of Florida, hence the president-elect. By 4:30 a.m., the networks retracted their prediction for the third time because Gore had closed the gap to just over 2,000 votes, and withdrew his earlier concession to Bush. An unprecedented legal battle ensued in the next five weeks while the entire country and the whole world watched with anxiety and amusement.

Given such a slim margin, Florida law mandated all votes to be recounted in all counties by machine tabulation, which further reduced Bushs lead to only 327 out of 6 million votes. The Democrats then requested manual recount in four heavily Democratic counties under the Florida state law, which however did not provide clear guidelines for hand recounts. The Republicans sued in the federal district court to stop the manual recount, but was denied by the federal judge given the fact that absentee ballots were still being counted and the election not yet certified until November 14.

The Gore campaign requested extension of filing deadline for counties to submit their vote counts. Katherine Harris, the Florida Secretary of State who was responsible for overseeing the state election rejected such request, which surprised few observers because she was also the co-chair of Bush campaign in Florida. A lower state court allowed Harris to certify the election result on November 17, but was overruled by the Florida Supreme Court which unanimously ruled that the hand recounts to be included in the tally of votes on November 21. On November 26, Harris, with support of Jeb Bush, then governor of Florida and younger brother of W. Bush, certified Bush the winner of Floridas 25 electoral votes by 537 votes. The Gore campaign sued again at the county circuit court to include the disputed undervote ballots in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The judge denied this request. Gore appealed his case to the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled in a 4-3 split decision to mandate manual recounts of all undervotes to be recounted in all counties. In great panic, the Bush campaign immediately filed appeal straight to the U.S. Supreme Court

On December 9, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Bushs appeal. On December 12, in a 5:4 decision split strictly along partisan line, the five conservative justices overruled the four liberal justices in reversing the Florida Supreme Court, ordered an immediate halt to the manual recount, and upheld the certified result, effectively handing the presidency to Bush. The next day, Gore gracefully conceded the election to Bush in a televised speech.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2000

There were at least two blatant partisan hypocrisies involved here. First, the Republicans since Reagan have always emphasized their respect of state rights and distaste of federal intrusions. Since election was entirely run by each state, the Florida Supreme Court should have had the final call in this case. Secondly, the five conservative justices oddly and very tellingly declared that their decision should not and would not serve as precedent for future election disputes. Again, the Electoral College provided the context that enabled pure partisan power grab in flagrant contempt of democracy. More importantly, a margin of 537 votes in Florida overruled over 540,000 votes nationally at the ratio of 1:1013what an incredible vote inequality!

What is the Electoral College?

By any definition of democracy in modern time, a candidate with a clear winning margin of more than 540,000 votes, not to mention of 2.8 million votes, would have been duly declared the president in all other democracies, except America.

Such unconscionable injustice is the result of the so-called Electoral College, which allocates the 538 electoral votes to each of the 50 states based on their representation in the Congress, i.e. the number of House Representatives plus two Senators. Because each state has two senators regardless of its population, the states with less population have enjoyed far more advantages that the states with more population. The second undemocratic feature is the so-called winner-takes-all mechanism, which this Plaintiff will analyze its disenfranchising effects in more details later.

According to the latest Census Data 2013, Wyoming has the least population of 582,658 with 3 electoral votes allocated, while New York, my home state, has a population of 19,651,127 with 29 electoral votes allocated. This means, it takes only 194,219 persons to have one electoral vote for the state of Wyoming, whilst it takes as many as 677,625 persons to have one electoral vote for the state of New York. In another word, being a person in New York counts only 28.7% of a person in Wyoming in terms of the electoral vote allocated. Such percentage gets worse for residents in the top two states, 27.9% for both California and Texas (table below and Appendix B).

The presidency is an office that represents the entire country and receives its legitimacy and mandate from all voters. However, under Electoral College system from the 18th century, a resident living the top 44 states ranked by population would be worth less than 60% of a person in Wyoming (see Appendix B). That is even worse than the infamous counting black slaves as Three Fifths of person in the 1787 Constitution.

And yet, the degree of injustice actually gets far worse in the 2016 election. As aforementioned, Clinton had won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million but lost the presidency to Trump in the electoral votes. A closer look at the three states that flipped from the 2012 election, namely Wisconsin (10 electoral votes), Michigan (16), and Pennsylvania (20) indicated that the winning margins in these three states were 22,177, 10,704 and 44,312 respectively according to http://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/president. This means a total of only 77,193 votes flipped 46 electoral votes and therefore handed the presidency to the loser of the national popular vote. In another word, the national margin of 2.8 million voters in 50 states and D.C. was over-weighted by a 3-state margin of 77,193 at a percentage as little as 2.7% (77,193 / 2,848,090). This is nothing but an incredible and grave injustice to democracy and all of the people in America.

The Right to Vote is the quintessence of being a free person with unalienable rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness according to the Declaration of Independence. However, under the Electoral College system, each vote is NOT counted equally from one state to the next. This is not only in gross contradiction of the core ideal of all men are created equal enshrined in the Declaration of Independence (1776), but also in stark violation of the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment (1868) which demands nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

How did the Electoral College come about?

In fact, at its root the Electoral College was set up to protect the slavery southern states. At the 1787 Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, James Wilson of Pennsylvania proposed direct national election for the presidency based on the eligible voters. However, James Madison of Virginia rejected this idea because the right of suffrage was much more diffusive in the Northern than the Southern States; and the latter could have no influence in the election on the score of Negroes. In another word, the North would outnumber the South in a direct election system because slaves and people of color could not vote in the South. The Electoral College system was hence a rather trickery concept which allowed the southern states to count the slave population albeit with a two-fifth discount in allocating electoral votes, while at the same time denying these slaves the right to vote. Indeed, such pro-slavery tilt was certainly one of the key factors behind the fact that four of the first five presidents were slave-owners from Virginia, the most populous state (slaves included in headcount but ineligible to vote) at the time. It is scandalous to allow such archaic rooted-for-slavery system to continue well into the 21st century.

http://time.com/4558510/electoral-college-history-slavery/

One of the more commonly quoted concerns the founding fathers had was the majority of population at the time lack adequate education and widely accessible information to make informed choices in elections, hence they want some well-educated individuals to serve as members of electoral college who would be able to make more informed selections than average voters. However, this argument certainly lost its reality ground once America advanced into the Industrial Age when universal K-12 public education, telegrams, telephone, phones, radio, televisions, print news media, etc. And now we are well into the Information Age with omnipresent internet and smartphones, etc. The solution to the fact that now a big portion of the population is susceptible to misinformation and outright fake news spread by certain groups, not to mention outright meddling of American election by foreign powers of no less than Russia, should be more transparency in government and campaign finance, serious professional journalism and rigorous public discourse, rather than preserving this antiquated system from the 18th century.

The third argument for the Electoral College claims to protect the small states from being silenced by the big states.. This assertion is completely ignorant of facts at best and outright dishonest for political purposes at worst. The Electoral College has at least three additional disenfranchising effects on voters of all states, small and big, rural and urban.

First, the voters who voted for the opponents of the winner in their respective states would have their votes discarded because of the winner-takes-all mechanism. For example, there were more than 4.9 million votes for Trump or third party candidates in California, and more than 4.1 million votes for Hillary or third party candidates in Texas. Nevertheless, these 9.0 million votes became worthless in the final determination of presidency (Table 1 above).

The second disenfranchising effect has depressed voter turnout because the voters of one party in states that are dominated by the other party would have far less incentive to vote. For example, significant number of the Democratic voters in states like Texas and the Republican voters in states like California did not turn out to vote at all because they knew the election outcome of their state were already predetermined, hence their votes were completely futile and their voice would never be heard. This writer argued that this is one of the key reasons behind Americas consistent lower turnout than most developed countries. Another key hindrance is holding election on a weekday rather than on a weekend, making it particularly burdensome for working people.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/08/02/u-s-voter-turnout-trails-most-developed-countries/

The third and final disenfranchising effect has even more profound impact because the Electoral College has consistently reduced the presidential election from a national election of all 50 states to a contest in only a dozen of so-called battleground states. In this 2016 election, the candidates of two major parties heavily campaigned and spent in only 11 states (see Appendix B) which were decided by a margin of 5% or less. These 11 states had total population of 89.2 million or only 28% of national population. This means the other 226.9 million or 72% of the population in 39 states and D.C. never had a chance to meet the candidates, to ask questions and voice their concerns, thereby being relegated to taken-for-granted bystanders.

For the Right to Vote to be truly meaningful and our democracy to be functioning, fair and just, (1) every vote must be counted equally rather than one being worth less than the others; (2) every vote must be included in the final tally rather than millions being discarded in the process; (3) every voter must have equal chance to participate and to be heard rather than 72% of the population being completely ignored in the campaign.

The Shameful Injustice

In fact, the 14th Amendment (1868) demands in the Section 5 that The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

However, the Congress, specifically the Republican Party, has for decades deliberately refused to redress this unconscionable injustice inflicted by the Electoral College on all people of the United States.

Why? There have been seven presidential elections since 1992, where the Republican Party has lost the popular vote six times but won the presidency three times. If one party is allowed to prolong a rigged system for its own partisan gain at the expense of voters, then what we have is not a true democracy. In a true democracy, any party as well as any candidate shall and must win votes based on their policy ideas and track record, not by prolonging a rigged system such as the Electoral College to disenfranchise voters and distort peoples will.

http://www.usmidtermelections.com/president_summary.php?year=1960_2012&chart=pres&rank=Y

America is incredibly the only democracy that has continued such archaic and outdated election system that has time and again undermined the very premise of All men are Created Equal. While people of color gained their right to vote after the Civil War, and women gained their rights to vote after the First World War, but with thanks to the Electoral College, this disgraceful fact has remained: not all votes are created equal. As a result, in two out of the last five presidential election, or 40%, the loser of the popular votes won the presidency, the most powerful office in the world.

In fact, Mr. Trump himself tweeted on November 6, 2012 The electoral college is a disaster for a democracy when he mistakenly believed Mitt Romney was winning the popular vote but losing the electoral vote to President Obama.

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/266038556504494082?lang=en

This writer agrees with Trumps above statement, regardless whether he was being sincere or just another partisan hypocrite now that himself has become the beneficiary of such rigged system that he repeatedly denounced, because this is about the core ideal enshrined in our Declaration of Independence: Every Man & Woman Created Equal and the basic democratic principle of One Person One Vote, and Every Vote Counts Equally rather than one being less than 60%, or 28.7%, or even 2.7% of the other vote as discussed above.

In summary, the Electoral College has become the hotbed that enabled corruptive bargain (1824), scandalous deal for holding-on power and restoring racial injustice (1876), suppression of vote-count (2000), distorting the will of majority of voters in five occasions, and disenfranchisement of most voters in all elections in our history. Such undemocratic and outrageous injustice must be stopped and rectified with the highest urgency if President Lincolns words still hold true in any sense, Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.

We, as proud Americans, hand on heart, should ask ourselves,

Do we still have any sense of fairness and justice towards each other?

Do we want to continue to tolerate such discrimination against and among our fellow Americans from one state to the next?

Do we want to continue to be the only developed democracy that institutionalizes disenfranchisement on the majority of voters during the campaign process and at the ballot box?

What kind of government does our country have today, for the people or for one party?

Are we, the 21st century America, better than the 18th century slavery America?

Eagle Sunshine

Updated on 2016/12/15

Appendix  A

Appendix  B



Appendix  C
From Paul Craig Roberts Website

The CIA has long engineered coups in other countries. Now we are approaching at breakneck speed a CIA coup in the USA.

When the presstitute media first published unverified, unsourced leaks attributed to unnamed CIA officials, both the FBI and the Director of Homeland Security said that they did not embrace the accusation that Trump's election was a result of Russian interference in the US presidential election.

Now suddenly we have a report from the Washington Post, a rag whose integrity is in doubt and a mainstay of anti-Trump propaganda suspected of being a CIA asset, that the FBI and Homeland Security are in agreement with the anonymous leaks to the presstitutes:

"FBI Director James B. Comey and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr. are in agreement with a CIA assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election in part to help Donald Trump win the White House, officials disclosed Friday, as President Obama issued a public warning to Moscow that it could face retaliation. New revelations about Comey's position could put to rest suggestions by some lawmakers that the CIA and the FBI weren't on the same page on Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions."

"The positions of Comey and Clapper were revealed in a message that CIA Director John Brennan sent to the agency's workforce Friday. 'Earlier this week, I met separately with FBI [Director] James Comey and DNI Jim Clapper, and there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election,' Brennan said, according to U.S. officials who have seen the message."

Note, that this claim comes from the CIA. It has not been verified at this time of writing by the FBI and Homeland Security. Indeed, please note that the Washington Post, which is hyping this story of intelligence agency consensus, reports:

"The CIA and the FBI declined to comment on Brennan's message or on the classified intelligence assessment that CIA officials shared with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month, setting off a political firestorm." In other words, the CIA might be putting words in the mouths of the other intelligence officials.

Note also that Hillary says that Putin interfered against her because he has a grudge against her for her interference in his reelection by fomenting protests against him with the Western-financed Russian NGOs. If what Hillary claims is correct, then any Russian interference, for which proof remains absent, was directed against Hillary in order to settle a score and has nothing to do with any Russian influence over Trump or 200 Internet sites as falsely and maliciously reported by the Washington Post.

All the CIA officials making claims of Russian interference, according to the Washington Post, continue to speak "on the condition of anonymity."

So we have a coup against the president-elect based solely on unverified, unsourced, anonymous assertions made by the public knows not who.

Rep. Davin Nunes, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which has oversight over the CIA, has said that neither he nor the committee have seen any evidence from the CIA in support of the claims he reads in the media. He has asked the agency to brief the Intelligence Committee on the alleged evidence but has had no response.

According to the Washington Post, "Nunes said: 'We have not received any information from Intelligence Community (IC) agencies indicating that they have developed new assessments on this issue. I am alarmed that supposedly new information continues to leak to the media but has not been provided to Congress.'"

Rep. Nunes statement makes it completely clear that the CIA is using the presstitute media to launch a coup against president-elect Trump.

CIA director John Brennan's audacity suggests that he expects the coup to succeed. Otherwise, he is dead meat along with Bezos, The Washington Post and the rest of the presstitute media.

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Readings for 4th Sunday in Advent: IS 7:10-14; PS 24 1-6; ROM 1: 1-7; MT 1: 18-24.

Do you ever wonder what effect Donald Trump's proclivity for sexual assault might have on the problem of military rape? After all, his racist, sexist, and xenophobic comments along with his personal behavior have already emboldened copycat words and actions by many of his followers including schoolchildren. Will Mr. Trump similarly embolden enlisted men and officers to follow the example of their Commander-in-Chief?

That question becomes relevant on this Fourth Sunday of Advent because the readings for today emphasize Jesus' "virgin birth." Such emphasis resurrects a persistent tradition identifying Mary's "miracle" as the result of military rape.

If that tradition were true, what light would it shed on the problem of rape in the military in connection with the example of its Commander-in-Chief?

Let me put that question in context by offering some background for today's reading from Matthew along with a reference to the selection from Isaiah traditionally seen as a prophecy of Jesus' virginal conception.

To get from here to there, try to understand the situation of Joseph and Mary as young marrieds in a context of imperial aggression. They're a teenage couple; they are poor and living in an occupied country. Joseph is a jack-of-all-trades -- that's what the Greek word we translate as "carpenter" meant in first century Palestine. Like everyone from his class, he was unemployed most of the time. But he'd fix your leaking roof if you hired him. When he could, he'd harvest grapes and wheat for local landlords.

And he was probably deeply involved with the local insurgency against Roman occupation. (Nearly every impoverished patriot is in such situations.) Additionally, the only commentary we have on Joseph's character is Matthew's single word "just." He was a just man. (By the way, his son, James -- the one who headed the Jerusalem church following his brother's death -- was also known as "James the just.") In the Hebrew culture of Jesus' day, justice meant taking the side of the powerless. It appears to have been a central value Joseph passed on to his children.

As resisters, Joseph's kind would have been considered terrorists by the Romans. In fact, the very year in which Jesus was likely born (6 BCE) Galilee's countryside would have been crawling with Roman soldiers fighting against people like Jesus' supposed father. The occupiers were busy laying siege to the city of Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee -- a mere hour's walk from Joseph's village.

There the insurgency had taken a decisive stand against Rome's puppet, King Herod. And like Americans in Iraq's Fallujah under "Mad Dog" Mattis, the Romans were determined to make an example of the city by laying it waste utterly. Before their final offensive, that involved night raids, kicking in doors, and raping young Jewish girls. (All forces of occupation -- including our own today -- know the drill.)

In any case, according to that persistent tradition about her "virginity," that's where Mary came in. She was a young teenager about 12 or 14. Although she eventually became Joseph's "dream girl" (MT 1:18-25), she was probably linked with him by the village matchmaker perhaps when they were both still toddlers. They had not yet begun to live together, because they were probably waiting for Mary to come officially "of age" -- able to bear children.

Be that as it may, Mary suddenly finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. Can you imagine her worry? Innumerable teenage girls can relate to her panic -- and disgrace. Obviously, Mary did not want to be just another of her community's "virgins." [Matthew's term "parthenos" (virgin) to refer to Mary was often connected with children of unknown paternity. Such offspring were disparagingly called "virgins' kids." "Virgin" is what (behind their hands) local matrons called an unwed mother.]

According to the story, Joseph too shared Mary's disgrace and embarrassment. He wanted a divorce (i.e. release from his commitment to marry). And he probably demanded it with the anger and recrimination that are inevitably associated with the dreaded "d" word.

Joseph's anger, suspicion, and thoughts about divorce may also have come from his hatred of the Romans. (And here comes that persistent tradition about Mary's "virginity.") It even remembers the rapist's name. According to Celsus' "True Doctrines" written about 178 C.E., the rapist was called "Panthera." That was also the name of one of the Roman legions involved in that siege of Sepphoris.

Such suspicious circumstances around Jesus' questionable conception also find some support in John's gospel, where Jesus is called a "Samaritan" (8:48). That was a harsh term equivalent to our "bastard." Additionally, Mark refers to Jesus simply as "Son of Mary" (6:3) -- a quite unusual reference in a culture where children were identified by their father's name.

With all of that in mind, and if Celsus' tradition has merit, it's easy to understand how the thought of taking up with a girl defiled by a Roman "pig" (what Jews called the occupiers) probably turned Joseph's stomach. No wonder he wanted a divorce.

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From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
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.
I dont know about you, but Ive got the Pennsylvania Pension Blues.

If you are a regular reader, or if you ever let your eye wander up into the corner of the page to my brief bio statement, you know that I live in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is a funny place: it used to be one of the now-infamous blue firewall states that was supposed to have protected us from Old Man Trump, but it failed to deliver. Pennsylvania is, as one saying goes, Philadelphia on one end and Pittsburgh on the other and Alabama in the middle. It is, as another saying goes, a big red T (with southcentral PA, where I live, forming the base and the arms stretching above the two metropolitan areas). Some people call it Pennsyltucky. It is a mixture of deep-red Republican voters in the middle flanked by reliably Democratic voters on its edges, and the culture war runs as hot here as anywhere. Sound familiar?

What Pennsylvania is not, despite its reputation as a firewall state for Democratic candidates, is a bastion of progressivism. Both houses of our state legislature are controlled by Republicansthey outnumber Democrats 123-80 in the state House and 34-16 in the state Senate after making more gains in Novemberand while our current governor is a Democrat, elected after the outgoing Republican failed to secure re-election in 2015 amidst some of the lowest approval ratings in the country, he has little ability to effect change in the face of unified opposition. Again: sound familiar?

I offer this prologue as context for a little Twitter conversation I have been involved in with Chad Aldeman, a principal at Bellwether Education Partners with an acute interest in teacher retirement systems. I want to post a disclaimer before we go any further: I dont spend my days thinking exclusively about teacher retirement. It is one of many interrelated issues that interest me as I continue to try to figure out how to make teaching a more attractive and secure profession. Since I dont spend a lot of time on it there may be holes in my thinking, and I do not pretend to know all about this issue. I do know this, though: if I did spend my days thinking exclusively about teacher retirement, I think Id come up with a better plan for solving this crisis than the one Aldeman seems to be offering. Ill explain in a minute.

But, first, lets look at the contours of the issue, which will be familiar to almost anyone. Pennsylvania, like many states, has a guaranteed benefit pension system for public employees, including teachers, and its in trouble. The long and short of the issue is this: back in the early 2000s, the state increased benefits for some state employees (including teachers and, it should be noted, legislators ), then skipped out on its obligation to pay into the system in support of future retirees. Now, oddly enough, the system faces a huge shortfall. As one reporter put it , Pennsylvanias government pension crisis should come as a surprise in the same way as does ones car seizing up after not having changed the oil for 15 years"which is to say that it is shocking, but not unexpected if you have an understanding of how it works.

This has left the state with a couple of unsavory options to consider. One is, of course, to reduce benefits, and thats dangerous. There are about 125,000 teachers in Pennsylvania, and no doubt many of them vote. Thats a fraction of the 6 million who voted in the election last month, but it looks like more when you consider that Trump won here by barely more than 44,000 votes. Or maybe legislators just realize that reducing benefits for others might mean having to reduce them for themselves. Whos to say?

A second option would be to ask teachers (and other state employees!) to shoulder more of the burden when it comes to funding their benefits. This is the tactic Rahm Emanuel tried in Chicago . The trouble here is that its hard to make a promise then break the promise simply because you decided you no longer want to keep it. (I should say: that kind of thing used to be a problem before the ascendance of Trump; now who knows?) Maybe teachers should be asked to contribute more to their pensions but lets remember this: most are not being paid all that well to begin with. Part of the deal for teachers has always been an implicit understanding that teachers will trade better salaries for more security and better benefits. Its never surprising when elected officials try to have it both ways, but its still disappointing.

That has left our legislature with one viable option: make up the difference to ensure that the retirement system stays solvent. In Pennsylvania, this could have gone one of two ways. One solution would be for the state to admit its malfeasance and transparently ask taxpayers to deliver on a promise made. But in Pennsylvania we all pay a flat 3.07% state income tax, which constrains the states ability to do things like this (and, not for nothing, does not seem to have delivered non-stop job growth and investment, as flat taxes are always reputed to do ). So our legislators did the next best thing: they passed the buck. Its an old American tradition, and it seems to be working. Local schools are asked to pay more and more to support the system, legislators keep getting re-elected , and someone else gets the blame for the problem.

Teachers, of course, and especially their unions, are the ones who typically get the blame. Theyre greedy, were told. Theyre starving our local schools of revenue and causing huge property tax increases thanks to their unbridled avarice and callous indifference to the needs of students. They only care about themselves. That these statements could all be said of the legislators actually responsible for funding schools is somehow lost in the noise. When it comes to blaming nameless, faceless people for societys shortcomings teachers are always a convenient target. This is like page two in the playbook.

So whats the solution? Im going to try to start unpacking that over the next couple of posts. First I want to try to figure out what Aldeman, and others who share his viewpoint, seem to be arguing for. For now lets settle on this: if you pay taxes in Pennsylvania, you should have the blues. I do, and these blues are hard to shake. Knowing that my property taxes are bound to only continue escalating as the pension problem metastasizes gives me a sinking feeling in my stomach. Frankly, sometimes it makes me wonder why I shouldnt just pick up and move to Maryland.

Im not going to do that, though. It never pays to run away from a problem. What I am going to try to do is shine some light on the bankrupt ideology of unfettered privatization and deregulation that fuels this debate and do my best to ensure that people understand whos responsible for getting us into this mess. Spoiler alert: it aint teachers. Its legislators, many of whom we keep sending back to Harrisburg again and again despite their abject failure to address the needs of Pennsylvanias schools. If its accountability we want to talk about, maybe we should start there.

In short, knowing the plays that are going to be called might help us come up with a better way to defend against them. If page two of the playbook instructs privatizers to blame teachers and other public employees for the failure of public institutions, page one tells them that making sure public institutions run inefficiently makes their eventual failure a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it doesnt have to be that way. Lets see if we can find a decent solution to the problemone that actually gives teachers real retirement security and spreads the responsibility for providing it more evenly. Its not as far-fetched as it sounds.


"challenging fun"

- Entertainment Weekly

Dear Paul, I just dreamed of airships flying between raindrops. I just returned from 2042 CE, where I sold my hardcover copy offor seventy million Neo-Euros, because it had your response to this e-mail from way back in 2007 scotch-taped onto the inside of the cover. A Paul Levinson collector paid top Neo-Euro, because of the authentic archaic e-mail printout from you. It turns out that not many of your e-mails from before your tenure as CEO of HBO/Cinemax and terms as United Nations Secretary General will survive that far into the future. So, please respond to this e-mail, to help found my great-grandchildren's fortune. My Will will stipulate that they must share with your great grandchildren. Thanks! Tom
Iran's New Basij Militia Commander More Militaristic Than His Predecessor

12/11/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

The appointment of ultra-conservative hardliner Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar as the new commander of Iran's Basij, a volunteer militia under the authority of the Revolutionary Guards, has raised fears of increased intimidation and repression of anyone deemed guilty of political dissent.





New Basij head, Brigadier General Gholam-Hossein Gheibparvar





Brigadier General Gheibparvar believes, in contrast to the Constitution, that the Revolutionary Guards holds the authority to interfere in all aspects of life in the Islamic Republic to protect the revolution. His track record of iron-fist policies significantly contributed to his rise in Iran's military apparatus.

His predecessor, Mohammad Reza Naghdi-who was put on the U.S. sanctions list in 2011 for "being responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses in Iran since the June 2009 disputed presidential election"-was similarly appointed as Basij commander in 2009 because of his reputation as the ruthless head of Tehran' police intelligence unit in the 1990s.

"Today Gen. Naghdi and I are able to confront traitors with the backing of the Islamic Revolution and the Basij forces," said Gheibparvar on December 11, 2016. "I don't compromise when it comes to defending the revolution, no matter what anti-revolutionary media may say or write."

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who appointed Gheibparvar on December 7, 2016, instructed him at the appointment ceremony to "strengthen the people's presence" in the Basij and "survey the enemy's activities and prevent any infiltrations."

As a sign of obedience and loyalty, Gheibparvar addressed Khamenei as "imam" during his acceptance speech. "The art of the Basij is to extract and organize the people's potential to defend the revolution and establish a new Islamic civilization," he said. "This is doable."

Militaristic Revolutionary

Before his promotion at the end of 2016, since 2006 Gheibparvar was commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Fars Province. During his tenure he played a key role in suppressing the Green Movement-which grew out of the peaceful street protests against Iran's disputed presidential election in the summer of 2009-in Fars' capital, Shiraz. Four days after his promotion to the Basij, Gheibparvar publicly referred to Green Movement leaders Mehdi Karroubi, Mir Hossein Mousavi, and Mousavi's wife Zahra Rahnavard-who have all been kept under extrajudicialhouse arrest since February 2011-as "dirty politicians."

"In the past I have described leaders of the sedition as dirty politicians and I stand by my position. Not even heavenly water can cleanse these dirty politicians unless they repent in front of our great nation and the supreme leader of the Revolution," declared Gheibparvar during a visit to a Basij exhibition on December 11.

The widespread peaceful protests against the 2009 election results, which were met with violent state repression, are still a highly sensitive topic in Iran, and are referred to by hardline authorities as the "sedition."

"The leaders of the sedition committed treason," said Gheibparvar on January 6, 2014, according to the Fars News Agency, which is closely associated with the Revolutionary Guards. "They are criminals. In my opinion, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Karroubi are 'corrupt on Earth,'" a charge that is legally punishable by death in Iran.

In 2009 Gheibparvar led a group of thugs in attacking the headquarters of a prominent senior cleric, Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastgheib, in Shiraz. The office of the moderate member of the Assembly of Experts was ransacked while many of his supporters were severely beaten by the thugs.

On September 29, 2013, forces under Gheibparvar's command used tanks to crush satellite dishes confiscated from people's homes in Shiraz.

Gheibparvar has also been blamed by Ali Motahhari, a conservative member of Parliament (MP), for the violent March 2015 mob attack on a taxi Motahhari was travelling in. The outspoken MP has publicly advocated for ending the house arrests of Mousavi, Karroubi and Rahnavard.

According to a profile of the new Basij commander published by the Fars News Agency on December 7, 2016, Gheibparvar joined the Revolutionary Guards during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88) and led political and ideological training programs.

In the early 2000s he headed the Revolutionary Guards' ground forces training programs and later became the commander of the Guards' 25th Karbala Division in Mazandaran Province. In 2006 he headed the 19th Fajr Division in Shiraz (the position ended in 2008) while serving as the Revolutionary Guards commander in Fars Province, a position he kept until the end of 2016.

Following the death of Revolutionary Guards' Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani in Syria on October 8, 2015, Gheibparvar, while keeping his post in Fars, replaced Hamadani as commander of the Imam Hossein Headquarters on December 9, 2015. The Imam Hossein battalions operate as elite military units currently charged with achieving Iran's military goals in Syria.

Expanding the Revolutionary Guards' Role

As the new chief of the Basij, Gheibparvar, who has described reformist politicians as enemy forces operating inside the country, could work to increase the Revolutionary Guards' interference in elections, even though they are legally forbidden to do so.

According to Article 24 of the Presidential Election Law (2013): "Police forces have a duty to keep order and prevent any kind of disturbance in the process of the elections and are responsible for protecting the ballot boxes. Military and police forces are not permitted to interfere in the implementation and supervision of the elections."

According to Article 143 of Iran's Constitution, "The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran is responsible for guarding the independence and territorial integrity of the country, as well as the order of the Islamic Republic."

Article 150 goes on to state that the force used by the Revolutionary Guards "is to be maintained so that it may continue in its role of guarding the revolution and its achievements. The scope of the duties of this Corps, and its areas of responsibility, in relation to the duties and areas of responsibility of the other armed forces, are to be determined by law, with emphasis on brotherly cooperation and harmony among them."

During a speech in 1982, the late leader of the 1979 revolution, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, strongly forbade the Revolutionary Guards from interfering in political processes, warning that it would "surely corrupt and pervert them":

"My emphatic counsel to the armed forces is to observe and abide by the military rule of non-involvement in politics. Do not join any political party, group or faction. No military man, security policeman, no Revolutionary Guard or Basij may enter into politics...Therefore, the government, the nation, the Defense Council the Islamic Consultative Assembly are all charged with the religious and national responsibility to oppose, from the very beginning, any interference in politics or any action against the interests of Islam and the country by the armed forces, regardless of category, class, branch and rank. Such involvement will surely corrupt and pervert them. It is incumbent on the leader and the Leadership Council to prevent such involvement of the armed forces by decisive action so that no harm may beset the country."

However, Gheibparvar and other members of the Guards do not consider the organization a solely military entity and rather as the "defender of the Islamic Revolution" with the authority to interfere in any area they deem fit, including elections.

Opposing Rouhani

A year after the election of the centrist cleric Hassan Rouhani to the presidency in 2013, Gheibparvar gave a speech at a Basij student event in Shiraz accusing the president's reformist allies of working to hijack the country's February 2016 elections.

"The reformists are determined to take over the elections for Parliament and the Assembly of Experts and then they will take control of universities and you will see the type of speakers who will show up here," he declared in September 2014. "There's no guarantee that the 2009 sedition will not be repeated."

At another speech on December 26, 2014 in honor of fallen soldiers of the Iran-Iraq war in the city of Kazeroun, Gheibparvar declared that, barring a miracle, U.S.-Iran relations would likely remain hostile.

"Iran and America will stop being enemies only under two conditions," he said. "One is if the U.S. president becomes a Muslim and declares allegiance to the Supreme Leader [Ali Khamenei]. The other is if Iran rids itself of Islam and the Islamic Revolution."

"It's not possible for the leaders of Europe and America to become Muslims and there's no way we will get rid of Islam and the Islamic Revolution, so I don't know why some people still fantasize about the day when we will establish peaceful relations with the Americans."

He went on to warn that his support for President Rouhani was conditional.

"Mr. Rouhani is our president and the supreme leader supports him and we, too, support him," he said. "But it's not as if some people can take advantage of the new government to whitewash the crimes of sedition leaders. If anyone tries to cross that red line, Imam Khamenei's soldiers will stand against him with the help of Almighty God."

On February 4, 2015, Gheibparvar said the "sedition's leaders" included former reformist President Mohammad Khatami (1997-2005).

"In 2009 the seditionists passed on intelligence to the enemy [U.S.], threatened national security and dragged the country through the slaughterhouse," he said. "They committed treason. It's only logical for me to say for certain that Mohammad Khatami was one of the leaders of the sedition. In fact his role was deeper than that of Mousavi and Karroubi."

He also warned Fars Province officials that if they did not stand against reformists, "I will do it myself as a small soldier of God."

Attacking a Moderate Ayatollah

During the peaceful protests against the 2009 election results, which then presidential candidates Mousavi and Karroubi disputed, moderate Ayatollah Ali Mohammad Dastgheib sided with the opposition leaders.

On October 5, 2009 a group of senior conservative officials and clerics sent an open letter to Khamenei publicly distancing themselves from Dastgheib. Gheibparvar and several other senior Revolutionary Guards officers were among those who signed onto the letter.

Nearly three months later on December 29, a group of Revolutionary Guards and Basij members attacked Dastgheib's office in the Qoba Mosque in Shiraz. The attackers were egged on by Khamenei's representative in the Revolutionary Guards' Fajr Division, Hojatoleslam Abolqasem Alizadeh.

"A group of troublemakers who think of themselves as defenders of the state destroyed the sanctity of Qoba Mosque and the Abu Saleh Seminary School in front of a number of municipal and military officials," said a statement issued on December 30 by Dastgheib's office.

Attacking a Conservative MP

On March 9, 2015 plainclothes agents linked to the Revolutionary Guards' Fajr Division under Gheibparvar's command smashed the windows of a taxi carrying MP Ali Motahhari while shouting slogans against him.

The conservative MP from Tehran had travelled to Shiraz to give a speech at a student event in December 2013 after blaming the state-controlled Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) station and the Revolutionary Guards of causing the 2009 election crisis and repeating his call for the release of Mousavi, Rahnavard, and Karroubi from house arrest.

On March 13, 2015, Shiraz's Friday prayer leader Assadollah Imani tacitly supported the attack in a sermon: "If someone breaks the sanctity of the state, shouldn't he expect [retaliation]? You reap what you sow."

Motahhari used Imani's words as evidence for his supporting "role" in the attack while indirectly pointing at Gheibparvar as the main instigator.

"I thank you for exposing your role in this incident," he wrote in a public post on his website. "Naturally, Interior Ministry investigators should talk to you as a suspect. I hope the other suspect who supplied motorcycles and pepper spray to the attackers will also come forward and confess, even though we all know who he is."

In a complaint filed on May 26, 2015 by Motahhari's lawyer, Mostafa Tork Hamadani, the attackers were described as "eight members of a certain organization," meaning the Revolutionary Guards.

"The case is being investigated by the Fars Province Military Court because the attackers were members of the military," he added.
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
The President-Elect, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday said Ghanas future is bright and called on the citizenry to support efforts at building a prosperous, strong and great nation.



He said the peaceful conduct of the December polls was indicative of the positive prospects of the country and reiterated his Governments commitment to improving the quality of life of the populace.



Nana Akufo-Addo was speaking at a Thanksgiving durbar by the chiefs and people of Asogli, in honour of Togbe Afede XIV, Agbogbomefia of Asogli, on his election as the President of the National House of Chiefs.



He assured that his government would keep all the promises, and treat Ghanaians with dignity, shun corruption and govern with rule of law.



Nana Akufo-Addo expressed gratitude to the chiefs and people of the Volta Region for supporting the NPP to win the December polls and said, The NPP will continue to woo the Volta Region until we marry the bride.



He urged Togbe Afede to modernise the chieftaincy institution and pledged the support of his Government towards that bid.



Togbe Afede stated his resolve to ensure that chiefs played their roles in national development and commended Nana Akufo-Addo and the chiefs and people of the Region for the honour.



There were presentations and congratulatory messages from traditional areas and councils in the Region, the National Democratic Congress and Togbe Agorkorli V, King of Ewes in Togo and President of the House of Chiefs in Togo.

Source: GNA









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Featured Video
SPHERE H-band coronagraphic image reduced with ADI + PCA, showing the detection of the companion HD 206893 B at 270 mas with a S/N of 14. Credit: Milli et al., 2016.

(Phys.org)Astronomers have uncovered a new low-mass companion residing inside a massive debris disc surrounding a nearby star designated HD 206893. The discovery could provide new important clues on how low-mass stellar companions form and evolve. The findings were presented in a paper published Dec. 1 on the arXiv pre-print server.

Located some 125 light years away, HD 206893 is an F5V star hosting a debris disc detected through its large infrared excess. It is about 24 percent more massive than the sun and its age is estimated to be within the range of 200 million to 2.1 billion years. Due to its proximity and the presence of a debris disk, HD 206893's environment is an excellent place for astronomers to look for new stars and planets.

Recently, a team of researchers led by Julien Milli of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile has employed the observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) with the aim of finding new objects in the vicinity of HD 206893. The observations were carried out using VLT's SPHERE and NaCo imaging instruments in October 2015 and in August 2016, as a part of the SPHERE High Angular Resolution Debris Disc Survey (SHARDDS).

As a result of this observational campaign, the astronomers detected a faint object with a high contrast, orbiting its parent star very near  at about 10 AU.

"SPHERE opens a new discovery space for these systems because it is equipped with an extreme adaptive optics system that can beat the atmospheric turbulence and detect faint objects very close to their host star," Milli told Phys.org.

The newly detected object was designated HD 206893 B and is likely a brown dwarf with a mass between 24 to 73 Jupiter masses. However, the team does not exclude the possibility that the newly found object could be a giant planet. They key to confirm the real nature of this low-mass companion would be a more precise estimation of the host star's age.

"This is likely a brown dwarf but the conversion from the flux to a mass is difficult because we need to know the age of the star to make this conversion. Right now, the age is very little constrained, and it could be a young star of 200 million years, which would mean the brown dwarf is 24 Jupiter masses and close to a massive planet (13 Jupiter masses), or a medium-age star of two billion years, which would mean a 73 Jupiter-mass brown dwarf for the companion," Milli said.

It was also found by the team that HD 206893 B has a very red color, which suggests that its atmosphere is probably very dusty, since dust particles typically give a red color to the spectrum.

For now, the researchers will monitor the orbit of HD 206893 B, study the spectra and try to get an image of the debris disk with more details to study the relations between the companion and the disk.

"In parallel, we will try to refine the age of the star to better constrain the mass," Milli noted.

More information: Discovery of a low-mass companion inside the debris ring surrounding the F5V star HD206893, arXiv:1612.00333 [astro-ph.EP] arxiv.org/abs/1612.00333 Abstract

Uncovering the ingredients and the architecture of planetary systems is a very active field of research that has fuelled many new theories on giant planet formation, migration, composition, and interaction with the circumstellar environment. We aim at discovering and studying new such systems, to further expand our knowledge of how low-mass companions form and evolve. We obtained high-contrast H-band images of the circumstellar environment of the F5V star HD206893, known to host a debris disc never detected in scattered light. These observations are part of the SPHERE High Angular Resolution Debris Disc Survey (SHARDDS) using the InfraRed Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph (IRDIS) installed on VLT/SPHERE. We report the detection of a source with a contrast of 3.6x10^{-5} in the H-band, orbiting at a projected separation of 270 milliarcsecond or 10 au, corresponding to a mass in the range 24 to 73 Mjup for an age of the system in the range 0.2 to 2 Gyr. The detection was confirmed ten months later with VLT/NaCo, ruling out a background object with no proper motion. A faint extended emission compatible with the disc scattered light signal is also observed. The detection of a low-mass companion inside a massive debris disc makes this system an analog of other young planetary systems such as beta Pictoris, HR8799 or HD95086 and requires now further characterisation of both components to understand their interactions.

 2016 Phys.org
Genres : Drama

Starring : Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough

Director : Andrea Arnold

Plot Synopsis

An astonishing portrait of youth on the American fringe, American Honey is told through the eyes of a vivacious teenage rebel who joins a group of fellow misfits hustling and partying their way across the country. Bursting with electric, primal energy, American Honey is an immersive, exhilarating odyssey of heartbreaking beauty  a generation-defining film that celebrates the defiant resilience of youth in pursuit of the American Dream.
Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
WICHITA, Kan.  Black Friday was blanket day for Cynthia Martinez this year.

She got a small donation to help take care of homeless kids from the Wichita school district program she runs. It was only $200, but shes a deal-shopper outside of work, and every dollar helps.

The story about the blankets is heart-rending, Martinez said.

Weve always tried to give toys and mittens and things like that to kids, but in the last couple of years, when weve asked little kids what they want, they say they want their own blanket or pillow. Its probably a security thing, where they want their own, no matter how little of anything else they have.

So on Black Friday, Martinez turned $200 into 220 blankets to give to homeless kids who attend Wichita public schools. Shell give the blankets along with mittens, coats, caps, toothpaste and soap.

I wiped out all they had at Menards, she said. I filled my cart and got a good deal. Then I went to Wal-Mart and wiped them out, too.

Martinezs office identifies and helps homeless children in the school district, trying to ensure they stay in school no matter where they happen to live in any given week. She and her staff work with bus schedules, network with parents, counselors and educators, and give some food and some clothing to those who need these items.

She handed out 458 blankets last year from donation money. She hopes to match that this year.

The kids and parents she helps are all homeless, some living in cars, some in shelters, most of them couch-surfing and staying with friends or relatives.

Her office has identified 1,516 homeless children so far this year; they have found an additional 100 since last week, she said.

By the end of the previous school year, theyd identified 1,940. By the end of the year previous to that, 2,400. The numbers have declined in the past two years, she said, in part because her office has worked to identify kids in danger of becoming homeless. They then try to network with social services and other agencies to head off homelessness before it starts, she said.

Statewide, Kansas education officials identified 9,265 homeless children, 133 of them living unsettled, meaning on the street or in cars.

Most people in Wichita dont even realize this is going on, she said.
With the holidays approaching, everyone is busy trying to get things finished up before the big day. Whether it is finding a tree, grabbing a gift certificate or doing some home improvements, I always try to shop small businesses. Being a business owner myself, I know how important it is to have people in the community to support the long hours I put in every week. I decided to share some of my favorites from around this area. Try them out, you wont be disappointed.

Bailey Family Christmas Trees in Cambridge is my favorite place to cut down our Christmas tree. It is a family owned business, with two large fields of beautiful trees. They have a gift shop with wreaths and other small handmade items. They are located at 530 Center Cambridge Rd., Cambridge in Washington County: Only 35 minutes east of Saratoga; 45 min. south of Glens Falls.

One of my favorite places to go on the weekends for breakfast is Sams Diner in Glens Falls. Sams is a wonderful place that has been a staple in the community for years. My husband and I go there most every Saturday morning. Sams is open Monday through Friday 6 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., and closed on Sundays. Pete serves breakfast and lunch, and always has a daily special. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting. Waitresses are the best, and usually already know our order!

If you are looking to do some home improvements now or after the holidays, stop into Windows, Doors, Shades and More, LLC located at 108 Main St., Queensbury. Owner Paul Spinelli will work with you personally to plan and design the ideas you have. His professionalism and dedication to customer service is like no other.

And after you are done with your shopping, stop in to East End Eatery, located on 240 Warren St., Glens Falls. The Heym and Dutra families will feed you a delicious meal at a reasonable price. They have many offerings for lunch and dinner. They do delivery and catering as well! East End is a staple in our house. We happened to stop there on the way home from Baileys Family Christmas Trees just the other night!

In my monthly class at The Post-Star, I go into detail about using coupons, saving money, finding monthly deals and how it will benefit your family and your pocket book! Free giveaways during the class as well. Please join me for

my next class on Thursday, January 26 at 6 p.m. Feel free to call 742-3309, or go to poststar.com/coupon-class.

Head over to my blog at at Making Cent$ About Extreme Couponing to find some great deals around the region this week. Post your questions, comments and deals in the comments section.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls ... says the male announcer in a home recording booth.

In a twin booth just six feet away at the Highland, California, home, a female voice says the same thing.

Both recordings will be heard at the Disneyland Resort  his at Disneyland and hers at Disney California Adventure.

They are Bill Rogers, 66, and Camille Dixon, 51, the official voices for each park, and theyre married  to each other.

We met in 2000, a client booked me at his studio, Dixon said.

A romance between the two voiceover announcers blossomed and 10 years later on Christmas Eve, they married.

Rogers became the official voice of Disneyland in 1991, when Jack Wagner, the original voice of Disneyland, retired. And on the basis of a two-take audition, Rogers got the gig, and has been doing it for 25 years.

I think Ive said Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls about 90,000 times, he said.

Rogers had been doing voice work for a variety of clients, when an associate at a recording studio asked him if he knew Jack Wagner.

I told him I didnt know him personally, but he was my hero, Rogers said. He was the most effective spokesman for the Walt Disney Company that I could imagine, Rogers said of Wagner. Rogers said that with his voice, Wagner could be a ringmaster, a grandfather and an authority figure at the same time.

Meanwhile, Dixon had been doing a few announcements for Disney California Adventure since it opened in 2001, but was not the official voice.

As the opening for Cars Land neared in 2012, Rogers had several days on his calendar blocked out to record all the announcements for the park when the couple got a call from Disney.

I was driving; Bill answered the phone, Dixon said. It was Disney and park officials asked to speak to her. They wanted to have a different official voice for the park before its rededication, and offered Dixon the job.

For the next 10 days, Dixon had to re-record the entire catalog of park announcements, including her favorite.

The rope drop announcement is my all time favorite because I talk about Walt Disneys arrival in California in 1923 to follow his dream.

To make things simpler, the couple built recording booths at their home here in Highland, and identical ones in Utah, where they split their time. They said its easier to record lines via high-speed connections and it makes them more efficient to hook up with directors and engineers from session to session.

When voice-over actors and the engineers, producers and directors get together, theres a lot of coffee consumed and a lot of stories told, taking lots of time, Rogers said.

It also saves us driving time going from recording studio to recording studio in Los Angeles can take a while, she added.

The announcements for each park include things like announcements about shows to those canceling shows due to inclement weather.

Ive gotten calls from friends mad at me for canceling the fireworks the day they visit the park, Rogers said. They forget its just a recording on a computer hard drive.

Rogers and Dixon each recorded contingency announcements that would be used in case either park had to be suddenly closed due to weather or other emergencies. Because they are the official voices for the parks, they are not used as characters in the attractions or elsewhere.

But they do have other clients besides Disney.

Rogers was the announcer for the Orange County Newschannel while it was in operation. He also does instructional videos for Medcom/Trainex and voice-over commercials for Mitsubishi and Hyundai.

Dixon also does work for Hyundai, Toyota, and Krogers grocery stores in the Midwest. Shes also been the promotional announcer for PBS SoCal for 20 years, and 10 years ago, Rogers joined her.

But their role with Disney is the one they enjoy most, as sometimes it means doing live announcements at the theme parks.

Ive been at the four Pirates of the Caribbean premieres at Disneyland. Where else do you get to announce Johnny Depp and Keith Richards in the same announcement? Rogers said.

Rogers also provides live announcements at the Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony.

Dixons favorite moment was hosting a live interview this year with Disney Legend Kurt Russell at her parks Wine and Food Festival.

What an amazing, incredible generous person. Who knew he made wine? she said. Its really good wine, too.
Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher laughed as she related an anecdote about her valuable mentor, Sheila Comar, who recently retired as Washington County Democratic chairwoman.

Boecher, Julie Garcia of Essex County and Comar were sharing a hotel room at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in June.

One night Boecher got back to the room about 1:30 a.m. and Garcia about 1:45 a.m., without Comar.

Its 3:30 and still no Sheila. Then were getting a little worried about her, Boecher said. What she had done, she had gone bowling with the Young Democrats.

Boecher said the anecdote epitomizes Comars spirit.

I would call her the Energizer Bunny, she said.

State and regional party leaders recently honored Comar, who retired from party leadership after serving 12 years as Washington County Democratic chairwoman.

The county committee elected Melissa Shea to replace her.

Comar also was a state party official, elected as deputy state treasurer in September 2008 and state vice chairwoman in November 2011.

She was acting state Democratic chairwoman for much of 2016.

She was always positive, consistently, but one who always steered the ship, Boecher said.

What people dont realize about her is that she has a will of steel behind her affable smile and contagious giggle, she said.

Boecher said Comar was particularly gifted at keeping party unity through the divisive presidential primary this year between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Shes willing to give everybody validity to their point and she seeks solutions and with a compromise, Boecher said.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said Comar was one of the first to encourage her to run for Congress in 2005.

Sheila has been a life-long, passionate advocate for Washington County, and I am honored to call her a good friend, Gillibrand said. I know that her years of hard work and leadership have inspired many others to take action as well.
Genres : Anime

Starring : Johnny Yong Bosch, Robert McCollum, Chris Ayres

Director : Justin Cook

Plot Synopsis

Get ready for the hacking, slashing battle of a lifetime in a new adaptation of the Sengoku Basara franchise. The new installment, based on the world created by Capcom, revolves around one massive conflict featuring mechanized samurai, mystical ninjas, gun-toting warriors, and a blinding array of deadly special moves!



During the turbulent period of warring states, numerous feudal lords sought to rule the land of the rising sun. With Nobunaga defeated, Hideyoshi lead a brutal campaign to wipe out the remaining combatants. His ambitions were crushed, however, when he was betrayed by the idealistic Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasus rebellion marked the start of a new conflict that would put old and new alliances to the test as Hideyoshis loyal followers began plotting their revenge, and the other remaining lords prepared their armies for the showdown at Sekigahara.
CAMBRIDGE  For the third year in a row, Hubbard Hall Projects has received grant money from the states Regional Economic Development Council program.

This year, the arts center scored a two-for-one deal.

Last year, Hubbard Hall received funding for a project to map arts assets in Washington County, and the year before, it got funding to employ a full-time program director.

This year, it got both.

Hubbard Hall Center for the Arts and Education will expand its program director position to full-time in order to better serve students and community members with greater programming opportunities throughout Washington County and the Capital Region.

An Arts Workforce Investment Grant of $34,000 will allow the arts destination to keep the additional full-time staff member, and a Marketing Washington County Arts Grant of $15,000 will be used for the second phase of the Washington County Arts Marketing Campaign. That campaign is designed to raise the profile of the Washington County region and attract new visitors and residents alike.

Last years grant was for $48,000 and went toward an inventory of artists and arts groups in the county. The year before that, Hubbard Hall got $34,000 to make its program director full-time, which allowed David Snider, Hubbard Halls executive director, to do more work in the Cambridge school system.

The grants have been very, very helpful, Snider said, noting his organization now has three full-time and three part-time employees. This will help sustain that for another year. he said.

Snider said the marketing funding will allow Hubbard Hall to do an online map of artists and a publicity brochure.

One of the things we discovered last year is a need to market the arts within the county, he said. Its a chance for us to reach beyond the hall again. It will help us put out the information that we got in the mapping.

Snider envisions a role similar to the one Proctors Theatre has taken in the Schenectady area.

Proctors promotes the whole area around it, and thats what we want to do for Washington County, Snider said. Its a really vibrant arts scene here.
WARRENSBURG  Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti Oct. 4, but local volunteers have not forgotten the survivors of that storm, especially those in Jeremie, Haiti, where local churches were already supporting churches and schools.

The winds were clocked at 145 mph, and they said there were gusts more than 200 mph, said Bryan Bartow of Hadley, who has already made two trips to Haiti since the storm and is planning another. The eye passed right over Jeremie, and the wind was coming from all directions. Thats why there was so much devestation.

Wednesday, Bartow was at Curtis Lumber, where workers from the store packed supplies, bought and donated from Curtis and Tractor Supply of Queensbury, into a cargo container to be shipped to the Caribbean island.

They made it easy for us, Bartow said of the workers at Curtis, who quickly packed the container.

It went awfully well. I was pleasantly surprised, Bartow said. It took an hour to do. It was a great blessing.

Bartow said the managers of the two stores were extremely helpful to the supply drive, which included building materials, doors, wood and other items. Bartow has already brought cholera medicine to Jeremie, because that became a serious issue after the storm.

The area around Jeremie, which is on the western end of Haiti, has been supported by churches in the greater Glens Falls area, including Bay Road Presbyterian, the Hadley-Luzerne Wesleyan Church and the Caldwell Presbyterian Church of Lake George.

The Rev. Tom Parson, his wife, JoEllen Parsons and church member Howard Nicols have spearheaded a project that has funded a school in the region. More than a dozen northeastern New York churches are involved in supporting the school and churches in the Jeremie area.

Bay Road Presbyterian sponsors about 30 students at the school and is in the process of raising funds to help them.

We are still working with the families down there, said Janice Holding of Bay Road. We may go down again in February, and we are organizing a youth group to go in June. We are going to see what the next steps are.

The school, which is in the mountains, about an hour from Jeremie, teaches about 150 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Parsons said it appeared all of them are homeless after the storm.

The storm flooded the Southeast coast of the U.S., but before that it hit Haiti even harder, killing more than 1,000 people. Jeremie is a city of about 30,000 on Haitis western tip. Its airport was crucial in rebuilding operations following the 2010 earthquake that devastated the nation, and it had been growing rapidly since then.

Parsons is a retired Presbyterian minister, and his wife, JoEllen, is a retired social worker. They have been traveling to Haiti since 2001 and have been working with the Free Methodist Church in Jeremie. This church is the mother church to nine small outstation churches scattered through the mountainous region around Jeremie.
POULTNEY, Vt.  State Police have charged a former Granville High School student with manslaughter in the death of a Poultney, Vermont, man Sunday.

William Bailey, 19, of Poultney, Vermont, was charged and held by the Department of Corrections. Police said he allegedly shot Daniel Hein, 19, with a semiautomatic handgun.

According to a State Police news release, members of the Poultney Rescue Squad were called for a report of a man who had been shot at a residence on Roberts Avenue.

When police and rescue workers got there, they found Hein dead of an apparent gunshot wound in a vehicle in a driveway.

State Police said there were four men in the car, including Bailey and Hein.

Bailey is being held on no bail and will be arraigned Monday in Rutland, Vermont.

The incident is under investigation by members of Troop C Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Major Crime Unit.

One of the additional vehicle occupants, Dylan Czarnecki, 21, of Poultney, Vermont, was taken into custody on probation violations.

A fourth man who was in the car is being sought as a potential witness. He was identified as Jonathan Testa, 21, of Poultney, Vermont. Anyone with information as to the location of Testa is asked to contact the State Police in Rutland.

More information regarding details in the investigation will be released in the charging affidavit following arraignment Monday.
While you were shopping, decorating, working and doing chores this week, the state Legislature was angling for a raise in hopes you werent paying attention.

A big raise.

If only they used Twitter, someone might have noticed.

The Legislature wants to boost its yearly salary from $79,500 to $99,500. Thats a bump of more than 25 percent when most of us arent getting anything.

People should be paid what they deserve, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told the Associated Press this week.

I hope you are reading that the way Im reading it, because I couldnt agree with Speaker Heastie more, which means he needs to give some of his salary back.

It shows you how out of touch he and his downstate colleagues are, since he didnt consider the absurdity of his statement.

Gov. Cuomo dangled a possible raise for the Legislature in exchange for ethics reforms during a special session this month. But that hasnt gone anywhere.

After all, 30 lawmakers from both parties have left office in disgrace since 2000 and the former leaders of both houses were convicted on federal corruption charges this year.

If people should be paid what they deserve, the Legislature would definitely be getting a pay cut.

Granted, the Legislature has not had a raise since 1998, so realistically a raise is in order. But despite that, New Yorks Legislature is the third-highest paid in the nation. If legislators get the raise they want, they would be second.

But what most of us want are results, and maybe just a little bit of morality.

Were tired of scandals, messages of necessity and budgets that pass without a full accounting of our taxpayer money.

If the Legislature were to get a boost in pay, then either their outside income has to be eliminated or we need 100 percent transparency about where it comes from.

Campaign finance reform needs to be advanced as well.

While Heastie and other members of the Legislature  mostly downstate Democrats  were complaining about the pay scale, it was learned that convicted former Speaker Sheldon Silver spent more campaign money than anyone else seeking re-election this past year, except he wasnt running for office.

Silver used his campaign accounts to pay nearly $3 million in legal fees.

Dean Skelos, the convicted former Senate majority leader, used his campaign funds to pay off nearly $1 million in lawyer bills.

So a politician who was not even running for office turned out to be a bigger spender than anyone actually campaigning.

Thats a system that is broken.

I think the people of this state want to see performance, Gov. Cuomo said this week.

I also think the Legislature should get paid what they deserve.

And right now, what they are getting is too much.

Ken Tingley is the editor of The Post-Star and may be reached via email at tingley@poststar.com. His blog, The Front Page, discusses issues about newspapers and journalism. You can also follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kentingley.
Under the cruel austerity of Michigan governor Rick Snyder  whose policies led to the mass-poisonings of children in Flint  any claims for unemployment insurance were vigorously investigated, with the state operating on the assumption that any worker who claimed a benefit was probably committing fraud.

For years, Michigan workers have disputed thousands and thousands of accusations of insurance fraud  accusations generated by opaque, unauditable software  facing the loss of benefits and fines of $100,000, and spending fortunes appealing the accusations in court, this money being deducted from their federal and state tax-refunds. Many of the falsely accused were forced into bankruptcy.

Michigan's automated fraud-accusation system operated without human oversight, automatically cutting off workers without their cases being reviewed by human beings.

This week, the Michigan unemployment insurance agency released its own audit into the system, and found that 93% of its fraud accusations were false, accounting for more than 20,000 actions against innocent Michigan workers over the two years from 2013-2015.

A further 30,000 fraud accusations from the same period have yet to be audited.





The millions of dollars in fines generated by the false accusations were accumulated into a fund that the state's Republican legislature has just appropriated to balance the state's budget. The system was instituted under Governor Snyder. It is called "MIDAS."

The system, known as the Michigan Integrated Data Automated System (Midas), caused an immediate spike in claims of fraud when it was implemented in October 2013 under the state's Republican governor, Rick Snyder, at a cost of $47m. In the runup to a scathing report on the system issued last year by Michigan's auditor general, the UIA began requiring employees to review the fraud determinations before they were issued. The fraud accusations can carry an emotional burden for claimants. "These accusations [have] a pretty big burden on people," Grifka said. While he said the new findings were validating and his own case had been resolved, he called for state accountability. "There's no recourse from the state on what they're doing to people's lives. That's my biggest problem with all of this."



Michigan unemployment agency made 20,000 false fraud accusations  report

[Ryan Felton/The Guardian]



(Thanks, Pterryx!)

(Image: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Talks with Media after Michigan Municipal League Board Meeting, Michigan Municipal League, CC-BY-ND)
Like iron and clay - this 'mixture' will not remain united. Prophecy watchers are waiting for the formation of the 10 kings:

to a referendum in 2005, Pascal Verrelle voted passionately against it  hoping it would stop the European Union in its tracks. He rejoiced when the effort failed, yet was dismayed when the bloc kept gathering more members and powers, anyway.

In 2005, a majority voted against Europe, and we still find ourselves in Europe, by magic, he said, and I find it inadmissible.

Today the European Union is wobbling under the weight of problems encouraged in part by that unchecked expansion  stagnant economies, the euro crisis, new pressures from Russia and deep strains over migration, especially from newer members in Central and Eastern Europe.

But a visit to Le Luc and other villages in southern France is a reminder that the European Union faces yet another serious problem long in the making  a crisis of legitimacy  that is fueling right-wing, nationalist politics even in the traditional core of the bloc.





For Mr. Verrelle, 2005 was a watershed. Since then, opposition to a much-enlarged, poorer and vastly more diverse European Union has only increased. So has support for the National Front and its leader, Marine Le Pen, who has emerged as a serious contender in Frances presidential race.





Having already suffered a Brexit vote this year in Britain, Europe faces a series of critical elections in the year ahead. But none is more important than the vote in France, a founding European Union member.









The British decision to quit the European Union was a major blow, but a victory by Ms. Le Pen could be the death knell. And with the election of Donald J. Trump in the United States, that prospect has taken on new weight.





What Ms. Le Pen wants is to lead France out of the euro currency and out of the bloc. She has said she would hold a popular referendum, a la Britain, on French membership in the European Union  a test of public will that mainstream French politicians, she says, are afraid to have.





From the mood here in southern France, a Frexit push would probably prevail in a referendum, just as 55 percent voted in 2005 against the Constitution that a former French president, Valery Giscard dEstaing, had drafted.

































Once upon a time, I used to admire you. You were a conservative. You seemed to get along well with President Bush and you appeared to be a responsible fiscal leader in charge of the biggest economic powerhouse on the European continent. I decided to suppress some of my innate suspicions about your background: your fathers defection to the East in 1954, when everyone in communist East Germany was running West and only someone with an infatuation for Lenin and bread lines would make such a move; your role as AgitProp or Propaganda Officer for your local FDJ communist youth group, the reports that you were a Stasi informer code named Erika and the even starker information that you were in fact a Stasi officer. Theres an old saying; follow your gut. And, my gut said you stank like a rotten piece of breaded veal. I should have listened to my gut. Im sure millions of Germans who put you in office are thinking the same thing tonight. Since 2015 nearly two million Muslim refugees have made their way to Germany, turning your spit and polish nation into a Third World garbage dump. You consistently claim that Muslim women and children and families need Germanys help. Where are the women? Where are the children? Where are the families?

The only people arriving across the German frontier are young Muslim single men who are apparently too gutless to fight ISIS and who have gotten the word that you are handing out golden tickets to Willy von Wonkas Socialist Dreamland. These young men are not arriving to work and settle and to become good citizens. They are coming to rape and pillage and plunder.

The crime figures in your nation are literally exploding every day. Your new guests, the Sons of Allah, are in fact the Sons of Anarchy. They have committed over 400,000 crimes in Germany since 2014. Crimes like rape, murder, armed robbery, assault and arson are now commonplace in German villages where once a stolen beer stein was the crime of the century.









A perfect example of the Muslim crime spree is the New Years Eve rape-a-thon conducted by your new guests in Cologne last year. You might remember this event. Hundreds of Muslim thugs raped and molested young German women on the streets of the ancient city and in the train station, while also bombarding the medieval Cologne Cathedral with fireworks.





Besides the horrifying facts surrounding this incident, what is even more disheartening is the fact that Germans are putting up with not only YOU, but the Muslim crime spree in general. I can tell you without a doubt that if a Cologne type event took place in the United States, the Islamic culprits would find themselves as pop up targets in the Second Gunfight at the OK Corral.

The Muslim rape of humanity simply isnt going to happen in the good ole USA. That dog dont hunt. First of all, we have enough men who havent been neutered by socialism as in Germany. Secondly, we are armed and can rely on our good friends, Mr. Smith, Mr. Wesson and Mr. Colt, when need be. Then there is the case of the young 19 year old Freiburg medical student, Maria Landenburger, who helped migrants in her spare time. Her benevolence was met with the usual Muslim gratitude. She was raped, butchered like a steer and then thrown in a local river by some scumbag from Afghanistan. And, your response was that it was just an isolated incident. Dont get too excited. Refugees welcome!

Your sense of self-delusion is incredible . The facts speak for themselves and you are nothing short of an accessory in the murder of Maria Landenburger and the thousands of crimes being committed in Allahs name across Germany every day. You are an accomplice to terror, murder, rape, assault and petty thievery. As the refugee camps burn, the blond women are raped and your citizens assaulted and murdered, you sit back and spout off ridiculous platitudes like; We can do it! Lets show them the greatness of our culture! Play them a Christmas song with a flute! Yes, play them a flute Mrs. Merkel.

Newsflash Chancellor, they arent in Europe to sing Silent Night with the Vienna Boys Choir. They are there to make sure that no one ever sings Silent Night again. They are there to destroy European culture, whatever is left of Christianity that your wonderful socialists havent destroyed and 2000 years of European civilization. They are there to do it in one fell swoop. And, you let them in. You are doing more damage to Germany than a zillion bombs from the US 8th Air Force could ever have done. You are a bureaucratic Visigoth, a destroyer, the grim reaper dealing out a Dead Mans Hand to the people of Germany. Many have asked what your motivations are for causing the complete destruction of your nation. Are you a Stasi sleeper agent who has made their way to the top and is now conducting the final phases of an elaborate campaign to bring down Germany?

Are you working with the architect of evil, George Soros and his fellow globalists? Are you simply insane? In the typical style of your East German mentors , you are ordering the suppression of any opposition to your policies. Anyone in Germany who voices their disgust with you and your bulldozing of German society is labeled a right wing fanatic and some kind of Neo Nazi who just emerged from Hitlers bunker.

Dissent on social media is now considered hate speech in Germany. Germans calling for an end to the Muslim invasion of their nation are considered purveyors of fake news. You and the globalists arent fooling anyone with the fake news argument, which is really part of a master plan to shut down all media outlets who dare to voice the truth. In your warped cranium Chancellor Merkel, patriotism is Islamophobia, self-defense against Muslim assaults are Neo-Nazi street tactics and nationalism is the work of the devil. In actuality, Mrs. Merkel if you want to find the devil, you need only look in the mirror. No doubt, if I was a German citizen, you would be undoubtedly dispatching the police to my doorstep. How dare this Mr. Starmann voice his opinion! Charge him with hate speech! Damn journalist! Islamic violence is peace. Dissent is treason. Hijabs are the new Lederhosen.

Right, Erika? Your other tactic is to put the old Holocaust universal guilt trip on your fellow countrymen. Apparently, millions of Germans who werent even alive in World War II are supposed to continue to atone for the sins of a clique of madmen who watched the curtain close in the last act of Twilight of the Gods in 1945. The modern day German has no obligation to help you commit national suicide. The modern day German does have an obligation though, to do their best to run you out of office and to take back their country. But, they wont and you wont be. You will continue to break Germany into a thousand pieces because you know damned well that your countrymen dont have any fight left in them. As for Americans, we can expect millions of Europeans to arrive on our shores when Islam overruns Europe, which is inevitable. And, those millions of Germans and other Europeans will be voting Republican. Ray Starmann Editor in Chief, US Defense Watch





























The Times of Israel is liveblogging Sundays events as they unfold.

















Gunmen said holding tourists hostage in Jordan



Jordanian news site al-Ghad reports gunmen are holding 14 hostages in the famous Crusader castle of the city of Karak, after opening fire on a police station and killing five people. The site reports that tourists are among the hostages, including some from Malaysia.

Sources in Jordan have identified the four other fatalities in the Karak attack as officers. Four of the dead are policemen and one is a (female) Canadian tourist, says source who declined to be identified.

Five people have been killed, including an Canadian tourist, after unidentified gunmen attacked a police station and patrols in the town of Karak in western Jordan. Nine people have been injured in the attack. Karak, a city and tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, is located around 120 kilometers (roughly 70 miles) south of the capital Amman. Five people were killed and nine others wounded, including policemen, when unknown gunmen attacked a police station and some patrols in Karak, a source says on condition of anonymity, adding that police were hunting the gunmen and reinforcements were sent.




















We thank our sponsor for making this content possible; it is not written by the editorial staff nor does it necessarily reflect its views. Having more devices is a plus, right? Well. except when it comes to charging them. Then, you're tripping over cables as you attempt to keep your technology powered up for the day. That's READ THE REST
"Eletrunks literally let you elevate your manhood without reaching below your waistband. They also create chafe-free zones under the legs and keep you from sticking to yourself," the website explains. "Your manhood goes into the pouch, keeping it away from your legs. When you need to readjust, you simply use the patented 'Lifter,' a string that attaches from the waistband to the bottom of the pouch, and it elevates your entire manhood."

Founder Michael Walker, from New York City, came up with the idea for Eletrunks while exploring South America.

"I quit my job last September to travel through Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. Somewhere in the first week of Ecuador I convinced myself to buy a motorcycle to carry me through the rest of my journey," he told Mashable. "Here is where I realized how incredibly uncomfortable each type of men's underwear can be and how there is no true functionality. Somewhere crossing the Colombia boarder the idea for Eletrunks crystallized."

So, Walker set out to fix the issue and got to work developing Eletrunks. He started conceptualizing prototypes in February 2016.

"I reached out for help at FIT for sewing and ended up in their FITMSA fashion show in April," he told Mashable. "I had to go from zero to full company in less than two months with a final product to show people."

The underwear is currently available in five colors, all with silly names to match the silly product. Some of the names were developed via an Instagram contest.

Walker is not ignorant to how funny Eletrunks are.

"I haven't stopped laughing since it's inception. This response holds true across the board," he said. "Nearly every time I tell people what I'm doing they say laugh, followed by, 'yesss!' Needless to say, the overwhelming positive response motivates me to move forward."

And he's not worried that the goofiness will overshadow the practicality.

"Luckily Eletrunks stand up to the promise of no compression, security, maximum comfort and all around functionality so people enjoy the feel as much as they do the idea," he said.

If you like the idea of Eletrunks but aren't a briefs guy, have no fear  Walker has some expansion plans on the horizon.

"In the future, we will incorporate the patent pending Lifter pouch into every variation of style. Long leg boxer and brief cuts are on the way. I also want to venture into riding specific shorts with padding for those long journeys," he wrote to Mashable. "Given the fact that Eletrunks are great for every situation, we aim to have athletes and the everyday man wearing this underwear, and that's our mission, to elevate your lifestyle."

And Walker has a message for women and those who do not have penises who are intrigued by the product.

"Also ladies, I can't keep track of how many of you are asking for the bra version. I'm taking ideas!" he told Mashable.
According to the Electoral Commission, he had 53.8 percent of the vote cast while Mahama has 44.4 percent of the vote cast.

Following his victory, Akufo-Addo on Saturday addressed the Volta Regional House of Chiefs to thank them for their support.

He said: I wish to thank the Chiefs and people of the Volta Region for their support and help in the election.

"Admittedly the results from this region fell short of the expectations of my party. But we have certainly done far better than we did in the last election."

He continued: I recall the statement made by you Togbe Afede during my last visit. You said the Volta Region was not loyal housewife waiting for her husband who only came home only when he was hungry.READ MORE: NPP will fulfill promises - president-elect Akufo Addo

You said the Volta Region was a beautiful bride awaiting an appropriate suitor. The NPP has taken you at your word and we will continue to woo the Volta Region until we marry the bride."
A scanty statement released by his press secretary, Eugene Arhin, said "whilst there, he is expected to deliver the keynote speech at the 2016 Future of Africa Awards ceremony in Lagos, and will also pay a courtesy call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari, at the State House, in Abuja."
"During my tenure, we supervised some quite significant investment in our social and economic infrastructure," he said.

"And I also superintended significant structural reforms in our economy," he added.

The president also hailed Ghana's democracy, adding that the just ended election further consolidated the gains made thus far.

"Ghana has enjoyed a very positive reputation as the model democracy and I believe that this election has consolidated that reputation even further," he said.

He also expressed his gratitude to Ghanaians for the opportunity to serve them as their president, and also recalled his entry into the political scene.

He said: "I am grateful to the almighty and the people of Ghana for the opportunity to have served in the high office of the president.

"I have enjoyed a fulfilling career since I emerged onto the political scene in Ghana in 1996, I served as Member of parliament for three terms, I served as deputy minister, as a minister, as vice president and ultimately the president of my country."

President Mahama also used his address to invite the regional leaders to the inauguration of president-elect Nana Akufo-Addo.

He further thanked them for their role in the success of the elections.

"I wish to say that elections were successfully held on December 7th, I want to thank ECOWAS for its role in the success of the elections and to thank the observer missions that were with us throughout the period and other observer missions specifically the African Union, EU and Commonwealth missions. We currently have a joint transition team working to ensure a smooth transition of power from one government to the other," he said.

On his plans after leaving office, the president noted that he has no immediate plans.

According to him, he will take a long rest since he has been working for three years without break.
Daily Post reports that the decision was made on Friday, December 17, 2016, after the workers were sacked over allegations of stealing, absconding from duty and willful disrespect to constituted authority.

ALSO READ:Members of SSANU protest over sack of 23 workers

The staff later staged a protest against the FUNAAB management, claiming that their sack had been unlawful and unfair, demanding that the school authorities be probed while they are reinstated.

However, the Governing Council of the institution revealed that the decision to recall the sacked lecturers had been reached at the end of the 91st meeting of the council held at the National Universities Commission, Abuja and signed by its Acting Registrar and Secretary, Obafemi Oginni.

A statement issued in Abeokuta by the Head of the Directorate of Public Relations in the institution, Emi Alawode, stated that the decision to recall the sacked workers was settled upon following series of appeals from within and outside the university community.

Each of the 23 members of staff concerned, should, within 48 hours, send a Letter of Appeal to the Secretary, Council Committee on Investigation of the Lingering Industrial Unrest and Tension, Acting Registrars Office between Friday, December 16th And Monday, December 19th 2016, the statement read in part.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Transform Zimbabwe party has expressed concerns over Zanu PF government allocating $9,8 million toward the running of election at the time when the country faces scriopling economic crisis."Our country needs serious and absolute change and all the citizens are looking to 2018 for that change. As Citizens, we are hoping that 2018 will give ALL OF US a chance to express ourselves peacefully through the ballot box. However, with the new budget presented by Finance Minister Chinamasa it is very clear that the Robert Mugabe and the Zanu PF led government are not interested in election reform or affording Zimbabweans Free and Fair Elections," said the party in a communication on social media." All signs point to the same symptom: A government with leaders who are not interested in the needs of the People or Voter concerns. To put things into perceptive the Defense ministry was allocated US$340,5 million, Home Affairs which manages Zimbabwe Republic Police budget was allocated $364 million for total of $704 million dollars between the TWO SECURITY ministries. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been allocated a paltry $9.8 million."The [party said on that paltry 9.8 million dollars ZEC must conduct voter education and voter registration whose estimated cost is $100million dollars.The government allocated defence $340,5 m, Home Affairs $364 m, and ZEC 9,8m."It appears the Zanu PF government is more interested in building the police and military force to oppress the people than they are in building a democracy. The message to the Zimbabwean people from the Zanu PF government is crystal clear, Zanu PF would rather rule by FORCE than peaceful DEMOCRATIC MEANS. Zimbabwe is a nation which fought for liberation of its people so everyone regardless of sex, tribe, race would have the same rights and freedoms. Part of that freedom meant the ability to choose our leaders not to have our leaders imposed on US. With each day that passes the Zanu PF regime continues to erode the rights and freedoms of the people. They have failed to LEAD so They Chose to RULE," said the party."We as citizens must work together and fight peacefully for our rights as the right to VOTE is embedded in our constitution. We must hold the government accountable and remind them that the promise of 1980 must be fulfilled and fulfilling that promise begins by Citizens expressing themselves freely through the ballot box. The issue of affording ALL citizens the right to vote IS A VERY serious ISSUE which must be given the SERIOUSNESS it deserves."The patry said allocating $9.8 million dollars to such an important issue is a SLAP in FACES of the Zimbabwean people. Minister Chinamasa, his Financial Team and Whole Zanu PF leadership must re orient themselves with the Constitution and Electoral ACT and do some serious soul searching on the meaning of patriotism. It is very evident they (Chinamasa and Zanu PF) have become ignorant of the Foundation and Fundamentals of what our Nation is supposed to be built on," said the party."IT is our job as leaders to support and Empower every Zimbabwean, voter education and voter registration are a very important part of the empowerment process. Minister Chinamasa and Zanu PF must review the budget again and allocate the required resources. We as political party and our other opposition comrades will do our part in demanding a review and a serious approach towards the Election Budget. We urge all citizens to demand a review of the election budget item. IT IS OUR JOB as citizens to REMIND the Zanu PF government that CITIZENS are the NATION."
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The report said the airline has secured new investors and may begin flying "most likely on Wednesday."

"If things work according to plan, the staff will be recalled and addressed on Monday, IT staff will resume on Tuesday and flight operations will commence on Wednesday," a source told the online news platform.

It was gathered that Aero will restart by flying only three routes: Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

It is however not clear if the airline got foreign investors to re-start operations.

ALSO READ: Workers list 10 reasons why Aero Contractors must be saved
SERAP dragged the upper chamber before the United Nations with a petition addressed to the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst.

In the petition, the group accused the Nigerian Senate of attempting to intimidate and harass Magu with baseless accusations.

It also said the Senate used "a purported security report it knew, or ought to know is baseless and politically motivated" to reject Magus confirmation as substantive EFCC Chairman.

"The Senate of Nigeria has flagrantly violated Ibrahim Magus right to a fair hearing, and is implicitly working to weaken, intimidate, harass and ultimately undermine the independence and freedom of action of the EFCC in its efforts to combat high-profile official corruption," the group said.
The killings are one of the series of bloody attacks in the state.

Most of the farmers were killed on their farms.

David Misal, the state police public relations officer, who confirmed the incident, said the police would soon release the casualty figure.

"Actually, I cannot lie to you there are casualties, but we will release the figures later after we might have finish combing the area," Misal said.

"It was an undercover attack by some unidentified people in the area."

He said the police would soon conduct a thorough search for the perpetrators of the wicked act through intelligence gathering.

Dooior Torkula, the acting chairman of concerned Taraba Tiv youth frontier, said a total of 18 persons were killed in separate attacks.

Torkula said the frontier recovered 12 corpses in Dan-Anacha shortly after the attacks.

According to him, four bodies were recovered from the Borno- Kruku road on the outskirts of Dan-Anacha, while two other corpses were recovered in their farms.

ALSO READ: How angry mob butchered 14 herdsmen in retaliatory attack in Kaduna

He alleged that the attackers broke into most of the victims houses while they slept and murdered them.

He further said that 18 other persons were left badly injured.

The acting chairman said the bodies were recovered at about 3 am on Sunday.

Torkula said calm had returned to the area following the arrival of armed mobile policemen.
Jonathan said he called Buhari to concede defeat because he believes that no blood of any Nigerian is worth his political ambition.

He stated this at the 2nd combined convocation ceremony of Bingham University, Nasarawa State, where he was honoured with the Doctor of Letters (Honaris Causa) by the University Senate in recognition of his self-abasement and prized patriotic humility and love for peace.

Also honoured with the same title was former military head of state, Yakubu Gowon, "in "recognition of his commitment and selflessness to Nigeria, Africa, and humanity."

Jonathan said: "It is my belief that no one's political ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian and I am fulfilled knowing that by conceding while the votes were still being compiled was borne out of my personal principle and conviction. It is generating positive impact on other nations.

"Let me make it very, very clear, nobody within or outside the country persuaded me to do that. I know it is the right thing to do. My ambition is not worth the blood of Nigerians. It was not just a political slogan."
In recent rerun legislative elections in Rivers, two police personnel were reportedly beheaded amid sporadic gunshots and machete inflicted wounds.

There were also reports of hired thugs making away with ballot boxes.

Rivers State has since carved a reputation for violence and it is common these days to see the Dailies scream with captions like: "Rivers of Blood".

In a chat with Pulse on Saturday, Wike deflected accusations that he's the aggressor whenever elections are held in a State in which he's the chief security officer.

The Governor who belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been locked in a supremacy battle with former Governor and current Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi.

There's been no love lost between both key political actors, for as long as anyone can remember.

"Tell tell the Nigerian police, tell the Nigerian security that I want free and fair elections.

"What causes violence? I was here and they wanted to stop the results of my senatorial district from being declared..to manipulate it? If in the course of resisting rigging, they shoot somebody, will there not be violence?

"Why will you carry materials and give to the other party to the detriment of the other party? Why? We said, allow everybody to vote. Now, you use security agencies to hijack the materials, to beat up our agents...Why can't they tell you the simple truth? If they conduct free and fair elections in this State today, who will win? Who is going to lose if there's violence?

"We want elections. Let's see who is more popular. You (APC) don't want election. You want to bring collation officers that will do your own bidding. You want to bring INEC officers to do your own bidding. We have no problem, bring whoever you want to bring, but let there be elections. When you win, you won't blame the person that collated. What kind of system is this?

"The only condition for peace in Rivers is free and fair elections like it's done all over the world".

Wike also told Pulse that his voice in that audio making the rounds on social media; and which was first put up by online news platform Sahara Reporters, was a complete fabrication.

ALSO READ: Gov caught threatening to kill INEC officials over Rerun Election

"You look at me and I'll talk to INEC adhoc staff? And they said I asked where the man is from...the person I gave money and I don't know where he comes from?

"Okay, it resembles my voice? I can plant your voice now. Even as I am now, you can take my voice and plant somewhere. Let them bring their own video evidence. We have shown ours where you can see what policemen were doing during the election. I hear they said it was through somebody's phone that I spoke.

"It's so...it's so...the only person I can even talk to as far as INEC is concerned is the or the national chairman or commissioner of INEC. Why will I even descend (so low ) to talk to an adhoc staff? We have over 2,000 INEC adhoc staff. Which one did I talk to? Which one did I not talk to? So, please discard some of these stories".

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, has set up a panel to investigate and analyse the alleged audio comments by the Rivers Governor.

The IGP enjoined the Rivers State government and INEC to avail the panel with facts at their disposal to achieve a comprehensive and conclusive investigation.

"The election observers, civil society groups, Human Rights watchers and other stakeholders are equally called upon to assist the team with valuable information they may have", IGP Idris said in a statement made available to the press last week.

However, Wike is in no mood to submit himself before a panel. He laughed off the story when put before him.

"Investigate who? Embark on an inquiry on who? (laughter) We have video evidence of police helping to rig the election for them (APC), but they are denying that they are not policemen. Police is denying...something everyone saw the man that came. You are saying they are not policemen".

Wike also said the election was rigged for the APC.

"Let them show us the server where they offloaded the result. Let them show us...let them show us...

"You know, this country, it's unfortunate. Let me tell you why nobody can come after me. Nobody can take my life. Only God can. He gives, he takes. You who is planning to take, who told you you'll be there tomorrow? You were here when people said will rule for many years. But what happened? How did he die?

"You don't know God's plans. People should take it easy. Anything can happen tomorrow. You never can tell. They took my orderly, they took my Chief Security Officer, they took my escort commander..."

Wike also said he has no plans to complete the monorail project embarked upon by Amaechi, citing paucity of funds.

The monorail now stands as a statue straddling a section around government house; abandoned and decaying. Over N40B was spent by Amaechi on a few kilometers of the rail, Wike alleges.

The Governor also told Pulse that Amaechi's claims of building 21 model schools were fraudulent.

"It's a media thing. Let them name the model schools. You don't build schools for political reasons. Anyone who says he left 21 model schools in this State, you have to check the person's psychiatric status".

Wike also dwelt on his infrastructural plans for Rivers, his school projects and his vision to open up the State through road networks.

"You'll help me complete the monorail project", Wike told this writer jokingly after the interview.
The shootings took place in Karak, a city and tourist destination known for one of the biggest Crusader castles in the region, around 120 kilometres (70 miles) south of the capital Amman.

"Four of the dead are policemen and one is a (female) Canadian tourist," said the source who declined to be identified.

He said nine others were wounded when "unknown gunmen attacked a police station and some patrols in Karak".
"The investigations concerning the assassination of Tunisian citizen Mohamed Zaouari and the latest findings have proven that foreign elements were involved," the government said on its Facebook page.

It did not give further details, but said it was "determined to protect all Tunisian citizens and to pursue those guilty of carrying out assassination inside and outside" the country.

Zaouari, a 49-year-old engineer, was murdered at the wheel of his car outside his house in Tunisia's second city, Sfax, on Thursday.

He was buried on Saturday.

Al-Qassam Martyrs Brigade, the armed wing of Hamas that controls the Gaza Strip, told AFP on Saturday Zaouari was a drone expert and was killed by "Zionist treachery", referring to Israel.

It said Zaouari had worked for the "resistance" for 10 years.

Israel has made no comment about the Hamas accusation.